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Archives for January 2016

Brewers Designate Josmil Pinto For Assignment

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The Brewers announced that they have designated catcher Josmil Pinto for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for first baseman Chris Carter, whose reported one-year, $2.5MM contract is now official (Twitter link).

This marks a continuation of a tumultuous offseason for the 26-year-old Pinto, who has gone from the Twins to the Padres to the Brewers by way of DFA this winter. If he’s claimed by another club or traded, Pinto will already join his fourth organization of the offseason.

The attributes that make Pinto desirable aren’t hard to see. The Venezuelan backstop possesses quite a bit of pop relative to other catchers around the league, having belted 11 homers in just 280 Major League plate appearances. Pinto is a .257/.339/.445 hitter in the Majors, though much of that production came in his initial September call-up in 2013, where a .440 BABIP served to bolster his overall batting line. Pinto also posted excellent minor league numbers in 2013 and again in 2014.

However, Pinto has always viewed as a poor defender behind the plate, so when his batted just .219/.315/.391 with the Twins in 2014 and struggled even more with the Twins in, his future with Minnesota was called into question. Beyond that, there are notable health concerns with Pinto, who will turn 27 this spring. His 2015 season was marred by concussions and poor performance at the Triple-A level, where he batted just .228/.304/.354 in 68 games.

Royals Designate Lane Adams For Assignment

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The Royals have designated outfielder Lane Adams for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for the newly re-signed Alex Gordon, tweets Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com.

Adams, who turned 26 in November, was selected by the Royals in the 13th round of the 2009 draft and made a brief Major League debut in 2014, tallying three plate appearances for the Royals. The fleet-footed center fielder reached Triple-A for the first time this past season, struggling through 37 games there on the heels of a strong Double-A campaign. Overall, the Oklahoma native batted a combined .281/.347/.445 with 16 homers and 31 stolen bases — his third consecutive season with 30 or more steals.

Last winter, Baseball America rated him 15th among Royals farmhands, calling him a plus-plus runner and a plus defender with a fringe-average arm and a bit of pull power. Ultimately BA pegged him as a fourth outfielder. Given his strong defensive chops, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a club take a flier on Adams.

Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Piazza Elected To Hall Of Fame

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Cooperstown’s 2016 induction class has been decided, as Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

In his first year of eligibility, Griffey received a whopping 99.3% of the vote (437 of 440 ballots), surpassing Tom Seaver’s previous record of 98.84% (425 of 430) when the former Mets ace was inducted in 1992.  Piazza appeared on 365 ballots for a comfortable 83% total that easily surpassed the 75% threshold for induction, though the star catcher has had to wait a bit longer to get his Cooperstown due.  This was Piazza’s fourth year of eligibility, a wait that is generally attributed to a crowded ballot in recent years and, more scurrilously, unsubstantiated rumors that Piazza may have used PEDs during his playing career.

It’s fair to say that baseball fans and pundits have seen Griffey’s induction coming for three decades.  “Junior” was the first overall pick of the 1987 amateur draft and he quickly lived up to the talent promised by his high school superstardom and impressive family pedigree.  Griffey broke into the majors at age 19 and almost immediately developed into one of the game’s best players, winning his first Gold Glove (of 10 in his career) and making his first All-Star appearance (of 13) in 1990.

In his prime years with the Mariners, Griffey brought a combination of power and elite center field defense not seen since Willie Mays.  His obvious talent, youth and media-friendly persona made Griffey into quite possibly the “face of baseball” throughout the 1990’s — an entire generation of fans grew up not just watching Griffey on the field, but also playing his name-branded video games and seeing him in commercials and TV guest appearances.

Griffey finished with a .284/.370/.538 slash line over 11304 plate appearances with the Mariners, Reds and White Sox.  He’s one of the eight members of the 600-Homer club, and his 630 home runs ranks him sixth on the all-time list.  While these amazing numbers were already enough to make him a surefire Hall-of-Famer, it’s also worth noting that Griffey may have been even better had he not battled some significant injuries later in his career, particularly during his tenure with Cincinnati.

Griffey becomes the first player drafted first overall to reach the Hall of Fame, which makes it ironic that he’ll enter alongside Piazza, the most famous late-round star in MLB amateur draft history.  Piazza was so lightly regarded as a prospect that he was a 62nd-round pick for the Dodgers in 1988, only selected at all since Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda did a favor to Piazza’s father, a personal friend.

