Zaidi On Giants’ Rotation, Bullpen, Dubon, Backup Catcher
The Giants have a whopping 71 players in Major League Spring Training this season — a testament to an active offseason in terms of minor league free agency and also a reflection of the lack of certainty on a roster that is still being retooled by a new regime. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi appeared on KNBR’s Murph & Mac Show yesterday to discuss the state of the roster, echoing at multiple points that “competition is going to be the theme of this camp” (full audio of the 18-minute interview).
Not surprisingly, Zaidi dubbed both Kevin Gausman and Drew Smyly, who each signed one-year Major League deals this winter, as likely members of the rotation. As for the fifth spot behind Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Gausman and Smyly, the Giants’ president named right-hander right-handers Tyler Beede, Logan Webb and Dereck Rodriguez as well as lefty Andrew Suarez as possible options to win the job.
While there’s really only one spot available on the starting staff, that’s far from the case with respect to San Francisco’s relief corps. “Our bullpen is going to be pretty wide open,” Zaidi acknowledged. “…We’ve had some guys really impress. Matt Carasiti, Rico Garcia were both really impressive a couple days ago.”
That open competition is partly by design and partly by circumstance. The club surely hoped that righty Reyes Moronta would anchor a high-leverage spot in 2020, but shoulder surgery late in the ’19 campaign will sideline him for most, if not all of the upcoming season. Will Smith departed via free agency, taking an early three-year deal with the Braves. Zaidi & Co. traded both Mark Melancon and Sam Dyson, each of whom was controlled through 2020, at last year’s deadline. What was arguably the Giants’ greatest strength entering the 2019 season quickly became a blank canvas for 2020.
So, who’s in the mix? Likely closer Tony Watson and out-of-options righty Trevor Gott are the only two relievers on the roster who threw even 30 innings out of the ‘pen last season. It’s possible that any of the aforementioned quartet of fifth-starter candidates could transition to a relief role. Tyler Rogers, Sam Coonrod and Jandel Gustave all received auditions in the bullpen last year, with Rogers (the twin brother of Twins closer Taylor Rogers) looking particularly impressive. Elsewhere on the 40-man roster, waiver claim Jarlin Garcia is out of minor league options, and Rule 5 pick Dany Jimenez is in a similar make-the-team-or-get-the-boot scenario.
The Giants moved prospect Shaun Anderson to the bullpen last year, and his name was notably absent when Zaidi discussed potential fifth starters. That’s also true of veteran non-roster invitees Trevor Cahill and Tyson Ross. One shouldn’t necessarily read Zaidi’s omission of those names in an off-the-cuff setting as a clear statement that they’re being viewed as bullpen-only pieces, but both Cahill and Ross have worked as relievers in the past, and it’s clear the bullpen offers a broader avenue to making the team. Beyond Carasiti and Garcia, both named by Zaidi, the Giants have veterans Jerry Blevins, Nick Vincent and Andrew Triggs in camp on non-roster deals.
Zaidi spent less time discussing the battles on the position-player side of things, but he did offer some insight into the role of Mauricio Dubon. It’s been suggested that the Giants will get the former Red Sox/Brewers infield prospect — acquired in last summer’s Drew Pomeranz/Ray Black swap — some work in center field. Zaidi made the organization’s plans for Dubon rather clear.
“He’s really embraced that possibility of moving around,” Zaidi said of the 25-year-old Dubon. “He obviously he played shortstop the first day [of Cactus League play]. Hopefully we get him out there in center field pretty soon. … He knows the more spots he can play, the more options he’s going to give Gabe and the staff, and the more at-bats he’s going to get. He’s fully embraced that.”
Playing Dubon all over the diamond will allow the club to take a longer look at non-roster invitee Yolmer Sanchez for second base. The Giants also have veteran utilityman Donovan Solano and former Rays prospect Kean Wong (younger brother of the Cardinals’ Kolten Wong) to evaluate. And with an outfield mix that is, by Zaidi’s own admission, somewhat unsettled in its own right, a successful acclimation to outfield work by Dubon (even on a part-time basis) would help shore things up.
With such a wide level of options already competing for roster spots, one might assume the Giants are done adding, but that’s not necessarily the case. The Giants’ catching depth took a hit when presumptive backup Aramis Garcia suffered a hip injury that required surgical repair — possibly sidelining him for the whole season. Rob Brantly and Tyler Heineman had already been inked as depth options behind Garcia, but that duo is now battling for a spot on the Opening Day roster … unless the Giants acquire another option.
