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Aaron Ashby Likely Out Multiple Months With Shoulder Injury

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The Brewers anticipate that left-hander Aaron Ashby will miss “a couple of months” due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder, manager Craig Counsell told reporters this afternoon (relayed by Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). The skipper said Ashby has felt pain during his throwing session and will have to be shut down entirely for some time (via Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel).

Milwaukee leadership had already suggested last week the southpaw wouldn’t be ready for Opening Day due to shoulder fatigue. The inflammation and complete shutdown represents a much more significant development than the Brewers had previously indicated. It’s not a complete surprise but frustrating news for the highly-touted young pitcher.

Ashby also missed time last season, logging injured list stints due to inflammation in both his elbow and shoulder. The latter issue cost him a month between late August and September, lingered into the offseason, and continues to pose a problem. His return timeline still seems to lack much certainty, though it looks as if he could be out of action for an extended chunk of the season’s first half.

The 24-year-old is a former top prospect. He’s only managed a 4.47 ERA in 139 career big league innings thus far, though he’s shown an enviable combination of bat-missing and ground-ball propensities. Ashby struck out 26.5% of batters faced in his 107 1/3 frames last season. He paired that with a massive 56.7% grounder percentage. Rays ace Shane McClanahan was the only other pitcher (minimum 100 innings) to strike out at least a quarter of opponents while keeping the ball on the ground over half the time a batter does make contact. That highlights why evaluators have been optimistic about Ashby’s upside.

Milwaukee clearly values Ashby as a long-term contributor. The Brew Crew signed him to a $20.5MM guarantee last summer, adding a pair of club options to extend their window of control by two seasons. He only appeared in eight games after signing that deal before injuries intervened. There’s obviously plenty of time for Ashby to get healthy and become the caliber of pitcher Milwaukee has envisioned, though that’ll be on hold as they try to sort out his shoulder issues.

Even in his absence, the Brewers have a strong starting staff. The trio of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta can rival any other club’s top three. Eric Lauer is a solid back-of-the-rotation arm, while Milwaukee reunited with Wade Miley on a one-year free agent deal. Ground-ball specialist Adrian Houser is on hand as the #6 option and would figure to start the season in long relief if the rest of the group stays healthy. There was some speculation the Brewers could put Houser on the trade block immediately after they signed Miley. Ashby’s longer-term health uncertainty seems to diminish that possibility.

Dodgers Sign David Peralta

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Feb. 16: Peralta’s incentives are based on days on the active roster, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Peralta will get $500K for 90, 120 and 150 days on the active roster.

Feb. 10: The Dodgers are adding one of the top remaining free agent outfielders, agreeing to terms with David Peralta on a one-year deal. The contract, which is pending a physical, reportedly guarantees the ACES client $6.5MM and could max out at $8MM if Peralta reaches all his incentives.

Peralta heads back to the NL West, where he spent the first eight and a half years of his big league career with the Diamondbacks. The left-handed hitter broke out with a .312/.371/.522 showing in 2015 to secure the primary left field job in the desert. He’d only once recapture quite that level when he hit 30 homers in 2018 but typically posted slightly above-average offensive numbers while playing quality defense.

Things have been fairly consistent over the past four seasons, with the Venezuela native putting up offensive numbers within the realm of league average. Going back to the start of the 2019 season, he’s a .266/.329/.425 hitter in over 1600 plate appearances. That production checks in two percentage points above league average, as measured by wRC+. Peralta typically walks around a league average rate, makes a decent amount of contact and has averaged a 13-homer pace per 600 plate appearances over that stretch.

It seemed as if he might take a step forward early in his age-34 campaign. Peralta seemingly made a concerted effort to elevate the ball more, hitting fly balls at a 44.9% clip in his first 87 games after never previously topping a 31% rate in a season. That came with a slight uptick in strikeouts but also a notable jump in power, as he hit 12 homers with a solid .248/.316/.460 line through 310 trips to the dish. With the Diamondbacks out of contention and wanting to get a look at a number of promising controllable outfield options, they dealt Peralta to the Rays a little before the summer deadline.

