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Martin Maldonado Hires MVP Sports Group

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Veteran catcher Martin Maldonado, who remains unsigned despite the fact that Opening Day is just three weeks away, has made a change in representation and hired Dan Lozano of the MVP Sports Group as his new agent, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports (via Twitter). Maldonado had previously been with the Boras Corporation after hiring them at the end of August.

That Maldonado remains unsigned has seemed an oddity in recent weeks; while he’s unequivocally a below-average hitter, the 32-year-old is also among the game’s premier defenders at his position. As I noted about three weeks ago when Maldonado was linked to the Mariners, the 2016 Gold Glover ranks third among all active catchers in Defensive Runs Saved dating back to the 2012 season, trailing only Buster Posey and Yadier Molina — each of whom has caught at least 2000 more innings than Maldonado in that span. He’s also a perennially strong pitch framer with a career 38 percent caught-stealing rate, including a ridiculous 49 percent mark in 2018 (17-for-35).

It’s true that Maldonado’s lifetime .220/.289/.350 batting line is unsightly, and his career 73 OPS+ lines up identically with the 73 OPS+ he’s posted over the past two seasons. Teams know that while Maldonado has a bit of pop, he’s generally going to be a weak spot in the lineup. Still, given his exceptional defensive prowess, that seems a worthwhile trade-off — at the very least in a backup role.

Maldonado’s recent asking price remains unclear, though the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish reported in late February that the holdup between Maldonado and the Mariners was merely over a guaranteed MLB deal. If Maldonado has indeed struggled to so much as find a guaranteed contract this winter, that’d be a fairly stunning revelation. It’s possible, of course, that the initial ask was perceived to be steep, and many clubs throughout the league have now either addressed their catching situation in alternative fashion or have limited funds. That said, bringing Maldonado aboard as a backup at what figures to be a moderate price would seem an easy upgrade for many clubs.

Beyond the Mariners, Maldonado has been tied to the Royals since it became clear that Salvador Perez would require Tommy John surgery. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman linked Maldonado to the Rockies earlier this morning, as well.

Maldonado’s switch in representation will be reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database. If you see any errors or omissions within that database, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

AL East Notes: Yankees, Karns, Rays’ Rotation

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It doesn’t sound as though the Yankees are giving much thought to carrying both Luke Voit and Greg Bird on the active roster this season, as manager Aaron Boone told reporters today that it’s “tough to envision” rostering multiple first basemen (Twitter link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Boone noted that DJ LeMahieu figures to serve as a backup at first base, among numerous other positions, so it seems one of Voit or Bird will be ticketed for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to open the season. Both players have enjoyed productive spring showings thus far, though it’s hard to imagine that Voit doesn’t have the inside track after last season’s Herculean .333/.405/.689 slash and 14 home runs in just 148 plate appearances with the Yankees.

Here’s more from the division…

  • Right-hander Nate Karns is generally healthy but may not be stretched out in time to factor into the Orioles’ Opening Day rotation, per Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun. The Orioles’ lone free-agent rotation addition, Karns missed the 2018 season while recovering from 2017 thoracic outlet surgery. He’s made a pair of appearances this spring but only pitched one inning in his most recent outing, prompting new manager Brandon Hyde to cast doubt on Karns’ ability to start games early in the year. “We’re not going to put him in any position to get hurt, and we’re not going to try and push through any kind of injury or any kind of soreness right now,” said Hyde of Karns. Whether Karns will open the season in the ’pen remains to be seen, though it’s worth noting that he does have a minor league option remaining, so the O’s could potentially send him to Norfolk for a couple of outings to continue building arm strength.
  • The Rays are planning to use a three-man rotation consisting of Opening Day starter and reigning Cy Young winner Blake Snell, offseason signee Charlie Morton and 2018 trade acquisition Tyler Glasnow, Juan Toribio of MLB.com writes. From there, they’ll use a pair of openers in the would-be fourth and fifth slots of a traditional rotation; Ryne Stanek, Emilio Pagan, Colin Poche and Hunter Wood are among the candidates to function in that capacity. Candidates to follow the team’s openers include Ryan Yarbrough, Jalen Beeks, Jake Faria and Yonny Chirinos. As has been widely expected, it appears that the Rays will continue an aggressive means of pioneering what was a polarizing but increasingly accepted tactic throughout the league in 2018. Stanek was the team’s most frequent and successful opener in 2018, while Yarbrough was the most prolific followup arm (147 1/3 innings pitched despite making just six starts). Presumably, they’ll reprise those roles this year, with Tampa Bay shuffling the rest of the pitching mix based on matchups, workload and other factors.

