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Archives for January 2019

Will Middlebrooks To Retire

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Third baseman Will Middlebrooks has decided to hang up his spikes, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. Though he’s still just thirty years of age, Middlebrooks had yet to make it back after suffering a fibula fracture last spring during camp with the Phillies.

Originally taken in the fifth round of the 2007 draft, Middlebrooks emerged as an exciting prospect who showed immense promise in his debut campaign with the Red Sox in 2012. He swatted fifteen long balls and slashed .288/.325/.509 in his first 286 plate appearances in the bigs, making for a silver lining to an otherwise miserable campaign in Boston.

Unfortunately, Middlebrooks came back to earth in the ensuing campaign and never regained his footing. Over the following five campaigns, he compiled a meager .210/.256/.356 batting line with 28 home runs in 948 plate appearances.

Middlebrooks ultimately saw time with four MLB organizations. The Red Sox dealt him to the Padres in the 2014-15 offseason, and Middlebrooks joined the Brewers and Rangers in the following two seasons on successive minor-league deals. Though he saw at least some action at the game’s highest level in 2016 and 2017, opportunities were few and far between. That said, Middlebrooks posted strong numbers at the Triple-A level in each of those campaigns, turning in consecutive .816 and .857 OPS efforts.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: Thursday

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The deadline for teams and players to exchange arbitration figures is tomorrow afternoon at 1pm ET. With the vast majority of teams now adopting a “file-and-trial” approach to arbitration — that is, halting negotiations on one-year contracts once figures have been exchanged and simply going to a hearing at that point — there will be a deluge of arbitration agreements in the next 24 hours. It’s a minor deadline day in terms of newsworthiness — outside of the largest cases, at least — as few arbitration cases will have a significant impact on their team’s overall payroll picture. From a broader perspective, though, the exchange of arb figures is perhaps more notable. With most or all of their arbitration cases out of the way, teams can focus more heavily on the trade and free-agent markets.

As always, it’s interesting to refer back to MLBTR’s annual arbitration projections. Here are the day’s deals:

  • The Tigers will pay Shane Greene $4MM for the coming campaign, Murray tweets. Entering his second year of eligibility, the 30-year-old had projected at $4.8MM, owing largely to his strong tally of 32 saves. Despite appealing K/BB numbers, though, Greene finished the season with an unsightly 5.12 ERA.
  • Righty Nick Tropeano settled with the Angels at $1.075MM. (That’s also via Murray, on Twitter.) That falls well shy of his $1.6MM projection. The first-year arb-eligible hurler was not terribly effective in his 14 starts last year and has just over two hundred career frames in the big leagues, due in no small part to a long rehab owing to Tommy John surgery.

