Archives for November 2017

Shohei Ohtani Rumors: Tuesday

By Jeff Todd | November 28, 2017 at 4:13pm CDT

Though Shohei Ohtani has not even yet been officially posted — that’s expected as soon as Friday — the supreme young talent is drawing plenty of attention from MLB organizations. Those clubs received a memorandum over the weekend asking them to provide information to Ohtani and his representatives on a variety of subjects, which is only the beginning of a highly unusual and utterly fascinating recruitment process.

Here’s the latest:

Though Ohtani is limited to a signing bonus and a minor league contract in coming to the Major Leagues, he stands to earn substantially more through marketing endorsements, tweets USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Marketing agents have predicted to Nightengale that between endorsements back in Japan and in the United States, Ohtani could command north of $20MM annually. That’d make him MLB’s highest-paid player in terms of off-the-field revenue.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic spoke to agent Scott Boras (who was in the running to represent Ohtani before Ohtani signed CAA and Nez Balelo) as well as MLB chief legal officer Dan Halem about Ohtani’s earning capacity. Unsurprisingly, Boras offered sharp criticism of a system that won’t allow Ohtani to top a $3.535MM signing bonus at this point. “He is precocious, greatness cast adrift, forced into the MLB lifeboat,” said the always colorful Boras. “And his admission is handcuffs that prevent him from getting at least what his older, lesser valued peers received—in Tanaka’s case, more than $150 million.” Halem, as one would expect, wholly disagreed with Boras’ notions, pointing out that it was Ohtani who passed on the chance to sign with MLB clubs as an amateur out of high school, which could have jump-started his earning potential. And, it was Ohtani who asked to be posted as an amateur just two years before he could have been posted as a professional. The free column has quite a few quotes from both Boras and Halem on the matter and is well worth a full look.

Earlier Updates

As teams sit down to their assigned task, Travis Sawchik of Fangraphs reasons that the questionnaire’s request for information on “player development, medical, training and player performance philosophies and capabilities” may be the single most important factor. As Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes, the new CBA’s inclusion of additional off-days ought to help make it easier for Ohtani to pitch and hit at the game’s highest level. Just how teams propose to accomplish that, in combination with the player health and fitness management they already utilize, could well be be a significant element in Ohtani’s decision.
MLB.com’s Jon Morosi discusses the eight teams that he believes have the best shot at landing Japanese star Shohei Ohtani — while acknowledging that we still really don’t know what factors will drive the decision. It’s a worthwhile primer on some of the background considerations that may play into things. For instance, Morosi notes that Los Angeles is home to the largest mainland Japanese-American community, representing a potential feather in the cap for the Dodgers, though certainly several other competitive organizations can point to their own, similarly robust international communities and other such considerations. It’s all still reading tea leaves at this point; fortunately, we have SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee to gather and interpret them for us (in this post).
Of course, as Morosi notes, the Rangers have done as much or more grunt work developing a presence in Japan as any organization. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News recently broke down the team’s pursuit of Ohtani in a post that’s well worth a full read. Aiding the Rangers, he writes, is the fact that the organization has “laid groundwork in Japan for six years” and can point to its successes with Yu Darvish.
The Reds have “serious interest” in Ohtani, as president of baseball operations Dick Williams says and C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Williams says the team has “some optimism” that it “can make a case for why we would present a good opportunity” to a player that is looking at far more than just money. Like the Rays, another rumored small-market suitor, it seems the Cincinnati organization feels there’s little to lose by putting its best foot forward.
Some bigger spenders have roster and other limitations that may impact their pitches to Ohtani. As Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post recently wrote, that seems to be the case for the Nationals. Still, the Nats evidently plan to be among the teams that respond to Ohtani’s inquiries and at least make an attempt to land him. Club president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo discussed his intentions on MLB Network yesterday (more on that, including audio, here).
Both of the Bay Area organizations would surely also love to add Ohtani, as John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle writes, and each has dedicated some attention to watching him in the past. While their front offices weren’t looking to lobby much, Giants GM Bobby Evans called Ohtani “impressive” and Athletics GM David Forst says “a two-way player with his abilities would be an asset for any team.” To the extent that Ohtani prioritizes geographic proximity to his native Japan, the San Francisco-Oakland region would figure to hold appeal and might at least allow these organizations to get a foot in the door.

