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Archives for March 2024

Twins Select Daniel Duarte, Place Anthony DeSclafani On 60-Day Injured List

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The Twins announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of right-handed reliever Daniel Duarte from Triple-A St. Paul. He’ll make the team’s Opening Day roster. Right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, who’s dealing with a season-jeopardizing elbow strain, has been placed on the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Minnesota also placed righty Josh Staumont on the 15-day IL due to a strained left calf. He’ll join a host of Twins hurlers who were already previously reported to be opening on the injured list, including DeSclafani, Jhoan Duran (oblique strain), Justin Topa (patellar tendinitis), Caleb Thielbar (hamstring strain) and Zack Weiss (shoulder strain).

Minnesota claimed the 27-year-old Duarte off waivers from the Rangers over the winter. He’d bounced from Cincinnati to Texas via waivers already, and the Twins succeeded in claiming him then quickly passing him through waivers themselves, allowing them to retain the right-hander without dedicating a 40-man roster spot to him (until today’s return to the 40-man).

Duarte made his MLB debut with the Reds in 2022 but only tossed 2 2/3 innings. He picked up 31 2/3 frames with Cincinnati in ’23, logging a 3.69 ERA that masked a much more concerning 16.9% strikeout rate and 14.7% walk rate. The K-BB profile is ugly, but Duarte averages nearly 96 mph on his heater and has a good slider, in addition to a track record of missing bats in the upper minors (26.8% strikeout rate in Triple-A). His performance in spring training was particularly encouraging: in 12 1/3 innings, he allowed just four runs (2.92 ERA) on ten hits and no walks with a dozen strikeouts and an above-average 47.1% ground-ball rate.

Duarte has a minor league option remaining, so now that he’s been added back to the 40-man, he can be shuttled between Triple-A and the big leagues as the Twins see fit this season. For now, with key relievers like Duran, Thielbar and Topa on the injured list, he’ll have the opportunity to make the roster and look to work his way into a more prominent role with the club.

As for DeSclafani, the Twins have yet to announce a timetable for his return. Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote last week that DeSclafani’s elbow flared up in his final four to five pitches of a recent game in spring training, and surgery is now a possibility. DeSclafani himself acknowledged as much at the time as he prepared for a consultation with renowned surgeon Dr. Keith Meister.

The Twins acquired the veteran DeSclafani as one of four players in return for Jorge Polanco. The Mariners and Giants are covering all but $4MM of this year’s $12MM salary, so DeSclafani was effectively included in the deal as a low-cost depth option in the rotation — someone to compete with Louie Varland for the fifth spot on the staff. Topa (controllable for another three years), top outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez and minor league righty Darren Bowen all have far more long-term value to the organization. Nevertheless, the DeSclafani injury is quite unfortunate for a Twins club whose offseason was punctuated by ownership’s desire to scale back payroll amid uncertainty regarding the team’s television broadcast outlook.

The Opener: Opening Day, O’Neill, Orioles, Santos

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Happy Opening Day to MLBTR readers! Here are three things worth keeping an eye on as the 2024 regular season kicks off:

1. It’s Opening Day!

While the Dodgers and Padres already squared off in a two-game set in South Korea last week, the 2024 regular season is set to kick off in earnest today. 26 of MLB’s 30 clubs will participate in games throughout the day, with the Angels kicking things off against the Orioles at Camden Yards at 2:05pm CT this afternoon. A trio of west coast games are set to round out today’s games just after 9pm CT: the Guardians will face the A’s in what could be their final Opening Day at the Coliseum; the Rockies will face the Diamondbacks in Arizona; and the Red Sox will face the Mariners in Seattle.

While most of the league will be engaging in Opening Day festivities, four clubs had their scheduled games postponed due to expected inclement weather today. The Brewers and Mets will begin their seasons at 1:40pm CT tomorrow in New York, while the Braves and Phillies will do the same at 3:05pm CT tomorrow in Philadelphia. In the meantime, one player worth keeping an eye on today is Red Sox outfielder Tyler O’Neill. As noted by MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, O’Neill has hit a home run in four consecutive Opening Day games dating back to 2019. That makes O’Neill one of just four hitters in MLB history to reach that milestone. Will he become the first to do so on five consecutive Opening Days?

2. Orioles presser this morning:

Yesterday, MLB’s owners unanimously approved the sale of the Orioles to a group led by billionaire David Rubenstein, installing him as the club’s control person. It’s the first change of ownership in Baltimore since the late Peter Angelos purchased the Orioles in 1993. The change of the guard comes at an exciting time for fans in Baltimore, as the club is coming off a 101-win campaign that saw the club win the AL East for the first time since 2014, and the future looks bright as the Orioles boast the best farm system in the majors in addition to their crop of young talent already at the big league level. The Orioles are expected to hold a press conference at 10am CT this morning to discuss the sale and the team’s long-term outlook.

3. Santos to undergo MRI:

While the Mariners welcome the Red Sox to T-Mobile Park for their first game of the regular season, right-hander Gregory Santos is scheduled to undergo an MRI today, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Santos, 24, was acquired by Seattle last month in a deal with the White Sox on the heels of a strong 2023 season. The right-hander posted a 3.39 ERA with an excellent 2.65 FIP last year while striking out 22.8% of batters faced. He also averaged nearly 99 mph on his fastball and figures to join other fireballers such as Andres Munoz, Matt Brash and Ryne Stanek in the mix for high-leverage innings at the back of the Mariners’ bullpen when healthy. Today’s MRI should help to determine how quickly that happens, as Divish notes that Santos will resume his throwing program in the coming days if the testing comes back clean.