“[Brantly and Heineman] both have legitimate shots,” Zaidi said. “But we also told those guys, ‘Hey, we may go out and get somebody else. Either somebody else who’s in the competition or maybe even jumps to the front of the line.’ So those guys are aware of that, and we’ll keep an eye out. We’ll keep looking for the best possible option.”
The catching market has been largely picked over, although Russell Martin stands out as a notable veteran option who still boasts quality on-base and defensive skills. Any number of veterans who signed minor league deals elsewhere could potentially opt out of said deals or be cut loose, replenishing some of the open-market options. The waiver wire, of course, always presents another avenue from which Zaidi has never shied away. The bulk of the Giants’ offseason work in terms of player acquisition is done, but Zaidi and his staff still have a landslide of decisions to make over the next four weeks.
Dodgers Shut Down Jimmy Nelson’s Throwing Program
Dodgers right-hander Jimmy Nelson has been shut down for the time being after experiencing a setback following yesterday’s bullpen session, tweets Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Nelson has been dealing with back and groin pain early in camp and felt renewed discomfort in his groin after the session. There’s no timetable set for him at present.
Nelson, 30, was a known health risk at the time he signed a heavily incentive-laden deal — a reality that was reflected both in his relatively modest $1.25MM guarantee and the $1MM bonus he’d receive simply for making the Opening Day roster. Nelson’s contract also contains $500K bonuses for spending 45 and 90 days on the active roster, as well as another $1.5MM of unlockable bonuses based on innings pitched. The deal’s low-cost, $2MM team option would become a $5MM mutual option if Nelson is on the mound enough, and the base of that option can also rise based on his innings totals.
Suffice it to say, the Dodgers knew that Nelson was a risky but high-upside signing when handing out that $1.25MM guarantee. The right-hander didn’t pitch at all in 2018 due to late-2017 shoulder surgery, and he was slowed by elbow and shoulder troubles in 2019. Overall, he’s pitched just 22 MLB innings since undergoing surgery in Sept. 2017.
A healthy Nelson, though, is a highly intriguing addition to any pitching staff. During that 2017 campaign, he racked up 175 2/3 innings of 3.49 ERA ball (3.05 FIP) with 10.2 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and 0.82 HR/9. A former second-round pick and top 100 MLB prospect, Nelson has a strong pedigree, terrific numbers in the upper minors and, in 2017, looked to be emerging as a high-quality arm with the Brewers.
Whether he’ll deliver on any of that potential with the Dodgers remains to be seen. For now, he’ll focus on rehabbing what he and the club hope to be minor issues in an effort to contribute in any way possible with his new club. The Dodgers currently boast a deep rotation mix with Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, David Price, Alex Wood and Julio Urias likely in the top five. Ross Stripling, and top-notch prospects Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin are among the plentiful depth options L.A. has cultivated, although May has been slowed by some injury troubles of his own and hasn’t thrown since the first day of camp. As such, Nelson seemed likelier to emerge as a bullpen option, but he’ll need to get back up to strength before he’s an option in either role.
Cubs’ Brad Wieck Undergoes Cardiac Ablation Procedure
Cubs lefty Brad Wieck underwent a cardiac ablation procedure to prevent the recurrence of an intermittent atrial flutter that was discovered during his annual spring physical, the team announced. He’ll rest and rehab from the procedure next week before being reevaluated, at which point a timeline for his return to the mound will become clearer. A return in a few weeks’ time isn’t out of the question though, ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers tweets.
The Cubs acquired Wieck, 28, in the trade that sent righty Carl Edwards Jr. to the Padres prior to last year’s trade deadline. The lefty didn’t make his Cubs debut until being brought to the big leagues as a September call-up, but he gave the team some reason for optimism when he held opponents to four runs on two hits and four walks with 18 strikeouts in 10 innings (3.60 ERA, 2.71 FIP).
Wieck’s previous work with the Padres had been unsightly (18 runs in 24 2/3 innings), but his ability to miss bats was on full display there as well. In total, Wieck has tossed 41 2/3 innings in the big leagues, and while his 4.97 ERA in that time isn’t much to look at, his 59-to-13 K/BB ratio is certainly intriguing. Notably, he’s fared better against righties (.287 wOBA) than lefties (.307) in his young career.
