West Notes: Utley, Kimbrel, Astros, Padres
The suspension appeal for Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley has been delayed, reports the Associated Press. Utley was suspended two games for his role in the play that broke Ruben Tejada‘s leg in Game 2 of the NLDS. However, with the Dodgers eliminated from the postseason, there is less urgency to conduct the appeal immediately. This is the first notable example of a player being suspended for overzealously attempting to break-up a double play. If the suspension is ultimately upheld, Utley will be suspended for the first two contest of 2016. The Dodgers hold a club option on Utley valued between $5MM and $11MM, based on days spent on the disabled list.
Here’s more from the West divisions..
- Utley’s hearing will be postponed until later this year or possibly next spring, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter links). The CBA mandates that the hearing must take place within 14 days after the player has filed the appeal, but the hearings can be postponed upon mutual agreement between the parties involved. The appeal will be heard by MLB’s John McHale, not an independent arbitrator.
- A package of three Astros pitchers – Francis Martes, Josh Hader, and Joseph Musgrove – most likely would have the convinced the Padres to part with closer Craig Kimbrel, a baseball source told Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle. However, a third piece, thought to be Musgrove, was too rich for Houston’s blood. The Padres could very well make Kimbrel available once again this winter.
- Meanwhile, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow believes that his club has an opportunity to become an annual contender. “We’re in a great position as an organization because our payroll’s going to continue to increase as revenues increase,” Luhnow said. “Our young players are going to continue to come through the system, and we have some assets. We’ve got some benefits, some advantages that other clubs maybe don’t have. We’ve got one of the top farm systems in baseball still while having a young team at the major league level that’s already competing. That’s the ideal situation. Now, we want to maintain that for a long time to come.”
AL East Notes: A-Rod, Judge, Murphy, Rays
Alex Rodriguez has been hired as a part of FOX Sports’ commentary team for the MLB postseason, and in a cross-promoting effort, A-Rod was welcomed on the NFL on FOX pregame show. As a part of the festivities, Yankees third baseman tossed a football to analyst Jay Glazer, but he went a little high and the errant pass cracked a very expensive-looking monitor, as Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News writes.
After you enjoy that .gif once or twice, check out the latest from the AL East..
- Chad Jennings of The Journal News looked at the Yankees‘ options when it comes to right fielder Aaron Judge. The 23-year-old obviously holds promise, but Jennings writes that Judge could headline a high-impact trade, possibly for a high-end starter or an established power hitter. The Yankees balked at including Judge and other top prospects in their late July talks for Craig Kimbrel, so it remains to be seen whether they could have a change of heart this winter.
- Daniel Murphy has a strong left-handed bat and defensive flexibility, which could help the Yankees, but the Yankees do already have Dustin Ackley and they have a bigger need for power hitting on the other side of the plate, Jennings writes. Still, Jennings writes that it’s hard to ignore what Murphy is doing for New York’s other team.
- Asdrubal Cabrera is expected to find a multi-year pact elsewhere but the Rays could bring back John Jaso or Grady Sizemore, just probably not both, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Topkin estimates that Jaso will be in range for a two-year, $10MM deal and that Sizemore could come much cheaper at $1MM. “They certainly are going to want to test the market and see what’s out there, and we will continue to stay in touch with them. At the same time we are managing a payroll so we have to fit within those constraints. There aren’t going to be any early decisions, I imagine,” baseball operations president Matt Silverman said.
MLBTR Originals
A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR the last seven days:
- A run at the likes of David Price or Zack Greinke would be uncharacteristic for the Twins and they should instead focus on repairing their dismal bullpen, Steve Adams writes. Minnesota relievers combined for a 3.95 ERA that ranked 21st in baseball and averaged a league-worst 6.9 K/9. In terms of FIP, xFIP and SIERA, the Twins’ bullpen ranked 24th, 28th and 27th, respectively.
- Expect plenty of action from the White Sox this winter, Tim Dierkes writes.
- Jeff Todd believes that the Rockies should lock up Nolan Arenado on an extension this winter. He also suggests that trading Carlos Gonzalez could help bolster Colorado’s pitching.
- New Brewers GM David Stearns should not deviate too much from the team’s previous plan of action, Charlie Wilmoth writes. Stearns doesn’t have a wealth of tremendous stockpile of quality trade chips anyway, so it’s probably best for him to focus on what he has in-house for the time being.
