Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Yankees to hold press conference:
Yankees GM Brian Cashman is set to hold a press conference later today, as noted by Joel Sherman of The New York Post. The conference is surely going to focus on outfielder Cody Bellinger‘s return to the organization after he re-upped with the team on a five-year deal last week. That deal became official on Monday, which opens the door for Cashman to speak more candidly about not only that deal, but the team’s roster and direction as a whole. Today’s press conference could offer insight into how the team plans to juggle playing time between the primary starters in the outfield (Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Aaron Judge) and the up-and-coming youngsters on the roster like Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez. It’s also possible Cashman could indicate whether the team is done adding, or if there could be an addition or two yet to come prior to Spring Training.
2. DFA Resolution today:
The Mets designated infielder Tsung-Che Cheng for assignment one week ago today in a move that made room for right-hander Luis García on the 40-man roster. Since then, Cheng has remained in DFA limbo without certainty about where he’ll be playing next. That uncertainty figures to end today, as Cheng will either officially pass through waivers (allowing the Mets to outright him to the minors as non-roster depth) or be claimed by another a team and added to their 40-man roster. Cheng made his big league debut in Pittsburgh last year and made it into just three games. The Taiwan native is a career .218/.319/.280 hitter at Triple-A but is still just 24 years old and a quality defender all around the infield. He also has options remaining, which could make him an attractive depth piece for clubs short on infield help. Of course, his lack of hitting chops might make some teams shy away from committing a 40-man spot to him, even with his other attractive qualities.
3. Who’s left on the outfield market?
In recent days, we’ve seen not only Bellinger but also center fielder Harrison Bader come off the board in free agency. Those two were the best options in center remaining on the open market, and the pickings are fairly slim at this point even among corner bats. Veterans like Mike Tauchman, Tommy Pham, Starling Marte, and Randal Grichuk aren’t exactly the most exciting players at this point in their careers, but they can offer stability and consistency when healthy. Meanwhile, Miguel Andujar and Austin Hays are among the top players available still in their primes. The free agent market also features a few possible bounce back candidates, such as Michael Conforto and Jesse Winker. Teams that could still use some level of help in the outfield include the Guardians, Royals, Mets, Astros, and Phillies.
Trade Dominguez or Jones.
A please would be nice.
Nah doubt it, but thanks anyway.
Why trade them Judi to trade them? Are we tally going to get an impact player back in re t urn? if no them keep them. there’s no expiration date for either. Injuries and 2026 can offer plenty of opportunities.
just
Shirley you didn’t want to call him Judi.
He did, and don’t call him Shirley!
There are kind of expiration dates. It’s not yet for either as they still can be optioned to the minors. But for two and three years respectively while you just signed Bellinger to a five year deal and Judge is eternal. None of those guys is truly viable in CF.
Dominguez isn’t going to be a star, but he’d be a valuable regular on a low budget team right now and could probably land you some pitching that would help this season and beyond.
@kamkid
Not sure how you come to that conclusion after 1 season.
It’s not so much a conclusion as it is looking at likelihoods. I don’t think he was expected to be a star. Prospect grades suggest an average regular or slightly better. The Yankees making a 5 year commitment to Bellinger at a huge price for the player suggests they felt it was a real need while they are weaker at other positions on the diamond. Star is not the outcome they seem to be projecting based on their moves. He probably hasn’t reached his ceiling yet at his age, but it’s probably coming down now that he has enough MLB experience that he’s on pace to be arb eligible next year.
I look at the prospect grades too and wonder if there wasn’t a rounding up thing going on. A 60/60 raw power suggests he doesn’t project for much more than current and it was a good but not spectacular 112.1 max last year and only around 111 in the minors as a prospect. So it’s good but not light tower raw power. It’s the 60 future game power that I might start questioning. He hits the ball relatively hard and that’s great, but he has a really low pulled fly rate. He’s no Bellinger. And the plate discipline numbers don’t really paint the picture of a guy who is being selective and finding his pitches to lift to the pull side. There’s certainly room to get better. Especially on the defensive side of things. But he’s not a good OF at all right now and his sprint speed is more good than elite, so CF seems like very wishful thinking. Still, his floor is high enough now to be developing at the major league level while providing average or better offensive performances. Are the Yankees in a good position to accommodate that? I don’t know. If he’s not going to play regularly, is he better to be on the bench or in the minors? If the latter, are you keeping him just because you might use him in ‘28 if Bellinger opts out or Judge moves more full time to DH?
