Free agent utilityman Eduardo Nunez “hasn’t lost contact with the Red Sox,” Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald writes. With Dustin Pedroia set to miss the early portion of the year as he recovers from knee surgery, re-signing Nunez would give Boston a clear Opening Day second baseman. However, Nunez would obviously lose playing time upon Pedroia’s return, and the Red Sox are also set at his other positions – third base, shortstop and the corner outfield. All of those factors, not to mention interest from other clubs, could prevent Nunez’s return to the Red Sox. The 30-year-old joined the Sox via trade with the Giants last summer and thrived, hitting a stellar .321/.353/.539 in 173 plate appearances.
Here’s more from the American League:
- As their search for starting pitchers continues, the Orioles remain interested in re-signing free agent right-hander Chris Tillman, while fellow righties Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn are still too expensive, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. Kubatko also adds a new name to the mix, 27-year-old righty Drew Hutchison, who’s on Baltimore’s radar. The Orioles are familiar with Hutchison from his run with AL East rival Toronto from 2012-16. Hutchison had his moments across 406 1/3 innings as a Blue Jay, with whom he pitched to a 4.92 ERA/4.23 FIP and posted 8.28 K/9 against 2.94 BB/9. However, he only threw 24 big league frames between Toronto and Pittsburgh in 2016, and he’s now coming off a year spent exclusively in the minors. With the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate last season, Hutchison logged a 3.56 ERA/4.13 FIP with 7.0 K/9 and 3.22 BB/9 over 159 1/3 innings.
- When the Royals acquired outfielder Jorge Soler from the Cubs last year for closer Wade Davis, their hope was that the former top prospect would develop into a long-term building block. Soler, 25, still has a chance to do that, but Year 1 with the Royals saw him limp to a .144/.245/.258 showing in 110 PAs and, according to Maria Torres of the Kansas City Star, begin to believe that his major league career was over. Reflecting on 2017, most of which he spent in the minors, Soler told Torres: “I had an awful season. Things went fine in the minor leagues but not in the big leagues. Obviously there were things I was doing wrong. I needed to make adjustments. … I don’t know how it’ll translate to the field but in the cage there’s an incredible change. I’ve never felt this way.” Hoping to avoid a repeat this year, Soler has spent the offseason reshaping himself mentally and physically, having lost 20 pounds, and revamping his swing, as Torres details. Since October, Soler has been in Miami working with Dodgers international scout Mike Tosar, who helped Yonder Alonso break out last season. The results of their sessions have encouraged not only Soler and Tosar, but also members of Royals’ front office. General manager Dayton Moore suggested that Soler will be an everyday player for the Royals this year, adding that “the talent is there” and “we believe in him a great deal.”
- White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez, one of the game’s best prospects, has only racked up 73 PAs above the Single-A level. Nevertheless, there’s optimism the 21-year-old will make his major league debut in 2018, per Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago. Jimenez told Levine “he’s close to getting to the big leagues,” while GM Rick Hahn noted that “it is not going to shock me if over the summer Eloy forces our hand a bit.” Levine’s piece is worth checking out in full for more quotes on Jimenez from Hahn and White Sox hitting coach Todd Steverson.
Typical Orioles bull****. We should have never given Davis that huge contract.
Seems like whenever Angelos does open up his wallet, he throws it after the wrong guy.. Davis, who was obviously wrong, Albert Bell and his bad hips nearly 20y ago. Sure, when he went after Tex it was a good move, but bigger spending teams NYY and Boston were in that hunt also.
Think this offseason he should allow Duquette the resources to try and grab Cobb.
I couldn’t agree more. Most people give Duquette all the flack but Angelos is stopping him from so much behind the scenes. Cobb is the type of pitcher we need.
Angelos is actually NOT—despite clichéd perceptions —stopping anyone behind he scenes. Can you substantiate your allegation? In fact, repeatedly members of orioles management have described the full support he has routinely given them.
Also, good for the Orioles for not overspending right now on pitchers whose contract would look bad in a handful of years. They are back to thinking creatively to fulfill their needs. This coupled with one of the best development systems in baseball and you have a recipe for possible success – much like they experienced between 2012 and 2016 (when they carried the highest winning percentage in all of major-league baseball).
