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Giants Sign Wilmer Flores To Extension

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The Giants are keeping around one of their impending free agents, announcing agreement with infielder Wilmer Flores on a multi-year deal. The contract reportedly pays Flores $6.5MM in each of the next two seasons and contains a player/club option for 2025. That season, Flores will first have to decide on a $3.5MM player option; if he declines, the team can keep him in the fold by triggering an $8.5MM club option. Between his salaries over the next two seasons and the value of the player option, Flores is technically guaranteed $16.5MM over three years.

Flores, 31, played six seasons with the Mets and one with the Diamondbacks to begin his career. Prior to the 2020 season, he signed with the Giants on a two-year deal with a $6.25MM guarantee. That came in the form of a $3MM salary in 2020 and 2021, with a $250K buyout $3.5MM club option for 2022.

Although he’s never been an All-Star, Flores has been steadily above-average at the plate for years and that’s been true of his time in San Fran as well. In 2020, he hit 12 home runs in the shortened season and produced a batting line of .268/.315/.515. That production was 19% above league average, as evidenced by his 119 wRC+. He followed that up with 18 homers in 2021 and a line of .262/.335/.447, 112 wRC+. The Giants made the easy call of exercising their option for 2022 and were rewarded with another solid Flores season. He’s added another 18 homers already this year, with an overall slash line of .235/.319/.414, wRC+ of 107. This is the seventh consecutive season in which Flores has registered a wRC+ between 102 and 119. Instead of returning to the open market, he will stick in San Francisco for another couple seasons.

He has produced that consistently solid work at the plate while also giving the Giants defensive versatility, something they clearly value highly in players. In all three of his seasons with the Giants, he has bounced between first base, second base and third base as needed. That’s been especially important for a club that features some older or injury-prone regulars like Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt and Tommy La Stella. Going forward, La Stella has one more year on his contract but he hasn’t played much defense this year, taking the field for just 66 innings so far. It’s also possible Longoria and Belt won’t be around next year. Belt is heading to free agency after this year and faces an uncertain road ahead, having just undergone surgery on his oft-injured knee. Longoria could be retained for next year via a $13MM club option with a $5MM buyout, though he told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he has at least given some thought to retirement.

Given the uncertainty surrounding those infielders, it makes sense to lock up a reliable and versatile contributor like Flores. He can now be penciled into an infield mix that includes La Stella, rookie David Villar, Thairo Estrada, Brandon Crawford, J.D. Davis, with LaMonte Wade Jr. perhaps playing some first base or returning to strictly outfield work. Crawford and La Stella are both slated to become free agents after 2023, which will further thin out this group for the second year of Flores’ deal.

The Giants ran an Opening Day payroll of $155MM here in 2022, according to Cot’s Contracts. Flores’ deal pushes the team’s 2023 payroll commitments to around $95MM, in the estimation of Jason Martinez of Roster Resource. That doesn’t include arbitration raises for players like Mike Yastrzemski or Logan Webb, but it does include Carlos Rodón’s $22.5MM. As long as Rodón finishes the season healthy, he will exercise the opt out on his deal and return to free agency in search of a larger payday.

It’s been a disappointing season for the Giants, as they followed up their 107-win campaign in 2021 with a 67-73 record so far in 2022. It figures to be a very interesting offseason, as the club will head into the winter with many holes that need to be filled but lots of payroll space available for addressing them. Anthony DeSclafani is the only player under contract for 2024 and the slate is completely clean beyond that, giving the Giants the ability to make a sizable commitment, or commitments, before Spring Training. But for now, they’ve retained one of their most stable and dependable guys to bolster their infield mix, giving them one less thing to worry about over the winter.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported the Giants and Flores were in agreement on a two-year deal with an option for 2025. Daniel Álvarez-Montes of ElExtrabase was first to report the matching $6.5MM salaries over the next two seasons.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Anthony Rendon Hoping To Return This Season

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Anthony Rendon underwent right wrist surgery in June, the continuation of a series of injuries that have plagued his past two seasons. The Angels announced he’d need four-to-six months to recover and proclaimed the surgery season-ending, but Rendon is holding out hope of a late-season return.

