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Archives for March 2015

Minor Moves: Orioles Acquire Mike McDade

By charliewilmoth | March 25, 2015 at 7:57pm CDT

Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.

  • The Orioles have acquired first baseman Mike McDade from the Rangers for future considerations, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. The Rangers signed McDade to a minor-league deal in January after he hit .242/.298/.349 in 326 plate appearances, most of them spent with Double-A New Hampshire in the Blue Jays system. The 25-year-old Triple-A veteran has been on the 40-man rosters of the Blue Jays, Indians and White Sox, but he will likely provide minor-league depth for the Orioles.
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Baltimore Orioles Texas Rangers Transactions Mike McDade

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East Notes: Bell, Rays, Braves

By charliewilmoth | March 25, 2015 at 7:45pm CDT

Reliever Heath Bell, who just retired after being released by the Nationals, recently spoke to MLB Network Radio (audio link) about the difficulty in having a family while playing in the big leagues. The constant need to travel is a problem, Bell suggests — a ballplayer can have his family travel with him, but that prevents his kids from having long-lasting friendships as they get older. Bell describes watching his kids grow up through videos and photos. Now that his career is over, he’ll finally get to watch them grow up in person. Here are more notes from the East divisions.

  • The Rays face several upcoming roster moves, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Due in part to injuries, they have a number of non-roster players (Everett Teaford, Jake Elmore, Bobby Wilson, and others) seemingly under consideration to break camp with the team. A player like Tim Beckham, who is on the 40-man roster and who has plenty of experience in the upper minors, is a good bet to make the team if only because they won’t have to use an additional spot to clear space for him. The Rays can open one spot on their full 40-man by moving Matt Moore to the 60-day DL, and they could also trade David DeJesus, which would clear another. Nonetheless, they’ll face some tough decisions as they prepare for the start of the season.
  • The Braves are happy to have more veteran leadership in their clubhouse this year, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes. After losing Chipper Jones, Brian McCann and Tim Hudson in recent seasons, the 2014 Braves were low on veterans who could step up, but they believe this year will be different now that they’ve added Jonny Gomes, Nick Markakis, Jason Grilli and A.J. Pierzynski. Jason Heyward and Justin Upton both were serious competitors, but hadn’t been around long enough to be leaders in a big-league clubhouse, Bowman says. “When you see Gomes, you make sure you do the right thing,” says Andrelton Simmons. “He’s scary, but he’s a nice guy.” It is, perhaps, debatable whether someone like Pierzynski, whose clubhouse presence came into question as recently as last season, will provide the sort of veteran leadership the Braves are looking for. But it’s interesting to see Braves players’ responses to what was apparently a deliberate strategy by their front office to acquire more veterans.
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Atlanta Braves Tampa Bay Rays Washington Nationals Bobby Wilson Heath Bell

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Ricketts, Epstein Defend Handling Of Kris Bryant

By charliewilmoth | March 25, 2015 at 6:35pm CDT

Scott Boras’ recent comments regarding the likelihood that the Cubs will not promote his client Kris Bryant for Opening Day have added fuel to a debate that has gone on for years about when top prospects should be promoted, and how (or whether) clubs should weight service-time issues. (Bryant, of course, has added fuel of his own by hitting nine home runs in 32 Spring Training appearances.) Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein both commented on Bryant and Boras today.

  • Ricketts spoke at a luncheon in Chicago Wednesday and defended his team’s right to promote players at its discretion, writes Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune. Boras, Ricketts said, has “the right as a fan to express his opinions. He has the right as an agent to represent his client. But we have the right as a team to make the player personnel decisions.”
  • President of baseball operations Theo Epstein said that promoting players for the first time at the start of a season isn’t his usual approach regardless of service-time questions, via David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com. “I can say this: This is my 13th time putting a team together at the end of spring training and I have never once put a young prospect on an Opening Day roster when he had to make his major league debut,” said Epstein, who added that his approach with young players when he was GM of the Red Sox was to allow them to start their season in the minors and “get in a good rhythm” there before being promoted. Epstein suggested that the timing of a player’s big-league debut is important, and that having a player debut on Opening Day, when bad weather and lots of press attention are significant factors, might hurt the player.
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Chicago Cubs Kris Bryant Scott Boras Theo Epstein

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Orioles Notes: Matusz, Rotation, Verrett, Garcia

