Here’s some news from around baseball as we wrap up the first weekend of 2016…
- “So many teams have spent their money on pitching that they don’t have much left for hitting,” an executive tells John Perrotto of TodaysKnuckleball.com in explaining why so many of the biggest free agent bats are still available. This could mean that some of the notable names may end up for signing than less than expected due to lack of a hot market. Then again, the inverse could also be true — an unexpected trade or injury could suddenly create a suitor willing to pay top dollar to fill a lineup need. Perrotto’s piece also includes his guesses about where 10 of the top remaining free agents will land.
- The Angels, Giants, Cardinals, Orioles and White Sox seem to be the teams most poised to make a big move or two in January, MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince writes.
- Dalton Pompey is an important depth piece for the Blue Jays in 2016 and a big part of their future outfield plans, MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm writes as part of a reader mailbag. Given Ben Revere’s rising arbitration price tag and the fact that Jose Bautista is a free agent next winter, Pompey may be called upon as a regular in 2017, so Chisholm doubts the Jays would make Pompey a trade chip unless they’re able to obtain a big return. While Pompey hasn’t shown much in limited MLB action, he’s also just 23 and a year removed from being a consensus top-50 (or better) prospect.
- Also from Chisholm’s piece, he lists the 11 member of the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster who are out of options, with outfielder Ezequiel Carrera, catcher A.J. Jimenez, and righty relievers Steve Delabar and Chad Jenkins standing out as “ones to watch” on the roster bubble. The Jays would ideally like to use Jimenez in Triple-A while Carrera, Delabar and Jenkins will be in the mix for jobs on the Opening Day roster.
- In another reader mailbag, MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch addresses the idea of whether or not the Yankees could retain the likes of Alex Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira or Carlos Beltran on one-year contracts after their expensive multi-year deals expire within the next two seasons. Hoch feels it’s probably a longshot for any of them to remain in New York since the team wants a younger team and more roster flexibility — Greg Bird and Aaron Judge are poised to replace Teixeira and Beltran, for instance. Sabathia may be the best candidate to be retained given how expensive pitching is, though that also may be unlikely given Sabathia’s ongoing knee issues.
“Sabathia may be the best candidate to be retained given how expensive pitching is, though that also may be unlikely given Sabathia’s ongoing knee issues.”
The guy with a 4.81 ERA over the last 3 years? Only 3 starters with more than 60 starts have a higher ERA over this period, ad 2 years hence CC is unlikely to be any better.
Could be nice in the pen though. It’s not like anyone else will want him as a starter, as you point out.
Lefties are always in high demand. As long as his price is commensurate with his performance he will always have interest.
One year, incentive laden deal wouldn’t be terrible. If he pitches bad, then he gets sent down/released/moved to the pen.
Alcoholism is a hell of a thing. If he actually stays on the wagon and the knee brace works out I can see him get back to #3/4 starter form. If this happens, would the Yanks roll the dice on a QO after 2016? Maybe. This could be how he gets back.
You can’t take out the possibility he could improve. There was a difference when Sabathia pitched last year without the knee brace. He had a 2.17 ERA in 5 starts with the knee brace. Although that is a small sample size, it has to be slightly encouraging. If he could put up mid 3 ERA he’d be worth a 1 year incentive laden contract.
I honestly don’t understand why the Yankees would want to retain any of them. You have to judge them as if you were signing them as free agents–where do they fit on the roster, and the cost structure. If Tex is healthy and still performing decently, he’s not coming back on a cheap one year deal. Beltran is increasingly immobile–you would have to get him on a late-career Thome or Giambi contracts–very cheap because they loved the game– and he’s tying up a roster spot. I’d move on from A-Rod in any event. And CC? There’s a guy who really might have made it to HOF if he just could have stayed healthy. He gives it everything, but it’s been since 2012 since he’s been effective. He would need Bartolo Colon spa treatment
By the time CC Sabathia’s deal is done assuming it vest for the 2017 season the Yankees will have: Kaprielian and, Clarkin available if not sooner. They also will most likely extend at least one or the other of: Pineda or Eovaldi. There will be no need to re-sign Sabathia who’s really no more than a back of the rotation starter.
CC would be exactly that, back of rotation. You can’t assume that Kap or Clarkin will be ready by 2017 or even 2018 for that matter. Kap hasn’t thrown more than 11 innings yet and hasn’t pitched above the low A yet. His small sample size leaves nothing to be impressed with. He COULD move with the same speed that IPK and Joba did but he probably wont. Also, Ian is just coming off of major surgery and his AZL stint this winter was awful. Who knows what he’ll do in 2017.
It’s not that teams “dont have money for hitting” its that there’s so many good hitting prospects who are poised to get a shot at full time job next year.
I expect these OF guys to sign in Feb after the offseason injury/misc. news hits, or if a team with very close div rivals gets one and its rivals get nervous so they get the other.
The only person worth extending on a 1 year deal to me seems to be Tex.