Dodgers Sign Will Smith To Ten-Year Extension

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The Dodgers announced today that they have signed catcher Will Smith to a ten-year extension which runs through 2033. It is reportedly a guarantee of $140MM with no opt-outs for the Apex Baseball client, though with deferrals. Smith will get a $30MM signing bonus, a salary of $13.55MM in 2024, salaries of $13MM from 2025 to 2027, $9.5MM from 2028 to 2032 and $9.95MM in 2033. The deferrals will be paid out at a rate of $5MM annually from 2034 to 2043 and the deal will have a competitive balance tax hit of $12.2MM. Because this deal overwrites Smith’s previous $8.55MM salary for the 2024 season, the pact is effectively a nine-year, $131.45MM deal in terms of new money.

It’s an early birthday present for Smith, who turns 29 tomorrow and has somewhat quietly been one of the best catchers in the game in recent years. Dating back to his 2019 debut through the end of 2023, he hit 91 home runs and drew walks in 10.9% of his plate appearances. His .261/.357/.483 batting line coming into the 2024 season translates to a 128 wRC+. Among qualified catchers over that span, only Mitch Garver and Adley Rutschman had a higher wRC+. Each of those two were at 130 but in barely half as many plate appearances.

His glovework has also received strong grades, including 26 Defensive Runs Saved thus far in his career. Statcast considers him to have been roughly league average in terms of blocking and controlling the running game. It’s less enthused about his framing but FanGraphs considers him to be right around par in that department, while Baseball Prospectus considers him to be well above average. His 15.8 wins above replacement from FanGraphs since the start of 2019 are second among primary catchers, behind only J.T. Realmuto.

Smith was going into his second of three arbitration seasons. He made $5.25MM last year and avoided arbitration back in January by agreeing to a salary of $8.55MM for 2024, though that salary has now been overwritten by the aforementioned $13.55MM figure. He would have been eligible for another pass at arbitration in 2025 before qualifying for free agency after his age-30 season, but the Dodgers have locked him up instead.

The structure of the contract stands out as unusual, as a ten-year deal for a catcher is unprecedented. Per MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, which has data going back to the 2009-10 offseason, no backstop has ever signed a deal longer than eight years. Each of Joe Mauer, Buster Posey and Keibert Ruiz signed eight-year extensions, the longest deals for catchers in the past decade-plus.

Catchers generally experience a great deal of wear and tear due to the rigors of the position, which can make it difficult to achieve longevity in the position. In terms of deals three years or longer, the oldest age for the player’s final season was 37, which applies to the three-year deal Carlos Ruiz signed with the Phillies back in 2013 and an extension Yadier Molina signed with the Cardinals. Russell Martin’s five-year deal with the Blue Jays went into his age-36 season, the oldest age for the final season of any deal longer than three years for a catcher.

The Dodgers have committed to Smith for a longer term than any of those deals and later into his career. But in doing so, it seems they were able to compromise in terms of the average annual value and competitive balance tax hit, which is based on AAV. The nine years and $131.45MM of new money leads to an AAV $14.61MM before accounting for deferrals, which lower the present-day value of the deal to $12.2MM. Mauer got a guarantee of $184MM and a $23MM AAV back in 2010. Posey got $166.5MM and a $20.8MM AAV in 2023. Martin’s five-year deal came with an $82MM guarantee and $16.4MM AAV back in 2014.

That is not to suggest that Smith is as good as those players, merely to point out that the guarantee isn’t as unprecedented as the length. While the ten-year span is a new record for catchers, there are 12 deals with higher AAVs than $14.61MM listed on the Contract Tracker.

Smith was likely looking at one shot at a life-changing deal when he hit free agency after 2025, but he’ll lock up that money now instead of waiting. Perhaps he is sacrificing some future earning power but he now foregoes any risk of a significant injury cutting into those plans. The Dodgers get to keep a catcher who has established himself as a key piece of the roster while tamping down the luxury tax hit. The length of the deal will keep it on the books for a long time but the modest salary shouldn’t be an albatross for a high-spending club like the Dodgers.

In the long run, there will inevitably be questions that need to be answered about the domino effects of this deal. Smith may need to be moved from behind the plate to a designated hitter role over time but the presence of Shohei Ohtani will prevent Smith from getting any kind of regular role in the DH slot. The Dodgers also have three catching prospects that are considered to be top 100 talents in Diego Cartaya, Dalton Rushing and Thayron Liranzo. As those players approach the majors, the club could be facing a bit of a logjam, though that would be a good problem to have and could allow the Dodgers to bolster other areas of the roster via trade.

For today, it’s a nice bit of security for both the player and the club, cementing a relationship that had a ticking clock with less than two years remaining.

Juan Toribio of MLB.com. first reported that the two sides were working on a deal. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic first had the ten-year length while Jeff Passan of ESPN had the guarantee. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com added that there is some deferred money. Dylan Hernández of the Los Angeles Times relayed the signing bonus and the lack of opt-outs. Feinsand later provided the full breakdown and the CBT calculation.

