Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors

Free Agent Notes: Ozuna, Semien, Simmons, Miller, Moreland, Richards

By Mark Polishuk | January 23, 2021 at 9:51am CDT

The latest buzz from the free agent market…

The Dodgers, Brewers, Yankees, and Red Sox are among the teams interested in Marcell Ozuna, according to Hector Gomez of Deportivo Z 101 (via Twitter). These four clubs are new additions to Ozuna’s market, while the Twins and Mets (also mentioned by Gomez) were linked to the slugger earlier this winter. Ozuna is looking for at least a four-year contract, Gomez writes. While financial demands weren’t mentioned, it can be assumed that Ozuna is looking for enough money to put the Dodgers and Yankees well over the $210MM luxury tax threshold, so it’s possible their interest is somewhat limited. Such a signing would also put Boston close to the threshold, and while the Brewers are nowhere near the tax line, it would represent a very bold move by a Milwaukee team that wasn’t expected to spend much this winter. It has been a relatively quiet offseason for Ozuna on the rumor mill, as his market may be dependent on whether or not the NL has a designated hitter spot available in 2021 and beyond.
Didi Gregorius, Marcus Semien, and Andrelton Simmons “are viewed within the industry as similar enough that no team is compelled to set the market with a contract,” according to Matt Gelb and C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, This has created a lot of uncertainty about when any of the shortstop trio might sign, what their next deals might be worth, or what teams will eventually make the leap. Gelb and Rosecrans discussed the three shortstops with nine evaluators, who broke down the pros and cons of each player and ranked them 1-2-3 on a ballot.
In other news about the shortstops, the Red Sox are likely no longer a fit for Semien now that Enrique Hernandez is heading to Boston. The Sox were reported to have interest in Semien as a second baseman, but MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter links) hears from a source who believes “Semien still wants to sign as a shortstop,” despite interest from teams at other infield positions. Boston is still looking to add a left-handed hitter to the bench mix, with Cotillo reporting that Brad Miller and Mitch Moreland are possibilities.
The Blue Jays were known to have interest in Simmons back in November and in the leadup to the trade deadline, and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that Simmons is still on Toronto’s radar.
Garrett Richards is one player who seems to no longer to be under consideration for the Blue Jays, as Cotillo reports that the Jays aren’t one of the teams still looking to sign the free agent righty. “At least other teams” besides the Red Sox are still vying for Richards, Cotillo writes, though Boston seems to be relatively far along in discussions with Richards’ camp.

Braves Claim Victor Arano, Kyle Garlick

By Mark Polishuk | January 23, 2021 at 8:04am CDT

The Braves have claimed right-hander Victor Arano and outfielder Kyle Garlick off waivers, the Phillies announced. Philadelphia recently designated both players for assignment. The claims fill the final two open spots on Atlanta’s 40-man roster.

A member of the Phillies organization since August 2014, Arano has a 2.65 ERA, 26.3 K%, and 18.8 K-BB% over 74 2/3 career innings in the big leagues, all from 2017-19 (and mostly in 2018, when Arano tossed 59 1/3 frames). Unfortunately, elbow surgery sidelined Arano for much of 2019 and kept him from making any MLB appearances in 2020. If healthy, Arano could certainly be an interesting weapon for the Atlanta bullpen, as he has shown an ability to miss a lot of bats both in the majors and in the minors.

The right-handed hitting Garlick also gives the Braves another option as they figure out their outfield situation. With no sign that a reunion with Marcell Ozuna is forthcoming, the Braves have Ronald Acuna as a lock for one starting position in either center field or right field, and then a combination of Ender Inciarte, top prospects Cristian Pache and Drew Waters, and bench candidates Abraham Almonte and Johan Camargo all in the mix for outfield duty. Garlick could conceivably share platoon duty with Inciarte (a left-handed hitter) or switch-hitters Almonte and Camargo, or Atlanta could just stash him in the minors as depth.

Garlick (who turns 29 later this week) has appeared in each of the last two MLB seasons, amassing a .214/.276/.414 slash line over 76 total plate appearances with the Dodgers and Phillies. Originally a 28th-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2015 draft, Garlick hit a very impressive .288/.345/.536 over 1846 PA in the Los Angeles farm system, though with the caveat that he was mostly playing against younger competition and that the Pacific Coast League is very hitter-friendly.

Diamondbacks Sign Ryan Buchter To Minors Contract

By Mark Polishuk | January 19, 2021 at 2:05pm CDT

The Diamondbacks have agreed to a minor league deal with left-hander Ryan Buchter, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (via Twitter). Buchter will receive $925K if he makes Arizona’s Major League roster.

