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Archives for February 2016
Rays Interested In Tyler Clippard
The Rays are among the teams considering a run at Tyler Clippard late in the offseason, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). As Topkin notes, Clippard was raised in Florida — he attended high school roughly 40 miles from Tropicana Field — and would also benefit from Florida’s lack of an income tax.
The lack of a market for Clippard has been surprising to many, although the right-hander certainly isn’t without red flags. His velocity has dropped each season since 2013, and he posted his lowest full-season strikeout rate in 2015 while also recording the third-worst full-season walk rate of his career. Clippard was also the game’s most extreme fly-ball pitcher last season; his 60.6 percent fly-ball rate was the highest among any pitcher that threw at least 20 innings, and it wasn’t particularly close. Teams may also be concerned about the huge workload on Clippard’s right arm; no reliever is within even 50 innings of the 464 1/3 innings that Clippard has tallied since the 2010 season.
Of course, that durability can also be perceived as a positive. Clippard has never been on the disabled list, and he’s made at least 72 appearances with at least 70 innings pitched in each of the past six seasons. Given the volatile nature of relief pitcher’s, Clippard’s consistent ability to take the mound — and pitch effectively, no less — is nothing short of remarkable. Dating back to that previously mentioned 2010 season, Clippard has a 2.67 ERA with 10.1 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9. He’s always been a fly-ball pitcher — though rarely to the extreme that he displayed in 2015 — but has managed to average less than a home run per nine innings (0.9 HR/9) in that stretch as well.
The question with which teams are faced, then, is whether or not the decline in Clippard’s K/BB numbers and velocity are due to that heavy workload or are elements of his game that can be corrected. Given the fact that he’s the last big-name relief arm left on the market, it would seem that there is indeed some level of trepidation surrounding him, but that could create the opportunity for a team to get something of a bargain rate on a player that has typically yielded high-quality results.
The Rays, in particular, could make sense as a landing spot for a reputable setup man, as the team has traded both Kevin Jepsen (to the Twins) and Jake McGee (to the Rockies) in the past six months or so, creating a potential late-inning opening. Clippard would theoretically join names like Danny Farquhar and Alex Colome as right-handed setup pieces serving as a bridge to closer Brad Boxberger.
Angels Claim Christian Friedrich, Designate Taylor Featherston
The Angels have claimed left-hander Christian Friedrich off waivers from the Rockies and designated infielder Taylor Featherston for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (on Twitter).
Friedrich, 28, was selected 25th overall out of Eastern Kentucky University back in 2008, but he’s struggled for much of his pro career, amassing an ERA north of 5.00 at both the Triple-A level and in the Major Leagues. This past season, Friedrich posted a 5.25 ERA with 6.9 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 47.4 percent ground-ball rate in 58 1/3 innings of work. While Friedrich has struggled throughout his career, he’s held left-handed hitters in check fairly well, limiting same-handed opponents to a .257/.314/.364 batting line. He’s also posted considerably better numbers away from Coors, where he has a 4.61 ERA as compared to a 6.96 mark at home. Because he’s out of options, Freidrich will have to make the Halos’ Opening Day roster — presumably in the bullpen — or again be exposed to waivers.
The DFA of Featherston is a somewhat surprising revelation, if only because the Angels carried the 2014 Rule 5 Draft pick on their Major League roster for the entirety of the 2015 season rather than expose him to waivers and offer him back to his original team. Featherston, in fact, received just 169 plate appearances and batted .162/.212/.247. While he’s a gifted defender, the decision to dedicate a roster spot to him over the course of 162 games only to cut him loose in the offseason figures to irk some Angels fans, especially considering the fact that the club missed a Wild Card playoff berth by a lone game in the standings. Then again, with some turnover in the team’s front office, it certainly seems possible that the new faces atop the baseball operations hierarchy simply didn’t few Featherston as highly as their predecessors.
