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Quick Hits: Romo, Pomeranz, Farm Systems, Saltalamacchia

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The latest from around baseball…

  • The Brewers had some interest in Sergio Romo prior to their signing of Neftali Feliz, Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group.  Milwaukee was known to be looking for relief pitching and landed both Feliz on a big league deal and Joba Chamberlain on a minors contract this week.  The Brewers also made an offer to Romo’s former Giants teammate Santiago Casilla before they signed Feliz.  Romo was known to have received interest from at least two non-Giants teams this offseason, though there hasn’t been much buzz overall about the veteran right-hander’s market.
  • Drew Pomeranz told reporters (including Tim Britton of the Providence Journal) that he received a stem-cell injection in his left elbow after last season concluded.  The southpaw said he felt some “minor elbow discomfort” last year but is now feeling healthy as he enters his pre-Spring Training preparations.  Pomeranz’s health was a major source of controversy last season, as Padres GM A.J. Preller was issued a 30-day suspension for failing to disclose medical information about Pomeranz to the Red Sox before Boston acquired the lefty for top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza.
  • Speaking of Pomeranz, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told the Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham (Twitter link) and other reporters that the two sides are getting close to a deal to avoid an arbitration hearing.  Pomeranz filed for a $5.7MM salary while the Sox countered with a $3.6MM offer.
  • The Braves have the top farm system in baseball, ESPN’s Keith Law opines, as he ranks the minor league systems of all 30 teams in a three-part series for ESPN.com subscribers.  The Yankees (#2 on Law’s list) and Padres (#3) also have strong cases for the top spot, though Law gives Atlanta the edge due to the Braves’ sheer volume of talented pitching prospects and position players in the middle of the field.  Coming in at the bottom of the ranking are the Diamondbacks, who Law feels are “several drafts away from getting back into the middle of the pack” thanks to ill-advised trades, draft picks and international signings under the regime of former GM Dave Stewart.
  • Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia is now being represented by ACES, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).  Jim Munsey, Saltalamacchia’s former agent, is leaving the business, so we could soon be hearing more about further representation switches from other Munsey Sports Management clients like Sean Burnett or Rafael Lopez.  Check out MLBTR’s Agency Database for an extensive listing of representation information for more than 2,500 Major League and Minor League players. If you see any errors or omissions, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Rumblings: Fowler, Jays, Cards, Astros, Rangers, Nathan, Salty

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The Blue Jays and free agent outfielder Dexter Fowler are “apart” in talks, per FanRag’s Jon Heyman, who adds that the Cardinals remain a “strong possibility” to land the soon-to-be former Cub (Twitter link). The Giants were also in the running for the 30-year-old as of last week, though it’s unclear if that’s still the case. Fowler is reportedly seeking $18MM per annum on a multiyear deal.

More from around the majors:

  • The Astros have been ultra-aggressive in upgrading their roster this offseason, yet team president Reid Ryan indicated Sunday that they’re still missing a major piece. “What we lack is that starter who you pencil in at the top of the rotation that is an automatic W,” Ryan told MLB Network Radio (Twitter link). Houston does have 2015 AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel atop its rotation, though his production took steps backward during a shoulder injury-shortened 2016. Notably, the Astros are in the mix for White Sox ace Chris Sale and the Rays’ starters, including Chris Archer.
  • The Rangers have two star-caliber players entering contract years in ace Yu Darvish and catcher Jonathan Lucroy, but the team is unlikely to discuss extensions with either during the winter meetings, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). For now, the reigning AL West champions’ focus is on making outside acquisitions. The Rangers could certainly turn their attention to new deals for Darvish and Lucroy later in the offseason.
  • Even though Joe Nathan turned 42 last month, the free agent reliever plans to continue his career and is drawing interest from clubs, tweets Heyman. Nathan, who’s eighth on the all-time saves list (377), returned from 2015 Tommy John surgery to throw a combined 6 1/3 scoreless innings with the Cubs and Giants last season.
  • The market for free agent catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia is “moving,” a source told SB Nation’s Chris Castillo, who reports that three teams are chasing the 31-year-old (Twitter link). The switch-hitter batted just .171/.284/.346 in 292 plate appearances with the Tigers in 2016, and both Baseball Prospectus and StatCorner assigned him negative defensive grades.

