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MLBTR Podcast: Nick Piecoro on the Diamondbacks, Charlie Wilmoth on the Pirates

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On this week’s podcast, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic joins host Jeff Todd to talk about A.J. Pollock’s injury, finding playing time for the D-backs’ glut of infielders, the possibility of adding to the payroll via the summer trade market, and the recent chatter about a new stadium. Following that, MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth hops on to discuss Gregory Polanco’s five-year, $35MM extension with the Pirates, his long-term upside, and Juan Nicasio’s 2016 outlook on the heels of a dominant spring and first start.

Click here to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and please leave a review! The podcast is also available via Stitcher at this link.

The MLB Trade Rumors Podcast runs weekly on Thursday afternoons.

Betts, Schoop, Ray, Others Move To The Legacy Agency

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Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts has changed agencies, staying with his representative — Steve Veltman — as he moved to The Legacy Agency, as Robert Murray of Baseball Essential was first to report (via Twitter). He’s not alone, as players including Jonathan Schoop of the Orioles and Robbie Ray of the Diamondbacks are also making the move, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports, with player rep Ed Cerulo accompanying Veltman to a new home.

Betts, still just 23, has emerged as one of the game’s most exciting young talents. He followed up a highly promising partial season in 2014 with an outstanding campaign last year in which he put up a .291/.341/.479 slash over 654 plate appearances with 18 home runs and 21 steals. Of course, Betts is also a high-quality and versatile fielder and excellent baserunner.

Boston has plenty of cheap control remaining, as Betts won’t even reach arbitration eligibility until 2018 and doesn’t stand to hit the open market until 2021. He certainly profiles as an extension candidate, though, and his new agency will quite possibly field interest from the Sox.

Other quality 1+ outfielders have signed lengthy deals — including, recently, Gregory Polanco ($35MM) and Christian Yelich ($49.57MM) — but it seems fair to expect that Betts would command a good bit more given the floor and ceiling he’s shown to this point. And the price will likely only rise, as his service clock continues to run and he pads the stat sheet.

Schoop and Ray also rate as promising young players, but have more to prove at this stage than Betts. Other big leaguers joining The Legacy Agency, per Rosenthal, include Cody Anderson and Rajai Davis (Indians), Trevor May (Twins), Kevin Siegrist (Cardinals), Carter Capps (Marlins), Jerad Eickhoff (Phillies), and Tony Wolters (Rockies). Several unnamed prospects are also changing agencies.

As always, you can find reported player representation in MLBTR’s Agency Database.

A.J. Pollock Undergoes Elbow Surgery

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APRIL 5: The D-backs announced that Pollock underwent surgery today and had a plate placed at the tip of his right elbow as part of the procedure (links to Twitter). Per the announcement, there is no projected timetable for Pollock’s return.

APRIL 2: There hasn’t been any timeline provided on Pollock’s return, but Pollock himself says he hopes to come back at some point this season, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert writes (Twitter links). Also, Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale says Owings will likely start in center field on Opening Day.

APRIL 1: Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock will undergo surgery for a fractured right elbow, the club announced. Pollock suffered the injury sliding into home in tonight’s spring action.

Pollock has emerged as one of the game’s least-known premium performers, and his loss represents an enormous blow to the organization’s hopes to challenge for a division title in 2016. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out, but any significant stretch would be nothing short of devastating for a club that had pushed in its chips but still needed some things to go its way to contend.

The 28-year-old had already dealt with some elbow issues this spring, but seemed to be on track for Opening Day. But the injury is all the more concerning given that Pollock missed all of 2010 with a fractured growth plate in the same elbow, back when he was still a rising prospect.

Pollock had a short but highly promising 2014 season, and followed up with an outstanding campaign last year. He ended the season with a .315/.367/.498 slash over 673 plate appearances while contributing twenty home runs and 39 steals. And Pollock also rated as a top-notch defender, making for an overall package — valued last year at 7.4 rWAR and 6.6 fWAR — that is all but impossible to replace, particularly with the season set to begin in a matter of days.

Even as the D-Backs set out to re-make their rotation this winter, they understandably remained entirely unwilling to part with Pollock. Instead, the club explored long-term extension talks before ultimately settling on a two-year, $10.25MM pact. He is still controllable for one more season after that contract concludes.

While the club held onto Pollock, it parted with the emergent Ender Inciarte (and other notable assets) to acquire Shelby Miller. Certainly, Inciarte would be an invaluable depth option to have on hand now, though the club does have interesting youngster in Socrates Brito on hand. He had already challenged for a roster spot and looked to be an option if Yasmany Tomas does not take a step forward, but may need to take on a bigger role while Pollock recovers.

