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Reds Sign Alex Jackson To Minor League Contract

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The Reds signed catcher Alex Jackson to a minors deal, as per Jackson’s MLB.com profile page.  While not specified, the contract presumably includes an invitation for Jackson to attend Cincinnati’s big league spring camp.  Jackson chose to become a minor league free agent last month after he was outrighted off the Rays’ 40-man roster in September.

A veteran of five Major League seasons, Jackson’s 58 games and 155 plate appearances last year represented a new career high for the backstop, though he did very little with the opportunity.  Jackson hit only .122/.201/.237 over those 155 PA, with his 29 wRC+ was a whopping 71 percent below the league-average 100 wRC+ threshold.  These numbers essentially matched Jackson’s career .132/.224/.232 slash line in 340 PA with the Rays, Brewers, Marlins, and Braves.

It has been something of an unexpected career arc for Jackson, whose was seen as something of a hit-first catcher when the Mariners selected him sixth overall in the 2014 draft.  Jackson instead morphed into a quality defensive backstop who has simply been unable to hit big league pitching.  The Rays were content enough with Jackson’s defense to give him semi-regular playing time in 2024, but finally moved on by removing him from their 40-man roster in September.

Cincinnati declined its club option on Luke Maile and Austin Wynns became a minor league free agency after the season, leaving the Reds in sore need for a backup catcher to spell starter Tyler Stephenson.  Jackson and Stephenson are the only catchers in the organization with any MLB experience, and it is likely the Reds will bring in one or two more catchers to compete with Jackson in Spring Training.

Diamondbacks Receiving Trade Interest In Starting Pitching

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The Diamondbacks finished 27th of 30 teams in rotation ERA (4.79) last season, as a lack of production from the starting pitchers was one of the chief reasons why Arizona fell just short of the playoffs.  Despite these recent struggles, however, the D’Backs still got “significant interest from clubs looking for starters” during the GM Meetings last week, according to Will Sammon and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic.

It really isn’t a surprise that any team with any level of on-paper pitching depth is getting hits on their starters, though this level of interest indicates that much of the league might view Arizona’s 2024 rotation performance as something of a fluke.  After all, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez each missed the majority of the season with injury, Zac Gallen spent about a month on the injured list, and Jordan Montgomery just never seemed settled after missing Spring Training and only signing with the D’Backs on Opening Day.  Beyond this veteran group, younger and more controllable starters like Brandon Pfaadt, Ryne Nelson, and Yilber Diaz also had respectable showings as they were called on to cover innings in place of their injured teammates.

Sammon and Mooney didn’t specify which names drew any particular attention from trade suitors, though it might be safe to guess that Rodriguez’s trade value is fairly low, considering his injury-plagued year and the $66MM remaining on his contract through 2027.  Beyond E-Rod, any of Arizona’s other pitchers could be viewed as trade candidates depending on the club’s own plans, or if one rival team views a particular starter as a key fit.

The fact that the Diamondbacks have “more options and more quality,” Sammon and Mooney write, gives them a leg up in trade talks.  The Pirates are another team said to be drawing interest in their pitchers, though since Pittsburgh’s arms are mostly of the younger variety, the Pirates might appeal to teams in a bit of a rebuild stage rather than teams looking for a win-now piece for 2025.  It can also be assumed that the Bucs have pitchers (i.e. Paul Skenes, Jared Jones) who aren’t going anywhere, whereas the D’Backs can be more broadly open to at least listening on any of their starters.

Naturally, a team that got so little from its rotation in one season won’t be so quick to deal away from its starting depth the next year.  However, Gallen, Kelly, and Montgomery are all slated to be free agents next season, so the Diamondbacks could be open to moving a starter they don’t believe will be part of the long-term plan.  Montgomery in particular has been a subject of trade rumors since owner Ken Kendrick criticized his team’s decision to sign the southpaw, and while Montgomery unsurprisingly exercised his $22.5MM player option for 2025, that doesn’t mean the team and pitcher might still part ways via trade.

Trading long-term rotation staples like Gallen and Kelly might be a tougher decision for the D’Backs, yet moving a veteran arm might be preferable than moving one of the controllable younger pitchers.  Arizona could deal away a younger arm as part of an all-in approach to 2025 while their established stars are still around, though that clashes with the more measured style of GM Mike Hazen.  Pfaadt, Nelson, and Diaz could be counted on for larger roles if any of the impending free agents sign elsewhere next winter, and more boldly moving a pitcher like Gallen now would give the D’Backs a big return.

