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Offseason Outlook: Washington Nationals

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The Nationals were a little more competitive than expected into late summer. They’ve improved on last year’s 107-loss showing but are likely headed for a fourth straight last-place finish in the NL East. The rebuild continues.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Stephen Strasburg, RHP: $105MM through 2026 ($80MM in deferred payments between 2028-30)
  • Keibert Ruiz, C: $48MM through 2030 (deal includes club options for ’31 and ’32)
  • Patrick Corbin, LHP: $35MM through 2024 ($10MM in deferred payments between 2025-26)
  • Trevor Williams, RHP: $7MM through 2024

Option Decisions

  • Victor Robles, CF: $3.3MM club option (no buyout); would remain eligible for arbitration if team declines

2024 commitments: $85MM
Total future commitments (not including deferrals): $195MM

Arbitration-Eligible Players

Non-tender candidates: Robles, Smith, Chavis, Vargas, Arano, Kieboom

Free Agents

The Nationals may have already made what’ll be their most consequential decisions for the upcoming season. With manager Dave Martinez and GM Mike Rizzo in the final years of their respective contracts, the possibility existed for large-scale organizational changes. Instead, Washington has locked in leadership stability in recent weeks. Martinez signed a two-year extension with a team option for 2026; Rizzo inked a multi-year pact of unreported length not long after.

Rizzo has been at the helm for nearly a decade and a half, a tenure exceeded only by Brian Cashman (Yankees) and John Mozeliak (Cardinals) among current baseball operations leaders. Martinez will be headed into his seventh season leading the dugout. Both have had success in Washington before their ongoing rebuild — highlighted by their 2019 World Series victory — offering reason for optimism they can lead the franchise back to success.

That’s unlikely to happen in 2024, however. The Nationals have made progress this year, as their win percentage is up from 34.5% to 43.9%. After finishing as the worst team in the majors in 2022, they own the game’s 24th-best record this season. Yet there’s still a wide discrepancy between the quality of the current roster and one that’s capable of competing for a playoff spot.

It’s most evident in the rotation, which is allowing exactly five earned runs per nine with the league’s fourth-lowest strikeout rate. Washington has had rare stability for a rotation performing at that level. Only six pitchers have logged even 30+ innings as starters.

On the plus side, their best performers have been a pair of young players who could be key pieces on the next competitive Washington club. Josiah Gray (4.00) and MacKenzie Gore (4.42) have the best ERAs of the group. Neither pitcher has developed into a top-of-the-rotation arm. They each still issue a few too many walks, while Gore has battled the home run ball. Gray’s production has tailed off in the second half. These issues aside, both hurlers have performed as big league-capable starters over a full season. They’ve done enough to secure spots in next year’s rotation, when the club will hope at least one takes a step forward to solidify himself as an above-average starter.

There’s not as much optimism for the rest of the group. Jake Irvin doesn’t miss bats and looks best suited as a depth option. Joan Adon has never found big league success. Veterans Patrick Corbin and Trevor Williams are each under contract through 2024 and have taken their share of innings but without great production. Corbin is on his third straight season with an ERA above 5.00 as he plays on a lofty free agent contract that went awry after one year (albeit one in which he was a key contributor to the World Series win). The signing of Williams to a two-year deal last winter hasn’t panned out.

Stephen Strasburg remains on the roster after the surprising reversal of course on his planned retirement. Continuing to devote him a 40-man spot when he’s unlikely to ever pitch again is a bizarre decision on the organization’s part, though it’s not particularly consequential at this point of the rebuild.

Washington could run things back with the same rotation group, as everyone is either under contract or club control. Former first-round draftee Cade Cavalli could break back into the mix midseason after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March. The Nats have options to plug innings, which isn’t true of every rebuilding team. Still, aside from a step forward from one of Gore or Gray, they couldn’t project much better results than they received this season. It’d be a surprise if they didn’t bring in at least one starter who could push Irvin back to Triple-A or Williams into the long relief role he’s had for the bulk of his career.

It’s hard to envision the Nats spending at the top of the market. They could offer a rotation spot to a rebound candidate like Luis Severino, Frankie Montas or Alex Wood in the hope that player could serve as a midseason trade chip. If they wanted to secure some stability over multiple years without making a huge financial commitment, they could consider the likes of Michael Lorenzen or Mike Clevinger.

They’ll probably also add an arm or two to the relief corps, as Washington has the lowest bullpen strikeout rate in the league. It’s not time to play at the top of the market for Josh Hader or pursue a veteran closer in the Craig Kimbrel mold. There are a number of middle relievers who’ll be available on one or two-year deals that could add swing-and-miss to the group. Ryne Stanek, Shintaro Fujinami and Keynan Middleton are among the power arms available in free agency.

Any free agent pickups would join a relief corps led by Kyle Finnegan, Hunter Harvey, and quietly effective waiver pickup Robert Garcia. The Nats could listen to trade offers on Finnegan or Harvey, though they’re not under pressure to make a deal with both pitchers eligible for arbitration through 2025.

There’s more reason for optimism on the other side of the ball. Washington has the potential for a strong future position player core, most of which was acquired in trades of their last group of stars. Keibert Ruiz and CJ Abrams are already playing regular roles on the big league club. Abrams has had a solid season to secure the shortstop job. Ruiz hasn’t broken through, but he’ll get every opportunity behind the plate after last winter’s $50MM extension that runs through 2030.

Riley Adams is a good complementary backstop, so there’s no need to add a catcher. They’ll likely look to bring in infield help around Abrams. They’ve closed the season giving regular run to Dominic Smith, Luis García and Ildemaro Vargas around the infield. Smith has hit .254/.324/.361 in 571 plate appearances after signing a $2MM deal last offseason and could be non-tendered.

García turns 24 next May, and may be young enough to get another shot at second base. It might be his last chance. The left-handed hitter owns a .265/.299/.382 line with nine homers over 466 trips to the plate this season. He’s now a .265/.292/.394 hitter in 1229 PA and 320 MLB games over parts of four seasons. While García has plus contact skills, he hasn’t shown a discerning plate approach nor much power. The profile is built around a largely empty batting average right now. That’d be more tenable if García were a plus defender, but public metrics have graded him as a below-average second baseman over his career.

While García has youth and prospect pedigree on his side, there’s no argument for giving Vargas the third base job. The journeyman infielder has a .251/.305/.363 slash over a career-high 274 plate appearances. He’s a versatile defender with contact skills but limited offensive upside, much better suited for a utility role. He has held down the hot corner since the Nats traded Jeimer Candelario at the deadline. They’ll need to look outside the organization again this winter.

Last year’s signing of Candelario to a $5MM deal after he was non-tendered by Detroit worked out perfectly. They’ll have a hard time repeating that level of success — most free agent rebound fliers don’t bounce back the way Candelario did — but the Nationals will probably take a shot on a similar style of player. Candelario himself has likely played his way into a three-plus year deal that’ll take him out of Washington’s price range. Players like Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Joey Wendle should be available on a one-year pact, or Nick Senzel or Santiago Espinal could be non-tendered or traded for minimal return.

A one-year stopgap is probably all that’ll be required. Former first-round pick Brady House played his way to Double-A, where he hit .324/.358/.475 in 36 games at age 20. While it’s too soon to count on House as a key contributor for 2024, he could debut late next year and hopefully seize the third base job headed into ’25.

Washington also has high-end prospects approaching the big league outfield. James Wood (acquired from the Padres in the Juan Soto deal) and the 2023 draft’s #2 overall pick Dylan Crews are widely regarded as top 10 minor league talents in the sport. Wood joined House in reaching Double-A before his 21st birthday.  Wood ran an impressive .248/.344/.492 line with 18 homers across 87 games, and while the power-hitting outfielder struck out a fair amount, that’s to be expected for a 6’6″ hitter facing far older pitching. Crews shredded SEC arms at LSU and reached Double-A by the end of his draft year.

