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Looking Back At A Rare Trade Miss For The Rays

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Why do teams even bother trading with the Rays? The club has built a reputation as one that wins every deal it makes, a legend that goes back to at least 2014, based on this classic Tweet. Whenever they swing a deal, there are inevitable comments with observers wondering why other clubs even bother getting involved with Tampa when they’re bound to get fleeced.

It’s understandable why that discourse exists as the Rays have shown a knack to turn unheralded players into stars. Looking at the current roster, we find players like Randy Arozarena, Yandy Díaz, Drew Rasmussen and others who seemed to completely alter their trajectory after moving to Tampa. It’s a testament to the organization that they seem to continually get the best out of their players, whether it’s ones they’ve traded for or those they originally drafted or signed.

It’s also what helps them repeatedly field competitive clubs despite rarely spending money. They’ve made the playoffs in eight of the past 15 seasons, including each of the past four, and seem well on their way to get back there again despite playing in the stacked AL East. In the last 20 years, they’ve only once spent enough to get out of the bottom five, per the figures from Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

That being said, no club is perfect. They are run by human beings just like all the others and they make mistakes. Let’s take a look at a deal from December 2019 that looks like a whiff.

This deal has the vague feel of a classic Rays trade, as they often take quality players and flip them for others who are almost as good but cheaper and with more control. If they help the new player become just as good or better than the one they gave up, then it works out as a nice bit of business for a low-spending club.

There’s no doubt Pham was better than Renfroe at that time. In the three years leading up to the deal, he had hit 65 home runs and slashed .284/.381/.475 for a wRC+ of 133. Renfroe’s batting line was .231/.291/.486 for a wRC+ of 102. He actually hit significantly more homers than Pham with 85, but his 7.3% walk rate was well below Pham’s 12.5% clip. He also struck out 28.5% of the time compared to Pham’s 21.7% rate. The defensive edge was debatable, as Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average preferred Renfroe while Ultimate Zone Rating gave the nod to Pham, though a lot of Pham’s work came in the more-demanding position of center field. Pham definitely provided more value on the basepaths, including stealing 65 bases to Renfroe’s 10. His 13.1 wins above replacement tally from FanGraphs in those three years was well ahead of Renfroe’s 4.3.

But turning to the financials, Pham had two years of remaining club control and was projected to make $8.6MM in 2020. Renfroe just qualified for arbitration as a Super Two player, meaning he had four years of control remaining and was projected for a $3.4MM salary. If the Rays could somehow coax some better plate discipline out of Renfroe, they could wind up with a fairly similar player for less money and more control.

Pham went on to struggle in 2020 but bounce back with a serviceable 2021 campaign. Renfroe, however, had a dismal season in 2020. He did make some slight improvements at the plate, walking at a 10.1% clip and striking out at a 26.6% rate, but he hit just .156/.252/.393 for a wRC+ of 78. His .141 batting average on balls in play certainly points to a lot of bad luck, and he’s been better since then, but the Rays decided to move on by designating him for assignment at season’s end.

There’s always risk in taking this path, assuming that the lesser player can simply be changed in a way that they replace the better player, but the Rays also had some insurance. They were getting a young prospect on the rise in Edwards. He was just the Padres’ #21 prospect coming into 2019, per Baseball America, but he hit .322/.375/.396 for a 121 wRC+ between Single-A and High-A that year. He only hit one home run, but he struck out at a tiny 9.6% rate and stole 34 bases. After the deal, BA ranked him the #85 prospect in the entire league.

Unfortunately, he never really developed any more power and the speed proved less game-changing as he moved up the minor league ladder. After the minor leagues were canceled in 2020, he went up to Double-A in 2021. He didn’t hit a single home run in 337 plate appearances over 79 games. His .302/.377/.368 batting line was still above average, translating to a wRC+ 113, but it was a bit of a drop from his breakout.