AL Central Notes: Maldonado, Indians, Tigers

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While the Royals have spoken to Martin Maldonado since learning they’d be without Salvador Perez for the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that there’s “a gap” between the two sides, adding that Kansas City decision-makers aren’t optimistic of agreeing to terms. Maldonado surprisingly remains unsigned despite long standing out as one of baseball’s premier defenders behind the dish; given that the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish reported late last month that the holdup between Maldonado and the Mariners was simply that Maldonado was holding out for a Major League deal, it’s difficult to imagine any gap being all that sizable. Still, it appears Kansas City is content to proceed with the inexperienced duo of Cam Gallagher and Meibrys Viloria behind the dish with Perez on the shelf, leaving Maldonado in search of another fit.

Elsewhere in the AL Central…

  • Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer provides an update on a trio of important Indians injury situations: those to outfielder Bradley Zimmer, right-hander Danny Salazar and shortstop Francisco Lindor. Zimmer, recovering from surgery on his throwing shoulder, will begin throwing to the bases this week, per manager Terry Francona. Salazar, also recovering from shoulder surgery, is playing catch from 120 feet, while Lindor is taking grounders and batting practice but not yet moving laterally while he rehabs a calf strain. Lindor, among the game’s best players when healthy, is obviously the most crucial of the bunch, but both Zimmer and Salazar could be key contributors with a return to health. Cleveland’s outfield mix looks perilously thin at present, with Leonys Martin, Greg Allen and Tyler Naquin likely in line as starters (with Jake Bauers a possibility as well, depending on whether Hanley Ramirez makes the roster as a DH). Zimmer, a former first-round pick and elite prospect, could provide a substantial boost if he can tap into his potential. As for Salazar, the hard-throwing starter-turned-reliever carries major upside for an unproven mix of Cleveland bullpen options, though his shoulder has prevented him from pitching since late September of 2017.
  • Tigers Rule 5 pick Reed Garrett, selected out of the Rangers’ organization, is vying for one of what could be as few as two open bullpen spots, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. Each of Shane Greene, Joe Jimenez, Blaine Hardy and Drew VerHagen seem likely to land spots, and righty Victor Alcantara seems a safe assumption as well given a solid 30-inning showing last season. VerHagen and fellow right-hander Buck Farmer are both out of minor league options, which could play into the ultimate structuring of the team’s bullpen, as well. McCosky chatted with Garrett and catcher John Hicks about the right-hander’s arsenal and the rapid manner in which he improved his profile — transforming from a struggling starter in 2016 to a somewhat unexpected breakout star at Double-A and Triple-A in 2018. Last year, between those two levels, Garrett worked to a combined 2.04 ERA with 8.9 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 and a 50 percent ground-ball rate in 61 2/3 innings. Garrett attributes his ascension to added muscle and velocity as well as the adoption of a splitter after he’d originally struggled to succeed with a sinker/slider combination. Detroit successfully carried seldom-used Rule 5 outfielder Victor Reyes on the 25-man roster all last season, and given the status of their ongoing rebuild, it’s plausible that they could do the same with Garrett in 2019.

Rockies Notes: Arenado, Catchers, Welker, Tinoco

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Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic pulls back the curtain on the Rockies’ extension with Nolan Arenado, providing detail on the timing, structure and actual content of some of the meetings held between Arenado’s camp and organizational decision-makers (subscription required). While the two sides had hoped to avoid arbitration prior to exchanging figures on filing day, that didn’t come to pass, and at one point the sides even looked to be headed toward a hearing. Instead, the Rox agreed to a $26MM salary for the 2019 campaign (thus avoiding arbitration) under the pretense that Arenado’s agent, Joel Wolfe, would follow that up with a counter-offer to the team’s initial extension proposal.

Ultimately, it took a face-to-face meeting involving Arenado, Wolfe, Rockies GM Jeff Bridich and Rockies owner Dick Monfort for significant progress to be made on the extension — as well as a final call from Monfort to Wolfe urging that they put the finishing touches on a deal. Rosenthal’s column is rife with quotes from Wolfe, Bridich and Arenado himself — each detailing elements of negotiations and the thought processes of all parties involved at various points of talks. Rockies fans in particular will find it of great interest, of course, though a broader audience will surely appreciate the in-depth look of the inner-workings of one of the largest contracts in MLB history.

