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Archives for January 2020

Brian Cashman: J.A. Happ To Open 2020 In Yankees’ Rotation

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There has been no shortage of offseason trade speculation centering on Yankees left-hander J.A. Happ, especially in the wake of the team’s blockbuster Gerrit Cole signing. If we’re to believe general manager Brian Cashman, though, Happ isn’t going anywhere. Cashman told Meredith Marakovits of the YES Network (video link) that Happ will open 2020 as the Yankees’ fifth starter behind Cole, Luis Severino, James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka.

Whether you want to take Cashman’s statement at face value is up to you, but it does appear Happ would be a challenge to trade. The normally solid Happ is coming off a subpar season, set to enter his age-37 campaign, owed a significant salary, and has an unappealing vesting option baked into his contract.

Happ, who pitched to a 4.91 ERA/5.22 FIP with 7.81 K/9 (down from 9.78 the prior year) in 2019, will earn $17MM this season. Worsening matters, he’ll make another $17MM in 2021 if he racks up 165 innings or 27 starts this year – two figures he has typically approached or surpassed over the past several campaigns.

Getting Happ’s money (or at least some of it) off the books would help the Yankees from a luxury-tax standpoint, as they’re currently projected for a whopping $261MM-plus total. That said, there’s a case it would benefit them to keep Happ around and hope for a bounce-back showing.

Happ, despite an overall disappointing year, did end last season on a high note with a strong September. He’s also the most logical candidate to eat innings from the back of a Yankees rotation that will go awhile without righty Domingo German, whom MLB handed a suspension for domestic violence that will cost him the first 63 games of 2020. Meanwhile, southpaw Jordan Montgomery – the Yankees’ next most experienced starter – barely pitched over the previous two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Beyond German and Montgomery, New York’s looking at mostly unproven 40-man options, albeit some intriguing ones including Deivi Garcia, Jonathan Loaisiga, Albert Abreu and Mike King, as well as minor league signing Nick Tropeano. One or more of them could factor into the Yankees’ starting staff during the season, but for now, it appears they’ll take a backseat to Happ.

Seeking Writers For Pro Hockey Rumors

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Pro Hockey Rumors, MLBTR’s sister site devoted to coverage of the hockey world, is looking to add multiple part-time writers to its staff. The positions pay on an hourly basis. Specifically, PHR is looking for people who have availability at these times of the week (plus some weekend availability may also be needed):

  • 8am – 9am CT, Monday-Friday
  • 8am – 3pm CT, one day per week
  • 3pm – 9pm CT, Monday-Friday

Applicants must meet ALL of the following criteria:

  • Exceptional knowledge of all 31 NHL teams, with no discernible bias.
  • Knowledge of the salary cap, CBA and transaction-related concepts.
  • At least some college education.
  • Extensive writing experience, with professional experience and a background in journalism both strongly preferred.
  • Keen understanding of journalistic principles, ethics and procedures. Completion of basic college-level journalism classes is strongly preferred.
  • Attention to detail — absolutely no spelling errors, especially for player and journalist names.
  • Ability to follow the site’s style and tone.
  • Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news in a few paragraphs. We need someone who can balance creating quick copy with thoughtful analysis. You must be able to add value to breaking news with your own insight, numbers or links to other relevant articles.
  • Ability to use Twitter, Tweetdeck, and an RSS feed reader such as Feedly. In general, you must be able to multi-task.
  • Flexibility. You must be available to work on short notice.

If you’re interested, email prohockeyrumorshelp@gmail.com and take a couple of paragraphs to explain why you qualify and stand out. Be sure to attach your resume to the email.  If you have applied to PHR before, please feel free to submit again.  Many will apply, so unfortunately we cannot respond to every applicant.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/23/20

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The latest minor league transactions from around the game…

  • The Dodgers released their list of Spring Training non-roster invites, most of which have already been detailed on MLBTR’s pages.  One previously unreported name on the list is left-hander Kyle Lobstein, who is back with L.A. on a minor league contract.  This will be Lobstein’s second stint in the organization, as he pitched for the Dodgers’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates in 2018 before moving on to pitch for the Athletics’ Triple-A team in 2019.  Lobstein posted a 4.75 ERA, 2.06 K/BB rate, and 9.0 K/9 over 66 1/3 innings last season, with virtually identical numbers against both right-handed and left-handed batters.  The 30-year-old Lobstein posted a 5.06 ERA over his 128 career Major League innings, all with the Tigers and Pirates from 2014-16.

Mets Hire Luis Rojas As Manager

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TODAY: The Mets have officially announced the hiring.  Rojas will be introduced at a press conference on Friday.

JANUARY 22, 1:46pm: Rojas will receive a two year deal in addition to multiple club options, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

11:53am: The Mets have moved swiftly in the wake of the departure of manager Carlos Beltran. Their 2020 club will be helmed by Luis Rojas, according to multiple reporters including Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter) and Tim Britton of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Rojas and the Mets are said to be finalizing a multi-year contract. The 38-year-old had interviewed for the open managerial position before it went to Beltran, leaving Rojas to reprise his role as quality control coach. But when Beltran stepped out the door due to his role in the Astros cheating scandal, the Mets turned back to Rojas.