In terms of the needs the Diamondbacks have to address, Sammon and Mooney note that the team is looking for a high-leverage reliever who can perhaps step into a closing role.  Arizona’s bullpen was also a weak link last year, and figures to be more of a focus than a rotation that (on paper) could be fine if everyone is healthy.  Some offensive help also seems necessary with Christian Walker, Joc Pederson, and Randal Grichuk all currently on the free agent market.

Tigers Sign Bligh Madris To Minors Contract

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The Tigers signed first baseman/outfielder Bligh Madris to a new minor league contract, according to Madris’ MLB.com profile page.  Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports that the deal includes an invitation to the Tigers’ big league Spring Training camp, and Madris will earn $800K in guaranteed salary if he makes Detroit’s active roster at any point next season.

Madris returns for his second consecutive season in the Tigers organization, and third stint overall in Motown.  Initially claimed off the Astros’ waiver wire in November 2022, Madris was traded back to Houston a couple of months later.  He spent the 2023 season with Triple-A Round Rock and made 12 big-league appearances with the Astros before rejoining the Tigers on another minors deal almost exactly a year ago.

His first proper stay in Detroit saw Madris appear in 21 games at the MLB level, hitting .269/.324/.358 over 75 plate appearances.  This playing time came while Spencer Torkelson was figuring things out in Triple-A, as Madris ended up playing almost every day at first base after Gio Urshela and Mark Canha were both traded at the deadline, and before Torkelson was recalled in mid-August.

Madris has a .204/.273/.286 slash line over his 228 career PA in the majors, compiled with the Pirates, Astros, and Tigers over the last three seasons.  His Triple-A numbers (.254/.346/.447 in 1603 PA) are much more solid, and the Tigers obviously seem to value Madris as a depth piece within their farm system.  Madris has a minor league option remaining so he might again be spending most of 2025 in Toledo, and anything more than spot duty on the active roster could be difficult to achieve, since Detroit is if anything overloaded with left-handed hitters.

Cardinals Re-Sign Packy Naughton To Two-Year Minors Contract

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The Cardinals have re-signed Packy Naughton to a two-year minor league deal, as revealed by the left-hander himself on his Instagram page.  The extended nature of the contract is due to another tough injury setback for Naughton, as he said that he underwent a UCL reconstruction surgery last July.  Naughton was already working his way back from a flexor tendon surgery in June 2023, though he also re-tore his flexon tendon in addition to the UCL damage.

Naughton didn’t specify if he underwent a full Tommy John surgery or a brace procedure, though in either case, it seems unlikely that he’d be able to pitch again before the end of the 2025 season.  The two-year contract therefore allows Naughton plenty of time to rehab while still keeping him under St. Louis’ control for what will hopefully be a comeback year in 2026.

The southpaw made his MLB debut with the Angels in 2021 and then came to the Cardinals on a waiver claim prior to the 2022 season.  Over 59 2/3 innings and 37 appearances in the big leagues, Naughton has a 4.98 ERA, and he last pitched in the Show on April 7, 2023.  He pitched in one more Triple-A game that season before undergoing his first surgery, and he threw 20 1/3 combined innings over three levels of the Cardinals’ farm system this year before injuries again put his career on hold.

Phillies Chairman John Middleton Expects Higher Payroll In 2025

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The Phillies are no strangers to big spending, as the last four seasons have seen the club post the four highest Opening Day payrolls in franchise history.  It looks as though the payroll ceiling will continue to rise heading into 2025, as team chairman John Middleton told Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this week.

“Given where we are in contract cycles and minor league people coming up, I expect the player payroll to be higher [than this year] rather than lower,” Middleton said.  “I’d be surprised if it’s the same, and I’d be stunned, very stunned, if it’s lower.  I don’t see it being lower.”

According to projections from Cot’s Baseball Contracts and RosterResource, the Phillies have roughly somewhere between $259MM-$270MM already committed to their 2025 payroll in terms of pure dollars.  The luxury tax number is even higher, with Cot’s projecting an approximate tax number of $281.5MM, and RosterResource has a rough estimate of around $288.4MM.

In either case, the Phillies are already slightly or well beyond the third tax penalty tier of $281MM.  While the Phillies have paid the tax in each of the the last three seasons, the third tier has been something of an unofficial internal limit for the Phils during the Middleton era, though he has said in the past that it is by no means a hard cap.  Middleton reiterated as much to Lauber, saying that “for the right player, I have a high degree of confidence that [president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski] and I would go over the third limit.”

