Article XX(B) Free Agents Update: Tuesday
Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement contains a provision that allows certain free agents who are signed to minor league contracts to receive a $100K retention bonus if they are not on the team’s 25-man roster or the Major League disabled list five days prior to the season.
Free agents who qualify for this distinction are those who have at least six years of Major League service time and had a Major League contract expire at the end of the previous season, but signed a minor league deal ten or more days prior to Opening Day.
The deadline for teams to decide on these players is today at 11am central time. By the deadline, teams with these players in camp need to decide whether to:
- Add the player to their 25-man roster or Major League disabled list (or agree to do so in writing).
- Grant the player his outright release from the minor league contract so that he may pursue opportunities with other teams.
- Pay the player a $100K retention bonus to keep him in the organization beyond the deadline and send him to the minors.
Here’s the latest news from around the league on Article XX(B) signees and their roster statuses with their respective teams (newest updates on top):
- Matt Thornton has been told that he’ll break camp with the Padres, according to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). The veteran southpaw signed fairly late in camp after failing to find a big league deal, ultimately reaching a minor league pact that will pay him $1.6MM at the MLB level. He can also take home up to $1.9MM in incentives depending upon how many appearances he makes.
Earlier Updates
- Outfielder Ryan Raburn will be added to the Rockies‘ 40-man roster, Nick Groke of the Denver Post clarifies (Twitter links). He figures to play an important part-time role on the club, which features three left-handed outfielders in its regular lineup.
- The Braves have announced that outfielder Jeff Francoeur has made the Opening Day roster, with the team purchasing his contract. He’ll play a reserve role in his return to Atlanta, where he once featured as one of the most exciting young players in baseball.
- The Padres appear set to pay Brandon Morrow the $100K retention bonus to remain with the organization, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. Morrow, 31, still needs to stretch out after getting a late start this spring.
- The Nationals have officially added righty Matt Belisle to the club’s 40-man roster and will be active on Opening Day, the team announced. He represents a somewhat surprising victor in the pen battle, and his addition seemingly leaves the organization with just one open job to give to minor league free agent lefty Sean Burnett or optionable righties Trevor Gott and Blake Treinen.
- Veteran outfielder Matt Joyce has made the Pirates‘ Opening Day roster and will be added to the 40-man, GM Neal Huntington told reporters including Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter). He had a forgettable 2015, but put up strong numbers in camp.
- Likewise, the Indians announced yesterday that southpaw Tom Gorzelanny will remain in the organization in the minor league system. He’ll be due a $100K bonus for the privilege.
This post originally incorrectly listed Alex Torres as an Article XX(B) free agent.
Braves Release Nick Swisher
The Braves have unconditionally released first baseman/outfielder Nick Swisher, the club announced.
Atlanta had been trying to trade Swisher for much of the offseason but will instead have to eat much of the $15MM owed to the veteran for 2016. The Indians will also be covering a portion of that dollar figure, as the Tribe sent roughly $15MM to cover portions of Swisher and Michael Bourn‘s salaries as part of the August trade that brought Chris Johnson to Cleveland in a swap of bad contracts. If Swisher were to sign with a new team, that club would only be responsible for a prorated minimum salary while Atlanta and Cleveland would cover the rest of the $15MM.
Between the salary, Swisher’s age (35), his meager .204/.291/.326 slash line over 661 PA in 2014-15 and the double arthroscopic knee surgery he underwent in 2014, it’s not a surprise that Swisher didn’t generate much trade interest. He did hit decently well during Spring Training, however, and he told MLBTR’s Zach Links earlier this month that he “feels great” physically.
With such a small financial cost attached, there’s a good chance at least one team will explore adding Swisher as a bench bat and a veteran clubhouse presence. An AL team is more likely than an NL team for Swisher since senior circuit clubs wouldn’t have the benefit of the DH spot to preserve his knees. This is just my speculation, but the White Sox stand out as a team that could use some first base/DH depth now that Adam LaRoche has retired.
Braves Notes: Grilli, Moore, Lefty Relievers
Here’s the latest out of Atlanta…
- Jason Grilli‘s return from a ruptured Achilles tendon and the 93-mph fastball he’s displaying in the Braves camp has generated trade buzz, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. Grilli was enjoying a very strong season as Atlanta’s closer last season (2.94 ERA, 4.5 K/BB rate, 45 strikeouts in 33 2/3 IP) before hitting the DL in early July. Were it not for that season-ending injury, Grilli could very well have changed uniforms at the trade deadline since several teams were rumored to be interested in his services. Cafardo speculates that Grilli could be a fit for the Red Sox now, as manager John Farrell is a fan of the reliever and Carson Smith is on the disabled list.
