Max Stassi Undergoes Wrist Surgery
Astros catcher Max Stassi had surgery yesterday on the hamate bone in his left wrist, Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle reports. He’s expected to require six weeks off to recover from the injury, so he’ll obviously not be ready for Opening Day.
Stassi, who turns 25 today, had been expected to slot in alongside Jason Castro in the club’s backstop mix. He may yet have that chance, but will first need to make it back from the surgery and undertake a rehab stint.
Though he’s received only limited MLB exposure over each of the last three seasons, Stassi has long been expected to contribute at the major league level. Rating him the Astros’ 19th-best prospect entering 2016, Baseball America noted that Stassi is a solid defender in all respects, though his bat has failed to advance in the upper minors. He’s known for struggling to make contact but delivering some pop when he does: in his 753 Triple-A plate appearances over the past two seasons, Stassi owns a .232/.289/.380 batting line with 22 home runs.
Houston’s options to replace Stassi are rather limited. Indeed, Alfredo Gonzalez is the only replacement who is already o the 40-man. The youngster, who rated 26th on BA’s list, is considered a quality defender, though he’s yet to play above Double-A and comes with durability questions. Tyler Heineman and Roberto Pena are the other members of the system in MLB camp. Evan Gattis could (at least in theory) receive consideration once he’s back to full strength, though he hasn’t suited up since he was dealt to the ‘Stros.
While it might not be reasonable to expect the Astros to make any kind of significant acquisition, a play for a veteran depth piece certainly seems to make some sense. It’d obviously be preferable to do that sooner than later, though other organizations will be hesitant to thin their own ranks at this stage of the spring.
NL Notes: Cueto, Jennings, Pirates
Giants starter Johnny Cueto was hit in the head on a Billy Burns liner on the first pitch of his outing Monday night, according to various reporters, including the San Francisco Chronicle’s Henry Schulman. Cueto stayed in the game and pitched three innings, but was checked by team doctors after pitching and will head to the hospital in accordance with team protocol (Twitter links). One would think the Giants would have removed Cueto from the game after the incident if they had considered the issue serious (acknowledging, of course, that pro sports teams have at times underestimated the impact of potential concussions). There would have been no reason for the Giants to keep Cueto in a Spring Training game if they had any indication he was hurt. Still, the situation bears monitoring. Here’s more from around the NL.
- The grievance filed by the Marlins against the Nationals regarding former Marlins GM and manager Dan Jennings was settled in favor of the Nationals, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post writes. The Nationals are paying Jennings $115K to be a special assistant to GM Mike Rizzo. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported yesterday that the Marlins took issue with that salary because they owed Jennings $1.5MM based on his previous contract with them, minus his salary in his new position. The Marlins thought the Nats’ $115K salary was too low given Jennings’ responsibilities, and that they were therefore on the hook for too much of his remaining salary. Via Janes, though, the disagreement has been resolved. “It’s an old grievance, and it has been settled,” says Rizzo.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington is excited about his organization’s Triple-A rotation, Stephen A. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. The Bucs today optioned top prospects Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon to Triple-A Indianapolis and reassigned fellow starters Chad Kuhl, Steven Brault and Trevor Williams. (They also optioned outfielder Harold Ramirez and reassigned catcher Reese McGuire and lefty Kelvin Marte.) Of those starting pitchers, Glasnow and Taillon are the headliners, but Kuhl, Brault and Williams are all prospects in their own right. All could wind up pitching at Indianapolis this year (although perhaps not right away, as Nesbitt notes, since the Bucs might need to preserve a spot there for a depth starter like Kyle Lobstein or Wilfredo Boscan.) “The future is bright,” says Huntington. “You run Taillon, Glasnow, Kuhl, Brault and Williams out in one setting — that’s a very exciting group. … Each one of them brings something that’s very, very intriguing. Now you put that group of five together, it bodes well for our future.” Kuhl is a sinkerballer who pitched well for Double-A Altoona last season. Brault, a lefty, excelled at Class A+ and Double-A after arriving last winter in the trade that sent Travis Snider to Baltimore. And Williams is a recent arrival who the Bucs acquired from the Marlins when pitching guru Jim Benedict headed to Miami.
