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Latest On Potential 2020 Season

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9:26am: MLB has issued a statement acknowledging that the league has “discussed the idea of staging games at one location” but emphasizing that it has “not settled on that option or developed a detailed plan.” The announcement makes clear that the league is exploring many possibilities for responsibly holding a 2020 season and has continued to “interact regularly with governmental and public health officials” in support of that mission.

Ultimately, per the statement, MLB is “not ready at this time to endorse any particular format for staging games in light of the rapidly changing public health situation caused by the coronavirus.”

12:16am: Because of the coronavirus, we already know that at least part of the 2020 Major League Baseball Season – if it occurs – could take part in Arizona. Jeff Passan of ESPN sheds more light on what may be a strange baseball season, writing that all 30 major league teams might play spectator-less games “in the greater Phoenix area,” including the Diamondbacks’ home stadium (Chase Field) and 10 nearby spring training venues, if not other facilities. Agent Scott Boras said that Chase Field could host as many as three games a day, Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reports.

Should this plan come to fruition, it might allow the league to begin its season sometime in May. The players wouldn’t be thrilled with possibly having to spend months away from their families, Passan notes, though the fact that they’d be receiving a paycheck is enticing. Plus, high-ranking members of the Major League Baseball Players Association talked Saturday “with health officials who offered the plan as the clearest way for baseball to restart,” writes Passan, who adds that the union and the league started discussing the idea Monday. Their talks on the matter are likely to continue this week.

If a season does take place, it would likely require a two- to three-week spring training tuneup beforehand, per Passan. And if someone from one of the organizations happens to contract the coronavirus then or during the season, “officials do not believe that a positive alone would necessarily be cause to quarantine an entire team or shut down the season,” Passan writes. Rather, the possibility may lead to expanded rosters and more players receiving major league service time, which is appealing to the union.

So, in the event that the campaign gets underway in Arizona, what might it entail? Passan lays it out in his piece: Owing to social distancing, we could see an electronic strike zone and no mound visits from catchers and coaches. There’s also a chance of seven-inning doubleheaders to increase the number of games played. Nothing about this is ideal, but for the league and its fans, it could be better than no baseball at all.

Bryce Harper Discusses Contract Situation Of Phillies, J.T. Realmuto

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If you ask Phillies star Bryce Harper, the team needs to do what it takes to retain backstop J.T. Realmuto. Harper discussed that important contractual situation and other topics in a recent chat with Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

It’s debatable how best to interpret Harper’s comments — prediction or exhortation, or both — but not his underlying desire to see Realmuto stay with him in Philly. Harper lavished praise on Realmuto, saying: “I think the Phillies organization absolutely loves J.T. and our team absolutely loves him as well.”

Harper obviously isn’t negotiating contracts, but with twelve seasons left on his own monumental deal his opinion holds greater weight than those of your average veteran star. He says of Realmuto: “Us as an organization, we have to understand that he’s going to help us in the years to come and if you want the best catcher in baseball then we’ll make that happen.”

“I don’t think anybody should fear us not getting J.T. back,” Harper continued. “I want him more than anything, so I mean it’s something we need to make happen as an organization.”

That’s shy of a promise but something more than a mere expression of personal preferences. Harper did go on to say that the club will “hopefully” find a way to keep Realmuto around, and there’s no particular reason to believe he’s operating on inside information here, but it’s rather interesting to see how strongly he phrased things.

When last we looked, the Phillies and Realmuto had paused their discussions on a pre-season extension. Not long after, a leaguewide moratorium on contract discussions went into effect. Realmuto has reportedly sought a monster contract that would approach or even exceed the record catching deal of Buster Posey.

It’s fair to wonder whether the suspension of the 2020 season will have an impact on negotiations if and when they resume. Realmuto will certainly not have an opportunity at a typical platform year. And it’s anyone’s guess at this point how the 2020-21 free agent market will function.