Earlier Updates

  • Newly acquired outfielder Domingo Santana will earn $1.95MM in his first season with the Mariners, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. That’s just a touch below the $2.0MM that MLBTR & Matt Swartz had projected. The 26-year-old Santana swatted thirty long balls and had a productive overall 2017 season, but only received 235 plate appearances in the ensuing campaign — over which he hit five home runs and carried a .265/.328/.412 slash — before being dealt to Seattle.
  • The Angels are on the hook for $1,901,000 to rehabbing righty J.C. Ramirez, Robert Murray of The Athletic tweets. Ramirez will receive a nominal raise on his 2018 salary after requiring Tommy John surgery after just two starts.
  • Phillies righty Hector Neris has settled at $1.8MM, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter links). He had projected at $2.0MM but will settle for a bit less in his first season of arb eligibility. Right-handed starter Jerad Eickhoff, meanwhile, is slated to receive $975K. His projected first-year salary was much higher, at $1.7MM, but Eickhoff presented a tough case since he missed virtually all of his platform season with arm troubles.
  • Southpaw Ryan Buchter has agreed with the Athletics on a $1.4MM deal, Nightengale of reports on Twitter. That lands just a smidge over his $1.3MM projection. Soon to turn 32, Buchter worked to a sub-3.00 for the third-straight season in 2018, but only threw 39 1/3 innings while working as a lefty specialist.
  • Red Sox reliever Heath Hembree will receive a $1,312,500 salary next year, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports (Twitter link). Starter Steven Wright checks in just a shade higher, at $1.375MM, per Nightengale (via Twitter). Both players had projected in this range, with Swartz pegging $1.2MM for the former and $1.4MM for the latter. It’s Hembree’s first time through the process and Wright’s second.
  • First-time arb-eligible righty Scott Oberg settled with the Rockies for $1.3MM, according to Nightengale (via Twitter). It’s $100K over the projected rate for the 28-year-old hurler, who turned in far and away his most productive MLB season in 2018.
  • The Yankees have a $1.2MM deal in place with first baseman Greg Bird, Nightengale was first to tweet. Though he had projected a bit higher, at $1.5MM, Bird’s relatively robust number of home runs (31 total in 659 career plate appearances) were threatened to be overshadowed in a hypothetical hearing by his rough overall stats over the past two seasons. He’ll need to earn his way back into a larger share of playing time in 2019.
  • Infielder Travis Jankowski will earn $1.165MM with the Padres, per Murray (via Twitter). He projected at a heftier $1.4MM, but the Super Two qualifier will still earn a nice raise after his best season in the big leagues. Jankowski will be looking to crack 400 plate appearances for the first time in the season to come.
  • The Nationals have agreed to a $1MM contract with righty Joe Ross, Murray also tweets. Though Ross projected at $1.5MM for his first season of eligibility, that was based largely upon the innings he accumulated over the prior three seasons. Ross made it back from Tommy John surgery in time for only three outings in 2018.
  • A pair of backstops have also put pen to paper on new salaries. Curt Casali will earn $950K with the Reds, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). John Ryan Murphy has a $900K agreement with the Diamondbacks, the elder Nightengale tweets. Casali, a Super Two, had projected for a $1.3MM salary, while Murphy projected at $1.1MM in his first arb year.

Mariners To Sign Cory Gearrin

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8:08pm: Gearrin is set to earn $1.5MM, with another $1.25MM available in incentives, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports (via Twitter).

10:03am: The Mariners have agreed to a one-year, Major League contract with right-handed reliever Cory Gearrin, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). It’s the second free-agent agreement of the day for Seattle, as the M’s also agreed to a one-year deal with Tim Beckham. Because the Mariners’ 40-man roster is currently at 39 players, they’ll need to make a move to open a spot for the pair of signings. Gearrin is represented by agent Bo McKinnis.

Cory Gearrin | Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto has been open about his desire to add both a middle-infield “stabilizer” and at least one veteran reliever to the Major League roster recently, and the additions of Beckham and Gearrin fit the bill. While neither is a particularly exciting addition, they’re the type of moves one would expect for an organization that is currently in the midst of an on-the-fly rebuild. The addition of Yusei Kikuchi, of course, was a longer-term and far more significant splash, but the Mariners likely viewed the 27-year-old southpaw as an exception that aligned with the timeline of their long-term competitive vision.

Gearrin, 32, split the 2018 season between the Giants, Rangers and A’s, pitching to a combined 3.77 ERA with 8.3 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 1.10 HR/9 and a 41.5 percent ground-ball rate through 57 1/3 innings. However, the Athletics non-tendered him rather than pay him a projected $2.4MM through arbitration (via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz). Over the past two seasons, Gearrin has notched a combined 2.80 ERA with a 117-to-56 K/BB ratio in 125 1/3 innings of work over the past two seasons and will bring seven years of MLB experience to a Mariners bullpen that has been completely revamped this offseason.

Gone are recognizable names such as Edwin Diaz, Alex Colome, Juan Nicasio, James Pazos, Erasmo Ramirez and Nick Vincent — each of whom departed the organization either via trade or, in the case of Ramirez and Vincent, via outright. Gearrin will now join Anthony Swarzak as an elder statesman in the Seattle ’pen — assuming Dipoto doesn’t find a trade partner for Swarzak prior to Opening Day, that is.

Braves Win Grievance Regarding 2018 First-Round Draft Pick

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The Braves have emerged victorious from a grievance proceeding filed by the MLB Players Association on behalf of 2018 first-round draft pick Carter Stewart, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman was among those to report. As a result, the Atlanta organization will remain eligible to receive the ninth overall pick in this year’s draft as compensation.