- The Braves will be responsible for all of the $900K owed to the newly-acquired Tyler Moore in 2016, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports (Twitter link). Moore got his first taste of arbitration eligibility this offseason and agreed to the $900K deal with the Nationals well before figures had to be exchanged.
- Atlanta’s trade for Eric O’Flaherty may not be the only move the club makes to add a lefty reliever, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman hints. Alex Torres is the only other southpaw reliever still in the Braves’ big league camp, and the club isn’t even sure if Torres is a fit for the Opening Day roster.
Nationals, Braves Trade Tyler Moore For Nate Freiman
The Nationals announced that they have acquired minor league first baseman Nate Freiman from the Braves in exchange for infielder/outfielder Tyler Moore.
Freiman, 29, signed on with Atlanta in December after having a disappointing year for the Athletics’ Triple- A affiliate. In 305 plate appearances for Triple-A Nashville, the first baseman slashed just .220/.279/.321. His last major league stint came in 2014 when he appeared in 36 games (93 plate appearances) for the A’s in 2014, slashing .218/.269/.448 with five homers. Freiman had hoped to crack the roster in Atlanta, but he’ll now look to get back to the big leagues with the Nats.
Moore was put on waivers and then outrighted by Washington earlier this week, so it was pretty apparent that the out-of-options Moore was no longer in the team’s plans. In four years as a bench bat in D.C., Moore hit .228/.281/.401 over 649 PA, with virtually equal numbers against both lefty and righty pitching. Moore has played almost exclusively at first base and left field during his career, though he’s also appeared in nine games in right and worked out briefly as a third baseman this spring.
Braves Acquire Eric O’Flaherty From Pirates
10:15am: The Pirates have confirmed the swap via press release. In exchange for O’Flaherty, the Bucs will receive cash considerations.
9:50am: The Braves have acquired left-hander Eric O’Flaherty from the Pirates, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). O’Flaherty inked a minor league deal with the Pirates in February and, roughly six weeks later, his Pittsburgh stint is over. There is no word yet on what the Pirates will receive in return. However, Atlanta probably didn’t give up much in the deal as they satisfied their need for a southpaw in the bullpen. 
The deal brings O’Flaherty back to the organization where he has enjoyed his best seasons. From 2009 through 2013, the reliever posted a stellar 1.99 ERA, though it came with less impressive rates of 7.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9. In a limited sample size of 20 innings in 2014, the lefty posted a 2.25 ERA with 6.8 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9. Could a return to Atlanta mark a return to strong pitching for the 31-year-old? He’s hoping that will be the case after a turbulent 2015, his first full season back from Tommy John surgery.
The veteran began the 2015 season with the A’s before an August trade shipped him to the Mets. In 25 games for Oakland, O’Flaherty pitched to a 5.91 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 5.5 BB/9. Things dipped even further from there in his 8 and 2/3 innings for the Mets as he allowed 13 runs with only 6 strikeouts and 5 walks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NL East Notes: Nationals, Belisle, Phillies, Hunter, Francouer
Over the years, we’ve heard much about the Cardinals Way – an organization-wide process credited with developing several untouted prospects into major league regulars. More recently, the Pirates Way of developing pitchers has been mentioned more and more frequently. The Nationals have developed their own Way, writes Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. Janes goes into the details of a system that depends on consistency from the minor league coaching staff. Catchers are a lynchpin in helping pitchers to develop. Coordinators rove between the affiliates as pseudo-quality control officials. The details provide an interesting glimpse under the hood of the Nationals minor league system.
Here’s more from the NL East:
- Nationals reliever Matt Belisle may decide to opt out of his contract tomorrow afternoon, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Belisle inked a minor league contract with the Nationals earlier in the winter. His opt out day is tomorrow. To this point, he’s allowed three runs in five and one-third innings. Washington does appear to have a full bullpen in place without Belisle, making it hard to see a spot for him on the 40-man roster. Belisle himself is unsure if he’ll exercise the opt out. His best years came in Colorado from 2011 through 2013.
