Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for March 2022

Dodgers Re-Sign Jimmy Nelson

By | at

MARCH 17: Nelson receives a $700K salary in 2022, reports Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (on Twitter). The club option is valued at $1.1MM and contains possible performance bonuses.

MARCH 15: Right-hander Jimmy Nelson appears to be back with the Dodgers, as he’s in their clubhouse this morning, tweets Pedro Moura of the L.A. Times. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic tweets that a locker for Nelson is set up. Nelson signed a one-year, Major League contract with a club option that covers the 2023 season, tweets Ardaya.

It’s not clear whether Nelson, a CAA client, is back on a minor league deal or whether he inked a big league deal. If it’s the latter, it’d presumably grant the Dodgers control over Nelson’s 2023  season as well, given that he’s unlikely to pitch for most of the current season. Nelson had Tommy John and flexor repair surgery last August, which should sideline him for the vast majority or the entirety of the upcoming 2022 season.

When healthy, Nelson was a powerhouse in the L.A. bullpen. In 29 innings of relief, Nelson posted a 1.86 ERA while punching out 37.9% of the 116 batters he faced. The former Brewers righty averaged 94 mph on his heater and logged a hefty 14.9% swinging-strike rate during that brief run. It was a notable turnaround from an ugly 2019 campaign that saw Nelson post a near-7.00 ERA in a similar sample of innings while attempting to mend from a notable injury.

Early in his career, Nelson looked well on his way to establishing himself as a key member of the rotation in Milwaukee. From 2015-17, he made 91 starts, tallied 532 innings and notched a collective 4.08 earned run average. Nelson’s 2017 season, in particular, had the makings of a potential high-end starter. In 175 1/3 frames that year, Nelson posted a 3.49 ERA with a big 27.3% strikeout rate against a tiny 6.6% walk rate.

Unfortunately, however, Nelson suffered a torn labrum and a partially torn rotator cuff while sliding into second base in an early September game during that 2017 season. He underwent surgery to repair that shoulder — a procedure that wiped out not only his final month of the ’17 season but his entire 2018 campaign. Nelson returned to the Brewers in 2019 but was limited to just 22 innings by an elbow injury. Milwaukee non-tendered him following the season.

It’s a disheartening sequence of major injuries that have clearly derailed the career of a highly talented hurler. Nelson will spend the bulk of the 2022 season rehabbing, but by the time he makes it back to the mound, he’ll be 33 years old with just 51 total MLB innings under his belt since injuring that shoulder as a 28-year-old. Hopefully, Nelson will be able to put the ongoing arm issues behind him, as it’s clear that when he’s healthy enough to take the hill, he can be an impact part of a big league bullpen.

Trevor Bauer’s Administrative Leave Extended Through April 16

By | at

TODAY: Bauer’s administrative leave has been extended another month, through April 16 (Jorge Castillo of The Los Angeles Times was among those to report the news.)  The timing ensures that Bauer will miss at least the first week of the regular season.

MARCH 11: Trevor Bauer has been placed on a week-long administrative leave by the league, as first reported by MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter links).  The leave will run from March 13 to March 19, and Bauer also won’t report to the Dodgers’ Spring Training camp prior to the 13th.  Major League Baseball is still considering whether or not to issue a suspension to Bauer, as per the MLB/MLBPA’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.

Bauer has been on paid administrative leave since July, shortly after a woman in California made allegations of sexual assault and had a temporary ex parte restraining order filed against Bauer.  In February, the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office announced that criminal charges weren’t being pursued against Bauer, as “After a thorough review of the available evidence, including the civil restraining order proceedings, witness statements and the physical evidence, the People are unable to prove the relevant charges beyond a reasonable doubt.”

As per the MLB/MLBPA’s joint policy, the league can still issue a suspension even in the absence of criminal charges, as has been the case with most of the suspensions filed since the policy was first introduced in August 2015.  Commissioner Rob Manfred has the broad authority to issue suspensions of any length or severity, and suspended players can appeal to an arbitration panel if they disagree with the commissioner’s decision.  It is expected that Bauer will indeed appeal any suspension levied against him.