By charliewilmoth | March 25, 2015 at 5:25pm CDT

Here are a few notes on the Orioles, many of them from CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman:

  • The team has received more inquiries about lefty reliever Brian Matusz since the emergence of rumors connecting him to the Mets. That could increase the chances that the Orioles will trade him, Heyman writes. The Orioles already have lefties T.J. McFarland and Wesley Wright, plus closer Zach Britton, in their bullpen.
  • The Orioles also have an abundance of starting pitchers, and they want Kevin Gausman in their rotation, so they could consider optioning Miguel Gonzalez or Wei-Yin Chen to the minors.
  • The Orioles would like to keep both their Rule 5 picks, Logan Verrett (Mets) and Jason Garcia (Red Sox), but it will be hard for them to retain both. Verrett, who has pitched well this spring, is more likely to stick, Heyman writes. (Verrett also has far more experience in the upper minors than Garcia does.) Even keeping one might be somewhat difficult, in my opinion, given all the Orioles’ more experienced relievers (Britton, McFarland, Wright, Darren O’Day, Tommy Hunter, Brad Brach and Ryan Webb, although McFarland and Webb could be optioned, as Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes). Trading Matusz would help if they’re serious about keeping Verrett and/or Garcia.
  • Garcia’s fastball has been “pretty unhittable” this spring, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo writes. He has never pitched above Class A, so the Red Sox might have thought no one would select him. Unsurprisingly for a young reliever, his secondary pitches aren’t strong, but a fastball in the upper 90s could help him have big-league success anyway.
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Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Brian Matusz Kevin Gausman Logan Verrett Miguel Gonzalez

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Indians Notes: Kluber, Chen, Marcum, Downs, Sands

By Jeff Todd | March 25, 2015 at 4:27pm CDT

Let’s have a look at some notes out of Indians camp:

  • While extension negotiations between the Indians and Corey Kluber have been friendly, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that it is a high-risk situation for both sides. For the team, the appeal of cost certainty (and, potentially, extended team control) is obvious, but guaranteeing money for the soon-to-be 29-year-old does have downside. And for Kluber, as agent B.B. Abbott notes, there is a balance to be struck between achieving fair value and locking up some security as an older pre-arb player. “If he considers this, he is doing it with his eyes wide open,” said Abbott. “He knows this will be the only time to sign this kind of multi-year deal.”
  • The Indians have informed veteran pitchers Bruce Chen, Shaun Marcum, and Scott Downs that all three will not be on the Opening Day roster out of camp, Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer reports. All three are in camp on minor league deals. Of that group, only Downs is an Article XX(B) free agent, meaning that he will need to be offered a $100K retention bonus if the club wishes to retain his rights in the minors. Both Chen and Marcum have out clauses in their deals permitting them to return to the open market rather than going to Triple-A, Hoynes reports.
  • Another player still battling for a roster spot, outfielder/first baseman Jerry Sands, helped his cause with a mammoth home run yesterday, as Hoynes reports. While the quality production out of his right-handed bat this spring has increased his appeal to Cleveland, Sands is still not far removed from surgery on his tendon sheath and can be controlled through an assignment in the minors to start the year. “I don’t know if Sands fits yet,” said Indians manager Terry Francona. “But you have to believe that a guy that can do what he does at some point is going to help us. Is it opening day, we don’t know yet. But we’re glad he’s here.”
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Cleveland Guardians Bruce Chen Corey Kluber Jerry Sands Scott Downs Shaun Marcum

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Offseason In Review: New York Mets

By Jeff Todd | March 25, 2015 at 2:41pm CDT

The Mets picked around the edges this winter after entering the offseason committed to fielding a contender built from in-house pieces; indeed, Matt Harvey’s return is probably better than any free agent addition that might have been had. While optimism reigns in Queens, the club is already dealing with the early losses of Zack Wheeler and Josh Edgin to elbow surgery.

Major League Signings

  • OF Michael Cuddyer: two years, $21MM
  • OF John Mayberry Jr.: one year, $1.45MM
  • Total Spend: $22.45MM

Notable Minor League Signings

  • 1B Brandon Allen, RP Duane Below, RP Buddy Carlyle, OF Alex Castellanos, C Johnny Monell, RP Scott Rice

Trades And Claims

  • Claimed Sean Gilmartin from Twins in Rule 5 draft

Extensions

  • None

Notable Losses

OF Bobby Abreu, 1B/OF Andrew Brown, C Juan Centeno, RP Gonzalez Germen, SP Daisuke Matsuzaka, SP/RP Logan Verrett (Rule 5 selection of Orioles), OF Eric Young Jr.

