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Orioles Targeting Welington Castillo

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The Orioles’ preferred option behind the plate is free-agent backstop Welington Castillo, according to a report from Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com. Interest had previously been reported, and Robert Murray of Fan Rag suggested yesterday that there was some momentum building towards a deal.

Baltimore has continued to discuss a possible multi-year contract with Castillo’s representatives since the Winter Meetings wrapped up yesterday, Connolly writes. There’s some “optimism” on the team’s part, though talks remain “firmly in the discussion phase” at this time.

Castillo is one of several names still under consideration for the O’s, but seems to have emerged as the favorite. Incumbent Matt Wieters and veterans Nick Hundley and Chris Iannetta are other options that appear still to be possibilities as Baltimore seeks a primary backstop to pair with Caleb Joseph.

Castillo, 29, was a somewhat surprising addition to the market after he was non-tendered by the Diamondbacks. Given the fact that he seems to be lining up for a contract that covers two or more years, though, that may turn out to have been a blessing (depending upon what guarantee he is able to command, at least). Castillo was projected to earn $5.9MM in his final season of arb eligibility.

Castillo is regarded as a bat-first catcher, with some real questions about his glovework — in the framing department, in particular. But the bat does play quite nicely, especially when one considers the dearth of offensive output from receivers leaguewide. Since joining the DBacks in the middle of the 2015 season, Castillo has slashed .261/.320/.452 and driven 31 home runs over 760 plate appearances.

Free Agency Notes: Giants, Dodgers, Chapman, Wieters, Alvarez

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It appears that closer Mark Melancon will be the only major pickup the Giants make this offseason. The club has all but reached its payroll limit as a result of adding Melancon on a four-year, $62MM deal Monday, and it’s unlikely to make any significant dollar-for-dollar trades, general manager Bobby Evans told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.  “I don’t think there’s anything more to ask of ownership,” Evans said. “It’s more what I can do with what we have.” The Giants logged opening-day payrolls upward of $172MM in the previous two seasons, and Jason Martinez of MLBTR and Roster Resource estimates they’ll start 2017 at $183MM-plus.

More free agency-related news:

  • The Dodgers made an attempt to sign closer Aroldis Chapman, but they didn’t come particularly close to succeeding, tweets FanRag’s Jon Heyman. It doesn’t seem as if Chapman was actually receptive to playing in Los Angeles, as the agreement he reached with the Yankees late Wednesday includes the ability to block trades to all West Coast teams.
  • Free agent catcher Matt Wieters might not sign until late in the offseason, in part because the market is slow for catchers, agent Scott Boras informed Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun on Wednesday. As he’s known to do, Boras talked up his client, saying, “Look, he threw out over 35 percent of his runners. When Matt Wieters is behind the plate, the Orioles are in the playoffs. He’s won Gold Gloves … and his ERA of the pitching staff is one run lower than when other catchers catch. I think Baltimore has a real commodity there. He’s performed at high levels there.” Wieters – who’s coming off a poor year from both offensive and pitch–framing standpoints – remains a possibility for the catcher-needy Orioles, according to both Boras and O’s general manager Dan Duquette. The 30-year-old Wieters has been a member of the Baltimore organization since it drafted him fifth overall in 2007.
  • Corner infielder/designated hitter Pedro Alvarez, another Baltimore free agent and Boras client, has drawn interest from “a number of teams,” the agent told Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com. Interestingly, in an effort to improve his earning power, Alvarez could try to market himself as a part-time outfielder. “Pedro is actually going to start playing the outfield, as well,” Boras said. “He’s obviously working at first base and we’re going to try and get his defensive acumen more in the field as his career goes forward.” The big-bodied Alvarez has struggled at first and third during his career (and played DH almost exclusively in 2016), so it’s difficult to imagine him faring well in the grass.

Orioles Notes: Dyson, Gardner, Trumbo

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Here’s the latest on the Orioles, who seem to have spent the day so far in pursuit of position players:

  • The Orioles have recently spoken to the Royals about outfielder Jarrod Dyson, FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets. (The Athletics emerged yesterday as another possible suitor for the Royals, and Heyman identified the Orioles and Rangers as other possibilities.) Dyson is a free agent after next season, and the Royals might look to deal him as they plan their way ahead. For the Orioles or for whichever team acquires him, he’ll be a cheap, versatile, lefty-swinging outfield option who brings outstanding baserunning and defense.
  • Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner could be a fit for the O’s, Heyman tweets. The Orioles, however, would like to have the Yankees pay down some of Gardner’s remaining salary (a total of $25MM guaranteed over the next two seasons). At last check, the Yankees had been listening to offers for Gardner. Whether the Yankees would want to trade Gardner within the division remains to be seen, however.
  • The Orioles remain interested in retaining Mark Trumbo, MASN’s Roch Kubatko writes. The two sides have agreed that Trumbo’s deal to stay in Baltimore should be four years. They’re far apart on the price of the deal, however. As Kubatko noted yesterday, the Orioles also don’t want to give Trumbo a no-trade clause.

