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Jesse Chavez

Pitching Notes: Cardinals, Chavez, Stammen, Rodney

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John Mozeliak (President of Baseball Operations for the Cardinals) expressed that he’s content with his club’s rotation, via Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha, Luke Weaver, and the recently-signed Miles Mikolas are likely to occupy the first four spots in the rotation. Mozeliak says that a lot depends on how Adam Wainwright looks; however, John Gant and Tyler Lyons could also be in the mix. Mozeliak feels as though the Cards are “fine,” which would seem to make it less likely that St. Louis will be in the mix for big names such as Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta.

More pitching notes from around the league…

  • Free agent Jesse Chavez has offers from five different MLB clubs to fill a starter/long reliever role, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN reports, adding that the right-hander is expected to make a decision this weekend. Chavez pitched 138 innings for the Angels in 2017, and although his 5.35 ERA seems somewhat uninspiring, his 4.43 xFIP suggests he might have pitched a bit better than the surface results indicate. He also walked fewer than three batters per nine innings for the third season in a row. In addition to the Angels, Chavez has pitched for the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Athletics, Royals and Pirates over the course of his ten-year big league career.
  • The Reds have recently spoken with right-hander Craig Stammen, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. Sheldon notes that Stammen is a product of the University of Dayton, which is within an hour of Cincinnati. The 33-year-old reliever tossed 80 1/3 innings across 60 appearances for the Friars in 2017, posting a 3.14 ERA. Stammen began his big league career as a starter for the Nationals, but has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen since 2011.
  • Before choosing to sign with the Twins, Fernando Rodney had offers from three other big league clubs. The Rangers, Mets and Tigers all tried to sign the right-hander, according to a tweet from Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. Rodney will reportedly have a chance to hold down the closer role in Minnesota this season; he can earn up to $6MM if he meets incentives in his contract, which includes a club option for the 2019 season.

Pitching Market Rumblings: Brewers, Rays, Duffy, Nicasio, Arrieta

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Starting pitching is in the news this morning, with several notable names being discussed. But there are a whole lot of other moving pieces out there. Let’s run down the latest chatter on the pitching market:

  • The Brewers have chatted with the Rays about their potential rotation trade pieces, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter), who cautions that there’s no indication to this point that “any traction was made.” It’s not immediately clear which Tampa Bay hurlers have piqued the interest of the Milwaukee front office, though surely they’d have the trade pieces necessary to swing a deal for just about anyone. Chris Archer remains the big name to watch, though we don’t yet know whether he’s truly available. The Brewers could conceivably have interest in other pitchers, too, including veteran Jake Odorizzi, but it’s all speculation at this stage.
  • Meanwhile, the Brewers are said to have interest in righty Jesse Chavez, Haudricourt also tweets. We heard yesterday the veteran swingman was likely to find a new home this week.
  • Veteran closer Fernando Rodney has met with the Rangers and Twins, per MLB.com’s TR Sullivan (via Twitter) and Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (via Twitter). It’s not clear at this point how serious the interest is, though Rodney might conceivably be an option for either club, both of which have largely unsettled ninth-inning plans.
  • Another interesting possibility on the rotation market is Royals lefty Danny Duffy. He has drawn interest from the Cubs, per Robert Murray of Fan Rag. Indeed, K.C. has been contacted by rivals on Duffy and a few other notably interesting assets, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan tweets. It’s entirely unclear at this point what kinds of scenarios might be pondered on Duffy, but the Royals will surely want a significant return for a player they only recently extended. His contract runs through 2021 and promises him $60MM. While a DUI arrest and elbow surgery introduce some uncertainty into the situation, from a pure on-field perspective Duffy remains a valuable asset as he nears his 29th birthday.
  • The Mets are among the organizations with interest in free agent righty Juan Nicasio, according to Tyler Kepner of the New York Times (via Twitter). The 31-year-old pitched quite well throughout 2017, both before and after an odd series of August transactions. He ended the year with a 2.61 ERA over 72 1/3 innings, with 9.0 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
  • We’ve heard some possibility that the Nationals could have interest in free agent righty Jake Arrieta, and ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that agent Scott Boras is working to sell that potential fit to the team’s ownership. Then again, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post characterizes the Nationals’ interest as “tepid” in a tweet. The division-rival Phillies are reportedly also a possibility, along with several other teams, as we covered this morning. Given that the Nats have an opening in their rotation, it isn’t at all surprising to hear that Boras is pushing for it to be filled by Arrieta; after all, his connection to the organization’s ownership is quite well-established by this point. Of course, adding yet another high-priced starter would carry some pretty notable risk for the organization, so it stands to reason that the club will explore other possibilities before deciding whether to join the pursuit of the 31-year-old Arrieta. Crasnick also takes a broader look at Arrieta’s still-developing market, including an extensive examination of Boras’s marketing strategy.
  • While there is action at the top of the pitching market, the Blue Jays seem to be taking a patient approach, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca writes. While GM Ross Atkins says there’s a lack of depth in the rotation market, he also has indicated no interest in pushing hard to strike a deal. It seems the organization’s inclination remains to seek value in bolstering the rotation depth.
  • For the Diamondbacks, meanwhile, the team may at least be preparing to consider deals involving some fairly surprising players. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic runs down the team’s options for trade candidates who might free up some payroll space and enable the team to achieve future value. At the top of the list are center fielder A.J. Pollock and lefty Patrick Corbin. Meanwhile, the D-Backs are certainly still looking to field a competitor in the near term as well. They are one team with some level of interest in reliever Seung-Hwan Oh, according to Murray. Oh was not able to match his compelling MLB debut season in 2017, but still posted 8.2 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9 while carrying a 4.10 ERA over 59 1/3 innings.

