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Royals Do Not Plan On Re-Signing Alex Rios

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The Royals like Alex Rios, but they won’t be bringing him back in 2016.  The team is “said to be” at it’s budget and they will instead go with internal options, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.  The team’s plan will be to use Paulo Orlando, Jarrod Dyson, and others in the outfield.

The Royals held a mutual option on Rios’ contract that could have paid him $12.5MM for the 2016 season but, as expected, the team opted instead to pay him a modest $1.5MM buyout.  Rios, a Scott Boras client, had one of the worst offensive seasons of his career, hitting just just .255/.287/.353 in 411 regular season plate appearances.  The 35-year-old also added four homers and nine steals.  The outfielder may have been held back by a broken hand suffered in April of last year, though he still produced a decent sample size of 105 games.

Rios signed with the Royals in December of 2014 after reportedly blocking a trade that would have sent him to KC that summer.  It has also been reported that the veteran turned down a two-year offer from the Mariners last offseason, choosing instead to sign a one-year deal with the Royals.  Rios apparently wanted to play for a winner more than he wanted a two-year guarantee, so he might not have any regrets about his decision today as he dons his World Series ring.

Cardinals Considering Nick Ahmed

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The Cardinals will be without shortstop Jhonny Peralta for up to three months and they are exploring options to help replace him at shortstop.  One player that the organization is considering is Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.

Cafardo cautions that the Cardinals are “just starting” their search process for shortstops, but Ahmed is, at the very least, on the list of potential trade targets for St. Louis.  As it stands, the Cardinals’ internal candidates to fill in at short are Jedd Gyorko, Aledmys Diaz, and Greg Garcia.  For different reasons, none of those three players are ideal for the role.  Gyorko was ID’d by some as the main candidate to fill-in for Peralta early on, but he has limited experience at the shortstop position.

It’s not hard to imagine the Diamondbacks parting with the defensively-gifted Ahmed for the right price.  The D’Backs could start Chris Owings at second base and Jean Segura at shortstop,  making Ahmed somewhat expendable.  On Sunday morning, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote that one Diamondbacks official indicated that he would be comfortable seeing Ahmed relegated to a utility role or made into a trade candidate.

Peralta’s timetable on his left thumb injury could theoretically line him up for a return in early June, but Mark Saxon of ESPN reported that his return would more likely be around the All-Star break in July.  Last week, MLBTR’s Steve Adams ran down possible replacements the Cardinals could bring in for the injured Peralta.   Steve listed Ahmed as a trade possibility, along with D’Backs teammate Chris Owings and several other interesting names.

Rosenthal On Blue Jays, Bautista, D’Backs, Ahmed

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Now with the Angels, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders if shortstop Andrelton Simmons can develop into a better hitter.  Simmons is working hard on the offensive side of his game, but he is also appreciative of the fact that the Halos value him highly for what he does in the field.

“It feels great, man. It helps you build that confidence,” Simmons said. “I don’t have to go up there and be that big-name hitter. I just have to play my part — hit-and-run, bunt the guy over. That might take a little pressure off me and make it easier. I’m still trying to be a better hitter. Everybody is. You try to pick up from guys like Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. Hopefully by the end of the year, I learn a lot from them.”

Here’s a look at some of the highlights from Rosenthal’s column:

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Alvarez, McCutchen, Duda

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Here’s week’s look around the baseball blogosphere:

Please send submissions to Zach Links at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.

Pro Football Rumors Has NFL Free Agency Covered

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The NFL’s free agent period will officially begin in less than 24 hours and several big name players are poised to change teams.  The Broncos badly want to elevate quarterback Brock Osweiler to the starting role in 2016, but he will be courted by the Texans and several other teams if he is not signed by tomorrow.  Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon is arguably the best pass rusher in this year’s crop and the Giants, Raiders, Browns, and Titans are in pursuit.  The Jaguars are also high on Vernon and they could pair him with the newly-signed Malik Jackson. Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin could join up with an NFC West rival and Dolphins tailback Lamar Miller could land with another team in the state of Florida.  You can keep up with these storylines and many, many more with Pro Football Rumors.

Need to study up on these names?  Well, we have you covered with PFR’s Top 50 NFL Free Agents list.  Read our comprehensive guide to see where Doug Martin, Janoris Jenkins, Damon Harrison, Eric Weddle, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Greg Hardy, and other free agent notables rank.

Whether you’re a hardcore football fan or more of a casual watcher, you’re going to want to stay plugged in with PFR all offseason long.  Here’s how you can get our up-to-the-second NFL news:

Jeremy Hellickson On Offseason Trade

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As a part of the Diamondbacks’ efforts to remold themselves into a contender, they sent one of their starters off to a rebuilding club.  In November, the D-backs shipped Jeremy Hellickson to the Phillies in exchange for 20-year-old righty Sam McWilliams.  Hellickson, unlike McWilliams, comes with a lengthy track record at the big league level — something that could theoretically have appealed to the win-now Diamondbacks — but he’s struggled in recent seasons, logging a 4.73 ERA over the past three seasons after an outstanding start to his career.  The Diamondbacks decided to use his relatively sizable projected salary elsewhere.

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Leading up to the deal, Hellickson says that he didn’t get a phone call from anyone in the organization indicating that a move might be coming down.  However, he sensed that he could be traded at any moment.  “I didn’t have any indication [that a deal could happen], you just kind of get a feeling with the direction that they’re going in,” Hellickson said in Clearwater, Fla. late last week. “I didn’t know that they were going to sign guys for that much money after trading me, but I just got the feeling that was going to happen.”