AL East Notes: Yankees, Montgomery, Red Sox, Clevinger, Shenton

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Prior to the southpaw signing with the Diamondbacks last night on a one-year deal that guarantees him $25MM, the Yankees were among the teams most frequently connected to Jordan Montgomery this winter as the 31-year-old’s former club scouted out potential rotation upgrades in free agency. Reporting connected the sides throughout the offseason and while initial reports indicated that New York was more focused on Blake Snell and Montgomery preferred a return to the Rangers, the sides seemingly reopened negotiations on a hypothetical reunion last week. Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, however, the sides never got particularly close to a deal before the southpaw landed in Arizona.

Heyman writes that the Yankees remained in talks with Montgomery’s agent, Scott Boras, in the days leading up to his deal with the Diamondbacks but that the fourth tier of the luxury tax, which levies a 110% tax rate on spending beyond $297MM, proved to be a major obstacle in negotiations between the sides. While the Yankees suggested a four-year deal to the southpaw’s camp (which Heyman indicates may not have reached the “offer” stage of negotiations), the hypothetical pact would have guaranteed Montgomery just $72MM with heavy deferrals that Heyman indicates would have taken the deal’s net-present value to just $46MM.

That $11.5MM AAV clocks in at less than half of the $25MM Montgomery will earn in 2024, and the total guarantee over four seasons is less than the $47.5MM Montgomery would be able to earn over two seasons provided he makes at least 18 starts in 2024. While Montgomery was rumored to be searching for a long-term deal even as the calendar flipped to March, it would have been a shock if the left-hander hadn’t been able to beat the club’s offer elsewhere on the free agent market. With Montgomery now off the table, the Yankees figure to enter the regular season with a starting rotation of Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil while ace right-hander Gerrit Cole nurses inflammation in his elbow.

More from around the AL East…

  • The Red Sox were also frequently tied to Montgomery as a potential suitor this winter, and were a frequently speculated destination for a number of starters in all tiers of free agency. Despite that wide-ranging reported interest, however, the club only came away with right-hander Lucas Giolito this winter. In the wake of Giolito undergoing an internal brace procedure on his UCL this spring the club also added righty Chase Anderson on a big league deal, though it appears they aren’t exploring further additions to their rotation mix at this point. WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported yesterday that the club has not made an offer to the lone remaining free agent starter of note, right-hander Mike Clevinger, who pitched to a 3.77 ERA in 24 starts with the White Sox last year. The club’s internal options of Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, and Garrett Whitlock will need to take a major step forward this season in order to improve upon the 4.68 ERA last year’s rotation mix posted despite losing veteran lefties Chris Sale and James Paxton.
  • The Rays have struggled with injuries to their positional corps this spring, and key pieces such as Josh Lowe, Taylor Walls, and Jonathan Aranda are all slated to open the season on the injured list. Those injuries have created an opportunity for one player, however, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times noted this evening that infielder Austin Shenton is slated to make the Rays’ Opening Day roster as the final piece of the club’s bench mix. Shenton, 26, has never appeared in the majors before and struggled to a .195/.214/.244 line in 15 games this spring but excelled at the plate in the minors last year, raking to the tune of a .304/.423/.584 slash line in 134 games split between the Double- and Triple-A levels. Shenton has experience at first, second, and third base as well as both outfield corners and figures to act as a left-handed complement to the likes of Harold Ramirez, Amed Rosario, and Curtis Mead in the club’s positional mix to open the season.

NL West Notes: Sandoval, Black, Grichuk, Dodgers

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When veteran infielder Pablo Sandoval signed a non-roster deal with the Giants last month, it was reported that the deal was not meant to be a ceremonial end to the 37-year-old’s storied career akin to the deal right-hander Sergio Romo took with the club before retiring last spring. Rather, Sandoval hoped that the deal could be a stepping stone toward returning to the majors. After the Kung Fu Panda slashed just .250/.323/.250 without a single extra-base hit in 16 games with the club this spring, it appears unlikely that will come to pass for the time being. That still doesn’t mean that Sandoval has any intention of retiring, however. As relayed by MLB.com’s Henry Schulman, Sandoval has indicated that he intends to keep playing even if he does not make the major league roster in San Francisco to open the season. Instead, he intends to report to Triple-A Sacramento and play for the Giants in the minor leagues.

A veteran of 14 big league seasons who last played in the majors back in 2021, Sandoval is a two-time All Star who earned World Series MVP honors with the Giants in 2012 while also playing a key role during the club’s championship seasons in 2010 and 2014. Sandoval initially departed San Francisco to sign in Boston prior to the 2015 season, but that disastrous contract saw him released partway through the 2017 campaign. He returned to the Giants afterward and enjoyed a pair of resurgent seasons with the club in 2018 and 2019 as he slashed .259/.311/.466 in a combined 200 games. His most recent big league appearances came with the Braves, with whom he hit .178/.302/.342 in 69 games in a bench role three seasons ago.

While Sandoval clearly intends to continue his professional career into his age-37 campaign, it’s unclear what the Giants’ plans are regarding their World Series hero at this point. Indeed, Sandoval noted to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area yesterday that he has not yet discussed his plan to continue playing in the minor leagues with Giants brass. Even so, Sandoval emphasized to Pavlovic that he has no intention of hanging up the cleats at this point. “Everyone thinks I’m retired,” Sandoval said (per Pavlovic). “I’m not retired.”

