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AL East Notes: Alvarez, Davis, Red Sox

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The Orioles should strongly consider signing free agent slugger Pedro Alvarez, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com opines.  However, adding Alvarez could complicate things for the O’s should Chris Davis come back in the picture.  If Davis is re-signed and Alvarez is slotted in at DH, that would put Mark Trumbo in right field, and that’s a defensive liability that manager Buck Showalter might not be comfortable with.

If the O’s do not re-sign Davis, then Alvarez would make plenty of sense.  The 28-year-old would help restore the power in Baltimore’s lineup and his bat would be a good fit for the AL East since Camden Yards and Yankee Stadium are two of the best parks for left-handed home runs.

While we wait to see how things progress with the Orioles and Alvarez (and Davis), here’s more out of the AL East:

  • The Orioles showed Davis some loyalty by giving him his first chance to consistently play every day. He, of course, repaid that by turning into one of the league’s top home run hitters.  Now, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com wonders if loyalty will play into Davis’ ongoing free agency.  Davis, 30 in March, is coming off a 47-homer season in which he batted .262/.361/.562 and is also the Major League leader in home runs dating back to 2012.
  • In today’s mailbag, a reader asked Ian Browne of MLB.com about his thoughts on when Yoan Moncada might make his MLB debut for the Red Sox.  Browne anticipates that Moncada will get to Double-A before the end of 2016 and reach Fenway Park at some point in 2017.  In the long term, third base could be a good fit for Moncada, but he has the athleticism to play elsewhere if needed.
  • Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald has three ideas to improve the Red Sox’s roster.  Among them: trading Rusney Castillo and signing Alex Gordon.

Scott Boras On Free Agency, Davis, Span, CBA

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Earlier today, super agent Scott Boras joined MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM to discuss the state of the free agent market. Here are a few highlights:

  • While there are a variety of notable names still available in free agency Boras suggests that isn’t any cause for concern for those players. As he put it: “in free agency, I’m not sure you can put a calendar on it.” Boras went on to note that, of the $1.6B or so in free agent spending thus far, about $1.2B has gone to pitching. If you’re interested in more details on the current market setting, we broke down the spending to date and the outlook for still-unsigned players in a post yesterday.
  • While he attributed the big starting pitching salaries this year to a natural reflection of last year’s Max Scherzer contract, Boras says there has been a “definite advance in the relief market.” He attributes that observation to a copycat phenomenon as teams seek to emulate the success of the Royals.
  • As for his own clients that still remain on the market, Boras called slugger Chris Davis a “rare opportunity.” That’s due in large part to his undeniable power, but also — per Boras — because he can hit opposing lefties and provides more defensive versatility than one might think. Interestingly, Boras also noted that several American League East clubs (the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Yankees) are presently reliant on aging power sources that will hit free agency or retirement in the near future — hinting that those teams should be considering Davis not only for his immediate impact but also future organizational need.
  • Boras also discussed center fielder Denard Span, who he says is recovering nicely from hip surgery. Some teams have already “been down to see him,” said the agent. He adds that he expects Span to find a deal “in the very near future.”
  • While there were other topics of conversation as well, Boras also fielded an interesting question regarding what issues his clients see as having primary importance in the coming year’s CBA negotiations. Boras focused in on the qualifying offer system and limitations on draft spending, which he tied together by citing the obvious value that teams place on top selections.

 

 

West Notes: Henderson, M’s, Black, Dodgers

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The baseball world is mourning the loss of former All-Star outfielder Dave Henderson, who passed away this morning at age 57.  “Hendu” played for five teams over his 14-year career, including six years each with the Mariners and Athletics.  He was the first draft pick in Mariners franchise history and spent a decade as an M’s color commentator on TV and radio after his retirement.  The slugger was a member of the Oakland teams that won three straight AL pennants from 1988-90 and captured the 1989 World Series, and Henderson played a big role in that championship with a 1.129 OPS over 39 postseason plate appearances.  Of course, Henderson’s most famous playoff moment came in Game Five of the 1986 ALCS as a member of the Red Sox, when he hit a dramatic two-run homer (with two outs and two strikes on him) in the ninth inning to temporarily put Boston ahead, and Henderson then drove in the game’s winning run in the 11th on a sac fly.  That victory saved the Red Sox from elimination and sparked an unlikely comeback, as they then beat the Angels in Games Six and Seven to win the pennant.

