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Archives for December 2020

Mariners, Mitch Haniger Avoid Arbitration

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The Mariners and outfielder Mitch Haniger have agreed to a one-year, $3.01MM contract, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray (Twitter link).  The deal replicates the agreement made between the two sides last winter heading into Haniger’s first year of arbitration eligibility, which is no surprise given that Haniger missed the entire 2020 season.

Haniger hasn’t played since June 6, 2019, when he suffered a ruptured testicle.  While rehabbing from that horrific injury, Haniger then tore an adductor muscle that eventually led to a pair of surgeries (one for his core, the other a discectomy) during the 2019-20 offseason and he never got onto the field last year.  However, Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto indicated during his end-of-season press conference that Haniger was making good progress in his recovery and was expected to be ready for the start of the 2021 season.

Seattle’s decision to tender Haniger a contract reinforces that optimism in the outfielder’s health, and he will now look to resume what had been a very promising career.  Haniger hit .271/.351/.486 with 57 home runs over his first 1376 plate appearances in a Mariners uniform, emerging as Seattle’s breakout star of the memorable November 2016 deal with the Diamondbacks that sent Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte to Arizona.

Haniger (who turns 30 in December) is under team control through the 2022 season, so a good performance in 2021 will line him up for a nice raise in third and final year of arbitration eligibility.  While the M’s might make some level of a push to reach the playoffs next season, Haniger might still project as a trade chip for the deadline if he regains his old form.  Between Kyle Lewis and star prospects Jarred Kelenic, Julio Rodriguez, and Taylor Trammell, Seattle is loaded with young outfielders, so Haniger could still be expendable.  For now, however, the focus is just on getting Haniger fully recovered after all of his health woes over the last 18 months.

With Haniger’s deal settled, the Mariners have two remaining arbitration candidates in J.P. Crawford and Tom Murphy.

Mets Notes: Odorizzi, Springer, Bauer, Owens, Shreve

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The Mets were linked to Jake Odorizzi’s market last month, though the team doesn’t appear to be one of the front-runners for the right-hander’s services, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that Odorizzi “is believed to be much more engaged with other teams right now.”  We heard yesterday that the Twins were also falling behind in the race to sign Odorizzi, which could potentially mean good news for the Giants and Blue Jays — the other two teams cited as having interest in Odorizzi back in November.

San Francisco and Toronto are two of the teams considered to be most fervently exploring the pitching market thus far, with Sherman also listing the Padres, White Sox, Red Sox, Rays, and Angels as being particularly keen on adding arms.  It’s probably safe to guess that at least a couple of those teams have also checked in on Odorizzi, who was projected by MLBTR to receive a three-year, $39MM free agent deal.

More from Citi Field…

  • Also from Sherman, he opines that the Mets’ pitching plans could be altered by what happens with Trevor Bauer, as Bauer and George Springer appear to be the team’s top targets.  “It is possible they are planning to make just one substantial purchase,” Sherman writes, so the Mets could turn towards Odorizzi or other pitchers if Springer is signed rather than Bauer.  A trade target like Reds right-hander Sonny Gray could also be explored, with Sherman theorizing that Amed Rosario could interest a Cincinnati team known to be looking for shortstop help.
  • After speculation earlier in the offseason that Athletics assistant GM Billy Owens could be a candidate to join the Mets, the New York Post’s Ken Davidoff reports that the Mets have, at least, “held internal discussions” about Owens, though it isn’t known if Owens has actually interviewed for the team’s general manager vacancy.  Owens has a prior relationship with Mets president Sandy Alderson, as Alderson worked as a senior advisor to the Oakland front office for the last two seasons before returning to the Mets.
  • Chasen Shreve was non-tendered by the Mets prior to Wednesday’s deadline, and MLBTR’s arbitration projections had Shreve in line for an arbitration salary of between $800K and $1.1MM.  However, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports that minor league deal Shreve signed with the Mets last offseason paid the left-hander a $1.5MM base salary upon reaching the majors, so Shreve’s arbitration number would have been closer to $2MM.  While not a major financial difference for a reliever who pitched pretty well in 2020, DiComo figures the Mets believe they can find either a less-expensive pitcher who can match or better Shreve’s 2020 performance, or they’re saving money for a bigger-ticket addition.  Shreve was also out of options, which undoubtedly also factored into New York’s non-tender decision.

