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Bobby Malkmus Passes Away

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Former big league infielder Bobby Malkmus has passed away at 93. His obituary is available courtesy of a New Jersey funeral home.

Malkmus was a Newark native. A 5’9″ second baseman, he reached the majors with the 1957 Milwaukee Braves team that won the World Series. Malkmus appeared in 13 games as a rookie. The Washington Senators selected him in the Rule 5 draft the following offseason. He spent two years in a depth role before landing with the Phillies via another Rule 5 selection.

The righty-hitting infielder concluded his career with parts of three seasons for Philadelphia. He appeared in a career-high 121 games in 1961, hitting .231/.276/.327 with seven homers and 31 RBI while playing good defense at three infield positions. He received one NL MVP vote, finishing 22nd on the ballot. Malkmus finished his playing days as a .215/.265/.301 hitter in parts of six MLB seasons.

After his playing career, Malkmus worked as a minor league manager and scout. He began scouting for Cleveland in 1980 and continued in that role in a part-time capacity into the 2010s. MLBTR sends our condolences to Malkmus’ family, friends, loved ones and former colleagues.

Red Sox, Nick Burdi Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox have reached agreement with reliever Nick Burdi on a minor league contract, reports Chris Henrique of Beyond the Monster. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo writes that the right-hander will go to minor league camp, as he did not receive a non-roster invite to MLB Spring Training.

Burdi, 32, is a former Twins’ second-round draftee and well-regarded bullpen prospect. His career has been beset by myriad injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery early in his time in the Minnesota farm system. He landed with the Pirates as a Rule 5 pick, where he battled thoracic outlet syndrome. Burdi’s arm continued to bother him the following year, and he underwent another Tommy John procedure after the 2020 campaign.

The Louisville product didn’t return to the mound until 2023. Burdi landed with the Cubs in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft. Chicago called him up for three appearances, but he quickly went back to the injured list due to a bout of appendicitis. He didn’t return to the majors and the Cubs cut him loose at the end of the season.

Burdi inked a minor league deal with the Yankees last winter. He broke camp but went on the injured list within a few weeks because of a right hip problem. Renewed hip pain sent him back to the IL between May and August. New York outrighted him one month later, sending him back to minor league free agency at the end of the season.

Despite the latest injury-plagued season, Burdi established a career high with 12 MLB appearances for the Yankees. He fired 9 2/3 frames of two-run ball. Burdi fanned 12 with nine walks. It was a similar story in Triple-A, where he turned in a 2.65 earned run average through 17 innings. He struck out a third of opponents against a huge 15.3% walk rate.

The raw stuff remains intriguing. Burdi averaged 97.5 MPH on his fastball while sitting in the upper 80s with his slider. He doesn’t consistently harness that high-octane arsenal, but that could be tied to the stop-and-start nature of so many of his seasons. There’s no real downside for the Red Sox in bringing him to camp and sending him to Triple-A Worcester to open the year.

Phillies, Kyle Schwarber Have Had “Broad” Extension Talks

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The Phillies and Kyle Schwarber have had “broad” discussions about a contract extension this spring, writes Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Schwarber had told reporters a couple weeks ago that he was open to conversations. The slugger indicated at the time that he was unaware of any ongoing negotiations. It now seems they’ve opened talks, but Gelb writes there’s no indication of an imminent deal.

Schwarber is entering the final season of his four-year free agent deal. The $79MM investment has paid off handsomely for the Phillies. He has hit .221/.344/.488 with 131 homers in a little more than 2000 plate appearances. Only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani have hit more home runs over the last three seasons.

The two-time All-Star has one of the sport’s most extreme offensive approaches. He draws tons of walks with huge power while striking out in almost 30% of his trips to the plate. While it’s an unconventional profile for a leadoff hitter, Schwarber has been an impact presence at the top of the lineup.

Philadelphia would clearly take a hit to their offense if they let Schwarber walk. The question is what kind of investment they’re willing to make to retain a bat-first player into his mid-30s. Schwarber turns 32 next week. An extension would cover his age-33 seasons and beyond. He started five games in left field last season. Retaining him would probably force the Phillies to keep Nick Castellanos in right field for 2026, the final season of his less successful five-year contact. Castellanos could otherwise move to DH next season.

