Cubs Sign Williams Perez To Minor League Contract
The Cubs have signed free agent right-hander Williams Perez to a minor league contract, tweets FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. Perez had been available since the Braves released him Dec. 8.
[RELATED: Updated Cubs Depth Chart]
The 25-year-old Perez saw fairly extensive action the past two seasons in Atlanta, where he made 34 appearances (31 starts) and logged a 5.18 ERA, 5.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 over 170 1/3 innings. All 11 of Perez’s appearances came via starts in 2016, and his results were unsightly (6.04 ERA) despite the fact that he paired a high ground-ball percentage (57.1) with a quality walk rate (2.52 per nine innings).
Perez’s new organization has one of the majors’ top rotations on paper with Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey and either Mike Montgomery or Brett Anderson, though the need for more depth is obvious. The Cubs are cognizant of that, having added Perez, swingman Casey Kelly (another ex-Brave) and Eddie Butler in recent days.
Pitching Notes: Wood, Brewers, Braves, Astros
Free agent left-hander Travis Wood worked almost exclusively out of the Cubs’ bullpen over the previous two seasons, but he could return to the rotation with a new club in 2017. “Multiple teams” are offering Wood a chance to start, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link). Wood, who will turn 30 on Monday, combined for 133 starts with the Reds and Cubs from 2010-15 and registered a 4.19 ERA, 7.11 K/9 and 3.15 BB/9 in that 776-inning span. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reported Friday that Wood could sign sometime this weekend.
More pitching-related notes:
- Right-hander Chase Anderson and his representatives don’t expect to avoid arbitration with the Brewers, who are employing a file-and-trial approach, a source told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The two sides are set to argue their cases sometime before Feb. 14, which would be the Brewers’ first arbitration hearing since 2012. Anderson, who’s arbitration eligible for the first time, is seeking $2.85MM as his 2017 salary, while the Brewers have offered $2.45MM (MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected a $3.1MM award entering the offseason). The 29-year-old is coming off a season in which he amassed 151 2/3 innings, totaled nine wins and recorded a 4.39 ERA – the three statistics arbitrators examine when dealing with starting pitchers.
- The Braves are loaded with bullpen options going into the spring, opines MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, who expects there to be plenty of “buzz” centering on left-handed prospect A.J. Minter. A second-round pick in 2015 (a few months after he underwent Tommy John surgery), the hard-throwing Minter received his first professional action last season and laid waste to hitters at both the Single-A and Double-A levels.
- David Laurila of FanGraphs had a lengthy, pitching-focused chat with Astros assistant general manager Mike Elias. The two discussed the value of in-person scouting, the Astros’ curveball usage and the risk associated with drafting high school pitchers, among other subjects. On 6-foot-7 righty Forrest Whitley, whom the Astros selected 17th overall out of high school in last year’s draft, Elias observed: “When you see a kid that long and lean be as coordinated, and able to repeat his delivery as well as he was, at the age of 18… that’s a big reason we took him with our first pick. We were really impressed with how he coordinates himself when he’s going down the mound. And he goes down the mound pretty aggressively.”
Pitcher Notes: Greinke, Darvish, Romo, Blevins
In the event the Diamondbacks rebound from a nightmarish 2016 to contend for a playoff spot this year, they should still be prepared to jettison right-hander Zack Greinke if the opportunity arises, opines ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required/recommended). Greinke will make $34MM in 2017, meaning he’s currently taking up a major league-high 46.7 percent of his team’s payroll (the Diamondbacks are at $72.8MM in commitments), notes Olney, who argues that dumping the 33-year-old’s contract should be one of the organization’s highest priorities. Greinke still has an unappealing $172.5MM left on the $206.5MM contract he inked as a free agent last winter, though Olney suggests he could be movable if the Diamondbacks agree to pay $50MM to $60MM.
Now for the latest on three other pitchers:
- Speaking of massive contracts for aces, Rangers righty Yu Darvish was “very open” to discussing a five- to six-year extension worth around $30MM per annum earlier this offseason, but no serious talks have occurred yet, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. While the two could still reach a deal prior to the season, hammering out an agreement of that caliber during spring training would be difficult, Grant writes. For now, Darvish is on track to hit free agency after next season.
- The mystery team vying for free agent righty Sergio Romo could be the reliever-needy Nationals, who have discussed signing the 33-year-old, tweets FanRag’s Jon Heyman. Romo told Casey Stern of MLB Network on Tuesday that both the Nationals and Mets have shown interest in him, and the longtime Giant is open to leaving the West Coast to sign with either (Twitter link). Romo could end up staying in his native California, though, given that the Dodgers are reportedly pursuing him.
