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NL Notes: Correa, Arenado, Suzuki, Mattingly

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If you haven’t yet come across this recent profile of former Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa, via SI’s Ben Reiter, then you’ll certainly want to give it a read. The analytical guru ended up in federal prison after impermissibly accessing the computer systems of the Astros. While he’s still mostly remaining silent on details of that stunning episode, Correa offers a fascinating glimpse into his time behind bars.

The latest from the National League:

  • While it’s hard to see the 2018 campaign as anything but a success for the Rockies, the organization faces some tough decisions in the offseason to come. One of those involves franchise cornerstone Nolan Arenado, who is entering his final season of arbitration eligibility. As Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports, extension scenarios have yet to be discussed by team and player. Arenado’s arb salary will force the sides to the bargaining table, but it’s not yet clear whether there’ll be a clear path to a long-term deal. It is certainly possible to imagine a trade scenario, though that’d be a tough call to make for the organization. For his part, Arenado says he loves playing in Colorado and anticipates remaining with the organization, but does acknowledge that “things can get a little iffy because of the business side of it.”
  • As he wraps up his contract with the Braves, backstop Kurt Suzuki tells Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link) that he’d like to find a way back into the fold. The Atlanta organization has already struck a deal to retain Tyler Flowers, who has combined with Suzuki to form a solid and cost-effective duo. Continuing that situation surely holds some appeal, though it’s also quite reasonable to expect that the Braves front office will look into the acquisition of a top-tier option behind the dish. [RELATED: 2018-19 Market Snapshot: Catcher]
  • Even as the Marlins make some changes to their coaching staff, they haven’t given indication that they’ll replace skipper Don Mattingly in his post. That said, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that there hasn’t been any effort on the part of the team to extend Mattingly’s contract, which is entering its final season. It’s certainly possible that’ll still come to pass, though it would hardly be surprising if the club preferred instead to maintain the status quo.

Rays Announce Extension With Manager Kevin Cash

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9:50am: It’s now official, with the Rays announcing the deal.

8:24am: The Rays have agreed to a long-term extension with skipper Kevin Cash, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. While not yet official, the deal is expected to be formally announced in short order.

It’s a lengthy new commitment for the Rays, who have now installed Cash through the 2024 season. The contract also includes an option for another year, per Topkin, with financial details still unknown. This pact replaces the prior deal that, according to the report, still included one more season and a two-year option. (Prior indications were that Cash’s deal was for five years in duration, but it seems the final pair of campaigns had not been guaranteed.)

Cash guided the Tampa Bay club to a 90-72 record this season, utilizing a variety of unorthodox means of deploying the roster. While that wasn’t enough to earn a spot in the postseason, the showing created quite a bit of optimism in the near future. It also obviously demonstrated to the front office that Cash is the right person to translate their theories into action.

While it has long seemed that Cash was in harmony with the higher-ups, the results had lagged over his first three years on the job. Hired in a 2014-15 offseason that saw massive organizational change — top baseball ops exec Andrew Friedman and manager Joe Maddon both left town — Cash ended up overseeing a pair of middling 80-82 campaigns sandwiched around a brutal 2016 effort (68-94).

As the 2018 campaign approached, the Tampa Bay organization was under pressure. Panned by the media and pursued by the MLBPA for their cost cutting, the Rays were forced to defend their decision to sell off a series of still-controlled veteran players late in the offseason. The club ended up shipping out yet more veterans, with staff ace Chris Archer (link) following catcher Wilson Ramos (link), starter Nathan Eovaldi (link), closer Alex Colome and outfielder Denard Span (link) out the door during the course of the season.

Despite the exodus of MLB talent, the roster performed admirably. As late in the season as August 5th, the Rays sat at .500. But the team finished on a 34-16 tear. Cash, aided by a data-driven ops department, wielded a variety of emerging young players to excellent effect.