J.J. Hoover Wins Arbitration Hearing Against Reds
Right-hander J.J. Hoover has won his arbitration hearing against the Reds and will be awarded a $1.4MM salary as opposed to the $1.225MM figure submitted by Cincinnati, Jon Heyman reports (via Twitter). The Ballengee Group client was arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason.
Hoover, 28, enjoyed strong bottom-line results in 2015, posting a 2.94 ERA in 68 innings, although his strikeout and walk rates were both a ways off from his career bests. Hoover averaged 7.3 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9 this past season, both of which fall shy of his respective career marks of 9.1 and 4.1. His representatives, however, were likely able to tout the right-hander’s durability over the past three seasons, during which time he’s averaged 63 games and 64 innings. All told, Hoover has a lifetime 3.34 ERA in 223 2/3 innings at the Major League level, dating back to his 2012 debut.
Following the Reds’ trade of Aroldis Chapman this offseason, there’s no clear answer as to who will inherit the bulk of the save opportunities in manager Bryan Price’s bullpen, but as the most experienced reliever on the 40-man roster, Hoover figures to be firmly in the mix come Spring Training. A season spent accumulating saves would do well to boost Hoover’s arb case for the 2016-17 offseason, particularly if he can regain some of his missing strikeouts and continue to post solid ERA marks.
As MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweets, this represents the Reds’ first arbitration hearing in more than a decade; their last came against Chris Reitsma back in 2004. Hoover becomes the second player to win an arbitration hearing this offseason, making players a perfect two-for-two thus far; Drew Smyly topped the Rays earlier this week. Blue Jays right-hander Jesse Chavez reportedly had his arbitration hearing yesterday as well, although the outcome of that case is not yet known. Earlier today, I rounded up some of the hearing dates for yet-unresolved cases, including Jake Arrieta and Josh Donaldson.
Recent February Extensions
As Jeff Todd and I discussed on yesterday afternoon’s MLBTR Podcast, the month of February typically yields a fair amount of multi-year contracts. The extent of the commitments vary, as some will simply buy out arbitration years while others will others will extend the contracts of emerging stars beyond their arbitration years. Others, yet, have swayed a player from pursuing free agency the following offseason and reflect something closer to open-market value. Regardless of the specific structure, fans can expect to see a handful of extensions this month, if history is any indication.
With a helping hand from MLBTR’s Transaction Tracker and Extension Tracker, here’s a quick look back at the past four years’ worth of February extensions…
2015
- Red Sox, Wade Miley agree to three-year deal worth $19.25MM.
- Royals, Eric Hosmer agree to two-year deal worth $13.9MM.
- Reds, Todd Frazier agree to two-year deal worth $12MM.
- Cardinals, Jon Jay agree to two-year deal worth $10.975MM.
- Marlins, Mike Dunn agree to two-year deal worth $5.8MM.
- Royals, Kelvin Herrera agree to two-year deal worth $4.15MM.
The 2015 wave of extensions were all of the arbitration variety. With the exception of a fourth-year club option on the Miley contract, none of the deals extended club control, instead affording the teams/players cost certainty and the relief of avoiding an extra trip through the arbitration process this winter.
2014
- Braves, Freddie Freeman agree to eight-year deal worth $135MM.
- Reds, Homer Bailey agree to six-year deal worth $105MM.
- Braves, Andrelton Simmons agree to seven-year deal worth $58MM.
- Yankees, Brett Gardner agree to four-year deal worth $52MM.
- Braves, Craig Kimbrel agree to four-year deal worth $42MM.
- Braves, Julio Teheran agree to six-year deal worth $32.4MM.
- Indians, Michael Brantley agree to four-year deal worth $25MM.
- Athletics, Coco Crisp agree to two-year deal worth $22.75MM.
February of 2014 saw the former Braves front office, led by since-fired GM Frank Wren, seek to lock up what was supposed to be the team’s core for years to come. Two years later, then-senior-adviser John Hart is now the president of baseball operations, and the likes of Kimbrel and Simmons have been traded as the Braves stockpile their farm with young pitching.
