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Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Angels

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After another season of underwhelming results on the mound, the Angels poured a significant portion of their resources into the pitching staff. This year’s arms have more upside than most of the Anaheim staffs of years past, but there’s still some uncertainty at the back end and a couple notable question marks on the position player side.

Major League Signings

2022 spending: $59.25MM
Total spending: $123.75MM

Trades and Claims

Extensions

  • Signed C Max Stassi to a three-year, $17.5MM extension (deal also includes 2025 club option and potentially buys out three free agent seasons)

Notable Minor League Signees

Notable Losses

At the outset of the offseason, general manager Perry Minasian said the front office was hoping to “significantly improve” the starting rotation. Angels fans may have had hopes for a splash on a top-of-the-market arm like Max Scherzer, Kevin Gausman or Robbie Ray, but it quickly became apparent the team remained averse to making a long-term commitment to a free agent starter.

Fortunately for the Angels, this offseason presented a few opportunities to add firepower to the starting staff while avoiding a lengthy investment. A trio of starters — Noah Syndergaard, Justin Verlander and Carlos Rodón — hit free agency with top-of-the-rotation production not far in the rearview mirror but serious enough health- and/or age-related red flags to keep them from cashing in at the top of the market. Los Angeles checked in on Verlander’s health early in the winter, but they struck quickly to lure Syndergaard away from the Mets as their big rotation add.

Syndergaard had only pitched two innings in the past two seasons on account of a March 2020 Tommy John surgery. He posted an ERA of 3.24 or lower in three of his four full seasons in Queens, though, giving skipper Joe Maddon a possible top-of-the-rotation arm. In terms of 2022 spending, Syndergaard proved the biggest addition to the roster, and the Angels forfeited a draft choice to roll the dice on a bounceback. If he returns to his pre-surgery form, he’ll be well worth the investment, and the front office/ownership can reevaluate next winter whether to make an exception to their aversion to long-term deals.

Alongside Syndergaard, Los Angeles took a lower-risk flier on another volatile arm: Michael Lorenzen. The right-hander has worked almost exclusively in relief since his 2015 rookie season with the Reds, but he hit the open market in search of a rotation opportunity. The Angels obliged, reasoning that Lorenzen’s combination of athleticism and five-pitch mix could allow him to be effective in a heavier role. The Anaheim native is coming off a rough season, in which he pitched through some shoulder trouble, but he’s been an effective reliever in years past.

Those two new hurlers step into a six-man starting staff also comprising two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, José Suarez, Patrick Sandoval and Reid Detmers. The Angels reportedly inquired on the availability of Reds All-Star Luis Castillo before the lockout, but there’s no indication talks got far and Cincinnati ultimately held Castillo into the season. One could argue the Angels should’ve added another arm to the group, particularly with top depth option Griffin Canning facing another extended injury absence. All six of the Angels’ starters have question marks (most related to durability/workload concerns), but it’s also a talented staff with more ceiling than the groups the team has rolled out in recent seasons.

In addition to their rotation pickups, they kicked off a series of notable bullpen moves in the days leading up to the lockout. Closer Raisel Iglesias was the top reliever on this year’s free agent market. He rejected the team’s qualifying offer, but they struck to bring him back on a four-year deal. Iglesias has posted a sub-3.00 ERA in four of five seasons since moving to the bullpen full-time. The Angels bought low to acquire him in a trade with Cincinnati the prior offseason, but they issued the fourth-largest contract ever given to a reliever to keep him from departing on the open market.

Retaining Iglesias was a critical move to keeping the late-inning group intact, but Minasian and his staff set out for more. Even with an excellent year from Iglesias, the Angels bullpen posted a 4.59 ERA last season. That’s not good enough for any hopeful contender, and the rotation’s durability concerns make the middle innings group all the more important.

Even before re-upping Iglesias, Minasian and company brought in southpaw Aaron Loup on a two-year deal. The veteran is coming off an incredible season for the Mets and wound up receiving the loftiest guarantee of any free agent lefty bullpen arm this winter. Following the lockout, righties Archie Bradley and Ryan Tepera followed Loup to Orange County, lessening the need to rely on pitchers like Mike Mayers and Austin Warren in high-leverage spots.

Those additions should solidify the middle to late innings, but the emphasis on the pitching staff came at a cost. The Halos devoted virtually all of their financial resources in upgrading on the mound, seemingly leaving little left over for a position player group that’s not without weaknesses of its own.

