Archives for February 2017

5 Key Stories: 2/11/17 – 2/18/17

By charliewilmoth | February 18, 2017 at 4:27pm CDT

Here are five of the biggest stories from the last week at MLBTR.

Alex Reyes to have Tommy John surgery. Baseball’s top pitching prospect has elected to have surgery that will keep him out of the big leagues for the 2017 season. Reyes was terrific in his first big-league action in 2016 and figured to make an impact for the Cardinals this year, but now, both he and the club will have to wait — and, as MLBTR’s Jeff Todd noted earlier this week, Reyes will burn a year of service time this season as well.

Royals sign Travis Wood. A week after adding Jason Hammel to help their rotation following the tragic death of Yordano Ventura, the Royals added veteran lefty Travis Wood as well, signing him to a two-year, $12MM contract. Wood will apparently receive a chance to start, although one factor in the Royals’ decision to add Wood was an injury to lefty reliever Brian Flynn.

Adam Lind signs with Nationals. Former Blue Jays, Brewers and Mariners slugger Adam Lind headed to Washington this week for $1.5MM over one year, plus a mutual option. Lind gives the Nationals a bit of needed bench depth, and the lefty will complement right-handed Ryan Zimmerman at first base.

Braves acquire Brandon Phillips. After using his no-trade clause to scuttle a number of deals, veteran second baseman Brandon Phillips finally allowed the Reds to trade him this week, going to Atlanta (along with money to pay most of Phillips’ 2017 salary) for two minor-league pitchers. The Braves acquired Phillips due in large part to a car wreck that could cost Sean Rodriguez his entire 2017 season, and Phillips was motivated to accept a deal due to the promise of more playing time in Atlanta. Meanwhile, the Reds have cleared second base in order to find plate appearances for young infielders Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera.

Yankees president feuds with Dellin Betances. In a plot line that could go cold this week or simmer throughout the season, Yankees president Randy Levine and standout reliever Dellin Betances feuded over Betances’ arbitration case, which Betances lost. Betances says the dispute, in which Levine told the press Betances’ $5MM filing price “had no basis in reality,” could discourage him from pursuing a new contract with the Yankees. It could perhaps even make Betances a trade candidate, either later this season or at some point in the future.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AL Central Notes: Kelly, Twins, Royals

By charliewilmoth | February 18, 2017 at 3:02pm CDT

The Tigers have announced that they’ve hired former utilityman Don Kelly as a pro scout and assistant to player development. It would appear, then, that the 37-year-old Kelly, who played briefly for the Marlins in each of the last two seasons, has retired, or at least put his playing career on hold. He spent much of last season with Triple-A New Orleans, batting a modest .198/.284/.233. Kelly is best known for his six-year tenure with the Tigers from 2009 through 2014, during which he played mostly outfield, first and third while serving as one of Jim Leyland’s favored bench pieces. In nine years in the Majors, Kelly has batted .230/.294/.334. Here’s more from the AL Central divisions.

Twins scouting director Sean Johnson plans to incorporate analytics into his team’s draft process, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press writes. The Twins have the No. 1 overall pick in June. Exactly how they plan to use analytics to inform that pick is unclear, but Berardino’s piece still demonstrates what appears to be a change in outlook from the Twins’ mostly traditionalist front office under Terry Ryan. Johnson was with the Twins under Ryan, previously serving as their West Coast supervisor, but new Twins front office honchos Derek Falvey and Thad Levine appear to be emphasizing a different approach. “At the heart of it, it’s always going to be about our scouts: who they like, who they want to draft,” says Johnson. “And then you layer on different things to make sure you’re on the right track. It might be numbers or psychological testing. It could be a makeup call. There are numerous things we want to implement.” Still, Johnson adds, “Broadly speaking, we’re going to use more of the metrics. We’re going to have more of the numbers, but not to drive the guys we go evaluate and who we want.” In contrast, Johnson says the Twins didn’t even discuss the spin rate on Tyler Jay’s well-regarded slider before selecting him sixth overall in 2015.
The Royals plan to use Alex Gordon at all three outfield spots during Spring Training, and perhaps in the regular season also, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan writes. “Every scenario is open,” says manager Ned Yost. “I’m going to move Gordy around. I’m going to play Gordy in right, Gordy in center. Just to see what we got.” Gordon has won four Gold Gloves as a left fielder, but it appears the Royals won’t be shy about experimenting, at least for now. The idea, it seems, is to see how best to utilitze Gordon along with new additions Jorge Soler and Brandon Moss, although Yost does note that he views Soler mostly as a right fielder. Moss played 58 games in left field for the Cardinals last season, although his defense there does not rate as highly as Gordon’s.

