Diamondbacks Rumors

Indians Notes: Salazar, Alvarez, Carter, Panik, Kipnis

By Mark Polishuk | December 13, 2015 at 8:03pm CDT

It was on this day 92 years ago that Indians legend Larry Doby (1923-2003) was born in Camden, South Carolina. Doby was the second player to break baseball’s color barrier and the first to do so in the American League, playing his first game just a few months after Jackie Robinson’s debut for the Dodgers. Doby spent 10 of his 13 Major League seasons in Cleveland, hitting a whopping .286/.389/.500 over 5079 plate appearances in an Indians uniform and playing a major role in the Tribe’s 1948 World Series championship (still the franchise’s last title). For both his excellent career and his role as a pioneer, Doby was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

Here’s the latest Tribe news…

In a reader mailbag piece, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer delves into the recent trade talks between the Tribe and the Diamondbacks. Cleveland wanted A.J. Pollock when the Snakes asked about Danny Salazar, and while Arizona GM Dave Stewart liked Salazar, Tony La Russa was looking at a couple of other Indians players instead. Talks may have somewhat fizzled out at that point. The D’Backs ended up getting a top-of-the-rotation arm in Shelby Miller by dealing Ender Inciarte, Dansby Swanson and Aaron Blair to the Braves. A package like that may not have worked for the Indians since they wanted players that could help them immediately in 2016, and only Inciarte would’ve fit that bill.
Also from Hoynes, the Indians’ interest in Chris Carter and Pedro Alvarez seems to have cooled. Hoynes reported last week that the Tribe was considering one of the two non-tendered sluggers as a DH option.
The Indians have asked the Giants about Joe Panik “a couple of times this winter.” ESPN’s Buster Olney recently reported that the Tribe asked for Panik and Brandon Belt as part of a package for Carlos Carrasco. In regards to that proposed deal, Hoynes says Cleveland would’ve used Panik at second and could’ve shifted Jason Kipnis to third. Hoynes doesn’t think Kipnis would’ve been (or is being) shopped, and I have to agree — dealing Kipnis in the wake of his big bounce-back season would be a curious move, though the Tribe could command a huge return from another club.
Corey Kluber has probably become “untouchable” in trade talks, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. The Tribe received a ton of interest in Kluber, Salazar, Carrasco and Trevor Bauer at the Winter Meetings and Pluto is doubtful that the team will ultimately end up dealing any of them. Part of the issue could be that the Tribe’s asking price for any of the starters is “way too high,” according to chatter from the Meetings.
The Indians also received a lot of interest in their pitching prospects, with Mike Clevinger and Justus Sheffield getting the most asks and Double-A lefty Shawn Morimando also drawing attention.
Some teams think the Tribe will deal one of Bradley Zimmer or Clint Frazier, Pluto writes. MLB.com ranks Zimmer and Frazier as Cleveland’s top two prospects, though since both are at least a year away from the majors, rivals speculate that the Indians will deal one for talent that can help them win in 2016.

Diamondbacks To Sign Joaquin Arias To Minors Deal

By Mark Polishuk | December 13, 2015 at 4:09pm CDT

The Diamondbacks have agreed to sign infielder Joaquin Arias to a minor league contract, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link). Arias will be invited to Arizona’s big league Spring Training camp.

Arias, 31, has spent the last four years as a utility infielder for the Giants, hitting .262/.286/.346 over 843 plate appearances with San Francisco (plus a cool 5-for-12 over 12 career postseason PA for two of the Giants’ World Series-winning teams.) He’s seen lots of time at second, third and short with defensive metrics indicating that the hot corner is his best defensive position. Arias played in only 40 games in 2015, and was both designated for assignment and then outrighted off San Francisco’s 40-man roster last summer.

Playing time could be hard to come by for Arias in Arizona since the D’Backs are already deep in infield options. The signing could be a hint that the Snakes are planning to move another infielder, or (perhaps more likely) Arias is being signed to provide Triple-A depth.

Rosenthal On Leake, Orioles, Cubs, Inciarte

By Zachary Links | December 13, 2015 at 10:46am CDT

Pitcher Mike Leake is willing to take significantly less to play at home in Arizona, according to sources who spoke with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. However, D’Backs COO Tony La Russa says it’s “probably unlikely” that the team will sign him.

“It’s gone back and forth,” La Russa said. “Getting Shelby (Miller) gives us a (full) rotation. I think it’s difficult because when somebody wants to pitch for you and you really like the person, you want to try and work it out. But it’s complicated and probably unlikely.”

