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Ildemaro Vargas, Chris Devenski Elect Free Agency

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Utilityman Ildemaro Vargas and right-hander Chris Devenski have elected to become free agents, as reported by the official transaction pages for Triple-A West (for Vargas) and MLB.com (for Devenski).  The two 30-year-olds both finished the 2021 season with the Diamondbacks.

Vargas was outrighted off Arizona’s roster earlier this week, and since he’d been previously outrighted earlier this week, Vargas had the option of either accepting the assignment to Triple-A or choosing to become a free agent.  He’ll now hit the open market and could be on the move again after a whirlwind 14 months that saw Vargas play for three different teams (the Twins, Cubs, and Pirates) in between two stints with the D’Backs.

Vargas received 211 plate appearances while playing in 92 games with Arizona in 2019, hitting .269/.299/.413.  He hasn’t matched even that modest production since, posting only a .477 OPS over 137 total PA in 2020-21.

Devenski signed a minor league contract with the D’Backs last winter and made it to their big league roster, but delivered only an 8.59 ERA over 7 1/3 relief innings.  A tough season got worse due to Tommy John surgery around early June, and Devenski will now be sidelined until at least (in a best-case scenario) the 2022 All-Star break.

It is the second elbow injury in as many seasons for Devenski, who was limited to 3 2/3 innings in 2020 due to an arthroscopic procedure.  The former Astros reliever has been in decline since his 2017 All-Star season, and now faces a very uncertain winter.  Depending on when he recovers and is able to showcase himself for scouts, Devenski might conceivably have to wait until the 2022-23 offseason before landing his next contract.

Astros Owner Jim Crane Discusses Correa, Verlander, Gurriel, Baker

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While Astros owner Jim Crane is focused on his team’s ALDS matchup with the White Sox, Crane talked about several impending offseason topics with FOX 26’s Mark Berman, The Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome (all multiple links) and other reporters today.

With several major names scheduled to hit free agency, Crane said his team plans to “definitely be in the mix” to sign Carlos Correa, and “I think we have a chance” to retain the shortstop’s services.  Of course, “it just depends on where we end up on that and what Carlos wants to do.  Certainly dollars are a factor.”

The Astros made attempts to sign Correa to a contract extension last spring, reportedly making offers in the range of five years/$125MM and six years/$120MM.  Those numbers seemed low even before Correa delivered an All-Star performance in 2021, and the 27-year-old now seems likely to land at least twice as much money on the open market.

Re-signing Correa would require the Astros to make the biggest financial commitment in franchise history, which Crane at least sounded open to, if a little guardedly.  “I never count anything out….We have a history of doing something in the neighborhood of five (years) is the most we’ve ever done since I’ve been here,” Crane said.  “Things can change.  We’re not counting it out.”

Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Lance McCullers Jr. have all signed five-year extensions with Houston during Crane’s stewardship, and it isn’t as if Crane has been unwilling to spend.  Altuve’s five additional years gave the second baseman $151MM in new guaranteed money, Bregman’s extension was worth $100MM, and McCullers landed $85.5MM.  That said, Correa said back in April that the Astros “made it clear to me they don’t believe in long contracts, they don’t believe in big contracts,” which could indicate that his contractual expectations go far beyond any commitment the Astros are willing to make.

Crane didn’t bring up the qualifying offer in regards to Correa, in all likelihood because it seems a foregone conclusion that Houston will issue Correa a QO and he’ll reject the one-year offer, leaving the Astros in line to receive draft pick compensation if Correa did sign elsewhere.  Justin Verlander is a bit more complicated qualifying-offer case given that the veteran ace has missed virtually all of the last two seasons with injury, but Crane said “we’ll probably” issue Verlander the QO “and then see where it goes.”

Even after two lost seasons and now on the verge of his age-39 season, Verlander is still “looking for a contract of some length,” according to Crane.  This would imply that Verlander would reject the one-year qualifying offer (though it would pay in the neighborhood of a $20MM salary for 2022) in search of a longer-term deal, and given Verlander’s track record, it certainly seems possible that at least one or even multiple teams would be willing to sign the future Hall-of-Famer to such a multi-year contract.

If Verlander did reject the QO, the Astros would at least benefit via compensatory draft picks.  However, Verlander has 10 days to decide whether or not to accept a qualifying offer, and if he doesn’t get wind of any teams showing interest in a multi-year deal, Verlander might choose to take the QO and remain in a familiar situation in Houston.  The Astros and Verlander’s camp could then negotiate a longer-term extension after the QO had been accepted, similar to what Jose Abreu and the White Sox did in the 2019-20 offseason.

