- MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports (via Twitter) that the Braves have avoided arb with righty Chris Withrow by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $610K — clearing Swartz’s projection by $10K. With two years, 132 days of service time, Withrow narrowly qualified as a Super Two player, meaning he’ll be eligible for arbitration four times. The former first-rounder missed the 2015 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery and found himself traded from L.A. to Atlanta over the course of the year as well.
Braves Rumors
Braves Could Face Arbitration Hearing With Arodys Vizcaino
- The Braves could end up going to an arbitration hearing with right-hander Arodys Vizcaino tomorrow, writes MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. Atlanta cemented itself as a “file-and-trial” team (one that does not negotiate one-year salaries after arbitration figures are exchanged) last season when it went to a hearing with left-hander Mike Minor. With figures set to be exchanged tomorrow at 1pm ET, there’s little time for the two sides to work out a deal, although GM John Coppolella voiced a desire to work something out. “Our hope is always to settle before numbers are filed, but we showed last year that we have no problem going to a hearing if we are unable to reach a number that works for our club,” Coppolella explained. Vizcaino is projected by MLBTR to make $1.1MM next season, although as a Super Two player, establishing a more significant base in his first trip through the process would make the right-hander exponentially more costly in his next three arbitration-eligible offseasons.
Braves Have Interest In Cespedes, But Deal Unlikely
The prolonged availability of Yoenis Cespedes on the free agent market has apparently drawn some bargain hunters. Jon Heyman reports (links to Twitter) that the Mets and Braves both have had at least some level of interest in an communication with the All-Star outfielder. New York is said to be willing to put together a two or three-year deal, per Heyman, while it’s not clear what Atlanta might be inclined to offer. The White Sox have previously been said to have interest that stops at three years. As I noted in the linked post, a big AAV and an early opt-out could be an interesting scenario, though Cespedes is still likely to exhaust all possibilities of a deal more commensurate with his big-time earning power after an MVP-caliber season.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Braves would have to move an outfielder in order to sign Cespedes now that Hector Olivera is in the outfield. Moving Ender Inciarte, in theory, could make room for Cespedes as a stopgap of sorts in center field, he further tweets, though Atlanta would need to trade yet another outfielder once Mallex Smith is ready for a look in center (thereby shifting Cespedes to a corner spot).
- Meanwhile, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports that the Braves do indeed have some interest, though they’re only interested in a short-term pact as well. Bowman notes that even if Cespedes were to get to the point where he considered accepting a one- or two-year deal — an unlikely scenario — Atlanta would need to clear payroll in order to facilitate the acquisition. Asked by one of his Twitter followers about the odds of Atlanta striking a deal with Cespedes, Bowman likened them to the chances of winning the Powerball (Twitter link). While Bowman is clearly having some fun with that tweet, the fact that he is more or less dismissive of the entire notion is telling.
Astros Have Inquired With Braves On Ender Inciarte
The Astros have spoken with the Braves about center fielder Ender Inciarte, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). It’s not clear what level of interest Houston has at this point.
Inciarte, 25, went to Atlanta as a key part of the sizable package sent by the D’Backs in exchange for Shelby Miller. He’s emerged as a sneakily valuable player over the last two seasons, delivering outstanding glovework with a solid bat at a bargain price. If he can keep churning out top-notch defensive metrics and repeat his strong .303/.338/.408 slash from last year, Inciarte would profile as a first-division regular.
Of course, Atlanta surely won’t part with Inciarte for anything less than a compelling price. The organization would have ample cause to keep him as a piece of their rebuilding plan, though obviously the same could have been said of some now-former Braves players — Andrelton Simmons, in particular. High-upside players at or near the majors would presumably top the Braves’ wish list, though the Astros have already shipped out quite a few of those in other recent swaps.
It’s not immediately obvious what Houston could have in mind with Inciarte. The team already has a high-upside veteran in center in Carlos Gomez, though he fell short of expectations after being acquired last summer, along with a cheap and speedy backup in Jake Marisnick. And the club seems set in the corners with George Springer and Colby Rasmus — both of whom are also capable of playing center.
