Dodgers Sign Cuban Outfielder Yordan Alvarez
JUNE 16: Baseball America’s Ben Badler has a free scouting report on Alvarez posted, though he notes that because of the 18-year-old’s lack of experience in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, his looks at Alvarez have been somewhat limited. Alvarez once had a lean build but has now filled out his 6’5″ frame and weighs in around 220 pounds. Badler notes that scouts who have seen him more praise his bat control and give him average to above-average power grades, but he’s a bit stiff and has limited flexibility at first base. The whole report is well worth a look and contains some video of Alvarez at the plate as well.
JUNE 15: The Dodgers have agreed to a $2MM bonus with Cuban outfielder/first baseman Yordan Alvarez, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports on Twitter. Because the Dodgers have already gone over well over their allotted spending pool, they’ll face a 100 percent tax on the 18-year-old Alvarez, meaning the signing will cost them $4MM in total.
Not much information is available publicly on the latest Los Angeles target on the international market. He appeared in Cuba’s Serie Nacional in 2013-14, beginning at just 16 years of age, and compiled a .279/.342/.327 batting line over 239 plate appearances.
Given his age, Alvarez is subject to international signing restrictions. That explains the timing of the move, as today marks the end of the 2015-16 international signing period, and the Dodgers are set to serve a two-year ban on $300K+ bonuses of such players in the 2016-17 class (which begins on July 2 following a two-week quiet period). The organization continues to plunk down big money on prospects out of Latin America and elsewhere, though their ability to do so for the next two years will now be significantly limited due to this past international signing period. They’ll still be able to bid on players that are exempt from bonus pools, of course, including players like Cuban third baseman Yulieski Gurriel, Cuban second baseman Jose Miguel Fernandez and others that are made available via the posting systems from Korea and Japan.
Top 15 Trade Candidates
MLBTR’s top trade candidate series hits its third week as we reach the middle of June, and we’re beginning to expand the list as the market gains shape. The James Shields trade hasn’t worked out yet for the White Sox, but Chicago still profiles as an early buyer. Might other teams join them in seeking reinforcements sooner than later?
As for this list, we’re not just ranking players by skill alone; we’re looking at overall asset value and trade likelihood. To assess trade value, we’re starting with overall on-field value — with a premium on an ability to make an impact in the current season — and then adjusting for contract and market factors. With contenders’ needs in relatively sharp focus, limitations such as future contract status, age, and niche role (platoon bats, relief-only pitchers) tend to have less of a drag on value — though obviously they still matter quite a bit. With regard to the likelihood of a swap, the focus is on potential selling teams’ motivation to deal, with contract status, near and long-term roster fit, and overall competitiveness all weighing heavily. Some teams simply aren’t in a position at present where it makes sense to include their top potential trade chips, but that will evolve over the coming weeks.
Injuries again had an impact; here’s this week’s list:
1. Jonathan Lucroy, C, Brewers — Still good, still available … at a steep cost. MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently looked at the potential suitors for a player who might be not only the best, but also the most interesting trade chip on this summer’s market.
2. Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers — With Rich Hill hitting the DL and falling off of this list for the time being, Braun moves into the second slot. Some may quibble with this placement, citing the big contract — not to mention the fact that GM David Stearns says “there is no motivation for us to move … an elite-level player.” But reports suggest there’s been at least some chatter involving Braun, who could be the highest-performing hitter available.
3. Jay Bruce, OF, Reds — The division-rival Brewers are giving signs that they’ll wait to see how the market develops with their best chips, but one wonders whether Cincinnati could act more quickly with Bruce’s value on the ascent. Defensive limitations remain a concern, but teams in need of a boost on offense will take a hard look at the 29-year-old.
4. Danny Valencia, 3B, Athletics — This placement feels high, and maybe it is. But Valencia has carried a 1.000+ OPS in both May and June. And he brings a serviceable (albeit below-average) glove at both third base and the corner outfield. With just $3.15MM owed to Valencia in his second-to-last season of arbitration eligibility, he’s a pretty nice piece who could fit on a lot of contending clubs.
5. Arodys Vizcaino, RP, Braves — Vizcaino has shown some cracks in his most recent work. In 3 1/3 innings over four appearances since June 7th, he has surrendered three earned runs on four hits and five walks while recording four strikeouts. That’s not enough to set off any alarm bells, but it’s worth watching how he bounces back.