Aaron Judge isn’t are sure thing. You can’t count on a guy who hit .224 at 3A. If I were the Yankees I’d trade guys like Judge for pitching in a heart beat.
Because improving is impossible, right? Should the Sox trade JBJ who has a lifetime .213 BA?
How does Judge rate defensively? Does he hit for power, and does his walk rate make up for his ba? Does he run the bases effectively? Basing a player’s performance on their ba is antiquated, isnt it?
@ady, tell that to greatd, not me.
Theres a difference in pitching between the minors and majors though. A guy who hits well in the minors but struggles a bit in the majors has at least hope he can improve and put up numbers similar to his minor league days. A guy who might not hit so well in the minors, again against worse pitching, might not vastly improve in the majors.
I’m well aware of that. My point was, he, and anyone else who struggles, can definitely improve.
Giancarlo Stanton went from .231 to .317. Imagine giving up on the guy who got the largest contract in MLB history? (Not comparing the 2, but you get my point)
From .231 to .317 in the minors that is.
First of all, yes, the Sox should trade Bradley if they can get anyone to buy into the six week fluke he had last summer and pay like they’d actually be acquiring a starting big league CF.
Second, he didn’t say anything close to “improving is impossible.” He noted that Judge is far from a sure thing. (Granted, he made a poor case for his argument by citing BA from a late-season promotion to Triple-A, but that’s a different issue.)
Okay fair enough
Judge got a small taste of 3A. Give a kid a break. By that logic, Angles would’ve given up on Trout after his unsuccessful 1st big league stint in 2011 when he hit like .179. He has hit everywhere he has done with real sample sizes.
That executive that Perrotto interviewed is full of you-know-what. The delay in the OF market has nothing to do with teams spending their money on pitching. There’s plenty of money. The hold-up is just that there aren’t a lot of teams in the market for corner outfielders who don’t have cheap youngsters waiting for a chance, and there are trade options on top of it. Once the dam breaks they’ll all sign inside of a week. Probably this week, actually.
Agreed. …..Their all “Playing Chicken” right now, waiting to see who flinches first.
Perrotto’s predictions were almost completely in the AL, ignoring that several clubs in the NL have already spoken with “The Big Four”, and that if the opportunity presents itself…..there’s a few teams that will pounce.
I think that Gordon is the key piece, actually. He’s the oldest, so the other guys are seeing what he can get before deciding what to do. 1 or 2 of them (Cespedes or Upton) could sign a 1 or 2 year deal and re-enter the FA market, when the options will probably be slimmer/weaker. If KC will increase their offer into the 60’s, I think Gordon goes back there and signs for 4/68 or something. If that doesn’t happen, look for KC to hit the trade market and try to get Blackmon, Dickerson, or Jay Bruce.
I agree (and hope) that we will see a major movement on that front this week…….
If Texeira has a decent season in 2016 I’d like to see him back in 2017 under a reasonable contract. He and McCann can share the DH duties as well as give Sanchez and Bird a rest in the field.
Tex was having a good year at the plate last season and on pace for 40+ homers, but as usual injuries kept him off the field. There are a lot of if’s based upon his health and ability this season, but if they pan out bring him back at a reduced rate if he will sign. Beltran is already slowing down and ARod is just ARod. Pass on those two and look forward to trying to sign Harper in a few years.
Only way I see Tex come back is if he accepts the QO which I’m sure the Yankees will offer him assuming he doesn’t spnd all year on the DL. However at his age, I’m sure he will be looking for that last 3 year deal so I suspect he will decline the QO.
This also assumes that the Yankees don’t get him to waive the no trade clause to go play for a contender between now and the deadline. I can see this happening, especially if the Rangers are in the mix and need a bat mid season.
Unless Byrd has a completely awful year in AAA or gets hurt then it would make ZERO sense to bring Tex back. It makes even less sense to platoon him with Arod who’s earning $20 mil +. Yanks need to infuse some of these mlb ready prospects.
2017
1b- Make Bryd “earn” the spot out of spring training but make it more of a case that it’s his to lose with McCann seeing some at bats
C-McCann with Sanchez as the backup
DH-Arod full-time
2018-
1b-Hopefully Byrd
C-Hopefully some combo of Sanchez as starter
DH-McCann full time
Yanks carry a 3rd catcher.
For 2016 I think it would make sense to trade for Swisher from the Braves if they agree to eat enough salary. Even though he;s been horrible he’s still effective at getting on base. He can be a back up at 1b to Byrd, and can also back up for Lf and Rf.
Tex, Judge, Nova, and $5M to Atlanta for Freeman, Teheran, Olivera, and Bourn.
Thoughts from Yankee fans?
Zero chance the Braves do that.
Safe to say Yankees fans would be ok with that.
Sorry meant Swish in for Oliver. Cut the bad contracts with Yankee needs.
I wouldn’t do it simply for the fact that
1) The Braves would overvalue Freeman
2) Greg Bird is more than capable of stepping in for Tex when he leaves.
Good call, as a Brave fan not too up on how Bird rates.