Rangers Notes: Dunning, Ragans, Smith, Foscue
The Rangers could carry righty Dane Dunning and left-hander Cole Ragans in the big league bullpen to open the season, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Both pitchers were squeezed out of the initial rotation mix by Texas’ busy offseason. Jacob deGrom, Andrew Heaney and Nathan Eovaldi were all brought in to join Martín Pérez and Jon Gray in the starting five. Even with trade pickup Jake Odorizzi headed to the injured list, there’s no room in the season-opening five for Dunning or Ragans.
Rather than option either to Triple-A Round Rock to start the year, the Rangers might prefer to keep them stretched out as multi-inning options at the MLB level. The Rangers plan to be cautious with early-season workloads for deGrom and Eovaldi after each had minor soreness that slightly delayed them in camp. Dunning and Ragans could handle bulk work in relief. The former was second on the team with 153 1/3 innings over 29 starts last year; the latter worked 40 frames over nine big league starts after tallying 94 2/3 innings in the upper minors.
There are also some roster questions on the position player side, perhaps none bigger than in center field. Adolis García and Robbie Grossman are ticketed for most of the corner outfield work. Leody Taveras should get first crack up the middle if healthy, but his status for Opening Day is still up in the air owing to an oblique strain earlier this month.
Perhaps not coincidentally, Texas has begun to get Josh Smith some work in center field, as Grant writes in a separate piece. The 25-year-old didn’t see any big league time there last year, instead splitting his rookie campaign between third base, shortstop and left field. Texas gave Smith 131 innings in center in Triple-A. They were apparently sufficiently impressed to consider him a potential part-time option there at the highest level. He’s a slightly above-average runner who has plenty of experience in the middle infield, so it’s not out of the question he’s athletic enough to handle the outfield’s toughest position.
Smith doesn’t have a path to everyday playing time at any one spot after hitting .197/.307/.249 over his first 253 MLB plate appearances. An ability to take on tough defensive assignments would increase his utility off the bench. The Rangers have Bubba Thompson and non-roster invitee Travis Jankowski — neither of whom is hitting this spring — as the most straightforward center field replacements for Taveras. Smith might have the most offensive upside of that trio in spite of his slow start against big league pitching. He’d hit .290/.395/.466 in 55 games in Triple-A.
The efforts to broaden versatility aren’t limited to the MLB level. As part of a reader mailbag earlier this week, The Athletic’s Jamey Newberg noted that Texas is planning to get prospect Justin Foscue more work on the corner infield this year in Round Rock. Texas’ first-round draftee in 2020, Foscue has mostly played second base as a professional. He logged 106 innings at the hot corner with Double-A Frisco last year and played there regularly during his first couple collegiate seasons at Mississippi State. He has virtually no experience at first base.
Foscue will continue to get time at second base as well, though finding comfort at multiple positions could aid him in getting to the majors as a bat-first utility player. Marcus Semien should have the keystone secure for years to come. Foscue isn’t far off the majors from an offensive perspective after hitting .288/.367/.483 with 15 homers and a meager 14.3% strikeout rate in Round Rock last year.
Red Sox Notes: Crawford, Mills, Wong, Tapia
Right-hander Kutter Crawford will begin the season in the Red Sox’s rotation, manager Alex Cora confirmed (link via Alex Speier of the Boston Globe). He’s expected to take the ball for the fourth game of the season, the opener of a series against the Pirates.
It’s not likely to be a long-term stint. Crawford steps in with Garrett Whitlock and Brayan Bello both opening the year on the 15-day injured list. Whitlock, in particular, is expected back midway through the season’s first month. Assuming each of Corey Kluber, Chris Sale, Tanner Houck and Nick Pivetta remain healthy by that point, Crawford could find himself in long relief or optioned back to Triple-A Worcester. Potential returns from Bello and James Paxton later on would push him further down the depth chart.
Crawford, 27 next month, started 12 of 21 outings for the Sox last season. He pitched to a 5.47 ERA in 77 1/3 innings overall, though his 23.1% strikeout percentage and 8.7% walk rate were both solid. He predictably missed more bats in relief than he did as a starter but threw more strikes when working from the rotation.
