MLBTR Poll: How Good Are The Angels?
Coming off their fifth straight non-playoff season and their fourth consecutive sub-.500 campaign, the Angels were expected to be one of the majors’ most active teams this winter. They haven’t disappointed.
Not only did the Angels sign free agency’s No. 1 position player – former Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon – to a seven-year, $245MM contract, but they’ve also strengthened their much-maligned starting rotation. Granted, the Angels’ acquisitions of ex-Oriole Dylan Bundy and former Brave Julio Teheran haven’t bowled anyone over, but at least the two of them have shown themselves to be durable, major league-caliber starters in recent years. That’s more than can be said for the majority of starters the Angels have run out over the past couple seasons.
With Rendon in the mix, an Angels position player group that finished 2019 middle of the pack in fWAR (16th) and runs scored (17th) suddenly looks imposing. Rendon and three-time AL MVP-winning center fielder Mike Trout could be the best one-two punch in baseball. Beyond them, there’s shortstop Andrelton Simmons, designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, left fielder Justin Upton and second baseman David Fletcher. Brian Goodwin‘s the team’s starting right fielder for the moment, but his days at the top could be numbered with super-prospect Jo Adell not far from making an impact in the bigs.
While the Angels clearly have a legitimate offensive core, there are concerns, namely at catcher – which they need to address before the offseason’s out – as well as at first base. Unfortunately for the Angels, they could be stuck with a deteriorating Albert Pujols (he of the bloated $29MM salary) playing a key first base role.
Meanwhile, even with Bundy and Teheran in the mix, the Angels’ rotation still appears to need work. Neither one of those right-handers is a world-beater. Ohtani, a fellow righty, has front-end ability, but he only threw about 50 innings in 2018 before Tommy John surgery kept him off a mound last season. Like Ohtani, Andrew Heaney, Griffin Canning and Patrick Sandoval – although promising – haven’t really established themselves so far. Another problem for the Angels: They don’t seem likely to land a bona fide front-end type before the season, as Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg and Zack Wheeler are gone from free agency, and nobody’s aggressively shopping a No. 1 or 2 starter via trade.
Elsewhere, there’s a case the Angels need to better their bullpen, which finished last season in mediocre territory. Aside from claiming righty Mike Mayers from the Cardinals last month, they haven’t done much to address that area. Hansel Robles, Ty Buttrey, Noe Ramirez and Cam Bedrosian will all be back, however, and the Halos should get a full year from Keynan Middleton after he missed most of 2019 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
It’s hard to argue that the Angels haven’t taken significant steps forward this offseason. Plus, the two front-runners in the AL West – the Astros and Athletics – have been pretty quiet since last season ended. That said, after going 72-90 and finishing 35 games back of the Astros and 25 behind the A’s in 2019, the Halos still look as if they have more ground to make up if they’re going to be any better than a third-place team in 2020. With $20-some million left in spending room before they reach the first level of the luxury tax, the Angels just might make another splash or two before the offseason’s out. Right now, though, how many games do you expect the Joe Maddon-led club to win next year?
(Poll link for app users)
As of now, how many games do you expect Angels to win?
-
80-84 37% (6,782)
-
85-89 34% (6,077)
-
76-79 12% (2,125)
-
90-94 11% (1,988)
-
75 or fewer 4% (706)
-
95 or more 3% (460)
Total votes: 18,138
Trade Candidate: Matthew Boyd
Left-hander Matthew Boyd has been one of the most talked-about trade candidates in baseball dating back to last season, yet the Tigers haven’t been willing to part with him thus far. Boyd seemed to come up on MLBTR’s pages every day last July leading up to the trade deadline, though rumors centering on him have been few and far between this offseason. As of a few weeks ago, Tigers general manager Al Avila wasn’t “actively” looking to move Boyd, one of the most valuable players on a Detroit team that has little chance to push for contention in the near term.
Since that report on Boyd broke, the upper end of the free-agent class for starting pitchers has emptied out. Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, Zack Wheeler, Madison Bumgarner, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Dallas Keuchel and Cole Hamels, among others, have come off the board in recent weeks. That leaves … Alex Wood (?) as the best starter left in free agency. Needless to say, if you didn’t sign any of the top starters on the open market but still need help in your rotation, a trade’s likely your best bet at this point. So, there should be plenty of teams clamoring for Boyd.
