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Shane Victorino On Future In Baseball

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Longtime Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino sat down for a lengthy Q&A with Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice.com and covered a great number of topics, including career highlights, his favorite teammates and places to play, his memories from the Phillies’ World Series run and also his future in the game of baseball. The whole Q&A is worth a read for Phillies fans and Victorino fans alike, but it’s worth noting that Victorino wouldn’t officially close the door on a return to baseball if there’s interest. He tells Lawrence:

“Yeah, I mean I still have a love for the game. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that will ever leave you. But you know there are things you think about and decisions you have to make. Family comes into the equation. Being there for my kids, finally being away for the game this past season I saw the significance of being a dad and what that means. Understanding being a kid myself. But circumstances were different. My parents weren’t always around because they had to work to make ends meet. Where if I’m not around I’m just playing a game. So that’s the balance I’m trying to figure out. But, yes, there are things that I’ll weigh. The game of baseball, and my love for the game. It’s still there. I’d love the chance to come back and play, but that answer is not etched in stone.”

The 2016 season marked the first year since 2004 in which Victorino did not appear in the Major Leagues. The affable switch-hitter did open the season with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate after signing a minor league deal, though he appeared in just nine games, as reports early in the season indicated that the Cubs told Victorino they’d make a quick decision on him and whether he was a fit for the big league roster. The Cubs released Victorino in May, and in June it was reported by FanRag’s Jon Heyman that the 35-year-old Victorino had rejected some minor league offers.

Victorino saw quite a bit of big league time in both 2014 and 2015, though his last truly productive season in the Majors came back in 2013 when he hit .294/.351/.451 with 15 homers and 21 steals as a member of the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox — the second World Series ring he captured in his career (the other coming with the aforementioned ’08 Phillies). That blend of power and speed was typical for the “Flyin’ Hawaiian,” who from 2007-13 batted a combined .279/.344/.438 and averaged 16 homers and 35 steals per 162 games played.

It seems unlikely that Victorino would receive anything other than a minor league offer after sitting out the vast majority of the 2016 season, though perhaps he’s more amenable to attempting to break camp with a big league team than he was trying to crack a roster midway through the Major League campaign. That’s a decision for Victorino to make with his family though, and perhaps one that he may not prefer to make until surveying the offseason market and gauging the level of interest in his services.

Quick Hits: International Draft, Dodgers, Reyes, Niese

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Ben Badler of Baseball America, a highly respected observer in the international amateur arena, has written an article panning the league’s reported effort to push for an international draft in collective bargaining talks. Though Badler concurs with the need for reform, and suggests that a properly conceived draft may ultimately be a legitimate pursuit, he argues that the first step ought to be a change in how the commissioner’s office approaches the international market.

Here are a few more stray notes from around the game:

  • While things didn’t go the Dodgers’ way tonight, the team is still battling in the postseason and just wrapped up its fourth-straight NL West title. And as Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes, if club president Stan Kasten has his way, the club will keep taking shots at the postseason year after year — without losing the discipline it needs to be a repeat contender. “It is largely correct that the playoffs are a crapshoot,” Kasten said. “So if you think you can lock something up in just one year by going all in, that is folly. I know our chances of winning a championship are better if we win eight out of 10 division titles.”
  • The Mets are still weighing some of their harder decisions, but Jon Heyman of Fan Rag says the club has already made two rather obvious ones. New York will exercise its league-minimum option over infielder Jose Reyes. The team was able to secure that rather unusually favorable clause because the Rockies still owe Reyes a large sum for 2017 and he was in need of an opportunity after being suspended and designated for assignment owing to his shameful domestic violence episode. Meanwhile, the Mets will pay lefty Jon Niese a $500K buyout rather than picking up his option at $10MM. Niese was even worse in New York than he was with the Pirates, who sent him back to the Mets over the summer after adding him in last winter’s Neil Walker swap, but ought to draw interest as a bounceback candidate.

AL Notes: Brosius, Saunders, Brach, Rangers

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Former big leaguer Scott Brosius is joining the Mariners as an assistant coach, per a team announcement. Now fifty years old, Brosius spent eleven years in the majors with the Athletics and Yankees. It’s not clear precisely what his duties will be — his title is simply “assistant coach” — but Brosius served last year as the hitting coach at Triple-A Tacoma.

