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NL East Notes: Nats, Murphy, Marlins, Fernandez

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Greg Golson was the 21st overall pick in 2004 by the Phillies and appeared to be on his way to a promising career as he graded out as one of the organization’s Top 10 Prospects in four separate seasons.   However, thanks in part to injuries, the outfielder never fulfilled his potential and only had a cup of coffee in the major leagues.  Now, in an effort to get back on track, Golson is playing winter ball in Mexico, as he writes in an interesting read for Baseball America.

Here’s more out of the NL East:

  • The Nationals front office was apparently split on whether to sign Daniel Murphy, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.  However, there are two clear pros to adding the second baseman.  One is that the Nationals have effectively taken away a rival team’s best contact hitter.  The other is that Murphy fills a need by hitting left-handed.  On Thursday, the Nationals and Murphy reached agreement on a three-year deal worth $37.5MM.
  • There has been talk of an attitude problem when it comes to Marlins star Jose Fernandez, retired pitcher Dan Haren disagrees with that notion, as Scott Miller of Bleacher Report writes.  “No way,” Haren said. “No way. A lot of those things in [Slater’s] article were actually right. But at least from a pitcher’s standpoint, there’s no way anybody was on the bench rooting for Jose to get hit.”   Marlins starter Tom Koehler echoed Haren and backed Fernandez.  Still, multiple sources close to the Marlins indicated to Miller that Fernandez has grown more and more blunt with management, and some are miffed by the way he sometimes speaks to his superiors.
  • Borrowing a page from the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, the Braves are placing a heavy emphasis on building from within, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.  Prospects are never a sure thing, but Atlanta has more leeway to be wrong about their youngsters because they now have so many of them.  Pitcher Touki Toussaint, only 19 years old, is considered to be their strongest prospect and we could potentially see him make his big league debut in 2016.

Central Notes: Gallardo, Tigers, Pirates

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Here’s a look at the AL and NL Central:

  • The Royals and Yovani Gallardo were in touch as recently as Wednesday, sources tell Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).  The Royals are on the hunt for pitching and they have been linked to Gallardo several times throughout the winter.  Gallardo, 30 in February, is coming off a solid season with the Rangers in which he totaled 184 1/3 innings of 3.42 ERA ball for his hometown club, averaging 5.9 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 to go along with a 49.3 percent ground-ball rate. However, he’s seen his strikeout rate dip considerably over the past three seasons, and his 90.4 mph average fastball in 2015 was more than two miles per hour slower than his 92.7 mph peak.  Gallardo took the No. 20 spot on the top fifty free agent list of MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes, who predicts that he can achieve a $52MM guarantee on the open market.
  • In this week’s mailbag, a reader asked Jason Beck of MLB.com if the Tigers have become overly conservative when it comes to the idea of trading prospects.  Of course, former Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski was never shy about trading young talent in an effort to contend in the present.  Beck does believe that Detroit is weary about giving up talented prospects, not just for future seasons, but because of depth in the here-and-now.  Injuries have caught up with the Tigers over the last couple of years and Beck believes that they are looking to hang on to their best youngsters as possible fill-ins.
  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington is aware that he is gambling somewhat by placing newly-acquired John Jaso at first base.  “We recognize there is risk,” Huntington said, according to Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We recognize we just experienced a tough defensive season at first base. At the same time, we also recognize that for us to be successful, there are going to have to be calculated risks. In our minds, this is a good one to take. “We feel like the offensive upside is worth the calculated gamble that he’s going to be able to play first base.”

Astros To Sign Cuban Pitcher Carlos Sierra

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2:50pm: The deal won’t be for “big money,” according to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).  Sierra is not viewed as a major pickup, but Houston is quite high on him.

2:24pm: The Astros have reached agreement on a deal with Cuban pitcher Carlos Sierra, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (via Twitter).  Sierra, 21, will be subject to international signing rules.  Terms of the deal are not yet known.

Interestingly, Sierra was permitted to leave Cuba legally to play in Spain, with plans to come stateside, because he was able to achieve Spanish citizenship.  This past season, Sierra looked strong as he pitched in the Canary Islands for the Tenerife Marlins in the Division de Honor de Beisbol, the top baseball league in Spain.

