Orioles Rumors

Orioles Avoid Arbitration With Jonathan Schoop

By Jeff Todd | February 6, 2018 at 12:20pm CDT

The Orioles have struck a deal to avoid an arbitration hearing with second baseman Jonathan Schoop, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). Schoop will take home $8.5MM, per the report.

Recent indications were that there was some friction developing between the O’s and the star infielder. It would seem, though, that any budding problems — which might’ve been exacerbated by a hearing — have been forestalled with today’s agreement.

Schoop had filed at $9MM, with the team countering at $7.5MM. The 2018 MLB arbitration projections of MLBTR and Matt Swartz had pegged Schoop for a $9.1MM salary, so he’ll come in just under that mark.

With this deal now out of the way, Baltimore has just one remaining case. Righty Kevin Gausman is scheduled for a trial on February 14, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter).

So far as Schoop is concerned, attention will no doubt turn to the possibility of broader contract discussions. The 26-year-old has locked in some significant earnings already, with one more arb-eligible campaign to go after 2019, so he has a fair bit of leverage. But the O’s could still take a run at an extension on the heels of a 2017 season in which Schoop checked in with 4.1 fWAR/5.1 rWAR.

AL Notes: Sox, Nunez, E. Jimenez, Orioles, Royals, Soler

By Connor Byrne | February 4, 2018 at 11:31am CDT

Free agent utilityman Eduardo Nunez “hasn’t lost contact with the Red Sox,” Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald writes. With Dustin Pedroia set to miss the early portion of the year as he recovers from knee surgery, re-signing Nunez would give Boston a clear Opening Day second baseman. However, Nunez would obviously lose playing time upon Pedroia’s return, and the Red Sox are also set at his other positions – third base, shortstop and the corner outfield. All of those factors, not to mention interest from other clubs, could prevent Nunez’s return to the Red Sox. The 30-year-old joined the Sox via trade with the Giants last summer and thrived, hitting a stellar .321/.353/.539 in 173 plate appearances.

Here’s more from the American League:

As their search for starting pitchers continues, the Orioles remain interested in re-signing free agent right-hander Chris Tillman, while fellow righties Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn are still too expensive, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. Kubatko also adds a new name to the mix, 27-year-old righty Drew Hutchison, who’s on Baltimore’s radar. The Orioles are familiar with Hutchison from his run with AL East rival Toronto from 2012-16. Hutchison had his moments across 406 1/3 innings as a Blue Jay, with whom he pitched to a 4.92 ERA/4.23 FIP and posted 8.28 K/9 against 2.94 BB/9. However, he only threw 24 big league frames between Toronto and Pittsburgh in 2016, and he’s now coming off a year spent exclusively in the minors. With the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate last season, Hutchison logged a 3.56 ERA/4.13 FIP with 7.0 K/9 and 3.22 BB/9 over 159 1/3 innings.
When the Royals acquired outfielder Jorge Soler from the Cubs last year for closer Wade Davis, their hope was that the former top prospect would develop into a long-term building block. Soler, 25, still has a chance to do that, but Year 1 with the Royals saw him limp to a .144/.245/.258 showing in 110 PAs and, according to Maria Torres of the Kansas City Star, begin to believe that his major league career was over. Reflecting on 2017, most of which he spent in the minors, Soler told Torres: “I had an awful season. Things went fine in the minor leagues but not in the big leagues. Obviously there were things I was doing wrong. I needed to make adjustments. … I don’t know how it’ll translate to the field but in the cage there’s an incredible change. I’ve never felt this way.” Hoping to avoid a repeat this year, Soler has spent the offseason reshaping himself mentally and physically, having lost 20 pounds, and revamping his swing, as Torres details. Since October, Soler has been in Miami working with Dodgers international scout Mike Tosar, who helped Yonder Alonso break out last season. The results of their sessions have encouraged not only Soler and Tosar, but also members of Royals’ front office. General manager Dayton Moore suggested that Soler will be an everyday player for the Royals this year, adding that “the talent is there” and “we believe in him a great deal.”
White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez, one of the game’s best prospects, has only racked up 73 PAs above the Single-A level. Nevertheless, there’s optimism the 21-year-old will make his major league debut in 2018, per Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago. Jimenez told Levine “he’s close to getting to the big leagues,” while GM Rick Hahn noted that “it is not going to shock me if over the summer Eloy forces our hand a bit.” Levine’s piece is worth checking out in full for more quotes on Jimenez from Hahn and White Sox hitting coach Todd Steverson.

