Yankees Acquire Kirby Yates From Indians
1:35pm: The Indians have announced the trade. According to the Associated Press, the Yankees paid Cleveland $78K for Yates.
1:25pm: The Yankees have acquired right-hander Kirby Yates from the Indians in exchange for cash considerations, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network (via Twitter). Yates had been designated for assignment by the Indians earlier this week. Cleveland had originally acquired him from the Rays earlier this offseason.
Yates, 29 in March, enjoyed a solid rookie campaign in 2014 when he logged a 3.75 ERA with a robust 10.5 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9. He couldn’t replicate that in his age-28 season, however, due largely to an incredible amount of home runs allowed. Yates is an extreme fly-ball pitcher, but nearly one third of the balls put in the air against him left the yard this past season (30.3 percent). Extreme fly-ball pitcher or not, that rate is nearly unheard of and is almost certain to regress in the future. However, the poor results left Yates with a 7.97 ERA due to yielding 10 homers in 20 1/3 innings. That skill-set and the homer-friendly confines of Yankee Stadium would seem to be a dangerous combination, although Yates’ track record of missing bats is enticing, and homers were never a problem for him throughout his minor league career.
Because the Yankees’ 40-man roster was only at 37 players prior to the acquisition of Yates, a corresponding move is not necessary in order to clear a roster spot.
Reds To Re-Sign Ryan Mattheus
The Reds have agreed to re-sign right-hander Ryan Mattheus, whom the team non-tendered last month, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (on Twitter). MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reported this morning that a deal was close (via Twitter).
Mattheus will most likely receive a minor league contract, Sheldon notes, which seems like a rational expectation, given the fact that he was non-tendered despite a modest salary projection of $1.3MM from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.
The 32-year-old Mattheus, a client of the Boras Corporation, was designated for assignment by the Angels in May and claimed by Cincinnati off waivers. The longtime Nationals reliever went on to log 55 innings for the Reds in 2015, making him one of their most-used and most durable ‘pen arms. Mattheus recorded a 4.09 ERA with Cincinnati (4.02 ERA overall), averaging 5.7 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 to go along with a 52.7 percent ground-ball rate and a fastball that sat at 92.9 mph. Mattheus did struggle against lefties, yielding a .324/.355/.515 batting line, though he was better against same-handed batters, who hit .256/.345/.301 against him.
Cincinnati’s bullpen picture is wide open after the trade of Aroldis Chapman to the Yankees, as J.J. Hoover and Jumbo Diaz are probably the only locks from the right side. Mattheus will compete with Carlos Contreras, Blake Wood, Keyvius Sampson and possibly Michael Lorenzen (though he could still be used as a starter) as he looks to earn a spot in manager Bryan Price’s relief corps.
Padres Remain In Contact With Ian Desmond, Alexei Ramirez
Finding a shortstop is the Padres’ top priority at this point, and a pair of reports which highlight that pursuit have surfaced today. Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that San Diego remains in contact with Ian Desmond‘s reps at Sports One Athlete Management, and FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reports that the team has had recent contact with free-agent Alexei Ramirez (links to Twitter). Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago/670 The Score first connected San Diego and Ramirez last month.
Desmond, 30, has remained in contact with the Padres, per Lin, though no deal is imminent at this time. However, Lin notes that Desmond is a favorite of general manager A.J. Preller, not only for his history of production at the plate (last season’s ugly first half notwithstanding) but also for his makeup and the leadership he brings to a team. Lin also notes that Preller said last month that even after acquiring highly touted shortstop prospect Javier Guerra as part of the package that sent Craig Kimbrel to Boston, he wouldn’t rule out landing a shortstop in free agency or in trades. “If we feel like it’s a player we really like and we think is worth the dollars and years, you can never have enough players up the middle, especially talented players,” said Preller. “Especially when you sign shortstops, you get guys who can play other positions and have value in the industry.”
