Latest On Potential Realignment For 2020 Season
As Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association mull creative ways to embark on a 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest plan being explored would feature realignment into three geographically determined divisions of 10 teams, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports. At least over the course of the regular season, teams would only play within their makeshift divisions, so as to minimize travel requirements. There’s “cautious optimism” among MLB officials of starting play by July 2 and perhaps even in late June, according a handful of decision-makers who spoke with Nightengale.
The current proposal would apparently eliminate the traditional American and National Leagues. While the report doesn’t specify as much, that would presumably bring about the implementation of a universal DH for the 2020 season. That could be a temporary alteration unique to the 2020 campaign, although a universal DH has been increasingly seen as an inevitability in recent years, so perhaps the league would prefer to use this as a sort of testing grounds for future seasons. There’s also some hope that teams could begin the season in either Arizona, Texas or Florida but eventually be able to return to their own parks.
Obviously, there’s plenty of reason for any optimism to be rather guarded in nature. Medical experts and government officials would need to green-light a return to play, and both will be highly dependent on the availability of testing. Capacity would need to expand to the point that players can be tested regularly without those tests coming at the expense of availability to the greater public.
For all of the recent talk of increased hope regarding a return to play — whether by Nightengale in this afternoon’s column or in previous pieces from Ken Rosenthal and Jeff Passan — there’s still no indication as to how the league plans to proceed if/when a player or players test positive for the coronavirus. Perhaps MLB will look to how other leagues are handling such scenarios; the KBO will reportedly immediately quarantine any such player and shut down his team’s facility for a period of 48 hours for cleaning purposes.
More drastic scenarios where several players/coaches on a single team contract the virus would need to be planned for as well. And while most players could be reasonably expected to have relatively mild symptoms given their age and general health, that’s certainly not true of all players (nor is it true of the much older coaches who will inherently be in close quarters with said players). Players with preexisting conditions (e.g. asthma, diabetes, ulcerative colitis, etc.) and those who’ve previously battled cancer are clearly at higher risks than others. Outlining a general arrangement that allows all parties to feel comfortable is a daunting challenge.
Furthermore, while it’s certainly encouraging to hear of budding optimism in a number of reports, Nightengale mentions that the league and the union have still “yet to engage in formal discussions about the financial ramifications of playing without fans.” That’s an enormous roadblock that must be addressed. The MLBPA already felt that the situation was addressed by the agreement reached in late March, but league officials have since made clear that they feel a renegotiation of terms will be necessary if games are played without fans in attendance. While the optics of a lengthy squabble over finances would be astonishingly bad at a time when unemployment has skyrocketed, one would still imagine those discussions will be both contentious and complex.
Of course, outside of waiting for the development, testing and large-scale distribution of a vaccine — which would likely require more than a year without any baseball — there’s no scenario that is without risk and pitfalls. Every plan regarding a potential return to play is going to be wrought with contingencies. The 2020 season, if played, is bound to look like no season we’ve seen in the past or will see in the future.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Click here to read a transcript of this week’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
The Ridiculous Class Of Free Agent Shortstops In 2021-22
We’ve recently taken a position-by-position run through next winter’s free agent class, highlighting which catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, third basemen, corner outfielders, center fielders, designated hitters, starting pitchers, lefty relievers and righty relievers will be available. All in all, it’s a class with top-heavy class, headlined by Mookie Betts and then dropping off to a series of appealing stars like J.T. Realmuto, George Springer and Marcus Semien. Next year’s group has plenty of intriguing pitchers but no standout aces and, outside of Betts, there’s probably no surefire candidate to score anything greater than a five-year deal on the open market. (Caveat: as has been oft discussed, that’s particularly true of next winter, when it seems safe to expect a more tepid free-agent market as owners look to recoup lost revenues from the 2020 season.)
Mookie-mania will make for a fun headline story in free agency. So will Trevor Bauer‘s year-to-year mercenary act, which will begin this coming winter.