As MLBTR’s Jeff Todd explained earlier this week, when combining trade value and trade probability, Boyd may be the likeliest starter in the game to wind up on the move before the season. As was mentioned before, the Tigers figure to stay close to the bottom of the league for at least a little while longer, which is one reason it makes sense to give up Boyd now. Likewise, the lack of better starters on the open market ought to help Detroit’s cause if it tries to deal him. The soon-to-be 29-year-old Boyd does have three seasons’ arbitration eligibility left, so the Tigers could be content to keep him. However, Boyd’s getting more expensive (he’s due a projected $6.4MM in 2020) and might be difficult to extend with Scott Boras as his agent.
All things considered, the next several weeks look like an opportune time for the Tigers to cash in Boyd. Keep in mind this is the same club that held once-coveted righty Michael Fulmer when several teams were interested in him, and after undergoing Tommy John surgery last March, his trade value’s almost nil right now. If the Tigers go the other way with Boyd, there should be plenty of teams willing to offer enticing packages. To name several examples, the Angels, Astros, Phillies, Padres, Dodgers and Braves were all reported to have expressed interest in Boyd over the summer. All of those clubs could still stand to add someone of his ilk to their starting staffs right now.
So, if you’re going to trade for Boyd, what would you be getting? Well, there’s nothing particularly impressive about his career 4.92 ERA/4.66 FIP across 645 1/3 innings. Similarly, neither Boyd’s lifetime 91.4 mph average fastball velocity nor his 92 mph mean from 2019 will scare anyone. But Boyd did find another gear last season in terms of generating swinging strikes, racking up strikeouts and limiting walks. Hitters whiffed on 14 percent of his pitches, up from the 9 to 10 percent range during prior seasons. Moreover, Boyd took down 11.56 batters per nine via the K and handed out free passes at a personal-best 2.43 per nine. In all, his 4.76 K/BB ratio ranked 10th in the majors, barely trailing NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom and placing him just above the likes of Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw.
Despite his K/BB brilliance, Boyd still concluded last season with an unspectacular 4.56 ERA/4.32 FIP over 185 1/3 innings. One problem? A lack of ground balls. Boyd induced grounders at a subpar 35.6 percent clip, which rivaled his lifetime mark (34.5) but also helped lead to an unpalatable home run tally. He surrendered long balls on 18.2 percent of flies, up from the 10 to 11 range over the previous two seasons. Of course, teams that are especially sanguine about Boyd could attribute those struggles to a leaguewide increase in HRs. As such, it may not have a negative effect on their interest in swinging a deal for him.
All told, 2019 was a tale of two halves for Boyd. He recorded a terrific 3.57 ERA/3.38 FIP in advance of the All-Star break, which helped fuel one trade rumor after another, before plummeting to a 5.35 ERA/4.57 FIP thereafter. In retrospect, maybe the Tigers should’ve sold high on Boyd in July, but it still seems likely he’d bring back a quality return for the rebuilding club in the coming weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
MLBTR Poll: How Good Are The White Sox?
With the holiday season in full swing, this has been a fairly quiet week around Major League Baseball. If you’re a White Sox fan who happens to read MLBTR, though, we’ve had plenty of items relating to your favorite team over the past couple days. There has been Chicago’s one-year, $12MM agreement with first baseman/designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, its reported interest (or lack thereof) in free-agent outfielder Yasiel Puig and Mark Polishuk’s piece on the extension candidacy of stud center field prospect Luis Robert.
Even before the White Sox committed to Encarnacion, the majority of voters MLBTR polled Tuesday declared they were having the best offseason of all AL teams that finished below .500 in 2019. The White Sox defeated the Angels, Blue Jays and Rangers – teams that are also enjoying impressive offseasons – for that honor. Before Encarnacion jumped aboard, the White Sox added catcher Yasmani Grandal and left-handers Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez in free agency, re-signed 1B/DH/franchise favorite Jose Abreu and acquired outfielder Nomar Mazara in a trade with the Rangers.
