Minor MLB Transactions: 4/23/16
Here are the latest minor transactions from around baseball:
- The Twins have called up right-hander Tyler Duffey from Triple-A and optioned infielder Jorge Polanco, the team announced. Duffey will start the Twins’ game Sunday against the Nationals in place of Ervin Santana, who has back tightness. Duffey, 25, broke into the majors last season and was excellent for the Twins, throwing 58 innings of 3.10 ERA ball with an 8.22 K/9 and 3.10 BB/9. Duffey’s standout performance has continued this year in Triple-A Rochester, where he has pitched to a 1.72 ERA and 2.98 FIP in three starts. Polanco, who’s regarded as a top-100 prospect, got the call to Minnesota last week but didn’t last long. The 22-year-old logged only eight plate appearances, giving him 28 in the big leagues since 2014.
- The Rays wasted no time sending top pitching prospect Blake Snell back to Triple-A after his stellar debut at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune tweets. With Snell returning to Durham, the Rays have selected the contract of right-hander Jhan Marinez. Snell threw five innings of one-run ball in his first major league start, holding the Yankees to two hits and a walk while striking out six. Snell got a no-decision in the Rays’ 3-2 loss. Marinez, 27, could now make his first trip to a major league mound since he picked up 2 2/3 frames for the White Sox in 2012.
- The Blue Jays have optioned southpaw Chad Girodo to Triple-A to make room for right-hander Drew Hutchison, who will start their game Sunday against the A’s, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (Twitter link). Girodo has tossed two scoreless innings for the Jays this year. Hutchison racked up 62 appearances (60 starts) and 335 innings with the Jays from 2014-15, but he struggled to prevent runs (4.97 ERA) despite a quality K/9 (8.41) and decent BB/9 (2.79).
- The Marlins have placed third baseman Martin Prado on the paternity list and selected the contract of left-hander Cody Ege, per a club announcement. Ege, 24, will make his major league debut after recording stellar numbers in 161 2/3 minor league innings. Ege owns a 2.23 minors ERA to go with an 11.4 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.
- The Diamondbacks have recalled right-hander Enrique Burgos from Triple-A and optioned righty Silvino Bracho, the team announced. Burgos accrued 27 innings out of the D-backs’ bullpen last season and put up a lofty ERA (4.67) that belied an impressive strikeout rate (13.0 per nine). Bracho threw just 1 2/3 innings for Arizona prior to the demotion, surrendering five hits and three earned runs.
- The Padres have placed utilityman Alexi Amarista on the 15-day DL (retroactive to April 20) with a right hamstring strain and recalled Cesar Vargas from Double-A, according to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). Amarista owns a career .229/.277/.325 batting line in 1,601 major league plate appearances, but he was off to a solid start this year (.333/.440/.333 in 26 PAs). Vargas will start the Padres’ game against the Cardinals tonight. The Mexico native could be a diamond in the rough, as Chris Mitchell of Fangraphs details.
Earlier Moves
- The Nationals signed righty Jaron Long to a minor league deal, the team announced. Jaron Long, the son of Mets hitting coach Kevin Long, spent 2013-15 working through the Yankees’ minor league system. Long, 24, has put up some solid totals in the minors (3.26 ERA, 6.8 K/9, 1.6 BB/9), but he hasn’t yet earned a call-up to the majors.
- The Tigers have claimed catcher John Hicks off waivers from the Twins, Anthony Fenecki of the Detroit Free Press was among those to report (on Twitter). Hicks owns a .279/.325/.408 line in 1,690 minor league PAs and has thrown out a whopping 48 percent of base stealers at various levels. The 26-year-old debuted in the majors last season with the Mariners, collecting only two hits and a walk in 34 trips to the plate.
- The Blue Jays announced that right-hander Arnold Leon cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A (Twitter link via Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com). Leon gave up two runs in 2 1/3 innings with the Jays before they designated him for assignment April 13. He made his major league debut last year with Oakland and posted a 4.39 ERA in 26 1/3 innings. Leon induced an average amount of ground balls (45.9 percent) and averaged 6.4 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 during that time.
