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Royals Avoid Arbitration With Taylor Clarke

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November 13: Clarke will make $1.25MM in 2024, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com, a slight bump over the $1.15MM he made in 2023.

November 11: The Royals and right-hander Taylor Clarke have agreed to a contract for the 2024 season, the team announced, and thus the two sides will be able to avoid an arbitration hearing.  Terms of the deal weren’t revealed, but MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projected Clarke would earn $2.2MM in the second of three trips through the arb process.

The Diamondbacks non-tendered Clarke during the 2021-22 offseason, and he caught on with the Royals on a guaranteed deal for the 2022 campaign worth $975K.  After delivering a solid 4.04 ERA over 49 relief innings for Kansas City in 2022, Clarke took a step backwards this past season, posting a 5.95 ERA over 59 frames.  Clarke saw both his walk and home run rates increase substantially from 2022 to 2023, though his BABIP also shot upwards from .314 in 2022 to .364 last season.

With this dropoff in mind, Clarke was seen as a possible non-tender candidate again this winter, but K.C. has opted to keep him in the fold.  Despite Clarke’s struggles, he isn’t terribly expensive, and the Royals could be betting on improved batted-ball luck, if nothing else.  Clarke also had one of baseball’s best chase rates, even if his 24.4% strikeout rate was only slightly above the league average.

November 17 is the deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players, so the Royals now have six remaining arb-eligible players to consider over the next six days.  The list was initially eight players, but Clarke has now signed, and Taylor Hearn was outrighted off the 40-man roster in October, and Hearn then elected free agency.

Reds Sign P.J. Higgins To Minor League Deal

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The Reds announced Monday that they’ve signed catcher/infielder P.J. Higgins to a minor league contract. The Bledsoe Agency client will receive an invitation to big league camp in spring training.

Higgins, 30, logged Major League time with the Cubs in 2021-22, batting a combined .210/.291/.348 with six home runs, 11 doubles and a triple in 254 trips to the plate. Modest as that production may be, Higgins has spent parts of four seasons at the Triple-A level and clobbered opposing pitchers at that level, posting a .318/.401/.499 slash in 672 overall plate appearances.

Beyond the production at the plate in the upper minors, Higgins has some quiet versatility that could help him eventually win a spot on Cincinnati’s bench. He’s primarily been a catcher in his professional career, but the Cubs have also given him 867 career innings at first base, 584 innings at third base, 93 innings at second base and even 37 frames at shortstop. If he can ultimately deliver anything within a stone’s throw of league-average production at the plate, he could make for an interesting bench player — particularly for a Reds club that carried three catchers for much of the 2023 season (Tyler Stephenson, Luke Maile, Curt Casali).

As things stand, Stephenson and the recently re-signed Maile figure to handle considerable work behind the plate. That said, Stephenson was more productive at the plate when he was playing first base or serving as a designated hitter than when he was catching — and his glovework behind the dish also graded out quite poorly. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if the Reds again opt for three catchers, with Stephenson spending ample time at first and DH. Higgins could potentially factor into that equation if he impresses next spring. He hasn’t drawn particularly strong defensive grades in limited action in the majors, though Baseball America touted him as at least an average defender at catcher before his MLB debut.

Athletics Re-Sign Yohel Pozo

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The A’s have signed catcher Yohel Pozo to a new minor league contract, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.  Pozo will return for a second year in Oakland’s organization, after hitting an impressive .306/.338/.523 with 18 homers over 391 plate appearances at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2023.

Despite some nice on-paper production at the Triple-A level over the last two seasons, the hitter-friendly nature of the Pacific Coast League tends to inflate Pozo’s numbers.  An .826 OPS over 267 PA with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate in 2022 translated to only a 104 wRC+, and Pozo’s 2023 numbers in Las Vegas were actually below average (99 wRC+) in comparison to the rest of the PCL’s hitters.

This is probably why Pozo still hasn’t gotten another look in the big leagues since his 21-game stint with the Rangers in 2021.  Pozo hit .284/.312/.378 over 77 PA in his debut season in the bigs, which was the highlight of his nine years in the Texas organization.  (The Padres briefly had Pozo signed to a minors deal during the 2020 offseason before Texas selected him back via the minor league version of the Rule 5 Draft.)  The Rangers parted ways with Pozo last winter, allowing for the Athletics to make the signing.

In addition to catching, Pozo has also gotten a decent chunk of playing time as a first baseman during his pro career.  Still only 26 years old, Pozo will return to a depth role in the minors, as Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom will continue to get the bulk of catching assignments on the MLB roster.

Red Sox Sign Mark Contreras To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox have signed outfielder Mark Contreras to a minor league contract, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.  Contreras is changing teams for the first time in his pro career, as he had been a member of the Twins organization since he was selected in the ninth round of the 2017 draft, and until Minnesota released him in August.

