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Archives for October 2016

5 Key Stories: 10/22/16 – 10/28/16

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Here are five of this week’s biggest stories here at MLBTR…

Kyle Schwarber

Kyle Schwarber returns: When Schwarber tore both the ACL and LCL in his left knee on April 7, the assumption was that the Cubs’ slugging catcher/outfielder wouldn’t be in their lineup again until 2017. Shockingly, though, Schwarber’s rehab went well enough that the team activated him prior to its World Series matchup against the Indians. Schwarber’s still not ready to play the field, but the 23-year-old’s best asset – his bat – has been a factor in the Fall Classic. Because the first two games took place in Cleveland, Schwarber was in the Cubs’ lineup as a designated hitter. He didn’t show much rust, going 3 for 7 with a double and two walks as the teams split at Progressive Field. Schwarber then came off the bench Friday at Wrigley Field, where Indians reliever Bryan Shaw retired him in an eighth-inning pinch-hit appearance. The Cubs dropped a 1-0 nail-biter and will try to pull even in Game 4 on Saturday.

Yoenis Cespedes will void his contract, but James Shields won’t: To the surprise of no one, Cespedes plans to opt out of the remaining two years and $47.5MM left on his deal with the Mets and become a free agent. Conversely, Shields, a White Sox right-hander, will not forgo the two years and $44MM remaining on his pact. Cespedes’ decision will become official within a three-day window after the World Series concludes. The Mets gave the outfielder an opt-out when they re-signed him last January to a three-year, $75MM contract, and having delivered another terrific season, he’ll once again test the open market. Given the weakness of the upcoming winter’s free agent class, the 31-year-old likely stands a better chance than any other soon-to-be available player to land a nine-figure contract. Shields also could have taken advantage of an underwhelming market had he enjoyed a strong year. Instead, the 34-year-old was among the worst starters in baseball this season, combining for a 5.85 ERA, 6.69 K/9 and 4.06 BB/9 in 181 2/3 innings with San Diego and Chicago.

Front office changes in Arizona and Boston: New Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen, formerly with the Red Sox, pilfered well-regarded executive Amiel Sawdaye from Boston on Monday to serve as Arizona’s senior vice president and assistant GM. After losing Sawdaye, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski promoted VP of international scouting Eddie Romero to serve as co-assistant GM with Brian O’Halloran. Boston doesn’t plan to hire a GM and will go forward with the Romero and O’Halloran tandem working under Dombrowski.

Danny Salazar is back: After Salazar missed over a month with a forearm strain, the Indians activated the hard-throwing right-hander in advance of their series against the Cubs. Salazar’s return certainly wasn’t as unexpected as Schwarber’s, but he’s another quality piece for a pitching staff that has dominated throughout the postseason. Normally a starter, Salazar tossed a shutdown inning in relief in the Tribe’s 5-1 loss in Game 2. Aside from ace Corey Kluber, the Indians’ starters haven’t eaten many innings in the playoffs, so Salazar could end up as an important bullpen weapon as the World Series progresses.

Astros cancel their agreement with a top international prospect: The Astros and Cuban left-hander Cionel Perez struck a deal with a $5.15MM signing bonus in September, but the team voided it this week over a medical issue. Signing Perez would have actually cost the Astros $10.3MM, as they had already exceeded their spending allotment in this year’s international free agent class and would have had to pay a 100 percent overage tax.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Quick Hits: Fernandez, Pillar, Tanaka, Yankees, M’s

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Some news from around baseball…

