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East Notes: Rogers Centre, Ocumarez, Vazquez, Nationals

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The Blue Jays are planning extensive renovations at Rogers Centre, as Venues Now’s Don Muret reports that the club will spend $200-$250MM in upgrades to the ballpark.  The specifics of the renovations aren’t known, though Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi reports that the work is “likely to include a redesign of the stadium’s lower bowl.”  Given the potential scale of the redesigns, Davidi speculates that the renovations may slowly take place over the next few years, with work restricted to the offseason so fans or team personnel won’t be impacted during regular-season games.

Rogers Centre (which opened in 1989) is the seventh-oldest of all active Major League ballparks, and while the Jays were known to be exploring their options for building a new stadium near the current property or perhaps elsewhere in Toronto, the pandemic seems to have changed the team’s plans.  Renovating Rogers Centre now seems like the preferred and simpler route for the Blue Jays, rather than spend years finding and developing a new site.

More from both the AL and NL East divisions…

  • The Marlins have hired Roman Ocumarez as the team’s new international director, according to ESPN.com’s Enrique Rojas (Twitter link).  Ocumarez comes to Miami from the Astros, where he worked as a scout and most recently as an international scouting supervisor.  Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, and Luis Garcia are just a few of the notable signings credited to Ocumarez, with that particular trio already providing a huge return on the Astros’ total investment of $40K in bonus money.  The Marlins will look for Ocumarez to continue that success at finding hidden gems, and carrying on the Marlins’ own history of finding and developing quality international prospects.
  • Christian Vazquez has begun playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, as The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier writes that Vazquez feels the extra work will help him bounce back from a disappointing year at the plate.  The Red Sox catcher hit only .258/.308/.352 in 498 plate appearances, and he is now in the final year of his contract after Boston exercised its $7MM club option on Vazquez’s services for 2022.  Obviously, better numbers will help re-establish Vazquez as a reliable starting catcher and line him up for his next deal, whether that contract could come with the Sox or another team.  There has already been an indication that the Red Sox are looking beyond Vazquez, as the team was reportedly close to acquiring Jacob Stallings from the Pirates before Pittsburgh ultimately dealt the catcher to the Marlins.  Speier observes that Vazquez decided to play winter ball of his own volition, as the Red Sox aren’t allowed to be in contact with players due to the lockout, and might well have not permitted the veteran backstop to participate under normal circumstances.
  • Relief pitching has been an issue for the Nationals for years, and in looking ahead to next season, the Nats have already acquired Francisco Perez from the Guardians and added three relievers in the minor league Rule 5 Draft.  As The Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty notes, this can help the Nationals augment a bullpen that has already parted ways with several members of its 2021 relief corps, and is lacking in homegrown minor league relievers who could provide immediate help.

Mets Looking To Trade Jeff McNeil, Dominic Smith?

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With both Jeff McNeil and Dominic Smith coming off disappointing 2021 seasons, “there is some expectation within the industry the Mets will trade” at least one of the duo after the lockout, Mike Puma of The New York Post writes.  Back in late November, MetsMerized’s Michael Mayer tweeted that “multiple teams” had been in touch with the Mets about a McNeil trade.

Since the Mets bolstered their everyday lineup by signing Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar, there has been plenty of speculation about what the club would do with a suddenly-crowded mix of position players.  Between the three new faces and Robinson Cano returning from suspension, McNeil, Smith, and J.D. Davis suddenly looked to be short on regular playing time.  Even if the National League does adopt the DH in the next collective bargaining agreement, there might be a greater chance that the free-spending Mets fill that extra lineup spot with another established star, Puma notes.

This is far from the first time that either McNeil or Smith have figured into trade rumors.  Smith drew plenty of trade buzz following his big performance (over 197 plate appearances) in 2019, as the Mets’ glut of first base and outfield talent seemed to leave Smith without a position.  Injuries and the NL’s use of the DH in 2020 opened up more space for Smith in 2020, however, and he responded with even bigger numbers.

