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Central Notes: Gee, Tigers, Wacha

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Right-hander Dillon Gee has an opt-out clause in his contract that will allow him to become a free agent if he is not added to the 40-man roster tomorrow, as MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan writes. (FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reported the March 15 date back in December.) According to Flanagan, the Royals have been impressed by Gee’s early results as well as his bullpen sessions, making him a good bet to land with the club. Gee, 29, has yielded a run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts thus far in camp and could be in line for a bullpen role, where he’d also serve as rotation depth, per Flanagan. The 29-year-old’s contract contains a $2MM base salary and contains $700K worth of incentives based on relief appearances and $3.3MM worth of incentives tied to rotation work. Though he struggled through a down season last year in the Majors and at Triple-A, Gee has a track record as a dependable starter, having pitched to a 3.91 ERA in 639 2/3 innings with the Mets from 2010-14. As Flanagan points out, the Royals have an easy 40-man move to accommodate Gee, should they choose, as lefty Mike Minor can be transferred to the 60-day DL. Here’s more from the Central divisions.

  • The transition from Dave Dombrowski to Al Avila in the Tigers’ front office last year was completed in secret, but that hasn’t stopped Dombrowski from remaining friends, Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes. In early August, Avila received a phone call from owner Mike Ilitch, and Avila (after receiving a host of assurances that the Tigers would be able to commit more heavily to analytics, scouting and the international market) agreed to take the Tigers’ GM job during that conversation, three days before Ilitch fired Dombrowski. The situation was “awkward,”as both Dombrowski and Avila describe it — Avila had been Dombrowski’s assistant GM, and the two had worked together for decades in both the Tigers and Marlins organizations. Still, the two remain friendly. “I’€™m really happy for him,” Dombrowski says. “He’€™s always worked hard, very knowledgeable, and has been very loyal. I know it was awkward, but I’™m glad he got this opportunity.”
  • Cardinals starter Michael Wacha makes an interesting extension candidate, writes Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Frederickson quotes Wacha saying that he isn’t aware of any extension discussions. It’s easy to imagine why there might be mutual interest in a deal, though — an extension could potentially keep Wacha in St. Louis longer, and, as Frederickson implies, would begin to increase in cost just as the Lance Lynn and Jaime Garcia deals are set to expire. Of course, long-term deals for pitchers can be risky (Garcia’s long-term deal, for example, hasn’t gone perfectly), and Wacha has been in the league long enough that an extension would likely require a fairly significant commitment. The last starting pitcher with between two and three years of service time to receive an extension was Corey Kluber, who got $38.5MM guaranteed from the Indians following his 2014 Cy Young season.

Royals Do Not Plan On Re-Signing Alex Rios

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The Royals like Alex Rios, but they won’t be bringing him back in 2016.  The team is “said to be” at it’s budget and they will instead go with internal options, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.  The team’s plan will be to use Paulo Orlando, Jarrod Dyson, and others in the outfield.

The Royals held a mutual option on Rios’ contract that could have paid him $12.5MM for the 2016 season but, as expected, the team opted instead to pay him a modest $1.5MM buyout.  Rios, a Scott Boras client, had one of the worst offensive seasons of his career, hitting just just .255/.287/.353 in 411 regular season plate appearances.  The 35-year-old also added four homers and nine steals.  The outfielder may have been held back by a broken hand suffered in April of last year, though he still produced a decent sample size of 105 games.

Rios signed with the Royals in December of 2014 after reportedly blocking a trade that would have sent him to KC that summer.  It has also been reported that the veteran turned down a two-year offer from the Mariners last offseason, choosing instead to sign a one-year deal with the Royals.  Rios apparently wanted to play for a winner more than he wanted a two-year guarantee, so he might not have any regrets about his decision today as he dons his World Series ring.

