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Offseason Outlook: Tampa Bay Rays

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The Rays already have an excellent defense and (now that almost everyone is healthy) a deep rotation, so their main offseason goal will be to add enough bats to get back into the AL East hunt.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Evan Longoria, 3B: $111.5MM through 2022 ($13MM club option for 2023)
  • Chris Archer, SP: $23MM through 2019 (plus club options for 2020-21)
  • James Loney, 1B: $8MM through 2016
  • Matt Moore, SP: $7.5MM through 2016 (plus club options for 2017-19)

Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections by MLB Trade Rumors)

Contract Options

  • None

Free Agents

Even following a 2014-15 offseason that saw them deal several veterans, the Rays were still a tough out last season, finishing with an 80-82 record.  President of baseball operations Matthew Silverman is already on record as stating that after a busy year of both roster and front office shuffling, this winter “could be more of “a ’normal’ offseason during which we can focus all our efforts on advancing the organization.”  For the Rays, of course, “normal” doesn’t include any expensive free agent signings.  Owner Stuart Sternberg said it’s “not overly likely” that the club’s 2016 payroll will remain at the modest $75-$76MM range of the last two seasons, though this doesn’t necessarily mean Sternberg will order a particularly drastic cut.

Since roughly $29.78MM is already committed for four players next year, Silverman will have to be creative with his offseason maneuvers.  This will include figuring out the Rays’ 11 arbitration-eligible players, one of the league’s biggest arb classes.  MLBTR’s Matt Swartz figures the Rays will owe roughly $28.9MM in arbitration salaries if they tender everyone, which would bring their total to $58.68MM for 15 players.

Solid 2015 contributors like Logan Forsythe, Drew Smyly, Erasmo Ramirez and Brandon Guyer will obviously be tendered contracts, as will Alex Cobb though he won’t be back from Tommy John surgery until late next season.  One potential avenue for reducing the 2016 payroll would be to explore signing some of these players (Forsythe, Smyly, Ramirez or even Cobb on a somewhat unique deal given his health situation) to extensions.  The Rays are no strangers to locking up young players early in their careers, and this strategy is likely to continue under Silverman as it did under Friedman.

The decision to tender Rene Rivera or J.P. Arencibia could determine the backup catcher’s job if the Rays are comfortable with Curt Casali getting most of the action.  Rivera’s defense likely gives him the edge over Arencibia’s power, given the value that Tampa Bay places on pitch-framing.  Of course, it’s also possible that the Rays could look to solidify things behind the plate by acquiring a new everyday catcher and using Casali as the backup.

Desmond Jennings and Jake McGee present a couple of interesting cases for the Rays.  Jennings missed almost all of 2015 with knee injuries, so if the team isn’t sure if he’ll be a viable everyday answer on the Tropicana Field turf, the Rays could explore a trade.  Left field could then be filled by a platoon of Guyer and a left-handed bat (perhaps a re-signed Grady Sizemore), or potentially another offseason acquisition.

McGee had some injuries as well last season but pitched brilliantly (2.41 ERA, 11.6 K/9, 6.00 K/BB rate over 37 1/3 IP) when healthy.  With Brad Boxberger also coming off a strong season as closer, however, the Rays may feel McGee’s projected $4.7MM arbitration price tag is too costly.  The Rays have enough of a history of successful reliever reclamation projects that they could choose to rebuild another arm rather than pay McGee.  On the flip side, Silverman could look to gain cost-certainty over McGee by signing him to an extension and then team him with Boxberger to pursue a Royals-esque strategy of winning with defense and a lockdown bullpen.

That defense was aided by the emergence of Forsythe and Kevin Kiermaier as everyday players at second and center field, respectively.  Forsythe broke out in his second year as a Ray, hitting .281/.359/.444 with 17 homers over 615 PA and also providing above-average glovework.  Kiermaier had roughly a league-average year at the plate but still generated a whopping 5.5 fWAR thanks to his elite center field glove — his 40.7 UZR/150 and 42 Defensive Runs Saved were by far the highest of any player in baseball.

These two and Evan Longoria will be the locks in next year’s Rays lineup.  Elsewhere around the diamond, Steven Souza will have the inside track on the right field job again, while James Loney is likely to remain at first base since Tampa Bay probably won’t find much trade interest in his $8MM salary and declining production.  Richie Shaffer will likely get some at-bats spelling Loney against left-handed opponents, and Shaffer could also see some platoon action at DH.

