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J.J. Hoover

Rosenthal’s Latest: Lucroy, Lindor, Ahmed, D’backs, Ryu

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Here are highlights from the latest column by FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal:

  • Catcher Jonathan Lucroy and the Rangers recently shelved talks about an extension. It’s not entirely clear what happened, but one possibility could be that Lucroy is waiting for a new Yadier Molina deal with the Cardinals, a contract that would help set his value. Molina could receive $17MM to $18MM a season, Rosenthal writes, and Lucroy would probably receive only a bit less.
  • An extension for Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor appears unlikely unless the team is willing to pay him at elite rates, Rosenthal opines. Lindor is on track to become a free agent at 28, and he has an endorsement deal with New Balance that provides him with extra funds during these early-career seasons during which his pay is relatively minimal.
  • The Diamondbacks do not have shortstop Nick Ahmed on the market, Rosenthal reports. Ahmed has two minor-league options and is therefore useful to a Diamondbacks team that faces a reasonable amount of uncertainty at the shortstop position, where they also have the largely unproven Chris Owings and Ketel Marte. The Yankees, meanwhile, feel they don’t need Ahmed — Didi Gregorius is set to begin the season on the DL with a shoulder injury, but the Yankees prefer to get through the first several weeks of the season with a combination of Ronald Torreyes, Pete Kozma (a somewhat similar player to Ahmed, Rosenthal points out) and Tyler Wade at short.
  • The Diamondbacks will keep an eye out for bullpen help as Opening Day approaches, perhaps pursuing players who don’t make other clubs’ 25-man rosters. In the meantime, though, the Snakes like what they see in Tom Wilhelmsen and J.J. Hoover, both of whom they signed to minor-league deals.
  • The White Sox do not seem likely to deal Jose Quintana now when interest in him could ramp up at the deadline, but the Astros, with their strong farm system and rotation needs, seem likely to eventually acquire Quintana or another good starter.
  • Dodgers lefty Hyun-jin Ryu, who has missed almost all of the past two seasons to injury, looks “like he hasn’t skipped a beat,” in the words of one scout. Ryu is competing for one of the Dodgers’ final two rotation spots.

NL West Notes: Hoffman, Norris, Hoover, Padres

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Some news and notes from around the NL West…

  • The Rockies optioned Jeff Hoffman to Triple-A today, with manager Bud Black telling reporters (including Nick Groke of the Denver Post) that Hoffman required “a little more refinement” and consistency.  “The fastball has velocity, but he has to locate the fastball,” Black said.  “The slider and curveball are very good pitches.  They are major league quality.  But he has to consistently get them into good spots.  The overall command of his pitches is something he needs to harness.”  Hoffman, one of the game’s top pitching prospects, posted a 4.88 ERA over his first 31 1/3 innings in the majors last season.  With Hoffman at Triple-A, rookies German Marquez, Kyle Freeland, and Antonio Senzatela are all competing for the last two spots in Colorado’s injury-thinned rotation.
  • The Rockies are one of the teams interested in catcher Derek Norris, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.  Colorado joins the Cardinals and Rays as teams known to have interest in the free agent catcher.  With Tom Murphy on the DL with a fractured forearm, the Rockies are a logical candidate to be exploring upgrades behind the plate.
  • J.J. Hoover is looking like a good bet to break camp with the Diamondbacks, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes.  Hoover signed a minor league deal with the D’Backs in January that will pay him a $900K base salary if he cracks the big league roster, which seems like a distinct possibility given the righty’s solid spring numbers and Arizona’s wide-open bullpen competition.  Hoover posted solid numbers out of Cincinnati’s bullpen from 2012-15 before taking over as the Reds closer and suffering a disastrous 2016 season.
  • The top 50 international bonuses of 2016 are compiled by Baseball America’s Ben Badler, with the Padres’ $11MM bonus to Cuban lefty Adrian Morejon leading the way.  San Diego owns five of the top 12 entries and a league-leading 11 of the top 50 overall, which isn’t a surprise given the Padres’ tactic of blowing past their bonus pool limit to hoard as much young international talent as possible during this signing period.  As a result, the Padres will be limited to signings worth no more than $300K during the next two international signing periods.