When the season closed, the Rays were left looking at an intriguing depth chart, largely blank future balance sheet, and lauded farm system. There’s even renewed hope of enhanced future revenues, as the organization pursues new ballpark plans, though that’ll certainly take some time and still faces hurdles. Further success on the field would no doubt be a welcome development from a business perspective.

Cash, then, will again be tasked with squeezing value from every corner of the roster. He’ll enter this new phase of his stint with a big vote of confidence and ample job security. Expectations, too, are raised. Much of his roster is set, though it’ll certainly be interesting to see what sort of additional tinkering is pursued over the winter to come.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Market Snapshot: Catcher

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As we enjoy the postseason festivities, it’s an opportune time to prepare for the coming wheeling and dealing of the winter. We always take an in-depth look at every team’s situation and also focus in on the major free agents. To get things rolling, though, we’ll also add a new angle with this market snapshot series.

Whether analyzing things from the perspective of a given team looking to address a certain position or from a player hoping to find a fit, the broader market context is a key consideration. Accordingly, we’ll use this series to get a general sense of the market setting at each position.

Teams In Need

Quite a few organizations will be interested in finding new options to take the lion’s share of the time behind the dish. The Angels, Astros, Athletics, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Nationals, and Rays all plainly lack clear-cut, number-one options behind the dish and could be interested in significant upgrades.

Other teams could mostly roll with what’s already on hand but will likely at least dabble in the market for regulars. The Braves, Brewers, Mets, Phillies, Red Sox, and Rockies could justifiably go after top backstops, for instance, and are also among the teams that will be eyeing part-time contributors.

Meanwhile, the Yankees’ views on Gary Sanchez could represent a major wild card in the development of the market. And, of course, catching depth is always valued even for clubs whose MLB roster spots are already mostly accounted for.

Free Agents

This class certainly isn’t exactly loaded with stars, but that’s never really the case at the catching position. It does appear to have two clear regulars on offer, along with a variety of other backstops who might be entrusted with significant playing time again in 2019.

Likely Regulars:

Yasmani Grandal and Wilson Ramos have each hit quite well this year, but the former has the edge in framing and health. Both should secure strong, multi-year deals.

Top Timeshare/Reserve Options:

Kurt Suzuki and Martin Maldonado are arguably the top options here, the former owing to his solid bat and the latter to his well-regarded defensive work. A few former everyday receivers — Jonathan Lucroy, Brian McCann, and Matt Wieters — seem likely to be forced into lesser roles. Otherwise, A.J. Ellis, Nick Hundley, and Devin Mesoraco turned in solid campaigns this year.

Depth: Drew Butera, Chris Gimenez, Bryan Holaday, Jeff Mathis, Rene Rivera, Bobby Wilson

Trade Targets

It’s tough to know just how many of these players will truly be made available — at least, at a palatable price. And the market could feature some other names as well, particularly if a player is freed up to be moved based on other maneuvering.

Likely Regulars:

With two more seasons of arbitration control remaining, and coming off of a huge campaign, J.T. Realmuto of the Marlins ought to be pursued by a variety of contenders. Francisco Cervelli (Pirates, 1/$11.5MM) had an outstanding year and could be on the block if the Bucs see a chance to achieve an intriguing return and fill in with cheaper pieces. There’s no indication the Royals will deal Salvador Perez (3/$36MM), but he’ll surely be asked about.

Top Timeshare/Reserve Options:

Some might argue that Robinson Chirinos (Rangers, 1/$2.375MM) did enough in 2018 to be viewed as a regular, but the guess here is that he’d be valued as a primary but not everyday type catcher who has an attractive contract. He might also be an extension target. Both Welington Castillo (White Sox, 1/$7.75MM + option) and Russell Martin (Blue Jays, 1/$20MM) could be moved to save at least some of the remaining cash owed and to clear the way for younger options on both rosters. It’s plenty imaginable that the Red Sox will do some trimming, with three catchers (Sandy Leon, Christian Vazquez, and Blake Swihart) on hand.

