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The Opener: WBC, Rangers, Extensions

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As the return of regular season baseball draws ever closer, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. WBC Update

The World Baseball Classic continues today. Over the weekend, Australia (3-1) and Japan (4-0) both punched their tickets to the quarterfinals in Pool B. Pool A, meanwhile, saw a wild finish where all five teams finished with a 2-2 record. Cuba and Italy ultimately moved onto the quarterfinals after tiebreakers were exercised. Pools C and D are still ongoing, with the Dominican Republic (0-1) facing Nicaragua (0-2) at 11am CT today and Colombia (1-0) facing Great Britain (0-2) at 2pm CT today. Both games will air on FS2. Meanwhile, FS1 will air Israel (1-0) vs. Puerto Rico (1-1) at 6pm CT in addition to Canada (1-0) vs. the United States (1-1) at 9pm CT.

2. Eovaldi, deGrom to pitch today:

Today is a big day for the Rangers’ rotation, as Jacob deGrom will pitch in a game as a member of the organization for the first time today. deGrom, to this point, has been handled very carefully by the Rangers in order to preserve his health into the regular season. In addition, Nathan Eovaldi will be returning to the mound after being shut down with side tightness. Both righties are slated to pitch in minor league games. As two of Texas’s top three starters, their health will be crucial to the success of a team hoping to return to contention after a second straight offseason spending spree.

3. Could more extensions be on the way?

As the start of the regular season quickly approaches, so too does the time of year where contract extension talks typically wind down between clubs and players. Two major extensions occurred over the weekend, as Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz and Diamondbacks center fielder Corbin Carroll both signed eight-year extensions. Other extension talks around baseball seem to be proceeding with mixed results: the Padres seem intent on extension talks with both closer Josh Hader and star slugger Juan Soto, while the Astros seem pessimistic about their odds of getting a deal done with either Kyle Tucker or Framber Valdez this spring. Aaron Nola of the Phillies and Nico Hoerner of the Cubs are among other players who have been rumored to have extension talks with their clubs this spring.

Craig Stammen “Highly Unlikely” To Pitch Again Following Shoulder Injury

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Padres reliever Craig Stammen suffered a torn capsule in his right shoulder and strained sub scapula Friday, as reported by the San Diego Union Tribune’s Kevin Acee. Stammen, who just celebrated his 39th birthday, acknowledged that his “playing days are probably over,” though it seems Stammen and the club have not decided whether or not to pursue surgery. The longtime Padres right-hander was in camp on a minor league deal this spring.

Stammen was a 12th round pick by the Washington Nationals in the 2005 draft and began his career as a starter with the Nats back in 2009. In two seasons as a starter, Stammen struggled to a 5.12 ERA that was 19% below league average, causing the Nationals to move him to the bullpen. Stammen flourished in this role, as he posted a strong 2.80 ERA (138 ERA+) backed by a solid 3.12 FIP in 257 innings of work from 2011-2015 following his move to the bullpen. Unfortunately, his 2015 season ended in April with flexor tendon surgery, and Stammen would not return to the big leagues until 2017, when he joined the Padres.

In six years as a member of the Padres bullpen, Stammen largely pitched well en route to becoming the longest-tenured player on the major league roster. In addition to his 394 1/3 innings of 3.36 ERA ball, he was frequently cited as a leader and mentor in the clubhouse and beloved throughout the organization. Stammen began to struggle in 2022, however, as he posted a 4.43 ERA that was 15% below league average in addition to suffering a torn rotator cuff last season that sat him down for two months. This new injury has a recovery time of 4-6 months, and surgery would require an even lengthier rehab process.

Despite losing Stammen for, at bare minimum, the first half of the 2023 campaign, the Padres relief corps still appears set up well for success headed into 2023, with Drew Pomeranz and Robert Suarez joining closer Josh Hader at the back of San Diego’s bullpen. As previously mentioned, Stammen was in camp on a minor league contract and was far from a lock to make the Opening Day roster as he competed with the likes of Jose Lopez, Michel Baez, and Steven Wilson for a roster spot.

