Archives for March 2022

Guardians Sign Luke Maile

By Mark Polishuk | March 12, 2022 at 6:55pm CDT

The Guardians have agreed to a Major League deal with catcher Luke Maile, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Maile will earn $900K in guaranteed money.

A veteran of six Major League seasons, Maile’s tenure was interrupted by a finger surgery that cost him the entire 2020 season. Playing that year on a split contract with the Pirates, Maile landed with the Brewers on another big league deal last winter and ended up appearing in 15 games with the Brew Crew.

Cleveland declined their club option on longtime catcher Roberto Perez last fall, leaving a vacancy behind the plate. Austin Hedges remains as the de facto starter, while Sandy Leon was also signed to a minor league deal back in November. Maile’s addition will ostensibly push Leon down to Triple-A depth, though it’s probably safe to assume that the Guardians will have Maile and Leon compete for the secondary catching job during Spring Training.

Neither Maile or Leon have shown anything more than flashes of offensive production over their careers, and Hedges has likewise been a glove-first catcher. The Guardians have traditionally prized defense, game-calling, and pitcher management over hitting when it comes to their catchers, and it should seem like Cleveland is aiming in that same direction for 2022, rather than explore picking up a bigger bat as Perez’s replacement.

In order to create space for Maile on the 40-man roster, the Guardians announced they’ve placed right-hander Carlos Vargas on the 60-day injured list. The hard-throwing pitching prospect underwent Tommy John surgery last April, and it seems that recovery timeline will keep him on the shelf for at least the first couple months of this season.

White Sox To Sign Josh Harrison

By Anthony Franco and Mark Polishuk | March 12, 2022 at 6:25pm CDT

The White Sox have agreed to a deal with utilityman Josh Harrison, his representatives at MSM Sports Management announced. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter links) that it’s a one-year, $5.5MM guarantee. He’ll make $4MM in 2022 and the deal also contains a 2023 club option with a $1.5MM buyout.

An 11-year MLB veteran, Harrison has remained a productive player into his mid-30s. He’s never been an elite offensive player, aside from a .315/.347/.490 showing with the 2014 Pirates that earned him some down-ballot MVP support. Yet he’s typically been a solid hitter throughout his MLB run, including over the past couple seasons. Harrison rebounded from a down two-year stretch between 2018-19 to post decent numbers since the start of the 2020 campaign.

Over the past two seasons, Harrison owns a .279/.343/.402 line across 649 plate appearances. That’s four percentage points better than league average, by measure of wRC+. Harrison doesn’t have huge power — he’s hit 11 home runs with a .123 ISO (slugging minus batting average) — but he brings excellent bat-to-ball skills to the table. He’s only punched out in 13.4% of his plate appearances over the past couple seasons, and he made contact on 82.7% of his swings last year. That’s more than six points higher than the league mark, a continuation of career-long success putting the bat on the ball.

Midway through last season, it seemed as if Harrison might even be playing his way into a multi-year contract. He saw regular action bouncing between second base, third base and left field with the Nationals and was hitting at a well above-average level (.294/.366/.434) in 359 plate appearances through late July. The A’s acquired him alongside Yan Gomes as part of Washington’s deadline teardown, but Harrison stumbled down the stretch. He hit just .254/.296/.341 in his two months in the Bay Area before reaching the open market.

That late-season downturn coupled with Harrison’s age (35 in July) combined to limit him to a one-year guarantee. He should have a decent path to playing time on a postseason contender with the South Siders, though. Chicago is presently slated to open the year with Leury García at second base after re-signing him to a surprising three-year deal in November. Given Harrison’s and García’s respective price points, the latter might remain the nominal “starter” at the keystone, but both players figure to bounce around the diamond.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Rockies Sign Jose Iglesias

By Tim Dierkes and Mark Polishuk | March 12, 2022 at 6:19pm CDT

The Rockies have signed shortstop Jose Iglesias to a one-year contract, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (via Twitter). Univision’s Mike Rodriguez tweeted earlier tonight that Iglesias and the Rox were close to reaching a deal, and later noted that Iglesias will earn $5MM. Iglesias is represented by MVP Sports Group.

As Nick Groke of The Athletic notes, the Rockies signing Iglesias to play shortstop means “the door is shut on the Trevor Story era.” Story picked up the mantle as Colorado’s regular shortstop from Troy Tulowitzki in 2016, finishing fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting and garnering MVP votes in each of the 2018-20 seasons. The Rockies extended the $18.4MM qualifying offer to Story in November, and he remains a free agent. The Iglesias signing also solidifies former third overall draft pick Brendan Rodgers as the team’s second baseman.

