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Phillies Sign Chase Anderson

By Steve Adams | February 8, 2021 at 3:03pm CDT

FEB. 8: The Phillies have announced the signing.

FEB. 3, 9:55am: Anderson will be guaranteed $4MM, tweets Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

9:40am: It’s a one-year, Major League deal for Anderson, MLBTR has learned.

9:10am: The Phillies are in agreement on a contract with free-agent righty Chase Anderson, reports Fansided’s Robert Murray (via Twitter). The Hub Sports Management client will join a growing stockpile of experienced arms vying for innings at the back of the Philadelphia rotation. His deal is pending the completion of a physical.

Anderson, 33, spent the 2020 season with the Blue Jays but missed the beginning of the shortened season by an oblique strain. He returned and pitched well in August before scuffling through a rough month in September. Overall, he totaled just 33 2/3 innings with a 7.22 ERA.

That unsightly mark notwithstanding, there are plenty of reasons to expect that the Anderson pickup could be a worthwhile, low-cost investment. From 2014-19, Anderson was a durable source of average or better innings, pitching to a 3.94 ERA and 4.43 SIERA over the life of 857 frames between the D-backs and the Brewers. Anderson’s only IL stints in that time were a minimum stay for triceps tightness in 2015 and then brief absences due to an oblique strain and a laceration on his finger. His arm held up nicely in the rotation both in Arizona and Milwaukee, and even last year’s absence had nothing to do with his elbow or shoulder.

Digging a bit deeper into his 2020 work, there’s cause for optimism there as well. Anderson decreased the use of his four-seamer in favor of more cutters and changeups, and the results were encouraging in some regards. He posted a career-high 24.7 percent strikeout rate that checked in above the league average, and his 6.5 percent walk rate was an improvement over his Brewers days, coming in well south of the league average. Anderson was plagued by a .362 average on balls in play and a home-run rate so lofty that positive regression is nearly inevitable (2.94 HR/9).

Anderson has been somewhat homer-prone throughout his career, but there’s little reason to expect such pronounced struggles to continue. Fielding-independent metrics that normalize home-run rate, such as xFIP (4.09) and SIERA (4.01), were quite a bit more bullish on him than his baseline ERA.

Anderson will join lefty Matt Moore on the big league roster as a cost-effective option at the back of the rotation behind top starters Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Zach Eflin. His addition could allow the Phillies to give top prospect Spencer Howard more time in Triple-A and to move Vince Velasquez to the bullpen, but it’s likely that each of Moore, Anderson, Howard and Velasquez will start games for the Phils in 2021. Teams are going to be more cautious than ever with workloads after last year’s shortened slate of games, so having multiple starting options is of increased importance. The Phils have also added Ivan Nova and Bryan Mitchell on minor league pacts.

Angels Sign Shohei Ohtani To Two-Year Extension, Avoid Arbitration

By Mark Polishuk | February 8, 2021 at 2:44pm CDT

The Angels have announced a two-year, $8.5MM contract extension with pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani. The deal will keep the two sides from an arbitration hearing, after they failed to reach an agreement on Ohtani’s 2021 salary prior to the arb deadline. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (Twitter link) reports that Ohtani will earn $3MM in 2021 and $5.5MM in 2022.

The agreement wraps up the Angels’ final outstanding arbitration-eligible case for the 2020-21 offseason, and also sidesteps that may have been one of the more unusual arb hearings of all time. Ohtani and his camp were looking for $3.3MM in his first trip through the arbitration process, while Los Angeles countered with a $2.5MM figure. Given Ohtani’s unique two-way status, the injuries that have limited him on the mound over the last two seasons, and his down year the plate in 2020, an arbiter would have had plenty to weigh in determining Ohtani’s salary considering the lack of precedent.

Teams using the “file and trial” approach to arbitration cases usually don’t negotiate past the initial deadline unless a multi-year deal is being discussed. The two-year contract will give the Angels some cost certainty while also giving Ohtani $8MM in guaranteed money, and an opportunity at another arbitration raise for his third and final year of arb eligibility in 2023. (Assuming, of course, that Ohtani and the Angels don’t work out a longer-term deal before then that would extend the Halos’ team control over his services.)

