The Commissioner’s Office and the MLBPA have been working on “clarification” of the rule preventing collisions at home plate, sources tell ESPN’s Jayson Stark. The two sides hope any uncertainty concerning how catchers can block the plate can be cleared up before any pennant races or postseason games are impacted, though rulings in several games earlier this year have already left many managers and players confused.
Here’s some more from around baseball as we kick off the week…
- The Royals will place right-hander Blake Wood on waivers tomorrow, MLBTR’s Zach Links reports (Twitter link). Wood was designated for assignment last week.
- Evan Gattis has been a big part of the Braves’ lineup, but the catcher’s defensive limitations could see the club trade him to an AL team, Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes (AJC subscription required). Gattis could be better served by a regular DH role, while the Braves could trade him for a long-term outfield solution given that Justin Upton and Jason Heyward are both only signed through 2015. Gattis played some left field himself in 2013, though he was a defensive liability there as well.
- It doesn’t seem likely that the 2015 Cubs rotation will feature both Edwin Jackson and Travis Wood, ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers writes. The Cubs may be stuck with Jackson due to his contract, though Wood is only on a one-year, $3.9MM deal (with two years of arbitration eligibility left). Wood has a 5.15 ERA in 162 2/3 IP this season and could be a non-tender candidate, though he still has some value as an innings-eater.
- The White Sox have some holes to fill in the rotation, bullpen and lineup, yet Grantland’s Jonah Keri sees them as a possible sleeper team for 2015. The Sox have lots of payroll space to address those issues and build around their core of Jose Abreu, Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and Adam Eaton.
- A veteran player suggests to ESPN’s Buster Olney (Insider subscription required) that players who fail two PED tests should be limited to one-year contracts for the remainder of their career. This would be a deterrent against players with one suspension on their record potentially using PEDs again in the hopes of scoring a big multiyear deal. As the veteran put it, “If I was someone who had been suspended before, why wouldn’t I use again? If you’ve robbed a bank before and you see that you could again and still walk away with millions, why wouldn’t you?“
- Also from Olney, he feels the Rockies have “an easy decision” to decline Brett Anderson’s $12MM option for 2015, as the team can’t afford to commit that much payroll space to a pitcher with Anderson’s injury history. This would likely end Anderson’s tenure in Colorado, as Olney notes he wouldn’t accept a cheaper one-year deal from the Rockies when he could rebuild his value elsewhere in a more pitcher-friendly ballpark.
- Several key members of the Giants and Tigers hail from Venezuela, and FOX Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi looks at how both teams approach scouting and development in the country.
Even if Gattis’ defense is bad, the Braves aren’t in the position to be trading away offense.
Unless it is for offense. A package of a prospect + Gattis + Minor should peek some interest. Now I don’t have ideas for a partner in such a trade but there has been talk of Braves brass willing to give up that type of package.
Trading him for a lead off hitter would be alright.
That would be a waste since Jose Peraza will get called up at some point next season. Heyward is a capable fill in until that time comes.
If Braves are willing to let 2015 be a rebuilding year, they could move Gattis, Justin Upton and Heyward for a nice return. The last 2 will be in final years of contract, but they would still bring back nice pieces. Long term, ATL needs some OF and SP. They have plenty of IF depth.
They have an entire core locked in long-term, with Medlen potentially on his way back if they tender him a contract, Minor, Upton, Gattis and Heyward in the fold but not locked up. I don’t think they should realistically look to rebuild.
His defense isn’t even THAT bad, not as bad as people make it out to be. No one will accuse him of being the most nimble guy there ever was behind the plate, sure, but it’s not as though he’s a complete dumpster fire back there.
Gattis is a swing-first player…exactly what’s wrong with ATL. He’s deadly to throwers (as opposed to pitchers), but he has a lot of holes in his swing. Considering how bad the Braves offense is, they’re not in a position to be saying to anyone interested in some of our players.
The one year contract idea for repeat offenders is not half bad. They’d be like Ronin; masterless mercenaries forever searching for regained glory and honor.
My suggestion for years has been that anyone found guilty of using PEDs loses the right to have guaranteed contracts for the rest of their career.
So if they are playing at a level deserving of the contract that they possibly earned while using PEDs, fine. But the second they aren’t worth that kind of money they lose that contract.
The one year contract idea is good too, but it doesn’t do anything to prevent guys from cheating to get that first big contract in the first place. If they’re discovered after they’ve already signed it’s too late.