Last year, he got bumped to Triple-A and managed to hit five home runs in 400 trips to the plate, but the rest of the picture wasn’t as pretty. His 18.8% strikeout rate was still a bit below average, but it was much higher than any season before. His .246/.328/.350 line amounted to a wRC+ of 84 and he only stole seven bases in 11 tries over 93 games. This past offseason, with the Rays facing a roster crunch, they dealt Edwards and JT Chargois to the Marlins for prospects Marcus Johnson and Santiago Suarez. Johnson and Suarez were respectively ranked the club’s #25 and #17 prospects by BA coming into this year. Those youngsters mean the Rays could still salvage something from Edwards indirectly, but it’s surely not the outcome they envisioned when they initially brought him aboard. Neither Johnson nor Suarez has reached even High-A yet, so any forthcoming payday will have to wait.

The best saving grace of the deal from Tampa’s perspective right now is that the player to be named later, Quiroz, had a nice season in 2021 and was flipped to the Cubs for Harold Ramírez. This is more the classic Rays trade that we all know, where a somewhat flawed player seems to find their ceiling in Tampa. Ramírez had cracked BA’s top 100 list back in 2016 while with the Pirates, but later bounced around to Toronto, Miami and Cleveland. By the end of 2021, he had received 818 major league plate appearances but had hit .271/.308/.405 for a wRC+ of 91. For a guy with little speed and subpar defense, that wasn’t terribly exciting.

Cleveland designated Ramírez for assignment after 2021 and then flipped him to the Cubs for cash. At the end of March, the Cubs sent him to the Rays for Quiroz, seeming to indicate he wouldn’t make the team out of spring. Since he was out of options, they couldn’t send him down and at least got Quiroz out of it. The Rays would have to keep Ramírez on the active roster as well, though that hasn’t been a problem as he has mashed since the deal. In 139 games as a Ray, he’s hit .308/.353/.442 for a wRC+ of 132. He still doesn’t walk much and his defense is still subpar, but he’s hard to strike out and hits the ball hard. The Rays can control him through 2025.

From the Padres’ point of view, Pham was just okay in his two seasons there but the real coup was getting Cronenworth. A seventh round draft pick, he was never at the top of any prospect lists while in the minors. He was ranked #18 in the Rays’ system by BA in 2018 and then #15 in the Padres’ system in 2020 after the deal. He then cracked the Opening Day roster in the shortened season, striking out in just 15.6% of his plate appearances that year while hitting .285/.354/.477 for a wRC+ of 126. He hasn’t quite maintained that pace but has continued to be above average, with his career batting line now at .254/.336/.433, translating to a 114 wRC+.

He’s also provided tremendous defensive versatility, bouncing around the infield as needed. He’s mostly played second base but has also spent time at third and shortstop. When the Friars signed Xander Bogaerts to take over at short, they seemed to have little hesitation about moving Ha-Seong Kim to second and Cronenworth over to first. His DRS numbers at short are subpar, but he’s considered average or better at the other spots, while UZR and OAA think he’s average or better everywhere. The club is so enamored with him that they signed him to a seven-year, $80MM extension in the offseason.

In the end, the deal wasn’t a total loss for the Rays, since they were able to flip one of the pieces to get a solid player in Ramírez. But it shows that MLB decision makers don’t necessarily need to block phone calls coming from Tampa. You could get someone like Cronenworth or perhaps Nathaniel Lowe or maybe Willy Adames or even Blake Snell or how about José Alvarado or someone like Joe Ryan?

Cubs Trade Esteban Quiroz To Phillies

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The Phillies acquired infielder Esteban Quiroz from the Cubs in exchange for cash, according to announcements from both teams. Philadelphia has assigned Quiroz to minor league camp.

Quiroz, 31, made his big league debut with Chicago last season and hit .275/.370/.275 in 47 trips to the plate. He’s a career .259/.385/.495 hitter in 776 plate appearances at the Triple-A level, where he’s played primarily second base but has also seen action at third base and in the outfield corners. The Cubs outrighted Quiroz off the 40-man roster back in November, but was in camp with them as a non-roster invitee this spring.

It’s a depth move for the Phillies, who’ll be Quiroz’s fifth organization in six years. The well-traveled infielder didn’t sign with an affiliated club until his age-26 season, when the Padres plucked him from the Mexican League. Quiroz is a left-handed bat who draws walks at a prolific rate (15.3%) and strikes out at a slightly below-average clip (21.1%) in the minors. He’s swatted 34 homers in 204 Triple-A games and can give the Phils some depth at multiple positions.