“That’s always been the thing, to come back,” Rendon told reporters this afternoon (via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register). “That’s what I was pushing for the whole time. I’m going to push myself, push myself. I’m going to have them push me, push me. And if it works, we’re going to listen to my body. If it doesn’t feel good, we’ll pull it back. We’re just going to push as much as my body will take.”

To that end, Rendon took on-field batting practice for the first time since his surgery today. Fletcher adds that he’s been able to participate in defensive drills as well, perhaps enabling him to get back on the diamond before the season is out. There are a bit more than three weeks remaining on the schedule, with the season wrapping up on October 5.

The Halos are just playing out the stretch, of course, so there’s no reason to force Rendon onto the field before he’s ready. If he’s up to playing for even a week or two, however, it could have some benefits for the club as they turn their attention to 2023. Rendon indicated he’d feel better about his offseason preparation if he were able to make it back this year and log some game action heading into the winter.

Getting reinstated from the injured list this season would also expedite his return to the field in 2023. Not long after Rendon was injured, the Angels and Mariners engaged in a massive bench-clearing brawl. MLB handed the third baseman a five-game suspension for his actions during the melee. His suspension can’t be served until he’s reinstated from the IL. If he doesn’t make it back this season, Rendon would have to serve that ban to kick off next year.

Rendon appeared in 45 games before the surgery, hitting .228/.324/.383 with five home runs. After a massive showing during the shortened 2020 campaign, he’s had two seasons with roughly average production with IL stints for groin, knee, hamstring, hip and wrist issues interspersed throughout. He’s under contract for another four seasons beyond this year.

Marlins Planning To Retain GM Kim Ng

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The Marlins are planning to bring back general manager Kim Ng, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. He adds that Ng and owner Bruce Sherman met last week as the organization charts out a plan for the upcoming offseason.

It’s not particularly surprising, as there’s never been any indication Sherman was seriously considering replacing Ng. First hired over the 2020-21 offseason, Ng has been at the helm of the front office for the past two years. Much of that time was spent working alongside CEO Derek Jeter and vice president of scouting/player development Gary Denbo, but both have moved on from the franchise in recent months. Jeter stepped down in February, while Denbo was let go at the end of June. Sherman, for his part, indicated he’ll remain in his role for the long haul. He tells Jackson he has “never considered” selling the team and is “more deeply invested in the team’s success now than ever.”

While Ng will hold onto her position at the top of the front office, Jackson reports that Miami is expected to make some changes both at the lower levels of the front office and on the major league coaching staff. Whether that extends to manager Don Mattingly remains to be seen, but the skipper is believed to be in the final year of his contract. Both Mattingly and the Marlins picked up a 2022 mutual option on his deal last July, but there’s no indication the sides have extended their relationship beyond this year.

Hired in November 2015, Mattingly has spent the past seven seasons running the show in South Florida. He’s the second-longest tenured skipper in the National League behind Milwaukee’s Craig Counsell and the fifth-longest tenured in the majors, but the Marlins carry a 431-576 record (.428 win percentage) over that stretch. The Fish were rebuilding early in his tenure, but they’d hoped to turn a corner after earning a playoff berth during the abbreviated 2020 campaign.

Competing over a full schedule in 2021 may have been too optimistic for such a young roster, but a 67-95 showing had to be a disappointment. Even more deflating, Miami is trending towards a similar result this year. That’s in spite of a relatively aggressive offseason (at least by the franchise’s standards), in which the Fish brought in Avisaíl García and Jorge Soler on multi-year free agent deals and acquired Joey Wendle and Jacob Stallings via trade. All four of those players have underwhelmed to varying degrees, and the Marlins have again trotted out one of the sport’s most punchless offenses. Miami entered play Monday ranked 27th in on-base percentage (.294) and 28th in slugging (.363).

Speaking with Jackson, Sherman acknowledged the team’s performance this year “has been immensely frustrating.” He indicated the club believed they’d be capable of contending for a playoff spot entering the season and admitted “we were not as good as we thought we’d be.” Sherman indicated they’d take another shot at competing in 2023 and weren’t planning to orchestrate another rebuild.

