Rosenthal’s Latest: Jays, Nats, Padres, Astros
While a deep playoff run could improve the Blue Jays’ odds of re-signing one of right fielder Jose Bautista or designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, chances are neither will return to Toronto next season, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (video link). The fact that the Jays are already dedicating a significant chunk of payroll to a pair of over-30 players in catcher Russell Martin and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki could deter them from handing out another massive contract to an aging player. Bautista and Encarnacion are two of the best hitters in the sport, but their respective ages (35 and 33) are working against them. Rosenthal reported last month that the Jays might only be willing to give Bautista a Yoenis Cespedes-esque deal (three years, $75MM), which is a good distance from his desire to land at least a four-year contract worth in the $30MM-per-annum range. As for Encarnacion, extension talks between him and Toronto went dormant in March.
Here’s more from Rosenthal:
- The Nationals have until June 15 to exercise the two-year option in president of baseball operations/general manager Mike Rizzo’s contract, and signs point toward the team picking it up. The Rizzo-built Nationals haven’t won a championship, but they have ranged from respectable to elite in recent individual seasons. They currently have the majors’ third-best record since 2012, including an 8-1 start this year, and possess one of baseball’s premier farm systems. In the unlikely event Washington doesn’t retain Rizzo, Rosenthal doesn’t think he’d have a difficult time finding another job.
- Although Padres president Mike Dee gave second-year GM A.J. Preller a vote of confidence last month, Friars ownership expects better from the team than what it has shown during a 3-8 start. If such poor play continues, it could put Preller’s job in jeopardy. However, as Rosenthal notes, the Padres hired Preller because of his eye for young talent, which the club is in position to accrue in droves over the next several months. Preller’s Padres have three of the top 25 picks in June’s draft and are expected to be highly active when the international free agent spending period begins July 2. They could also add more youth by trading certain veterans this summer.
- With hard-throwing righty Lance McCullers on the shelf because of inflammation in his pitching shoulder, the Astros might have to address the lack of velocity in their rotation at some point, Rosenthal opines. Even though the Astros have the reigning American League Cy Young winner in lefty Dallas Keuchel, he isn’t known for overpowering velocity. Neither are fellow starters Mike Fiers, Doug Fister, Collin McHugh or Scott Feldman. Of course, in addition to McCullers, Houston had another young, in-house flamethrower in Vincent Velasquez, but it traded the early 2016 sensation to the Phillies in a package for reliever Ken Giles during the offseason.
Latest On Diamondbacks’ Stadium
Diamondbacks chief executive Derrick Hall is lobbying for the city of Phoenix to take over for Maricopa County as Chase Field’s landlord, reports Craig Harris of the Arizona Republic. Hall says the switch would ensure the club’s long-term future in downtown Phoenix. That became a public issue last month when Hall threatened to “pursue other stadium options” because of the county’s failure to honor its alleged obligation to handle $187MM-plus in maintenance and repair costs through 2027.
Should the Diamondbacks swap landlords, it would enable them to potentially secure a Chase Field renovation or even a new ballpark “by taking advantage of the stadium’s municipal authority,” as Harris writes. The Maricopa County Stadium District doesn’t have the authority to raise taxes as a way to aid the Diamondbacks.
Phoenix nearly took the reins as the landlord four years ago, according to Hall, but he said the county put the kibosh on the idea because its officials didn’t want to lose the tickets, suites and free parking they enjoy. Maricopa County spokesman Fields Moseley confirmed that a deal for Phoenix to become the Diamondbacks’ landlord was on the table four years ago, but the county wasn’t interested in giving away a ballpark that cost $238MM in sales tax to build and has no mortgage. Moseley added that the potential loss of a stadium suite isn’t an issue to the county.
“We don’t even use the suite. It’s continually given to non-profits to use. Politicians and management don’t use the suite. We seek out non-profits to benefit,” he said.
