Rays Extend Erik Neander, Kevin Cash
8:30am: The Rays have formally announced the pair of contract extensions.
“I believe there are none better in baseball,” owner Stuart Sternberg said of his president and manager. “What we’ve all accomplished together has been remarkable, and the best is yet to come.”
8:00am: The Rays have signed president of baseball operations Erik Neander and manager Kevin Cash to long-term contract extensions, according to a report from Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, with an announcement of the deals expected later today. The specifics of the deals are not yet known, though Topkin says they’ll run beyond the 2028 season, when the club is slated to move into a new stadium in St. Petersburg.
The pair’s tenure at the top of the Rays organization has been a resounding success. While Cash has been managing the club since 2015, Neander became the club’s top baseball operations executive during the 2017-18 offseason. He’d previously served as the senior vice president of baseball operations and general manager under then-president Matthew Silverman, but Silverman moved to the business side of the operation and ceded baseball autonomy to Neander.
From 2018 onward, the Rays have posted a winning record in each season with five postseason appearances, including a trip to the World Series in 2020. Overall, the club has enjoyed a 511-359 record under the duo’s guidance, good for a .587 winning percentage.
All that winning has come in spite of resources that pale in comparison to the arsenals available to other perennial contenders. The club’s payroll reached an all-time high of just under $84MM (per Cot’s Baseball Contracts) back in 2022, at which point the team ranked 25th in the majors in terms of player payroll. The club’s payroll ranked 26th in the majors in 2021, and has sat in the bottom three among all major league clubs every other season since Neander took over baseball operations. That’s left the club to occasionally part ways with top talents such as Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow in spite of the team’s consistent success, though those losses have been offset by the club’s ability to identify talent (both in trade partners and in the draft), a subsequent perennially strong farm system and success in developing talent at the major league level.
There’s been a fair bit of turnover in the Tampa Bay front office over the years, as rival teams frequently target Rays executives when seeking to reshape their own baseball operations outfits — hopeful of emulating the team’s constant success (both in terms of on-field play and player development). Neander was once a top lieutenant for president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman in Tampa Bay, before he was hired away by the Dodgers. Neander and Chaim Bloom were key figures in running baseball ops thereafter, concurrently holding senior vice president titles, but Bloom was hired away by the Red Sox (and has since joined the Cardinals as an advisor after being dismissed in Boston). Brewers GM Matt Arnold was also hired out of the Rays ranks, and more recently now-former Rays GM Peter Bendix, who’d been No. 2 on Tampa Bay’s hierarchy behind Neander, was hired as the Marlins’ president of baseball operations.
It’s a similar story among Cash’s top coaches. A look back at the Rays’ coaching staffs over the past few seasons will reveal a smattering of names who’ve gone on to become big league managers. Pirates skipper Derek Shelton, Royals manager Matt Quatraro and Twins manager Rocco Baldelli were all on Cash’s staff at one point, as was Charlie Montoyo, who was hired away from the Rays to manage the Blue Jays but is now the White Sox’ bench coach.
That’s only a short list of the number of executives, analysts and coaches who’ve been poached by other clubs over the years. Throughout all those personnel changes, however, Neander and Cash have been constants as the Rays have continually defied expectations set by their minimal payroll and roster that often resembles an island of misfit toys. Today’s extensions ensure that this same duo will remain in place for another half decade of baseball in St. Petersburg and that Neander and Cash will help to usher in a new era of Rays baseball when they move into their new stadium in 2028.
The Opener: Altuve, Guerrero, DFA Limbo
With Spring Training just around the corner here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Astros, Altuve to hold press conference:
As noted by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Astros have scheduled a press conference for this afternoon in Houston where star second baseman Jose Altuve and team leadership will be available to discuss Altuve’s five-year extension. An eight-time All Star with three batting titles, six Silver Slugger awards, a Gold Glove award, and the 2017 AL MVP award, Altuve owns a career .307/.364/.471 slash line in 13 seasons in Houston since he made his MLB debut back in 2011. The deal keeps Altuve in an Astros uniform through his age-39 season.