After arriving in Major League Baseball with great fanfare during the 2017-18 offseason, Ohtani is still something of a question mark through three seasons, but he has also shown signs of why he was such a sought-after player. He captured AL Rookie Of The Year honors after hitting .285/.361/.564 with 22 homers over 367 plate appearances while also posting a 3.31 ERA and an outstanding 29.9 strikeout percentage and 19.4K-BB% over 51 2/3 innings on the mound.

Since that incredible debut, however, Ohtani has pitched only 1 2/3 MLB innings. The right-hander didn’t pitch at all in 2019 due to Tommy John surgery, and then a flexor strain shut down his 2020 pitching endeavors after just two outings — Ohtani crushed for seven runs over those 1 2/3 frames. Ohtani was still able to serve as a DH in 2019 and hit a very solid .286/.343/.505 over 425 PA, but then struggled to a .190/.291/.366 slash line in 175 PA this past season.

Ohtani made no excuses for his 2020 performance, describing his play as “pathetic” during a Kyodo News interview back in November. He is expected to be healthy for Spring Training, however, and Ohtani is intent on re-establishing himself as a two-way threat. Help on either front would be eagerly welcomed by an Angels team that has designs on finally getting back into contention in 2021, but a rebound from Ohtani as a pitcher would be particularly helpful considering how Anaheim has long looked for a front-of-the-rotation ace. The Halos acquired Jose Quintana and Alex Cobb this offseason to help beef up a six-man pitching staff, as Ohtani is again expected to pitch only one day per week.

League Notes: Baseball Design, Spring Training

By Mark Polishuk and TC Zencka | February 8, 2021 at 2:05pm CDT

Some changes are coming to Major League Baseball in the form of an altered Spring Training schedule and a slightly different baseball. The latter may have the bigger impact on the season as a whole, as The Athletic’s Eno Sarris and Ken Rosenthal (subscription required) report that the league has sent a memo to teams outlining some changes made to the Rawlings baseballs that will be in use during the 2021 campaign.

The new ball will be reduced in weight by under one-tenth of an ounce, and will also be slightly less bouncy (as determined by the coefficient of restitution, or COR). While the end result of these changes won’t be entirely known until we see the baseball in action during the season, the changes seem to have been made in order to “increase consistency in the ball” and also deaden it to some extent. An independent lab cited in the league memo detailed a reduction by one or two feet of distance on fly balls hit beyond 375 feet, and an analyst who spoke with Sarris and Rosenthal believes “it’ll be like adding five feet of outfield walls to every wall in the big leagues.” The analyst believes an overall five percent reduction in home runs is possible, though it isn’t yet known how the newer ball will be affected by drag.

Home run totals have soared over the last few seasons, which has led to criticism in both fan and league circles that the sport is becoming too homer-heavy and strikeout-heavy at the expense of more traditional and action-oriented station-to-station baseball. If the new ball is indeed successful at reducing home runs, Sarris and Rosenthal write that there is some risk “that it will leave the game with all those swings and misses and fewer big flies,” but it should also be noted that pitchers will surely also have to make some adjustments to how they grip and throw a slightly lighter ball.

In a more clearer attempt to deaden the ball, five more teams will join the Diamondbacks, Mariners, Rockies, Red Sox, and Mets in storing baseballs in a humidor prior to the game. The addition of a humidor at Chase Field prior to the 2018 season led to a noteworthy dropoff in the Diamondbacks’ homer totals, and it is still too early to really gauge the impact for the Mets, Sox, and Mariners since their humidors were only in place for the anomalous 2020 season.

The changes to Spring Training will be more immediately visible, given how camps are set to open in a little over a week. The 15 teams in the Grapefruit League will be split into pods in western or eastern Florida, according to Rosenthal and The Athletic’s Matt Gelb (via Twitter). The plan is for the “East” teams to play 24 games against each other and then four intra-squad games, while teams on the “West” side of the equation would play a 28-game schedule against each other. This would seem to imply that the 15 teams will be split into three pods of five teams, which also makes geographical sense since only five Grapefruit League teams (the Marlins, Mets, Cardinals, Astros, and Nationals) are based in Eastern Florida.

It isn’t yet known if a similar strategy will be planned for the Cactus League. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter links) reports that split-squad games are being eliminated, so the schedule will be reduced to some extent. The league and the players’ union are aiming to have health and safety protocols for Spring Training arranged by tomorrow, and more specifics could be revealed at that point. Since some tickets for previously-scheduled Grapefruit League games had already been sold, Rosenthal tweets that teams will individually handle those situations.

Yoshihisa Hirano Signs With NPB’s Orix Buffaloes

By Mark Polishuk | February 8, 2021 at 12:12pm CDT

Yoshihisa Hirano is heading back to Nippon Professional Baseball, as the Orix Buffaloes announced that the right-hander has signed a one-year deal. According to The Mainichi and other news outlets, Hirano will earn approximately $1.4MM, plus the contract also contains incentive bonuses.

Hirano (who turns 37 in March) rose to prominence over 11 seasons with the Buffaloes from 2006-17, posting a 3.10 ERA, 22.09 strikeout percentage, and 5.7 walk percentage over 974 2/3 innings. After transitioning into relief pitching in 2009, Hirano became one of NPB’s top closers, racking up 156 saves during his previous stint in a Buffaloes uniform.

Hirano came to North America after signing a two-year, $6MM deal with the Diamondbacks in the 2017-18 offseason. The transition was initially smooth, as Hirano posted a 2.44 ERA over 66 1/3 innings out of Arizona’s bullpen and finished sixth in NL Rookie Of The Year voting in 2018. Some elbow problems hampered Hirano in 2019, however, and after signing a free agent deal with the Mariners last winter, his arrival to Seattle’s Summer Camp was delayed by a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.

All told, Hirano delivered a 3.69 ERA over 131 2/3 innings in the Show — not bad results for a pitcher who lacked a big fastball, and posted only a middle-of-the pack 23.5K% and 14K-BB%. Hirano induced a lot of soft contact from hitters and had a 47.3% grounder rate over his MLB career, though home runs became an increasingly larger issue for the righty.

Reds, Sean Doolittle Agree To Deal

By Steve Adams | February 8, 2021 at 10:05am CDT

FEB 8: Doolittle has officially signed with the Reds, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (via Twitter).

FEB 2: The Reds are moving toward an agreement with free-agent reliever Sean Doolittle, according to C. Trent Rosecrans and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link). The two sides are in agreement on a one-year deal for the 2021 season, reports MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter). Doolittle’s deal is worth $1.5MM in guaranteed money, according to Jon Morosi, plus performance bonuses.

Doolittle, 34, has spent the past three and a half seasons with the Nationals, leading the team with 75 saves over that stretch. Along the way, he’s pitched to a 3.03 ERA and 3.40 SIERA with very strong strikeout and walk rates: 28.2 percent and 5.7 percent, respectively.

The 2020 season didn’t go well for Doolittle, as he was hampered by both a knee injury and an oblique strain. That pair of injuries combined to limit Doolittle to just 7 2/3 innings, during which time he yielded five earned runs on nine hits and four walks (two intentional) with six punchouts. His average fastball velocity dropped from 93.5 mph in 2019 to 90.7 mph in 2020.

While it was an ugly year for the lefty, Doolittle is still a two-time All-Star with a lengthy track record of success. A converted first baseman, Doolittle made debuted on the mound with the A’s in 2012 and went on to log 398 innings with a composite 3.02 ERA and 2.71 SIERA through the end of the 2019 season.

Doolittle played an integral role in the Nationals’ World Series run that year, standing out as one of the few members of the bullpen that manager Dave Martinez trusted in high-leverage spots. Doolittle pitched 10 1/3 innings in the 2019 playoffs, allowing just two runs on six hits and a walk with eight strikeouts. He held the Astros scoreless in three innings of work during the World Series.

If a deal ultimately comes together, Doolittle would provide the Reds with some badly needed left-handed help in the bullpen. It’s possible that he could be in the mix for saves in Cincinnati, given his track record, but he’ll more importantly give manager David Bell a second southpaw alongside Amir Garrett (another closer candidate). Doolittle and Garrett would be the only two left-handed locks for the bullpen, though recently acquired Cionel Perez could be a third option if they opt to use him out of the ’pen rather than as a starter. The Reds will also have Josh Osich and Jesse Biddle in camp this spring, but they’re on minor league deals and would need to earn a spot on the 40-man roster.