After signing a minors deal with the Angels last winter, Buchter posted a 4.50 ERA over six relief innings in 2020 before opting for free agency again in September rather than accept an outright assignment off the Angels’ 40-man roster. Buchter caught on with the Yankees on another minor league deal but didn’t see any action with the team, hitting the open market again after the season.

Counting the D’Backs, Buchter has now been a member of 10 different organizations since being drafted in the 33rd round by the Nationals in 2005, and he has put together a solid MLB track record despite this journeyman resume. Buchter has a 2.90 ERA over 220 career innings with the Braves, Padres, Royals, Athletics, and Angels, though his advanced metrics (26.8K%, 15.5K-BB%, 4.06 SIERA) aren’t as impressive.

Buchter has pretty even career splits against both left-handed (.620 OPS) and right-handed (.695 OPS) batters, and he’ll now have an opportunity to win a job in an Arizona bullpen that is short on southpaws. Alex Young might end up being used in the starting rotation or potentially as a swingman, leaving Travis Bergen and Taylor Guilbeau as the only other lefty relief options on the 40-man roster.

Latest On Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright

By Mark Polishuk | January 19, 2021 at 1:40pm CDT

The Cardinals have made offers to re-sign both Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said during an interview as part of the Cards’ “Winter Warm-Up” event (done in virtual fashion this year). Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provides added details on these offers, noting that both Molina and Wainwright were offered less guaranteed money than they were supposed to earn in 2020, prior to the pandemic-induced prorated salary cuts.

This isn’t a surprise in Molina’s case, as his offensive downturn in recent years was naturally expected to result in a new salary worth substantially less than the $20MM average annual salary on his previous contract. Wainwright’s one-year deal for the 2020 season, however, paid him $5MM, and it certainly seemed plausible that Wainwright would top that more modest sum in his next deal.

Though Wainwright turned 39 last August, he has still looked like an effective big league arm, tossing 171 2/3 innings in 2019 and posting a 3.15 ERA over 65 2/3 frames in the shortened 2020 season. Overall, Wainwright has a 3.91 ERA, 20.6K%, and 12.7K-BB% over 237 1/3 innings since the start of the 2019 campaign.

MLBTR projected Wainwright for a one-year, $6MM pact, with the raise reflecting his solid work in helping carry the Cardinals’ rotation while the roster was ravaged by a COVID-19 outbreak. If the Cards aren’t willing to hit even the $5MM threshold in guaranteed money, it could increase the chances of Wainwright pitching elsewhere in 2021, and changing teams for the first time in his career. The veteran told ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers that he had “recently” fielded offers from multiple teams, so it would appear as thought Wainwright has options if he indeed isn’t satisfied with what the Cardinals have put on the table.

Molina has also recently indicated that he could move on from both St. Louis, and even from his playing career altogether if he doesn’t find an acceptable offer. Molina has been known to be looking for a two-year deal, which could be difficult given his age (38), his aforementioned dropoff at the plate, and the fact that several teams looking for catching help this winter have made other acquisitions at the position.

Of course, there is still plenty of time for either or both of Molina and Wainwright to come to an agreement with the Cardinals. As Rogers notes, “industry executives” still feel that the two players will ultimately return to St. Louis, and both players have also repeatedly stated that their first choice is to play at least another season in Cardinal red.

Red Sox Notes: Pedroia, Benintendi, Sale, Lester

By Mark Polishuk | January 19, 2021 at 12:52pm CDT

“A resolution” between Dustin Pedroia and the Red Sox could come at some point this month, The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham reports (Twitter link). Knee injuries limited Pedroia to just nine games in 2018-19, and he didn’t play at all during the 2020 season, with Abraham adding that Pedroia isn’t intending to make one final comeback attempt. 2021 marks the final season of the eight-year, $110MM extension Pedroia signed in July 2013, and the second baseman is owed $12MM for the coming season.

There has been an expectation that Pedroia could be cut loose in one fashion or another once the Sox were in need of a 40-man roster spot, as their 40-man is currently full. Some type of buyout rather than an outright release is probably the likelier route, since “given Dustin’s status, [the Sox will] want to do this correctly,” Abraham notes. One of the key figures in this era of Red Sox baseball, Pedroia hit .299/.365/.439 over 6777 career plate appearances (all in a Sox uniform), with a resume that includes the 2008 AL MVP Award, four All-Star appearances, and World Series rings from Boston’s 2007 and 2013 championship seasons.

