Week In Review: 1/16/16 – 1/22/16
Here’s a look back at the past week at MLBTR.
Key Moves
- The Tigers signed outfielder Justin Upton to a six-year, $132.75MM deal.
- The Mets agreed to re-sign star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to a three-year, $75MM deal with an opt-out after the first year.
Arbitration
- A number of players avoided arbitration, including Lucas Duda, Jenrry Mejia (link), Garrett Richards (link) and Kevin Jepsen (link). For a full list, check out MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker.
Signings / Re-signings
- Mets – P Antonio Bastardo (two years)
- White Sox – P Matt Albers (one year plus option)
- Rays – 1B/OF Steve Pearce (one year)
- Padres – P Fernando Rodney (one year)
- Dodgers – P Joe Blanton (one year)
Claimed
- Twins – P Michael Strong (from Marlins)
- Pirates – P A.J. Schugel (from Mariners)
Designated For Assignment
- Mets – P Carlos Torres (link)
- Padres – OF Rymer Liriano (link)
- Twins – P Logan Darnell (link)
- Orioles – IF Joey Terdoslavich (link)
- Tigers – IF Jefry Marte (link)
- Rockies – OF Kyle Parker (link)
- Angels – 1B/OF Efren Navarro (link)
- Pirates – P Yoervis Medina (link)
Retired
- P Shaun Marcum (link)
Key Minor League Signings
- Mariners – 1B Gaby Sanchez (link)
- Cardinals – OF Carlos Peguero (link)
- Astros – P Wandy Rodriguez (link)
- Cubs – IF Munenori Kawasaki (link)
- Reds – C/IF Jordan Pacheco (link)
Other
- C/1B Wilin Rosario – signed with the Hanwha Eagles in Korea
Central Notes: Royals, Indians, Pirates
One of the keys to the Royals‘ success is their chemistry, Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos tells FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi. “What the Royals do so good, is they’re very good at coming together. They know how to win,” Castellanos says. Part of the key, from Castellanos’ perspective, is that the Royals’ core has been in the same organization for so long. (Morosi points out, for example, that Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez played together all the way back in rookie ball, for the 2008 Idaho Falls Chukars.) “We have pretty good team chemistry, too. But the Royals, I guess, have a deeper connection because that whole nucleus came up together and played together,” says Castellanos. The Royals haven’t been shy about spending in free agency this winter, but Morosi argues that their success is built on a connection that can’t be bought on the open market. Here are more quick notes from the Central divisions.
- The Indians have announced that they’ve named Koby Perez their new director of Latin American scouting. Baseball America’s Ben Badler provides some good background on Perez’s career — Perez joined the Indians organization two offseasons ago, but prior to that, he was with the Phillies, for whom he was involved with a solid collection of signings that included those of Maikel Franco, Domingo Santana, Hector Neris and Lisalverto Bonilla. Prior to that, Perez was a scout in the Cardinals organization.
- In another front office move, the Pirates have lost director of player personnel Tyrone Brooks, who will be taking a job in the commissioner’s office, as the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Rob Biertempfel tweets. Brooks’ departure isn’t the first from the Pirates front office after the organization’s three straight Wild Card berths — the team also recently lost pitching guru Jim Benedict and special assistant Marc DelPiano to the Marlins. As Biertempfel previously reported, Brooks oversaw the Pirates’ pro scouting and international scouting areas, and he played a significant role in the Bucs’ successful signing of Jung Ho Kang last winter. Brooks had previously interviewed for the Brewers’ open GM job.
AL West Notes: Hultzen, Beltre, Profar, Astros
This year in Spring Training, Mariners pitcher and 2011 No. 2 overall draft pick Danny Hultzen will make the transition to pitching in relief, Ryan Divish notes for Baseball America (subscription only). It’s been a long fall for Hultzen, who was outrighted in November after his career was derailed by shoulder issues. Hultzen has pitched only 43 2/3 innings in the last three seasons. “Anybody in the league is making that same pick,” says GM Jerry Dipoto, who wasn’t in the organization when the Mariners selected Hultzen. “It’s unfortunate that it has worked out the way it has. But as I said to Danny on the phone when I told him we were removing him from the roster—I want to see him pitch in the big leagues.” Here’s more from the AL West.
- Adrian Beltre, who is eligible for free agency next winter, sees no reason why he wouldn’t consider an extension with the Rangers, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes. Sullivan further notes that Beltre and the Rangers have had preliminary conversations. “[GM Jon Daniels] did what he promised in keeping the team around to win,” Beltre says. “Right now I’m confident with the way everything is going, there is no reason why I don’t want to stay here.” The Rangers have had a quiet offseason, with Tom Wilhelmsen, Tony Barnette and Justin Ruggiano among their key acquisitions. (They also re-signed Colby Lewis to bolster their rotation.) Obviously, though, their in-season addition of Cole Hamels, and subsequent division win, might have some impact on Beltre’s thinking. Beltre will be 37 near the start of the 2016 season, and he took a step back offensively last year, although his still-excellent defense continues to make him an impact player.
