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Archives for January 2017

Cafardo’s Latest: White Sox, Blue Jays, Astros, Royals

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The Blue Jays have had discussions with the White Sox regarding closer David Robertson, who’s “more than available,” writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Chicago isn’t in any rush to move Robertson, though, because the team believes he’ll possess significant value around the summer trade deadline. Robertson will be more than a rental if the White Sox move him in the coming months, as he has two years and $25MM remaining on his contract. While Toronto already has a high-level closer in Roberto Osuna, it could use another setup option to go with Joe Biagini and Jason Grilli.

More from Cafardo on those two clubs and a couple others:

  • The White Sox are “100 percent committed” to keeping star prospect Yoan Moncada at second base, a team source told Cafardo. Moncada, who’s the centerpiece of the haul the White Sox acquired from Boston for Chris Sale last month, primarily played third base in his brief cup of coffee at the major league level last season. Notably, some scouts have suggested moving the athletic 21-year-old to center field, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn told Chuck Garfien of Comcast Sportsnet Chicago on Saturday (Twitter link).
  • Before they agreed to a minor league contract with catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, the Blue Jays showed interest in free agent Matt Wieters, relays Cafardo. Toronto already has an everyday catcher in Russell Martin, of course, and also possesses no shortage of first base/designated hitter types (though Cafardo doesn’t specify whether Wieters was on Toronto’s radar before or after it signed Kendrys Morales, Steve Pearce and Jose Bautista). With the Jays out of the picture, the Astros and the previously reported Rays remain possibilities for Wieters, who wanted a three-year deal at the outset of free agency, adds Cafardo. The Astros are another curious fit, however, with Brian McCann and Evan Gattis behind the plate – not to mention the presences of first baseman Yulieski Gurriel and DH Carlos Beltran.
  • The Royals’ interest in free agent right-hander Jason Hammel has picked up since Yordano Ventura tragically died last Sunday, per Cafardo. Kansas City was surely banking on quality production in 2017 from Ventura, who tossed at least 163 innings in each of his three major league seasons and totaled a career-best 186 frames last year. From strictly an on-field standpoint, Hammel’s track record suggests he would help replace the stunning loss of Ventura. Hammel has racked up three straight years with 166-plus innings and sub-4.00 ERAs, though he surprisingly hasn’t been able to find work this offseason since the Cubs declined his option in November. It’s worth noting that the 34-year-old experienced elbow tightness late last season and wasn’t active for the World Series champions’ playoff run.
  • Along with Hammel, free agent first baseman Chris Carter has piqued the Royals’ interest, but Cafardo notes that they seem likelier to target a left-handed hitter.  There are still several notable lefty-swinging options remaining in free agency, including Pedro Alvarez, Brandon Moss, Logan Morrison, Adam Lind, Justin Morneau and Ryan Howard.

AL Central Notes: White Sox, Dozier, Napoli, Dolan

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Some news and notes from around the AL Central…

  • The departures of Chris Sale and Adam Eaton haven’t led to more trades of veterans for the White Sox, though GM Rick Hahn won’t rush the rebuilding process, he tells reporters (including CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine).  “If we had our druthers, we would continue to make transactions like the Eaton and Sale deals in rapid succession,” Hahn said. “Our desire is to get through this process and build a sustainable core of talented players as soon as possible. Our desire and impatience is not going to dictate this market and the schedule of these moves. The timing of these moves will be based upon the market and our ability to get the right value in these trades.”  Hahn said he remains in talks with other teams and it is possible the Sox could make another deal before either Spring Training opens or before Opening Day.
  • The Brian Dozier trade speculation may not be finished yet, as Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey told reporters (including Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press) that “You can’t rule out anything. We constantly need to stay open-minded to potential opportunities to add value.”  That being said, Falvey also added that “as it stands, Brian is here today and we’re excited to have him as part of the Twins family.”  Minnesota reportedly asked teams to make their final offers for Dozier at the start of January and a heavily-rumored trade with the Dodgers failed to materialize and L.A. instead acquired Logan Forsythe to play second base.  Since Dozier is under contract for two more seasons at (given his production) a bargain price, the Twins aren’t under much pressure to trade him immediately.
  • Mike Napoli could be a good fit for a Twins team looking for both veteran leadership and another bat, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman opines.  Napoli could split time with Joe Mauer at first base and DH, and Heyman notes that Napoli has past ties to both GM Thad Levine and chief baseball officer Derek Falvey.  This is just my speculation, but I’m not sure if Napoli would be interested in joining a team that isn’t close to contention, though obviously Napoli’s priorities might change the longer he remains unsigned.
  • The Indians moved out of their usual financial comfort zone to sign Edwin Encarnacion, though owner Paul Dolan tells MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian that signing Encarnacion was easier than the decision to give up several highly-regarded prospects to acquire Andrew Miller at the trade deadline.  “The cost of Andrew Miller was talent. And that’s not in our DNA, to give up that kind of talent for somebody like that,” Dolan said.  “I suppose contracts like Encarnacion are not in our DNA, either. But, it was the right time for us, and we felt it was the right time to reach.”