AL West Notes: Astros, Angels, Rangers

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Let’s check in on the latest notes from around the American League West …

  • With or without baseball in 2020, the Astros will soon be faced with a gaping void in the outfield, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle observes. Each of George Springer, Michael Brantley and Josh Reddick are slated to hit the open market at season’s end. And while top prospect Kyle Tucker can hopefully step up as an everyday option in their absence, the organization has little else waiting in the wings. Astros steal Yordan Alvarez is regarded as a part-time corner outfielder at best, while fleet-footed Myles Straw has looked like more of a reserve type than a regular. That trio’s potential departure does open up some payroll space, but the ’Stros already have more than $134MM in luxury tax obligations — and that’s before arbitration raises to Carlos Correa, Roberto Osuna, Lance McCullers Jr., Chris Devenski, Aledmys Diaz and Joe Biagini.
  • The Angels weren’t able to land any of their top rotation targets in free agency this winter, but general manager Billy Eppler and his staff hope that an emphasis on improved receiving from their catchers will contribute to better results on the pitching staff, writes Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Max Stassi and Jason Castro are considered to be two of the game’s best in terms of pitch framing, and the pair spoke about the fact that it’s not necessarily a coincidence that they’re considered as such. Both were with the Astros in 2013 when Astros analyst Mike Fast presented on the importance of the skill to Houston catchers during Spring Training. Both backstops provide their thoughts on the skill as a whole — Castro on why he feels “framing” is a misnomer and Stassi giving his thoughts on a potential automated strike zone. Framing has become an increased point of emphasis for the Angels in recent years, per Eppler: “…[I]f you have a catcher who you know can present a ball well and receive a ball well, that gives confidence to your pitchers and could potentially move a count from 2-1 to 1-2.”
  • Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels updated reporters on his organization, as Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram relays. Of note, three members of the organization – all minor leaguers – have shown coronavirus symptoms. Fortunately, those players seem to be recovering well. Meanwhile, after suffering a fractured jaw just under a month ago, outfielder Willie Calhoun continues to progress. Calhoun “has no limitations” at this point, Wilson writes. Assuming there is a season, Calhoun just might break out in 2020 after a promising showing last year.

Assessing Brodie Van Wagenen’s Trades

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If you’re an MLBTR fan, then you know we’ve recently been asking readers to evaluate the trade histories of various high-ranking executives (or former execs) from around Major League Baseball. We’ve already polled you on Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen, recently fired Astros president Jeff Luhnow, Brewers president of baseball ops David Stearns, Angels GM Billy Eppler, Rockies GM Jeff Bridich, Tigers GM Al Avila, Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins, Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto, Phillies GM Matt Klentak, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, Rays GM Erik Neander and ex-Red Sox front office leader Dave Dombrowski.

It’s now time to go to New York and check in on the trades that GM Brodie Van Wagenen, a former agent, has swung since the team persuaded him to switch careers after the 2018 season. Considering he has only been on the job for two years, Van Wagenen’s body of work isn’t particularly large, but it’s one that’s sure to elicit some strong opinions (minor deals omitted; full details at transaction link)…

2018-19 Offseason

2019 Season

2019-20 Offseason

(Poll link for app users)

MLB Contemplating Staging Part Of 2020 Season In Arizona

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In search of creative solutions to the myriad problems posed by the coronavirus pandemic, MLB and the MLB Players’ Association have held initial discussions regarding a plan that would center at least part of the 2020 season in Arizona. Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reported on the latest developments in the ever-evolving effort.

It’s an interesting concept, at least in theory, given the presence of so many high-quality baseball facilities in the greater Phoenix area. The entire Cactus League apparatus would be available in addition to the Diamondbacks’ home park of Chase Field.

Staging contests in one metro area would drastically limit the cost, time, and risk of plane travel — potentially facilitating a much fuller schedule (more packed and later into the year) than would otherwise be possible. Teams are accustomed to marshaling necessary logistical resources in this area. And concentrating medical and other resources in one area might make it possible to navigate the exceedingly tricky matters that are sure to arise.

Needless to say, this wouldn’t be baseball-as-usual. Agent Scott Boras notes that the league would have to essentially define a group of participants (players, coaches, umpires, trainers, etc.) who’d have “very limited access … to the outside world” and would be “constantly tested.” It seems clear that such an approach would feature no or limited spectators at the ballparks. Even if fans were ultimately allowed in, there’s obviously no way the gate would come anywhere close to its typical levels.

