Brewers To Exercise Manny Pina’s Option

The Brewers are set to exercise catcher Manny Pina‘s $1.85MM club option for 2020, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. The club could have bought him out for a meager $150K.

At least for now, Pina’s in line for his fifth season as a Brewer. The 32-year-old is coming off a season in which he batted .228/.313/.411 with seven home runs in 179 plate appearances as a backup to the excellent Yasmani Grandal. Along with providing decent offense (relative to his position), Pina gave the playoff-bound Brewers high-end defense in 2019. Just 13 catchers, including Grandal, outranked Pina in Baseball Prospectus’ Fielding Runs Above Average metric. Pina also threw out 25 percent of would-be base stealers, placing him right in line with the league-average mark (26 percent).

Now, with Grandal on the verge of becoming one of baseball’s most coveted free agents, Pina stands as the Brewers’ de facto starting catcher. The club also has fellow backstops David Freitas and Jacob Nottingham on its 40-man roster, though those two don’t have much major league experience on their resumes. So, whether the Brewers re-sign Grandal or acquire a different No. 1-caliber catcher, the position does figure to be a priority for the team this offseason. At the very least, though, Milwaukee seems to have a capable backup in Pina.

MLBPA Rejects Proposal For Multiyear Contract Deadline

One of the main criticisms of Major League Baseball’s recent free-agent periods is that star players have gone too long without signing contracts. Just last offseason, the game’s two premier free agents, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, didn’t ink deals until a few weeks before the regular campaign started. The same was true of Jake Arrieta, to name one prominent example, the prior winter. But MLB has shown interest in cutting down on big-name stragglers on the open market, Evan Drellich of The Athletic explains (subscription link). Earlier this month, the league sent a proposal to the MLBPA that would’ve placed a cutoff date on free agents signing multiyear contracts, but the union summarily shot it down, according to Drellich.

“After due consideration, we rejected their proposal as not being in the best interests of players,” MLBPA senior director of collective bargaining and legal Bruce Meyer said (via Drellich). “We asked if MLB was interested in discussing other, more direct and tangible ways of incentivizing early signings and they weren’t at this time.”

Had the union said yes to the league’s idea, there wouldn’t have been any contracts of more than one year doled out past the Dec. 8-12 winter meetings. MLB at least wanted to implement the plan on a one-year trial basis this winter, Drellich reports, but the union didn’t think it would benefit the players because it might have given too much leverage to the teams. In the MLBPA’s estimation, a multiyear signing deadline would have created a “take-it-or-leave-it” mentality among some free agents, who may have felt pressured to accept an offer before the drop-dead date, potentially decreasing their earning power.

Of course, there’s also an argument a deadline would’ve taken away quite a bit of offseason intrigue. In leagues like the NFL, NBA and NHL, free agency often opens with a mad rush of headline-worthy moves before becoming rather dull with most of the top players off the board. For better or worse (depending on your perspective), that hasn’t really been the case in baseball, nor does it look as if it will be this offseason with super-agent Scott Boras set to oversee negotiations for the likes of Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg and perhaps J.D. Martinez. Boras clients (including Harper and Arrieta) have shown a willingness to hang on the open market for months until the absolute best deal comes along.

The outspoken Boras shared his opinion on MLB’s rejected FA proposal with Drellich, saying in part: “They want to make the offseason more predictive as to when players sign, and the answer to do that is to provide incentive, not limitation, on the free-agent right. A player has six years, he should determine when he signs, that should be his choice, because he’s earned that right. Any restriction, any limitation on that timeframe would restrict the right. Because some clubs make decisions in February they wouldn’t make in December. And there’s obviously a strong history for that.”

Bryan Price Favorite To Become Phillies’ Pitching Coach

OCT. 30: Price is indeed the favorite for the position, reports Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Rothschild is still in the mix, Breen adds, but Price is believed to be the front-runner.

OCT. 29: Former Reds manager Bryan Price is a legitimate candidate to become the Phillies’ pitching coach, Jim Salisbury and Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia report. New manager Joe Girardi revealed Monday the Phillies have already conducted “a couple of interviews” with pitching coach hopefuls, though it’s unclear if they’ve spoken with Price.

