Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors

Braves Sign Joe Harvey To Minors Contract

By Mark Polishuk | February 26, 2023 at 6:46pm CDT

The Braves have signed Joe Harvey to a minor league deal earlier this week, according to the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Harvey has been assigned to the team’s Triple-A camp.

The 31-year-old Harvey has amassed a 3.32 ERA and a 29.75% strikeout rate over 105 2/3 Triple-A innings (all in relief) during his career, spending time with the top affiliates of the Yankees, Rockies, and Twins since the start of the 2018 season. Those missed bats came at a price, however, as Harvey has battled his control and also had to deal with some injury concerns. Harvey’s 2020 and 2021 seasons were both cut short by forearm strains, and he didn’t pitch at all in 2022.

Harvey’s MLB resume consists of 21 1/3 total innings, 18 of which came with the Yankees and Rockies in 2019. He’ll look for a path back to the big leagues (or perhaps just some healthy innings whatsoever), with a Braves team that has had some luck with veteran reclamation projects in recent years. If he can keep his walks down, Harvey might have some potential as an under-the-radar depth reliever for Atlanta’s bullpen.

NL East Notes: Hoskins, Rosario, Mauricio, Vientos

By Mark Polishuk | February 26, 2023 at 5:38pm CDT

Rhys Hoskins underwent a meniscectomy on his right knee in December, Phillies manager Rob Thomson told Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer and other reporters. The relatively minor procedure corrected some “wear and tear,” Thomson said, and Hoskins is expected to make his in-game spring debut sometime this week.

Now entering his age-30 season, Hoskins has been a quality hitter pretty much from day one in Philadelphia, hitting .242/.353/.492 with 148 home runs and producing a 125 wRC+ over 2877 career plate appearances in six MLB seasons. Hoskins would naturally love to keep that production going in order to help the Phillies’ chances at returning to the World Series, but a big 2023 campaign would also help Hoskins as he enters free agency next winter. The Phils already have a lot of long-term money on the books and might soon add another pricey deal if they reach an extension with Aaron Nola (another pending free agent), but it stands to reason that the club would also have some interest in locking Hoskins up to an extension. That said, Boras Corporation clients like Hoskins usually end up testing the open market, and the Phillies might have some reservations about committing a long-term deal to a first base-only player.

Giants’ Luis Gonzalez, Donovan Walton To Miss Start Of Season

By Mark Polishuk and Nick Deeds | February 26, 2023 at 4:23pm CDT

At least one and likely two players won’t be part of the Giants’ Opening Day roster, as outfielder Luis Gonzalez and utilityman Donovan Walton have both been sidelined with injuries. Manager Gabe Kapler told Evan Webeck of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter links) and other reporters that Gonzalez will miss the next 4-6 weeks due to a lower back strain, and the team also told the media that Walton will be out until May due to his recovery from shoulder surgery.

Kapler specified that Gonzalez’s current problem is in a different area than the back strain that hampered the outfielder last season, though it does mark the third time in less than a year that back issues that kept Gonzalez out of action. He missed a little over two weeks in June and July dealing with his first back strain, and Gonzalez was eventually shut down with another strain in late September.

After playing nine MLB games with the White Sox in 2020-21, Gonzalez was placed on waivers after undergoing season-ending surgery and then claimed by the Giants in August 2021. (The team non-tendered Gonzalez over the offseason but re-signed him to a new minor league deal in pretty short order.) As Gonzalez got healthy and started to receive more playing time, it looked like a very canny pickup for San Francisco, as the outfielder had an .869 OPS over his first 112 plate appearances of the 2022 season. Gonzalez even won NL Rookie Of The Month honors for May, but that proved to be the peak of his year, as his numbers (undoubtedly impacted by his ongoing back issues) came back to earth. Gonzalez ended up with a slightly below-average 95 wRC+ in 350 PA, slashing .254/.323/.360 with four homers, 17 doubles, and 10 steals in 12 chances. He also made five mop-up appearances as a pitcher in blowout games, with a 5.68 ERA to show for his 6 1/3 innings on the mound.