The Orioles need a tear down more than any other team in MLB. Start with the owners and just scorch the Earth and get rid of everyone. There isn’t a more directionless team in the game, and whats worse, they are in the same division with 2 teams who are actively trying to win a title every single year – now that doesn’t always work, but the gap between the O’s and the rest at the starting point is so massive, they really need to just start over.
I mean look at their current rotation:
Bundy-Gausman-Ynoa-Wright-Castro – that’s PATHETIC. They are absolutely losing 90+ this year unless they grab 3 SPs off the market.
1) He refuses to engage in the IFA market
2) He refuses to spend $ on FA SP
3) He refuses to consider player options
I don’t think anybody else is confusing the Orioles organization with “one of the best development system in baseball.”
Middle of the pack at best, or startlingly incompetent at worst (see Jake Arrieta)…
I would rather them not go out and sign anyone expensive. I think Castro could be a good starter, and Bundy and Gausman still have the potential to be aces. If Tillman could return to form, he’d be a solid #4 starter. They just really need a #3 guy behind Bundy and Gausman and Cobb would fit the bill. Bundy, Gausman, Cobb, Tillman, and Castro could have potential. The offense is good and pen is great.
Man, I get your optimistic. But you are ignoring how pathetic Angelos and his philosophies are and how clueless their front office is
Machado, Schoop (never highly touted), Givens (a converted shortstop!), Bundy (looking really really good!), Mancini (third in ROY voting), outfield prospects on the way, Castro (continued improvement within their system), Britton. To name some. I’d say they’ve done a very good job developing players!
Here here on this. Half of the organizational prospects now probably should be coming via IFA and the team is getting rid of all the premium slots?
Let me give everyone an eyeball perspective of what personally seen of the O’s Rookie league teams the last 2y.. HUGE, as in fat kids that seem to want to jack the ball, not ball players. Is this a new organizational philosophy? Someone else here seen the Sarasota O’s more the last cpl years and understand this?
never, in my 50y of watching MiLB seen a team(s) with such out of shape ball players being sported about with just 1 thing in mind.
One of the best development systems in baseball?? I could’ve sworn they were quite the opposite
So they’ve developed players, like every other team in the league
God bless whatever you’re seeing in the low minors but the O’s are as a team terrifically fit.
Can a team that employs Davis, Trumbo and Schoop be considered “terrifically fit”? And how is bundy looking good? He’s had two league average seasons in a row
THE orioles won a lot of games these past 6 years. Yes, we do a pretty solid job of developing position players. The orioles certainly don’t develop minor league talent better than anyone in the league but I’d say our success rate with unheralded prospects is better than a lot of teams out there. From a system that consistently lacks depth we manage to put guys out on the field who can play.
I’m not sure where the hell any of this came from. I’m pretty sure we don’t have a minor league team full of big boys trying to hit bombs. We have a halfway decent system, pretty good if you consider the fact that we don’t spend on IFA’s.
I would suggest you actually WATCH Bundy pitch. Perhaps you have? If so, what are you seeing? Cause I’m seeing a guy who is a stud in the making with an impressive pitching IQ and a really good arsenal (including a potentially devastating change).
Yep, actually all three of those guys ARE very very fit.
Despite what Bundy looks like, he still has to put it all together. So far that has lead to two mediocre seasons, regardless of what he might turn out to be.
Yknow I’ll actually give you that they are good at developing their position players. But somebody is seriously screwing up all their starting pitcher prospects. Arrieta and Britton were both failed starters for them, Matusz is out of baseball I think, and Gausman and Bundy haven’t really came into the league and found good results. Gausman actually regressed. If they find out why this happens, then they might be one of the top at developing, but they aren’t anywhere near the top when they can’t get a good starting pitcher
And he should of picked a guy they covet like Cobb and pursued him heavy from the start. Then if they can’t get a deal with him for whatever reason, move on to choice #2 and so on until they secured a solid pitcher. Instead it’s 10 days from spring and the Orioles rotation is somehow right now worse than last season. Proactive instead of reactive.
