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Archives for December 2016

Athletics Sign Cuban Right-Hander Norge Ruiz

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The Athletics announced on Friday that they’ve signed international free agent Norge Ruiz to a minor league contract. MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (on Twitter) that Ruiz will receive a $2MM signing bonus. The 22-year-old Cuban right-hander has long been considered one of the more appealing arms in Cuba. Ruiz is subject to international spending limitations due to his age, so he’ll count against Oakland’s bonus pool.

Ruiz’s numbers in three professional seasons in the Cuban National Series are impressive, as he worked to a collective 2.55 ERA in 374 1/3 innings. He averaged just six strikeouts against 3.1 walks per nine innings pitched in that time, though scouting reports on Ruiz indicate that he has the potential to make a significant impact on Oakland’s farm system.

Sanchez ranks Ruiz as the No. 3 prospect on this winter’s international market, and while he didn’t make Baseball America’s list of top international prospects this summer, that was due to the fact that he’d yet to technically be cleared as a free agent. (Ruiz was declared a free agent by MLB back in early September.) Per Sanchez’s above-linked report, Ruiz has a fastball that reaches 94 mph and has plenty of movement on it, and he’s also worked with a slider, changeup, cutter and splitter that are deployed from various arm angles.

BA’s Ben Badler writes today that Ruiz’s changeup a plus pitch and also writes that his slider can flash above-average at times as well. He generates plenty of ground-balls, though there’s some belief that his size could lead to durability issues. Ruiz is listed at 6’0″ and 185 pounds, and that slight frame has led to some skepticism from scouts, though it seems likely that he’ll be given every opportunity to develop as a starting pitcher in the Athletics organization. Ruiz will add an intriguing arm to the upper levels of the Athletics’ system and could conceivably be an option in 2018, if not 2017, depending on how quickly he shakes off the rust as he settles back into game settings and on how quickly he adjusts to facing more advanced competition.

Orioles Interested In Rajai Davis

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The Orioles have interest in free-agent outfielder Rajai Davis as the team looks to add some speed to its outfield mix, reports Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. The O’s have previously been linked to Angel Pagan amidst their search for a corner outfielder/leadoff man, but Encina writes that the team’s interest in Davis may have surpassed its interest in Pagan at this point.

Davis, 36, enjoyed a solid season with the Indians in 2016. While his two-run homer off Aroldis Chapman in Game 7 of the World Series might be what most fans associate with the 11-year veteran, strong glovework and exceptional baserunning are what made Davis such a valuable commodity in Cleveland last year. In 495 plate appearances, Davis batted just .249/.306/.388, and though he did slug a career-best 12 homers, his strikeout rate climbed to a career-high 21.4 percent. Davis uncharacteristically struggled against left-handed pitching last year despite boasting a very solid .288/.343/.437 slash against southpaws in his career.

Capable of playing all three outfield positions, Davis was a passable though unspectacular option in left field and center field with Cleveland in 2016 (depending on one’s preferred metric/method of evaluation). He’d be in line mostly for corner work with the Orioles, due to Adam Jones’ presence in center field, and could reasonably function in a platoon capacity with Hyun Soo Kim if Baltimore isn’t keen on giving Kim a chance against left-handed pitching in 2017. (Kim received just 22 plate appearances against southpaws last year.) Of course, Davis may well be looking for a more significant role, and his respectable defense and prowess on the bases plus a lack of proven options on the roster could allow that to materialize in Baltimore.

Davis’ 43 stolen bases in 2016 not only led the American League — they were more than twice as many as the Orioles’ entire roster mustered over the life of the regular season. Baltimore, somewhat stunningly, managed just 19 stolen bases on the year in 2016. That’s the lowest single-season total of any team since the Tigers stole just 17 bases as a team all the way back in 1972. And, Davis’ baserunning value extends beyond his raw stolen base numbers, as Fangraphs rated him as the game’s second-best baserunner last year, trailing only Billy Hamilton, due largely to his ability to take extra bases in non-stealing situations (going first to third, second to home, etc.).

