Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

NL East Notes: Francoeur, Ozuna, Schuerholz

By | at

Here’s the latest from around the NL East…

  • The Phillies are still interested in re-signing Jeff Francoeur but are also exploring the market for other part-time outfielders, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports.  Francoeur said in September that the two sides had a shared interest in continuing their relationship in 2016, and while assistant GM Scott Proefrock didn’t comment on this (due to league regulations about publicly discussing free agents), he did praise Francoeur’s contributions as a clubhouse mentor.
  • The bad blood between Marcell Ozuna and the Marlins won’t do anything to harm his trade value, Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan opines, as Ozuna’s high ceiling has already led to a lot of interest from other teams.  With the Fish looking to add a young starter in return, Sullivan looks at some trade candidates who could be a match for Ozuna talent-wise.  Danny Salazar or Taijuan Walker would be too much while James Paxton or Nathan Karns would be too little, so Sullivan settles on the Orioles’ Kevin Gausman as a good match.  It should be noted that Sullivan is just speculating about comparable talent levels, not saying that the Orioles should make that deal or that they’re even interested in Ozuna’s services.
  • Braves president John Schuerholz talks to I.J. Rosenberg of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about a number of topics including his long career in baseball, building the Braves’ championship nucleus in the 1990’s, the role of a club president and the team’s current rebuilding process.

This Date In Transactions History: November 26/Thanksgiving

By | at

This may be a bit of a cheat on the “this date” headline but it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve bent the rules at Thanksgiving — it’s anything goes when my family plays our post-dinner game of Rummoli.  (Nothing says Thanksgiving like bluffing your grandma out of a nickel.)  Here are some of the notable transactions that have occurred both on November 26th and also transactions that took place on past Thanksgiving Days…

2014: It was a year ago today that the Diamondbacks signed Cuban star Yasmany Tomas to a six-year, $68.5MM contract that contained a player opt-out clause after the fourth season.  Between defensive struggles and a .273/.305/.401 line with nine homers over 426 PA, Tomas posted a below-replacement -1.3 fWAR in 2015.  Arizona signed Tomas without having a clear idea of where he would play, and a year later, that’s still an open question — Tomas struggled badly at third and the corner outfield spots have now been filled by David Peralta and Ender Inciarte.  Tomas will get his share of at-bats against southpaws since both Peralta and Inciarte are left-handed hitters, but the D’Backs certainly expected more from their investment than a platoon bat.  It’s still too early to render a verdict, however, since Tomas just turned 25 and should now be more fully acclimated to American baseball.

2012: Three years ago today, the Rays made an even bigger commitment to the face of their franchise by agreeing to a contract extension with Evan Longoria.  The Rays guaranteed (and increased the value of) three club option years for 2014-16 they held on Longoria from his pre-existing contract, paid him a $1MM signing bonus, then guaranteed him $94MM covering the 2017-22 seasons.  Tampa also has a $13MM club option on Longoria for 2023 with a $5MM buyout, which made the total value of the extension worth $100MM in new money for Longoria.  It was a surprising deal at the time since Longoria was coming off an injury-shortened season and because the low-payroll Rays had never splurged on a nine-figure contract.  Longoria posted superstar numbers over his first six seasons but has slowed down over the last two years, hitting .261/.324/.419 with 44 homers over 1370 PA in 2014-15.  If Longoria is already slowing down as he enters his age-30 season, this contract could end up being a major albatross for the revenue-strapped Rays.

2005: One of the biggest blockbuster trades of the 21st century was finalized on Thanksgiving Day 2005 when the Marlins traded Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota to the Red Sox in exchange for Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez and right-handers Jesus Delgado and Harvey Garcia.  The Marlins were eager to move Beckett and Lowell for payroll reasons, and they ended up hitting it big on their haul of minor leaguers as Ramirez lived up his reputation as a blue chip prospect and Sanchez eventually developed into a big piece of the Marlins rotation.  Beckett had something of an up-and-down tenure in Boston that saw him generate 14 WAR from 2007-09 but also featured a couple of rough seasons and a role in the infamous “chicken and beer” controversy that clouded their 2011 September collapse.  Lowell was coming off a down year in 2005 but rebounded for four more good seasons with the Red Sox.  The trade became an instant win for the Red Sox in 2007 when they won the World Series, with Lowell being named Series MVP and Beckett winning the ALCS MVP Award in the previous postseason round.

