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Archives for April 2017

Brennan Boesch To Retire

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We’ll track the day’s minor moves right here …

  • Outfielder Brennan Boesch is set to retire, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Boesch, who’ll turn 32 tomorrow, spent parts of six seasons in the majors, appearing with the Tigers, Yankees, Angels, and Reds. He last cracked the bigs in 2015, but saw the bulk of his action from 2010-12 with Detroit. At his best, in his sophomore campaign, Boesch slashed .283/.341/.458 with 16 home runs. The left-handed hitter spent last year with the Red Sox organization, missing much of the season due to a broken wrist and batting just .221/.266/.345 in 158 Triple-A plate appearances upon his return.

Central Notes: Martinez, Reds, Hughes, Thames

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Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez was able to take BP yesterday, manager Brad Ausmus tells Evan Woodberry of MLive.com (via Twitter). That puts the slugger a bit ahead of schedule in his rehab timeline from a lisfranc sprain in his right foot. The expectation had been that Martinez would not resume baseball activities until mid-April. Detroit is obviously hoping to get Martinez back quickly, while also balancing the need to ensure he doesn’t suffer a setback along the way.

Here’s more from the central divisions:

  • Reds skipper Bryan Price is backing up the organization’s promise to utilize unconventional bullpen tactics, as C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. Yesterday, top setup man (and occasional closer option) Michael Lorenzen entered with the bases loaded in the third, putting out that fire and staying in to record three scoreless frames. (That’s not all; Lorenzen will also factor as a pinch-hitter.) Top baseball ops man Dick Williams has preached outside-the-box thinking for the rebuilding organization, with flexible, multi-inning relief outings representing one point of apparent focus. Top closer option Raisel Iglesias is also slated to continue throwing more than one frame from the pen at times, as he did on 17 occasions last year.
  • New Brewers reliever Jared Hughes discussed his transition from the NL Central-rival Pirates with Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He wasn’t surprised when he was cut loose by Pittsburgh, the only organization he had known to this point. “They told me early in spring that if it wasn’t going to be a great spring that they might need to part ways,” said Hughes. He noted, though, that struggling in camp is mostly a byproduct of his big frame. “I’ve got long levers,” said Hughes. “I need to get the timing of my sinker. … My sinker was not sinking the way it should have been. By the end of spring I was getting groundball outs. I’d imagine the Brewers saw it, and that’s what I’m doing now in the season.” Indeed, Hughes has generated eight grounders in 4 1/3 scoreless innings, though he has also issued four walks against just one strikeout thus far.
  • Another new Brewers player, first baseman/outfielder Eric Thames, took a much more circuitous route to Milwaukee. MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy details how he landed with the Brewers, identifying the statistical and scouting analysis — as well as the “old-school sit-down” — that led to the three-year, $16MM pact. Thames, who is back in the majors for the first time since 2012, is off to a fine start. He owns a .333/.429/.611 slash through 21 plate appearances, though that comes with the usual sample caveats. Thamas has also gone down on strikes eight times against three walks and has hit safely on over half the balls he put in play.

Offseason In Review: Texas Rangers

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This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series. The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.

Facing a number of high-profile defections and about as many big holes, the Rangers faced a tough task this winter. Their acquisitions are just talented enough to work out well for them, but they’ll need some luck to approach their 95-win total from 2016.

Major League Signings

Trades And Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Josh Hamilton, James Loney (since released), Travis Snider, Will Middlebrooks, Allen Webster, Anthony Bass, Bobby LaFromboise

Extensions

  • Rougned Odor, 2B: six years, $49.5MM, including $3MM buyout on $13.5MM option for 2023
  • Robinson Chirinos, C: one year (2018), $2.35MM, including $100K buyout on $2.375MM option for 2019

Contract Options

Notable Losses

Ian Desmond, Carlos Beltran, Mitch Moreland, Colby Lewis, Holland

Needs Addressed

Heading into the winter, the Rangers faced a number of potential high-profile defections, including those of Ian Desmond, Carlos Gomez and Carlos Beltran, and a limited amount of cash with which to address them — the Rangers’ budget was somewhat restricted by high-dollar, low-value contracts such as those of Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo, as well as expensive deals for Cole Hamels, Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus and Yu Darvish.

In particular, the Rangers needed to replace key players in their outfield, upgrade their rotation and find a solution at first base and/or DH. In their rotation, the Rangers sensibly declined longtime starter Derek Holland’s $11MM option, paying him a $1.5MM buyout after a season in which he posted a 4.95 ERA, 5.6 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 while struggling with shoulder trouble. They also parted ways with another longtime starter, 37-year-old Colby Lewis, whose 3.71 ERA in 2016 masked lousy peripherals. Lewis remains a free agent.