But at the risk of looking a little too far down the line, it’s hard not to notice that the 2021-22 crop of free agent shortstops might be the single best collection of players we’ve ever seen at one position in one free-agent class. Extensions, injuries and downturns could thin out this group — but unexpected one-year deals this winter (could Semien or Didi Gregorius accept a qualifying offer?) could also theoretically deepen it. As things stand, here’s an early look at a legitimately jaw-dropping crop of shortstop talent that will hit the market upon conclusion of the 2021 season (age for the 2022 season included in parentheses)…
Top of the Class
- Francisco Lindor (28): Lindor turned down an extension offer reported to be worth more than $100MM a few years ago, and the move looks wise. He’s already topped $28MM in arbitration salaries and could plausibly command $300MM+ on a free-agent deal.
- Javier Baez (29): Baez has been in extension talks with the Cubs, but their ownership has been reluctant to spend money in recent winters. Baez was an All-Star in 2018-19, finished second in ’18 MVP voting and is one of MLB’s most well-rounded infielders.
- Carlos Correa (27): Correa hasn’t topped 110 games since 2016, but the former AL Rookie of the Year has been 29 percent better than the league-average hitter in his career, per wRC+. The average shortstop hasn’t topped 100 during his time in the Majors.
- Trevor Story (29): No shortstop has more than Story’s 123 home runs since the time of his MLB debut in 2016 (despite missing about two months of that season due to injury). He’ll have to overcome the standard Coors Field stigma, but he’s hit for power on the road as well and grades out very well at shortstop (career +40 DRS).
- Corey Seager (28): The 2016 NL Rookie of the Year returned from 2018 Tommy John surgery to swat 19 homers and an NL-leading 44 doubles in just 139 games in 2019. With so much star power around him in L.A., Seager has in some ways become underrated.
Established Veterans/Potential Regulars
- Chris Taylor (31): Taylor has been outstanding since the Dodgers acquired him in a low-profile deal that wound up looking like a heist. He’s hit .268/.340/.468 in three seasons while playing all over the outfield and everywhere but first base on the infield.
- Brandon Crawford (35): Long one of the game’s best defensive players, Crawford’s all-around game has taken a dip in recent years. There’s still time for the lifelong Giant to turn things around, though, and he should be provided ample opportunity to do so given his status as a leader in San Francisco.
- Miguel Rojas (33): The Marlins hold a $5.5MM option over Rojas that’ll vest if he reaches 500 plate appearances in 2021. Rojas plays quality defense and is extremely difficult to strike out. But if he reaches the open market after 2021, it’ll be because Miami deemed him expendable despite that affordable rate.
Utility/Bench Options
- Greg Garcia (32): Garcia has never hit that much, but he’s a useful defender at three infield positions who draws plenty of walks. Some could argue that his walk rate is propped up by hitting ahead of the pitcher, but Garcia has walked at a 13.8 percent clip in 326 PAs hitting leadoff, too.
- Donovan Solano (34): Solano had barely seen the Majors since 2014 when he came out of nowhere to hit .330/.360/.456 in 228 PAs with the Giants last year. There’s a fair bit of smoke and mirror there, evidenced by a .409 BABIP, but that renaissance will still give him some new life in the big leagues.
- Danny Santana (31): Speaking of unexpected renaissances, Santana brushed away a combined .219/.256/.319 from 2015-18 (732 PAs) to rake at a .283/.324/.534 clip with Texas last year. His strikeout rate soared to nearly 30 percent, though, and while his .353 BABIP wasn’t as high as his .405 mark from his brilliant rookie season in ’14, it still seems ripe for regression.
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When a 28-year-old Corey Seager is the fourth- or fifth-best option at his position in free agency, we’ve officially reached the twilight zone. All five members in the “top of the class” bucket were first-round or supplemental first-round picks. In fact, all but Story, who “fell” to No. 45 overall, were selected inside the top 20. Correa was the No. 1 overall pick and isn’t even in the conversation for the best name on the list. All five were top 100 prospects. They’ve all made at least one All-Star team, and Correa is the only one of the bunch who hasn’t won a Silver Slugger (thanks largely to the fact that he shares a league with Lindor, who has won four in a row).
While the 2020-21 crop of free agents doesn’t have more than one total free agent who is a lock for a deal of six years or more in length, the 2021-22 class has five shortstops who could push for that length of contract given their track record, upside and in particular, their age. They won’t all get there, but right now we can’t rule any of them out.
