NL West Notes: Sierra, Coors Field, Pence, Ravin
Right-hander Yaisel Sierra has been cleared to begin workouts with the Dodgers now that his deal has become official, tweets Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Interestingly, Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times writes that manager Dave Roberts said Sierra is being viewed as a reliever and not as a starting pitcher. That affords Sierra a more easily accessible path to the Majors — the Dodgers’ rotation is rife with options, including Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson, Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda, Alex Wood, Mike Bolsinger and rehabbing starters Hyun-jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy — but also serves to limit the immediate return on investment the Dodgers will receive. Sierra, of course, could be shifted into the rotation in future seasons.
Here’s more from the NL West…
- The Rockies announced today that they will raise the fences at Coors Field, as Nick Groke of the Denver Post writes. The wall in right-center field will be raised by eight feet, nine inches in order to match the out-of-town scoreboard, Groke notes, and the wall straight down the left-field line will see an increase from five feet to 13 feet. Players offered some mixed reviews on the move, Groke writes, as Carlos Gonzalez didn’t seem worried that he’d lose many home runs. Charlie Blackmon, though, wasn’t pleased with the idea of losing a few of his homers or the fact that he and his outfield-mates will need to deal with new caroms off the walls.
- An MRI on the Achilles tendon of Giants right fielder Hunter Pence revealed only inflammation as opposed to any sort of structural damage, tweets Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. Pence will be sidelined for a week of Spring Training but appears to have escaped any serious injury that could’ve impacted his availability for Opening Day.
- Dodgers right-hander Josh Ravin suffered a fractured left forearm in a car accident yesterday, writes MLB.com’s Barry Bloom. The 28-year-old Ravin required surgery on Tuesday to repair the injury. As Bloom notes, Ravin was somewhat of a long shot to make the big league roster this spring due to the number of pitchers on the Dodgers’ roster, though his blistering fastball certainly made him an intriguing option. Ravin averaged 97.1 mph on his heater in 9 1/3 innings with the Dodgers last season and also whiffed 38 hitters in 28 Triple-A innings.
West Notes: Rangers, Desmond, Choi, Pence, Marquez
The Rangers have committed about $143MM to their payroll with just three players awaiting contracts, writes Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Pitchers Alex Claudio, Nick Martinez, and Yohander Mendez are expected to sign split contracts soon. Presently, payroll is about $2MM to $3MM more than the club spent in 2015. In my opinion, there is reason to believe the Rangers will have plenty of in-season payroll flexibility since the team unexpectedly made the postseason last year and should contend again in 2016. However, Grant writes (in a separate article) that payroll is expected to remain flat.
Here’s more from out West:
- The Rangers have held preliminary talks with Ian Desmond, per Grant. The content of those talks related to using Desmond as a super-utility player. The most pressing need is in left field, although having flexibility throughout the infield is always in demand.
- Angels Rule 5 pick Ji-Man Choi could factor into the Angels’ left field competition, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry are expected to form a left field platoon. Choi has struggled to stay on the field in recent seasons, but he’s healthy entering Spring Training. Interestingly, Choi taught himself how to switch-hit during a 80 plate appearance 2016 season. He’s naturally a left-handed hitter.
- Giants right fielder Hunter Pence is dealing with Achilles tendinitis, writes Chris Haft of MLB.com. The injury is thought to be minor. Pence spent most of 2015 on the disabled list for three unrelated upper body injuries. San Francisco has solid outfield depth including Angel Pagan, Denard Span, Gregor Blanco, Jarrett Parker, and Mac Williamson. Of course, Pagan and Span are hardly the poster children for good health. Several quality outfielders are still on the free agent market including Desmond, Austin Jackson, and Alex Rios.
- Recent trade acquisition German Marquez is turning heads in Rockies camp, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Marquez, the prospect acquired in the Corey Dickerson trade, throws an easy 95 mph fastball as part of a three pitch repertoire. The 21-year-old former Ray is coming off a 3.56 ERA with 6.73 K/9, and 1.88 BB/9 in 123 High-A innings.