6. Fernando Abad, RP, Twins — Abad just keeps humming along, and could see some save opportunities as Minnesota struggles to find reliable late-inning relief work. He’s as cheap as they come ($1.25MM) after signing a minor league deal, and can be controlled for another season via arbitration.
7. Julio Teheran, SP, Braves — With Teheran now laying down an impressive run of results, the focus is less on his ability than it is on the market. Atlanta won’t just settle for the best offer for the righty, who is cheap and controllable for years to come, but will set a high price and see if it’s met. As the rest of this list shows, there isn’t much in the way of quality starting pitching available; a club with a present need and future interest could conceivably be enticed to meet the ask.
8. Fernando Rodney, RP, Padres — Though he hasn’t pitched much of late, it’s no longer possible to ignore Rodney’s brilliance thus far. The walks (4.0 BB/9) are still a concern, but Rodney is inducing grounders at a career-best 61.2% rate and is generating swinging strikes at a solid 11.6% rate. The fastball still averages better than 95 mph. Plus, he’s owed just $1.6MM this year — though incentives will drive that up — and can be kept for 2017 at a floating rate that could be quite reasonable if things continue in this direction.
9. Sean Doolittle, RP, Athletics — After some struggles early, Doolittle has regained his fastball velocity, with the results catching up as batters can’t. He is controllable through 2020 on a fairly meager guarantee, so he’s no certainty to be dealt, but the A’s could choose to cash in on the 29-year-old, who now owns a 2.45 ERA with 11.9 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 on the year. Those are the kinds of numbers that could motivate a contender to part with some serious value, though health remains a long-term concern.
10. Zack Cozart, SS, Reds — After three straight seasons of defensive excellence and subpar hitting, Cozart has run up a .271/.312/.475 batting line with 18 home runs in 437 plate appearances over the last two seasons. He’s earning less than $3MM in 2016 and will be eligible for a final trip through arbitration next year, so Cinci doesn’t need to make a move. But with Jose Peraza returning to the majors, it’s possible to imagine the Reds looking to get something out of the player who might end up being the most appealing shortstop available at the deadline.
11. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Rockies — The Rox have gone on a nice little run in the last week, reducing their trade likelihood for the time being. Gonzalez would look like a clearer trade piece for most organizations, but it’s still all but impossible to gauge Colorado’s willingness to move the big-swinging 30-year-old.
12. David Hernandez, RP, Phillies — Signed to a $3.9MM deal after dealing with injuries in recent years, Hernandez has made good on the Phillies’ hopes. Over 30 1/3 frames, he owns a 2.37 ERA with 11.9 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9. His 14.2% swinging strike rate is in line with his career-best 2012 season. You could argue for Jeanmar Gomez, Hector Neris, or Andrew Bailey to represent a surprising Phils’ pen on this list, and all are also plausible candidates in their own right, but Hernandez has the best mix of performance and likelihood of being dealt. (Gomez and especially Neris come with future control, while Bailey hasn’t been as good as the others.)
13. Jon Jay, OF, Padres — Seems like every time we talk about a team with an outfield need, Jay is one of the first names mentioned. He’s something like this trade season’s Gerardo Parra. Jay is a quality left-handed hitter who has never carried much of a platoon split, is capable of providing solid defense up the middle or in the corners, and is owed a reasonably $6.85MM this year before hitting the open market.
14. Melvin Upton, OF, Padres — Though he’s scuffled a bit in the month of June, Upton still looks like a useful fourth outfielder who can play any position on the grass. His wheels and defense are an asset for a contending team, and San Diego has good reason both to open a roster spot for younger options and to offload some of its remaining obligations to Upton.
15. Jeremy Jeffress, RP, Brewers — Jeffress is in the mist of a third straight season of sub-3.00 ERA work, so perhaps he was too slow to make this list and rates too low on it. But while he’s still generating a good swinging strike rate (11.6%) that’s in line with his work last year, Jeffress isn’t even striking out seven batters per nine and has never been elite in that department. He does have an impressive and consistent groundball percentage that sits just under 60%, but that arguably makes him more of a very good setup man than a shut-down closer. If the market views him as the former rather than the latter, Milwaukee may not be sufficiently motivated to deal him with three years of control remaining.
Keep reading for more names that were considered …
Draft Signings: 6/16/2016
There are a lot of notable draft deals to work through from the last two days. Among them:
- Blue Jays second-rounder Bo Bichette announced that he’s signed a deal, which Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets is for a $1.1MM bonus. A son of long-time big leaguer Dante Bichette, the high-school shortstop landed above the $978,600 value at the 66th overall pick. Fellow second-rounder J.B. Woodman inked for $975K, Callis adds on Twitter. An outfielder from Mississippi, he also will deliver some savings to Toronto. The 57th selection came with a $1.124MM slot value. The Jays also added third-round pick Zach Jackson, Callis tweets. The Arkansas righty signed for $540K, leaving the team with $45,100 in savings.
