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KBO’s KT Wiz Sign Jae-Gyun Hwang

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Jae-gyun Hwang has signed a four-year, $7.9MM deal with the KT Wiz of South Korea’s KBO League,  Yonhap News’ Jeeho Yoo reports (Twitter link).  Hwang was outrighted off the Giants’ 40-man roster in September and he elected to become a free agent after the season.

In returning to the KBO, Hwang ends his big league experiment after just one season.  He signed a split contract with the Giants last January and hit a solid .285/.332/.453 over 386 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.  After being called up to the big leagues in June, however, Hwang only managed a .154/.228/.231 slash line, albeit in just 57 plate appearances.  Hwang was called up while regular third baseman Eduardo Nunez was on the DL, though even after Nunez was traded, the Giants preferred to give the starting third base job to the returning Pablo Sandoval rather than give Hwang a fuller look at the hot corner.

It was reported last season that Hwang turned down much richer offers from Korean teams (including the KT Wiz) in order to test himself in MLB, and clearly he wouldn’t have found anything near a $7.9MM deal if he’d chosen to remain in North America for another season.  The 30-year-old Hwang posted some impressive numbers in his first 10 KBO seasons, hitting .286/.350/.436 over 4690 PA with 115 homers and 173 stolen bases.

Yankees Notes: Rule 5 Draft, Cashman, Sabathia, Manager

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Given the Yankees’ recent history of making trades during or just after the GM Meetings, Joel Sherman of the New York Post wouldn’t be surprised to see the club swing a deal in the coming week.  Such a trade could involve young players that the Yankees can’t find 40-man roster space for in advance of the Rule 5 Draft, Sherman notes, as teams have until 8pm on November 20 to finalize their 40-man rosters for this year’s Rule 5 selections (which take place after the Winter Meetings in December).  Names such as Garrett Cooper, Bryan Mitchell, Luis Cessa, or Tyler Austin could potentially be dealt instead of kept on the 40-man — the latter two names are included by Sherman along with Starlin Castro in a speculative trade with the Giants for Joe Panik.  That proposed deal is one of three speculative trades floated by Sherman “as an exercise to understand needs, goals and possibilities as much as anything else,” with the other two trades involving the Mets and Indians, and a three-team blockbuster between the Giants, Marlins, and Cubs.

Some more news from the Bronx…

  • GM Brian Cashman told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand and other reporters (all links to Feinsand’s Twitter account) that he has yet to speak to C.C. Sabathia or his representatives this offseason, though the general manager said he is likely to see Sabathia’s agent at the GM Meetings this week.  Sabathia has already expressed an interest in returning to the Yankees in free agency, and given the veteran’s solid numbers in 2017, he’d give the club an experienced and productive arm at the back of the rotation, if the Yankees weren’t sold on Cessa or Mitchell as the fifth starter.  Still, if New York makes a play for Shohei Ohtani as rumored, there might not be room for Sabathia in a rotation that also includes Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, Sonny Gray, and Jordan Montgomery.
  • The Yankees’ managerial search will be delayed until Thursday, while Cashman is at the GM Meetings.  It isn’t known which candidate will be interviewed on Thursday.  Cashman said his club is still “early” in the search process, noting that “I know we’re on the clock, but we have to go through the steps regardless….I’d like something to be in place, but we have a vacancy and we have to take our time to fill that void.”

Twins Interested In Raisel Iglesias

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The Twins have checked in with the Reds about a trade for closer Raisel Iglesias, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports (Twitter link).  Iglesias is one of several relievers Minnesota is “performing due diligence on” as the club looks to upgrade its bullpen for next season.

Iglesias stands out as a logical target for any team in the market for saves, given that a closer is a luxury on a rebuilding team like Cincinnati.  Working as a full-time reliever for the first time, Iglesias just completed the best of his three MLB seasons, posting a 2.49 ERA, 10.89 K/9 and 3.41 K/BB over 76 innings.  Iglesias closed out 28-of-30 save opportunities while generating a career-high swinging strike rate (13.9%) on the strength of an excellent slider and a 96.4 mph fastball.