Some more from Fenway Park…

The Red Sox have asked at least one team for “a younger corner outfielder along with a minor-league pitcher not necessarily on the 40-man roster” as the trade return for Andrew Benintendi, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes. While Benintendi has drawn interest from several teams, the Phillies and Reds haven’t been involved in talks. (The Rangers are also not in the mix, as Bradford originally reported last week.) Former Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is now running the Phils’ front office and the Reds have explored a Benintendi trade in the past, so there was speculation that those two clubs could be looking into acquiring Benintendi this time around.
Chris Sale’s return from Tommy John surgery is likely to come on the higher end of the usual 12-15 month recovery timeline, as ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes that the Sox are “expected to be deliberate” in bringing the southpaw back to action. Sale underwent his TJ procedure at the end of last March, putting him on track to return in late June or early July. (Assuming the 2021 schedule goes as planned, it is easy to see a scenario where Sale doesn’t pitch until after the July 12-14 All-Star break.) Since Sale is under contract through at least the 2024 season, the club is “apt to take a conservative approach” to ensure that Sale is fully recovered and ready for 2022 and beyond, rather than rushing him in any way this season.
The Red Sox hadn’t been in touch with Jon Lester as of December 9, Rob Bradford reported last month, and Bradford tweeted yesterday that there hadn’t been any new contact between the two sides prior to Lester’s new deal with the Nationals. While Boston has been looking at a wide range of starting pitching options this offseason, it seems like a reunion with Lester was simply not on the club’s radar.

Mariners Interested In Joakim Soria

By Mark Polishuk | January 17, 2021 at 11:32pm CDT

The Mariners are the latest team to show interest in free agent reliever Joakim Soria, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets. Seattle joins the Twins, Blue Jays, and all four of the Mariners’ AL West rivals as teams linked to Soria’s market at some point during the offseason.

Naturally, the entire AL West got a good look at Soria when he pitched for the Athletics in 2019-20, and the amount of interest isn’t surprising considering how Soria has continued to deliver results as he approaches his age-37 season. Soria posted a 2.82 ERA over 22 1/3 innings in 2020 and did a very good job of keeping the ball in the park (one home run allowed) and limiting hard contact (particularly in terms of barrel percentage). On the flip side, Soria’s 25K% was middle of the pack, his 10.4 BB% ranked only in the 31st percentile, and his 4.36 SIERA painted a much less impressive picture than his ERA.

Still, even with some expected regression baked in, Soria’s track record of durability is solid enough that a team can expect him to be a positive addition to a bullpen. Soria worked in a setup role in Oakland and would likely assume similar duties on his next team — though it has been some time since his heyday as a closer with the Royals, Soria could also be called upon for the occasional save opportunity if need be.

The bullpen has been more or less the primary focus of the Mariners’ offseason thus far, as the M’s have acquired Rafael Montero from the Rangers, signed Keynan Middleton, and re-signed Kendall Graveman. Adding Soria would add an even more experienced and durable relief arm to the mix, perhaps a wise investment considering that Montero, Middleton, and Graveman have all undergone Tommy John surgery within the last three years.

Cubs To Sign Shelby Miller

By Mark Polishuk | January 17, 2021 at 9:13pm CDT

The Cubs have agreed to a deal with right-hander Shelby Miller, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (via Twitter). The non-guaranteed contract will pay Miller $875K if he makes Chicago’s big league roster, with another $600K available in bonus money. The signing will be official when Miller passes a physical.

Miller signed a minor league deal with the Brewers last winter but didn’t see any action, as he opted out of the 2020 season in August. Since the start of the 2017 season, Miller has tossed only 82 big league innings, thanks in large part to a Tommy John procedure that sidelined him for much of 2017 and 2018.

Still only 30 years old, Miller will be joining his sixth different organization in a pro career that has seen major highs and lows. Drafted 19th overall by the Cardinals in 2009, Miller posted very strong numbers over his first three MLB seasons — with St. Louis in 2013-14 and with Atlanta in 2015, after Miller was swapped to the Braves as part of a noteworthy trade that saw Jason Heyward go to the Cards. Unfortunately for Miller, he was part of another blockbuster trade a year later, going to the Diamondbacks and then never again regaining his early-career form.

There isn’t much risk for the Cubs in adding Miller as a reclamation project, as Miller could be one of a few veterans brought into camp on low-cost or non-guaranteed contracts as Chicago looks for veteran rotation depth. Beyond Kyle Hendricks and Zach Davies, the Cubs’ other rotation candidates don’t have much experience — projected third and fourth starters Adbert Alzolay and Alec Mills, and then a plethora of young arms competing for a look as the fifth starter.

