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Guardians Sign Luke Maile

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The Guardians have agreed to a Major League deal with catcher Luke Maile, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link).  Maile will earn $900K in guaranteed money.

A veteran of six Major League seasons, Maile’s tenure was interrupted by a finger surgery that cost him the entire 2020 season.  Playing that year on a split contract with the Pirates, Maile landed with the Brewers on another big league deal last winter and ended up appearing in 15 games with the Brew Crew.

Cleveland declined their club option on longtime catcher Roberto Perez last fall, leaving a vacancy behind the plate.  Austin Hedges remains as the de facto starter, while Sandy Leon was also signed to a minor league deal back in November.  Maile’s addition will ostensibly push Leon down to Triple-A depth, though it’s probably safe to assume that the Guardians will have Maile and Leon compete for the secondary catching job during Spring Training.

Neither Maile or Leon have shown anything more than flashes of offensive production over their careers, and Hedges has likewise been a glove-first catcher.  The Guardians have traditionally prized defense, game-calling, and pitcher management over hitting when it comes to their catchers, and it should seem like Cleveland is aiming in that same direction for 2022, rather than explore picking up a bigger bat as Perez’s replacement.

In order to create space for Maile on the 40-man roster, the Guardians announced they’ve placed right-hander Carlos Vargas on the 60-day injured list. The hard-throwing pitching prospect underwent Tommy John surgery last April, and it seems that recovery timeline will keep him on the shelf for at least the first couple months of this season.

Orioles To Sign Robinson Chirinos

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The Orioles have agreed to a deal with catcher Robinson Chirinos that will pay the veteran $900K in guaranteed money, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports.  Another $75K is available to Chirinos in incentives, and he’ll receive a $100K bonus if he is traded.  ESPN’s Marly Rivera (Twitter link) was the first to report that Chirinos and the O’s were close to a deal.

Having already acquired Anthony Bemboom and Jacob Nottingham this winter, the Orioles were still known to be on the lookout for an established catcher who could handle a more regular share of playing time.  Exactly how much playing time Chirinos will receive has yet to be determined, as it is widely expected that star prospect Adley Rutschman will be getting the bulk of work behind the plate in Baltimore this season, if perhaps not quite on Opening Day.

Given that the new collective bargaining agreement offers the promise of bonus draft picks to high finishers in Rookie Of The Year balloting, the O’s have some increased incentive to have Rutschman in the big leagues as soon as possible.  Regardless, Chirinos should be in line for a fair amount of work before or after Rutschman is promoted, and the trade bonus also addresses the distinct possibility that the rebuilding Orioles will look to flip Chirinos before the deadline.

Other than a dismal performance during the shortened 2020 season, Chirinos has quietly been a very solid offensive performer for much of the last eight years, hitting .232/.327/.438 with 90 home runs over 2147 PA with the start of the 2014 season.  Beyond just “good for a catcher,” this translates to a 102 OPS+ and 104 wRC+, making Chirinos a valuable member of the Rangers, Astros, and Cubs lineups, even if his relative struggles on defense limited his chances at being a true full-time starter.

Chirinos signed a minor league deal with the Yankees last offseason but suffered a fractured wrist during Spring Training, and eventually caught on with the Cubs in July after New York released him.  Chirinos bounced back from his rough 2020 with a respectable .227/.324/.454 slash line and five home runs over his 112 PA with Chicago.

AL Central Notes: Twins, IKF, Tigers, Anderson, Boyd, White Sox

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The Twins and Rangers combined on one of the most interesting early moves of the post-lockout period, agreeing to a trade earlier today that will see Isiah Kiner-Falefa and pitching prospect Ronny Henriquez head to Minnesota, while catcher Mitch Garver was dealt to Texas.  Speaking with reporters (including MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park) about the deal, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said the Twins were first in touch about Kiner-Falefa before the lockout, and Garver wasn’t initially part of trade talks until it became that such a notable price was necessary to pry Kiner-Falefa away from the Rangers.

While the presence of Ryan Jeffers ultimately made Garver expendable, Minnesota now has a new everyday shortstop, and a player who has generally looked like one of the league’s better defensive players no matter where Texas lined him up on the diamond.  Kiner-Falefa said he is happy to be getting an opportunity to start at what he considers his natural position of shortstop, and his addition means that the Twins can now keep Jorge Polanco at second base.