Rangers Sign Doug Fister

By Connor Byrne | November 28, 2017 at 4:01pm CDT

In what has been a slow offseason for all 30 big league clubs, right-hander Doug Fister has broken the ice and signed a one-year deal with the Rangers, the team announced today. Fister, a client of PSI Sports Management, will reportedly be guaranteed $4MM in the form of a $3.5MM base salary for 2018 and either a $4.5MM club option or a $500K buyout for 2019. The option could reportedly be worth as much as $7MM, and both years include $500K in performance bonuses. The Rangers’ 40-man roster is now up to 39 players.

The Rangers will be the seventh big league organization for the soon-to-be 34-year-old Fister, who went through all of last offseason without landing a contract after struggling with the Astros in 2016. The Angels finally signed Fister to a minor league accord in May, but he opted out of it June 21 after failing to reach the majors with the club.

[Related: Updated Texas Rangers depth chart & payroll outlook]

After his Halos stint concluded, Fister quickly caught on via waivers with the Red Sox and ended up turning in 90 1/3 innings (18 appearances, 15 starts) of 4.88 ERA pitching, with 8.27 K/9 against 3.79 BB/9 and a 50.6 percent groundball rate. Fister experienced a notable uptick in velocity during his Red Sox tenure, though he still only topped out in the low-90s, and notched one of the best swinging-strike rates of his career (7.6 percent – up from a league-worst 5.7 percent from 2015-16).

While the 6-foot-8 Fister is no longer the front-line starter he was at times with the Mariners, Tigers and Nationals earlier in his career, the Rangers are banking on his respectable showing in Boston carrying into 2018. With Andrew Cashner and Miguel Gonzalez sitting on the open market, the Rangers entered the offseason in need of multiple starters. Texas’ rotation finished last season 24th in both ERA and fWAR, and that was with 137 quality innings from Yu Darvish, whom the team traded to the Dodgers at the July 31 non-waiver deadline.

For now, the Rangers’ projected starting staff for 2018 includes Fister, Cole Hamels, Martin Perez, A.J. Griffin and Nick Martinez. While Fister, Hamels and Perez are either strong bets or locks to earn spots, the Rangers would hard pressed to count on either Griffin or Martinez, who combined for 178 2/3 innings of replacement-level pitching in 2017. Adding Fister won’t be the Rangers’ last move this offseason as they attempt to repair their rotation, then, but it’s the majors’ first notable free agent signing in what has been an unusually quiet winter so far.

Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston first reported the agreement. SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reported the terms of the contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

MLBTR Chat Transcript: Stanton, Cards, Ohtani, Yankees, Free Agency, More

By Steve Adams | November 28, 2017 at 2:03pm CDT

Click here to read a transcript of Tuesday’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.

Orioles Sign Jhan Marinez, Joely Rodriguez, Ruben Tejada

By Jeff Todd | November 28, 2017 at 12:51pm CDT

The Orioles have announced a slew of minor-league signings, among them right-hander Jhan Marinez, southpaw Joely Rodriguez and infielder Ruben Tejada. Baltimore also announced the previously reported additions of infielder Luis Sardinas and lefties Josh Edgin and Ryan O’Rourke, with 14 total additions being made official.

Right-hander Jeff Ferrell was the only of the remaining players to sign who has reached the majors. Also joining the Baltimore organization on minors deals are righty Ralston Cash, catchers Armando Araiza and Yojhan Quevedo, and infielders Angelo Mora, Garabez Rosa, Ryan Ripken and Erick Salcedo. Araiza, Rosa, Ripken and Salcedo were all in the Orioles organization in 2017 as well.

With these additions, the O’s are likely hoping to spur some competition in camp at the fringes of the active roster. Marinez, 29, pitched to a 3.70 ERA in 58 1/3 MLB innings in 2017 with three organizations and could certainly be a middle relief option. Rodriguez struggled to a 6.33 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 27 innings on the season with the Phillies, but he could join Edgin and O’Rourke in pushing the O’s existing southpaws.

