White Sox Extend Nate Jones
11:05am: The team has announced the deal and its precise terms. Jones does indeed get $8MM over three years, with salaries of $900K, $1.9MM, and $3.95MM. Then, there are two club options ($4.65MM & $5.15MM) with a $1.25MM buyout that applies to either, followed by a mutual option at $6MM.
Those values would change, though, if Jones needs another UCL replacement before the end of the 2018 season, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links). If that occurs, the mutual option would turn into a club option and the three club options would be for a total of just $8.5MM.
10:46am: The White Sox have agreed to an extension with righty Nate Jones, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports on Twitter. The deal will promise Jones $8MM over the next three years and includes multiple option years beyond its guaranteed term.
Jones was entering his second-to-last season of arbitration eligibility, with MLBTR projecting him to earn $900K. Soon to turn 30, Jones missed almost all of 2014 with Tommy John surgery, but made it back for 19 appearances last year. In his 19 frames of work in 2015, he racked up 27 strikeouts against just a dozen hits and six walks, allowing seven earned runs.
Those numbers weren’t as important as the fact that Jones showed he could still bring the high-90s fastball and big slider that made him an exciting pen arm for Chicago. Jones compiled 149 2/3 innings of 3.31 ERA pitching over 2012-13, with his strikeout and walk numbers improving as he went, and seemed prime to emerge as a dominant late-inning arm before he went under the knife.
It’s easy to see how the sides were able to come together on this agreement. Jones will sacrifice the possibility of a big free agent contract in two years’ time, but will be covered in the event that he deals with future elbow issues and will lock in some real money despite a lowered earning capacity due to his ill-timed, pre-arb TJ procedure.
For the club, promising the final year of arbitration and one season of free agent earnings will deliver some upside. Given the price of pen arms on the open market, it’s a relatively meager guarantee. And the opportunity to continue going year-to-year on salaries of around $5MM could be a real bargain if Jones continues to produce.
Rangers To Re-Sign Colby Lewis
The Rangers have a deal in place with righty Colby Lewis that will bring him back to Texas for one year and $6MM, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
A return had long been rumored to be in the works. The physical and official announcement may not occur until the new year, Wilson adds.
Lewis, 36, has recently dealt with a torn meniscus in his knee. But he expects to be ready for the start of Spring Training.
Presumably, Texas will slot Lewis right back into its rotation. He ended the 2015 campaign with a 4.66 ERA, which is hardly exciting. But Lewis logged over two hundred innings and ended with 6.2 K/9 versus 1.8 BB/9.
The total contribution was valued at 2.6 fWAR, based on his more promising 4.17 FIP. On the other hand, he only accrued 1.0 rWAR and both xFIP (4.62) and SIERA (4.43) were less enthused about his efforts.
As Wilson notes, though, both sides were clearly interested in a return. Lewis is a well-known commodity and has shown the ability to rack up solid innings tallies. With the team unsure of what to expect from a struggling Derek Holland, the rehabbing Yu Darvish, and youngsters like Chi Chi Gonzalez and Nick Martinez, it certainly makes sense to re-unite with the steady veteran.
Marlins To Re-Sign Jeff Mathis
10:43am: The deal is actually for $1.5MM and also comes with $100K in available incentives, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
10:28am: The Marlins have agreed to a one-year, $1MM deal with free agent catcher Jeff Mathis, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports on Twitter. Mathis will remain in Miami, where he’s spent the past three seasons.
Mathis, who is entering his age-33 campaign, has already logged 11 big league seasons. He saw far less action last year (32 games) than he has for most of that stretch, but the Fish obviously value his presence as a reserve backstop and veteran leader.
It’s long been apparent that Mathis is a sub-par hitter, and that likely won’t change. Mathis has slashed just .184/.248/.282 in his 554 plate appearances with the Marlins, which is only marginally worse than his career batting line.
But Mathis is valued primarily for his handling of pitchers and glovework behind the dish. He’s still rated as a strong framer, for example, and is well thought of for his blocking and throwing abilities.
Royals To Sign Dillon Gee
DECEMBER 18, 1:24pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links) pegs the potential base salary at $2MM and says that Gee can earn up to $3.3MM in incentives as a starter or up to $700K as a reliever. He also adds that the opt-out ended up being for March 15th, which is still an early date.
11:03am: Gee’s base salary, if he’s on the major league roster, would be $1.75MM, Heyman tweets.
DECEMBER 14, 8:11pm: Gee can opt out of his contract on March 2nd if he has not yet been added to the 40-man roster, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports on Twitter.
