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Orioles, Rangers Announce ALDS Rosters

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The Rangers and Orioles begin their AL Division Series matchup today in Baltimore, with Texas southpaw Andrew Heaney starting against Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish.  With Game 1 just a few hours away, the two clubs each announced their full 26-man rosters for the series.

The most prominent omission is John Means, as O’s manager Brandon Hyde told reporters (including Danielle Allentuck of the Baltimore Banner) that Means is suffering from some minor elbow soreness.  Since Means hadn’t pitched since September 7, he threw a simulated game to keep his arm fresh, but that’s when the soreness developed.  As ominous as this sounds for a pitcher who only just returned from Tommy John surgery rehab a few weeks ago, Means is expected to be available should the Orioles advance to the ALCS.

Means posted a 2.66 ERA over 23 2/3 innings in his four starts since rejoining the roster after his lengthy rehab, though a tiny .130 BABIP helped paper over more concerning number.  Means’ 6.00 SIERA was far greater than his ERA, and while not a big strikeout pitcher even pre-surgery, the left-hander had only an 11.4% strikeout rate during his return.

There’s less surprise with the Texas roster, as the Rangers are fielding basically the same group who defeated the Rays in the Wild Card Series.  Left-hander Cody Bradford is the only newcomer, taking the spot of righty Grant Anderson as Texas is apparently looking for some more reinforcement against Baltimore’s array of left-handed bats.

Max Scherzer didn’t make the roster, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (X link) writes that Scherzer isn’t ready for the start of the series, but could emerge by Game 3 in a relief role if an injury vacancy opens up on the Rangers’ roster.  Scherzer hasn’t pitched since September 12 due to a teres major strain, but though the injury was thought to be a probable season-ender, the superstar has been diligently strengthening his arm and throwing bullpen sessions.

Grayson Rodriguez will start Game 2 for the Orioles, but with Means out of action, Kyle Gibson and Dean Kremer now step up as the top options to start Game 3 and a possible Game 4.  Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi are lined up to start Games 2 and 3 for Texas, and two off-days in the series mean that it would likely be Montgomery against Bradish in a winner-take-all Game 5.

The full rosters…

Rangers

Orioles

Offseason Outlook: Cleveland Guardians

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Finding a new manager is the first order of business for the Guardians, as Terry Francona is retiring after a Cooperstown-worthy managerial career.  The offseason’s first weeks will be dominated by news of the managerial search, but Cleveland will still face lingering questions about how to upgrade the lineup, and whether or not to trade Shane Bieber.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Jose Ramirez, 3B: $105MM through 2028
  • Andres Gimenez, IF: $101.5MM through 2029 (includes $2.5MM buyout of $23MM club option for 2030)
  • Myles Straw, OF: $19.25MM through 2026 (includes $1.75MM buyout of $8MM club option for 2027; Guardians also have an $8.5MM club option with a $500K buyout on Straw’s 2028 season)
  • Emmanuel Clase, RP: $15MM through 2026 (includes $2MM buyout of $10MM club option for 2027; Guardians also have a $10MM club option with $2MM buyout on Clase’s 2028 season)
  • Trevor Stephan, RP: $8.65MM through 2026 (includes $1.25MM buyout of $7.25MM club option for 2027; Guardians also have a $7.5MM club option with no buyout on Stephan’s 2028 season)

Other Financial Obligations

Total 2024 commitments: $41.1MM
Total future commitments: $259.9MM

Arbitration-Eligible Players (projected 2024 salaries via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Free Agents

Francona’s final season unfortunately didn’t include any more postseason magic, as the Guardians finished with a 76-86 record — just the second losing record for Francona in his last 19 seasons as a manager.  Since the Twins didn’t pull away until later in the season, the relative weakness of the AL Central left the Guardians in an odd state of quasi-contention, resulting in an unusual slate of transactions in the second half.

The pre-deadline moves of Amed Rosario (to the Dodgers), Aaron Civale (to the Rays) and Josh Bell (to the Marlins) seemed like a borderline concession, yet with Cleveland still just two games behind Minnesota at the end of August, the Guards took advantage of the Angels’ semi-fire sale on the waiver wire to claim Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and Matt Moore for the stretch run.  A 12-16 record in September and October finally did Cleveland in, and the real white flag was waived on September 19 when the Guardians themselves put Moore on waivers, and the southpaw was claimed away by the Marlins.