Schwarber is taking some first base reps in camp this year. He could step in for Bryce Harper on occasion throughout the season, which would be his first action there since he logged 75 innings for the Red Sox in 2021. He’s likely to continue getting a few scattered starts in left. He’s not quite an exclusive designated hitter, but the majority of his work will come as a DH. He’s a well below-average defender in left field.

The Phils will pay Schwarber $20MM for the upcoming season. He’d be eligible for a qualifying offer next winter. He’d be a very likely QO recipient if he has a typical year. That’d entitle the Phillies to 2026 draft compensation if he walks, but it’d be a pick after the fourth round because of their luxury tax status. That’s of modest value to a team that’s squarely in win-now mode.

Another four-year deal would be a tough sell at Schwarber’s age. Corner bats and/or designated hitters have recently been held to three years on contracts starting at 33 and above. That can come at a solid annual value. Teoscar Hernández received a deferred $66MM guarantee to re-sign with the Dodgers on a three-year deal.

While Hernández is a year younger than Schwarber will be next offseason, the Phils’ slugger is younger than Christian Walker and José Abreu were when they landed three-year free agent deals. They brought more to the table defensively (especially Walker), but none played a premium position. Schwarber’s offensive consistency puts him above the likes of Jorge Soler and Mitch Haniger, each of whom landed a bit north of $40MM on three-year deals at age 32.

Even if Schwarber is limited to three years, his next contract should come with a higher annual value than the $19.75MM average on his current deal. The Phillies already have six players on deals that’ll pay at least $18MM in 2026. Zack Wheeler is making $42MM annually through ’27. Harper, Trea Turner, and Aaron Nola are on significant contracts running into the 2030s. The Phils face potential free agent departures of Ranger Suárez and J.T. Realmuto after this season. They’ve reportedly shown some interest in a Realmuto extension as well.

Philadelphia’s competitive balance tax payroll this year is close to $308MM, according to RosterResource. That puts them in the highest penalization tier. They’ve paid the tax in three straight seasons, so they’re facing the top level of repeat penalties. Their 2026 tax estimate drops to $185MM, but that doesn’t account for arbitration raises for the likes of Alec Bohm, Jesús Luzardo, Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh.

Dodgers Hire Zach Reks As Minor League Hitting Coach

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The Dodgers announced their minor league coaching staffs this afternoon. Zach Reks, who played last year in Double-A with the Padres, has been hired as a hitting coach with L.A.’s Arizona Complex League affiliate.

It appears he’s retiring as a player at age 31. Reks played in the big leagues with the Dodgers and Rangers between 2021-22. He hit .205/.205/.227 in 22 games. The lefty-hitting outfielder appeared with the Lotte Giants in the Korea Baseball Organization in 2023. Reks returned to affiliated ball on a minor league contract with San Diego last offseason. He slumped to a .127 batting average in 64 Double-A contests.

While that’s a tough end to his playing days, Reks was a good minor league hitter. He posted a .276/.372/.459 line in nearly 1800 minor league plate appearances. That includes a .290/.388/.537 slash over 902 trips to the plate in Triple-A. MLBTR congratulates Reks on reaching the big leagues and wishes him the best in his coaching career.

Dinelson Lamet, Socrates Brito Sign With Mexican League’s Águila De Veracruz

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The Águila de Veracruz are signing Dinelson Lamet for the 2025 season, according to a Spanish-language article at MiLB.com. The Águila also announced on social media this week that they’ve added outfielders Sócrates Brito and Nomar Mazara.

Lamet appeared in the majors as recently as last season. He pitched in three games for the eventual World Series champions. Lamet inked a minor league deal with the Dodgers last February. They selected his contract not long after Opening Day. He tossed 4 1/3 innings of two-run ball before being designated for assignment and outrighted. He opted out of his deal with L.A. in June and finished the year on a minor league contract with the Royals.

The fourth-place finisher in NL Cy Young balloting in 2020, Lamet has dropped into a depth role. The 32-year-old righty started 18 of 19 games in Triple-A last season. He allowed nearly five earned runs per nine with a mediocre 19.5% strikeout rate and an alarming 13.5% walk percentage.