There appears to be much less controversy surrounding Yuli Gurriel’s 2022 status.  The Astros hold an $8MM club option on Gurriel for next season, which looks to Crane like “a pretty easy decision.  I’m sure we’ll execute on that.”  The 37-year-old Gurriel is coming off a strong season that saw him hit 15 homers and win the AL batting title as part of an overall .319/.383/.462 performance in 605 plate appearances.

Beyond the player roster, manager Dusty Baker isn’t under contract beyond this season, as Crane said “we haven’t really talked about it.  We’re going to wait for things to get over with here” in the Astros’ playoff run.  Baker has led the Astros to the postseason in each of his two years in Houston, and the veteran manager has indicated that he would like to continue with the team.

Though Crane noted that GM James Click has authority over the manager’s job, “I’ll certainly weigh in on it and we’ll make a decision probably together on that one because I did hire [Baker] to begin with.”  Crane did give Baker some measure of a vote of confidence in noting that Baker “has done a great job for us.  I like Dusty a lot.”

Reds Outright Delino DeShields Jr. To Triple-A

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The Reds have outrighted Delino DeShields Jr. off their 40-man roster and assigned the outfielder to Triple-A.  After being acquired in a trade from the Red Sox on August 31, DeShields hit .255/.375/.426 over 58 plate appearances for Cincinnati.

Albeit in a small sample size, it was a positive showing to conclude a busy 2021 season for DeShields, as the veteran outfielder played for three different organizations and didn’t see any MLB action until landing in Cincinnati.  DeShields rejoined the Rangers on a minor league deal back in February and was subsequently traded to the Red Sox in early August, before Boston sent him to the Reds.

DeShields put up some solid numbers (.252/.385/.366, 21 steals in 24 chances) over 381 combined Triple-A plate appearances with the Red Sox and Reds’ top affiliates.  Between his impressive speed and defensive ability, DeShields saw regular work with the Rangers from 2015-19 but simply didn’t deliver much offensive production, leading Texas to trade him to the Indians in the 2019-20 offseason.

The Reds still have a year of arbitration control remaining on DeShields, though today’s outright would hint that the Reds are prepared to move on from the 29-year-old (whose father is Cincinnati’s first base coach).  DeShields could potentially return to the Reds on a fresh minor league contract or perhaps sign with another team for a minors deal, as his base-stealing and glovework should get him looks from several teams in need of outfield depth.

Mickey Callaway Hired To Manage Mexican Winter League Team

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The Mexican League’s Acereros de Monclova announced that Mickey Callaway has been hired to manage their winter league team, according to reports out of Mexico.  This is Callaway’s first job in baseball since he was placed on MLB’s ineligible list last May, a ban that will last through the 2022 season.

Callaway was placed on the ineligible list and fired from his role as the Angels’ pitching coach following a league investigation into multiple charges of lewd behavior and sexual harassment.  The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang (in a pair of articles) reported and chronicled accusations leveled against Callaway by multiple women, including members of sports media and employees of Callaway’s past organizations.  These accusations dated back over a decade to Callaway’s time as a coach in Cleveland’s minor league system, as well as his time with the Indians and Angels as major league pitching coach, and when he was managing the Mets from 2018-19.

Since the Mexican League isn’t affiliated with Major League Baseball, the Acereros were permitted to make the hiring.  Callaway apply for reinstatement from MLB’s ineligible list following the 2022 season, but even if he is removed from the list, it seems very unlikely that any clubs would look to add him to their organization.

Mets To Overhaul Coaching Staff

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The Mets are planning to part ways with the majority of their coaches, SNY’s Andy Martino reports.  The club has told six members of the staff (bench coach Dave Jauss, first base coach Tony Tarasco, third base coach Gary DiSarcina, bullpen coach Ricky Bones, Major League field coordinator/catching coach Brian Schneider, and assistant pitching coach Jeremy Accardo) that they are free to look for jobs elsewhere.

Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner will also remain but perhaps not in his current position, as Hefner “and the Mets are discussing his future role.”  Hitting coach Hugh Quattlebaum and assistant hitting coach Kevin Howard will be staying in the organization but will be reassigned to the minor leagues, as Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports that Howard will return to his former job as the director of player development.

