The Royals tried to bring in free agent second baseman Neil Walker on a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp, but he wasn’t receptive to that, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. As a member of the Royals, Walker could have pushed for a role at second (they already have Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi as possibilities there, however) or even the corner infield, where the team has lost first baseman Eric Hosmer (though it recently signed a replacement in Lucas Duda) and is likely to see free agent third baseman Mike Moustakas depart. It’s not surprising that Walker’s holding out for a major league pact, though, considering the successful career he has enjoyed with the Pirates, Mets and Brewers. The switch-hitting 32-year-old is coming off his seventh straight season with at least 2.0 fWAR. Despite Walker’s quality resume, he’s one of many accomplished free agents still sitting on the open market as the regular season draws closer, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams pointed out earlier this week.
Here’s more on Kansas City and a couple other AL clubs:
- Since winning a World Series in 2015, the Royals have posted back-to-back non-playoff seasons. Now, thanks in part to the losses of Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain and Mike Minor (and Moustakas’ potential exit), it appears they’ll be in for more lean years in the near future. Nevertheless, longtime general manager Dayton Moore explained to Joe Posnanski of MLB.com that he is bullish on the franchise’s direction “As an organization, you should know your players better than anyone else. We believe in our young players,” Moore said. “We have faith in our future. I know this may sound strange, but I have never felt more confident in what we are doing.” While the Royals’ next wave of talent isn’t highly regarded (Baseball America has their farm system 29th out of 30 in its latest organizational rankings), Moore isn’t fazed. “Nobody had [five-time All-Star] Salvador Perez on their Top 100 list,” he noted. “Nobody had Lorenzo Cain on their Top 100 list. Nobody had Greg Holland or Kelvin Herrera on their Top 100 list.”
- When Moore-led Kansas City traded Brandon Moss to Oakland in January, the slugger insisted he’d find a way to make the Athletics’ roster, even though there was no clear fit for him then. At that point, the A’s were reportedly interested in flipping Moss (whom they owe $5MM through next season), but nothing has come together yet. Still, the 34-year-old continues to be a long shot to earn a roster spot with the A’s, per Jane Lee of MLB.com. Moss’ positions – first base and designated hitter – remain spoken for in Oakland, which also has a “spillover on the bench,” Lee writes. Moss is hopeful he’ll stay an Athletic (he thrived with them earlier in his career), but either way, he has been working to rebound from a rough 2017 in which he hit just .207/.279/.428 in 401 plate appearances. The left-handed Moss had the majors’ highest pull percentage (53.0) among those with at least 400 PAs, so he’d like to become more of an all-fields hitter. “My batting average keeps going down further and further. The shift just gets more effective against me the slower I get, so I’m going to have to make some adjustments if I want to keep playing,” he observed. “I knew that coming into this year. Last year was just such a bad year. I hit the ball hard last year, but I can’t tell you how many times I would hit the ball into right field on a one-hop line drive and get thrown out at first by a guy halfway in the outfield because I’m not fast enough to beat it out anymore.”
- Although he worked out of their bullpen from 2016-17, the Rangers told right-hander Matt Bush to spend the offseason preparing to start. Now, even after the team added Minor, Doug Fister, Matt Moore and Bartolo Colon as rotation locks or candidates over the winter, Bush expects to be part of its starting staff this year. “I’m starting,” Bush declared Saturday (via Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram). Indeed, the likelihood seems to be increasing that Bush will be part of the Rangers’ rotation, Wilson suggests. The 32-year-old threw 2 2/3 innings Saturday as he attempts to stretch out for a starting role.
Rangers, please don’t ruin another good arm by putting it in the rotation…..
So agree.
You know Jon is going to be surprised when it doesn’t work
CJ Wilson ruined Daniels. He’s been trying to catch lighting in a bottle ever since. One top pitcher after another has hit the trash pile thanks to this approach…
One top pitcher after another? Who? Don’t say Feliz. He started all throughout his minor league career. He was a starter that moved to the pen and then back again. Also Kenny Rogers worked out going from reliever to starter.
Most relievers were starters in the minors. Feliz definitely counts. So do Robbie Ross, Nick Tepesch, Tanner Scheppers, etc…
Even if you’re counting Feliz (and I wouldn’t) those other pitchers were not “top pitchers” at all.
By that warped logic, every pitcher would be a reliever.
Lol they tried to sign walker to a minor league contract? that’s a joke
It’s a slap in the face.