Royals Making Good On Reclamation Projects

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  • While the Pirates have a reputation for making good on reclamation projects on which the club buys low, the Associated Press notes that the Royals have experienced some similar succes in recent years, pointing to signings like Chris Young, Ryan Madson and Joe Blanton as outstanding bargains. “[General manager Dayton Moore] really shows you that he wants you here and he’s going to give you every chance to prove that you still have something left,” non-roster invitee Peter Moylan told the AP. “For me, that was a big reason why I came here.” While Moore certainly deserves some credit for the outstanding value pickups, the GM praised his manager and coaching staff for their success as well. “[Manager Ned Yost] and the coaching staff embrace the players we bring into the organization,” Moore said. “They trust in the opinions of our scouts, and then the (current) players’ attitudes and mindset is everyone is in this together, so they bring guys in.” Other reclamation projects in camp with the Royals this season include right-hander Dillon Gee, outfielder Travis Snider and veteran infielder Clint Barmes.

AL Notes: Correa, Beltran, Gordon

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Astros shortstop Carlos Correa is just the megastar-to-be for Major League Baseball, Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan writes — Correa is not quite as brash as Bryce Harper can sometimes be, but more outwardly confident than Mike Trout, and might just have that kind of exceptional talent. Last season, when he was a 20-year-old rookie, he quickly won over teammates with his play and with his confidence.  “It was kind of like us saying; ’Here you go, dude. You own this place,'” says outfielder George Springer. Here’s more from the American League.

  • Yankees slugger Carlos Beltran hopes to continue playing beyond the expiration of his contract following the 2016 season, ESPN’s Wallace Matthews writes. “My goal is to play 20 years,” Beltran says. “I would love to play 20 years in the big leagues. So that means two more years if possible.” Beltran’s first season in the big leagues was 1998, so playing through 2017 would mean he appeared in 20 straight big-league seasons. Beltran has become more and more of a defensive liability as he’s aged, but his hitting bounced back nicely in 2015, when he batted .276/.337/.471 with 19 home runs. His best path forward after 2016 might be as a DH, although, as Matthews notes, Alex Rodriguez appears set to man that position with the Yankees through 2017.
  • Alex Gordon confirms that the White Sox had strong interest in him this offseason, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago writes. His first choice, though, was always to head back to the Royals. “After every conversation I had with (agent Casey Close) it was always, ’Have the Royals said anything?’” says Gordon. “This is where I grew up. Its where I wanted to be. Coming from the bad times to really cherish the good times, why not stay here?” Both Gordon and Yoenis Cespedes were reportedly possibilities for the White Sox, although both ended up returning to their former teams, with Gordon taking a $72MM guarantee to stay in Kansas City.

Jarrod Dyson Out Six Weeks With Oblique Injury

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TODAY: Dyson is expected to be out for six weeks after being diagnosed with a Grade II strain, skipper Ned Yost told reporters including Dodd (Twitter link). Plans for his absence are understandably preliminary. Yost said that Orlando could see regular action but suggested that others will be given a chance to earn playing time during camp, as MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan tweets.

YESTERDAY: Royals right fielder Jarrod Dyson left today’s spring opener with an oblique injury, and following the game, manager Ned Yost told reporters, including Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star, that Dyson is undergoing an MRI and will miss “a couple weeks, minimum, I would suspect.” The Royals expect to know more about his timeline for a return tomorrow.

An injury to the fleet-footed Dyson, who sits atop the club’s depth chart in right field as the season nears, is clearly not how the Royals hoped to begin the year as they prepare to defend a World Series title. If Dyson’s MRI comes back clean and he’s back on the field in two weeks, he’ll likely have time to get up to speed for the season. However, oblique injuries have a reputation for lingering, and a more prolonged injury could of course impact Dyson’s availability for Opening Day.

It’d be a stretch to imply that this news makes the Royals likely to go out and take any sort of action in terms of free agency or trades, though a prolonged absence from Dyson could have that effect. If anything, the early injury could serve to somewhat increase fellow left-handed-hitting outfielder Travis Snider’s chances of making the club’s Opening Day roster. Snider, a former top prospect with the Blue Jays, is in camp on a minor league deal and a non-roster invite.

