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Blue Jays Notes: Extension Talks, Pre-Arb Salaries, Yamaguchi

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Let’s check in on the latest regarding the Blue Jays, all coming via Sportsnet …

  • President Mark Shapiro covered a variety of matters in a recent chat with the Writers Bloc show (audio link). Of particular interest was his discussion of the team’s potential young extension targets. Shapiro obviously wasn’t willing to address specifics, but did indicate that the team is inclined to reach deals where possible. On the possibility of extensions, he said fans can “assume we’ve explored it or are exploring it with every one of our young players that we have a strong belief are going to be good players and here for a long time.” Actually getting a deal done is obviously a different story; there, Shapiro spoke of negotiations as “sharing risk” for the future.
  • Most of the team’s top potential extension targets have little MLB service time, so they’re in the class of players that have no effective control over their salaries. As Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports, the Jays were able to get agreement on 2020 earnings with all of their pre-arbitration players, rather than being forced to renew certain players who weren’t pleased with what was offered. (Contract renewals are a symbolic gesture but can impact a team’s relationship with a player. We discussed this in a recent MLBTR YouTube video.) While there has been some grumbling around the game, the Jays seem to have earned plaudits for enunciating and sharing a complete list of their salary offers with an explanation for the formula utilized in reaching them. You can find all of the specific Jays salaries in the above link. Budding stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and Cavan Biggio each landed in the $570K to $580k range. The MLB minimum for the coming season is $563,500.
  • Newly inked righty Shun Yamaguchi isn’t making things easy on his new club — in a good way. As Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith writes, the former Japanese star has worked through some difficulties to turn in a strong recent outing. As we explored recently, he’s one of many conceivable candidates for the fifth starter job. Nicholson-Smith writes that Trent Thornton remains the front-runner, but the Jays will surely be glad to maintain some competition and feel good about the status of their depth. Yamaguchi, 32, will slide into the pen if he doesn’t crack the rotation.

Coronavirus Response Will Require MLB Schedule Changes

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1:30pm: The Athletics and Giants have issued statements regarding the coronavirus. An exhibition game between the two that was scheduled to take place at Oracle Park on March 24 has been canceled, the Giants announced. The two clubs are looking into alternate settings.

Meanwhile, the A’s, who are scheduled to open the season at home with a four-game series against the Twins, announced that they will “adhere to any government directives and work with Major League Baseball on all alternative arrangements.” It seems overwhelmingly likely that the series will be played in a different setting than expected — be it a new location or an empty stadium.

12:25pm: As the coronavirus continues to sweep across the globe, it is increasingly apparent that staging Major League Baseball games in the manner anticipated will simply not occur. Already today we have seen several major developments in the response to the deadly disease.

This story is far bigger than sports. But sports have an essential role to play, both in forestalling transmissions that can occur in large gatherings and in signaling the need for community-level precautions.

Today, the World Health Organization formally designated the coronavirus a pandemic. WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that nations “can turn the tide,” but warned not only of “the alarming levels of spread and severity” but also “the alarming levels of inaction” around the globe.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases, addressed the matter in relation to basketball. The Ivy League has canceled its conference tournament but others remain on schedule along with the NCAA tourney. And while the NBA has begun preparing for disruption, it hasn’t yet acted.

Fauci says the outbreak is “going to get worse” and left no doubt he sees a need to curtail large-scale gatherings, at minimum in areas in which community spread has been detected. “We would recommend that there not be large crowds,” he said. “If that means not having any people in the audience when the NBA plays, so be it.”

American municipalities are increasingly acting upon the evident need to slow the spread of the coronavirus to limit the strain on health systems to the extent possible. Some of those decisions could directly force MLB to change its plans. To this point the league has instituted various minor changes to regular Spring Training rules — media accessibility, fan interaction, non-essential personnel being kept from traveling or appearing in the clubhouse — but has not limited Spring Training contests or changed its schedule for the upcoming regular season.

The league has indicated an awareness of the gravity of the situation and acknowledged the “fluidity” inherent to it. As the dangers become all the more evident, one might hope that the urgency of the matter will lead the league to taking a proactive, leadership position.

With Seattle serving as one epicenter of the outbreak in the United States, it is now all but certain that the Mariners won’t play there as planned to begin the season. The team now expects its first two home series to be prohibited by decree of the governor, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports on Twitter.