Now, with the bulk of the White Sox’s winter work likely done, it’s worth asking how good this team looks on paper. Undoubtedly, Chicago had a high hill to climb coming into the offseason. The club was then fresh off a 72-victory campaign, its 11th in a row without a playoff berth and the seventh straight season in which it lost more games than it won. Maybe the White Sox aren’t quite playoff-caliber now, but considering the moves general manager Rick Hahn & Co. have made in the past month and a half, they should at least push the .500 mark next year.
With Encarnacion, Grandal, Abreu, Mazara, third baseman Yoan Moncada, shortstop/reigning AL batting champion Tim Anderson and left fielder Eloy Jimenez comprising the majority of their offense, the White Sox should be a bear to deal with for opposing pitchers. That’s without considering the forthcoming promotions of Robert and second base prospect Nick Madrigal, who could emerge as regulars in the early going next season.
Likewise, there’s no shortage of promise in Chicago’s rotation. If all goes according to plan, Keuchel and Gonzalez will act as sturdy veterans, Lucas Giolito will continue blossoming into one of the game’s premier starters, Reynaldo Lopez, Michael Kopech and Dylan Cease will quickly realize their vast promise, and Carlos Rodon will return to form after Tommy John surgery. Odds are that everything won’t go right, but that’s still a lot of talent crammed into one starting staff.
If there’s one area Chicago hasn’t really addressed this winter, it’s the team’s bullpen. The White Sox did claim flamethrowing righty Tayron Guerrero off waivers from the Marlins, but they’re otherwise in line to return a familiar cast of characters at the end of games. That isn’t quite cause for panic, though, as their Aaron Bummer-led relief corps largely earned middle-of-the-pack marks last season.
Although we still have several weeks before pitchers and catchers report, this already looks like a much-improved White Sox roster. In an AL Central division with multiple teams in full rebuilds (the Royals and Tigers) and two quality clubs that could take steps back (the Twins and Indians), perhaps Chicago can break through as one of the majors’ surprise playoff contenders in 2020. What do you think?
(Poll link for app users)
As of now, how good are the White Sox?
-
They'll finish .500 or better 85% (16,854)
-
They'll finish below .500 15% (3,082)
Total votes: 19,936
Latest On Yasiel Puig, White Sox
The White Sox have reportedly been in talks with free-agent outfielder Yasiel Puig, but the team’s not pushing to sign him, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. The two sides don’t have any negotiations taking place at present, Levine reports.
[RELATED: Extension Candidate – Luis Robert]
Puig (or any other high-profile free-agent corner outfielder) looked like a logical match for the White Sox when the offseason began several weeks ago. But the White Sox have since made a few other additions to their lineup that could erase any possibility of landing another starting outfielder. Not only did they acquire corner OFer Nomar Mazara from the Rangers, but they also re-signed first baseman/designated hitter Jose Abreu to a three-year, $50MM contract and just agreed to add another 1B/DH, Edwin Encarnacion, on a one-year, $12MM pact.
With Mazara and Eloy Jimenez around as starting corner outfielders and the Abreu-Encarnacion-Yasmani Grandal trio likely to log plenty of time at DH, there may not be a place for Puig at those spots. That is, unless they can convince the right-handed Puig to work on the short side of a platoon with the lefty-swinging Mazara. It may be far-fetched to expect Puig to settle for that type of role, though.
Puig, who turned 29 this month, has been a regular since he debuted with the Dodgers in 2013. Although Puig went through a disappointing 2019 between Cincinnati and Cleveland, he’s still one of the most established hitters left in a constantly shrinking free-agent market. Puig, Nicholas Castellanos (another rumored White Sox target who may have to look elsewhere), Marcell Ozuna and Corey Dickerson appear to be the top remaining corner outfielders available. Considering the offseason moves the White Sox have already made to better their offense, it seems doubtful anyone from that group will end up in their uniform.
Latest On Starling Marte
Pirates center fielder Starling Marte stands out as one of the game’s most obvious trade chips, especially considering the non-contending club has a new general manager in Ben Cherington. The Mets have been connected to Marte throughout the offseason, and though it doesn’t appear a trade is imminent, the teams “have exchanged names” for a potential deal sometime this winter, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
As was reported before, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo did come up in their discussions with the Pirates, Heyman tweets. However, the Pirates “may prefer prospects” to the soon-to-be 27-year-old Nimmo, who has arbitration eligibility for the next three seasons.
