Some notes from around the NL West…
- The Rockies haven’t been in touch with Adrian Gonzalez, GM Jeff Bridich tells MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. The just-released veteran could be signed for just a league-minimum salary, as the Braves are on the hook for the remainder of the $21.5MM Gonzalez is owed for the 2018 season. Gonzalez was still an above-average hitter as recently as 2016, though it remains to be seen how productive or healthy he can be next year after a serious back injury severely limited him last season. Colorado has been linked to some first basemen this winter, though they also have internal options like rookie Ryan McMahon, who Harding profiles in the piece.
- The Giants are still in the market for an outfielder and bullpen help, and some in the organization think both needs could be met in one trade, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic writes. The reliever trade market in particular is more appealing to some in the office than signing a bullpen arm. On the outfield front, the Giants are still talking with the Reds about Billy Hamilton, though Cincinnati is still making “high demands” for the speedy center fielder. As Pavlovic notes, the Giants could be even less likely to move young talent after swapping Christian Arroyo and two young pitching prospects to the Rays as part of the Evan Longoria trade.
- The Giants are also on the lookout for a veteran starter on a minor league deal, Pavlovic adds. Chris Stratton, Ty Blach, Tyler Beede, and Andrew Suarez are the in-house contenders for the two open spots in San Francisco’s rotation, and the team wants a more experienced arm in the mix to compete with all the youngsters.
- Yasmany Tomas recently underwent a surgical procedure on his core area, this one to clean out scar tissue, the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro reports. This seems like a less-serious procedure than the core surgery that ended Tomas’ season back in August, as the Diamondbacks say the Cuban outfielder is expected to be ready by the beginning of Spring Training. Tomas was bothered by the injury for much of last season, which contributed to his sub-par .241/.294/.464 slash line over just 180 PA. He and the D’Backs are still hoping for a proper breakout campaign in his fourth MLB season, as Tomas is still owed $42.5MM through the 2020 season.
I really hope Hosmer to the Padres winds up being like Pablo Sandoval to the Padres and Yasmany Tomas to the Padres cause Hosmer to the Padres will wind up being a regrettable contract like those two.
Hosmer to anyone will be regretted
Every team should be looking at A-Gon. For the LM$ he could be a top 10 offseason signing. Mets, Rays, Marlins, Cardinals, Rockies, Padres,KC, Boston, Texas and maybe LAA could all he great fits
Agree
The last thing the LAA needs is another old slow guy at 1B.
Thank you
But he is a good defender and could be a productive bat for league minimum. If he doesn’t look 100% in ST then you are only on the hook for the pro-rated portion of that minimum salary.
The Mets will sign him bc…..league minimum,
Keep him far away from St. Louis
The Mets should pounce….and give Dom Smith a few extra developmental months (or until A-Gon gets hurt again….)
Marlins already have a LH hitting 1B, so the platoon idea doesn’t work for them. The Rockies are an excellent fit, and the Nationals would have been if they hadn’t just spent $4+ Million on Matt Adams…..San Fran is a horrible park for LHB…..especially aging ones.
A-Gon waived his NTC because he is seeking a Full-Time spot somewhere. The only possible fit would be in Pittsburgh…if they trade McCutchen and put Bell back in RF….??? I guess the Cardinals could take a flyer on him. They’re looking for LH Power, but he’d be in a Bench Role there, and Carp is already a LHB. Lots of moving parts there, so who knows what they’ll do.
Also which Giants fan will willingly root for Agon?
Because he’s a class act, and most Giants fans are better than hating a guy just because he used to play somewhere.
Probably the same ones or types as those who’ve rooted for other ex-Dodgers to play for the Giants.
Notably:
Duke Snyder
Dusty Baker (Dodger who then managed the Giants)
Orel Hershiser
Eric Davis
Jeffrey Leonard
Candy Maldonado
Marquis Grissom
Bull Durham (tangent: there was a real-life baseball player with that name).