The only external pickups on the position player side were infielders Matt Duffy, Tyler Wade and Andrew Velazquez — each of whom came at little cost. The Halos re-upped backup catcher Kurt Suzuki on a small one-year deal as well. That course of action was a vote of confidence in the position player core, or at least a declaration that Angels brass viewed the pitching staff as a much greater concern.

Obviously, the Angels can go toe-to-toe with any team in baseball in terms of star talent. Ohtani is fresh off an MVP-winning campaign the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades. Mike Trout missed much of last season with a calf injury that didn’t heal as quickly as anyone hoped or expected, but he’s back in the lineup and might still be the best player in MLB. Anthony Rendon is coming off an injury-plagued season of his own, but he’s only a year removed from being among the game’s top handful of third basemen.

Beyond that trio, Jared Walsh broke out as an All-Star first baseman and middle-of-the-order presence. Max Stassi has more quietly emerged as a productive catcher on both sides of the ball. He’s endeared himself to the front office in the process, as they signed him to a three-year extension this spring to keep him from hitting the open market next winter. That’s five lineup spots accounted for with above-average or better players, but the depth behind that group is shakier.

The middle infield, in particular, looks like one of the weaker spots for any hopeful contender. David Fletcher signed a long-term extension last winter, but he’s coming off a miserable offensive season. Fletcher’s a good defender who has been serviceable at the plate on the strength of his bat-to-ball skills in the past. He was always going to get a shot to rebound, but the Angels curiously did very little to add any insurance.

Duffy is coming off a decent season with the Cubs and could outhit Fletcher at the keystone. Even in that event, the Angels might need Fletcher playing regularly at shortstop. Last offseason’s flier on José Iglesias didn’t work, and the club took even less initiative at the position this time around. Wade and Velazquez were both acquired after being designated for assignment by the Yankees, a team that itself spent much of the winter chasing shortstop help. Despite a star-studded free agent class, the Angels seemingly sat that market out and were content with those depth pickups supplementing in-house options Jack Mayfield and Luis Rengifo.

It seems that’s largely a payroll concern. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported last month that Los Angeles had looked into the possibility of adding a right-handed bat but ultimately proved reluctant to keep spending after signing Bradley and Tepera. The Halos entered the season with a franchise-record payroll in the $182MM range. They might simply be nearing owner Arte Moreno’s financial limits, and rebooting the pitching staff took priority over the bottom of the order.

That’s also a concern in the outfield, where the group around Trout is unsettled. Brandon Marsh is opening the year as the everyday left fielder. That’s a perfectly defensible course of action given his recent top prospect status, but he’s not a lock to hold his own at the dish. Marsh should be an asset defensively, but he struck out in an untenable 35% of his plate appearances as a rookie.

Right field, meanwhile, is even more of a question mark. Jo Adell is another still-young former top prospect who has thus far yet to show he can hit big league pitching. It’s certainly not out of the question he finds another gear, but that’s not an inevitability. In fact, it’s not even clear Adell will play regularly once Taylor Ward returns from the injured list. Maddon told reporters last week he viewed Ward as the primary right fielder (link via Sam Blum of the Athletic). Ward is coming off a capable season but has a below-average career track record of his own.

The Angels will need steps forward from a young player or two, lest the lineup again become a bit too top-heavy. While there may not be everyday run available for Adell out of the gate, he figures to eventually get a chance to play his way back into the mix if he makes strides from a bat-to-ball perspective. The Angels released veteran corner outfielder Justin Upton at the end of the spring, placing even more pressure on the likes of Marsh, Adell and Ward to perform capably.

After missing the playoffs in seven straight years, the Angels are gearing up for another shot at hopeful contention. There’s no alternative with a core as talented as theirs, and they open the year with a higher-ceiling rotation than the ones which have so frequently let them down. Yet it still remains in question whether there’s enough depth to withstand some inevitable pitching injuries and bottom-of-the-lineup struggles to post their first winning season since 2015.

Pirates Sign Ke’Bryan Hayes Eight-Year Extension

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April 12: The Pirates have now formally announced the deal.

April 9: The full breakdown of the deal, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is as follows: Hayes will earn $10MM in 2022 and 2023, $7MM in each of the next four years, followed by an $8MM salary in 2028 and 2029. The 2030 club option is worth $12MM and comes with a $6MM buyout.