Brito, 32, appeared in the majors with the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays between 2015-19. The lefty-hitting outfielder spent the past three seasons in Korea with the Kia Tigers. He’s coming off a .310/.359/.516 showing in a hitter-friendly league. While there was some thought that Brito could return to affiliated ball on a minor league contract, that interest apparently didn’t materialize. Mazara is headed into his second Mexican League season after hitting .307/.390/.496 in 70 games with Monterrey last year.

Orioles Building Up Roansy Contreras As Potential Starter

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The Orioles intend to build Roansy Contreras back up as a starting pitcher this spring, manager Brandon Hyde told reporters (including Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun). The 25-year-old righty worked in a multi-inning relief role between the Pirates and Angels last year.

It’s not clear how long this will last. Contreras is certainly not a lock to stick on Baltimore’s roster through the end of camp. He has changed teams via waivers five times this offseason alone. The O’s have claimed him twice, most recently grabbing him from the Yankees in early February. Contreras is out of options, so teams cannot send him to the minors without running him through waivers. No one has successfully snuck him through the wire unclaimed.

There’s no real path for Contreras to begin the season in Baltimore’s rotation. Hyde confirmed this morning (link via Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner) that he’d have a mostly settled starting five if everyone gets through camp healthy: Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano and Dean Kremer. Hyde added that righty Albert Suárez and southpaw Cade Povich project as his top two depth arms, in that order.

Even with Trevor Rogers and Chayce McDermott delayed by injuries (knee and lat, respectively), Contreras would be no higher than eighth on the rotation depth chart. He could settle into a long relief role, but even that’d probably require at least one injury to Baltimore’s top eight relievers.

Andrew Kittredge, Seranthony Domínguez, Gregory Soto, Cionel Pérez and Suárez (who’d start the season as a long reliever) cannot be sent down — either because of their service time or out-of-options status. Félix Bautista, Yennier Cano and Keegan Akin are locks. That’s a full bullpen already and would exclude both Contreras and Bryan Baker, neither of whom can be optioned. There’s a decent chance the O’s waive Contreras closer to Opening Day. If he goes unclaimed, they could have him work from the rotation at Triple-A Norfolk.

A former highly-regarded prospect, Contreras pitched 68 1/3 innings of 4.35 ERA ball a year ago. He recorded a modest 18.8% strikeout rate while walking 10.4% of batters faced. He’d mostly worked as a starter over two prior seasons in Pittsburgh. He combined for an ERA just south of 5.00 in 163 1/3 frames between 2022-23. He throws six distinct pitches, per Statcast, so it’s a relatively deep arsenal. His command has been problematic, though, and none of his top four offerings (four-seam, slider, changeup, sinker) were huge weapons last season. The slider was the only of those pitches to miss bats at an above-average rate.

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Braves Chairman: Team Has “Dry Powder” To Add Payroll

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The Braves enter Spring Training with a luxury tax payroll around $230MM, according to the RosterResource calculations. That puts them about $11MM shy of the base threshold. Atlanta has paid the tax in two straight seasons, pushing their spending to $276MM by the end of last year.

That seemingly indicates that the Braves have room to add to their payroll. Chairman Terry McGuirk confirmed as much to Evan Drellich of The Athletic. “We have crossed the competitive balance tax each of the last two years. It’s possible we could do it again this year,” McGuirk told Drellich. He added that the team “(has) some dry powder” to add spending and implied that Atlanta could make a move in free agency this spring. McGuirk noted that the Braves waited until the middle of March before bringing back Adam Duvall on a $3MM deal last year.

Atlanta has had a quiet offseason. Their only free agent move of significance was the signing of Jurickson Profar on a three-year, $42MM contract. Their remaining free agent pickups were split deals. Their biggest trade was to offload the final two years on Jorge Soler’s contract to the Angels for no return. They acquired Griffin Canning, then non-tendered him. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said at the Winter Meetings that the Braves were willing to exceed the tax threshold. Perhaps that’d have happened if a failed physical hadn’t scuttled their reported five-year agreement with Jeff Hoffman, though it’s possible they wouldn’t have subsequently signed Profar if the Hoffman deal had been finalized.