Meanwhile, the Bailey contract certainly represents a deal on which the Reds would prefer a mulligan. Bailey struggled greatly in 2014 and ultimately underwent Tommy John surgery in 2015. Crisp’s deal has been marred by injuries, while Brantley has taken the step from solid regular into stardom. Gardner dealt with a wrist injury in the second half of last year but has otherwise continued to be a productive player since his deal.
2013
- Mariners, Felix Hernandez agree to seven-year deal worth $175MM.
- D-backs, Aaron Hill agree to three-year deal worth $35MM.
Hernandez’s deal actually contained five years and $135.5MM worth of new money, as he was already controlled for two years and $39.5MM under his previous contract. It was, nevertheless, one of the largest contracts in history for a pitcher at the time. Hill was excellent in 2013, save for about 75 missed games due to a broken hand, but his extension didn’t kick in until 2014. He struggled badly in the first year of his deal and further declined in 2015 before having his salary dumped on the Brewers as part of last week’s five-player trade that sent Jean Segura and Tyler Wagner to Arizona, with Chase Anderson and Isan Diaz going back to Milwaukee alongside Hill.
2012
- Nationals, Ryan Zimmerman agree to six-year deal worth $100MM.
- Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw agree to two-year deal worth $19MM.
- Reds, Sean Marshall agree to three-year deal worth $16.5MM.
- Rangers, Nelson Cruz agree to two-year deal worth $16MM.
- Rangers, Elvis Andrus agree to three-year deal worth $14.4MM.
- Phillies, Kyle Kendrick agree to two-year deal worth $7.5MM.
- Royals, Salvador Perez agree to five-year deal worth $7MM.
- Blue Jays, Casey Janssen agree to two-year deal worth $5.9MM.
- Rockies, Matt Belisle agree to one-year deal worth $4.35MM.
Injuries have impacted Zimmerman’s throwing to the point where he’s had to slide across the diamond to first base, and they’ve also limited him to an average of 78 games over the past two seasons. With four years and $76MM remaining, the Nats very much could use a Zimmerman rebound. The Kershaw deal served to buy out a pair of arbitration years and was followed by a record-setting seven-year, $215MM contract extension. Marshall scarcely pitched over the life of his three-year deal, as shoulder woes have derailed his career (although the contract was in line with the relief market at the time). Andrus’ initial deal looked to be favorable for the Rangers, but the subsequent $120MM extension he received on top of that deal looks regrettable, as his bat never developed, and his defense has regressed as well (per UZR and DRS). Perez’s deal, which includes three club options, has become perhaps the most notoriously club-friendly contract in the league, maxing out at $26.75MM over eight years. There have been repeated reports of possible extension talks with his new representation this offseason.
Pirates Outright A.J. Schugel
FRIDAY: Schugel cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Triple-A, per a team announcement.
WEDNESDAY: The Pirates have designated right-hander A.J. Schugel for assignment, the club announced. His roster spot will be occupied by just-acquired lefty Jesse Biddle.
Schugel himself was only recently claimed by Pittsburgh, and he’ll now be destined for his fourth team of the winter unless he clears waivers. The 26-year-old has only seen brief MLB action. He spent last season repeating Triple-A, ending the year with a 4.84 ERA and 6.2 K/9 vs. 2.5 BB/9 over 115 1/3 frames.
Blue Jays Sign David Aardsma To Minor League Deal
The Blue Jays announced that they have signed right-hander David Aardsma to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
Aardsma, a client of TWC Sports, will look to force his way into a bullpen that is anchored by Drew Storen, Roberto Osuna and Brett Cecil. The bullpen should also feature two of Aaron Sanchez, Jesse Chavez and Drew Hutchison — each of whom also figures to get a look in the rotation as well. Other candidates include left-hander Aaron Loup and right-handers Bo Schultz and Ryan Tepera.