Iglesias, 32, has played for the Red Sox, Tigers, Reds, Orioles, and Angels in his 10-year MLB career. Iglesias signed with the Red Sox as a slick-fielding shortstop out of Cuba back in 2009. On his way to a second place Rookie of the Year finish in 2013, Iglesias was traded to the Tigers in a three-team deal at the July deadline. Stress fractures in both of his legs kept him out for the entire 2014 season, but Iglesias went on to make his lone All-Star Game in 2015 and served as the Tigers’ shortstop for four seasons.

Iglesias joined the Reds on a surprising minor league deal in late February of 2019, ultimately serving as the club’s starter at shortstop. He joined the Orioles as a free agent in January 2020, posting an uncharacteristic 160 wRC+ in 150 plate appearances. That led Baltimore to pick up Iglesias’ $3.5MM club option for 2021, though they traded him to the Angels for a pair of minor leaguers a month later. Iglesias took the bulk of the Angels’ innings at shortstop in 2021, yet was released in September. He came home to the Red Sox on a big league deal and hit well in his brief time there, though he was ineligible for the club’s postseason roster.

With a career 87 wRC+ at the plate, defense is Iglesias’ calling card. His Statcast Outs Above Average metrics dating back to 2016 have generally been above average. Iglesias’ Defensive Runs Saved metrics have been erratic, and he struggled in Ultimate Zone Rating in ’21.

Iglesias has endured what you might call a lack of respect from the game in the most recent years of his solid career, from the minor league deal with the Reds to the release by the Angels. Nonetheless, he’s served as his team’s primary shortstop in every season dating back to 2015, and just signed the largest contract of his big league career since coming over from Cuba. The post-lockout free agent market has quickly provided homes for the few non-star free agent players who tallied 500+ innings at shortstop in 2021, with the Cubs signing Andrelton Simmons to a $4MM deal yesterday and the Astros adding Niko Goodrum on a $2.1MM pact today. Story and Carlos Correa, with much higher expected price tags and qualifying offers attached, have yet to sign.

For the Rockies, Iglesias will help bridge the gap to their top shortstop prospect, 20-year-old Ezequiel Tovar. Baseball America ranked the Venezuelan ninth among Rockies prospects, explaining, “Tovar still has several years of growth ahead of him, but he’s talented enough defensively to eventually be the Rockies’ starting shortstop.” Having gone with an affordable light-hitting veteran option for 2022 in Iglesias, the Rockies figure to fill their stated goal of adding offense via the outfield.

Rockies Sign Scott Schebler To Minors Deal

By Tim Dierkes and Mark Polishuk | March 12, 2022 at 6:12pm CDT

The Rockies have signed outfielder Scott Schebler to a minor league deal, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter). Schebler will receive an invitation to Colorado’s big league spring camp.

Schebler, 31, has seen his MLB time dwindle since popping 30 home runs for the 2017 Reds. He remained a solid contributor in the club’s 2018 outfield despite battling through multiple IL stints. Schebler opened 2019 as the Reds’ starting center fielder, but was optioned to Triple-A by May. He didn’t end up returning to the show that year, and was eventually designated for assignment in July 2020. He was shipped to the Braves in a trade, but quickly bumped off Atlanta’s 40-man roster as well.

After signing an offseason minor league deal with the Angels, Schebler had his contract selected in mid-April of 2021. He spent the season going on and off the Angels’ 40-man roster, picking up only 34 big league plate appearances. In 285 Triple-A plate appearances, Schebler posted a 70 wRC+.

A 26th round pick by the Dodgers back in 2010 out of Des Moines Area Community College in Boone, Iowa, nothing has been handed to Schebler in his seven-year Major League career. He showed legitimate pop in his time with the Reds before injuries hit, and he’ll look to earn playing time in a currently-unsettled Rockies outfield where Connor Joe, Sam Hilliard, and Raimel Tapia are projected as starters.

Orioles To Sign Robinson Chirinos

By Mark Polishuk | March 12, 2022 at 5:50pm CDT

The Orioles have agreed to a deal with catcher Robinson Chirinos that will pay the veteran $900K in guaranteed money, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports. Another $75K is available to Chirinos in incentives, and he’ll receive a $100K bonus if he is traded. ESPN’s Marly Rivera (Twitter link) was the first to report that Chirinos and the O’s were close to a deal.