The free-agent market for starting pitchers was poor, giving the Rangers limited opportunities to find another solid starter to complement Hamels, Darvish and Martin Perez. Instead, they gambled on two interesting former Padres arms, Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross. Both are relatively young pitchers with tantalizing stuff, but they also both come with major question marks.

Andrew CashnerCashner received $10MM and will enter the Rangers’ rotation as soon as he’s ready, likely sometime late this month. The 30-year-old brings mid-90s heat and a hard slider, but he’s never gotten the sorts of strikeout rates you’d associate with that repertoire, and he’s coming off a season in which he posted a 5.25 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 while fading down the stretch. It will be up to the Rangers to figure out why. Cashner has used his changeup less and less frequently over the years, and the pitch has been less effective when he’s thrown it; reestablishing that pitch might be a key to reviving his career. As Fangraphs’ Eno Sarris points out, Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy might be able to help Cashner with his quality pitch framing. In any case, Cashner’s an interesting gamble, although $10MM seems like a lot to pay given his recent performances. He’ll also begin the season on the DL due to biceps tendinitis.

The Rangers also added Tyson Ross, whose main problem is health. The 29-year-old had back-to-back excellent seasons in San Diego in 2014 and 2015, but pitched only one outing in 2016 due to shoulder trouble, and finally had offseason surgery to relieve thoracic outlet syndrome. The Padres non-tendered him in December, and the Rangers lured him away from the Cubs with a $6MM deal. He isn’t ready yet, but he’s progressed to throwing bullpens and simulated games, and could be ready to join the Rangers early in May. It remains to be seen whether the Rangers will be getting the pitcher who struck out a batter an inning and posted ground-ball rates in the 60% range in 2014 and 2015. Ross can help them if he’s even half that good, but it’s difficult at this point to project with any certainty that he will be.

The Rangers thus began the season with a rotation that features neither of the key starting pitchers they acquired. Darvish, Hamels, Perez and A.J. Griffin (who struggled to a 5.07 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 2016 after missing two full seasons to injury) will comprise the initial rotation, with Cashner perhaps joining in mid-April when the team needs a fifth starter. The Rangers initially signed Dillon Gee to a minor-league deal, and then, after he opted out, re-signed him to a big-league contract and optioned him to Triple-A; he represents an alternative if Cashner isn’t ready to go. Given the considerable question marks surrounding Cashner, Ross, Griffin and Gee (and, if we want to get really pessimistic, Perez, who posted a very shaky 4.7 K/9 last season), the Rangers’ rotation still looks iffy, although it’s also easy to see the upside if Cashner and Ross pan out.

In the outfield, the Rangers lost Desmond to the Rockies, who agreed to pay him $70MM over five years. The Rangers, meanwhile, received the No. 29 pick in this year’s draft as compensation. The Rangers had interest in Desmond, but were wise not to match the Rockies’ offer — Desmond’s resurgence in 2016 was fueled by a career-best .350 BABIP, and he’s already 31.

Instead, the Rangers retained another outfielder, re-signing Carlos Gomez to a short-term deal to man center field. Gomez’s career seemed to be falling apart when the Astros released him last August, but he caught on with the Rangers down the stretch and batted .284/.362/.543, numbers worthy of his brilliant 2013-2014 run with Milwaukee. That sort of production probably won’t continue, but for a mere $11.5MM, the Rangers can get a good deal even if Gomez’s offense tails off. His hitting is hard to predict, and his 30.0% strikeout rate for the 2016 season is a bad sign, but he has defensive and baserunning value going for him, plus a bit of home-run power. All things considered, he seems good for about two wins above replacement, which would rather easily make him worth the value of his contract.

For first base and DH, the Rangers turned to another familiar face, that of Mike Napoli. The Rangers faced the loss not only of Beltran, but also longtime first baseman Mitch Moreland, whose production faded in 2016. Minor-league über-slugger Joey Gallo looked like an obvious candidate to take over at first, but the Rangers made clear at the beginning of the offseason that they felt the 23-year-old Gallo, who whiffed in a ghastly 34.6% of his plate appearances at Triple-A last year, ought to start 2017 in the minors. (Gallo began the season in the Majors anyway, taking over at third for Beltre, who is nursing a calf injury.)

Napoli is coming off a 34-homer season in Cleveland. The 35-year-old has always fared well in Texas — he had two of the best years of his career there in 2011 and 2012, and also was productive after the Red Sox dealt him to the Rangers in August 2015. It’s not a given his third stint with the team will go as well, given his age and his seemingly limited ability to hit for average. He batted just .248 in 2014, .227 in 2015 and .239 in 2016, and if his ability to make contact declines at all, he might have trouble hitting enough homers to compensate. As with the Gomez deal, though, it’s hard to argue with the limited commitment the Rangers made, coughing up only $11MM guaranteed and getting a 2018 team option in the deal as well.

