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NL Notes: Dodgers, Kemp, Giants, Bumgarner, Braves, Marlins

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The Dodgers’ best chance of moving Matt Kemp may be to package the veteran outfielder (and the $43MM remaining on his contract) along with some good minor league talent to a team with payroll space that is willing to “buy a prospect,” Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan writes.  Such moves are becoming increasingly common around baseball, such as the Padres’ acquisition of Chase Headley and Bryan Mitchell from the Yankees earlier this offseason.  The Dodgers have a deep enough farm system that they might not necessarily have to offer one of their top-tier prospects to unload Kemp; Sullivan cites righty Wilmer Font as the type of MLB-ready minor leaguer that could step right into the rotation of a rebuilding team.  Some creativity may be required to work out a Kemp trade, though the five-player, luxury tax-bending deal with the Braves that brought Kemp back to L.A. was itself pretty unique.  If it costs the Dodgers a star prospect to get Kemp off the books, it might be worth it in the long run if the trade frees up enough money for the Dodgers to re-sign Yu Darvish.

Some more from around the National League…

  • Should the Giants sign Madison Bumgarner to an extension?  The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly (subscription required) looks at the factors that the team will face in making that decision, such as other future salary commitments, whether the Giants will remain competitive in the coming years, and whether they’ll be wary about another long-term deal for a pitcher going into his 30s when other such recent contracts (i.e. Barry Zito, Matt Cain) didn’t work out.  San Francisco isn’t in any immediate rush to decide on the matter, however, as Bumgarner is controlled through 2019 via a $12MM club option.  This gives the Giants time to determine if they can extend their window of contention or perhaps if Bumgarner himself is still in his old form after his injury-marred 2017 campaign.
  • The Braves’ lineup has lost a lot of pop with the departures of Kemp, Matt Adams, and Brandon Phillips, and the team’s primary hope is that its young players emerge as power threats, Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.  Continued development from Ozzie Albies, Rio Ruiz, and Johan Camargo would be a boon for the team, and big things are expected from star prospect Ronald Acuna.  There’s also still the potential for another addition, GM Alex Anthopoulos said: “We’ve talked about the loss of power and how to make up for it.  I don’t have an answer today. Normally you’d say ’Wow, it’s late January, how do you not have an answer?’ But there’s a lot of free agents still out there and there’s a lot of bodies.”
  • The Marlins’ fire sale is the largest ever, The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh writes, as only one team in baseball history has traded more WAR in a single offseason than Miami has this winter.  That team (the 1899 Louisville Colonels) technically shouldn’t count given the unusual circumstances — Colonels owner Barney Dreyfuss bought a share of the Pirates and then sold much of Louisville’s top talent to Pittsburgh.  Lindbergh’s piece chronicles the top 20 biggest talent purges from one season to the next, with some other recent teams (the 2014 Braves, 2014 A’s, and 2012 Marlins) also appearing on the list.

Latest On MLB’s Pace-Of-Play Initiatives

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Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke with reporters (including USA Today’s Bob Nightengale) today about the latest proposal he has presented to the players’ union in regards to reducing the average time of games.  After the last plan was officially rejected by the MLBPA, Manfred’s latest offer removes the 20-second pitch clock — that previous proposal’s most controversial feature — from the equation as long as players adhere to other time-streamlining regulations and game-times fall as a result.

The on-field procedures would include hitters remaining in the batter’s box at all time, and both hitters and pitchers would have to be immediately ready once the commercial break in between innings comes to an end.  (The commercial breaks themselves would also be shortened.)  As well, each team would be limited to six total mound visits per game, whether it was a manager, pitching coach, catcher or another player making the trip.  Should these changes result in an average game-time of two hours and 55 minutes in the coming season, Manfred said a pitch clock wouldn’t be implemented for the 2019 season.  The pitch clock also wouldn’t be used in 2020 should game times in 2019 fall to two hours and 50 minutes.

Some of the rules in the new proposal are holdovers from Manfred’s previous proposal, though it was the pitch clock that particularly drew the ire of players, or rather the idea that the game itself would be influenced (via balls or strikes accessed to pitchers or hitters who took too long) by a strict countdown.

The players’ union has until roughly the opening of Spring Training camps to respond to this latest proposal, as though Manfred said that he didn’t have “a drop-dead day, firm” in regards to when a deal on rule changes could be finalized, “we need to make an agreement between now and when the players report.”

After Manfred’s statements today, MLBPA executive director Tony Clark’s response included a pointed comment about the slow-moving offseason transaction market:

“As we sit here today, the first week of February, our focus is on the 100-plus free agents still available. Players and the players association remain committed to the competitive integrity of the game on all fronts, including on-field rules.”