It’s quite likely this is the tip of the iceberg, in Seattle and elsewhere. We’ve seen concepts floated of moving games scheduled for Seattle to Arizona, but that’s premised on the highly questionable premise that it’ll be safe to stage such massive gatherings anywhere within the next several weeks.

Other municipalities are also moving in a similar direction, with more sure to follow as evidence of the virus’s spread increases. San Francisco has banned gatherings of over one thousand people for at least the next two weeks, Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Washington, DC has recommended cancellations of gatherings of one thousand or more people. That was the same guidance issued yesterday by San Francisco; the city boosted it to an outright prohibition after the NBA’s Warriors held a home game.

Whatever the annoyances or disappointments, they’re designed to avoid the awful situations we’ve already seen unfold in China, Italy, and other places. Experts have explained the critical importance of “social distancing” measures to prevent the rapid spread of the disease, which is far more deadly and damaging when overburdened health systems struggle to provide adequate treatment.

Michael Conforto Diagnosed With Oblique Strain

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MARCH 11: The injury is of the least-severe, Grade 1 variety, DiComo tweets. Conforto says he still does not know what kind of timeline he’ll be on as he works back.

MARCH 10: Conforto has been diagnosed with a strained right oblique, Van Wagenen announced to reporters (Twitter link via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). He’ll be reassessed next week. Asked whether Conforto would be ready for Opening Day, Van Wagenen only stated that it’s too early to tell. It’s worth noting, however, that even Grade 1 oblique strains can sideline a player for upwards of a month.

MARCH 9: Mets outfielder Michael Conforto is heading in for an examination after suffering an injury to his side, GM Brodie Van Wagenen told reporters including Tim Healey of Newsday (via Twitter). The injury occurred on a recent play in the outfield.

Conforto has already undergone an MRI, though it’s not clear just what the scan showed. Between the imaging and his own discomfort, it seems, there was sufficient cause for an in-person look from team physician Dr. David Altchek.

At this point, there’s not much to do but hope for a good outcome. Conforto has previously undergone significant work on his shoulder, but had made a full recovery. Whether the present injury interacts with the old one in any way is not evident at this time.

Conforto, 27, is a key cog of the Mets lineup. He has been a steady producer at the plate ever since arriving in the majors, with a .253/.353/.481 career batting line. It’d obviously hurt quite a bit to lose Conforto, even for a relatively brief stretch.

It does bear noting that the Mets have some cause for optimism from another corner outfielder. The rehabbing Yoenis Cespedes is showing some signs of regaining his typically lofty form, Newsday’s David Lennon writes, though his timeline remains unknown and it remains to be seen how we’ll he’ll move on his surgically repaired ankles.

Mets Announce Record Sophomore Salary With Pete Alonso

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A record-breaking debut campaign has earned Mets first baseman Pete Alonso a record-breaking salary for his sophomore season. At least, that’s how the team has framed the matter, as Tim Healey of Newsday reports on Twitter.

Alonso will earn $652,521 for the 2020 season — the highest ever for a player coming off his rookie season (excluding those who’ve signed multi-year deals). While it’s unclear how the team arrived at that precise figure — they wisely skipped on a chance to make a hokey reference to Alonso’s rookie-high 53 long balls — it has unquestionably left the young star feeling happy. He says he was “shocked and thrilled” with the offer.

Given his exuberance over the salary terms, Alonso obviously signed onto his contract with the Mets — as did all of the team’s other pre-arbitration players. That’s rather a different situation from last winter, when the club renewed Edwin Diaz at just over $607K. (That sum felt particularly low given that Diaz had only just missed out on qualifying for arbitration as a Super Two, which would’ve drastically increased his total pre-free agency earning power.)

The Mets have kept the good vibes going with Alonso ever since they decided to carry him on the Opening Day roster in 2019 — thus foregoing a chance to extend their control rights by waiting a few weeks to promote him. That decision wasn’t quite as difficult with respect to the 24-year-old first baseman as it would’ve been for a much younger player, but it surely built up some goodwill.

It’s tantalizing to wonder whether and when the Mets will explore a long-term deal with Alonso, who has been a star on and off the field with his big bat and gregarious personality. Just how much impact today’s salary news has on broader talks remains to be seen.