Peralta’s newfound power didn’t translate to his time in Tampa Bay. He didn’t connect on a single homer in 47 contests for the Rays, stumbling to a .255/.317/.335 line over 180 plate appearances. His fly-ball percentage dropped ten points, and while his 34.7% rate as a Ray would’ve still represented a career high before last season, it was much more in line with his previous marks. Between the two clubs, the veteran combined for a .251/.316/.415 line over 490 trips.

It’s possible back discomfort played a role in Peralta’s late-season drop in production. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times recently reported he underwent an offseason surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. There’s no indication that’ll affect his readiness for spring camp and provides some hope he might be able to recapture his first-half form with better health.

Peralta adds an experienced lefty bat to a corner outfield mix that had seemed fairly uncertain aside from Mookie Betts. Chris Taylor had his worst season as a Dodger last year with a strikeout rate exceeding 35%. He’ll surely get an opportunity to bounce back but might be better suited for his typical multi-positional role than everyday work in left field. Center field looks to fall to Trayce Thompson, who had a huge .256/.353/.507 line in a half-season last year but struck out at a 36.5% clip himself.

Highly-regarded prospect James Outman could also secure some playing time after a big season in the upper minors. The 25-year-old only has four games of big league experience so far, however. Veterans Jason Heyward, Bradley Zimmer and Steven Duggar will be in camp as non-roster invitees. Manager Dave Roberts recently indicated on a podcast appearance with ESPN’s Buster Olney that Heyward had a strong chance of making the club, though that’d presumably be in a depth capacity.

Peralta can take some at-bats from Taylor and/or Thompson against right-handed pitching while perhaps giving the club the freedom to start Outman back with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Peralta has long been a reliable option with the platoon advantage and typically plays strong left field defense. Public metrics were mixed on his glovework in 2022 — Defensive Runs Saved estimated he was five runs below average, while Statcast graded him five runs above par — but he should at least offer competent work on that side of the ball.

It’s a fairly modest roll of the dice from a financial perspective. Tacking on Peralta’s salary brings Los Angeles’ projected 2023 payroll around $227MM, as calculated by Roster Resource. The organization’s luxury tax ledger is now up to about $243MM, taking them more than $10MM above the base threshold. The Dodgers are taxed at a 50% rate on any spending between $233MM and $253MM as a team that’s set to pay the tax for a third consecutive season. The total acquisition cost for Peralta is roughly $9.75MM — $6.5MM in salary plus $3.25MM in fees — and brings the Dodgers within $10MM of the second threshold and its associated heightened penalties.

That’s not nothing, though it’s not a huge outlay for a franchise that spent an MLB-most $32.4MM in luxury payments last year. The Dodgers flirted with the possibility of dipping below the threshold this winter, a move that would’ve been mostly about resetting their payor status and dodging repeat penalties if they went back over next offseason. Those hopes mostly evaporated once Trevor Bauer’s suspension was reduced on appeal and his salary came back on the books. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman confirmed last week the club was not looking to avoid the tax as they fight for another division title, and they’ve backed that up by bringing Peralta aboard.

With Peralta headed to L.A., the free agent corner outfield market thins out even further. Jurickson Profar is the clear top player still remaining, while platoon types like Tyler Naquin and Ben Gamel are also unsigned. The Yankees have been linked to left field help, Peralta included, at times this offseason but might be up against their spending limit. The Rangers are still scouring the corner outfield market, while teams like the Braves and White Sox have some question marks but appear likely to roll with their in-house options at this point.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Dodgers and Peralta were in agreement. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported it was a one-year, $6.5MM guarantee that could max out at $8MM.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Joe Jimenez Underwent Offseason Spine Surgery, Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day

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First-year Braves reliever Joe Jiménez underwent surgery to correct a lumbar spine strain this offseason, tweets David O’Brien of the Athletic. The right-hander is already throwing in spring camp, and O’Brien indicates he’s still expected to be ready for Opening Day.

Jiménez is coming off the best season of his career. He threw 56 2/3 innings of 3.49 ERA ball while striking out a third of opposing hitters on a 14.5% swinging strike rate. That was the highest strikeout percentage of his five-plus big league campaigns, but the Puerto Rican-born hurler has always had a knack for missing bats. The bigger development was Jiménez trimming his walk rate to a tidy 5.6% clip, easily his best mark in a 162-game schedule.

