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Archives for January 2016

Padres’ Shortstop Search Nearing Conclusion; Desmond, Ramirez Considered Frontrunners

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The Padres’ search for a shortstop is nearing the finish line, general manager A.J. Preller confirmed to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “We’ve gotten to a spot where we’ve looked at a lot of options,” Preller told Lin. “Things could come to a head in the next few days to a week.” While Preller didn’t specify any names, sources tell Lin that free agents Alexei Ramirez and Ian Desmond can be considered the favorites to fill San Diego’s shortstop vacancy.

The Padres have been connected to both free agents quite a bit of late, though the two would represent very different types of options. The 30-year-old Desmond figures to command a lengthier multi-year deal, whereas Ramirez could potentially be looked at as more of a stopgap to top prospect Javier Guerra, who was acquired from the Red Sox alongside three other minor leaguers in exchange for Craig Kimbrel. Because Desmond turned down a qualifying offer, he’d cost the Padres their top unprotected draft pick, while the veteran Ramirez could be had for only money.

Lin reported last week why the 30-year-old Desmond is appealing to Preller for reasons beyond just his strong track record from 2012-14 (his 2015 season, of course, was a difficult one). The GM also explained to Lin at that time why the presence of Guerra wouldn’t stop him from adding a shortstop on a multi-year deal, noting that a team can’t have too much up-the-middle talent. It’s also worth noting, of course, that there’s been speculation about Desmond changing positions this offseason. If and when Guerra emerges as a potential everyday option (which probably won’t happen until at least 2017), Desmond could conceivably more to another spot on the diamond.

A dismal first half in 2015 left Desmond with an unsightly .223/.290/.384 batting line last year, but the powerful infielder still hit 19 homers and chipped in 13 stolen bases. Additionally, he looked more like himself after the All-Star break, hitting .262/.331/.446 with a dozen homers and eight stolen bases in the season’s second half. And, while Desmond’s defensive lapses drew a lot of headlines early on when he made eight errors in the first 12 games of the season, he settled down and played considerably better defense for the remainder of the year. Of course, Desmond’s rapidly escalating strikeout rate (29 percent in 2015) is a cause for concern, and even his solid second half was buoyed to some extent by a BABIP spike, as he continued to whiff at a prolific rate (30.3 percent in the second half).

Ramirez has his own positive and negative attributes, of course. While he’s been a largely durable asset for the White Sox over the life of his big league career, showing both power and speed at times, he, too, fell victim to a woeful first half in 2015 when he batted just .224/.249/.292. Given the fact that he’s 34 years of age, the Padres probably have to be more wary of a potential decline for Ramirez. However, he batted a much more characteristic .277/.325/.432 with eight homers and seven steals following the All-Star break, and as previously noted, will presumably come at a cheaper cost not only in terms of overall dollars, but also in length of commitment and by the virtue of being unencumbered by draft pick compensation.

Whichever route the Padres go, it figures to be an upgrade over a 2015 campaign that saw Clint Barmes, Alexi Amarista, Will Middlebrooks and Jedd Gyorko combine to log a .228/.279/.365 while providing, on the whole, sub-par defense.

Free Agent Notes: Upton, Cespedes, Kennedy, ChiSox, Cardinals

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Few could’ve predicted that Justin Upton’s market would play out so slowly, writes ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick in a lengthy examination of Upton’s journey to the open market. Crasnick notes that Upton is somewhat a victim of borderline unreachable expectations, noting that some view him as a disappointment for being a considerably above-average outfielder as opposed to the generational talent that some hoped for when scouts began raving about him at age 14 and when some outlets compared him to Ken Griffey Jr. as a prospect. Crasnick spoke to executives and Upton’s former skipper, Fredi Gonzalez, with many heaping praise on the 28-year-old — Gonzalez in particular. “He’s been one of my favorite players that I’ve managed in my career,” said Gonzalez. “He shows up at the ballpark every day ready to play. He’s respectful. He knows the game. He’s a great teammate and clubhouse guy. … I’m very surprised that he’s still out there. I think there are a lot of teams missing the boat on him. I really do.” Crasnick also spoke to execs about Upton’s defense, examined his perceived attitude problems as a prospect and also spoke to some in the industry about the potential difficulty of watching his brother struggle alongside him with the Braves and the Padres.

