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Archives for August 2013

Phillies Notes: Howard, Amaro, Papelbon, Rollins

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It's been a rough season for the Phillies, with injuries to many of their top players weighing down the team's record prior to the firing of longtime manager Charlie Manuel. We know they'll be looking for both bullpen help and catching help this offseason to try to right the ship, but here's the latest on the Phils in the meantime…

  • Interim manager Ryne Sandberg says that it would be "counterproductive" for Ryan Howard to return this season, writes Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Sandberg told reporters that he doesn't feel playing 10-15 games when he's not at full health would do Howard much good, and instead he needs to focus on being as fit and healthy as he possibly can in 2014. Sandberg still believes that Howard can be a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat if he returns to full health.
  • Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly conducted a Q&A with general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., in which Amaro said that while the bullseye may be on him after Manuel's dismissal, he's not currently feeling any heat from ownership: "David Montgomery has been very supportive. David and the ownership group — I know they’re disappointed, but they’re supportive."
  • Amaro also said that Jonathan Papelbon's presence at the back of his bullpen is "crucial" to winning games, and he thinks Papelbon will be part of a Phillies contender in 2014. Amaro added that he's heard good feedback about Papelbon's work with the team's young relievers, though he did stop short of firmly calling Papelbon a positive clubhouse force when asked by Salisbury.
  • "You'd have to ask Jimmy," Amaro replied when Salisbury asked if shortstop Jimmy Rollins would benefit from a change of scenery. Rollins has a no-trade clause that he's not interested in waiving anyhow, but he's been questioned for lapses in hustle recently. Amaro didn't sound interested in the thought of trying to move Rollins, stating: "Jimmy is our shortstop. We signed him for a reason."
  • Amaro also told Salisbury that in addition to signing solid relievers, the team needs to do a better job of adding good depth pieces to the bullpen. As Amaro notes, Mike Adams and Antonio Bastardo had strong track records, but injuries to Adams and a suspension for Bastardo have exposed a lack of depth.

Padres Outright Sean O’Sullivan

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Here are Friday's minor moves from around the league…

Quick Hits: Beachy, Betancourt, Alvarez, Werth

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Is there a more feared name in the sports world than Dr. James Andrews?  This time it's the Braves and their fans' turn to be worried — the club tweeted that Brandon Beachy will miss his next start due to a sore right elbow and visit the famed sports surgeon on Monday.  Beachy underwent Tommy John surgery on that same right arm in June 2012 and has made just five starts since returning from the injury.

Here's the latest from around the majors…

  • Rafael Betancourt left Thursday's game with an elbow injury and the Rockies are concerned the veteran reliever has a torn UCL, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports.  That injury would require Tommy John surgery and could threaten the 38-year-old's career.  Betancourt will make his third trip to the DL this season, effectively ending any chance that the righty will switch teams.  The Rockies placed Betancourt on revocable waivers earlier today.
  • Dariel Alvarez has already advanced to the Orioles' high A-ball affiliate, though Baseball America's Ben Badler tells MASNsports.com's Steve Melewski that scouts have questions about Alvarez's potential.  "I don't think he was a very high-profile player for a lot of teams," Badler said. "I don't think there was a high level of interest in him. There are a lot of concerns about his hitting translating to game situations….He does have some occasional power, but there is a lot of question among scouts as to whether the hitting will translate against more advanced pitching."  Badler felt that Alvarez's $800K bonus was surprisingly high and that Henry Urrutia (another up-and-coming Cuban outfielder in the O's system) is the much better prospect of the two.
  • Signing relievers to multiyear deals continues to be a risky proposition, as Fangraphs' Dave Cameron breaks down how only four (arguably five) of the 13 relievers who signed such deals last winter have delivered good value to their teams.
  • Jayson Werth's surprising age-34 season has been one of the few bright spots for the Nationals this year, Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post writes.  Werth hit .256/.349/.407 and battled injuries in the first two years of his seven-year, $126MM deal with the Nats, but the veteran has lived up this salary this season by posting a .938 OPS with 18 homers through 385 PA.

