Agency Changes: Grandal, Liriano, Drury, James
Here’s the latest agency news from around the majors:
- Free-agent catcher Yasmani Grandal has hired Adam Katz of the Wasserman Media Group, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets. Long one of the majors’ most well-rounded catchers, the 30-year-old Grandal now stands as the premier backstop on the open market, where MLBTR predicts he’ll land a four-year, $64MM guarantee. The switch-hitter spent the previous four seasons as a member of the Dodgers, with whom he slashed .241/.349/.466 over 518 plate appearances in 2018, posting a 125 wRC+ and at least 20 home runs (24) for the third straight year. Additionally, Grandal was the game’s top-ranked defensive catcher last season, per Baseball Prospectus.
- One of Grandal’s fellow free agents, left-hander Francisco Liriano, is also heading to Wasserman, Robert Murray of The Athletic relays. While Liriano was formerly a high-end starter, the 35-year-old’s effectiveness has waned over the past few seasons. He spent 2018 with the Tigers and logged a subpar 4.58 ERA/5.11 FIP with 7.41 K/9 and 4.92 BB/9 over 133 2/3 innings, and saw his velocity tumble as the season progressed. On the positive side, Liriano induced an above-average number of of ground balls (48.3 percent) and held same-handed hitters to a woeful .171/.255/.261 line. Perhaps he’ll be on teams’ radars as a lefty relief option – a role he took on late in 2017 with Houston.
- The Blue Jays’ Brandon Drury is yet another new Wasserman client, according to Jerry Crasnick, who adds that the infielder has tabbed Nick Chanock as his agent. The Yankees acquired Drury from the Diamondbacks in a noteworthy trade last February, and New York’s hope was he’d serve as its starting third baseman. Drury did win the job in spring training, but he landed on the shelf early in the season with blurred vision and migraines, which opened the door for rookie Miguel Andujar to emerge as the Yankees’ top third baseman. The breakout seasons Andujar and fellow rookie Gleyber Torres, a second baseman, enjoyed in 2018 helped influence the Yankees to trade Drury to the Blue Jays as part of a July deal for lefty J.A. Happ. Under two weeks after Toronto acquired him, Drury suffered a fractured left hand, ending a Murphy’s Law season for the 26-year-old. Drury ultimately slashed a horrid .169/.256/.260 and showed almost no power (one homer, .091 ISO) across 86 major league PAs. He’s projected to earn $1.4MM in 2019, his first of three potential arbitration years.
- Astros righty Josh James has hired CAA Sports, Jon Heyman of Fancred reports. After performing brilliantly in 114 1/3 minor league innings in 2018, the flamethrowing James continued to wow during a 23-frame debut with Houston late in the season. The 25-year-old notched a 2.35 ERA/3.51 FIP with 11.35 K/9 and 2.74 BB/9 in six appearances (three starts), perhaps giving him the inside track on a rotation job for 2019. James currently ranks as MLB.com’s 95th-best prospect.
These changes will be reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains representation info on more than 2,500 Major League and Minor League players. Agents, if you see any notable errors or omissions within the database, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: FAs, Yanks’ SP Pursuit, Giants, D-backs, Mets
This week in baseball blogs…
- The Fro Zone ranks the top 50 free agents and predicts landing spots for each of those players.
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The 3rd Man In proposes a Yankees-Indians trade centering on Corey Kluber; The Runner Sports regards James Paxton as a more realistic target than Kluber for New York; and Pinstriped Prospects ponders the possibility of the Bombers acquiring Madison Bumgarner.
- The Giants Cove wonders what the future holds for Bumgarner and Buster Posey.
- Chin Music Baseball examines potential trade destinations for Paul Goldschmidt.
- Prospect Universe names teams that could have interest in acquiring Zack Greinke.
- Mets Daddy wants the club to trade for Kluber.
- Angelswin.com (links: 1, 2) shares the first two parts of a Halos offseason primer.
- District On Deck lists six free-agent starting pitchers the Nationals should pursue.
- Blue Jay Hunter has a piece on Saturday’s Toronto-Houston trade.
