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NL East Notes: Chipper, Fernandez, Raburn, Mets, Phillies

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The Braves announced on Thursday that former NL MVP and likely Hall of Famer Chipper Jones has joined the front office as a special assistant to GM John Coppolella and president of baseball operations John Hart. Jones, who retired in 2012, will serve as an instructor in Spring Training, assist Braves hitters during the regular season, assist in amateur scouting in advance of the June draft and evaluate/instruct minor leaguers throughout the organization in his new role. Said Coppolella of the addition (via press release): “[Jones] brings a wealth of experience – from being a number one overall draft pick, to having a highly-successful career as a World Series champion, a league MVP and a batting champion, to coming back from major injuries. Chipper spent his entire Hall-of-Fame caliber career in a Braves uniform and we look forward to his input with our staff and with our hitters.” Indeed, Chipper seems Cooperstown-bound after wrapping up his career with a lifetime .303/.401/.529 batting line, 468 homers, eight All-Star appearances, an MVP Award, two Silver Slugger Awards and 85 wins above replacement across a brilliant 19-year career.

Here’s more from the NL East…

  • Joe Frisaro of MLB.com gets the sense that the Marlins don’t see the Dodgers as a fit for Jose Fernandez (Twitter link). Then again, he writes, Fernandez is highly unlikely to get traded anywhere. There’s been quite a bit of speculation connecting the Dodgers to the Marlins’ young ace recently, especially in light of the club’s acquisition of three new prospects in the three-team Todd Frazier deal.
  • The Mets have checked in on Ryan Raburn, according to Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record (on Twitter). Raburn would make a lot of sense for the Mets as a backup first baseman/outfielder, he adds, which makes sense given the left-on-left struggles we’ve seen from Curtis Granderson and, to a lesser extent, Lucas Duda (although Duda’s success against lefties in 2015 was heavily BABIP-driven). Raburn, 35 next April, batted .301/.393/.543 with eight home runs in 201 plate appearances. Despite those outstanding numbers (which were the result of extreme platooning), the Indians declined their $3MM option for him.
  • Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com notes (on Twitter) that there should be some interesting bullpen competition brewing in Phillies camp thanks to the additions of non-roster vets James Russell, Ernesto Frieri, Andrew Bailey, and Edward Mujica. (Bailey and Mujica are the newest additions to that mix, having agreed to deals on Thursday.) The bullpen picture in Philadelphia does indeed appear to be very open following trades that have seen Jonathan Papelbon, Jake Diekman and Ken Giles depart over the past five months. As it currently stands, the only pitcher on the Phillies’ bullpen depth chart at MLB.com that have even thrown 100 career innings are David Hernandez, Jeanmar Gomez and Luis Garcia (who barely reaches that threshold, with 112 innings under his belt). That could indeed open the door for veterans to make the club — any of whom could ultimately pitch his way into status as a trade chip.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Braves Outright Dian Toscano

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The Braves announced today that they have outrighted Dian Toscano to Triple-A Gwinnett, removing him from the 40-man roster. The outfielder’s spot will go to catcher Tyler Flowers, whose two-year contract to return to the Braves is now official.

Toscano, 26, was signed to a four-year, $6MM contract with the Braves one year ago yesterday, but visa issues kept him from officially joining the organization until November. It’s now been three years since Toscano played competitively in Cuba, making the fact that he cleared waivers unsurprising. He’ll remain with the organization, however, and hope to play his way back into the picture for the Braves in 2016 or 2017. Given the relatively minimal nature of his guarantee, he doesn’t need to do much at the big league level to justify the investment.

Toscano is a career .300/.403/.427 hitter in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, though many scouts pegged him to be more of a fourth outfielder at the Major League level. He’s drawn praise for his speed but is said to have a suspect arm.

Braves Sign Tyler Flowers

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DEC. 16: The Braves have now announced the signing.