NL West Notes: CarGo, Padres, Dee, Arroyo, Cain, Dodgers
Another winter of trade speculation was no big deal to Carlos Gonzalez, as the Rockies star tells ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. “Of course, it’s hard for…guys who’ve been with one organization for so long. But I understand the process. I’ve been traded twice, so it’s nothing new for me,” Gonzalez said. Colorado’s lack of success has put Gonzalez in the middle of several trade rumors over the last few years, and that talk intensified when Troy Tulowitzki was dealt last summer. So far, however, the Rockies have resisted pursuing a full rebuild. Here’s some more from around the NL West…
- The Padres are “keeping some dry power” payroll-wise for midseason moves, team president/CEO Mike Dee told reporters (including Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune). “(We will) see how the Major League season unfolds, and we could be a participant in an additive way in July if the team performs as we hope,” Dee said. The Padres’ payroll projects to be roughly $8MM less than last year’s approximate $108MM Opening Day figure, and given how much ownership and the front office has already invested last winter, you would think they’d be open to making up that difference should a notable upgrade be available at the trade deadline. Dee also stressed that “the overall investment this year when the season is over and the book is written will be significantly more than what was the investment in 2015,” in regards to how the Padres are planning to heavily spend in both the amateur draft and the international market.
- The Padres own six of the first 85 picks in the draft (including three of the first 26) and they’re known to be ready to exceed their spending pool limit in the upcoming international signing period. In an online chat with Union-Tribune readers, Lin writes that though it may take a couple of years for this young talent to develop, general manager A.J. Preller “can’t afford to miss much this summer. June and July could eventually play a large part in determining his fate as GM.” Lin’s chat also contains several updates on Padres roster and position battles.
- With Brandon Crawford locked up in an extension, Giants shortstop prospect Christian Arroyo knows a position switch may be in his future, Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News writes. Arroyo cited second, third and the outfield as possible options, and “as far as moving positions, I’m open to anything. I want to help the team win.” With Joe Panik and Matt Duffy covering second and third in San Francisco, however, this could be why Giants farm director Shane Turner said that “down the road, we’ve got to look at left field.” The 2016 Baseball America Handbook described Arroyo as a probable “fringe-average defender at shortstop” due to a lack of range, so a position change could’ve been in the offing anyway. Whatever his position, Arroyo’s accomplished bat has earned him some notice; BA lists him as the Giants’ top prospect and the game’s 62nd-best prospect overall.
- Giants righty Matt Cain had a cyst removed from his arm on Thursday and will be out of action for roughly the next week, though Bruce Bochy tells media (including MLB.com’s Chris Haft) that he thinks the setback shouldn’t cause Cain to miss any time in the regular season. Though the cyst is a pretty minor issue, it marks yet another setback for Cain as he tries to rebound from two injury-plagued seasons.
- “Lots of options, little certainty” is how Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times describes the Dodgers‘ outfield situation. The club technically has a surplus in the outfield with Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, Joc Pederson, Enrique Hernandez, Scott Van Slyke and Trayce Thompson all in the mix, though just about everyone on that list is questionable due to either injury history or inexperience. Ethier is “the closest thing to a lock” of the seven, though he’ll be 34 on Opening Day and is rarely used against left-handed pitching.
- In other NL West news from earlier today, the Diamondbacks signed Rickie Weeks to a minor league deal.
Giants Interested In Ryan Raburn
The Giants have been in contact with free agent outfielder Ryan Raburn recently, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. However, there are some roadblocks to a potential match — namely that Raburn has been insistent on a Major League contract in free agency this offseason, and the Giants would prefer to add him on a minor league deal. San Francisco’s 40-man roster is full at present, and the team doesn’t wish to designate someone for assignment in order to create a spot for Raburn, whom it would view as the 25th man on its 25-man roster.