That time in the Twin Cities did result in Contreras’ first stint as a big leaguer, as he played in 28 games for Minnesota during the 2022 season, hitting .121/.148/.293 over 61 plate appearances.  This lackluster output and the Twins’ crowded outfield picture meant that Contreras didn’t get any more MLB playing time in 2023, plus he didn’t force the issue by batting a modest .274/.352/.418 over 381 PA for Triple-A St. Paul last season.

Contreras (who turns 29 in January) has had a lot of problems avoiding strikeouts during his pro career, but he has posted decent numbers at the Triple-A level.  A solid defender who can play all three outfield positions, Contreras’ speed has helped both his defensive efforts and his offensive threat level, as he has stolen 93 bases in 126 chances during his minor league career.

With two minor league option years remaining, Contereras gives the Red Sox some possible extra depth to be kept at Triple-A should a need arise in the outfield.  Since the Twins outrighted him off their 40-man roster in August, Contreras now has the ability to reject any future outright assignments in favor of free agency, giving him a bit of extra leverage for the remainder of his career.

Cam Gallagher Elects Free Agency

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Cam Gallagher has elected to become a free agent, according to the veteran catcher’s official MLB.com profile page.  The Guardians designated Gallagher for assignment earlier this week and he presumably cleared waivers, and then opted for free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment to Cleveland’s Triple-A team.  Because Gallagher has been outrighted before in his career, he has the ability to reject any future outright assignments.

Gallagher seemed like a pretty clear non-tender candidate even before the Guardians picked up Christian Bethancourt off waivers from the Rays, which was the move that led to Gallagher’s DFA.  Over 149 plate appearances for the Guardians last season, Gallagher hit only .126/.154/.168 — this translated to an ugly -17 wRC+, the lowest of any player in baseball in 2023 with at least 140 PA.

Seven different players saw action at catcher for the Guards last season, a mess of a situation sparked when offseason acquisition Mike Zunino struggled badly at the plate.  This led to a revolving door of backstops until Zunino was designated for assignment in June, and Bo Naylor was called up from Triple-A for good.  With Naylor’s bat coming alive near the end of the season, the former top prospect looks to have solidified his role as the Guardians’ starting catcher going forward, hopefully adding some pop to a position that has long been an offensive black hole for Cleveland.

Between Naylor, Bethancourt, and utilityman David Fry able to catch once in a while, there wasn’t any room for Gallagher to vie for work as a backup.  Gallagher is projected to earn $1.3MM via the arbitration process in 2024, but it seems likely that he’ll have to settle for another minor league contract and compete for a backup job in Spring Training.

Turning 31 next month, Gallagher is a veteran of 227 MLB games over seven seasons with the Royals and Guardians, with a .211/.266/.307 slash line over 618 PA.  While the offense hasn’t been there, Gallagher is a pretty well-regarded defender, and 2023 was at least a very strong year for Gallagher with the glove.  As per Statcast’s numbers, Gallagher was solidly above average at framing and blocking, and he threw out nine of 52 baserunners for his first-ever positive (+1) grade in the Catcher Stealing Runs metric.

Mariners, Tyson Miller Agree To Minor League Contract

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The Mariners have signed reliever Tyson Miller to a minor league contract, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America. It stands to reason he’ll get an invitation to MLB Spring Training.

Miller, 28, has pitched in parts of three big league campaigns. While he only has 31 career innings, he has gotten to the highest level with five different teams. The righty pitched for three clubs in 2023 alone, logging time with the Brewers, Mets and Dodgers. He allowed eight runs over 15 1/3 major league innings between the trio.

A former fourth-round selection, Miller has allowed nearly seven earned runs per nine in the big leagues. While that’s clearly not ideal, he’s coming off a solid run in Triple-A. Miller worked to a 3.50 ERA through 43 2/3 innings at the top minor league level. He struck out nearly 28% of opponents against an average 8.3% walk percentage.

Miller has exhausted his option years. If he cracks the Seattle roster at any point, he’d need to hold his place on the major league club or be put back on waivers. Despite that, the Triple-A results make him a solid depth addition. The Mariners have one of the game’s best bullpens. They finished fourth in the majors in ERA (3.48) and second in strikeout percentage (26.1%) this year.

Padres Re-Sign Drew Carlton To Minor League Deal

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The Padres have re-signed right-hander Drew Carlton to a minor league deal, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He will presumably receive an invitation to major league Spring Training and compete for a roster spot.

Carlton, now 28, came up through the Tigers’ system but this is the second year in a row that he’s landed with the Friars on a minor league pact. He was added to the roster in May and made 11 appearances, tossing 20 2/3 innings with a 4.35 ERA. His 21.2% strikeout rate was a bit below average but his 7.1% walk rate and 43.9% ground ball rate were both a bit better than par.

He landed on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation at the start of July and never made it back. He started a rehab assignment in August but only made three appearances in the minors that month. The club outrighted him off the roster last week as the offseason was beginning, as the IL goes away from five days after the World Series until Spring Training. The current health of his elbow isn’t publicly known but the Padres felt good enough about it to bring him back for another year.

