Cardinals Notes: Outfield, Rosenthal, Third Base
We’ll add to a Cardinals–heavy Sunday here at MLBTR with more out of St. Louis, courtesy of Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com:
- The Redbirds have an impressive selection of outfielders with Dexter Fowler, Stephen Piscotty, Randal Grichuk and Tommy Pham on hand, but they’re looking to add to the group. General manager John Mozeliak is specifically seeking a left-handed hitter (Piscotty, Grichuk and Pham are righties) who can play multiple positions in the grass. There’s a wide array of current free agents who match that criteria.
- The Cardinals still intend to stretch out erstwhile closer Trevor Rosenthal, a plan which Mozeliak first revealed in November, but it doesn’t seem as if he’ll have a chance to crack their rotation. Instead, the goal is for Rosenthal to serve as a versatile bullpen option. “I think all of us were intrigued by how the postseason went this past year and how pitchers were being used,” said Mozeliak, surely referring to the Indians’ October deployment of Andrew Miller. “I’m not one who thinks that’s really something you can replicate in a 162-game season, but clearly it could be a weapon down the road if you do get to the postseason.”
- There “will be a competition” for the starting third base job this spring, according to Mozeliak. Jedd Gyorko and Jhonny Peralta will vie for the role after experiencing vastly different 2016 campaigns. Gyorko hit a solid .243/.306/.495 and popped a personal-best 30 home runs in only 438 plate appearances, whereas the normally steady Peralta may have endured the worst year of his career. While battling injuries, the 34-year-old batted .260/.307/.408 and posted a negative fWAR (minus-0.5) in 313 PAs.
Orioles, Jose Bautista Have Been In Contact
Even though Orioles general manager Dan Duquette called free agent right fielder Jose Bautista “a villain in Baltimore” at last month’s Winter Meetings, the executive has been in touch with the longtime Blue Jay’s camp this offseason, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (Twitter link).
The degree of the Orioles’ interest in Bautista is unclear (FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported earlier this month that it’s nonexistent), but it’s known that the team is looking for another outfielder, as Duquette indicated last week. Given that negotiations with free agent Mark Trumbo don’t seem to be leading anywhere, the club is also on the hunt for a big bat. Bautista would fill those needs more than other recently Orioles–linked names like Chris Carter, Pedro Alvarez and Brandon Moss, though he’d certainly come at a higher price tag than anyone from that group.
The Orioles would lose a first-round pick if they were to sign Bautista (they would get a later selection as compensation for Trumbo’s exit), but the argument for a bold short-term maneuver like adding him is that they’re built to win now. Third baseman Manny Machado, closer Zach Britton, center fielder Adam Jones and starter Chris Tillman each have two or fewer years of team control remaining, meaning Baltimore’s window to compete for a championship could be on the verge of closing.
Bautista would perhaps help keep the Orioles’ contention chances alive in the near term, but it’s worth noting that the 36-year-old’s only real asset at this point is his bat, which was ordinary by his lofty standards in 2016. In a season limited on account of multiple disabled list stints, Bautista hit .234/.366/.452 in 517 plate appearances – down from the remarkable .268/.390/.555 slash he compiled in 3,604 PAs from 2010-15.
While Bautista clearly wasn’t great in any facet last season, he was still easily above average at the plate and would make up for Trumbo’s absence with aplomb. The right-handed hitter would also provide the Orioles a third credible offensive corner outfielder, joining lefty-swingers Seth Smith and Hyun Soo Kim, as well as a far more established DH option than Trey Mancini.
Poll: What Will Dodgers Do About Second Base?
Having re-signed top free agents Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner and Rich Hill this winter, the Dodgers – winners of four straight NL West titles – once again look like World Series contenders as the 2017 campaign nears. One glaring weakness on the roster is at second base, where Dodgers president Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi have been on a well-documented quest to improve since the Cubs eliminated them from the NLCS last October.
