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NL Notes: Giants, Blanco, Orioles, Voth, Happ

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Ian Desmond’s fractured hand is the big story coming out of the senior circuit today, though here are some more items from around the National League…

  • With a number of veterans in camp on minor league deals and quite a few jobs still to be decided, the Giants’ final roster cuts “are going to come down to the end of camp,” Bruce Bochy told reporters (including MLB.com’s Barry M. Bloom).  “I’ve already had some guys tell me, ’I’m glad I’m not you.’ I mean, they’re all good guys, experienced guys, and they’re doing a good job,” Bochy said.  As Bloom notes, versatility will be a big factor in the Giants’ decision, as a player who can handle multiple positions is a necessity given the team’s needs and lack of bench space.  Jimmy Rollins, Aaron Hill, and Mike Morse are a few of the notable veteran names still fighting for jobs.
  • Gregor Blanco received interest from the Orioles and Tigers this winter, but the outfielder tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he chose to sign a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks in part because of their running game and aggressive style of play.  Detroit’s connection to Blanco was previously reported, and while this is the first time the O’s have been linked to Blanco this winter, he makes sense as a target given how Baltimore searched the market for left-handed hitting, versatile outfielders for much of the offseason.
  • Austin Voth has been somewhat of an overlooked figure behind the Nationals’ other star prospects, though as Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post writes, Voth could now emerge in an important role as Washington’s top piece of starter depth.  Voth is battling with A.J. Cole, Vance Worley, and Erick Fedde for the “sixth starter” role, which is of no small importance given the injuries that inevitably crop up for a pitching staff over the course of a season.  A fifth-round pick for the Nats in 2013, Voth has a 2.84 ERA, 3.33 K/BB rate and 8.7 K/9 over 487 1/3 career innings in the minors.
  • With so many young Cubs stars already in place around the diamond, prospect Ian Happ is looking to help his chances of finding a regular role by playing multiple positions a la Ben Zobrist, Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com writes.  “He’s a perfect example to a young player on how to stay in the game and contribute. That’s who I want to emulate,” Happ said.  Originally drafted as an outfielder and second baseman as the ninth overall pick in the 2015 draft, Happ has already played second and all three outfield spots in the minors, plus he has been doing some work as a third baseman this spring.  In another piece on Happ, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat notes that Happ is developing well at second and is already showing some fine skills at the plate.  Happ is yet another impressive youngster in the Cubs’ pipeline, as he featured on top-100 prospect lists from MLB.com (28th), Baseball Prospectus (54th), Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law (both 63rd).

Mets Notes: Montero, Reed, Walker, Nimmo

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On Darryl Strawberry’s 55th birthday, here’s the latest from Citi Field…

  • The Mets “couldn’t give [Rafael Montero] away” this offseason, a club official tells Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News.  “At one time, this kid’s name was the first one mentioned anytime we talked to a team about a trade and he was untouchable,” the high-ranking official said.  Montero was seen as both a top Mets pitching prospect and as a top-100 prospect in all of baseball (as per MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus) prior to the 2014 season, though the right-hander’s star has since dimmed.  Montero missed almost all of 2015 due to a shoulder injury and then battled control issues in 2016, so his MLB output consists of just 73 1/3 innings since the start of the 2014 season.  He has been pitching well in spring camp, however, and trying to get himself in contention for a long relief job.  Given Montero’s past prospect status, it seems surprising that no teams were considered him as even a buy-low lottery ticket in a trade, though it could be that any interested teams wanted to wait until Spring Training to scout his progress.
  • Also from Ackert, she hears from Addison Reed that the reliever isn’t necessarily intending to seek out “a closer’s contract” in free agency next offseason, even though Reed may be in position to pick up some saves if and when Jeurys Familia is suspended.  “It really doesn’t matter to me,” Reed said.  “As long as it’s a good deal and a good fit. I am not really thinking about it [free agency] yet, but I am happy here and happy with my role here.”  Reed has past closing experience with the White Sox and Diamondbacks, though he has thrived since joining the Mets in a setup role.
  • Neil Walker has been taking ground balls at first base “just in case” he is needed at the position, the regular second baseman tells MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.  “I just need to get my feet back underneath me,” Walker said. “If I were to have to go over there, it would just take a couple days to get back in the flow of things.”  The Mets were short-handed at first last year due to Lucas Duda’s stress fracture in his back, and with Duda missing more time due to hip stiffness in Spring Training, the Mets have taken the opportunity to get Walker and Jay Bruce some reps at first base.  All signs still point to Walker as the everyday second baseman, of course, as New York would turn to Wilmer Flores, Bruce, possibly Jose Reyes and others before using Walker at first in the event that Duda misses time.  Walker has only played 10 games at first in his pro career, all as a minor leaguer in 2009-10.
  • Brandon Nimmo will miss a few weeks of action after suffering a Grade 1 hamstring strain while playing in the World Baseball Classic, Italy manager Marco Mazzieri told reporters (including James Wagner of the New York Times).  The injury will likely end any chance Nimmo had of cracking the Opening Day roster, as he was already a longshot due to the Mets’ outfield surplus.