A Price hiring for the Phillies may not be imminent, but it’s worth noting he just rejected the Diamondbacks’ interest in him for their pitching coach position. Price has talked to the Red Sox in regards to their vacancy, meanwhile, but it looks as though they’ll select Dave Bush over him.

If the Phillies truly do want to hire Price, it appears the stars are aligning for that to happen. However, the Phillies could still consider other candidates – perhaps including Larry Rothschild – per Salisbury and Seidman. Rothschild came available Monday after a long run as the pitching coach for the Yankees, originally joining the team when Girardi, then New York’s manager, hired him in 2011.

The 57-year-old Price would bring extensive experience to Girardi’s staff in Philly. Before managing Cincinnati from 2014-18, Price held pitching coach roles for the Mariners (2000-06), D-backs (2007-09) and Reds (2010-13). Whether the Phillies choose Price or someone else, that individual will be taking over a pitching staff that failed in 2019 on account of a combination of subpar performances and injuries. As a result of their woes this season, the deep-pocketed Phillies seem likely to focus on giving their next pitching coach more to work with in 2020 than the ousted Chris Young had at his disposal this year.

Latest On Phillies’ Pitching Plans

As you’d expect, it appears the deep-pocketed, starter-needy Phillies will be among the teams in pursuit of Astros superstar right-hander Gerrit Cole when free agency begins. Phillies brass is set to map out offseason scenarios in which the team does and does not reel in Cole, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports (subscription required).

If the Phillies do get Cole, this may go down as the second straight offseason in which they secured the game’s most expensive free agent. The club signed outfielder Bryce Harper for 13 years and $330MM last offseason. Both the term and money Harper received are all-time records for a free agent. While Cole won’t do that well this winter, the 29-year-old at least seems like a strong bet to surpass David Price for the richest contract a pitcher has ever landed. Boston inked Price to a seven-year, $217MM pact entering 2016.

Signing Cole would surely mean another significant payroll hike for the Phillies, who saw their opening-day outlay climb from $95MM-plus in 2018 to upward of $140.6MM this season. But the Phillies did put $170MM-plus rosters on the field earlier this decade (albeit before owner John Middleton took control in 2015), and as Gelb notes, throwing cash at their rotation may be their best hope of improving it to a noticeable extent. Philadelphia isn’t willing to trade any of its top prospects to upgrade its iffy rotation, per Gelb, which seems to make it all the more likely the club will sign at least one of free agency’s best starters.

Cole’s in a league of his own as far as the upcoming free-agent class is concerned, but Nationals righty and playoff hero Stephen Strasburg may be a Phillies target in his own right if he opts out of the remaining four years and $100MM left on his contract. Either Cole or Strasburg would give the Phillies a much-needed front-of-the-rotation presence to join Aaron Nola.

After Cole and Strasburg, the rest of the game’s soon-to-be free-agent starters don’t look nearly as promising, though Zack Wheeler, Madison Bumgarner, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Jake Odorizzi all seem likely to rake in guarantees worth $50MM or more. Philly could conceivably sign any of them if it doesn’t end up with Cole or Strasburg. However, as Gelb points out, a Cole pursuit might complicate matters for the team if his stay on the open market drags out. Cole’s represented by Scott Boras, whose high-profile clients (including Harper last year and Phillies righty Jake Arrieta two offseasons ago) have sometimes taken several months to ink contracts. Considering Cole’s in line for an enormous payday, a team such as Philly may be less likely to toss a substantial amount of cash to one of the aforementioned second-tier starters if it’s waiting for an answer from the Houston ace.

Whether the Phillies pick up Cole or someone else, it’s clear their rotation is in dire need of help. Nola was their only starter who offered above-average production in 2019, a season that went down as the club’s eighth in a row without a playoff berth. Now, with new manager Joe Girardi in the fold, the Phillies are feeling even greater urgency to turn around their fortunes.