- Free agent southpaw Jerry Blevins has at least one single-year, $6MM offer in hand, tweets Olney. Of course, that figure is right in line with the guaranteed $6.5MM the Indians will give fellow lefty reliever Boone Logan. It’s possible the $6MM proposal is from the Mets, who want to re-sign Blevins, 33, but are looking to avoid a multiyear deal. Blevins, who was with the Mets the previous two seasons, recorded a 2.79 ERA with 11.14 K/9 against 3.21 BB/9 in 42 innings last year.
Central Notes: Cardinals, Royals, Pirates, Indians
Carlos Martinez‘s extension with the Cardinals was largely spurred by the right-hander and agent Brian Mejia, the latter of whom first approached the Redbirds about a new deal nearly a year ago, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. While Martinez secured a guaranteed $51MM and could earn up to $86MM if the Cardinals exercise club options for both 2022 and ’23, Craig Edwards of FanGraphs opines that it’s not a great deal for the player, arguing that the 25-year-old may have left roughly $100MM on the table by eschewing the chance to hit free agency after the 2019 season. As Edwards points out, though, it’s difficult to fault Martinez for choosing security for him and his family – especially given the recent deaths of two fellow Dominicans, ex-Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras and former Kansas City righty Yordano Ventura. Plus, Martinez will still have an opportunity to hit free agency as a 31-year-old if he sees this contract through. “He could have just pointed to (age) 28 as a free agent,” general manager John Mozeliak said Thursday. “He chose not to.”
More from the majors’ Central divisions:
- While the newly signed Brandon Moss looks like a strong candidate to become the Royals’ everyday designated hitter, the team doesn’t aim to use him that way. “We didn’t sign Brandon to be our DH,” GM Dayton Moore revealed Wednesday (via Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star). “We plan on rotating that slot. We have an aging lineup, as we know. I think it’s going to be very beneficial to give a lot of our position players an opportunity to DH from time to time.” Moore added that Moss’ ability to play both corner outfield and first base “was important for us.” Moss has spent the majority of his career in the American League, but he has seen far more time in the outfield and at first (a combined 833 games) than DH (27 games).
- The Pirates turned down trade offers – “some big, some small” – involving right-hander Chad Kuhl last summer, GM Neal Huntington informed Adam Berry of MLB.com. Now Kuhl, 24, figures to begin 2017 in the Pirates’ rotation after logging a 4.20 ERA, 6.7 K/9 against 2.55 BB/9 and a 44.3 percent ground-ball rate in 14 starts (70 2/3 innings) as a rookie last year. “He really didn’t surprise us internally,” Huntington said of Kuhl’s promising debut. “We’ve liked him for a long time.”
- Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang earned his third DUI arrest in South Korea in December, but the team is proceeding as if it won’t affect his standing for spring training. “The expectation is that [Kang] will arrive and be ready to go,” Huntington told Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “But until that happens, there’s always a chance that we could hit a snag.” Kang could still face punishment from Major League Baseball, but it’s unclear whether he has gone before a panel yet for an assessment, according to Nesbitt. Per the collective bargaining agreement, players in Kang’s situation “must appear before a joint panel agreed upon by the league and the player’s union,” writes Nesbitt, who notes that Kang is still under investigation for an alleged sexual assault that took place in Chicago last summer.
- The Indians’ decision to sign outfielder Wily Mo Pena to a minor league pact Tuesday came as a favor to their highest-profile offseason acquisition, first baseman/DH Edwin Encarnacion, writes Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com. Encarnacion, who’s friends with Pena, asked the Tribe to venture to the Dominican Republic to observe Pena and other unnamed players work out. The Indians came away impressed enough to take a flyer on the 35-year-old Pena, who landed an invitation to spring training.
Market Notes: Mets, Dodgers, Rangers, Wieters, Reynolds
The Mets were reportedly unwilling to trade outfielder Juan Lagares as of November, but teams are continuing to show interest in the soon-to-be 28-year-old, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether New York is now open to moving Lagares, who’s far and away the most qualified center field candidate on a team loaded with corner outfielders. Dealing the defensively adept Lagares and getting rid of his $4.5MM for 2017 would perhaps give the Mets the financial freedom to address their bullpen, though, as Puma notes. Lagares, who’s fresh off back-to-back underwhelming offensive seasons, has four years and either $20.5MM or $29.5MM left on his contract – depending on what happens with his 2020 club option.