Here’s more from the American League:

  • It remains unclear whether the Blue Jays will make a qualifying offer to outfielder Michael Saunders, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports. But one internal source acknowledges that this second half was “horrible,” leaving Heyman to suggest that the odds are against the club putting up $17.2MM in hopes that Saunders will seek a multi-year deal elsewhere.
  • Orioles righty Brad Brach recently underwent knee surgery, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. It seems there’s little reason for concern, though, as the brief procedure simply repaired a minor tear to his meniscus. Brach said he pitched through the injury late in the season, and it certainly didn’t tarnish an outstanding campaign. Over 79 frames, Brach recorded a 2.05 ERA with 10.5 K/9 against just 2.8 BB/9, finally putting it all together in time for his second season of arbitration eligibility. MLBTR projects his upcoming salary at $2.9MM.
  • The Rangers face a long-term strategic question with their starting pitching even as more near-term decisions loom, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. Texas has had only middling success in producing its own arms of late, though a fair number of the organization’s more promising young hurlers have been shipped to other organizations in various trade packages. Grant runs through some of the missed opportunities of late, and suggests that the club undertake an offseason effort aimed at reevaluating how it acquires, develops, and values starting pitching.

Boras On Health Of Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper

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Righty Stephen Strasburg and outfielder Bryce Harper — arguably the Nationals’ two most important players — are both on track to participate in a full and normal Spring Training in 2017, agent Scott Boras tells Jon Morosi of MLB Network (Twitter links). That appears to be positive news for the Nats, who went without the former for the postseason and endured persistent whispers that the latter was dealing with shoulder problems.

In the case of Strasburg, Boras says that he’s expected to be capable of maintaining a typical offseason throwing program in advance of camp in February. The key rotation piece, who inked a $175MM extension early in the 2016 season, was diagnosed with a flexor mass strain in his right forearm. He had at least been throwing to keep open the possibility of a postseason appearance, had the Nats advanced, though that never seemed particularly likely. Needless to say, Washington’s outlook for 2017 and beyond depends quite a bit on whether it receives a healthy and effective Strasburg.

As for Harper, the superstar will begin his usual offseason strength and conditioning program, according to Boras. That’s essentially non-news, but it seemingly confirms that there’s no significant shoulder health issue that was left unaddressed during the preceding season — as a pair of reports from SI’s Tom Verducci had suggested. Or, at least, it suggests that any such issue can be resolved without resorting to any treatment or procedure that would disrupt Harper’s normal workout routine.

Still, some mystery seemingly endures. The Nats maintained all along that they were not aware of any such injury, and even reportedly posed the question directly to Harper — who said he was healthy. Boras declined comment on the subject despite having weighed in on several other notable clients’ own health matters in recent years, raising some eyebrows. Now, Morosi says on Twitter that Boras has previously confirmed an injury, citing a recent story from Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. His comments there were seemingly ambiguous: Boras noted that Harper “played with limitations at times” but also seemingly hinted that those were not necessarily related to a specific, ongoing physical ailment (let alone one that wasn’t being publicly acknowledged or addressed).

Whatever is truly going on, it appears that Harper’s health won’t be a limitation as he looks to bounce back from a disappointing 2016 season. The 24-year-old was still solid overall for the Nats, with a .243/.373/.441 batting line and 24 home runs, but he fell off badly after a torrid start and didn’t come close to his productivity in the prior year. In 2015, Harper won the NL MVP award after swatting 42 long balls and slashing a ridiculous .330/.460/.649. Whether he can return to being that kind of force could go a long way toward deciding the Nationals’ fortunes in 2017 — and shaping the course of his own future.

Latest On D-Backs’ Front Office Changes, Managerial Opening

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When the Diamondbacks re-shuffled their front office, changing Tony La Russa’s title from “chief baseball officer” to “chief baseball analyst and adviser,” they also worked out a new contract, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. That makes sense, given that La Russa’s original pact reportedly expired at the end of the season. The new arrangement’s key details — compensation and term, in particular — haven’t yet been reported. It’s clear, though, that La Russa will no longer control baseball operations decisionmaking and is destined for a role that is more advisory in nature.