The sub.-500 record doesn’t mean the Guards will explore a rebuild, however.  The franchise’s state of more or less perpetual contention isn’t likely to end now that Francona is gone, as president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and GM Mike Chernoff still have plenty of talent on hand.  Superstar Jose Ramirez is still in his prime, and the Naylor brothers (Josh and Bo) now both look like impressive young hitters, with Bo performing well in his first extended taste of MLB action as the Guardians’ regular catcher.

However, the rest of the lineup was lacking.  The Guardians finished last among all teams in home runs, 29th of 30 in slugging percentage, and 27th in both OPS and runs scored.  It was another inconsistent offense that required the pitching staff to be great to have a hope of legitimately contending, so when a number of injuries reduced the staff to being just decent, the club suffered.

For some added salt in the lineup’s wound, outfielders Nolan Jones (Rockies) and Will Benson (Reds) ended up having breakout seasons after the Guardians respectively dealt the outfielders in offseason trades.  It’s hard to say if either Jones or Benson would’ve posted similar numbers if they’d have stayed in Cleveland, though that might speak to a separate issue of why the organization couldn’t unlock that potential itself.

More offense is clearly necessary, so where can the Guardians improve?  Ramirez and the Naylors have third base, first base, and catcher covered.  Andres Gimenez and Steven Kwan will hold everyday positions in 2024, even if perhaps not necessarily in their normal spots of second base and left field.  Getting Gimenez anywhere close to his 2022 numbers would be a boost unto itself for the Guardians, as after signing a seven-year, $106.5MM extension, he delivered only around league-average production this season.

If Gimenez isn’t moved across the middle infield, former top-100 prospects Gabriel Arias, Brayan Rocchio, and Tyler Freeman will all be competing for the shortstop job.  Arias is the favorite since he received most of the playing time in the latter stages of 2023, though none of the trio has hit much of anything during their (admittedly small) sample size of MLB playing time.  With these three, Jose Tena, Juan Brito, and more interesting middle-infield prospects down on the farm, Cleveland could again look to trade from this surplus for help at other positions.

This leaves the DH spot and the two non-Kwan outfield positions as the most obvious positions of need.  Kwan is one of the game’s best defensive left fielders, but if he can handle center field, Myles Straw could become a fourth outfielder and allow for the Guardians to put more pop into the corner slots.  Straw continues to be an excellent defender, but also one of the least-impactful hitters in baseball.  Among other in-house outfielders, Will Brennan didn’t hit much, Oscar Gonzalez hit even less and was relegated to Triple-A, and Ramon Laureano had about league-average production after being claimed from the A’s in August, but that’s probably not enough to avoid a non-tender.

First baseman Kyle Manzardo (acquired in the Civale trade) and top outfield prospects George Valera and Chase DeLauter should all be making their MLB debuts at some point in 2024, and the Guardians would love to see any of them have an immediate breakout.  In the interim, however, the Guards need bats now, thus opening the door for one or two veteran bats on short-term control.

After spending relatively big by their standards to sign Bell (two years, $33MM), and Mike Zunino (one year, $6MM), one wonders if the Guardians are willing to stretch the budget even that far into free agency.  The pickings are slim in general in this winter’s thin position-player market, and Cleveland’s choices are further limited by their modest payroll.  Furthering narrowing the field is the left-handed slant of the current Guardians lineup, so the team might prioritize right-handed or switch-hitters.

Adam Duvall, Tommy Pham, or a bounce-back candidate like Hunter Renfroe could fit.  If more lefty swingers are on the radar, maybe Joc Pederson or old friend Michael Brantley could fall within the Guards’ price range.  The Guardians figure to be one of many teams vying for Aaron Hicks since the Yankees are covering almost all of his salary over the next two seasons, but the rejuvenated Hicks might prefer to join a more clear-cut contender or just stay in Baltimore.  For first base/DH types that could share time with Josh Naylor, players like Rhys Hoskins, Garrett Cooper, or another former Cleveland staple in Carlos Santana could be considered.

Turning to the trade market, the Guardians’ enviable ability to keep developing quality big league starters can get them involved in several trade conversations, depending on how much pitching depth Cleveland is willing to sacrifice.  Making a blockbuster strike for, say, Juan Soto doesn’t fit Antonetti/Chernoff’s traditionally measured approach, but landing a quality bat with more team control is a possibility.  Teams like the Cardinals, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, or Nationals are all varying degrees of fits in pitcher-for-outfielder scenarios, and any number of clubs could further emerge since every team always needs pitching in a broad sense.

