The remaining offseason additions of the Orioles don’t figure to be too costly, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Kubatko again notes that GM Dan Duquette would like to add another left-handed-hitting outfielders with a good glove and some additional pitching depth before breaking down the Baltimore roster and a number of position battles for the final few spots on the 25-man roster. Rule 5 pick Anthony Santander is recovering from shoulder surgery and can be stashed on the DL early in the year, but fellow Rule 5 selection Aneury Tavarez could have a tough time making the roster. The door for a reunion with Vance Worley “remains open,” per Kubatko, and there are several in the organization that would advocate a return for right-hander Tommy Hunter as well. The Orioles possess a number of options for the final bench spot and the fringes of their pitching staff, and Kubatko’s column gives a nice, comprehensive overview as to how it could all shake out.
A few more notes from the American League East…
- Jose Bautista is a polarizing figure among MLB fans and his peers around the league (to say the least), but many of his Blue Jays teammates are ecstatic to see him return, writes Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Marcus Stroman and Ryan Goins were among those to emphatically praise Bautista when speaking to Nicholson-Smith. Stroman, in particular, explained that Bautista is a critical resource for him when he’s studying opposing hitters and trying to determine how to keep them off balance. “He’s the first guy I go to because I feel like he has the best strike zone judgment out of anyone in the big leagues,” Stroman tells Nicholson-Smith. (Bautista’s 16.3 percent walk rate since 2011 trails only Joey Votto in all of Major League Baseball.)
- Meanwhile, Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling writes that agent Jay Alou said at Bautista’s press conference that his client had larger offers elsewhere, though he declined to get into specifics. Certainly, there could be some semantics at play, as it’s not difficult to see a two-year offer at a considerably lower annual value offering less appeal than the hefty $18.5MM guarantee to which Bautista agreed. It’s unclear what type of other offers Bautista received (and probably will remain so), but a rebound at the plate would position him nicely in advance of the 2017-18 offseason, even if he’ll be 37 this coming October. Bautista added that he’s open to playing first base for the Jays next year as well, and if he proves serviceable, that’d also go a long ways toward boosting his stock (and would also offer the Jays a means of enhancing their 2017 outfield defense).
- The Yankees’ system is flooded with well-regarded shortstop prospects (led by Gleyber Torres), and with Didi Gregorius continuing to elevate his game in the Majors, that gives the team plenty of options, writes ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand. GM Brian Cashman tells Marchand that he doesn’t think Gregorius has reached his ceiling yet and should continue to improve. If that’s the case, it’d be hard to displace Gregorius even when Torres is ready for the Majors, though Cashman didn’t sound the least bit concerned about eventually having a potential logjam. “If you have the physical ability to project to play shortstop at the major league level, that also means you have the skill set to play second, third, typically center, left or right because of your speed and the arm,” said the GM. “So, first and foremost, it provides a great deal of creativity and flexibility that you can have with that athlete.”
- One player that could eventually be impacted by the glut of up-the-middle talent in the Yankees’ farm is Starlin Castro, though he tells Newsday’s Steven Marcus that he “[doesn’t] really think about” the possibility of being displaced or even traded. Castro notes a parallel between the Yankees’ current situation and the end of his Cubs tenure. “That’s the second time it happened to me,” he said of the Yankees’ upcoming wave of talent. “That happened my last year with the Cubs. All the younger guys coming to the team. Here, the same thing.”
Good signing of Jose for the Jays. Now the Jays need 2 relievers – one left handed, and I would like to see them upgrade a starter. Happ isn’t going to win 20 again, Estrada’s back is likely headed to the DL, Liriano is a question mark every-other-year, Stroman and Sanchez are heading for good years.The jays need one more high end starter either from our “weak” prospect pool or via trade/free agency.
Logan is still out Boone Logan and Fernando Salas are still out there, and I can’t imagine them costing more than $6MM at this stage of the off season. Despite the misjudgement of the market (regarding Morales/Pearce), the Jays are still in pretty good shape.
On another note, how many fans anticipated Didi Gregorius becoming an above average shortstop that will be blocking one of the top prospects in the game?
What about Pearce’s deal do you not like? That’s a hard deal to call bad.
You mean you would like depth… our rotation does not need any upgrade, and they probably need 2-3 relievers and to DFA smoak lol
Our rotation needs depth in the minors but definitely not another MLB arm, Happ, Estrada and Liriano are all capable MLB starters and even taking regression into consideration this starting 5 is automatically better with the subtraction of R.A. D and Mr. Thole. I would like the team to focus on the bullpen and if there’s a bargain deal out there add another OF’er to get an upgrade over Upton
Joey Batflip to TO! Cherington’s heart is still in Boston!
I am loving the 2017 and 18 Orioles teams chances. Alot of players will have a huge year due to their walk years approaching. 104 wins not impossible.