More from around the AL Central…

  • With Eduardo Rodriguez signed as the new headliner of the Tigers rotation, the team continues to look for more veteran help to fill a fourth or fifth starter role.  According to Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press, the Tigers had interest in Tyler Anderson both before and after the lockout, though they are “not aggressively pursuing Anderson” at the moment.  For some familiar AL Central names, Detroit is also not making a particular push towards free agent Michael Pineda, and the Tigers weren’t looking at Carlos Rodon before Rodon signed with the Giants yesterday.
  • A former Tiger is under consideration, however, as Petzold writes that the Tigers are among the multiple clubs interested in Matthew Boyd, who was non-tendered by Detroit in November.  Boyd’s projected $7.3MM arbitration price tag was too expensive for the Tigers considering that the southpaw was hampered by injuries last season and underwent flexor tendon surgery in September.  Boyd’s recovery will extend into the season but he is aiming to return by June 1.
  • “The pitching concerns might be a little heavier on our mind than the position player side of things,” White Sox GM Rick Hahn told The Athletic’s James Fegan and other reporters in discussing his club’s remaining targets during the offseason.  With so many available arms already flying off the board, Fegan guesses that bolstering the back end of the rotation now looks like a more immediately priority for the Sox than addressing other needs like second base or the outfield.  White Sox manager Tony La Russa told Fegan and other reporters today that pitching depth will be particularly important this season given the shortened Spring Training, though La Russa said his club is still aiming for a five-man rotation rather than a six-man staff.

NL Central Notes: Castellanos, Reds, Reynolds, Cardinals, Pujols, Kim

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The bullpen, a fifth starter, bench help, and backup catching were cited by Reds GM Nick Krall as possible target areas, Krall told The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale and other reporters, and the Reds could turn to either Major League or minor league free agents to address any of those needs.  In regards to one particular prominent free agent, Krall seemed to close the door on the chances of Nick Castellanos returning to Cincinnati, saying “we have not been engaged with his representatives.”

It doesn’t count as any big surprise that Castellanos will be moving on, since he was looking for a hefty new contract pre-lockout, and the Reds’ offseason moves have thus far been geared towards cutting and managing payroll (while still making some effort to contend for a playoff spot).  Since Castellanos rejected the Reds’ qualifying offer and because Cincinnati is a revenue-sharing recipient, the team stands to receive an extra pick after the first round of the 2022 draft should Castellanos sign elsewhere for more than $50MM.

More from around the NL Central…

  • Bryan Reynolds has drawn trade interest from at least seven teams over the last year, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports that the Padres are yet another club looking into obtaining the Pirates outfielder.  Trading for Reynolds would be a huge way for the Padres to address their outfield needs, though needless to say, San Diego would need to make a major offer to get the Pirates’ attention.  Pittsburgh has set a big asking price in any Reynolds trade, and in San Diego’s case, Rosenthal figures the Bucs would ask for top prospect CJ Abrams and more.
  • The Cardinals “have considered” a reunion with franchise icon Albert Pujols, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.  However, Cards chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. was more non-committal about the idea of Pujols returning to the Gateway City, as DeWitt told reporters (including the Post-Dispatch’s Rick Hummel) that “we’ve got most of our club pretty well set.”  It should be noted that if Pujols is best served as a part-time first baseman and DH, such a depth role would still fit even on a Cardinals roster that has many of its positions settled around the diamond.
  • As for other Cardinals pitching needs, Goold writes that the Cards are expected to pursue more relief help, even after signing swingman Drew VerHagen on Friday.  St. Louis president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters that the club thought about re-signing Kwang-Hyun Kim, but the left-hander instead opted to return to the Korean Baseball Organization just a few days before the lockout ended.

Marlins Sign Roman Quinn To Minor League Deal

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The Marlins have signed outfielder Roman Quinn to a minor league contract, according to Craig Mish of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).  Quinn’s deal contains an invitation to the Marlins’ big league spring camp.

After spending all 10 of his professional seasons with the Phillies, Quinn will remain in the NL East and look for both a fresh start and some long overdue good health in Miami.  Injuries have been the story of Quinn’s career, including the 2021 season — Quinn was limited to 28 games due to a finger laceration, and then a serious left Achilles injury that required season-ending surgery in June.

