Mets Acquire Keon Broxton
Per releases from both teams, the Mets have acquired OF Keon Broxton from the Brewers for righty Bobby Wahl and minor leaguers Adam Hill and Felix Valerio.
Broxton, who’s one of the league’s flashiest defenders in center field, has been a fixture on the rumor mill since the back half of last winter, when the Brewers traded for Christian Yelich and signed Lorenzo Cain in a matter of days. Plate appearances in Milwaukee were scarce last season for the 28-year-old, who returned to Triple-A for the fourth time, slashing a below-average .254/.323/.421 over 334 plate appearances in one of the minors’ most hitter-friendly yards. In 89 big-league trips to the plate, Broxton managed just a .179/.281/.410 line, though he did post a ridiculous 11 DRS in just 134 center-field innings, a total which bested all but four full-time players at the position.
The former Diamondback and Pirate farmhand, who remains under club control for four additional seasons, has long been beset by an alarming propensity for the swing and miss – in 2017, when he accumulated a robust 463 plate appearances for the Crew, Broxton’s 37.8 K% was the highest in baseball among all near-full-time players; in 2016, he struck out over 36 percent of the time. The totals, though, are somewhat offset by a willingness to work counts and an especially-discerning eye vs. left-handed pitching – in 252 career plate appearances against lefties, Broxton sports an excellent 15.5% BB rate, and should represent a quality weak-side platoon option for New York at any outfield position, should Brandon Nimmo or Michael Conforto sputter against same-side arms next season.
For the Mets, the move goes a long way toward addressing the team’s outfield depth, one of its few remaining offensive holes. Juan Lagares, who profiles almost identically to Broxton, as a late-twenties, right-handed, light-hitting quality defender in center, was the penciled-in starter at the position, but the longtime Met has found it almost impossible to stay healthy for a good portion of the season, appearing in just 203 combined games since the outset of the 2016 season. Yoenis Cespedes, who underwent a second heel surgery in October, has also been routinely shelf-ridden, and may miss the entirety of 2019. The other two spots are locked down by Nimmo and Conforto, but the club had precious little depth aside. Such a move likely removes A.J. Pollock from the team’s offseason table, though New York had lately seemed a fringe-at-best candidate for his services anyway.
The Brewers, as mentioned, were dealing from an outfield surplus: in addition to reigning All-Stars Cain and Yelich, the club also sports Ryan Braun and Eric Thames as corner options, and just moved one-time regular Domingo Santana for another, left-handed outfielder Ben Gamel. The 2019 outlook for Broxton didn’t figure to brighten, so dealing the soon-to-be 29-year-old seemed prudent indeed for the defending NL Central champs.
Wahl, 26, will bring his highly-touted fastball/slider mix to one of the league’s deepest bullpens. Acquired by New York in a midseason deal that sent righty Jeurys Familia to Oakland, Wahl spent most of his time at Triple-A Nashville last season, where he sported a prodigious 14.75 K/9 over 39 2/3 innings. The flamethrowing righty has struggled with an array of injury issues in the past, including a thoracic outlet procedure in 2017, but looked mostly healthy last season. Command has also been a problem – in short big-league stints with the A’s and Mets, Wahl has walked a troubling 5.54 men per nine, and Steamer projects the total at 4.36 for the upcoming campaign.
Hill, 21, was the Mets’ 4th-round selection in the 2018 draft. In 15 short-season A-ball innings, the 6’6 righty struck out a promising 26 batters in just 15 1/3 IP. Baseball America’s pre-draft scouting report lauds Hill’s “heavy” fastball and projects mid-rotation upside, with the caveat that his secondary offerings can be “inconsistent” and his command “at times erratic.” The South-Carolina born product checked in at #24 on FanGraphs’ latest ranking of the New York farm.