In Hall’s plan, the Diamondbacks would pay for the projected $187MM in repairs and renovations at the ballpark over the next 12 years, which would take them to the end of their 30-year Chase Field lease. In return, the D-backs would pay less in rent than their current $4MM-plus per year, control the bookings of non-baseball events, and collect the revenue from those events. For its part, the County Stadium District wouldn’t have to assist in paying for Chase Field improvements. Phoenix, meanwhile, would oversee the property and receive rent from the team. Further, the city would be able to build a major sports facility downtown and expand CityScape, in which Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick is a significant investor. CityScape is a high-rise development that features residential, retail and hotel components.
As of now, there are no negotiations taking place for Phoenix to become the Diamondbacks’ landlord, Hall said, and city mayor Greg Stanton wasn’t available for comment Sunday, per Harris.
On the prospect of the Diamondbacks suing the county to break their lease, Hall stated, “If there is a lawsuit, it’s to find another partner to keep us here. It’s not about greed. It’s about staying here.”
The Diamondbacks have called Chase Field home since their inception in 1998. Only 15 ballparks are newer.
Quick Hits: Pirates, Lucroy, Archer, Red Sox, Dodgers
The Pirates surrendered the third-fewest runs in baseball last year, when center fielder Andrew McCutchen and left fielder Starling Marte lined up deeper than most at their respective positions, but the data-driven Bucs are experimenting with a shallower outfield alignment this season in hopes of allowing even less scoring. “Reviewing the numbers last year, there was so much collateral damage done in front of us last year — balls that fell in, extra bases that were taken by guys trying to get to balls,” manager Clint Hurdle said (via Adam Berry of MLB.com). “It was glaringly apparent that we could make an adjustment on our end, especially with the athleticism we have with our outfielders, and change the dynamic of what’s gone on as far as run prevention goes,” he continued. Both McCutchen and Marte have taken to the changes, according to Hurdle. “You give them the numbers, you show them the charts, you show them where damage is done or not done. They’re really good about understanding and trusting.”
More from around the majors:
- Robinson Chirinos‘ fractured forearm put the Rangers’ already below-average catcher situation in an even worse position than it was in previously, though they have not engaged in any recent discussions with the Brewers about Jonathan Lucroy, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). The Rangers have been linked to the Brewers as a potential trade partner for Lucroy since the offseason. General manager Jon Daniels said the team did its “due diligence” on outside options in the aftermath of Chirinos’ Saturday night injury, but not for a “major” addition, per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
- Rays ace Chris Archer has stumbled out of the gate with a a 7.20 ERA in his first two starts this year while experiencing a dip in velocity, but he feels fine and doesn’t believe concern is warranted. “I’ve seen some headlines, and it’s comical, “because I was throwing 92-96 (mph) last game instead of 94-97, and it’s a big deal,” he said (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). “My slider was 85-88 instead of 86-90 and it’s a big deal. And I don’t know why. I think people just need something to talk about, something to write about, something to justify me not having the greatest start.”
- The Red Sox‘s Class-A team, Salem, boasts the most talented roster in the minor leagues, Jim Callis of MLB.com opines in a piece highlighting the minors’ premier clubs. Boston has three of MLBPipeline.com’s 25 best prospects in Salem – second baseman Yoan Moncada (No. 6), third baseman Rafael Devers (No. 16) and outfielder Andrew Benintendi (No. 24) – as well as breakout candidates in righty Travis Lakins, middle infielder Mauricio Dubon and first baseman Nick Longhi, Callis writes.
- Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal and second baseman Howie Kendrick have completed their injury rehab assignments and should be active for the team’s home opener Tuesday, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. The Dodgers will have to make a couple roster moves with both coming back, as Plunkett notes, putting Austin Barnes‘ spot in jeopardy. On whether the Dodgers would keep Barnes on the roster, thus giving them three catchers, manager Dave Roberts said, “We’re kind of playing with some different scenarios.”
Rangers Notes: Mazara, Darvish, Catcher
The latest on the Rangers, who lost to the Angels on Sunday but got the first major league glimpse of a player who could be a long-term linchpin:
- Newly promoted right fielder Nomar Mazara, the aforementioned potential building block, began his career in red-hot fashion Sunday. Mazara – the youngest player in the league (20 years, 350 days) – went 3 for 4 with a home run in a 3-1 defeat, and Jim Callis of MLB.com believes he’s capable of rivaling the injured Shin-Soo Choo‘s offensive production while providing superior defense. On Mazara’s offensive skills, manager Jeff Banister said (via Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News), “He controls the strike zone. He can be patient, but he can jump on a fastball early if he needs to. Offspeed stuff did not seem to bother him that much this spring. He can hit when he’s down in the count.” That assessment proved true Sunday, as Grant writes.
