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Braves Sign Manny Pina

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The Braves announced Monday that they’ve signed veteran catcher Manny Pina to a two-year contract worth $8MM. (Atlanta is one of the few organizations that publicly discloses financial terms.) Pina will earn $3.5MM in 2022 and $4.5MM in 2023. The contract also has a $4MM club option for the 2024 season, which does not come with a buyout. Pina is a client of Rep 1 Baseball.

Manny Pina | Aug 15, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher Manny Pina (9) looks on against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

It’s at least a moderate surprise to see Atlanta ink another catcher. The Braves already extended veteran Travis d’Arnaud on a two-year, $16MM contract late in the season, giving them a veteran option to provide a bridge to up-and-coming prospects William Contreras and Shea Langeliers. With Pina now on board, both Contreras and Langeliers have veteran roadblocks in their way on the big league roster.

Langeliers, who has just five games of Triple-A ball under his belt, likely wouldn’t have been an option until late in the 2022 season at the very earliest anyhow, but Contreras has already gotten his feet wet in the Major Leagues and seemed to be a candidate to break camp with the team behind d’Arnaud next year. The addition of Pina, on a two-year deal no less, makes that alignment unlikely anytime in the near future — unless the Braves opt to carry three catchers on the roster (which seems possible with the likely addition of a designated hitter in the National League). The added organizational depth, however, protects the Braves in the event of another injury to d’Arnaud and also frees the front office to at least be more open to trade scenarios involving their young backstops this winter.

In Pina, Atlanta is adding a well-regarded defensive catcher who has some pop in his bat but struggled to hit for average this past season, albeit due to a fluky low .162 average on balls in play. The 34-year-old Pina (35 next June) hit .189/.293/.439 with a career-high 13 home runs in 208 plate appearances this past season. Since establishing himself as the backup catcher with the Brewers back in 2016, he’s given Milwaukee 1209 plate appearances of .245/.314/.415 offense.

With the glove, Pina has been credited with a whopping 38 Defensive Runs Saved through just 2407 innings over the six-year run with the Brew Crew. He consistently draws plus framing marks and boasts a massive 35% caught-stealing rate, which is well north of the league average of 28% over the course of his MLB career.

Pina’s $3.5MM salary next season brings the Braves to $80.5MM in guaranteed contracts to seven players, plus a projected slate of $49.9MM in arbitration salaries, per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. Of course, that number doesn’t include franchise icon Freddie Freeman, who has been extended an $18.4MM qualifying offer he’s sure to reject. Freeman is a free agent for the first time in his illustrious career, but the Braves figure to make a strong push to retain him even after he fields interest from other clubs around the league.

This past season’s $131.4MM Opening Day payroll was a franchise record, but president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has already indicated that ownership will increase that figure for the 2022 season.

Photo courtesy of Imagn/USA Today Sports.

Yankees Name Luis Rojas Third Base Coach

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The Yankees have hired former Mets skipper Luis Rojas to serve as their third base coach for the 2022 season, per a club announcement. He’ll take the place of Phil Nevin, whom the Yankees dismissed following the season.

Rojas, 40, served as the Mets’ manager for the past two seasons. He’d been serving as a quality control coach after more than a decade coaching and managing in the Mets’ minor league system but was unexpectedly elevated to the manager’s chair when the Mets moved on from Carlos Beltran following the revelation of his involvement in orchestrating the Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal.

The Mets were 103-119 under Rojas’ watch, fading down the stretch this past season after spending much of the year in contention for a division crown. Injuries played a large role in that decline, with Jacob deGrom’s absence looming particularly large, but the Mets nevertheless elected to decline a third-year option on Rojas, making him free to join a new organization for the first time in 16 years.

Rojas interviewed for the Padres’ managerial vacancy but was passed over when longtime A’s skipper Bob Melvin was surprisingly made available to them. He reportedly interviewed with the Yankees last week and, clearly, made a strong impression when doing so.

In Rojas, the Yankees will be adding a bilingual coach with managing experience and plenty of experience working with the Mets’ analysts and players alike. Rojas is a former minor league manager of the year who wore a variety of hats throughout his 16-year run in the Mets organization. He’s also a member of a legendary baseball fan, as the son of three-time MLB All-Star and 1994 NL Manager of the Year Felipe Alou and the half brother of six-time All-Star Moises Alou.

Tigers Interested In Extension With Tucker Barnhart

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The Tigers are interested in working out a contract extension with recently-acquired catcher Tucker Barnhart, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. While no deal is believed to be close, Murray relays that Detroit has at least met with the backstop’s representatives at the Ballengee Group.

Barnhart hasn’t yet been in the organization for two weeks, but the front office no doubt values his on-field production and ability to work with a young pitching staff. The Tigers struck to acquire Barnhart from the Reds just hours into the offseason, clearly identifying him as a prime trade target. He’ll play next season on a $7.75MM salary after Detroit exercised a club option, but he’s currently on track to hit free agency after the 2022 campaign.

