Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for February 2017

AL East Notes: Sanchez, Stroman, Blue Jays, Swihart, Wieters

By | at

Here’s the latest from around the AL East…

  • It could make sense for the Blue Jays to pursue extensions with Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman this spring, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi opines.  Locking up young pitching is obviously a logical tactic, and if nothing else, the Jays could gain some cost certainty on both starters through their arbitration years.  Sanchez will be arb-eligible for the first time next winter, while Stroman is going through the arbitration process for the first of four trips (as a Super Two player) this offseason, to the point of going to a hearing to determine his 2017 salary.  On the other hand, since both players have so many years of control ahead of them, the Jays could wait at least one more season to see what they really have in either starter before discussing a long-term agreement.
  • Dalton Pompey will need a big Spring Training to break into the Blue Jays’ planned Melvin Upton Jr./Ezequiel Carrera platoon in left field, MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm writes.  The Jays want Pompey to play every day, so if he does make the big league roster, it won’t be in a bench role.  A good spring performance, however, will put Pompey in line for a promotion should one or both or Upton or Carrera get off to a slow start.  Elsewhere in the mailbag piece, Chisholm notes that it may be hard for any prospects to find a spot on Toronto’s Opening Day roster, and highly-touted Cuban signing Lourdes Gurriel Jr. isn’t likely to be a viable roster candidate until 2018.
  • Blake Swihart’s eventual role with the Red Sox could be serving a multi-positional threat who can catch 90 games while also contributing at first, third, DH and the outfield, Peter Gammons writes in his latest piece at GammonsDaily.com.  Boston moved Swihart to left field last season due to defensive issues behind the plate, though Swihart is intent on carving out a niche for himself as a catcher.  Since Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez both have their own question marks, Swihart could still emerge as a catching option for the Sox in 2017.  As Gammons and Sox bullpen coach Dana LeVangie both mention, Swihart doesn’t have all that much actual catching experience in his career, and got precious little time as a catcher last year due to the position switch and the ankle injury that shortened his season.
  • Re-signing Matt Wieters “would be sentimental, but not practical” for the Orioles, MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli opines.  There have been whispers that Baltimore could bring back Wieters as a part-time DH and in a timeshare behind the plate with Welington Castillo, since Wieters could be had at a lowered price given his long stay in free agency.  Signing veterans at a relative bargain price is a Dan Duquette specialty, Ghiroli notes, though the O’s aren’t actively pursuing Wieters.  It could also be hard for Baltimore to offer Wieters enough playing time, given Castillo’s presence and the likelihood that Mark Trumbo will get more DH at-bats this season.
  • For more out of Baltimore, check out this set of Orioles Notes from earlier today on MLBTR.

Orioles Notes: Jones, Catching, Arbitration Hearings

By | at

Here’s the latest out of Baltimore…

  • Adam Jones discussed a wide variety of topics in a radio interview earlier this week on 105.7 The Fan’s Hot Stove Show (hat tip to MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko for the partial transcript), including the evolving free agent market and how it might impact his own potential entry into the open market after his current deal with the Orioles expires after the 2018 season.  “Times have changed, the metrics and all that stuff. How they’re calculating all that stuff is really going into how they’re paying people and it’s crazy how it is,” Jones said, noting the recent trend towards short-term or even one-year deals for veteran talent.  “It’s weird for so many guys, big league and minor league level, there are so many guys who are out there, which is surprising. Obviously, there are still a few weeks left in spring training and there’s a lot of transactions coming, but it’s different.  It’s a different feeling seeing free agency and how slow it is.”
  • Also from Kubatko, the O’s could be looking to sign another catcher to a minor league deal for Spring Training.  Austin Wynns suffered an ankle injury in Dominican Winter League play and may not be back in action until March, which could leave the Orioles without enough backstops to handle all of their spring pitchers.  Given the rather minor nature of both Wynns’ injury and the need behind the plate, Kubatko notes that this situation won’t open the door for a possible reunion between the Orioles and Matt Wieters.
  • The Orioles’ victory over Caleb Joseph in an arbitration hearing earlier this week continues the team’s remarkable success with arbiters since Peter Angelos became majority owner, BaltimoreBaseball.com’s Dan Connolly writes.  With the result over Joseph, the O’s improved to 11-1 in their last 12 arbitration hearings, with the lone defeat coming back in 1995 when Ben McDonald scored a higher salary.  The Orioles have two more arb hearings scheduled this month with Kevin Gausman and Brad Brach.

