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Latest On Twins’ Ownership Situation

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Yesterday’s news that Justin and Mat Ishbia were no longer looking to buy the Twins surprised many around the baseball world and within the organization itself, though the Athletic’s Dan Hayes hears from a source that there was some indication last month that the Ishbias would instead look to increase their minority share in the White Sox rather than seek out a full purchase of the Minnesota club.  Still, the Ishbias’ departure from the Twins’ process now means that “everything’s on the table” in regards to the sale, as another source puts it.

This includes the possibility that the Pohlad family could pull the team off the market entirely, if no bidder is willing to meet the Pohlads’ asking price.  Hayes wrote in January that there was plenty of interest in the Twins, to the point that the Pohlads felt a sale could be arranged by Opening Day.  That optimistic viewpoint could have been inspired by the Ishbias’ interest, of course, and their departure from the pursuit naturally changes the equation.  In his latest piece, Hayes writes that the Twins expect to “have more clarity on the sale process within the next 30 to 60 days.”

The Ishbias were the only known bidder for the Twins, fueling to the perception that they were also the leading contenders to succeed the Pohlads as franchise owners.  Justin Ishbia was the driving force behind the bid, with the plan being for Justin to become the Twins’ control person while Mat remained the governor of the brothers’ other major sports interests — the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.  Both the Twins and Major League Baseball itself had vetted Ishbia, a process likely streamlined by the fact that the Ishbias (due to their involvement in the White Sox ownership group) were already a known quantity within the league.

As Hayes’ first source described things, there was some feeling among other Twins bidders that the Ishbias were “preordained” within the process, so their departure might now open things up for other candidates to step forward.  The number of other bidders isn’t known, though the source said there were an “adequate” number of suitors beyond just the Ishbias.  While much about the situation remains up in the air, the presence of other bidders indicates there is still momentum towards a sale, even if the process will take significantly longer than anticipated.

Andrew Vasquez Signs With Mexican League’s Tecolotes De Los Dos Laredos

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The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League have signed left-hander Andrew Vasquez to a contract for the 2025 season, according to KPRC2’s Ari Alexander.  Vasquez can walk away from the deal if he receives interest from a big league club, with the Tecolotes owed nothing in buyout fees.

Vasquez has logged 63 2/3 career innings over five MLB seasons, with the large majority of that action coming when he pitched 48 1/3 frames for the Phillies and Tigers in 2023.  His bottom-line results of a 3.35 ERA were solid, though his strikeout (19.6%) and walk (10.5%) rates were both subpar, and his performance fell off drastically after he went to the Tigers on a waiver claim.  Philadelphia opted to designate Vasquez for assignment just after the trade deadline in order to clear roster space, despite Vasquez’s 2.27 ERA in 39 2/3 innings for the club.

After struggling to an 8.31 ERA in 8 2/3 innings with his new team, Vasquez returned to the Tigers last winter on a minors contract and spent the entire 2024 campaign at Triple-A Toledo.  Vasquez’s situation wasn’t helped by a lack of minor league options, but he didn’t make much of a case for promotion after posting a 5.11 ERA, 19.4% strikeout rate, and 9.6% walk rate over 68 2/3 innings with Toledo.

This stint in the Mexican League marks the first time in Vasquez’s pro career (which began as a 32nd-round pick for the Twins in 2015) that he has pitched outside of affiliated baseball.  The 31-year-old should find more of a regular role with the Tecolotes than he would in battling amongst other minor league signings withing a Major League team’s camp, and his contract’s out clause allows Vazquez some flexibility if he pitches well enough to attract attention from MLB scouts.

NPB’s Tokyo Yakult Swallows Sign Pedro Avila

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The Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball have signed right-hander Pedro Avila, according to multiple reports out of Japan.  Avila elected free agency in January rather than accept an outright assignment to the Guardians’ Triple-A team.

After posting a 2.70 ERA over the small sample size of 13 1/3 big league innings with the Padres from 2019-22, Avila received a larger role in the form of 50 1/3 frames in 2023.  An excellent 58.8% grounder rate and a solid 24.5% strikeout rate helped Avila overcome a middling 11.4% walk rate, but a shaky start early in the 2024 season led the Padres to designate the righty for assignment in April.