Smith hit a cumulative .299/.366/.571 with 21 home runs in 396 PA in 2019-20, but that production dropped sharply last year, with only a .244/.304/.363 slash line and 11 homers over 493 PA.  While Smith benefited from a .368 BABIP in 2020, that number dropped to .298 in 2021, and Smith’s isolated power also dropped from .299 to only .119.  Less hard contact in general could be the reason so few of Smith’s flyballs translated to homers or doubles, and rival teams also increased their usages of defensive shifts against the left-handed hitter.  After posting big numbers against the shift in 2019-20, Smith only had a .265 wOBA against shifts last season, with teams deploying the shift 60.1% of the time (as per Statcast).

McNeil looked like a future lineup staple over his first three seasons in Queens, highlighted by an All-Star appearance in 2019.  However, the super-utilityman also had a lot less batted-ball luck in 2021, with a .280 BABIP following a .342 BABIP from 2018-20.  While McNeil continued to be one of the harder players in the league to strike out, he didn’t make much hard contact even in his three good years, which finally caught up to him last season.  Injuries may have also been a factor, as McNeil missed over a month of the season due to a strained hamstring.

Beyond just the on-the-field struggles, McNeil also had a highly-publicized altercation with Francisco Lindor on May 7, resulting in Lindor reportedly grabbing McNeil by the throat before teammates pulled the two apart.  The incident created some belief that the Mets were simply ready to part ways with McNeil, though naturally the team isn’t going to just give him away for nothing on the trade market.

Both Smith and McNeil are controlled through the 2024 season, with Smith in his second year of salary arbitration (as a Super Two player) and McNeil in his first.  Smith is projected to earn $4MM in 2022 and McNeil $2.8MM, and thus both players would be bargains if they could regain their pre-2021 form.  Between this controlability and their recent success, Smith and McNeil both still have a solid amount of trade value, even if suitors would have some justifiable question marks in the wake of their respective down years.  That said, an argument could be made that either McNeil or Smith might benefit from a change of scenery away from the drama that has swirled around the Mets in recent years.

McNeil is heading into his age-30 season and is over three years older than Smith, but he might have more overall value due to his defensive versatility.  McNeil has seen quite a bit of time as a second baseman, third baseman, and corner outfielder over his four years in New York, whereas Smith hasn’t looked good defensively in the outfield and has been only passable at first base.  Pete Alonso has Smith blocked at first base, of course, so the DH slot might be Smith’s best shot at getting regular playing time if he does stay with the Mets.  In terms of trade interest, teams might not be too willing to part with a premium return for a first base-only player, especially one coming off a lackluster season at the plate.

It stands to reason that moving one of McNeil, Smith, or Davis would help the Mets address other roster needs, but an argument can also be made that the team could or should simply retain that entire trio for the sake of depth.  Since injuries and unforeseen issues like Cano’s suspension left the Mets so shorthanded in 2021, figuring out ways to raise the talent floor should be a priority for new GM Billy Eppler.  Also, new manager Buck Showalter is no stranger to figuring out ways to juggle playing time and maximize the skills of every player on his roster.

Dan Straily Aiming To Return To MLB In 2022

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Right-hander Dan Straily turned down a contract offer from the KBO League’s Lotte Giants for a third season in South Korea, as SportsGrid’s Craig Mish (via Twitter) reports that Straily is looking to return to the majors next season.  Straily is a veteran of eight big league seasons, last appearing in North American baseball as a member of the Orioles in 2019.

Among the many topics discussed in his chat with MLBTR readers on December 14, Straily noted that he was “always looking to play in MLB.  Anyone who puts on a uniform has the dream of pitching in MLB,” adding that “I have said since day one that I want to finish my career in the MLB where my son can watch me pitch.”  Given the lockout, Straily said that “time will tell” about whether or not he might ultimately land back in the bigs in 2022.  This marks the second straight offseason of uncertainty surrounding Straily’s plans, as he said he re-signed with the Giants last winter since “we didn’t know what the [Major League] season was going to look like with Covid, and Lotte came in with a really strong offer.”

