Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt will likey miss four to six weeks after elbow surgery, MLB.com’s Jan Lee tweets. He is still expected to be good to go for the start of the season, though he’ll be delayed in getting going this spring.
Here are a few more notes from around the American League:
- Doug Fister’s MRI with the Astros did not gum up the deal, but nevertheless showed some cause for concern, Houston GM Jeff Luhnow said today on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter links). “There is some risk, but we’re confident he’s going to be healthy this year,” said Luhnow.
- White Sox GM Rick Hahn made clear today that the team feels urgency to win, as Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com reports. Hahn acknowledged frustration that “we haven’t been able to convert on any [free agent] targets,” as CSNChicago.com’s Dan Hayes reports, but told fans that “there still is the possibility we are going to have changes before camp or Opening Day.”
- Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas says that his representatives have talked to the club about a two-year contract arrangement, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports on Twitter. “I think it’s extremely important ,” he said. “We are blessed with some very unique, special talent on this roster right now.”
- Coming into the winter, Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe seemed a plausible trade piece, but we never heard much buzz on that front. Minnesota GM Terry Ryan tells Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (Twitter link) that the club did not consider scenarios for a deal — let alone make Plouffe available to other clubs.
- The Royals’ many successes have led many to point to their outstanding pen as a model of sorts, and ESPN.com’s Jayoson Stark (Insider link) explains that it has helped drive the idea of relying heavily on a relief corps. But the rise of the importance of the relief pitcher has other, deeper causes, Stark argues.
Curious regarding the comments Luhnow made about Fister’s elbow and then the velocity he lost last year. It reminds me of Lackey, the velocity he lost year after he signed with Boston, the results of his MRI before he signed, as well as the language that was put into his deal when they found some issues with his elbow in the MRI..
Giving large deals.. yes.. 7m is a large deal IMO.. To people when there is some kind of major problem going on is a major no-no, like is was with Lackey’s 75m deal, free year or not.
Rick Hahn “there still is the possibility we are going to have changes before camp or Opening Day”.
Meaning – we won’t pass the $70 million plateau for free agents so we’re going to concentrate on waiver claims and non-roster invitees to provide competition for the spots on our roster that we aren’t fielding major league quality players. We won’t spend what’s necessary to win, but we can hope real hard that all those non-roster invitees will turn into the equivalent of $100 million players! Isn’t hope great!
Dionner Navarro = 1 WAR (improvement)
Jose Abreu 1B = 3 WAR
Brett Lawrie 2B = 1 WAR
Todd Frazier 3B = 4.5 WAR
Adam Eaton CF = 3.6 WAR
Melky Cabrera LF = Struggled but usually puts up ~1 to 2 WAR
Tyler Saladino and J.B. Shuck will be solid back ups.
The rotation needs one more arm and the bullpen could use another strong righty. Other than that all I can see is RF and SS if our young hitters don’t develop. The White Sox have already improved 2B, 3B, SS (by not resigning Ramirez) and C.
Rick Hahn translation:
Jerry was too cheap and quite honestly too stupid to let me sign one of the top FA so now we’ll go to our back up plan which we don’t know what it is. We’re still trying to get somebody but don’t worry, our current roster is awesome as is.
It’s definitely the best of the 70 win rosters we’ve had the last few years. Can’t wait for the fire sale.
If they don’t win this year, I can see them trading Sale or Quintana
they need a right handed starter, gallardo would be perfect for them, and then they can add fowler or desmond.
A backup RHP would be nice but they 1-3 is strong. No, what the Sox need is an OF bat. As currently constructed, thats a 3 WAR outfield.
Horrible.
Eaton’s WAR was 3.6 alone last year. The definitely need to add another piece, but the sky is not falling just yet.
Considering their roster and contracts, seems like the White Sox should be the type of team that could offer both Fowler and Desmond(heck, even Gallardo as well) a 3/35-40ish type contract and be fine with however it goes. Even use some of the newly blocked players to fill other spots on the roster(I’m pretty sure that Jake McGee will be available ha). I know that is throwing picks away as well but if this team isn’t contending in a couple years you still have half a roster’s worth of ballplayers to trade to rebuild. It is a lot of money pretty fast, but no long-term commitment and nice to know that you took your shot. Maybe I just like that rotation and Abreu too much.
If the Sox end up with Fowler, Rollins and Latos I’ll be happy. I don’t see it happening, but that’s my current wishlist of sorts if they do intend on spending the money allocated for Cespedes.
I am glad we did not get any of those players for their asking prices, way to high. The way I look at it, being in the construction business, is here I am working my 8 hr. shift, pounding nails like the whole 9 man crew, and we all make $50,000. – $70,000. per year on average and getting along fine as a crew. Now RH brings in another carpenter to help, who does the same thing, but is making a Million $$, but doing the same thing as the rest of us, and YOU won’t be pissed. Think about it, and watch what happens with the Heyward signing, and how well JA gets along w/Lackey, that is just waiting to blow up, and the trouble w/ KB filing a complaint with his agent, Borass, I am predicting nothing but total disarray on that side of town as Pirates run away w/central division.
I agree and Heyward playing center is not near as valuable as Heyward playing right …..except it’s the cardinals who take the division
You forget to mention the inevitable scratching and clawing when Anthony Arizona and Ben Zobrist realize that they wore the exact same outfit on Opening Day.
I mean, wow: that is some severely tortured logic to make yourself feel better that you team was inactive during the off-season.
Aside from the Lawrie
Gizmo is a troll and bitter White Sox loser. Hahaha still laughing at this moron. Ok Gizmo JA will not get along with Lackey … Hahha yes because its like a construction crew?? Your ignorance is humerous
Moron, look who is a troll, I think you are on our side of the article, not ONE freaking thing said in the headlines about your LIFETIME FLUBS. I have seen my WHITE SOX team preform and play in 2 World Series in my lifetime, and attended all 4 games in 2005, and with your comments I am guessing you have seen NONE on your side of town, being what 6 or 7 years old, I know how you feel. My dad has been a life long cub loser and never watched or seen them play in a World Series game yet, and he will be celebrating his 94 B-day tomorrow, So I suggest you go back over to your cry baby website with all your other loser buddy flubby fans, and see what else you loser can try to steal from the Southside of town. Maybe cork some more bats for your twinkling stars,
Holy White Sox fan!
These guys understand the business, it’s not personal among the players.