The latest out of the GM Meetings from the New York Post’s Joel Sherman…
- Regarding negotiations with Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins GM Dan Jennings tells Sherman, “There’s only one hope — we want to sign him.” Negotiations between the two sides are ongoing, Sherman writes, and the Marlins are aware with and comfortable with the fact that Stanton could require a $28-30MM annual value on a long-term deal. The relationship between the two sides seems to be in a good place, he adds.
- In addition to a Stanton extension, Jennings told Sherman that the team would like to add a veteran starter either via free agency or trade to help stabilize the rotation while Jose Fernandez rehabs. They’d also like to add a middle-of-the-order bat to either hit behind Stanton or bat in front of him. This is my own speculation, but I listed Miami as a potential landing spot for Adam LaRoche in my free agent profile and picked him to land there in MLBTR’s Free Agent Prediction Contest as well.
- Korean shortstop Jung-ho Kang is being represented by agent Alan Nero of Octagon, who joked to Sherman and other reporters that if Kang were coming from Cuba, he’d earn $100MM+ after hitting .354 with 39 homers. However, KBO is known to be a fairly low level of competition and an offense-friendly environment, and as Sherman notes, many scouts have expressed skepticism that his power will translate to Major League Baseball. Still, Kang is just 27, and Nero says his client feels comfortable playing shortstop, third base, second base and even center field.
- The Rays are said to be working toward a trade of Jeremy Hellickson to an NL team, but he’s not the only candidate to be moved by Tampa. Sherman reports that they’d like to move Matt Joyce or David DeJesus as well.
- It may seem counter-intuitive for the Braves to be aggressively shopping Evan Gattis when their team needs offense, but Sherman hears the team wants to diversify its offense after becoming too reliant on an all-or-nothing approach from right-handed hitters. The Braves also feel they have a big need in the rotation, as they’re looking to replace 400 innings from Ervin Santana and Aaron Harang.
Matt Joyce could be a potential buy low option for the White Sox as part of a rotating OF/DH.
Well if you’re the Braves, you were getting nothing-or-nothing out of BJ Upton and Dan Uggla.
2 of the worst contracts currently. Blech
Legitimately 2 of the worst in history
For the Braves yes.
Well the Upton one I will certainly say In History.
Who was the last guy that signed a $50+ million contract and produced Negative WAR (his fWAR with the Braves is -0.2, and on rWAR it’s -1.6). Sure it can go up of course but it can very well continue to go down and down
Ryan Howard says, “Anything BJ can do, I can do worse, for way more money.”
-C
Haha, geez I can’t believe I left him out. Though probably because I was thinking more so about free agents.
Josh Hamilton comes to mind as a free agent addition.
And next to nothing from Jason Heyward
I wonder if Kang is someone the O’s could target to give Schoop competition at second.
Yea that’s not going to happen because I don’t think that the Orioles want to block Schoop. It could just be that he did not perform to expectations that the fans expected. I saw the same thing happen in Boston this year with Bogaerts, when they resigned Stephen Drew. If you look at the next 10 or so games he pulled it together and then he switched positions and crashed and then rebounded after Drew was traded. And to be honest you can’t expect guys to have rookie years like Trout and Abreu.
Speaking of the Rays, their execs have asked MLB to investigate if the Cubs tampered with Joe Maddon (according to Joel Sherman).
Might as well, the Rays really don’t have anything to lose by asking for an investigation.
I don’t think they will prove anything but that situation sure seemed fishy to me. I definitely raised an eyebrow and considered the possibility of some type of collusion shenanigans when I first heard about it, before the tampering stuff hit the news.
The only way I sign anything with the Marlins if I’m Stanton is if there is a no-trade clause added. With the Marlins history of screwing over the players that sign there I wouldn’t give them anything unless I had a part in where I would play in the future.
Braves looking to add an outfielder, Rays have one….?
W.Myers to the braves for gattis in a few prospects ..I can keep dreaming ik lol
Yeah, that doesn’t seem likely, unless the Rays aren’t willing to bet on Myers ever being healthy and productive like he was in 2012.