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Archives for January 2019

Cubs Avoid Arbitration With Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Addison Russell

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The Cubs have agreed to a $12.9MM contract with star third baseman Kris Bryant, ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers tweets. Also agreeing to terms, at $5.2MM, was star infielder Javier Baez, as Jon Heyman of Fancred was first to tweet.

Rather more controversially, the club also has reached a salary with suspended shortstop Addison Russell, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). The Cubs have stuck with Russell even as immensely troubling allegations have emerged regarding his alleged abuse of his former wife. His reported deal includes a $3.4MM salary and up to $600K in potential incentive pay tied to the number of days Russell spends on the active roster.

Bryant checks in right near his projected amount of $12.4MM. Baez, however, came in well shy of the number that the MLBTR/Matt Swartz projection system had suggested ($7.1MM).

Russell, meanwhile, had projected at $4.3MM, but his situation was certainly not typical. After ending the 2018 season on the restricted list due to a suspension for violation of the league’s domestic violence policy, he’ll remain sidelined for about the first month of the season to come. Russell will not be paid during that time.

Earlier today, the Cubs agreed to terms with their four other arb-eligible players.

Pirates Claim Aaron Slegers, Designate Dario Agrazal For Assignment

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The Pirates announced Friday that they’ve claimed right-hander Aaron Slegers off waivers from the Twins and designated right-hander Dario Agrazal for assignment. Slegers himself was recently designated for assignment by Minnesota to clear 40-man roster space for newly signed Nelson Cruz.

Slegers, a towering righty, stands at 6’10” and has pitched 29 innings for the Twins across the past two seasons but struggled to a 5.90 ERA in that time. Although Slegers hasn’t had much experience at the MLB level, he’s had quite a bit of success in Triple-A, where he’s pitched to a 3.54 ERA in 233 2/3 innings with 6.8 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and average or better ground-ball tendencies. The Pirates surely found it appealing that the 26-year-old Slegers has a pair of minor league options remaining as well, which should give them some additional roster depth and flexibility in 2019, should he stick with the organization.

Agrazal, 24, has had some success in the minors himself, but having split the 2018 season between Class-A Advanced and Double-A, he’s further from the Majors than Slegers. This past season, the Panamian-born Agrazal pitched to a combined 3.65 ERA at those two levels, averaging an outstanding 1.2 walks per nine innings pitched but also a sub-optimal 5.4 strikeouts per nine. Agrazal has pounded the strike zone throughout his minor league career (1.3 BB/9) and possesses a low-90s heater that generates enough sink to produce consistently strong ground-ball rates. He’s never been one to miss many bats, however, which likely limits his appeal to the Bucs (and perhaps to other clubs throughout the league). The Pirates will have a week to trade Agrazal or run him through outright waivers. If he clears waivers, he can remain in the organization and be sent to the minors without a 40-man roster spot.

Mets, Jacob deGrom Avoid Arbitration

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Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and the Mets have settled on a one-year deal worth $17MM, tweets Andy Martino of SportsNet New York. After earning $7.4MM in 2018, deGrom earns a $9.6MM raise from his 2018 salary, breaking the record for an arbitration raise set by Mookie Betts just hours ago. The $17MM figure represents the highest all-time salary for a pitcher in his third year of arbitration eligibility. deGrom, who will remain under team control through 2020, was projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $12.9MM in 2019. It should be noted that the projections’ guiding algorithm cannot account for context, which made deGrom a near lock to eclipse his relatively light projection, as Matt outlined here.

The 30-year-old righty enjoyed a season for the ages in 2018, posting a minuscule 1.70 ERA in 217 innings of work and striking out 269 batters. His efforts earned him 29 out of 30 first-place votes for the NL Cy Young Award despite an unremarkable 10-9 record. However, with the Mets making headlines as perhaps this winter’s most active team, new GM (and former deGrom representative) Brodie Van Wagenen hopes that the team’s offseason upgrades will translate to increased run support for the Mets’ stellar starting staff and vault the club into playoff contention. The staff ace, of course, is an integral part of that winning formula, though it remains unclear whether the team will be willing to dole out a hefty extension in future offseasons to keep deGrom around for years to come. Of course, the club may look to Noah Syndergaard, just 26 years of age, as an alternative, and a significant financial obligation to Robinson Cano over the coming five years may inhibit the team’s payroll flexibility. Regardless, the $17MM payday for deGrom will raise the bar for arbitration-eligible pitchers and lay the groundwork for what his earnings could look like next offseason, when he will be entering his final year of arbitration eligibility before reaching free agency.

Athletics, Khris Davis Avoid Arbitration

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Khris Davis and the Athletics have reached an agreement on a one-year deal worth $16.5MM, tweets Jon Heyman of Fancred. Davis had previously been projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to receive $18.1MM. Davis, 31, is entering his final season of arbitration eligibility before he may enter free agency next winter. Davis enjoyed a career year in 2018, slugging a Major League-leading 48 home runs and serving as a catalyst for a surprising A’s team that won 97 games and earned a trip to the AL Wild Card game.

Not only is Davis’s contract notable because of its overall dollar value but also because the salary comes in significantly below the figure projected for Davis earlier in the winter. For an Athletics team that entered 2018 with the Majors’ lowest payroll, the $1.6MM difference between Davis’s actual and projected salary certainly holds some importance. In a competitive American League, the Athletics still find themselves seeking out free agents to bolster an injury-battered pitching staff; indeed, the club, which has garnered a reputation as savvy market shoppers, will have an additional $1.6MM at their disposal compared to initial projections. While that money alone won’t buy one of the big names still without a contract, it will grant Oakland some invaluable flexibility as the team seeks to make a second consecutive postseason appearance.

Yankees Sign Drew Hutchison To Minor League Deal

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The Yankees announced Friday that they’ve signed right-hander Drew Hutchison to a minor league contract and invited him to Major League Spring Training. Outfielder Matt Lipka, too, will receive a minor league deal and a non-roster invite to Major League camp.

Hutchison, 28, once looked like a promising long-term piece in the Blue Jays’ rotation, but Tommy John surgery threw a wrench into his outlook early in his career. The righty has bounced around the league over the past several seasons, most recently splitting the 2018 campaign with the Phillies and Rangers — throwing exactly 21 1/3 innings for each club. Hutchison was pummeled for a combined 6.75 ERA in that stretch and owns a lackluster 5.10 ERA in 460 1/3 MLB innings. However, he’s been vastly better in Triple-A, where he’s compiled a 3.58 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and 0.8 HR/9 in 362 1/3 innings. He’ll give the Yankees some depth in the rotation heading into camp this spring.

Lipka, meanwhile, batted .240/.329/.359 as a 26-year-old in Double-A last season. A converted shortstop, Lipka has logged more than 4000 innings in center field since moving there in 2012 and brings some speed to the table, with 186 career stolen bases in 868 games. He stole 21 bags this past season, 25 in 2017 and topped out at 37 swipes back in 2013. Lipka has never hit for much power, though, and last season’s .329 OBP was his highest since a .335 mark in Class-A Advanced back in 2012.

Alex Bregman Undergoes Arthroscopic Elbow Surgery

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The Astros announced Friday that third baseman Alex Bregman underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow earlier today. Bregman is expected to be limited at the start of Spring Training but ready for full duty by Opening Day.

Bregman, 24, made his first All-Star team in 2018 and finished fifth in American League MVP voting after hitting .286/.394/.532 with 31 home runs in 705 plate appearances for the Astros. The former No. 2 overall draft pick walked more often (96 times) than he struck out (85) — a rare and remarkable feat in today’s game.

In the event of an unexpected setback in Bregman’s recovery, the Astros do have Tyler White as an option to fill in at the hot corner. The 28-year-old White has more than 2000 innings of minor league experience at third base, so while he’s appeared in just three games there at the MLB level, the ’Stros would presumably feel comfortable playing him there on a short-term basis. First baseman Yuli Gurriel is no stranger to third base, either.

Still, with Marwin Gonzalez hitting free agency and the recent trade of J.D. Davis to the Mets, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see the Astros add a veteran capable of playing third base on a minor league contract in the coming weeks, just to create a bit of additional depth at the position.

Brewers Sign Burch Smith To Minor League Contract

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The Brewers announced Friday that they’ve signed right-hander Burch Smith to a minor league contract and invited him to Major League Spring Training.

Smith, 28, was a Rule 5 pick by the Royals in 2017 and spent the entire 2018 campaign on Kansas City’s Major League roster, though he struggled tremendously for much of the season. In 78 innings spread over 32 relief appearances and six starts, Smith limped to a 6.92 ERA with 8.9 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, 1.73 HR/9 and a 40.3 percent ground-ball rate. He’d previously turned in an intriguing showing in the Rays’ system in 2017 — his first action after missing the 2015-16 seasons due to Tommy John surgery.

Smith does have a long history of missing bats and has exhibited better control in the minors than he showed with Kansas City last season. He’s a long shot to crack the Opening Day roster on a contending Brewers club, but he could emerge as bullpen or rotation depth at some point in 2019.

Yankees Designate Hanser Alberto For Assignment

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The Yankees announced Friday that infielder Hanser Alberto has been designated for assignment. His roster spot will go to left-hander Zach Britton, whose three-year deal to return to the club is now official.

Alberto, 26, was claimed off waivers in early November, perhaps with an eye toward adding some infield depth following the loss of Didi Gregorius to Tommy John surgery. He’ll lose his 40-man roster spot with the Yanks before ever suiting up, though his strong work in Triple-A could generate interest elsewhere. Alberto, who has experience at second base, shortstop and third base, is a .309/.330/.438 hitter in 1000 Triple-A plate appearances, though he’s managed just a .192/.210/.231 slash through 192 MLB plate appearances with the Rangers.

Yankees Re-Sign Zach Britton

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Jan. 11: The Yankees have now formally announced Britton’s return to the organization.

Jan. 5, 8:13pm: Britton will earn $13MM in each of the next three seasons and could make another $14MM in 2022, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports. All said, it’s a $39MM guarantee that could reach $53MM. However, if Britton opts out after two years, it’ll be $26MM. He’ll also get a $1MM assignment bonus if the Yankees trade him, Rosenthal relays.