Last season, Aardsma began the year with the Dodgers but opted out of his contract after a strong showing in Triple-A didn’t yield a promotion to the Majors. The 34-year-old veteran quickly hooked on with the Braves on a minor league deal and saw his contract selected within days of signing. He wound up tossing 30 2/3 innings of relief as a member of the Atlanta bullpen, posting a 4.70 ERA with 10.3 K/9, 4.1 BB/9 and a 29.5 percent ground-ball rate. Aardsma, who saved 69 games for the Mariners back in 2009-10, has never had a problem missing bats, even as his velocity has dipped down from its mid-90s peak in his late 20s. He has a 4.27 ERA with a 340-to-183 K/BB ratio in 337 innings at the Major League level, although Tommy John surgery and a torn labrum in his left hip in 2011-12 have slowed his career.
If you’re interested in learning more about Aardsma’s background, career path, and approach to the game, be sure to check out his appearance on the MLBTR Podcast last fall.
Arbitration Hearing Notes: Donaldson, Arrieta, Martinez, Britton, Astros
The arbitration hearing between the Blue Jays and Josh Donaldson is set for Feb. 15, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter), giving the two sides 10 days to work out a multi-year deal. President Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins said last night that the two sides have been discussing such a pact, and the hearing deadline certainly gives the club motivation to strike a deal. The Blue Jays employ a file-and-trial approach to arbitration, which is to say that the team is one of many that have a policy against negotiating on one-year deals once figures are exchanged. That approach led to a hearing between the Blue Jays and Donaldson last year, and both sides undoubtedly would prefer to avoid a hearing for the second straight season. The Blue Jays won a hearing over Donaldson last winter, though he’ll have an American League MVP Award in his corner this season. Those interested in Donaldson’s case can check out an in-depth look from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, written as part of his Arbitration Breakdown series, prior to the exchange of figures.
Some more notes on various arbitration hearings around the league…
- The Cubs and reigning NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta are on a tighter schedule, as Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago/670thescore.com reports (on Twitter). Arrieta’s arbitration hearing is set to come next Tuesday — Feb. 9. The $5.5MM gap between Arrieta’s submitted figure of $13MM and the Cubs’ $7.5MM counter is the largest of any case this year. Swartz also examined Arrieta’s case at length.
- J.D. Martinez and the Tigers are continuing to discuss both one- and two-year deals, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Martinez appears open to a considerably longer-term deal, having voiced a desire to spend the rest of his career with the Tigers. Martinez said last month that the two sides have discussed a long-term deal, but it’s unclear whether talks on a contract extending the club’s control beyond Martinez’s two remaining arbitration seasons has been seriously discussed. Swartz broke down Martinez’s case at length as well.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports that the Orioles and Zach Britton have a hearing set for Feb. 17 (Twitter link). The two sides are facing a fairly sizable $2.3MM gap between Britton’s $7.9MM figure and the club’s $5.6MM counter. If a deal can’t be reached, it’d mark the second straight season with an arb hearing for the Orioles, who won a hearing over Alejandro De Aza last February.
- The Astros have arbitration hearings for Jason Castro and Evan Gattis set for Feb. 8 and Feb. 16, respectively, according to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart (Twitter link). With Houston taking a file-and-trial approach to arbitration, both cases seem likely to reach a trial. Castro, in particular, seems destined for that outcome, as he’s a free agent following the season and thus unlikely to hammer out a multi-year deal.
- While in many cases, the gap between the player and team submission appears trivial, there’s a reason that many teams take such a firm stance. MLBTR spoke to multiple Major League executives on the topic last February to get their explanation of the responsibility felt by teams in arbitration.
All of the remaining unresolved cases, as well as the exchange of figures and settled amounts for all 156 players that filed for arbitration can be viewed in MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker.
Minor MLB Transactions: 2/5/16
Here are the day’s minor moves and outright assignments from around the league:
- The Orioles will hold onto outfielder L.J. Hoes after he cleared outright waivers, per a club announcement. Baltimore re-acquired Hoes from the Astros earlier in the offseason, but designated him about a week back to clear roster space for the addition of Efren Navarro. Hoes continues to produce at Triple-A, and is only 25 years old, but has struggled to a .237/.289/.329 batting line in 337 Major League plate appearances.