AL East Notes: Rays, Odorizzi, Orioles, Jay, Yanks

By Connor Byrne | February 3, 2018 at 6:50pm CDT

Entering the offseason, Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi looked like a shoo-in to end up elsewhere via trade, but the lack of action across the majors this offseason has played a role in preventing that, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Although the soon-to-be 28-year-old Odorizzi says he’s “still happy” to be in Tampa Bay, he’s cognizant that a trade could come together in the next few weeks – especially considering all the pitchers the low-spending Rays have dealt in the past. “There’s always that unsureness, especially with us and when people get to where I’m at in contract status and years left remaining (until free agency), this is typically the time (to be traded),” Odorizzi said. “We saw (Jeremy Hellickson), David (Price), (Drew) Smyly, (Matt) Garza, like everybody who gets to that point. We know it’s a pretty strong reality of how things go.” The Rays will “almost certainly” trade Odorizzi at some point, according to Topkin, and, as the player himself pointed out, it figures to occur soon given his dwindling team control. He’s in his penultimate year of arbitration eligibility and will earn between $6.05MM and $6.3MM, depending on what the panel decides.

More from Tampa Bay and two other AL East cities:

Along with the previously reported Carlos Gonzalez and Jarrod Dyson, the Orioles have interest in free agent outfielder Jon Jay, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Signing any of the three would give the Orioles a much-needed lefty-swinging outfielder to join a group that currently includes four righties (Adam Jones, Trey Mancini, Austin Hays and Joey Rickard) and a switch-hitter (Anthony Santander). Jay, who’ll turn 33 in March, has offered average to slightly above-average offense throughout his career, and he has typically held his own against both lefty and righty pitchers. In 433 plate appearances with the Cubs in 2017, he hit .296/.374/.375 – good for a 101 wRC+.
The Yankees have been on the hunt for starting pitching help throughout the offseason, though they haven’t made any significant moves on that front aside from re-signing CC Sabathia. Although the Yankees have a full rotation on paper with Sabathia, Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray and Jordan Montgomery, Sabathia would like to see them add to it. “It is what it is, (but) you always need more,” Sabathia said to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com. “It’s a long season. You never know what’s going to happen. The more arms we got, the better.” As Kuty notes, the Yankees’ talented rotation does come with questions, namely in the form of durability/workload concerns regarding everyone in the quintet.
Joining the Rays this week on a minor league pact was an easy decision for righty Ryan Weber, details Topkin, who adds that the 27-year-old told his agent to immediately take their offer. Weber was eager to accept the Rays’ proposal because he’s a local product who still lives in the area. “This is where I first saw a big-league game, telling my parents I’m going to be out there one day,” he said of the Rays’ home ballpark, Tropicana Field. “So to actually have a chance to play for the Rays, that’s cool. That’s pretty cool.” As a member of the Mariners last season, arm problems limited Weber to just seven appearances between the majors and minors, but he’s now “100 percent.”

AL Notes: Red Sox, O’s, Schoop, A’s, Maxwell, Twins

By Connor Byrne | February 2, 2018 at 11:36pm CDT

With so many teams unwilling to spend big money this offseason, the Red Sox are an outlier, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston writes. The BoSox have no fear of blowing past the $197MM luxury tax threshold, which Drellich posits puts them in a powerful position. And if they land J.D. Martinez (as expected), he argues that it could finally begin to break up the logjam atop the free agent market. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski confirmed Friday that Boston’s still seeking both a power bat (Martinez fits that description) and a left-handed reliever, per Drellich. Dombrowski also acknowledged that this has been an “unusual” winter, one that hasn’t necessarily been ideal for the sport. “I don’t think it’s a good situation that we’re sitting here on Feb. 2, there’s 110 free agents. I don’t think that’s good for the game, necessarily,” he said. “Does a change of system make it happen? I don’t know, we just got a new basic agreement a year ago. So, both sides agreed to that and were willing to sign it. … I don’t think you can only look at this winter time, I think then you have to look at the future, then you can analyze that.”

