AL Notes: Rays, Twins, Athletics
The Rays are on the lookout for a right-handed bat, which would come in the form of either a shortstop or an outfielder, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Their preference is to to land an outfielder who has options and can back up center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, per Topkin, who lists Bryce Brentz, Peter Bourjos, Austin Jackson, Rob Refsnyder and Justin Ruggiano as possibilities. Former Ray Melvin Upton Jr. might be a candidate, too, if the Blue Jays dump him, Topkin writes.
Elsewhere on the Rays front, Jesus Sucre is likely to join the newly signed Derek Norris as one of their two catchers, according to Topkin. Tampa Bay still needs to add Norris and Sucre to its 40-man roster, which means the club could look to trade one of its other backstops, Curt Casali or Luke Maile (probably Casali), relays Topkin.
The latest on two other American League clubs:
- The Twins optioned right-hander Jose Berrios to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday, thus eliminating him from the competition for the final spot in their rotation. The job will go to either Adalberto Mejia or Tyler Duffey, whom Berrios fell behind while he was with Team Puerto Rico for 18 days at the World Baseball Classic. Berrios only threw 6 2/3 innings during that nearly three-week span, which hurt his chances of beginning the season in Minnesota, but he doesn’t regret participating in the tournament. “Playing for Puerto Rico is an honor; it makes me proud,” Berrios told Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press through an interpreter. “I know this is my team, it’s my job. This is who drafted me. This is who I’m going to make it with, but you don’t get to play for Puerto Rico every day or every year. That’s not how it is.” The 22-year-old Berrios, who has dominated in the minors, still seems likely to end up in the Twins’ rotation sometime in 2017. If that happens, the former premier prospect will try to bounce back from a rough rookie year in which he posted an 8.02 ERA, 7.56 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 over 58 innings.
- It came as a surprise when the Twins designated DH Byung Ho Park for assignment in February, but he ultimately remained with the organization after clearing waivers. Nearly two months later, he has the inside track on a big league roster spot on account of Kennys Vargas‘ less-than-ideal spring, per Berardino. Vargas, who was also with Puerto Rico at the WBC, has gone just 1 for 15 with three walks during the Twins’ exhibition season. His situation worsened when he fouled a ball off his left foot Friday, and is now on crutches. Although initial X-rays were negative, the Twins will send Vargas for further testing, writes Berardino. “If he doesn’t play for a week, it’s going to have an impact,” manager Paul Molitor said of Vargas’ chances of earning a place with the Twins. “He just hasn’t had many at-bats.”
- Righty Jesse Hahn looks like the odd man out in the Athletics’ rotation battle, observes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Judging by the A’s pitching schedule, they appear poised to go with Andrew Triggs and Raul Alcantara for their final two starting spots, Slusser notes. Hahn was subpar at both the major league and Triple-A levels last season, and he hasn’t bounced back with a decent spring. The 27-year-old has yielded 15 earned runs on 25 hits in 15 1/3 innings.
NL Notes: Cubs, Padres, Cardinals, Dodgers
Unlike last season, when he took nearly three weeks to accept a summer demotion to Triple-A, Cubs infielder Tommy La Stella would be willing to head to the minors without incident this year, according to manager Joe Maddon (via Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago). A season-opening role with Triple-A Iowa is a possibility for La Stella, who’s battling outfielder Matt Szczur for the Cubs’ final bench spot. Szczur is the only one of the two who’s out of options, which could bode poorly for La Stella. The Cubs “haven’t decided everything or anything yet,” per Maddon, but he believes Szczur is a major league-caliber player and an ideal teammate.
More from the National League:
- Yangervis Solarte (second base) and non-roster invitee Erick Aybar (shortstop) are likely to open the season as the Padres’ double-play combination, manager Andy Green suggested to Owen Perkins of MLB.com on Saturday. Solarte has spent the majority of his career at third base, but he also has experience at the keystone. His move across the diamond will open up the hot corner for a combo of Ryan Schimpf, who emerged from anonymity to hit 20 home runs as a 28-year-old rookie last season, and Cory Spangenberg. Aybar, meanwhile, has long been a capable shortstop, but he endured a poor 2016 split between Atlanta and Detroit and then settled for a minor league deal with the Padres last month. Nevertheless, the 33-year-old has impressed Green. “Erick’s done a lot of things we really like in camp so far,” said Green. “I enjoy the type of person he is, the way his mind works, the way he’s hit the ball around the yard.”