Could landing a veteran bat for Shane Bieber be feasible?  It would depart from the Guardians’ usual model of trying to get at least one big league-ready younger talent and a longer-term prospect when dealing one of its established veteran stars, yet Bieber’s trade stock has taken a bit of a dip.  Bieber is only arbitration-controlled through the 2024 season, and he has had two of his last three seasons shortened by injuries.  It seems possible that Cleveland might’ve dealt Bieber at the last trade deadline if he’d been healthy, rather than on the 60-day injured list due to elbow inflammation.

Though years of Bieber-related trade rumors seem to have led to this crescendo in the 2023-24 offseason, an argument can be made that the Guardians should also hold onto the right-hander until at least the trade deadline.  This past season has underlined the importance of rotation depth, with Bieber and Cal Quantrill each missing a good chunk of the season and Triston McKenzie limited to only 16 innings.  If Bieber was dealt, Cleveland would be left with a rotation of McKenzie and Quantrill looking for bounce-back years, and the outstanding but inexperienced rookie trio of Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and Logan Allen.  It’s still a solid group on paper, though more injuries or at least one sophomore slump could again leave the Guards scrambling, even if more young arms (headlined by Xzavion Curry) are waiting for their opportunity.

If Bieber was retained, the Guardians could explore moving Quantrill as an alternative, as Quantrill has two years of arbitration eligibility to Bieber’s one.  It would also be something of a sell-low situation given how shoulder problems limited Quantrill to 99 2/3 innings (with a 5.24 ERA) in 2023.  Bieber also has more front-of-the-rotation upside, whereas teams might have more questions about Quantrill’s low-strikeout, soft-contact approach, even he has produced very good results when healthy over the last four seasons.

The bullpen was around the middle of the pack last year, though any upgrades might be pretty low-key since Cleveland hasn’t traditionally made many splashes in adding relief pitching.  Bringing in another left-hander could be a priority, or just a veteran arm or two on a minor league contract.  As always, the bullpen could be a way for some MLB-ready future starters to get their feet wet against big league competition, like how Curry worked mostly as a reliever in 2023.

The bench might likewise not get a lot of focus, and if a couple of new outfield/DH types are indeed acquired, the bench mix could be somewhat set given the presence of Straw, Brennan, and the utility infielders.  Cam Gallagher’s lack of offense makes him a non-tender candidate, but since the Guardians have shown a propensity for all-glove/no-bat catchers, the team might retain him as Naylor’s backup.  If Gallagher is let go, utilityman David Fry might be considered for the role, if the Guards are okay having a backup catcher with more versatility than normal.

In some ways, 2023 paralleled Cleveland’s previous losing season in 2021, when several pitching injuries dropped the team to an 80-82 record.  With this in mind, better rotation health alone might be enough to get the Guards (as they did in 2022) right back into contention the following season, even if adding more hitting might be a cleaner path to consistent winning than continuing to rely so heavily on pitching and defense.  There is also the x-factor of whether or not the Guardians’ winning formula can continue without Francona skillfully balancing the dugout, as there’s naturally no way to entirely replace what the skipper brought to the organization.  Nobody expects the Guardians’ next manager to be the next Francona, but there’s plenty of pressure trying to both fill the shoes of a legend and try a team back into the playoff hunt.

Click here to read the transcript of the Guardians-centric Mark Polishuk held in conjunction with the Offseason Outlook

Travis Blankenhorn Elects Free Agency

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Outfielder Travis Blankenhorn has chosen to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment to the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate, the club announced.  The free agent route was available to the 27-year-old Blankenhorn because has previously been outrighted earlier in his career.

After signing a minor league deal with the Nats last winter, Blankenhorn spent much of his season at Triple-A Rochester before his contract was selected to the big league roster at the start of September.  Blankenhorn appeared in 10 games, but a case of plantar fasciitis sent him to the 10-day injured list and prematurely ended his season.

Blankenhorn has appeared in each of the last four MLB seasons, though he played in just a single big league game in both 2020 and 2022.  In total, the outfielder has a .581 OPS over the small sample size of 68 career plate appearances, though his Triple-A numbers are much stronger.  Blankenhorn has a .261/.353/.485 slash line and 48 home runs over 1053 PA at the top minor league level, playing with five different organizations’ Triple-A affiliates over the last three seasons.