2005: Only the Marlins would finalize two payroll-slashing mega-trades on the same Thanksgiving.  The Marlins’ swap of Carlos Delgado to the Mets for Yusmeiro Petit, Mike Jacobs and minor league infielder Grant Psomas was also made official ten years ago today.  (The Fish also sent along $7MM to help cover some of the $48MM remaining on Delgado’s contract.)  Delgado hit .267/.351/.506 with 104 homers as a Met in what ended up being the last four years of his Major League career.  The Marlins’ return wasn’t quite as impressive in this trade, though Jacobs had some solid power numbers in his three years in Florida.  Psomas never reached the bigs and Petit only had one season as a Marlin.  Petit never truly established himself until emerging as a dominant swingman option for the Giants in recent years.

1997: The Blue Jays signed Randy Myers to a three-year, $18MM free agent contract on this day 18 years ago, signing the former Nasty Boy away from their division rival in Baltimore in the wake of Myers’ excellent 1.51 ERA, 45-save season with the Orioles in 1997.  Myers wasn’t nearly as effective in Toronto, however, posting a 4.46 ERA and just a 6.5 K/9 over 56 2/3 innings as a Jay.  Fortunately for the Blue Jays, they were able to unload Myers to the Padres in a waiver deal in August 1998.  San Diego only put in the claim to block Myers from going to Atlanta and didn’t actually plan on landing the reliever (or his remaining salary).  Myers didn’t pitch again after 1998 due to injury, so the Padres ended up paying him over $13MM in 1999-2000 with no return on their investment.

Minor MLB Transactions: 11/26/15

By | at

Here are the latest minor league signings from around baseball, all reported by Baseball America’s Matt Eddy unless otherwise credited…

  • The Rockies signed right-hander Brian Schlitter, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets.  The 6’5″ righty saw significant action out of the Cubs bullpen in 2014 but threw only 7 1/3 innings last season while posting a 7.36 ERA.  Schlitter has posted some strong minor league numbers over his career and (of particular interest to Colorado) he has a 60.7% grounder rate over the last two years in Chicago.
  • The Cubs signed righty Drew Rucinski.  Rucinski has a 6.28 ERA over 14 1/3 career IP with the Angels, and was both designated for assignment and then outrighted by the Halos last September.  He has a career 3.88 ERA, 2.98 K/BB rate and 8.1 K/9 over 326 2/3 career minor league frames.
  • The Indians announced that catcher Adam Moore has been re-signed.  Moore has appeared in each of the last seven Major League seasons, though aside from a 60-game stint with the Mariners in 2010, he’s never appeared in more than nine games in any one campaign.  This included 2015, when he played one game for Cleveland.  The veteran catcher has posted a strong .291/.356/.465 career slash line over 2946 minor league PA.
  • The Athletics re-signed catcher Carson Blair.  Blair made his MLB debut in 2015, receiving 35 PA over 11 games with the A’s.  The catcher posted some solid numbers over eight minor league seasons but struggled in his first taste of Triple-A action this season.  Oakland outrighted Blair off its 40-man roster earlier this month.
  • The Dodgers re-signed right-hander Matt West.  Los Angeles originally purchased West from the Blue Jays in May.  He appeared in two games for the Dodgers and spent most of 2015 in the minors, posting a cumulative 3.54 ERA over 53 1/3 innings but was hit hard in a stint at Triple-A Oklahoma City.  West was a second-round pick for the Rangers in the 2007 draft.
  • The Pirates signed righty reliever Curtis Partch.  The 28-year-old owns a 95mph fastball but that heater has only recently translated to big strikeout totals on the minor league level, and he has a 4.74 ERA over 820 IP in the minors.  Partch posted a 4.75 ERA, 24 walks and 22 strikeouts over 30 1/3 relief innings with the Reds in 2013-14.
  • The Padres signed right-handers Johnny Hellweg and Daniel McCutchen.  Once a notable prospect in Milwaukee’s system, Hellweg underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014 and struggled in 61 minor league innings last year after returning from injury rehab.  McCutchen has appeared in one Major League game since 2012 and bounced around with a few teams before catching on with San Diego’s Triple-A affiliate last year.
  • The Cardinals signed right-hander Deck McGuire, best known for being picked 11th overall by the Blue Jays in the 2010 draft.  McGuire has a 4.57 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 2.26 K/BB over 713 1/3 career minor league IP.
  • The Royals re-signed veteran righty Roman Colon and catcher J.C. Boscan.  Colon recorded 187 1/3 MLB innings from 2004-12 but hasn’t pitched in an affiliated minor league since 2013.  Boscan will be returning for his 20th season of pro ball after spending last season with Triple-A Omaha.  He’s received a few Major League cups of coffee over his long career, appearing in 17 games with the Braves and Cubs from 2010-13.
  • The Braves signed corner infielder Brandon Snyder.  Snyder, picked 13th overall by the Orioles in the 2005 draft, appeared in 83 career MLB games with Baltimore, Texas and Boston from 2010-13.  The 29-year-old spent much of last season at the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate.