Iglesias, who turns 28 in January, brings value both as a strong closer now and as a long-term asset who isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2021 season.  As per the terms of his original seven-year, $27MM deal with the Reds, Iglesias had the right to opt out of his guaranteed salary (with the Reds still retaining team control) in any offseason once he became eligible for arbitration, in order to chase a potentially larger payday through the arb process.  MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projects Iglesias to earn $2.8MM through arbitration salary next season, so it is likely Iglesias will remain in his current deal for at least one winter, as his contract guarantees him $4.5MM in 2018.

Iglesias is also slated to earn $5MM in both 2019 and 2020 if he doesn’t opt into arbitration, and then he’ll have one final arb-eligible year as a Super Two player in the 2020-21 offseason.  So while Iglesias’ price tag could potentially grow if he continues to rack up the saves, he’ll still be a cost-effective acquisition for a mid-market team like the Twins, particularly since Minnesota has very little salary on the books past the 2018 season.

Brandon Kintzler and Matt Belisle handled most of the ninth-inning duties for the Twins last season, though Kintzler was traded at the deadline and Belisle is a free agent, leaving Minnesota in search of a new closer this winter.  The Twins didn’t get strong relief pitching in general in 2017, so it isn’t surprising that they’re looking at Iglesias and other notable bullpen arms on the trade and free agent fronts.  We’ve already heard that the Twins have checked in with Kintzler about possibly bringing the free agent righty back to Target Field.

The Reds were only interested in hearing big trade offers for Iglesias last summer, and that asking price almost certainly hasn’t changed.  The Twins’ farm system is middle-of-the-pack in terms of prospects to offer (Minnesota was ranked 19th in Baseball America’s post-deadline organizational ranking) since they were a team that seemed to be headed into a rebuild themselves before their surprising AL wild card finish in 2017 changed their outlook.  If comes down to a prospect bidding war for Iglesias’ services, Minnesota might not have the young talent to meet the Reds’ needs.

Offseason Outlook: Boston Red Sox

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MLBTR is publishing Offseason Outlooks for all 30 teams.  Click here for the other entries in this series.

The Red Sox are looking to add pieces for not just another trip to the postseason, but a deep march into October under new manager Alex Cora.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • David Price, SP: $157MM through 2022 (can opt out after 2018)
  • Dustin Pedroia, 2B: $56MM through 2021
  • Rick Porcello, SP: $42MM through 2019
  • Rusney Castillo, OF: $35.5MM through 2020 (can opt out after 2019)
  • Hanley Ramirez, 1B/DH: $22MM through 2018 ($22MM option for 2019 vests if Ramirez makes 497 plate appearances in 2018 and passes a physical after the season)
  • Craig Kimbrel, RP: $13MM through 2018
  • Chris Sale, SP: $12.5MM through 2018 ($15MM club option for 2019 with $1MM buyout)

Obligations To Former Players

  • Pablo Sandoval, 3B: $41MM through 2019 (includes buyout of 2020 club option), minus prorated MLB minimum salaries earned by Sandoval in that span

Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Free Agents

Boston Red Sox offseason page | Boston Red Sox payroll information

John Farrell’s job security was a topic of speculation basically from the moment Dave Dombrowski was hired as the Red Sox president of baseball operations in August 2015.  Despite division titles in each of the last two years, Boston’s early exits in the ALDS finally sealed Farrell’s fate, paving the way for Cora’s hiring.  The former Astros bench coach is an intriguing hire, bringing both an appreciation for analytics and a wealth of in-game experience from his 11-year playing career.  Cora only has one year of MLB coaching duty under his belt, though he received interest in past managerial openings even before his stint in Houston.