Free agent John Jaso wouldn’t require too big of a contract to return as a part-time DH, though even something like a two-year/$14MM deal (or even a one-year/$6MM) could be too rich for the Rays’ taste.  Since Jaso can only hit righties and can’t play the field, the Rays are probably more apt to pursue a player with greater versatility.  A left-handed hitting veteran who can play part-time at both DH or either corner outfield spot would be ideal; essentially the Rays could use an upgraded version of David DeJesus, who filled a DH/LF role before being dealt to the Angels last summer.

Shortstop has been filled by veterans Yunel Escobar and Asdrubal Cabrera over the past two seasons, and Tampa Bay will have another vacancy at the position since Cabrera will look for a deal that’s beyond the Rays’ price range.  The pickings are somewhat slim on the 2015-16 free agent shortstop market, though in my opinion, Alexei Ramirez stands out as a potential target that would fit the Rays’ M.O. of signing veterans looking to rebuild their value on a one-year deal.  Ramirez may not be available on the open market, however, if the White Sox exercise their $10MM club option on his services on the heels of a nice second half.

The Rays probably aren’t looking for a shortstop on a multi-year commitment given that two of their top prospects (Daniel Robertson and Willy Adames) are both shortstops, and Robertson could potentially hit the majors by mid-to-late 2016.  A platoon of Tim Beckham and Nick Franklin could fill the void at short until Robertson is ready, and it’s not inconceivable that either of those formerly highly-touted prospects could themselves break out.

Matt Moore had an overall shaky season in his return from Tommy John surgery, though the southpaw looked better over his last four starts of the year.  If Moore and Smyly (who missed time with a minor tear in his labrum) are both healthy and productive, the Rays rotation could be one of the best in the game with those two left-handers, Jake Odorizzi and ace Chris Archer leading the way.  As Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times recently observed, the Rays will also have a load of fifth starter depth in the form of Ramirez, Matt Andriese, Alex Colome, Nate Karns, Cobb when he’s healthy and top prospect Blake Snell knocking on the door.

This type of pitching depth can be helpful to the Rays in two ways.  Firstly, they could simply keep it and guard themselves against the kind of major injuries that befell Moore, Cobb or Smyly over the last two years.  Along those same lines, the Rays could use an extra starter in a relief role to bolster the bullpen.  Andriese and Colome were mostly used out of the pen in 2015, and it’s possible Cobb could return as a reliever in order to slowly ease him back after his surgery.

On the other hand, a starter could also be used as a trade chip.  In less than a year running Tampa Bay’s front office, Silverman has already shown himself to be a very aggressive dealer in his efforts to restock the farm system, so if he makes a similar trade market splash when focused on the Major League roster, there’s no shortage of options.  We can safely assume that Archer is staying put, though could pre-arb arms like Odorizzi or Ramirez be moved for a big return?  Ramirez quietly posted a 2.95 ERA over his last 128 innings (22 starts) of 2015 and while that’s certainly promising, the Rays could also explore selling high.

Smyly or Moore could also be attractive commodities in potential deals if other teams are satisfied that both are healthy.  Each left-hander is controllable — Smyly is in his second of four arbitration years and Moore is on an option-heavy contract that could run through 2019.  Lower-level starters like Colome or Andriese could also be shopped for smaller parts.

The Rays hung in the Wild Card race until mid-August, and that was even after Kevin Jepsen was traded to Minnesota, a deal that reportedly cast a disappointed pall over the Tampa Bay clubhouse.  As Silverman indicated, the front office’s attention will now be more firmly directed on the season at hand rather than just at the future.  Don’t be surprised if the Rays are again involved in a plethora of deals and are getting a lot of playoff contender buzz come Spring Training.

