Central Notes: Lester, Reds, Simon, Moss, Masterson
Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija both helped their former Athletics teammate Jon Lester in his decision to sign with the Cubs, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat writes. Of course, Lester was already familiar with Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein from their time in Boston. “I think the Theo-Jon bromance was going to happen anyways,” says Hammel. “But [Lester] was definitely interested, and he was picking our brains all the time.” Here are more quick notes from the Central divisions.
- The Reds didn’t attract much attention this week, but they quietly traded two starters (Alfredo Simon and Mat Latos) who didn’t project as well as one might think in 2015 for talent that could help them immediately, Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs writes in a piece for FOX Sports. Shortstop Eugenio Suarez (acquired in the Simon deal) projects to be as good an offensive player as Didi Gregorius next year, and pitcher Anthony DeSclafani (acquired in the Latos deal) might turn out to be almost as good next year as Latos anyway.
- Simon could move to the Tigers‘ bullpen if they re-sign Max Scherzer, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press suggests. Publicly, the Tigers won’t say that, Fenech writes, because they would look like they lost if Scherzer signed elsewhere. But it seems possible that the Tigers could be thinking of Simon primarily as a backup plan for their rotation.
- The Indians‘ trade for Brandon Moss was a deal worth making, Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer writes. Moss is expected to fully recover from offseason surgery, and the cost to get him (minor league second baseman Joey Wendle) wasn’t steep. With Moss in the fold, Pluto writes, the Indians will likely work to trade fellow lefty outfielder David Murphy, who has one year remaining before free agency.
- Pluto also writes that the Indians dodged a bullet when Justin Masterson didn’t accept their three-year, $45MM extension offer last offseason. Masterson, of course, suffered through a year of injury and poor mechanics, and with him under contract, the Indians would have had about half their payroll committed to three players: Masterson, Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher. Masterson agreed to a one-year deal with the Red Sox this week.
Week In Review: 12/6/14 – 12/12/14
Here’s a look back at a wild week at MLBTR. The following is a listing of confirmed transactions that doesn’t include moves that appear to be close, like the Dodgers’ reported trade for Jimmy Rollins or signing of Brandon McCarthy.
Key Moves
- The Cubs signed P Jon Lester to a six-year deal with a vesting option.
- The Padres agreed to acquire OF Matt Kemp, C Tim Federowicz and cash from the Dodgers for C Yasmani Grandal, P Joe Wieland and P Zach Eflin.
- The White Sox agreed to acquire P Jeff Samardzija and P Michael Ynoa from the Athletics for INF Marcus Semien, P Chris Bassitt, C Josh Phegley and INF Rangel Ravelo.
- The Marlins acquired 2B Dee Gordon, P Dan Haren, INF Miguel Rojas and a PTBNL or cash from the Dodgers for P Andrew Heaney, INF Enrique Hernandez, P Chris Hatcher and C Austin Barnes.
- The Dodgers acquired 2B Howie Kendrick from the Angels for Heaney.
- The Red Sox acquired P Rick Porcello from the Tigers for OF Yoenis Cespedes, P Alex Wilson and P Gabe Speier.
- The Marlins acquired P Mat Latos from the Reds for P Anthony DeSclafani and C Chad Wallach.
- The Cubs acquired C Miguel Montero from the Diamondbacks for P Zack Godley and P Jeferson Mejia.
- The Indians acquired 1B/OF Brandon Moss from the Athletics for 2B Joe Wendle.
- The White Sox signed P David Robertson to a four-year deal.
- The Twins signed P Ervin Santana to a four-year deal.
- The Pirates re-signed P Francisco Liriano to a three-year deal.
