Trade/Free Agent Rumors: Dozier, Dodgers, Carter, Wilson, Ross
The Dodgers wrapped up their five-year agreement with Kenley Jansen yesterday and are nearing the completion of a four-year deal with Justin Turner — both ESPN’s Jim Bowden and FanRag’s Jon Heyman have reported today that just small details remain to be worked out — but Doug Padilla of ESPN.com reports that the impending re-signing of Turner doesn’t close the door on a trade for Minnesota’s Brian Dozier. Per Padilla, a trade package for the Twins‘ slugging second baseman might have to center around right-hander Jose De Leon or a similar asset, but the Dodgers are reluctant to part with De Leon. A reunion with 2016 second baseman Chase Utley hasn’t been entirely ruled out either, according to Padilla. Utley delivered a solid season on a one-year deal with the Dodgers last year, hitting .252/.319/.396 with 14 homers, but Utley logged a dismal .154/.206/.264 slash in 97 plate appearances against lefties. The Dodgers’ greatest weakness in 2016 may have been their struggles against southpaws — an area where Dozier could provide a significant boost (.282/.353/.613 in 2016, .270/.343/.512 in his career).
A few more notes regarding the offseason trade and free-agent markets…
- FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that with Jansen back in the fold, the Dodgers aren’t planning on offering more than a one-year deal to any free agent relievers. That, he notes, could take them out of the mix for Greg Holland in the event that Holland is still eyeing multi-year deals. Of course, it should be noted that it’s difficult to definitively rule the Dodgers out of making a bargain two-year play later in the offseason. If a pitcher that is widely believed to sign a lucrative two- or three-year pact at present sees his market crumble somewhat and loers his asking price on a two-year pact a few months from now, one can imagine the Dodgers jumping in and making a value play.
- Both the Rangers and Orioles have expressed some level of interest in free-agent slugger Chris Carter, per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (on Twitter). Neither team is especially close to a deal with Carter, however, he cautions. The seriousness of the interest from Texas and Baltimore isn’t clear from Morosi’s brief report, though it’s easy to see how Carter could fit into the plans of either team. The Rangers abruptly lost Prince Fielder this past season when neck issues forced him to retire, while first baseman Mitch Moreland hit free agency and agreed to a deal with the Red Sox. The Orioles, meanwhile, could lose both Mark Trumbo and Pedro Alvarez to free agency, though they’re said to be in talks about retaining Trumbo. There’s certainly an argument that Carter is a similar and more cost-effective alternative to Trumbo, especially if the O’s are planning to use either at DH moving forward. Carter was non-tendered by Milwaukee last month on the heels of a .222/.321/.499 batting line and an NL-best 41 homers (as well as an NL-worst 206 strikeouts).
- Morosi also tweets that the Astros have had some talks with the Tigers regarding left-handed reliever Justin Wilson. Houston joins the Cubs as the most recent team to be linked to Wilson, who pitched to a 4.14 ERA in his first season with Detroit but also recorded career-bests in K/9, BB/9 and ground-ball rate. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz pegs him for a reasonable $2.7MM next year, and Wilson will be controllable through the 2018 season via the arbitration process.
- Speaking of the Cubs, they’re maintaining some interest in right-hander Tyson Ross, reports Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago/670 The Score. Ross was non-tendered by the Padres after undergoing surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome in October, and while he could well be ready to pitch early in the 2017 campaign, the Padres clearly weren’t comfortable with a projected salary between $9-10MM. Levine spoke to one NL exec who expected Ross to receive an incentive-laden contract that allows Ross to earn nearly as much as he otherwise would have through arbitration with the Padres. The Cubs, according to Levine, have had interest in Ross since the summer of 2015, when they tried to broker a deal that would’ve sent Starlin Castro to the Padres in return. According to Levine, the Rangers are also interested in swinging a deal with Ross now that he’s a free agent, though it’s easy to imagine a wide number of teams showing interest in a short-term commitment to a player with Ross’ upside. The 29-year-old turned in a 3.07 ERA with 9.2 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 and a strong ground-ball rate in 516 2/3 innings with the Padres from 2013-15.
