MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Phillies Sign Will Middlebrooks To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | January 3, 2018 at 4:06pm CDT

4:06pm: USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that Middlebrooks’ deal with Philadelphia contains a $1.2MM base salary if he makes the big league roster. The contract also has opt-out language to afford Middlebrooks the right to pursue opportunities in Asia should they arise.

3:58pm: The Phillies announced 10 minor league signees today, including one for former Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks. (SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo had previously tweeted that a match between the two sides was likely.)

Philadelphia also announced its previously reported minor league agreements with righties Pedro Beato and Steve Geltz, infielder Pedro Florimon and catcher Eric Fryer. Others joining (or re-joining) the Phils organization include catcher/infielder/outfielder Matt McBride, infielders Heiker Meneses and Mitch Walding, catcher Logan Moore and outfielder Danny Ortiz. All 10 players received invites to Major League Spring Training.

Middlebrooks and McBride are the only two newly revealed signees to bring MLB experience to the table. It’s now been five years since Middlebrooks looked to be a rising star in the Red Sox organization after hitting .288/.325/.509 with 15 homers in 286 plate appearances as a rookie. Since that time, the now-29-year-old Middlebrooks’ star has faded; he’s batted just .210/.256/.356 in 948 plate appearances split between the Red Sox, Padres, Brewers and Rangers. Last year, Middlebrooks hit .211/.231/.368 in 39 PAs with the Rangers.

McBride, 32, played in 92 games with the Rockies and A’s from 2012-16, batting a combined .201/.228/.299 in 202 PAs along the way. He does carry a lifetime .299/.343/.506 batting line in parts of eight Triple-A seasons — during which time he’s logged more than 1000 innings as a catcher, first baseman, left fielder and right fielder.

Padres Reportedly Agree To Minors Pact With Tyson Ross

By Jeff Todd | January 3, 2018 at 1:56pm CDT

JAN. 3: Ross’s base salary would be $1.75MM, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets. He can earn up to $4.25MM in incentives, per the report, and has opt-out dates on May 15th and June 15th. Unsurprisingly, the deal includes a spring invite.

Regarding the incentives, Ross will need to hold down a rotation spot for virtually the entire season to max them out. Beginning with his fifth game started, he’d receive $150K; upon starting his twentieth outing (and ending at his 29th), Ross can earn $200K per start.

DEC. 29, 8:55pm: Ross would earn between $1MM and $2MM in base salary if he makes the club, tweets Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter), with additional incentives available based upon the number of games he starts.

5:24pm: The Padres have agreed to terms on a minor-league deal with righty Tyson Ross, according to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter). Presumably, he’ll receive an invitation to MLB Spring Training.

Ross, 30, found success in his prior tenure with the Padres, compiling 522 innings of 3.16 ERA ball over four seasons. But he was non-tendered after missing virtually all of the 2016 campaign and eventually required thoracic outlet surgery.

While the hope was that Ross could bounce back after signing a one-year deal with the Rangers, he struggled badly in the 2017 season after a long rehab process. He averaged just 92 mph on his four-seam fastball — two or more clicks below his typical rate — and limped to a 7.71 ERA in 49 innings. Ross walked 37 batters while generating only 36 strikeouts and sported a meager 6.2% swinging-strike rate that was only about half of his typical level in San Diego.

Should the Padres find a way to get Ross back on track, he could conceivably represent quite a value. But there clearly wasn’t a great deal of optimism around the game, given that Ross had to settle for a non-roster accord just two years removed from a string of successful campaigns.

The Friars have had some success of late at finding rotation innings at bargain rates. If Ross is to crack the roster, though, he’ll have to earn his way on in camp. Presumably, he’ll compete with pitchers such as the just-acquired Bryan Mitchell and injury returnees Robbie Erlin, Colin Rea, and Matt Strahm.

Padres Avoid Arbitration With Carter Capps

By Jeff Todd | January 3, 2018 at 1:10pm CDT

The Padres have avoided arbitration with righty Carter Capps, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Capps will play at a $1,062,500 rate for the 2018 season.