FA Rumors: LoMo, Rox, Hunter, Mets, Kintzler, Brewers, O’s, Tigers, Jays

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The latest free agent rumors…

  • Contrary to a report from Sunday, the Rockies haven’t had any discussions about signing first baseman Logan Morrison, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
  • Reliever Tommy Hunter has emerged as a “prime target” for the Mets in their search for bullpen help, according to Marc Carig of Newsday (on Twitter). The 31-year-old right-hander was quietly excellent over 58 2/3 innings with the Rays in 2017, recording a 2.61 ERA and putting up 9.82 K/9 against 2.15 BB/9.
  • Count the Diamondbacks among those interested in reliever Brandon Kintzler, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, who expects the former Twins closer to land a two-year deal. Kintzler suggested last month that his wife is rooting for him to sign with Arizona. The Twins continue to monitor him, and they’ve also checked in on almost every other available pitcher, chief baseball officer Derek Falvey revealed (Twitter link via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com).
  • Brewers GM David Stearns said Monday that he’s likely to “cross paths” at the Winter Meetings with the agents for second baseman Neil Walker and reliever Anthony Swarzak, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. Walker and Swarzak ended last season with the Brewers after coming over in trades and performed quite well during their short stints in Milwaukee.
  • Although the Orioles badly need starters, they’re not inclined to dole out long deals. GM Dan Duquette suggested to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun and other reporters Monday that four- to five-year pacts for pitchers generally don’t work out well (Twitter link). On the other hand, Duquette hasn’t closed the door on re-signing righty Chris Tillman, who figures to be an affordable, short-term pickup after enduring a dreadful 2017 (Twitter link via Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com).
  • As is the case with Baltimore, the Tigers are in the market for a starter who won’t require a long commitment, GM Al Avila informed reporters (via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com, on Twitter). Detroit is open to reeling in another starter on a one-year deal to join the just-signed Mike Fiers.
  • The Blue Jays are engaging with multiple starters and relievers, GM Ross Atkins told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet and other reporters Monday. They “will most likely add an infielder,” too, and are looking at outfielders, Atkins said (Twitter link).
  • The Rangers are considering signing catcher Rene Rivera, per Jon Heyman of FanRag (Twitter link). The righty-hitting Rivera, who was with the Mets and Cubs last year, batted .252/.305/.431 in 237 plate appearances. Behind the plate, he caught an excellent 38 percent of would-be base stealers (10 percent above the league average) and, as has been the case for most of his career, held his own as a framer.
  • Right-hander Jesse Chavez appears likely to sign this week, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes tweets. The 34-year-old Chavez spent last season with the Angels and posted an ugly 5.35 ERA across 138 innings and 38 appearances (21 starts), though he did log acceptable strikeout and walk rates (7.76 K/9, 2.93 BB/9).