With no clear-cut starter in center, New York looks like a logical fit for Marte. But the Mets are facing plenty of competition from elsewhere for the 31-year-old. The Diamondbacks and Rangers join the previously reported Padres among teams that have at least checked in on Marte’s availability, per Heyman.
Although it’s unclear when they last discussed Marte with the Pirates, the inclusion of the D-backs is interesting, as they seemingly just completed their outfield by agreeing to sign Kole Calhoun. He’s slated to accompany Ketel Marte (center) and David Peralta (left) in the grass for Arizona. However, Ketel Marte can also play second base, so adding Starling Marte would enable the former to turn his full-time focus to the infield.
As for the Rangers, they appear to have a clearer opening in center after trading Delino DeShields to Cleveland earlier this month as part of the clubs’ Corey Kluber swap. Joey Gallo did see time there last season, but the plan is for him to handle right next year. Meanwhile, the team could prefer to shift the versatile Danny Santana around the diamond. With that in mind, there appears to be room for the acquisition of a proven center fielder such as Marte, one of the game’s most valuable players at his position.
For the Pirates, there is no doubt the high demand for capable center fielders and the dearth of starters available in free agency works in their favor. Plus, Marte’s affordability – he’s due a guaranteed $11.5MM in 2020 and has a ’21 club option for $12.5MM (or a $1MM buyout) – only adds to his trade value.
Remaining Needs: AL West
With the offseason almost two months old, MLBTR is going through all 30 teams’ remaining needs by division. We started with the NL East. Now let’s move to the AL West, a division the Astros have won three years in a row. This has been a somewhat rocky offseason for the reigning pennant winners, which could create opportunities for at least one or two of the other teams in their division…
Houston Astros [Offseason Outlook]
The Astros’ nigh-invincible rotation has taken a couple serious hits since free agency opened, as all-world right-hander Gerrit Cole left to sign a record-high contract with the rival Yankees and back-end southpaw Wade Miley departed for the Reds. With Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke returning to man the top two spots, the front end of the Astros’ starting staff remains in better shape than most teams’. They’ll also get Lance McCullers Jr. back from Tommy John surgery, though the remainder of their rotation is decidedly less proven.
Jose Urquidy, Forrest Whitley, Rogelio Armenteros, Cionel Perez and Josh James are just a few in-house options who could start for Astros sometime in 2020, but there’s nothing resembling an established option after the Verlander-Greinke-McCullers trio. So, it would make sense for the Astros to seek a veteran from outside, though their desire to avoid the second level of the luxury tax ($228MM) could limit their options. As things stand, the Astros’ tax payroll’s already projected to check in at $237MM-plus, per Jason Martinez of Roster Resource. From that standpoint, the good news is that there’s no free agent remaining who’d cost an exorbitant amount to sign. However, that also means there’s no sure bet left on the open market. What about upgrading via trade? Two lefties – the Tigers’ Matthew Boyd and the Diamondbacks’ Robbie Ray – are among those who could be available, and both hurlers have drawn the Astros’ interest in the not-so-distant past.
Aside from the back end of its rotation, most of Houston’s roster looks as if it’ll once again enter next season in enviable shape. An exception could be at catcher, where the Astros probably won’t get much offense from Martin Maldonado, Dustin Garneau and Garrett Stubbs. Nevertheless, having re-signed the defensive specialist Maldonado for a two-year, $7MM guarantee, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Astros go into 2020 with their current behind-the-plate cast.
For Houston, the biggest question of all is whether it’ll face discipline in the near future for a scandal centering on alleged sign-stealing during its World Series-winning campaign in 2017. That’ll continue to be a major story to watch going forward, as it could have negative effects on president of baseball operations Jeff Luhnow, manager A.J. Hinch and the organization as a whole.