That aligns with recent reports that the club intends to again look for offensive help, perhaps by dangling some of its controllable pitching in trade. Asked by Jackson whether the lackluster early returns on the Soler and García contracts would deter the team from dipping into free agency, Sherman said “no” and indicated they’d “continue to explore all options” to talent acquisition. At the same time, he largely demurred when asked about the payroll, noting only that he “(expects) to continue to invest once again in our Major League payroll in 2023.”

Spending is an ever-present question for the Marlins, who haven’t exceeded $80MM in Opening Day payroll in any of the past four seasons (according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts). This year’s roughly $79.6MM mark ranks 26th leaguewide. Miami has roughly $45MM in guaranteed commitments on the books for next season, in the estimation of Jason Martinez of Roster Resource. That doesn’t include potential arbitration raises for players like Wendle, Brian Anderson, Pablo López, Garrett Cooper, Stallings and Jon Berti, though. Some members of that group are likely to be traded or non-tendered, but the available payroll space could dry up relatively quickly if Miami’s not willing to push much past this year’s spending level. That’d leave a challenging task for Ng and her front office to construct a roster capable of contending for the organization’s first playoff spot in a 162-game season since 2003.

Astros GM James Click’s Contract Expires After 2022 Season

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8:28pm: Crane doesn’t sound as if he’s leaning towards a leadership change, telling Mark Berman of Fox 26 he’s “aware both contracts are up and we’ll address them at the end of the season. We don’t want any distractions right now” (Twitter link).

6:50pm: The exact terms of James Click’s deal with the Astros weren’t publicized when he was hired in February 2020, but Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports that Click’s contract only runs through the conclusion of the 2022 season.  It isn’t known if any extension talks have yet taken place or will place, but Rome writes that “within the organization, speculation about [Click’s] future has been a growing topic since the end of spring.”

After spending 14 years in the Rays front office, Click took over the Houston job in rather abrupt circumstances, hired less than a month after former GM Jeff Luhnow was fired in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal.  That organizational shake-up also cost A.J. Hinch his job as manager, leading to Dusty Baker’s hiring shortly before Click was brought on as the new head of baseball operations.

Given all of the tumult and controversy surrounding the Astros in the last few years, there hasn’t been much carryover to the on-field product.  Houston finished 29-31 in the shortened 2020 season but still reached the playoffs, and advanced all the way to the ALCS.  In 2021, Houston won 95 games, recaptured the AL West title, and advanced to the World Series before falling to the Braves in six games.

With a 90-50 record thus far this season, the Astros have the best record in the American League, and are again top contenders to win another championship.  In a recent podcast appearance, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal implied that some postseason success could be a necessity for Click, as “there could be some [front office] maneuvering if the Astros sputter in the playoffs.”

Even if Houston did get upset in their first postseason round, it would still seem like Click has earned a bit more leeway given the team’s record over his two-plus seasons.  However, as Rome notes, the Astros also took something of a wait-and-see approach with Baker — the manager initially signed a one-year deal with a club option that was only exercised after the 2020 season was complete, and Baker’s next contract was another one-year deal that is also up after the 2022 campaign.

It could be that Astros owner Jim Crane is again waiting until the season is completely over to work out extensions with Baker and Click, with the focus being solely on baseball for the present.  Of course, that strategy also carries risk, as any teams with front office or managerial vacancies could then emerge as other suitors for Click or Baker’s services.

If Crane was indeed considering a change, it would immediately make Houston one of the most sought-after employment destinations in baseball for any general manager.  The Astros are set up to be contenders for some time to come thanks to their fantastic core of both established and young talent — and that could also factor into Crane’s logic in perhaps wanting to move on.  Much of the Astros’ roster was already in the organization before Click was hired, so it is possible Crane could see him as something of a steward of Luhnow’s work.  Given the rather rushed circumstances behind Click and Baker’s hirings, Crane might prefer to take more time in a longer search to find the leader (or leaders) of the next chapter of the Astros’ future.

Giants Make Five Roster Moves

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The Giants have made a series of roster moves prior to tonight’s game against the Braves.  The contracts of outfielder Willie Calhoun and right-hander Cole Waites were selected from Triple-A, and roster space was created by the placement of Tommy La Stella on the 10-day injured list, outfielder Austin Dean being optioned to Triple-A, and catcher Patrick Mazeika being designated for assignment.

La Stella is dealing with neck spasms, and given the calendar, it is possible La Stella might be shut down for the remainder of the 2022 season if he isn’t making progress by the time his 10-day minimum is up.  The IL has become an unfortunately familiar landing spot for La Stella over his two years in San Francisco, as he played in only 76 games in 2021 and 60 games this season due to a long list of health issues.  The infielder didn’t make his 2022 debut until mid-May due to recovery from offseason Achilles surgery.

All of these injuries have limited La Stella’s production, as he has hit only .239/.282/.350 over 195 plate appearances this year.  He has also mostly been limited to DH duty, which is a hit for a player valued for his ability to play third, second, and first base.  If this is indeed it for La Stella in 2022, the Giants can only hope that a full winter of rest can get him back to his usual defensive role(s) in what will be the final year of his contract.  La Stella signed a three-year, $18.75MM free agent deal in February 2021 that to date hasn’t panned out for the Giants.

Calhoun was acquired in a trade with the Rangers in June, and the slugger will now make his first Major League appearance outside of a Texas uniform.  A 21-homer season in 2019 seemingly served as a breakout for Calhoun, but several injuries and a lack of big league playing time stalled his career.  Calhoun was vocal about his desire for a trade after the Rangers optioned him to Triple-A earlier this season, as he’ll now get a fresh start with a late-season audition with the Giants.

Thus far, the change of organization seems to have helped, as Calhoun has hit .299/.386/.465 with five homers in 166 PA with Triple-A Sacramento.  Carrying that production from the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League to the majors will be a challenge, though if Calhoun can show some of his old form down the stretch, he could put himself into San Francisco’s plans for 2023.  Calhoun still has two years of arbitration control remaining, and he doesn’t turn 28 until November.

Waites was an 18th-round selection for the Giants in the 2019 draft, and the righty is getting his first call to the majors.  Due to both knee surgery and the canceled 2020 minor league season, Waites doesn’t have a lot of pro experience, with only 71 1/3 total innings in the minors (40 2/3 of them this year).  However, he has a stunning 45.12% strikeout rate and 2.78 ERA over those 71 1/3 frames, though his 13.8% walk rate indicates shaky command.

Baseball America (21st) and MLB Pipeline (29th) each rank Waites among the top 30 prospects in the Giants’ farm system, citing his plus fastball that can touch 100mph, as well as a slider that can be a dominant pitch when Waites can control it.  Waites has pitched exclusively as a reliever over the last two seasons, and projects as an intriguing bullpen arm if he can limit the free passes.

Mazeika was claimed off waivers from the Mets on August 21, and he’ll now return to DFA limbo after eight games with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate and no appearances at the big league level.  A long-time member of the Mets farm system, Mazeika has played in 61 MLB games over the 2021-22 seasons and hit .190/.236/.279 over 159 PA.  With Joey Bart now back from the concussion-related IL, San Francisco has made some adjustments to its catching depth in recent days, including Mazeika’s DFA and Andrew Knapp’s outright assignment to Triple-A.

Phillies Reinstate Zach Eflin

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The Phillies announced they’ve activated righty Zach Eflin from the 60-day injured list. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, Philadelphia recalled right-hander Mark Appel from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and placed him on the MLB 60-day IL.

Eflin returns to the active roster for the first time since June 26. The 28-year-old has been bothered by a right knee contusion, the continuation of career-long issues with the joint. He’s undergone surgery on the knee in both 2016 and ’21, and while he didn’t need to go under the knife this time around, the club no doubt factored in his injury history in determining how quickly he could ramp back up. Eflin just began a minor league rehab assignment last Friday, tossing two innings and 27 pitches in Lehigh Valley. After one game, he’s ready to jump right back to the big leagues.