It is intriguing to consider the possibilities, though, if the interest is serious. Crasnick says that he’d expect Houston would need to deal away Gomez if it were to cut a deal for Inciarte. That’s certainly one plausible scenario, though they’d be selling low — and in a potentially weak market — after giving up a major haul to get him just months ago. While we’re on hypotheticals, it’s conceptually possible that the team could dangle Springer for an elite young pitcher. We’ve heard suggestions before that the organization isn’t completely unwilling to consider such a scenario, and teams such as the Indians and Rays could theoretically match up. But that’s all pure speculation at this point, of course.
Minor MLB Transactions: 1/9/16
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.
- The Royals have agreed to terms with lefty David Huff on a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, MLBTR has learned. Huff will receive $1.1MM plus a possible $300K in performance bonuses if he’s in the Majors, and his deal contains opt-outs on May 15 and June 15. Huff appeared briefly with the Dodgers last season, but spent most of the year at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he posted a 2.20 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 over 57 1/3 innings. The 31-year-old has a 5.08 ERA, 5.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in parts of seven big-league seasons, which he’s split between starting and relieving.
- The Padres have selected the contract of lefty Ryan Buchter, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. The Friars had previously signed Buchter to a minor league deal, but now, before he had even pitched an inning for them, they’ve placed him on their 40-man roster. Buchter had an excellent (if somewhat control-challenged) season at Triple-A in 2015, posting a 1.78 ERA, 11.0 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 50 2/3 innings of relief for two teams, and he has good velocity and is very tough on lefties. Getting him on a minor league deal looked like a small coup for the Padres, and it’s possible they’re adding him to their 40-man roster in order to avoid losing him, maybe to an opt-out clause or an offer from overseas.
- The Pirates have released righty Casey Sadler, Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweets. Sadler underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2015 season and was subsequently outrighted. The 25-year-old made one strong start with the Bucs in 2015 and spent the rest of the year at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he posted a 4.56 ERA, 5.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 before getting hurt.
- The Brewers have announced that they’ve signed lefty Pat Misch to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite. The 34-year-old Misch appeared in parts of six big-league seasons with the Giants and Mets, but he hasn’t been in the Majors since 2011. He’s had a strange journey since having Tommy John surgery in August 2013, as BA’s John Manuel writes — beginning last winter, he pitched in the Puerto Rican Winter League, then pitched 72 innings in a swingman role with Triple-A New Orleans in the Marlins system (posting a 3.25 ERA, 5.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9), then 64 2/3 with Lamigo in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. That stint finished with a Game 7 no-hitter to end the Taiwan Series.
- The Yankees have signed infielders Donovan Solano and Jonathan Diaz to minor league deals with Spring Training invites, Eddy tweets. Solano, formerly the Marlins’ semi-regular second baseman, did not hit well in 2015 and bounced back and forth between Miami and New Orleans. He has a career .257/.307/.328 batting line in parts of four big-league seasons. The 30-year-old Diaz has played briefly with the Red Sox and Blue Jays; he spent most of 2015 with the Jays’ Triple-A Buffalo affiliate, where he played shortstop, second base and center field and batted .223/.328/.284.
- The Braves have agreed to terms with righty Rob Wooten, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets. The 30-year-old appeared in the Brewers bullpen in the 2013 through 2015 seasons, posting a combined 5.03 ERA, 7.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 and throwing in the high 80s. He spent most of 2015, in a tough pitching environment at Triple-A Colorado Springs, with a 4.67 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 over 52 innings.
- The Reds have signed infielder Carlos Triunfel to a minor league deal, tweets Eddy. The former top Mariners prospect, now 25, batted .264/.287/.398 in 329 plate appearances with Triple-A Sacramento in the Giants organization in 2015, splitting his time between shortstop, second and third. He has appeared briefly in the big leagues with the Mariners and Dodgers.
Orioles Claim Joey Terdoslavich
The Orioles have claimed infielder/outfielder Joey Terdoslavich off waivers from the Braves, according to a team announcement. Terdoslavich lost his roster spot to make way for the signing of Kelly Johnson, which Atlanta announced today.
The 27-year-old Terdoslavich had previously spent his entire career in the Braves organization. He’s only taken 162 trips to the plate in the majors over the past three seasons.
While he’s yet to get much of a chance in the majors, Terdoslavich owns a reasonably useful .264/.337/.423 batting line in over 1,300 plate appearances at Triple-A. Of course, it’s been some time since he received a look at third base, and that slash isn’t all that impressive for a player who is limited to first base and corner outfield duties.