Here’s more from Rosenthal’s column:

If Chris Davis goes elsewhere, the Orioles will look to bring in a left-handed bat. Rosenthal hears that Pedro Alvarez, Gerardo Parra and Will Venable are a few of the hitters that interest Baltimore brass. The Orioles are also likely to explore the free agent market for a starting pitcher.
Many have been critical of the Orioles’ farm system depth, but GM Dan Duquette has rejected the notion that they are thin. Duquette could put his money where his mouth is by trading for one of the Rockies’ outfielders, Rosenthal writes, but they would likely ask for Colorado native Kevin Gausman in return.
The Cubs are “one of a number teams” that inquired on Ender Inciarte after he went from the D’Backs to the Braves. Still, they’re more likely to go after a starting pitcher by offering up Jorge Soler or Javier Baez. Inciarte has five years of club control and can be a strong defensive center fielder, although he also has extensive experience at both corner positions. The 25-year-old was largely unheralded as a prospect but has batted a combined .292/.329/.386 in his first two Major League seasons, including a stellar .303/.338/.408 line in 2015.
The Padres, Indians, and Rays could all still move a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, Rosenthal writes, and the Rays might be the most likely of the three. Tampa Bay has three starters who could be solid No. 2 guys in a rotation: righty Jake Odorizzi and lefties Drew Smyly and Matt Moore. Alex Cobb could also be conceivably moved, but he is affordable and under club control for the next two years.

Reported Runner-Up Offers For Heyward And Greinke

By Jeff Todd | December 11, 2015 at 8:20pm CDT

The most important numbers involved in any free agent scenario are, obviously, the final deal terms. But the offers made by other clubs are not only interesting but also potentially tell us something about the market — both at the time of the signing and even moving forward.

We heard plenty of discussion today about how much cash was dangled in front of two of this year’s three biggest free agent pieces: Jason Heyward and Zack Greinke. Heyward reportedly agreed with the Cubs for eight years and $184MM, with a contract provision allowing him two separate opportunities to opt out of the deal and re-enter the market. Meanwhile, after exercising just such a clause to jump back into the free agent waters, Greinke inked a mind-blowing six-year, $206.5MM deal with the Diamondbacks (which included some very significant deferrals).

Before entering those arrangements, both players considered multiple other arrangements. For Heyward, the elusive $200MM barrier was reportedly met or exceeded by both the Nationals and the Cardinals. (Per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch — here and here — and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, on Twitter.) And at least one other team, possibly the Angels, also beat Chicago’s total guarantee with its bid. (That’s per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, Twitter links; see here for the Halos’ late interest.)

Notably, though, we’ve not been told how many years Washington and St. Louis covered in their offers, and Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that it seems neither met the $23MM AAV that Heyward will reportedly receive. And as Keith Law of ESPN.com stresses on Twitter, it’s even more important to bear in mind that the opt-out opportunities carry significant value and that Heyward will owe less in state taxes in Illinois than he would have in the other locales.

While acknowledging the opt-out value, Passan notes that it’s nevertheless “uncommon” for a player to turn down a greater overall guarantee, and that’s largely true in the abstract. But it’s important to remember, too, that Heyward’s unique market placement — he hasn’t even reached the halfway point between 26 and 27 years of age — makes his situation quite a bit different from that of most free agents.

For one thing, Heyward’s age arguably increases the worth of those bail-out clauses even further, since he’ll gain the right to re-enter the market in advance of his age-29 season. That’s still early for a free agent, and might give Heyward a chance not only to step up his AAV (if his performance increases and/or salary inflation continues) but also to tack on more years down the line. Greinke pulled exactly that trick despite turning 32 before signing his new deal, and the upside for Heyward is even greater.

Also, gaining two opt-out points will allow Heyward to assess his market timing while keeping the future guarantee in his back pocket. That not only adds to the value going to him in this deal but also increases the uncertainty and risk for the Cubs.

It’s worth noting, too, that even if Heyward does play out the full eight years in Chicago, he’ll stand to hit the market again before he turns 35. That’s exactly the point in his career that Ben Zobrist finds himself as he joins the Cubs on a four-year, $56MM contract. There’s good reason to believe that Heyward will be plenty capable of continuing to earn money on the open market at the end of his deal, which makes it much easier (and arguably wise) to forego another year (or two) of commitment for a relatively marginal bump in the overall guarantee — all at the cost of annual earning power.