The Guardians picked Avila up in a cash transaction a few days after, and Avila went on to become a workhorse within the elite Cleveland bullpen.  Beyond logging 74 2/3 innings over 50 appearances, Avila also had a 3.25 ERA during his time with the Guards, though his K% slightly declined from 2023 and his grounder rate dropped to 45% (though he also cut back on the walks).  He added to that solid performance with four shutout innings in the playoffs, and he was the winning pitcher in Cleveland’s only victory of the ALCS, a 7-5 walkoff over the Yankees in Game 3.

Such production would normally have given Avila a clear ticket to a roster spot on most teams, but he is out of minor league options, and the Guardians are so deep in relief pitching that Avila became expendable.  As it turned out, the Guards designated Avila to create roster space when they signed another reliever, former Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald.

Avila’s out-of-options status might have left him in a crunch when trying to break camp with another MLB team this spring, so he’ll now head to Japan for more of a guaranteed role with the Swallows.  This is the first time the 28-year-old Avila has pitched professionally outside of affiliated baseball, apart from five stints in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Rangers Notes: Gray, Martin, Garcia

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Last weekend, reports surfaced that the Rangers had some “internal discussions” about moving Jon Gray from the rotation to the closer’s role, in a creative way to address both their need for a closer and an on-paper surplus of starting pitchers.  However, it doesn’t appear as though the concept advanced beyond the speculative phase, as both manager Bruce Bochy and president of baseball operations Chris Young told reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News) that they both viewed Gray as assuming his usual starter role this season.

Gray said that he also hadn’t been approached about the idea, even if he was broadly open to closing if it meant helping the team.  But, he also set some lofty targets for his 2025 season, saying that he was “looking to eat a lot of innings.  I’d hopefully like to get to that 200-strikeout mark.  That would be cool.  The swing-and-miss and strikeout rate is something I really want to improve and I think it’s headed in the right direction.”

Gray’s career high in strikeouts is 185, set back in his first full MLB season in 2016 when the righty was still with the Rockies.  His personal best for innings is 172 1/3 frames in the 2018 season, and he has topped the 150-inning threshold in four of his 10 big league seasons.  Most recently, Gray tossed 102 2/3 innings last year, as he twice hit the injured list due to groin strains, and he underwent season-ending surgery in early September to remove a neuroma on the middle toe of his right foot.

“I’m happy with the way the surgery went and had a really good offseason,” Gray said, noting that the neuroma had been bothering him for almost a year, and likely contributed to his groin problems.  The injuries clearly hampered Gray’s performance, as he posted a 4.47 ERA and the lowest full-season strikeout rate (19.6%) of his career.

Beyond his natural competitive spirit in rebounding from a down year, Gray has even more incentive to bounce back since he is set to hit free agency next winter.  Gray is in the final season of the four-year, $56MM deal he signed with Texas during the 2021-22 offseason, and there was some speculation that the Rangers could look to trade Gray this winter in order to clear some money off the books.  No such deal happened, and thus the 33-year-old Gray is now looking for a nice platform year as he approaches the open market once more.

If Gray isn’t the closer or another reliever isn’t brought into the fold, Chris Martin looks like the favorite for saves, assuming that Texas even sticks with a set ninth-inning option.  Bochy told MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry and other reporters that “it can be by committee…So by no means are we getting locked in on any roles right now.  I think we’re going to stay flexible with that.”

To this end, Bochy said he hasn’t talked to Martin specifically about working in a closing capacity, but the skipper feels his relievers are “fine with not having a defined role.  They’re used to it, including Chris….They all have great attitudes.  They’re like, ’Hey, we’re there to get outs and use us where you need us to help win a ballgame.’ And that’s how that works.”

Martin has amassed only 14 saves over his nine MLB seasons, though he pointed out to Landry that he had 22 saves over his two seasons in Japan with the Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2016-17.  Getting some sustained run as a closer might be a fun way for Martin to wind up his career, but he plans to take the same approach no matter how he is utilized out of the Rangers’ bullpen.

“With closing, you still gotta get three outs,” Martin said.  “It’s just the last three of the game, so it can be a little more nerve wracking, but I’ve been around a bit now and I understand it’s just another three outs, whatever the run situation is.”