NL East Notes: Alderson, Mets, Murphy, Swisher
Mets GM Sandy Alderson made his first appearance with the media in quite some time today, and it was certainly good to see him back in the swing of things after the revelation that he had been diagnosed with cancer. The club’s top baseball decisionmaker told reporters that he’s back to full speed. (Via the Associated Press, on ESPN.com.) “I’ve been working 100 percent since really just after the winter meetings,” Alderson said. “I just couldn’t travel to Nashville that particular Sunday and Monday. Otherwise I would have been there. But since that time I’ve been in the office and fully participating.”
Here’s more from that appearance and some other notes from around the National League East:
- Alderson added that the Mets are not shying away from spending, despite that perception in some quarters. As he put it, in rather interesting fashion: “The idea that we’re not investing in the team I think is really misplaced and sort of tied up in the populism involving [Yoenis] Cespedes.” Alderson went on to explain that the club’s payroll in 2016 could end up rising by as much as $35MM over its 2014 figure of about $93MM. (The club sat at about $110MM last year.)
- Generally, said Alderson, the Mets acknowledge the importance of Cespedes and outgoing infielder Daniel Murphy to last year’s run, but he explained there was more to it than simply keeping the band together. “I think along the way we learned a few things about ourselves and about the team, and I think the way we’ve approached the offseason puts some of those lessons into play,” Alderson explained. “It’s not as if we’re not looking to improve the team, and, if possible, in significant ways. But it has to make some sense in terms of how these pieces all fit.”
- Signing Murphy wasn’t the Nationals’ first choice, writes Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post, but the team believes that he makes for a good fit and addresses an important need. Boswell paints a fascinating picture of Nats’ GM Mike Rizzo’s negotiations with Murphy — conducted while laid up after back surgery — and notes that the organization feels it has largely done what it needed to this winter. While further moves could take place, it seems increasingly likely that a big trade involving the back end of the bullpen may not be forthcoming. And other roster spots — such as a fourth outfielder — could be filled with relatively minor moves, unless high-value opportunities arise. As for Murphy, Rizzo explained the signing thusly: “We were looking for the best left-handed value we could get, and this guy really plays the game the way I like: gritty, hard-nosed, but with a smart baseball mind. He can steal you a base. Situational hits. And the brighter the lights, the more he steps up.”
- Bringing back left-handed-hitting utilityman Kelly Johnson could spell the end of Nick Swisher’s brief tenure with the Braves, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes. The most likely scenario, he suggests, is for Atlanta to showcase Swisher during Spring Training in hopes that he’ll do enough to draw interest from another team. If not other club is willing to pick up some of Swisher’s $15MM in remaining obligations, says Bowman, he could end up just being released.
Braves, Kelly Johnson Agree To One-Year Deal
11:15am: Johnson receives a $2MM guarantee for a one-year term, with the ability to earn $1.25MM in incentives, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets.
10:39am: The Braves and veteran infielder/outfielder Kelly Johnson are in agreement on a one-year contract, pending a physical, according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (Twitter link). Johnson, a client of Relativity Sports, will be signing on for his third stint with the Braves — the same organization that originally selected him with the 38th pick of the 2000 draft.
Financial terms have yet to be reported. It seems likely that the Braves were able to woo Johnson back with the chance to earn significant playing time, though he’ll have to compete with fellow veteran free agent signee Emilio Bonifacio.
His most recent run with the club, of course, ended when he was shipped to the Mets — along with Juan Uribe — in a deadline deal last summer. Clearly, there were no hard feelings, as Atlanta added a pair of young arms and Johnson got a chance to play in the World Series.
All told, Johnson ended the 2015 campaign with a solid .265/.314/.435 slash, with 14 home runs, in 335 plate appearances. He was limited almost entirely to facing right-handed pitching last year, though it’s fair to note that he has actually been slightly better against southpaws over his career.
With roughly league-average batting results over his career, Johnson has plenty of appeal as a utility piece. He’s never been viewed as a supremely talented defender, but he’s generally received roughly average ratings from defensive metrics at a variety of spots.
Johnson saw time at six positions last year between the two organizations, and could conceivably be an option at third, second, or the corner outfield this time around. If nothing else, he and Bonifacio give the club options in the event that it decides to cash in the just-acquired Ender Inciarte or finds a taker for some of the remaining money owed to Michael Bourn or Nick Swisher.
