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Archives for January 2016

The Remaining Market For Infielders

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We’ve already checked in on the free agent market for starting pitching and outfielders, and today’s offering also contains some solid names that might’ve gone off the board already in other years. As of January 20th, there’s still a good bit of infield talent left to be found in free agency:

Best Available

  • Ian Desmond — Demand for Desmond has always looked iffy, with few big spenders needing shortstops, and his rough 2015 season is certainly cause for hesitation. But, he has quite a lot of upside with a fairly lofty, established MLB ceiling and still has the athleticism required to play anywhere on the diamond.
  • Howie Kendrick — He’s not a flashy player and might’ve lost some market steam with some injuries late in 2015, but Kendrick is a dependable, high-quality regular who could still make for a very nice addition.

Potential Major Contributors

  • Pedro Alvarez — We all know that Alvarez is a major negative with the glove and has limited on-base abilities, but his power is legitimate, he dominates right-handed pitching, he’s not yet 29, and there’s arguably impact to be had in the right situation.
  • David Freese — A respected veteran who has been reliably average in the field and at the plate, Freese’s production has been steady but unspectacular over the years. That dependability is precisely what might make him so interesting to a contender that needs to plug a hole at the hot corner.
  • Dae-ho Lee — The Korean slugger is coming off of a big year in Japan’s NPB, but he’ll turn 34 in June and all his potential value is tied up in his bat. There’s no way of knowing how capably he’d adjust to Major League pitching, but his lifetime .901 OPS between the KBO and NPB is intriguing.
  • Justin Morneau — He showed enough with a late-2015 run to think he can still deliver a high-OBP bat with just enough pop, and he could make for a nice finishing piece to some rosters.
  • Steve Pearce — He’s always handled the glove well at first and even showed he can play some second last year, and even a partial rebound towards his 2014 numbers could make Pearce a great value.
  • Jimmy Rollins — A moribund shortstop market is not helping the veteran, who remains a surehanded defender. He could make a good bit of sense as a heavily-used utilityman, particularly for a team with an unproven shortstop.
  • Juan Uribe — The 36-year-old just keeps chugging along. He produced at slightly-above-average rates in all facets of the game last year and is valued for his clubhouse presence. Defensive metrics continue to reflect favorably on his glovework at the hot corner as well.

Platoon/Bench/Depth Options

First Basemen

  • Ike Davis — Struggled in his latest chance with the A’s but has still yet to turn 29. He bashed 32 homers as recently as 2012.
  • Corey Hart — It’s been a long time since he’s been healthy, and his status remains unclear heading into 2016. Prior to multiple knee surgeries, Hart was a consistent 25-30 homer threat.
  • Chris Parmelee — It’s never quite translated to the majors, but Parmelee has generally hit well in the upper minors. The former first-round pick isn’t even 28 yet.
  • Gaby Sanchez — The 32-year-old’s plans are unclear after a middling season last year in Japan, but he has a history of hitting left-handed pitching well.

Catchers

  • Carlos Corporan — If you want a backstop with reasonably extensive, recent MLB experience, Corporan is the safest option in free agency.
  • Wilin Rosario — Rosario has never replicated the offense he posted in his rookie year, and defensive questions have led to increased time at first base and in the outfield. There’s been mention of Rosario possibly headed to the KBO, though no Korean team has announced a signing to this point.

Second Basemen

  • Dan Uggla — The veteran continued to struggle in his age-35 campaign, though he offers the type of veteran presence that teams love.
  • Rickie Weeks — He signed with the Mariners as an outfielder, and that just didn’t work out as Weeks failed to repeat a promising 2014 season.

Third Basemen

  • Conor Gillaspie — He’s shown glimpses in the past, isn’t yet 29, and can be controlled for future arb years, but he needs to hit a good bit more since his glove isn’t held in high regard.
  • Casey McGehee — It’s hard to put a positive spin on McGehee’s 2015, but he was quite solid the year prior.

Shortstops

  • Clint Barmes — While he’s never done much with the stick, Barmes is typically a wizard in the field. But his metrics have dropped off in the last two seasons.