With such a checkered health history, it isn’t surprising that the switch-hitting Quinn hasn’t shown much (.228/.306/.355) over 512 plate appearances and 178 games with the Phils from 2016-21.  Still, his MLB career does represent essentially just one season of playing time, and Quinn has been productive at the minor league level.  A second-round pick for Philadelphia in the 2011 draft, Quinn received some top-100 prospect buzz during his time in the Phillies’ farm system.

The minors contract represents no risk for the Marlins in seeing what Quinn can offer in the wake of his Achilles surgery.  His initial recovery time was projected as 9-12 months, so Quinn may not be quite back at close to 100 percent for spring camp, yet the Marlins could also continue to monitor his progress in extended Spring Training or at the Triple-A level.  If all goes well, Quinn could factor in Miami’s outfield depth plans, as the 28-year-old has showed the ability to play all three positions on the grass.

NL West Notes: Weaver, Mets, Roberts, Dodgers, Giants, La Stella

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The Mets “have done some background work on” Diamondbacks righty Luke Weaver as New York continues to explore trade possibilities, SNY’s Andy Martino reports (via Twitter).  A right shoulder strain limited Weaver to only 65 2/3 innings last season, giving him two injury-plagued seasons sandwiched around a dismal 2020 campaign that saw him post a 6.58 ERA.  Despite these recent issues, Weaver is still controlled via arbitration for the next two seasons (projected for $2.7MM in 2022) and has shown some signs of quality throughout his career in Arizona and St. Louis, so the D’Backs might still want to see if Weaver can get healthy and be an inexpensive rebound candidate at the back of their rotation.

For the Mets, Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker and Carlos Carrasco are penciled into the top four rotation spots, and Tylor Megill and David Peterson are the favorites for the fifth starter’s role.  Weaver brings his own set of question marks, but he would add depth to a group that also has plenty of injury concerns.  Given how aggressive the Mets will likely continue to be in their offseason endeavors, New York is likely to check in on just about any pitching option available, whether a bigger name in free agency or on the trade market, or perhaps a more modest acquisition like Weaver.

More from around the NL West…

  • Dave Roberts and the Dodgers are “really close” on a contract extension, the manager told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) today.  Reports surfaced last month that the team was looking into a new deal for the World Series-winning skipper, as Roberts is entering the last year of his current contract.
  • Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told reporters (including The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser) that his team was still looking to add some hitting, yet even though the Giants lineup is short on right-handed bats, Zaidi said that they are looking at options on both sides of the plate.  “I don’t think we’re going to be totally fixated on that side.  If there’s a left-handed bat that makes sense for us, I think we can find a way to fit that as well,” Zaidi said.  “We obviously love versatility.  Handedness isn’t as critical.”
  • Also from Zaidi, he said that Tommy La Stella’s recovery from left Achilles surgery is coming along well, though the infielder will be a little behind during the Giants’ Spring Training camp.  La Stella underwent the surgery at the end of October and had a rough timeline of four months, so it isn’t surprising that La Stella isn’t quite yet fully ready.  There doesn’t yet seem to be concern, however, that La Stella might miss any time at the start of the season.  La Stella battled several injuries during his first season in San Francisco, likely contributing to his underwhelming .250/.308/.405 slash line over 242 plate appearances.  Due to the backloaded nature of his three-year, $18.75MM free agent contract, La Stella is still owed $16.75MM over the final two seasons of that deal.

MLB Gains Flexibility To Set Trade Deadline Between July 28-August 3

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The traditional July 31 trade deadline may be no more under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, as outlined in the official release of the CBA today.  As per the new rules, “The Office of the Commissioner shall have the flexibility to set the Major League Trade Deadline on a date between July 28th and August 3rd.”

This may not be as a major a change as it initially appears, given that it hasn’t been uncommon for the trade deadline date to be altered.  Just this past July, in fact, the deadline was moved to July 30, whereas in 2016 the deadline was moved to August 1.

In both those situations, July 31 fell on a weekend day, when afternoon games were scheduled.  While playing games on any deadline day throughout the week can lead to some awkward situations (i.e. a team suddenly having a shorthanded roster after dealing multiple players a few hours earlier), having the deadline on a weekend creates the possibility of even more chaos, with trades being consummated while actual games are taking place.

The new wrinkle to the CBA may simply formalize a process for deciding the deadline’s date.  Notably, this coming July 31 is on a Sunday, so it seems likely that the deadline will be pushed ahead at least one day.  Given the later start to the season, it seems plausible that August 3 might be this year’s deadline, just to give teams as much time as possible to plan.  Looking ahead, this season is the only time during the 2022-26 campaigns (the length of the new CBA) that July 31 will fall on a Saturday or Sunday, so 2022 might well be the only time Commissioner Rob Manfred chooses to wield this particular bit of authority.