Twins Sign Tzu-Wei Lin To Minor League Deal

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The Twins have signed utilityman Tzu-Wei Lin to a minors contract, according to MLB.com’s transactions page.  Lin chose to become a free agent after the Red Sox outrighted him off their 40-man roster in October.

Originally signed as an international free agent out of Taiwan in 2012, Lin spent the last nine years in Boston’s organization, and he saw big league action in each of the last four seasons.  The first two of those seasons saw Lin hit a respectable .256/.348/.380 over 139 plate appearances, but he has posted only a .416 OPS over 79 PA since the start of the 2019 season.  It adds up to a career slash line of .223/.298/.316 over 218 PA and 101 games.

Lin offers the ability to play virtually all over the field, as he has appeared in at least one game at every position except first base.  That range around the diamond includes an inning at catcher back on August 13 of this year during a 17-8 loss to the Rays, and an inning of mop-up time on the mound in a 13-1 loss to the Orioles on September 24.

The bulk of Lin’s MLB playing time has come as a shortstop and second baseman, so he provides Minnesota with some extra depth behind Jorge Polanco, who underwent ankle surgery in October.  Lin (who turns 27 in February) will help fill the utilityman void left behind by free agents Marwin Gonzalez and Ehire Adrianza.  There has been some speculation that the Twins might look for a new regular shortstop and move Polanco into a super-utility role himself, though Lin certainly seems like more of a depth option than someone ticketed for even a platoon role.

Gio Urshela Undergoes Elbow Surgery

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Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela underwent surgery Friday to remove a bone chip from his right elbow, the team announced. He’ll need three months to recover.

Based on the estimated timeline of his recovery, Urshela should be in line to return by the start of next season. If not, the Yankees could hand third base to Miguel Andujar, who was their solution at the hot corner in 2018 before injuries cut him dow the next year. He didn’t play much at all last season, totaling 65 plate appearances in Urshela’s shadow. Andujar has hit a weak .193/.219/.257 with one home run in 105 plate appearances dating back to 2019.

Andujar once looked like the Yankees’ long-term option at third, but his health troubles opened the door for Urshela, a former Indian and Blue Jay who has unexpectedly thrived since New York acquired him from Toronto in August 2018. Going back to 2019, Urshela has slashed .310/.358/.523 (132 wRC+) with 27 homers in 650 trips to the plate.

Twins Interested In Joakim Soria

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The Twins are interested in free-agent reliever Joakim Soria, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News tweets.

The well-traveled, right-handed Soria spent the previous two seasons with the Athletics, with whom he was quite successful. Now 36 years of age, the former standout Royals closer has put up a 3.01 ERA/3.06 FIP with 9.81 K/9 against 2.72 BB/9 in 725 2/3 innings in the majors. He’s one of many accomplished relievers currently on the open market.

The Twins’ bullpen was really good in 2020, finishing third in K/BB ratio, fifth in FIP and sixth in ERA. The unit has since lost Trevor May to the Mets, though, and Sergio Romo and Tyler Clippard are currently on the free-agent market. With so much turnover occurring, it’s no surprise the Twins are looking to bolster their bullpen this offseason. They’re casting “a wide net” in their search for bullpen aid, Wolfson writes.

Phillies Sign Ronald Torreyes To Minor League Deal

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The Phillies have agreed to terms on a minor league deal with infielder Ronald Torreyes, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.

A former Dodger, Yankee and Twin, Torreyes signed a minors pact with the Phillies last offseason. He only totaled seven plate appearances with the team last season, though.

If Torreyes does make the Phillies’ roster at any point next year, it will be his fourth season under manager Joe Girardi, who previously led the Yankees. The 28-year-old Torreyes hasn’t had much major league success of late, but he was a useful bench piece for the Yankees from 2016-18. Torreyes posted a .281/.308/.374 line across 606 plate appearances in New York.