That Stammen is considering retirement following his latest injury is understandable given this the second severe injury the righty has suffered in just the last few months, particularly without a clear path to big league playing time upon his return. That said, even staring down the possibility of being unable to pitch competitively until his age-40 season, Stammen has not entirely closed the door on attempting a comeback, noting to reporters, “At this point today, I can’t imagine myself as not a baseball player… hopefully they’ll let me rehab for a little while.”

AL West Notes: Athletics, Bleday, Munoz, Trammell, deGrom, Eovaldi, Schroeder

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The Athletics announced several cuts to their Spring Training roster today, and outfielder JJ Bleday was one of the players optioned to Triple-A.  Bleday had been competing with Cristian Pache and Esteury Ruiz for the center field job, and manager Mark Kotsay told reporters (including The San Francisco Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara) that “it’s not an easy decision” in picking between the trio since the A’s eventually want to see what all of them can do at the big league level.  All of Pache, Ruiz, and Bleday will “impact this club at some point” in 2023, Kotsay said, but in determining the Opening Day roster “there’s going to be factors that go into it…not just performance but roster construction, depth at the position.”

Kotsay also noted that Pache might have an advantage since he is out of minor league options, whereas Ruiz and Bleday both have options remaining.  Bleday and Ruiz each joined the A’s this offseason, as Bleday was acquired from the Marlins for A.J. Puk last month, and Ruiz came to Oakland as part of the big three-team, nine-player swap with the Brewers and Braves that saw Sean Murphy land in Atlanta.  Pache, meanwhile, was part of last March’s blockbuster deal with Atlanta, as Pache was one of four players the A’s acquired in exchange for Matt Olson.  Earlier this month, MLBTR’s Steve Adams wrote about the many outfielders vying for playing time for Oakland this season, beyond just the center field situation.

More from around the AL West…

  • Andres Munoz underwent foot surgery last October, and the Mariners reliever told Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times that three screws were placed into his ankle as part of the bone-fusion procedure.  The injury dated back to Munoz’s days as a high school track athlete, and a 2020 procedure to remove a piece of fractured bone from the ankle didn’t do the trick, as Munoz said that during the 2022 season, “on almost every pitch, I felt some kind of pain.”  Under those circumstances, Munoz’s 2022 numbers are all the more remarkable, as the right-hander posted a 2.49 ERA and an elite 39.2% strikeout rate over 65 innings out of Seattle’s bullpen.  The Mariners have been taking it slow with Munoz this spring, as he has started throwing live batting practice sessions and is slated to pitch in a Cactus League game during the coming week.
  • In other Mariners news, manager Scott Servais told MLB.com and other media that outfielder Taylor Trammell is “probably three weeks away, something like that, from a bat in his hand.  But he’s focused right now on gaining strength back in that wrist and the hand.”  Trammell underwent hamate bone surgery in mid-February, and was initially projected for a recovery period of at least seven weeks.  Servais’ update would seemingly end any chance of a return for Trammell at the low end of that projected timeline, though a 10-day injured list stint already seemed inevitable to give the outfielder more time to ramp up.
  • Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi will both start minor league games on Monday, according to The Athletic’s Levi Weaver (Twitter link).  DeGrom will pitch for the Rangers’ Double-A team, while Eovaldi takes the hill for the Triple-A club.  Due to some tightness in his side early in camp, deGrom has yet to pitch in any games this spring, as Texas has been cautious in gradually managing his workload.  Eovaldi pitched in one Cactus League game before also feeling some tightness in his side, so he was briefly shut down to recuperate.
  • Former Astros prospect Jayson Schroeder announced his retirement from baseball via his Instagram page (hat tip to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle).  Schroeder was the Astros’ second-round pick in the 2018 draft, but he struggled during his brief pro career, posting a 6.95 ERA over 134 2/3 minor league innings.  Houston released Schroeder in December.