- The Reds might not have seen themselves as world-beaters in 2015, but they didn’t expect things to go quite this poorly either, Charlie writes. Charlie offers up some ideas for how the Reds can turn things around in 2016 and beyond.
Earlier today we rounded up the best from the baseball blogosphere in our weekly feature, Baseball Blogs Weigh In- Recently, MLB Trade Rumors launched a brand new official Instagram account:@TradeRumorsMLB. Each day, we’re sharing conversation-inspiring images about the hottest topics in baseball. From there, we invite you to give us a like, weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section, and even share the link with a friend. So, what are you waiting for? If you don’t have an Instagram account, this is the perfect excuse to sign up and get one. Follow us on Instagram today!
- If you missed out on our two MLBTR chats from this past week, you can get caught up with the transcripts here and here.
Cafardo On Carter, Longoria, Strasburg
Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe is concerned about the Red Sox‘s lack of power, but top exec Dave Dombrowski doesn’t seem as worried.
“I think we have enough power,” Dombrowski said last week. “It depends on how the lineup shakes out. Personally, I like guys who can drive the ball into the gaps or hit the ball out of the ballpark. David [Ortiz] is a power guy. Hanley can do what I’m talking about. We don’t strike out in abundance. Our strikeouts are down compared to most clubs in the league. We’re very similar to Kansas City — not a power club.”
Still, in case DD changes his mind, Cafardo lists many intriguing power hitters that could be options for Boston this winter. Here’s more from today’s column..
- One major league source believes that the Astros could dangle first baseman Chris Carter as trade bait. The 28-year-old (29 in December) ended up with a .294/.400/.529 batting line over twenty postseason plate appearances, continuing to build off of the .240/.328/.558 batting line and nine home runs that he put up over his final 120 plate appearances. Despite that strong second half, his “unpredictable performance, coupled with high strikeouts” could have the Astros a more reliable alternative, Cafardo writes. MLBTR projects Carter to earn $5.6MM in his second of four trips through arbitration.
- Evan Longoria‘s contract runs another seven years and his production hasn’t been as great as expected, but one AL GM sounds like he’d be pretty high on him still. “The contract he signed is long but reasonable,” the exec told The Boston Globe scribe. The Rays have repeatedly shot down speculation that they would shop the third baseman, but with the position being in such high demand, Cafardo wonders if they would keep an open mind. The Angels, he says, would be a great fit for the 30-year-old. Longoria’s contract with the club runs through 2022, which would be his age-36 season, plus the Rays have a club option on his services for 2023.
- Cafardo is hearing “a lot of buzz” that the Nationals could make right-hander Stephen Strasburg available. Recently, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Rangers and Nationals had trade talks involving Strasburg over the winter, though nothing ever came close to getting done. The 27-year-old right-hander’s value is down due both to an inconsistent 2015 season and to the fact that he now has only one season left before hitting free agency. Despite all of that, one has to imagine that the Nats would require significant return to part with the former No. 1 overall draft pick.
- The Indians, Orioles, Mets, Tigers, and maybe even the Red Sox (thanks in part to the Allard Baird connection) could all be in the mix for Royals outfielder Alex Gordon this season, Cafardo writes. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com recently wrote that the Astros were a team to keep an eye on with regards to Gordon.
- Cardinals outfielder/first baseman Brandon Moss is an interesting and affordable left-handed power option for a few clubs this winter, including the Red Sox, Cafardo writes. Cafardo says the Orioles will be another team “likely” keeping an eye on Moss. Moss earned $6.5MM in 2015 and the MLBTR projection model has him slated to earn $7.9MM in 2016. The incumbent Cardinals would reportedly like to retain Moss, at least in a bench capacity.
Heyman On Cespedes, Davis, Mattingly, Phillies
The Mets seem to love Yoenis Cespedes, and for good reason, but based on talks with Mets people, one rival executive told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that he would be “shocked” if the Mets retained him. After all, Cespedes could be in line for a $150MM+ deal and the Mets are intent on keeping their rotation together for years to come.
The Mets’ other key free agent, Daniel Murphy, has “made himself millions,” said one scout, in reference to his postseason heroics. Even though his stock is trending upwards, however, one rival GM said he still thinks the Mets will pass on extending him the $15.8MM qualifying offer.