Latest On Craig Breslow’s Market

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The Twins, Blue Jays and Indians are all “strong” in their pursuit of left-handed reliever Craig Breslow, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).  The Dodgers and Mets are also interested in the veteran southpaw.

Breslow is likely to pick his new team once Jerry Blevins and Boone Logan (the top two left-handed relievers available) have signed.  The Blue Jays and Mets have been connected to both relievers and the Dodgers have also been linked to Blevins, so it’s quite possible that Breslow could lose a suitor or two once the free agent market thins out.

Breslow has struggled for much of the last three seasons, though an overhaul of his mechanics and a new arm slot has led to renewed intrigue in his services, as almost half the teams in baseball had scouts at Breslow’s recent showcase.  With this much apparent interest, Breslow can perhaps afford to be a bit patient in finding an offer, as he could still land a decent contract if as many as three teams will still be looking for lefty relief help.

With Logan and Blevins carrying reported price tags of at least two years and $12MM, Breslow is certainly a less-costly alternative, which has particular appeal to several of his suitors.  Cleveland has already gone well above its usual spending limits to sign Edwin Encarnacion, the Mets’ payroll may also be somewhat maxed-out with Jay Bruce’s salary still on the books and the Jays may also be at or near their payroll parameters after re-signing Jose Bautista.  The Twins are known to be attempting to wait out the market to score a bargain or two, as the rebuilding club obviously doesn’t intend to overpay for a bullpen signing.

From 2005-13, Breslow posted a 2.82 ERA, 2.1 K/BB rate and 7.4 K/9 over 402 relief innings with six teams (including the Twins and Indians).  The 36-year-old has been effective against both left-handed hitters (holding them to a .693 OPS over his career) and right-handed hitters (.705 OPS).

Rockies Sign Greg Holland

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1:38PM: Holland earns $6MM in salary and there is a $1MM buyout of his 2018 option, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (Twitter links).  If Holland either pitches in 50 games or finishes 30 games this season, the option vests into a $15MM player option for 2018 that Holland can either accept or reject in search of a larger multi-year deal on the open market.  If the option doesn’t vest, it turns into a $10MM mutual option for 2018 that contains another $8MM in incentives.

9:55AM: The Rockies have landed one of the offseason’s most sought-after bullpen arms, as the club officially announced its one-year deal with right-hander Greg Holland.  The contract also contains a vesting option for the 2018 season.  Holland is represented by the Boras Corporation.

Holland will earn $7MM in guaranteed money in 2017, though he can earn substantially more in incentives that vary based on his role with the Rockies.  Holland has $3MM worth of non-closing incentives in his contract and can earn up to $14MM next season if he serves as the Rockies’ closer. Presumably, the non-closing incentives are based on factors such as innings pitched and appearances, and the deal also contains bonuses for games finished.

[Related: Updated Colorado Rockies Depth Chart]

Greg Holland | Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

The 31-year-old Holland missed all of the 2016 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery that was performed late in the 2015 campaign. Prior to that operation, however, he was one of the game’s top relievers and a key factor in the Royals’ return to prominence. From 2011-14, Holland tossed 256 1/3 innings of 1.86 ERA ball with 12.6 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 with a 44.4 percent ground-ball rate. Holland racked up 113 saves in that time and anchored the Royals’ bullpen in the 2014 postseason, throwing 15 innings and allowing one run with a 15-to-5 K/BB ratio.

