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Indians Sign Eddie Rosario

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FEB. 4: Cleveland has announced the signing. The deal also includes up to $600K in incentives, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.

JAN. 29, 8:01pm: It’s a one-year, $8MM deal, pending a physical, per Jon Becker of Roster Resource. The deal is done, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com reports.

7:27pm: The Indians and free-agent outfielder Eddie Rosario are nearing an agreement, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweets. Rosario is represented by Kyle Thousand of Roc Nation Sports.

If this deal goes through, it would keep Rosario in the American League Central, where he played with the Twins from 2015-20. Rosario was a three-time 20-home run hitter as a Twin who put up a .277/.310/.478 line over 2,830 plate appearances in their uniform, but the club nonetheless moved on from him after last season. While Minnesota could have kept the 29-year-old for a projected $8.6MM to $12.9MM via arbitration next season, it decided to non-tender him. Rosario then reportedly drew interest from at least a few teams (including the Red Sox, Giants and Brewers) before the Indians landed him.

Cleveland entered the offseason in obvious need of help in the grass, as its outfield finished last in the American League in fWAR with a minus-0.9 fWAR mark in 2020. Their most used holdovers – Oscar Mercado, Jordan Luplow, Josh Naylor and Bradley Zimmer – all endured subpar years, but there wasn’t much expectation the small-budget Indians would sign someone as high-profile as Rosario. They did, after all, start the winter by cutting ties with closer Brad Hand – who had an affordable $10MM option – and they said goodbye to face-of-the-franchise shortstop Francisco Lindor in a trade with the Mets three weeks ago.

Although this has largely been a lean offseason for Cleveland, the team has been busy this week, as it re-signed second baseman Cesar Hernandez before potentially landing Rosario. The latter’s a longtime left fielder who should be the Indians’ top option there, considering Luplow, Naylor and the rest of their choices at the position can’t match his resume.

Twins To Sign Alex Colome

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Feb. 4: The option on the deal is mutual, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune indicates. If the Twins decline the $5.5MM option, they’ll owe Colome a $1.25MM buyout. If the Twins pick up the option but Colome declines in favor of free agency, he won’t receive any buyout.

Feb. 3: The Twins are signing free-agent reliever Alex Colome to a one-year deal, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. The contract includes a $5MM salary for 2021 and an option. In all, it’s a $6.25MM guarantee, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

The Twins were mentioned as suitors for Colome earlier Wednesday, so it isn’t surprising they’re bringing in the former Ray, Mariner and White Sox. The 32-year-old right-hander could now be the closer for Minnesota, having saved 138 games in the bigs. He converted 12 of 13 saves with the division-rival White Sox last year.

Colome, who averages 94 mph-plus on his fastball, has saved nearly 86 percent of chances in his career. At times, though, his strikeout numbers have fallen short. Last season, for instance, he ranked 126th out of 141 relievers with at least 20 innings in strikeout percentage (17.8). Colome did, however, finish better than average in walk and groundball rates (9.2 percent and 52.4 percent, respectively). He was also a Statcast darling who ranked above the vast majority of hurlers in several of its important categories.

The Twins’ bullpen checked in third in the majors in fWAR in 2020, though it has since lost Trevor May to the Mets in free agency, while Tyler Clippard and Sergio Romo – who combined for 43 frames – remain available. The addition of Colome should help plug those holes for Minnesota.

Orioles Sign Felix Hernandez To Minor League Deal

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The Orioles are signing right-hander Felix Hernandez to a minor league contract, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. Hernandez will earn a $1MM salary if he gets to the majors.

Hernandez is now the most accomplished of the Orioles’ pitchers, having earned six All-Star nods and won an American League Cy Young with the Mariners from 2005-19. However, King Felix’s production waned during his last few years as a Mariner, leading the team to cut ties with him.

Hernandez signed a minors pact with the Braves going into the 2020 campaign, and he looked like a realistic rotation candidate for the club, but he wound up opting out because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Hernandez could now stand an even better chance to grab a spot in the Orioles’ starting staff. The O’s “ace” is John Means, who put up a 4.53 ERA a season ago.