- The Rangers could effectively add another player this season in Jurickson Profar. Profar is throwing 135 feet expects to be 100% by mid-March, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. The former top infield prospect missed the entire 2015 season due to shoulder trouble, although he hit well in the Arizona Fall League after the season.
- The Astros might have another move or two up their sleeves this offseason, Jon Heyman tweets. They were in on Justin Upton and have checked in on starting pitching, and owner Jim Crane tells Heyman the team has been “nosing around” for more talent. Lately, they’ve been connected to Yovani Gallardo, the top starting pitcher left on the free agent market.
Padres Notes: Cashner, Liriano, Draft
After a splashy — and ultimately unsuccessful — offseason in 2014-2015, A.J. Preller’s lack of big moves this offseason has been puzzling, FanGraphs’ Dave Cameron writes. The Padres did make what Cameron believes was an excellent trade to send Craig Kimbrel to the Red Sox, and they’ve also made a number of smaller moves to send Joaquin Benoit, Yonder Alonso, Marc Rzepczynski and Jedd Gyorko elsewhere while adding Drew Pomeranz, Jon Jay and Christian Bethancourt via trades and Alexei Ramirez, Fernando Rodney and Carlos Villanueva via the free agent market. They have, however, kept two of their most valuable trade assets in Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross, even though teams paid heavily for pitching in the free agent market this offseason and the Padres don’t project to contend in 2016. That they haven’t yet dealt Cashner is especially vexing, since he’s eligible for free agency next winter and since his new team won’t be able to extend him a qualifying offer if the Padres wait until after the start of the season to deal him. Here’s more from San Diego.
- Rymer Liriano was once a highly regarded prospect in the Padres’ system, but the team’s recent decision to designate him for assignment is, in some ways, unsurprising, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. Liriano is merely the latest in a long line of pre-Preller prospects to depart from the organization, a line that also includes Joe Ross, Trea Turner, Max Fried, Matt Wisler, and many others. Also, the Padres’ string of outfield acquisitions before the 2015 season buried Liriano on their depth chart, and Liriano, though he’s generally hit well in the minors, has had problems with strikeouts. Finally, the team has a number of young outfielders it seemingly likes better, including Hunter Renfroe, Alex Dickerson and Rule 5 newcomer Jabari Blash.
- The Padres are currently loaded with top 2016 draft picks, Dennis Lin of the Union-Tribune writes. They already had the eighth overall pick, and they’ll also get compensatory picks for the departures of Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy, giving them three of the first 27 selections. They also have a selection (No. 71 overall) in Comp Round B, which means they’ll have made six picks by the time they’ve named their third-rounder at No. 85 overall. All those picks should help them restock after the departures of a number of top prospects last winter.
Tim Lincecum Hoping To Hold February Showcase
11:26am: Lincecum’s physical therapist says he’s set to begin throwing off a mound in the next week, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. “He’s throwing every day and says he’s doing great,” says his agent, Rick Thurman of Beverly Hills Sports Council. “He’s got no instability in his hip, and he’s enthusiastic about his progress.”
8:59am: Free agent starter Tim Lincecum hopes to hold a showcase in the first half of February, Jon Heyman tweets. Lincecum had surgery on to treat a degenerative hip condition in September, and it had previously been reported that Lincecum was planning to hold a showcase in January. The new February date would, then, suggest a delay, although the reasons for that delay are unknown. The Marlins are among the teams that have reportedly had interest in Lincecum.
Before being shut down midway through the season, Lincecum had posted a 4.13 ERA, although with a 7.1 K/9 and a high 4.5 BB/9 that were even less impressive than that modest ERA figure. His average fastball velocity also fell from 89.6 MPH in 2014 to 87.2 MPH, probably an untenable number for a righty. It remains to be seen whether Lincecum’s surgery will fix the issues that ailed him last season, but in any case, he’ll probably have to settle for a one-year deal from a team hoping he can recapture some percentage of his past glory as he enters his age-32 season. It has, however, been five years since Lincecum was a top starter, as he’s provided value consistent with that of a back-of-the-rotation starter since 2012.
Reactions To The Yoenis Cespedes Deal
Here’s a collection of early reactions to the Mets’ re-signing of Yoenis Cespedes to a three-year, $75MM deal that includes a no-trade clause and an opt-out after the first season.
