Contract talks between the Orioles and free agent outfielder/first baseman Mark Trumbo have stalled, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The two sides previously agreed to a four-year framework, but Baltimore’s offer is now off the table, per Kubatko, who notes that a deal could still come together (Twitter link). In 2016, his first (and perhaps only) season as an Oriole, Trumbo hit .256/.316/.533 with a major league-high 47 home runs. Along with the O’s, the Rockies, Indians, Mariners and Rangers are among the clubs that have shown interest in the soon-to-be 31-year-old this offseason.
More from the majors’ two East divisions:
- Domestic violence charges against Mets closer Jeurys Familia were dropped Thursday, but he’ll still face at least a 30-game suspension next season, per Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. A 30-game ban would be identical to the punishment Major League Baseball levied on Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman last year. Like Familia, Chapman didn’t face any legal ramifications for his domestic violence incident. Rob Manfred regarded Chapman’s case as serious enough to warrant an unpaid month off, though, and the commissioner is currently investigating Familia. Bianca Rivas, Familia’s wife, said he didn’t hurt her Oct. 31, but the police who responded to her 911 call noticed a bruise on her cheek and scratches on her chest. The scratches came from the couple’s 1-year-old son, according to Rivas.
- After trading away infielder Danny Espinosa last week, the Nationals are searching for outside bench help, writes Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. The Nats have expressed interest in re-signing free agent infielder Stephen Drew, who joined the team last year on a one-year, $3MM deal and hit .266/.339/.524 in 165 plate appearances. However, Drew might end up finding a more prominent role elsewhere. “He’s been offered some,” Drew’s agent, Scott Boras, said at the winter meetings. “So he’s just kind of evaluating the options of carrying out a multiple-position role and probably playing more than he did last year, or pursuing something more along the lines (of what he was for the Nationals this year).” If Washington doesn’t acquire an Espinosa replacement from elsewhere, the club does have 24-year-old Wilmer Difo on hand as a potential solution. He has just 77 big league PAs to his name, though.
- Given that they haven’t added anyone to their rotation this winter, the Yankees are positioning themselves to rely heavily on unproven starters in 2017, observes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Masahiro Tanaka, C.C. Sabathia and Michael Pineda are locks for the starting five; behind them, Luis Severino, Chad Green Luis Cessa, Bryan Mitchell and Adam Warren will vie for roles. The most intriguing member of the group is Severino, who endured a miserable 2016 with an 8.50 ERA in 47 2/3 major league innings as a starter. That was only Severino’s age-22 season, though, and the former big-time prospect isn’t far removed from a highly promising 2015 debut in which he recorded a 2.89 ERA, 8.09 K/9 and 50.3 percent ground-ball rate in 62 1/3 frames. “My emphasis at the end of the year with him was locate your fastball better, repeat your delivery and make sure your breaking ball morphs back into a harder breaking ball,” pitching coach Larry Rothschild told Sherman. “I certainly look at him as a starter. But to be a starter, improvements need to be made. If the improvements are made, he will be really good.”
Why take the offer off the table? Lol, this is why no one significant ever wants to sign a long term deal with the O’s. Forever amateur hour with them.
You should only hope Trumbo doesn’t sign a long term deal with the O’s.
Because other teams that may have used him have filled the hole, thus reducing his potential market and pay day – would be my guess.
Poop or get off the pot. If he wanted to sign the deal he would have by now. O’s can’t wait around all offseason for Trumbo to leverage the deal elsewhere.
Why leave it on the table. You expect them to just leave it out there and let him shop it around and come be able to just accept it whenever he wants when he sees his market dropping
No one significant signs with the Os because they’re not passing out 25M/year contracts. End of discussion
Considering that Weiters and Trumbo could both walk why wouldn’t O’s be interest in swapping Kevin Gausman for NYY’s Gardner, Austin Romaine, Chad Green, and Tyler Austin. Romaine gives them insurance should Weiters leave, Gardner gives them speed on the bases, GG defense in Left and solid offense geared to Camden Yards. Green can compete for a back end rotation starter, and Austin can replace some of Trumbo’s power at the DH or spell C. Davis at first.
So….an expensive aging OF and spare parts for Gausman? Nah…I think the O’s would pass on that 10/10 times.
Really? The O’s just signed a “spare part” to be their regular catcher. Castillo became a FA because the Diamondbacks (Who?) wouldn’t give him a contract for 2017. Romaine is a better defensive catcher and has shown that his offense will improve with more playing time (which he won’t get sitting behind Gary Sanchez). These “spare parts” would start in left, catch between 80 – 100 games, fit in as the #4 or 5 Starter or at least be the long man out of the pen, and Austin would give the O’s depth in the OF, 1st, and even 3rd unless you expect him to play 162 games. Financially it is a good deal for both teams. Gardner’s locked in at $13M per year through 2018 plus a team option for 2019 when he’d be 36 years old. The others are all team controlled for the next 2 or 3 years.