One may surmise that other teams around the game are less than thrilled with the Mets’ decision not only to grant this salary but to broadcast it. Pre-arbitration salaries continue to be an area of great disparity around the game. We’ve seen some nine-figure deals in the past for players on the cusp of arbitration. But players like Juan Soto and Jack Flaherty have recently been renewed for lower amounts than Alonso will receive despite excellent performance track records and greater MLB service time. As I explained in a recent video, this is a situation that really ought to be addressed in some form in the next collective bargaining agreement.

Latest On Stanton, Paxton Progress

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The Yankees have missed a few key players early in camp, but two were back on the field today, as MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reports (links to Twitter). Both Giancarlo Stanton and James Paxton are participating in some baseball activities this morning.

Stanton, who has been nursing a calf injury, was able to take live batting practice today. Stepping in against a big-league hurler represents a notable step that seems to suggest there has been real progress.

The Yanks have already ruled Stanton out for Opening Day, but the hope has remained that he’ll be ready before the month of April is out. Today’s development buttresses that belief.

As for Paxton, he was throwing with teammates this morning. That’s a notable milestone — indeed, it’s the first time he has tossed a ball since undergoing a back procedure in mid-December.

It’s good to see Paxton back to baseball activities, but he still obviously has a ways to go. At this point, the southpaw says he views a mid-May return to the majors as a best-case outcome.

Max Scherzer Dealing With Side Discomfort

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Star Nationals hurler Max Scherzer said today that he’s dealing with some discomfort in his side, as MLB.com’s Jessica Camerato (links to Twitter) was among those to report.

The issue led the team to give him a break from a scheduled competitive spring outing. But the excellent right-hander was still capable of throwing a 60-pitch pen session.

Scherzer says he’s dealing with an “ailment,” not an injury. The muscles in that region are a bit over-taxed after his last start, he explained, but he’s “absolutely not” concerned.

“There’s not even a strain,” Scherzer said, emphasizing that he won’t need to undergo an MRI. “This is purely just a fatigue, endurance thing,” he said.

Scherzer has been one of the game’s ultimate workhorses in recent seasons, but did miss a handful of starts in 2019. The long-dominant hurler also dealt with a neck issue during the World Series.

The champion Nats pushed their top arms to the limit last October, so they’ll need to mindful as they ramp back up in camp. Scherzer is 35 years of age, it’s fair to note, though he obviously pushes himself to remain in peak shape and he says his elbow and shoulder are in great form.

Eric Lauer To Open Season On Injured List

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Brewers lefty Eric Lauer will open the season on the injured list, manager Craig Counsell told reporters including Jake Rill of MLB.com (via Twitter). He’s dealing with an impingement in his pitching shoulder.

Fortunately, it seems there’s not much worry within the Milwaukee organization. The specifics of Lauer’s potential timeline aren’t yet evident, but there’s no indication he will be sidelined for a significant stretch of the season.

It’s still a shame to see Lauer hit the shelf just now. He had run up nine strikeouts against just one walk and one earned run in his 5 1/3 innings in camp. The recently acquired southpaw has thrown 261 2/3 innings of 4.40 ERA ball to this point in his MLB career.

Having prioritized depth and flexibility in constructing their pitching staff, the Brewers have options on hand. Recently extended hurler Freddy Peralta is a candidate, as is Corbin Burnes. Veterans Jake Faria and Shelby Miller are in camp on non-roster deals, though neither seems likely to command a rotation spot. Trey Supak is the other possibility on the 40-man roster.

Just what will happen when Lauer is ready to return isn’t yet clear, but the Brewers surely aren’t all that concerned. No doubt the southpaw will have ample chances to log innings so long as he’s up to the task. Under Counsell and GM David Stearns, the club has deployed its staff as circumstances warrant, without much regard to formal roles.

Yordan Alvarez Still Not Ready To Return

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11:48am: GM James Click says the hope is for Alvarez to return on Friday, as Rome further reports. There’s no new concern, it seems. Alvarez has simply not progressed quite as quickly as hoped. Click indicate he still believes Alvarez will be ready for Opening Day.

9:52am: Astros outfielder/DH Yordan Alvarez has been dealing with a seemingly minor knee injury. But it’s an increasing threat to his readiness for the upcoming season.

