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Padres To Hire Matt Stairs As Hitting Coach

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The Padres are hiring Matt Stairs as the team’s new hitting coach, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (via Twitter).  Earlier today, FanRag’s Robert Murray reported that Stairs was the “strong favorite” for the job.

Stairs made his pro coaching debut in 2017, working as the Phillies’ hitting coach and drawing praise for his role in helping the team’s many young hitters.  Still, with Philadelphia’s coaching staff in limbo after Pete Mackanin was removed from the manager’s job, there was already speculation that Stairs could depart for a more stable position elsewhere.  Stairs will now move into another rebuilding situation with another collection of young players in San Diego, plus the added challenge of generating offense in traditionally pitcher-friendly Petco Park.

Stairs spent the 18th of his 19 big league seasons with the Padres in 2010, hitting .232/.306/.475 with six homers over 111 plate appearances.  The Canadian slugger played for 12 different teams over his career, hitting 265 homers and posting a very solid .262/.356/.477 career slash line, while also setting a new MLB record with 23 career pinch-hit home runs.

Jonathan Lucroy Switches Agents

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Jonathan Lucroy has switched agencies and is now being represented by Excel Sports Management, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter link).  The timing of the switch is particularly noteworthy as Lucroy is about to test free agency for the first time in his pro career.

Lucroy heads into the winter as the most accomplished catcher on the open market, though as MLBTR’s Jeff Todd recently analyzed in a Free Agent Stock Watch piece, 2017 wasn’t the best of platform years for the veteran backstop.  Lucroy suffered through a brutal first half of the season while still a member of the Rangers, though he picked up his offense considerably (.310/.429/.437 over 175 PA as a Rockie) after a deadline trade to Colorado, helping the Rox to an NL wild card berth.  Questions remain about Lucroy’s decline in power and his framing numbers, though since he is just 31 and has such a solid track record, he should be in line to score a solid multi-year deal.

Both Lucroy and the Rockies had a mutual interest in a reunion, and today’s news doesn’t necessarily have any impact one way or the other on Lucroy’s chances of remaining in Denver.  Notable Rockies DJ LeMahieu, Trevor Story, and top prospect Brendan Rodgers are all Excel clients.

This agency news is now reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains representation info on more than 2,500 Major League and Minor League players.  If you see any errors or omissions within the database, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

NL East Notes: Braves, Baker, Asdrubal, Marlins

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Major League Baseball is expected to render a decision on its investigation into the Braves’ front office practices soon after the World Series concludes, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reports.  “Just about every member” of the team’s baseball ops department has been interviewed by the league, including vice chairman John Schuerholz and president of baseball operations John Hart, the latter of whom has been interviewed on multiple occasions.  Owing to the uncertainty about Hart’s own future with the team, Heyman reports that Hart and the club have yet to begin interviewing candidates to replace John Coppolella as the new general manager.  Names such as Ben Cherington, Dan Jennings and Doug Harris have been linked to the Braves job, though it isn’t clear if any would still be candidates should Hart no longer continue with the organization.

Here’s more from around the NL East…

  • The way the Nationals went about not re-hiring Dusty Baker as manager is viewed by some around the team as a “train wreck,” FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reports in an in-depth look at the Nats’ decision.  Heyman dispels several rumors about why Baker was fired, as it simply seemed that it came down to the Nats again failing to advance past the first round of the playoffs.  GM Mike Rizzo “fought for” Baker to be given a new contract, according to one source, though Rizzo lost influence on managerial decisions due to his failed hire of Matt Williams.  Nationals players are “generally upset” both that Baker isn’t returning, and also at the controversy that continues to surround the team’s managerial decisions.
  • Asdrubal Cabrera wants to return to the Mets and is hopeful that the team exercises its $8.5MM club option on his services for next season, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.  Though recent reports indicate that the Mets are likely to pick up Cabrera’s option, there hasn’t been any official word on between the team and Cabrera’s representatives, though the Mets said they would be back in touch after team meetings concluded.  Notably, agent Scott Pucino said his client has “accepted playing third base,” which is key to Cabrera’s future given that he was initially displeased over being moved off shortstop to accommodate top prospect Amed Rosario.  Cabrera would provide New York with depth at both second and third base as the team figures out its uncertain infield mix.
  • Jeff Conine won’t be returning to the Marlins front office, according to Clark Spencer and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.  A longtime fixture as both a player and special assistant in Miami, Conine and fellow assistants Andre Dawson, Jack McKeon, and Tony Perez were all fired by the team’s new ownership group but then, somewhat confusingly, were all approached by Derek Jeter about new roles with the club.  Conine said he turned down a position that offered half of his old $100K salary and less responsibility than his old job.  It isn’t clear if Conine will continue in his other role calling Marlins games for Fox Sports Florida, as he described that as a “totally separate deal” than his job with the organization.

Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Angels

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

The Angels were almost the definition of a perfectly average team (80-82 record, 710 runs scored to 709 runs allowed) in 2017, and they stuck around the AL Wild Card race for most of the season.  Much of the Angels’ offseason business will hinge on Justin Upton’s situation, though the team will have some money to spend in addressing several holes on the roster.

Guaranteed Contracts

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

Contract Options

  • Justin Upton, OF: $88.5MM through 2021 (Upton can exercise player option and become a free agent)
  • Ricky Nolasco, SP: $13MM club option for 2018 ($1MM buyout)
  • Huston Street, RP: $10MM club option for 2018 ($1MM buyout)

Free Agents

Los Angeles Angels Depth Chart | Los Angeles Angels Payroll Information

Upton has been in talks with the club about his opt-out clause, which would allow him to test free agency and walk away from the four years and $88.5MM remaining on his contract.  Upton just turned 30 last August, and coming off his big season, should be able to find a somewhat larger and longer-term deal on the open market.  That said, the Angels could be floating the idea of extending his current contract by an extra year or two in order to keep the outfielder in Anaheim.  Despite generally strong performance, Upton has played for five different franchises since the start of the 2012 season, so he could welcome the chance at simply staying put.  For what it’s worth, Upton would be playing close to his offseason home in Arizona and he reportedly had an interest in the Angels two winters ago.

If Upton stays in the fold, that checks one major bit of business off GM Billy Eppler’s to-do list.  Upton enjoyed one of the best seasons of his 11-year career, hitting .273/.361/.540 with 35 homers over 635 PA with the Angels and Tigers.  He would both fill a big hole in left field and give the Halos a big bat to pair with the incomparable Mike Trout in the lineup.

If Upton opted out of his deal and left town, it would be a disappointment for the club, but the Angels accepted that risk when they surprisingly acquired Upton on the last day of August.  The silver lining of Upton’s departure would be another big salary off the books, giving the Angels even more of what they haven’t had in several winters — financial flexibility.

Counting Upton’s deal and a projected $30.2MM in arbitration costs, the Angels have just over $142MM committed to 19 players next year.  (Josh Hamilton’s contract is finally off the team’s books.)  While the club has traditionally stopped short of the luxury tax threshold during Arte Moreno’s ownership, that still gives Eppler plenty of room to address the Halos’ many needs.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that the Angels will return to their old ways of splurging on big-ticket free agent deals, however, especially given how often those contracts failed to work out for the team.  Still, there is room for one big salary to be added, and maybe two if Upton were to depart.

Looking around the diamond, Los Angeles is set in center field (Trout), right field (Kole Calhoun), shortstop (Andrelton Simmons), catcher (Martin Maldonado) and DH (Albert Pujols).  “Set” is not really the right word in Pujols’ case, as the veteran’s -2.0 fWAR was the lowest of any qualified player in baseball last year, though the Halos have no choice but to ride out the final four seasons of Pujols’ contract and hope for a late career renaissance.  Catcher could technically also be an area of need, though the Angels love Maldonado’s defense and they think his bat will improve now that he is more used to the rigors of regular catching duty.  First base could also potentially use an upgrade, though the likeliest scenario is a platoon between C.J. Cron and Luis Valbuena.

Yunel Escobar and late-season trade acquisition Brandon Phillips are both free agents, leaving the Angels with holes to fill at third and second base.  The latter position has been a long-standing problem area for the Halos, and I’d expect the team to try and finally make a solid fix by pursuing Neil Walker in free agency.  Walker is the top second baseman on the market this winter, and L.A. has tried to land Walker in the past, falling short in trade talks with the Pirates two offseasons ago.