AL West Notes: Chavez, Smyly, Beltre, Fowler

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The Angels are moving right-hander Jesse Chavez from the rotation to the bullpen, reports Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). That in and of itself is somewhat noteworthy, but the timing of the move is more interesting. As Moura points out, Chavez is one start away from unlocking a significant boost in his contract’s incentives package and could earn as much as $1.7MM between now and season’s end. While the timing of the move probably won’t sit well with Chavez, he certainly hasn’t helped his own cause as of late. The 33-year-old has allowed 25 runs on 40 hits and 16 walks over his past 32 2/3 innings, making for a 6.89 ERA in his past seven starts. Right-hander Troy Scribner will step into the rotation in place of Chavez, according to Moura.

A few more notes from the division…

  • The Mariners acquired Drew Smyly this past offseason in hopes of a breakout over the course of his remaining two years of control, but last month’s unfortunate diagnosis of a torn ulnar collateral ligament means he may not throw a single regular-season pitch for the Mariners. Smyly is almost certain to be non-tendered this winter due to his Tommy John operation, but manager Scott Servais tells Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times that he hopes the front office will look to retain Smyly (presumably on a more affordable deal) so that he can eventually impact the rotation down the line. “I still would love to have him going forward,” said Servais. “Those are deals that Jerry (Dipoto) and his agent have to work out. But I still think there’s a very good fit for him here. … I did say to [Smyly], ‘I’d like to see what you could do pitching in Seattle for a year,’ and he smiled and said, ‘I’d like to see it too.'”
  • Adrian Beltre didn’t sugarcoat his words in telling the media that he wasn’t pleased with the Rangers’ trade of Yu Darvish, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Beltre acknowledged that he understands the business side of the game but still hadn’t given up on the 2017 season when Texas flipped its ace to the Dodgers in exchange for three prospects. The future Hall of Famer, playing at the age of 39, also made clear that he’s not interested in playing for a rebuilding club, if that’s the direction the Rangers go. “At this stage of my career, I’m not here for a rebuild,” said Beltre. “But I don’t think it will be. I think there is a possibility of this team playing better this year.” Beltre said a rebuild would “absolutely” change his mind about wanting to remain in Texas, though GM Jon Daniels downplayed the notion that such a path is even under consideration. Asked if the Darvish trade was the onset of a lengthier rebuild, Daniels replied: “I don’t look at it that way at all.”
  • Though he won’t play again this season due to the freak knee injury he suffered in his MLB debut with the Yankees, Dustin Fowler is expected to compete for the Athletics’ Opening Day center field spot in 2018, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Manager Bob Melvin offered strong praise for the type of player he hopes to be getting in the 22-year-old Fowler. “He looks to be exactly the type of athlete we’re looking for,” said the skipper. “We need to get a little bit more athletic within our system. He’s a good start for that, and it looks like [Jorge] Mateo is as well.”  Both Fowler and Mateo were acquired (alongside righty James Kaprielian) in Monday’s Sonny Gray blockbuster.

Camp Battles: Los Angeles Angels

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With limited resources at his disposal, Angels general manager Billy Eppler did well to plug holes throughout his team’s roster this offseason. The improved depth will not only help his team over the 162-game grind, it will result in some competition this spring.

Here are some notable position battles to keep an eye on.