AL West Notes: Wilson, Angels, Kendrick, Rangers, Pearce, Lewis, Catchers, Mariners

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The Angels are telling clubs they’ll listen to offers on lefty C.J. Wilson, Scott Miller of Bleacher Report reports on Twitter. It seems that Los Angeles would be interested in clearing some payroll in a bid to address the multiple areas of need on the position-player side of the equation.

More from L.A. and the AL West:

  • Angels GM Billy Eppler told reporters that he’s looked into deals for a short-term option in the corner outfield, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. As Fletcher notes, Jay Bruce of the Reds is one player who could meet that description, though it’s not clear that he’s a target for the Halos.
  • Free agent second baseman Howie Kendrick is “definitely open” to returning to his long-time club, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times tweets. While Eppler and co. have reached out to the veteran, that isn’t “on the front burner” for the team at present.
  • The Rangers have had internal discussions about adding free agent first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports via Twitter. Pearce has long seemed a good match on paper for Texas, which has a heavily left-handed lineup.
  • Meanwhile, the Rangers are looking at bringing Colby Lewis back and want to add at least two starters, Sullivan tweets. Texas would be looking for a rotation piece in any theoretical deal of first baseman Mitch Moreland.
  • While the Rangers’ interest in righty Joe Kelly now seems dead in the water after Boston dealt Wade Miley, Texas could also look to chat with the Red Sox about a possible deal for a catcher, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Tigers backstop Bryan Holaday could draw some attention from Texas as well, Sullivan adds on Twitter. As MLB.com’s Jason Beck notes on Twitter, Holaday is out of options and could hit the waiver wire if he loses the team’s reserve catching job to the just-signed Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
  • In other Rangers-related backstop news, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that he’s told the team “covets” Brewers receiver Jonathan Lucroy. Of course, as he adds, Milwaukee likely won’t move Lucroy unless it can achieve a “huge return.”
  • The Mariners are not looking at any major rotation upgrades after acquiring Miley, GM Jerry Dipoto tells Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News-Tribune (via Twitter). Dipoto also noted that he wasn’t willing to guarantee Hisashi Iwakuma a third year, which is why the club reportedly lost out on him to the Dodgers, MLB.com’s Greg Johns tweets. Miley was the M’s “Plan A” after missing on Iwakuma, added Dipoto.

Saltalamacchia Had Interest From “6-7 Clubs”

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Earlier tonight, the Tigers announced the signing of catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to a one-year deal for the MLB minimum. Before he put pen to paper with Detroit, however, Salty’s camp was in talks with “six or seven clubs,” according to a baseball source who spoke with MLBTR.  The backstop drew varying levels of interest from the White Sox, Royals, Rays, Orioles (prior to Matt Wieters accepting his QO), Phillies, Angels, and the incumbent D’Backs.

The Tigers have landed themselves a veteran who can be a reliable presence behind starter James McCann.  Saltalamacchia also could get some opportunities as DH and first base as he moves back to the American League.  The former first round pick looked strong in his 70 game run for the D’Backs in 2015 and he’ll attempt to build off of that with Detroit in the New Year.

Tigers Sign Jarrod Saltalamacchia

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The Tigers have announced the signing of catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, per MLB.com’s Jason Beck (Twitter links). GM Al Avila said that the Munsey Sports Management client will have an opportunity to compete for a position backing up presumptive starter James McCann.

Detroit will be committed to Saltalamacchia for only one year at the MLB minimum rate. He’ll still earn a healthy $8MM this year, however, as the Marlins are still paying down the rest of the free agent contract he signed with the team.

Salty, who’ll turn 31 early in the season, lost his spot in Miami last year after a rough 2014 campaign and slow start. He landed with the Diamondbacks, putting up a strong .251/.332/.474 slash in 194 plate appearances. The switch hitter has historically been quite excellent against right-handed pitching, making him a nice potential complement to the righty McCann.

