Kevin Cash: “Very Happy” In Tampa Bay
Rays manager Kevin Cash met with reporters this morning at Tampa Bay’s end-of-season news conference. The two-time Manager of the Year addressed his future, quashing speculation he could consider leaving the team.
Cash said he’s “very happy” in Tampa Bay and “(looking) forward to next year, for sure” (relayed by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). He’s under contract for another season as part of an extension signed back in October 2018, with the club also holding an option for the ’25 campaign.
There’d been some speculation the 45-year-old could be on the Guardians’ radar as they look for candidates to replace Terry Francona. Veteran reporter Peter Gammons tweeted last week that some within the industry believe Francona preferred Cash, who spent the 2013-14 seasons on his staff as Indians’ bullpen coach, to be his successor in Cleveland. Topkin reports that the Guardians have not reached out to the Rays about the possibility of speaking with Cash, although he adds that Cleveland has checked in with Tampa Bay about an unidentified “former Rays employee” who is among the candidates for the job.
Cash’s comments, while not unexpected, more or less end the minimal chance he’d leave Tampa Bay. It certainly doesn’t seem as if the Rays are interested in making a change. President of baseball operations Erik Neander called this season “the best job (Cash has) ever done here,” as the team won 99 games despite losing Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen to injury and placing Wander Franco on the restricted list in August. Topkin writes the club is likely to approach Cash about another extension during the offseason.
As a result of Francona’s retirement, Cash is now the longest-tenured active manager in the major leagues. He took over for Joe Maddon in December 2014. Tampa Bay is 739-614 (54.5% win percentage) in the regular season during his tenure, qualifying for the postseason in each of the last five years. They’ve advanced past the first round just once, securing the American League pennant in 2020 before falling to the Dodgers in the World Series. Cash finished top three in Manager of the Year balloting each season from 2018-21 and could well be a finalist again this year.
Red Sox Fire Pitching Coach Dave Bush
The Red Sox are firing pitching coach Dave Bush and will not retain third base coach Carlos Febles, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. The club has yet to confirm the news.
Bush has led the Boston pitching staff for four seasons. The Sox hired the former big league right-hander in October 2019. He held the role during Ron Roenicke’s year as interim manager and remained on staff when the Sox re-hired Alex Cora during the 2020-21 offseason.
The Sox have been a below-average run prevention team over the past four seasons. They rank 23rd in ERA during that stretch and finished 21st this year, allowing 4.51 earned runs per nine. That’s not all on the pitching staff. Playing in the AL East has pitted Boston against generally strong offenses. The Sox have also consistently run out a mediocre defensive alignment. Only the Cardinals, Rockies and A’s allowed a higher percentage of batted balls to fall for hits this past season.
From a strikeout and walk perspective, the Red Sox were a middle-of-the-pack group. They ranked 14th with a 23.1% strikeout percentage and 10th in walks, surrendering free passes at an 8.1% clip. Young right-hander Brayan Bello had a reasonably encouraging first full MLB season, although his production dropped markedly in the second half. It was the opposite story for Nick Pivetta, who was dominant late in the season after being bumped from the rotation by mid-May.
Aside from Bello, Boston shuttled through a number of pitchers in the rotation this year. Corey Kluber, James Paxton, Tanner Houck and Chris Sale all dealt with injury issues. That was also true of Garrett Whitlock, who didn’t find the expected level of success upon a move from the bullpen to the rotation. Kutter Crawford also bounced from the relief corps to the starting staff midway through the year. The pitching staff’s flux isn’t necessarily a reflection on Bush’s work — it was always likely to be a high-variance group given Paxton’s and Sale’s injury histories and the inexperience of Whitlock, Houck and Bello as starters — but the Sox will look for a new voice to lead their pitchers moving forward.
Febles has worked in the Boston organization for nearly two decades. He had been on the MLB staff as third base coach since 2018. A former infielder, Febles spent parts of six seasons in the majors with the Royals around the turn of the century.
The Yankees’ Offseason Middle Infield Question
MLBTR released our annual projected salaries for arbitration-eligible players last week. Among the class, only Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a higher figure than Gleyber Torres. MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projects the Yankee second baseman for a salary in the $15.3MM range for his final year of club control.
Torres has earned that lofty estimate with consistent offense through his five-plus seasons in the majors. He’s a career .267/.334/.454 hitter in a little over 3000 trips to the plate and has been above-average in five of six campaigns. This past season was typical for the righty-swinging infielder. Torres connected on 25 homers with a .273/.347/.453 showing across 672 plate appearances. He walked at a strong 10% clip while punching out only 14.6% of the time, the lowest rate of his career.
The glove is less reliable. Torres was a well below-average defender at shortstop earlier in his career. He has received tolerable but fringy grades from Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average at second base. Torres isn’t in danger of moving off the keystone. The bat carries the profile, though.
Even with a projected salary north of $15MM, Torres isn’t a non-tender candidate. He’s an above-average regular who would immediately be the best player available in a barren free agent middle infield class were the Yankees to inexplicably cut him loose. It’s fairly common for teams to consider trade scenarios for good but not elite players headed into their final seasons of club control on lofty projected salaries. That’s a more realistic possibility.