Arte Moreno On Angels’ Payroll, Stadium

By charliewilmoth | February 18, 2017 at 1:18pm CDT

Angels owner Arte Moreno spoke to reporters, including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, early Saturday, and he spoke about the team’s payroll in upcoming seasons and its future in its current stadium. Here’s some of what he had to say.

Recent Angels offseasons have been a far cry from several years ago, when the team signed top free agents like Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and C.J. Wilson (sometimes to limited success, as it turned out). This past winter, the Angels were again relatively quiet, though they did add Cameron Maybin, Luis Valbuena, Jesse Chavez, Danny Espinosa, Ben Revere and Martin Maldonado. The team will have greater financial flexibility in upcoming offseasons than it did this past winter, however, according to Moreno. The Angels can potentially clear plenty of payroll after 2017, including the last year of Josh Hamilton’s contract and potentially also the contracts of Ricky Nolasco and Huston Street (although the team has 2018 options on both players). The team could potentially again contend for top free-agent talent, Moreno says. “If our people feel it’s a player who fits, that’s what we’re going to do,” says the owner. “We’re going to try to win.”
The team could also add payroll in trades later this season if the team performs well. Fletcher notes that the team is currently about $10MM to $12MM below the luxury tax threshold. The Angels, Moreno says, “have enough economic flexibility to be able to go out and, if we do have holes, try to fill those holes.”
The Angels will remain in Angel Stadium until 2028 or beyond, according to Moreno. The team’s stadium deal contained the option to leave by 2019, but the Angels have no immediate plans to leave and would not be able to build a new stadium by then anyway. Instead, they will focus on upgrading their current ballpark. In addition to their option to leave their stadium by 2028, they also have an option to leave by 2038.

Yadier Molina, Cardinals Have Had Preliminary Extension Talks

By charliewilmoth | February 18, 2017 at 9:45am CDT

Catcher Yadier Molina and the Cardinals have had preliminary talks about an extension, Fan Rag’s Jon Heyman reports. Cards GM John Mozeliak says that if the two sides can hammer out a deal, they would like to complete it before the start of the season, as is frequently the goal with extension talks.

Last month, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch reported that both Molina and the Cardinals had interest in a new contract. The 34-year-old Molina is heading into the last season of the five-year, $75MM deal he signed prior to the 2013 season, although he has a $15MM mutual option or $2MM buyout for 2018.

Despite his advancing age, Molina remained productive in 2016, hitting .307/.360/.427 and receiving solid marks for his defense and framing while playing 147 games. He did miss brief periods over the course of his current deal due to a 2013 knee sprain and a 2014 torn thumb ligament, but he’s otherwise been remarkably durable, appearing in at least 136 games in three of the last four seasons. Molina’s career as a whole, of course, has been terrific, with eight Gold Gloves and seven All-Star berths.

As Heyman notes, Molina’s current deal provided a precedent for longer extensions for catchers like Russell Martin and Brian McCann. Still, it’s highly likely that a new contract for Molina would be shorter in duration than his last one. Molina would be 35 by the start of the 2018 season, and catcher aging patterns aren’t pretty (although Molina’s framing should help him in that regard, just as it did with his brother Jose).

The Cardinals also have well-regarded catching prospect Carson Kelly, and as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted last month, Kelly’s emergence would appear to be a factor in potential Molina extension talks. Kelly appears likely to begin the 2017 season with Triple-A Memphis, but the two players could potentially both play the catcher position in coming years if the Cardinals extend Molina. Molina has also occasionally played first base in the last several seasons, and perhaps there’s a possibility he could play that position a bit more frequently as he ages.

Dellin Betances Loses Arbitration Hearing

By charliewilmoth | February 18, 2017 at 8:43am CDT

Reliever Dellin Betances has lost his arbitration hearing to the Yankees, Fan Rag’s Jon Heyman writes (Twitter links). Betances will receive $3MM next season rather than the $5MM he had been seeking.

This offseason’s spin through the arbitration process was Betances’ first. The righty is coming off a terrific season in which he posted a 3.08 ERA with 3.5 BB/9 and a remarkable 15.5 K/9 over 73 innings, mowing down hitters with a high-90s fastball and a terrific breaking ball. He’s accumulated 21 saves over the last two seasons and would appear to be a candidate for future success as a closer, although he didn’t fare well in that role late last season. The Yankees, of course, re-acquired Aroldis Chapman this winter, meaning they won’t need Betances in the ninth inning going forward unless there’s an injury. As Heyman tweets, the $5MM salary Betances had hoped for would have set a precedent, since numbers that high typically aren’t given to relievers who aren’t closers.

