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Al McBean Passes Away
Former big league veteran Al McBean passed away earlier this week at age 85. McBean holds a distinction as the first pitcher (and one of just 15 players ever) from the Virgin Islands to play in Major League Baseball, making some history when made his debut in 1961.
Most of McBean’s career was spent with the Pirates, including his first eight seasons and then a brief return in 1970 for what ended up being his final seven MLB games. (In between those two stints in Pittsburgh, McBean pitched for the Padres and Dodgers.) Pitching mostly as a reliever in his rookie season and then mostly as a starter in 1962, McBean then primarily worked out of the bullpen for most of his career, apart from a return to the Pirates rotation late in the 1967 season and for much of 1968.
McBean posted a 3.13 ERA and 63 saves over 409 games and 1072 1/3 career innings. The 63 saves are a retroactive statistic given how saves weren’t officially recognized since 1969, and the idea of a true closer was still something of a rarity in the 1960’s. However, the Pirates enjoyed great success with longtime relief ace Roy Face anchoring the bullpen, and McBean teamed with Face as a one-two punch for high leverage work. McBean was named Reliever Of The Year by the Sporting News in 1964 for an outstanding season of 1.91 ERA ball and 21 saves over 89 2/3 innings and 58 appearances.
We at MLB Trade Rumors give our condolences to McBean’s family and friends.
Orioles Notes: Burnes, Cease, Hicks
The Orioles completed one of the offseason’s biggest trades in landing Corbin Burnes from the Brewers earlier this week, and it was a move that GM Mike Elias said the organization had been “talking about…since when the World Series ended.” It was heavily expected that the O’s would be looking for significant rotation help during the winter, and Elias shared some details on the search when speaking with reporters (including MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and MLB.com’s Jake Rill) on a conference call in the aftermath of the trade.
“Corbin Burnes is exactly what we needed. We were in a dogged pursuit of him the entire offseason,” Elias said. “Obviously, there were other starting pitchers who we pursued, but it’s harder to have somebody higher than Corbin Burnes on your wish list. It’s a tremendous impact.”
Milwaukee’s side of the deal involved two big league-ready young players (Joey Ortiz and DL Hall) with top-100 prospect pedigrees, as well as the Orioles’ Competitive Balance Round draft pick (currently 34th overall in the 2024 draft order). It was a noteworthy amount to give up even for a team as rich in minor league depth as the O’s, but Elias felt it was worth the plunge.
“We’re giving up a lot of long-term talent and also a couple of players that were going to contribute to the 2024 Orioles,” Elias said. “So I mean, this is a risky move, but it lined up for both sides. We weren’t going to force it necessarily, but our wish list was a rotation upgrade and I certainly think that the Cy Young winner and with his body of work qualifies as that. We couldn’t have found a better upgrade and now we just have to go play the games.”
While the Orioles’ offer was enough to sway the Brewers, it apparently wasn’t enough to get the White Sox to move Dylan Cease, another pitcher known to be on Baltimore’s list of potential targets. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that the O’s “offered basically the same package” to White Sox, as well as an unknown additional player. The larger size of the offer probably reflects the fact that Cease is arbitration-controlled through the 2025 season while Burnes is only controlled through 2024, yet it still wasn’t enough to meet Chicago’s asking price for Cease’s services.
Past reports have suggested that the Sox have a particular interest in Jordan Westburg, Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser, among many of Baltimore’s top prospects. It can be assumed that none of these blue-chippers weren’t the mystery fourth part of the Orioles’ offer to Chicago, so speculatively, it could be that the White Sox asked for one of the trio as the top position-player piece instead of Ortiz. Considering that the Sox have reportedly been looking for additional pitching in other Cease-related trade talks with the Mariners and Reds, it could also be that the White Sox wanted a better pitcher included than Hall, or perhaps a pitcher as the fourth element if the Orioles had offered a position player.
These talks are again indicative of the very large price tag that the White Sox are demanding for Cease, which isn’t really surprising given how he is their biggest trade asset apart from Luis Robert. It also understandable why the Orioles ultimately pivoted from these talks with Chicago to closing the deal on Burnes, as Burnes provides a higher ceiling as a more consistent ace-level pitcher even if he comes with one less year of control than Cease.