Royals Release Wandy Rodriguez

By | at

The Royals released left-hander Wandy Rodriguez earlier this week, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.  Rodriguez signed a minor league deal with Kansas City in August and made five relief appearances for Triple-A Omaha but was never called up to the big league roster.

Rodriguez, who turns 37 in January, posted a 4.90 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 2.00 K/BB rate over 86 1/3 innings with Texas last season before being released in early August.  The veteran had a 3.20 ERA in his first 11 starts with the Rangers and was even building some trade deadline buzz before getting hit hard over his next six outings.

Once a stalwart of the Astros rotation, Rodriguez posted a 4.04 ERA over eight seasons and 1306 2/3 innings in Houston before being dealt to the Pirates in July 2012.  Given his track record, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Rodriguez signed to a minor league deal by a team looking for veteran rotation depth prior to Spring Training.

Dodgers Name Dave Roberts Manager

By | at

NOV. 23: The Dodgers have formally announced the hiring. In the press release announcing the move, Friedman issued the following statement:

“We could not have been more impressed with [Roberts] through this process. His energy is infectious and he has the rare ability to make a genuine connection with every person he comes across. He has developed strong leadership qualities and accumulated a breadth of baseball experience over his career as both a player and coach. He is a “baseball man” and “people person” in the truest sense of those words. We feel fully confident that he will effectively lead our team in pursuit of its ultimate goal — bringing a world championship back to the city of Los Angeles.”

NOV. 22: 11:12pm: The official introductory press conference will be held after the Thanksgiving weekend, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports.  Roberts will sign a three-year deal, Nightengale reports, and Hernandez adds that the contract also contains a club option on a fourth season.  (Both links to Twitter.)

7:28pm: The Dodgers are expected to hire Dave Roberts as the team’s next manager on Monday, sources tell Dylan Hernandez, Bill Plaschke and Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.  Talks are in the “final stages” according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports the last contractual details are expected to be completed by tonight.

Roberts, 43, has spent the last five seasons on the Padres coaching staff, first acting as a first base coach from 2011-13 and then as the bench coach for the last two years.  He wasn’t a candidate for the Padres’ managerial vacancy, though he did interview to be the Mariners’ next manager before Scott Servais was hired.  This will be Roberts’ first managerial job at any level of pro baseball, aside from one game last summer as a fill-in for the Padres after Bud Black was fired.