2. Guerrero arbitration result:
Eleven arbitration cases have yet to reach a conclusion, and among the most high-profile of the remaining cases could be nearing a decision. The Associated Press has reported that first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays went to a hearing yesterday. Guerrero filed at $19.9MM while Toronto countered at $18.05MM. Both those figures come in below MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz’s projection of $20.4MM, which would be a result of the 24-year-old slugger’s “down” season at the plate last year (by his lofty standards, anyhow). In 682 trips to the plate, Guerrero slashed .264/.345/.444 with 30 doubles and 26 home runs. While that’s certainly strong production, it left something to be desired after the youngster crushed the ball to the tune of a .292/.370/.539 slash line over the previous two seasons.
Yesterday saw five players sweep arbitration decisions, as right-handers Jacob Webb and Phil Bickford, outfielders Austin Hays and Taylor Ward, and utility player Mauricio Dubon all won their cases against their clubs, putting players ahead of teams 5-2 in this year’s slate of arbitration hearings.
3. Players to exit DFA Limbo:
When players are designated for assignment, they can remain in transactional limbo for up to a week while their team looks to trade them or attempts to pass them through waivers. For right-hander Declan Cronin of the Astros, outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba of the Pirates, and right-hander Zack Weiss of the Red Sox, that one-week period expires today, meaning resolutions to each player’s DFA should be announced today. All three of the aforementioned players are unable to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, meaning their club’s can retain them as non-roster depth entering the season if they pass through waivers successfully.
Cronin, 26, posted a 9.00 ERA across 11 appearances during his first season as a big leaguer last year, though he enjoyed more success at Triple-A with a 3.88 ERA in 51 2/3 innings of work. Smith-Njigba, 25 in April, came to the Pirates as part of the return in the Jameson Taillon trade and owns a .273/.366/.469 slash line at the Triple-A level, though he’s struggled badly in his first 44 trips to the plate in the majors. Weiss, 31, made his big league debut back in 2018 but had a disastrous outing for the Reds where he surrendered four runs on two walks and two homers while failing to record an out. That first cup of coffee was the only taste of major league action Weiss would get until his age-30 season four years later, when he reemerged as a member of the Angels. Since then, he’s pitched to a 3.29 ERA with a 5.27 FIP in 27 1/3 innings of work.
The Opener: Arbitration, Extensions, MLBTR Chat
As Spring Training approaches, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Arbitration hearing results expected today:
Utilityman Mauricio Dubon went to arbitration against the Astros yesterday. The 29-year-old requested a $3.5MM salary while the club countered with a $3MM figure. Dubon enjoyed a career year in 2023, hitting .278/.309/.411 while appearing in a career-high 132 games. Dubon also flashed his versatility with the glove by appearing at every position on the diamond except for pitcher and catcher, though the overwhelming majority of his playing time was split between second base and center field. Dubon’s strong performance last year led to an arbitration projection of $3.1MM from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.
The Associated Press reported yesterday that Dubon figures to be one of several players to have decisions handed down today in arbitration cases. Angels outfielder Taylor Ward, Orioles outfielder Austin Hays, and Orioles right-hander Jacob Webb are all also expected to receive resolutions to the salary disputes with their respective clubs. Ward requested a salary of $4.8MM for the 2024 campaign, while the Halos countered at $4.3MM. Hays requested $6.3MM while Webb requested $1MM, with the Orioles countering at $5.85MM and $925K respectively. Teams have typically won arbitration cases more often than players have in recent years, and that’s held up so far this season with a 2-0 record over players in hearings to this point.
2. Could more extensions be on the horizon?
It’s fairly common for teams and players to start looking into extension possibilities when the calendar flips to February and players begin to report for Spring Training. A few teams have gotten a head start on such negotiations this winter: most notably, the Royals extended star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to a record-shattering deal yesterday. Looking beyond that, the Brewers and Tigers got together with top prospects Jackson Chourio and Colt Keith on pre-debut extensions earlier this winter. Could more extensions be on the horizon before Opening Day?
