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Yankees Have Resumed Discussions With Brett Gardner

By Steve Adams | January 25, 2021 at 9:50am CDT

The Yankees recently “rekindled” their discussions about a reunion with outfielder Brett Gardner, per Jack Curry of the YES Network (Twitter link), who adds that he expects a deal to eventually be reached. ESPN’s Buster Olney noted last week that the Yankees still hoped to bring Gardner back.

New York still hasn’t formally announced DJ LeMahieu’s reported six-year, $90MM contract, but between that signing, Corey Kluber’s $11MM agreement (also not yet formally announced) and this weekend’s acquisition of right-hander Jameson Taillon, the Yanks are quite close to the $210MM luxury tax barrier. A reunion with Gardner probably wouldn’t cost more than a few million dollars, however, and the club seems likely to be able to find a way to stay south of the threshold if that indeed remains an ownership goal.

The 37-year-old Gardner has spent his entire 13-year Major League career with the Yankees. In 2020, he put together a .223/.354/.392 batting line. That .223 mark was a career-low batting average, due in part to a career-high 22.2 percent strikeout rate, but Gardner’s results in last year’s short sample weren’t all bad. His 16.5 percent walk rate was a career-high by a wide margin, and Statcast also credited Gardner with career-best marks in hard-hit rate (36.5 percent), average exit velocity (89.2 mph) and barreled balls (5.2 percent). Gardner’s 76 percent contact rate was the lowest of his career, but he also chased pitches outside the strike zone at his lowest rate since 2010 and, as a result, made better contact when he did put the the bat on the ball.

The Yankees’ outfield figures to be filled on a regular basis by Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks and Clint Frazier, with primary designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton cycling into the corners at times as well. New York has lefty-hitting Mike Tauchman on the 40-man roster as well, and he’s out of minor league options, so he’ll need to break the Opening Day roster or else be designated for assignment or traded elsewhere. Taucman, though, hit .242/.342/.305 in 111 plate appearances last year, showing none of the pop he displayed in a breakout 2019 campaign.

Yankees Acquire Jameson Taillon

By Mark Polishuk | January 24, 2021 at 10:58pm CDT

12:49PM: The trade has been officially announced by both teams.

11:35AM: The Yankees have worked out a deal to acquire right-hander Jameson Taillon, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. The Pirates will receive four prospects in return. ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan (Twitter link) reports that the minor leaguers in question are right-handers Miguel Yajure and Roansy Contreras, infielder Maikol Escotto and outfielder Canaan Smith.

Multiple reports broke yesterday that a Taillon trade was nearing completion, with the Yankees emerging as the favorites to land the 29-year-old. According to Mackey, “at least three clubs” submitted offers for Taillon, but it was indeed New York who eventually landed the right-hander.

Taillon joins a Yankees rotation that is headlined by Gerrit Cole, and otherwise has a lot of upside but an equal number of question marks. Corey Kluber has two AL Cy Young Awards on his resume but also has barely pitched in two seasons due to injuries, Luis Severino won’t return from Tommy John surgery rehab until midseason, Domingo German didn’t pitch in 2020 due to a domestic violence suspension, and the likes of Jordan Montgomery, Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt or Michael King are lacking in MLB experience.

Taillon is himself not exactly a sure thing, as he didn’t pitch in 2020 (and threw only 37 1/3 innings in 2019) due to Tommy John surgery. This was the second TJ procedure of Taillon’s career, following an earlier surgery during his days as a star prospect in Pittsburgh’s farm system. While there is risk involved in the acquisition, the Yankees are betting that Taillon is healthy and can match or surpass the form he has showed over his 466 career innings.

Drafted second overall in 2010, Taillon has posted a 3.67 ERA, 21.5K%, and 15.5K-BB% over his Major League career. While not a big strikeout pitcher, Taillon has a mid-90’s fastball, strong control, the ability to keep the ball on the ground (career 48.2% grounder rate) and does a good job of limiting hard contact.