From that humble start, Piazza blossomed into arguably the best-hitting catcher in baseball history.  Piazza’s 396 home runs as a catcher is a record for the position, and over his entire career, Piazza totaled 427 homers and a .308/.377/.545 slash line over 16 seasons largely spent with the Dodgers and Mets.  Piazza’s list of achievements include 12 All-Star appearances, 10 Silver Slugger Awards and the 1993 NL Rookie of the Year.

Falling a bit shy of enshrinement were Jeff Bagwell (71.6%), Tim Raines (69.8%) and Trevor Hoffman (67.3%). Full voting results can be viewed at the BBWAA’s website.

Royals Re-Sign Alex Gordon

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4:03pm: ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that Gordon’s contract comes with “significant” deferrals, pushing the present-day value of the contract south of the surface-level $18MM average annual value.

2:36pm: Not many thought it could be done, but the same could be said of the Royals’ remarkable World Series run. Kansas City officially announced today that it has agreed to a club-record contract with star left fielder Alex Gordon that could keep him in the organization for the rest of his career.

Gordon, a client of Excel Sports Management, reportedly gets a $72MM guarantee over a four-year term. He’ll receive $12MM next year, $16MM in 2017, and then $20MM apiece in the next two seasons. There’s also a mutual option for $23MM, with a $4MM buyout.

Oct 27, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon (4) celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the New York Mets in the 9th inning in game one of the 2015 World Series at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

While the contract does not contain an opt-out clause or no-trade protection, that $4MM buyout would convert to a trade bonus in the even of a deal, with the option itself being voided. And Gordon will soon achieve ten-and-five rights. With 8.092 years of service entering the season, he would be in line to qualify for full no-trade protection during the 2017 campaign.

The contract figures noted above would appear to suggest that middle ground was found between team and player. It had been suggested that K.C. was only offering around a $12MM to $13MM annual value, with a deal seeming unlikely. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes had credited the veteran with earning power in the five-year, $105MM range entering the winter. Whether or not offers ever materialized at that level, there were by all appearances numerous other teams with serious interest in his services.

It certainly sounds like an appealing price tag for the defending-champion Royals, who will retain a homegrown star and fill a key need in one fell swoop. But it still took a club-record guarantee to get things done. Gordon’s deal now becomes the largest ever to hit the franchise’s books, topping the $55MM promises made previously to Mike Sweeney and Gil Meche.

While Gordon doesn’t have huge power numbers and is entering his age-32 season, he remains quite a nice buy at $18MM annually. That’s all the more true given that Kansas City was only required to commit to a four-year term. All said, the closest comparable (as to contract terms) might be last winter’s pact between the Tigers and Victor Martinez. While he obviously featured a much bigger bat than Gordon, he also was entering his age-36 season and was limited to DH duties.

As was the case with Martinez, the move will effectively cost the Royals a draft choice. Gordon’s decision to decline a qualifying offer meant that the club would’ve added a sandwich-round pick had he signed elsewhere.

The primary value of the veteran left fielder lies in his above-average bat and outstanding glove, though his highly-praised clubhouse presence surely adds to the appeal. Gordon missed some time last year with a groin strain, but has generally been quite durable.

Dating back to 2011, when the former top prospect finally emerged as a major league force, Gordon has been a consistently productive presence in the Kansas City lineup. He owns a composite .281/.359/.450 slash over that span, with about twenty long balls per year. Though he’s probably not a double-digit stolen base threat any longer, but has generally received well-above-average ratings on the basepaths.

That makes for a solid-enough package in its own right, but it’s Gordon’s defense that has made him into a legitimate superstar. Both UZR and DRS rate him as an elite gloveman, with above-average performance in terms of arm, range, and mistake-free handling of chances.

Gordon’s excellent reputation in terms of makeup and work ethic also add to his value as he nears his mid-thirties. He did take a step back last year on the bases and in the field, though it’s certainly possible that the groin injury is largely to blame. While it’s probably not prudent to expect that he’ll continue to perform at up to a six-win clip, Gordon seems a good bet to continue to provide well-above-average production over the duration of his new contract.

MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan first reported the signing and the annual breakdown (Twitter links). Jeff Passan tweeted this morning that a deal could come together quickly between the two sides. Passan (via Twitter), Jon Heyman (all links to Twitter), and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (in a tweet) all contributed financial details.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes

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With Alex Gordon off the board to the Royals, all the other teams seeking significant outfield or power bat pieces remain in the market. That could, in theory at least, be good news for the top unsigned free agent bats.

Here’s the latest chatter, with a particular focus on Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes:

  • Olney tweets that the Orioles have been in talks with the representatives for both Upton and Cespedes, noting that Baltimore has money to spend (as evidenced by their reported offer to Davis).