Beyond the case in California, reports also surfaced this past summer of a previous ex parte temporary civil stalking protection order granted to a woman in Ohio against Bauer in June and July of 2020.  This protection order was in regards to another alleged incident that took place involving Bauer and the woman in 2017, when Bauer was a member of the Indians.

The league hasn’t interviewed Bauer since July, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.  While the league’s investigation has now been ongoing for over eight months, it seems as though both the lockout and the pending decision from the L.A. County D.A.’s Office led to the delay.  That said, it still isn’t clear when exactly the league may render its own judgement on a possible suspension.

Cubs To Sign Mychal Givens

By | at

The Cubs are in agreement with reliever Mychal Givens on a one-year, $5MM guarantee, reports Jesse Rogers of ESPN (Twitter links). Givens will make a $3.5MM salary next season, and there’s a $1.5MM buyout on a 2023 mutual option. The right-hander can make up to $6.25MM in bonuses, Rogers adds.

It’s yet another bullpen pickup for the Cubs, who have revamped the relief corps in recent days. Chicago has also signed David Robertson, Chris Martin, Daniel Norris and swingman Steven Brault to big league deals since the lockout ended. They’ve also brought in Jesse Chavez, Robert Gsellman and Adrian Sampson as non-roster invitees to big league camp.

Givens has been a bullpen workhorse since debuting with the Orioles in 2015. He’s tied for fourth in relief innings pitched over the past six seasons, working 366 1/3 frames over 338 appearances. Givens hasn’t spent any time on the injured list since his rookie year, and he’s consistently provided his managers with an effective arm they can frequently call upon in the middle innings.

Part of an elite back-end group alongside Zack Britton and Brad Brach in his early days with the Orioles, Givens has settled in as “merely” a solid middle relief arm over the past few seasons. He hasn’t posted a sub-3.00 ERA since his 2017 campaign in Baltimore, but he has a mark below 4.00 in three of the last four years. That includes a 3.35 mark in 51 innings last year with the Rockies and Reds, for whom he combined to accrue eight saves.

Givens’ peripherals didn’t quite align with that ERA, though, no doubt contributing to his settling for a one-year pact. The former second-round pick struck out a marginally above-average 25% of batters faced, but his 12.5% walk percentage was a career-high. That’s a couple points north of the league average, and it marked Givens’ third consecutive season issuing free passes at greater than a 10% clip.

Spotty control notwithstanding, Givens adds a durable live arm to the mix for manager David Ross. He averaged 95 MPH on his fastball last season, and the high-spin offering generated plenty of swinging strikes. The low-slot righty has also been a nightmare for opposing right-handed hitters throughout his career, holding them to a .194/.271/.330 slash line. He wasn’t nearly that dominant against same-handed batters last year (.250/.306/.470) but Cubs brass presumably believes the 31-year-old can bounce back in that regard.

The Cubs have overhauled a good portion of the roster in the past few months, but they’ve regrouped and at least made the team much more competitive than it had been towards the end of last season. Chicago has added Seiya Suzuki, Jonathan Villar, Yan Gomes and Andrelton Simmons on the position player side; they’ve acquired Marcus Stroman and Wade Miley to strengthen the rotation and, as mentioned, have completely reshaped the bullpen. They’re still nowhere near the franchise-record $203MM payroll with which they opened the 2019 season, but the Givens pickup bumps them to around $152MM in projected player expenditures, in the estimation of Jason Martinez of Roster Resource. That’s a touch above last season’s $148MM season-opening mark.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Mets Sign Tzu-Wei Lin To Minor League Contract

By | at

The Mets are in agreement with Tzu-Wei Lin on a minor league contract, reports Michael Mayer of Metsmerized (on Twitter). Presumably, the lefty-hitting utilityman will take part in big league Spring Training.

Lin appeared briefly in the majors with the Red Sox in each season from 2017-20. Over that stretch, he appeared in 101 games and tallied 218 plate appearances, hitting .223/.298/.316 with a home run and two stolen bases. He spent the bulk of his time defensively in the middle infield while picking up occasional stray starts at third base and at all three outfield spots.