Rangers Designate Brady Dragmire, Announce Carlos Gomez Signing
The Rangers announced today that righty Brady Dragmire has been designated for assignment. His roster spot will go to outfielder Carlos Gomez, whose one-year deal was also announced.
Dragmire, 23, continues his recent roller-coaster. After the Pirates picked him up from the Blue Jays in October, he had landed in Texas via waiver claim. Now, he could again be exposed to the waiver wire.
Pitching at Double-A last year, Dragmire compiled 72 innings with a 4.38 ERA and 5.1 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9. While those figures don’t jump off the page, the young righty has a history of well-above-average groundball induction rates, which helps explain his appeal.
Trade Chatter: Colome, Mariners, Wilson, Profar
There has been significant movement on the market for closers, leaving the Rays with an interesting trade piece in Alex Colome. But while the team is receiving ongoing interest in the controllable young hurler, it’s not moving off of a “price they believe is appropriately high,” Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Moving Colome would put a dent in the team’s 2017 hopes, Rosenthal notes, and it seems fair to say that the organization’s other recent moves do not suggest that the organization has any intentions of packing it in before reaching Spring Training. It still seems much more likely that the club will deal a starter; Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times recently provided the latest on that front, suggesting that one of Drew Smyly, Alex Cobb, and Erasmo Ramirez may be more likely to be dealt than are Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi.
- The Mariners have been talking with both the Rays and the Reds about starters, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports on Twitter. Seattle has been said to be hunting for one more rotation piece, and it’s not surprising to see these two particular organizations mentioned. Tampa Bay, as noted, has long been expected to consider trading out of its staff; the M’s could conceivably have interest in just about any of the pitchers listed above. And while we haven’t heard much in the way of specifics from Cincinnati, it stands to reason that the club would at least weigh offers for pitchers such as Anthony DeSclafani and Dan Straily.
- The Tigers and Cubs have been in contact about left-handed reliever Justin Wilson, tweets Morosi, although he notes that it’s unclear whether there’s any momentum. Detroit acquired Wilson last winter in a trade that sent Chad Green and Luis Cessa to the Yankees, and while Wilson didn’t have the year the Tigers likely envisioned (4.14 ERA in 58 2/3 innings), there were plenty of positive indicators in the 29-year-old’s results. Wilson turned in a career-best 10.0 K/9 and career-low 2.6 BB/9 in his 58 2/3 frames out of the Detroit ‘pen, and he also notched a career-high 54.9 percent ground-ball rate.
- Before landing Adam Eaton, the Nationals approached the Rangers about a deal to acquire infielder Jurickson Profar, Rosenthal reports (Twitter links). Washington was reputedly interested in utilizing Profar at shortstop, which would have meant keeping Trea Turner in center field, but moved on when Texas requested righty Joe Ross in return. It’s certainly not clear whether the Nats would have preferred to work something out on Profar rather than acquiring Eaton, but it’s nevertheless interesting to learn of the discussions. If nothing else, it represents one of the first suggestions we’ve heard of a team approaching the Rangers about the 23-year-old, a former top prospect who is now one of the more hard-to-peg potential trade chips in baseball. He has been thrust into a utility role after dealing with significant shoulder issues, and hit just .239/.321/.338 in 307 plate appearances last year. Further, despite his relatively scant MLB experience (184 total games), Profar has already racked up over three years of service time. But the prospect pedigree is second to none, and he has shown flashes of his talent in the upper minors and (in stretches) in the majors.
AL Notes: Bautista, Saunders, Holliday, Lewis, Angels
Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins and Jay Alou (Jose Bautista‘s agent) have remained in contact since speaking on the final day of the Winter Meetings, FOX Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi tweets. It seemed like the door was more or less closed on a reunion between the two sides, though the fact that talks re-opened during the Meetings and have apparently continued represents notable progress. If the qualifying offer and accompanying draft pick compensation has indeed been hampering Bautista’s market, re-signing with the Jays would seem like a logical avenue for Bautista. From Toronto’s perspective, the team would have to see enough value in bringing Bautista back into the fold that it would be willing to pass on the first-round compensation pick the Jays would receive if Bautista signed elsewhere.
Here’s more from around the American League….