Lindor seems like a lock, barring a catastrophic injury. Baez has some plate discipline questions but is an excellent defender and baserunner with plus power. Story’s defense probably doesn’t get enough attention, and he’s certainly not a bad hitter on the road. (There’s also some evidence to suggest that road performance is depressed for Rockies hitters, just as their home performance is bolstered, thanks to altitude issues.) Seager and Correa have been hit hard by injuries and would do well to avoid the IL between now and the conclusion of the 2021 season, but we’re talking about two shortstops on the right side of 30 with career wRC+ marks of 128 and 129, respectively, and 18-plus fWAR apiece through their first four-plus seasons (Seager despite missing nearly all of 2018 due to Tommy John surgery).
We’ll need to see just how free agency is hit by a season of diminished revenue in 2020 and what impact the expiring collective bargaining agreement has on open-market pricing. The current CBA expires in December 2021. And even if market circumstances are largely normal, to what extent will the sheer volume of quality shortstops available hurt the top players’ earning power? Right now, Lindor is the cream of the crop, but any of the five will have a bit harder time drumming up a true bidding war thanks to the presence of the others. All that said, the stage is set for some unprecedented fireworks thanks to what could very well be the best collection of shortstops we’ll ever see reach free agency at the same time.
Poll: Would You Watch KBO Broadcasts?
This morning’s report that ESPN is in the midst of seemingly productive talks to acquire the broadcast rights for Korea Baseball Organization games was met with a widely positive response in comments both here and on social media, although the potential arrival of KBO coverage in North America wasn’t universally lauded. While many fans would welcome any form of competitive baseball on television and relish a chance to see some former big leaguers suiting up with regularity, others questioned the level of competition (relative to MLB) and the awkwardness of watching televised games without fans in the stands.
KBO games coming to ESPN — and/or other major sports networks elsewhere in the world — isn’t yet a certainty but would at least provide some real-life baseball to follow if such an arrangement did come to fruition (no disrespect to the Players’ League in MLB The Show intended). I was perhaps remiss not to include a formal poll in this morning’s post on the topic, so let’s conduct a more formal survey here (link to poll for Trade Rumors mobile app users):
Would you watch broadcasts of KBO games?
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Yes, but only because there's no real alternative at the moment. 40% (4,410)
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I'd try a few games but can't see myself watching regularly. 27% (2,963)
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No, the lower quality of play and unfamiliar players don't interest me. 17% (1,835)
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I'd watch KBO games even if MLB were in full swing as well! 16% (1,730)
Total votes: 10,938
Latest On Michael Conforto’s Oblique Injury
Not long before the league shut down due to the ongoing pandemic, Mets right fielder Michael Conforto sustained an oblique strain that rendered him unlikely for Opening Day. The diagnosis came on March 11, just over two weeks from the since-postponed Opening Day, and the Mets didn’t provide a concrete timetable for Conforto’s expected return. The team still hasn’t put forth an official update on Conforto’s status — the indefinite delay to the season likely eliminated any urgency or obligation to do so — but the New York Post’s Mike Puma reports that Conforto is taking “regular” batting practice and appears to be largely back up to speed.
It’s been close to seven weeks since Conforto incurred what the club diagnosed as a Grade 1 strain of his right oblique. Grade 1 strains — the least severe on the scale — often sideline players for around a month or a bit more, although every injury situation is of course unique to the player in question. Still, it’s reasonable to expect based on his workout status and that historical context that Conforto would’ve been back up to speed by now. And it certainly stands to reason that whenever (or if) play is able to resume in 2020, that he’ll be ready to go for a second, abbreviated “spring” training camp.
The 27-year-old Conforto will be expected to play a pivotal role in the Mets’ offense, hitting in the heart of the order alongside the likes of reigning Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, J.D. Davis and a hopefully resurgent Robinson Cano. Conforto, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 draft, has solidified himself as the everyday right fielder and a well-above-average offensive contributor in parts of five seasons in Queens. He made his first All-Star team in 2017 and, over the past three years, has posted a combined .257/.363/.492 slash (129 wRC+, 131 OPS+) with 88 home runs, 74 doubles and three triples. He agreed to an $8MM salary this winter in his second trip through the arbitration process and remains under club control through the 2021 season.