Boston outrgithed Lin off their 40-man roster at the end of the 2020 season, at which point he elected minor league free agency. He hooked on with the Twins on a minors deal and made it to the majors for the fifth consecutive year in the briefest of fashions. Lin was selected to the big league club in late April and entered one game as a defensive replacement in left field. He was outrighted off the roster not long after and assigned to Triple-A St. Paul. He barely played for the Saints, however, spending all but seven games on the minor league injured list.

Lin again elected free agency at the end of the year, and now he’ll add some versatile non-roster depth to the Mets organization. The Taiwan native has a .268/.327/.385 line in parts of four Triple-A campaigns. He has basically never hit for any power but he’s posted strong contact numbers throughout his time in the minors and was regarded as a solid defensive infielder during his time as a prospect.

Reds To Sign Colin Moran

By | at

3:29pm: The Reds have now announced the signing of Moran to a one-year, Major League contract. He’s guaranteed $1MM on the deal, tweets Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.

2:10pm: The Reds appear to have agreed to a deal with corner infielder Colin Moran, as C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic tweets that there’s a locker setup for the now-former Pirates infielder in the Reds’ clubhouse.

Moran, 29, was selected by the Marlins with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 draft but never played in the big leagues with Miami. Traded to the Astros alongside Jake Marisnick and Competitive Balance draft pick in exchange for Enrique Hernandez and righty Jarred Cosart, Moran got only a pair of brief looks in Houston before being traded to Pittsburgh along with Joe Musgrove as part of the deal that sent Gerrit Cole to the ’Stros.

After a pair of early trades, Moran finally got a long-term look with the Bucs, where he’s spent the past four seasons as a fixture in the lineup. After struggling defensively as Pirates’ primary third baseman from  2018-19, he moved across the diamond to begin logging more reps at first base. Moran’s glove has been better there, but defensive metrics are still fairly bearish on his glove overall.

Through 444 games and 1527 plate appearances with the Pirates, Moran posted a .269/.331/.419 batting line with 44 home runs, 71 doubles and a pair of triples. Moran walked in 8.1% of his plate appearances as a Pirate against a 22.1% strikeout rate. By measure of wRC+ and OPS+, Moran was a league-average hitter in his four years with the Pirates, who non-tendered him this past November rather than pay him a projected arbitration salary in the $4MM range.

While Moran’s glove isn’t going to win any awards and he struggles quite a bit against lefties, he’s a .280/.341/.440 hitter in his career versus right-handed pitching. Cincinnati has lefties Mike Moustakas and Joey Votto at the infield corners, so Moran seems likelier to get in some DH work against right-handed pitching at perhaps serve as the occasional pinch-hitter. At times in the past, Moran has looked as though he might have another gear at the plate; his average exit velocity in 2020 was a hearty 91.9 mph, and he posted excellent barrel and hard-hit rates, per Statcast (13.4% and 43.7%, respectively). Those numbers trended back down toward his career norms in 2021, however.

If the move to a fourth organization — and, more notably, to a much more homer-friendly ballpark — helps Moran take his offensive production to a new level, he could help Cincinnati beyond the 2022 season. With four-plus years of Major League service time, Moran is controlled through the 2023 season via arbitration.

The addition of Moran comes just a day after Cincinnati inked former Giants second baseman Donovan Solano to a one-year deal. The Reds have stripped down what was a competitive roster in 2021 by waiving Wade Miley and trading Sonny Gray, Jesse Winker, Tucker Barnhart and Eugenio Suarez. While the Reds picked up a few prospects, the moves were made not in an effort to rebuild the farm so much as to simply cut payroll. GM Nick Krall opened the offseason by saying the team needed to “align payroll to our resources,” and rather than pursue the maximum possible return on Winker after an All-Star season, he was included in a package deal that was focused on shedding the remaining $35MM on Suarez’s contract.

Krall said yesterday that he’s now focused on adding to the roster, but it appears the Reds will mostly upgrade around the margins after subtracting several key players. Bringing Moran into the mix gives the team a recognizable name, particularly within the NL Central, and adds a competent platoon bat to the bench, but the current Reds roster looks quite a bit weaker than the one that finished the 2021 season at 83-79 and spent much of the season in the Wild Card hunt.

Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays Drawing Trade Interest

By | at

In his latest notes column, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic indicates that rival teams are “asking the Orioles about” outfielders Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays. The veteran reporter cautions that a trade coming to fruition is unlikely, since Baltimore would like to “get a clearer picture of how their rebuilding plan is progressing before considering trades of their better players.”

It’s not surprising that the retooling Orioles are taking a wait-and-see approach with two of their more promising position players. Both Mullins and Hays come with four more years of team control and at ages 27 and 26, respectively, are likely to be in their primes when the Orioles turn a corner competitively.

While the O’s have been willing to listen to offers for Mullins (and presumably Hays) dating back to before the MLB lockout, it has long seemed that the team’s asking price would prove too prohibitive for inquiring clubs. That’s not to say a team in dire need of a center fielder or outfield thump in general won’t step up, but beyond the club control afforded by both players, each of Hays and Mullins is coming off a career year.

In 2021, the lefty-swinging Mullins made a name for himself with a .291/.360/.518 (135 OPS+) slash en route to a 9th-place MVP finish and Silver Slugger Award. Even that 9th-place finish may undercut how good Mullins was last season, as he remarkably played 159 games and served as MLB’s only 30-30 club member. Defensive metrics varied on the breakout player, but most agree he was at least an average defender in center field.

Hays had the quieter season but still supplied above-average production in the form of a .256/.308/.461 (106 OPS+) slash through 131 games. The right-handed hitter also swatted a career-high 22 home runs and 26 doubles that kept his slash line serviceable despite a below-average walk rate. A good deal of Hays’ value last season came from his glove. A center field-capable player, Hays spent most of his time in the outfield corners to generally positive reviews. As an arguably overqualified corner outfielder, Hays racked up 14 Defensive Runs Saved and a 3.1 bWAR in 2021.

Short of an offer that bowls them over, the Orioles are likely to hang onto two outfielders who thus far have the makings of core players. The team could see either player regress in the coming season, which is a very possible outcome given the limited track record of both players. Still, after five very losing seasons and a new collective bargaining agreement that included some anti-tanking measures, the Orioles may look to piece together a winning roster sooner rather than later.

Top prospect Adley Rutschman’s setback notwithstanding, the future in Baltimore looks to be brighter than it’s been for some time. Baseball America tabbed their farm system as the fourth best in the game in their latest farm rankings, calling attention to their five top-100 prospects— none of whom figure to be redundant on a roster with the aforementioned Hays and Mullins. The four-headed AL East monster above the Orioles in the standings may tempt the team to further bide their time and accumulate prospect capital. For the time being however, Baltimore appears set to hold off from doing anything too drastic.

Cubs Place Brad Wieck On 60-Day Injured List

By | at

The Cubs announced that left-hander Brad Wieck has been placed on the 60-day injured list due to a left elbow strain.  The placement creates a 40-man roster spot for Chris Martin, whose one-year deal with the Cubs is now official.

While Martin’s signing is one of several pitching additions made by the Cubs within the last week, the loss of Wieck for 60 days is a significant blow to the relief corps.  According to multiple reporters (including The Chicago Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro), Wieck’s elbow problem surfaced while he was throwing a bullpen session earlier this week.

After missing time due to testicular cancer and two separate heart issues over the last three seasons, Wieck has already dealt with more than his share of health concerns during his brief big league career.  Wieck has tossed 59 2/3 innings in The Show since his debut with the Padres in 2018, and he came to Chicago in the July 2019 deadline day trade that sent Carl Edwards Jr. to San Diego.

Wieck has racked up plenty of strikeouts (35.9% K-rate) during his career, even if his 9.7% walk rate and 15.4% homer rate are both on the high side.  Though Wieck walked 10 batters during his 17 innings of work last year, he avoided damage en route to a perfect 0.00 ERA for the 2021 season.