Dealing veterans in the five-plus year service class isn’t solely a move made by non-contenders. The Blue Jays (Teoscar Hernández), Brewers (Hunter Renfroe) and Twins (Gio Urshela) all made such moves last offseason and still made a playoff run. Toronto dealt Hernández for affordable bullpen help in right-hander Erik Swanson and to clear room in the outfield for a more defense-oriented group with the subsequent acquisitions of Daulton Varsho and Kevin Kiermaier. Milwaukee and Minnesota made their moves mostly with payroll in mind, though the Brewers did bring in middle reliever Elvis Peguero as part of the Renfroe return.
Clearly, the Yankees aren’t operating with the same financial constraints as the Brewers or Twins. Yet both those teams were also freed up to part with a solid veteran regular because they felt a young, pre-arbitration player could step up in the near future. Milwaukee had outfield prospects Joey Wiemer and Sal Frelick on the doorstep of the big leagues. The Twins were set to turn third base to second-year player José Miranda, with former first overall pick Royce Lewis a midseason possibility for an infield role following his return from ACL surgery.
For the Yankees, the biggest question might be whether they believe 23-year-old Oswald Peraza is capable of assuming that mantle. Peraza, who debuted with a strong 18-game showing late in 2022, spent the bulk of last season in Triple-A. He had a solid .268/.357/.479 line in 300 plate appearances there. The Yankees recalled him once they fell out of contention in late August. Peraza got regular infield run for five weeks but didn’t make an impact. He hit just .198/.236/.306 in 33 games to close out the year.
It’d be easier for general manager Brian Cashman and his front office to pencil Peraza for an everyday role in 2024 had he taken advantage of that opportunity. There’s nevertheless still an argument that’s their best course of action. Peraza is out of options, so the Yankees can’t send him back to Triple-A. (He’d surely be claimed on waivers if they tried to take him off the 40-man roster.) He’ll have to be on the major league roster unless the Yankees surprisingly traded him. If they’re hopeful he’ll be able an above-average regular at some point, it makes sense to get him consistent playing time.
That could come at third base, where Peraza spent the majority of his time in September. The Yankees received a putrid .221/.294/.361 slash from that position this year. That includes below-average work from the since-released Josh Donaldson, impending free agent Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Peraza himself. DJ LeMahieu was the other player with extended action at the position. The 35-year-old had a league average season overall despite solid production in the second half.
If the Yankees still view LeMahieu as an everyday player or land a free agent at the hot corner like Jeimer Candelario, the keystone becomes the obvious position for Peraza. The organization stuck with Anthony Volpe at shortstop through a middling offensive season. He outperformed most expectations defensively and seems entrenched there. Anthony Rizzo is expected back at first base, where LeMahieu saw most of his reps in the season’s final month.
There’s enough infield talent the Yankees could turn to the trade market on Torres. New York has a number of issues on the roster. There are questions in both outfield spots opposite Aaron Judge. Injuries or down years for each of Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas (the latter two of whom are headed to free agency) exposed the rotation depth in 2023. Their catchers contributed almost nothing offensively.
New York will have to address some of those shortcomings via free agency. Shopping Torres is another potential avenue for upgrading a different area of the roster. As the Hernández, Renfroe and Urshela deals demonstrate, there’s not immense trade value with one relatively costly season of a solid regular. While Torres is probably the best player of that group, he’s likely to also be the most expensive.
There’s more trade appeal now than there would be midseason, however. If the Yankees trade Torres during the offseason, an acquiring club could make him a qualifying offer at the end of next season — thereby entitling them to draft compensation if he departs in free agency. That wouldn’t be possible if Torres were dealt at next summer’s deadline, since teams can only make a QO to a player who spent the entire season on their roster.
The demand for middle infield solutions might also never be higher. The free agent second base class is headlined by the likes of Whit Merrifield, Amed Rosario and Adam Frazier. For teams trying to upgrade at the keystone — the White Sox, Mariners and Tigers may all fit that description and have short-term payroll space — the trade market is the clearest path.
Whether any team would be willing to make a strong enough offer for the Yankees to part with their second-best hitter won’t be known until the offseason. New York’s offense was a disaster when Judge went on the injured list. Trading Torres would thin it further unless they directly swapped him for a similarly productive outfield bat. Cashman and his staff have kicked around trade scenarios regarding Torres in the past and have yet to get a deal they find compelling. If they feel Peraza warrants a similar extended look to the one they gave Volpe this year, they could explore the market again this offseason.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Astros Part Ways With AGM Bill Firkus, Farm Director Sara Goodrum
The Astros have parted ways with assistant general manager Bill Firkus and player development director Sara Goodrum, reports Chandler Rome of the Athletic. GM Dana Brown confirmed the news, telling Rome the organization decided to go “in a different direction.”
Firkus was one of three executives with the AGM title in Houston, joining Andrew Ball and Charles Cook. He’d spent a decade with the franchise, working in the research and development and sports medicine departments. Firkus was originally hired during Jeff Lunhow’s GM tenure. He was the club’s senior director of baseball operations under James Click before being promoted to AGM last winter once the club moved on from Click.
Between Click’s dismissal and Brown’s hiring in January, Firkus and Ball shared daily responsibilities leading baseball operations. MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reported that Firkus had stepped into the role of point person for free agent pursuits at the beginning of the offseason.
Houston hired Goodrum out of the Brewers’ organization during the 2021-22 offseason. She spent two years overseeing the Astros’ farm system after working as a minor league hitting coordinator with Milwaukee.