ESPN Reportedly Nearing Agreement To Broadcast KBO Games
Less than a week after ESPN’s negotiations to acquire broadcast rights to Korea Baseball Organization games were reported to be all but dead, Jee-ho Yoo and Chang-yong Shin of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency now report that a deal is nearing completion. Yoo reported last week that ESPN had sought to acquire broadcast rights from Korean counterpart Eclat without any up-front payment — ultimately offering only a percentage of revenue if broadcasts proved profitable — despite the increased production costs for Eclat.
Additional details remain sparse at this time, though the Yonhap duo adds that the deal being discussed would allow ESPN to broadcast multiple KBO contests per week. South Korea’s 10-team league is slated to begin its regular season on May 5 — a bit more than five weeks after the initially scheduled season opener on March 28. The KBO season will begin without fans, although MBC’s Daniel Kim tweets that the league is discussing a plan to gradually allow fans back into stadiums, beginning with a 20-25 percent capacity and incrementally increasing from there.
[Related — Poll: would you watch KBO broadcasts?]
Several health regulations will be in place for players and gameday personnel as well (multiple tests per player prior to games, no spitting allowed, players and personnel in masks throughout the stadium except on the field/in the dugout, gloves and masks for umpires, strong discouragement of handshakes and high-fives). A player showing symptoms of COVID-19 will be immediately be tested and quarantined, while his stadium would be subject to a 48-hour closure for cleaning. A positive test from a player wouldn’t necessarily shut down the league but would prompt an immediate meeting between owners, league officials and health experts about the potential stoppage of play.
There’s still no concrete plan for when Major League Baseball can attempt to resume play (or whether it definitively will). The lack of baseball and other professional sports has been an obvious enormous strain not only on ESPN but all sports media outlets throughout the world. ESPN’s interest in airing some KBO play, then, isn’t surprising — but it’s also not without risk. Some sports-starved fans will surely flock to any competitive play, but there’s no guarantee on the extent of fan interest, and advertisers could be wary paying a hefty rate for an untested product in the United States.
For baseball fans, though, it’s an easy win — creating a readily accessible means of viewing one of the world’s top professional leagues and even offering a chance to see a handful of former big leaguers suiting up overseas. MLBTR ran through more than 30 former Major Leaguers who are set to play out the 2020 season in the KBO last week.
Which Former MLB Players Are Getting Ready To Play In The KBO?
The Korea Baseball Organization is set to open its regular season on May 5, without fans in attendance, and is already in the midst of its second preseason training camp. There have been reported talks to bring KBO games to a North American audience, although at this point there’s no deal in place to allow MLB fans to tune in broad-reaching, accessible fashion.
Still, as baseball-starved fans hope for some ability to monitor those games, it seems worth a rundown of which former big leaguers will be suiting up in the KBO for fans around the world to follow — even if it’s in box scores and highlight clips only. Here’s a look at some names you might recognize in the 10-team league (with a hefty tip of the cap to the indispensable MyKBO.net and MyKBOstats.com)…
Doosan Bears (2019 record: 88-55-1)
- Jose Miguel Fernandez, 1B/DH: The 32-year-old Fernandez was a notable signing out of Cuba by the Dodgers but never got a look with his original club. He latched on with the 2018 Angels and appeared in 36 games before heading to the KBO, where he posted a massive .344/.409/.483 slash even in a year that saw a leaguewide decrease in offense.
- Raul Alcantara, RHP: Alcantara, 27, pitched with the Athletics in 2016-17. He notched a 4.01 ERA in 172 2/3 with the KT Wiz in Korea last season before inking a deal with the Bears this past winter.
- Chris Flexen, RHP: Flexen struggled with the Mets from 2017-19 before signing up for his first overseas stint this past season. He had some success with the Mets’ Triple-A club and averaged a strikeout per inning at that level.
SK Wyverns (88-55-1)
- Nick Kingham, RHP: The longtime Pirates top prospect never put it together in 131 2/3 big league innings, but he’s still just 28 years old. He’ll be an interesting name to monitor with regard to a future return.
- Ricardo Pinto, RHP: The 26-year-old spent time with the Phillies, Rays and Giants organizations but struggled in limited MLB time.
- Jamie Romak, 1B: The 33-year-old Romak only has 39 MLB plate appearances on his track record, but he’s become a consistent offensive force in the KBO, hitting .283/.376/.544 in three seasons with the Wyverns.
