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Orioles Among Teams Talking To Padres About James Shields

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2:04pm: The Padres are getting calls from other teams but aren’t in active trade talks about Shields or any other big-name veterans at this time, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

1:45pm: The Orioles are one of “a few teams” who have talked to the Padres about veteran righty James Shields, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter links).  The Red Sox have also been in contact with San Diego about starting pitching, so Heyman feels Shields’ name likely came up between the two sides.  No trade is thought to be close at the present time, however.

At least $65MM remains owed to Shields on his current contract — $21MM in each of the next three seasons, and a $2MM buyout of a $16MM club option for 2019.  According to Heyman, the Padres are willing to cover some of Shields’ contract, though the exact number depends on how much they get back in a trade.

Shields can also opt out of the contract after this season, which adds another wrinkle to trade negotiations as a suitor may not want to give up too much for just one season of Shields’ services.  Shields will be 35 on Opening Day 2017 so he may not want to test the open market again if he doesn’t think he can top the $44MM already guaranteed to him, though another solid season could make him a hot commodity in a 2016-17 free agent market that’s very thin on quality pitching.

Shields is coming off something of an unusual season that saw him post a 3.91 ERA with a career-best 9.61 K/9, yet he also had career highs in walk rate (3.6 BB/9) and homer rate (17.6%).  That last stat is particularly odd given that he pitched his home games at Petco Park — it could be a total fluke, or perhaps a portent of trouble if Shields ends up moving to a more hitter-friendly ballpark like Camden Yards or Fenway Park.  Still, Shields was as durable as ever, topping the 200-inning plateau for the ninth straight season, even if his 202 1/3 IP was his lowest mark of those nine years.

This isn’t the first time that the O’s have been linked to Shields this offseason, and the veteran would add some stability to a questionable Baltimore rotation.  Kevin Gausman may hit the DL with shoulder soreness, while Miguel Gonzalez has had a rough spring and could lose his starting spot to Tyler Wilson.  Yovani Gallardo, Ubaldo Jimenez and Chris Tillman project as Baltimore’s other starters.  The Orioles don’t have a deep minor league system to trade from and they’re notoriously finicky about acquiring pitchers due to injury concerns, though Shields’ track record of durability should at least somewhat mitigate the latter issue.

Beyond David Price, the Sox also have some rotation question marks.  Clay Buchholz has a well-documented injury history and Eduardo Rodriguez will spend the first month of the season on the DL (with knuckleballer Steven Wright the favorite to step in).  Rick Porcello and Joe Kelly are both looking to rebound after difficult 2015 seasons.  Boston has enough farm system depth to offer a blue chip prospect to San Diego in order to get the Friars to cover a larger chunk of Shields’ deal, though the Sox also have the payroll space to absorb more of the contract in exchange for a lesser prospect in a semi-salary dump.

Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner both drew a lot of trade buzz this winter, so it’s fair to assume that the Red Sox at least checked in with the Padres about both younger arms.  Ross would be the bigger prize, a top-of-the-rotation type who’s controllable through the 2017 season.  Cashner has shown flashes of ace ability in the past, though he will be a free agent after this season.

Opt-Out Notes: Robinson, Boyer, Morales, Burnett, Murphy

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As Spring Training winds to a close, several teams will face roster decisions on veteran minor league signings.  Some of these veterans are Article XX(B) free agents whose fates have to be decided five days prior to Opening Day, while others have differing opt-out dates.  Here’s the latest on some veterans looking to catch on with Major League rosters…

  • Shane Robinson can opt out of his contract with the Indians on March 29 if he isn’t on the Tribe’s 25-man roster, MLBTR has learned.  While Cleveland is notably thin on outfield options, Robinson could choose to opt out since the Indians have added veterans Marlon Byrd and Will Venable to their outfield mix within the last month.  While Robinson has only a .237/.302/.313 slash line over 649 career plate appearances, he is an above-average baserunner and defender at all three outfield positions.
  • Blaine Boyer’s opt-out with the Brewers is March 27 and Franklin Morales can opt out on March 28, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.  Chris Capuano, another veteran arm competing for a job in the Brewers bullpen, appears to have the standard Tuesday deadline for Article XX(B) players.
  • Sean Burnett’s opt-out date on his Nationals contract is April 1, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports.  The Nats have 24 hours to either add Burnett to the roster or release him if he exercises his clause.  The southpaw is looking to make a comeback after pitching only 10 1/3 innings total over the last three seasons due to shoulder surgery and Tommy John surgery.
  • David Murphy hasn’t heard anything from the Red Sox about his roster status and doesn’t expect to before the March 27 opt-out date, the outfielder tells WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford.  “I think in most cases in a situation where an out date is created in a contract, most teams are going to want to take it down to the wire because you never know what might happen with injuries,” Murphy said.  On Monday, the veteran said he might consider retirement rather than go to the minors at this stage of his career.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Tulowitzki, Osuna, Kim

