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Miguel Rojas

East Notes: Mancini, Rojas, Bendix

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With Trey Mancini entering his final year of arbitration eligibility, there has been much discussion over whether the first baseman will remain with the Orioles or head elsewhere, either via trade or as a free agent next winter.  It isn’t clear if the O’s are willing to sign any veteran player (even the beloved Mancini) to a long-term extension as they continue their rebuilding process, though MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski suggests that the team could split the difference by pursuing a shorter-term extension with Mancini.  Inking Mancini to a deal of two or three years would be especially beneficial if the Orioles became competitive earlier than expected, and an extension wouldn’t necessarily mean that the team couldn’t still trade Mancini down the road.  Indeed, teams might be more interested in acquiring Mancini if they knew they’d have him for more than just the 2022 season.

Of course, it isn’t known if Mancini himself would be open to such a shorter-term arrangement, though he has often said that he loves playing in Baltimore.  Mancini turns 30 years old in March, so in the event of a short-term extension, he would be delaying his free agency until at least the start of his age-32 season.  While a short-term deal would lock in some more money immediately, Mancini might prefer to bet on himself in 2022 and wait for a more lucrative, longer-term contract next winter.  Mancini has earned $4.75MM in each of the last two seasons and is projected to earn $7.9MM in his final arb year, so he already banked some financial security throughout his career.

More from the AL and NL East…

  • Speaking of short-term extensions, Miguel Rojas agreed to such a deal with the Marlins earlier this week, and now looks to make it nine seasons in South Beach.  While Rojas is a strong defensive shortstop, however, he noted to The Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson and other reporters that “I’ll do whatever it takes for this team to be a winner,” even if that means a position change.  “I didn’t sign to be the shortstop or the third baseman or the second baseman,” Rojas said.  “I signed to be part of the team and to be of course a leader in that clubhouse, to help others that come here for the first time to be comfortable and to fit right in to what we’re doing here in Miami.”  The Marlins are hoping that Jazz Chisholm has second base covered for the foreseeable future, though Rojas’ flexibility gives the team a wider berth to consider other infield additions this winter and down the road.
  • Rays VP of baseball development Peter Bendix is staying in Tampa rather than pursue any other job opportunities with other teams, Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times writes.  Rays executives have been popular hires around baseball, and Bendix had been mentioned as a possible candidate of interest for the Mets as their search for a new GM or president of baseball operations.  Bendix has been in his current role for the last two seasons, and part of the Rays organization since 2009.

Marlins Extend Miguel Rojas Through 2023

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TODAY: The Marlins officially announced Rojas’ extension.

OCTOBER 27: The Marlins are keeping their shortstop around for an extra season, agreeing to an extension with Miguel Rojas that’ll keep him under contract through 2023. Rojas, who had already locked in a $5.5MM salary for the 2022 season when he triggered a vesting option in September, is reportedly signing a two-year, $10MM deal.

Miguel Rojas | Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

It effectively amounts to the Marlins tacking on an additional year and $4.5MM for what will be Rojas’ age-34 season. The deal does not contain any option years. Rojas, who is represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council, recently indicated in an appearance on Chris Rose’s podcast that an extension was in the works. He has previously voiced a desire to spend his entire career with the Marlins, and the front office has similarly expressed interest in keeping the clubhouse leader in Miami.

The 32-year-old Rojas saw his bat come back down closer to his career levels after a monster showing at the dish during the 2020 season. Typically a bit below-average with the bat but exceptional with the glove, Rojas erupted with a .304/.392/.496 showing last summer — albeit in a sample of just 143 plate appearances. That said, this year’s .265/.322/.392 showing in 539 trips to the plate was still a solid mark (97 wRC+), and if you take the last three seasons in the aggregate, Rojas has effectively been a league-average hitter.

League-average offense for a player of Rojas’ defensive aptitude is hardly anything to scoff at. Defensive Runs Saved pegged Rojas at plus-4 for the 2021 season and as a plus-20 defender in 4445 career innings at the position, while Rojas notched a 4.8 Ultimate Zone Rating in 2021 and carries a lifetime 28.5 mark in that regard. Statcast’s Outs Above Average is less bullish on his glovework but pegs him as at least an average defender over the past several seasons. Rojas also has ample experience at second base and third base in his career, so he could eventually slide into a utility role — although all current indications are that he’ll reprise his role as starting shortstop in 2022.