Simply put, without knowing whether the other bidders were willing to include similar opt-out terms, and without knowing the length of their proposals, it’s impossible to compare the offers. From my perspective, though, the deal that Heyward ultimately agreed to is a better contract for him than the straight ten-year, $200MM deal that we at MLBTR thought Heyward could command (see here and here).

As for Greinke, the veteran righty said today in his introductory press conference that he was literally minutes away from signing with some unknown other club before Arizona swept in. ESPN’s Molly Knight tweeted that the Giants were actually the runners up, making Greinke a six-year, $195MM offer.

But San Francisco’s president of baseball operations Brian Sabean has said publicly that the club was not comfortable promising Greinke a sixth year. And both Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area (Twitter link) and John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (also on Twitter) strongly disputed the notion that the Giants had come anywhere near the D-Backs’ offer.

The Dodgers, too, are said to have balked at going to six years on Greinke, as MLB.com’s Mark Saxon was among those to note recently (Twitter link). It remains unclear how high the Los Angeles offer was, and whether it or another team was the one that nearly struck a deal with Greinke.

Looking at all of those reported offers, it seems clear that there are several clubs that have the capacity and willingness to spend much more money this winter than they have so far. That’s not to say that all will actually put that cash right back into free agency. But the potential is there, and it’s also notable that an unexpected team (the Diamondbacks) put so much cash onto the market.

All said, there’s plenty left to be spent. And that makes sense: more than half of MLBTR’s top fifty free agents — including six of the top ten — remain unsigned at present.

Johnny Cueto’s Agent On Cardinals, Market

By Zachary Links | December 11, 2015 at 9:30am CDT

The Winter Meetings in Nashville are nearly through and many of the open market’s starting pitchers have found their homes for 2016 and beyond. However, one of this class’s very best, Johnny Cueto, is still searching for his big payday. Cueto is a bona fide ace with years of experience at the head of the Reds’ rotation, but a number of his expected suitors have already allocated major funds towards the top of the starting five. Even though some might have the impression that Cueto’s market is shrinking, agent Bryce Dixon told MLB Trade Rumors in a 1-on-1 interview that he doesn’t see things that way.

“You can always add an ace pitcher to your staff. All thirty teams can use a Cueto,” Dixon told MLBTR on Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee. “So, yeah, there are teams like the Diamondbacks that have added a [Zack] Greinke and a [Shelby] Miller, so maybe their appetite for him has lessened but, no, I don’t view the market as shrinking up. I’m still finding interest and there still seems to be enough out there for him to land comfortably with a team.”

So far, Cueto has yet to receive an offer that clearly separates him from the second tier of starting pitchers and Dixon says that he is comfortable in waiting. A few weeks ago, Cueto’s camp was handed a sizable offer from the Diamondbacks, one that was worth $126MM over six years, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (on Twitter). Some observers suggested that the offer was a strong one given Cueto’s second half issues and 50/50 showing in the postseason, but Dixon says that he did not discuss the offer at length with the pitcher before they turned it down.

Dixon concedes that the Diamondbacks are one club that does not have a clear fit for Cueto at this stage, but, on paper, the Cardinals do stand out as a team that would have the need and the resources required to sign the veteran. Still, some outsiders have suggested that unpleasant history between the two sides could get in the way of a union. In 2010, the Reds and Cardinals got into a brawl and, in one exchange, Cueto kicked catcher Jason LaRue in the head while wearing spikes. The impact of the kick left LaRue with concussion issues that forced him to retire at the end of the 2010 season. The brawl may still be fresh in the minds of some Cardinals fans, but the Cardinals organization has not brought up the incident in their talks with Cueto’s camp.

“I can’t speak to how the Cardinals feel. ..Obviously [Johnny] regrets how the fight went down,” Dixon told MLB Trade Rumors on Wednesday afternoon. “He’s expressed regret over it in the past. He loves pitching in the NL Central. He’s the best pitcher of our era in the NL Central. It would be a good marriage [between] Johnny and the Cardinals. I think once the fans got past the fight and they saw what a gamer Johnny is and what he could bring to the team, I think they would be able to embrace him now, though I don’t think that they’ll do that overnight.”

Dixon went on to explain that the circumstances of the brawl were complicated. Cueto was pushed up against the screen and, feeling trapped, he made a split-second reaction that he deeply regrets. For a time, the fight may have defined him as someone who is angry or violent, but those who work with and around Cueto, he says, can attest to his mellow character and positive attitude. Ultimately, Dixon can see the Cardinals being a great landing spot for his client.

