Rangers Exploring Catching Market, Showing Interest In Derek Norris
The Rangers are “surveying the market for a possible catching addition,” three sources tell Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. While the Rangers have had interest in Jonathan Lucroy all offseason, Grant cites another source in reporting that the Padres’ Derek Norris is a likelier target at this stage.
Norris, 27, is more affordable for the 2016 season ($2.9MM versus Lucroy’s $4MM), and he’s under control through the 2018 season, whereas Lucroy is controlled only through the 2017 campaign (by virtue of a club option following the upcoming season). While the $1.1MM difference between their 2016 seasons appears largely trivial relative to big league payrolls, Grant notes that the Rangers have already exceeded their projected payroll by $7MM (in large part due to their late signing of Ian Desmond).
Though he had somewhat of a down season at the plate last year, hitting .250/.305/.404, Norris has plenty of bat for the position and has amassed a .256/.333/.405 slash line dating back to 2013 despite playing his home games in the pitcher-friendly confines of Oakland’s O.Co Coliseum and San Diego’s Petco Park. He’s caught 27 percent of opposing base-stealers in the Majors, including a career-best 34 percent with the Padres in 2015. And, he delivered quality framing numbers last season in the eyes of Baseball Prospectus.
From the Padres’ vantage point, catching is a position of depth. Not only does the club have an experienced option in Norris, the club also has a pair of young backstops in the form of Austin Hedges and Christian Bethancourt. Each player has rated among the game’s top 100 prospects as recently as last offseason, though both did struggle in the Majors in 2015. The 23-year-old Hedges, considered one of the best defensive catching prospects in baseball, tallied 152 plate appearances in 2015 but batted a mere .168/.215/.248 in that stretch. Hedges tallied just enough plate appearances to surpass his rookie status, thus making him ineligible for prospect lists, but his defensive prowess and solid production in limited time at Triple-A in 2015 would’ve likely kept him ranked near the top of the Padres’ list of farmhands.
Bethancourt, like Hedges, has eclipsed rookie status despite struggles in the Majors. Acquired in an offseason swap with the Braves, the 24-year-old has hit just .219/.245/.283 in 278 big league plate appearances across the past few seasons with Atlanta. However, Bethancourt hit .327/.359/.480 in 218 Triple-A plate appearances last year and has received grades of 70 to 80 for his arm behind the plate (on the 20-80 scale). However, passed ball issues that some scouts believed he’d eventually correct never improved, resulting in an alarming 14 passed balls in just 73 games last season. Because he’s out of minor league options, Bethancourt will have to be placed on the Padres’ 25-man roster at the end of Spring Training or be exposed to waivers.
This won’t be the first time that Norris’ name has surfaced in trade talks. The Padres reportedly shopped both Norris and Hedges around a bit at the Winter Meetings, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported back in November. More recently (in February, to be exact), Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports said that the Padres were still exploring deals for Norris in Matt Kemp. If the Rangers add Norris, Grant writes, it would allow them to lessen the workload of Robinson Chirinos, perhaps starting him in 70 to 80 games with Norris taking on a slightly larger workload. Internal options for the Rangers would include Michael McKenry, Bobby Wilson and Chris Gimenez. Tigers backstop Bryan Holaday has also seen his name surface in trade rumors recently, as he looks to be third on the Detroit depth chart and is out of minor league options.
Phillies Seeking Corner Outfielder In Wake Of Altherr Injury
The Phillies are “definitely” looking for some help in right field after learning that projected starter Aaron Altherr will be out for four to six months due to a left wrist injury that required surgery, ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported on Buster Olney’s daily podcast (audio link, with Phillies talk starting up around the 9:00 mark). Stark follows up with a series of tweets, explaining that the Phillies are most open to adding a one-year rental — possibly one that can be acquired primarily by taking on salary — that can perhaps be flipped this coming July (links to Stark on Twitter). Marlon Byrd, he adds, is “not a fit for where they are right now.”