It isn’t uncommon for incoming baseball operations leaders to reshape the front office early in their tenure. Brown was hired atypically late last offseason. That likely played a role in the first-year GM’s decision to keep the top of the front office structure mostly intact for the first season. Brown told reporters last week the organization had a number of executive promotions planned. It’s unclear if any of those people will take on the roles now vacated by the decisions to let go of Firkus and Goodrum or if they’ll look outside the organization this winter.
Submit Your Questions For This Week’s MLB Trade Rumors Podcast!
On the MLB Trade Rumors podcast, we’ll frequently answer questions from by our readers and listeners. With the next episode set for Wednesday, we’re looking for MLBTR’s audience to submit their questions and we’ll pick a few to answer.
Whether it’s a question about the postseason, discussing a past transaction, or a forward-looking question to the offseason trade and free agent markets — we’d love to hear from you! You can send your questions to mlbtrpod@gmail.com.
Also, if you want to hear your voice on the podcast, send us your question in audio form and we might play it. iPhone users can find instructions on how to do so here.
In the meantime, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
The Opener: NLDS, Ng, Managerial Searches
The Division Series got underway over the weekend, with the visitors off to strong starts. The Rangers put the Orioles on the brink of elimination by taking two in Baltimore, while the Twins leave Houston with a split. Over in the National League, both Wild Card teams took Game 1 over their 100-win opponents.
With the NL series continuing this evening, some storylines to follow over the next few days:
1. National League Division Series
While the American League clubs are on a travel day, the NL teams square off in Game 2. Starting at 5:07 pm CDT, the Braves’ elite lineup will look to bounce back after being blanked in Game 1. They’ll have their work cut out for them against Zack Wheeler, who allowed one run while fanning eight over 6 2/3 innings to beat the Marlins last week. Atlanta counters with Max Fried in what’ll be the southpaw’s first appearance since September 21. The star lefty was hampered by a blister late in the regular season.
The nightcap, which begins at 8:07 pm CDT, sees the D-Backs headed back to Dodger Stadium after their 11-2 drubbing of L.A. in Game 1. Arizona sends ace Zac Gallen to the hill as they try to stretch their lead. The Dodgers counter with hard-throwing rookie Bobby Miller, who turned in a 3.76 ERA over 22 starts in his debut campaign. Miller is the most in-form pitcher on a patchwork Dodger rotation, working to a 3.36 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate since the All-Star Break. They’ll need him to carry that over in his first playoff start to avoid digging themselves a significant hole.
2. Kim Ng’s contract status
The Marlins’ surprising run came to an end when they were rather easily dispatched by the Phillies in the first round. Tough postseason aside, it was an exciting year for the Fish, who made the playoffs despite generally being viewed as the fourth-best team in the NL East going into the season. They’re on to offseason mode, although they’ll first need to address the contract of their top executive. General manager Kim Ng is reportedly in the final season of a three-year deal. It’s hard to envision owner Bruce Sherman making a change atop baseball operations just weeks after the franchise’s first full-season playoff berth in two decades. An extension feels the likeliest outcome, but there’ll be some amount of uncertainty regarding the Fish until Ng puts pen to paper.
3. Managerial interviews
Four teams presently sit without a manager. The Giants, Mets and Angels all moved on from their previous skippers, while Terry Francona stepped aside after an 11-year run in the Guardians’ dugout. There’s still not a ton of clarity on those situations, but prospective candidates are likely to interview in the coming days. San Francisco president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told reporters last week they were beginning the interview process imminently, while there’s been speculation about a few candidates (e.g. Will Venable, Carlos Mendoza, Craig Albernaz) who might be on Cleveland’s radar. One wild card: Brewers manager Craig Counsell, whose contract with Milwaukee reportedly expires at the end of this month.
Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2024
Matt Swartz has created a model to project salaries for arbitration eligible players, which we’ve been publishing at MLB Trade Rumors for 13 years.
In the baseball industry, teams and agents determine arbitration salaries by identifying comparable players. To project the entire arbitration class in this way would take a massive amount of time and effort. So, Matt has developed an algorithm to project arbitration salaries that looks at the player’s playing time, position, role, and performance statistics while accounting for inflation. The performance of comparable players matters, but our system is not directly selecting individual comps for each individual player.
As a disclaimer, it should be emphasized that our projections are not to be used as a scorecard for the agent and team on an individual player level. A player doing better or worse than our projection isn’t indicative of anything. Our arbitration projections are created as a tool for our readers to get a general idea of a team’s payroll situation.
While the service time figures included are official, there is not yet an established Super Two cutoff, which delineates which players with between two and three years of service qualify for early arbitration. That could lead to a few late entrants being added to the list. It’s also worth noting that contracts signed prior to the non-tender deadline aren’t generally considered to be normal arbitration comparables; contracts signed prior to that deadline can be skewed by light offers that are presented to borderline non-tender candidates in take-it-or-leave-it fashion (with “leave it,” in such instances, being a non-tender). That’s not universal to all pre-tender deals but is frequently applicable.
If you find MLBTR’s arbitration projections useful, please consider supporting us with a subscription. Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers received early access to these arbitration projections, and the subscription also includes the best research tools you can get without actually working for an MLB team: our contract tracker, and our agency database.