A fresh voice in the dugout may be what is required for a Red Sox team that, despite the AL East title, seemed to almost take a step backwards in 2017 thanks to an inconsistent offense and some ongoing injury problems that will extend into the 2018 season.  Dombrowski’s first two offseasons in Boston largely consisted of a few blockbuster moves (i.e. the David Price signing, the trades for Chris Sale and Craig Kimbrel) seen as final touch-type of acquisitions for a team that already has so much core talent in place.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Sox make another headline-grabbing transaction to address weak spots on the roster.

Some type of infield depth would seem to be a need given that Dustin Pedroia will be out of action until at least late May or early June due to knee surgery.  Some combination of Marco Hernandez, Deven Marrero, Tzu-Wei Lin, and (if he returns) Brock Holt could fill in until Pedroia is ready, though relying on internal options for a third of the season is risky, not to mention the fact that Pedroia may not be 100 percent when he does return.

A reunion with Eduardo Nunez could be an answer to this problem, as Nunez could play second base until Pedroia is back, and then shift into a utility role.  Nunez is going to be in high demand this offseason with teams that could offer him everyday playing time, however, as Nunez doesn’t have much of a path to regular at-bats in Boston with Pedroia (eventually), Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, and Jackie Bradley Jr. all locked into regular duty around the diamond.

Of course, that assumes that the Sox wouldn’t trade from that core to address another need.  Bradley has often been cited as the most expendable member of Boston’s starting outfield, and with Benintendi capable of shifting over to handle center field, Bradley could be dealt for a heavy-hitting first baseman or left fielder.

Power is a clear priority for the Red Sox this winter, coming off a year that saw Boston hit fewer homers than all but three other teams in baseball.  A full season for Devers will help in this department, as will Betts and Bogaerts recovering from nagging thumb and wrist injuries, though the simplest solution might be to just add a big bopper in free agency or via trade.

Eric Hosmer or Carlos Santana will get some attention from the Red Sox this winter in the free agent first base market, plus possible trade candidates like Jose Abreu also figure to be on the radar.  If the Sox don’t want to make quite that big a splash, Logan Morrison or Yonder Alonso stand out as second-tier options.

Since prospect Sam Travis is still in the picture and Hanley Ramirez could see more action at first after undergoing shoulder surgery, the Sox could look for a first baseman on a shorter-term deal, akin to their signing of Mitch Moreland last offseason.  That said, Boston figures to be looking for more than a band-aid solution at first base.  Ramirez may be close to being a full-time DH at this point in his career, and Travis only had a so-so 2017 after missing much of 2016 due to knee surgery.

One creative answer would be to sign Alex Avila — a left-handed hitting catcher who has some first base experience.  Avila could then spell both Travis/Ramirez at first, and also Christian Vazquez behind the plate.  Vazquez brings outstanding defense and he took a notable step forward at the plate in 2017, but is still a below-average hitter overall.  Adding Avila into a timeshare situation at multiple positions would allow the Red Sox to boost their lineup while still retaining Vazquez as an important regular.  Such a move would necessitate letting Sandy Leon go, though he regressed badly after his seeming breakout in the 2016 season.

If a Bradley trade scenario happens, that opens up left field and the possibility of J.D. Martinez in Boston.  Martinez is the top free agent bat available this offseason and he has past ties to Dombrowski from their days together with the Tigers.  The trade market also holds out some potential for adding power to the corner outfield, with Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates and Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins among the possibilities.  It isn’t clear if Stanton would waive his no-trade protection to approve a deal to Boston, though the Red Sox are one of the few teams with the financial means to absorb the $295MM owed to Stanton through 2027.  (There’s also a chance Boston’s hypothetical commitment wouldn’t last that long, as Stanton can opt out of his deal after the 2020 season.)  A Stanton/Red Sox trade could also see the Marlins take on a big Sox salary or two in return to help offset Stanton’s cost — this could be a way for the Red Sox to get Rusney Castillo’s contract off the books, for instance — though Miami’s goal seems to be to shed as much salary as possible.

Dangling Bradley in a trade would not just clear space, of course.  Trading a player of his ability wouldn’t be undertaken lightly, even if it was done to make way for a new star. The market would likely pay quite a bit for Bradley even after a down 2017 season, which might allow the Sox to recoup prospect assets and/or address other needs on the roster.