There’s no shortage of names that could fit that bill, but some highly speculative options that are slated to hit the open market following the 2016 season include Michael Saunders (who was already nearly traded once), Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, Angel Pagan, Carlos Beltran, Jon Jay, Coco Crisp and Sam Fuld. The Mets’ Alejandro De Aza, too, could be a fit, if New York does indeed explore fits for him late in Spring Training, as has been rumored. (De Aza, of course, would need to approve the trade after having only signed with the Mets this winter.) Jay Bruce, in some ways, fits that bill, though he has a club option for 2017, and the Reds, presumably, would want more than pure salary relief in exchange for their former star. Among the notable free agent names left on the market are David DeJesus and Alex Rios.
Of course, plenty of other veteran names could become available late in camp as players are outrighted or opt out of their minor league deals, but Stark added on the podcast that the Phillies, seemingly, are eyeing someone who can bring a bit more to the table than a late-spring release or outright candidate.
As it stands, the Phillies have Odubel Herrera lined up in center field with Peter Bourjos, Cody Asche and Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel as candidates for the corner spots. Asche, though, has been slowed by an oblique injury this spring and could be delayed in making his season debut. Veteran outfielder David Lough is also in camp on a minor league contract, and injuries to Altherr and Asche could enhance his chances of making the club as well, if no outfield acquisition comes to fruition.
Minor MLB Transactions: 3/15/16
We’ll track the day’s minor moves in this post:
- Angels lefty Rob Rasmussen has elected to retire, per a club announcement (via J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group, on Twitter, who also had an interesting recent profile on the southpaw). According to MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez, via Twitter, the UCLA grad is off to pursue a business degree. The 26-year-old Rasmussen logged 26 2/3 innings with the Blue Jays and Mariners over the past two seasons, though he struggled in 2015 after a nice 2014 debut. Originally a second-round pick of the Marlins, Rasmussen’s career will come to a close with a 3.71 ERA in the minors to complement his small sample of big league work.
- Former big leaguer Jeff Kobernus has joined the indy league Lancaster Barnstormers, Jason Bristol of Pennsylvania’s CBS 21 reports (Twitter link). The club confirmed the move on Twitter and also announced that it will bring back righty Mark Lamm, who has also pitched recently in the upper minors in the Braves system. The 27-year-old Kobernus tallied 44 plate appearances with the 2013-14 Nationals and spent an injury-shortened season in the Giants system last year. He’s a lifetime .295/.354/.375 hitter at the Triple-A level and will hope to jump back into affiliated ball with a strong showing on the independent circuit.
Adam LaRoche Retires
FRIDAY: Chicago has filed LaRoche’s retirement paperwork, officially leaving three open spots on the club’s 40-man roster, according to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin (via Twitter). Of course, there’s been plenty of other story development since he first left the organization on Tuesday, and you can read it all at LaRoche’s MLBTR tag.
TUESDAY: White Sox DH Adam LaRoche says he will “step away from baseball,” Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports (Twitter links). He indicated that he would wait a few days before addressing the matter further, out of respect for his teammates’ request that he think it over, but seemingly made clear he is set on retirement.
That news is notable on multiple levels, particularly as there were no prior indications that the 36-year-old was considering hanging up his spikes. The 12-year-veteran is under contract this year for $13MM, the second and final year of the two-year pact he signed to join the Sox out of free agency.
A respected veteran with a smooth swing and graceful glove at first, LaRoche endured quite a few ups and downs in his career but always seemed to re-emerge. After a promising start to with the Braves, beginning in 2004, he was dealt to the Pirates in advance of the 2007 season. He put up two solid campaigns there before falling off in 2009, when he bounced to the Red Sox and then back to Atlanta — where he finished strong to set up a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks. All told, through his age-30 season in Arizona, LaRoche carried a sturdy .271/.339/.488 slash.
The next chapter of LaRoche’s career began when he signed a two-year, $16MM contract with the Nationals. LaRoche bombed in his first year in D.C. — an injury-riddled, career-worst performance — then bombed in a good way in his second — putting up a .271/.343/.510 batting line with 33 home runs. That set up another two-year deal with D.C. in free agency, with his final two seasons with the Nats once again following the down-up pattern. LaRoche again visited the open market, with a qualifying offer weighing him down for a second time, and ultimately went to the White Sox for two years and $25MM.