“Hendu played just two seasons in Boston, but we always regarded him as one of us, and are grateful for the time we were able to enjoy his talent and infectious personality,” Red Sox president Sam Kennedy said in an official statement from the club.  “Everywhere he went, Henderson made friends. He was a great ambassador for our game, and we have lost him far too soon.”

We at MLBTR send our condolences to Henderson’s family and countless friends around the game.  Here are some news items from around the West divisions…

  • It’s a lot easier to win when your team has a high payroll (and/or a wealth of controllable young talent), and as Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times writes, the Mariners are in something of a difficult spot since they’re a consistent mid-range payroll team that has a big chunk of their spending tied up in a handful of star contracts.  If the M’s aren’t willing to spend more, Baker notes, then GM Jerry Dipoto will be doubly challenged to find affordable young pieces to fit around those core stars.  Given Dipoto’s very busy offseason, it’s hard to say he hasn’t been trying to fulfill that exact goal.
  • Giants right-handed pitching prospect Ray Black turned a lot of heads in the Arizona Fall League, Andy Baggarly writes in a subscription-only piece for Baseball America.  Black’s fastball topped out at a whopping 104mph in AFL play and he also possesses (perhaps anecdotally) a 98mph changeup.  Black, 25, was a seventh-rounder for the Giants in the 2011 draft who has battled a variety of injuries and didn’t being his pro career until 2014.  Black has a 3.28 ERA over 60 1/3 minor league innings, exhibiting both some shaky control (6.1 BB/9) and overwhelming strikeout power (18.2 K/9).
  • The Dodgers have been linked to both Wei-Yin Chen and Kenta Maeda in free agency rumors, and Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times looks at the pros and cons for the club of signing either pitcher.  Whatever choice the team makes (if it goes with either starter), Dilbeck thinks the Dodgers need to address their rotation after falling short on a number of offseason pitching targets.

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Relievers, Pirates

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The acquisitions of Craig Kimbrel and Carson Smith should improve the Red Sox in high-leverage situations, helping them win one-run games, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes. Three of the four teams that had the best results in high-leverage situations last season were nine or more games above .500 in one-run games. The Red Sox already had two good late-inning relievers in Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa, and there was perhaps some danger of there just not being enough high-leverage opportunities for Uehara, Tazawa, Kimbrel and Smith. But with Uehara vulnerable to aging and Tazawa vulnerable to injury, Kimbrel and Smith should provide the Red Sox with needed reinforcements. Here are more quick notes from around the league.

  • This offseason has been notable for the large contracts pitchers like Zack Greinke and David Price have received. Meanwhile, wages for relievers have remained flat, MacPherson writes. Greinke and Price’s deals are now the highest and second-highest ever in average annual value among contracts for pitchers, while the largest deal for relievers this offseason has been Darren O’Day’s four-year, $31MM deal. Admittedly, this offseason’s market hasn’t been heavy on top-flight closers, and new contracts for Ryan Madson (three years, $22MM) and Tony Sipp (three years, $18MM) do perhaps suggest some wage growth for talented middle relievers. Overall, though, as MacPherson points out, the market for elite relievers does not appear to have grown much in the many years since Jonathan Papelbon, Francisco Cordero and B.J. Ryan signed long-term contracts in the $46MM-$50MM range.
  • The Pirates took a slight gamble with their signing of C/DH John Jaso, in that they signed him to play first base, Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs writes. The Pirates themselves have seen the downside of gambling that a player can make an easy transition to first base — Pedro Alvarez’s defense there in 2015 was disastrous. As Sullivan points out, though, catchers from Buster Posey to Carlos Santana to Joe Mauer to Jason Phillips have generally done well in transitioning to first base. (I’d add Pickin’ Machine Scott Hatteberg to the mix as well.) Offensively, Sullivan writes, Jaso needs to be platooned, but he can be very effective against righties.