LEFT FIELD
Cameron Maybin
Age: 30
Bats: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $9MM
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Ben Revere
Age: 29
Bats: L
Contract Status: 1 year, $4MM
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Dustin Ackley
Age: 29
Bats: L
Contract Status: MiLB deal; $2.25MM if he makes the MLB roster
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

On the surface, Maybin should have a strong edge in this battle. Despite missing a good part of the 2016 season due to an assortment of injuries, he slashed .315/.383/.418 with 15 stolen bases in 393 plate appearances for the Tigers. Revere is coming off of an abysmal season with the Nats (.217/260/.300 in 375 plate appearances) in which he deservedly lost his starting job.

However, both players have been around long enough that their track records, as well as spring performance, will play a part in determining who will get the bulk of playing time when the season begins. Maybin has a long history of injuries and subpar offensive seasons. Revere, up until 2016, had been able to compensate for a lack of power and plate discipline with a .303 batting average and 36 stolen bases per season from 2012-2015. It would be tough to keep him out of the lineup if he returns to that form. Defensively, Maybin and Revere each cover a ton of ground and should be well above-average in left field.

Ackley, who signed a Minor League deal this offseason after he was released by the Yankees, is probably the most intriguing player in camp who could conceivably do enough in Spring Training to make a push if both Maybin and Revere struggle terribly. The 2nd overall pick in the 2009 draft, Ackley had an impressive rookie season with the Mariners in 2011, but has been a disappointment since.

Even if manager Mike Scioscia names one as his starter, it’s likely that he’ll look for platoon opportunities and/or go with the “hot hand” during the season, with Maybin and Revere both getting a chance to run away with the job.

Prediction: Maybin

CLOSER
Huston Street
Age: 33
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $10MM with 2018 club option ($10MM or $1MM buyout)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Cam Bedrosian
Age: 25
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’21 season
Options remaining: Out of options

Andrew Bailey
Age: 33
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $1MM 
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Considering that Street had been one of the most consistent and reliable relief pitchers in baseball for more than a decade prior to an injury-plagued and ineffective 2016 season, it’s fair to say that he deserves the benefit of the doubt and should remain in the closer role to start the 2017 season.

The emergence of Bedrosian, however, is the likeliest reason why Street will have a much shorter leash than he’s ever had during his career. If not for a blood clot that ended his season two days after taking over as the closer when Street landed on the disabled list in early August, Bedrosian might have already proven that he’s the best man for the job. It won’t be long, though, if he can pick up where he left off (1.56 ERA, 11.4 K/9 in 45 appearances).

Former A’s closer Andrew Bailey also earned his way into the competition by pitching well after the Angels signed him to a Minor League deal in August (11.1 IP, 3 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, 8 K). For Bailey to get serious consideration, though, he’d have to give the Angels every indication that he is healthy and back to the form that made him a Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star very early in his career.

Prediction: Street on Opening Day. Bedrosian takes the job from him by June 1st.

STARTING ROTATION (TWO SPOTS)
Tyler Skaggs
Age: 25
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’20 season
Options remaining: 1

Jesse Chavez
Age: 33
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $5.75MM 
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Nate Smith
Age: 25
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’23 season 
Options remaining: 3

Alex Meyer
Age: 27
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 or ’23 season 
Options remaining: 1

Bud Norris
Age: 32
Throws: R
Contract Status: MiLB deal; $1.75MM if he makes the MLB roster
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Yusmeiro Petit
Age: 32
Throws: R
Contract Status: MiLB deal; $2.25MM if he makes the MLB roster
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Other candidates: Daniel Wright, Manny Bañuelos, Brooks Pounders

Not only is there a rotation spot that is Skaggs’ to lose, he’s a strong candidate to break out in 2017. In his first season since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2014, Skaggs was eased back into action with 10 MLB starts after a late-July promotion. The Angels will still likely proceed with some caution since he only threw a total of 89 innings in 2016. He’ll need to prove in Spring Training that he’s ready to handle a full workload or else he could begin the season in Triple-A.

