Archives for March 2017

Quick Hits: Girardi, Naquin, Feldman, Biddle, Free Agents

By Mark Polishuk | March 5, 2017 at 10:59pm CDT

Here’s the latest from around the big leagues as we move into the new week…

Joe Girardi is entering his last year under contract with the Yankees, though the manager tells FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that he isn’t worrying about his future. Girardi said he’ll continue to manage as long as his family still wants him to remain in the job. The Yankees usually wait until a season is over to evaluate managers (and general managers, as Brian Cashman is also in the last year of his deal), though Hank Steinbrenner recently gave Girardi a vote of confidence. Cashman praised Girardi’s ability to work with young players, which could bode well for him remaining to oversee an increasingly-youthful New York roster. “There has never been a question about his ability to manage. The only time (managers lose their jobs) is if they wind up having missteps with their roster in terms of leadership, and they might not be the right voice anymore,” Cashman said. “You get a sense of that from your players. It happened toward the end with [Joe] Torre. It hasn’t happened at this stage with [Girardi].”
Indians outfielder Tyler Naquin left Sunday’s game after fouling a ball off his right foot. The injury is officially being called a bruise for now, according to MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and other reporters. Naquin underwent x-rays after the game and the results will be revealed on Monday. The former first-rounder made a big impact for the Tribe in his rookie season, batting .296/.372/.514 with 14 homers over 365 PA. Naquin was slated for the majority of playing time in center field for Cleveland this season, with right-handed batters Brandon Guyer, Abraham Almonte and Austin Jackson all competing for a backup or even a platoon role spelling Naquin against left-handed pitching.
Scott Feldman’s history as a starter, reliever and swingman makes him a valuable asset for the Reds, who are in a very fluid situation with their young pitching staff, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. Feldman looks like he’ll at least begin the season in the rotation, though that could change once Homer Bailey returns from the DL or if the Reds want to take a longer look at one of their young arms. Feldman is comfortable in his role, though he admits that still having to prove his value as a starting pitcher “definitely makes you play with a little bit of a chip on your shoulder.”
Former Phillies first-rounder Jesse Biddle is looking to revive his career with the Braves, though he tells Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he has no hard feelings towards his old club for trading him to the Pirates in February 2016. Once a fixture of top-100 prospect lists, Biddle ran into some struggles as he reached the upper minors, and his career was halted entirely when he underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2015. Atlanta claimed Biddle off waivers from Pittsburgh last March and the southpaw was finally back on the mound on Saturday, facing (ironically) the Phils in Spring Training action.
Looking ahead to the 2018-19 free agent class, Joel Sherman of the New York Post updates his list of the top 10 free agents slated to hit the open market during that potentially historically-good winter. Manny Machado tops the list, followed by Bryce Harper, Clayton Kershaw (who has an opt-out in his Dodgers contract), Josh Donaldson and Zach Britton rounding out the top five.

Yankees Willing To Listen To Offers For Rob Refsnyder

By Mark Polishuk | March 5, 2017 at 9:47pm CDT

The Yankees are letting teams know that they’re open to hearing offers for Rob Refsnyder, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. Once seen as a potential candidate to become the Yankees’ second baseman of the future, the acquisition of Starlin Castro last offseason recast Refsnyder as something of a utility man, and he now faces a crunch to make the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.

Refsnyder, who turns 26 later this month, was a fifth round pick for the Yankees in the 2012 draft, and he has a strong .293/.379/.429 slash line over 2080 career plate appearances in the minors. Originally drafted as a right fielder, Refsnyder was shifted to second base with middling results. The 2016 Baseball America Prospect Handbook (which ranked Refsnyder as the eighth-best prospect in New York’s system) said that he was “unlikely to be an average defender, but has worked enough to make playable at the position,” with some scouts using Daniel Murphy as a comparable.

In 2016, Refsnyder started to see action all over the diamond, playing second, third and right field in both the majors and minors while also getting action with the Yankees as a left fielder and first baseman. Refsnyder actually ended up making 21 starts at first last season as the Yankees dealt with several injury problems at the position. Over 222 career PA in the majors, Refsnyder has hit .262/.332/.354 with two home runs.