  • According to toxicology reports released today, Jose Fernandez had cocaine in his system and a blood-alcohol level that was twice the legal limit during the boat crash that took the lives of the Marlins ace, Eduardo Rivero and Emilio Jesus Macias on September 25, David Ovalle of the Miami Herald reports.  Authorities have yet to determine who was driving the boat at the time of the crash — neither Rivero or Macias were legally drunk, though they both had alcohol in their systems.  (Rivero was also found to have cocaine in his system.)
  • Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar underwent surgery this week to repair a torn thumb ligament, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reports.  The defensive standout is expected to be fine by Spring Training.  Pillar hurt his thumb while stealing a base on August 6 and spent some time on the DL before playing through the injury throughout the rest of the regular season and Toronto’s postseason run.
  • The Yankees should listen to offers for Masahiro Tanaka this winter, Mike Axisa of the River Ave Blues blog opines, though obviously it would take a big haul for New York to actually trade its ace away when the Bombers are themselves looking for quality pitching.  Tanaka can opt out of his contract after the 2017 season, which seems like a very likely possibility assuming he stays healthy and keeps delivering his usual strong performance.  Tanaka would be hitting the free agent market heading into his age-29 season and would score well beyond the three years/$67MM owed on his Yankees deal through 2020.  If New York only has one year left of control of Tanaka, it makes sense for the club to see what it could potentially get back for the right-hander in a deal.  Axisa’s mailbag piece covers other several Yankees-related topics, including how the Yankees’ prospect return in the Aroldis Chapman trade was better for the club than if they had swung the rumored Andrew Miller-for-Kyle Schwarber deal at the deadilne.
  • The Mariners aren’t likely to make a big splash in free agency, MLB.com’s Greg Johns opines as part of a reader mailbag.  Seattle already has $88.5MM locked up in just five players (Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager and Hisashi Iwakuma) so there isn’t much remaining payroll room for another big contract.  Johns thinks GM Jerry Dipoto will instead spread funds around to address several needs, improve depth and continue to raise the Mariners’ talent floor.

Cafardo’s Latest: Bautista, Davis, Cespedes, Balentien

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Some hot stove items from Nick Cafardo in his latest Boston Globe notes column…

  • Jose Bautista isn’t likely to accept a qualifying offer from the Blue Jays, a major league source tells Cafardo.  Bautista had two DL stints, a rough postseason and (for him) a subpar regular season that saw him hit .234/.366/.452 with 22 homers over 517 PA.  There was some thought that Bautista could accept the one-year, $17.2MM QO in order to try for a better free agent platform season in 2017, but Bautista feels he’ll be able to find solid multi-year offers this winter.
  • If the Royals were to trade Wade Davis, a team source says they would want controllable young pitching in return.  The Royals floated Davis’ name in trade talks at the deadline but put a very high price tag on his services, including a big ask for young pitching in the form of star prospect Lucas Giolito from the Nationals.  Kansas City also reportedly tried to attach Davis with Ian Kennedy in trades, which would’ve gotten K.C. lesser prospects in return but quite a bit of payroll relief from Kennedy’s large contract.
  • Don’t count on Yoenis Cespedes signing with the Red Sox this winter, as the outfielder didn’t particularly enjoy his previous stint in Boston in the last two months of the 2014 season.  Cespedes also wasn’t popular with the Red Sox coaching staff.  Cespedes didn’t really seem like a fit for the Sox anyway, given how they have star prospect Andrew Benintendi slated for left field in 2017.
  • Wladimir Balentien is considering a return to the big leagues after six seasons in Japan.  Balentien last played in the majors in 2009 and has since produced some huge power numbers for the Yakult Swallows, including a Nippon Professional Baseball league record 60 homers in 2013.  This past season, the 32-year-old Balentien posted a .269/.369/.516 slash line and 31 home runs over 537 PA.

Diamondbacks To Interview Alex Cora For Manager’s Job

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The Diamondbacks are beginning the interview process to find their next manager, and broadcaster and former big leaguer Alex Cora will talk to the team this week about the position, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports.  Cora has never managed or coached at any level in the majors or minors, though he received consideration for several recent managerial openings last offseason.  Cora interviewed with the Padres, Marlins and Nationals, and was also linked to the Mariners’ job in rumors.

The 41-year-old Cora gained a strong reputation as a teammate and student of the game during his 14-year playing career from 1998-2011.  Two of the six teams Cora played for during his career, Heyman notes, connect him with D’Backs GM Mike Hazen.  Cora played for the Indians and Red Sox from 2005-08, when Hazen was in Cleveland’s front office before joining the Red Sox in 2006.