Chavez’s versatility is a big part of his value, but the Angels did not have the financial freedom to give nearly $6MM to a pitcher who wasn’t going to start or factor into the late-inning mix. He’ll be given every opportunity to win a rotation spot. In 26 starts with the A’s in 2015, he had a 4.37 ERA with 7.6 K/9 in 150.1 innings pitched. The Angels would be ecstatic if he can come close to that production.

Meyer, a former top prospect for the Twins, has battled injuries and control issues throughout his career. He does have an upper-90’s fastball, however, which is why he’s the most intriguing candidate on this list. The bullpen might be his ultimate destination, but the Angels probably aren’t ready to give up on him as a starter just yet. The 6’9″ right-hander only pitched 50.1 innings in 2016, but 12 of his 13 appearances, including all five at the MLB level, were starts.

Smith doesn’t have Meyer’s ceiling, but he has the potential to be a solid back-of-the-rotation starter and he might be ready to step in now. Both he and Meyer are on the 40-man roster, which is why they’ll get a long look this spring.

Like Chavez, Petit is valuable because of his ability to pitch as a swingman. In this case, he’ll be given an opportunity to win a rotation spot, although he’ll have an uphill battle to stand out. His ability to successfully bounce from the bullpen to emergency spot starter might even work against him since he’s an appealing candidate for the pen. Norris isn’t that far removed from being a very good MLB starter, but he’s had a rough go of it over the past two seasons (5.79 ERA in 196 IP between four teams). Regardless, Petit and Norris are veterans who are capable of contributing at some point, even if not right out of the gate.

Prediction: Skaggs and Chavez win spots.

[RELATED: Los Angeles Angels Depth Chart]

Angels To Sign Jesse Chavez

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The Angels have struck a one-year, $5.75MM deal with righty Jesse Chavez, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). He’ll also have a chance to earn up to $2.5MM in incentives. It’s an escalating scale based on the number of games started, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

Los Angeles added Chavez with intentions of utilizing him as a starter, Crasnick notes. He’ll join an increasingly crowded group of rotation candidates, though several will enter the year with a variety of questions.

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Halos GM Billy Eppler recently noted that he’d be in the hunt for another starting candidate to go with a group led by Garrett Richards, Matt Shoemaker, Tyler Skaggs, and Ricky Nolasco. While the club also intends to try J.C. Ramirez as a starter, and could also hand the ball to Alex Meyer or a few other internal options, there was enough uncertainty to warrant an addition.

[RELATED: Updated Angels Depth Chart]

In particular, Richards and Skaggs carry notable ongoing injury question marks. There was at least some reason to believe that the Angels might target a more significant addition — MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes suggested them as a landing spot for Ivan Nova — but it seems that the club will instead stake a less-committing bet on Chavez. His addition likely takes the team out of the market for Nova and others, including departing free agent Jered Weaver.

The 33-year-old Chavez isn’t a particularly exciting addition, and didn’t even make a single start in 2016, but he’s a solid pitcher who’ll help shore up the staff — and could always move to the pen if things break right with other pitchers. With the Blue Jays and Dodgers last year, he threw 67 total innings with 8.5 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 to go with a 42.9% groundball rate.

Those measures are all fairly typical for Chavez, who was a bit more susceptible to the long ball last year (15.4% HR/FB, 1.61 HR/9) but otherwise largely repeated his prior seasons. Of course, he had been utilized primarily as a starter in the two preceding campaigns with the Athletics. Over 2013-14, he compiled a 3.59 ERA in 203 1/3 innings, though ERA estimators suggested he was more of an upper-3.00 range pitcher.

When working exclusively from the pen, Chavez managed to increase his average fastball velocity to 92.7 mph, a level he hadn’t reached in several years. But he’s not reliant on a big heater anyway; Chavez utilizes three varieties of the fastball (four-seam, two-seam, cutter) as well a change and two relatively little-used breaking pitches.