Heading into 2023, Gonzalez’s injury will further complicate his path to more playing time in a crowded San Francisco outfield. The Giants were aggressive in adding to their outfield mix over the offseason, as they re-signed Joc Pederson and signed Mitch Haniger and Michael Conforto in free agency. Even with Pederson mostly slated DH duty, Haniger and Conforto are expected to be the regular corner outfield combo, with Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater penciled into center field. LaMonte Wade Jr., Thairo Estrada, Heliot Ramos, and non-roster invitees Stephen Piscotty and Bryce Johnson might also be considered. Gonzalez has a minor league option remaining, meaning the Giants could send him to Triple-A as further depth once he recovers from his back problem.

Walton underwent his surgery back in September, after his shoulder issues resulted in a 60-day IL placement that prematurely ended his season. Acquired in a trade with the Mariners last May, Walton had 78 total PA in the 2022 season (all with San Francisco) and he hit .158/.179/.303.

The 28-year-old Walton has appeared in each of the last four MLB seasons, though he has only 61 big league games on his resume after being frequently back and forth between the majors and minors with both the Giants and Mariners. Walton has played mostly second base and shortstop during his career, but he has more recently branched out to some third base and left field work in order to add to his versatility and help his chances of sticking in the Show.

The Giants non-tendered Walton last November, but then re-signed him to a new minor league deal in December. Since Walton is out of minor league options, San Francisco might eventually face a tricky roster decision when he is healthy, though that decision is still at least a couple of months away.

Chicago Notes: Suzuki, Taillon, Crochet

By Mark Polishuk | February 25, 2023 at 10:47pm CDT

Seiya Suzuki was a late scratch from the Cubs lineup, as the team announced to reporters (including Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times) that the outfielder was dealing with left oblique tightness. More will be known about Suzuki once he completes some tests, though for now, there is certainly concern over his status given the rather wide range of recovery timelines associated with oblique injuries. Even if Suzuki’s issue is relatively minor, it might create an immediate problem with his planned participation on Team Japan at the World Baseball Classic.

A finger sprain cost Suzuki about six weeks of his first MLB season, but he still hit a solid .262/.336/.433 with 14 homers over 446 plate appearances with the Cubs in 2022. More will be expected from Suzuki in his sophomore year (especially for a Cubs team that plans to be more competitive) but the first order of business is to make sure that he’s healthy and that his oblique injury doesn’t lead to much missed time.

Some more notes on both Windy City teams…

The Mets and Phillies were the other finalists for Jameson Taillon, as the New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes that Philadelphia offered Taillon slightly more than the four years and $68MM he received from the Cubs. Since Taijuan Walker signed with the Phils for four years and $72MM, it could be that the Phillies offered similar deals to both pitchers and either Walker accepted first, or perhaps Taillon opted for Chicago’s offer instead. However, Taillon said that “I thought I was going to be a Met for a while,” indicating that New York was also strongly in the running. The mutual interest between both Taillon and the Cubs may have been the deciding factor, as “the Cubs made a really strong first impression” on the first day of free agency, and the team “made it clear from day one I was a top priority. If you can nerd-out and talk pitching with me, that really works for me. They showed me a good plan. It’s been exciting.”
The White Sox are tentatively aiming for May as Garrett Crochet’s return date from Tommy John rehab, as per MLB.com’s Sox-specific injuries and transactions page. Crochet underwent the TJ surgery last April, so the 13-month layoff would fit within the procedure’s usual recovery timeline. The Sox have already said that Crochet will work as a reliever when he returns, so he’ll need to build less arm strength than a pitcher who was returning to a starting role. Crochet is slated to move from two bullpen sessions per week to one high-intensity bullpen session per week, with an eye towards pitching in game action during extended Spring Training and then a minor league rehab assignment.

West Notes: Syndergaard, White, Davis

By Mark Polishuk | February 25, 2023 at 9:33pm CDT

Noah Syndergaard signed a one-year, $13MM free agent deal with the Dodgers this winter, and the right-hander tells the New York Post’s Jon Heyman that “there might have been more money on the table with another team.” But, Los Angeles held particular appeal for Syndergaard, as “I wanted to give myself the best chance to get back to the World Series and win it all. And I wanted the best coaching and direction that the sport has to offer and I’m fully convinced that that is with the Dodgers.” There is certainly a solid track record of pitchers being revived after joining the Dodgers, and Syndergaard might have a lot in particular to offer, given his past ace status and the fact that he is now fully healthy.