Can you substantiate your allegation that Angelos is not the problem?
Agree
Perhaps you should look to the player option they gave to Wellington Castiilo before last year before posting.
Cobb is good, but overpriced. Of course, it seems most of the FAs this offseason have an inflated sense of their own worth.
Angelos is first and foremost a lawyer, and like most lawyers he is risk-averse. The two riskiest things in baseball that you can do with millions upon millions of dollars are invest in 16 year old Dominican prospects and invest in long-term contracts for starting pitchers. For every Miguel Sano there are half a dozen Alex Guerreros, and for every Max Scherzer there are a dozen Ubaldo Jimenezes. In this age of guaranteed contracts, only a select few teams can afford the hit to their bottom line that missing on one of those contracts creates.
Player options are 100% risk for the team and 0% risk for the player. No team wants to do them. The Orioles gave one to Castillo, and he turned a two-year contract into a one-year contract and left for Chicago.
As a fan of the team I wish the Orioles would do some things differently. However, for far too long baseball fans have lamented that teams won’t show fiscal restraint. That there is always one team willing to cave in and give a ridiculously high contract to a middling player. Yet when the Orioles attempt year after year to show fiscal restraint, they get laughed at by fans of other teams and criticized by their own fans. When they do give a major deal to a player, and it doesn’t work out well for them, fans of other teams laugh at them and they get killed by their own fans for daring to spend such a sum of money on an “obvious” bad player. They are in a no-win situation with most of you, which is why I quit trying to argue points with most of you because no matter how logical or sound my argument, you will never change your mind.
You’re right about those two entitled teams. There’s a simple remedy to this imbalance — it’s called divisional realignment. Sooner or later, it’s going to happen. But imagine the fit the Yankees would throw if they were stuck in a division with the up and coming Phillies, the Cubs, Nats and Red Sox.
Don’t forget Jimenez
What in the world are you talking about? Jimenez? Are you serious? The guy was signed as a free agent mid-career.
It is typical. But I think regardless of Davis they’d never sign a starter that was worth anything. You know Pete doesn’t believe in paying big money to guys who only play once every five days. That statement alone is insane to repeat let alone operate by.
The only way the orioles will ever have an ace is if we draft and develop one. Maybe hunter Harvey can be that guy one day. He’s the best shot we have currently in the system. I think Bundy and Gausman can be good starters too but I don’t think they’ll ever be “aces.” More likely than not the orioles next ace isnt in pro ball yet.
I actually think Bundy has ace-like stuff. Not overpowering but plenty of punch, with location, on the fastball, a very good change up and a fearlessness using his whole arsenal.
I’m looking forward to a couple seasons of ace stuff. I think we know what they got with Gausman but that’s still of a solid 2. I’d like them to sign both to extensions and build the rotation around them.
Pretty much every scout and executive in baseball thinks Bundy can be an ace, so you really don’t seem to know what you are talking about.
Relax captain baltimore. I’m an orioles fan too but let’s call it like it is. Bundy has a ways to go before he’s going to be considered an ace by anyone. He’s shown some flashes and he doesn’t even have 50 mlb starts under his belt but he’s not even close at this point. Not to mention how we started his clock early by putting him on the 40 man roster so if he does eventually become an ace we will have lost that extra control. Not every thing is sunshine and roses. Call it like it is.
Gausman may very well be a #2 but don’t act like he’s shown that. He hasn’t. He was as up and down as they come last season. He clearly has the talent to be a #2 but he hasn’t even come close to putting that together.
Bundy was on the 40 man roster when he was drafted. A rule that has since been changed but he could have gone to college if the Orioles refused giving him a major league deal so his clock started when he signed.
Apparently, the Orioles have forgotten how to extend their own players.
Angelos’s stance on limiting the amount of money spent on lengthy starting pitchers’ contracts actually makes a lot of sense. (The rest of the leagues seems to be waking up to this reality now.) The Orioles—who can’t afford to make mistakes to the same extent that other teams can with their fridge and contracts — lost their strong position in baseball when they traded away homegrown pitching (Jake Arrieta, though I can understand why they did this) Davies, and Rodriguez (though I can also understand why they did this), then also Bridwell and Miranda.
