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AL East Notes: Red Sox, Yankees, Ottavino, Trumbo, Bleier

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We’re all familiar with the “mystery team” as a Hot Stove idiosyncrasy, but how about a “mystery player?” Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston writes that the Red Sox have been discussing a contract extension with a core player, though he adds that it’s “unclear” which player has been the focus of those talks. Drellich notes that there doesn’t appear to be anything currently in the works with Mookie Betts, Chris Sale, Xander Bogaerts or J.D. Martinez and speculatively suggests Andrew Benintendi could be the player in question. The 24-year-old Benintendi has batted .282/.359/.447 with 38 homers and 42 steals through his first 333 games at the MLB level in just over two seasons. He’s logged two years and 62 days of MLB service time, meaning he won’t be eligible for arbitration until next offseason and can be controlled through 2022.

As shown in MLBTR’s Extension Tracker, Mike Trout’s $144MM contract is the record for an outfielder with between two and three years of service, although while Benintendi’s two-plus years with the Red Sox have been strong, he obviously doesn’t have nearly as strong a case as Trout did in 2014. More relevant comparisons likely include Kevin Kiermaier’s six-year, $53.5MM deal with the Rays and the respective five-year contracts inked by Ender Inciarte ($30.525MM) and Odubel Herrera ($30.5MM) with the Braves and Phillies. It’s worth noting, though, that both Kiermaier and Inciarte were Super Two players, and Benintendi will fall shy of that distinction.

Here’s more from the AL East to help kick off the week…

  • The Yankees brought Zach Britton back into the fold over the weekend, but MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal indicated on the air this morning that the Yankees are also still talking to free-agent righty Adam Ottavino about a contract (video link). Adding both Britton and Ottavino, a New York native who’s been tied to the Yankees throughout the offseason, would make for a dynamic pairing with incumbent back-end options such as Aroldis Chapman, Chad Green and Dellin Betances, though presumably the addition of Britton at least somewhat lessens New York’s urgency when negotiating with Ottavino.
  • Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com provides updates on a pair of injured Orioles: designated hitter Mark Trumbo and left-hander Richard Bleier. Both players are expected to be ready for Opening Day, per new GM Mike Elias, but Trumbo’s case is a little murkier. The veteran slugger underwent surgery to a hole in the cartilage in his right knee — a procedure similar to the operation Dustin Pedroia had in Oct. 2017 — the lingering effects of which limited Pedroia to just three games in 2018. Trumbo has not yet progressed to running but feels that the strength in his knee is “where it needs to be” and adds that he is largely pain-free at this juncture. Bleier, meanwhile, suffered a grade 3 lat tear in his pitching shoulder in June but has progressed to throwing off flat ground without pain. His next step will be pitching off a mound. Kubatko also talked to both players about their early impressions of new skipper Brandon Hyde, which should be of particular interest to O’s fans.

Josh Ravin Signs With Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines

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The Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball announced today that they’ve signed former Dodgers/Braves right Josh Ravin to a contract for the 2019 season (link via the Japan Times). He’ll earn an estimated $800K, per the report. The Marines’ head of baseball operations, Naoki Matsumoto, said in a statement that Ravin could be an option to pitch in the eighth or ninth inning with his new club.

Ravin, 30, has spent time in the Majors in each of the past three seasons, totaling 38 2/3 innings of work between the Dodgers and Braves. His 5.12 ERA in that time isn’t especially appealing, but he’s averaged 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, notched a healthy 13.6 percent swinging-strike rate and averaged 96.5 mph on his fastball along the way. Walks (4.4 BB/9) and home runs (1.86 HR/9) have been an issue for Ravin throughout his limited big league tenure.

Ravin spent the bulk of his injury-shortened 2018 season with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, where he tossed 18 2/3 shoutout innings and struck out 30 of the 80 batters he faced (against nine walks). In parts of six Triple-A seasons, Ravin has tallied 107 1/3 innings of 3.52 ERA ball with an average of 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, though he’s also averaged 5.3 walks per nine.