It should be noted that the collective bargaining agreement gives Manfred the power to unilaterally implement his plan, so he doesn’t officially require the MLBPA’s assent about the pitch clock or any other pace-of-play initiatives.  The commissioner would naturally want all parties to agree to a plan, of course, since as Nightengale notes, “it could be a public relations nightmare if [rule changes are] implemented without the players’ cooperation.”

White Sox To Sign Bruce Rondon

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The White Sox have agreed to sign right-hander Bruce Rondon to a minor league deal, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reports (Twitter link).

Rondon just turned 27 last month, and he has averaged an eye-popping 97.8 mph on his fastball over his 111 2/3 career Major League innings.  Despite this promise, however, it was no surprise when the Tigers non-tendered Rondon rather than pay him a projected $1.2MM in arbitration salary.  Rondon has struggled to translate his ability to miss bats into consistent performance, with a career 5.00 ERA including an ugly 10.91 ERA in 15 2/3 frames in 2017.  He also faced off-the-field criticism about his maturity and conditioning, culminating in the Tigers sending him home before the end of the 2015 season due to a perceived lack of effort.

A fresh start with a new organization certainly appeared to be necessary for Rondon to get his career on track, and he’ll now get another chance within the AL Central.  Rondon will be one of many veterans competing for spots in the Chicago bullpen, joining other offseason minor league signings like Xavier Cedeno, Jeanmar Gomez, Rob Scahill, and T.J. House.

Minor MLB Transactions: 2/1/18

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Here are the latest minor moves from around the sport, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

  • The Diamondbacks have signed first baseman Cody Decker, according to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman (Twitter link).  The deal is presumably a minor league contract.  Decker has a .261/.340/.517 slash line over 3537 career plate appearances in the minors, with his first seven seasons spent in the Padres’ organization (including his only MLB exposure, an eight-game stint in 2015).  He played for the Mets in 2017, almost exactly splitting time between the Double-A and Triple-A levels, and also played for Team Israel during the World Baseball Classic.  While primarily a first baseman, Decker also has experience at third base, catcher, and both corner outfield spots.

Diamondbacks Hire Jonny Gomes As Rookie League Hitting Coach

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The Diamondbacks announced a number of hirings, title changes, and promotions throughout their organization today, including the news that Jonny Gomes will be the new hitting coach for the team’s rookie ball affiliate in the Arizona League.  The move would seem to indicate that the 37-year-old Gomes has decided to call it a career after 13 seasons in the big leagues.

Gomes played for seven MLB teams from 2003-15, with his first six seasons spent in Tampa Bay.  His first extended taste of Major League action resulted in a third-place finish in AL Rookie Of The Year voting in 2005, after he hit .282/.372/.534 with 21 homers over 407 plate appearances.  While Gomes was rarely an everyday player during his career, he found plenty of regular playing time as a noted masher of left-handed pitching, posting a lifetime slash line of .273/.376/.479 against southpaws.

Beyond just his performance on the field, Gomes was well-known for his fiery personality and reputation as a clubhouse leader.  During his final four seasons, he was sought out as a mentor for young A’s and Royals teams making postseason runs, and Gomes was one of the originators of the beard craze that defined the World Series-winning 2013 Red Sox.

Several notable names were included in the Diamondbacks’ list of baseball operations moves, including the promotion of Burke Badenhop to special assistant to the general manager.  Badenhop, an eight-year MLB veteran, worked as an analyst in the D’Backs front office in 2017.  The recently-retired Daniel Bard is also joining the organization in the newly-created Player Mentor role.

Alderson On Mets’ Offseason, Moustakas, Asdrubal, Colon, Bullpen

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Speaking to fans and media (including the New York Post’s Mike Puma and MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) today at Citi Field, Mets GM Sandy Alderson addressed several questions about his team’s winter moves and what might still be yet to come.  Some highlights…