The Yankees have such veterans as Castro, Chase Headley and Brett Gardner blocking Refsnyder at three positions, while a more promising youngster is in Refsnyder’s way in right field (Aaron Judge). As for first base, Greg Bird and Chris Carter will handle the position while Tyler Austin could be a factor in both right and at first once he returns from the DL. Bench-wise, Aaron Hicks and Ronald Torreyes look like the favorites to claim the two remaining reserve spots on the 25-man.

With these options all in play, it maybe isn’t surprising that New York is at least exploring what it can obtain for Refsnyder on the trade market. Refsnyder should carry some trade value given his promising bat, defensive versatility and controllable contract through the 2022 season. Of course, being open to hearing offers for a player is technically different than outright shopping someone, so GM Brian Cashman could simply be gauging Refsnyder’s market rather than actively looking to move him.

This isn’t the first time Refsnyder has been involved in trade buzz — back in the summer of 2015, the Yankees refused a deal that would’ve sent Refsnyder and Adam Warren to the A’s for Ben Zobrist. (That rejection shaped the postseason, as Zobrist was instead dealt to the Royals and played a big role in their World Series title.) Ironically, the Yankees ended up trading Warren to the Cubs for Castro that winter, which blocked Refsnyder’s clearest path to a regular spot in the Bronx.

Andrew Friedman On The Dodgers’ Offseason

By Mark Polishuk | March 5, 2017 at 8:57pm CDT

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman spoke with Casey Stern and Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link) today, and here are some of the hot stove-related highlights….

In re-signing Kenley Jansen, Rich Hill, Justin Turner and other key pieces, retaining the core was obviously a big priority for the Dodgers this winter. “The growth from February 2016 to October was incredible. The dynamic among the group was great, it was something we felt like was really good, in terms of the environment that’s conducive to winning….We were fortunate with the support from ownership to retain this group and kind of supplement around it,” Friedman said.
With Jansen, specifically, Friedman said that if the team hadn’t re-signed their longtime closer, they wouldn’t have extended a similarly large contract offer to other top closers on the market, such as Aroldis Chapman. The Dodgers’ familiarity with Jansen’s makeup, work ethic and obviously his ability gave the team “that much more conviction to” make their five-year, $80MM deal with the stopper. “There’s so much volatility among relief pitching in general, there are very few that are kind of bellwethers. Kenley, for us, is a guy that’s a bellwether,” Friedman said.
Sergio Romo is already fitting right into the L.A. clubhouse, and his postseason track record was also part of the reason why the World Series-hopeful Dodgers added the veteran reliever. “He has experience getting big outs in October games, which is not nothing,” Friedman said. “There are some guys who just can’t handle that pressure, he has demonstrated that he can.”
“Everyone was lobbying each other” to re-sign Chase Utley, Friedman joked, as “even the groundskeeper was lobbying us to bring Chase back.” Utley’s addition during the 2015 season was a major reason why the Dodgers developed such a good winning attitude last year, Friedman feels, as “I’ve never been around a guy who is more focused on winning.” Utley re-signed with the Dodgers on a one-year, $2MM deal this offseason and will get only limited at-bats since Los Angeles is set around the infield, though clearly Friedman feels Utley’s influence to the Dodgers’ success extends well beyond the field.

NL West Notes: Solarte, Casilla, Seager, Nakaushiro

By Mark Polishuk | March 5, 2017 at 8:11pm CDT

Yangervis Solarte enjoyed a very good season for the Padres in 2016 despite dealing with unimaginable tragedy off the field. Yuliette Solarte, Yangervis’ wife, was diagnosed with liver cancer in late 2015 and passed away last September at age 31. As the infielder tells Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Solarte was prepared to skip last year’s Spring Training to spend time with his wife and their three daughters, but Yuliette urged him to focus on baseball in order to continue providing for their family’s future. Yuliette saw her husband secure his first life-changing payday last spring in the form of a $3.15MM brand contract with Fantex, and Solarte gained even more financial security by signing a two-year extension with the Padres this past January. Sanders’ touching piece is well worth a full read, chronicling the couple’s life together, Solarte’s journey to the big leagues and Yuliette’s battle after her heartbreaking diagnosis.