If Walker again can’t be acquired, the Angels could pursue a reunion with Phillips, or check in on other free agent options like Eduardo Nunez, Asdrubal Cabrera (if the Mets don’t pick up his club option), or Jose Reyes.  On the trade front, the Angels had some interest in the Marlins’ Dee Gordon before the July deadline, plus the likes of Ian Kinsler, Josh Harrison, Cesar Hernandez, Scooter Gennett, Yangervis Solarte or Jed Lowrie could also be available in deals.  The Angels’ much-maligned farm system still doesn’t have much in the way of prospects that would facilitate trades, though the team’s extra payroll space could help them in this regard.

A multi-positional player like Harrison or Nunez could also help out at third base.  As per Pedro Moura of the L.A. Times, Escobar isn’t expected to be re-signed, leaving the Angels thin at the hot corner.  The team could turn to Valbuena at third base in lieu of an external addition, as while Valbuena’s first season in Anaheim was underwhelming overall, he did hit quite well after the All-Star break.  The big-ticket add, of course, would be signing Los Angeles native Mike Moustakas for a grand homecoming.  Moustakas would fill a particular need for the Angels in adding a big left-handed bat to a heavily right-handed lineup — one would think that if the Halos do make a big acquisition for third, second or left field, that player would swing from the left side.

If left field does become a need with Upton gone, the Angels could aim for a splash like trading for Andrew McCutchen, signing J.D. Martinez or (again with a left-handed bat in mind) signing Jay Bruce.  Alternatively, shorter-term options like Curtis Granderson, Jon Jay or Howie Kendrick could be explored.  Teams like the Marlins and Cardinals have outfielders available in trades this offseason, so expect to see the Angels check in on those options if Upton is no longer in the picture.  The club could also look for a backup outfielder, if the Angels aren’t satisfied with Eric Young Jr. and/or Shane Robinson.

Injuries have crushed the Angels’ pitching staff over the last two years, though the team finally appears to have things back on track, health-wise.  Garrett Richards will headline the 2018 rotation, with Tyler Skaggs, Matt Shoemaker, JC Ramirez, Andrew Heaney, Parker Bridwell and Nick Tropeano all on hand as starting or depth options.

This is still a pretty unproven rotation even if everyone is healthy, so Anaheim is likely to explore adding at least one more arm.  This is another area where Eppler could again splurge on a free agent, as a Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta would go a long way towards stabilizing a staff with a lot of question marks.  Lance Lynn and Alex Cobb are less expensive options, though either hurler would still come at a significant price.  It could be that the Angels are okay with their current options and simply want a veteran to purely eat innings, which opens their search to any number of free agent arms available on short-term contracts.  To this end, the team could look for a reunion with Jesse Chavez or Ricky Nolasco, though in Nolasco’s case, the Angels would decline their $13MM club option on his services and pursue a lesser deal.

Shohei Otani, of course, could be had at a league-minimum salary and for what’s left of the Angels’ $4.75MM international bonus pool, though the Halos will be competing with every other team in MLB for Otani’s services.  While little is known about Otani’s decision-making process as he prepares to jump to North American baseball, the Angels (a big-market west coast team with Mike Trout on the roster) certainly have some selling points.  On the other hand, Otani wants the opportunity to hit, and the Angels can’t offer regular DH at-bats thanks to Pujols’ presence.  As much as the Angels or any other club may want Otani in the fold, it seems unlikely that a prized starter would be allowed to regularly play the outfield or at first base in between starts.

Turning to the bullpen, the Halos won’t be exercising their club option on Huston Street, thus ending the former closer’s injury-riddled stint in Anaheim.  Even with Street out for virtually all of 2017, however, the Angels’ bullpen was quietly one of the game’s more effective relief corps.  Yusmeiro Petit’s outstanding season was a big factor in the pen’s success, and with the Angels putting importance on the value of multi-inning relievers, it stands to reason that the team will look to re-sign the veteran righty.  Other teams will surely also be interested, and Petit will have one of the more interesting free agent cases of any reliever on the market this winter, given such factors as his age (33 in November) and his value in this era of teams prioritizing bullpen depth.