As Sanchez wrote back in April, Sierra boasts a 90+ mph fastball that he can hurl at three different angles.  He also throws a slider, a curveball, and a circle-change.  Back in October, Sierra displayed his stuff in a showcase for MLB teams and he obviously made a strong impression on the Astros.  Sierra showed his stuff again earlier this month and the cash-flush Dodgers were one of eight clubs on hand for that session, as J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group tweets.

Unlike many Cuban players who must defect in order to establish residency elsewhere, Sierra was granted Spanish citizenship due to his grandfather’s roots.  He left Cuba legally, flying from Havana to Madrid in February.

Reactions To The Mike Leake Deal

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After spending much of the offseason searching for a rotation upgrade, the Cardinals got the job done on Tuesday when they signed Mike Leake to a five-year deal worth a guaranteed $80MM.  The deal, which includes a mutual option that can boost the deal to $93-94MM and a full no-trade clause, gives the Cardinals some much-needed support on the backend of their starting five.  This offseason, St. Louis lost right-hander John Lackey to free agency and right-hander Lance Lynn will be out after getting Tommy John surgery.

Here’s a look at some of the reactions to Leake’s hefty payday:

  • Leake had discussions with teams about doing a three-year deal at $20MM per season with opt-outs after each year, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com hears (on Twitter).  Ultimately, however, Leake signed on for a guaranteed average annual value of $16MM over five seasons.
  • The Leake signing includes a hidden benefit for the Cardinals, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes.  Leake did not cost the Cards a draft pick since the mid-season deal sending him to San Francisco made him ineligible for a qualifying offer.  The Cardinals, meanwhile, picked up an additional two picks when they lost Lackey and Jason Heyward to the Cubs in free agency.  Teams generally view a late-first round pick as being worth $5-8MM, sources tell Rosenthal, so the net cost for signing Leake might be something closer to $72-75MM for St. Louis.
  • Leake’s consistency and durability make him ideal fit for the Cardinals, Keith Law of ESPN.com writes (Insider sub. req’d).  Law argues that Leake’s deal is about the going rate for a league-average starter right now but his ability to eat up innings and induce ground balls make him an ideal fit for the Cards.  Leake has made over 30 starts in each of the last four seasons  and has never suffered an arm injury.  The Cardinals need an innings eater badly and ground ball pitching is something that they value highly, Law writes.
  • The $80MM deal might seem steep at first glance, but Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs took a stab at justifying it for St. Louis.  Among the arguments made is that Leake is only 28 years of age.  He was one of the youngest free agent hurlers available this winter and unlike other available under-30 pitchers, Leake has a history of being dependable.
  • On Wednesday, MLB Trade Rumors’ Instagram account unveiled a sneak peak at what Leake will look like in his new jersey.

Mets Rule Out Yoenis Cespedes

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If the door was cracked open even a little bit before for Yoenis Cespedes to re-sign with the Mets, it now appears to have been slammed shut.  The Mets are still looking to add a right-handed hitting outfielder, but it won’t be Cespedes, sources familiar with their thinking tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

The Mets are heading into 2016 with lefty bats in left field (Michael Conforto), right field (Curtis Granderson) and first base (Lucas Duda) and they’re eyeing right-handed bats as a complement to that, including Steve Pearce and others of that ilk, according to Heyman.  Of course, it’s not a huge surprise to hear that the Mets are moving on from Cespedes after their recent signing of Alejandro De Aza.

At some point this winter, the Mets offered a short term deal of perhaps “two or three” years for the Cuban slugger, sources tell Heyman.  Interestingly enough, they never got around to discussing dollars.  As Heyman notes, that probably wouldn’t have moved the needle one way or another anyway since Cespedes is widely expected to net a five- or six-year deal.  At the outset of the offseason, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicted that Cespedes would net a six-year, $140MM deal.

Right now, it’s not immediately clear where Cespedes could land.  The Orioles and Angels have been linked to Cespedes, with the Tigers, Royals and Giants also being involved.  The White Sox have also been mentioned as a possible suitor for the Roc Nation client as they have a need in left field.