The Rangers also exercised Lucroy’s $5.25MM 2017 option (probably the easiest move they made this winter), and extended backup Robinson Chirinos. Chirinos’ extension bought out his 2018 season, which would have been his last season of arbitration eligibility, for just $2.35MM, likely less than he would have gotten had he been even modestly productive in 2017. The Rangers also received a cheap option for 2019, giving them a couple years of flexibility as they prepare for Lucroy’s possible departure to free agency next winter. Chirinos had never been paid more than $1.55MM in a season prior to the extension, and, at age 32, might never have gotten another shot at a multiyear, multimillion-dollar contract. His new deal thus provides him with a bit of financial security.

Questions Remaining

The Rangers never did acquire another player to help at DH, and it appears they’ll have Choo soak a number of plate appearances there. In a vaccum, that makes sense — Choo has rated as a below-average outfield defender in the past several seasons, and he’s had health problems to boot. With Nomar Mazara slated for the bulk of the time in right, that leaves left field open to one of the most wide-open time shares in baseball.

Delino DeShields arguably sits atop the depth chart at left field, which seems like a questionable proposition. DeShields is coming off an outstanding spring in which he posted a .442 OBP, but he’s coming off a miserable 2016 season in which he batted just .209/.275/.313. At just 24, DeShields is young enough to improve, and he’ll certainly make the Rangers’ defense better. But his bat is a question mark. Neither Ryan Rua nor Drew Robinson have established a track record of offensive production at the major league level, but they’ll also factor in the mix.

Then, there’s Jurickson Profar, once an elite prospect and now something of a super-utility option. Though there was reported trade interest over the winter, Texas elected to hang onto Profar to see if he can restore some of his lost luster. He will participate in the game of musical chairs in left and might also step into the infield wherever a need arises. Gallo, too, could theoretically shift to the corner outfield in addition to seeing time in the corner infield or at DH, depending upon how the season progresses. For both of these top prospects, it’s something of a make-or-break year for their futures with the Rangers.

Then there’s the Rangers’ pitching staff. It’s always hard to know how a bullpen will perform, but the Rangers’ looks fine — their 2016 ’pen didn’t rate well overall, but they’re returning most of the relievers (including Sam Dyson, Matt Bush, Tony Barnette and Alex Claudio) who were key to their second half, when their bullpen did an outstanding job keeping the ball on the ground and were very effective overall. Another key reliever, Jake Diekman, will be out until at least the All-Star Break after having colon surgery. Jeremy Jeffress will need to keep his off-field issues in check to play his expected role; if he can do that and remain effective, then either he or Bush would represent alternatives at the closer role if Dyson’s early struggles continue.

They’ll have to get the ball to those pitchers, though, and their rotation looks like it could quickly boil down to Hamels, Darvish and then a bunch of uncertainties, particularly if Cashner and Ross don’t reemerge.

Deal Of Note

"<strongLate in Spring Training, the Rangers announced that they’d signed second baseman Rougned Odor to a six-year, $49.5MM deal with a club option for 2023. The deal buys out what would have been Odor’s first two free agent seasons, with an option for a third.

The deal is roughly comparable to recent six-year, one-option extensions for fellow second basemen Jason Kipnis and Matt Carpenter, who received $52.5MM and $52MM, respectively, when they had between two and three years of service time. It’s also interesting to compare Odor’s deal to that of another infielder’s recent extension: that of Jose Ramirez, who received just $26MM over five years and gave up two option years. Even if the Indians exercise Ramirez’s first option, he’ll only receive a total of $35MM, far less than Odor, Kipnis or Carpenter received.

It’s debatable whether Odor will be as valuable as Kipnis or Carpenter have proven to be — Odor produced a mere .296 OBP and questionable defensive numbers in 2016. But the outlier here is Ramirez’s contract, not Odor’s, and that ultimately isn’t surprising. Kipnis, Carpenter, Ramirez and Odor were all early enough in their careers at the time of their extensions that many of the yearly salaries their extensions covered would have been governed by the arbitration process, which values counting stats. While Odor doesn’t have the overall track record Kipnis or Carpenter did, his 33-homer total in 2016, if sustained, probably would have gotten him paid at a similar rate. That’s particularly likely since the Kipnis and Carpenter contracts are both now three years old.

Ramirez, meanwhile, had two uneven years before his breakout 2016 and hasn’t posted outstanding counting stats in any category. As a player, I’d probably prefer Ramirez to Odor, due to Ramirez’s defense and versatility, as well as the greater likelihood that he’ll continue to reach base at a palatable rate. But it makes sense that Odor was the one who got the big contract.