As with House, it’d be optimistic to expect either player at Nationals Park in the first half of next season. A promotion towards the middle or tail end of the year seems attainable, again offering hope they could be everyday players by 2025. It’s unlikely all three hit the ground running at the MLB level — even a lot of top prospects struggle out of the gate — but it’s an enviable collection of approaching talent.

When Wood and Crews arrive, they’d likely join Lane Thomas in the everyday outfield. The 28-year-old owns a .270/.319/.472 slash with 27 homers through 658 trips to the plate. He has destroyed left-handed pitching while hitting at a league average clip versus righties. While Thomas may be more of a complementary piece on a first-division club, he has proven an excellent find for Washington — which acquired him from the Cardinals for the final half-season of Jon Lester’s career in 2021.

Thomas is under arbitration control through 2025. His name surfaced in trade speculation this summer, though there’s no indication the Nats got all that close to making a deal. While they’ll surely find interest again, he doesn’t seem any more likely to move next winter than he did at the deadline. The organization’s long-term financial slate is clear enough that Thomas makes sense as an extension candidate. A guarantee in the $25-30MM range that buys out his remaining two arbitration seasons and first free agent year (2026) with a club option for a second could be mutually beneficial. It’d lock in some financial certainty for a relative late bloomer while ensuring Thomas doesn’t hit free agency before Washington is ready to contend.

As with third base, the Nats will probably bring in a veteran outfielder to hold the fort for a season. Former top prospect Victor Robles has missed the bulk of the year and seems a non-tender possibility. Neither Alex Call nor Jake Alu have provided any offense. Stone Garrett was a solid right-handed platoon option but suffered a gruesome leg injury that ended his season. Jacob Young doesn’t bring much offensive upside to the table in center field.

Washington guaranteed Corey Dickerson $2.25MM to add a veteran bat to the outfield last offseason. They’ll probably aim a little higher this time around. The likes of Hunter Renfroe and Adam Duvall could secure an annual salary in the $6-10MM range (perhaps for two years in Duvall’s case). Ramón Laureano or Seth Brown could be available following a non-tender. A corner outfield acquisition could take some DH at-bats from Joey Meneses — who has hit at a league average level in his follow-up to an excellent small-sample showing as a 30-year-old rookie — if Wood or Crews force their way to the big leagues early on.

There should generally be some short-term flexibility for Rizzo and his front office. Strasburg, Corbin, Williams and Ruiz are the only players with guaranteed contracts for next season. They have a deep class of arbitration-eligible players but none who are going to break the bank individually.

It’s less clear if there’s any appetite for a notable multi-year commitment. The franchise’s financial picture has been a question for a few seasons. The MASN rights dispute with the Orioles interfered with the Lerner family’s efforts to sell the club last year. It’s possible the Lerners again try to explore offers, though the TV situation isn’t much clearer now than it was 12 months ago.

The organization has sliced player payroll over the past few years. That’s standard procedure for a team amidst a rebuild, yet the ownership uncertainty takes on more significance as the club gets closer to contention. While the Strasburg and Ruiz contracts are the only ones running beyond next season, they’re on the hook for deferred payments of $15MM annually to Max Scherzer through 2028 and owe Corbin another $10MM in deferred salary over two more seasons. Strasburg’s contract won’t be paid in full until 2030.

Against those financial questions, the roster is beginning to take shape. The Nationals could have a viable position player core in place by 2025 depending on the progressions of Crews, Wood and House (as well as Abrams and Ruiz at the big league level). The pitching is less impressive overall, though Gray, Gore and Cavalli offer some intriguing individual pieces. Washington isn’t ready to compete yet, but things could be a lot more exciting at this time next year.

In conjunction with this post, Anthony Franco held a Nationals-centric chat on 9-26-23. Click here to view the transcript.

Offseason Outlook Chat Transcript: Kansas City Royals

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MLBTR is holding live chats specific to each of the 30 teams as the offseason nears. In conjunction with yesterday’s Royals Offseason Outlook, Steve Adams hosted a Royals-centric chat this morning. Click here to read the transcript!

The Opener: Gray, NL Wild Card, Offseason Outlook

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On the final Tuesday of the 2023 regular season, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Gray exits with injury:

Rangers right-hander Jon Gray exited yesterday’s start against the Angels after six innings due to what the club termed as right wrist tightness. Per MLB.com, the team described the move as precautionary. Still, the injury surely raises some concerns for Rangers fans as they look ahead to the postseason. With Max Scherzer likely out until 2024, Texas will have to rely on either Gray or right-hander Dane Dunning to take the ball for their third game of the postseason behind lefty Jordan Montgomery and veteran Nathan Eovaldi. With Gray seemingly not at full health, the role could be handed to Dunning. The two arms have posted similar results throughout the year, with Dunning’s 3.88 ERA barely outclassing Gray’s 4.12 figure. Despite those solid season-long numbers, both hurlers have struggled badly recently with ERAs over 6.00 in their last seven starts.

2. NL Wild Card race tightens:

The race for the last two NL Wild Card spots is headed for a photo finish. The Diamondbacks and Cubs are currently tied with identical 82-74 records in the last two spots, with the Marlins (81-75) sitting one game out and the Reds (80-77) on the periphery of contention as well. The Cubs have the toughest schedule of the four teams remaining, drawing the Braves and Brewers for their final two series of the regular season. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks figure to face the White Sox before a tough regular season finale against the Astros. The Reds and Marlins have easier roads ahead of them, with Cincinnati facing the Guardians and Cardinals while Miami opposes the Mets and Pirates.

With the standings so close even as the season comes down to the wire, it’s worth noting the tiebreaker situations facing the teams involved. All three of the Diamondbacks, Marlins, and Reds hold the season series record tiebreaker over the Cubs, while the Marlins hold the tiebreaker over Arizona and Cincinnati as well. The Reds also hold the tiebreaker over the DBacks, meaning that if all four teams finished with identical records, the Marlins and Reds would make the postseason while Arizona and Chicago would head home.

3. 2023-24 Offseason Outlook series begins:

As many teams outside of the playoff picture are looking ahead to the 2023-24 offseason, MLBTR’s Offseason Outlook series has returned. The annual offseason series kicked off yesterday with installments covering a two of the first organizations to be eliminated from postseason contention this year in the Rockies and Royals. In addition, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be hosting a Royals-centric live chat at 9:00am CT this morning in conjunction with last night’s installment. You can click here to submit a question in advance, or check back later to participate live once the chat begins.

Padres Plan To Reduce Payroll To Around $200MM; Front Office Changes Possible

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An Opening Day payroll of just under $249MM and some aggressive acquisitions of star players meant that the Padres were fully expecting a championship in 2023, but San Diego has instead posted only a 77-79 record, and the season’s final week begins with the Padres still in mathematical contention for a wild card slot by only the faintest of margins.  It has been an unusual season in many ways at Petco Park, as such analytical numbers as the Padres’ +91 run differential (the 10th best in baseball), their 7-22 record in one-run games, and unfathomable 0-12 mark in extra-innings games all suggest that the Padres might simply be one of the unluckiest clubs in recent memory.

However, the organization doesn’t seem to be writing off 2023 to just misfortune, as Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the Padres are planning a different strategy for next season.  This includes “player commitments of around $200MM,” as Acee writes that the payroll cut is “in part because they are out of compliance with MLB regulations regarding their debt service ratio.”

Less spending isn’t necessarily a huge surprise, as the Friars have a lot of money coming off the books anyway in terms of pending free agents and several contractual options and may or may not be exercised.  However, what might count as eye-opening is the fact that president of baseball operations A.J. Preller might not necessarily be back, as “no decisions have been made regarding who will be running or helping to run the Padres’ baseball operations department beyond this season.”

Preller has been running the Padres’ front office since August 2014, a tenure that has consisted of an initial spending splurge for immediate success that didn’t pan out, followed by a rebuilding period, and then San Diego’s current state of sky-high spending.  The results have been mixed at best, as the Friars have posted winning records in only two of the last eight seasons and also might not reach the .500 mark this year.  The Padres’ two winning seasons under Preller (2020 and 2022) resulted in trips to the playoffs, with San Diego winning a series in the expanded 2020 bracket before falling to the Cardinals in the NLDS.  Last year’s playoff run saw the Padres eliminate both the Mets and the arch-rival Dodgers before eventually falling to the Phillies in the NLCS — San Diego’s first trip to baseball’s final four since 1998.