Multi-Position

  • Jeff Baker — Things didn’t work out last year in Miami, but Baker should still get a look elsewhere. His career numbers against lefties are impressive.
  • Willie Bloomquist — He just didn’t hit enough to stick on the Seattle roster last year, and the 38-year-old didn’t play in the season’s second half.
  • Alberto Callaspo — He’s struggled at the plate with the A’s, Braves and Dodgers over the past two seasons, but he’s a switch-hitter with extensive experience at second and third.
  • Jonathan Herrera — The 31-year-old has never hit much, but his glove rates well at second, and he can handle shortstop and third base as well.
  • Maicer Izturis — Izturis hasn’t played since early 2014 due to serious knee and shoulder injuries.
  • Skip Schumaker — His two-year deal with the Reds yielded little in terms of on-field value, but a club could value the 35-year-old’s experience.

Tigers Designate Jefry Marte For Assignment

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The Tigers announced today that corner infielder Jefry Marte has been designated for assignment. The move clears a spot for newly signed left fielder Justin Upton on Detroit’s 40-man roster.

Marte, 24, was originally signed by the Mets out of the Dominican Republic at the age of 16. He was long considered one of the Mets’ more promising farmhands, but his career stalled at the Double-A level. He was flipped to the A’s in a trade for Collin Cowgill in 2012 and eventually released from Oakland, at which point he latched on with the Tigers on a minor league deal.

Marte did quite a bit to restore his stock in 2015, however, reaching Triple-A for the first time and batting an impressive .275/.341/.487 with 15 homers in 399 plate appearances in his first action at that level. That led the Tigers to select his contract to the Major League roster, where Marte batted .213/.284/.413 with four homers in a sparse 90 plate appearances over the season’s final three months. Marte has played third base almost exclusively in the minor leagues, though he spent nearly all of his time on the big league roster across the diamond at first base in his stint with the Tigers.

Tigers Sign Justin Upton

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JAN 20: Detroit has announced the signing.

JAN. 18: While many expected the Tigers to be finished with their offseason spending, owner Mike Ilitch reminded naysayers on Monday evening to never count the Tigers out of the free-agent market, as Detroit reportedly agreed to a six-year, $132.75MM with free-agent outfielder Justin Upton. The 28-year-old Reynolds Sports Management client will reportedly receive an opt-out clause after the second year of the deal, which is said to pay him an evenly distributed $22.125MM per year. Upton also reportedly secured a partial (twenty-team) no-trade clause in the deal, which does not contain any deferred money, unlike some of the other major deals signed this offseason and in recent years.

UptonInsta

Upton will join what was an already imposing middle-of-the-order grouping in Detroit, adding another right-handed bat to join the likes of Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler and the switch-hitting Victor Martinez. That quintet should give opposing left-handed pitcher fits, though each is plenty formidable against right-handed pitching as well. Across the past three years, which he’s split between the Braves and Padres, Upton has batted .262/.344/.470 and averaged 27 home runs per season. While he’s not a standout defensive player in the outfield, he’s a solid enough defender in left field, where Ultimate Zone Rating pegged him at +2 runs and Defensive Runs Saved valued him at +8 in 2015. His addition should lead to either a Cameron Maybin/Anthony Gose platoon in center field or an outfield alignment of Upton-Maybin-Martinez (J.D., that is), with Gose serving as a fourth outfielder. His signing and the presence of Martinez on the other corner have effectively blocked prospects Tyler Collins and Steven Moya for the foreseeable future.

By signing Upton, the Tigers will surrender their second draft pick of the offseason. Detroit’s No. 9 overall selection is protected under the collective bargaining agreement, but the team already parted with its second-round pick to add right-hander Jordan Zimmermann to the rotation, so they’ll forfeit their third-round pick — currently projected to be the 85th in the draft, per Baseball America — to sign Upton. The Padres, who extended a qualifying offer to Upton that was ultimately rejected, will receive a compensatory pick between at the end of the first round of the 2016 draft.

Of course, the addition of Upton is not without long-term payroll ramifications. While there’s every possibility that Upton will opt out of the contract in two years’ time (assuming that he is healthy and productive from 2016-17), there’s also the risk that his production declines or injuries lead to him opting into the remaining four years. Considering the fact that the Tigers owe Cabrera $218MM through 2023, Verlander $112MM through 2019, Zimmermann $110MM through 2020 and Victor Martinez $54MM through 2018, Upton’s contract adds another risk-laden deal to the ledger in the name of present-day winning. Those payroll concerns are likely a large part of the reason that GM Al Avila said earlier this offseason that further outfield additions (and, in fact, significant additions in general) were largely unlikely. However, owner Mike Ilitch has long been one of baseball’s freest spenders, and he candidly told the media following Zimmermann’s press conference that he “doesn’t care” about spending money. It’s quite possible — especially considering the potential luxury tax ramifications it carries — that this contract is more of an ownership decision than one from the club’s top baseball operations decision-makers.