In his post-playing career, Cora has worked as a radio and TV analyst for ESPN and ESPN Deportes since 2013, and also served as the general manager of Criollos de Caguas, his hometown team, in the Puerto Rican Baseball League.  Cora will be the GM for Puerto Rico’s team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Cora is the first known candidate for the D’Backs job, as Hazen has indicated that he would like to talk to roughly 5-7 candidates before making a hire.  Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo has been heavily rumored as the favorite to be Arizona’s next skipper, with Heyman noting earlier today that “it would be an upset” if anyone but Lovullo was hired.

Quick Hits: Perez, Cespedes, Pirates, International Draft

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Roberto Perez already faced long odds to get to the big leagues as a 33rd-round draft pick for the Indians in 2008, though he faced another obstacle to both his career and general well-being when he suffered a Bell’s palsy attack in June 2013.  As Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan writes, Perez kept playing through his affliction, despite being unable to move the muscles on the left side of his face.  Thankfully, the catcher’s condition has improved since he began receiving thrice-weekly acupuncture treatments, and Perez has since made a place for himself in Cleveland postseason lore thanks to his two-homer performance in Game One of the World Series.  Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • Yoenis Cespedes’ list of possible suitors is examined by Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, who notes that the Mets are “the obvious choice” but several other teams will be in the mix.  Several industry sources tab the Giants as candidates to make a push for Cespedes, who would solve San Francisco’s needs for power and a left fielder.  The Angels also have a left field vacancy and some payroll space, while the Marlins and Dodgers could potentially emerge in the Cespedes market if they trade one of their current outfielders.  Teams who miss out on signing Edwin Encarnacion could also get involved in the Cespedes market.
  • The Pirates announced several changes to their coaching staff, including the previously reported hiring of Joey Cora as the team’s new third base and infield coach.  Tom Prince, the longtime former big leaguer and coach/manager in Pittsburgh’s minor league system will become Clint Hurdle’s new bench coach.  Kimera Bartee becomes the new first base coach as well as the club’s outfield and baserunning coach, following nine seasons as Pittsburgh’s minor league outfield/baserunning coordinator.  Dave Jauss, who served as the bench coach in 2016, will return to his previous role as the quality-control coach, MLB.com’s Adam Berry reports.  Brad Fischer, a coach on last year’s staff, has been offered a new job in the club’s player development department but is still mulling the offer.  Cora and Bartee will respectively replace Rick Sofield and Nick Leyva, who both lost their jobs last week.
  • Earlier this week, Major League Baseball ended up canceling a showcase in the Dominican Republic that players were set to boycott, as BA’s Ben Badler reported.  A group representing trainers issued a statement saying that the move was “not a fight against MLB,” but rather “a fight against the draft” for international talent that the league has proposed in collective bargaining agreement talks.  Many trainers did show up to further their protest, as Badler further documents.

NL East Notes: Marlins, Mets, Cespedes, Fowler, Ruf

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Here’s the latest from around the NL East…

  • If the Marlins make a “big splash free agent push,” MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro believes it could be for a top closer like Aroldis Chapman or Kenley Jansen rather than a starting pitcher.  While the Fish are in major need of rotation help, the lack of appealing free agent starters this year could lead the team to spend what dollars they may have on a reliable stopper.  Miami could sign a free agent starter at the right price, and Frisaro believes the club could both make a signing as well as acquire another arm by trading a position player.
  • Trades also could be necessary for the Marlins due to payroll concerns, Frisaro writes elsewhere in his mailbag piece.  He thinks Miami’s payroll will rise to around the $90MM range next year, though the Marlins already have roughly $76.3MM earmarked for just 12 players due to salary commitments and arbitration projections.
  • Dexter Fowler could be a fit for the Mets if Yoenis Cespedes leaves in free agency, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes.  The Mets could add Fowler and re-sign Neil Walker for the money it would take to land Cespedes, and having those two switch-hitters would give the Mets greater depth and versatility.  Fowler also brings defensive value as a center fielder, which would help New York since neither Curtis Granderson or Michael Conforto are good fits for the position.  Signing Fowler would be an alternative to the Mets’ plan to wait out the Cespedes market, which Sherman believes is risky since the team could be left wanting for a big bat if other free sluggers have signed elsewhere once Cespedes makes his decision.
  • In another MLB.com mailbag piece, Todd Zolecki “wouldn’t be surprised” if the Phillies part ways with Darin Ruf.  Tommy Joseph has supplanted Ruf on the first base depth chart, and Zolecki writes that the Phils now see Ruf as “anything more than insurance” for Joseph or in left field.  Ruf spent much of 2016 posting big numbers in Triple-A but hit just .205/.236/.337 in 89 PA for Philadelphia.  Ruf’s next opportunity might not come in the big leagues, as Zolecki reports that Ruf has received interest from Japanese teams.