- SportsRadio 94 WIP (podcast) discusses Chase Utley‘s Hall of Fame chances with HOF voters Jerry Crasnick and Danny Knobler.
- Reviewing The Brew talks to Brewers prospect Mauricio Dubon about his return from an ACL tear, playing with Keston Hiura, and making it to the big leagues.
- East Village Times identifies three Mariners trade targets for the Padres.
- Call to the Pen (links: 1, 2) delves into Noah Syndergaard‘s future and takes a look at left-handed starters the Phillies could land.
- MLB & Fantasy Baseball Analyzed argues the Dodgers have underachieved in recent years.
- Everything Bluebirds wonders how productive a healthy Troy Tulowitzki would be in 2019.
- Sox On 35th reacts to Rick Renteria’s contract extension.
- Notes from the Sally previews the 2019 Augusta Greenjackets, who are the Giants’ South Atlantic League affiliate.
- Rising Apple plays Mets GM and asks readers to do the same, while Mets Critic analyzes 2019 Steamer projections for the club.
- Rotisserie Duck offers some observations from the latest version of “The Bill James Handbook.”
- Foul Territory compares Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.
- The K Zone interviews Rays prospect Jim Haley.
- Jays From the Couch looks ahead to 2019 for Brandon Drury.
- Amazin’ Prospects credits Mets minor leaguer Tim Tebow for the strides he has made as a pro baseball player.
- The Point of Pittsburgh enlists a Phillies writer from The Good Phight to provide his take on the Pirates.
- The Runner Sports has “a potentially crazy plan” centering on Twins center fieder Byron Buxton.
Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com
Nathan Eovaldi Drawing Widespread Interest
4:36pm: Eovaldi has received interest from “everybody and their mother,” a source tells Rob Bradford of WEEI. However, “truly serious suitors” won’t begin to stand out until after Thanksgiving, Bradford hears. The Yankees are among those who will at least consider Eovaldi, per Bradford.
8:59am: Free-agent starter Nathan Eovaldi has drawn considerable interest on the open market, according to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, who writes that the Brewers, Phillies, Braves, Angels, White Sox, Blue Jays and Giants join the previously reported Red Sox and Padres as early suitors for the right-hander. More teams may join the fray, Cafardo adds.
Although Eovaldi is a two-time Tommy John surgery recipient who only threw 111 regular-season innings in 2018, the soon-to-be 29-year-old still managed to significantly boost his stock. Across 22 appearances (21 starts) divided between Tampa Bay and Boston, Eovaldi pitched to a solid 3.81 ERA/3.60 FIP with 8.19 K/9, 1.62 BB/9 and a 45.6 percent groundball rate. Among pitchers who threw at least 100 innings, Eovaldi finished third in both average fastball velocity (97.4 mph) and infield fly percentage (15.7), tied for sixth in BB/9, and 12th in K/BB ratio (5.05). He also yielded a paltry .284 expected weighted on-base average, an even more impressive figure than the .293 real wOBA hitters registered against him.
After posting those strong numbers during the regular season, Eovaldi proved capable of shining on the game’s biggest stage for the Red Sox, who couldn’t have asked for more when they acquired him in July. Eovaldi surrendered just four earned runs in 22 1/3 postseason innings, helping the Red Sox vanquish the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers en route to a World Series title. The success Eovaldi enjoyed in October surely helped his stock heading toward the open market, where MLBTR predicts he’ll land a four-year, $60MM guarantee.
A lucrative payday for Eovaldi this offseason may have been unthinkable at this time last year, when he was still recovering from the 2016 Tommy John surgery he underwent as a Yankee. However, Eovaldi now has a clean bill of health. Dr. Christopher Ahmad, who performed Eovaldi’s most recent surgery, gave his right arm a ringing endorsement Friday, telling Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston: “To me, he’s over Tommy John surgery and he’s over revision Tommy John surgery. And I would consider him in the same category of somebody who has a healthy arm, and whatever worry I have about that player, I have the same or less for Nate.”