The inconsistency on the field could well be related to what’s happening behind the scenes.  Last week, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin published a fascinating look at the dysfunctional elements of the Padres organization, with plenty of criticism directed towards Preller.  As Rosenthal and Lin wrote, Preller’s “default setting of simply trying to outwork the competition, however, has not always sat well with managers, players, coaches and other team officials….Many also criticize him for poor communication and a lack of feel.”

This style of management (or micromanagement, in his critics’ view) might have resulted in the revolving door of managers and coaches during Preller’s tenure, and there is currently “a major disconnect” between Prelller and current Padres manager Bob Melvin.  This isn’t the only time that internal discord has been a public problem in San Diego, as the club’s collapse in the second half of the 2021 was largely attributed to a rift between the players and then-manager Jayce Tingler.

With such issues surfacing for a second time in three seasons, it could be that ownership has decided that a larger culture change if required, even if that means firing Preller with three years still remaining on his current contract.  Despite the Padres’ struggles this year, there had been more rumblings over Melvin being fired than Preller, especially after team chairman Peter Seidler gave Preller a full endorsement back in July.

However, Acee notes that “the path the team travels in many matters is currently be being charted by more people than usual, including members of Seidler Equity Partners,” as Seidler himself “remains involved but not nearly as intimately, as he recovers from a medical issue.”  It could be that the other members of the partnership group are less enamored with Preller than Seidler is, or it could be that Seidler (who is the largest single equity holder in the team) has decided himself that a change is necessary since the Padres simply never got things turned around this year.

The Padres’ payroll has exploded since Seidler took control of the club in 2020, and the chairman has been pretty forthright about his stance that increased spending will translate into consistent winning.  As such, a winning team and the subsequent higher national profile will lead to higher revenues — attendance, merchandise, TV ratings, etc. — that will help offset said spending.

How sustainable this tactic is over the long term has been a looming question in San Diego for the last two years, and the debt service issue Acee referenced could indicate that the Padres perhaps saw 2022-23 as their true all-in years before having to inevitably scale things back to some extent in 2024.  Falling so drastically in an “all in” year could be why Preller is now facing more scrutiny from upper management, and Acee also writes that missing out on the postseason cost the franchise at least an extra $10MM in playoff revenue.

Whomever is running the front office will have plenty of decisions to make, especially in regards to how to address this upcoming payroll cut.  Roster Resource projects that the Padres have just under $128.5MM on the books for 2024, though that doesn’t include the arbitration-eligible players — most notably Juan Soto, who made $23MM this year and will earn another hefty raise in his final arb year before free agency in the 2024-25 offseason.  Whether or not to trade Soto this winter, keep him for 2024 and let him walk in free agency, or try and retain Soto by adding another major long-term extension to the Padres’ ledger are the primary choices facing the team in regards to the star outfielder.

Trent Grisham and Tim Hill are two other arb-eligible players with far lower price tags than Soto, though Acee wonders if either could be non-tendered as the Friars look to cut costs.  Acee also notes that “it is virtually certain that” pending free agents Josh Hader and Blake Snell won’t be retained, and the Padres face other questions in regards to retaining either Nick Martinez and/or Michael Wacha on two-year, $32MM extensions.  Seth Lugo is likely also headed for the open market rather than exercise his $7.5MM player option for 2024.

Despite all of these portents of change, there doesn’t appear to be any shift in San Diego’s overall direction, or their desire to quickly return to contention in 2024.  None of the core group of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Yu Darvish, Ha-Seong Kim, Joe Musgrove, and others appear to be in danger of being traded, as their larger contracts should all be able to comfortably fit within the framework of a $200MM payroll.

However, while San Diego has plenty of roster needs to address, the payroll reduction could mean that the Padres won’t be nearly as aggressive in pursuing top-level free agents as they have in recent years.  Trading Soto would be one obvious way of unloading salary while still bringing back some (less expensive) win-now help for 2024, and the Padres might still be busy on the trade front rather than looking to splurge on the open market.  With all that awaits the Padres in what might be another newsworthy offseason, Preller’s fate might need to be decided relatively soon, so that a possible new PBO/GM can get moving quickly on winter plans.

Marlins Outright Chi Chi Gonzalez

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Marlins right-hander Chi Chi González went unclaimed on waivers over the weekend, per the transaction log at MLB.com. He was sent outright to Triple-A Jacksonville.

It’s the second time this season in which González cleared waivers after Miami designated him for assignment. Each of his major league stints was rather brief. He spent eight days on the active roster in May and three days with the big league club last week. Skip Schumaker has called upon him three times, with González allowing three runs over 3 2/3 frames.

The former first-round pick has spent the majority of the season starting games in Jacksonville. He has logged 121 2/3 innings over 24 appearances, working to a 6.07 ERA in a hitter-friendly Triple-A setting. González has thrown strikes for the Jumbo Shrimp but has only fanned 13% of opponents at the top minor league level.

González forewent an opportunity to test free agency when Miami outrighted him earlier in the year. He has that option again, though he’ll presumably stick with the Fish at this point. The 31-year-old will be a minor league free agent at the beginning of the offseason unless Miami adds him back to the roster.

Big Hype Prospects: Caminero, Langford, Holliday, Carter, Marte

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As the clock runs out on the 2023 season, we take a look at the Big Hype Prospects who have advanced their hype-levels to all new… levels.

Five Big Hype Prospects

Junior Caminero, 20, SS/3B, TBR (MLB)
(AA) 351 PA, 20 HR, 3 SB, .309/373/.548

The will they/won’t they dance with Caminero finally resolved. Despite foregoing a promotion to Triple-A, the Rays saw fit to inject an offensive weapon into their postseason repertoire. Part of me wonders how much gamesmanship went into leaving Caminero at Double-A, as if the Rays could convince their playoff rivals he wouldn’t be promoted, maybe they would scout him less? A player of his age and profile undoubtedly has exploitable weaknesses, so the deeper the Rays can get into the postseason before those weaknesses are discovered, the better. Caminero batted fifth in his first two MLB games, going 2-for-9 with a walk and producing impressive exit velocities on six batted balls. While small sample caveats apply, the beauty of exit velocity is instant gratification. A 112-mph EV immediately validates a hitter as possessing impressive pop. All the other stats, well, they need more time to mature into larger samples.

Wyatt Langford, 21, OF, TEX (AAA)
(4 levels) 200 PA, 10 HR, 12 SB, .360/.480/.677

With Caminero up, Langford is the next future superstar on the cusp of promotion. We discussed him last week prior to his promotion to Triple-A. Since then, he’s batted .368/.538/.526 in 26 plate appearances with MLB-level exit velocities. Round Rock has a three-game series remaining for the PCL Championship, and I suspect we’ll see Langford join the Rangers upon the conclusion of the series. Where he fits on the roster is less certain. Leody Taveras is a quality defender with a league-average bat, and Evan Carter has performed well in limited action. Langford likely represents a net upgrade on both outfielders, but it can be tough to justify changing something that’s working well. Now might be the wrong moment to mess with team chemistry.

Jackson Holliday, 19, SS, BAL (AAA)
(4 levels) 581 PA, 12 HR, 24 SB, .323/.442/.499

Like Langford, the Norfolk Tides have a championship series over the next three days. If Holliday is summoned to the Majors, it will likely follow these games. He’s had a longer stint in Triple-A, and after a slow start, he’s up to .267/.396/.400 in 91 plate appearances. His average quality of contact is better than a typical Major Leaguer, but his top-end EVs are poor. That’s no cause for concern. Holliday is a teenager. If anything, it might indicate that the Orioles are best served to play it slow rather than forcing an awkward situation with a last-minute promotion. Holliday might represent a modest upgrade over Adam Frazier and Jordan Westburg at second base. He certainly improves upon seldom-used benchman Ryan McKenna. Whether that’s sufficient cause for a promotion is a tough question to answer.