- Another second-round pick who’s ready for a minor league assignment is C.J. Chatham, who goes to the Red Sox for $1.1MM, per MLB.com (via Twitter). Chosen 51st overall, the Florida Atlantic shortstop rated just outside the top 100 per Baseball America. His signing saves the club $132,800 against the slot value.
- The Brewers agreed with second-rounder Lucas Erceg for $1.15MM, Callis reports on Twitter. The Menlo College third baseman rated 47th on the draft board of ESPN.com’s Keith Law. He was taken 46th overall, which came with an allocation of $1,386,900.
- The Twins are in agreement with second-rounder Ben Rortvedt on a $900K bonus, per another Callis tweet. Minnesota saves $241,600 against the slot value while adding the Wisconsin high school backstop. Cotillo tweets that Twins third-rounder Griffin Jax, a righty from the Air Force Academy, has agreed to an at-slot, $645.6K bonus.
- The Dodgers agreed to a $590,800 bonus with second-round pick Mitch White, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. The Santa Clara righty ended up going for over $400K less than the 65th pick’s pool allocation, so Los Angeles can put that money to work in other areas.
- Rays third-round choice Austin Franklin signed for a $600K bonus that falls a bit shy of the $676,200 slot value, Callis tweets. Franklin is a high-school righty out of Florida.
- The Royals have an above-slot deal with third-rounder Khalil Lee, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets, though the exact bonus isn’t known. Taken with the 103rd selection, the Virginia high school outfielder rated 121st on BA’s board.
- The Athletics have locked up third-rounder Sean Murphy for an at-slot, $753,100 bonus, Callis tweets. Baseball America had rated him 63rd among draft-eligible prospects, but Oakland got him with the 83rd pick.
- Bryson Brigman appears to be in agreement with the Mariners for $700K, just under the $708,200 slot value, per a tweet from Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. A shortstop from the University of San Diego, Brigman went 87th overall.
- The Giants have given an at-slot, $625,900 bonus to Heath Quinn, Callis tweets. The power-hitting Samford outfielder was taken with the team’s third-round selection.
- The Cardinals signed fourth-rounder Jeremy Martinez, a catcher from the University of Southern California, for $600K, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. That lands over the $421,600 allocation that came with the 136th selection in the draft.
- Brewers fourth-round selection Corbin Burnessigned for a slot bonus of $536,400, Callis tweets. A righty from St. Mary’s, Burnes took the 57th slot on the Baseball America draft chart on the basis of improving velocity and the possibility of sticking as a starter.
Red Sox To Sign Casey Janssen
The Red Sox have signed veteran reliever Casey Janssen to a minor league deal, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports on Twitter. He is expected to pitch at the Triple-A level after a preliminary trip through the low minors.
Janssen spent spring training with the Padres, but San Diego released him in late March when it became apparent he wouldn’t crack the roster. He had yet to sign with another organization since.
The 34-year-old pitched at the major league level most recently with the Nationals in 2015. He was unable to make up for a decline in fastball velocity that has worsened over the years. Despite minimizing baserunners (38 hits and eight walks in 40 frames), he was touched for five long balls and suffered from sequencing misfortune. The result was a 4.95 ERA.
Before that, Janssen had compiled an impressive eight-year run with the Blue Jays. Over 493 frames, he worked to a 3.52 ERA with 6.7 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9. At his best, though, from 2011 through 2013, Janssen struck out about one batter per inning with around two walks per nine while carrying a 2.46 ERA.
Reinsdorf: White Sox Will Keep Pushing To Contend
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf made clear that his ballclub has every intention of continuing to add to its major league roster this summer, Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago reports. Levine had posited recently that the team could buy now and sell in July if things don’t pan out, but the owner shot down that theory.
Though the report doesn’t contain any direct quotes, Levine says that Reinsdorf offered that “he had no plans for anything but a full-out attack on helping his front office find a way to win now.” In short, it seems that Chicago could continue to be one of the most active buyers over the coming weeks.
I recently examined that very subject, focusing on the areas that the South Siders could target for improvement. An outfield addition seems paramount, but it’s also possible to imagine moves behind the plate or in the staff, with both the rotation and pen seemingly susceptible of improvement. We also listed many of the top trade candidates in a post earlier today.