Adding to Eovaldi’s appeal, he doesn’t come with a qualifying offer attached, which isn’t the case with either Patrick Corbin or Dallas Keuchel – the only starters MLBTR projects to sign bigger contracts. Of course, Eovaldi’s resume isn’t on the level of theirs. While Corbin and Keuchel have offered superstar-caliber production at times, Eovaldi has generally performed like a mid- to back-end starter. Also a former Dodger and Marlin, Eovaldi owns a 4.16 ERA/3.82 FIP with 6.78 K/9, 2.74 BB/9 and a 46.8 percent grounder rate over 850 innings, and he hasn’t exceeded 125 frames in a season since 2015. There are certainly some red flags with Eovaldi, then, yet it’s still unsurprising that teams are lining up for his services.
Quick Hits: Astros, Red Sox, Robertson, Girardi, Reds, Snell
The Astros are more focused on the trade market than free agency in their search for starting pitching, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Houston’s “inquiring on nearly every available starter via trade,” Morosi hears. The Astros are already known to have interest in Mariners left-hander James Paxton, who’s one of several front-end starters who could be on the block this offseason. Other potential movers include the Indians’ Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer, the Diamondbacks’ Zack Greinke, the Mets’ Noah Syndergaard and the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner.
Here’s more from around the majors:
- Free-agent reliever David Robertson prefers to sign with a team in the Northeast, where he has pitched the majority of his career as a member of the Yankees. The 33-year-old may simply end up re-signing with the Yanks, but Rob Bradford of WEEI observes that Robertson would be a logical fit for the archrival Red Sox. The world champions’ bullpen could suffer a couple blows in the coming weeks if free agents Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly cash in elsewhere, which would leave room for a Robertson addition. Moreover, as a Rhode Island resident whose wife is from Medfield, Mass., Robertson has New England ties, as Bradford notes.
- Joe Girardi was a strong candidate to become the Reds’ manager last month, but he took himself out of contention, paving the way for the team to hire David Bell. Girardi spoke Saturday about his withdrawal from Cincinnati’s search, telling Brendan Kuty of NJ.com: “I just decided that I was going to broadcast another year and spend another year with my family, wait to see what opportunities are presented next year and go from there. Thought I had good interviews but I just decided I’m going to wait.” Girardi was also a candidate in Texas, which, like Cincinnati, has struggled of late and may be in for another lean year in 2019. Considering the success Girardi had with the Yankees from 2008-17, neither Cincy nor Texas looked like an ideal match for him on paper. However, Girardi suggested to Kuty that he’s not opposed to overseeing a rebuilding club. “Whether it’s a team that’s rebuilding or it’s a team that’s in the middle (of a rebuild), it doesn’t matter to me,” the 54-year-old said. “I just felt like it wasn’t the right time.”
- With Blake Snell fresh off winning American League Cy Young honors, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times revisits the 2011 draft, in which the Rays landed the left-hander. Although the Rays had 10 of the top 60 picks that year, nearly all of their selections have disappointed in various ways, as Topkin details. Snell, whom they nabbed 52nd overall, has been an obvious exception. Notably, Tampa Bay wouldn’t have owned the choice it used on Snell had it not signed veteran outfielder Brad Hawpe in August 2010. Hawpe made little on-field impact as a Ray, but his exit in free agency during the ensuing offseason netted the team the compensatory pick that turned into Snell.
Poll: Bryce Harper, Manny Machado And The Phillies
On several occasions over the past decade, the Phillies have shown a willingness to spend among the league’s elite. However, because the Phillies were recently amid a full-fledged rebuild, the big-market club took major steps backward in the spending department. Last year, with Philadelphia aiming to make a sizable leap in the standings, the team began with a modest $95MM-plus in commitments. Two expensive signings from last offseason – right-hander Jake Arrieta (three years, $75MM) and first baseman Carlos Santana (three years, $60MM) – easily served as the Phillies’ priciest players in 2018, and the duo did help the team make legitimate progress. The Phillies notched their best record since 2012 (80-82), totaling 14 more wins than they amassed in 2017, but they finished under .500 for the sixth consecutive season and extended their playoff drought to seven years.