Betances and the Yankees had discussed a multi-year deal this winter, but GM Brian Cashman told Dan Martin of the New York Post that there was a gulf between the two sides about what Betances should receive. The Yankees instead went with a “file-and-trial” approach with Betances, declining to negotiate with him once the two sides exchanged arbitration figures.

NL West Notes: Gonzalez, Hill, Arroyo, Morse, Hwang, Stewart

By Jeff Todd | February 17, 2017 at 11:34pm CDT

Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is dealing with what he has described as a case of tennis elbow, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports. The veteran says that he suffered the malady due to an active offseason workout program. While he’s set to be shut down for about two weeks, Gonzalez says he expects to be back to full strength after some rest. Chase Utley is expected to see some time in camp at first, McCullough notes, as the team prepares in the event that Gonzalez does end up missing some time early.

Here’s more from the NL West:

The Giants may have the game’s most interesting aggregation of veterans competing for limited bench roles in camp, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes. “No promises, no guarantees,” GM Bobby Evans said of the signing of Aaron Hill. “Just creating competition. We’ll see how it plays out.” If there is a drawback to the large number of competitors, it’s probably the lack of reps available to young players — particularly top prospect Christian Arroyo. However, as Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area writes, GM Bobby Evans says that the organization already feels confident that Arroyo is capable of handling the bat at the major league level, suggesting that the club doesn’t need a long look this spring to determine his timeline.
As Baggarly notes, the right-handed-hitting Hill is competing to some extent not only with the array of infielders, but also players such as Michael Morse for a role as a righty bench bat. Morse returned to San Francisco after unexpectedly hammering out a deal at Hunter Pence’s wedding — an interesting story that also comes via Baggarly. Perhaps the single most intriguing player in camp, though, is Korean infielder Jae-gyun Hwang. As Baggarly also writes, agent Han Lee says that the KBO star is committed to pitting himself against MLB pitching. “A lot of people assume if he doesn’t make it, he’s just going to run back to Korea, but that’s not his mentality,” says Lee. “I’ve told him it’s very much possible he could start at Sacramento, and if that’s the case, he’ll just have to work his way up.”
Former Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart discussed his tenure in a recent appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (audio link). Stewart expressed disappointment with the fact that he wasn’t given a longer leash in Arizona, suggesting he hadn’t received a “true opportunity to do the job.” That said, he acknowledged the error behind one of the moves that perhaps helped spell the end of his time in Arizona — the infamous deal that sent Dansby Swanson, Ender Inciarte, and Aaron Blair to the Braves for Shelby Miller. “My gut that whole time said that I should not move Dansby Swanson,” he said, though he stressed that he still believes in Miller. “If anything, maybe substituting [him] with another player” would have been something he would like to “have a redo” on, said Stewart.

East Notes: Hardy, Swihart, Wilson, Johnson, Scherzer

By Steve Adams and Jeff Todd | February 17, 2017 at 9:51pm CDT

Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy underwent an MRI yesterday and a CT scan today due to back spasms that have been troubling him since late January, Hardy himself told reporters (via Peter Schmuck and Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun). Hardy has had back spasms in the past but doesn’t seem overly concerned by the injury, stating that they feel “similar to everything I’ve had in the past.” At this juncture, there doesn’t sound to be cause for significant concern, but the situation is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

A few more notes out of the game’s eastern divisions …

Spring Training is off to a rocky start for Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart, as Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports. Though it’s obviously still early, Swihart has struggled badly with getting the ball back to the pitcher. As Drellich explains, that’s perhaps of particular concern here: Swihart is reacclimating to life behind the dish after a stint in the outfield (and then on the DL) in 2016 and has always faced questions about his defensive abilities.
The Rays have some interest in newly knuckleballing righty Brian Wilson, according to Marc Topkin and Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times. Once a power late-inning reliever, Wilson has battled injuries and hasn’t pitched competitively since 2014. Tampa Bay has dedicated resources to finding and developing knucklers, and trying out the soon-to-be-35-year-old would at least represent a fun-to-follow experiment.
Speaking of former closers, Jim Johnson will enter camp with a firm hold on the 9th inning for the Braves, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Atlanta extended the 33-year-old after his strong finish to the 2016 season, which included a run as the Braves’ closer. Johnson finished the year with 64 2/3 innings of 3.06 ERA ball on his ledger, supported by a surprising 9.5 K/9. A repeat of that strikeout rate seems unlikely, as Johnson’s 7.7% swinging-strike rate fell below the league average and right at his career mark, but he continues to induce plenty of groundballs.
After telling reporters yesterday that he was still experiencing symptoms from his broken right ring finger, Nationals righty Max Scherzer took part in a seemingly productive long toss session today, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post was among those to tweet. While it still seems likely that he’ll be delayed, and may not quite be ready to take the ball on Opening Day, it’s encouraging that Scherzer is not being held back entirely from throwing. The reigning National League Cy Young winner had been expected to participate in the World Baseball Classic, but those plans were already iced when the news emerged that he had been diagnosed with the fractured digit.