More from around the NL West:

  • Sticking with the Giants, the club made a surprising move yesterday by re-assigning right-hander Mason Black to the minor leagues, as noted by MLB.com’s Maria I. Guardado. While the right-hander’s 6.97 ERA in 10 1/3 innings of work with the Giants this spring certainly presents a clear case for the 24-year-old starting the season in Triple-A, the move came just over a week after manager Bob Melvin indicated to reporters that the club was likely to turn to Black as a member of their Opening Day rotation. Of course, San Francisco’s rotation plans were altered the very next day by the addition of reigning NL Cy Young award winner Blake Snell, but it’s still something of a shock to see Black sent to Triple-A given the club’s need for innings in the bullpen due to injuries suffered by Tristan Beck and Sean Hjelle this spring. Instead, it appears the long relief role will be offered to non-roster veteran Daulton Jefferies, who impressed with a 2.57 ERA in 14 innings during camp.
  • The Diamondbacks will begin the season without outfielder Randal Grichuk, who manager Torey Lovullo confirmed will begin the season on the injured list to reporters (including Alex Weiner of AZ Sports) earlier today. That’s hardly a surprise, as Grichuk did not make it into game action this spring while rehabbing from offseason surgery to remove bone spurs from his ankle. Upon signing with Arizona last month, Grichuk indicated that the issues wasn’t expected to cause a lengthy absence, adding that if he were to miss Opening Day due to the issue he may be ready to return as soon as a week into the regular season. The 32-year-old veteran slashed a roughly league average .267/.321/.459 in 118 trips to the plate in Colorado and Anaheim last year and is slated to act as a right-handed complement to the likes of Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, and Joc Pederson in Arizona’s outfield mix this year.
  • While the Dodgers are set to turn to veteran superstar Mookie Betts and second baseman Gavin Lux up the middle this season, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) yesterday that veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas will get some starts at short as well, at least against left-handed pitching. On those days, Betts will slide over to second base and push Lux to the bench. While Robert emphasized that the situation won’t be a strict platoon, Lux’s career .586 OPS against same-handed pitching and Rojas’s strong defense at shortstop make sitting Lux against certain southpaws in order to improve the club’s infield defense a sensible strategy. Rojas, 35, hit a paltry .236/.290/.322 in 124 games with the Dodgers last year but slashed a much more respectable .286/.331/.406 in 145 trips to the plate against lefties.

Brewers Notes: Outfield, Gasser, Clarke

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The outfield mix in Milwaukee took a major hit earlier this week when the Brewers announced that center fielder Garrett Mitchell will open the season on the shelf due to a hand fracture. Mitchell, who the club selected 20th overall in the 2020 draft, was expected to be the club’s regular starter in center to open the season but now is ticketed for what could be an extended absence, his second in as many years after shoulder surgery wiped out the majority of his 2023 campaign.

Franchise face Christian Yelich and top prospect Jackson Chourio were slated to handle the outfield corners when it appeared that Michell would be the club’s starting center fielder, and Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays that, per manager Pat Murphy, that’s still the plan. Chourio, 20, has made the overwhelming majority of his outfield appearances in center during his time in the minors and has just eight games of minor league experience in right field, but Murphy confirmed that the club will not change course and move Chourio to center while Mitchell is on the shelf. Instead, Murphy suggests (as relayed by Rosiak) that the Brewers will rely on a platoon featuring Sal Frelick and Blake Perkins in center while Mitchell is unavailable, with Frelick getting the lion’s share of playing time against right-handers while Perkins starts against southpaws.

Both Frelick, 24 in April, and Perkins, 27, made their big league debuts with Milwaukee last season and held their own in limited action with the club. The switch-hitting Perkins appeared in 67 games with the club while splitting time between all three outfield spots and slashed a decent .217/.325/.350 (88 wRC+) in 168 trips to the plate. Meanwhile, Frelick drew 223 plate appearances across 57 games with the Brewers and slashed .246/.341/.351 (92 wRC+) during that time while also going a solid 7-for-7 on the basepaths. The youngster took reps at third base this winter to create a possible path to additional playing time outside of the club’s crowded outfield, though it appears those plans are on hold in the wake of Mitchell’s injury.

The plan to platoon the two youngsters makes plenty of sense for Frelick, who posted a paltry 59 wRC+ against southpaws last year. With that being said, Perkins is somewhat of an odd choice for a platoon partner as he also struggled against southpaws last year with a 65 wRC+ from the right-handed side of the batters’ box in the majors. Should Perkins struggle in the role to open the season, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the club pivot to Joey Wiemer as Frelick’s platoon partner in center, as the 25-year-old played strong defense in the outfield last year and batted an impressive .267/.298/.517 in 121 trips to the plate against lefties last year. For now, however, Wiemer is ticketed to begin the season at Triple-A as the club’s primary depth option in the outfield.

