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Brewers Re-Sign Eric Sogard

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The Brewers announced Thursday that they’ve re-signed infielder Eric Sogard to a one-year, Major League contract. Sogard had been set to hit free agency but will instead return to the Brewers rather than test the open market.

[Related: Updated Milwaukee Brewers depth chart]

Eric Sogard | Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Sogard will receive a guarantee of $2.4MM plus $650K worth of possible incentives. That includes $150K apiece upon playing in his 30th, 50th, 70th, and 90th games as well as another $50K if he raches 120 games played. Octagon brokered the deal on the player’s side.

Sogard, 31, inked a minor league deal with the Brewers last winter after missing the 2016 season due to knee surgery. The longtime A’s infielder came to Milwaukee with a reputation as a plus defender with a light bat but posted a career-year at the dish in 2017. After having his contract selected in mid-May, Sogard turned in a .273/.393/.378 batting line with three homers, 15 doubles and a triple over the life of 299 plate appearances.

Most of Sogard’s defensive reps came at second base with the Brewers, but he also played shortstop and third base in addition to logging eight innings in left field with Milwaukee. The knee injury that cost him the 2016 season didn’t appear to have any adverse effect on Sogard, as Defensive Runs Saved pegged his work at second base as five runs above average (in just 365 innings) and his glovework at shortstop at two runs above average (160 innings).

“Eric brings to the team a veteran presence who possesses the ability to play multiple positions and reach base at a high rate,” said general manager David Stearns in a press release announcing the move. “We are pleased to welcome Eric and his family back to Milwaukee for the 2018 season.”

SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter) and MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy (Twitter link) reported financial details.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mariners Outright Ryan Garton

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The Mariners announced Thursday that right-hander Ryan Garton has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Tacoma, thus removing him from the 40-man roster.

Garton, 28 in December, was acquired from the Rays alongside catcher Mike Marjama in a minor August swap. Garton actually pitched rather well following his trade to Seattle, tossing 11 2/3 frames and allowing just two runs (1.54 ERA) on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. He averaged an even 92 mph on his heater to go along with a 41.2 percent ground-ball rate. All told, Garton has a career 4.55 ERA with 7.2 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 44 percent ground-ball rate in 61 1/3 Major League innings. Presumably, he’ll compete for a spot in the Seattle bullpen next spring.

Cubs Claim Jacob Hannemann, Designate Mike Freeman

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The Cubs on Thursday announced that they’ve claimed outfielder Jacob Hannemann off waivers from the Mariners and designated infielder/outfielder Mike Freeman for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Hannemann was originally with the Cubs earlier this year but was claimed off waivers by the Mariners in September. He’ll now return to the organization that selected him in the third round of the 2013 draft.

The 26-year-old Hannemann made his MLB debut with the Mariners following that claim, though he collected just 20 plate appearances over the final month of the season and hit .150/.150/.300 (3-for-20 with a homer and four punchouts).

Through 322 PAs with Triple-A Iowa in 2017, Hannemann slashed .265/.324/.404, though his rough Double-A performance dragged his cumulative batting line down to a less palatable .240/.312/.372. Baseball America rated Hannemann as Chicago’s No. 23 prospect last offseason, writing that he has 70-grade speed and is the “best athlete in the Cubs system.” However, he also has a fringy arm in the outfield, per their report, and has never demonstrated that much power in the minors.

The 30-year-old Freeman saw time with the Cubs, Mariners and Dodgers in 2017, appearing at all four infield positions but mustering just a .100/.182/.183 slash in 66 trips to the plate. Freeman’s jack-of-all-trades status on the defensive end of the spectrum and quality on-base numbers in Triple-A have made him a desirable commodity to round out 40-man rosters over the past couple of seasons, though. He’s played every position other than catcher over the past two seasons and has a career .312/.377/.420 batting line in parts of four Triple-A campaigns.

Reds Claim Micah Johnson Off Waivers

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The Braves announced Thursday that infielder/outfielder Micah Johnson has been claimed off waivers by the Reds. Cincinnati has plenty of open space on its 40-man roster, so a corresponding move isn’t needed to accommodate his addition.

Once considered the second baseman of the future for the White Sox, Johnson went from Chicago to the Dodgers by way of the three-team trade that sent Todd Frazier to the Reds to the ChiSox. Johnson spent the 2016 season in the Dodgers’ organization but was flipped to Atlanta last January. He enjoyed a solid run with Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate, hitting .289/.377/.400 in a small sample of 155 plate appearances but also missed a significant portion of the year due to a fractured left wrist.

Cardinals To Name Mike Maddux Pitching Coach

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The Cardinals are set to hire veteran pitching coach Mike Maddux to replace Derek Lilliquist, who was let go after the season, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (on Twitter). Maddux has spent the past two seasons as Dusty Baker’s pitching coach with the Nationals but was not renewed after his two-year contract with the Nationals expired.

