Here’s the latest agency news from around the majors:
- Free-agent catcher Yasmani Grandal has hired Adam Katz of the Wasserman Media Group, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets. Long one of the majors’ most well-rounded catchers, the 30-year-old Grandal now stands as the premier backstop on the open market, where MLBTR predicts he’ll land a four-year, $64MM guarantee. The switch-hitter spent the previous four seasons as a member of the Dodgers, with whom he slashed .241/.349/.466 over 518 plate appearances in 2018, posting a 125 wRC+ and at least 20 home runs (24) for the third straight year. Additionally, Grandal was the game’s top-ranked defensive catcher last season, per Baseball Prospectus.
- One of Grandal’s fellow free agents, left-hander Francisco Liriano, is also heading to Wasserman, Robert Murray of The Athletic relays. While Liriano was formerly a high-end starter, the 35-year-old’s effectiveness has waned over the past few seasons. He spent 2018 with the Tigers and logged a subpar 4.58 ERA/5.11 FIP with 7.41 K/9 and 4.92 BB/9 over 133 2/3 innings, and saw his velocity tumble as the season progressed. On the positive side, Liriano induced an above-average number of of ground balls (48.3 percent) and held same-handed hitters to a woeful .171/.255/.261 line. Perhaps he’ll be on teams’ radars as a lefty relief option – a role he took on late in 2017 with Houston.
- The Blue Jays’ Brandon Drury is yet another new Wasserman client, according to Jerry Crasnick, who adds that the infielder has tabbed Nick Chanock as his agent. The Yankees acquired Drury from the Diamondbacks in a noteworthy trade last February, and New York’s hope was he’d serve as its starting third baseman. Drury did win the job in spring training, but he landed on the shelf early in the season with blurred vision and migraines, which opened the door for rookie Miguel Andujar to emerge as the Yankees’ top third baseman. The breakout seasons Andujar and fellow rookie Gleyber Torres, a second baseman, enjoyed in 2018 helped influence the Yankees to trade Drury to the Blue Jays as part of a July deal for lefty J.A. Happ. Under two weeks after Toronto acquired him, Drury suffered a fractured left hand, ending a Murphy’s Law season for the 26-year-old. Drury ultimately slashed a horrid .169/.256/.260 and showed almost no power (one homer, .091 ISO) across 86 major league PAs. He’s projected to earn $1.4MM in 2019, his first of three potential arbitration years.
- Astros righty Josh James has hired CAA Sports, Jon Heyman of Fancred reports. After performing brilliantly in 114 1/3 minor league innings in 2018, the flamethrowing James continued to wow during a 23-frame debut with Houston late in the season. The 25-year-old notched a 2.35 ERA/3.51 FIP with 11.35 K/9 and 2.74 BB/9 in six appearances (three starts), perhaps giving him the inside track on a rotation job for 2019. James currently ranks as MLB.com’s 95th-best prospect.
These changes will be reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains representation info on more than 2,500 Major League and Minor League players. Agents, if you see any notable errors or omissions within the database, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.
Drury huge disappointment has shown signs of potential but last year a nightmare – worth a flyer in spring training and maybe a nice surprise for Jays by mid season….if healthy
Hindsight is of course 20-20, but that Drury trade was a bust for the Yanks. Solak never should’ve dealt…
It did net them Happ so it wasn’t a total wash.
Along with more prospects
Some players take longer than others to gel.
ey says Boone should’ve given him a spread.
brb….eating my turkEY
don’t JAM it down!!!
Cashman doesn’t make bad trades we just haven’t seen it fully virtualized yet.
They should all join CAA.
“Additionally, Grandal was the game’s top-ranked defensive catcher last season, per Baseball Prospectus…”
He’s a hack behind home plate; awful defense. Can’t catch a ball. Bizarre statement. Whatever ‘Baseball Prospectus’ is, they obviously never saw him catch a game.
Better get that big giant head of yours a better big pair glasses
I spend zero time outside of the postseason watching the Dodgers so this also stuck me as odd. Thought he was considered a bat-first kind of guy, no?
They seem to give a lot of weight to pitch framing, one of the most questionable stats in the game today. That’s how they make him good defensively, when it can easily be seen by watching games that he has a lot of issues on defense, including passing balls that most any catcher would have caught, and dropping relays at the plate that were perfectly thrown but would not stay in his concrete glove.
Grandal was tied for 9th worst in passed balls with 9 and had the third most innings behind the plate. Think you’re being a little disingenuous.
Actually he was 2nd in passed balls last year and he’s been first on that list in three of the last five seasons. Further, passed balls is a official scoring stat, and doesn’t throw much light on the number of wild pitches that someone with above average fielding ability might have blocked. For that you need to watch the man play. Maybe trying backhand a curve ball in the dirt wasn’t such a great idea? And what about those dropped relays? On tough plays you give the catcher the benefit of the doubt, but when a perfect throw to the plate ends up somewhere other than in the glove and you see that a bunch of times you have to trust your eyes. So no, I am not being deceptive, I am just watching the game.
When the Padres had Grandal, I thought he was terrible. No arm, terrible defense, inconsistent hitting. I was thrilled once he was gone. Plus dont overlook the PED suspension
Facts are a funny thing. The great thing about baseball is that we can measure everything. Grandal is a tremendous catcher. And he can hit; only about 3-4 catchers a year can hit at all – it’s a defense-first position, and any offense whatsoever is a bonus.
If he’s as tremendous as you say, he’ll be paid like one. He won’t because he is not. He will just be paid very well.
Dont sweat the down votes. Facts piss people off. Math doesn’t lie but they can’t acknowledge reality if they think their eyes told them something different.
Math doesn’t lie, but statistics are not math. If I have to explain the difference then you don’t understand statistics.
Well said big giant head. If someone gives him a 64 mil guaranteed contract the. Baseball is getting out of control.
There’s no perhaps with James…..he’s in the opening day rotation as their #3 until the Stros sign or trade for someone different.
McHugh will be #3/4. They will sign someone also #3/4. James will be #5.
I’m expecting Whitley to break camp at this point.
The “under two weeks” phrasing is reads really awkwardly.
Grandal is awful defensively. Sabr is questionable when it comes to offense, but totally useless when it comes to defense. Many front office people have said the same. Smh
What front office people? Have some sources on that? How about stats backing up your claim?
What I know is that Grandal had 9 passed balls all year, tied for 9th. He had the third most innings behind the plate.
SMH.