Meanwhile, it seems that Tejada and Sardinas could duke it out in Spring Training for a utility job. Both spent time in the Orioles organization last year. Tejada received a run at short before the team added Tim Beckham, but managed only a .230/.293/.283 slash. The 24-year-old Sardinas hit .319/.348/.419 over 331 plate appearances at Triple-A Norfolk after he was cut loose by the Padres.

The Yankees’ Managerial Search

By Mark Polishuk | November 28, 2017 at 9:01am CDT

After the announcement that Joe Girardi won’t be back to manage the team in 2018, the Yankees are now looking for just their third skipper in the last 22 seasons. The new manager will step into an enviable situation, taking over a team with one of the sport’s biggest payrolls and an array of young star talent, though there will be immediate pressure on the new dugout boss to win. Eight years without a World Series counts as a major drought by the Yankees’ standards, and since the current roster finished just a game shy of the AL pennant, there is reason to believe this group is ready to win now.

As with previous managerial searches, we’ll keep a running post on any news and rumors connected to possible candidates for the Yankees’ job.

Latest Updates

The Yankees are not limiting themselves to the five candidates that are known to have interviewed, ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden reports (Twitter links). That seems to introduce a bit of a wild card to the search at this stage. How many additional candidates might get interviews isn’t known, but there seems to be at least one name already on the list for a sit-down. Beltran, who is discussed further below, will be brought in for a closer look, according to Steve Phillips of MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (via Twitter).

Interviewing Candidates

Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward is slated to interview, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweets. The former big league infielder has been a base coach and an infield instructor with the Dodgers and Mariners for the past four seasons. It is not known at present whether others will also get a shot at an interview, but owner Hal Steinbrenner did make clear the club will meet with “less than ten” candidates, as MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch recently tweeted. (The team’s plans for additional interview rounds are also not apparent.)
Broadcaster Aaron Boone and Giants coach Hensley Meulens have each had their interviews, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported would take place. Boone’s candidacy was first reported by ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (via Twitter). The long-time big leaguer, who spent a small but memorable portion of his career with the Yankees, does not have any big league coaching experience. Meulens is also a former Yankee player; Sherman first called him someone “who could come into play” for the job.
The Yankees have interviewed former Mariners and Indians skipper Eric Wedge for the post, tweets ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand. The 2007 American League Manager of the Year, Wedge hasn’t been in a big league dugout since the 2013 season — his final in Seattle. Since that time, he’s spent two seasons as an analyst with ESPN and another two working with the Blue Jays’ player development department. He’s currently a field coordinator in the Toronto organization.
Bench coach Rob Thomson sat down with the organization about the managerial opening on November 8th, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter), though it doesn’t seem as if he faced the press afterward. Thomson has been on Girardi’s staff since 2008 and previously worked in the Yankees’ player development department.

Preliminary Candidates (Interview Status Unknown)

If Boone was an unexpected candidate, then the most recent possibility to be floated comes straight from left field — almost literally. Even as he announced the end of his playing career today, Carlos Beltran was generating buzz in relation to the Yankees managerial opening. In interviews with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand and ESPN.com’s Marly Rivera, Beltran said he wants to manage (at least eventually) and suggested he’d have interest in the gig. Cashman did not commit to anything when asked to comment, saying that he’s “aware of [Beltran’s] interest in managing in the future” but declining to elaborate otherwise on the matter. Carlos Beltran tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post that he had a “brief conversation” with GM Brian Cashman and that he has a desire to apply his knowledge and passion for the game to a managerial role in the Majors. Beltran also indicated that he hasn’t been asked to come in for an interview, though, and Sherman suggests that the Yankees may only interview one or two additional candidates for the position, casting some doubt as to whether Beltran is truly a possibility.
Former major league infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr. is a potential candidate, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic hears (Twitter link). Hairston was a member of the Yankees’ most recent World Series-winning team in 2009, but he doesn’t bring any coaching experience to the table. Interestingly, though, former ESPN.com writer Mark Saxon noted back in 2013 that managing could be in Hairston’s future. As Saxon detailed, Hairston is fluent in Spanish – a valuable asset for a manager – and, at the time, was a mentor to some of his younger teammates on the Dodgers. That season went down as the last of Hairston’s playing career. The 41-year-old has been working as a Dodgers broadcaster since retiring in December 2013.
Per Sherman and MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, some of the internal candidates likely to receive consideration include bench coach Rob Thomson, first base coach Tony Pena, minor league hitting and baserunning coach Reggie Willits, and minor league managers Al Pedrique (Triple-A), Jay Bell (advanced A-ball) and Josh Paul (short season A-ball).