As Middleton noted, a spending increase was already baked into the Phillies’ plans due to internal raises alone.  Zack Wheeler’s extension kicks in this winter, so he’ll go from a $23.5MM salary in 2024 to $42MM in each of the next three seasons.  Philadelphia also has a pretty large arbitration class, and might save only around $8.7MM if Austin Hays, Kolby Allard, and Garrett Stubbs are all non-tendered as expected.

Dombrowski could find some creative way to move some larger contracts (say, the money owed to Nick Castellanos and Taijuan Walker) off the books to give the Phils a little more breathing room on the payroll front, though such swaps are much easier said than done.  What Middleton didn’t address was whether or not the Phillies would be willing to top the fourth and final spending tier of $301MM in order to add another big-ticket talent on top of the Phils’ pre-existing core.

Braves Hire Pete Putila As Assistant GM

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The Braves hired Pete Putila in an assistant general manger role, as initially reported by ESPN’s Jorge Castillo (X link).  Putila will be focusing on operating Atlanta’s international scouting department, and he’ll join Jason Pare (whose purview is research & development) and Ben Sestanovich (player development) as the third AGM under president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos.

Putila spent the previous two seasons as the Giants’ GM, working as the chief lieutenant in the baseball ops department under PBO Farhan Zaidi.  However, Zaidi was fired at season’s end, and new president of baseball operations Buster Posey announced that Putila would be replaced as general manager and given a new role in the organization.  It perhaps isn’t surprising that Putila was looking for a fresh start himself in the wake of the Giants’ front office overhaul, thus leading to this new role in Atlanta.

Beginning his baseball career as an intern in Houston’s front office in 2011, Putila spent 12 seasons with the Astros, rising up the ranks to an eventual assistant GM title in 2019.  Even after the Astros shook up their front office in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal, Putila remained in his role under new general manager James Click, and stayed in Houston until the Giants came calling in October 2022.  It wasn’t the first time Putila had drawn interest from other teams, as the Pirates and the Giants themselves had previously considered Putila as a candidate for past front office vacancies.

Hall Of Fame Announces Eight Names On Era Committee Ballot

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Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, John Donaldson, Steve Garvey, Dave Parker, Vic Harris, Tommy John and Luis Tiant were revealed today by the Hall of Fame as this year’s candidates on the Era Committee ballot.  Most commonly known as the “veterans committee,” a panel of 16 people (comprised of former players, executives, sportswriters, and historians) will meet during the Winter Meetings to vote on whether or not any of these eight candidates will be elected to Cooperstown.  At least 12 of 16 votes are needed for induction, and the results of the balloting will be revealed on December 8.

The Era Committee rotates between three pools of candidates every year — players from the “Contemporary Baseball” era of 1980 until the present, managers/executives/umpires from this same 1980-present period, and all individuals from the “Classic Baseball” era of pre-1980.  This year’s ballot focused on the Classic Baseball era, ranging from well-known MLB stars to somewhat lesser-known names like Harris and Donaldson, who were both icons of the Negro Leagues.

Several of the candidates have appeared on Era Committee ballots in the past, with Allen infamously falling a single vote short of induction in both 2015 and 2021.  Harris was also a near-miss on the 2021 ballot, landing 10 of the minimum 12 votes necessary for induction to Cooperstown.

Narrowly missing out on what is already a second-chance ballot adds to the bittersweet nature of the Era Committee.  While the process has corrected many oversights from the writers’ ballot, getting to these oversights sometimes decades after the fact means that some of the inductees aren’t able to personally enjoy their day of glory in Cooperstown.  Garvey, Parker, and John are the only members of this year’s ballot who are still alive, as Tiant passed away less than a month ago.

The Era Committee ballot is separate from the annual BBWAA ballot for more modern Hall of Fame candidates, and the results of the BBWAA ballot will be revealed on January 21.  Ichiro Suzuki is a lock for induction in his first year on that ballot, and C.C. Sabathia and Felix Hernandez are two other first-timers with solid Cooperstown cases.

Joe Jimenez To Miss 8-12 Months After Knee Surgery

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Braves right-hander Joe Jimenez underwent a left knee surgery last week to fix cartilage damage, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Justin Toscano reports (X link).  The procedure comes with a recovery period of 8-12 months, so Jimenez is now in danger of missing the entire 2025 season.

