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Quick Hits: Ellsbury, Orioles, Rockies, Vogt

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Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury plans to continue his career in 2020, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com hears. Ellsbury just went through a pair of seasons wiped out by injuries, which led the Yankees to release him Wednesday and eat the remaining $26MM on his contract. But the 36-year-old’s now “finishing up his rehab [in Arizona] with a focus on Spring Training,” a source told Feinsand. Ellsbury, an MVP candidate with the Red Sox at his peak, remained a respectable major leaguer last time he was healthy enough to play. He posted a .264/.348/.402 line with seven home runs, 22 stolen bases on 25 tries, and 1.6 fWAR over 409 plate appearances in 2017. With that in mind, someone’s likely to take a chance on Ellsbury on a minor league contract before next season.

More from around baseball…

  • The Orioles have hired Eve Rosenbaum to fill a new role with the organization –  director of baseball development – Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports (subscription link). Rosenbaum, a Harvard graduate and Maryland native who spent the past five seasons with the Astros and was at the helm of their international signing period this year, is familiar with Orioles general manager Mike Elias from their time working together in Houston’s front office. Now reunited with Elias, Rosenbaum will largely focus on analytics and scouting in Baltimore, Connolly relays.
  • The Rockies “will look at” free-agent catchers Travis d’Arnaud, Yan Gomes, Martin Maldonado, Robinson Chirinos, Jason Castro and Alex Avila, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes. While the Rockies won’t spend much this offseason, nobody in that group of catchers figures to break the bank on the open market, and the club’s need behind the plate is obvious. Colorado’s backstops struggled to the majors’ 28th-ranked fWAR (minus-1.7) in 2019, when Tony Wolters, Chris Iannetta, Dom Nunez and Drew Butera all managed miserable offensive numbers.
  • Vogt may not be on Colorado’s list of catcher targets, but he is among the backstops “generating early interest,” Jeff Passan of ESPN tweets. The market for catchers is moving quicker than it is at other positions, per Passan. The Athletics and Giants, two of Vogt’s previous teams, are known to have interest in the 35-year-old former All-Star. The fact that he may be in position to sign early (and land a big league contract) is a significant change from last offseason, when Vogt went without a deal until the Giants handed him a minors pact in February. It proved to be a terrific buy-low move for San Francisco, as Vogt revived his career with a .263/.314/.490 line and 10 homers across 280 trips to the plate.

Adrian Sampson To Sign With KBO’s Lotte Giants

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The Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization are set to sign Rangers right-hander Adrian Sampson, Naver Sports reports (hat tip to Levi Weaver of The Athletic).

The 28-year-old Sampson has been a member of multiple MLB organizations since the Pirates used a fifth-round pick on him in 2012. He went to the Mariners in a 2015 trade for left-hander J.A. Happ, though the M’s cut ties with Sampson after 2016, leading the Rangers to claim him off waivers.

Sampson, then recovering from elbow surgery, didn’t pitch in the majors in his first year with the Rangers. However, the majority of his innings have come at the MLB level since then. While Sampson amassed all 125 1/3 innings of his 2019 frames as part of Texas’ staff, he could only muster a 5.89 ERA/5.69 FIP despite playable strikeout and walk rates of 7.25 and 2.59 per nine. Sampson has enjoyed more success preventing runs in Triple-A ball, where he owns a 4.11 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 over 398 2/3 innings.

Mets Interview Hensley Meulens For Bench Coach Position

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Former Giants assistant Hensley Meulens has a job with the Marlins if he wants it, but the division-rival Mets could prevent that union from coming to fruition. The Mets have interviewed Meulens for their vacant bench coach position, Dan Martin and Ken Davidoff of the New York Post report.

The 52-year-old Meulens, a former professional outfielder who spent most of his career in New York as a Yankee, is coming off a decade-long run as a coach with the Giants. Meulens is well-regarded for his time in San Francisco, where he was most recently its bench coach, and has drawn managerial consideration from at least a couple teams over the past few years. The Giants interviewed Meulens this fall to succeed departed manager Bruce Bochy before selecting Gabe Kapler for the role.

If the Mets end up hiring the multilingual Meulens, he’ll provide first-time manager Carlos Beltran with an experienced right-hand man. Meulens joins Joey Cora, Fredi Gonzalez and Jerry Narron as reported candidates in the running for the position. Should the Mets choose Cora, Gonzalez, Narron or someone else, Meulens figures to wind up in Miami in a role that hasn’t been announced to this point. Meulens has already signed a letter of intent to join the Marlins’ staff, but he still has the option to go elsewhere.

White Sox, Omar Vizquel Part Ways

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Former major league shortstop Omar Vizquel spent the previous two seasons managing in the White Sox’s minor league system, but he and the organization have parted ways on amicable terms, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

After his outstanding playing career came to an end in 2012, Vizquel transitioned to coaching. He wound up spending a combined five seasons as a major league assistant with the Tigers and Angels before joining the Chicago organization prior to 2018. Vizquel managed the White Sox’s Single-A club that season, earning Carolina League Manager of the Year honors, and then worked as their Double-A skipper this year.