This year, however, Straily will test free agency on the heels of two solid seasons in the KBO League.  The righty posted a 3.22 ERA and 24.75% strikeout rate over 360 1/3 innings with the Busan-based Giants, and perhaps the most intriguing statistic is the fact that Straily allowed a modest 22 homers in the hitter-friendly KBO.  That represents a strong improvement for a flyball pitcher like Straily, especially since issues with the home run ball led to his disastrous season in Baltimore.

Straily also allowed 22 home runs during his time with the Orioles, except that total came over only 47 2/3 innings, resulting in an ugly 9.82 ERA in 2019.  A move to the bullpen didn’t help Straily get on track, and while the Phillies acquired Straily at that year’s trade deadline, he didn’t see any big league action in Philadelphia.  Injuries contributed to that down year, as Straily mentioned in the reader chat that he only discovered after the season that he had been pitching with a torn meniscus.

The struggles in 2019 stood out given how solidly the righty performed with the Reds and Marlins from 2016-18 (4.03 ERA, if a 4.64 SIERA).  Since Straily isn’t a big strikeout pitcher and generally allows so many flyballs, it was perhaps inevitable that his eight MLB seasons featured plenty of variance in performance.  At his best, Straily has shown himself to be a durable starter who can provide quality innings if he can just keep the ball in the park.

Since pitching is always a need, MLB clubs have undoubtedly kept an eye on Straily’s work in South Korea, and could be interested in seeing if his KBO success could be replicated in North America.  Straily said in his chat that “we changed something on almost all of my pitches to make them better,” using such familiar pitching analysis “toys” as “Rapsodo, Driveline, and Edgertronic cameras” to both improve his changeup and add velocity to his fastball.  Last offseason, Straily drew attention from such Major League teams as the Angels, the Reds (one of Straily’s former teams) and the San Francisco Giants, so it stands to reason that any of those clubs could still be interested in the 33-year-old’s services.

Dodgers Sign Tomas Telis To Minors Contract

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The Dodgers signed catcher Tomas Telis to a minor league deal earlier this month, as per the team’s official MLB.com transactions page.  Telis began the offseason as a minor league free agent, and is therefore eligible to sign during the lockout.

A veteran of five MLB seasons, Telis hit .230/.267/.298 over 267 plate appearances while playing with the Rangers and Marlins from 2013-18.  He has spent the last three seasons in the Twins organization but hasn’t yet appeared in a big league game for Minnesota.  Telis had his contract selected in April but was sent back down after a couple of days without seeing any action during his cup of coffee on the Twins’ active roster.

With Will Smith and Austin Barnes atop the Dodgers’ catching depth chart, Telis will provide some veteran depth in the minors, assuming he sticks with the club through Spring Training.  While the 30-year-old Telis hasn’t hit much at the MLB level, he has some very strong numbers at the Triple-A level, with a .306/.349/.426 career slash line and 43 home runs in 2262 PA at the top rung of the minor league ladder.  Telis’ production with Minnesota’s Triple-A club would likely have resulted in at least another look from most organizations, though the Twins’ own depth at catcher seemed to make Telis something of an afterthought.

Hyeon-jong Yang Signs With KBO’s Kia Tigers

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Left-hander Hyeon-jong Yang is officially returning to the Korea Baseball Organization, as the Kia Tigers announced that Yang has signed a four-year deal.  (Hat tip to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News.)  Yang will earn a signing bonus of roughly $2.53MM, and a little over $2.1MM in guaranteed salary over the course of the four-year deal.  A hefty array of incentive bonuses are also available, as Yang can almost double his salary (around $4.04MM) if he hits all of his bonuses.

Yang posted a 5.60 ERA in his lone season in Major League Baseball, tossing 35 1/3 innings with the Rangers in 2021.  After signing a minor league deal last winter, Yang ended up cracking the Texas roster and serving in a swingman role, starting four of his 12 games.  Not a big strikeout pitcher even in his heyday in the KBO League, Yang didn’t miss many bats in the majors (15.6% strikeout rate) and he had plenty of trouble with the long ball, allowing nine homers in his brief time on the big league mound.