- The Phillies still have two or three unclaimed spots in their bullpen, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Manager Pete Mackanin said the club may add an arm via trade or waivers. There’s also “a good possibility” the team will roll with three left-handed relievers. Dailer Hinojosa, Jeanmar Gomez, David Hernandez, and Brett Oberholtzer are the four guys with relative secure jobs. Salisbury believes veteran Edward Mujica is likely to make the team too, while Andrew Bailey has fallen off in recent outings. Rule 5 pick Daniel Stumpf may be at an advantage if the organization wants to keep him. He would be one of the lefties. Salisbury has a full account of the 12 relievers still in the mix.
- Injuries to the Phillies outfield could open an opportunity for minor league journeyman Cedric Hunter, writes Salisbury. The 28-year-old received five plate appearances from the Padres in 2011. The rest of his career has been spent in the minors. Hunter hit .283/.331/.420 in 515 Triple-A plate appearances with the Braves last season. He also hit 12 home runs with 11 stolen bases. Mackanin is impressed with Hunter’s work in camp, saying “he’s looked good all spring. He’s squared the ball up as well as anyone all spring and he’s shown a good arm. I like him a lot.” The lefty could make for a useful platoon option with Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel.
- Updating a report from yesterday, Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur is likely competing with Emilio Bonifacio and Michael Bourn for one of two spots, writes Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Bowman suggests the club is set to either trade or release Nick Swisher, but their plans for Bonifacio and Bourn are less certain. Last season, Francouer drew praise from Phillies players and coaches for his role as a mentor. The Braves are in a similar rebuild, adding value to mentor-type veterans.
NL East Notes: Mujica, Frieri, Francoeur, Foltynewicz, Gant
Let’s take a look at a few spring roster battles out of the NL East to round out the evening …
- Like most organizations, the Phillies have several opt-out dates approaching — particularly in their relief corps. As MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes, the Phils face potential decisions on Edward Mujica (Saturday) and Ernesto Frieri (next Thursday) in short order, with Andrew Bailey (May 1) and James Russell (June 1) to follow. Mujica seems destined for a big league job, says Zolecki, while it’s not clear that Frieri will make it onto the active roster after rough results thus far.
- Members of Braves brass like Jeff Francoeur as a right-handed bench bat, which means the club could elect to give him its last outfield spot over Nick Swisher and Emilio Bonifacio, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Braves brought Swisher to camp with the hope that he’d show well enough to entice another team to trade for him. While Swisher has hit .294/.429/.382 in 34 at-bats, a deal hasn’t come along. Thus, the Braves could ultimately eat the 12-year veteran’s entire $15MM salary in order to get rid of him. Bonifacio, who’s due a much more palatable $1.25MM this year, is potentially movable. If not, the Braves will have an easier time eating his contract than Swisher’s.
- Elsewhere, Mike Foltynewicz is favored to beat out Williams Perez and Manny Banuelos for the Braves‘ fifth starter spot, per O’Brien. Regardless, the Braves won’t need a fifth starter until April 12, so they might start the season with an eight-man bullpen. That would ostensibly bode well, at least temporarily, for the out-of-options Jose Ramirez and Rule 5 pick Dan Winkler.
- MLB.com’s Mark Bowman agrees that Foltynewicz is making a strong case for a rotation slot with the Braves. He has recovered quicker than expected from a scary bout with a blood clot. Meanwhile, John Gant has remained in the running longer than might have been expected. Per Bowman, the 23-year-old, who came over in last year’s Juan Uribe/Kelly Johnson swap with the division-rival Mets, may be in line behind Foltynewicz and Jhoulys Chacin.
- Meanwhile, the Braves will be looking around for southpaw relievers as players begin to shake loose from other organizations, Bowman suggests. Ian Krol has underwhelmed and doesn’t seem likely to take a roster spot, leaving Alex Torres as perhaps the only southpaw currently in camp who’ll be on the Opening Day roster. One internal option that could re-enter the picture, he adds, is Hunter Cervenka, who has already been shipped down to minor league camp.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
NL Central Notes: Lucroy, Bruce, Schwarber, Pirates
Here’s the latest from around the NL Central…
- The Brewers were talking with the Astros and Braves about a three-team trade involving Jonathan Lucroy last month, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports. Houston made an attempt at Lucroy earlier in the offseason, as previously reported by FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, and the club has also been linked to Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte. This isn’t to say that Inciarte was also necessarily part of this three-team proposal, of course, as Atlanta’s role in the trade could’ve taken any number of forms.