AL East Notes: Quintana, Norris, Longoria, Lawrie

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Here’s the latest from around the AL East…

  • The White Sox have been scouting Yankees prospects in regards to a potential Jose Quintana trade, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  The two clubs have been linked in Quintana trade rumors though there isn’t any movement as per the latest reports, since New York doesn’t want to part with its top minor leaguers.  The Yankees have been seen as a logical target for Quintana due to the lack of certainty in their rotation beyond Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, and C.C. Sabathia, and even that top trio can’t be considered locks due to each pitcher’s injury history.  It makes sense that the Sox would keep doing its due scouting diligence on the Yankees and other potential Quintana suitors should a team make a renewed push for a deal before Spring Training is out.
  • The Rays would likely be interested in Derek Norris if the catcher is indeed released by the Nationals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.  The Nats waived Norris yesterday, and obviously the Rays would like to avoid paying the $4.2MM they would owe Norris by simply claiming him.  Newly-signed Rays catcher Wilson Ramos will begin the year on the disabled list and will require quite a bit of DH time as he eases back from knee surgery, so Tampa could offer Norris a significant amount of playing time, if not quite a full-time gig behind the plate.  Curt Casali, Jesus Sucre, Michael McKenry and Luke Maile are the Rays’ current internal catching options.
  • In another piece from Topkin, he looks at the ever-present trade speculation that seems to swirl around Evan Longoria, no matter how much the third baseman insists that he wants to remain with the Rays for the rest of his career.  With the Rays front office constantly looking to keep payroll stable and reload with young talent, trading Longoria (who is owed $100MM through 2022) would seem like a logical step if the club ever embarks on a full-fledged rebuild.  Topkin notes that Longoria is on track to receive 10-and-5 rights in April 2018, which would give him the right to reject any proposed trade.  The Rays could therefore look to deal him before then, Topkin opines, or perhaps they could wait until they finalize a new stadium deal.
  • A reunion between Brett Lawrie and the Blue Jays “would be a shock,” MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm opines as part of a reader mailbag.  In Chisholm’s view, the only path to Lawrie’s return to Toronto would be if second baseman Devon Travis “suffers a major setback” in his recovery from knee surgery.  That scenario isn’t entirely out of the question given that Travis’ availability for Opening Day seems to be in doubt, though Lawrie himself is dealing with some injury concerns and wants to get healthy before pursuing a new contract.  The Jays, Rays and Royals all had some interest in Lawrie after his release from the White Sox, with the Mets also linked but reportedly not overly intrigued.

Offseason In Review: Boston Red Sox

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This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series.

You can’t really call it a “quiet” offseason when you swing perhaps the winter’s biggest blockbuster, though the Red Sox seem to be counting on internal pieces just as much as their few new faces in order to defend their AL East title.