A few more notes from the American League…

Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop will have his arbitration hearing Feb. 8, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. After enjoying a career season in 2017, the 26-year-old requested a $9MM salary, while the Orioles offered $7.5MM. There has reportedly been some discord between the two sides in salary negotiations, which could bode poorly for the Orioles’ chances of keeping Schoop past 2019 – his final year of arb eligibility.
Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell has a Feb. 12 settlement conference in Phoenix stemming from his October arrest on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and disorderly conduct, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The fact there’s a conference opens the door for a plea deal with the state of Arizona, Slusser notes, and the expectation is that they will come to an agreement prior to spring training. If no deal is reached, Maxwell is scheduled to go to trial Aug. 9, which was pushed back from the original date of April 10, according to Slusser.
Minnesota’s unexpected return to the playoffs in 2017 helped the club land free agent reliever Zach Duke this winter, as the left-hander spurned other teams for the Twins’ $2MM deal (via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). “I had a couple offers out there, but after examining rosters, the way teams are put together, atmosphere, and talking to people I knew that had been in certain places, the Twins just made sense,” Duke explained. “This team is on the edge of being really good for a while and has the same type of feel as the Astros with a bunch of really good young position players, but maybe a pitcher or two away.” After undergoing Tommy John surgery as a member of the Cardinals in October 2016, Duke didn’t debut last season until July, and he only recorded 18 1/3 innings on the year. Heading into 2018, the soon-to-be 35-year-old is confident he’ll return to his pre-surgery effectiveness.

AL East Notes: Betts, O’Day, Jays, Rays

By Steve Adams and Connor Byrne | February 2, 2018 at 2:44pm CDT

While arbitration hearings can often be a contentious process, Red Sox president of baseball operations told reporters that the team’s relationship with Mookie Betts didn’t suffer as a result of this week’s hearing (link via MassLive.com’s Jen McCaffrey). “I called him and texted him back and forth,” said Dombrowski. “(Assistant general manager) Brian O’Halloran spoke to him. Mookie’s fine, he understands the process so we have a good relationship.” Dombrowski went on to say call Betts a player that the organization “loves” and hopes to keep for “years to come.” Betts was awarded a $10.5MM salary by an arbitration panel — the second-largest salary ever for a first-time arbitration player. (Kris Bryant set the record at $10.85MM last month.)

Orioles Acquire Andrew Susac

By Steve Adams | February 2, 2018 at 12:08pm CDT

The Orioles announced that they’ve acquired catcher Andrew Susac from the Brewers in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. Susac was designated for assignment in Milwaukee earlier this week.

The 27-year-old Susac ranked among the game’s top 100 prospects on multiple lists prior to the 2015 campaign and was a frequent presence near the top of the Giants’ organizational prospect rankings as well. The Brewers acquired him in a 2016 swap that sent lefty Will Smith to San Francisco, though, and he’s struggled in both organizations over the past couple of seasons.

In 274 MLB plate appearances, Susac has batted just .232/.299/.396 with an alarming 82 strikeouts against 23 walks. He’s been more effective in his Triple-A career, hitting at a .247/.338/.425 clip, and strikeouts haven’t been nearly as much of an issue for him there. Durability, on the other hand, has been a major factor for the former second-rounder (Giants, 2011); Susac has appeared in more than 100 games just twice in a season, and he’s totaled just 142 games over the past two seasons combined. In his young career, Susac has already dealt with wrist, trapezius, finger and shoulder injuries on separate occasions.