That’s a bit less than the $1.3MM payday that MLBTR projected him to earn via arbitration, though Capps did not have a strong case for much of a raise. Last year, in his first season of eligibility, he earned $987,500, but did not pitch much in the ensuing season. He can be controlled for one additional campaign through the arb process.

Capps, 27, came to the Friars in the complicated 2016 Andrew Cashner deadline swap. At the time, Capps was recovering from Tommy John surgery. He finally made it back to the hill late in the 2017 campaign, though only in time to throw 12 1/3 innings. And his season ended with another procedure, this time to address thoracic outlet syndrome.

The latest surgery came after Capps showed diminished form in his return to the majors. He managed only seven strikeouts against two walks in his 11 appearances late in 2017. Of greater concern, perhaps, he worked in the 93 mph range with his fastball, over five miles per hour less than his peak.

Still, the Padres are obviously willing to stake a fairly minor bet on a rebound; the hope, perhaps, is that he can show renewed life after the thoracic outlet procedure. The upside is undeniable: Capps was utterly dominant in a breakout 2015 campaign, when he ran a 25.4% swinging-strike rate, 16.8 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9, and 1.16 ERA over 31 innings.

Extension Records: Pre-Arbitration

By Jeff Todd | January 3, 2018 at 12:17pm CDT

While it’s true that we haven’t yet seen all of the anticipated activity in the trade and free agent markets, that likely won’t stop teams and players from considering extensions. This is around the time of year that it’s typical to begin seeing deals.

Last year was no exception, with players such as Danny Duffy, Wil Myers, and Kole Calhoun among those inking extensions in January and others following throughout the spring. In some cases, the pressures of arbitration agreements help to spur broader talks; the Cardinals, for instance, locked up Carlos Martinez for the long run rather than just nailing down a single-season salary.

With another extension season perhaps soon to be underway, it seems like an opportune time to look at some of the top such contracts ever agreed upon. (We did something similar last year with some arbitration records.) Of course, we utilized MLBTR’s extensive extension tracker to produce the results.

All of the above players were at least eligible for arbitration. But some of the most interesting deals occur in situations where a player has yet even to reach the stage in which their salary will begin to rise significantly. In such cases, teams often possess quite a bit of leverage, though the relative lack of MLB track record of those players can perhaps also increase the risk.

Here are a few important market markers for pre-arb extensions:

Earliest Extension

Jon Singleton, Astros: Zero days of service

At some point, this’ll likely become a shared record. For now, though, Singleton is the only player who has ever signed an extension prior to (or, in his case, at the point of) his first MLB promotion. While the contract promised Singleton only $10MM, it gave him both protection and some earning upside, as I explained at the time. While Singleton is still young enough to turn things around, he has not yet panned out at the MLB level, so the deal has worked out quite well for him.

Biggest Contract, Less Than One Year Of MLB Service

Tim Anderson, White Sox: 6 years, $25MM (plus two options)

This contract type was once almost exclusively in the domain of the Rays, who locked up Evan Longoria (link), Matt Moore (link), and Chris Archer (link) to early deals. (Salvador Perez of the Royals is another key example.) But the Sox came through with the most recent, and most lucrative, deal for a player with less than one year of MLB service. Anderson had played for most of a season at the game’s highest level, so it wasn’t as if he had yet to put down any track record there. But it still seemed like a not-insignificant risk for a player with some definite kinks to iron out. Anderson struggled in the first year after signing the deal, though there’s plenty of time for him to make good on it.

Biggest Contract, Between One And Two Years Of MLB Service

Andrelton Simmons, Braves: 7 years, $58MM

Though Simmons never seemed likely to draw massive arbitration salaries, since so much of his value came from his glovework, he still holds the record for the largest deal for a player with less than two years of MLB service. That deal topped Ryan Braun’s longstanding record of $45MM. Most recently, Christian Yelich of the Marlins comes in just behind Simmons with a deal that promised him just under $50MM and also included a club option for an eighth season. While the Simmons contract has since been dealt to the Angels, it continues to be an appealing asset — all the more after his outstanding all-around 2017 season.