Obviously some of this discussion is just conjecture since we don’t know exactly what the Orioles put on the table for Cease, yet it also speaks to the interesting juggling act Elias has been facing in determining how to put the best “final touch” on the AL East-winning roster. It can be assumed that pretty much every rival team has been asking about the top tier of names in Baltimore’s farm system in any trade talks, so Elias technically has the minor league depth to complete just about any deal, he naturally isn’t going to deplete that depth for just any pitcher.
Speaking of Kjerstad and Cowser, it wouldn’t be surprising to see either youngster play big roles in whatever success awaits the 2024 Orioles, though they’re part of a crowded outfield, first base, and DH picture that also includes Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, Austin Hays, Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan O’Hearn, and even more up-and-coming prospects in Coby Mayo and Kyle Stowers, among others. Even with all these options on hand, Nightengale reports that the O’s still had interest in bringing back Aaron Hicks before the veteran outfielder signed with the Angels earlier this week.
After an injury-plagued stint with the Yankees, Hicks revived his career after joining the Orioles last season, hitting .275/.381/.425 over 236 PA and acting as a veteran leader within the young clubhouse. Since the Yankees are still covering Hicks’ previous contract through the 2025 season, the outfielder was available on only a minimum MLB salary to any team this winter, giving him presumably a pretty wide range of suitors.
Though the Orioles are in a better position to contend than the Angels in 2024, it could be that Hicks simply felt he wouldn’t get as much playing time in Baltimore than he would in Los Angeles. Though the Angels have a fair amount of outfield options themselves, Mike Trout’s injury history and the unproven big league track records of Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell leave more room for Hicks to become a lineup regular.
Rangers Sign DJ Peters To Minors Deal
The Rangers signed DJ Peters to a minor league contract, as initially reported by pitching consultant and former big leaguer Dave Coggin (X link). After beginning his pro career as an outfielder, Peters is now exploring a second chapter as a pitcher, which began when he tossed 21 2/3 innings for the Tigers’ Florida Complex League team last season.
Peters appeared in 70 games with the Dodgers and Rangers in 2021, which marks his only previous MLB experience. He hit .197/.242/.422 with 13 home runs and 82 strikeouts over his 240 plate appearance. The lack of contact has been the story for much of Peters’ career, as while his power potential drew him some notice during his time in the L.A. farm system, rival pitchers were increasingly able to find holes in his swing. The canceled 2020 minor league season also seemed to halt Peters’ momentum, as his numbers in the minors drastically tailed off after that lost year.
Peters’ 2022 season was mostly spent in South Korea with the KBO League’s Lotte Giants, though he caught on with the Nationals late in the year on a minor league deal, and then spent the 2023 campaign in Detroit’s organization on another minors contract. Peters didn’t see any game action apart from his 17 appearances as a pitcher in the FCL, and he posted a 6.23 ERA over his 21 2/3 frames, and had more walks (27) than strikeouts (24).
Clearly the transition to pitching is still a work in progress, and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes that Peters’ deal doesn’t include an invitation to the Rangers’ big league spring camp. Peters will get an opportunity to work with some familiar faces in the organization as he continues to develop his craft on the mound, and figure out how to harness his stuff. As noted by Coggin elsewhere on his X feed, Peters’ fastball sits at 95mph and he has a slider with a lot of break.
Dodgers’ Nick Frasso Undergoes Labrum Surgery, Could Miss Entire 2024 Season
Dodgers right-handed pitching prospect Nick Frasso underwent surgery in November to fix a torn labrum, Frasso told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group and J.P. Hoornstra of the L.A. Sports Report). GM Brandon Gomes described the labrum tear as relatively minor enough that there was some question about whether or not surgery would even be necessary, but now Frasso faces a recovery timeline of 8-12 months after undergoing the procedure.
A fourth-round pick for the Blue Jays in the 2020 draft, Frasso came to Los Angeles as part of the four-player trade that sent Mitch White to Toronto in August 2022. Frasso’s minor league career has been limited to 152 innings due to an internal brace procedure that kept him out for 11 months spanning the 2021-22 seasons, yet the results have been impressive when Frasso has been able to get on the mound. The righty has a 2.96 ERA and 30.22% strikeout rate during his minor league career, which includes 19 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level in 2023.
Frasso has been cited on multiple top prospect lists heading into 2024, with MLB Pipeline (80th), ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel (86th), and Baseball America (97th) all putting the righty within their top 100s. A hard thrower with a 70-grade fastball that easily sits in the mid-90s, Frasso also has a plus slider and changeup, so he would seem to have the stuff to make it as a starting pitcher if he can stay healthy.