Quick Hits: Boras, “Swellopts,” Anderson, A’s, Pence

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Over the last two offseasons, the Boras Corporation has negotiated innovative contracts for clients Zach Britton, Yusei Kikuchi, and Jake Arrieta that involved a dual-option year between the player and the team.  In all three deals, the club can exercise a longer-term option over the player or decline that option, which gives the player the chance to either enact an opt-out clause or (in Kikuchi’s case) to add another player option season.

Scott Boras, never at a loss for colorful phrasing, describes this type of contract as a “swellopt,” as the agent tells The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link).  “For the club, if the player performs well, the club can opt in (contract swells). For the player, if the club doesn’t opt in, the player has the choice to continue with contract (swell) or opt out. It’s a swell option for both,” Boras explained.  This type of contract structure could end up being more commonly used around baseball, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post details how teams in the hunt for Bryce Harper (another Boras client) or Manny Machado could deploy the “swellopt” to land on a favorable contract for both sides.

Some more from around the baseball world…

  • The Athletics have been in touch with Brett Anderson about a possible reunion in 2019, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Ben Ross writes.  Multiple other teams have also shown interest in Anderson, so it isn’t certain if the veteran left-hander will have to settle for another minor league contract or if he’ll be able to land a Major League deal.  Pitching for the A’s on a minors pact in 2018, Anderson delivered his typical low-strikeout, high-grounder performance, posting a 4.48 ERA, 3.62 K/BB rate, 5.27 K/9, and 55.6% grounder rate over 80 1/3 innings.  Anderson’s season was shortened by two DL stints due to shoulder issues and a forearm strain, and these latest entries to the southpaw’s lengthy injury history could also certainly impact his chances at a guaranteed MLB contract.  Anderson would hardly be a sure thing for the A’s, though the team is looking for all the rotation depth it can muster given the inexperience and injury-related question marks surrounding most of the names on the rotation depth chart.
  • Hunter Pence has received “several” offers from teams, the outfielder tells El Nuevo Diario’s Angel Luis Mercedes (hat tip to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle).  After a pair of down years, Pence is attempting to trigger a late-career rebound in his typical unique fashion, by attempting to overhaul his swing while playing in the Dominican Winter League.  Given Pence’s lack of success in 2017-18, Shea figures the veteran’s offers are of the minor league variety, as teams will give Pence a look in Spring Training to see if his new swing holds any promise.

AL Notes: Astros, Luhnow, Kikuchi, Orioles, Machado

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Astros GM Jeff Luhnow spoke to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links) and other reporters about today’s five-player trade with the Mets, noting that New York “was aggressive” in asking about J.D. Davis.  The Astros weren’t originally thinking of moving Davis, but Luhnow explained that “there was enough of a market for him that we decided to go ahead and explore it because there’s no obvious spot for him on our 25-man roster next year, at this point.”  The Mets’ inclusion of catching prospect Scott Manea as part of the return going back to Houston “was a big part of it for us,” Luhnow said, due to the Astros’ lack of catching depth.  In terms of future moves, Luhnow also said that the Astros are still considering the starting pitching and bullpen markets.

Here’s more from around the AL…

  • Speaking to media (including the Kyodo News) in his return to Japan, Yusei Kikuchi mentioned that the Mariners were the first team to make him a contract offer.  It isn’t clear if other teams also made offers after the fact and Seattle eventually altered its offer to win the bidding, or if perhaps the M’s were the only club to issue a concrete offer to the left-hander.  The latter scenario seems rather unlikely, given that multiple teams reportedly had interest in Kikuchi during his posting period.  Then again, given how impressed Kikuchi and agent Scott Boras were with the Mariners’ detailed plans for managing Kikuchi’s workload and arm health in his transition to Major League Baseball, it isn’t entirely out of the question that Kikuchi decided to jump on the offer, especially considering the money involved (at least $56MM, and worth as much as $106MM) in the deal’s unique salary structure.
  • The Orioles have offered their bullpen coach job to minor league pitching coordinator John Wasdin, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports.  Wasdin has been in his current role in the organization for the last two seasons, after spending the previous six years as a minor league pitching coach in the Athletics’ farm system.  Wasdin briefly pitched for the O’s in 2001 as part of his 12-year career in the majors.  It isn’t yet known if Wasdin will accept the offer, though regardless, Kubatko writes that the Orioles will head into 2019 with an entirely new coaching staff under new manager Brandon Hyde.
  • The latest round of Manny Machado speculation had the free agent infielder reportedly visiting Chicago today, attending the Eagles/Bears NFL playoff game as a guest of White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf.  As per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, however, this rumor wasn’t accurate.  In terms of free agency, Machado is already seeing a Chicago vs. Philadelphia (vs. New York) battle play out, as the White Sox, Phillies, and Yankees are the three teams most directly connected to his pursuit, and it’s possible these three clubs could be the finalists for Machado’s services.

