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Archives for December 2015

Athletics Designate Arnold Leon For Assignment

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The Athletics announced that they have designated right-hander Arnold Leon for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Henderson Alvarez, whose one-year deal with Oakland has now been announced by the team.

The 27-year-old made his Major League debut with the A’s in 2015 and played a fairly significant role in the bullpen, soaking up 26 1/3 innings and working to a 4.39 ERA. Leon averaged 6.4 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9 to go along with a 45.9 percent ground-ball rate and an average fastball velocity of 91.7 mph. Leon has a significantly better track record at the Triple-A level, where he has a 2.56 ERA with 9.2 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9 in parts of three seasons, totaling 59 2/3 innings. Leon has spent his entire career in the Athletics organization, having signed with the club as an amateur free agent out of Mexico back in 2008.

Yankees Acquire Aroldis Chapman

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After months of trying to add a third dominant reliever to their bullpen, the Yankees on Monday announced the acquisition of left-hander Aroldis Chapman from the Reds in exchange for a quartet of minor leaguers. Third baseman Eric Jagielo will head to Cincinnati, as will second baseman Tony Renda and right-handers Rookie Davis and Caleb Cotham. Chapman will presumably slide into the Yankees’ closer role, combining with fellow southpaw Andrew Miller and right-hander Dellin Betances to create perhaps the most formidable bullpen trio in all of Major League Baseball next season.

Aroldis Chapman

Chapman, 27, is arguably baseball’s best relief pitcher, but he comes with significant off-field baggage in the form of domestic violence allegations that ultimately halted a trade to the Dodgers from being finalized earlier this month. Chapman is currently being investigated by the league, and there’s a very real chance that he’ll serve some form of suspension from commissioner Rob Manfred under the league’s newly implemented domestic violence policy. What type of suspension is up to Manfred, though as many have pointed out, there are service time implications in any suspension that could impact Chapman’s free agency; if Chapman misses more than 45 days of the regular season due to suspension, he’ll fall shy of reaching six years of Major League service, which would prevent him from becoming a free agent next winter. A suspension would also lessen the financial commitment for Chapman in 2016; MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz currently projects the lefty to earn $12.9MM in 2016 after earning $8.05MM in 2015.

Strictly looking at Chapman’s on-field resumé, the results are astounding. In 2015, he worked to a 1.63 ERA with 15.7 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 and a 37.1 percent ground-ball rate. Over the past four seasons in Cincinnati, the Cuban-born phenom has delivered an exceptional 1.90 ERA while averaging 16.1 strikeouts and 3.8 walks per nine innings to go along with an average of 36 saves per season. Chapman is known for his blistering fastball; the left-hander averaged 100.3 mph on his heater in 2014 and followed that up with a similarly incredulous 99.5 mph average this past season. His addition could free the Yankees to trade Miller or Betances, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the team’s initial plan is to keep all three in an effort to effectively shorten games to six-inning affairs (Twitter link). That’s a bit hyperbolic in nature, of course, but probably not as much as skeptics might think; as MLB.com’s Andrew Simon points out (on Twitter), the Yankees now possess the pitchers with the three highest strikeout percentages in all of baseball from 2014-15 in Chapman (46.3 percent), Miller (41.6 percent) and Betances (39.5 percent).

That trio will be important for a Yankees team that is rife with uncertainty in the rotation. The club’s starting five currently projects as Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi and CC Sabathia. (Ivan Nova could be in the mix as well, though he is reportedly being shopped.) Tanaka pitched through a small tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in 2015, while Pineda has a long history of shoulder issues and Sabathia struggled through knee injuries before ending the season in rehab for alcohol abuse. Even Severino, who was dominant in his rookie showing, has never thrown more than last season’s 161 2/3 innings in a single season. The ability to shorten games with an elite bullpen triumvirate would lessen the expectations placed on what looks to be a potentially shaky rotation.

The Reds will be adding two minor leaguers from the Yankees’ second tier of prospects (Jagielo and Davis) in addition to a pair of prospects that didn’t crack the Top 30 lists of either MLB.com or Baseball America (Cotham, Renda; hat tip to BA’s John Manuel, on Twitter). BA considers Davis the best of the bunch, having recently ranked him sixth in the Yankees’ farm system. MLB.com, meanwhile, has Jagielo sixth and Davis rated 10th.