April 7: The Pirates took a major step toward locking up their young core this afternoon, inking third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to an eight-year, $70MM extension, reports Robert Murray of Fansided. The deal, which represents both the largest guarantee ever given to a player with between one and two years of service time and the largest deal ever handed out by the Pirates, will keep Hayes in Pittsburgh through at least 2029. It also includes a club option for the 2030 season, the terms of which are not yet clear. Hayes is represented by The Ballengee Group.

The deal buys out three years of the third baseman’s free agency, which would have arrived at the conclusion of the 2026 season barring an unforeseen demotion. Hayes, who is entering his age-25 season in 2022, will now remain under team control through his age-32 (or age-33, should the Pirates exercise his option) season. While he could still be in line for a solid payday at that point should he remain productive, today’s extension is likely to cover the great majority of his prime years — meaning that his $70MM guarantee is likely to constitute a majority of his career earnings.

Since being promoted to the big leagues midway through the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Hayes has been one of the few bright spots for a moribund Pirates franchise, slashing a world-beating .376/.442/.682 across 95 plate appearances across 24 games that September. His numbers came back to earth in 2021, perhaps as a result of an early-season wrist injury that held him out of action for roughly a third of the year and sapped him of much of his power. In his short career, Hayes has posted a .280/.340/.442 triple-slash in 491 trips to the plate while playing high-end defense at third, winning the 2021 Fielding Bible Award for third basemen (edging out stalwarts Matt Chapman and Nolan Arenado).

While keeping Hayes (the son of long-time big-leaguer Charlie Hayes) around for the long term is sure to promote some optimism within the long-suffering Pittsburgh fanbase, few expect the Bucs to contend in the immediate future. After losing 101 games in 2021, GM Ben Cherington hardly re-loaded in the offseason, trading for infielder Josh VanMeter and signing first baseman Daniel Vogelbach, outfielder Jake Marisnick, and reliever Heath Hembree to low-cost free agent deals while trading starting catcher Jacob Stallings to the Marlins for right-hander Zach Thompson and a pair of minor leaguers. The club does have a series of high-end prospects on the horizon, however, including recently optioned 6’7″ shortstop Oneil Cruz and right-hander Roansy Contreras, both of whom are likely to see big-league action sooner than later. Second baseman Nick Gonzalez and righty Quinn Priester could also see the majors in 2022, while catcher Henry Davis (the top overall pick in the 2021 draft) is probably a year or two away.

Cherington’s success in locking up Hayes for the foreseeable future draws attention to questions surrounding the future of center fielder Bryan Reynolds, the other high-end talent on the Bucs’ active roster. Reynolds, who proved his 2020 struggles a fluke to the tune of a .302/.390/.522 triple-slash in 2021, is under club control through his age-30 season in 2025, reportedly turned down a number of extension proposals ahead of the 2021 season and didn’t re-engage with the club between the end of the season and the implementation of the lockout. He’s been the subject of endless trade rumors — he’s been directly linked to the Padres and Marlins this offseason — but Pittsburgh’s asking price is (understandably) sky-high. Even if they continue to go year-to-year with Reynolds (presently a Super Two, he’ll earn either $4.25MM or $4.9MM in 2022, depending on the outcome of an in-season arbitration hearing), the Bucs can expect their All-Star outfielder to play alongside their high-end up-and-coming talent for at least a few years before hitting the open market.

Indeed, while Hayes’ extension gives the Pirates the kind of cost certainty small-market clubs crave (as well as the potential for a boatload of surplus value), it isn’t likely to change their contention timetable. Even while competing in the NL Central, where the Cubs appear to be engaged in a mini-rebuild and neither the Brewers nor Cardinals seem to be interested in pushing all their chips in just yet, Pittsburgh isn’t likely to host October baseball for a few years yet.

That said, the unpredictability of prospect performance cuts in both directions, and the Pirates may have the sort of high-end prospect depth to take a big step forward as soon as 2023 — particularly if Cherington gets the go-ahead from ownership to add some payroll. At present, RosterResource projects the club to carry an Opening Day payroll of just $45MM (the lowest in Major League Baseball), and with almost nothing besides the Hayes extension committed beyond 2022. For a fanbase that hasn’t seen a meaningful game since losing the 2015 NL Wild Card Game (and still haunted by the 1992 NLCS), knowing the Bucs will hold onto their star third baseman for the bulk of his prime is likely the best news they’ve heard in a while.