AL Notes: Athletics, Lucroy, Eveland
The Athletics‘ collection of infield prospects will be key to the organization’s future, MLB.com’s Jim Callis writes. Seven of the Athletics’ top eight prospects — Franklin Barreto, Matt Olson, Richie Martin, Renato Nunez, Matt Chapman, Yairo Munoz and Chad Pinder — play in the infield. All except Martin appear likely to start the year in Double-A or Triple-A. “The future of our organization really resides in that core group,” says A’s farm director Keith Lieppman. “There’s a real intent to get them exposed to as much as possible. Whether they go up later in the year or up in 2017, we have a crop of guys in Double-A and Triple-A who are all going to have an opportunity to make the A’s competitive in the future.” As Callis notes, the amount of infield talent in the A’s system raises questions about whether the ever-active Billy Beane could deal from that surplus — he’s already traded top infield prospects Addison Russell and Daniel Robertson in recent seasons. Here’s more from the AL.
- The Rangers still have interest in adding Jonathan Lucroy, tweets FOX’s Ken Rosenthal, but they haven’t had recent discussions with the Brewers about the former All-Star catcher. The Astros and Athletics have also had some interest in Lucroy, Rosenthal notes. It’s rare but not unprecedented to see a player of Lucroy’s caliber dealt at this juncture of Spring Training; last year the Braves sent Craig Kimbrel to the Padres the night before Opening Day, for instance.
- Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune spoke to left-hander Dana Eveland, who is in camp with the Rays on a minor league deal in hopes of making the ‘pen as a second lefty behind Xavier Cedeno. Eveland candidly admitted to Mooney that he wasn’t too excited by the prospect of pitching for the Rays earlier this offseason, as he’d hoped to land with a club that played its spring games in Arizona (near his southern California home) — preferably an NL team. However, Eveland went to camp with an open mind and a curiosity about how the Rays have done so well in the division over the past decade despite their modest payroll, and he’s quite happy in his new environment. “There is obviously something they do well here on the developmental side,” said Eveland. “I was curious. I want to know: Am I going to be a better pitcher if I spend a year in this organization or for however long itâs going to be?” The 32-year-old Eveland said that he’s willing to go to Triple-A, though he hopes to break camp with the team. If he does make the team, he could be retained via arbitration this offseason, as he has four years and 55 days of big league service time.
Central Notes: Gee, Tigers, Wacha
Right-hander Dillon Gee has an opt-out clause in his contract that will allow him to become a free agent if he is not added to the 40-man roster tomorrow, as MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan writes. (FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reported the March 15 date back in December.) According to Flanagan, the Royals have been impressed by Gee’s early results as well as his bullpen sessions, making him a good bet to land with the club. Gee, 29, has yielded a run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts thus far in camp and could be in line for a bullpen role, where he’d also serve as rotation depth, per Flanagan. The 29-year-old’s contract contains a $2MM base salary and contains $700K worth of incentives based on relief appearances and $3.3MM worth of incentives tied to rotation work. Though he struggled through a down season last year in the Majors and at Triple-A, Gee has a track record as a dependable starter, having pitched to a 3.91 ERA in 639 2/3 innings with the Mets from 2010-14. As Flanagan points out, the Royals have an easy 40-man move to accommodate Gee, should they choose, as lefty Mike Minor can be transferred to the 60-day DL. Here’s more from the Central divisions.
- The transition from Dave Dombrowski to Al Avila in the Tigers‘ front office last year was completed in secret, but that hasn’t stopped Dombrowski from remaining friends, Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes. In early August, Avila received a phone call from owner Mike Ilitch, and Avila (after receiving a host of assurances that the Tigers would be able to commit more heavily to analytics, scouting and the international market) agreed to take the Tigers’ GM job during that conversation, three days before Ilitch fired Dombrowski. The situation was “awkward,”as both Dombrowski and Avila describe it — Avila had been Dombrowski’s assistant GM, and the two had worked together for decades in both the Tigers and Marlins organizations. Still, the two remain friendly. “I’m really happy for him,” Dombrowski says. “He’s always worked hard, very knowledgeable, and has been very loyal. I know it was awkward, but I’m glad he got this opportunity.”