In other news out of Boston:
- Reliever Wyatt Mills has been shut down from throwing after experiencing elbow inflammation, Speier writes. Fortunately, the issue is believed to be muscular rather than structural. Mills still seems likely to open the season on the 15-day IL but there doesn’t appear to be concern about a long-term absence in spite of the ominous-sounding diagnosis. Boston acquired the righty from the Royals over the winter, sending minor league reliever Jacob Wallace back to Kansas City. Mills split the 2022 campaign between Seattle and K.C., throwing 29 1/3 frames of 4.60 ERA ball. He still has a minor league option year remaining and wasn’t a lock to crack the season-opening bullpen.
- Catcher Connor Wong was hampered by a left hamstring strain early in camp. While the issue initially seemed as if it could lead to a season-opening IL stint, Wong now looks on track to be ready for Opening Day. Cora told reporters yesterday the 26-year-old backstop was a “full go” at this point (relayed by Ian Browne of MLB.com). With a week left until the start of the regular season, he should be in position to open the year on the roster. Wong and Reese McGuire are the two backstops on the 40-man. The catching outlook is one area the Sox will have to sort out in the coming days, as Boston could lose minor league signee Jorge Alfaro to an upward mobility clause in his contract if they’re not willing to put him on the MLB club. Alfaro has been on a tear in Spring Training, collecting 11 hits (including two homers) in 21 at-bats.
- Like Alfaro, Raimel Tapia is a veteran in camp on a minor league deal. The lefty-hitting outfielder is battling for a depth role behind the presumptive starting outfield of Masataka Yoshida, Adam Duvall and Alex Verdugo. Righty-swinging Rob Refsnyder is a virtual lock to secure a bench role, as is a backup catcher. That’d leave two spots, one of which seems likely to go to an infielder. Tapia brings plus contact skills and speed, though he’s not a prototypical fourth outfielder considering he’s spent the bulk of his career in left field. Chad Jennings of the Athletic writes that Boston is increasingly open to using Tapia in center field, where he played a career-high 249 2/3 innings for Toronto last season. That would increase his chances of making the roster, particularly since his skillset would be complementary to that of Duvall. Tapia is 13-40 with two walks, six strikeouts and a pair of homers this spring.
Offseason In Review: Miami Marlins
After two seasons of lackluster hitting, the Marlins made several moves in the hopes of finally turning around their offense. The question now becomes if those offensive additions will provide enough help, and whether or not the club’s pitching and defense might take a step backwards.
Major League Signings
- Jean Segura, IF: Two years, $17MM (includes $2MM buyout of $10MM club option for 2025)
- Johnny Cueto, SP: One year, $8.5MM (includes $2.5MM buyout of $10.5MM club option for 2024)
2023 spending: $12.5MM
Total spending: $25.5MM
Option Decisions
- Declined $6.3MM mutual option on IF Joey Wendle, $75K buyout (Marlins retained Wendle via arbitration)
Trades & Claims
- Acquired IF Luis Arraez from Twins for SP Pablo Lopez, IF prospect Jose Salas, OF prospect Byron Chourio
- Acquired IF Jacob Amaya from Dodgers for SS Miguel Rojas
- Acquired RP A.J. Puk from Athletics for OF JJ Bleday
- Acquired RP Matt Barnes and roughly $5.6MM from Red Sox for RP Richard Bleier
- Acquired RP JT Chargois and IF Xavier Edwards from Rays for RHP prospects Marcus Johnson and Santiago Suarez
- Acquired RP prospect Franklin Sanchez and OF prospect Jake Mangum from Mets for SP/RP Elieser Hernandez and RP Jeff Brigham
- Acquired OF prospect Reminton Batista from Brewers for C Payton Henry
- Selected RP Nic Enright from Guardians in the Rule 5 Draft
Notable Minor League Signings
- Yuli Gurriel, Jose Iglesias, Garrett Hampson (later added to 40-man roster), Richard Rodriguez, Austin Allen, Chi Chi Gonzalez, Devin Smeltzer, Enrique Burgos, Geoff Hartlieb, Johan Quezada, Alex De Goti
Extensions
- Jon Berti, IF/OF: One year, $2.125MM (includes $25K buyout of $3.5MM club option for 2024; if option is declined, Marlins still hold arbitration control over Berti)
Notable Losses
- Lopez, Rojas, Bleday, Bleier, Hernandez, Brigham, Henry, Brian Anderson, Lewin Diaz, Nick Neidert, Cole Sulser, Luke Williams, Sean Guenther
The first step in the Marlins’ offseason was the hiring of a new manager, as Skip Schumaker was brought on board as Don Mattingly’s replacement. Schumaker is a first-time manager who has a strong resume as a coach with the Cardinals and Padres. He and a mostly new coaching staff will be fresh voices within an organization in need of a shakeup after a 136-188 record over the last two seasons.