{Note: Hayes left this afternoon’s game against the Cardinals with an apparent hand injury. Murray tweets that Hayes’ extension is still subject to a physical. Murray reports that Hayes suffered only a “very minor” cramp, and there’s no indication it’ll have any bearing on the long-term deal.}

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jon Gray Discusses Free Agency Decision

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Jon Gray spent nearly a decade in the Colorado Rockies organization, from being drafted by them in 2013 until reaching free agency after the 2021 season. Although there was apparently mutual interest in Gray staying in Colorado, the club was ultimately outbid by the Rangers, as they signed Gray to a four-year, $56MM contract.

The Rockies opened a series against Texas today, giving the Colorado media, including Danielle Allentuck of The Denver Gazette, a chance to catch up with Gray and discuss recent events. Once he became a free agent, the Rangers aggressively pursued Gray, not only in terms of their financials, but also their sales pitch in general. “It felt good to have someone say ’You are this good and this is why and we’re going to help you get there,'” Gray said.

The Rockies were apparently not pleased with this turn of events, as Allentuck reports that the relationship between Gray and the team soured to the point that there was “a little bit of fighting” as he considered taking the offer to move to Texas. There’s evidently no lingering bad blood, as Gray says that he would have been “on the fence” if the Rockies had matched the Rangers’ offer, and the sides are apparently on good terms now. Still, it’s noteworthy that the organization is developing a track record for having friction with its marquee players.

Just over two years ago, Nolan Arenado went public with his dissatisfaction, saying “there’s a lot of disrespect from people there that I don’t want to be a part of.” Before the 2021 season, he would be traded to the Cardinals. At the trade deadline last year, Trevor Story wasn’t dealt, despite being an impending free agent on a non-competitive ball club. After the clock ticked down to zero and Story was still in Colorado, he also spoke publicly, saying he was “confused” and adding, “I don’t have really anything good to say about the situation and how it unfolded.” He would eventually sign with the Red Sox. In Gray’s case, the club apparently made him an extension offer in the $35-40MM range, but then didn’t make him a qualifying offer at season’s end, ultimately losing him for nothing. Although the situation with Gray doesn’t seem quite as dramatic as with Arenado or Story, that still makes three consecutive star players that have left town with at least a hint of tension.

While outside observers can only know so much about the inner workings of the team, it surely doesn’t help matters if the club is building a reputation as one that is difficult to work with. They already face challenges luring in free agents, especially pitchers, due to the difficulties of playing at elevation. That’s compounded by the fact that they share a division with aggressive and competitive teams like the Dodgers, Giants and Padres. The appearance of conflict with important players will likely only exacerbate those burdens.

Tigers Notes: Peralta, Chafin, Cisnero

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The Tigers’ bullpen could have some reinforcements on the way, with righty Wily Peralta and lefty Andrew Chafin making their way back.

Peralta was signed to a minor league deal in mid-March, on the heels of a solid 2021 campaign. In 93 2/3 innings over 18 starts and one relief appearance, he put up an ERA of 3.07. His 14.4% strikeout rate was well below average, but he paired that with a 50.7% ground ball rate. Due to issues with the work visa process, he wasn’t able to report to camp until April 3rd, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. He’s now pitching in the minors and seems to be on a good track. “We’ll probably have a couple outings there where he pitches a day, maybe a day off and pitch again like a reliever,” manager A.J. Hinch tells Petzold. “But we’d like him on our team as soon as he’s ready.” Peralta isn’t currently on the 40-man roster and will require a corresponding move.

As for Chafin, he was signed to a two-year, $13MM contract after having the best season of his career. In 68 2/3 innings between the Cubs and A’s, he had a miniscule 1.83 ERA, along with a 24.1% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate. He’s yet to make his debut as a Tiger due to a left groin strain, though he did throw a bullpen yesterday. “It’s the best his arm has felt and his body has felt the entire spring, even when his leg wasn’t injured,” Hinch says. Although there’s no specific timetable, Hinch says “It’s trending in the right direction.”