The Rangers sent Yang back and forth from Triple-A on a couple of occasions before ultimately designating him for assignment in September.  Yang elected to become a free agent after the season, and early reports indicated that he was looking at returning to South Korea, and in particular a return to the Tigers, his longtime team.

As Yoo writes, there were a few hurdles to be jumped in negotiations between the two sides, with the larger amount of incentives reflecting the Tigers’ wariness about Yang’s struggles over the last two seasons.  Even before heading to MLB, Yang posted a 4.70 ERA over 172 1/3 innings with the Gwangju-based team in 2020.

This was the worst full-season performance of Yang’s 14-year stint with the Tigers, though given his long history of success with the team, it isn’t surprising that the Tigers were interested in a reunion.  Yang has a 3.83 ERA and a 19.77% strikeout rate over 1986 career innings in the KBO League (all with the Tigers), and he is a two-time winner of the Dong-won Choi Award as the league’s best starting pitcher.  Yang was also named MVP of the KBO League as a whole in 2017, as well as Korean Series MVP as he led the Tigers to the championship.

Colin Rea Signs With Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

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The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have announced the signing of right-hander Colin Rea (as per Yahoo Japan).  Rea will return to the Hawks for the second straight season, and after something of a rushed departure last summer.

After initially signing with the Japanese club last winter, Rea pitched quite well (2.03 ERA, 25.33% strikeout rate) over 40 innings before he left the Hawks in August to be with his family, following the premature birth of his child back in the United States.  Rea ended up catching on with the Brewers on a minor league contract, resulting in 35 2/3 innings at Triple-A and then a single game in the big leagues, tossing six innings of bulk-pitcher duty in the Brew Crew’s second-last game of the regular season.

It was enough to put a fourth MLB season on Rea’s professional resume, as Rea tossed 134 1/3 innings with the Marlins and Padres in 2015-16 before Tommy John surgery interrupted his career.  He returned to throw 14 innings with the Cubs in 2020, and while the two sides worked out a one-year deal to avoid arbitration heading into the 2021 season, Rea was allowed to pursue that deal with the Hawks since he ultimately wasn’t in Chicago’s long-term plans.

Rea’s performance last season bodes well for more success in NPB, and his chances of re-establishing himself as a solid rotation candidate either in Japan or potentially for another return to a Major League team.  Originally a 12th-round pick for the Padres in the 2011 draft, Rea has worked as a starter for the majority of his career.  The 31-year-old isn’t a particularly hard thrower or a big strikeout pitcher, but he has a solid 3.68 ERA over 742 2/3 career innings in the minors, as well as a 4.90 ERA over his 154 1/3 frames at the big league level.

Which 2022 Draft Picks Have Teams Gained And Lost From Qualifying Offer Free Agents

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Of the 14 free agents to receive qualifying offers this winter, nine have already figured out where they will be playing next season, leading to some noteworthy adjustments to the 2022 draft order.  For a refresher on the QO rules, you can check this list of what signing a qualifying offer-rejecting free agent would cost each team, or this list of what teams receive as compensation for losing a QO-rejecting free agent.

Or, for simplicity’s sake, you could just read this post right here as a quick summary of the extra picks gained and lost due to these signings.  First of all, four of the nine signed players don’t factor into the discussion, since they are back with their former teams — Brandon Belt accepted the Giants’ qualifying offer in the first place, while Raisel Iglesias re-signed with the Angels, Chris Taylor re-signed with the Dodgers, and Justin Verlander re-signed with the Astros.

For the five other signed QO free agents and the five unsigned QO free agents, here is the breakdown of what their former teams would receive as compensatory picks.  The specific order of the compensatory picks is based on the previous year’s record, so the team with the fewer wins would get the superior pick.