Considering the Mets have already moved on from Luis Rojas as manager, it isn’t surprising that the club would also look for a clean slate with its coaching corps, thus giving the new manager some opportunity to hand-pick his own staff.  As Martino notes, the Mets coaches were something of “a patchwork group that represented remnants of previous regimes,” which perhaps isn’t surprising given how many managerial and front office changes the Mets have made just in the last few years.

White Sox Announce ALDS Roster

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The White Sox have announced the 26 players (12 pitchers, 14 position players) who will comprise their roster for their AL Division Series against the Astros.  Lance Lynn will start Game 1 today, while Lucas Giolito will get the ball for Game 2 on Friday.

A starter has yet to be named for Sunday’s Game 3, though either Dylan Cease or Carlos Rodon would seem to be the top candidates.  Rodon missed time in August due to shoulder soreness, and the Sox have been carefully managing his innings since his return.  In his last five outings, Rodon hasn’t thrown more than five innings and he has only once topped the 77-pitch threshold, so it remains to be seen exactly how he’ll be used in the playoffs.

In other rotation news, Dallas Keuchel is conspicuous by his absence on the ALDS roster, though he is part of Chicago’s nine-man taxi squad.  A staple of the Astros’ pitching staff during their 2017 World Series run, Keuchel isn’t likely to face his former team in October thanks to a string of rough outings at the end of the season.  Keuchel had been somewhat inconsistent throughout the entire 2021 campaign, but with an ugly 8.62 ERA over his last 31 1/3 innings and eight appearances, the White Sox decided to omit Keuchel in favor of more in-form pitchers.

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Brian Goodwin ended the season on the 10-day injured list due to back spasms, and his omission from the ALDS roster indicates that the veteran outfielder is still not 100 percent.  Hamilton instead gets Goodwin’s backup outfield spot, and will also be the top choice off the bench for pinch-running situations.  There aren’t many true surprises on the position player mix, as there was never any doubt Abreu would make the roster, though the 2020 AL MVP has been battling the flu in recent days.

Astros Announce ALDS Roster

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The Astros have revealed their 26-man roster for their AL Division Series matchup against the White Sox, which begins today.  Lance McCullers Jr. will get the ball for Game One, marking the eighth start of the righty’s postseason career.  Houston will deploy 12 pitchers and 14 position players against Chicago.

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Siri and Stubbs are perhaps the most interesting inclusions on Houston’s bench, with Stubbs likely acting as a third catcher and late-game sub for Castro or Maldonado.  Siri fractured his pinkie finger just six days ago, but the rookie is apparently healthy enough to play and provide further depth in the outfield.

Some prominent names aren’t in play for the ALDS, including Jake Odorizzi, Marwin Gonzalez, and Blake Taylor.  While Odorizzi and Gonzalez are on the taxi squad, they’ll only see action in an emergency situation.  Gonzalez’s omission isn’t too surprising given his struggles since rejoining the Astros in August (and really since the start of the 2020 season), and Houston figures Diaz can provide enough utility flexibility.  The left-handed Taylor had a 3.16 ERA over 42 2/3 innings and 51 appearances this season, but the Astros are opting to just have Raley as their only southpaw reliever against a mostly right-handed Chicago offense.

Odorizzi posted a 4.21 ERA over 104 2/3 innings and 24 appearances, starting 23 of those games but not having a particularly long leash in any of those outings.  Odorizzi had some solid outings in late August and early September, yet a late-season foot injury might have cost him valuable audition time to land a spot on the playoff roster.

Padres Considering Marcus Stroman

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Veteran starting pitching will be a focus of the Padres’ offseason, and the team appears prepared to shop in the high end of the free agent market.  Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Marcus Stroman has been “mentioned” as part of the Padres’ “preliminary deliberations” about targets this winter.

To be clear, it would be surprising if Stroman wasn’t at least on the radar for any pitching-needy team, and it is too early in the Padres’ offseason to tell if these in-house deliberations will result in concrete interest.  That said, Stroman would be a logical upgrade for a San Diego team looking to bolster its pitching corps.

On paper, the Padres have a full rotation of Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Joe Musgrove, Chris Paddack, and (returning from Tommy John surgery) Mike Clevinger, plus Dinelson Lamet and Ryan Weathers as further depth and Adrian Morejon as a midseason reinforcement once he completes his own TJ rehab.  However, given all the injury concerns and lack of overall performance from this group down the stretch, it isn’t surprising that San Diego’s front office is looking for reinforcements.  Stroman has had his share of injuries, though for the most part has been a durable arm, tossing at least 179 innings in four of his last five seasons.