  • Alderson downplayed the idea of signing Mike Moustakas, noting that “the draft-choice compensation and the loss of international pool money, both are key to us improving what is now a less-than-robust farm system, so we have to be careful there.”  As per the rules of the new CBA, the Mets would have to give up $500K in international bonus pool money as well their second-highest pick in the 2018 draft to sign a free agent (like Moustakas) who has rejected a qualifying offer.  Alderson also noted that the Mets are looking for multi-position versatility, whereas Moustakas only plays third base.
  • To that same end, Alderson was “glad to hear” Asdrubal Cabrera’s recent comments about preferring to play second base rather than his currently-intended third base position.  “We thought he played pretty well [at third], we wanted to try to anchor that position in the event David Wright can’t come back,” Alderson said. “So we were a little reluctant to approach him about moving off of third if we were to find somebody to play third, so now that we know he would be happier at second, it broadens the scope of what we might be able to do.”  While the Mets have largely been focused on second base targets this winter, many of the players linked to the team (such as Josh Harrison or Eduardo Nunez) can play more than one position.  The re-signed Jose Reyes is also available as an option at multiple infield positions.
  • A reunion with Bartolo Colon doesn’t seem likely, even on a minor league contract for the veteran right-hander.  Colon has expressed interest in returning to his former team, to the point that the Mets are reportedly the only club Colon would consider accepting such a minors deal to pitch for, though it doesn’t seem as if there’s any present interest on the Mets’ side.
  • Alderson feels there could be quite a bit of further player movement at both the top and bottom of the free agent market in the coming weeks as teams drop players off their 40-man rosters to accommodate new signings.  Like other clubs, the Mets will monitor the market, with Alderson noting that they could pursue a veteran left-handed reliever.  The Amazins are notably short on southpaws, as Jerry Blevins and Steven Matz are the only left-handed pitchers on their entire 40-man roster.

Heyman’s Latest: Darvish, Utley, Hosmer, Moustakas, Stanton, Marlins, Melky, Dyson, Garcia, ChiSox

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Here’s the latest hot stove buzz from FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman in his weekly look at all 30 teams…

  • Yu Darvish is still on the radar for both the Cubs and Dodgers, though with some caveats.  Chicago “seem to be hoping that Darvish will choose them for reasons that are not economic,” which implies that Darvish would drop his asking price to play for a World Series contender.  In the Dodgers’ case, there is “some ambivalence by at least some” at the ownership level about bringing Darvish back in the wake of his well-publicized struggles during the World Series.
  • “The overwhelming belief is that Chase Utley will be back” with the Dodgers for another season.  Utley, who turned 39 last month, hit .236/.324/.405 in 353 PA in 2017, with most of those plate appearances coming against right-handed pitching.  Beyond his lefty bat and backup capability at first and second base, Utley is also regarded as a strong leader within the Los Angeles clubhouse.
  • “Royals ownership was more than willing to move on” from Eric Hosmer, though GM Dayton Moore is trying to do what he can to retain the core members of their 2014-15 pennant winners.  Moore is still hoping that Hosmer can be re-signed, though some cuts may need to be made to the K.C. payroll to facilitate the first baseman’s return.
  • The Yankees continue to monitor the infield market for second base or third base help, and discussed Mike Moustakas earlier this week.  Moustakas would cost significantly more than some of New York’s other targets, however, which doesn’t fit the Yankees’ plan of getting under the luxury tax threshold unless they can move other salaries.
  • Earlier reports indicated that the Giants were willing to pay up to $230MM of the $295MM owed on Giancarlo Stanton’s contract, though Heyman writes that San Francisco was actually willing to absorb all $295MM.  Some “not upper-tier” prospects also would’ve gone to the Marlins.  Since Stanton wasn’t willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Giants, of course, it ended up being a moot point.  The Cardinals were willing to take on roughly $265MM of Stanton’s deal and offered the best trade package in terms of prospects, according to a source who had seen the proposals Miami received from the Cards, Giants, and Yankees.
  • The Marlins have received just “limited interest” in Starlin Castro in trade talks, and may have to eat some of the $22MM remaining on his contract in order to complete a deal.  Castro has already switched uniforms once this winter, going from the Yankees to the Marlins as part of the Stanton trade, and he has already asked Miami’s front office to be dealt.
  • Melky Cabrera has drawn some interest from the Marlins, Royals, and Pirates.  There hasn’t been much news on the veteran outfielder this winter, with only the Orioles (also mentioned here by Heyman) previously reported to have discussed Cabrera’s services.
  • Jarrod Dyson’s asking price was in the area of a two-year, $14MM deal, though the speedy outfielder has been receiving one-year offers “for less than a third” of his hoped-for dollar figure.  The Blue Jays, Giants, Mariners, and Orioles have been linked to Dyson at various times this winter, though the first three of those teams have since addressed their outfield needs with other players.
  • Heyman adds Jaime Garcia’s name to the list of veteran starters receiving consideration from the Orioles.  Garcia posted a 4.41 ERA, 2.02 K/BB rate, and 7.4 K/9 over 157 innings for the Braves, Twins, and Yankees last season.  As noted by Heyman, the O’s are particularly stringent when it comes to pitchers’ medicals, which could be an issue in Garcia’s case — the lefty has a history of shoulder problems and a Tommy John surgery on his record.
  • The White Sox are looking for DH help, but they don’t appear to be looking at the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp as a trade possibility.