The projections:
Angels (10)
- Griffin Canning (4.075): $2.5MM
- Brett Phillips (4.060): $1.4MM
- Luis Rengifo (4.043): $4.2MM
- Jaime Barria (4.035): $1.5MM
- Chad Wallach (4.018): $1.1MM
- Taylor Ward (3.164): $4.5MM
- Patrick Sandoval (3.149): $5MM
- Jared Walsh (3.114): $2.7MM
- Jose Suarez (3.084): $1.1MM
- Jose Quijada (3.046): $1MM
Astros (7)
- Framber Valdez (4.163): $12.1MM
- Kyle Tucker (4.079): $12.6MM
- Jose Urquidy (4.049): $3.5MM
- Mauricio Dubon (3.162): $3.1MM
- Luis Garcia (3.083): $2.1MM
- Bryan Abreu (3.022): $2MM
- Chas McCormick (3.000): $3.1MM
Athletics (6)
- Austin Pruitt (5.034): $1.2MM
- Sean Newcomb (4.113): $1MM
- Paul Blackburn (4.018): $3.2MM
- Carlos Perez (3.167): $1.2MM
- Seth Brown (3.104): $2.4MM
- James Kaprielian (2.167): $1.5MM
Blue Jays (13)
- Adam Cimber (5.156): $3.2MM
- Trevor Richards (5.084): $2.4MM
- Danny Jansen (5.050): $5.2MM
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (4.157): $20.4MM
- Tim Mayza (4.156): $3.3MM
- Cavan Biggio (4.129): $3.7MM
- Erik Swanson (4.096): $2.7MM
- Jordan Romano (4.051): $7.7MM
- Genesis Cabrera (4.011): $1.4MM
- Santiago Espinal (3.149): $2.5MM
- Daulton Varsho (3.128): $5.5MM
- Alejandro Kirk (3.047): $2.6MM
- Nate Pearson (3.005): $800K
Braves (13)
- A.J. Minter (5.154): $6.5MM
- Max Fried (5.148): $14.4MM
- Yonny Chirinos (5.114): $2MM
- Michael Soroka (5.009): $3MM
- Nick Anderson (4.153): $1.6MM
- Nicky Lopez (4.139): $3.9MM
- Kolby Allard (3.162): $1MM
- Ben Heller (3.102): $900K
- Sam Hilliard (3.094): $1.1MM
- Michael Tonkin (3.074): $1MM
- Kyle Wright (3.062): $1.4MM
- Andrew Velazquez (3.033): $740K
- Huascar Ynoa (3.011): $1MM
Brewers (12)
- Brandon Woodruff (5.161): $11.6MM
- Willy Adames (5.105): $12.4MM
- Corbin Burnes (5.049): $15.1MM
- Adrian Houser (5.010): $5.6MM
- Rowdy Tellez (5.004): $5.9MM
- Eric Lauer (4.111): $5.2MM
- Hoby Milner (4.068): $1.7MM
- Devin Williams (4.056): $6.5MM
- Tyrone Taylor (3.093): $1.7MM
- Bryse Wilson (3.036): $1.3MM
- Joel Payamps (3.027): $1.7MM
- Abraham Toro (3.011): $1.3MM
Cardinals (10)
- Jacob Barnes (5.112): $1MM
- Tyler O’Neill (5.059): $5.5MM
- Dakota Hudson (4.156): $3.7MM
- Tommy Edman (4.114): $6.5MM
- Ryan Helsley (4.105): $3MM
- Andrew Knizner (4.021): $2MM
- Dylan Carlson (3.104): $1.8MM
- Jake Woodford (3.048): $1.1MM
- JoJo Romero (3.045): $900K
- John King (2.148): $1.0MM
Cubs (9)
- Codi Heuer (4.000): $785K
- Nick Madrigal (3.163): $1.9MM
- Mike Tauchman (3.143): $2MM
- Nick Burdi (3.140): $800K
- Julian Merryweather (3.109): $1.3MM
- Patrick Wisdom (3.058): $2.6MM
- Adbert Alzolay (3.050): $2.5MM
- Mark Leiter Jr. (3.031): $1.6MM
- Justin Steele (2.143): $4.1MM
Diamondbacks (8)
- Christian Walker (5.124): $12.7MM
- Paul Sewald (5.072): $7.3MM
- Austin Adams (4.150): $1.1MM
- Zac Gallen (4.100): $10.9MM
- Ryan Thompson (3.095): $1.3MM
- Kyle Lewis (3.067): $1.61MM
- Kevin Ginkel (3.032): $1.4MM
- Joe Mantiply (3.029): $1MM
Dodgers (13)
- Walker Buehler (5.168): $8.03MM
- Ryan Yarbrough (5.117): $3.8MM
- Caleb Ferguson (5.093): $2.3MM
- Yency Almonte (4.143): $1.9MM
- Will Smith (4.090): $9.3MM
- Dustin May (4.059): $2.4MM
- Brusdar Graterol (3.167): $2.5MM
- Wander Suero (3.144): $900K
- Evan Phillips (3.136): $3.4MM
- Gavin Lux (3.114): $1.1MM
- J.P. Feyereisen (3.108): $1MM
- Alex Vesia (3.078): $1.2MM
- Victor Gonzalez (3.058): $1MM
Giants (6)
- Austin Slater (5.147): $3.6MM
- J.D. Davis (5.137): $6.8MM
- Mike Yastrzemski (4.128): $7.3MM
- LaMonte Wade Jr. (4.035): $3.3MM
- Tyler Rogers (4.034): $3.2MM
- Thairo Estrada (3.169): $4.8MM
Guardians (10)
- Shane Bieber (5.097): $12.2MM
- Cam Gallagher (5.073): $1.3MM