AL East Notes: Boggs, Yankees, Orioles, Anthopoulos, Jays

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The Red Sox announced yesterday that they will retire the No. 26 in honor of Wade Boggs on May 26 of the upcoming season. Boggs, now 57, spent the majority of his career donning a Red Sox uniform. The 2005 Hall of Fame inductee debuted as a rookie with the Sox back in 1982 and played there through 1992, hitting .338/.428/.462 and winning five batting titles (in a span of six years) in his 11 seasons with the club. He’ll join the likes of Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Johnny Pesky, Pedro Martinez, Bobby Doerr and Joe Cronin as part of Red Sox lore.

Here are some more notes from the AL East…

  • The Yankees are seeking an inexpensive rotation option, writes George A. King III of the New York Post. Per King, the club hopes to land a young starter via trade or add a rotation option on a minor league deal with an invite to Major League Spring Training. The Yankees, he adds, aren’t involved in the free-agent market at any position at this point. King notes that the Yankees continue to insist that Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Greg Bird and Jorge Mateo aren’t available in trade, but adding a controllable arm to their rotation mix without parting with said prospects will be a difficult task. As such, it seems to me that adding some veteran arms on minor league deals is a likelier route. A pair of speculative names that would seem to me to be fits: Chad Billingsley and Wandy Rodriguez.
  • Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun doesn’t believe that the Orioles will go beyond three years in their efforts to land a free-agent starting pitcher. While they’ve been connected to Yovani Gallardo and Scott Kazmir, both are seeking four-year pacts. Encina notes that Ubaldo Jimenez is the only free-agent starter the O’s have ever signed to a four-year deal. (Jon Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Orioles are still in the mix for both Gallardo and Kazmir, among other pitchers). Encina also notes that there’s nothing imminent on the Chris Davis front, and the Orioles remain unwilling to up their offer from the reported seven-year deal worth $150MM.
  • Former Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos tells the Canadian Press that he expects to be working again next month. While Anthopoulos said there are media opportunities that have presented themselves, he will most likely take a job with a Major League team in some capacity. “I understand that I may not be a general manager again and I’m OK with that,” said Anthopoulos. “Now again, that’s what my perspective is today. And obviously deciding not to sign an extension, I had to be prepared for that. I just think that all of the decisions I’ve made in my life, I never chased the money. You try to do what ultimately you feel is going to satisfy you and fulfil you. As simple as it sounds — and maybe this is naive — but normally success will follow.”
  • MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm breaks down the Blue Jays’ 11 out-of-options players, noting that many will be competing for jobs in Spring Training. Ezequiel Carrera, Brett Cecil, Jesse Chavez, Steve Delabar, R.A. Dickey, Josh Donaldson, Chad Jenkins, A.J. Jimenez, Josh Thole and Junior Lake are all out of options, Chisholm notes. While many of those names needn’t be the least bit concerned with their lack of options, that factor is much more impactful for the likes of Carrera, Jimenez and Lake. Both Carrera and Lake are at least fifth on the club’s outfield depth chart. Chisholm feels that it’s “only a matter of time” before Jimenez, once one of Toronto’s top prospects and a potential long-term piece behind the plate, is placed on waivers.

Quick Hits: Soler, Lucroy, Swanson, Chen

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In a radio interview on The 670 Score’s “Inside The Clubhouse” show, Theo Epstein said the Cubs are committed to Jorge Soler as a big part of their roster, CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine reports.  “We are putting our stock into his future,” Epstein said.  “Barring anything [an overwhelming trade offer], he knows to ignore all the trade rumors and take it as a compliment.”  Epstein praised Soler’s hitting potential and his offseason training, as Soler “is down to 225 [pounds] and is working hard on his quickness and flexibility” to improve his right field defense.  The Cubs could add a defense-first backup outfielder, Epstein hinted, which probably isn’t a surprise given Soler’s inexperience and the questions about whether or not Kyle Schwarber can handle left field.  Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • The Brewers don’t want to sell low on Jonathan Lucroy in the wake of his underwhelming 2015 season, though they could be taking a risk by waiting to make a trade, Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan writes in a piece for FOX Sports.  If Lucroy’s concussion and injury history continues to diminish his ability, Milwaukee will have missed its window to recoup significant value for the former All-Star.  Midseason deals for catchers are also somewhat uncommon, as it’s somewhat hard for a new catcher to instantly develop a rapport with pitchers.
  • The Braves targeted Dansby Swanson even before they created room at short by dealing Andrelton Simmons, GM John Coppolella tells Fangraphs’ David Laurila.  “We’ve been in talks with Arizona since the end of the 2015 season,” Coppolella said. “We hoped to get Swanson, but we didn’t know if, or how, the deal would materialize. We saw him as a fit for us, whether we made the Simmons trade or not. We just want really good players and he’s a really good player.”
  • Wei-Yin Chen may have the most value of any remaining free agent pitcher, MLB.com’s Mike Petriello writes, as he has posted comparable numbers to Jeff Samardzija or Jordan Zimmermann and probably won’t cost as much.  Of course, Chen and his agent Scott Boras are looking for healthy compensation for the southpaw’s services in the form of a five-year, $100MM contract.
  • While opt-out clauses are usually considered to provide little benefit to a team, the Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber notes that there’s certainly upside if a club can avoid paying big money to a player outside of his prime years.  For instance, Lauber reports that had the Red Sox been successful in obtaining Alex Rodriguez from the Rangers in the 2003-04 offseason, they had no intention of re-signing him after he opted out of his deal (as expected) after the 2007 season.  The Yankees, who did deal for A-Rod and then re-signed him to a whopping 10-year, $275MM contract after 2007, have surely regretted not letting Rodriguez walk when they had the chance.
  • Blue Jays director of analytics Joe Sheehan is profiled by the Toronto Star’s Brendan Kennedy, who notes that Sheehan’s promotion to the newly-created position is a sign of the team’s increased focus on analytics under Mark Shapiro.
  • The Giants are the most likely team to sign Yoenis Cespedes, MLB.com’s Jim Duquette opines.  The Tigers, Orioles, White Sox and Angels round out Duquette’s list of Cespedes’ most likely landing spots.

Cafardo On Victorino, Cahill, Cubs

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In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe spoke with managing general partner of Sapient Global Markets Dave Donovan, who is trying to apply banking principles to baseball in order to help limit risk on the part of teams.

“Because there’s such an emphasis by teams on acquiring the right players, especially now where you have financial constraints with luxury taxes, etc., we’re looking at it the same way as we do with banks,” Donovan said. “Banks want to make as much money as they possibly can. Their constraint is regulation. They have stress tests they have to do for the government after banks almost took down the world because they weren’t financially compliant. We’ve been working with these banks to measure their risks and you can apply the same concepts in sports…Your roster is no different than a portfolio of securities. Those are your assets. That’s what you’ve put your investment in, so it only makes sense that you should monitor your assets”

When considering risk management, Cafardo wonders aloud if the Red Sox’s decision to sign David Price to a seven-year, $217MM was a prudent one.  Cafardo speculates that the hedge fund operator in owner John Henry probably wasn’t thrilled about the move.  However, in the short-term, he knew that Boston needed an ace pitcher.

Here’s more from today’s column:

  • Shane Victorino’s agent, John Boggs, said a couple of teams have shown interest in his client, but no deal is imminent at this time.  Boggs added that the veteran is looking to sign a one-year deal in order to re-establish his value.  The Flyin’ Hawaiian hit just .230/.308/.292 in 2015 in 204 combined plate appearances for the Red Sox and Angels.  Still, he’s only two years removed from his 2013 campaign in which he slashed .294/.351/.451 with 15 homers for Boston.  Victorino, who plans on getting back to switch-hitting, celebrated his 35th birthday in late November.
  • Right-hander Trevor Cahill had an opportunity to sign with the Pirates or Orioles as a starting pitcher, Cafardo writes.  However, he opted to stay with the Cubs where he will be used in a relief role.  Cahill’s clear preference was to start again, but he also didn’t want to leave Chicago.  Cahill gave the Cubs 17 brilliant innings of relief down the stretch, yielding just four runs and recording an outstanding 22-to-5 K/BB ratio to go along with a ground-ball rate of 61.8 percent. He also pitched 5 1/3 innings in the postseason, allowing two runs on seven hits and no walks with eight strikeouts (3.38 ERA).
  • Ron Gardenhire lost out on the Padres’ job but “the feeling” is that he could always go back to the Twins organization and work in some capacity.  However, Gardenhire’s preference would be to manage for a major league team again.  Gardenhire has extensive postseason experience from his time with the Twins, having led the club to six AL Central Division titles in 13 seasons and also bringing the team to a Game 163 tiebreaker that was lost to the White Sox in 2008. However he also has a disappointing 6-21 record in the playoffs, having only captured one series victory (against the A’s in 2002).

Cubs Notes: Price, Bullpen, Heyward

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The Cubs made a run at David Price this winter, but they weren’t necessarily close to landing him.  Chicago fell roughly $50MM short of the Red Sox’s offer, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told WEEI this week.  “We ended up a distant third,” Epstein said.

“He’s a great pitcher and we were involved and very interested,” said Epstein, who was apparently also behind the Cardinals in the Price sweepstakes. “We thought, he’s an elite, elite pitcher, the kind that very rarely makes it to the free agent market, he’s got terrific makeup, where he influences a team not just through his performance on the field, but he’s a real culture-changer or a culture-enhancer, at the very least, in the clubhouse.”

Here’s more on the Cubs:

  • The Cubs’ current focus is on trading for relievers, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Chicago isn’t looking for high-end types like Andrew Miller of the Yankees, but they are fishing for middle-inning and setup options who would provide additional depth.  In the outfield, he adds, the Cubs’ plan is to play Jason Heyward in center field rather than add a center fielder and slide Heyward into right field.  The Cubs could also consider a trade for a starting pitcher.
  • After sitting on lower payroll numbers for six years, Cubs ownership has opened up the purse strings, Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago writes.  Epstein & Co. now have a projected $155MM payroll on the 25-man roster for 2016, eclipsing the previous watermark of $145MM in 2010.  The payroll should keep rising from here, thanks to a projected attendance hike this season and a TV contract that will give the Cubs billions of dollars worth of revenue.
  • In his introductory press conference this week, Heyward explained that he was drawn to the Cubs in part because of the roster stability he expects them to have going forward.   “Knowing the core is young and those guys are going to be around for a while is very exciting,” Heyward said, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com. “I don’t want to take the highest dollar amount when my gut is telling me to go somewhere else. Being 26 years old and knowing that my contract would put me in any clubhouse for longer than most people there, you have to look at age, how fast the team is changing and how soon those changes will come about.”

AL East Notes: Rays, Sanchez, Hardy, O’s, Blue Jays

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Though many expected Brad Miller to land the everyday shortstop job for the Rays following Tampa Bay’s trade with the Mariners, that’s not necessarily the case, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays could still very well swing a trade for Javier Baez or another young infielder if they’re willing to part with a starting pitcher, he notes. And, even if the Rays don’t add another shortstop option, Miller’s struggles with lefties create the possibility of at least a platoon situation with the right-handed-hitting Tim Beckham. Nick Franklin remains an option as well, though a poor 2015 campaign likely means he’ll head to Triple-A to begin the 2016 season. Manager Kevin Cash noted to Topkin, though, that his hope is for someone to take the reins early and cement himself as the man for the job.