AL Central Notes: Morneau, Ryan, Konerko, Indians

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Happy birthday to Hall-of-Famer Paul Molitor, who turns 57 years old today.  Though Molitor only spent the final three of his 21 seasons with an AL Central team, the St. Paul native has been closely tied to the Twins franchise and currently serves as a special assistant within the organization.  Here's the latest from around the division…

  • The Twins don't have any trade talks percolating about Justin Morneau right now, Minnesota general manager Terry Ryan tells Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.  “I can put that out there,” Ryan said. “I don’t see [a trade], but there is always a possibility."  Morneau has cleared waivers and has revived his trade value after hitting .303/.326/.618 in 92 PA in August.  The former AL MVP has drawn varying levels of interest from the Yankees and Orioles in recent days.
  • Ryan added that "I don’t think you have to worry about" Glen Perkins being traded.  The closer drew attention before the July 31st deadline, but it's hard to see how Minnesota could get Perkins through waivers without another club blocking the move.
  • The Twins GM also covers a number of topics with Hartman, including his own future with the team.  Ryan said he's still enjoying all aspects of his job, except for the Twins' poor record on the field.
  • Adam Dunn thinks there is "zero chance" his White Sox teammate Paul Konerko will retire after this season, Dunn tells Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link).  Konerko has hinted at retirement throughout the season, as this is the last year of his White Sox contract and the veteran has struggled with injuries and a .662 OPS in 393 PA.
  • The Indians recently gathered several front office members to discuss September promotions and any possible August trades, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.  "We're looking at opportunities to improve, internally, externally, whatever those might be," GM Chris Antonetti said. "I continue to like the group of guys we have, but if there is an opportunity to improve, we'll pursue it."

Florida Notes: Abreu, Young, DeJesus

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Here's the latest from both of the Sunshine State's Major League teams…

  • The Marlins will "at least show temperate interest" in Jose Dariel Abreu, Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.  While the Marlins like Abreu, however, Rodriguez says the club "are not smitten" with Abreu as they were with another Cuban outfielder (Yoenis Cespedes) two years ago.  Miami offered Cespesdes a six-year, $36MM deal and it has been reported that it could take at least $60MM to get Abreu under contract.
  • It seems likely that the Marlins will send Rule 5 draft pick Alfredo Silverio back to the Dodgers, Rodriguez reports.  Silverio was taken by Miami in the 2012 Rule 5 draft but the outfielder hasn't played since 2011 after being badly injured in a car accident and undergoing two Tommy John surgeries.
  • Delmon Young had offers from a few different teams but returning to the Rays was his first choice, agent Joel Wolfe told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times).  Young signed a minor league deal with the Rays today.  Topkin's piece also includes quotes from Young and Rays executive vice-president Andrew Friedman about the signing.
  • Also from Topkin, it seems as if the Rays will end up with David DeJesus, who they claimed off waivers from the Nationals earlier today, though it remains to be seen if the Rays will get him via the claim or if a trade will be worked out with Washington.

AL West Links: Angels, Trout, Int’l Signings, Gomes

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The Rangers' lead in the AL West has been built on taking care of business within the division, as Texas has a 41-16 record against division opponents and a 33-37 record against the rest of baseball.  Other AL teams may complain that the Rangers and A's gained an extra advantage when the rebuilding Astros were moved into the division, but Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram points out that it's really the Angels' surprising decline that has made the AL West so lopsided.  The Halos expected to contend this season but instead have the seventh-worst record in baseball and only a 19-35 record against inside their division.

Here are a few items from around the AL West…

  • Also from Galloway's piece, he notes that the Rangers rate four Astros starting pitchers as "double-plus prospects" but a Rangers source wonders if the young starters' development is being harmed by Houston's league-worst bullpen.  “The owner down there [Jim Crane] needs to get off his wallet and spend some money for some veteran bullpen guys next season,” the Rangers source said. “Those kid starters have a future, but they are being beaten up mentally by pitching well and never getting a win out of it.”  Houston manager Bo Porter recently said that the Astros will look to add relief pitching help this winter.
  • The Angels will try to reload after their disappointing 2012 but they'll have little payroll space to maneuver, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez notes.  The Halos already have $126.5MM committed to the 2014 payroll and $111.725MM committed for 2015, and that's not counting raises for notable players who will become eligible for arbitration.
  • How much would (or should) a team pay for Mike Trout's 2014 season?  Fangraphs' Dave Cameron tries to calculate what Trout's single-season value would be worth if the Angels outfielder was suddenly a free agent and could only pursue a one-year deal for next season.
    Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/22/5101957/blame-the-angels-for-the-state.html#storylink=cpy
  • The Rangers and Cubs both far exceeded their international bonus pool limits this summer and will face only limited penalties for it, a move that Baseball America's Jim Callis suspects could be copied by others.  "More teams may try to exploit that loophole until an international draft closes it," Callis writes.
  • If MLB.com's Jane Lee could undo any move from the Athletics' offseason, it would be the decision to let Jonny Gomes leave in free agency, Lee writes as part of a reader mailbag.  Keeping Gomes would've allowed the A's to keep Cliff Pennington (rather than deal him in the trade that brought Chris Young to Oakland) and thus improve the club's infield depth and save some payroll space at the same time.