Robert Garcia is another newly-acquired reliever ticketed for high-leverage innings, as the Rangers acquired Garcia from the Nationals in return for Nathaniel Lowe in December.  The left-hander has yet to properly kick off his first Spring Training with his new team, however, due to some nerve irritation in his forearm.  The issue doesn’t seem too serious, as Bochy told Landry that Garcia is slated to throw his first bullpen session of the spring on Tuesday.

Starling Marte Discusses Trade Talks, Bench Role

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Reports surfaced back in December that the Mets were looking into the possibility of a Starling Marte trade, and were willing to eat some of Marte’s $19.5MM salary.  The Athletic’s Will Sammon reported today that the Mets “did not come especially close to” moving Marte, though some teams did check in about the possibility and some discussions took place.

Marte shared his own take on the process with Sammon, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, and other reporters today at the Mets’ spring camp, revealing that the team was in contact with him about trade possibilities.  “They spoke to me before the [Juan Soto] signing, and then after the signing, they reiterated that they would try to move me,” Marte said.  “They were very clear, very honest with me up front.  They obviously want the best for this team, but also the best for my future.  They were really helpful, and they were really transparent about the situation.”

The Mets have yet to tell Marte whether or not a trade might still happen, Sammon writes, though the possibility looks increasingly less likely now that Spring Training is underway.  As a result, Marte is penciled in for part-time duty at best, slated to mostly work as a backup outfielder and as the team’s DH whenever a left-handed starter is on the mound.  Marte has offered to also chip in as a center fielder, even if he has played just three games at the position in the last three seasons, and with Jose Siri and Tyrone Taylor seemingly having things covered up the middle.

Regardless, Marte’s willingness to return to his old position underscores his desire to help the Mets win, even if he’s receiving less playing time than usual.

“Whenever you’re with a team for the amount of time I’ve been with the team, you get comfortable, you don’t want to get traded because you’ve created relationships with the staff, the players, everybody around here,” Marte said.  “But at the same time, any baseball player would love to play every single day because that’s how a player gets reps, gets better day in and day out.  But at the same time, I’m here and I’m going to do the best I can do.”

While his four-year, $78MM contract is (incredibly) barely a tenth of Soto’s megadeal, it wasn’t long ago that Marte was a prized free agent contract in his own right, joining the Mets in the 2021-22 offseason.  He delivered an All-Star performance in the first year of that deal, even if a fractured finger prematurely ended his regular season and hampered him during the Mets’ playoff run.  The finger issue proved to be a harbinger for the next two seasons, as Marte battled a number of different health issues and played in 180 of a possible 324 games, while hitting .258/.314/.357 with 12 home runs in 711 plate appearances.

Most of those struggles were focused into the 2023 season, as Marte had a more respectable 104 wRC+ in 370 PA in 2024.  As DiComo noted, Marte had some pretty sharp splits last season with the bulk of his production coming against southpaws, so a more specialized role against mostly left-handed pitching could help Marte become an impact bat even in a limited capacity.

Of course, Marte might well earn himself more at-bats the better he hits, or he could get more playing time if injuries strike any of New York’s other outfielders.  To that end, Brandon Nimmo dealt with plantar fasciitis in his left foot for much of the 2024 season, and he told Sammon and Tim Britton that he received a PRP injection to deal with the problem over the offseason.

The early returns in camp are promising, as Nimmo estimated he was moving at 91 percent of his top speed during a running drill on Friday.  The plan is to ramp up relatively slowly during the spring, with Nimmo again planning to wait until the first week of March to start playing in games.  If all goes as expected, Nimmo felt he should be ready for Opening Day.

Braves Sign Buck Farmer To Minor League Contract

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The Braves have signed right-hander Buck Farmer to a minor league deal.  The Nati Sports X account was the first to report the news, and Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Farmer will receive an invitation to the Braves’ big league spring camp.

Farmer was born in Conyers, Georgia and played his college ball at Georgia Tech, so the signing represents something of a homecoming for the veteran reliever.  (Not to mention an early birthday present, as Farmer turns 34 on Thursday.). The Braves actually made Farmer a 46th-round pick in the 2009 draft but he elected to attend college instead, and his pro career didn’t officially begin until he was a fifth-round pick for the Tigers in 2013.