DEC. 8: The Braves are in agreement on a two-year deal with catcher Tyler Flowers, pending a physical, multiple reports indicated on Tuesday evening. Flowers, a client of agent Tom O’Connell, will receive a two-year contract that guarantees him $5.3MM. He’ll reportedly take home $2MM in 2016 and $3MM in 2017 before the Braves decide on a $4MM option or a $300K buyout. Flowers can earn $1.5MM worth of incentives each season based on games caught (each year maxes out at 120 games), meaning he can earn up to $13.5MM over a three-year term in Atlanta.

With this signing, Flowers will return to the organization that drafted him back in 2005. He will presumably serve as a backup for A.J. Pierzynski, with whom he can form a solid platoon. Flowers, who will turn 30 in January, is a career .223/.289/.376 hitter across parts of seven seasons, but he’s produced offensively at a clip that is roughly average for catchers over the past two seasons (.240/.296/.378, 90 OPS+). He also delivered positive pitch-framing metrics in 2015 and has caught about 28 percent of attempted base-stealers over the past two seasons.

The addition of Flowers, on a multi-year deal no less, further calls into question the future of Christian Bethancourt with the Braves. Once viewed as Atlanta’s catcher of the future, the rocket-armed Bethancourt has struggled considerably at the plate in the Majors and also struggled tremendously with passed balls — an unexpected and unforeseen deficiency in his game. While it’s conceivable that Bethancourt will iron out the kinks in 2016 at the Triple-A level and be ready for a significant role in 2017, it has long seemed like the Braves may simply have lost faith in him. However, a club looking for a long-term upgrade behind the dish could certainly take a chance at buying low on him this offseason, as Bethancourt will be hard-pressed to earn playing time behind Flowers and Pierzynski in the coming season.

MLB.com’s Scott Merkin first reported the agreement (Twitter link). David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweeted shortly before Merkin’s report that the Braves were believed to have made some progress on a deal with Flowers. Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted the guarantee and incentives. Mark Bowman of MLB.com added the yearly breakdown (Twitter link).

NL East Notes: Nats, Clippard, Inciarte, Albers, Giles

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The Nationals would like to add a left-handed bat that can play second base, and Kelly Johnson is one possibility for them, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Per Rosenthal, the Nats plan to open next season with Danny Espinosa at shortstop while Trea Turner continues to develop. Once Turner is ready, Johnson (or another lefty batter) could slide over to second base and platoon with Espinosa, who is a stronger batter from the right side of the dish.

A few more notes from the division…

  • The Mets haven’t ruled out bringing back Tyler Clippard, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, though the Twins, Blue Jays and Dodgers are among the clubs also in the market for setup help, he notes. Crasnick wonders if Clippard’s high workload is causing clubs to shy away, though one exec said of the durable right-hander (Twitter link): “Considering the terrible contracts being given to relievers, he’ll get his money. He’s too good not to.”
  • Crasnick also notes that the Braves have received steady interest in Ender Inciarte since acquiring him (links to Twitter). Atlanta is willing to listen on anyone but Freddie Freeman, but the club’s plan is to keep Inciarte in the organization and use him as a leadoff hitter and center fielder for the foreseeable future.
  • The Mets are expected to show interest in free-agent right-hander Matt Albers as they look to upgrade the bullpen, reports ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin. Albers, 32, missed half of last season with a broken finger in his hand but didn’t allow a run across the final two months of the season. He’s been a Mets target in the past, Rubin notes.
  • Phillies GM Matt Klentak told reporters, including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, that the Ken Giles trade was an opportunity that was “too good to pass up.” Klentak maintains that he never wanted to trade Giles, but adding a slew of starting pitching candidates, headlined by Mark Appel and Vincent Velasquez, improves the club’s outlook in both the short and long term. Klentak also discussed the importance of the depth that veterans Charlie Morton and Jeremy Hellickson give to the club and called Brett Oberholtzer (also acquired in the Giles deal) a “stabilizer.” As Zolecki notes, Oberholtzer is out of minor league options, so he’s well-positioned to make the rotation in 2016.