Unlikely Candidates/Not In The Mix/No Longer Under Consideration

The Yankees asked the Athletics for permission to speak with manager Bob Melvin, but were not given authorization, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter).
Former Yankee outfielder and current Dodgers special adviser Raul Ibanez was mentioned by both Sherman and Hoch. But he decided not to pursue the position after being contacted, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post tweets.
Recently fired Tigers manager Brad Ausmus also declined a chance to interview, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter).
Josh Paul isn’t considered a candidate, according to George A. King III of the New York Post.
Kevin Long was initially cited by Sherman as “a long shot,” but has since signed on to become the Nationals’ hitting coach.
Yankees VP of baseball operations Tim Naehring tells ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand that he isn’t interested in being considered for the job. Naehring has worked almost entirely in front office capacities for the Reds and Yankees since he retired from playing, and Marchand suggests that Naehring is a future GM candidate for other teams.
The Yankees have not contacted the Marlins about manager Don Mattingly, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported. Miami has announced more recently that Mattingly will remain with the organization as manager.
The idea of Alex Rodriguez becoming the Yankees’ manager is “the longest of long shots,” according to Hoch. Given the controversy and hard feelings that seemed to accompany A-Rod’s final years in New York, Rodriguez would indeed seem like a very unlikely fit, especially given how he has seemingly moved onto a new career in broadcasting.

Team Approach

Yankees GM Brian Cashman discussed the search with reporters, including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. Cashman said that the organization prefers a “fresh voice” to connect with its young players, indicating that Girardi wasn’t the man to improve “the connectivity and the communication level of the players in that clubhouse.” The veteran executive says he did not enter the search process with a list of candidates already prepared, suggesting it’s a wide-open search.
Interestingly, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (Twitter links), the plan is for candidates to meet with the media — in part, perhaps, as part of the evaluation process. And though Cashman says he may in the past have sought out employees with whom he had previously worked, he notes that won’t be a “driving force” in this case. Sherman previously discussed that potential factor.

Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Dodgers

By Kyle Downing and Jason Martinez | November 28, 2017 at 8:18am CDT

MLBTR is publishing Offseason Outlooks for all 30 teams. Click here for the other entries in this series.

Following a World Series loss to the Houston Astros, the Dodgers will enter the 2018 season with the majority of their core intact. The NL West division competition won’t figure to get any easier, however, and the organization’s payroll obligations already exceed the luxury tax threshold, which will make it more complicated to patch holes through free agency. The good news is that they enter the winter with wealth in another area … their deep farm system.

Guaranteed Contracts

Clayton Kershaw: $98MM through 2020 (can opt out of contract following the 2018 season)
Kenley Jansen: $66MM through 2021
Justin Turner: $48MM through 2020
Rich Hill: $34MM through 2019
Adrian Gonzalez: $21.5MM through 2018
Kenta Maeda: $18MM through 2023
Scott Kazmir: $16MM through 2018
Brandon McCarthy: $10MM through 2018
Logan Forsythe: $8.5MM through 2018
Yasiel Puig: $7.5MM through 2018 (under club control through 2019; eligible for arbitration following the 2018 season)
Hyun-Jin Ryu: $7MM through 2018

Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Yasmani Grandal (5.115) – $7.7MM
Luis Avilan (4.146) – $2.3MM
Alex Wood (4.123) – $6.4MM
Tony Cingrani (4.088) – $2.2MM
Josh Fields (3.162) – $2.2MM
Pedro Baez (3.059) – $1.5MM
Enrique Hernandez (3.054) – $1.3MM
Joc Pederson (3.022) – $2.0MM
Yimi Garcia (3.004) – $700K

Other Financial Obligations

$24.5MM to Yaisel Sierra through 2021
$14MM to Hector Olivera through 2020
$6.5MM to Erisbel Arruebarrena in 2018
$5.5MM to Matt Kemp through 2019
$2MM to Dian Toscano through 2019