With that kind of offensive production and experience at first base, second base, and both corner outfield positions, it isn’t surprising that so many teams have taken an interest in Blankenhorn, even if he has been through the grind of moving from organization to organization with only a few cups of coffee at the MLB level.  He’ll now test free agency yet again, and the complication of lingering foot pain due to his plantar fasciitis could certainly be a concern for Blankenhorn’s chances of quickly landing another minor league contract.

Billy Eppler Steps Down As Mets’ General Manager

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6:10PM: Eppler resigned to avoid being a distraction to the club during an ongoing MLB investigation into Eppler and the Mets allegedly making improper use of the injured list, as per a report from the New York Post.  (Link to our full post on this story.)

3:23PM: Mets general manager Billy Eppler has resigned from his position, according to a press release from the team.  Mets owner Steve Cohen said that Eppler “led this team through a 101-win season and postseason berth last year and he will be missed.  We accepted Billy’s resignation today as he decided it is in everyone’s best interest to fully hand over the leadership of Baseball Operations to David Stearns. On behalf of the Mets organization, we wish him all the best.”

Eppler himself issued a comment in the release, saying “I wanted David to have a clean slate and that meant me stepping down.  I hope for nothing but the best for the entire Mets organization.”

Given how Stearns’ first few weeks have seen the Mets cut ties with manager Buck Showalter and make some other personnel changes within the front office, it doesn’t seem shocking on paper that Eppler is also on the way out.  That said, Eppler had been expected to continue as GM and serve as Stearns’ top lieutenant, making today’s news “a major surprise” in the view of SNY’s Andy Martino.  Two full years remained on the original four-year contract Eppler signed with the Mets in November 2021.

The Amazins brought Eppler into the fold with the hopes of stabilizing a front office that had become a revolving door.  Sandy Alderson stepped away from the GM position in July 2018 due to a battle with cancer, with John Ricco, J.P. Ricciardi, Omar Minaya handling matters on an interim basis until Brodie Van Wagenen was hired a few months later as the new general manager.  Van Wagenen’s tenure lasted for a little more than two years (until Cohen bought the team), and incoming GM Jared Porter lasted only six weeks before being being fired due to reports of a past incident of sexual harassment.  Zack Scott then became interim GM but lasted less than a year, as a DWI charge led the Mets to ultimately part ways.

Even with the lockout interrupting much of the 2021-22 offseason, the Mets still spent big both before and after the transactions freeze, with some of Eppler’s biggest strikes happening in the few weeks between his hiring and the early-December shutdown.  That winter saw the Mets bring Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, Mark Canha, and Chris Bassitt into the fold, while also hiring Showalter as the new manager.  The result was a 101-61 record, the second-highest win total in the Mets’ franchise history.  However, New York still had to settle for a wild card slot after losing the NL East crown to the Braves on a tiebreaker, and the Mets’ playoff run quickly ended with a three-game loss to the Padres in the NL Wild Card Series.

With Cohen sparing no expense on player payroll, Eppler kept the big moves coming last winter, bringing both new faces (Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, and more) to Queens on pricey free agent deals, re-signing Mets staples Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo, and even extending other regulars like Jeff McNeil.  The result was an Opening Day payroll of over $330MM — far and away the biggest in baseball history, with a record luxury tax hit to match.

Unfortunately for the Mets and their fans, the large payroll meant an equally large disappointment when the team simply failed to get on track.  With injuries playing a factor, New York finished only 75-87, resulting in a midseason pivot that saw Scherzer, Verlander, Canha, Escobar, Tommy Pham, Dominic Leone, and David Robertson all dealt, primarily to add some new young talent to the organization since the Mets ate most of the remaining salary involved in these trades.

“One of the goals here is to expedite the longer-term goal.  We’re trying to restock and reload the farm system,” Eppler told reporters at the trade deadline.  “You have to go through a little pain to get where we want to go, but I feel like the organization is making strides towards a better future…..Going into 2024 we don’t see ourselves having the same odds that we did in 2022 and 2023, but we will field a competitive team.”

It remains to be seen how the Mets could operate under Stearns, and whether their plan to take some level of a step back next season will impact how they spend, or how they acquire talent.  Whatever the outcome, Eppler won’t be part of the plan going forward, so hiring a new general manager as Stearns’ number two will now also be on the Mets’ to-do list.