Desmond posted an uncharacteristic .223/.290/.384 batting line in 2015, but much of that ugly slash line is due to a poor first half. Following the All-Star break, Desmond slashed .262/.331/.446 with a dozen homers and eight stolen bases. In spite of that disappointing first half, Desmond did finish the year just one homer shy of his fourth straight year with 20 or more long balls. And it should be noted that while he made 27 errors last year, an astonishing eight of those errors came in the season’s first 12 contests, after which he cleaned up his defense considerably.
None of that is to suggest that Desmond is a surefire bet to rebound to his 2012-14 form, of course. Signing in San Diego would figure to be disadvantageous to his production at the plate, given the typically run-suppressing nature of Petco Park. And while it’s easy enough to write off his poor first half as a fluke, it’s not as easy to write off Desmond’s alarming 29.2 percent strikeout rate in 2015. That mark was easily the highest of his career, and even when looking at his seemingly improved second half, the strikeouts were a problem. In fact, Desmond struck out in 30.3 percent of his second-half plate appearances, with his .262 average following the All-Star break largely due to a .346 BABIP which rests comfortably above his career level of .322. If Desmond is to truly turn his game around, he’ll need his strikeout rate to trend back toward the 21 percent mark he posted from 2012-13.
Desmond would also require a fairly lengthy commitment, and while it’s not known precisely where his market lies at this stage, it’s safe to say that Ramirez would command a significantly shorter term — possibly even a one-year deal. Ramirez also would not require the forfeiture of a draft pick, which Desmond would. As Rosenthal points out, the Padres’ No. 8 overall selection is protected, but surrendering their next-best pick would deprive the team of making six selections in the top 100 of next year’s draft. Adding Ramirez could provide a potential stopgap to Guerra without sacrificing the ability to substantially add to their farm next summer. (Bear in mind that not only would the Padres receive six of the top 100 picks — their bonus pool would be among the largest in the game due to the possession of those six picks, thereby allowing the team to strategically distribute that money and take some tough-to-sign players as value picks in later rounds.)
Ramirez, of course, isn’t without his own pros and cons. While he’s been a largely durable asset for the White Sox over the life of his big league career, showing both power and speed at times, he, too, was plagued by a dismal first half in 2015 when he batted just .224/.249/.292. Given the fact that he’s 34 years of age, the Padres (or any other team) have to be significantly more wary of a potential decline for Ramirez. However, he batted a much more characteristic .277/.325/.432 with eight homers and seven steals following the All-Star break.
First- and second-half splits are admittedly somewhat arbitrary in nature, but in the instance of each player there is nonetheless a notable distinction between the two halves of the season. If the Padres are confident that either player’s second half is a harbinger of things to come, then either would mark a substantial upgrade over the sub-par contributions of Alexi Amarista, Clint Barmes, Will Middlebrooks and Jedd Gyorko in 2015 (the latter three of which are no longer in the organization).
Former Cardinals Scouting Director Chris Correa To Plead Guilty In Astros’ Data Breach Case
Former Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa, who was dismissed by the organization earlier this year for his role in the Cardinals’ unauthorized accessing of the Astros’ proprietary computer network, is scheduled to plead guilty to criminal charges today, report Brian Costa and Devlin Barrett of the Wall Street Journal. Per the report, Correa has tentatively agreed to plead guilty to five of 12 charges against him. It’s unclear at this time if further St. Louis employees will be implicated or if any further legal repercussions will stem from Correa’s plea.
For those unfamiliar with the situation, the Cardinals were reported to be the subject of a federal investigation in connection with an unauthorized entry into Houston’s proprietary network, named Ground Control, back in June. Roughly a year prior to the report, a large amount of Astros’ trade notes and discussions were leaked and became public knowledge, bringing considerable scrutiny on the Astros organization. Then-and-current Houston GM Jeff Luhnow previously worked for the Cardinals, and it later emerged that one or more members of the St. Louis organization had been involved in the database breach.
Correa, at the time of his firing, denied any illegal activity via a statement from his lawyer. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported at the time that Correa claimed to access the database only to verify that Luhnow did not take any proprietary information with him when leaving the Cardinals organization. Of course, it’s not clear that such a defense would hold much water from a legal perspective. And Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reported shortly after the Cardinals’ involvement first came to light that the team’s employees had accessed Ground Control on multiple occasions, with separate instances reportedly occurring in 2012, 2013 and again in 2014.