It’s unclear why Vizquel and the White Sox are now moving in different directions, but the team’s director of player development, Chris Getz, told Merkin that Vizquel was “a positive influence” during his time with the organization. However, the two sides felt “it was time to go separate ways.”

Vizquel has garnered major league managerial consideration in the past, having interviewed with the Tigers in 2017 prior to their selection of Ron Gardenhire and the Angels in 2018 before they chose Brad Ausmus. Eight teams have sought new skippers this fall, but it doesn’t seem Vizquel has interviewed with any of those clubs (at least not for a managerial job). The Pirates are the only team left without a manager.

Yankees Release Jacoby Ellsbury, Designate Greg Bird

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The Yankees have released outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and designated first baseman Greg Bird for assignment as part of a series of roster moves. The club has also designated left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. and added seven players – outfielder Estevan Florial and right-handers Deivi Garcia, Luis Gil, Brooks Kriske, Luis Medina, Nick Nelson and Miguel Yajure – to its 40-man roster. Ken Davidoff and George A. King III of the New York Post first reported the Yankees were considering releasing Ellsbury.

This brings to an end a hugely disappointing New York tenure for Ellsbury, a former star with archrival Boston who parlayed his success with the Red Sox into a seven-year, $153MM deal with the Yankees after 2013. Ellsbury was merely a decent to good contributor for the Yankees from 2014-17, and a series of injuries prevented him from taking the field at all over the previous two seasons.

The Yankees currently have a need in center field with Aaron Hicks on the mend from Tommy John surgery and Brett Gardner a free agent, so the fact that they’ve moved on from Ellsbury and eaten the remaining $26MM-plus on his contract speaks to how far his stock has fallen. Now, if the 36-year-old is going to continue his career, he’ll likely have to settle for a minor league pact with another organization.

Injuries have also been ruinous for the 27-year-old Bird, whom the Yankees once regarded as their first baseman of the future. Bird was tremendous during a 178-plate appearance debut in 2015, when the left-hander’s swing looked tailor-made for Yankee Stadium, but that’s the only regular-season excellence he has shown to this point. Bird missed all of 2016 after undergoing shoulder surgery and then hit a meager .194/.287/.388 in 522 trips to the plate from 2017-19. Thanks in part to foot problems, he totaled just 41 PA at the MLB level this season. At this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see another team trade for or claim Bird, who still has three minor league options left.

Cortes, 24, is also in the DFA pile with Bird. The southpaw, a two-time member of the Yankees organization and also a former Oriole, saw extensive MLB action with New York in 2019. While Cortes limped to a 5.67 ERA/5.57 FIP in that 66 2/3-inning span, he did amass 9.32 strikeouts per nine against 3.78 walks. Cortes also had a solid year at the Triple-A level, where he posted a 3.86 ERA/3.40 FIP with 9.53 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 over 39 2/3 frames. He has a pair of minor league options remaining.

Padres Designate Nick Martini

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The Padres have designated outfielder Nick Martini for assignment, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets. The club selected the contract of outfielder Jorge Ona from Double-A Amarillo in a corresponding move.

Martini joined the Padres off waivers from the Athletics at the end of August, but the 29-year-old then struggled over 96 plate appearances, hitting .244/.344/.317 with no home runs. He logged just 13 PA with the A’s this past season before they moved on from him, though Martini was a respectable member of their offense in 2018. The lefty slashed .296/.397/.414 across 179 trips to the plate, but he only hit one HR then.

Ona, now 22, came to the Pads as a hyped prospect out of Cuba in July 2016. The club signed Ona for $7MM, and he’s now coming off a short season in which he starred in his first taste of the Double-A level. Ona racked up 103 plate appearances and batted .348/.417/.539 with five homers, though the right shoulder surgery he underwent in July limited his campaign.

Reds Acquire Jose De Leon

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The Reds have acquired right-hander Jose De Leon from the Rays for cash and a player to be named later, Cincinnati announced. The move leaves the Reds with a full 40-man roster.

Now 27, De Leon was once one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. He joined the Rays in January 2017 in a straight-up swap with the Dodgers for second baseman Logan Forsythe, though De Leon’s stock has dropped since then. He underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2018, causing him to miss that entire year, and only threw four innings at the major league level this past season. However, De Leon did toss 51 1/3 frames (17 starts, 13 appearances) of 3.51 ERA/3.72 FIP ball with 12.8 K/9 and 4.73 BB/9 with Triple-A Durham.

Rangers Designate Taylor Guerrieri, CD Pelham

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The Rangers have designated right-hander Taylor Guerrieri and left-hander CD Pelham for assignment, per an announcement from the team’s executive vice president of communications, John Blake.