Needs Addressed

Despite plenty of viable arms in the rotation mix, the Mets nevertheless added one of the best pitchers in the game to their rotation. Of course, Matt Harvey was already under team control, but nursing him back to health and getting him back on the bump does more for New York’s chances than any actual transactions that the club could have made.

MLB: New York Mets-WorkoutGM Sandy Alderson’s most impactful decision was the signing of Cuddyer. That came as a major surprise, as the veteran outfielder had appeared destined to become the first player ever to accept a qualifying offer. He chose instead to decline that one-year deal and sign with the Mets, inking for a fairly reasonable guarantee but also costing the team a mid-first round pick in this year’s amateur draft. New York had an obvious need in the corner outfield, and chose to bank on Cuddyer’s ability to stay productive despite questions about his health (he had DL stints for shoulder and thigh issues last year) and age (he’ll soon turn 36).

Of course, some might argue that an even more important choice was the team’s lack of action at shortstop. Some reports, and persistent speculation, pegged the Mets as suitors for both Troy Tulowitzki and Ian Desmond, two of the game’s very best overall shortstops. Whether or not either were serious possibilities, the end result is that 23-year-old Wilmer Flores will enter the year as the starter. (More on that below.)

Otherwise, the club largely picked around the edges of the roster. John Mayberry Jr. will serve as a bench bat and could see time in the corner outfield and at first base. But he and Cuddyer represent the entirety of the Mets’ major league commitments.

New York was even fairly quiet in terms of adding veteran minor league free agents, preferring instead to rely primarily on in-house options to round out the bench and staff. Among the players that were signed, only bullpen candidates Buddy Carlyle and Scott Rice appear to have much of a chance of making the roster.

Questions Remaining

Shortstop remains a source of controversy and intrigue for the Mets. Flores had a fairly promising 2014 campaign, slashing .251/.286/.378 and playing surprisingly well-reviewed defense, but he is far from a proven commodity. The same holds all the more true of presumptive backup Ruben Tejada, still just 25, who has failed to lock down the job despite nearly 2,000 MLB plate appearances over the last five seasons. If that combination falters, a mid-season acquisition and/or major free agent pursuit could ensue.

Uncertainty of a different kind looms at second, where Daniel Murphy is entering his final season of team control. There seems to be little chance of an extension, and Murphy could become a trade candidate if the club fails to stay in contention. An extended look for one or more future replacement candidates could come earlier than expected if Murphy’s hamstring pull forces him to miss time. Leading the way as a long-term option is Dilson Herrera, who cracked the bigs at age 20 last year and looks to be a gem mined by Alderson in the 2013 Marlon Byrd trade. But older, lower-upside minor leaguers like Matt Reynolds or Danny Muno appear to be first in line for a short-term run.

Elsewhere in the everyday lineup, it’s all about trusting and hoping for performance. Cuddyer and Curtis Granderson are established big leaguers at the corner outfield positions, but both come with their share of questions. In the infield corners, Lucas Duda will look to build on his strong 2014 while David Wright will aim for a rebound to his top-level form. Up the middle, backstop Travis d’Arnaud and center fielder Juan Lagares will look to cement themselves as fixtures for years to come.

In terms of bench roles, the lack of options will play a significant role. As MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently reported, reserve candidates Mayberry, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and Cesar Puello all lack option years (as do Flores and Tejada). The first two of those names seem destined for bench spots, while the 23-year-old Puello, who has yet to see big league action, could end up looking for a new team.

The rotation is loaded with a variety of candidates, and is the clear strength of this roster. That holds true even with 24-year-old righty Zack Wheeler out for the season after Tommy John surgery, because the team never pulled the trigger on dealing Dillon Gee and has an armada of young arms lining up at Triple-A. All eyes will be on Harvey, of course, especially if there is cause to question the team’s handling of his return from his own TJ procedure. Jacob deGrom will look to prove that his unexpected 2014 was no fluke, while a trio of veterans (Gee, Jon Niese, Bartolo Colon) fill things out. Should the need arise, well-regarded hurlers such as Rafael Montero, Noah Syndergaard, and Steven Matz will be on hand to step in.