Minor MLB Transactions: 12-14-15

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Here are the minor moves on the day:

  • The Nationals announced the signing of righty Nick Masset. He’s now 33 years of age and will be plenty familiar with the NL East after pitching for both the Marlins and Braves last year. Masset threw 25 innings of 4.68 ERA ball in 2015.
  • The Brewers announced three signings today: infielder Jake Elmore, righty Daniel Tillman, and outfielder Alex Presley. Of these, Presley’s signing is probably most notable. The thirty-year-old had averaged 267 plate appearances with a .255/.299/.397 slash over 2011-14, but got just 13 chances to bat in the majors in 2015 and also did not have a great year at Triple-A.
  • Outfielder Antoan Richardson inked a minors deal with the Pirates, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter. Richardson, 32, did not play much at any level last year. He has good speed and knows how to get on base, at least in the upper mino but has never shown any pop at the plate.
  • Meanwhile, the Orioles signed a MiLB pact with outfielder Alfredo Marte, per another Heyman tweet. The 26-year-old has put up strong numbers at Triple-A in recent years, but struggled with his most extended chance at MLB playing time in 2014 and only appeared in five MLB games in 2015.
  • Southpaw Buddy Boshers is heading to the Twins on a minor league deal that comes with a spring invite, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports on Twitter. The 29-year-old saw time with the Angels in 2013, but hasn’t been given a return trip to the majors since. In fact, despite posting a 3.28 ERA in the upper minors in 2014, Eveland ended up playing (and thriving) in independent ball last year.
  • Another left-hander, Dana Eveland, has joined the Rays and will also get a camp invite. The 32-year-old has seen action in parts of ten MLB campaigns. He had a strong 2014 campaign with the Mets and put up nice numbers at Triple-A last year, but only was given 3 1/3 MLB innings in 2015 with the Braves.

Quick Hits: 2018-19, Braves, Burton, Offseason

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Forget about looking ahead to next winter, Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan is already examining the free agent class of the 2018-19 offseason, and with good reason.  An unprecedented amount of talent is scheduled to hit the open market that winter — Bryce Harper, Josh Donaldson, Manny Machado, Dallas Keuchel, Matt Harvey and Jose Fernandez are just a few of the stars that will be available.  Even more top names (Clayton Kershaw, David Price, Jason Heyward) will also be free agents if they exercise their opt-out clauses as expected, and Andrew McCutchen headlines another impressive list of players who be free agents in 2018-19 if all their club option years prior to that winter are picked up.  Big-spending teams like the Dodgers and Phillies currently have either very little or literally nothing committed to payroll past the 2018 season, so lots of clubs will have room to maneuver.  Obviously a lot can happen in three years’ time, though Passan notes that several clubs are already making plans for how they’ll approach this singular offseason.

Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • There are “no active discussions” between the Braves and Royals on a trade that would send Nick Markakis to Kansas City, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.  The Royals have gaps in both corner outfield slots with Alex Gordon and Alex Rios both hitting free agency though Markakis could be a bit pricey with $31.5MM owed to him over the next three seasons.
  • In another tweet from O’Brien, he thinks the Braves aren’t likely to trade Ender Inciarte unless they’re “blown away (again) by a great offer.”
  • Five teams are showing interest in veteran reliever Jared Burton, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  Burton signed minor league deals with the Yankees and Rangers last season but never reached the bigs, and he didn’t catch on with any other teams after Texas granted him a release in late June.  Burton put up some solid numbers out of the Reds and Twins bullpens over his eight-year career, though a down year in 2014 hurt his market last winter.
  • The Dodgers’ need for pitching tops Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com’s list of the 10 teams with the biggest remaining offseason needs.
  • In a subscription-only piece for ESPN.com, Jim Bowden grades each club’s offseason moves thus far.  The Red Sox are the only team that Bowden awards with an A+ (though three others receive an A grade), while the Reds’ lack of activity nets them the only F grade amongst the 30 teams.