Major League Signings

Trades And Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

  • None

Notable Losses

Red Sox roster; Red Sox payroll information

Needs Addressed

After signing David Price last winter and trading for Rick Porcello in December 2014, the Red Sox made yet another offseason splash to upgrade their rotation, and arguably the biggest one yet in Chris Sale.  The southpaw has been nothing less than one of baseball’s best pitchers over the last five seasons, posting a 3.04 ERA, 5.08 K/BB rate, 10.0 K/9 and 27.6 bWAR over 1015 2/3 innings.  Not only is Sale still apparently at the top of his game heading into his age-28 season, he also offers ace production at a relative bargain price, as he is owed $12MM this year and then $12.5MM in 2018 and $13.5MM in 2019 (assuming the Sox exercise club options on those last two seasons).

Mar 6, 2017; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (41) delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Sale came at a heavy prospect cost, though Boston has enjoyed such incredible minor league depth in recent years that the club could justify trading blue chippers like Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech.  An established ace like Sale is naturally more help for a win-now team like the Sox than Kopech would be in the rotation, while Moncada was blocked at his natural position (second base) by Dustin Pedroia and blocked in the outfield by Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley and rookie Andrew Benintendi (the consensus top prospect in baseball).  Even with the uncertainty at the hot corner, Moncada was still somewhat expendable given that prospect Rafael Devers may be a year or two away from becoming the third baseman of the future.

Speaking of third base, the Sox dealt starter Travis Shaw to Milwaukee as part of another multi-player deal that saw righty reliever Tyler Thornburg come to Fenway Park.  Thornburg enjoyed a big year out of the Brewers pen in 2016, and he is both considerably younger and harder-throwing than veterans Koji Uehara and Brad Ziegler, who left in free agency.  Thornburg projects to be Craig Kimbrel’s top setup option, though Spring Training may decide if Joe Kelly has a share of that role or if the Sox could simply use both men in the eighth inning on a situational basis. (Carson Smith could factor in the late innings, too, when he finally returns from Tommy John surgery.)

Adding Sale to an already somewhat crowded rotation picture allowed the Sox to trade Clay Buchholz to the Phillies.  Injuries and inconsistency kept Buchholz from ever truly living up to expectations, though the righty certainly had his share of impressive moments over his decade in Boston.  The Red Sox chose to exercise their $13.5MM option on Buchholz last fall rather than simply let him walk, a decision that allowed the club to net some return for him when Philadelphia took on all of Buchholz’s salary and still gave up an interesting infield prospect in Josh Tobias.

The Red Sox were linked to several notable first base/DH-type sluggers to fill David Ortiz’s big shoes, but decided against pursuit of a star name. Boston instead inked Mitch Moreland to a one-year deal.  The move allows Hanley Ramirez to take most of the DH duties, as Ramirez will likely only play first when the Sox face a lefty pitcher, with Chris Young spelling Moreland in the lineup as the designated hitter.  Signing Moreland also doesn’t create a long-term roadblock at the position since the Sox think very highly of minor league first baseman Sam Travis, who missed much of last season due to a torn ACL but could reach the majors by late 2017 if he continues hitting.

Questions Remaining

It isn’t a coincidence that the Red Sox saved the bulk of their offseason business until after the new collective bargaining agreement was finalized in late November.  The new luxury tax rules were of particular importance to the team. Since the tax threshold was raised to $195MM this season, the Sox were able to emerge from the offseason a few million dollars beneath the the limit. If they can stay there through year’s end, the club can “reset its clock” in the calculation of overage penalties (which penalize repeat offenders at a higher rate, and are also more costly under the new CBA).

As a result, the offseason saw the Red Sox show some financial restraint, which annoyed some fans who felt bigger moves were necessary in the wake of Ortiz’s departure and the team’s abrupt postseason exit.  Moreland ended up being the answer at first base instead of Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Carlos Beltran or Mike Napoli; while the Sox at least checked in on these and other notable 1B/DH names, the club chose future financial flexibility over making an “all-in” move to win in 2017.