LaRoche scuffled last year for Chicago, though he wasn’t alone in that regard. Over 484 plate appearances, he slashed just .207/.293/.340 and hit a dozen home runs — well off of the production levels that earned him that contract. Most worryingly, perhaps, his strikeout rate shot up to 27.5% and LaRoche struggled to get anything going against opposing southpaws. While he’s turned things around before, he was certainly a major question mark heading into 2016. It didn’t help that he’s been limited by back issues this spring.
From the team’s perspective, parting with LaRoche on its own accord surely at least had to be considered. Melky Cabrera profiles better as a designated hitter than a corner outfielder, and looks like the most likely option to slide into LaRoche’s presumed role as the primary DH. Of course, that would leave Avisail Garcia back in primary duties in one outfield corner, perhaps platooning with J.B. Shuck or Daniel Fields, and that may not be optimal.
While LaRoche’s career is worth celebrating on its own accord, the financial elements cannot be ignored. It’s unclear at present whether LaRoche will recoup any of the $13MM he was set to earn, but even a significant chunk of that amount would represent a huge boon to the team’s payroll flexibility. There aren’t any obvious, big-ticket free agents to spend it on — unless Chicago wants to replace him directly with Justin Morneau or add a veteran such as Marlon Byrd — but it’s certainly plausible to imagine the South Siders revisiting trade talks for a player such as Andre Ethier or Jay Bruce. Alternatively, of course, the club could wait and prepare to deploy those reserves at the deadline.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Daniel Descalso Out “Several Weeks” With Fractured Left Hand
Rockies infielder Daniel Descalso has a “very small” fracture to his left hand, manager Walt Weiss told reporters, including Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post (Twitter links). He is expected to miss “several weeks” with the injury, Weiss added, as will southpaw Tyler Anderson, who is dealing with an oblique issue but wasn’t expected to challenge for a roster spot.
Descalso was penciled in as the club’s utility infielder, but he’ll now certainly be on the shelf for Opening Day and some stretch beyond. That may help open things up for some younger options. Colorado was already deciding between Christhian Adames and Trevor Story to fill in for Jose Reyes at shortstop, and both now look like good bets to crack the majors (so long as Colorado is willing to put Story on track for Super Two status).
The Rockies will be hopeful of a bounceback from Descalso when he returns. Never much of a threat at the plate, he fell to a paltry .205/.283/.324 batting line in 209 plate appearances last year despite the benefits of hitting at Coors Field. That line was good only for a 43 wRC+. Descalso is most valued for his defensive versatility, of course, and continued to show a playable glove at both middle infield positions last season.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Click here to read a transcript of today’s live chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
Royals Add Dillon Gee To 40-Man Roster
1:03pm: The Royals have added Gee to the 40-man, meaning he’ll stay in Kansas City, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com tweets. Roster space was created by moving Mike Minor to the 60-day DL.
10:08am: Righty Dillon Gee has informed the Royals that he will opt out of his minor league deal with the club if he is not added to the 40-man roster, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports (Twitter links). By operation of that contract clause, Kansas City will have 48 hours (beginning at midnight tonight) to decide whether to add Gee to its 40-man roster or instead allow him to return to the open market.
The Royals would be committing to a reported $2MM salary if Gee is given a roster spot. His deal also calls for incentives, the value of which depend upon whether he is used as a starter or reliever. The veteran reportedly turned down major league offers from other organizations in hopes of joining the defending World Series champs.
Gee, who’ll soon turn 30, is looking for a bounceback season after a rough 2015. He didn’t appear in the majors with the Mets after allowing 26 earned runs over his first 39 2/3 innings, as the club turned to younger options. Gee went on to throw 105 minor league frames, posting a 4.11 ERA.
Of course, he’s done a good bit more in the past and looks to be a nice back-end rotation or swingman option for the right team. All told, Gee has thrown 679 1/3 innings in the majors, working to a 4.03 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9. And he’s shown well early on this spring, allowing one earned run on five hits and two walks (against three strikeouts) in his five innings of action.