For now, unfortunately, Frasso will now face the second long injury rehab of his young career, delaying his path to a probable Major League debut at some point in 2024. The Dodgers added Frasso to their 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 Draft, and Hoornstra notes that L.A. made that roster move only after Frasso had undergone his surgery, underscoring the organization’s confidence in the 25-year-old’s potential.
Dodgers Sign Dinelson Lamet To Minors Contract
The Dodgers have signed right-hander Dinelson Lamet to a minor league deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post (via X). The 31-year-old Lamet also receives an invitation to the Dodgers’ big league spring camp.
Lamet has spent almost his entire career in the NL West, apart from a couple of months (and a single MLB game) in the Red Sox organization last season, and an even briefer four-day stint with the Brewers without any appearances at any level in 2022, as Milwaukee quickly designated Lamet for assignment after acquiring him as part of the Josh Hader trade.
It has been an unfortunately quick drop from Cy Young Award contender to borderline journeyman status for Lamet, who has been plagued by injuries since his seeming breakout year with the Padres in 2020. Since Opening Day 2021, however, Lamet has amassed only 107 total innings in the big leagues, while posting an ungainly 6.88 ERA. Lamet pitched decently well for the Rockies during the remainder of the 2022 season after Colorado claimed him off waivers from Milwaukee, but that limited success didn’t at all carry over to this past season, as Lamet had an 11.71 ERA over his 16 appearances with the Rockies and one game with the Red Sox.
As much as Lamet has struggled over the last few years, Padres and Rockies fans are undoubtedly fearful that a career revival could take place in Los Angeles, given how the Dodgers have scored on a number of reclamation projects in recent years. There’s no risk for the Dodgers in seeing what Lamet can do during Spring Training, and whether or not he can stay healthy and recapture any of his early-career form.
Latest On Padres’ Infield Plans
There were some rumblings last October that the Padres were considering asking Xander Bogaerts to play another position than shortstop, and manager Mike Shildt seemed to confirm that plan during an interview with Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. As part of the Q&A piece, Shildt’s response to the question of Bogaerts’ position with “That’s a good question. Right now he’s playing shortstop.” The situation could be still somewhat speculation, as the newly-hired manager said that he had yet to talk “in earnest” with Bogaerts about the situation, but implied that the conversation would come during Spring Training.
Bogaerts played 53 games as a third baseman with the Red Sox during his first two Major League seasons, and has played a handful of games as a designated hitter. Otherwise, Bogaerts has exclusively lined up at the shortstop position, amassing 11675 2/3 innings at the position while posting +0.8 UZR/150, -31 Outs Above Average, and -54 Defensive Runs Saved. These metrics have been more positive in the last two seasons, however, with Bogaerts delivering +2.3 UZR/150, +8 Outs Above Average, and +1 DRS.
Questions about a possible position switch have followed Bogaerts for years, dating back to his days in Boston. These same criticisms followed Bogaerts into the free agent market last winter, though they didn’t prevent him from landing a mega-deal in the form his 11-year, $280MM pact with San Diego. Agent Scott Boras was insistent on marketing Bogaerts as a shortstop during his free agent push, though Bogaerts himself said “we’ll cross that bridge when we get there” last fall when asked about changing positions.
Bogaerts hinted that he’d prefer playing second base in the event of a change, which could make for a pretty smooth swap of Bogaerts at the keystone and Ha-Seong Kim moving over to shortstop. Kim was the NL’s Gold Glove winner for utility players in 2023, as he played mostly at second base but also showed some good glovework as a part-time shortstop and third baseman. Kim and Bogaerts trading place would certainly look like an on-paper defensive upgrade for the Padres’ infield, and while Kim is a free agent next winter, shortstop prospect Jackson Merrill is on pace to be part of the MLB roster perhaps even before 2024 is out, let alone for the 2025 campaign. Merrill (a consensus top-20 prospect in the sport) could be the long-term answer at the position, so Bogaerts’ move to primarily second base work might be coming sooner rather than later.
Manny Machado’s near-term future is also a factor here, as Machado underwent elbow surgery in October and it isn’t yet clear when he might be ready to resume his usual spot at third base. Shildt gave a positive update on Machado’s status, saying the All-Star infielder “is killing his offseason” preparations and that Machado is “on pace to be able to be ready offensively” so DH duty seems like a strong possibility for the start of the season. Playing the hot corner is still somewhat up in the air, though Shildt said “he has an opportunity to start the season at third base. He’s on target to be able to get some opportunities to play in Spring Training at third base, but I’m not gonna put any timeframe on it.”