The Phillies reportedly plan to prioritize hammering out an extension with veteran right-hander Zack Wheeler, who’s currently slated to hit free agency after the 2024 campaign. Meanwhile, superstar outfielder-turned-first-baseman Bryce Harper has expressed interest in an extension that would allow him to remain in Philadelphia beyond the term of his current contract, which runs through his age-38 season. Looking beyond the Phillies, the Astros notably tried to extend several players last winter, finding success only with right-hander Cristian Javier. The club has reportedly not yet reopened talks with those players, though with both Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman ticketed for free agency after the coming season its possible negotiations could start in the near future.
3. MLBTR Chat today:
Even as Spring Training looms, there’s plenty of boxes still unchecked on the offseason shopping lists of clubs all around the league. Are you wondering what’s next for your favorite team, or perhaps curious about what the market for a particular free agent looks like? If so, tune in this afternoon when MLBTR’s Steve Adams hosts a live chat with readers at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to join in on the chat once it begins or read the transcript after its completed.
The Opener: Ward, Twins, White Sox
As Spring Training approaches, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Ward, Angels await arbitration decision:
Per the Associated Press, outfielder Taylor Ward and the Angels went to arbitration on Friday, with a decision expected sometime this week. Ward requested a salary of $4.8MM for the 2024 campaign, while the club countered at $4.3MM. Teams have typically won arbitration cases more often than players have in recent years, and that’s held up so far this season. Both center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. and southpaw Jose Suarez lost their cases against the Marlins and Angels, respectively. In addition to Ward, a pair of Orioles players are awaiting decisions on their 2024 salaries after going to arbitration: outfielder Austin Hays and right-hander Jacob Webb.
Ward took a step back from his All-Star level 2022 campaign last season but still provided above average offensive production. The 30-year-old slashed .253/.335/.421 in 97 games before having his season cut short by facial fractures caused by Ward getting struck in the face by a pitch from Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz’s projections indicate Ward is expected to earn $4.5MM in his second trip through arbitration, though the panel of three arbiters who heard the case must choose between one of the two salaries submitted.
2. Twins roster moves upcoming:
The Twins agreed on big league deals with a pair of veterans over the weekend. First baseman Carlos Santana came aboard on a one-year, $5.25MM contract while right-hander Jay Jackson is in line for a one-year deal with as-of-yet unreported salary terms. Both deals are pending physicals. The Twins have a full 40-man roster as things stand, meaning both additions will require a corresponding move before they can be made official. Corresponding moves typically take the form of a simple DFA of a player on the roster, though occasionally a team will try to clear 40-man roster space by trading excess talent near the back of their 40-man for lower-level talent that doesn’t yet require a roster spot. One such example occurred late last month, when the Rangers shipped outfielder J.P. Martinez to Atlanta in a deal that made room for right-hander David Robertson on the 40-man roster.
3. White Sox getting active:
The White Sox made a pair of trades over the weekend, shipping relief arm Gregory Santos to the Mariners in exchange for right-hander Prelander Berroa, outfielder Zach DeLoach, and a Competitive Balance Round B draft selection while sending right-handed prospect Cristian Mena to the Diamondbacks to land outfielder Dominic Fletcher. The additions of Fletcher and DeLoach, in particular, leave the club with vastly improved outfield depth at the big league level to plug one of the most glaring holes on the Chicago roster.
While the two trades the Sox made over the weekend were fairly minor, the club has not been shy about the fact that right-hander Dylan Cease is being shopped to interested teams this winter. While the righty has garnered interest from plenty of teams this winter including the Orioles, Reds, and Mariners, no club has been willing to meet Chicago’s lofty asking price to this point. With Spring Training creeping closer by the day, will either GM Chris Getz or a rival club give in to make a deal happen?
Dodgers “Looked Into” Trades For Shane Bieber, Jesus Luzardo
While the highlight of the Dodgers’ offseason is of course the signing of superstar Shohei Ohtani, the club has worked hard to overhaul its starting rotation after the unit struggled to a collective 4.57 ERA last year, a figure that ranked 20th among major league clubs. They’ve been very successful in that regard, signing NPB star Yoshinobu Yamamoto while dealing for and extending right-hander Tyler Glasnow. The club appears to have recently rounded out its rotation mix (give or take a possible reunion with long-time franchise face Clayton Kershaw) with the addition of veteran southpaw James Paxton, though MLB.com’s Juan Toribio recently reported that the club recently looked into making a bigger splash even after adding Yamamoto and Glasnow.