Cubs To Sign Andrelton Simmons

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The Cubs and shortstop Andrelton Simmons have agreed to a one-year contract that will pay Simmons $4MM plus incentives, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter).  The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link) was the first to report that the two sides were closing in on a deal.  Simmons is represented by ISE Baseball.

One of the best defensive players of all time, ankle injuries led to an uncharacteristically mediocre season of glovework for Simmons in 2020, but he looked much more like his old self this past season with the Twins.  Simmons posted a +16 Outs Above Average and +15 Defensive Runs Saved over 1091 2/3 innings at shortstop last year, though the UZR/150 metric (-1.1) took a dimmer view of his performance.

While Simmons’ age (32) and recent history of ankle problems are undoubtedly a concern, it would certainly seem like he should still be a defensive plus in the middle of the Cubs infield.  Such quality defense will be particularly important since it has been three years since Simmons has been even a league-average hitter, with only a .250/.302/.323 slash line to show for his last 1002 plate appearances since the start of the 2019 season.

Glovework has always been Simmons’ calling card, yet in the few seasons (2017 and 2018) where he has provided both a solid bat along with his excellent defense, Simmons looked like one of the game’s most valuable players.  It remains to be seen if he can get back to that all-around form, yet the Cubs would be satisfied if he can merely provide his usual stellar work at shortstop.

Simmons will be filling the defensive void left behind by another Gold Glove-winning shortstop in Javier Baez, who was dealt to the Mets last summer as part of the Cubs’ trade deadline fire sale.  As much as the Cubs tore things down pre-deadline, however, the team has been looking to build things back up to make at least some attempt at contending in 2022, adding Marcus Stroman, Wade Miley, and Yan Gomes prior to the lockout.

Of course, Chicago had been linked to another prominent shortstop in Carlos Correa, with the logic being that the Cubs could now afford Correa’s big asking price after clearing so much future salary off the books.  The Simmons deal could quite possibly indicate that the Cubs have opted out of the Correa sweepstakes, and yet as journalist Sung Min Kim speculates, Simmons’ $4MM salary “is not necessarily starter money.”  Theoretically, the Cubs could still sign Correa and then use the two players in a timeshare at shortstop, with the other perhaps moving to second base or third base.

This would allow the Cubs to juggle Nick Madrigal or Patrick Wisdom (the other incumbent infield starters) in and out of the lineup as the situation warrants, and the DH spot is also now available for Chicago to work with in 2022 and beyond.  Madrigal’s health is also a bit of a question mark, as he underwent season-ending hamstring surgery last summer, though reports from January indicated that the young infielder was making good progress in his recovery.  Nico Hoerner had been penciled into the starting shortstop job, but with Simmons now in the fold, the Cubs can continue experimenting with Hoerner as a multi-position player.

Latest On Michael Conforto’s Market

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4:10PM: Conforto is “not a top priority” for the Rockies, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports, though the club has some level of interest.

1:52PM: Michael Conforto’s market continues to grow, as the Diamondbacks “were among the teams showing the most interest in Conforto before the lockout,” The New York Post’s Mike Puma writes.  The Marlins had also been previously linked to Conforto, and Joe Frisaro of Man On Second tweets that Conforto remains on Miami’s list of outfield targets.

Such clubs as the Padres, Rockies, and Yankees have also been reported as suitors for Conforto’s services, with his market thus far representing an interesting cross-section of contenders and teams who struggled in 2021.  The D’Backs are coming off a 110-loss season, while the Marlins followed up an appearance in the expanded 2020 playoff bracket with a 95-loss campaign last year.

This wide range of interested clubs could reflect Conforto’s status coming off a subpar (by his standards) .232/.344/.384 season over 479 plate appearances with the Mets.  While Conforto rejected the Mets’ qualifying offer, speculation persists that Conforto might look for a shorter-term contract that would allow him to re-test free agency next winter.  Since Conforto surely feels he’ll hit better in 2022, he naturally wouldn’t want to short-change himself by signing a longer-term contract now that is reflective of his 2021 numbers.