Rosenthal On Leake, Orioles, Cubs, Inciarte

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Pitcher Mike Leake is willing to take significantly less to play at home in Arizona, according to sources who spoke with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  However, D’Backs COO Tony La Russa says it’s “probably unlikely” that the team will sign him.

“It’s gone back and forth,” La Russa said. “Getting Shelby (Miller) gives us a (full) rotation. I think it’s difficult because when somebody wants to pitch for you and you really like the person, you want to try and work it out. But it’s complicated and probably unlikely.”

Here’s more from Rosenthal’s column:

  • If Chris Davis goes elsewhere, the Orioles will look to bring in a left-handed bat.  Rosenthal hears that Pedro Alvarez, Gerardo Parra and Will Venable are a few of the hitters that interest Baltimore brass.  The Orioles are also likely to explore the free agent market for a starting pitcher.
  • Many have been critical of the Orioles’ farm system depth, but GM Dan Duquette has rejected the notion that they are thin.  Duquette could put his money where his mouth is by trading for one of the Rockies’ outfielders, Rosenthal writes, but they would likely ask for Colorado native Kevin Gausman in return.
  • The Cubs are “one of a number teams” that inquired on Ender Inciarte after he went from the D’Backs to the Braves.  Still, they’re more likely to go after a starting pitcher by offering up Jorge Soler or Javier Baez.  Inciarte has five years of club control and can be a strong defensive center fielder, although he also has extensive experience at both corner positions. The 25-year-old was largely unheralded as a prospect but has batted a combined .292/.329/.386 in his first two Major League seasons, including a stellar .303/.338/.408 line in 2015.
  • The Padres, Indians, and Rays could all still move a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, Rosenthal writes, and the Rays might be the most likely of the three.  Tampa Bay has three starters who could be solid No. 2 guys in a rotation: righty Jake Odorizzi and lefties Drew Smyly and Matt Moore.  Alex Cobb could also be conceivably moved, but he is affordable and under club control for the next two years.

Minor MLB Transactions 12-12-15

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Here are the day’s minor transactions:

  • The Tigers signed 17 minor leaguers, reports Anthony Fenech and James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press. Among the most notable names are left-handed pitcher Drake Britton and right-handed pitchers Rafael Dolis, Lendy Castillo, and Preston Guilmet. The club also inked infielder Tommy Field. Britton, a former top Red Sox prospect, has pitched well in limited major league action. However, he scuffled with the Cubs Triple-A affiliate last season, posting a 5.08 ERA in 83 innings. Guilmet has strong minor league peripherals, but he’s struggled through 23 major league innings with a 8.22 ERA (4.28 xFIP).
  • The Tigers also inked right-handed pitcher Jake Brigham. However, his situation is unique in that he’s also pursuing a contract with NPB’s Rakuten Eagles. Brigham, soon-to-turn-28, has posted decent numbers as a minor league swingman. The Braves gave him a brief major league audition last season in which he threw 16 innings with a 8.64 ERA.
  • The Braves have signed former Reds starter David Holmberg, reports Baseball America’s Matt Eddy. Holmberg, 24, has thrown 62 major league innings over 12 starts and two relief appearances. He has a 6.24 ERA with 4.79 K/9 and 5.08 BB/9. Atlanta also acquired reliever Ethan Martin. The former Phillies swingman flashed decent stuff with command problems in the majors, leading to a 5.93 ERA, 10.43 K/9, and 5.93 BB/9 in 44 innings.
  • The Orioles have signed lefty Jeff Beliveau. The southpaw missed most of 2015 with a labrum injury. He’s experienced success as a situational reliever, including a 2.63 ERA with 10.50 K/9 and 2.63 BB/9 in 2014 (24 innings, 30 appearances).
  • The Marlins have added righty Dustin McGowan. The once successful 33-year-old pitched poorly for the Phillies while struggling with control in 2015. He was only marginally better at Triple-A. If McGowan recovers his form, he could be a valuable reliever. He has a career 4.68 ERA with 7.35 K/9 and 3.90 BB/9 in 505 innings.
  • The Mets have inked former Brewers closer Jim Henderson. Injuries caused the 33-year-old to lose his ninth inning role in 2014, and he’s failed to reestablish himself since then. Last season in 29 innings for Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate, Henderson posted a 4.55 ERA with 7.58 K/9 and 5.16 BB/9.
  • The Padres have signed Philip Humber to a minor league deal. Humber pitched the 2015 for the KBO’s KIA Tigers in 2015. He posted a 6.75 ERA in the offensively charged league. Humber is perhaps best remembered for his unlikely perfect game for the White Sox in April of 2012. He was also part of the haul that brought Johan Santana to the Mets.