In terms of bottom-line results, his 2024 campaign was the best of his 11 big league seasons.  Farmer posted a 3.04 ERA over 71 innings for the Reds, chewing up innings as a bullpen workhorse for the second consecutive year.  His 3.94 SIERA was more reflective of his overall performance, as Farmer had an unimpressive 9.7% walk rate and roughly a league-average 23.4% strikeout rate, but he did a good job of limiting hard contact.

Since Opening Day 2018, Farmer has posted a 4.03 ERA, 23.5% strikeout rate, and 9.8% walk rate across 386 2/3 Major League inning with Detroit and Cincinnati.  A rough 2021 season with the Tigers skewed those numbers upwards a bit, but it still represents some solid production and durability for Farmer, even if he lacked the standout secondary statistics to land a guaranteed contract.

Farmer is the latest in a long line of veteran non-roster invites battling for jobs in the Atlanta bullpen, and his track record could give him a bit of an edge within a busy competition.  Jake Diekman, Chasen Shreve, Dylan Covey, Wander Suero, Jordan Weems, Enyel De Los Santos, and Enoli Paredes are also in camp on minor league contracts, not to mention the Braves’ in-house prospects and starter candidates who could be battling for relief work.  The Braves had some holes to fill after losing several relievers in free agency, and Joe Jimenez to what might be a season-ending knee surgery.

Royals Sign Luke Maile To Minor League Deal

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The Royals announced that catcher Luke Maile was signed to a minor league contract.  Maile will receive an invitation to Kansas City’s big league Spring Training camp.

Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin are locked in as the catching tandem on the Royals’ active roster, so Maile projects as a depth piece for their minor league ranks if he remains in the organization.  Perez, Fermin, and Brian O’Keefe are the only Royals catchers with any MLB playing time on their resume, so Maile’s nine years in the bigs adds quite a bit of experience to the depth chart.

Maile has played for five different teams during his time in the Show, usually acting as a backup or part-time catcher unless an injury to another catcher opened up more playing time.  Maile spent the last two seasons with the Reds, and Cincinnati declined its $3.5MM club option on Maile for 2025 in favor of a $500K buyout.

Long considered a solid defender, Maile’s glovework dipped below average in 2024 in the view of both the Defensive Runs Saved metric (-5) and Statcast’s Catcher Defense metric (-4).  His framing and caught-stealing numbers were also subpar, though Maile continued to do well in blocking balls.  Maile has only rarely shown much production at the plate, and he hit .178/.268/.252 over 154 plate appearances with the Reds.

While Maile has the big edge in experience over the Royals’ other depth catchers, it should be noted that Perez and Fermin handled every inning behind the plate for the 2024 team, leaving no room for any other backstops to receive playing time.  Obviously an injury could arise at any time, but if Maile isn’t comfortably acting as veteran depth at Triple-A, he could opt out of his contract closer to the end of Spring Training if a clearer path to MLB playing time opens up with another organization.

Red Sox Continue To Have “Due Diligence” Interest In Dylan Cease

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The Red Sox were first linked to Dylan Cease’s market back in early December, before Boston acquired Garrett Crochet from the White Sox and signed free agent Walker Buehler.  These moves brought some needed reinforcement to Boston’s rotation, but the team’s interest in Cease continues to at least linger, as MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam reports that the Sox “have been in touch with the” Padres about Cease’s availability.

A source indicated to McAdam that Boston’s interest is more of the “due diligence” variety, and could simply be due to the fact that Cease’s trade market might not be fully closed until San Diego actually moves the right-hander elsewhere.  There is also no guarantee that Cease will be dealt whatsoever, as reports from earlier this week suggested that the Padres were more apt to keep both Cease and Michael King (another pending free agent) to keep their own rotation strong.

Speculatively speaking, moving Cease to the Red Sox wouldn’t necessarily create a hole in the Padres’ rotation, just because it would seem likely that the Sox would send a starter-capable pitcher back in return.  The Red Sox already have enough pitchers on hand that a six-man rotation isn’t out of the question, so this volume alone would suggest that at least one of those hurlers would be dealt to the Padres in exchange for Cease.