Nationals Sign Miguel Montero To Minor League Deal

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3:45pm: Montero’s contract will pay him $1.3MM if he makes the 25-man roster, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (Twitter links).  Another $1.7MM is also available to Montero in incentives.

1:35pm: The Nationals have signed veteran catcher Miguel Montero to a minor league deal and invited him to Major League Spring Training, tweets Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. The Rep 1 Baseball client will compete with young Pedro Severino for a backup role in camp.

The 34-year-old Montero split the 2017 season between the Cubs and Blue Jays, hitting a combined .216/.310/.346 in 213 plate appearances. Of course, the nature of his departure from the Cubs organization was a larger story than his production at or behind the plate in 2017; following a late-June game when the Cubs’ opponent (coincidentally — the Nationals) ran amok on the basepaths, Montero publicly blasted starter Jake Arrieta for being slow to the plate and not giving him enough of a chance to throw out the opposing base thieves.

Unsurprisingly, the comments weren’t well received within the clubhouse or the front office, and Montero was designated for assignment the very next day despite the fact that he carried a strong .286/.366/.439 slash line at the time. Montero hooked on with the Blue Jays but floundered through 101 plate appearances, hitting just .138/.248/.241 through season’s end.

While he’s struggled at the plate in each of the past two seasons, Montero isn’t far removed from being a productive bat. In 2015 he served as Chicago’s primary backstop and hit .248/.345/.409 with 15 homers in 403 plate appearances, and his overall body of work from 2009-15 is solid: .265/.347/.421.

The Nats, of course, will hope his 2018 form more closely mirrors that solid seven-year run between the D-backs (where current Nats GM Mike Rizzo played a part in signing Montero) and the Cubs. Washington received a putrid year from 2016-17 offseason signee Matt Wieters, who batted just .225/.288/.344 with poor defensive ratings while earning $10.5MM in the first season of a two-year deal. Wieters had the opportunity to opt out of that deal and re-enter the free agent market, though he wisely forewent that option to remain in D.C. and earn another $10.5MM.

Montero and Severino will vie for at bats, as things currently stand, though the Nats could yet make a larger splash. Catcher has been a reported target for the team, and the Nats are said to have their eye on Marlins star J.T. Realmuto as a trade option. It’s possible that the Nats are kicking the tires on other trade targets as well, of course, and Jonathan Lucroy stands out as a prominent name that remains available on the open market.

Shelby Miller Wins Arbitration Hearing Against Diamondbacks

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Right-hander Shelby Miller has won his arbitration hearing against the D-backs, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (via Twitter). The Roc Nation Sports client will earn $4.9MM in 2018 as opposed to the $4.7MM figure that was submitted by the team. His $4.9MM payday lines up with his projected arbitration salary from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.

Miller, of course, underwent Tommy John surgery early in the season, thus making it somewhat of a surprise to see him earn a modest raise. However, he did make four starts and post a 4.09 ERA with 20 strikeouts against 12 walks in 22 innings, and the arbitration panel apparently deemed that small sample of work worthy of a modest boost in pay. Arizona’s $4.7MM submission was merely a repeat of the salary that Miller earned in 2017, so their proposal was simply to not offer a raise at all and renew him at his previous rate of pay.

The season-ending surgery for Miller served to create a second consecutive disappointing season in Arizona after the D-backs infamously gave up Ender Inciarte and Dansby Swanson in order to acquire Miller two offseasons ago. However, it’s worth noting that Miller’s velocity, swinging-strike rate and overall strike percentage had demonstrated legitimate improvement through his first four starts after a nightmarish 2016 season in which he logged a 6.15 ERA in 101 innings.

Those 2016 struggles prompted the D-backs to, somewhat stunningly, option Miller to Triple-A Reno. (The move itself wasn’t necessarily stunning in light of his significant struggles, but it’d have been borderline unbelievable prior to Opening Day 2016.) That minor league demotion cost Miller enough service time to buy the Diamondbacks another year of control over Miller, who can still be controlled for another two seasons via arbitration. If he returns healthy in 2018, his raise for the 2019 season will now have a marginally higher base point.

The $200K discrepancy between the figures submitted by the two sides may seem like an exceptionally small gap to bridge in such a dramatic fashion. But, Miller’s modest raise will now serve as a data point in all future arbitration scenarios (for both the D-backs and the 29 other clubs), and teams often feel obligated to take a hard line against making too many concessions and progressing the market for future waves of arbitration negotiations. That’s a subject which MLBTR explored at length a few years back, for those interested in reading more about the team’s viewpoints on arbitration matters.

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