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Giants To Sign Carlos Martinez

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Longtime Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez has agreed to a deal with the Giants, as Martinez himself announced this evening on Instagram. Martinez, an Octagon client, is signing a minor league deal that’d guarantee him $2.5MM upon making the roster, tweets Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. That salary could grow to $4MM based on incentives.

Martinez, 30, is a two-time All-Star who not long ago looked like one of the game’s best up-and-coming young arms. From 2015-19, Martinez’s age-23 through age-27 seasons, he pitched to a combined 3.22 ERA through 747 innings while spending time both as the Cardinals’ top starter and primary closer. Injuries, however, have sent the righty’s career off the rails in recent seasons.

A shoulder issue in Spring Training 2019 delayed Martinez’s start to the season and ultimately helped push him to the bullpen that season (where he fared quite well). Martinez missed nearly seven weeks in 2020 following a lengthy bout with Covid-19, and he strained an oblique muscle not long after returning, all of which combined to limit him to just 20 innings (and a grisly 9.90 ERA). Martinez had a a handful of dominant starts early in the 2021 season, but he sustained a torn ligament in his right thumb that eventually required surgery and ended his season in early July.

All told, since that outstanding run from 2015-19, Martinez has managed only 102 1/3 innings at the MLB level and been clobbered for a 6.95 ERA in that time. The right-hander’s fastball, which averaged 97.2 mph back in his All-Star 2016 season, has sat at a diminished 93.8 mph average during those two most recent seasons. His strikeout, walk and home-run rates have all gone in the wrong direction as well.

For all his recent injury troubles, Martinez won’t turn 31 until late in the 2022 season and isn’t that far removed from being a high-quality member of the St. Louis staff. The Giants don’t need him to round out the rotation — not after signing Carlos Rodon, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood and Alex Cobb to Major League deals already — or to handle high-leverage situations in the bullpen. Rather, Martinez can head to camp and vie for an Opening Day roster spot as a long man or a middle-relief piece. If he ends up in Triple-A Sacramento to begin the season, he could serve as an intriguing piece of rotation depth for a Giants staff that isn’t short on hurlers with notable injury histories (Rodon, Cobb and Wood, in particular).

Nationals To Sign Nelson Cruz

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The Nationals have reached an agreement to sign designated hitter Nelson Cruz to a one-year deal worth $15MM, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.  He notes that the contract includes a mutual option for 2023.

Cruz has been one of the best pure bats in baseball for over a decade, as he has posted a wRC+ of at least 106 each season since 2008, and a wRC+ of at least 122 in each season since 2013. Despite that, his market has increasingly been limited to American League teams due to his defensive limitations. The last time he played more than five games in the field was 2016, and the last time he played the outfield at all was 2018, though he did play one game at first base in 2021. With the new CBA expanding the designated hitter to the National League, that doubled the slugger’s market, perhaps making him the primary beneficiary of the rule change.

This incredible production has all occurred despite Cruz being one of the oldest players in the league, as he’ll turn 42 in July. The slugger had a mixed season last year, as he had a line of .294/.370/.537 and a wRC+ of 141 with the Twins, but after being traded to the Rays, slashed .226/.283/.442, wRC+ of 96. Despite that limited production down the stretch, the overall line on the season was still strong: .265/.334/.497, wRC+ of 122.

In their first full season with a full-time designated hitter, the Nationals have chosen to eschew the common plan of rotating various players through the spot for rest.  They’ll instead turn to Cruz as a 30+ home run bat in the middle of their lineup.  A heart of the order featuring Juan Soto, Josh Bell, and Cruz could be fearsome indeed.

Once the lockout ended, rumors started flying about Cruz’s potential destination, with the Dodgers, Padres, Brewers, and Braves considered finalists earlier today.  Cruz wound up choosing a dark horse suitor in the Nationals, returning to a National League club 17 years after his brief debut with Milwaukee.  Cruz’s $15MM salary is a $2MM increase from the amount he received from the Twins about a year ago.