Latest On Brewers’ Potential Trade Candidates
In previewing the Brewers’ 2016 lineup yesterday, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported a number of different trade-related items, noting that in addition to catcher Jonathan Lucroy, outfielder Khris Davis has drawn some interest on the trade market this offseason.
Clubs looking for offense in the outfield have contacted Milwaukee about Davis, per Haudricourt, and the team does have a logical in-house replacement in the form of Domingo Santana, who was acquired in the Carlos Gomez trade this past summer. Haudricourt notes that Santana currently projects to bounce around the outfield, seeing time at all three positions, although that role will probably limit his at-bats. While some might suggest Santana should simply handle center field on an everyday basis, it’s worth noting that his glove profiles better in an outfield corner than in center field. A rebuilding club like the Brewers could probably get away with playing him in center despite the lackluster results, but with both Davis and Ryan Braun under club control through 2019 (or, in Braun’s case, 2020), there’s no immediate opening for regular at-bats for Santana in the long-term.
Davis, who turned 28 in December, has batted .250/.315/.494 in two-and-a-half seasons at the Major League level, belting 60 home runs in 321 games/1142 plate appearances. That power production, while impressive, figures to begin earning him some notable salaries next offseason when he hits arbitration, though, so there’s some logic to the Brewers moving him while he still has one highly affordable pre-arbitration season remaining. While he grades out as a below-average defender in left field, Davis nonetheless hit 27 homers in 440 plate appearances last season and has posted relatively even platoon splits throughout his career to this point. Haudricourt notes that Davis would be moved “if the right offer” came along.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Haudricourt also writes that the Brewers “would not hesitate” to move Ryan Braun, should a “sensible” offer present itself. Braun is entering the first season of a five-year, $105MM extension this season, and while a PED suspension and some injuries have brought down his reputation somewhat, the 32-year-old was outstanding at the plate in 2015, batting .285/.356/.498 with 25 home runs and 24 stolen bases. Braun’s glovework was less impressive, although Defensive Runs Saved felt that he turned in much better results in his second season as a right fielder than in his first. Regardless, $21MM per year over the next five seasons would represent a hefty commitment to a player entering his age-32 season, especially considering the fact that he underwent lower back surgery this offseason and has twice had to undergo a cryotherapy treatment for a damaged nerve in his right thumb.
Turning to Lucroy, Haudricourt writes that teams “continue to inquire” about the affordable catcher, but GM David Stearns has as many reasons to retain Lucroy as he does trade him at this point. Lucroy’s value is down somewhat on the heels of a season that was slowed by a fractured toe and ended with concussion problems, so there’s definitely some sense in hanging onto the 29-year-old and letting him rebuild some of that value. Given his $4MM salary in 2016 and $5.25MM club option for the 2017 season, there’s little financial harm in doing so, and Lucroy would still be a desirable trade piece this summer. Additionally, as Haudricourt notes, the Brewers don’t have a young catching prospect knocking on the door, as they do at shortstop in Orlando Arcia. Of course, holding Lucroy does carry the risk of further injury or of the once-excellent backstop simply not returning to form and thereby further diminishing his trade value.
And lastly, having already mentioned Arcia, Haudricourt points out that his proximity to the Major Leagues will soon force the Brewers into a decision of sorts. Arcia is the shortstop of the future in Milwaukee, which means that Jean Segura could either be traded or moved to second base in the near future. If the latter outcome proves to be the Brewers’ desired course of action, then a trade of second baseman Scooter Gennett becomes a possibility. While some might wonder about the possibility of a platoon between the two — Gennett, after all, has never hit left-handed pitching much — Segura doesn’t have the type of strong platoon splits one would like to see in a platoon partner for Gennett. With Segura projected to earn $3.2MM this season, he’d make for the more logical trade candidate in Milwaukee, from my perspective, if and when Arcia does force his way into the big league picture, which could happen as soon as this summer.