Offseason Outlook: Boston Red Sox

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An initially disastrous season for the Red Sox provided some hope for the future as several young players stepped up during a late-season surge.  The new Dave Dombrowski/Mike Hazen-led front office will now have to add the final pieces around these emerging young stars to get the Sox back into contention in 2016.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Dustin Pedroia, 2B: $84MM through 2021
  • Rick Porcello, SP: $82MM through 2019
  • Pablo Sandoval, 3B: $75MM through 2019 ($17MM club option for 2020)
  • Hanley Ramirez, 1B/LF/DH: $66MM through 2018 ($22MM vesting option for 2019)
  • Rusney Castillo, OF: $56.5MM through 2020 (Castillo can opt out after 2019 season)
  • Allen Craig, 1B/OF: $21MM through 2017 ($13MM club option for 2018)
  • David Ortiz, DH: $16MM through 2016 (club/vesting option for 2017 worth at least $10MM)
  • Wade Miley, SP: $15.25MM through 2017 ($12MM club option for 2018 that could increase in value to $14MM)
  • Koji Uehara, RP: $9MM through 2016
  • Ryan Hanigan, C: $4.5MM through 2016 ($3.75MM club option for 2017)

Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections by MLB Trade Rumors)

Contract Options

Free Agents

In 2014, rotation struggles and underachieving rookies were major reasons the Red Sox finished last in the AL East.  In 2015, rotation struggles and underachieving veterans were major reasons the Red Sox finished last in the AL East.  Boston has now suffered through three last-place finishes in four seasons (though the year outside the cellar resulted in the 2013 World Series title), and it seems like the first order of business is to upgrade the starting pitching.

Per the MLBTR Transaction Tracker, Dombrowski’s history indicates that he is more likely to acquire a big-name starter via trade rather than via free agency.  Though the 2015-16 free agent pitching market is deep with top-tier starters and includes one name (David Price) that Dombrowski has already gone out of his way to acquire before, it remains to be seen if Red Sox ownership has changed its stance about not giving expensive long-term contracts to pitchers in their 30s.  It was just a year ago, remember, that this stance ultimately led to Jon Lester leaving town.

If the Sox aren’t willing to go beyond five or maybe even four years for an ace, it’s not going to help them land the likes of Price, Jordan Zimmermann or Johnny Cueto, all of whom could realistically find six-year deals on the open market.  Zack Greinke might be amenable to a five-year deal since he’s about to turn 32, though would Boston then spend over $125MM for a pitcher’s age 32-36 seasons, even an elite pitcher like Greinke?

In the September 23rd edition of the MLBTR Newsletter, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes made the case that one of Carlos Carrasco, Sonny Gray, Matt Harvey, Chris Sale or Stephen Strasburg could be dealt this offseason, even though there’s no current evidence that any are being shopped.  (Gray’s availability, in particular, has been emphatically denied.)  Carrasco stands out as an intriguing option since Boston discussed him in trade talks last summer, though Cleveland was said to be just gauging Carrasco’s value rather than actually trying to deal him.  If the Indians have a (sure to be high) price in mind for what it would take to obtain Carrasco, they could explore deals this winter.  One would certainly expect Boston to at least check in on Carrasco and any of the aforementioned starters should they be made available, plus any other front-of-the-rotation pitchers whose teams could be open to trades.

Dombrowski and Hazen have lots of options if they want to trade for an ace given the number of quality prospects within the Red Sox system.  Boston’s top six prospects are all ranked in MLB.com’s current listing of the top 100 minor leaguers in baseball, not to mention several other recent first-rounders that didn’t make the top-100 cut.  It’s also possible the Red Sox could deal one of their current starters in a trade for a top-of-the-rotation arm, since the Sox are in the somewhat curious position of both lacking in top-tier starters while also having a bit of a rotation logjam.

The Sox rotation was unquestionably one of the game’s poorest in the first few months of the 2015 season, yet for the year as a whole, Red Sox starters finished a respectable 13th in starter fWAR (11.9) among all 30 teams.  The rotation had a 4.75 ERA in the first half and a 3.99 ERA in the second half, though the peripheral numbers were mostly the same on both sides of the All-Star break.  It’s no surprise that the starters’ numbers began to look a lot better once Boston upgraded its defense, so it’s possible the Sox already have something close to a playoff-contender rotation already, especially if Clay Buchholz is healthy.  (His $13MM club option is seen as a virtual lock to be exercised.)

The 2016 rotation shapes up as Buchholz, impressive rookie Eduardo Rodriguez and Rick Porcello, whose $82MM extension kicks in next season.  Porcello is one of the arms who performed better in the second half, though it’s highly unlikely other teams will explore trades for him given his rough first half and that big pay bump.  That leaves Wade Miley, Joe Kelly and Henry Owens competing for two spots, and quite possibly just one spot should Boston indeed acquire an ace.  The highly-touted Owens would be a big trade chip, and while Kelly and Miley both had their share of struggles in 2015, Kelly is just entering his arbitration years while Miley is owed a not-exorbitant $15.25MM through 2017.  Pairing Kelly or Miley with a couple of blue chip prospects would certainly be enough to get the ball rolling on trade talks.  Rich Hill surprisingly exploded back onto the scene in MLB with four impressive late-season starts, so Boston could explore re-signing the veteran to add some more depth.