Last year, after signing Kyle Schwarber to a one-year, $10MM deal and seeing him make the All-Star team, the Nats shipped him to the Red Sox for righty Aldo Ramirez, who is now the team’s 12th-ranked prospect according to Baseball America.  If the Nationals aren’t in contention as the 2022 trade deadline approaches, Cruz could allow for a similar gambit.

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo oversaw something of a reboot last summer, as the club shipped off Schwarber, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Brad Hand, Jon Lester, and Daniel Hudson at the trade deadline.  Even with Cruz in tow, the club’s competitive balance tax payroll sits around $150MM, which would mark the team’s lowest since 2013.  Though the Nationals’ primary offseason need was thought to be pitching, thus far Rizzo has only made minor additions in Steve Cishek, Anibal Sanchez, Erasmo Ramirez, and Aaron Sanchez.

Nationals Sign Aaron Sanchez To Minor League Deal

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March 15: In a subsequent tweet, Dougherty clarifies that Sanchez will make a base salary of $2MM, with a chance make a total of $3MM through performance bonuses.

March 13: The Nationals have signed righty Aaron Sanchez to a minor league deal, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman and Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post.  Sanchez is represented by the Boras Corporation.  Dougherty notes that if Sanchez makes the Majors, he has a $2MM base salary and another potential $4MM in incentives.

Sanchez, 29, was a first-round draft pick of the Blue Jays back in 2010.  He hit a high point in 2016 at the age of 23, when he made the All-Star team and finished seventh in the AL Cy Young voting.  Sanchez would be limited to just eight starts in 2017 due to a blister/split fingernail that required four separate IL stints. Further finger issues held him to 20 starts in 2018, culminating in season-ending surgery. Sanchez battled through similar issues in 2019, making 27 starts on the season but averaging fewer than five innings per turn. Sanchez was not able to replicate his previous success, posting a 5.45 ERA, lackluster 18.6 K%, and unfortunate 11.7 BB% across 2018-19.

By the 2019 trade deadline, the Blue Jays had seen enough, trading Sanchez to the Astros.  While it was thought that the Astros might work magic with Sanchez’s curveball, the righty quickly went down for shoulder surgery and was non-tendered after the 2019 season.

After missing the shortened 2020 season recovering from surgery, Sanchez re-emerged to sign a $4MM deal with the Giants in February 2021.  He hit the IL in May with right biceps tendinitis, getting further derailed with a blister.  Upon his return in late July, Sanchez was used out of the bullpen.  After three appearances, he was designated for assignment and then released.  At this point, Sanchez has tallied only 35 1/3 innings in the last two years.

If he’s healthy now, Sanchez could hardly find a better opportunity than at the back end of the Nationals’ rotation.  They’ve got Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, Josiah Gray, and Paolo Espino slated for the top four spots, with Sanchez likely to battle with another of today’s non-roster additions, Anibal Sanchez, for the fifth starter job, among others.  Strasburg is said to be healthy after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery last July.  News on Joe Ross was less encouraging, as the righty will be out six to eight weeks due to elbow surgery.

Ronald Acuna Hoping To Return In May

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After suffering a torn right ACL in July, Ronald Acuna Jr. hopes that he’ll be able to return to the Braves lineup by May, ESPN’s Marly Rivera reports (Twitter link).  Acuna has been rehabbing in his native Venezuela, and for a glimpse at his progress, Rivera includes a video of Acuna taking one-handed swings during a light indoor batting practice session.

A 10-month recovery timeframe isn’t uncommon for such a severe ACL injury, though it seems as though Acuna’s timeline is still fluid.  Naturally, both Acuna and the Braves aren’t going to take any unnecessary risks in trying to rush the superstar back to the field before he’s absolutely ready, even if that May projection stretches into June or beyond.  More could be known once Acuna arrives at Atlanta’s spring camp, and manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) today that “I know the reports are really good….I guess he’s worked his rear off.”

Acuna was on his way to perhaps his finest season yet at the time of his injury, as he hit .283/.394/.596 with 24 home runs over 360 plate appearances.  The Braves’ response to Acuna’s injury has already become the stuff of legend, as rather than throw in the towel after losing their superstar, the Braves instead stocked up on outfielders (Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler, and Joc Pederson) who all hit well down the stretch, carrying Atlanta to its first World Series title since 1995.