Kiwoom Heroes (86-57-1)
- ByungHo Park, 1B: Park’s big free-agent deal with the Minnesota Twins didn’t pan out, but he’s posted an OPS north of 1.000 since returning to the Heroes two seasons ago.
- Taylor Motter, INF/OF: The versatile 30-year-old didn’t hit much in 141 MLB games between the Rays, Mariners and Twins. He’ll hope for an overseas breakout in 2020.
- Jake Brigham, RHP: Brigham, 32, only got a brief look with the 2015 Braves, but he’s entering his fourth KBO season — his second with the Heroes. In a total of 501 1/3 KBO innings, he’s posted a 3.72 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9.
- Eric Jokisch, LHP: An encouraging 2014 stint with the Cubs (three runs in 14 1/3 innings) never led to another MLB look for Jokisch, who bounced around the Triple-A circuit before turning in an impressive 3.13 ERA and 141-to-39 K/BB ratio in 181 1/3 frames in last year’s KBO debut.
LG Twins (79-64-1)
- Hyun-Soo Kim, OF: The former Oriole and Phillie returned to the KBO after a two-year MLB stint in 2016-17, signing a four-year, $10.7MM deal with LG. The “Hitting Machine,” as he was nicknamed in the KBO, posted an OPS north of 1.000 in his return and has largely picked up where he left off.
- Casey Kelly, RHP: The one-time star Red Sox prospect is now 30 years old and fresh off a 2.55 ERA, 6.3 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 through 180 1/3 innings in his first KBO season.
- Tyler Wilson, RHP: Wilson, also 30, floundered through 145 innings with the Orioles before finding himself with the LG Twins, for whom he’s tossed 355 innings with a 2.99 ERA, 7.3 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9.
- Roberto Ramos, 1B: One of the few players on this list who never appeared in the Majors, the 25-year-old Ramos is a former Rockies prospect who signed on for his first season of Asian ball after hitting .309/.400/.580 in Triple-A last year.
NC Dinos (73-69-2)
- Aaron Altherr, OF: One of the more recognizable names on the list, Altherr at times looked like a budding star with the Phillies. He fizzled out after some notable injuries, though, and is will make his KBO debut at 29 this year.
- Mike Wright, RHP: Another former O’s hurler, Wright appeared in parts of five seasons with Baltimore. He had his share of success in Triple-A (3.76 ERA) but regularly struggled in the big leagues (6.00 ERA in 258 frames). He’s making his KBO debut this season as well.
- Drew Rucinski, RHP: The 31-year-old saw time with the Angels, Twins and most recently the Marlins (2018). He returns to the Dinos after pitching 177 2/3 frames of 3.05 ERA ball in 2019 (6.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9).
KT Wiz (71-71-2)
- Odrisamer Despaigne, RHP: The 2020 season will be the first in the KBO for the 33-year-old Despaigne — a six-year MLB veteran who has tallied 363 innings in the big leagues.
- Jae-Gyun Hwang, 3B: The (San Francisco) Giants signed Hwang back in 2017 but never gave him a long look despite a memorable home run in his MLB debut. He’s a productive regular in the KBO once again, having signed a four-year, $7.9MM deal with the Wiz prior to the 2018 season.
- Mel Rojas Jr., OF: The 29-year-old Rojas never got a chance with the Pirates or Braves, and he’s now one of the KBO’s top hitters. In three seasons with the Wiz, Rojas has mashed at a .310/.377/.561 clip. He’s hit 30 homers in consecutive seasons.
- William Cuevas, RHP: Cuevas, 29, got a cup of coffee with both the Red Sox and Tigers before jumping to the KBO and posting a 3.62 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 184 innings last year.
Kia Tigers (62-80-2)
- Preston Tucker, OF: The former Astros prospect had a hot start with the ’18 Braves but faded quickly. He’s set for a second season with the Tigers after hitting .311/.381/.479 in last year’s debut effort.
- Aaron Brooks, RHP: Brooks, 30 next week, pitched for the A’s, Royals and O’s between 2014-19 but struggled to a 6.49 ERA in 179 2/3 innings. He’s set for his KBO debut.
- Drew Gagnon, RHP: A third-round pick of the Brewers in 2011, Gagnon saw MLB action with the Mets in 2018-19 but performed poorly. He had a bit 2019 season in Triple-A (2.33 ERA in 88 2/3 innings), which helped attract interest overseas.