Earlier Updates

  • The Rangers have interest in Upton in a one-year or multi-year scenario Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). Either way, the club’s budgetary restrictions will limit their involvement, per Rosenthal, who adds that Upton is still looking to do better than a short-term pact.
  • The Orioles are remaining in contact with Upton as well, FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi reports on Twitter, though he’d factor as a backup option if the team doesn’t land Chris Davis. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets that the hypothetical fit would make the most sense on a one-year arrangement.
  • Heading into the day, Jon Heyman tweeted that the Orioles are holding with their $154MM offer to Davis. And, at least at present, owner Peter Angelos is not permitting the club to engage in a “full-bore pursuit” of alternatives to the slugger.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adds, on Twitter, that the Orioles’ interest in Upton could still just be a leverage play against Davis. Or, he notes, it may still be that Baltimore prefers Cespedes to Upton.

Nationals Announce Stephen Drew Signing, Designate Taylor Hill

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The Nationals have announced the signing of infielder Stephen Drew — an agreement that was originally reported recently by Jon Heyman. To clear a roster spot, the club designated righty Taylor Hill for assignment.

Drew joins Daniel Murphy in a re-worked Nats infield. That pair will help make up for the trade of Yunel Escobar and the all-but-assured free-agent departure of Ian Desmond.

Washington will reportedly guarantee Drew $3MM in the deal, which also allows him to earn up to $1.25MM via incentives which can be maximized at 130 games played. That falls to the high side of the going rate for utility infielders. (In addition to the prior examples cited in the original post on the signing, Kelly Johnson agreed earlier today to a $2MM guarantee.)

Soon to turn 33, Drew will hope to improve his offensive production in 2016. He hit 17 home runs in only 428 trips to bat last year, but put up only a .201/.271/.381 overall batting line. While he suffered from a .201 BABIP, and did show an improved 16.6% strikeout rate, Drew has failed to match the line-drive and hard-hit rates that he carried earlier in his career.

With the glove, Drew rates as a solid shortstop and passable second baseman. Washington presumably will feel comfortable deploying him all around the infield, though he’d seem likely to spend much of his time sharing reps at shortstop with Danny Espinosa.

Hill, 26, has provided 21 MLB innings to the Nats over the past two years, allowing 14 earned runs on a 14:7 K:BB ratio. He’s spent most of his time recently working as a starter at Triple-A. After a strong 2014, he managed only a 5.23 ERA in his 118 2/3 innings at Syracuse last season.

Nationals Announce Daniel Murphy Signing, Designate Erik Davis For Assignment

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The Nationals on Wednesday formally announced the signing of Daniel Murphy to a three-year contract and designated right-hander Erik Davis for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Murphy, who is represented by ACES, had reportedly agreed to a three-year, $37.5MM pact back on Dec. 24, and he’ll be introduced tomorrow at a press conference, according to the club. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan was the first to report that Murphy had passed his physical (Twitter link). Jon Heyman tweeted the exact breakdown of Murphy’s contract earlier today, reporting that Murphy’s contract is significantly backloaded. Murphy will take home $8MM in 2016, $12MM in 2017 and $17.5MM in 2018, although $3MM of that final season’s salary is deferred, per Heyman.
MLB: NLCS-New York Mets at Chicago Cubs

Murphy, who turns 31 on April 1, hit .281/.322/.449 with a career-best 14 homers over 538 plate appearances in 2015. A 13th-round pick for the Mets in the 2006 draft, Murphy developed into a very solid big leaguer who has posted 12.2 fWAR/9.6 bWAR over the last five years. Mets fans will forever remember Murphy’s contributions in the 2015 postseason, as he posted a whopping 1.462 OPS and seven home runs over 39 PA in the NLDS and NLCS, a performance that earned him the NLCS MVP Award. Murphy became the first player in baseball history to homer in six consecutive postseason games.

In Murphy, the Nationals add a player who provides good pop for a middle infielder and also a versatile defender who play third, first and (on a limited basis) left as well as the keystone. In fact, according to metrics like UZR/150 and Defensive Runs Saved, second base is actually Murphy’s worst defensive position. Since Anthony Rendon can also play both second and third, it’s possible the Nats could use Murphy at the hot corner.

Regardless of who plays second, the signing seems to ensure that Danny Espinosa and fellow newcomer Stephen Drew will handle shortstop duties until top prospect Trea Turner is ready for the big leagues. Murphy could also spell Ryan Zimmerman at first base against the occasional right-handed starter. In any case, Murphy’s multi-positional ability gives manager Dusty Baker a lot of flexibility in arranging lineups and late-game situations. Perhaps most importantly, Murphy also adds a much-needed left-handed bat to Washington’s lineup — Murphy and Bryce Harper are currently the only left-handed hitters projected to play everyday roles for the Nationals (though Drew will get his share of at-bats and Espinosa is a switch-hitter — albeit one who struggles as a lefty).