If Wieck isn’t ready to go to begin the season, Kyle Ryan becomes the Cubs’ lone plausible left-handed bullpen option on the 40-man roster. Prospect Justin Steele is on the 40-man but has yet to pitch above the Double-A level (where he struggled in 2019). The only other lefties on the 40-man roster are Jon Lester and Jose Quintana.
That could open the door for a non-roster invitee like Tyler Olson, Rex Brothers, Danny Hultzen or CD Pelham to get a look, although the Cubs could also just roll with a primarily right-handed relief corps early in the season as well. Wieck himself wasn’t a lock for a spot, given that he has a minor league option remaining, though his September showing put him in a good position.
Indians’ Emmanuel Clase Out 8-12 Weeks With Teres Major Strain
The Indians received another injury blow Thursday, as an MRI revealed a moderate strain of the teres major muscle in hard-throwing young reliever Emmanuel Clase‘s back (Twitter link via Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon-Journal). Clase, the main player Cleveland received in the trade that sent Corey Kluber to the Rangers, is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks of game activity.
If the injury sounds familiar to Indians fans, that’s because it’s the same muscle strain that sidelined right-hander Mike Clevinger for more than two months early in the 2019 season. Clevinger landed on the IL on April 9 and was able to make it back on the shorter end of that timetable — returning to action in just under 10 weeks’ time, on June 17.
The loss of Clase is tough for the Indians not only because it leaves them with only Delino DeShields Jr. as an immediate return for Kluber but also because Clase had been expected to be a key late-inning weapon for manager Terry Francona. Clase made his big league debut at just 21 years old last year, showing off a triple-digit sinker that helped him pitch to a 2.31 ERA with a 21-to-6 K/BB ratio and a whopping 60.6 percent ground-ball rate in 23 1/3 innings of work.
Clase has been heralded as a potential closer of the future in the Indians organization, although for the time being (once healthy), he’s likely to serve as a setup piece for All-Star closer Brad Hand. With Clase sidelined, the Indians will likely look to right-hander Nick Wittgren as the primary setup option for Hand. Other options in the ‘pen include veteran lefty Oliver Perez, as well as right-handers Adam Cimber and Hunter Wood. There’s a fair bit of competition for the final few bullpen spots to begin the season — particularly now that Clase will begin the season on the 15-day injured list. (Remember: Major League Baseball upped the minimum IL stay for pitchers from 10 to 15 days, effective in 2020.)
While it’s a disheartening start to the beginning of Clase’s Indians tenure, he’ll have plenty of time to make an impact with his new club. Clase has yet to accrue a full year of MLB service time, though he’ll likely cross that threshold at some point in 2020. He’s under team control through at least the 2025 season and won’t even be eligible for arbitration until the completion of the 2022 season.
Health Notes: Clase, Nimmo, May, Stock
The Indians are awaiting the results of an MRI on flamethrowing relief prospect Emmanuel Clase, the team told reporters Wednesday (link via Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer). The 21-year-old righty has been feeling discomfort in his latissimus dorsi recently, including during yesterday’s throwing session, per GM Mike Chernoff. Clase, armed with a triple-digit sinker, was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Corey Kluber to Texas over the winter. Cleveland received the young righty and backup outfielder Delino DeShields Jr. in that swap, so any notable injury for Clase would leave the team with a part-time outfielder (and, of course, salary relief) as the immediate return for Kluber. If healthy, Clase should factor prominently into the Cleveland ‘pen in 2020. He made his MLB debut in 2019, pitching to a 2.31 ERA with a 21-to-6 K/BB ratio in 23 1/3 innings of relief for the Rangers.
Some more injury situations worth monitoring…
- Brandon Nimmo gave Mets fans something of a scare today, though details surrounding his status are still somewhat sparse. Nimmo was scratched from today’s game after the team’s cardiologist recommended that he undergo additional cardiac testing, the club told reporters (Twitter link via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). Manager Luis Rojas eventually labeled the extra tests as “precautionary” and downplayed the severity of the issue, but it’s certainly out of the ordinary to see players go through multiple waves of cardiac examinations. The 26-year-old Nimmo missed a good chunk of the 2019 season due to neck issues and hit .221/.375/.407 through 254 plate appearances when healthy. Nimmo has been an on-base machine in his career, as evidenced by a lifetime .254/.387/.440 slash, but the 2018 season remains the only year in which he’s even played 70 games at the MLB level.