Given the amount of core talent on the Sox roster, it can be argued that Boston didn’t really need to make such a big splash now when they’re well-positioned to contend for the next several years.  (Plus, getting under the tax threshold now will save millions, and potentially set the Red Sox up to be larger players in the star-studded 2018-19 free agent market.)  The Sox also have enough potential at their so-called question mark positions that these spots might not end up being problems at all, though there’s definitely some uncertainty in a few areas.

With Moncada, Shaw and veteran Aaron Hill all no longer third base options, the Red Sox are putting a lot of faith in Pablo Sandoval’s ability to resurrect his career after a miserable 2015 and an injury-writeoff of a 2016 campaign.  Sandoval has gotten himself in much better shape, though it’s hard to know what to expect from the Panda in the wake of two lost seasons.  If Sandoval can’t produce, the Sox could turn to Brock Holt, Marco Hernandez and/or Josh Rutledge to handle third until the trade deadline, when you’d expect Boston to be in play for such potential trade candidates as Todd Frazier of the White Sox, the Royals’ Mike Moustakas or others.

The Sox stood pat at catcher, hoping that Sandy Leon can find an acceptable balance between his scorching-hot summer performance and his ice-cold September or that Christian Vazquez can develop some hitting to go with his outstanding defense.  Former top prospect Blake Swihart is still a bit of a wild card due to his lack of a position; while he has the most value to the Sox if he can get a foothold as a catcher, Swihart developed a problem throwing balls back to the mound during spring camp.  Needless to say, Swihart’s future as a catcher is still a work in progress, and he might end up spending much of 2017 at Triple-A working on his defense and making sure he’s fully recovered from his season-shortening ankle injury.

Price and the Red Sox received a big scare early in Spring Training when Price was shelved with elbow soreness, though fears of Tommy John surgery were allayed when the lefty was diagnosed with bone spurs and a mild flexor strain.  Still, Price won’t throw for a couple of weeks and will almost certainly begin the season on the DL, which underscores a potential lack of depth in the Sox rotation.

Even with Price healthy, the three-pitcher battle between Drew Pomeranz, Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez over the final two rotation spots carried its share of question marks.  All three of those starters had injury issues in 2016, with Pomeranz and Wright perhaps the most concerning of the trio — Wright pitched just ten innings after August 9 due to a shoulder injury and Pomeranz received a stem cell injection in his throwing elbow after the season to battle some recurring soreness in the joint.  It’s also worth noting that Wright and Pomeranz didn’t have much of a track record of success as starters prior to 2016 and Rodriguez has only shown flashes of his vast potential during his brief MLB career.

It’s probably unlikely that all three will struggle (be it from injuries or just poor performance) this season, though there’s suddenly much less room for error if Price ends up with a significant DL stint.  Looking at the farm, the Red Sox could turn to Roenis Elias, Brian Johnson or Henry Owens, plus veteran Kyle Kendrick was signed to a minor league deal.  While none of these names offer much in the way of stability, the fact that Boston has so many arms in the upper minors made it difficult for the club to attract much in the way of reliable veteran depth this winter.

Deal Of Note

While obviously no one expects Moreland to replicate Ortiz’s stunning production, Moreland has some dependability issues even as a platoon bat.  The left-handed hitting Moreland has only been a solid (.258/.321/.457) rather than a standout performer against right-handed pitching over his career, and he managed just a .700 OPS against righty pitching last season.  He enjoyed a big 2015 season that saw him hit .278/.330/.482 with 23 homers and a 117 wRC+ over 515 PA for the Rangers, but apart from that career year, Moreland has generated just 2.7 bWAR over his 641 career games played outside of the 2015 season.