Heyman On Ramos, Duda, Colon, Lovullo, Fowler, Cubs

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Jon Heyman covers World Series news, a profile of Andrew Miller’s career and development into a relief ace and some hot stove items in his latest two columns for FanRag Sports…

  • Prior to tearing his ACL, Wilson Ramos was aiming at a $100MM contract in free agency.  It’s an eye-popping number, as Joe Mauer ($184MM from the Twins) and Buster Posey ($167MM) are the only catchers to crack the nine-figure threshold.  Both of those deals were extensions rather than free agent contracts, and both Mauer and Posey had more consistent track records than Ramos.  It’s quite common for a player and his representatives to aim high with an initial asking price, of course, especially when that player is the top free agent at his position.  Injury notwithstanding, Ramos is still expected to receive significant interest, to the point that he is still looking for four or five years on the open market.
  • The Mets will indeed tender a contract to first baseman Lucas Duda.  MLBTR projects Duda to earn $6.7MM in arbitration this winter, following a rough year that saw Duda spend much of the season on the DL due to a stress fracture in his lower back.  He hit just .229/.302/.412 with seven homers over 172 PA in 2016, though given the first baseman’s strong production in previous seasons, the Mets are surely counting on a bounce-back next year when Duda is healthy.
  • “Nothing’s close” on a reunion between the Mets and Bartolo Colon, though the team has interest in bringing the veteran back and “no one would be surprised” if the two sides work out another contract.
  • “It would be an upset” if the Diamondbacks hire anyone other than Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo as their new manager, Heyman writes.  Lovullo has been widely connected to the Arizona job from virtually the moment former Boston GM Mike Hazen took over as the D’Backs’ new general manager.  Hazen does plan to interview between 5-7 candidates as part of a managerial search, and as of last Tuesday, the D’Backs hadn’t yet asked the Sox for permission to speak with Lovullo.
  • One executive suggests Dexter Fowler should accept the Cubs’ qualifying offer, though Heyman believes the center fielder can top the one-year, $17.2MM offer in free agency.  I agree with Heyman; while the QO limited Fowler’s market last winter, his outstanding season for the NL champions should easily net him a nice multi-year deal this offseason.
  • Assuming Fowler leaves, Heyman notes that the Cubs face an “interesting” outfield situation with Kyle Schwarber, Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward all best suited to playing the corners.  It should be noted that Chicago faced a similar scenario last winter prior to Fowler’s unexpected return, as the Cubs had Schwarber and Jorge Soler lined up for the corner outfield spots and Heyward was going to play center.  Heyward has posted excellent defensive metrics over his brief (404 innings) time as a center fielder during his career, though since Heyward is arguably the best defensive right fielder in the game, any lessening of his value could be a problem given how badly Heyward fell off at the plate this year.  The versatile Zobrist is now locked into outfield duty with Javier Baez’s emergence at second while Soler and Albert Almora are also in the outfield mix, so the Cubs are fully stocked with outfield options.
  • The Blue Jays have parted ways with scout Ed Lynch.  Best known as the Cubs’ GM from 1994 to 2000, Lynch had been working as a scout for the Jays since 2010.