Indians To Sign Bryan Shaw, Heath Hembree To Minors Deals

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Former Indians reliever Bryan Shaw is returning to the team on a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training, Zack Meisel of The Athletic tweets. The Indians have also added fellow righty reliever Heath Hembree on a minors pact, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Hembree will earn a $1.25MM salary and could also make incentives if he gets back to the majors.

Now 33 years old, Shaw enjoyed his best seasons as an Indian from 2013-17. He was good for 60-plus innings per season then, totaling 358 2/3 in 378 appearances, and logged a 3.11 ERA/3.41 SIERA with a 22.5 percent strikeout rate and an 8.0 percent walk rate. Shaw parlayed that success into a three-year, $27MM guarantee with the Rockies, but his career has gone off the rails since then. He struggled mightily with the Rox and Mariners from 2018-20 and had been on the open market since October.

Hembree did well to prevent runs with the Red Sox from 204-19, but they traded him to the Phillies last August amid what was a rough season for the 32-year-old. He ended the campaign with 19 innings and a horrid 9.00 ERA (albeit with a much better 4.47 SIERA), after which the Phillies let him go.

Nationals Sign Gerardo Parra To Minor League Contract

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The Nationals have signed outfielder Gerardo Parra to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training, according to Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. He’ll earn a $1MM salary if he makes the majors, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.

Parra has appeared with seven teams in the majors since debuting in 2009. He was most recently a member of the Nationals and Giants in 2019, when he batted .234/.293/.391 with nine home runs and eight stolen bases in 301 plate appearances. Parra became a fan favorite in Washington that year for his “Baby Shark” theme when he came to the plate. The Nationals, of course, won the World Series that season, though Parra hasn’t been in the majors since then. He spent last year with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.

As a major leaguer, the 33-year-old Parra has batted .276/.323/.404 with 88 home runs and 96 stolen bases over 5,183 plate appearances. Parra has played every outfield position in the bigs, so he’ll now vie for a role as a backup to Nats starters Juan Soto, Victor Robles and Kyle Schwarber.

Blue Jays, Francisco Liriano Agree To Deal

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10:00pm: Liriano will make a $1.5MM salary and could earn performance bonuses if he gets to the majors as a Jay, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet tweets.

9:12pm: The Blue Jays have agreed to terms on a minor league contract with left-hander Francisco Liriano, as Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun first reported. He’ll get an invite to major league spring training.

Liriano previously pitched for the Blue Jays from 2016-17, but they sent him to the Astros in the latter season in a deal that delivered outfielder Teoscar Hernandez to Toronto. Hernandez has since enjoyed quite a bit of success as a Blue Jay, though Liriano has been inconsistent dating back to the trade. He did, however, log a solid 3.47 ERA with 50.3 percent groundball rate in 70 innings and 69 appearances as a Pittsburgh reliever in 2019. The 37-year-old opted out of last season because of concerns centering on COVID-19.

Since his career began in 2005, Liriano has pitched for six organizations and piled up 419 appearances and 300 starts. He has put up a 4.15 ERA/3.93 SIERA with above-average strikeout and walk rates of 23.3 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively, over 1,813 2/3 innings. Liriano will presumably compete for a role in Toronto’s bullpen this spring.

Cubs, Andrew Chafin Agree To Major League Deal

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9:49pm: Chafin will earn $2.25MM in 2021, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, who adds that the deal includes a $5.25MM mutual option or a $500K buyout for 2022. Chafin could also make up to $500K in incentives based on games pitched in each of the two seasons, bringing his total guarantee to $2.75MM.

9:31pm: The Cubs have agreed to a major league contract with left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin, according to Zach Buchanan of The Athletic. Chafin is a client of Meister Sports Management.

Chafin ended last year with the Cubs, who acquired him from the Diamondbacks for young infielder Ronny Simon at the Aug. 31 deadline. A left finger sprain limited Chafin in Chicago late in the season, though, as he didn’t make his debut with the team until Sept. 20. The 30-year-old ultimately gave the Cubs three innings of one-run ball, though his finger issues held him to just 9 2/3 frames between the two clubs.