That’s an unusually early date, and certainly gives Gee plenty of leverage entering the spring. Most opt-outs occur at the end of camp (if not later), allowing clubs time not only to assess performance but also to look for alternatives.
In this case, Kansas City will be forced into an earlier decision. That makes sense, given that the Royals had to lure Gee away from major league offers from other clubs, per Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter), though those reportedly came from “rebuilding clubs.”
Gee also gets significant salary upside, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The contract includes performance incentives that could bring its total value as high as $5.3MM or so. While the details remain unreported, Passan suggests that Gee could max out the deal with a full season’s worth of starts and an innings tally at or near his career high of 199 frames.
5:35pm: The Royals have struck a minor league deal with veteran righty Dillon Gee, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. Gee opted for free agency after a mid-season outright.
2014 was a disappointing season for the 29-year-old, who lost his rotation spot with the Mets after scuffling out of the gates to a 5.90 ERA. Gee’s peripherals suggested that he was much the same pitcher as always, but New York obviously had good reason to believe that youngster Noah Syndergaard was ready to take his place — and offer an upgrade.
That’s no slight to the generally sturdy Gee, who owns a 4.03 ERA in his 679 1/3 career frames. Kansas City will presumably look at Gee as a bullpen or back-of-the-rotation depth piece, and he makes a good bit of sense in that swingman capacity.
As Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca observes on Twitter, the righty could make for a nice match with the deep K.C. pen if he’s utilized as a starter. Over his career, Gee has been quite good the first two times through the order but has allowed a .806 OPS the third time through.
Braves To Sign Jhoulys Chacin To Minor League Deal
DECEMBER 18: Chacin will earn a $1.1MM salary if he’s in the majors, Heyman tweets.
DECEMBER 14: The Braves have reached agreement on a minor league pact with righty Jhoulys Chacin, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter.
Chacin was outrighted by the Diamondbacks in early November, as Arizona decided not to tender him a contract through arbitration. He had been projected to earn $1.8MM via arbitration.
Atlanta could end up utilizing Chacin in a swingman capacity, as he’s spent time as both a starter and reliever in recent seasons. Last year, he had a solid (albeit brief) showing in the majors and also compiled 137 2/3 innings of 3.27 ERA pitching at Triple-A.
Chacin has been effective as a full-time big league starter as recently as 2013. That year, he fell just shy of 200 innings and managed a 3.47 ERA despite pitching at altitude.
Latest On Chris Davis, Orioles
The Orioles have continued to talk with agent Scott Boras about slugger Chris Davis, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. Boras has been reaching out to other clubs on Davis as well, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets.
As Kubatko explains, it still remains unclear — publicly and to the O’s — what other clubs are serious about pursuing Davis. Baltimore appears to be comfortable waiting, he suggests, and doesn’t seem motivated to up its bid. The previously reported offer reached about $150MM in total value, after accounting for deferred money. Kubatko adds.
If Davis doesn’t end up taking that offer, the Orioles don’t have plans to re-allocate the funds to another major free agent, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports. Owner Peter Angelos has already gone “out of his comfort zone” in pushing the offer to Davis as high as it is, Connolly writes, because of Davis’s unique standing in the organization and his unique ability to generate long balls.
All said, then, it doesn’t appear as if much has changed since the Winter Meetings wrapped up. But that’s notable in its own right, as the lack of alternative suitors and targets, respectively, arguably leaves Davis and the O’s as the most comfortable fit. Of course, whether or not the sides’ contractual differences can be bridged remains to be seen.
Brewers Sign Nick Hagadone
The Brewers have signed lefty Nick Hagadone to a minor-league deal, the club announced. He’ll receive an invitation to major league camp this spring.
Hagadone, who’ll soon turn 30, has compiled 118 1/3 total major league innings — all with the Indians — over the last five years. He owns a 4.72 ERA in that span, with a robust 9.3 K/9 against a less-healthy 4.6 BB/9.
Milwaukee will take a chance at harnessing the southpaw’s big arm. His average fastball velocity dropped below 94 mph for the first time last year, though he still sat at a sturdy 93.6 mph. Hagadone has been much more effective against same-handed hitters, but that could still leave him as a useful LOOGY candidate if he can reel in the walks.
As Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer notes, Hagadone is still working his way back from surgery for a fracture in his left elbow. The procedure was performed in July and was expected at the time to require a six-to-nine month absence.
Pirates Re-Sign Sean Rodriguez
THURSDAY, 10:57am: The Pirates confirmed the signing via press release.