More on the Rockies…

  • The Rockies have curiously declined to address their catching situation this offseason. The reason, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, is that the organization is more concerned with glovework behind the dish than with offense. While there’s an acknowledgement from the club that it “needs more production from whoever plays,” says Saunders, it evidently still believes in its current options over the opportunities that were (and are) available on the market. The Rox are “generally pleased” with Tony Wolters from a defensive standpoint, which is supported by numbers that show he was an above-average framer and otherwise solid defender last year. Veteran Chris Iannetta has a spottier defensive record, though he has at times graded as a well-above-average framer. There’s also Tom Murphy — a former top prospect who has yet to establish himself at the MLB level and now finds himself out of minor league options. His power is more intriguing than his glove, though Murphy drew solid framing marks in ’18 and has generally controlled the running game at a roughly league-average level. In all, catching still looks like a weak spot for the Rockies, and the declaration that defense is valued more than offense seems an odd justification, as there were certainly options who could’ve provided both quality glovework and at least passable offense.
  • Third base prospect Colton Welker wasn’t disheartened to see the Rox commit to Arenado for the long term, writes Thomas Harding of MLB.com. Welker, a 21-year-old considered to be among the organization’s top five prospects, told Harding his current focus is simply on moving up the ladder in the system after a strong showing in Class-A Advanced last season. Furthermore, he explained that he almost expected the Rockies to do so. “Who wouldn’t sign that guy with the numbers he’s put up?” Welker asked rhetorically, adding that he relishes the opportunity to learn from a player of Arenado’s caliber in Spring Training. As the Rox have done with third base prospects Tyler Nevin and Josh Fuentes (the latter of whom is Arenado’s cousin), they’ve begun to give Welker some looks at first base with an eye toward the future. “Colton knew going into this past offseason that first base was going to be a focus in 2019, regardless of what happened with Nolan,” director of player development Zach Wilson told Harding. A fourth-round pick back in 2016, Welker crushed Class-A Advanced pitching at a .333/.383/.489 clip in 2018.
  • Minor league right-hander Jesus Tinoco will work as a reliever moving forward, manager Bud Black told reporters this morning (Twitter link via Saunders). The big righty, who was acquired in the trade that sent Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays, struggled to the tune of a 4.79 ERA through 26 starts (141 innings) at the Double-A level last season and has yet to post an ERA south of 4.67 at any level in the Rockies organization. That said, Tinoco posted encouraging marks of 8.4 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 last season and pitched well in 10 relief appearances in the Arizona Fall League last season.

Marlins Notes: Granderson, Romo, Neidert

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Veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson, in camp with the Marlins on a minor league contract, is expected to break camp with the team, per SiriusXM’s Craig Mish (Twitter link). Granderson has a March 15 opt-out clause in his contract, Mish reports, adding that the Marlins “will add him” to the roster by that point. Granderson, who turns 38 the day after that opt-out provision, split the 2018 season between the Blue Jays and the Brewers and posted a combined .242/.351/.431 batting line with 13 home runs, 22 doubles and a pair of triples in 403 plate appearances. He’ll join some combination of Lewis Brinson, Magneuris Sierra, Austin Dean and Peter O’Brien in the outfield now that Brian Anderson is slated to return to third base. Fellow non-roster options for the Marlins include the likes of Isaac Galloway, Harold Ramirez and Gabriel Guerrero. Prospects Monte Harrison and Victor Victor Mesa, meanwhile, are ticketed for further development in the minors.

