Miguel Sano Will Not Receive Suspension Relating To Assault Allegations
Twins third baseman Miguel Sano will not be suspended by the league in relation to a recent allegation of assault, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (links to Twitter). A league statement indicates that “insufficient evidence” was uncovered during an investigation.
Late last year, as detailed in full in the above link, the claims of assault led to the league to begin an investigation under the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Per the league, the efforts including a series of interviews — including of both Sano and the alleged victim — as well as a review of certain “available documents.”
Upon review of the evidence, the commissioner determined that the evidence was lacking to apply any discipline, citing “conflicting and inconsistent witness accounts and the absence of contemporaneous substantiation.” While details are understandably not available, it is perhaps also fair to note that there was some potential question — based upon the allegations as stated — as to whether the sexual assault prong of the policy would be deemed to apply to this situation.
Here’s the full definition from the policy itself:
“Sexual assault refers to a range of behaviors, including a completed nonconsensual sex act, an attempted nonconsensual sex act, and/or nonconsensual sexual contact. Lack of consent is inferred when a person uses force, harassment, threat of force, threat of adverse personnel or disciplinary action, or other coercion, or when the victim is asleep, incapacitated, unconscious or legally incapable of consent.”
Barring any new evidence that might come to the league’s attention, it would appear that Sano will be able to open the 2018 season with the Minnesota organization and play without limitation.
Giants Release Andres Blanco
The Giants have released infielder Andres Blanco, as Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Twitter links). He had been in camp on a minor-league deal.
With that decision, it seems the Giants have narrowed their utility infield competition down to two finalists among the in-house options. Kelby Tomlinson, who can still be optioned, is still under consideration along with non-roster invitee Josh Rutledge.
Blanco, a 33-year-old switch-hitter, only ended up taking 22 plate appearances this spring owing to injury. While he sported a .409 OBP in his limited action, he never really got into the competition.
Though he’s not likely to find a team willing to open an active roster spot for the start of the season, Blanco certainly ought to draw interest on minor-league arrangements. He has experience all over the infield and has had his moments at the plate. Though he had a poor season with the stick last year, Blanco posted a .274/.337/.457 slash over 523 plate appearances between 2014 and 2016.
Rafael Montero Will Undergo Tommy John Surgery, Miss 2018 Season
TODAY: Montero is headed back to New York this weekend and will undergo Tommy John surgery soon, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets.
YESTERDAY: Mets righty Rafael Montero has been diagnosed with a complete UCL tear, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports on Twitter. It is expected that he’ll require Tommy John surgery.
The news represents the latest disappointment for a pitcher who was once viewed as a future part of the New York rotation. Entering the coming season without an option year remaining, Montero had been fighting for one of the final bullpen slots this spring. He has allowed an earned run for each of the nine Grapefruit League innings he threw and therefore was already at risk of being outrighted.
To this point, Montero has worked to a middling 5.38 ERA in his 192 1/3 MLB innings. But he had earned his most extensive action to date in 2017 as the club dealt with a bevy of injuries, and there were some positive signs. Montero sat at 94 mph with his fastball, recorded a personal-best 10.1% swinging-strike rate, and drew groundballs at a 48.1% rate. He was likely unlucky to have surrendered a .366 BABIP, too, with Statcast showing a big split in his xwOBA (.316) and wOBA (.362).
For Montero to earn another shot at the majors, he’ll first have to undergo an extensive rehab process. The 27-year-old will accrue a full season of MLB service time while recovering, meaning he’ll be eligible for arbitration next fall. Though Montero likely won’t command a terribly steep rate of pay, salary and roster pressures may well compel the Mets to remove him from the 40-man at some point.
Offseason In Review: Atlanta Braves
This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s 2017-18 Offseason In Review series. Click here to read the other completed reviews from around the league.
A much-anticipated offseason started off with unexpected front office turnover and ended up focusing squarely on the future.