Stewart, a high-school righty out of Georgia, was selected eighth overall — a pick that came with a slot value of just under $5MM. While the expectation was that the sides would line up on a deal, that never came to fruition. It emerged that Stewart’s medical review had turned up a wrist ligament issue that ultimately impacted the team’s valuation.

The grievance, it seems, revolved around the question whether the Braves actually made Stewart an offer of at least 40% of the slot value, as is required for a club to obtain a compensatory pick in the ensuing year’s draft. Evidently, the panel determined that matter in the team’s favor. Bowman says the Braves’ top offer never exceeded $2MM (just over the minimum) after the health issue arose; clearly, Stewart’s camp found that insufficient.

It’s an unfortunate situation for Stewart, of course. He ultimately chose to join the JuCo ranks in hopes of potentially reentering the draft this summer. Things turned out better for the Braves. No doubt, the club would have preferred to sign the player they selected at full health. But they’ll end up with nearly the same pick in the upcoming draft, opening the door to more high-end talent.

Brewers In “Heavy” Pursuit Of Infield Upgrade

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5:34pm: LeMahieu is not likely to land in Milwaukee, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). It seems the price tag is too steep after the team’s addition of Grandal.

(It’s worth noting, too, that Lowrie has now reportedly agreed to terms since this post was first published.)

3:40pm: The Brewers surprised many with a sudden agreement with free-agent catcher Yasmani Grandal last night, promising the former Dodgers All-Star $18.25MM on a one-year pact. The catching position now upgraded, the Brewers are in “heavy” pursuit of an infield upgrade, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN (via Twitter). Both second basemen and third basemen are in play as Milwaukee looks for a new player to patrol the dirt.

Adding a true second baseman would seem a better fit on the surface, as the Brewers already have a strong defensive option at the hot corner in the form of Travis Shaw. However, the Brewers did acquire Mike Moustakas last summer, shifting Shaw to second base in the process. Apparently, the team was comfortable enough with what it saw in Shaw’s 268 innings at the position — he checked in at -1 DRS and -1.5 UZR in that tiny sample, for what little it’s worth — that it’s comfortable with the idea of Shaw returning to second base in 2019 as well.

One prominent free-agent option at second base came off the board this morning when Brian Dozier agreed to a reported $9MM contract with the Nationals. Dozier seemed a strong fit for Milwaukee in many respects, and though they’d previously been tied to the former Twin, they’ll look to other options. DJ LeMahieu’s market is reportedly beginning to gain a bit of steam, and he’s one of many free-agent options for Milwaukee GM David Stearns and his staff. The trade market has no shortage of options, either; for instance, Passan reported earlier this morning that the Giants are exploring deals involving Joe Panik.

If the Brewers prefer a more versatile option who can handle multiple positions, thus preserving some flexibility, they’re in luck. Marwin Gonzalez, Jed Lowrie, Josh Harrison and Asdrubal Cabrera are among the free-agent options that can handle either second base or third base (in addition to other positions, at least in the case of the former three). With Cory Spangenberg already in the fold as a potential utility option that can handle both second and third, the Brewers’ likely focus at this juncture is to acquire a player they feel can shoulder the majority of the load at either second or third, with Shaw manning the other spot.

Mariners Designate John Andreoli

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The Mariners have designated outfielder John Andreoli for assignment. His roster spot was needed for the team’s just-announced (but previously reported) signings of Tim Beckham and Cory Gearrin.

Andreoli, 28, received his first, brief look at the MLB level last year. He managed only a .230/.284/.262 slash in 67 plate appearances while bouncing between the Mariners and Orioles organizations.

Unsurprisingly, Andreoli has generally been quite a bit more successful in the upper minors. He’s a .264/.371/.408 hitter in four seasons at Triple-A, where he has shown a propensity for drawing walks and swiping bags.

Mets Sign Luis Avilan To Minor League Deal

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The Mets announced Thursday that they’ve signed left-handed reliever Luis Avilan to a minor league contract and invited him to Major League Spring Training, where he’ll compete for a bullpen job. Avilan is repped by SPS Sports Group.