- The Mets’ $75MM total offer was considerably less than the deal offered by the Nationals, who were willing to give Cespedes in excess of $100MM over five years and an opt-out after the second year, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal writes. (Rosenthal notes that the Nats’ deal did contain “heavy deferrals,” however.) Cespedes’ willingness to stay in New York despite the promise of greater treasure elsewhere could make him a hero to Mets fans, and the deal is an “absolute triumph” for the Mets, writes Rosenthal.
- Cespedes’ new deal contains fewer years than anticipated, but it still makes him very highly paid on a year-by-year basis, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes. If Cespedes exercises his opt-out, he will have received $27.5MM for the 2016 season, an average annual value that’s second only to that of Miguel Cabrera‘s among position players. Meanwhile, the deal turns the Mets into NL East favorites, Davidoff writes, and the downside risk of the deal is limited, since Cespedes is only signed for three years.
- The Cespedes re-signing is one of several moves this offseason that makes their defense worse, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs writes. The team had previously acquired Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera, both questionable defenders at the positions they’ll be asked to play. And Cespedes figures to take over for the light-hitting but defensively brilliant Juan Lagares in center. The Mets will have a strikeout-heavy pitching staff, which will limit the amount of damage their fielders can do, but the success of the team’s new-look group of position players will probably depend largely on their producing offensively.
- The Mets caught some luck that allowed them to sign Cespedes, Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal points out. First, Ben Zobrist rejected the Mets to sign with the Cubs. Then, Michael Cuddyer unexpectedly retired. That left them with the money necessary to sign Cespedes.
Minor MLB Transactions: 1/23/16
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.
- The Rays have signed outfielder Jaff Decker to a minor league deal, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. The 25-year-old Decker has spent the last two seasons in the Pirates organization, mostly playing with Triple-A Indianapolis. Last season, he batted .266/.370/.362 at that level, hitting, as usual, for limited power but a strong on-base percentage. He has generally played the corner outfield spots in the past two seasons, although he’s capable of playing center in a pinch. The Bucs non-tendered him last month, even though he was not yet eligible for arbitration.
- The Royals have agreed to terms with righty Peter Moylan on a minor league deal, ESPN’s Jim Bowden tweets. The 37-year-old sidearmer made 22 appearances with the Braves in 2015, functioning in a ROOGY-type role — he pitched a total of just 10 1/3 innings in that span and only faced lefties four times. (They had three hits off him, although he was, as usual, tough on righties, holding them to a .475 OPS.) Moylan missed the entire 2014 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He had originally signed a two-year minor-league free agent deal with the Braves that covered 2016 and allowed him to work as a player-coach while he recovered, although he elected free agency at the end of the season after returning to pitching form and getting back to the big leagues more quickly than anticipated.
- Bowden also tweets that the Marlins have agreed to terms on a minor league deal with veteran lefty Jo-Jo Reyes. Reyes pitched one inning with the Angels in 2015, making his first big-league appearance since 2011. He’d spent most of the intervening years pitching in the minors and in Korea. He pitched most of last season with Triple-A Salt Lake, posting a 4.76 ERA, 6.0 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 while being used mostly in a starting role.
Mets, Nationals Aren’t Alone In Pursuit Of Cespedes
9:40pm: Both New York and Washington are “operating under [the] assumption that other teams also are pursuing Cespedes,” Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adds (links to Twitter). He notes that the chatter surrounding the Mets’ three-year offer may be luring other organizations into the mix (if they weren’t already) to pitch their own ideas based on such a concept.
As Rosenthal notes, the White Sox are one club that has already been reported to have interest at that level of commitment. I’d add that the Orioles remain a plausible suitor at a more limited contract length, and certainly it isn’t hard to imagine other clubs that could be intrigued by that idea.
8:43pm: The Astros do not appear to be a late entrant, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart tweets.
8:38pm: The Mets and Nationals are not the only two clubs pursuing top remaining free agent Yoenis Cespedes, Jon Heyman reports on Twitter.
Reports recently have suggested that a signing could come in very short order, with those two teams appearing to be the finalists. Washington is said to have dangled a five-year offer with a value approaching, if not exceeding, $100MM. New York, on the other hand, was set to meet with Cespedes’s reps today in hopes of selling him on three-year scenario of some kind.
But a mystery team (or teams) appear to be altering the equation as the star outfielder nears his decision. It’s not known which late entrants are shaking up the market for the veteran Cuban slugger, but neither is it difficult to guess at some of the possibilities. In fact, Steve Adams and I broke down no fewer than a dozen possibilities just yesterday in the latest episode of the MLBTR Podcast.
As I wrote back in early December, there was never a clear favorite for Cespedes, but it always seemed there’d be a wide array of interest. After all, he’s only thirty and is coming off of a monster 2015 campaign. While there are certainly some major question marks — in particular, the fact that his 2013-14 work fell far shy of his efforts in the seasons before and after — there’s no ignoring his ceiling.