Biggest Contract, Between Two And Three Years Of MLB Service (Non-Super Two)

Mike Trout, Angels: 6 years, $144.5MM

This deal stands out, and for good reason: Trout is the greatest player of his generation. No other 2+, non-Super Two players have landed in his stratosphere, though some have secured major guarantees. Carlos Gonzalez ($80MM, Rockies), Hanley Ramirez ($70MM, Marlins), Matt Carpenter ($52MM, Cardinals), Andrew McCutchen ($51.5MM, Pirates), Justin Upton ($51.25MM, Diamondbacks), and Rougned Odor ($49.5MM, Rangers) are among them. Since signing, Trout has continued to reel off otherworldly seasons. The 26-year-old almost certainly would have secured his third MVP award in 2017 had he not been limited to 114 games due to a thumb injury.

Biggest Pre-Arb Pitching Contract

Corey Kluber, Indians: 5 years, $38.5MM (plus two options)

Fair to say there’s some added risk discount baked into pitching deals. Kluber became the latest highly accomplished pre-arb hurler to ink a contract with this same essential structure. The dollars have slowly crept upward over the years, but the early-2009 Jon Lester deal with the Red Sox remains the model. Over the years, Yovani Gallardo (link), Trevor Cahill (link), and Chris Sale (link) are among the starters that took this sort of agreement with over two years of MLB service (but not enough to reach arbitration as a Super Two). It’s not really worth treating the 1+ service class any differently; we’ve seen the same apply there, with Madison Bumgarner earning the largest such deal ($35MM) and pitchers like Julio Teheran (link) and Ricky Romero (link) also checking in with similarly structured contracts. Kluber’s age likely prevented him from truly breaking out of the mold, as he was coming off of a Cy Young campaign when he put pen to paper. Since, he has turned in 640 2/3 innings of 2.98 ERA pitching, locking up his second AL Cy Young nod last season.

Biggest Pre-Arb Reliever Contract

Sean Doolittle, Athletics: 4 years, $10MM (plus two options)

It’s not all that surprising to learn that not many pre-arb relievers have signed extensions at all, let alone that none rank among the largest in the game. Perhaps that will begin to change, though, with the bullpen taking on an increasingly prominent role in game management and top-end arms securing rather massive payouts via free agency (and, in some cases, through saves-fueled arbitration cases). The Doolittle contract has worked out quite well despite his injury struggles and the A’s own disappointments on the field. Oakland swapped the contract to the Nationals last summer, cashing in on the high-powered southpaw at a point when he was in good health and throwing well.

Longest Guaranteed Term, Pre-Arb Extension

Ryan Braun, Brewers: 8 years

Unless there’s a longer prior deal that pre-dates our database and isn’t known to this author — if so, let us know in the comments! — the first Braun extension contained the longest fully guaranteed term given to a pre-arb player. (As noted above, its $45MM guarantee also once held the record for money promised to a 1+ arb class player, but it has since been eclipsed.) There are a few other deals that contemplate potential eight-year terms — utilizing 7+1, 6+2, or 5+3 guarantee/option structures — but this appears to be the only one that gives the player such extensive security for such a long time frame. Astute readers will note that one contract appears to provide for a potential nine-year term: Jose Tabata’s extension with the Pirates, which has widely been discussed as a six-year contract with three options. But that deal was signed in August of 2011 — the same season that must be counted as the first to accept that characterization. While Tabata did receive a modified salary for the season he was then in the middle of playing, the deal covered only eight future campaigns. (As things turned out, of course, the options never even came into play as Tabata’s career fizzled out.)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/2/18

By Jeff Todd | January 2, 2018 at 11:02pm CDT

We’ll track the day’s minor moves in this post:

The Reds have reached a minor league agreement with utilityman Phil Gosselin, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports (Twitter link). The 29-year-old Gosselin divided last season between the Pirates and Rangers organizations, hitting an ugly .146/.180/.188 over a small sample of big league PAs (50). While Gosselin was also ineffective at the Triple-A level (.260/.299/.326 in 292 PAs), he’s not far removed from a useful two-year showing in the majors. From 2015-16, Gosselin combined for 1.4 fWAR on the strength of a .280/.340/.411 line in 358 trips to the plate with the Braves and Diamondbacks.