Major League Signings
- Peter Moylan, RHP: One year, $575K (non-guaranteed)
- Chris Stewart, C: One year, $575K (non-guaranteed)
Trades And Claims
- Acquired Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir, Adrian Gonzalez, Charlie Culberson & $4.5MM from Dodgers in exchange for Matt Kemp
- Acquired LHP Justin Kelly from Angels in exchange for RHP Jim Johnson & international bonus pool money
- Acquired INF Ryan Schimpf from Rays in exchange for cash/PTBNL
- Acquired RHP Shane Carle from Pirates in exchange for cash/PTBNL
- Acquired OF Preston Tucker from Astros in exchange for cash/PTBNL
- Acquired RHP Josh Ravin from Dodgers in exchange for cash
- Claimed RHP Chase Whitley off waivers from Rays
- Claimed LHP Grant Dayton off waivers from Dodgers
- Selected RHP Anyelo Gomez from Yankees in Rule 5 draft (since returned)
Option Decisions
- Exercised one-year, $4MM option over C Tyler Flowers
- Declined one-year, $8MM option ($500K buyout) over SP R.A. Dickey
Notable Minor League Signings
Notable Losses
- Matt Adams, Adonis Garcia, Jim Johnson, Micah Johnson, Matt Kemp, Ian Krol, Jason Motte, Jace Peterson
Braves 25-Man Roster & Minor League Depth Chart; Braves Payroll Overview
Needs Addressed
Whatever the Braves’ plans may have been heading into the offseason, they were jolted with the sudden and stunning downfall of former GM John Coppolella and eventual move of president of baseball operations John Hart out of his role atop the baseball hierarchy.
The former regime was toppled by a scandal arising out of the organization’s international signing practices. In addition to the front-office upheaval, the violations of MLB rules cost the organization its rights to several notable previously signed prospects and left it facing reduced international spending capabilities for several seasons as well as the loss of a third-round pick in the upcoming draft.
After dabbling in a move for former executive Dayton Moore, who instead remained with the Royals, the Atlanta organization struck a deal to bring in former Blue Jays GM and recent Dodgers exec Alex Anthopoulos. He’s now the top baseball decisionmaker in the Braves hierarchy.
Whether that shake-up changed the Braves’ plans for the 2017-18 winter will never really be known. But the organization certainly did not end up acting as many anticipated. Having opened Sun Trust Park last season and with an abundance of young talent reaching the majors, many anticipated that the organization would announce the beginning of the end of its rebuilding period by pursuing some significant additions via trade and/or free agency.
As it turned out, the Braves’ arguable on-field needs — including potential improvements at third base, the corner outfield, and the bullpen, along with veteran rotation help — were never really addressed, at least not in the manner of an organization that’s readying for contention. While the division-rival Phillies made two significant splashes and spent some real cash on their bullpen, the Braves pursued a course designed to clear future payroll capacity and support the ongoing development of internal talent.
The biggest need identified by Anthopoulos was not, say, finding a high-quality regular at the hot corner. Rather, it was figuring a way to move Matt Kemp and his significant remaining contractual obligations in an advantageous manner. After moving the remaining dollars owed to reliever Jim Johnson, Anthopoulos arrived at a fascinating money-shifting swap involving Kemp with none other than the organization he had just worked for. In a deal full of notable veteran names, the Braves shipped Kemp to the Dodgers in exchange for high-priced veterans Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir, and Adrian Gonzalez — along with $4.5MM to make the deal entirely cash-neutral. Atlanta also landed versatile bench candidate Charlie Culberson.
The roster-clearing benefits for the Atlanta organization were clear. Moving Kemp out of the picture left the club free to try some other options in left field. The Braves claimed Preston Tucker and later signed Ezequiel Carrera; those two left-handed hitters could pair with the righty swinging Lane Adams. Of course, the real occupant of left is not going to open the 2018 campaign in the majors. All-world prospect Ronald Acuna ran roughshod over the Grapefruit League but will not make his MLB debut until later in the coming season. While Anthopoulos has insisted the decision was based purely on Acuna’s development, and he did race through the minors last year, there’s also little doubt that service-time considerations also played a role.
Of course, that could have been accomplished simply by cutting Kemp loose. Picking up the veteran trio was of greater utility, however, even with Gonzalez being cut loose. Kazmir and especially McCarthy will represent 2018 rotation candidates for the Braves, thus obviating the need to spend more on veteran pitching to build out the rotation. Having already declined an option over knuckler R.A. Dickey, the Braves needed some innings to avoid putting too much pressure on their young arms.
Additionally, the swap shifted the payroll hit from Kemp forward. The Dodgers preferred to consolidate the money they owed to free them from the luxury tax this year. For the Braves, though, the move allowed the team to spend down its obligations now while clearing the books for 2019. Now, only Freddie Freeman, Julio Teheran, and Ender Inciarte are promised money for the future.