- The Royals have released minor league left-hander Brandon Zajac, tweets Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. Zajac was a 23rd-round pick of the Giants in 2013.
- The Braves have recalled lefty reliever Matt Marksberry from Double-A and optioned right-hander Casey Kelly to Triple-A, reports Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The Braves needed a fresh arm in place of Kelly, who threw three innings of one-run ball for them on Friday. Marksberry, who has put up a 3.63 ERA over 203 1/3 career minor league innings, tossed 23 1/3 frames for the Braves last season. He compiled a 5.01 ERA to accompany an 8.1 K/9 and 6.2 BB/9.
- The Mets sent right-hander Rafael Montero to Triple-A to make room for the return of starter Jacob deGrom, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN. New York called up Montero on April 12 and he went on to surrender three earned runs on five hits, one walk and three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. DeGrom hasn’t pitched since April 8 because of right lat tightness and medical complications with his recently born son, Jaxon, who was released from the hospital Monday.
- The Red Sox recalled left-handler Roenis Elias on Friday and sent righty William Cuevas to Triple-A, per the Boston Herald. Elias, whom Boston acquired from Seattle during the offseason in the Wade Miley/Carson Smith trade, will work out of the Red Sox’s bullpen. Elias has made a pair of starts for Pawtucket this year after totaling 49 as a Mariner the previous two seasons. During that time frame, Elias combined for 277 2/3 innings of 3.99 ERA ball to go with a 7.75 K/9 and 3.47 BB/9. Cuevas, who has been in the Boston organization since 2008, made his major league debut this season to poor results before the demotion. The 25-year-old allowed five base runners (three hits and two walks) and two earned runs in 2 1/3 frames.
Outfielder Ruben Paz Leaves Cuba, Seeks MLB Deal
Outfielder Ruben Paz has left Cuba to pursue a contract with a major league team, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America. Paz likely would have been the rookie of the year in Serie Nacional for the 2015-16 season had he remained in Cuba, according to Badler. Given his age (21) and the fact that he doesn’t have at least five years’ experience in Serie Nacional, Paz will be subject to the international bonus pools, Badler notes.
Paz hit .361/.411/.476 in 76 games for Las Tunas in Serie Nacional, whose season ended earlier this month. He’s now the second straight potential rookie of the year in Serie Nacional to depart Cuba in hopes of landing in the majors, joining fellow outfielder Yusniel Diaz – who signed with the Dodgers for $15.5MM during the offseason. Paz isn’t the same caliber of prospect as Diaz, however, writes Badler.
Paz is a right-hander batter who has a short, simple swing and possesses the ability to hit to all fields, per Badler, who adds that he didn’t show much power in 2015-16 (three home runs) and wasn’t particularly successful on the bases (three steals in 10 tries). He also struck out 38 times compared to 17 walks. Paz demonstrated more power last summer as part of Cuba’s Sub-23 league, amassing six homers and a .297/.331/.464 line in 152 plate appearances, according to Badler.
Orioles Place Yovani Gallardo On DL With Shoulder Tendinitis
The Orioles have placed starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo on the disabled list with right shoulder/bicep tendinitis and activated left-handed reliever Brian Matusz (back) from the DL, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter). Gallardo will head to the 15-day DL, the Orioles announced.
The right-handed Gallardo left his start Friday after two innings because of shoulder discomfort, and he said afterward that the issue began while he was warming up in the bullpen before the game.
“My shoulder just didn’t feel right. To be honest, it was one of those feelings that I’ve never had my whole career,” Gallardo stated (via Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun).
Prior to exiting, Gallardo allowed four earned runs on five hits and a walk in a 4-2 loss to the Royals. Through his first four starts this season, the 30-year-old has posted a 7.00 ERA while experiencing a drop in velocity. Further, his K/9 – which has declined precipitously in recent years – has taken another step back this season, going from an already low 5.91 in 2015 to just 4.5. And Gallardo’s normally high ground-ball rate is currently at a career-worst 37.9 percent. All of that spells trouble for Gallardo and the Orioles, who inked him to a two-year, $22MM deal in February after they nixed an agreed-upon third year because of a shoulder problem that popped up in his physical.