Valerio, 18, was signed in early 2018 as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic. The now-shortstop stands just 5’7 but showed well in his initial professional exposure, slashing .319/.409/.433 for the Mets’ Dominican Summer League affiliate.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor MLB Transactions: 1/5/19
We’ll use this post to track today’s minor moves from around the baseball world…
- The Yankees have signed former Oakland and Kansas City outfielder Billy Burns to a minor league deal, per Michael Mayer of MetsMerized (Twitter link). Last season was the first season since 2013 that Burns, 29, didn’t see playing time at the major league level. With the Royals’ Triple-A club, the fleet-footed outfielder hit just .255/.314/.316, stealing 10 bases but getting caught eight times. Burns’ heyday came in 2015 when he finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting, slashing .294/.334/.392 while swiping 26 bags as the A’s primary centerfielder. Unfortunately, Burns’ offensive output cratered in his follow-up campaign as he was demoted by July before eventually traded to Kansas City in a deadline deal for outfielder Brett Eibner. Specifically, Burns hasn’t come close to duplicating the already-below-average power output of his rookie season, when he knocked 18 doubles, nine triples and five home runs.
Pirates List Of Spring Non-Roster Invitees
The Pirates released a list of non-roster invitees who have been invited to big league camp this spring, per a team announcement. The most notable name on the list belongs to third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who ranks second on Baseball America’s list (subscription required) of Pirates top prospects.
Hayes, 22 in January, will likely spend 2019 in Triple A after slashing .293/.375/.444 with Double A Altoona last season, also earning Pittsburgh’s Minor League Player-Of-The-Year honors. Hayes has yet to see his power show up in game, but he’s otherwise marched steadily through the Pittsburgh system since being drafted 32nd overall in the 2015 draft.
Other notables include infielder Will Craig, Altoona’s MVP last season, outfielder Bryan Reynolds, a highly-regarded prospect in his own right who hit .302/.381/.438 in Double A last season, and right-handed starter Tyler Eppler, who tied for Pittsburgh’s minor-league lead in wins while going 13-6 with a 3.59 ERA over 153 innings for Triple A Indianapolis. It also happens to be his birthday, so Happy Birthday and congrats to Tyler, who turned 26 today.
The full list of those receiving the NRI includes Elvis Escobar, Geoff Hartlieb, Alex McRae, Eduardo Vera, Brandon Waddell, Blake Weiman, Jason Delay, Christian Kelley, and Arden Pabst.
Mets Sign Rymer Liriano
The New York Mets have reportedly signed outfielder Rymer Liriano to a minor-league deal, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (via Twitter). The deal includes opt out clauses specifically for playing opportunities in Japan and Korea, as well as a $600K guarantee if he makes the big league club.
Liriano will audition for a reserve role in the outfield, where he faces an uphill climb to make the roster, as veterans Rajai Davis and Gregor Blanco will also be in camp auditioning for likely no more than a single roster spot. Without any further additions, regular contributors Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto and Juan Lagares would soak up most of the outfield at-bats, with any number of Jeff McNeil, Dominic Smith, Dilson Herrera and Travis d’Arnaud potentially seeing time in the outfield as well. Given that the Mets hope to get Yoenis Cespedes back at some point during the season, Liriano seems likely ticketed for another season in Triple A if he stays with the organization beyond the spring.
Liriano, 27, last saw big league action with the White Sox in 2017, managing a .220/.304/.341 line in limited time. He made his ML debut in 2014 for the Padres where, as a 23-year-old, he struggled to the tune of .220/.289/.266 across 121 plate appearances. He was originally signed by the Padres as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic back in 2007.
Quick Hits: Giants, Brewers, Spangenberg, Orioles
First-year Giants President of Baseball Ops Farhan Zaidi isn’t feeling the pressure of the offseason quite yet, in part because the offseason action has shifted later and later into the winter. Zaidi doesn’t care to comment publicly about any specific trade talks or which free agents the team might be targeting, but he knows the San Francisco fanbase is growing restless, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Madison Bumgarner remains their biggest trade chip, but assuming the World Series hero stays in the Bay, relievers Tony Watson and Will Smith have drawn the most interest around the league. Still, their new President is in no rush to jump the market. Despite coming to SF from LA, Zaidi is a small market strategist who spent his first ten years in the game with Oakland before working under long-time Rays’ GM Andrew Friedman. Large market teams like SF and LA have poached front office personnel from smaller markets in part to better avoid the exact type of splashy free agent signing that fans crave. All signs point to Zaidi bringing the Dodger model to the Bay – which isn’t huge payrolls and headline free agents – it’s creative, innovative “small market” thinking first, and dipping into the reserves of their large market second.
