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Archives for September 2015

Rosenthal’s Latest: Stanton, Castro, Samardzija

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Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a video on FOX Sports.

  • Rosenthal suggests that Bryce Harper’s recent praise for manager Matt Williams could be a genuine expression of support that could help dissuade the Nationals from firing Williams, or it could be a “politically savvy” move to bolster his own reputation as a team player by offering praise for a manager he thinks will eventually be fired anyway.
  • The downside of Giancarlo Stanton’s long-term deal was that he committed to be with a questionably run Marlins organization for at least six years. Rosenthal notes, though, that 2015 hasn’t been the first season in which Stanton has struggled to stay healthy — he has only averaged 118 games played per season for his career. In signing a long-term deal, Stanton reduced the risk that injuries could limit his career earnings.
  • The Cubs have plenty of talented infielders and could still trade Starlin Castro, who has improved his stock by hitting well since the beginning of August and capably handling a new position, second base. Now, the Cubs can market him either as a shortstop or as a second baseman.
  • Jeff Samardzija hasn’t pitched well for the White Sox, but his health record is pristine, with one executive says the health of his right arm is “right out of the womb.” The Yankees or Pirates could be good fits for Samardzija, Rosenthal suggests, given their recent successes at helping struggling but talented pitchers. Samardzija might do surprisingly well on the market this winter, Rosenthal says.

Quick Hits: Montreal, Phillies, Braves, Moylan

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In early April, the Blue Jays will play exhibition games at Olympic Stadium in Montreal for the third straight year, as Ainsley Doty of SportsNet writes. The Jays and Red Sox will play there April 1 and 2, just before the start of the regular season. The exhibitions will likely warm the hearts of fans longing for baseball to return to Montreal on a more permanent basis. “It is clearly a strong message that major teams from Major League Baseball want to come to Montreal,” says Montreal mayor Denis Coderre. “Of course, we keep the flame on. Montreal is a serious contender to get back the Expos one day.” Here are more quick notes from around the game.

  • There are plenty of teams with at least a mathematical chance of winning (or “winning”) the first pick in the 2016 draft, but right now the Phillies hold a two-game “lead” over the Braves, as Vince Lara-Cinosomo of Baseball America notes. Both teams already have solid farm systems thanks in part to their recent rebuilding efforts. The next top Phillies draft signing will join a system topped by J.P. Crawford and recent trade acquisitions Jake Thompson, Nick Williams and Jorge Alfaro. The Braves’ system is topped by Curacaoan infielder Ozhaino Albies, along with top 2015 pick Kolby Allard and a host of players acquired in recent trades.
  • After righty Peter Moylan had his second Tommy John surgery last year, the Braves signed him to a two-year minor-league deal with the idea that he would spend at least part of this season coaching pitchers at the Braves’ Appalachian League affiliate in Danville. Instead, he never went to Danville and pitched in the big leagues instead, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. Moylan made his season minor-league debut with Triple-A Gwinnett in late May, got promoted to the big leagues in August and has now been in the Majors for more than a month. Now the 36-year-old is looking forward to continuing his progress in 2016. “I got a cup of coffee with L.A. in 2013, but I wasn’t ever really comfortable with how I was throwing,” says Moylan. “Coming back here, it’s sort of given me a chance to look at video of what I was doing back in the day, and go back to that. Now hopefully I can continue that, maintain that and then roll through next year.”

AL Notes: Martin, Twins, Eppler

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Former Rays shortstop prospect Brandon Martin has been arrested in the shooting deaths of two men, including his father, Ali Tadayon of the Press-Enterprise writes (via Cork Gaines of Rays Index). Two men were found dead Thursday, and another, Martin’s uncle, was badly injured. Officers apprehended Martin after a chase Friday. Martin was the 38th overall pick in the 2011 draft, but he struggled in the minors — he received good reviews for his defense but batted .211/.281/.371 in parts of three seasons from 2011 through 2013. The Rays technically released Martin this spring, although Baseball America’s Matt Eddy noted at the time that Martin retired before the 2014 season. Here’s more from the American League.

  • Of the 15 remaining active Major Leaguers who were drafted in 1997 or earlier, four (LaTroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter, A.J. Pierzynski and Michael Cuddyer) were selected by the Twins, Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out. That doesn’t include Kyle Lohse, who was drafted in 1996 by the Cubs but played his first several big-league seasons with Minnesota.
  • Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler has an edge as a candidate for the Angels GM job, Sherman writes. The Angels liked him in 2011, when he was a candidate for the GM position before it eventually went to Jerry Dipoto. “There is a strong sense that Arte [Moreno] and [team president] John Carpino liked [Eppler] a lot then and nothing has changed now four years later,” a source tells Sherman. “That feels like a huge advantage in this process — to have a head start with the people making the decision.”

Braves Outright Jake Brigham, Michael Kohn

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Earlier this week, the Braves outrighted righties Jake Brigham and Michael Kohn. Neither of the two had been among the team’s September call-ups.