- Career minor leaguer Jose Martinez has won the Cardinals’ fourth outfielder spot, leading the team to demote Tommy Pham to Triple-A Memphis. This is the second straight year the Cardinals have chosen an untested 28-year-old for a reserve outfielder role. Jeremy Hazelbaker, now with the Diamondbacks, unexpectedly emerged last spring and then slashed a useful .235/.295/.480 with 12 homers in 224 plate appearances as a rookie. Martinez, a .324/.392/.483 hitter in 885 Triple-A plate trips, has mashed this spring en route to a roster spot. Pham hasn’t, further influencing St. Louis’ decision, but he does own a quality .245/.333/.455 line in 358 major league PAs.
- As of earlier this week, the Dodgers considered outfielder Andre Ethier doubtful for Opening Day on account of a “mild” herniated disk in his lower back. It now appears Ethier’s a lock to miss the beginning of the season, as the soon-to-be 35-year-old won’t resume baseball activities until the first week of April, tweets Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times. The Dodgers don’t consider Ethier’s injury a serious one, though. “I think it’s actually a good sign,” said manager Dave Roberts. “It’s not a six- to eight-week thing as I understand it” (Twitter link via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register).
NL East Notes: Nationals, Phillies, Marlins
The Nationals have “kind of settled on” their choice for a closer, Dusty Baker told Jamal Collier of MLB.com, but the manager hasn’t revealed the decision to anyone competing for the role. Koda Glover, Shawn Kelley and Blake Treinen have all been vying for the job this spring, and it appears the inexperienced Glover is the front-runner. Although Glover has just 19 2/3 major league innings on his resume, the hard-throwing 23-year-old is the favorite to handle the ninth, according to FanRag’s Jon Heyman, who adds that Washington likes his “moxie.”
More from D.C. and two other NL East cities:
- Sticking with the Nationals’ bullpen, right-hander Joe Nathan is still with the team after he didn’t opt out of his contract Friday. However, that wasn’t his only opportunity – the longtime closer actually has a 72-hour window to exit his minor league pact, reports Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com (Twitter link). The Nats have taken a good look this spring at the 42-year-old Nathan, who has thrown 10 2/3 innings and allowed five earned runs on 13 hits and three walks (and totaled eight strikeouts).
- The Phillies are facing a 40-man roster crunch as Opening Day nears, meaning they could pursue a trade to free up space, per Matt Gelb of Philly.com. “We’re trying to come up with the best plan for when we break, and a lot of it has to do with the non-roster players,” said manager Pete Mackanin. “If we make a move, someone has to come off [the 40-man roster] and that’s an issue.” Outfielder Tyler Goeddel, whom the Phillies demoted to Double-A on Friday, and pitchers Adam Morgan, Alec Asher and Luis Garcia are among those on the 40-man bubble, notes Gelb.
- Marlins left-hander Jeff Locke is making progress in his bout with bicep tendinitis, having thrown off a mound for the first time this spring on Saturday, but manager Don Mattingly suggested he’s likely to at least miss all of April, writes Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Locke, an ex-Pirate whom the Marlins signed to a one-year, $3.025MM deal in December, would have opened the season as either a No. 5 starter or a long reliever had he been healthy. Locke’s ongoing absence will continue to sap the depth of a Miami team which is reportedly looking for rotation help.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Yanks, WBC, Sox, Twins, Tigers, Brewers
This week in baseball blogs:
- The Runner Sports asks whether Orioles third baseman Manny Machado or Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper would make for a better free agent target for the Yankees after the 2018 season.
- The Unbalanced explains why Team USA’s victory in the World Series Baseball Classic is a big deal.
- Baseball Hot Corner praises the WBC.
- Outside Pitch MLB delves into why the White Sox haven’t yet found a suitable return for on-the-block left-hander Jose Quintana.
- Big Three Sports believes “the bar is set extremely high” this year for Red Sox southpaw David Price.
- TwinsDaily.com analyzes the effect catcher Jason Castro‘s pitch-framing skills could have on Minnesota’s hurlers.
- Sports Talk Philly eulogizes former major league pitcher, manager and general manager Dallas Green, who passed away Wednesday.
- Chin Music Baseball suggests that improved speed could yield a breakout season for Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos.