- Ramon Laureano (4.165): $4.7MM
- Cal Quantrill (4.132): $6.6MM
- Josh Naylor (4.127): $7.2MM
- James Karinchak (3.099): $1.9MM
- Triston McKenzie (3.074): $1.8MM
- Enyel De Los Santos (3.015): $1.2MM
- Sam Hentges (2.157): $1.1MM
- Nick Sandlin (2.157): $1.1MM
Marlins (13)
- Jacob Stallings (5.149): $3.6MM
- Tanner Scott (5.059): $5.8MM
- Garrett Hampson (5.010): $1.3MM
- Luis Arraez (4.121): $10.8MM
- JT Chargois (4.101): $1.2MM
- Jesus Luzardo (3.165): $5.9MM
- A.J. Puk (3.124): $1.8MM
- Steven Okert (3.109): $1.2MM
- Trevor Rogers (3.094): $1.5MM
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. (3.075): $2.8MM
- Jonathan Davis (3.035): $800K
- Anthony Bender (2.153): $900K
- Jesus Sanchez (2.118): $2MM
Mariners (8)
- Ty France (4.089): $7.2MM
- Luis Torrens (3.155): $1.3MM
- Trent Thornton (3.148): $1.4MM
- Josh Rojas (3.126): $3.5MM
- Sam Haggerty (3.044): $800K
- Justin Topa (3.044): $1.5MM
- Mike Ford (3.008): $1.5MM
- Logan Gilbert (2.144): $4.9MM
Mets (17)
- Daniel Vogelbach (5.138): $2.6MM
- Trevor Gott (5.057): $2MM
- Elieser Hernandez (5.044): $1.6MM
- Drew Smith (5.034): $2.3MM
- Pete Alonso (5.000): $22MM
- Luis Guillorme (4.159): $1.7MM
- Tim Locastro (4.122): $1.6MM
- Joey Lucchesi (4.112): $2MM
- Sam Coonrod (4.078): $900K
- Jeff Brigham (3.142): $1.1MM
- John Curtiss (3.137): $1MM
- Michael Perez (3.095): $800K
- David Peterson (3.089): $2MM
- Danny Mendick (3.058): $1.1MM
- Rafael Ortega (3.035): $1.4MM
- DJ Stewart (2.168): $1.5MM
- Phil Bickford (2.134): $1.2MM
Nationals (8)
- Dominic Smith (5.081): $4.3MM
- Victor Robles (5.033): $2.7MM
- Tanner Rainey (4.127): $1.5MM
- Michael Chavis (4.089): $1.2MM
- Hunter Harvey (4.047): $2.2MM
- Lane Thomas (4.014): $7MM
- Kyle Finnegan (4.000): $5.1MM
- Luis Garcia (2.142): $2.4MM
Orioles (16)
- Anthony Santander (5.162): $12.7MM
- Danny Coulombe (5.008): $2.2MM
- John Means (5.007): $5.93MM
- Ryan O’Hearn (4.170): $3MM
- Cedric Mullins (4.078): $6.4MM
- Austin Hays (4.057): $6.1MM
- Dillon Tate (4.048): $1.5MM
- Jorge Mateo (4.000): $2.9MM
- Ryan Mountcastle (3.105): $4.2MM
- Cionel Perez (3.085): $1.3MM
- Cole Irvin (3.083): $1.8MM
- Keegan Akin (3.079): $800K
- Jacob Webb (3.046): $1.2MM
- Ramon Urias (3.025): $2MM
- Tyler Wells (2.132): $2.3MM
- Ryan McKenna (2.123): $740K
Padres (6)
- Juan Soto (5.134): $33MM
- Tim Hill (5.112): $2.4MM
- Scott Barlow (5.030): $7.1MM
- Trent Grisham (4.060): $4.9MM
- Austin Nola (4.045): $2.35MM
- Adrian Morejon (3.140): $900K
Phillies (8)
- Jeff Hoffman (5.084): $2.1MM
- Ranger Suarez (4.112): $4.7MM
- Gregory Soto (4.102): $4.9MM
- Jake Cave (4.071): $1.4MM
- Edmundo Sosa (3.140): $1.7MM
- Dylan Covey (3.138): $1MM
- Garrett Stubbs (3.120): $900K
- Alec Bohm (3.106): $4.3MM
Pirates (6)
- Ryan Borucki (5.006): $1.3MM
- Miguel Andujar (4.053): $2.2MM
- Mitch Keller (4.026): $6MM
- JT Brubaker (4.000): $2.28MM
- David Bednar (3.076): $4.7MM
- Connor Joe (2.136): $2MM
Rangers (10)
- Matt Bush (5.058): $2.1MM
- Brett Martin (4.151): $1.28MM
- Nathaniel Lowe (3.145): $8.8MM
- Jonathan Hernandez (3.131): $1.3MM
- Jonah Heim (3.097): $3.6MM
- Adolis Garcia (3.095): $6.6MM
- Dane Dunning (3.083): $3.4MM
- Brock Burke (3.065): $1.1MM
- Josh Sborz (3.055): $900K
- Leody Taveras (2.124): $2.4MM
Rays (16)
- Raimel Tapia (5.144): $2.4MM
- Shawn Armstrong (5.113): $1.8MM
- Andrew Kittredge (5.070): $2.3MM
- Jalen Beeks (5.003): $1.8MM
- Harold Ramirez (4.124): $4.4MM
- Colin Poche (4.114): $2.1MM
- Aaron Civale (4.058): $4.6MM
- Zack Littell (4.043): $1.7MM
- Christian Bethancourt (4.038): $2.3MM
- Cole Sulser (3.157): $900K
- Jason Adam (3.132): $3MM
- Randy Arozarena (3.129): $9MM