The Cubs’ Third Base Options

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The Cubs have made a number of additions to their lineup, none more impactful than the signing of Dansby Swanson at shortstop. That pushed Nico Hoerner over to second base. Chicago also brought in Cody Bellinger to play center field, signed Tucker Barnhart to share time with Yan Gomes at catcher in place of Willson Contreras, and added Trey Mancini and Eric Hosmer for the first base/designated hitter mix.

It was a dramatic overhaul, with the corner outfield tandem of Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki the only players whose positions haven’t seemed up in the air at any point. The other position the front office left untouched, third base, looks as if it’ll come down to a battle between a handful of internal options with the free agent market all but picked through. There are two players who have the clearest path to reps at the hot corner in the early going.

Patrick Wisdom

Wisdom has been the primary third baseman on Chicago’s north side for the last two seasons. He’s tallied just under 700 plate appearances at the position since the start of 2021, handily topping second-place Matt Duffy (204 PAs in 2021). The only other player with even 100+ trips to the dish as a third baseman, David Bote, lost his spot on the 40-man roster at the start of the offseason.

Signed to a minor league deal over the 2020-21 offseason (following a cup of coffee with the MLB club the year before), Wisdom has combined for 53 home runs and 41 doubles in 239 games over the last two years. He carries a .465 slugging percentage and .248 isolated power mark over 909 plate appearances, continually making an impact from a power perspective. The right-handed hitter has paired that with significant on-base concerns, however. He’s hit just .217 while reaching base at a below-average .301 rate. That’s mostly due to massive swing-and-miss in his game, as he’s gone down on strikes in 37% of his plate appearances. That’s the highest rate in the majors for any player with as much playing time, narrowly topping Joey Gallo’s 36.6% clip.

Wisdom’s power has been sufficient to manage a slightly above-average slash line in spite of the contact issues. That’s fine production, particularly when paired with the above-average defensive grades he managed in 2021. Metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast’s Outs Above Average estimated he was well below average with the glove last season, however, leading both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference to value his 2022 campaign around one win above replacement.

The 31-year-old has proven he deserves a spot on an MLB roster and the Cubs have made out exceptionally well on their no-risk signing two years ago. Yet the on-base and defensive concerns suggest Wisdom might be better suited as a role-playing power bat who can rotate through all four corner positions off the bench than as an everyday third baseman. He’s been far better against lefties (.238/.329/.533) than against righties (.209/.290/.438) over the past two seasons.

Christopher Morel

If the Cubs were to scale back Wisdom’s playing time, Morel would seem to be the primary beneficiary. The 23-year-old made his major league debut last season and generally impressed, albeit with some of the same question marks facing Wisdom. Morel connected on 16 home runs, 19 doubles and four triples in just 435 trips to the plate. He posted an overall .235/.306/.433 line through his first 113 big league contests. That slightly topped Wisdom’s .207/.298/.426 showing from last season.

That said, Morel also struggled significantly to make contact. He struck out in 32.2% of his plate appearances. Perhaps more alarming was that he swung and missed at 18.1% of the pitches he saw. That was the sixth-highest rate in MLB (minimum 400 PAs), and those concerns became more pronounced down the stretch. Morel carried an impressive .266/.338/.477 line into the All-Star Break despite a 30.7% strikeout rate. In the second half, his strikeout percentage jumped to 34.2% and he limped to a .194/.269/.376 finish.

At age 23, Morel is certainly capable of taking a step forward as he gains experience against big league pitching. He’s long flashed promising power but posted higher than average strikeout totals throughout his time in the minors. Concerns about his bat-to-ball skills kept him from emerging as a top-tier prospect prior to his debut despite evaluators’ praise for his power potential, athleticism and arm strength. Morel’s an interesting player, but one whose approach could make him a volatile offensive performer. He had reverse platoon splits in 2022, hitting .190/.297/.300 against left-handers against a .251/.313/.470 mark versus righties. That’s too small a sample from which to glean meaningful conclusions, though Wisdom’s more traditional splits could point towards him getting a few more reps against left-handed arms than Morel will.