While last season’s run was magical, there is no doubt that the Braves will be better off with Acuna back in the fold.  Duvall, Marcell Ozuna, Cristian Pache, Drew Waters, Guillermo Heredia, and Travis Demeritte comprise Atlanta’s top outfield options at the moment, so the team could try to make do with this group until Acuna is back, or perhaps look for more outfield help prior to Opening Day.

Marlins Sign Shawn Armstrong To Minors Deal

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The Marlins have inked right-hander Shawn Armstrong to a minor league contract, according to The Miami Herald’s Craig Mish (Twitter link).  Armstrong will get an invite to the Marlins’ Major League spring camp.

After finishing last season with the Rays, Armstrong will head to Florida’s other team and try to win a job in Miami’s bullpen.  It was something of a nervous wait on the open market for the righty, as he recently discussed with the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin about how he was unable to sign even a minors contract despite being a minor league free agent, as Armstrong was one of those free agents considered locked out as per league regulations.

Armstrong has pitched in each of the last seven MLB seasons, and he posted a 6.75 ERA over 36 innings with the Orioles and Rays.  Despite a solid 26.7% strikeout rate, Armstrong was hurt by allowing 10 homers over his rather small sample size of action.  The 31-year-old hasn’t displayed much consistency over his 167 career innings, managing a 4.63 ERA over stints with Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Seattle, and Cleveland.

Yankees Sign Ronald Guzman To Minor League Contract

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The Yankees have signed Ronald Guzman to a minor league deal, journalist Junior Matrille reports (Twitter link).  Guzman will be invited to the Yankees’ big league spring camp.

A notable prospect during his time in the Rangers farm system, Guzman couldn’t translate the hitting prowess he displayed in the minors over to his 826 PA in the majors, as he batted only .227/.304/.414 and struck out 238 times.  After three seasons of failing to truly break through as a regular in the Texas lineup, Guzman’s 2021 season was cut short after only seven games, as he suffered a torn meniscus while playing left field and had to undergo season-ending surgery.

Ironically, Guzman’s greatest day as a big leaguer took place in Yankee Stadium, when he hit three home runs to lead the Rangers to a 12-7 victory over the Bronx Bombers on August 10, 2018.  Perhaps Yankees GM Brian Cashman had a memory of that game in mind when signing Guzman, or maybe the club is simply taking a flier of a minor league deal to see if Guzman can unlock his potential in a new environment.

Should he perform well in Spring Training, Guzman’s left-handed bat could earn him some playing time on a Yankee roster that is deep in right-handed hitters.  In theory, Guzman could work as a complement to the right-handed hitting Luke Voit at first base, or Guzman could pick up some DH at-bats when Giancarlo Stanton is in the outfield.

Marlins Sign Willians Astudillo To Minors Contract

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The Marlins have signed Willians Astudillo to a minor league contract, according to reporter Arnold Santiago (Twitter link).  The deal includes an invitation for “La Tortuga” to take part in the Marlins’ big league Spring Training camp.

Between his impressive ability to put the ball in play, his fan-friendly persona, and his ability to play almost anywhere on the diamond, Astudillo was a popular figure over his four seasons with the Twins.  Astudillo’s high-contact approach hasn’t translated to much production at the plate, however, as he has batted .270/.295/.406 over 533 plate appearances at the Major League level.

The Marlins addressed their catching needs by trading for Jacob Stallings prior to the lockout, though since none of Alex Jackson, Payton Henry, or Nick Fortes has much MLB experience, Astudillo will provide some competition for the backup catching role.  Given Astudillo’s versatility, Miami could deploy three catchers on the active roster, allowing Astudillo to provide depth at multiple other positions.  The 30-year-old has played mostly as a catcher and corner infielder in the majors, but Astudillo has also made a handful of appearances as a second baseman, outfielder, and as a mop-up relief pitcher.

Astudillo was projected to earn $1.2MM in arbitration this season, but the Twins opted to release him in November, essentially giving him a brief jump on the non-tender market.  The lockout delayed Astudillo from finding his next contract, but he has now found an interesting opportunity in Miami.