Diamondbacks, J.J. Hoover Agree To Minor League Deal

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The D-backs and right-hander J.J. Hoover have agreed to a minor league contract, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter links). The Ballengee Group client will be invited to Major League Spring Training and has a $900K base salary on his deal. He can also earn up to $425K worth of incentives.

Hoover, 29, opened the season as the favorite for the ninth-inning gig in Cincinnati last year, but he quickly fell out of favor after a rough start. Hoover blew his first save opp of the season and was tagged for 16 earned runs over his next 8 1/3 innings before being optioned to Triple-A Louisville. Hoover looked to have righted the ship a bit upon returning in mid-June, but he stumbled yet again and was optioned a second time before ultimately being outrighted off the 40-man roster. All told, Hoover rounded out the year with a 13.50 ERA in 18 1/3 innings.

While that number is obviously jarring, Hoover did have a nice track record with the Reds before his troublesome 2016 campaign, and he pitched well in his time at Triple-A Louisville. Hoover logged a 3.52 ERA and a 50-to-11 K/BB ratio in 38 1/3 minor league innings this year. And, prior to 2016, he’d notched a 3.34 ERA with 9.1 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9 in 223 2/3 career innings with Cincinnati.

Hoover will join a crowded but unsettled bullpen mix with the D-backs and compete for a job in Spring Training. If he wins a spot in the ’pen and rebounds from his disastrous 2016 results, the Snakes will be able to control him through the 2019 season via the arbitration process.

Dick Williams On Reds’ Bullpen

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The Reds want to upgrade their bullpen this offseason, but GM Dick Williams admits that will be a challenge, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. “There is not a ton of options available, and there are a lot of teams talking about needing bullpen help right now. We just have to be careful that we don’t get swept up in a market that is overheated,” says Williams, who adds that he might prefer internal options like Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen to pitch in multiple-inning bullpen roles next season, rather than hunting for that sort of pitcher on in free agency. Both pitchers were among the Reds’ best in 2016, and both also have experience starting.

“In the second half of the season, we were trying to promote the usage of Iglesias and Lorenzen in that type of multi-inning role,” says Williams. “People are always looking for the market inefficiency, and if all of a sudden everybody is out chasing multi-inning guys, then you might have to look elsewhere.”

Williams adds that the Reds do not plan to re-sign J.J. Hoover, who was outrighted in August and became a free agent last month. Hoover was a solid contributor in the Reds’ 2015 ’pen, but he was awful in 2016 after being called upon to replace Aroldis Chapman as the Reds’ closer, allowing 29 runs in 18 2/3 innings in the big leagues. He did, however, fare well in an extended stay at Triple-A Louisville.

Reds Outright J.J. Hoover

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The Reds announced on Thursday that right-hander J.J. Hoover has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Louisville. That represents a disappointing end to his work this year in Cincinnati, though a late-year return remains possible.

Entering the year, Hoover was positioned as the Reds’ closer after winning his arbitration hearing in his first year of eligibility. That didn’t last long, though, as he blew his first save opportunity and only ended up converting one on the season.

Hoover ended up being optioned in early May after posting disastrous results in the early going. He showed better immediately upon his return, but coughed up five earned runs in consecutive outings before going out on optional assignment once again. A significant decline in average fastball velocity certainly hasn’t helped. Hoover sits with a 13.50 ERA over 18 2/3 frames at the major league level in 2016, with opponents hitting a ridiculous .345/.433/.750 against him.

Ultimately, Cincinnati decided it couldn’t dedicate a 40-man roster spot to the veteran and decided on today’s outright. As things stand, he looks to be a non-tender candidate in the fall. That being said, Hoover ought to receive attention as a bounce-back candidate. Entering the year, he owned a 3.34 ERA over 223 2/3 major league innings with 9.1 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9, and he has been better this season when pitching at the Triple-A level.