The Braves seem unlikely to add $11MM+ to their tax ledger before Opening Day. There are only a few free agents who are sure to sign major league deals. A one-year deal for David Robertson, Jose Quintana or Kyle Gibson could still approach eight-figures, but most remaining free agents are unsigned because their markets haven’t materialized the way they’d hoped.

Anthopoulos has indicated that any rotation pickups would need to be marked improvements on Ian Anderson and/or Grant Holmes, who are out of minor league options and are vying for back-end jobs. Robertson would be an upgrade for any team’s bullpen. Atlanta has a few questionable spots in the middle innings. Their relief group is anchored by a strong four of Raisel Iglesias, Aaron Bummer, Pierce Johnson and Dylan Lee, however.

A team’s luxury tax number isn’t calculated until the end of the season. The Braves hope to add to the roster midseason. If they added a few million dollars to their CBT payroll with a Spring Training free agent pickup, a midseason trade or two could push them past $241MM. Their current $230MM calculation is an unofficial estimate, so it’s possible that number is off a couple million dollars in either direction.

Clubs are generally hesitant about narrowly exceeding the luxury tax threshold. Teams pay escalating penalties for going beyond the marker in consecutive seasons. Staying underneath $241MM would allow the Braves to reset their status rather than pushing them to third-time payors, which comes with the top tax rates. The tax is only on the overages, so they’d have a minimal tax bill if they only exceed the threshold by a few million dollars, but the repeat penalties could limit their financial flexibility in future offseasons. They’ll need to weigh that against the benefits of short-term upgrades as they vie with the Phillies and Mets atop the NL East in 2025.

A’s Continuing To Give Tyler Soderstrom Catching Reps

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The A’s remain open to the possibility of using Tyler Soderstrom as their backup catcher, manager Mark Kotsay tells Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. The former first-round pick got the start behind the dish in yesterday’s Spring Training matchup with Seattle.

“What we talked about with Tyler is continuing to keep that skill set,” Kotsay told Gallegos. “It gives us an opportunity to have a player that provides maybe a role for us that would allow maybe another bench spot.” The A’s will use Shea Langeliers as their starting catcher for the third consecutive season. They would gain some bench flexibility if they’re comfortable with the 23-year-old Soderstrom as Langeliers’ backup. Otherwise, he’d be the primary first baseman.

Soderstrom was drafted as a bat-first catching prospect out of high school in 2020. His bat pushed him quickly through the minor leagues. He’s a .272/.339/.532 hitter in the minors. Soderstrom hasn’t found anywhere near that level of success against big league pitching. He owns a .204/.282/.354 line with a 27.4% strikeout rate over 351 plate appearances.

Most of his big league work has come as a first baseman. Soderstrom has caught a little more than 1200 innings over four minor league seasons. He made 15 starts behind the dish for the A’s during his 2023 rookie season. He got another 21 starts as a catcher in Triple-A last year, but they didn’t give him any MLB starts there.

The youngster’s only MLB catching experience last year was a four-inning appearance in a game in which that day’s starting catcher Kyle McCann was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning. Langeliers was the designated hitter. If the A’s wanted to have him catch after pulling McCann, they’d have forfeited their DH for the rest of the game. Soderstrom, who had started at first base, moved to catcher.

The A’s clearly didn’t feel his glove was up to par last year. They kept McCann on the major league roster as the backup all season. Langeliers started 123 games, second-most at the position behind Cal Raleigh. McCann made the other 39 starts. Soderstrom’s four-inning appearance was the only catching work by any other player.

The A’s already shook that up last month, designating McCann for assignment while acquiring Jhonny Pereda in a cash trade with Miami. Langeliers and Pereda are the only primary catchers on the 40-man roster. That’d very likely be Kotsay’s season-opening duo if they’re still apprehensive about Soderstrom’s glove. If they’re comfortable with Soderstrom behind the plate, he could pick up around 40 starts there while playing first base on days when Langeliers is rested. That’d allow the A’s to option Pereda and carry another infielder or outfielder on the active roster.

