Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors

Kodai Senga Has 2023 Opt-Out In New SoftBank Hawks Contract

By Mark Polishuk | December 5, 2021 at 8:01pm CDT

Right-hander Kodai Senga signed a new five-year contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, according to The Kyodo News and other outlets. Full salary details aren’t known, though Senga will receive $5.3MM in 2022.

Most pertinently for North American fans, the contract also contains an opt-out clause following the 2022 NPB season that would allow Senga to leave the Hawks for a potential deal with a Major League team. The opt-out clause is contingent on Senga banking enough service time in 2022 to officially qualify as a full free agent outside of the NPB/MLB posting system, which probably shouldn’t be considered a lock given that Senga missed quite a bit of the 2021 season recovering from an ankle injury.

However, Senga’s strong finish to the year should help answer any doubts about his health. The righty posted a 2.66 ERA over 84 2/3 innings for the Hawks, along with a 26.47% strikeout rate and 7.94% walk rate. If that wasn’t enough, Senga also helped Japan’s Olympic baseball team capture the gold medal at this past summer’s Tokyo Games.

Senga has made no secret of his desire to eventually test himself in MLB, and as he told reporters, “my thinking on that has not wavered” even after signing this multi-year pact with the Fukuoka team. “As a ballplayer, it’s essential to live my life always aiming higher….(Next year) I want to blow past all the numbers I’ve managed up to this point,” Senga said.

His biggest obstacle to a jump to North America has been, simply, the Hawks’ refusal to let him test the market. The Hawks have a team policy against posting any of their players to North American teams, and thus Senga has had to wait to become eligible. While it seems quite likely that he will indeed become a free agent next winter, the five-year contract does allow Senga some flexibility, as a number of factors could end up changing his mind. Injuries or a dip in form might convince him to stay with Fukuoka — or, in terms of bigger-picture issues, the state of the pandemic or what the next MLB collective bargaining agreement may look like will certainly play into Senga’s eventual decision.

Senga has been one of Japan’s better pitchers for the better part of a decade, first working as a star reliever out of the Hawks’ bullpen and then becoming a regular starter in 2016. Senga has a 2.69 ERA and 28.33% strikeout rate over 945 career NPB innings, making three All-Star teams and twice leading the Pacific League in strikeouts. If he stays healthy and keeps pitching this well in 2022, Senga (who turns 30 in January 2023) should have no trouble attracting a noteworthy multi-year contract from Major League teams next offseason.

LaMarr Hoyt Passes Away

By Mark Polishuk | December 5, 2021 at 4:53pm CDT

Former AL Cy Young Award winner LaMarr Hoyt passed away last Monday at age 66. According to a statement released by the White Sox, Mathew Hoyt (LaMarr’s oldest son) said his father was suffering from cancer.

Hoyt appeared in parts of eight MLB seasons from 1979-1986, with the first six of those years with the White Sox and the last two with the Padres. A fifth-round pick for the Yankees in the 1973 draft, Hoyt was dealt along with Oscar Gamble, minor league righty Bob Polinsky, and $200K to the White Sox in April 1977 in what turned out to be a very notable trade for both teams, as New York picked up Bucky Dent in exchange.

It didn’t take long for Hoyt to win over Tony La Russa, whose debut season as a big league manager with the White Sox coincided with Hoyt’s first taste of The Show.

“My first impression of LaMarr was, ’Here is a pitcher.’ He had average stuff but amazing command and tremendous confidence, and he never showed fear,” La Russa said in the White Sox media release. “We brought him up to the big leagues in 1979 and nothing bothered him. He had this impressive cool where he believed if he made his pitches, he would get hitters out. He faced teams multiple times in a season but could change up his looks and keep them off balance. What a great competitor.”

Hoyt didn’t become a full-fledged member of Chicago’s rotation until 1982, and he immediately made his mark by leading the American League with 19 wins and posting a 3.53 ERA. This set the stage for Hoyt’s signature 1983 year, which put him alongside Early Wynn and Jack McDowell as the only White Sox pitchers to ever capture a Cy Young Award.