A Rojas extension gets some offseason business out of the way early for the Marlins and locks in a bargain source of cost certainty for the 2023 campaign. That’s likely quite notable for the Fish, who are angling to spend some money in free agency this winter but will surely be operating with some degree of financial constraints. CEO Derek Jeter has voiced an expectation that the Marlins will be “pretty active” for the first time under this ownership group.

Time will tell how that vague description from Jeter is defined relative to other “active” teams in free agency. The Marlins are expected to seek long-term options at catcher and in center field, and they could certainly be in the mix for a corner outfielder to pair with promising young Jesus Sanchez. At the moment, Rojas and right-hander Anthony Bass ($3MM) are the only players on guaranteed contracts in 2022. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects an arbitration class in the vicinity of $34.5MM, and Miami will still owe $3MM to the Yankees under the terms of the Giancarlo Stanton trade.

With a projected payroll in the $55-56MM range, there does appear to be room to add — the question is just how high the Jeter/Bruce Sherman ownership group is willing to push payroll. Presumably, they’ll look for a gradual year-over-year increase rather than soaring to their max budget right out of the gates. However they proceed, they can now do so with the certainty that their ostensible team captain is under control for an extra season.

Craig Mish of SportsGrid and the Miami Herald first reported the Marlins and Rojas were in agreement on an extension. Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported it was a two-year, $10MM deal. Joel Sherman of the New York Post added that the contract did not contain any options.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Miguel Rojas Reaches Vesting Threshold, Guarantees 2022 Contract

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TODAY: Rojas hit the 500-PA threshold last night, so his $5.5MM salary is officially guaranteed for 2022.

SEPTEMBER 17: Two years  ago, almost to the day, Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas inked a two-year, $10.25MM extension that bought out his final arbitration year and first free-agent season. The contract carried a $5.5MM vesting option for the 2022 season, and as the Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson points out, that option will likely vest this weekend — perhaps as soon as tonight. Rojas’ $5.5MM salary for the 2022 season becomes guaranteed if he reaches 500 plate appearances in 2021, and he’ll enter play tonight at 496 plate appearances on the year.

The contract looked plenty affordable at the time and has been nothing short of a bargain for the Fish, as Rojas has improved at the plate and continued to play high-end defense at shortstop. In 160 games over the life of the contract, he’s hitting .278/.342/.421 with a dozen homers, 39 doubles, four triples and 17 stolen bases (in 20 tries). The rate stats are a bit inflated by an uncharacteristic power surge in last year’s shortened season, but even this year’s .270/.327/.400 mark is a bit better than league average, by measure of wRC+ (102).

On the defensive side of the coin, Rojas has been excellent. He’s committed just 13 errors in that span of 160 games, and newer defensive metrics all agree that he’s been sharp. Since the beginning of the 2020 season, Rojas has been credited with six Defensive Runs Saved and a hearty 9.3 Ultimate Zone Rating. Statcast’s Outs Above Average isn’t quite as bullish put still rates him as a positive defender at plus-1.

When Rojas’ option does officially vest, he’ll become only the second player on the Marlins with a guaranteed contract for the 2022 season, joining reliever Anthony Bass, who’s set to earn $3MM next year. Miami has some players in line for arbitration raises, which will add to that modest total.

Right-handers Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez and Elieser Hernandez are among the team’s first-time eligibles in arbitration. Dylan Floro, Garrett Cooper and Brian Anderson are all up for their second arbitration raises. Richard Bleier and Jesus Aguilar are up for their third and final raises. Aguilar figures to be the most expensive, as he’s due a raise on a $4.35MM salary. That said, even he doesn’t seem likely to eclipse $7.5MM or so, making it a relatively light class on the whole.

Suffice it to say, while the Marlins aren’t ever going to be mistaken for a high-payroll club, they’ll have some money to splash around with this winter. Miami spent roughly $63MM payroll in 2021, per Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez. The combination of Rojas, Bass and that arbitration class shouldn’t clock in at much more than $40MM. Second-year general manager Kim Ng ought to have some resources to strengthen this club via free agency or by taking on some salary on the trade market.

Turning back to Rojas, he again made clear to McPherson that he hopes to play in Miami well beyond the 2022 campaign — a stance he’s expressed in the past. That’ll be up to the front office and ownership, of course, and while Ng declined to discuss any possible extension talks with McPherson, she had nothing but positives to say about Rojas and what he means to the club.

“He really does embody all the things that we look for in a player to represent the organization, to represent the sport and that is a big compliment,” Ng said of Rojas. “…If all players had Miggy’s character and outlook, we’d be ecstatic.”