It seems, though, that the financial shift also tamped down the likelihood of any significant outlays for the 2018 season, as the immediate payroll ballooned. That left the Braves seeking low-commitment additions throughout the winter. In addition to picking up Tucker and Carrera in the outfield, Anthopoulos added a variety of infielders, including Culberson, Danny Santana, Christian Colon, and Ryan Schimpf. Having already extended Kurt Suzuki to reunite with Tyler Flowers behind the dish, the club added Chris Stewart on a non-guaranteed MLB deal and Rob Brantly on a minors pact to round out the catching depth. After losing Luiz Gohara to injury, the club picked up Anibal Sanchez on a minors pact to deepen the rotation mix. And Anthopoulos added a variety of low-risk relievers, including Chase Whitley, Shane Carle, Josh Ravin, and Tommy John patient Grant Dayton. None of those players cost the Braves more than a de minimus amount of cash, 40-man spot, and/or a non-roster invitation.
Questions Remaining
The club’s approach hardly seems to set the stage for a 2018 postseason berth, though a run can never be ruled out. There is, after all, quite a lot of intriguing talent spread across the Braves’ MLB roster and top minor-league affiliates. But there are also loads of questions, the answers to which will help chart the future for the organization.
We already touched upon the outfield situation. Ender Inciarte is firmly ensconced in center, while Nick Markakis will presumably handle the bulk of the time in right during the final season of his contract. That leaves left field open to examination as the season progresses. Unless Acuna is injured or unexpectedly stumbles at Gwinnett, odds are the pressure will steadily mount for him to be handed the reins — particularly if the Braves get off to a decent start and/or the platoon players don’t pan out.
The right side of the infield is set with star first baseman Freddie Freeman and young second bagger Ozzie Albies, who has earned a long leash after a strong, 57-game debut showing last year. Likewise, the catching situation is largely settled to open the season, as the Flowers/Suzuki pairing will handle the duties.
There’s more potential intrigue, though, in the remaining two spots on the dirt. Dansby Swanson‘s sophomore swoon tamped down excitement about his future, though there’s still good reason to believe he’ll be a quality regular and ample cause for the Braves to exercise patience. Third base is largely wide open. It seems the organization will give Johan Camargo a shot at proving he’s no flash in the pan, though he’s expected to open the year on the DL. Schimpf perhaps could have received a shot but turned in a rather unbelievable 0-for-30 performance this spring. Rio Ruiz has not exactly seized his limited opportunities to date but has perhaps shown enough at Triple-A to warrant a chance. Otherwise, the club would likely be left with a mix of Culberson and Santana to hold down the fort. Well-regarded prospect Austin Riley could force his way into the picture if he keeps mashing; no doubt the hope is he’ll earn the job in the long run. It’s perhaps still possible that the Braves could end up finding another option from outside the organization over the next few weeks.
The pitching staff, meanwhile, is chock full of wild cards. The top four members of the rotation are clear, but each comes with as much uncertainty as talent. Julio Teheran is looking to bounce back from a mediocre 2017 season, Mike Foltynewicz will try to turn the corner, McCarthy has made just 25 starts over the past two seasons, and power lefty Sean Newcomb needs to show that he can limit the free passes. A rotation slot had been intended for youngster Luiz Gohara, who impressed at all levels (including a five-start MLB debut) last year. But he suffered a few injuries in camp and now looks to be ticketed for a reasonably lengthy layoff, leaving the door open behind him. While Atlanta may not need a fifth starter to open the year, the club will eventually need to fill out the starting staff. Kazmir and Sanchez are the notable names here, with both looking to rebound from unproductive recent seasons. Otherwise, Matt Wisler, Aaron Blair, or Lucas Sims could again be given opportunities despite failing to capitalize on their prior chances.
No matter how that situation sorts itself out, the Braves will be weighing all season long whether and when to make some further promotions. Touted young hurlers such as Kolby Allard, Mike Soroka, Max Fried, and Kyle Wright are expected to knock on the door in the near term. With another wave of talent coming up behind them, the front office surely won’t hesitate to take a look at those arms against the game’s best hitters when they’re deemed ready. After all, it could soon be necessary to make some tough calls on which pitchers to keep and which to dangle in trades.
If Anthopoulos focused anywhere in particular this winter, it seems to have been the bullpen, where the club added new arms and outrighted Mauricio Cabrera and Luke Jackson. There are loads of options stacked up for trials and patches as the situation dictates. Arodys Vizcaino will be looking for some elusive consistency after a strong 2017 effort, with Jose Ramirez and lefty A.J. Minter primed to join him at the back of the pen. Veterans Peter Moylan and Sam Freeman figure to provide some stability. Dan Winkler, whose Rule 5 status is still not fully determined, will hope to remain healthy and effective.