After a down year in 2014, Raburn enjoyed an excellent rebound campaign in 2015. The 34-year-old (35 in April) was deployed almost exclusively as a platoon option by the Indians last year, recording just 25 plate appearances against right-handed pitching against 176 PAs versus lefties. Raburn tattooed left-handers at a .325/.415/.589 clip, ripping eight homers and 16 doubles in that fairly small sample of plate appearances. Raburn has carved out a niche for himself as a weapon against left-handed pitching late in his career, and he’d presumably be used as a bench piece for the Giants. He offered a bit of defensive versatility earlier in his career when he could be relied upon as an option at second or third base, but he hasn’t played third base since 2011 or second base since 2013, when he totaled just 17 innings there.
The Giants don’t necessarily need to add another outfield piece, with Angel Pagan, Denard Span, Hunter Pence and Gregor Blanco all present on the 40-man roster in addition to prospects Mac Williamson and Jarrett Parker. Pagan, though, has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, and the switch-hitter has better career numbers against right-handers than left-handers. The left-handed-hitting Blanco, too, has been stronger against righties.
Baggarly doesn’t seem to imply that the Giants could change their stance on offering a Major League deal, noting that the likeliest means of Raburn ending up with San Francisco would be if he cannot land a big league deal elsewhere. Of course, an injury early in camp, whether on the Giants roster or another club’s roster, could create an opening for Raburn.
Outfield Notes: Holliday, Hamilton, De Aza, Victorino, Pagan
All 1663 of Matt Holliday‘s career games in the majors have come in left field or DH, but the veteran is getting some time at first base, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link). Holliday’s offseason workouts at first were initially reported by Heyman in December, as Holliday is hoping to extend his career by adding some positional versatility. Quad injuries limited Holliday to just 73 games in 2015 but he has been an extremely productive and usually durable player over his six-plus years with the Cardinals, and he tells Heyman that he hopes to remain in St. Louis “as long as possible.” The Cards will face a decision in the fall about whether to exercise their $17MM club option on Holliday for 2017 or buy him out for $1MM, though the 36-year-old could cause the option to vest with a top-10 finish in MVP voting. Here’s some more about other prominent outfield names…
- Josh Hamilton is visiting Dr. James Andrews’ clinic to get what is being termed as a second opinion on his left knee, which led Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News to rhetorically and somewhat ominously wonder “what was the first opinion?” Hamilton has undergone two knee surgeries in the last six months and another procedure could be an option to relieve the knee soreness and pain that has continued to plague the outfielder. The Rangers were already known to be looking for outfield depth, but if Hamilton isn’t healthy enough to manage even the platoon role that the team had laid out for him, Grant figures Texas might pursue a regular left fielder rather than a backup center fielder. The Rangers might also be forced to give such a player a Major League contract if he’s getting regular playing time.
- Alejandro De Aza finds himself in the unusual position of having just signed with a new team as a free agent but immediately facing trade speculation, yet the maybe temporary Mets outfielder told reporters (including ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin) that he was just focusing on preparing for the upcoming season. The Mets’ surprising re-signing of Yoenis Cespedes created a surplus in New York’s outfield, and De Aza could already be the odd man out. He cannot be traded without his permission until June 15, though this may not be an issue if De Aza wants more playing time elsewhere. The Rangers have notably been linked to De Aza in trade rumors, pending the Hamilton situation.
- Shane Victorino is yet another name on the Rangers‘ list but Texas is reportedly only interested in signing him to a minor league contract. Victorino is still holding out for a Major League deal, however, and SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets, that the veteran outfielder could find such a contract within the next few days. (Again, Hamilton’s health could be a factor if the Rangers remained interested in Victorino’s services.) On Monday, Yahoo’s Tim Brown tweeted that the Cubs seem like a fit for Victorino, who would fill a reserve role in Chicago.
- Angel Pagan admitted to reporters (including Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle) that he “was a little surprised” by the Giants‘ signing of Denard Span. “It’s not like I was mad, but I had to sit down with my family and explore what was going on and accept it and move on,” Pagan said. With Span on board, Pagan will spend most of his time in left field, and while he admits it’ll be an adjustment not being a regular center fielder, “I’m just being unselfish to make that move. I just want to be able to provide the best I can to this team.” Pagan is a free agent himself this coming offseason, so 2016 will be an important platform for him to rebound from three injury-plagued seasons and potentially earn another lucrative contract.