- In the next step in his recovery from March 2015 Tommy John surgery, Rangers ace Yu Darvish will throw live batting practice Wednesday, per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. “Now it’s time to turn him loose,” pitching coach Doug Brocail said. “He’ll throw some live batting practice and then get in games.” The Rangers plan for Darvish to throw three BP sessions and then have him begin a minor league rehab assignment toward the end of April. Darvish would then make six starts in the minors before rejoining the Rangers in late May, according to Sullivan. The Rangers will monitor Darvish’s pitch counts when he returns to the big leagues and want him to pound the strike zone with more fastballs. “I’m not asking [Darvish] to throw 25 percent more fastballs,” Brocail stated. “I’m asking him to trust it more to get more quick outs. Just more strikes so he doesn’t have to go deep in counts.”
- In the wake of catcher Robinson Chirinos‘ forearm fracture, general manager Jon Daniels said that he considered outside options Sunday morning, but it was merely “due diligence” (link via Sullivan). The Rangers ultimately called up Brett Nicholas to serve as the backup to Bryan Holaday, who will be their regular catcher for at least a little while. “We’ve got a good start with Holaday here,” Banister said after Chirinos got hurt on a hit by pitch Saturday. “We are working through all of our other options right now. We’ve got limited, but multiple options.” The Rangers have two other potentially useful catchers under control in Chris Gimenez and Michael McKenry, but the former is recovering from a bacterial infection and the latter is on the mend from an abdominal strain.
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/10/16
Here are today’s minor moves from around baseball:
- Longtime major league first baseman Dan Johnson has signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link). Johnson will both pitch and play the field for the Bluefish, according to Topkin. The 36-year-old raised eyebrows in March when he signed a minor league deal with the Rays in hopes of cracking their roster as a knuckleball pitcher. Tampa ultimately released Johnson a few weeks later, thus dashing his dream – at least temporarily – of moving from first to the mound in the bigs. Johnson spent last season with the Cardinals and Reds organizations, logging 21 plate appearances in St. Louis. Over 1,625 major league PAs with six different teams, Johnson has hit a serviceable .234/.335/.405. He’s perhaps most famous for a dramatic home run in 2011 that helped send the Rays to the playoffs on the final day of the regular season.
AL Notes: Weaver, Vazquez, Yanks, Chisenhall
Angels righty and former ace Jered Weaver, who’s coming off a career-worst season in which his fastball velocity sat in the low 80s, made his 2016 debut Sunday and threw six innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 win over Texas. Weaver allowed seven base runners (six hits, one walk), struck out four, and was encouraged afterward. “It makes me look forward to the future in baseball as opposed to thinking about shutting it down,” he told reporters, including Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (Twitter link). Weaver’s fastball resided in the 82 mph range Sunday and he didn’t generate many grounders (a common career trend), but he effectively used his curveball and changeup to keep Rangers hitters at bay. Whether he can continue to get by that way is up for debate, but Weaver seems confident, saying, “Haters equals motivation for me. I feed off of it.”
More from the American League…
- Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez is recovering well from Tommy John surgery and could rejoin the team by the end of the month, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports. “Everything points to [the 20-day rehab timeline] being more than enough time for him right now,” manager John Farrell said Sunday. Vazquez’s rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket lasts until April 28, at which point the big league club will either have to call up the 25-year-old or option him to the minors. The Red Sox currently employ two capable catchers in Blake Swihart and Ryan Hanigan, though the latter has been mentioned as a trade candidate in the past.
- The Yankees, who opened the season in less-than-ideal weather in the Bronx and then went to frigid Detroit for their second series, have already had two games postponed (one of which was made up). Manager Joe Girardi isn’t pleased with the schedule makers’ decisions, per Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media. “I’m not sure why it happens,” he said in regards to MLB’s choice to start the Yankees in cities prone to poor conditions. “I’d really like to see us start within (the American League East) in the first month as much as you can and I know there’s five teams, and those games you try to go to warmer cities. It didn’t happen and we’ll have to deal with it,” he added.