- The Milwaukee Brewers are fairly confident that offseason signee Cory Spangenberg has room to grow in a couple areas of his game, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. GM David Stearns sees some unrealized power potential in the 6’0″ infielder, but the more actionable area of growth for Spangenberg is his versatility. He mostly played second base and third base as a Padre, with occasional spurts in the outfield (in 2017, he got 25 starts in left field). Stearns sees Spangenberg continuing with outfield work, as well as picking up some time at shortstop in the spring. Defensive metrics haven’t raved about Spangenberg’s work at any position, but even if he’s only a passably below-average defender, there’s something to be said for being passably below-average all over the diamond.
- The hallways at Orioles HQ aren’t exactly bustling with activity, but the analytics, coaching and front office teams are beginning to fill out. With less than six weeks before the opening of Spring Training, GM Mike Elias is comfortable being in the early stages of building, shaping and refining those departments. Nonetheless, Baltimore’s front office team is – in the fateful parlance of the Emperor – fully armed and operational, per Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun. After clearing out much of the staff both before and after the hiring of Elias, those remaining staffers have been given more responsibility until key vacancies are filled. Koby Perez takes over one of those key roles as the new senior director of international scouting, a position with greater import in Baltimore than perhaps any other organization in the league, as his responsibilities include the management of their robust international bonus pool money. Though they have until June 15th to spend that money, Elias and Perez recognize that the international scouting process is typically a years-long, not a months-long process, per MLB.com’s Joe Trezza, and they are in no rush to spend to the limit. Though they can spend close to $6MM in that area, they are by no means required to, and there are many areas internally where that sum of money could be put to use.
Quick Hits: Free Agency, Harper, Machado, Tulo, Kikuchi, Red Sox
Why are Bryce Harper and Manny Machado still available on the free agent market, with relatively few teams in the hunt for two 26-year-old stars? As The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (subscription required) explores, their situation is another sign of how baseball’s “current economic system is outdated and flawed.” Teams are increasingly leery of signing players to ultra-long contracts, yet are also just as worried about signing players to contracts with fewer years but higher average annual salaries out of fear of crossing the luxury tax threshold. The result is “baseball’s version of a Catch-22,” Rosenthal writes, and he also points out that teams seem unnaturally adverse to making luxury tax payments given that relatively tiny amount of money actually spent on the tax.
More from around the game as we head into the weekend…
- In a conference call with reporters (including ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey) today, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that he kept in contact with Manny Machado’s camp, and let them know in advance about the team’s plan to sign Troy Tulowitzki. Beyond that, Cashman unsurprisingly didn’t share details about New York’s pursuit of Machado, and in fact stressed that Tulowitzki is atop the club’s depth chart at shortstop, at least until Didi Gregorius is healthy. “We have really reacted in a positive way to have that type of dialogue with Troy and to commit to giving him that opportunity to be our everyday shortstop,” Cashman said. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily close the door on the idea of Machado joining the Yankees — beyond just gamesmanship on Cashman’s part, Machado could also be deployed as a third baseman, with Miguel Andujar then either moving to first base or perhaps traded to another team.
- Yusei Kikuchi received several seven-year contract offers from teams, agent Scott Boras told reporters (including TJ Cotterill of the Tacoma News Tribune) during Kikuchi’s recent introductory press conference. While such offers guaranteed Kikuchi more security, they also would’ve required Kikuchi to adopt a regular MLB workload right away, which concerned both the southpaw and Boras given how several Japanese pitchers in the past have suffered arm injuries while adapting from a Japanese pitching schedule to North American baseball’s every-five-days rotation lineup. Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto answered those concerns with both a unique plan for managing Kikuchi’s arm and innings, as well as a contract that could last three, four, or seven years in length.
- Pitching has gone from a weakness to a strength for the Red Sox over the last five seasons, and Alex Speier of the Boston Globe details how the club upgraded its scouting and development system to better identify talent and then further build on that talent once on the Sox roster. Speier delves into the team’s acquisition of Nathan Eovaldi at the trade deadline, and how Eovaldi took on some tips from pitching coach Dana LeVangie and assistant pitching coach Brian Bannister to make his fastball more of a weapon. These tweaks and an increased usage of his curveball took Eovaldi’s performance up another notch (after he already pitching well for the Rays) after joining the Red Sox, and he then was one of the stars of Boston’s World Series run.