Players Electing Free Agency

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Quite a few players will hit the open market this fall, and they’ll do so by way of varying mechanisms. The end of the regular season triggered a recent wave of free agents, consisting of a certain subset of players — namely, those who were outrighted from 40-man rosters during the season and accepted minor-league assignments at that time despite having the right to elect free agency. Players in that situation are entitled instead to hit the open market at season’s end, if they were not added back to the 40-man roster in the meantime.

As conveyed by Matt Eddy of Baseball America, who also covers quite a few other minor moves, these players have now elected free agency:

Athletics: RHP Raul Alcantara, LHP Danny Coulombe

Blue Jays: RHP Mike Hauschild, INF/OF Darnell Sweeney

Braves: LHP Rex Brothers, RHP Miguel Socolovich

Cardinals: LHP Tyler Lyons

Indians: RHP Evan Marshall, RHP Alexi Ogando

Mariners: RHP Christian Bergman, LHP Ross Detwiler, RHP Mike Morin, INF Zach Vincej

Marlins: OF JB Shuck

Mets: RHP Chris Beck, OF Bryce Brentz, RHP Scott Copeland, OF Matt den Dekker, INF Ty Kelly

Nationals: LHP Tommy Milone, OF Moises Sierra, RHP Carlos Torres

Orioles: RHP Jhan Marinez, INF Luis Sardinas

Padres: OF Matt Szczur

Phillies: INF Trevor Plouffe

Pirates: LHP Buddy Boshers, RHP Casey Sadler, RHP A.J. Schugel

Rangers: C Juan Centeno, LHP Anthony Gose, RHP Drew Hutchison, INF Tommy Joseph, RHP Chris Rowley

Rays: INF Brandon Snyder, RHP Ryan Weber

Reds: C Tim Federowicz, RHP Kevin Quackenbush

Tigers: INF Dixon Machado, RHP Jacob Turner

White Sox: RHP Tyler Danish

Minor MLB Transactions: 10/8/18

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We’ll track the day’s minor moves in this post:

  • The Brewers have released right-hander Hiram Burgos, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America. The 31-year-old debuted in the majors in Milwaukee back in 2013, but hasn’t been back since. Now 31 years of age, Burgos will presumably end up with another organization for the first time in his professional career. He had re-signed with the club entering the year but was never able to get on the bump for game action. In parts of six seasons at Triple-A, Burgos owns a 4.43 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 over 361 2/3 frames.

AL Notes: Givens, Mullins, Tigers, Luzardo

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Mychal Givens’ bottom-line numbers may have taken a step back in 2018, but the right-hander finished the season strong for the Orioles and will again be a possible trade chip this offseason, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The front office tabbed Givens as nearly untouchable in trade talks this past summer under general manager Dan Duquette, but it’s not clear how the new Orioles’ top baseball ops decision-maker will perceive Givens’ availability. The 28-year-old Givens, controlled through 2021, averaged 95.1 mph on his heater, 9.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 76 2/3 innings this season en route to a 3.99 ERA. Relief help figures to be as in-demand as ever this offseason as teams continue to more aggressively deploy relievers and shy away from starters facing opposing lineups for a third time.