Reds Option J.J. Hoover To Minors, Promote Steve Delabar

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The Reds have announced a variety of roster moves, among them the demotion of righty J.J. Hoover, who started the season as their closer, to Triple-A Louisville. They also recalled righty Drew Hayes from Louisville, selected the contract of veteran righty Steve Delabar, placed righty Jon Moscot (shoulder) on the 15-day DL, and transferred catcher Devin Mesoraco (shoulder) to the 60-day DL.

Hoover had a disastrous beginning to his season, allowing 18 runs (17 earned), six home runs and six walks in 10 2/3 innings. He was expected to work the ninth inning for a Reds team that traded Aroldis Chapman over the winter, but that arrangement did not work out, to put it mildly.

The rest of the Reds’ moves reflect the considerable uncertainty that surrounds the rest of the team’s pitching staff as well. Perhaps the most notable move is the promotion of Delabar, who agreed to a minor-league deal with the Reds late in Spring Training after the Blue Jays released him. Delabar had posted a 2.19 ERA for Louisville, but with an alarming 11 walks in 12 1/3 innings. The 2013 All-Star has fallen on hard times in recent seasons, and posted a 5.22 ERA, 9.2 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 29 2/3 innings with the Jays last year. The Reds bullpen’s 6.28 ERA for the season is by far the worst in the Majors, however, so they have little to lose in giving Delabar a shot.

Moscot missed a start with shoulder discomfort earlier this week, although, via MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (on Twitter), an MRI showed no structural damage. Mesoraco is set to have shoulder surgery and will miss the rest of the season.

Quick Hits: Opt-Outs, Hoover, Gutierrez, Arozarena, Braves

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In a piece for the Hardball Times, Matt Swartz gives an in-depth explanation into the methodology he used when projecting the value of this offseason’s opt-out clauses here at MLBTR (links to Swartz’s valuations). As Swartz explains, the key to placing a dollar value on such a complex clause is in forecasting the extent to which the projections of a player’s value will change over time. As Swartz points out, whatever amount we currently project a player to be worth for the post-opt-out-date duration of his contract will assuredly change by the time that opt-out decision surfaces (especially in cases like David Price, where the opt-out is in three years). Setting a standard deviation of that expected value is crucial. Those that have a strong interest in the financial/economical side of the game and the math that goes into the financial decision-making of clubs will want to check out Swartz’s column in its entirety. Additionally, you can check out Swartz’s offseason appearance on the MLBTR Podcast (although the focus of that discussion was on his arbitration projections).

A few more notes from around the game…

  • Right-hander J.J. Hoover will no longer serve as the Reds’ closer, manager Bryan Price told reporters, including C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The Reds will mix and match, perhaps turning to options such as Tony Cingrani, Blake Wood and Caleb Cotham, though Price said that none of the three is ready to take over the closer’s role on a full-time basis. The Cincinnati bullpen has struggled across the board this season, with Jumbo Diaz already having been optioned to the minors and Keyvius Sampson finding himself designated for assignment earlier today. Hoover posted a strong 2.94 ERA in a setup role last season, though his modest strikeout rate, elevated walk rate and excellent fortune on balls in play all served as warning signs that he could struggle to repeat that success. Hoover won an arbitration hearing this winter, resulting in a $1.4MM salary.
  • Ben Badler of Baseball America provides some updates on a pair of intriguing Cuban free agents: 20-year-old right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez and 21-year-old outfielder/infielder Randy Arozarena. Gutierrez’s most recent showcase increased interest around the league, and he’ll host another open showcase for clubs on May 29. Last month’s showing for scouts saw Gutierrez sit 92-94 mph with his fastball to complement a “hammer” curve that he was throwing around 80 mph. Gutierrez’s projectable frame has long led scouts to believe that he would grow into more velocity, Badler writes, and that appears to be the case now. Badler also recaps Arozarena’s recent performance in Mexico and notes that he’s likely to wait until July 2 to sign.
  • The Braves have optioned right-hander Williams Perez to Triple-A Gwinnett, and his rotation spot could be filled by either Mike Foltynewicz or Aaron Blair, writes MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. Both right-handers have come over to the Braves in high-profile trades over the past 15 months, with Foltynewicz arriving by way of the Evan Gattis trade and Blair coming over from Arizona alongside Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte in the Shelby Miller blockbuster. Blair’s stock is currently higher after Foltynewicz struggled in his Braves debut last season, but Bowman notes that Atlanta could also elect to keep Blair in Triple-A to gain more experience and delay the start of service time/arbitration clock.

