Brewers, Segura Suspend Extension Discussions
MARCH 25th: Talks between Segura and the Brewers have been suspended, reports Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. With the sides facing a substantial gap between their respective valuations at this point, says Cotillo, there are no current plans to re-open discussions.
MARCH 20th: Haudricourt tweets that Segura's agent and the Brewers are "stealthily" having talks about Segura's extension. Segura himself claims he is not aware of any talks taking place. Segura is represented by Joseph Klein of Bouza Klein & Kaminsky. In a piece for the Journal Sentinel, Haudricourt quotes Segura: "I just want to play my game. I let my agent do his job. He hasn't told me anything."
MARCH 17th: Haudricourt follows up after the weekend, noting that while talks have yet to begin, it sounds like the Brewers will attempt to sign Segura to a long-term deal (Twitter link).
MARCH 14th: Brewers GM Doug Melvin and principal owner Mark Attanasio will meet this weekend to discuss the possibility of engaging young shortstop Jean Segura in extension negotiations, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. So far, no discussions with Segura and agent Joe Kleine have taken place.
The 24-year-old Segura has looked like a potential extension candidate ever since posting a big season in his first full year with Milwaukee. As MLBTR's Charlie Wilmoth opined back in September, Segura might figure to land a five-year deal (with an option) for a guarantee in the low-$20MM range.
Of course, since that time, fellow 1+ service-year shortstop Andrelton Simmons inked a seven-year, $58MM deal. Though Segura lacks Simmons' unbelievable defensive prowess (and resulting high floor), that deal will surely stand in the forefront in negotiations. A poor second half dampened what had been an incredible breakout year for Segura, but he still ended up with an impressive .294/.329/.423 line in 623 plate appearances, posting 12 home runs and 44 stolen bases to go with solid defensive ratings.
It was reported back in February that the Brewers had made Segura an offer during an earlier run at extension talks, which obviously was turned down. No doubt the club will need to open the wallet further than it had originally hoped even to get a conversation started.
NL Notes: Corbin, Guerrero, Young, Francisco, Matsuzaka, Fowler
MLBTR's own Charlie Wilmoth has just released a new book. Titled "Dry Land," the volume traces the Pirates and their fans through the club's historic losing streak and recent renaissance. Be sure to check out this post for more details and how you can order a copy. On to the links:
- In two expected moves out of the NL West, Patrick Corbin of the Diamondbacks underwent Tommy John surgery today, MLB.com's Steve Gilbert tweets, while the Dodgers optioned Alex Guerrero to Triple-A, as MLB.com's Ken Gurnick tweets.
- The Nationals have received trade interest from three or four clubs in starter Chris Young, who has an opt-out in his contract this coming Thursday, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. The 33-year-old has had an impressive spring, but seems unlikely to crack the Nats' rotation.
- The Pirates have no interest in signing Juan Francisco if he clears waivers, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. We learned earlier today that the team had chosen to go with Travis Ishikawa over Andrew Lambo as its left-handed bat at first.
- For the Mets, giving Daisuke Matsuzaka a $100K bonus is in large part a strategic effort to protect the club in the event that Jon Niese is unable to make his first start, explains ESPN.com's Adam Rubin. This way, the team can rely on both Matsuzaka and Jenrry Mejia if the need arises, or can simply pick between them for the fifth starter slot.
- The Rockies are better off without center fielder Dexter Fowler because he "isn't tough enough," opines Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post. (Fowler, of course was dealt to the Astros. As presented in my offseason review for the club, I have a different take on the subject of Fowler's departure from Colorado.) Though Kiszla initially credited Fowler with having "the determination to grind through pain" in mid-August of last year, he apparently adjusted his analysis after the 28-year-old missed twenty games late in the season with ongoing hand and wrist injuries. Manager Walt Weiss effectively pushed Fowler out of town, says Kiszla, because the latter "was not the kind of player Weiss needs on a team that must grind out victories in the National League West." Apparently referring obliquely to Fowler, Weiss emphasized the need for players "to compete and grind and play with grit," while assistant GM Bill Geivett explained that the manager "has got to feel comfortable in the weapons he has to attack the other team."
Carlos Santana Will Be Indians’ Regular Third Baseman
Indians manager Terry Francona said today that Carlos Santana will serve as the club's everyday third baseman, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports on Twitter. Francona emphasized that Santana will not platoon with Lonnie Chisenhall, but said that he will also serve as the team's backup catcher.
Needless to say, it appears that Cleveland's lineup construction will be interesting to watch as the season progresses. Of course, if Santana really does see regular part-time catching duties while playing every day in the field, any benefits from reduced wear and tear could be countered by the physical and mental burden of taking on a new position and receiving little rest. And if the team gives him some straight off days to account for this unusual challenge, rather than slotting him in at DH, it stands to lose his bat on those occasions.