It’s also possible the Red Sox could use some of their surplus arms in the bullpen, with Kelly in particular having been mentioned by some pundits as perhaps better suited to relief work.  Sox relievers ranked 26th in ERA (4.25), 29th in xFIP (4.36) and dead last in both FIP (4.64) and fWAR (-1.5) last season, indicating some vast room for improvement.  Koji Uehara will return as closer after putting up more strong numbers in his age-40 season, though it remains to be seen if he’ll still be as effective after suffering a fractured wrist last August.

Lefties Robbie Ross and Tommy Layne and righties Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara are all slated to return, while veteran southpaw Craig Breslow could be let go in free agency.  Aside from Uehara’s injury-shortened season, though, there were no dominant campaigns in the Sox bullpen. Sub-par bullpens plagued Dombrowski’s tenure in Detroit, and now he’ll have to upgrade another flawed relief corps in his new job.

Around the diamond, the Red Sox are more or less set at every position thanks to a wealth of young players who emerged last season.  Beyond stalwarts David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia, shortstop Xander Bogaerts and center fielder Mookie Betts stepped up as very productive everyday Major Leaguers and could be future superstars.  Injuries opened the door for Blake Swihart to make his big league debut a bit earlier than expected and the catcher fared respectably well in his rookie season.  Jackie Bradley enjoyed an absolutely torrid month (1.361 OPS in 102 PA from August 6 to September 7) after regaining an everyday outfield job, so if he can find a middle ground between that unsustainable production and his below-replacement numbers in 2014, he can easily keep a starting job thanks to his outstanding glove.  Rusney Castillo is still a work in progress at the plate, though the Cuban outfielder also possesses a tremendous glove and should at least see part-time duty, possibly in a platoon with Brock Holt.

While these young players all contributed, however, it was most of Boston’s veteran core that let the club down last season.  Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli were both traded, while Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez remain the two biggest scapegoats for the 2015 season.  Sandoval has rebounded from poor seasons before (he had a 1.2 fWAR season in 2010 sandwiched in between 5.2 fWAR and 5.3 fWAR, respectively) though that was five years ago and his 2010 campaign wasn’t nearly as rough as his sub-replacement performance in 2015.

Sandoval, at least, has a set position at third base.  Ramirez doesn’t even have that luxury, as the Sox removed him from the left field job after one of the worst defensive seasons in recent memory.  With Ortiz locked in at DH, Ramirez has been working out at first base in an effort to find a spot to play, though it’s an open question whether he’ll be able to handle the position (and if Ramirez plays first, that blocks 25-year-old Travis Shaw, who delivered a strong rookie season).  There is hope that Sandoval and Ramirez could rebound with better fitness, though there have also been whispers that Boston coaches aren’t pleased with Ramirez’s overall effort level.

Could Sandoval or Ramirez be traded this offseason?  I’m sure Dombrowski and Hazen will put feelers out, though both players’ stock could hardly be lower.  Ramirez’s defense will further limit his market, since it’s hard to imagine an NL club would be comfortable putting him anywhere in the field without the DH spot as a fallback.  Unless there’s something to these rumors of enmity between Ramirez and the coaching staff, it’s probably unlikely that Boston would outright release Ramirez or make a salary-eating trade to get him off the roster just yet.  The Sox could try him at first base in 2016 and if that still doesn’t work, slide him into the DH role in 2017 if Ortiz retires.

Holt is almost a one-man bench by himself, giving the Sox lots of flexibility as they look for backups.  They’ll probably be in the market for at least one bench player to go with Holt, Shaw, Deven Marrero as a utility infielder and the backup catcher.  Christian Vazquez should be recovered from Tommy John surgery and veteran Ryan Hanigan is still under contract, so there could be a Spring Training battle to see who will be Swihart’s understudy, or a trade could be in the works.  Vazquez himself was a highly-touted prospect before his injury, particularly on defense; if he proves himself as healthy in the spring, he would draw attention from several teams looking for a long-term answer behind the plate.

