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MLBTR Podcast: Teoscar Signs With L.A. And The Move-Making Mariners and Rays

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Will anything stop this trend of deferred money in contracts? (23:40)
  • Will there ever be a salary floor and would that help baseball in any way? (32:20)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Mets Sign Yacksel Ríos To Minor League Deal

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The Mets have signed right-hander Yacksel Ríos to a minor league deal, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. The righty also receives an invitation to major league Spring Training.

Ríos, 30, has 98 1/3 innings of major league experience, but scattered over six seasons. He’s pitched for the Phillies, Pirates, Mariners, Red Sox and Athletics, never topping 36 frames in any individual season. He has a combined 6.32 earned run average in his career, having struck out 20.8% of opponents while giving out walks at a 12.5% clip.

He started the year with the Braves on a minor league deal and looked in good form for a while. He tossed 25 1/3 innings for their Triple-A club with a 2.49 ERA, 30.3% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate. He was traded to the A’s in June in a cash deal and was quickly added to the major league roster, but he landed on the injured list after just three appearances. In July, he required surgery to repair an axillary branch aneurysm in his right shoulder. He was outrighted off the roster in October and elected free agency.

The major league track record isn’t especially impressive, but he’s been better in the minors. That includes a 4.12 ERA at Triple-A in 168 1/3 innings over six separate seasons. He has struck out a quarter of batters faced at that level, though he’s also given out free passes at a 12% clip. For the Mets, there’s no harm in bringing him aboard via this minor league deal to provide some non-roster depth. If selected to the roster, he is out of options but has just over three years of service time.

Mariners Add Danny Farquhar To Coaching Staff

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The Mariners announced that they have added Danny Farquhar to the coaching staff of manager Scott Servais. The former big leaguer will have the title of pitching strategist and assistant pitching coach.

“I am thrilled to return to the Mariners organization after pitching here for 3 seasons,” said Farquhar in a press release from the club. “I am greatly looking forward to working with our dynamic pitchers, as well as Scott and our coaching staff.”

Farquhar, now 36, pitched in seven big league seasons from 2011 to 2018, spending 2013 to 2015 with the Mariners. He also pitched for the Blue Jays, Rays and White Sox, ultimately tossing 272 1/3 innings with a 3.93 earned run average, 26.9% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate. His major league career ended on a scary note, as he collapsed in the dugout due to a brain aneurysm after a game pitching for the White Sox in April of 2018. He was eventually cleared to play in November and signed a minor league deal with the Yankees for 2019, but he made just two appearances on the farm in June before being released.

He announced his retirement that August and has since been coaching in the White Sox’ system, most recently working as the pitching coach for the Double-A Birmingham Barons. He’ll now get a chance to jump to the major league level, working with Mariners pitching coach Pete Woodworth.

Dodgers To Sign Elieser Hernández To Minor League Deal

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The Dodgers are signing right-hander Elieser Hernández to a minor league deal, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The deal for the MVP Sports Group client includes an invite to major league Spring Training.

Hernández, 29 in May, didn’t pitch in the big leagues in 2023. He was acquired by the Mets from the Marlins in a December 2022 trade but began the season on the injured list due to a right shoulder strain. He was activated from the IL in July and optioned to the minors, but was recalled shortly thereafter and placed on the IL with a right pectoral strain. He finished the year having tossed just 9 1/3 innings in the minors, then was outrighted off the roster in November and elected free agency.

He has shown flashes of promise in previous seasons, but often with health getting in the way. He posted a 3.16 ERA in 2020, but in just six starts due to a strained right latissimus dorsi. He then had a 4.18 ERA in 2021, but only made 11 starts, missing time due to right biceps inflammation and a right quad strain. Over those two seasons, he struck out 26.3% of batters and gave out walks at just a 5.7% clip. But his ERA jumped to 6.35 in 2022 before he endured the mostly lost season last year.

The Dodgers have generally been unafraid to sign players with injury concerns, betting on the talent showing up with some luck on the health side. Blake Treinen, Daniel Hudson, Jimmy Nelson, J.P. Feyereisen and Alex Reyes are just a few recent examples of players that the club has taken a chance on. In the case of Hernández, there’s no risk in bringing him aboard via this minor league deal and seeing what form he’s in once Spring Training rolls around. If he does make the roster, he can’t be optioned down to the minors since he has over five years of service time. He was worked as both a starter and reliever in his career but the lack of health will perhaps nudge towards spending more time in the bullpen.