A few more notes on the free-agent market…

  • While many (myself included) have speculated that Chris Davis is holding up the market, to an extent, for the remaining corner bats, ESPN’s Jayson Stark believes that Yoenis Cespedes is holding up the market more than Davis at this point (Twitter link). Some of the slow-moving market for top bats is unrelated to either player, he adds. From my vantage point, with the Orioles focused on Davis but standing as a logical landing spot for either Upton or Cespedes, the argument could be made that Davis is slowing things down. Jeff Todd and I recently discussed as much on the MLBTR Podcast.
  • Jon Heyman tweets that as the starting pitching market continues to narrow, the Royals, Nationals, Astros and Rockies are the most likely landing spots for right-hander Ian Kennedy. However, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding feels differently, tweeting that if the Rockies make a rotation upgrade, it’s going to come via trade rather than a high-priced free agent like Kennedy. The Royals’ spacious park and elite outfield defense would seem, to me, to be an ideal fit for a fly-ball pitcher like Kennedy, while those same fly-ball tendencies and Kennedy’s previous home run troubles make him a poor fit at Coors Field.
  • In his daily Insider-only column (subscription required), ESPN’s Buster Olney writes that there’s a belief around the industry that the White Sox are open to outfield upgrades but don’t want to spend at the levels necessary to land Upton or Cespedes. A second-tier option makes more sense, Olney notes, and while he stops short of speculating on specific names, I’ll add that players such as Dexter Fowler and Austin Jackson could be fits for the South Siders. (Gerardo Parra, too, would’ve made sense but agreed to a three-year pact with the Rockies earlier today.)
  • While many Cardinals fans would like to see the Redbirds enter the market for Cespedes, Upton or another high-profile outfield bat, GM John Mozeliak told MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch that such a scenario isn’t likely. “I know that some people disagree and want us to do something else, but Matt Adams, having [Brandon] Moss, giving [Randal] Grichuk an opportunity to be the everyday center fielder feels right to us,” said Mozeliak. “If we go out and add an outfielder, where are they going to play? Who is not playing? How does that affect us? What does the short-term view look like compared to the long-term commitment? And honestly, we feel very comfortable with what we have.” Langosch writes that St. Louis has been watching the Upton, Cespedes, Fowler and Davis markets from the periphery but would only jump in if the price got to the point where the club felt the opportunity to add value was too good to pass up. Moss, according to Langosch, will get the chance to cement himself as primary option at first base.

Angels Notes: Santiago, Richards, Wilson, CarGo, Blackmon

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Part of the reason that the Angels acted quickly in avoiding arbitration with left-hander Hector Santiago was due to trade interest they’ve received in the 28-year-old, reports MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez (links to Twitter). While there isn’t one specific trade scenario on which the Angels were focused, the team wanted to eliminate as many variables as possible in order to simplify discussions with interested parties. Gonzalez adds that there’s nothing imminent on Santiago at this time. Coming off 180 2/3 innings of 3.59 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 with two years of club control remaining and a reasonable $5MM salary for the upcoming season, it’s easy to see why some clubs would be intrigued by Santiago. Then again, he also led the AL in home runs allowed (29) and recorded just a 29.9 percent ground-ball rate. Metrics like FIP (4.77), xFIP (5.00) and SIERA (4.50) are considerably less optimistic when viewing Santiago than traditional metrics like ERA, although it’s worth noting that his bottom-line results have always outpaced his peripheral stats in the Majors; Santiago has a 3.55 ERA in his career while the three aforementioned ERA estimators value his production in the 4.29 to 4.71 range.