Marlins Shopping Marte, Duvall, Relievers

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The Marlins are “working on moving” Starling Marte, Adam Duvall and multiple relievers, according to Peter Gammons of The Athletic.

The fact that the team is selling is not surprising. They have been firmly in rebuild mode for years, in spite of 2020’s surprise foray into the expanded postseason. They currently have a record of 43-57, sitting in the basement of the NL East with 0% chance of making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs.

Marte’s departure has seemed inevitable since he and the team halted extension talks a week ago. Since that time, he’s been connected to the Astros, Phillies, Yankees and Giants. That popularity isn’t surprising, given Marte’s track record and excellent production in 2021. He currently sports a wRC+ of 139, which is above his previous career high of 132, set back in 2014. When combined with his defensive production, Marte has already accrued 3.2 fWAR in just 63 games this year. He is still owed approximately $4.7MM of his $12.5MM salary this year, which could have luxury tax implications for any team that acquires him. Though Miami could potentially eat some of that in order to get a better prospect return.

Duvall, like Marte, is also an impending free agent, though he does have a mutual option for 2022. Although he can’t match Marte’s production, he could still be quite useful, especially with his bat. Duvall’s 22 home runs have been somewhat offset by a high strikeout rate of 31.6%, but he’s still produced a wRC+ of 107 on the season thus far. His $2MM salary also makes him much more affordable than Marte.

Gammons’ tweet implies that the Reds and perhaps others inquired on Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas, but were rebuffed. General manager Kim Ng has previously intimated that the team would hold onto Rojas, who is 182 plate appearances away from his $5.5MM option vesting for 2022.

As for the bullpen, the Marlins should have plenty of options to cash in their veteran relievers for prospects to help their rebuild. Yimi Garcia is an impending free agent and is playing on a modest salary of $1.9MM. Over 36 1/3 innings, he has a 3.47 ERA and 15 saves. Ross Detwiler is also heading towards free agency in a few months. His 6.25 ERA may be unsightly, but he’s left-handed, striking out 26.1% of batters and is owed only about $300K for the remainder of the year. Another lefty, Richard Bleier, is having an even better season, with an ERA of 2.82. His strikeout rate of 20.3% is actually below average, but represents a career high for the groundball specialist. He’s playing on a salary of $1.425MM and has one year of arbitration control remaining. Anthony Bass could also be of interest to some clubs. The 33-year-old righty has a 3.79 ERA this season and is making a modest $1MM this year. He also comes with two more years of potential control, being under contract for $3MM in 2022 and a $3MM club option for 2023.

 

Ng: Marlins Have Begun Extension Talks With Starling Marte

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The Marlins have been in talks with outfielder Starling Marté about a potential contract extension, general manager Kim Ng told reporters (including Craig Mish of SportsGrid) this afternoon. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t elaborate on how far along those discussions were or handicap their odds of ultimately resulting in a deal.

Nevertheless, the presence of any midseason talks with Marté are notable, given Ng’s prior comments. Earlier this month, she told reporters the team hadn’t approached the star outfielder about a potential long-term deal. Marté suggested then that his preference was to come to an agreement with the Marlins on a contract that took him through the end of his career. It seems the front office and his representatives at Rep 1 Baseball have now at least opened those talks.

Marté is on track to hit free agency at the end of the season, and he’s presently amidst a career year at the plate. He’s hitting .293/.402/.473 with six home runs across 179 plate appearances. The resulting 148 wRC+ is the best mark of his nine-plus seasons. Excepting 2017, Marté has been an above-average hitter in every year of his career, but he’s getting on base at an unprecedented level this season.

Before 2021, Marté had never drawn walks in more than 6.1% of his plate appearances. This year, he’s bumped his walk rate to a stellar 13.4%. That seems to reflect a deliberate decision to be more patient, as the right-handed hitter is swinging at a career-low 46.5% of pitches he sees. (He’s also swinging less often than ever at pitches outside the strike zone). That increased selectiveness hasn’t resulted in any sort of uptick in strikeouts or impacted his power potential.

Marté presents something of a tricky evaluation for the Marlins (or potential free agent suitors). He’s always been productive, but he looks to have revamped his approach nearly a decade into his career. Whether he’ll continue to be this patient after such a long run of being a highly-aggressive hitter is unknown.