5 Key Stories: 1/29/17 – 2/3/17

By | at

The top stories of the week on MLBTR…

Cardinals punished for Astros data breach scandal: Major League Baseball’s investigation into former Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa’s breach of the Astros’ proprietary database came to a conclusion this week.  The Cardinals will have to send $2MM and their top two picks in this summer’s draft (the 56th and 75th overall selections) to the Astros as compensation.

The relief market opens up: A plethora of notable bullpen arms signed contracts this week, bringing some clarity to a crowded relief market.  The Mets brought back two familiar faces in Jerry Blevins and Fernando Salas, the Blue Jays addressed their need for left-handed relief help by signing J.P. Howell and the Indians made another significant free agent expenditure by signing Boone Logan to a contract that will pay the southpaw at least $6.5MM.  Sergio Romo may also be close to a deal with the Dodgers or another mystery suitor, though Romo’s status is still unclear.

Cardinals extend Carlos Martinez: In more pleasant news for St. Louis this week, the Cards locked up their impressive young right-hander to a five-year, $51MM extension.  The deal also contains a $17MM club option for 2022 and an $18MM club option for 2023, so Martinez could end up earning $86MM over the next seven seasons.  Martinez could be giving away as many as four free agent years with the extension, though he gains financial security now and can still hit the open market prior to his age-32 season.

Royals sign Brandon Moss: The Royals added a veteran bat to replace Kendrys Morales, signing Moss to a two-year, $12MM deal (which includes a $10MM mutual option for 2019).  Moss will likely get most of his at-bats filling Morales’ old DH role, though he brings much more versatility as a defensive backup, capable of filling in at first base and both corner outfield spots.

Twins designate Byung Ho Park for assignment: Just a year after signing the Korean first baseman to a four-year, $12MM deal, the Twins sent Park into DFA limbo.  While he is expected to clear waivers and remain with the club in Triple-A, the move still has to be seen as something of a disappointment for the rebuilding Twins, who also paid a $12.85MM posting fee to gain negotiating rights with Park last winter.  Park’s first year of North American baseball saw him battle a wrist injury while hitting .191/.275/.409 with 12 homers over 244 plate appearances.

Minor MLB Transactions: 2/4/17

By | at

Here are the latest moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

  • The Cubs assigned Dylan Floro to Triple-A after the right-hander cleared waivers, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat reports (via Twitter).  Floro was designated for assignment earlier this week when Chicago acquired Eddie Butler from Colorado.  Muskat adds that Floro will be a non-roster invitee to the Cubs’ Spring Training camp.  The 26-year-old Floro made his MLB debut last season, posting a 4.20 ERA, 8.4 K/9 and 2.8 K/BB rate over 15 relief innings for the Rays.  He joined the Chicago organization in January after the Cubs claimed him off waivers.

Market Notes: Trends, Wood, Rays, Rockies

By | at

Looking at this winter’s free-agent market broadly, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes (Insider link) that it produced generally poor results from the players’ side. The trend, he and the agents he spoke with suggest, is one of elite players continuing to earn while others are increasingly forced into one-year pacts. That could, in turn, continue to suppress the market for sub-elite players next year, since there’ll again be a larger pool of talent. This certainly seems to be an area that warrants a closer look once the market fully settles out. As of three years ago, the trend had been in favor of multi-year deals as teams competed to land talent on the open market.