Signed / Agreed To Terms
- Cubs – P Jason Hammel (two years with club option)
- Astros – P Luke Gregerson (three years), P Pat Neshek (two years)
- Royals – DH Kendrys Morales (two years)
- Red Sox – P Justin Masterson (one year)
- Cardinals – INF Mark Reynolds (one year)
- Rangers – P Kyuji Fujikawa (one year with club option)
- Mets – OF John Mayberry Jr. (one year)
- Braves – OF Dian Toscano (link)
Trades
- Tigers – acquired P Alfredo Simon from Reds for INF Eugenio Suarez and P Jonathon Crawford
- Red Sox – acquired P Wade Miley from Diamondbacks for P Rubby De La Rosa, P Allen Webster and INF Raymel Flores
- Red Sox – acquired P Zeke Spruill from Diamondbacks for P Myles Smith
- Angels – acquired INF Josh Rutledge from Rockies for P Jairo Diaz
- Pirates – acquired P Antonio Bastardo from Phillies for P Joely Rodriguez
- Rangers – acquired P Ross Detwiler from Nationals for P Abel De Los Santos and INF Chris Bostick
- Marlins – acquired P Andre Rienzo from White Sox for P Dan Jennings
- Angels – acquired C Drew Butera from Dodgers for a PTBNL or cash
- Rays – acquired P Buddy Borden from Pirates to complete the Sean Rodriguez trade
Avoided Arbitration
- Padres – P Joe Wieland (link – Padres later traded Wieland to Dodgers)
Claimed
- White Sox – C Rob Brantly (from Marlins – link)
- Blue Jays – INF/OF Chris Colabello (from Twins – link)
- Angels – INF/OF Marc Krauss (from Astros – link)
- Rangers – P Scott Barnes (from Orioles – link)
Designated For Assignment
- Diamondbacks – P Eury De La Rosa (link)
- Pirates – P Josh Lindblom (link)
- Athletics – INF Shane Peterson (link), P Jorge De Leon (link)
- Tigers – P Melvin Mercedes (link)
- Dodgers – C Ryan Lavarnway (link)
- Indians – P Bryan Price (link)
Outrighted
- Orioles – P Pat McCoy, INF Steve Lombardozzi (link)
- Red Sox – INF Jemile Weeks (link)
- Pirates – P Angel Sanchez (link)
- Braves – INF Ramiro Pena (elected free agency)
Other
- More than a dozen players changed teams in the big-league portion of the Rule 5 Draft.
AL Notes: Cespedes, Mariners, Orioles, Howard
Trading Rick Porcello to the Red Sox for Yoenis Cespedes, Alex Wilson and Gabe Speier will likely cost the Tigers a draft pick, as MLive.com’s Chris Iott explains. Porcello and Cespedes are both free agents after the 2015 season, but the Tigers will not be able to extend Cespedes a qualifying offer. Cespedes will only have four years of service time, and so in order for his team to meet the requirement that he be a free agent after the season, he’ll have to be non-tendered. Non-tendered players can’t be extended qualifying offers. There are no such restrictions on Porcello (or most other pending free agents) being extended qualifying offers. So unless Porcello has a poor season (or re-signs with the Red Sox), the most likely outcome of the deal is that the Red Sox will get a draft pick as a result, and the Tigers will not. Here’s more from the American League.
- Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik thinks he’ll be able to add an extra outfielder or two this offseason, Shannon Drayer of 710AM ESPN tweets. “I feel confident we will get something done,” he says. “There may be more than one thing.” The Mariners have reportedly made Melky Cabrera a three-year offer, and they’ve also had serious trade talks with the White Sox about Dayan Viciedo. Justin Upton is another possibility.
- Another team looking for an outfielder is the Orioles, who seem more likely to sign one than to trade for one, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes. Delmon Young and Michael Morse are possibilities, and so is Cabrera, but only if he’s willing to settle for less than four or five years. The Orioles were also connected to Colby Rasmus last week. Kubatko notes that the O’s spoke to the Phillies about Marlon Byrd, but the Phillies offered a package that included Byrd and Ryan Howard. Howard, of course, is owed $60MM over the next two seasons, so taking on Howard’s contract just to get a good but not franchise-changing outfielder in Byrd would seem like a very tough sell for any team.