More on the Rays and more from their division…

  • Topkin also writes that virtually every club in baseball expressed some interest in Kevin Kiermaier at the Winter Meetings, though the Rays probably don’t have much interest in parting with the elite defender. Topkin adds that the Brewers and Pirates seem like possible fits for a potential James Loney deal, noting that both have had interest in the past. He also speculates that Jake McGee could be a fit with the Dodgers now that their pursuit of Aroldis Chapman has been halted by his domestic violence allegations.
  • Gary Sanchez is the front-runner to be Brian McCann’s backup for the Yankees in 2016, writes George A. King III of the New York Post. While Austin Romine will be in the competition and might get the job early on due to Sanchez’s lack of experience at Triple-A, King suggests that Sanchez will hold down the job for the majority of the season. GM Brian Cashman praised Sanchez, stating that the 23-year-old has “improved in every category” from last season, specifically citing his improved pitch blocking, game calling and throwing.
  • J.J. Hardy spoke with MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko at the Orioles’ recent FanFest event and provided an update on a shoulder injury that plagued him throughout the 2015 season. Hardy has been working out for seven weeks and expects an offseason of rest and rehabilitation to lead to improvements in 2016. While he said it was a very difficult decision to forego surgery on the shoulder to repair the small tear in his labrum, Hardy noted that he’s been through that process before and felt last time that it took a full six months of actually playing baseball after the recovery for him to feel normal again. Surgery also could’ve sidelined Hardy through Spring Training and into the regular season.
  • Kubatko also spoke with Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph about Matt Wieters’ return to the team. While Wieters’ decision to accept the qualifying offer impedes Joseph’s path to regular playing time behind the plate, Joseph had nothing but positive things to say about Wieters, calling him a mentor and praising him for his willingness to provide insight on hitters, his work to help Joseph improve his defensive techniques and more.
  • Red Sox vice president of amateur and international scouting Amiel Sawdaye interviewed for the Blue Jays’ GM vacancy before the job went to former Cleveland vice president of player personnel Ross Atkins, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

Minor MLB Transactions: 12-15-2015

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We’ll track the day’s minor moves right here:

  • The Red Sox announced that they’ve re-signed right-hander Anthony Varvaro to a minor league contract. Additionally, they announced the signings of outfielder Ryan LaMarre (as WEEI’s Rob Bradford first reported), catcher Ali Solis, infielder Chris Dominguez and right-hander William Cuevas to minor league deals. Of that group, Varvaro, LaMarre and Dominguez played in the Majors last season, with Varvaro logging 11 innings in the Boston bullpen. The 31-year-old Varvaro has seen Major League action in each season dating back to 2010, highlighted by 128 innings of 2.74 ERA ball for the Braves from 2013-14. LaMarre, 27, made his big league debut with the Reds last season and appeared in 21 games but recorded just 26 plate appearances. Dominguez, 29, also received a brief look from Cincinnati in 2015 and got a similar cup of coffee with the 2014 Giants. Boston also confirmed its previously reported signing of veteran right-hander Sean O’Sullivan on a minors pact.

Earlier Updates

  • Among the Twins’ recent minor league signees are outfielder Darin Mastroianni, shortstop Wilfredo Tovar, and righty Brandon Kintzler, MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger tweets. The 30-year-old Mastroianni failed to crack the majors last year for the first time in four seasons, and slashed just .257/.308/.345 in 484 Triple-A plate appearances. Tovar, 24, had spent his entire career in the Mets organization and put up a .283/.327/.356 batting line last year over 388 turns at bat in his first run at the highest level of the minors. Injuries have limited Kintzler, who is 31. He only threw 29 1/3 innings at all levels last year after contributing 135 1/3 major league innings of 2.93 ERA pitching over 2013-14.
  • The Padres have signed backstop Erik Kratz to a minor league deal, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune recently reported on Twitter. Kratz, 35, only saw 28 MLB plate appearances last year but provides another depth piece for a San Diego club that has numerous options behind the dish.
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