Only 48 years old, Eppler already has a lengthy resume in baseball.  Beginning as a scout in the Rockies organization, he moved on to a decade-long run in the Yankees’ front office that saw Eppler promoted first to scouting director and then to assistant GM under Brian Cashman.  The Angels hired Eppler as their general manager heading into the 2016 season, but was fired in September 2020 after the team failed to post a winning record in any of Eppler’s five seasons in charge.  He then briefly explored a new career path running WME’s baseball representation division, but was only in that job for a few months before stepping down to take the Mets’ GM job.

Eppler’s seven seasons as a general manager saw his teams deliver a 508-523 record, with only the 2021 Mets finishing above the .500 mark.  Despite the lack of results, it is still difficult to truly evaluate Eppler as an executive given the circumstances of both his jobs.  Angels owner Arte Moreno is known to carry a heavy influence over his front office’s decisions, and the Halos’ string of losing seasons has continued even after Eppler’s departure.  Eppler had more autonomy in New York, though Cohen’s desire to instantly make the Mets into a contender with no regard to payroll created its own set of unique pressures.  Eppler also had to combat the perception (and perhaps even the reality) that was something of a placeholder GM, only brought in once the previous choices were fired in quick succession, and with Cohen ultimately always intending to hire Stearns or a bigger-name executive like Theo Epstein or Billy Beane.

While Eppler’s resignation appears to have caught the Mets somewhat off-guard, there may no ulterior motive beyond what Eppler expressed in his own statement.  Having the former front office boss still in the organization as the second-in-command is an unusual situation, and it could be that Eppler had a change of heart after his first few weeks working under Stearns.  Resigning now gives Eppler a jump on the offseason, perhaps for a fresh start with another club or for a job outside of front office work, given his past association with WME.

AL Notes: Red Sox, Showalter, Angels, Royals

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Buck Showalter wants to keep managing, and is trying to get an interview with the Angels about their dugout vacancy, the New York Post’s Mike Puma reports (via X).  It isn’t known if there is any mutual interest on the Halos’ side, though one would imagine the club would be open to at least having a chat with a veteran skipper with such a long and distinguished track record.  Showalter’s managerial career has been marked by his ability to turn around struggling teams, which would seemingly have particular appeal to a Los Angeles club that has suffered through eight straight losing seasons.  The position opened up earlier this week when the Angels officially parted ways with Phil Nevin — by coincidence, a former player of Showalter’s on the 2005-06 Rangers.

Showalter might have an extra edge if the Angels have trouble finding other top-tier candidates.  “The job isn’t deemed attractive within the industry because GM Perry Minasian is entering the final year of his contract,” Puma writes, meaning that if a new general manager is hired next offseason, the incoming boss might want to make their own hire in the manager’s chair. However, there is also a significant connection between Showalter and Minasian, who worked for the Rangers from 2003-2009 as a scout and as Showalter’s staff assistant when skipper was managing in Texas.

More from around the American League….

  • Red Sox president/CEO Sam Kennedy discussed several topics during an appearance on the Fenway Rundown podcast with MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam, including the team’s reneweed emphasis on trying to sign younger, pre-arbitration players to contract extensions.  Brayan Bello, Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, and Triston Casas were specifically mentioned by Kennedy as the types of young players the Sox would like to lock up, though the CEO naturally didn’t provide details on whether or not the club had already broached the topic of extensions with any of the quartet.  Chaim Bloom’s four-year tenure in charge of Boston’s front office didn’t see many extensions in general, with the notable exceptions of Rafael Devers’ mega-deal and one of those aforementioned pre-arb pacts with Garrett Whitlock.  Cotillo also reports that Bloom tried to sign an unnamed Sox top prospect to an extension before the player had even started his Major League career.
  • The Royals plan to retain their coaching staff for 2024, general manager J.J. Picollo told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters, though a couple of new faces could be added in new roles on an expanded staff.  Though the Royals struggled through a miserable 106-loss season, they already underwent a significant coaching overhaul last winter after new manager Matt Quatraro was hired.  K.C. apparently doesn’t want to make more changes just yet, though there could be some turnover if any coaches are approached for promotions on other teams.