Camp Battles: Colorado Rockies

By Jeff Todd | February 17, 2017 at 7:53pm CDT

The Rockies made several moves this winter geared toward putting a contender on the field, but face a tall task to unseat the Dodgers and Giants as the leading team in the NL West. While there’s not a ton to sort out in camp, there are a few notable battles that could impact Colorado’s hopes.

Here are the key camp competitions for the Rockies, who are the second entrant in MLBTR’s new Camp Battles series.

CATCHER
Tony Wolters
Age: 24
Bats: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’21 season
Options remaining: 2

Tom Murphy
Age: 25
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 season
Options remaining: 2

Dustin Garneau
Age: 29
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 season
Options remaining: 2

After relying heavily on veteran Nick Hundley for the past two seasons, the Rox are set to hand off the field generalship to some much less experienced players. Wolters emerged after coming over through a waiver claim, providing solid defense behind the dish while adding value on the basepaths. He’s not much of a hitter — he posted a 75 wRC+ over 230 plate appearances and never did much more in the minors — but seems to have the trust of the organization.

Vying with each other to share time with Wolters, or possibly even take primary duties, are Murphy and Garneau. The former has shown quite a bit of bat in the upper minors and in his brief MLB time, though he’s still a work in progress behind the plate. The latter raked last year at Triple-A, but seems clearly third in line.

There’s still perhaps an outside chance that Colorado will make a move for Matt Wieters — if not some other veteran — before camp breaks. But if that doesn’t come to pass, the plan likely involves hoping that Murphy takes charge while leaning on Wolters to the extent necessary.

Prediction: Murphy is given every opportunity to win semi-regular time, but ends up in a time-share with Wolters.

CLOSER
Adam Ottavino
Age: 31
Throws: R
Contract Status: 2 years, $9.1MM
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Greg Holland
Age: 31
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $6MM with 2018 mutual option ($10MM or $1MM buyout)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Jake McGee
Age: 30
Throws: L
Contract Status: 1 year, $5.9MM
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Mike Dunn
Age: 31
Throws: L
Contract Status: 3 years, $19MM
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Jason Motte
Age: 34
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $5MM
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

These five veterans all have substantial late-inning experience, with most having handled the ninth inning for at least some significant stretch. The only one that hasn’t — Dunn — just signed a contract that includes incentives for games finished, though that hardly means he’s been promised a full-blown shot at the job.

Ottavino seems the obvious choice: he has been nails over the past two seasons, with a 1.93 ERA and 11.6 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9. But he has managed only 37 1/3 total innings in that stretch, owing to Tommy John surgery, and his health will be monitored closely all year long. The veteran Holland is a wild card, as he’s returning from his own TJ procedure and has a long record of dominating from a closer’s role. McGee is looking to bounce back from a subpar 2016 campaign, while Motte could be turned to if he can rebound from his own struggles and the need arises. Unless Ottavino falters, though, it seems the job is likely his.

Prediction: Ottavino

STARTING ROTATION (ONE SPOT)
Jeff Hoffman
Age: 24
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 season
Options remaining: 3

Jordan Lyles
Age: 26
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $3.175MM
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

German Marquez
Age: 21
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 season
Options remaining: 2

Kyle Freeland
Age: 23
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 or ’23 season (not yet on 40-man)
Options remaining: 3

The Rockies finally have some hope in the starting staff, but the fifth slot remains undetermined as camp opens. Fortunately, there are a host of intriguing arms that figure to compete for the job, with the losers expected to remain on hand if a leak springs during the season.

Both Hoffman and Marquez struggled in their MLB debuts, but are seen as talented hurlers and obviously have caught the eye of GM Jeff Bridich. If neither grabs the reins in camp, though, it’s plenty possible that they’ll be left in Triple-A for added seasoning when the season opens. That could leave room for a comeback for Lyles, who struggled badly in 2016 and may otherwise end up in the bullpen. Though Freeland has only a dozen Triple-A starts under his belt, that’s more than Marquez, so he too could factor with a big spring — though going to him would require opening a 40-man spot.