Here’s more on the Halos…

  • The Angels and ace Garrett Richards have been working to avoid arbitration, per Gonzalez, but the two sides still have “a ways to go,” he hears. The two sides will exchange arbitration numbers on Friday (assuming a deal doesn’t come together quickly before that date) and have another five or six weeks to negotiate in an effort to avoid a hearing.
  • While there’s been plenty of speculation linking left-hander C.J. Wilson to the Rockies in various trade scenarios, such a trade almost certainly won’t happen. MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports (via Twitter) that one of the eight teams to which Wilson can block a trade under the limited no-trade protection that comes in the final season of his five-year contract is the Rockies. Wilson could, of course, agree to waive that right, although it’s difficult to envision any pitcher — let alone one that is coming off surgery and entering a contract year — would green-light a trade to the hitters’ haven that is Coors Field.
  • The Angels have interest in Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. While Fletcher noted as much yesterday, he adds today that the Halos do have some concerns about Blackmon’s splits. It’s not clear if Fletcher is referring to Blackmon’s platoon splits, home/road splits or both, but each dramatic split would be an understandable reason for pause. Blackmon has mashed at a .334/.386/.501 clip while playing at home over the course of his career but has mustered just a .241/.283/.370 slash away from Coors Field. And, while his platoon splits aren’t as pronounced, he has a .729 OPS against lefties compared to a .788 mark against righties in his career, and the discrepancy between those two numbers has grown in recent seasons. Fletcher also notes in his tweet that he is “99 percent sure” that the Angels won’t land Carlos Gonzalez in a trade due to the money remaining on Gonzalez’s deal. The 30-year-old Gonzalez is owed $37MM over the next two years and carries an $11.4MM average annual value (the number which counts against the luxury tax) on his seven-year, $80MM contract.
  • Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times writes that the Halos are about $5MM away from the luxury tax barrier, and owner Arte Moreno has yet to indicate any sort of willingness to exceed that $189MM threshold. The Angels haven’t had “substantive” talks about the Rockies’ trio of potentially available outfielders, a source tells DiGiovanna, who implies that an impact upgrade over the platoon of Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry seems unlikely. “We talk about players who are still available in free agency or who might be available in trades,” said GM Billy Eppler of his talks with Moreno. “We have our conversations, and that’s it. We’re discussing all of our options all of the time.” Eppler declined comment on specific players but told DiGiovanna that he would “of course” be satisfied if this ends up being the group he takes to Spring Training: “There are a lot of pieces on this team that were there last year until Game 162 scratching, clawing and fighting to keep themselves in it and were on the doorstep of a playoff appearance.”

Yankees Acquire Tyler Olson, Ronald Torreyes From Dodgers

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The Yankees announced that they have acquired left-hander Tyler Olson and infielder Ronald Torreyes from the Dodgers in exchange for minor league infielder Rob Segedin and either a player to be named later or cash considerations. Both Olson and Torreyes had recently been designated for assignment by Los Angeles. With the two new acquisitions, New York’s 40-man roster is full.

Olson, 26, made his big league debut with the Mariners last season, pitching 13 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. The results weren’t particularly encouraging, as he surrendered eight runs on 18 hits and 10 walks, although in one of the more bizarre stats you’ll come across, seven of those 10 walks were intentional in nature. In 54 1/3 Triple-A innings, Olson managed a more palatable 4.47 ERA with 8.8 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9. However, after holding lefties to a .206/.280/.279 batting line in 2014, the Gonzaga product yielded a .253/.340/.448 slash to lefties between the Majors and minors in 2015. While the Yankees aren’t hurting for bullpen help, Olson will function as a depth piece behind the likes of Andrew Miller, Jacob Lindgren, Chasen Shreve and James Pazos.