As noted, however, there was sound financial logic behind Boston’s decision to sign Moreland instead of a pricier first base bat.  On the field as well, Moreland makes sense as both a big defensive upgrade and a doorway to lineup flexibility.  Moreland won a Gold Glove last year, posting a 9.2 UZR/150 and +7 Defensive Runs Saved that were far beyond Ramirez’s below-average grades in both metrics.  By improving their first base defense, the Red Sox are guarding their infield against a probable defensive dropoff at third, as Shaw exhibited some very good glovework at the hot corner.

While more and more teams have preferred to rotate players through their DH spot in recent years in order to keep everyone fresh, the Sox didn’t really have that luxury due to Ortiz (though his bat more than made up for such drawbacks).  While Ramirez will be the DH most days, the Red Sox can also give veterans like Pedroia or Sandoval a break while still keeping them in the lineup.

Even if Moreland has another blah year at the plate, the Red Sox will be satisfied if he can continue wielding a strong first base glove.  While Sox fans may cringe whenever, say, Encarnacion or Beltran go yard for the Indians or Astros, they may also appreciate that Ortiz’s “replacement” (from an overall value standpoint, not hitting-wise) is actually in left field.  Boston received a combined -0.1 bWAR out of the left field position in 2016, and everyone in baseball expects far more than that from the highly-touted Benintendi.

Overview

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has historically been pretty bold about using young talent as trade chips, and the Sale deal goes near the top of the list of Dombrowski’s trades of prospects for established talent.  As much as Sale, Thornburg or Moreland could be the final pieces of the puzzle, however, this season could be defined by how some players can solidify any weak spots on the roster.  Scenarios like Benintendi living up to the hype, Price returning from injury with no ill effects, at least two of the three rotation candidates firmly earning the fourth and fifth starters’ jobs or Sandoval recapturing some of his old Giants form would go a long way towards a deeper postseason run for the Sox.

What’s your take on the Red Sox’ winter? (Link for app users.)

How would you grade the Red Sox offseason?
F 25.00% (2,436 votes)
B 24.32% (2,370 votes)
A 22.23% (2,166 votes)
D 15.86% (1,545 votes)
C 12.59% (1,227 votes)
Total Votes: 9,744

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Quick Hits: Girardi, Naquin, Feldman, Biddle, Free Agents

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Here’s the latest from around the big leagues as we move into the new week…

  • Joe Girardi is entering his last year under contract with the Yankees, though the manager tells FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that he isn’t worrying about his future.  Girardi said he’ll continue to manage as long as his family still wants him to remain in the job.  The Yankees usually wait until a season is over to evaluate managers (and general managers, as Brian Cashman is also in the last year of his deal), though Hank Steinbrenner recently gave Girardi a vote of confidence.  Cashman praised Girardi’s ability to work with young players, which could bode well for him remaining to oversee an increasingly-youthful New York roster.  “There has never been a question about his ability to manage. The only time (managers lose their jobs) is if they wind up having missteps with their roster in terms of leadership, and they might not be the right voice anymore,” Cashman said.  “You get a sense of that from your players.  It happened toward the end with [Joe] Torre.  It hasn’t happened at this stage with [Girardi].”
  • Indians outfielder Tyler Naquin left Sunday’s game after fouling a ball off his right foot.  The injury is officially being called a bruise for now, according to MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and other reporters.  Naquin underwent x-rays after the game and the results will be revealed on Monday.  The former first-rounder made a big impact for the Tribe in his rookie season, batting .296/.372/.514 with 14 homers over 365 PA.  Naquin was slated for the majority of playing time in center field for Cleveland this season, with right-handed batters Brandon Guyer, Abraham Almonte and Austin Jackson all competing for a backup or even a platoon role spelling Naquin against left-handed pitching.
  • Scott Feldman’s history as a starter, reliever and swingman makes him a valuable asset for the Reds, who are in a very fluid situation with their young pitching staff, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes.  Feldman looks like he’ll at least begin the season in the rotation, though that could change once Homer Bailey returns from the DL or if the Reds want to take a longer look at one of their young arms.  Feldman is comfortable in his role, though he admits that still having to prove his value as a starting pitcher “definitely makes you play with a little bit of a chip on your shoulder.”
  • Former Phillies first-rounder Jesse Biddle is looking to revive his career with the Braves, though he tells Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he has no hard feelings towards his old club for trading him to the Pirates in February 2016.  Once a fixture of top-100 prospect lists, Biddle ran into some struggles as he reached the upper minors, and his career was halted entirely when he underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2015.  Atlanta claimed Biddle off waivers from Pittsburgh last March and the southpaw was finally back on the mound on Saturday, facing (ironically) the Phils in Spring Training action.
  • Looking ahead to the 2018-19 free agent class, Joel Sherman of the New York Post updates his list of the top 10 free agents slated to hit the open market during that potentially historically-good winter.  Manny Machado tops the list, followed by Bryce Harper, Clayton Kershaw (who has an opt-out in his Dodgers contract), Josh Donaldson and Zach Britton rounding out the top five.