Adding another big salary would push the Sox back over the luxury tax threshold, though as Dombrowski bluntly stated to reporters, this doesn’t appear to be a big concern.  Avoiding the tax might’ve been unavoidable anyway (as Alex Speier of the Boston Globe recently observed) given the team’s needs.  This will have the effect of limiting what the Red Sox could potentially do next offseason when multiple superstars hit the free agent market, though it could be argued that the Sox now have the opportunity to more aggressively shop for talent this winter if other big-market teams are curbing their spending in preparation for next winter.

On the pitching side, the Sox bullpen was quietly a major strength for the team last year, and should continue to be a plus even if Addison Reed, Fernando Abad, and Blaine Boyer all leave in free agency.  (The club has already parted ways with Robbie Ross after his injury-plagued year.)  These departures could be filled from within if Carson Smith and Tyler Thornburg are finally healthy, plus youngsters Austin Maddox or Williams Jerez could be ready for some steady big league exposure.

Dombrowski has made a point of trading for relievers in his first two offseasons in Boston, so a new bullpen arm may be more likely to come via the trade market than free agency.  Then again, with the major exception of the Kimbrel deal, the Sox haven’t gotten much return on those reliever trades, so Dombrowski could switch tactics and look to the open market for upgrades.  The precise approach may depend upon how Boston ends up addressing the primary needs discussed above. Expect a focus on southpaws, as the pen is short on proven left-handed relievers.

The rotation could potentially also be an area of need, depending on how some injury situations progress during the spring.  David Price is hoping to be finally past the elbow problems limited him to just 74 2/3 IP last season, Steven Wright is returning from knee surgery that cost him almost all of 2017, and Eduardo Rodriguez will already be sidelined for until May or even June as he recovers from his own knee surgery.  Assuming Price and Wright are both fully recovered, the Red Sox face a possible “good problem to have” starter surplus when Rodriguez gets back.

If more health uncertainty develops during the offseason or in Spring Training, however, the Sox will check in on veteran starters for depth.  Unless a longer-term injury crops up, the team isn’t likely to pursue anything beyond innings-eating veteran options.  Dombrowski mentioned last winter how he had a tough time attracting pitchers due to the number of other starting options already on Boston’s roster, and, barring a trade, the same is true of the 2018 staff.

There is no shortage of potential moves, big or small, that could fit for the Red Sox this offseason, and Dombrowski has certainly shown his willingness to make some bold transactions.  It could be that Cora and a healthier lineup are the real “final pieces” the Sox need to challenge for a World Series next year, though it seems likely that one more star name will find his way to Fenway Park before Opening Day.

Blue Jays Decline Jose Bautista’s 2018 Option

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The Blue Jays officially declined their end of Jose Bautista’s $17MM mutual option for 2018, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (Twitter link).  The Jays informed Bautista of the move back in September, and GM Ross Atkins confirmed during his end-of-season talk with reporters that the option wouldn’t be picked up.  Bautista will receive $500K for the option’s buyout.

It seemed as if Bautista and the Blue Jays would part ways after winter, but after Bautista failed to drum up much interest in free agency, he re-signed with Toronto for a one-year, $18.5MM deal (which included the 2018 mutual option and a 2019 vesting option worth $20MM).  Any hopes the Jays had of scoring a bargain were dashed after Bautista followed up an injury-plagued down year in 2016 with a sub-replacement level (-0.5 fWAR) 2017 season.  Bautista hit just .203/.308/.366 over 686 plate appearances, managing 23 homers but creating 20 percent fewer runs (80 wRC+) than the average batter.

Bautista said he wants to continue his career, though at age 37 and with two declining years now on his record, he may be hard-pressed to even find a Major League contract this winter.  He has expressed an openness to playing first base in the past, so that extra bit of versatility could help his case, particularly since his right field defense has been subpar over the last few season.  Atkins described the chances of Bautista returning to Toronto on a smaller contract next season as “very unlikely,” which isn’t a surprise since the Jays are looking to get younger and more athletic, plus the DH spot is filled by Kendrys Morales.