That likely leaves two spots still open to some debate, with Whitley, Ravin, Carle, Wisler, and Blair perhaps the chief candidates to open the season on the active roster now that Rule 5er Anyelo Gomez has been returned. Lefty Rex Brothers has struggled this spring after agreeing to a non-guaranteed arb deal. Reclamation projects Jesse Biddle and Jacob Lindgren could represent interesting southpaw candidates at some point but aren’t immediate options (with the former already having been optioned and the latter dealing with elbow issues). Righties Jason Hursh and Akeel Morris won’t make the active roster but are still on the 40-man, as are young southpaws Adam McCreery and Ricardo Sanchez. Needless to say, it’s likely there’ll be quite a lot of turnover in the relief unit as the season goes on. With 26 pitchers on the 40-man roster at present, it’s all but certain that a few hurlers will end up being traded or placed on outright waivers at some point.
Overview
Outside of those roster spots that were locked down entering the winter, the strategy was obviously to build out depth, seek some diamonds in the rough, and create competition. That process is likely to carry on throughout the season as needs arise and players sink or swim. The Braves will surely prioritize protecting their future talent pool over maximizing immediate MLB performance, but plenty of difficult decisions will begin to be made as camp draws to a close. While the organization doesn’t really have loads of veterans that figure to profile as mid-season trade candidates, it’s certainly possible that deals will be considered at some point for Teheran, McCarthy, Markakis, and certain veteran relievers or bench pieces. Expectations are tempered for the coming season, but fans and the front office alike will surely be watching closely at how things are shaping up for 2019 and beyond.
How would you grade the organization’s offseason efforts? (Link for app users.)
How Would You Grade The Braves' Offseason?
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C 40% (1,554)
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B 27% (1,046)
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D 17% (663)
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F 8% (308)
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A 7% (274)
Total votes: 3,845
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Paul Blackburn Has Right Forearm Strain
6:00pm: Blackburn will be shut down for ten days, says manager Bob Melvin (h/t Jane Lee of MLB.com).
4:18pm: The Athletics rotation has taken another blow, this time involving righty Paul Blackburn. He is dealing with a right forearm strain, as Jane Lee writes in a piece for MLB.com. It now seems all but certain that Blackburn will not be ready to join the staff to open the year. With the rotation already missing Jharel Cotton and recent signee Trevor Cahill not quite ready to go, that leaves Oakland with much less depth to begin the season than had been anticipated. Lee suggests that “by default”, the A’s early-season rotation is now set to consist of Kendall Graveman, Sean Manaea, Daniel Mengden, Andrew Triggs and Daniel Gossett.
The 24-year-old Blackburn made ten starts last season in his first taste of major-league action. While the righty pitched to a nice 3.22 ERA and a 56.3% ground ball rate, his 4.76 xFIP and shockingly low 3.38 K/9 left some question marks surrounding his capability to repeat that level of run-prevention.
Blackburn was a supplemental first round pick of the Cubs back during the 2012 draft. He came to the Athletics organization by way of a 2016 trade that sent Danny Valencia to the Mariners. Blackburn made his major-league debut on July 1st, 2017, when the righty allowed zero earned runs in six innings against the Braves.
MLBTR Chat Transcript: Nationals, Holland, Realmuto, Altuve
Click here to read a transcript of today’s chat with host Jeff Todd.
Reds Claim Kennys Vargas
The Reds have claimed first baseman/DH Kennys Vargas off waivers from the Twins, per an announcement from the Minnesota organization. He had been designated for assignment recently.
It’s a bit difficult to see how Vargas will fit into the Cincinnati organization’s plans at first glance. He’s out of options and limited on a National League roster to pinch-hitting or playing first base, where Joey Votto is an everyday presence.
Unless there’s some unknown issue that would warrant the move, it could be that the Reds are simply utilizing their waiver position to grab a player they like but won’t carry on their active roster. Vargas could be traded to a team further down the priority line — just four teams are higher than the Reds at present — or put back on waivers in hopes that he’ll clear and can be stashed at Triple-A.
All indications have been that the Twins anticipated another organization claiming Vargas, despite the fact that a trade could not be sorted out. It seems there’s some optimism around the league for the 27-year-old switch-hitter.