Trade Rumors: Colome, Eaton, Robertson, Braves, Orioles

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The Rays and Nationals have been in contact about a possible trade of Tampa Bay closer Alex Colome, tweets Jon Morosi of the MLB Network. Morosi doesn’t characterize the seriousness of the talks, though Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted recently that the Rays might market Colome once Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman sign, so perhaps this was a bit of ground work. The asking price on Colome, if the Rays do indeed field offers on him, would figure to be exceptionally high. The 27-year-old (28 at the end of the month) had a breakout season in the Tampa Bay bullpen this past year when he took over the ninth inning for the injured Brad Boxberger. In 56 2/3 innings, Colome logged a scintillating 1.91 ERA with 11.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 47.1 percent ground-ball rate with 37 saves. Beyond the dominant numbers, Colome has yet to reach salary arbitration and is controlled for another four years before he’s eligible for free agency.

More trade chatter from around the league…

  • Morosi also tweets that the Nationals are considering center field options beyond rumored top target Andrew McCutchen, and Adam Eaton of the White Sox is among them. Chicago’s willingness to part with Eaton, who is controllable through the 2021 season for a total of $38.4MM (only $18.4MM of which comes in guaranteed years), isn’t exactly clear. While some reports this offseason have indicated that the Sox are only interested in trading players with three or fewer years of club control remaining, FanRag’s Jon Heyman suggested yesterday that they could be open to dealing virtually anyone following the Chris Sale blockbuster. Moving Eaton, who hit .284/.362/.428 with elite corner outfield defense last season, would only make sense for an exceptionally large haul of young talent.
  • Heyman tweets that David Robertson has drawn some trade interest, but the White Sox might wait to see which teams miss out on Jansen and Chapman before seriously exploring offers. In that case, they’d face some competition in the form of the Rays and Colome, though Robertson would require a lesser prospect package from teams that are in the market for bullpen help. Then again, Robertson is also owed $25MM over the next two seasons and is coming off a disappointing season (by his standards), giving bullpen-needy teams a number of factors to mull when considering the pair of trade candidates.
  • The Braves inquired with the Orioles about the availability of right-handed setup man Brad Brach but found the asking price too high, tweets Sherman. Per his report, Baltimore asked Atlanta for young outfielder Mallex Smith in return. Brach has been nothing short of outstanding with the O’s over the past two seasons, compiling a 2.39 ERA with 10.3 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 in 158 1/3 innings of work, and he’s under club control for another two seasons. Smith won’t turn 24 until next May, though, and comes with five years of team control. He appeared in 72 games last season, his Major League debut, hitting .238/.316/.365. While those numbers don’t stand out, Smith has blistering speed and is considered a plus defender capable of playing all three outfield positions. He’s also performed fairly well in the upper levels of the minors, though he looks to have a limited role in 2017, when Atlanta will trot out Matt Kemp, Ender Inciarte and Nick Markakis to the outfield grass.

Orioles Show Interest In Chris Carter

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The Orioles have been in contact with Chris Carter’s representatives, according to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman (Twitter link).  The O’s also had interest in Carter last offseason before the slugger signed with the Brewers.

Since being non-tendered by the Brewers last week, Carter has drawn interest from the Indians and Rockies, so it makes sense that another team in need of some first base/DH-type power has gotten in touch.  As Heyman notes, Carter would essentially replace Mark Trumbo’s power bat, and at a fraction of Trumbo’s reported asking price.  Pursuing Carter would also fit Orioles executive VP Dan Duquette’s recent strategy of not overpaying for power hitting; Baltimore has gotten quite a bit of pop from Nelson Cruz, Pedro Alvarez and Trumbo himself in recent years at relatively low costs.

Carter hit .222/.321/.499 in his lone season in Milwaukee, leading the NL in both homers (41) and strikeouts (206).  Despite all of Carter’s power, his lack of a well-rounded hitting game and below-average fielding and baserunning contributed to a value of just 0.9 fWAR in 2016.