It’s not, however, Roberts’ first time wearing Dodger blue.  The Dodgers (2002-04) were one of five clubs Roberts played for during his 10-year Major League career, as he amassed a .266/.342/.366 line over 3092 with the Indians, Dodgers, Red Sox, Padres and Giants from 1999-2008.  Roberts is probably best known for his brief tenure in Boston, as his steal of second in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS is hailed as the key turn-around moment in that incredible Red Sox comeback (and their eventual march to a curse-breaking World Series title).

Roberts may have also somewhat come from behind in getting the Dodgers job, as director of player development Gabe Kapler was heralded as the early favorite.  Team ownership, however, insisted on a thorough search that expanded to include experienced former managers such as Bud Black, Kirk Gibson and Bob Geren, Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez, University Of Nebraska head coach Darin Erstad and Dodgers coaches Tim Wallach and Ron Roenicke.  According to the latest reports, the search had been narrowed to Roberts and Kapler.

Roberts will jump right into the deep end as a rookie manager, as he will be tasked with leading a star-studded roster with a $200MM+ payroll to its first World Series appearance since 1988.  The Dodgers won three straight NL West titles under Don Mattingly’s leadership, though the team only won one playoff round in those three seasons.  Mattingly and the Dodgers, of course, mutually parted ways after the team was eliminated by the Mets in this year’s NLDS and Mattingly went on to take over the Marlins’ managerial job.

Roberts is Andrew Friedman’s first managerial hire since taking over as the Dodgers president of baseball operations, and thus it could be argued that Friedman now has all of his ideal personnel in place in both the front office and the dugout.  It’s also just the second managerial hire that Friedman has made in a decade as a top executive; as he did in hiring Joe Maddon to manage the Rays in 2006, Friedman has again picked a well-regarded bench coach to become a first-time big league manager.

Quick Hits: Dombrowski, Fernandez, Harvey, Britton

By | at

Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski discussed his team’s pitching search in an interview with Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link here).  Dombrowski said that “any of” the top starters on both the trade and free agent markets “are under consideration for us” as the Sox are casting a wide net in looking for an ace.  “The [free agent] market is probably, as flush as it is…an area that we would pursue more, but I think that you’d feel comfortable that any names out there, you could say we have interest in them and hopefully somebody will have interest in us,” Dombrowski said.  When asked about Red Sox ownership’s recent reluctance to give long-term deals to pitchers, Dombrowski discussed the importance and necessity of keeping upper management informed about any major signing.  “I don’t think anyone really cherishes giving that long term of a contract to any pitcher in particular but it’s a situation [where]…if you’re going to participate, you’re most likely going to have to do that,” Dombrowski said.

Here’s some more from around baseball as we head into a new week…

  • “The lines of communication” between Jose Fernandez and the Marlins front office “have been good” as of late, sources tell ESPN’s Buster Olney (Insider subscription required).  This could be why neither side seems to be looking for a trade, despite some reports of personality issues between Fernandez and some teammates.  As Olney notes, there has never been any doubt of Fernandez’s passion for baseball, and some of the behavioral drama could stem from a franchise-wide lack of discipline caused by the Marlins’ unsettled managerial situation.  With a veteran skipper like Don Mattingly on board, things should theoretically be more stable within Miami’s clubhouse.
  • If the Marlins did want to deal Fernandez, Olney notes, it might better suit them to wait until next winter when the pitching market is less crowded.  The Mets could also be planning this same strategy for exploring Matt Harvey trades in the 2016-17 offseason.
  • Unless the Orioles get a huge offer, it probably makes more sense for the club to keep Zach Britton rather than shop him in trades, CSNMidAtlantic.com’s Rich Dubroff opines.  Dealing Britton would fetch some sorely-needed prospects for Baltimore, and also open some payroll space given Britton’s escalating price tag as he enters his arbitration years.  On the other hand, dealing the star closer would leave a big hole on a would-be contender, especially one that is already likely to lose a big bullpen arm in Darren O’Day.
  • Several young players have been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason, and MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince gives an overview of the some of the talents who could be trade chips rather than cornerstones for their respective clubs.
  • On the flip side, MLB.com’s Dan O’Dowd identifies Lorenzo Cain, Gerrit Cole, Jacob deGrom, A.J. Pollock and Marcus Stroman as players who have become big pieces of their clubs’ present and future, and all could be targeted for extensions this winter.  MLBTR’s Jeff Todd examined Cole as an extension candidate last March, before Cole boosted his value with a superb season.