Hiring Schumaker and the coaching staff was basically the biggest Marlins news for the first two months of the offseason, though Kim Ng’s front office was undoubtedly very busy in laying the groundwork for future moves. Heading into the winter, Miami’s gameplan seemed pretty apparent — trade from its surplus of young pitching to land at least one quality hitter who could upgrade the club’s stagnant lineup. It isn’t surprising that it took the Marlins until January to finally swing that big pitching-for-hitting trade, as most rotation-needy teams opted to add pitching in free agency rather than meet Miami’s significant asking price.
Such teams as the Rockies, Cardinals, Red Sox, Mets, and Diamondbacks were all linked to the Marlins in trade talks, with players like Brendan Rodgers, Brett Baty, and Triston Casas reportedly on Miami’s target list. But, it was the Twins who finally found common ground with the Marlins, resulting in the four-player trade that brought Luis Arraez to Miami in exchange for Pablo Lopez and two notable prospects (Jose Salas, Byron Chourio).
The prospect element of the deal shouldn’t be overlooked, as the Marlins’ willingness to part with minor league talent in addition to Lopez indicates just how much they coveted Arraez. The reigning AL batting champ is exactly the type of high-contact hitter the Fish were seeking as the offseason began, and Arraez’s left-handed bat also helps balance a righty-heavy lineup. Arraez’s relative lack of power isn’t as important to the Marlins as his ability to put the ball into play and avoid strikeouts, and his three remaining years of arbitration control make him more of a longer-term solution for Miami.
By the time of the Minnesota trade, Arraez’s addition further shook up a Marlins infield that underwent some other changes earlier in January. Miami traded longtime shortstop Miguel Rojas to the Dodgers in exchange for shortstop prospect Jacob Amaya, and dipped into the free agent market to sign Jean Segura to a two-year, $17MM contract. The infield changes weren’t done there, as after Spring Training began, the Fish inked veterans Yuli Gurriel and Jose Iglesias to minor league contracts.
The end result is a rather unexpected infield alignment. Segura will be Miami’s starting third baseman, though his career experience at the position consists of 179 2/3 innings in 2020 with the Phillies. Arraez will play second base, despite some relatively mixed reviews on his glovework from public defensive metrics and how Arraez’s knees (which have been an injury concern in the past) will hold up at a more difficult position than first base. Joey Wendle will get the bulk of the work at shortstop, with Iglesias (if he makes the team) and utilitymen Jon Berti and Garrett Hampson providing some support since Wendle has played only 647 2/3 innings at short over his seven MLB seasons. Gurriel could pair with Garrett Cooper for first base duty, with Cooper also likely to see some corner outfield work on occasion.
The name not listed within the infield mix is Jazz Chisholm Jr., as the former second baseman will now move into center field for the first time in his professional career. Center field has been a longstanding target area for the Marlins, so if Chisholm is able to be even a passable option on the grass without losing any of his hitting stroke, that might be a win for the team. Of course, there’s plenty of risk involved in Chisholm adopting an entirely new position, perhaps both health-wise (he played only 60 games last season due to a stress fracture in his back and a torn meniscus) and defensively. “Passable” glovework might not be enough for a center fielder in the spacious loanDepot Park outfield, especially since Avisail Garcia and projected left fielder Jesus Sanchez are average defenders at best in the corners.
It makes for something of a roll of the dice for Miami, though it is possible some adjustments could be made. Due to their minor league contracts, it isn’t even a guarantee yet that Gurriel or Iglesias will make the roster, so Arraez might end up being the player sharing time with Cooper at first time. That would open up second base for either Chisholm or Segura if one of the two are struggling in their new positions, with Berti, Hampson, or (in center field) Sanchez or Bryan De La Cruz able to fill some of the gaps. Amaya might also get the call for his MLB debut if he hits well at Triple-A, since his glove is already considered to be big league-ready.