Jagielo, 23, was selected in the first round of the 2013 draft out of Notre Dame. A knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery shortened his 2015 season, but when he was healthy, he batted .284/.347/.495 with nine homers in 58 games/248 plate appearances at the Double-A level. MLB.com’s scouting report notes that Jagielo is strong and has “good loft in his swing,” giving him the ability to drive the ball to all fields. His penchant for strikeouts (23.3 percent in 2015; 24.4 percent in 2014) is a red flag, but MLB.com notes that he draws enough walks to post sound OBP numbers even if his batting average is lackluster. The question surrounding Jagielo is whether he’ll stay at third base or move across the diamond to first, as questions about his range and arm strength are oft-cited strikes against him. Despite those potential issues, MLB.com did rate him as the No. 7 third-base prospect in the game.

As for Davis, Norris notes in his scouting report over at BA that alterations to his delivery led to a breakout of sorts in 2015. Davis pitched to a combined 3.86 ERA with 8.9 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 in in 130 2/3 innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A. The mechanical changes resulted in increased velocity, per Norris, who writes that Davis sits 93 to 95 mph with his heater — a pitch that is complemented by a sharp mid-70s curve and a low-80s changeup. BA indicates that he could be a mid-rotation starter, while MLB.com notes that he has good control but spotty command (i.e. throws strikes but doesn’t command the pitches within the strike zone) and could be best suited for a relief role, where his velocity could approach triple digits.

The Yankees acquired Renda, 24, from the Nationals this past season in exchange for right-hander David Carpenter. The fleet-footed infielder batted .269/.330/.358 in 532 Double-A plate appearances between the two organizations, adding three homers and 23 steals (in 29 attempts). Renda rated 12th among Nationals farmhands last season and was 22nd on MLB.com’s Top 30 at the time of the trade to the Yankees in early June. BA praised his compact swing and line-drive stroke in last winter’s scouting report, noting that his bat has a chance to be above-average, and he’s tough to strike out. He’s drawn praise for his makeup and work ethic as well, and last offseason Fangraphs’ scouting report praised his advanced bat control while noting that he lacked power.

Cotham, who turned 28 in November, made his big league debut with the Yankees this past season but struggled, yielding seven runs on 14 hits (four homers) and a walk with 11 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings. That 11-to-1 K/BB ratio is encouraging, however, as is the 1.74 ERA that Cotham recorded in 31 innings at the Triple-A level, where he struck out 30 batters and walked just five. Cotham worked exclusively out of the bullpen between Double-A and Triple-A in 2015, totaling a 2.21 ERA with 9.6 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9. He could potentially step directly into the Reds’ bullpen, where he’d bring a fastball that averaged 92.6 mph in his brief big league tenure this past season.

Ultimately, the Reds added mid-level prospects and an MLB-ready bullpen arm in exchange for one year of the game’s best closer, it would seem. While the return is somewhat disappointing in a vacuum, it’s clear that Chapman’s domestic violence allegations rightly lowered the asking price and prevented Cincinnati from maximizing his value in a trade. It’s easy to speak now with the benefit of hindsight, but the reported offer of Braden Shipley plus a pair of other Top 10 prospects from the Diamondbacks in July does appear to be a stronger package than the one received by Cincinnati today. However, with the reason for Cincinnati’s reduced leverage in trade talks being entirely out of the team’s control, it’s not fair to simply state that they should have taken that deal. Jose Peraza, after all, was said to be heading to the Reds from the Dodgers as part of the trade package with L.A. before Chapman’s off-field issues derailed those discussions.

For the Reds, who have also traded Todd Frazier this winter (in a trade that was met with lukewarm reviews, at best, for Cincinnati’s return), the Chapman trade seems unlikely to spell the end of their offseason rebuilding efforts. Cincinnati has also attempted to move second baseman Brandon Phillips, though he reportedly elected not to waive his no-trade protection to approve a deal to the Nationals. Right fielder Jay Bruce is also no stranger to trade rumors, either, and could see his name circulate on the rumor mill with increased frequency as the Reds seek to stockpile more young talent.

Baseball America’s Josh Norris first reported that the two teams were nearing a trade (Twitter link). Jack Curry of the YES Network reported that a trade involving Chapman was close (Twitter link) and later tweeted that four minor leaguers were going to Cincinnati. Norris reported Davis’ inclusion in the deal (Twitter link). FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the agreement as in place.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cuban Pitcher Yaisel Sierra Declared A Free Agent

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Cuban right-hander Yaisel Sierra has been granted free agency, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports on Twitter. The 24-year-old is now free to sign with any team without restriction, as he is not subject to the international spending limitations.