Santana is now on the block, though his potential exit isn’t a sign that the Phillies are looking to cut costs. Quite the contrary, actually, as owner John Middleton has publicly declared that the Phillies won’t be bashful when it comes to doling out money. In fact, while discussing the Phillies’ offseason plans on Friday, Middleton proclaimed that “we’re going into this expecting to spend money. And maybe even be a little bit stupid about it. We just prefer not to be completely stupid.”
Even before Middleton made it known that Philadelphia’s looking to go big-game hunting, expectations were that the franchise would spend aggressively this winter. After all, the open market now features two of the most enticing free agents ever in outfielder Bryce Harper and infielder Manny Machado. Combining the Phillies’ spending capabilities with the lack of guaranteed money on their books beyond 2020, pursuits of both Harper and Machado have seemed like foregone conclusions. Both players stand a strong chance of surpassing the richest contract in baseball history – the 13-year, $325MM extension outfielder Giancarlo Stanton signed with the Marlins in 2014 – and the Phillies are among the teams truly capable of spending that type of cash. What’s more, if any one organization is going to sign both Harper and Machado, the Phillies are on a very short list of realistic possibilities.
The need for Harper, Machado or both in Philadelphia is obvious, as either player would clearly boost a position player group which ranked 22nd in runs and 23rd in fWAR in 2018. The Phillies’ 48 hitters accounted for 12.4 fWAR, while Machado (6.2) and Harper (3.5) combined for 9.7 by themselves. The two 26-year-olds have been among the game’s most feared hitters throughout their decorated careers, though Machado has also provided plenty of value as a third baseman. The former Oriole and Dodger would do the same in Philadelphia, which got so-so production at the hot corner from Maikel Franco, current free agent Asdrubal Cabrera and J.P. Crawford, among others, in 2018. Franco’s now penciled in as the Phillies’ 2019 starter at third, but that spot’s ripe for an upgrade.
Philadelphia is seemingly even worse off at shortstop, Machado’s preferred position and where he spent the majority of last season. Machado didn’t have a banner year defensively, but he did place first among shortstops in wRC+ (141) and second in both home runs (38) and fWAR. The Phillies, on the other hand, received a microscopic 0.7 fWAR from shortstops Scott Kingery, Crawford, Cabrera and Pedro Florimon, and their combined wRC+ (74) was barely more than half of Machado’s.
Fortunately for the Phillies, their 2018 outfield wasn’t as toothless as the left side of their infield. That doesn’t mean it’s an area of strength, however. Aside from slugger Rhys Hoskins, who overcame horrific defense to log a respectable fWAR (2.9), the Phillies got mediocre or worse overall production from outfield regulars Odubel Herrera, Nick Williams, Roman Quinn and Aaron Altherr. Going forward, Hoskins may shift to first base, which explains the team’s willingness to trade Santana and could increase the need for Harper or another high-end outfielder. Harper, like Hoskins, had a year to forget in the field. Defensive ineptitude has hardly been the norm for Harper since he debuted in 2012, though, and he made up for it to an extent by notching another quality year at the plate.
Signing Harper would improve the Phillies’ near-term chances of returning to contention, and there’s an added bonus: Landing him would be a blow to the division-rival Nationals, Harper’s only team to date. The Nats, the reigning NL East champion Braves and the Mets will each push for supremacy in the division next season, but the Phillies could wind up as the favorites if general manager Matt Klentak uses Middleton’s money effectively this winter. While there are plenty of avenues Klentak could explore that don’t involve Harper or Machado, speculation about those two heading to Philadelphia will persist until they officially come off the market.
Will the Phillies land Harper, Machado or both?
