The Mets felt comfortable in letting Daniel Murphy go in free agency for several reasons, a decision that ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin notes is certainly worth second-guessing given Murphy’s huge season with the Nationals. Perhaps the biggest factor for the Mets was their belief that Murphy could deliver a good average but little else. Murphy, of course, has contributed 25 homers and a .340/.383/.593 slash line, pretty resounding the Mets’ criticisms about his lack of power or plate discipline. (He has also been above average on the basepaths, as per Fangraphs’ baserunning metric.) Murphy is looking like a bargain signing for the Nats while second base is a question mark for the Mets heading into 2017.
Here’s some more from around baseball…
- For now, “the most logical scenario” between the Royals and Edinson Volquez is that the club will issue Volquez a qualifying offer that the righty will decline in search of a multi-year contract elsewhere, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star writes as part of a reader mailbag piece. It may seem odd that the Royals would risk issuing a one-year, $16.7MM deal to a 33-year-old with a 5.02 ERA through 166 2/3 innings, though the starting pitching market is so thin that Volquez may indeed be able to find a longer-term commitment. If Volquez leaves, Dodd figures K.C. will pursue inexpensive free agent starters, or possibly look for a higher-caliber arm by trading one of its core roster players.
- The Yankees heavily reloaded on blue chip minor leaguers with their deadline trades, and John Harper of the New York Daily News wonders if the club will try to deal from this newfound prospect depth to acquire a frontline starter this winter. Jose Fernandez may be the most available ace on the market, given that the Marlins may not have the money to keep him before he hits free agency after the 2018 season. Landing Fernandez would likely cost the Yankees Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, one of Jorge Mateo or Gleyber Torres and probably one more pitching prospect. It might take an even biggest prospect package than that to acquire Chris Sale given Sale’s club-friendly contract, while the Athletics’ Sonny Gray or the Rays’ Chris Archer are coming off down years and may be too risky for the Yankees given the prospect cost it would take to acquire them.
- Cuban second baseman Jose Miguel Fernandez and righty Norge Ruiz will play for Aguilas Cibaenas of the Dominican League this winter, Baseball America’s Ben Badler reports. It will present both players with a valuable opportunity to perform in front of MLB scouts, particularly Fernandez since the infielder hasn’t in competitive games for almost two full years. That long layoff may have contributed to Fernandez still being unsigned despite being declared a free agent in April, though Badler notes other factors like teams being pretty set at second base and scouts having questions about Fernandez’s power, fielding and speed. Ruiz left Cuba in May 2015 but has yet to be officially declared a free agent, which Badler finds curious given how several Cuban players have been cleared by the league in far less time.
- Justin Morneau hopes to play some first base if he plays in 2017, CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes writes. Morneau has only served as a DH since joining the White Sox, thanks to his rehab from elbow surgery and his lack of a Spring Training. With a proper spring under his belt next season, Morneau feels he can return to his old position at least a couple of times per week. It should also be noted that Morneau’s free agent value will obviously increase if he is able to play a position rather than be limited to a designated hitter role.
Morneau back in Minneapolis? Please?
Moreau was great for the Twins but if he’s coming back to Minneapolis it wouldn’t be in a Twins uniform. They have enough 1st base, DH options to sort through.
Put Mauer back on catching duties, let Morneau,Park, Vargas split some time in 1b and DH!!!
Oh god, you’re one of those people
Hey mp9, Let’s go resign Johan Santana and Joe Nathan while we’re at it.
On Yankees acquiring an ace it says it might take an even BIGGEST prospect package than that to acquire Chris Sale.
a few mistakes here and there. nothing like the hickville tv station near me on facebook. i would have to work overtime proofreading.
Yankees are not one so away. They wouldn’t dump their farm for a semi rental.
Are you a new Yankees fan? They are not a rebuilding team. They are 5 games OVER .500 and many fans are acting like this is a horrible season. Their front office and their fans will not be patient to wait through three losing seasons in order to maybe be good in 2018. Especially if the Red Sox make the playoffs this year.
Ray Ray, I’ve been a Yankees fan for many, many years and I would agree with “willwill”. I don’t see the Yankees giving up those players that they specifically traded for for their future just to sign Fernandez for 2 years. Then have to pay replace or re-sign him after the 2018 season for an ungodly sum of money. Keep in mind they will probably also have to replace Tanaka after the 2018 season as he’s probably going to opt-out of his deal.
Both Frazier and Sheffield are pretty much on track to help/join the Yankees at some point in the 2017 season the Yankees aren’t going to give that up for 2 years of Fernandez, regardless of what the Red Sox do. The Yankees ownership and brain trust is not reactionary like like the “Boss” was. Some may consider that a bad thing some may not but it is a fact of the NEW Yankees ownership.
Actually, .500 is the bottom for the Yankees and this is how the Yankees rebuild.
3 losing seasons to be good in 2018? You realize that’d only be 1 losing season. 2017
I don’t see the Yanks trading for Sale, they will have many options for big arms in 2018 and 19 including Sale, Harvey, Fernandez, and Kershaw. At that time their young bucks will just be hitting the majors. They could also sign players like Harper and Donaldson to add position stars.