Free Agents

2B Chase Utley, OF Andre Ethier, OF Curtis Granderson, OF Franklin Gutierrez, SP Yu Darvish, RP Brandon Morrow, RP Tony Watson

[Los Angeles Dodgers Depth Chart | Los Angeles Dodgers Payroll Outlook]

At the kickoff of last year’s offseason, reports surfaced that the Dodgers were under pressure from MLB to cut payroll, though CEO Stan Kasten insisted that it wasn’t a mandate. While there hasn’t been word of any similar pressure this winter, Los Angeles already has over $207MM in guaranteed commitments for 2018 before so much as even inquiring on any free agents. Forty million of those dollars are owed to a combination of Adrian Gonzalez, Scott Kazmir and a group of players who are no longer on the roster. While it’s probably not safe to expect the Dodgers to be stingy, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see them shy away from long-term, high-risk contracts, especially with some notable extension candidates making up the core of the MLB roster and another wave of talent budding in the upper minors.

That minor-league system includes six players in MLB Pipeline’s top 100, four of whom are either at the Double-A or Triple-A level. Their top two prospects, Walker Buehler and Alex Verdugo, could help at the major league level early in 2018. With that kind of farm system, it’s possible we could see the Dodgers swing a major trade. I already noted that they’d be an ideal fit in a hypothetical Marcell Ozuna trade with the Miami Marlins, and indeed it seems like they’re in play for Giancarlo Stanton to an extent as well (though certainly his contract is larger than anything it would take to sign any of this year’s free agents). On paper, it seems like Verdugo in particular would make the most sense as a trade chip, depending upon how the club views a deep set of outfielders, though it remains to be seen whether the Dodgers have any real interest in dealing him.

Speaking of Stanton, the Dodgers appear to be one of the best fits for his services. Not only are they one of the few teams with both the prospects and financial muscle to lure the NL MVP from Miami, but they may have an added advantage considering Stanton is an L.A. native. In fact, recent reports indicate that he’d approve a trade to the Dodgers; if he truly wants to land there, and the team is at least willing to offer enough to force the Marlins’ hand, then this could be a match. But it’s not presently clear just how much interest the Dodgers have and whether Stanton would push hard to go to one specific team.

The possibility of adding a big bat ties into a complicated picture on the position-player side. It seems probable that Gonzalez will take at least some of the time at first base to open the season, so as things stand currently, the Dodgers would enter 2018 with some combination of Chris Taylor, Cody Bellinger, Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson in the outfield, with Enrique Hernandez likely to fill a backup role and Andrew Toles as a sort of dark horse for playing time. Of course, Gonzalez faded badly in an injury-riddled 2017 season, ending with a shockingly poor .242/.287/.355 slash line in just 252 plate appearances last year. If he can’t rebound to some semblance of his former self, the Dodgers might ultimately opt to cut him loose (and eat his enormous salary) in order to move Bellinger back to first. This concern could lead to L.A. signing a platoon partner for Gonzalez at first, or adding a cheap right-handed outfield option to their roster. From my point of view, however, it doesn’t make much sense for the Dodgers to mess around with the middle- and lower-tier options at those positions. Their roster is already crowded with many players of that type, so it might not be worth sacrificing a roster spot to add another part-time bat to the mix.

Logan Forsythe is currently listed at the top of the second base depth chart for the Dodgers, and it would be perfectly reasonable to open the season with him at the keystone. Justin Turner and Corey Seager are obvious locks for their positions, so it’s hard to imagine the Dodgers making any real changes to their infield. They could, however, explore some veteran backup options. It wouldn’t be a complete shock to see them re-sign Chase Utley. The Dodgers could probably use a lefty-hitting infielder, and the 39-year-old veteran fits the bill. Other options to hit from the left side include switch-hitters Erick Aybar and Jose Reyes, but the trade market could well hold more promising possibilities.