Baltimore has reportedly been in talks with Mark Trumbo for quite some time about a return to play right field, although the team could conceivably add Trumbo and an outfielder, electing to use Trumbo primarily as a DH while deploying more defensively gifted options in the outfield. Pagan, too, would provide a solid defensive option with a bit of speed — albeit less than Davis — though it’s not entirely clear what the asking price for either Davis or Pagan is at this juncture. That, of course, will factor heavily into Baltimore’s thought process — especially if talks with Trumbo continue and/or intensify in the weeks to come.

Braves Extend Ender Inciarte

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The rebuilding Braves have been working to assemble a new core of players for the past two years, and on Friday they locked up the first member of that group for the long haul when they announced a five-year contract extension for center fielder Ender Inciarte.

The contract, which contains a club option for a sixth season, will reportedly guarantee Inciarte $30.525MM. The Octagon client will receive a $3.5MM signing bonus before earning $2MM in 2017, $4MM in 2018, $5MM in 2019, $7MM in 2020 and $8MM in 2021. The option is reported to be valued at $9MM and comes with a $1.025MM buyout. All told, this new contract will give Atlanta control over two of Inciarte’s would-be free-agent years.

Ender Inciarte

“We are thrilled to announce an extension for Ender,” GM John Coppolella said in a press release announcing the move. “We feel that he’s the best defensive center fielder in baseball and one of the best leadoff hitters in the game.  Ender brings so much to our club, on and off the field, and we are happy to have him under club control for at least the next six years.”

Originally acquired in last winter’s Shelby Miller heist, Inciarte cemented himself as a Major League asset in 2016 by largely recreating a 2015 breakout. Over the past two seasons, he’s been roughly league-average overall at the plate — .297/.345/.395, nine homers in 1139 plate appearances — with excellent contributions on the basepaths and especially in the outfield. Inciarte has swiped 37 bases in 263 games dating back to 2015, and Fangraphs rates him as one of the game’s 15 best baserunners.

Meanwhile, he’s been 17 runs above average in the outfield despite missing some time due to injury, per Defensive Runs Saved, while Ultimate Zone Rating has him at about +13 runs in that same time frame. Among players with at least 1000 defensive innings since 2015, UZR/150 has Inciarte tied for 14th (with Anthony Rendon) among players of all positions, at +14.1, placing him a shade behind the likes of Lorenzo Cain and Mookie Betts in the outfield.

[Related: Updated Atlanta Braves Payroll Projections]

Inciarte, who just turned 26 after the season ended, was eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter as a Super Two player and was projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $2.8MM in his first trip through that process. He’ll instead avoid arbitration for the entirety of his career thanks to this deal, which will keep him under team control through his age-31 campaign. The contract is nearly identical, in terms of its guarantee, to the one inked by division-rival center fielder Odubel Herrera in Philadelphia last week (though Herrera did not qualify as a Super Two player and, as such, conceded to two club options instead of one). It also represents a step forward from the five-year, $23.5MM deal that Adam Eaton signed with the White Sox prior to the 2015 campaign when he, too, was between two and three years of big league service time (though also shy of Super Two status).

While Inciarte has been frequently mentioned as a speculative trade candidate as Coppolella and president of baseball operations John Hart have overseen an aggressive rebuild, the emergence of a new five-year deal seems to firmly indicate that Atlanta sees the standout center fielder as a long-term building block. Inciarte is likely to be flanked by Matt Kemp and Nick Markakis in 2017, though there’s a definite possibility that fellow speedster Mallex Smith (who made his Major League debut this past year) eventually gets a chance at a larger role in the Atlanta outfield, either later in the 2017 season or in 2018.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports first reported the agreement and the guarantee (Twitter links). FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reported the year-to-year breakdown of the deal (also via Twitter).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Revere, Braves, Bird, Ross