Despite these drawbacks, Baltimore is a good fit on paper for Carter’s game.  He should provide as much home run power as ever in hitter-friendly Camden Yards, and his defensive shortcomings wouldn’t be an issue since thanks to Chris Davis’ presence, Carter would primarily be a designated hitter.  Over his career, Carter has been a notably better hitter as a DH ( 130 wRC+ in 764 PA) than as a first baseman (105 wRC+ in 1575 PA), so a case could be made that he could still unlock some greater hitting potential if freed from a regular defensive assignment.

The Orioles’ lineup already tilts heavily to the right side, however, and the O’s may be more interested in seeing what they have in young DH candidate Trey Mancini.  Baltimore could prefer to save its DH spot for Mancini and a rotation of veterans on rest days and instead direct its funds towards landing an everyday right fielder.

AL East Notes: Sox, Rays, Erasmo, Bautista, Iannetta, Cashman, Orioles

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Today’s acquisition of Tyler Thornburg from the Brewers will end Boston’s foray into the relief market for the winter, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters (including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe).  Most notably, this would seem to end any chance of the Sox re-signing Koji Uehara or Brad Ziegler.  Thornburg will join closer Craig Kimbrel, Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, Robbie Ross, Fernando Abad and (when he is healthy) Carson Smith in the Sox bullpen, plus with Chris Sale now in the rotation, Clay Buchholz, Drew Pomeranz or even Eduardo Rodriguez could now be bullpen options.  Pomeranz or Rodriguez would help add some left-handed depth to the pen, as Abad struggled mightly after coming to the Sox last season.  Here’s more from around the AL East…

  • With Sale off the board, the Rays’ starting pitchers could become even hotter trade commodities, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes.  Some of the teams connected to the Rays’ pitching in trade talks already this winter (such as the Nationals, Astros and Braves) were also suitors to land Sale from the White Sox.  The Rays have received more interest in Drew Smyly and Alex Cobb than Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi since the latter two come at much higher asking prices.
  • Erasmo Ramirez has also drawn some interest, Topkin reports.  The former starter-turned-workhorse reliever for the Rays in 2016 posted a 3.77 ERA, 52.5% grounder rate and 6.25 K/9 over 90 2/3 innings, with 63 of Ramirez’s 64 games coming out of the bullpen.  MLBTR projects Ramirez to earn a $3.5MM salary through arbitration next season, which could be a bit pricey for Tampa’s liking.
  • The Blue Jays’ talks with Jose Bautista’s representatives today didn’t appear to bring much progress towards a reunion, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports.  Bautista’s market seems rather unclear at this point, with some wondering if a more creative contract (such as front-loaded deal with a player opt-out clause after the first year) could be in store for the veteran slugger.
  • The Blue Jays also spoke with catcher Chris Iannetta’s representatives today, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).  The Mariners declined their $4.25MM club option on the veteran catcher following a season that saw Iannetta hit .210/.303/.329 over 338 PA, eventually ceding regular duty to Mike Zunino in Seattle.  The Jays are in need of a backup catcher for Russell Martin after parting ways with Josh Thole and Dioner Navarro testing the open market.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn’t expect to add a starting pitcher at the Winter Meetings, telling reporters (including George A. King III of the New York Post) that “it’s a tough market and the price tags are extremely high. We could play on a lot of things because we have a lot of prospects people desire and we desire them, too. I would say it’s less likely for us to acquire a starter.”
  • The Orioles have had success in landing qualifying offer free agents late in the winter, and Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun writes that this strategy could benefit the team again this offseason.  Edwin Encarnacion’s eventual deal will bring some clarity to the market for big bats, though there is still enough uncertainty around the likes of Mark Trumbo and Ian Desmond (not to mention other non-QO free agents) that the Orioles could find some quality hitting at a relatively low price come January or February.

Royals Making Progress Toward Trading Jarrod Dyson; Athletics Interested

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The Royals are advancing toward a potential trade of outfielder Jarrod Dyson, with the Athletics as a potential suitor, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes (all Twitter links). (Jon Heyman of FanRag adds the Rangers and Orioles to the list of interested teams.) The idea, Sherman reports, is that with a number of key players set to become eligible for free agency following the 2017 season (including Dyson, Wade Davis, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and Alcides Escobar), the Royals need to think about how the team will look in the future. Meanwhile, they can capitalize on the market’s current demand for center field help by trading Dyson, while also dealing Davis and moving Kelvin Herrera to the closer’s role.

The 32-year-old Dyson batted a relatively modest .278/.340/.388 in 2016 and only collected 337 plate appearances, but still contributed 3.1 fWAR thanks to his excellent defense. The Athletics need outfield help and have, in recent years, acquired outfielders like Coco Crisp, Sam Fuld and Craig Gentry whose profiles when acquired were heavily oriented around defense. Dyson is also relatively cheap, at a projected $2.5MM for 2017. It makes a degree of sense, then, that the A’s would want to add him.