I understand where you’re coming from but Adam Lind, who sported .303/.362/.513 batting line with 14 home runs, as a part time player with the Nats (267 AB) got a minor league deal.
Granted Walker’s 2 years younger than Lind (32) although with Walker’s history of back problems, it should give most teams a pause. I think he should’ve settled for a minor league deal.
2B is a premium position, but after Yanks filled it with B. Drury Trade, who desperately needs 2B, and has $$?
The Brewers should give him a major league deal. He’s too good (especially at the end of last season) to settle for a minor league deal.
Walker is a switch hitter, a versatile defender, walks at a good rate and can be traded at a deadline on a one year deal? Lind is a DH, platoon bat with history of struggles anyways. Don’t kid yourself to think Lind is a better player than walker.
I would rather sign Lucroy to a 1-2 year deal
Probably all true but you fail to admit that Walker wanted a multi year deal and Lind was willing to settle for 1, with really no real guarantee that he was going to be on the Major league roster.
If Bird realizes his potential, Lind will never see the majors unless injury predicates the need. With the kids on the farm pressing hard, why would the Yankees dedicate major dollars to a veteran they will have no need to past this year.
Another veteran that wants multi years with no guarantee of injury free seasons.
Lind’s deal was pretty surprising. I’d have thought the Nats would have offered him at least what he made last year. However he was, and should remain, a part time, completely platooned player with little if any defensive value. Walker has much more value and it isn’t a surprise that he rejected a MiL pact.
Absolutely. Walker had his moments for the Brewers but he is a liability at second base and is surprisingly slow runner.
(btw, any Brewer fan who watched Adam Lind knows he was an absolutely dreadful first baseman. I can’t imagine him in leftfield..he’d be Schwarber bad)
It’s my opinion that pitch-framing is a hocus-pocus stat. I’d take Lucroy back in an instant, especially at a bargain rate.
I think those are sounds thoughts but based on the reaction, the baseball Politburo disagrees!
I wouldn’t trip off of it…
What are they smokin’? haha He has nothing to prove other than that his back is healthy. He’s a borderline all-star second baseman, not a 39 year old or a 25th man. .
More like what are you smokin bud!
Looking for multi years at big bucks!
14/49/.265 regardless of his defense is not elite is not borderline all star unless 20-25 other guys that play the position suddenly leave the majors.
An older guy that wants to hang on!
Neil Walker’s defense isn’t even that good? Does he get graded on a curve for playing 2B?
He’s had negative DRS, six of his eight years at 2B — Negative UZR in 7 of eight years, at 2B.
2010: -9 DRS, -10.4 UZR
2011: -3 DRS, -5.1 UZR
2012: -4 DRS, -1.2 UZR
2013: +9 DRS, -1.4 UZR
2014: -2 DRS, -6.8 UZR
2015: -2 DRS, -6.8 UZR
2016: 0 DRS, +9.3 UZR (only year positive UZR)
2017: -5 DRS, -1.5 UZR (2 teams)
Total: -16 DRS, -23.9 UZR in 8621 Innings 2B.
fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=7539&posit…
Does he get judged* on a curve for playing 2B?
Sorry, meant to say judged. He already got graded
They’re doing all these free agents dirty. I tried to believe there is no colusion but times like these make me question that…
Nah, not collusion. It’s the fact that a third of the league isn’t really trying this year. Tanking worked for the Astros when they were the only ones doing it…. this, this is a mess.
Walker should get a bigger contract than Moustakas, as he is a better baseball player.
I said this before…. I’m scared of Bush turning into Daniel Bard…… (Beware of converting effective Relief pitchers into Starters!)
Someone here said: “I could see Bush as another Adam Warren” NOT EVERYONE IS VERSATILE LIKE ADAM WARREN!!!
Good luck, Texas. Good luck, Bush.
Yeah it’s not as easy as it’s said to convert.
NOT EVERYONE IS NOT LIKE HIM, EITHER.
Sorry for the Caps. In your opinion, Does the risk outweigh the reward?
Is potential for serviceable SP, worth potentially ruining a dominant, shutdown RP? The horror stories (Joba, Bard, Feliz few too many..)
I feel There have been more cases of failed Starters turning into one of the game’s best Relief Pitchers. (Mariano Rivera, Andrew Miller, the list goes on and on…)
Most relievers are failed starters. When you have a good arm teams are going to give you every chance to pitch more. Goose Gossage was tried as a starter one year and was terrible at it, for example.
Joba, Bard, and Feliz were all starters in the minors and moved to the pen. Bad examples.