It’s not clear what kind of signing timeline to expect, but Sierra has already shown his full arsenal on several occasions to major league scouts. Most recently, he faced live batters in a Florida showcase, reportedly drawing rave reviews for his mid-nineties heater and promising slider. Baseball America’s Hudson Belinksky came away impressed, writing:

The righthanded Sierra looked extremely polished on the mound. He repeated his moderate stride very well, consistently landing online and hitting his spots down in the strike zone. Sierra has a clean arm action, with a smooth wrap in the back and ease through release.

As BA’s Ben Badler explains, Sierra possesses “the best pure stuff” of any Cuban pitcher. But he’s never been dominant in Serie Nacionale; at times, in fact, he’s struggled. And Sierra has generally shown “poor command and pitchability,” according to Badler, with his relatively advanced age also limiting his appeal.

It’s certainly possible that Sierra’s recent showcases have upped the price tag, of course. And he is believed to be near big league readiness, which means any investment has some hope of paying off sooner rather than later.

Sanchez has previously suggested that Sierra could receive offers of around $30MM in total value. While it obviously remains to be seen what kind of cash he will be able to pull down, a commitment of that level would likely only be available if teams think he has some possibility of sticking in a rotation.

Where Does The 2015-16 Free Agent Market Stand?

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As the end of 2015 approaches, it seems an opportune time to take stock of the free agent market. Plenty of contracts have met or exceeded already-lofty expectations. But it’s also rather notable that a variety of high-end players — including five of MLBTR’s ten highest-rated free agents coming into the winter and multiple players predicted to earn over $100MM — remain available.

Thus far, 69 players have signed for a total of $1.609B. That’s a big chunk of change, to be sure, but still falls shy of the $2B+ in total commitments handed out in the winter of 2013-14.

Expectations have long been that this year’s market would break records in terms of total spend, and the quality and volume of free agents still unsigned continues to suggest that will occur. There’s no question that a huge amount of earning potential remains available at this point in the current market. Above-average to premium position players include Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes, Chris Davis, Alex Gordon, Ian Desmond, Dexter Fowler, Howie Kendrick, and Denard Span. There are still quality arms out there, as well: Wei-Yin Chen, Kenta Maeda, Yovani Gallardo, Ian Kennedy, and Scott Kazmir among them.

Every one of those players placed among MLBTR’s top thirty available free agents. All but Span was predicted to land a $50MM+ contract. And we attributed over $1B in total earning capacity to those thirteen players alone.

But with the free agent market dragging along slowly, especially for position players, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney wonders whether it’s time for some of those players to consider pillow contracts. He says that Upton, Desmond, and Kazmir are among those who ought to begin thinking about taking one-year deals. And Olney suggests that some — he names Gallardo and Kennedy — might even need to prepare for the possibility of a holdout into the regular season.

From my perspective, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see a few top-fifty free agents settle for a chance to re-enter the market with as part of a weaker 2016-17 class. But there’s also little reason to give up on a bigger contract at this stage, and good reason to believe that many or most will still reach or exceed expectations.

Olney is right to note that next year’s much-less-appealing slate of free agents will provide some incentive for players to settle for one-year arrangements. But the less exciting market to come also impacts teams, who have some added incentive to lock into a player at an area of need if the future replacement options don’t look promising.

I’d suggest, too, that a delay in the market shouldn’t necessarily be interpreted as an indication that money has dried up. We’ve seen before that funding can still available well into the spring. Back in that boom class of 2013-14, for example, over $440MM was spent after the calendar turned to the near year (not including players who waited until mid-season, but factoring in the total outlay needed for the Yankees to land Masahiro Tanaka).

And this year’s remaining free agent class is much more impressive than the group whose signing timeline was put on hold by the great Tanaka chase. It should be paid as such, even if each individual won’t max out their earning potential.

We’ve already heard, for instance, that at least Davis, Gordon, and Kazmir have fielded significant offers, and are apparently holding out for something better. And it’s not at all uncommon for big cash to be committed late. We’ve seen nine-figure deals go to players like Tanaka, Max Scherzer, and Prince Fielder after the new year. And there are numerous examples of lengthy contracts with $10MM+ AAVs that have been handed out in January, February, or March — including James Shields, Ubaldo Jimenez, Matt Garza, Nick Swisher, and Michael Bourn.

