Newly signed Pirates infielder David Freese was “hungry” to join the organization, GM Neal Huntington told Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Freese spoke with Nesbitt as well, explaining that the organization’s recent surge and track record of making the postseason appealed to him when the Bucs approached. Freese added that it’s been interesting to watch the club’s rise to prominence, having seen the early stages as a member of the Cardinals. “We came to Pittsburgh early on in [2011], and then we showed up two or three months later and it was sold out,” said Freese. “I think that’s kinda when things started to change a little bit. That was an atmosphere I wanted to be a part of. To see where this organization has come the last four or five years, that’s special.” Nesbitt notes that the plan for Freese is for him to play third base while Jung Ho Kang is out for the first month of the season, and he’ll then shift across the diamond and platoon with John Jaso.
More from the NL Central…
- The Reds have no intention of moving Joey Votto as part of their rebuild, GM Dick Williams tells MLB.com’s Barry Bloom. “Joey’s the cornerstone of our lineup right now, and [he] will be in the future,” said Williams when asked about the possibility of trading Votto. “I think the contract we have him signed to is very reasonable for a small-market team, making that kind of commitment. The way salaries have gone, it looks like a very reasonable and fair contract. … I wouldn’t say ’never,’ but having Joey in the middle of the lineup is pretty special.” Votto has eight years and $199MM remaining on his 10-year, $225MM extension. That deal also included a full no-trade clause, so the possibility of trading Votto isn’t entirely in the club’s hands anyway.
- ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick interviews Cubs non-roster invitee Matt Murton, who returned to the team this winter on a minor league deal after six successful seasons with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Murton, who missed the first two weeks of camp recovering from an appendectomy, discusses his time in Japan and explains that he initially expected to spend just one season overseas. As Crasnick notes, though, Murton’s success led him to be one of the league’s highest-paid players, earning a bit shy of $4MM at his peak. Though that’s a relatively small sum in today’s Major League landscape, it’s significantly more than he’d earn even if he were to make the Majors. That might’ve made it tempting to stay, but Murton still has big league aspirations. “I reached a point where if I stayed there too much longer, this window was going to close,” he tells Crasnick. “My goal right now is living in the moment, competing today. I really do think I have something left. I think I can be an asset. But that’s all talk. I’ve got to get out there and do it.”
- Brewers manager Craig Counsell chatted with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt about two of the young players they acquired in offseason trades — Jacob Nottingham and Keon Broxton. While some have questioned whether Nottingham can stick behind the plate, Counsell emphatically voiced that there is “no question” in the minds of the Brewers that Nottingham is a catcher in the long haul. He also offered high praise for the 25-year-old Broxton, who could be the early favorite to play center field for the club.
I get that Freese can better served as a platoon guy, who backs up at third to a better player.
But I feel like the Bucs would be better served with Kang at short every day
N one knows how well – or if – Kang will make it back. His injury was serious.
I agree. His range at short was questioned before the injury. Kang should make it back but 3rd should be easier on the knee. 2nd would be next choice but Harrison then Hanson are there.
Votto’s contract is reasonable? Nice spin. His deal makes Ryan Braun’s look fair and reasonable in comparison.
I agree. When he’s 39 his salary will be $25 million. That’s never a “reasonable” gamble to take that Votto will still be an elite player at that age.
To be fair, $25 million will be worth a lot less in 8 years than it is now, so your perspective is kind of skewed.
Good point.
Yes, but it’s still a large chunk of payroll and they’re locked into it, along with a no-trade clause.
25MM per year is extremely reasonable. Even at today’s dollars/WAR values, Votto needs to be worth only 3 wins per year to earn his salary. He was worth 7.4 last year, so even if you apply an aggressive aging curve, the Reds stand to reap more value from Votto than they will pay him over the course of the contract.
Sure it’s reasonable now, but it won’t be when he’s in his late 30’s even after adjusting for expected salary inflation.
“The Whtie Sox designated 1B/3B Mike Olt for assignment”
Nottingham seems on track to end up like Schwarber his bat is just so far more advanced than his catching abilities, maybe the Brewers being in rebuild mode can be more patient with him and let him fully develop as a catcher.
The biggest thing they should be worried about is Nottingham checks off all the things the A’s like in a catcher, good bat gets on base, can play corner OF and 1B I don’t think they would have traded him if they think he can catch even in a part time role, unless they really love Davis.
A’s also only had half a season to evaluate him at catcher, coming from the Astros system I would think that Stearns may have a better idea of whether or not he could stick at catcher. I agree that he may be on a Schwarber like path where his offense is way above his defense behind the plate and maybe the return of Davis was too much of a draw to either wait a couple years for his defense to catch up or moving him off the position to get his bat in the lineup. The Brewers on the other hand can afford to wait on him.
Uh if Freese is the platoon with Jaso where does that push Morse?
To some team with a need of a DH hopefully. Hard to see why they took on DH Jaso and gave him 8m when they already had Morse, unless were hoping to find someone to give Morse to, then they can cut Morse and LA foots his bill anyway for 2016.
2 DH’s won’t cut it on a NL 25 man roster, neither is worth anything at 1st either. PH, or close eyes when in the field., especially now that Morse isn’t the big time bat he once was to over shadow his defensive short comings.
Morse will probably play RF vs lefties since Polanco cant hit them.
In AAA, Polanco actually hit lefties rather well. Thinking/hoping his bat responds with experience in the bigs. Jaso was signed to be a platoon player with Morse. If Morse does stay with Pgh, will give them a RF option to spell Polonco, and a pinch hitter with power. Makes the team stronger. Good problems to have..
Morse isn’t very good at the hot corner
Agreed, Don’t think any one is crazy enough to put Morse at 3B
Morse and everyone else commented when he took infield at 3rd base that he has always taken infield at every position just in case a game should ever get deep into extra innings or worse an injury where they would need to put someone in a position in an emergency to finish a game. I do not think Morse to 3rd is on anyone’s radar at the moment.
To the Phillies!
Didn’t Morse play SS early in his career? You would think he could play any infield position in an emergency situation.