Chavez is one of several early-offseason acquisitions for the Halos, none of which have come with lengthy commitments. Los Angeles already re-signed Andrew Bailey to its pen and dealt for Cameron Maybin to fill an outfield spot. Various opportunistic moves can’t be ruled out, but it seems that the remaining priority at this point is to find a regular second baseman.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dodgers To Acquire Jesse Chavez

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The Dodgers have struck a deal to acquire righty Jesse Chavez from the Blue Jays, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Presumably the deal was done in conjunction with Toronto’s acquisition of Scott Feldman. Righty Mike Bolsinger is headed to Toronto in return, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter), with cash also moving form Toronto to Los Angeles, per a tweet from Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca.

Chavez, 32, has a 4.57 ERA but with a solid 9.1 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 41 1/3 innings of relief this year. He spent most of the 2014 and 2015 seasons starting for the Athletics (when he briefly shared an organization with current Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi).

The 28-year-old Bolsinger has made six starts for the Dodgers and hasn’t had much success, with a 6.83 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. He fared better with Triple-A Oklahoma City, with a 3.41 ERA and solid peripherals over 29 innings. He only throws in the upper 80s, which would appear to give him limited upside either as a back-end rotation option or as a reliever, but he does give the Blue Jays the advantage of providing flexibility, since he’ll be controllable for five more years beyond this one.

MLB Issues Suspensions For Rangers-Blue Jays Brawl

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MAY 26: Odor’s suspension has been reduced to seven games, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network. MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan first reported that Odor’s suspension would be reduced by a slight margin (Twitter link).

MAY 17: 3:37pm: Bautista will be suspended for one game, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo.

3:20pm: Right-hander Jesse Chavez, who hit Prince Fielder in the thigh with a pitch following the initial skirmish, will receive a three-game suspension, reports Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi (Twitter link).

2:56pm: Elvis Andrus will get a one-game suspension for throwing a punch, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). That appears to round out the bans on the Texas side of the equation.

2:24pm: Toronto skipper John Gibbons will be hit with a three-game suspension, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. He’s being punished for returning to the field after previously being ejected.

2:04pm: Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor is set to receive an eight-game suspension for his role in the recent brawl with the Blue Jays, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports (Twitter links). Odor is expected to appeal the ban, which will at least delay its application and could theoretically result in some reduction.

Additional suspensions are expected for players involved in the fracas, but it’s hard to imagine that anyone will get anything approaching Odor’s level of punishment. The youngster pushed and then punched Jays’ star Jose Bautista after a rough slide into second base, precipitating a large melee. Of course, there was more to it than that, as Bautista had previously been plunked by Matt Bush — a move interpreted by some as retaliation for the slugger’s dramatic bat flip in last year’s postseason.

All told, the move isn’t of major consequence for the Rangers. Odor can play while his appeal is considered, and the organization has plenty of options to fill in for whatever stretch he ends up missing. Hanser Alberto would represent the most obvious replacement who is currently on the active roster, but Jurickson Profar might also be an option. As Jamey Newberg noted earlier today on Twitter, Profar has shifted over to second base for his game today at Triple-A.

AL Notes: Panda, Rangers, Sanchez, White, Angels

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The Padres have sent a scout to watch Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. It’s far from clear whether that is an indication of serious interest, of course, let alone whether the scout is watching more than just Sandoval. Regardless, it’s the latest hint that there could be some remaining trade chatter to be held between these organizations, who already struck a significant swap early in the offseason.

Here’s more from the eastern divisions:

  • The Rangers are not only continuing their search for another catcher, but could look outside the organization for rotation help, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. A.J. Griffin may have the inside track to take the fifth starter’s job at present, says Grant, but there’s some concern about the overall starting pitching depth as camp comes to a close. As for the backstop situation, it doesn’t appear that much has changed, but Texas is still looking to improve upon its reserve options — if not to strike a more significant upgrade. (Grant notes that the club has inquired on Derek Norris of the Padres and Bryan Holaday of the Tigers.)
  • Of course, interest doesn’t always mean that a deal gets done, and significant spring trades are rare. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports also reports that the Rangers have real interest in both areas (Twitter links), but he says the club thinks it has only an “outside chance” at adding a catcher and is “doubtful” to find a new pitcher. All in all, both reports suggest that Texas is looking at its options but is hardly certain to add outside pieces. And still others suggest there’s not much reason to expect movement. Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram tweets that outside inquiries have mostly been tire-kicking exercises, while MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan adds on Twitter that club officials have suggested to him that the final rotation piece will come from inside the organization.
  • Reclamation righty Matt Bush isn’t in the mix for an Opening Day pen spot with the Rangers, Grant also writes, but he has been enormously impressive this spring and could be an option later in the season. Bush’s story is well-known, of course — the former first overall draft pick recently finished a prison term for severely injuring a man in a DUI.
  • Aaron Sanchez has been named as the Blue Jays’ fifth starter, manager John Gibbons told reporters (including John Lott of Blue Jays Nation) this morning.  It won’t be a season-long assignment for Sanchez, however, as the righty seems to be under an innings cap and will eventually be transitioned into the bullpen as he approaches his limit.  The 23-year-old has never thrown more than 133 1/3 innings in a season.  Sanchez and Gavin Floyd emerged as the top two contenders for the fifth starter’s job during camp, and Floyd will join Jesse Chavez in the bullpen while Drew Hutchison has been optioned to Triple-A.  It stands to reason that Floyd, Chavez or Hutchison will all be rotation candidates when Sanchez is moved back to relief pitching.
  • The Astros have decided to give an Opening Day roster spot to young first baseman Tyler White, as Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports. Houston’s first-base situation has been in flux all spring, but it appears that the 33rd-round draftee is in line for a significant opportunity to take the position and run with it. He is one of several players in the organization who have impressed this spring; third base prospect Colin Moran has also compiled a 1.000+ OPS in more than thirty plate appearances, though Drellich notes on Twitter that he’s not considered a roster option at this point. The same holds true of A.J. Reed, of course, who could also have a chance to make an impact later in the season.
  • Angels GM Billy Eppler says that he is “not optimistic” of adding to his roster before the season starts, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports. Gonzalez provides a deep rundown of the club’s remaining roster considerations.

Jesse Chavez Wins Arbitration Hearing With Blue Jays

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Right-hander Jesse Chavez will earn $4MM in 2016 after winning his arbitration hearing with the Blue Jays.  The news was reported in a tweet from Chavez’s representatives at the Sosnick Cobbe Karon agency.

There was a fairly modest gap between the two sides, as the Jays had countered with a $3.6MM offer.  As a “file-and-trial” team, the Jays’ policy is to go to a hearing with any player that doesn’t reach agreement on a new contract before the arbitration filing deadline.  (The exception would be if the team and player are discussing a multi-year extension, such as is the case with Toronto and Josh Donaldson before the AL MVP’s hearing on February 15.)

Matt Swartz predicted Chavez to land an even bigger salary of $4.7MM in his arbitration projections for MLBTR, though the $4MM number still represents a nice bump for Chavez over his $2.15MM salary he earned in 2015.  This was Chavez’s third and final year of arbitration eligibility and he’s slated to hit free agency next winter.

Thus far, players who have gone to hearings this offseason are a perfect 3-for-3, as Chavez joins the Reds’ J.J. Hoover and the Rays’ Drew Smyly as players ruled worthy of their higher salaries.  The Blue Jays, meanwhile, have lost two of three arbitration hearings over the last two winters, losing to Chavez and Danny Valencia while winning last year’s hearing with Donaldson.

Chavez, 32, is entering his second stint as a Blue Jay after being acquired from the A’s in a deal for Liam Hendriks in November.  Chavez will compete for the fifth spot in the Jays’ rotation, though he could essentially fill Hendriks’ old job as the long man in Toronto’s bullpen.  In three-plus years in Oakland, Chavez posted a 3.98 ERA, 8.2 K/9 and 2.80 K/BB rate in 363 2/3 innings (split between 47 starts and 54 relief appearances).

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