The bullpen, too, seemed to be shaping up nicely with its most established piece, Bobby Parnell, set to return early in the season after missing virtually all of 2014. Adding him to a late-inning mix that includes Jenrry Mejia, Jeurys Familia, and Vic Black seemed likely to form the core of a solid unit. There’s probably an argument to be made that another quality, veteran arm could have been added to this group, particularly since Parnell was (and still is) no sure thing.

It remains to be seen whether the club will regret not bolstering its right-handed reserves, but it already seems clear that the failure to add more southpaws will create challenges. Josh Edgin, the team’s lone established lefty, was lost for the year to TJ surgery just days after the last veterans were snapped up off the open market. The club will presumably keep an eye out for players missing out on other rosters later this spring, but otherwise will be forced to lean on the 33-year-old Rice or untested options such as Dario Alvarez and Rule 5 pick Sean Gilmartin.

Deal Of Note

The Cuddyer signing came as a legitimate surprise, in large part because many believed that he would be forced into taking the qualifying offer to avoid too great a dent into his market. But by lining up a deal before his deadline came, his representatives were able to avoid the fate of several draft compensation bound players who came before.

From the perspective of the Mets, the decision to sacrifice a valuable pick to add the aging and injury-prone Cuddyer is at least worth questioning. One charge that has often been leveled at the team of late is that it its ownership group is unwilling (or unable) to maintain a salary befitting the club’s large-market status. Sacrificing a pick rather than paying more for a comparably valuable player fits that narrative to some extent, at least at first glance.

But the reality is that Cuddyer represents a rather particular player that, arguably, makes particular sense for this club. One of the game’s most respected clubhouse members, Cuddyer could play an important role in bringing the team along competitively without requiring a huge commitment. While his numbers in Colorado were obviously aided by playing in Coors Field, and he posted rather wide home/road splits last year, he mashed everywhere during his excellent 2013 campaign.

Cuddyer is a poor defender, in addition to the above-noted risks, but that segment of the market does not contain flawless players. The alternatives in the general price range — players such as Nick Markakis, Colby Rasmus, Michael Morse, and Torii Hunter — all come with their own question marks. And it is not difficult to think of reasons that the Mets preferred Cuddyer among this group. When it turned out that his price tag included the sacrifice of a pick, that was simply one of the factors to be weighed, and there is an argument to be made that the team showed resolve to win by giving up that future value to obtain him.

Of course, as MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes notes, Cuddyer seems to be a great fit as the right-handed-hitting portion of a time share at first. Duda struggles against same-handed pitching while mashing righties, seemingly creating a nice match. While the team has given indication that it intends to allow Duda to try to work out his issues in that regard, potentially limiting Cuddyer’s time at first, he remains a very appealing option in such a role if Duda cannot turn things around.

Overview

Of course, there is a plausible scenario where the Cuddyer deal turns out poorly. But its limited duration cabins the risk. The most stringent questions about this offseason will probably come if Flores and Tejada struggle. While it is easy to defend the decision not to dabble in a free agent market at short that featured names like Jed Lowrie and Asdrubal Cabrera, and it is fairly likely that it would have taken a huge prospect outlay to land Tulowitzki or Desmond, the fact remains that Alderson and co. have much at stake in how those young players (Flores, in particular) come through this year.

The same holds true to a lesser extent in the relief corps, where the team seemingly passed on plenty of opportunities to add veterans. But the end of the spring and the summer trade market should hold plenty of solutions if the need is there and the Mets are in contention.

On the whole, this offseason was less about pushing the organization’s chips onto the table than it was about gathering its young core for a first real effort at winning. There will be plenty of disappointment if that does not occur — and plenty of blame directed at ownership and the front office. From one perspective, at least, the real test of the team’s willingness and ability to spend will probably come next year, with a 2015-16 free agent market that is shaping up to be one of the strongest in years.

Of course, an alternative read of the Mets’ winter is that the club decided not to invest in a winner. The total outlay did not exactly set the pace league-wide, and stands in some contrast within the division to the Nationals’ signing of Max Scherzer, the Marlins’ significant investments (mostly through trades and extensions), and even the Braves’ roster reshaping. All will probably be forgotten if the Mets compete to the wire, but there could be some what-ifs here. New York will field a highly variable team with its share of both upside and downside, and it is eminently arguable that some thoughtful additional moves would have raised the floor and provided some depth for a full year of competition.