These are, of course, different questions than whether the Rangers should have extended Odor. Odor whiffed seven times as often as he walked in 2016, a worrying sign. He only recently turned 23, though, so there’s plenty of room for growth. And even if his career stagnates, his deal is still fairly cheap in the grand scheme of things despite being considerably more expensive than Ramirez’s, and his positional value, power and age insulate the Rangers somewhat against the possibility that the deal will go south.

Overview

The Rangers’ 95-win 2016 season was built on shaky ground — they only scored eight more runs than they allowed. This year, their weaknesses look fairly obvious, particularly in their rotation. They have enough marquee talent (including Hamels, Darvish, Beltre, and Lucroy, potentially along with players like Odor or young outfielder Nomar Mazara) to contend if things go well, however. Within that context, their signings of Cashner and Ross this offseason look like Hail Mary passes — those gambles don’t appear incredibly likely to produce huge dividends, but could be decisive for the team if they do. The Rangers might have a hard time topping the Astros this season. But it’s easy to see how they could.

If things don’t go as hoped, though, the front office will increasingly face questions about how to handle the next offseason. While the Rangers could revisit extension talks with Darvish and Lucroy, or pursue them on the open market, efforts at new deals fizzled this spring. That could leave two very notable holes on the roster at the end of the 2017 season.

How would you rate the Rangers’ offseason moves? (Link for app users.)

Photos courtesy USA Today Sports Images.

Orioles To Re-Sign Michael Bourn

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The Orioles have reached agreement on a new minors deal with veteran outfielder Michael Bourn, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). He’ll report to extended spring training, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets.

Bourn, 34, seemed likely to make the O’s roster when he signed on over the winter, but a broken finger intervened. In the meantime, Baltimore has opened the season with fellow minor-league signee Craig Gentry functioning as a defensively-minded reserve outfielder.

Once Bourn is back to health, then, he’ll be working to unseat Gentry. If and when he returns to the majors, he’ll look to pick up where he left off last year, when he slashed .283/.358/.435 in a 55 plate appearance stint with the O’s. That’s a tiny sample, of course, and Bourn has not been nearly so productive otherwise in recent campaigns.

Injury Notes: Bradley, Posey, Segura, Osuna, Desmond, Gray/Bassitt, Weaver

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The Red Sox have placed center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. on the 10-day DL, as Ian Browne of MLB.com was among those to report. Bradley was diagnosed with a knee sprain caused by a misstep while running the bases. An MRI did not reveal more significant damage, so the hope is he won’t miss much more than the minimum.

Let’s check in on a few health situations of note from around the game …

  • Giants star Buster Posey departed the club’s game today after being struck in the head by an errant pitch, but thankfully indications are he escaped any significant injury. As Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes, Posey passed a concussion test and told teammates he was fine. That’s not conclusive, of course, but for now the team does not plan to make a roster move to fill in for the stellar backstop, as Baggarly further notes on Twitter.
  • Mariners shortstop Jean Segura was also pulled today with an injury, though it doesn’t appear to be a major concern. Manager Scott Servais told reporters, including MLB.com’s Greg Johns (Twitter link), that it’s a “very mild” hamstring issue. For now, at least, the key offseason addition won’t be headed for the DL, with Servais calling him day to day.
  • The Blue Jays anticipate that closer Roberto Osuna will be able to return to action tomorrow, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports. The excellent young reliever opened the year on the 10-day DL owing to a cervical spasm, though that placement was backdated. He made it through a sim game and now seems ready to return to the majors — where he’ll try to pick up where he left off in a strong 2016 season.
  • There are several important Rockies players still working back from injury, and Nick Groke of the Denver Post has the latest. Ian Desmond, Tom Murphy, and David Dahl all seem to be progressing, with the trio possibly slated to return by the end of the month. Desmond, who’ll suit up at first base for the first time when he’s ready, seems to have the clearest progression at this point. Per Groke, Desmond will start to throw and field at some point this week.
  • Athletics righties Sonny Gray and Chris Bassitt are making strides in their rehabs, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Grey’s lat strain is healing well enough that he was able to work up to 35 pitches from the bullpen today. That could leave him on track to return tot he majors before April is out, per the report. Bassitt, meanwhile, is on the cusp of a rehab stint, though Slusser notes that he’s likely to take a full month in the minors since he’s working back from a year-long layoff owing to Tommy John surgery.
  • Though he’s currently stashed at Triple-A, Cardinals righty Luke Weaver is a key piece of the organization’s depth (and future rotation plans). He is headed for a DL stint with lower back stiffness, as MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch reports on Twitter. At present, it’s not clear what kind of an absence is anticipated.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/10/17

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Here are the latest minor moves from around the game:

  • Righties Ray Black and Ian Gardeck have reached minor-league agreements with the Giants after clearing waivers, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). Both 26-year-old relievers were moved off the 40-man recently. Black possesses a huge fastball and has shown big strikeout tallies at times, but he also has yet to demonstrate anything close to the command needed to succeed in the majors. Gardeck, meanwhile, is returning from Tommy John surgery. In 2015, he pitched to a 3.54 ERA with 10.8 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 over 86 1/3 innings at High-A.
  • The Mets have reached a minors deal with first baseman Cody Decker, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Decker, 30, has also spent some amount of time at most every other spot on the diamond. He earned a brief call-up in 2015 with the Padres, the organization he had been with for his entire career until last season. Last year, Decker bounced between the Royals, Rockies, and Red Sox organizations, hitting a combined .230/.284/.484 with 19 home runs in 335 plate appearances in the upper minors.
  • Joining the Cardinals on a minor-league deal is first baseman Rangel Ravelo, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America (Twitter link). The 24-year-old played most recently in the Athletics organization, where he was known for his high-contact approach and solid on-base abilities. Ravelo struggled last year, though, slashing just .262/.334/.395 with eight long balls in 416 Triple-A plate appearances.

Offseason In Review: Washington Nationals

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This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series. The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.

For the third time in five years, the 2016 Nats followed up on their NL East crown with a first-round departure from the postseason. And yet again, the club endeavored this winter to build around one of the game’s best core groups of talent.

Major League Signings

Trades And Claims

Options Exercised

Notable Minor League Signings

Notable Losses

Nationals Roster; Nationals Payroll Information

Needs Addressed

Getting over the hump in the postseason is not a straightforward matter. The Nationals lost a tight NLDS series last year, much as they did in their two prior efforts. For top baseball exec Mike Rizzo and his staff, there was little reason to do more this winter than to keep adding around a talented core at the major league level.

While there was no glaring area that the team failed in last year, there were needs that opened as the offseason got underway. But the organization wasn’t just interested in filling holes; it came into the winter looking to add impact talent.

Thus it was that Washington pushed hard for a deal to land ace lefty Chris Sale from the White Sox, losing out in a classic Winter Meetings bidding war to the Red Sox. While starting pitching was hardly an area of need, plugging Sale into the already formidable staff would’ve added another high-end player. Missing on him, then, did not mean checking down to another rotation option.

Instead, when the Sale pursuit fell through, the club pivoted quickly to outfielder Adam Eaton. With the groundwork already laid with Chicago, a deal came together in short order. Three talented young hurlers — Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and Dane Dunning — were shipped out to pick up five years of bargain-rate control over the 28-year-old Eaton. We’ll take a closer look at that swap in the “deal of note” section below.

Eaton will return to center in D.C. He’s best-suited to right, but ought to be at least an average defender in center. Plugging him there meant moving exciting youngster Trea Turner to his native shortstop, which in turn would’ve meant a return to the bench for Danny Espinosa. Instead, the Nats shipped him out to the Angels and went on to re-sign Stephen Drew to function as the primary reserve infielder. Prospect Wilmer Difo is also available should a need arise in the infield.

While pursuing Eaton, the Nationals reportedly also sought to grab veteran closer David Robertson from the Sox. The Nats had already failed to re-sign Mark Melancon — the 2016 deadline acquisition whose departure created an opening in the 9th — and would soon fall short in a bid to draw Kenley Jansen from the Dodgers.

The closer’s role thus became an ongoing saga over the course of the winter, perhaps drawing added attention owing to the team’s recent ups and downs at the position. It seemed at times that a match on Robertson was nearly inevitable, and some reports suggest that ownership nixed a deal. In the end, though, the Nationals held off on a big move, instead holding a competition in camp.

The club ultimately chose Blake Treinen and his power sinker over a roll of the dice on youngster Koda Glover. That seemed underwhelming to some, and constitutes a risk of sorts, particularly given Treinen’s sometimes-spotty command. But he certainly possesses a closer’s arsenal — a mid-to-upper nineties fastball with tons of movement, a wipeout slider, and a change that he can go to when needed — and could round into a quality closer. If not, Glover could earn a shot or yet another mid-season move could follow.

Washington didn’t end up holding pat entirely in the pen. The club made a late move to add Joe Blanton, who was a quality set-up man last year for the Dodgers and cost just $4MM. And Enny Romero, acquired in a minor trade earlier in the winter, represents another huge arm from the left side. He’ll step into the void created when Felipe Rivero was sent out to acquire Melancon, though whether he can harness his power stuff remains to be seen. The Nats also brought in a variety of veteran minor-league free agents to bolster the depth and provide some camp competition.

The other major question entering the winter was what the Nationals would do at the catching position. Wilson Ramos left without compensation — he wasn’t made a qualifying offer — after his breakout season was ended with a second ACL tear. The Nats moved quickly to add Derek Norris, but never seemed fully committed to pairing him with Jose Lobaton and weren’t quite ready to turn things over to light-hitting defensive star Pedro Severino.