White Sox To Sign Jake Woodford To Minor League Deal

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Right-hander Jake Woodford is signing a minor league contract with the White Sox, per a report from Robert Murray of FanSided. The Excel Sports Management client will receive an invitation to major league Spring Training.

Woodford, 27, will jump to a new organization for the first time in his career. He was drafted by the Cardinals in 2015 and was a part of that org until he was non-tendered in November of last year. He mostly worked in a swing role in the big leagues and had some decent seasons. Over 2021 and 2022, he tossed 116 innings with a 3.26 earned run average. His 15.4% strikeout rate in that time was well below league average but he kept his walks down to a 7.5% clip and got grounders on 45.8% of balls in play.

Unfortunately, things went off the rails in 2023, as he posted a 6.23 ERA in 47 2/3 innings, as his strikeout rate fell even farther to 13.1% and his walk rate ticked up to 9.9%. Despite his ground ball tendencies, he also allowed 11 home runs in that small sample of work. He was eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting Woodford for a salary of $1.1MM, just a bit north of next year’s $740K minimum. But the Cards instead decided to move on, non-tendering him in November.

For the Sox, they have plenty of questions on their pitching staff. Dylan Cease projects as the ace but many around the industry expect him to be traded. General manager Chris Getz recently said the club plans to stretch out Garrett Crochet, but he’s thrown just 73 major league innings over the past four years. Erick Fedde should have a role after a strong KBO season but his work in the majors was shaky prior to that. Michael Kopech and Touki Toussaint both have significant control issues. Michael Soroka didn’t fully bounceback in 2023 after a lengthy injury absence. Chris Flexen is coming off a really rough campaign.

In the bullpen, Kendall Graveman, Reynaldo López, Aaron Bummer, Keynan Middleton and Joe Kelly have all been traded in the past six months, and Crochet is another subtraction by virtue of moving into a starting role. In short, there should be plenty of innings available for Woodford if he’s able to put his 2023 season behind him and get back into good form. If he’s added onto the roster, he is out of options but could be retained beyond this season via arbitration.

Pirates, JT Brubaker Avoid Arbitration

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The Pirates and right-hander JT Brubaker have avoided arbitration, per Connor Williams of the Talk the Plank Podcast. Brubaker will make $2.275MM this year, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Friday is the deadline for clubs and arbitration-eligible players to submit salary figures, with hearings set to take place in late January. Many cases will be resolved as that deadline approaches, such as this one.

Brubaker, now 30, pitched 315 2/3 innings for the Pirates from 2020 to 2022. He had a 4.99 earned run average in that time, along with a 23.3% strikeout rate, 7.8% walk rate and 44% ground ball rate. He qualified for arbitration for 2023 and made a salary of $2.275MM last year.

Unfortunately, it was a totally lost year for the righty. He had some elbow/forearm discomfort in the spring and eventually underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-April, missing the entire season. That has led him to have the same salary in 2024 as he did last year.

He will likely start 2024 on the injured list and could return at some point in the middle of the season. The Pittsburgh rotation currently projects to feature Mitch Keller, Marco Gonzales and Martín Pérez, with guys like Bailey Falter, Luis Ortiz, Roansy Contreras, Quinn Priester, Jackson Wolf and Paul Skenes in competition for spots at the back end. Brubaker will jump into that mix whenever he’s healthy. He can be retained via arbitration for one more season before he’s slated for free agency after 2025.

Brewers, Hoby Milner Avoid Arbitration

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The Brewers and left-hander Hoby Milner have avoided arbitration, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The southpaw will make a salary of $2.05MM in the upcoming campaign.

Friday is the deadline for clubs and arbitration-eligible players to submit salary figures, with hearings set to take place in late January. Many cases will be resolved as that deadline approaches, such as this one.

Milner, 33 in January, first qualified for arbitration last year and made a salary of $1.025MM. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a bump to $1.7MM in 2024, but he will beat that by a bit. He will be eligible for one more arbitration raise in 2025 before he’s slated for free agency.

He is coming off an excellent season in terms of run prevention, finishing with a 1.82 earned run average over 73 appearances out of the Milwaukee bullpen. He was likely helped by a .254 batting average on balls in play and 84.2% strand rate, both of which are on the lucky side of average. But he still had strong peripherals, with a 23.4% strikeout rate, 5.2% walk rate and 50.9% ground ball rate. ERA estimators like his 3.13 FIP and 3.43 SIERA suggest he wasn’t quite as dominant as the ERA makes it look, but they still suggest it was a good performance nonetheless.