It doesn’t sound as if Machado will miss too much time in the field, though since the Padres start their regular season with a two-game series with the Dodgers in Seoul on March 20-21, getting Machado at third base by this earlier edition of Opening Day sounds like a stretch. Playing third by early to mid-April seems more feasible based on Shildt’s comments, though as the manager noted, it is still soon to tell.
If Machado isn’t a DH-only player for too long, utilitymen Matthew Batten and Eguy Rosario can cover third base in the interim. Kim might become an option if Machado needs more time to be fully ready, plus Tyler Wade and Mason McCoy are in spring camp on minor league deals as further infield depth.
Jesse Chavez “Probably” Going To Retire After 2024 Season
Jesse Chavez has pitched in each of the last 16 MLB seasons, appearing in 607 games as a reliever, starter, and swingman with nine different teams. Chavez is a free agent still looking to land his next contract, but in an interview on the “Loud Outs” show on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, the 40-year-old revealed that he will likely be retiring after one more season.
“This is probably going to be it. We all talked about me going out the way I came in — being able to roll out of bed and pick up a baseball and throw it,” Chavez said. “And that’s how I feel still. So I feel like that’s kind of unique in a way, where we don’t get that option too many times when we can go home healthy….Like every year, we’ll probably give it all we have, and go into coaching next season.”
Chavez has had his share of injuries over his long career, including an absence of over three months last season after he was hit in the leg by a comebacker. That lengthy IL stint limited him to 34 1/3 innings and 36 appearances for the Braves, yet Chavez had an impact with a 1.56 ERA. Even with a 3.35 SIERA that accounts for some strand rate (81.2%) and batted-ball (.273 BABIP) fortune, Chavez still had an above-average strikeout rate, solid hard-contact numbers, and a career-best 51.7% grounder rate.
It continued what has quietly been a bit of a renaissance for Chavez in the twilight of his career, as the right-hander has a 2.81 ERA over 137 2/3 innings since Opening Day 2021. He struggled in brief stints with the Cubs and Angels in 2022, but has otherwise been excellent in a Braves uniform, including a 2.14 ERA in 33 2/3 innings for Atlanta’s World Series championship club in 2021.
Chavez has had to settle for minor league deals in each of the last three years, though in both 2022 and 2023, the Cubs and Braves quickly selected Chavez’s contract to the Major League roster right at the start of the season. Considering how Chavez is coming off a significant injury, he might have to sign another minors deal again, though with perhaps an unofficial handshake agreement in place to immediately make him part of the Opening Day roster.
A reunion with the Braves can’t be ruled out, given that Atlanta has acquired and re-acquired Chavez four different times in the last three years. Chavez and his 90.8mph fastball may not be an exact fit within the bullpen given how Atlanta has prioritized adding high-velocity arms this offseason, yet Chavez has still been able to get results, to say nothing off his off-the-field contributions as a clubhouse leader. Perhaps already acting as something of a player/coach within the relief corps, it sets Chavez up well for his post-playing ambitions of a coaching career.
Brandon Belt Plans To Play In 2024, May Be Close To Signing
Veteran first baseman Brandon Belt considered retirement after the 2022 season due to persistent knee problems, and he said in October after the Blue Jays were eliminated from the playoffs that he’d have to discuss with his family whether or not to keep playing. As Spring Training approaches, however, Belt told The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly that he is “definitely playing this year,” and that he could be close to signing a new contract.
2023 wasn’t a completely healthy season for Belt, as he missed about three weeks spread over two injured list stints due to back spasms and a sore hamstring. Belt also played almost exclusively against right-handed pitching, as the Jays used him mostly in a platoon capacity. Still, Belt’s 103 games played and 404 plate appearances were his highest totals since 2019, and he showed there’s plenty left in the tank by hitting .254/.369/.490 with 19 home runs. That translated to a 138 wRC+, ranking 15th among all players with at least 400 PA.
Even with his injury-marred 2022 season dragging down the numbers, Belt has a 140 wRC+ in 1262 PA since the start of the 2020 season. Though Belt turns 36 in April, it would seem like he is still a very good option for a team in need of some production from the designated hitter/part-time first base role, as long as Belt can remain healthy. Belt earned $9.3MM in his one-year deal with the Jays and should merit a raise, even if a multi-year contract is unlikely.