More like 80-84
Red Sox got another lefty not always the best thing to have at Fenway. Forever Bill lee was the most successful left handed Red Sox pitcher. Toronto lost their best pitcher and overpaid for a guy in decline. Maybe Trumbo will not hit 45 plus but he has always had great power and 35 plus is where he will be again. But Chris Davis will rebound after his thumb injury but he still hit 38 hrs. Dylan Bundy had a year equivalent to Michael Fulmer and Gausman will take that step forward.
Should be another interesting year in the AL East.
Babe Ruth, Lefty Grove, and John Lester were all superior pitchers to Bill Lee. Last I checked Aaron Sanchez is still in Toronto. Davis and Trumbo are super streaky, strikeout prone hitters, Bundy was nowhere near the pitcher Fulmer was, and there’s nothing guaranteeing Gausman takes a step forward looking at last year’s peripherals. If there’s a battle in the east, it’ll probably be for the second wildcard.
Nah they’ll win 90
keep your fingers crossed that Bundy can stay healthy
In all seriousness, which of their moves do you think have garnered 15 more wins than last season? I mean you can also include guys who are healthy that weren’t last year, players taking a step forward, bounceback years etc. But I’m not seeing 15 more wins. Particularly in the AL East.
To get more wins you need to beat up in the AL East, there’s too many good teams that are competing this year to steal that many add on wins from. Plus the Os rotation is one of the worst in the division
Do a little research and see how Chris Tillman and Chris Sale compare since 2012. Sale is 70-47 while Tillman is 65-33. Two of the best young pitchers in the AL East are Gausman and Bundy and the bullpen is the best in baseball. That being said there is a lot of relievers that cannot even crack the roster like Oliver Drake.
Bund you has a lot of question marks. Behind Tillman and gausman they’re trash, with bundy still not a sure thing
Blue Jays staff is gonna regress to trash this year
Sanchez, Happ, and Estrada won’t be what they were last year.
You are telling people to do research and then trying to compare 2 pitchers by using their w-l record?
I’m not sure if the Tillman/Sale comparison is serious, but here are a few numbers (other than win-loss, which is a ridiculous way to compare them) for each guy from 2012-2016:
ERA: Sale leads 3.81 to 3.03
K/9: Sale leads 10.0 to 7.0
BB/9: Sale leads 2.0 to 3.1
Top-six Cy Young finishes: Sale leads 5-0
Did you really just compare Sale and Tillman by showing win Loss records?
Sanchez still has a very high ceiling and Stroman could be much better if Happ or regress.
Can’t see them all being “trash”.
I mean, I doubt Trumbo has a year like last season either
Why wouldn’t he? He’s still surrounded by elite hitters and all Baltimore did to change the offense this year was to sub out Wieters for Welington Castillo and Alvarez for Seth Smith. Trumbo’s still going to get very hittable pitches as long as all the OBP machines like Machado, Davis, Smith and Kim are in front of him.
With a statistical analysis like that how can you be wrong. Imagine how good most teams would be if they would just try really hard.
There has to be some sort of new fandangled sabremetric stat that can calculate how hard a player is trying…if not I will discover it and soon WAR will be obsolete
Are you on crack?
You can’t block a generational talent like Torres. Trade Didi for a young controllable ace.
move torres to second or third..the yankees are going to have needs there after Headlly’s contract run out after 2018 and Castro is only ok….
It’s so hilarious how people view prospects versus established major league talent. Gregorius was once a major prospect too! And he’s proven it in the majors. It’s Torres that will be moved for a starting P.
Nah
Didi’s “breakout” was just a middle of the pack performance. He’s not bringing back an ace, let alone a young controllable one.
lol this guy wrote two extremely wrong things in the space of 15 words!!!
Torres is not a ” generational “talent
He has a high floor – meaning his odds of bust /failure are low
doesnt mean he will be Manny Machado.
He might be a better version of Starlin Castro.
“Generational talent”? Please, more like over-hyped because he’s been in 2 high profile organizations,
you do a very good job of trolling, eck.
Last time I checked, “generational” talents hit over .270 with a slugging percentage more in the .500+ range instead of .400.
You’re not looking deep enough. look how young he was for each level. one of the youngest players in the league at every stop while playing SS. Considering that, the numbers he’s put up are outstanding. And then hes the youngest player ever to win the Arizona Fall League batting title and MVP. W/e you want to label him, if u don’t want generational that’s fine, but in any case he is a fantastic prospect.
Yes, Torres is an A-grade MLB prospect, not a “generational talent” though, that goes to Kris Bryant and players of that level.
That still doesn’t mean Torres will be an everyday MLB player, or even make MLB. And it also doesn’t mean we should be talking about actual MLB talents like Gregorius being “in competition” with Torres. Torres will get a shot when he proves himself at AAA.
Smartest thing i have heard on here. Saying Torres will replace Gregorius is like saying your 6th grader will be a better physicist than Einstein. Maybe he will be, but let the kid get to AAA first. How many players have we seen that kill it in AAA and can’t make it in the bigs. Gregorius is a proven MLB talent and I hope Torres ends up being twice the player, but I wouldn’t trade Gregorius in hopes that he will be better.