It’s probably worth bearing in mind the lesson of Ervin Santana, whose market fell apart after he apparently pushed too hard for a bigger contract. But his case also demonstrates that the downside risk isn’t so bad, either, as he struck a $15MM contract for his single season and then got over $50MM the next year upon re-entering the market.

While it’s true that there’s more supply left this time around than is usually the case, that could simply be a reflection of the outstanding class of players on the open market and the numerous options at some positions. The market for power bats, in particular, has several players and teams involved who may be waiting for a first mover to break the present standstill.

In some ways, moreover, the early spending this year suggests that there will still be plenty of cash to go around over the next few months. Nobody anticipated the Diamondbacks committing over $200MM to one player. Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist both went to a team (the Cubs) that didn’t necessarily seem in clear need of adding them. The trickle-down effect is that the other clubs with interest in those kinds of players remain in the market.

At this point, it’s also worth noting, only eleven clubs have even committed $20MM to a single player. The Dodgers, Angels, Rangers, Astros, White Sox, Yankees, and Mets are not among them. And only five teams have awarded contracts of $50MM or more, with the Cubs and Giants each giving two. So there’s probably more capacity — if not also willingness — to spend.

However the market develops, it seems fair to say that we could be in for an unusually active spring in terms of free agency. As camp begins to approach and extension season moves into focus, there’s still plenty of potential for intrigue.

My own expectation is that the market will still pay out over $2.5B in total commitments by the time it’s all said and done. In addition to the thirteen players discussed above, there are numerous other members of the open market who seem likely to sign guaranteed deals. What do you think?

Minor MLB Transactions: 12/28/15

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Matt Eddy of Baseball America has all the latest minor league moves, and there are some notable additions that have not yet appeared on the pages of MLBTR. Among them:

  • The Marlins have signed righty Dylan Axelrod, lefty Troy Patton, and shortstop Robert Andino. Axelrod has seen MLB action in each of the last five seasons, but has seen his opportunities dwindle and owns only a 5.27 career ERA in 228 2/3 frames. Patton has had success at times in the bigs — he was a solid contributor to the Orioles from 2011-13 — and threw 30 1/3 innings of 2.37 ERA pitching last year at Triple-A. As for Andino, he’ll return to the organization with which he cracked the majors after spending last season in independent ball.
  • Outfielder Alex Castellanos is heading to the Rockies, per Eddy. The 29-year-old has seen only minimal MLB time, despite solid numbers at Triple-A. He played briefly last year for Japan’s Yomiuri Giants.
  • The Cardinals signed righty Jeremy Hefner, who is working his way back after Tommy John surgery. Hefner threw 224 1/3 frames for the Mets, with a 4.65 ERA, over 2012-13.
  • Joining the Diamondbacks are righties Matt Buschmann and Jose Cisnero. Buschmann, 31, spent time with three organizations last year and has yet to crack the majors. Still just 26, Cisnero has made it to the bigs with the Astros but threw at Double-A last year in the Reds organization, continuing to show an ability to miss bats but also a predilection to miss the zone.
  • The White Sox inked right-hander Josh Wall. Wall has made 15 major league appearances in past seasons. Heading into his age-29 campaign, the reliever will be looking for a chance to pick up some more MLB frames after throwing sixty innings of 2.70 ERA ball last year at Triple-A, with 10.4 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9.

Rockies Re-Sign Yohan Flande

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The Rockies have re-signed lefty Yohan Flande, according to the list of recent official minor league signings from Baseball America’s Matt Eddy. Colorado will also bring back fellow southpaw Jason Gurka.

Both Flande and Gurka were non-tendered by the Rockies earlier in the winter to clear 40-man space, though neither was eligible for arbitration.

Flande, soon to turn 30, has seen quite a bit of time in the majors over the last two years as the organization sought to fill in its staff. Working in a swingman capacity, he’s tallied 127 1/3 innings of 4.95 ERA pitching, with 5.4 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9. Flande carries an impressive 58.9% groundball rate, though he also showed a susceptibility to the long ball last year (1.84 HR/9, 25.5% HR/FB).