NL East Notes: Castellanos, Marlins, Nationals

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Miami native Nick Castellanos was heavily linked to the Marlins when he was a free agent during the 2021-22 offseason, and Castellanos told The Athletic’s Matt Gelb earlier this week that he very nearly agreed to join the team before the lockout halted winter business in early December 2021.  “If I wasn’t advised to be patient and wait until after the lockout to sign, I would have been over there,” Castellanos said.  Instead, the Marlins’ plans changed during the freeze, with some reports tying Derek Jeter’s departure as club CEO to ownership’s decision to not expand the payroll quite so much once the lockout was settled.  That meant Castellanos was now without his top suitor, until he signed with the Phillies for a five-year, $100MM deal.

Castellanos admitted that it took a while to get over the disappointment of not playing in his hometown, a “dream” scenario that would’ve allowed Castellanos to be near his son Liam at all times, and play for one of his baseball heroes in Jeter.  This feeling may have contributed to Castellanos’ lackluster numbers for much of the 2022 season, but the Phillies’ run to the World Series reinvigorated him and the outfielder delivered a more productive season this year.  “I can never sit and say I am unfortunate because I’m blessed and I get to play here,” he said.  “I get to play for a great organization.  I get to play with one of the most intense fan bases in the sports world.  I have so much gratitude for all of that.”

More from around the NL East…

  • The Marlins figure to be looking for catching upgrades this winter, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald looks at the free agent market to see what options the Fish might prefer to the Jacob Stallings/Nick Fortes combo.  Jackson also feels the Marlins could consider trading prospects for a veteran backstop, but moving a proven pitcher “would be unwise” in Jackson’s view, due to Miami’s own concerns about its rotation depth.  The Marlins got a combined -0.6 bWAR from their catchers in 2023, ranking 28th of 30 teams in catcher bWAR.
  • The Nationals have continued to overhaul their front office and minor league staff personnel this week, most prominently parting ways with director of player development De Jon Watson, the Washington Post’s Andrew Golden (X links) reports.  Watson has been the farm director for the last two seasons and a member of the Nationals’ organization since 2017.  Before coming to D.C., Watson was an assistant GM with the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks’ senior VP of baseball operations, among other roles with Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Miami during a long career in scouting and player development roles.  The Nats also made eight changes to their minor league coaching and coordinator ranks, with a particular focus on improving offensive development.

MLB Investigating Mets, Billy Eppler On Allegations Of Improper Injured-List Usage

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Major League Baseball has a probe looking into allegations that the Mets made improper use of the injured list, according to Mike Puma, Joel Sherman, Jon Heyman, and Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post.  The exact nature of the investigation and the specific allegations or players involved aren’t yet known at this time.  Former Mets GM Billy Eppler (who stepped down from the job earlier today) is cooperating with the investigation, though he has yet to formally speak with league officials.

Eppler’s resignation was seen by many as a surprise, since by all appearances, he was fully ready to act as the front office’s new number two behind president of baseball operations David Stearns.  As per the Post’s report, the league’s probe was the reason for Eppler’s departure, as he informed Mets upper management that he didn’t want to be a distraction to the club.

More will be known once more details of the league’s investigation surface, or when MLB announces (if any) its final findings.  On the surface, improper uses of the injured list would simply seem to suggest that the Mets placed a player or players on the 10-day, 15-day or 60-day IL when they weren’t actually hurt, thus allowing the club to add a new player to the 26-man or 40-man rosters.

These kinds of “phantom IL” transactions have existed within the game for decades.  A team might send a struggling player to the injured list with a harder-to-define issue like arm soreness or a bad back, when in reality the player is just getting a mental and physical break to reset.  Every club in baseball has made such a move at some point, and in some cases, players have openly admitted that they aren’t actually hurt.

While this practice is technically illegal, it is also relatively widespread enough that it is rare to see MLB launch an official investigation into improper IL usage.  That might suggest that the Mets’ alleged violation is particularly egregious, or (speculatively) that the league might have given the club an initial warning, and are now proceeding with a probe because Eppler’s front office didn’t stop.

Whatever the details, it amounts to “another embarrassing exit for a Mets official,” in the words of the New York Post’s writers.  Within the last five years, former Mets GM Jared Porter and former manager Mickey Callaway were each accused of sexual harassment, with the Mets firing Porter and MLB putting Callaway (who had moved on from the Mets to work as the Angels’ pitching coach) on the ineligible list.  As well, interim GM Zack Scott was fired when he was arrested on DWI charges, and ex-manager Carlos Beltran was fired due to his part in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, before Beltran had even officially managed a single game.

