Click here to read a transcript of tonight’s live chat with Connor Byrne of MLBTR.
Nelson Cruz Discusses Future Plans
Wednesday is Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz’s 40th birthday, but that doesn’t mean the six-time All-Star is closing in on retirement. On the contrary, Cruz suggested to Phil Miller of the Star Tribune that he still has enough gas in the tank to play beyond the 2020 campaign.
“I don’t see it [soon],” Cruz said of calling it quits sometime soon, and he went on to state that “my body is in good shape, and I’m doing everything I can to keep it that way. Why would I retire?”
Indeed, based on the eye-popping offensive numbers he has put up over the past few seasons, Cruz doesn’t look like someone who’s anywhere near the finish line. Cruz was a force with the Mariners from 2015-18 over 2,558-plate appearance tenure in which he slashed .284/.362/.546 (147 wRC+) with 163 home runs, and he only got better a year ago.
Owing to his age and his inability to factor in as a defender, Cruz didn’t secure a multiyear guarantee in free agency after his time in Seattle ended. He instead inked a one-year, $14.3MM deal with the Twins, though that contract did come with a $12MM club option for 2020. The Twins exercised it this past offseason, which was a no-brainer in light of the production Cruz posted in Year 1 in Minnesota. While Cruz only played in 120 games, his fewest since 2013, he still managed to amass 41 home runs across 521 PA and slash .311/.392/.639 – good for a personal-high wRC+ of 163. His HR total played a major role in the Twins setting a single-season record with 307.
Although Cruz is seemingly dead set on playing past 2020, that doesn’t mean he’ll continue to don a Twins uniform. Cruz is a pending free agent, and if he turns in another banner year and the National League keeps the DH going forward, he could encounter a robust market for someone his age. The Twins have shown interest in extending Cruz, though, so perhaps those talks will pick back up now that the league has lifted its freeze on transactions.
Padres Chairman Ron Fowler On Finances, 2020 Season, Union
With few to no fans in the stands during a 60-game season, Major League Baseball teams are undoubtedly going to suffer a financial hit this year. The Padres are among the teams in line to take a beating in that regard, executive chairman Ron Fowler explained to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
“People don’t want to believe we’re going to lose, cash on cash, well over $100 million. I can assure you we are,” said Fowler, who added: “We’ve already borrowed $100 million. We are looking to increase our loan availability, and we are looking to make a significant capital contribution — more money into the team.”
Despite his disappointment, Fowler stressed to Acee that he doesn’t want to come off as a whiner. He’s instead trying to look forward to a baseball season and hoping the Padres will end their 13-year playoff drought or at least finish above .500 for the first time since 2010. San Diego went just 70-92 last year, which Fowler called an “embarrassing” campaign in September. However, in the wake of an active offseason, Fowler’s optimistic about the roster general manager A.J. Preller has assembled for 2020. He told Acee, “If we catch a couple breaks, we might be looking at a wild card.”
Regardless of what happens on the field this year, though, Fowler expects to enter 2021 with concerns about teams’ financial states, including his own club’s. Because it’s unclear how many (if any) fans will be allowed to attend games then, “We are planning for restricted revenue next year and doing what is necessary to be able to operate in that environment,” Fowler said. “We will adjust accordingly. To expect we are going to return to 2019 in terms of business is not real, I don’t expect that to be the case at all.”
Of course, after the 2021 season, the owners and players could be in for a labor war centering on the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement. The fact that the two sides spent the past couple months in a public spat over the 2020 campaign could signal trouble going forward. It remains to be seen whether the league and the players will get on the same page in the next year-plus. For his part, Fowler’s not thrilled with the union’s chief negotiator, Bruce Meyer. Fowler, a key member of MLB’s labor committee, said of recent talks with the MLBPA and Meyer:“They had someone new who had a different view of how things should be done. That created a number of problems. We often thought we were negotiating with ourselves, and that’s not a good thing to do.”
Although he’s dissatisfied with Meyer, Fowler’s hope is obviously that the owners and players will achieve peace in CBA negotiations. For that to happen, though, he observed: “We definitely have to do it without it being negotiated in the press. We have to make sure we are communicating with our players what’s real and what’s not.”
NL Notes: Braun, Mets, Betances, Dodgers, Phillies
Some news and notes from the National League…
- Concerns over the coronavirus have helped lead four notable major leaguers – the Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross, the Diamondbacks’ Mike Leake and the Rockies’ Ian Desmond – to opt out of the 2020 season this week. Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun hasn’t joined them, though he is leery of playing amid a pandemic, per Mike DiGiovanna and Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times. The six-time All-Star told the LA Times “there’s some nervousness and apprehension,” adding, “My biggest priority is being a father first and a husband second, so to leave three young children and my wife to go into an environment where I don’t know what it will look like or when exactly I will come back or how safe it will be, it’s a little bit scary and completely different than anything I’ve experienced.” Although the season’s scheduled to start in a few weeks, Braun isn’t convinced the league will be able to finish or even start it, DiGiovanna and Markazi report.