  • Extra pick after Round 1 of the draft: This is awarded to a team that receives revenue-sharing funds, and whose QO-rejecting free agent signs with another team for more than $50MM in guaranteed salary.  The Rockies and Reds would therefore each qualify if Trevor Story (Colorado) or Nick Castellanos (Cincinnati) signed for $50MM+.  Since the Reds had the better record between the two teams, the Rockies would pick 32nd overall and the Reds 33rd overall if both clubs indeed ended up in this same category.  If Story and/or Castellanos signed for less than $50MM, Colorado and/or Cincinnati would be in the next group…
  • Extra pick between Competitive Balance Round B and Round 3: Four picks have already been allotted within this group, comprised of teams who don’t receive revenue sharing funds.  The Mets received an extra selection when Noah Syndergaard signed with the Angels, the Blue Jays received two picks when Marcus Semien signed with the Rangers and Robbie Ray signed with the Mariners, and the Red Sox got a pick when Eduardo Rodriguez signed with the Tigers.  Like Toronto, the Mets could also receive a second pick if Michael Conforto signed elsewhere.  The Braves (Freddie Freeman) and Astros (Carlos Correa) would also land in this category if their respective QO free agents left town.  The draft order of this sandwich round based on 2021 record would line up as Mets (77 wins), Braves (88 wins), Blue Jays (91 wins), Red Sox (92 wins), and Astros (95 wins).  For the moment, the four picks in this group represent the 75th-79th overall selections in the draft, though that specific order will be altered based on where the other QO players sign, or what other second-round picks might be surrendered as penalties for signing those free agents.
  • Extra pick after Round 4: For teams that lose a QO free agent but exceeded the luxury tax threshold in 2021, their compensatory pick is pushed back to beyond the fourth round.  Therefore, this is where the Dodgers will make their extra pick in the wake of Corey Seager’s deal with the Rangers.

Moving on, here is what the four teams who have signed QO free agents had to give up in draft capital…

  • Second-highest 2022 draft pick, $500K in international signing pool money: The Angels didn’t receive revenue sharing funds, and didn’t exceed the luxury tax in 2021.  As a result, signing Syndergaard will cost the Angels their second-round draft selection and a chunk of their funds for the next international signing period.
  • Third-highest 2022 draft pick: The Mariners and Tigers fall into this category, as teams who received revenue sharing payments in 2021.  For Seattle, this is simply their third-round selection.  For Detroit, their “third-highest pick” won’t be determined until MLB establishes the order for this year’s Competitive Balance Draft.  Depending on which of the two CBD rounds the Tigers are drawn into, their cost for the Rodriguez contract could either be their second-rounder or their pick in Competitive Balance Round B.
  • Both their second AND third-highest 2022 draft picks, and $500K in international signing pool money: The Rangers splurged by signing both Seager and Semien, and thus faced twice the draft penalty (both their second-round and third-round picks) for landing a pair of QO free agents.  Texas would have faced the same penalty as the Angels if it had signed just one of Seager or Semien.
  • Second- and fifth-highest 2022 draft picks, $1MM in international signing pool money: The stiffest penalty is reserved for teams who exceeded the luxury tax threshold last season.  Therefore, only the Dodgers and Padres would have to give up multiple picks to sign a single QO free agent, which would surely influence any efforts on their part to pursue Correa, Freeman, Conforto, Story, or Castellanos.

Padres Notes: Payroll, Campusano, Prospects

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The Padres were relatively quiet during the pre-lockout portion of the offseason, at least by A.J. Preller’s usual aggressive standards.  The club’s trade of Adam Frazier to the Mariners stands as San Diego’s biggest move of the winter, and that deal was surely motivated at least in part by the $7.2MM Frazier is projected to earn in salary arbitration.

Though the next collective bargaining agreement could change the luxury tax rules, for now the Padres’ hefty salary commitments (roughly $214.7MM for 2022, as per Roster Resource) continues to influence the front office’s activities.  The Padres already exceeded the $210MM luxury tax threshold in 2021, and would face a repeater penalty of a 30% surcharge on the overage if they surpassed whatever the threshold is in 2022.  It isn’t clear what San Diego’s salary ceiling might actually be, though The Athletic’s Dennis Lin (multiple links) notes that another “major hike” would require owner Peter Seidler to get a green light from the franchise’s minority owners.