The O’s have been looking to supplement their catching corps and now have four catchers on the 40-man roster in Susac, Chance Sisco, Caleb Joseph and Austin Wynns. Joseph heads into Spring Training with a roster spot all but secured, and while many have presumed Sisco to be the favorite to join him, reports out of Baltimore have suggested that there will be a competition in that regard. Susac will join Sisco and Wynns in vying for playing time, but he has a minor league option remaining, so he can be sent to Triple-A Norfolk without needing to be exposed to waivers if he doesn’t secure a spot.

Quick Hits: Spring Training, Arb Hearings, Werth, Rodgers

By Steve Adams | February 2, 2018 at 9:55am CDT

Unrest on the players’ side of the fence in a dismally slow offseason reached the point where player reps in the union asked if whether it was viable for even those who have signed contracts to collectively refuse to report to Spring Training until Feb. 24, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required). That represents the mandatory reporting date, though pitchers and catchers (and some others) will report to camp prior to that date in a given year. The MLBPA informed those representatives that doing so would violate the CBA and constitute an “unlawful strike,” prompting the notion to be dropped. The very thought further illustrates the overall discontent of players, Rosenthal notes, and that general level of frustration doesn’t help matters as the league and union continue to negotiate the implementation of pace-of-play measures.

Some other notes from around the game…

In addition to Ken Giles, whose arbitration hearing took place yesterday, we should soon learn the results on a pair of arb hearings from the Marlins. FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweeted recently that J.T. Realmuto’s arb hearing was on Jan. 31, while Justin Bour’s was slated for Feb. 1. Giles and the Astros filed at $4.6MM and $4.2MM, respectively. Meanwhile, the Marlins filed at $2.9MM and $3MM for Realmuto and Bour, while that duo countered with respective figures of $3.5MM and $3.4MM (all of which can be seen in MLBTR’s 2018 Arbitration Tracker). Heyman also noted that Dan Straily’s hearing is set for Feb. 14, and Luke Jones of WSNT.net tweeted recently that Orioles righty Kevin Gausman told him his hearing is also set for the 14th of the month.
The Nationals have little interest in bringing Jayson Werth back to D.C., writes Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. Werth, though, hopes to play next season and tells Janes that he’s enhanced his workout routine this offseason. “I’m still training,” says Werth. “I’m still doing the same stuff I would do every other year. I’m actually training harder because I know I’m getting older, and the only way to keep up is to work harder, which sucks.” Werth, 38, was sporting a productive .262/.367/.446 batting line in 2017 when he hit the DL in early June due to a foot injury. When he returned in late August, though, he struggled to a .155/.226/.286 slash through the end of the season, and his struggles continued in the postseason.
Rockies top prospect Brendan Rodgers tells Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post that his ultimate goal for the 2018 season is to make his MLB debut. While the team’s director of player development, Zach Wilson, loves the ambition behind that goal, he wouldn’t comment directly on the plausibility of that scenario. “We’ll see what happens, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have those aspirations and those goals this year,” Wilson told Saunders. “But I will also say this: we’ll make sure he is ready for the next step before he takes it.” Wilson adds that Rodgers will see action at both middle infield positions during Cactus League play this spring but will also get in plenty of side work at third base as the team increases his versatility. Rodgers is viewed as a potential cornerstone piece in the infield for the Rox, though with Nolan Arenado at third base, Trevor Story at short and DJ LeMahieu at second base, there’s no immediate opening for him. LeMahieu, though, is a free agent following the 2018 season.