By my crude calculations, the Upton signing will push the Tigers to just shy of $176MM worth of luxury-tax considerations in terms of only the team’s guaranteed contracts. With arbitration-eligible players not even factored into that equation, it seems quite likely that Detroit will incur penalties, which, as FOX’s Ken Rosenthal notes (on Twitter), would mean a 17.5 percent tax on every dollar over $189MM as a first-time offender of the luxury tax penalty.

Risk aside, the Tigers’ lineup is now among baseball’s most formidable collections of hitters, though it’s admittedly a right-leaning bunch. Upton is a lifetime .271/.352/.473 hitter, and while he has yet to develop into the consistent superstar-level performer that many forecast in his prospect days, he’s a consistent three- to four-win player, depending on one’s preferred version of WAR, and arguably has some upside remaining in the tank. Upton, after all, posted an enormous .289/.369/.529 batting line with 31 home runs back in 2011, and while that season did come in Arizona’s hitter-friendly Chase Field, he’s still young enough that it’s not out of the question for him to replicate that level of production. Even if his offense is more commensurate with his career batting line or his post-2011 production, however, Upton’s age makes him a likely candidate to maintain his status as a well-above-average bat in his new environs.

The Upton contract figures to be the final significant piece for the Tigers this offseason. Added to the signings of Zimmermann (five years, $110MM), Mike Pelfrey (two years, $16MM), Mark Lowe (two years, $11MM), Mike Aviles (one year, $2MM) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (one year, $507.5K), that makes a total of $270.26MM spent on free agents alone, to say nothing of the guaranteed payroll added in trades to acquire Francisco Rodriguez ($9.5MM), Justin Wilson ($1.525MM) and Maybin ($5.5MM). All told, the Tigers have spent a staggering $288.78MM on upgrades to their roster this season.

As for Upton, he’ll receive a sizable guaranteed payday which, while coming up a bit short of the $147MM projected by MLBTR at the onset of free agency, also includes a highly valuable opt-out clause that allows him to re-enter the open market heading into his age-30 campaign. At that point, Upton could be in line for a similar or even greater amount to the guarantee he just received — particularly if either the market or his bat takes a notable step forward — while having already banked $44.25MM in his two years with the Tigers. In examining the rash of opt-out clauses that have been given out this winter — Upton joins Jason Heyward, David Price, Johnny Cueto, Scott Kazmir, Wei-Yin Chen and Ian Kennedy as players to receive an opt-out provision — MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz estimated that such clauses could carry a theoretical monetary value as high as $20MM. Suffice it to say, suggestions that Upton may ultimately need to settle for a one-year deal (or any form of short-term pact) proved to be something of an overreaction to his quiet market. The sizable deal serves as a reminder that free agents of this caliber will nearly always get paid, even if their market isn’t apparent (a concept Jeff Todd an I discussed on last week’s MLBTR Podcast, in which we noted Detroit as a possible landing spot for a high-priced outfielder). While the temptation to say that this signing further shrinks the market for Yoenis Cespedes certainly exists, I’d counter by saying that Upton’s deal should suggest that eventually, Cespedes will get the long-term deal he seeks, even if his ultimate landing spot doesn’t currently appear to be an ideal fit.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported talks between the two sides. Jon Heyman reported that the two sides were nearing a deal and that Upton would be getting a long-term deal (links to Twitter). USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported the agreement, pending a physical. Rosenthal was the first to tweet the six-year term, and Nightengale broke news of the $132.75MM guarantee (via Twitter). Rosenthal reported the opt-out clause (via Twitter), and SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo was first to mention the no-trade clause (Twitter link). Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reported the evenly distributed breakdown of the deal (Twitter link). Nightengale reported that there were no deferrals (Twitter link). Heyman reported that Upton’s partial no-trade clause allows him to block trades to 20 teams (Twitter link).