If the defense does start springing too many holes, it will be easy to second-guess Miami’s strategy in picking which hitters to target. Arraez and Segura are above-average hitters who fit the Marlins’ desire for players who can get on base and put the ball into play, putting pressure on opponents to try and defend at loanDepot Park. Yet, if their offensive contributions are blunted by subpar defense, it will call into question why the Marlins couldn’t have found hitters who were cleaner fits into their lineup without all of the position-juggling.
This isn’t to say the Marlins didn’t look into other options, as they pursued free agents such as Jose Abreu and Justin Turner but were outbid. Names like Josh Bell, Michael Conforto, Jurickson Profar, Cody Bellinger, and even Willson Contreras also drew at least cursory interest from the Marlins before signing elsewhere. On the trade front, Miami certainly discussed so many of their pitchers (besides Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez) with so many other teams about a wide variety of hitters that only time will tell if there was ever a better deal out there than the Lopez/Arraez trade.
A questionable defense can also surely lessen the impact of a quality pitching staff. It is a testament to the Marlins’ pitching depth that the rotation still looks like the team’s strength even without Lopez. Alcantara is a top-tier ace, Jesus Luzardo showed plenty of promise when healthy, Edward Cabrera could be on the verge of a breakout, and Trevor Rogers‘ solid 2021 season isn’t a distant memory, even if Rogers has to rebound after a disappointing 2022. Braxton Garrett is the top depth option, but given Garrett’s inexperience and Sixto Sanchez‘s uncertain health status, Miami added to this mix with a new face in veteran Johnny Cueto.
After a few injury-riddled and only moderately effective seasons with the Giants, Cueto bounced back with a solid year with the White Sox, posting a 3.35 ERA over 158 1/3 innings. Despite a lack of velocity and one of the lowest strikeout rates in the league, Cueto finessed his way to success by mostly limiting hard contact and still posting an outstanding walk rate. Even if Cueto has moved into the “crafty veteran” stage of his career, he still looks like he has something to offer in his age-37 season if he can stay off the injured list.
The bullpen was a lot less effective than the rotation last year, so the Fish bolstered the relief corps with a trio of interesting deals. Grounder specialist Richard Bleier was sent to the Red Sox in exchange for former closer Matt Barnes, J.T. Chargois (and former top-100 infield prospect Xavier Edwards) were picked up from the Rays in a four-player trade, and former fourth overall pick JJ Bleday was moved to the A’s in exchange for A.J. Puk.
It seemed as though Boston wanted to turn the page on Barnes after two seasons of highly volatile performance, as Barnes sandwiched a brutal four months of pitching (August/September 2021 and April/May of 2022) between otherwise very impressive work. The upside is there for the Marlins, and with the Red Sox offsetting the cost between Barnes and Bleier’s salaries, the price was right for the Fish to acquire a reliever with possible closer potential. It could also be noted that a grounder-heavy pitcher like Bleier might’ve been seen as less effective for 2023, given the new rules limiting shifts, and the fact that Miami might have a much shakier infield defense.
Chargois has pitched well over the last two seasons in Tampa’s bullpen, and Puk’s first full Major League season was a success, as he was one of only a few highlights in an otherwise rough season for Oakland. Though the Athletics spoke of stretching Puk out as a starter this spring, his injury history and Miami’s starter depth probably means he’ll remain as a reliever, and he has already shown signs of being a very effective weapon out of the pen.
The Puk trade is also notable for Bleday’s inclusion, as it was one of a few instances this winter of Miami opting to move on from players who seemed like potential building blocks not long ago. In addition to Bleday heading to Oakland, the Marlins traded Elieser Hernandez to the Mets, put Lewin Diaz and Cole Sulser on waivers to be claimed away, and non-tendered Brian Anderson and Nick Neidert. Though salary and a preference for other positional options factored into some of these moves, the most obvious common element is that none of these players performed particularly well in 2022.