- The Brewers announced that outfielder Shane Peterson, who was designated for assignment when the team acquired Rymer Liriano from the Padres, has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Colorado Springs. The soon-to-be 28-year-old, who will be in Major League camp as a non-roster invitee, batted .259/.324/.353 in 226 plate appearances last season. He’s a nice depth option for the Brewers to hang onto, as he can play all three outfield spots and boasts an excellent .297/.383/.461 batting line over the life of 1720 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.
- Veteran utilityman Don Kelly is headed back to the Marlins on a minor league pact that includes a spring invite, the club announced. Kelly’s 2015 season ended early when he required Tommy John surgery, Soon to turn 36, Kelly has spent parts of eight seasons in the majors, appearing at literally every position on the diamond (including pitcher, catcher, and DH) in his 572 total games. Kelly’s career slash sits at .232/.296/.335.
Dodgers Notes: Puig, Ryu, Ethier, Kendrick
Andre Ethier has been the most oft-mentioned trade candidate for the Dodgers recently, in part, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link), because Los Angeles is telling teams with interest in Yasiel Puig that Puig is not available at this time. Puig isn’t without his red flags, as he’s facing potential disciplinary action in connection with domestic violence allegations, is coming off a down season and has long come with questions about his clubhouse persona. Of course, even Puig’s “down” season saw him bat a solid .255/.322/.436 with 11 homers in 311 plate appearances, and he remains just 25 years of age with a considerable track record of elite production under his belt. Puig’s contract guarantees him $19.5MM over the next three seasons, although it also allows him to opt into arbitration once he is eligible next offseason, so it’s perhaps likely that he’ll instead go that route, as his earning capacity figures to be greater going down the arbitration path.
A few more Dodgers-related notes…
- Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi was a guest on High Heat with Chris Russo on the MLB Network today (video link) and discussed a number of topics regarding the upcoming season. In regard to left-hander Hyun-jin Ryu, who underwent shoulder surgery and missed all of the 2015 season, Zaidi stopped short of declaring that he’d be ready for Opening Day but did say the Korean southpaw’s recovery is progressing as expected. Zaidi sounded hopeful that Ryu would indeed be available, but as the GM noted, it’s impossible to project a player’s return from that type of procedure before seeing him pitch in a game setting.
- Zaidi deflected the notion that the team is looking to move Andre Ethier, stating that, “Right now, he’s a really important part of our team,” mentioning Ethier’s quite-productive numbers from the 2015 season (albeit in a platoon capacity). Zaidi acknowledged that the Dodgers have quite a bit of outfield depth and stressed that earlier in the offseason, the team was open to various scenarios involving a number of their players. “But right now, we have nothing going on,” Zaidi continued. “…We expect [Ethier] to be here in 2016.”
- Howie Kendrick, whose two-year, $20MM contract with the Dodgers became official today, will see time not only at second base but also at third base in 2016, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters, including Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times, on today’s conference call. “He expressed a willingness to play different spots,” said Friedman of Kendrick. “That’s when things kind of accelerated.” Friedman said there could be as many as 1400 at-bats to go around between Kendrick, Chase Utley and Enrique Hernandez, with each expected to play multiple positions. As Shaikin notes, Kendrick’s willingness to play third base is of particular importance given Justin Turner’s offseason knee surgery and the fact that Turner has never played more than 126 games in a season before.
- Interestingly, Shaikin adds his own bit about the recent trade talks between the Dodgers and White Sox, reporting that the Sox actually approached the Dodgers about Puig, but the Dodgers instead tried to sell the Sox on trades involving Ethier and Carl Crawford. At this point, there’s very little traction between the two sides, a source tells Shaikin.
- Kendrick and his agent, Larry Reynolds, were among those that spoke to Nightengale for a full column on the problems caused by the current qualifying offer system. Reynolds, an agent for 32 years, told Nightengale that Kendrick’s free agency was the most difficult of any throughout his career representing players. Kendrick himself expressed surprise at the lack of interest in him: “Nobody wanted to give up that draft pick. It was a shocker.”