You can understand you can understand you can understand and then what? We traded all that talent and kept guys like Tyler Wilson and mike wright instead. The E-rod trade I won’t fault them for but the Davies for parra deal was bad from the beginning. I don’t think bridwell or Miranda is a long term solution In anyone’s rotation but they have shown more than the guys we kept instead. That’s a problem.
Those contracts like Davis’s are a problem all over baseball. It’s at least part of the reason for icy cold stove season this year. Then you have Scott Boras raising hell because nobody is signing his overpriced clients. Owners have brought a lot of this on themselves. I just hope the players are not stupid enough to holdout or strike.
Jayson Heyward is also a truly horrible contract (plus as you said so many more). But I would add that while the Davis contract is (at least so far) quite bad it is not necessarily as devastatingly impactful as a lot of people make out. If the right player comes along the Orioles will still sign him. (Machado BTW is not that guy.)
O’s fans were all gaga when Davis was hitting 50 homers and now they’re on his case. Guarantee you, if he hits 40-45 this year, even if he strikes out 230 times, he’ll still be a local hero.
I think most fans wanted to sign him back but very few were on board with the amount. The sediment was that they were bidding against themselves. He still has the ability to hit a ton of homers and plays great defense but the AAV is impacting the overall payroll negatively.
Still too expensive? do they think these pitchers are gonna play for the orioles on a minor league contract.! Typical orioles off season. I’m a huge fan and always will be but they work backwards every off season.
Yeah. Especially when the Orioles were the only team really interested
Have to think Nunez would be an ideal fit for the Mets.
“73 PAs above A-Level.” So 73 PAs in AA over three weeks. Minor error. But very excited for this guy. Should be in Chicago sooner rather than later.
Yes, please. I am looking forward to his clock starting sooner than it should. By all means, rush him.
You’re right, just look at Mookie Betts – he should have never been up that early, I mean look at how terrible his career went after coming up at 21!
Citing one example of a player that thrives after not running the full minor league gauntlet does not negate the vast majority of that subset that are stunted and fail.
Chisox have about no chance of contending so why rush him and start his arbitration clock early. Put him in AAA and when he proves he is miles ahead of everyone bring him up mid season.
You’re confusing the Red Sox evaluators with the White Sox evaluators. Different teams with few similarities.
What’s that supposed to me. I hope you’re not suggesting Boston evaluates better, what with the steady stream of White Sox players acquired in trades and what is easily the most overrated farm system in baseball the last decade.
What the ChiSox have the most over rated farm in baseball?
Eloy is an outstanding prospect but still has plenty to learn in the field. Hahn will not rush Jimenez. However if he hits well in the high minors, it could mandate the Sox take a close look at him later this summer. This guy could be the real deal.
^This. I wouldn’t want to see him in the big leagues until at least after the All-Star break. Let him start by proving that his last three weeks in AA weren’t a fluke, then after a month, move him to AAA and see how he adjusts. I’d have no problem leaving him there until September call-ups, even if he adjusts well. Same with Kopech, except start him in AAA. No reason to rush anybody.
Yap Baltimore just placed all they eggs in one basket or should I say Davis.
More like split them between Davis and Trumbo.
Trumbo 3 for 39 was a mid tier deal to say it is a big deal is uninformed.
Soler lowkey might be a guy to grab in fantasy, if he’s trying to mimic Alonso’s 2017 he certainly has the toolbox to properly break out..
Yea the Orioles need a tear down. Honestly either need to extend Adam Jones or move him for some kind of minor league value or pitching. Need to deepen that top 30 prospect list with more solid young talent and As much as schoop and Mancini should be part of their building blocks – it wouldnt be a bad idea to begin to market them for multiple pieces of young talent, while their value is high.
Jones won’t bring much back. He’s a good player but like McCutchen he probably shouldn’t be a CF anymore. Cutch didn’t bring back much and Jones certainly won’t bring back anymore.
The farm system is finally back in the top half of the league so now would be great time to build on it.