Earlier updates:

The Phillies have agreed to a minor league contract with right-handed reliever Steve Geltz, Cotillo tweets. Geltz worked exclusively with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in 2017 and posted a 2.67 ERA, 9.67 K/9 against 4.00 BB/9 and a 37.1 percent groundball rate over 27 innings. The 30-year-old previously saw major league action with the Angels (2012) and Rays (2014-16). Across 104 1/3 big league frames, Geltz owns a 4.23 ERA to accompany 8.54 K/9, 3.71 BB/9 and a 28.8 percent grounder mark.
Infielder Ivan De Jesus Jr. is joining the Red Sox on a minor league deal, per Cotillo (Twitter link). De Jesus, 30, has past experience with the Boston organization, having been a member of it in 2012 and ’14. More recently, he spent last season with the Brewers’ Triple-A club and batted a robust .345/.407/.488 in 466 trips to the plate. He hasn’t been nearly as successful across 545 major league PAs with the Dodgers, Red Sox and Reds, having slashed .242/.303/.327.
The Cardinals have added backstop Steven Baron on a minors pact, according to MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch (via Twitter). (As she also notes, and we covered previously, the club also added catcher Francisco Pena.) Baron, 27, was the 33rd overall pick in the 2009 draft, but he has never hit much at all in the minors and has only minimal MLB experience. Still, he’ll represent another upper-level depth option for the Cards, who’ll become his first organization other than the Mariners. Baron spent most of 2017 at Triple-A, where he slashed .256/.339/.329 in 187 plate appearances.

Cubs Rumblings: Arrieta, Darvish, Cobb, Cole, Yelich

By Connor Byrne | January 2, 2018 at 9:07pm CDT

The latest on the North Siders comes from Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago…

To this point, the Cubs and Cardinals have shown the most interest in free agent right-hander Jake Arrieta, according to Levine. The Cubs reportedly may be willing to offer a four-year, $110MM contract to the soon-to-be 32-year-old Arrieta, who mostly thrived with the team from 2013-17.
Elsewhere on the pitching market, the Cubs remain in contact with Yu Darvish and Alex Cobb, per Levine, though he casts doubt on them being the favorites to sign the latter. They’re wary of Cobb’s asking price, which appears to be in the $17MM to $19MM range per annum, Levine relays.
Along with the previously reported Chris Archer, the Cubs are interested in swinging a trade for Pirates righty Gerrit Cole, Levine writes. This is the first reported connection of the offseason between the Cubs and Cole, who has mostly been linked to the Yankees. Talks between the Yankees and Pirates simmered last month, though, which could pave the way for another team to swoop in and land the 27-year-old. Given that Chicago and Pittsburgh are in the same division, the Cubs are obviously quite familiar with Cole. The Scott Boras client is under control for the next two seasons, and he’ll earn a projected $7.5MM in 2018.
Looking beyond starting pitching possibilities, Levine doesn’t rule out more additions to the Cubs’ bullpen or position player group. With Wade Davis having signed with the Rockies, the Cubs could be in the market for a closer if they don’t want to turn the ninth-inning reins to either of the just-signed Brandon Morrow–Steve Cishek tandem or another in-house option. But whether the team bids on a top free agent like Greg Holland or Addison Reed could depend on how much spending room it has left after it picks up another starter, per Levine. Further, it’s possible the Cubs could try to trade for Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich, who would likely cost them fellow center fielder Albert Almora Jr. in a deal, Levine contends. He also lists free agent center fielder Lorenzo Cain as a name to watch for the Cubs.