NL Central Notes: Pirates, Hoover, Piniella, Brewers

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Here’s some news from around the NL Central…

  • It’s still possible the Pirates could add another lefty reliever, MLB.com’s Adam Berry writes in a reader mailbag.  Tony Watson is one of the game’s best southpaw relievers, but Pittsburgh’s bullpen is otherwise pretty thin on left-handers with Major League experience.  Berry opines that the likes of Craig Breslow, Neal Cotts, Sean Marshall, Franklin Morales or Matt Thornton could be fits if the Bucs indeed chose to pursue another southpaw, though it’s also possible they stand pat since they generally don’t use specialists out of the pen.
  • Neither J.J. Hoover or Reds president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty had any hard feelings over the arbitration hearing between the two sides, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reports.  Hoover won the hearing, meaning he’ll earn $1.4MM in 2016 as opposed to Cincinnati’s $1.225MM figure.  “It’s just part of the environment.  I am thankful for the experience and seeing the inner workings of this process,” Hoover said, also noting that he “had no idea that so much research and preparation went into a case.”
  • The Reds announced the hiring of Lou Piniella to a consulting position as a senior adviser to the team’s baseball operations department.  The former manager will also spend time with the club during Spring Training, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets.  Piniella managed the Reds from 1990 to 1992, leading the team to its most recent World Series championship during the ’90 season.
  • Something as simple as communication can make all the difference in a young prospect’s development, as Brewers GM David Stearns and newly-hired farm director Tom Flanagan tell Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  Each player receives his own specific set or checklist of goals that need to be achieved to reach the majors, in order to make the player’s path as clear as possible.  “There’s enough distractions once a player gets to the big leagues,” Flanagan said.  “We’re trying to eliminate those that could come up along the way….We don’t want anyone to fall through the cracks.”
  • In other NL Central news from earlier today, the Cubs have checked in with the Rays about Tampa Bay’s pitching and outfield surplus.

J.J. Hoover Wins Arbitration Hearing Against Reds

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Right-hander J.J. Hoover has won his arbitration hearing against the Reds and will be awarded a $1.4MM salary as opposed to the $1.225MM figure submitted by Cincinnati, Jon Heyman reports (via Twitter). The Ballengee Group client was arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason.

Hoover, 28, enjoyed strong bottom-line results in 2015, posting a 2.94 ERA in 68 innings, although his strikeout and walk rates were both a ways off from his career bests. Hoover averaged 7.3 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9 this past season, both of which fall shy of his respective career marks of 9.1 and 4.1. His representatives, however, were likely able to tout the right-hander’s durability over the past three seasons, during which time he’s averaged 63 games and 64 innings. All told, Hoover has a lifetime 3.34 ERA in 223 2/3 innings at the Major League level, dating back to his 2012 debut.

Following the Reds’ trade of Aroldis Chapman this offseason, there’s no clear answer as to who will inherit the bulk of the save opportunities in manager Bryan Price’s bullpen, but as the most experienced reliever on the 40-man roster, Hoover figures to be firmly in the mix come Spring Training. A season spent accumulating saves would do well to boost Hoover’s arb case for the 2016-17 offseason, particularly if he can regain some of his missing strikeouts and continue to post solid ERA marks.

As MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweets, this represents the Reds’ first arbitration hearing in more than a decade; their last came against Chris Reitsma back in 2004. Hoover becomes the second player to win an arbitration hearing this offseason, making players a perfect two-for-two thus far; Drew Smyly topped the Rays earlier this week. Blue Jays right-hander Jesse Chavez reportedly had his arbitration hearing yesterday as well, although the outcome of that case is not yet known. Earlier today, I rounded up some of the hearing dates for yet-unresolved cases, including Jake Arrieta and Josh Donaldson.

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