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Quick Hits: Snell, Mariners, Yanks, Voit, Thames, Mets, Tebow

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The Mariners entered the rumor mill Monday as a team reportedly interested in acquiring Rays left-hander Blake Snell. Unsurprisingly, though, it would take a significant offer for the Mariners to acquire Snell. The Mariners would need to include any of three of their best young outfielders – Kyle Lewis, Jarred Kelenic or Julio Rodriguez – in order to get a deal done, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports. Lewis is probably out of the question as a trade chip for Seattle, as he just won American League Rookie of the Year honors for 2020. Kelenic and Rodriguez may be off the table, too, considering they’re elite prospects. Nevertheless, you can’t blame the Rays for aiming high. After all, the soon-to-be 28-year-old Snell is a recent AL Cy Young winner (2018) who’s due an affordable $39MM over the next three seasons.

  • Yankees first baseman Luke Voit has popped up in trade rumors early this offseason, but “that idea does not seem to have generated real traction in the front office,” Bryan Hoch of MLB.com writes. There doesn’t seem to be any reason for the Yankees to trade Voit, who’s coming off a huge year and under affordable control through 2023. Voit slashed .277/.338/.610 with a league-leading 22 home runs over 234 plate appearances in 2020.
  • Teams in the majors, Nippon Professional Baseball and the Korea Baseball Organization have shown interest in free-agent first baseman/outfielder Eric Thames this offseason, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Thames spent the prior four seasons in the majors with the Brewers and Nationals, with whom he combined for a .237/.339/.486 line and 75 home runs in 1,428 plate appearances, but he struggled in Washington last year. Thames was previously a folk hero in Korea before joining the Brewers, even earning the nickname “God” during an incredible run with the KBO’s NC Dinos from 2014-16.
  • Ex-NFL quarterback and current Mets minor league outfielder Tim Tebow said earlier this month that he hasn’t given up on his baseball career. Neither has Mets president Sandy Alderson, who was at the helm of their front office when they signed Tebow in 2016. Alderson stated Monday that the Mets are hopeful the 33-year-old Tebow will continue pursuing his baseball dream in 2021, per Mollie Walker of the New York Post. “I think that the organization has already benefited significantly from his involvement with the Mets and his pursuit of a baseball career,” said Alderson, who added that “he’s entitled to another shot post-COVID. And I’m happy he’s coming back.”

Yasiel Puig Looking To Return To Majors In 2021

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8:54pm: Puig is already generating MLB interest, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, who writes that “the Astros, Orioles and Red Sox are among the teams that have Puig on their radar.”

3:53pm: After a season out of baseball, free-agent outfielder Yasiel Puig has hired Rachel Luba as his new agent, Luba announced on Twitter. That suggests Puig is looking to return to the pro ranks in 2021.

The past year has not gone according to plan for Puig, who was a fairly hyped free agent last offseason. Puig was unable to reach a deal until he finally agreed to a contract with the Braves in the middle of July, but that pact fell apart almost immediately. The soon-to-be 30-year-old tested positive for COVID-19 just a couple of days after the Braves deal, which caused the team to call off the signing. For the most part, it has been radio silence on Puig since then.

Last time he took the field, in 2019, Puig batted .267/.327/.458 (101 wRC+) with 24 home runs and 19 stolen bases over 611 plate appearances between the Reds and Indians. While his counting stats were solid, it was still a relatively disappointing year for a player who has typically been a well-above-average hitter throughout his career. Also a former Dodger, Puig has slashed .277/.348/.475 (124 wRC+) during his major league tenure. The hope for Puig is that he’ll return to that form if he does get back to the bigs in 2021. For now, he’s one of the most established and recognizable outfielders on the open market.

Latest On Cardinals’ Rotation

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The Cardinals are dealing with some questions in their rotation at the moment, but they have not actively pursued starters in free agency, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets. Franchise icon Adam Wainwright is the only starter they’ve gone after with much aggression, according to Goold.

The Cardinals’ rotation took a major hit when right-hander Dakota Hudson underwent Tommy John surgery in late September. He won’t pitch at all next year as a result, while Wainwright is no sure thing to return to the team for his age-39 season. Despite his age, Wainwright remains an above-average major league hurler. The career-long Cardinal is fresh off a year in which he recorded a 3.15 ERA/4.11 FIP with 7.4 K/9 and 2.06 BB/9 over 65 2/3 innings. It’s no surprise the Cardinals want him back, then.