Most of the clubs noted in that post are still plausible suitors. It’s probably safe to scratch off the Tigers, but clubs such as the Angels, Giants, Cardinals, Orioles, and White Sox all still seem plausible to varying degrees. The Padres have been said to be lurking, too, and so have the Braves — though Atlanta, at least, has always seemed to be on hand in case of a bargain.
And it would be foolish to rule out organizations like the Rangers — if not even the Red Sox or Yankees — when a premium talent is on the board. Really, only a handful of organizations appear to be wildly implausible pursuers. There are always ways to deal with perceived logjams, after all, and Cespedes represents the last open-market opportunity to add a potential superstar.
Mets Avoid Arbitration With Lucas Duda, Jenrry Mejia
The Mets have reached agreements to avoid arbitration with first baseman Lucas Duda and reliever Jenrry Mejia, Jon Heyman reports (Twitter links).
Duda will receive $6.725MM for the 2016 season. The slugger will land slightly above the $6.65MM mid-point in their recently-submitted arbitration numbers. He had filed at $7.4MM, with the team countering at $5.9MM. His final number lands just shy of MLBTR’s $6.8MM projection.
Now entering his age-30 campaign, Duda has emerged as a significant force at the plate. He owns a .249/.350/.483 slash with 57 home runs since the start of 2014. New York will be able to control him for one additional season through the arb process.
Mejia, meanwhile, settled at $2.47MM. Notably, as Heyman adds, he will take a rare pay cut from his prior year’s salary. New York tendered him a contract but sought a reduction on the price tag after Mejia missed most of the year due to successive PED suspensions. Of course, he still owes time on the second and will miss a sizable portion of the coming season — meaning he won’t earn the full amount agreed upon.
Latest On Yovani Gallardo
Reports suggest that there are three teams currently pursuing free agent righty Yovani Gallardo. We heard yesterday that the Rockies were lining up to participate in talks, and SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo suggested today on Twitter that the Orioles and Astros have also remained involved.
But Baltimore executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette said earlier this morning that the club is strongly disinclined to part with its top draft choice (currently 14th overall). And the club does not appear willing to go to a fourth year for Gallardo, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. Houston, too, would need to punt a valuable pick (18th overall). While it’s long been expected that those clubs would consider starting pitching additions, and could still stand to do so, that added disincentive poses a significant barrier.
As for the Rockies, Gallardo’s agent, Bobby Witt, tells MLB.com’s Thomas Harding that his client would “be happy pitching for any of the three teams” — apparently suggesting that the specter of Coors Field won’t deter the veteran. Indeed, the Rockies are participating in “serious” talks with Gallardo, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports on Twitter. But he adds that the club does not currently have an offer outstanding, and GM Jeff Bridich downplayed the link in public comments.
Unlike the other two teams, the Rockies would not have to give up their top choice — the fourth selection in this summer’s draft — to add Gallardo, who requires compensation because he turned down a qualifying offer from the Rangers. Attracting pitchers to throw at altitude has always been a challenge, of course, but that beneficial draft situation and a somewhat slow-to-develop market for Gallardo could leave the Rockies in solid position to make a move.
The fit for Colorado is obvious: while the organization has some potentially valuable arms, their rotation is as unsettled as any in the majors. There are questions up and down the staff: Jorge De La Rosa is steady but aging; Jordan Lyles and Tyler Chatwood are coming off of significant injuries; and Chad Bettis had a surprisingly solid 2015 but hardly has a deep track record. Younger options such as Jon Gray, Eddie Butler, and Tyler Matzek have shown talent but are hardly sure things, while Jeff Hoffman, Tyler Anderson, and others may be in need of further seasoning before they’re considered at the MLB level.
From a payroll perspective, the Rockies already have about $91MM on the books for the coming season and will still need to add the arbitration salaries of Charlie Blackmon (between $3.9MM and $2.7MM arb filings) and DJ LeMahieu ($3.3MM vs. $2.8MM). Of course, after signing Gerardo Parra, the club seems in position to deal an outfielder, and that could bring some salary relief along with a return in players. The team has never reached the $100MM threshold on an Opening Day roster.
Gallardo, who’ll soon turn 30, has turned in excellent results of late and is quite durable. But his peripherals are on the decline — in particular, a plummeting strikeout rate — and he’s now one of only three starters among MLBTR’s top fifty free agents who have yet to sign. (The others, Mat Latos and Doug Fister, figure to be available on shorter deals.) MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicted a four-year, $52MM salary entering the winter. It is fair to note that we’ve seen other pitchers — Ubaldo Jimenez, Matt Garza — reach that level of salary at this stage of the offseason or later. And there’s no denying that the market for starting pitching has been robust.