The Giants are just about done with making offseason moves, GM Bobby Evans tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Evans has been monitoring free agent Tim Lincecum, but he doesn’t anticipate a reunion since the team already boasts a star-studded starting five. Cafardo raises the idea that Lincecum could be in store for a bullpen role in 2016, but Evans’ comments make it seem as though that won’t take place in San Francisco.
Before being shut down midway through the season, Lincecum had posted a 4.13 ERA, although with a 7.1 K/9 and a high 4.5 BB/9 that were even less impressive than that modest ERA figure. His average fastball velocity also fell from 89.6 MPH in 2014 to 87.2 MPH. Lincecum will probably be forced to settle for a one-year deal as he looks to come back from hip surgery entering his age-32 season.
Here’s more from today’s column:
- “A few baseball folks” tell Cafardo that they get the sense something is brewing with Milwaukee catcher Jonathan Lucroy. The Brewers backstop has a limited no-trade clause, but teams such as the Astros and Nationals could have interest in adding a top catcher like Lucroy. The veteran isn’t coming off his best season, but his highly contract still makes him an attractive trade target. Lucroy is set to earn just $4MM in 2016 and $5.25MM (or a $250K buyout) in 2017.
- A few teams had concerns about the medicals on Doug Fister, one NL team official told Cafardo. Fister got a one-year, $7MM deal from the Astros, but some teams thought they could get him on a minor league deal. Fister, soon-to-be 32, could be a bounceback candidate for Houston. After several strong years in Detroit, he put up a stellar 2.41 ERA over 164 frames in 2014, his first season with the Nationals. But things went south last year, as he dealt with injury issues and lost his rotation spot after he was tagged for a 4.60 ERA and .302/.341/.471 batting line in 15 starts.
- One NL scout tells Cafardo that free agent shortstop Ian Desmond should move to third base. “I think he would be excellent there,” said the scout. “He’s a shortstop who probably doesn’t have the great range, but he’d be very good at third. He’s a great kid in the clubhouse who works hard. At some point, there has got to be a team, maybe one who has a pick at the end of the first round, who’d give that up for a guy like this.” As the former All-Star continues to sit on the open market, some have wondered if a deal could be possible with the Rays.
- Mat Latos remains on the open market in part because of a perceived attitude problem. One NL official believes that he needs some discipline to stay in line. “You would need a strong manager to keep him in line and acting the way you want him to act. A Buck Showalter, a Bruce Bochy, a Dusty Baker. The guy really competes, but he just gets too outspoken for his own good,” the official said.
Brewers should get Desmond for 3rd and add Lincecum and Latos on cheap deals.
No on Desmond. The Brewers will be horrible no reason to give up our 2nd round pick for him.
Why would they throw money at Desmond and give up a draft pick in a period where they’re clearly rebuilding and trying to acquire as much young talent as possible? Terrible idea.
Brewers should sign Desmond to play 3rd, and add Lincecum and Latos on 1 year deals
I think the Astros could be a good team for Desmond. They traded Lowrie and don’t have a third baseman.
Luis Valbuena hit 25 HR last year while playing a league average third. Huge risk getting Desmond and immediately expecting him to learn a new position overnight.
I thought the Astros plan was to move Bregman or Correa to 3B anyway.
The one they have is better than Desmond. So, no.
Desmond is gonna have to wait for an injury, possibly all the way until the draft.
The white sox are a perfect fit for him, he can take a one year deal to rebuild his value, and he can be a stop gap for tim anderson
Besides the White Sox probably don’t want to give up a pick for just one year of Desmond.
Desmond and Valbuena were worth roughly the same WAR last season (2.1 for Valbuena, 2.0 for Desmond, using B-R). They’re the same age and Desmond has the better track record of success. I’d assume he gets a reasonable one-year pillow contract to re-establish his value. Not with the Astros but maybe with somebody like the Mariners.
Luis Valbuena who had 25 hrs and posted top 5 fielding % is the no one they have at third.
The market for Desmond is totally dry, I can see him waiting until June to sign. Out of all the teams who could use him, none of them are legit contenders and would want to lose a draft pick over him. His best bet is if a contending team loses a guy in spring for the year, other than that, its a pretty grim outlook.
This whole system of getting/losing a draft pick for signing free agents is totally broken and needs to be changed. I can’t believe the MLBPA didn’t call for huge changes after the Morales/Drew issues of a couple years ago.
Would you rather a franchise tag?
These things have cycles and we are now just getting to a point where players are realizing a few have to accept the QO in order for the power to swing their way.
Players like Drew, Desmond have severely over looked the market demands versus their value. In Desmond’s case it was more of how the market panned out, but he could have got a deal earlier in the offseason if he didn’t hold out for more money.
Desmond has done himself zero favors. He turns down a $100M+ contact a couple of years ago, then has a poor year and struggles to stay on the field, gets rewarded with a guaranteed $15.8M contract and rejects it. It’s his own fault. Same with Drew and Morales. They both overvalued themselves—who in their right mind was going to give a severely injury-prone, offensive failure and a slipping defense player a long-term, guaranteed contract? When Boston offered Drew the $14.1M I thought they were crazy…he wasn’t even worth that.
It isn’t broken at all. Desmond should have accepted the offer since it was obvious that his value had dipped tremendously.
Well, they couldn’t change it because they have to include it in a new CBA, which will be negotiated after this season. It’s a bad system but it does put a slight pause in tems just buying every free agent like the Yankees did for many years.
