Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times recently wrote that Ian Desmond‘s lingering presence on the free-agent market continues to increase the possibility of a deal between Desmond and the Rays, and today, Topkin explored that topic on a much more in-depth scale.
Per Topkin, Desmond — a Sarasota, Fla. native — has indicated that he would like to play for the Rays. There are a number of other factors working in favor of a match between the two sides, Topkin notes, including the fact that Desmond shares the same agency as Rays skipper Kevin Cash and is close friends with Rays right fielder Steven Souza (from the pair’s days together with the Nationals). However, the Rays are loath to surrender the No. 13 overall pick in order to sign him, considering the importance of the draft to the cost-conscious club. SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo recently tweeted the same sentiment; the Rays have some interest in Desmond but consider the draft pick forfeiture a “huge obstacle” to an earnest pursuit.
Adding Desmond to the fold would shift Brad Miller from receiving the lion’s share of playing time at shortstop into a utility role, though he was deployed in a similar capacity over the past few years in Seattle. Beyond the draft pick and Desmond’s fit on the roster, the length of the deal represents an issue as well. Desmond would likely need to be amenable to a short-term deal — either one year (perhaps with an option) or two years — in order to make a signing realistic, per Topkin. It’s not clear whether Desmond’s asking price has dropped to that point or if he’s still seeking a multi-year deal, however. Alternatively, Desmond’s camp could seek a contract similar to the three-year contract with a one-year opt-out that Yoenis Cespedes just signed with the Mets (of course, at a considerably lower annual rate than Cespedes’ $25MM mark). The contract structure, as Jeff and I discussed on the MLBTR Podcast a few weeks back, makes sense for a number of remaining free agents as a modernized version of the traditional one-year “pillow” deal.
Desmond is just one of four remaining free agents to have rejected a one-year, $15.8MM qualifying offer that still remains on the market. While the Nationals are the lone team that would not need to sacrifice an existing draft pick to sign Desmond (though they’d be forfeiting the right to add an additional pick should he sign elsewhere), James Wagner of the Washington Post writes that there won’t be a reunion between the two parties. Desmond and the Nats haven’t had any form of contract negotiations this offseason, and the additions of Daniel Murphy and Stephen Drew have likely solidified the team’s group of middle infielders, especially with Trea Turner and Wilmer Difo rising through the minor league ranks.
Coming off a season that saw him bat just .233/.290/.384, Desmond’s stock is undeniably weaker than many anticipated prior to the 2015 campaign, although the second half of the season did see him rebound to a more Desmond-esque .261/.331/.446 batting line. Detractors question Desmond’s glove at shortstop — he had a bout of extreme error proneness early in 2015 — and his rising strikeout rate, while those who remain high on his abilities can point to the fact that he’s batted a collective .264/.317/.443 and averaged 22 homers and 20 steals per season since 2012. Jeff recently polled MLBTR readers on whether Desmond or fellow qualifying-offer-hampered free agent Howie Kendrick would earn more, and Desmond won the voting decisively.
In addition to the Rays, some speculative landing spots for Desmonds (from my point of view) include the White Sox, Rockies, D-backs, Braves, Twins, Tigers and Indians (a move to third base or second base would be required for some of those fits), though not all of those clubs are an ideal fit, and a number of them seem reluctant to part with their top unprotected pick. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently explored some of those clubs and other potential fits in an edition of the MLBTR Newsletter (for which you can sign up here).
I like Desmond to the Rockies. He can sign a one year deal and fill in as a replacement for Reyes if Reyes gets suspended or is unproductive, plus the Rockies could give him a qo and replace this year’s pick with one in 2017.
Doesn’t seem like much of a point, does there? Unless on a one-year deal. The Rockies have a top 100-type SS prospect who will be up mid-season in Trevor Story. And a solid defensive one in Christian Adames on top of that. They’re going to be bad this year, might as well let Story and Adames roll. And of course Reyes later, unless they cut him.