To be fair, Bush isn’t a lights out reliever, only strikes out 1 per inning, and has the make up and pitches for a starter, good fastball upper 90’s, tight slider low 90’s, decent curveball, and developing a change up. That’s a good mix.
Never thought about it, but Neil Walker is 6’3″, so he’s actually got that typical 1B size. He’d probably have a job now if he was used at 3B and 1B more over the last couple years. There’s barely any open 2B spots.
walker’s eyes are swollen shut after kc slapped him.
Yes he is soooo valuable he hasn’t signed yet. Bottom tier free agent that is 32. Rather have a shot than no shot. Pride is a weird thing
Right! Prove he’s still got it and maybe he can get a major league deal. Don’t see anyone else busting his door down
He has already proven he’s still got it.
Matt Bush is already in his 30’s and they got him for basically nothing.. If the conversion to him starting blows out his arm what have they really lost? A setup man.. Those guys aren’t nearly as hard to find as quality starting pitchers.. It’s a gamble, but a worthwhile one imo.
Bush is an exception since his arm has seen less wear and tear than a lot of pitchers his age.
Trade Josh Harrison, then sign Neil Walker. I’ve always loved J-Hay, and there’s nothing wrong with expressing certain views about the direction a team is going. However, requesting a trade is a classless move. Ship out the expensive distraction, and bring in the hometown kid who is a better player who probably costs a TON less.
I know Walker is an injury risk-always has been. We have Frazier and SRod backing him up. VERY quality options. Frazier could hit .300, and SRod has power and decent D.
If they could have traded Harrison, they would have. Short of giving him away, that is. He’ll be gone by August 1st, though.
If Harrison was tradeable, I’d be on board for that plan, though.
If Walker gets cheap enough and one of their bench pieces gets hurt soon, who knows…
Milwalkee traded relief prospects and took on the remainder of his salary last year, and now isn’t willing to even give like 1 year 5 million? Surprising.
Neil Walker on a minor league deal? That’s criminal. He’s been above average for like 7 straight years. I’m fine with teams smartening up, but this is just getting ridiculous.
Its criminal huh? I guess you do not know a minor league deal simply gives the team another month to have to put him on the 40 man roster.
But no. Its criminal you say.
pretty sad if Neil Walker can only muster a monirs deal…
Why is it sad
Absolutely. Walker had his moments for the Brewers but he is a liability at second base and is surprisingly slow runner.
(btw, any Brewer fan who watched Adam Lind knows he was an absolutely dreadful first baseman. I can’t imagine him in leftfield..he’d be Schwarber bad)
It’s my opinion that pitch-framing is a hocus-pocus stat. I’d take Lucroy back in an instant, especially at a bargain rate.
Is there an echo in here?
The fact that the Royals thought they could slide a minor league deal by Neil Walker tells me that the owners are getting brazen. At least offer him a one-year Major League deal. Don’t make the collusion look so obvious.
He’s probably not the best fielding 2B because he came up as a 3B, but the Pirates had Pedro Alvarez at that position at the time.
If it was collusion , no players would be getting signed to big deals that are helping the their respective teams!
Collusion? Seriously?
And you think collusion has something to do with a minor league offer? The MLB owners are colluding to only offer minor league deals with invites to spring training?
Thanks for the laughs
When Adam Lind & Neil Walker are receiving offers to spring training and players like Mark Reynolds, Moose, CarGo, Lynn, Hellickson, Cobb, Arrieta, remained unsigned like Billy Butler & Brett Lawrie from last season, it’s obviously time to expand and in a big way! There’s many okay to decent to really good players (many more than what I listed) that are unemployed who have something to contribute many of which are barely 30 who shouldn’t be inactive and it’s time to grow the game and expand. This type of available talent shouldn’t be unemployed…
problem is that many think they can get long term deals which is not happening any more. Also take into account the 3 big market teams now have great farm systems not like years past so they are giving rookies chances to play. Any player over 32 is not getting a 5 year deal like in the past. Everyone of those players listed had injury problems or over 32.
Walker has not been physically able to play a full season since 2015. That is why the lack of interest in his services on any type of guarantee. Not collusion. No disrespect involved.
I know Neil Walker has his flaws and all, but to even think about offering him a minor league deal is an absolute joke.
Minor league deals give teams more time to add guys to 40-man rosters and signing one doesn’t always mean you’re coming in without a guaranteed spot on the team, but it’s a respect thing too. That’s just insane.