“Now that our team is where it is and we’ve added through free agency and through players coming through our system, we’ve reached a place where it is time to win,” general manager Matt Klentak said this week. “No questions asked: It is time to win right now.”

It’s arguable nothing would help the Phillies “win right now” more than signing Cole. But they’re sure to face plenty of competition if they make a serious run at the potential AL Cy Young winner.

Offseason Outlook: Cincinnati Reds

The Reds recently wrapped up a 75-win season, their sixth consecutive sub-.500 campaign. President of baseball operations Dick Williams and general manager Nick Krall have seen enough. They have every intention of assembling a playoff-caliber roster for 2020.

Guaranteed Contracts

Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Option Decisions

Free Agents

Most of the Reds’ focus last offseason went to their starting staff, and two of the three key acquisitions they made in that regard couldn’t have worked out much better. Picking up Sonny Gray from the Yankees has been a brilliant move thus far. Tanner Roark, whom the Reds landed in a trade with the Nationals, was effective for Cincinnati for a few months before the out-of-contention club flipped him to Oakland in July. Alex Wood wasn’t healthy enough to pitch for most of the season, so acquiring him from the Dodgers was the one starting addition that didn’t work out for Williams and Krall. But the two front office bigwigs swung a massive trade for then-Indian Trevor Bauer prior to the July 31 deadline, meaning the Reds are now slated to get a full year from him alongside Gray, Luis Castillo and Anthony DeSclafani. It’s unclear who will primarily occupy the last spot on Cincy’s staff (perhaps Wood or another free agent on a one-year deal), but it’s obvious the rotation is no longer a major concern for the club.

The Reds’ main problem at the moment seems to be their offense, which finished 25th in the majors in both runs and wRC+ this year. Although he surprisingly struggled this season, first baseman Joey Votto isn’t going anywhere. Neither is third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who fell one home run shy of the 50 mark.

Aside from Votto and Suarez, the Reds’ position player cast certainly isn’t etched in stone. Nick Senzel will also start somewhere, whether it’s second or center field (where he played in 2019), and his flexibility will afford the Reds the opportunity to shop for help at either of those spots. The upcoming class of free-agent center fielders looks quite weak, however, so unless the Reds swing a trade for someone like Starling Marte of the Pirates or Jackie Bradley Jr. of the Red Sox, odds are they’ll be adding second base help over center field aid. Fortunately for Cincy, free agency will be teeming with passable second basemen once the offseason rolls around. Of course, we’d be remiss to ignore that the Reds have a few in-house second base possibilities besides Senzel. Jose Peraza, Derek Dietrich and Freddy Galvis led the club’s second basemen in starts this year, and all are controllable through next season. However, Peraza and Dietrich look like possible non-tender candidates, while Galvis has a $5.5MM option or a $1MM buyout for 2020. Even if the Reds keep Galvis, his track record indicates he wouldn’t make for more than a mediocre-at-best starter at either second or shortstop.

Short, like second, appears to be a position the Reds could give some attention in the coming months. The trouble is that free agency won’t be loaded with obvious solutions there. Jose Iglesias, who started the vast majority of the Reds’ season at the position, is due to hit free agency. The Reds could easily re-sign the defensively adept, light-hitting Iglesias for what surely wouldn’t be a sizable sum, but they’d be wise to hunt for a better alternative first. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Reds seek a reunion with Yankees free agent-to-be Didi Gregorius, whom Cincy signed as an international free agent back in 2007. Otherwise, would the Reds pursue a trade for the Indians’ Francisco Lindor or the Rockies’ Trevor Story? They’re a pair of star shortstops who are likely to come up in trade rumors during the next few months (the speculation has already started in regards to Lindor).

While the Reds could rekindle their relationship with Gregorius, the same holds true for pending free-agent catcher Yasmani Grandal. Clearly the premier catcher set to hit the market in the next couple weeks, the Brewers’ Grandal was the 12th overall pick of the Reds back in 2010. Grandal never wound up playing a game for the Reds, but he’d be a massive upgrade now over the combination of Tucker Barnhart and Curt Casali. That said, signing the soon-to-be 31-year-old Grandal at this point would likely mean forking over $60MM or more in guarantees. If the Reds aren’t willing to go that far, and if they do try to add a somewhat high-profile backstop to upgrade over Barnhart, they could wind up with anyone from the affordable trio of Jason Castro, Travis d’Arnaud or Robinson Chirinos in free agency.