“Hopefully (Gallardo) will respond to a period of rest and rehabilitation and return to contribute to the team,” said general manager Dan Duquette (Twitter link via Kubatko).
With Gallardo down, Kevin Gausman‘s return becomes all the more important to the Orioles, whose rotation entered Saturday toward the bottom of the league in ERA (5.16). Gausman is expected to make his 2016 debut Monday after missing the first few weeks of the season because of tendinitis in his throwing shoulder. The Orioles’ rotation should now at least temporarily consist of Gausman, Chris Tillman, Ubaldo Jimenez, Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson, who will start for the team Saturday.
Unlike Baltimore’s rotation, its bullpen has produced excellent results this year and the return of Matusz should only help matters. Matusz has combined for 151 2/3 innings with a 3.32 ERA in relief over the last three seasons. The 29-year-old has also averaged 9.44 K/9 and 3.15 BB/9 during that time. Matusz will now slide into a 2016 relief corps that also features Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Brad Brach, Dylan Bundy and Mychal Givens. Thanks largely to those five, Orioles relievers have put up the second-best bullpen ERA in baseball this year (1.74).
AL Notes: Jays, Astros, Red Sox, Yanks
In the wake of the 80-game PED suspension handed to Blue Jays first baseman/designated hitter Chris Colabello on Friday, teammate Kevin Pillar had some choice words for Major League Baseball (Twitter link via Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet Magazine). “This is a guy that got caught up in a flawed system,” the outfielder said of Colabello. “He fell victim to a technicality in the system. And I think that the drug testing policy and Major League Baseball are going to have some soul searching to do and they’re going to have to figure it out.” Pillar didn’t elaborate on the “technicality” that he believes victimized Colabello. The 32-year-old tested positive in March for the banned substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, an anabolic steroid that’s designed to increase the user’s speed and strength. Colabello did pass four drug tests last year, though, tweets John Lott of VICE Sports.
More from Toronto and a couple other American League cities:
- The Blue Jays aren’t yet considering going outside the organization to replace Colabello, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link). Justin Smoak is first in line to pick up the slack, per Rosenthal, who points out that the team also has Matt Dominguez in Triple-A Buffalo. Rosenthal didn’t mention Jesus Montero, who’s with Dominguez in Buffalo. The former elite prospect has recorded a respectable .292/.341/.429 line in in 315 career plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.
- Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said Friday that Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo and Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez (then the Rays’ bench coach) were the main runners-up to A.J. Hinch in Houston’s 2014 managerial search, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald writes. “I think he’s going to be a major league manager in the future, and a good one,” Luhnow said of Lovullo. “He has a great balance of instincts and wisdom from all of his coaching experience, and understanding and appreciation for all of the other elements that are involved.” Lovullo garnered some major league managerial experience last season when he filled in for John Farrell, who was undergoing treatment for lymphoma, and led the Red Sox to a 28-21 record. Hinch, meanwhile, helped the Astros to a playoff berth and finished second in the AL manager of the year voting. This year isn’t going nearly as well so far, however, as the Astros have gone a surprisingly poor 5-12.
- Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks will undergo an MRI after leaving the team’s win Friday with a jammed non-throwing (left) shoulder, reports Ryan Hatch of NJ Advance Media. “We told him: see how you feel when you wake up,” said manager Joe Girardi. “If you’re really sore, we’re going to send you for an MRI. And that’s what happened.” Hicks, whom the Yankees acquired from the Twins during the offseason, has appeared in 14 of 15 games this year and totaled just two singles and two walks in 24 plate appearances.
AL Central Notes: Mauer, Maybin, Indians
A quick spin around the AL Central…
- After two uncharacteristically weak offensive seasons, Twins first baseman Joe Mauer is turning back the clock to his MVP-contending days so far this year. Mauer is hitting a tremendous .333/.461/.467 in 76 plate appearances with 14 walks against only five strikeouts, and he’s swinging at a far lower rate of pitches outside the strike zone than he did last season (18.2 percent versus 27.6 percent in 2015). Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press details one potential reason for Mauer’s 180 in performance: strobe glasses. Nike sent the glasses to Mauer in the offseason, and he now uses them in the indoor batting cage before each game. “It makes it a lot tougher visually for you to see the ball because you only get pictures of it,” Mauer said. “The strobes can go faster or slower. We only do it off the tee or flips — short toss. When you take them off, it seems to slow it down actually so you can focus in on the ball.” Twins hitting coach Tom Brunansky tried the glasses and quickly bought into their usefulness, per Berardino. “It makes you keep your head still and keep your head back,” he stated.