Indications are that Rojas will oversee the same coaching staff that had expected to serve under Beltran. Obviously there’ll be at least one new hire as well, to account for the promotion.

It’s a bit opportunity for Rojas, who’ll take over for former manager Mickey Callaway after just one year on an MLB staff. Rojas came up through the Mets farm system as a coach and manager but had only overseen big leaguers during his time managing Dominican Winter League outfits.

Beyond his own experience, Rojas comes from a royal lineage. He’s the son of legendary skipper Felipe Alou and half-brother of MLB stalwart Moises Alou. MLB.com’s Nathalie Alonso detailed Rojas’s rise and managerial future in an article last summer.

This is obviously not how anyone envisioned Rojas moving into the manager’s seat, but he’ll need to hit the ground running. Camp opens in just three weeks and Rojas inherits a roster that carries win-now expectations after two-straight disappointing campaigns. The stakes are lofty for all involved, including GM Brodie Van Wagenen and his front office, with an ownership change on the horizon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Red Sox Sign Juan Centeno To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox have re-signed catcher Juan Centeno, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  Centeno’s minor league contract contains an invitation to Boston’s Major League Spring Training camp.

Centeno chose to become a free agent in November after the Red Sox outrighted him off their 40-man roster.  The 30-year-old backstop originally joined the Sox on a minor league deal last offseason and ended up appearing in seven MLB games during the 2019 season.

Those appearances marked seven straight seasons of Major League action for Centeno, though he has only 118 games and 371 total plate appearances as a big leaguer.  The bulk of that experience came in 2016, when he hit a respectable .261/.312/.392 over 192 PA with the Twins, though Centeno has primarily been used as a depth option at the MLB level.  Centeno will again return to that role in 2020, joining Jett Bandy as spring competition for Kevin Plawecki for the backup catching job behind incumbent Red Sox starter Christian Vazquez.

Mariners To Sign Alen Hanson To Minors Deal

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The Mariners have agreed to sign utilityman Alen Hanson to a minor league contract, according to Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors (Twitter link).  The deal contains an invitation to Seattle’s Major League spring camp.

Most immediately, Hanson gives the M’s some experienced outfield depth in the wake of today’s news that Mitch Haniger recently underwent core surgery and will miss the start of the season.  Since Haniger is expected to be back before the end of April, however, Hanson’s versatility gives him a shot at remaining on Seattle’s roster even after Haniger returns.  Over 261 career games at the big league level, Hanson has started at every position on the diamond except pitcher and catcher.

Not much hitting pop has come along with that defensive flexibility, as Hanson has only a .232/.266/.368 slash line over 625 career plate appearances in the majors, and he also hasn’t hit much at the Triple-A or even Double-A levels.  The 27-year-old has bounced around between four different organizations over his pro career, seeing MLB action with the Pirates, White Sox, Giants, and Blue Jays.

With Haniger on the shelf, Jake Fraley and Braden Bishop stand out as Seattle’s top candidates for right field playing time.  Kyle Lewis could also see some time at the position if not in left field, while Dee Gordon is expected to be deployed at multiple positions.  Hanson will be battling for a utility role with such players as Tim Lopes, Patrick Wisdom, Dylan Moore, and Donnie Walton.

Mitch Haniger To Miss 6-8 Weeks After Undergoing Core Surgery

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Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger underwent core surgery earlier this week, GM Jerry Dipoto told reporters, including Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter links), MLB.com’s Greg Johns, and The Athletic’s Corey Brock.  Haniger is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks, and the outfielder will miss some time at the start of the season after missing such a large chunk of Spring Training.

The procedure was necessitated by a setback while Haniger was already rehabbing from the surgery that ultimately cut short his 2019 season after just 63 games.  Haniger didn’t play after June 6 after suffering a ruptured testicle, and Divish noted he was at risk of suffering from a hernia or another core injury “if Haniger pushed too much in his recovery and rehab.”

While Dipoto said that he didn’t think Haniger would miss too many of the Mariners’ early games, today’s news obviously isn’t a welcome one given how Haniger’s career has already been interrupted by this particularly brutal injury.  The right fielder was becoming a breakout star in his first two seasons in Seattle, hitting .284/.361/.492 with 42 home runs over 1093 plate appearances in 2017-18.  While Haniger’s 2019 production was down a bit from that level prior to his injury, he was still providing above-average offense (106 wRC+, 109 OPS+) in his abbreviated season.

Haniger’s surgery also almost surely ends any possibility that he might be a late-offseason trade candidate.  The M’s received some significant trade interest in Haniger this past winter, with the Diamondbacks cited as one of the known suitors.  Dipoto reportedly set a high asking price in trade talks, and wasn’t willing to settle for any sort of buy-low offer in the wake of Haniger’s injury.