With Hudson unavailable and Wainwright off the roster at the moment, Jack Flaherty, Carlos Martinez, Kwang Hyun Kim, Miles Mikolas, Austin Gomber, Daniel Ponce de Leon and Johan Oviedo are among their starting options for next season. St. Louis went all of 2020 without Mikolas, a quality starter from 2018-19 who missed this year because of July surgery on his right flexor tendon. His return should prove beneficial next year, but it still seems the Cardinals would be well-served to re-sign Wainwright and/or address their rotation in other ways this offseason.

Red Sox Interested In J.A. Happ

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The Red Sox are showing interest in free-agent left-hander J.A. Happ, Jon Morosi of MLB Network tweets. They join the Angels, Rangers and Blue Jays as teams known to be eyeing Happ early this offseason.

Happ spent the previous two-plus years with Boston’s archrival, the Yankees, but New York declined his $17MM option for 2021 after last season. While that price tag proved prohibitive for the Yankees, Happ’s a long-effective starter who’s on the open market in the wake of a respectable campaign, and he should come at a more affordable cost this winter. The 38-year-old made nine starts in 2020 and posted a 3.47 ERA (with a much less inspiring 4.57 FIP) and 7.66 K/9 against 2.74 BB/9 over 49 1/3 innings.

The type of numbers Happ has typically offered would be welcome in Boston, whose rotation has its share of question marks at the moment. Ace Chris Sale missed all of 2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March, so it’s unknown when he will be able to debut next season. Eduardo Rodriguez also sat out the year on account of health issues, as he battled heart problems and COVID-19. The hope is that he’ll be ready to go next year, though. Nathan Eovaldi, Tanner Houck and Nick Pivetta are the other favorites for rotation spots (Eovaldi is a shoo-in).  Happ would provide some more certainty as someone who has eaten a good deal of innings and recorded above-average production for several years.

Nippon-Ham Fighters To Post Kohei Arihara

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Japan’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters will post right-hander Kohei Arihara this offseason, as Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets and as Nikkan Sports previously reported.

The 28-year-old Arihara has garnered extensive experience in the NPB, where he has logged a 3.74 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 836 innings. At his best, Arihara put up a 2.46 ERA and recorded 8.8 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9 across 164 1/3 frames in 2019. Will Hoefer of Sports Info Solutions wrote in a scouting report after that season that “Arihara demonstrates strong command of his three best pitches–an above average four seamer, a plus change, and a slider that flashes plus,” and added that he could quickly turn into a mid-rotation starter in the majors.

Of course, before signing Arihara, any MLB team will first have to go through the posting system. Once Arihara is posted, he’ll be free to negotiate with all 30 big league teams. However, a major league club that signs Arihara will have to pay a 20 percent sum of the first $25MM to his NPB team. The MLB club would also have to surrender “17.5 percent of the next $25MM and 15 percent of any dollars spent thereafter,” as MLBTR’s Steve Adams previously explained.

Braves Interested In Charlie Morton

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The Braves addressed their rotation when they signed left-hander Drew Smyly to a one-year, $11MM contract last week. But that may not be it for Atlanta, which has “strong interest” in free-agent right-hander Charlie Morton, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.

Signing in Atlanta would be a full-circle move for Morton, who was a third-round pick of the team in 2002 and someone who made his major league debut with the club in 2008. Morton then moved on to the Pirates and Phillies from 2009-16, but he didn’t turn into a high-end starter until ’17 as a member of the Astros. Since then, Morton has been a terrific regular-season pitcher and a lights-out playoff performer. The 37-year-old owns a 3.34 ERA/3.27 FIP with 10.64 K/9, 2.98 BB/9 and a 48.4 percent groundball rate through 546 1/3 innings over the past four seasons.

Morton has said in the past that he would like to stay on the East Coast, which could benefit the Braves if they do earnestly pursue him in free agency. And even after signing Smyly, there’s still room for at least one more proven rotation acquisition. Along with Smyly, the Braves have Max Fried, Mike Soroka and Ian Anderson as set starters for next year, but there is space for a wily vet like Morton.

Rays Reportedly Open To Blake Snell Trade

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The reigning American League champion Rays could part with one of their most recognizable players. They have informed other teams that “they’re open to the idea of” dealing left-hander Blake Snell, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com writes, though the Rays aren’t “actively” looking to trade him.

It could be a game-changer if the Rays actually are willing to deal Snell, considering the lack of front-end starters on the open market after Trevor Bauer. Snell was an American League Cy Young winner in 2018, and though he hasn’t been as successful since then, any team would be happy to plug him into its starting staff. The 27-year-old posted a 3.24 ERA/4.25 FIP with 11.34 K/9, 3.24 BB/9, a career-best 49.2 percent groundball rate, and a 95.1 mph average fastball velocity over 50 innings in 2020.