Per Toribio, the club “looked into” trades for Corbin Burnes, Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, and Jesus Luzardo in the aftermath of the club adding Yamamoto and Glasnow back in December. Since then, Burnes has been dealt to the Orioles while Cease appears increasingly unlikely to move before Opening Day after being frequently connected to the Dodgers earlier in the offseason. Bieber and Luzardo, on the other hand, had not yet been publicly connected to the Dodgers this winter. It’s unclear if the Dodgers retain interest in either hurler with Paxton now on board, but either would certainly be an intriguing addition for the league’s most aggressive club this winter.
Bieber, 28, is coming off a down season relative to his own lofty standards as he posted a 3.80 ERA and 3.87 FIP while being limited to just 21 starts by a bout of elbow inflammation. Still, the two-time All Star and 2020 AL Cy Young award winner has been among the best pitchers in the league over the past half decade, with a 3.07 ERA and 3.12 FIP in 114 appearances dating back to the 2019 season and would figure to improve virtually any rotation if traded for, including that of the Dodgers. Bieber has also indicated a willingness to negotiate an extension with his new club in the event that he’s traded, meaning its feasible that a trade could net the Dodgers a longer-term asset than Bieber’s one year of team control would otherwise imply.
While the Guardians figure to attempt to remain competitive in a weak AL Central division this year, they’ve shown a propensity for dealing star players elsewhere before they reach free agency as demonstrated by deals shipping out players such as Corey Kluber and Francisco Lindor. What’s more, The Athletic’s Zack Meisel reported back in December that the Guardians are unlikely to increase payroll above last year’s levels in 2024, leaving them with little room to upgrade their flawed positional mix without shedding salary or trading an asset. A Bieber deal would allow the club to accomplish both of those goals, potential adding a hitter as part of the return for the right-hander while also freeing up $13.125MM in the club’s budget for other additions.
Luzardo, 26, struggled early in his career as a member of the A’s but has flourished in the years since he was acquired by Miami. In the past two years, Luzardo has made 50 starts to the tune of a 3.52 ERA with a 3.40 FIP. The 26-year-old southpaw has struck out an impressive 28.7% of batters faced during that time while walking 7.9%, establishing himself as the #2 starter in Miami behind ace Sandy Alcantara. With Alcantara expected to miss the 2024 campaign due to Tommy John surgery, however, Luzardo is currently penciled in as the staff ace ahead of the likes of Eury Perez, Braxton Garrett, and Edward Cabrera. Important as Luzardo may be to Miami’s rotation entering 2024, the club is nonetheless reportedly open to dealing him or another piece from the rotation, with only Perez reportedly untouchable in trade talks. Luzardo is under team control through the 2026 season.
While the addition of either Luzardo or Bieber would certainly bolster an already impressive Dodgers rotation, their recent addition of Paxton along with the uncertainty surrounding Kershaw’s future with the club leaves how an additional starter would fit into L.A.’s rotation puzzle questionable. On paper, the club’s rotation appears to be full as things stand with Yamamoto, Glasnow, and Paxton joining Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller. Talented as that group of five is, however, there’s plenty of questions surrounding that group’s durability. Glasnow and Paxton both have lengthy injury histories, Yamamoto has spent his career to this point pitching just once a week overseas, and Miller’s 138 2/3 innings of work last year between the majors and minors was a career high. Meanwhile, Buehler is coming off more than a season lost due to Tommy John surgery and even Kershaw, if brought back into the fold, isn’t expected to pitch until August as he rehabs from shoulder surgery.
While youngsters like Emmet Sheehan and Gavin Stone could certainly contribute meaningful innings to help the Dodgers overcome the lack of certainty in their rotation mix, the addition of a surefire starting arm such as Bieber or Luzardo could help solidify the club’s overall rotation mix headed into the season. While all evidence points to the club planning on a five-man rotation this season, it’s possible the Dodgers could be more amenable to the idea of using a sixth starter throughout the season given the fact that they’ll be forced to implement a six-man staff when Ohtani returns to the mound next year.