Mets Place Zach Greene On Outright Waivers

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The Mets have placed right-hander Zach Greene on outright waivers, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports (Twitter link).  Greene was selected away from the Yankees in December’s Rule 5 Draft, and unless another team claims Greene on waivers, the Mets will have to offer him back to the Yankees for $50K.  If another team make a claim, they will assume Greene’s Rule 5 status, and will have to keep the hurler on their active roster for the entire season in order to fully obtain his rights.

Greene was an eighth-round pick for the Yankees in the 2019 draft, and he made a pretty quick rise through their farm system ranks even with the canceled 2020 minor league season interrupting development.  He spent the entire 2022 season at Triple-A, and posted a 3.42 ERA and a strong 33.3% strikeout rate over 68 1/3 innings (almost all in relief except for four “starts” as an opener).  An 11.1% walk rate was a weak point, and Greene has had pretty average control throughout his brief pro career.

With the Yankees filling their 40-man roster holes with other prospects, the 26-year-old Greene was left available for selection in the Rule 5 Draft.  It was always going to be difficult for a win-now team like the Mets to try and carry a Rule 5 player on their roster all season, and after Greene’s struggles in Spring Training, the Mets have opted to part ways with the righty.  Through 4 2/3 innings of Grapefruit League action, Greene posted a 13.50 ERA with more walks (six) than strikeouts (five).

Despite these uninspiring numbers, it’s not out of the question that another team (perhaps a non-contender) might take a chance on Greene to see if he can stick in their bullpen.  The strikeout potential and overall profile is intriguing, and since Greene already has a full Triple-A season under his belt, he is more of a big league-ready player than a project, unlike many other Rule 5 picks.

Injury Notes: Marte, Guzman, Guerrero, O’Hearn, Hall

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Starling Marte will undergo further tests on Monday after being hit in the head by an Elvin Rodriguez pitch in today’s game.  Marte was able to walk off the field by himself and initial concussion tests were negative, yet the Mets will naturally be very careful in monitoring any sort of head-related injury.

It was only Marte’s second game of Spring Training, as he didn’t take the field until last Friday due to the Mets’ desire to slowly bring Marte back up to speed following groin surgery in November.  The club expected the outfielder to be ready for Opening Day, and that should still be the case, if Marte has indeed escaped injury after today’s scary incident.

More injury updates from around baseball…

  • Ronald Guzman left today’s Cactus League game in obvious pain after throwing a pitch, and Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Evan Webeck of the Bay Area News Group) that Guzman was undergoing tests for discomfort in his forearm.  It’s an ominous turn of events for Guzman, who has been one of Spring Training’s more interesting stories as he pursues a new chapter in his career as a two-way player.  The former Rangers/Yankees first baseman inked a minor league deal with the Giants, in large part because San Francisco was the only team willing to give Guzman a chance to pitch.
  • Knee inflammation kept Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from participating in the World Baseball Classic, and the Blue Jays slugger hasn’t played in any spring games since last Friday.  However, Guerrero has been facing live pitching and taking part in fielding drills, and manager John Schneider told reporters (including MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson) that Guerrero reported no issues after running the bases.  If all goes well after another base-running session tomorrow, the Jays will have a better idea of when Guerrero can get back to game action.  With over two weeks to go until Opening Day, it doesn’t yet appear as though Guerrero is in danger of missing any of the regular season, but more will be known once the first baseman is fully ramped up.
  • Orioles outfielder/first baseman Ryan O’Hearn is day to day with a sore knee.  The injury is a minor setback in what has been a red-hot Spring Training for O’Hearn, as he tries to win a job on Baltimore’s bench.  In other Orioles news, manager Brandon Hyde told MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski and other media that DL Hall threw “extremely well” during a live batting practice session, and is slated for another live BP on Tuesday.  Hall’s progress in camp has been slowed by lower-back problems and he has yet to pitch in a game, so the southpaw’s only chance of making the Opening Day roster is as a reliever.

