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Heyman’s Latest: Arrieta, Lucroy, Tigers, Puig, Gordon, K-Rod, Acuna

By and | at April 14, 2018 9:59am CDT

The Cubs were known to have made “one last call” to Jake Arrieta‘s agent Scott Boras before signing Yu Darvish, and FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman provided some new details on that exchange.  Theo Epstein proposed a “theoretical” offer of six years and $120MM to Arrieta if, and only if, things did not work out with Darvish.  Epstein reportedly didn’t seriously think Arrieta’s camp would take the offer, and the executive was “just making the call to show respect” to a player who was such a major factor in Chicago’s recent success.  Even if Darvish had turned the Cubs down, it still doesn’t seem as if Arrieta and the team would’ve been able to come to an agreement, as Arrieta simply wanted a larger average annual value than Chicago was willing to offer (due to their desire to stay under the luxury tax threshold).  The Cubbies also are said to have put $48MM over four years on the table for Alex Cobb earlier in the winter before putting pen to paper with Darvish, and Heyman speculates that the Cubs might have eventually become interested in Alex Cobb had they missed out on both Darvish and Arrieta.

Here are a few items from Heyman, in his latest notes column…

  • The Nationals could potentially be contenders to sign Jonathan Lucroy next offseason.  Matt Wieters is in his last year under contract, and Washington had some interest in Lucroy this winter despite Wieters still being on the hook for $10.5MM this season.  Of course, quite a bit could happen to affect this interest between now and next winter, particularly since Lucroy is looking to rebound with the Athletics after a very inconsistent 2017 season.  If Lucroy does bounce back and the A’s are out of contention this year, I would think it possible that the Nats could even target Lucroy at the trade deadline.
  • In some Tigers agency news, righty Franklin Perez is joining Beverly Hills Sports Council while infielder Dixon Machado is now with Octagon. You can track the latest representation information with MLBTR’s agency database.
  • Speaking of agents, Yasiel Puig has been in talks with “several agencies” about representation since the Wasserman agency cut ties with the Dodgers outfielder in February.  Puig has also been considering having one of his current financial advisors represent him, though the MLBPA has “strongly advised” Puig to work with an established agency.
  • “It was very much a split decision” within the Royals front office to re-sign Alex Gordon to a four-year, $72MM deal in the 2015-16 offseason.  Gordon’s return to Kansas City was seen as something of a surprise at the time, though he had a strong personal desire to return to the team and the Royals were willing to spend extra to retain a key member of their World Series-winning team.  Gordon was entering his age-32 season at the time, however, and some in the organization felt “he had had worn down by that point” and wasn’t a good investment.  These concerns seem to have been well-founded, as Gordon has hit just .213/.300/.343 over 1071 PA through two-plus years of that contract.
  • Reliever Francisco Rodriguez is determined to continue pitching at age 36, even if it means going to an indy ball club.  He was released by the Phillies last month after spending most of the spring with the organization on a minor league deal, and K-Rod posted a 5.40 ERA over 6 2/3 Grapefruit League innings.
  • Shortstop Luisangel Acuna, the younger brother of star Braves prospect Ronald Acuna, will be a sought-after name in the next July 2 international signing period, Heyman writes in a separate piece.  The Rangers are one of multiple teams interested in the younger Acuna, who could receive a bonus as high as $500K.  This estimated price tag will keep the Braves out of the running, as they are limited to spending no more than $300K on any single international prospect for the next July 2 period.  MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez writes that some scouts feel Acuna will eventually have to move to second base, and he “has shown some power and has the potential to be an average-or-better hitter with proper instruction, but he’ll have to grow” beyond his current 5’9″, 160-pound frame.
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Indians Prospect Francisco Mejia Embroiled In Legal Dispute Over Future Earnings

By | at April 14, 2018 12:07am CDT

Indians prospect Francisco Mejia, who is generally considered one of the game’s very best prospects, has brought suit against an entity known as Big League Advance, according to a report from ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick. The litigation seeks to set aside a series of contracts between Mejia and BLA.

The precise nature of the agreements is itself evidently a subject of the lawsuit. Generally, though, the arrangement was for Mejia to receive a payment ($360K in this case) in exchange for a portion (10%) of his future earnings. Mejia clams the up-front money was in the nature of a loan, whereas BLA characterizes it as a no-strings-attached payment.