Indy Ball Signings: 10/28/16

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Here are the day’s minor signings, featuring three independent league additions:

  • The Marlins added third baseman David Vidal on a minor league deal, per an announcement from the Somerset Patriots. Vidal, 27, never made it past Double-A with the Reds, but had a big year for Somerset in 2016. Over 370 plate appearances, he slashed .320/.413/.633 and added 26 long balls. Vidal also showed quality plate discipline, with 45 walks to go with 68 strikeouts.
  • First baseman Art Charles is heading to the Reds on a minors pact, Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweets. He earned BA’s indy ball player of the year honors after washing out of the Phillies system. Charles posted a ridiculous .352/.461/.699 batting line with 29 homers in 436 plate appearances. J.J. Cooper of Baseball America recently took an interesting look at his journey.
  • The Brewers have purchased the contract of righty Chad Nading, the Wichita Wingnuts announced. Nading re-emerged in his age-28 season after a long layoff, throwing 39 1/3 innings of 1.83 ERA ball with 6.9 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9. The right-hander’s only affiliated experience came with the Padres’ rookie affiliate way back in 2010, when he coughed up nine earned runs on 13 hits in just 5 2/3 innings.

Giants Re-Sign Kyle Blanks

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The Giants have agreed to a minor-league deal to bring back outfielder/first baseman Kyle Blanks, Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweets. Blanks, 30, never suited up for San Francisco last year as he continued to deal with foot injuries.

With Angel Pagan and Gregor Blanco set to depart, the Giants have a need in left field. Though Blanks could theoretically share time there, it’s not clear whether he will be able to patrol the outfield grass at this stage. He could also conceivably challenge for a spot as a bench bat and could pick up some appearances at first base.

Blanks had seemed to have a good shot at earning a reserve role in San Francisco last spring, and he has exhibited real promise at times with the bat. He carries a solid lifetime .241/.322/.416 slash with 33 home runs over 933 MLB plate appearances. And Blanks has laid waste to Triple-A pitching. The biggest question remains whether he can stay healthy.

West Notes: Claire, Dodgers, Gallo, Felix, Marlette

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MLBTR offers its best wishes to former Dodgers GM Fred Claire, who is battling skin cancer that developed on his lip after a life in the sun at baseball diamonds. He spoke with JP Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group about his challenge and many fortunes in life, and it’s well worth a read. Claire has generously discussed his lengthy tenure with the Dodgers previously with MLBTR’s Zach Links. MLBTR wishes him our very best.

Here are a few notes from the western divisions:

  • Current Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman recently addressed the team’s 2016 campaign, as Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reported. Los Angeles faces decisions on several positions heading into the offseason with a variety of notable free agents, including closer Kenley Jansen, third baseman Justin Turner, starter Rich Hill, and infielder Chase Utley. “We have a lot of talented players who are free agents, and I expect we’ll have ongoing dialogue with every one of them,” said Friedman. “There are so many ways the off-season could play out. It’s so hard to try to corral it at this point.”
  • Power-hitting Rangers prospect Joey Gallo suffered a hamstring injury in his third game of action in the Venezuelan Winter League, as Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. He may need to head back stateside to have the muscle assessed, and it seems that it could well interrupt his time with the Navegantes del Magallanes. There’s no reason to think it’ll impact Gallo’s availability in the spring, certainly, but the hope had been that he would use the winter ball stint to develop at the plate while also providing the team an opportunity to assess his readiness to play a larger role at the major league level in 2017.
  • This offseason is a critical one for Mariners righty Felix Hernandez, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times writes. Once one of the game’s most dominating pitchers, the 30-year-old has exhibited a variety of worrying signs of late. By virtually any measure, Hernandez faded last year; though his 3.82 ERA was still plenty useful, earned-run estimators viewed 2016 as his worst season as a professional. Now, says Divish, King Felix will need to figure out a way to succeed despite waning velocity and wavering command. With $79MM owed to Hernandez over the next three years, Seattle has plenty riding on his ability to return to something approaching his prior form.
  • The Mariners face a decision on catcher Tyler Marlette, who could be a Rule 5 draft candidate if he’s not added to the team’s 40-man roster, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune writes. Marlette, 23, is hitting well in the Arizona Fall League, continuing to make a case for the team to trust him with a valuable roster placement. He performed well at the High-A level, too, slashing .273/.335/.472 over 358 plate appearances before earning a promotion to Double-A. As Baseball America’s staff explains, Marlette needs his bat to carry him, as he’s considered a marginal defender.

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