Since he debuted with the Diamondbacks in 2014, Chafin has notched a 3.67 ERA/3.60 SIERA with roughly average strikeout and walk percentages (25.0 and 10.1) and a solid groundball rate of 52.3 percent in 274 2/3 innings. He could enter this season as the most proven southpaw in a Cubs bullpen that’s largely devoid of established options in that respect.

Orioles Re-Sign Wade LeBlanc To Minor League Contract

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The Orioles have re-signed left-hander Wade LeBlanc to a minor league contract with an invitation to MLB camp, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets. LeBlanc will earn a $700K salary if he makes it to the majors this year.

The Orioles signed LeBlanc to a minors pact last offseason, and while he did ultimately earn a roster spot, he didn’t perform especially well or stay healthy. The journeyman ended up posting an 8.06 ERA/5.77 SIERA in 22 1/3 innings and six starts. LeBlanc’s season concluded near the end of August because of a stress fracture in his pitching elbow.

Although the soft-tossing LeBlanc wasn’t effective in 2020, Baltimore is still willing to take a low-risk chance on him again. The 36-year-old swingman does own a useful 4.55 ERA in 882 1/3 innings since he debuted in 2008, and the Orioles could use a veteran option – particularly if their potential Alex Cobb trade with the Angels goes through.

Robinson, Simmons Discuss Mental Health Issues

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Giants outfielder Drew Robinson and Twins shortstop Andrelton Simmons revealed past mental health problems to Jeff Passan of ESPN and Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, respectively, this week. MLBTR encourages you to read both stories in full.

Robinson, then set to enter his first season in the San Francisco organization, told Passan that he attempted suicide with a handgun last April. Still alive 20 hours later, Robinson decided he wanted to live. While Passan writes that the shot did leave Robinson’s right eye “beyond repair,” Passan explains that doctors marvel that it didn’t do even more damage. Robinson has since undergone four surgeries and received a prosthetic eye.

“It represents my new look on life,” Robinson told Passan. “Even though I have one less eye, I haven’t seen things this clear my entire life.”

Neither Robinson nor the Giants have given up on his major league career. The Giants re-signed Robinson to a minors deal during the fall, and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told Passan, “We’re proud he’s a Giant, and we’re excited to see him compete for a job in camp.”

Simmons, previously an Angel who signed with the Twins last week, opted out of the final week of the 2020 season. He explained to Fletcher that concern over his mental health caused the decision.

“It was tough for me mentally to where the thought of suicide crossed my mind,” Simmons wrote to Fletcher. “It was something I vowed a long time ago I would never consider again. I was fortunate to talk to a therapist, which helped me let go of those thoughts. At the end when a lot of people were still going through what most would think of as tough times, the idea of finishing the season in a bubble was too much for me to handle.”

MLBTR salutes Robinson and Simmons for sharing their stories, and we wish the best to those two and all who have dealt with or are currently battling mental health problems. We also encourage those with suicidal thoughts to seek help by contacting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or by texting TALK to 741741.

Yankees, Kyle Barraclough Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Yankees have agreed to a minor league deal with free-agent right-hander Kyle Barraclough, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets. The contract includes an invitation to major league spring training.

In Barraclough, the Yankees are adding a hard-throwing 30-year-old who overcame control problems to prevent runs at a strong clip as part of the Marlins’ bullpen earlier in his career. Barraclough amassed 163 innings of 2.87 ERA ball from 2015-17, during which he logged a 31.7 percent strikeout rate against a 14.5 percent walk rate and averaged upward of 95 mph on his fastball.

Barraclough’s production declined during the next two seasons after his successful stretch, especially in a 2019 divided between the Nationals and Giants. He could only muster a 5.61 ERA in 33 2/3 innings that year, when his average heater dropped to 93.5 mph and his strikeout percentage hit a career-low 24.4. After the Giants cut ties with him, Barraclough signed a minors deal with the Padres last winter, but he elected free agency before the season started and didn’t catch on elsewhere.

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