Oakland Athletics [Offseason Outlook]
There may be no greater need in Oakland that at second base, a position Jurickson Profar failed to solidify last season (the A’s dealt him to the Padres earlier this winter as a result). For now, the A’s have several fairly untested in-house possibilities in Franklin Barreto, Sheldon Neuse, Chad Pinder and Jorge Mateo, but they’ve shown interest in addressing the spot from elsewhere. Former Athletic Jed Lowrie, now a Met, has come up as a potential trade acquisition. If healthy (no sure thing after an injury-ruined 2019), the switch-hitting Lowrie would at least offer some variety to a righty-heavy lineup. But if the A’s don’t pick up Lowrie or someone else via trade, they can still choose from several free agents, including Starlin Castro, Brock Holt, Jason Kipnis, Asdrubal Cabrera, Scooter Gennett and ex-A Ben Zobrist, to name some players left on the market.
Elsewhere, the Athletics have at least considered adding a veteran backup catcher and more relief help. Matt Wieters has been on the radar as a possible reserve behind highly promising young backstop Sean Murphy. In the bullpen, the A’s had interest in a reunion with Blake Treinen before he signed a one-year, $10MM deal with the Dodgers. They also eyed Sergio Romo prior to his re-signing with the Twins, and have looked at Royals lefty Tim Hill.
Texas Rangers [Offseason Outlook]
Credit to the Rangers for remaking their rotation this winter. What was previously a weakness now looks like a strength with new faces Corey Kluber, Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles following the terrific Mike Minor–Lance Lynn tandem. But where are the offensive reinforcements? The Rangers came into the offseason at least expected to take steps forward at third base, where Anthony Rendon was available and Josh Donaldson is still without a deal. They watched Rendon sign with the Angels for seven years and $245MM,however, and it doesn’t seem they’re serious players for Donaldson. Therefore, barring a trade for someone like Kris Bryant of the Cubs or Nolan Arenado of the Rockies, it doesn’t appear the Rangers will be making a blockbuster addition at the hot corner. Other than Donaldson, free-agent options (Todd Frazier?) don’t inspire a great deal of confidence.
Meanwhile, the Rangers’ offensive production from the catcher position was catastrophically low last season. Jeff Mathis put up a wRC+ of 2 (yes, you read that correctly), while Jose Trevino wasn’t a world-beater in his own right. But the Rangers are currently poised to enter next year with those two as their primary backstops yet again. Robinson Chirinos, a former Ranger they’ve shown interest in re-signing, is still out there. So is Jason Castro. On paper, either would give the team a much more credible starting catcher than it has at the moment.
Not to be forgotten, the Rangers aren’t in the best shape at first base, where Ronald Guzman fell flat for the second straight year. The 25-year-old Guzman still has a minor league option remaining, so the Rangers could sign a veteran (Eric Thames? Old friend Mitch Moreland?), demote Guzman and still keep him in the org.
Los Angeles Angels [Offseason Outlook]
As mentioned above, the Angels made one of the offseason’s most noteworthy splashes when they signed Rendon. Many expected the Angels to hand out a $200MM-plus contract this winter, but the popular belief was that money would go to a pitcher (Cole or Stephen Strasburg). The Angels struck out on Cole, Strasburg and $100MM-plus man Zack Wheeler (now a Phillie), but with Rendon in tow, they boast arguably baseball’s premier one-two punch of position players in him and the transcendent Mike Trout. The supporting cast behind those two isn’t bad, either, with DH Shohei Ohtani, shortstop Andrelton Simmons, second baseman David Fletcher and left fielder Justin Upton as quality complements. Furthermore, star outfield prospect Jo Adell gaining on a major league spot.
If there’s one serious issue among the Angels’ cast of hitters, it’s behind the plate. The only catchers on the Angels’ 40-man roster are Max Stassi and Anthony Bemboom, and that probably isn’t going to cut it. They have, however, shown interest in boosting their cause from outside. Either Chirinos or Castro (or, although it’s less likely, a trade for the Cubs’ Willson Contreras) would go a long way toward giving them one of the most formidable groups of position players in baseball.