AL East Notes: Chen, Bundy, Saltalamacchia, Sox, Rays, Jays

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The Yankees “could make a serious run” at left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, reports Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. A source tells Feinsand that the Yankees will be one of the many teams involved in talks for the Scott Boras client, and in an ideal world, the Yanks would love to add a left-handed starter. David Price, of course, is the top lefty name on the market, but Chen will have a much more reasonable asking price, Feinsand hears, as he’s seeking a five-year deal. GM Brian Cashman said at the GM Meetings that while talent trumps handedness, in an ideal setting he’d be able to balance out his rotation a bit while also providing an upgrade. The Yankees are more than familiar with Chen, having watched him pitch for the division-rival Orioles for the past four seasons.

A few more notes from the AL East…

  • Orioles righty Dylan Bundy has been shut down from Arizona Fall League action after experiencing forearm tightness, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. It’s certainly possible that the move is primarily precautionary, as Baltimore will no doubt handle Bundy with extreme care, but it’s obviously not encouraging given his lengthy struggle with arm injuries.
  • The Orioles have reached out to catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s camp, a source tells Rich Dubroff of CSNMidAtlantic.com. Baltimore has interest in Saltalamacchia in the event that Matt Wieters rejects their qualifying offer, as he’s widely expected to do. According to Dubroff, if and when Wieters declines, the O’s will have interest in adding a veteran backstop. Dubroff doesn’t explicitly state it, but based on his reporting, it seems that the Orioles view the QO as the only means by which they’ll be able to retain their longtime catcher.
  • While the Red Sox have a clear need in the rotation, they also lacked hard-throwing relievers in 2015 and, with a closer on the wrong side of 40, would be wise to explore the trade market for dominant bullpen arms, opines Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Lauber lists Drew Storen, Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon as potential targets, noting that the GM of each respective club at least hinted at the possibility of each pitcher’s availability this week. Chapman is well-known to be available, and that’s the wide belief on Storen, also. Lauber notes that both the Reds and Nats have needs in the outfield and in other areas of depth for the Red Sox, making alignment on a trade possible in theory.
  • Lauber’s colleague, Michael Silverman, writes in a separate column that trading for an ace might not happen for the Red Sox this winter. Silverman quotes execs from the Mets, Athletics and White Sox on the availability (or lack thereof) of the Mets’ young rotation, Sonny Gray and Chris Sale. The strong reluctance from teams with controllable pitching suggests that Sox fans shouldn’t get their hearts set on prying a front-line arm away from a club that possesses a young ace (or, in the Mets’ case, young aces) — as such pitchers are of the rarest breed.
  • Rays president of baseball operations Matt Silverman (not to be confused with the similarly named Boston columnist referenced in the previous bullet) spoke with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times about his penchant for trades since moving to the top of the team’s baseball operations pyramid. As Topkin notes, Silverman has made 13 trades in 13 months, though the young exec says he didn’t necessarily plan to be so active. Silverman explained, though, that the team’s financial inability to compete for top-tier free agents and top international players (at least the ones who could make an immediate impact) forces him into the trade market. Topkin reports that the Rays aren’t even soliciting interest in Evan Longoria, nor are they planning to do so, but they’d like to move James Loney and the remaining $8MM on his contract to increase payroll flexibility and open at-bats for other players.
  • Topkin also reports (via Twitter) that the Rays are one of many clubs showing interest in free agent lefty Rich Hill. The journeyman southpaw dominated in four starts for the Red Sox late last season, creating a good deal of intrigue around him. Unlike most free agents, Hill’s lack of track record and status as an upside play shouldn’t price him out of the Rays’ range.
  • The Blue Jays would like to add at least two starting pitchers and ideally three, interim GM Tony LaCava told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (Twitter link). In a full column, Nicholson-Smith writes that while adding that type of pitching is the goal there’s no plan to move pieces such as Jose Bautista or Edwin Encarnacion to make it happen. The Jays aren’t interested in detracting from a strength to enhance a weakness.
  • Additionally of note from Nicholson-Smith’s column is that the Blue Jays remain uncertain as to the role of Roberto Osuna in 2016. While Osuna was a brilliant closer for the team in 2015 despite his status as the league’s youngest player (20), he was being developed as a starter and could have more long-term value in that role. The team’s ability to add rotation arms this winter will likely impact what role Osuna and Aaron Sanchez occupy in 2016.