After signing a minor-league deal with the Braves last November, the 27-year-old Brigham made his big-league debut in 2015 and struggled, allowing 16 runs in 16 2/3 innings. He spent a larger portion of the season with Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett and fared better, however, combining for a 3.46 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 91 innings in the minors. In June, he also took a perfect game into the ninth inning with Mississippi.

The 29-year-old Kohn pitched six outings with the Braves early in the year but suffered a shoulder strain in May and missed much of the rest of the season before briefly returning to minor-league action this month. The reliever has struggled with his control in a big-league career that spans parts of five seasons, posting a 3.52 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 6.2 BB/9 in 115 career innings.

Week In Review: 9/12/15 – 9/18/15

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Here’s a look back at a quiet week at MLBTR.

Key Move

Trades

Claims

Designated For Assignment

Outrights

Retired

Quick Hits: Turner, Beane, Cumpton, Reed

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Justin Turner’s rise is one of the game’s underplayed stories. Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports writes that the minor league free agent-turned-star is loving life with the Dodgers. The picture painted is one of a player whose success and positivity have fed more of the same. As I explained recently, Turner looks to be a possible extension candidate this winter.

Here are some more stray notes from around the league:

  • If the Athletics follow through on their reported plans to promote Billy Beane, he’ll take a position akin to that of Tony La Russa’s with the D’backs, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains (Twitter links). Club president Michael Crowley will remain in his current role, says Rosenthal. It’s still somewhat unclear exactly how day-to-day responsibilities would change from the present arrangement, but the GM title is reportedly likely to go to assistant GM David Forst.
  • Pirates’ right-hander Brandon Cumpton entered the 2014 season as the organization’s 11th-best prospect, in the eyes of Baseball America, but has seen injuries derail his career since. After undergoing Tommy John surgery already in 2015, Cumpton has now had a “right shoulder subacromial decompression” procedure performed, as Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (Twitter links). In addition to raising concerns in another area of his arm, that will bump his recovery time to 13-15 months away.
  • Though some Astros fans want to see the team give a late-season call-up to fast-rising prospect A.J. Reed, that’s almost certainly not going to happen, writes Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle. Reed has had an excellent season, but only reached Double-A for the second half and does not need to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason.

East Notes: Ichiro, Kelly, Heathcott

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Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki reached 400 plate appearances last night, triggering another $400K bonus under his contract, as Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald notes on Twitter. He’ll have a chance to tack on $400K more if he can make another fifty trips to the plate before season’s end. Miami president of baseball operations Michael Hill tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the organization is “pleased with the job he’s done for us,” adding that “I anticipate us trying to bring him back.” Ichiro, who’ll soon turn 42, has slashed just .242/.298/.298 on the year, but he sits within striking distance of 3,000 hits.

Here are a few more notes from the eastern divisions:

  • Red Sox righty Joe Kelly has no injury concerns in his right shoulder, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reports. Though he left his most recent start in the third inning after experiencing tightness and failing to reach his usual velocity, it appears that there is no cause for immediate concern. With the end of the season drawing near, he’ll presumably look to rest up and try to continue his recent positive momentum into next spring. Kelly’s overall body of work probably won’t support a huge arbitration salary in his first year of eligibility. It remains to be seen how heavily Boston will rely on him in structuring its 2016 staff.
  • When the Yankees non-tendered former top prospect Slade Heathcott last winter, many teams around the league were ready to jump on the opportunity to add the outfielder, Sherman writes. But he never seriously considered changing caps, because he and the team had already worked out a “wink-wink understanding.” New York needed the 40-man space, but was able to get Heathcott to agree to a return by promising him a raise, a July 1 opt-out date (if he wasn’t added back to the 40-man), and the right to use his own medical providers in the offseason.

NL Notes: Lackey, D’Backs, Kimbrel, Colletti

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MLBTR has learned the full details of the incentives clause negotiated last winter between the Cardinals and righty John Lackey. (Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has already reported major elements of the clause.) The provision calls for $400K payouts to Lackey for reaching each of five innings tallies. His first milestone was 100 innings, with successive markers every 25 innings thereafter. When Lackey reached 200 frames last night, he maxed out the bonus at a total of $2MM (on top of the league minimum salary that was already called for in his deal).

