Rangers general manager Jon Daniels and the agent for right-hander Yu Darvish have engaged in a couple of contract extension-related conversations – but not serious ones – Daniels told T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Extension talks tend to heat up around spring training, which was the case last year between the Rangers and cornerstone third baseman Adrian Beltre. The two sides ultimately hammered out a deal in mid-April, thus preventing Beltre from testing the open market this winter. Darvish will become a free agent next offseason if he and Texas don’t reach an extension, but it seems the 30-year-old wants to remain with the organization. “I am really grateful to the Texas Rangers for giving me that contract,” Darvish said of the six-year, $56MM pact he signed to leave his native Japan in 2012. “They have taken care of me really well.”
Now for the latest on the majors’ Florida-based teams:
- The Marlins have reportedly discussed signing either Chris Carter or Mark Reynolds – two power-hitting first basemen who remain without contracts. However, picking up a big bat isn’t a priority, writes MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro, who notes that the Marlins are likely at their payroll limit. As a result, the Fish could roll with a four-man bench consisting of A.J. Ellis, Ichiro Suzuki, Derek Dietrich and Miguel Rojas and an eight-man bullpen to begin 2017. One reason the Marlins are open to taking that route is because they’re aiming to give lefty-swinging first baseman Justin Bour more opportunities against southpaw pitchers. Bour has slashed a miserable .223/.273/.291 versus lefties in his career, but those struggles have come over a small sample size (110 plate appearances). “We haven’t really actively tried to finish off anything in terms of a right-handed bat, knowing that we’re going to give Bour every opportunity to be that everyday guy and face lefties and righties — and occasionally getting (catcher) J.T. Realmuto [time] over at first,” stated team president Michael Hill, who added that signing a righty hitter is “not at the forefront of things for us. Our goal was to create as much pitching depth and quality as we could.”
- The Rays are continuing to monitor the open market for bench and bullpen pieces, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. With that in mind, the club could look for a “proven right-handed hitter,” suggests Topkin, who rules out Mike Napoli but lists the aforementioned duo of Carter and Reynolds as possibilities. While the Rays have been involved in the sweepstakes for free agent reliever Greg Holland, it’s “unlikely” they’ll land him, per Topkin.
- Since hiring Jason Pare as their senior director of analytics a year ago, the Marlins have worked to beef up the department – which is now roughly league average in size – details Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Hill and manager Don Mattingly, two organizational bigwigs, are among those who have embraced the 31-year-old Pare’s role. “[Hill] is very good about giving everybody a seat at the table,” Pare told Healey. “That’s the expression that he uses. They come to me with a lot questions, and I’m encouraged to give my opinion proactively as well.” Pare, for instance, was instrumental in Miami’s decision to shift Christian Yelich from left field to center, which had Mattingly’s support after he observed that Yelich fared better up the middle than Marcell Ozuna did in 2016. “He gives us another dimension of … trying to put the right people in the right spots and make sure metrically we are paying attention. We do want to be able to evaluate our guys, and that’s part of it,” Mattingly said of Pare.
One RH bat that the Rays should target is Drury from Arizona. I don’t see AZ parting with him easily but Drury fits the Rays mold. Can play everywhere and can hit while doing so. Erasmo and another prospect for Drury?
-> also, I don’t think the Rays want to add another 100 strikeout hitter.. wouldn’t make any sense. Already have too many on the team
He’s still better with avoiding Ks (and younger) than Carter/Reynolds
The DBacks plan to give Drury the chance to start at 2B this year after trading Segura. They probably won’t be trading him before they know exactly what they have in him. Maybe at the deadline, if AZ is out of contention, this trade would be plausible
In err, when you say Erasmo and ‘another’ prospect. Erasmo is no prospect. More like suspect. Arizona should have no interest in trading Drury with five years of control still.
Dodgers need to stop messing around and sign Holland already
8-man bullpens are just the worst. I really wish the new CBA had included roster expansion, but then again, we’d probably just have 10-man bullpens.
Naaaaah.
What’s the worst is pitchers getting injured for 15 months due to overuse.
overuse? there were only 82 complete games the entire season! there are very few players who were even alive the last time a MLB threw 300+ innings in a season. Only nine times in this century has a pitcher thrown 250+ innings. David Price’s 230 innings led all pitchers this year. Only three pitchers threw 80+ games this year. You don’t see RP’s throwing 90+ games anymore.
Wait, you mean over use is actually an idea that exists in the context of the current time?
My point had nothing to do with pitcher use. Just roster size. I enjoy platoons and pinch hitters.
I want to see it where they have to set a twenty four man roster for each series. It would be like what they do in the playoffs. In series four game series they could take a starter off the roster and add an extra bench bat or bullpen arm. The only downside I see to this is figuring out how service time would work with this plan.
Sorry, twenty five man roster.
Bour and carter could hit 30+ bombs combined seems like thats good for any team
I wonder what it will take to sign Darvish.
Sorry, Yankees. No Darvish for you.
A little too early to say that
Darvish is going to sign a David Price like contact (217/7) and it really comes down to Dodgers, Rangers, Yankees, Cubs. That is it all avenues considered. But then again I can hope for a team like the Reds or Rays or Padres or Twins trying out their luck. Sarcasm included.
I don’t see the Cubs going to that well very often.
They’re trying to develop their own, where possible. Having a pitcher on a six-year four-to-eight million dollar deal (or so) beats shelling out a million per start.
the problem is that thier system isn’t overflowing with young pitching talent they have some but not lots
Yeah we/Cubs need to draft pitchers with both picks this year in first round of draft. Cease and underwood could both be studs but couple years away. I’d love darvish or cueto if can’t get arrieta resigned. Trouble is Cubs don’t want to do a 7 year deal with Lester and then whoever aging at same time but if other teams are offering 7 years what do you do ? Maybe trade a happ Jimenez Baez for a young controllable arm
you dont really draft for need in baseball. Take best available talent
Astros too should be on that list, Phillies and even the Marlins.
Unfortunately, those two power-hitting first-basemen put out some astronomical strikeout numbers. I’d stay away, Marlins.
I find it amazing that last year’s home run champ can’t find a job. I understand his deficiencies, but Carter LED THE LEAGUE IN HOMERUNS!!! Are HRs now considered meaningless, like W’s, RBI, and Average?
most important IMO are RBI, Runs, OBP. Carter can’t find a job because the market was filled with guys like him his off season. It’s the same reason it took so long for EE and Batista to get signed. It’s the reason Reynolds, Napoli, Butler, Howard, Lind, Morneau, Moss and Trumbo are also still looking for a deal less than a month away from the start of spring training.
The Orioles have already resigned Trumbo.
I see Morneau going back to Chicago.
RBI’s and Runs are the most important stats?
last I checked, you gotta score runs to win games. Carter has never driven in or scored 100+ runs in a season.
RBI aren’t a skill. They are a function of opportunity. If RBI were a skill then Ryan Howard would have a job and Matt Kemp would have not been traded for nothing.
And those who take advantage of those opportunities are the guys you want on your team. RBI’s ARE a skill and Kemp has driven in 100+runs the last two years for two of the worst offensive teams in baseball. It’s why he still has a job and wasn’t just released. The Padres shipped him away to dump salary. The Pads problem is they don’t have MORE hitters as good as Kemp. As for Ryan Howard, he’s 37 years old and he hasn’t knocked in 100 runs in six years. Ryan got that big contract because he once had that skill. He no longer does.
What ever happened to Tolleson going to the Rays?
Roster space and physical have not been official yet; soon.
Ventura of royals died in a car wreck as well. Wow.