Here’s more from Arizona and the rest of the western divisions:

  • New Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen provided a bit more insight into his strategic thinking with the offseason set to begin in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (via Twitter). Rival executives have yet to reach out to open a dialogue, says Hazen, who emphasized both that he’s undertaking a close look at the team’s internal situation and readying to hit the ground running. “Getting a firm understand of what is here is important to me,” he said. “But we’re not going to hesitate.”
  • The incoming GM also addressed the team’s upcoming managerial search in his chat with MLB Network Radio (Twitter links). “We are looking for an impact leader” in the dugout, he said. “The game is evolving, somebody that is looking forward to embracing that evolution.” At present, Arizona is “working through a candidate list,” but won’t rush into a hiring. “This is a critical decision and we’re going to take our time and get it right,” said Hazen.
  • Intial speculation for the open skipper gig has focused on Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo, an oft-cited managerial candidate who has obvious ties with Hazen, who was hired out of Boston. But the new Arizona general manager declined to comment on his potential candidacy directly, as Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports. Hazen also offered some interesting observations on the Red Sox’ ability to maintain continuity even in the midst of change, which could certainly inform the way that he approaches his tenure with the D-Backs.
  • Hazen was a wise hire, ESPN.com’s Keith Law argues in an Insider piece. The veteran executive has extensive experience in both traditional and more contemporary approaches to the game, and earns high marks around the game for his management style.
  • Still, Law notes, the move is yet another reminder that MLB’s initiatives to improve the representation of minorities in the upper reaches of front offices have yet to gain significant traction. He argues that the league needs to find a way to get more talented minority persons into the types of lower-level positions that ultimately serve as feeders to upper-level decisionmaking roles. One way to do that, Law suggests, is to prohibit unpaid internships — which tend to be occupied by those who can afford not to do paid work for a stretch (i.e., as he puts it, “generally the same kids from privileged backgrounds and expensive private schools who seem to be receiving an undue share of the upper-level jobs in baseball”).

Central Notes: Cain, Bell, Cardinals, Schafer

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Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain says that the Grade 2 wrist strain that ended his season won’t require surgery this winter, writes Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. Cain explained that he’s already had a month of recovery under his belt and expects to have a typical offseason, as he usually doesn’t begin his primary hitting program until January anyhow. Cain moved from center field to right field late in the season after returning from a hamstring injury, but Dodd writes that the Royals’ preference is to continue to deploy him in center field, where he’s graded out as one of the game’s premier defensive players over the past few seasons. However, Dodd also notes that the Royals will consider giving Cain more time in right field next season if they believe that will help to keep him healthier.

More from the the game’s Central divisions…

  • While much has been made of Josh Bell’s bat, defense will be the primary focus for the promising young Pirates slugger this offseason, writes MLB.com’s Adam Berry. GM Neal Huntington spoke to Bell at season’s end about his desire for Bell to become proficient both at his natural position of right field and his more recently adopted position of first base. “That’s going to be my main focus, making sure I’m more versatile next year,” Bell told Berry. “You have a few guys in every lineup that can play all over the field. Those guys are your most valuable players. I hope to be one of those guys next year.” While Bell obviously won’t be lining up in the middle of the diamond anytime soon, there’s an obvious benefit to freely being able to move him between the corner outfield and first base without fretting much over defensive issues. As Berry points out, a crowded outfield and the presence of first baseman John Jaso on the roster as well could lead to an offseason trade but could also make for some nice depth in the 2017 season if everyone is retained.
  • A lack of bullpen depth proved to be a glaring deficiency for the Cardinals this season and must be addressed by general manager John Mozeliak over the winter, opines Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Gordon points out that with Carlos Martinez, Adam Wainwright, Mike Leake, Alex Reyes, a returning Lance Lynn, Michael Wacha and Jaime Garcia (whose option seems likely to be picked up) all in the rotation picture, the rotation looks to have good depth (though further depth could be added on minor league pacts or small deals this winter), but the ’pen took hits with the loss of Zach Duke and Seth Maness to Tommy John surgery. Potential replacements for Duke like Tyler Lyons and Marco Gonzales battled injuries this season, and Trevor Rosenthal’s inconsistencies and injury problems render him a question mark as well. Gordon calls for multiple arms capable of pitching high-leverage innings and makes his case that said relievers should be a focal point in the Cardinals’ mission to improve their run-prevention skills this winter.
  • Outfielder Logan Schafer, who was outrighted off the Twins’ 40-man roster earlier this week, confirmed that he’ll elect free agency to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. That was all but a foregone conclusion for a veteran of nine professional seasons that lost his roster spot. Schafer tells Berardino that the Twins “treated me well and with great respect” and says he’s open to a return, though he recognizes that they’re in for a busy offseason and he’s probably not on their list of priorities. The 30-year-old center fielder hit .238/.342/.317 in 75 PAs with the Twins after slashing .264/.340/.361 in 64 games for their Triple-A affiliate. Schafer should find the opportunity to compete for a bench spot with a big league club somewhere this winter. You can check out MLBTR’s full list of 2016-17 MLB free agents for a refresher on who’s available this offseason.