Los Angeles’ search for help at the keystone has centered on the Twins’ Brian Dozier, who established himself as a very good player from 2013-15 and then performed like a star last year. Dozier slugged 42 home runs, becoming just the fourth second baseman in league history to swat 40-plus in a season, while also providing value on the bases and in the field.
With the Twins in a rebuild, it makes sense that the Dodgers have pursued Dozier, but they haven’t been able to pry him from Minnesota. It doesn’t appear they will, either, as the two sides are at an “impasse” because LA has refused to add prospects Yadier Alvarez, Walker Buehler or Brock Stewart to its Jose De Leon-fronted offer.
With a Dozier pickup seemingly unlikely, the Dodgers could look to other quality second basemen potentially on the trade market in the Tigers’ Ian Kinsler and the Rays’ Logan Forsythe. Aside from their status as above-average players, those two share other similarities with Dozier: They’re under contract for two more years at affordable rates (Kinsler could demand an extension to waive his no-trade clause, though), meaning they won’t be easy to acquire, and they’re right-handed hitters. The latter point should be of considerable intrigue to the Dodgers, who had the majors’ worst offense against left-handed pitchers last season. All of Dozier, Kinsler and Forsythe hold their own versus southpaws and would greatly help the Dodgers’ cause in that regard.
If the Dodgers aren’t able to swing a trade for a high-impact second baseman, they’ll be left to pick from scraps in free agency and/or pin their hopes on uninspiring in-house options. The top name on the open market is Chase Utley, who has spent the past season-plus with the Dodgers. The longtime Phillie was fine in 2016, hitting .252/.319/.396 with 14 home runs and accounting for a league-average fWAR (2.0) in 565 plate appearances. His age (38) is a concern, however, as is the fact that lefty pitchers have confounded him in back-to-back seasons (.170/.245/.271 in a combined 212 PAs). Nevertheless, cognizant that they might not be able to improve at second via trade, the Dodgers have interest in re-signing Utley.
Whether it’s Utley, another free agent or a trade acquisition, it does seem as if an outsider will be the Dodgers’ primary second baseman in 2017. Their current options – Enrique Hernandez, Chris Taylor, Charlie Culberson, Jose Miguel Fernandez and backup catcher Austin Barnes – don’t carry much appeal as regulars. It’s still possible, granted, that the Dodgers will roll with that that group to at least begin the season. What do you think they’ll do?
(Poll link for Trade Rumors App users)
Who will be the Dodgers' Opening Day second baseman?
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A trade acquisition: Dozier, Kinsler, Forsythe, etc. 56% (7,758)
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A free agent pickup: Utley or someone else 24% (3,416)
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A player currently in the organization 20% (2,783)
Total votes: 13,957
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cardinals Could Extend Yadier Molina
Considering his murky contract status beyond 2017, there’s an outside possibility catcher Yadier Molina is entering his final season with the Cardinals. Molina will make $14MM this year, the last guaranteed season of his contract, and then he and the Cardinals will have a decision to make on a $15MM mutual option ($2MM buyout) for 2018. However, the two sides are motivated to stay together and are considering hammering out an agreement to render Molina’s option moot, reports Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
“It has been something that we have talked about in terms of what that might look like,” said general manager John Mozeliak. “But when you talk about extensions … I think it’s always best to keep that internal. But not to acknowledge that he has a year left with a mutual option wouldn’t be fair either. So I think as we look at ’17, it’s certainly something we have to think through. He’s made it no secret that he would like to find a way to stay here, and I would imagine that it’s something that we will mutually try to do.”
It’s no surprise that Molina and the Redbirds are mulling extending their relationship, given both his status as a franchise icon and his still-strong production. Now 34, Molina debuted with the Cardinals in 2004 and has been building what could end up as a Hall of Fame-caliber resume ever since. The ultra-durable Molina is coming off yet another terrific season behind the plate, one in which he amassed at least 130 appearances (a career-high 147, including a league-best 142 at catcher) for the seventh time in the past eight years. Along the way, he once again ranked as an elite pitch framer (via Baseball Prospectus and StatCorner) and blocker, though he only threw out 21 percent of attempted base stealers (exactly half his 42 percent lifetime mark).