The back end of Dodgers’ rotation for the past couple of seasons has been a patchwork quilt of oft-injured hurlers who provide solid value when healthy. But the front end is absolutely dynamite; legend Clayton Kershaw will once again be the team’s opening day starter, while Rich Hill and Alex Wood are locks for the number two and three spots. Beyond that, things get a little murkier. Kenta Maeda was a lights-out relief pitcher in the playoffs, and although he’ll probably open the season in the Dodgers’ rotation, they could also opt to use him once again as a relief ace. Buehler will contribute in some capacity this season, but I’d put my money on the Dodgers sending him to Triple-A to open 2018. Julio Urias will probably return from injury at some point as well, though that will be much later in the year and he’ll be nursed back to health with quite a lot of caution. Beyond that, whether they sign a free agent pitcher or employ a wait-and-see approach with their brittle rotation depth seems like a coin flip.

If they do sign a free agent pitcher, a reunion with Yu Darvish seems plausible. Despite an implosion during the playoffs, Darvish was solid for the Dodgers overall and comes with an extensive track record of success. Beyond him, they could be in on Jake Arrieta, or attempt to trade for Chris Archer of the Rays or Michael Fulmer of the Tigers. With the kind of rotation depth the Dodgers have, it makes more sense for them to look at large upgrades rather than risky players like Andrew Cashner or Tyler Chatwood.

The Dodgers bullpen is largely in good shape. Tony Watson and Brandon Morrow are set to depart as free agents, but the dominant Kenley Jansen remains under contract as the team’s closer. Luis Avilan, Tony Cingrani, Pedro Baez, Ross Stripling and Josh Fields will all be back as well. Their rotation depth could bleed over into their bullpen, meaning one of Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-jin Ryu or Maeda could pitch in relief to start the season. With all this in mind, it seems as though the bullpen doesn’t need much help. It wouldn’t make much sense, then, to spend big money on Greg Holland or Wade Davis, but they’ll probably explore options from the next tier. A reunion with Morrow would make plenty of sense, and beyond him there are names like Bryan Shaw, Juan Nicasio and Mike Minor that could hold appeal.

What stands out most about the Dodgers organization is its depth of resources and the multitude of ways in which it could combine them. The team could acquire a big name trade target by moving assets at the minor league level or in the majors (Pederson or Yasmani Grandal come to mind), or it could throw a wad of cash at a free agent. The Dodgers will probably make a push for Shohei Ohtani, and landing the two-way star would mean yet more possibilities for corresponding roster tweaks. At the end of the day, it seems likely that they’ll make at least one significant acquisition, and probably more than that. Under Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, the Dodgers have sought to build without simply relying on bringing in expensive veterans from outside the organization on long-term commitments. But after coming up just shy in the 2017 World Series following five-straight NL West titles, the desire to finally win it all could provide significant motivation to cash in financial and prospect capital and put a super team on the field.

What route Dodgers end up taking this winter is anybody’s guess. But we can safely presume that they won’t have a quiet offseason. They have loads of options and they’ll be exploring all of them. I expect the name “Dodgers” to pop up often in trade and free agent rumors, and I expect them to be at the epicenter when the dominoes start to fall.

2017 Non-Tender Candidates

By Steve Adams and Jeff Todd | November 28, 2017 at 1:00am CDT

There are more than 200 players that are eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, and the deadline to tender each of these players a contract for the 2017 season is Friday at 8pm ET. That shouldn’t be confused with actually signing the player at a given rate for the 2018 season; Friday’s deadline is merely the deadline to inform arbitration-eligible players that they will or won’t receive a contract. The two parties will have another roughly two months to work out salaries before arbitration hearings (if necessary) kick off in February.

As we do each year at MLBTR, we’re providing a list of players whose teams could potentially elect not to tender them a contract, thus sending them into the free-agent pool earlier than expected. It should be emphasized that we’re not indicating that each of these players is likely to be non-tendered (though that’s certainly the case with some of them). Typically, we list any player for which we can envision a 10-20 percent chance of a non-tender.

It should be noted that many of the borderline non-tender candidates below will be traded this week rather than simply cut loose. Other borderline candidates may be presented with an offer that is notably lower than their projections and could accept the “take it or leave it” ultimatum rather than being non-tendered.

I’ve broken the list down by division and included each candidate’s projected salary from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz in parentheses as a point of reference. For a full list of each team’s arb-eligible players, you can check out Matt’s team-by-team arbitration projections.