There’s also the matter of Marté’s age to consider. He turns 33 years old in October, which could give Miami some pause. He hasn’t shown much sign of slowing down, though. Marté’s not quite as fast as he was in his 20’s, but he still has 86th-percentile peak speed, according to Statcast. His defensive metrics in center field remain positive. And his rate of hard hit balls (those that leave the bat over 95 MPH) is at 36.2%, right in line with his career mark. A handful of mishits have brought down his average exit velocity to a career-worst 85.6 MPH, but there’s no indication he’s suffered any sort of drop in bat speed or raw power.

If Marté and the Marlins don’t make progress on an extension in the coming weeks, he’d be one of the more obvious trade chips on the market. At 33-44, the Marlins don’t look likely to contend in 2021. They’re planning to move some of their impending free agents, a process they began this morning by sending outfielder Corey Dickerson (along with controllable reliever Adam Cimber) to the Blue Jays. As perhaps the premier center fielder who could be available, Marté would draw no shortage of interest, especially since he’s only due the balance of an affordable $12.5MM salary for the remainder of the season. The Marlins could offer Marté a qualifying offer if they hold onto him until the end of the year but don’t agree on an extension, but the value of a midseason trade package seems likely to exceed that of a compensatory draft pick.

Shortstop Miguel Rojas would also draw plenty of interest from contenders if made available, but it doesn’t seem the Marlins are particularly eager to move him. Ng suggested (via Mish) that Rojas was more likely than not to remain in Miami past the July 30 trade deadline. His contract contains a $5.5MM option for 2022 that vests if he accrues 500 plate appearances this season. He’ll need a manageable 271 trips to the plate over Miami’s final 85 games (3.19 PA per game) to lock in that money, although it seems likely the Marlins would exercise the option even if it doesn’t vest.

Rojas is a beloved member of the clubhouse who’s amidst a third consecutive productive season. The 32-year-old is hitting a league average .256/.328/.406 this year while playing quality defense at shortstop. That’s valuable enough even before considering his off-field importance to the organization.

Miguel Rojas Has Fractured Finger; Marlins Pause Sixto Sanchez’s Throwing Program Again

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The Marlins provided a series of injury updates Tuesday (Twitter link via the Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson), most notably revealing a pair of unfortunate announcements for fans. Imaging showed a fractured finger in shortstop Miguel Rojas’ hand, while touted young right-hander Sixto Sanchez has once again had his throwing program shut down — this time after feeling discomfort between bullpen sessions.

Rojas landed on the 10-day injured list over the weekend, and while the hope was that he could return in relatively short order from what was then termed a dislocated left index finger, it now seems likely that he’ll miss more time than that after the fracture was revealed. It’s a tough blow for the Marlins, given Rojas’ outstanding glovework and the step forward he’s taken at the plate since Opening Day 2020. Rojas is hitting .275/.354/.433 through 192 plate appearances in 2021 and .287/.370/.459 dating back to last season.

With Rojas sidelined for a to-be-determined period, the Marlins can turn to the youthful combination of Jazz Chisholm and Isan Diaz in the middle infield. Jose Devers presents another young option. The 23-yea-old Chisholm, thus far, has looked like the foundational piece the Fish hoped they were acquiring when trading starter Zac Gallen to the D-backs in a rare prospect-for-prospect swap of significance. Neither Diaz nor Devers has provided much at the plate yet, however.

Chisholm has missed some time recently but avoided the IL stint to this point, and he suggested this morning on Instagram that he’d be returning to the lineup. Manager Don Mattingly effectively confirmed as much, telling McPherson and others that Chisholm is “expected” to play tonight, so long as he gets through his pregame running drills without issue.

The injury to Rojas is of particular note given his contractual status. He’d trigger a $5.5MM vesting option for the 2021 season in the event that he reaches 500 plate appearances this season and finishes the year healthy. With just 308 plate appearances to go, there’s still time for him to hit that mark even if he misses a few weeks, but a lengthier absence will obviously call that clause’s viability into question.

Turning to Sanchez, the latest setback is yet another disheartening development in the promising young righty’s season. The Marlins hoped to have Sanchez early in the year, but he was optioned to their alternate site after missing more than half of Spring Training in Covid protocols.

While building up toward what was expected to be a mid-April debut, Sanchez experienced shoulder discomfort that led the club to shut him down indefinitely. Recent reports that he’d progressed to mound work gave optimism for an early-summer debut, but a second setback has muddied his outlook. Recurring shoulder troubles of any sort are worrisome for a pitcher, particularly for one as talented as Sanchez. The consensus top prospect made his MLB debut last summer and gave Miami 39 innings of 3.46 ERA ball over the life of seven starts at just 22 years of age.