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The Red Sox’ outfielders are attracting interest, and the Indians have been trying to strike a deal with them, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. The problem, however, is that the Red Sox aren’t likely to trade Mookie Betts or Jackie Bradley, Jr. Rusney Castillo could be available, but the Red Sox would probably have to take on salary to make a deal possible. Castillo is signed through 2020 at a total of $56MM. The Red Sox will be without Eduardo Rodriguez for the beginning of the season and could probably use another starting pitcher, although if Dave Dombrowski considered the situation desperate, he might have already made a move. Still, some scouts aren’t impressed with the Sox’ rotation after David Price. Here’s more from the AL East.

  • Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki left the Blue Jays’ Grapefruit League game today after getting hit in the hand by a pitch, but the Jays have announced that Tulowitzki’s X-rays were negative. He has a bone bruise on his right knuckles and is day-to-day.
  • Jays righty Roberto Osuna prefers closing to starting and wants to close this year before moving to the rotation next year, John Lott writes for VICE. “I like to be in those situations,” Osuna says. “I’m not saying it’s easy to close games, but it’s easy to be out there and you got on your mind that you’ve only got the ninth. So you can have the time to prepare yourself for the ninth inning. You’re watching the game. You kind of know what you’ve got to do when you get in the game.” The Jays face plenty of uncertainty in 2017, with the potential departures of R.A. Dickey and a number of other key players, and Osuna says that his own plan (and likely the Blue Jays’ plan for him) involves moving to the rotation next season, probably on some sort of innings restriction to minimize the health risk. He says he enjoys closing more, however.
  • The Orioles pursued outfielder Hyun Soo Kim this offseason because they were impressed with his on-base ability, Dan Connolly writes for Naver in Korea (scroll down for English). “His discipline at the plate is exemplary,” says Orioles exec Dan Duquette. “And, of course, he uses the whole field, and last year he showed emerging power.” The 28-year-old Kim posted a .438 on-base percentage for the Doosan Bears last season, drawing 101 walks while striking out only 63 times. The O’s, meanwhile, finished 12th in the AL in OBP last season (.307) and 13th in walks (418). It still isn’t known how Kim will hit in the Majors, but Duquette says he’s optimistic, particularly after Jung Ho Kang’s success with the Pirates last season.

AL East Notes: Donaldson, Interpreters, Gibbons, HanRam, Gausman

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Star Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson has personal experience with domestic violence, as Rosie DiManno of The Star writes.  As a child, Donaldson was exposed to a troubled relationship between his mother and father. “I’m not going to get too colorful with it. But it wasn’t pretty. The best way I can describe it is I can still remember things from when I was from three to five years old that are very vivid in my mind to this day. And it’s not something I would want anybody else to go through. It not only affects the two people that are involved but it affects children. It definitely has had an effect on me throughout my life,” Donaldson said. The reigning AL MVP is obviously to be applauded for his willingness to address a difficult and important subject that continues to pose challenges to major sports leagues.

  • While not of the same level of significance, another notable off-field topic that’s drawn attention of late is the inclusion of Spanish interpreters in major league clubhouses, and Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News provides an interesting look at the subject. Veteran Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran, who helped lead the charge to bring Spanish translation on board for every team, explains how important it is for players. “The reality is that most of these guys come and get to the big leagues, sometimes they don’t know how to express themselves the right way,” Beltran said. “I look at having a translator as a no-brainer because it will help communication between everybody. Players and coaches, players and players, and players and media. I don’t know why it took so long.” The article includes worthwhile thoughts from several players with different language backgrounds, and is highly recommended.
  • While the Blue Jays’ new front office ultimately modified the contract of manager John Gibbons, Jeff Blair and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet report that Gibbons had raised the matter himself previously with former GM Alex Anthopoulos. “It’s something I first spoke to Alex about before he left,” said Gibbons. The new arrangement does away with the “rolling option” — which became guaranteed on each New Year’s Day with another option year added each time — that existed under his original contract.  By the way, Gibbons confirmed this morning that Marcus Stroman will be the Jays’ Opening Day starter.
  • Though he expresses skepticism, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that off-the-record conversations with Red Sox players and staff “all reflect a positive theme” regarding first baseman Hanley Ramirez, suggesting that perhaps the veteran has matured in his second spring with the Red Sox. Ramirez appears to be enjoying himself this spring, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal writes, who notes that the returns have been generally positive on Ramirez’s work at first.
  • Kevin Gausman says his right shoulder pain is improving, but his status for Opening Day is still in question, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes.  Right now, the Orioles hurler says he is aiming to be ready “by hopefully the first or second week of the season.” Needless to say, his health is of critical importance to a Baltimore club that faces rotation questions and hopes the youngster will take the next step in his development in 2016.
  • In case you missed it, the Orioles added lefty reliever Zach Phillips on a Major League deal this morning, as insurance for the injured Brian Matusz.