The Dodgers are far from the only club that may be interested in the services of Luzardo or Bieber, of course; the Yankees expressed interest in both arms last month. Earlier in the offseason, the Marlins and Royals reportedly discussed a deal involving Luzardo and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, while Bieber reportedly drew interest from teams such as the Cubs and Reds.
Evan Longoria Undecided On Future
Veteran third baseman Evan Longoria is still “weighing his options” regarding his future ahead of the 2024 season, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Reporting back in October indicated that while the 38-year-old was undecided on his future, he was “leaning” towards playing in 2024.
A veteran of 16 MLB seasons, Longoria was selected third overall in the 2006 draft by the then-Devil Rays and rose to prominence in the big leagues quickly, becoming an All Star in each of his first three major league seasons. During that time, he posted a strong .283/.361/.521 slash line while collecting MVP votes in each year along with two Gold Glove awards, a Silver Slugger award, and the 2008 Rookie of the Year award. Longoria spent ten seasons as the face of the franchise in Tampa, appearing in 1,435 games with the club and slashing .270/.341/.483 during that time while playing excellent defense at the hot corner.
Longoria’s production took a bit of a dip upon the infielder being shipped to San Francisco prior to the 2018 season. While he hit a decent .251/.312/.438 during his five seasons in San Francisco, that slightly better than average production was a far cry from the star-level production he boasted earlier in his career, and the veteran began to miss time with injuries more frequently after regularly playing 150-plus games during his time with the Rays. Across five years with the Giants, Longoria never appeared in more than 129 games with the club in a season and eclipsed 100 games just twice, in 2018 and 2019.
The veteran’s Giants tenure came to an end last season, when he departed for the Diamondbacks via free agency. In a part-time role with Arizona this year, Longoria flashed considerable power as he slashed .223/.295/.422 with 11 home runs in just 74 games. Notably, Longoria’s production through the season’s first four months was considerably stronger as he raked to the tune of a .238/.303/.500 slash line with 30 extra base hits in just 178 trips to the plate. Unfortunately, Longoria hit the shelf with a lower back strain in late July and struggled badly upon his return, batting just .171 while reaching base at a 27.1% clip and failing to record an extra-base hit over his final 59 trips to the plate last year.
Given the veteran’s age and lengthy injury history, his late-season struggles cannot be completely ignored. With that being said, the form Longoria’s flashed for the majority of the season would represent a noticeable improvement for a number of clubs at the hot corner, particularly given Longoria’s willingness to accept a part-time role. The allure of returning for another season is fairly clear from Longoria’s perspective, as well: he currently sits at 1,930 career hits, putting him just 70 away from the 2,000 hit milestone. He’s also just eight round-trippers away from becoming the 100th player in MLB history to club 350 home runs in his career.
While the 38-year-old hasn’t been publicly connected to any clubs to this point in the winter, there are a few teams for whom he could make some sense, speculatively speaking. The Mets lost infield prospect Ronny Mauricio for the 2024 season due to an injury during winter ball, and Longoria could serve as a veteran mentor and right-handed hitting complement to youngster Brett Baty at third base headed into the 2024 campaign. Meanwhile, the Cubs lack an established third baseman could mix-and-match Longoria with other internal options like Nick Madrigal and Miles Mastrobuoni at the hot corner.
Braves Sign Jake Walsh To Minor League Deal
The Braves and right-hander Jake Walsh are in agreement on a minor league deal, according to the transactions section of the righty’s MLB.com player page. The deal includes an invite to big league Spring Training.
Walsh, 28, was a 16th-round pick by the Cardinals in the 2017 draft and began his professional career as a starter before moving to the bullpen full time back in 2021. Between the 2021 and ’22 seasons, Walsh impressed at both the Double- and Triple-A levels with a combined 2.17 ERA and a whopping 37% strikeout, though he was limited to just 40 frames during that time by a pair of lengthy trips to the injured list. 2 2/3 of those 40 frames came in the big leagues as Walsh got his first taste of major league action with a 3-game cup of coffee in May of 2022, though he allowed four runs on three hits and two walks across that trio of appearances.
