In light of yesterday’s Yan Gomes trade, those teams still in need of a backstop for 2019 will be surveying the market with renewed urgency. One guy not likely to be on the move is Salvador Perez. The story has not changed for Salvy and the Royals, whose price for Perez is “so exorbitant no team would meet it,” per the Athletic’s Rustin Dodd (subscription link). While teams around the league would certainly check in on Perez were he to become available, it is unlikely anyone values him as highly as the Royals. The 28-year-old catcher is owed $36MM through 2021 and hasn’t had an OBP over .300 since 2013. His power output has remained consistent, however, and his merits extend behind the field of play, as he is a key presence both for players and for fans, as a leader in the clubhouse and as the one of the last core position players from back-to-back American League pennants. More from the Royals and the rest of the American League…
- As for other Royals targets, Whit Merrifield is a slightly more achievable trade target, but given his four years of team control, the Royals are unlikely to part with their second baseman either. Lefty Danny Duffy can likely be had, but given his down year (4.88 ERA, 4.1 BB/9) and the over $45MM still on his deal, the Royals are better off keeping him and letting him restore some value in 2019. A quiet offseason looms for the Royals and GM Dayton Moore, who has said previously he expects Kansas City will be better-positioned to be aggressive in the market by 2021.
- The Astros tendered contracts to ten players before yesterday’s deadline, most of whom were fairly safe bets to return to Houston. Outfielder Jake Marisnick was one on-the-bubble candidate, but he returns for a third season of arbitration eligibility in Houston. Marisnick has struggled at the dish, carrying a career .226/.278/.374 line into 2019, but he is an elite defensive center fielder, a valuable asset for the Astros, who never seem wholly comfortable leaving George Springer full-time in center. Marisnick does have one option remaining*, so Houston can send him down to Triple A without exposing him to waivers. The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan (subscription link) also notes that fellow benchmates Tyler White and Tony Kemp are without options, limiting flexibility for GM Jeff Luhnow. None of the three would net much of a return on the trade market on their own, though all three are cheap and useful enough to be included as a complimentary piece to a larger deal. The Astros do have options in the minor leagues should they deal Marisnick, most notably Myles Straw, who could replace Marisnick as the speed and defense option in center off the bench.
- Both Kaplan and Fancred’s Jon Heyman suggest the Astros are looking for a primary catching option to top the depth chart ahead of Max Stassi. The Marlins J.T. Realmuto is the dream get, but Houston has thus-far refused to surrender star pitching prospect Forrest Whitley. Heyman notes that they may be willing to part with outfielder Kyle Tucker, a likely must-have for Miami in any package for Realmuto.
- Heyman also notes that in Cleveland, though most of the trade noise has focused on Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer is actually the most likely of the three to be shipped out. This makes sense with the recent rumblings of extension talks with Carrasco, though there’s nothing close as of yet regarding Bauer. The Indians would love to keep him, but of the three, Bauer’s arbitration eligibility makes him more fiscally volatile than either of Carrasco or Kluber, who are under multi-year contracts. The perfect trade package for the Indians would probably include controllable pieces to augment what they already have in either the outfield or the bullpen, two areas in need of securing this offseason.
*Original post incorrectly listed Marisnick as having no options remaining (in referencing the Kaplan piece), but he does in fact have one option year left.
I’ve heard of Bauer’s quirks but after listening to him on mlb network, I wouldn’t touch him. He’s a strange dude.
Agreed. Bauer is a great job talking himself out of any potential long-term commitments from clubs interested in acquiring him.
*doing a great job
He doesn’t care about the money as much as most. He figured he’d already have enough financial security at that point to go year to year on deals and wouldn’t want a long term deal to fall back on. I can actually respect that, he wants the year to year motivation to produce, if more athletes had yearly deals you’d have a lot less guys mailing it in for a paycheck.
He’s definitely quirky. He’s already said he’d never sign a free agent deal longer than 1 year anyway.
Strange angle, especially for a pitcher.
The reason for that is because if he did he has an agreement with his buddy that his buddy can shoot him in the genitalia with a paintball gun a point blank range. This is the oddity of Bauer. If you don’t follow him on Twitter, you’re missing out.
That stance could change once a wife and kids come along (unless he already has them).
He’s already made over 20 mil. I’m sure any family he has if fine.
I’m referring to more permanent living arrangements, school, etc.
As a Cubs fan I’ll forever love Bauer. Him busting up his finger on a drone certainly helped in bringing the Cubs that 2016 title.
It certainly did, so congrats on winning by default instead of earning it.
yea… cause without Bauer, Cleveland forfeited.