More from the market:
- Free agent reliever Sergio Romo has spent his entire career with the San Francisco organization since it took him in the 28th round of the 2005 draft, but the 34-year-old could head to the archrival Dodgers. Romo’s currently choosing between Los Angeles and an unidentified club, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link). The Dodgers are also in talks with other relievers, including free agent Joe Blanton – who was among their top bullpen options last season.
- If a long-anticipated reunion between the Rangers and free agent first baseman/designated hitter Mike Napoli is going to happen this offseason, Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) could be a date to watch, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. As Grant explains, the Rangers will no longer have to carry the retired Prince Fielder or the ailing Jake Diekman on their 40-man roster that day, which is when pitchers and catchers begin reporting to spring training. By waiting until then to ink Napoli, the Rangers would afford themselves some roster flexibility and wouldn’t have to expose any of their pitching depth to waivers.
- “Several teams” remain in contention for free agent catcher Matt Wieters, tweets the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin, who relays that “there’s no good read” on whether he’ll sign with the Rays. Along with the Rays, the Orioles (Wieters’ only MLB employer to date), Angels, Rockies, Reds, Nationals and Astros have drawn recent connections to the 30-year-old.
- Before re-signing with the Rockies on a minor league deal Wednesday, first baseman Mark Reynolds turned down $3MM to play in Korea, per FanRag’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Accepting that offer would’ve easily made Reynolds the highest-paid player in Korea, topping former major league right-hander Dustin Nippert‘s $2.1MM, notes Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency (Twitter link). It’s likely that the powerful Reynolds also would’ve had his way in the hitter’s paradise known as the Korea Baseball Organization, but neither that nor the payday could entice the 33-year-old to leave the States.
Twins To Sign Matt Belisle
The Twins and right-handed reliever Matt Belisle have agreed to a one-year deal, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). The CAA Sports client will earn a guaranteed $2.05MM, tweets Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press.
[RELATED: Updated Twins Depth Chart]
After its bullpen finished 2016 with the majors’ fifth-worst ERA and eighth-worst fWAR, rebuilding Minnesota has spent the past few months searching for capable relievers. Belisle, who’s coming off a terrific campaign with the Nationals, is the Twins’ first notable bullpen addition of the offseason. The 36-year-old yielded a minuscule 1.76 ERA in 46 innings, compiled 6.26 K/9 against 1.37 BB/9 and posted a 47.2 percent ground-ball rate in 2016.
Belisle was also effective at preventing runs as a member of the Cardinals in 2015, when he posted somewhat similar numbers to last season (2.67 ERA, 6.68 K/9, 52.4 percent grounder rate), though he did record a lofty BB/9 (4.01) across 33 2/3 frames.
The Twins will be the sixth major league team for Belisle, who spent time as both a starter and reliever with the Reds between 2003-08 before a six-year run in Colorado from 2009-14. Belisle was eminently reliable from 2010-12; at his best in Colorado, he tossed a career-high 92 innings of 2.93 ERA pitching and logged 8.9 K/9 against 1.57 BB/9 in 2010. He’ll now aim for another successful year in Minnesota, which will add Belisle to a late-game mix that will also feature the likes of Brandon Kintzler, the currently rehabbing Glen Perkins, Ryan Pressly and Trevor May, among others.
Given that the Twins don’t figure to contend for a playoff spot in 2017, Belisle could find himself on the move around the summer trade deadline if he fares well over the first few months of the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Royals Sign Brandon Moss
The Royals on Wednesday announced that they’ve agreed to a two-year contract with free-agent first baseman/outfielder Brandon Moss. The ACES client will reportedly be guaranteed a total of $12MM, which comes in the form of $3.75MM in 2017, $7.25MM in 2018 and a $1MM buyout on a $10MM mutual option for the 2019 campaign.
[Related: Updated Royals Depth Chart]
Beyond the money that is guaranteed on his contract, Moss can reportedly earn up to $500K per season based on plate appearances. He’ll take home $50K for reaching 275 plate appearances and an additional $50K for every 25 plate appearances from that point forth, up to 500 PAs. Those incentives apply to each year of the deal.
Signing with the Royals will keep the 33-year-old Moss in Missouri, where he played the past season-plus as a member of the Cardinals. (Moss was traded from Cleveland to St. Louis in a trade that sent southpaw Rob Kaminsky to Cleveland.) In 2016, his only full campaign in St. Louis, the powerful Moss slugged 28 home runs in 464 plate appearances and posted a .259 ISO. The latter figure ranked 13th among major leaguers with at least 450 PAs, though Moss didn’t register a particularly impress overall line (.225/.300/.484) and hit just .191/.248/.392 after the All-Star break. Moss’ second-half woes offset the red-hot .256/.344/.566 triple slash he logged in the first three-plus months of the year.