It provided a nice platform heading into the coming campaign, but Wieck will now be sidelined until at least the back half of May.  Wieck was penciled in as Chicago’s top left-handed relief option, and the recently-signed Daniel Norris may now take the lead as the first-choice southpaw until Wieck is healthy.

Braves Avoid Arbitration With Mike Soroka

By | at

The Braves announced an agreement with right-hander Mike Soroka on a contract for the 2022 season, thus avoiding arbitration.  Soroka will earn $2.8MM on the one-year deal.

The $2.8MM figure matches Soroka’s salary for 2021, which isn’t surprising since the Canadian righty didn’t pitch at all last season, and hasn’t set foot on a big league mound since August 3, 2020.  Soroka tore his Achilles on a fielding play during that game, and then suffered another tear last June that cost him a chance to participate in the Braves’ World Series-winning season.  It isn’t known exactly when Soroka might be able to return, though all parties are hopeful that Soroka could make it back by July.

As a Super Two player, Atlanta holds an extra year of arbitration control over Soroka, so he isn’t eligible until free agency until after the 2024 season.  There wasn’t any sense that the Braves would non-tender Soroka, both because of the extended team control, and because Soroka simply looked too good in his 2019 rookie to cut loose for nothing.  The righty posted a 2.68 ERA, 51.2% grounder rate, and 5.8% walk rate over 174 2/3 innings in 2019, earning a second-place finish in NL Rookie Of The Year voting and a sixth-place finish in Cy Young Award voting.

Unsurprisingly, Soroka’s arb situation was settled much more smoothly this season than last year, when Soroka gained his $2.8MM salary by winning an arbitration hearing.  With Soroka’s contract now settled for 2022, the Braves still have eight remaining arbitration-eligible players.

Yankees Place Domingo German On 60-Day Injured List

By | at

The Yankees have placed righty Domingo German on the 60-day injured list, the team announced.  The placement creates a 40-man roster spot for Anthony Rizzo, whose new deal with the club is now official.

New York manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Brendan Kuty of NJ.com) earlier this week that German was only just beginning his throwing program, after shoulder problems hampered him in January.  If German is essentially starting from scratch, the 60-day IL placement will allow him time to get fully ramped up through extended Spring Training, and he’ll be available for the Yankees by May.

German’s absence removes another arm from a Yankees’ rotation mix that arguably could’ve used some more reinforcement even if German had been healthy.  Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Luis Severino, Jameson Taillon, and Nestor Cortes give the Yankees a starting five, even if plenty of health questions surround Severino and Taillon (though Boone also said that Taillon’s October ankle surgery won’t keep him out of the Opening Day roster).  Michael King, Luis Gil, Deivi Garcia, or Clarke Schmidt form the first line of starter depth at Triple-A or in the bullpen, though none of that group has a proven MLB track record.

The same could also be said of German, as home run issues have been a big factor in his 4.54 ERA over 341 1/3 career innings in the majors.  German also missed the 2020 season while suspended under the league’s domestic violence policy, and shoulder inflammation limited him to 98 1/3 frames in 2021.  More shoulder problems can’t be seen as good news for German now, though there yet any indication that he could be facing a structural issue.

Twins Claim Jose Godoy From Giants

By | at

The Twins have claimed catcher Jose Godoy off waivers from the Giants, as announced by both teams.  The claim opens up a roster spot for Joc Pederson, whose new one-year contract with San Francisco is now official.

Godoy is changing teams for the second time in five days, as the Giants only just claimed the backstop off waivers from the Mariners earlier this week.  Godoy will head from one team experiencing a sea change behind the plate (due to Buster Posey’s retirement) to another, as the Twins just acquired Gary Sanchez from the Yankees and dealt Mitch Garver to the Rangers in a pair of trades.

Beyond Sanchez and Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota doesn’t have any other catchers in the organization with big league experience, so Godoy will provide some Triple-A depth.  Godoy’s 16 career MLB games (all with Seattle last year) don’t make for a lengthy Major League resume, but he does have eight years of minor league experience playing in the Cardinals farm system from 2012-19.  While Godoy isn’t particularly known for his bat, he does have a .292/.338/.424 slash line over 412 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.

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

hide arrows FOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top