- We’ve already heard about the Indians‘ one-year offer to Mike Napoli, though earlier this week, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reported (Twitter link) that the Tribe also offered one-year contracts to Matt Holliday and Michael Saunders. Holliday was known to be a Cleveland target and he ended up signing a one-year, $13MM deal with the Yankees. The Blue Jays and Orioles have shown interest in Saunders but the winter rumor mill has otherwise been pretty quiet for the Canadian outfielder. Saunders hit .253/.338/.478 with 24 homers over 558 PA for Toronto last season, though his production badly declined after the All-Star break. The Tribe already has several left-handed hitting or switch-hitting corner outfield options, though Saunders could play in the field or perhaps get some DH time when Carlos Santana is at first base, given Saunders’ poor fielding metrics last season.
- The Rangers continue to have interest in a reunion with Colby Lewis, though there doesn’t appear much has changed between the two sides, GM Jon Daniels tells MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan. “There is always going to be interest in Colby. There is no doubt about the man. No question there. There’s not much I can say that hasn’t already been said. It’s more dollars and what the opportunity there is,” Daniels said.
- After a dire 2016 season, the Angels are already looking in better shape for next year, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal writes. The acquisitions of Cameron Maybin and Danny Espinosa fill two big lineup holes for the Halos, and they’ve added pitching depth to bounce back from the rotation’s injury-plagued season. In Rosenthal’s view, the Angels could be a .500 team with better health and better luck, though making the postseason is still unlikely at this point.
AL Notes: Chapman, Yankees, Encarnacion, Astros, Tigers
The Yankees believe that the Marlins‘ unexpected pursuit of Aroldis Chapman — Miami reportedly offered Chapman a five-year deal worth $87MM — forced New York to spend about $10-15MM more than they would otherwise have had to offer in order to finalize the deal, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. Sherman also adds that the Yankees are still hoping to add a starting pitcher and multiple relievers (one of the left-handed variety), though the Cashman said earlier this week that he doesn’t anticipate adding a free-agent starter due to the high asking prices around the league (via Sherman’s colleague George A. King III).
More from around the American League…
- In an interesting read for Yankees fans (or for any fan, really), Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues examines the decision to re-sign Chapman from a variety of angles. Axisa questions whether the Yankees, who currently look to be a ways behind Boston in terms of expected 2017 performance, did the right thing in “paying a lot of money now to buy Chapman for the future” and notes the possibility that Chapman will be opting out of his deal just as the bulk of New York’s vaunted young talent is solidifying itself at the big league level. The move also flies somewhat in the face of the desire to get below the luxury tax threshold, Axisa observes, and there are of course ongoing public relations considerations due to last October’s domestic violence allegations.
- Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet tweets that many in the industry still consider the Rangers to be the most logical landing spot for free agent Edwin Encarnacion. Texas reportedly feels that it doesn’t have the financial means to fit Encarnacion into the budget, but GM Jon Daniels and his staff have certainly made some creative value plays for free agents whose markets have crumbled a bit in the past.
- The Astros prefer not to move upper-level prospects in their search for rotation upgrades, GM Jeff Luhnow tells MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. Houston has been asked about top prospect Francis Martes on numerous occasions, McTaggart writes, though Luhnow downplayed the possibility of dealing the right-hander. “The players we’re staying away from are the players that are probably going to start the year on the big league club and are key parts of the 2017 plan,” said the Houston GM. “Martes is a very valuable player, and very valuable players that are close to the big leagues get asked about a lot. That’s no different with him. It would take something significant for us to move him.” McTaggart also notes that outfield prospect Kyle Tucker is “generally considered untouchable.”
- The Tigers aren’t pursuing an Andrew McCutchen trade tweets MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. They’ve also yet to get involved with the recently non-tendered Ben Revere, tweets MLB.com’s Jason Beck. Detroit has a clear question mark in center field at the moment, but the team is also well-known to be striving to shed payroll and get younger. With that in mind, a pursuit of McCutchen never would’ve made much sense for GM Al Avila’s club, though Revere could be a low-cost option that would have plenty of surplus value in the event of a rebound from last year’s disastrous season.
Rangers Acquire Tyrell Jenkins, Brady Feigl From Braves For Luke Jackson
6:59pm: Texas has announced the deal.