“Johnny’s best friend is Brayan Pena (Pena signed a two-year deal with St. Louis this winter). Johnny would love to pitch to him and a catcher like [Yadier] Molina, so I think it would be a good fit. Whether the Cardinals step up with the necessary resources, that remains to be seen. But he has no problem towards the Cardinals and the manager of that [2010 Cardinals] team [Tony La Russa] is with the Diamondbacks organization now. He came down and met Johnny and they had no problem. It’s in the past. It’s unfortunate that it happened, but, on our side, we’ve moved on,” said Dixon.

Dixon could see Cueto forming a strong rotation alongside Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, and Carlos Martinez, but he could also envision his client looking good in Dodger blue next to Clayton Kershaw in L.A.’s rotation. Those are just two of the fits that Dixon can see for Cueto at this stage and he’s still willing to wait for what he feels is an appropriate pact. When asked to put a timetable on a Cueto signing, Dixon indicated that it could happen in a matter of minutes or a matter of weeks. One option he’s not considering at this time, however, is a one-year pillow deal to allow Cueto to cash in next winter.

“I don’t think we’re going to have to go down that road. We’ll remain flexible but I don’t anticipate something like that,” he said.

West Notes: Cueto, Puig, Rangers, D’Backs, Phillips, Padres

By Jeff Todd | December 10, 2015 at 10:05pm CDT

The Dodgers have “joined the fray” on free agent righty Johnny Cueto, per Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. It’s not immediately clear whether that indicates any stepped-up interest on the part of the Dodgers, who were previously said to have reached out to Cueto’s representatives recently. Indeed, agent Bryce Dixon told MLBTR’s Zach Links yesterday that he saw L.A. as a good fit. As Heyman adds, there are “a couple other” unnamed organizations also “in the mix” for Cueto at present.

Here are a few more notes from the game’s western divisions:

Scott Miller of Bleacher Report takes a close look at Yasiel Puig’s standing in the Dodgers organization. He speaks extensively with both Adrian Gonzalez and A.J. Ellis (among others), who provide fascinating insight into the strained (but, perhaps, not-yet broken) relationship between Puig and his teammates.
With the Rangers reportedly adding reliever Tony Barnette, there’s yet more reason to believe the club could strike a deal involving one of its young pen assets, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. The Diamondbacks have widely been tabbed as one pursuer, and Grant says that Arizona is eyeing late-inning hurlers Shawn Tolleson and Keone Kela. Though the D’Backs are said to be hesitant to part with young righty Archie Bradley, Grant says that exactly who Texas is eyeing in trade talks.
The Diamondbacks have talked to the Reds on multiple occasions about second baseman Brandon Phillips, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. Arizona’s win-now moves could help persuade Phillips to authorize a deal there, suggests Rosenthal, though MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweets that the veteran has not been approached to discuss his no-trade rights.
As with the Barnette signing, bringing in Christian Bethancourt isn’t necessarily just an isolated move for the Padres, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune explains. The move leaves the club with four catchers on its 40-man roster, and the two most recent additions — Betancourt and Josmil Pinto — are out of options. San Diego was “shopping” both Derek Norris and Austin Hedges over the week, per Lin, who suggests that it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see one of them dealt.

Diamondbacks Still In On Mike Leake

By Steve Adams and charliewilmoth | December 10, 2015 at 11:03am CDT

DEC. 10: The D-backs circled back with Leake’s representatives last night, reports MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert (Twitter link). GM Dave Stewart spoke highly of Leake to Fanragsports.com’s Jack Magruder (Twitter link), who echoes Gilbert’s report that the D-backs are still in the mix.

DEC. 9: Right-hander Mike Leake has been an oft-cited target of the Diamondbacks, but ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that Arizona is no longer pursuing him. It was reported early on Tuesday that the Diamondbacks (and Cardinals) were interested in Leake.

Given the day’s events, though, it perhaps comes as no surprise that Leake is no longer in the Diamondbacks’ plans. Arizona continued revamping its starting pitching with a huge trade to acquire Braves righty Shelby Miller, who will join Zack Greinke atop a new-look rotation. The commitments the Diamondbacks have already made to improve their pitching have been substantial, in terms of both dollars and young talent.

Leake, 28, is among the year’s younger free agents and is coming off a solid season and a nice three-year platform spent mostly with the Reds, but his market hasn’t fully come together yet as much of the early focus this offseason was on top names like David Price, Greinke and Jordan Zimmermann. The crowded trade market has also perhaps slowed some of the traction on Leake, though with Miller and those three aforementioned free agents (plus Jeff Samardzija, John Lackey, Hisashi Iwakuma and J.A. Happ) off the board, Leake is increasingly becoming one of the more desirable free agents on the market.