Pirates Sign Clay Holmes To Minor League Contract

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The Pirates non-tendered right-hander Clay Holmes on Wednesday, but he’s making a quick return to the organization. The club has signed Holmes to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league camp, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets.

Holmes will now stay with the only organization he has been a part of since coming off the board in the ninth round of the 2011 draft. The 27-year-old saw action with the Pirates in each of the previous three seasons, though he has had trouble keeping offenses at bay, thanks in part to control problems. In 47 appearances and four starts, Holmes has posted a 5.91 ERA/5.06 FIP with 9.04 K/9 against 6.84 BB/9 across 77 2/3 innings.

This past season was a wash for Holmes because of a forearm strain, as he made just one appearance (on July 24) before landing on the injured list. He’ll now try to work his way back to Pittsburgh on a non-guaranteed deal.

Rangers Hire Chris Young As General Manager

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The Rangers have hired Chris Young as their new general manager, Ken Rosenthal and Levi Weaver of The Athletic report. Jon Daniels will stay on as the team’s president of baseball operations.

This is out-of-nowhere news, as there was no indication Daniels would step aside as the Rangers’ GM this offseason. It’s a role Daniels has held since 2005. While Daniels is now 43, he became the youngest GM in league history when he got the job at the age of 28. The Rangers have since earned five playoff berths and won two American League pennants, though they have fallen on hard times in recent years. The team hasn’t finished above .500 since 2016, and it will reduce payroll heading into 2021, making an immediate return to contention even more difficult.

The Rangers are hoping the addition of Young to their front office will make it easier to return to relevance sometime soon. The 41-year-old is a former major league right-hander and a Princeton alumnus who began his career with the Rangers from 2004-05 before Daniels traded him to the Padres. Since he hung up his spikes in 2017, Young has been working in the MLB office, first as the league’s vice president of on-field operations, initiatives and strategy. He took on an even bigger role this year after chief baseball officer Joe Torre moved into an advisory position.

Young recently interviewed for the Mets’ GM job, but he dropped out of the running because he did not want to relocate his family. The Dallas resident will now get an opportunity to help lead a local franchise.

Red Sox, Matt Barnes Discussed Extension Prior To Shutdown

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Red Sox righty Matt Barnes will be a free agent after the 2021 season, but the 30-year-old tells Alex Speier of the Boston Globe that he hopes to spend his entire career in Boston. To that end, Barnes revealed that he and the organization had discussed a multi-year deal that would have extended his time with the Red Sox “beyond next year.”

There’s no indication to this point that the two sides plan to resume talks, although Barnes makes clear that he’s plenty open to the possibility. All 30 big league clubs were impacted by the lack of gate revenue in 2020, and all are still waiting to ascertain just what the 2021 season will look like in terms of fan attendance, length of season and other factors.

Barnes saw his strikeout and walk rates both trend in the wrong direction in 2020, although as Speier points out, he finished the season with a strong showing in September. Barnes’ track record on the whole in Boston is quite good, and the past four seasons in particular have seen him assume a prominent role in the team’s relief corps. Dating back to 2017, Barnes owns a 3.83 ERA and a 3.30 FIP, having averaged 13.2 K/9, 4.6 BB/9 and 0.99 HR/9 with a 49.1 percent ground-ball rate. From 2018-19, only four of the 108 qualified relievers in MLB struck out a greater percentage of batters faced than Barnes: Josh Hader, Edwin Diaz, Aroldis Chapman and Kirby Yates.

Barnes and the Red Sox agreed to a $4.5MM salary for the upcoming season earlier this week, so his earnings are locked in barring the restructuring of that salary as part of a longer-term deal. Any such contract talks aren’t likely to happen in the near future, however. Extensions are most commonly negotiated during Spring Training even under normal circumstances — hence last spring’s talks referenced by Barnes — and that figures to be more true than ever as teams wait to gather information that will determine their revenue streams in 2021.

If Barnes does eventually reach the market next winter, he’ll join what looks to be a rather weak class of free-agent relievers. Assuming a solid season in 2021, Barnes could make a case for himself as one of the more appealing names on the market.

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