Assuming no further setbacks and Haniger is indeed able to return by late April, the 29-year-old will have plenty of time to re-establish himself as a quality offensive and defensive performer.  Haniger is set to earn $3.01MM in 2020, and with two more arbitration-eligible seasons to come, he’ll put himself in line for a nice raise if he returns to his 2017-18 form.  Such a performance could also make Haniger a name to watch for the July trade deadline, if Dipoto and the Mariners still have their eyes set towards the future.

Indians Sign Dominic Leone, Anthony Gose

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The Indians announced a series of non-roster invitations to Major League Spring Training on Thursday, including veteran right-handed reliever Dominic Leone and outfielder-turned-reliever Anthony Gose.

Leone, a client of Frye-McCann Sports, spent the past two seasons with the Cardinals and has also logged big league time with the Blue Jays, Diamondbacks and Mariners. The Cardinals picked him up in the trade that sent Randal Grichuk to Toronto, but things didn’t go as planned for Leone in St. Louis. After pitching to a 2.56 ERA (and 2.94 FIP) with 10.4 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 in his lone season as a Blue Jay, the now-28-year-old Leone stumbled to a 5.15 ERA/4.77 FIP in 64 2/3 innings as a Cardinal from 2018-19.

In 2018, Leone was plagued by a nerve issue in his arm that limited his time on the field, but he does carry a lifetime 3.92 ERA with better than a punchout per inning in 243 1/3 big league frames. He’ll now look to earn a fresh start in Cleveland — the fifth organization of his professional career.

Gose, now 29, was at one point ranked among the game’s best outfield prospects but simply never was able to put things together as a position player. The left-hander was a two-way star at the time he was drafted and tried his hand as a two-way player a couple seasons ago before committing fully to the mound in 2019.

Gose, who is represented by CAA, split the ’19 season between the Indians’ Class-A Advanced and Double-A affiliates, showing an ability to miss bats but also demonstrating substantial control problems that may not have been entirely unexpected for an outfielder who is converting to the mound. In 29 innings this past season, he posted a sterling 2.48 ERA with 35 strikeouts but also yielded an alarming 29 free passes with six hit batsmen. Clearly, there’s some potential within Gose, but he’ll need to hone in his control of the strike zone if he’s to emerge as a viable bullpen option at the MLB level.

Avila: Tigers Could Still Add An Outfielder

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The Tigers haven’t exactly been aggressive in free agency this winter, but they’ve still added a handful of veterans, including C.J. Cron, Jonathan Schoop, Ivan Nova and Austin Romine. They’ve yet to make an addition in the outfield, but general manager Al Avila said Thursday on the Tigers Caravan that doing so is a possibility (Twitter link via Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press). Asked about Yasiel Puig, however, Avila indicated that the longtime Dodger is “not a priority” for the Detroit organization.

It stands to reason that after failing to come to terms on an extension with Nicholas Castellanos, who’s now seeking a lucrative multi-year deal in free agency, he won’t be a fit for the Tigers, either. That said, the market isn’t totally devoid of interesting options. Kevin Pillar, Steven Souza Jr. and Domingo Santana are among the yet-unsigned names who’ve had some recent success. Then again, MLB.com’s Jason Beck suggests that the organization might prefer a left-handed bat for some lineup balance, and the market for lefty hitters is a bit more sparse. Jarrod Dyson is available, and if the Tigers want to dial up a reunion tour, familiar names like Curtis Granderson and Matthew Joyce are still free agents.

For the rebuilding Tigers, though, spending on an outfielder probably isn’t a priority in the way that Schoop and Cron were, as they do have a handful of somewhat intriguing options in house already. The team’s 2017 Rule 5 pick, Victor Reyes, brushed off a terrible rookie season (as many Rule 5ers endure) to deliver a .304/.336/.431 slash in 292 plate appearances. Much of that was BABIP-driven, but it’s understandable that they’re interested in getting a longer look at a player they selected with the No. 1 pick in the aforementioned Rule 5 Draft.

Detroit also picked up outfielder Travis Demeritte in the trade that sent Shane Greene to Atlanta. He struggled mightily in his first 186 MLB plate appearances, but he also posted a monster season in Triple-A and only turned 25 at the end of the season. Former No. 34 overall pick Christin Stewart struggled in his own look in the Majors this year but has a solid track record in Triple-A himself and was impressive in a 2018 cup of coffee. In center, JaCoby Jones shook off a terrible start to the season to hit .258/.335/.483 in his final 70 games. Detroit also has prospect Daz Cameron in the wings at Triple-A, although he’ll need to bounce back from an ugly 2019 effort to get a look in the big leagues.

Obviously, if the Tigers were aiming to contend in 2020, this group wouldn’t be close to sufficient, but that’s not the organization’s aim. There’s surely some merit to bringing in a more experienced option in the spirit of competitiveness, though, and the Tigers have shown a past willingness to do so (e.g. Cron, Schoop, Tyson Ross, Josh Harrison, Matt Moore) while some other rebuilding clubs more staunchly eschew adding any free agents of note. Whether that leads to a deal can’t be known, but Avila at the very least noted that the team is “talking to some agents” (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen), suggesting that the open market is a likelier path to an addition than the trade market.

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