As for Jose Cisnero, he won’t be re-joining the club any time soon, as he was placed on the 60-day IL to start the season with a strained right shoulder. The good news is that he won’t be undergoing surgery, per Jason Beck of MLB.com. “He’s going to strictly get rid of the inflammation and build strength,” Hinch told Beck. That’s got to be somewhat encouraging for the club’s fans, as Cisnero has had a nice stretch in Detroit. Over the previous three years, he threw 126 2/3 innings of 3.69 ERA ball, with a 24.7% strikeout rate and 10.9% walk rate.

MLB Issues Three-Game Suspension To Cubs’ Keegan Thompson

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Major League Baseball announced this afternoon that Cubs right-hander Keegan Thompson has been suspended three games and fined an undisclosed amount “for intentionally hitting Andrew McCutchen … with a pitch during the top of the eighth inning of Saturday afternoon’s game at Wrigley Field.”

Chicago manager David Ross has also been suspended one game and fined for Thompson’s actions, as is customary. Ross will serve his ban tomorrow afternoon and miss Chicago’s upcoming game with the Pirates. Thompson’s suspension is set to go into effect tomorrow as well, but unlike Ross, he has the right to appeal.

The Cubs and Brewers traded hit batsmen on Thursday. Milwaukee pitching hit three Cubs players during the early stages of Saturday’s contest. After Milwaukee’s Trevor Gott hit Ian Happ, Thompson faced McCutchen with no one on base in a 9-0 game. His 1-1 offering was well inside and went to the backstop; on the next pitch, Thompson plunked the veteran outfielder. The benches cleared, although there was little more than barbs traded on each side. Home plate umpire Lance Barksdale ejected Thompson.

In the following inning, Cubs righty Ethan Roberts hit Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich. That pitch was a 1-2 slider that clipped the left-handed hitter in the back foot, though, and Roberts remained in the game to record the final three outs.

Outrights: Yamamoto, Selman

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A pair of players designated for assignment as teams set their Opening Day rosters recently passed through waivers unclaimed.

  • The Mets have outrighted Jordan Yamamoto to Triple-A Syracuse, tweets Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The right-hander doesn’t have the requisite service time to refuse the assignment, so he’ll remain in the organization and try to pitch his way back onto the roster. New York acquired Yamamoto, formerly a decently-regarded pitching prospect, in a minor deal with the division-rival Marlins in February 2021. Unfortunately, he spent the bulk of his first season in Queens on the injured list. Yamamoto has pitched to a 6.05 ERA in 96 2/3 MLB innings, but he’s performed well up through Double-A and doesn’t have much experience at the minors’ top level.
  • The Athletics have outrighted southpaw Sam Selman to Triple-A Las Vegas, according to their transactions tracker at MLB.com. Like Yamamoto, he’ll have to stick in the organization by virtue of never having previously been outrighted and not having reached three years of MLB service. The 31-year-old reliever has pitched 54 2/3 innings over 59 MLB appearances with the Giants and Angels the past three seasons. He owns a 4.77 ERA and hasn’t posted particularly strong peripherals, but Selman has handled left-handed batters well throughout his big league tenure. The A’s already have Adam Kolarek, Sam Moll, A.J. Puk and Kirby Snead as lefty bullpen options on the 40-man roster, but Selman will try to pitch his way back into that mix during his time with the Aviators.

Athletics Claim Gabe Klobosits, Designate Luis Barrera For Assignment

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The A’s announced Monday that they’ve claimed righty Gabe Klobosits off waivers from the Nationals and, in a corresponding move, designated outfielder Luis Barrera for assignment. Oakland’s 40-man roster remains at capacity.

Klobosits, a towering 6’8″ right-hander, made his big league debut with the Nationals last season and allowed seven earned runs on 13 hits and five walks with five strikeouts through 11 1/3 innings of relief. He averaged 94.8 mph on his heater during that time and induced chases on pitches outside the strike zone at a gaudy 35.6% clip, both of which surely hold some appeal to the A’s. The former 36th-round pick also posted a brilliant 1.64 ERA with a sizable 28.9% strikeout rate against a respectable 8.8% walk rate in a combined 38 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last year.

It’s an intriguing profile in the first place, and the fact that Klobosits still has a pair of minor league option year remaining makes it all the more appealing. The Athletics’ bullpen picture is pretty much wide open after the team let several veterans walk and did nothing to reinforce the group via free agency. Klobosits should have ample opportunity to make an impression on the A’s this year.