The rehab stint had to be expedited by the lack of time remaining on the regular season schedule. There’s a bit more than three weeks to play, and the 78-62 Phils are battling for their first postseason appearance in over a decade. Philadelphia is 1 1/2 games up on the Padres for the National League’s second Wild Card spot, with a three-game cushion between themselves and the only viable threat to bump them out of the playoff picture entirely, the Brewers.

There wasn’t sufficient time to build Eflin back to a traditional starter’s workload, so he’ll move into the bullpen for interim skipper Rob Thomson. Philadelphia’s relief corps has been middle-of-the-pack this season. That’s a marked improvement over the past couple years, but the Phils recently lost Corey Knebel for the season. Trade deadline acquisition David Robertson, Seranthony Domínguez (himself recently activated from the injured list) and Connor Brogdon have emerged as Thomson’s top right-handed options.

Working from the bullpen is unfamiliar territory for Eflin, who has started 115 of his 120 MLB appearances. He’s been a reliable mid-rotation arm for the majority of that time, posting an ERA between 3.97 and 4.37 in each of the past five years. Eflin has been one of the game’s most consistent strike-throwers, and while he hasn’t missed many bats, he’ll be one of the steadier rotation options available on this winter’s free agent market.

Appel’s season comes to an unfortunate early close. He’s battling inflammation in his throwing elbow, according to the club’s transactions log at MLB.com, and the 60-day minimum officially closes the books on his returning this year. Appel’s most recent appearance with Lehigh Valley came on September 3, and he landed on the minor league injured list not too long thereafter.

It’s a disappointing conclusion to the year, but 2022 has to go down as a resounding success for the former first overall pick. Appel never reached the big leagues with his original organization, the Astros, and he looked as if he’d never appear at the highest level after stepping away from the game following the 2017 campaign. Appel made a comeback effort last year, and he remained in the Philadelphia system this season. Appel earned his long-awaited first promotion in mid-June, and he finishes the season with 10 1/3 innings of two-run ball in the big leagues.

Philadelphia will pay Appel at the prorated $700K MLB minimum rate for the rest of the season to temporarily remove him from the 40-man roster. The 31-year-old is in his second of three minor league option years and can continue to bounce on and off the Phils active roster next season.

Marlins Designate Aneurys Zabala For Assignment

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Between games of today’s doubleheader against the Rangers, the Marlins designated reliever Aneurys Zabala for assignment, tweets Daniel Álvarez Montes of El Extrabase. The move clears space on the active roster for lefty Braxton Garrett, who has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list to take the ball in game two. Miami’s 40-man roster tally falls to 39.

It’s an incredibly quick turnaround for Zabala, whose contract was just selected this afternoon. He was in the bullpen for the first game of the twin bill but didn’t make an appearance in a 3-2 loss. He now loses the roster spot he occupied for a few hours, although he’ll at least collect a major league salary for today and any time he spends in DFA limbo.

Zabala has been selected and designated for assignment on three separate occasions this year. He’s made only two MLB appearances — the first of his career — tossing 2 2/3 scoreless frames while averaging over 99 MPH on his heater. The 25-year-old has had a tough season in Triple-A Jacksonville, walking more than a quarter of batters faced en route to a 9.47 ERA through 19 innings. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, he’d have the right to refuse an outright assignment in favor of minor league free agency, but he’s already foregone that possibility once this year.

Mets Designate Deven Marrero For Assignment

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The Mets announced a host of roster moves before tonight’s series opener with the Cubs. Luis Guillorme is back from the 10-day injured list, while Trevor May has returned from the COVID-19 list. In corresponding moves, the Mets placed reliever Bryce Montes de Oca on the 15-day IL with left hamstring tightness and designated infielder Deven Marrero for assignment.