The Red Sox should also give back their WS title from this year since ths Dodgers were missing Seager. After all, if one player on the other aide gets hurt then the whole championship is merely won by default…
Lol stfu and add something useful to the conversation
Yeah thanking someone because they got hurt…… classless
At least the Dodgers were able to replace Seager with Machado. They just needed a better manager to have a shot.
Just a follow up to the genius that claimed it delivered the Flubbies their title. But, if they lose in extras of game 7, it’s safe to say the decimated rotation, including Bauer, had a huge part in it all.
Something as useful as Lol stfu?
@NCAA
You have no class and no clue. Stick to college sports. Leave major league baseball to us big boys.
I think your mommy would not be happy with your comment little man
You got to see the World Series title you wanted. Why choose to still be salty about it?
The Carlos Carrasco injury hurt even more…I went to game 6 to watch my Indians win the whole damn thing. That didn’t work out…
Bauer’s going to be in and around baseball a long time. He’ll make a good coach someday. one example – he’s helped clevinger develop his slider. As idiosyncratic and cocky as he is, the dude is good and that’s what teams pay for.
Never pitched 200 innings, made 30+ starts twice, refuses to adhere to teams pitching programs, insists on his own quirky training but wants to teach young pitchers how to be durable and consistent. Sounds right. Maybe Max Scherzer would be better though.
200 inning starters are already an endangered species anyway. Bauer was an absolute beast in 2018. He might have won the Cy Young if he didn’t get hurt. You want him on your team because he seems to be fully in his prime right now.
Bauer might seem strange, but he is completely focused on becoming the best pitcher he can be. He typically spends the offseason tracking his pitches’ movement, spin rate and velocity changes.
Bauer is socially awkward and a bit quirky, but his work ethic and determination are unparalleled.
Bauer may be quirky, but I am in agreement with you. I think he’s just socially awkward and to some that comes off as odd. I appreciate his work ethic and study of the game and his craft. He’s always trying to improve as well as help others like Clevinger. His confidence may come of as cocky, but a lot of the top pitchers are and I for one can appreciate that.
I agree with these last few comments on Bauer. He works extremely hard on his craft. He has done a nice job helping Clevinger and seems to fit in pretty well with the Indians. If he happens to get traded, I will still be a fan of his despite not always agreeing with his tweets and actions.
I’d love for the Indians to keep Bauer, but being mid market and him refusing to sign an extension so he doesn’t get shot in the nuts with a paintball gun means he’s gonna be gone. Indians front office knows what they’re doing and will make a smart decision.
Because he is focused k. One year deals, I’m wondering when he becomes a free agent he will take a salary, such as 15 mil a year and then put in a ton of escalators in so that could be the highest paid pitcher in the game? He has that mentality.
If the Astros are willing to part with Tucker I don’t see how any team could really beat that. The marlins would be wise to take that. There’s your franchise player Miami, don’t ruin him
he has failed to stick several times when he was called up unlike others. He probably is pretty good.
Several times? last year was his first true taste.
I’m sure I’ll get bombed on this one but why can’t the Sox move Swihart someplace for someone, just to give him a chance to shine or fizzle? I like the guys playing and grit. Or are the Sox afraid he might go Travis Shaw on them?
For all the kidding…..Swihart has more value to the Sox than he would in most places. Obviously the Velasquez/Leon duo is weak offensively, and late-inning PH is likely. Everyone goes into apoplexy when they’re using their “last” catcher in a game, so having Swihart around is a good thing; really want to see Brock Holt behind the plate in a close game?
In the meantime, they can shoe-horn him into the lineup at various points given his versatility. Utility guys who can catch (see Kiner-Falifa) have HUGE value in the days of 13 man pitching staffs.
Except he can’t really catch or hit
The man cleaned up his pass ball issues this year so let’s cut him some slack and he had a bad year pinch hitting right handed which they finally stopped doing at the end of the season….got some timely lefty hits also. End of story!
Because no other team wants him
Wasn’t Alex Gordon a core position player for their back to back pennants?
Yeh I’m all for sentimental value, but if the Royals get a great offer then they’d be ridiculous not to move Salvy.
It has nothing to do with “sentimental value”……
Smart baseball people build their teams around their Catcher. And his BA and the silly OBP mentioned in the article are unimportant.
You’re a Cleveland fan?
Paul Brown always said he built his teams from his Center out.
Problem is most teams think he is a def liability because of their insane devotion to pitch framing metrics. So while there is interest its generally for fringe prospects which is rediculous.
Why are they all of a sudden okay with giving up tucker? I really hope they dont UNLESS they follow it up by signing Harper :0
Bc that’s what it takes to win the Realmuto sweepstakes.