Maddux, 56, has been a big league pitching coach dating back to the 2003 season. He spent six seasons in that role with the Brewers (2003-08) before moving on to occupy that position with the Rangers (2009-15) and Nationals (2016-17). The older brother of Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, Mike has developed a reputation as one of baseball’s best pitching minds after a successful 15-year playing career and now another 15 years as a big league pitching coach.

Twins Hire Garvin Alston As Pitching Coach

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The Twins announced on Thursday that they’ve selected Athletics bullpen coach Garvin Alston as their new pitching coach, replacing the previously dismissed Neil Allen.

Alston, 45, was the Diamondbacks’ bullpen coach in 2016 and opened the 2017 season as the Padres’ coordinator of pitching rehab before joining the Athletics as their bullpen coach for the bulk of the 2017 season. He’s served as a minor league pitching coach and minor league pitching rehab coordinator with the A’s for parts of 10 years as well. Alston made a handful of appearances with the 1996 Rockies during his playing days and spent parts of nine seasons playing professionally after being taken in the 10th round of the 1992 draft.

With the Twins, he’ll be tasked with molding a young staff that is fronted by veteran Ervin Santana but otherwise figures to consist largely of still-developing arms. Young Jose Berrios is among the Twins’ most important core pieces, and top prospects Stephen Gonsalves and Fernando Romero could both figure to factor into the Twins’ 2018 plans (though both will almost certainly open the year in Triple-A). Alston’s background in pitching rehab is also of note for a club with Phil Hughes (thoracic outlet surgery), Trevor May (Tommy John surgery) and touted minor league relievers Nick Burdi (Tommy John surgery) and J.T. Chargois (stress reaction in right elbow) all missing the majority of the season due to injury.

Yankees Will Not Retain Manager Joe Girardi

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The Yankees announced on Thursday that after a decade as the team’s manager, Joe Girardi will not return for an 11th season in 2018. Girardi’s four-year contract (worth a reported total of $16MM) expired at the end of the 2017 season.

Joe Girardi | Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Girardi himself tells WFAN’s Sweeny Murti that he did not decide to step down, but that the Yankees made the decision not to retain him (Twitter link): “With a heavy heart, I come to you because the Yankees have decided not to bring me back.”

There have been rumblings for the past couple of weeks that Girardi’s future with the Yankees was uncertain. Ken Rosenthal wrote for The Athletic yesterday (subscription required) that some Yankees officials had gotten the sense that Girardi was “spent” and “ready to move on.” Rosenthal also noted, though, that there was some degree of tension between the Yankees and Girardi. ESPN’s Buster Olney, in fact, tweets that general manager Brian Cashman’s recommendation to owner Hal Steinbrenner was that the Yankees make a change at the manager position.

Cashman offered the following comment in a press release announcing the decision not to retain Girardi:

“I want to thank Joe for his 10 years of hard work and service to this organization. Everything this organization does is done with careful and thorough consideration, and we’ve decided to pursue alternatives for the managerial position. As Hal Steinbrenner and I mentioned to Joe directly this week, he has been a tremendous Yankee on the field and away from it, as a player, coach and manager. He has a tireless work ethic, and put his heart into every game he managed over the last decade. He should take great pride in our accomplishments during his tenure, and I wish Joe and his family nothing but success and happiness in the future.”

Girardi, 53, will walk away from the Yankees with an outstanding 910-710 regular-season record as well as a 28-24 record with the Yankees in the postseason. That playoff record includes a 2009 World Series Championship and this past season’s deep run into Game 7 of the ALCS in what many expected to be a transitional year for the Yanks.

Girardi came under fire following a misstep in Game 2 of the ALCS when he neglected to challenge a hit-by-pitch call on a pitch that, in replay, looked to have struck Indians outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall’s bat rather than his hand, as had been ruled. Chisenhall went to first base, setting the stage for a dramatic Francisco Lindor grand slam.

In the coming days, Girardi owned the mistake, telling the media that he “messed up.” If his accountability wasn’t enough to atone for the decision, however, the Yankees’ play certainly was in the eyes of most fans. Girardi’s Yankees stormed back to win three straight against the Indians, marching to the ALCS and taking the Astros to the brink of elimination in a seven-game series.

Yankees higher-ups, however, seemingly weren’t swayed by the team’s resiliency. Whether the decision ultimately came from the front office or from ownership, Girardi somewhat remarkably becomes the third playoff manager and the sixth overall to be removed from his post in since late September. Two division champion managers, John Farrell (Red Sox) and Dusty Baker (Nationals) have been shown the door by their respective organizations. Additionally, the Phillies (Pete Mackanin) and Mets (Terry Collins) moved their skippers into advisor roles within the front office, while the rebuilding Tigers parted ways with Brad Ausmus.