- Prized Dodgers pitching prospect Dustin May is still being slowed by muscle pain in his side and hasn’t thrown off a mound since the first day of camp, tweets MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick. May impressed in his MLB debut in 2019, pitching to a 3.63 ERA with 32 strikeouts and just five walks in 34 2/3 innings of work despite the fact that he just turned 22 this past September. He ranks within the game’s top 25 overall prospects at Baseball America, FanGraphs, MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus and The Athletic. However, between the acquisition of David Price, the return of Alex Wood and May’s early discomfort, it’s not clear whether the touted young righty will factor into the Opening Day mix for the Dodgers. He should play a significant role on their pitching staff in 2020 regardless, but he’s a ways behind the rest of the club’s pitchers in camp at this point.
- Perhaps no team has seen more bullpen injuries than the Phillies over the past year, and it seems that trend is continuing. Manager Joe Girardi tells Matt Gelb of The Athletic that right-hander Robert Stock is dealing with forearm tightness — possibly a flexor tendon issue. That’s an ominous outlook for any pitcher, though at this point there’s no timetable or definitive diagnosis, as he’s still undergoing testing. Stock, 30, is far from a household name but is on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, so a notable absence would likely lead to some additional moves. He spent the past two seasons with the Padres, struggling through 10 2/3 innings in 2019 but posting a sharp 2.50 ERA with just under a strikeout per inning in 39 2/3 frames back in 2018.
Diamondbacks, Dalton Pompey Agree To Minor League Deal
The D-backs have agreed to a deal with outfielder Dalton Pompey, per Sportsnet’s Jamie Campbell (Twitter link). It’s surely a minor league pact for Pompey, who has acknowledged the new opportunity himself in some replies on Twitter.
Now 27 years old, Pompey was once considered to be among the game’s premier prospects. During the 2014-15 offseason, Baseball America rated him as high as 30th overall among minor leaguers, while both MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus ranked him inside the top 50. In the preceding season, Pompey had skyrocketed from Class-A Advanced to the Majors, hitting a combined .317/.392/.469 with nine homers, 22 doubles, nine triples and 43 stolen bases across his three minor league stops. Even his .231/.302/.436 output in 43 big league plate appearances were impressive, considering that he was a 21-year-old who’d never played above A-ball as of Opening Day that season.
The switch-hitting Pompey had another productive season in the upper minors in 2015 but struggled in 103 MLB plate appearances. Still, the sky appeared to be the limit for the 22-year-old, who was heralded as a plus defender with a high-end hit tool and blazing speed that made him a threat on the basepaths and anytime he put the ball in play.
Sadly, Pompey’s career has been waylaid by injuries — most notably a series of concussions. He barely played in either 2017 or 2019 due to concussions troubles, and a wrist injury limited him to 57 games in 2018. In total, over the past four seasons, Pompey has been able to suit up for just 188 games between the big leagues and the minors — an average of only 47 contests per year. By the time the 2019 season rolled around, he’d exhausted all of his minor league options; the Blue Jays were forced to designate him for assignment in July, at which point he went unclaimed on waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A. Pompey became a free agent at season’s end.
It’s been six years since Pompey debuted in the Majors, which makes it seem like he’s older than he is, but he won’t even turn 28 until next December. He has plenty of hurdles to clear before he can be considered as an option to resurface in the Majors, and the D-backs have a deep outfield mix that’s controllable for the foreseeable future. David Peralta signed a three-year extension earlier this winter, while the Snakes acquired the final two seasons of Starling Marte‘s contract in a trade with the Pirates, and free agent Kole Calhoun signed a two-year deal with a third-year option. Standout second baseman/center fielder Ketel Marte is also signed long-term, while backup outfielder Tim Locastro can be controlled another five years.
Still, the D-backs will give Pompey a proving ground to attempt to demonstrate that his injury troubles are behind him. And with a strong, healthy showing in camp and/or in the upper minors, he could position himself as one of the first lines of defense in the event of an injury at the MLB level.
Red Sox, Padres Unlikely To Line Up On Myers Swap
The Red Sox have been linked to various permutations of trades involving Padres outfielder Wil Myers this offseason — including as recently as last week. However, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe now reports that the two sides are “unlikely” to line up on an agreement. The Red Sox’ interest in working out a trade was largely a means of attempting to purchase some minor league and/or controllable MLB talent by absorbing part of the remaining three years and $61MM on Myers’ contract.