The way the Reds map out their 2020 outfield will depend in part on their plans for Senzel. As mentioned earlier, though, finding an obvious center field upgrade in free agency will be difficult. It’ll be less of an arduous task in the corner outfield, where ex-Red Yasiel Puig, Marcell Ozuna, Nicholas Castellanos, Avisail Garcia and Corey Dickerson are all on the cusp of becoming free agents. The Reds traded Puig in July as part of the Bauer deal, though Krall expressed interest in a Puig extension shortly before that.

Whether the Reds bring back Puig or find one or two players from the outside, their corner outfield does look as if it should be a priority. Cincinnati has in-house possibilities in Jesse Winker, Aristides Aquino, Phillip Ervin and Josh VanMeter, granted. However, they all come with warts. The left-handed Winker was just about unplayable this year versus same-handed pitchers; Aquino came back to reality after a historically remarkable start; Ervin’s decent overall numbers were buoyed by an unsustainable first few months; and VanMeter didn’t produce much outside of a red-hot July.

Meanwhile, the Reds’ bullpen seems to be much less of an issue than their outfield, though it’s still an area they (like just about every other team) could attempt to improve.. Raisel Iglesias has been a prime trade candidate in the past, but if Cincy’s as bent on pushing for a playoff spot next year as it has indicated, he seems unlikely to go anywhere this winter. So, he’ll stay a key member of a unit that will also welcome back Amir Garrett, Michael Lorenzen, Robert Stephenson and Matt Bowman, while Cody Reed, Lucas Sims and Joel Kuhnel could also be among in-house arms pushing for innings. Kevin Gausman, whom the Reds claimed from the Braves in August, may be a part of the unit again, too (or even vie for the Reds’ fifth starter job); however, considering his lofty arbitration projection for 2020, it seems more likely the Reds will non-tender Gausman.

Deciding Gausman’s future is one of the more immediate tasks on the Reds’ plate as the offseason nears its official start. If the Reds do let Gausman go, it’ll further increase spending space for a team that’s all but guaranteed to boast a franchise-record payroll in 2020. The Reds opened this season with an outlay just over $126.6MM, and Williams has said that number will go up next year as the club tries to bring an end to its long-running playoff drought.

“The goal for us now, all we’re talking about is the postseason. That’s what matters,” Williams declared a few weeks ago. “That’s the goal next year. It’s not taking incremental steps in a rebuild. It’s about the postseason.”

Judging by the Reds’ win-now attitude, they could be among the majors’ busiest teams during the upcoming offseason.

Dodgers Set To Promote Mark Prior To Pitching Coach

The Dodgers lost pitching coach Rick Honeycutt to retirement earlier this month, though they appear to be closing in on a replacement. They’re working toward a deal to promote bullpen coach Mark Prior to take over for Honeycutt, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. It won’t be a surprising hire, as president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman suggested upon Honeycutt’s exit that Prior would grab the reins.

Prior, who’s now 39 years old, still counts as one of the most hyped pitching prospects of the past couple decades. He was a member of the Cubs from 2002-06, a span in which he ranged from good to excellent, but a rash of injuries ruined Prior’s MLB career and prevented him from pitching professionally after 2013. Prior then spent time as the Padres’ minor league pitching coordinator for three seasons before the Dodgers hired him to oversee their bullpen in advance of the 2018 campaign.

Now, assuming Prior does succeed Honeycutt, he’ll be inheriting a pitching staff with no shortage of talent. The Dodgers’ relief corps was somewhat of a sore spot in 2019, especially during a Game 5 meltdown against the Nationals in the NLDS, though the club’s pitchers still ranked at or near the top of the majors in ERA (first), K/BB ratio (first) and fWAR (second). Unfortunately for LA, it’s now at risk of losing starters Hyun-Jin Ryu and Rich Hill to free agency in the coming weeks. However, the big-spending team could re-sign either or both and/or go outside the organization this offseason to give Prior more to work with in 2020.