Red Sox Notes: Sandoval, Shaw, Dombrowski

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The Red Sox aren’t “actively looking” for pitching help, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

“Can you always be better? Sure. Will we always be open-minded? Sure. But we’re not actively looking for pitching,” said Dombrowski, who added that he doesn’t “even know where” he would slot a No. 2 starter type.

Here’s more out of the AL East:

  • The fact that there is a real competition between Travis Shaw and Pablo Sandoval at third base is a reminder of exactly how Dombrowski runs the Red Sox and how much control he exerts over the team, Michael Silverman of The Boston Herald writes.  For his part, Sandoval is trying to play down the attention that the brewing competition is getting.  “Every day is a competition — every single day, every moment. Every guy competes to be better and better,” Sandoval said. “I don’t know why you guys make a big deal. Every guy is here working hard to make the team look better, win games. Every guy here is working together to be better and better, so that’s good.”
  • Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe laid out the pros and cons of benching Sandoval in favor of Shaw.  On one hand, putting Sandoval on the bench would send a clear message to players like Rick Porcello, Hanley Ramirez, and Rusney Castillo that a high-priced contract does not guarantee your place as a starter.  On the other hand, Sandoval is the type of player that needs support to succeed rather than negativity.  Also, Sandoval probably wouldn’t be much of a contributor off the bench and would likely be relegated to pinch-hitting against righties, Abraham writes.
  • Indeed, Dombrowski says that he does not believe that contracts should dictate spots in the lineup, as Rob Bradford of WEEI.com writes. “I thought it was important, because I’m new here, that that was my philosophy, and our philosophy as an organization, that I had a chance to visit with [principal owner] John Henry and [chairman] Tom Werner and know they supported that. I thought it was important to do that. I think for good organizations, and clubs that are trying to win, you need to play the best guys to win,” Dombrowski said.
  • Earlier today, the Red Sox announced that reliever Carson Smith will be placed on the disabled list due to a strain of his flexor mass muscle.

Carson Smith To Be Placed On DL

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Red Sox reliever Carson Smith will be placed on the disabled list after an MRI revealed that he has suffered a strain of his flexor mass muscle, as Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald tweets. Smith is expected to pitch this year, but there is currently no timetable for his potential return.

Smith, 26, exited Monday’s game after experiencing forearm tightness just five pitches into his outing.  As it turns out, that tightness was foreshadowing for a more serious issue.  Fortunately, however, the pain was not the result of damage to the ulnar collateral ligament, which could have necessitated Tommy John surgery.  Late last month, MLBTR contributor Bradley Woodrum delved deep into the causes of and warning signs for Tommy John surgery.   In his research, Woodrum found that Smith was among the players with a slightly elevated risk of requiring TJ.

The Red Sox acquired Smith this offseason along with southpaw Roenis Elias when they traded Wade Miley and Jonathan Aro to Seattle.  Smith was being counted upon for a significant late-inning role, so the Red Sox are obviously less-than-thrilled about today’s news.  As Jeff outlined on Monday, there’s still plenty of late-inning depth for Boston, starting with closer Craig Kimbrel plus veterans Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa.

Last year marked Smith’s first full season in the majors.  He took the opportunity and ran with it, recording a 2.31 ERA with 11.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 across 70 innings.

Carson Smith Exits Spring Game With Forearm Tightness

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Red Sox reliever Carson Smith left today’s game after just five pitches upon experiencing forearm issues, as Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports. The righty is said to have had “tightness” and “a little cramping,” which he said he’s never felt before.

Forearm issues, of course, can often be predecessors to more significant elbow troubles, so it’s easy to see why Boston manager John Farrell was quick to react. Both Farrell and Smith expressed some concern, though it’s obviously too soon to know the prognosis. According to the statistical research of MLBTR contributor Bradley Woodrum, Smith has a slightly elevated Tommy John risk profile entering 2016.

Smith was a significant offseason acquisition for newly-minted Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who sent Wade Miley and Jonathan Aro to the Mariners for Smith and southpaw Roenis Elias. He is expected to hold down an important setup role in a reworked Boston pen.

After an outstanding but brief debut in 2014, Smith delivered a big campaign last year in his first full season of MLB work, getting excellent results from his sidearm delivery and sinker/slider combo. The former eight-round draft pick spun 70 frames of 2.31 ERA pitching, racking up 11.8 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9. He also induced grounders on 64.8% of the balls put in play against him while surrendering only two long balls, making for a rare combination of strikeout ability and batted-ball dominance.

Smith is not just a near-term asset, of course, as he’s compiled just 1.028 years of MLB service to date. Boston controls him for two more seasons at the league minimum and can keep him via arbitration through 2020.

The Red Sox will send Smith in for an evaluation with the club physician this evening, and Silverman suggests an MRI appears likely. While acknowledging his concern, Smith did note that “we toyed with some tests in there” — presumably, referring to the clubhouse — “and … there were optimistic results.”

There’s still ample late-inning depth in Boston, of course, beginning with fellow offseason acquisition Craig Kimbrel in the 9th inning. Stalwarts Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa are still on hand, with other options in camp including righties Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Noe Ramirez, Roman Mendez, and Carlos Marmol. Knuckler Steven Wright could work from the pen if he doesn’t crack the rotation, as could Elias or fellow southpaw Brian Johnson.

With Opt-Out Approaching, David Murphy Could Consider Retirement

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The opt-out date in outfielder David Murphy’s minor-league contract with the Red Sox is this coming Sunday, and he could consider retiring rather than playing in the minors, John Tomase of WEEI.com writes. “I think I’m to the point in my career where I’ve played plenty of baseball, and I don’t think I’m interested in playing in the minor leagues,” says Murphy. “I would love to play until somebody tells me I can’t play anymore, until they rip the shirt off my back, but I think it’s got to be a big league situation.”

Murphy could win a job with the Red Sox, perhaps thanks in part to the fact that Rusney Castillo has struggled somewhat in Spring Training (batting .267/.333/.300) and can be optioned to the minors. If the Red Sox were to send Castillo to Triple-A Pawtucket, that could set up an outfield that includes the left-handed Murphy and the right-handed Chris Young as complementary pieces.

This is Murphy’s second stint with the Red Sox, who made him a first-round pick in 2003. Since then, the 34-year-old has also played for the Rangers, Indians and Angels, and he’s put together a solid track record that includes a .795 career OPS against righties over a career spanning ten MLB seasons. Last season, he batted .283/.318/.421 in 391 plate appearances.

AL Notes: Red Sox, Rangers, Eppler

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The Red Sox could trade from their considerable catching depth, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes. Blake Swihart projects as their starter, while Christian Vazquez has looked good defensively after having Tommy John surgery last year. There’s also veteran Ryan Hanigan, as well as Sandy Leon, who MacPherson notes isn’t on the 40-man roster but is “being paid commensurate with a front-line depth option.” At some point, MacPherson suggests, youngsters Swihart and Vazquez will likely be the Red Sox’ top two catchers. That would imply that Hanigan could be a candidate to be dealt, with the Astros and Rangers as potential trade partners. Hanigan hit a decent .247/.337/.328 last year, has a reputation as a good defender and framer, and is only owed $3.7MM in 2016, so he could be an attractive target for teams in need of catching help. Here’s more from the American League.