- The Tigers announced that outfielder Cameron Maybin – on the shelf since early March with a fractured hand – will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Saturday. Maybin will likely play three to five games before re-evaluation, manager Brad Ausmus said (Twitter link via Jason Beck of MLB.com). Detroit acquired Maybin over the offseason with the hope that he’d serve as part of the solution in center field, which has mostly belonged to Anthony Gose in his absence. Gose has been a non-factor offensively so far this season, hitting .200/.289/.275 in 45 PAs. As a member of the Braves last season, Maybin compiled a much better .267/.327/.370 line in 555 PAs, also chipping in 10 home runs and 23 steals on 29 attempts.
- Indians right-hander Cody Anderson could be pitching to retain his spot in the rotation in his next start, according to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Anderson beat out Trevor Bauer for a rotation job during Spring Training and has opened the season with a 7.53 ERA/7.51 FIP/4.89 xFIP in three starts (14 1/3 innings). Anderson’s next scheduled start is Tuesday in Minnesota, and if he doesn’t significantly improve on his last two outings – during which he allowed 10 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings – he could end up in Triple-A and Bauer would replace him in the rotation. Despite Bauer’s 10 strikeouts in eight innings out of the Indians’ bullpen, he hasn’t been overly effective this season. The 25-year-old has yielded four earned runs, nine hits and four walks thus far.
East Notes: Yankees, Gallardo, Braves, Hanley
The Yankees can either call up first baseman/outfielder Nick Swisher from Triple-A or try to trade suspended closer Aroldis Chapman for a bat as a way to spark their offense, writes Barry A. Bloom of MLB.com. Of course, it’s debatable whether either action would present any kind of solution. Swisher – whom the Yankees signed to a minor league deal earlier this month – is raking in Triple-A (.381/.440/.571 in 25 plate appearances) and was a terrific major leaguer from 2005-13, including four seasons in pinstripes. However, more recently, he was among the majors’ worst regulars the previous two seasons, has dealt with knee problems, and was jettisoned by both the Indians and Braves. Although the Yankees’ Dellin Betances– and Andrew Miller-led bullpen has fared well without Chapman, who will return next month, it’s difficult to imagine a prospective contender dealing a legitimate offensive producer for less than a season of control over the flame-throwing lefty. Plus, despite the Yankees’ early RISP troubles (their .668 OPS with men in scoring position ranks 20th), their offense is still a solid 10th in the league in wRC+.
Here’s more from the AL East and one NL East team:
- Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo, who left Friday’s start after two innings because of shoulder discomfort, will see team orthopedist Dr. Mike Jacobs in Baltimore today, reports Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. Gallardo told Encina that his shoulder began acting up while getting loose in the bullpen before Friday’s game. “My shoulder just didn’t feel right. To be honest, it was one of those feelings that I’ve never had my whole career,” he said. That’s a particularly alarming admission from a player who signed a two-year deal with the Orioles in February after the team nixed an agreed-upon third year because of a shoulder problem that came to the forefront in Gallardo’s physical. The 30-year-old has also experienced a notable velocity drop this season, which manager Buck Showalter acknowledged Friday. “I’ve done all the looks at his average velocity in April and May. Every start I’ve looked at them. He’s down,” Showalter said.
- Betances and Miller have been brilliant out of the Yankees’ bullpen this year, but David Schoenfield of ESPN.com argues that the team isn’t getting as much from them as it could. The two have logged 15 appearances between them, and only once has manager Joe Girardi deployed either for longer than an inning of work (Betances got four outs April 12). That isn’t good enough, opines Schoenfield, who believes the Yankees should lean more heavily on both of them until Chapman returns, citing Betances’ ability to handle a significant workload (he easily led all relievers with a combined 174 innings from 2014-15) and Miller’s past as a starter.