NL Central Links: Braun, Mozeliak, Alvarez, Baez

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Ryan Braun today issued his first public statements since he accepted a 65-game suspension for PED use in connection with the Biogenesis scandal.  The Brewers slugger issued one statement specifically to fans and another to the baseball world in general (both links to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).  The latter statement outlined the circumstances of Braun's PED usage, some of the reasoning behind his public claims of playing clean and apologized to several parties, including Major League Baseball officials, the Brewers organization, his teammates, Dino Laurenzi Jr. (the urine test collector Braun disparaged in the appeal of his initial suspension in the 2011-12 offseason), baseball fans and any supporters who believed in his innocence.  The statement includes this passage:

"I understand it's a blessing and a tremendous honor to play this game at the Major League level. I also understand the intensity of the disappointment from teammates, fans, and other players. When it comes to both my actions and my words, I made some very serious mistakes and I can only ask for the forgiveness of everyone I let down. I will never make the same errors again and I intend to share the lessons I learned with others so they don't repeat my mistakes. Moving forward, I want to be part of the solution and no longer part of the problem."

Here's the latest from around the NL Central…

  • The Cardinals are in need of pitching reinforcements and GM John Mozeliak is pessimistic that such help could be found on the trade or waiver market.  Mozeliak told reporters (including Derrick Gould of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that "trying to get help from the outside is going to be difficult for multiple reasons.  Right now this team is going to have to find a way to do it from within."
  • The Pirates have been patient with Pedro Alvarez's development and the young slugger has at least delivered in the power department, CBS Sports' Scott Miller writes.  Alvarez has a .233/.296/.482 line with a league-leading 154 strikeouts in 477 PA, but his 31 homers is tied with Paul Goldschmidt for the National League lead.
  • Javier Baez is having a huge minor league season but it seems unlikely that the Cubs will call up the star shortstop when rosters expand in September.  Manager Dale Sveum praised Baez's season but he told reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times) that while the front office has the final say on Baez's future, “I don’t see it happening.”  Baez, the ninth overall pick of the 2011 draft, was rated as the 16th-best prospect in the sport by both Baseball America and MLB.com's preseason prospect rankings and has hit a combined .286/.348/.581 with 33 homers, 100 RBI and 19 steals in 531 PA at high-A ball and Double-A this year.  Since Baez is only 20 and hasn't hit Triple-A yet, it makes sense that the Cubs aren't yet willing to start his service clock.
  • With Jonathan Broxton out for the season, the Reds make a lot of sense as a suitor for Rafael Betancourt, The Denver Post's Troy Renck opines (Twitter link).  The Rockies put Betancourt on revocable waivers earlier today.  The veteran closer is owed roughly $785K for the remainder of the season and has a $4.25MM club option for 2014.  Renck notes that the Rockies plan to exercise Betancourt's option, and they'll explore bringing him back in 2014 even if he leaves on a waiver deal for the remainder of this season.
  • Rickie Weeks' future, international signings, pitching development, the Braun controversy and other Brewers-related topics are all addressed by Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an online chat with readers.
  • In NL Central news from earlier today, we learned that the Cubs plan to go after Shin-Soo Choo in free agency during the offseason.

Cubs Expected To Pursue Shin-Soo Choo This Winter

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The Cubs will be looking to add a left-handed hitter and upgrade their team's on-base percentage this winter, issues that could be simultaneously addressed by signing Shin-Soo Choo.  The Cubs are expected to "make a run" at signing Choo in the offseason, industry sources tell CSNChicago.com's Patrick Mooney.

