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Cubs, Andrew Chafin Agree To Major League Deal

By Connor Byrne | February 2, 2021 at 9:49pm CDT

9:49pm: Chafin will earn $2.25MM in 2021, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, who adds that the deal includes a $5.25MM mutual option or a $500K buyout for 2022. Chafin could also make up to $500K in incentives based on games pitched in each of the two seasons, bringing his total guarantee to $2.75MM.

9:31pm: The Cubs have agreed to a major league contract with left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin, according to Zach Buchanan of The Athletic. Chafin is a client of Meister Sports Management.

Chafin ended last year with the Cubs, who acquired him from the Diamondbacks for young infielder Ronny Simon at the Aug. 31 deadline. A left finger sprain limited Chafin in Chicago late in the season, though, as he didn’t make his debut with the team until Sept. 20. The 30-year-old ultimately gave the Cubs three innings of one-run ball, though his finger issues held him to just 9 2/3 frames between the two clubs.

Since he debuted with the Diamondbacks in 2014, Chafin has notched a 3.67 ERA/3.60 SIERA with roughly average strikeout and walk percentages (25.0 and 10.1) and a solid groundball rate of 52.3 percent in 274 2/3 innings. He could enter this season as the most proven southpaw in a Cubs bullpen that’s largely devoid of established options in that respect.

Orioles Re-Sign Wade LeBlanc To Minor League Contract

By Connor Byrne | February 2, 2021 at 8:42pm CDT

The Orioles have re-signed left-hander Wade LeBlanc to a minor league contract with an invitation to MLB camp, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets. LeBlanc will earn a $700K salary if he makes it to the majors this year.

The Orioles signed LeBlanc to a minors pact last offseason, and while he did ultimately earn a roster spot, he didn’t perform especially well or stay healthy. The journeyman ended up posting an 8.06 ERA/5.77 SIERA in 22 1/3 innings and six starts. LeBlanc’s season concluded near the end of August because of a stress fracture in his pitching elbow.

Although the soft-tossing LeBlanc wasn’t effective in 2020, Baltimore is still willing to take a low-risk chance on him again. The 36-year-old swingman does own a useful 4.55 ERA in 882 1/3 innings since he debuted in 2008, and the Orioles could use a veteran option – particularly if their potential Alex Cobb trade with the Angels goes through.

Robinson, Simmons Discuss Mental Health Issues

By Connor Byrne | February 2, 2021 at 8:20pm CDT

Giants outfielder Drew Robinson and Twins shortstop Andrelton Simmons revealed past mental health problems to Jeff Passan of ESPN and Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, respectively, this week. MLBTR encourages you to read both stories in full.

Robinson, then set to enter his first season in the San Francisco organization, told Passan that he attempted suicide with a handgun last April. Still alive 20 hours later, Robinson decided he wanted to live. While Passan writes that the shot did leave Robinson’s right eye “beyond repair,” Passan explains that doctors marvel that it didn’t do even more damage. Robinson has since undergone four surgeries and received a prosthetic eye.

“It represents my new look on life,” Robinson told Passan. “Even though I have one less eye, I haven’t seen things this clear my entire life.”

Neither Robinson nor the Giants have given up on his major league career. The Giants re-signed Robinson to a minors deal during the fall, and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told Passan, “We’re proud he’s a Giant, and we’re excited to see him compete for a job in camp.”

Simmons, previously an Angel who signed with the Twins last week, opted out of the final week of the 2020 season. He explained to Fletcher that concern over his mental health caused the decision.

“It was tough for me mentally to where the thought of suicide crossed my mind,” Simmons wrote to Fletcher. “It was something I vowed a long time ago I would never consider again. I was fortunate to talk to a therapist, which helped me let go of those thoughts. At the end when a lot of people were still going through what most would think of as tough times, the idea of finishing the season in a bubble was too much for me to handle.”

MLBTR salutes Robinson and Simmons for sharing their stories, and we wish the best to those two and all who have dealt with or are currently battling mental health problems. We also encourage those with suicidal thoughts to seek help by contacting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or by texting TALK to 741741.

Yankees, Kyle Barraclough Agree To Minor League Deal

By Connor Byrne | February 2, 2021 at 6:23pm CDT

The Yankees have agreed to a minor league deal with free-agent right-hander Kyle Barraclough, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets. The contract includes an invitation to major league spring training.