Samsung Lions (60-83-1)
- Seunghwan Oh, RHP: Oh enjoyed a quality four-year run with the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Rockies before undergoing elbow surgery last summer and heading back to the Lions, for whom he starred for nine seasons as one of the best relievers in league history (a tenure that earned him his incredible “Final Boss” nickname).
- Tyler Saladino, INF: The former White Sox utilityman saw MLB time with the Brewers in 2018-19 and now heads to South Korea for the first time at 30 years of age.
- David Buchanan, RHP: Buchanan hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since a 2014-15 run with the Phillies. He’s spent the past three seasons with Japan’s Yakult Swallows, working to a 4.07 ERA in 433 innings — mostly working as a starter.
- Ben Lively, RHP: A prospect of some note for a bit with the Phillies, Lively had a solid MLB debut in ’17 but never further established himself. He gave the Lions 57 innings of 3.95 ERA ball after signing midseason in 2019.
Hanwha Eagles (58-86)
- Jared Hoying, OF: Hoying barely got a look with the Rangers in 2016-17, but he’s compiled a .296/.355/.519 slash in two seasons with the Eagles so far.
- Warwick Saupold, RHP: The Aussie hurler managed a 4.98 ERA in three seasons with the Tigers before taking his 80-grade name to the KBO. In last year’s 192-inning debut, he logged a 3.51 ERA.
- Chad Bell, LHP: Bell and Saupold were teammates with the Tigers. Both debuted in the KBO last year, and Bell’s 3.50 ERA is a near-identical match to his longtime teammate.
Lotte Giants (48-93-3)
- Dan Straily, RHP: The most accomplished pitcher on this list, Straily racked up 495 1/3 innings of 4.03 ERA ball with the Reds and Marlins from 2016-18 before his production fell off a cliff in 2019. He’ll hope to rebound on a one-year, $1MM deal with the Giants.
- Dae-ho Lee, 1B: The 37-year-old slugger came to the Majors for one season with the 2016 Mariners before returning to Korea on a four-year, $12.9MM contract that represented the largest deal in KBO history at the time. Lee’s bat faded in 2019, but he mashed 37 homers with a .987 OPS in 2018.
- Adrian Sampson, RHP: The 31-year-old comes to the Giants for his own KBO debut with a solid Triple-A track record but an ugly 5.71 ERA in 153 MLB innings.
- Dixon Machado, INF: Yet another former Tiger, Machado spent 2019 with the Cubs’ Triple-A club, where he hit .261/.371/.480 before agreeing to a deal with Lotte this winter.
Report: ESPN Inquired About Free Broadcast Rights To KBO Games
The Korea Baseball Organization’s preseason is in full swing, with a May 5 start to its regular season (sans fans in attendance) on the calendar. The resumption of play in the KBO has attracted some attention from ESPN, it seems, but Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reports that the media powerhouse sought to acquire broadcast rights from Korean media counterpart Eclat free of charge. Unsurprisingly, that was a non-starter in negotiations.
ESPN also floated the proposal of paying Eclat once it had secured a profit from KBO broadcasts, per the Yonhap report, but they’ve only been interested in month-to-month contracts that would allow them to drop KBO programming once MLB and other major domestic sporting entities resume play. According to Yoo, Eclat and the KBO felt “disrespected” by ESPN throughout their talks.
That said, it seems that ESPN isn’t the only foreign broadcast company interested in picking up the rights to KBO play. Daniel Kim of South Korea’s Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) tweets that KBO official Jin Hyung Lee tells him other networks have expressed interest in acquiring KBO television rights — including at least one non-U.S. network. (Kim speculates that Canada would make sense, which indeed seems plausible.) Perhaps, then, it’s possible for North American baseball fans to eventually find themselves with easy access to KBO play in the absence of Major League Baseball.
The Eleven Sports Network in Taiwan has already been streaming some games from the Chinese Professional Baseball League free of charge and with an English commentary team in place (which The Athletic’s Marc Carig recently profiled at length). That’s one option for sports-starved fans around the globe, but it seems Korean-based Eclat is understandably not enamored of taking on increased production costs and giving away its coverage of the larger KBO without compensation. The Korean league is on board with that thinking, as Yoo quotes a KBO official indicating that Eclat shouldn’t have to incur losses simply to air KBO games on ESPN.