Having already acquired Anthony Bemboom and Jacob Nottingham this winter, the Orioles were still known to be on the lookout for an established catcher who could handle a more regular share of playing time. Exactly how much playing time Chirinos will receive has yet to be determined, as it is widely expected that star prospect Adley Rutschman will be getting the bulk of work behind the plate in Baltimore this season, if perhaps not quite on Opening Day.

Given that the new collective bargaining agreement offers the promise of bonus draft picks to high finishers in Rookie Of The Year balloting, the O’s have some increased incentive to have Rutschman in the big leagues as soon as possible. Regardless, Chirinos should be in line for a fair amount of work before or after Rutschman is promoted, and the trade bonus also addresses the distinct possibility that the rebuilding Orioles will look to flip Chirinos before the deadline.

Other than a dismal performance during the shortened 2020 season, Chirinos has quietly been a very solid offensive performer for much of the last eight years, hitting .232/.327/.438 with 90 home runs over 2147 PA with the start of the 2014 season. Beyond just “good for a catcher,” this translates to a 102 OPS+ and 104 wRC+, making Chirinos a valuable member of the Rangers, Astros, and Cubs lineups, even if his relative struggles on defense limited his chances at being a true full-time starter.

Chirinos signed a minor league deal with the Yankees last offseason but suffered a fractured wrist during Spring Training, and eventually caught on with the Cubs in July after New York released him. Chirinos bounced back from his rough 2020 with a respectable .227/.324/.454 slash line and five home runs over his 112 PA with Chicago.

AL Central Notes: Twins, IKF, Tigers, Anderson, Boyd, White Sox

By Mark Polishuk | March 12, 2022 at 5:44pm CDT

The Twins and Rangers combined on one of the most interesting early moves of the post-lockout period, agreeing to a trade earlier today that will see Isiah Kiner-Falefa and pitching prospect Ronny Henriquez head to Minnesota, while catcher Mitch Garver was dealt to Texas. Speaking with reporters (including MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park) about the deal, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said the Twins were first in touch about Kiner-Falefa before the lockout, and Garver wasn’t initially part of trade talks until it became that such a notable price was necessary to pry Kiner-Falefa away from the Rangers.

While the presence of Ryan Jeffers ultimately made Garver expendable, Minnesota now has a new everyday shortstop, and a player who has generally looked like one of the league’s better defensive players no matter where Texas lined him up on the diamond. Kiner-Falefa said he is happy to be getting an opportunity to start at what he considers his natural position of shortstop, and his addition means that the Twins can now keep Jorge Polanco at second base.

NL Central Notes: Castellanos, Reds, Reynolds, Cardinals, Pujols, Kim

By Mark Polishuk | March 12, 2022 at 4:26pm CDT

The bullpen, a fifth starter, bench help, and backup catching were cited by Reds GM Nick Krall as possible target areas, Krall told The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale and other reporters, and the Reds could turn to either Major League or minor league free agents to address any of those needs. In regards to one particular prominent free agent, Krall seemed to close the door on the chances of Nick Castellanos returning to Cincinnati, saying “we have not been engaged with his representatives.”

It doesn’t count as any big surprise that Castellanos will be moving on, since he was looking for a hefty new contract pre-lockout, and the Reds’ offseason moves have thus far been geared towards cutting and managing payroll (while still making some effort to contend for a playoff spot). Since Castellanos rejected the Reds’ qualifying offer and because Cincinnati is a revenue-sharing recipient, the team stands to receive an extra pick after the first round of the 2022 draft should Castellanos sign elsewhere for more than $50MM.

Marlins Sign Roman Quinn To Minor League Deal

By Mark Polishuk | March 12, 2022 at 3:24pm CDT

The Marlins have signed outfielder Roman Quinn to a minor league contract, according to Craig Mish of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Quinn’s deal contains an invitation to the Marlins’ big league spring camp.

After spending all 10 of his professional seasons with the Phillies, Quinn will remain in the NL East and look for both a fresh start and some long overdue good health in Miami. Injuries have been the story of Quinn’s career, including the 2021 season — Quinn was limited to 28 games due to a finger laceration, and then a serious left Achilles injury that required season-ending surgery in June.

With such a checkered health history, it isn’t surprising that the switch-hitting Quinn hasn’t shown much (.228/.306/.355) over 512 plate appearances and 178 games with the Phils from 2016-21. Still, his MLB career does represent essentially just one season of playing time, and Quinn has been productive at the minor league level. A second-round pick for Philadelphia in the 2011 draft, Quinn received some top-100 prospect buzz during his time in the Phillies’ farm system.