MLBTR Poll: Value Of Potential J.D. Martinez Contract

The Red Sox just named a new chief baseball officer in Chaim Bloom, but he may already be facing the departure of one of the team’s best players. Designated hitter/outfielder J.D. Martinez will have a chance to opt out of the remaining three years and $62.5MM left on his contract within five days of the conclusion of the World Series, which could end Tuesday. Red Sox chairman Tom Werner recently met with Martinez’s agent, Scott Boras, though owner John Henry said afterward the club’s still not sure whether JDM will exit his contract in the coming days.

On one hand, if Martinez goes back to free agency, it could give Boston the type of financial relief it’s seeking. The team’s seemingly hoping to get under the $208MM competitive-balance tax threshold for 2020, so erasing Martinez from its list of guarantees would be a boon in that regard. On the other, it’s hard to imagine a Red Sox team that just missed the playoffs improving without Martinez in the fold. The 32-year-old is only weeks removed from the end of another excellent offensive campaign, in which he slashed .304/.383/.557 (139 wRC+) with 36 home runs in 657 plate appearances. Martinez’s results this year weren’t as tremendous as they were from 2017-18 with the Tigers, Diamondbacks and Red Sox, though he was still unquestionably one of the premier hitters in the game. Statcast backed that up, crediting Martinez with a .402 expected weighted on-base average that tied him with Aaron Judge for ninth in baseball.

It’s pretty clear Martinez can still hit at an elite level. Still, it’s not clear whether he should opt out. He’d be leaving a substantial amount of money on the table in doing so, which could be especially risky for a 30-something whom the Red Sox would saddle with a qualifying offer. There was no QO hanging over Martinez’s head when he signed with Boston for five years and $110MM entering 2018, as he was part of a midseason trade during the prior campaign. He wouldn’t be so fortunate this time, and with teams seemingly veering away from giving up draft-pick compensation for aging free agents, Martinez may be in for a disappointing trip to the open market. That’s particularly true when considering his lack of defensive value, which could largely limit Martinez’s market to American League franchises that could use him as a DH.

It’s obvious Martinez is no slam dunk to opt out, but whether he does will be one of baseball’s most interesting stories in the coming days. If Martinez does leave behind what’s left of his Red Sox deal, though, how well do you think he’d do on his next pact?

(Poll link for app users)

Predict the value of a potential Martinez deal

  • $60MM-$69MM 28% (2,588)
  • Less than $60MM 26% (2,336)
  • $70MM-79$MM 25% (2,267)
  • $80MM or more 21% (1,926)

Total votes: 9,117

Central Notes: Pirates, Royals, Indians

Let’s check in on a few teams from the majors’ Central divisions…

  • A month after their season ended, the Pirates made the surprising decision to fire general manager Neal Huntington on Monday. There are already at least a few potential replacements for Huntington, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey, who names Blue Jays senior vice president, player personnel Tony LaCava, Yankees scout Marc DelPiano and Brewers assistant GM Matt Arnold as names who could be in the running. Whether the Pirates hire a member of that group or someone else, that person will be taking over a small-market club that has come under fire for its lack of spending. Owner Bob Nutting addressed the criticism Monday, telling Bill Brink of the Post-Gazette and others, “The idea that we are hoarding cash as a team is simply not accurate, and we will find a more compelling and complete way to make sure that that is an issue that simply is not on the table.” Newly named team president Travis Williams stated the Pirates hope to “model ourselves after” clubs in similar markets that have been able to consistently succeed despite financial disadvantages.
  • The Royals “will be as aggressive as payroll will allow” when it comes to addressing their bullpen this offseason, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com writes. Left-hander Jake Diekman, whom the Royals traded to the Athletics in July, could be one target for Kansas City, per Flanagan. Diekman enjoyed his time in KC, which is close to his native Nebraska, and will wind up back on the free-agent market if the A’s go the expected route of buying out his $5.75MM mutual option for $500K. Diekman’s control totally failed him in Oakland this season, but the hard-throwing 32-year-old was at least a legitimate source of strikeouts as a member of the Royals, with whom he posted a 4.75 ERA with 13.6 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 across 41 2/3 innings.
  • The Indians have promoted Brian Sweeney to bullpen coach, per Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com. He’ll will take over for Scott Atchison, whom manager Terry Francona dismissed earlier this month. The 45-year-old Sweeney’s a former professional right-hander who will enter his third season as a member of Cleveland’s coaching staff in 2020.