Here’s more from around the NL West…

Santiago Casilla is happy to be back in the Athletics organization after not being offered a contract by the Giants this last winter, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. A reunion between Casilla and the Giants never seemed likely given how Casilla became a virtual afterthought for the team after he was removed from the closer’s job in September, and the two sides didn’t do much in the way of offseason negotiating.
Corey Seager has missed the Dodgers’ last two games and will miss Monday’s game as well due to a minor back injury suffered while turning a double play on Friday. Both Seager and manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times) that the injury isn’t considered serious, and the team isn’t even sending Seager in for tests. Seager has seen little action on the field during Spring Training as he was previously sidelined with a shin injury, though it sounds like the Dodgers are simply playing it safe with their young star.
Lefty Yuhei Nakaushiro was one of the first cuts from the Diamondbacks’ spring camp but manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including MLB.com’s Chris Gabel) that the Japanese southpaw isn’t far off from his big league debut. “Instead of putting pressure on himself [in big league camp] and every third day getting a look, we felt like he could go down to player development. The last thing we said to him is that he’s very close,” Lovullo said. “We will see him at some point during the year. We know that. We feel very comfortable with that.” The 27-year-old signed a minor league deal with Arizona last winter and posted very strong numbers in his first taste of North American baseball; Nakaushiro rose from rookie ball to Triple-A, posting a combined 1.23 ERA, 12.3 K/9 and 3.08 K/BB rate over 29 1/3 combined innings.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/5/17

By Mark Polishuk | March 5, 2017 at 7:07pm CDT

Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball…

The Braves signed right-hander David Hale to a minor league deal earlier this winter, and the righty made his spring debut for Atlanta yesterday (hat tip to reader Paul Tate for his e-mail about the under-the-radar move). Hale was originally drafted his hometown Braves in 2009 and he posted a solid 3.30 ERA in 87 1/3 IP during his 2014 rookie season, pitching mostly out of the bullpen. He struggled after a January 2015 trade to the Rockies, however, and Hale pitched in just two big league games in 2016 before being claimed off waivers by the Orioles and eventually outrighted off their 40-man roster in August. Hale discussed his recent history and his return to the Braves earlier this week in a radio interview on Macon 93.1 FM’s Bill Shanks Show (audio link).

Heyman’s Latest: Royals, Cain, Russell, Bryant, Sanchez

By Mark Polishuk | March 5, 2017 at 5:51pm CDT

Here’s the latest from FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman…

The Royals don’t appear to be in extension talks with any of their pending free agents (Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas), Heyman reports, and with no progress, all four are expected to reach free agency after the season. K.C. hasn’t given up on the idea of re-signing “one or two” of the quartet, with Hosmer seemingly their top priority. If Hosmer can’t be re-signed, the Royals would then try to bring back “a couple of the others, at least in theory.”
Cain reportedly asked for a six-year deal at some point in talks, though there haven’t been any recent discussions between Cain and the Royals. Cain will be the oldest of the four free agents (he turns 31 in April) and is coming off an injury-plagued season that saw him limited to 103 games due to hamstring and wrist problems.
Despite Cain’s rough 2016 season, some sources close to the center fielder “express surprise he’s even still” with the Royals. Previous reports over the winter linked Cain to such clubs as the Rangers, Mets, Dodgers and Cardinals in trade rumors, and Heyman adds that the Rockies and Nationals also spoke to Kansas City about Cain’s services. Washington, of course, went on to acquire a younger and more controllable outfield addition in Adam Eaton at a very significant prospect cost. Colorado’s interest in Cain is rather unusual given that the Rockies were already overloaded with outfielders (Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, David Dahl and Gerardo Parra) even before signing Ian Desmond and converting him to first base. Depending on when the talks between Colorado and K.C. took place, the Rockies could’ve considered acquiring Cain and then perhaps converting Gonzalez to first base, rather than signing Desmond. Blackmon and Gonzalez were also the subject of several trade rumors this winter, so the Rockies could’ve been looking at Cain as a replacement if they’d moved one of their internal pieces.
The Cubs and Addison Russell agreed to a one-year, $644K deal for the 2017 season, Heyman reports in a separate piece. (For specifics on the pre-arbitration process, check out these MLBTR posts from Zach Links in 2014 and Jeff Todd in 2015, respectively.) The agreement gives Russell a nice bump above the $535K minimum salary, a year before he becomes eligible for salary arbitration. Russell hit .238/.321/.417 with 21 homers over 598 PA for the World Series champs last season, a below-average offensive performance as per the wRC+ metric (95) that was more than made up for on defense — Russell posted 19 Defensive Runs Saved and a +14.3 UZR/150 over 1262 2/3 innings at shortstop last season.
The Cubs are still in talks with Kris Bryant, who is also entering his last pre-arbitration year. It’s probably no surprise that negotiations with Bryant and his agent Scott Boras are taking a bit longer than usual given Bryant’s outstanding track record over his young career. Heyman suggests Bryant could approach the record contract given to a pre-arb player (the $1MM between Mike Trout and the Angels prior to the 2014 season).
The Yankees agreed to a 2017 contract with catcher Gary Sanchez, Heyman tweets. Financial terms aren’t known, though Heyman specifies that the two sides reached an agreement and that a renewal wasn’t necessary, which would indicate that Sanchez will also be earning beyond the minimum salary. Sanchez exploded onto the scene in 2016, hitting .299/.376/.657 with 20 homers over just 229 plate appearances.