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

Fernandez Notes: Marlins, Diamondbacks, Giants

By charliewilmoth | December 10, 2015 at 7:20am CDT

The Marlins seem unlikely to trade Jose Fernandez, or make other major moves, before the end of the Winter Meetings, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald writes. “I think that’s a possibility, and we’re not upset,” says Marlins executive Michael Hill over the possibility that they’ll leave Nashville mostly empty-handed. “I don’t think we’d be disappointed, because it’s not over.” Hill adds that the Marlins are looking for starting pitching, but could also pursue bullpen upgrades if they deem the cost of acquiring pitching too high. Here are a couple more notes on Fernandez and the trade rumors swirling around him.

After making a very costly trade for Shelby Miller, Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart should follow his plan to its logical conclusion and find a way to trade for Fernandez also, Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan writes. The Miller trade and the Zack Greinke signing indicate that the Diamondbacks believe they can be competitive for the next three seasons, after which Miller and Patrick Corbin can depart. Arizona has an option on Paul Goldschmidt for 2019, and then he can leave, too. Stewart’s trade of Aaron Blair and 2015 No. 1 overall pick Dansby Swanson show that he lives in the moment, which makes Fernandez a perfect fit. The Diamondbacks could include Corbin, Braden Shipley, Archie Bradley and others in a five-for-one or six-for-one type of deal to make a trade happen, Passan suggests. (That might not be too farfetched, as the Marlins and Diamondbacks reportedly discussed a deal centered on Corbin and Swanson before the Snakes dealt Swanson to Atlanta.) That would give the Diamondbacks a top three of Greinke, Fernandez and Miller, making them terrifying — at least in the short term.
The Giants are still looking for another starting pitcher. That pitcher could come via trade, and John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that the Giants would be “all in” on Fernandez (who they’ve recently discussed with the Marlins). The price for Fernandez appears, obviously, be extremely high, and the Giants don’t have an exceptionally strong farm system, so making a trade work would probably tricky even if the Marlins were clearly willing to make one.

D-Backs, Rangers Meeting To Discuss Potential Pitching Trades

By Steve Adams | December 9, 2015 at 12:01pm CDT

The Diamondbacks and Rangers will meet today to discuss potential trade scenarios surrounding the Rangers’ stock of quality relievers and the D-backs’ new surplus of starting pitching options, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reported earlier today that the two sides have been discussing a potential deal. Jack Magruder of Fanragsports.com hears that Archie Bradley isn’t likely to be traded by the Diamondbacks after the team already parted with Aaron Blair (Twitter link).

Keone Kela, in particular, is drawing league-wide interest, according to Grant, though it’s difficult to envision the Rangers willingly parting with five years of the standout rookie, barring a substantial return. It was recently reported that the Rangers were open to including breakout closer Shawn Tolleson in trade talks, and the team also has an impressive stockpile of arms with considerable club control, including Jake Diekman, Sam Dyson and Tom Wilhelmsen (in addition to Kela and Tolleson).

Arizona has a number of mid-rotation options that could be of interest to the Rangers, including Rubby De La Rosa, Chase Anderson, Zack Godley and Robbie Ray, with right-hander Braden Shipley representing a high-quality, upper-level prospect that could contribute in the near future. (Although, the Rangers would presumably want more immediate rotation help were they to deal from their impressive bullpen.)

Of the pitchers listed from either team each (with the exception of Wilhelmsen) can be controlled for at least three more seasons, so either club could be picking up a relatively long-term asset should the two sides agree to a swap involving Major League parts. Suffice it to say, the specific permutation of a trade between the two sides is impossible to peg at this juncture, making speculation a perhaps futile (but nonetheless entertaining) endeavor. General managers Jon Daniels and Dave Stewart will have no shortage of options to discuss, but the two do indeed seem to be a good fit on paper.

West Notes: Giants, Gordon, Giles, Santiago, Wilson, Rangers, DBacks, Padres

By Jeff Todd | December 9, 2015 at 9:18am CDT

The Giants are seen as the frontrunner for outfielder Alex Gordon by some “rival evaluators,” ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. One other possible target for GM Bobby Evans and co. is Dexter Fowler, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Of course, we’ve also heard San Francisco connected to some of the other top free agent outfielders available, so there still seems to be plenty of uncertainty and opportunity for the organization in that area.

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