- Drew Rasmussen (3.111): $2.2MM
- Isaac Paredes (2.160): $3.2MM
- Shane McClanahan (2.158): $3.6MM
- Josh Fleming (2.144): $1MM
Red Sox (5)
- Nick Pivetta (5.166): $6.9MM
- Alex Verdugo (5.078): $9.2MM
- Luis Urias (4.098): $4.7MM
- Reese McGuire (4.027): $1.7MM
- John Schreiber (3.027): $1.3MM
Reds (10)
- Lucas Sims (5.014): $2.8MM
- Nick Senzel (4.150): $3MM
- Derek Law (4.081): $1.4MM
- Justin Dunn (4.020): $900K
- Tejay Antone (4.000): $900K
- Alex Young (3.143): $1.7MM
- Jake Fraley (3.097): $2.2MM
- Tyler Stephenson (3.056): $2.9MM
- Jonathan India (3.000): $3.7MM
- Vladimir Gutierrez (2.127): $1MM
Rockies (7)
- Harold Castro (4.141): $1.8MM
- Austin Gomber (4.111): $3.3MM
- Brendan Rodgers (4.075): $3.3MM
- Ty Blach (3.135): $1.8MM
- Peter Lambert (3.128): $1.2MM
- Austin Wynns (3.090): $1MM
- Lucas Gilbreath (2.148): $800K
Royals (8)
- Taylor Clarke (4.120): $2.2MM
- Josh Taylor (4.118): $1.3MM
- Josh Staumont (4.071): $1.2MM
- Taylor Hearn (3.165): $1.7MM
- Brady Singer (3.156): $5.1MM
- Kris Bubic (3.135): $2.4MM
- Edward Olivares (3.049): $1.8MM
- Carlos Hernandez (2.145): $1.3MM
Tigers (8)
- Austin Meadows (5.074): $4.3MM
- Spencer Turnbull (4.167): $2.4MM
- Tyler Alexander (4.058): $2MM
- Trey Wingenter (4.017): $1.1MM
- Tarik Skubal (3.114): $2.6MM
- Casey Mize (3.111): $1.2MM
- Jake Rogers (3.040): $2MM
- Akil Baddoo (2.119): $1.7MM
Twins (9)
- Caleb Thielbar (5.131): $3MM
- Kyle Farmer (5.129): $6.6MM
- Jordan Luplow (5.025): $1.6MM
- Willi Castro (4.017): $3.2MM
- Jorge Alcala (4.014): $1MM
- Ryan Jeffers (3.089): $2.3MM
- Jose De Leon (3.062): $740K
- Alex Kirilloff (2.141): $1.7MM
- Nick Gordon (2.136): $1MM
White Sox (8)
- Clint Frazier (4.092): $900K
- Dylan Cease (4.089): $8.8MM
- Michael Kopech (4.041): $3.6MM
- Trayce Thompson (4.010): $1.7MM
- Matt Foster (3.093): $740K
- Touki Toussaint (3.071): $1.7MM
- Garrett Crochet (3.028): $900K
- Andrew Vaughn (3.000): $3.7MM
Yankees (17)
- Lou Trivino (5.163): $4.1MM
- Gleyber Torres (5.162): $15.3MM
- Clay Holmes (5.031): $6MM
- Jonathan Loaisiga (5.022): $2.5MM
- Kyle Higashioka (5.005): $2.3MM
- Franchy Cordero (4.160): $1.6MM
- Domingo German (4.142): $4.4MM
- Nestor Cortes (4.094): $3.9MM
- Jose Trevino (4.063): $2.7MM
- Matt Bowman (4.043): $1MM
- Michael King (4.004): $2.6MM
- Ryan Weber (3.167): $900K
- Billy McKinney (3.087): $1.2MM
- Jake Bauers (3.084): $1.7MM
- Jimmy Cordero (3.061): $900K
- Clarke Schmidt (2.148): $2.6MM
- Albert Abreu (2.118): $900K
Sandy Alcantara Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
Marlins star Sandy Alcantara underwent Tommy John surgery, he announced on Instagram. The procedure, performed by Dr. Keith Meister, occurred this morning. He’ll miss the entire 2024 season.
“With a heavy heart, I want to let everyone know I had Tommy John surgery today and will miss next season,” the 2022 NL Cy Young winner wrote as part of a statement. “I am most saddened for the great Marlins fans, who were so supportive of me and the team this year. The drive to the playoffs was thrilling for all of us.”
While the Marlins hadn’t indicated that surgery was on the table, it’s not an especially surprising development. Alcantara’s season was cut short last month. He landed on the injured list on September 6 with what the team initially diagnosed as a flexor strain. That was later revised to a UCL sprain, indicating some measure of tearing within the elbow ligament. With the Fish making a playoff push, Alcantara tried to return at season’s end. He threw four innings in a Triple-A rehab outing but reported additional forearm discomfort coming out of that appearance. Miami shut him down at that point.