The San Diego bullpen saw significant pieces like Josh Hader and Nick Martinez reach free agency last week. They could replenish that group over the offseason but may have diminished funds to work with, perhaps making depth signings a bit more important. If Carlton cracks the roster, he’s still optionable and has just over a year of service time, meaning he has the potential to serve as a long-term depth piece with roster flexibility.

Orioles, Tucker Davidson Agree To Pre-Arbitration Contract

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The Orioles have signed left-hander Tucker Davidson for the 2024 season, the team announced. Since Davidson has yet to reach arbitration, it seems likely the contract is for near the league minimum salary for whatever time he spends in the majors.

Baltimore claimed Davidson off waivers from the Royals a couple weeks ago. The 27-year-old split this past season between the Angels and Kansas City, working 51 1/3 innings over 38 appearances. He allowed 5.96 earned runs per nine overall. After posting a 6.54 ERA in 18 outings for the Halos, he turned in a 5.03 mark over 20 games with K.C.

Davidson worked out of the bullpen in 2023. He had been a depth starter before this year, opening 11 of 12 appearances with Los Angeles in ’22. He struggled in that capacity as well and owns a 5.98 ERA through 125 career innings. Davidson has far better results in the minor leagues, including a 3.68 ERA in parts of three Triple-A campaigns.

He isn’t slated to reach arbitration until the end of next season. Davidson is out of minor league options, meaning the O’s have to keep him on the MLB club or run him through waivers.

Nationals Outright Jeremy De La Rosa, Matt Cronin

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The Nationals announced that left-hander Matt Cronin and outfielder Jeremy De La Rosa have each cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Rochester. Cronin was designated for assignment earlier this week but De La Rosa wasn’t publicly known to be on waivers. This move drops the 40-man roster count to 39.

De La Rosa, 22 in January, was added to the club’s roster just under a year ago. He got that roster spot after mashing his way through 69 Single-A games in 2022, hitting 10 home runs and producing a batting line of .315/.394/.505 while also stealing 26 bases. A move up to High-A didn’t go so well, but the club nonetheless didn’t want to risk losing him in last year’s Rule 5 draft and put him on the 40-man.

Unfortunately, 2023 didn’t go nearly as well for him. He got into 93 games at High-A but only went deep seven times and struck out at a 33.7% clip, finishing with a line of .240/.324/.361. After those struggles, it seems the Nats bumped him off the roster and none of the other 29 clubs decided to grab him. He’ll stick in the Nationals’ organization but without occupying a spot on the 40-man.

Cronin, 26, got his roster spot at the same time as De La Rosa, protecting him from last year’s Rule 5 draft. He got that spot on the heels of a strong 2022 season, posting a 2.42 earned run average between Double-A and Triple-A. But this year, he made 14 Triple-A appearances with a 5.02 ERA before he underwent surgery for a herniated disc in his back. “For those that don’t know, I had been dealing with pain in my left shoulder/arm for the last 2 years but could never seem to find anything wrong with them,” Cronin said in an Instagram post in August. “That was up until about a month ago when we decided to have my spine checked out and found a large herniated disc at my C5-C6 level.”

Like De La Rosa, Cronin will stay in the organization but without taking up a roster spot. The current status of his back isn’t publicly known but he will presumably be working to return to the roster as soon as he’s able to.

Rays Claim Tyler Alexander From Tigers

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The Rays have claimed left-hander Tyler Alexander off waivers from the Tigers, according to announcements from both clubs. The Tigers had designated the lefty for assignment earlier this week.

Alexander, 29, will join a new organization for the first time in his career. He was selected by the Tigers in the second round of the 2015 draft and has been with that club in some fashion for close to a decade now. He pitched for the big league club in a swing capacity over the past five years, making 120 appearances since the start of 2019, including 43 starts. He logged 341 1/3 innings in that time with a 4.38 earned run average, 18.9% strikeout rate and 5.1% walk rate.

In 2023, he was moved to the bullpen on essentially a full-time basis, making just one start that lasted three innings. He threw 44 innings over 25 appearances in total with a 4.50 ERA, though perhaps deserved better. His 24.3% strikeout rate and 2.8% walk rate were both better than average, the latter number especially so. His 65.3% strand rate was a bit on the unlucky side, leading to ERA estimators looking at him through a relatively rosier lens, such as a 4.10 FIP and 3.48 SIERA.

In early July, Alexander landed on the injured list due to a left lat/shoulder strain and wasn’t able to return. There’s no injured list during the offseason, so the Tigers opted to cut him loose instead of adding him back onto the roster. It was effectively an early non-tender, with Alexander set to go through that process for a second time. He made $1.875MM in 2023 and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a salary of $2MM in 2024.

It appears the Rays are willing to add Alexander at something near that price point, otherwise there would be little point in claiming him just before next week’s non-tender deadline. Assuming they plan to keep utilizing him out of the bullpen, he will join Colin Poche and Garrett Cleavinger as the club’s southpaw relief options. Alexander is still optionable and has another potential year of arb control remaining, perhaps allowing him to serve as a long-term depth piece for the Rays.

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