One of the club’s biggest questions for 2016 was answered when the Red Sox announced that John Farrell would indeed return as manager.  Interim skipper Torey Lovullo signed a two-year contract to return to his bench coach role (and forgo any manager offers from other teams this winter), so the Sox have a trusted option in place should Farrell have a setback in his recovery from lymphoma.  Another update about Farrell’s health will come later this month, and hopefully Farrell will have a clear path to a return on Opening Day.

Dombrowski faces an interesting challenge in taking over a Red Sox team that clearly has a lot of talent on the Major and minor league levels, yet has greatly underachieved over the last two seasons.  Hiring Hazen is an acknowledgement of that player development and (partial) player acquisition success, though getting sustained results on the field has been a challenge in the post-Theo Epstein era.  Dombrowski’s history as a front office executive has been filled with creative transactions that worked swimmingly well for his teams, and since he’s armed with both a loaded farm system and a luxury tax-level payroll to play with, the first Red Sox offseason under the new regime could be a busy one.

Dan Haren To Retire

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OCTOBER 6: Haren has confirmed that he will, in fact, hang up his spikes, as ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers reports.

It is likely that the righty has already thrown his last pitch, though he said he would remain prepared in the event that the Cubs need him for the post-season. As Rogers notes, that seems unlikely barring an injury situation.

“If I don’t pitch in the postseason, that’s it,” Haren stated. “It’s been fun. Hopefully there’s a lot more games to go. … If my name is called, I’ll be ready.”

Even if he doesn’t get a playoff call, the veteran ended his career on a good note. Though he scuffled early upon his move to Chicago, Haren allowed just eight earned runs in 32 2/3 over his final six starts. All said, he tallied 187 1/3 innings of 3.60 ERA pitching on the year, making for a productive final campaign.

AUGUST 2: Newly-acquired Cubs righty Dan Haren is leaning towards ending his career once this season is over, Haren told reporters including MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat.  Upon being dealt to Chicago, Haren tweeted that he would wearing jersey #50 as a Cub, which was his number when he first broke into the big leagues “and it’ll probably be my last.”

Expanding on that tweet, Haren left himself a bit of wiggle room but “I would say right now the chances are this will probably be it.  I don’t want to say this is it and pull a Brett Favre. That’s why I said ’probably’ [on Twitter]. At least I leave myself a little way out.  Chances are this is it.  After the season, I’ll relax and see where I’m at. I definitely want to make a push to get to where this team wants to go.”

The decision isn’t a surprise, given that Haren considered retiring last offseason after being traded from the Dodgers to the Marlins.  Haren has spoke openly about the difficulty of being away from his wife and children and his home in southern California, so it may be that an offer from a team in that region may be the only thing that changes Haren’s mind about retirement.

If this is indeed it for Haren, he’ll go out with an impressive 13-year stint in the majors that saw him make three All-Star teams and earn just under $81.5MM.  Haren, who turns 35 in September, posted a 3.77 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 4.07 K/BB rate from 2003-2014 with the Cardinals, A’s, Diamondbacks, Angels, Nationals and Dodgers.  He’s still pitching effectively this year (a 3.42 ERA in 129 innings for Miami), which is why the Cubs pursued him at the deadline to bolster the back end of their rotation.

Quick Hits: Nationals, Ripken, Red Sox, Deadline

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Nationals fans may not want to re-live the pain quite so soon, but Barry Svrluga recapped the Nats’ tumultuous 2015 season in a three-part series for the Washington Post.  The first entry focuses on the early-season hype as World Series favorites that was only slightly dimmed by several injuries and Ian Desmond’s struggles, while the second part looks at Bryce Harper’s superstar year and Stephen Strasburg’s frustration.  The third and final installment is perhaps the juiciest in terms of behind-the-scenes information, as Svrluga tracks the discord of the last two months (including the disastrous Jonathan Papelbon trade and the Nationals’ fall out of contention) and reports on a clubhouse confrontation between Jayson Werth and Matt Williams.  The entire series is a must-read look at how a seemingly can’t-miss team fell to pieces, to put it mildly.