6:11pm: The Rangers and Braves have agreed to a trade that will send lefty Brady Feigl and righty Tyrell Jenkins to the Rangers, according to reports from Tommy Stokke of Fan Rag (via Twitter) and Keith Law of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Righty Luke Jackson is heading to Atlanta, Law adds on Twitter.
It seems fair to characterize this as something of a change-of-scenery swap involving two similarly situated young righties. The 25-year-old Jackson and 24-year-old Jenkins each drew a fair amount of attention as prospects and reached the majors only recently. In both cases, limited exposure to the big leagues has led to questions as to whether (and in what role) they can stick.
Taken with the 45th overall selection in the 2010 draft, Jackson brings a big arm to the table but hasn’t yet found his bearings at the game’s highest level. Over 18 MLB innings in the last two years, he has allowed 17 earned runs on 27 hits and ten walks, while retiring just nine batters via strikeout.
Though he has shown swing-and-miss stuff at all levels of the minors, and delivers a mid-to-upper-nineties fastball, Jackson has also long struggled with control. He has walked 4.6 batters per nine in his minor-league career, and a full-time shift to the pen hasn’t really helped much. In his 46 1/3 innings at Double-A and Triple-A last year, Jackson issued 32 free passes, though he also racked up 59 strikeouts.
For Jenkins, who joined the Atlanta organization as a part of the Jason Heyward-Shelby Miller swap, the results have been good in the upper minors over the last two years. But that has come in spite of a lack of strikeouts and uninspiring peripherals. Last year, for instance, he struck out 5.9 and walked 3.8 batters per nine over 83 2/3 Triple-A innings. He did end with a 2.47 ERA, though, in large part because he limited opposing hitters to just three home runs.
The dinger suppression did not continue when Jenkins hit the majors. He was touched for 11 long balls in his first 52 MLB frames. Over eight starts and six relief appearances in 2016, Jenkins worked to a 5.88 ERA while allowing 33 walks and striking out only 26 hitters.
There’s another piece being chipped in by the Braves, in the form of the 25-year-old Feigl. An undrafted product of Mount Saint Mary’s University, Feigl has been limited to 72 1/3 professional innings — mostly in the lower minors — as he fought through Tommy John surgery. He has shown well when healthy, though, posting a 2.74 ERA with 8.2 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor MLB Transactions: 12/8/16
Here are the latest minor moves from around the game:
- The Rangers have signed outfielder Cesar Puello to a minors deal, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. The deal includes an invitation to major league Spring Training. Still just 25, and once a well-regarded prospect with the Mets, Puello spent last year at Triple-A with the Yankees. He didn’t flash much power, but reached base at a prodigious .413 clip in his 289 plate appearances.
- Also receiving a non-roster invite is Ramiro Pena, who’ll join the Giants, per Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area (via Twitter). The 31-year-old will remain with San Francisco, which gave him thirty games of action in 2016. Pena actually hit quite well, posting a .299/.330/.425 slash. He has also been productive at Triple-A in each of the last two years. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see the seven-year MLB vet get another look at some point next season.
- Outfielder Matt den Dekker has joined the Marlins on a minor league deal, he announced on Twitter. The 29-year-old, who is a Florida native, has previously played with the Nationals and Mets. While he has received some major league time in each of the last four seasons, den Dekker struggled in 2016. He only received 39 MLB plate appearances, and posted only a .207/.292/.315 slash in his 421 trips to the plate at Triple-A.
- Catcher Johnny Monell is headed to Korea, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets. He’ll join the KBO’s NC Dinos after wrapping up a two-year stint in the Mets organization. Monell never cracked the majors in 2016, but did hit a productive .276/.336/.470 with 19 homers in 461 plate appearances at Triple-A Las Vegas.
Padres Interested In Jose Iglesias, Hanser Alberto
The Padres have asked a variety of teams about potential shortstop options, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell tweets. One player who’s on their list is Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias, who Detroit GM Al Avila said yesterday was drawing interest.
Iglesias, 26, would give the Padres a defense-first option at shortstop, likely leaving the Tigers to entrust the position to Dixon Machado. Iglesias has two years of control remaining, and is projected to make $3.2MM this year through the arbitration process. He batted a modest .255/.306/.336 in 513 plate appearances last year, but, as usual, he produced good value with his glove, with an 11.6 UZR and +3 Defensive Runs Saved.
