Happy Valentine’s Day to all of those who are celebrating! With pitchers and catchers reporting for most of the baseball world tomorrow, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Profar stands alone.
With Michael Wacha agreeing to terms in San Diego this morning, Jurickson Profar is the last man standing from MLBTR’s Top 50 free agent list back in November. With pitchers and catchers formally reporting this week — and many others already down in their teams’ spring camps — there figures to be some increased urgency for the remaining names to find landing spots (hence recent deals for Wacha, Andrew Chafin, Michael Fulmer).
Of course, the opening of camps could create some new opportunities for the remaining free agents; it’s likely that teams will run into some unexpected health issues in the coming days and weeks. On the pitching side of things, we’ve already seen the Yankees’ rotation impacted by Nestor Cortes Jr.’s grade 2 hamstring strain and by Frankie Montas’ shoulder injury. The Brewers announced last week that Aaron Ashby is dealing with shoulder fatigue and might not be ready for the start of the regular season. Reds reliever Tejay Antone is out for an extended period to begin the season after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection to address a flexor strain.
None of those pitching injuries will directly impact Profar’s market, but as position players begin to report to camp, go through intake physicals and begin ramping up for the season, new opportunities could come to light. Any corner outfield injuries that pop up in the weeks to come will be worth keeping a close eye on with regard to Profar.
2. Arbitration season continues:
The Angels went to arbitration against infielder Luis Rengifo yesterday, according to the AP. In his first trip through arbitration, Rengifo’s camp filed at $2.3MM while the Angels countered at $2MM. Due to Rengifo’s status as a first time arb-eligible player, this hearing is particularly crucial for his future earnings as arbitration salaries tend to use previous salaries as a baseline. Rengifo joins fellow Angel Hunter Renfroe and a trio of Rays (Colin Poche, Harold Ramirez, and Ryan Thompson) among players waiting on an announcement of the decision after their arbitration hearing earlier in the month. Per the AP, nine more players remain scheduled for hearings throughout the week.
3. MLBTR Chat Today
Do you have any questions regarding your favorite team or the larger baseball world as the 30 clubs gear up for Spring Training and make their last minute offseason moves? MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be fielding questions from readers today during a live chat at 11am CT. If you would like to ask questions in advance, you can do so here. That same link will also take you to the chat when it begins if you would like to participate live.
Profar will resign with the padres if I had to guess. 2 years 15m is my guess.
Seems like the obvious choice. Is there a place on the team for Profar?
Maybe as a 4th outfielder. I’d assume the Padres are planning on having a left-to-right alignment of Soto-Grisham-Tatis Jr. He’s probably a better offensive option than Adam Engel or Jose Azocar, but you also get the downside of he can’t play center field.
With the reports today that Soto will play left that makes me think they won’t add profar. Soto was pretty clear he didn’t care where he played but he wants to only play one position. Profar I don’t think is going to signed to play right though I could be wrong, even as a platoon player.
Man that has got to be the best outfield unit in the majors, no? Quite a lineup they’ve put together, as long as they can get them all on the field for most of the season.
And score 20 runs a night starting pitching is so so
anyone can put together an OF like that when they pay for it.
He can start the 1st 20 games while tatis is out. Then become a 4th outfielder, tatis will see some time in center allowing for at bats. It’s also possible tatis plays some infield as well at times. I could still see Profar getting 400-500 at bats specially if Cruz or carpenter suck. Nobody is going to play every single day. Not sure he really has a better option at the moment.
Might as well. They signed everyone else
Agree, add Profar 2/15 with an option. Whats another 7.5 million at this point.
Time to go all in, double down.
Attendance and merch sales are way up. Even where I live, there is a lot of Padres fanfare now.
I’ve seen a few Tatis jersey here in Denver, Tijuana seem to be excited because of the latino players and paying attention.
Profar will sign for less than he opted out of and will not start.
I believe it.
Profar has been consistently inconsistent over his career. I don’t see why the media projected a 30 year old player being paid based on the career year he had last year. He may regress to below league average again. Fangraphs expects a regression to league average. How many young players can provide that value for less than half of what Profar is asking?
The media/”most” writers do not have much business acumen for long-term payroll management….or putting themselves in the shoes of what is best for a particular club at a given time as far as smartly allocating its resources.
Some clubs also have the audacity to see what needs are truly most pressing to pay for in trade midseason (if they are doing well enough) rather than pay retail for an okay player.
Profar will keep standing with the contract demands he stated earlier.
I imagine he will be more realistic once the games start and he is still standing.
It is rather ridiculous we’re over two weeks away from Renfroe’s hearing with no announcement.
I understand not wanting to influence other hearings but both the player and organization deserve tte right to move forward.
They are moving forward. The delay in the result doesn’t stop anything. Its just a minor inconvenience.
If you are near your payroll limit, you need to know how much more room you have left if any.
Not the case here, but a valid point. SD just out bid 29 other teams for Wacha. They evidently weren’t on hold.
Well, Profar is originally an infielder so he’s still considered a utility player. With the recent news of Eguy Rosario being lost for half the season, I can see the Padres signing Profar as 4th OF and infield depth. Question is, how close are the Padres to the next threshold for CBT because it may prevent them from wanting to sign him.
They most likely just crossed over it with the wacha signing. So that doesn’t matter much but the tax is like 92% on every dollar going forward which would make signing profar very expensive.
They made it pretty clear last year that then no longer see Profar as an infield possibility..and the way they’re talking about Carp possibly moving around the infield and outfield, I don’t see a place for Jurickson. My guess is, he ends up in Texas.
I think the rangers already kicked the tires and decided he wasn’t much if any of an upgrade over Brad Miller and the kids
Stick him in CF
I’d prefer to see what taveras can do in cf for a whole season
Tatis playing CF? If Grish not hitting
Grish’s defense is still worth playing him, and no way he’s as bad as last year.
Justice for Dylan Bundy.
Japan is calling….
Answer the phone Jurickson!!!!
Profar overplayed his hand, when he should have folded
Wonder what his camp is looking for. I can’t imagine, he’s expecting to get what his original player option was ($10 million) especially at this point in the year. He could probably get something like $6-$8 million AAV for two years.
He turned down 8.3 option probably wants like 11m
“I don’t know why no one’s signed me”
-GotTheYips-on Throwfar