Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed optimism about negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement earlier this month, and players’ association executive director Tony Clark did the same Saturday, according to FanRag’s Jon Heyman. “I’ve always been a glass half-full guy. We continue to work. We continue to go through the issues,” said Clark, who didn’t reveal if the draft-pick compensation attached to the qualifying offer will remain the same in the next CBA. In the current agreement that’s set to expire in December, a team receives a first-round pick if it issues a QO to an impending free agent and he then signs elsewhere.
More from Heyman:
- The Orioles are still mulling whether to qualify catcher Matt Wieters, relays Heyman, who notes that the next CBA could affect their decision. Baltimore tendered a QO last year to Wieters, who accepted it and remained with the team on a $15.8MM salary. Wieters then had arguably the worst season of his career, hitting .243/.302/.409 in 464 plate appearances and grading poorly as a defender. In the event the Orioles qualify Wieters again and he accepts, he’ll be on their books for $17.2MM in 2017 – his age-31 season.
- The Rangers are interested in re-signing outfielder Carlos Gomez, reports Heyman. It’s already known that team president and GM Jon Daniels is prioritizing center field, so bringing back Gomez wouldn’t be surprising. The Astros released Gomez in August after a dismal showing dating back to 2015, but he was resurgent down the stretch for a Rangers club that plucked him off the scrapheap. Serving as primarily a corner outfielder while Ian Desmond manned center, Gomez hit .284/.362/.543 with eight home runs in 130 PAs to rebuild some of his stock before free agency. Desmond is also slated to hit the open market, and Daniels observed that he and Gomez “have kind of a similar profile.”
- Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders is another qualifying offer candidate, but it could be “tough” for the team to issue him one, Heyman opines. General manager Ross Atkins said earlier this week the Jays were “still working” on what to do with Saunders, whose 2016 was a tale of two halves. Saunders, 30 in November, slashed .298/.372/.551 in 305 PAs before the All-Star break and posted an ugly second-half line of .178/.282/.357 in 185 trips to the plate.
- Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez and Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. seem likely to interview for the Rockies’ managerial opening after the World Series, per Heyman, who also names a few previously reported candidates in Marlins bench coach Tim Wallach, former Padres manager Bud Black, ex-Astros skipper Brad Mills and Rockies Triple-A manager Glenallen Hill.
Weiters was good in 2011 and 2012 but really has done nothing before or after, it’s time for Baltimore to cut him loose and see if a change of scenery can save his career. I have no idea how he made the All-Star team this year, he’s just not very good at baseball at this point.
Considering the absence of really any star catcher in the AL right now – I think he’d have to be considered close to adequate for a lot of teams. I wouldn’t consider giving him a QO either, but he’s a better option than Caleb Joseph.
Sal Perez would like a word.
Salvador Perez isn’t really better. At worst Wieters bat is equal, but everything Perez does defensively he gives up by being among the worst in the league at framing.
Perez has been healthier, but I don’t know how long that will last if the Royals continue to have him catch 120+ games a season.
Exactly. Perez had a down year this year. And therein lies the value of Wieters…there really aren’t more than 5 great catchers in the game today.
Perez wasn’t that good
Please don’t offer weiters a QO
I wonder if Saunders’ order in the lineup had anything to do with his results. Seemed like he mostly hit leadoff and cleanup in the first half, but was down in the order a lot more in the second-half after he slowed down and Tulo and Martin got going, and then he was just never able to rebound.
There was no way he was going to repeat his first-half, he had like a .360 BABIP, but the dropoff was so severe that you have to wonder if other factors (lineup protection) contributed.
More that he became who he always has been. His career OPS is .711, so I don’t think it’s a surprise he returned to earth. His first half should be viewed as a likely “best moment” and he should be viewed, overall, as a slightly below average corner outfielder.