More broadly, a deal with Doolittle would be the first Major League addition to the Reds’ roster all winter. The club technically added right-hander Noe Ramirez as well, but they only did so in the trade that more or less dumped former closer Raisel Iglesias’ $9.125MM salary on the Angels. The Reds have also non-tendered Archie Bradley and Curt Casali in somewhat surprising fashion.

General manager Nick Krall has spoken of reallocating the savings from that series of subtractions, although the prevailing wisdom until recently had been that the Reds would try to do so at the shortstop position. Top free agents Ha-Seong Kim, Marcus Semien, Andrelton Simmons and Didi Gregorius all signed elsewhere, however, leaving the free-agent market without a clear, starting-caliber option at the position. The Reds could still look to the trade market for an option at short, but it seems that with the top names at that position off the market, they’ll at least spend a bit cash to address other areas of need.

Quick Hits: Mets, Bauer, KBO, Yang

By TC Zencka | February 8, 2021 at 9:00am CDT

In perhaps the least surprising “upset” of all-time, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became Super Bowl Champions last night. With the NFL season wrapped, we’re that much closer to baseball season. Here’s the latest from around the game…

Mets Team President Sandy Alderson has never gotten as far along in negotiations with a free agent as he was with Trevor Bauer without consummating a deal, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Simply put: the Mets thought Bauer would be a New York Met. No term sheet was signed, however, and Bauer signed instead with the Dodgers. It was a tough few hours for the Mets, who went from believing they’d added the best free agent pitcher on the market one minute to not only losing Bauer, but seeing Marcell Ozuna re-sign with their division rival, all in the span of a few hours. On the one hand, the Mets would seem to have $40MM burning a whole in their pocket, leaving room for another significant addition. At the same time, there’s not another top free agent available that would warrant close to that kind of financial commitment.
MLB checked on the status of KBO free agent Yang Hyeon-jon, per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News (via Twitter). Basically, Yoo explains, this means that there’s at least one team that has expressed interest in signing Yang. Looking ahead to his age-33 season, Yang has spent his entire career with the Kia Tigers of the KBO. The southpaw had a bit of a down year in 2020, 5.17 ERA across 172 1/3 innings with a 20.0 percent strikeout rate and 8.6 percent walk rate. With a 3.83 career ERA across 14 seasons, Yang could certainly be viewed as a rotation candidate, though he has made 101 career appearances out of the pen as well.

Pedro Gomez Passes Away

By TC Zencka | February 8, 2021 at 8:27am CDT

The baseball community mourns the sudden passing of ESPN Reporter Pedro Gomez this morning. Gomez unexpectedly passed away at his home yesterday at the age of 58. Teams, players and reporters from all around the game have taken to social media to share their memories of the beloved journalist. MLB and the MLBPA joined the community in expressing their sadness over the loss, while ESPN shared the news of his passing with this tribute.

ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro released a statement, saying, “We are shocked and saddened to learn that our friend and colleague Pedro Gomez has passed away. Pedro was an elite journalist at the highest level and his professional accomplishments are universally recognized. More importantly, Pedro was a kind, dear friend to us all. Our hearts are with Pedro’s family and all who love him at this extraordinarily difficult time.”

Gomez’s lasting impact on the game could not be clearer than in the tremendous outpouring of support over the last few hours. Gomez leaves behind a wife and three children, one of whom is currently a pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization. Everyone at MLBTR would like to share our condolences with Pedro’s friends and family. He will be missed.

NL Central Notes: Turner, Wong, Doolittle, Flaherty

By Mark Polishuk | February 7, 2021 at 10:06pm CDT

The Brewers were known to be one of the teams linked to Justin Turner’s market, and Milwaukee still has interest in Turner even after signing Kolten Wong, FanSided’s Robert Murray tweets. A deal with Turner may be something of a longshot at this point, as Murray notes that the Dodgers are still considered the favorites for the third baseman, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes that the Brewers are just “on the periphery of the bidding for Turner.”