- The Mets are “extremely excited” about the progress reliever Dellin Betances has made, and they expect him to be a full participant in summer camp, according to general manager Brodie Van Wagenen (via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). Betances, whom the Mets signed to a $10.5MM guarantee during the winter, missed almost all of last season as a Yankee because of shoulder problems. In his lone appearance of the year, on Sept. 15, the right-hander struck out both batters he faced before suffering a partial left Achilles tear while hopping off the mound. If Betances returns to his typical form this season, though, he should be an enormously helpful pickup for the Mets. The 32-year-old’s a four-time All-Star who has logged a 2.36 ERA/2.31 FIP with 14.64 K/9, 4.01 BB/9 and 117 holds during his 381 2/3-inning career.
- More on the Mets, who have had one player on their 40-man roster test positive for the coronavirus, Van Wagenen told Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News and other reporters Monday. They’ve also had positive tests among minor leaguers. But the 40-man player is recovering well, and Van Wagenen believes the Mets have been been “incredibly fortunate” to have so few positive tests to his point.
- We now know there won’t be a minor league baseball season in 2020. Nevertheless, two more teams have stepped up to pay their minor leaguers over the next couple months. The Dodgers have made the $400 weekly commitment through August, according to one of their own farmhands, righty Ryan Moseley. The Phillies, meanwhile, will pay their minor leaguers through the season, Matt Gelb of The Athletic tweets.
Amateur Draft Signings: 6/30/20
Here’s a look at the latest draft signings from around the game. Unless otherwise specified, the news comes courtesy of Jim Callis of MLB.com…
- The Mariners wrapped up their 2020 draft signings by inking right-hander Connor Phillips on Monday, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports. Phillips, the 64th pick, signed for full slot value of $1,050,300. The Mariners acquired the selection they used on Phillips from the Brewers during the offseason in a trade centering on catcher Omar Narvaez. Phillips, previously with McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, entered the draft as MLB.com’s 94th-ranked prospect available. The 19-year-old is capable of reaching the high 90s with his fastball, though he’ll need to improve his offspeed offerings to realize his potential, per MLB.com.
- The Pirates have signed fourth-round righty Jack Hartman for $60K (Twitter link). That sums checks in well below the $538,200 value of Hartman’s selection, No. 108. The ex-Appalachian State hurler pumps high-90s heat, possesses a high-spin curveball and is on track to be a reliever in the majors, Callis writes.
- Brewers fifth-rounder Hayden Cantrelle has agreed to a bonus worth $300K (Twitter link). Cantrelle’s pick, No. 151, carried a recommended value of $353,700. The former Louisiana-Lafayette shortstop’s stock dropped in an abbreviated final season in college, in which the switch-hitter batted .136/.320/.237 in 17 games, but Baseball America still rated him as the draft’s 138th-best prospect.
- The Diamondbacks have secured fifth-round righty Brandon Pfaadt for $100K, easily below the $360,800 slot value of the 149th choice (on Twitter). Pfaadt posted a 4.09 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 92 1/3 innings at Bellarmine University from 2018-20.
Mets Sign Jared Hughes
7:44pm: Hughes’ contract is worth a prorated $700K (about $260K over a 60-game season), DiComo tweets.
7:05pm: The Mets have signed reliever Jared Hughes to a major league contract, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was among those to report. Financial details of the deal aren’t yet known, but Hughes will join the Mets’ 60-man player pool. The right-hander is a client of ISE Baseball.
Hughes, who will turn 35 on July 4, was most recently with the Astros, but he opted out of his minor league contract with them in March. He divided 2019 between the Reds and Phillies, with whom he combined for a 4.04 ERA/5.29 FIP with 6.81 K/9, 3.41 BB/9 and a bloated home run-to-fly ball percentage of 28.9 across 71 1/3 frames.
Last season was the first time Hughes was victimized by the home run ball over a large sample of work. He has long been adept at inducing ground balls, having done so at a 61.5 percent clip during a 519-inning major league career that has also included runs with the Pirates and Brewers. Hughes’ ability to keep the ball out of the air has led to a 13.9 percent HR-to-FB rate and a quality 2.88 ERA, despite an underwhelming K/9 of 6.07.
While Hughes has never flashed the most exciting skill set, he looks like a worthwhile flyer for the Mets, who are banking on a better performance from a bullpen that was a major disappointment in 2019. Along with Hughes, they’ve since added Dellin Betances and Brad Brach to the unit.
Marlins, First-Rounder Max Meyer Agree To Deal
June 30: Meyer is taking his physical for the Marlins today and will receive a signing bonus of “about” $6.7MM, Heyman tweets.