Blake Parker is the current favorite to be the Angels’ closer next season, as his breakout year earned him save chances down the stretch in 2017.  Parker’s potential makes it less likely that Los Angeles would go after one of the big-name experienced closers on the market (i.e. Greg Holland, Wade Davis) but I can see the team adding a veteran reliever to supplement the young bullpen corps of Parker, Keynan Middleton and Cam Bedrosian.  One option might be old friend David Hernandez, who posted excellent numbers for the Angels before being dealt to the Diamondbacks at the July trade deadline.

The Angels will be a fascinating team to watch this offseason, as they have a lot of question marks to address but also several proven or intriguing building blocks.  Eppler has been much more active in the trade market than in free agency in his first two offseasons as general manager, so more deals could be in the offing, or this could be the winter where Moreno again opens the checkbook for another big signing.

Offseason Outlook: Tampa Bay Rays

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

Despite making a number of additions prior to the July 31 trade deadline, the Rays faded down the stretch, falling short of both a wild card berth and even a winning record.  The club now faces another offseason of adding low-cost pieces while facing hard decisions about trading pricier talent.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Evan Longoria, 3B: $81MM through 2022 ($13MM club option for 2023, $5MM buyout)
  • Kevin Kiermaier, CF: $47MM through 2022 ($13MM club option for 2023, $2.5MM buyout)
  • Chris Archer, SP: $13.75MM through 2019 (plus club options for 2020-21)
  • Wilson Ramos, C: $10.5MM through 2018

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

Contract Options

Free Agents

[Tampa Bay Rays depth chart | Tampa Bay Rays payroll outlook]

The Rays haven’t had a winning record since 2013, but with Evan Longoria, Chris Archer and (most recently) Kevin Kiermaier locked up on long-term deals, it seems as though the club will continue to try and contend rather than explore a full teardown and rebuilding process.  That being said, Tampa could very well duplicate its approach from last offseason — aiming to add, but prepared to shift course and start selling if an offer too good to refuse comes in for Archer or Jake Odorizzi.

These are the financial realities for the small-market Rays, whose quest for a new ballpark isn’t any closer to resolution, and whose revenues took an extra hit in 2017.  While owner Stuart Sternberg recently stated that a total payroll slash wasn’t likely to happen, “the first move is down” for the 2018 payroll.

Salaries for Longoria, Archer, Kiermaier and Wilson Ramos total $36.25MM next year, while the Rays are projected to spend $41.4MM on a large arbitration class of 13 players.  Even with a couple of obvious non-tenders, those modest savings would be wiped out by Nathan Eovaldi’s $2MM club option, which is likely to be picked up as he makes his return from Tommy John surgery.  That works out to a payroll north of the $77MM mark, which is already higher than any Opening Day payroll figure in franchise history.

The most obvious candidates for trades are the more expensive names within that arbitration class — Odorizzi ($6.5MM), Corey Dickerson ($6.4MM), Alex Colome ($5.5MM), Adeiny Hechavarria ($5MM) and Brad Miller ($4.4MM).  It would be surprising if all five of these players were wearing Rays uniforms in April, though they also carry their share of warning signs for potential trade suitors.  Hechavarria has an excellent glove but is not a very productive hitter; Colome saw his strikeout rate drop and both his contact and hard-hit ball rates rise; injuries contributed to Odorizzi and Miller delivering replacement-level seasons; and Dickerson’s bat went ice-cold after a strong first half.

Odorizzi’s down year is the biggest concern, as it both lowered his asking price in trades and also gave the Rays a question mark heading into next year’s rotation if the righty is kept.  Alex Cobb is a virtual certainty to leave in free agency, whether or not the team issues him a qualifying offer. (There are indications that’s the intention, though putting $17.4MM on the table for one year of Cobb may just be too great a risk, particularly after Jeremy Hellickson took the Phillies’ QO last year.)  Cobb’s departure would increase Odorizzi’s importance in next year’s rotation.  The starting four looks to be Archer, Odorizzi, Blake Snell and Jake Faria, with Matt Andriese, Eovaldi and top prospect Brent Honeywell all in the mix for the fifth starter’s job.  Jose De Leon and Taylor Guerrieri will be at Triple-A but are coming off injury-plagued 2017 seasons, so Ryan Yarbrough and Yonny Chirinos are currently the top minor league depth options.