It’s a similar story on the other side of the ball. Morel played mostly infield in the minor leagues, with third base his primary position. The Cubs bounced him around the diamond at the MLB level but deployed him most often in center field, hoping his speed and arm strength would translate. DRS and Statcast agreed he was a below-average center fielder in spite of his athleticism, as his inexperience at the position was evident. He also drew lackluster marks in limited action on the left side of the infield, though the sample in that case was exceedingly small.

Other Options

While Wisdom and Morel seem the two likeliest candidates to battle for playing time, the Cubs have a few other infield options on the 40-man roster. Miles Mastrobuoni, 27, was acquired from the Rays at the start of the offseason. He has only eight MLB games under his belt but hit .300/.377/.469 with 16 homers and 23 stolen bases in 573 plate appearances with Triple-A Durham last year. He’s primarily been a second baseman in the minors but has experience everywhere on the diamond aside from first base and catcher. His left-handed bat would pair well with the righty-hitting Wisdom and Morel if skipper David Ross wanted to play matchups. Mastrobuoni mashed at a .315/.396/.497 clip while holding the platoon advantage in 2022.

Nick Madrigal was displaced by Hoerner’s move to second base. He had a dismal 2022 season, hitting just .249/.305/.282 in 59 games while thrice landing on the injured list thanks to a back strain and strains of both groins. Madrigal had started the previous season with a solid .305/.349/.425 showing for the White Sox before suffering a season-ending hamstring tear. He’s only ever played up the middle dating back to his time at Oregon State — primarily at the keystone — but third base might be the clearest path to getting his bat in the lineup if the front office is still intrigued by his elite bat-to-ball ability.

His 5’8″, 175-pound frame isn’t the build of a traditional third baseman and that’s been manifested in his below-average arm strength. Perhaps that’s untenable at third base, though the Cubs could at least consider getting him some work at the hot corner to expand his defensive flexibility. It’s also at least worth contemplating whether Hoerner could kick to third base if Madrigal earns everyday playing time but isn’t capable of manning the left side of the infield.

The Cubs also picked up Zach McKinstry from the Dodgers in last summer’s Chris Martin trade. The 27-year-old has just a .208/.269/.384 line in 121 big league games over the last three years. He got 171 trips to the plate for the Cubs down the stretch, hitting .206/.272/.361. McKinstry has the ability to play second, third and both corner outfield spots and is a .323/.401/.550 hitter in parts of three Triple-A campaigns. He’s out of minor league option years and has to stick on the active roster or be taken off the 40-man entirely. Given his lack of big league track record, he could find himself on the bubble — particularly if the Cubs want to give Mastrobuoni a lengthier look instead.

There are a handful of players behind this group on the depth chart who’ll be in camp as non-roster invitees. Bote, Esteban Quiroz and Jared Young all remain in the organization after clearing waivers in November. Sergio Alcántara signed a minor league deal this offseason, while former second-round pick Chase Strumpf got an MLB invite after hitting .234/.379/.461 with Double-A Tennessee.

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While there are a few candidates who could play their way into consideration, it’d appear the third base job will be a battle between Wisdom and Morel to open the year. Both have minor league options remaining. The former has a more established big league track record, while the latter probably has greater upside but might also be more likely to post untenable numbers on both sides of the ball. They’re broadly similar as right-handed power bats with OBP concerns, though Morel has a little more defensive versatility if he’s relegated to a utility role.

Cubs Outright Esteban Quiroz, Jared Young

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The Cubs announced that infielders Esteban Quiroz and Jared Young have cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Iowa.

Quiroz, 31 in February, played in the Mexican League for years and didn’t sign with an affiliated ball club until he was almost 26. He spent time in the organizations of the Red Sox, Padres and Rays before coming to the Cubs in the Harold Ramirez trade. He was selected to the big league roster in September and was able to make his MLB debut as the season was winding down. He hit .275/.370/275 for a wRC+ of 95 over 14 games in that brief audition.

Young, 27, was selected by the Cubs in the 15th round of the 2017 draft. Like Quiroz, he was promoted to the big leagues in September and got a brief MLB audition. He got into six games and hit .263/.364/.368 for a wRC+ of 113 in that small sample. He walked in 13.6% of his plate appearances but struck out in 31.8% of them.

Players have the right to reject outrights assignments if they have three years of MLB service time or have previously been outrighted in their career. Since neither player qualifies, they will remain in the Cubs’ organization as depth but without taking up a roster spot.

Cubs Select Esteban Quiroz; Designate Frank Schwindel, Sean Newcomb

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The Cubs are making a batch of roster moves prior to today’s game, per reporter Mark Gonzales. Right-hander Adbert Alzolay has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list while infielder Esteban Quiroz has had his contract selected. In corresponding moves, outfielder Seiya Suzuki was placed on the paternity list while left-hander Sean Newcomb and first baseman Frank Schwindel were designated for assignment.

Quiroz, 30, has taken an unusual path to the big leagues as he was playing in the Mexican League for years, not signing with an affiliated club until he was nearing his 26th birthday. He’s spent time in the minor league systems of the Red Sox, Padres and Rays, before coming to the Cubs as part of the Harold Ramirez trade in March. He’s only been healthy enough to get into 40 Triple-A games this season, hitting .212/.358/.322 in that time for a wRC+ of 89. However, he’s been much better since returning from the injured list at the start of August, hitting .299/.450/.442 in that time. He’s played second base and third base this year, though has also played some shortstop in previous season and some outfield work back in Mexico.

With the Cubs well out of contention and just over two weeks remaining on this year’s schedule, they can use those games to audition players for future roles on the team. Quiroz will jump into an infield mix that also includes Zach McKinstry, Christopher Morel, Patrick Wisdom, Alfonso Rivas, David Bote and Nico Hoerner, though Hoerner might not be a factor for a while. He’s missed time recently with an injury and an MRI just revealed a moderate right triceps strain, per Gonzales. “It was a little worse off than we thought,” manager David Ross told Gonzales.

Schwindel, 30, got a nice stretch of play last year after the Cubs traded away many of their regular at the deadline. He made the most of that opportunity, hitting 14 home runs in 64 games, slashing an incredible .326/.371/.591 for a 154 wRC+. He couldn’t keep the fairy tale alive this year, however, as he’s hit just .229/.277/.358 for a wRC+ of 76. With the trade deadline passed, he’ll be placed on waivers in the coming days to see if any other team believes there’s more magic left in Frank the Tank.

Newcomb, 29, once seemed like a rotation stalwart in Atlanta but has fallen on hard times recently. He was bumped to bullpen work and eventually designated for assignment earlier this year, getting traded to the Cubs. The change of scenery hasn’t helped much as Newcomb has a ghastly 8.78 ERA in 27 2/3 innings this year, walking 14.2% of batters faced in the process. This is the second time the Cubs have designated him this year, with the previous instance resulting in Newcomb clearing waivers and accepting an outright assignment. Based on his unfortunate results this year, he’ll likely pass through waivers unclaimed again. With minor league seasons winding down, it’s possible he could accept another outright and make a couple of appearances in the minors, though it’s also possible he just decides to get an early start on free agency.

Rays Acquire Harold Ramirez From Cubs

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The Rays have acquired outfielder Harold Ramírez from the Cubs in exchange for minor league infielder Esteban Quiroz, according to announcements from both teams. Tampa Bay announced they’ve placed reliever Nick Anderson on the 60-day injured list to open space for Ramírez on the 40-man roster.

The move brings Ramírez’s Chicago tenure to an end before he ever suited up for the team. The Cubs acquired the right-handed hitting outfielder from the Guardians in exchange for cash in late November. That came after Cleveland had designated him for assignment in advance of Rule 5 protection day, part of an overhaul of more than a quarter of the Guardians’ 40-man roster.