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Free agent center fielder Ben Revere is reportedly likely to sign in the near future (as MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko first relayed earlier today), and Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet tweets that the Blue Jays won’t be his landing spot. That crosses the Blue Jays and Orioles (per Kubatko) off the list for Revere — two teams that could conceivably be in the market for a left-handed-hitting outfielder with some speed. Multiple teams still make some degree of sense for Revere, with the Giants, Mariners, Rangers, Angels and Tigers all striking me as on-paper fits (though that list is purely speculative). Non-tendered by the Nats this offseason, Revere logged a dismal .217/.260/.300 batting line in 375 plate appearances in 2016, but he’d batted .305 or better in each of the three prior seasons.

  • Braves president of baseball operations John Hart spoke with MLB.com’s Hal Bodley about the parallels between the rebuild he’s helped to architect in Atlanta and the one that he led in Cleveland back in the early to mid-90s. Hart also discussed the team’s decision to promote Dansby Swanson this past summer and the decision to add a trio of veteran starters — Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, Jaime Garcia — this winter despite the team’s bulk of young pitching. “We didn’t want to stand in the way of our young pitchers, so we went with guys who I think are going to give us innings,” said Hart of adding three starters on one-year commitments. “I think this gives us a more competitive ballclub going into the new park. I don’t think this deviates from the plan we have.”
  • The Yankees “appear content” with Matt Holliday serving as the major offensive addition to their roster this winter, writes MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, which increases the importance of Greg Bird to the team’s 2017 roster. Bird is the early favorite to serve as manager Joe Girardi’s everyday first baseman next year, and GM Brian Cashman said that getting a look at Bird in the Arizona Fall League was important. “All we care about is him having a full healthy Fall League, which he’s done,” said Cashman. “It checks the box and we’ll be looking forward to seeing him in Spring Training. All reports are, he looks good.” Bird and Tyler Austin could compete for time at first base and may eventually settle into a platoon, while the outfield could see Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks in a similar spring battle for playing time, Hoch writes.
  • Nationals right-hander Joe Ross missed significant time with a shoulder injury in 2016, but MLB.com’s Jamal Collier writes that the 23-year-old’s arm is back to health. Ross took a few weeks off to rest his shoulder, and it’s now full strength as Ross progresses through his typical offseason routine. As Collier points out, the trades of Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez magnify the importance of getting a healthy season out of Ross. Notably, Ross said he’s tinkering with some potential mechanical alterations to his delivery and throwing program in an effort to stay healthier next year.

Indians, Athletics Making Biggest Pushes For Edwin Encarnacion

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7:30pm: Two teams that are no longer in the mix for Encarnacion tell Yahoo’s Jeff Passan that they believe Cleveland is the team to beat (Twitter link). Rosenthal tweets that Cleveland’s offer is indeed for three years with an option.

7:10pm: The Indians and Athletics are the two teams in “strongest” pursuit of Encarnacion, tweets FOX’s Ken Rosenthal. Cleveland has offered a three-year deal that may include an option, while Oakland has offered two years and an option. Heyman writes that neither the Yankees nor the Red Sox have jumped back into the Encarnacion sweepstakes even as his asking price has seemingly come down.

6:49pm: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Oakland has not made a three-year offer to Encarnacion (Twitter link). The Athletics have discussed a two-year offer with Encarnacion’s camp, per Slusser, making a deal between the two sides seem unlikely (barring an increase from Oakland).

6:33pm: Encarnacion has “multiple strong three-year offers,” tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. The Athletics and Indians are in the mix for Encarnacion, per Heyman, though he doesn’t specify that either club has made one of the offers he mentioned.

5:38pm: Edwin Encarnacion’s representatives are signaling to some execs around the league that they’re “getting closer to pinning down a deal,” according to ESPN’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets that Encarnacion’s camp is hopeful of reaching an agreement before the weekend.