More out of the American League…

  • Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun chats with rookie center fielder Cedric Mullins about being the first of the Orioles’ hopeful next wave of core pieces to arrive on the big league scene in 2018. Mullins, who turned 24 last week, enjoyed a strong season between Double-A and Triple-A before debuting with the O’s in August and hitting .235/.312/.359 in 191 plate appearances down the stretch. Considered by the Orioles as a potential long-term piece in the outfield, Mullins and Meoli discussed the young outfielder’s opportunity to emerge as a leader of the next wave of O’s talent and the type of speed-based offense he and Jonathan Villar can bring to the lineup. The O’s ranked last in the Majors in stolen bases each season from 2014-17, swiping a stunningly low 19 bases in 2017. Mullins, meanwhile, has a 30-steal season under his belt in the minors (2016) and stole 23 bases across three levels in 2018.
  • Tigers skipper Ron Gardenhire had his share of frustration regarding fundamental miscues in September, and he spoke to Evan Woodbery of MLive.com about the need to have players better prepared for the Majors upon arrival. Woodbery notes that a number of players specifically cited by Gardenhire — rookie infielders Dawel Lugo and Jeimer Candelario among them — were trade acquisitions and haven’t spent the bulk of their career in the Tigers farm. That said, Gardenhire made clear how strongly he, GM Al Avila and farm director Dave Littlefield feel about ingraining fundamentals into players at an early age. “That’s really important to make sure our people in the lower minor leagues are on top of this, our staff guys,” said Gardenhire. “Littlefield gets it. He knows it. Al has talked about it. Our people have to be better in the minor leagues. They have to pound it in or we’re going to find new people. He’s told me that. He’s made that clear.” Everything from running out ground-balls to hitting the cutoff man to proper execution on double plays will be a point of focus, per Gardenhire, who is quoted extensively in a piece that’s well worth a full look for Tigers fans.
  • While some Athletics fans were hoping for a look at top pitching prospect Jesus Luardo late in the season, especially amid significant rotation injuries, the 21-year-old was kept in the minors as he worked a heavy slate of innings in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. General manager David Forst, though, expects Luzardo to be in the mix for a spot next season once he has a full winter of rest under his belt (link via Ben Ross of NBC Sports Bay Area). “I think Jesús is going to come into Spring Training and be a factor,” said Forst. “…He’s probably one of, if not the top left-handed pitching prospect in the game. So I expect he’ll come into Spring Training and be a factor for us.” Luzardo, who only turned 21 on Sept. 30, worked to a 2.88 ERA across three levels this season, though that mark was skewed a bit by four ugly starts in Triple-A late in the season that saw him yield 13 runs in 16 innings. The lefty blitzed through Class-A Advanced and Double-A despite facing much older competition and, even if he doesn’t make the team next spring, looks ticketed for Triple-A to open the year, making him a very plausible option to come up in the first half of the 2018 campaign.

Marlins To Make Several Coaching Changes

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The Marlins will not retain pitching coach Juan Nieves, first base coach Perry Hill, assistant hitting coach Frank Menechino or strength and conditioning coach Ty Hill for the 2019 season, reports Joe Frisaro of MLB.com (via Twitter).

Nieves, 53, spent three seasons as the Marlins’ pitching coach after previously spending the 2013-16 seasons as the Red Sox’ pitching coach. Prior to that, Nieves spent five years as the bullpen coach for the White Sox and another nine seasons as a pitching coach in the ChiSox’ farm system. That sizable amount of experience notwithstanding, the Derek Jeter/Bruce Sherman-led Marlins ownership group has apparently decided that a different voice is needed as a large wave of young pitchers graduates from the upper levels of the Marlins’ farm to the big leagues.

The 66-year-old Hill has been a part of the Marlins organization for 12 years and has occupied his the role of infield/first base coach since 2013. He also held that position with the Expos — a note that speaks to his considerable coaching experience in and of itself — and has occupied a variety of coaching and development roles with Miami, Montreal, Detroit and Texas since 1993.

Menechino, 47, spent five years with the organization and is at least somewhat of a known commodity to Jeter and vice president of player development Gary Denbo, having begun his coaching career with the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate back in 2009.

Hill, meanwhile, had been the team’s strength and conditioning coach since Dec. 2012. He’s previously served as a minor league conditioning coordinator with the Pirates and Royals for a combined nine seasons in addition to a combined seven seasons on the Major League staff in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.