Houston manager Dusty Baker says that Alvarez won’t appear on Wednesday as had been scheduled, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports on Twitter. His precise timeline is unclear and it’s now uncertain whether he’ll be able to on the active roster on Opening Day.

Alvarez did say just yesterday that he has seen improvement in the joint, as Rome reported. And he expressed optimism about his ability to return for the start of the season.

The precise issue isn’t entirely clear, but Alvarez has indicated it is more or less the same sort of discomfort he faced during the 2019 season. Those problems didn’t prevent him from marauding through MLB pitching, but there’s obviously ample good reason to ensure that the 22-year-old is at full health in advance of his sophomore campaign.

At the moment, there’s no indication that any invasive or other more significant treatment is under consideration. The ’Stros can afford to be patient. While the team would unquestionably miss Alvarez’s big left-handed bat during any absence, it can fill in by handing over more opportunities to Kyle Tucker and others.

Gardenhire Confirms Joe Jimenez Will Be Tigers Closer

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Tigers skipper Ron Gardenhire confirmed today that right-hander Joe Jimenez will function as the team’s primary closer, Craig Mish of Sports Grid reports on Twitter.

This hardly rates as a surprise. Gardenhire had already made clear he viewed Jimenez as the top ninth-inning option heading into camp (as The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen tweeted late last year).

Still, the confirmation of Jimenez’s role is worthy of note, as it wasn’t fully assured when camp opened. The 25-year-old has a dozen saves under his belt but hardly entered Spring Training with a lengthy history of locking down victories. After four scoreless appearances, Jimenez remains on track for the gig.

More importantly, the decision is critical to Jimenez’s contractual future. He’s readying for a key platform season. Reliever arbitration salaries are highly dependent upon saves tallies, so the opportunity to accrue them from the jump promises to boost his earning power substantially.

It’s possible to imagine some different outcomes for Jimenez’s future. The Tigers could consider approaching him about an extension. It’s also possible to imagine a mid-season trade.

Jimenez was reportedly asked about by contending teams at last year’s trade deadline. While he ended the season with only a 4.37 ERA, his second-straight campaign in that ballpark, Jimenez racked up a hefty 12.4 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 while delivering a 14.8% swinging-strike rate. If he can make a few tweaks — such as limiting the long ball (nearly two per nine in 2019) — Jimenez could emerge as a truly dominant late-inning reliever.

Pirates Have Initiated Extension Talks With Four Players

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The Pirates have launched exploratory talks with at least four players about possible long-term deals, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports on Twitter. Jon Heyman of MLB Network had previously reported that the club intended to explore deals of this kind with some young talent.

Among the targets are outfielder Bryan Reynolds, middle infielder Kevin Newman, and starter Joe Musgrove — all relatively youthful, quality MLB players. The Bucs have also approached top prospect Ke’Bryan Hayes, per the report.

As we discussed when the initial news arose, this is hardly surprising in the full context. The Bucs, like many lower-budget organizations, have long relied upon early-career extensions to achieve value. And there are indications that there’s a broader push to lock up relatively inexperienced players around the game, though we’ve yet to see an onrush of dealmaking.

There are some interesting elements here, though. Hayes is an especially intriguing target since he has yet to appear in the big leagues. That’s no longer a barrier to an extension, as we’ve seen several such accords, but it’s also not exactly commonplace.

Most recently, Luis Robert lined up on a $50MM deal — a record-setting number for a pre-MLB player. But he has risen to the ranks of the the most elite prospects in the game. And he had already secured a huge bonus ($26MM) when he signed as an amateur. Suffice to say, Robert had ample leverage.

Hayes is generally regarded as one of the fifty or so best prospects in the game, so he’s not to Robert’s level of future expectations. Perhaps a better comparable is Scott Kingery, who was promised $24MM in his agreement with the Phillies two years back. It’s arguable the market has moved north since that time, so Hayes would be justified in viewing that as a starting point.

Also of note: the lack of talks — so far as is known publicly — between the Pirates and star first baseman Josh Bell. The Bucs already agreed to a $4.8MM arbitration salary with the 27-year-old, who is coming off of a breakout 2019 season. Bell would surely cost a far sight more than any of the players listed above.

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