Of course, as was the case when the offseason began, the Angels still need front-of-the-rotation help. Sure, they’ve done well to land Dylan Bundy and Julio Teheran as competent innings eaters, and Ohtani will factor in again after missing all of 2019 (as a pitcher) while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Andrew Heaney and Griffin Canning are still in the mix, which is a plus, but there’s no proven ace in the fold. Problem is that it may be too late to find one. Boyd, Ray, Chris Archer (whom new manager Joe Maddon knows from their time in Tampa Bay) and David Price (who still has three years and $96MM left on his contract) are among the top options on the trade market, but all come with question marks.
Fortunately for the Angels, they’re still more than $20MM under the luxury tax, so there’s room for them to make further upgrades even after grabbing Rendon, Bundy and Teheran.
Seattle Mariners [Offseason Outlook]
Unlike the other teams in their division, the rebuilding Mariners have very little chance to vie for a playoff spot next season. As such, one of their only real “needs” is to find a way to jettison more veterans and keep building for the future. The Mariners already got rid of one prominent player in catcher Omar Narvaez, whom they traded to the Brewers earlier this month, and third baseman Kyle Seager, outfielder Mitch Haniger and second baseman Dee Gordon are among those who could also find themselves on the outs in the coming months.
Meantime, general manager Jerry Dipoto has said the Mariners won’t be adding to their position player group before next season, but it would at least make sense to buy low on a pitcher or two, hope for a rebound(s) and try to flip him or them by the July trade deadline. Old pal Taijuan Walker has come up as a possible starting addition via free agency, and would join free-agent signing Kendall Graveman as a bounce-back candidate for the Mariners. Those are the type of arms they should be on the hunt for right now.
Poll: Which Sub-.500 AL Team’s Having The Best Offseason?
The Blue Jays, White Sox, Rangers and Angels each entered the winter amid multiyear playoff droughts and on the heels of sub-.500 showings in 2019. No one from that American League quartet has been a sorrier bunch for longer than the White Sox, owners of an 11-year postseason-less skid. The Blue Jays, Rangers and Angels have at least been relevant more recently than Chicago, but success has still escaped those other clubs for far too long. However, judging by the teams’ actions in the past weeks, they’ve had their fill of serving as doormats in their league. The offseason has gotten off to rollicking starts for all of these franchises, each of which has made more than one significant addition since the floodgates opened in November.
The Angels, they of the pitiful 72-90 record last season, finally look as if they’re in decent position to capitalize on all-world center fielder Mike Trout‘s presence. They added the foremost position player on the market, third baseman Anthony Rendon, on a whopper of a contract worth $245MM over seven years. The rotation-needy Halos have also picked up a pair of starters in Dylan Bundy and Julio Teheran. Neither will be confused for an ace, but they should give the team much-needed competent innings at reasonable prices near the back of its rotation. If you’re a glass-half-empty type, though, you may be unimpressed by the Angels’ lack of a front-line starter pickup (though the return of Shohei Ohtani from Tommy John surgery should be a major help) and/or that they haven’t addressed their problems at catcher yet.
The White Sox, also coming off a 72-win season, have been extremely busy in upgrading their lineup. Their offense produced the third-fewest runs in the AL, but that should change for the better in a year with the signing of star catcher Yasmani Grandal (four years, $73MM). The White Sox also helped their cause by retaining first baseman/designated hitter Jose Abreu (three years, $50MM), and they’re clinging to hope that 24-year-old outfielder Nomar Mazara (acquired from Texas) will start living up to his immense promise now that he has changed teams. Even with those three in tow, the White Sox might not be done yet on the offensive end. They’re reportedly at the forefront of the sweepstakes for Edwin Encarnacion, yet another slugging 1B/DH, and remain in the mix for outfielder Nicholas Castellanos – possibly the second-best position player left in free agency.
Of course, upgrading at the plate hasn’t been Chicago’s sole focus. The White Sox made a large splash on the pitching side last weekend when they agreed to sign former Cy Young-winning southpaw Dallas Keuchel for three years and $55.5MM. He followed the much more modestly priced Gio Gonzalez as the second accomplished lefty the team signed for its rotation. With those two, ace Lucas Giolito, the high-upside Reynaldo Lopez–Dylan Cease–Michael Kopech trio, and (once he returns from Tommy John surgery) Carlos Rodon, the club actually has plenty to look forward to with regards to its starting staff.