I can see Volquez having somewhat of a bounceback season, hence KC thinking of offering him the 16m, but geez.. After the brutal season he just put up. What are the odds at 33 he doesn’t further implode? It’s like Boston’s decision with that time bomb Bucholz and his 13m option. Just because the market is thin is no excuse for making throw away, expensive monetary decisions by teams.
Let those types hit the market and other teams waste the cash on any multi year deal they want to give and just remember Ricky Nolasco and Erwin Santana as only recent examples. You don’t give good money to poor pitchers like this. You hope your opponents do.
Ervin Santana has actually been good for his contract. Or at the very least he hasn’t declined since he signed the contract. It has mainly been the rest of his team falling apart around him and the farm system that was supposed to be great not working out en masse.
Besides, pitching ages better than hitting, so a 33 year old is still relatively young. There are several pitchers in their late 30s still pitching quite well. Not to mention Bartolo, who is probably more of an anomaly than a rule, but you get my point
Perhaps Erwin Santana was a failure but Ervin Santana has been quite good. The Twins seem quite happy with his contract. Your comparison doesn’t make much sense either. You’re comparing what essentially is one year options on two poor performing pitchers to a multi year free agent contract to a bad pitcher (Nolasco) who performed fairly well his contract year.
No way Fernandez is coming to the Bronx. His numbers out of Miami are abysmal and certainly not worth Sheffield AND Frazier maybe 1 and Refsnyder and pick a Scranton shuttle pitcher.
Fernandez gonna cost way more your offer is silly they are going to have to raid here system to get Fernandez. The Marlins wanted Mookie plus for Fernandez you aren’t getting him for less than that equivalent. Which means not happening.
Of all the baby bombers, Mateo might be the first to get traded, I don’t see them trading Frazier, Rutherford, Torres,or Sheffield getting traded.
I don’t see the Yankees reversing course. The prospects they brought in are essential to their future. The roster remains riddled with older, over-payed and mediocre to poor performing vets–but the kids have brought some vitality and hope.
The dis on Yankee’s fans is that we can’t wait. We can-watching potential is a lot better than watching dead weight.
Your fans may be willing to wait, but the question here is will ownership/front office be willing to trust the future to unproven prospects. My money says no. They will move the youth for established veterans and sign some free agents in the off season. That is the way the Yankees rebuild. Not by handing the reigns to a bunch of kids. That said they may have some success with it. But I’m not seeing the youth movement as their strategy. Just stockpiling assets for trades.
Giving a shot to multiple Yankees prospects is exactly what they did to build the framework for the late 90’s – early 2000’s dynasty. The Yanks have way too many holes to fill to trade 4 prospects for Fernandez.
1b, 2b, 3b, the entire OF and almost the entire pitching staff need improvements in the next couple of years. I can see the Yanks making smart incremental FA purchases or trades not involving their top tier prospects for 2017 and allowing the kids to play. Once the framework is their to be a 85-90 win team (which we can be in 2017) then I think they’ll consider making that 1 or 2 player acquisitions to be a real WS contender.
So you admit that the Yankees need sweeping upgrades to their roster, but likely won’t make them, yet somehow you also think they’ll be an 85-90 win team next year. Doesn’t seem to stand up to logic.
I truly feel bad for Twins when there biggest hope is Morneau coming back. Sign of a perennial losing team.
Stop with the ” Morneau to Minnesota” already. We have 5 guys who can play 1st and DH. The Twins need good quality pitching in their rotation and bullpen. The sign of a perennial losing team is the dumpster fire created by the utter inability to get pitchers ready to face big league hitters.
Keep the prospects. Use the money coming off the books to rebuild the pitching staff. A lot like the Cubs blueprint.
Yankees won’t make the same mistake again of trading the farm for two year rentals or signing players in the twilight of their careers for past results. I don’t believe Harper is a 300 million dollar players, but I see the Yanks going after the younger class of free agents of his type that actually have a chance to “earn” their value while playing in pinstripes. If the CBA doesn’t do away with the Qualifying Offer format, there is Zero Chance the Royals offer Volquez a Q.O. Volquez would take that in a minute because there isn’t a team out there that would give up a first round pick to for a 33/34 year old arm with a 5 era regardless of how thin the free agent market may be. I’m sure the Royals have both short and long term plans. Can’t run a team on a year to year basis unless you have unlimited $$$ like the Dodgers.
As a Mets fan I’m happy for Murph. Alderson obviously didn’t feel that he could sustain that torrid hitting Daniel had in the post season last year. His glove and base running were sometimes aggravating but he was such a great guy to have in the clubhouse. He is missed.
Sorry but, just like sign CC, why would cash give up the newly installed farm for a pitcher he could just throw gobs of money at in another year. I don’t agree.
The Yankees won’t trade their farm for Fernandez or Sale because George Steinbrenner is no longer with us. That would be a George move. This is a new regime.
Volquez getting a qualifying offer is going to kill his market. He looks like yovanni gallardo 2.0
pretty resounding the Mets’ criticisms ~ Wut?
The Yankees plan has been and will be to spend a full year under cap and stockpile controllable young athletic players.
Sale and Fernandez (at those prices) destroy that route.