Red Sox Rotation Notes: Masterson, Depth, Aces
The Red Sox and Justin Masterson believe the righty’s poor year in 2014 was the result of bad health and bad mechanics, and is likely to be the exception rather than the rule, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal writes. “Last year was purely health. We tried to make corrections through mechanical type things because I wasn’t experiencing any pain, but I lost some flexibility and quite honestly a lot of other things,” says Masterson. “I have confidence this will probably be one of the best seasons I’ve ever had.” Heading into 2014, Masterson looked poised to land a big free agent contract, but instead he ended up with one year and $9.5MM, plus up to $2.5MM in incentives, with both he and the Red Sox gambling on a return to form this season. Here are more notes out of Boston.
- In addition to Masterson, the Red Sox added Rick Porcello and Wade Miley this week. GM Ben Cherington is pleased with his team’s starting pitching depth despite giving up Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster in the Miley trade, WEEI.com’s Ryan Hannable writes. “We’ve been able to acquire the three starters that we have this week while still maintaining really what we consider the top end of our young pitching,” says Cherington, adding that the Red Sox “still have what we think is really good young pitching depth besides the five guys that will likely open the season in the rotation.” The Red Sox currently have Porcello, Miley, Masterson, Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly penciled into begin the season, with Brandon Workman, Henry Owens, Anthony Ranaudo, Matt Barnes, Edwin Escobar, and Eduardo Rodriguez queued up behind them.
- As much depth as the Red Sox have, though, they don’t have anyone who could obviously be considered an ace. “[T]he whole No. 1 starter thing kind of is overrated,” Cherington says, via Britton. As Britton points out, though, to say otherwise right now might be seen as an insult to players like Kelly or Masterson, and by expressing satisfaction with the pitching they have, the Red Sox can take a stronger negotiating position if they want to try to trade for a pitcher like Cole Hamels or Jordan Zimmermann. Britton notes that most World Series winners in the past 20 years at least had a pitcher who had pitched like an ace at one time, although it’s also the case that aces can emerge quickly, like Corey Kluber did last season.
Cubs Sign Jason Hammel
After a brief stop with the A’s, Jason Hammel is headed back to the Cubs on a two-year deal with a club option for a third season, the team announced. Hammel’s contract is reportedly worth $20MM, and the club option is valued at $10MM.
Hammel will earn an even $9MM in each of the guaranteed years, and his option comes with a $2MM buyout. However, the option becomes mutual if Hammel reaches 200 innings in 2016 or if he is traded.
Hammel signed a one-year deal with the Cubs last February, then enjoyed a strong half-season in Chicago before heading to Oakland in the Jeff Samardzija deal. Now, the Octagon client will return to the place where he re-launched his career.
Hammel significantly improved his strikeout rate (8.1 K/9, to go with a 3.47 ERA and 2.2 BB/9) in 2014 following a down season with the Orioles, and he pitched 176 1/3 innings, his highest total since 2010. The 32-year-old seems therefore likely to land a much more significant deal this time around than the $6MM he got from the Cubs in 2014. In October, MLBTR’s Jeff Todd predicted Hammel would get three years and $30MM. This offseason, Hammel had been connected to the Marlins, Royals and Astros, along with the Cubs and other teams.
This winter’s market for free agent starting pitching had been at a near-standstill (with A.J. Burnett, who was only interested in signing with the Pirates, being the only significant signee so far), and it appeared that many second-tier free agents might wait for a top pitcher like Jon Lester to sign to see how their own markets would develop. It appears, however, that Hammel and his agent Alan Nero might be on the verge of getting a deal they like anyway.
The Cubs were, of course, widely known to be looking for top pitching this offseason. Signing Hammel would help them stabilize the middle of their rotation, but presumably would not preclude them from continuing to pursue an ace like Lester.
The reported terms make for an attractive price for Chicago. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd predicted before the offseason that Hammel would land a deal matching Scott Feldman‘s three-year, $30MM guarantee, noting that Hammel had a better case but more difficult market setting than did Feldman last year. The Cubs appear to have taken advantage of that fact to add Hammel without promising a third year.
For the rest of the supply side of the market, this deal sets a fairly low target. But it also removes a competitor from the field and perhaps keeps more overall money in play, and in that respect the contract should only benefit the large group of mid-tier starters who remain available.