Here’s more on the Fish…

  • Miami has yet to determine how veteran righty Sergio Romo will be utilized this season, writes Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Romo is open to pitching in any role, and the Marlins aren’t closed off to the idea of using an “opener” in front of some of their younger rotation pieces, including Caleb Smith, Pablo Lopez and Trevor Richards, McPherson notes. Romo could also figure into high-leverage spots late in games, although McPherson notes that manager Don Mattingly has suggested the team may not utilize a traditional closer in 2019. The Rays bounced Romo between opening games, closing games and pitching in a setup role last season, and it seems the 36-year-old is in for more of the same this coming year.
  • Right-hander Nick Neidert is likely to open the 2019 season in Triple-A New Orleans, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro writes, but the 22-year-old stands out as a candidate for an early promotion to the Majors this season. Neidert, acquired from the Mariners in the Dee Gordon swap, has yet to even pitch in Triple-A but notched a 3.24 ERA with 9.1 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and a 45.9 percent ground-ball rate in 152 2/3 innings at the Double-A level last season. Though he doesn’t boast a power fastball, Neidert’s four-pitch mix, strong changeup and excellent control (career 1.7 BB/9 in the minors) help to make up for his lack of velocity. “Nick’s a guy who basically can hit all four quadrants, and he’s got different weapons for different guys,” said Mattingly of Neidert. At present, the Marlins have Jose Urena, Dan Straily, Wei-Yin Chen, Sandy Alcantara, Richards, Smith and Lopez as rotation options to open the season, though Smith is working his way back from surgery to repair a Grade 3 lat tear. Chen, meanwhile, has been clobbered thus far in camp after pitching to a 4.79 ERA in 133 1/3 innings last season. Given the level of uncertainty in the Miami rotation, Neidert (and others) could have ample opportunity to get a look in the Majors with a strong showing early in the year.

Bruce Maxwell Signs With Mexican League Club

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Former Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell has agreed to a contract with a team in the Mexican League, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets further tweets that Maxwell will be joining los Acereros de Monclova.

Maxwell, 28, became the first (and only) player in Major League Baseball to kneel during the National Anthem back in 2017. Already one of the game’s most polarizing players because of that protest, Maxwell came under considerably greater scrutiny in the 2017-18 offseason when he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (eventually resulting in a plea agreement). Oakland outrighted Maxwell following the 2018 campaign, at which point he became a free agent. Perhaps unsurprisingly, between those issues and Maxwell’s lack of on-field productivity — he’s a career .240/.314/.347 hitter in 412 MLB plate appearances — he was unable to latch on with a big league organization this winter.

Maxwell is facing a long road back to the Major Leagues, but it seems that he’ll look to utilize this latest opportunity as a means of showcasing for MLB organizations in hopes of landing a minor league opportunity to return to affiliated ball.

Cashman, Boone On Starting Rotation, Ellsbury

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6:55pm: Manager Aaron Boone also spoke to the media today, revealing what many had already expected: Sabathia isn’t likely to be ready for the start of the season, either (link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com).

“He had his second ’pen that went well [on Wednesday],” Boone said of Sabathia, who got a late start to Spring Training following offseason knee surgery and an angioplasty. “I certainly don’t expect him for the start of the season. It may be a couple of weeks in, if everything keeps going according to plan.”

Despite those maladies, the Yankees expect to use internal options like German, Loaisiga and others to round out the rotation while Severino and Sabathia mend in late March and early April.

3:05pm: Yankees GM Brian Cashman chatted with the media today, discussing in particular the team’s stance on its rotation depth. As Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record tweets, the veteran exec says he’s generally pleased with the existing slate of options.

It seems the Yanks aren’t terribly concerned about the outlook for staff ace Luis Severino, who’s laying low after experiencing some shoulder discomfort. Even if he isn’t expected to miss a lengthy stretch, though, some would argue that depth was a preexisting concern given the past health issues of some key members on the staff.

Cashman says he “like[s] the personnel” already on hand, downplaying the likelihood of a new outside acquisition. “Can’t rule anything out but the main focus is what we’ve got,” he explained.

The Yanks have already added three starters over the winter, re-signing J.A. Happ and CC Sabathia while acquiring James Paxton. Still, rumors have persisted that the Yanks are still kicking around the possibility of adding another arm. Free agent Gio Gonzalez popped up again in trade rumors last night and remains a hypothetical target.

Cashman’s true degree of interest in exploring the market is tough to surmise based upon his comments. There are certainly some plausible options on hand, with Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisiga, Luis Cessa, and Chance Adams seemingly being the likeliest to stake a claim.

In other news, Cashman touched upon the status of outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who will report to Yankees camp in ten days or so. (Via Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, via Twitter.) At that point, the team will take a closer look at the veteran, who never appeared in competitive action last season. Ellsbury has dealt with a dizzying variety of ailments of late, with plantar fasciitis seemingly to blame for his current absence.