- The 3rd Man In argues that the Brewers should have sold high on right-hander Junior Guerra
- Legends on Deck chats with Padres outfielder Jabari Blash.
- A’s Farm interviews Athletics assistant general manager Dan Feinstein about the team’s prospects.
- Clutchlings talks with Blue Jays assistant GM Andrew Tinnish about their international signings from last summer.
- Camden Depot views a healthy version of the Orioles’ Darren O’Day as one of the majors’ premier relievers.
- Districk On Deck checks in on the projections for the Nationals’ hitters.
- Nyrdcast offers a detailed preview of the 2017 Cardinals.
- Pirates Breakdown lists a few free agent relievers the Pirates could pursue.
- BP Toronto features a piece from a former minor league GM, who explains how minors teams prepare for the season.
- Ladodgerreport wants Julio Urias to begin the season in the Dodgers’ rotation.
- South of the 6ix focuses on the Blue Jays’ rotation.
- Clubhouse Corner profiles Astros outfield prospect Daz Cameron.
- Off The Bench Baseball previews the American League East and launches The Baseball Alliance Podcast.
- Underthought looks at saves data from the previous two years and searches for a better way to evaluate closer performance.
- Jays From the Couch could see Toronto southpaw Francisco Liriano serving as the best fifth starter in baseball this year.
- Outside Pitch MLB ranks the 10 biggest trades of former Braves GM Frank Wren’s tenure.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) deconstructs the 1986 Astros’ rotation, which helped the team to an LCS berth.
- Pinstriped Prospects polls readers on whether the Yankees should allow facial hair.
- Rotisserie Duck shares some fantasy baseball advice.
- The Point of Pittsburgh advises Pirates fans not to focus too much on spring training stats.
- Halo Headquarters wonders if longtime Angels manager Mike Scioscia is entering his final season with the club.
- Everything Bluebirds wants no part of a reunion between the Blue Jays and free agent utilityman Kelly Johnson.
- Call To The Pen writes about what’s in store for the Phillies’ rotation this year.
- Sports Heaven runs down the five main reasons the Pirates missed the playoffs last season.
- Jays Journal lists five players who have surprised for Toronto this spring.
- Mets Daddy interviews Mets pitching prospect Chris Viall.
Please send submissions to ZachBBWI @gmail.com.baseba
NL Notes: Peralta, Aybar, Padres’ Pen, Bradley, Goeddel, Susac
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny suggested Friday that Jhonny Peralta, not Jedd Gyorko, will win the team’s third base job, according to Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He’s looked as good as we had hoped,” Matheny said of the 34-year-old Peralta, who dealt with a thumb injury last season and slashed a modest .260/.307/.408 in 313 plate appearances. Gyorko posted far superior production last year, when he hit .243/.306/.495 with a team-high 30 home runs in 438 PAs. Nevertheless, it appears he’ll open 2017 as a frequently used utilityman — a role he’s better suited for than Peralta.
Here’s more on some roster situations around the National League:
- It seems that Erick Aybar currently holds the inside track to the Padres‘ starting shortstop job, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. Aybar hasn’t hit much this spring — he’s slashing .273/.319/.318 through 16 games — but seems to be the logical solution barring a trade. Luis Sardinas, meanwhile, is competing for a spot as a utility player, per manager Andy Green. He has spent some time in left field in a bid to enhance his versatility, and will seemingly be jockeying with options such as Cory Spangenberg and Rule 5 pick Allen Cordoba.
- Meanwhile, the Padres are still sorting through a variety of bullpen options, as AJ Cassavell of MLB.com writes. Rule 5’er Miguel Diaz seems to be well-positioned, while either Trevor Cahill or Jarred Cosart will also likely crack the pen if either fails to make the rotation. (The odds of both functioning as starters increased, it seems, with an injury to Christian Friedrich.) Veterans Craig Stammen, Carter Capps, and Kevin Quackenbush are among the notable names also in the running. Capps seems unlikely to be ready in time, per Cassavell, while Quackenbush’s poor showing in camp could result in an assignment to Triple-A.