McCann cleared waivers and is in camp as a non-roster invitee. The A’s could reselect his contract at any point, but he’s behind Pereda on the depth chart. The 28-year-old Pereda only has 20 games of major league experience. He’s a .293/.385/.408 hitter over four Triple-A seasons and has a stronger defensive reputation than McCann brings.

Pirates Sign Andrew Heaney

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February 27: Per Ethan Hullihen, Heaney’s bonuses start at $50K for 120 innings pitched, followed by $100K for 130 innings and then $150K for 140, 150, 160 and 170. He can therefore earn an extra $750K if he unlocks all of those. When combined with his $5.25MM guarantee, he can earn as much as $6MM this year.

February 22: The Pirates officially announcing the signing.

February 20: The Pirates are reportedly in agreement with Andrew Heaney on a one-year deal that’ll guarantee $5.25MM. The deal, which is pending a physical, also includes performance bonuses for the Icon Sports Management client. Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster is at capacity, so they’ll need to make a corresponding move when the signing is finalized.

It’s a relatively low-cost addition to the back of the rotation. Heaney has been a capable fourth or fifth starter in Texas over the last two seasons. He turned in a 4.15 ERA across 147 1/3 innings two seasons ago. Last year, he pitched to a 4.28 mark while ranking second on the team with 160 innings. Heaney took the ball 66 times for the Rangers and allowed 4.22 earned runs per nine over 307 1/3 frames.

The 33-year-old southpaw had a solid if unspectacular strikeout and walk profile. Heaney has fanned around 23-24% of opposing hitters in each of the past two seasons. After running a career-high 9.4% walk rate in ’23, he cut the free passes to a personal-low 5.9% clip last year. His 12% swinging strike rate was a little better than average.

Heaney has long had the ability to miss bats. Last season’s 22.9% strikeout rate, while slightly above the 22% league average for starting pitchers, was Heaney’s lowest mark in a decade. He has never really been a flamethrower. Heaney’s fastball sat in the 92-93 MPH range during his best seasons. It was down slightly to 91.5 MPH on average last year. The pitch has always had good life that allows it to play above its velocity as a swing-and-miss offering.

Despite the impressive strikeout rates, Heaney owns a 4.45 ERA in more than 1000 career innings. As a fly-ball pitcher without huge velocity, he’s quite susceptible to home runs. Heaney has allowed 1.54 homers per nine innings in his career, while he surrendered 1.29 longballs per nine last year. The Pirates hope that their park can mitigate some of that. According to Statcast’s park factors, only Oracle Park and the Oakland Coliseum have played less favorably for home runs over the past three seasons than PNC Park. Pittsburgh’s home field has been the toughest venue for right-handed power hitters, in particular, so there aren’t many more sensible landing spots for a fly-ball lefty pitcher.

Pittsburgh has a loaded top three in their rotation: Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller. Heaney projects as the fourth starter. Bailey Falter, who has a similar profile as a soft-tossing lefty, is the favorite for the fifth spot. The Bucs thinned their rotation depth when they included Luis Ortiz in the return for first baseman Spencer Horwitz. Depth options on the 40-man roster include Braxton Ashcraft, Mike Burrows and Johan Oviedo (the latter of whom will return after missing the ’24 season rehabbing Tommy John surgery). Prospects Bubba Chandler and Tom Harrington have reached Triple-A and should make their debuts at some point in 2025.

This is Pittsburgh’s sixth major league free agent pickup of the offseason. They’ve all been one-year commitments worth fewer than $6MM. They brought back Andrew McCutchen on another $5MM guarantee and added Tommy Pham ($4MM), Caleb Ferguson ($3MM), Adam Frazier ($1.5MM) and Tim Mayza ($1.15MM). Pittsburgh’s player payroll now sits around $88MM, as calculated by RosterResource. That’s essentially where they ended last season. Cot’s Baseball Contracts projects the Pirates for the fifth-lowest payroll in MLB.

Heaney was one of the few remaining free agent starters who was sure to find a big league deal. Jose Quintana and Kyle Gibson are the best unsigned options for teams looking to deepen their rotation.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Pirates and Heaney were nearing a deal. Jon Heyman of The New York Post confirmed the agreement. Alden González of ESPN had it as a one-year deal at $5MM with incentives. Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the guarantee was $5.25MM. Image courtesy of Imagn.

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