Alex Anthopoulos’ abrupt departure from the Blue Jays came as a surprise to team president Mark Shapiro, but finding a new GM is now just one of many tasks ahead of him, MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm writes. Chisholm notes that Shapiro seems happy with interim GM Tony LaCava for now. “I’m comfortable in Tony guiding our baseball operations staff,” says Shapiro. “It’s not just Tony, just like it wasn’t me, not just Alex. There’s a strong group of people in that room.” Anthopoulos’ departure right before the beginning of free agency was inconvenient, but Shapiro (who is, of course, himself a former GM) sounds confident that it won’t hold the Jays back. Here’s more from the AL East.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman is “open to anything
” as he sees how the winter unfolds, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal writes. Last offseason, Cashman traded several players he had no particular intention of dealing, including Shane Greene, Manny Banuelos and Martin Prado. “You have to be pretty aggressive and open to trade a good young pitcher under team control (Greene), a left-handed prospect (Banuelos) or a guy like Prado who fits you like a glove,” says Cashman. Cashman adds that he’s not looking to trade top young players Luis Severino, Greg Bird or Aaron Judge, but emphasizes that his ears are open to all possibilities. - The Rays still see Brad Miller, acquired in a recent six-player deal with the Mariners, as a potential starting shortstop, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. “We’ve been impressed by his work at shortstop, and it’s always a plus to have a left-handed-hitting middle infielder,” says president of baseball operations. “We’ll take him and the many other guys we have and head into Spring Training feeling good about our situation in the middle infield.” The Rays are likely to use Logan Morrison at DH. “He certainly has the type of bat that fits in the DH role, and we’re excited about that bat,” says Silverman. “You add him to our lineup and we’re immediately more formidable, especially against right-handed pitching.”
“He certainly has the type of bat that fits in the DH role, and we’re excited about that bat”
He was below average offensively last year, and hasn’t topped 1 oWAR since 2011. LoMo just isn’t that good of a baseball player.
Might as well give everyday ABs to Joey Butler.
It’s a body in a uniform, as opposed to what happened with Jaso. But they probably will platoon him with someone else. Especially since they want to move Loney so much.
112 wRC+ versus RHP is more than a body in a uniform for the Rays. He will actually be used properly in TB and will sit against LHP, and he wont be playing in the field much either.
He’s also nothing to write home about with the glove at 1b, awful in the OF and if you take with a grain of salt the vs lefty numbers he put up in his 3 seasons he wasn’t on the MLB roster all season active for either injury, or being sent to the minors? His numbers are bad against them in full seasons, being 2011 and 2015.
I saw him as a DFA candidate prior to Tampa taking him off of their hands, already having made 2.7m and putting up a .383slg pct with a .302obp last season. He has done nothing but slide downhill since the rookie season of 2010.
Rays have no intention of playing him in the field. He is a nice platoon piece at a reasonable price with at least some potential. Rays cant afford offensive juggarnauts.
I just don’t get the trade from Tampa perspective at all.
Both teams traded from depth to fill holes. Easy to rationalize deal on both sides. Nathan Karns had no place in the rotation going forward and the SS position was vacant.
His overall numbers were skewed by too much playing time versus LHP. He is a platoon bat and posted a 112 wRC+ versus RHP last year. Suggesting giving ABs to Joey Butler against RHP instead is laughable. Tell me more about a 112 wRC+ being below average.
I like Brad Miller as an everyday SS even with his small bat and average defense, but Karns was to steep of a price for and average SS, average DH and a reliever.
Yankees should go all in. Get Chris sale who strangely maybe available. It would probably cost a lot. Judge, Severino plus a couple of A ball prospects.
Sale isn’t available, and even if he was, the only way the Yankees would get him would be if they trade at least 2 of the names above mentioned, plus others.
Brad Miller is my pick for breakout player in 2016. Plug him everyday vs. right handers and carefully manage his at bats vs. lefties and you may just have yourself a player.