Perhaps, then, the true test will come this summer: if New York is in the hunt and has a few areas of need, will it part with prospects and/or commit payroll to bolster its roster down the stretch?

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2014-15 Offseason In Review MLBTR Originals New York Mets

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NL East Notes: Wheeler, Howard, Nationals

By Jeff Todd | March 25, 2015 at 1:08pm CDT

The Mets have announced that starter Zack Wheeler underwent successful Tommy John surgery today, as Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. New York will hope that it is all uphill from here for the well-regarded young righty. While the team certainly appears to have ample rotation depth now and in the future, he still figures as a key cog as the organization looks to ramp up into contention.

Here’s the latest from the NL East:

  • Ryan Howard’s previously-reported list of teams to which he cannot block a deal did not seem to provide him with much leverage; rather, as I noted at the time, it seemed to be motivated by other considerations. That is, in fact, the case, as Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports: Howard replaced his formerly NL-heavy slate with American League clubs in an effort to help the Phillies find him a new home. Of course, that has yet to occur, though Howard has shown some promise this spring and could be a worthwhile mid-season addition for the right team.
  • While much attention has focused on the potential free agent departure of Nationals starters Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister (among other players), Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post writes that the club believes it has more than adequate pitching talent percolating through its system. Of course, it also seems worth noting that the Nationals could conceivably use those arms not only to fill in the big league rotation and provide depth, but also to acquire replacement pieces elsewhere via trade. GM Mike Rizzo has done just that in the recent past, dealing young pitching to acquire players like Denard Span, Doug Fister, and Jose Lobaton.
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New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies Washington Nationals Ryan Howard Zack Wheeler

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Jerome Williams Feels At Home With The Phillies

By Zachary Links | March 25, 2015 at 11:40am CDT

Last offseason, Jerome Williams was on the shelf for quite a while as he waited to find out where his next home would be.  The veteran had just turned in a career-high 169 1/3 innings for the Angels in 2013 and even though his core stats weren’t stellar, the advanced metrics indicated that he would have had a much better ERA with some luck on his side.  Ultimately, Williams was left in limbo until February when he signed a one-year deal with the Astros with $2.1MM guaranteed.  All in all, that offseason experience is one that the 33-year-old is glad to have in his rear view mirror.

“It was kind of nerve racking.  Going through a season where I was with the Angels and I felt like things would have gotten done earlier, I proved to people that I could [start and pitch out of the bullpen] at that time.  I was the only pitcher that had 25 starts and ten relief appearances, I think I was thinking at that time that people would come out and offer me something and it didn’t happen.  It was kind of nerve racking but we got it done and that’s all that mattered,” Williams told MLBTR in the Phillies’ Clearwater clubhouse.

Even though he was biting his nails a bit, Williams says he wasn’t phoning agent Larry O’Brien to get constant updates.  The Full Circle Sports Management rep has been in the field for more than 30 years and, as Williams put it, “he knows what he’s doing.”  Indeed, O’Brien was relentless in his efforts to find a suitable deal for Williams and eventually he found a solid one-year platform for him to showcase his talents.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out in Houston and the next stop in Texas wasn’t fruitful, but he found success with the Phillies when he landed there in August.  In nine starts for Philadelphia, Williams pitched to a 2.83 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 across 57 1/3 frames.  After ending the year on a high note, Williams jumped at the chance to skip the free agent process and stick with the Phillies with a one-year, $2.5MM contract extension.

“This was a no-brainer for me,” Williams explained. “Playing with them for the couple months I was with them, it was a no-brainer.  The atmosphere, the guys in the clubhouse, the city, it was a no-brainer to come back.”

Williams credited his Philadelphia battery mates Carlos Ruiz and Wil Nieves for his improved performance to close out the year.  His comfort level with the Phillies also helped matters.  With seven different major league stops over the course of his career, Williams knows what he likes in a clubhouse and what he would rather avoid.

“I like being here because everybody treats everybody like family.  When I came in, I was a new guy but I’ve been a long time and I knew a lot of the veteran guys here, so that made the transition a lot easier.  I started talking to Jimmy [Rollins], Chase [Utley], I played with Chase in the [Arizona] Fall League, I played against Marlon [Byrd], I played against A.J. [Burnett], so it’s like, whoa, I know these guys.”

“Just seeing the younger guys mature, it was like a family, so that’s what the clubhouse is all about.  This is your domain, this is our family, this is our place.  So if we can be one as a family and as a unit, we can do things together,” Williams said.