Athletics Sign Austin Pruitt To Minors Deal

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The A’s have announced the signing of right-hander Austin Pruitt to a minor league deal.  Pruitt will receive an invitation to Oakland’s Major League spring camp.

Pruitt was twice outrighted off the Marlins’ 40-man roster last season, thus giving him the right to test free agency following the season.  Miami acquired Pruitt at the trade deadline, landing the righty and outfielder Bryan De La Cruz in exchange for sending Yimi Garcia to the Astros.

The 32-year-old will now head back to the AL West in search of a new opportunity in Oakland, and get his career back on track after elbow problems derailed Pruitt for much of the last two seasons.  He didn’t pitch at all in 2020 due to what ended up being a hairline fracture in his throwing elbow, and the subsequent surgery kept him from returning to the mound until June 2021 with the Astros’ A-ball affiliate.  Overall, Pruitt tossed 19 2/3 innings of minor league ball and 7 1/3 innings in the Show.

Prior to his injury, durability was one of Pruitt’s calling cards as a swingman and long reliever with the Rays from 2017-19.  While Pruitt had a modest 4.87 ERA over his 199 2/3 innings in Tampa Bay, his ability to adjust between many pitching roles made him a valuable member of the versatile Rays staff.  If healthy and back in his old form, Pruitt could be tabbed for swingman duty with the A’s, given how Oakland’s bullpen is lacking in experience.  Conceivably, Pruitt might even get some looks in the rotation, especially if the Athletics continue to trade current members of their starting staff.

Dodgers Sign Yency Almonte To Minors Contract

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The Dodgers have signed right-hander Yency Almonte to a minor league deal, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports (via Twitter).  Almonte will get an invite to the Dodgers’ big league spring camp, and he’ll receive a $1.5MM salary if he makes the active roster.

Almonte’s entire big league career has been spent in the NL West, as he posted a 5.30 ERA over 124 relief innings with the Rockies from 2018-21.  Not a big strikeout pitcher at either the MLB or minor league level, Almonte has looked effective when he has been able to avoid the home run ball, as evidenced by his solid numbers over 42 2/3 IP in 2018 and 2020 when he allowed three total homers.  When Almonte hasn’t been able to maintain an above-average grounder rate, problems have ensued — in 81 2/3 innings over the 2019 and 2021 seasons, Almonte was tagged for 16 big flies.

As one might expect, pitching at Coors Field hasn’t helped Almonte in keeping the ball in the park, so a move to a more pitcher-friendly venue might lead to more consistency.  The Dodgers have had a first-hand look at Almonte over his four years in Colorado and will now see what the 27-year-old can do with a change of scenery in the Los Angeles camp.  The $1.5MM salary isn’t much of a financial risk for the Dodgers to take, as the club will likely happily pay that price if it means Almonte has earned him a crack at a Major League roster spot.

Nationals Sign Erasmo Ramirez To Minors Deal

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The Nationals have signed right-hander Erasmo Ramirez to a minor league contract, MLBTR has learned.  Ramirez’s deal contains an invitation to the Nats’ big league Spring Training camp.

The 31-year-old has appeared in each of the last 10 MLB seasons, with the first seven of those years as a member of the Mariners and Rays before bouncing to the Red Sox, Mets, and Tigers from 2019-2021 on minor league deals.  Ramirez’s 26 2/3 innings with Detroit last season represented his most Major League action of the last three years, though he struggled to a 5.74 ERA in a Tigers uniform.

Working as a starter and swingman for much of his career, Ramirez has worked only as a reliever at the MLB level since 2019, but can still add length to a bullpen — he threw beyond one inning in 10 of his 17 appearances last year.  While it has been some time since Ramirez has posted consistent numbers at the Major League level, his ability to cover innings could be of use to a Washington bullpen that has seemingly been in constant flux for several years.  The Nationals also signed another seasoned arm in Steve Cishek yesterday, so both Cishek and Ramirez can provide some veteran knowledge to a bullpen that is overall short of big league experience.

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