- The division-rival Diamondbacks have settled on their own starting five, as MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports. That grouping — Zack Greinke, Taijuan Walker, Robbie Ray, Shelby Miller, and Patrick Corbin — contains no surprises, but manager Torey Lovullo did note an interesting decision on another hurler. Former top prospect Archie Bradley will open the year in the major league bullpen. The 24-year-old has struggled in his MLB opportunities over the past two seasons and has allowed 13 earned runs on 23 hits over 14 2/3 innings this spring. While he could still factor as a long-term rotation possibility — Bradley has produced quality results of late at Triple-A — the club will see whether the move to a relief role helps spur some positive momentum.
- When the Phillies optioned outfielder Tyler Goeddel to minor league camp Friday, they informed him he’d likely start 2017 at the Double-A level, writes Matt Breen of Philly.com. Considering he spent all of last season in the majors, Goeddel isn’t thrilled with his multi-level demotion. “I’m not too happy about that but you can’t control it,” said Goeddel, who hit a meager .192/.258/.291 in 234 PAs as a Rule 5 pick in 2016. With Nick Williams, Roman Quinn and Dylan Cozens set to comprise the Phillies’ Triple-A outfield, there aren’t any openings for Goeddel at that level. Regarding those three, Goeddel stated: “I know who’s at Triple-A with Cozens, Williams and Quinn. But I was still surprised. They hadn’t really told me anything so it was definitely surprising.”
- A neck issue has kept Brewers catcher Andrew Susac out of action for the past week-plus, but an MRI on Friday revealed no structural damage to his trapezius, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Susac will be able to ramp up his rehab as a result, though he’ll still start the year on the disabled list. Milwaukee will open with Jett Bandy and Manny Pina as its top options behind the plate.
Latest On Jung Ho Kang
2:15pm: Pirates president Frank Coonelly has issued a statement in response to the report:
“A Korean news outlet has reported on a purported development in Jung Ho Kang’s effort to secure permission to travel to the United States for purposes of continuing his career as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates and added speculation regarding a driving incident in a “third country.”
The facts, as we know them, are that Kang still has not been granted permission to travel to the United States under a work visa. We continue to work with Kang and his representatives to present materials and information to the appropriate parties in the United States government that we believe establish that Kang should be permitted to travel to the United States under a work visa and we remain hopeful that such a resolution will be reached in the near future.
We have no indication that Jung Ho has had a driving incident in a country other than Korea.”
10:49am: Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang‘s status for 2017 remains in question as a result of his December arrest in South Korea on charges of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident. Kang, who admitted guilt in February, earned a suspended eight-month prison sentence March 3 and has been waiting since then to obtain a visa to return to the United States.
According to a report from Naver Sports in Korea, Kang’s visa application has been denied. Further, Kang is “suspected” of drunken driving in a third country (not Korea or the U.S.). If true, that would put Kang’s chances of playing this season in jeopardy, though the 29-year-old has appealed his sentence in hopes of receiving lesser punishment and making it easier to obtain a visa. A decision on that appeal will likely come in the next few weeks, according to The Korea Times (via Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). The Pirates, like Kang, are awaiting an answer on the player’s fate; as a result, they’re unsure whether they’ll receive any contributions from Kang this year.
“Your information is about the same as what I’ve got,” manager Clint Hurdle told MLB Network Radio on Friday. “We are staying in contact with Jung Ho and in contract with his interpreter. We’re focusing on the men we have here. That’s the best I can tell you. We’d love to have him back (but) we don’t have him back. We’re going to adapt and continue to pull … (and see) if this can come to some type of conclusion that’s profitable for both sides down the road.”
While Kang has a history of off-field troubles, including three DUI convictions in Korea and an ongoing investigation stemming from an alleged sexual assault in Chicago last July, his absence would be difficult for the Pirates to deal with on the field. The Bucs do have a quality fallback option at third base in David Freese, but his production hasn’t approached Kang’s dating back to the latter’s emigration from the Korea Baseball Organization in 2015. Kang has been a bargain since joining the Pirates on a four-year deal worth a guaranteed $11MM, having slashed .273/.355/.483 with 36 home runs in 837 plate appearances.
Because the Pirates placed Kang on the restricted list earlier this month, he won’t collect any of his salary for missed regular-season time, nor will he occupy a spot on their 40-man roster.