During that dream season, Hoyt led the majors in wins (24) and walk rate (a tiny 3.0%) over 260 2/3 innings while posting a 3.66 ERA and leading the Sox to an AL West title. Hoyt also threw a complete game to secure Chicago’s lone victory over the Orioles in that year’s ALCS, as Hoyt held the eventual World Series champion O’s to just five hits in a 2-1 White Sox triumph.

After struggling in 1984, Hoyt was dealt that offseason to San Diego as part of a seven-player trade — it was another noteworthy move in White Sox history, as longtime Chicago player and future Series-winning manager Ozzie Guillen joined the Sox in that swap. Hoyt pitched well in 1985 and earned a spot on the NL All-Star team, but his performance declined in 1986 and he never pitched again in the majors. The end of Hoyt’s career was hastened by injuries, as well as a struggle with substance abuse and legal problems that resulted in a year-long suspension from Major League Baseball.

Hoyt posted a 3.99 ERA over 1311 1/3 innings with the White Sox and Padres, relying on his excellent control. Hoyt’s 5.1% walk rate is the seventh-lowest of any qualified pitcher from the 1979-1986 period, and of the six pitchers ahead of Hoyt on the list, only Hall-of-Famer Dennis Eckersley pitched more innings.

We at MLB Trade Rumors apologize for the late date of this post, and we send our condolences to Hoyt’s family and friends.

Tomoyuki Sugano Declines Opt-Out, Remains With Yomiuri Giants

By Mark Polishuk | December 5, 2021 at 9:00am CDT

Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano has decided to pass on the international opt-out clause in his contract, and will remain with the Yomiuri Giants for at least one more season. Sugano told Yahoo Japan and other media outlets that his goal was to help the Giants win a championship in 2022.

Sugano was one of the more intriguing names of last winter’s free agent market, after the Giants posted the righty. The Blue Jays and Padres each made formal contract offers to Sugano and at least four other teams (the Rangers, Mets, Red Sox, and San Francisco Giants) also had some level of interest. However, a deal couldn’t be reached before the end of the 30-day posting window, with Sugano feeling that he was limited by both that short timeframe and the slow-moving nature of the first pandemic-influenced offseason.

The Yomiuri team ended up re-signing Sugano to a new four-year deal worth $40MM, though Sugano was given the opportunity to opt out after every year of that contract to pursue another shot at signing with a Major League team. Sugano would’ve been a full-fledged free agent, no longer constrained by the MLB/NPB posting system, and he was already old enough and with the prerequisite experience to not be subject to the international signing pools.

Long one of the best pitchers in Japanese baseball, Sugano is coming off a down year by his high standards, an injury-shortened season that limited him to 115 2/3 innings. He was still quite effective when he did pitch, posting a 3.16 ERA, 22.25% strikeout rate, and a 5.61% walk rate to help the Giants reach the Central League Climax Series, where they fell to the eventual Japan Series champion Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

Sugano turned 32 in October, and has now been set back by injuries in two of the last three seasons, even though his overall numbers have still been strong. These factors alone might not have stopped Sugano in a normal offseason, but with the lockout now putting everything on hold, it isn’t surprising that Sugano chose to remain in a familiar environment. If he felt things were too rushed within the limits of a 30-day posting window, Sugano certainly wouldn’t have liked the rush that will come following the end of the transactions freeze, when over 200 other free agents will also be battling for contracts before Opening Day.

Braves Considered Anthony Rizzo Last Month

By Mark Polishuk | December 4, 2021 at 10:20pm CDT

The Braves “explored” the possibility of signing free agent first baseman Anthony Rizzo in November, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. This could have potentially just been standard offseason procedure on the Braves’ part, since as Rosenthal notes, the club will naturally have backup plans in mind should Freddie Freeman sign elsewhere.