Tommy John surgery and some related setbacks cost Syndergaard all but two innings of the 2020-21 seasons. While he had a 3.94 ERA over 134 2/3 combined innings with the Angels and Phillies last year, Syndergaard still felt the “Tommy John hangover,” saying that “I didn’t throw a pitch where it didn’t feel like I was pitching in a straightjacket….It’s hard to get hitters out when you’re thinking about what your body is doing in mid-delivery.” It remains to seen if Syndergaard can ever fully return to his All-Star form, but even solid numbers and a clean bill of health would put him in nice position for a richer, multi-year contract in free agency next winter.

AL East Notes: Manoah, Shapiro, Rortvedt, Bautista

By Mark Polishuk | February 25, 2023 at 7:45pm CDT

“I don’t think there’s been any talks about anything” involving a long-term extension between Alek Manoah and the Blue Jays, the right-hander told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi. Noting that he is under team control through 2027, Manoah didn’t seem to expect any negotiations in the near future, saying “I don’t think I’m a priority right now.” The right-hander did state that “there’s no hard feelings, it’s just the business part of it” in regards to both the lack of talks, and Manoah’s decision to again take a salary renewal from the Jays rather than officially agree to their offered salary for his pre-arbitration season. Manoah will earn $745,650 in 2023, and he might become eligible for arbitration as early as next winter if he gains Super Two status.

Extending Manoah would give the Jays come cost certainty over what might be some increasingly pricey arbitration years, given how impressive he has looked in his first two MLB seasons. After a strong rookie campaign, Manoah took things a step further in his first full season, posting a 2.24 ERA over 196 2/3 innings and finishing third in AL Cy Young Award voting. If an extension didn’t come, Manoah said “I’m completely happy riding out that [arbitration] process and allowing the team to go spend money on other guys and me continuing to earn my value and earn what I hope to get one day,” though he also stated that “I want to play in Toronto for a long time.”

MLBPA Head Tony Clark On League Economics, TV Deals, Minor League CBA

By Mark Polishuk | February 25, 2023 at 6:51pm CDT

The newly-formed economic reform committee comprised of five team owners drew some criticism from MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark, who told The Athletic’s Evan Drellich that “the underlying theme” of the committee is reducing and controlling player payroll rather than any significant reshaping of the league’s business.

“The economic reform committee is not a new idea. They had a Blue Ribbon panel, and even an economic committee that was put together back in 1991….Those two in particular, and perhaps even this third, based on the comments that came out today, is focused in on how best to depress player salaries,” Clark said.

The MLBPA declined to make an initial comment last week when the committee was announced, though it naturally isn’t surprising that the union and the owners would have greatly differing perspectives on economic inequalities within baseball. For starters, Clark feels that “baseball is doing very well,” which seems to belie the existence for the committee in the first place.

“There was a lot of discussion in 2020 about the challenges that the industry had. There were a number of positions taken suggesting that the industry was in harm’s way, and was unlikely to come out of it for years following,” Clark said. “And yet, 2021 (league-wide) revenue was nearly back to what it was pre-pandemic; 2022 is above what it was pre-pandemic. And so the industry is doing well.”

The possible bankruptcy of the Diamond Sports Group is the primary reason for the committee’s creation, as 14 different MLB teams have broadcasting deals with Bally Sports (the regional networks owned by Diamond Sports). This will certainly have a major impact on the revenue streams for those teams, but only in the near future, Clark argues.

“We think, based on the expertise that we’re receiving, that over the long term, growth will still happen,” Clark said. “Live events, sports itself, have still done remarkably well. It’s the [regional sports network] model that appears to be challenged, not fan interest in sporting events.”

While certain teams could be harder hit depending on the specific length of their TV contracts, the potential also exists for those game broadcasts (and thus revenues) to be covered via new deals with streaming platforms, as opportunities could emerge in relatively quick fashion should a bankruptcy trigger a resolution to any pre-existing contracts with the Diamond Sports Group.