This general scheme shares plenty in common with Fantex, which previously struck some notable bargains with young MLB players. Of course, that company originally sought to sell “shares” of its investments to the general public, a novel marketing concept that seems not to have worked in practice. The BLA approach appears to be more of a hedge fund model and is (per its website) focused on pre-MLB players. Unlike players who are already in the majors, many prospects’ earnings are somewhat less certain and presumably can, therefore, be secured for lesser investments.

Unsurprisingly, Mejia’s allegations paint a less savory account of BLA’s business model than would the entity itself. CEO Michael Schwimer, a former MLB pitcher, denied that the organization utilizes abusive recruitment tactics and disputes certain elements of Mejia’s claims in particular. Crasnick ticks through some of the chief allegations. Whether or not the contract is enforceable will ultimately be decided by the pending court case, which is only just getting underway, unless the sides agree instead to a settlement.

Whether or not Mejia will be bound by this agreement is itself of note, as he’s a significant player who is expected to have a chance at staking a claim to a regular MLB job in short order. (Indeed, he already touched the bigs last year, leading BLA to seek its first payment.) But the lawsuit is potentially also of broader consequences, as it could have implications for the still-uncertain development of this model of outside investment in professional athletes’ future earnings.

Most notably, perhaps, is the simple fact that this sort of agreement was struck in the first place. Unlike the Fantex situation, BLA seemingly has not sought visibility. Indeed, it asks in a counterclaim for an injunction forbidding Mejia from publicizing his interactions with BLA. But it certainly seems this isn’t an isolated matter. The entity’s website claims that it has arrangements with at least three (anonymous) players who have reached the majors since originally signing with BLA. The site also quotes some unattributed statements of gratitude from those players.

As all this is going on, the 22-year-old Mejia is trying to force his way into the Indians’ immediate plans. He’s off to a tepid start at Triple-A and still doesn’t have a clear position at the game’s highest level. (A catcher by trade, Mejia is also working in the outfield at Columbus.) But most evaluators expect the youngster to establish himself before long as a high-quality hitter at the game’s highest level.

Prospect rankings — including Baseball Prospectus (#5), ESPN.com (#7), MLB.com (#11), and Baseball America (#20) — unanimously value Mejia as a top-end talent. He’s obviously already on the verge of drawing a major-league salary. Certainly, there’s every chance that ten percent of his eventual earnings will turn out to be quite a tidy return on the initial investment reputedly embodied in the contract that’s now in dispute.

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MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Andrus, Donaldson, Gurriel, Plawecki

By | at April 13, 2018 9:46pm CDT

ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(April 13th)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

—

AMERICAN LEAGUE

—

FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

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Orioles Return Rule 5 Pick Nestor Cortes To Yankees

By | at April 13, 2018 8:09pm CDT

The Orioles have returned Rule 5 selection Nestor Cortes to the Yankees, per a club announcement. The southpaw was designated for assignment recently.

Cortes took a spot on the Opening Day roster but coughed up four runs on ten hits and four walks in his 4 2/3 innings to begin the season. That led the O’s to part with the second of their three Rule 5 picks this season. Only righty Pedro Araujo remains among this year’s picks.

The Yanks will pay $50K to their division rivals to take back the rights to Cortes, who will not need to be added to the 40-man roster. He will try to pick back up where he left off in an impressive 2017 season, when he spent most of the season in the upper minors and ended with a 2.06 ERA over 104 2/3 total innings.

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Dinelson Lamet To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

By | at April 13, 2018 6:07pm CDT

Padres righty Dinelson Lamet will undergo Tommy John surgery, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell reports on Twitter. He’ll miss the remainder of the 2018 season and, likely, some of the 2019 campaign as well.

When Lamet hit the DL to open the year, the expectation was that it was only to allow him a brief rest after some elbow pain cropped up. Instead, a closer look evidently revealed damage to his ulnar collateral ligament. As Cassavell notes, the young righty hoped at first to rehab rather than undergoing surgery, but ultimately elected to bite the bullet and have the procedure.