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They won't sign either player 31% (4,791)
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They'll sign Harper 29% (4,513)
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They'll sign Machado 23% (3,489)
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They'll sign both 17% (2,588)
Total votes: 15,381
Jeff Wilpon On deGrom, Syndergaard, Payroll, Front Office
The Mets aren’t yet prioritizing a contract extension for National League Cy Young Award-winning right-hander Jacob deGrom, COO Jeff Wilpon informed Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News and other reporters Friday. However, the two sides could begin discussions on a new deal next month. “We’ll talk with the new agent here at some point in the near future, probably see him at the Winter Meetings,” Wilpon said. DeGrom’s situation is particularly interesting because his previous agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, became New York’s general manager last month. But deGrom stayed with the same agency, CAA Baseball, where former Van Wagenen partner Jeff Berry is now representing the soon-to-be 31-year-old hurler. If deGrom, who has two years of arbitration control remaining, does strike a long-term pact with the Mets, it’ll come without Van Wagnen’s direct involvement. While the GM would have to approve an extension, he’ll abstain from contract talks with deGrom in order to avoid a conflict of interest.
- Van Wagenen also used to represent deGrom’s teammate and co-ace, Noah Syndergaard, who has been popular in the rumor mill this week. Should New York make Syndergaard and his three years of control available, most of the league would likely inquire, though the team understandably seems content to go forward with him. Wilpon didn’t rule out a Syndergaard trade, but he said Friday (via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com) that a deal involving the flamethrowing 26-year-old “would have to be pretty lopsided” in the Mets’ favor.
- New York already has upward of $138MM going toward next year’s roster, which won’t give the club much room to spend if it plans on staying in the vicinity of last season’s $150MM-plus Opening Day total. A payroll increase would clearly benefit Van Wagenen in his first offseason on the job, though Wilpon wasn’t willing to reveal whether that’s in the Mets’ plans. “Brodie knows what the parameters of what the payroll is and what we’re planning to do,” said Wilpon (per DiComo).
- The Mets recently parted ways with J.P. Ricciardi, who was a key member of their previous front office. Assistant GM John Ricco was also integral in the Mets’ prior power structure, but his future is now up in the air. Ricco remains in the front office for the time being, according to Wilpon, who stated (via Ackert) he’s “working” and “has a contract,” adding that “[Ricco] and Brodie will have that conversation when they get to it.” It’s worth noting that Ricciardi also had a contract with the Mets, but the deal didn’t prevent his exit. With that in mind, Ricco may not be a lock to stay in the fold.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Mets, Syndergaard, Rangers, Minor, Orioles
Star right-hander Noah Syndergaard has drawn trade interest this offseason, but if the Mets do deal him, it’s not going to be for a package of prospects, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription required). Rather, because the Mets aim to contend in 2019, they’d need to make a trade that improves their roster both now and in the future, according to Rosenthal. Moving Syndergaard would likely cause significant damage to the Mets’ rotation heading into 2019, though, so they’d almost have to sign a replacement in free agency, Rosenthal notes. To this point, the Mets have been “very engaged in the marketplace,” a representative for a free-agent starter tells Rosenthal.
Syndergaard’s not the only established Mets hurler whose future is in question, per Rosenthal, who adds that all of their starters are generating interest. Syndergaard’s fellow ace, National League Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, isn’t going anywhere, sources tell Rosenthal. The rest of the Mets’ rotation – which consists of Zack Wheeler, Steven Matz and Jason Vargas – isn’t as impressive, though Wheeler and Matz are appealing. Wheeler, healthy for the first time since 2014, is coming off a terrific season, but he only has a year of control remaining; Matz is an injury-prone lefty who was a mixed bag in 2018, but he’s still just 27 and has three years of control left; Vargas, meanwhile, endured a disastrous 2018, and with a guaranteed $10MM left on his contract, the Mets may be fortunate to find a taker for him. However, as with Syndergaard, the Mets’ goal in giving up any of Wheeler, Matz or Vargas would be to better themselves in the near and long term, Rosenthal writes.
More rumblings from Rosenthal…
- Even though the Rangers’ rotation is perilously thin, the rebuilding club would likely trade its top starter, left-hander Mike Minor, for the right offer, Rosenthal suggests. Minor’s drawing interest on the heels of his first season in Texas, which signed him to a three-year, $28MM guarantee last December. When he joined the Rangers, Minor was coming off an excellent season as a full-time reliever for the Royals, but he returned to a starting role in 2018 and posted a 4.18 ERA/4.43 FIP with 7.57 K/9 and 2.18 BB/9 over 157 innings (28 starts). Minor has an affordable $19MM left on his contract, though his 10-team no-trade clause could block some prospective suitors from acquiring him.