Make-Or-Break Year: Shelby Miller

By Connor Byrne | March 5, 2017 at 4:15pm CDT

MLBTR is rebooting its “make or break year” series, in which we analyze players who enter the season with up-and-down track records but also an opportunity to stake a claim to significant future earnings.

Relative to expectations, few major leaguers are coming off poorer seasons than Diamondbacks right-hander Shelby Miller, whose first year in Arizona couldn’t have gone much worse. Miller had been a quality starter with the Cardinals and Braves over the three prior seasons, but the Diamondbacks’ decision to send a haul to Atlanta for him in December 2015 was universally panned from the get-go.

Clearly regarding Miller as an ace, the D-backs’ front office parted with two well-regarded prospects, shortstop Dansby Swanson (the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft) and righty Aaron Blair, as well as highly valuable center fielder Ender Inciarte to land him. That choice ultimately helped cost Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart and senior vice president of baseball operations De Jon Watson their jobs this past offseason, which came on the heels of dreadful performances from Miller and the 69-win team the executives helped build.

In a year that included a stint on the disabled list, a midsummer demotion to Triple-A and nearly another trade, Miller posted career worsts in ERA (6.15), K/9 (6.24), BB/9 (3.74) and swinging-strike percentage (7.0) across 101 innings. On Atlanta’s end, Blair endured an even worse 70 frames in his first taste of big league action, but Swanson impressed in his 145-plate appearance debut and figures to serve as their long-term answer at short. The defensively adept Inciarte, meanwhile, played well enough to land a lucrative contract extension.

While the trade is never going to turn into a positive for the Arizona organization, it’s possible Miller will revert to being a valuable contributor. He’s still only 26, after all, and not far removed from the aforementioned 2013-15 stretch that saw him register a terrific 3.27 ERA over 561 2/3 innings, albeit with so-so strikeout and walk rates (7.48 and 3.25 per nine) and a below-average ground-ball percentage (42.3). He’ll also have help from behind the plate, with new GM Mike Hazen having ditched a poor pitch-framing catcher (Welington Castillo) in favor of a good one (Jeff Mathis) during the offseason. Moreover, Hazen added ex-major league hurlers Dan Haren and Burke Badenhop (a former MLBTR contributor) to the front office, and those two will attempt to aid Miller and the team’s other pitchers in their new roles.

Miller revealed last month that attempting to live up to the trade hindered him last season, and he told FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that he’s trying to “almost go back to being a Little Leaguer and have fun.” It’s only spring, granted, but it appears that approach is working. In his most recent outing on Thursday, Miller hit 99 mph on the radar gun and shut down the Cubs over three innings of one-hit ball, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.

Diamondbacks pitching coach Mike Butcher then raved about Miller to Piecoro on Sunday, saying (via Twitter): “Mentally, he’s in a great place. He’s where he needs to be. He just looks really, really good right now. And he’s confident. He’s on a mission, man.”

Whether Miller’s encouraging spring carries over into the regular season will obviously affect his earning power for years to come. Thanks to his minor league demotion last season, Miller didn’t accrue a year of big league service time, meaning he could be under Arizona’s control through the 2019 campaign. Miller will earn $4.7MM this year after the Diamondbacks defeated him in arbitration during the offseason, and he’ll be a prime non-tender candidate next winter if he fails to rebound in 2017. On the other hand, flashing something resembling the form he showed prior to 2016 would net Miller a raise in arbitration or even a contract extension. It’s fair to say, then, that Miller’s in for a make-or-break year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AL Notes: Rangers, Astros, Red Sox, Tigers