It’s not a surprise to see the Red Sox seeking creative ways to bolster their farm and their stock of MLB-ready rotation options. Boston’s farm landed 22nd of 30 in Baseball America’s February ranking of the game’s best minor league systems, and the back of their rotation looks perilously thin. Beyond Chris Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez and Nathan Eovaldi, the Red Sox will likely rely on reclamation project Martin Perez and an unproven internal option (or options).
Among the candidates vying for the fifth starter’s job are Hector Velazquez, Matt Hall, Chris Mazza, Mike Shawaryn, Ryan Weber and Kyle Hart. A clear winner might not be declared, as the Sox could shuffle a number of names through that spot or even deploy an opener every fifth day. And, of course, Sale and Eovaldi were far from 100 percent healthy in 2019. The added depth such a move would bring about would be particularly valuable in Boston.
As for the Padres, while it’s logical that they’d want to get out from some of the remaining Myers money, Speier indicates that the club isn’t interested in depleting its depth just to save money at this time. Shipping a Cal Quantrill or Joey Lucchesi to Boston thins out their starting depth, and there’s no real means of improving the roster quality right now outside of an additional trade. Bringing a third club into the mix — as has been previously rumored — would give the Padres more options but obviously comes with additional layers of complexity. With Opening Day just one month away, the time to put together a deal of that magnitude is waning. (Not that Opening Day is a deadline, per se, but notable trades early in the regular season are a rarity.)
Even if Myers remains in San Diego to begin the season, rumors centering around the former Rookie of the Year will surely persist into the summer. The Padres’ outfield will consist of Tommy Pham, Trent Grisham and Franchy Cordero. Myers, Josh Naylor and non-roster invitee Juan Lagares are on hand as additional options, and the club also has yet-to-debut outfielders Edward Olivares and Jorge Ona on the 40-man roster — though neither has played above Double-A. The outfield has been something of a revolving door in San Diego over the past couple of seasons, but the team’s depth remains strong, and Myers is very arguably superfluous — particularly given his significant salary.
With the Friars set to open the year at a club-record $153MM payroll, it stands to reason that a successful jettison of even part of Myers’ salary would give general manager A.J. Preller additional room to improve the club this summer and to make further additions next offseason. As evidenced by the apparently unproductive talks with the Red Sox and the lack of success in prior efforts to deal Myers, however, bringing that idea into actuality is a rather challenging task.
Giancarlo Stanton Questionable For Opening Day Following Calf Injury
In yet another bit of unwelcome injury news for the Yankees, manager Aaron Boone told reporters Wednesday that Giancarlo Stanton sustained a calf injury while working in the outfield yesterday (Twitter link via Joel Sherman of the New York Post). Stanton has already undergone an MRI, which revealed a Grade 1 strain in his ailing right calf. Boone suggested that Stanton will “be down for a bit” and implied that the slugger could miss time early in the season.
If the mounting rash of injuries in Yankees camp are beginning to feel familiar, that’s probably because the New York organization endured similar health struggles in 2019. The Yankees have already lost James Paxton for at least the first month of the season due to back surgery and lost Luis Severino for the year due to Tommy John surgery. Right fielder Aaron Judge has also been slowed by shoulder troubles so far and has yet to get into a Grapefruit League.
The Yankees can still lean on an alignment of Judge, Brett Gardner and Mike Tauchman. Stanton figures to rotate between the outfield corners and the designated hitter slot, the latter of which could now be filled more regularly by Miguel Andujar and Mike Ford in Stanton’s absence. If Stanton is indeed on the IL to open the season, that could increase Clint Frazier‘s chances of opening the season on the Major League club.
Stanton, acquired in December 2017, enjoyed a strong ’18 campaign with the Yankees when he hit .266/.343/.509 with 38 homers. Biceps and knee injuries limited Stanton to just 18 regular season games in 2019, and the 2020 season isn’t off to a much better start. At this point, it’s not clear that Stanton will miss much of the regular season, but a Grade 1 strain is the least severe degree of strain. Barring setbacks, it shouldn’t be a long-term issue, and he could have time to ramp back up for a productive year.
The 30-year-old Stanton is being paid $26MM in 2020 under the terms of the then-record 13-year, $325MM deal he signed with the Marlins prior to the 2015 season. He’ll have the opportunity to opt out of his contract at the end of the 2020 season, although it’s extraordinarily difficult to envision him walking away from the remaining seven years and $218MM he’d be owed from 2021-27.