How was 2016 not a breakout campaign for Tomas? Give me 8 hitters with a .272/.313/.508 slash and i’ll give you a world series ring.
an .820 OPS is hardly special, especially for someone so bad defensively
Tomas isn’t a bad defender, he’s horrible. Fantastic news for Dodger fans
Yeah he did do that in 2016… but this is a what have you done for me lately type of job. He hit 241 with 32 RBI this year, not to mention he’s one of the most unvaluable defensive players in the league. Even in the year you say he “broke out” he still carried a very bad 313 OBP. For his salary, Tomas is one of the worst players in the MLB.
Tomas is a terrible, awful, no-good very bad defender.
He had a negative WAR in ‘16. He’s had a negative WAR every season. Sub-replacement.
Be kinda fun watching a team of 8 Yasmany Tomas run around, though.
+1
I think you give too much credit to his batting average because the other slash lines are bad, negative fWAR and trrrible defender contributes to a subpar/below average player
Breakout? Yea that .313 OBP must really impress you. For those that know baseball it does not
Every response has been extremely analytically driven. Far too much emphasis on that. An .820OPS isn’t anything to sneeze at either. What is everyone looking for here? I knew when they signed him he wasn’t going to be a .290/.360/.540 guy. His defense was never good, so that shouldnt be a surprise. Doesn’t get on base a ton, agreed, but a slugging over .500 is going to drive in runs, especially with that BA. Again, 2016 is probably Tomas at his best offensively and i’ll take it all day long.
Without using statistics, you couldn’t win a Little League game with 8 guys like Tomas. He gives up more runs on defense than he generates on offense. In defense of analytics, until fairly recently, general managers and fans relied on offensive statistics because they were the most easily found (batting average, RBI, home runs, stolen bases, etc.) Everyone knew that the whole player was more than that. He ran bases and played defense. Now it’s possible to give statistical value to those aspects of the game too. And that’s why the Dodgers traded away Kemp to the Padres. They got him back in a trade that wasn’t a swap of players, but of contracts.
Sure you’d take it all day long, but 8 butchers in the field who’s main skill is slug tend to run into problems in the playoffs when they run into elite pitching. His doesn’t get on base and 25% K rate also means he’s more than pitch-able to. If you’ve noticed the trend lately WS teams have been able to not only hit, but they’ve also had the ability to pick it close to if not at league best. If you were able to win a WS with 8 Tomas’s I’d have to say that’d be one of the best K, strand rate, shut down pitching staffs in recent memory.
Really?? Horrible argument. Go check out MLB.com because they have a fantastic tool where you can sort through all the stats and you know what?? It’ll show you just how many players easily SURPASSED that line. Go on now, run along and try it out…
lol
Not sure why the padres arent over this, hometown boy and decent upside if he pans out.
AGon deserves a ring. Hopefully Cardinals or Angels can give him that opportunity. He can do a retirement tour with the padres afterwards.
He doesn’t deserve jack. Man has been well compensated over the years. Besides, God has willed it left vacant on the back of his baseball card. Chew the stale gum and saunter on.
What?
He’ll have to settle for a bench role if he wants to chase a ring.
Bc he has bad mouth and bashed the padres?
He isn’t an upgrade of myers so there is no need to acquire something like this old tool
After the things he said about the Padres after his exit from there, I doubt that the FO has any interest in him.
Besides that, he is not an upgrade over their current 1B Myers.
I wouldn’t necessarily call the Gonzales back injury serious since surgery was never discussed. The question is more whether it is chronic.
Still can’t believe no one wants A-Gon. He had a 2 WAR in 2016 and 4 WAR in 2015. Should be able to still provide value regardless of last year’s play.
He’d be a good platoon/bench bat for a team in need of some bench power. Plus he’d bring some veteran leadership.
Unless his medical is more problematic than we know, he’ll play somewhere next year.
Any trade the REDS make needs to be for pitching. I don’t see how SF can be a match
Suarez got plucked in the Rule 5 draft so he’s no longer an internal rotation option for the Giants (at least going into Spring Training)
I think you’re thinking of Albert Suarez
Yes. Albert Suarez, the older, less valuable veteran swingman was picked from Rule 5. Andrew Suarez, the young, promising prospect is still here.