Dodgers Notes: Roberts, Estevez, Int’l Spending

By | at

It’s been a busy days for Dodgers news, with no item bigger than the report that the club is on the verge of hiring Dave Roberts as its next manager.  Here’s the latest from Los Angeles…

  • Roberts was the right choice over director of player development Gabe Kapler, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal opines.  Kapler might’ve had to combat “that players would perceive him as a puppet of the front office due to his close relationship with Andrew Friedman,” while Roberts comes from more of a traditional coaching background and has more dugout experience.  Kapler may end up being a very good manager in the future, Rosenthal writes, but Roberts was the better option if the Dodgers were going to pick a first-time skipper.
  • When the Dodgers reached the final stage of their manager search, several Dodger veterans informed upper management that Roberts was their choice, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter link).
  • Cuban second baseman Omar Estevez agreed to a $6MM bonus with the Dodgers earlier today, and Baseball America’s Ben Badler passes on a scouting report on the relatively unknown 17-year-old.  Estevez is 5’11, 185 pounds and a right-handed hitter who seems to be lacking in both plus tools and athleticism, according to both Badler and a scout.  What Estevez does have, however, is maturity beyond his years at the plate.  “Estevez was kind of under the radar tools-wise, but he can hit,” said the scout.  “It’s playable defense and he’s not the most agile guy to be in the middle of the diamond, but he has a polished bat. It’s not an athletic body, it’s not what you get excited about, but the way he recognizes pitches, his approach—you don’t see a lot of kids his age doing that.”
  • Estevez and Yusniel Diaz are just the latest players to sign with Los Angeles during this international signing period, as the Dodgers have far exceeded their bonus pool to stock up on young talent.  Badler (via Twitter) says that this spending spree is one reason why several other teams have shied away from similarly exceeding their bonus pools during the 2015-16 signing period, as they’re simply worried about getting into bidding wars with the well-heeled Dodgers.  Exceeding your bonus pool by more than 15% results in a penalty of not being able to sign international players for more than $300K during the next two signing periods, so it makes sense that teams won’t splurge unless they’re sure they can land the particular player or players they want.  The Giants, Cubs and Royals are the only other teams to incur the two-year penalty during this signing period, while the Blue Jays only face a one-year ban for 2016-17 as they stayed under the 15% threshold.

AL Central Notes: Thornton, Rondon, Tribe, Tigers

By | at

Here’s the latest from around the AL Central…

  • The Twins don’t have interest in free agent southpaw Matt Thornton, 1500 ESPN Twin Cities’ Darren Wolfson reports (Twitter link), though in a subtweet, Wolfson said “seven or so” other teams are interested.  Wolfson speculated that Thornton could be a fit in Minnesota due to the team’s familiarity with him as an AL Central rival in Chicago for so many years.  The Twins are also in need of bullpen help and the 39-year-old Thornton has posted a 1.98 ERA over 77 1/3 innings in 2014-15 (though advanced metrics aren’t as bullish about his performance).
  • In today’s mailbag, a reader asked Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer about the Indians’ decision not to protect Hector Rondon in the Rule 5 draft after the 2012 season.  Thanks to injury troubles, Rondon didn’t pitch much in the three years leading up to that Rule 5 draft.  Beyond that, Rondon was asked to pitch in relief in after returning from elbow surgery and the Tribe’s bullpen was already stacked.  Of course, Rondon would go on to break through with the Cubs and become their closer.
  • Also from Hoynes’ mailbag, he discussed a bit of trade speculation and said he personally doesn’t think the Indians will end up dealing Carlos Carrasco.
  • Tigers GM Al Avila said the team extended a contract offer to Rajai Davis before deciding to trade for Cameron Maybin instead, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press writes.  “At the end of the day, we felt [Maybin] was the best option for us,” Avila said.  With Maybin now in the fold, Davis will almost certainly be with another team in 2016.
  • Tigers executive vice president and GM Al Avila has followed through on his promise to beef up the club’s scouting and analytics staffs, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News writes.  The Tigers announced several new additions to both departments and their international scouting staff earlier this week, all of which are listed in McCosky’s piece.