To this end, it is possible a good portion of the Bally Sports-related problems could be solved well before the end of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, which expires at the end of the 2026 season. Given how the CBA was only settled less than a year ago in the wake of a 99-day lockout, much could still change between now and 2026, though the league seems quite likely to continue to push revenue disparities between teams as a prime motivator for an overhaul of baseball’s financial structure in the next CBA.

Commissioner Rob Manfred noted last week that the league’s exploration of the Bally Sports issue has led to a broader discussion between owners of revenue disparities, which is the other purpose of the economic reform committee. A salary cap doesn’t appear to be on the table for now since even the owners, Manfred said, would have difficulty in finding a cap ceiling that would be agreeable to all parties.

That said, Clark reiterated the longstanding MLBPA tenet that “we’re never going to agree to a cap….we’re not going to agree to a cap. A salary cap is the ultimate restriction on player value and player salary. We believe in a market system. The market system has served our players, our teams and our game very well.” The last round of CBA talks did involve the union exploring the idea of a salary floor, which Clark said was “similar to what currently exists on the top” in terms of the current luxury tax structure rather than an actual cap. However, “we have yet to have a conversation with the league that doesn’t include something far more restrictive on the top end. That makes the conversation null and void to this point.”

Unsurprisingly, Clark praised the Padres’ increased spending, which has come under public criticism from some owners (including the Rockies’ Dick Monfort). Though the Padres play in a relatively smaller market, Clark feels the team’s willingness to spend and compete at the upper levels “should be celebrated, not questioned.”

“The question that should be asked in regards to one team’s payroll versus another, is whether or not that team is making a conscious decision to have its payroll there, or whether it has the ability to increase its payroll?” Clark said. “The answer is the latter, and not the former. So at the end of the day, particularly when you see teams in smaller markets — aka San Diego, in this instance, as the best example — provide a level of engagement for their fans, and a level of excitement in being one of the seven smallest markets we have, it begs the question as to why they made that decision, and why others aren’t.”

Returning to labor talks, the union and the league are in ongoing negotiations about another CBA, the first agreement between MLB and minor league players. Though no deal has been reached since the two sides began talks in November, Clark doesn’t feel a work stoppage is likely if an agreement isn’t in place by Opening Day, since “the greater likelihood is that the terms and conditions that currently exist will likely continue as we continue to negotiate.” According to Clark, one of the roadblocks is that the league has again looked to reduce the size of minor league rosters, which the union considers a “non-starter” of a proposal.

Diamondbacks Notes: Spending, Ballpark, Martin, Jones

By Mark Polishuk | February 25, 2023 at 4:38pm CDT

Diamondbacks managing general partner Ken Kendrick and team president/CEO Derrick Hall spoke with MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert and other reporters earlier this week, discussing several topics about the club’s offseason and future plans. In regards to the biggest-picture topic of the Diamondbacks’ quest for a new ballpark, Hall said that “nothing has really changed yet….We’re still looking at what other options there might be in Maricopa County, not outside of Maricopa County,” and that “we’ll start accelerating that process again” now that the MLB lockout and the pandemic delayed the process. The club’s lease at Chase Field is up after the 2027 season, and while the D’Backs have been in talks with Phoenix officials, there were some reports in 2019 that the Diamondbacks had possibly considered Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada as alternate sites. Hall said that the team would likely prefer to remain in the downtown Phoenix area, and Kendrick added that “whether it be the downtown setting or perhaps a ballpark somewhere in the Valley that would be a brand new one,” the D’Backs are “prepared to spend hundreds of millions of dollars” to help fund the construction of a new home.

Speaking of finances, the Diamondbacks have had an active offseason as the team looks to improve on its 74-88 record from 2022. The Snakes’ current payroll sits at around $118.9MM, which Kendrick noted was almost a 30 percent increase from last year’s figure. While this spending still puts the D’Backs in the bottom half of all MLB payrolls, Kendrick said that ownership was prepared to reinvest at the deadline if necessary: “If the team is competitive and has the chance to play in October is there, we’re going to spend more money to get there.”

White Sox Sign Elvis Andrus

By Mark Polishuk | February 20, 2023 at 11:08am CDT

Feb. 20: The White Sox have announced the signing and confirmed the one-year, $3MM terms of the deal.