The other important numbers from the Yankees’ perspective were two (as in the number of years of team control remaining over Taillon) and $2.25MM, which is what Taillon is set to earn in 2021. The Yankees are known to be looking to stay under the $210MM luxury tax threshold and reset their tax penalties to zero, so there is added value for the team in acquiring a potential No. 3 or even a No. 2 starter at such a low financial cost. According to Roster Resource’s projection, the Yankees are now less than a million dollars under the $210MM mark, so some creativity will be required if the team is going to make any more additions.

Contreras and Yajure were also both on the 40-man roster, so the Yankees have now opened spots up for Taillon and for one of Kluber or DJ LeMahieu, whose signings have yet to be officially announced by the team.

For the Pirates, this is the latest big move of a rebuild that has already seen Joe Musgrove and Josh Bell dealt in respective trades with the Padres and Nationals this winter. There was no pressing payroll concern surrounding Taillon, but since the Bucs look to be more than two years away from contending, it made sense for the team to shop the righty now rather than risk an injury setback or poor performance from Taillon during the season.

For Musgrove, Bell, and now Taillon, the Pirates have added 11 young players to their organization via the three trades. Similar to the Musgrove deal with San Diego, Pittsburgh received a larger package of prospects rather than a singular blue-chip talent, but it would be incorrect to say that the Pirates opted for quantity over quality. Yajure (#15), Contreras (#19) and Smith (#21) were all ranked on MLB.com’s list of the top 30 prospects in the New York farm system.

Yajure made his Major League debut in 2020, posting a 1.29 ERA over seven relief innings while recording eight strikeouts and five walks. Control wasn’t really a problem for Yajure over his minor league career, with only a 5.9BB% to go along with a 2.47 ERA and 20.8K% over 291 2/3 innings. The 22-year-old also had a knack for keeping the ball in the park, with only 10 homers allowed during his minor league career.

Yajure started 54 of 61 minor league outings, and MLB Pipeline’s scouting report says he “has a high floor as a likely No. 4 or 5 starter.” He could be a candidate for action in the Pirates’ rotation this season, but since he has yet to pitch at the Triple-A level, Yajure will probably begin the year in the minors.

Contreras, 21, was a product of the 2016 international draft class and has yet to pitch beyond the A-ball level, but he has a 3.25 ERA over 249 1/3 innings, starting 47 of 50 games. There is some doubt as to whether or not Contreras will stick as a starter or be moved to the bullpen, according to MLB Pipeline, since he doesn’t record many strikeouts (20.1K%) and is “a flyball pitcher without much life on his fastball.” Both his fastball and changeup receive a 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale, however, and his fastball averages in the 92-95mph range with some quality spin rate.

Smith was a fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft, and the 21-year-old has already shown an aptitude for getting on base. Smith has hit .280/.389/.426 over 936 plate appearances in his young career, reaching as high as the A-ball level in 2019. His left-handed swing doesn’t have much loft, as per Pipeline, but his slugging percentage did jump upwards to .465 in 2019. Smith has played mostly left field and is an average defender overall, and he has shown good skill as a baserunner in stealing 21 bases in 28 chances despite average speed.

An international signing out of the Dominican Republic, the 18-year-old Escotto hit .315/.429/.552 over 218 PA in Dominican Summer League action in 2019. Baseball America ranked Escotto 27th on their list of Yankees prospects, citing his “compact swing” and “solid plate discipline” and also describing him as a plus runner and plus defender. Escotto played mostly second base in the DSL but also saw action as a third baseman and shortstop.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Yasiel Puig And The Outfield Market

By TC Zencka | January 24, 2021 at 10:00pm CDT

JANUARY 24: Jon Heyman of MLB Network casts doubt on the Yankees as a potential fit for Puig, tweeting that there’s “no evidence” New York has interest in adding another right-handed hitting outfielder.