AL East Notes: Bruce, Jays, Sox, Darvish, JDM, Hosmer, O’s

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Some rumblings from around the AL East…

  • The Blue Jays “were after” Jay Bruce during the season and are likely to pursue the outfielder in free agency, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports.  Bruce reportedly didn’t draw much trade interest prior to the July deadline, though the Mets were able to deal the slugger to Cleveland in August.  It should be noted that the Jays were one of eight teams on Bruce’s no-trade list, so it could be that Bruce nixed the idea of moving to a team that was only on the outskirts of the AL wild card chase and never reached the .500 mark all season.  The Jays’ inclusion on Bruce’s list also doesn’t necessarily mean he wouldn’t consider them as a free agent destination — given the Blue Jays’ past interest in his services, Bruce could have been trying to leverage some extra financial incentive in the event of another trade offer.  MLBTR’s top 50 free agents list predicted a match between Bruce and the Jays, as Toronto is sorely in need of a right fielder and a big left-handed bat.
  • The Red Sox asked the Rangers about Yu Darvish prior to the trade deadline, Evan Drellich of NBCSports.com reports.  It seems like this was mostly a cursory check-in, as talks fizzled since the Sox weren’t interested in moving a Major League player and the Rangers weren’t too interested in Boston’s prospects.  It could be argued that the Sox have enough injury uncertainty in their pitching staff to require adding another veteran arm this winter, though Darvish doesn’t seem like a fit in free agency due to his big price tag and Boston’s more pressing need for offensive help.
  • Speaking of that search for bats, both J.D. Martinez and Eric Hosmer are expected to draw attention from the Red Sox this winter, though “multiple evaluators around the game” tell the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier that Martinez will be the bigger priority of the two.  Martinez has the more consistent track record of production, he won’t cost a draft pick in compensation (as Hosmer will have a qualifying offer attached) and he hits left-handed pitching better than Hosmer does, plus Hosmer’s excellent 2017 numbers may have been boosted by the good fortune of a .351 BABIP.  As Speier notes, however, the Red Sox could also aim lower and address several needs with the money required to sign Martinez or Hosmer.
  • Lorenzo Cain would be an upgrade for the Orioles but the club isn’t likely to pursue the outfielder in free agency, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko writes.  Baltimore is going to focus on pitching this winter, and the team will be looking at left-handed hitters when it comes to addressing its lineup needs.

Latest On Giancarlo Stanton

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The Cardinals have been linked to Giancarlo Stanton in trade speculation since the summer, and now Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com writes that the Cards are reportedly willing to offer the Marlins “one of their best young pitchers” in a Stanton trade, provided that Miami covers some of the $295MM remaining on the slugger’s enormous contract.

St. Louis is known to be looking for a difference-making bat this offseason, and few fit that description better than Stanton, fresh off a league-leading 59 homers in 2017.  Acquiring Stanton, of course, will be no easy feat, even with the Marlins looking to pare down their payroll by getting Stanton’s contract off their books.  Assuming Stanton, who has full no-trade protection, even approves of a deal to St. Louis, the Cardinals and Marlins would then have to work out what would undoubtedly be a complex set of negotiations to determine the players and money involved in such a trade.

The $295MM figure is enough to give any team pause, and Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak expressed wariness back in August about how large contracts can adversely impact a team’s performance.  It isn’t surprising that the Cards would want the Marlins to eat some of Stanton’s contract to make a deal happen, though the dollar figure will surely hinge on just how many good prospects St. Louis is willing to send Miami.

