The latest from Baltimore, courtesy of Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com:
- The Orioles’ reported interest in free agent first baseman Chris Carter is at least somewhat “exaggerated,” according to Kubatko, who does note that adding him or re-signing fellow designated hitter type Pedro Alvarez is possible. The team’s focus is still on re-signing Mark Trumbo, even though it pulled its offer to him off the table last week, and will only turn to Carter, Alvarez or another slugger if he goes elsewhere. Unlike Trumbo, who figures to land a multiyear pact, either Carter or Alvarez would likely have to take a one-year deal to end up with the Orioles. Alvarez did that last offseason with Baltimore, which inked him to a pact featuring a guaranteed $5.75MM in March. The lefty-swinging 29-year-old went on to slash .249/.322/.504 with 22 homers in 376 plate appearances. If Alvarez returns to the Orioles for a second go-around, it seems he’d share the DH spot with the right-handed Trey Mancini.
- Given their corner outfield need, the O’s are still interested in free agent Michael Saunders – to whom they were linked at the Winter Meetings – but they’d prefer him on a one-year contract, Kubatko writes. Health has been an issue in the past with Saunders, who missed a combined 237 games from 2014-15, but he appeared in a career-high 140 contests last season as a Blue Jay and batted an above-average .253/.338/.478 with 24 homers in 558 PAs.
- As expected, the Orioles’ signing of catcher Welington Castillo essentially closed the door on Matt Wieters’ lengthy tenure with the organization, per Kubatko. The O’s were neither willing to meet agent Scott Boras’ demands nor wait around until the new year, when Wieters is likely to sign, to settle their situation behind the plate. They’ll now go with Castillo and Caleb Joseph in the short term as they await the arrival of big-hitting prospect Chance Sisco.
For Christmas I want the Cardinals to sign Mark Trumbo.
Me too.
Trumbo isn’t really a NL player though. His defense anywhere – even at first – is really bad.
He’s actually about average at first base according to UZR
Are you a Cubs fan?
Yuck. Please no Trumbo. We haven’t been that bad, Santa.
Guys 50 dingers go a long long way
Except he has never hit 50.
He just doesn’t seem Cardinal-like. He would be much better suited to play in Colorado.
Isn’t Colorado moving one of there surplus outfielders to first?
They’re saying their going to play Desmond there if anyone wants to believe that….their not done….they’ll be in on Trumbo..he makes a lot of sense at Coors. Then they’ll try and deal for a starting pitcher.
I do too. You’re welcome to him.
He’s a good 1B, but he will never be worth his contract, and in Baltimore, they refused to play him at the only position where he has any defensive value.
As an O’s fan, I’d love for the Cardinals to sign Trumbo.
For Christmas I want a big trade to happen…. to any team. I’m sick of only football and basketball news
Agreed
Amen! After the winter meetings, it’s a baseball wasteland until pitchers and catchers report.
Sorry Boras, you’re not getting a huge deal for Wieters. It would probably be best to ink a one year, prove it deal a la Desmond.
Yeah he tried that last year though, and he didn’t prove much of anything. I think he’ll try to maximize his guarantee at this point. I’m guessing like 2/ $26 million or so
The Os took a ton of heat for their contract killing medicals, but other teams should get on board w/their process. I cannot recall the name, but they were hit hard on by the media when they pulled the contract of that closer who eventually signed with TB, was bad and then sent to the DL. Not Balfour…anyway, the Os are setting a trend even if it’s not in the Christmas spirit.
They aren’t taking heat for their medical policy, they are taking heat for their tendency to publicly leak medical results and tank the players value with other teams. They can be as strict as they want but they should be more responsible.
No that was Balfour
I would love to see Trumbo go to the Rockies
I realize that there will be some catching-needy team out there who will want Wieters, but it’s a huge roll of the dice to pay him whatever Boras must be asking. We are talking catcher playing at 31, who, hasn’t stood out since 2011/2012. And “stood out” is about the best we can do. He’s not, and never had been a superstar. Realistically, the best you can hope from him, unless he proves otherwise, is that he can solid and useful at a difficult position. That’s not bad, but Boras has compared Wieters to Pudge. Um, no.
He needs to juice like Pudge.
I love it when players overestimate their worth resulting in a loss of income. Spoiled Divas.
Weiters hired Boras to get the most $$$ for him. Cybermetrics have marginalized Boras’ overstatement of players ability. Now GM’s really see a players worth via the 1000’s of statistics. Boras is becoming obsolete.
Come on Coppy!! Bring Weiters to the Braves!!
Trumbo should follow Chris Davis’ approach and return to Baltimore.
No
Philadelphia should sign him long term and then when he’s doing well, flip him to the Yankees for two or three prospects.
Philly’s ballpark is a lot like Camden Yard
What’s up with Dariel Alvarez?? The guy was wrecking the ball in the minors and he didn’t get any chance to really probe himself in the big leagues, the best arm in the Orioles organization and they still have shitty backup OF playing in the bigs.
4 hrs in 500+ ABS at the AAA level last year and he has no patience at the plate. He’s not going to cut it in the bigs.