JANUARY 23: The Marlins have been tied to a number of outfielders lately, including Anthony Santander of the Orioles and Andrew Benintendi of the Red Sox. Limited financial resources will curb their willingness to bid on free agent options like Adam Duvall and Eddie Rosario, tweets Jon Heyman. They do, however, have some prospect capital that they’re willing to spend on the right player. At present, Corey Dickerson returns to left, Starling Marte to center, and Garrett Cooper to right, with Brian Anderson occasionally shifting from third base to right, and Lewis Brinson, Harold Ramirez, and Magneuris Sierra filling as speed and defensive replacements. If the Marlins go the free agent route, however, they may explore a union with Yasiel Puig. Not having played in the Majors since 2019, Puig is a candidate to sign a value or incentive-laden deal, should if he land a contract this winter.

The Yankees and Royals are also possible destinations for Puig, per Jim Bowden of MLB Network (via Twitter). For the Royals’ part, they have been looking for another bat to join a largely-unproven group in the grass made up of Franchy Cordero, Michael A. Taylor, and a number of options who could end up elsewhere on the diamond, such as Whit Merrifield, Ryan McBroom, Hunter Dozier, and likely DH Jorge Soler. In looking to add to that group, they’ve generally zeroed in on left-handed hitters. Even with the group they have in-house, the Royals could possibly still add a couple of outfielders, if the price were right.

As for the Yankees, they would be a surprising destination for Puig, if there were no corresponding moves. They are, after all, pretty well-stocked in the outfield with Aaron Hicks, Clint Frazier, Aaron Judge, and Mike Tauchman on the roster, Greg Allen on the 40-man roster, and Brett Gardner hanging out in free agency. Puig’s colorful personality would also be an interesting fit on the Yankees, who for literal and metaphorical reasons are generally regarded as a clean-cut organization. Still, that doesn’t preclude Puig from heading to the Bronx. After all, it’s not as if an interesting character or two haven’t donned pinstripes in the past.

East Notes: Mets, Hand, Bradley, Yankees, Rays

By Anthony Franco | January 24, 2021 at 8:47pm CDT

The Mets made an offer to free agent reliever Brad Hand that was “right in the ballpark” of the one-year, $10.5MM deal he agreed to with the Nationals, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). New York was linked to Hand throughout the offseason, with team president Sandy Alderson acknowledging the club might’ve claimed him last fall had the team’s ownership change been finalized at the time Hand was available on waivers. After missing out on their top lefty bullpen target, the Mets could look into a Justin Wilson reunion, Heyman posits.

More news and notes from the game’s East divisions:

Elsewhere on the Mets, free agent center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is “on their radar,” hears Heyman (Twitter link). That’s hardly an indication New York is actively engaged in the bidding for Bradley, but he does make sense as a potential target for the Mets after they missed out on George Springer. Outfield isn’t necessarily an area of need, but acquiring a true center fielder would push current projected starter Brandon Nimmo into a corner role for which he might be better suited. Bradley is one of the game’s best defenders and coming off a strong 2020 season at the plate.
The Yankees tried to acquire Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon in a package deal with the Pirates before Pittsburgh traded Musgrove to the Padres, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). New York ended up pulling in Taillon for a package of four prospects this morning. Taillon and free agent signee Corey Kluber have been New York’s most important rotation pickups this winter.
The Rays are hiring former major league outfielder Denard Span as a special assistant in baseball operations, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. A Tampa native, Span spent part of the 2018 season playing for the Rays. The former first-rounder also played for the Twins, Nationals, Giants and Mariners over an eleven-year MLB playing career. Span explained his decision to retire as a player last June.

Pirates GM Ben Cherington Discusses Offseason

By Anthony Franco | January 24, 2021 at 4:36pm CDT

The Pirates sent Jameson Taillon to the Yankees this morning, making him the second starting pitcher the Bucs have moved this offseason (after Joe Musgrove). In addition to Musgrove and Taillon, Pittsburgh sent first baseman Josh Bell to the Nationals earlier this winter.