AL Notes: White Sox, Rangers, Astros, Yankees
White Sox second baseman Yoan Moncada initially took Boston’s offseason decision to trade him in a package for ace Chris Sale “as a very personal rejection,” his father, David, told Eli Saslow of ESPN The Magazine. But, thanks in part to teammate and first baseman Jose Abreu, Moncada has adjusted well to the changing of Sox. Abreu, a fellow Cuban, texted Moncada the night of the trade and told him that “this team gets it,” in reference to the White Sox’s history of employing Cuban-born players. Their relationship has continued to grow since, and the 21-year-old Moncada, arguably the best prospect in baseball, now regards Abreu as a “mentor and friend whose example I can only hope to follow.”
More on Chicago and three other American League teams:
- The White Sox scratched left-hander Carlos Rodon from his start Friday because of tightness in his bicep, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago was among those to report. There’s no structural damage, and manager Rick Renteria said the team’s initial exam was “positive,” but Rodon will nonetheless go for an MRI (all Twitter links). “Odds are” Rodon will begin the season on the disabled list, according to general manager Rick Hahn, who noted that the White Sox “are going to err on the side of caution here, even if it winds up costing him his first couple starts” (Twitter links via Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune and Hayes). That makes sense considering the 24-year-old Rodon is one of the rebuilding White Sox’s most important cogs. Thus far in his career, the two-year veteran has logged a 3.90 ERA, 9.08 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 across 304 1/3 innings.
- Rangers manager Jeff Banister all but confirmed Friday that right-hander A.J. Griffin has locked down a rotation spot, tweets Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Grant reported earlier Friday that a starting job was likely for Griffin, who will slot in behind Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels and Martin Perez. The banged-up Andrew Cashner could rejoin the Rangers by April 15, the first time they’ll need a fifth starter.
- Thanks to the “dead arm” that slowed Astros righty Collin McHugh earlier this spring, he likely won’t be ready for the beginning of the season, manager A.J. Hinch informed Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). McHugh’s absence will deprive the Astros of a quality starter, though they do have a promising No. 6 on hand in Joe Musgrove, who looked like a major league-caliber rotation piece in his 62-inning debut last season (4.06 ERA, 7.98 K/9, 2.32 BB/9).
- The Yankees optioned righty Luis Cessa to Triple-A on Friday, thereby ending his bid to claim one of the two open spots in their rotation. Cessa, who had been competing against Luis Severino, Bryan Mitchell, Chad Green, Adam Warren and dark-horse Jordan Montgomery, allowed seven earned runs on 13 hits and four walks in 9 2/3 spring innings. As a rookie last season, the 24-year-old made 17 appearances (nine starts) and posted a 4.35 ERA, 5.89 K/9 and 1.79 BB/9 in 70 1/3 frames.
Pitching Notes: Cubs, Rangers, White Sox, Indians
The Cubs have tabbed left-hander Brett Anderson to open the season as their fifth starter, tweets Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago. Consequently, fellow southpaw Mike Montgomery, whom Anderson beat out, will head to the bullpen. At $3.5MM, Anderson received one of the biggest contracts the Cubs handed out during an offseason devoid of free agent splashes for the reigning World Series champions. Given the 29-year-old Anderson’s well-known injury history, though, it stands to reason Montgomery could end up in the rotation this season. “I could see him starting,” manager Joe Maddon told Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com. “Long relief, short relief. All of it.”
- The Rangers “have had conversations with other clubs” about acquiring starting pitching, though they didn’t delve into the “top end” of the trade market, general manager Jon Daniels told MLB Network Radio (Twitter link). Daniels doesn’t expect to land another starter from outside the organization, as he noted that the Rangers are “going internally” to address their rotation. Texas won’t need a fifth starter until April 15, when Andrew Cashner could return from biceps tendinitis, and it appears they’ll slot A.J. Griffin in as the No. 4 option behind Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels and Martin Perez, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The recovering Tyson Ross (shoulder) figures to join the starting five when he makes his 2017 big league debut, which could happen in early May.
- Right-handed prospect Lucas Giolito has lost some of the hype that accompanied him last year, leading Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com to wonder if he’ll regain it with the White Sox organization. Previously a member of the Nationals, with whom he topped out as Baseball America’s fifth-best prospect, Giolito was part of a blockbuster December trade in which he (and fellow righties Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning) went to Chicago for outfielder Adam Eaton. Despite serving as the headlining part of the return for the Sox, and despite continuing to rank as a high-end prospect according to most outlets, skepticism has developed regarding the 22-year-old. “I think he will be a bullpen guy down the line, kind of like a Jon Rauch or Luke Hochevar,” a National League executive told Crasnick. “He got hyped up a lot and Washington found out later. Usually, the drafting team is the last to know.” Meanwhile, one member of an American League front office Crasnick spoke with isn’t as ready to write off Giolito. “As a 22-year-old who’s already missed a year with Tommy John, Lucas Giolito deserves a chance to grow and evolve,” he said. “He really hasn’t had enough innings to show us what he’s going to be.”