Improper IL placements aren’t nearly as serious as some of those off-the-field concerns, of course, but it is possible Eppler or the Mets might face some kind of penalty (suspensions, fines, etc.) as a result of the league’s investigation.  The MLB Players Association might also have an issue, if the situation involves service time or perhaps just a player gaining an “injury-prone” reputation when none was warranted.

Zaidi: Giants Have Scouted Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jung Hoo Lee

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During a podcast interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said that his club has been scouting and “continuing to do our work on” two of the offseason’s biggest international targets — ace right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto of NPB’s Orix Buffaloes, and star outfielder Jung Hoo Lee of the KBO League’s Kiwoom Heroes.

At least 10 MLB teams are known to be scouting Yamamoto already, with the Giants joining a list that includes (and certainly isn’t limited to) the Phillies, Mets, Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Tigers, Yankees, and Red Sox.  The appeal is obvious, as Yamamoto has a 1.82 ERA over his seven seasons and 897 innings with the Buffaloes, and he should have plenty of prime years left since he just turned 25 years old in August.

Zaidi described Yamamoto as “one of the top starting pitchers in the world,” praising the right-hander’s “tremendous combination of athleticism, stuff and command….It just looks like he’s got plus stuff and he’s sort of putting every pitch where he wants to, which in this day and age where we’re so worried about pitch characteristics and velocity, it’s almost different to see somebody execute at that high of a level with good stuff.  A lot of positives there, and he’s been an impressive guy to watch.”

MLB Trade Rumors ranked Yamamoto third in our most recent power ranking of the 2023-24 free agent class, behind only Shohei Ohtani and Cody Bellinger.  This makes Yamamoto in line to receive the largest deal of any full-time pitcher this winter, with Ohtani obviously a unique case due to his two-way abilities.  The bidding for Yamamoto (and the posting fee to the Buffaloes) could put his total price tag close to $200MM, especially with so many big-payroll teams in the running.

The Giants’ payroll was roughly $196MM in 2023 according to Roster Resource, so while still a healthy amount of salary outlay, San Francisco remained below the upper tier of spenders.  However, it wasn’t for lack of try to spend, as the Giants’ attempts to sign Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa both didn’t materialize, due to Judge re-signing with the Yankees and with the Correa signing seemingly all but finalized before the Giants backed out due to concerns over his physical.

With very little in the way of long-term payroll commitments and increased pressure to win after a pair of non-playoff seasons, the Giants figure to be aggressive this winter, which generally runs counter to Zaidi’s more measured approach to roster construction during his five seasons as PBO.  As Pavlovic notes, Zaidi has shied away from longer-term contracts to pitchers (apart from the club’s extension with the homegrown Logan Webb).

During his end-of-season media conference just a few days ago, Zaidi said he wasn’t planning on targeting pitching depth in general this winter, as he feels San Francisco already has plenty of veteran pitchers and younger arms coming up from the farm system.  That said, Yamamoto is far more than a depth option, and his youth and obvious talent have seemingly made the Giants comfortable in exploring the possibility of what would be far and away the biggest contract (let alone a pitching contract) of Zaidi’s tenure.

Lee doesn’t have Yamamoto’s high profile and he’ll come at a significantly lower price tag, but Lee could very well land a healthy contract himself during an offseason that is generally short on premium free-agent position players.  Like Yamamoto, Lee is also 25 years old, would be subject to a posting fee, and has impressed observers over seven seasons of international ball.

Lee has hit .340/.407/.491 over 3946 career plate appearances for the Heroes, with 65 homers and 244 doubles.  His resume includes KBO League MVP honors in 2022, five KBO Gold Gloves for his defense (mostly in center field), and a standout performance for South Korea’s team in the last World Baseball Classic.

The hitter-friendly nature of the KBO League can sometimes make it hard to fully evaluate a player’s statistics, and Lee is also coming off an injury-shortened 2023 campaign due to a fractured ankle.  However, Lee is expected to be healthy, and his skillset offers plenty of intrigue even beyond his batting potential.  Since improving the defense is a stated goal for Zaidi this winter, adding Lee as San Francisco’s new regular center fielder would allow for Mike Yastrzemski or Austin Slater to play in the corner outfield slots.  Former top prospect Luis Matos projects as the Giants’ 2024 center fielder for the moment, but with Lee on board, Matos could be eased into the big leagues in more of a part-time role.

