Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Zach Plesac Hires CAA Sports

By | at

Indians righty Zach Plesac has hired CAA Sports to represent him, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). The relationship is now reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database.

Plesac isn’t closing in on any major contractual milestones, but he has certainly raised his profile and with it his potential for earning opportunities of all kinds. The 2016 12th-rounder entered 2019 as a little-known prospect and left it as a potentially significant part of the Indians’ future.

Though he was optioned as part of the Cleveland organization’s coronavirus shuffling, Plesac certainly seems deserving of another full run in the rotation. He earned his way up last year with a dominant run in the upper minors and ultimately delivered 115 2/3 innings of 3.81 ERA ball in the bigs.

To be fair, there are some questions of sustainability. Plesac underwhelmed with 6.9 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, and 1.48 HR/9. Statcast identified a massive gap in anticipated (.347 xwOBA) and actual outcomes (.315 wOBA) based upon the quality of contact produced by opposing hitters.

It remains to be seen whether Plesac can recreate the magic — or, perhaps more realistically, continue to make strides to establish himself as a viable long-term rotation piece. But there’s little question he has done enough to earn a longer look.

The Mariners’ Future Payroll Promises

By | at

2020 salary terms are set to be hammered out in the coming days. But what about what’s owed to players beyond that point? The near-term economic picture remains questionable at best. That’ll make teams all the more cautious with guaranteed future salaries.

Every organization has some amount of future cash committed to players, all of it done before the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe. There are several different ways to look at salaries; for instance, for purposes of calculating the luxury tax, the average annual value is the touchstone, with up-front bonuses spread over the life of the deal. For this exercise, we’ll focus on actual cash outlays that still have yet to be paid.

We’ll run through every team, with a big assist from the Cot’s Baseball Contracts database. Next up is the Mariners:

(click to expand/view detail list)

Mariners Total Future Cash Obligation: $115.45MM

*includes Yusei Kikuchi 2022 player option

*includes buyouts of club options

MLB’s 5 Most-Traded Players

By | at

Trades are the life blood of this website. This is the longest we’ve ever gone without one! We’re all pining for the good old days … which got me thinking about the players who have been constant fodder for MLBTR posts.

Plenty of other names have appeared on the site more often in rumors. And there are lots of players who’ve ended up moving around more often by other mechanisms. (See, e.g., Oliver Drake, the reigning king of the waiver claim.) But among those players that appeared in the majors in 2019, no man (so far as my research revealed) has matched or exceeded these five-time-traded players when it comes to being dealt …

5 (tie). Mark Melancon (5)

5 (tie). Drew Butera (5)

5 (tie). J.A. Happ (5)

4. Tyler Clippard (6)

2 (tie). Cameron Maybin (7)

2 (tie). Edwin Jackson (7)

1. Jesse Chavez (8)

Latest On MLB Teams’ Plans For Employees

By | at

A variety of MLB teams have already revealed plans for the year for non-player employees. Some have instituted furloughs and/or pay cuts while others have committed to carry employees through the fall. Still other teams are taking things on a month-to-month basis, with several revealing their latest plans in recent days.

At least three teams have decided to continue paying employees in full through at least the end of June. The Cardinals are one such team, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports on Twitter. The Twins are also in that camp, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com tweets. And the White Sox are adjusting work hours but not take-home pay, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Elsewhere in the central divisions, there were some cuts. The Cubs are keeping their full slate of employees at full-time capacity, but are instituting some salary reductions, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reported on Twitter. And though the Pirates will not draw down their baseball operations staff, they will reduce pay in that arena while furloughing some business employees, as Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Out west, the Giants will retain their entire full-time staff but will be trimming pay for those earning over $75K, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Part-timers have been furloughed.

The Astros have committed to maintaining full pay and benefits for full-time employees, but only through June 5th, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. Whether some action could occur beyond that point remains to be seen. The Orioles are also still in flux, but the organization appears to be leaning towards keeping staff as usual through June, per Dan Connolly of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Andrus & Odor Occupy Top Spots On Rangers’ Future Payroll

By | at

2020 salary terms are set to be hammered out in the coming days. But what about what’s owed to players beyond that point? The near-term economic picture remains questionable at best. That’ll make teams all the more cautious with guaranteed future salaries.

Every organization has some amount of future cash committed to players, all of it done before the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe. There are several different ways to look at salaries; for instance, for purposes of calculating the luxury tax, the average annual value is the touchstone, with up-front bonuses spread over the life of the deal. For this exercise, we’ll focus on actual cash outlays that still have yet to be paid.

We’ll run through every team, with a big assist from the Cot’s Baseball Contracts database. Next up is the Rangers:

(click to expand/view detail list)

Rangers Total Future Cash Obligation: $101.5MM

*includes buyouts on club options

*2023 club option ($15MM) over Elvis Andrus vests with 550 plate appearances in 2022 and/or 1,110 plate appearances in 2021-22

What Would The Padres Do For A DH?