Cassavell adds that the Padres are still have interest in Hanser Alberto of the Rangers, who has lately been mentioned as a possible trade fit for San Diego for outfielder Travis Jankowski. Like Iglesias, Alberto profiles as a defense-first shortstop. He’s inexperienced, however, and hasn’t hit at all in his brief big-league opportunities, batting .194/.204/.226 in 162 plate appearances in the Majors. He is, however, likely quite familiar to Padres GM A.J. Preller, who was in the Rangers organization when Alberto signed in 2009.
Rangers, Pirates Interested In Tyson Ross
The Padres non-tendered Tyson Ross last week in lieu of paying the injured right-hander an estimated $9.6MM via arbitration in 2017. Now a free agent, Ross is looking for similar money – $9MM to $11MM – on a one-year deal, and that likely doesn’t include incentives, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
Having already added ex-Padre Andrew Cashner to their rotation this offseason, the Rangers have “done significant homework” on Ross, sources told Grant (via Twitter). A healthy Ross would fill out Texas’ rotation on paper, giving the reigning American League West champions a group consisting of him, Cashner, Martin Perez, Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels.
Like Darvish and Hamels, Ross has front-line ability, having logged a 3.03 ERA, 9.35 K/9, 3.58 BB/9 and 59.2 percent ground-ball rate in 391 2/3 innings from 2014-15. However, the soon-to-be 30-year-old spun only 5 1/3 frames last season – all of which came on opening day – because of shoulder issues. Ross underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in October, and the expectation is that he’ll recover sometime between February and April.
Along with the Rangers, the Pirates have shown interest in Ross, reports Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). While Ross would give the Pirates and ballyhooed pitching coach Ray Searage an interesting reclamation project, his health troubles could make his asking price problematic for the low-payroll franchise. Nevertheless, with Ivan Nova perhaps set to leave Pittsburgh as a free agent and 2016 innings leader Jeff Locke now a Marlin after the Pirates non-tendered him, the club has obvious holes in its rotation. Clearly cognizant of that, the Pirates have checked in on a few other starters – including Doug Fister, Jorge De La Rosa, Derek Holland and the Rays’ Jake Odorizzi – at this week’s winter meetings.
Outfield Trade Notes: Bruce, Hamilton, Jankowski
It’s well known that the Mets would like to make a trade, particularly a trade involving Jay Bruce, since the team currently has an abundance of outfielders. But the Mets are adamant that they receive a player in return who will help them, rather than just a fringe prospect and relief from Bruce’s 2017 salary, Newsday’s Marc Carig writes. “It does put you in a different situation, and it affects other clubs’ expectations and it affects our expectations,” says GM Sandy Alderson. “But it only takes interest by two or three teams in a player to overcome all of that. That’s why we don’t jump at the first opportunity.” The Mets have received trade offers for Bruce, Carig writes, but they’ve mostly been proposals for salary dumps. Here are a couple more quick trade notes involving outfielders.
- Before acquiring Adam Eaton, the Nationals spoke to the Reds about a trade involving center fielder Billy Hamilton, ESPN’s Jayson Stark writes. The Nats came away feeling, though, that the Reds are in no rush to make a deal. As we noted yesterday, the Reds believe Hamilton hasn’t peaked yet and would have a hard time replacing his defense. For the Nats, a Hamilton trade surely wouldn’t have been the blockbuster deal the Eaton one was — Hamilton’s speed obviously is spectacular, but his struggles to hit surely would have limited his value. He also has only three years of control remaining, compared to Eaton’s five.
- Manager Andy Green confirms that other teams have contacted the Padres about outfielder Travis Jankowski, Kyle Glaser of Baseball America tweets. We noted yesterday that the Rangers had asked about Jankowski, with some writers speculating about a deal involving Jankowski and infielder Hanser Alberto. Since then, the Rangers have re-signed Carlos Gomez, which makes their need for outfield help less acute. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Jeff Wilson tweeted today, though, that while the Rangers anticipated Gomez would play center field for them, they were still looking for center field help. So perhaps Jankowski could still be a fit in Texas, albeit a somewhat more speculative one. The Rays could also be a fit for Jankowski, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.