Here’s some more from around the baseball world…

  • The Nationals’ drama has helped take some of the Beltway media focus off of a disappointing Orioles season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes, as rumors continue to hint at tension between Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter.  There has been speculation that Showalter could take over the baseball operations department and Cal Ripken Jr. could become the new manager, but both Showalter and a Ripken spokesperson deny the rumor.  Sherman also hears from an Orioles employee that owner Peter Angelos wouldn’t want to hire Ripken since it could create an awkward future situation if Angelos had to fire the franchise icon.
  • The Red Sox have quietly been one of baseball’s best teams in the second half of the season, a hot stretch that gives the franchise a lot of hope for 2016, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes.  Speier recaps some of the key events of the last two months and focuses on how many of Boston’s young stars took a step forward in recent weeks.
  • This hot streak may have also had something to do with Hanley Ramirez playing less and less before eventually being shut down for the season, as Speier reports on tension between Ramirez and the coaching staff.  A source says that Ramirez was “ostracized” from his teammates partly due to this conflict stemming from Ramirez’s unwillingness to work on his left field defense.
  • Some major names with big contracts could potentially be dealt this offseason, former Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd writes in a piece for MLB.com.  Of the five names O’Dowd lists (including Joey Votto, Robinson Cano, Matt Kemp and Werth), I would guess his old outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is the most likely trade candidate.
  • The Blue Jays were the big winners at the trade deadline, Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper writes in his recap of which teams helped themselves most on or prior to July 31st.  Most of Cooper’s “helped themselves” picks are playoff contenders, unsurprisingly, though it’s worth noting that the NL West-winning Dodgers lead the “not helping” category, having gained a negative bWAR from their deadline acquisitions.

Bartolo Colon Intends To Pitch In 2016

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The ageless Bartolo Colon has no plans to retire, telling Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that he will pitch next season if a team is interested in his services.  Colon’s two-year, $20MM contract with the Mets expires at the end of the season.

“I think for personal records I think I was OK. I know 14-13 [his win-loss record] means a lot for me. I think I did everything in my power to help the team and put it in position to win,” Colon said. “For me, personally, it was a success.”

Colon, who turned 42 last May, has posted a 4.18 ERA, 6.3 K/9 and 5.63 K/BB rate over 193 2/3 innings for the NL East champions this season, and he owns a league-leading 1.1 BB/9.  This pinpoint control helps the 18-year veteran succeed despite an on-paper unimpressive arsenal that still fools most batters, including an 88.4mph fastball that he throws a whopping 83.7% of the time.

A return to the Mets may not be in the cards for Colon, given how the team already has Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Jon Niese slated for the 2016 rotation, not to mention Logan Verrett and Rafael Montero as other possible depth options and Zack Wheeler returning at midseason from Tommy John surgery.  Still, Colon’s durability and solid numbers should ensure that he’ll get interest from some teams, despite his advanced age.

Injury Notes: Piscotty, Tulowitzki, Gomez, Drew

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Here’s the latest on some significant members of playoff contenders who are battling injuries down the stretch…

  • Stephen Piscotty has been diagnosed with a concussion following his scary outfield collision with Peter Bourjos on Monday.  Still, he passed his initial set of neurological tests and there is now optimism that Piscotty will be able to play again before the season is over, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.  The rookie outfielder has already been cleared to fly with the Cardinals to Atlanta for their final series of the year.
  • Troy Tulowitzki could return to the Blue Jays lineup as early as Thursday’s game against the Orioles, the shortstop told reporters (including Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star).  Tulowitzki hasn’t played since September 12, when he suffered a small crack in his left scapula after colliding with center fielder Kevin Pillar while chasing a pop fly.
  • Carlos Gomez may return to the Astros lineup tonight, manager A.J. Hinch told Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquette on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link).  Hinch is “not convinced [Gomez] is completely 100 percent” recovered from his left intercostal strain, but “it’s a risk worth taking” since the Astros are battling for their postseason lives.  Gomez played on Sunday and Monday as a pinch-runner and defensive sub, respectively, getting one plate appearance but laying down a sacrifice bunt.  A return to the lineup would obviously involve taking full swings, which worries Hinch a bit given the threat of re-injury.
  • Stephen Drew may have played his last game of 2015 after being hit with a deflected grounder earlier this month.  Drew has been sidelined since Sept. 22 and he tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post that he may have suffered a concussion and also a recurrence of a past inner-ear problem.  If Drew is indeed done for the year, it may also mark the end of his Yankees tenure, as the veteran infielder will be a free agent this winter.