Arguably the top top MLB C, offensively & defensively, in his prime > Tucker & James or Cionel
I’m not denying he’s the best overall catcher but he was last year as well and the asking price was the same. FO valued tucker more and, to my knowledge, that’s why the trade didnt happen last year. So, what changed?
Houston announced Whitley is totally off the table, so by default Tucker is their only true blue chip and trade headliner for cost-controlled-elite-superstars, like Realmuto.
Tucker could headline a trade for almost anyone at this point. Name any superstar, his name alone keeps the rival GM from hanging up.
Fair point. Possibly bc of poor production last year during his cup of coffee
JTR+Harper+Eovaldi+Britton+Cole (extension) would be a dream offseason…I think. The payroll would shoot up around 190mil (+30 from last opening day). But when it comes time to extend the core (Springer and Realmuto would be the first dominos, 2 seasons from now), keep in mind, theyre already paying Springer 12mil AND payroll will be alleviated +40mil just from Reddick yuli and JV leaving so it might actually be possible to retain/extend 2 maybe 3 between JTR, GS, AB and CC. Maybe I’m wrong and they can only keep 1 of those guys long term but it would certainly reposition them as the obvious favorites to get another ring or two for the next 2 seasons and would still leave them with a deep farm
I’m a diehard Astros fan. You can’t seriously think that’s anywhere near within the realm of possibility.
They are ok with it because they realize they will not get Realmuto without giving quality back. That is why
How come no one talks about Bauer’s preparation regiment being a deterrent for teams to acquire him? when he first was drafted, that’s all everybody talked about. Since he’s performing well, do most FO don’t care, or are they more open to his views on pitchers and injury prevention?
I’m pretty sure he ended up toning it down after he was terrible for a few years
No he didn’t change, he still plays long toss from foul pole to foul pole, twirls his javelin type baton and fires his last warmup pitch with a running start. What has changed is he started dropping pitches from his arsenal that weren’t working and sticking with what was.
Because he was on to something and it actually works. While Arizona dumped and then trashed him as being unmanageable, his time in Cleveland has been drama free regarding his rituals. His routine seems to work for him, he’s got a rubber arm and has always been willing to throw any amount of pitches on any rest and in any role. He’s been very valuable to the Tribe and I hope they find a way to make it work long term.
Some Indian pitchers have adopted some of his training rituals. There is always more than one way to accomplish something. The Indians willingness to listen and work with him is their gain and Arizona’s loss.
In my opinion Bauer’s pregame routine and offseason work was ahead of the game and as with any early innovators he was mocked and deemed difficult to work with. More and more teams are employing pitching analytics and more thorough workouts akin to what Bauer has been doing for years.
I’ve never understood the Royals reluctance to trade away Perez or other valuable chips. Some fans will still go to the games even if the teams stink. It isn’t like they can’t finish last without them.
Back in the late 70s and early 80s we went to see the Braves not necessarily because of guys like Murphy or Neikro, but because simply they were the Braves. Watch any team long enough and you realize you root for the jersey because the names on the back often change.
People ALWAYS act like no one will go to games if theres no stars but thats such a lie, baseball is the country’s pastime, of course people will go to games no matter who is on the team.
“People” will come but attendance will be down because not as many people will come. Loyal fans will watch but bandwagon or casual fans also coming is what earns you more money, but to attract them you have to have an entertainment factor such as a star player/s or a good team.
And the Royals currently have NEITHER stars nor a winning team. Yes both Perez and Merrifield have name recognition but hardly are either one of them a true star. The organization would be better served to deal them for prospects who may one day help the club contend again.
You guys need to learn how to build winning teams.
Now go back and discuss how Harper and Machado are worth $350-425 mm.
Perez goes to a lot of all star games for noy being a star. While fans may not realize how good he is, the leaugues players absolutely do.
MetsYRS, from what I’m reading the red Sox won’t be able to keep 3 catchers this year after signing Steve Pearce. My hope is that Leon is the odd man out. What the sox have done to Swihart over the last 3 years is criminal.
“is owed $36MM through 2021 and hasn’t had an OBP over .300 since 2013.”
Dayton Moore is proof positive that GMs can be bad at their job and still fall backward into a title.
S Perez signed a 6 million dollar 4 year extension as a 23 year old (something like that) as long as he stayed healthy the last year or two of it they had to overpay a hair. He’s worth his salary and reminds me of Molina a little bit.
Not even close to Molina and certainly not worth his salary. He may be beloved in KC, but in reality he’s not a “star.”