Athletics Release Ernie Clement

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The Athletics announced that infielder Ernie Clement has been released.  Clement was claimed off waivers from the Guardians back in September, and was designated for assignment in December before clearing waivers and remaining with Oakland on an outright assignment.

A release this relatively early in Spring Training could be the Athletics’ way of giving Clement a jump on the open market, as more veterans will start getting cut from minor league deals the closer we get to Opening Day.  Clement (who turns 27 later in March) will now become a free agent for the first time in his pro career.

Cleveland selected Clement in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, and the University of Virginia product hit .273/.328/.360 over 1340 plate appearances in the minors.  Despite the lack of overall production, Clement still made his way up the minor league ladder due to his defensive versatility and his good contact numbers.  This culminated in some MLB playing time in 2021 and 2022, but Clement has a lackluster .204/.261/.264 slash line over 312 PA with Cleveland and Oakland.

Clement played mostly second and third base at the big league level, with a handful of games as a left fielder, first baseman, and shortstop to boot (and even a couple of mop-up pitching appearances).  This ability to play all over the diamond makes Clement an interesting candidate for teams in need of depth, so another minor league contract in short order wouldn’t be a surprise.

MLBTR Poll: Who Will Win The AL West?

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The AL West, despite being home to the reigning World Series champions, figures to be among the more competitive divisions in the sport in 2023. According to the Playoff Odds at Fangraphs, it is the only division with four teams that have a better than 10% chance to win the division title in the coming campaign. All five clubs in the division have seen significant changes to their rosters over the course of the offseason. With Spring Training now in full swing and the heavy-lifting of the offseason largely done at this point, it let’s take a look at the AL West’s five clubs in search of the division’s next champion.

Houston Astros (106-56 in 2022)

En route to their 2022 World Series championship, the Astros had a phenomenal season, with AL Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander leading the pitching staff while each of Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, and Alex Bregman received MVP votes for their work in the starting lineup. The hitting corps didn’t change very drastically during the offseason, though they did upgrade at first base by replacing departing free agent Yuli Gurriel with longtime White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu. The pitching staff saw more significant change, as Verlander departed for New York while Houston was unable to sign a proper replacement for their staff ace over the offseason.

While Houston lost Verlander to free agency this offseason, the rotation still figures to have plenty of capable arms, with Framber Valdez set to take over as the new staff ace while youngster Cristian Javier looks to follow up on a breakout campaign in 2022. Both Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. have tantalizing upside, though each comes with question marks, and Jose Urquidy can be expected to be a reliable back-end starter for the Astros once again as well. One catalyst for Houston’s rotation could be top prospect Hunter Brown. Brown, who will play this season at age 24, dominated in his big league debut at the end of last season, posting a microscopic 0.89 ERA that was backed by a fantastic 1.98 FIP in 20 1/3 innings of work, though only 12 of those innings came as a starter. The young righty seems to be in prime position to make the Opening Day rotation with McCullers expected to start the season on the shelf.

Seattle Mariners (90-72 in 2022)

The Mariners ended the league’s longest playoff drought last season, earning a wild card berth and advancing to the ALDS before falling to Houston in a 3 game sweep. Seattle looks to improve on that performance in 2023, as the club added Teoscar Hernandez, Kolten Wong, and AJ Pollock to the lineup this offseason and expects to get a full season from ace Luis Castillo, who was acquired from the Reds at the trade deadline last year. That said, the club did lose some key players over the offseason as well: Mitch Haniger and Adam Frazier departed via free agency while Erik Swanson, Kyle Lewis, Jesse Winker, and Abraham Toro were among the players who departed in the club’s various trades this offseason.

Minimal prospect talent is expected to impact the big league club this season in Seattle, leaving the Mariners to rely on their aforementioned external additions and improvements from their returning players if they are to catch the Astros in the standings. Former top prospect Jarred Kelenic should get some run in left field to open the season in order to prove he has returned to form after struggling to this point in his big league career, while Robbie Ray will surely be looking to recapture the magic of his 2021 Cy Young season. Meanwhile, other players such as youngsters Julio Rodriguez and George Kirby as well as breakout catcher Cal Raleigh merely need to repeat their strong 2022 campaigns in order to contribute to a winning Mariners club this season.