Yankees Willing To Listen To Offers For Rob Refsnyder

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The Yankees are letting teams know that they’re open to hearing offers for Rob Refsnyder, George A. King III of the New York Post reports.  Once seen as a potential candidate to become the Yankees’ second baseman of the future, the acquisition of Starlin Castro last offseason recast Refsnyder as something of a utility man, and he now faces a crunch to make the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.

Refsnyder, who turns 26 later this month, was a fifth round pick for the Yankees in the 2012 draft, and he has a strong .293/.379/.429 slash line over 2080 career plate appearances in the minors.  Originally drafted as a right fielder, Refsnyder was shifted to second base with middling results.  The 2016 Baseball America Prospect Handbook (which ranked Refsnyder as the eighth-best prospect in New York’s system) said that he was “unlikely to be an average defender, but has worked enough to make playable at the position,” with some scouts using Daniel Murphy as a comparable.

In 2016, Refsnyder started to see action all over the diamond, playing second, third and right field in both the majors and minors while also getting action with the Yankees as a left fielder and first baseman.  Refsnyder actually ended up making 21 starts at first last season as the Yankees dealt with several injury problems at the position.  Over 222 career PA in the majors, Refsnyder has hit .262/.332/.354 with two home runs.

The Yankees have such veterans as Castro, Chase Headley and Brett Gardner blocking Refsnyder at three positions, while a more promising youngster is in Refsnyder’s way in right field (Aaron Judge).  As for first base, Greg Bird and Chris Carter will handle the position while Tyler Austin could be a factor in both right and at first once he returns from the DL.  Bench-wise, Aaron Hicks and Ronald Torreyes look like the favorites to claim the two remaining reserve spots on the 25-man.

With these options all in play, it maybe isn’t surprising that New York is at least exploring what it can obtain for Refsnyder on the trade market.  Refsnyder should carry some trade value given his promising bat, defensive versatility and controllable contract through the 2022 season.  Of course, being open to hearing offers for a player is technically different than outright shopping someone, so GM Brian Cashman could simply be gauging Refsnyder’s market rather than actively looking to move him.

This isn’t the first time Refsnyder has been involved in trade buzz — back in the summer of 2015, the Yankees refused a deal that would’ve sent Refsnyder and Adam Warren to the A’s for Ben Zobrist.  (That rejection shaped the postseason, as Zobrist was instead dealt to the Royals and played a big role in their World Series title.)  Ironically, the Yankees ended up trading Warren to the Cubs for Castro that winter, which blocked Refsnyder’s clearest path to a regular spot in the Bronx.

Andrew Friedman On The Dodgers’ Offseason

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Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman spoke with Casey Stern and Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link) today, and here are some of the hot stove-related highlights….