Marlins Reinstate Starling Marte From Injured List

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The Marlins announced a series of roster moves this afternoon (via Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald). Center fielder Starling Marté has been activated from the injured list, while infielder Luis Marté has been selected to the roster. To clear active roster space, first baseman Lewin Díaz was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville, while shortstop Miguel Rojas was placed on the 10-day injured list with a dislocated left index finger. Miami already had an open spot on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was required to accommodate Luis Marté’s selection.

Starling Marté got off to a good start to the season, hitting .310/.414/.483 with a pair of homers over his first 70 plate appearances. That was halted when Marté suffered a non-displaced rib fracture on a swing in mid-April, sending him to the IL. He’ll now return to action a little less than six weeks later, where he’ll try to build on his solid work early in the year.

It’s an important season for Marté, who’s in the final year of the contract extension he signed with the Pirates in March 2014. The 32-year-old is a few months away from his first trip to the open market. Marté’s strong track record and expiring contract would also make him a plausible midseason trade candidate if Miami falls out of the National League postseason picture. The young Marlins have held around in a jam-packed NL East, going 24-26 over their first 50 games. Despite that, FanGraphs pegs the team’s playoff odds at a meager 1.5%, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Marté’s name floated in trade talks in the coming months.

Rojas suffered a “concerning” finger dislocation during yesterday’s game against the Phillies. It’s unclear how much time he’s expected to miss. The injury opened a spot for Luis Marté, who’ll be making his MLB debut the first time he gets into a game. The 27-year-old spent the first seven-plus seasons of his professional career in the Rangers system, topping out at Triple-A.

Marté was in the high minors with the Braves between 2018-19 and inked a minors deal with Miami over the winter. He’s never offered much at the plate, hitting .245/.263/.355 in four seasons at Double-A and .261/.284/.352 in nearly as much Triple-A time. Marté has ample experience all around the infield in the minors, though, and he’s hit three homers in 61 plate appearances this year with Jacksonville, albeit with similar on-base issues as he’s had throughout his career.

Marlins Activate Jazz Chisholm From Injured List

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The Marlins are reinstating infielder Jazz Chisholm from the injured list in advance of this afternoon’s game against the Dodgers, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald was among those to note (Twitter link). Chisholm is starting at shortstop and hitting leadoff today. Reliever Braxton Garrett is being optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move.

Chisholm, one of the top prospects in baseball, got off to a fantastic start before landing on the IL late last month with a hamstring strain. Through 80 plate appearances, the 23-year-old has hit .290/.375/.551 with four homers and seven stolen bases. While he’s returning to the lineup as a shortstop, he figures to again resume his role as Miami’s second baseman for now. The Marlins are set at short, where Miguel Rojas is off to a great start, but they haven’t gotten much from Isan Díaz at the keystone in Chisholm’s absence.

Miami has started the season just 17-22, placing them four games back in the National League East. There’s still time for the Fish to right the ship, but Miami generally wasn’t expected to contend in a competitive division (last season’s appearance in the expanded postseason notwithstanding). Speculatively speaking, it’s easy to envision Rojas attracting interest from other clubs nearer to the trade deadline if the Marlins fall out of the playoff picture and if Rojas continues to hit at or near his current level (.284/.360/.448) while playing his typically strong defense at short.

Rojas is controllable via a club/vesting option for 2022, so the Marlins needn’t move him this summer if they’re so disinclined. He’s clearly a beloved member of the organization for his work on the field and in the clubhouse, so perhaps the Marlins will simply wind up valuing him more than other clubs would. It’s worth noting, however, that general manager Kim Ng wasn’t part of the organization when Rojas was acquired or when he signed his September 2019 extension. There’s a case to be made the Marlins should consider moving the 32-year-old in the coming months if there’s strong demand for his services. That would allow Miami to slide Chisholm to shortstop, where scouting reports have pegged him as a potential above-average defender.

This Day In Transaction History: Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving isn’t usually a barnburner of a day as far as baseball transactions are concerned, but that’s pattern more than rule. Most years something official happens along the lines of Matt Skole signing with the White Sox in 2019 or Jason Lane signing with the Padres in 2014 – but  three years in particular gave us a heaping portion of baseball news befitting turkey day: 2005, 2007, 2009. While we wait to see what happens this year, let’s go back and look at some of the most impactful moves made on Thanksgiving day.