The Rangers are the only team publicly linked to Belt this offseason, and the World Series champs have a natural connection to Belt given the presence of his old Giants manager Bruce Bochy. A return to the Blue Jays might be less clear now that Toronto has signed Justin Turner, though since Turner is a right-handed hitter who can play third base, there might be some room for the Jays to carry both Belt and Turner even with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. locking down regular first base duty.
The Brewers (with Rhys Hoskins) and Twins (Carlos Santana) have both recently addressed their first base/DH needs, plus other available free agents like Jorge Soler, J.D. Martinez, Garrett Cooper, and Joey Votto are competing with Belt in the marketplace. There’s also the biggest name in Cody Bellinger, whose role as a first baseman or outfielder might vary depending on where he eventually lands.
One team that doesn’t appear to be in the running is San Francisco. Baggarly writes that the Giants “tossed around the idea of a Belt reunion,” but a right-handed hitter seems to be the club’s preference given the lefty-leaning tilt of the lineup. LaMonte Wade Jr. is one of those lefty-swingers and is already penciled into everyday first base duty, and another lefty bat in Michael Conforto figures to take up a big chunk of the DH at-bats.
Athletics Notes: Stripling, Wood, Montas, Waldichuk, Bullpen
The Athletics’ offseason has been dominated by news about their planned move to Las Vegas, including the still-ongoing question of where exactly the team is going to play during the three-year gap between the end of their lease at the Oakland Coliseum and the opening of their new ballpark in Vegas in 2028. These issues have naturally influenced the front office’s roster-building endeavors, as GM David Forst told reporters (including The Comeback’s Jessica Kleinschmidt and The San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea) that the A’s have been targeting free agents on one-year contracts, in part due to the uncertainty over where the team will be playing beyond the 2024 campaign.
One of those one-year offers was finalized this week, when Alex Wood was signed to a one-year, $8.5MM deal. The pitching additions continued when Ross Stripling was acquired in a trade with the Giants, and Forst confirmed that both Stripling and Wood will be deployed as starting pitchers heading into Spring Training. The two veterans have worked as starters, relievers, and swingmen during their careers (including as recently as 2023 when they both played for San Francisco), but Forst noted that such seasoned starters are “exactly what we need with a relatively young and inexperienced starting pitching staff….We’ve seen what happens when you get a little overwhelmed with inexperience and we started last season with five rookie starters, and it didn’t go well.”
Forst said the A’s started discussing signing Wood and making a Stripling trade with the Giants back during the GM Meetings in November. Plenty of other arms received consideration on the free agent and trade markets, and MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos reports that longtime former Athletic Frankie Montas was of interest before Montas signed a one-year, $16MM deal with the Reds. Montas posted a 3.70 ERA over 537 2/3 innings with Oakland from 2017-22, but the righty has been plagued by injuries and under-performance since the A’s dealt Montas to the Yankees at the 2022 trade deadline.
The Oakland rotation now consists of Wood, Stripling, JP Sears, Paul Blackburn, and then a host of candidates vying for the fifth starter’s job. It remains to be seen if Ken Waldichuk will be part of this competition, as Forst said Waldichuk has yet to begin throwing and won’t do so for at least two weeks.
Waldichuk will see a doctor next week to figure out a throwing schedule in the next step of the southpaw’s ongoing attempts to recover from a strained flexor tendon and sprained UCL in his throwing arm. The injuries emerged right at the very end of the 2023 season, and Forst’s update was the first on Waldichuk since the A’s revealed in early December that the left-hander was pursuing a non-surgical rehab plan that included both a Tenex procedure and a PRP injection. Even if Waldichuk gets the green light to start throwing relatively soon, he’ll obviously still need a lot of ramp-up time to make up for the lost offseason work, and Waldichuk seems like a lock to begin the season on the injured list.
Waldichuk’s had a 5.36 ERA in his second MLB season, and his 141 innings ranked second among all A’s pitchers last year. The additions of Stripling and Wood will hopefully more than make up for those innings should Waldichuk miss a significant amount of time, but the Athletics figure to keep looking for more lower-cost pitching prior to Opening Day. Forst didn’t exactly close the door on more rotation candidates, but noted that the A’s are particularly looking at the relief market.