Gurka debuted in Denver last year, allowing eight earned runs in just 7 2/3 innings. Soon to turn 28, the longtime Orioles farmhand has turned in some solid seasons in the minors recently. Last year, he worked to a 2.86 ERA over 63 frames at the Double-A and Triple-A levels, with 7.6 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.

Quick Hits: Strauss, Tigers, Castellanos, Martinez

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Joe Strauss, who covered the Braves, Orioles and Cardinals over three decades as a reporter and columnist for several news outlets, passed away today at age 54 due to complications from a battle with leukemia.  Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko are just a few of the many peers who paid tribute to Strauss with chronicles of his outstanding career and remembrances of their friend and colleague.  Countless news items from Strauss appeared on this website’s pages over the years, and all of us on the MLB Trade Rumors staff send our condolences to Strauss’ friends and family.

Here are some notes from around the game as we head into a new week…

  • The Tigers have been getting calls about Nick Castellanos, Tony Paul of the Detroit News reports.  Castellanos was a 2010 first-rounder and a former top prospect, though he’s underwhelmed both offensively and defensively in two full Major League seasons, posting negative fWAR totals in both 2014 and 2015.  These struggles notwithstanding, it’s probably unlikely that Detroit would move Castellanos since he’s only 23 and under team control through the 2019 season.
  • Also from Paul, he guesses that once J.D. Martinez and the Tigers get talking about an extension, the negotiations will be in the neighborhood of a four-year, $60MM deal.  This contract could be backloaded, which would allow the team to pursue more upgrades now and pay Martinez his biggest salaries later once other large contracts have come off the books.  Martinez is entering his age-28 season now and has two remaining years of arbitration eligibility before hitting free agency, so under Paul’s projected extension, Martinez would reach the open market as a 32-year-old having given up two free agent years.  The $60MM number may be a little conservative, in my view, given how first-rate hitting is at a premium.
  • While the Tigers aren’t shy about spending, Paul doesn’t think the team will stray too far (if at all) over the luxury tax limit, so landing a top outfield name like Yoenis Cespedes or Alex Gordon is probably unrealistic.  Detroit could move another big contract like Ian Kinsler to make payroll space, though Paul points out that the team would just be creating a new hole at second base to solve a hole in left field.  The Tigers could instead save any payroll room for a trade deadline addition.
  • At the Winter Meetings, Orioles manager Buck Showalter told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko that the club was willing to surrender its first round draft pick (14th overall) to sign the right qualifying offer free agent but it wouldn’t be without great consideration.  “It would have to be something that really fits. But we would if we had to,” Showalter said.  “But one of our big days is going to be…in June, we got seven picks in the first 100 in the draft. I don’t know if we’ve ever had that. This is big for us. We can solidify our already strong system.”  An interesting wrinkle to Showalter’s statement is that the O’s are actually guaranteed to have only five picks within the first 91 selections.  They would only receive those two other picks if QO free agents Wei-Yin Chen and Chris Davis both signed elsewhere.  Since Showalter’s statement was made during the Meetings, it would’ve come roughly around the time that Baltimore pulled its $150MM offer to Davis off the table, so the manager’s words could be interpreted as a hint that the O’s could be prepared to move on from the first baseman (though the two sides have since continued to talk).

NL East Notes: Howard, Guyer, Murphy, Walker, Riley

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Last night, news broke of an Al Jazeera TV news documentary (that aired tonight) which alleged that Ryan Howard, Ryan Zimmerman, Taylor Teagarden and several NFL stars all received illegal PEDs.  Denials have been issued by many of the parties named in the report, including Howard and Zimmerman to Al Jazeera and their mutual attorney to MLBTR.  The Nationals released a statement earlier today in support of Zimmerman, and the Phillies released a statement tonight regarding Howard:

“Ryan Howard has vigorously denied the allegations contained in tonight’s airing of Al Jazeera’s report titled ‘The Dark Side.’  Ryan has spent his whole career with the Phillies and, during that entire time, has been an extremely well respected member of our team and an outstanding contributor to our community.  We will fully cooperate with any investigation conducted by Major League Baseball and will refer all further questions to them concerning the Al Jazeera report.”