Miguel Sano Not Facing Criminal Charges After Traffic Accident In Dominican Republic

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Oct. 8: Dominican police spokesman Colonel Frank Duran Mejia tells Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes that Sano is not facing criminal charges. Furthermore, Duran characterized the incident as accidental in nature. Sano, according to Duran, was questioned by officer Argenis Emilio Gillandeux outside a night club because his truck did not have a license plate and because Sano was not carrying his driver’s license on him. After speaking with Gillandeux, he backed up his truck without realizing that the officer and his motorcycle were still parked behind him. Gillandeux has no plans to press charges, Duran emphasized in a statement:

“The citizen, Miguel Sano, was sent today to the traffic court to comply with the due process in these types of cases. It is a formality when someone is injured in a vehicular accident. It is important to clarify that the policeman declared that the accident was not intentional, and that Sano hit his leg when Sano was reversing his vehicle to leave the place and that the baseball player was the first to provide help and never abandoned the scene. Neither the agent nor the national police plan to charge Sano with anything.”

Sano, according to Duran, transported Gillandeux to the hospital himself and actually knew the officer personally from the pair’s days in school.

Oct. 7: Twins third baseman Miguel Sano was detained at a police station in his native Dominican Republic after a traffic accident on Sunday morning, according to Spanish-language news outlet El Nuevo Diaro (via Phil Miller of the Star-Tribune). A police officer “ordered Sano to stop at a checkpoint, but he continued [and] ran over the uniformed officer, leaving him with serious damage,” Miller writes. The officer suffered a fractured fibula and tibia after Sano ran over his foot, according to a police report which circulated online, after Sano and his wife were stopped in a car without license plates. Sano offered to pay for the damage to the officer and was eventually released, per a report from Spanish-language outlet Diario Libre (via Miler).

“We have been made aware of the situation involving Miguel Sano in the Dominican Republic. We are still gathering facts at this point,” a Twins spokesperson told Bob Nightengale and Jorge L. Ortiz of USA Today.

At this point, it’s unknown if Sano will face any legal punishment or discipline from Major League Baseball for this. Nonetheless, it’s an unwelcome development for the Twins, especially after Sano was accused of assault last offseason. However, Sano didn’t face any ramifications for that from either the legal system or MLB.

This news continues a downward trend for Sano since the end of the 2017 season, when he batted .264/.352/.507 with 28 home runs in 483 appearances and earned an All-Star nod. The 25-year-old is now coming off an injury-limited season in which the Twins demoted him to the minors on account of a drop in production. He ended up totaling 299 PA in the majors and hitting a disappointing .199/.281/.398 with MLB’s worst strikeout percentage (38.5) and 13 HRs.

NL Notes: Rockies, Bader, Cardinals, Marlins

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The Rockies’ Game 3 loss to the Brewers not only bounced them from the 2018 postseason but may also have marked the end of the Colorado tenure for a number of impending free agents, Kyle Newman of the Denver Post writes. Second baseman DJ LeMahieu and setup man Adam Ottavino could land with new cubs this winter, as could outfielders Carlos Gonzalez, Gerardo Parra and Matt Holliday. The 30-year-old LeMahieu said after the loss that he’d like to return, though there’s hardly any certainty that the Rox will make a concerted effort to retain him. Trevor Story has a firm grip on the shortstop role, while the Rockies have top middle-infield prospect Brendan Rodgers also looming in the upper minors and another young option in Garrett Hampson. And, as Newman points out with regard to Ottavino, the bullpen already has three large contracts in Wade Davis, Jake McGee and Bryan Shaw, even if each of those three relievers took a step back in 2018 after inking a three-year pact this past offseason. Meanwhile Scott Oberg stepped up as a cost-effective potential replacement for Ottavino.