NL Notes: Marlins, Dodgers, Rockies, Brewers

By Connor Byrne | January 2, 2018 at 8:03pm CDT

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald has obtained two versions of Project Wolverine – the operational plan of new Marlins owners Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman – one of which is from August and the other from a couple months before. According to the document, whose name stems from Jeter’s home state of Michigan (the Wolverine State), the Marlins will turn a profit in 2018. Most of that will come from MLB’s sale of BAMTech to Disney, which entitles each team to a one-time payout of $50MM. Otherwise, exactly how much of a profit the Marlins will rake in next season is going to depend largely on their television deal with Fox, Jackson explains.

Back in August, Jeter and Sherman forecast a $68MM “cash flow” profit, but they projected $44.8MM would come via an up-front payment from a renegotiated TV contract with Fox. There hasn’t been a renegotiation yet, though, and if it doesn’t occur, the Marlins’ projected profits would drop to $23MM or lower for next season, Jackson reports. The Marlins’ pact with Fox runs through 2020 and ranks as the lowest-paying TV contract in the majors, and as Jackson notes, it’s a key reason why the team is unwilling to field a larger payroll. Additionally, as of August, the Marlins expected a 2018 spike in attendance revenue, but that now looks questionable at best with fan favorites Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna having been traded in payroll-slashing deals. Looking beyond next season, Jeter and Sherman projected profits of $10MM in 2019, $15.8MM in 2020 and $22MM in 2021 in August, details Jackson, whose piece is well worth a full read.

Checking In On Last Year’s American League Playoff Teams

By Connor Byrne | January 2, 2018 at 6:25pm CDT

With 10 teams qualifying for the MLB playoffs annually, there’s guaranteed to be a fair amount of turnover at the top of the mountain each season. For instance, both the 2016 and ’17 postseasons welcomed five playoff teams that didn’t earn a trip during the previous campaign. At least some of last year’s playoff-bound clubs will face a high degree of vulnerability going into 2018, then, and it would obviously behoove all 10 to make as many improvements as possible heading into the spring. This offseason has unexpectedly operated at a Pedro Baez-esque pace, leaving room for 2017’s top teams to make some significant moves over the next couple months if they wish.

As you’ll see below in this AL-focused edition, headline-grabbing transactions are likely still on the way for some of the junior circuit’s best teams from a year ago.

Cleveland Indians (2017 record: 102-60; current FanGraphs projection for 2018: 93-69): While the Indians are the odds-on favorites to win the AL Central for the third straight year, they’ve absorbed multiple blows this winter. First baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana, who had been a stalwart for the Tribe since 2010, joined the Phillies as a free agent. Likewise, workhorse reliever Bryan Shaw and fellow late-game standout Joe Smith exited on the open market, taking away a couple members of last year’s otherworldly pitching staff. And the Indians may also lose two more notable 2017 contributors in outfielders Jay Bruce and Austin Jackson, both of whom are unsigned.

Contrary to last offseason, when the Indians’ windfall from their 2016 World Series run helped them splurge on free agent Edwin Encarnacion, they’re unlikely to make any major moves this winter. As it stands, Cleveland hasn’t created headlines aside from exercising talented but injury-prone outfielder Michael Brantley’s $12MM option, reeling in Santana’s replacement – Yonder Alonso, whose fly ball-first offensive approach led to quality results in 2017 – and picking up outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. on a minor league pact. Jackson himself took a minors deal last year and went on to thrive as a reserve, giving the Indians hope that Upton will reestablish himself in similar fashion next season.

Houston Astros (2017 finish: 101-61; current projection for 2018: 97-65): No one would have blamed the reigning World Series champions for doing little to nothing this winter, given the dearth of weaknesses on their roster. Thus far, a bullpen that was unreliable in the playoffs has been an area of focus. Even that group wasn’t in dire need of help, however, despite Luke Gregerson’s departure in free agency. Nevertheless, the Astros bolstered their relief corps with the signings of the aforementioned Smith and ex-Cub Hector Rondon, giving them two more righties to join the likes of Ken Giles, Chris Devenski, Brad Peacock, Will Harris and Joe Musgrove.