In Barraclough, the Yankees are adding a hard-throwing 30-year-old who overcame control problems to prevent runs at a strong clip as part of the Marlins’ bullpen earlier in his career. Barraclough amassed 163 innings of 2.87 ERA ball from 2015-17, during which he logged a 31.7 percent strikeout rate against a 14.5 percent walk rate and averaged upward of 95 mph on his fastball.

Barraclough’s production declined during the next two seasons after his successful stretch, especially in a 2019 divided between the Nationals and Giants. He could only muster a 5.61 ERA in 33 2/3 innings that year, when his average heater dropped to 93.5 mph and his strikeout percentage hit a career-low 24.4. After the Giants cut ties with him, Barraclough signed a minors deal with the Padres last winter, but he elected free agency before the season started and didn’t catch on elsewhere.

Rangers Sign Spencer Patton To Minor League Deal

By Connor Byrne | February 2, 2021 at 3:18pm CDT

The Rangers have signed right-hander Spencer Patton to a minor league contract, the team announced. The deal includes an invitation to major league spring training.

This will be the second Rangers stint for Patton, who pitched with the organization from 2014-15. Patton was most recently in the majors in 2016 as a member of the Cubs. In all, he has pitched to a 6.26 ERA/3.89 SIERA with a 23.7 percent strikeout rate and an 11.4 percent walk rate in 54 2/3 innings at the sport’s highest level.

After struggling in the bigs, Patton went to Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, where he spent the previous four seasons with the Yokohama BayStars. The 32-year-old put up a 3.68 ERA across 205 2/3 innings in Japan, and though he managed a much less impressive 4.92 mark in 2020, he did lead his league with 57 appearances. Patton then garnered interest from various MLB and NPB teams before choosing to return to the Rangers.

Free Agent Notes: Braun, Shreve, Kintzler, Marlins, Rondon

By Mark Polishuk | February 2, 2021 at 3:00pm CDT

The Brewers continue to remain in touch with Ryan Braun, but GM David Stearns told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy (Twitter links) that there isn’t much new to report about the possibility of a reunion between the two sides. Braun hit free agency for the first time in his career after the Brew Crew declined their half of a $14MM option on his services for 2021, on the heels of an injury-hampered season that saw Braun hit .233/.281/.488 over 141 plate appearances.

After starting 15 games as a designated hitter last season, it’s quite possible Braun’s chances of a return to Milwaukee could hinge on whether or not the universal DH is a part of the 2021 season. Stearns gave no specifics on this front, other than to say that his team is making preparations to play either with or without a DH in the lineup. While Braun is entering his age-37 season and doesn’t exactly fit the Brewers’ preferred model of multi-positional players, his 14-year tenure as the face of the franchise could create some room for a return — perhaps for just a final season, as Braun has weighed the idea of retirement but also said he wants to play another year.

Angels Suspend Pitching Coach Mickey Callaway After Accusations Of Lewd Behavior

By Connor Byrne | February 2, 2021 at 2:36pm CDT

TODAY: The Angels announced that Callaway has been suspended. According to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, Callaway “has denied any wrongdoing,” thus preventing him from being fired without an investigation.

FEB. 1: Five women in sports media have accused Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway of lewd behavior, Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic report. Callaway “aggressively pursued” these women over the span of at least a half-decade and was part of three different organizations during that time.

The 45-year-old Callaway is accused of sending three women inappropriate photographs and requesting naked photos in return from one of them, per Ghiroli and Strang. He’s also accused of making them uncomfortable in other ways, including thrusting his crotch in a reporter’s face while she interviewed him and telling another woman he’d provide information about the Mets if she got drunk with him.

Callaway’s alleged behavior has apparently been well-known in some corners of baseball, as one of the accusers told Ghiroli and Strang, “It was the worst-kept secret in sports.”

Callaway responded to The Athletic in an email, writing: “Rather than rush to respond to these general allegations of which I have just been made aware, I look forward to an opportunity to provide more specific responses. Any relationship in which I was engaged has been consensual, and my conduct was in no way intended to be disrespectful to any women involved. I am married and my wife has been made aware of these general allegations.”

The Angels issued their own response to the story.

“The behavior being reported violates the Angels Organization’s values and policies,” the team said. “We take this very seriously and will conduct a full investigation with MLB.”

Callaway is entering his second season as the Angels’ pitching coach, but he may not retain the position (the Mets fired GM Jared Porter last month after he was accused of sexual harassment). Before joining the Angels, Callaway served as the Indians’ pitching coach from 2013-17 and the Mets’ manager between 2018-19.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Steve Adams | February 2, 2021 at 2:07pm CDT

Click here to read a transcript of Tuesday’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.