AL West Notes: Mariners, Astros, Aybar, Martin, Napoli, Jennings

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The Mariners have continued to express interest in catcher Chris Iannetta, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports on Twitter. Iannetta, 32, hit the open market after four years with the Angels — which was, of course, also the most recent stop of new Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto. The M’s have also reached out to Jarrod Saltalamacchia as the team weights its options for veteran additions behind the dish, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets.

Here’s more from the AL West:

  • The Astros could aim to achieve “balance” with their roster moves, Evan Drellich of The Houston Chronicle writes. Adding some high-octane arms to the pen and some contact bats to the lineup might prove beneficial, though GM Jeff Luhnow notes that his primary concern is with achieving production through whatever means necessary (and, presumably, at a good value).
  • In other news, also via Drellich, Luhnow says that he’s not inclined to move catcher Jason Castro and center fielder Carlos Gomez, even though both players are a year away from free agency.  “I think Gomez right now is our center fielder and Castro’s our catcher and those guys are hard to replace,” Luhnow said. “We could be looking at a situation next year where either or both of those are in the qualifying offer camp as well, so. If you trade ’em, you’re potentially giving up opportunity to keep them on a one-year deal after next year. Or a draft pick if they choose to sign elsewhere. That’s a valuable situation. But most importantly for us, I think Gomez and Castro are key parts of our team next year.”
  • Similarly, the Angels are not terribly concerned with the contract status of shortstop Erick Aybar, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. The Halos have several other priorities, and aren’t currently focused either on working out a new contract with the 31-year-old or finding his replacement.
  • The Rangers will tender a contract to outfielder Leonys Martin, GM Jon Daniels made clear to the media today. As Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports, Daniels called that outcome “100%” to occur. There had been at least some questions about the 27-year-old’s status after a tough season, but it seems Texas still sees plenty of value. MLBTR projects Martin to earn $1.6MM in his first season of arbitration eligibility, which is hardly an overwhelming number.
  • While the free agent market has had its draws for the Rangers in recent years, the club has also struck several major trades and is focused on talks with other teams this winter, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports. “I think there’s a little bit of confidence going into the offseason as far as [having] an experienced core, and even the young guys now have experience on a big stage,” Daniels told McTaggart. “You feel you can try to add a couple of pieces and [not] need to reinvent the wheel and totally change over the club. You don’t want to get complacent either, but there’s a confidence, especially [considering] where we were a year ago, and we’ve gotten some real positive answers [for] some of our injured guys.”
  • The Rangers do, however, have interest in bringing back right-handed slugger Mike Napoli, Daniels added. If that happened, the club would look for him to work out in left field during camp to see if he could provide an option there alongside Josh Hamilton (who, it should be noted, just underwent another minor knee surgery).
  • The Rangers have expressed interest in bringing former Marlins GM Dan Jennings into their front office, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reported last week on Twitter. Jennings has reportedly drawn fairly wide interest since he was cut loose after a long run in Miami.

La Russa, Stewart On Pollock, Closer, Salty, Coaching Staff

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Top Diamondbacks baseball decision-makers Tony La Russa and Dave Stewart spoke with the press today as the offseason begins. Here are some of the highlights:

  • Arizona has begun at least exploratory discussions with center fielder A.J. Pollock about a contract extension, per Stewart, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. Pollock is entering his first of three seasons of arbitration eligibility. He has shown an openness to considering a deal, it seems, though he’s not going to be cheap given his incredible (and still under-appreciated) level of production over the last two years.
  • While the team has a theoretical opening in the closer role, which Brad Ziegler filled after the demotion of the since-traded Addison Reed, that doesn’t necessarily mean a 9th-inning specialist will be added. Stewart said that it’s possible the club will look to fill out the pen with depth rather than pursuing someone to tag with the closer label, as MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports on Twitter.
  • Backstop Jarrod Saltalamacchia has indicated to the team that he’ll test the open market in search of a starting role, Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona tweets. But Arizona would like to bring him back, presumably to make a continued pairing with Welington Castillo. That tandem was among the most productive in baseball over the season’s second half.
  • The D’Backs will replace pitching coach Mike Harkey with Mel Stottlemyre Jr., Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. La Russa, however, would only confirm that the team decided to part ways with Harkey, calling Stottlemyre a candidate, as Zach Buchanan of the Arizona Republic reports. Otherwise, the coaching staff under skipper Chip Hale will remain the same. That being said, the Padres have asked for and received permission to speak with third base coach Andy Green about San Diego’s open managerial position. Phil Nevin is another Arizona coach that has and could again draw interest from outside the organization.

