Diamondbacks Re-Sign Jake Buchanan
The Diamondbacks have agreed to a minors pact with righty Jake Buchanan, per a club announcement. (H/t Chris Cotillo of SB Nation for the heads up.)
Buchanan, 28, has seen time in each of the past four MLB campaigns, though he has made just 29 appearances in that span. In 64 2/3 total frames, Buchanan owns a 4.73 ERA with 4.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9.
In 2017, Buchanan opened at Triple-A with the Cubs, was claimed by the Reds, and ultimately took the ball a few times in the majors with Cincinnati. After being designated for assignment, he rejected an outright assignment and ultimately landed in the Arizona organization.
Over 105 2/3 innings at the highest level of the minors in 2017, Buchanan carried a 4.51 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9. That’s a close match for his overall numbers at Triple-A, where he has thrown over five hundred frames in six seasons, with a cumulative 4.39 ERA and 5.9 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9.
International Signings: 12/23/17
Let’s check in on a few notable international signings that have just gone down …
- The Yankees have struck agreements with two Venezuelan talents, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. With cash still left to spend after missing out on Shohei Ohtani, the Yanks are moving to bring in another big haul of talent from Latin America. Outfielder Raimfer Salinas and catcher Antonio Cabello will join an already strong haul from the current July 2nd class. Per BA’s rankings, these two are the 11th and 15th-best players available, respectively, leaving the Yankees with five of this year’s top twenty talents.
- Another spurned Ohtani suitor, the Rangers, has found another investment opportunity with some of its funds. The Texas organization has added shortstop Osleivis Basabe out of Venezuela, Badler also reports. Basabe, who has a few family members already playing in affiliated ball, is said to be a quality athlete with excellent speed and a good arm. Though Basabe ranked as only the 46th player on the BA board due to questions about his hitting acumen, Badler says he has shown well in winter ball action.
- It seems the Twins have finalized a deal with Taiwanese righty Kai-Wei Teng. That agreement was first reported by LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star-Tribune and was noted as going in the books recently on Twitter by MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger. The 19-year-old is said to be receiving a bonus in the $500K range.
Alen Hanson Announces He Has Signed With Giants
Infielder Alen Hanson has announced on his Instagram account that he has agreed to a deal with the Giants. It’s a minor-league pact, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter); h/t SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo, via Twitter, for noticing Hanson’s post.
Hanson, 25, was once viewed as one of the game’s hundred or so top prospects. The switch-hitter has continued to advance, first reaching the majors in 2016, but analysts have soured on his outlook along the way.
In 2017, Hanson received his first extended run in the majors. He was claimed off waivers in early June by the White Sox from the Pirates after a rough start to the season. Over his 175 plate appearances in Chicago, Hanson produced a .231/.276/.375 batting line with four home runs and nine steals.
The Sox non-tendered Hanson after the season, so clearly that rebuilding organization was not convinced of his future. But he did show quality baserunning ability while playing all over the diamond — second, short, third, and all three outfield positions — so perhaps there’s still a possibility that Hanson could turn into a useful utilityman if he can make some strides at the plate.
AL East Notes: Wright, Rays, Jays
The domestic assault case against Red Sox righty Steven Wright has been “retired,” as Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reported yesterday. That puts him on track to resolution of the possible legal trouble that arose out of a domestic incident earlier this month. That does not mean that Major League Baseball cannot continue to investigate the matter and decide for itself whether to issue discipline under the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy. Indeed, the commissioner’s office says it is continuing to look into the incident, though of course there’s no indication at this point whether there will be any punishment forthcoming.
Here’s more from the AL East:
- With former star Evan Longoria now playing elsewhere, the Rays face some interesting questions entering the new year. As Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports, there are loads of infield possibilities on hand even absent Longoria, particularly since the trade brought back another young possibility in Christian Arroyo. Several of those players could end up on the move, in theory, along with quite a few others. Topkin says not to expect pure salary-dumping moves, apart perhaps from the just-acquired Denard Span. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic further tweets that the Longoria swap isn’t necessarily a prelude to a deal involving top starter Chris Archer, though that still seems plausible.
- Regardless of how things turn out elsewhere in the division, the Blue Jays plan to enter 2018 with designs on competition, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick writes. That likely means the team isn’t going to seriously consider dealing star third baseman Josh Donaldson, despite persistent chatter about outside interest. GM Ross Atkins tells Crasnick both that the Jays are “trying to win” and that he “can’t imagine our team being better without Josh Donaldson.”