A year later, when the Royals won the World Series, Holland watched from the dugout following his operation. He’d pitched to a 3.83 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 44 2/3 innings prior to going under the knife. Incredibly, at the time Holland’s injury was reported to the public, manager Ned Yost suggested that Holland had unknowingly suffered a tear of some degree in his UCL back in Aug. 2014, which would mean he pitched the entire 2015 campaign with a tear in the elbow. The Royals reportedly recommended medical examination on numerous occasions, though Holland declined. Presumably, the tear was minimal in nature at first, but it progressed to the point where it was termed a “significant” tear by the tail end of the 2015 season.

If Holland passes the Rockies’ physical, he’ll add to what’s been an active offseason for Rockies GM Jeff Bridich and the rest of the Colorado front office. Colorado has clearly been operating in a win-now capacity, as evidenced by the team’s signing of Ian Desmond to a five-year, $70MM contract (which cost them the No. 11 overall pick in the upcoming draft) and the addition of lefty Mike Dunn on a three-year, $19MM deal.

With the Rockies, Holland would likely be the favorite to pitch the ninth inning, though he’ll presumably have to prove healthy and effective enough to push past incumbent candidate Adam Ottavino. That duo and the newly signed Dunn will pair with holdovers Jake McGee, Jason Motte and Chad Qualls to comprise the relief corps for first-year Rockies manager Bud Black. Also in the mix for ’pen jobs in Denver will be lefty Chris Rusin and right-handers Jordan Lyles, Carlos Estevez and Miguel Castro.

While the addition of Holland certainly doesn’t make the Rockies an immediate contender, the team’s offseason maneuverings have improved the 2017 outlook. Not only will Desmond and Holland be bolstering the lineup and the pitching staff, but the Rox will receive full seasons from sophomores David Dahl, Trevor Story and Tyler Anderson, each of whom impressed in their rookie efforts this past season. Beyond that, it’s certainly plausible that emerging rotation leader Jon Gray will take another step forward, and the Rox have an intriguing blend of young and veteran arms to round out the rotation. That group includes Chad Bettis, Tyler Chatwood, German Marquez and Jeff Hoffman.

Holland was linked to about two-thirds of the league early in the offseason, but the number of teams interested in his services began to narrow over the course of the past few weeks. Most recently, the Rockies, Nationals and a yet-unreported “mystery” team were believed to be the three most serious suitors for Holland’s services. With Holland off the board, the Nationals will presumably have to look elsewhere to add an experienced arm to their ninth-inning mix.

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan (Twitter link) was the first to report that the two sides were in agreement, with FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman tweeting earlier in the day that Holland and the Rockies were closing in on a deal.  Passan also reported the financial details about the contract’s guaranteed money and the available incentives.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dodgers To Sign Ike Davis

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1:27PM: Davis will earn $1.25MM if he reaches the majors, and the contract contains an out clause, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets.

8:03AM: The Dodgers have agreed to sign first baseman Ike Davis to a minor league contract, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports (via Twitter).  Davis has been on the open market since being released by the Yankees last August.

Davis, 29, appeared in just eight major league games in 2016, spending much of his season at the Triple-A level with the Yankees’ and Rangers’ top minor league affiliates.  The left-handed hitting Davis has a solid career slash line (.251/.351/.441) against right-handed pitching over his career, though even those numbers were on the decline over the last two seasons as Davis struggled to retain a big league job.  After an impressive start to his MLB career as the Mets’ regular first baseman, Davis has hit just .222/.327/.354 over 1058 PA since the start of the 2013 season, bouncing from the Mets to the Pirates to the A’s and last year’s brief stint with the Yankees.

The signing gives L.A. some veteran first base depth for the minors.  Adrian Gonzalez is entrenched at first base for the Dodgers, with Darin Ruf (a right-handed bat to better complement the lefty-swinging Gonzalez) slated as the backup at first.