Braves Discussing Reunion With Kelly Johnson
The Braves have maintained a dialogue with versatile utility man Kelly Johnson, tweets MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, adding that it “still seems like there’s a chance a deal could be reached.” David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution takes the Johnson news a step further, tweeting that he’s been told there’s a better than 50-50 chance that the two sides will agree to a deal.
Johnson, 34 in February, split the 2015 campaign between the Braves and Mets, logging time at all four infield positions (although just nine innings at shortstop) as well as both corner outfield positions. Johnson graded out as an above-average defender in left field over the course of his career and drew solid ratings there in 2015 as well. He also has a solid defensive track record at second base, in the eyes of metrics like Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved, although he drew below-average ratings in a small sample of 204 innings in 2015.
At the plate, Johnson delivered above-average results, batting .265/.314/.435 with 14 home runs in just 335 plate appearances. The Mets and Braves platooned the left-handed-hitting Johnson heavily, which likely contributed to his quality results. Johnson has typically struggled against left-handed pitching, but he has a strong track record when holding the platoon advantage and has long displayed power in such situations, as evidenced by a career .177 isolated power mark (that is, slugging percentage minus bating average). Currently, the Braves have Jace Peterson and Gordon Beckham atop their depth chart at second base. At third base, Adonis Garcia and Beckham (both right-handed hitters) figure to handle most of the duties.
How Have 2015’s Worst Bullpens Improved Thus Far?
Over the weekend, MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth broke down the improvements (or lack thereof) that have been made to the five worst offenses from 2015 thus far. While there’s still a good deal of time remaining this offseason — we can revisit these examinations again come Opening Day — many teams have completed the bulk of their offseason lifting. Perhaps most notably, when it comes to the bullpen, many of the top-flight free agents and trade candidates are off the board. There are still some quality relievers to be had on the free-agent market — Antonio Bastardo and Tyler Clippard stand out as two of MLBTR’s Top 50 free agents that remain unsigned — but the bulk of the relief arms on the market appear headed for one-year commitments or minor league deals.
By ERA, the Rockies, Braves, Athletics, Tigers and Red Sox had the five worst bullpens in baseball in 2015. When sorting the Fangraphs team leaderboards by either FIP or xFIP, we see the bottom five results include four of those teams, though in various orders and combinations. So, while there are obviously many ways to categorize the collective efforts of teams’ relief corps, those five seem a reasonable enough starting point for this exercise.
Rockies (4.70 ERA, 4.09 FIP, 4.23 xFIP): Colorado’s offseason began with the somewhat surprising decision to designate John Axford for assignment, though the mustachioed closer came out ahead in the ordeal. Projected to earn $6.5MM this winter, Axford elected free agency following his DFA and scored a two-year, $10MM guarantee with the A’s that includes additional incentives. Colorado also cut ties with former closer of the future Rex Brothers and right-hander Tommy Kahnle. That pair of decisions was less surprising, as the two relievers combined to issue 36 walks in 43 2/3 innings. In their places, Colorado has signed veteran right-handers Jason Motte and Chad Qualls to two-year deals worth $10MM and $6MM, respectively. One can argue that Motte is a curious fit, to be sure, as a pitcher that neither misses bats nor induces grounders, but Qualls’ 60 percent ground-ball rate and K-BB% of 18.3 percent is appealing even if his ERA was more troublesome in 2015. Colorado will also probably benefit from Adam Ottavino’s eventual return. The 30-year-old was excellent from 2013-15 before undergoing Tommy John surgery after 10 1/3 brilliant innings last season. The Rox felt confident enough in Ottavino to give him what was to many an eyebrow-raising $10.4MM extension spanning 2016-18, but if he returns anywhere near his 2013-15 form, that price will be more than acceptable. Increased usage from intriguing righties Jairo Diaz and Miguel Castro could also yield better results, but it does appear, on paper, that there’s room for further additions here.