Heyman’s Latest: Blue Jays, D-Backs, Cobb, Lagares, Castro
Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reported on a few items of note in his latest column and has followed up with some additional bits of information. We’ll run down some of the key takeaways here:
- While the Blue Jays have been quiet thus far, Heyman says they could be lurking on a few interesting names. In the outfield, J.D. Martinez is a legitimate target, he says, as are Carlos Gonzalez and Lorenzo Cain. The club is also considering quality utility options such as Eduardo Nunez and Howie Kendrick. Meanwhile, Toronto has reached out to the Padres on Brad Hand, who’s a highly valuable relief asset. It remains to be seen whether the Jays will be willing to pony up a lot of cash or prospect assets to make a significant win-now move, but it’s notable that the team is at least exploring some notable possibilities.
- The Diamondbacks reportedly had real interest in Orioles infielder Manny Machado, but Heyman says the Snakes were not willing to consider moving third bagger Jake Lamb in a deal. That’s not terribly surprising; after all, the 27-year-old Lamb has only just reached arbitration eligibility and posted consecutive solid campaigns in which he has maintained a composite .248/.345/.498 batting line. Though he’s clearly an inferior overall player to Machado, Lamb is the type of affordable, quality regular that a team with Arizona’s payroll can ill afford to part with.
- Thus far, free agent righty Alex Cobb “is thought to have been asking for about $20 million a year,” Heyman writes, noting that his agents may view Mike Leake as a comp. Of course, Cobb is older and less durable than Leake was when he hit the open market, though Cobb also has a loftier established ceiling on the mound (at least, dating to his output before undergoing Tommy John surgery).
- There’s some interest from rival organizations in Mets center fielder Juan Lagares, Heyman reports on Twitter. Of course, it’s far from clear that the New York organization has real interest in dealing away the 28-year-old. To the contrary, indications to date have been that the Mets expect to utilize Lagares quite heavily. The rangy defender last topped 400 plate appearances in 2015 and has not posted a league-average season with the bat since the season before that.
- The Marlins are still indicating to rivals that they’re not particularly interested in dealing Christian Yelich or J.T. Realmuto, Heyman tweets, though of course that could yet be a bargaining stance. Notably, though, the Fish are said to be seeking ways of parting with the recently acquired contract of Starlin Castro. Though Miami executive Gary Denbo indicated earlier today the club intends to keep Castro, it certainly would not be surprising for Miami to strike a deal if it means shedding yet more salary obligations to a player who likely won’t be a part of the organization’s next contending roster.
Nationals Sign Matt Adams
Dec. 22: The Nationals have formally announced Adams’ signing. Their 40-man roster is now up to 39 players.
Dec. 20: The Nationals have reportedly agreed to terms with first baseman Matt Adams on a deal that would bring him to D.C. If finalized, the contract is expected to include a $4MM guarantee and $500K of available incentives for a single season.
Adams is exactly the sort of lefty platoon bat the Nationals have needed since bidding adieu to Adam Lind at the end of the season. The 29-year-old Adams was non-tendered by the Braves after projecting to earn a $4.6MM salary through arbitration.
While he’s not much of an option against lefties, Adams has an excellent track record when hitting with the platoon advantage. For his career, he carries a .286/.333/.495 batting line against opposing right-handers. Adams is also best limited to playing first in the field, though he has at times attempted the corner outfield.
[Related: Updated Washington Nationals depth chart and Nationals payroll outlook]
Those caveats are just fine with the Nats, who seek a player to step into Lind’s role as a complement to veteran first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and source of left-handed bench power. Adams is essentially a younger version of Lind himself, so it’s easy to see the fit here.
It came as a bit of a surprise when the Nationals declined their end of a $5MM mutual option with Lind, who was quite productive for the team in his single season in Washington. But it seems the organization correctly anticipated a sluggish market for bats and determined it might have a shot at a more appealing asset. Though Lind is a more accomplished overall hitter than Adams, he’s also about five years his senior.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted that a deal was in place, along with the contract terms. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported (via Twitter) that the sides were in serious discussions. ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweeted earlier that the sides had ongoing interest, as had been reported previously.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
MLBTR Chat Transcript: Longoria, Yankees, Cards, More
Click here to read a transcript of today’s chat with host Jeff Todd.
Brewers Designate Dylan Baker
The Brewers have designated righty Dylan Baker for assignment, per a club announcement. His roster spot was needed for the two signings the club announced today.