- Cardinals starter Michael Wacha makes an interesting extension candidate, writes Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Frederickson quotes Wacha saying that he isn’t aware of any extension discussions. It’s easy to imagine why there might be mutual interest in a deal, though — an extension could potentially keep Wacha in St. Louis longer, and, as Frederickson implies, would begin to increase in cost just as the Lance Lynn and Jaime Garcia deals are set to expire. Of course, long-term deals for pitchers can be risky (Garcia’s long-term deal, for example, hasn’t gone perfectly), and Wacha has been in the league long enough that an extension would likely require a fairly significant commitment. The last starting pitcher with between two and three years of service time to receive an extension was Corey Kluber, who got $38.5MM guaranteed from the Indians following his 2014 Cy Young season.
Rangers Release Steve Johnson
We’ll track the day’s minor moves in this post. There’s only one of note thus far:
- The Rangers have released right-hander Steve Johnson, per a club announcement. He had been hammered for eight earned runs on nine hits over 3 1/3 spring innings, though he did pick up five strikeouts in that span. The 28-year-old has seen only sporadic major league time over the past several seasons with the Orioles, and joined on with Texas on a minor league deal in hopes of a new opportunity. That will have to come with still another organization, but the rest of the league will surely take notice of Johnson’s strong output at Triple-A last season. Over 54 2/3 innings, he worked to a 2.30 ERA with 11.0 K/9 versus 2.6 BB/9.
Offseason In Review: San Francisco Giants
This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series. The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.
The Giants failed to defend their World Series crown with an 84-win season in 2015, but added some significant pieces to a still-excellent core this winter.
Major League Signings
- Johnny Cueto, SP: Six years, $130MM (opt-out after second year, seventh-year club option)
- Jeff Samardzija, SP: Five years, $90MM
- Denard Span, OF: Three years, $31MM (with mutual option)
- Total spend: $251MM
Trades and Claims
Extensions
Notable Minor League Signings
- Kyle Blanks, Conor Gillaspie, Grant Green, Gorkys Hernandez, Mike Kickham, George Kottaras, Hak-Ju Lee, Vin Mazzaro, Miguel Olivo, Ramiro Pena, Ricky Romero, Albert Suarez
Notable Losses
- Jeremy Affeldt (retired), Nori Aoki (declined option), Joaquin Arias, Marlon Byrd (declined option), Alejandro De Aza, Tim Hudson (retired), Mike Leake, Tim Lincecum, Yusmeiro Petit (non-tendered), Hector Sanchez (non-tendered), Marco Scutaro (retired), Ryan Vogelsong
Needs Addressed
An offseason can be approached in many ways. Organizations can hunt for value, explore creative trades, work the waiver wire, find options from within, and look to create competition with minor league signings.
But the most straightforward way for a contender to fill holes is through free agency, and the Giants did exactly that this winter. GM Bobby Evans and his front office entered the offseason with a clear need in the rotation — with Tim Hudson retiring, mid-season acquisition Mike Leake departing, and Tim Lincecum finally ending his fascinating tenure with the club (barring a late surprise) — along with an arguable need in the outfield. San Francisco took a direct route to addressing those areas, adding three high-priced players on the open market.
Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija finished their 2015 seasons with some uncertainty, and were among the most variable major free agents, but still commanded big dollars from San Francisco. The former was a typical ace, for the most part, with the Reds. But some questions about his health cropped up, and he wasn’t quite himself after being traded to the Royals, posting a 4.76 ERA in his final 13 regular season starts and then mixing gems and duds in the postseason. His contract looks to be something of a compromise. There’s a fair share of risk, but Cueto would be a bargain if he pitches like the front-of-the-rotation starter he’s long been, as the team only owes him $46MM over the two seasons before his opt-out applies.