Evan Carter, 21, OF, TEX (MLB)
(CPX/AA/AAA) 513 PA, 12 HR, 25 SB, .288/.413/.450

Though he is deservedly a Top 10 prospect, Carter profiles differently than most of the top names. He’s one of the surest things in the minors. True stardom might be out of his grasp, especially in this rich era of uber-prospects. Then again, no era of baseball has offered players such tangible opportunity to transform their game. The high-floor, low-ceiling expectation is reinforced by a profile, build, and approach that screams “Brandon Nimmo clone.” Nimmo, of course, recently signed a nine-figure deal entering his age-30 season, hence everyone’s comfort ranking Carter highly. Still, nobody expects Nimmo to carry the Mets. He’s a rich man’s complementary piece. Carter seems destined for a similar role.

Carter is off to a hot start in the Majors. Improbably, he’s hit four home runs in 54 plate appearances as part of a .318/.426/.705 batting line. The dingers, in addition to a .400 BABIP, have served to carry his offensive line beyond even the wildest expectations. Look under the hood, and you’ll see Carter produces only modest quality of contact. He has a knack for barreling the ball, but those barrels aren’t impactful. Like Holliday, this is more of a “now” problem than a future concern. He’ll develop more pop as he ages.

Noelvi Marte, 21, 3B/SS, CIN (MLB)
(AA/AAA) 399 PA, 11 HR, 18 SB, .279/.358/.454

There are no questions about Marte’s exit velocities. They’re among the best in the game. Alas, a ball smashed into the ground is still a ground ball. He’s running a predictably high BABIP as the result of his worm murdering. He’s not producing any power numbers despite hitting the ball powerfully. We have every reason to anticipate growth from Marte in the coming years. What we’re seeing now is a fantastic platform for a quality Major Leaguer. At present, he’s roughly a replacement-level performer. He’s batting .293/.350/.380 (96 wRC+) in 100 plate appearances. If he can learn to generate any lift whatsoever, he’ll quickly morph into a dangerous hitter.

Three More

Orion Kerkering, PHI (22): Arguably the top pure relief prospect in the minors (excluding those being developed as starters), Kerkering features triple-digit gas. He lives off a filth-monster slider. After starting the season in Low-A, the right-hander made his big league debut on Sunday. He seems destined for high-leverage postseason innings.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, CIN (23): Since he has expended his rookie eligibility, this will be Encarnacion-Strand’s last appearance in this column. After an unimpressive August, CES has caught fire in September. Over the last 20 days, he’s batting .378/.429/.778 with six home runs in 49 plate appearances. Volatility will likely always be a part of his game.

Pete Crow-Armstrong, CHC (21): Crow-Armstrong drew a trio of starts shortly after his promotion. He looked overmatched and has since been reduced to a pinch runner/defensive replacement role. I fully expect PCA to fill this same role in the postseason – assuming the Cubs hang onto a Wild Card slot.

Did I miss a detail or nuance? DM me on Twitter @BaseballATeam to suggest corrections.

Previewing The 2023-24 Free Agent Class: Righty Relievers

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MLBTR’s position by position preview of the upcoming free agent class concludes with a look at the right-handed relievers. While there’s no one at the top of this group who’ll rival Josh Hader among the southpaws, there are a number of impressive middle to late inning arms who’ll hit the market.

Note: only players who have been on an MLB roster in 2023 are included. Ages listed are for the 2024 season.

High-Leverage/Potential Setup Arms

Hicks is both the youngest and hardest-throwing name on this year’s bullpen market. The Cardinals couldn’t seem to make up their mind whether they wanted him to be a starter or reliever, but he’s having his best year to date in the latter of those two roles. In 63 2/3 innings between the Cards and Blue Jays, Hicks has logged a 3.11 ERA with a 28.8% strikeout rate, 10.9% walk rate and massive 58.5% ground-ball rate. His strikeouts are down to a roughly average 23.5% since being traded, but his 7.1% walk rate since the trade would also be a career-best.

Hicks’ typical 100 mph sinker has dropped to an average of, ahem, “only” 99.3 mph with the Jays after sitting at 100.7 mph in St. Louis prior to the swap. It’s still absolutely overpowering velocity, and the dip in heat feels like a worthwhile trade-off if he can keep his command at this level, especially since his ground-ball rate remains unchanged. Hicks only just turned 27 this month, so even a three-year deal would conclude just weeks after he turns 30.

He’s already had Tommy John surgery, so there’s some injury risk, but his unrivaled youth and power arsenal will serve him well. Hicks will be among the top three to four options on the market this year.

While Jimenez isn’t as young as Hicks, he’s still atypical for a free agent reliever. He’ll play next season at age 29 and has a shot at a three-year pact coming off consecutive sub-4.00 ERA showings. Jimenez has turned in 54 2/3 innings of 3.13 ERA ball in his first season as a Brave after an offseason trade from the Tigers.

With a fastball that lands in the 95-96 MPH range, Jimenez has consistently missed bats. He has fanned more than 30% of opponents in consecutive years and racked up swinging strikes on 15.4% of his pitches. Since an uncharacteristic spike in walks in 2021, he has limited free passes to around a 6% clip in each of the last two seasons.

The only moderate area of concern lies in Jimenez’s batted ball profile. He’s an extreme fly-ball pitcher, which makes him susceptible to home runs. He’s allowing homers at a higher than average 1.48 HR/9 clip on the year and has allowed 1.35 homers per nine for his career. This year’s league average for relievers is 1.10 HR/9.

Johnson has proven one of the best deadline acquisitions of the summer. The right-hander carried a 6.00 ERA over 39 frames for the Rockies. The Braves acquired him for a pair of minor league pitchers and he’s now a key performer in their quality relief corps.

Since the trade, Johnson owns a 0.83 ERA across 21 2/3 innings. He’s keeping the ball on the ground at a massive 58% clip and striking out just under a third of opponents. He has more than halved his walk rate from 13.1% in Colorado to 6.1% for the Braves. Behind a 96 MPH heater and a power curveball in the mid-80s, he’s getting whiffs on almost 17% of offerings.

Johnson will be 33 next May and lost a good chunk of the 2022 season to forearm tendinitis. That could keep the offers limited to two years, but he should secure one of the stronger annual salaries in the relief class thanks to his dominant second half.

Lopez, 30 in January, doesn’t miss the “hardest-throwing” distinction among this year’s class by much. The longtime White Sox hurler has averaged 98.4 mph on his heater in 2023 and is in his third straight season with a mid-3.00s ERA (or better). In 64 frames spread across the Sox, Angels and Guardians, Lopez has a 3.38 ERA, 30.1% strikeout rate and 12.4% walk rate. That strikeout rate is the best of his career, but Lopez’s walk rate is more than double the 5% at which it sat in 2021-22 combined.

Somewhat interestingly, Lopez has done his best work of the season since being claimed by Cleveland, where he’s throwing his changeup more than twice as much as he did with the ChiSox. Perhaps that’s small sample noise — or perhaps it’s a recipe for success. Regardless, a 30-year-old righty who sits 98-99, regularly hits triple digits, and boasts a 3.18 ERA over his past three seasons and 187 innings isn’t going to lack interest. Lopez is going to get a multi-year deal — likely at a premium annual rate.

Stephenson has gone from unheralded journeyman acquisition to high-octane arm within a manner of months. He owned a 5.14 ERA in 14 appearances for the Pirates when he was dealt to the Rays for infielder Alika Williams in a June 2 trade. Since landing in Tampa Bay, he’s been one of the best relievers on the planet.

Over 36 1/3 frames as a Ray, Stephenson carries a 2.48 ERA. He’s striking out an eye-popping 41.8% of batters faced while walking just 6% of opponents. His dominance on a pitch-for-pitch basis is laughable. Stephenson has gotten a swinging strike on 28.2% of his pitches as a Ray and 24.1% of his offerings this season overall. Not only is that the highest rate of any pitcher with 50+ innings, it’s more than three percentage points clear of second-place Felix Bautista.