- The Braves are willing to overlook third baseman Adonis Garcia‘s defensive struggles because of his above-average offensive output, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. In 74 games dating back to last season, Garcia has hit a palatable .285/.318/472, though his .870 fielding percentage ranks last among major league third basemen who have accrued at least 120 chances going back to 1910, per Bowman. “He’s not a third baseman. He plays hitter,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Garcia. In fairness to Garcia, over a 345-inning sample size at third in 2015, he was only a bit below average by the standards of advanced metrics like defensive runs saved and ultimate zone rating.
- The Red Sox seem pleased with Hanley Ramirez‘s transition from left field to first base, and the 32-year-old has won fans over with his effort and attitude, but the club needs more from him offensively, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe offers. Ramirez, a career .296/.366/.493 hitter, is batting a disappointing .277/.290/400 with 17 strikeouts and two walks in 69 PAs this year. Since signing a four-year, $88MM contract with Boston in November 2014, the Red Sox’s current No. 5 hitter has put up a below-average .253/.291/.423 line in 499 PAs.
Week In Review: 4/16/16 – 4/22/16
A look back at the notable moves and news from around Major League Baseball over the last week…
Key Moves
- Blue Jays first baseman/outfielder Chris Colabello received an 80-game PED suspension.
- The Twins hired former manager Ron Gardenhire as a special assistant to GM Terry Ryan.
- The Rays promoted top pitching prospect Blake Snell.
- The Blue Jays signed two-time All-Star center fielder Michael Bourn to a minor league deal.
Trades
- Phillies – acquired OF Alfredo Marte from Orioles for cash considerations or player to be named later.
- Rockies – acquired 1B Cody Decker from Royals for cash considerations.
Designated For Assignment
- Marlins – P Chris Narveson (link)
- Reds – P Tim Melville (link)
- Red Sox – P Edwin Escobar (link)
- Rockies – P David Hale (link)
Outrighted
- Marlins – P Dustin McGowan (link)
- Phillies – P James Russell (link)
- Reds – P Keyvius Sampson (link)
- Tigers – P Logan Kensing (link)
Released
- Blue Jays – C Humberto Quintero (link)
- Nationals – 1B Nate Freiman (link)
- Orioles – P Todd Redmond (link)
- Pirates – 1B/OF Michael Morse (link)
Key Minor League Signings
- Dodgers – P Joe Thatcher (link)
- Tigers – C Humberto Quintero (link)
- White Sox – P John Holdzkom (link)
Quick Hits: Gallardo, Arrieta, Ethier, Carter
We already covered some injury updates tonight, but there’s another one of note. Yovani Gallardo‘s struggles worsened tonight for the Orioles, and after the game skipper Buck Showalter said that he’s dealing with shoulder soreness, as Ghiroli reports (links to Twitter). The righty was already showing a two mile per hour decline in his average fastball, but said the issue arose only before and during tonight’s start. He lasted only two innings and 45 pitches today, surrendering four earned runs on five hits and a walk. The veteran says he’s never before experienced this kind of discomfort and that it got worse as the game progressed. Gallardo is expected to return to Baltimore for further evaluation. You’ll recall that Gallardo’s original agreement with the O’s was modified after shoulder questions cropped up in his physical.
Here are a few more notes to round out the evening:
- On the heels of Jake Arrieta‘s second no-hitter for the Cubs, Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com takes a look back at the deal that brought the star righty to Chicago along with reliever Pedro Strop in the summer of 2013. With Baltimore looking to bolster its rotation for a playoff push, the Cubs parted with half a season of Scott Feldman to acquire two controllable pitchers who have paid out handsomely since the swap. “We had scouted Jake extensively,” said Cubs GM Jed Hoyer. “We had done a lot of makeup work on him. We did the same thing on Strop. At that time, we just needed to get power arms onto our team.” Of course, as Hoyer acknowledges, the club didn’t expect anything like what Arrieta has delivered; as he puts it, “what [Arrieta’s] done is obviously exceptional.”