The lefty-hitting Barnhart offers stable production on both sides of the ball. He’s coming off a .247/.317/.368 showing in 388 plate appearances with Cincinnati, numbers that align with his career work at the dish. That’s a bit below the league average offensive output at the position, but Barnhart makes up for that with strong defense. Statcast has rated him as an above-average pitch framer three years running after he struggled in that facet of the game early in his career. He’s also been average or better at throwing out attempted base-stealers, and the two-time Gold Glove award winner is generally well-regarded for the non-quantifiable aspects (handling a pitching staff, game calling, etc.) of the position.

Barnhart turns 31 years old in January, so any extension that pushes the Tigers’ window of control beyond next season would begin with his age-32 campaign. That’s a year younger than Travis d’Arnaud, who signed a two-year, $16MM extension (with a 2024 club option) with the Braves in August. Barnhart and d’Arnaud are coming off fairly similar 2021 showings, but the latter flashed far more offensive potential by hitting .321/.386/.533 in 2020.

That’s also true to a lesser extent of Jason Castro, who signed for one year and $6.85MM with the Angels over the 2019-20 offseason. That came on the heels of a fine .232/.332/.435 showing, but Castro was also one year older at the time than Barnhart will be in 2023. Speculatively speaking, a two-year deal around that AAV — which would guarantee Barnhart $13.7MM between 2023-24 — could make for a mutually agreeable framework.

Whether the parties will line up remains to be seen, but it seems there’s at least some interest on both sides in getting a longer term deal done. Either way, Barnhart will head into 2022 as the Tigers’ regular backstop, with Grayson Greiner and Eric Haase on hand as the likeliest backup options.

Early Qualifying Offer Decisions

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Fourteen players were issued the $18.4MM qualifying offer before the November 7 deadline. Those players have until November 17 to gauge interest on the open market before determining whether to accept or reject that proposal. For the majority of qualified free agents, it’ll be a fairly easy decision to reject the one-year offer and set out in search of a multi-year deal.

We’ll keep track of QO decisions as they’re reported in this post.

Rejected QO

Decision Not Yet Reported

Teams are entitled to 2022 draft pick compensation for qualified free agents who sign elsewhere, with the value of the pick dependent on the team’s economic status. Teams that exceeded the luxury tax threshold in 2021 (only believed to be the Dodgers among teams with qualified free agents this offseason) receive a pick after Round 4. Teams that neither exceeded the tax threshold nor received revenue sharing in 2021 (Angels, Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Giants, Mets, Red Sox) would receive a draft choice after Competitive Balance Round B. Teams that received revenue sharing in 2021 (Reds and Rockies) would receive a draft choice after Round 1 if the qualified free agent signed for a guarantee of $50+MM. If the free agent signs for less than $50MM, that team would receive a draft choice after Competitive Balance Round B.

Last month, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes broke down the penalties each team would incur were they to sign a player who’d rejected a qualifying offer.

Chris Taylor To Reject Qualifying Offer

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Utilityman Chris Taylor will reject the Dodgers’ one-year, $18.4MM qualifying offer and test the open market, reports Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (Twitter link). The Meister Sports Management client will presumably set out in search of a multi-year pact, be it with the Dodgers or another club.

That’s not at all surprising, since Taylor should be in plenty of demand. Even with draft pick compensation attached, MLBTR placed the 31-year-old sixteenth on this offseason’s list of top free agents, projecting him to land a four-year deal worth $64MM. Taylor’s ability to play essentially any non-catcher position on the diamond should make him a highly coveted player, with teams seeing him as a potential solution for weaknesses on their current roster at various positions.

While Taylor’s best known for his defensive versatility, he pairs that with strong work at the plate. The right-handed hitter strikes out a fair amount, but he also draws walks and hits for power at high clips despite spending his past few years in one of the game’s more pitcher-friendly home parks. By measure of wRC+, Taylor has been an above-average bat in each of the past five seasons. He slowed down in the second half of the 2021 campaign, but Taylor was scorching hot during the postseason to hit free agency on a high note.

If Taylor doesn’t re-sign with the Dodgers, they’ll stand to receive a compensatory draft choice. As a team that exceeded the luxury tax threshold in 2021, they’ll only add a pick after the end of the fourth round. Teams that sign Taylor (or any other qualified free agent), will surrender draft and potentially international signing bonus capital, with the extent of the forfeiture dependent on the signing club’s market size. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes broke down which picks each team would forfeit last month.

Cubs Hire Daniel Moskos As Assistant Pitching Coach

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The Cubs announced the hiring of former major leaguer Daniel Moskos as their assistant pitching coach. The 35-year-old has spent the past two seasons coaching in the Yankees’ farm system, but he’ll now get his first opportunity to join a big league staff.

Moskos is best known for his early-career playing days with the Pirates. Pittsburgh selected the southpaw out of Clemson University with the fourth overall pick of the 2007 draft. He was one of the Bucs’ top pitching prospects early in his pro career, but Moskos’ velocity backed up pretty early into his minor league tenure. By 2010, he’d been moved to the bullpen full-time, but he did contribute for Pittsburgh in 2011.