Moss also had a relatively mediocre 2015, which was thanks in part to a hip injury, but the lefty-swinger is a well-regarded clubhouse presence and a four-time 20-home run hitter who should at least give the Royals a capable bat against right-handed pitchers. Plus, Moss has typically been usable against southpaws, although they stymied him last season.
Defensively, Moss spent the lion’s share of 2016 in the corner outfield and also saw plenty of time at first base – areas where the Royals already possess everyday-caliber players. Eric Hosmer is set to occupy first again in 2017, while Alex Gordon and offseason acquisition Jorge Soler are the team’s top options in the corner outfield. Moss will likely slot in primarily at designated hitter if the deal goes through, then, as the Royals have been lacking there since Kendrys Morales signed with the Blue Jays in November.
Kansas City will be the seventh major league team for Moss, who debuted with the Red Sox in 2007 and then broke out with the Athletics in 2012. Nearly all of Moss’ big league homers (123 of 138) have come since then.
ESPN’s Jim Bowden first reported that Kansas City was nearing an agreement with Moss. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported the agreement and the terms (Twitter link). Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star reported that the deal was heavily backloaded. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports provided the exact financial breakdown (via Twitter). MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reported the value of the 2019 option and the incentives structure (Twitter links).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Quick Hits: Royals, Keuchel, Alvarez
The Royals aren’t yet ready to wrap up their offseason after agreeing to sign Brandon Moss, per FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, who reports they’re still looking for help in their rotation and bullpen (Twitter link). It’s worth noting that the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo linked the top free agent starter remaining, Jason Hammel, to Kansas City on Saturday. Here are more quick notes from around the big leagues.
- Speaking of Moss, his presence on the Royals could complicate Cheslor Cuthbert‘s role for 2017, writes Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. Cuthbert was a candidate to spend time at designated hitter before Sunday, but that could be difficult with Moss in the fold. Cuthbert broke in last year at third base, though that opportunity only came as a result of Mike Moustakas‘ injury-shortened campaign. Moustakas is set to return from a torn ACL, so Cuthbert probably won’t play much at third, and Dodd contends that a lack of range could prevent him from manning second base. Moreover, Cuthbert is out of minor league options, meaning the Royals are either going to have to keep him on their 25-man roster or subject the 24-year-old to waivers if they try to send him down.
- On Thursday, Astros lefty Dallas Keuchel will throw off a mound for the first time since August, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle writes. Keuchel missed more than a month at the end of last season due to shoulder trouble. Keuchel feels like he’s in good shape heading into the season. Last year, his innings pitched dipped from 232 in his Cy Young 2015 season to 168, but this year he’s had extra time off due to the injury, and he feels healthy as Spring Training approaches. He avoided arbitration with the Astros two weeks ago and will make $9.15MM in the penultimate season before he’s eligible for free agency.
- Shoulder problems limited right-hander Henderson Alvarez to 22 1/3 innings in 2015 and kept him from taking a major league mound at all last season, but he’s nonetheless drawing plenty of interest in free agency. “Many” clubs have requested Alvarez’s medicals, tweets FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, who adds that the soon-to-be 27-year-old should be ready for game action by May. Unfortunately, the ground-ball and control artist’s career has gone off the rails since he tossed 187 innings of 2.65 ERA ball with the Marlins in 2014. The Fish non-tendered Alvarez after the 2015 campaign, and the Athletics outrighted him this past October. The A’s guaranteed Alvarez to $4.25MM last winter, but he only gave the organization 33 innings – all in the minors – before undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery in September.
Twins, Justin Morneau Interested In Reunion
The Twins and one of their all-time best players, free agent designated hitter/first baseman Justin Morneau, have mutual interest in a reunion, reports Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press.
Morneau spent the first 11 years of his career in Minnesota, which selected him in the third round of the 1999 draft. As a member of the Twins from 2003-2013, Morneau slashed .278/.347/.485 with 221 home runs in 5,350 plate appearances, earned four All-Star nods and won the American League MVP in 2006. Unfortunately, Morneau’s effectiveness began fading after he suffered a concussion midway through the 2010 campaign, when he may have been on the way to another MVP. His tenure with the Twins concluded when they traded him to the Pirates in August 2013.
Morneau didn’t last in Pittsburgh beyond his late-2013 run there and has since played for the Rockies, with whom he hit .319 in 2014 and won the National League batting title, and White Sox. The 35-year-old appeared in only 49 games with the Rockies in 2015 and then endured one of the least productive campaigns of his career last season in Chicago (though he didn’t debut until June after undergoing offseason elbow surgery). All told, Morneau hit .261/.303/.429 in 218 PAs and paired a career-worst walk rate (5.5 percent) with a bloated strikeout rate (23.9 percent – well above his lifetime mark of 15.5).