It came as something of a surprise when Lamet was brought up to the majors early in the 2017 campaign. But he quickly proved he belonged, showing a strong fastball-slider combo that played in the rotation despite the fact that he only went to his third pitch (a change) in less than one of every twenty deliveries. The 25-year-old Lamet ended the year with a 4.57 ERA over 114 1/3 innings. He recorded 10.9 K/9 on an 11.8% swinging strike rate while permitting a few too many walks and dingers (4.3 and 1.42 per nine, respectively).

Though there are obviously still some elements of Lamet’s game in need of being smoothed out, the hope was that he would continue to advance while providing solid innings at the MLB level. Now, he’ll be staring down a lengthy rehab process. When the 2019 season gets underway, Lamet will already have accrued 1.130 days of MLB service, so he’ll be primed for potential Super Two status if he goes straight back to the majors once he finishes his rehab.

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Rangers Sign Yovani Gallardo

By | at April 13, 2018 3:12pm CDT

The Rangers have signed righty Yovani Gallardo to a minor-league deal, per a club announcement. He’ll report to Triple-A to begin his second stint with the Texas organization.

Gallardo has already spent time with the Brewers and Reds organizations this year. He was cut loose by each, though, after a middling spring with Milwaukee and then a messy three-appearance stint with the Cincinnati organization.

Now, the 32-year-old hurler will become the latest notable pitcher to seek a bounce back in Texas. He was acquired by the organization before the 2015 season in a swap that cost the Rangers future closer Corey Knebel. Gallardo originally launched his professional career after being drafted from a Texas high school, so there are multiple connections at play here.

That ’15 campaign is the last in which Gallardo has been effective. He worked to a 3.42 ERA in 184 1/3 innings for the Rangers, wrapping up an impressive run of success dating back to his debut season of 2007. Since, though, he has managed only 251 frames of 5.81 ERA ball with 6.5 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.

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Marlins Select Contract Of J.B. Shuck, Place Garrett Cooper On 60-Day DL

By | at April 13, 2018 2:27pm CDT

The Marlins announced on Friday that they’ve selected the contract of outfielder J.B. Shuck from Triple-A New Orleans. To clear room on the 40-man roster, first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper has been moved from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL. Outfielder Braxton Lee was optioned to New Orleans to create a 25-man spot for the veteran Shuck.

Cooper recently landed on the disabled list when he was hit on the wrist by a pitch, and while the initial injury report out of Miami was a contusion, it seems that the injury is likely worse than that given today’s shuffle. Indeed, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets that Cooper has been diagnosed with a partially torn wrist tendon sheath.

That’s obviously unfortunate news for the 27-year-old, who had a clear path to a full-season showcase with the Fish. The rebuilding Marlins organization acquired Cooper over the winter from the Yankees and had planned to give him a shot at earning time in the corner outfield while also backing up Justin Bour at first base.

Cooper put himself on the map with a surprising minor-league breakout last year, leading to his acquisition by the Yankees and first crack at the majors. In his first 54 plate appearances at the game’s highest level, nine of which came early this season, he carries a .300/.333/.440 batting line.

The 30-year-old Shuck, meanwhile, will help fill in for at least the time being. He failed to spend any time in the majors last year, instead turning in 475 plate appearances of .259/.325/.368 hitting at Triple-A with the Twins organization. In just over a thousand trips to the plate in the majors, Shuck carries a .251/.299/.328 batting line with eight home runs.

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Rays Designate Ryan Weber

By | at April 13, 2018 2:25pm CDT

The Rays have designated righty Ryan Weber for assignment, club broadcaster Neil Solondz tweets. The open roster spot will go to outfielder Johnny Field, whose contract was selected — as the team had announced already.

Weber had already been removed from the active roster to make way for Field, with the Rays initially optioning him out. Now, the 27-year-old will head to DFA limbo.

Weber has worked to a 5.11 ERA in 68 2/3 total MLB innings over the past four years. He missed a chunk of time in 2017 due to injury but did impress in his limited action at Triple-A. In 31 2/3 innings in six appearances, five of them starts, Weber worked to a 0.85 ERA with 5.4 K/9 against 1.1 BB/9.

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Travis d’Arnaud To Undergo Tommy John Surgery; Kevin Plawecki Placed On Disabled List

By | at April 13, 2018 2:08pm CDT

Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who’d previously been diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, the team announced on Friday.