How will the market value a pitcher who has been arguably the game’s most dominant reliever for three and a half months after a career of inconsistency? Pitchers like Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero have landed three-year contracts largely behind one platform season that was less impressive than Stephenson’s last few months. The Padres went to four years and $34MM for Drew Pomeranz on the heels of a dominant second half a few seasons back.

Veterans with Closing Experience

Boxberger was on the injured list from May through September due to a forearm strain. He returned to pitch 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs before going back on the injured list with another forearm strain. Boxberger has a long track record and was excellent as recently as 2020-22 (3.13 ERA in 164 2/3 innings). He’s averaged a career-low 91.4 mph on his heater this year while battling injuries, however. Between that velocity dip, his age and this year’s forearm strains, he’ll be limited to short-term interest.

Floro has an average strikeout rate, better-than-average command, a plus 54.4% grounder rate and a low 87.1 mph average exit velocity this season, but he’s still sporting a 5.59 ERA in large part due to a fluky .401 average on balls in play. He’s been used as a closer and setup man in recent seasons. Fielding-independent metrics still like his 2023 work (2.96 FIP, 3.35 SIERA) even if his results are a far cry from the 2.85 ERA he posted from 2020-22.

Kimbrel is the top pitcher in this group. Signed to a $10MM guarantee last winter, the nine-time All-Star has saved 23 games in 27 tries for the Phillies. He owns a 3.27 ERA over 66 frames while striking out just under a third of opposing hitters. Kimbrel is picking up swinging strikes on 13.5% of his offerings and averaging 96 MPH on his fastball.

While he’s clearly not the unhittable force he was at his peak, Kimbrel is still an above-average MLB reliever. He’ll hit free agency off a better platform year than he did a season ago, when he’d posted a 3.75 ERA with a 27.7% strikeout rate for the Dodgers. A similar contract to the one he landed from Philadelphia should be the floor. His camp could take aim at a two-year contract, as Kenley Jansen secured last offseason, albeit at a likely lesser average annual value than Jansen’s $16MM.

May has worked to a 3.43 ERA and saved 20 games in 44 2/3 innings for an MLB-worst A’s team. His strikeout rate is down to a career-low 19.1% clip, while his swinging strike percentage has dropped from 13.3% to 10.4%. May spent a month on the injured list early in the season due to anxiety. While he has a 2.09 ERA in 39 appearances since returning, that hasn’t been supported by middling strikeout (19.8%) and walk (12.3%) numbers. Perhaps a rebuilding team will be willing to give him another run in the ninth inning; if he signs with a contender, he’d likely move to a lower-leverage role.

Robertson posted a 2.05 ERA while saving 14 games with seven holds in 40 contests for the Mets. He hasn’t maintained that pace since a deadline trade to the Marlins, allowing nearly six earned runs per nine. Robertson hasn’t thrown strikes consistently in South Florida, though he has continued to miss bats at a high level. The Fish pulled him from the ninth inning last month but have kept deploying him in high-leverage situations.

The veteran’s overall season line is still solid. He carries a 3.18 ERA with an above-average 27.7% strikeout rate and a tolerable 9.6% walk percentage. While his stint with the Marlins hasn’t gone as expected, he has an established career track record as one of the game’s better late-game arms.

Middle Relievers

After an up-and-down tenure with the Red Sox, Brasier was released in May and embarked on a radical turnaround upon signing with the Dodgers. In 36 2/3 frames with L.A., he’s posted a sensational 0.74 ERA with a markedly improved 26.7% strikeout rate and 6.7% walk rate. He won’t sustain a .182 average on balls in play, but Brasier went from yielding a sky-high 92.4 mph average exit velocity with the Red Sox to just 87.1 mph as a Dodger. He’ll have no problem finding a big league deal this winter — perhaps even a two-year pact.

A quietly strong and versatile member of the Giants’ bullpen, Brebbia has worked to a 3.30 ERA in 103 2/3 innings dating back to 2022. That includes “starting” 20 games as an opener and also picking up 24 holds. This year’s 29.9% strikeout rate is a career-high. A right lat strain wiped out more than two months of his 2023 season, but he returned earlier this month and is on track to finish out the season healthy.

A comeback liner struck Chavez in the shin back in June and wound up causing a microfracture that kept him off the field more than two months. He’s tossed 2 2/3 shutout innings since returning and has now allowed just one run in his past 21 2/3 frames. Chavez found new life in his late 30s, pitching to a 2.81 ERA with a 26.4% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate in 134 2/3 innings from 2021-23. If he wants to keep going, this year’s 1.42 ERA will garner plenty of interest — though another stint with the Braves might work best for all parties.

Cisnero was excellent for the Tigers from 2020 through early July of the current season (2.77 ERA, 38 holds, 5 saves in 149 1/3 innings). He was rocked for five runs on July 7, however, and he’s yet to rediscover his form. Cisnero wasn’t traded at the deadline and passed through waivers unclaimed in August. He has a 10.41 ERA in his past 23 1/3 innings.

Devenski has split his time between the Angels and Rays, working to a 4.81 ERA across 39 1/3 innings. He has a decent 24.6% strikeout rate and a strong 6.8% walk percentage that could secure him a big league contract on the heels of a minor league pact a year ago.

Farmer parlayed a minor league deal with the Reds in the 2021-22 offseason into a regular role in David Bell’s bullpen. He’s pitched 120 innings with a 3.98 ERA, slightly above-average 24.4% strikeout rate and higher-than-average 10.6% walk rate over the past two seasons. He’s been a durable middle reliever with a 4.15 ERA or better in five of the past six seasons — the lone exception being a 6.37 mark in 35 innings with the ’21 Tigers.

After a tough start to the season, the former AL Rookie of the Year has pitched to a 2.48 ERA over his past 36 1/3 innings — dating back to late May. Fulmer is missing bats at career-high levels (27.4% strikeout rate, 14.1% swinging-strike rate) but issuing walks at the highest clip of his career as well (11.8%). Fulmer has closed and worked in setup roles since moving to the bullpen after injuries derailed his career as a starter.

Garcia averages just under 98 MPH on a bowling ball sinker, allowing him to run huge grounder rates (including a 61.6% clip this season). His strikeout rate has dropped six percentage points to a below-average 20.5% clip, however, and he’s allowing 4.17 earned runs per nine.

Maton has turned in consecutive sub-4.00 seasons while topping 60 innings for the Astros. He’s striking out an above-average 26.6% of opponents against a 9.5% walk rate. Maton does an excellent job avoiding hard contact and typically generates solid results. He could find a multi-year deal as a result, although his 89.1 MPH average fastball velocity and heavy reliance on a low-70s curveball makes him an atypical target among a market that usually values high-octane relief arms.

After signing a minor league contract a season ago, Middleton has pitched his way to a guaranteed deal this time around. He has tallied 50 innings between the White Sox and Yankees, working to a 3.08 ERA with an excellent 31.3% strikeout percentage and a massive 55.9% grounder rate. He’s generating swinging strikes on 17.2% of his offerings. Middleton had posted an ERA around 5.00 in each of the three seasons preceding this one and still has spotty command. Neither Chicago nor New York plugged him directly into the late-inning mix. He’s one of the younger pitchers in the free agent class and has a rare combination of whiffs and ground-balls though.

The 40 innings Miller has thrown for the Dodgers ranks as his second-highest total since 2016. The former All-Star starter has bounced into journeyman relief mode over the last half-decade. Miller has done well in L.A., pitching to a 1.80 ERA across 40 innings. Opponents aren’t going to continue hitting under .200 on balls in play and his 12.2% walk rate is concerning. Miller has fanned upwards of 26% of batters faced after deploying a new split-finger offering this season.