Blue Jays In Talks With Jose Bautista; Indians Also Interested

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The Blue Jays met with longtime slugger Jose Bautista today and have resumed talks to bring him back to Toronto, broadcaster Hazel Mae tweets and FanRag’s Jon Heyman confirms (Twitter links). Heyman had previously reported that the Jays had shown little interest in reopening discussions with Bautista, so their meeting with him today appears to represent a change in direction. He adds that the Jays perked up around the time that the Indians expressed interest in Bautista, which itself seems to be a new development. (Heyman adds that the Orioles might have been another possibility, but that they preferred to keep the draft pick they would lose as a result of signing Bautista, and they apparently actually told Bautista’s representation that Orioles fans simply didn’t like him.)

The Jays have already added Kendrys Morales to their DH mix this offseason, but they could certainly still use Bautista in right field. The Indians, meanwhile, were recently in talks with another Blue Jays free agent, Edwin Encarnacion, but at last check, those talks didn’t appear to be moving forward. Bautista is coming off a modest (for him) .234/.366/.452 season, and he rejected a qualifying offer, but MLBTR still projects that his established power bat could earn him a three-year, $51MM deal this offseason.

Orioles Begin Extension Talks With Chris Tillman

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The Orioles have had preliminary talks with righty starter Chris Tillman about an extension, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes. Encina characterizes those talks as “introductory,” suggesting that no deal is imminent.

This isn’t the first time the Orioles have expressed interest in extending Tillman, who is eligible for free agency after next season. (He is set to make a projected $10.6MM next season through the arbitration process.) As Encina notes, Orioles stars Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Zach Britton are eligible for free agency following the 2018 campaign. Extending Tillman, then, would help the O’s build a bridge between their current core and whatever that core might look like two to three years from now.

Tillman posted a 3.77 ERA, 7.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 172 solid innings in 2016. Those numbers roughly align with his career 4.13 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9. Tillman has rarely been among the AL’s top starters, but he’s been reliable and healthy, having pitched at least 172 frames in each of the past four seasons. (He did, however, miss a few weeks with a shoulder inflammation this season.) Those qualities could make him good money next winter, especially since he’ll be just 29. If extension talks with the Orioles do progress, Tillman’s camp could point to recently extended starters with five-plus years of service time such as Homer Bailey (who received six years and $105MM and an option) and Rick Porcello (four years, $82MM) as potential templates.

Orioles, Mark Trumbo Meeting Again Today

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DEC. 6: There’s still mutual interest between the two sides, so they’ll meet again today to try to get on the same page, tweets Olney.

DEC. 5, 2:55pm: Olney tweets the Orioles were comfortable in the four-year, $52-55MM range but backed off when Trumbo’s camp countered between $75-80MM. ESPN’s Jayson Stark hears a bit differently tweeting that the Orioles were only willing to offer three years and an option, however.

2:06pm: ESPN’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter) that the Orioles don’t get the sense that they’re close in talks with Trumbo, and they could move on to other targets at this point.

12:54pm: The Orioles have extended a four-year offer to free-agent slugger Mark Trumbo, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter links). While the value of Baltimore’s offer isn’t known, the first baseman/outfielder is said to be seeking $80MM.

That price sounds like a non-starter for most organizations, and that likely includes the O’s. Per Kubatko, Trumbo’s side has already signaled a willingness to move down to the $70MM to $75MM range while also taking a backloaded salary structure. But that’s still arguably too much for the thirty-year-old slugger, who’s also said to be seeking a no-trade clause.

Kubatko notes that the O’s aren’t going to bite on the no-trade request, though it seems it’s still possible that the sides will work something out. It remains to be seen whether Baltimore will move up to Trumbo’s apparent asking price, or whether interest from other quarters will emerge at or near that level.

While Trumbo did lead all of baseball with 47 home runs in 2016, power is in abundant supply on this year’s free-agent market — particularly with Chris Carter now available. Carter, of course, was cut loose despite being arbitration-eligible at a projected $8.1MM arbitration salary. His .222/.321/.499 batting line wasn’t all that much less productive than Trumbo’s .256/.316/.533 slash, particularly once park effects are accounted for, and the two have rather similar lifetime numbers as well. It does seem that the O’s are at least somewhat comfortable playing Trumbo in the outfield, but it’s eminently arguable that neither player should be allowed to roam past the infield dirt.

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