Uninspiring big league debut aside, Walsh’s dominance since converting to the bullpen seemed to leave him poised for big things headed into the 2023 campaign. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out that way as Walsh struggled to a 5.28 ERA in 30 2/3 innings of work this past year. His strikeout rate plummeted to just 23.9% while his walk rate ballooned from an elevated but manageable 11.1% in 2022 to a ghastly 16.2% figure. Those pronounced struggles led the Cardinals to place Walsh on the injured list shortly before granting him his unconditional release back in July in order to open up a spot on the club’s 40-man roster.
Walsh did not catch on with another club for the remainder of the 2023 campaign, but now joins the Braves with a chance to compete for a job on the big league staff this spring. The Atlanta bullpen appears to be mostly set in stone for the time being with Raisel Iglesias, A.J. Minter, and Reynaldo Lopez as the club’s top high-leverage arms with the likes of Tyler Matzek, Joe Jimenez, Aaron Bummer, and Pierce Johnson on tap to cover the middle innings.
With that being said, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Walsh make himself into the club’s top depth option behind the current group given the considerable talent the right-hander flashed after first converting to full-time relief work, particularly if he manages to put whatever injury he suffered last summer behind him. Walsh will have plenty of competition among fellow non-roster invitees such as Ken Giles, Ben Bowden, and Grant Holmes when Spring Training begins later this month, not to mention the presence of arms like Daysbel Hernandez and Ray Kerr who are currently slated to act as optionable relief depth on the 40-man roster.
Nationals Sign Adonis Medina To Minor League Deal
The Nationals have signed right-hander Adonis Medina to a minor league deal, as noted in the transactions section of the righty’s MLB.com profile page.
The 27-year-old hurler was once a consensus top-100 prospect and made his big league debut with the Phillies back in 2020. Over two seasons with the club, he posted a respectable 3.86 ERA with a 4.03 FIP in 11 2/3 innings of work spread across five appearances, including two starts. Solid as those big league numbers were, Medina was unable to find that same success when working at the Triple-A level during the 2021 season, as he struggled to a 5.05 ERA across 17 starts while striking out just 18.5% of batters faced against an 8.7% walk rate. That weak performance in the upper minors led the Phillies to place Medina on waivers, where he was promptly claimed by the Pirates. Medina didn’t stay in Pennsylvania for long, however, as Pittsburgh dealt him to the Mets the very next month.
Medina converted to full-time relief while pitching for the Mets and found slightly stronger results at the Triple-A level after switching roles. The right-hander posted a 4.65 ERA in 31 innings of work with the club’s affiliate in Syracuse while striking out 22% of batters faced. Unfortunately, that improvement didn’t translate over to the major league level, as Medina was rocked to the tune of a 6.08 ERA in 23 2/3 innings of work across 14 appearances in the big leagues that year. The righty’s peripheral numbers were better than his on-field results as he generated an impressive 51.9% groundball rate while cutting his walk rate to just 5.5%, leaving him with a decent 4.04 FIP and a 3.89 SIERA.
After his struggles with the Mets in 2022, Medina departed stateside ball to pitch for the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization. The right-hander returned to starting during his time overseas, but the experiment did not go well as he struggled to a 6.05 ERA in 58 innings of work across 12 starts. Unlike his time in Queens, Medina’s struggles on the field were now reflected in his peripheral numbers as he struck out just 13.4% of batters faced while walking a whopping 10.8%. Medina’s rough performance led to him being released back in July. Since then, he’s pitched in the Dominican Winter League and found solid results with a 2.93 ERA in 15 1/3 innings of work across nine appearances.
Now back in affiliated ball for the first time since 2022, Medina figures to compete for a job with the Nationals in camp this spring. It seems unlikely Washington would consider Medina for a role in the starting rotation, though it’s certainly feasible that Medina could earn himself a role in the big league bullpen where he would be set to compete with the likes of Joan Adon and Jordan Weems as well as non-roster veterans like Robert Gsellman and Spenser Watkins.