Molina has long been a defensive stalwart, of course, but it took several seasons for his offensive production to reach the position’s upper echelon. Aside from a down 2015, though, Molina has been consistently above average at the plate dating back to 2011. In 581 plate appearances last season, the high-contact hitter batted .307/.360/.427 while striking out in only 10.8 percent of PAs – just under half the rate of the 21.2 percent league mean.
With no apparent signs that Molina is poised to markedly decline, it appears his future in St. Louis will last at least another couple seasons, though his next deal obviously won’t approach the five-year, $75MM extension he signed in 2012. In the improbable event he and the Cardinals part ways next offseason, it would likely pave the way for the Carson Kelly era. In the meantime, the 22-year-old is ticketed for Triple-A Memphis in 2017, while veteran Eric Fryer stands to serve as Molina’s backup. Judging by Molina’s history, Fryer won’t see much action this year.
Quick Hits: Quintana, White Sox, Sabathia, Harper, Grichuk
Interest remains strong in White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana, writes CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine, who reports that teams have sweetened their trade proposals for the 27-year-old over the past week. While the Astros, Pirates and Yankees have been connected to Quintana more than anyone else this offseason, there are also other clubs in the mix, sources told Levine, who adds that the White Sox could strike a deal to move him soon. Chicago isn’t in any hurry to give up Quintana, but Levine expects it to happen prior to spring training.
Elsewhere around the majors…
- Yankees southpaw C.C. Sabathia will turn 37 in 2017, the last year of his contract, but retirement isn’t on his mind. Regarding the end of the long Yankee tenures of Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira last season, Sabathia told Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record, “If anything, it made me want to play as long as I can. As long as I’m healthy and feeling good, I want to play.’’ While Sabathia is no longer the front-line starter he was earlier in his career, he did bounce back last season from a couple subpar years in a row. In 179 2/3 innings, he logged a 3.91 ERA, 7.61 K/9, 3.26 BB/9 and 50.1 percent ground-ball rate. That impressed general manager Brian Cashman, who said, “It’s a big year for him. It’s his free-agent walk year. And I’ll sign up right now to get what we got out of him last year. He was very effective.’’ Cashman also stated that Sabathia’s “expectations and hopes are to pitch for another four or five years or something like that.”
- The Nationals and right fielder Bryce Harper avoided arbitration Friday when they agreed to a $13.625MM salary for 2017. That figure trumps MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz’s $9.3MM arbitration projection for Harper, leading Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com to wonder if it was a goodwill gesture on the Nationals’ part. Harper made $5MM last season, which was a bargain even during a down year for the 2015 National League MVP. By nearly tripling Harper’s salary, Zuckerman posits that the Nats may have been trying to make up for his cheap cost last year and perhaps improve their chances of extending the Scott Boras client before he hits free agency two winters from now. However, regardless of the club’s motivation, Zuckerman concedes that Harper’s 2017 salary probably won’t affect whether he’ll stay in D.C.
- Cardinals outfielder Randal Grichuk underwent left knee surgery to remove loose cartilage earlier this offseason, he told reporters – including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch – on Sunday (Twitter link). Grichuk added that he’s doing well after a month-plus recovery. The 25-year-old has now undergone surgeries in back-to-back offseasons, including a procedure to repair a sports hernia last winter. With the signing of big-money center fielder Dexter Fowler in free agency, Grichuk is in line for the everyday job in left next season (depth chart).