Pitching Notes: Castillo, Reds, Anibal, Red Sox, Cora

By Mark Polishuk | January 17, 2021 at 9:05pm CDT

Much of the Reds’ offseason has been focused around moving players (i.e. trading Raisel Iglesias, non-tendering Archie Bradley) rather than adding, and eyebrows were raised last month when it was reported that Luis Castillo’s name was coming up in trade talks. There wasn’t any indication that those talks were serious, however, and Reds VP/general manager Nick Krall issued a firm denial on the subject to reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon). According to Krall, speculation about a Castillo trade is “completely false. We intend to have [Castillo] as a member of our rotation for 2021.”

Castillo and the Reds recently agreed to an arbitration-avoiding $4.2MM contract for 2021, and the right-hander is still under team control through 2023 thanks to two more years of arbitration eligibility. Between this affordability, the three years of control, and Castillo’s front-of-the-rotation ability, there isn’t really any pressing reason for Cincinnati to move Castillo. Since the Reds seems to be focusing on cutting payroll this winter, an argument could be made that Castillo could be attached to a deal that would get a bigger contract (i.e. Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos) off the books, but that would seem like an awfully extreme move. One would imagine Castillo wouldn’t be traded unless the Reds were reversing course entirely and now looking to rebuild.

More pitching notes from around the league…

Julio Teheran’s showcase on Tuesday will include another Mato Sports Management client, as MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link) reports that Anibal Sanchez will also be throwing for scouts. Like Teheran, Sanchez is looking to rebound from a rough 2020 season, as Sanchez posted a 6.62 ERA over 53 innings for the Nationals last year. The Phillies were recently linked to Sanchez, but it has been an otherwise quiet winter for news about the 36-year-old. Considering Sanchez was still delivering solid results as recently as 2019 (for the World Series champion Nats, no less), his market could start to pick up if scouts like what they see on Tuesday. The Red Sox will have scouts on hand to see Sanchez and Teheran, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo tweets.
Speaking of the Red Sox, manager Alex Cora noted that his team is still exploring more rotation additions. “I’m going to keep saying it all the way until April 1 [Opening Day], this puzzle is not completed. We have to be patient,” Cora said in an interview on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link). That being said, Cora is also pleased with the current group of hurlers in Boston’s organization, saying that the Sox have more pitching depth now than they had in either the 2019 or 2020 seasons. “Little by little, the front office did a good job during the season last year and [in] the offseason to add some quality arms, some intriguing arms,” Cora said.

AL East Notes: Benintendi, Kluber, Rays

By Mark Polishuk | January 17, 2021 at 6:37pm CDT

Despite all of the trade speculation swirling around Andrew Benintendi, the Red Sox haven’t “reached a point of no return in trade talks,” The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier writes, and “there’s a solid chance, though not a guarantee” that Benintendi won’t be moved. One of the obstacles preventing a deal is the number of quality left field options remaining in free agency, so a team in need at the position might prefer to just sign a longer-term answer, rather than swing a trade with the Sox for a player who is only under team control for two more seasons. Speier notes that the Red Sox themselves could be such a team looking for a longer-term outfielder, and could explore the free agent market themselves if Benintendi is indeed dealt.

Free Agent Notes: Soria, Hand, Odorizzi, Rosenthal

By Mark Polishuk | January 16, 2021 at 2:57pm CDT

Some buzz from the free agent market…

The Blue Jays continue to be interested in Brad Hand and Jake Odorizzi, according to Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith in an update on Toronto’s offseason endeavors. In the latest name to appear on the Jays’ wide-ranging radar, Joakim Soria has also drawn attention, though “talks haven’t been serious on that front.”
Speaking of Odorizzi, he is still among the “many” pitchers the Twins are still considering, SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson (Twitter links). Back in December, Wolfson reported that other teams were more fervently pursuing Odorizzi than Minnesota, though with Odorizzi still unsigned, it seems like the Twins still have some kind of a shot at a reunion. Beyond the Twins and Blue Jays, the Red Sox and Giants have also been linked to Odorizzi’s market, though the free agent righty lost a notable suitor in the Mets after New York instead opted to acquire Carlos Carrasco. Minnesota was also known to be interested in Corey Kluber, and Wolfson reports that the Twins indeed made Kluber an offer before he ended up signing with the Yankees.
The Padres are still talking with Trevor Rosenthal’s camp, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Twitter link), but the team might stand pat with its current relief corps. Since the Padres’ bid for Kirby Yates appears to have fallen short, Acee doesn’t think the Friars will meet Rosenthal’s price. Rosenthal enjoyed a nice bounce-back season in 2020, posting a 1.90 ERA and 41.8 K% over 23 2/3 innings with the Royals and Padres. After being acquired by San Diego at the deadline, Rosenthal didn’t allow a single unearned run over 10 regular-season innings for the Padres, though he struggled considerably in the playoffs.

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