Thanks in part to his strong performance, the Tigers had a quality bullpen that represented the only bright spot on an otherwise dismal 2022 club. Jiménez’s season was cut a little short by the back issue, however, as he landed on the injured list on September 24 and missed the season’s final two weeks. The issue was apparently serious enough he had to go under the knife, though O’Brien characterizes the procedure as relatively non-invasive.

Clearly, the Braves aren’t much concerned about the status of Jiménez’s back. Atlanta parted with outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy, one of the better prospects in their farm system, to acquire the hard-throwing reliever at the end of the Winter Meetings. Jiménez is in the middle to late innings as part of what should be an excellent bullpen. Raisel Iglesias is lined up to close, with A.J. Minter, Kirby Yates, Collin McHugh and Dylan Lee among the possible setup options alongside Jiménez.

The 2023 campaign will be a crucial one for the 28-year-old hurler personally. Jiménez is headed to free agency for the first time in his career next offseason. He’ll hit the market as one of the younger relievers available and if he can replicate his 2022 production, he’d be one of the most coveted late-game arms.

Antonio Senzatela Targeting May Return From ACL Surgery

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Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela had an unfortunate end to his 2022 season. The right-hander tore the ACL in his left knee while attempting to track down a grounder in mid-August. He underwent surgery that initially came with a six-to-eight month recovery timetable.

Six months removed from the injury, it seems things are mostly on the expected course. Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette writes the Rockies anticipate Senzatela returning to a big league mound in May. He’s certain to start the season on the 15-day injured list but seems unlikely to land on the 60-day IL barring a setback.

Once healthy, Senzatela will surely reclaim his old spot in the rotation. Colorado placed a strong show of faith in the Venezuelan-born hurler last offseason, inking him to a five-year, $50.5MM extension. The deal, which bought out as many as four free agent years, kept him around on the heels of a 4.42 ERA showing over 28 starts in 2021. That was respectable production for a pitcher who spends half his outings at Coors Field, his second consecutive season of solid output towards the middle or back of a starting staff.

Last year proved more challenging even before the injury. Senzatela gave up a little more than five earned runs per nine innings across 19 starts. His 49.4% ground-ball rate was down a couple percentage points from his peak, albeit still better than average. Senzatela’s strong command and pitch-to-contact profile mostly remained intact, but last year’s .383 batting average on balls in play against him inflated his ERA despite generally similar underlying marks to seasons past.

The Rockies are hoping for bounceback years from the bulk of their rotation after doing very little over the offseason. Germán Márquez and Kyle Freeland each posted down seasons last year. Senzatela is typically their #3 rotation option, though that’ll probably fall to José Ureña to open the season. The back of the rotation spots are especially uncertain.

Left-hander Austin Gomber looks to have the inside track on of those jobs. Allentuck writes that Colorado will move Gomber back into the rotation mix after kicking him to the bullpen for the second half of last season. The 28-year-old southpaw’s results weren’t much different in either role. Gomber posted a 5.75 ERA with an 18% strikeout rate as a starter and a 5.11 ERA with a 17.8% strikeout percentage out of the bullpen.

Given Colorado’s need for innings at the back of the rotation, moving Gomber back into a starting role makes sense. He’d pitched reasonably well over 23 starts in 2021, posting a 4.53 ERA with a solid 23.2% strikeout rate over his first 115 1/3 innings in Colorado. That’s the only season in which Gomber has started at least 20 big league games, though he still has a more established track record than other back-end candidates like Connor Seabold, Ryan Feltner, Ryan Rolison and Peter Lambert.

Giants’ Brass Discusses Third Base, Catcher Situations

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Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler spoke with reporters today. They touched on a wide array of topics, offering insight into the club’s early outlooks at third base, behind the plate, and in the starting rotation.

Zaidi said the club considers David Villar the starting third baseman heading into camp (relayed by Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Area). The 26-year-old earned the first crack at securing the job after an impressive rookie season. Despite lacking much prospect pedigree, the South Florida product has consistently performed at an excellent level in the minors. He had arguably his best season with Triple-A Sacramento in 2022, connecting on 27 home runs with an incredible .275/.404/.617 showing over 84 games.