Torreyes, who turned 23 in September, got a brief cup of coffee with L.A. in 2015 — his Major League debut — collecting a pair of hits in six at-bats/eight plate appearances. Torreyes has seen most of his professional defensive work come at second base, though he does have significant experience at shortstop (144 games) and third base (65 games) as well. He’s also seen a bit of time in the corner outfield. This past season, Torreyes batted .261/.308/.347 between Double-A and Triple-A across three organizations: the Astros, Blue Jays and Dodgers. While he’s never shown much pop, Torreyes has hit for average pretty consistently in the minors while displaying the aforementioned defensive versatility. He’s a lifetime .287/.330/.358 hitter at Triple-A and an overall .298/.353/.409 hitter in the minor leagues, making him a reasonable depth pickup for the Yankees.

As for the 27-year-old Segedin, he split this past season between Double-A and Triple-A, batting a combined .287/.360/426 with seven home runs in 284 plate appearances. Segedin saw the bulk of his time at the infield corners, although he has some experience in the outfield corners as well. Segedin wasn’t on the Yankees’ 40-man roster and thus will not need to be placed on L.A.’s 40-man roster. This marks the second minor swap made by the Dodgers today, who earlier traded righty Joe Wieland to the Mariners for another non-40-man minor league infielder (Erick Mejia).

Latest On Trade Interest In Rockies’ Outfielders

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With the news that the Rockies have agreed to sign Gerardo Parra to join an already heavily-left-handed outfield mix, it seems increasingly likely that Colorado will strike a deal involving one of its current players. We’ve heard of wide-ranging possible matches for Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, and Corey Dickerson, any of whom could in theory be moved.

Here are the latest rumors on the Colorado outfield situation now that Parra is in the fold:

  • The Tigers have also been in contact with the Rockies regarding their outfielders, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. No deal between the two sides is close, however, and it’s unclear which of Blackmon, Dickerson or Gonzalez intrigues Detroit the most at this juncture.

Earlier Updates

  • The Orioles are still participating in “ongoing trade talks” with the Rockies regarding outfielders, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. Baltimore has been connected previously to Gonzalez, though it seems plausible to think that any of the Rockies’ outfield trade chips could hold interest.
  • While the Angels have long seemed a plausible trade partner with Colorado, they have not been in contact on outfielders for several weeks, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Los Angeles has previously been called at least a hypothetical match on Blackmon, in particular. The team is still looking for a corner outfielder, though it seems possible the club could run out a platoon of Craig Gentry and Daniel Nava if it can’t line up an upgrade at a reasonable price.
  • It’s interesting to wonder whether Colorado has already decided which (if any) of its outfielders it intends to move. There are several considerations at play, of course, but one simple truth is that the club needs someone to play center field next year. Blackmon took most of the reps up the middle last year, so parting with him could be extra painful — unless the team simply plans to use Parra there. But he has seen declining metrics that suggest a more challenging assignment may not be the best idea. And while both Gonzalez and Dickerson have appeared in center previously, neither looks like a good bet to receive regular time in that spot. I’d add, also, that the outfield market has changed quite a bit in recent weeks. Clubs like the Royals (Alex Gordon), Giants (Denard Span), and Nationals (Ben Revere) have made additions that either take them out of the market altogether or significantly reduce their need.

Mariners Acquire Joe Wieland, Designate A.J. Schugel For Assignment

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The Mariners and Dodgers announced a relatively minor trade on Thursday that will send right-hander Joe Wieland to Seattle in exchange for minor league infielder Erick Mejia. In order to clear room for Wieland on their 40-man roster, the Mariners have designated fellow righty A.J. Schugel for assignment. From L.A.’s perspective, the departure of Wieland in exchange for a non-40-man player clears way for right-hander Yaisel Sierra, who reportedly agreed to a six-year deal with the Dodgers earlier today.