Along with his comments on the outfield, Murphy also discussed injuries sustained by a pair of organization’s pitchers. Rosiak relays that right-hander Taylor Clarke is set to undergo meniscus surgery on his right knee, while lefty Robert Gasser will open the season on the injured list due to a bone spur in his left elbow. Clarke, 31 in May, was already expected to open the 2024 campaign on the shelf due to the injury but now faces a significantly longer absence, though no timetable for his return was discussed by Murphy. The right-hander came over to the Brewers in a trade with the Royals back in December on the heels of a difficult 2023 season in Kansas City that saw him post a 5.95 ERA and 5.07 FIP in 58 appearances.

As for Gasser, the left-hander has yet to make his major league debut but was a key component in the trade that sent Josh Hader to the Padres at the 2022 trade deadline. His first full season in Milwaukee went quite well as he pitched to a 3.79 ERA in 135 1/3 innings as a member of the club’s Triple-A rotation, striking out an impressive 28% of batters faced along the way. An intriguing talent that Baseball America placed 98th on their preseason top 100 prospects list this year, Gasser figures to contribute to the club’s rotation at some point this season, but his big league debut will have to wait until he’s healthy. Fortunately, Rosiak notes that the Brewers are currently expecting Gasser’s absence to be a matter of weeks, suggesting that he could still have plenty of time to impact the big league club later in the year if he manages to maintain his performance from last season.

Red Sox’ Noah Song To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Red Sox youngster Noah Song will begin the season on the injured list, with Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com reporting that the right-hander is set to undergo Tommy John surgery. He’ll be joined on the shelf to open the season by southpaw Brandon Walter, who per Chris Cotillo of MassLive is nursing a strained rotator cuff in his left arm.

Neither Song nor Walter were expected to open the season in the majors, but the twin injury updates are nonetheless a brutal blow for the club’s pitching depth at the upper levels of the minor leagues. Song, 26, is perhaps the more well known of the pair despite not yet having made his major league debut. The right-hander was one of the more well-regarded hurlers in the 2019 draft but fell to the Red Sox in the fourth round due to his military commitments as a Naval Academy cadet. He made just seven starts in the Red Sox organization before missing the next three seasons while fulfilling his military duties, though he was moved to the naval reserve prior to the 2023 season, allowing him to return to professional baseball.

The Phillies took the opportunity to select Song in the Rule 5 draft that offseason and remained in the organization for the first several months of the 2023 campaign, though he made no appearances at the big league level after beginning the season on the injured list due to a low back strain. Song made his return to a minor league mound in late June and struggled badly with Philadelphia, posting a 7.36 ERA in 11 innings of work across three levels of the minors before the club decided to designate him for assignment in late July.

Song was promptly returned to the Red Sox, and he finished the season strong with a solid 4.15 ERA in 21 2/3 frames at the High-A level down the stretch. Song appeared likely to open the season at the Double-A level for Boston this season, which could’ve potentially put him back on the big league radar at some point this year. That won’t come to pass now, however, as he figures to miss the entire 2024 campaign and perhaps some of the 2025 season as well while rehabbing from surgery.

Walter, 27, was a 26th-round pick by the Red Sox in the 2019 draft and made his big league debut with the club last season. The lefty struggled badly through nine appearances in Boston, pitching to a 6.26 ERA in 23 innings of work. His peripheral numbers indicated that his performance was better than the results indicated, as he posted a 4.60 FIP that was closer to league average. Walter’s numbers at the Triple-A level were similarly mediocre, as he threw 94 innings of 4.60 ERA ball while striking out 21.3% of batters faced.

Despite those uninspiring results, the lefty figured to provide the Red Sox with upper-level pitching depth capable of pitching out of the rotation and the bullpen behind fellow lefties Joely Rodriguez and Brennan Bernardino, though now he’ll be out of action for the foreseeable future. The club still has not only Bernardino but also arms such as Cooper Criswell and Zack Kelly available as depth options on the 40-man roster who can be called upon to supplement the big league club as needed, however.

Nationals Release Lewin Díaz

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The Nationals have released first baseman Lewin Díaz, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been in camp on a minor league deal but was reassigned to minor league camp on March 17. It’s unknown if he triggered an opt-out or was simply let go, but the result is that he is now back on the open market.

Díaz, 27, signed a minors pact with the Nats back in December. At that time, the club had Joey Meneses as its primary guy in the first base/designated hitter mix. But since then, they have added veterans Joey Gallo, Jesse Winker and Eddie Rosario to the roster, crowding the path to playing time for Díaz. He hit a couple of home runs this spring and slashed .231/.259/.538 for a wRC+ of 103.

It seems fair to expect Diaz to latch on somewhere else, as he was very popular last offseason. From November of 2022 to January of 2023, he went from the Marlins to the Pirates, Orioles, Braves and Orioles again, either on waivers or cash deals. The O’s eventually passed him through waivers and he spent the 2023 season with Triple-A Norfolk. He hit 17 home runs in 118 games for the Tides, drew walks at a 12.4% clip and limited his strikeouts to 19.7%. His .268/.362/.442 batting line translated to a 103 wRC+, matching his recent spring output.

Diaz is considered a strong defensive first baseman, having accrued 16 Defensive Runs Saved and 9 Outs Above Average in just 753 2/3 innings, roughly half a season. He would be a solid option if the bat is in good form but he unfortunately hasn’t been able to get it going in the majors just yet, having hit .181/.227/.340 in his 343 plate appearances.