There’s enough depth here that the Rays could feel comfortable about their pitching even in the event of an Odorizzi trade, provided they get some injury luck and Snell/Faria both continue to develop as reliable-or-better big league arms.  Andriese could also be shopped, though a hip injury limited him to 86 IP last year, and the Rays likely aren’t keen on selling low on a pitcher with four years of team control.

The biggest move, of course, would be an Archer trade.  The ace right-hander also comes with up to four years of his control via the club options on his team-friendly contract, and he only reinforced his credentials by delivering more strong numbers in 2017.  Teams like the Cubs, Dodgers, Braves and Astros have all been linked to Archer in the past and they (and others) are sure to check in with Tampa’s front office about the righty’s availability.  It would take a major blockbuster of a trade package to actually trigger a deal, however, as Archer’s contract makes him particularly important to a low-payroll club like the Rays.

Colome’s asking price wouldn’t be nearly as hefty after a tepid 2017, though his experience as a closer, past dominance, and remaining control would still hold appeal to other organizations. That said, he is another pitcher the Rays would likely prefer to keep since Tommy Hunter, Sergio Romo and Steve Cishek could all leave the bullpen in free agency.  The Rays don’t have a clear heir apparent at closer if Colome is dealt, unless they feel Brad Boxberger is ready to reclaim his old job after two injury-plagued seasons.  After Colome and Boxberger, Tampa Bay probably has enough young arms on hand that they won’t make any hugely notable moves to their relief corps, aside from adding a left-handed pitcher to the mix.  Xavier Cedeno missed much of 2017 with forearm problems and advanced metrics didn’t love Dan Jennings’ work, so the Rays could use some extra southpaw depth in the pen.

Consistent offense continued to be a problem for the Rays in 2017, though full seasons from Ramos and Kiermaier should provide an internal boost to the lineup.  Logan Morrison’s one-year, $2.5MM deal ended up being a terrific bargain for the Rays, but with Morrison’s 38-homer season likely set to land him a multi-year contract elsewhere, the Rays now have a big hole to fill at first base.

This position could also be addressed from within, should Tampa feel that prospect Jake Bauers is ready for the big leagues.  Entrusting a starting role to a rookie who only posted good but not great (.263/.368/.412 over 575 PA) Triple-A numbers would be a bold move, so the Rays could sign a veteran right-handed hitting first baseman like Mike Napoli, Danny Valencia or perhaps even Jose Bautista as a platoon partner.

Alternatively, the Rays could shift Miller back to first base if they feel Bauers needs more seasoning.  All of Miller’s 303 career innings as a first baseman came in 2016, when he also enjoyed a breakout year at the plate, and it’s at least possible that playing a less-demanding defensive position contributed to Miller’s performance.  Metrics such as UZR/150 and Defensive Runs Saved indicated that Miller was also a below-average defender at first base, though that would be less of a problem than his subpar glovework at second base.

Then again, it’s a question as to whether Miller is in the Rays’ plans at all given his -0.1 fWAR performance last season.  A non-tender doesn’t seem likely (it would be hard for the offense-starved Rays to walk away from a player who hit 30 homers in 2016) but Miller is likely to be shopped this winter thanks to his significant arbitration number.

The Rays could again use Miller at second base if they can live with his defense, though options abound in the middle infield.  Unlike with Miller, the Rays know what they’re getting in Hechavarria, whose $5MM projected salary comes with the promise of an outstanding shortstop glove.  Retaining Hechavarria is probably the safest bet since star prospect Willy Adames has yet to debut in the majors and former shortstop-of-the-future Matt Duffy is a wild card after missing all of 2017 due to complications from heel surgery.  Adames and Duffy could factor into the second base picture, however, if Miller is traded or shifted to first.

Dickerson has provided the Rays with capable defense over his two seasons with the team, though he’ll need enough DH time that left field looks like an area of need.  Mallex Smith will return as the fourth outfielder but doesn’t have the bat for such a significant role, so Tampa will likely explore veteran outfielders that could be had on a short-term deal, akin to the one-year, $5MM contract with Colby Rasmus from last winter.  If the Rays were willing to spend a bit more, a versatile player like Howie Kendrick could be a nice fit as a right-handed bat capable of spot duty in left field, second and first base.