Joe WIeland

Wieland, who turns 26 next week, will provide the Mariners with some inexpensive rotation depth. The right-hander has already avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $590K salary with the Dodgers, who opted to give him that marginal raise despite the fact that injuries have limited Wieland to just 47 2/3 innings over his three-plus years of Major League service time. Most notably Wieland underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012 and missed the entire 2013 season.

To this point in his brief and injury-marred Major League career, Wieland has logged just a 5.85 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a 39.4 percent ground-ball rate. He’s fared somewhat better at the Triple-A level, compiling a career 4.34 ERA while pitching exclusively in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Throughout his minor league tenure, Wieland has displayed the ability to miss bats at a reasonable level (8.2 K/9) as well as a knack for keeping the ball in the strike zone (1.9 BB/9). While there doesn’t appear to be an immediate place for him in the Mariner rotation — Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, Wade Miley, Taijuan Walker, James Paxton and Nate Karns are all ahead of him on the depth chart — Wieland can function as Triple-A depth or perhaps compete for a slot in the Seattle bullpen.

Mejia, 21, saw action at four levels last year in his age-20 season, batting a combined .282/.346/.339 with 20 stolen bases. He’s shown virtually no power to this point in his pro career, homering just once in 528 plate appearances, though he’s also displayed a solid knowledge of the strike zone, walking at a 10.8 percent clip against a strikeout rate of just 14.8 percent. Mejia didn’t rank among the Mariners’ top 30 prospects according to either MLB.com, but Baseball America did rank him 21st among Seattle farmhands last offseason. In that same offseason, Fangraphs mentioned Mejia as a “player of note” even though he didn’t rank among Seattle’s best prospects, with former FG scribe Kiley McDaniel writing that Mejia was an average runner with “enough glove to stick at short and enough bat that it matters.”

Schugel, 26, posted a 4.84 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in 115 1/3 innings of work for the D-backs’ Triple-A affiliate in Reno this past season. While it’s a notoriously hitter-friendly environment, those results were nonetheless discouraging after a solid 2014 season at the Double-A level. He’d come to the Mariners by way of waiver claim after having been designated for assignment by the D-backs in order to clear a roster spot for Zack Greinke.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported that Wieland had been traded to Seattle (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Marlins Now Unlikely To Trade Marcell Ozuna

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After agreeing to terms with starter Wei-Yin Chen, the Marlins now seem rather unlikely to deal away young outfielder Marcell Ozuna, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports on Twitter. Miami had reportedly been dangling Ozuna in hopes of landing a young rotation piece, but seemingly moved on to strike an agreement with Chen when it could not find a trade arrangement it liked.

Of course, much of the impetus for the apparent organizational inclination to trade Ozuna seemed to come from owner Jeffrey Loria. Though there had been discussions about an extension, things turned south after the Scott Boras-represented Ozuna declined to pursue a contract and then struggled to open the 2015 season.

When Jon Heyman asked Loria today whether Ozuna would be moved, he reportedly responded: “he’s here!” (Twitter link.) That line is hardly definitive, of course, but it certainly seems to suggest that it could stay that way in the context of the Chen agreement and the aforementioned report.

While the Marlins were said to be comfortable deploying Christian Yelich in center if a deal had come together involving Ozuna, it seems preferable to keep him and Giancarlo Stanton at the corners. Indeed, as I wrote in addressing the lynchpin decision on Ozuna in the Marlins’ offseason outlook, there is still tremendous appeal in keeping that trio together for the foreseeable future.

Monte Irvin Passes Away At 96

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Hall of Famer Monte Irvin has passed away at 96 years of age, according to a remembrance posted on the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s website. MLBTR joins those around the league in celebrating Irvin’s long and prosperous life, and offering its condolences to his loved ones.

Irvin was an iconic ballplayer who excelled in both the Negro Legaues and the major leagues. The World War II veteran later worked as a scout, spent time in the commissioner’s office, and grew to become a beloved ambassador of the game for many decades after his playing career ended.