The Marlins are clearly getting impatient with losing, especially after last winter’s steps to acquire Garcia, Wendle, Jorge Soler, and Jacob Stallings didn’t pan out. Miami’s ceiling in 2023 may hinge in large part on whether or not any of these players can get back on track, and the Fish have to hope that this offseason’s moves have at the very least elevated the talent floor on the roster. The defensive re-alignment will be a major storyline to watch in the early days of the season, but if the experimentation with the gloves and the bats work out, the Marlins could be a sneaky team to watch in the NL wild card race.
How would you grade the Marlins’ offseason? (poll link for app users)
How would you grade the Marlins' offsesason?
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C 40% (673)
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B 27% (457)
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D 21% (356)
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F 7% (125)
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A 4% (70)
Total votes: 1,681
Reds’ Luke Weaver, Lucas Sims Expected To Open Season On Injured List
The Reds are likely to be without two important pitchers early in the season. Manager David Bell informed the media yesterday that fourth starter Luke Weaver and presumptive high-leverage reliever Lucas Sims are each likely to open the year on the 15-day injured list (via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com).
Weaver experienced some forearm discomfort last week. The Reds don’t seem overly concerned — he’s already progressed to throwing a bullpen session after a brief rest period — but the issue has thrown his Spring Training off enough he’ll require some time during the season to build up. Weaver has pitched three times this spring but only made it through 5 2/3 combined innings.
Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal this offseason after being non-tendered by the Mariners, Weaver entered camp as the #4 rotation option behind Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft. The righty worked almost exclusively out of relief last season, tossing 35 1/3 frames in 26 appearances. He’d been a starter throughout his career until then. The Reds will give him a chance in his initial role after his season-opening IL stay. Considering he hasn’t topped 100 innings in a year since 2018, the injury could naturally manage workload concerns that might’ve arisen later in the season anyhow.
In the short term, it’ll vacate a second rotation spot for a handful of pitchers still battling for MLB jobs. The final two spots figure to go to some combination of Luis Cessa, Connor Overton, prospect Brandon Williamson, or a non-roster veteran like Chase Anderson. Overton and Williamson have gotten hit hard in Spring Training, while Cessa and Anderson haven’t logged many innings in camp. Anderson initially began in minor league camp and was only added to the MLB side a couple weeks ago. Cessa left the club for a few weeks to represent Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. The Reds could have to make the decision on Anderson’s role in the next 48 hours; he’s one of a handful of veterans who has an automatic opt-out chance this Saturday if he’s not added to the big league roster.
Sims, meanwhile, is dealing with back spasms that necessitated a temporary shutdown. He’s also back throwing again. The right-hander has had a tough Spring Training, surrendering ten runs in five innings. That’s on the heels of a 2022 campaign almost completely lost to a disc herniation in his back that required surgery. Between his on-field rust and the injury history, there’s obvious reason for the Reds to be cautious.
Two seasons ago, Sims emerged as a high-leverage reliever with a massive 39% strikeout rate over 47 innings. He’s among the higher-upside options in a thin bullpen if he can get healthy. Sims has two remaining seasons of arbitration control and could be one of the Reds’ more interesting deadline trade candidates should he find his pre-surgery form.
Braves Option Michael Soroka
The Braves announced Thursday afternoon that right-hander Michael Soroka has been optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. That was generally expected considering a hamstring injury knocked him out of the race for the fifth starter’s role out of camp.
An All-Star and Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2019, Soroka is looking to return to a big league mound for the first time in nearly three years. A ruptured Achilles tendon three starts into the 2020 campaign required surgery that came with a year-long recovery process. As he was nearing a return to game action, the Achilles blew out again and put his rehab back at square one.
Soroka was able to make it back at the tail end of last season but wasn’t in position to be thrust into the middle of a pennant race. The Braves gave him five starts in Gwinnett before shutting him down with some shoulder fatigue they attributed to the long layoff. He was generally seen as one of three candidates for the #5 starter role entering camp — Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder being the others — but hamstring soreness shut him down for the first couple weeks.
The 25-year-old returned to the mound yesterday, going through the Tigers’ batting order once in Grapefruit League play. It’s a positive step but certainly not the endpoint, as he’ll continue to build pitch counts in future appearances. Atlanta will send him back to Gwinnett to do so with an eye towards a potential midseason call.