- Indians righty Carlos Carrasco could begin the year in extended spring training as he looks to build up his arm strength after a bout with elbow soreness, writes Terry Pluto of cleveland.com. The Indians have two off days in the first two weeks of the season, which would enable them to be patient with Carrasco and not have to use five starters immediately.
Minor MLB Transactions: 3/24/17
The latest minor moves from around baseball:
- Longtime major league reliever Joe Beimel has signed with the New Britain Bees of the independent Atlantic League, the team announced. The 39-year-old left-hander pitched for seven different big league teams from 2001-15, a 680-inning stretch in which he posted a 4.06 ERA, 5.02 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a 47 percent ground-ball rate. Beimel spent last season at the Triple-A level with the Royals organization, though the club released him in mid-July after he allowed seven earned runs and issued more walks than strikeouts (eight to six) over 14 2/3 frames.
Offseason In Review: Oakland Athletics
Check out all the published entries in our Offseason in Review series here.
After finishing among the American League’s bottom three teams in both wins (69) and run differential (minus-108) in 2016, the low-payroll Athletics tried to make a splash in free agency. Oakland’s attempt to land first baseman/designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion went for naught, though, and the club ultimately emerged from the offseason having made several modestly priced signings.
Major League Signings
- Matt Joyce, OF: Two years, $11MM
- Santiago Casilla, RP: Two years, $11MM
- Rajai Davis, OF: One year, $6MM
- Trevor Plouffe, IF: One year, $5.25MM
- Adam Rosales, IF: One year, $1.25MM
- Total spend: $34.5MM
Trades And Claims
- Acquired RHP Paul Blackburn from Mariners for IF/OF Danny Valencia
- Acquired IF Jordan Tarsovich from Dodgers for OF Brett Eibner
- Acquired C Jason Goldstein from Mariners for LHP Dillon Overton
- Claimed RHP Josh Smith from Reds
- Claimed LHP Giovanni Soto from Cubs (lost later on waivers to White Sox)
Notable Minor League Signings
- Alejandro De Aza, Ross Detwiler, Ryan Lavarnway, Chris Parmelee, Jaff Decker, Felix Doubront, Matt McBride, Andrew Lambo
Extensions
- None
Notable Losses
- Valencia, Eibner, Overton, Fernando Rodriguez
Oakland Athletics Depth Chart; Oakland Athletics Payroll Information
Needs Addressed
The offseason didn’t unfold the way many thought it would for Encarnacion, whose five-year run in Toronto as an elite hitter didn’t lead to the nine-figure contract that seemed attainable at the outset of free agency. Encarnacion went without a deal for nearly two months before agreeing to join the Indians on a three-year contract with $60MM in guarantees. It was surprising that Encarnacion landed with the Tribe, but it was more of an eye-opener that the A’s were Cleveland’s main competition. After all, the richest contract on the A’s belongs to reliever Ryan Madson, who’s on the second season of a three-year pact worth $22MM. Encarnacion would have averaged $25MM per annum, likely over two years, had he taken the A’s offer. Reeling in the slugger would have been a boon for Oakland, which scored the fewest runs in the AL last season and has a starting first baseman, Yonder Alonso, who brings almost no offensive punch to the table.
“We knew we’d face some headwinds going in,” executive vice president Billy Beane said after losing the Encarnacion sweepstakes. “But again, we saw this as a unique player. … [W]e thought was that type of player who would have served as a real good anchor point with our young pitching and some of our other young players.”
Nearly a month before Encarnacion made his decision, the A’s partially addressed their offensive issues by awarding a two-year, $11MM guarantee to free agent outfielder Matt Joyce. That commitment has a chance to go down as one of the offseason’s biggest bargains, as the lefty-swinging Joyce has typically been a quality hitter and is coming off a career year. Then with the Pirates, Joyce slashed a terrific .242/.403/.463 in 293 plate appearances. The 32-year-old led all batters with at least 250 PAs in walk rate (20.1 percent, a notable improvement over his career 12.5 percent), which was the product of being far more selective than ever. Between 2008, his rookie campaign, and 2015, Joyce hadn’t swung at under 24.7 percent of pitches outside the zone in any individual season. Last year, though, he offered at only 18.2 percent of such pitches. He also showed some of the best power of his career, having logged his highest ISO (.221) since 2010.