- Bad weather is also serving as an annoyance to the Indians and slowing right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall‘s comeback from a left wrist impingement, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Before beginning his rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Columbus, Chisenhall hadn’t played since March 27 – thanks in part to the postponement of Columbus’ previous three games. Chisenahll, who went hitless in three at-bats Sunday, is eligible to return from the 15-day disabled list early in the upcoming week. However, the Indians might not activate him until Thursday because they face lefty starters Tuesday and Wednesday. Chisenhall owns an uninspiring career line of .241/.288/.371 against lefties.
- Royals southpaw reliever Tim Collins will undergo his second Tommy John surgery since March 2015 on Friday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com tweets. The news that Collins needed the surgery after his previous elbow graft failed was revealed last month. Collins, 26, posted a 3.54 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 211 relief innings for the Royals from 2011-14.
West Notes: Butler, Angels, Coors Field
Athletics designated hitter Billy Butler has sat four straight days and could be relegated to facing only lefties, Jane Lee of MLB.com writes. Manager Bob Melvin wouldn’t commit to putting Butler back in the lineup Monday against Angels righty Nick Tropeano, per Lee, saying that he’ll definitely play Tuesday when the A’s deal with lefty Hector Santiago. Butler, whom the A’s signed to a three-year, $30MM contract in November 2014, has batted just .262/.323/.386 since the beginning of the ’14 campaign and been the least valuable player in baseball by the standards of fWAR during that time frame. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has been vastly superior against lefties than right-handers historically, though that wasn’t the case last season. So far this year, nine of Butler’s 10 plate appearances have come versus southpaws.
Here’s more from MLB’s West divisions:
- Angels lefty Tyler Skaggs, who’s on the comeback from August 2014 Tommy John surgery, made his 2016 debut for Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday. The 24-year-old threw 42 pitches over three innings, struck out one and allowed a run on three hits (two bunt singles) and two walks, according to Taylor Blake Ward of InsideTheHalos.com. Skaggs’ fastball sat in the 91-93 mph range, which is right in line with his 2014 average of 92 mph (Twitter links). That year, Skaggs tossed 113 innings of 4.30 ERA ball for the Angels to go along with a 6.85 K/9 and 2.39 BB/9. ERA estimators like FIP (3.55) and xFIP (3.65) indicated that Skaggs deserved a better fate with respect to results.
- The Angels entered Sunday having applied defensive shifts more than any team in the majors (79 times over five games), according to data from Fangraphs (link via Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com). Their 15.8 shifts per game represents a marked increase for a team that was around the middle of the pack in shifting over the previous four seasons. First-year general manager Billy Eppler is largely behind the Halos’ change in philosophy, having installed an analytics team that judges when the team should employ the shift, per Gonzalez.
- The Rockies will explore further ways to make Coors Field more friendly to pitchers, owner Dick Monfort told Nick Groke of the Denver Post. “[W]e’re going to continue to find ways to make it not so offensive a park,” said Monforto. “We all know it’s the most offensive park in baseball. Part of that, there’s nothing we can do about it. But if there are things we can do to take some of the offense away from it, that’s what we should try to do.” The Rockies raised the wall in right-center field by eight feet, nine inches prior to the season and also added height to the wall straight down the left-field line. Those changes didn’t halt offensive production during the first series of the year at Coors Field, however, with Colorado and San Diego amassing 47 runs in three contests.
NL Injury Notes: Winkler, Gonzales, Solarte, Edgin
Braves righty Daniel Winkler, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014 and missed most of last season, left the club’s game Sunday in agony with a fractured elbow, Mark Saxon of ESPN.com was among those to report (on Twitter). Winkler, whom Atlanta took from Colorado during the offseason’s Rule 5 draft, was off to a hot start as a member of the Braves’ bullpen. Prior to the injury, he had gone 2 1/3 innings without allowing a hit or a run, adding four strikeouts against one walk. It’s currently unknown how much time Winkler will miss, but given the significance of the injury, the rest of the season seems like a strong possibility for the 26-year-old.