At the same time, veteran receiver Matt Wieters languished on the market. Given the longstanding relationship between agent Scott Boras and the Nationals’ ownership group, it came as little surprise when the sides finally lined up. While the price seems fair enough despite Wieters’s underwhelming results of late, there was an argument to be made that the club would have been just as well off sticking with Norris. Instead, he was released, meaning the team paid him about one-sixth of his $4.2MM arb salary and parted with prospect Pedro Avila in order to carry Norris as an insurance policy over the spring.

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There’s not a ton of upside in the Wieters deal, since he can opt out if he has a strong 2017 season and will not be eligible to receive a qualifying offer. But the Nationals obviously felt it was worth the premium to add the respected veteran; time will tell whether that was a wise choice.

The short-term veteran additions carried over to other areas as well. Adam Lind will take over for Clint Robinson as the lefty bench bat and reserve first baseman; he’d be a bargain with his $1.5MM guarantee if he can return to anything approaching his 2013-15 form. And Chris Heisey will return to reprise his role as an extra outfielder and righty pinch-hitting option.

Questions Remaining

As befits their status as a reigning division champ and favorite to return to the postseason in 2017, the Nationals don’t have any glaring holes on the roster. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some areas of potential concern.

Let’s start with the bullpen, which has fans wringing their hands already just a few games in. Treinen has had a few hiccups, as have Glover and others. It’s too soon to reach any judgments, of course, but the ninth inning will be watched closely and the trade deadline could seem far away if at least one member of that duo can’t consistently lock up games late.

Truth be told, the rest of the pen look solid on paper. But Shawn Kelley is being handled with care, especially after departing his last postseason outing with what seemed at the time to be a scary arm issue. Blanton is 36 years old and may have worn down late last year. From the left side, Sammy Solis has had his share of health issues, Romero has yet to show he has the command to pitch in the majors, and one wonders how long Oliver Perez can continue to beguile opposing hitters.

Jeremy Guthrie seemed likely to take a slot in the pen as a long man after making one start, but a disastrous outing led to a quick DFA. He has been replaced by Matt Albers for the time being. In terms of depth, there aren’t many proven commodities waiting at Triple-A, though there are some options. Trevor Gott still hasn’t produced results in D.C. despite his big fastball; other 40-man members include Rafael Martin, Austin Adams, Jimmy Cordero, and Matt Grace, while a few veterans such as Neal Cotts and Joe Nathan are also on hand if there’s a need.

The depth is perhaps of greater concern in the rotation, which looks to be a solid unit 1 through 5. Max Scherzer answered most of the questions about his health — he’s recovering from a finger fracture — with a strong first outing. But Stephen Strasburg remains a long-term health risk after missing time again with a forearm injury late in 2016. Gio Gonzalez is coming off of a down year and remains inconsistent, while Tanner Roark seems a solid starter who’s also a good bet to regress somewhat after a stellar campaign. And Joe Ross — who is in Triple-A to open the year but ought to be called upon soon — has experienced shoulder issues at times.

If any of those pitchers goes down, it’s an open question how the Nats will proceed. Guthrie had seemingly been slated to serve as a swingman, but it’s unclear whether he’ll remain in the organization. The next man up could be A.J. Cole, who was once seen as a top prospect but who has yet to show he can take the final step. Austin Voth has generated quality results in the upper minors, but it’s unclear whether he can do the same in the bigs. The Nats parted with minor-league signee Vance Worley late in camp, so reclamation project Jacob Turner is likely the top non-roster starter remaining.

There’s little doubt of the talent level in the lineup, which features established hitters at just about every position. But Bryce Harper needs to show that 2016 was a blip — he’s off to a promising start, and seems healthy after some strange questions about his shoulder — and Turner will try to show he can sustain his incredible performance from his rookie year. (The latter is now shelved with a hamstring strain, though the hope is it’s not a major issue.) Eaton’s ability to handle center is somewhat in question, though that’s not a huge concern and the team could utilize Michael Taylor or Brian Goodwin at times if there’s a need for more glove. Anthony Rendon and Daniel Murphy were outstanding last year, but the former has shown some fragility at times and the latter will be looking to sustain levels of production that greatly exceeded his career mean.

For the most part, it’s picking at nits at those positions. The Nats have greater concerns at the three remaining spots on the diamond. Left fielder Jayson Werth is closing in on his 38th birthday and hasn’t hit much in the past two seasons. The same is true of Zimmerman, whose production fell off a cliff (.218/.272/.370) in 2016. Both he and Werth have had their share of injury troubles over the years, and they’ll both need to stay healthy while increasing their output as they age for the team to reach its potential. While Lind is a nice piece as a reserve/platoon first baseman, he’ll be stretched if he’s asked to play the outfield or hit against left-handed pitching. And then there’s the catching position, where Wieters and Jose Lobaton look like a good-enough, but hardly overwhelming unit. Both are potential free agents at season’s end, so there’s plenty of incentive, and Severino is about as good a backup plan as any team has behind the dish.