Family is a concept that’s hugely important to Williams.  In honor of his late mother who lost her battle to breast cancer in 2001, he’ll once again be donning a multitude of colorful gloves to raise awareness for different forms of cancer.  Williams’ top choice is pink in recognition of his mother, but he’ll also be mixing it up with four different colors to put the spotlight on prostate, pancreatic, liver, and childhood cancers.

After a stress-free winter and a productive spring, Williams is eager to take the mound in April and build on his strong performance at the close of 2014.  If all goes according to plan, Williams won’t find himself waiting around for a call next winter either.

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Interviews MLBTR Originals Philadelphia Phillies Jerome Williams

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Offseason In Review: Chicago Cubs

By Tim Dierkes | March 25, 2015 at 10:00am CDT

The Cubs made multiple splashes this winter, spending big to bring in Jon Lester and Joe Maddon while also rounding out their rotation and adding a new starting catcher and center fielder.

Major League Signings

  • Jon Lester, SP: six years, $155MM.  $25MM mutual option for 2021 with a $10MM buyout.  Guaranteed with 200 innings in 2020 or 400 in 2019-20.  Full no-trade clause.
  • Jason Hammel, SP: two years, $20MM.  $12MM club option for 2017 with a $2MM buyout.  May void based on 2016 performance.
  • David Ross, C: two years, $5MM.
  • Jason Motte, RP: one year, $4.5MM.
  • Tsuyoshi Wada, SP: one year, $4MM.
  • Chris Denorfia, OF: one year, $2.6MM.
  • Jacob Turner, SP: one year, $1MM (club option exercised).
  • Total spend: $192.1MM.
  • Joe Maddon, Manager: five years, $25MM.

Notable Minor League Signings

  • Phil Coke, Francisley Bueno, Daniel Bard, Jonathan Herrera, Mike Baxter, Adron Chambers, Taylor Teagarden, Chris Valaika, Pedro Feliciano

Trades And Claims

  • Claimed RP Joe Ortiz off waivers from Rangers.
  • Claimed RP Donn Roach off waivers from Padres.
  • Acquired IF Tommy La Stella from Braves for RP Arodys Vizcaino.  Deal included swap of international bonus slots that netted Braves $832K in pool money.
  • Acquired C Miguel Montero from Diamondbacks for RP Zack Godley and RP Jeferson Mejia.
  • Acquired cash from Angels for Rule 5 pick Taylor Featherston.
  • Acquired RP Matt Brazis from Mariners for OF Justin Ruggiano.
  • Claimed RP Mike Kickham off waivers from Giants.  Later traded to Mariners for SP Lars Huijer.
  • Acquired CF Dexter Fowler from Astros for IF Luis Valbuena and SP Dan Straily.
  • Claimed RP Gonzalez Germen off waivers from Rangers.
  • Claimed RP Drake Britton off waivers from Red Sox.

Notable Losses

Luis Valbuena, Dan Straily, Justin Ruggiano, Carlos Villanueva, Wesley Wright, John Baker, Ryan Kalish, Zack Godley, Jeferson Mejia, James McDonald, Kyuji Fujikawa

Needs Addressed

Manager Joe Maddon surprised the baseball world by opting out of his Rays contract in late October, a clause triggered when top executive Andrew Friedman jumped to the Dodgers.  Cubs manager Rick Renteria was fired a week later.  In a statement on Halloween, Cubs president Theo Epstein explained he made the difficult decision to be loyal to the organization rather than being loyal to Renteria, who had been expected to manage the Cubs in 2015.  Maddon’s deal with the Cubs was announced hours later.

The Rays contend Maddon opted out after talking to the Cubs, and MLB is investigating the Cubs for tampering.  In February, new Commissioner Rob Manfred said a decision regarding that charge will be made prior to Opening Day.  Aside from perhaps strained relations between the two clubs, it’s difficult to imagine the Cubs suffering any penalty of consequence even if they are found guilty.  The series of events feels a little dirty, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports put it, but in the end, the Cubs now have one of the best-regarded managers in baseball.