Working primarily as a situational reliever, Moskos tossed 24 1/3 innings of 2.96 ERA ball as a rookie. He didn’t miss many bats, though, and the Pirates waived him midway through the 2012 campaign. Moskos spent the next few seasons bouncing between teams’ Triple-A affiliates and made a comeback effort in the Mexican League in 2018, but he never got back to the bigs as a player.

He’ll now earn the opportunity to return to the major league level as a coach. Moskos will pair with pitching coach Tommy Hottovy to lead a Chicago pitching staff that ranked in the bottom ten in 2021 in ERA (4.88) and strikeout/walk rate differential (12.3 percentage points).

Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times first reported Moskos’ hiring prior to the team announcement.

Julio Lugo Passes Away

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Former major league infielder Julio Lugo has passed away after suffering what is believed to be a heart attack, his family tells Enrique Rojas of ESPN. He was 45 years old.

Lugo played in twelve major league seasons, suiting up for the Astros, Devil Rays, Dodgers, Red Sox, Cardinals, Orioles and Braves between 2000-11. He was the primary shortstop on the Red Sox’s 2007 World Series-winning team, part of a seven-year run as a regular at the position.

Lugo appeared in 120+ games in six of seven seasons between 2001-07 before transitioning into a utility role later in his career. Altogether, the slick-fielding infielder appeared in 1352 MLB games, hitting .269/.333/.384 with 80 home runs over 5338 plate appearances.

MLBTR sends our condolences to Lugo’s family, friends, teammates and loved ones.

Marlins Acquire Louis Head From Rays

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The Marlins have acquired right-hander Louis Head from the Rays in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.  Miami has designated outfielder Brian Miller for assignment in a corresponding move to create roster space.

Head made his MLB debut in 2021 and impressed in terms of bottom-line numbers, posting a 2.31 ERA over 35 innings out of Tampa’s bullpen (with two “starts” but as an opener).  Advanced metrics like a 4.03 SIERA and 23.9% strikeout rate weren’t as impressive and Head did benefit from a .216 BABIP, but he also did a very good job of limiting hard contact.

Perhaps moreso than his solid numbers, Head might be the poster child for the Rays’ penchant for shuttling pitchers back and forth from Triple-A.  Head was called up and sent down a whopping 12 times last season, as the Rays constantly looked to move fresh arms in and out of their bullpen.

Head turns 32 in April, and was originally an 18th-round draft pick for Cleveland in 2012.  After eight seasons in the minors with the Guardians and Dodgers, Head was on the verge of leaving baseball entirely before catching on with the Rays this past offseason.  He’ll now go to Miami with presumably a better chance of sticking in the majors for a slightly more extended period of time, adding another live arm to a Marlins bullpen that was quietly pretty solid in 2021.

From the Rays’ perspective, they have the relief depth on paper to account for Head’s departure, and Tampa now also opens up another 40-man roster spot before Friday’s deadline to set rosters in advance of the Rule 5 draft.  The Rays made another roster clearance-type of deal yesterday, sending utility infielder Mike Brosseau to the Brewers.

Miller also made his Major League debut this past season, receiving 11 plate appearances over five games.  Miller was selected 36th overall in the 2017 draft, but a modest .284/.338/.360 slash line over 1759 PA in the Marlins’ system kept him from truly establishing himself as a part of the team’s future.  Miller does boast plenty of speed, which has led to 119 stolen bases out of 155 chances and the defensive versatility to handle any of the three outfield positions.

NPB’s Hiroshima Carp Sign Nik Turley

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The Hiroshima Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball signed left-hander Nik Turley to a one-year contract last week, the team announced.  Turley will receive 73 million yen plus incentives (roughly $641K) as well as a signing bonus of 11 million yen (a little under $97K).

Turley spent the 2021 season pitching for the White Sox Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte, posting a 5.02 ERA and 33.1% strikeout rate over 43 relief innings.  Turley’s work was hampered by an 11.6% walk rate, though of the 24 earned runs Turley allowed over his 43 appearances, 15 of those runs were surrendered over just four very rough games.  The Sox never called Turley up to the majors at any point during the year, and the southpaw elected to become a free agent in October.

The 32-year-old has been pitching long enough that his pro career began in a draft round that no longer exists, as Turley was a 50th-round pick for the Yankees way back in 2008.  Turley has tossed 39 1/3 innings (with a career 7.78 ERA) at the Major League level, with 17 2/3 frames for the Twins in 2017 and then 21 2/3 innings for the Pirates in 2020.  In between those two seasons, Turley missed time due to an 80-game PED suspension, and then recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Turley’s 12 pro seasons have taken him to six different MLB organizations and a brief stint in indy ball, and he’ll now head to Japan for a new chapter of his career.  Despite his lack of big league success, Turley has consistently drawn interest due to his high spin rates on his curveball and four-seamer, and his strikeout rates have increased as he has gradually transitioned from starting pitching to bullpen work.  It isn’t out of the question that Turley could see some starting work again with the Carp, depending on how the club intends to use him.

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