Deal Of Note

The Nats’ acquisition of Eaton drew its share of negative attention, with many focusing on the fact that Eaton isn’t exactly a tools-laden superstar. But he’s a highly valuable player, particularly given his contract rights, and the deal lines up as a reasonably fair one on paper.

That’s not to say that it doesn’t hurt to lose the arms, of course, though it’s far from clear whether any member of the trio will be an impact major league starter. Giolito had solid numbers in the upper minors last year, but showed less velocity than expected and was hit hard in a brief big league stint. The Nats achieved tremendous value in nabbing him with the 16th pick of the 2012 draft, but seemingly soured on him. Clearly, he was no longer seen as the type of surefire ace that he had been characterized as this time last year.

Lopez came to the Nats with decidedly less fanfare as a low-key international signee, but turned himself into a top-flight prospect who arguably bypassed Giolito. He, too, showed well in his first stints at Double-A and Triple-A, but didn’t quite dominate upon ascending to the bigs. But he averaged 95.8 mph with his fastball in the majors and was trusted with a postseason roster spot. The question with Lopez has always been whether he’d stick in the rotation or turn into a late-inning power arm; that’ll be answered in Chicago at some point in the coming years.

It’d be a mistake to overlook Dunning, who was seen by many as a nice value after being overshadowed as a collegiate pitcher in a talented staff at the University of Florida. The 22-year-old showed well in his first foray into the professional ranks, though he’s a few years away from the big leagues.

Sacrificing those pitchers not only meant losing a lot of future control rights, but also changed the depth calculus for the 2017 season. Giolito and Lopez probably wouldn’t have cracked the Opening Day roster, but both would have been in contention for call-ups at any stage during the year after dipping their toes in the waters in 2016. As noted above, there are at least some questions regarding the Nats’ pitching depth; to be fair, though, the club also enjoys rather lengthy control rights over its existing starters.

Apr 5, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals center fielder Adam Eaton (2) scores from first base on a double by right fielder Bryce Harper against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

So, was it worth it? As ever, that’ll be evaluated over a long period of time, particularly given the fact that Eaton’s value is so wrapped up in his contract. In essence, he’s an established star who’s being paid more like an arb-eligible player. He’s guaranteed just $18.4MM over the next three campaigns and can be controlled for a total of $20MM (with $3MM in total buyouts) for two more years. That brings the possible tab to less than forty million bucks to control Eaton’s age-28 through age-32 campaigns.

Eaton doesn’t hit a lot of long balls and doesn’t swipe a lot of bags; he has landed in the teens in both counting stats in recent years. He walks only at an average rate. But he has been remarkably steady since establishing himself as a full-time player. Eaton has posted .362, .361, and .362 OBPs in his last three years while landing at identical .144 isolated slugging marks and popping 14 long balls apiece in the past two — establishing a new power benchmark after showing little pop previously. And he has been worth between four and five runs a year on the bases in his prior two campaigns, as well.

In a way, the major open question on Eaton is the glove — both in terms of general quality and his function to the Nats. Metrics split on his work in center in 2014 — DRS loved him (+11) while UZR was not a fan (-3.3) — but agreed he struggled there in the ensuing season. Then came a move to right, where Eaton rated as an elite defender — in terms of both his throwing arm and range — by measure of both major defensive ratings in 2016. The difference? In 2015, he rated as a three-to-four win player. Last year, he check in with about six WAR.

Clearly, the Nationals believe he’ll handle center capably enough, since that’s where he’s headed to open his tenure with his new club. But the fact that he has shown such capability in a corner spot also allows some flexibility moving forward. Werth’s contract is up this year, while Harper is slated for free agency after 2018. Importantly, the club managed to hang onto top prospect Victor Robles this winter; he could one day be a superstar in center, with Eaton lining up beside him.

They say you have to give value to get it, and that’s typically the case. Clearly, the Nationals did so here. But given the organization’s slate of quality veterans, it made sense to prioritize the near-term. And adding Eaton not only filled a need, but did so in a way that left the team with plenty of future value and won’t fill up much future payroll space — a heightened concern given the big guarantees made to Scherzer and Strasburg, the still-open question of Harper’s future, and the ongoing MASN television rights fees dispute that has forced the Nats to backload many of their major contracts.