American League West

Angels: Blake Wood ($2.2MM), C.J. Cron ($2.8MM)
Astros: Evan Gattis ($6.6MM), Mike Fiers ($5.7MM)
Athletics: Chris Hatcher ($2.2MM), Josh Phegley ($1.1MM)
Mariners: Drew Smyly ($6.85MM), Andrew Romine ($1.9MM)
Rangers: A.J. Griffin ($3.0MM), Nick Martinez ($2.0MM)

American League Central

Indians: Abraham Almonte ($1.1MM)
Royals: Mike Morin ($700K)
Tigers: Bruce Rondon ($1.2MM), Alex Wilson ($2.1MM)
Twins: None
White Sox: Al Alburquerque ($1.1MM), Zach Putnam ($1.4MM), Jake Petricka ($1.1MM), Danny Farquhar ($1.5MM)

American League East

Blue Jays: Tom Koehler ($6.0MM), Ryan Goins ($1.8MM)
Orioles: None
Rays: Adeiny Hechavarria ($5.0MM), Jesus Sucre ($1.3MM), Brad Miller ($4.4MM)
Red Sox: Brock Holt ($2.0MM), Sandy Leon ($2.1MM)
Yankees: Austin Romine ($1.2MM)

National League West

Diamondbacks: T.J. McFarland ($1.0MM), Chris Herrmann ($1.4MM), J.J. Hoover ($1.6MM)
Dodgers: None
Giants: None
Rockies: Zac Rosscup ($600K)
Padres: None

National League Central

Brewers: Jeremy Jeffress ($2.6MM), Stephen Vogt ($3.9MM), Hernan Perez ($2.2MM)
Cardinals: None
Cubs: Hector Rondon ($6.2MM), Justin Grimm ($2.4MM)
Pirates: Jordy Mercer ($6.5MM)
Reds: None

National League East

Braves: Danny Santana ($1.1MM), Matt Adams ($4.6MM), Jace Peterson ($1.1MM)
Marlins: None
Mets: None
Nationals: None
Phillies: None

Charlie Blackmon Changes Agents

By Steve Adams and Jeff Todd | November 27, 2017 at 11:38pm CDT

Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon has changed representation and is now a client of the ACES agency, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). The move comes at a crucial time for Blackmon, who is eligible for arbitration once more this winter before reaching free agency next offseason.

Blackmon’s new reps’ first order of business will be to engage the Rockies in negotiations on his next contract. Odds are, the sides will focus first on avoiding arbitration. MLBTR predicts that Blackmon will nearly double his 2017 salary of $7.3MM, with the algorithms projecting a $13.4MM arb value.

Of course, the opportunity to chat might also lead to some exploration of a longer-term deal. Blackmon will turn 32 next summer, so he’s not as youthful as fellow mid-arb star Nolan Arenado. And the Rockies do have a variety of players under contract into the future that might help make up for his theoretical loss in free agency. Still, it will be tempting to see what it might cost to keep Blackmon’s bat at the top of the lineup into the future.

If the sides can’t work out an extension, Blackmon figures to hit the open market in 2018 as one of the premier free agents available. While his age will tamp down his earning power, few free agents will be able to match his recent track record of productivity, barring a collapse in the season to come. Indeed, the veteran has taken his game to a new level in 2016-17. A two-time All-Star, Blackmon was a solid bat with some power and speed through the first few years of his career, but he won an NL Batting Title in 2017 and has turned in an overall .327/.390/.578 line with 66 homers and 31 steals over the past two seasons.

That’s enough output with the stick to make Blackmon a significant asset even if he eventually moves over to a corner spot. Just how much his future is worth, though, is a complicated topic of its own. If he and the team do sit down at some point, it isn’t tough to imagine the Rockies being willing to promise another three years and Blackmon’s reps seeking five, with the sides also sure to haggle over the annual value of the deal. It will be interesting to watch and see whether accommodation can be reached at some point over the coming months.