I agree the Rockies could be an excellent fit. If he has a good first half, they could even try to flip him at the trade deadline.
As a Rockies fan, I love that idea. Unfortunately, the Rox don’t have a track record for such dealings. Two seasons ago (2014), COL had a deal in place for Eduardo Rodriguez (in exchange for Jorge de la Rosa). Ownership canceled the deal as the Monforts value loyalty over success.
Going back to the 2014 deadline, the Rox could have also dealt the newly signed and very productive Justin Morneau. They held onto him, paid him millions last season for little production and got nothing for what should have been a quality flip.
Exactly
If he signed a one year deal the White Sox would probably make the most sense as they poss could contend with him added to the line-up.. Hitters park in the top half of a solid line-up and they currently have Tyler Saladino slotted in unless TIm Anderson makes the big jump this spring. Makes sense for both parties in that case unless the Sox see Anderson making it this year,
If he goes to colorado and outperforms at home vs the road he could just find himself back in the same spot next year whether thats fair or not. If the rockies are looking at a season where they’re going to be moving their outfiled, not sure what spending $$ on Desmond for a single season where theyre under construction gets them.
Miller put up a better OPS last year, is cheaper and doesn’t cost a draft pick. Desmond should have taken the QO.
This. I have no idea why this is even a thing for the Rays. Unless they plan on making Desmond a LF. Frankly, with the risk of moving positions, I’d rather stick with Jennings.
What would the Rays do with Loney if they signed Desmond? If they had anyone to trade him to, they would have done it already. I don’t see them cutting him loose and eating the entire $9 millon+ contact that he has this year.
I don’t think they would be planning on playing Looney at SS or Desmond at 1B, so they could play them both.
Of course Loney won’t be playing SS, but Miller would and he would have to shift somewhere else including 1B. They already have Pearce and Morrison for 1B and DH, so Loney would be the likely choice to lose a roster spot.
god the rays are loaded with complete trash
Why, Why, Why do teams consider the opt out?
It 100 % benefits the player, 0% benefits the team.
You want to play in city A, then sign. Otherwise, get a job at burger king…
They consider it because it might determine whether the player signs with you or your competition.
Right — in many cases, they’re the cost of getting the deal done.
Plus, I don’t hear anyone complaining about how club options solely favor the team, but that’s clearly the case. Club options are more or less pure downside for a player, but I don’t hear anyone going to war over the ridiculously cheap options on Chris Archer’s contract.
What does and option have to do with an opt-out?
An opt-out is a player option.
Huh? An opt-out terminates the contract. A player or team option extends the life of the contract at a determined salary
Do you really not see the similarities in Cespedes having a 3/$75 contact with an opt out after year one or Cespedes having a 1/$27.5 with a 2 year player option at 2/$47.5? Are you really that confused or just stuck in semantics? Either way, the final result is the same.
A team option terminates the contract if it is not picked up. One can even say the team opted out of the remainder of the contract. It’s the exact same thing as a player opting out of his predetermined salary.
I think that the Phillies should move in on Desmond, if he is willing and they feel he can play second. With Crawford on the way up to take over short, Desmond will bring some life to a bland lineup and is just young enough to still be as productive in the next couple years when this team may be able to compete. Next years FA class seems lacking. So maybe make a push now.
Was going to list the Phillies and Brewers, but sacrificing a pick didn’t make tons of sense to me for a team in their position. But, if he has a huge year in Philly on a one-year deal or something, and the team makes a QO to net a better pick than the second-rounder they forfeited to sign him in the first place (or gets something notable in return come July), there’s some sense to it.
I don’t know that I think they should be in on him at three years or anything, but I can see the merits of a short-term deal, and if you’re Desmond, hitting at Citizens Bank has to hold some appeal if you’re looking at rebuilding value.
Listing Detroit here is just grasping at straws.
I don’t really think so. Nick Castellanos has 313 games in the Majors and has been considerably below replacement level. If Desmond’s looking at a short-term deal and the Tigers thing he can handle third base from a defensive standpoint, he’d be a reasonable upgrade.