Quick Hits: Heyward, Cubs, Tigers, Angels, WBC
The Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years last season, but they did it without any major contributions at the plate from outfielder Jason Heyward. After signing an eight-year, $184MM deal with the Cubs last winter, the normally above-average hitter posted the worst offensive season of his career with a .230/.306/.325 line and seven home runs in 592 plate appearances. As a result, the 27-year-old has been working to restore his swing with Cubs hitting coach John Mallee and assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske this offseason, as Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com details. “It’s easier said than done trying to do it in season,” said Heyward. “The offseason allows you to slow things down and focus on all the little things.” Ideally, Heyward would like to return to the form he displayed in 2012 during a 27-homer campaign with the Braves. “He’s trying to mirror the swing he had then,” Mallee said. “Right now the path is not the same it was then. It’s not making a change. It’s getting him back to who he was.”
More from around the majors:
- While Tigers general manager Al Avila is not under orders to decrease payroll, one major league executive told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that the franchise is nonetheless aiming to do that. “The Tigers are a willing trade partner because they’re trying to get rid of payroll,” the executive commented. It’s possible Detroit’s alleged motivation to cut spending will lead to a trade involving second baseman Ian Kinsler, whom the Dodgers could target. “Kinsler is still a top player and he only has two years remaining on his deal,” observed the exec. The 34-year-old is due $11MM next season and, barring a $5MM buyout, another $10MM by way of a club option in 2018.
- The 2016 season ended prematurely for Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker, who exited a Sept. 4 start after taking a line drive to the head and didn’t pitch again. The damage from that liner, which came off Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager‘s bat at 105 mph, forced Shoemaker to undergo surgery to repair a small skull fracture and stop the bleeding on his brain. Fortunately, Shoemaker hasn’t felt any ill effects this offseason, he told Jason Beck of MLB.com. “The nice thing is mentally, I think I’m in a good state where I don’t think about it,” Shoemaker said. “It’s like it’s just something that happened. I’m thankful the recovery has been great, able to be back and ready to go.” To help guard against another potentially disastrous injury in the future, Shoemaker is considering wearing protective headgear in 2017. “I know a lot of stuff is being developed. For me, everybody cares about how they look a little bit, but I don’t really care how the look is as much as the feel and the comfort,” he stated. “Like, when I’m pitching, I don’t want to think about it. So if that can be achieved with something, if something works, I’m willing to try it.”
- Former major league hurlers Ryan Dempster and Eric Gagne are planning on pitching for their native Canada in this year’s World Baseball Classic, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (Twitter links). “I was putting up some really good numbers in beer-league softball,” quipped the 39-year-old Dempster, who pitched to a 4.35 ERA in 579 appearances and 351 starts from 1998-2013. Gagne, 41, has been off the radar for much longer, as his last majors action came in 2008 with the Brewers. Of course, the ex-closer is best known for his work as a member of the Dodgers, with whom he converted a record 84 straight saves from 2002-04 and won the National League Cy Young in 2003.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Orioles, Mariners, Braun, Cutch, Porcello
This week in baseball blogs:
- Camden Depot writes that Orioles general manager Dan Duquette is in a bind with respect to superstar shortstop Manny Machado‘s future.
- Outside Pitch MLB sees the Mariners as serious playoff contenders after acquiring left-hander Drew Smyly.
- The 3rd Man In proposes a Brewers-Dodgers trade featuring big-name outfielders Ryan Braun and Yasiel Puig, among others.
- Jays From the Couch asks if Toronto would be wise to send high-end third base prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the Pirates for center fielder Andrew McCutchen.
- Splicetoday has some advice for the Red Sox: Shop American League Cy Young winner Rick Porcello.
- The Runner Sports revisits the Yankees’ decision to let now-Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano leave as a free agent after the 2013 season.
- NYRDCAST checks into a potential correlation between lineup adjustments and wins.
- Chin Music Baseball believes shortstop Carlos Correa will be the Astros’ most important offensive player next season.
- Call To The Pen ranks the highest-impact moves of the offseason.
- Outfield Fly Rule (links here) reviews this week’s Braves-Mariners trade.