Dodgers Notes: Hill, Zaidi, Forsythe

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Here’s the latest from Chavez Ravine…

  • Rich Hill’s life and incredible career turn-around is profiled by Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times, detailing how the journeyman southpaw went from just trying to eke out a major league job to posting some of the best numbers of any pitcher in the sport over the last two seasons.
  • The Dodgers’ acquisition of Logan Forsythe from the Rays for Jose De Leon is something of an overpay for L.A., Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron opines.  Cameron feels there’s risk involved in the trade given De Leon’s potential, the fact that Dodgers themselves could’ve used De Leon’s arm in the bullpen or as rotation depth, and that the Dodgers could’ve given up a bit more prospect capital to acquire Brian Dozier, a player Cameron argues is markedly better than Forsythe.  Still, the deal makes sense if the Dodgers are in win-now mode and are already looking ahead to another potential playoff matchup with the Cubs in October.
  • Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi also discussed the Forsythe deal in an interview with Jim Memolo and Kevin Kennedy on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link), noting that Forsythe was “on a very short list of targets” for the club’s second base vacancy.  Zaidi described the Dodgers’ search for a second baseman as “pretty drawn-out and “unfortunately, probably more of it got out into the public than we would’ve liked.”

Orioles Notes: Britton, Machado, Worley, Brach, Joseph

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Here’s the latest from the Orioles’ FanFest event…

  • Zach Britton and the Orioles haven’t been discussing an extension, though the ace closer tells MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli (Twitter link) and other reporters that there is mutual interest between the two sides on working out a new deal.  Britton and the O’s avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $11.4MM contract for 2017, and Britton has one more arb year left before entering free agency.
  • There also haven’t been any extension talks between Manny Machado and the O’s, the star third baseman told reporters, including Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun.  Machado reiterated that he hopes to remain with the Orioles and he understands if the club is focusing on other priorities right now rather than open talks.  Needless to say, negotiating a Machado extension will be a major task given the huge amount of years and dollars (ten years and $300MM is a ballpark figure) it would take to prevent Machado from hitting free agency at age 26 following the 2018 season.
  • The Orioles have made a contract offer to right-hander Vance Worley, executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette told reporters (including the Baltimore Sun’s Jon Meoli).  Worley was projected to earn $3.3MM in arbitration this winter and was non-tendered by the O’s last month.  The righty posted a 3.53 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 48.1% grounder rate over 86 2/3 innings for Baltimore last season and has value as a long reliever and spot starter, even if the Orioles weren’t keen on meeting his projected price tag.
  • Duquette also stated (to Eduardo A. Encina and other media) that the Orioles are planning to go to hearings to decide their three unsettled arbitration cases with Kevin Gausman, Brad Brach and Caleb Joseph.  Brach and Joseph discussed their takes on the hearing process with MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko, with Brach also talking about his name being mentioned in offseason trade rumors.

Reds Sign Scott Feldman

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TODAY: The structure of Feldman’s contract bonuses is broken down by Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link).  The right-hander will earn an extra $100K when and if he makes his tenth start of the season, and he’ll earn either $100K or $200K as a bonus for each start thereafter, up to 25 starts.  Feldman can also earn $100K for making 25 relief appearances, $200K for 30 and 35 relief appearances, and then $250K for 40, 45, 50 and 55 games pitched out of the bullpen.

THURSDAY: The deal is official, with Cincinnati announcing it.

WEDNESDAY: The Reds have agreed to a one-year deal with righty Scott Feldman, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). He will receive a $2.3MM guarantee and can earn another $2.2MM via incentives. With a physical already completed, it seems this agreement lacks only a club announcement to be official.

Soon to turn 34, Feldman is coming off of a somewhat curious 2016 campaign. After dealing with shoulder issues late in 2015, he was seen as a question mark heading into camp in the final year of his deal with the Astros. He ended up mostly being relegated to the bullpen, but provided Houston with 62 frames of 2.90 ERA pitching.

Though he seemed to have settled into a useful role for the Astros, Feldman ended up being a somewhat surprising trade deadline mover. He was shipped to the Blue Jays, who took on the $2.75MM or so he was still owed, in exchange for prospect Lupe Chavez. But things didn’t work out for Feldman in Toronto, as he was tagged for 14 earned runs on 23 hits over his 15 innings.

For Cincinnati, Feldman will be asked to provide a steadying presence to a rotation that just lost Dan Straily in a trade. Over 2013-15, the righty turned in 470 1/3 frames of 3.83 ERA ball, with 5.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9, and something approaching that kind of workmanlike production would be most welcome. If he’s not effective in a starting role, or a young arm proves worthy of an opportunity, then Feldman could also help deepen the bullpen.