After declining a $5MM option on Wada, the Cubs inked him to a non-guaranteed deal worth $4MM.  The 34-year-old showed promise as a back-rotation option in a small sample of 13 starts in 2014, and the cost was minimal.  Travis Wood was also retained, with an arbitration contract worth $5.685MM.  He’s consistently shown the skills of a 4.40 ERA pitcher.  With Wood a borderline non-tender candidate and Wada potentially ticketed for Triple-A to start the season, it’s fair to ask whether the Cubs could have found a better way to spend nearly $10MM.

Also in November, the Cubs picked up La Stella in a trade with the Braves.  Though GM Jed Hoyer insisted the move wasn’t a precursor to anything, La Stella fits nicely as a replacement for Valbuena, who was traded in January.  We’ll look at that trade under the Deal Of Note section.

The Cubs had a functional catcher under control in Welington Castillo, but clearly felt that was an area to upgrade.  They kicked off their offseason with a pursuit of Russell Martin, by far the best available option.  The Cubs ended up finishing in second on Martin, though there’s no evidence they got close to the five-year, $82MM deal he signed with the Blue Jays.

Though it was thought the Cubs were in the Martin market rather than the catching market, they executed on Plan B by acquiring Montero during the Winter Meetings.  With a minimal cost in prospects, the acquisition was akin to signing Montero to a three-year, $40MM free agent deal (the amount remaining on his contract).  The Montero and Ross acquisitions suggest a conscious effort to improve the team’s pitch-framing, an area in which Castillo rates poorly.  Veteran leadership was also a factor.

Still, there’s a reason a willingness to take on Montero’s contract was most of what was needed to acquire him – the 31-year-old hit .237/.324/.358 over the last two seasons and makes more than $13MM annually through 2017.  In Montero, Wood, Motte, Denorfia, and Ross, the Cubs took on almost $58MM in commitments to five players who weren’t very good in 2014.

The Cubs also brought Hammel back as the Winter Meetings began, locking in their secondary rotation piece at a lower than expected price.  It was thought that Hammel might command a three-year deal, but perhaps he was just motivated to return to Chicago.  The Cubs had reportedly looked at Justin Masterson as an alternative; he signed a one-year, $9.5MM deal with Boston.

MLB: Chicago Cubs-Photo Day

The Winter Meetings was also the site of the Cubs’ biggest winter splash, as they completed their tense pursuit of Lester with the largest contract in franchise history.  The lofty $155MM price tag matched expectations, and after years of conserving payroll, the Cubs can certainly afford it.  The Cubs need their new ace to be a workhorse, a trait that’s missing from the team’s other projected starters.  Any deal of this magnitude and length for a starting pitcher carries a lot of risk, but the Lester signing addressed the team’s biggest need without sacrificing young cornerstone players or a draft pick.

Also in December, the Cubs picked up Motte on a low-risk deal to complement their bullpen.  The former Cardinals closer will be two years removed from Tommy John surgery in May.  The Cubs’ bullpen could be deep if Motte rediscovers his 2012 form.

Questions Remaining

As James Shields’ free agency dragged into February, the Cubs got involved in hopes of a bargain.  According to Pat Mooney of CSNChicago.com, “The Cubs made Shields a backloaded offer that started at $60 million over four years. That morphed into a three-year, $60 million concept that included a significant amount of deferred money and a vesting option that would still cap the overall value at less than $80 million.”

As with Martin, the Cubs finished in second, but nowhere close to the player’s ultimate contract.  Shields would have gone a long way toward answering the Cubs’ remaining rotation question marks.  Even if Lester’s spring “dead arm” phase turns out to be nothing, none of the Cubs’ No. 2-4 starters (Jake Arrieta, Hammel, and Kyle Hendricks) have ever pitched 185 innings in a season.  The Cubs have also shown continued interest in Cole Hamels.  Such a deal could potentially happen this summer if the Cubs are willing to take the hit in giving up a young potential star.

The Cubs made the wise and expected choice to keep starting shortstop Starlin Castro, as the team’s impressive infield depth behind him has yet to fully arrive.  The long-term look of the Cubs’ middle infield may start to be determined this year, depending on how Addison Russell, Javier Baez, and Arismendy Alcantara perform.  Could Castro be moved this summer?  We have seen that move from Theo Epstein’s playbook once before.  For now, it will be Baez and Castro at second base and shortstop, with Russell potentially ready by midseason.  Alcantara is valuable now in a super-utility role.  The surplus has yet to manifest itself.