As such, the Padres’ spending will probably be limited to some extent, as Lin has “a hard time seeing the Padres taking on another contract approaching nine figures” while the contracts of Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers are still on San Diego’s payroll.  Both Hosmer and Myers have been mentioned in trade rumors for well over a year, as the Friars have looked for creative ways of unloading either player’s hefty salary.  Hosmer is the more expensive of the duo, owed $59MM through the 2025 season while Myers is owed $21MM in 2022 ($20MM in salary and a $1MM buyout of a $20MM club option for 2023).

As Lin simply puts it, “there are a lot of moving parts to this offseason.”  Getting at least one of Hosmer or Myers off the books could unlock a lot of possibilities for the Padres, who have already been linked to such notable free agents as Nick Castellanos and Kris Bryant.  While this interest could have just been due diligence, it does indicate that San Diego is at least checking in to see what it would to add another pricey, top-tier name to the roster.

There has been much speculation that the Padres could try to trade Hosmer or Myers by including a top prospect in the deal, as a rebuilding team with payroll space might be willing to eat some salary in order to essentially buy a blue chip minor leaguer.  The Padres discussed Hosmer with the Rangers and Cubs at the trade deadline, with Robert Hassell III reportedly part of the negotiations with Texas, and Lin writes that catching prospect Luis Campusano was part of the Hosmer talks with Chicago.

The catch of such a trade, however, is that while the Padres would be lightening their salary load, they would also be losing a controllable young player that is all the more valuable to a team with such a luxury tax burden.  The club has already dipped into its prospect depth for other trades, to the point that Lin reports that rival teams now focus their asks only on San Diego’s top minor leaguers, with Hassell and CJ Abrams receiving most of the attention.  With this in mind, Lin is doubtful if the Padres would deal any of their best prospects, or the likes of Trent Grisham or Jake Cronenworth on the MLB roster.

Orioles Notes: Gonzalez, Coaching Staff, Analytics

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The Orioles officially announced their 2022 coaching staff earlier this week, which included newly hired hitting coaches Matt Borgschulte and Ryan Fuller.  There weren’t any other new faces, but a pair of returning coaches will be shifting to new roles, including Jose Hernandez moving from assistant hitting coach to the broader role of Major League coach.

Fredi Gonzalez had been working as the club’s Major League coach for the last two seasons, and he will now move into the role of bench coach to manager Brandon Hyde.  As MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko explains, this amounts to little more than a title change for Gonzalez, as “he pretty much handled the responsibilities” of a bench coach in his previous role.  The former Marlins and Braves manager will now officially step in as Hyde’s chief lieutenant, and Gonzalez would also manage the O’s in the event that Hyde is ejected from a game.

Several other organizational changes were also announced, Kubatko details, with the Orioles making some new hirings and re-arranging some internal personnel.  The staffing changes address such departments as draft operations, strength and conditioning, and development analysts at both the MLB and minor league levels.

Baltimore’s analytics staff is also the subject of a recent interview between The Baltimore Sun’s Jon Meoli and Orioles VP and assistant GM Sig Mejdal, who oversees the department.  Mejdal and Orioles GM Mike Elias previously worked together with the Astros, and after Elias was hired to run the O’s front office in November 2018, Mejdal was almost immediately hired away from Houston and tasked with essentially building an analytics department from scratch.

Three-plus years later, Mejdal said the department has grown from a single employee to a dozen, with plans for more hirings and interns to join the staff this offseason.  Meoli’s piece is an insightful look at what Mejdal has already achieved in Baltimore and how he is constantly looking to refine the analytics process, particularly when it comes to disseminating and adjusting the statistical info to best fit the needs of the players and coaches.  This isn’t to say that the human element is being overlooked whatsoever, as Mejdal noted that “analytics are so well-spread that often the differentiators are the humans in the loop.  The importance we put on the coaches, the managers, the scouts is greater now than I’ve ever seen in baseball.”

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