I don’t think the baseball world has to come to a conclusion about Dominguez right now, but the Yankees’ current situation makes it the right time to be realistic about their projections and valuations of him and should be willing to leverage him into something that helps right now.
They need to trade high on the Martian. I know he’s really young and people will say that he needs consistent playing time but the fact is that if he is as good as everyone thought he was going to be then he would have won a spot hands down by now.
How can you trade high on a guy who’s not very good?
If this is all you think he’s going to be, the trade value goes down as his service time and salary go up. So it would be selling high.
@Prayne
My God ppl are frustrating. He had TJ surgery in 2023, returned for 2024 to play 55 game at AAA where he preformed well with a .850+ OPS. The Yanks had an OF of Judge, Soto and Verdugo. They lost Soto to the Meys and let Verdugo walk. They brought back Grisham who they obtained in the Soto trade to be their 4th OF. Grisham had a great ST posting a +1.038 OPS compared to Dominguez who had a good but not great 3 homers and .744 OPS. The season started with Dominguez, Belli and Judge as the starters and Grisham as the 4th OF. In March/April JD started off slow with a .687 OPS and followed up with a .854 OPS in May. Grisham started off with a late inning sub and posted 8 homers and a +1.080 OPS in March/April, shocked everyone in the organization and earned the right to be the starting CF, especially with Dominguez have a bad start in the field. Boone had to go with the hot hand considering the injuries to Stanton and Cole and the slow start theteam got off to. No one expected Grisham to hit 34 homers. He was a gold glove CF and that’s why they traded for him in the Soto deal. But I wouldn’t say Dominguez failed, he just wasn’t the best option at the time.
It’s way too early to give up on Dominguez. He’s only going to be 23 years old this season.
Him not being able to handle CF is going to kill his chances as a yankee
@Mr
Belli can handle CF or Dominguez can slide to DH if his power comes around. Either way, there’s no need to make a move just to make a move.
How do you know he can’t handle CF? You get that from his struggles in LF? Seems to be different positions, different ball flights. Also a position he pretty much never played before getting to majors. I’d like to see him play 80 games in center first.
Mets would like the martian
No problem just trade us Nolan McLean, and he’s the property of the NY Mutts. 😂
Al just stick with your bread and butter. (Basketball) 😭
I still don’t understand why the White Sox, who desperately need another outfielder, didn’t retain Tauchman. Makes no sense.
They can still bring him back cheaper than his arbitration number.
Also, he’s going to be 36, was a terrible defender last year, injured a lot, and struggled the second half.
As a guy who would just be a placeholder until Braden Montgomery comes up, I guess he would be fine.
It may be possible but it looks like his arbitration number was going to be in the low $3M range. Outfielders who put up similar numbers last year have been signed for about that much or more:
Jake Fraley ($3M)
Lane Thomas ($5M)
Maybe those guys are younger and assumed to be healthier and a better bet?
Similar guys are expected to sign that much or more like Austin Hays ($5M projected), Jesse Winker ($5M), Conforto ($6M). The market has just been higher than expected this year and I wonder if CWS is regretting their decision.
I can understand the injury stuff. Seemed like he had a pretty average year that would be worth having as another choice in the outfield. I know Pirates fans have been low-key in on them getting Tauchman as an option.
Tauchman is 35. He’s a serviceable but non special player. He won’t bring much back at the trade deadline, even if he plays well.
By the time the White Sox are in a competitive window again, he’ll likely be retired. Better off to let whatever kids they have play, or pick up a low risk high reward flyer or two at the end of the offseason and see if they can pop during the season and get traded at the deadline for more than the minimal return that Mike would have brought back.
Any team with a DH opening should be all over Andujar. He hit .759 OPS vs righties and. 986 vs lefties last year. he can hit vs both sides.
The biggest shocker is the guy is still only 30. Feels like just yesterday Yankees fans were shipping him and Clint Frazier in every trade for an ace.
Somewhere in an alternate universe, those two along with Greg Bird, are hitting their way to multiple World Series Championships and are HOF bound.
I want the Pirates to consider him as 3B if they miss out on Suarez. I think he can fill in until Griffin is ready to come up to play short so Triolo moves to 3B fulltime.
He hasn’t put up a season like last year since his rookie season seven years ago.
He didn’t put up truly impressive numbers until after the trade to Cincy. Given that parks hitter friendly nature, it’s hard to say how good he’ll be this season with a different team.
He should go to Boston or Houston with the short left fields
I agree it’s a risk. Unfortunately, I don’t know a better 3B option if we lose out on Suarez. If we are somehow able to convince the Mets to give us Baty for something we can afford then I’d say that’d be a better option than Andujar at third.
But I think Andujar is just as much a risk than if we were to gamble on Josh Jung or Isaac Paredes or Coby Mayo coming to Pittsburgh and being a contributor. Not to mention that those three options all come with us giving up more than just money.
Typically a hitter friendly park but last year, the reds O was def not potent so dont think park played up
@Knicks- you and that man crush with Andy! Smh, not that theirs anything wrong with that, let me let you continue. Sorry.
Waiting for Cashman’s strategy like a cub reporter thinking this could be his breakout moment. The operative word is “eager”
call the twins. offer a bullpen arm with experience and a pulse and you can have Trevor larnach
Reds also need outfield help, but more a full time left field slugger type than these guys mentioned.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hays and/or Andujar back on the cheap.
I agree they’d benefit from bringing him back but I understand why they didnt. I loved tauchman in NY – but he’s 35 now, and an ideal 4th OF. The Sox are bad and likely looking to play younger guys, even if they don’t seem to know who exactly that is?
Problem is most teams have LH Ofs….. so a 4th may not be necessary
You need to find a team w at least 2 primary RH OFs.
Then the touche man makes a lot of sense.
Or even in a platoon w a RH masher w work too. Not sure why a non playoff team hasn’t scooped him up.
If hes healthy at deadline, he will be easily moved for something w that OBP
What do Cardinals want from Astros for Lars Nootbar?
How about that starting second baseman that’s been there in like forever.. can’t recall his name but that might do it.(s)
What starting second basemen that’s been there forever? Altuve?
No.
Yeah, that’s his name!!
2024 @ age 21 @ AAA He returns back from TJ surgery and in 58 games has a slash of .314/.376/.506 w/ 11 hrs, 16/17 SB and 9% walk rate.
2025 @ age 22 in mlb he posts a solid rookie season with a slash of .251/.331/.338 with 10 homers, 23 SB and a 10% walk rate. His season is highlighted by a 3 homer/7 rbi game vs the A’s. He absolutely needs to improve his defense, increase his power and improve as a RHH vs LHP. But still, he had a solid season with a .251/331 bat/obp comparable to Steve Kwan, Bellinger, Chapman, Duran, Betts, Julio Rodriguez, Jazz, etc. Is it ridiculous to imagine that in another year or two he might not increase his power to the 25+ level based to his build and projections. But if any team wants to promote their own and give their prospects a chance then you have to exercise a certain amount of patience for growing pains. Obviously, some teams are going to have shorter leashes than others. But with regards to Dominguez the Yanks OF out-produced every other team by a margin of +7 WAR. So the Yanks can afford to bring along Dominguez and likely Jones at a tolerable pace. The Astros aren’t being told to give up on Cam Smith. The Nationals aren’t giving up on Dylan Crews. The Royals aren’t selling low on Jac Caglianone. Yanks used their money to bring back Grisham to buy them another year to evaluate him, as well as JD and SJ. That’s not by mistake that they offered Grisham the QO. It was smart. So let’s keep a cool booty and hang on to these guys and ONLY trade them for impactful players if they’re key parts and not throw ins.