Still, the Brew Crew might see an opportunity to strike given the overall lack of action by NL Central teams this winter. Milwaukee has a projected payroll of just under $92MM for the coming season, and signing Turner for something in the ballpark of a $13MM average annual value wouldn’t put the Brewers far beyond the $102MM they were projected to spend last season prior to the prorated salary reductions for the 60-game schedule. If necessary, president of baseball operations David Stearns could also look to swing some trades to create a bit of extra payroll space either before or during the season. While some creativity may be required, it isn’t as far-fetched as it may seem that the Brewers could still pry Turner away from more free-spending suitors like the Dodgers or Blue Jays.

Who Will Be The Last Top-50 Free Agent To Sign?

By Mark Polishuk | February 7, 2021 at 7:54pm CDT

After a slow start, the 2020-21 free agent market finally sprung to life over the last few weeks. The result is a lot of red ink (i.e. signing details) on MLBTR’s list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, with only ten of the players that original list remaining without a contract for the 2021 season or beyond.

With less than two weeks to go before Spring Training camps are scheduled to open, the question has gone from “when will anyone sign?” to “who is left to be signed?” There are still plenty of prominent names remaining, including multiple former All-Stars, Gold Glovers, a Cy Young Award winner, and former World Series champions — including a very prominent member of the defending champion Dodgers.

Any of these players could sign at any time, of course, but it’s possible Yadier Molina could be back with the Cardinals very soon, given the reports of an agreement that could be made official now that the Caribbean Series is over. Justin Turner may also be down to a choice between four teams, and Jackie Bradley Jr. still has interest from a reported half-dozen teams.

With Trevor Bauer now a Dodger, interest seems to be picking up for starting pitchers like Jake Odorizzi, James Paxton, and Taijuan Walker. That could, in turn, spark some offers further down the ladder for veteran hurlers like Rick Porcello or Cole Hamels, as there hasn’t been much public buzz about either pitcher this winter.

On the bullpen front, Trevor Rosenthal has gotten interest from a few teams this winter, though several of his known suitors have since moved on to other late-game options. However, the “no such thing as too much pitching” mantra would certainly seem to apply to relievers as well heading into a 2021 season that may see several starters on innings limits as they rebuild arm strength. That would imply that the likes of Rosenthal and Mark Melancon could still be of interest to teams who already have a closer in place, in an effort to create a super-bullpen.

To add a couple more names to the mix, this poll also includes Brett Gardner and Brad Miller, who were honorable mentions on the original Top 50 list. They were bumped up to the 50-player slate for MLBTR’s free agent prediction contest after Marcus Stroman and Kevin Gausman made early exits from the market by accepting qualifying offers.

Of these twelve, who is your pick as the last free agent standing? (poll link for app users)

Blue Jays Interested In Marwin Gonzalez

By Mark Polishuk | February 7, 2021 at 6:06pm CDT

Marwin Gonzalez’s list of known suitors continues to grow, as Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi (via Twitter) reports that the Blue Jays have interest in the utilityman. The exact level of interest isn’t known, as Davidi notes that Toronto could be taking only a due-diligence look at a notable free agent who is still on the market this late in the offseason, though the Blue Jays have been interested in Gonzalez in the past.

While the Blue Jays’ infield trio of Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette, and Cavan Biggio all carry some level of multi-positional versatility, Santiago Espinal and Richard Urena are the top current options for the backup infield role, so Gonzalez would provide a veteran upgrade. Gonzalez is also a switch-hitter, adding left-handed depth to the mostly right-handed hitting Jays roster.

Of course, Gonzalez hasn’t been particularly effective as a left-handed batter in any of the last three seasons — or against righties either during a tough 2020 season. The 31-year-old hit only .211/.286/.320 over 199 total plate appearances with the Twins last year, and might be best positioned as a bench piece rather than as a player who could be counted on for a platoon role or semi-regular usage at multiple positions. Gonzalez’s calling card is versatility, as he has clocked lots of playing time at all four infield spots and the two corner outfield positions over his nine MLB seasons.

Toronto joins the Red Sox, Phillies, Twins, Mets, and Tigers as teams linked to Gonzalez over the course of the winter. This group could possibly comprise the half-dozen teams MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand recently reported as looking at Gonzalez, unless one of these clubs has since moved on, or if a mystery team is also in the mix.

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