The aim in this effort, should it even be pursued, would be to get the game on television sets across the country. There may even be a built-in competitive advantage for baseball as against the other major sports, which are also staring at difficult challenges. It’s certainly easier to imagine baseball being played, with appropriate protection and monitoring, than other sports that involve much more regular and intense physical contact between participants.

Clearly, this idea is still in its infancy, faces numerous challenges of its own, and is only one of many possibilities. It may ultimately function as a bridge to a more-typical playing situation, should that become possible. Depending upon one’s perspective, this all-Arizona approach could be a sobering disappointment … or an optimistic indication that the league and players are working hard to ensure that some kind of campaign is possible.

That Time The Yankees Pursued Craig Kimbrel

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Possessing an excellent closer is one of the many things the Yankees have become known for over the years. There was Dave Righetti, Goose Gossage and Sparky Lyle decades back. And then there was John Wetteland, who was on the mound when the Yankees won the World Series in 1996. He formed a dominant late-game tandem with Mariano Rivera, who soon became the Yankees’ closer and evolved into perhaps the greatest reliever ever – someone who consistently shut opposing offenses down for almost 20 years. Now, the Yankees have yet another game-ending force in Aroldis Chapman, a two-time member of the team since it first acquired him in December 2015. But months before the Yankees swung a trade for Chapman, they went after another of the top closers in history in Craig Kimbrel.

Leading up to the trade deadline on July 31, 2015, the Yankees were said to be among the teams in hottest pursuit of Kimbrel, then a member of the Padres. New York held a six-game lead in the American League East at that point, thanks in part to the wonderful work of relievers Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances and Justin Wilson, but it wanted yet another bullpen weapon in Kimbrel. Then 27 years old, Kimbrel was fresh off an all-world run with Atlanta and in his first season in San Diego.

The Padres landed Kimbrel the previous offseason with the goal of pushing for contention, but the team instead endured more struggles. That wasn’t the fault of Kimbrel, who enjoyed yet another fine season. Despite interest from teams like the Yankees – who were reportedly unwilling to trade then-prospects Luis Severino, Aaron Judge and Greg Bird for the reliever – Kimbrel wound up spending that entire year with the Padres. They went on to win just 77 games, while the Yankees lost their division lead to the Blue Jays after the deadline and were ultimately knocked out of the wild-card round by the Astros (another team that looked into Kimbrel before the deadline).

The fact that the Kimbrel talks between the Yankees and Padres fell apart turned out to have a major impact on those two teams and more clubs. In November 2015, the Padres found a taker for Kimbrel in the Yankees’ hated rival, the Red Sox, who got him for a prospect package consisting of outfielder Manuel Margot, shortstop Javier Guerra, infielder Carlos Asuaje and lefty Logan Allen. Nobody from that group has made a significant on-field impact for the Padres (the jury’s out on Guerra, who’s now a reliever), but they did flip Margot for an outstanding bullpen arm in Emilio Pagan this past offseason. Prior to then, the Padres shipped Allen to the Indians last summer as part of a three-team trade that netted them high-end outfield prospect Taylor Trammell.

For their part, it’s fair to say the Red Sox would make the Kimbrel trade again. He was an integral part of their bullpen from 2016-18, all of which were playoff seasons and the last of which ended in the club’s most recent World Series championship. The Red Sox bettered the Yankees in each of those regular seasons with three straight AL East titles, but they elected to let Kimbrel (now a Cub) exit via free agency in 2019.

Speaking of the Cubs, they’re another team that has felt some impact from the Kimbrel non-trade between the Padres and Yankees. Having failed to reel in Kimbrel, the Yankees picked up Chapman from the Reds in December 2015. Chapman didn’t cost the Yankees that much (second baseman Tony Renda and righties Rookie Davis and Caleb Cotham) because he was facing domestic violence allegations at the time. He served a 30-game suspension for that to begin the 2016 campaign. Then, with the Yankees not looking like a real threat to compete for a title, they sent Chapman to the Cubs in a deal for Gleyber Torres around that summer’s deadline.