At last check, Encarnacion’s agent, Paul Kinzer, told Sportsnet’s Jeff Blair that he’d received three- and four-year offers from six clubs. Since that time, reports have suggested that the Blue Jays, Indians, Astros, Rangers and Athletics have all made offers, though Kinzer himself characterized the chances of returning to Toronto as somewhat slim. The Rockies are said to be “monitoring” Encarnacion’s market as well, though there haven’t been any reports of a firm offer being made on Colorado’s behalf.

Encarnacion’s market has been surprisingly slow this offseason, despite his status as one of the two top bats in free agency (along with Yoenis Cespedes). The soon-to-be 34-year-old is coming off an excellent 2016 season and a brilliant five-year platform with the Jays, but he’s also attached to a draft pick and comes with some defensive limitations. Those factors, plus uncertainty about the collective bargaining agreement in the month of November and Encarnacion’s age, have all likely played some factor in his lack of a market. The Blue Jays reportedly made him an offer of roughly $80MM over four years back in November, though MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm notes that said offer was taken off the table around the time the GM Meetings concluded on Nov. 10. (Toronto signed Kendrys Morales the next day.)

There’ve been some suggestions that Encarnacion could follow Cespedes’ path and sign a three-year deal with a lofty annual value and an opt-out clause after the first year of the deal. That type of arrangement could potentially make him more affordable to low-revenue teams (i.e. Cleveland), although the risk associated with that type of deal is also more significant for a low-payroll club like the Indians, as the only scenario in which Encarnacion would stick around would be if he suffered a massive injury or experienced a marked decline in 2017.

Quick Hits: Bautista, Revere, Holaday, Smith

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Jose Bautista has been speculatively linked to the Rays as a possible free agent target, though if Tampa Bay does make a move, MLB.com’s Bill Chastain notes that it might not come until late in the offseason.  The Rays have past used the tactic of coming in late with an offer to a veteran free agent (i.e. Asdrubal Cabrera, Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon) who is running short on options, so the Rays can land the player at a price that fits their limited budget.  Bautista’s market is still pretty unclear as we approach Christmas, with the first-round draft pick attached to him via the qualifying offer seemingly acting as a deterrent to many clubs.  The Rays’ top pick is protected so they would only have to surrender their competitive-balance round selection to sign Bautista — maybe an acceptable risk for a Tampa club that wants to compete in 2017, Chastain notes.

Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • Ben Revere could sign as soon as tomorrow, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports (Twitter links).  The mystery team isn’t the Orioles, Kubatko notes, though the O’s like the outfielder and checked in on him more than once this offseason.  Revere is hoping to bounce back after an injury-marred and mediocre 2016 season that saw him get non-tendered by the Nationals earlier this month.
  • Catcher Bryan Holaday can earn $850K in the majors under his new minor-league pact with the Phillies, Crasnick recently tweeted.  That lands just shy of MLBTR’s $900K arbitration projection for the 29-year-old, though of course he’ll need to earn a roster spot to get it.  Holaday seems to have a solid shot at taking over reserve duties behind presumptive Philadelphia starter Cameron Rupp, though he may need to hold off some younger challengers (and any additional veterans who may be added) in camp.
  • Former Padres and Tigers GM Randy Smith has been hired by the Nippon-Ham Fighters’ front office, according to a Kyodo News report.  Smith will be a senior advisor to Fighters general manager Hiroshi Yoshimura (a former member of Detroit’s front office when Smith ran the club) and the Fighters’ Major League scouting director.

NL West Notes: Rockies, Rollins, Giants, De Leon

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Some rumblings from around the NL West…

