Agent Scott Boras is unhappy with the Blue Jays for not awarding pre-arb right-hander Aaron Sanchez a higher salary for 2017, but the star hurler doesn’t seem fazed. Sanchez told Paul Hagen of MLB.com he “absolutely” believes Blue Jays management values him, adding: “We just had a disagreement, and I want to leave it at that. There are no hard feelings between [general manager Ross Atkins] and I, between me and this organization. It’s time to go play baseball, really. All that other stuff isn’t relevant to me.” With his first trip through arbitration a year away, Sanchez, 24, will try to build on a sterling 2016 campaign in which he posted a 3.00 ERA, 7.55 K/9, 2.95 BB/9 and 54.4 percent ground-ball rate over 192 innings.
More from the East Coast:
- Major League Baseball has spent the past four-plus months investigating domestic violence allegations against Mets closer Jeurys Familia, but it appears he’ll escape serious punishment from commissioner Rob Manfred. While Manfred will hand Familia a suspension, the ban won’t be “very long,” reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. That could rule out a potential 30- to 50-game suspension for Familia.
- Mets infielder Wilmer Flores isn’t pleased with his role as a part-time player, writes Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. Even if injured third baseman David Wright misses regular-season time, the Mets will still have a full complement of infielders in Lucas Duda, Neil Walker, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes. With those four on hand, the right-handed-hitting Flores is unlikely to play much against same-handed pitchers. “I’ve been comfortable (against right handers) since I started playing baseball,” Flores said. “I got a lot of opportunities against lefties (last year), but against righties, I feel really good.” Flores hasn’t made a strong case to face righties, having hit just .253/.287/.374 against them in 905 career plate appearances. Regarding Flores’ dissatisfaction, manager Terry Collins told Ackert: “The one thing about his situation is you don’t have to like it. You just have to accept it and be ready to play.”
- Marlins third baseman Martin Prado will undergo an MRI on Saturday after injuring his hamstring during Venezuela’s loss to the American team in the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday, per Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. “Hamstrings take a little bit of time, and we’ll let the doctors determine what grade it is and see what we’re going to have to do,” said manager Don Mattingly. Should Prado miss regular-season action, it’s likely the Marlins would give the lion’s share of playing time at third to Derek Dietrich, who enjoyed a career year in 2016 while primarily filling in at second for the suspended Dee Gordon. An injury to the productive Prado obviously isn’t ideal, though, especially considering he’s entering the first season of a three-year, $40MM contract.
- A poor 2016 spent with the Pirates and Mets forced now-Yankees southpaw Jon Niese to settle for a minor league contract during the offseason, leading the 30-year-old to tell Ken Davidoff of the New York Post: “It’s a tough business to be in, but at the same time, it gave me this opportunity here with the Yankees. I can’t totally be down on myself about it. I’m looking forward to embracing this bullpen role. Hopefully it can springboard my career.” Niese had been a quality starter from 2011-15, but he’d only crack the Yankees’ roster as a reliever. His new role comes with a different mindset. “Basically, I’m just treating those three outs as a game,” he added.
only 30-50 games for familia? what a joke
Not even 30-50
I bet if this was about a player on your favorite team you’d have a totally different view
Read the article. “That could rule out a potential 30 to 50 game suspension for Familia.”
As a Mets fan I completely agree 30 games is too much. The charges were dismissed and his wife claims nothing happened. Chapman got 30 games last year and he fired a gun during an argument with his wife. 10-15 games seems reasonable considering there’s little to no evidence of wrong doing.
Jon, those 3 outs can seem like a lifetime when you handle pressure so badly.
Random comment…the World Baseball Classic has been fantastic. Really hard to watch spring training games after seeing it.
As good as it’s been, that’s how awful that one umpire (who tossed Cutch and Tony Pena) is…I’ve never seen a guy worse at this job. Ball is half way into the dugout, he’s calling it a strike…
The games have been pretty good. I would prefer if they had this tournament after the season ends.
None of the big names would want to go though. It would cut their off-season short, and usually everyone is banged up and ready to take the much needed offseason buy September/October
Not sure about that. Maybe they would be more willing and teams would feel more comfortable about having their players playing with a offseason to heal up.
Imagine if the US team had Kershaw Bumgarner Syndergaard Scherzer Trout Harper Rizzo and Bryant on it?
It’s NOT a given that Niese will even will a spot on the roster for the bullpen. Right now on my depth chart he’s arguably about 9th or 10th at best in line for a bullpen spot. My starting 7 bullpen arms would be: Chapman, Betances, Clippard, Warren, Mitchell, Heller & Layne. Then there are: Green, Cessa, Holder and so on….
Very well put wizard..he’ll be released soon.
I’d put Holder infront of layne and Heller. But u r correct in ur point. Neise isn’t that good anymore. At his best he was a decent 5th starter
To be fair, he had a few years where he was a solid 4, low end 3. Triple A depth now, at best.
U got Mitchell, Warren, Green, and Cessa all as pen arms so who’s the 5th starter?
First I don’t condone domestic violence. Second we don’t have the details of the incident concerning Familia. Remember just because a woman says she was raped doesn’t automatically mean she was. Guilt in both cases is determined by evidence to which we don’t have access.
Let’s just be patient and see how this plays out. Let’s not judge someone without access to the evidence.
The details are available with a simple Google search…..The charges were dropped because his wife told the prosecutor that she no longer wanted to pursue the charges.
“However, Rivas subsequently told authorities that the scratch was caused by their 1-year-old son, and the facial mark was caused by pressing on her own head. Two knives the police found on the floor were not intimidating to her, Rivas added. Rivas told authorities her husband wedged them in a door while barricading himself in a bathroom following an argument.”
The scratch? Sure. The bruise on her face? From pressing on her own head….nope. Using knives to barricade a door? LOL
Yeah exactly. The details are available. She just chose not to press charges. This should warrant the same punishment that Chapman got. You have relatively similar precedent, just go with that.
Except in chapmans case he didn’t actually do anything illegal. Yeah shooting a gun in your house or garage is dangerous and a moronic thing to do and I think manfred said something about intimidation but in the state of Florida you can shoot in your own house. Yeah it was wrong but his suspension had no illegal activity and manfred just wanted to flex his little muscles a little
Can anyone tell me why Sanchez was paid $1m in 2015?
Are we talking about the same Sanchez? The one in the article made $510,800 in 2015.
Flores- if you don’t like your role, start getting even better! You have the potential to take over one of these infield spots (not SS), so take advantage of it and make TC start you!
Totally agree, Flores had a chance to be an everyday player and he blew it every time he had to throw the ball to first base from the left side of the infield and it flew into the 3rd row of seats.
That didnt happen so frequently. Wilmer has blossomed and he is far worthy of starting than David Wright, TJ Rivera or probably even Duda.
Basically, Flores should be playing 130-140 games all over the infield.
He will be the 3B in 2018. Assuming Wright can play first base, he will platoon with Dominic Smith with Rosario at short and possibly Ceccini at second
Things do change- but that’s the current plan. Here’s to hoping they trade for Goldschmidt?
Never happen. They reported by beginning of March. Even not waiting for all the stars in post season which you have to, they’ve been playing away from home for 7 months. With postseason make it 8. Then WBC 9. That’s asking a little too much, you think?
Someone being logical? Wow!
Moronic moody disloyal flushing mutts fans – – –
ALWAYS viciously back stab their favorite players,
IMMEDIATELY after they are traded !!
Learn to use a comma appropriately before you judge ok?
What are you talking about? Quit being a tool.
Aaron Sanchez will be one of the best starters in baseball in the next few years, but he needs to get that tapeworm Boras out of his ear.