Alternatives that are already on the 40-man roster include Paulo Orlando, Reymond Fuentes, Jorge Bonifacio, Bubba Starling, Brett Eibner, Terrance Gore and Jose Martinez. If the Royals were to eventually look to the free-agent market — and that’s a very large “if” at this point — there are still a number of fairly notable names available, including Austin Jackson, Marlon Byrd, David DeJesus and former Royal Alex Rios. Additionally a number of players figure to become available later in camp, as veterans that signed minor league deals with March opt-out dates begin to exercise those clauses.

Dayton Moore On Salvador Perez Extension

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  • Royals catcher Salvador Perez is excited at his new deal and hopes he’ll spend the rest of his career in Kansas City, writes Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. From the team’s perspective, despite a team-friendly contract already being in place, it made sense to swing another deal. “We went into Salvy’s previous deal with expectations that obviously he was going to be a terrific player,” said GM Dayton Moore. “We’ve always believed in him — as a talent, as a person, as a teammate. And he’s out-performed that contract. He’s an underpaid player in the game.” Noting the sacrifice that Gil Meche made when he left money upon departing the team, Moore explained that the motivation extended beyond pure baseball economics. “You focus on what’s right for Sal,” Moore said. “We’ve said from day one, that we want to create an organization that we’d want our own sons and family to be a part of. Well, Salvy’s family.”

Royals, Salvador Perez Agree To Extension

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The Royals have officially agreed to a new contract with catcher Salvador Perez. The deal covers six years for the Beverly Hills Sports Council client, including the coming season, and does not include any options. It guarantees three preexisting club options and adds two new seasons at the back end, with a total guarantee of $52.5MM.

Feb 25, 2016; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher <a rel=

All told, then, Perez will be promised the payouts contemplated in his original extension in addition to receiving $36MM in new money. Part of that comes in the form of a $6MM signing bonus, so there’s some added cash coming to Perez up front. His new 2017 salary will be $3MM, and he’ll earn $7.5MM and then $10MM in the two seasons to follow before taking home $13MM annually in the two new years covered by the deal.

A contract restructuring has long been said to be in the works between the sides. Perez was playing under an early-career deal that allowed the club to control him through 2019, via club options, for the relatively meager sum of $16.5MM. The original contract, negotiated by his prior agents, promised him just $7MM over five years, though of course it was reached before he had even logged a full season in the majors.

While many players have worked out second extensions after originally signing team-friendly pacts, Perez’s situation was rather unique. His first deal turned out to be unusually tilted in the club’s favor, leaving him with little leverage and no contractual protection for the years to come. Though Perez won’t receive the kind of lengthy, high-dollar commitment that some others have achieved — most of them, superstar-level performers — the new deal represents a notable achievement under the circumstances.

With the agreement, Kansas City will be committed to Perez through his age-31 season. That’s still relatively youthful, of course, but the big-framed backstop has already logged 545 games behind the dish through his first five campaigns. That’s only increased over time, as he’s averaged 143 games over the past three seasons.

Of course, that workload also goes to show Perez’s durability. He’s battled through plenty of dings and dents along the way, providing ample proof of his willingness to push his body for the club. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be given some more opportunities for rest over the coming seasons, but certainly the club has a vested interest in ensuring his longevity.

Since taking over as the full-time receiver in 2013, Perez has compiled a .270/.297/.420 slash line with 17 home runs annually. He’s declined over the past two years to a below-average overall contributor at the plate, but has certainly shown the ability to put up at least league-average production offensively. Of course, Perez shines most notably with the mask on, as he has consistently rated as a quality defender in terms of blocking and throwing. He isn’t well loved by framing metrics, though obviously that doesn’t account for his game management abilities and broader contributions on and off the field.

All told, there’s plenty of risk in the deal for the defending champion Royals, particularly given that the organization already enjoyed risk-free contract control for three more seasons. But it’s hard not to appreciate the commitment to a player who has had a major role in the team’s recent rise to prominence.