Prediction: Hoffman

Minor MLB Transactions: 2/17/17

By Jeff Todd | February 17, 2017 at 6:38pm CDT

Plenty of players are still looking for opportunities as Spring Training gets underway in earnest. Among them is former White Sox lefty Scott Snodgress, who worked out for teams this week and will likely choose his landing spot tomorrow, per MLBTR’s Zach Links (via Twitter). Snodgress played indy ball last year after a rough 2015 season in the upper minors with the Angels.

Here are the latest minor moves from around the game, featuring a host of other southpaws:

The White Sox have added lefty Tyler Matzek on a minors pact, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). A 2009 first-rounder, Matzek worked through control problems and showed promise upon reaching the majors in 2014 with the Rockies. But his struggles with the strike zone returned with renewed vigor the next year, and Matzek was ultimately diagnosed with anxiety. Though he was able to make 33 minor-league appearances in 2016, he was outrighted off of Colorado’s 40-man and ended up issuing as many walks as strikeouts (11.1 per nine) on the year.
Former first-round pick Chris Reed has decided to retire from the Marlins, Eddy tweets. Just 26 years of age, Reed worked to a 3.65 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 81 1/3 innings in the upper minors last year. That represented progress after he struggled badly with control in 2015, but it seems that Reed will move on to other pursuits. The Dodgers, who originally took him 16th overall in 2011, will still get something out of their investment, though, as the trade that sent Reed to Miami netted southpaw Grant Dayton.
Outfielder Slade Heathcott has landed with the Giants on a minor-league deal that includes a camp invite, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The 26-year-old, who was taken after Reed in the first round in 2009, has long been viewed as a talented player but hasn’t yet earned a full MLB opportunity. He showed well in his lone stint in the bigs, in 2015, but hit only .254/.359/.380 in his 247 Triple-A plate appearances last year.
Lefty Hung-Chih Kuo is attempting a comeback with the Padres, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County-Register reports on Twitter that he has struck a minor-league deal with San Diego. Now 35 years of age, the Taiwanese native provided the division-rival Dodgers with 292 1/3 innings of 3.73 ERA ball over 2005 through 2011. Kuo has been pitching in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League for the past two campaigns.

Nick Swisher Retires

By Jeff Todd | February 17, 2017 at 5:02pm CDT

Long-time MLB outfielder Nick Swisher has announced his retirement in a post at the Player’s Tribune. The 36-year-old will join FOX Sports as a studio analyst — in addition to spending time at home with his kids, he writes.

Swisher, one of the game’s most jubilant personalities, was a first-round pick by the Athletics out of Ohio State. The switch hitter made it up to the majors in his third professional season, and went on to play in a dozen MLB campaigns.

Over his four years in Moneyball-era Oakland, Swisher provided the team with nearly 2,000 plate appearances of .251/.361/.464 hitting. Renowned for his plate discipline, he took 260 walks against 404 strikeouts in that span.

Despite signing an extension with the A’s, Swisher was dealt to the White Sox early in 2008. The deal sent Gio Gonzalez and others back to the Oakland. But Swisher fell shy of expectations in Chicago, and was flipped at season’s end to the Yankees.

In New York, Swisher thrived once again. He compiled 2,501 plate appearances there, slashing a robust .268/.367/.483 and swatting 105 home runs over four campaigns. Swisher was a model of consistency with the Yanks, taking over 600 plate appearances in every season and posting OPS+ marks between 120 and 129.

After declining a qualifying offer following the 2012 season, Swisher hit the open market for the first time entering his age-32 season. He ultimately landed a four-year, $56MM pact with the Indians. While the first year went reasonably well — Swisher hit .246/.341/.423 in 634 trips to the plate — that represented the end of his productivity in the majors.

Swisher endured an injury-plagued 2014 season that ended with double knee surgery. He made it back the following year, but was ultimately dealt to the Braves along with Michael Bourn in a salary-swapping deal that sent Chris Johnson to Cleveland. While he showed a bit of life late in 2015 with Atlanta — he hit just .195 and didn’t hit for power, but drew 27 walks and posted a .349 OBP — Swisher was cut loose late in camp in 2016 and never made it back to the bigs after inking a minor-league pact with the Yankees.

While he was never much of a defender or baserunner, Swisher managed to contribute 25.4 fWAR and 21.7 rWAR over his career. At his best, between 2006 and 2013, he was a steady 3-to-4 win player. Swisher’s sole All-Star berth came in 2010.

MLBTR wishes Swisher a pleasant retirement and the best of luck with his new gig.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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