Overview

There’s still a lot to like about the Nats as they try once again to break through with their long window of contention. But the questions never stop coming, and there’s a big one on the horizon with Harper. The team’s decision to make him a stunning arbitration raise hints that the pocketbooks could open up for a player who has been — and may be again — among the game’s best. As things stand, though, time’s a-wastin’ on winning while the phenom is in D.C., and the club will likely be aggressive in filling any needs that arise during the season.

So, how do you think the Nats handled the winter? (Link to poll for mobile app users.)

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dodgers Acquire Joe Gunkel

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The Dodgers have acquired righty Joe Gunkel from the Orioles, per a club announcement. Los Angeles will send cash or a player to be named later in return.

Gunkel was designated for assignment recently by Baltimore, after the club claimed young fireballer Miguel Castro. Now, he’ll became the latest hurler to make the move to the Dodgers, who are seemingly always gathering rotation depth.

The 25-year-old had a notable 2015 season. After moving from the Red Sox to the O’s via trade, Gunkel threw 104 1/3 innings of 2.59 ERA ball with 6.0 K/9 against only 1.3 BB/9. He continued to exhibit elite command last year, but gave up quite a few more hits and earned runs while working to a 4.02 ERA in 161 innings — most of them at Triple-A.

David Wright Resumes Throwing

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Mets third baseman David Wright has finally been cleared to pick up a baseball and resume throwing, as Mike Puma of the New York Post reports on Twitter. For now, he’s just throwing softly in an effort to slowly build up arm strength.

Last we checked in, about five weeks back, Wright was forced to stop throwing with no clear timeline to resume. Instead of taking part in baseball activities, the veteran said he’d work on strengthening his impinged shoulder. Wright had been able to swing the bat all spring, but was having issues with throwing as he attempted to move towards taking the field.

Of course, the shoulder issue is only the latest in a string of health problems for the 34-year-old Wright. Previously, a neck issue arose as he was working to return from a chronic back condition. In the aggregate, there remain many obstacles for Wright to clear before he’ll be introduced at Citi Field.

It’d be hard to say the Mets weren’t aware of the possibility of an absence from Wright entering last offseason; indeed, the team built in some depth to ensure such a loss wouldn’t be crippling. At this point, anything that Wright can contribute will be something of a bonus for New York, which can currently cover third base with a mix including Jose Reyes, Wilmer Flores, and T.J. Rivera.

Phillies To Use Joaquin Benoit As Closer

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The Phillies have made a change in the ninth inning and will use veteran right-hander Joaquin Benoit to close out games “for the time being,” manager Pete Mackanin told reporters today (Twitter link via Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice.com).

[Related: Updated Phillies depth chart]

The change comes on the heels of a dreadful run for 2016 closer Jeanmar Gomez, who figures to slide into a lower-leverage role as he looks to bounce back. Dating back to last year’s All-Star break, Gomez has surrendered 30 runs on 47 hits and 13 walks in 30 innings of work. He’s managed a respectable 25 strikeouts and 47.7 percent ground-ball rate in that time, but he’s also been tagged for five homers en route to that ghastly 9.00 earned run average.

Benoit, 39, will bring some veteran experience to the ninth inning, as he’s logged 38 saves between the 2013-16 seasons. He’ll be used for now over younger and arguably higher-upside options like 27-year-old Hector Neris and 24-year-old Edubray Ramos, each of whom will continue to operate as a setup man to the new Philadelphia closer. While it’s probably not the primary motivator behind the decision, using Benoit in the ninth inning will limit the save opportunities for the Phillies’ younger arms, which could hold down their arbitration earnings a bit in a couple of years.

While many believe that it’s only a matter of time until Neris eventually steps into the ninth inning for Mackanin’s Phillies, that coronation may have to wait for another couple of months. It’s possible, though, that one of the Phillies’ quality young setup men could be racking up saves by season’s end, as Benoit is only signed to a one-year, $7.5MM deal and figures to be a prime trade candidate for the Phillies this summer if he’s pitching well. And, if he’s not pitching well, it stands to reason that he’d cede the ninth to one of the younger arms anyhow.

While Benoit got off to a dreadful start with the Mariners last season, he rebounded in emphatic fashion upon being traded to the Blue Jays. A 16-year MLB veteran, Benoit logged a 5.18 ERA in 24 1/3 innings with Seattle but turned in video game numbers in Toronto: a 0.38 ERA with 24 strikeouts against nine walks in 23 2/3 innings. The overall result was a 2.81 ERA with 9.8 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9 in 48 innings. That marked Benoit’s sixth sub-3.00 ERA in the past seven years, though a torn calf muscle suffered late in the year limited his overall workload.

In a poll conducted earlier this afternoon, 37 percent of MLBTR readers felt that Benoit was the right choice to step into the ninth inning, though just over 42 percent feel that the job should have gone to Neris. Fantasy players, as a reminder, you can follow @closernews on Twitter for daily updates on tenuous closer situations and ninth-inning performances.

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