Here are some more market notes:

  • With southpaws flying off the board, things are “heating up” for Travis Wood, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). It’s possible he’ll choose his landing spot by the end of the weekend, per the report, though it’s still not clear whether he’ll be heading for a rotation or pen spot (let alone where that might be).
  • Despite picking up Logan Morrison and Rickie Weeks, the Rays still intend to remain involved on some of the better hitters still available, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (links to Twitter). In particular, slugger Chris Carter and even catcher Matt Wieters seemingly remain of interest to Tampa Bay. Another righty bat, notes Topkin, might step into a platoon in the first base and DH spots. The club could take a look at Byung Ho Park, who was just designated by the Twins, and others under consideration include Mike Napoli and Franklin Gutierrez (who’d spend time in the outfield).
  • The Rockies are unlikely to make further additions to their major league roster, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding suggests in response to a fan inquiry. Even if someone like starter Jason Hammel represents a screaming value, Harding hints, the organization may not have the roster or payroll flexibility to give out a MLB deal.

Nationals Sign Jeremy Guthrie

By | at

The Nationals have inked righty Jeremy Guthrie to a minor-league pact, the club announced. He’ll receive an invitation to the major league side of spring camp, and can opt out on March 27th if he’s not added to the MLB roster (per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick, on Twitter).

Guthrie, who’ll turn 38 in April, didn’t appear in the majors last year after a dozen seasons in the bigs. He went to camp with the Rangers and spent time at Triple-A with the Padres and Marlins, but was hit hard at every stop in 2016. Over his 86 2/3 frames at the highest level of the minors, Guthrie worked to a 7.17 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9.

The last time that Guthrie threw in the majors, in 2015 with the Royals, he wasn’t much better. He ended that campaign with a 5.95 ERA in 148 1/3 innings. That being said, he was still averaging 92 mph with his fastball and cycling through what Pitch F/X classifies as a six-pitch mix. And it wasn’t long ago that Guthrie was racking up sturdy, 200+ inning seasons with regularity. From 2007 through 2014, the durable veteran averaged 197 frames annually while carrying a 4.18 ERA.

Presumably, the Nats intend for Guthrie to function as a depth piece, as the organization has its five-man rotation set. He’ll likely represent an option if there’s an injury in camp, or if the need for an arm comes up during the course of the season.

Braves To Sign Rex Brothers

By | at

The Braves have agreed to a minor-league deal with lefty Rex Brothers, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). Brothers will not receive an invitation to MLB camp.

Brothers, 29, was picked up by the Cubs last winter. But he didn’t even make it through Spring Training before he was cut loose. Brothers struggled badly with his control while with the Chicago club, culminating with four wild pitches in a single spring frame. The veteran southpaw never ended up joining another organization, which rated as a surprise given his rather lengthy MLB track record.

Now, Brothers will seek to earn his way back to the majors in Atlanta after a full season of rest. The big question is whether he can stay in the zone. He has declined in that regard in each successive season, landing at just 40.5% in 2015. Reflecting that difficulty, Brothers owns a 5.00 ERA in 66 2/3 innings since the start of the 2014 season, with 8.1 K/9 against 6.3 BB/9.

Before 2014, though, Brothers had been remarkably effective. Despite calling Coors Field home, he carried a 2.82 ERA with 11.2 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 in his 175 2/3 innings from 2011 through 2013. Beyond that history, there are some more recent markers that afford some degree of hope. Brothers sat at 93 mph with his average heater in his last MLB action, and still posted double-digit swinging-strike rates even in his two rough campaigns.

Mets To Re-Sign Fernando Salas

By and | at

2:18pm: Salas will earn $3MM and can tack on an additional $350K in incentives, MLBTR’s Steve Adams reports on Twitter.

1:34pm: The Mets have reached an agreement to re-sign right-hander Fernando Salas, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Salas, a client of Paragon Sports, will receive a one-year deal, Rosenthal adds. The contract is pending a physical.