Four years later, Torres is a standout middle infielder and an irreplaceable member of the Yankees’ lineup. He’s missed in Chicago, but Chapman did help them to their first World Series in 108 years a few months after they acquired him. As the saying goes, flags fly forever. Chapman returned to the Yankees in free agency during the ensuing offseason, though. And Kimbrel’s now a member of the Cubs, who signed him to a three-year, $43MM contract that hasn’t gone their way thus far. Where would he and Chapman be right now had the Yankees traded for Kimbrel a half-decade ago? Nobody can say for sure, but it’s one of the many interesting questions to ponder in this what-if scenario.

Flashback: The Spring 2014 Contract Spat Between Max Scherzer & The Tigers

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In the 2013-14 offseason, the Tigers were still riding high. Despite some postseason disappointments, the organization had run off three-straight AL Central titles and seemed poised for more. It also had a slate of big-time veterans coming ever closer to free agency.

The top priority, it seemed, was emergent ace Max Scherzer. He had seemingly supplanted Justin Verlander as the top dog on one of the best rotations in recent memory. But free agency beckoned at the end of 2014, Scherzer’s age-29 season.

You may recall that the Tigers ended up making a major long-term deal … but not with Scherzer. (No doubt we’ll write more on that one at some point soon.) Instead, club and player ended up engaging in a somewhat terse exchange of statements to the press at the end of camp, setting the stage for Scherzer’s ultimate departure.

After showing so much tantalizing ability over the years, the former first-round draft pick finally put it all together in 2013. Scherzer spun 214 1/3 innings of 2.90 ERA ball, racking up 10.1 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 and leading the league with a 0.970 WHIP. Scherzer not only nabbed his first All-Star appearance, but secured his first Cy Young Award.

The Tigers spent big and went for it under long-time owner Mike Ilitch, with veteran exec Dave Dombrowski swinging deals from the GM seat. Pursuit of an extension with Scherzer was inevitable.

Trouble was, Scherzer had taken his time turning into a complete pitcher. By the time the team was ready to place its bet on his future, he had ample leverage. And he had the game’s foremost lever puller running his negotiations: super-agent Scott Boras, long known for bringing his top clients to the open market.

Early-offseason moves freed some payroll availability; Dombrowski told MLBTR’s Zach Links the flexibility would make a Scherzer extension “more possible.” The sides were able to line up on a record-setting arbitration raise, which seemed generally promising. Scherzer indicated that he’d like to reach agreement on a deal to stay in Detroit for the long run.

And then came … a truly bizarre, late-spring exchange. We’ve occasionally seen teams issue statements when negotiations with a superstar fail to culminate in an agreement. But rarely are they so transparently salty as the one the Tigers unfurled …

“The Detroit Tigers have made a substantial, long-term contract extension offer to Max Scherzer that would have placed him among the highest paid pitchers in baseball, and the offer was rejected. As we have reiterated, it has been the organization’s intent to extend Max’s contract and keep him in a Tigers uniform well beyond the 2014 season. While this offer would have accomplished that, the ballclub’s focus remains on the start of the upcoming season, and competing for a World Championship. Moving forward there will be no further in-season negotiation and the organization will refrain from commenting on this matter.”

Well, then! Boras, naturally, responded. He wasn’t quite so spiteful, but certainly landed his own well-placed shot that left no doubt as to his views on the equal standing of the bargaining parties:

“Max Scherzer made a substantial long-term contract extension offer to the Detroit Tigers that would have placed him among the highest-paid pitchers in baseball, and the offer was rejected by Detroit. Max is very happy with the city of Detroit, the fans and his teammates, and we will continue negotiating with the Tigers at season’s end.”

So it seemed both sides had made their offers; neither proved amenable to further compromise. It emerged that the Tigers’ best offer was a match of the extant comparable of record: the six-year, $144MM Cole Hamels extension with the Phillies. The warring statements drew mixed reactions from the pundit class, but the consensus was that this number was never particularly likely to budge Boras and Scherzer.

Rather than bowing to worry over the season separating him from free agency, Scherzer took out an insurance policy. He was nearly as good in 2014 as he was in the season prior, landing a fifth-place Cy Young finish, obviating the need for that policy, and setting the stage for a proper bidding war. While there was indication at times that the Tigers remained involved, the team showed tepid interest and was not a finalist when push came to shove.