Here’s more injury news from around the National League:
- Cardinals lefty Marco Gonzales is deciding whether to undergo elbow surgery after consulting with doctors, including renowned orthopedic surgeon Neal ElAttrache, tweets Saxon. It’s unknown what type of surgery Gonzales is considering, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. If the 24-year-old undergoes Tommy John surgery, he’d face a 12- to 18-month recovery, Langosch notes. Prior to notifying the Cardinals’ medical staff of elbow discomfort during the final week of Spring Training, Gonzales was expected to serve as rotation depth for the club this season. Gonzales, who dealt with shoulder issues last season, has logged a 4.82 ERA with 7.7 K/9 against 5.3 BB/9 in 37 1/3 MLB innings.
- Padres third baseman Yangervis Solarte is headed to the 15-day disabled list with a right hamstring injury, paving the way for the call-up of utility man Alexi Amarista, according to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Solarte slashed an eye-popping .375/.474/.563 over his first 19 plate appearances this year. Amarista fared well in a minuscule sample size for Triple-A El Paso to start the year, but he recorded a weak .204/.257/.287 in 357 PAs for the Padres last season and hasn’t exactly been stellar in his 1,575 big league PAs (.227/.274/.325). He does, however, offer versatility, having spent time at six different positions in the infield and outfield during his career.
- Another past Tommy John recipient, Mets reliever Josh Edgin, began a rehab assignment Sunday with 2/3 of an inning at Class-A St. Lucie and is on track for an early May return, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (Twitter link). The southpaw last saw action in 2014, when he served as a shutdown option for the Mets in compiling a 9.22 K/9 and 1.98 BB/9 to accompany a stingy 1.32 ERA in 27 1/3 innings.
Quick Hits: Shields, Sandoval, Cardinals, Astros, Twins
On the notion of the Padres trading right-hander James Shields to the Red Sox for benched third baseman Pablo Sandoval, one scout told Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune, “James Shields is not good in Fenway Park in his career. Some people think he’s a National League pitcher at this point of his career. But it’s one fewer year (on his contract) than Sandoval. I think Sandoval would be better off outside of Boston. I think he’s been eaten whole there. That trade actually would make some sense.” Both players are coming off down seasons, albeit Shields was easily the more valuable of the two in 2015. Shields, 34, exceeded the 200-inning barrier for the ninth straight year and set a career high with a 9.61 K/9, but he also logged personal worsts in BB/9 (3.6) and FIP (4.45) to accompany a mediocre 3.91 ERA. Sandoval is a half-decade younger (29), though that plus is offset by a well-known weight problem and the fact that he had the worst fWAR in baseball in 2015 (-2.0). Moreover, the two carry undesirable financial commitments. Shields is due $60MM over the next three years, though he can opt out and become a free agent after next season. That would mean leaving $44MM on the table, however. Sandoval, meanwhile, is owed $70MM through 2019. Both players’ deals have expensive club options at the end that their respective teams surely won’t exercise, which will lead to buyouts ($2MM for Shields in 2019, $5MM for Sandoval in 2020).
More from around the majors. . .
- With president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski in charge, the Red Sox are a meritocracy when it comes to putting together a roster, as Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes. That was evident in the team’s decision to relegate Sandoval, whom it signed just a year ago, in favor of Travis Shaw at the hot corner. The Dombrowski-led Red Sox began the trend of valuing performance over contract when they elected last summer to end the short-lived, disastrous experiment of Hanley Ramirez in left field, Speier notes. “My focus is on the guys that are in uniform, not what’s attached to them or what their contract states,” manager John Farrell said. “We’re all about evaluating and what’s best for our team.”
- The Astros have informed left-hander Wandy Rodriguez that he will not crack their Opening Day Roster, tweets Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle. Rodriguez, who inked a minor league accord with the Astros in the offseason, had been competing with James Hoyt and Michael Feliz for the final spot in the team’s bullpen. Rodriguez had an opt-out in his contract for last Saturday, per Evan Drellich of the Chronicle. With that deadline having passed, it’s unclear what the immediate future will hold for Rodriguez, but he could end up on the market and in search of a major league deal elsewhere. “Let me see what happens if somebody picks me (up),” he told Drellich.