Choo will be a free agent this winter and is heading to the open market on a high note.  The South Korean outfielder entered Thursday's play hitting .281/.416/.454 with 16 homers, 40 RBI, 83 runs and 14 steals (out of 23 chances) in 560 PA for the Reds.  Choo has played out of position as a center fielder in Cincinnati but would almost surely move back to a corner outfield spot if he were to sign with Chicago.

Tim Dierkes ranked Choo fifth in the latest edition of MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings, and Choo's strong season should put agent Scott Boras in position to ask for at least a four-year, $60MM contract, as John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer recently opined.  Choo will undoubtedly draw interest from several teams this winter, and while his age (31) may be a question mark for some teams, Choo could be seen as a cheaper alternative to Jacoby Ellsbury, also a free agent and represented by Boras.

Mooney thinks that while Ellsbury shares a history with Cubs president Theo Epstein, the team is unlikely to have splurge on the "megadeal" required to sign Ellsbury.  It remains to be seen how much the Cubs will be able or willing to add in payroll this winter, though as evidenced by last year's surprising Edwin Jackson signing, the Cubs won't hesitate to spend for a player they feel can be a valuable piece even as the team is rebuilding.

Anthony Rizzo is the only left-handed bat assured of a regular spot in the Cubs lineup next year (Nate Schierholtz still isn't seen as an everyday player despite his solid 2013 campaign) and the Cubs' top four position player prospects are all right-handed bats.  As well, the Cubs entered Thursday with a .302 team OBP, third-worst in baseball. 

Minor Moves: Nick Christiani, Ryan Langerhans

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Today's minor moves..

  • The Reds selected the contract of right-hander Nick Christiani and added him to the 40-man roster, the club announced via Twitter.  Christiani will replace Jonathan Broxton (placed on the 15-day DL for season-ending forearm surgery) on the 25-man roster and Johnny Cueto was moved to the 60-day DL to free up a 40-man roster spot.  Christiani, 26, was a 13th-round pick of the Reds in the 2009 draft and he owns a 3.66 ERA in 255 2/3 minor league innings, all out of the bullpen.  The Vanderbilt product wasn't ranked as one of Cincinnati's top 30 prospects by Baseball America before the season and he has a 4.05 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 3.2 K/BB in 53 1/3 Triple A innings this year.
  • The Blue Jays have signed outfielder Ryan Langerhans to a minor league deal, according to a press release from Triple-A Buffalo.  Langerhans was cut loose by Toronto earlier this summer and spent some time with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League, where he hit .283/.415/.496 in 142 plate appearances.  The 33-year-old is a client of the ACES agency, according to the MLBTR Agency Database.  

2014 Free Agent Leaderboards

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With the offseason fast approaching, many fans are already beginning to play GM and look ahead to potential targets in free agency. Much like Tim Dierkes did with trade candidates prior to the July 31 non-waiver deadline, I've compiled Fangraphs leaderboards for this year's upcoming free agent class.

Fangraphs leaderboards will allow you to sort hitters by position and by statistics. Everything from basic stats like average and homers, advanced metrics like wRC+ and wOBA, or batted-ball metrics like line-drive rate and HR/FB is available. On the pitching side of things, everything from ERA to FIP to swinging-strike rate to fastball velocity can be found. You can also set each leaderboard to include data from previous seasons to increase the sample size.

For the purposes of this post, I've created four leaderboards (Note: These are not MLBTR's rankings of free agents. They are sorted by Fangraphs Wins Above Replacement but can be sorted by any stat under any tab on the leaderboard simply by clicking that stat. MLBTR's Top 50 Free Agent rankings will be published after the season):

I should also note that I've included all players on this list that could end up as free agents, even those who have club options that are likely to be exercised. Ben Zobrist, Yunel Escobar, Mark DeRosa, Rafael Betancourt, Jose Veras, James Shields and Casey Janssen are included for now, even if they're highly unlikely to hit free agency. The leaderboards also include injured players like Rafael Furcal and Corey Hart who will draw free agent interest despite not seeing big league action in 2013. Their stats from previous seasons will appear if you set the date range to include previous years. Click here to see MLBTR's full list of 2014 free agents as well as their option statuses.

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