Padres To Sign Fernando Rodney

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The Padres have agreed to a major league contract with right-handed reliever Fernando Rodney, Jon Heyman reports on Twitter. Rodney and the Friars had been said to be nearing agreement in recent days.

The deal includes a $2MM guarantee for the Octagon Sports client, according to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter links). He’ll receive a $1.6MM base salary, with a floating-value club option that comes with a $400K buyout.

The deal includes a complicated set of provisions for incentives and the option year, according to Lin (Twitter links). Rodney can earn $5MM annually in incentives. And the 2017 option price tag will be $2MM plus whatever incentive value Rodney reaches in 2016. For instance, if Rodney were to hit all incentives in the coming season, the option value would be $7MM (and his maximum earnings for 2017 would be $12MM, because that year’s incentives could still be reached as well).

Rodney, who’ll join San Diego for his age-39 campaign, seems in line for a chance at taking the save opportunities for the club. After dealing away quality arms in Craig Kimbrel and Joaquin Benoit, and watching Shawn Kelley depart via free agency, there’s a ton of uncertainty in the Padres’ pen.

The talented-but-unpredictable Rodney probably isn’t best characterized as a stabilizing presence, but he’ll certainly infuse some punch into the late-inning mix. If nothing else, he’s still delivering a blazing mid-90s fastball despite his age.

It’s hard to know what to expect out of the man with the big right arm and the tilted brim. He had one of the most dominating seasons in recent memory back in 2012; followed that up with two more strong overall campaigns (though he occasionally left fans on edge with his escape feats); and then imploded early last year in Seattle.

Certainly, 2015 presents two possible versions of Rodney at this stage of his career. With the Mariners, he put up 50 2/3 frames of 5.68 ERA pitching. A declining swinging strike rate (just 9.6% last year) left him with a relatively meager 7.6 K/9 to go with 4.4 BB/9 for the M’s. But he turned it on after joining the Cubs late in the year. In twelve innings, he allowed just one earned run while striking out 15 batters and issuing only four free passes. And it bears noting, too, that Rodney still generates groundballs on about half of the balls put in play against him.

MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez first reported on the option and incentives (Twitter links).

Marlins Designate Mike Strong, Outright Andre Rienzo

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The Marlins have announced that lefty Mike Strong has been designated for assignment, presumably to clear roster space for Wei-Yin Chen. Meanwhile, the previously-designate Andre Rienzo has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A.

Strong was claimed from the Brewers earlier in the winter. He’s yet to crack the majors, and only just reached Triple-A last year. The 27-year-old struggled in dozen appearances there, but had thrown 49 2/3 strong frames at the Double-A level (2.54 ERA, 8.9 K/9 vs. 3.6 BB/9) earlier in the year.

Rienzo will serve as a useful depth piece in the Miami system. He was bumped from the 40-man about a week ago, when the team announced the addition of Edwin Jackson.

Padres Monitoring Yoenis Cespedes Market

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The Padres are monitoring the market for outfielder Yoenis Cesepedes, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, though his source characterizes a fit between San Diego and the Roc Nation client as unlikely.

San Diego has a vacancy in left field with the departure of Justin Upton now all but official, and Cespedes would fill that void more than capably. The Friars aren’t without in-house options at the position, of course, as prospects such as Hunter Renfroe and Rymer Liriano are nearly MLB-ready, and oft-injured but still-promising Wil Myers could slide back into the outfield from his currently projected role at first base (in theory, anyhow).

While the reserved nature of Lin’s connection between the two should temper speculation to an extent, it’s interesting that he points out ownership’s willingness to spend as much as $120MM on payroll, considering the fact that the team’s reported one-year deal with Alexei Ramirez will only push the 2016 payroll to about $100MM. Additionally, Cespedes won’t cost a draft pick, meaning the Padres wouldn’t have to forfeit one of the six picks they now possess in the top 100 selections of this June’s draft to sign him. From a purely speculative standpoint, the Padres wouldn’t even need to backload a contract too significantly in order to shoehorn Cespedes’ salary onto the 2016 ledger.