- After a drawn-out search, the Orioles finally named a general manager, Mike Elias, whom they hired Friday. Elias is now seeking a manager for the Orioles, and it’s “more likely” he’ll hire an experienced skipper than a neophyte, Rosenthal relays. However, Elias isn’t necessarily aiming to make a high-profile hire, per Rosenthal, who writes that the O’s next manager could be a “caretaker.”
NL Notes: Braves, Kimbrel, Dodgers, Jansen, Reds
A few items from the National League…
- Atlanta’s a speculative landing spot for closer Craig Kimbrel, who starred with the Braves from 2010-14 and is now the most proven reliever available in free agency. However, barring a drop in Kimbrel’s asking price, it’s “highly unlikely” he’ll rejoin the Braves this offseason, Mark Bowman of MLB.com writes. MLBTR predicts the 30-year-old Kimbrel will reel in a whopping $70MM guarantee, which could be too much for an Atlanta team that may not be in position to make a big-money splash this offseason, as general manager Alex Anthopoulos suggested last month. Anthopoulos has made it known the Braves are interested in adding a closer this winter, though, so whether it’s Kimbrel or someone else, it appears the club is primed to bring in some late-game help.
- Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen announced Friday that he’ll undergo heart surgery Nov. 26, per Chad Thornburg of MLB.com. The procedure comes with a two- to eight-week recovery timeline, meaning Jansen should be fine by spring training. It’ll be the second heart surgery since 2012 for Jansen, who missed time with an irregular heartbeat that season and during both the 2011 and ’18 campaigns. The 31-year-old has been particularly susceptible to an irregular heartbeat at high altitude – the issue cropped up in Colorado in 2012, and he was hospitalized after a game at Coors Field last August. As a result, Jansen sat out a road series against the Rockies in September on doctors’ recommendation.
- The Reds have hired J.R. House to serve as their third base coach and catching coach, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. The 39-year-old House will replace Billy Hatcher, who had been the Reds’ third base coach, and ex-catching coach Mike Stefanski, though it’s not yet known if those two will stay in the organization in different roles, per Sheldon. House, a former professional catcher and first basemen, spent the past seven seasons in player development with the Diamondbacks. He’s the third new hire for rookie manager David Bell, who previously tabbed Derek Johnson as the Reds’ pitching coach and Turner Ward as their hitting coach.
Yankees Notes: Gray, A’s, Machado, Relievers, Extensions
Although the Athletics contacted the Yankees about right-hander Sonny Gray at least a week ago, “there is no present momentum in talks” between the teams, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets. A return to Oakland would represent a homecoming of sorts for Gray, a 2011 first-round pick of the A’s who mostly thrived with the club from 2013-17. The A’s dealt Gray to the Yankees in July 2017 for a bounty of prospects, but he has since looked like a poor fit in the Bronx, leading general manager Brian Cashman to concede that “it’s probably best” for the Bombers to move the 29-year-old this winter. Gray’s down to his final season of team control, in which he’ll earn a projected $9.1MM. Even for a low-budget team like Oakland, $9MM-plus for Gray doesn’t look like an unreasonable figure. Gray pitched like a front-end starter away from Yankee Stadium last year, after all, so he could boost an A’s rotation which is clearly in need of help.
More on the Yanks, all of which comes via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com:
- Infielder Manny Machado infamously told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic last month that being “Johnny Hustle” isn’t his “cup of tea.” Considering he was then on the brink of a much-anticipated, highly lucrative trip to free agency, Machado’s remarks came at an inopportune time. And now that Machado is on the open market – where he still figures to rake in a historic payday – Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner addressed the superstar’s comments this week, calling them “troubling” and noting that the club would need to discuss them with the 26-year-old as part of a serious pursuit. To this point, though, the Yankees and Machado haven’t set up a meeting, Cashman revealed Thursday. The executive added that the Yankees have used past meetings with free agents to “educate people about who we are and where we want to go and get a feel back if there’s an alignment there, if that player can fit in our culture and our New York environment or not. There’s times I’ve walked away refreshingly, feeling strongly about, ‘I’m glad he was so candid because this is not going to be a good fit.'”