White Sox, Yoan Moncada Have Reportedly Held Preliminary Extension Talks
The White Sox have opened negotiations on a contract extension with third baseman Yoan Moncada‘s newly hired representatives at the Movement Management Group, as first reported by James Fox of FutureSox.com (Twitter link). Bruce Levine of 670 The Score writes that the two sides have had only “initial” talks but cautions that no deal is close at this time. Asked directly about the rumored talks, Moncada himself said he was not aware of any current talks but voiced a desire to stay with the White Sox “for a very long time” (link via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times).
Moncada, 24, is already under club control through the 2023 season and won’t be eligible for arbitration until next winter. Both Fox and Levine note that a potential extension would likely be the largest in White Sox franchise history. Currently, Yasmani Grandal‘s four-year, $73MM deal is the largest the Sox have ever issued.
The switch-hitting Moncada was one of the highest-profile international free agents in history and agreed to a $31.5MM signing bonus with the Red Sox back in 2015. He was arguably the game’s top overall prospect when Boston sent him to Chicago as the headliner in the Chris Sale blockbuster, and while it took some time, Moncada broke out in a big way this past season.
In 559 plate appearances in 2019, Moncada hit .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs, 34 doubles, five triples and 10 stolen bases — all while cutting his strikeout rate by nearly six percent (from 33.4 to 27.5). Reviews of his glovework were a bit mixed; Defensive Runs Saved pegged him at -7 runs, but Ultimate Zone Rating (4.3) and Outs Above Average (5) both graded Moncada as an above-average defender.
As for what to expect from the extension itself, the number of recent comparables aren’t exactly plentiful. Alex Bregman secured a five-year, $100MM deal a year ago when he was in the same service class that Moncada finds himself right now. That deal technically begins in 2020 and bought out Bregman’s three arbitration years and two would-be free-agent campaigns. Moncada’s 2019 season wasn’t as strong as Bregman’s 2018 platform, but his power numbers and counting stats will play similarly well in arbitration, giving him strong earning potential from 2021-23 (his would-be arb seasons). If the Sox are comfortable offering a term of six or more seasons, then a Moncada extension could well approach or even exceed that $100MM plateau.
From a broad perspective, an extension for Moncada would represent the continuation of the White Sox’ efforts to keep the young core they spent years trying to acquire for the long haul. Chicago signed outfielders Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert to long-term deals before either played his first MLB game. Shortstop Tim Anderson was signed to a six-year deal with a pair of club options prior to the 2017 season, and just this past weekend, left-hander Aaron Bummer was signed to a five-year contract.
Yankees Likely To Rely On Internal Rotation Options
The news that Luis Severino will miss the 2020 season due to Tommy John surgery was a devastating blow for the Yankees — one that already has many fans debating which pitchers can be acquired in exchange for prospects. General manager Brian Cashman, however, downplayed the possibility of adding an arm from outside the organization.
“You rely on your depth,” Cashman said in aftermath of the Severino announcement (Twitter link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). “I wouldn’t expect any domino effect or cause and effect in terms of us being able to go to marketplace. The winter marketplace this time of year, it doesn’t exist.”
To Cashman’s point, it’s difficult to imagine a club trading off a significant rotation piece at this juncture of the offseason. The GM did acknowledge that he’s always on the lookout for means to improve the club, regardless of circumstances, so it’s likely he’ll at least explore the trade market to some extent. But most teams have set their rosters at this point. And even rebuilding clubs with some assets to sell off might still hold out for a godfather offer that the Yankees simply won’t pay.
Perhaps the Yankees could look to a few of the yet-unsigned veterans on the market — Jason Vargas, Clay Buchholz and Clayton Richard are still free agents — but it’s not clear that any are clear upgrades over what the Yankees have in house. With Severino and James Paxton IL-bound to open the season, it’s likely that southpaw Jordan Montgomery will step into the fourth spot in the rotation behind Gerrit Cole, Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ. In-house candidates for the fifth spot include Luis Cessa, Jonathan Loaisiga, Mike King and prospect Deivi Garcia. Non-roster right-handers Chad Bettis and Nick Tropeano may also see their odds of cracking the Opening Day roster in the wake of the Severino news.
As Spring Training progresses, it’ll be interesting to see if the Yankees inquire on any other veterans who signed non-roster deals with other clubs. Most veterans who agree to minor league pacts have spring opt-out dates baked into the deals. It’s possible that some familiar names could return to the market and become options for New York.