Though Vargas has not yet shown that he can be a consistent on-base threat at the game’s highest level, with a .311 OBP in 859 career plate appearances, though he has drawn tons of walks in the upper minors. Vargas isn’t exactly a prodigious home run hitter but has shown good power output both at Triple-A and in the majors (.185 ISO) and perhaps has some more in the tank if he can tap into his raw strength.
*The initial version of this post incorrectly suggested that American League teams all passed on a chance to claim Vargas. Outright waiver priority is determined by winning percentage, lowest first, without reference to league except to break a tie in recor.
Cardinals Release Jason Motte; Reunion Still Possible
The Cardinals have released veteran righty Jason Motte but remain open to bringing him back into the organization, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. If he is unable to find a MLB opportunity elsewhere, Motte is expected to return on a new deal.
It seems the hope, if not the expectation, is for Motte to ink a new minors pact that will allow him to work at the Cards’ top affiliate to open the season. The 35-year-old, once the team’s closer, fell short in his bid to crack the Opening Day roster but showed enough to earn a place on the depth chart. First, though, he’ll see if there’s interest from another team.
Motte managed to carry a 3.54 ERA in 40 2/3 MLB frames last year in spite of an uninspiring mix of 6.0 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9. He surely benefited from a .200 batting average on balls in play, as Statcast suggested a .337 xwOBA that lands significantly higher than the .305 wOBA mark that actually resulted.
That said, Motte did continue to work near 94 mph with his average heater and maintained a 7.6% swinging-strike rate that — while well below league average and his own peak rates — fell in line with his output in recent seasons. This spring, Motte surrendered six earned runs on 13 hits in 5 1/3 innings, but did record six strikeouts.
Phillies Release Ryan Flaherty
The Phillies have released infielder Ryan Flaherty, per a club announcement. He had triggered an opt-out provision that required the team to add him to the MLB roster or set him loose.
Philadelphia had largely signaled its intentions already by adding veteran Pedro Florimon to the 40-man. He’ll likely serve as the team’s general utility option, a role that was up for grabs in camp this spring.
A reunion with the Orioles has already been suggested for Flaherty, who has a long history with the organization. The 31-year-old owns only a .215/.284/.355 lifetime batting line in the majors but is regarded as a valuable presence around the diamond. He has has also turned in a strong spring, with a .353/.395/.529 slash and just three strikeouts in 38 plate appearances.
Spending Bill Would Exempt Minor-Leaguers From Minimum-Wage, Overtime Protections
As federal legislators weigh a spending bill today, the financial fates of thousands of minor-leaguers hang in the balance. That’s because, as Maury Brown of Forbes and Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post are among those to report, the bill presently includes a carve-out of minor-league players from certain labor protections.
Rather cynically dubbed the “Save America’s Pastime Act,” the language would amend the New Deal-era Fair Labor Standards Act. Young sub-MLB ballplayers would be removed from the purview of minimum-wage and overtime protections. Instead, they’d be entitled only to be paid the minimum wage required for a forty-hour work week, during the season, “irrespective of the number of hours the employee devotes to baseball related activities.”
Evidently, the pending legislation provided an opening for this previously proposed but never-enacted exemption, which would be expected to largely forestall several pending lawsuits that challenge current labor practices with regard to players who are not on a 40-man roster. Even as the league has litigated those matters, the reports detail, it has boosted its spending on lobbying efforts in recent years in search of another way of dealing with the claims.
By Brown’s count, at any given time there are about 6,500 players working in the minors without 40-man spots. They are only paid while actually playing games in a MiLB industry that Brown says drew over 41 million in attendance last year. Thus, it is typical for players to take home only “between three thousand and seventy-five hundred dollars, total, during a roughly five-month championship season, with no overtime pay,” as Mary Pilon explained a few years back in The New Yorker. Some number of those players certainly receive a significant inducement to accept such an undesirable salary situation, though the vast majority achieve only minimal bonuses when they became professionals.
Minor League Baseball president Pat O’Conner says the law is about making sure players aren’t prevented from doing extra work to hone their skills and argues that “the formula of minimum wage and overtime is so incalculable.” As Jon Shepherd of Camden Depot explains, though, that’s not exactly an argument that decides the subject, not least because players could (as they surely do already) elect to train more or less based upon their own preferences, on their own time. His extensive post is well worth a full read for those interested in getting a sense of the overall costs involved, how they relate to team revenues, and whether there are some other potential solutions that would be both equitable and workable.