Anderson and Elder have been healthy this spring but were outpitched in exhibition play by prospects Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd. The Braves optioned both Elder and Anderson last week, leaving the #5 job to one of the hurlers who have yet to make their MLB debut. Manager Brian Snitker didn’t tip the organization’s hand on that camp battle this morning, praising both pitchers and noting the club still has yet to make that decision (link via Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
Cubs Trade Esteban Quiroz To Phillies
The Phillies acquired infielder Esteban Quiroz from the Cubs in exchange for cash, according to announcements from both teams. Philadelphia has assigned Quiroz to minor league camp.
Quiroz, 31, made his big league debut with Chicago last season and hit .275/.370/.275 in 47 trips to the plate. He’s a career .259/.385/.495 hitter in 776 plate appearances at the Triple-A level, where he’s played primarily second base but has also seen action at third base and in the outfield corners. The Cubs outrighted Quiroz off the 40-man roster back in November, but was in camp with them as a non-roster invitee this spring.
It’s a depth move for the Phillies, who’ll be Quiroz’s fifth organization in six years. The well-traveled infielder didn’t sign with an affiliated club until his age-26 season, when the Padres plucked him from the Mexican League. Quiroz is a left-handed bat who draws walks at a prolific rate (15.3%) and strikes out at a slightly below-average clip (21.1%) in the minors. He’s swatted 34 homers in 204 Triple-A games and can give the Phils some depth at multiple positions.
Tigers Sign Jose Alvarez To Minor League Deal
The Tigers have signed left-hander Jose Alvarez to a minor league contract, per the transactions log at MiLB.com. He won’t pitch this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, though Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press writes that the club will help Alvarez oversee his recovery and rehabilitation with an eye toward the 2024 campaign. Alvarez is represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council.
The 33-year-old Alvarez is a known commodity to Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris, who was the Giants’ general manager during Alvarez’s two-year stint in San Francisco from 2021-22. He was outstanding for the Giants in ’21, pitching to a 2.37 ERA with a well below-average 15.8% strikeout rate but strong walk and ground-ball rates of 7.1% and 50.5%, respectively. His 2022 season was cut short by arm troubles that led to his subsequent Tommy John surgery, and prior to going on the shelf Alvarez was tagged for an ugly 5.28 ERA.
Alvarez actually made his Major League debut with the Tigers nearly a decade ago, in 2013, but he was tagged for a 5.82 ERA in 38 2/3 innings that season. The Tigers traded him to the Angels in exchange for Andrew Romine the following offseason, and Alvarez would eventually establish himself as a quality big league reliever in Anaheim.
From 2014-21, Alvarez racked up 366 2/3 innings of 3.14 ERA ball with a 20.2% strikeout rate, 7.2% walk rate, 46.8% grounder rate, 70 holds and three saves. He’s held lefties to a .238/.288/.365 slash in his career, and while righties have posted a strong .270 average and .340 OBP against him, they haven’t hit for much power (.399 slugging, .129 ISO). Alvarez has always thrived in terms of limiting hard contact, yielding just an 86.3 mph average exit velocity and a feeble 30% hard-hit rate dating back to 2015, when Statcast first began tracking such measures. He’s never yielded an average exit velocity of even 87 mph. Last year’s league average was 88.6 mph.
Rhys Hoskins Carted Off Field Following Knee Injury
1:55pm: Manager Rob Thomson said on the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast that Hoskins was eventually able to walk under his own power in the clubhouse (Twitter link via Matt Gelb of The Athletic). That doesn’t rule out a significant injury, but it’s at least cause for some cautious optimism. The Phillies are still doing initial waves of testing and don’t yet have a formal diagnosis.
12:55pm: The Phillies confirmed that Hoskins has suffered a left knee injury. They’ll provide further updates after Hoskins undergoes testing.
12:35pm: Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins was carted off the field just minutes ago following what looked to be a significant, non-contact knee injury during today’s Grapefruit League game against the Tigers (video link via FOX’s Ben Verlander). Hoskins was backtracking a short-hop grounder off the bat of Austin Meadows when he collapsed in obvious pain. He was tended to by the team’s training staff and EMTs before being helped off the field.