The Rays signed Snell to a five-year, $50MM extension before 2019, but the low-budget team could now move on from him if it receives an enticing enough offer. Snell still has three years and $39MM left on that deal, but that should be a very appealing contract to clubs that need help in their rotation. Feinsand names the Braves, Angels and even the Mariners as clubs that are “believed to be interested in” Snell.

Red Sox, Cubs Discussed Kris Bryant Trade Over Summer

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Although the Red Sox didn’t contend in 2020, they at least considered a blockbuster acquisition over the summer. They and the Cubs discussed a trade centering on third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports. Those talks fizzled, so it’s unclear whether the two sides will revisit them this offseason.

Bryant has spent most of his career at third base, but as Gonzales notes, he’d be an outfielder in Boston. After all, the Red Sox already have Rafael Devers at the hot corner. They also have Alex Verdugo and Andrew Benintendi as corner outfield options, but the latter could head to center field in 2021 with Jackie Bradley Jr. currently on the free-agent market. That could leave room for a Bryant acquisition.

For Boston or any other team, Bryant would not be a long-term pickup unless he signs a contract extension. The 28-year-old is entering his last season of arbitration control, in which he’s projected to rake in $18.6MM. Considering how well the former NL MVP has performed for most of his career, that doesn’t look like an unreasonable sum. But the Cubs may be looking to part with Bryant after a pandemic-shortened year in which he endured uncharacteristic struggles. Bryant went through by far his least productive season, batting .206/.293/.351 (76 wRC+) with four home runs in 147 plate appearances, and now his Cubs tenure may be nearing an end.

Alderson On Mets’ Front Office, Rojas, Cano, Conforto

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Newly named Mets president Sandy Alderson shed some light Monday on how the club will configure its front office and its coaching staff in 2021, as Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and Tim Britton of The Athletic were among those to report. The Mets will not hire a president of baseball operations, according to Alderson, who also revealed that Luis Rojas will stay on as their manager.

There have been questions about who will run the Mets’ baseball ops since they parted ways with general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. They will name a GM to replace him, and they have already interviewed roughly a half-dozen candidates, according to Alderson (via Britton). It’s unclear which individuals are in the running to fill that role, but former Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and current Mets senior vice president John Ricco are not among them. It’s also unknown how long the Mets plan on taking to hire a successor to Van Wagenen.

As for Rojas, he became the Mets’ manager under their prior regime, but he’s a longtime employee of the club who is familiar with Alderson from the latter’s previous run in the team’s front office. The 39-year-old managed the Mets to an underwhelming 26-34 record in 2020, but he’ll get an opportunity to right the ship next season.

Second baseman Robinson Cano was one of Rojas’ most productive players in 2020, but he won’t play next year after receiving a 162-game suspension without pay last week for performance-enhancing drugs. The Mets are not considering releasing Cano, who’s due $48MM from 2022-23, “at this point,” per Alderson (via DiComo). However, Alderson admitted that could change “down the road.”

Like Cano, outfielder Michael Conforto is facing an uncertain future with the Mets. Conforto, 27, only has one season of arbitration control left, though Alderson stated (per DiComo) that the club will approach his camp about a contract extension sometime in the coming months.

“Yes, at some point, I’m sure we will broach that topic and take their temperature, and see where those things stand,” Alderson said.

Conforto is coming off a career year in which he slashed .322/.412/.515 (157 wRC+) with nine home runs across 233 plate appearances.  Barring an extension, Conforto should make anywhere from $9MM to $13.6MM in arbitration.

Giants Designate Chris Shaw, Aramis Garcia, Jordan Humphreys

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The Giants have designated first baseman/outfielder Chris Shaw, catcher Aramis Garcia and right-hander Jordan Humphreys for assignment. They added outfielder Alexander Canario and righties Kervin Castro, Camilo Doval and Gregory Santos to their 40-man roster in corresponding moves.

Shaw was once a well-regarded prospect for the Giants, but the 27-year-old hasn’t gotten an extensive look in the majors yet. He’s the owner of a .153/.244/.222 line in 82 plate appearances as a Giant. Like Shaw, Garcia was seen as a promising farmhand in the past, but he stumbled to a .229/.270/.419  mark in 111 trips to the plate in San Francisco from 2018-19.

Humphreys was the return the Giants received from the Mets for outfielder Billy Hamilton last August. The deal could go down as a wash for both sides, as Hamilton is now a free agent after making little impact with the Mets and Humphreys hasn’t contributed to the Giants. The 24-year-old barely pitched at all from 2018-19 because of arm problems.

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