Then again, as Lin notes, there are longer-term payroll ramifications to consider. Matt Kemp is owed $21.75MM annually through 2019, and while the Dodgers are picking up $3.5MM of that commitment each year, that’s still an $18.25MM annual payout for San Diego. James Shields is owed $21MM this year and could command that same amount in both 2017 and 2018, depending on whether or not he exercises the opt-out provision in his contract following the upcoming season. (While such a scenario isn’t impossible by any stretch of the imagination, especially given the weak crop of starting pitching next winter, Shields would need to recover from some of the homer troubles that plagued him in 2015 to make such an outcome appear likely.) Additionally, the team has Melvin Upton Jr. on the books for $16.45MM in 2017 and will pay a portion of Jedd Gyorko’s contract to the Cardinals in the 2017-19 seasons. If Shields declines to opt out of his contract, the Padres would run the risk of spending nearly half their payroll capacity on three players in 2017-18 following a Cespedes signing.

On the other hand, if Shields does take his release, the only money the team will have on the books beyond the 2017 campaign is that which is owed to Kemp and the fairly modest contributions they’ll be sending to St. Louis for Gyorko. That’s a much clearer long-term outlook than much of the league can claim. On paper, it would seem to create some degree of financial fit for Cespedes in the long run, though adding a second 30-something corner outfielder still carries risk. Cespedes is considered a plus defender in left field, though, quite unlike Kemp. His floor has to be considered significantly higher than that of Kemp at this stage of their respective careers.

While all of this is highly theoretical, the interest — however faint — does in some ways highlight the difficulties that this offseason’s rash of opt-out clauses could create for the teams that issued them in the future. A hypothetical decision on whether or not to pursue Cespedes would be made considerably easier if the Padres knew exactly what type of financial commitments are going to be on the books beyond the 2016 season. However, the aforementioned risk of allocating 50 percent of its payroll to just three individuals could potentially be a huge detriment to any pursuit.

AL West Notes: Rasmus, Gonzalez, Lambo, Choi

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Astros outfielder Colby Rasmus, who accepted a qualifying offer from Houston this November rather than test the free-agent market, tells Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle that he’d like to remain an Astro until retirement. “As I stand here right now, I’d like to see myself in Houston for the rest of my playing career,” said Rasmus. “I would really like that. I think that would be great for my family. I enjoy it here. I think there’s great people, great atmosphere that they’re trying to create — the organization as a whole wanting to win and putting good players on the field.” That may seem a lengthy goal for a player on a one-year deal, though it’s worth remembering that Rasmus has previously expressed that he may not want as lengthy a career as many players. Early in the 2015 season, Rasmus said he may only want to play through the 2018 season, voicing a desire to leave time in his life for his wife and daughters. It’s not clear if Rasmus has rethought his future following a seemingly very positive first year in Houston, but his comments will certainly be worth recalling come season’s end as he prepares to re-enter the free agent market.

Here’s more on the Astros and their division…

  • The left wrist and index finger pain that plagued Astros infielder Marwin Gonzalez over the final month of the season and into the playoffs has subsided this winter, he tells the Chronicle’s Evan Drellich. The switch-hitting Gonzalez’s swing was severely hampered when batting as a left-handed hitter, he explained, but he was able to hit for the first time this offseason yesterday and expects to be good to go when Spring Training rolls around. Gonzalez, a former Rule 5 pick, has emerged as a very solid utility option for Houston and had his best season in 2015 when he batted .279/.317/.442 with 12 homers while playing all four infield positions and left field as well. He avoided arbitration by settling on a $2MM salary last week.
  • John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group explores the parallels between Andrew Lambo’s arrival in the Athletics’ organization and the arrival of Brandon Moss several years ago. As Hickey notes, both were 28-year-old left-handed hitters that had converted from the outfield to first base and had consistent track records of power in the minor leagues. Lambo spoke to Hickey and acknowledged that he’s aware of the comparison, noting that it’s hard not to be, considering the fact that he knows Moss from the pair’s days together in the Pirates organization. Lambo tells Hickey that he feels recovered from the plantar fasciitis that plagued him in 2015. He’ll hope to earn a 25-man roster spot in Oakland, though as Hickey notes, the presence of Yonder Alonso as a left-handed-hitting first baseman and Coco Crisp in left field could cloud his chances to break camp with the club.
  • The removal of Efren Navarro from the Angels’ 40-man roster to clear space for right-hander Al Alburquerque creates a potential path to a roster spot for Rule 5 pick Ji-Man Choi, writes MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez. The 24-year-old Choi lost his 40-man spot with the Mariners last spring when he suffered a fractured leg in Spring Training but remained in the organization and returned late in the season to bat .290/.388/.406 in 89 minor league plate appearances. Choi, a left-handed bat, has a lifetime .280/.379/.401 slash at Triple-A and has gaudy numbers against right-handed pitching throughout his minor league tenure. As Gonzalez notes, however, the acquisition of a left fielder — either via free agency or trade — would likely push Daniel Nava into the role for which Choi could currently vie.