Orioles Notes: Davis, Berry, Worley

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Earlier this week we learned that the Orioles are among the clubs that have checked in on free agent pitcher Mat Latos.  Latos, 28, is likely seeking a one-year deal to re-establish his value, unlike hurlers like Scott Kazmir, Yovani Gallardo, Ian Kennedy, and Wei-Yin Chen who would all probably require a multi-year commitment.  That could be right up the O’s alley as Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun doesn’t believe that the Orioles will go beyond three years in their efforts to land a free-agent starting pitcher.

Here’s more out of Baltimore:

  • Hot Stove season typically slows down during the holidays, and that could be a good thing for the Orioles and Chris Davis, Encina writes.  There hasn’t been much progress between the two sides heading into Christmas, but it’s pretty obvious that there’s strong mutual interest in a reunion.  Perhaps in 2016, when we’re a little bit closer to spring training, the two sides will find a way to meet in the middle.
  • More from Encina, who notes that the Orioles did not want to lose left-hander Tim Berry.  On Wednesday, the Marlins claimed the southpaw, despite a forgettable 2015 season.  Baltimore did not want to jettison Berry from the organization – it only wanted to create space on the 40-man roster for other moves.  Berry was one of the Orioles’ top left-handed pitching prospects only two years ago and Miami apparently did not lose sight of that.
  • New Orioles right-hander Vance Worley is looking for a new beginning in Baltimore, as Encina writes.  “I heard they have a really good clubhouse and a really good atmosphere and that’s the chemistry you need for winning, so I’m looking forward to coming over and being a part of it. … Just looking for a fresh start and looking forward to coming over and helping this team out,” said the pitcher.  Worley went on to say that he hopes to return to the starting rotation in 2016.

Nobuhiro Matsuda Likely To Stay In Japan

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DEC. 23: Matsuda’s offer from the Hawks is a four-year deal worth $20-25MM in total, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). That’s a sizable offer that he seems unlikely to top in Major League Baseball based on the limited reports we’ve seen connecting him to big league clubs thus far. Crasnick tweeted earlier that Matsuda will hold a press conference in Japan within a few hours to address his plans for the 2016 season.

DEC. 22: Japanese third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda was expected to crossover into MLB this winter and perhaps even net a multi-year contract.  Apparently, however, he’s now leaning towards staying in Japan, as Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.  The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks have offered the third baseman a five-year deal and he seems more likely to accept that than an MLB contract.

Matsuda had multiple MLB offers, according to Heyman, and the Padres were known to be a club with serious interest.  Earlier this month, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune said that the Padres could have been mulling a multi-year offer for the Japanese standout.  The White Sox were also identified by Heyman as a club with interest, but that was before the team’s acquisition of Todd Frazier.

Matsuda, 32, is a career .277/.325/.477 hitter in Japan and is said to be capable of handling second base and third base from a defensive standpoint.  As a free agent, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks did not have the ability to attach a release fee to Matsuda.  Given his age, it seems unlikely that we’ll ever see Matsuda in the majors if he in fact inks a five-year deal without an MLB out.

Mets Sign Alejandro De Aza

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The Mets have been on the lookout for a left-handed complement to light-hitting Juan Lagres in center field, and on Wednesday they announced the addition of such a player, signing Alejandro De Aza to a one-year deal. The Magnus Sports client will reportedly take home a $5.75MM guarantee and can also earn up to $1.25MM worth of incentives that would cause his deal to max out at $7MM. De Aza reportedly will receive a $250K bonus for reaching 400 plate appearances and would earn an additional $250K for every 50 plate appearances from that point on, through 600 plate appearances.

Alejandro De Aza

De Aza, 32 in April, profiles as a decent platoon option for manager Terry Collins. His lifetime .274/.338/.418 line against righties is solid, if unspectacular, and will serve as a significant upgrade over Lagares’ .254/.286/.340 batting line in 986 career plate appearances versus right-handed pitching. His recent work against righties — a .278/.351/.448 slash line in 400 plate appearances this past season — was even more impressive than his career line. Conversely, Lagares’ .279/.325/.427 batting line against lefties is solid, particularly when paired with his standout defense. The two should form a cost-effective and solid platoon in center field, even if neither is necessarily overpowering when holding the platoon advantage.