Mariners Sign Heath Hembree To Minor League Deal
The Mariners recently inked veteran right-hander Heath Hembree to a minor league deal, according to the transactions section of the righty’s MLB.com profile page.
Hembree, 35 last month, is a veteran of 11 major league seasons. After being selected in the fifth round of the 2010 draft by the Giants, Hembree worked his way through the minor leagues to make his debut during the 2013 season. His first cup of coffee in the majors was an impressive one, as the right-hander struck out 12 while allowing four hits and two walks across 7 2/3 scoreless innings for San Francisco that season. Hembree’s time with the big league club in San Francisco was short-lived, however, as he was swapped to the Red Sox in a deal that netted the Giants Jake Peavy the following summer.
In joining the Red Sox, Hembree found his new home for the next seven seasons. During that time, he made 251 appearances with the club, pitching to a 3.70 ERA and 4.32 FIP while striking out 24.2% of batters faced. The strongest stretch of the right-hander’s tenure in Boston came in 2016 and 2017, when Hembree made himself a key member of the club’s late-inning mix with a 3.19 ERA (142 ERA+) and a 3.88 FIP in 100 appearances. Unfortunately, Hembree began to struggle with injuries late in his tenure with the club and missed nearly two months with elbow issues during the 2019 season.
The Red Sox eventually dealt Hembree to the Phillies as part of a larger deal that brought Nick Pivetta to Boston ahead of the trade deadline during the shortened 2020 season. Since then, the right-hander has become something of a journeyman. Over the past four seasons, Hembree has played for seven different clubs while struggling to a 6.55 ERA and 5.84 FIP and managing just 100 1/3 innings in the majors during that time. The most recent big league stop in the veteran’s travels was with the Rays back in April. While in Tampa, the right-hander posted 1 1/3 scoreless innings during his lone major league appearance last year.
After being designated for assignment by the Rays and electing free agency, Hembree caught on with the Tigers last year and enjoyed some brief success at the Triple-A level, where he posted a 3.00 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate. Unfortunately his stay with the organization would last just six innings as Hembree was placed on the injured list for more than a month before he was released by the club in early July.
Now, Hembree is poised to join his ninth big league organization over the past five years. The Mariners feature a strong trio of high-leverage options in the form of Andres Munoz, Matt Brash, and Gregory Santos, though Hembree could get a look in the event of an injury somewhere in the club’s bullpen provided he’s healthy. In the meantime, he figures to provide Seattle with a non-roster depth option who has found success at the major league level in the past and could compete with the likes of Jackson Kowar and Trent Thornton for a role in the big league bullpen this spring.
Latest On Mets’, Red Sox’ DH Plans
Earlier this offseason, the Mets were frequently rumored to be interested in adding a bat to their DH mix after parting ways with Dan Vogelbach at the non-tender deadline back in November. It now appears the club may have other priorities, however. According to a recent report from Will Sammon of The Athletic, the club intends to stick with its internal options at DH rather make a splash on the free agent market for a player such as J.D. Martinez or Jorge Soler, at least without prices falling “dramatically.” Sammon goes on to note that the club did not aggressively pursue deals with outfielder Teoscar Hernandez or first baseman Rhys Hoskins before the duo signed with the Dodgers and Brewers last month.
The news isn’t necessarily a surprise given comments from president of baseball operations David Stearns last month, which indicated that the club wasn’t interested in taking opportunities away from young players with veteran additions this winter. To that end, Sammon indicates that the likeliest use of the DH in Queens this year figures to involve plenty of playing time for 24-year-old slugger Mark Vientos, with DJ Stewart and Starling Marte also getting time at DH in addition to occasional reps in the outfield.
Vientos has struggled to a .205/.255/.354 slash line to this point in his big league career, but has just 274 trips to the plate in the majors under his belt. The youngster crushed Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .306/.387/.612 slash line in 61 games at the level last year and owns a career .247/.377/.499 line across six seasons in the minor leagues. The 30-year-old Stewart, meanwhile, spent parts of five seasons in a part-time role with the Orioles to roughly league average results at the plate but showed a bit more promise after joining the Mets on a minor league deal last year. Stewart slashed a solid .244/.333/.506 with 11 homers in just 185 trips to the plate across 58 games with the club last year, though that strong power production came with a hefty 30.3% strikeout rate.