Despite that poor performance against bit league pitching, he should garner interest. He’s hit .258/.340/.479 at Triple-A over the past three years, 110 wRC+. That comes with a .277 batting average on balls in play whereas his major league work has been held down by a .213 BABIP. Given his strong defense, he could be a solid contributor with a bit more luck from the baseball gods. Based on how many clubs tried to grab him last winter, it seems fair to expect some of them to come calling again.

Blue Jays Expect To Place Manoah, Swanson, Romano On Injured List

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The Blue Jays will place closer Jordan Romano and setup man Erik Swanson on the injured list to begin the season, manager John Schneider announced to reporters Wednesday (X thread via Shi Davidi of Sportsnet). Right-hander Alek Manoah is also likely headed to the 15-day IL, the manager added, though it seems that’ll just be to allow him some extra time to continue building up after he was slowed by shoulder trouble earlier in camp. Manoah tossed 34 pitches in a simulated game today and will continue to build from there. Righties Nate Pearson and Wes Parsons will open the season on the big league roster in place of Romano and Swanson.

Both Romano and Swanson recently underwent MRIs after experiencing some discomfort, neither of which revealed structural damage. Romano has some inflammation in his elbow, while Swanson is dealing with some tightness in his forearm. Neither is expected to miss significant time, but it’s nonetheless a blow to the Jays’ bullpen in the early stages of the season.

Romano, 31 next month, has become a powerhouse at the back of the Toronto ’pen. Over the past four seasons, he’s pitched to a 2.29 ERA (3.13 FIP, 3.14 SIERA) with a gaudy 30.8% strikeout rate against a 9.2% walk rate. Last year’s K-BB% wasn’t quite as dominant as in the prior three seasons, but Romano’s 17.1% swinging-strike rate was a flat-out elite mark that hints at a potential “rebound” in strikeout rate (as much as anyone needs to “rebound” from a generally excellent 29% mark in that regard). The right-hander also tied a career-high with 36 saves.

The 30-year-old Swanson, acquired from the Mariners in last offseason’s Teoscar Hernandez trade, would’ve been the favorite to step into closing duties for Romano were he healthy. He posted a 2.97 ERA in his first season with the Jays and carries a terrific 2.60 earned run average (3.04 FIP, 3.07 SIERA) over the past three seasons. During that time, Swanson has punched out 29.4% of his opponents against a very strong 6.7% walk rate.

With Romano and Swanson shelved to begin the year, closing duties will presumably fall to veteran Yimi Garcia. Setup options include Chad Green, the aforementioned Pearson, lefty Tim Mayza and fellow southpaw Genesis Cabrera. The Jays still have a decent group of relievers, but any team’s bullpen is going to look a little dicey when subtracting its two clear best relievers, as is the case in Toronto.

As for the rotation, Manoah is slotted into the No. 5 spot as he looks to rebound from last year’s nightmarish season. The Jays were concerned for a bit that staff ace Kevin Gausman would also require an IL stint, but it seems he’s progressed enough to avoid that fate. They’ll still open the season with Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi starting the first three games, but Gausman will be in line for the fourth or fifth game. He just pitched in a final spring tune-up outing Monday and thus won’t be sufficiently rested for an Opening Day nod.

With Manoah out, righty Bowden Francis will get the rotation nod to begin the season. He’s already been confirmed for the roster — his first career Opening Day roster spot — and will look to build on last year’s impressive rookie showing. The 27-year-old tossed 36 1/3 frames of 1.73 ERA ball with plus strikeout and walk rates (25.7% and 5.9%, respectively) over the life of 20 relief appearances. Francis has typically been a starter in the minors, so an early rotation role will be plenty familiar for him. He could be the first man up in the rotation throughout the early portion of the season if the Jays incur injuries on the staff, though top prospect Ricky Tiedemann will also likely make his big league debut at some point this season.

Offseason In Review: Toronto Blue Jays

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The Blue Jays’ offseason was defined by who they didn’t sign rather than who they did sign, as they came up short in their pursuit of Shohei Ohtani.

Major League Signings

2024 spending: $41MM
Total spending: $70.5MM

Option Decisions

Trades & Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

  • None

Notable Losses

December 8, 2023 will be remembered as one of the most unusual days in Blue Jays history, as reports from J.P. Hoornstra of Dodger Nation and MLB Network’s Jon Morosi indicated that Ohtani had either signed with the Jays, or was on a flight to Toronto to make the deal official.  It led to a few fevered hours of speculation around the baseball world before a lack of confirmation on these early reports eventually acted as a reality check, with Morosi retracting his earlier message on X.  The next day, Ohtani officially announced on his own Instagram page that he had signed with the Dodgers, thus ending the Blue Jays’ chances once and for all.

Subsequent reports indicated that the Jays made a comparable offer to the 10 years and (heavily-deferred) $700MM Ohtani received from Los Angeles.  Even if the Dodgers might’ve been Ohtani’s first choice if all else was equal, it appears as though the Blue Jays and possibly the Giants were viewed as legitimately viable alternative destinations if contract talks with L.A. didn’t go smoothly.