The minors contract represents no risk for the Marlins in seeing what Quinn can offer in the wake of his Achilles surgery. His initial recovery time was projected as 9-12 months, so Quinn may not be quite back at close to 100 percent for spring camp, yet the Marlins could also continue to monitor his progress in extended Spring Training or at the Triple-A level. If all goes well, Quinn could factor in Miami’s outfield depth plans, as the 28-year-old has showed the ability to play all three positions on the grass.

Twins Interested In Johnny Cueto

By Darragh McDonald | March 12, 2022 at 2:43pm CDT

Prior to the lockout, the busiest segment of the free agent market was starting pitching, with the majority of the top names flying off the shelves before the freeze on transactions in December. The top two remaining starters, Carlos Rodon and Clayton Kershaw, both signed the first full day after the lockout, leaving the top of the market picked clean. Earlier today, the Blue Jays signed Yusei Kikuchi, taking another appealing name off the board.

With many teams still in need of rotation upgrades, they will naturally be turning their attentions to the next tier of available hurlers, with the market for right-hander Johnny Cueto “heating up,” per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. The Twins are one of the clubs interested, according to Darren Wolfson of SKOR North.

The Twins made the playoffs in three out of the four seasons from 2017 to 2020, including back-to-back division titles in 2019 and 2020. But they followed that up with a miserable season in 2021 where just about everything went wrong. Various players dealt with serious injuries and many others underperformed, leading the club to drop to a record of 73-89 and finish in the basement of the AL Central. Despite that, the club has made it clear it intends to reload and compete again in 2022, and they showed evidence of that earlier today by acquiring Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the Rangers to be their shortstop.

However, the club’s most glaring need is the starting rotation. During last year’s disappointing campaign, they traded away Jose Berrios and J.A. Happ at the deadline. Then they lost Kenta Maeda to Tommy John surgery, who is hoping to be back in September. Also, Michael Pineda reached free agency at the end of the year.

Going into the offseason, the club was left with a rotation of talented but unproven youngsters, with Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan headlining that group. Just before the lockout, they added Dylan Bundy into the mix, though he’s coming off a miserable season of his own, putting up an ERA of 6.06 with the Angels. For a team with designs on competing, they’ll certainly need to look for upgrades.

Cueto is now a few years removed from his peak, but the 36-year-old could still be plenty useful, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently explored. Cueto threw 114 2/3 innings last year with an ERA of 4.08. His 20% strikeout rate was a few ticks below league average, but his 6.1% walk rate was quite strong. While he may not be the ace he once was, there are no aces left on the free agent market, meaning the Twins will have to be looking towards pitchers like Cueto to cobble a rotation together, unless they have enough trade chips remaining to build a rotation that way.

Angels To Re-Sign Kurt Suzuki

By Darragh McDonald | March 12, 2022 at 2:30pm CDT

March 16: To make room for Suzuki on the 40-man roster, Chris Rodriguez was placed on the 60-day IL, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The move is just a formality, since it was reported back in November that Rodriguez underwent surgery that would keep him out of action for the majority of the 2022 season.

March 12: The Angels have agreed to bring back catcher Kurt Suzuki on a one-year, $1.75MM contract, pending a physical, per Robert Murray of FanSided.

It was January of last year that the Angels signed Suzuki for the first time, giving him a one-year contract worth $1.5MM. At the time, Suzuki was coming off an excellent four-year stretch from 2017 to 2020. He had a wRC+ above 100 in each of those four campaigns and secured himself a World Series ring with the Nationals in 2019.

Unfortunately, 2021 was a disappointing season for Suzuki, as he slumped to a line of .224/.294/.342, for a wRC+ of 76, relinquishing the starting duties to Max Stassi as the season wore on. Regardless, the Angels were evidently satisfied enough with the Suzuki-Stassi pairing to give it one more shot. Stassi will reach free agency at the end of this year.

It seems likely that Suzuki will serve in a backup capacity, given that he’s 38 years old and Stassi is about to turn 31. The latter also had an excellent campaign last year, hitting at an above-average rate and providing excellent defense for a 2.9 fWAR season.

It might seem a bit eyebrow-raising to for the club to be spending money on a 38-year-old catcher who’s coming off a down year. However, it’s worth pointing out that this year’s free agent catching market was exceptionally thin, with Yan Gomes and Manny Pina representing the top of the class. Those two signed before the lockout, leaving Suzuki as one of the few healthy catchers with a track record of success, even if he didn’t show it in 2021. The only other catcher on the club’s 40-man roster, Matt Thaiss, has only 64 games of MLB experience. Given that he has options, the acquisition of Suzuki will allow the 26-year-old to function as a depth option in Triple-A.

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