Dr. Dale Guyer, of the Guyer Institute, also denied the allegations made by former intern Charles Sly (that have since been recanted) that NFL legend Peyton Manning received HGH from the clinic under his wife’s name.  Guyer made his statement on his website, as passed on by Nat Newell, Zak Keefer and Justin L. Mack of the Indianapolis Star:

“I have no reason to believe these allegations are based in fact or have any truth.  In fact, I can say with absolute certainty they are not. I find it extremely disturbing that the source of Al Jazeera’s story, a former unpaid intern named Charles Sly, would violate the privacy of Mrs. Manning’s medical records and be so callous and destructive as to purposely fabricate and spread stories that are simply not true.

“I would emphasize that Mr. Sly was never an employee of the Guyer Institute and his brief three-month internship occurred in 2013 during which time Peyton was not even being treated or present in the office. I am proud to have treated Peyton and helped him through his rehabilitation. Mr. Manning is one of the most honorable and upstanding individuals I have had the pleasure of knowing.”

You can follow more details on the NFL side of the story on Pro Football Rumors, MLBTR’s sister site.  Here’s more from around the NL East…

  • While Trea Turner has a ton of upside, the Nationals weren’t going to go into the season with an unproven rookie at short and Danny Espinosa as the everyday second baseman, MASNsports.com’s Byron Kerr writes.  The signing of Daniel Murphy answers the Nats’ clear need for an experienced veteran at second who has a proven postseason track record, since Washington fully expects to contend.  With the pennant race in mind, the Nats had no time to let Turner learn on the job in April or May.
  • The Murphy signing, the Nationals’ scuttled trade for Brandon Phillips and the Mets’ trade for Neil Walker are all addressed by Fangraphs’ David Laurila, who feels New York ended up in the best shape after all these second base shuffles.  The Mets benefited by adding Walker for one contract year rather than the Nats signing Murphy for three, Laurila opines, and he also feels the Nats would’ve been better off with Phillips (who has two years remaining on his contract) than Murphy.  I disagree with Laurila on that point, as Murphy is both three years younger than Phillips and has been the better player over the last three seasons.
  • Braves prospect Austin Riley is profiled by David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in the wake of the 18-year-old’s first pro season.  Riley was taken 41st overall in the 2015 draft, a selection that surprised some pundits who had Riley much lower on their board.  He was still drawing a lot of attention from teams, including some who saw him as a pitcher, though the Braves instead shifted him from short to third and focused on his power potential.  Riley hit .304/.389/.544 with 12 homers over 252 combined plate appearances for two Rookie League teams.

Kasten On Pitching, Greinke, Payroll, Roberts

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Dodgers president/CEO Stan Kasten recently took part in a Q&A with ESPN Los Angeles’ Mark Saxon to discuss a wide range of topics about the team.  Here are some of the highlights concerning the Dodgers’ offseason thus far…

  • The Dodgers felt comfortable in making a financial “stretch” to re-sign Zack Greinke since they knew the pitcher so well, though offering a sixth year as the Diamondbacks did to ultimately land the star righty went above even the Dodgers’ expanded comfort zone.  “All things factored in, we could not get to a point we felt hamstrung down the road. Having said that, we went beyond what we felt was strictly prudent because it was Zack, who we valued so highly,” Kasten said.  Los Angeles’ offer to Greinke was reportedly in the area of five years and $155MM.  Kasten didn’t confirm the total, though he used his team’s pursuit of Greinke as an example of how the Dodgers are still very willing to spend, and that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is under no mandate to cut payroll.
  • Though the Dodgers have seemingly been linked to virtually every big-name pitcher on the open market this offseason, Kasten said that Greinke was the only serious target and other talks were mostly a case of due diligence.  “Once [re-signing Greinke] didn’t occur, I know our name was thrown out there on everybody,” Kasten said.  “Part of that is because we do touch base with everyone and once that happens, agents can characterize that touching base however it suits their purposes.  We haven’t wanted any of the other big-ticket items for various reasons, from physical reasons to age to the way it was going to fit together for us.”
  • Some fans and pundits have been critical of how relatively quiet the Dodgers’ offseason has been, as the club has fallen short on attempts to acquire the likes of Greinke, Hisashi Iwakuma and Aroldis Chapman.  While Kasten admits the team hasn’t connected on some big moves, he notes that the roster will still contend and will be “maybe better than last year by the time Opening Day gets here.”
  • Kasten also points to the bigger picture steps Los Angeles has taken to improving from within, noting its gains in international signings and minor league depth.  “Even more important, we’re much closer today than we were three years ago to being the long-term, self-sustaining organization, and that doesn’t get enough attention….We all know the next wave of players is very close to getting to the majors this coming year. Behind them, we think two to three years from now we have a very, very deep roster of other prospects highlighted by the investments we’ve made internationally. There are two movements on the way and that’s what we said we were trying to do from the day we arrived,” Kasten said.
  • While the team is always looking to make improvements, Kasten feels the current rotation is already solid and will be further augmented by that aforementioned depth.  “The system is just starting to catch up in terms of depth,” the president said.  “I can tell you right now we have more depth than the organization has ever had….I don’t think the team we field today is the team we will open the postseason with next October.”
  • As an executive, Kasten has “no hard and fast rules other than not having any hard and fast rules.”  He denies having such policies as signing players beyond age 36 or signing pitchers to contracts longer than five years; while the latter may be “a really good rule if it were one,” Kasten also notes that the club also has Clayton Kershaw signed to a seven-year, $215MM deal.
  • There were rumors earlier this winter that the front office was set on hiring director of player development Gabe Kapler  as the new Dodgers manager before ownership insisted on a wider-ranging search that eventually led to the hiring of Dave Roberts.  Kasten denied the rumor, calling it “really bizarre” and stating that ownership didn’t get involved in the process at all until Roberts and Kapler were the final two candidates.  “There were no other jobs open and we had all the time in the world to interview every possible candidate, which is what we did. It came down to the last two guys and our owners met those guys and we all collectively made the same decision,” Kasten said.