It’s possible Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow’s offseason heavy lifting is now done, though it would seem unwise to rule out more pickups. After all, the Astros have been connected to top-tier starters Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta and Chris Archer, star outfielder Christian Yelich, and catchers J.T. Realmuto and Jonathan Lucroy on the rumor mill in recent weeks. They even showed some interest in 2017 NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton before the Marlins shipped him to the Yankees last month, and they’ve looked at free agent outfielder Carlos Gonzalez.

The shine has come off CarGo lately, but he might help replace retired designated hitter Carlos Beltran – who, despite being a highly respected veteran presence, wasn’t productive on the field last season. For now, catcher Evan Gattis is the front-runner to serve as Houston’s DH in 2018. If he does, that could open up room for a Realmuto or Lucroy acquisition, especially with Gattis and starting backstop Brian McCann likely to become free agents after next season.

Boston Red Sox (2017 finish: 93-69; current projection for 2018: 91-71): Despite their success last season, the Red Sox endured an uncharacteristically poor year at the plate as they began life after David Ortiz. While Boston did finish 10th in the majors in runs, it placed just 22nd in wRC+, 27th in home runs and 28th in ISO. Consequently, their fan base has been calling for the acquisition of a bopper to help fill Ortiz’s monumental void. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is sure to oblige at some point as he attempts to make life easier on rookie manager Alex Cora. The question is: Will the Red Sox successfully woo the premier hitter on the market, outfielder J.D. Martinez, and where would he play with the enviable OF trio of Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Andrew Benintendi in the fold?

The Red Sox and Martinez, an elite hitter with serious defensive limitations in the grass, have been in a staring contest for weeks. With free agency moving so slowly, a deal doesn’t appear imminent. Should Boston come up short in the Martinez sweepstakes, it’s unclear what it would do for a Plan B. Free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer, White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu and Orioles shortstop/third baseman Manny Machado have been on the Red Sox’s radar this winter; however, the presences of just-re-signed first baseman Mitch Moreland and DH Hanley Ramirez could complicate matters (the latter may be a release candidate, though), and acquiring Machado from the division-rival Orioles is hardly a slam dunk.

New York Yankees (2017 finish: 91-71; current projection for 2018: 91-71): The Yankees have also been in on Machado, who’d add to an already ridiculous lineup that includes the newest Bronx Bomber, Stanton, fellow 50-home run man Aaron Judge and big-hitting catcher Gary Sanchez, among others. Although swinging a deal for Machado appears unlikely, he’d fill a greater need in New York than he would in Boston. The Red Sox, after all, look set on the left side of their infield with Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts, whereas the Yankees have lost third basemen Chase Headley and Todd Frazier since last season. They also waved goodbye to second baseman Starlin Castro, who – along with two low-level prospects – went to Miami in the Stanton swap. But that was a small price to pay to get Stanton and Judge in the same lineup and outfield.

Being able to write Stanton, Judge and Sanchez into his normal lineup will put neophyte skipper Aaron Boone in an enviable spot, but the Yankees’ work isn’t necessarily done. While they’re bent on staying below the $197MM luxury tax threshold in 2018, GM Brian Cashman still seems likely to acquire at least one veteran infielder (perhaps Frazier, who remains a free agent) so as not to turn to unproven options at both second and third. Additionally, despite the re-signing of CC Sabathia and the presences of Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka (who surprisingly didn’t opt out of his contract at season’s end), Sonny Gray and Jordan Montgomery, Cashman has been on the hunt for an established, controllable starter.

The Yankees sent a haul of prospects to the A’s for multiple years’ control over Gray last summer, and it may happen again this winter for someone like Gerrit Cole (Pirates), Michael Fulmer (Tigers), Chris Archer (Rays) or Danny Duffy (Royals). Alternatively, a trade for contract-year Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin seems like a possibility. The Yankees have also shown interest in Darvish, though that looks like an improbable match when considering their tax concerns. Dumping a large portion of reserve outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury’s $68MM-plus contract on someone would help make a Darvish signing more realistic, but good luck with that.

