Royals general manager Dayton Moore said Monday that they have held “international discussions” in regards to an extension for slugging outfielder Jorge Soler, Alec Lewis of The Athletic tweets. To this point, though, the Royals have not talked with Soler’s representation about a possible extension, but as Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports, they are keeping some of their limited payroll space available in the event a new deal does come together. The 27-year-old Soler, fresh off a breakthrough season in which he slammed 48 home runs and then hired new representation, is slated to earn $11.2MM in 2020 – his penultimate arbitration-eligible campaign. He’ll first have to opt out of his $4MM salary for 2020 in order to reach arbitration, though that seems like a given.
Along with a possible Soler contract, the Royals are keeping some ink dry for fellow outfielder Alex Gordon. It’s unknown whether the career-long Royal, 35, will continue his career in 2020. But the team’s prioritizing a Gordon re-signing, according to Moore (Twitter links here via Lewis and Flanagan). Meanwhile, although the likes of Soler, Whit Merrifield, Danny Duffy and Tim Hill have garnered trade interest this offseason, Moore indicated he’s not looking to move any of them. In the case of Hill, a reliever, Moore said that the Royals want to “add to the bullpen, not detract from it.”
More from the game’s Central divisions…
- The Pirates have gotten calls on second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette relays. It’s unclear how open the Pirates, led by new general manager Ben Cherington, are to trading the soon-to-be 28-year-old Frazier. He’s under control via arbitration for the next three seasons, and is projected to make an affordable $3.2MM in 2020. Frazier, roughly a league-average hitter since he debuted in 2016, is coming off a year in which he recorded a career-high 2.2 fWAR and batted .278/.336/.417 with 10 home runs across 608 trips to the plate.
- Southpaw Brady Aiken is taking time off from baseball, and the Indians are unsure whether he’ll resume his career when the spring rolls around, per Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. Aiken’s a two-time former first-round pick, but his career hasn’t gotten off the ground to this point, in part because of injuries. He wound up with the Indians in 2015, when he went 17th overall, a year after the Astros made him the first selection in the draft. However, Aiken elected against signing with Houston, which chose now-superstar third baseman Alex Bregman at No. 2 in 2015 with the compensatory pick it landed for failing to reel in Aiken. Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Aiken hasn’t advanced past the Single-A level thus far.
- Sticking with the Indians, president Chris Antonetti indicated Monday the team’s preference is for Jose Ramirez to remain at third base – not move to second – in 2020, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. If that proves true, the club could “maybe add at second,” Antonetti stated. The Indians don’t look primed to spend a lot this winter, but there are plenty of satisfactory free-agent second basemen whom they should be able to afford.
Makes sense to extend Soler
Kansas city should most definitely send Hill for a reasonable prospect. Maybe not this offseason but at least by the deadline. You’re not competing this year, gotta aim for at least 2 more years out.
Why? If they plan on being a contending team in 2022, he’d be a nice bullpen piece. He’s not a free agent until 2025.
Bc a nice BP arm can help you fill in a position that is harder to get now and more consistent in the future. he’s also gonna be 34 when he hits free agency
I like Frazier but the Bucs need to deal him if a good offer is made. Middle infield is an organizational position of strength and a super utility guy is a luxury considering how bad we are going to be.
Hmmm…..he’s a second baseman…..Tribe wants to keep Ramirez at 3B…..hmmmm.
Frazier I agree. I’d be interested in what teams ? Maybe able to find a good young catcher. Then other trades net pitching and good power bat.
Yes catching should be the priority, even if it’s an upside prospect a year or so off. Need more upside arms, too. I don’t care if the return doesn’t see immediate time on the roster, just need more quality.
The White Sox or Padres may be an option. The Sox can use depth for 2B while Madrigal finds his MLB legs while also being a super utility to give Madrigal at bats. I can see a Frazier for LHP Konnor Pilkington & 1B Gavin Sheets
The Padres can use Frazier at 2B to platoon w/ Profar until Abrams moves through the minors as well as be a utility piece.I can see a Frazier for RHP Michael Baez & LHP Joey Cantillo.
Indians have a catcher who is basically stuck in AAA, especially since they got Leon now. Eric Haase.
Disagree on trading him… well unless it’s an overpay then you know…. go for it… but yeah they have some depth up the middle
Last year was Frazier’s worst year at the plate, he walked less (but also struck out less) he hit fewer home runs and doubles per at bat. Really Hurdle didn’t play him right. He isn’t a lead off guy but they had him leading off… He has hit pretty good at every level and about average +/- last year… He was also a gold glove candidate. on a cost controlled contract.
Unless you get a nice sized over pay on Marte, Frazier or anyone else well maybe kela…. you keep them see if things are panning out and then look at the deadline.
What ever they trade they need to be looking at 2021.
International discussions? Should that be “internal”?
Good catch
They only will extend Soler if Ukraine will investigate the Indians, Twins, White Sox, and Tigers. Quid pro quo!
Actually they weren’t going to ask Ukraine, they were going to ask another country. And since the Cardinals are bitter rivals (ever since the 1985 World Series that is) they also want the unnamed country to investigate them. it’s all very complicated.
There are no proofreaders anymore.
They flew to Morocco to have the chat, allowed them to write it off as a work expense
Aiken is a lefty
Brady Aiken and Todd Van Poppel. Braves and Astros fans say thank you to both of you for not signing and winding up with Chipper and Alex Bregman
and then the Indians picked Aiken over Buehler and Soroka, so he still burned a team
Soler in 2019:
107 games at DH
56 games at RF
He’s more a DH than an OF, calling him simply an outfielder isnt the whole story.
Question. In what direction are the Indians heading? It doesn’t seem like the have the “horses” to make a legitimate run at the Division title, are they interested in a partial rebuild to shed salary & acquire Farm Depth? If the Indians are going to keep Lindor, why would they not be interested in moving Jose Ramirez? I can see holding onto Kluber until the All-Star break to try & regain value for him but Ramirez should be on the block in my opinion. To me, with the Braves, Phillies, & Rangers in need at 3rd the Indians could very well help themselves quite well. Can someone give me their insight?
The Indians won 93 games last season with 3/5 of their starting rotation, the strength of the team, missing two months or more. Lindor missed most of April. With the pitching the Indians have, they are certainly a contender for 2020. The goal of the Indians front office is to continue to try to compete.
As far as Jose Ramirez is concerned, they have absolutely no reason to move him He has four more years of control on a very team friendly deal. Ramirez is going nowhere other than Cleveland. As far as Francisco Lindor, they still have two years of control. They have been, and will likely be, unable to sign him long term. That still does not mean that he will be traded this offseason. Any Lindor trade now will have to overwhelm them. It will have to provide controllable MLB ready players that can help them in 2020 and beyond. As been stated today, they are not looking to trade him now, but will still listen.
The Indians will contend in 2020.
The sports mainstream media that doesn’t understand or follow baseball and goes for the hot teams and clickbait, thinks the Indians should trade anyone of value for anyone they can get and then do a 5 year rebuild.
Indians would have won the AL Central if Lindor did not get hurt playing basketball and missed April.
The Twins and White Sox might be nice stories. But the Indians are better. To start with, they have the pitching. And pitching wins.
Hockeyjohn should change his name to baseballjohn because he obviously knows his baseball.
I think the Indians see themselves in contention for the division this year. They are definitely not a lock to run away with it but it is a good bet they will be contenders, like they were in 2019.
Lindor is leaving after the 2021 season – that seems pretty clear. I think it is just a matter of when they trade him – not ‘if’. They are trying to rebuild and stay in contention at the same time.. which is very tricky. That is why they traded Bauer last season in the thick of the race. They did get some controllable, MLB-ready talent though (plus Puig).
Jose Ramirez is signed through the 2023 season, so I don’t think there is any urgency to trade him in the next few years. Even though he has a team-friendly contract, I’m not sure that his trade value would be nearly as high as Lindor’s.
I really don’t understand why people think the Tribe is “rebuilding” or “taking a step back.” How about taking a look at the Vegas odds for next year before saying something like that? The Tribe is the FAVORITE to win the AL Central. Why would they do anything to damage that situation? Answer: they won’t.
Jorge Soler and Eloy Jimenez hit more HRs than the entire bubs outfield last year. I hope they both hit 50 in 2020.
The Cubs still won more games than the Sox so there’s that…
Should change your name to chisoxvillageidiot
As a fan I’d at least like to see them acquire some interesting vets to go out to the ballpark and see and maybe wake up to young guys like Phillips, Heath and Lopez reach their potential this season
Sign Puig 15 mil , 2 years
Get a back up catcher , maybe try Perez at 1st base
Maybe a trade for some starting pitchers , flip some minor leaguers for Gray and maybe Archer , have them play at the K for a while and if their having a good season at the deadline flip em or keep around for when they’re / if they’re competive in the next few years
Keep Duffy and Witt around though even though they would probably bring in some good pieces , they’re good around the community ,
We’re (the royals that is) not trading for pitching. And we’re certainly not going to sign yasiel puig!
We’ve got pitching prospects not too far away from their MLB debut (To the guys that we drafted in 2018 made it to AA in 2019). Another one may have if it hadn’t been for his minor arm problems.
Plus it’s not like trading for a pitching has worked out for us (at least not since ‘15.) Don’t you remember what we did in 2017? We were only 2 1/2 games out of the wild card & we traded for three pitchers from San Diego. One of them we were stuck with until the end of the ‘18 season when we finally got rid of him. One of them we used as a trade piece to get rid of Brandon moss. The other was a free agent so he doesn’t matter anymore. We’re not going to trade anything from the minors.
We also already have three catchers on the 40 man, So we don’t need another
Cubs do something pleaseeeede
Cubs do something pleaseeee
I saw pirates and frazier and i thought they where going for todd and was giddy but no its on trading the frazier :-/
That is just what the rebuilding Pirates need: a underwhelming third baseman on the wrong side of his peak.
> the Royals are keeping some ink dry
Can’t sign contracts with dry ink!