Here’s a look at more of the highlights from Heyman’s article..
- The Orioles would appear to have a hard time hanging on to Chris Davis given their usual budget, but Peter Angelos has stated his interest in keeping the slugger and even with a potential ~$200MM asking price, re-signing him hasn’t been ruled out, Heyman writes. In the most recent edition of Tim Dierkes’ 2016 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings, Davis is ranked No. 4 ahead of several notable names, including fellow slugger Yoenis Cespedes. Tim projects that Davis will be vying for a seven-year deal with a mid-$20MM AAV.
- “Dodgers higher-ups are said to give Don Mattingly big credit for the way he’s handled the clubhouse,” Heyman writes. It’s not certain that Mattingly will return in 2016, but Heyman notes that the approval of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke doesn’t hurt his case.
- Sources confirmed to Heyman that the Phillies have interviewed Royals assistant GM J.J. Picollo and Angels assistant GM Matt Klentak for their GM job. Both men have been mentioned as candidates for the vacancy.
- The Cubs love Kyle Schwarber‘s bat but they’re still unsure where he’ll end up in the field. Schwarber is currently slotted in the outfield and it remains to be seen whether he’ll eventually end up behind the plate.
- Reds bench coach Jay Bell is “thought to have at least come up at some point” in the Marlins’ managerial search, but a source tells Heyman that he is “not in the mix” at this time.
- Some Padres people could see team exec Moises Alou taking over as manager, but three of Alou’s friends told Heyman that they doubt he’d even want the job. The known managerial candidates there are Diamondbacks minor-league manager Phil Nevin, former infielder Alex Cora, Diamondbacks coach Andy Green, Angels assistant GM Scott Servais, and ex-Twins manager Ron Gardenhire are said to be candidates for the position, but Heyman hears that Dusty Baker and ex-red Sox catcher Jason Varitek are not candidates at this time.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Yankees, Pirates, D’Backs
On this date in 2005, the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens paid tribute to the departed Expos by raising a commemorative banner in Montreal’s Bell Centre, as Leo Panetta of NationalPastime.com writes. Displaced mascot Youppi was put to work and former players Gary Carter and Andre Dawson were on hand to assist in the hoisting of the banner. That banner featured their retired numbers, 8 and 10, respectively, as well as the numbers for Tim Raines (30) and Rusty Staub (10).
Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..
- Pinstripe Pundits wonders when the Yankees might splurge again.
- TPOP looked ahead to the Pirates in 2016.
- Inside The ‘Zona evaluated Chip Hale.
- Camden Depot says there’s nothing wrong with a camel.
- Rumbunter projected the Bucs’ non-tender candidates.
- Yankees Unscripted wonders if Jacoby Ellsbury‘s contract is an albatross.
- Angels Win has a comprehensive Halos primer for 2016.
- Royals Blue said thank you to Marlins Man.
- Outside Pitch wonders if Daniel Murphy will cash in.
- Reviewing The Brew is excited for Orlando Arcia.
- Baseball Hot Corner isn’t worried about Toronto’s pitching future.
- Know Hitter previewed the Tigers in 2016.
- Section 215 reviewed the Phillies’ announcing crew.
- Brew Crew Ball is ready for Elian Herrera.
- Bronx Bomber Blogger looked at where the Yanks stand in free agency.
- MLB Reports says Zack Greinke should stay in L.A.
- When Sid Slid gave us their Atlanta starting rotation depth chart.
- Blue Jay Hunter praised Jose Bautista.
Please send submissions to Zach at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
Pirates Notes: Happ, Alvarez, Walker
J.A. Happ will be a free agent for the first time this winter and the Pirates have indicated they will try to re-sign him. For his part, Happ says that he wouldn’t mind staying in Pittsburgh, as Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes.
“It’s a team I would definitely consider, absolutely,” Happ said. “Whatever happens, happens. I’m happy with where I’m at right now, and we’ll see what’s down the road.”
Happ pitched to a 4.64 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 21 starts for the Mariners. However, after being traded to the Pirates this summer, Happ turned things around, posting an eye-popping 1.85 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 across eleven starts.
Here’s more on the Bucs..
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington should move first baseman Pedro Alvarez to an American League team where the slugger can flourish as a DH, Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review opines. Alvarez regained his power in 2015 but his fielding woes continue and he’s not the right fit for Pittsburgh at first base, Rossi writes.
- Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wonders if Alvarez, Neil Walker and Mark Melancon will be retained by the Pirates given their likely arbitration raises. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects that Walker ($10.7MM), Melancon ($10MM), and Alvarez ($8.1MM) will all cost a pretty penny.
- We could see major changes in Pittsburgh this winter, MLB.com’s Tom Singer writes. The Bucs’ payroll will undoubtedly exceed $100MM in 2016, but there are still difficult decisions for Huntington to make.
East Notes: Rays, Yankees, Braves, Mets
The Rays experimented with an unusual pitching strategy this season, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. The club limited their young pitchers to just five or six innings per start and despite a lack of star-studded depth, the Rays’ 3.63 ERA for starters was the sixth best in the league. On the downside, the bullpen was overtaxed and had a 3.93 ERA – good for 11th worst in the bigs. President of Baseball Operations Matt Silverman says the plan needs some tweaking, and that could call for the rostering of more multi-inning relievers. Of course, the club will return four veterans next season in Chris Archer, Drew Smyly, Jake Odorizzi, and Matt Moore, so they may not employ the same strategy in 2016.
Here’s more from the AL and NL East..
- Billy Eppler is off to California to serve as the Angels’ new GM, but Yankees scouts Tim Naehring and Jay Darnell won’t be following him, GM Brian Cashman says. “That’s not true,’’ Cashman said, according to George A. King III of the New York Post. “They are under contract.’’ As for Eppler’s replacement, King lists former Yankees outfielder/director of pro scouting Kevin Reese and manager of professional scouting Steve Martone as a couple of strong possible in-house candidates.
- Teams with managerial openings are not considering Braves first base coach Terry Pendleton or bullpen coach Eddie Perez at this time, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. O’Brien personally feels that both Pendleton and Perez would make strong managerial candidates.
- Earlier today we learned that the Mets will promote middle infield prospect Matt Reynolds to the playoff roster. A 40-man move must be made in order to facilitate that move and Adam Rubin of ESPN.com (on Twitter) speculates that a pending free agent such as Eric O’Flaherty could get bounced.
Brad Johnson contributed to this post.
Mets To Promote Matt Reynolds
The Mets are set to promote middle infield prospect Matt Reynolds to the playoff roster, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. Reynolds will take the place of Ruben Tejada who is done for the year with a broken leg.
If Reynolds sees the field in the postseason, he’ll have the rare distinction of making his major league debut in the playoffs. Rubin, citing Elias Sports Bureau, notes that he would become only the second player in the modern era to make his MLB debut in the postseason. In 2006, Mark Kiger of the A’s also debuted in the playoffs. Reynolds will not step into the starting shortstop role, of course, as that spot will be filled by Wilmer Flores.
Rubin adds that the Mets quietly had Reynolds come to Port St. Lucie, Florida last week to work out and stay in baseball shape, just in case of such an emergency. The 24-year-old (25 in December) hit for a .267/.319/.402 slash line with six homers in Triple-A this season while playing strong defense.
Following the 2014 season, Baseball America (subscription required) ranked Reynolds as the No. 12 prospect in the Mets’ system. BA praised Reynolds for his “hard-nosed, gamer approach” and his sure hands. While he projects as a solid defender all around the infield, BA noted that he could profile well as a second baseman at the big league level.
MLBTR Originals
A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR the last seven days:
- Last week, MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz rolled out his projected arbitration salaries for 2016. You won’t find anything else like this on the Internet!
- Curious about how Matt comes up with his figures? Read all about it here.
- In the most recent edition of the MLBTR podcast, host Jeff Todd welcomed Matt to discuss the specific arbitration cases of Aroldis Chapman, Trevor Rosenthal, Josh Donaldson, and Jake Arrieta. A new episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is released every Thursday and can be accessed on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
- The Rays already have an excellent defense and a deep rotation, now they need to get enough bats to get back into the AL East hunt, as Mark Polishuk writes.
- There are lots of ways that the Indians could improve this winter, but they don’t need a major overhaul, Steve Adams writes. Cleveland has holes, but Steve feels that they have the trade chips and financial flexibility to address them.
- The first Red Sox offseason under Dave Dombrowski’s watch could be a busy one, Mark writes.