NL Notes: Epstein, Cubs, Broxton, Braves, Dodgers

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The Cubs’ reported lack of spending capacity has been the offseason’s main storyline out of Wrigley Field, though in a recent radio interview on 670 The Score (partial transcript here), president of baseball operations Theo Epstein dismissed the idea that the Competitive Balance Tax is “dictating any of our actions or inactions this winter at all.”  In regards to the $206MM threshold, “there are times when strategically you want to make sure you’re under it or where you don’t mind going above it. This isn’t one of those offseasons where strategically it makes a heckuva lot of difference to us,” Epstein said.  “It’s just sort of traditional budgeting. You spend what you have. You don’t spend what you don’t have….We have more than enough resources to win, and that’s the way we’re going to continue to approach it.”

It should be noted that the Cubs are already over the CBT threshold, as Roster Resource calculates a luxury tax figure of slightly under $228.5MM for the current 40-man roster.  If crossing the $206MM line altogether isn’t a concern for Epstein and his front office, a bigger issue could be the $246MM threshold, which would trigger a larger tax payment for the Cubs and a ten-position drop in the first round of the 2020 draft.  If this estimated $17.5MM of payroll space is what the team really has to work with, it still doesn’t leave room for a major addition like Bryce Harper, who has been rumored as a target if the Cubs can shave some more salaries off the books.

Here’s more from around the National League…

  • The Brewers’ deep outfield and Keon Broxton’s out-of-options status made him a trade chip for the club, GM David Stearns told reporters (including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt) in the aftermath of the trade that sent Broxton to the Mets.  “Teams are smart, so they looked at our outfield situation and saw we had a couple of out-of-option players who are talented,” Stearns said.  “Teams have been poking around on Keon since the end of the season. We discussed scenarios with different teams and this is the one that finally went over the (finish) line.”  In regards to any outfield additions, Stearns said the team will do its due diligence, but overall, “we are comfortable with the options we have at this point.”
  • “There’s no timetable for a resolution” in the dispute between the Braves and first-round draft pick Carter Stewart, Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.  As detailed by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (subscription required) in early October, the MLBPA filed a grievance claiming that Stewart failed to reach an agreement with the Braves after his physical turned up ligament damage in his wrist, and he’s now seeking to be declared a free agent by Major League Baseball. The grievance alleges that the Braves did not offer Stewart 40 percent of his slot value, which is the minimum offer that must be made to a player in order to receive a compensation pick in the following year’s draft.  Stewart was the eighth overall pick in the 2018 draft, so Atlanta stands to be picking ninth overall in the 2019 draft unless Stewart’s grievance results in a favorable ruling for the young right-hander.  Needless to say, it would be a big setback for the Braves if they missed out on such a high pick and received no compensation whatsoever, so this situation is certainly worth monitoring in the coming weeks or months until some decision is finally reached.
  • “The degree to which the Dodgers pursue [Bryce] Harper will say a lot about where they are headed as a franchise,” Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times opines.  The Dodgers have been rumored to be suitors for Harper all winter, particularly since the team created outfield space and luxury tax space in the Yasiel Puig/Matt Kemp trade with the Reds.  Rather than a long-term mega-deal for Harper, however, the Dodgers have reportedly been more interested in offering shorter-term contracts with a higher average annual value, though Hernandez wonders why money is suddenly an object for a big-market franchise that spent freely for years.  Hernandez argues that L.A. fans won’t be impressed by a sudden restraint in spending, particularly after a season that saw the Dodgers duck under the luxury tax threshold and thus perhaps leave themselves short-handed for the World Series.