MLBTR’s Zach Links also contributed to this post

Minor MLB Transactions: 11/22/15

By | at

Here are the latest minor transactions from around the game…

  • The Dodgers have signed infielder Charlie Culberson to a minor league deal that contains an invitation to their big league Spring Training camp, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reports (Twitter link).  Culberson, drafted 51st overall by the Giants in 2007, last appeared in the majors in 2014 as a member of the Rockies.  He’s slashed .221/.265/.314 over 360 career Major League plate appearances from 2012-14 and .269/.315/.404 over 3151 minor league PA.

Quick Hits: Fernandez, Marlins, Rizzo, Orioles

By | at

The Astros haven’t been linked to David Price in free agent rumors, but that hasn’t stopped Dallas Keuchel from acting as a recruiter.  “The baseball fan in me definitely would like to see [a rotation] upgrade but that’s not in my control.  I know I’ve made pitches to David Price — it’s just the baseball fan in me at the end of the day,” Keuchel tells Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle.  “I just play. … I think (the bosses) know that we’re in a good position.”  While Price may be a bit too expensive for the Astros, the team has certainly been connected to several other free agent arms as Houston looks to back up Keuchel with another first-rate starter.  Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • Two Marlins sources say that Jose Fernandez’s attitude is becoming a problem, with teammates annoyed that Fernandez “has become more entitled and cocky” due to perceived favoritism from owner Jeffrey Loria.  Despite this issue, the team isn’t planning on trading Fernandez, though the Marlins know they’ll have a hard time retaining him once he hits free agency after the 2018 season.
  • Also from Jackson, he reports that the Marlins have reached out to John Lackey, Scott Kazmir and Tim Lincecum, among other available starting pitchers.  This is the first time we’ve heard of Miami’s interest in Lackey, though the veteran right-hander has been getting plenty of attention from several other clubs.
  • If the Marlins change course on Fernandez and decide that a trade is necessary, the Dodgers, Red Sox, Royals, Twins and Astros could all be particularly good fits to acquire the star righty, ESPN’s David Schoenfield writes.
  • Earlier this week, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told reporters (including the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes) that he’ll be looking to add a left-handed hitter to help balance out the Nats’ lineup.  Starting pitching isn’t necessarily a big need, as Tanner Roark and Joe Ross look set to fill out the rotation behind Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez, so while starting pitching isn’t necessarily a big need, Rizzo didn’t quite close the door on the subject.  “I’m happy sliding Tanner and Joe in the rotation.  With that said, you can never have enough good starting pitching,” Rizzo said.
  • The Orioles haven’t swung any blockbuster trades under Dan Duquette’s watch, and CSNMidAtlantic.com’s Rich Dubroff doesn’t expect that to change this winter.  Part of the issue this offseason is that the O’s don’t have much to offer in the way of prospects; Dubroff lists some of the notable minor league arms the Orioles have dealt in recent years, particularly three young starters traded within the last year just to address their right field hole (in the form of Travis Snider and then Gerardo Parra).  As I noted in my Orioles Offseason Outlook piece, Baltimore has so many departing free agents that Duquette will need to be more aggressive than usual with trades or signings in order to keep the team competitive.
  • The Yankees “fixate on high strikeout rates, low walk rates and high groundball percentages” for their starting pitchers, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman writes.  With this model in mind, Sherman looks at ten pitchers that could be targeted by the Yankees in trade talks, though some will be harder to acquire than others since New York isn’t intending to deal top prospects like Aaron Judge.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top