Other options for playing time include young slugger Peter O’Brien and even infielder Chris Owings — who slid into the corner outfield for some action tonight. Utilityman Rickie Weeks and backup catcher/outfielder Chris Herrmann could also help carry the load. Of course, none of those players look like options in center, and Tomas is already stretched in the corner outfield. Presumptive left fielder David Peralta has played in 15 MLB games up the middle over the last two years, though he was almost exclusively a corner option in the minors; he could conceivably take over if the team isn’t confident enough in Brito, or at least make some starts there in some kind of timeshare.

Of course, a veteran addition of some kind can’t be ruled out, and plenty of players could be available as rosters continue to be trimmed. (Veterans in the mold of Sam Fuld and Drew Stubbs come to mind; Alejandro De Aza of the Mets seems at least a hypothetical option, though Arizona may already have pushed its payroll to the max.) Trade efforts at this stage are not terribly likely to result in a high-quality solution, but the right player could at least help hold down the fort while the D-Backs await Pollock’s return.

D-Backs Among Potential Fits For Michael Bourn

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  • The Diamondbacks and Cardinals are potential fits for center fielder Michael Bourn, tweets Heyman. The 33-year-old Bourn was recently designated for assignment by Atlanta and could be had for the league minimum if he is ultimately released, as the Braves and Indians would be on the hook for the remainder of the veteran’s $14MM salary. (The Braves, of course, could try to find a taker in the meantime, although they were unsuccessful in that effort this winter.) The D-backs recently lost an elite center fielder to injury in the form of A.J. Pollock and have been linked to Bourn on multiple occasions since that news. St. Louis, meanwhile, is relying on a pair of largely inexperienced outfielders in Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty, and the Cards also recently placed backup Tommy Pham on the disabled list with an oblique injury.

Diamondbacks Select Kyle Drabek's Contract

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  • The Diamondbacks announced today that they have selected the contract of right-hander Kyle Drabek from Triple-A Reno and transferred A.J. Pollock to the 60-day disabled list in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Fellow righty Silvino Bracho was optioned to Triple-A in order to clear a spot on the active roster. Drabek formerly rated as one of the game’s top overall prospects and was at one point a key piece sent from the Phillies to the Blue Jays in the Roy Halladay trade. However, the 28-year-old has struggled to a 5.27 ERA in 177 2/3 innings at the Major League level, and his 4.62 ERA at the Triple-A level isn’t markedly better. He’ll slot into the Arizona ’pen for the time being.

Diamondbacks' Outlook Clouded By Pollock Injury

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  • Losing A.J. Pollock for what could be a huge chunk of the 2016 season puts the Diamondbacks in a significant hole, Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs explains. What had been a promising outfield mix, led by Pollock, now appears to have significant issues up the middle and in left, as Socrates Brito and Chris Owings — along with, perhaps, some outside help — figure to share time in center while putting even more pressure on Yasmany Tomas. It’s obviously always rough for a team to lose a player who’s expected to be a major contributor, but Sullivan explains that Arizona was already a mostly-borderline contender before losing one of the game’s best outfielders.

D’Backs Weighing Center Field Addition

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The Diamondbacks have not ruled out acquiring a new center fielder to replace injured star A.J. Pollock, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network in a series of tweets (1, 2, 3, and 4). Pollock will have surgery on his fractured elbow and hopes to return at some point this season. However, it’s very possible he’ll miss the entire 2016 campaign.

The Diamondbacks made a serious of win-now oriented moves over the offseason. The loss of Pollock is a devastating blow to their hopes of contention. According to FanGraphs, he was worth over six wins above replacement level last year. Internal options like Chris Owings and Socrates Brito may patch the problem, but they won’t come close to replacing Pollock’s production.

For now, the club will evaluate their in-house candidates while exploring the trade market and free agent markets. It’s generally a difficult time of year to acquire impact talent – most teams have either made their blockbuster swaps or hope to contend this season. If Arizona does choose to look outside the organization, they could begin their search with veterans Michael Bourn and Will Venable. Bourn was recently designated for assignment by the Braves while Venable failed to make the Phillies Opening Day roster.