The move represents the latest investment in what’s proven to be a busy offseason for K.C. The club had already struck a significant pact to keep star left fielder Alex Gordon, signed a big contract with free agent righty Ian Kennedy, inked reliever Joakim Soria, brought back another arm in Chris Young, and added yet another rehabbing starter in Mike Minor. It also worked out arbitration-only extensions with Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas, though it remains to be seen whether lengthier pacts can be struck with either of those players or fellow young stalwarts Eric Hosmer and Alcides Escobar.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network first reported that a deal was close and added details on the contract structure (links to Twitter). Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports said the deal was done and reported information on its value and allocation (links to Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (in a tweet) and Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com (also on Twitter) added details on the breakdown.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Royals Making Progress On New Deal With Sal Perez

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  • There’s positive movement on the negotiation front between the Royals and catcher Salvador Perez, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. The sides have long been working toward a new deal for the backstop, who made good on his low-priced, early-career extension. It certainly will be interesting to see what kind of contractual arrangement is arrived at if something gets across the finish line.

Eric Hosmer Open To Extension Talks With Royals

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Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer tells MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan that he’s open to discussing a long-term contract with the club. As things stand, Hosmer is in line to reach free agency after the 2017 campaign, following one final season of arbitration eligibility.

While there’s been some speculation about Hosmer’s desire to play in a larger market, the first baseman himself tells Flanagan that such talk is merely “outside perspective” and isn’t indicative of his actual feelings.

“I don’t play this game to be in commercials for hair products,” said Hosmer. “I’m playing to try to win championships. Sure you want to give yourself the best opportunity in terms of financially, but at the same time, you want to give yourself the best chance to get to the playoffs. If this group stays together, the best opportunity is right here.” 

From the team’s perspective, GM Dayton Moore tells Flanagan that he expects to sign as many of the club’s core members to long-term extensions as possible. Unsurprisingly, he remained vague beyond that level of commitment.

It certainly appears that both sides are willing to hear one another out, and Hosmer called staying with one club for his entire career the type of situation players dream about. Of course, he’s also represented by Scott Boras, whose clients typically explore the free agent market rather than signing extensions that buy out free-agent years (albeit with some notable exceptions).

Latest On Salvador Perez Extension Talks

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Extension talks between the Royals and Salvador Perez are ongoing, writes Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star. According to Mellinger, the team has an openness to working something out that hasn’t necessarily been present in the past. For his part, Perez expressed to Mellinger a desire to follow the path of George Brett and Alex Gordon, spending his entire career in the Royals organization. Perez feels a sense of loyalty to the club that gave him the chance to break into the big leagues, but his agent, Rafa Nieves of the Beverly Hills Sports Council, explained to Mellinger that it’ll be hard to offer much of a discount. “He left so much on the table in his present deal,” said Nieves of the five-year, $7MM deal (with three club options) brokered by Perez’s former agents. “He can’t afford to leave a lot more on the table in his next deal. So that’s where we’re at.” Mellinger notes that a rival executive expressed some disbelief that a small-market club could be willing to renegotiate a contract that favors the club so heavily.

Indeed, Jeff Todd and I have noted multiple times on the MLBTR Podcast that there’s significant risk for the Royals, who control Perez through 2019 at a total of $16.75MM via those club options. Perez is one of the largest catchers in baseball, and considering his enormous workload behind the plate (137 games caught, on average, per season from 2013-15), locking in Perez’s 2020 salary four years in advance is a tremendous risk, as there’s no way of definitively knowing how his body will hold up.

  • Royals second baseman Omar Infante could miss some time early this spring as he recovers from offseason surgery that removed bone spurs from his right elbow, writes the Star’s Blair Kerkhoff. Infante is taking batting practice but isn’t throwing to bases at this point, per manager Ned Yost. As Kerkhoff notes, Infante will be in a battle for the regular second base job this offseason — far from the outcome for which the club had hoped when signing him to a four-year, $30.25MM deal. Infante lost the second base job to Ben Zobrist this past July and will have to beat out Christian Colon for the job in 2016. In his first two years with Kansas City, Infante has batted .238/.268/.329.
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