Fernando Salas | David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

[Related: Updated New York Mets Depth Chart]

The 31-year-old Salas opened the 2016 season with the Angels and posted fairly uninspiring results through 56 1/3 innings there, logging a 4.47 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 in what was his third season with the Halos. However, Salas was dominant following an August trade to the Mets, allowing just four runs in 17 1/3 innings (2.08 ERA) with 19 strikeouts and zero walks. He’ll now return to the Mets for a second season, joining Addison Reed as a right-handed bridge to closer Jeurys Familia.

Of course, Salas also will play a larger role with the Mets early in the season, as Familia figures to be suspended under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. With Familia on the restricted list, Reed seems likely to close, which could make Salas the primary setup man for manager Terry Collins for a portion of the season.

Much of the chatter surrounding the Mets and their desire to add a relief pitcher have centered around lefties — specifically former Met Jerry Blevins. New York has been said to be working with some financial constraints as their payroll approaches $150MM, but Newsday’s Marc Carig reports that the team is not yet out on Blevins (Twitter link).

Salas, for what it’s worth, has held opposing lefties to a .239/.294/.383 batting line in his career and limited lefties to a .237/.270/.412 slash in 2016. So, while not utterly dominant against opposite-handed batters, he does limit lefties more effectively than a number of right-handed middle relievers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Phillies, Cesar Hernandez Avoid Arbitration

By | at

The Phillies have avoided arbitration with second baseman Cesar Hernandez by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2.55MM, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (on Twitter). As MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker shows, that sum lands just north of the midpoint between Hernandez’s $2.8MM filing number and the $2.2MM figure at which the Phillies countered. Hernandez, a client of Octagon, will receive $50K more than the $2.5MM salary projection of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.

Hernandez, 26, was arbitration-eligible for the first time as a Super Two player this offseason after wrapping up the year with two years and 154 days of Major League service time. The 2016 campaign proved to be a breakout year for the young switch-hitter, as he batted .294/.371/.393 with six homers, 17 stolen bases and an NL-leading 11 triples in 622 plate appearances. Hernandez also played decidedly above-average defense at second base, further adding to his value for the Phils.

That excellent performance prompted a fair share of trade speculation surrounding Hernandez this offseason, and he was at one point connected to both the Dodgers and Angels. However, it now seems likely that Hernandez will open 2017 with the Phillies, who can control him through the 2020 season. He’ll be eligible for arbitration in each of the next three offseasons in the meantime.

Mets, Tom Gorzelanny Agree To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Mets have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (Twitter links). Gorzelanny, who will be invited to Major League Spring Training, would earn $1MM upon making the roster and has another $1.8MM available via incentives, Heyman adds. The ISE client also has a March 24 opt-out date in his contract.

Gorzelanny, 34, split the 2016 season between the Orioles and Indians organizations, pitching to a combined 3.65 ERA in 24 2/3 Triple-A innings. Gorzelanny appeared in seven games with the big league club in Cleveland as well, though he was hit hard and ultimately allowed seven runs in just three innings of work.

Gorzelanny has struggled in two straight seasons, but from 2012-14 was a quality bullpen piece. In 178 1/3 innings between the Nationals and Brewers in that time, Gorzelanny logged a 3.13 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and a 43.5 percent ground-ball rate. Though he’s not an overpowering arm against left-handed hitters, Gorzelanny has nonetheless held same-handed opponents to a .229/.302/.356 batting line in parts of 12 seasons at the Major League level.

The Mets have been seeking left-handed relief help for much of the offseason, and while they’re rumored to have interest in a reunion with Jerry Blevins, there could be financial constraints preventing that from happening. Josh Edgin, Josh Smoker and Sean Gilmartin represent left-handed options that are already on the 40-man roster, while Adam Wilk has also inked a minor league contract and will be in Major League camp as a non-roster invite.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top