Leone has appeared for three teams in 2023 and eight in his big league career overall. He continues to intrigue with a mid-90s heater and a pair of swing-and-miss breaking pitches, running a massive 16.1% swinging strike percentage in 50 2/3 frames this year. The whiffs haven’t translated to good results, however, as he’s allowing just under five earned runs per nine. He issues a lot of walks and has been extremely homer-prone in 2023. There might still be enough in the raw arsenal to secure a big league deal.

Pagan had bounced around the league before finding a bit of stability with the Twins. Minnesota stuck with him after a rough first season and has been rewarded with a solid ’23 campaign. Pagan has worked to a 3.12 ERA over 66 1/3 innings, including a sterling 2.10 mark in the second half. An extreme fly-ball pitcher, Pagan has struggled with home runs in his career. The longball hasn’t been an issue this season, as he’s allowing just 0.68 per nine innings. He’ll have a hard time sustaining that over multiple years, but he averages nearly 96 MPH on his fastball and consistently runs average or better strikeout and walk numbers.

Stanek is one of the hardest throwers in the sport, averaging upwards of 98 MPH on his heater. He has always had below-average control but typically misses enough bats to compensate for the walks. Stanek’s strikeout rate is down to a fine but unexceptional 23.7% this season, posting a 3.99 ERA over 49 2/3 frames in the process. The Astros have used him mostly in low-leverage situations after leaning on him as a key relief weapon when he posted a 1.15 ERA a year ago. While his stock is down relative to a season ago, he’s still a lock for a big league deal and among the higher-upside plays in the middle relief group.

The well-traveled Stratton has been part of deadline deals in two consecutive summers. He has split the 2023 campaign between the Cardinals and Rangers, turning in a cumulative 3.62 ERA while logging 82 innings of relief. Stratton is a middle innings workhorse who has fanned a solid 24.4% of opponents against a modest 7.5% walk rate. Despite a dip in his swinging strikes this season, he’ll get a major league contract.

VerHagen is wrapping up a two-year contract with the Cardinals after spending a couple seasons in Japan. While his huge ground-ball numbers in NPB didn’t translate back to the majors, he has posted a 3.97 ERA with nearly average strikeout, walk and grounder rates across 59 innings this season.

Starter/Relief Hybrids

Junis has rather quietly been a solid long relief option for the Giants. He has tallied 86 innings over 40 appearances, working to a 3.87 ERA with a strong 26.2% strikeout rate and a minuscule 5.7% walk percentage. His fastball is averaging a career-best 94 MPH and he’s getting swinging strikes on 11.3% of his offerings. Junis started 17 games a season ago and pitched well enough that another club could consider him in either role. He has a case for a two-year deal.

Fujinami began his MLB career working out of the A’s rotation. He posted dismal results and was quickly pushed to the bullpen. Fujinami has found a little more success in relief, though he still carries a 5.16 ERA in 59 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. He has huge arm strength, averaging north of 99 MPH on his heater since being traded from Oakland to the Orioles. It’s an intriguing arsenal, but he has yet to assuage the concerns about his command that were present during his career in Japan.

Club Options

The Marlins are going to decline an $8.25MM option in favor of a $2MM buyout. The former All-Star closer pitched to a 5.48 ERA in 24 games for the Fish. He underwent season-ending hip surgery in July.

The Jays will have to decide whether to trigger a three-year, $27MM team option. If they decline, Green would have a $6.25MM player option for next season. If he declines, Toronto could circle back on a two-year, $21MM pact.

They’re working on predictably limited information, as Green didn’t make it back from last year’s Tommy John procedure until this month. His mid-90s velocity is back and he has a 13:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 10 innings. While Green looks much like he did with the Yankees before the surgery, it’s hard to make a definitive conclusion based on three weeks of work.

Hendriks will likely miss the entire 2024 season after requiring Tommy John surgery at the beginning of August. The White Sox will buy him out, thereby paying what would’ve been a $15MM salary in installments over the next decade instead of next year. As a free agent, Hendriks could find interest on a two-year pact from a team hoping he can recapture his elite form in 2025.

The Dodgers hold a $6.5MM option on Hudson which they’ll buy out. He has been limited to three appearances — first by rehab from last summer’s ACL tear, then by an MCL sprain in his opposite knee. Hudson could return for the Dodgers’ playoff run, though that won’t change the calculus on the option.

The Dodgers hold a $9.5MM option with a $1MM buyout. The $8.5MM gap seems large enough for L.A. to buy Kelly out, especially since he missed a month in the second half with forearm inflammation. Kelly has massive strikeout (35.4%) and ground-ball (58.8%) numbers behind a fastball that sits north of 99 MPH. The bottom line results haven’t followed, as he has posted a 4.34 ERA on the heels of a 6.08 showing for the White Sox a season ago.

Texas holds a $6.25MM option or a $750K buyout on Leclerc. He’s an erratic but overall effective arm in the late innings. Through 53 2/3 frames, he owns a 2.85 ERA while fanning just under 28% of opposing hitters. The price point is modest enough the Rangers seem likely to bring Leclerc back, though his inconsistent control suggests he’s probably better served for a middle innings role if Texas deepens their relief group this winter.

The Padres have to decide whether to trigger a two-year, $32MM option at season’s end. If they decline, Martinez has a two-year, $16MM player option. With San Diego using him largely in a medium-leverage relief role, they seem unlikely to lock in a $16MM annual salary for two seasons. Yet Martinez has been effective enough he could try to top the $8MM salaries and/or secure a rotation spot in free agency.

Martinez has logged 105 1/3 innings through 62 appearances (eight starts). He’s allowing 3.59 earned runs per nine with average strikeout and walk marks and a lofty 54.1% ground-ball percentage.

The Braves hold a $6MM option with a $1MM buyout. The $5MM difference is probably beyond what they’ll want to pay, as the veteran hurler has had a middling season. He owns a 4.30 ERA across 58 2/3 frames. His strikeout rate — which sat at 27.6% during his first year in Atlanta — is down to 17.5%. McHugh has been out since early September with shoulder inflammation; he’s on a rehab stint and could return for the playoffs if the Braves want to carry him on the postseason roster.

The Dodgers signed Reyes to a free agent deal in hopes he’d return to form after a 2022 season wrecked by shoulder injuries. Unfortunately, he had a setback and underwent another season-ending surgery in June without making an appearance. The Dodgers will decline a $3MM option.

The Dodgers have a club option valued anywhere between $1-7MM. He has been out the entire season after undergoing shoulder surgery last November. It’s tough to project the Dodgers’ decision until the option price is finalized.

Atlanta holds a $5.75MM option that comes with a $1.25MM buyout, making it a $4.5MM decision. Yates has returned after a couple seasons lost to injury to log 58 1/3 innings of 3.24 ERA ball while striking out over 32% of opponents. His velocity is back at pre-surgery levels but his command is not, as he’s walking nearly 15% of batters faced. The price point could be modest enough for the Braves to retain Yates in hopes he dials in the strike-throwing as he gets further removed from surgery.

Player Options

Neris threw 110 innings over the first two seasons of his free agent contract with the Astros, converting an $8.5MM club option into a player provision in the process (assuming he passes an end-of-year physical). Even at 35, he could decline that in search of another two-year guarantee. Neris has worked to a 1.81 ERA in 64 2/3 innings this season, working mostly in high-leverage spots. He’s picking up swinging strikes on over 14% of his offerings for a second consecutive year despite losing a tick off his average fastball speed.

Ottavino has a $6.75MM option on his contract with the Mets. The veteran righty suggested to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com last month he was likely to exercise that provision. He has a 2.82 ERA over 59 2/3 innings, although his strikeout rate has dropped more than six percentage points relative to last season.

Low-Cost Veterans and Minor League Depth (listed alphabetically)

Previous installments: catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, corner outfield, center field, designated hitter, starting pitcher, lefty relief.

Mike Trout Intends To Play For Angels In 2024

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The Angels are completing their eighth consecutive losing season, and might lose one of the game’s iconic players in Shohei Ohtani to free agency.  Ohtani’s potential departure adds extra sting to this latest disappointing year in Anaheim, and it has led to some questions regarding the club’s other icon in Mike Trout.  The outfielder said in early September that he was planning to speak with upper management after the season about “the direction of everything and what the plan is,” and Trout shed some more light on those post-season discussions when speaking with reporters today, describing them as routine.