While another Morneau-Minnesota go-around would make for a feel-good story, there might not be enough at-bats available to make it worthwhile, writes Berardino. The Twins already have first base/DH types in $23MM man Joe Mauer, who used to team with Morneau to terrorize opposing pitchers, as well as younger options in Byung Ho Park and Kennys Vargas. But even if Morneau doesn’t end up joining the Twins, he is aiming to sign somewhere for what would be his 15th season in the majors.
Poll: Rangers’ First Base/DH Situation
Nearly two months have passed since the Rangers lost longtime primary first baseman Mitch Moreland, who signed a cheap deal with the Red Sox in early December. Moreland was never particularly spectacular as a member of the Rangers, with whom he batted .254/.315/.438 in 2,762 plate appearances from 2010-16, but the three-time 20-home run hitter’s departure has left the club without an established option at first.
[RELATED: Rangers Depth Chart]
Led by general manager Jon Daniels, the Rangers have been on the hunt for a first base/designated hitter type to help replace Moreland and Carlos Beltran, who signed with AL West rival Houston one day before Moreland went to Boston. Texas hasn’t reeled in anyone yet, though, largely because it hasn’t been willing to make multiyear commitments in free agency. The Rangers have signed three players – Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner and Carlos Gomez – to major league deals this offseason, and all received one-year contracts.
Texas, which would like to at least partially fix its first base/DH issues by signing yet another player to a single-year pact, has targeted two-time Ranger Mike Napoli. Having hit .239/.335/.465 with 34 home runs as an Indian last season, Napoli would be a capable replacement for Moreland. The 35-year-old has not been amenable to the Rangers’ one-year offer, however, and they don’t seem open to locking him up through 2018.
Fellow free agent slugger Chris Carter has also drawn the Rangers’ attention after co-leading the National League with 41 home runs in 2016. Carter’s blend of power and patience is enticing, but his low-contact, high-strikeout ways and negative defensive and baserunning value led the Brewers to non-tender him in December. Those flaws have also prevented him from landing anywhere else since. As is the case with Napoli, the Rangers are open to adding Carter, but only for one year (on an incentive-laden accord, no less).
With Brandon Moss now off the market, Pedro Alvarez is arguably the second- or third-best free agent first baseman/DH remaining (depending on your opinion of Carter). To this point, though, the Rangers haven’t been connected to him or other unsigned options like Mark Reynolds, Adam Lind, Logan Morrison or Ryan Howard.
If Texas doesn’t pick up a free agent to potentially slide in at first/DH, they could let in-house options sink or swim to at least begin the season. The Rangers have added multiple brand names – first baseman James Loney and former superstar outfielder Josh Hamilton – on minor league deals this month. The contact-oriented Loney didn’t hit with either the Rays or Mets during the past two seasons, which led to a dismal minus-1.5 fWAR over 744 plate appearances. Hamilton has no first base experience, meanwhile, and has played in only 50 games since 2015 (none last season) while dealing with major injury issues. Thus, the Rangers would be hard pressed to expect much from him or Loney in 2017. The same applies to Ryan Rua, a lifetime .255/.308/.404 hitter across 464 PAs.
Other than those three, the Rangers possess a pair of 23-year-olds, Jurickson Profar and Joey Gallo, who used to be elite prospects and who could play significant roles during the upcoming season. The switch-hitting Profar is the front-runner to start the campaign at first for the Rangers, but his production (.235/.311/.341 in 648 PAs) hasn’t come close to matching the hype he garnered in his prospect days. The lefty-swinging Gallo could begin in the minors, and even if he doesn’t, his prodigious power comes with worrisome swing-and-miss tendencies. Gallo has struck out in just under 50 percent of his 153 trips to the plate in the majors, which would be less alarming if not for the lofty strikeout rates he has also posted in the minors.
As evidenced above, the Rangers have a high quantity of choices to fill two lineup spots, but there isn’t a single one who’s a good bet to succeed at the big league level in 2017. On the other hand, the track records of Napoli and Carter suggest they’ll fare well offensively next season, but will one of them (or another free agent) end up in Texas? Or will the reigning American League West champions go forward with what they have and perhaps reevaluate during the season?
(Poll link for Trade Rumors App users)
Will the Rangers add a proven 1B/DH before Opening Day?
-
Yes. 61% (3,666)
-
No. They'll stay in-house. 39% (2,332)
Total votes: 5,998
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.