Things are a bit less rosy when looking at the defensive component of De Aza’s game. While he’s been a competent, arguably slightly above-average defender in the corner outfield, his recent work in center field hasn’t been viewed favorably through the lens of DRS and UZR. Beyond that, De Aza hasn’t played center with any sort of regularity since 2013, when he posted a -18 DRS mark. His lack of recent experience in center field and poor marks in previous stints make him a somewhat questionable fit, but the market wasn’t flush with left-handed-hitting options that can handle center field.

Denard Span and Will Venable were also listed as options for the Mets, although the former is coming off hip surgery and the latter had a poor offensive showing in 2015. Span was said by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick to be the Mets’ top choice, but he probably won’t sign until clubs get a chance to look at him in an early January showcase, and waiting for that date would’ve meant the Mets risking alternative options signing in the interim. Span also reportedly wants a three-year deal, and given his age and recent trio of surgical procedures (one on his hip and two core muscle/sports hernia operations), it’s understandable that a team would be apprehensive. Gerardo Parra was another oft-speculated fit, but he’s said to be seeking a four-year deal, and his glovework in center field has also drawn questionable reviews.

With De Aza in the fold, the Mets will be able to run out three productive left-handed bats in the outfield when the opposing team starts a right-hander, as he’ll be flanked by Michael Conforto in left and Curtis Granderson in right. However, with Granderson’s struggles against left-handed pitching, it might make sense for the Mets to add an additional corner outfield bat that swings from the right side in order to offer some additional production versus opposing lefties.

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com first reported that the Mets had interest in De Aza. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement was close (on Twitter). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported the agreement and that it was a one-year deal (links to Twitter). Rosenthal reported the financial terms (Twitter link). Ken Davidoff of the New York Post tweeted further details.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Freddy Sanchez Officially Retires

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Former National League batting champion Freddy Sanchez officially retired from baseball on Monday, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com writes.  Sanchez has been out of the game for a while but he was considering a comeback in recent years.  Today’s news is probably more of a formality than anything; Sanchez’s name, after all, has not popped up on this site since February of 2013.

“I’m so thankful for what baseball [has] given me,” Sanchez told Crasnick through his agents. “I appreciate the opportunity the Red Sox, Pirates, and Giants gave me.”

Sanchez last played in 2011 with the Giants and played a little bit in their minor league system in 2012.  Unfortunately, however, injuries to his shoulder and back ultimately led him to hang ’em up.  Now, Sanchez has decided to retire for good and move on to other pursuits.

Sanchez, 38, made three All-Star teams over the course of his career.  His crowning personal achievement came in 2006 with the Pirates when he hit .344 and narrowly edged out Marlins slugger Miguel Cabrera for the NL batting crown.  In 2010, Sanchez captured a World Series ring with the Giants.  In parts of 10 big league seasons, Sanchez slashed .297/.335/.413.  According to Baseball-Reference, Sanchez earned upwards of $32MM over the course of his career.

Indians Release Chris Johnson

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The Indians have released Chris Johnson, per the club’s transactions page at MLB.com.  Johnson was designated for assignment earlier this month.

Johnson, 31, has a career slash line of .280/.316/.411 across seven big league seasons. He first arrived in Atlanta prior to the 2013 season as a part of the Justin Upton deal.  This year, he was shipped to the Indians in a waiver trade that saw Michael Bourn,Nick Swisher, and cash considerations go to the Braves.

Johnson signed a three-year, $23.5MM contract prior to the 2014 season. Then 29 years old, Johnson was coming off a career year in which he batted .321/.358/.457 with 12 homers. However, much of that production was the result of a .394 batting average on balls in play, and his overall numbers have come back down to Earth as his BABIP regressed to his career norm.  He hasn’t looked like an ~$8MM player as of late, but he could be a useful platoon bat given his success against lefties.

With Johnson out of DFA limbo, there are now only five players left hanging, according to the DFA Tracker: Rey Navarro (Orioles), Yoervis Medina (Cubs), Danny Reynolds (Dodgers), Johnny Monell (Mets), and Josmil Pinto (Padres).

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