  • The Rockies formally announced their 2017 coaching staff, including new hires Tony Diaz (first base coach), Duane Espy (hitting coach), Jeff Salazar (assistant hitting coach) and Ron Gideon (major league coach).  This is Espy’s second stint as Colorado’s hitting coach, having previously worked in the job from 2003-06 under then-manager Clint Hurdle.  Diaz, Salazar and Gideon are all getting their first experience working on a big league coaching staff, though they’re all longtime fixtures in the Rockies organization.
  • In an insightful and wide-ranging interview with FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, Jimmy Rollins discusses such topics as his new minor league deal with the Giants, his abbreviated 2016 season and whether or not he considered retirement after parting ways with the White Sox last summer.
  • The Giants are amassing several utility infielders, leading SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee to wonder if the team could be building depth for a potential trade.  Rollins joins Kelby Tomlinson, Ramiro Pena, Ehire Adrianza, Juniel Querecuto and Orlando Calixte as candidates to fill infield roles in the majors or Triple-A.  Beyond a trade, the Giants could simply be preparing to have an open battle for the utility job in Spring Training, or getting added depth given Joe Panik’s injury history.
  • Jose De Leon has been rumored to be a central piece of a potential Dodgers trade package for Brian Dozier, and while the Twins are justified in asking for more beyond just the young righty, Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron writes that Minnesota shouldn’t get cavalier about passing on a very talented young arm.  Interestingly, Cameron suggests that if the Twins are concerned about De Leon’s long-term potential, they could still make the trade, give De Leon an extended audition in the big leagues in 2017 and then look to deal him next winter.  In theory, De Leon would have even more trade value at this point as a controllable young pitcher with some MLB experience.

Free Agent Notes: Encarnacion, Carter, Cahill

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The latest on some notable names on the open market…

  • A “perfect storm” of both a qualifying offer and the uncertainty around the new collective bargaining agreement has led to Edwin Encarnacion’s extended stay on the open market, agent Paul Kinzer tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  When asked if Encarnacion could pursue a contract like Yoenis Cespedes’ deal with the Mets last winter (a big first-year salary but with the ability to opt out after the first season), Kinzer said “that can happen with a team not picking with a premium draft pick,” i.e. a team with a protected top-10 draft pick.  Most of the teams with protected picks are either rebuilding or have entrenched first basemen, though the Athletics have reportedly offered Encarnacion a contract.  The Rays also stand out to me as possible candidates for a creative deal.  The Rockies already gave up their first-rounder to sign Ian Desmond, and thus would “only” be surrendering a second-rounder if they were to land Encarnacion.  Kinzer further discussed Encarnacion’s market in other interviews yesterday.
  • With Encarnacion’s market somewhat in flux, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal wonders if some teams could end up kicking themselves for not making a push to land the slugger while he may be available at a lesser-than-expected price.  Teams that are still looking for value in a rather busy first base market could find themselves saving money but missing out on an established star who could help a club win the World Series.
  • The market for first baseman Chris Carter seems to be held up by Encarnacion’s status, Carter’s agent Dave Stewart tells ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). “We’ve had calls from multiple teams, but no real commitment,” says Stewart, who has returned to his agency work after losing his seat as the Diamondbacks GM.  The Encarnacion-driven delay has probably also impacted other free-agent sluggers, though it may have particularly concerned Cater, who is also a right-handed hitter limited to first base and DH duties.  Carter hit the open market when the Brewers non-tendered him, both in spite of and because of his 41 long balls in 2016 — which drove his expected arbitration price tag to upwards of $8MM.
  • Half a dozen teams are currently pursuing veteran righty Trevor Cahill, Crasnick adds (Twitter links). Three of those organizations (none of which are named) view the 28-year-old as a potential rotation option, which is said to be his preference. Though he hasn’t seen regular work as a starter since 2014, Cahill has taken the hill to open a big league game 174 times and performed well as a member of the Cubs bullpen following his mid-2015 acquisition. Over 82 2/3 IP across 61 appearances with Chicago, Cahill put up a 2.61 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9. Though he continues to pile up strong groundball numbers, he is prone to allowing home runs when opposing hitters put the ball in the air.