“I go through this every year,” Trout told the Los Angeles Times’ Sarah Valenzuela and other reporters.  “There’s private conversations I have with Arte [Angels owner Arte Moreno] and John [team president John Carpino].  And like I said, I’m doing the same thing I did the last, what, 13 years?  Going into the offseason, clearing my mind and getting ready for spring and wearing an Angels uniform in spring.”

Specifically noting his Spring Training plans seemed to be Trout’s way of downplaying talk that he could request a trade.  The Angels’ lack of success has led to plenty of speculative trade buzz around Trout for the last several years, and yet there has never been any indication that the club is open to moving the outfielder, or that Trout himself would welcome or seek out a deal.  Trout has some control over his fate via the full no-trade clause included in the ten-year, $360MM extension he signed with Los Angeles in March 2019, so the Halos wouldn’t be able to deal him without his permission.

“I got seven years left on the contract.  I know there’s a lot of speculation out there….Nothing’s changed,” Trout said.

Beyond the Angels’ losing records, the last few seasons have been doubly challenging for Trout from a health perspective.  A series of separate injuries have limited Trout’s playing time to some extent in each of the last seven seasons, though since Opening Day 2021, he has played in only 237 of a possible 486 games.  A nagging calf strain cost Trout most of the 2021 campaign, he played in just 119 games in 2022 due to back problems, and a hamate bone surgery limited Trout’s 2023 tally to 82 games, and only one appearance after July 3.

“It’s tough. It’s been hard on me….I just want to be out there and injuries suck,” Trout said today.  “All the hard work and stuff and just freak stuff happens.  But [I’m] trying to stay positive.”

“Coming into this season, I think the biggest thing was trying to be healthy and that was my goal.  Went into the offseason with a plan, hired a lot of people to work on my body.  My body felt great and a freak thing happened.  Broke my hand.  Came back probably sooner than I should have, but I wanted to be out there with the guys.”

With a .283/.382/579 slash line and 66 homers in 1007 plate appearances from 2021-23, Trout is still clearly one of the game’s best players when he has been able to stay on the field, which only adds to the frustration for Trout himself, the fanbase, and everyone in the Angels organization.  Over six seasons with both Ohtani and Trout as teammates, there hasn’t been very much time when both players have been healthy and in top form.  Of course, even if Trout and Ohtani had been firing on all cylinders, it is fair to wonder if that still would’ve been enough to get the Angels into contention given the consistent issues throughout the rest of the roster.

The Angels are expected to bid on Ohtani to some extent this winter, though it remains to be seen if Ohtani will leave for a larger offer and/or simply a team that can offer a better chance to win.  Should he indeed leave, it remains to be seen if the Halos would consider a rebuild for the first time in Moreno’s two decades as owner, or if Moreno would order the front office to reload for another shot at contending in 2024.

Moving Trout would only seem like a reality if Los Angeles will attempt a full teardown, and such a deal would be tricky to manage even beyond Trout’s no-trade clause.  On the one hand, there would undoubtedly be interest in a superstar like Trout, and some teams might feel their training staffs might be better equipped to help him stay healthy.  On the other, Trout also turned 32 last month, is owed $248.45MM over the next seven years, and is coming off three injury-plagued years — these factors are red flags for possible trade partners, and obstacles for the Angels in finding proper value back.

Offseason Outlook: Kansas City Royals

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In conjunction with this installment in our Offseason Outlook series, Steve Adams will be hosting a Royals-centric chat tomorrow morning at 9am CT. Click here to ask a question in advance, and be sure to check back to participate live!

The Royals haven’t had a winning record since their storybook World Series victory back in 2015. Their first season in the wake of Dayton Moore’s firing as president of baseball operations yielded more of the same dismal results. They’ve now lost 100-plus games in three of the past six seasons, and it’ll be incumbent upon J.J. Picollo to turn things around in his second year atop the baseball operations hierarchy.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Salvador Perez, C/DH: $44MM through 2025 (including buyout of 2026 club option)
  • Jordan Lyles, RHP: $8.5MM through 2024
  • Jake Brentz, LHP: $1.05MM through 2024 (Brentz will remain arb-eligible through 2026)

Additional Financial Commitments

Option Decisions

  • None

Arbitration-Eligible Players

Free Agents

While last offseason brought about sweeping change with the firing of Moore and hiring of manager Matt Quatraro, the 2023-24 offseason should be quieter in terms of such big-picture machinations. Picollo won’t be supplanted one year into his tenure, and the Royals aren’t going to move on from Quatraro after one tough season. It’s possible that Picollo will continue to make changes further down the baseball operations ladder, however. One such move is already in place, as The Athletic’s Keith Law recently reported that Kansas City is hiring former Braves scouting director Brian Bridges. Holding that position from 2015-18, Bridges oversaw high-profile selections of talents like Austin Riley, A.J. Minter and Michael Soroka, in addition to some late-round bullpen finds like Evan Phillips and Jacob Webb.

Improvements in the scouting and draft process are a long-term play, of course. In terms of more immediately righting the ship in Kansas City, there’s no shortage of work to do. Royals starting pitchers have MLB’s fourth-worst ERA (5.16) and fifth-fewest innings (760 1/3). That ERA is practically an identical match with a 5.15 team bullpen ERA that ranks 28th in MLB.

At the plate, the Royals are 24th in the Majors with 651 runs scored. Their collective 6.9% walk rate is second-worst among all MLB teams, and Kansas City ranks near the bottom of the barrel in terms of batting average (.243, 21st in MLB), on-base percentage (.302, 27th), slugging percentage (.396, 23rd) and home runs (156, 26th).

Complicating this year’s dismal across-the-board performance is the fact that the Royals were relying heavily on young players they hope (or hoped) can bring the team back to relevance in the near future. Many of those players largely failed the test.

Bobby Witt Jr. has proven himself to be a cornerstone player at shortstop, belting 29 homers and swiping 48 bases while playing premium defense. Third baseman Maikel Garcia hasn’t hit for power — nor was he projected to — but has swiped 23 bags and played good defense at the hot corner. He’s put the ball in play enough to help overcome a below-average walk rate and looks like he can have a long-term role in the infield, be it as a regular or as someone who eventually shifts to a heavily used utility player between third base, shortstop and second base. Assuming Vinnie Pasquantino’s recovery from surgery on a torn labrum in his right shoulder goes according to plan, he’ll be back at first base after hitting .272/.355/.444 in his first 133 MLB games.

With regard to the infielders, that’s about the extent of the development. Pasquantino’s injury opened more time for fellow first baseman Nick Pratto, but he’s yet to carry his huge 2021-22 minor league production over to the big leagues. Michael Massey has popped 14 homers, but his .225/.270/.375 slash is nowhere near strong enough to seize the second base job. Infield/outfield hybrids like Nate Eaton and Samad Taylor did not produce in small samples.

The Royals could well keep things in house here, as it’s a dismal market for second base options. Old friend Whit Merrifield presents the best potential option in free agency, but he’ll likely garner interest from contending clubs (assuming either he or the Jays decline half of his 2024 mutual option). The rest of the market is comprised of rebound candidates (e.g. Amed Rosario, Kolten Wong) or utility players (e.g. Enrique Hernandez, Donovan Solano). The trade market presents alternatives, but Kansas City may not have the pitching coveted by teams with infield talent to market such as the Cardinals (Nolan Gorman) or Reds (Jonathan India).

We’ll get to that lack of pitching in a bit, but the rest of the lineup also bears mentioning. The Royals don’t have a single outfielder who they can count on as a well-rounded performer heading into the 2024 season. Drew Waters and Kyle Isbel have yet to hit big league pitching. Edward Olivares has provided roughly average offense at the plate but is not a strong defender. Catcher/outfielder MJ Melendez worked almost exclusively in the latter of those two roles this year, and while he’s having a big second half at the dish, he grades out as one of the worst defensive outfielders in the sport. Deadline pickup Nelson Velazquez has erupted with 14 homers in 131 plate appearances and surely locked in a job in the process — but even he grades as a sub-par defender.