TUESDAY, 1:07pm: The Pirates have reached a deal to bring back free agent infielder/outfielder Sean Rodriguez, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter links). He’ll earn $2.5MM and can earn up to $500K in incentives, per Crasnick and Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter).
Rodriguez, 30, came to Pittsburgh last winter via trade. He earned $1.9MM via arbitration in 2015, so his new deal represents a slight bump up in earnings.
His primary value lies in his defensive versatility. He’s spent time at every position on the field other than pitcher and catcher. Though Rodriguez has spent a plurality of his innings at second base, he’s also accrued over 400 frames at first, short, third, and left field.
Last year, Rodriguez ended up being utilized most often at first base. He’s obviously not suited for that position from an offensive standpoint, as he slashed just .246/.281/.362 over his 240 plate appearances, but the club needed his glove there as Pedro Alvarez struggled defensively.
It seems likely that Rodriguez will be deployed more frequently elsewhere in the infield in 2016, especially early in the year. With Neil Walker now playing for the Mets and Jung Ho Kang looking to return from a significant injury, he’ll represent an important depth piece for the club. The veteran has shown more at the plate in the past, as he hit just shy of league average over 2013-14 in Tampa Bay, and a return to that level of production would make this deal an easy win for the club.
Minor MLB Transactions: 12-15-2015
We’ll track the day’s minor moves right here:
- The Red Sox announced that they’ve re-signed right-hander Anthony Varvaro to a minor league contract. Additionally, they announced the signings of outfielder Ryan LaMarre (as WEEI’s Rob Bradford first reported), catcher Ali Solis, infielder Chris Dominguez and right-hander William Cuevas to minor league deals. Of that group, Varvaro, LaMarre and Dominguez played in the Majors last season, with Varvaro logging 11 innings in the Boston bullpen. The 31-year-old Varvaro has seen Major League action in each season dating back to 2010, highlighted by 128 innings of 2.74 ERA ball for the Braves from 2013-14. LaMarre, 27, made his big league debut with the Reds last season and appeared in 21 games but recorded just 26 plate appearances. Dominguez, 29, also received a brief look from Cincinnati in 2015 and got a similar cup of coffee with the 2014 Giants. Boston also confirmed its previously reported signing of veteran right-hander Sean O’Sullivan on a minors pact.
Earlier Updates
- Among the Twins‘ recent minor league signees are outfielder Darin Mastroianni, shortstop Wilfredo Tovar, and righty Brandon Kintzler, MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger tweets. The 30-year-old Mastroianni failed to crack the majors last year for the first time in four seasons, and slashed just .257/.308/.345 in 484 Triple-A plate appearances. Tovar, 24, had spent his entire career in the Mets organization and put up a .283/.327/.356 batting line last year over 388 turns at bat in his first run at the highest level of the minors. Injuries have limited Kintzler, who is 31. He only threw 29 1/3 innings at all levels last year after contributing 135 1/3 major league innings of 2.93 ERA pitching over 2013-14.
- The Padres have signed backstop Erik Kratz to a minor league deal, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune recently reported on Twitter. Kratz, 35, only saw 28 MLB plate appearances last year but provides another depth piece for a San Diego club that has numerous options behind the dish.
Mets Re-Sign Jerry Blevins
The Mets have reached agreement with free agent lefty Jerry Blevins on a deal that will bring him back to New York, MLB Network’s Matt Yallof reports on Twitter and Blevins himself confirms in a tweet. Per Yallof, the veteran southpaw will earn $4MM and can tack on another $1MM through incentives.
Blevins, 32, came to New York from the Nationals last winter via trade and posted five hitless frames to open the year. But successive arm fractures ended his season at that early juncture, breaking up a three-year run in which he averaged 61 frames annually.
The Nats shipped Blevins to their division rivals after he put up an ugly 4.87 ERA in 2014. But by some measures, that was actually the most productive season of his career. He put up career bests that year in strikeouts (10.4 K/9), FIP (2.77), xFIP (3.25), and SIERA (2.93).
Obviously, the Mets like the outlook for Blevins, both in terms of his ability and his health. He certainly has put up strong run prevention numbers in the past — including a 2.80 ERA over 125 1/3 innings from 2013-14 — and has dominated left-handed hitters to the tune of a career .206/.257/.322 slash.
While the arm troubles are concerning, it isn’t as if they were the typical elbow/shoulder problems that could prove persistent. Blevins was simply unlucky, first taking a line drive to the forearm and then re-fracturing it in an ill-timed fall.