Looking at young pitching within the Cardinals’ system, names like Alex Reyes, Luke Weaver, Jack Flaherty, Sandy Alcantara, Junior Fernandez, and Dakota Hudson all stand out as candidates to be the mystery arm on offer to the Marlins.  Weaver, Flaherty, and (depending on his recovery from Tommy John surgery) Reyes are all expected to play roles on the Cardinals’ staff in 2018, however, and pitching depth will be necessary given Adam Wainwright’s struggles and Lance Lynn’s likely departure in free agency.  The Cards could deal a young starter and then acquire a veteran via trade or free agency as a replacement, though that could require another sizeable financial commitment, which the club could be hesitant to make if it did land Stanton (even with Miami eating part of the contract).

Despite Stanton’s huge production last year, it seems inevitable that the Marlins will have to cover some of the money owed in order to make a deal happen.  “Three different general managers of profitable market teams” tell Gammons that Stanton wouldn’t be claimed if he were to suddenly be placed on waivers, due to the financial commitment required to sign him.

The Red Sox have also been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Stanton, though Gammons finds it “unlikely” that the slugger would approve a deal to Boston — to this end, the Sox haven’t reached out to Joel Wolfe, Stanton’s agent.  It has been rumored that Stanton, a California native, wouldn’t approve of a trade that would keep him on the east coast, though his only stated priority is avoiding another rebuilding situation.  As Gammons notes, the Red Sox also can’t match the Cardinals when it comes to young pitching prospects that are close to MLB readiness.

Red Sox Name Tim Hyers As Hitting Coach

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The Red Sox have hired Tim Hyers as the team’s new hitting coach, as per a team announcement.  Andy Barkett will also join Alex Cora’s coaching staff as the new assistant hitting coach.  Hyers will replace Chili Davis, who left Boston to become the Cubs’ new hitting coach last week.  Along with yesterday’s coaching announcements, the Red Sox have just about filled out the staff for new manager Alex Cora, with the notable exception of pitching coach.

Hyers has long-standing ties to the Red Sox organization, working as an area scout and a minor league hitting coordinator from 2009-15.  He also briefly worked on Boston’s Major League coaching staff in 2014, filling in for an injured Greg Colbrunn.  Hyers has spent the last two seasons as the Dodgers’ assistant hitting coach and previously worked in the Tigers’ farm system before his first stint with the Red Sox.

Barkett has coached and managed in the farm systems of the Braves, Tigers, Marlins and Pirates since 2006, most recently managing Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate in 2017.  Both Hyers and Barkett worked in the Tigers organization when Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was Detroit’s general manager.

Astros Notes: Keuchel, Springer, Correa, Altuve

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The Astros’ enviable core of talent has already delivered one World Series title and set them up as contenders through at least next season.  The big-picture question facing Houston, however, will be which members of the roster are kept over the long term.  Here are some notes from FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman on the state of any Astros contract extensions…

  • Dallas Keuchel is currently in the process of switching his representation.  The ace southpaw has one final year of arbitration eligibility (MLBTR projects him to earn $12.6MM) before hitting the open market as part of the star-studded 2018-19 free agent class.  The agency change “and timing could suggest he’s thinking about change,” Heyman writes, though Keuchel has been willing to discuss an extension with the Astros in the past.  Previous talks didn’t result in a long-term deal, however — Heyman notes that one of the team’s initial offers was similar to the early-career extensions signed by Madison Bumgarner and Chris Sale.
  • There haven’t been any extension talks with George Springer in “at least a year and a half.”  Houston also made an early-career extension offer to Springer, and then a significantly larger offer around two years ago.  Springer is in line for extra money as a Super Two player, as he earned $3.9MM in 2017 and is projected for a big raise up to $8.9MM in 2018.  Since the Astros have Springer under team control through the 2020 season, there isn’t any immediate need for an extension, unless the Astros want cost-certainty over his arb years or want to establish Springer as a long-term cornerstone player into the next decade.
  • Some interesting details are provided on Jose Altuve’s representation history, as the second baseman initially parted ways with Scott Boras in 2013 when Boras advised Altuve against signing an extension with the Astros.  Altuve went on to indeed sign that extension in July 2013, and Altuve’s subsequent rise to superstar status made that four-year, $12.5MM deal with two club option years into a major bargain.  (Houston exercised the first of those club options for 2018, netting Altuve another $6MM in guaranteed money.)  Altuve re-hired Boras as his agent in July 2016, which Heyman writes “could be taken as an indication he has a different mindset now that he has the security” of that initial contract.  Boras clients generally end up reaching free agency, though there have been enough high-profile exceptions to that trend (i.e. Stephen Strasburg, Carlos Gonzalez) that there is still hope at a longer-term deal to keep Altuve in Houston.
  • Carlos Correa seems perfectly willing to go year-to-year until he hits free agency.  The shortstop said last spring that he was at least willing to listen about a long-term deal but only until he hit his arbitration years; Greg Genske, Correa’s agent, made the bolder statement that Correa had no interest at all in an early-career extension.  Last April, MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth explored the many forms a Correa extension could take, if the two sides did happen to come to an agreement.  Correa will become eligible for arbitration next offseason, so the team has one more year to work out a multi-year deal, assuming Correa’s previously-stated deadline still holds.