The same can be said for the Blue Jays and Rangers, who have each spent the majority of the offseason bettering their rotations. Toronto, a lowly 67-95 last season, just took a four-year, $80MM gamble on ex-Dodger Hyun-Jin Ryu. After offering elite production in his final year as a Dodger, Ryu’s in line to lead a Jays staff that will also consist of fellow new additions Tanner Roark, Chase Anderson, Matt Shoemaker (returning from a torn ACL) and perhaps some combination of ex-Japanese star Shun Yamaguchi (yet another just-signed hurler), Trent Thornton, Jacob Waguespack, Ryan Borucki, Anthony Kay and stud prospect Nate Pearson. Unlike late last season, after the Jays traded two vet starters (Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez) and their rotation was a barren wasteland, possibilities abound.
On the offensive side, the Jays replaced departed first baseman Justin Smoak (now a Brewer) with ex-Brewer Travis Shaw in the corner infield. It’s hard to see that as an upgrade on paper, though, after the woeful 2019 Shaw had. But for one year and $4MM, it’ll look brilliant if Shaw returns anywhere near the 3.0-WAR production he managed from 2017-18.
As for Texas, this offseason looks like a bit of a mixed bag. The Rangers have not added at third base or catcher, two positions that still look iffy, even though they partook in the Rendon derby and have also been part of Josh Donaldson‘s market. On the other hand, their rotation looks far superior to the 2019 group that got very little outside of the Mike Minor–Lance Lynn duo and played a key role in a 78-84 finish. Those two are back, while two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber (acquired from the Indians), Kyle Gibson (three years, $28MM) and Jordan Lyles (two years, $16MM) will round out the quintet. For the first time in a while, it’s fair to say the Rangers’ rotation looks strong one through five.
All of these clubs have been extraordinarily active as they seek ways to move past their longstanding struggles in 2020. In your opinion, though, which has enjoyed the best offseason so far?
(Poll link for app users)
Which sub-.500 AL team's having the best offseason?
-
White Sox 55% (13,938)
-
Angels 19% (4,765)
-
Blue Jays 14% (3,433)
-
Rangers 12% (3,130)
Total votes: 25,266
Tyler Saladino Signs With KBO’s Samsung Lions
The Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization have announced an agreement with infielder Tyler Saladino (hat tip to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net). The deal comes with a $700K salary, a $100K bonus and up to $100K in incentives.
The 30-year-old Saladino, a veteran of five major league seasons, will now ply his trade overseas after the Brewers jettisoned him earlier this month. Saladino had been projected to earn a relatively modest $1MM in arbitration in 2020, but the Brewers sent him to the free-agent market when they non-tendered him.
Saladino spent two years in Milwaukee, the first of which went OK (he slashed .246/.302/.398 in 130 plate appearances), but last season was nightmarish. Across 71 trips to the plate, Saladino only mustered a .123/.197/.215 line. However, Saladino was highly successful at the Triple-A level, where he batted .287/.384/.566 with 17 home runs in 310 PA. Even in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, his output checked in 27 percent above average, per FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric.
Before his stint with the Brewers organization, Saladino spent parts of four seasons with the White Sox, who used a seventh-round pick on him in 2010. He debuted in the majors in 2015 and has since hit .226/.278/.330 with 17 HRs and 28 steals in 1,064 trips to the plate at the game’s top level. He saw extensive action at three infield positions (third, short and second) before heading to Korea.
AL Pitching Notes: Indians, Kluber, Jays, Ryu, Rays, Morton, O’s
The Indians brought an end to the Corey Kluber era earlier this month, trading the right-hander to the Rangers for reliever Emmanuel Clase and outfielder Delino DeShields. On paper, it may not look like a great return for a two-time Cy Young winner, though it turns out teams just weren’t champing at the bit to surrender hauls for Kluber – a 33-year-old’s who expensive ($17.5MM guarantee for 2020) and coming off an injury-marred campaign. Thanks to those factors, when the Indians left this month’s Winter Meetings, the majority of offers they’d received only included players at the Single-A level, Terry Pluto of cleveland.com relays. So, in an effort to stay competitive in 2020, they took a pair of major leaguers (including Clase, whom they hope can blossom into a late-game force). The goal is to use some of the Kluber savings on an infielder, another outfielder and more bullpen help, per Pluto. The Indians may have crossed one of those needs off the list when they agreed to a $6.25MM deal with second baseman Cesar Hernandez on Monday.