The KBO season opener is still 12 days away, and the league is hopeful of being able to play an full 144-game schedule with a dramatic reduction of off-days and a heavy dose of doubleheaders to make up for the month-plus of the season that has already been lost.
Jose Bautista On Potential Return To MLB
Earlier this spring, longtime Blue Jays star Jose Bautista found himself in headlines when reports emerged suggesting that the two-time AL home run champ was contemplating a comeback bid as a two-way player after not suiting up in 2019. Former teammate Marcus Stroman posted some videos of the two working out together, including video of Bautista pitching, which only fueled the story.
The 39-year-old Bautista appeared on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM this week to discuss his future in the game (Twitter link, with audio). While he isn’t ruling out anything with regard to working on the mound, Bautista also made clear that he’s not actively seeking a chance to pitch and considers himself a hitter above all else.
I’ve never stated that it was my plan or desire to make it to the big leagues as a big league pitcher. … That being said, I was working out with Stroman all offseason. He’s local to Tampa. He’s my really good friend, he needed a throwing partner, and I just got on his program to help him out and have fun with it. He since has posted a few pictures and videos of me going through the routine with him, which has led to a lot of speculation — needless to say. I’m a hitter. … I would entertain an opportunity to get back to the big leagues as a hitter. … If somebody calls me and says, ‘Hey, you want to be a two-way guy?’ I’d be a fool to say no. That’s kind of the way I look at it.
Bautista went on to note that he’s not banking on anything and would be staying in shape regardless of his playing status, but it seems he’d approach any opportunity to return with an open mind. His bat dropped off notably in his final two big league seasons, when he slashed a combined .203/.323/.371 in 1085 plate appearances between the Blue Jays, Braves, Mets and Phillies. Even in the midst of that downturn, though, Bautista demonstrated a keen eye (13.9 percent walk rate) and solid power (36 home runs, .168 ISO). His 25.8 percent strikeout rate was up about 10 percent from his peak years but not egregiously high in today’s game.
Whether Bautista received any interest on minor league deals over the past couple of offseasons isn’t clear, although it stands to reason that if the league adopts a universal DH and/or expands rosters to 29-plus players for a shortened 2020 season — both have reportedly been discussed — Bautista could become a more appealing target. It’s eminently possible that we’ve seen the last of “Joey Bats” in the Majors and likely that we’ll never get to break out a “Joey Sliders” moniker in earnest, but the six-time All-Star still isn’t quite closing the door on another run.
Pirates Provide Updates On Injured Pitchers
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk provided reporters with an update on a trio of injured pitchers Wednesday, giving generally positive news on lefty Steven Brault and righties Jameson Taillon and Clay Holmes (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel).
Brault, who’ll turn 28 next week, is in the “advanced” stages of his rehab from a shoulder strain and should begin throwing in the next three to five days. The southpaw was shut down in Spring Training and was initially slated to be reevaluated two weeks after that date, but at last check he was three-plus weeks removed from the stoppage of his throwing program without much of an update. By the time he resumes throwing, Brault will have been sidelined for nearly two months. He’s functioned as both a starter and reliever for the Bucs over the past four seasons and should be an oft-used piece in both roles again if the 2020 season is able to get underway.
Taillon, meanwhile, resumed throwing after a “scheduled” break in his rehab process. The former No. 2 overall draft pick made good on his longstanding top prospect billing with a brilliant 2018 season (191 innings, 3.20 ERA, 3.46 FIP, 8.4 K/9, 2.2 BB/9) but struggled in 2019 before landing on the shelf and ultimately undergoing his second career Tommy John surgery. Taillon, who won’t pitch in 2020 regardless of the season’s structure, remains under Pirates control through the 2022 season.
As for Holmes, the fractured foot he sustained in Spring Training has now healed in full. He’s in the process of ramping his throwing program back up and is slated to throw on a slope before week’s end. The 27-year-old had a miserable season both in the big leagues and the minors in 2019, but his 2018 campaign in Triple-A featured 95 1/3 innings of 3.40 ERA ball with 9.4 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a whopping 60 percent ground-ball rate. Holmes is out of minor league options, so he’ll likely be a part of the roster whenever play picks back up, giving the club an option at the back of the rotation or perhaps in a long relief capacity.