Rosenthal On Nats, Chen, Maeda, Davis, Orioles
In his latest notes column for FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal reports that the Diamondbacks strongly considered a swap that would’ve sent center fielder Ender Inciarte to the Nationals in exchange for lefty Gio Gonzalez. While such a scenario is no longer a possibility — Inciarte went to the Braves along with two other highly regarded pieces in exchange for Shelby Miller, and Gonzalez makes little sense for a rebuilding Atlanta club — Rosenthal notes that the Nats could still explore similar possibilities. Moving Gonzalez for a center field option and then signing Wei-Yin Chen, to whom the Nats have previously been linked, could give the team the left-handed-hitting center field option it desires without significantly weakening the rotation. It’s also worth noting that Washington has been linked to the Rockies in the past, who have a left-handed hitting center field option in the form of Charlie Blackmon, though GM Mike Rizzo figures to explore many avenues if that route is indeed on the table.
A few more notes from Rosenthal’s latest column…
- Rizzo has repeatedly stated that he’s not interested in trading Jonathan Papelbon or Drew Storen unless he receives a nice return, but sources tell Rosenthal that the Nationals are indeed trying to move both of the right-handers. The Nats would likely need additional bullpen help were they to move either pitcher, though as Rosenthal points out, right-hander Tyler Clippard is still available in free agency, and a reunion between the two sides could make some sense. The Dodgers “figure to be” one club that will check in with the Nationals regarding Storen, Rosenthal writes.
- The specific irregularities in Kenta Maeda‘s elbow remain unknown, but the Dodgers‘ $25MM guarantee with $10MM worth of annual incentives is a reflection of the team’s acknowledgment that he may require surgery over the deal. According to Rosenthal, the bonuses at the back end of the deal are “largely unattainable,” so even though the contract can max out at $105MM over eight years, it’s unlikely that Maeda will receive such a sum. The elbow issue was known to every team that requested Maeda’s medical information, as it turned up in an MRI taken at the urge of his representatives with the Wasserman Media Group. Per Rosenthal, Maeda is presently asymptomatic and pain-free when he pitches.
- The Orioles have been debating moving on from Chris Davis for about a month, but the team remains engaged with the slugging first baseman due to owner Peter Angelos’ affinity for Davis. If Baltimore does ultimately move on to alternatives, Yoenis Cespedes is a more likely target for the team than Justin Upton, as Cespedes wouldn’t require the O’s to part with a draft pick.
NL West Notes: Span, Giants, Maeda, Parra, Rea
The Giants expect to install Denard Span in center field and at the top of the lineup, pushing Angel Pagan to left, Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes, Having added Span, moreover, San Francisco appears not to be involved in the rest of the outfield market, according to Baggarly (via Twitter). Indeed, it’s not even clear that the team was looking elsewhere recently. Though Jon Morosi of FOX Sports had tweeted yesterday that the club was interested in Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes, Bob Nightengale of USA Today said after the Span signing (via Twitter) that the organization “never considered” a long-term arrangement with either player before locking up Span.
Here’s more from the NL West:
- While all involved acknowledged that the MRI results led to Kenta Maeda signing a lighter-than-expected deal with the Dodgers, club president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says that the righty is “totally asymptomatic,” as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter links). The concerning results were not discovered during a team physical after a deal, Shaikin adds, but were apparent from the medicals submitted by Maeda to all MLB teams — which may explain why his market was so quiet.
- The Rockies are “making a push” for free agent outfielder Gerardo Parra, Jon Heyman reports on Twitter, though they aren’t alone. He previously noted Colorado’s interest, which would seem to make the most sense if the club is prepared to ship out one of its current starting outfielders.
- Padres righty Colin Rea moved quickly to reach the majors last year, and MLB.com’s Corey Brock writes that he’s looking forward to competing for a rotation spot this spring. Rea, 25, did end up being shutdown with elbow/forearm soreness, though he says that was precautionary.