The Sox have fizzled of late after a blistering start to the year, but they’re still hovering around .500 and are right in the thick of things in a four-way AL Central race. It remains to be seen how much cash the club is willing to commit to bolster the roster after opening the year with about $114.5MM on the books. Of course, that figure doesn’t include the $13MM that would have been owed to Adam LaRoche had he not retired this spring.
Chicago already took on about $27MM for this season and the two to come by adding James Shields, as well as another $1MM for the signing of Justin Morneau. But it stands to reason that the organization could still take on more salary, which may help reduce the need to part with young talent while adding major league pieces.
Diamondbacks Agree To Terms With Top Pick Anfernee Grier
The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with Anfernee Grier, the team’s top draft pick, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter). He’ll receive a $1.5MM bonus, which lands just shy of the $1,658,600 allocation for the 39th overall selection.
Arizona sacrificed its first-round selection to sign Zack Greinke over the winter, but made clear it wasn’t interested in punting its competitive balance lottery choice to add another qualifying offer-bound free agent. Grier represents the payoff for that decision.
An outfielder from Auburn University, Grier was widely viewed as one of the fifty best draft-eligible prospects coming into this year’s festivities. The ESPN.com team rated him highest, at No. 40, citing his improving mechanics at the plate and top-end athleticism. He’s a center fielder who could still grow into additional power, so there’s upside aplenty.
Of course, there’s also some reason for skepticism. Baseball America (which rated him 49th) and MLB.com (54th) were somewhat less willing to bet on Grier. He doesn’t have a lengthy and consistent track record of dominance at the college level, and doesn’t feature well-developed plate discipline.
Pirates Sign First-Rounder Will Craig
The Pirates have officially signed first-round draft choice Will Craig, as Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweeted. He’ll receive an at-slot bonus of $2,253,700, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter).
Craig, a junior out of Wake Forest, went 22nd overall to Pittsburgh. He is a two-way player, which led to some confusion on draft night when he was mistakenly announced as a pitcher, but the Bucs have targeted him for his bat.
The MLB.com prospect team of Callis and Jonathan Mayo were highest on Craig, placing him 31st on their draft board. He’s a high-quality overall hitter who is credited for his advanced approach, bat speed, and pop.
It remains to be seen, though, whether Craig will be able to stick at third base. There’s concern that he’ll be forced to first due to a lack of athleticism, and that’s a big reason that Baseball America and ESPN.com ranked him as the 45th-best prospect.
Rays Designate Dana Eveland
The Rays have designated lefty Dana Eveland for assignment, as Chris Cotillo of SB Nation first tweeted. The club has selected the contract of outfielder Jaff Decker to take his spot on the active roster, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported earlier on Twitter.
Eveland, 32, had struggled to a 7.56 ERA in his 16 2/3 innings on the year. He has averaged better than a strikeout per innings, but his swinging strike rate is down and he has also issued 13 free passes in that span.
[RELATED: As the Roster Resource depth chart shows, Tampa Bay still has two other southpaws in the pen.]
Decker will get another shot at the majors after brief stints in each of the past three years. He may be needed to help cover for Steven Souza, who suffered a hip injury last night. Decker owns a .233/.351/.358 batting line over 232 Triple-A plate appearances on the year.
Should The White Sox Keep Adding?
This post addresses a fairly straightforward subject: next moves for the White Sox. Yet I’ve re-written it about three times since I started, since the club keeps changing its roster.
Just look at some of the notable moves from the last ten days:
- Acquire SP James Shields
- Designate 1B/OF Jerry Sands
- Designate SP Mat Latos
- Sign 1B Justin Morneau
- Promote SS Tim Anderson
- Designate SS Jimmy Rollins
- OF Austin Jackson to DL for at least 6 weeks
- RPs Daniel Webb, Jake Petricka out for season
Okay, yes, I broke up some of those combined transactions for effect. But for mid-June, that’s a lot of action! Latos and Rollins were both important buy-low, fill-in pieces that Chicago hoped would bolster a top-heavy roster. Those experiments ended early, with pricier (Shields) and glitzier (Anderson) replacements brought in. Sands was also sent out, and the club suffered three notable injuries. Oh, and Chicago finally added that Adam LaRoche replacement … except that it’s largely unknown when Morneau will suit up.