Minnesota Twins (2017 finish: 85-77; current projection for 2018: 81-81): Speaking of Darvish, the small-market Twins have aggressively courted him this offseason as they work to upgrade an underwhelming starting staff. It’s an unlikely marriage on paper, but GM Thad Levine is familiar with Darvish from their time in Texas together. More importantly, the Twins have money available to make such a splash, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams explained in November. Whether via free agency (Darvish, Jake Arrieta, Lance Lynn, Alex Cobb) or a trade (Archer?), it would behoove the Twins to add at least one proven starter to a group that lacks certainty after Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios. Otherwise, repeating as a postseason-bound team in 2018 could be a rather tall task for Minnesota, particularly with the playoff-hopeful Angels having made one well-received move after another this winter. The Twins, meanwhile, have been mostly quiet in terms of transactions, with relatively inexpensive relievers Fernando Rodney and Zach Duke being their only notable signings.

Of course, when talking about the Twins’ offseason, it would be impossible to ignore the controversy surrounding franchise building block and third baseman Miguel Sano. Last week, photographer Betsy Bissen accused Sano of assaulting her in 2015. Sano issued a denial, but the league is now investigating the claim.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Yelich, Realmuto, Marlins, Machado, Sox, Orioles

By Connor Byrne and Jeff Todd | January 2, 2018 at 4:36pm CDT

The Marlins continue to discuss center fielder Christian Yelich and catcher J.T. Realmuto with other clubs, but there’s “nothing imminent” on the trade front, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com hears (Twitter link). Although the Marlins are in teardown mode, it would reportedly take a “huge overpay” for them to deal either Yelich or Realmuto, their two most valuable assets. The 26-year-old Yelich is controllable through 2022 on one of the majors’ most appealing contracts, while Realmuto (27 in March) is set to play his first of three arbitration-eligible campaigns in 2018. Kyle Downing of MLBTR examined Yelich, Realmuto and the rest of Miami’s trade candidates over the weekend.

More on the Fish and a couple other East Coast franchises:

Miami traded both Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna earlier this offseason, thus subtracting a pair of in-their-prime sluggers who combined for a whopping 96 home runs in 2017. Now, with those two in other uniforms, the organization is “looking for guys who can provide power in the middle of the lineup,” vice president of player development and scouting Gary Denbo told Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Unsurprisingly, though, the Marlins aren’t competing for high-level free agents who would serve as short-term upgrades, per Frisaro, who writes that “their vision is more long range.”
With the Red Sox still interested in acquiring Orioles third baseman/shortstop Manny Machado, Ian Browne of MLB.com weighs in on a potential trade between the AL East rivals. Browne senses that the Red Sox don’t want to trade either shortstop Xander Bogaerts or center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. this offseason, but he concedes that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the former head to Baltimore as part of a Machado deal. The Red Sox would be losing two years of Bogaerts for a single season of control over Machado. As such, if Boston acquires Machado, it would make an aggressive push to re-up the superstar in order to prevent him from leaving as a free agent next winter, Browne adds.
The Orioles still face a difficult path, all the more so given that the team will evidently be paying Zach Britton a full arbitration salary for what might be little more than a half season of work. Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun writes that, while the rotation market still hasn’t moved much, some of the arms from Baltimore’s potential target demographic are among those that have found new teams. Meanwhile, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com considers the question of whether the team will look to make second baseman Jonathan Schoop a part of a new long-term core — and, if so, how much it might cost to get something done.

Free Agent Notes: Hosmer, JDM, Arrieta, Cards, Twins, Abad

By Jeff Todd | January 2, 2018 at 1:29pm CDT

In his column today on the molasses-slow free agent market, Bob Nightengale of USA Today drops a few nuggets of information. The Padres’ offer to free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer would promise him seven years, says Nightengale. Meanwhile, top open-market slugger J.D. Martinez is sitting on a five-year offer from the Red Sox. In other chatter, Nightengale suggests the Cubs could be willing to go as high as $110MM over four years to bring back Jake Arrieta. Of course, the teams and players just cited have likely known one another’s positions for some time now, and these stalemates have yet to be resolved. These details also fall in line with what has been reported previously about the respective situations, though they are surely interesting data points as we seek to divine when and how the free agent dam will finally break.

Headlines

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect