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Ian Desmond

Ian Desmond To Reject Qualifying Offer

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Rangers outfielder Ian Desmond will reject his one-year, $17.2MM qualifying offer, per reports from FanRag’s Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). As Sherman notes, Desmond figures to be in considerably more demand this time around than he was after rejecting the QO last winter.

Ian Desmond

Last year’s decision seemed logical at the time but ultimately proved to be a misstep, as Desmond settled for a one-year, $8MM deal with the Rangers that required him to switch positions. While that was certainly a disappointing outcome, it may have been a blessing in disguise, as Desmond showed well in the outfield and enjoyed a considerably stronger year at the plate in 2016, prompting him for a larger payday than he’d have otherwise received on a more modest multi-year commitment last winter. In 156 games with the Rangers, Desmond hit .285/.335/.446 with 22 homers and 21 stolen bases while playing above-average defense in left field and passable, albeit below-average defense in center. Considering that the 2016 season marked his first professional exposure to both positions, it’s perhaps not surprising that Desmond struggled in center. He could conceivably improve there if asked to reprise his role as a center fielder, though, now that he has more experience under his belt. And it’s certainly possible that he returns to the infield as well, or at the very least operates as a hybrid infielder/outfielder and moves around the diamond with regularity, as Ben Zobrist and others have done in recent years.

Desmond, though, isn’t without his red flags. He did slump to finish out the year, falling off the table with a .249/.297/.305 batting line over his final 229 plate appearances. Strikeouts have also long been an issue for Desmond, and though he improved in that regard in 2016, his 23.6 percent strikeout rate was still three percent worse than the league average, while his 6.5 percent walk rate was about two percent below average.

It seems likely that with the Rangers set to lose both Desmond and Carlos Gomez to free agency, they’ll at least talk to Desmond’s new representatives at CAA about a reunion, and if he elects to sign elsewhere, Texas will receive a compensatory draft pick at the end of the first round of the 2017 draft. To this point, the Orioles have already been rumored to have interest in Desmond, though comments from GM Dan Duquette call into question whether Desmond will fit into Baltimore’s price range. MLBTR ranked Desmond ninth on our Top 50 free agent list and pegged him for a four-year, $60MM pact on the open market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Orioles Interested In Ian Desmond

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The Orioles are interested in free agent Ian Desmond as a potential corner outfield option in 2017 and beyond, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network (Twitter link).

Obviously, the interest that any team expresses in a free agent is going to be largely preliminary at this juncture of the offseason, but Baltimore’s interest is certainly notable, and it’s not hard to see where Desmond would fit into the roster. The Orioles deployed Mark Trumbo as their primary right fielder in 2016 and enjoyed a 47-homer season out of the big slugger but received some of the game’s worst defense in return. While Desmond is still relatively new to the outfield, he logged positive marks there in left field and handled center field capably enough to expect that he could function as a significant defensive upgrade over Trumbo moving forward. Alternatively, he could start in left field in place of Hyun Soo Kim on days in which the Orioles face a left-handed starting pitcher.

The 31-year-old Desmond signed a one-year, $8MM contract last offseason — a disappointing outcome for a player who just six months earlier looked poised to enter the market as one of the premier free agents available. A poor 2015 season at the plate submarined his free agent stock last winter, but he rebuilt his reputation with a .285/.335/.446 slash line, 22 homers and 21 stolen bases over the life of his one-year deal with the Rangers. That marked Desmond’s fourth 20-20 season in the past five years, and paired with his newly demonstrated defensive versatility, that should be enough to score him a sizable multi-year deal this winter once he rejects the Rangers’ qualifying offer. MLBTR pegged Desmond at four years and $60MM on yesterday’s Top 50 free agent list, and from my own personal vantage point it’s certainly possible to envision him topping that figure as well.

The qualifying offer he received would mean that Baltimore would have to sacrifice the No. 23 overall selection in next year’s draft in order to sign Desmond, but forfeiting draft picks hasn’t served as much of a detriment to the Orioles in recent years. Dating back to 2013, the O’s have punted draft picks in order to sign Ubaldo Jimenez, Nelson Cruz and Yovani Gallardo, and they’ve also traded Competitive Balance draft picks merely to facilitate salary dump trades that shed the salaries of middle relievers Ryan Webb and Brian Matusz as well.

Ten Players To Receive Qualifying Offers

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Major League teams had until 5pm ET today to extend qualifying offers to their impending free agents — a decision that could significantly impact the market for a number of players this winter. For those unfamiliar with the process, the collective bargaining agreement stipulates that teams can make a “qualifying offer” to free agents that spent the entire season on the roster — midseason trades and signings are ineligible — if they wish to secure draft pick compensation for the loss of that player. The QO is a set one-year value determined by averaging the salaries of the top 125 players in the league. This year, the value of that sum comes to $17.2MM.

A player will have one week to survey the market and determine whether he wishes to accept the QO or reject in search of a more lucrative free-agent deal. If a player accepts the offer — something that has happened only three times since the system’s implementation in 2012 (Matt Wieters, Colby Rasmus and Brett Anderson) — that player is considered signed for the following season at $17.2MM. The contract is considered a free-agent deal, and as such, that player is not allowed to be traded without his consent until June 15.

If the player rejects a QO, he’s free to sign with any team for any amount (including the team from which he rejected the QO). However, whichever team signs a player that has rejected a QO must surrender its top unprotected pick in the upcoming draft (unless the player re-signs with the team that made the QO). The first 10 selections are protected, so those clubs would only be required to part with their second-highest pick. A team that signs multiple players that have rejected a QO continues to forfeit its top unprotected pick for each subsequent signing. The team that lost the free agent in question, meanwhile, will receive a compensatory draft pick at the end of the first round. The order of comp picks, like the draft order itself, is determined based upon the previous year’s standings.

Last year there were a record 20 players to receive QOs (valued at $15.8MM based on 2015 salaries). There should be fewer this year, given the weak free-agent market, but there should still be a double-digit total of QOs extended. Here’s a list of who will reportedly receive qualifying offers thus far, and we’ll update this throughout the day and include the full list when the 5:00pm deadline has passed:

For a more in-depth explanation of the qualifying offer system, you can reference back to our post Explaining The Qualifying Offer System from last October. In the past, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes has also spoken to both agents and general managers about the importance of avoiding the qualifying offer and the impact it has on teams’ decisions. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd, meanwhile, penned a pair of insightful posts in an effort to contextualize and assess the QO system and its purposes on the heels of the 2013-14 offseason.

Rangers Will Make Qualifying Offer To Ian Desmond

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The Rangers will make a $17.2MM qualifying offer to outfielder Ian Desmond, general manager Jon Daniels told reporters today (Twitter link via MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan). He’ll be the only Rangers free agent to receive one, though that’s not a surprise, as their other QO-eligible players (Colby Lewis and Mitch Moreland) have never been viewed as candidates.

The decision to extend a qualifying offer to Desmond was fairly straightforward, as the shortstop-turned-center-fielder had a terrific season in his lone year with Texas. Signed to a one-year, $8MM deal this past offseason after the multi-year deal he sought failed to materialize, Desmond proved to be one of the best bargains in all of baseball. Although Desmond, who turned 31 in September, tailed off in terms of productivity late in the season, he still finished out the year with a .285/.335/.446 batting line to go along with 22 homers, 21 stolen bases and respectable defensive marks in the outfield considering his lack of experience there. Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating both pegged Desmond as above average in left field in his time there early in the season, and while he drew slightly negative marks in center field from both metrics, there’s reason to believe that a player of his athleticism can post superior marks in 2017 with a year of experience now under his belt.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Desmond will exclusively market himself as an outfielder. The former Nationals star, who switched agencies earlier this week and is now represented by CAA, is only a year removed from playing shortstop and could conceivably be viewed by teams as an option at other infield positions as well. From that standpoint, his new representatives could pitch him as a jack of all trades that needn’t be locked into one position, and that versatility could prove lucrative.

Even though rejecting a qualifying offer after the 2015 season undoubtedly played a role in Desmond’s struggles to find a significant multi-year deal last winter, it’d still be a surprise if he accepted the offer. Qualifying offers are formally due on Monday of next week, and from that point, players have one week to decide whether they’ll accept or reject. Coming off a much stronger 2016 season and with newfound defensive versatility to pitch to interested parties, Desmond should be able to land a nice multi-year deal in free agency — one of at least four years in length, in my view.

Ian Desmond Switches Agencies

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Impending free agent Ian Desmond has changed representation and is now a client of CAA Baseball, Robert Murray of FanRag Sports reported today (via Twitter).

Desmond’s switch will come on the eve of free agency as he seeks what will be the largest contract of his life. The 31-year-old notoriously rejected a qualifying offer from the Nationals last offseason, and while it’s not known exactly what he sought upon initially entering the open market on the heels of a down season, he ultimately settled for a late one-year deal in February that came with just an $8MM guarantee and a position change. Desmond is also known to have turned down a seven-year extension offer with the Nats prior to the 2014 season that would’ve paid him about $107MM, though it reportedly came with significant deferrals.

Furthermore, on the heels of a terrific first season in Texas, Desmond stands a good chance at recouping a good portion of that missed fortune. He’s already taken home $25.5MM over what would’ve been the first three seasons of that deal, and he could very well secure a contract of at least four years this winter after hitting .285/.335/.446 with 22 homers and 21 steals while proving a capable outfielder during the 2016 season. Desmond drew positive marks for his work in left field according to both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating, and while he took home negative marks as a center fielder, he didn’t rate horribly and could be reasonably expected to show some improvement with a full season of work now under his belt. It’s also possible that Desmond could also market himself as a Ben Zobrist-style Swiss army knife that can play multiple positions in the infield and the outfield, which would allow teams with needs virtually anywhere on the diamond to consider him a viable option for improvement.

In joining CAA, Desmond will be enlisting one of the game’s larger agencies, one whose current slate of free agents includes Yoenis Cespedes (in a joint representation with Roc Nation Sports), Andrew Cashner, a resurgent Joe Blanton, Jon Jay, Boone Logan, Jake Peavy, Drew Storen and Ryan Howard. All of that info, of course, can be found in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains agent information on more than 2,500 Major League and Minor League players (and now reflects Desmond’s switch). If you see any notable errors or omissions, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Blue Jays Notes: Saunders, Encarnacion, Bautista, Free Agent Targets

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The Blue Jays are about to embark upon an interesting offseason in which three key offensive producers — first baseman/DH Edwin Encarnacion, right fielder Jose Bautista, and left fielder Michael Saunders — will qualify for free agency. Their situations have been the subject of much analysis and debate, but we’ll soon begin to receive some clarity with qualifying offers due to be made (and either accepted or denied) shortly after the end of the World Series.

Here’s the latest on those positions out of Toronto:

  • Despite indications that the Jays are still weighing the issuance of a QO to Saunders, a rival executive tells Jon Heyman of Fan Rag that there’s “no chance” that happens. We’ll learn soon enough what direction that situation is headed in, but Saunders’s marginal second half makes the one-year, $17.2MM offer seem like a rather lofty outlay.
  • Toronto may now be more inclined to push to retain Encarnacion than Bautista, Heyman adds, noting that the preference for the younger slugger perhaps represents a change of position from the organization. Encarnacion certainly outproduced Bautista in 2016, though that also figures to elevate his market standing. Regardless, odds are that the Blue Jays will need to compete with the rest of the league to land either player, as both are expected to decline the QO.
  • Ultimately, the Jays have several bat-first roster spots in flux — both corner outfield positions, first base, and the DH slot. The overriding mandate, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca writes, is “to get more athletic, flexible and balanced in the batting order.” There are certainly some pieces on hand to assist in that regard, including the left-handed-hitting Ezequiel Carrera and righty swingers Melvin Upton Jr. and Chris Colabello. Young switch-hitter Dalton Pompey could also factor in, though he has yet to put it all together in the upper minors. Clearly, though, there’s room for additions (or, perhaps, re-acquisitions).
  • Toronto will be able to look to a reasonably robust market in filling these voids. According to Davidi, the club has interest in the switch-hitting Dexter Fowler, who could add a significant on-base threat to the top of the order while playing left field (and, perhaps, also stepping in from time to time for light-hitting center fielder Kevin Pillar). There’s certainly reason to believe the Jays would be well-served to add an everyday player to their lineup given the number of areas that will need to be addressed. Ian Desmond is another, quite different player who the team is expected to contact, per Davidi. Though he’s a greater home run threat than is Fowler, he’s also inconsistent in the on-base department. As Davidi notes, though, the converted shortstop could also provide some insurance against an injury to infielder Troy Tulowitzki.
  • Alternatively, or perhaps additionally, the Jays could look at some players who are somewhat more limited and may require platoon partners. The club is said to have some interest in Josh Reddick, who hits from the left side and could be paired with Upton — though he figures to be fairly expensive for a player who ought to be limited mostly to facing right-handed pitching. Brandon Moss and even former Blue Jay Colby Rasmus could represent more budget-friendly, southpaw-swinging options, Davidi suggests. And there are a variety of other, presumably reasonably-priced players with solid offensive chops (but also plenty of limitations) who’ll be available.
  • That’s all before getting to the trade market, of course, which could offer some interesting possibilities. Davidi indicates that the Jays are likely to “work on parallel fronts” to open possibilities with a variety of combinations of players. GM Ross Atkins recently suggested that the club will remain flexible as the offseason progresses. “I think it’s a matter of being transparent as you are considering your alternatives,” he said. “So it would be something as simple as letting others know that you’re weighing alternatives as you make these certain offers.”
  • It’s worth bearing in mind the role that financial considerations will play in dictating the course for the Jays. The team has never reached the $140MM line in Opening Day salary, and is already approaching $120MM in 2017 commitments after accounting for a few arbitration cases and the option over reliever Jason Grilli. Those obligations fall off quite a bit in the years that follow, so backloading salary could be a possibility, but one truly significant expenditure (say, Encarnacion) or a few quality veteran additions would leave Toronto without much wiggle room to address other needs — barring, perhaps, a payroll increase.

AL Notes: Indians, Britton, Rangers

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Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke with the media about the Indians’ use of the Chief Wahoo logo, as Ken Davidoff of the New York Post was among those to report. Manfred said that he plans to discuss the usage of the logo with the team’s owner, Paul Dolan, after the season. The depiction is “offensive to some people,” said Manfred, “and all of us at Major League Baseball understand why.” Though he certainly hinted that the league would like to see a change, Manfred did stress that it was “primarily a local matter,” saying that “it’s not easy as coming to the conclusion and realizing that the logo is offensive to some segment.”

Here are a few more notes from the American League:

  • Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com wonders whether the Orioles could get creative with the increasingly expensive, but also increasingly dominant lefty Zach Britton. The club seems set to hold onto Britton and maintain his role as the closer in 2017, notes Kubatko. But he suggests the team could consider a trade, an extension, or even a return to the rotation for the 28-year-old. That last option would come with considerable upside, but also quite a bit of risk. Britton didn’t succeed in the majors until he moved to the pen — following a roughly similar trajectory to Andrew Miller — and Kubatko adds that the team has some questions about his durability in a rotation role.
  • Dealing Britton or star third baseman Manny Machado wouldn’t make sense for the Orioles, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com opines. While the club has only two years of control remaining over these two elite players, and could surely obtain an impressive haul of prospects for either, Melewski argues that the roster is set up to keep pushing to win over 2017-18.
  • Apart from adding a starter, the Rangers’ priority this winter is to find a center fielder, as Jeff Wilson of the Fort-Worth Star Telegram writes. Ian Desmond and Carlos Gomez both are candidates to return after their stints in Texas, with GM Jon Daniels noting that “they have kind of a similar profile.” Indeed, there are quite a few similarities, extending from their eye-popping tool sets to some inconsistencies in production. The GM offered praise for both, noting that Gomez is more experienced playing center while Desmond — who he says he “spent a lot more time around” — impressed him greatly “as a person and [with] the consistency he brought from that standpoint.” Presumably, Texas will also at least consider other options, including Dexter Fowler and potential trade candidates.

NL East Notes: Marksberry, Desmond, Mets

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Braves left-hander Matt Marksberry, who as of Tuesday was battling potentially serious health issues, awoke from a medically induced coma yesterday, writes David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Marksberry had been suffering from intense stomach pains and wound up suffering a seizure that led to a collapsed lung while at the hospital for treatment, according to O’Brien. Marksberry’s sister tweeted that her brother “still has a long journey ahead of him” as he recovers from the frightening incident. Needless to say, we’re happy to learn that the 26-year-old appears to be on the road to recovery and continue to hold Marksberry in our thoughts as we wish him a speedy recovery.

A few more items from the NL East…

  • Neither the Nationals nor Ian Desmond are entirely ruling out a reunion this winter, reports Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post, though she characterizes the possibility as unlikely. Janes spoke to a team source who said, “I don’t see it, but anything is possible.” That’s far from a ringing endorsement for Desmond, but her colleague Thomas Boswell did lay out a scenario in which it could make sense: play Desmond in center field, move Trea Turner back to shortstop and deploy Danny Espinosa as a versatile utility infielder. Janes speculates that Desmond could realistically look to pursue something along the lines of Ben Zobrist’s four-year, $56MM pact, but that may be more than the Nationals care to invest, as she adds that the team “won’t stretch their means for his services.” Also, Janes writes that the Nats are looking to become a more contact-oriented team, and strikeouts remain an issue for Desmond despite his rebound campaign in Texas.
  • John Harper of the New York Daily News opines that while retaining Yoenis Cespedes should clearly be the Mets’ top priority this offseason, a pursuit of Kenley Jansen should be a close second. Harper argues that the $17.2MM value of the qualifying offer the team may be comfortable extending to Neil Walker would be better allocated to Jansen, who can team with Jeurys Familia and Addison Reed to give skipper Terry Collins one of the league’s most imposing bullpen trios, thereby taking some pressure off of a rotation that was plagued by injuries in 2016. There’s certainly merit to the notion, and the Mets have been willing to part with a first-round pick in the past for lesser-regarded players. However, while Harper throws out a speculative number of four years and $54MM, I’ll respectfully take the over on both of those figures, as both Jansen and Aroldis Chapman are in firm position not simply to surpass Jonathan Papelbon’s four-year, $50MM record for a relief pitcher but to absolutely shatter it by a substantial amount.

Heyman’s Latest: Britton, Escobar, Desmond, Votto, Phillips, D-Backs

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In addition to speaking with Orioles manager Buck Showalter about his decision not to deploy ace reliever Zach Britton in the Wild Card game, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag covers a number of notable topics in his most recent column. Among the highlights with a transactional component:

  • Unsurprisingly, the Royals will exercise a club option over shortstop Alcides Escobar. It’s just $6.5MM (with a $500K buyout otherwise), and the club doesn’t seem willing yet to trust the job to prospect Raul Mondesi. Still the 29-year-old owns an anemic .259/.293/.335 batting line over the last two seasons; even with his typically strong defense and baserunning included, he has been a below-average regular. Escobar will have plenty to play for with free agency looming.
  • It’s even less surprising to hear that the Rangers intend to make a qualifying offer to Ian Desmond, the shortstop-turned-center fielder. Texas remains very high on Desmond despite his fall-off down the stretch, says Heyman, and it seems plausible to imagine a reunion. The $17.2MM QO also appears to be the right move from a market perspective, as Desmond ought to be able to command a strong multi-year deal even after turning it down.
  • We’ve heard chatter in the past about prior talks between the Blue Jays and Reds regarding first baseman Joey Votto, and Heyman discusses it further in a separate piece. There’s nothing brewing at present, but Toronto has made clear they’d like to be involved if Cincinnati undertakes any chatter on a player who may be the best hitter in the National League. Reds GM Dick Williams tells Heyman that he’s not looking to shop the superstar and also hasn’t been told that Votto (who possesses full no-trade rights) wants to depart. Even if there is mutual interest, of course, there’s the matter of sorting out the cash and prospects — which will likely be a tall order.
  • Williams also tells Heyman that he believes the Reds took positive steps at the major league level in 2016, suggesting that the organization is happy to hang onto a highly popular and productive player despite his massive salary. The situation may be somewhat different with regard to second baseman Brandon Phillips, though, with Heyman writing that the team intends to find a way to get Jose Peraza into the lineup quite a bit. They’ll “make this clear” to Phillips, he says, though it isn’t known whether the veteran will be amenable to waiving his own no-trade protection after demanding an extension to do so in the past. The 35-year-old is down to the final year of his deal, though, after turning in a solid-but-unspectacular .291/.320/.416 batting line. Though metrics soured a bit on his glove, Phillips has a long history of strong defensive work. A $14MM tab on a one-year commitment is hardly unworkable, though hypothetically interested organizations may ask Cinci to kick in some cash.
  • Heyman also tackled the Diamondbacks’ front office search. Reported interest in Nationals president and GM Mike Rizzo seems likely to be a non-starter. “I don’t think there’s anything to it,” said Washington owner Mark Lerner, who called it “a totally fabricated story.” The floating of interest in Rizzo could hint that Arizona has its eyes on an exec with experience running a baseball operations department, Heyman suggests, with the team perhaps hoping to return immediately to competitiveness rather than undertaking a rebuild. A general manager with another team suggests that he thinks the D-Backs will need to guarantee a five-year term to draw a strong candidate, given the frequency of front-office turnover in Arizona.

Daniels On Rangers: Lucroy, Offseason Needs, Gallo, Profar

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Rangers GM Jon Daniels managed to engineer an AL West title, but his club washed out in the ALDS. Today, he and manager Jeff Banister addressed the 2016 season and broke down the roster needs heading into the offseason, as MLB.com’s TR Sullivan was among those to cover:

  • Texas will exercise its club option over catcher Jonathan Lucroy, which is about the easiest decision the team will face this winter. The 30-year-old’s $5.5MM tab for 2017 was one of the chief reasons that the Rangers gave up a strong haul of prospects to acquire him at the trade deadline. Lucroy rewarded the investment with a .276/.345/.539 batting line and 11 home runs over 168 plate appearances down the stretch.
  • Starting pitching represents the Rangers’ top priority heading towards 2017, Daniels suggested. Texas also needs to fill in at center field and first base. There are a variety of considerations in all of those areas involving departing free agents, open-market options, trade targets, and internal candidates for increased roles. Regarding the team’s own players whose contracts are expiring — righty Colby Lewis, first baseman Mitch Moreland, and outfielders Ian Desmond, Carlos Gomez, and Carlos Beltran — Daniels says: “All of those free agents, under the right circumstances, we would love to have back.” 
  • Bolstering the rotation will be accomplished somehow, Daniels promised. “We will be better,” he said of the position, while also suggesting that the team still has enough assets in its farm to strike a significant swap to bring in a new hurler. Texas also needs to make a call on the $11MM option of lefty Derek Holland — declining it would require a $1.5MM buyout, as well as a $1MM buyout of his ensuing $11.5MM option for 2018 — after he turned in a 4.95 ERA over 107 1/3 innings. Daniels indicated that the team remains undecided on that move.
  • Desmond is “the Rangers’ first choice to play center field,” according to Sullivan. He seems a highly-likely qualifying offer candidate, though that wasn’t confirmed in the presser. Gomez, too, could be a consideration up the middle. “We like what we saw from Gomez,” said Banister. “We feel like he is a quality player.” It’ll certainly be interesting to see what kind of interest he’ll draw on the open market after bouncing back with a .284/.362/.543 batting line in his 130 plate appearances late in the year with Texas. Otherwise, Texas has a wide variety of uncertain outfield options already kicking around in the system. “We have a number of guys we believe in and have talent,” said Daniels. “They are certainly going to get opportunities. Competition is very healthy.”
  • At first base, the big question may be whether the club is ready to entrust Joey Gallo with a big chunk of playing time. The 22-year-old put up a .240/.367/.529 slash and swatted 25 long balls in his 433 trips to the plate at Triple-A, but has struggled badly in limited MLB exposure. “Joey is still a premium talent,” Banister said. “This guy has what very few in the game have. His raw power is off the charts. The power shows up, but it’s the hit-ability and the consistency that has to get better.”
  • Another question mark of sorts is infielder Jurickson Profar, the former top prospect who finally returned to health this year. He isn’t lined up for much time up the middle after strong years from Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor, with Sullivan suggesting he may yet be a trade candidate. But Texas believes in his talent and values his versatility, writes Sullivan, and his trade value may not be quite what the team would need to pull the trigger on a deal. Profar has just three seasons of control remaining, and only ended up with a .239/.321/.338 slash line on the year. “As I sit here today, my expectation is for [Profar] to be on the ballclub in a winning role,” said Daniels. “I think he is a winning piece.”
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