Samardzija, meanwhile, never settled in with the White Sox, following up his breakout 2014 with a 4.96 ERA campaign. His strikeouts and groundballs fell off a cliff, to 6.9 K/9 and a 39.0% GB%, though he maintained his velocity. The 31-year-old has a solid history of health and innings, though, having racked up over 200 frames in each of the last three years. And he’s long been a favorite among scouts, who love his big frame and bulldog demeanor. San Francisco doesn’t need Samardzija to return to his career ceiling to justify the contract, though he’ll obviously be expected to provide at least a large volume of solid, mid-rotation innings over the next several campaigns.
If those two pitchers were risks of sorts, then there’s an argument to be made that the Giants took an even greater leap of faith with Denard Span, who’ll bump Angel Pagan into left field and relegate Gregor Blanco to his typically active fourth outfielder role. The depth was obviously welcome, but Span has endured recent core muscle and hip surgeries. If he can return to full health, the deal could well be a coup, as Span’s high-contact bat makes for a nice fit at the top of the lineup. He’ll also provide value on the bases and is generally well-regarded defensively, though he rated poorly when he was on the field last year.
Beyond that, it was a largely uneventful winter from an acquisition standpoint. Among the minor league free agents added, only Kyle Blanks looks to have much of a chance of breaking camp on the 25-man roster; if he can stay healthy — a big if — then he’d add to the outfield depth and provide a power right-handed bat off the bench. Otherwise, the Giants focused on bringing in a host of infielders to provide some options if a need arises, but it would probably rate as a disappointment if any are required to play much in the majors this season.
Questions Remaining
On paper, the Giants simply filled the needs they had entering the winter. Really, though, it was and is a fair bit more complicated. While Cueto and Samardzija will slot in behind ace Madison Bumgarner, both Jake Peavy and Matt Cain have a lot to prove. Peavy provided a 3.58 ERA last year, but he’s nearly 35 and only made 19 starts due to back issues. Meawhile, ERA estimators were less impressed with his output (3.87 FIP/4.47 xFIP/4.33 SIERA). There’s even more uncertainty with Cain, who hasn’t reached 100 innings in either of the last two years and owns a 4.37 ERA dating back to the start of 2013. Given those questions, as well as those facing Cueto and Samardzija, there was perhaps an argument to be made that the club should have preferred the younger and perhaps safer option of bringing back Mike Leake, who ultimately landed with the Cardinals.
There are options behind that group, to be sure. The organization is said to be high on some of its young arms, and just added a bevy of pitchers to the 40-man over the winter, including Ty Blach, Clayton Blackburn, Kyle Crick, Ian Gardeck, Adalberto Mejia, Steven Okert, Jake Smith, and Chris Stratton. And it’s easy to forget that Chris Heston was a revelation early in 2015, even spinning a no-hitter, before he faded late. Several of those arms could be called upon if a rotation need arises, and the club will hope to see some strides made as it looks ahead to replacing Peavy when he returns to free agency after the season.
Ultimately, that bunch of arms also helps to explain why the Giants were inactive on the reliever front this winter. Josh Osich will step into shoes of retiree Jeremy Affeldt after a strong (albeit BABIP-aided) debut season, and he’ll pair with the reliable Javier Lopez to form a southpaw duo. Hunter Strickland could eventually supplant Santiago Casilla as the closer, and of course Sergio Romo will group with those two righties in the late innings. George Kontos is another fixture, though he outperformed his peripherals rather notably in 2015.
It’s worth looking more closely at the position player side of things as well. The Giants turned down a seemingly reasonable $5.5MM option over Nori Aoki, who missed time with a concussion last year, and also turned down a chance to retain Marlon Byrd for $8MM (after making sure his option didn’t vest down the stretch). There was certainly some cause to stick with Aoki for such a limited commitment, even if another player was added. Pagan’s health and performance remain to be seen, and the typical workhorse Hunter Pence only managed a third of a season while dealing with his own injury issues.
Ultimately, it seems, the Giants preferred to explore a bigger upgrade via free agency. There were conflicting reports as to whether top-tier options like Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes were ever in play. Reports were more clear that the club was one of many to push to sign Ben Zobrist, who is said to have preferred to play second base. The team also looked at Ian Desmond as an option to play in the outfield while providing infield depth. Going with Span ultimately makes sense, as he provides a table-setting offensive presence and is obviously capable of playing center, but he adds to the list of health situations to watch. It bears noting, too, that in addition to the players discussed above, the club has fairly well-regarded young options in Jarrett Parker and Mac Williamson. Both will likely return to Triple-A, where they played well enough last year to earn some MLB time late in the season.