Heyman’s Latest: Darvish, Utley, Hosmer, Moustakas, Stanton, Marlins, Melky, Dyson, Garcia, ChiSox

By Mark Polishuk | February 1, 2018 at 5:02pm CDT

Here’s the latest hot stove buzz from FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman in his weekly look at all 30 teams…

Yu Darvish is still on the radar for both the Cubs and Dodgers, though with some caveats. Chicago “seem to be hoping that Darvish will choose them for reasons that are not economic,” which implies that Darvish would drop his asking price to play for a World Series contender. In the Dodgers’ case, there is “some ambivalence by at least some” at the ownership level about bringing Darvish back in the wake of his well-publicized struggles during the World Series.
“The overwhelming belief is that Chase Utley will be back” with the Dodgers for another season. Utley, who turned 39 last month, hit .236/.324/.405 in 353 PA in 2017, with most of those plate appearances coming against right-handed pitching. Beyond his lefty bat and backup capability at first and second base, Utley is also regarded as a strong leader within the Los Angeles clubhouse.
“Royals ownership was more than willing to move on” from Eric Hosmer, though GM Dayton Moore is trying to do what he can to retain the core members of their 2014-15 pennant winners. Moore is still hoping that Hosmer can be re-signed, though some cuts may need to be made to the K.C. payroll to facilitate the first baseman’s return.
The Yankees continue to monitor the infield market for second base or third base help, and discussed Mike Moustakas earlier this week. Moustakas would cost significantly more than some of New York’s other targets, however, which doesn’t fit the Yankees’ plan of getting under the luxury tax threshold unless they can move other salaries.
Earlier reports indicated that the Giants were willing to pay up to $230MM of the $295MM owed on Giancarlo Stanton’s contract, though Heyman writes that San Francisco was actually willing to absorb all $295MM. Some “not upper-tier” prospects also would’ve gone to the Marlins. Since Stanton wasn’t willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Giants, of course, it ended up being a moot point. The Cardinals were willing to take on roughly $265MM of Stanton’s deal and offered the best trade package in terms of prospects, according to a source who had seen the proposals Miami received from the Cards, Giants, and Yankees.
The Marlins have received just “limited interest” in Starlin Castro in trade talks, and may have to eat some of the $22MM remaining on his contract in order to complete a deal. Castro has already switched uniforms once this winter, going from the Yankees to the Marlins as part of the Stanton trade, and he has already asked Miami’s front office to be dealt.
Melky Cabrera has drawn some interest from the Marlins, Royals, and Pirates. There hasn’t been much news on the veteran outfielder this winter, with only the Orioles (also mentioned here by Heyman) previously reported to have discussed Cabrera’s services.
Jarrod Dyson’s asking price was in the area of a two-year, $14MM deal, though the speedy outfielder has been receiving one-year offers “for less than a third” of his hoped-for dollar figure. The Blue Jays, Giants, Mariners, and Orioles have been linked to Dyson at various times this winter, though the first three of those teams have since addressed their outfield needs with other players.
Heyman adds Jaime Garcia’s name to the list of veteran starters receiving consideration from the Orioles. Garcia posted a 4.41 ERA, 2.02 K/BB rate, and 7.4 K/9 over 157 innings for the Braves, Twins, and Yankees last season. As noted by Heyman, the O’s are particularly stringent when it comes to pitchers’ medicals, which could be an issue in Garcia’s case — the lefty has a history of shoulder problems and a Tommy John surgery on his record.
The White Sox are looking for DH help, but they don’t appear to be looking at the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp as a trade possibility.

East Notes: Realmuto, Albers, Britton

By Steve Adams | January 29, 2018 at 3:53pm CDT

Unwilling to part with either Victor Robles or Juan Soto in J.T. Realmuto talks with the Marlins, the Nationals are instead open to centering a package for the star catcher around prospects Carter Kieboom and Erick Fedde, reports MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. The pair rank third and fourth among Nationals farmhands per both Baseball America and MLB.com, though neither Kieboom nor Fedde are considered among baseball’s 100 best prospects per those same publications. Emphasis on acquiring such players can at times be overstated, but many would be surprised if the Marlins didn’t pull at least one premium talent back for Realmuto. Meanwhile, Frisaro lists the Diamondbacks as another “potential suitor,” though he doesn’t specify the extent (if any) of the talks between the two sides, and the D-backs have a rather thin farm system overall.

