Prospect Notes: International, Draft, Phillies
2016/05/prospect-notes-international-draft-phillies.htmlIf you're hankering for more prospect chatter, be sure to check out the recent MLBTR podcast featuring Ben Badler of Baseball America, which focused especially on some interesting international names to watch. … MLB.com has released its list of the top thirty international prospects, and it's headed by infielder Kevin Maitan -- a much-hyped Venezuelan youngster who is said to be set to sign with the Braves.
MLBTR Originals
2016/05/mlbtr-originals-131.htmlContinuing a Chuck-centric week, the former member of the Cubs' front office joined host Jeff Todd on the MLBTR Podcast. … The native of California is one of the highest-rated high school players entering June's amateur draft, with ESPN prospect aficionado Keith Law saying he has “the most advanced pure bat in the class, college or high school." Rutherford, who will attend UCLA if he goes to college, touches on what makes him a special player and which future Hall of Famer he patterns his game after, among other interesting subjects.
AL Central Notes: Kepler, Latos, Dyson, Soria, McCann
2016/04/latos-hot-start-jarrod-dyson-return-dl-soria-struggles.html(By the way, if you're interested in the topic, check out this MLBTR podcast episode from last fall, when I…… The Royals activated Jarrod Dyson from the DL yesterday after he missed the first several weeks of the season with a strained oblique.
Offseason In Review: Arizona Diamondbacks
2016/03/offseason-in-review-arizona-diamondbacks-9.htmlMLBTR's Jeff Todd and I discussed the deal this offseason on our podcast, with Jeff viewing the deal as a solid value and a sensible move given the organization's other acquisitions. … (If nothing else, his velocity and dominance over right-handers suggests that he could be converted to a successful reliever if he continues posting upper-4.00 ERAs.) Ray, acquired in the three-team deal that sent Didi Gregorius to the Yankees, somewhat quietly delivered a strong season, posting a 3.52 ERA and solid peripheral stats in 127 1/3 innings.
Phillies Seeking Corner Outfielder In Wake Of Altherr Injury
2016/03/phillies-right-fielder-trade-rumor.htmlThe Phillies are "definitely" looking for some help in right field after learning that projected starter Aaron Altherr will be out for four to six months due to a left wrist injury that required surgery, ESPN's Jayson Stark reported on Buster Olney's daily podcast (audio link, with Phillies talk starting up around the 9:00 mark). … Stark follows up with a series of tweets, explaining that the Phillies are most open to adding a one-year rental -- possibly one that can be acquired primarily by taking on salary -- that can perhaps be flipped this coming July (links to Stark on Twitter).
NL East Notes: Freeman, Strasburg, Harper, Turner, Mejia
2016/03/freddie-freeman-wrist-coppolella-rizzo-strasburg-harper-trea-turner-mejia-ped.htmlRizzo also talked more Nationals matters on the podcast of ESPN.com's Buster Olney. … While "health is obviously a big factor with him," said Rizzo, it seems clear that the Nats at least have interest in seeing what an extension (or, potentially, a free agent deal) would look like.
AL Central Notes: Park, Smith, Indians, Brantley, Tigers
2016/02/twins-interested-will-smith-brewers-trade.htmlThe Twins continue to poke around the trade market for left-handed relief help and like Brewers left-hander Will Smith quite a bit, reports 1500 ESPN's Darren Wolfson in his latest podcast (audio link, with Twins talk firing up around the 37:45 mark). … "It’s a different style," said Radcliff of Korean baseball.
Quick Hits: Granderson, Molina, Braun, Capps
2016/02/quick-hits-granderson-molina-braun-capps.htmlFor an additional look back at the market action that's already in the books, Steve Adams and I discussed a few under-the-radar acquisitions that we liked in the most recent edition of the MLBTR Podcast. … Dave Cameron of Fangraphs provides his ten favorite transactions of the winter thus far, with the Braves' haul in the Shelby Miller trade topping the list.