Rockies Interested In Brian Dozier On Short-Term Deal

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The Rockies have interest in free agent second baseman Brian Dozier, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports.  The club is only considering short-term options for Dozier, however, and even that type of contract might be questionable depending on the Rockies’ payroll.

Dozier was one of the game’s best all-around second basemen from 2014-17, particularly in the final two years of that stretch when he hit .269/.349/.522 with 76 homers over 1396 plate appearances for the Twins.  Between that big bat, excellent baserunning and at least-average glovework, Dozier looked to be in line for a strong multi-year contract in free agency this winter before running into a rough 2018 campaign.  Dozier hit just .215/.305/.391 with 21 home runs over 632 PA with the Twins and Dodgers last season, with knee problems perhaps contributing to the down year.

In the wake of such a season, the 31-year-old Dozier could be open to a short-term agreement (i.e. a one-year contract with a player option for 2020, or perhaps just a straight one-year deal) as something of a “pillow contract.”  He’d get a chance to re-establish his value this season and then re-enter free agency next winter with a much stronger case for a lucrative multi-year commitment.

The Nationals and Brewers have both been linked to Dozier this winter, and both teams are in the market for a short-term answer at the keystone while a second baseman of the future (Carter Kieboom and Keston Hiura, respectively) waits in the wings for 2020.  The Rockies are somewhat in the same boat, as they currently have noteworthy prospects Garrett Hampson and Ryan McMahon slated for the bulk of second base duties this season, now that DJ LeMahieu is off to test his own free agent wares.  Since Colorado fully plans on contending next season, however, the team could prefer a more established second baseman, and in Dozier’s case, one that could end up being a major contributor if he returns to his old form.

Even on a one-year guarantee, Dozier might still cost too much for the Rockies’ liking, especially since his market is reportedly “starting to heat up.”  Roster Resource already projects Colorado for a club-record Opening Day payroll of just under $151.9MM.  A big chunk of those funds could be covered by a potentially record-setting arbitration payday for superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado, though the bigger issue is the amount of money the Rockies have spent in recent years on underachieving free agents (i.e. Ian Desmond, Jake McGee, Bryan Shaw, Mike Dunn).  Beyond a second baseman, the Rockies could also need to spend to address their catching situation, plus a hole in the bullpen left behind by Adam Ottavino.  The Rockies seem like a prime candidate for a contract swap, or perhaps just a pure salary dump to free up money for Dozier or other additions.

Indians Notes: Kluber, Bauer, Antonetti, Plawecki

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On this day in 1920, Indians pitching legend Early Wynn was born in Hartford, Alabama.  Wynn spent ten of his 23 Major League seasons with the Tribe, a stint that saw him rack up 164 of his 300 career wins in an Indians uniform and led to Wynn wearing a Cleveland hat on his Hall Of Fame plaque.