As for the also-26-year-old Barrera, he’s long rated as one of the better prospects in the Oakland system but has seen his stock dip in recent years. The left-handed-hitting, left-handed-throwing Barrera put the ball in play and drew plenty of walks in Triple-A last year, but he showed minimal power en route to a .276/.348/.393 batting line that checked in at 12% worse than league-average by measure of wRC+. Scouting reports on Barrera peg him as a capable defender at any of the three outfield spots with well above-average speed. He ranked 24th among A’s prospects at Baseball America and 32nd at FanGraphs.

Despite last year’s 10.1% walk rate in Triple-A, however, virtually every report on Barrera cites a need to be more selective at the plate. BA notes that he swung at 48% of the pitches he saw in 2021, which makes that walk rate both remarkable and, quite possibly, anomalous in nature. Still, Barrera has a solid track record up through Double-A, and even if his ceiling is ultimately that of a fourth outfielder, he’s a largely MLB-ready one. Viewed through that lens, it’s rather surprising to see the A’s jettison Barrera in this manner, but the organization must feel fairly confident in its outfield depth beyond him. The A’s will have a week to trade Barrera or try to pass him through outright waivers.

Lerner Family To “Explore” Possibility Of Selling Nationals

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In what could be a franchise-altering moment, Nationals owner Mark Lerner tells Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post that the team has enlisted New York-based investment bank Allen & Company to explore the possibility of selling the franchise or adding new investors/partners to the current ownership group. Lerner emphasized that the process is “exploratory” in nature and added that there’s no “set timetable or expectation of a specific outcome.”

The Lerner family purchased the Nationals, formerly the Expos, from Major League Baseball for a sum of $450MM back in 2006 after the former Montreal franchise was folded and moved to Washington, D.C. Forbes recently estimated that the franchise is worth $2 billion — a four percent increase from last year and the 12th-most of any MLB franchise. Sportico placed that same $2 billion estimate on the franchise’s value back in March 2021. Longtime control person Ted Lerner, who’s now 96 years of age, ceded control of the franchise to his son, Mark, back in 2018. At the time, as Svrluga points out, the younger Lerner was adamant that the family would never consider selling the team. Clearly, that mentality has shifted.

The Nationals’ open willingness to explore a sale of the club comes at a time when the on-field product has been largely torn down following last summer’s fire sale, which saw Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Daniel Hudson, Yan Gomes, Josh Harrison, Brad Hand and Jon Lester all traded for younger, more controllable players (and, in some cases, salary relief). Of that bunch, Turner was the only one who’d been controlled beyond the 2021 season. He’s now earning $21MM with the Dodgers. The rest of that group signed elsewhere in free agency (or, in Lester’s case, retired).

The Nats did reinvest some of those resources into the 2022 team, but their overall payroll is nearly $40MM lower than its 2021 level. Most notably, Nelson Cruz joined the club on a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $15MM. Cesar Hernandez ($4MM), Anibal Sanchez ($2MM), Steve Cishek ($1.75MM), Ehire Adrianza ($1.5MM), Sean Doolittle ($1.5MM) and Alcides Escobar ($1MM) all signed in the offseason as well, as did non-roster veterans Dee Strange-Gordon and Maikel Franco, who both made the club. None of those players are signed beyond 2022, though Cruz’s deal contains a mutual option for the 2023 season. That’s largely an accounting measure, as mutual options are very rarely exercised by both parties.

When looking at the potential sale of the franchise, there are various complicated factors to consider — even beyond the standard complexities associated with any multi-billion dollar sale of a team. Firstly, the Nationals have been mired in ongoing litigation with the Orioles regarding their television rights fees for the better part of a decade. The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) broadcasts Nationals games but is owned and operated by the Angelos family — who also own the Baltimore Orioles. At stake are hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

The team’s long-term payroll outlook, of course, also impacts the sale price. That’s one reason that last summer’s broad-reaching sell-off was of some note, but it also shines a particular light on the Nationals’ thus-far unsuccessful efforts to extend superstar Juan Soto, who reportedly rejected a 13-year, $350MM extension this winter.

Of more concern to potential buyers than money that perhaps ought to be earmarked for extending a franchise cornerstone is the money that’s still owed to a host of players who no longer even play for the Nationals. The Lerner family has habitually included deferred money in deals for their free-agent signings as a means of tamping down present-day value. That overwhelming slate of deferrals, however, is beginning to mount.