It’s a potentially brutal injury for a Phillies club that’ll already be without Bryce Harper for a significant portion of the 2023 season as the 2021 NL MVP recovers from Tommy John surgery. President of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski said yesterday that Harper won’t be placed on the 60-day IL for now, leaving open the possibility that he could return before May 29 this year. (Of course, the Phillies can retroactively transfer Harper to the 60-day IL any time they need a roster spot without further delaying his potential return.)
That’s two of the Phillies’ top power threats possibly sidelined for notable periods of the season. Hoskins put together the second 30-homer season of his career in 2022, batting .246/.332/.462 while chipping in 33 doubles and a pair of triples as well. He hit just .159 with a .205 on-base percentage during 69 postseason plate appearances, but the majority of the slugger’s hits were max-impact blows; he belted six home runs during postseason play, including a four-homer NLCS. Hoskins’ three-run blast and subsequent bat spike against Spencer Strider in the National League Division Series is one of the lasting images from Philadelphia’s remarkable postseason run in 2022.
If Hoskins is out for an extended period of time, the Phillies will likely turn first base over to 27-year-old Darick Hall, who made his big league debut in 2022 and hit .250/.282/.522 with nine homers in just 142 plate appearances. Hall has a productive minor league track record but is generally seen as a platoon player and displayed worrying strikeout (31.5%) and walk (3.5%) rates during last year’s debut. Speculatively, the Phils could give right-handed-hitting third baseman Alec Bohm reps at first base when facing lefty starters, with Edmundo Sosa or Josh Harrison sliding in at third base on those days.
From a personal vantage point, Hoskins’ injury comes at one of the worst possible times. He’s sitting on five-plus years of Major League service time and is slated to become a free agent for the first time in his career following the 2023 season. He’s the youngest and arguably best first baseman on next year’s market (depending on Josh Bell‘s opt-out status). It’s a generally light market for position players next offseason, and Hoskins stands as one of the top power bats available.
James Outman, Jason Heyward Will Make Dodgers’ Opening Day Roster
Outfielders James Outman and Jason Heyward will both make the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster, manager Dave Roberts announced to the team’s beat this morning (Twitter link via Juan Toribio of MLB.com). The Dodgers will need to make a 40-man roster move to add Heyward, although that can be accomplished simply by transferring shortstop Gavin Lux — who suffered a pair of torn knee ligaments earlier in camp — to the 60-day injured list. Roberts added that right-handers Jimmy Nelson and Daniel Hudson are expected to open the season on the injured list (Twitter link via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic).
Outman, 25, ranks among the Dodgers’ top outfield prospects and made his big league debut in 2022, going 6-for-13 with a homer and two doubles in a tiny sample of 16 plate appearances. He’s had a strong spring training, batting .268/.354/.512 with a pair of home runs, two doubles, a triple and a stolen base. The Dodgers will likely give him fairly regular looks in the outfield, perhaps pairing his powerful left-handed bat with the right-handed-hitting Trayce Thompson in center field.
Impressive as his spring has been, Outman’s 15 punchouts in 48 plate appearances are worth noting, given his strikeout tendencies in the minor leagues. The hit tool has always been the biggest question mark among scouts for Outman, who has fanned in 26.4% of his minor league plate appearances — including a 27.2% clip between Double-A and Triple-A a year ago. Varying opinions on that hit tool make him one of the more divisive prospects you’ll come across. For instance, while The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked Outman as the No. 89 prospect in all of baseball, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen ranked him 26th in the Dodgers’ system alone.
It’s possible that Heyward will also see occasional time in center field, though he seems ticketed for a more traditional reserve outfielder role. He’s posted a .220/.304/.415 batting line with a pair of homers and doubles alike this spring, but Roberts was hinting that Heyward would make the roster very early in camp. He’ll cost Los Angeles only the league minimum, as he’s still technically playing out the final season of his eight-year, $184MM deal with the Cubs, who released him following the season. Any money paid to Heyward by the Dodgers will be subtracted from what the Cubs owe him, but they’re on the hook for the vast majority of this year’s $22MM salary.