There hadn’t been any indication that Jimenez was dealing with knee problems, as the reliever hasn’t been on the injured list for any reason since the very end of the 2022 campaign, when Jimenez was still pitching with the Tigers.  In a follow-up post on X, Toscano notes that Jimenez hurt his knee during the season but pitched through the discomfort, and the extent of the injury wasn’t known until the surgery took place.

Atlanta acquired Jimenez for a two-prospect package (which included Justyn-Henry Malloy) in December 2022, and the righty has been nothing short of stellar in his two seasons in a Braves uniform.  Jimenez had a 3.04 ERA over 56 1/3 innings in 2023, and then did even better in delivering a 2.62 ERA in 68 2/3 frames this past season.  His strikeout rates have been elite across both seasons, but Jimenez drastically improved his hard-contact numbers from 2023 to 2024 — he jumped into the 91st percentile of all pitchers in both barrel rate and hard-hit ball rate, after not even making the tenth percentile in either category in 2023.

It was almost exactly one year ago that the Braves signed Jimenez to a three-year, $26MM contract extension just shortly before Jimenez was about to hit the free agent market.  Jimenez earned $8MM in 2024 and is slated for $9MM in both 2025 and 2026, though that salary could end up being largely a sunk cost for the 2025 campaign depending on how much time he misses.

A return after the All-Star break would represent the best-case scenario for Jimenez, though the four-month range of his timeline creates a lot of gray area.  In theory, Jimenez could miss most of the regular season and still be ready to participate in a playoff run, though the more time Jimenez misses, the trickier decision the Braves may face in deciding whether or not to activate a potentially rusty pitcher for critical postseason games.

The Braves had one of the league’s best bullpens in 2024, but A.J. Minter, Jesse Chavez, and Luke Jackson are all free agents, and now Jimenez will miss at least half of the season.  Griffin Canning has already been brought into the rotation mix and, spending on any other starters acquired, Atlanta could dip into its young starting depth to reinforce the pen during the course of the 2025 season.  Odds are that president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos was already planning to add a reliever or two to the mix anyway this winter, but Jimenez’s injury now might make the Braves a little more aggressive in shopping in this market.

Joey Meneses, Ildemaro Vargas, Michael Rucker Elect Free Agency After Nationals’ Outrights

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The Nationals announced that first baseman Joey Meneses, utilityman Ildemaro Vargas, and right-hander Michael Rucker are all free agents after clearing waivers and being outrighted off Washington’s 40-man roster.  Meneses was eligible for minor league free agency, while Vargas (due to service time) and Rucker (a past outright assignment) were each eligible to elect free agency and chose to exercise that right.  The moves clear some space on the Nationals’ roster for Josiah Gray, Cade Cavalli, Mason Thompson, and Joan Adon, who were all reinstated from the 60-day injured list.

Vargas was projected for a $1.8MM salary in his third and final year of arbitration eligibility, and with a non-tender likely looming, Vargas will now get an early start on the free agent market.  The 33-year-old Vargas signed a minor league deal with Washington midway through the 2022 season and ended up hitting .257/.302/.354 over 785 plate appearances and 234 games in a Nats uniform.  Most of Vargas’ playing time came at third base, but he spent a substantial amount of time at both middle infield positions and also chipped in for a few games as a first baseman, corner outfielder, and even a mop-up pitcher in blowouts.

Meneses also broke in with the Nationals (and in MLB in general) during the 2022 season, as he stepped in as Washington’s regular first baseman once Josh Bell was traded to the Padres as part of the Juan Soto deal.  After bouncing around the minors and playing in Mexico and Japan during his long pro career, Meneses made the most of his big league debut by hitting .324/.367/.563 with 13 homers over 240 PA during the remainder of the 2022 campaign.

The magic of that unexpected breakout didn’t last, however, as Meneses had an unspectacular .275/.321/.401 slash line in 657 PA in 2023 as the Nationals’ regular DH.  This translated to a sub-replacement level -0.2 fWAR, and the number sunk to -1.0 fWAR when Meneses hit only .231/.291/.302 in 313 PA this season.  Juan Yepez and rookie Andres Chaparro look to be covering Washington’s first base situation for now, though the Nats are expected to make a play for a bigger-hitting first baseman this offseason.