It’s possible that Toronto fans might feel a little better about not landing Ohtani now than they did a week ago, before news broke of the controversial and possibly explosive allegations involving Ohtani’s ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, an illegal gambling operation, and funds allegedly taken from Ohtani’s personal bank accounts to cover Mizuhara’s debts.  However, losing Ohtani was soon followed up by Los Angeles signing another top Jays target in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, even if Toronto wasn’t reportedly one of the true finalists for Yamamoto’s services — and certainly not to the level of the Dodgers’ massive 12-year, $325MM commitment to the Japanese ace.

The one-two punch of missing out on Ohtani and Yamamoto only increased the discord that has existed within the fanbase through much of the 2023 season, and reached a fever pitch when sloppy baserunning, a continued lack of hitting, and an infamous pitching change combined to quickly sweep Toronto out of its wild card series matchup with the Twins.  Jays GM Ross Atkins isn’t going to make an ill-advised splashy move just for the sake of positive headlines, yet just from a baseball perspective, questions have to asked about whether the Toronto roster is better now than it was at the end of last season.

As has been the Blue Jays’ habit over the last few offseasons, the club was linked to a wide range of available players.  Beyond Ohtani and Yamamoto, multiple reports suggested the Jays had some degree of interest in the likes of free agents Cody Bellinger, Aaron Nola, Blake Snell, J.D. Martinez, Jeimer Candelario, Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson, Michael Brantley, Rhys Hoskins, Gio Urshela, Michael A. Taylor, Amed Rosario, Domingo German, and their own incumbent free agent in Matt Chapman.  On the trade front, the Blue Jays reportedly looked into deals involving such players as Juan Soto, Eugenio Suarez, Isaac Paredes, Dylan Carlson, Jonathan India, and Jake Cronenworth, with the first two of those names actually changing teams in other deals.

The slow-moving nature of the free agent market means that the Blue Jays probably didn’t really miss out on many opportunities while focusing primarily on Ohtani for the offseason’s first five weeks.  Hindsight being 20-20, it can be argued that the Jays should’ve or could’ve pushed more to acquire Soto than Ohtani, though there’s no guarantee that the Jays were willing to match or exceed the pitching-centric trade package the Yankees needed to pry Soto away from the Padres.  As much as the fans were begging for a big strike, cleaning out an already thin farm system to land Soto might not have been feasible for the Jays in the long run.

Kevin Kiermaier was a free agent for the second consecutive winter but again ended up signing a one-year deal with Toronto, returning for a $10.5MM salary and a raise on his previous $9MM deal.  Heading into the offseason, the conventional wisdom was that the Blue Jays might let Kiermaier walk, in order to install Daulton Varsho in center field and a bigger bat into Varsho’s old left field spot.  However, the Jays will instead run it back with the outfield of Varsho, Kiermaier, and George Springer, hoping for a repeat of the group’s excellent defense and overall good health, and a notable improvement at the plate from at least Varsho and Springer.  (And if Kiermaier can top his solid 2023 slash line of .265/.322/.419 in 408 plate appearances, all the better.)

As for re-signing Chapman, Toronto monitored his market and made a late two-year offer before the third baseman signed with the Giants.  Chapman’s rather unusually long stint in free agency probably created this eleventh-hour possibility of a reunion, as it otherwise seemed like the Blue Jays somewhat moved on from Chapman when they signed Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a two-year, $15MM contract.

The price tag raised eyebrows, as Kiner-Falefa’s bat has been well below average (81 wRC+) over his six MLB seasons and 2415 career PA.  A Gold Glove winner as the Rangers’ third baseman in 2020, IKF’s defense has generally graded as average to very good at multiple positions, even if he naturally won’t match Chapman’s elite glovework.

Having Kiner-Falefa as a semi-everyday player is probably not an ideal move for an already inconsistent lineup, though the Blue Jays’ rather fluid second base/third base/backup infield collection of IKF, Cavan Biggio, Davis Schneider, and Ernie Clement could see all four players mixing and matching between the two positions.  Kiner-Falefa and Clement can also back up Bo Bichette at shortstop, and the out-of-options Clement performed well enough in Spring Training that the Jays felt comfortable enough to trade Santiago Espinal to the injury-riddled Reds last week.

Of course, Justin Turner also figures to get some time at the hot corner, even if Turner was signed to primarily fill Brandon Belt’s role as a part-time first baseman and DH.  Turner has been on the Jays’ radar for years as a free agent target, and the two sides finally came together on a one-year deal worth $13MM.  Even as he enters his age-39 season, Turner has remained a consistently productive hitter, including 23 homers and a .276/.345/.455 slash line over 626 PA for the Red Sox in 2023.

Turner is expected to play pretty close to every day at either third, first, or DH, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will naturally also be a lineup staple as the first baseman or designated hitter.  When a right-hander is on the mound, spring non-roster invite Daniel Vogelbach figures to get some time in the DH spot, as his minor league contract has now been selected to the Opening Day roster.  Vogelbach doesn’t have much utility as a DH-only player who can’t hit left-handed pitching, though his lefty bat does bring some balance to a lineup and bench mix that continues to tilt to the right side.  Re-signing Kiermaier brought at least one left-handed hitter back into the fold, but Kiermaier, Vogelbach, Biggio, and Varsho (none of whom are exactly premium bats) represent the current allotment of lefty swingers on the projected roster.