- While he’s shelved on the DL with a broken leg, Dodgers‘ outfielder Andre Ethier has officially achieved ten-and-five status, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times notes on Twitter. The veteran therefore obtains full no-trade rights, which was all but inevitable when the club elected not to deal him entering the season. Ethier is owed $20MM for one more campaign after this one, including a $2.5MM buyout on a club option for 2018.
- First baseman Chris Carter is off to a nice start with the Brewers, as Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. After another productive evening, Carter owns a .259/.328/.593 slash with four long balls over his first 64 plate appearances. That’s a far cry from his awful start to the 2015 season, and Carter attributes it in large part to his offseason effort to change his approach. “I’m just hitting more balls the other way,” Carter explained. “My homers this year have been to center, right-center. That’s something that I didn’t do that much last year until the end of the year. It’s something I worked on in the offseason, hitting balls where they’re pitched instead of trying to pull them.” Thus far, at least, Milwaukee’s $2.5MM investment has been well worth it.
AL Notes: Darvish, Smith, ERod, Kelly, Owens, Snell, Farquhar, Gausman, Gallardo
Here’s the latest out of the American League, with a focus on some recent injury news on key pitchers:
- Rehabbing Rangers ace Yu Darvish will throw another live BP session before beginning his rehab assignment, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. The righty hasn’t suffered any kind of setback, but hopes to refine his offspeed offerings before reporting to Double-A to begin his march back to the majors.
- Meanwhile, Red Sox reliever Carson Smith looks to be on track for a return in early May, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports on Twitter. He’ll need to make at least three minor league outings, including two on back-to-back days, before being activate. The righty will be a welcome addition to the back of the Boston pen. Likewise, lefty Eduardo Rodriguez may be on his way back soon, as Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald tweets that he could return to the majors after two rehab starts.
- In other Red Sox pitching news, the club is hopeful that Joe Kelly won’t miss much more than the minimum on his 15-day DL stint, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports (Twitter links). Southpaw Henry Owens will step into Kelly’s place in the rotation. He’s put up three solid outings at Triple-A thus far, allowing just two earned runs in 18 innings with 23 strikeouts and ten walks.
- With top Rays pitching prospect Blake Snell coming up for his first start tomorrow, Baseball America’s Vince Lara-Cinisomo takes a look at the 23-year-old lefty. While he still needs to refine his command, BA suggests he could become a number two starter if he can reach his ceiling in the majors. Tampa Bay has optioned reliever Danny Farquhar to clear room for Snell, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The 29-year-old righty has pitched well enough in the early going, but he was one of only a few optionable arms in the Rays’ pen and appeared in each of the last two games.
- The Orioles are set to activate Kevin Gausman for his first start of the season on Monday, with the heralded righty saying that he thinks his shoulder issues are a thing of the past, as MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli reports. In his latest rehab appearance, said Gausman, he felt more “comfortable” than he had in his prior outings. Hopes are high for the 25-year-old, and the Baltimore rotation is certainly need of a boost with only one member (Ubaldo Jimenez) currently carrying a sub-4.00 ERA.
Offseason In Review: Kansas City Royals
This post completes a series in which MLBTR reviewed the offseason moves of every team in baseball. You can find all of those posts at this link.
After coming one game away from baseball’s top prize in 2014, the Royals again reached the postseason in 2015, this time closing out the job with their first World Series title in 30 years. The celebratory parade in Kansas City was a sight to behold, but GM Dayton Moore and his staff had plenty of work to do in what was a busy offseason.