Rucker’s run in the Nationals’ organization was brief, as he was only selected off waivers from the Phillies in September and he didn’t see any big league action.  Rucker hasn’t pitched in the Show since 2023, and he was limited to 30 2/3 minor league innings with Philadelphia and Washington in 2024 due to a lengthy IL stint because of an arterial vasospasm in his pitching hand.

All of Rucker’s MLB experience came with the Cubs from 2021-23, when he posted a 4.96 ERA in 123 1/3 innings out of Chicago’s bullpen.  The home run ball gave Rucker a lot of issues, though his career 3.94 SIERA, 22.6% strikeout rate, and 9.4% walk rate are all palatable.  Assuming that Rucker is now fully healthy, he’ll likely land a minor league deal with a team in need of pitching depth.

Frankie Montas Declines Mutual Option; Brewers Outright Bryse Wilson, Jake Bauers

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The Brewers announced a set of roster moves today, including the news that Frankie Montas declined his end of a $20MM mutual option for the 2025 season.  Montas (who will be 32 on Opening Day) will instead take a $2MM buyout and enter free agency.  Milwaukee also outrighted right-hander Bryse Wilson and first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers off the 40-man roster, and both players will head to free agency as well.

The one-year contract Montas signed with the Reds last winter broke down as a $14MM guarantee for 2024, and then the $2MM buyout on the $20MM mutual option.  It should be noted that mutual options are almost never triggered by both sides, so Montas’ decision to decline the option in the wake of his so-so season shouldn’t be seen as a surprise, as the Brewers surely would’ve passed on their end of the option anyway.

A labrum surgery in February 2023 ended up costing Montas all but 1 1/3 innings of the 2023 season, as he made it back to pitch in the second-last game of the Yankees’ regular-season schedule.  Despite that lost year, the right-hander’s past track record of success as a starter with the Athletics still allowed Montas to land a healthy one-year guarantee in free agency, though his attempt at a bounce-back season delivered mixed results.

Montas posted a 4.84 ERA over 150 2/3 combined innings with the Reds and Brewers, as Milwaukee picked up Montas in an intra-division trade at the deadline.  The righty’s strikeout rate shot upwards after the trade and his SIERA improved by almost a full run, even though Montas’ 4.55 ERA with the Brew Crew wasn’t a huge upgrade over the 5.01 ERA he posted in Cincinnati.

For the full season, Montas’ 22.6% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate, 27.7% chase rate, and hard-contact metrics were all below the league average.  Some rust was perhaps expected since Montas missed basically all of 2023, and the fact that he returned to pitch 150 2/3 innings is perhaps the most important stat in the eyes of some evaluators.  Teams will always have a need for starters who can eat innings, and Montas’ uptick in performance after joining the Brewers could be viewed as a sign that he might still be able to get closer to his old form now that he is further removed from his surgery.

Bauers was projected to earn $2.3MM in his second year of arbitration eligibility, and Wilson $1.5MM in his first trip through the arb process.  Both were expected to be non-tendered, so today’s moves gives the pair an early jump on the free agent market in advance of the November 22 non-tender deadline.

Acquired from the Yankees in a trade last November, Bauers hit .199/.301/.361 with 12 homers over 346 plate appearances in what looks to be his lone season in Milwaukee.  Bauers primarily played in a timeshare at first base with Rhys Hoskins, while also getting some action in at both corner outfield positions.  Hoskins exercised his player option and will return to the Brewers in 2025, with Tyler Black probably now penciled in to at least assume the left-handed hitting side of the first base timeshare, leaving Bauers an obvious odd man out.

Wilson had a 4.04 ERA, 18.6% strikeout rate, and seven percent walk rate over 104 2/3 innings in 2024, and he worked in a variety of roles as a starter, reliever, and bulk pitcher behind an opener.  Working in a pure relief role with the Brewers in 2023, Wilson had a 2.58 ERA in 76 2/3 frames over 53 appearances.

Between Wilson’s solid bottom-line results, the low arbitration price tag, and the remaining years of team control, Milwaukee’s decision to move on from the 26-year-old seems curious at first, though Wilson’s underwhelming peripherals provide the answer.  Wilson’s .253 BABIP helped offset his lack of strikeout punch, and his 4.33 SIERA over his two seasons with the Brewers was substantially higher than his 3.42 ERA.  The Brewers could potentially look to re-sign Wilson to a new contract, though it seems like the Crew might want a higher-upside arm for its pitching depth chart.

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