Speaking of versatility, it’s worth noting that the Rays have a “sincere” interest in Shohei Otani, which perhaps implies more than the standard due diligence that every team is undoubtedly doing on the 23-year-old two-way star.  Otani’s apparent disinterest in immediate salary riches helps the Rays’ case, though they almost surely wouldn’t be able to offer him a truly massive extension after he has spent enough time in North America for such a deal to pass muster with the league.  It can’t be understated what a franchise-altering addition Otani would be, though it’s safe to call the Rays a longshot suitor at best.

After four straight losing seasons, the Rays are still looking for those missing pieces to their roster puzzle, as well as hoping that they can finally get a year where all their key players are both healthy and productive at the same time.  The emergence of players like Snell, Faria, Duffy, Honeywell, Adames and Bauers as productive regulars would be an enormous boost for a Rays team that relies on young talent, though some type of proven veteran additions will be necessary to get the club back over the .500 mark.

Quick Hits: Ichiro, Yankees, D’Backs, Gardenhire

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Happy birthday to Ichiro Suzuki, as the future Hall-of-Famer turns 44 years old today.  Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald takes a look at Ichiro’s offseason training regimen, though “offseason” may not be the correct term since the outfielder has continued to work out at Marlins Park almost every day since the season ended.  Near-daily training has been a staple of almost every offseason for Suzuki — he took a month off in 2005 but tells Spencer via an interpreter that “my body just didn’t feel like my own body. My body was, like, sick.”  Ichiro has long been known for his incredible fitness regime, and he doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon, as he has said that he hopes to keep playing into his 50s.

Here’s the latest from around baseball…

  • With the Yankees making a deep postseason run this year, Joel Sherman of the New York Post has a few suggestions on what the club must now do to cement itself as a World Series contender.  The list includes signing Shohei Otani, cutting down on strikeouts, re-signing CC Sabathia, reinforcing the bullpen by signing Mike Minor, and trading a high-paid veteran to ensure that the team gets under the $197MM luxury tax threshold.  Sherman also floats the idea of shifting Gary Sanchez into a part-time DH role with Otani, which then necessitates signing a backup catcher capable of handling a workload of around 60 games.
  • The Diamondbacks’ roster is broken down by Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, who looks at both 2018 salary (hat tip to Piecoro for citing MLBTR’s arbitration projections) and each player’s role on next year’s club.  With payroll size still an issue for the D’Backs, players such as Patrick Corbin or even A.J. Pollock could come up in trade talks since both will be free agents in the 2018-19 offseason.  Brandon Drury or Nick Ahmed are cheaper but could also potentially be shopped due to a logjam of other infield options.  Piecoro predicts Arizona will exercise its $2MM club option on Daniel Descalso since the veteran “was a big part of the clubhouse culture.”
  • The Tigers’ choice of Ron Gardenhire as the team’s next manager “was a solid hire. It was a safe one, too,” The Athletic’s Katie Strang writes (subscription required and recommended).  Both Gardenhire and Tigers GM Al Avila are under contract through 2020, so there is no small sense that Avila’s own job security will be scrutinized as the Tigers undergo a lengthy rebuild.  Strang also shares some details on the Tigers’ managerial search, which included a wide variety of candidates but seemed to wrap up quickly (before even a second round of interviews) once Gardenhire emerged as the top contender.

5 Key Stories: 10/14/17 – 10/22/17

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Recapping the five biggest stories from the past week at MLBTR…

Dusty Baker | Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY SportsNationals part ways with Dusty Baker: Yet another managerial change is coming in Washington as the Nats announced that Baker won’t return for a third season in the team’s dugout.  The lack of movement on a contract extension had been a curiosity all season long, though it still seemed as if the Nationals’ on-field success and a seemingly mutual desire for a reunion would lead to a new deal for the veteran skipper.  Instead, the Nats’ failure to advance past the NLDS resulted in the team looking for a fresh face in the dugout.  Baker’s tenure concludes in D.C. with an impressive 192-132 record and two NL East titles in two seasons.