It’s fair to be skeptical of Joyce going forward – he slashed a ghastly .174/.272/.291 in 284 PAs with the Angels only two years ago, and he’s a lifetime .185/.265/.310 hitter against lefties. However, as FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan wrote in November, Joyce made intriguing adjustments last season, including lowering his hands and becoming less reliant on pulling the ball. Even if those gains don’t stick, though, the A’s should at least have a capable, reasonably priced platoon right fielder on their hands in Joyce, who has batted .252/.353/.449 in 2,686 career plate trips against righties.
Another newcomer, 36-year-old center fielder Rajai Davis, will join Joyce and primary left fielder Khris Davis to comprise the A’s main alignment in the grass. This isn’t the first go-around in Oakland for Davis, who was previously with the team from 2008-10. As an Indian last season, Davis wasn’t significantly better offensively than either of the A’s top two center fielders, Coco Crisp and Jake Smolinski, but he is a weapon when he gets on base. Davis is coming off a year in which he racked up an American League-high 43 steals – just seven fewer than the A’s 26th-ranked team total (50). He also finished second in the majors to Billy Hamilton in FanGraphs’ BsR metric, a stat in which Oakland ranked dead last. And while Davis was a mixed bag in center last season (minus-five Defensive Runs Saved, 3.6 UZR/150 in 595 innings), he has typically been passable there and should at least be a clear upgrade over Crisp, who registered minus-11 DRS and a minus-37.7 UZR/150 in 290 innings.
After adding Joyce and Davis to their outfield, the A’s sought to upgrade their infield and came away with third baseman Trevor Plouffe and utilityman Adam Rosales on one-year accords. A careerlong Twin until they outrighted him in November, Plouffe isn’t far removed from combining for a .251/.317/.429 line and 6.0 fWAR in 1,214 PAs from 2014-15. That type of production would be welcome for Oakland, though Plouffe struggled in the other five seasons of his career, having registered minus-0.8 fWAR largely because of subpar defensive metrics. That includes last season, when Plouffe was a negative at third (minus-four DRS, minus-17.1 UZR/150 in 519 innings) and hit a below-average .260/.303/.420 in 344 PAs. The 30-year-old does deserve some benefit of the doubt for his latest output, however, as he endured an injury-riddled campaign that featured three trips to the disabled list.
Healthy again, Plouffe will serve as the A’s No. 1 option at the hot corner, meaning Ryon Healy will mostly divide his time between designated hitter and first base. As a rookie last season, Healy played all 72 of his games at third, where he posted Plouffe-like numbers (minus-two DRS, minus-17.5 UZR/150) over 637 innings. Those struggles took away somewhat from the offensive excellence displayed by Healy, who put together a .305/.337/.524 mark in his 283-PA debut.
Rosales, meanwhile, will back up Plouffe, Healy and the rest of the A’s infielders, and he could be especially useful at second base. Starter Jed Lowrie has dealt with injury troubles throughout his career, including a left foot issue that limited him to 87 games last year, and hasn’t stood out offensively since a career year in 2013. Rosales, who was with the A’s from 2010-13, is coming off his own personal-best season. A Padre in 2016, the 33-year-old journeyman was a radically different hitter than he had been from 2008-15. Along with his best-ever batting line, .229/.319/.495 (in 248 PAs), the right-hander accrued highs in home runs (13), ISO (.266, up from a career .140), walk rate (11.7 percent) and hard contact rate (36.9 percent, far above his lifetime 26.4 percent figure). As evidenced by those numbers, not to mention a career-high fly ball rate (46.2 percent) and a bloated strikeout percentage (35.5), it’s clear Rosales sold out for gains in the power department last year. Even if his 2016 proves to be a mirage, Rosales should still give the A’s both a usable option against southpaws (.241/.318/.395 in 644 PAs) and, if Lowrie goes down again, a credible defensive second baseman (13 DRS, 6.6 UZR in 1,007 lifetime innings).
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