- The Redbird Daily argues that the Cardinals shouldn’t extend catcher Yadier Molina‘s contract.
- The Point of Pittsburgh wants the Pirates to sign left-hander Brett Anderson.
- BaseballRanks lists and analyzes the Rays’ top 25 prospects.
- Real McCoy Minor News profiles and interviews Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Albert Abreu, while Clubhouse Corner does the same with Reds infielder Josh VanMeter.
- Inside the ‘Zona evaluates a couple of the Diamondbacks’ recent transactions.
- Pirates Breakdown expects Pittsburgh’s curveball usage to increase next season.
- Steve Corino of the WWE offers a mock Hall of Fame ballot for this year.
- Pinstriped Prospects regards infielder Jorge Mateo as one blue-chip prospect the Yankees could afford to trade.
- The Runner Sports is wary about several key Astros playing in this year’s World Baseball Classic.
- Notes from the Sally previews the 2017 Delmarva Shorebirds, one of the Orioles’ Single-A affiliates.
- Think Blue Planning Committee is bullish on Dodgers righty prospect Josh Sborz.
- The Runner Sports spotlights young Athletics righty Norge Ruiz, and Wayniac Nation does the same with the Cubs’ Trevor Clifton.
- Rotisserie Duck wonders which of the majors’ highest-paid players are actually worth it.
- Call To The Pen has a piece on the Phillies’ rotation.
- MLB451 (first in a two-part series) details what it was like to work as an intern for the Dodgers.
Please send submissions to ZachBBWI @gmail.com.
Indians “In Touch” With Jose Bautista
The days of sluggers Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista terrorizing opposing pitchers as part of the same lineup might not be over. Despite general manager Mike Chernoff’s implication earlier this week that the Indians are done making major splashes after signing Encarnacion, they’re still “in touch” with Bautista and other free agents, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.
Whether Cleveland will make any other significant moves this offseason will depend on ownership’s willingness to further increase payroll, per Rosenthal. In light of that, it’s perhaps worth noting that the Indians’ run to the World Series last season generated a sizable amount of extra revenue for the franchise.
Should ownership sign off on adding Bautista, whose market has been shockingly quiet this winter, it would reunite him and longtime Toronto teammate Encarnacion and make the reigning American League champions’ lineup even more formidable. The 36-year-old Bautista would likely continue as a right fielder in Cleveland, which already has Carlos Santana and Encarnacion set to occupy designated hitter and first base.
The Indians seem to have a full contingent of outfielders with Michael Brantley, Tyler Naquin, Lonnie Chisenhall, Brandon Guyer and Abraham Almonte in the fold, not to mention prospect Bradley Zimmer nearing the majors. Brantley missed nearly all of last season with shoulder issues, though, so Bautista’s presence would provide insurance if he’s unable to bounce back in 2017. And no one else from that group is nearly as established as Bautista, who Rosenthal suggests could bump Chisenhall to center.
Bautista rejected a qualifying offer from the Blue Jays before becoming a free agent, which means signing him could cost any team without a top 10 pick a first-rounder in next summer’s draft. The Indians already punted their top selection to secure Encarnacion, however, so they would only have to surrender a second-rounder – currently No. 64 – to sign Bautista. If they do, a back-loaded, two-year deal could be a possibility, according to Rosenthal, who notes that Santana is scheduled to become a free agent next offseason. Bautista would then take over for Santana at DH/first, which would be a logical step for an aging player who’s not an asset in the outfield. Bautista is certainly a positive at the plate, though; even in a down, injury-shortened 2016, he still slashed a more-than-respectable .234/.366/.452 with 22 home runs in 517 plate appearances.
Regardless of whether they reel in Bautista or another corner outfielder, the Indians are also continuing to monitor the corner infield and relief markets, writes Rosenthal. Any further additions would beef up an Opening Day payroll that Jason Martinez of MLBTR and Roster Resource projects for $119MM-plus. The Indians began last season in the $96MM range and ended it one win from a World Series championship.