Along those same lines, Atlanta has also been linked to the Matt Olson trade market, as Olson (projected to earn $12MM in his second trip through the arbitration process) stands out as a prime trade chip for an Athletics team that is looking to cut costs. It is probably safe to assume that the Braves have looked at other first base options besides just Rizzo and Olson as they prepare for a post-Freeman world, though Rosenthal observes that “most of the industry still expects Freeman to stay with the Braves.”

Still, at least one rival executive is surprised that Freeman is still available, describing it as a “slap in the face” to Freeman that the Braves haven’t already worked out a new contract with the longtime face of the franchise. The most recent reports suggested that the Braves were hesitant about giving Freeman a sixth guaranteed year, and Freeman wanted something closer to a $200MM deal — or at least, perhaps closer to $200MM than the $135MM (over five years) deal that Atlanta offered at some point during negotiations between the two sides.

Rizzo presents an interesting first base alternative, as Rizzo is available for much less than Freeman’s asking price, and can be signed for just money, whereas Atlanta would surely have to send Oakland quite the package of young talent to work out a trade. MLBTR projected Rizzo for a three-year, $45MM pact, while ranking the 32-year-old in 21st place on our list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents.

Of course, the obvious reason for that lower price tag is that while Freeman and Olson are still producing at All-Star levels, Rizzo’s bat has been more modestly productive (109 wRC+) since the start of the 2020 season. Over his last 819 plate appearances, Rizzo has hit .240/.343/.432 with 33 home runs for the Cubs and Yankees. Rizzo’s hard-contact numbers have also been in serious decline, while his 9% walk rate from 2021 was his lowest over a full season. His first base glovework also took a big dip in the eyes of the UZR/150 and Defensive Runs Saved metrics, even if the Outs Above Average metric gave him a +6 (his best OAA score since 2017).

The universal DH would help quell any concerns about Rizzo’s defense, and his left-handed bat would help replace Freeman to some extent within a heavily right-handed Braves lineup. Rizzo is also still one of the better contact hitters in the league, which would help an Atlanta reduce a team strikeout rate that ranked 22nd out of 30 clubs in 2021.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Mark Polishuk | December 4, 2021 at 9:15pm CDT

Click here to read the transcript of tonight’s live baseball chat

Brewers Sign Abraham Almonte To Minor League Deal

By Mark Polishuk | December 4, 2021 at 5:24pm CDT

Catching up on a minor league signing that flew under our radar back in October, the Brewers signed outfielder Abraham Almonte to a minors deal. (Hat tip to Brewerfan.net’s Jim Goulart.) Almonte will receive an invitation to the Brewers’ big league Spring Training camp.

Almonte opted for free agency rather than accept an outright assignment off the Braves’ roster in September. It was the second time Almonte had been outrighted off the Braves’ 40-man roster last season, as he was previously sent to the alternate training site at the end of Spring Training before his contract was selected to the 26-man roster in May.

The 32-year-old Almonte ended up receiving quite a bit of playing time with Atlanta, and likely more than the Braves anticipated, except Marcell Ozuna’s administrative leave and then Ronald Acuna Jr’s season-ending ACL tear created some major vacancies in the team’s outfield. However, the front office responded with a now-legendary flurry of transactions that brought Joc Pederson, Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler, and Adam Duvall to the club in a series of trades, helping pave the way for Atlanta to eventually win the World Series.

These new faces resulted in fewer at-bats for Almonte, and ultimately turned him back into an expendable piece. Almonte hit a respectable .216/.331/.399 (97 wRC+) over 175 plate appearances, hitting five home runs and mostly playing left field. Much of the offensive damage came from the left side of the plate, as the switch-hitting Almonte batted .237/.359/.449 in 142 PA against right-handed pitching. While Almonte’s performance was unspectacular, he did step up to fill a role during a time of need for the Braves, and he wound up with a World Series ring for his efforts.