How Much Will Jose Abreu Earn In 2017?

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Three years ago, the White Sox signed Cuban slugger Jose Abreu to a franchise-record six-year, $68MM contract.  Abreu kicked off his MLB career with a monster 2014 campaign, winning Rookie of the Year and finishing fourth in the MVP voting.  His offensive production has declined steadily since then, but still remains above average.  Now, Abreu is presented with an important decision that will impact his future earnings.  Within five days of the conclusion of the World Series, Abreu and his agents must decide whether he will opt out of his existing contract and into MLB’s arbitration system — a right that is afforded to him via a clause in that six-year pact. (Note: Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig finds himself in a similar situation, albeit coming off a weaker year. His situation will be addressed separately from Abreu here at MLBTR.)

If Abreu keeps his current contract, he will earn $34MM from 2017-19.  That includes salaries of $10.5MM in 2017, $11.5MM in 2018, and $12MM in 2019.  Abreu’s agents must determine whether their client can do better in arbitration, without the luxury of a precedent for a situation like this.

Abreu’s baseline 2016 salary, for the purposes of arbitration, appears to be $11.66MM.  That figure is calculated by taking his $10MM signing bonus, dividing it by his six-year term, and adding it to his $10MM salary from 2016.  That’s a critical difference, as arbitration paydays are based largely off of the previous year’s salary.  However, there is some gray area in this all-important baseline figure, and the Collective Bargaining Agreement does not provide clarity.  First, does it make sense to divide the signing bonus by six years, even when Abreu is opting out of the last three?  An agent could argue for dividing the bonus by three years, setting Abreu’s 2016 salary at $13.33MM.  Second, even if the six-year term is used, the Players Union tends to calculate net present value on the signing bonus, which could put Abreu’s 2016 salary around $11.88MM.

The White Sox will surely argue against interpretations that assign Abreu a higher number for his 2016 salary.  I think they would agree that for the purposes of establishing an arbitration baseline, he earned $11.66MM this year, unless there is something in the contract that calls for the exclusion of the signing bonus in determining his 2016 salary.

Is there any argument to be made that based purely on statistical merit, and not prior salary, Abreu should earn more than $11.66MM in 2017 through arbitration?  Nope.  Abreu seems to be in the range of Giancarlo Stanton’s first three years, which earned him $6.5MM for his first arbitration year in 2014.  Even with inflation, Abreu wouldn’t get past $11.66MM.

Since Abreu “deserves” a salary well below $11.66MM through arbitration, can the White Sox argue for cutting his salary?  Using the maximum allowable cut of 20 percent, the team could theoretically argue for a $9.33MM salary for Abreu for 2017.  However, salary cuts are extremely rare in the arbitration process, so much so that MLBTR’s automated model doesn’t even consider them.  Ian Stewart’s pay cut in 2012, after an awful season, is not relevant here.  So I think the worst case scenario for Abreu if he opts into arbitration is getting a repeat of that $11.66MM salary for 2017.  That would be a win for him, since his contract would otherwise pay him $10.5MM in 2017.

Can Abreu actually score a raise for 2017, beyond the $11.66MM baseline, though?  It’s possible, especially once appearances come into play.  It would look bad for the White Sox to try to cut Abreu’s salary for 2017, but it also might not look great to the public if they suggest he does not deserve a raise.  Do you think Rick Hahn would try to explain all of the above to White Sox fans, in justifying an argument against giving Abreu a raise?  Abreu’s agent, on the other hand, can feign mock outrage to the media that the White Sox don’t think a cornerstone player such as Abreu, with a .299 average, 91 home runs, and 308 RBI in three seasons, deserves a raise.  The White Sox could consider giving Abreu $12MM or more to save face.