I agree that the QO system isn’t balanced right at all. The old Type A/B system wasn’t either, but frankly I’d just as soon go back to that.
The type A/B system was MUCH worse than the one today. It’s not even close
Hard to feel sorry for a guy who turned down 107 million the system has major flaws but Desmond made his own bed.
The system is not broken, it’s just not working out the way the players had hoped. They wanted to eliminate the type A and type B free agents, and thought this system was better. They also wanted more of the game’s revenues directed toward MLB players rather than amateur players, so MLB gave them this solution. ML players get more money now, but due to that teams value lower-cost options significantly more.
I doubt the QO system will go away in the next CBA…there will always be draft ties to free agency, and if the players want to eliminate that then MLB will want to impose a salary cap—to prevent the richest teams from signing everyone and not facing any penalties. That won’t happen, so the QO system is likely to be tweaked…probably making it a 2 year contract as opposed to one, and protecting the first 15 picks in the draft as opposed to ten.
His OBP is way to low to lose a 1st round pick.
Still like Latos for the White Sox. Ventura isn’t exactly a harda–, but Chris Sale is, so is Don Cooper. I think there’s enough leadership and positive attitudes in that clubhouse to keep him in line. Also believe he had legitimate gripes about the Reds.
Where were the Rockies on signing Fister? Cheap, ground ball candidate at Coors for a rotation that desperately needs to up its game for 2016
Where were the Rockies on signing Fister? Cheap, ground ball pitcher at Coors field for a rotation that desperately needs an upgrade in 2016.
So.. Is Cafardo saying that in MLB it’s easier to get a job as a wife beater (Chapman, Reyes), racist, Delmon Young), abuse PED’s. (too many to count) and teams are happy to give them a contract.. Yet simply state facts, like guys such as Latos, Logan Morrison do and it becomes more difficult to find a job?
Something is really wrong with this world and it ain’t getting any better.
You’re forgetting the fact Latos simply isn’t good enough to be worth the headache. There will always be players with character issues, and if those players are good enough, someone will put up with them. In Latos’ case, it’s simply a case that his declining skills caught up to his jackassery.
^ This. I wish we could still up vote comments.
Simple fact that many want talent to overlook criminal acts, or serious issues, which I went over above and not serious ones which Latos probably has, just stating sometimes obvious facts as he sometimes does, or talking to the media. Same thing other ball players have been known for as long as it’s nothing hateful (his are/were not) is proof yet again in just your comment how tolerance has declined towards criminality and that many are simply willing to just “look the other way” if they can do some kind of job that they like.
I saw this far too often when was managing a large store for a certain company and quit, stress wasn’t worth it. Hiring border line, or out right criminals because they had the certifications that they wanted and not people i had interviewed that would have been perfect.
The country is in deep trouble with this and has been getting worse for awhile, rock bottom is coming.
Careful…Latos may be on here secretly and will screen shot this comment and attempt to roast you on his Instagram page…
Interesting how you list non-white players (Dmitri Young? Seriously?) when the Mariners and Rays recently employed a convicted white rapist in Josh Leuke.
Something IS wrong here, but you might be able to fix it by looking in the mirror.
I probably gave more assistance and help to the Cuban people (Marial boatlift) from 1979-1980 than you have done with anti racism in your entire lifetime and was decorated for it by the USN (Humanitarian Award). Don’t go preaching to me about myself being a racist.
Chapman is not a wife beater. First off, he is not married so he can’t be a wife beater. Secondly and more importantly, he didn’t do anything wrong according to everyone involved in the incident including the police and the district attorney. It is potentially libelous for you to call him that publicly.
The district attorney determined that he or she lack probable cause to go forward with a prosecution on a criminal charge. The model rule reads: “The prosecutor in a criminal case shall: refrain from prosecuting a charge that the prosecutor knows is not supported by probable cause;”
That is far different from your conclusion that “he didn’t do anything wrong.” Many behaviors are wrong but not criminal.
I don’t know for certain whether Aroldis Chapman did anything wrong but we can debate the propriety of firing a gun under the reported circumstances, an act Chapman allegedly admitted.
Pirates should take the chance on Latos. 1 yr deal for about 5-6 mil, with incentives that could take it to around 10 mil. Latos could slot I. As the 3rd starter and allow the Pirates to keep Taillion/Glasnow down until mid-June and avoid super 2 designation.
Not with his attitude. They tried that with Johnathon Sanchez a couple years back. He wasn’t willing to make the changes Searage wanted him to make, so he failed and was released. Latos falls into the same category. Not to mention, his wife hates Pittsburgh, as she got into it with a group of fans in the Bowtie Bar for acting entitled. Much rather have Lincecum.
Braves need a third baseman… I doubt that would happen though. White Sox, Angels, Indians, and Phillies seem like better fits, but none of them are great. Angels could play him at third and play Escobar at second, but probably won’t spend the money to make it happen.
The Angels are out, obviously (why would they go through the lux cap for Ian Desmond?). I can’t see the White Sox doing it if they haven’t already. Not like their SS problem is new. If he takes a cheap one year deal I’d look for a team that’s already punted the front of their draft, so the pick loss doesn’t hurt as much. But I can’t really think of any. Maybe Tigers?
Most likely is the Nats see no one’s gonna sign him before the draft and just resign him cheap themselves. They can find AB’s in various places for him.