For his part, Chisenhall will make the squad but faces a "fluid" playing time situation, according to a Bastian tweet. We broke down some of the potential hot stove implications of this possible move back in January.
Royals Designate Carlos Peguero For Assignment
The Royals have designated outfielder Carlos Peguero for assignment to create roster space for Rule 5 pick Patrick Schuster, tweets Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star.
The 27-year-old former Mariner has had a sparkling spring, posting a .313/.436/.563 triple-slash in 39 plate appearances. But he always faced an uphill battle in unseating Justin Maxwell for the fourth outfielder role. He could find a new home via trade, though any team acquiring him that way (rather than by signing him if he is waived) would need to consider him a strong candidate for an Opening Day spot, as Peguero is out of options.
Rangers To Sign Chris Snyder
The Rangers have agreed to a minor league deal with catcher Chris Snyder, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). Snyder was released just yesterday by the Nationals.
The 33-year-old will provide depth to the team while starter Geovany Soto works to return from knee surgery. Snyder's last substantial MLB action came in 2012 with the Astros, when he put up a .176/.295/.308 line in 258 plate appearances. He had a strong spring line in limited action, putting up a .294/.381/.529 triple-slash with one long ball in 21 plate appearances. The Rangers apparently preferred him to other available options, such as Ramon Hernandez and Yorvit Torrealba.
Royals Claim Rule 5 Pick Patrick Schuster
The Royals have claimed Rule 5 choice Patrick Schuster off of waivers from the Padres, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reports (Twitter links). The 23-year-old southpaw was the first choice in this year's Rule 5 draft.
Kansas City will now have the same rights as did San Diego, meaning the club will need to keep him on its active roster all year in order to keep him going forward. Otherwise, he would once again hit the waiver wire and ultimately (if he clears waivers) be offered back to the Diamondbacks, his original team.
As Dierkes notes, the Royals had seemed ready to give its last pen slot to fellow lefty Francisley Bueno. Instead, perhaps, the club will see if Schuster is able to contribute enough to occupy a valuable roster slot. Of course, Kansas City would need to pass the out-of-options Bueno through waivers to stash him in the minors.
Twins Re-Sign Matt Guerrier
12:19pm: Guerrier can opt out of his deal on May 8, tweets LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune. Financial terms remain the same as in Guerrier's prior deal, tweets Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He will earn $1MM while on the MLB roster and could earn up to $1MM more through incentives, with $250K bonuses triggered upon his 45th, 50th, 55th, and 60th appearances.
11:29am: The Twins have re-signed reliever Matt Guerrier after releasing him yesterday, reports MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger (Twitter links). The new deal includes an opt-out clause earlier than the June 1 date from his old contract, Bollinger adds.
By releasing and re-signing Guerrier, Minnesota avoided paying him a $100K retention bonus to stash him in the minors. The 35-year-old righty had hoped to find a big league opportunity elsewhere, but presumably was unable to do so.
Brewers To Add Rule 5 Pick Wang To Opening Day Roster
The Brewers have informed Rule 5 choice Wei-Chung Wang that he will make the club's Opening Day roster, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter). The southpaw has impressed since being taken from the Pirates after his former club declined to protect him by adding him to its 40-man roster.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether Wang can stick on the active roster for the duration of the season. The 21-year-old Taiwanese hurler has never thrown above the Rookie ball level, though he was fairly dominant there while working almost entirely as a starter. Wang posted a 3.23 ERA in 41 1/3 innings, with 8.0 K/9 against 0.8 BB/9 and a 0.866 WHIP. Thus far in the spring, Wang has a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings, with six strikeouts and no free passes — quite an impressive showing for a pitcher of his experience level.
Nationals Release Michael Gonzalez
The Nationals have released southpaw reliever Michael Gonzalez, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Gonzalez had a Thursday opt-out date, notes Mark Zuckerman of CSNwashington.com (on Twitter).
The 35-year-old seemed a long shot for a slot after the club decided to add Ross Detwiler to the pen. He joined the Nats just three weeks ago after spending 2013 with the Brewers. Gonzalez was an important part of the Nationals club down the stretch in 2012, after signing mid-season.
Rays Release Erik Bedard
The Rays have released pitcher Erik Bedard, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The 35-year-old hurler is expected to seek an MLB opportunity, though Tampa is still interested in bringing him back at the Triple-A level if he does not find a big league roster spot.
Throwing for the Astros last year, Bedard managed a 4.59 ERA in 151 innings over 26 starts and six relief appearances. He struck out batters at a clip of 8.2 K/9 while surrendering 4.5 BB/9 and posting a 36.4% ground ball rate. The veteran southpaw should hold some appeal for clubs looking for an arm to eat innings at the back of a rotation or, possibly, in the bullpen.