The Giants called Villar up for the first time last July. He continued to make a strong power impact, hitting nine homers over his first 181 MLB plate appearances. Villar also walked at an above-average 9.9% clip against big league pitching, though his 32% strikeout rate is alarming. Villar has run higher than average strikeout rates throughout his time in the minors as well. He’s consistently more than offset that with strong plate discipline and power, however, and his .231/.331/.455 line through his first 52 MLB games was a strong start.

Villar has primarily played third base as a minor leaguer. He also has some experience at the other corner infield spot and at second base. Zaidi indicated the Giants would continue to get Villar some work at second base this spring, allowing Kapler to pencil him into the lineup at the keystone on days when Thairo Estrada moves to shortstop to give Brandon Crawford a day off.

The Giants have J.D. Davis and Wilmer Flores on hand as potential third base alternatives. Each of Villar, Flores and Davis hits from the right side. Davis has had neutral platoon splits over the course of his career, while Flores has fared better against left-handed pitching as most righty hitters do. The Giants look set to turn to left-handed hitting LaMonte Wade Jr. and Joc Pederson at first base and designated hitter, respectively.

Both Wade and Pederson have struggled against lefties in their careers, leaving opportunities for Davis and Flores to factor in at those positions. Aside from Crawford, the only left-handed hitting infielders on the roster are Isan Díaz and Brett Wisely. Neither player is established at the MLB level yet and both can still be optioned to the minor leagues.

There’s a fair bit of possible fluidity to the group, but the 26-year-old Villar will get a chance to seize everyday playing time if he can replicate or improve upon his rookie showing. The catcher situation could be even more up in the air. Kapler suggested there’s a true four-way competition for reps behind the plate and indicated no one in camp is assured of an MLB job (link via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle).

Former second overall pick Joey Bart was the primary starter last season. He connected on 11 home runs with a .215/.296/.364 line over 291 trips to the plate. Bart’s power has long drawn plaudits from evaluators, though his overall offense at the MLB level has been below-average thanks to huge strikeout tallies. He fanned in 38.5% of his plate appearances last season, the third-highest rate among players with at least 250 trips. Bart is still only 26 and has hit the ball hard when he’s made contact. It’s certainly not out of the question he can be a productive #1 catcher, but he’ll likely have to take a step forward with his bat-to-ball skills to take a firm claim to that job.

The only other catcher on the 40-man roster is Rule 5 draftee Blake Sabol, whom the club has to keep on the MLB roster or place on waivers and offer back to the Pirates. Sabol has no MLB experience, splitting last season between the top two levels of the minor leagues. He was excellent at both stops, combining for a .284/.363/.497 line over 513 trips to the plate. The 25-year-old also saw some corner outfield work in the minors, but Kapler informed reporters the Giants strictly consider him a catcher.

Bart and Sabol are joined in camp by a pair of more experienced non-roster invitees. Last year’s backup Austin Wynns accepted an outright assignment after clearing waivers last month. He’s coming off a .259/.313/.358 showing across 66 MLB games. Two-time Gold Glove award winner Roberto Pérez is also in camp after signing a minor league contract as a free agent. He lost virtually all of last season with the Pirates after suffering a serve hamstring strain. Pérez is just a .207/.298/.360 career hitter but regarded as one of the sport’s best defensive catchers.

On the other side of the ball, Kapler informed reporters that righty Anthony DeSclafani enters camp healthy after undergoing surgery on his right ankle last July (link via Evan Webeck of the San Jose Mercury News). That kept the veteran hurler to five starts in the first season of a three-year free agent deal. DeSclafani had been a crucial member of the starting five the year prior, tossing 167 2/3 innings of 3.17 ERA ball to earn a $36MM guarantee over the 2021-22 offseason.

A healthy DeSclafani should vie for a rotation spot, although it’s possible he’s outside the top five options on Opening Day. Logan Webb is the staff ace, followed by Alex Cobb in the second spot. Offseason signees Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling are penciled into the middle of the group. That leaves DeSclafani and Alex Wood in the mix for the fifth spot. Zaidi indicated the club could use a six-man starting staff on occasion but cast doubt about the possibility of deploying that permanently. It’s possible one of DeSclafani or Wood starts the season in the bullpen if everyone’s healthy, although a Spring Training or early-season injury could clarify the decision.