Mets, Red Sox hire first-time managers: Running a team under the glare of the New York and Boston media spotlights is a tough task even for experienced managers, though the Mets and Red Sox decided on rookie skippers to respectively replace Terry Collins and John Farrell.  The Mets agreed to a deal with Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway, who helped develop the Tribe’s dominant staff over his five years with the club.  Callaway takes over a team with a lot of questions after a disastrous 2017 season, though the Mets still expect a quick return to contention. Alex Cora faces even more pressure in his new job as the Red Sox manager, as he’ll take over a team that has won consecutive AL East titles and now expects another step forward in pursuit of a championship.  Cora, who will continue in his capacity as the Astros’ bench coach until the World Series is over, has long been touted as a future manager during his long career as a player, broadcaster and GM in Puerto Rico.

Tigers hire Ron Gardenhire: Detroit went with a veteran voice to oversee its rebuild, hiring longtime former Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire as manager.  “Gardy” led the Twins to six division titles over his 13 seasons with the team, and most recently worked as the Diamondbacks’ bench coach in 2017.  He’ll now face a new challenge in managing a Tigers club that is beginning what could be an extensive rebuilding period; it’s possible the Tigers may not be ready to contend again by the time Gardenhire’s contract is up at the end of the 2020 season.

Michael Brantley undergoes ankle surgery: The injury-plagued Indians outfielder underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle, and will be prevented from any baseball-related activities for the next four-to-five months.  Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said the team is “still working through” the decision whether or not to exercise its $12MM club option on Brantley’s services for 2018.  Shoulder and ankle problems limited Brantley to just 101 games over the last two seasons, though he still been effective when he has been able to play; he was an All-Star just this season.  The Tribe already has some major payroll commitments for a smaller-market team, so it could make financial sense to decline Brantley’s option and spend on other needs.

Super Two cutoff determined: This year’s service time cutoff point for Super Two eligibility will be two years and 123 days, as reported by MLBTR’s own Tim Dierkes.  This is the lowest cutoff point since 2013 (2.122) and the player most impacted will be the Twins’ Eddie Rosario, who fell just shy of the mark.  Rosario was projected by MLBTR’s Matt Swartz to earn $3.5MM if he did qualify for an extra year of arbitration eligibility, though he’ll now have to settle for a league-minimum salary in 2018 and the standard three arb years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Poll: Who Will Win The World Series?

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The 2017 season will culminate in an epic World Series, matching the Dodgers against the Astros.  It is the first time since 1970 that the Fall Classic has featured two teams that each won 100 games or more games — L.A. will have homefield advantage, as the Dodgers’ 104-58 record topped the Astros’ 101-61 mark.

After winning the NL West title and falling short in each of the last four postseasons, the Dodgers finally broke through this year to capture their first National League pennant since 1988.  The club overcame scores of injuries (38 DL stints, the most of any team in baseball) to achieve their success, though obviously having the game’s largest payroll goes a long way in securing roster depth.  Beyond the expected contributions from established stars like Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, and Justin Turner, the Dodgers were also buoyed by Corey Seager’s excellent sophomore year, rookie Cody Bellinger’s 39 homers, Yasiel Puig’s bounce-back year, and utilityman Chris Taylor’s emergence as an everyday threat.  If this wasn’t enough, the Dodgers added Yu Darvish at the trade deadline to enhance an already-outstanding rotation.

This is the Dodgers’ 19th World Series appearance, tied with the Cardinals for the third-most in history.  By contrast, this is only the Astros’ second trip to the Fall Classic, though they now have the unique distinction of being the only franchise to represent both the American League and National League in the World Series.

This pennant represents the culmination of the Astros’ scorched-earth rebuild under GM Jeff Luhnow.  Due to a complete focus on building up the farm system, the Astros went only 162-324 from 2011-13, a brutal stretch of play that saw fan interest in Houston almost evaporate and Luhnow’s methods questioned by many around the game.  As with last year’s champion Cubs, however, a long rebuild resulted in an enviable core of young talent.  George Springer, Carlos Correa, Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers, Alex Bregman and AL MVP favorite Jose Altuve are all homegrown Astros, and the team further supplemented that core with under-the-radar trade pickups (i.e. Marwin Gonzalez, Chris Devenski) and bigger-ticket acquisitions (Yuli Gurriel, Brian McCann, Josh Reddick, Carlos Beltran).  The final piece of the puzzle was trading for Justin Verlander at almost literally the last second prior to the August 31st waiver deadline, and Verlander has been nothing short of spectacular since coming to Houston.