Rockies’ GM Bridich Talks Outfield Situation

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The signing of outfielder Gerardo Parra to a three-year, $27.5MM contract has led many to believe that the Rockies will trade one of their three incumbent left-handed hitting outfielders: Corey Dickerson, Charlie Blackmon or Carlos Gonzalez. However, GM Jeff Bridich doesn’t see a trade as a necessity, he said in an appearance on MLB Network’s Hot Stove this morning (via MLB.com’s Thomas Harding) and again at a conference call with reporters this afternoon (via the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders).

“I know it’s popular to expect a trade, but it’s tough to put odds on it right now,” said Bridich on the conference call. “The last thing I want to do is apologize for bringing more talent into this organization. … Adding another professional, talented young outfielder is overall a good thing. Having too much depth is a good thing.”

Regarding reports out of Venezuela which surfaced recently and said that Bridich told Gonzalez that he wouldn’t be traded, the GM explained to MLBN’s Matt Vasgersian and Harold Reynolds that his words were somewhat misrepresented by the foreign media, calling it “overblown.” Rather, the GM told his outfielder that any report lacking Bridich’s own name was probably little more than a rumor or speculation and shouldn’t be taken to heart. Bridich spoke highly of Gonzalez, noting that while he wasn’t originally signed by the Rox, he grew up in the organization and has become a core part of the team in Denver. “He’s been one of the cornerstone guys for us,” said Bridich on MLBN. “So you have to think long and hard before you even consider listening on a guy like that. Just as much as he would be a value to another team, he’s a value to us.”

Not only did Bridich speak highly of Gonzalez, but Parra, too, voiced excitement about playing alongside his longtime friend. Gonzalez and Parra have been Venezuelan Winter League teammates dating back to 2005 and were also teammates on Team Venezuela in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Saunders notes. “I feel really happy to play for the Rockies,” Parra said on today’s conference call with Saunders and other reporters. “I played against Colorado for many years and I like playing at Coors Field. I feel really, really happy to play with Carlos Gonzalez.”

While some might note that recent defensive metrics have called Parra’s glove into question, Bridich said in both columns that Parra “certainly improves our defense” whenever he takes the field. Not only that, Parra said he’d be comfortable playing center field, and Bridich agreed that Parra is capable of handling the position. Some could infer that said belief makes a trade of Blackmon, the incumbent center fielder more likely, though Bridich’s overall message in both appearances seems to be that a trade of an outfielder isn’t necessary.

That said, I have to admit that it’s personally difficult for me to envision a situation in which the Rockies enter the season with all four outfielders on the roster. Parra’s relative limitations against left-handed pitching eliminates the possibility of any sort of traditional platoon. And, considering the fact that Dickerson is a potential building block, it stands to reason that the team would want to maximize his playing time — especially coming off a season in which he lost quite a bit of time due to multiple DL stints resulting from plantar fasciitis. Blackmon was one of the Rockies’ better all-around players in 2015, and there’s no reason to expect that Gonzalez, who is owed $37MM over the next two seasons and is one of the team’s most productive hitters, would be in for a significant decrease in playing time.

That’s merely my own take on the situation, of course, and injuries could create opportunities for Parra to get into the lineup. The lengthy absences of Dickerson in 2015 and Gonzalez’s extensive injury history serve as reminders that there could very well be a need for another quality outfield option. Bridich, after all, said on MLB Network that he’s been getting calls “from the get-go” in what he characterizes as a “slow-moving” outfield market. And, despite the persistent interest and the addition of Parra, Colorado has yet to make a trade. However, Parra’s contract would make him a very expensive contingency plan if that’s the team’s ultimate vision for him.