Annnnnd now the first time I have ever heard of Glyeber Torres referred to as a “generational talent” has appeared!!!!
Lol, don’t stop overvaluing and overrating prospects you guys, you might get it right like 20% of the time!!!
He’s trolling obviously.
You don’t trade your young improving SS to make room for a prospect, no matter how highly rated, until said prospect proves myself at the major league level. Plenty of time for a trade if that happens.
The Pirates can take one of those short stops as a key piece of the Gerrit Cole deal next year.
Are you forgetting the Pirates have 2 good SS prospects of their own in Kevin Newman and Cole Tucker?
No.
I have yet to see the word “good” associated with Cole Tucker and Newman projects to be no better than Jordy Mercer in the field and can be moved to 2nd or 3rd if they get a better SS.
If they can get a defensive upgrade at SS who can hit, that would help their groundball first philosophy a lot.
There’s a good chance Torres is exactly the same as Mercer though. Yankees would need a massive deal for Cole, who the Pirates already know the Yankees love and want.
It would take less than people think. The White Sox have the money to keep Quintana, for example. They can even extend him. The Pirates will not be keeping Cole, he’s a Boras guy.
I was thinking more of Jorge Mateo.
The Pirates have very little speed on their team or in their organization. A guy who could hit leadoff would have a lot of value to them.
Obviously it would depend on what kind of year these players have, but Cole for Severino, Mateo and a lotto ticket prospect sounds about right to me.
I’m pretty positive the Pirates could open up Cole to the other 28 teams and find a better deal than Severino/Mateo.
That is a massively massive 1-sided deal. I’d start with Frazier & Torres and only be about halfway there. The Dodgers, Braves and Cards could destroy any offer a non-Torres+Frazier Yankees package.
What other shortstop prospects are the Yankees “flooded” with? You mentioned Gregorious and Torres…..thats it
Mateo is another
Jorge Mateo
SS Jorge Mateo was the Yanks top prospect before their trades last season. Has elite speed. There’s also 4 other SSs listed in their top 30 prospects on MLB.com.
Mateo can’t do anything but run. Defense is shaky, has no OBP skills and already had disciplinary issues. He’s a B+ prospect but there’s enough about him that screams that he could very well fall off a cliff and not even make the bigs to make the Yankees go out and ask for a superior SS in Torres in a deal.
Expecting any prospect to become an everyday player is simply unwarranted – any prospect can fall off a cliff immediately and be out of pro ball within 2-3 years.
Or…the yankees have the same thought process that many teams do. You can take a mif and move him around if you end up with too many of them.
Any player can get hurt or have issues and fall off a cliff too. Your constant harping on the fact that not every prospect makes it is really tiresome. No one with a half decent knowledge of baseball thinks every prospect works out. Their chances of making it are largely folded into many of their evaluations.
It’s about 1000x more tiresome watching prospect hounds act like their beloved non-MLB players are better talents than their MLB counterparts. Just ridiculous. This point bears repeating.
Prospects are not as good as MLB players, period. People need to calm all the way down on them.
Jorge Mateo, Tyler Wade, Kyle Holder (based on scouting reports recently, he has the best glove in all the minors)
Who scouted that, his dad?
Read the list on MLB.com that came out a few days ago that had the best defenders in the minors. Holder was at SS
Unfortunately he can’t hit at all.
I think the Yankees should keep all their prospects and use their proven ability to develop pitching internally.
Wonder if the Yankees wanna trade my Padres a shortstop
Lotsa Yankee chatter……Didi is a good shortstop, would love to have him on the Jays but alas the Jays already have a very good shortstop [or 2]. I think Didi has room to grow too, have a better year this year, perhaps move into the “very good” category. As far as the Yankees prospects go, I haven’t seen them but tradition holds that the Yankee prospects are generally overrated/over-hyped. Brian Cashman is a smart guy, and if he stays the “rebuilding” course, the Yanks will be good in a few years. They need to develop their own star core and stop signing these overpaid, too old veterans whose skills diminish quickly yet the contracts keep running.
What contract are you referencing? Texeira/A-Rod/Sabathia were highly productive players for the Yankees. The fact that they became borderline unplayable is baked into the contract. You don’t get elite talent locked down without that inevitability.
I would add Ellesbury to your list. Not all teams overpay for players like that and they do very well. You can get elite talent without long term inevitability. The jays had EE for 3 year term. The Jays had Bautista on a 5 year term. The CWS did this with Sale, the Giants with Bumgartner, the diamondbacks with Goldschmidt, Mccutchen of the pirates…the list goes on and on. It can be done and it looks like Cashman is now trying to follow that model although the recent signing of Chapman is at the market, I wouldn’t have done the chapman deal, too much term and money.