With two days to go before Keuchel vs. Kershaw at Dodger Stadium in Game One, we post the question…what is your prediction for the 2017 Series?  (link to poll for MLBTR mobile app users)

Who Will Win The World Series?
Dodgers in six games 32.49% (6,716 votes)
Astros in six games 24.80% (5,127 votes)
Astros in seven games 17.11% (3,537 votes)
Dodgers in five games 12.27% (2,537 votes)
Dodgers in seven games 7.24% (1,496 votes)
Astros in five games 3.38% (698 votes)
Dodgers in four games 1.79% (371 votes)
Astros in four games 0.93% (192 votes)
Total Votes: 20,674

MLBTR Originals

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Here is the past week’s worth of original content of the MLBTR writing team…

  • Will Carlos Santana’s solid and steady production lead to a big contract this winter, or could he be hampered by another cool market for first base/DH players?  Connor Byrne examines Santana’s case in a new edition of Free Agent Stock Watch.
  • The Cardinals didn’t expect to be looking for ninth-inning help his offseason, though due to Trevor Rosenthal’s Tommy John surgery, St. Louis is now in need of a closer.  Jeff Todd breaks down the Cards’ options in free agency and on the trade front, both for 2018 and over the long term.
  • Billy Hamilton could be a nice trade chip for a rebuilding Reds team, as Kyle Downing looks at what teams could have interest in the defensive-gifted speedster.
  • Over 88% of MLBTR readers polled by Connor feel the Red Sox will make some major moves to add offense this winter.  After a disappointing performance by the lineup, the Sox will be hoping that several locked-in regulars improve, though a big bat or two could be added at first base or perhaps in the outfield (if Jackie Bradley is traded).
  • MLBTR’s Offseason Outlook series continued in full swing, with entries on the Brewers (by Steve Adams), Giants (by Mark Polishuk), Pirates (by Jeff), Reds, Phillies (both by Kyle), Mariners, Mets, and Athletics (all by Connor).

Braves Outright Ian Krol, Armando Rivero

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The Braves announced earlier this week that left-hander Ian Krol and right-hander Armando Rivero were outrighted off their 40-man roster.  Both pitchers have been assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Krol posted a strong 3.18 ERA over 51 relief innings for the Braves in 2016, with an 0.7 HR/9 rate that seemed to indicate he had corrected his past issues in keeping the ball in the park.  This wasn’t the case in 2017, however, as Krol’s HR/9 jumped to 1.5 and his ERA (5.33) reflected that increase.  The southpaw also posted an 8.1 K/9 and 2.1 K/BB rate over 49 innings.

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Krol to earn $1.3MM in his second winter of arbitration eligibility.  (Krol and the Braves avoided arbitration last winter by agreeing to a $900K deal.)  Krol agreed to the minor league assignment rather than opting for free agency, which could indicate some type of deal between he and the club to continue their relationship past the non-tender deadline.  Atlanta could still non-tender Krol but then re-sign him to a minor league deal worth less than that $1.3MM figure.

The Braves selected Rivero out of the Cubs organization in last December’s Rule 5 draft, and Rivero ended up spending the entire season on the DL due to shoulder problems.  In clearing outright waivers, the Cubs would have had to pass on taking Rivero back, so the Cuban right-hander is now officially under the Braves’ control.

Rivero originally signed with the Cubs for a $3.1MM bonus in March 2013 and posted some eye-popping strikeout numbers in Chicago’s minor league system.  Rivero posted a 12.4 K/9 over 220 career relief innings in the minors, with a 2.70 ERA and 4.4 BB/9.  Those walk totals crept upwards in 2015-16 when Rivero was pitching at Triple-A, so between that decrease in control and the Cubs’ loaded roster, Rivero was available last winter for the Braves to grab in the Rule 5 draft.

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