  • In re-signing Kenley Jansen, Rich Hill, Justin Turner and other key pieces, retaining the core was obviously a big priority for the Dodgers this winter.  “The growth from February 2016 to October was incredible.  The dynamic among the group was great, it was something we felt like was really good, in terms of the environment that’s conducive to winning….We were fortunate with the support from ownership to retain this group and kind of supplement around it,” Friedman said.
  • With Jansen, specifically, Friedman said that if the team hadn’t re-signed their longtime closer, they wouldn’t have extended a similarly large contract offer to other top closers on the market, such as Aroldis Chapman.  The Dodgers’ familiarity with Jansen’s makeup, work ethic and obviously his ability gave the team “that much more conviction to” make their five-year, $80MM deal with the stopper.  “There’s so much volatility among relief pitching in general, there are very few that are kind of bellwethers.  Kenley, for us, is a guy that’s a bellwether,” Friedman said.
  • Sergio Romo is already fitting right into the L.A. clubhouse, and his postseason track record was also part of the reason why the World Series-hopeful Dodgers added the veteran reliever.  “He has experience getting big outs in October games, which is not nothing,” Friedman said.  “There are some guys who just can’t handle that pressure, he has demonstrated that he can.”
  • “Everyone was lobbying each other” to re-sign Chase Utley, Friedman joked, as “even the groundskeeper was lobbying us to bring Chase back.”  Utley’s addition during the 2015 season was a major reason why the Dodgers developed such a good winning attitude last year, Friedman feels, as “I’ve never been around a guy who is more focused on winning.”  Utley re-signed with the Dodgers on a one-year, $2MM deal this offseason and will get only limited at-bats since Los Angeles is set around the infield, though clearly Friedman feels Utley’s influence to the Dodgers’ success extends well beyond the field.

NL West Notes: Solarte, Casilla, Seager, Nakaushiro

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Yangervis Solarte enjoyed a very good season for the Padres in 2016 despite dealing with unimaginable tragedy off the field.  Yuliette Solarte, Yangervis’ wife, was diagnosed with liver cancer in late 2015 and passed away last September at age 31.  As the infielder tells Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Solarte was prepared to skip last year’s Spring Training to spend time with his wife and their three daughters, but Yuliette urged him to focus on baseball in order to continue providing for their family’s future.  Yuliette saw her husband secure his first life-changing payday last spring in the form of a $3.15MM brand contract with Fantex, and Solarte gained even more financial security by signing a two-year extension with the Padres this past January.  Sanders’ touching piece is well worth a full read, chronicling the couple’s life together, Solarte’s journey to the big leagues and Yuliette’s battle after her heartbreaking diagnosis.

Here’s more from around the NL West…

  • Santiago Casilla is happy to be back in the Athletics organization after not being offered a contract by the Giants this last winter, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. A reunion between Casilla and the Giants never seemed likely given how Casilla became a virtual afterthought for the team after he was removed from the closer’s job in September, and the two sides didn’t do much in the way of offseason negotiating.
  • Corey Seager has missed the Dodgers’ last two games and will miss Monday’s game as well due to a minor back injury suffered while turning a double play on Friday.  Both Seager and manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times) that the injury isn’t considered serious, and the team isn’t even sending Seager in for tests.  Seager has seen little action on the field during Spring Training as he was previously sidelined with a shin injury, though it sounds like the Dodgers are simply playing it safe with their young star.
  • Lefty Yuhei Nakaushiro was one of the first cuts from the Diamondbacks’ spring camp but manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including MLB.com’s Chris Gabel) that the Japanese southpaw isn’t far off from his big league debut. “Instead of putting pressure on himself [in big league camp] and every third day getting a look, we felt like he could go down to player development.  The last thing we said to him is that he’s very close,” Lovullo said.  “We will see him at some point during the year. We know that. We feel very comfortable with that.”  The 27-year-old signed a minor league deal with Arizona last winter and posted very strong numbers in his first taste of North American baseball; Nakaushiro rose from rookie ball to Triple-A, posting a combined 1.23 ERA, 12.3 K/9 and 3.08 K/BB rate over 29 1/3 combined innings.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/5/17

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Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball…