Los Angeles Angels (73-89 in 2022)

The 2023 season stands as the last one during which the Angels will have two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani under club control, as he is set to hit free agency following the coming campaign. Given the urgency of the club’s situation, it’s no wonder than GM Perry Minasian was aggressive in his attempts to supplement the roster with quality depth. He appears to have been largely successful in that endeavor, having added Tyler Anderson, Matt Moore, and Carlos Estevez to the pitching staff while supplementing the lineup with Gio Urshela, Brandon Drury, and Hunter Renfroe. Those pitching deals rebuilt the back of a Halos bullpen that lost Raisel Iglesias in trade to the Braves last offseason while supplementing the rotation with a durable, mid-rotation starter. That being said, the offensive additions were the main attraction of Anaheim’s offseason, as they transformed what has for years amounted to something of a stars and scrubs lineup by providing manager Phil Nevin with the quality depth necessary to weather injuries to the club’s many stars.

Those stars, of course, will remain the focus of the club, as Ohtani and Mike Trout stand as perhaps the two best players in the entire sport while Anthony Rendon will look to live up to his $245MM contract after struggling with injuries in recent years. Still, other players emerged as quality regulars in 2022 as well, including Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers, Taylor Ward, and Luis Rengifo. Bounce-back seasons from any of Max Stassi, Jared Walsh, or David Fletcher would improve the club’s depth even more, to say nothing of the possibility that longtime top prospect Jo Adell finally lives up to his potential. Overall, there’s certainly reason to think this might finally be the year that Trout and Ohtani suit up together in the postseason, even though the club enters the season looking up at many of its division rivals in terms of playoff odds.

Texas Rangers (68-94 in 2022)

The Rangers had a second consecutive explosive offseason this winter as they completely transformed their big league rotation by adding Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, and Jake Odorizzi as starting options while retaining Martin Perez. The hitting corps stayed largely the same after Corey Seager and Marcus Semien joined the club last offseason, though Texas did add Robbie Grossman to their outfield mix and expects to get contributions from top prospect Josh Jung this year at third base.

With a solid bullpen that features Brock Burke, Jose LeClerc, and new addition Will Smith among its back-end options, the Rangers figure to be set up well in that regard. The lineup should be decent, if not awe-inspiring, as it Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis Garcia in addition to Seager and Semien, while Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim form an interesting duo behind the plate and Leody Taveras figures to contribute in center upon his return from an oblique strain later this year. The answer to just how far this Rangers club will be able to go surely lies in the health and production of the reconstructed rotation, which added the most dominant pitcher in baseball in deGrom and plenty of upside in Heaney and Eovaldi, though all three pitchers have struggled badly with injuries at various points throughout their careers. Should that front three remain healthy and effective, though, this Rangers team could certainly pitch its way into the postseason for the first time since 2016.

Oakland Athletics (60-102 in 2022)

The A’s were among the worst teams in baseball last season, and there’s little reason for fans in Oakland to have more optimism about the coming campaign. After sending Frankie Montas to the Yankees at the trade deadline last year, the A’s saw the departures of catcher Sean Murphy, starter Cole Irvin, and reliever A.J. Puk in trades this offseason while the club added young, unproven talent such as Esteury Ruiz, JJ Bleday, Kyle Muller, and Freddy Tarnok. Some quality players do remain on the roster, however, as the A’s have retained each of Ramon Laureano, Shea Langeliers, Paul Blackburn, Tony Kemp, and Seth Brown to this point.