The Cubs have more immediate roster issues to address before the April 5th opener.  With no strong offers for Castillo, the team is currently leaning toward opening the season with three catchers (none of whom can play another position).  Epstein says Maddon has been “pounding the table” for three catchers, but it reduces the team’s flexibility if non-catchers need days off.  The versatility of Alcantara, La Stella, and Denorfia would be crucial in a three-catcher scenario.

The Cubs also don’t have enough bullpen spots to retain everyone currently on their 40-man roster.  Hector Rondon, Pedro Strop, Neil Ramirez, Jason Motte, Justin Grimm, and Phil Coke appear locked in, leaving one spot for Edwin Jackson and out of options relievers Drake Britton and Felix Doubront (assuming Wada goes to the minors or the DL).  The disabled list could solve this logjam, or the Cubs can just release the worst two of the three.

Perhaps the biggest question for Cubs fans is, “When will Kris Bryant join the roster?”  The third base phenom has clubbed nine home runs in 11 spring training games, but the Cubs would lose the ability to control him for the 2021 season if they put him on the Opening Day roster.  Stashing him in Iowa for a few more weeks is the prudent thing to do, even if agent Scott Boras thinks the Cubs are “damaging the ethics and brand of Major League Baseball.” 

I do want to play devil’s advocate to the commonly accepted wisdom that Bryant should not open the season with the Cubs.  Say the Cubs wait until April 15th, meaning Bryant misses out on the bare minimum of eight potential big league games.  Projections suggest the Cubs are sacrificing less than 0.3 wins above replacement in this scenario.  However, I don’t think WAR was meant to be employed this way, and a player with Bryant’s talent could easily affect the outcome of one or two games within eight (or more).  A single well-timed home run can do that.  And the Cubs could easily miss the playoffs by one game this year.  The 2010 Braves opened the season with Jason Heyward and won the Wild Card by one game.  I’d probably cook up a reason to hold off on selecting Bryant’s contract, perhaps health or defense-related, but I don’t think it’s open-and-shut.

Deal Of Note

The Cubs’ January acquisition of Dexter Fowler may have flown under the radar because of Lester.  The trade, which sent Luis Valbuena and Dan Straily to Houston, was a better allocation of resources for both teams.  The Cubs didn’t have a true center fielder on the roster, and mostly because of Bryant, they didn’t really need Valbuena (the game’s 15th-best third baseman by WAR in 2014).  Fowler projects for the highest on-base percentage on the Cubs, and the team thinks it found a way he can improve defensively.  Beyond defensive concerns, Fowler has battled health issues.  But if all goes well, he could be a qualifying offer candidate for the Cubs after the season.

Overview

The Cubs flirted with some huge moves in the 2013-14 offseason, and a year later they finally brought in their big-name manager and ace starter.  Still, they’re keeping a relatively low payroll to start 2015, and probably could have afforded and justified an all-in plunge for Lester, Martin, and one of Shields, Ervin Santana, or Brandon McCarthy.

Second-guessing aside, the stakes are high for the first time in Theo Epstein’s tenure.  The Cubs will be viewed as a disappointment if they don’t make the playoffs.  They appear to be primed for sustained success, but it would be nice to get some actual wins on the board.

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2014-15 Offseason In Review Chicago Cubs MLBTR Originals

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Tigers, David Price Open Exploratory Discussions

By Jeff Todd | March 25, 2015 at 9:25am CDT

The Tigers have opened a line of communication with agent Bo McKinnis, the representative for ace lefty David Price, regarding the possibility of a new contract, Price tells reporters including MLB.com’s Jason Beck (Twitter link).

Price downplayed the significance of the communications to date after meeting with McKinnis last night. Numbers have not yet been discussed, said Price. “I wouldn’t even call it groundwork,” he explained.

Though it appears that only the most preliminary contact has been established, that obviously at least indicates that both sides have at least some interest in exploring an extension. Detroit gave up a substantial package of big leaguers and prospects to acquire Price last summer, of course, and went on to watch Max Scherzer depart via free agency. In that regard, team interest has always made some sense.

The question, as always is one of cost. Scherzer reportedly declined a $144MM offer from the Tigers entering his walk year, only to land $210MM on the open market. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes has listed Price at third on his free agent power rankings, but that is largely a reflection of the upside of the two position players above him and the reality of pitching risk. As Dierkes has noted, Price has a strong case to join Scherzer in topping $200MM — if he puts up a typical year.

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Detroit Tigers Newsstand David Price

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