A standout performer with the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League, Irvin drew consideration to become the player to break the color barrier and at one point seemed lined up to do just that. While that honor went to Jackie Robinson, it was Irvin (among others) who carried the legacy forward after Robinson’s untimely death.

Irvin ultimately joined the New York Giants as an outfielder before his age-30 season. He played for eight years in the majors, compiling a .293/.383/.475 batting line and swatting 99 home runs. As good as those statistics were, of course, they only hinted at what Irvin might have done had he spent his youth and prime at the big league level.

Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson offered some compelling words on Irvin:

“Monte Irvin’s affable demeanor, strong constitution and coolness under pressure helped guide baseball through desegregation and set a standard for American culture. His abilities on the field as the consummate teammate are undeniable, as evidenced by World Series titles he contributed to in both the Negro and Major leagues, and a richly-deserved plaque in Cooperstown. He was on the original committee that elected Negro Leagues stars to the Hall of Fame, something for which the Museum will always be grateful.”

If you’re interested in getting a sense of Irvin’s personality and reading up on some of his stories from the wondrous period in which he played, be sure to give a read to this piece from MLB.com’s Richard Justice. Be sure also to click on the video link at the Hall of Fame page linked above, which features a nice interview with Irvin. (It includes some interesting thoughts on the modern game that are, perhaps, even more interesting when you realize the interview was conducted nearly twenty years ago.)

Dodgers Hire Alex Anthopoulos As Vice President

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JANUARY 12: The Dodgers have announced Anthopoulos’s hiring as vice president of baseball operations.

JANUARY 5: Former Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos, whose resignation at season’s end shocked many in the baseball world, will join the Dodgers’ front office and work alongside GM Farhan Zaidi, according to multiple reports, including one from Vince Cauchon of Radio X in Quebec, who was the first to report the hiring earlier today (via Twitter). Cauchon seems to imply that a deal is in place, and Jon Heyman tweets that an agreement is being finalized. All told, it seems likely that the team will announce the hire in the near future. Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times writes the move is “expected” to be completed soon, though no specific role has been determined at this point.

The 38-year-old Anthopoulos will become the sixth member of the Dodgers’ front office that is either a current or former GM, joining president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, Zaidi, senior vice president Josh Byrnes, senior advisor Ned Colletti and special advisor Gerry Hunsicker. Byrnes has previously served as the GM of the Padres and D-backs, while Colletti was the Dodgers’ GM before the current regime inherited baseball operations autonomy. Hunsicker spent roughly a decade as the Astros’ GM.

Anthopoulos was named the Sporting News’ executive of the year in 2015 on the heels of a number of high-profile trades that culminated in a division title and ALCS run for the Blue Jays, snapping a 22-year playoff drought in Toronto. The acquisitions of Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki and David Price stand out as perhaps the most memorable trades, but Anthopoulos also acquired LaTroy Hawkins, Mark Lowe and Ben Revere in addition to signing Russell Martin to a five-year contract in the offseason. However, with CEO Paul Beeston set to retire in Toronto, ownership sought a replacement and reportedly offered former Indians GM/president Mark Shapiro final say in baseball operations decisions as a means of luring him to Toronto. That promise is said to have led to Anthopoulos’ resignation, despite the fact that he was offered an extension prior to his departure.

Anthopoulos will add to a growing collection of well-respected baseball minds working to shape the Dodgers, though his specific role remains unclear, as does the number of teams that expressed interest in hiring him. Anthopoulos told the Canadian Press last month that he’d received interest from a variety of teams and media outlets and was expecting to take a job with a team in January. One report even mentioned that the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes had interest in bringing Anthopoulos on board in their front office. That would’ve made him the second notable baseball executive to change sports this month — Paul DePodesta reportedly is leaving the Mets to join the Cleveland Browns’ front office (as explained on MLBTR and on Pro Football Rumors earlier today) — but it seems that Anthopoulos will instead remain in the game with which he has been involved since 2000.

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