Spend the extra 25 mill on encarnacion
I wonder if the Rockies are holding out on Trumbo for the potential of a deal with the White Sox for Abreau. Abreau just locked down a salary in arbitration, that could help facilitate any deal. I suppose they’d also be interested in Quintana. Quintana is the deal of the winter as far as I’m concerned. Stealthy good numbers.
They might be waiting on EE’s price to drop. I’d rather have EE over any of the 1B/DH types available including Trumbo and Abreau.
EE can’t play 1B for 163 games
Good because he only needs to for 162…sorry
I think Abreau is a dream at Coors….power sure….but he hits the ball VERY hard…and those are big gaps in Colorado…some of those doubles will carry as well. He’d look alot like Andres Gallaraga with the Rockies….I think his avg would explode….maybe .310-320 with 40 HR…he has the bat that Arenado has
Quintana does have good numbers, however his reported asking price does reflect that so I’m not to sure if I’d call him the deal of the winter
I’m referring to him as the deal of the winter because I feel he’s the pitcher that could possibly have the sneakiest high impact on who would receive him. Sure, his price is reportedly high….but someone could make a case that hes everything that Sale was, and possibly better going forward.
I just meant in general transaction pop factor. Quintana isn’t going to light up any Facebook trends. I think most likely would be the Dodgers…but things change. They dont have to flip him…someone has to toss innings on the south side.
Oh boy. That Yanks rotation does not inspire confidence at all. So many question marks after Tanaka.
Tanakas the biggest? Does that elbow hold up?
I thought that elbow was done for last year for sure. Who knows, he made it this long maybe he’s good.
That Pineda is the biggest joke of all. A younger version of Mike Pelfrey.
But his FIP! His FIP says he’s better than his traditional markers suggest! sigh… If only he could be consistent.
The Danny Espinosa situation got me thinking. Does anyone know do players privately ask to be traded very often and if so, do teams actually do it in response to a request? I just wonder if this happens behind closed doors?
I’m sure it happens on a semi-regular basis and probably more often than we realize/know of. When Scott Rolen was in Toronto, he quietly asked JP Ricciardi to deal him to a more Central located team so he could be with his family(pretty sure his wife was expecting at the time) but also told him that if the deal didn’t make sense for the team, to not overly worry about it.
Thanks. I guess if it does happen nobody wants to ever publicize that because if it got back to the fans that a player wanted to leave a team they’d be crucified. We are a fickle bunch!
The Yankees should take a flyer on either Jason Hammel or Tyson Ross. Both could be had on cheap deals. Worst case scenario, Hammels and Ross act as innings eaters. I have little faith in Severino, Cessa and Warren at this point. Would like to see Green get another opportunity in the rotation after his strong performance last year.
Hammel’s likely an innings-eater, but Ross’ worst-case scenario isn’t really back-end guy. He’s quite the health risk. Not sure he’s a great fit for the Yankees, seems better for a team needing a boom-or-bust guy like Miami or Seattle
Surprised that Ivan Nova (SP) and the Yankees are not discussed much. Also, Mariners would be a great fit for Ivan Nova as well given their trade that involved shipping away Tijuana Walker (SP) to Arizona.
I’m not. That boat has well and truly sailed.
Stop messing with Warren. Put him in the pen and keep him there. Not expecting much from the rotation this year, but hoping for continued improvement from Severino, Green, and Cessa while the kids in the farm(Sheffield, Adams, Kaprielian) continue their seasoning.
If I recall, didn’t the orioles take Chris Davis’ offer “off the table” last offseason before finally paying him a lot of $$$. Maybe that’s what got him to agree to all that deferred cash.
IMO would rather have Edwin Encarnacion on a Cespedes like one year contract than Trumbo.
Frankly if the Os are offering Trumbo something like 4/$50-55mm I’d much prefer that they take that offer and go talk to EE and move it to the $85mm range. Trumbo has had one big year and wants paid for it. EE has a track record and his power in Camden Yards along with his OBP would make the Os much better.
EE could go for <$85m…as his market has been soft all off-season. I agree about the Cespedes type deal because it is win-win for both sides.
Sorry, that’s Weiters not Writers. Dam that spellcheck.
F off familia , i want him to trade hes a piece of crap
He does seem to dissapoint in the big spot.
The Yanks seem more likely to trade a veteran starting pitcher for prospects than to trade a bunch of prospects for a starter. The Yanks stand to lose Tanaka, Sabathia, and Pineda at the end of the 2017 season.