- The Yankees are at risk of losing high-profile relievers David Robertson and Zach Britton to free agency, though they have spoken to both hurlers about re-signing, Cashman said. The 33-year-old Robertson, a Rhode Island resident, would like to pitch for a team in the Northeast, according to Cashman. “Does he want to come back? Yeah, but he said the same thing to me that he said to the public — he’s got to do what is in the best interests of his family,” Cashman said of Robertson, who’s acting as his own agent. “He’s looking for the best deal he can get. He must have already went to agent school; that’s normally the first thing you hear. There must be a playbook.”
- Free agency and the trade market are likely the primary concerns for the Yankees right now, but they’ll also consider offseason extensions for some of their current players, per Cashman. Three of their top contributors – center fielder Aaron Hicks, shortstop Didi Gregorius and reliever Dellin Betances – are each scheduled to become free agents a year from now, but perhaps the Yankees will prevent one or more of them from reaching the market. “Is it something that’s on the list of things to talk to and walk through and get to? Yes,” Cashman stated in regard to potential extensions for the trio. “I wouldn’t rule anything out. Have we kicked it around in a very small scale way in the offices? Like, it’s now or never? Yeah, we have.”
Heyman’s Latest: Mets, Machado, Red Sox, Dodgers, Marlins
After the Mets hired Brodie Van Wagenen as their new general manager last month, he declared the team expected to be “in on every free agent” this offseason. Van Wagenen’s comment led some to wonder whether the Mets, who could stand to upgrade the left side of their infield, would pursue Manny Machado. However, considering Machado figures to sign for $300MM-plus and the Mets have never even handed out a contract worth half that much, a marriage between the two always looked like a long shot. It appears to be fully out of the question now, as Jon Heyman of Fancred hears that the Mets have decided they’d rather spread their money around to various areas than splurge on Machado. As far as New York’s position player group goes, Heyman lists catcher, second base and center field as spots the team could spend on this winter. As for infielder Wilmer Flores, a non-tender candidate, Heyman notes that the Mets will “likely” tender him at a projected $4.7MM if they’re unable to trade him.
Here’s more from Heyman:
- The reigning World Series champion Red Sox may soon lose free-agent right-handers Joe Kelly and Craig Kimbrel, who finished first and second among their relievers in innings last season. With the futures of Kelly and Kimbrel in question, the bullpen is Boston’s primary focus this offseason, according to Heyman. Given that the 30-year-old Kimbrel is in line to sign one of the richest contracts in the history of relievers this winter, he’ll be harder than Kelly to retain. While the Red Sox do have interest in re-signing Kimbrel, per Heyman, he adds that the team “seems adamant about not wanting to go five years” for the highly accomplished closer. Meanwhile, to no one’s surprise, the Sox also hope to re-up free-agent starter Nathan Eovaldi. The 28-year-old righty had a terrific run in Boston last season after it acquired him from Tampa Bay in July, and he’s now one of the most appealing starters on the open market.
- The Dodgers, whom Boston defeated in the World Series, are looking to address the bullpen, the catcher position and possibly second base, Heyman relays. One of Los Angeles’ highest-profile free agents is catcher Yasmani Grandal, who rejected a $17.9MM qualifying offer from the Dodgers and, according to Heyman, now appears likely to head elsewhere. If Grandal does walk, the Dodgers may end up replacing him with a short-term option, observes Heyman, who notes that two of their top prospects – Keibert Ruiz and Will Smith – are catchers.
- The Marlins are hoping to add a left-handed hitter via free agency or the trade market, Heyman writes. No team scored fewer runs in 2018 than the Marlins, in part because they slashed a meager .241/.304/.361 (85 wRC+) against right-handed pitching. As of now, they’re slated to feature a righty-heavy lineup next year, with utilityman Derek Dietrich and light-hitting shortstop JT Riddle the only lefty batters on their projected roster.