  • The Rangers have announced that they’ve optioned high-profile youngsters Joey Gallo, Jurickson Profar and Nomar Mazara to Triple-A Round Rock. Gallo has wowed minor-league fans with his power and hit 29 home runs between three levels in 2015, but he struck out in over 40% of his plate appearances in the big leagues and at nearly as high a rate at Triple-A. Profar was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the game by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus prior to the 2013 season, but he missed all of 2014 and most of 2015 with shoulder issues and has only recently begun playing shortstop again. Mazara, an outfielder, batted .296/.366/.443 in a 2015 season split between Double-A Frisco and Round Rock. Via MLB.com, he ranks as the Rangers’ third-best prospect, with Gallo ranking first.
  • Tyler Kepner of the New York Times’ profile on new Angels GM Billy Eppler describes Eppler’s earlier days as assistant GM of the Yankees. In particular, Kepner gives Eppler credit for many of the Yankees’ smaller but effective moves, like their 2014 stretch-drive trade for Brandon McCarthy and their 2008 offseason deal for Nick Swisher, neither of which cost the Yankees much. “I think you demonstrate that to the people interviewing you, like, ’There’s other moves that the Yankees make,'” says Eppler, who had previously interviewed for the Padres’ and Mariners’ GM jobs, as well as interviewing for the Angels job when it previously went to Jerry Dipoto. “It’s not just the $150 million guys and nothing else. There are other moves; they just don’t grab the attention in New York.”

Sox Notes: ChiSox, BoSox, Sale, Craig, Loney, LaRoche

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The Red Sox and White Sox not only share similar nicknames, but they’ve also shared struggles in each of the last two seasons.  In fact, Boston and Chicago have identical 149-175 records over that stretch.  Here’s the latest from both shades of Sox…

  • Chris Sale had some harsh words for executive VP Kenny Williams in the wake of the Adam LaRoche controversy, though this hasn’t had any impact on Sale’s future with the team, a White Sox official tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  There is “no chance” Sale would be traded, the official said: “There was no chance in the offseason and no chance now. We’re building our team around Chris Sale.”
  • Just in case the relationship between Sale and the White Sox has indeed gone south, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe opines that the Red Sox should make a trade inquiry.  Abraham admits that Sale and and the Pale Hose “will probably make peace,” though this piece gives an idea of the gigantic price Chicago would demand for its ace.  Abraham suggests Boston could offer a trade package that includes Allen Craig and $18MM of his salary, plus young righty Anderson Espinoza and three other top-tier prospects.  In my opinion, I think even this impressive offer wouldn’t be enough to land a valuable asset like Sale, who is prized for not just his ability but also his contract — $21.15MM through 2017 and then club options for 2018 and 2019 worth a respective $12.5MM and $13.5MM.
  • While Craig may not be part of a blockbuster Red Sox trade package, Cafardo also suggests the first baseman could be a fit for the White Sox with LaRoche gone.  Chicago seems ready to fill LaRoche’s DH spot with Melky Cabrera and Avisail Garcia, though since Boston would inevitably be footing almost all of the $21MM remaining on Craig’s contract, it might not be a bad flier to take (especially since Cabrera and Garcia are coming off poor seasons).  Craig is trying to revive his career after two rough seasons that dropped his stock to the point that he was outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster last year.
  • In other first base trade speculation, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wonders if James Loney could be a fit for the White Sox.  The Rays have been unsuccessfully shopping Loney all winter and are reportedly willing to cover some of the $8MM Loney is owed in 2016.  Like LaRoche, Loney is also a left-handed hitter, perhaps making him a more ideal complement to the right-handed Garcia and Jose Abreu.
  • LaRoche’s dispute with the White Sox about his son’s presence in the clubhouse has drawn a lot of response from around baseball, with ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required) collecting some reaction from unnamed officials and front office personnel.  Most observes were surprised by the unusual nature of LaRoche’s demand that his son be a constant presence with the club and the seeming lack of communication between Kenny Williams, Rick Hahn and Robin Ventura about the situation.
  • “Honestly, I don’t think I was talking about the Red Sox,” David Price told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about his early comments about his ideal new team.  Price was focused on joining a team with a pipeline of young talent, and was initially thinking about the Cardinals and Cubs rather than the Red Sox since he “wasn’t as familiar” with Boston’s farm system.  The Cards and Cubs ended up being the next two highest bidders for Price’s services this winter, though their offers reportedly fell well short of the seven-year, $217MM contract Price signed with Boston since the Red Sox were intent on landing the ace.
  • One final note from Cafardo’s column: he notes that Red Sox infield prospect Marco Hernandez could be a trade target for other clubs in the wake of Hernandez’s strong Spring Training performance.  Hernandez, ranked as the 12th-best prospect in Boston’s system by Baseball America, is a 23-year-old who posted a combined .305/.330/.454 slash line over 484 PA at Double and Triple-A last season.  While his bat is still developing, Hernandez already has value as a utility infielder able to play second, third and shortstop.
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