Today’s trade could mark the end of Pittsburgh’s teardown of the MLB roster for this offseason. General manager Ben Cherington told reporters (including Rob Biertempfel of the Athletic) that the Pirates’ front office will now “likely shift our energy back toward adding to the team,” although he cautioned they’ll “definitely keep the phone on” if rival teams call on their remaining big leaguers. Specifically, picking up a veteran starter is now a priority, Cherington said.

Presumably, that’d be a lower-cost addition. The Pirates perennially run one of the league’s lowest payrolls, and there’s no reason to expect any high-impact acquisitions at the start of a rebuild. Free agency offers a plethora of experienced starters coming off down or injury-plagued seasons. The opportunity to claim a regular rotation spot in a pitcher-friendly home park could appeal to any number of rebound candidates.

Cherington also noted that Miguel Yajure could compete for a rotation spot at some point in 2021 (via Biertempfel). Part of the four-player return for Taillon, the 22-year-old had an MLB cameo out of the Yankees’ bullpen last season.

Pirates Designate Troy Stokes For Assignment

By Anthony Franco | January 24, 2021 at 2:24pm CDT

The Pirates are designating outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. for assignment, per Rob Biertempfel of the Athletic (Twitter link). Stokes was claimed off waivers from the Tigers earlier this month.

Pittsburgh needed to open a 40-man roster spot after today’s trade with the Yankees. Miguel Yajure and Roansy Contreras were each on New York’s 40-man; Jameson Taillon’s departure only freed space for one of those players.

Stokes, 25 next month, hasn’t yet made his MLB debut. A former fourth-round pick of the Brewers, he has bounced from Milwaukee to Detroit to Pittsburgh over the past couple years via waivers. That suggests Stokes is held in some regard by teams; indeed, the Tigers and Pirates were at the top of the league in waiver priority at the time of their respective claims. It wouldn’t be surprising if Stokes winds up claimed yet again.

In parts of six minor-league seasons, Stokes has compiled a .250/.351/.411 line while playing mostly left field. He has a pair of minor-league option years remaining. The Pirates have a week to trade Stokes, release him, or place him on outright waivers.

Giants Interested In Eddie Rosario, Jackie Bradley Jr.

By Mark Polishuk | January 24, 2021 at 1:56pm CDT

The Giants are looking to add outfield help, and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Eddie Rosario and Jackie Bradley Jr. are two of the names under consideration. Both players are also left-handed hitters, “which ticks off another box on the Giants’ wish list,” Slusser writes.

Considering that Bradley and Rosario have very different skillsets, the Giants are clearly keeping their options open as they explore how to best construct their outfield. The current mix consists of Mike Yastrzemski as the only true everyday option in right field, Mauricio Dubon getting the bulk of center field playing time, and Alex Dickerson and Darin Ruf platooning in left field. Austin Slater, Steven Duggar, Luis Alexander Basabe, and Jaylin Davis provide further depth on the bench and in the upper minors.

Signing Bradley would bring one of the game’s top defensive players to the spacious Oracle Park outfield, and he would immediately slide into the everyday center field job. Dubon would still get some playing time in center field when a left-handed starter was on the mound, but the Giants could perhaps bounce Dubon around the diamond to second base, shortstop, or possibly other positions in a super-utility role. Signing Rosario to take over in left field would perhaps make Dickerson a little superfluous, though since Yastrzemski has looked okay in limited center field action, the Giants could opt for an all left-handed array of Rosario/Yastrzemski/Dickerson in the outfield against some right-handed pitching.

Bradley offers excellent glovework and something of an inconsistent bat, though he is coming off a season that saw him hit .283/.364/.450 with seven home runs over 217 plate appearances for the Red Sox. He also posted some strong numbers in 2015-16, but a slash line of only .234/.318/.409 in 1643 PA during the 2017-19 seasons seemingly lowered Bradley’s potential ceiling as a hitter. Bradley turns 31 in April, but a change of scenery could revive his bat after eight seasons in Boston.