Oakland also added a few veteran options in free agency during the offseason, picking up Jace Peterson, Aledmys Diaz, Jesus Aguiler, and Trevor May throughout the offseason. The highlight of the A’s offseason seems to be Shintaro Fujinami, who was posted to the MLB this offseason by the NPB’s Hanshin Tigers. Fujinami has tantalizing stuff, including a fastball that can touch over 100 mph, but has struggled with his control throughout his career. Even if the A’s are able to unlock Fujinami’s potential, however, it seems extremely unlikely that the club will be able to compete with the four clubs its looking up at in the AL West.

_______________________________

While the Astros, as the reigning champions of not only the AL West but MLB itself, appear to be the favorite entering the 2023 season, each of the Mariners, Angels, and Rangers have plausible paths to not only contention but, perhaps, even the AL West crown headed into 2023. Though the same can’t be said for the Athletics, a four-team division race is sure to bring about excitement in the division all throughout the year.

What do you think? Will the Astros recapture the AL West crown for the sixth straight full season? Will the Mariners take another step forward and win their first AL West title since 2001? Will the Angels or Rangers leapfrog their competitors after a big offseason? Or will the Athletics surprise the baseball world against all odds? Let us know in the poll below.

(poll link for app users)

Who Will Win The AL West In 2023

  • Astros 52% (4,348)
  • Mariners 24% (1,960)
  • Angels 12% (973)
  • Rangers 8% (636)
  • Athletics 5% (393)

Total votes: 8,310

AL Notes: Astros, Rizzo, Turner

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Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. began playing catch yesterday, and threw 30 times per reporters including the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome. In addition, Rome also notes that slugger Yordan Alvarez hit soft toss today as he builds toward game action after being delayed this spring by hand soreness.

These positive health updates are excellent news for the Astros. Alvarez is among the very best hitters in all of baseball, and any time missed by the slugger would surely be a massive blow to the Astros offense as they attempt to win a second straight World Series following their 2022 championship run. McCullers, meanwhile, is expected to begin the season on the injured list, but a swift return to action would be a major boon for Houston, which lacks much starting depth beyond unproven prospects and Brandon Bielak, who is currently slated for a long relief role in the big league bullpen.

More from around the American League…

  • Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters, including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, that first baseman Anthony Rizzo is dealing with a “cranky” back, though Rizzo is expected to return to game action Tuesday. Rizzo, who will play this season at age 33, has battled back injuries throughout his career and has had to sit more frequently in recent years to manage the ailment. He underwent an epidural last September due to the lingering issue, though it appears that procedure has not completely solved his struggles. Despite his occasional injury woes, Rizzo has been among the most consistent bats in the league for over a decade now, posting above average marks by measure of wRC+ in eleven straight seasons while playing at least 80% of his club’s games since the beginning of the 2013 season.
  • Justin Turner was among the bigger acquisitions for the Red Sox this offseason, and the veteran seems to be progressing well after getting hit in the face with a pitch last week. Turner told reporters, including MLB.com’s Ian Browne, that he had his stitches removed today and is set to return to baseball activities ahead of the schedule provided by manager Alex Cora this past Wednesday. Turner, 38, is expected to primarily play DH for the Red Sox when he returns to action, which Turner expects to be as soon as Opening Day. The longtime Dodgers was a late bloomer, having his breakout season at age 29 in Los Angeles, but since then has been a stable bat with a well above average OPS of .866 in 1,075 games since the start of the 2014 season.

Luis Andres Ortiz Soriano Passes Away

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The Orioles made a statement this morning announcing the passing of minor league pitcher Luis Andres Ortiz Soriano following a battle with cancer. Ortiz, just 20 years old, signed with the Orioles as an international free agent as part of the 2019 signing class. A left-handed pitcher, Ortiz made his professional debut in the Florida Complex League in 2021, where he appeared in seven games. He did not pitch during the 2022 season.

“Luis was an inspiration to all who knew him, especially as he courageously battled cancer.” the Orioles’s statement reads, “We hope that the cherished and treasured memories of Luis will be a comfort for his family and friends during this devastating time.”

Those of us here at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to Ortiz’s family, friends, and loved ones.

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