D'Backs Waiting To Check Market For Pollock Replacement

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  • Speaking to reporters today (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic and MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert), Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart and manager Chip Hale addressed the team’s next steps in the wake of A.J. Pollock’s elbow fracture.  For now, Stewart said, the D’Backs will give internal candidates a chance before looking at players outside the organization to take Pollock’s place.  Hale suggested the D’Backs are looking at players who might not make their current teams’ Opening Day rosters, so Arizona could wait at least a couple of days to fully assess the market.

Roster Notes: Brewers, Weeks, Abad, Phillies, Ramos, Pena

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Here’s a roundup of today’s notable roster decisions….

  • The Brewers announced that the contracts of right-hander Blaine Boyer and left-hander Chris Capuano have been selected.  Both pitchers were told they had made the team earlier this week, and the moves are now official that Milwaukee has created some corresponding roster space.  Sean Nolin and Yhonathan Barrios were both moved to the 60-day DL, while Will Smith was placed on the 15-day DL.
  • The Diamondbacks selected Rickie Weeks’ contract, the team announced.  Weeks, looking to rebound from a disastrous 2015 season, signed a minors contract with Arizona last month.  The D’Backs placed A.J. Pollock and Josh Collmenter on the 15-day DL in corresponding moves.
  • The Twins selected the contract of Fernando Abad, the team announced.  The southpaw signed a minor league deal with Minnesota in December after the A’s non-tendered him.  Abad posted a 4.15 ERA last season, with some unfriendly advanced metrics and uncharacteristically poor results against left-handed hitters.
  • The Phillies finalized their 25-man roster, announcing that they have selected the contracts of lefty James Russell, infielder Emmanuel Burriss and outfielder Cedric Hunter.  In corresponding moves, Cody Asche and Michael Mariot were put on the 15-day DL retroactive to March 25, and Matt Harrison, Aaron Altherr and Mario Hollands were each placed on the 60-day DL.
  • Left-hander Cesar Ramos has accepted an assignment to the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate to begin the season, Rangers executive VP of communications John Blake tweeted.  Ramos signed a minor league deal with Texas in January after being somewhat surprisingly non-tendered by the Angels.
  • Cardinals backup catcher Brayan Pena will begin the season on the DL and will require surgery to remove a body from his left knee, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch writes (Twitter links). That means the Cardinals will add minor-league signee Eric Fryer to their roster to serve as their backup catcher until Pena can return, which should take two to four weeks. The 30-year-old Fryer played most of last season with Triple-A Rochester in the Twins system, batting .293/.367/.360. He’s appeared in bits of five big-league seasons with the Pirates and Twins.
  • Outfielder Jabari Blash, a Rule 5 pick from the Mariners, has made the Padres’ Opening Day roster, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets. The 26-year-old Blash batted an impressive .271/.370/.576 and 32 homers in a 2015 season split between Double-A Jackson and Triple-A Tacoma, then followed that with a decent spring in which he hit .204 but with four homers and eight walks in 59 plate appearances. The Padres also announced that fellow outfielder Travis Jankowski has made the team.
  • The Rays have selected the contract of lefty Dana Eveland and optioned righty Andrew Bellatti and outfielder Mikie Mahtook, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes (Twitter links). The moves also mean righty Danny Farquhar has made the team. The 32-year-old Eveland pitched only briefly in the Majors last season, but got good results for three different Triple-A teams, posting a 1.95 ERA, 7.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 55 1/3 innings.
  • The Braves have announced their Opening Day roster. The Braves were already in MLBTR’s pages today as they designated Michael Bourn and Emilio Bonifacio for assignment and selected the contracts of Drew Stubbs and Alexi Ogando. In addition, they reassigned Jhoulys Chacin to Triple-A Gwinnett. The idea, via David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter), is that he’ll make one start there and then join the Braves when they need a fifth starter, which should be April 12. Notable names who made the team include righty Dan Winkler, a 2014 Rule 5 pick, along with rookie righties Jose Ramirez and John Gant.

D-Backs Plan Middle-Infield Time Share

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  • The Diamondbacks have offered a bit of clarity on their infield mix, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports (Twitter links). Jake Lamb will receive regular reps at third base, says skipper Chip Hale, while the team will “rotate” Jean Segura, Chris Owings, and Nick Ahmed up the middle. That doesn’t give much of an indication as to how the playing time will be divided among those three players, and it could be that the spring battle will simply continue into the regular season. Meanwhile, outfield prospect Socrates Brito still appears to have a chance at cracking the roster to open the year, if only to help the club reduce the burden on regular center fielder A.J. Pollock as he ramps up to a full workload.
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