Michael Saunders Hopes To Re-Sign With Blue Jays
Although he’s fresh off arguably the best offensive season of his career, 30-year-old outfielder Michael Saunders remains on the free agent market with spring training gradually approaching. Along with Toronto, where the Canada native played last season, Saunders has drawn connections to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Cleveland this offseason.
While it’s unclear whether Saunders is currently in negotiations with the Phillies, Orioles or Indians, he revealed Saturday that he is in talks with multiple teams, including the Blue Jays. Saunders also indicated that his preference is to re-sign with the Jays, via Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith (Twitter links).
“I’m waiting for the right deal for me and my family,” said Saunders. “I’m hoping to stay in Toronto and hopefully finding out soon.”
With both Saunders and Jose Bautista no longer on their roster, the Blue Jays are wanting in the corner outfield, where Steve Pearce, Ezequiel Carrera and Melvin Upton Jr. represent their top options. Bautista is superior to Saunders, though the book could be closed on the unsigned slugger’s illustrious run up north. Even if the Jays are interested in re-signing Bautista, he’d come at a higher price than Saunders in multiple ways. Not only would Bautista cost more in dollars, but Toronto would punt the chance to secure a first-round pick in the 2017 draft by letting him walk. Because Bautista rejected the Jays’ qualifying offer at the outset of the offseason, they’ll be entitled to compensation if he leaves. On the other hand, the Jays didn’t tender Saunders a QO, though it looked as if he was playing his way to one during the first half of 2016.
Thanks to an outstanding .298/.372/.551 batting line with 16 home runs in 344 plate appearances over the season’s initial three-plus months, Saunders earned the first All-Star nod of his career. The ex-Mariner followed that with a .178/.282/.357 line and eight HRs in 214 post-All-Star break PAs, thereby damaging his appeal entering free agency. While Saunders did recover from a couple injury-ravaged years to appear in a career-high 140 games, he didn’t help his cause in the outfield, where he ranked toward the bottom of the majors in Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating.
Despite his faults, Saunders would at least give the Blue Jays another experienced, offensively capable outfielder. Plus, in re-signing him, the Jays would have the option of shifting Pearce to first base – his primary position – and sending their projected starter, the unspectacular Justin Smoak, to the bench.
Manny Ramirez Signs In Japan
Manny Ramirez is returning to the field at the age of 44. The Kochi Fighting Dogs of the independent Shikoku Island League Plus in Japan have announced an agreement with Ramirez, whose last major league at-bat came in 2011. Ramirez’s latest action came in 2014, when he played in the Dominican Winter League and with Triple-A Iowa.
The mercurial Ramirez debuted in the majors in 1993 and ultimately became one of the most terrifying offensive forces in the history of the sport. In a combined 9,774 plate appearances with the Indians, Red Sox, Dodgers, White Sox and Rays, the outfielder slashed .312/.411/.585 with 555 home runs – which ranks 15th all-time. He also earned 12 All-Star nods and helped the Red Sox to two World Series championships, including their 2004 triumph that broke an 86-year drought. Ramirez dominated during that run en route to World Series MVP honors, and he generally thrived in the postseason with a .285/.394/.544 line in 493 career PAs.
Ramirez is currently on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, but it’s possible his controversial past will prevent him from ever gaining enshrinement. Major League Baseball hit Ramirez with two suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs during his career, the second of which – a 100-game ban – came in 2011. Ramirez hasn’t played in the majors since amassing 17 PAs that year with the Rays, though he did make comeback attempts with the Athletics and Rangers before joining the Cubs as a player-coach with Iowa in 2014. That led to the Cubs hiring him as a batting consultant a year later in 2015.
Ramirez will now head to Asia for the second time, having previously played in Taiwan as a member of the Chinese Professional Baseball League in 2013. His new league includes just four teams and has no connection to Nippon Professional Baseball.