West Notes: Henderson, M’s, Black, Dodgers

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The baseball world is mourning the loss of former All-Star outfielder Dave Henderson, who passed away this morning at age 57.  “Hendu” played for five teams over his 14-year career, including six years each with the Mariners and Athletics.  He was the first draft pick in Mariners franchise history and spent a decade as an M’s color commentator on TV and radio after his retirement.  The slugger was a member of the Oakland teams that won three straight AL pennants from 1988-90 and captured the 1989 World Series, and Henderson played a big role in that championship with a 1.129 OPS over 39 postseason plate appearances.  Of course, Henderson’s most famous playoff moment came in Game Five of the 1986 ALCS as a member of the Red Sox, when he hit a dramatic two-run homer (with two outs and two strikes on him) in the ninth inning to temporarily put Boston ahead, and Henderson then drove in the game’s winning run in the 11th on a sac fly.  That victory saved the Red Sox from elimination and sparked an unlikely comeback, as they then beat the Angels in Games Six and Seven to win the pennant.

“Hendu played just two seasons in Boston, but we always regarded him as one of us, and are grateful for the time we were able to enjoy his talent and infectious personality,” Red Sox president Sam Kennedy said in an official statement from the club.  “Everywhere he went, Henderson made friends. He was a great ambassador for our game, and we have lost him far too soon.”

We at MLBTR send our condolences to Henderson’s family and countless friends around the game.  Here are some news items from around the West divisions…

  • It’s a lot easier to win when your team has a high payroll (and/or a wealth of controllable young talent), and as Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times writes, the Mariners are in something of a difficult spot since they’re a consistent mid-range payroll team that has a big chunk of their spending tied up in a handful of star contracts.  If the M’s aren’t willing to spend more, Baker notes, then GM Jerry Dipoto will be doubly challenged to find affordable young pieces to fit around those core stars.  Given Dipoto’s very busy offseason, it’s hard to say he hasn’t been trying to fulfill that exact goal.
  • Giants right-handed pitching prospect Ray Black turned a lot of heads in the Arizona Fall League, Andy Baggarly writes in a subscription-only piece for Baseball America.  Black’s fastball topped out at a whopping 104mph in AFL play and he also possesses (perhaps anecdotally) a 98mph changeup.  Black, 25, was a seventh-rounder for the Giants in the 2011 draft who has battled a variety of injuries and didn’t being his pro career until 2014.  Black has a 3.28 ERA over 60 1/3 minor league innings, exhibiting both some shaky control (6.1 BB/9) and overwhelming strikeout power (18.2 K/9).
  • The Dodgers have been linked to both Wei-Yin Chen and Kenta Maeda in free agency rumors, and Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times looks at the pros and cons for the club of signing either pitcher.  Whatever choice the team makes (if it goes with either starter), Dilbeck thinks the Dodgers need to address their rotation after falling short on a number of offseason pitching targets.

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