While Ramírez didn’t play in a game with the Cubs, he has logged a fair bit of MLB action over the past few seasons. A former Blue Jays’ farmhand, Ramírez debuted in the majors with the Marlins in 2019. He hit .276/.312/.416 in 119 games as a rookie, but he missed almost all of the following season after suffering a severe hamstring strain. Cleveland picked him up off waivers in February and gave him 361 plate appearances, and his .268/.305/.398 line wasn’t much different than his 2019 performance.

The 27-year-old Ramírez has a career .271/.308/.405 mark in a bit more than 800 plate appearances. He makes a fair amount of contact, leading to a solid batting average. Yet he’s paired that with a minuscule 4% walk rate and a below-average .134 ISO (slugging minus average). Ramírez’s 47.2% hard contact percentage and 91.3 MPH average exit velocity were more impressive than those bottom line power numbers might suggest, but he negated a good bit of that batted ball authority by putting more than half his balls in play on the ground.

Ramírez adds an affordable option to the Tampa Bay outfield. He’ll play the 2022 campaign on just a $728K salary and is controllable via arbitration through 2025. The Rays could keep him around as a long-term piece, but he’s also out of minor league option years. That means Tampa Bay must either carry him on the active roster all season or DFA him themselves.

Whether Ramírez sticks long-term could be determined by what the Rays have planned for the coming weeks. The outfield is already pretty crowded, with Randy Arozarena, Kevin Kiermaier and Manuel Margot lined up as the projected starting group. Austin Meadows will see some time in the corners and at designated hitter, while the out-of-options Brett Phillips and top prospect Josh Lowe figure to be in the mix. It may be tough to carry both Phillips and Ramírez in depth capacities all season, but the former is a better defensive option off the bench. Ramírez has some experience in center field but is better suited for the corners.

Of course, it’s possible the Rays deal from the outfield logjam before the season. Meadows, in particular, has been floated in trade rumors since the lockout was lifted. The front office isn’t going to be pressured to deal one of their regulars because they picked up Ramírez in a minor trade, but today’s deal could be a preemptive move to bolster the outfield depth in case another swap on the horizon.

From the Cubs’ perspective, the pair of Ramírez trades essentially amounts to picking up Quiroz for cash. Despite never having appeared in the majors, Quiroz is actually a few years older than Ramírez. At 30 years old, the lefty-hitting infielder isn’t a prototypical prospect. Yet he has a long track record of performing well in both the Mexican League and in the high minors, one that has caught the attention of a handful of clubs.

Originally signed by the Red Sox out of Mexico, Quiroz was dealt to the Padres for Colten Brewer over the 2018-19 offseason. Tampa Bay picked him up in March 2020 as the player to be named later in the Tommy Pham, Jake Cronenworth, Hunter Renfroe deal. Listed at 5’6″, 199 pounds, he doesn’t have overwhelming physical tools. Yet Quiroz owns a .270/.391/.534 line in his Triple-A career, including a .268/.401/.526 mark with the Rays’ top affiliate in Durham last season. Quiroz won’t occupy a spot on the Cubs 40-man roster; he’ll presumably head to Triple-A Iowa and keep trying to earn an MLB debut.

Anderson’s placement on the 60-day IL was a formality whenever the Rays needed a roster spot. The righty underwent a UCL brace procedure last October that was always expected to keep him out of action past the All-Star Break.

Rays Acquire Esteban Quiroz From Padres

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The Rays have acquired infield prospect Esteban Quiroz from the Padres, Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen reports (Twitter link).  Quiroz represents the player to be named later in the December trade that saw Tommy Pham and two-way prospect Jake Cronenworth go to San Diego, while the Rays received Hunter Renfroe and infield prospect Xavier Edwards.

The 28-year-old Quiroz is a longtime veteran of the Mexican League, only joining a big league organization after signing a minors deal with the Red Sox in the 2017-18 offseason.  A year later, Quiroz was swapped to the Padres in exchange for Colten Brewer, and is now on the move again to Tampa.  All the while, Quiroz has done nothing but hit since joining the affiliated ranks, with a .274/.390/.541 slash line and 26 home runs over 499 combined plate appearances at the Double-A and Triple-A levels in the Boston and San Diego farm systems.