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported that a deal was near on Twitter. Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted that the deal was done. Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (via Twitter), Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (links to Twitter), and Heyman (via Twitter) reported the financial terms.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Quick Hits: Scherzer, Santana, Zimmermann, Segura
Agent Scott Boras says he will not give the Tigers the opportunity to match offers for his client Max Scherzer, Chris Iott of MLive.com writes. “This is not church bingo,” Boras told the media Wednesday. “You pretty much are in the market on a player. You tell all the teams and everyone involved that he can sign at any time. He’s open to signing at any time.” A Tigers official recently said that a new deal with Scherzer was “not happening,” however, so right now, it sounds like the Tigers aren’t that inclined to play bingo either. Here’s more from around the big leagues.
- The Yankees are considering signing Ervin Santana, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets. Santana has lately been connected to the Twins, Giants and Royals, with the Twins reportedly prepared to offer a deal in the range of four years and $50MM. The Yankees, meanwhile, are looking for starting pitching, but GM Brian Cashman has said he’s being “patient” at the Winter Meetings.
- The Nationals met with Jordan Zimmermann‘s agent, Mark Pieper, on Tuesday at the Winter Meetings, James Wagner of the Washington Post writes. “It was a re-acquaintance, if you will, to talk about philosophies and parameters and that type of thing,” says Nats GM Mike Rizzo. The two sides had not attempted to negotiate an extension for Zimmermann since before the 2014 season. Zimmermann is eligible for free agency next winter. Last week, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported that the Nationals would again attempt to extend Zimmermann. Wagner adds that the Nationals do not plan to trade Zimmermann, Doug Fister or Ian Desmond (all of whom are eligible for free agency at the end of the year) before the start of spring training.
- Jean Segura‘s struggles last season have the Brewers thinking they shouldn’t offer players extensions in the spring, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. The Brewers offered Segura a six-year, $38MM extension last spring, but Segura’s camp turned it down. Segura had a poor first half, and the Brewers feel he was pressing. Near midseason, Segura tragically lost his infant son. He then returned to the team and struggled through July and August before hitting better in September. “I do think [the extension offer] was a distraction for Segura,” says GM Doug Melvin. “You’re around all the players (in camp) and they talk about it. I just think the focus on spring training is important to get ready.”
- The Braves have not contacted Kris Medlen since they non-tendered him, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets. Medlen missed the entire 2014 season after having his second Tommy John surgery.
- Reliever Matt Albers, who missed much of the 2014 season due to shoulder trouble, will begin throwing in February, SportsNet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith tweets. More than one team has shown interest, Nicholson-Smith notes. Albers, 31, has appeared in parts of nine big-league seasons with the Astros, Orioles, Red Sox, Diamondbacks and Indians, posting a 4.42 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.
AL Notes: Blue Jays, Yankees, Rangers, Santos
Now that Andrew Miller, David Robertson, Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek are off the market, the Blue Jays are likely to try to upgrade their bullpen through trades, Shi Davidi of SportsNet.ca writes. GM Alex Anthopoulos doesn’t want to trade any of his top pitching prospects, and he might not have as much of a budget to work with as is commonly believed, but he might part with a lower-level prospect to acquire the right reliever. The team could also use C/DH Dioner Navarro as a trade chip. Also, Davidi writes that the Jays have interest in Japanese second baseman Takashi Toritani, who might be available on a short-term deal. Here are more notes from the American League.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman says he’s taking a “patient” approach in the Winter Meetings, Chad Jennings of the Journal News reports. The Yankees continue to look for both starters and relievers. Cashman adds that he asked about both Dee Gordon and Jimmy Rollins before their teams agreed (or reportedly agreed, in Rollins’ case) to trade them Wednesday, and says that the Yankees are unlikely to select a player in Thursday’s Rule 5 Draft.
- The Rangers have had talks with free-agent reliever Sergio Santos but are not close to signing him, FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi tweets. Santos had a miserable 2014 season with the Blue Jays, allowing 22 runs in 20 innings and getting outrighted twice, but he had success in the big leagues as recently as 2013.