After opting out of the 2020 season and then accepting the Mets’ qualifying offer for 2021, Stroman delivered one of the best campaigns of his seven-year career.  Stroman posted a 3.02 ERA/3.95 SIERA over 179 IP with a 50.8% grounder rate and a 5.9% walk rate that was both well above league average and Stroman’s best walk rate since his 2014 rookie season.  The right-hander’s 21.7% strikeout rate was a career best, if still a below average figure overall, though a very strong 31.6% chase rate is indication that Stroman left his share of batters guessing.

Stroman turns 31 in May, but between his track record and his 2021 success, it seems quite likely that he’ll land at least a four-year contract this winter, and maybe as many as five years.  (His market is also helped by the fact that he is ineligible for another QO.)  Signing Stroman would represent yet another major contract on the Padres’ books, and between the pre-existing commitments and a big arbitration class, the Padres might not have a ton of room to operate underneath the next Competitive Balance Tax threshold.

Both Cot’s Baseball Contracts and Roster Resource calculate that the Padres managed to stay under the $210MM luxury tax threshold in 2021, though the margin is close enough that we’ll have to wait for the official league accounting to be certain.  Then again, Padres ownership has indicated a willingness to pay the tax under the right circumstances, and it is possible the current CBT system is overhauled in collective bargaining talks.  The club could also explore moving some other salary to free up payroll and tax space, such as how the Padres has looked into trading the likes of Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers in recent years.

Padres Fire Jayce Tingler

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After days of rumors, the Padres have officially parted ways with manager Jayce Tingler.  The former skipper has been offered the chance to stay with the organization in another role.

“Jayce accomplished a great deal in his two seasons with the Padres, leading our team through an unprecedented pandemic and into the postseason for the first time in 15 years,” president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said.  “I have tremendous respect for him as a coach, colleague and friend.  After much thought and consideration over the last several weeks, we felt change was necessary at this time to ultimately reach our championship potential in San Diego.”

Reports surfaced over the weekend that Tingler was going to be replaced, and while the Padres announced in response that “no decision has been made on Jayce’s employment status at this time,” the writing seemed to be on the wall given the rather stunning nature of the team’s collapse.

At the end of June, the Padres were 49-33 for the season and winners of 11 of their last 12 games.  The question at the time seemed to be which of the three NL West powers (the Padres, Dodgers, and Giants) would capture the division title and which two would be destined for a showdown in the wild card game.  Instead, the Padres cratered to a 30-50 mark over their final 80 games, including a nosedive that saw the club win only seven of their final 28 contests.

The result was a 79-83 record and the Padres’ 10th losing record in 11 seasons — a bitter pill to swallow for a club coming off an NLDS appearance in 2020 and with the highest of expectations.  Despite the star-studded nature of the Padres roster, several of the big names were undone either by injury or a lack of performance, with the starting rotation being particularly hampered by injuries down the stretch.

It was clear the late-season struggle was creating friction within the team, as there were reports of clubhouse discord at Tingler’s decision-making and his ties to Preller.  The Padres’ brutal record in September and October might have well been all the evidence necessary for Preller and ownership to decide that Tingler had lost the team, and now a new manager will be needed to get the Padres on track.

Tingler finishes with a 116-106 record in his two years as San Diego’s manager, still a winning mark thanks to his success in 2020, leading the Friars to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.  The Padres’ 37-23 record was the third-best record of any team during the shortened season, and San Diego’s victory over the Cardinals in the wild card series was their first postseason triumph since the 1998 NLCS.

While a manager is usually the first to go when a team doesn’t succeed, there were enough issues with the 2021 Padres that Tingler was hardly the only one at fault.  The Padres’ next manager will be the third Preller has hired to run the club in his seven-plus years in charge of the front office, and though Preller recently signed a contract extension that runs through the 2026 season, there will certainly a lot of extra pressure on the PBO to finally turn the Padres into a consistent winner.

On the more optimistic side, a case can easily be made that the San Diego job is a prime opportunity for any manager.  There is plenty of talent on the roster, and the Padres could certainly find themselves back in contention with better health alone in 2022.  Both Tingler and previous skipper Andy Green were first-time managers, so it will be interesting to see if Preller again looks for a younger voice in the dugout or if he looks to hire a manager with past experience.

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