Heyman’s Latest: Kapler, Hosmer, Kennedy, Werth, Ibanez, Bell

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The Phillies’ choice of Gabe Kapler as manager has drawn mixed reviews from around the game, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman writes, as Kapler’s unique approaches to baseball have brought him praise as an innovative thinker but also led to clashes with some players and personnel within the Dodgers organization.  It should be noted that this didn’t extend to Dodgers front office heads Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, both of whom are big fans of Kapler and made calls to the Mets and Phillies recommending him for their managerial openings.  The Dodgers themselves almost hired Kapler as manager two years ago, though the fact that some players reportedly lobbied the team to instead go with Dave Roberts also stands out as a possible red flag.  The article is well worth a full read to get a sense of the criticisms lobbied against Kapler, and why the Phillies’ hire “may be the biggest gamble of the winter.”

Some more from Heyman, as per his latest collection of notes from around baseball…

  • The Royals’ pursuit of Eric Hosmer could decide their immediate future, as the team could decide to forego re-signing any of their other free agents and rebuild if Hosmer can’t be brought back into the fold.  It will take a sizeable offer to re-sign Hosmer, however, and while K.C. has been willing to spend to keep is championship window open, “their payroll is starting to press the limits.”
  • Ian Kennedy won’t exercise his opt-out clause, and will remain with the Royals for the three years and $49MM remaining on his contract.  While no official announcement has come from Kennedy or the team, the decision is an unsurprising one given the righty’s subpar season.  Kennedy said himself in September that “it would be pretty stupid” to head into free agency on the heels of an injury-hampered year that saw Kennedy post a 5.38 ERA over 154 innings.
  • Jayson Werth could potentially return to the Nationals on a one-year deal.  Werth was hitting a solid .262/.367/.446 through his first 196 PA before missing almost three months due to a fracture in his left foot.  He still seemed bothered by the injury after his return, leading to subpar numbers down the stretch.  The Nats could conceivably use Adam Eaton as both a left fielder and center fielder next year, opening up playing time for Werth or Michael Taylor to fill whatever position Eaton isn’t occupying on any given day.
  • Raul Ibanez was seen as a potentially strong contender to become the Yankees’ next manager, though Ibanez reportedly likes his current position with the Dodgers (special advisor to Andrew Friedman) and doesn’t want to leave.  Yankees GM Brian Cashman reportedly has 20-25 names on his list of managerial candidates.
  • Newly-hired Giants VP of player development David Bell could potentially be a candidate to eventually take over the manager’s job from Bruce Bochy.  Bell previously worked on the Cardinals’ and Cubs’ coaching staffs and worked as a manager in the Reds’ farm system, not to mention his 12-year career as a player.  Bench coach Hensley Meulens has also been often cited as Bochy’s heir apparent.  Bochy’s current contract runs through the 2019 season, and while his track record has likely given him the job as long as he wants, he also turns 63 in April and has dealt with some health issues in recent years.

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