White Sox Release Mike Olt
MARCH 15: Chicago has given Olt his release, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
MARCH 7: Olt has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com tweets. He’ll remain in major league camp with Chicago.
MARCH 6: The White Sox have designated third baseman Mike Olt for assignment, the team has announced (via MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, on Twitter). His roster spot was needed for the signing of Austin Jackson, which has been made official.
Olt, 27, was once a top prospect in the Rangers organization, but he’s dealt with vision issues and has not yet been able to translate his robust minor league offensive production to the major league level. Over 400 career MLB plate appearances, Olt has slashed just .168/.250/.330 with a 37% strikeout rate, though he has hit 16 home runs in that span.
Chicago gave the right-handed-hitting Olt a look down the stretch last year, but went on to acquire Todd Frazier to fulfill the team’s needs at the hot corner. Jose Abreu, of course, remains entrenched at first.
The right-handed-hitting Olt obviously was not seen as an essential part of the team’s prospective reserve corps, though he could still be retained if he clears waivers. With Jackson joining the roster, the club has a variety of options to fulfill bench bat/DH duties. Switch-hitter Melky Cabrera ought to receive regular turns at bat, regardless of whether he’s in the field, while Avisail Garcia and recent claimee Jerry Sands also could be deployed against opposing southpaws.
Edwin Encarnacion Says Talks With Blue Jays Stalled Over Deal Length
The previously-reported extension talks between the Blue Jays and slugger Edwin Encarnacion do not appear to have gained much traction, according to a report from Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes (Spanish-language link). Encarnacion expressed a generally pessimistic outlook on the possibility of a deal.
Speaking with Rojas in his native Spanish (translation errors mine), Encarnacion said that there was “nothing new” to report from the latest talks between his representative and the club. He explained that the sides have not even reached the point of talking money, as discussions have stalled over the number of years that would be covered in a new contract.
The 33-year-old is essentially limited to DH and first base duties at this stage of his career. Age and lack of positional flexibility no doubt limit the team’s interest in a lengthy pact, but with free agency beckoning it isn’t hard to see why Encarnacion and his camp are looking to maximize the term of years — which, he noted, was a key point from his perspective.
Encarnacion has established himself as one of the game’s premier power hitters and best contractual values over the last several years. Dating back to his breakout 2012 season, he has posted a .274/.371/.549 batting line with 151 home runs. Encarnacion has been consistent and durable, too, with only one campaign with an OPS+ below 150 (he put up a 145 mark in 2013) and one year in which he managed less than 600 plate appearances (he took 542 trips to the plate in 2014).
If no movement can be gained in talks with Toronto, Encarnacion says he’ll be glad to take that track record onto an open market that promises to feature a shallower crop of talent than was available this past winter. “Now, I hope to finish my year, finish my year healthy and go to free agency,” he said. While he made clear that he wouldn’t rule out a deal coming together, Encarnacion suggested an extension was not a likely outcome as things stand.
Mets Place Ruben Tejada On Waivers
The Mets have placed shortstop Ruben Tejada on waivers, ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin reports. He had agreed to a $3MM deal to avoid arbitration, and New York will remain responsible for one-sixth of that amount ($500K) if he is not claimed (or whatever portion of it he does not earn over the course of the season).
Tejada, 26, has settled in as a slightly below-average hitter and is capable of playing up the middle defensively. Though he’s generally graded out as an average defender at short, both UZR and DRS pegged him as a net negative there last season.
For a player that looks like a solid utility option, there’s been quite a bit of intrigue in recent months. Tejada suffered a broken leg due to a controversial take-out slide by Chase Utley during the post-season. He seemed a plausible non-tender candidate, but was offered a contract by the Mets. Then, he was awarded an extra day of service time to move up his free-agent timeline by one year (he’ll be eligible after this season).
Since that time, Tejada has seen his name enter the rumor mill, particularly with the Cardinals losing Jhonny Peralta for the first half of the year. Per Rubin, the Mets feel satisfied with their middle infield situation after adding Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker over the winter, with Wilmer Flores set to see plenty of action around the diamond.