Almonte has played for six different teams over parts of the last nine MLB seasons, hitting .234/.302/.374 in 1326 career PA. He’ll now provide the Brewers with a depth option heading into Spring Training, and may likely again only be an option for Milwaukee’s active roster in the event of an injury or two. Almonte joins David Dahl and Jonathan Davis as experienced outfield veterans in the Brewers’ camp on minor league deals.

NL Central Notes: Brewers, Grichuk, Cubs, Gausman, Matz, Pirates

By Mark Polishuk | December 3, 2021 at 2:25pm CDT

The Brewers had talks with the Blue Jays about a trade that would have seen Randal Grichuk head to Milwaukee in a straight-up exchange for Jackie Bradley Jr., The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports. This was one of multiple alternate Bradley-for-outfielder deals explored by the Brewers before finally acquiring Hunter Renfroe from the Red Sox on Wednesday.

While the Brew Crew had to surrender two prospects along with Bradley in that deal, Renfroe is both less expensive than Grichuk and has been a better player over the last three seasons — Renfroe had a 3.5 fWAR since the start of the 2019 campaign, while Grichuk has been worth 1.5 fWAR. The Brewers’ outfield mix now consists of Renfroe, Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, and Tyrone Taylor, so barring any other transactions to shift some money around, Grichuk may no longer be on Milwaukee’s radar.

Padres To Hire Ryan Christenson As Bench Coach

By Mark Polishuk | December 3, 2021 at 1:26pm CDT

One of Bob Melvin’s trusted lieutenants will be joining the manager in San Diego, as The Athletic’s Dennis Lin reports (via Twitter) that the Padres will hire Ryan Christenson as their new bench coach. Christenson worked as Melvin’s bench coach with the Athletics for the last four seasons.

Christenson has longstanding ties to Oakland, working as a minor league manager from 2013-2017 and also playing for the A’s from 1998-2001 after being drafted by the club in 1995. The 47-year-old saw MLB action with four different teams during his six seasons in the Show, and while he played 60 games with the Rangers in 2003, this was just a year before Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller was initially hired to join the Texas organization.

The firing of manager Jayce Tingler following the season also led to an overhaul of the Padres’ coaching staff. Along with Christenson, Ruben Niebla is the new pitching coach, Michael Brdar the new hitting coach, and Francisco Cervelli was hired as a catching coach. According to Lin, the Padres will announce their full slate of coaches next week.

With Christenson now moving on, the A’s have one less internal option to consider as Melvin’s replacement. Christenson had been mentioned as a possible candidate as Oakland’s next skipper, and he also interviewed for the Pirates’ last managerial vacancy back in October 2019. There has been very little public buzz about the Athletics’ managerial search, but with all other baseball business on hold due to the lockout, the team has been expected to now turn its full attention to finding a new bench boss.

Marlins Interested In Ketel Marte

By Mark Polishuk | December 3, 2021 at 11:17am CDT

The Marlins have shown interest in the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. There isn’t any indication that a deal was close prior to the lockout, and it remains to be seen if Arizona would be even open to moving Marte at all.

As Rosenthal plainly puts it, the D’backs “would need a monster package to move Marte.” The former All-Star is entering his age-29 season and is controlled through the next three seasons — an $8MM salary in 2022, and then club options for both 2023 and 204 that would pay Marte a total of $22MM if both options were exercised.

Marte broke out with a huge 2019 season that saw him finish fourth in NL MVP voting. After a disappointing 2020 campaign, Marte rebounded to hit .318/.377/.532 with 14 home runs last season, though he was limited to only 90 games due to a pair of hamstring injuries. In both 2019 and 2021, Marte has enjoyed large BABIPs and wOBA totals that have outpaced his xwOBA, so there is some question about just how sustainable his elite production is, plus his speed and baserunning skills have been in decline. Still, Marte makes a lot of hard contact and rarely strikes out, and it is possible he could use a change of scenery given the Diamondbacks’ dismal results over the last two seasons.