Marte is a much more established hitter at the big league level than the other two likely members of the Mets’ DH mix. The 35-year-old veteran of 12 major league seasons boasts a career slash line of .287/.343/.445 and posted a 134 wRC+ as recently as 2022, but struggled badly in 341 trips to the plate last year amid groin, neck, and migraine issues last year. While Marte figures to be penciled in as the club’s everyday right fielder, the presence of both Stewart and Tyrone Taylor as other corner outfield options figure to give the Mets flexibility to utilize the DH spot for Marte on a semi-regular basis in hopes of keeping him healthier throughout the 2024 campaign.
While the Mets appear to be stepping away from the DH market in favor of internal options, it appears that the Red Sox still have interest in adding a right-handed bat to their lineup to replace the production of Justin Turner, who recently signed with the Blue Jays on a one-year deal. Boston was heavily connected to Hernandez before he signed in L.A. and was reported as a likely landing spot for Adam Duvall last month. More recently, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com opines that a reunion with Duvall still makes for the Red Sox even though his free agency “isn’t as close to a resolution” as those past reports seemed to indicate at the time. Should the 35-year-old slugger ultimately land elsewhere, Cotillo suggests that the likes of Garrett Cooper, C.J. Cron, Donovan Solano, and Randal Grichuk could be potential fallback options for the club. Recent reporting has also linked Boston to veteran outfielder Tommy Pham.
It’s worth noting that each of those suggested options has a defensive home outside of DH. While the presence of Triston Casas at first base leaves the likes of Cooper and Cron likely to spend a majority of their time at DH if either were to sign in Boston, Solano has experience all around the infield and could fill a similar role to that of Turner last year as a right-handed hitter who can fill in at first, second, and third base while also getting regular at-bats out of the DH slot. Duvall and Grichuk, meanwhile, have experience at all three outfield spots and could join Tyler O’Neill as a right-handed complement to the club’s lefty-swinging outfield bats such as Masataka Yoshida, Wilyer Abreu, and Jarren Duran. Pham would likely fill a similar role, though he’s largely confined to the corner outfield spots and DH at this point in his career.
While Cotillo indicates that a bat that fits more around the margins of the club’s roster is the most likely addition for Boston to make to its lineup at this point in the winter, he doesn’t completely rule out a more significant addition. Cotillo cautions that a larger addition to the club’s roster is “unlikely at best” given the club’s recent comments, but nonetheless suggests that Soler could be a fit for the club if the club manages to clear payroll space. Reporting last month indicated that the club has fielded trade interest on both Yoshida and veteran closer Kenley Jansen, though a deal involving Jansen appears more likely than one involving Yoshida as things stand.
If the Red Sox can find a way to fit a Soler signing into their budget, he’d likely provide a major boost to the club’s lineup. The slugging outfielder is coming off a phenomenal season with the Marlins where he slashed .250/.341/.512 with 36 home runs and 24 doubles. That sort of production could be transformative for a Boston lineup that got just a .242/.305/.393 line out of its right-handed hitters last year. That slash line is good for a wRC+ of just 86, a bottom-four figure among major league clubs in 2023. By contrast, Soler posted a 126 wRC+ and owns a cumulative 117 wRC+ dating back to the 2018 season.
One bat of significance the Red Sox have no plans to pursue this winter, Cotillo notes, is Martinez. The veteran slugger slashed a strong .292/.363/.526 during his five-season tenure in Boston and crushed 33 home runs in just 117 games for the Dodgers last year, but Cotillo reports that the Red Sox have no interest in a reunion with their long-time DH. While Martinez’s bat is undeniably valuable, he lacks the ability to play the field demonstrated by other options Boston is reportedly considering and, per Cotillo, the veteran’s approach was not “universally loved” in the Red Sox clubhouse and contrasted with the style of leadership exhibited by Turner that made the 39-year-old so popular among his teammates last year.