Abreu gains upside by opting into arbitration.  He’s still in his prime, and he plays in a hitters’ ballpark.  Abreu could put up strong baseball card numbers in the coming seasons, maybe even reversing his declining power trend.  Even just normal Abreu performance, combined with token arbitration raises each year, could earn him $40-45MM from 2017-19, instead of the $34MM his contract would have paid.

Abreu’s downside, on the other hand, is limited.  I don’t think a salary cut at any point is likely, so he could simply get repeat salaries three times and still come out with $35MM for 2017-19.  The one risk factor would be in the White Sox non-tendering him after the 2017 or ’18 season, in which case he’d become a free agent.  The White Sox would only do so if his performance truly cratered, and even then, Abreu would make back most or all of the lost earnings in free agency.

Ultimately, I do expect Abreu to opt into MLB’s arbitration system, and I believe he’ll get a salary of about $12MM for 2017.

Tigers Unlikely To Pursue Extension With J.D. Martinez

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GM Al Avila made headlines earlier this week when he stated that changes were on the horizon for a Tigers team that “has been working way above its means for some time,” thereby implying that payroll needs to decrease, and he also added that the Detroit roster needs to get younger. While that doesn’t mean the Tigers will ship off cornerstones Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera, it does call into question the future of some players who are nearing the end of their time with the team, including J.D. Martinez, whom Avila says isn’t likely to be extended this winter, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press.

“I don’t foresee any talks of a long-term contract at this point,” Avila said of Martinez. “In saying that, we’re going to keep an open mind in what possibilities come across this winter, this coming summer. I’m not going to rule out that we wouldn’t consider a long-term deal, but sitting here today, we’re not thinking that way right now.”

An extension of Martinez, who is slated to become a free agent next winter, would represent yet another $100MM+ commitment for the Tigers given the extent to which the 29-year-old has blossomed since signing in Detroit. Martinez has batted a combined .299/.357/.540 over the past three years and averaged 34 homers per 162 games played along the way. He missed nearly two months of the 2016 season with a fracture in his elbow but was improbably even better after his time on the DL, slashing .332/.392/.553 with 10 homers over his final 232 plate appearances (albeit with the help of an unsustainable .418 BABIP).

MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently examined the possibility of a Martinez extension, noting that his age and emergence as an offensive force could push his price point beyond the six-year, $132.75MM figure for which Justin Upton signed last winter (depending on whether or not the Tigers and Martinez’s agents worked an opt-out clause into the deal). That number may look jarring for a player who was released by Houston in Spring Training 2014, but since Opening Day 2014, Martinez rates as the game’s 13th-best hitter by measure of wRC+ (via Fangraphs), placing him alongside the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Kris Bryant. His defense, as Mark addressed in the aforementioned Extension Candidate piece, is another story, but Martinez’s bat comes with tremendous value.

As such, the possibility of Martinez’s entrance into the trade market this offseason shouldn’t be taken lightly. Fenech speculates that Martinez is the likeliest member of the Tigers to be traded this winter, as doing so would trim $11.75MM off the payroll and net the team some much-needed premium minor league talent. The Tigers, after all, have a pair of young outfielders that are out of minor league options next year in Steven Moya and Tyler Collins, both of whom will need to make the Opening Day roster or risk being exposed to outright waivers. Dealing Martinez would free up a much clearer path to a big league opportunity for either player.

MLBTR Mailbag: Mariners, Rays, Rockies, KBO

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Thanks as always for all of the questions in this week’s mailbag. As you know, we can only pick a short few, but you can ask the MLBTR staff considerably more questions during our three weekly chats — Tuesdays at 2pm CT with myself, Wednesdays at 6:30pm CT with Jason Martinez and Thursdays at 2pm CT with Jeff Todd. Onto this week’s questions…

Do you see the M’s making a push for a big-name free agent like Edwin Encarnacion to play first base and eventually take over at DH for Cruz in two years? I think he’d be a great clubhouse fit with Cano/Cruz/Felix/Martin. — Tara W.