Maybe if the player is found to be using PEDs in the middle of their contract, then the remainder of their contract can be converted to an arbitration style sort of thing, where the team can non-tender said player if his results don’t match the contract. If the cheating player is non-tendered from his contract, then he goes to the one-year contract system.
It would also be necessary to cap the amount of money they could make on the one-year contracts in order to be a deterrent.
The issue with this would be teams potentially getting out of deals that were destined from the getgo to go poorly. If A-Rod didn’t get banned a year for steroids, would his contract be any better? Signing a 32 year old to a 10-year deal is terrible from the outset. The Yankees could potentially get the first half of the deal – and A-Rod’s steroid-pumped-up seasons – and then escape the deadweight years, which isn’t exactly ideal.
make it so any team that signs a known steroid user (anyone who’s already tested positive once), is on the hook for the luxury tax hit for the life of the contract whether the player’s active, suspended or even retired. That would encourage the Owners not to keep signing the dopers.
Why isn’t that ideal? I hate the Yankees as much as anyone, but this punishes the offending player more than anyone else.
It means he doesn’t get the long term contract security that the clean players get. Cheating to earn a monster long term contract would have a major downside. You only get to keep your contract when your production makes you worth the hassle. The second you aren’t, they can cut you.
The one year deal after getting caught thing changes nothing if you’ve already signed that big deal before you’re caught. (see A-Rod, Ryan Braun, etc.) It’d still be tempting for players to cheat to secure that deal, knowing that that money would never be touchable.
Plus one for a Ronin reference.
If we trade Gattis away we would need a pretty large sum. I love Gattis, but at this point I’d rather we trade him to an AL team where his career can flourish as a DH instead of playing catcher. I’m hoping we could get a lead off hitter in return that gets ON BASE and DOESN’T STRIKE OUT. Wishful thinking though.
Seattle would make a great counterpart to any trade for Gattis with no clear DH next year. Now what they would give up or Atlanta would be willing to take is still really unclear.
They don’t have a clear DH but they have like 10 guys who rotate in and out of it and several whose near futures seem to be at the position (Hart, Morales, Montero if he ever gets his act together, probably Morrison, etc…)
Hart will probably not be back next year, and Morales the same (Hart seems too fragile, while Morales has not been as effective for Seattle). I don’t think Jack Z. would give Montero the time of day considering how dissapointed he has been in him as of late. And Morrison is a possibility, but if they could choose between having him DHing or Gattis’ taking it over, they would be insane to not try and at least see what it would take to have a consistent bat to help back up Cano.
Mark – your link to Eaton is going to the wrong player.
As for the PED suspension – I really like that idea. Seems like it would be a huge deterrent to cheating.
I don’t think that even for a second, the Cubs would non-tender Travis Wood, who has pitched better than his peripherals indicate
i think you mean his peripherals indicate he’s pitched better than his record and ERA would suggest. Most of his numbers are in line with his career averages, overall.
exactly what I meant! thank you for that correction
That’s an interesting and possibly potent way to enforce the PED rule. I agree completely with the player who thinks that the rues don’t properly disincentive the user. Multi-year guaranteed contracts are the life blood of player compensation.
they could also change contract rule making a suspension for steroid usage the same as a self-inflicted injury and give the team the option to void the remainder of the contract. That’s a pretty unambiguous deterrent, i would think.
Wood I think had an off year, he’s still young enough and shown he has the skill and talent to come back next year, not to mention he’s a pretty good bargain. Jackson needs to go and go fast, I don’t even care if they get the lowest level prospect available, dump him
I disagree on Wood, his extreme flyball tendencies will most likely bring variable years such as this. Wrigley’s winds can be helpful or hurtful to guys like himself, depending on the day. Hard to measure up his true value, but I don’t think there is a ton there. He adds a bit with his offense, but he is going to need a pitch that he can keep down more with more regularity if he doesn’t sign on to a team with a big pitcher’s ballpark.
Wood still has so much more potential than Jackson right now. If i had to keep one i’d accept the extra expense and hold on to Wood since i like his potential to ‘right the ship’ a lot more than Jackson’s next year, just because his 2 prior years were pretty good overall.
Edlose was back at it today. Couldn’t even get through one inning. At this point a jar of pine tar might be overpaying for him.
Why not just add the PED 1-year deal rule from the getgo? Know what you put into your body and don’t cheat, don’t worry about that.
No doubt with a few additions like a left handed run producing outfielder, bullpen help and a Right handed starter in addition to future stars Micah Johnson and Carlos Rodon, we can surprise a lot of people in 2015. Need to be healthy also. Too many injuries to too many key players.