  • Last year was a quiet Thanksgiving day, but there was plenty to talk about. If you recall, we were just one day removed from the four-player Brewers/Padres swap that saw Trent Grisham and Zach Davies land in San Diego. MLBTR readers weighed in on Thanksgiving with more people preferring the Brewers’ side of the deal. The Brew Crew landed promising infielder Luis Urías and potential rotation arm Eric Lauer. A year removed, my guess is the public sentiment may have changed. This one might need more time to gestate, however, before a final determination can be made.
  • On this same date and day in history, the Cleveland Indians signed an amateur free agent that changed the fortunes of their franchise. Jose Ramirez – a 17-year-old amateur free agent out of Dominican Republic – signed on Thursday, November 26, 2009. He would debut in the Majors just four years later as a 20-year-old.
  • On the same day, the Toronto Blue Jays struck in free agency signing shortstop Álex González to a free agent contract. Of course, this isn’t the Alex Gonzalez most Blue Jays fans will remember best. This A-Gon spent just a few months north of the border. He was traded to the Braves on July 14th of the following season as part of a four-player deal that sent Yunel Escobar and Jo-Jo Reyes to Toronto. Escobar would net 8.6 bWAR across 2 1/2 seasons with the Jays, while Reyes would be claimed off waivers by the Orioles later that season.
  • In 2007, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim invested heavily in a free agent centerfielder who had spent the entirety of his career to that point in the Twin Cities. Torii Hunter signed for $89.5MM over five years to roam the grass in Anaheim. He’d win two Gold Gloves and make two All-Star teams while racking up 20.7 bWAR as an Angel. They got their money’s worth as Hunter would post the best two seasons of his career by bWAR while with the Angels (2009, 2012).
  • The Cincinnati Reds signed Miguel Rojas as an amateur free agent on November 24, 2005. Rojas would stay in the Reds’ minor league system for a full six seasons before being granted free agency and joining the Dodgers in 2012.
  • That same season, the Marlins did some work with two significant trades on Thanksgiving. The first sent Carlos Delgado and cash to the Mets for Grant Psomas, Mike Jacobs and Yusmeiro Petit. Delgado spent just one season in Florida, but he did grab a 6th-place MVP finish that year for slashing .301/.399/.582 with 33 bombs.
  • Their other deal helped bring the second title of the century to the Red Sox. The Fish traded Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota to Boston for Jesus Delgado, Harvey Garcia, Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez. Sanchez would have a number of solid years with the Fish, while Hanley Ramirez developed into a cornerstone shortstop and the face of the franchise.

Gold Glove Nominees Announced

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The 2020 Rawlings Glove Glove Award finalists have been released, with the Cubs netting the most nominations with seven. The Mets, Nationals, Phillies, Brewers, Rays, and Red Sox were shut out.

The awards for defensive prowess will be handed out based on defensive metrics alone this year, since managers and coaches weren’t able to see players outside their regional bubble. Moving to a metrics-based system, even for a year, certainly make for interesting television, especially since these awards can make an impact on arbitration cases. Considering the uncertainty of a 60-game season, awards could carry greater weight than usual in those proceedings, thought that’s just speculation. Without further ado, here are this year’s nominees:

AL Pitcher

NL Pitcher

AL Catcher

NL Catcher

AL First Base

NL First Base

AL Second Base

NL Second Base

AL Third Base

NL Third Base

AL Shortstop

NL Shortstop

AL Left Field

NL Left Field

AL Centerfield

NL Centerfield

AL Right Field

NL Right Field

Nicky Lopez of the Royals was originally left off the list, but he is in fact a nominee at second base, one of four nominations at the keystone in the American League. It’s the only position with four nominations.

There are a few other interesting things of note. Perennial candidates like Andrelton Simmons and Matt Chapman did not make the list this year due to shortened seasons, nor did last season’s Outs Above Average leader Victor Robles. Both Gurriel brothers earned nominations this year, with the younger Lourdes (LF) joining perennial candidate Yuli (1B).

There are also a couple of largely part-time players that made the cut, like Hoerner of the Cubs and Mendick for the White Sox. Neither was the everyday second baseman, but they did reach the inning minimum of 265 total defensive innings. They qualified at second because that’s where they played the most innings. Mendick, for example, registered just 226 innings at second, but with 27 innings at third and 15 at shortstop, he ended the year with 268 total defensive innings played.

Catchers required a minimum of 29 games, which is how we got a pair of White Sox catchers making the top-3. Pitchers had to throw a minimum of 50 innings.

The winners will be selected using the SABR Defensive Index and announced on November 3rd, per sabr.org.

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