Central Notes: Singer, Stowe, Twins, Cardinals, Latos
2016/02/central-notes-singer-stowe-twins-cardinals-latos.htmlTwins general manager Terry Ryan recently joined 1500 ESPN's Darren Wolfson on his weekly podcast and discussed the upcoming season (audio link, with Ryan joining the show around the 13:50 mark). … "I was terribly disappointed in the year [Arcia] had, and he knows it," said Ryan.
Orioles Have Interest In Fowler, Bruce, Alvarez
2016/02/orioles-interested-dexter-fowler.htmlThe fit between the two sides has been addressed in multiple editions of the MLBTR Podcast and once again this week in the MLBTR Mailbag, when I opined that Fowler represents an even more substantial upgrade to the Orioles' internal options than does Gallardo. … Encina of the Baltimore Sun, but it appears that the overall consensus among Baltimore decision-makers is that a run at Fowler is contingent on first agreeing to terms with Gallardo.
Blue Jays To Explore Extensions With Bautista, Encarnacion
2016/02/blue-jays-to-explore-extensions-with-bautista-encarnacion.htmlOf course, as Ken Rosenthal discussed with Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca on a recent podcast, it is hard to see the veteran taking a truly significant discount with free agency beckoning. … The Blue Jays will attempt to hammer out new contracts with pending free agents Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports.
AL Central Notes: Twins, Davis, Fowler, Sox, Moustakas
2016/02/white-sox-interested-dexter-fowler.htmlThe Sox do seem like a good fit for Fowler, as Jeff Todd and I recently discussed on the MLBTR Podcast. … "We're just trying to figure out what the best fit is for everything.
Mets Re-Sign Yoenis Cespedes
2016/01/mets-moving-towards-deal-with-yoenis-cespedes.htmlThe structure ultimately falls into what we've discussed here quite a bit in recent weeks (both in the MLBTR Newsletter and on the MLBTR Podcast), as a supercharged short-term deal that includes a significant guarantee but cabins the team's risk and leaves plenty of earning potential for the player. … The team's payroll will approach the $140MM mark with Cespedes in tow, but the somewhat surprising World Series run last year and an impressive crop of young pitchers certainly justified such an advance.
Mets, Cespedes Discussing Three-Year Deal With Opt-Out Clause
2016/01/yoenis-cespedes-mets-opt-out.htmlA three-year deal with an opt-out after 2016 would, in some ways, be a modernized form of the traditional one-year "pillow contract" -- a concept I explored two weeks ago in the MLBTR Newsletter and discussed at length on last week's MLBTR Podcast with Jeff Todd. … A three-year deal with an opt-out next winter would represent somewhat of a compromise between the two sides, as the Mets have long been said to have interest in Cespedes, but only on a short-term deal.
Brewers, Angels, Rangers, Cubs Among Possible Austin Jackson Suitors
2016/01/brewers-angels-rangers-cubs-among-possible-austin-jackson-suitors.htmlAs MLBTR's Steve Adams explained in today's podcast (around the 21:00 mark), in fact, Jackson looks like a nice fit with Texas since he could fill in all across the outfield. … He's queued up behind Dexter Fowler among center fielders, and Fowler could well be waiting to see what happens with Yoenis Cespedes before he commits to a contract.
Cespedes Has Been Seeking Six-Year Deal Worth Roughly $22MM Annually
2016/01/cespedes-seeking-six-years-22-million.htmlMLBTR's Jeff Todd and I discussed that scenario for not only Cespedes but also Justin Upton on yesterday's MLBTR Podcast. … At present, the Orioles are said to have an offer on the table to Cespedes that is worth in the range of $90MM over five seasons, with a sixth-year option possibly included in that offer.