By | at

Mixing and matching in the designated hitter spot is a fairly common approach for American League clubs. That may be all the more common if, as expected, National League teams are suddenly given a DH slot to work with for 2020. The Padres have some clear candidates for steady work but could certainly end up operating with a rotation as the team’s needs evolve.

There are two fairly obvious options for regular hitter-only usage in San Diego. First and foremost is Wil Myers, who has moved all over the diamond in recent years but never really found a home. He’s got to fit somewhere, as he’s earning a $20MM annual salary from 2020 through 2022. Myers has already produced thirty dingers in a big-league season, though he slumped last year.

The other possibility is the younger and less-established Josh Naylor, a converted first baseman who’s still learning the outfield. He has options aplenty, so it’s easy enough to keep him off of the active roster, but the Friars are surely interested to see if he’s a keeper. Naylor held his own but didn’t excel in his first attempt at the majors in 2019. But the 22-year-old has shown all he really needs to against upper-minors pitching, including exceptional plate discipline. The question remains whether he can deliver steady pop in the bigs.

So, how about some kind of platoon? Well, Naylor really hasn’t been vulnerable to lefties in the minors. And Myers hasn’t shown significant splits historically. But that did change last year, when he marauded lefties (130 wRC+) while failing to show up against same-handed hurlers (87 wRC+).

Odds are, the Pads will want both of these guys to cycle through spots on the field as well, both to keep everyone fresh and to enhance the organization’s long-term flexibility with those players. Plus, there’s an opportunity here to expand the team’s options behind the dish — Francisco Mejia could get some plate appearances as the DH — and elsewhere. It’d be nice to find added rest for the high-priced Manny Machado, for instance, and keeping Franchy Cordero healthy is a priority after several injury-plagued campaigns. It would be easy enough to slot Tommy Pham, Eric Hosmer, and even Brian Dozier into the DH spot from time to time.

Kevin Kramer Undergoes Hip Surgery

By | at

Pirates utilityman Kevin Kramer will be sidelined for a lengthy stretch after undergoing surgery on his right hip, per a club announcement. MLB.com’s Adam Berry was among those to convey the news on Twitter.

The Bucs anticipate a rehabilitation timeline of four to six months, which means Kramer will almost certainly not be a part of the team’s 2020 short-season roster. He’ll get to work rehabbing in hopes of being ready for a full Spring Training next year.

The labral repair procedure was conducted “to address recent and chronic symptoms,” per the team. Kramer had not been able to train in anticipation of a resumption of play.

Kramer had been competing in camp for a bench job with the Pirates. Before the pandemic shutdown, he had appeared in 11 Spring Training contests.

A 2015 second-round draft pick, Kramer has received sporadic MLB opportunities over the past two seasons. He has struggled to a cumulative .152/.222/.165 batting line in ninety plate appearances. Kramer has had more success in the upper minors, though last year’s .260/.335/.417 output at Triple-A represented a step back after a strong 2018 showing.

Zack Greinke’s Great Hot Stove Adventure

By | at

Every player that reaches the majors has a hot-stove tale to tell. They’re drafted or signed into the pro ranks to start out. Quite a few are traded or move via free agency even before reaching the bigs. You have to be selected or signed onto a 40-man roster before you can put on a uniform in a MLB contest. And then there’s the inevitable moment when it all goes away … whether through retirement at the end of a lengthy career or, in many cases, a trip into DFA limbo.

All of these stories are etched on the pages of MLBTR. Some are more interesting than others. A few of these transactional career arcs touch upon many major elements of the hot stove league — the front office game that shapes the underlying sport that we watch on TV.

The transactional saga of Zack Greinke, the venerable right-hander whose latest stop is the Houston Astros, is certainly among the most notable in recent memory …

Professional Entry

  • The Royals took Greinke, an unusually polished high-school hurler, with the sixth overall pick of 2002 draft.

Prospect Status

  • Greinke quickly emerged as one of the game’s top prospects.
  • Baseball America rated Greinke 54th overall ahead of the 2003 season and 14th overall in advance of 2004.

Early Career

  • At just 20 years of age, Greinke turned in in 24 starts of 3.97 ERA ball in his debut season of 2004. But he struggled badly in his sophomore season.
  • Greinke battled mental health issues and was ultimately diagnosed with depression and social anxiety disorder. At the time, his outlook as a professional baseball player was of secondary concern. SI.com’s John Donovan wrote: “Greinke’s tortured story is, on the one end, a sad one, but on this side there is hope that it may yet turn out well.”

Extension

  • Greinke reemerged in 2007, then turned in a breakout 2008 season.
  • The Royals signed Greinke to a four-year, $38MM extension in advance of the 2009 season, adding two years of team control. He won the American League Cy Young Award in the ensuing campaign.