There wasn’t too much public buzz about Murphy’s free agent market before the Nats emerged, as the Rockies, Dodgers and Mets all had some interest but in somewhat limited fashion. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes ranked Murphy 17th on his list of the winter’s top 50 free agents and predicted he’d land a four-year/$56MM contract.  It could be that Murphy’s market was impacted by the number of notable infielders being dealt this offseason. The three teams noted in Dierkes’ list (the Angels, White Sox and Yankees), for example, all addressed infield needs in trades for the likes of Andrelton Simmons, Yunel Escobar, Brett Lawrie, Todd Frazier and Starlin Castro. Beyond that, Murphy reportedly spent much of the early portion of the offseason waiting for the Mets to circle back with an offer. Only after New York acquired Neil Walker in exchange for Jon Niese did Murphy begin to explore other opportunities, per the New York Post.

Since Murphy rejected a qualifying offer from the Mets, New York will receive a compensation pick between the first and second rounds of the 2016 draft. The Nationals, in turn, will have to surrender their first-round pick (17th overall) in the draft but they may end up taking only a minor slide down the draft board since they have two QO free agents of their own. Washington already received a compensation round pick when Jordan Zimmermann signed with the Tigers and could receive another if Ian Desmond signs elsewhere.

As for the 29-year-old Davis, he’ll now endure a waiting period of up to 10 days as the Nationals gauge trade interest in him and mull when or whether to place him on outright waivers. The former 13th-round pick (Padres, 2008) hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2013 — his lone taste of Major League Baseball to this point in his career. Davis split the 2015 season across three minor league levels as he made his way back from 2014 Tommy John surgery. Between Class-A Advanced, Double-A and Triple-A, Davis logged a 3.88 ERA with 8.7 K/9 against 5.0 BB/9 in 48 2/3 innings. It should be noted that a good bit of those control struggles may have been the aftereffects of the aforementioned surgery, as Davis had displayed mostly solid control in 2012-13 before his injury.

ESPN’s Jim Bowden first reported the agreement (via Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported the financial terms (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Royals Have “Strong Interest” In Ian Kennedy

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The Royals are among the teams with “strong interest” in free agent starter Ian Kennedy, according to Jon Heyman (Twitter links). Kansas City is expected to try to “make [a] push” to land the righty now that Alex Gordon is under contract to return, per the report.

Of course, it’s not immediately clear whether Kennedy sits atop K.C.’s wish list. The club is also looking at Wei-Yin Chen and Yovani Gallardo, Heyman adds.

All of those pitchers declined qualifying offers at the outset of the offseason. Signing any one of them, then, would require the Royals to part with the club’s first overall selection after already giving up the chance to add an extra pick by bringing back Gordon. Of course, fresh off a World Series victory, the choice will not end up being near the top of the first round.

The Royals may also spend some time exploring the possibility of a re-worked deal with backstop Salvador Perez, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports adds on Twitter. We’ve heard chatter before that this could be considered, but the enormously team-friendly deal that he’s bound by also doesn’t leave much motivation for a deal. The large-framed, heavily-used backstop can already be controlled through 2019 (his age-29 season) via a series of options. That makes it seem unlikely, at least from an outside perspective, that he’ll be able to achieve much more than a few guaranteed years — likely at the price of surrendering yet more options at the back end.

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Dodgers Re-Sign Brandon Beachy

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The Dodgers have officially struck a deal with free agent righty Brandon Beachy, as first reported by Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The ICON Sports Management client will receive a $1.5MM guarantee, per the report, and can reach $4.25MM through incentives.

Beachy, 29, reached the majors only briefly last year with Los Angeles as he worked back from consecutive Tommy John surgeries. In his 48 2/3 Triple-A frames, which included ten starts, Beachy worked to a 3.51 ERA with 6.8 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9.

Before that, of course, Beachy had looked like a solid young rotation piece with the Braves. Over the 2010 through 2013 campaigns, he worked to a 3.23 ERA with 9.2 K.9 against 2.9 BB/9 across 267 2/3 innings in that span.

While the Dodgers did not receive a significant major league contribution from Beachy last year, the club obviously saw enough to motivate a return. And given that he was able to achieve a major league deal despite a less-than-complete comeback, it appears that some other clubs also saw some room to expect bigger things in 2016.

Jon Heyman (Twitter links) and SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter link) provided details of the incentives clause.

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