The Fish were able to get into the postseason even without Alcantara contributing in the last few weeks. After being swept in the Wild Card round by the Phillies, they’ll go into the offseason looking for ways to build off this year’s promise. That’ll be quite a bit more difficult without one of the sport’s preeminent workhorses.
No pitcher has thrown more innings than Alcantara’s 619 over the last three seasons. Only Gerrit Cole has taken a heavier workload going back to the start of 2019. Alcantara handily leads the majors in complete games over the last three years, finishing off 10 starts. No other pitcher has gone the distance more than six times.
The two-time All-Star combines that MLB-best volume with outstanding rate production. He posted a sub-4.00 ERA every year from 2019-22, highlighted by a sterling 2.28 earned runs allowed per nine last season. He was unanimously voted the Senior Circuit’s top pitcher. Alcantara wasn’t as dominant this year, though he turned in another effective season overall. In 28 starts, he worked to a 4.14 ERA behind a 52% grounder rate while averaging over six and a half innings per appearance.
At this time last year, the Marlins had an embarrassment of riches on the mound. That contributed to their decision to deal Pablo López for Luis Arraez in an effort to balance the roster. Miami has to be thrilled with what they received from Arraez in his first season in South Florida. While they still have a good rotation, its depth has taken some notable hits.
Trevor Rogers made just four starts, none after April, because of a left biceps strain and a partial tear in his right (non-throwing) lat muscle. Prospect Jake Eder was dealt midseason for third baseman Jake Burger. Hard-throwing righty Edward Cabrera walked over 15% of major league opponents and was demoted to Triple-A for a month midseason. He managed a 4.24 ERA behind a strong 27.3% strikeout percentage. Miami’s starting staff ranked 9th in the majors in ERA (4.10), an effective yet hardly dominant result.
Left-handers Jesús Luzardo and Braxton Garrett each topped 30 starts with sub-4.00 ERA showings. Top prospect Eury Pérez worked to a 3.15 ERA while striking out nearly 29% of batters faced in 19 outings as a rookie. They project as the top three in next year’s staff, likely followed by Cabrera and Rogers. Former #3 overall pick Max Meyer should be ready for Spring Training after missing all of this year working back from Tommy John surgery of his own.
There’s significant ceiling in that group, but only Luzardo and Garrett have shouldered a full big league workload within the last two seasons. The club could be cautious with innings counts for any of Pérez, Rogers or Meyer. Ryan Weathers and Bryan Hoeing currently stand as the top depth options.
It seems likely Miami will bring in a veteran arm to add some stability to the group. They hoped that last winter’s signing of Johnny Cueto to an $8.5MM free agent deal would lock in serviceable back-of-the-rotation innings. Cueto didn’t meet expectations and is headed back to the open market. GM Kim Ng and her staff could look for a similar addition this time around.
Alcantara will count against the 40-man roster throughout the offseason. Miami can place him on the 60-day injured list at the beginning of Spring Training. As part of the extension he signed in November 2021, he’ll make $9MM next season. Alcantara is under contract for $17MM annually between 2025-26. Miami has a $21MM option or a $2MM buyout for the ’27 season.
Organizational Notes: Angels, Nationals, Mets
The Angels and assistant general manager Alex Tamin are parting ways, report Alden González and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN (Twitter link). Tamin had spent the last three years in Orange County, following GM Perry Minasian from the Braves a week after the Halos hired Minasian out of the Atlanta front office.
Tamin had also spent three years as an AGM with the Braves. Prior to landing in Atlanta, he was a member of the Dodgers’ baseball operations department for six seasons. He was the Angels’ only AGM and served as Minasian’s top lieutenant. It’s the second notable departure for the Halos this week after the club let go of manager Phil Nevin on Monday.
Some other front office/ownership notes around the game:
- The Nationals will hire Danny Haas as scouting director, reports R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports (Twitter link). He’ll take charge of the franchise’s amateur drafts. That role had been held by Kris Kline, who was transferred from scouting director to a special assistant position last month. Haas, 47, has worked in the Diamondbacks’ scouting department for the last five seasons. A Louisville product, he played parts of five seasons in the minor leagues before beginning his scouting career a little over two decades ago.
- News of Billy Eppler’s resignation as Mets’ GM yesterday was met with surprise, as he had been expected to stay on as David Stearns’ #2 executive. The situation became more muddled with a report that MLB was looking into claims the Mets had improperly managed their injured list. Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily reports that owner Steve Cohen is not a target of the league’s investigation (Twitter link). It is still unclear the manner in which MLB suspects that Mets’ officials may have mishandled their IL situation. Whether the organization faces potential penalties remains to be seen.
MLBTR Poll: Division Series Winners
All four Division Series get going tomorrow. The Wild Card series were mostly uncompetitive, with all four ending in a two-game sweep. We’re now on to best-of-five sets that can run through next Friday.
Rangers vs. Orioles
The second round begins in the afternoon when the Rangers head to Baltimore. Texas used Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi to dispatch the Rays, so they’ll go with left-hander Andrew Heaney in Game 1. He’ll be opposed by Baltimore’s breakout staff ace, righty Kyle Bradish.