Even if Conforto is “looking for big free agent pay day,” as Frisaro puts it, he could still land a healthy salary on a one-year deal, which opens the door for many teams as possible fits.  Clubs that may be wary of a longer-term commitment to Conforto (or not keen on longer-term commitments in general) could certainly be more open to a one-year arrangement, since a Conforto that returns to his 2015-20 form is a major addition to any lineup.

Though Arizona would seemingly be closer to a rebuild than a true push for contention next season, the D’Backs haven’t been willing to entirely blow things up, as the team still has some interesting core pieces as well as some younger players hoped to be on the verge of a breakout.  To this end, the Snakes signed Mark Melancon to a two-year, $14MM deal prior to the lockout, and president/CEO Derrick Hall said yesterday that the Diamondbacks were looking to add some offense.

Hall said he “could easily” see a scenario where Arizona spends $17MM to push the projected 2022 payroll up to the $110MM range.  Since Conforto would certainly want to at least top the cost of the qualifying offer ($18.4MM) on any one-year deal, he’d cost more than $17MM, thus putting him at the high end of the Diamondbacks’ possible spending range.  Plus, if that hypothetical $17MM represents all the front office would have to spend on remaining needs, it is quite possible the D’Backs would prefer to spread that money around to several players rather than splurge on Conforto alone.

Conforto’s rejection of the QO could represent an obstacle for both the Diamondbacks and the Marlins, as either team would have to give up their third-highest pick in the 2022 draft as compensation for signing the outfielder.  Surrendering such a notable pick for what might be a short-term deal is a hefty price to pay for an Arizona team that isn’t really in position to contend in 2022.

Likewise, the Marlins had also been wary about QO free agents when making their winter moves, but Miami has been more clear about its intent to challenge for a postseason berth next season.  The Marlins have already signed Avisail Garcia and traded for both Jacob Stallings and Joey Wendle, and the Fish have also been reportedly chasing such big-ticket trade candidates as the Pirates’ Bryan Reynolds.

Just how much more the Marlins are willing to spend on upgrades, however, is still an unknown.  Derek Jeter’s surprising departure as the team’s CEO was (according to some accounts) due to a change in ownership’s approach to spending heading into the 2022 campaign.  Prior to the lockout, the Jeter-led Marlins were in talks with Nick Castellanos on a contract of longer than five years, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link), though only time will tell if such major expenditures are still on the Marlins’ radar now that the lockout is over.

Naturally, the Marlins can still improve their team without spending a ton of money — the Stallings and Wendle trades are evidence of that, and Miami has a lot of young pitching depth that could bring back a cost-controlled talent like Reynolds in a further swap.  Conforto might also represent an interesting middle ground for the team, if he was indeed open to only a one-year contract.  Miami could take the one-year payroll boost to add Conforto, look to benefit from a possible rebound year from the former All-Star, and then watch him depart in free agency next winter.

Red Sox Among Teams Interested In Collin McHugh

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Collin McHugh is drawing “robust” interest from several teams, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports (Twitter link), and the Red Sox are one of the clubs looking at the 34-year-old right-hander.

Signing with Boston would technically represent a reunion for McHugh, though he didn’t actually end up pitching for the team after signing an incentive-laden one-year contract (worth $600K in guaranteed money) prior to the 2020 season.  McHugh was battling elbow problems through 2019 and underwent a non-surgical procedure that offseason, and his arm still wasn’t entirely ready to go even with the delayed start to the 2020 campaign.  McHugh ultimately decided to opt out of the 2020 season entirely, and then signed a one-year, $1.2MM deal with the Rays last winter.

Injuries were still a factor for McHugh in 2021, as he missed about a month during two separate IL stints for a back strain and arm fatigue.  But, McHugh was outstanding in his comeback season, posting a 1.55 ERA over 64 innings with Tampa, working as both a traditional reliever and as an opener.  McHugh’s Statcast page was a veritable sea of red numbers, as he finished among the league’s best in walk rate (4.9%) and limiting hard contact, among virtually every other major category.

A solid starter with the Astros earlier in his career, McHugh now seems to have carved out a new niche for himself as a dominant bullpen arm who can be deployed in multiple ways.  This skillset has natural appeal for many teams, and the Red Sox in particular seems like a fit given how chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom (formerly of Tampa Bay’s front office) has been looking to take a Rays-esque versatile approach to Boston’s pitching mix.  Bloom likely had this exact plan in mind for McHugh at the time of the original signing two years ago, before McHugh’s injury recovery and the complications of the pandemic provided too large an obstacle.

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