He projects to be the top lefty in the Milwaukee bullpen in 2024, with depth options like Ethan Small, Clayton Andrews and Bryan Hudson also on the 40-man roster.

Rockies, Cal Quantrill Avoid Arbitration

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The Rockies and right-hander Cal Quantrill have avoided arbitration, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The righty will make $6.55MM in the upcoming campaign.

Quantrill, 29 in February, spent the past three and a half years with Cleveland. He first qualified for arbitration for the 2022 season as a Super Two player. He made $2.51MM that year and then $5.55MM last year. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a raise to $6.6MM in 2024 but the Guards decided to move on, designating him for assignment in November to open a roster spot prior to the Rule 5 draft. Shortly thereafter, he was acquired by the Rockies, with minor league catcher Kody Huff going the other way.

Friday is the deadline for clubs and arbitration-eligible players to submit salary figures, with hearings set to take place in late January. Many cases will be resolved as that deadline approaches, such as this case, with Quantrill agreeing to a salary just a shade below the projection.

Quantrill is coming off a frustrating season but had a solid run over the three prior campaigns. From 2020 to 2022, the righty tossed 368 innings with an earned run average of 3.08. His 18.4% strikeout rate was subpar, but he limited walks to a 6.7% rate, got grounders at a 42.7% clip and generally limited hard contact. Last year, however, his ERA shot up to 5.24 in a season where he twice went to the injured list due to shoulder inflammation. His walk rate was still good but his punchouts dropped to 13.1% as his hard hit rate and barrel rate both ticked up.

The Rockies are almost always in need of pitching and that’s especially been the case lately. Attracting free agents to the hitter-friendly environs of Coors Field is always a challenge and significant injuries have hit incumbents arms, with each of Germán Márquez and Antonio Senzatela currently recovering from Tommy John surgery. Quantrill should be locked into a rotation spot to start the year alongside Kyle Freeland, with pitchers like Dakota Hudson, Ryan Feltner, Austin Gomber, Peter Lambert and Noah Davis also in the mix.

If Quantrill is able to have a bounceback season in 2024, he can be retained via arbitration in 2025. That could be by the Rockies or perhaps some other club, if Quantrill is throwing well enough to be a midseason trade candidate.

White Sox Outright Zach Remillard

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The White Sox announced Wednesday that infielder Zach Remillard, whom they designated for assignment after signing catcher Martin Maldonado to a one-year deal, went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A. The 29-year-old (30 in February) will remain in the organization.

A tenth-round selection by the Sox back in 2016, Remillard made his big league debut last year after grinding through parts of eight minor league seasons. He appeared in 54 games and took 160 turns at the plate, batting .252/.295/.320 with a homer, seven doubles, four steals, a 5% walk rate and a 30% strikeout rate. He spent the vast majority of his time at second base and posted quality defensive grades there, though Remillard also received briefer looks at shortstop, third base and in both outfield corners.

That defensive versatility has been Remillard’s calling card throughout his minor league tenure. He carries a tepid .243/.339/.376 batting line in parts of three Triple-A seasons (1073 plate appearances), but he’s appeared at every position on the diamond other than catcher and pitcher in his eight-year professional career. Now that he’s passed through waivers, he’ll likely be in big league camp this spring and serve as a depth option for the White Sox. His experience at virtually every position on the diamond would make him a natural option for just about any injury or set of injuries the rebuilding White Sox could incur in 2024.

Mariners Claim Mauricio Llovera From Red Sox

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The Mariners have claimed right-hander Mauricio Llovera from the Red Sox, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The righty was designated for assignment a week ago when the Sox signed Lucas Giolito. Seattle’s 40-man roster is now at 39.

Llovera, 28 in April, has thrown 59 major league innings over the past four seasons. Splitting him time between the Phillies, Giants and Red Sox, he has a 5.80 combined earned run average. He has struck out 20.6% of batters faced, given out walks at a 10.1% clip and kept 44.6% of balls in play in the ground.

His results in the minors have been much better, with a 2.82 ERA at Triple-A in 92 2/3 innings over the past three years. He has a 25.9% strikeout rate at that level while walking just 8.8% of batters faced there. Almost half of that Triple-A time came in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League while he was in the Giants’ system.

The M’s are apparently intrigued by those minor league results but Llovera is now out of options. That means he has to stick on the active roster or else be removed from the 40-man entirely. Since he has a previous career outright, he would have the right to elect free agency if he were to be passed through waivers in the future. That perhaps suggests that he has a legitimate chance of making the team in Seattle. If he clicks with the Mariners, he can be controlled for five seasons before he would qualify for free agency.

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