There’s a definite fit for Encarnacion in Seattle, but GM Jerry Dipoto said at the time he signed on as the Mariners’ GM that he views free agency more as a means of augmenting his roster than of building up the foundation. The Mariners traded Mike Montgomery for Dan Vogelbach back in July with the belief that Vogelbach could be the team’s first baseman in the near future (and possibly shift to DH when Cruz departs), and adding in the fact that signing Encarnacion would mean parting with the No. 18 pick in next year’s draft only makes it seem more unlikely that they’ll beat the market for his services. I do think the Mariners will spend some money this winter, be it via free agency or taking on some contracts in trades, with the bullpen, one corner outfield spot and shortstop all likely areas of focus.

2008 is the last year the Rays had a catcher that could hit the ball. Do you see the Rays going after Kyle Schwarber of Cubs or J.T. Realmuto of Marlins? What kind of package would get either one? — Jim M.

Any fan hoping his or her favorite team will pry Schwarber away from the Cubs would be wise to simply move on from that line of thinking. Schwarber was one of the most untouchable players at this year’s trade deadline, with the Cubs steadfastly refusing to budge from their unwillingness to include him in a trade even for Andrew Miller. Realmuto won’t be easy to obtain either, though I can at least see the possibility of something working out with the Rays. The Marlins are in the market for rotation upgrades and have very little in the way of premium minor league talent, so using a big league piece like Realmuto to acquire that pitching could make some sense. The Rays have a number of young arms with which they could part, including Jake Odorizzi, Drew Smyly, Erasmo Ramirez, Matt Andriese and Blake Snell. The Marlins probably aren’t giving up four years of Realmuto in a one-for-one swap for any of those pitchers, but given the Rays’ rotation depth, the framework for a deal could certainly be worked out. One thing to consider with regard to Realmuto, though, is that the Rays have placed a high emphasis on pitch-framing in recent years (Rene Rivera, Hank Conger), and Realmuto receives poor ratings in that respect.

I’m excited about our offense in ’17 with the sole exception of 1b. Although a CarGo move to first sounds intriguing, a big right handed bat like Trumbo might make more sense. How much would that cost and can the Rockies afford it? — Jarrett M.

The Rockies would have to punt the top unprotected pick in the 2017 draft, No. 11 overall, in order to sign Trumbo this offseason, as he’s a lock to receive a qualifying offer and reject it in search of a significant multi-year deal. The Rockies would not only have to sacrifice that pick but also be willing to push their payroll up into record territory in order to add Trumbo into the fold, as they’re currently headed for a payroll around $109.5MM right now even before making any offseason additions, based on MLBTR’s arbitration projections. That figure could change, of course, in the event that someone like Charlie Blackmon, Gerardo Parra or Carlos Gonzalez is traded, but as it stands, it’s tough to see the Rockies adding a bat that’ll figure to cost them at least $15MM per season on a multi-year deal this winter — especially when there are glaring needs in the bullpen and a deep reservoir of free-agent relievers from which to draw.

Are there any projected big name KBO or other foreign league players expected to be posted this offseason? Especially with the weak free agent pitching market this offseason, it seems like a a prime time to be posted. — Hunter M.

The simple answer is that there aren’t any superstar-caliber players that are lined up to become available this offseason. That would change in the event that Japan’s Nippon Ham Fighters elected to post 22-year-old ace/slugger Shohei Otani, who posted a 2.12 ERA in 20 starts on the mound and also a 1.004 OPS in 382 plate appearances as an outfielder this past season, but to this point there’s been no indication that’ll happen.

There are still some names from the Korea Baseball Organization that will be available for unrestricted free agency this winter, though, meaning that like Hyun Soo Kim last offseason, they won’t have to go through the posting process. Left-handers Kwang-hyun Kim, Hyeon-jong Yang and Woo-chan Cha will all be eligible to sign with big league teams this offseason if there’s interest. It’s worth noting that the Padres won the rights to negotiate with Kim two winters ago when he was posted but never reached a deal, while the Rangers reportedly placed the top bid on Yang that same offseason, but his team, the Kia Tigers, rejected the $1.5MM figure. The Twins were also connected to Yang that winter.

Korean third baseman Jae-gyun Hwang, who was posted last season but did not receive a bid, is an unrestricted free agent this winter as well and could seek a deal with a Major League team as well. Hwang was able to replicate last year’s power surge at the plate while cutting his strikeout rate quite a bit, so it’s possible that he caught the attention of a few big league teams with his 2016 play. We’ve been told at MLBTR that Hwang will be coming over to the U.S. early next week and spend several weeks working out stateside, which should give big league clubs ample opportunity to take a look at him.

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