NL East Notes: Latos, Haren, Cishek

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The Marlins continue to receive interest in both Mat Latos and Dan Haren, reports MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. Despite conflicting reports recently, Frisaro hears that the Blue Jays do indeed have some interest in Latos, as do the Cubs. The Blue Jays are also in Haren, per the report,  and so is his former team, the Dodgers (albeit to a lesser extent). Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) characterizes Toronto as having monitored Latos, noting that it remains to be seen whether the team actually pursues him.

A few more Marlins notes …

  • Frisaro feels that it’s more likely that the Marlins will trade Latos than Haren in the next week due to the fact that trading Latos sooner comes with financial savings, whereas Haren’s $10MM salary is entirely paid for by the Dodgers. Haren could still be an August trade candidate, though, in Frisaro’s eyes.
  • Though Haren and Latos are the most popular names among Marlins trade candidates at present, Steve Cishek is drawing interest as well — specifically from the Cardinals, per the Miami Herald’s Clark Spencer (Twitter link). Cishek has allowed just one earned run in 11 2/3 innings since returning to the big league roster in mid-June, so it’s certainly plausible to think that Miami could save some money and get at least something back for him.
  • An even more interesting question, perhaps, is whether the Marlins or a hypothetical new team will consider tendering Cishek a contract through arbitration. While he may not earn a significant raise, the reliever has a steep $6.65MM starting point entering his second-to-last year of eligibility.
  • Former Marlins backstop Jarrod Saltalamacchia discussed his tenure in Miami with Spencer, He expressed some disappointment with the way things ended and the fact that he did not get a chance to make good on his contract, but acknowledged that he fell short of expectations. On the whole, his comments seemed thoughtful and genuine, and are worth a full read.

Quick Hits: Opt-Outs, Correia, Draft, Rodriguez, Braves

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June 1 (that’s Monday) is a popular opt-out date, with multiple players having the chance to become free agents if not elevated to the big league roster. Chris Cotillo of SB Nation ran down a few of those on Twitter: David Aardsma of the Dodgers, Juan Gutierrez and Kevin Correia of the Giants, Rich Hill of the Nationals, and Brad Penny of the White Sox. (He also lists Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but he’s now up with the D’Backs.) As MLBTR’s Steve Adams notes (Twitter links), Aardsma is throwing quite well at Triple-A, and could well end up opting out — making him a nice target for teams in need of an arm.

  • One player who is very likely to find a new home is the Giants’ Correia, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com tweets. Correia will likely be released today, says Crasnick, as the team doesn’t have a need for his services at the big league level. He has been effective thus far at Triple-A, throwing 37 2/3 innings of 3.58 ERA ball over six starts and posting 6.0 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9.
  • The upcoming draft is not going to feature two eligible players, as righty/first baseman Luken Baker will head to TCU and center fielder Kevin Collard intends to play at San Diego, per Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs (Twitter link). Kiley rated Baker the 40th-best prospect available, noting that he could end up as either a pitcher or position player.
  • In a recent chat, Ben Badler of Baseball America addressed the question of how Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez (read more on him here) stacks up against current minor leaguers. Badler says that, while some teams place a higher value on Rodriguez’s skillset (weak bat, good fielding and speed) than do others, he wouldn’t place him within the game’s 200 best prospects.
  • Badler also says that he hears the Braves are planning to make a huge push in the international market — not this coming July 2, but next. Atlanta seems to be hoping to take advantage of the fact that several big-spending teams will be restricted from giving out $300K+ bonuses in that market.
  • Roc Nation has hired former Excel agent Kyle Thousand to head up its baseball representation operations as managing director, Crasnick tweets.
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