Joey Votto’s possible inclusion could change this picture in terms of upside if not numbers, as if Votto’s minors deal is selected to the active roster, he would surely just replace Vogelbach.  It would be a storybook ending if Votto could revive his career for at least one more big season with his hometown team, but while the 17-year veteran has been very forthright about his confidence in himself, Votto is also realistic about the challenges he’ll face in getting back to anything close to his old form after two injury-plagued seasons.  Votto will need time to ramp up in the minors, and he’ll also first have to recover from an ankle injury suffered after he homered in his lone Spring Training plate appearance in a Blue Jays uniform.

Between Turner, Vogelbach, and rolling the dice on Votto, the Jays apparently felt ok in moving on from Belt, as there were no public indications that Toronto had interest in re-signing arguably its best hitter from the 2023 season.  Alejandro Kirk also figures to get some DH at-bats over the course of the season, though he’ll be strictly a catcher in the early going while Danny Jansen recovers from a minor wrist fracture.  Offseason waiver claim Brian Serven will now break camp as Kirk’s backup catcher while Jansen heals.

Turning to the pitching staff, the Blue Jays’ priciest signing of the winter wasn’t Ohtani or Yamamoto, but rather another name from Japan….via Cuba.  Yariel Rodriguez posted a 3.30 ERA over 464 1/3 innings and six seasons in Cuba’s Serie Nacional before then delivering a 3.03 ERA in 175 1/3 frames for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Chunichi Dragons from 2020-22.  Rodriguez sat out the 2023 season while trying to arrange his move to MLB, so the year’s layoff is another x-factor on top of the usual questions about how a player’s skills will translate from international baseball to the Show.

Multiple teams scouted and considered Rodriguez this winter, with the Blue Jays among the group who liked him as a starting pitcher rather than as a reliever.  With Bowden Francis winning the fifth starter’s job coming out of Spring Training, it appears as though Rodriguez will begin the season in Triple-A, acting as rotation depth and continuing to acclimate to his new league.  Even with a five-year contract and at least a $32MM investment in Rodriguez, the Blue Jays are willing to be patient in getting Rodriguez fully ready for the bigs before deploying him as a starter, reliever, or swingman.

While the Jays signed Rodriguez and kicked the tires on some other free agent arms, Toronto is largely standing pat with its same pitching staff from 2023.  This isn’t a bad move considering how the rotation and bullpen were both strengths last season, though there is some added risk since the odds are against another year of largely good pitcher health.  Already some cracks have shown since Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson will start the year on the 15-day injured list, and Kevin Gausman had a bout of shoulder fatigue earlier in camp but now seems on pace to be part of the Opening Day roster.

Alek Manoah remains the biggest uncertainty on the roster, as Manoah’s spring work consisted of one rough outing (four earned runs in 1 2/3 innings) before being sidelined with shoulder soreness.  In the wake of Manoah’s disastrous 2023 season, the Blue Jays simply don’t know what to expect from Manoah going forward, making it even more important that Francis, Rodriguez, Mitch White, and perhaps eventually top prospect Ricky Tiedemann can work as depth starter or fifth starter options.  This in turn puts more pressure on Gausman, Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt, and Yusei Kikuchi to stay healthy and effective so any other leaks don’t spring in the rotation.

Adding clear-cut starters or even lower-level pitchers on inexpensive guaranteed contracts or minor league deals might’ve been tricky for the Blue Jays this winter, as such pitchers probably preferred to join teams with clearer potential rotation or bullpen openings.  In a nutshell, already having a core in place might’ve limited what Toronto was willing or able to do with both its pitching staff and perhaps the roster as a whole.

Breaking the bank for Ohtani or Yamamoto in a special circumstance was one thing, but the Jays were generally conservative in boosting the payroll.  After a $214.5MM payroll and a $246MM luxury tax number in 2023 (putting them over the tax line for the first time ever), the Blue Jays are estimated by RosterResource for a $226MM payroll and a $248.7MM luxury tax figure heading into Opening Day.  While they might not have spent much this winter, this does leave the team with some flexibility to add money at the trade deadline when they have a better sense of their immediate needs.  It isn’t known whether or not the second tax penalty tier of $257MM represents any kind of internal spending limit, but given how this team has been so aggressive in recent years, it would be surprising if the front office suddenly held back if a key upgrade was available.

If the Blue Jays were ultimately content to just tinker with their roster, however, it puts even more pressure on their core group to step up after a curiously lackluster 2023 season.  Atkins said in early January that “We feel like last year was just a blip in terms of run-scoring,” and yet while any of Springer, Varsho, Guerrero, or Kirk could rebound, counting on them all to bounce back is perhaps a little too optimistic since there was no obvious answer as to why the quartet were all so inconsistent last year.

Between this group, Kiner-Falefa’s lack of offense, and the uncertainty within the second base and backup infield mix, it isn’t a stretch to say that Bichette and Turner are the club’s only real reliable bats heading into the year.  Perhaps some coaching changes might do the trick, as bench coach Don Mattingly has a new title of “offensive coordinator” and Matt Hague has joined the staff as an assistant hitting coach.

Even with back-to-back playoff disappointments in the last two seasons, the Jays still think their core group is capable of bigger and better things.  Without a ton of overt upgrades coming this winter, however, the Blue Jays will face a challenge in just getting back to the playoffs, let alone making some postseason noise.

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