Castellanos made strides defensively in 2015, but he was still a poor fielder with a below-average bat.
They were talking about Desmond (along with Gallardo) on the MLB network this afternoon and it was as if they felt sorry for these guys because of the QO’s that are attached to them and how it’s not fair that quality players are still on the market this late in the offseason.
I get the overall premise that their market is stalled likely in part because of the QO, but nobody made these guys to reject the $15M QO – if their agents advised such and they followed their direction then it was complete misread on the market given how many quality players were available this offseason in both FA and via trade.
Add in that Desmond has already turned down a 7 yr/$107 M contract back in 2014 and it’s hard to feel sorry for some of these guys; them and their agents gambled on a larger payday and lost.
I really don’t see a multi-year deal for Desmond,- maybe Gallardo given teams will always pay for pitching but even if Desmond settles for the 1 year pillow contract, is he really going to get that huge payday next winter?
Don’t do it Tampa! Save your draft pick and cash for future needs.. You just never know whats going to happen in a season.. Just because hes one of the last free agents available, and has some connections with the Rays, doesn’t mean you should sign him..
An aging short stop on turf? no thanks.. Not to mention theres the turf to play at Toronto as well.
If it’s just the draft pick stopping the Rays (not saying that’s the only reason, but merely if it were), they could negotiate a sign and trade with the Nats, if Desmond consents. The Nats sign Desmond for an agreed-upon price, then immediately trade him to the Rays for, most likely a prospect valued somewhere in between the first-round pick (#13 or #14, I think) the Rays would be saving and the compensation-round pick (around #31) the Nats would be sacrificing. It’s a way around the QO penalty, and I stand to be corrected, but I don’t believe it’s illegal as long as the player agrees.
I don’t think they can trade a player they signed during the previous off season until half way through the regular season. I may be mistaken though
Normally, that is true, but I am fairly certain that as long as the player consents to the “sign and trade,” then it is allowable.
A player can’t be traded before June 15, unless he agrees to the trade. So yes, you are right. There was an article on this scenario earlier in the offseason.
The Braves? Yeah, no. Not unless they dump Aybar. Also, they could sign Desmond and trade him at the deadline too. Or they could move Aybar to 2B since Peterson sucks, then they could trade both Aybar and Desmond at the deadline. All the Braves want to do is trade and build for some day in the distant future.
Is that whining saying the Braves are not improving? Braves are making the right moves. I agree Desmond would be a great pickup, but do not see the team signing him to a one year deal. Signing him to a one year deal and hoping he rebounds for a trade is great, but losing a draft pick to one of the top two teams in the division hurts.
Who’s whining? I’m calling it like it is. Desmond is not part of the 2018 plans and the Braves front office execs have made it clear their only 2016 goal is to not lose 95 games again. So if they sign Desmond, they’ll do so gambling that he has a bounce-back year so they can trade him at the deadline for more prospects that will help down the road.
And the Braves’ most valuable draft pick is so high it’s protected, so they’d only be giving up a lower-round pick.
If the draft order stands as it does today that lower round pick the Braves would lose is actually #40 overall, so it does kinda hurt. To put that pick into perspective, they picked up Austin Riley at 41 last year and he’s now ranked in the top 10 3rd base prospects in baseball.
Still I could see them signing Desmond for multiple years, trading Aybar now to recoup the loss of the draft pick and slotting Desmond at short for 2016. After this year they could trade him if his stock increases or move him to 3rd base or left field, depending on how other prospects pan out. Though none of this will probably happen. Outside of releasing Swisher I think the Braves are done making moves before the season starts.
Agreed to an extent. Obviously all draft picks can be essential. Within the division is always rough.
Wonder how much Desmond regrets turning down that $107 million extension in 2014.
He’ll never see an offer like that again. Not much a one-year offer can do to boost his value – no team is going to invest long-term in a 31-year-old shortstop.
The Rays will not give up their first round pick.