More chatter from the East Coast…

While some in the Nationals front office saw signs of sustainability within Matt Albers’ performance for the club last season, others weren’t convinced of his likelihood to repeat that performance for the entirety of a two-year contract (Twitter link from Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post). Since Albers sought (and ultimately found) a two-year agreement, Washington decided to hedge its bets elsewhere. The 35-year-old right-hander enjoyed an excellent 2017 season, pitching to a 1.62 ERA with 9.30 K/9 against 2.51 BB/9, but the risk in signing him to a multi-year deal probably lies in a .203 BABIP that seems likely to regress somewhat. On the other hand, he was one of the best relievers in baseball at inducing soft contact and preventing hard contact, so that’s at least a point in favor of low BABIP sustainability.
Orioles reliever Zach Britton said that he’s “feeling really good” during a conference call at the O’s Fanfest (via Paul Folkemer of baltimorebaseball.com). The lefty recently had his second of three follow-ups with his doctor after rupturing his Achilles tendon during a December workout. “He was really happy with where I’m at,” Britton said. “Maybe a little ahead of schedule. Not skipping any steps, but just picking up the pace on things that I’m doing now. More walking, getting comfortable in a tennis shoe again, and things like that.” The soon-to-be free agent will reportedly be at spring training with the Orioles in Sarasota, Florida, though he won’t be at “full go.” An early return for their closer would be a huge boost to Baltimore whether they’re contenders or not. He’d dramatically improve the club’s chances to make the playoffs if he can replicate anything close to his 2015-2016 form down the stretch, but if the O’s are out of it before the trade deadline he could very well net a solid prospect return.

Heyman’s Latest: Corbin, Darvish, Cobb, Kemp, Nationals, CarGo, K-Rod

By Mark Polishuk | January 27, 2018 at 5:30pm CDT

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports is back with his latest collection of notes and rumblings on all 30 Major League teams…

The Brewers and Diamondbacks had “extensive talks” about left-hander Patrick Corbin at some point in the offseason. Corbin has been mentioned as a possible trade chip due to his price tag ($7.5MM in 2018, his final year under contract) and Arizona’s increased amount of rotation depth. Milwaukee, meanwhile, has a clear need for rotation help, so it makes sense that the Brew Crew checked in on Corbin amidst their numerous other talks about notable arms on the free agent and trade fronts — as Heyman put it, “they have investigated every pitching possibility out there.” This is just my speculation, but the Brewers’ surplus of young center fielders (Keon Broxton and Brett Phillips) could be intriguing to the D’Backs since A.J. Pollock is only a year away from free agency. The Yankees are known to be one of the many teams who have also discussed Corbin this winter.
The Twins aren’t thought to be willing to go beyond five years for Yu Darvish, and “Alex Cobb is believed to be their fallback choice for the rotation” if Darvish passes. The Rangers similarly have interest in Darvish and Cobb if their prices fall, though it sounds like Texas is hoping for only a major bargain signing. As one source tells Heyman, “the Rangers are lowballing even the lowballers” in contract offers.
The Dodgers have “three or four” potential trade partners in mind for Matt Kemp, according to a source, though Heyman hears from another source that the Rangers are “probably not” a candidate for the veteran outfielder. It seems like not much has changed since Heyman last checked in on Kemp’s trade market in December, and L.A. may have to attach some minor league talent to get anyone to bite on Kemp’s $43MM in remaining salary owed through the 2019 season.
Nationals ownership has concerns about the luxury tax, so it seems unlikely that they will make another pricey, late-winter signing as in past years. Washington currently projects to exceed the $197MM tax threshold but only by a few million dollars, and should still be able to spend a bit on in-season upgrades without triggering a higher level of tax penalties.
Carlos Gonzalez is still an option for the Orioles as they look to add another left-handed hitting outfielder. CarGo is looking to rebound from a nightmarish 2017 that saw him post a -0.2 fWAR overall, though he did hit much better over the last two months of the season. Baltimore likely wouldn’t have to spend much to land Gonzalez, and thus the O’s could focus more money on their larger pitching needs.
Francisco Rodriguez has received some offers after throwing for scouts. The former closer is trying to revive his career after a disastrous season that saw him released by both the Tigers and Nationals.

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