Crochet, Buehler, Brayan Bello, and Tanner Houck wouldn’t be doing anywhere, and Lucas Giolito’s salary and recent injury history would likely keep him off the Padres’ radar.  Beyond those pitchers, any of Kutter Crawford, Quinn Priester, or Richard Fitts could work as part of a trade package, fitting in nearer the back of San Diego’s rotation behind the top three of King, Yu Darvish, and former Red Sox righty Nick Pivetta.

It would take more than just a single young starter to pry Cease away from the Padres, of course.  As McAdam notes, the Red Sox would have to factor how much they’d be willing to give up for a rental pitcher like Cease, particularly when the club has already significantly dipped into its farm system to swing the Crochet trade.  Crochet was a different situation altogether, as he is arbitration-controlled for two seasons and is making only $3.8MM in 2025, plus the left-hander has already expressed some interest in signing a contract extension.  Cease is making $13.75MM in his final year before free agency, and like most Boras Corporation clients, is more likely to test the open market than explore an extension to remain with the Padres, Red Sox, or whatever team Cease might be playing for by season’s end.

The shorter-term benefit of adding Cease is obvious for a Red Sox club that seems intent on returning to contention.  Cease could slide right in as Boston’s No. 1 starter, bumping everyone down a step and lengthening the team’s rotation.  Since Alex Bregman could opt out of his new contract as early as next winter, the Sox might be viewing 2025 with particular “win now” urgency, and acquiring Cease would certainly help in quickly getting Boston back into the playoff race.

Salary-wise, the Red Sox are projected (as per RosterResource) for an approximate $241.6MM luxury tax number this season, putting the team just a touch over the $241MM tax threshold.  Bringing Cease’s salary on board would put the Sox more firmly into tax territory, which is perhaps notable since the traditionally high-spending Red Sox have crossed the tax line just once in the last five years.  Again, Boston’s renewed focus on contending might not make a one-year tax hit a big deal in the eyes of ownership, especially since even without adding Cease, it stands to reason the Sox will look to make some kind of in-season add at the deadline if the club is indeed competing for a postseason spot.

Diamondbacks Sign Shelby Miller To Minors Deal

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The Diamondbacks have signed right-hander Shelby Miller to a minor league contract, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports.  Miller will receive an invitation to Arizona’s big league spring camp.

This will be Miller’s second stint in a D’Backs uniform, as he previously pitched for the team from 2016-18.  Miller’s first arrival in Arizona came with much more fanfare in December 2015, as the rebuilding Braves sent Miller and Gabe Speier for Dansby Swanson, Ender Inciarte, and pitching prospect Aaron Blair.  The Diamondbacks viewed Miller as a rotation cornerstone, but fate intervened, as he struggled to a 6.35 ERA over three seasons and 139 innings with the team.  Injuries played a large role, particularly a Tommy John surgery that cost him most of the 2017-18 seasons.

Arizona non-tendered Miller after the 2018 season, more or less closing the book on one of the more infamous trades in franchise history.  He has since pitched for six more teams at the MLB level, posting a 5.35 ERA in 161 1/3 innings while showing some glimpses of a higher ceiling as a relief pitcher.  Miller posted a 1.71 ERA over 42 innings with the Dodgers in 2023 but he couldn’t follow up, as he had a 4.53 ERA in 55 2/3 frames last season after signing a one-year, $3MM deal with the Tigers.  Miller didn’t quite make it to the end of the full season, as Detroit designated him for assignment and released him in the final week of regular-season play.

Miller’s big season in Los Angeles involved some good fortune in the form of a .165 BABIP and an 89.3% strand rate.  He still had a .215 BABIP with the Tigers last year, but the strand rate plummeted to 60.3%, while his strikeout and homer rates both went in the wrong direction.  Miller’s 93.5mph fastball was still a plus pitch, but after a newly-developed splitter led to a lot of success for Miller in 2023, batters figured the pitch out last year and made a lot more loud contact.

The 34-year-old Miller brings some veteran experience to the Diamondbacks’ depth chart, and it would make for a great story if he could make the roster and find some redemption after his previous stint with the team went so poorly.  The D’Backs have been looking for relief help for much of the offseason, with Kendall Graveman and Seth Martinez the most prominent additions.  Miller is one of several non-roster invites in Arizona’s camp that will be vying for jobs at the back end of the Snakes’ bullpen.

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