Blackmon’s switch in representation is now reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains information on more than 2,500 Major League and Minor League players. If you see any errors or omissions, please let us know: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Byung-Ho Park Returns To KBO’s Nexen Heroes

By Mark Polishuk | November 27, 2017 at 11:11pm CDT

TODAY: Park says he does not “have any regrets” despite heading home with some “disappointment” after two years in affiliated ball, according to a report from Lee Hyeong-Seok and Kim Hyo-Kyung of Korea JoongAng Daily (h/t Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net). The article seemingly suggests that Park will walk away from the remainder of his guaranteed money from the Twins, preferring to give up some earnings in order to make it back to the KBO, though it’s also still possible that the interested parties are hammering out the financial details.

YESTERDAY, 10:28pm: The details of Park’s return (such as his walking away from the remainder of his MLB contract) haven’t yet been finalized between the Heroes, the KBO and the Twins, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. “It will be a while before it is all worked out,” a source with knowledge of the situation tells Berardino, though the Twins are expected to ultimately release Park.

10:02pm: Park will forfeit the remaining $6.5MM on his Twins contract in order to facilitate the move to KBO, as per a Naver Sports report (hat tip to Sung Min Kim of the River Ave Blues blog).

8:57pm: The Nexen Heroes of the KBO League have signed first baseman Byung-Ho Park to a one-year deal, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News reports (Twitter links). Park will earn $1.4MM (or 1.5 billion South Korean won) in the contract.

According to Yoo, the Twins accommodated Park’s request to release him from the remaining two years on his original four-year, $12MM contract with the club in order for Park to return to his home country. Unless some type of arrangement was worked out between the Twins and the Heroes, Minnesota is on the hook for all of the remaining $6.5MM on Park’s MLB contract — $3MM in each of the 2018 and 2019 seasons, plus a $500K buyout of a $6.5MM club option for 2020.

The transaction officially ends a disappointing tenure for Park in Major League Baseball. The Twins paid $12.85MM to win negotiating rights with Park in December 2015 and then guaranteed him another $12MM with that four-year deal. The result was a .191/.275/.409 slash line with 12 homers over 244 plate appearances in 2016, as Park had trouble making contact (80 strikeouts) and also battled a wrist injury that eventually required surgery. Minnesota outrighted him off their 40-man roster last February and Park never again reached the bigs, hitting .253/.308/.415 over 455 PA at the Triple-A level last season.

Park was reportedly still in the Twins’ plans for 2018, as he was even preparing to spend much of the offseason training at the team’s facilities. Still, Park was signed before the Derek Falvey/Thad Levine regime took over in Minnesota, so it could be that the new front office just wanted to part ways with a player that no longer seemed to fit on the 25-man roster. Joe Mauer is still entrenched at first base, and while the DH slot is currently slated to be filled by the uninspiring duo of Robbie Grossman and Kennys Vargas, the Twins are interested in Shohei Ohtani and are surely open to using the two-way star as a designated hitter when he isn’t on the mound. Even if Ohtani can’t be signed, Miguel Sano may also be a candidate for more DH time as the slugger recovers from leg surgery.

Park now returns to the KBO League, where he posted superstar numbers over parts of nine seasons from 2005-15 (including four-plus years with Nexen Heroes). Park hit .281/.387/.564 with 210 homers over 3271 PA in South Korea, an impressive enough showing to catch the eye of the Twins and other teams in the 2015-16 offseason when Park expressed interest in coming to North America.

Pirates Release Angel Sanchez To Sign With KBO’s SK Wyverns

By Jeff Todd | November 27, 2017 at 8:57pm CDT

8:57pm: Sanchez has signed with Korea’s SK Wyverns, per a team announcement (h/t Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net, on Twitter). He’ll play for $1.1MM in 2018.

6:29pm: The Pirates have released right-hander Angel Sanchez, as reflected on the team’s transactions page (h/t MLB.com’s Adam Berry) and as first noted by Pirates Prospects. That leaves the team with two free 40-man spots after adding lefty Sam Moll via waiver claim earlier today.

Sanchez, who turns 28 tomorrow, made his MLB debut in 2017 with the Bucs, allowing a dozen earned runs on five home runs over 12 1/3 innings. On the other hand, he did record ten strikeouts against just one walk while exhibiting some swing-and-miss ability and a 96 mph heater. Through 55 1/3 frames at Triple-A, Sanchez worked to a 3.74 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.

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