Phillies, Red Sox Interested In Marwin Gonzalez

By Mark Polishuk | February 2, 2021 at 1:34pm CDT

Utilityman Marwin Gonzalez is garnering interest from at least six teams, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (Twitter link). The Red Sox have been linked to Gonzalez in recent weeks and continue to be involved in his market, Feinsand writes, while NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury (via Twitter) reports that the Phillies are also interested in Gonzalez’s services.

Gonzalez has been roughly a league-average hitter over the last seven seasons with the Astros and Twins, with two exceptions — his .907 OPS outburst over 515 plate appearances for Houston’s World Series team in 2017, and his dismal .211/.286/.320 slash line over 199 PA with Minnesota last season. Gonzalez’s hard-contact numbers weren’t impressive in 2020, but his .241 BABIP indicates that there was perhaps a bit of misfortune at play, not to mention the overall unusual nature of the 2020 season adding uncertainty to stats.

Should Gonzalez get back to his usual level of production, his switch-hitting and ability to play multiple positions could make him a fit on many teams, Boston and Philadelphia included. The Red Sox are known to be looking for a left-handed bat to augment their largely right-handed projected roster, while the Phillies are in need of bench depth and could also use a more proven bat that can hit from the left side of the plate.

The Tigers and Twins have also reportedly shown interest in Gonzalez at various points this offseason, though it isn’t known if either team is still considering the 31-year-old. Of the known suitors, Detroit can offer Gonzalez the most playing time and even an everyday role considering the lack of depth on the Tigers’ roster, though Gonzalez might prefer to play for a team closer to contending in 2021.

Padres Extend A.J. Preller

By Mark Polishuk | February 2, 2021 at 12:57pm CDT

The Padres have extended general manager A.J. Preller through the 2026 season and given him the title of president of baseball operations, the team announced. President of business operations Erik Greupner has also been given a promotion to Chief Executive Officer and a similar contract extension through 2026.

“Erik and A.J. have earned their promotions by assembling strong business and baseball operations groups within our organization while working together towards our singular goal of winning a World Series championship,” Padres owner Peter Seidler said as part of a statement released by the team. “Erik is a steady hand and multi-talented leader, and he has been the driving force behind our innovative business growth in a continuously evolving sports landscape. A.J. has skillfully built both a playoff-caliber Major League club and a top tier minor league system. I look forward to working with Erik and A.J. towards an exciting future for our deserving and extraordinarily supportive fans.”

This is the second contract extension signed by Preller since he was originally hired by the team in August 2014, and his previous deal was set to expire after the 2022 season. Clearly the Padres wanted to act quickly in committing to an executive who, despite a lot of ups and downs, now seems to have positioned San Diego to contend for the better part of the coming decade.

Preller’s first offseason in charge of the Padres saw the team load up on established veterans, an aggressive strategy that backfired with another losing season in 2015 and, eventually, led to another rebuild. Preller spent the next few seasons overseeing the development of arguably baseball’s minor league system, setting the groundwork for a multi-year effort to again obtain star players in various trades, while also hanging onto many of the most highly-regarded members of this farm system. Combine this with Padres ownership’s willingness to break the bank on expensive free agent signings like Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer, and the Padres have suddenly amassed a very deep and talented roster intent on overthrowing the Dodgers atop the NL West and finally bringing San Diego its first World Series title.

It has been quite a turn-around for Preller considering that he was reportedly close to being fired back in 2016 after a 30-day suspension issued by Major League Baseball. Preller was punished for failing to disclose medical information about Drew Pomeranz when the Padres dealt him to the Red Sox for prospect Anderson Espinoza, and multiple other teams also spoke to the league about similar alleged actions in other Padres trades.

2020 was the Padres’ first winning season of Preller’s tenure, as the team went 37-23 in the regular season and defeated the Cardinals in the Wild Card Series before falling to the Dodgers in the NLDS. With a playoff berth finally under his belt, Preller was again aggressive this winter, adding Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, and Joe Musgrove in newsworthy trades, re-signing Jurickson Profar to a three-year deal, and signing Korean star Ha-Seong Kim to a free agent contract.

The addition of the president of baseball operations title doesn’t materially change Preller’s duties, as he was already the team’s top front office decision-maker. Teams use various designations (whether president of baseball ops, chief baseball officer, senior VP, general manager, etc.) for the person in charge of their baseball operations department, though the new title just cements Preller’s position and perhaps keeps other teams from trying to lure him away in the future with offers of a promtion.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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