Additionally, the Mets placed Kevin Plawecki on the 10-day DL due to a hairline fracture in his left hand, selected the contract of Jose Lobaton from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned out righty Jacob Rhame in place of outfielder Brandon Nimmo.

To make room on the 40-man roster for Lobaton, d’Arnaud was placed on the 60-day DL. Plawecki is expected to be out three to four weeks, the team told reporters (Twitter link via Mike Puma of the New York Post).

Suffice it to say, it’s been a devastating 48 hours for the Mets, who just days ago were counting on d’Arnaud and Plawecki to shoulder the entirety of their catching work in 2018. Now, they’ll be without Plawecki for perhaps a month’s time, while d’Arnaud will be lost for the whole season. In their stead, the Mets will turn to Lobaton and Double-A backstop Tomas Nido to handle immediate catching duties. Lobaton is in tonight’s lineup.

However, for a club that started 10-1, the Mets understandably aren’t keen on merely relying on depth pieces and journeyman stopgaps as they await the return of Plawecki, who, while he has shown promise in the past, is no sure bet for a productive campaign.

To that end, the Mets are already on the lookout for catching help, per multiple reports. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweets that a small-scale move — something along the lines of a pickup of recently designated veteran Miguel Montero — could be in play for the Mets. FanRag’s Jon Heyman, meanwhile, tweets that the Mets are “seriously” looking at adding a catcher, though GM Sandy Alderson, at least publicly, spoke to the contrary (Twitter links via DiComo and Puma).

Alderson indicated that his club will “be aware” of what is available on the catching market but is not actively pursuing a Major League catching addition. Puma notes that Alderson did suggest that trades are more plausible early this season than in other years because of the number of teams that “aren’t trying that hard.”

One move that seems decidedly unlikely is a swap for J.T. Realmuto. DiComo and Newsday’s Tim Healey have both thrown significant cold water on the possibility, downplaying the notion that the Mets would be able to put together a sufficient package and also downplaying the Marlins’ willingness to move him. Healey notes that the Mets and Marlins haven’t spoken about Realmuto at all this week, noting that offseason talks for the star catcher failed to gain any traction.

More emphatically, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com tweets that the Marlins don’t have any intention of dealing Realmuto while he’s rehabbing from injury and, in the grander scope of things, don’t even plan on making him available at all this season. It seems that the Fish would prefer to hold Realmuto through the end of the 2018 season and market him again next winter when a wider base of clubs could likely inquire about his services. Of course, such plans can always change at the deadline if a few contenders find themselves with an acute need, thus creating the basis for a bidding war, but for the time being it doesn’t sound as if a Realmuto trade is even worth speculating upon.

As far as depth options go, the Mets have already acted quickly to pursue one such addition. Former Mets backstop Johnny Monell announced today on Instagram that he’s signed a new minor league deal with the team and will return to the club. The 32-year-old logged 57 plate appearances for the 2015 Mets and is a lifetime .278/.350/.460 hitter in parts of five seasons in Triple-A, which is where he’ll be headed.

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Blue Jays Place Josh Donaldson On 10-Day DL

By | at April 13, 2018 2:05pm CDT

The Blue Jays have placed third baseman Josh Donaldson on the 10-day DL with shoulder inflammation, per a club announcement. With the open active roster spot, the Jays will promote outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.

Donaldson, 32, has hit just fine in the early going but has notably struggled with his throwing. The organization had to this point resisted a DL placement but will now see whether some rest will allow the club’s best player to get back to full strength.

There’s no indication of a new injury or any kind of “structural instability,” Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports on Twitter. Instead, it seems that Donaldson just hasn’t responded as hoped over the early portion of the season.

It’s hard to know how long Donaldson might be out. The Jays intend to put him on a throwing program at the team’s spring facility, Nicholson-Smith notes, but it’s not evident whether there is any kind of anticipated timeline.

Despite the issues with his throwing shoulder, Donaldson has received positive marks in his 55 frames at third on the year. It’s not worth reading too much into fielding metrics at this stage, but that’s generally promising for a player who has graded more as good than great in the field over the past two seasons.

Any uncertainty is unwelcome in a contract year, though, particularly for a player that is already set to enter the open market at a somewhat advanced age. That said, there’s plenty of time for Donaldson to get back to form and turn in a big platform campaign.

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