The Dodgers’ outfield, in general, could be in a state of flux throughout the season. The aforementioned injury to Lux is likely to push utilityman Chris Taylor to the infield more regularly, and right fielder Mookie Betts could log around 20 games at second base this season, Roberts said earlier in camp (Twitter link via David Vassegh). That’ll create extra room to rotate Outman, Thompson and Heyward through the outfield alongside left fielder David Peralta, who’ll likely be in a platoon arrangement himself (be it with Thompson or Taylor). Top prospect Andy Pages figures to make his big league debut at some point in 2023 as well, and he’d add another righty-swinging corner bat to the mix.
Cardinals Notes: Montgomery, Barrera, Knizner, Bullpen, Motter
Cardinals left-hander Jordan Montgomery, a free agent after the season, is open to an extension that’d keep him in St. Louis but suggests to John Denton of MLB.com that he prefers not to negotiate once the regular season has commenced (Twitter thread). It’s a common stance for players to take during spring training, which is typically the most active time of the year on the extension market.
Montgomery, 30, joined the Cardinals last summer in a deadline swap that sent center fielder Harrison Bader to the Yankees. The left-hander was excellent following the trade, working to a sharp 3.11 ERA with an improved 23.9% strikeout rate, a 5.4% walk rate and a 49.7% grounder rate that tops any mark he posted during his time in the Bronx. Montgomery missed nearly the entire 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery but has since returned and reestablished himself as a quality big league hurler. He’s made 62 starts over the past two seasons, recording a 3.65 ERA and identical 3.65 FIP in 335 2/3 innings. The Cardinals seemingly have some extra motivation to keep Montgomery, as Adam Wainwright will retire after the season while Montgomery, Miles Mikolas and Jack Flaherty are all free agents. Steven Matz is the only established starter that St. Louis controls beyond 2023.
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- The Cardinals have a two-man race to back up newly signed catcher Willson Contreras, with incumbent backup Andrew Knizner and non-roster invitee Tres Barrera jostling for the role. To this point, Knizner has received more playing time during official spring games, but he’s just 4-for-42 and has yet to connect on an extra-base hit. Barrera has just 18 plate appearances, and while he’s gone 2-for-12 in official spring contests, one of those hits was a home run and he’s also drawn six walks (making for an odd .167/.444/.500 slash line). The Cardinals haven’t made a decision yet, but manager Oli Marmol acknowledged to Denton this week that, “In this short period of time, Barrera has clearly outperformed Knizner — I can’t disagree with that.” The Cardinals will factor more than a handful of at-bats from each player into the equation, but Marmol voiced a general desire to be able to get more offense from the backup catcher position. The 28-year-old Barrera has just 162 MLB plate appearances and is a .231/.317/.315 hitter in that time. He’s a .251/.332/.388 hitter in the minors. Knizner has slashed a combined .204/.292/.288 in 553 MLB plate appearances across parts of four seasons with the Cards. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat suggests that Knizner could be a candidate to be flipped elsewhere if another club in need of a backup reaches out to the Cardinals.
- Left-hander Anthony Misiewicz was optioned to Triple-A Memphis today, the team announced. Following that cut, the Cardinals have Genesis Cabrera, Zack Thompson, Packy Naughton, JoJo Romero and non-roster invitee Andrew Suarez as possible lefties in Marmol’s bullpen. Thompson and Suarez have been outstanding this spring, with neither allowing a run through 9 1/3 innings and eight innings, respectively. Suarez isn’t on the 40-man roster, however, which could work against him early in the season. Cabrera is the most experienced of the bunch in terms of MLB service time and is earning a $950K salary this season, but he does have a minor league option remaining — as do Thompson (two), Naughton (one) and Romero (one). Suarez would also have one minor league option year left, if selected to the roster.
- With Paul DeJong expected to begin the season on the injured list, it’s increasingly likely that veteran utilityman Taylor Motter will win a roster spot with the Cardinals, tweets Jones. As Jones writes at greater length, Motter’s solid spring, defensive versatility and remaining minor league option make him a candidate to win a spot on the Cardinals’ bench. The Cards have given Motter a hefty 55 plate appearances in Grapefruit League play thus far, and he’s responded with a .234/.345/.426 batting line, three homers, three steals and a 13-to-8 K/BB ratio. Top prospect Masyn Winn is still in camp and has turned plenty of heads, but he just turned 21 two days ago and has yet to play a game in Triple-A. The Cards surely want him to log everyday at-bats that probably wouldn’t be present at the big league level with a crowded infield mix.