- The Cardinals aren’t looking for outside help at shortstop in the wake of Ruben Tejada‘s injury, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Instead, the Redbirds will at least wait until they have a better understanding of Tejada’s status. He’ll start the season on the disabled list with a muscle strain in his left quadriceps, leaving Jedd Gyorko and Greg Garcia as the Cardinals’ options at the major league level. They also have Aledmys Diaz of Triple-A Memphis as a potential call-up.
- Nick Burdi, the Twins’ best relief pitching prospect, is “out indefinitely” with right forearm tightness and will begin the season on the DL, reports LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune. Of course, forearm injuries sometimes portend Tommy John surgery. Burdi, who’s capable of hitting 99 on the radar gun, threw three scoreless spring innings for the Twins. The 23-year-old tossed 63 2/3 innings at multiple minor league levels last season and pitched to a 3.82 ERA with an 11.7 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9.
- Right-hander Roberto Hernandez is drawing interest from teams that want to sign him to a minor league contract, but he’s holding out for a major league deal, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. Hernandez, 35, opted out of his deal with Toronto earlier this week after the club didn’t add him to its active roster. In 84 2/3 innings last year with Houston, Hernandez worked to a 4.36 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.
- Lefty reliever Wesley Wright has garnered multiple Triple-A offers, per Cotillo (Twitter link). Wright, whom Arizona released Monday, has thrown 371 innings of 4.16 ERA ball to accompany an 8.6 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in his major league career. Those mediocre numbers belie his success versus left-handed batters, who have hit a paltry .234/.313/.334 against Wright.
AL Notes: Rays, Mariners, Royals
Given the Rays’ offseason maneuverings, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wonders if the club has shifted from its philosophy of building with pitching and defense to more of an offense-oriented approach. As Topkin writes, the Rays added the likes of Corey Dickerson, Steve Pearce, Brad Miller, Hank Conger and Logan Morrison at the expense of Jake McGee, Nate Karns, Rene Rivera and James Loney. Ace pitcher Chris Archer sees the changes in a positive light. “We learned for the last eight years that just being pitching heavy is probably not the way to do it,” he said. “You’ve got to have defense. You’ve got to have pitching — the teams that win get high-level pitching, starting and relief. But you’ve got to have offense, too.” Third baseman and franchise cornerstone Evan Longoria also approves, saying that the Rays are in “a really, really good spot overall.”
Here’s more from the American League:
- We learned Wednesday that Mariners reliever Charlie Furbush could be “several months” away from returning to action because of a shoulder injury. Two of his fellow Mariners relievers, Evan Scribner and Ryan Cook, will also continue to be out for a while longer. There’s “minimal hope” either will be back soon from their torn lat muscles, writes Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. “We don’t anticipate seeing either of them before the mid-end of May, thus the placement on the 60-day DL for Ryan,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said. “But Ryan appears to be on target to be in that zone, Scribner is just a little bit of the unknown.” Dipoto added that the M’s don’t have a timeline for either pitcher and could ultimately have Scribner join Cook on the 60-day DL. The team somewhat helped to make up for their absences when it acquired right-hander Nick Vincent on Thursday.
- After releasing Clint Barmes earlier this week, the Royals are working to bring back the infielder on a minor league deal, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (Twitter link). Barmes was an Article XX(B) free agent, meaning Kansas City would have had to offer him an active roster spot or pay him a $100K retention bonus by this past Tuesday. Instead, the team opted to release the 37-year-old and could now re-sign him to a new contract. Barmes, who has long excelled as a defender, owns a career .245/.294/.379 line in 1,186 major league plate appearances with four different teams. He spent last season in San Diego, where he was a replacement-level performer in 98 games.
- A report earlier this week indicated Rays left-hander Dana Eveland had a Friday opt-out. That’s not the case, per Topkin, who says that a decision on Eveland’s future might not come until the weekend (Twitter link). Eveland, who joined the Rays in December on a minor league deal, has made his case for a bullpen spot by going 10 1/3 innings without surrendering an earned run this spring.