Guerrieri entered the pro ranks as a first-rounder of the Rays in 2011, and he remained a high-end prospect for a little while after that. However, Guerrieri – also a former Blue Jay – could now be on his way to his fourth organization at the age of 26. While Guerrieri did pitch to a 3.47 ERA/3.33 FIP with 9.66 K/9 and 3.72 BB/9 in 36 1/3 innings as a member of the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate in 2019, he logged a bloated 5.81 ERA/5.38 FIP and 9.23 K/9 against 7.52 BB/9 across 26 1/3 frames at the MLB level.

Pelham, 24, first joined the Rangers as a 33rd-round pick in 2015. He made a brief debut in the majors in 2018, though he threw all 32 1/3 of his innings between Double-A and Triple-A ball this year. The hard-throwing Pelham recorded an unsightly 11.97 ERA with more walks (40) than strikeouts (37) during that span.

Blue Jays DFA Justin Shafer, Outright Tim Mayza

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The Blue Jays have made several 40-man roster moves, including designating right-hander Justin Shafer for assignment and outrighting left-hander Tim Mayza to Triple-A Buffalo, the team announced. The club has also added infielder Santiago Espinal and righty Tom Hatch to its 40-man, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet first reported.

The 27-year-old Shafer has been a member of the Toronto organization since it used an eighth-round pick on him in 2014. Shafer has produced good results at the major league level since then, evidenced by his 3.75 ERA over 48 innings, though a subpar 1.28 K/BB had helped lead to a 5.52 FIP/6.00 xFIP in the bigs.

Booting Mayza from the 40-man may be the most notable move here, as the 27-year-old was a major part of the Blue Jays’ bullpen in 2019. A 12th-rounder of the Jays in 2013, Mayza amassed 51 1/3 innings in 2019 – the fourth-highest total among the team’s relievers – with a 4.91 ERA/4.73 FIP and 9.64 K/9 against 4.73 BB/9 before suffering a gruesome, season-ending arm injury in the first half of September. Mayza will miss all of 2020 as a result, so it’s no surprise Toronto doesn’t want to dedicate a 40-man spot to him next year.

The 25-year-old Espinal joined the Blue Jays in June 2018 in their return from Boston for infielder Steve Pearce, who went on to win World Series MVP honors that year. Espinal was a 10th-rounder of the Red Sox in 2016 who got to the Triple-A level for the first time in 2019 and batted .317/.360/.433 in 112 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Hatch – also 25 – went to Toronto in its deal with the Cubs for reliever David Phelps last July. He currently ranks as the Jays’ 30th-best prospect at MLB.com, having thrown 135 1/3 innings of 4.12 ERA ball with 8.4 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 at the Double-A level between the two organizations in 2019.

MLBTR Poll: Josh Bell’s Future

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The Pirates have a new general manager in Ben Cherington, whom they officially introduced as Neal Huntington’s replacement Monday. Pirates owner Bob Nutting indicated then that the Pirates, a few weeks removed from a 69-win season and their fourth straight year without a playoff berth, don’t regard anyone on their roster as untouchable. Even before Nutting made that revelation, many considered high-profile Pirates such as Starling Marte, Chris Archer and Keone Kela as trade candidates. But in the wake of Nutting’s comments, there’s an even bigger name in the mix: first baseman Josh Bell.

Would the Cherington-led Pirates dare shop Bell, who has arguably emerged as their first franchise player since the Andrew McCutchen era came to an end after the 2017 season? Bell, like McCutchen, is a homegrown Pirate made good. A second-round pick of the Pirates in 2011, Bell debuted in 2016 and posted mediocre numbers (relative to his offense-driven position) during the first three years of his career. But the switch-hitting Bell broke out this year during an All-Star season in which he slashed .277/.367/.569 with 37 home runs and 116 runs batted in – an impressive amount even if you regard RBI as an antiquated statistic.

So what’s the problem for Pittsburgh, which seems to have a real building block on its hands at first? As is often the case, it’s about the money. The 27-year-old Bell’s projected to make an affordable $5.9MM via arbitration in 2020, though he has just two more seasons of arbitration control thereafter. And considering their current state, it may be unrealistic on the Pirates’ part to expect they’ll turn back into contenders during Bell’s remaining arb years.

The Pirates could extend Bell in that time span and retain him for the long haul, though as of July, super-agent Scott Boras didn’t sound optimistic about a new deal coming together. Boras took aim at the Pirates for not showing a willingness “to go out and invest in a great young player for a long time,” also criticizing the team for a payroll that has barely climbed (relative to its profits) across the past two decades.

It’s hard to argue with the opinionated Boras regarding the Pirates, especially considering they still haven’t signed anyone for more than the $60MM extension they gave former star catcher Jason Kendall back in November 2000. Bell would likely rake in more on his next pact, but should Pittsburgh make an aggressive push to lock him up at this point? Should the team simply keep Bell and continue going year to year with him? Or maybe now is the time to trade Bell, who’s more appealing than all free-agent first basemen on the open market.

(Poll link for app users)

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