Feb. 19: The White Sox have signed infielder Elvis Andrus to a one-year contract, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link). The contract will become official when Andrus passes a physical, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale adds that Andrus will earn a $3MM salary. Andrus is represented by the Boras Corporation.

Andrus returns to the south side of Chicago after hitting .271/.309/.464 over 191 plate appearances with the White Sox last season. Released by the A’s in August, the Sox quickly inked Andrus as a shortstop replacement for Tim Anderson, who ended up missing the rest of the season due to a torn hand ligament. While only over a small sample size, Andrus’ performance with the Sox marked his best offensive surge in years, as the veteran had struggled at the plate during the end of his tenure with the Rangers and for much of his two seasons in Oakland.

With Anderson now back and healthy, the White Sox will use Andrus as their regular second baseman. This is the first position change of Andrus’ 14-year MLB career, as he has exclusively played shortstop (with a handful of DH games) over his 1947 Major League games. Andrus has made exactly one professional appearance as a second baseman, and it happened way back in his first pro season of 2005 with the Braves’ rookie ball affiliate.

Lack of experience notwithstanding, there probably isn’t much doubt that Andrus can handle the new position, given that he was still posting quality defensive numbers (as per the UZR/150 and Outs Above Average metrics) as a shortstop as recently as 2022. It is certainly possible that Andrus’ glovework will be even better at an ostensibly easier position, which gives the White Sox a defensive boost heading into a season with new anti-shift rules coming into play.

The signing addresses a problem position for the Sox that has lingered all offseason. Chicago signed Hanser Alberto, Erik Gonzalez, and Nate Mondou to minor league contracts, yet neither represented any real upgrade to a second base position that generated only 0.3 bWAR for the White Sox over the entire 2022 season. With Andrus now in the fold, longtime utilityman Leury Garcia can now used in his usual multi-position role, and more inexperienced options like Romy Gonzalez and Lenyn Sosa can now compete for bench jobs or get more seasoning in the minor leagues.

The $3MM outlay for Andrus bumps Chicago’s payroll to roughly $189.1MM, as per Roster Resource. This is a little less than the approximately $193MM the White Sox spent last season, though GM Rick Hahn indicated back in November that the club was planning to have around the same payroll as it did in 2022. Some reports suggested that the Sox would even try to cut payroll down to around $180MM, though that plan may have been abandoned in light of rising free agent costs and a relative lack of league-wide action on the trade market. If the Sox were in contention at midseason, owner Jerry Reinsdorf could possibly okay another payroll bump for a trade deadline addition, even if it’s probably safe to assume that a real spending splurge isn’t coming.

The Angels and Red Sox were the only teams publicly known to have interest in Andrus this winter, with Boston emerging in the wake of Trevor Story’s internal-brace surgery on his right elbow. There was obviously a lot of action on the shortstop market this offseason, but once the big names of Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa, and Dansby Swanson all signed their contracts, remaining teams with shortstop needs seemed more willing to test out internal options rather than pursue a veteran like Andrus. Becoming a second baseman might reflect the reality of the market for Andrus, or he might’ve just preferred an everyday role at a new position (and in a familiar environment) rather than remain a shortstop on a new team, but in more of a part-time capacity.

NL Notes: Marte, Stephenson, Dodgers, Taillon

By Mark Polishuk | February 20, 2023 at 11:05am CDT

Starling Marte underwent core surgery in November, and the outfielder talked with reporters (including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) today about the somewhat unexpected nature of that procedure. Marte ended up requiring surgery on both sides of his groin, providing an unwelcome answer to he’d been bothered by leg and lower-body problems for a big portion of the 2022 season. Marte played through quad and groin soreness but didn’t go on the injured list until he suffered a fractured finger in September, sidelining him until the playoffs.

Despite all the injuries, Marte’s first Mets season was a success, as he hit .292/.347/.468 with 16 homers over 505 plate appearances. Both Marte and manager Buck Showalter indicated that the veteran outfielder will be ramped up somewhat slowly in the early days of Spring Training, yet Marte is expected to be ready to roll for the Opening Day lineup.

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