Agree 100%
you obviously haven’t seen Salvy play day in and day out. Hands down the best catcher in baseball.
Not close to the best and to say do is an opinion that strays far from facts.
Exactly, he’s a 2ish WAR player at best and can’t hit for crud.
From 2015-present, Salvy has the same fWAR as Lucroy. There’s 8 catchers in front of them. All are clearly better. But to be so staunch like “NO! I shall keep my precious average at best player for no reason while my team rebuilds” is pretty silly GMing.
I’ve seen plenty of his play, and certainly enough to know that your statement is 100% opinion and nowhere near factual. I’d rank him around 8-10 in MLB.
The top two in MLB are Molina and Realmuto, and I’d take Molina if I’m building a team. Great defense, great bat, highly instinctual; overall just great.
he is a workhorse puts in 100% all the time and no matter how banged up he is he always smiles
Moore has some skills in drafting and scouting but his roster management following the tittle reminds me of the Reds/Phillies rebuilds. Holding on to sentiment only hurts your team in the long run.
Dayton Moore put together teams that got to 2 consecutive World Series and won one – on a small market budget. But he’s dumb.
Billy Beane’s teams won one playoff series in 20 years. But he’s a legendary genius.
Well yeah because beane believes in spreadsheet baseball. Not to mention billy has won like 5 spreedsheet titles where his pythag win total was higher than everyone elses. To the dataheads thats more important than actual wins. Its kind of like their lovelife, they prefer anime to real life because of their failure to attract the fairer sex
justin-turner overdrive6 hours ago
“is owed $36MM through 2021 and hasn’t had an OBP over .300 since 2013.”
Dayton Moore is proof positive that GMs can be bad at their job and still fall backward into a title.”
–
You do not understand the sport of professional baseball at all.
Go back to your spreadsheets and computer games.
Salvy Perez was MVP of 2015 World Series.
Its always hilarious to read people who supposedly are so rooted in numbers believing that a team can literally luck into 2 pennants and a ws title.
I don’t want the Astros to get Realmuto if it means giving up Tucker or Whitley or James. He isn’t worth it.
You could’ve stopped it at I don’t want the astros getting realmuto because if you’re not willing to part with anything it isn’t going to happen. I’d part w josh James in about a half second if I could get realmuto.
I’ll give you Whitley bc I wouldn’t trade him either. But What has tucker or James proven to be more valuable than what Realmuto has done in his career so far with the Fish, at the premiere position offensively and defensively?
And can continue to provide the same level of production moving forward
James and Whitley hold 10x more value to Adtros than Tucker. Whitley is a future ace and James tosses triple digits as a starter. have a hard time seeing either dealt. Tucker, Bukaukus and Perez is fathomable tho.
If I’m Luhnow and all the Marlins want is Tucker and James, I sign off immediately. Tucker has a bad swing that will fail to translate to MLB pitching. Any Astros fan who had the displeasure of watching his brother hit has already seen the bad swing I’m referring to. It’s long and slow, and the dude is far too lanky to generate MLB power from it consistently. He will run into a few balls here and there, but I don’t feel he will ever match the hype.
And I don’t want a Lamborghini if I have to give up my lunch money
What about half of your lunch money for a used Lamborghini?
You drive a hard bargain
Couple things. 1) Roster resource has Marisnick with 1 option. 2) In regards to Whitley, Luhnow himself said on Thursday Whitley isn’t going anywhere(look at Chandler Rome’s tweets).
If the Stros are willing to dangle Tucker then go after one of the big named pitchers.
Trevor Bauer to the Astros for
Kyle Tucker , Cionel Perez and Alex McKenna
Might not need the other two, Tucker-Bauer straight up is a sick challenge trade. If Houston wins a title then its worth it, but no? They wont hear the end of it.
I’d gamble on Tucker for Bauer. I’m not high on what I’ve seen from Tucker and even though Bauer is from a different planet, the dude can pitch.
Salvador Perez is overrated and this is coming from a Royals fan.
Who probably became a fan in what sept of 2015
Forrest Whitley, Garrett Stubbs, and Frambel Valdez for JT Realmuto. Who says no? I know the fish want more but I’d take that in a heart beat
You won’t get Whitley straight up for Realmuto. Keep dreaming.
Houston would never make that silly offer in the first place
The Astros because they aren’t trading Whitley.
Over/Under on the Kansas City Cellar Dwellers for the next 10 years?
Marisnick has had hot stretches where he has hit well to go with his elite defense. The problem is that when he gets hot he often gets hurt and loses the swing that he found. I want the Astros to keep on giving Marisnick a chance to hit because his defense really does change the game.