Blue Jays Designate Donn Roach For Assignment

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The Blue Jays have designated right-hander Donn Roach for assignment, the club announced.  In a corresponding move, the Jays selected the contract of infielder Jonathan Diaz, who will join the team for the first game of their double-header today in Baltimore.

Roach has now been designated three times by as many different teams this season, as he was previously DFA’ed by the Cubs in July and the Reds in August.  Toronto claimed the righty off waivers from Cincinnati following that last designation.  The 25-year-old Roach has appeared in just one MLB game this season (with the Cubs) but has posted a 3.34 ERA, 2.04 K/BB rate and a 3.3 K/9 over 143 innings at the Triple-A level.  Roach was originally a third-round pick of the Angels in the 2010 draft and he has a 5.35 ERA over 33 2/3 career innings in the majors.

This is Diaz’s second stint on the Jays roster this season, as he appeared in four games in April and May.  The 30-year-old infielder hit .223/.328/.284 over 430 PA for Triple-A Buffalo this season, his 10th pro campaign.  Diaz has played 32 career games at the Major League level, with Boston and Toronto in 2013-15.

NL West Notes: Desmond, Upton, Padres, Hill

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The Dodgers clinched their third straight NL West championship in style last night as Clayton Kershaw threw a complete game one-hitter to whitewash the Giants.  Kershaw struck out 13 and allowed just one walk in the 8-0 result.  The Dodgers will move on to face the Mets in the NLDS, and home-field advantage has yet to be decided in what is sure to be a pitching-centric series.  Here’s some more from around the NL West…

  • Some members of the Padres organization like Ian Desmond, Justin Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets.  Desmond is coming off a disappointing walk year though he might still represent a big shortstop upgrade for a club that has struggled to find productive middle infielders in recent seasons.
  • The Padres aren’t likely to re-sign Justin Upton, MLB.com’s Corey Brock says in an interview with Marty Caswell of The Mighty 1090 Sports Show (video link).  Brock isn’t sure the Padres ever planned to have Upton beyond this season, as the plan seemed to be to issue him a qualifying offer and then get a first round pick back when he signed elsewhere.  The interview is well worth a full watch as Brock discusses several Padres topics looking ahead to the 2016 team, including Yonder Alonso’s future, big names on the trade block and the team’s manager search.  For the record, Brock predicts that Ron Washington will be San Diego’s next manager.
  • Aaron Hill tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he asked the Diamondbacks to look into trading him prior to the season.  The veteran infielder made the request after he was told he’d be used in a part-time role, though Hill said he wouldn’t have asked if he’d known that he’d still be receiving significant playing time (111 games and 338 PA entering today).  Hill admitted that the trade rumors swirling around him may have impacted his play, and if so, “that’s on me.  The last couple months have been nice. Maybe it’s because it was after the deadline and things were a little clearer about where I was going to be the rest of the year.”  Both Hill and GM Dave Stewart expect him to be back with the Snakes next year, though given Hill’s $12MM salary in 2016 and his .239/.290/.359 slash line over the last two seasons, a trade would’ve seemed unlikely anyway unless the D’Backs agreed to eat some money.
  • A new contract between Tim Lincecum and the Giants is “more a matter of when, how much and in what form, rather than if,” according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.  Lincecum underwent hip surgery in early September that ended his season, though rumors have swirled since then that both he and his long-time team were interested in Lincecum remaining in the Bay Area.  Indeed, Baggarly hears that “interest is mutual and strong” between the two sides in continuing their relationship.

Blue Jays Interested In Doug Fister

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The Blue Jays are a long way from focusing on offseason plans just yet, though the club “will make a play for” free agent righty Doug Fister this winter, Sportsnet’s Jeff Blair reports.  This wouldn’t be the first time that GM Alex Anthopoulos has shown interest in Fister, as the Jays explored a deal when Fister was still with the Tigers in the 2013-14 offseason prior to Fister’s eventual trade to Washington.

Of course, Fister’s stock was much higher two winters ago, as the right-hander is hitting the open market on the heels of his worst season in five years.  Fister posted a 4.19 ERA, 2.63 K/BB rate and 5.5 K/9 over 103 innings for the Nationals, losing his starting rotation spot in the process.  (Fister’s overall stat line was boosted by his stint in the bullpen, as he had a 2.12 ERA over 17 relief innings as opposed to a 4.60 ERA as a starter.)