The latest from the modern-day team…

  • The Indians haven’t dropped their asking price on either Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer, MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi writes, as the Tribe is still looking for “Chris Sale-level return” for either starter.  As a refresher of Sale’s move from the White Sox to the Red Sox in December 2016, Chicago landed arguably baseball’s best prospect (Yoan Moncada), another blue-chip pitching prospect (Michael Kopech) and two other solid minor leaguers (outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe and hard-throwing righty Victor Diaz).  Sale came with three years of team control, in the form of one guaranteed contract year and two option years that the Red Sox have since exercised at very reasonable prices, given Sale’s ace-level production.  Kluber’s contract is also only guaranteed through 2019 with two club option years, though Kluber is also five years older than Sale.  Bauer is only slightly older than Sale was at the time of the trade, though Bauer is only controlled via arbitration for two more years.  Despite the differences between Sale and Kluber/Bauer, Cleveland’s trade ask isn’t unreasonable, though it’s hefty enough that there hasn’t appeared to be much movement towards a deal (if the Tribe trades either pitcher at all).  “There are no signs of recent progress” between the Indians and the Dodgers, who have been often linked to Kluber and Bauer in trade rumblings this winter.
  • If Kluber or Bauer are moved, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer believes a trade could happen later in the offseason, after free agent arms like Dallas Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez, and Derek Holland come off the board.  “I don’t believe the Indians will enter Spring Training without having made one more big move,” Pluto writes, arguing that the team still needs significant lineup help, particularly in the outfield.
  • The Tribe did check one notable item off its list today by acquiring catcher Kevin Plawecki from the Mets.  Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti discussed the trade with MLB.com’s Mandy Bell and other reporters, saying that the playing time split between Plawecki and Roberto Perez likely wouldn’t be determined until Spring Training, though Antonetti feels Perez would likely get the majority of at-bats and youngster Eric Haase will still be in the mix.  “We felt this was an opportunity to acquire another Major League catcher that could help absorb some of the burden in losing Yan [Gomes],” Antonetti said.  He also hinted at more potential deals in the coming weeks, noting “conversations throughout the league have intensified” since the start of January.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Turner, Yelich, Rays, Marlins, ChiSox, Bryce, Manny

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This week in baseball blogs…

Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com

Jeff Banister Joins Pirates’ Front Office

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The Pirates have hired Jeff Banister as a special assistant, baseball operations, the team announced. He joins fellow new hire David Eckstein in that regard.

The 54-year-old Banister is headed back to Pittsburgh, which selected him in the 25th round of the 1986 draft. Banister then spent seven seasons in the Pirates’ minor league system and picked up his sole majors plate appearance with the team in 1991. He eventually went on to manage for five seasons in the minors with Pittsburgh and also spent three seasons as its major league field coordinator and eight as a minor league field coordinator. Banister topped that off by serving as the Pirates’ interim pitching coach in 2008 and their bench coach in 2010.

After his long tenure in Pittsburgh, Banister became the Rangers’ manager in 2014. He held that position through last year, posting a 325-313 regular-season record with a pair of playoff berths and two American League West titles. Perhaps Banister will be in line to become the Pirates’ next manager if Clint Hurdle’s run ends, then, though there’s no indication the Bucs are down on the latter despite three straight non-playoff seasons.

Indians Acquire Kevin Plawecki

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The Indians have acquired catcher Kevin Plawecki from the Mets for right-hander Walker Lockett and infielder Sam Haggerty, Cleveland announced.

This is the second trade of the day for the Mets, who previously acquired infielder/outfielder J.D. Davis in a five-player swap with the Astros. Plawecki became expendable to the Mets when they signed Wilson Ramos in free agency last month, and Sunday’s trade leaves them with three catchers – Ramos, Travis d’Arnaud and Tomas Nido – on their 40-man roster.

The Indians entered Sunday in need of reinforcements behind the plate, as they traded Yan Gomes to the Nationals in November. The subtraction of Gomes left the Indians with Roberto Perez and Eric Haase as the only catchers on their 40-man roster. Perez was a dreadful offensive player in 2018, though, while Haase has totaled a meager 17 major league plate appearances.

A former top-1o0 prospect, the 27-year-old Plawecki debuted in 2016. He has been a respectable hitter since 2017, having batted .225/.330/.379 (97 wRC+) with 10 home runs in 395 PAs. But Plawecki hasn’t been as useful on the defensive end, as Baseball Prospectus ranked him near the bottom of the majors in 2018, when he threw out 23 percent of would-be base stealers (28 percent was the league-average mark).

The 24-year-old Lockett had a short stint with the Indians, who acquired him in a November trade with the Padres. A fourth-round pick of the Padres in 2012, Lockett debuted in the majors last year, though the results weren’t pretty. Lockett pitched to a 9.60 ERA in 15 innings in San Diego, but he has been better at the Triple-A level, where he has put up a 4.60 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 over 206 2/3 frames. Haggerty, also 24, joined the Indians as a 24th-round pick in 2015. He has since hit .244/.349/.373 in 1,341 minor league PAs.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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