8:03pm: The three-year guarantee is in the $40MM neighborhood, tweets Rosenthal, who writes that it could go “beyond” $50MM over four years. Bob Nightengale of USA Today notes the figure would be between $50MM and $55MM.

7:50pm: A deal is in place, per Jeff Passan of ESPN, who reports it’ll be for approximately $13MM per season. Passan adds the Yankees will be able to exercise a fourth-year option after the second season. Otherwise, Britton will have the choice to opt out at the conclusion of the second year.

7:40pm: The Yankees are making progress on a contract with free-agent reliever Zach Britton, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets. The two sides could finalize an agreement “soon,” per Rosenthal. The deal will be for three guaranteed years, but it’ll include an opt-out clause for Britton and an opt-in for the Yankees that could take it to four years, Jon Heyman of Fancred reports. Britton is a client of the Boras Corporation.

New York has shown reported interest throughout the winter in Britton, one of two key relievers the team saw reach free agency after last season. One of those hurlers, righty David Robertson, signed with the Phillies on Friday, making it all the more important for the Yankees to re-up the left-handed Britton.

The 31-year-old Britton, best known for what was at times an elite run with the Orioles from 2011-18, joined the Yankees last July in a midseason trade between the AL East rivals. Britton then tossed 25 innings of 2.88 ERA ball as a Yankee, adding 7.56 K/9 against 3.96 BB/9. Between the O’s and Yanks, Britton managed a 3.10 ERA and a stellar 73 percent groundball rate over 40 2/3 frames in 2018, though his strikeout and walk numbers (7.52 K/9 and 4.65 BB/9) left much to be desired, as did his 4.22 FIP and 25 percent home run-to-fly ball rate. The sinker-reliant Britton also didn’t offer the same velocity he had during previous seasons.

Last season was the second straight injury-shortened campaign for Britton, who has battled forearm, knee and Achilles issues since his 2014-16 heyday in Baltimore. Thanks in part to his health troubles, Britton hasn’t been the dominant force he was during that otherworldly three-year stretch. Across 209 innings in those seasons, Britton led relievers in groundball rate (77.9 percent), finished second in ERA (1.38), logged 9.26 K/9 against 2.37 BB/9, and converted 120 of 128 save chances.

While Britton is no doubt one of the majors’ most proven closers, he won’t be the game-ending option next season in New York, which already has Aroldis Chapman for that role. He’s instead in line to rejoin Dellin Betances and Chad Green as the top setup options to Chapman (depth chart), and it’s possible free-agent righty Adam Ottavino will slide in along with them. Ottavino, the second-best free-agent reliever left (trailing Craig Kimbrel), remains a possibility for the Yankees, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweets.

Adding Ottavino would be yet another costly move for the Yankees to ensure they offer another all-world bullpen in 2019. For now, with Kimbrel still on the board, Britton stands as the highest-paid reliever in this winter’s class. With $39MM in guaranteed money coming to him, Britton’s contract outdoes the deals awarded this offseason to similarly regarded relievers Robertson, Jeurys Familia, Andrew Miller, Joe Kelly and Joakim Soria. Britton’s pact is also worth north of the $33MM guarantee MLBTR predicted he’d secure when he entered free agency.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/11/19

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We’ll keep track of the day’s minor moves here…

  • The Red Sox have brought outfielder Bryce Brentz back to the organization on a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, the team revealed in announcing a series of non-roster invitations. Now 30 years old, Brentz was drafted by the Red Sox in 2010 and stuck with the organization through 2017 before landing with the Mets. He batted .264/.332/.580 with 15 homers and 16 doubles for the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League last season. Brentz saw brief MLB action with Boston in 2014 and 2016, hitting a combined .287/.311/.379 in 90 trips to the plate.
  • Infielder Cheslor Cuthbert cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Omaha, the Royals announced. He’d been designated for assignment earlier in the week. Cuthbert, 26, long rated as one of Kansas City’s best prospects and showed a bit of promise in 2016 when he hit .274/.318/.413 in 510 plate appearances as a rookie. However, he’s followed that up with a dismal .215/.278/.313 slash in 270 PAs over the past two seasons. The corner infielder could yet emerge in the Majors again with a strong showing in Triple-A, of course.
  • Catcher Tomas Telis and left-handed reliever Dario Alvarez have joined the Twins on minor league contracts, writes La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Telis, 27, has spent the past three and a half seasons in the Marlins organization but struggled to produce in limited stints at the big league level. He’s a career .230/.267/.298 hitter in 267 Major League plate appearances but owns a strong .304/.349/.413 slash in nearly 1500 Triple-A plate appearances. Alvarez, 30 next week, has a 5.06 ERA in 48 MLB innings but has also racked up 61 strikeouts in that time. He’s been far too homer-prone (1.9 HR/9) and, at times, has struggled with control, but Alvarez has averaged 11+ strikeouts per nine innings in both the Majors and over a nine-year minor league career.

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