The Giants are going to win the World Series again with a bootsy ass roster like they did the last 3 times. Jebus works in mysterious ways.
Really have no idea what you are saying. At first, I thought you said the Giants were going to win the world series. But, of course, that is absurd. “bootsy ass roster” made no sense and who is this Jebus fellow? I give up.
I think he means Jesus wears boot cut cords and the giants regret not retiring Kirk Manwaring’s number.
I was about to say the exact same thing.
I think he means jobu
Joba. As in Joba Chamberlain.
“I ask Jobu to come, take fear from bats. I offer him cigar, rum. He will come.”
F$&@ you, Joni. I will do it myself!
Lol @ Joni
Are you saying Jesus Christ can’t hit a curveball?
I don’t about Jesus, but Buddha certainly didn’t help Serrano. Only the love chicken sacrifice to Jobu sufficed.
Oh saaaaave me Jebus!
I’ll bet good money the Giants don’t win the WS this year.
A-Gon would be a good fit for the Yankees.. After trading Headley and Cooper, while also losing Mike Ford in the rule 5 they have no depth beyond Tyler Austin to play 1st when Greg Bird goes down with an injury.. Bird has the chance to be a very good everyday player and Cashman seems to love him but he is the very definition of injury prone.. Gonzalez would be able to step right in as the starter and would more than likely provide above replacement level numbers..
The Giants and Yankees are a good match for a trade as well.. Ellsbury, Gardner, Betances, Cessa and cash for Pence and Garrett Williams.. Giants get a solid OF in Gardner, solid bullpen help in Betances, a fringe starter in Cessa who could have a good chance of improving in a move to AT&T Park, and Ellsbury who showed he can still provide quite a bit of value when he is healthy, last year.. The Yankees would take Pence back to offset salary.. Yes, the Giants would be taking on over $40 million in salary in 2018 but the loss of Pence would cut that in half and the Yankees could eat around $5-$8 million a year of Ellsbury’s contract as well.. They basically get the holes in their roster filled for a little over $15 million next year (Betances alone will provide around $10 million in excess value) and the Yankees won’t have to trade Frazier.. They could also sweeten the trade with Jake Cave or Billy McKinney..
Yes as a Dodgers fan I would fully endorse this move. You add 2 going on 35 y/o to a division with expansive OFs. It’d be fun to watch at AT&T and particularly Coors. Add to that adding two more LH hitters, who should probably be platooning in the latter stages of their career, that’d equal 5 if I’m not mistaken and it adds less punch to an already punchless lineup. Man I don’t like the Giants, but I at least respect what they’ve built even though their window is close to shutting. It makes no sense for the Giants to take on more age, Ells bad contract to what pick up Betances? You can respect Gardner, because he still gets on base and provides above average defense even if he doesn’t have the strongest arm. With that said there is still no good argument you can make in adding Ellsbury + 15M to a payroll of a team that’s already said its conscience of staying under the threshold, because it caps them and doesn’t really make them a better team. It makes them older and leaves them no room to plug the major holes and issues. Which coincidentally enough is CF & RF. Add to the fact that they were ranked in the bottom 3rd, being generous here, in every major category vs lhp last year obp, slug, ops, wOBA, WRC+. Talk about teams loading up to throw out the stops for the 2018 version of the 2016 Dodgers.
Really wouldn’t think the Giants would still have the pieces to acquire Hamilton after the Longoria trade. Despite his abysmal slash line, Hamilton still brings gold glove defense and plus-plus speed, both of which would play up at AT&T. If SF is still unwilling to move Ramos, which would probably be an overpay, probably needs to be a 3 team trade with pieces going from SF to another team and prospects from team 3 going to Cincy
They have the prospects for Hamilton. Gold glove defense with a sub .300 obp isnt worth that much.
Only once has hamilton posted an obp above 300.
Only if Cincy wants to though. Reds don’t have to move him at this point so have the leverage in the situation
Steven Duggar has the same skill set, cheaper, and more upside.
Man if the A’s sign AGon…!
Why would they? They have Matt Olson.
Interesting. Thanks.