- Lucroy has been the subject of many trade rumors this winter, to the point that he and his family don’t have living arrangements in Milwaukee settled yet since he presumed he was going to be dealt. “It’s all out of your control. But communication is a big thing. I’d like to be kept up to date what’s going on. It’s not like I’m going to spread it all around, I just want to know when it’s coming, when to expect it,” the longtime Brewers catcher said.
- Also from Nightengale’s piece, he notes that the Reds were willing to pay roughly $8MM of Jay Bruce‘s $12.5MM salary as part of the abandoned three-team trade that would’ve sent Bruce to the Blue Jays, Michael Saunders to the Angels and prospects to Cincinnati. It was expected that the Reds would have to eat some money in any Bruce deal, given that the outfielder is coming off two consecutive subpar seasons. Saunders is making $2.9MM in 2016, so adding Bruce would’ve cost Toronto around $1.6MM in extra salary (not counting the $1MM buyout of Bruce’s $13MM club option for 2017).
- Like Lucroy, Bruce is also rather surprised to still be with his original team given all of the trade speculation. He reiterated that he would prefer to stay with the Reds, and blames his recent “pretty poor” play for threatening his long-term future in Cincinnati. (Though it could be argued that if Bruce had been hitting more, the Reds would’ve been able to move him sooner.) “In order for me to have a chance to stay here, I need to play better. We’ll see what happens. I never changed my sentiment, wanting to be part of this for the long haul….But obviously, I have to do my part to even have a chance,” Bruce said.
- Kyle Schwarber could be a personal catcher for Jason Hammel this season, CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney writes, as the Cubs are looking for ways to get Schwarber’s bat into the lineup whenever possible. Schwarber’s defensive future has been the subject of much debate, as he’s scheduled to see most of his playing time in left field this year even though his fielding prowess is still a question mark. It’s also unclear if Schwarber can handle being a regular catcher, though with Miguel Montero and David Ross ahead of him on Chicago’s catching depth chart, he could be eased into the position for just Hammel’s starts. Being removed from too much grind behind the plate could actually benefit Schwarber, Mooney notes, by helping him stay healthy.
- The Pirates hired James Harris as a special assistant to baseball operations in February, and Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review examines how the hiring is an example of how the Bucs are willing to look outside of baseball for ways to build their organization. Harris specializes in fitness and nutrition techniques and he has spent much of his career in football, including the last decade working with Chip Kelly both at the University of Oregon and with the NFL’s Eagles. Harris’ lack of baseball experience wasn’t a big factor for Pirates GM Neal Huntington, as the goal for any athlete is about “maximizing performance. How do we help this player get better every day and perform as consistently as possible?“
NL East Notes: Giolito, Braves, Upton, Phillies
The Nationals have reassigned top pitching prospect Lucas Giolito to minor-league camp, but they’re expecting to see him in the big leagues soon after a strong performance in Spring Training, James Wagner of the Washington Post writes. “He’s close to being big-league ready,” says GM Mike Rizzo. “I think the bulk of his developmental curve is complete. But he needs to work on the smaller, little details of preparation, participation and performance in trying to get major-league hitters out.” Giolito whiffednine batters while walking three and allowing three runs in 6 1/3 innings this spring. In the short term, the Nats are planning to go with a rotation of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Tanner Roark and Joe Ross, and it should be noted that Giolito’s experience is limited — he was dominant last season, but spent the bulk of the year at Class A+ and only made eight starts at the Double-A level. He’s also just 21 and has an injury history that includes Tommy John surgery. Still, the future seems very bright for one of the Nats’ best young talents. Here’s more from the NL East.
- The Braves were seriously interested in signing Justin Upton for a return engagement this past winter, Jon Heyman reports (Twitter links). The Braves were willing to sign Upton for six years, although they knew they couldn’t match the Tigers’ $22.125MM-a-year offer and never made a formal offer themselves. They were, however, believed to be willing to offer Upton a nine-figure contract. On the surface, the Braves signing Upton would not have made much sense, but they did have a protected draft pick, and Upton would have been a marketable player for them during their rebuilding phase, as well as being young enough (28) to still be productive once the team was ready to contend.