NL East Notes: Phillies, Gio, Yelich, Cespedes, Freeman

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Phillies GM Matt Klentak must see upside in bounceback starters like Jeremy Hellickson and Charlie Morton, tweets ESPN’s Jayson Stark (1, 2). Both pitchers are a year from free agency. As Stark puts it, the club gave up replaceable parts for the chance to re-market them to contending clubs at the trade deadline. From my perspective both pitchers also give the Phillies the opportunity to compete in the weak NL East. Philadelphia took some momentum into the offseason with a solid second half. While a hypothetical rebound campaign would probably ultimately sputter like the Braves’ 2015 season, it doesn’t hurt to put some parts in position just in case. The Phillies also have several pitching prospects due to debut during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Hellickson and Morton can hold the door just long enough for the next guy.

Here’s more from the rest of the division:

  • The Marlins inquired about Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Talks promptly concluded when the Nationals asked for outfielder Christian Yelich in return. It’s possible the Marlins see Gonzalez as a match for Marcell Ozuna (my speculation), but it’s always hard to work out an in-division trade – especially when both teams aim to contend.
  • Even though former Mets outfielder Michael Cuddyer is now off the books, the club isn’t likely to jump on top outfielders like Yoenis Cespedes, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The $12.5MM saved from Cuddyer (assuming there was no buyout), will probably be used on quality bench depth. The team improved dramatically when they acquired Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe. Ensuring that similarly valuable players are available to fill cracks in the roster will better serve the Mets hunt for contention.
  • It may be time for the Braves to trade Freddie Freeman, suggests Mike Petriello of MLB.com. The trades of Shelby Miller and Andrelton Simmons have focused the club’s talent in the minor leagues. Freeman could be used to acquire another impressive haul. The Braves are already gearing up for a lengthy rebuilding process, so they might as well get top dollar for Freeman before he begins to decline.
  • Nationals infielder Danny Espinosa wants to start at shortstop next season, writes Todd Dybas of the Washington Times. After two consecutive bad seasons, Espinosa rebounded in 2015 with a 2.3 WAR campaign. Good defense in a utility role plus an improvement at the plate to roughly league average helped. He improved his plate discipline which looks like a sustainable fix. Even with the solid season, Espinosa will have to hold off top prospect Trea Turner. Acquired in the Steven Souza trade, Turner appears ready for a major league opportunity.

Mariners Acquire Ryne Harper To Complete Jose Ramirez Trade

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The Mariners have announced the acquisition of right-handed pitcher Ryne Harper from the Braves. He is the player to be named later in last week’s Jose Ramirez trade. Ramirez was dealt in part to make room on the 40-man and active rosters since he is out of options.

In Harper, Seattle acquires a 26-year-old reliever who has spent a large chunk of his professional career at Double-A. Over the last three seasons with the Braves’ Double-A affiliate, he’s posted a 2.17 ERA, with 10.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 165 innings. His most recent campaign included similar numbers. Scouting reports describe him as a fastball-slider reliever with a 92 mph fastball.

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