The managerial seats of both the Nationals and the Phillies remain vacant, creating the possibility that Girardi could enter the mix for either position. Given Girardi’s track record and the level of respect that he has earned throughout the industry, it’d be something of a surprise if either club didn’t reach out to him. As for the Yankees, they’ll embark on their own search for a new skipper in the weeks to come.

David Kaplan of ESPN 1000 first broke the news (on Twitter). FanRag’s Jon Heyman first tweeted that the decision came from the Yankees, not Girardi.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Indians Name Carl Willis Pitching Coach

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The Indians announced on Thursday that they’ve hired Carl Willis as the team’s new pitching coach. Willis will replace the highly regarded Mickey Callaway, who left the Indians organization this week to become the new manager of the Mets. Willis, of course, is a familiar name to Indians fans, having served as the pitching coach in Cleveland from 2003-09.

Following his initial run in Cleveland, Willis became a minor league pitching coordinator with the Mariners and, eventually, the pitching coach in Seattle. He’s spent the majority of the past three seasons as John Farrell’s pitching coach with the Red Sox, but Boston gave its coaching staff freedom to explore other opportunities when Farrell was dismissed from his post. Willis had also reportedly interviewed with for the Twins’ pitching coach vacancy before accepting the job with the Indians. As Cleveland.com’s Zack Meisel points out (on Twitter), Willis has coached four pitchers during Cy Young seasons: CC Sabathia (2007), Cliff Lee (2008), Felix Hernandez (2010) and Rick Porcello (2016).

As a player, the 56-year-old Willis spent parts of nine seasons in the Majors, mostly with the Twins, from 1984-95. He made a pair of starts as a rookie for the Tigers in ’84 but worked exclusively as a reliever for the remainder of his career, ultimately tallying a 4.25 ERA in 390 innings at the big league level. Willis, nicknamed “The Big Train,” was one of Minnesota’s top relievers in their ’91 World Series Championship season, tossing 89 innings of 2.63 ERA ball.

Brewers Extend Chase Anderson

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8:40am: McCalvy provides additional financial details (Twitter link): Anderson will receive a $1MM signing bonus and is guaranteed salaries of $4.25MM in 2018 and $6MM in 2019. The contract also has $400K worth of incentives available each year.

8:34am: The two options are valued at $8.5MM and $9.5MM, MLBTR has learned (Twitter link). Both contain $500K buyouts.

8:26am: Anderson will be guaranteed $11.75MM over the two guaranteed years of the deal, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman (on Twitter). MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, meanwhile, tweets that Anderson can earn up to $31.35MM over the four years if both options are exercised and if Anderson meets all of the incentives that are baked into the deal.

8:05am: The Brewers announced this morning that they’ve signed right-hander Chase Anderson to a two-year contract that runs through the 2019 season and contains club options for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Anderson, a client of Hub Sports Management, was arbitration-eligible for the second time as a Super Two player this winter. The new contract gives Milwaukee cost certainty over his final three arbitration years and as well as control over one would-be free-agent season.

Chase Anderson | Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

“Signing Chase to a multi-year contract furthers our strategy to acquire, develop and retain talent throughout our organization,” said Brewers GM David Stearns in a press release announcing the new contract. “Chase’s 2017 performance elevated his stature in the game and demonstrated that he has the capability to lead a rotation. Since he arrived in Milwaukee, Chase has been a model contributor to our community both on and off the field. We are happy for him and his family and look forward to Chase’s contributions for years to come.”

Anderson, 30 next month, was originally acquired alongside prospect Isan Diaz in the trade that sent Jean Segura from Milwaukee to Arizona. The righty has been a stable source of useful innings since debuting with the D-backs in 2014 but elevated his game to a new level in his second season with Milwaukee. This past season, Anderson broke out with a 2.74 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a 39.2 percent ground-ball rate in 141 1/3 innings.

Anderson’s velocity jumped a bit in 2017, and in addition to his career-high K/9 rate, he also posted career-best marks in swinging-strike rate and opponents’ contact rate. Beyond his velocity increase, Anderson also began throwing more cutters and curveballs at the expense of his changeup and four-seam fastball — and the results were clearly favorable. An oblique injury cost him nearly two months of his season this summer, but outside of a minor triceps issue in 2015, Anderson has never been on the MLB disabled list with an arm injury.

Moving forward, Anderson figures to play an even larger part in the Milwaukee rotation, as the Brewers are not yet certain what to expect out of emergent ace Jimmy Nelson in 2018. Nelson underwent shoulder surgery last month, and it’s known that he’ll miss a notable portion of the upcoming regular season, though the team has yet to put a specific timeline on his recovery or project a return date. Anderson will be joined in the rotation by young righty Zach Davies, though as noted in MLBTR’s Offseason Outlook on the Brewers, the Brewers possess several options but few locks beyond those two spots. In all likelihood, that pair will be joined by at least one starting pitcher that isn’t currently in the organization.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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