The idea of adding options on the dirt certainly seemed to have some appeal, at least as a secondary consideration, despite the fact that the Giants’ infield was perhaps the best overall unit in the game last year. Starting with the outstanding Buster Posey behind the dish (with intriguing young #2 Andrew Susac), San Francisco received nothing but excellence all the way around the horn in 2015. Brandon Crawford turned into one of the game’s best shortstops (more on him below) and Brandon Belt had a typically strong campaign (though he dealt with concussion issues and meniscus surgery), while relative newcomers Joe Panik and Matt Duffy both racked up 4+ WAR. In spite of that group’s inspiring effort and evident promise, Panik dealt with back issues late in the year — though he told me on the MLBTR Podcast that he doesn’t expect to be limited moving forward — and Duffy still only has one year of major league productivity on his ledger.
Indeed, after trying for Zobrist and Desmond, San Francisco reportedly dabbled in the market for pure infielders as well. Both Jimmy Rollins and Juan Uribe were said to be under consideration, though it never seemed as if the Giants were willing to make much of a commitment to add either veteran. Instead the club settled on some less established minor league free agents, with players like Conor Gillaspie, Grant Green, Ramiro Pena, and former top prospect Hak-Ju Lee brought in over the winter.
Deal Of Note
The Giants are among the more loyal teams in the game when it comes to locking up their own established players, and Crawford became the latest player to sign on for the long haul back in November. His six-year deal buys out four would-be free agent campaigns and will keep him in San Francisco through his age-34 season. (He also picks up full no-trade protection in the pact.)
Crawford is a classic Giants success story, as he has rewarded the organization’s faith with steadily increasing offensive output. Always a quality defender, Crawford not only has improved with the glove but has gone from a below-average hitter, to an average one, to a surprising power threat. While he still isn’t great in the on-base department, Crawford put up an ISO north of .200 last year while launching 21 long balls. The overall package added up to 4.7 fWAR and 5.6 rWAR in 2015.
Even if Crawford can’t quite maintain that level of production, he seems like a good bet to profile as a steady three to four-win performer going forward. He doesn’t have drastic platoon splits over his career, though much of his recent outburst came against right-handed pitching. And Crawford’s fielding prowess seems to set a nice floor. There’s still some risk, of course, but Crawford has been durable and even the $15MM salary promised over the four free agent seasons covered in the deal doesn’t set a terribly high bar for him to meet to make good on the contract.
While the additions of Cueto and Samardzija were more sexy, this contract best encapsulates the organization’s philosophy and helps to explain its rather remarkable recent run of success. Players such as Panik and Duffy could well follow Crawford — a fourth-round pick who never generated a ton of buzz as a prospect — as relatively unheralded draft-and-development success stories. And Crawford’s deal could be a precursor for a long-term pact with Belt, another mid-round draft pick who shares a service class with the shortstop. San Francisco has suggested continued interest in exploring an extension with him after agreeing to avoid arbitration this year for $6.2MM. (For those interested in further reading on the subject, Steve Adams took a stab at valuing a Belt extension in a recent MLBTR mailbag.)
Overview
Despite the heavy spending, the Giants will face a tough road to the postseason. The division-rival Dodgers are still loaded with talent, while the Diamondbacks hope to make a push as well. And the N.L. Wild Card competition could be fierce, as the top two or three clubs in the other divisions all look like strong contenders.
While it’s easy to see plenty of upside in the San Francisco roster, there’s still plenty of uncertainty for veteran skipper Bruce Bochy to manage. That includes the new rotation additions, the team’s oft-injured outfield mix, as well as the still relatively untested (but quite promising) group of infielders.
Looking down the line a bit, it’ll also be fascinating to see whether the organization can prepare to graduate some arms and outfielders to slot in alongside the players already in place at the major league level. There’s already well over $100MM on the books for 2017 and 2018, so another big outlay in next year’s market may not be in the offing if too many holes open up. Then again, it’s never wise to count out this particular organization when it comes to finding diamonds in the rough.