By Connor Byrne | March 5, 2017 at 2:08pm CDT

So far during their brief major league careers, Jurickson Profar and Joey Gallo have not lived up to the hype they received as prospects, and Rangers general manager Jon Daniels doesn’t believe the organization has put either player in proper position to succeed. “Don’t hold it against these players,” Daniels told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. “That’s on us. We promoted them aggressively because they were advanced in a lot of ways, and when you get to Triple-A at age 19 or 20 years old and reach the big leagues at 20 or 21, that’s unusual. The guys that hit and perform immediately are on the fast track to the Hall of Fame discussion.” Considering they’re only entering their age-24 seasons, there’s certainly still time for Profar and Gallo to establish themselves in the infield or outfield. Texas, for its part, remain bullish on the pair. “The talent and the instincts haven’t gone anywhere,” Daniels noted. With their farm system having thinned out recently and several of their top players on the wrong side of 30, the Rangers have a lot riding on the development of Profar and Gallo, posits Crasnick.

NL Notes: Nationals, Dodgers, Mets

By Connor Byrne | March 5, 2017 at 10:53am CDT

There’s a belief across baseball that the Nationals’ affinity for deferring money in contracts has somewhat hindered their pursuit of talent in free agency and could negatively affect them down the line as they attempt to avoid the luxury tax, according to Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post. “They’re unique. They’re the only team that operates like this,” an agent told Svrluga, who adds that team ownership won’t comment on its methods. The Nats are set to pay their newest addition, reliever Joe Blanton, $4MM on a one-year deal, but he’ll collect that money through 2019. Among far more expensive examples, starters Max Scherzer (signed through 2021) and Stephen Strasburg (2023) will be on the franchise’s books and through 2028 and 2030, respectively.

More from Washington and two other NL cities:

Dodgers right-hander Brandon McCarthy has long been a control artist, which makes it rather startling that he walked 26 batters in an injury-shortened, 40-inning 2016. McCarthy returned from 2015 Tommy John surgery and also dealt with a hip issue, but it was a case of the yips that led to his spike in walks – including 15 over 8 1/3 innings (three starts) from Aug. 2-13 – as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times writes. “I think most of it was mechanical,” McCarthy said. “Usually, if you get the shanks in golf, something has gone wrong physically in your swing, and you lose your mental feel for what you are trying to do. It becomes sort of a self-fulfilling thing. I think that was really the extent of it.” McCarthy made a late-season mechanical adjustment and is optimistic the issue is behind him. The 33-year-old is now entering the penultimate season of a four-year, $48MM contract, but he’d have no qualms about retiring and leaving money on the table if he were to lose his desire to pitch. “The day where the motivation is not there to come in and do it, I have no problems ‘Gil Meche-ing it’ and just walking home and leaving it,” said McCarthy, referring to then-Royal Gil Meche’s decision to retire in 2011 and abandon a guaranteed $12MM. (For more on players who have battled the yips, check out FanGraphs’ Travis Sawchik’s piece from earlier this week.)
The Mets are doubling down on last year’s roster, writes the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, who notes that they’re likely to open the season with 25 players who were on their team in 2016. “It doesn’t feel it’s stale, it feels as if we have consolidated our gains,” general manager Sandy Alderson said of the club’s roster, which managed 87 wins and a playoff berth last season despite myriad injuries. Of the 55 players the Mets invited to camp, just three weren’t in the organization a year ago, and the only newcomer who has much of a chance to make the team is left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, per Sherman.
The Nationals are doing their due diligence on Eric Gagne as the former star closer looks to emerge from his yearslong retirement and return to the majors. Nats special assistant De Jon Watson was on hand at Dodgers camp Saturday to watch Gagne throw, relays Shaikin, who tweets that the right-hander topped out at 91 mph. Now 41, Gagne averaged just over 92 mph on his fastball in 2008, his latest major league action.

AL East Notes: Jays, Rays, Red Sox, Orioles

By Connor Byrne | March 5, 2017 at 9:12am CDT

The Blue Jays have shown interest in outfielder Angel Pagan, one of the best free agents left on the market, but it’s unlikely he’ll end up in Toronto, according to Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. The club is content to stick with Steve Pearce, Melvin Upton Jr., Ezequiel Carrera and Dalton Pompey as its left field options and doesn’t want to disrupt their competition by adding Pagan to the mix on a major league contract, per Chisholm.

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