Here are some more notes from the National League:

  • The Diamondbacks face several contract questions regarding pitchers even before considering outside additions, as Zach Buchanan of AZCentral Sports writes. Whether to tender Jeremy Hellickson and Jhoulys Chacin, exercise a club option over Josh Collmenter, and pursue a reunion with free agent-to-be David Hernandez are among the matters that Arizona will need to address. Chief baseball officer Tony La Russa discussed all four pitchers with Buchanan. Most interestingly, perhaps, is the situation regarding Chacin. La Russa says that he has “seen enough from Chacin” to know that he’d be “in the competition” for the club next year. The 27-year-old looked good at Triple-A this year and has put together three nice outings for Arizona. Because of his limited MLB time this year, he is arb-eligible. Chacin had agreed to a $5.5MM deal with the Rockies before he was released in the spring before signing successive minor league deals with the Indians and D’Backs. My guess would be that the club will look to work something out with him before the tender deadline.
  • Padres closer Craig Kimbrel says it’s been a frustrating first season in San Diego, as Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Kimbrel says that he expects the club to improve next year, citing the assembly of new faces as one factor that may have slowed down the Pads this year. Of course, as Lin writes, it’s certainly plausible to imagine a scenario where Kimbrel is dealt elsewhere to address other areas of needs or re-build the farm system.
  • Former Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, who now works with the organization as an adviser, is “right in the middle of everything, but nowhere near anything,” Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times writes. But as Plaschke points out, Colletti — who says it’s been “a different kind of year” — was responsible for bringing in many of the team’s key pieces. That includes not only players like Clayton Kershaw and Zach Grienke, but youngsters such as Joc Pederson and Corey Seager. All said, the piece suggests, Colletti’s nine-year tenure as the head of the organization’s baseball operations department was probably more successful than many have acknowledged.

Cespedes Seeks Free Agent Contract Of 6+ Years

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Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes said today that he will look for six or more guaranteed years in the free agent contract he signs this winter, as Marly Rivera of ESPN Deports reports (Twitter link).

Cespedes has, of course, greatly improved his open market value with a very good first half and an outstanding run down the stretch in New York. All told, he owns a .294/.330/.555 slash with 35 home runs in 624 plate appearances on the year.

That is all but certain to represent the most impressive platform year among soon-to-be free agent corner outfielders. There’s still plenty of competition, of course, as both Jason Heyward and Justin Upton are younger and arguably have better prior overall track records. But Cespedes isn’t exactly old — he’ll turn thirty in October — and has every chance of cashing in on a significant contract right alongside those players.

All told, it’s far from surprising to hear that Cespedes hopes to get six or more seasons on his next deal. There’s ample precedent, in fact, for even more. Players like Shin-soo Choo, Carl Crawford, and Jayson Werth are among those outfielders who have taken down seven years (and well over $100MM) in open-market deals.

It doesn’t hurt that Cespedes is ineligible to receive a qualifying offer, while both Heyward and Upton — to say nothing of Alex Gordon and perhaps some others in the next tier of the market — will almost certainly be tied to draft compensation. That’s a relatively minor consideration at that level of the market, but could move the needle somewhat.

And, of course, Cespedes will be free to re-sign with the Mets after tweaking his deal with the team. Whether or not a return to New York is likely, the club will surely feel pressure at least to engage in a hearty pursuit of its newfound star, and that can only help his market situation.

If you’re interested in hearing a bit more on where Cespedes stands at this early stage, check out the analysis of Steve Adams and myself in a recent edition of the MLBTR Podcast.

MLB Shortens Signing Timeline For Cuban Players

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TODAY: The league has granted exemptions to a dozen total players, according to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (links to Twitter). All of those situations have been resolved on a “case-by-case basis,” he says, and the same will hold true of any applications received in the future.

YESTERDAY: The MLB commissioner’s office declared today that young Cuban ballplayers Jonatan Machado and Omar Estevez are free agents with eligibility to sign as part of this year’s July 2 class, as Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. In addition to speeding the signing of these two players, Badler explains, the decision could have wide-ranging ramifications for the international market.

Previously, the league had strictly enforced its general requirement that players seeking to sign as part of a given July 2 class register with the league by May 15 of the year in which they would become eligible to sign. While the collective bargaining agreement provides room for exceptions in cases of “compelling justification” for missing that deadline, the commissioner’s office has never before utilized that provision — even for players claiming as an excuse the fact that they were forced to defect from Cuba.

That policy now appears to have been changed. The memo explaining the decision said that both youngsters had missed the deadline for this signing period “due to no fault of their own,” triggering the “compelling justification” standard and making them eligible to sign beginning in mid-October of this year.

Badler breaks things down in detail, explaining that there are other top players who now can — at least in theory — move up their signing timetable on the same grounds. With more talent potentially shifting into the current year’s July 2 group, that opens new opportunities for those clubs that have already committed to busting their budgets and incurring future signing bonus limitations.

The Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, and Royals all face two-year bans on bonuses of $300K or more, with the Blue Jays set to serve a one-year limitation period. Those teams would have been precluded from chasing Cuban ballplayers who were forced to wait until July 2, 2016 to sign, but would be able to ink them (while incurring a 100% overage penalty) if they receive exemptions from the registration requirement.

As Badler further explains, the move could lead to a more rapid exodus of talent from Cuba, as players — and, more importantly, the handlers and other characters involved in the shadowy defection process — seek to take advantage. This news seemingly constitutes one significant step in the changing treatment of Cuban ballplayers. Obviously, it’s tied closely to the still-developing opening of relations between the United States and its island neighbor.

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