So, how would you grade the Giants’ offseason? (link to poll for mobile app users)
How would you grade the Giants' offseason?
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B 46% (2,260)
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A 37% (1,796)
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C 12% (568)
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F 3% (158)
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D 3% (138)
Total votes: 4,920
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Rick Hahn Q&A
After a disappointing 2014 season, White Sox GM Rick Hahn contemplated a complete team teardown. But once owner Jerry Reinsdorf opened his checkbook, Hahn “won” the offseason with a series of splashy moves — which ultimately added only three wins in the standings.
This past offseason, Hahn again underwent some of the same soul-searching over the direction of the White Sox, debating everything from a complete rebuild to chasing some of the winter’s nine-figure free agents. Determining that the status quo wouldn’t get the White Sox into October and a teardown would set the franchise back, Hahn got to work. This time, however, the GM did so with a sneaky trade chased by a series of under-market signings (as MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes examined in his recent review of their offseason).
But even with the AL Central fully up for grabs, it will take more than a few extra wins to get the White Sox to their first postseason since 2008 — and to that end, the convivial Hahn turns stern, ensuring that no Pale Hoser’s place in the lineup is guaranteed: “There are no scholarships.”
With Cactus League games underway, Hahn takes time out to talk exclusively with MLBTR about his second consecutive busy offseason.
Submit Your Questions For This Week’s MLBTR Mailbag
It’s Monday, which means we’re gearing up for another edition of the MLBTR Mailbag. In last week’s edition, Jeff Todd tackled questions on Jay Bruce, the Royals’ right field situation, the best value signings of the offseason, pre-arb salaries, Erick Aybar and a crowded A’s roster.
If you have a question you’ve been mulling over and would like MLBTR’s take, let us know: mlbtrmailbag@gmail.com. We can’t get to every question, of course, but remember that you can also send questions our way on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in the weekly live chats hosted by myself and Jeff, respectively. Also remember that Mailbag questions are welcome throughout the week, so feel free to send them at any time.
Injury Notes: Lorenzen, Wilson, Giants, Cardinals
Reds right-hander Michael Lorenzen recently sat out a few days after due to tenderness in his right elbow, and while an ultrasound initially came back clean, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Lorenzen experienced a setback when playing catch yesterday and will now undergo an MRI. The severity of the injury won’t be known until the Reds announce the results of the MRI, but clearly it’s troubling news for the team and the 24-year-old Lorenzen — one of Cincinnati’s most promising young arms. Lorenzen, formerly selected 38th overall in the 2013 draft, debuted with the Reds and pitched 113 1/3 innings for the Reds last season. While Lorenzen’s 5.40 ERA ultimately didn’t impress, the righty does own a strong 2.83 ERA in 184 2/3 career minor league innings.
More on some troublesome injuries around the league…
- Angels lefty C.J. Wilson suffered another setback in his recovery from shoulder pain, and his status for the first month or two of the season is “in question,” reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Wilson felt discomfort in his shoulder after a bullpen session on Saturday and will only play catch on flat ground for the time being. A date hasn’t been set for another bullpen session, per manager Mike Scioscia, who simply said, “He’ll be ready when he’s ready.” Wilson is slated to earn $20MM this season in the final year of a five-year, $77.5MM contract signed prior to the 2012 season. His 2015 season came to an end when he underwent surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow.
- Giants prospect Ian Gardeck will require Tommy John surgery to fix a torn ligament in his elbow, tweets Carl Steward of the Bay Area News Group. The right-handed reliever wasn’t likely to factor into the Giants’ plans in 2016, having spent the 2015 season at Class-A Advanced, but his loss is a hit to the club’s farm, as he ranked 17th among Giants farmhands, per Baseball America. BA noted that Gardeck overcame alarming control problems in 2015 and could move quickly through the system thanks to his newfound ability to spot his upper-90s fastball (which touches 100 mph at its best). San Francisco added him to its 40-man roster this offseason after a 3.54 ERA, 10.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 86 1/3 innings last season.