It’s possible health could have played a role in Fister’s problems, as he spent a month on the DL with forearm tightness.  Both before and after his injury, however, there were signs of struggle.  Fister’s walk rate (2.10) and homer rate (12%) jumped to their highest levels since 2009, while his ground ball rate dropped to 44.6%, his lowest such number also since 2009.  This was a notable decline for a pitcher who relies on grounders to offset his lack of strikeouts, and the Nats’ overall shaky infield defense also didn’t help in this regard.

Mark Buehrle is expected to retire and both David Price and Marco Estrada could leave in free agency, so the Jays could have multiple rotation openings behind Marcus Stroman, R.A. Dickey (whose club option is likely to be exercised) and Drew Hutchison, and Hutchison’s own spot is far from secure given his rough season.  If Fister can get back to his 2011-14 form, the 31-year-old’s ground-ball tendencies would be a good fit at the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre, particularly with a better defensive infield backing him up.

AL East Notes: Rays, O’s, E-Rod, Porcello, Hanley

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Though the Rays are on pace for their second straight losing season, the team’s pitching depth gives them hope for a turn-around in 2016, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes.  Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi will be joined in the rotation by the now-healthy Matt Moore and Drew Smyly.  The fifth spot will be contested between Erasmo Ramirez, Nate Karns or top prospect Blake Snell, with Alex Colome and Matt Andriese on hand as further depth options.  That’s not even counting Alex Cobb, who will be back from Tommy John surgery late next season.  While Tampa certainly may want to hang onto its pitching depth given the team’s recent injury issues, I would think the Rays may also considering dangling an arm or two as trade bait this winter to add some offensive help.

Here’s some more from around the AL East…

  • Adam Jones plans to speak to owner Peter Angelos about the Orioles’ offseason plans, the outfielder tells the Baltimore Sun’s Dan Connolly.  It will be a challenging winter for the O’s with eight free agents, though Jones feels most of them would come back for the right offer since “it’s a great place to play.  I know they all like being here.”  If some leave, Jones notes that the silver lining is freed-up payroll space.  “It’s going to be exciting to see what goes on this offseason because I know when you have a lot of free agents that means you have a lot of money to spend,” Jones said.  “And so, hopefully, I can influence some officials to spend a little bit of that money.”
  • Last winter saw the Orioles also lose Nelson Cruz, Andrew Miller and Nick Markakis to free agency, and another free agent exodus could threaten this competitive chapter in O’s history, as closer Zach Britton notes to Connolly.  “If you look at it, our window was a three- to four-year window that everyone was talking about. ’OK, if we’re going to do it, now is the time.’ So, yeah, if we lose every single guy [to free agency], it’s going to be a real challenge to have to replace them,” Britton said.  “You have to do it through the draft, you’ve got to do it through trades or do it through signing free agents. We’ve got to do it somehow.”
  • Two of those free agents say they want to return to the Orioles.  Steve Pearce tells Connolly that “I’d love to be back. I’d love for everybody to be back,” while Matt Wieters tells MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski that he knows this could be his last few days in a Baltimore uniform.  “I’m trying to embrace it and enjoy this last bit of the season,” Wieters said. “I’ve been very fortunate being able to to be here as long as I have and would love to stay here. But that is all stuff that will be controlled and talked about in the offseason.”
  • There is “healthy skepticism” around baseball that the Red Sox will fully explore having Hanley Ramirez as a full-time first baseman next year, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports.  This and the hefty $66MM still owed to Ramirez will make it difficult for the Sox to get any kind of decent return if they want to trade him.
  • Eduardo Rodriguez isn’t technically a homegrown prospect (the Red Sox acquired him from the Orioles last summer in the Andrew Miller trade), though CSNNE.com’s Sean McAdam believes the young southpaw can be the first front-of-the-rotation arm produced from Boston’s farm system since Clay Buchholz.  Rodriguez, 22, has posted a 3.85 ERA, 2.65 K/BB rate and 7.2 K/9 over 121 2/3 IP for the Sox in his rookie season.
  • It’s been a trying year overall for Rick Porcello, but the right-hander tells WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford that he’s learned some lessons from his first year with the Red Sox and is going into 2016 on a high note.  Porcello signed a four-year, $80MM contract with Boston prior to the season and became a target of fan ire after his early struggles, though he’s pitched well since coming back from a DL stint in August.

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