San Francisco is already preparing to push Jakob Junis back into a multi-inning relief role after he started 17 of 23 games last season. Top prospect Kyle Harrison figures to get a rotation look at some point during the year, although he’ll open the season with Sacramento.

Brady Singer Loses Arbitration Hearing Against Royals

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The Royals have defeated starter Brady Singer in arbitration, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (on Twitter). The right-hander will make $2.95MM this year rather than his group’s desired $3.325MM.

Singer, 26, qualified for early arbitration as a Super Two player. He’ll be eligible for the process thrice more over the coming winters, with the Royals keeping him under club control through 2026. The arbitration loss means he’ll start from a slightly lower platform salary than he’d hoped as he progresses through that process, with a $375K gap in the sides’ respective filing figures.

A former first-round draftee, Singer has started 63 of 66 games at the big league level. His performance over his first couple seasons was solid but the Royals nevertheless kept him in the bullpen to open last year. Within a few weeks, they’d optioned him out to build back up as a starter in Triple-A Omaha. That decision prevented Singer from gaining a full service year in 2022, extending the Royals’ window of club control by another season.

That extra year he’ll spend in Kansas City now looks quite valuable. Singer had a breakout showing, working to a 3.23 ERA across 153 1/3 innings. He struck out opponents at an above-average 24.2% rate, induced grounders at a quality 49% clip and limited walks to a meager 5.6% mark. Singer is arguably the best pitcher on the K.C. roster and certainly enters the upcoming season without a question about his role in the starting five.

The Royals have Zack Greinke and Jordan Lyles locked into spots behind Singer on the depth chart. Offseason signee Ryan Yarbrough, Daniel Lynch, Brad Keller and Kris Bubic are among those who could vie for starts at the back end. Singer was the lone arbitration-eligible player on the K.C. roster who didn’t agree to terms prior to the January 14 filing deadline; the team’s arbitration business for this winter is complete.

Corbin Burnes Loses Arbitration Hearing Against Brewers

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The Brewers have won their arbitration case against star righty Corbin Burnes, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (Twitter link). He’ll be paid $10.01MM this season rather than the $10.75MM for which his camp had filed.

A two-time All-Star, Burnes has finished in the top ten in NL Cy Young balloting in three consecutive seasons. He won the award in 2021 thanks to an MLB-best 2.43 ERA over 28 starts. Burnes wasn’t quite as dominant on a per-inning basis last year, allowing 2.94 earned runs per nine innings. He stayed healthy and threw a career-best 202 innings over 33 outings. Burnes led the National League with 243 strikeouts, fanning over 30% of opponents for a third straight season.

Burnes and the Brew Crew had avoided arbitration last offseason, agreeing to a $6.5MM salary for his first year of eligibility. They didn’t come to an agreement this time around, with a gap of a little less than $750K between their respective filing figures. Burnes ultimately lands shy of his asking price, though he’s still one of the higher-paid second-year arbitration players of the winter.

The Brewers control the St. Mary’s product through 2024. He’s slated to go through the arbitration process once more next offseason. His escalating salaries led to some speculation about the possibility of Milwaukee fielding trade interest on him, co-ace Brandon Woodruff or star shortstop Willy Adames this winter. Milwaukee quickly quashed any idea of moving those impact players, though, instead dealing more complementary pieces like Hunter Renfroe and Kolten Wong.

Burnes and Woodruff will front a rotation that should again be the club’s backbone. Freddy Peralta will occupy the third slot, with Eric Lauer, Adrian Houser and offseason signee Wade Miley vying for back-end roles. Young left-hander Aaron Ashby could get a rotation opportunity as well but is unlikely to be ready for the start of the season thanks to a shoulder concern.