Despite all the movement, it’s not clear that the organization is really much better situated than it was ten days back. There’s a nice step up from Latos to Shields — despite the latter’s immense struggles through two outings — and some worthwhile rolls of the dice, but the injury hit likely saps any gains and there’s risk aplenty.
That creates a bit of a dilemma for GM Rick Hahn and his staff. None of the recent changes have been too terribly dramatic, but they are a bit committing. Chicago will reportedly owe Shields $27MM, which ain’t nothing, and gave up Erik Johnson to get him — taking away the team’s most plausible “next starter up.” And going with Anderson leaves Chicago exposed to the variance of young talent; if he isn’t quite ready, Rollins won’t be around to step back in.
Having started the acquisition process in early June, with the club hovering around .500, there’s still time to reverse out at the deadline if things really go south. But the first round of moves still begs for a counterpart — another addition or two that ramp this up from a minor makeover to a reasonably substantial renovation of the parts of the roster that are most in need. The division is still there for the taking, with a Wild Card berth an achievable consolation prize in a tightly-bunched American League.
Moving on the market at this stage means picking from among a few highly-motivated selling organizations. In all likelihood, not all of the players mentioned in my recent post ranking the ten top trade candidates are available yet. That results in a fairly limited field and likely would require the White Sox to be aggressive in its offers.
So, what areas could Chicago target?
Outfield
True, the addition of Morneau supplies the left-handed first base/DH option that LaRoche once was. But he’s not providing plate appearances right now and there’s no time to lose. Plus, with Jackson down for at least six weeks, and not performing terribly well anyway, there’s still a need in the outfield.
Without Jackson around, the South Siders are reduced to shifting Adam Eaton back to center and utilizing defensively-deficient regulars Melky Cabrera and Avisail Garcia at the corners. It’s certainly not an optimal mix, at least from a fielding perspective, and there isn’t much promise among the organization’s internal options.
Adding a center-field capable player, who could either share time with Jackson down the line or operate as a frequent fourth outfielder, would seem optimal. It’s not often that there’s a readily-available fit this time of year, but Jon Jay of the Padres may be just what’s needed. He is solid with the glove and with the bat, would create some additional platoon options with Jackson (though the latter doesn’t generally carry significant platoon splits), and he’s a reasonably-priced rental. Jay would add real value now — while Jackson and Morneau remain unavailable — and be useful once they return.
Some might tab Jay Bruce of the Reds here: he’s eminently available and is slugging again. But he’d have made more sense before the addition of Morneau, since he’s best suited as a DH given his abysmal fielding metrics. Adding Bruce now would boost the offense some, but wouldn’t do much for run prevention.
It’s also arguable that the team should wait in this area. Players like Josh Reddick and Carlos Gonzalez could be made available later, but probably aren’t realistic options in the near term. And if the team is willing to look at right-handed hitters, Ryan Braun could be in consideration. But these players will come with a higher acquisition cost, aren’t options in center, and likely won’t solve the immediate need.
A middle-ground approach could involve making a run at Carl Crawford. He isn’t an option in center at this stage of his career, but he’s been a solid-enough hitter and fielder who adds value with his legs. Plus, he can be employed for the league minimum. Crawford would provide a near-term solution — at least, a reasoanble upgrade over the likes of Sands and J.B. Shuck — while leaving the club free to assess and act accordingly over the next six weeks.
Bullpen
Chicago reportedly has interest in a pen lefty, and odds are a marginal upgrade wouldn’t be considered. The White Sox have three relief southpaws at present; all are useful, but none represent true set-up options. Zach Duke has basically been a LOOGY this year, dominating same-handed hitters while struggling mightily against righties. Dan Jennings has lost velocity and his whiff rate is down, to go with an already-troubling propensity for the free pass, even if the results are good so far. And Matt Purke, a reclamation project, has been surprisingly solid, but it’s hard to count on him for much.
In short, there’s no need for a solid southpaw, because Chicago has those. But an impact arm that would could slot into a set-up role in front of closer David Robertson would be intriguing. At present, it’s not entirely clear who that might be, however. Will Smith of the Brewers and Sean Doolittle of the Athletics would qualify, but their extended control would make for steep asking prices. Perhaps there’s an argument to be made that Fernando Abad is good enough to push for an early strike, but it’s hard to see that kind of addition moving the needle too forcefully.
The unfortunate realization that Petricka and Webb aren’t coming back this year also opens some additional need and opportunity in the pen. Petricka, in particular, has given the ChiSox a lot of solid frames in recent years, and the club could respond by bolstering its right-handed unit. Nate Jones, Matt Albers, and Zach Putnam are useful set-up options, so there isn’t a pressing need here, but this is probably the easiest area for a team to add depth throughout the year.