Scherzer, of course, signed a huge contract with the Nationals. Though the face value of $210MM didn’t account for deferrals, it handily topped the prior Tigers offer. Perhaps it was just as well for the Detroit organization. While the club was successful again in Scherzer’s final year, it crumbled in 2015, with Dombrowski stunningly departing after the trade deadline. Then again, Scherzer’s ongoing dominance made even that monster contract a relative bargain. Had the Tigers gone higher in their extension offer and managed to secure his services for the long haul, Scherzer would’ve been a nice trade chip to cash in and jump-start the rebuild.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

A.J. Puk Making Progress In Recovery From Shoulder Injury

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Athletics lefty A.J. Puk was slowed by some shoulder trouble in early March, creating some unwelcome uncertainty for a player that just returned late last year from a major injury. Fortunately, Puk has been throwing throughout the COVID-19 shutdown and has progressed to long-tossing from 120 feet, he said in an appearance on Susan Slusser’s A’s Plus podcast (audio link).

Medical review had seemingly ruled out the most troubling potential scenarios. But Puk’s outlook was still a bit unclear when last we checked in. It seems he’s now firmly on the upswing/

“It’s probably the best my shoulder’s felt in awhile actually,” said Puk. “Coming back from Tommy John, a lot of people always seem to talk about how your shoulder kind of flares up and you’ve just got to work through it. I think I was at that stage.”

Puk, the former No. 6 overall pick, added that he has access to mounds from which to throw at nearby facilities. He and fellow top prospect Jesus Luzardo chatted with Slusser about the state of their workouts amid the current stoppage, detailed the ways they’ve kept busy and shared their thoughts on a potentially shortened season or playing in front of empty parks.

Al Kaline Passes Away

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Tigers legend Al Kaline passed away Monday at his home at the age of 85, a family friend confirmed to John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press. An 18-time All-Star, a 10-time Gold Glover in the outfield, the 1955 AL batting champ and a key contributor on Detroit’s 1968 World Series-winning roster, Kaline is among the very best to ever play the game and joins Ty Cobb among the top players to ever suit up for the Tigers organization.

The Baltimore native posted a career .297/.376/.480 batting line with 3007 hits, 399 home runs, 498 doubles, 75 triples, 137 steals, 1622 runs scored and 1582 RBIs, establishing himself as the face of a generation of Tigers baseball from his debut in 1953 to the time he retired in 1974. He is the Tigers’ all-time leader in games played, home runs and walks, and he trails only franchise greats and fellow Cooperstown inductees like Cobb, Hank Greenberg and Charlie Gehringer in virtually all key offensive categories. His No. 6 was retired by the club in 1980, making him the first recipient of that honor.

Kaline’s importance to the organization reaches immeasurably beyond his on-field accolades, however. Even after he retired as a player, the next generation of Tigers fans who didn’t have the good fortune to watch him play instead grew up listening to his insights, anecdotes and experience as one of the voices of Tigers baseball. He also served as a special assistant in the club’s front office and regularly appeared in Spring Training to work with upcoming waves of young Tiger talent.

Kaline will be remembered both as a one of the all-time greats and a revered gentleman off the field. He was named the 1970 Fred Hutchison Award winner, recognizing “character and competitive spirit” and also named the winner of the 1973 Roberto Clemente Award. Media members, former teammates and Tigers players alike have flocked to social media to express their sorrow over the loss of one of the game’s iconic figures.

Said Justin Verlander: “Such a kind and generous man who meant so much to so many. I hope you knew how much I enjoyed our conversations about baseball, life, or just giving each other a hard time. I am honored to have been able to call you my friend for all these years. R.I.P. Mr Tiger, Al Kaline.” James McCann, John Hicks, Niko Goodrum, Grayson Greiner and Jake Rogers are among the many recent Tigers players who have echoed similar sentiments on Twitter.

We at MLB Trade Rumors join those around baseball in expressing heartfelt condolences to the friends, family, loved ones and legions of fans whose lives have been touched by Kaline.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

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