Between Marte’s age, ability, and his very reasonable contract, Rosenthal points out that the D’backs would want more for Marte than they received in either the Paul Goldschmidt or Zack Greinke trades. To put it in perspective, Arizona received two MLB-ready younger players (Luke Weaver, Carson Kelly), one notable prospect (Andrew Young, who has since made his big league debut) and a Competitive Balance Round draft pick from the Cardinals for Goldschmidt back in the 2018-19 offseason. For dealing Greinke to the Astros at the 2019 trade deadline, the D’Backs got four prospects in return.

Miami could be a team well-suited to meet the Diamondbacks’ high asking price, given how the Marlins have been open to trading from their surplus of starting pitchers. The Fish have lots of young pitching depth in the minors and even some names from their current big league staff could be available, with Elieser Hernandez and Pablo Lopez considered to be available. (Sandy Alcantara can be safely removed from the list of trade candidates considering his recent five-year extension.)

The Marlins would presumably deploy Marte in center field, with Jesus Sanchez and the newly-acquired Avisail Garcia flanking Marte in the corners. However, defensive metrics are mixed at best (-8 Outs Above Average and -12 Defensive Runs Saved, but a +2.3 UZR/150) on Marte’s glovework as an outfielder, and while his numbers as a second baseman are similarly unspectacular, Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen indicated that Arizona would likely keep Marte as something close to a full-time second baseman in 2022. Playing the infield could help keep Marte healthier, but the Marlins might also view Marte’s outfield defense as improvable if he is focused on playing only center field, whereas the D’Backs moved Marte around between center, second base, and shortstop.

In other trade talks between the two sides, Rosenthal writes that the Marlins also checked on Kelly’s availability. Presumably, Kelly is no longer on Miami’s radar now that the Marlins have acquired Jacob Stallings to fill their catching vacancy.

Yankees Add Dillon Lawson, Desi Druschel To Coaching Staff

By Mark Polishuk | December 3, 2021 at 10:37am CDT

The Yankees are making two in-house promotions to their big league coaching ranks, The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler reports. Dillon Lawson will become the team’s new hitting coach, after previously working as a minor league hitting coordinator. In addition, Desi Druschel will go from being the team’s minor league manager of pitch development to an assistant pitching coach role on Aaron Boone’s staff.

New York GM Brian Cashman said earlier this offseason that the club was planning to have three pitching and hitting coaches each in place for 2022, in order to better reflect how other teams have expanded and broadened coaching responsibilities beyond the traditional duties. Druschel joins Matt Blake and Mike Harkey on the pitching side, while Lawson will have two assistant hitting coaches that have yet to be hired. After the season, the Yankees didn’t retain former hitting coaches Marcus Thames or P.J. Pilittere.

Lawson worked as a hitting coach at the University Of Missouri and in the Astros’ farm system before he joined the Yankees three years ago. Since Lawson’s initial contract was up this winter, the promotion could be a way of keeping him in the fold, as Adler noted that there was some feeling other teams would try and hire Lawson away.

Despite all of the big names in New York’s lineup, the Bronx Bombers lacked some of their usual pop in 2021, finishing 17th of 30 teams in slugging percentage, 19th in runs scored, and 23rd in batting average. Only five teams had a worse collective strikeout rate than the Yankees’ collective 24.5% mark, as the team was often criticized for relying too much on a “three true outcomes” style. New York’s lineup also was, and still is, heavy on right-handed bats, making it somewhat easier for rival teams to construct gameplans. Aside from Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, pretty much the entire Yankee lineup underachieved last year, so Lawson and his assistants will have plenty of work to do in getting those hitters back on track.

Druschel joined the Yankees in 2019 after a long stint at the University Of Iowa. Druschel worked as Iowa’s director of baseball operations, and also worked three years as the team’s pitching coach.

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