Non-tendered by the Phillies earlier this winter, Avilan will land with their division rivals in hopes of cracking a Mets bullpen that is light on left-handed options at present. Daniel Zamora represents the team’s primary 40-man option, while fellow veteran Hector Santiago was also recently inked to a minors pact with an invite to big league camp.

Avilan, 29, has turned in consistently solid numbers at the MLB level over the past three seasons but struggled to stick on various 40-man rosters. Dating back to 2016, he’s pitched to a sharp 3.32 ERA with averages of 10.6 K/9, 4.1 BB/9 and a pristine 0.4 HR/9. He posted a grounder rate well north of 50 percent from 2016-17, though that plummeted to 36 percent this past season. Regardless, Avilan has been a useful big league reliever and generally been a nightmare for opposing lefties, who have managed just a .205/.302/.289 slash against him across the past three seasons. Right-handers have fared better but haven’t exactly thrived against him, hitting .263/.349/.386.

Marlins Reportedly Engaged In “Substantive” Realmuto Trade Talks

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Now that Yasmani Grandal has agreed to terms with the Brewers, the Marlins are ramping up trade talks surrounding J.T. Realmuto and are in “substantive discussions” with six teams, reports Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Frisaro pegs the Dodgers, Braves, Astros, Rays, Padres and Reds as the six teams still in the mix for Realmuto. Frisaro further tweets that the Dodgers “may be [the] most motivated” to land Realmuto of the six current suitors.

As one would expect, the report indicates that Miami’s asking price remains extremely high — at least one elite prospect and, in some cases, a big league catcher with some MLB experience already under his belt. For the six clubs in question, the Dodgers (Austin Barnes), Astros (Max Stassi), Padres (Austin Hedges) and Rays (Michael Perez) would best fit that billing. The Reds, too, have Tucker Barnhart as a catcher with MLB experience, though he’s signed through 2021 (plus a 2022 option) as part of a $16MM extension. He’s previously been rumored as a potential piece in talks with the Marlins, but while his salary isn’t exactly prohibitive, it’d be more logical to see Miami pursue younger, pre-arbitration options who are not yet eligible for arbitration. None of the aforementioned catchers, of course, would be a centerpiece to the deal but could give the Marlins a near-term replacement while they hope for higher-end talent to emerge from their system.

When and whether anything more significant comes to fruition remains to be seen, but the timing of the report certainly makes sense. Now that Grandal is no longer an option for teams around the league who are in the market for a catcher, the Marlins can legitimately pitch Realmuto as the primary difference-maker available. As shown in MLBTR’s Free Agent Tracker, light-hitting defensive specialist Martin Maldonado is the top remaining free agent. Pirates backstop Francisco Cervelli is an option on the trade market, but he’s earning north of $11MM next season, would be a one-year rental and has some concerning recent issues with concussions.

All six of the rumored suitors have deep farm systems that also feature high-end talent, with each of the bunch possessing multiple prospects currently ranked among the game’s 50 best minor leaguers (per both MLB.com and Fangraphs). However, teams throughout the league are increasingly reluctant to part with top-tier minor league talent — particularly when the prospective trade partner is also seeking a controllable MLB-level asset in return, as the Marlins appear to be doing in Realmuto discussions.

White Sox Designate Charlie Tilson For Assignment

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The White Sox announced Thursday that they’ve designated outfielder Charlie Tilson for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to recently signed Jon Jay, whose one-year, $4MM contract with the South Siders is now official.

Chicago acquired Tilson, now 26 years of age, from the Cardinals back in 2016 in a straight-up swap for reliever Zach Duke. Tilson quickly emerged in the Majors with the Sox and was viewed as a potential long-term option in the outfield, but the speedster suffered a torn hamstring in his MLB debut that largely derailed his opportunity in his new organization. He was further set back by a stress reaction in his ankle last season but eventually returned to the field, logging a sub-par .264/.331/.292 slash in 121 plate appearances.

A career .266/.321/.356 hitter in parts of two Triple-A seasons, Tilson does have a minor league option remaining, making it possible that teams with outfield needs (specifically in center) could take a look either in a minor trade or via the waiver wire. If Tilson does clear waivers, he can be sent outright to Triple-A Charlotte and attempt to work his way back into the big league picture for the Sox.

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