June 10: It hasn’t been long since the Marlins made University of Minnesota right-hander Max Meyer the third overall pick in the draft on Wednesday, but the two sides have already reached an agreement, pending a physical, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com tweets. He’ll earn a bit less than the $7,221,200 slot value of his selection, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
The 21-year-old Meyer was a member of the Golden Gophers from 2018-20, when he combined for a sterling 2.13 ERA with 11.4 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 over 148 innings. Meyer carries a 99 mph fastball and a devastating slider, according to Keith Law of The Athletic, who contends he’s possibly “the most major-league ready player in the draft” (subscription link). Marlins director of amateur scouting DJ Svihlik agrees, having said (via Frisaro) that Meyer is “just about” ready for the majors.
Meyer is now the latest high-end pitching prospect in the Marlins’ system. Before the team selected Meyer, it already boasted fellow righty Sixto Sanchez, a 21-year-old who ranks as MLB.com’s 22nd-best farmhand.
Phillies GM Matt Klentak On Potential J.T. Realmuto Extension
The Phillies and pending free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto discussed a contract extension before Major League Baseball put a freeze on transactions in March because of the COVID-19 shutdown. That freeze lifted last week, but the Phillies and Realmuto have not restarted talks, as Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays.
Addressing Realmuto’s status Monday, general manager Matt Klentak said: “Candidly, we’ve been kind of nose to the ground — intake screenings and getting people here — so I haven’t touched base with [Realmuto’s camp]. As fas as a timeline, I just don’t know. I need to talk to them.”
Realmuto expressed optimism about a potential extension just a month and a half ago, but the game’s financial situation has certainly worsened since then. Therefore, it’s highly questionably whether any soon-to-be free agent – even a star like Realmuto, who’s regarded as the sport’s foremost backstop – will do as well on his next contract as he would have before the pandemic.
Klentak, for his part, acknowledged that the game has changed from a monetary standpoint in the past few months, saying “The landscape that we left in March is different from the one we return to now.” And while the Phillies would “still love to have [Realmuto] in red pinstripes for the long haul,” according to Klentak, he added that “there’s a lot of uncertainty in the game right now on a variety of levels. We just need to play that out.”
Before extension talks came to a halt, Realmuto’s agent, Jeff Berry of CAA Sports, may have been seeking a contract in the five-year, $130MM range for his client, Lauber reports. That payday – one that would average $26MM per year – would make Realmuto the highest-paid catcher in baseball history on an annual basis, surpassing the $23MM the now-retired Joe Mauer collected from the Twins on the mega-deal he inked in 2010 (Mauer, though, was on a much longer and more expensive contract worth $184MM over eight seasons). Whether that was a realistic asking price in the first place is debatable, but considering the sport’s less favorable financial circumstances – not to mention that Realmuto will turn 30 before the 2021 campaign begins – it will likely be even more difficult to obtain in the coming months.
Giants Outright Enderson Franco
The Giants placed right-hander Tyler Beede on the 45-day injured list and outrighted fellow righty Enderson Franco to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.
[RELATED: Giants Announce Initial Player Pool]
The IR placement for Beede was a procedural move, as he won’t play this season after he underwent Tommy John surgery back in March. Beede won’t make his return until next spring or summer as a result of the operation. The 26-year-old, once a high-end prospect, was vying for a spot in San Francisco’s rotation before his injury and the coronavirus shutdown.
Franco, formerly a minor leaguer with the Astros, Rays, Marlins and Braves, signed with the Giants as a free agent prior to the 2019 campaign and went on to throw 113 innings of 5.97 ERA/5.91 FIP ball with Sacramento. The 27-year-old was more successful during his major league debut, albeit over a mere 5 1/3 frames, as he gave up two earned runs on four hits and one walk (four strikeouts) in San Francisco.
Jung Ho Kang Ends KBO Comeback Attempt
Former Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang had been hoping to make a professional comeback in his native Korea, but he has ended that attempt, Jeehoo Yoo of Yonhap News reports. It’s unclear whether Kang will try to play again outside of the Korea Baseball Organization.
The Kiwoom Heroes hold the KBO rights over the 33-year-old Kang, who played for the club from 2010-14. Kang was successful enough in his homeland to earn a guaranteed contract from Pittsburgh, which signed him to a four-year, $11MM pact prior to the 2015 season. It looked like a wise investment for a little while, as Kang slashed a terrific .273/.355/.483 (129 wRC+) with 36 home runs and 5.8 fWAR in 837 plate appearances during his first two years in the majors. However, significant off-field problems – ones that have largely centered on issues with alcohol – have been an unfortunate part of the package.
Kang has picked up three DUI arrests, including one before the 2017 season that stopped him from securing a work visa to return from South Korea. He missed that year and almost all of 2018 as a result, and while Kang did return to the Pirates last season, he only hit .169/.222/.395 (55 wRC+) across 185 trips to the plate. Consequently, the Pirates decided to release him in August.
The likelihood is that Kang will never play in the majors again, and it no longer appears he’ll suit up in the KBO again. The league issued him a one-year suspension back in May, but that ban won’t take effect until Kang signs with one of its teams (if he does). Although the Heroes have his rights, he’s not actually a member of the team.