Quiroz obviously has a significant age and experience advantage over virtually all of his minor league counterparts, plus his Triple-A performance in 2019 (a .923 OPS in 366 PA) has the twin caveats of coming in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, and during the unprecedented offensive explosion that was the 2019 Triple-A season.  That being said, Quiroz also had a strong track record at the plate before reaching the minors, hitting .293/.402/.451 over 1573 career plate appearances in the Mexican League.  Quiroz only had 38 homers in those 1573 PA, so while it’s probably fair to say that his power game was aided by the Triple-A ball, his on-base skills and overall approach at the plate seems to be translating well.

As a left-handed hitter who seems just about big league-ready, Quiroz is another intriguing addition to the Rays’ depth chart.  Brandon Lowe and Joey Wendle, two other lefty bats, are seemingly ahead of Quiroz in terms of second base duty, though all three players have enough multi-positional flexibility that the Rays (who mix and match their lineups as much as any club in baseball) can conceivably find at-bats for any of them.  Quiroz has mostly played second base over the last two seasons, though he has played shortstop and third base during his time in the Mexican League.

Looking at the five-player deal as a whole, the Rays dealt away the more accomplished MLB performer in Pham, though Pham is also older, more expensive, and perhaps a bit less defensively adept than Renfroe.  While Cronenworth is a solid prospect in his own right, Edwards and Quiroz represents a nice return for Tampa Bay, as the Rays get a near-term option in Quiroz and more of a longer-term player in Edwards.

Quick Hits: Jays, Gibson, Padres, Quiroz

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After you get your turkey in the oven, feel free to check in on a few notes from around baseball.

  • The Blue Jays made an offer to right-hander Kyle Gibson before he signed with the Rangers, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. It’s unclear exactly how much Toronto was willing to put on the table, but it was presumably less than the $30MM over three years Gibson got to head to Texas. With Gibson off the market, the Jays now have to look elsewhere to fill out an uncertain rotation mix. That figures to include at least one free agent on a short-term deal, Davidi notes, and Toronto has to this point cast a wide net in its quest for starters. Not getting Gibson could also spur the Jays to work out an agreement with Matt Shoemaker, Davidi adds. The team has been discussing a deal with the arbitration-eligible righty in advance of Monday’s non-tender deadline.
  • The Padres brought in a noteworthy outfielder and reliever in separate moves yesterday. Even after acquiring Trent Grisham and Drew Pomeranz (as well as starter Zach Davies), the Friars could be on the hunt for additional outfield and bullpen depth, per Peter Gammons of the Athletic (via Twitter). Second base, too, stands as a target area, which makes sense considering the Padres parted with Luis Urías to acquire Grisham and Davies. Whatever will be addressed first, there’s “more to come” in San Diego, one Padres executive tells Gammons.
  • While the Padres figure to look externally for second basemen, they do have some internal options who remain in the mix. Ian Kinsler is still on hand, although he’s coming off a disappointing season. One under-the-radar name to monitor is Esteban Quiroz, as Jon Paul Morosi of MLB Network adds (via Twitter) that his presence in the organization played some role in the team’s comfort parting with Urías. Soon to turn 28, Quiroz is atypically old for a prospect. However, he had a long track record of above-average production in the Mexican League before entering the affiliated ranks in 2018 with the Red Sox. The Padres acquired Quiroz in a minor trade just over a year ago, and he continued to show well in the high minors. In 366 plate appearances with AAA El Paso last season, Quiroz slashed .271/.384/.539. Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel wrote in May that Quiroz “has a chance” to be an everyday-caliber second baseman.