Here’s more from the NL to kick off the week…

  • Center field has been a position of extreme turnover for the Cardinals in recent seasons, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but Harrison Bader’s exceptional defensive prowess gives hope for some much-needed continuity. The last player to make consecutive Opening Day starts for the Cardinals in center field was Peter Bourjos, Goold notes, and no Cardinal has started 100-plus games in center in consecutive seasons since Jon Jay. “He’s sort of taken that job and run with it,” GM Mike Girsch tells Goold. “The way Harrison plays center field defensively makes it pretty obvious he’s the best defensive center fielder that we have, and he’s hit more than well enough to earn the first shot.” Bader still needs to improve his offensive consistency — specifically, his output against breaking balls — but after after being declared by Girsch as the team’s center fielder moving forward, the 24-year-old should have an extended chance to do so.
  • After acquiring additional international bonus allotments in a weekend trade with the Reds, the Marlins are exploring the trade market for opportunities to further pad their bonus pool, reports MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. It’s not yet clear how much money Miami added to what was already baseball’s second-largest bonus pool ($4.3MM) with their latest move, but they’re still looking up at the Orioles, who carry a reported $6.7MM. Miami and Baltimore have the most money available to sign Cuban outfielder Victor Victor Mesa and both are widely expected to make aggressive pitches to the 22-year-old.

Quick Hits: Counsell, Brantley, Britton, Yankees, O’s

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After being shut out in the first two games of the NLDS, the Braves not only posted a crooked number on the scoreboard in Game Three, but staved off elimination entirely with a 6-5 win over the Dodgers.  Ronald Acuna continued to make history, as the 20-year-old rookie sensation become the youngest player ever to hit a grand slam in postseason action.  Game Four is set for Monday in Atlanta at 3:30pm CT.

As we look forward to three playoff games tomorrow, here are some items from three teams still active in the postseason…

  • The Brewers made Craig Counsell’s continued employment as manager a requirement for any general manager candidate in 2015, owner Mark Attanasio told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  “We interviewed seven or eight candidates, and I told all of them that Craig was going to be the manager,” Attanasio said.  “So, that would have disqualified a candidate if they had a problem with that….That was a precondition to the job.”  Counsell has paid off his employer’s faith by leading the Brewers into the NLCS, and quickly impressing observers along the way — eventual new GM David Stearns, the Brewers’ roster, and fans in Counsell’s home state of Wisconsin.
  • Two shoulder surgeries and a right ankle injury limited Michael Brantley to just 101 total games in 2016 and 2017, limiting his productivity and sidelining him for all of the Indians’ run to Game Seven of the 2016 World Series.  That long recovery period has made this season all the more special for the outfielder, who rebounded to hit .309/.364/.468 and 17 homers over 631 plate appearances and 143 games while helping the Tribe reach the postseason.  “When you go through basically almost a two-year rehab, you don’t always know that you’re going to come back,” Brantley told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian.  “Every day that I’m there to be with my teammates, that I’m healthy enough to be in that lineup, where I can joke around and know that I’m going out to left field to play with these guys, I’m very appreciative.  I don’t take it for granted.”  Monday, however, could mark Brantley’s last game in a Cleveland uniform if the Tribe is swept by the Astros, as Brantley will be a free agent at season’s end.
  • “There’s a gigantic difference in how we use analytics here compared to Baltimore,” Yankees reliever Zach Britton told Fangraphs’ David Laurila.  After coming to New York from the Orioles in a trade deadline swap, Britton was presented with lots of personally-focused data.  “I’d never been exposed to that amount of information,” Britton said.  “And it’s not just ’Here’s a stack of stuff to look over.’ …. I don’t want to get into specifics, but some of it is how my ball moves, both my sinker and my slider, compared to different hitters’ swings. It kind of opens your eyes to things you maybe didn’t think of when you didn’t have that information.”  The Orioles are known to be looking for a more analytically-minded figure in their new general manager, though the team has a long way to go to catch up to the Yankees, who are known to have one of baseball’s best information departments.  If Britton’s comments sound similar to Justin Verlander’s reaction to joining the Astros last season, it isn’t a surprise, as Britton noted that “If you look at the teams in the postseason, most are well-known for their analytics departments, especially the Astros.”

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