West Notes: Rollins, Giants, Lucroy, Astros, Angels
The Giants had interest in Jimmy Rollins before the veteran infielder ultimately agreed to a minor league deal with the White Sox, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Rosenthal adds that the Giants would have used Rollins as a super utility player, taking advantage of his ability to switch-hit. Via Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area (on Twitter), Giants GM Bobby Evans has confirmed the Giants were quite interested in Rollins, although they couldn’t promise the kind of playing time he would be able to get in Chicago (which has a considerably less stable shortstop situation). Here’s more from the West divisions.
- In other news about player acquisitions that never came to be, Rosenthal tweets that the Astros tried to acquire Jonathan Lucroy from the Brewers last month but were not able to come to terms. Jason Castro is eligible for free agency following the 2016 and Lucroy is controllable for an additional year (and for a very modest $5.25MM or a $250K buyout), so perhaps it’s no surprise that David Stearns’ former employers called him about a possible trade.
- The Angels would prefer to have more lefty relief help, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes. They’re without a lefty specialist, and the only lefty who currently figures to be in their bullpen is Jose Alvarez. The team does have additional lefty bullpen candidates in Lucas Luetge and Rob Rasmussen. “To have a lefty specialist available is a tool you’d like you to have in bullpen, but we’ll see where we are,” says manager Mike Scioscia. Fletcher doesn’t say whether the Angels actually plan to pursue more lefties, but even if they do, perhaps the issue isn’t so pressing. Unsurprisingly, the free agent market is a bit thin, and Scioscia and the Angels have gotten very good results with heavily right-handed bullpens in the past, such as their 2003 and 2004 ‘pens, which were elite very limited contributions from left-handers.
NL West Notes: Lincecum, Cueto, Gillaspie, Cain, Urias
The Padres have spoken to Tim Lincecum‘s agent and will have scouts in attendance to see the righty throw in a showcase scheduled for later in February, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Rick Thurman, Lincecum’s agent, said he’d talked to the Padres “a number of times” but had also been in contact with “quite a few other teams” as well, with at least 20 teams requesting Lincecum’s medical information. There seems to be enough interest that, provided Lincecum’s showcase goes well, he should be able to land his desired Major League contract. If such a deal is found with San Diego, the Padres could line Lincecum up as their fourth or fifth starter and move one of their many other back-of-the-rotation candidates into the bullpen. Here’s some more from around the NL West…
- Johnny Cueto‘s extra workload from the Royals’ postseason run will slightly impact how the Giants treat him in camp, pitching coach Dave Righetti tells Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s been through some playoff situations, but when you go to the World Series you go the extra mile,” Righetti said. “We know it takes stuff out of guys regardless of how young and strong they are….So, absolutely, you would monitor him anyway. Being that he pitched an extra month, you’re darn right.”
- Conor Gillaspie has regrets over his first stint with the Giants, telling reporters (including Schulman) that “obviously, I was young and probably not mentally or physically or socially where I needed to be” when he broke in with San Francisco as a rookie. Now back with the team on a minor league deal, Gillaspie feels he’s matured and is thankful to the Giants for giving him a chance.
- Matt Cain has gone from a cornerstone to an x-factor with the Giants, Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News writes, as both the team and the pitcher are hopeful but measured about what Cain can deliver in 2016. Injuries played a role in Cain’s rough last two seasons, though beyond health, his sudden propensity for allowing homers didn’t help Cain’s faith in himself.
- Julio Urias is facing a lot of pressure as both arguably the game’s top pitching prospect and maybe even “the next Fernando Valenzuela,” though Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown relates how the 19-year-old Dodgers phenom is trying to take his development step by step.
MLBTR Podcast: Giants Second Baseman Joe Panik
All-Star Giants second baseman Joe Panik joins host Jeff Todd on this week’s edition to discuss his offseason rehab from a back injury, the development of his power at the plate, and how his background as a finance major impacts how he follows contractual matters in baseball. Panik offers insight into his incorporation of statistical analysis in his day-to-day preparation for opposing pitchers and also shares fond memories of retired teammates Jeremy Affeldt and Tim Hudson as well as a story of an influential conversation with teammate Hunter Pence early in his career. Following that, MLBTR’s Steve Adams hops on the show to discuss some of the most glaring team needs from around the league that, to this point, haven’t been addressed.