As something of the opposite of Bradley, Rosario is a bat-first player who is perhaps a little underrated on defense, considering that Rosario has been above-average (+9 Defensive Runs Saved, +2.9 UZR/150) over 4848 career innings as a left fielder. Rosario also delivered plenty of pop during his six years with the Twins, hitting .277/.310/.478 with 119 homers in 2830 PA.

In December, however, Rosario wasn’t tendered a contract. Minnesota opted to let Rosario go due to his escalating arbitration price tag (projected to land between $8.6MM and $12.9MM) and because top prospects Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach are both waiting in the wings for regular Major League duty. The 29-year-old Rosario also posts a lot of strikeouts and doesn’t reach base often, which limits his offensive production.

Bradley has drawn more public interest than Rosario this winter, as Rosario has been linked to only the Marlins and Red Sox on the rumor mill. Boston has also been known to have interest in a reunion with Bradley, and at least five other teams have also been connected to Bradley’s market. Of course, that list has likely seen some alterations as the offseason has rolled on — the Blue Jays, for instance, are almost certainly out on Bradley after signing George Springer.

Braves Re-Sign Pablo Sandoval To Minors Deal

By Mark Polishuk | January 24, 2021 at 12:27pm CDT

The Braves have signed infielder Pablo Sandoval to a minor league contract, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (via Twitter). Sandoval will earn $1MM if he makes Atlanta’s active roster.

Sandoval is back in Atlanta after first joining the Braves on a minors deal in September. The team brought the Panda aboard to add depth given the Braves’ lack of third base production, and Sandoval ended up appearing in one regular-season game and then three NLCS games (as a pinch-hitter or defensive replacement) in an Atlanta uniform. Since the Braves are still hoping for a breakout from Austin Riley and a rebound from Johan Camargo, it makes sense that Sandoval would again be brought back as a depth option.

If he breaks camp, the 34-year-old Sandoval will appear in his 14th Major League season and continue a career that has already delivered plenty of memorable moments. Best known for his long tenure in San Francisco, Sandoval was part of three World Series championship teams, and won Series MVP honors in 2012. He hasn’t been a true everyday player since 2014 (the final year of his initial tenure with the Giants), but Sandoval has at times been a productive part-timer and bench bat. As recently as 2019, Sandoval hit .268/.313/.507 with 14 home runs over 296 plate appearances for the Giants.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Mark Polishuk | January 24, 2021 at 11:23am CDT

Click here to read the transcript of today’s live baseball chat.

Braves Notes: Aaron, Hendriks, Springer

By Mark Polishuk and TC Zencka | January 24, 2021 at 9:20am CDT

The idea of Henry Aaron and Willie Mays in the same outfield is the stuff of “all-time team” discussions, yet the two legends came close to beginning their careers as teammates. MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince looks back at an Aaron quote given to author Donald Honig for an essay published close to 20 years ago, as Aaron stated that the Boston Braves and Mays’ New York Giants were among the teams looking to sign Aaron away from the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro Leagues.

“I had the Giants’ contract in my hand, but the Braves offered $50 a month more. That’s the only thing that kept Willie Mays and me from being teammates — $50,” Aaron said.

If it’s any consolation to old-school Giants fans, Castrovince notes that this story could be somewhat apocryphal. Plus, Aaron might not have gotten as immediate a chance to regularly play if he had signed with the Giants, considering New York had a stacked team that won the 1954 World Series. However, one can only imagine the alternate version of baseball history that would have grown from a Mays/Aaron tandem in the Giants’ outfield, whether it results in more championships for the Giants, how it would have impacted Aaron’s home run totals, or perhaps whether the Giants would have remained in New York rather than moved to San Francisco.

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