Orioles Notes: Chen, Davis, Wieters, Bastardo
Orioles executive Dan Duquette says his team attempted to trade for pitching Wednesday, but that attempt fell through, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports. That means the Orioles might not end up accomplishing much more at the Winter Meetings than making a selection in the Rule 5 Draft. “Keep in mind who the Orioles are,” says Duquette. “We’ve got an established pitching staff. We’ve got a strong everyday lineup. We’ve got to fill a few holes. We’re going to look at some options in the major league free-agent market and sign a couple players.” The Orioles have received plenty of trade interest in starter Wei-Yin Chen, Encina writes. Here are more notes on the Orioles.
- Agent Scott Boras expresses optimism that the Orioles can work out ways to keep Chris Davis and Matt Wieters, Encina reports. Both players are eligible for free agency after the season. “I do think there’s a chance with all players,” Boras says. “Dan and I talk a great deal and, obviously, we have to do our arbitration for annual contracts here soon. I think both players enjoy playing in Baltimore.” Boras says he and Duquette have not talked about a potential extension for Chen.
- The Orioles discussed a trade with the Phillies for lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo before Philadelphia shipped Bastardo to the Pirates, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. (That’s not the unconsummated pitching trade that Duquette alluded to, Kubatko clarifies in a reply.) Even with the departure of Andrew Miller, the Orioles already have several good lefties in Zach Britton, T.J. McFarland and Brian Matusz, although Britton is slated to close and MacFarland could pitch in the Triple-A rotation.
Rule 5 Draft Notes: Rays, Twins, Graham
The Rule 5 Draft takes place at 11am Central on Thursday, with live audio coverage at MLB.com. The Rule 5 involves players who have been with their teams several years (five seasons if they signed at 18 or younger, four years if they signed at 19 or older) and have not yet been protected on their teams’ 40-man rosters. Teams must then add the players they select to their 40-man rosters, and keep them on their active rosters throughout the 2015 season.
MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo lists the draft order (the Diamondbacks have the first pick) and the key prospects, which include speedy Astros outfielder Delino DeShields, Marlins lefty Jarlin Garcia and Braves righty J.R. Graham, but the Rule 5 is often surprising, as teams often choose players (or choose no one) based on their own distinctive evaluations of the marginal prospects who tend to be available. (A couple weeks ago, we noted J.J. Cooper of Baseball America’s extensive preview of this year’s top Rule 5-eligible prospects.) Here are a few notes on tomorrow’s draft.
- One potential pick could be Rays catcher Oscar Hernandez, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Topkin notes that Hernandez is very toolsy. Still, it’s hard to see him sticking on a big-league roster at this point, even in a backup role — he hit .249/.301/.401 in the Class A Midwest League last year, hardly numbers that suggest he can handle big-league pitching. Topkin writes that Hernandez isn’t polished defensively at this point, either.
- Many teams tomorrow are unlikely to select a player at all, Baseball America’s Ben Badler tweets.
- If the Twins do select a player with the fifth pick and hold onto him, it could be Graham, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. Graham, 24, posted a poor 5.55 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 71 1/3 innings for Double-A Mississippi last season, but he was returning from a shoulder injury, and he has an outstanding fastball. A team could select him and move him to their bullpen.
AL Central Notes: Indians, Detwiler, Royals, Twins
The Indians are pursuing free agent starter Brett Anderson, ESPN’s Jim Bowden tweets. If he’s healthy, the talented but oft-injured Anderson would provide a wild card and a left arm for a talented Indians rotation that currently includes Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer and T.J. House. Anderson has recently been connected to the Twins, Rockies, Royals and Astros. Here’s more from the AL Central.
- The Royals discussed a potential Ross Detwiler trade with the Nationals, but talks didn’t advance, James Wagner of the Washington Post tweets. The Royals saw the lefty reliever and Missouri native as “more of a backup option,” Wagner notes. Detwiler, 28, posted a 4.00 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 63 innings with the Nats last season.
- There has been plenty of interest in Twins middle infielders Brian Dozier and Eduardo Escobar, but the Twins do not want to trade either one, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets. Dozier and Escobar were among Minnesota’s most productive position players last season, so it’s understandable that the Twins would be reluctant to part with them, although they also got very good seasons from fellow middle infielder Danny Santana and from third baseman Trevor Plouffe.