AL East Notes: Logan, Alvarez, Pineda, Blue Jays, Tobias

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Here’s the latest from around the American League East…

  • The Orioles “have long coveted” Boone Logan, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko writes.  Signing Logan would give Baltimore a more reliable lefty specialist-type of a relief option beyond Donnie Hart and T.J. McFarland, though Kubatko isn’t sure if the O’s would be able to afford Logan’s services.  The Blue Jays, Mets, Yankees and Mariners have all been linked to Logan this winter, though the Mariners may have addressed with left-handed bullpen needs by signing Marc Rzepczynski.
  • Pedro Alvarez may be the Orioles free agent most likely to re-sign with the team, though as Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun notes, Alvarez’s return could create some roster complications.  With Alvarez and Trey Mancini, the O’s would have two players best suited for DH duty, giving them less bench flexibility.  Alvarez has indicated a willingness to learn to play outfield, though Encina isn’t sure if Alvarez will be able to defensively handle even a part-time outfield role.  On the flip side, Alvarez does bring a lot of power from the left side and bringing him back could cost Baltimore much less than it would to re-sign Mark Trumbo.
  • The Yankees have fielded several buy-low offers for Michael Pineda this winter, ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand reports.  Pineda posted a 4.82 ERA last season, a number somewhat inflated by a .339 BABIP and a 17% home run rate Pineda’s advanced metrics (3.80 FIP, 3.30 xFIP, 3.40 SIERA, 10.61 K/9, 3.91 K/BB rate) presented his season in a much better light, and his 175 2/3 innings pitched was a new career high for the injury-prone righty.  Pineda will be a free agent after 2017, though rather than trade him, the Yankees are counting on Pineda to put it all together and help stabilize a rotation with several question marks.
  • The Blue Jays seem to be looking to solve their position player needs before returning to their search for left-handed relief, Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports.  Logan, Jerry Blevins and Travis Wood are the most prominent southpaw relievers linked to the Jays this winter, though the team also isn’t settled in either corner outfield spot.
  • The Red Sox freed up some salary by dealing Clay Buchholz to the Phillies, but Boston also likes the prospect (Josh Tobias) they got in return, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes.  Tobias, a 10th-round pick for the Phillies in 2015, was one of 10 names targeted by the Sox as they looked through Philadelphia’s system.  Red Sox director of pro scouting Gus Quattlebaum describes Tobias as “having potential as a versatile, switch-hitting guy with make-up and a feel to hit.  Whenever you can find someone who can hit, that guy is going to standout.“

Pirates Have “Worked Hard” To Deal For Jose Quintana

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TODAY: Even after the Pirates reached an agreement with Ivan Nova, the Pirates are still trying to acquire Quintana, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY: The Pirates have “worked hard” to trade for star White Sox lefty Jose Quintana, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets. Olney notes that Quintana’s very reasonable contract — which guarantees him a very reasonable $15.85MM over the next two years, plus cheap options or $1M buyouts for 2019 and 2020 — would fit into the budget of the low-revenue Pirates.

The Bucs currently have a very young and unproven rotation behind Gerrit Cole, and Quintana would certainly provide a big boost to a team that could conceivably contend in 2017. Acquiring Quintana, though, would seemingly constitute a significant change in direction for the Pirates, who have spent much of the offseason thus far discussing trades involving star outfielder Andrew McCutchen (who they now appear likely to keep). Adding Quintana, who has pitched over 800 innings in the last four seasons and who had a 3.20 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 while finishing 10th in AL Cy Young voting in 2016, would dramatically increase the Pirates’ chances of making the playoffs next year.

Quintana would come at a significant price in prospects. The White Sox have driven hard bargains so far this offseason in trading Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, and they reportedly asked for top prospects Francis Martes and Kyle Tucker, plus big-leaguer Joe Musgrove, when the Astros called about Quintana. That’s not a wholly unreasonable price for a terrific pitcher with four years of control remaining, particularly given the seemingly seller-friendly market this offseason, but it isn’t cheap, either. The Pirates could conceivably offer top prospects like Austin Meadows, Tyler Glasnow or Mitch Keller in a Quintana trade, although the exact players discussed as they’ve worked to deal with the White Sox remain unknown.

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