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NL West Notes: Rockies, Bumgarner, Turner
Here’s the latest from the National League West:
- Rockies GM Jeff Bridich discussed his club’s approach this winter with Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. The club’s top baseball decisionmaker didn’t shy away from acknowledging that the team focused on adding big arms to the relief corps, as even the signing of Gerardo Parra functioning as a prequel to an eventual trade of Corey Dickerson for power lefty Jake McGee. “We have added powerful, impactful arms to our bullpen,” Bridich explains. “There is no secret that pitching talent has to get bigger, stronger and better. Not everybody works out, of course, but we have set out to focus on this, and I think it’s been a fairly consistent philosophy.”
- Meanwhile, Saunders writes in response to a fan question that he’s not sure he agrees with the decision to part with Dickerson to add McGee. It’s encouraging to see some action, says Saunders, but odd for Colorado to give up a fairly high-upside, controllable hitter in exchange two years of a reliever given the team’s current roster situation. Ultimately, he writes, the organization ought to choose a direction, but “‘rebuilding’ seems to be a dirty word at 20th and Blake.”
- Giants ace Madison Bumgarner isn’t quite paid up to his ability under the pre-arb extension he signed back in 2012, but he said today that he’s not worried about his earnings. As Alex Pavlovic of CSNBayArea.com reports, the celebrated southpaw is taking the long view: “If everything goes the way I want and what I work for, then that’ll come along in due time,” he said. “I’m not at all worried about that. When I signed my deal I knew what I wanted to do, but you never know what’s going to happen. I was prepared for that.”
- Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner will be looking to bounce back from microfracture surgery this spring, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register writes. Turner says he is progressing well and believes the prognosis to be good, as his procedure was performed in a portion of the knee that doesn’t carry weight. Of course, it remains to be seen how heavily the 31-year-old will be pushed both in camp and early in the season, and Los Angeles has lined up multiple depth options behind him. It’s an important season for the pending free agent, who has been a revelation in L.A. and could profile as a major free agent with another strong campaign.
Giants Notes: Belt, Lincecum, Sabean, Internationals
Here’s the latest from the City by the Bay…
- Brandon Belt and the Giants avoided an arbitration hearing by a mere 45 minutes, and executive VP of baseball operations Brian Sabean tells reporters (including Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News) that the one-year, $6.2MM agreement could be a good platform for a multi-year contract. Both sides expressed interest in an extension that would keep Belt in San Francisco beyond his two remaining years of team control. “If we had a settlement figure of $5.3 (million) or $7.5 (million), it might not be as good of a springboard,” Sabean said, citing the arbitration figures submitted by the club and Belt. “But I think we ended up in the joy spot, which is palatable for both sides. It’s a good place to start the conversation.” The Giants already have a significant amount of future payroll tied up in long-term contracts, though Sabean said that this wouldn’t impede the club’s ability to extend Belt.
- Sabean also told Baggarly and other reporters that Tim Lincecum is a “long shot” to pitch for the club in 2016 since the Giants already have rotation depth in Chris Heston and Lincecum wants to start rather than pitch out of the bullpen. That said, the team is sending pitching coach Dave Righetti and others to watch Lincecum’s showcase for scouts later this month. Righetti spoke highly of Lincecum’s importance to the team in recent years and he hopes a reunion could still somehow be possible.
- The Giants may yet make some depth additions but Sabean tells CSNBayArea.com’s Alex Pavlovic that the team is pretty much out of payroll space. It’s also unlikely that the club will make any more significant international signings. This is notable since it means the Giants won’t be adding any more pool-eligible talent while they still can — the Giants have already exceeded their international bonus pool for this signing period, meaning that the team will be limited to signings of $300K or less until July 2018. San Francisco went into the penalty area to sign Bahamanian shortstop prospect Lucius Fox to a $6MM bonus last July.