For instance, the Nationals owe Max Scherzer $15MM in deferred salary each season from 2022-28 — even though he’s now pitching for the division-rival Mets. They’re paying Stephen Strasburg a third $10MM installment in deferred salary from his prior contract this year, before even considering the salary he’ll earn under the new $245MM deal he signed on the heels of his World Series heroics. That new deal for Strasburg calls for him to receive three equal payments of $26,666,667 each July from 2027-29 — the contract itself ends in 2026 — plus a final installment of $3,999,974 on Dec. 31, 2029 (hat tip to Cot’s Contracts for the specific figures).

Those are far from the only deferrals to consider. Patrick Corbin’s $140MM contract contains $10MM in deferrals to be paid out from 2024 through 2026. The Nationals will pay Brad Hand a combined $6.5MM from 2022-24 as part of the one-year, $10.5MM deal he signed to pitch the 2021 season. They are, somewhat incredibly, still even on the hook for $2MM annually to Rafael Soriano through 2025. Soriano retired after the 2015 season.

The enormous slate of deferrals and messy television rights dispute notwithstanding, the Nationals’ franchise value has undeniably skyrocketed from the point at which the Lerner family purchased the team. And given the relative rarity with which Major League franchises are put up for sale, there ought to be considerable interest, whether from an entirely new ownership group or from some wealthy investors looking to get a foot in the door as minority stakeholders with an eye toward growing that share over the years.

Read The Transcript Of Today’s Fantasy Baseball Chat With Brad Johnson

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Brad Johnson has been writing about fantasy baseball for more than a decade and has considerable experience in Roto, H2H, dynasty, DFS, and experimental formats.  As an expert in the field, Brad participates in the Tout Wars Draft and Hold format and was crowned the league’s winner in 2020. Brad’s writing experience includes RotoGraphs, NBC SportsEDGE, and right here at MLB Trade Rumors. He’s also presented at the First Pitch Arizona fantasy baseball conference.

We’ll be hosting fantasy baseball-focused chats with Brad every other Monday at noon CT between now and September, so mark your calendars for those and feel free to drop him some questions on Twitter @BaseballATeam as well.

Click here to read the transcript of today’s chat with Brad!

Orioles Select Spenser Watkins

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The Orioles have selected the contract of right-hander Spenser Watkins, manager Brandon Hyde announced to reporters Monday (Twitter link via Nathan Ruiz of the Baltimore Sun). Baltimore also recalled right-hander Alexander Wells from Triple-A Norfolk and placed righty Dean Kremer on the 10-day injured list due to an oblique strain. Outfielder DJ Stewart was optioned to Norfolk last night, so Watkins and Wells will fill the vacancies created by that move and by Kremer’s placement on the IL. Baltimore’s 40-man roster had previously been at 39 players, but it’s now full following Watkins’ selection.

This will be the second straight season that the 29-year-old Watkins has logged big league time in Baltimore. The longtime Tigers farmhand made his big league debut in Baltimore last year after signing a minor league deal in the 2020-21 offseason. Watkins had solid numbers in eight Triple-A games (six starts), pitching to a 3.53 ERA with a 20.4% strikeout rate and a 7.5% walk rate in that time.

The big leagues were another story, however. Opponents jumped on him for 49 runs in just 54 2/3 innings — an 8.07 ERA. Watkins started off his big league career with just three runs through his first 16 1/3 innings, and he closed out the 2021 season with a more solid stretch of three runs allowed in his final 7 2/3 frames. The middle stretch of games proved brutal, however, as he served up 43 runs in 31 innings over seven starts and one relief appearance. Watkins has a 3.86 ERA in 625 1/3 innings at the minor league level, and he’ll now aim to carry some of that success over in his second go-around in the Majors.

As for the 25-year-old Wells, he signed with the O’s as an international free agent out of Australia back in 2015. He, too, made his MLB debut in Baltimore last season and experienced a rough set of results, serving up 32 runs in 42 2/3 innings (6.75 ERA). As with Watkins, Wells has considerably better numbers in the minors, where he’s pitched to a 2.87 ERA in 529 2/3 innings. That includes a 3.29 ERA in 54 2/3 Triple-A frames last year. Wells has punched out just 19.6% of his minor league opponents in his career, but he also boasts an outstanding 3.9% walk rate.

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