Angels Sign Al Alburquerque

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JAN. 19: The Angels have announced the signing, though some new details on the deal have emerged today. Alburquerque’s contract is non-guaranteed, according to MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez. While the contract does give Alburquerque a 40-man roster spot, the team is only responsible for up to one quarter of his $1.1MM base salary if he is cut prior to opening day, Gonzalez reports.

JAN. 15: Alburquerque will receive a $1.1MM guarantee with the Angels and can earn additional money through incentives, tweets Heyman.

7:11am: The Angels and right-hander Al Alburquerque are in agreement on a one-year, Major League contract, reports Jon Heyman (via Twitter). The 29-year-old MDR Sports Management client has spent his entire Major League portion of his career to date as a member of the Tigers but was non-tendered this past December.

The hard-throwing Alburquerque has never struggled to miss bats in the Major Leagues, as evidenced by a lifetime 11.0 K/9 rate and 14.1 percent swinging-strike rate. However, control has indeed been a problem for the right-hander, who has averaged 5.0 walks per nine innings over the life of his 225 innings in the big leagues. Alburquerque did take a step backwards in 2015 as well, as his velocity dipped to a still-strong 93.1 mph (down from 94.5 a couple of years ago), which resulted in a decline in the aforementioned K/9 (8.4) and swinging-strike (11.1 percent) rates.

With this new agreement, Alburquerque will slot into the Angels’ mix of right-handed setup men, in some ways serving as a replacement for young right-hander Trevor Gott, who was traded to the Nationals in exchange for new third baseman Yunel Escobar. He’ll join right-handers Joe Smith, Fernando Salas, Mike Morin, Cory Rasmus, Cam Bedrosian and Deolis Guerra as right-handed setup options behind closer Huston Street in Anaheim.

With four years, 147 days of Major League service time under his belt, Alburquerque can be controlled not only for the 2016 season but also for the 2017 season via arbitration, should he perform well in his new surroundings.

Latest On Antonio Bastardo

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The market for left-hander Antonio Bastardo — arguably the top remaining free agent reliever on the market — has begun to pick up this week, per Baseball Essential’s Robert Murray. The Dodgers, Orioles, Mets and Blue Jays are all interested in Bastardo’s services, according to the report, which also notes that the Cubs met with Bastardo’s reps from the Legacy Agency at last month’s Winter Meetings.

Bastardo has reportedly been seeking a contract similar to the one secured by fellow free-agent lefty Tony Sipp this offseason. The 32-year-old Sipp landed a three-year, $18MM contract to return to Houston back in December, but the market for Bastardo’s services hasn’t been as aggressive despite the fact that he’s two years younger. While Murray notes that the intensifying market could potentially lead to a three-year pact, it’s difficult to see either the Mets or Blue Jays doling out that type of contract. The Mets are reportedly only interested in one-year deals with the remaining free agent relievers on the market, and the Blue Jays are said to be working with budgetary restrictions as their payroll is set to exceed last year’s mark as it is. The Orioles have been aggressive of late, but the $161MM they recently spent on Chris Davis (plus the $31MM given to Darren O’Day, the $7MM allotted to Korean outfielder Hyun Soo Kim and the $16.1MM going to Matt Wieters via the qualifying offer) calls into question how much more they’ll spend. (It’s also worth noting that with Brian Matusz, T.J. McFarland and closer Zach Britton, the team already has three lefties in the ’pen.)

The Dodgers, to be sure, have virtually unlimited spending capacity, but they’ve taken a surprisingly measured approach to their bullpen shopping this winter. The Cubs, theoretically, could issue that kind of deal, though Murray notes that it’s not clear when the last contact between the two sides even was, and they, too, have three lefties in the ’pen (Travis Wood, Clayton Richard, Rex Brothers).

Bastardo, 30, has been a somewhat quietly excellent performer across the past three seasons with the Phillies and Pirates. In that time, Bastardo has logged a 3.18 ERA with 10.5 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and a 30.8 percent ground-ball rate. He’s also been effective against both left- and right-handed batters, holding same-handed opponents to a .167/.273/.295 batting line while surrendering just a .204/.310/.314 batting line even when his opponents hold the platoon advantage. Of course, control has been a persistent problem for Bastardo, too, as he’s only averaged less than four walks per nine innings in one season of his career — his debut campaign in 2009, when he tossed just 23 2/3 innings.

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