Major League Signings
- Alex Gordon, OF: Four years, $72MM plus 2019 mutual option
- Ian Kennedy, RHP: Five years, $70MM plus opt-out after 2017 season
- Joakim Soria, RHP: Three years, $25MM, plus 2019 mutual option
- Chris Young, RHP: Two years, $11.5MM, plus 2018 mutual option
- Mike Minor, LHP: Two years, $7.25MM plus 2018 mutual option
- Total spend: $185.75MM
Notable Minor League Signings
- Chien-Ming Wang, Travis Snider, Brian Duensing, Clint Barmes, Ross Ohlendorf, David Huff, Peter Moylan, Lester Oliveros
Trades and Claims
- Acquired C Tony Cruz from Cardinals in exchange for INF Jose Martinez
Extensions
- Salvador Perez, C: Five years, $52.5MM (replaced final three years of previous extension)
- Lorenzo Cain, CF: Two years, $17.5MM
- Mike Moustakas, 3B: Two years, $14.3MM
Notable Losses
Needs Addressed
The Royals entered the offseason with a pair of corner outfielders hitting free agency: Alex Gordon and Alex Rios. Gordon, the former No. 2 overall draft pick who has emerged as the face of this new wave of contending baseball in Kansas City, was the clear priority for Moore and the rest of the front office. With early reports that the Royals hoped to re-sign him on a three- or four-year deal, significant doubt was cast on that possibility. It seemed implausible to many, myself included, that Gordon could be had for a deal of that length. However, he was one of many outfielders that lingered on the market longer than pundits expected, and he ultimately signed for $72MM over a four-year term shortly after New Year’s Day. Retaining Gordon was a huge win for the fans, and the fact that the Royals were able to do so at a reasonably manageable price was a plus for the front office. Gordon’s contract is still a record-setter for the typically cost-conscious Royals, but the rest of their roster is affordable enough over the next couple of seasons that it shouldn’t be burdensome.
With Cueto, Young and Guthrie lining up as free agents, the Royals needed to supplement their rotation with innings. They were linked to a fair number of free-agent starters, but the primary addition to their rotation was rather stunning. Ian Kennedy always made sense as a target for the Royals — a fly-ball pitcher that would benefit from a large park and excellent defense (plus, Kansas City’s relationship with Scott Boras is strong) — but the terms of the contract were jarring. I was aggressive on Kennedy’s free agent stock this winter and always considered the narrative that he should accept San Diego’s qualifying offer to be ludicrous, but despite being more bullish on his earning power than most, I was still floored when he secured not only a five-year deal worth $70MM but also an opt-out clause.
Kennedy’s skill set is a great fit for a Royals club that can mask his greatest deficiencies via the aforementioned stadium and defensive prowess, but the contract is still teeming with downside. Kennedy is guaranteed just $27MM of that $70MM sum, meaning he’d be opting out of a three-year, $43MM contract as he heads into his age-33 season. While that’s certainly possible, Kennedy’s inconsistent track record and homer-prone nature also make it easy to envision a scenario where that sum tops what he’d earn on the open market. A spike in his homer-to-flyball ratio similar to the one he experienced in another pitcher-friendly environment in 2015 and 2013 would leave the Royals with an unsightly contract.
The Royals made a pair of smaller-scale commitments in the rotation as well. First, they paid up for right-hander Chris Young after two years of drastically outperforming his peripheral stats thanks to his propensity for weak fly-balls (and, weak contact in general). Young shouldn’t be counted on for innings, having topped 100 frames in a season just thrice since the conclusion of the 2008 season, but he’s being paid a fairly modest $11.5MM over the next two seasons and doesn’t need to do all that much to justify the investment. The Mike Minor contract is even lower risk, financially speaking, as the lefty followed former teammate Kris Medlen from Atlanta to Kansas City and signed a similar contract. Minor is recovering from shoulder surgery, but if he resembles anything close to the 2012-13 version of himself upon his return, it’ll be an easy win for the Royals.
The loss of Greg Holland to Tommy John surgery created a hole at the back of the Kansas City bullpen and turned their dominant late-inning trio into a still-formidable duo of Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera. The Royals sought to fill in the Holland-sized void by reuniting with Joakim Soria, but did so by paying top-of-the-market dollars for a 31-year-old reliever (soon to be 32) that delivered fairly pedestrian results in 2015 prior to a trade to the Pirates. While Ryan Madson‘s age perhaps dissuaded the Royals from matching the Athletics’ $22MM commitment in him (understandably so), it was fairly surprising to see the Royals turn around and offer even more money to a setup man that will pitch the final season of a three-year deal at age 34.
Read more analysis after the break…