Quick Hits: Padres, Rule 5, Twins

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The San Diego Padres were busy this week in shaping their 40-man roster ahead of December’s Rule 5 draft. The release of former prospect Cory Spangenberg and Christian Villanueva’s transpacific journey to the Yomiuiri Giants prefaced further roster reshaping via a pair of minor-league swaps. Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen reviews the prospects in those deals and others involved in swaps from this past week: Walker Lockett, Ignacio Feliz, Colten Brewer, Esteban Quiroz, Rowan Wick, Jason Vosler, Jordan Foley, Jefry Valdez and Tanner Anderson. While these moves appear minor, many of these players will have the opportunity to make an impact for pennant contenders next fall if they can impress their new gatekeepers in Cleveland, Colorado, New York, Boston and Chicago, respectively. Further Rule 5 news and more from around the league…

  • MLB.com picks intriguing candidates that could be selected from each team in December’s Rule 5 draft. Though it requires patience and a roster spot, the Rule 5 draft has been a viable resource in team building, especially for worst to first hopefuls who are closer to the former than the latter. Notably, the Cubs and Astros, two recent exemplars of roster renovation, each took advantage of the process by snatching players (Hector Rondon and Marwin Gonzalez, respectively) who made significant contributions to their title campaigns.
  • By the middle of last season, Twins’ chief baseball officer Derek Falvey was already preparing for the possibility that Joe Mauer might retire, per the Athletic’s Dan Hayes (subscription link).  The Twins continue to explore every option at first base, including moving struggling slugger Miguel Sano from third to first. One path they are unlikely to traverse is trading for a one-year rental like Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt. The focus of the 2019 season in Minnesota will be as much about monitoring the rebound efforts of Sano and center fielder Byron Buxton as making a push for the playoffs, and with such uncertainty around their two high-ceiling stars, Falvey and company aren’t ready for an all-in move like trading for Arizona’s All-Star first baseman. Still, seeking a multi-year option at first base does not equate to youth, necessarily, as they are open to players like Carlos Santana or recently-DFAed C.J. Cron, each of whom would have two years of team control if acquired.
  • Elsewhere around the infield, the Twins are open to engaging Jorge Polanco’s positional flexibility as well. Polanco and Sano are currently penciled in at shortstop and third base, but that could change depending on their offseason acquisitions. For now, they are in the market for an offensive-minded second baseman, in which case Polanco would stay at short. There are more than a few viable short-term options on the free agent market to keep second base warm for prospect Nick Gordon, who was recently added to the 40-man roster. You can check out MLBTR’s full Offseason Outlook for the Twins here.
  • In the dugout, Bill Evers rounds out Rocco Baldelli’s staff as the major league catching coach. Evers, 64, is a 30-year coaching veteran with experience as a bench coach, manager, and minor-league field coordinator. He managed Baldelli when he was a player in Triple-A back in 2002, a relationship redolent of Alex Cora’s hiring of Ron Roenicke as his bench coach. Roenicke, too, managed his future helmsman when Cora was a prospect coming up in the Dodgers system.

Minor MLB Transactions: 11/23/17

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

  • The Red Sox have signed second baseman Esteban Quiroz to a minor league deal, as per a tweet from Team Mexico’s official Twitter feed.  (WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford was among those to report that the contract contains an invitation to Boston’s big league Spring Training camp.)  Quiroz, who turns 26 in February, has a career .293/.402/.451 slash line and 38 homers over 1573 career plate appearances in the Mexican League, plus he also represented Mexico in the most recent World Baseball Classic.  Dustin Pedroia will miss at least the first two months of the season recovering from knee surgery, so Quiroz will be part of the second base mix during camp as the Red Sox look for fill-ins for their longtime star.
  • The White Sox signed right-hander Dustin Antolin to a minor league deal.  The Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League (Antolin’s most recent club) broke the news on Twitter; Antolin signed with Somerset after being released from his minor league deal with the Nationals last June.  The 28-year-old Hawaiian has a 4.40 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 2.07 K/BB rate over 446 1/3 career innings in the affiliated minor leagues, mostly in the Blue Jays’ farm system.  Antolin has one MLB appearance to his credit, tossing two innings for the Nats in 2016.
  • The Rockies signed righty Scott McGough to a minors contract, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.  McGough was a fifth-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2011 draft and was sent to the Marlins as part of the Hanley Ramirez trade in July 2012.  The 28-year-old has a 3.48 ERA, 8.0 K/9 and 2.43 K/BB rate over 325 2/3 minor league innings (almost entirely as a reliever) with the Dodgers, Marlins and Orioles.  McGough’s only MLB experience is a six-game stint with the Marlins in 2015.
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