Guillorme returns just under a month after straining his groin. The left-handed hitting utilityman has had a productive season, posting a .283/.355/.357 line across 289 plate appearances. He’s not much of a power threat, but Guillorme puts the ball in play and is capable of playing all around the infield. He’s rated particularly well as a second baseman in his career, but he’s also a viable backup for Francisco Lindor at shortstop and a candidate to take some third base playing time from Eduardo Escobar (although Escobar has been on a tear since being reinstated from his own IL stint a couple weeks back).

At the very least, Guillorme gives the Mets a high-quality utility infielder. His return left no room for Marrero, who was initially promoted when Guillorme first went down in mid-August. New York quickly outrighted Marrero off the roster but brought him back to the majors not long after. The 32-year-old has been on the roster for the past couple weeks but only gotten into five games, going hitless with three strikeouts in six at-bats.

It’s familiar territory for Marrero, who was also frequently shuttled on and off the Marlins roster last season. Despite only appearing in 15 MLB games over the last two years, he’s been designated for assignment a staggering eight times since June 2021. He’s cleared outright waivers each time. He’d have the right to refuse a minor league assignment in favor of free agency if he goes unclaimed again, but it seems likely he’d elect to return to Triple-A Syracuse. Marrero has a .217/.309/.325 line over 137 plate appearances there this year.

Montes de Oca was first promoted on September 3, when May landed on the injured list. He’s made three appearances, allowing four runs in 3 1/3 innings but striking out six. The big right-hander has averaged 95.4 MPH on his cutter and just under triple digits on his sinker, per Statcast, showcasing the impact stuff that allowed him to strike out more than 35% of opponents in 30 Triple-A innings this year. The 26-year-old also walked 15.4% of batters faced at that level, though, and the Mets eased him into the big leagues with low-leverage work.

Diamondbacks Designate Wilmer Difo For Assignment

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The Diamondbacks announced they’ve designated infielder Wilmer Difo for assignment before tonight’s matchup with the Dodgers. Outfielder Jordan Luplow was recalled to take the vacated active roster spot. The move drops Arizona’s 40-man roster count to 39.

Signed to a minor league deal over the offseason, the switch-hitting Difo spent most of the season at Triple-A Reno. He struggled to a .269/.311/.398 line through 306 plate appearances there, offense that’s well below average once accounting for Reno’s extreme hitter-friendly nature. Nevertheless, he earned a call-up at the start of this month based on his defensive ability. Difo is capable of covering anywhere on the infield, and he’s rated as a solid shortstop throughout his MLB career.

The 30-year-old’s stay on the big league club proved rather brief, as he loses his roster spot after appearing in only three games. Difo tallied six plate appearances, going hitless while striking out once. That did mark his eighth straight year with some big league work, and he now owns a .250/.311/.353 line in just over 1300 plate appearances between the Nationals, Pirates and D-Backs.

Arizona will place Difo on outright or release waivers within the next few days. If he goes unclaimed, he’d have the right to refuse an outright assignment and test minor league free agency both based on having three-plus years of MLB service and having previously been outrighted in his career.

Reds Select Raynel Espinal

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The Reds made some roster moves today, with Mark Sheldon of MLB.com relaying them on Twitter. Right-hander Justin Dunn, who was sick yesterday, has been placed on the injured list without a designation, implying he is on the COVID-related injured list. Right-hander Raynel Espinal has been called up from Triple-A to take his place on the roster. Additionally, outfielder Albert Almora Jr., who was designated for assignment last week, has been released.

Espinal, 30, has MLB experience, though his résumé is quite short. He made one appearance for the Red Sox last year, throwing two innings, his only appearance in the big leagues so far. As he was a COVID substitute player, he was removed from Boston’s roster without being exposed to waivers, reaching free agency at season’s end. He signed a minor league deal with the Giants but went to the Cubs in the Dixon Machado trade. Espinal was released a couple of weeks later, landing with the Reds on a minors deal.

Between the three organizations, he’s thrown 102 1/3 Triple-A innings on the year over 25 appearances, 21 starts. He has a 5.63 ERA in that time, though with a strong 27.2% strikeout rate. It’s possible that he might be designated a COVID substitute again, just like with Boston last year. If that is indeed the case, he would be able to be removed from the roster without being exposed to waivers.

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