2010 Blockbuster

  • The Royals decided to entertain trade offers on Greinke, by then regarded as one of the game’s best pitchers, in the 2010-11 offseason. Greinke later indicated his desire to be traded.
  • A monumental set of Winter Meetings trade talks ensued. Royals Review has exhaustively documented the contemporaneous rumor mill. Greinke reportedly indicated he would exercise his no-trade rights to block a deal to the Nationals.
  • The Brewers eventually acquired Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt, and $2MM from the Royals for Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress, and Jake Odorizzi.
  • Greinke ended his tenure with the Royals with a 3.82 ERA in 1,108 innings over seven seasons.

2012 Trade Deadline Swap

  • Greinke continued to perform well in Milwaukee, but the Brewers stumbled.
  • In July of 2012, the Angeles acquired Greinke for Jean Segura, Ariel Pena and John Hellweg.
  • Greinke ended his tenure with the Brewers with a 3.67 ERA in 294 2/3 innings over two seasons.

2012-13 Free Agency

  • Greinke entered the market as the top player available and drew interest from numerous big-market teams.
  • During the Winter Meetings, the Dodgers signed Greinke to a six-year, $147MM contract.
  • Greinke ended his tenure with the Angels with a 3.53 ERA in 89 1/3 innings over one season.

2015-16 Free Agency

  • Greinke opted out of his contract after a 2015 season in which he led the National League with a 1.66 ERA.
  • Expectations were that he would re-sign with the Dodgers, but the Diamondbacks suddenly entered the market with a massive offer.
  • The Diamondbacks signed Greinke to a six-year, $206.5MM contract, setting a new record for average annual value ($34.42MM).
  • Greinke ended his tenure with the Dodgers with a 2.30 ERA in 602 2/3 innings over three seasons.

2019 Trade Deadline Swap

  • After a rough initial season in Arizona, Greinke continued to produce excellent results even as he entered his mid-thirties.
  • In a last-minute agreement consummated just before the trade deadline, the Astros acquired Greinke for Corbin Martin, J.B. Bukauskas, Seth Beer, and Joshua Rojas.
  • Greinke ended his tenure with the Diamondbacks with a 3.40 ERA in 714 2/3 innings over four seasons.

Future

  • Greinke’s contract runs through 2021. The Astros took on $53MM of the remaining salary obligations.
  • With the Astros, Greinke has a 3.02 ERA in 62 2/3 innings over one season.

How Does White Sox’ Future Payroll Look After Busy Offseason?

By | at

2020 salary terms are set to be hammered out in the coming days. But what about what’s owed to players beyond that point? The near-term economic picture remains questionable at best. That’ll make teams all the more cautious with guaranteed future salaries.

Every organization has some amount of future cash committed to players, all of it done before the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe. There are several different ways to look at salaries; for instance, for purposes of calculating the luxury tax, the average annual value is the touchstone, with up-front bonuses spread over the life of the deal. For this exercise, we’ll focus on actual cash outlays that still have yet to be paid.

We’ll run through every team, with a big assist from the Cot’s Baseball Contracts database. Next up is the White Sox:

(click to expand/view detail list)

White Sox Total Future Cash Obligation: $317.75MM

*includes buyout of club options

*2023 option over Dallas Keuchel vests with clean physical, IP thresholds

Alex Bregman Seeking New Representation

By | at

3:00pm: Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle points out that Bregman’s departure from Klutch coincides with last week’s announcement that Uninterrupted, a film production company co-founded by fellow Klutch client LeBron James, is creating a documentary exploring the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal in 2017. Bleacher Report’s Tyler Conway has more on the forthcoming docuseries.

12:56pm: Star Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is seeking new representation, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). Once a change is made, it’ll be reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database.

This is an interesting move for a variety of reasons (no, not related to trashcan-banging schemes). For one thing, while player movement between agencies is hardly unusual, it’s rare that we see reporting of a “free agent” in search of a new rep.

Bregman is not just any ballplayer, either. The 26-year-old has just kept improving and was undeniably one of the best in the sport in 2019.

Other teams won’t have a chance to lure the Houston stalwart for some time. Bregman is under contract through 2024 under the deal worked out by his now-former agent, Brodie Scoffield, which covered five seasons (beginning in 2020) and guaranteed $100MM. At the time of the pact, Scoffield had recently left the Legacy Agency to form his own outfit, Tidal Sports Group. He brought Bregman and other major clients with him. Legacy was later acquired by GSE Worldwide.

Bregman was the crown jewel of the client list when hoops powerhouse Klutch Sports bought Tidal earlier this year, although there’s been a good bit of turmoil surrounding that firm in recent weeks. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweeted recently that an arbitrator ruled Klutch/Scoffield will be required to split agent fees 50-50 with GSE for not only Bregman but other clients including Marcus Stroman, Kevin Gausman and Keston Hiura over the next five years.

The role that said arbitration hearing played in Bregman’s departure from the firm isn’t known at this time. Regardless, he’s sure to be pursued widely by virtually every agency in the game. Even though he’s currently signed through 2024, Bregman will still be up for a new contract in advance of the 2025 campaign — his age-31 season. And so long as he maintains his all-around excellence, the Astros may eventually hold some degree of interest in hammering out another long-term deal to retain him into his mid-30s.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top