Texas won 90 games behind a star-studded lineup. Anchored by Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Adolis García, Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim, the Rangers finished third in the majors in runs. The pitching staff is more questionable, especially with Max Scherzer’s availability for the postseason still uncertain. Montgomery and Eovaldi make for a strong top two, but the bullpen has been a concern all season.
Baltimore lost its elite closer Félix Bautista to Tommy John surgery on the eve of the postseason. All-Star Yennier Cano steps into the ninth inning. The O’s sprinted to 101 wins this year, holding off the Rays to lock down an AL East title and the league’s top seed. Adley Rutschman, Rookie of the Year favorite Gunnar Henderson, Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins headline a lineup that ranked seventh in run scoring. Bradish and rookie Grayson Rodriguez lead the rotation. It’s the first playoff appearance for most of a young but ultra-talented Baltimore group.
Who Will Win This ALDS?
-
Orioles 62% (3,124)
-
Rangers 38% (1,934)
Total votes: 5,058
Twins vs. Astros
The second ALDS sends the AL Central winning Twins to Houston. Minnesota used Pablo López and Sonny Gray in their opening set. They’ll go with Bailey Ober in Game 1 opposite Justin Verlander.
Minnesota held the Blue Jays to one run in their opening series. They’ve had arguably the sport’s best starting rotation, ranking fourth in innings and trailing only the Padres in ERA. Their bullpen isn’t quite as deep, although flamethrowing Jhoan Duran is tough to handle in the ninth inning. While the lineup is built a little more on strong depth than star talent at the top, former first overall pick Royce Lewis raked at a .309/.372/.548 clip in 58 regular season games before launching homers in each of his first two career playoff at-bats against Toronto.
The Astros never quite clicked the way they had during their 106-win regular season last year. Yet even without ever fully running on all cylinders, the defending World Series champions won 90 games and swept Arizona in the final weekend to grab another AL West title. They’ll comfortably turn the ball to Verlander and Framber Valdez for the first two games to support a lineup with Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, and Jose Altuve firing on all cylinders and backed by Chas McCormick, Alex Bregman and rookie catcher/DH Yainer Diaz.
Who Will Win This ALDS?
-
Astros 60% (3,096)
-
Twins 40% (2,090)
Total votes: 5,186
Phillies vs. Braves
Arguably the most compelling of the Division Series pits the defending NL pennant winners against the best regular season team of 2023. Philadelphia began what they hope to be a second straight run from Wild Card to the Fall Classic by breezing past the Marlins in Round One. They needed Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola to do so, so southpaw Ranger Suárez starts tomorrow. Atlanta counters with strikeout king Spencer Strider.
The Phils lean heavily on their excellent top three starters and a star-studded lineup. Bryce Harper has been characteristically stellar, while Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner have gotten rolling following slow starts to the season. While the bullpen has been a concern for Philadelphia in prior Octobers, it has held up very well this year. Even though they never threatened Atlanta for a run at the top of the division, the Phils look like one of the most complete teams remaining.
Their pitching staff needs to be up for a challenge. The Braves counter with the best lineup in baseball, a group that runs nine deep and handily outslugged the rest of the league. Atlanta was the only team to reach the 250-homer plateau this year. They hit 307. Matt Olson led the league with 54 longballs and 139 RBI, Ronald Acuña Jr. went 40-70, and everyone else in the starting lineup hit at least 17 homers. To the extent there’s a concern with this team, it’s the rotation beyond Strider. Max Fried battled a blister at the end of the regular season, leaving a little uncertainty headed into his Game 2 start, while Charlie Morton will miss the series due to finger inflammation.
Who Will Win This NLDS?
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Braves 66% (3,583)
-
Phillies 34% (1,837)
Total votes: 5,420
D-Backs vs. Dodgers
The Diamondbacks were the NL’s final playoff qualifier. Arizona knocked off Milwaukee in round one, with the sweep keeping them using #2 starter Merrill Kelly (who’d pitched in the regular season’s final weekend and was lined up for a potential Game 3). Instead, Kelly gets the nod tomorrow against Clayton Kershaw.
With NL Rookie of the Year lock Corbin Carroll leading off, Arizona has gotten strong work from Ketel Marte and underrated slugger Christian Walker. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. carries a hot streak into the postseason, while young catcher Gabriel Moreno had a great second half. Moreno left Game 2 against Milwaukee after being hit on the head with a backswing, but he’s expected to be full-go for this series (via Alden González of ESPN). The one-two of Kelly and Zac Gallen and a bullpen anchored by Paul Sewald and Kevin Ginkel gives the pitching staff strong talent at the top. The question is the depth — both at the bottom of the lineup and the back half of the starting rotation.
The Dodgers are legitimate World Series contenders yet again. They won 100 games for the fourth consecutive full season. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are going to finish in the top five in MVP balloting. J.D. Martinez is having his best season in a few years, while Max Muncy and rookie James Outman are significant power threats. The Dodgers have an elite collection of late-game arms, leading the majors with a 2.26 relief ERA in the second half behind Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol. It’s a relatively weak rotation for L.A., however. Kershaw’s velocity has been down as he pitches through shoulder discomfort, perhaps leaving rookie Bobby Miller as their most reliable starter. Dave Roberts figures to get to the bullpen early and often.
Who Will Win This NLDS?
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Dodgers 68% (3,453)
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Diamondbacks 32% (1,621)
Total votes: 5,074