Rockies Designate Eddie Butler For Assignment

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The Rockies have designated right-hander Eddie Butler for assignment, the team announced.  The move creates roster space for Greg Holland, whose signing became official today.

Butler, 25, was drafted 46th overall by the Rockies in 2012 and he continued to display that pedigree as a minor leaguer, ranking on top-100 prospect lists from Baseball America, MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus prior to both the 2014 and 2015 seasons.  (BA ranked Butler as the 24th-best prospect in baseball in their 2014 list.)  While Butler pitched well in the lower levels, however, it’s worth noting that he struggled even at the Triple-A level, posting a 5.03 ERA over 157 1/3 innings in the very hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Pitching in parts of the last three seasons for Colorado, Butler posted a 6.50 ERA, 1.34 K/BB rate and 5.3 K/9 over 159 1/3 innings for the Rockies, starting 28 of his 36 career big league games.  Despite a solid 48.6% career grounder rate, home runs have been Butler’s largest issue, with a whopping 18.1% of his fly balls leaving the yard.  While Coors Field has played a role in Butler’s problems (a 7.92 ERA in 69 1/3 IP in Denver), the righty has also posted a 5.40 ERA in 90 road innings over his brief career.

Since we’re less than two years removed from Butler holding blue-chip prospect status, it wouldn’t be surprising if Butler draws interest from multiple teams wondering if he could get on track in a more pitcher-friendly environment.  Check out the MLB Trade Rumors DFA Tracker to monitor the status of Butler and other players around the bigs who are awaiting their next assignment.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/28/17

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Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

  • The Cubs announced that left-hander Manny Parra has been signed to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to the team’s spring camp.  This is the second straight offseason that has seen Parra sign a minor league contract with the Cubs, though he didn’t pitch at all in 2016.  Originally a starter with the Brewers, the 34-year-old Parra posted a 3.91 ERA, 8.8 K/9 and 2.9 K/BB rate over 115 relief innings for the Reds from 2013-15.
  • The Cubs signed right-hander Casey Kelly to a minor league deal, according to Baseball America’s Matt Eddy (Twitter link).  Once considered one of the game’s better pitching prospects, Kelly has managed only a 6.39 ERA over 62 innings in the majors, though his career was interrupted by Tommy John surgery in 2013.  As Eddy notes, the signing reunites Kelly with Theo Epstein (who was the Red Sox GM when Kelly was drafted 30th overall by Boston in 2008) and Jed Hoyer (who was the Padres GM when Kelly was part of the trade package acquired for Adrian Gonzalez in December 2010).
  • Parra and Kelly were two of 24 non-roster invitees to the Cubs’ Spring Training camp, as announced yesterday by the club.  The list includes southpaw Gerardo Concepcion and righties Conor Mullee, Christian Villanueva and Zac Rosscup, who were all non-tendered by the Cubs in December to free up 40-man roster space.
  • The Blue Jays announced that right-hander Leonel Campos has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A.  Campos was designated for assignment earlier this week when Toronto claimed Juan Graterol off waivers from the Angels.  Campos was himself claimed off waivers back in November following a season that saw him post a 5.73 ERA, 9.8 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9 over 22 relief innings for the Padres.  Control has been an issue for Campos throughout his entire pro career, as the righty also has a 5.0 BB/9 over 250 2/3 career minor league innings.
  • The Diamondbacks signed outfielder Jake Goebbert and catcher Willians Astudillo to minor league deals, Matt Eddy reports (Twitter link).  Goebbert has a solid .276/.363/.443 slash line over 3483 career minor league plate appearances, though he hasn’t been able to translate those results into much playing time in the bigs — his MLB resume consists of 115 PA with the Padres in 2014.  Goebbert spent 2016 with the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate and struggled to the tune of a .661 OPS in 364 PA.  Astudillo, a 25-year-old catcher out of Venezuela, has hit .309/.348/.391 over 2026 minor league PA.  He spent his first six pro seasons in the Phillies system before moving to the Braves in 2016 and reaching the Double-A level for the first time.

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