The Royals should add at least one outfielder this offseason — if not two. As with second base, it’s a thin market. Kansas City isn’t going to play at the top of the market for Cody Bellinger and Teoscar Hernandez, so unless the plan is to offer rebound opportunities to a Hunter Renfroe or Joey Gallo, this could be another area to focus on in the trade market. Their 2022 acquisition of Waters has yet to pan out. Their deadline pickup of Velazquez has been outstanding so far. Targeting similar young outfielders lacking in clear paths to playing time with their current organizations could prove shrewd.

Even behind the plate, the outlook isn’t as strong as it once was. While Salvador Perez still carries plenty of name recognition, this year’s .252/.291/.419 batting line is nowhere near the .273/.311/.526 output he turned in from 2020-22. And Perez may be a five-time Gold Glove winner, but he hasn’t taken that award home since 2018 — in large part because his defense continues to wane. He’s thwarted just 14% of stolen base attempts against him this winter (league average is 21%), and Statcast pegs him below-average in terms of both blocking pitches in the dirt and framing pitches.

It’d frankly be surprising if Perez’s name didn’t pop up in a trade rumor or two this winter — he almost always does — but such talk is generally brought about by media speculation rather than earnest chances of him being moved. There’s never been any strong chance that Perez will actually be traded. The Royals love him — they named him just the fourth captain in team history — and Perez has 10-and-5 rights that grant him full veto power on any deal. Further, given the $44MM remaining on his contract and aforementioned decline on both sides of the ball, Perez simply doesn’t have the trade value many would assume based on his track record and name.

There’s also no clear immediate heir apparent to Perez, and thus no great urgency to move him. The use of Melendez almost exclusively in the outfield this year suggests the Royals don’t believe he’s a viable full-time option there. Twenty-eight-year-old Freddy Fermin could be an option to begin cutting into Perez’s workload after a nice rookie showing, but a broken finger ended his season. Pursuing some veteran catching depth, even if just on a minor league deal, seems wise.

The previously mentioned lack of pitching is the most glaring problem for Kansas City, particularly considering the heavy investment in college arms that the Royals hoped would fill out their pitching staff in the long run. Their ballyhooed 2018-20 selections of Brady Singer, Kris Bubic, Daniel Lynch, Jackson Kowar, Asa Lacy and Alec Marsh has yet to produce a clearly above-average starter. Singer has certainly looked the part at times, most notably in 2022, and he drew interest from the Reds (among others) at this year’s trade deadline despite some first-half struggles. His performance has only gotten shakier (6.87 ERA in his past seven starts), and at this point any trade of Singer would be selling low.

The composition of next year’s rotation is at least in part dependent on Zack Greinke’s plans. After signing a pair of one-year deals to return to his original organization, it seems like Greinke prefers to play out his final days in Kansas City. If he wants to come back for his age-40 season next year — which would allow him to take a run at multiple milestones, including 3,000 career strikeouts — the Royals might well give him the chance to do so. If not, they’ll be looking to replace roughly 200 innings between Greinke and Brad Keller, who is a free agent and is facing a cloudy outlook due to thoracic outlet symptoms.

While none of Singer, Lynch, Kowar or Bubic has developed as hoped, all are still in the organization. Singer and Lynch are the likeliest to have rotation jobs waiting. Kowar has already moved to the bullpen (and continued to struggle). Bubic is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Marsh has also debuted this year, pitching 70 innings in his MLB debut but recording a 5.66 ERA.

Despite the stalled nature of those college arms, the Royals aren’t without some hope in terms of success for their pitching development. Trade acquisition Cole Ragans, who came over from the Rangers in the Aroldis Chapman deal, has gone from a squeezed-out former first rounder in Texas to a focal point in the Kansas City rotation in no time at all.

Ragans had been relegated to bullpen work with Texas, but the Royals plugged him right into the rotation and have reaped immense benefits. After some slight tweaks to his repertoire, Ragans has pitched 65 1/3 innings of 2.34 ERA ball with a huge 31.3% strikeout rate and an 8.9% walk rate. He’s faced a generally weak slate of opponents, but even if you expect some regression, it’s hard not to be encouraged by the turnaround.

Ragans, who’ll turn 26 this winter and is controllable for another five years, has punched his ticket to the 2024 rotation. Singer and Lynch figure to be back in there as well. Last offseason’s surprising two-year investment in Jordan Lyles should assure him a spot despite poor 2023 results (6.24 ERA in 30 starts).

The Royals need to add some arms, but they also need to focus on more than bulk innings. Last winter’s signings of Lyles and Ryan Yarbrough didn’t meaningfully raise the team’s ceiling. Kansas City still has Lyles’ bulk innings in the bank, so to speak, and Ragans gives them one potentially strong performer. The goal this time around should be to add some upside, and unlike the position-player market, free agency has several such candidates this offseason.

No one should expect the Royals to outbid the field for NPB ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto — although their need for prime-aged pitching and largely blank payroll outlook arguably makes them an ideal team to take such a risk — but there are several interesting injury reclamation projects. Frankie Montas, Luis Severino and Tyler Mahle could all fit the bill, although Mahle will miss the first half of the season following Tommy John surgery. Jack Flaherty has had a down year overall but will pitch next season at just 28. Notably, the Royals had trade interest in Montas back in the 2021-22 offseason.

A similar gamble on the bullpen side of things would make sense. The Royals have gotten a quietly interesting run from righty James McArthur in recent weeks, as the righty has reeled off 13 1/3 shutout innings with three hits, no walks and 14 strikeouts since moving to the ’pen. Carlos Hernandez, armed with a triple-digit heater, was quite good through the end of July before hitting a rough patch down the stretch. Lefty Austin Cox has pitched decently in a bullpen role.

By and large, however, the Royals are lacking in established, dependable relievers. With Chapman and Scott Barlow both traded, they can offer a ninth-inning role to any free agent reliever they want to try to steer to Kauffman Stadium. They could give a longtime setup man like Reynaldo Lopez or Joe Jimenez a full-time closing gig. They could also roll the dice on any number of high-end injury reclamations (e.g. Drew Pomeranz, Blake Treinen, Joe Kelly) or perhaps just a former closer who’s had some struggles down the stretch in ’23 (e.g. old friend Will Smith). Any additions along those lines would give the Royals a chance at doubling down on their wildly successful signing of Chapman from last offseason.

Whichever specific targets Kansas City pursues, the resources should be there for Picollo and his staff. The Royals still owe since-released corner man Hunter Dozier $10MM, but there are only three other contracts on the books (Perez, Lyles, Jake Brentz). In all they have just $39.55MM in guaranteed money to be paid out. Arbitration raises will push that number forward, but any of Taylor Hearn, Taylor Clarke, Josh Taylor or Josh Staumont could conceivably be non-tendered. Other arb-eligible players like Singer, Lynch, Bubic and Hernandez aren’t going to break the bank. Their current contracts combined with arb raises should still total under $50MM.

That leaves at least a $40MM gap between the current group and this past season’s Opening Day payroll of about $91-92MM — perhaps a bit more, depending on trade scenarios and non-tenders. The Royals aren’t going to play at the very top of the market, and it bears emphasizing that free agency is a two-way street; they’re going to have a hard time selling Kansas City as a preferred destination to even second- or third-tier free agents who have any kind of demand. It might mean overpaying (as they did with Lyles) or delving even deeper into the free agent waters.

As is to be expected with any 100-loss team, the areas in need of improvement outweigh those where the team appears set. The Royals have some money to splash around in free agency a bit, but don’t expect any marquee additions. Upside plays for pitchers — where their spacious park is surely a bonus — and perhaps some additional trades to acquire controllable names in need of a change of scenery figure to follow. The Royals have more work to do than a team should after enduring eight straight losing or .500 seasons, and it’s going to take multiple years to get them back on track.

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