Nunez would make too much sense. Why would he automatically lose playing time. He’s better than bogaerts. He carried this team when he got here last year. He clearly loves hitting at Fenway too but who cares cuz we’ve got a seriously overrated shortstop. Please don’t reply that bogaerts hand was hurt.
He’s good for 3 months and then he always falls apart it’s getting old
But this is the year he puts it all together (sarcasm). I think Xander is what he is. A hair over average when defense factors in the whole package.
Nunez is worse defensively and isn’t as good offensively so not sure how he is better than Bogaerts. Bogaerts had a bad year bc of the WBC where he played third and his injured hand. He’ll bounce back and hit over .300 again and play above average defense, Nunez wouldn’t do either as the everyday SS.
That’s because he isn’t anywhere near as good as Bogey whoever says that has absolutely no clue.
I agree w signing Nunez. Devers is sure to have some hiccups. Between that and Pedroia being out would be a smart move. If they are going to rely on Holt anymore they need a reality check.
Still to expensive? You mean you are still cheap jackasses and dont want to spend money?
Teams are offering fair contracts. It’s players and agents who want to perpetuate these inflated contracts that should be reserved for only the best players.
That’s where the disconnect is, players over valuing their worth. Certain guys might get 300 million, that doesn’t make the next above average player worth 260
I actually would give Hutchinson a chance I like him and he may be a better option than what we have in house
I hope he’s decent cause they are stuck with him.
Couldn’t have picked a better verb than “limp” in connection with Jorge Soler. He’s had physical issues throughout his professional career with the Cubs and Royals and now he’s struggling big time mentally. The change of scenery in KC has done nothing and has even seen a regression from his time in the Cub organization. The one positive is that he is in the American League were he can work out his issues at DH without also having to deal with his defensive shortcomings in the outfield.
I was always high on Soler’s potential and thought that he would become at least a 2-3 WAR player with the possibility of exceeding that with his power potential and strong throwing arm in RF. As a Chicago baseball fan I would like to see the White Sox take a flyer on him if the Royals choose to move or release him at some point. I think that Soler’s best and perhaps last chance of success might be on the South Side alongside fellow Cubans Jose Abreu and Yoan Moncada. He would also reunite with his first MLB manager whom he made a very promising big league debut with back in 2014…Rick Renteria. In his first taste of major league action Soler put up a .292/.330/.573 triple slash with 5 HR’s and 20 RBI’s in 24 games played. In addition, Soler has posted very impressive postseason numbers with the Cubs, particularly in 2015.
I get where you’re coming from, but the Royals just said they still believe in him and they now have every reason to give him a chance as they enter a rebuild. I highly doubt they’d be looking to move him any time soon
“according to Maria Torres of the Kansas City Star, begin to believe that his major league career was over.”
Looks like a grammar error there, Connor.
I thought The Orioles were going to try and compete. They won’t go after any big name FA starters (Arrietta, and Darvish), or any mid-tier to solid veteran type guys either (Lynn, and Cobb, or Cashner and Vargas).
They have been linked to both Cashner and Vargas.
The BoSox Nunez update is literally recirculated content from 2 months ago….thanks NFL Trade Rumors!!!
Great the royals should be losing games and now it looks like soler didnt get the message. Thats jist like moore he cant even lose right.
Eloy’s coming baby. Hahn’s not gonna be able to keep him out of the bigs for long. If dude becomes a perennial All-Star OFer, Hahn wins that trade. These team-friendly deals ChSox had all their players signed to allowed Rick to maximize his returns on trades
Guess who was most responsible among the White Sox front office for negotiating those team friendly deals? None other than Rick Hahn, who was Kenny Williams assistant before becoming the full time GM prior to the 2013 season. Hahn was most responsible for the Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and Adam Eaton contract extensions. Of course a few of his extensions weren’t nearly as prudent in hindsight, like the John Danks deal. lol
Hahn has numerous college degrees including a juris doctor from Harvard Law School and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. He was an associate at a sports agency for two years following college before the White Sox hired him back in 2000 to help negotiate contracts along with former player agent Dennis Gilbert. Another two years later he became the assistant GM to Williams.