- Andrew Bailey seems to be the front-runner for the Phillies‘ closer role, writes MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. That would be quite a promotion for a pitcher who’s missed much of the past two seasons due to shoulder trouble and has only thrown 8 2/3 big-league innings since 2013, although Bailey was, of course, once a closer for the A’s. “I want to see more velocity out of him,” says manager Pete Mackanin. “I know he can pitch. He’s a true competitor. He has that good curveball and cutter. But I want to see more velocity.” Dalier Hinojosa, who pitched well for the Phillies down the stretch last year, appears to be in the mix as well. David Hernandez might be another possibility, but he’s battled triceps tendinitis. Bailey, Hinjosa, Hernandez, Jeanmar Gomez, Edward Mujica and Brett Oberholtzer look likely to win bullpen jobs, with a seventh reliever yet to be determined.
NL East Notes: TJ, Wright, Marlins, Nats, Chacin
In a piece for ESPN The Magazine, Sam Miller speaks with Scott Boras about pitching injuries — focusing, particularly, on several key NL East former TJ patients who are repped by the super agent. It’s an interesting piece, and I recommend you give it a full read. Boras says that his sometimes rather public discussion of the care of arms is “not an authority-driven exercise,” but rather “an education exercise” designed to draw attention to the issue. He explains that he hopes only to help ensure that all involved — including teams and, especially, his players — are able to “make an informed decision” for themselves. As Miller notes, that was precisely the purpose of the recent Tommy John study of MLBTR contributor Bradley Woodrum, which endeavored to identify statistical clues of UCL tear susceptibility.
Here’s more from the National League East:
- Speaking of key injury situations, Mets third baseman David Wright faces an ongoing battle to overcome spinal stenosis, as Ron Berler writes in an excellent article for Men’s Fitness. New York will hope that he is able to remain productive and healthy, but it’s going to take a continued effort from the veteran — who has certainly been up to the task thus far, as the piece details.
- The Marlins announced several camp decisions today; among them, the team is optioning righty Kyle Barraclough and southpaw Justin Nicolino to Triple-A. Barraclough had an impressive debut last year after coming over in the Steve Cishek trade, and looked to be a power pen option to help fill in for the injured Carter Capps. He still may have that chance, but will need to keep working on refining his command after permitting eight walks to go with eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 spring innings. Nicolino, meanwhile, had good results in the earned run department but only managed two strikeouts in his 8 1/3 frames, but he’ll likely be the first man up if and when a rotation need arises.
- The Nationals have an interesting potential dilemma brewing in the outfield, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. Michael Taylor has had a strong camp, and seems clearly ready for a full test at the MLB level, but Ben Revere is now in the fold at center while Jayson Werth‘s contract (and, it might be added, standing in the organization) make it difficult to create space. From my perspective, Werth’s injury history makes him a prime candidate for regular rest, which ought to provide plenty of opportunity for all of these players. It’s interesting to note, though, that Rosenthal says the Nats likely would have traded Taylor had the club managed to sign Jason Heyward or Yoenis Cespedes over the winter.
- Off the field, but relating to it, the Nationals are engaged in a renewed effort to sell their ballpark’s naming rights, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports. Valerie Camillo, the organization’s chief revenue and marketing officer, explained that “this is a major revenue opportunity that was untapped by the team, when you look at overall picture of revenue growth potential.” Particularly with the MASN television dispute still proving a tough nut to crack, it obviously makes sense to pursue all avenues to improve the bottom line. While that may require some difficult tradeoffs with the Nationals Park name fairly entrenched, Camillo says that the club is doing it for a good reason: “It’s not as if we’ll be maximizing revenue without a competitive product on the field. We’re doing what we can to keep the fans happy, and I think the predominant thing fans want is winning.”
- Braves righty Jhoulys Chacin is making a push for a rotation job, as Michael Kolligian reports for MLB.com. He has generally been expected to land in the pen after signing a minor league pact, but skipper Fredi Gonzalez says that Chacin is “really making a case.” Gonzalez continued: “he is definitely a guy who, if he keeps pitching like he is, he’ll be in the rotation someplace.” Utilizing Chacin and other veterans in the starting staff would certainly allow the organization to be conservative in deploying its younger options — a topic I discussed in reviewing the Braves’ offseason earlier this morning.