Stephen Strasburg Suffers Setback, Timetable For Return Unclear

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Stephen Strasburg’s stretch of brutal injury luck continues. Manager Dave Martinez informed reporters (including Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post and Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com) today the former World Series MVP recently suffered a setback in his rehab from thoracic outlet syndrome. He’s not listed on the club’s Spring Training roster, and Martinez conceded there’s no current timetable for him to get back on a mound.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported earlier this month Strasburg had begun a throwing program after seeing his 2022 season cut short by continued TOS symptoms. Martinez told the media today the three-time All-Star recovered as hoped from his first throwing session but experienced nerve discomfort after his second workout. It was a similar story last summer, when Strasburg felt nerve discomfort in his ribcage area during a bullpen session between starts. That injury, suffered in July, sidelined him for the entire second half.

The former first overall pick made one start last year and has pitched in just eight MLB games going back to the beginning of the 2020 season. He was initially diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome during the shortened season, undergoing surgery that year after two starts. He returned for five appearances in 2021 before undergoing thoracic outlet surgery (which involves the removal of part of a rib to alleviate nerve pressure) and told Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post in September his TOS symptoms have dated back at least as far as 2018.

Strasburg candidly acknowledged in that chat with Dougherty he was uncertain whether he’d ever again approach his pre-injury form. Now 34, he admitted at the time that age was working against his comeback effort and said he wasn’t “really sure what the future holds.” Unfortunately, he’ll now have to navigate another setback and renewed uncertainty.

It doesn’t seem there’s any consideration of Strasburg giving up his pursuit of making it back to the major leagues at this point. Martinez told reporters Strasburg “(knows) in his heart he wants to pitch.” It seems inevitable he’ll head to the 60-day injured list whenever the Nats need a 40-man roster spot to accommodate an addition and isn’t clear when he’ll again be able to start throwing.

Strasburg signed a seven-year, $245MM free agent contract to stick with Washington after throwing 209 innings of 3.32 ERA ball in the regular season and dominating in the playoffs to help the club to its first World Series title. He’s receiving a $35MM salary annually through 2026, though around $11.43MM of each year’s salary is deferred with interest until 2028.

John Mozeliak Discusses Cardinals’ Front Office Plans

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The Cardinals officially announced their previously-reported extension with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak this morning. That deal keeps him atop the baseball operations hierarchy through the 2025 season, which’ll bring him to 18 years leading the front office.

Speaking with reporters today, Mozeliak suggested he’s likely to delegate greater responsibilities to others in the baseball operations department over the coming seasons. “I know there is going to be some change coming over the next few years,” the president of baseball ops said (link via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). “We certainly want to give individuals within the organization opportunities to grow and expand some of their roles, and over the course of the next year or so we’ll work through that.”

That’s with an eye on the franchise’s future leadership structure in mind. Longtime top lieutenant Mike Girsch has been in the organization since 2006 and served as general manager (second in responsibility) since 2017. He bypassed an opportunity to interview for the top job with the Mets over the 2021-22 offseason and signed a multi-year extension with St. Louis at the start of this winter. Girsch is clearly comfortable in his current role but could certainly garner renewed consideration to lead a front office down the line.

Meanwhile, assistant general manager/scouting director Randy Flores received a new multi-year deal at the same time as Girsch last fall. Special adviser Matt Slater drew some attention from the Tigers in their GM search this winter. Goold also writes that some within the industry believe AGM Moisés Rodríguez — who takes a key role in international scouting — could get a look to lead a baseball operations group at some point.

It seems the goal is to give members of that group greater influence in daily decision-making to prepare for potentially more significant work down the line. Mozeliak did not officially declare this would be his final contract or set any cutoff day for passing down top baseball ops autonomy, to be clear. However, he also hinted he was prepared to take on fewer responsibilities in the not too distant future. “Short-term, you’ll still get me for a little bit,” Mozeliak said (separate Goold link). “But as we get deeper into this contract there will be changes.” Goold reports that Mozeliak had considered pursuing opportunities outside the baseball industry in recent months before eventually deciding to remain in his current role.

Front office stability of the kind the Cardinals have enjoyed over the past decade and a half is rare. Only Brian Cashman and Kenny Williams have been at or alongside the top of their respective clubs’ baseball operations for longer than Mozeliak has. A pair of the sport’s longer-tenured front office heads — Oakland’s Billy Beane and Milwaukee’s David Stearns — moved into advisory capacities this offseason while turning over daily responsibilities to their respective longtime #2 executives, David Forst and Matt Arnold.

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