NL East Notes: Alderson, Mets, Murphy, Swisher
Mets GM Sandy Alderson made his first appearance with the media in quite some time today, and it was certainly good to see him back in the swing of things after the revelation that he had been diagnosed with cancer. The club’s top baseball decisionmaker told reporters that he’s back to full speed. (Via the Associated Press, on ESPN.com.) “I’ve been working 100 percent since really just after the winter meetings,” Alderson said. “I just couldn’t travel to Nashville that particular Sunday and Monday. Otherwise I would have been there. But since that time I’ve been in the office and fully participating.”
Here’s more from that appearance and some other notes from around the National League East:
- Alderson added that the Mets are not shying away from spending, despite that perception in some quarters. As he put it, in rather interesting fashion: “The idea that we’re not investing in the team I think is really misplaced and sort of tied up in the populism involving [Yoenis] Cespedes.” Alderson went on to explain that the club’s payroll in 2016 could end up rising by as much as $35MM over its 2014 figure of about $93MM. (The club sat at about $110MM last year.)
- Generally, said Alderson, the Mets acknowledge the importance of Cespedes and outgoing infielder Daniel Murphy to last year’s run, but he explained there was more to it than simply keeping the band together. “I think along the way we learned a few things about ourselves and about the team, and I think the way we’ve approached the offseason puts some of those lessons into play,” Alderson explained. “It’s not as if we’re not looking to improve the team, and, if possible, in significant ways. But it has to make some sense in terms of how these pieces all fit.”
- Signing Murphy wasn’t the Nationals‘ first choice, writes Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post, but the team believes that he makes for a good fit and addresses an important need. Boswell paints a fascinating picture of Nats’ GM Mike Rizzo’s negotiations with Murphy — conducted while laid up after back surgery — and notes that the organization feels it has largely done what it needed to this winter. While further moves could take place, it seems increasingly likely that a big trade involving the back end of the bullpen may not be forthcoming. And other roster spots — such as a fourth outfielder — could be filled with relatively minor moves, unless high-value opportunities arise. As for Murphy, Rizzo explained the signing thusly: “We were looking for the best left-handed value we could get, and this guy really plays the game the way I like: gritty, hard-nosed, but with a smart baseball mind. He can steal you a base. Situational hits. And the brighter the lights, the more he steps up.”
- Bringing back left-handed-hitting utilityman Kelly Johnson could spell the end of Nick Swisher‘s brief tenure with the Braves, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes. The most likely scenario, he suggests, is for Atlanta to showcase Swisher during Spring Training in hopes that he’ll do enough to draw interest from another team. If not other club is willing to pick up some of Swisher’s $15MM in remaining obligations, says Bowman, he could end up just being released.
Pablo Sandoval Joins Beverly Hills Sports Council
Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval has changed agents, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The veteran will now be represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council.
Sandoval, 29, is entering the second season of a five-year, $95MM deal signed last winter. He had spent his entire career to that point with the Giants organization.
That first year in Boston certainly did not go as planned, as he ended the campaign with a career-worst .245/.292/.366 slash and ten home runs over 505 plate appearances. With poor marks for his defense and baserunning factored in, Sandoval was one of the game’s worst everyday players.
Of course, there’s plenty of reason to believe a turnaround is possible. After all, Sandoval carried a .294/.346/.465 batting line in over 3,000 plate appearances as a Giant. And while defensive metrics have wavered somewhat on his value with the glove, he was no worse than average in the aggregate and certainly never had a a season as lightly-regarded as 2015.
Regardless of how things go, Sandoval will be under contractual control with the Red Sox through at least the 2019 campaign (unless, of course he’s dealt). His deal also includes a team option for 2020.
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Minor MLB Transactions: 1/7/16
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- The Royals have agreed to a minor league deal with righty Chien-Ming Wang, as Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter links). The Taiwanese veteran would earn a $1MM base rate if he makes the major league roster, and can achieve up to $1.5MM in incentives in a starting capacity or as much as $250K as a reliever. Wang, who’ll turn 36 just before the season starts, hasn’t cracked the majors since 2013. He spent last year with the Triple-A affiliates of the Braves and Mariners, and also made three starts for the independent Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. In his 130 innings of affiliated ball, Wang posted a 5.88 ERA and registered just 61 strikeouts against 35 walks.