As had been reported previously, Milwaukee inked veteran righty Jhoulys Chacin and brought back former hurler Yovani Gallardo. With those two players joining the organization and Baker departing, the 40-man roster is full.
Baker, 25, was snatched off the waiver wire from the Indians in late November. He has thrown just 21 2/3 minor-league frames since the start of the 2015 season owing to Tommy John surgery. Clearly, though, there’s some interest in Baker’s future. He struck out ten and walked just one while allowing four earned runs in 12 2/3 frames at Double-A in 2017.
Report: Former MLB Advanced Media Exec Bob Bowman Was Forced Out For Workplace Misconduct
According to a troubling report from Rachel Bachman and Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal (subscription link), former MLB Advanced Media chief Bob Bowman was forced out of his position after multiple incidents of workplace misconduct.
Bowman left the entity in early November, not long after majority rights to a spun-off entity (BAMTech) was sold to Disney. MLB’s digital media arm has long been lauded as an industry leader that has generated massive revenues for the league and its member organizations.
The story is loaded with explosive details that could conceivably have broader ramifications within the league office. MLB Advanced Media has long been a separately operated entity with its own headquarters, though allegations against Bowman — in some cases dating back to over a decade — are said to have made their way to the commissioner’s chair.
Bowman is reported to have engaged in a variety of concerning actions during his tenure, including “propositioning female colleagues, allegedly conducting consensual relationships with subordinate coworkers and cultivating a culture of partying and heavy drinking with employees outside the office.” A few other particularly concerning episodes are detailed yet further in the report. Bowman is reported to have shoved an executive in the Red Sox ownership group this past July. MLB Advanced Media is also said to have hosted a party at the 2016 All-Star Game that included entertainment consisting of “alleged escorts.”
In comments to the Journal, current MLB commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledged that an October incident — in which Bowman is said to have engaged in verbal abuse of someone within his office — represented “the culmination of a variety of issues that had gone on over a period of time” and “precipitated” a mutual decision to part ways. Bowman, meanwhile, admitted that his own “personal flaws” led to “inappropriate behavior.”
Whether there could be further repercussions is not clear at this time, but some of the allegations — especially, those involving sexual harassment and other such issues — are deeply concerning and could seemingly be of ongoing importance. More generally, the report suggests questions about the league’s priorities. Significant profits have already been logged despite the problems that evidently existed under Bowman. Most recently, it has been widely reported that each MLB club is slated to receive an approximately $50MM payout from the BAMTech sale.
Orioles Do Not Expect To Trade Manny Machado
With no sufficient bid emerging, the Orioles are now indicating to interested organizations that star third baseman Manny Machado “is staying put,” according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter links). That could yet change if a big new offer comes in the door, but it seems that Baltimore will no longer actively shop the pending free agent.
On the one hand, then, this news isn’t that impactful. The club had indicated it was nearing the quitting point on active trade talks after prior reports made clear that the team would move on to other plans if its needs weren’t met. Teams that want to land the youthful star know they need to come with a significant package of talent to get something done. Baltimore has expressed a need to get back two quality, controllable starters to make a deal, and Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com’s report from this morning suggests the asking price remains the same.
On the other, it’s an important moment for the O’s offseason strategy. With Zach Britton‘s Achilles injury also seemingly taking the club’s best relievers (Britton and Brad Brach) out of trade consideration, it seems the organization will largely maintain its existing core and go out looking to add starters in other ways. With at least two rotation pieces still on the wish list, and no interest in chasing the market for the best-available arms, the Orioles front office will need to work hard to find value.
That said, the rotation market has not moved much at all to this point, so there are plenty of options still out there. Whether or not the slow free agent action will lead to any particular number of bargains remains to be seen, but executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette is certainly no stranger to waiting out late opportunities.
Barring a big change in the interest levels from other teams, Machado will evidently play out his original control rights in Baltimore before reaching free agency after the 2018 season. The sides will still need to work out a final-season salary — MLBTR projects a hefty $17.3MM arbitration pay-out — but there’s little reason to think at this point that an extension will realistically be considered.
Still, it’s wise not to rule things out so long as there’s still work to be done in the winter. An extension or trade would surprise at this point, but both are hypothetically just as plausible as ever.
Interestingly, should trade talks get moving again, Kubatko notes that the Cubs and Orioles discussed a variety of notable names. While there’s no reason to think all three Chicago players would have been included in the same deal, Addison Russell, Albert Almora, and Mike Montgomery all came up in chatter.