Steven Wright Suspended 80 Games For PED Violation

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Red Sox right-hander Steven Wright has been suspended 80 games, without pay, after testing positive for Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide 2 (GHRP-2), the league announced Wednesday. He’ll be placed on the restricted list — thus freeing a 40-man roster spot for the Red Sox — and miss the first half of the season. Wright will also be ineligible to participate in the 2019 postseason. The Red Sox organization has issued the following statement:

The Boston Red Sox fully support Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing substances from the game. While we are disappointed by the news of this violation, we will look to provide the appropriate support to Steven at this time. Going forward, the club will not comment further on the matter.

This’ll be the second straight season in which Wright will be suspended for off-field actions, as he served a 15-game suspension under the league’s domestic abuse policy in 2018, as well. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo tweets that Wright tested positive in the offseason and appealed the suspension, though he only learned the result of his appeal last night.

Wright agreed to a $1.375MM salary for the 2019 campaign this winter, avoiding arbitration, and will forfeit approximately half of that sum as a result of the PED infraction. As is the case in virtually every PED suspension, Wright issued a statement via the MLBPA expressing bewilderment and claiming that he’s “never intentionally ingested anything for performance-enhancing purposes.”

The loss of Wright will further thin out a Red Sox bullpen that has already lost Joe Kelly to the Dodgers via free agency (three years, $25MM) and seems quite likely to go without yet-unsigned free agent Craig Kimbrel as well. Wright, a knuckleballer, worked to a stellar 2.68 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 4.4 BB/9 in 53 2/3 innings of relief last season, though his season was shortened not only by the aforementioned domestic violence suspension but also a pair of DL stints pertaining to inflammation in his left knee.

Wright’s suspension will nominally nudge the Red Sox a bit further from the top luxury tax line — though by nowhere near enough that it’d prompt the team to make a significant bullpen expenditure. Boston sat roughly $4.7MM south of that $246MM barrier, so Wright’s suspension will push the team closer to $5.4MM shy of the top penalty bracket. Factoring in the tax they were paying on that salary, the suspension will cut about $980K, although they’ll of course have to replace Wright in the ’pen in some capacity — likely with a league-minimum earner.

Chris Sale, Red Sox “Mutually Invested” In Extension Talks

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Veteran southpaw Chris Sale discussed the possibility of reaching an extension with the Red Sox in an interesting chat with Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. The club has previously acknowledged some discussions, but Sale’s comments seemingly take things a bit further.

Sale suggests that there is a serious effort to work out an agreement.“I think we’re both mutually invested in this,” he said. “We’ve both said on both sides that it’s a possibility, for sure.”

He also indicated that he doesn’t consider a deal a necessity. “Obviously, this go-round is a little different than the last one with the contract situation,” Sale said in reference to his original contract extension. Sale says his family’s financial security was a driving force in that accord, but now affords him flexibility in deciding upon his next contract.

It’s still unclear what sort of structure is being considered — “we have a couple different scenarios,” Sale says — but the potential CBA tax impact will surely weigh heavily from the team’s perspective. It’s less clear just what will drive Sale when the time comes to make a final decision. While he indicates that he’s much more concerned with competing on the field than in the hot stove marketplace, he has previously made clear he does have a desire to “set the bar” for other players. Those looking to understand Sale’s perspective will certainly want to give Speier’s interview a full read.

[RELATED: Valuing A Chris Sale Extension]

It’ll be interesting to see where the sides land, if indeed a deal is hammered out. If not, Sale will enter the 2019 season as one of the most closely watched players on the planet. He paces a stacked group of starters in MLBTR’s initial power ranking of the top 2019-20 free agents.

 

Joey Lucchesi Hires CAA Sports

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Padres lefty Joey Lucchesi has hired CAA Sports to represent him, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic (Twitter link). His new representation is reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database.

The 25-year-old Lucchesi is coming off of a rather promising first campaign in the majors. He turned in 26 starts in 2018, working to a 4.08 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.

Lucchesi was a bit homer-prone, allowing 1.59 per nine, but otherwise did nothing but impress. He carried a 10.6% swinging-strike rate and 18.6% K%-BB% (placing him among the top thirty starters that threw at least 100 frames).

A former fourth-round pick, Lucchesi should be in line for another full season in the San Diego rotation. Indeed, as Lin notes, he’s even a candidate to toe the rubber on Opening Day. Lucchesi is still two seasons away from arbitration eligibility, though it’s certainly possible that the Friars will consider dangling an extension offer in the meantime.

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