NL Notes: Cubs, Epstein, Brewers, D’Backs, Cotham
It continues to be a quiet offseason for the Cubs, though president of baseball operations Theo Epstein tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that the team remains active in exploring various options for upgrades. “There are times to be aggressive and times to be patient, and there are times when you can be aggressive and times where you have to be patient,” Epstein said. “Every offseason is unique. We’re working hard, and there are a lot of things we’re trying to do behind to the scenes to make sure we have a successful season next year. I know thus far we haven’t added the big names that get the fans excited. I understand that’s part of the expectations in the offseason.” Trades, moreso than free agents, have taken up much of Epstein’s time as of late, he said. This could potentially tie into the biggest recent item concerning the Cubs, namely the possibility that they could make a play for Bryce Harper if they can carve out enough payroll room.
More from around the Senior Circuit…
- Even with Cory Spangenberg now officially in the fold, the Brewers continue to be open for business in looking for infield help, general manager David Stearns told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters. A “wide variety” of free agent infielders are under consideration, as well as trade possibilities, and the option of acquiring a third baseman and then shifting Travis Shaw back to second base.
- MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert doesn’t see the Diamondbacks trading Archie Bradley or Jake Lamb this offseason, though in Lamb’s case, that could be due in part for his injury-shortened down year in 2018. Arizona’s trade of Paul Goldschmidt is the defining move of its offseason, and while the team may still be weighing trades of Zack Greinke, David Peralta, or others, the D’Backs have resisted going into a full rebuild. Bradley is only arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, so he’s still a long-term piece for the D’Backs who could factor into the team’s plans when it again makes a full-on push for contention.
- The Reds announced a series of organizational hires yesterday, including a familiar name joining the coaching staff. Former Reds right-hander Caleb Cotham has been hired as assistant pitching coach, working under pitching coach (and Cotham’s former coach at Vanderbilt) Derek Johnson. Cotham pitched in parts of seven seasons as professional ballplayer, including 35 games and 34 innings for the Yankees and Reds in 2015-16, before retiring prior to the 2017 campaign.
Agency Changes: Lorenzen, Verdugo
Here’s the latest on players makes changes to their representation. For a full listing of player/agent pairings, be sure to check out MLBTR’s Agency Database.
- Reds right-hander Michael Lorenzen is now being represented by CAA, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. Lorenzen changes his agency just a week before the deadline for players an teams to exchange arbitration figures. MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projects Lorenzen to earn $1.9MM next season as the righty goes through the arb process for the second time. The hard-throwing Lorenzen has been a workhorse out of the Reds’ bullpen the last two seasons, tossing several multi-inning performances and even three starts while racking up 164 innings. If the two sides can’t agree to a deal prior to the January 11 deadline, Lorenzen’s situation could make for an interesting hearing, given the increasing value of non-closer relievers in the sport and the arb process’ traditional importance on saves as a reliever’s key statistic.
- Dodgers outfield prospect Alex Verdugo has switched his representation to the MVP Sports Group, Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown reports (via Twitter). Verdugo entered 2018 as a consensus top-40 prospect in the sport, and received a bit more big league playing time with the Dodgers, giving him 52 MLB games and 111 plate appearances over the last two seasons. There’s room for a larger role for Verdugo in 2019 with Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp now out of the picture in the L.A. outfield, though the 22-year-old has also been prominently mentioned in several trade rumors. The Tigers and Indians have both reportedly shown interest in Verdugo, though it’s probably safe to imagine that just about every club that talks trades with the Dodgers at least checks in on Verdugo’s availability.
Minor MLB Transactions: 1/4/19
Rounding up some minor league moves from around baseball…
Latest Transactions
- The Dodgers signed outfielder Cameron Perkins to a minor league deal with an invitation to their big league spring camp, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports (Twitter link). A sixth-round pick for the Phillies in 2012, Perkins made his big league debut in 2017, posting a .510 OPS over 97 plate appearances for Philadelphia. The Mariners claimed him off waivers last winter and he spent last season in Seattle’s farm system. Perkins has hit .278/.332/.418 over exactly 2800 minor league PA and played all three outfield positions, plus some time at both corner infield slots.