Braves (4.69 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 4.29 xFIP): The Braves have added a slew of minor league arms in trades over the past 12 to 15 months, many of whom will eventually figure into the team’s bullpen, even if some are presently viewed as starters. This winter, the team has brought back Jim Johnson on a one-year deal with the hopes that he’ll recreate the success he found in Atlanta last season while avoiding the type of meltdown he had following his trade to the Dodgers. Also returning to the club is right-hander David Carpenter, who signed a minor league pact after a down season in 2015 following a trade from Atlanta to the Yankees last winter. (That trade netted Manny Banuelos, though the Braves also parted with Chasen Shreve.) Alexi Ogando serves as another notable right-hander to land a minor league deal with Atlanta, and he’ll presumably compete for a bullpen role this spring. Right-hander Jose Ramirez also joined the Braves in a trade with the Mariners, giving the team a high-upside arm, albeit it one with some question marks (durability, control). Also coming by way of trade is lefty Ian Krol, though he had a down season in Detroit before being included in the Cameron Maybin trade. Right-hander Shae Simmons will be returning from Tommy John surgery, and fallen closer Jason Grilli should make his way back from a season-ending Achillies injury in the early portion of next season as well. Ultimately, however, the Braves are looking more to the collection of young arms they’ve stockpiled the past two winters than flashy moves to bolster their bullpen — not a surprising tactic for a club that is in the middle of rebuilding. It’s possible that Atlanta will make further one-year additions, as such players could become trade chips this winter.
Athletics (4.63 ERA, 4.36 FIP, 4.21 xFIP): Oakland has been one of the most active clubs in adding bullpen help this winter, shelling out a combined $32MM for Axford (two years, $10MM) and Ryan Madson (three years, $22MM). Madson’s contract was something of a shock, considering the fact that he’s 35 years old and 2015 was the first time he’d been healthy enough to throw in a Major League game since 2011. However, his track record prior to his lengthy injury layoff and last year’s results were outstanding. Axford’s season was bizarrely segmented, as he yielded 19 runs in just 17 2/3 innings across the middle two months of the season but sandwiched those ugly results between 38 other innings in which he allowed just seven total runs. A move to a far better pitchers’ park figures to help Axford, though it seems that control will always be an issue for him. Oakland also added lefty Marc Rzepczynski in a trade with the Padres that sent Drew Pomeranz to San Diego. Closer Sean Doolittle should be in better health this season, and if he’s back to form, he represents one of the game’s better lefty relievers. Also new to the green and gold is Australian hurler Liam Hendriks, added in a trade that sent Jesse Chavez to Toronto. Hendriks never panned out as a starter despite promising minor league numbers with Minnesota, but he flourished as a relief pitcher last year with a 2.92 ERA, 9.9 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 64 2/3 innings with the Jays.
Tigers (4.38 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 4.38 xFIP): Detroit’s nearly identical ERA/FIP/xFIP is rather remarkable in terms of similarity, but it also speaks to the underwhelming relief pitching that has now plagued the team for several years. New GM Al Avila has acted decisively in seeking to upgrade the ’pen, shedding Krol and right-hander Al Alburquerque (via trade and non-tender, respectively). Francisco Rodriguez will serve as the new closer in Detroit after coming over in a trade from the Brewers (minor leaguer Javier Betancourt was the primary piece sent to Milwaukee). Avila added right-hander Mark Lowe on a two-year, $11MM deal that reflects Detroit’s confidence in the hard-thrower’s 2015 resurgence. The Tigers also landed southpaw Justin Wilson from the Yankees by sending a pair of pitching prospects to New York. The Tigers will hope that the combination of K-Rod, Lowe and Wilson will pair with an improved Bruce Rondon to give the team the quality relief contingent it has so often lacked. They’ll also again look to Alex Wilson to play an important role, although the right-hander’s middling strikeout rate is something of a concern.
Red Sox (4.24 ERA, 4.64 FIP, 4.35 xFIP): The expectation when Dave Dombrowski came on board as president of baseball operations was that he’d shake up the bullpen and show no fear in trading prospects, and that exact scenario manifested with the acquisition of Craig Kimbrel. The Sox paid an exorbitant price to land three years of Kimbrel, parting with Javier Guerra, Manuel Margot, Carlos Asuaje and Logan Allen. However, pairing Kimbrel with Koji Uehara (who will move back to a setup role) wasn’t where Dombrowski stopped; the new Boston exec also added right-hander Carson Smith in a trade that sent Wade Miley to the Mariners. Smith is far from a household name but quietly enjoyed one of the more dominant rookie seasons in recent memory last year, posting a 2.31 ERA with 11.8 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 64.8 percent ground-ball rate. Roenis Elias, also acquired in that trade, could serve as starting depth but would also be intriguing in a left-handed relief role, based on his career splits.