Catcher
This may be a low likelihood area to make a change, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that Dioner Navarro and Alex Avila have combined to underwhelm both with the bat and behind the plate. Both are playing on one-year contracts, too, and there’s long-term uncertainty at the position.
The backstop ranks are fairly thin all around baseball, and the Sox don’t need another solid second catcher type. They have that on hand already. If the team is going to look at this position, it’d be looking for a significant upgrade.
Jonathan Lucroy remains the top dog on our list of the biggest trade chips, and he’d be a great target. Lucroy has been at the top of his game in all regards, remains cheap this year and next, and could also see action at first or DH. Trouble is, other organizations surely see him the same way, and the Brewers are said to be asking for a lot.
There are some other possibilities, but it’s not clear that they represent enough of a bump over Navarro and Avila to warrant the outlay that would be required. Derek Norris of the Padres and Welington Castillo of the Diamondbacks are, however, at least worth considering — though it’s unknown whether and when the latter will be made available.
Starter
Yes, the team just added Shields. But with their new righty struggling, Carlos Rodon still looking more like a wild card than a playoff starter, and Miguel Gonzalez more serviceable than sensational, there’s still a conceivable need here.
Plus, there may be a little bit of a two-for-one possibility at play. It may or may not be something the team would ever consider, but adding a rotation piece could allow it to put Rodon into the back of the pen, where he could be a force. He’d still offer rotation depth, provide a long-relief option, and might well dominate — all while clearing the way for a starter who is perhaps better able to contribute every fifth day right now.
Regardless of whether that concept holds water, and despite already checking this box, picking up a real rotation upgrade still holds appeal. That could take many forms: a sturdy rental (Jeremy Hellickson?), a play for the top short-term arm available (Rich Hill, arguably, at least once he returns), another Shields-like gambit (Ervin Santana, perhaps?), or a higher-performing, controllable piece (Julio Teheran?).
Of course, acquiring a more impactful starter would raise the possibility of parting with a significant return. And that would likely implicate Carson Fulmer, last year’s top draft pick. A decent portion of his draft stock was tied up in the belief that he’d make it to the majors quickly, but he has encountered some bumps in the road at Double-A. Rather than hoping for a sudden ascension, perhaps it’s time to cash Fulmer in.
Reverse Course?
All those areas to improve arguably point to quite a different conclusion, though. The White Sox aren’t playing all that well and aren’t projected to do much more. They have lots of needs. And without significant prospect capital to work with, they’re faced with the options of clearing out the farm and/or taking on some major future salary commitments.
It’s certainly arguable that this just isn’t the time to go for it. A densely-packed division provides opportunity, but also means there are a lot of teams to outperform. Chicago could position itself as the top seller, depending upon who it’d be willing to spin off, were it to make a beeline back to port after charting a course for contention in rough seas. It’s also possible that the team could hold that out as a back-up plan even if it does seek additional early strikes via trade.
The one path that seems least desirable, perhaps, is a half-hearted buying effort that harms the future without really boosting the team’s chances at present. Hahn has said that he believes strongly in the core of this roster, so perhaps it’s time to act boldly to surround it with a few more strong pieces. Without a mix of new blood (some solid fill-ins and/or a significant addition or two), the Sox may be in need of some breaks to remain in the hunt in the AL Central.
Padres Agree To Terms With Eric Lauer
The Padres agreed to terms with compensation choice Eric Lauer, Baseball America’s John Manuel reports on Twitter. He’ll earn $2MM, just $159,900 shy of the full allotment for the 25th overall pick.
San Diego chose Lauer, a lefty out of Kent State, as part of a critical haul of draft prospects. He was taken just after shortstop Hudson Potts — who recently changed his last name from Sanchez, per MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. The signing means that the club has inked six of its eight selections from the first five rounds, including top selection Cal Quantrill, with a net savings from that group. Still yet to sign are Buddy Reed (48th overall) and Reggie Lawson (71st).
Lauer drew top-thirty grades from MLB.com and Baseball America, which cited his improving showing over the last year. His calling card is a fairly polished, four-pitch mix that gives him a fairly strong floor. With good athleticism and an easy motion, Lauer looks like a solid bet to crack the majors. Of course, it’s less clear that he has the upside of some higher-octane arms, and that viewpoint led Keith Law of ESPN.com to rate him 50th among draft-eligible prospects.