Earlier Today
- The Cardinals have outrighted Ryan Meisinger to Triple-A after the right-hander cleared waivers, the team announced (Twitter link). Meisinger will stay in the organization after being designated for assignment in December to make room on the Cards’ roster for Andrew Miller. The 24-year-old Meisinger made his big league debut last season, posting a 6.43 ERA over 21 innings for the Orioles, and St. Louis claimed him off waivers from the O’s last month.
- The Red Sox have signed right-hander Josh Smith and catcher Oscar Hernandez to minor league deals. the team announced. Both players are among the list of names receiving invitations to Boston’s Major League Spring Training camp. Smith tossed 127 1/3 innings for the Reds and Athletics from 2015-17 but didn’t appear in the majors last season, spending the year at the Triple-A affiliates of the Red Sox and Mariners. Hernandez also spent 2018 with Boston’s Triple-A club in Pawtucket, though his season was marred by a 50-game suspension due to a second positive test for a drug of abuse. Hernandez has a career .251/.329/.424 slash line over 1947 minor league plate appearances, and he appeared in 22 MLB games with the Diamondbacks in 2015-16.
- The Pirates also announced some non-roster invitees to their big league Spring Training camp today, including the addition of right-hander Roberto Gomez on a minor league deal. (John Dreker of PiratesProspects.com had the news on Gomez back in November.) The 29-year-old Gomez has 14 2/3 career MLB innings to his name, all with the Giants over the last two seasons. Over 550 career minor league frames, Gomez has a 3.68 ERA, 6.3 K/9, 2.16 K/BB rate, starting 92 of his 147 career games but seeing increasing usage as a reliever over the last two seasons.
Royals Sign Kyle Zimmer, Designate Cheslor Cuthbert
The Royals have signed right-hander Kyle Zimmer to a one-year deal, the team announced (Twitter links). Zimmer’s deal is a Major League deal, and MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports (via Twitter) that it is a split contract. Zimmer will earn $124K in the minors and $555K (the MLB minimum salary) if he cracks the Royals’ big league roster. In a corresponding move, the Royals have designated third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert for assignment.
After being selected with the fifth overall pick of the 2012 draft, Zimmer has yet to reach the majors, as his development has been stalled by a series of injuries. Shoulder and elbow problems have been consistent issues, and Zimmer underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in July 2016. All in all, Zimmer has tossed just 259 minor league innings since making his pro debut in 2012, and he didn’t pitch at all last season.
In this context, it’s a little curious why K.C. felt the need to sign Zimmer to a Major League contract rather than another minor league agreement, though obviously the price is far from prohibitive and the split deal gives Zimmer a bit of extra guaranteed cash.
Despite all the injuries, Zimmer continued to be listed on multiple top-100 prospect rankings as recently as 2016, due to the potential he flashed when he was able to take the mound. Zimmer has a 3.54 ERA, 10.8 K/9, and a 3.44 K/BB rate in the minors, though he did have a 5.79 ERA over his only Triple-A exposure, a 32 2/3-inning stint in 2017. Zimmer worked mostly as a reliever in 2017 and that would seem like his clearest path to the majors, though just making the Show would be an achievement for Zimmer at this point given his plethora of health issues.
Cuthbert has also been plagued with injuries over the last two seasons, playing in just 88 total games for the Royals with only a .215/.278/.313 slash line over 270 plate appearances. Cuthbert looked to breaking in as a regular in the Kansas City lineup in 2016, though his diminished play over the last two years has made him an expendable part of the Royals’ rebuild.
The Royals avoided arbitration with Cuthbert by agreeing to a $850K contract for the 2019 season, though like all arb deals, this contract isn’t guaranteed until the season actually begins. If the Royals were to part ways with Cuthbert before the 16th day of Spring Training, they would only owe him 30 days of prorated termination pay based on his contract value (so in this case, roughly $143K). Cuthbert is also out of options, so even if Kansas City wanted to keep him in the organization, he’d have to clear this waiver process.