After Hellickson’s departure, the Diamondbacks spent $206.5MM on Zack Greinke; paid a hefty premium in terms of player personnel to acquire Shelby Miller (Ender Inciarte, Dansby Swanson and Aaron Blair); signed Tyler Clippard to a two-year, $12.25MM deal; and acquired Jean Segura and righty Tyler Wagner from the Brewers for Chase Anderson, Isan Diaz and Aaron Hill.  Now, after winning 79 games in 2015, the D-backs could very well contend for the NL West crown.  Even though the Phillies seem more likely to wind up in the cellar of the NL East than at the top, Hellickson says that he isn’t bothering to concern himself with his former club’s dealings.

At the age of 28, Hellickson is one of the team’s “veteran” starters, along with 32-year-old Charlie Morton (a fellow offseason trade acquisition).  Hellickson admits that it’s an odd role to play for someone who is on the right side of 30.

“It is a little bit weird being one of the veteran guys on this rotation,” said Hellickson.  “It was kind of the same situation alst year [in Arizona] but the game is getting younger.  There are guys getting called up at 21 or 22 years old.  I don’t feel old at 28, but 28 is kind of old in this game right now.”

Hellickson and the Phillies avoided arbitration back in January with the right-hander getting $7MM instead of his projected $6.6MM salary.  After this season, the Scott Boras client is headed towards free agency.  Hellickson may or may not rack up wins this season, but the former American League Rookie of the Year could position himself for a nice payday with a rebound campaign in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AL East Notes: Warren, Yankees, Rays

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When it comes to pitcher Adam Warren, the Yankees didn’t know what they had until it was gone, Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal writes.  The Yankees’ acquisition of Starlin Castro got plenty of attention, but the less heralded Warren could be tricky for New York to replace. Warren, 28, gave the Yankees 17 starts in addition to providing much needed help in the bullpen.  He can also be controlled for another three years in arbitration, which is another major plus.

Here’s more from the AL East:

  • Rays first baseman-turned-pitcher Dan Johnson says he is committed to getting better at his new craft, with no real timetable for getting things down pat, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. “I’m into it,” he said. “It’s completely up to the Rays how they want to work it. I’m coming in with an open mind. Send me to the Dominican league, I don’t care.”  Johnson played first base for the Rays over parts of three seasons and spent 2015 with the Cardinals and Reds organizations.
  • Orioles Rule 5 Draft pick Joey Rickard is turning heads in Sarasota, Florida, as Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com writes.  “I like him,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of the outfielder. “Good defender in center and left so far. Timing is everything. He’s 24, lot of guys start figuring it out. He’s kind of come into his own the last year, carried it over into winter ball. He’s got a chance to make our club.”  Rickard was plucked from the Rays organization over the winter.
  • Rays right-handers Brad Boxberger and Jake Odorizzi as well as center fielder Kevin Kiermaier all turned down meager raises as a matter of principle in 2016.  Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times checked in with all three players about their decision and all three indicated that they did not take the matter personally this offseason.
  • Over the weekend, MLBTR caught up with Blue Jays hurler Marco Estrada to discuss his return to the Blue Jays and his decision to forego testing the open market this offseason.

Marco Estrada Happy To Be Back With Blue Jays

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Marco Estrada’s first experience through free agency was over before it could even get underway.  In November, following a career year, the right-hander agreed to return to Toronto on a two-year deal worth $26MM.  Estrada would have liked to take his time on the open market, but after careful consideration, the hurler decided that he would be better off taking a two-year deal from Toronto rather than accept the one-year, $15.8MM qualifying offer.

“I wanted to test it just to see what it was like. I probably would have returned to this team anyway. I did want to test the market. Who doesn’t?,” Estrada told MLBTR during a one-on-one chat in Dunedin, Florida.  “I’ve never been through free agency and I was coming off of a really good year so why not test free agency? I didn’t get to experience it, but I’m happy with my decision. I’m glad to be back and I’m happy with how my deal worked out. But, it would have been nice to see what it’s like. Who knows, maybe two years from now I’ll try free agency.”

The veteran pitcher and his reps at TWC Sports pushed hard for a three- or four-year commitment from the Blue Jays, but they ultimately agreed to the two-year offer.  From the sound of it, the Blue Jays were firmly against giving the 32-year-old (33 in July) a longer deal.

“We tried to get a third or fourth year.  I don’t think it was ever going to be close on their part.  Obviously, I tried.  I wanted less money for more years, but they didn’t want to do it.  It’s fine.  I like the deal I got now.  I guess the AAV went up and it was only two years but, it’s good, you know, I can’t complain,” Estrada said.

Even after seeing many of the offseason’s top available pitchers rocket past their projected earnings, it’s not clear whether Estrada could have netted a hefty three- or four- year pact.  Estrada, on one hand, ended the season with a strong 3.13 ERA over 181 innings.  The advanced stats aren’t as kind to him, however.  As MLBTR’s Jeff Todd noted in November, Estrada wound up with a career-low 8.7% HR/FB rate and a .216 batting average on balls in play, factors that surely played a role in his breakout year.

Regardless of the contract, Estrada is happy to be back in Toronto for two more seasons.

“I look at the team that came back and it’s a pretty solid team. It’s not a lineup I’d like to face, I’ll tell you that right now,” the pitcher said. “Knowing I’m going to have these guys behind me, not just the offense they give me, but the defense. Nobody ever talks about the defense here and I think we’ve got one of the best defensive teams in the league. A guy like me, I need a good defense behind me, so why not come back here and have these guys play hard for me?”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

MLBTR Originals

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A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR the last seven days:

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Fowler, Greinke, Pirates

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Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere:

Please send submissions to Zach Links at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.

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