- Jhonny Peralta‘s timeline to return to the Cardinals after thumb surgery is set at 10 to 12 weeks, writes ESPN’s Mark Saxon. That was the initial timeline came with his injury, though reports at the time of his surgical procedure speculated that a return closer to the All-Star break was possible. Rather, the 10- to 12-week period would set Peralta up for a return in late May or mid June, barring setbacks in his recovery. Peralta tells Saxon that he’s listening to advice from teammate Yadier Molina, who had a similar injury in each of the past two seasons. Speaking of Molina, Saxon notes that he took batting practice for the first time on Monday, though his Opening Day status remains uncertain.
Walt Jocketty On Reds’ Offseason, Rebuild
Reds president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty sat down with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports this weekend to discuss his club’s rebuild. The entire column is well worth checking out, but perhaps the most interesting component of the interview is that Jocketty said the Reds aren’t necessarily entering a full tear-down of the organization and are instead aiming for more of a short-term retooling. Jocketty explained that he feels the team will be more competitive in 2016 than most pundits expect, and he implied that the club isn’t necessarily going to ship out all of its big league assets this summer as the trade deadline nears.
“We didn’t want to take it too far back,” Jocketty told Rosenthal. “[Devin] Mesoraco is still young (27) and under control. Same with [Billy] Hamilton. We didn’t want to do a complete teardown and rebuild. This was more of a transition and an attempt to retool and add to what we have.”
That line of thinking, said Jocketty, is what prompted the Reds to target players at the upper levels of the minor leagues as opposed to lower-level players with higher ceilings. Regarding the 2016 roster, Jocketty offered high praise for Eugenio Suarez and expressed confidence that returns to health from both Mesoraco and Zack Cozart will be a boon for the club’s offense. Relief pitching is Jocketty’s biggest concern at this stage, but the club will take a look at what’s available late in Spring Training to make some moves to fortify the ‘pen, according to Jocketty (presumably referring to potential waiver pick-ups or veterans on minor league deals that will inevitably opt out of their current situation).
Jocketty is entering his final year as the club’s president of baseball operations, after which newly minted GM Dick Williams is in line to take over as the top decision-maker in the baseball ops department. It’s possible that a worse-than-expected performance in 2016 or differing views from Williams will lead to a change in the club’s approach, but Rosenthal notes that owner Bob Castellini has been averse to rebuilding in the past.
While the club does have a host of intriguing upper-level arms (e.g. Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb, Cody Reed, Michael Lorenzen, Robert Stephenson) to fill in the rotation behind Anthony DeSclafani, Raisel Iglesias and a hopefully healthy Homer Bailey, the pitching staff as a whole is rife with uncertainty. The outfield, too, is filled with question marks (Hamilton’s OBP struggles, Jay Bruce‘s production and future with the club). That, on paper, would seem to point to further trades, but the most obvious candidates (e.g. Bruce, Brandon Phillips) come with roadblocks. Phillips vetoed a pair of trades this offseason with his 10-and-5 rights, and Bruce’s value was said to be low when the Reds nearly sent him to Toronto in a since-collapsed three-team deal. Williams recently went on-record stating that he doesn’t plan to trade Joey Votto, either (though his own no-trade clause would be an impediment anyhow), so don’t expect to see his name pop up on the rumor circuit.
Considering the division in which they play — the Cubs, Pirates and Cardinals each won 97 or more games last year — the Reds have an uphill battle should they seek to return to contention in the near term. That is Jocketty’s plainly stated goal, however, so it’ll be interesting to see how the team operates come July and next year in free agency. The Reds have just $67MM committed to the 2017 payroll — nearly $50MM less than their 2015 Opening Day payroll — so there would certainly be room to take on some salary via trades or free agency. The 2016 season, then, could be a test run to see what young players like Stephenson, Finnegan, Lamb, Reed, Scott Schebler, Jose Peraza and Jesse Winker bring to the table so the Reds know precisely where they need to fill in the remainder of the roster to take a shot at contending in 2017. They’ll need a few gems to emerge from that group in order to do so, because as it stands right now, the Reds seem further than just a year away from a return to prominence in their top-heavy division.