Report: Dave Bush Favorite To Become Red Sox Pitching Coach

A favorite has emerged in the Red Sox’s search for a pitching coach to succeed the reassigned Dana LeVangie. The club’s minor league pitching performance coordinator, Dave Bush, is the “clear front-runner” to take over as its pitching coach, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports. The Red Sox could appoint Bush to the position “within days,” according to Speier.

Along with Bush, the Red Sox are known to have interviewed ex-Reds manager Bryan Price for their pitching coach position. The team has reportedly focused on five candidates for the role, though the identities of the other three remain unclear. Regardless, it appears Bush is on the verge of beating all of them out for the job. The 39-year-old has been a coach in the organization since the beginning of the 2017 season.

While Boston bigwigs have grown familiar with Bush in recent years, he’s better known to most baseball fans as a longtime major league right-hander. Bush spent 2004-13 with the Blue Jays, Brewers and Rangers. It now appears he’s about to oversee a Red Sox pitching staff that, like the team as a whole, fell short of expectations in 2019. However, with Chris Sale, David Price, Eduardo Rodriguez and Nathan Eovaldi in place, Bush can take solace in the fact that most of Boston’s rotation looks set going into next season.

MLBTR Poll: Francisco Lindor’s Future

We may be in for at least a couple of months of rumors centering on superstar Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, who came up in trade speculation earlier Monday. The Dodgers are reportedly set to explore taking an offseason run at Lindor, already a four-time All-Star who won’t turn 26 until next month. Los Angeles is likely part of a large group of teams with interest in Lindor, as he’s clearly an elite, in-his-prime player who holds down one of baseball’s most valuable positions with aplomb.

In Cleveland’s shoes, it’s hardly a slam dunk the team will market Lindor. Since Lindor debuted in 2015, the Indians have come within striking distance of a World Series title, they’ve won three division championships and haven’t finished below .500. Even this season, which was a disappointment and non-playoff campaign for the club, it still won 93 games. Lindor was no small part of the Indians’ latest respectable performance, as he accounted for 4.4 fWAR, 34 home runs and 22 stolen bases despite missing the first couple weeks of the season with calf and ankle injuries. Factoring in his most recent output, the switch-hitting Lindor is tied with the venerable Jose Altuve for sixth among position players in fWAR (27.2).

Thanks to Lindor’s career-long brilliance, he’s set to earn a somewhat lofty salary in 2020 – his penultimate year of arbitration. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Lindor will rake in $16.7MM, which obviously isn’t the type of salary just any team could absorb. However, Lindor is spectacular enough to make it worthwhile, and with the possible exception of Didi Gregorius, the upcoming class of free-agent shortstops offers little in the way of answers. With that in mind, the Indians probably wouldn’t have difficulty landing appealing offers for Lindor.

Of course, whether the Indians are willing to seriously consider moving Lindor (or someone like right-hander Corey Kluber, another speculative trade candidate) is in question. There still appears to be enough talent on hand for the team to push for a playoff berth next season, after all. The Indians could easily retain Lindor and attempt to make another run at a World Series in 2020, or they could at least keep him until the July trade deadline and see where they stand at that point. That said, the trade value of Lindor is surely high now, and the small-market Indians appear highly unlikely to extend him before he’s eligible to reach free agency. Perhaps the upcoming winter is the right time to aggressively market Lindor, then. How do you expect it to pan out?

(Poll link for app users)

Will the Indians trade Lindor this offseason?

  • Yes 52% (4,961)
  • No 48% (4,600)

Total votes: 9,561