  • The Braves signed right-hander David Hale to a minor league deal earlier this winter, and the righty made his spring debut for Atlanta yesterday (hat tip to reader Paul Tate for his e-mail about the under-the-radar move).  Hale was originally drafted his hometown Braves in 2009 and he posted a solid 3.30 ERA in 87 1/3 IP during his 2014 rookie season, pitching mostly out of the bullpen.  He struggled after a January 2015 trade to the Rockies, however, and Hale pitched in just two big league games in 2016 before being claimed off waivers by the Orioles and eventually outrighted off their 40-man roster in August.  Hale discussed his recent history and his return to the Braves earlier this week in a radio interview on Macon 93.1 FM’s Bill Shanks Show (audio link).

Heyman’s Latest: Royals, Cain, Russell, Bryant, Sanchez

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Here’s the latest from FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman…

  • The Royals don’t appear to be in extension talks with any of their pending free agents (Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas), Heyman reports, and with no progress, all four are expected to reach free agency after the season.  K.C. hasn’t given up on the idea of re-signing “one or two” of the quartet, with Hosmer seemingly their top priority.  If Hosmer can’t be re-signed, the Royals would then try to bring back “a couple of the others, at least in theory.”
  • Cain reportedly asked for a six-year deal at some point in talks, though there haven’t been any recent discussions between Cain and the Royals.  Cain will be the oldest of the four free agents (he turns 31 in April) and is coming off an injury-plagued season that saw him limited to 103 games due to hamstring and wrist problems.
  • Despite Cain’s rough 2016 season, some sources close to the center fielder “express surprise he’s even still” with the Royals.  Previous reports over the winter linked Cain to such clubs as the Rangers, Mets, Dodgers and Cardinals in trade rumors, and Heyman adds that the Rockies and Nationals also spoke to Kansas City about Cain’s services.  Washington, of course, went on to acquire a younger and more controllable outfield addition in Adam Eaton at a very significant prospect cost.  Colorado’s interest in Cain is rather unusual given that the Rockies were already overloaded with outfielders (Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, David Dahl and Gerardo Parra) even before signing Ian Desmond and converting him to first base.  Depending on when the talks between Colorado and K.C. took place, the Rockies could’ve considered acquiring Cain and then perhaps converting Gonzalez to first base, rather than signing Desmond.  Blackmon and Gonzalez were also the subject of several trade rumors this winter, so the Rockies could’ve been looking at Cain as a replacement if they’d moved one of their internal pieces.
  • The Cubs and Addison Russell agreed to a one-year, $644K deal for the 2017 season, Heyman reports in a separate piece.  (For specifics on the pre-arbitration process, check out these MLBTR posts from Zach Links in 2014 and Jeff Todd in 2015, respectively.)  The agreement gives Russell a nice bump above the $535K minimum salary, a year before he becomes eligible for salary arbitration.  Russell hit .238/.321/.417 with 21 homers over 598 PA for the World Series champs last season, a below-average offensive performance as per the wRC+ metric (95) that was more than made up for on defense — Russell posted 19 Defensive Runs Saved and a +14.3 UZR/150 over 1262 2/3 innings at shortstop last season.
  • The Cubs are still in talks with Kris Bryant, who is also entering his last pre-arbitration year.  It’s probably no surprise that negotiations with Bryant and his agent Scott Boras are taking a bit longer than usual given Bryant’s outstanding track record over his young career.  Heyman suggests Bryant could approach the record contract given to a pre-arb player (the $1MM between Mike Trout and the Angels prior to the 2014 season).
  • The Yankees agreed to a 2017 contract with catcher Gary Sanchez, Heyman tweets.  Financial terms aren’t known, though Heyman specifies that the two sides reached an agreement and that a renewal wasn’t necessary, which would indicate that Sanchez will also be earning beyond the minimum salary.  Sanchez exploded onto the scene in 2016, hitting .299/.376/.657 with 20 homers over just 229 plate appearances.

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