- The rebuilding Blue Jays made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason Sunday in agreeing to a four-year, $80MM contract with left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu. While the former Dodger was among the game’s premier pitchers last season, his age (33 in March) and extensive injury history make him an especially risky pickup at such a high price tag. There’s a solid chance the deal will become regrettable for Toronto, Buster Olney of ESPN observes (subscription links), though he nonetheless applauds the Blue Jays for taking a chance in an attempt improve and become more interesting. As those who’ve followed the past few offseasons know, many teams have drawn the ire of fans and media for sitting on the sidelines instead of making earnest efforts to put a more competitive product on the field. At the very least, considering the active winter the Jays have had, they’re trying.
- More from Olney (subscription), who expects Rays righty Charlie Morton to become a hot commodity on the trade market in the next year. There are no indications the Rays, coming off a stellar season thanks in large part to Morton’s elite output, are considering parting with the 36-year-old now. But with so few (or no) sure bets left on the free-agent pitching market, he’d surely bring back a sizable return in a deal at this moment. Morton’s also on a contract that would be appealing to most teams, as he’ll make $15MM in 2020. He has a $15MM option for 2021 that will become guarantee if he spends fewer than 30 days on the injured list, but it’ll likely be a good problem for his employer if it does vest. Morton does not have no-trade protection built into his deal, so Tampa Bay could move him without his permission. However, Olney writes that the Rays have immense respect for the Cy Young contender, and if they do become open to parting with him, they’ll “probably feel out Morton” first.
- Last season was one to forget for Orioles righty David Hess, who logged a 7.09 ERA/7.26 FIP over 80 innings. But Hess told Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com he’s working diligently this winter in hopes of landing a rotation spot for 2020. Specifically, Hess followed the lead of teammate John Means by heading to P3 (Premier Pitching & Performance) in St. Louis. As Kubatko explains, P3 “offers personalized baseball training to athletes across the Midwest with the goal of providing instruction and individualized strength training.” Means, who recommended P3 to Hess, used the center’s guidance last offseason and then turned into one of the O’s true bright spots in 2019. Hess informed Kubatko that “this is really the first offseason where I’ve had baseball-specific work outside of just playing catch. Really trying to work on delivery-based stuff. Working on, not necessarily arm strength – I’ve always worked on that – but really cleaning up my arm path. So it’s similar in a lot of ways, but it’s also different. I guess the best way to say it is it’s very hyper focused.”
Cody Allen Recently Held Showcase
Free-agent reliever Cody Allen held a showcase for interested teams in Dallas on Friday, according to Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com. Nineteen clubs attended, per Hoynes, who notes Allen’s fastball sat in the 89 mph to 90 mph range in what was his first bullpen session of the offseason. The Indians – Allen’s first MLB team – were not at the showcase, Hoynes reports.
Allen was one of the majors’ most effective relievers as recently as 2017, his last of five straight outstanding seasons with Cleveland, but his stock has dropped precipitously since then. He struggled in his final year as a member of the Indians in 2018, though Allen still scored a guarantee worth $8.5MM with the Angels last winter.
The Allen gamble didn’t work out at all for the Halos, with whom the right-hander’s decline continued over the first couple months of 2019. Although Allen did strike out 11.35 batters per nine across 23 innings as an Angel, a horrid 7.83 walk rate and a bloated 6.26 ERA offset his high K/9, which led the team to release him in mid-June.
Allen didn’t catch on in the majors again after the Angels said goodbye. He instead spent just over a month with the Twins on a minor league contract and tossed eight frames with their Triple-A affiliate before they cut the cord at the end of July. The 31-year-old hasn’t pitched professionally since – not only thanks to his weak bottom-line production last season, but because of a marked drop in velocity. At his best, Allen was a dominant Indians closer whose average fastball checked in around 95 mph. However, that number fell to a personal-worst 92.3 mph in 2019.