Orioles Have Made Offer To Cespedes; Mets Still Interested In Short-Term Deal
2016/01/orioles-make-offer-yoenis-cespedes.htmlWhile many have speculated that Cespedes could eventually change course and seek a short-term deal, that speculation seems largely unfounded; reports yesterday indicated that Cespedes' camp has no interest in seeking a short-term deal, and as Jeff Todd and I broke down on today's podcast, players on the level of Cespedes, Upton and Davis typically end up getting paid, even if they linger on the market into late January. … The same cannot be said for Cespedes, who was of course ineligible to receive a QO after being traded from…
Free Agent Notes: Upton, Cespedes, Kennedy, ChiSox, Cardinals
2016/01/ian-kennedy-royals-nationals-astros.htmlJeff Todd and I recently discussed as much on the MLBTR Podcast. … Crasnick notes that Upton is somewhat a victim of borderline unreachable expectations, noting that some view him as a disappointment for being a considerably above-average outfielder as opposed to the generational talent that some hoped for when scouts began raving about him at age 14 and when some outlets compared him to Ken Griffey Jr.
AL Central Notes: Indians, Santana, Twins, Park, Gordon
2016/01/twins-interest-will-smith-brewers-trade.htmlBrewers left-hander Will Smith has some fans in the Twins' front office, says 1500 ESPN's Darren Wolfson in the first edition of his new podcast (Soundcloud link; Twins talk beginning around 19:30). … Meisel's implication, of course, is that Santana's future with the club is somewhat murky.
Blue Jays To Sign Wade LeBlanc
2015/12/blue-jays-sign-wade-leblanc.htmlBack in November, the hurler joined Jeff Todd on the MLB Trade Rumors podcast to talk about his experience in Asia and his desire to return to Major League Baseball. … The former Padres/Angels/Marlins/Yankees/Astros lefty has a lifetime 4.47 ERA with 6.1 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 in 446 2/3 big league innings -- most of which came as a starter.
AL Notes: Iannetta, Gardner, Heyward, Orioles, Parra
2015/11/al-notes-iannetta-gardner-heyward-orioles-parra.htmlOf course, as MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez explained to me on last week's MLBTR Podcast, the club's ability to land a player of that magnitude will depend on the payroll levels approved by owner Arte Moreno. … "A primary catcher is different from what I would consider an everyday player.
East Notes: Davis, O’Day, Papelbon, Anthopoulos, Phillies
2015/11/alex-anthopoulos-arizona-coyotes-nhl.htmlMLB.com's Matthew Leach and Todd Zolecki tackle a number of Phillies-related hot stove topics in a podcast. … Jeremy Hellickson is already viewed somewhat in that role, Zolecki notes, though the team believes he has a bit more upside given that he's younger than recent arms (e.g.
AL West Notes: Iwakuma, Mariners, Freese, Gallardo
2015/11/iwakuma-freese-gallardo-qualifying-offers.htmlAccording to Fletcher, the front office is currently mulling the possibility, which is one that MLBTR's Jeff Todd and I discussed at length on last week's QO-themed edition of the MLBTR Podcast. … "Deep down, I think they’re going to do it," said Witt.
Dodgers Notes: Grandal, Kendrick, Peralta, Mattingly, Greinke
2015/10/dodgers-notes-grandal-kendrick-peralta-mattingly-greinke.htmlBuster Olney and Keith Law of ESPN discussed the Dodgers in today's podcast (audio link, with Law appearing around the 27-minute mark), specifically last night's game (including managerial decisions on both sides) and the future of Mattingly. … The switch-hitting catcher termed the procedure "just a cleanup" but said he looks forward to no longer dealing with pain in the joint.
Reactions To Brewers’ Hiring Of David Stearns
2015/09/reactions-to-brewers-hiring-of-david-stearns.htmlJoining the podcast of ESPN.com's Buster Olney (starting at about 24:30), Stearns talked about some of the lessons he's picked up along his journey through baseball thus far. … The GM-to-be said in his introduction that every team has the same basic "need to acquire, develop and keep controllable young talent -- quality Major League talent." Doing that, he said, involves "develop[ing] a process and a system that allows you to consistently generate that pipeline, even as you are competitive at the Major League level.