Victor Arano Elects Free Agency

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Right-hander Victor Arano has cleared waivers and chosen to become a free agent, according to MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams (X link).  Because Arano has previously been outrighted off a 40-man roster during his career, he had the right to pass the Nationals’ attempt to outright him to Triple-A.

Arano has been with the Nationals organization for the last two seasons, but didn’t pitch in 2023 due to shoulder problems that eventually required a surgery back in June.  The surgery had a 6-8 month recovery timeline, Adams writes, and Arano is expected to start throwing in December.

Debuting in the majors with the Phillies in 2017, Arano posted a 2.65 ERA, 26.3% strikeout rate, and 7.6% walk rate over 74 2/3 relief innings for Philadelphia from 2017-19.  This promising start to his career was then interrupted by injuries, which have largely limited Arano’s MLB playing time over the last five seasons.  Elbow surgery cost Arano most of the 2019 campaign, the Phillies didn’t call him up from their minor league camp during the shortened 2020 season, and he pitched for the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate in 2021 and still didn’t get another look in the majors.

Upon signing with Washington, Arano did finally return to the Show, delivering a 4.50 ERA in 42 relief innings in 2022 despite some solid secondary metrics.  His shoulder issues began to crop up in September of that season, and ever since, Arano hasn’t been able to take the mound.

The move essentially amounts to an early non-tender for the Nationals, as Arano was eligible for salary arbitration for a second time this winter after earning $925K last year.  The 28-year-old will naturally first need to show any scouts or interested teams that he’s healthy, but Arano could be an interesting under-the-radar relief signing this winter, as a relative no-risk acquisition that could provide a nice return on a minor league deal.

White Sox Make Three Changes To Coaching Staff

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White Sox manager Pedro Grifol hinted last weekend that changes were coming to his coaching staff, with James Fegan of the Chicago Sun-Times reporting that assistant pitching coach Curt Hasler was being re-assigned.  Now, three more moves have been made to the coaching core, as Daryl Van Schouwen of the Sun-Times reports that hitting coach Jose Castro, first base coach Daryl Boston, and assistant hitting coach Chris Johnson all won’t return to next year’s staff.  Johnson is being reassigned, while Castro and Boston appear to be parting ways with the organization entirely.

“The Sox are expected to announce more staff changes this week,” Van Schouwen writes, though pitching coach Ethan Katz is expected to remain with the club.  Katz has spent the last three seasons in Chicago, after previously working as assistant pitching coach with the Giants and in various minor league coaching/coordinator roles with the Giants, Mariners, and Angels.

Castro and Johnson are moving on after just one season in their current roles, as clearly the White Sox felt an immediate shakeup was needed in the hitting coach ranks.  The numbers bear a strong argument for a quick change — the Sox ranked 29th of 30 teams in wRC+ (83) and runs scored (641) last season, while hitting a collective .238/.291/.384.  Those slash line numbers respectively rank 25th in the league in batting average, 30th in OBP, 26th in slugging percentage.

While the coaching staff doesn’t bear sole responsibility for these struggles, “Sox hitters were said to be torn between multiple hitting voices on the staff,” Van Schouwen wrotes.  Major League field coordinator Mike Tosar also worked with batters in addition to Castro and Johnson, and while Tosar’s status for the 2024 staff isn’t yet known, it could be that the White Sox might look to simplify things by having a sole hitting coach and Tosar contributing.

The 65-year-old Castro is a longtime baseball man, with 14 years as a player in the minors and over three decades of experience at the Major League and minor league levels as a coach — usually as a hitting coach, though also with some brief stints as a Triple-A interim manager for the Mariners and as a quality assurance coach with the Cubs.  Before joining the White Sox last winter, Castro was an assistant hitting coach with the Braves for the previous eight seasons.

Johnson is best known for his eight-year MLB playing career from 2009-16, spent mostly with the Astros and Braves.  The 39-year-old worked as the hitting coach for the White Sox Triple-A affiliate in 2021-22 before receiving his promotion to the big league staff.

Boston has been the longest-serving member of the coaching staff (11 seasons) and one of the longer-tenured members of the White Sox organization in general, working on the South Side for the last 26 seasons.  Boston, 60, played seven seasons with the White Sox (1984-90) during his 11-year MLB career, and he worked as a roving outfield instructor in the team’s farm system before becoming first base coach.

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