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NL Central Links: Braun, Mozeliak, Alvarez, Baez

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Ryan Braun today issued his first public statements since he accepted a 65-game suspension for PED use in connection with the Biogenesis scandal.  The Brewers slugger issued one statement specifically to fans and another to the baseball world in general (both links to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).  The latter statement outlined the circumstances of Braun's PED usage, some of the reasoning behind his public claims of playing clean and apologized to several parties, including Major League Baseball officials, the Brewers organization, his teammates, Dino Laurenzi Jr. (the urine test collector Braun disparaged in the appeal of his initial suspension in the 2011-12 offseason), baseball fans and any supporters who believed in his innocence.  The statement includes this passage:

"I understand it's a blessing and a tremendous honor to play this game at the Major League level. I also understand the intensity of the disappointment from teammates, fans, and other players. When it comes to both my actions and my words, I made some very serious mistakes and I can only ask for the forgiveness of everyone I let down. I will never make the same errors again and I intend to share the lessons I learned with others so they don't repeat my mistakes. Moving forward, I want to be part of the solution and no longer part of the problem."

Here's the latest from around the NL Central…

  • The Cardinals are in need of pitching reinforcements and GM John Mozeliak is pessimistic that such help could be found on the trade or waiver market.  Mozeliak told reporters (including Derrick Gould of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that "trying to get help from the outside is going to be difficult for multiple reasons.  Right now this team is going to have to find a way to do it from within."
  • The Pirates have been patient with Pedro Alvarez's development and the young slugger has at least delivered in the power department, CBS Sports' Scott Miller writes.  Alvarez has a .233/.296/.482 line with a league-leading 154 strikeouts in 477 PA, but his 31 homers is tied with Paul Goldschmidt for the National League lead.
  • Javier Baez is having a huge minor league season but it seems unlikely that the Cubs will call up the star shortstop when rosters expand in September.  Manager Dale Sveum praised Baez's season but he told reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times) that while the front office has the final say on Baez's future, “I don’t see it happening.”  Baez, the ninth overall pick of the 2011 draft, was rated as the 16th-best prospect in the sport by both Baseball America and MLB.com's preseason prospect rankings and has hit a combined .286/.348/.581 with 33 homers, 100 RBI and 19 steals in 531 PA at high-A ball and Double-A this year.  Since Baez is only 20 and hasn't hit Triple-A yet, it makes sense that the Cubs aren't yet willing to start his service clock.
  • With Jonathan Broxton out for the season, the Reds make a lot of sense as a suitor for Rafael Betancourt, The Denver Post's Troy Renck opines (Twitter link).  The Rockies put Betancourt on revocable waivers earlier today.  The veteran closer is owed roughly $785K for the remainder of the season and has a $4.25MM club option for 2014.  Renck notes that the Rockies plan to exercise Betancourt's option, and they'll explore bringing him back in 2014 even if he leaves on a waiver deal for the remainder of this season.
  • Rickie Weeks' future, international signings, pitching development, the Braun controversy and other Brewers-related topics are all addressed by Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an online chat with readers.
  • In NL Central news from earlier today, we learned that the Cubs plan to go after Shin-Soo Choo in free agency during the offseason.

Cubs Expected To Pursue Shin-Soo Choo This Winter

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The Cubs will be looking to add a left-handed hitter and upgrade their team's on-base percentage this winter, issues that could be simultaneously addressed by signing Shin-Soo Choo.  The Cubs are expected to "make a run" at signing Choo in the offseason, industry sources tell CSNChicago.com's Patrick Mooney.

Choo will be a free agent this winter and is heading to the open market on a high note.  The South Korean outfielder entered Thursday's play hitting .281/.416/.454 with 16 homers, 40 RBI, 83 runs and 14 steals (out of 23 chances) in 560 PA for the Reds.  Choo has played out of position as a center fielder in Cincinnati but would almost surely move back to a corner outfield spot if he were to sign with Chicago.

Tim Dierkes ranked Choo fifth in the latest edition of MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings, and Choo's strong season should put agent Scott Boras in position to ask for at least a four-year, $60MM contract, as John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer recently opined.  Choo will undoubtedly draw interest from several teams this winter, and while his age (31) may be a question mark for some teams, Choo could be seen as a cheaper alternative to Jacoby Ellsbury, also a free agent and represented by Boras.

Mooney thinks that while Ellsbury shares a history with Cubs president Theo Epstein, the team is unlikely to have splurge on the "megadeal" required to sign Ellsbury.  It remains to be seen how much the Cubs will be able or willing to add in payroll this winter, though as evidenced by last year's surprising Edwin Jackson signing, the Cubs won't hesitate to spend for a player they feel can be a valuable piece even as the team is rebuilding.

Anthony Rizzo is the only left-handed bat assured of a regular spot in the Cubs lineup next year (Nate Schierholtz still isn't seen as an everyday player despite his solid 2013 campaign) and the Cubs' top four position player prospects are all right-handed bats.  As well, the Cubs entered Thursday with a .302 team OBP, third-worst in baseball. 

NL Notes: DeJesus, Nationals, Cubs, Lambo, Liriano

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Let's take a quick trip around the National League …

  • The Nationals acquired David DeJesus from the Cubs yesterday, only to place him promptly on waivers, leading to speculation about the team's intentions. Whatever the Nats do, the Cubs are likely only to receive "a nominal amount of cash" back in the deal, reports ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine (via Twitter). 
  • Osceola County has decided not to go forward with Washington's planned $98MM spring training complex in Kissimmee, Florida, leaving the club looking for other options. Pete Kerzel of MASNsports.com has all the details on the team's prospects for a new spring home. For now, he says, the organization is content to continue working out of Space Coast Stadium in Viera.
  • With the Nats visiting Wrigley to take on the Cubs, president and GM Mike Rizzo talked to Levine about the work of the Chicago front office. The Chicago native credited president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer with being "so aggressive in the international market place." He explained that the new international spending rules "have put the small-market teams on a comparable level with the richer clubs," creating "a true scouting system" in which "the teams with the better scouts will get the better players." Rizzo analogized the Cubs' efforts to the Nationals' own aggressive, scouting-based spending before the team emerged last season.
  • Recent call-up Andrew Lambo of the Pirates has new representation, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned. The 25-year-old outfielder has chosen Beverly Hills Sports Council to replace his previous agency, Wasserman Media Group. As always, you can reference MLBTR's Agency Database to keep tabs on players' representation.
  • One of the keys to the Bucs' successes this year — low-priced off-season acquisition Francisco Liriano — has excelled due to changes in his delivery that have improved his fastball command, explains Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Liriano's 2014 option appears likely to vest, and Pittsburgh will surely not complain about returning him to their rotation.

The David DeJesus Trade: Reaction & Fallout

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An August trade between two sub-.500, non-contending teams that involves a legitimate Major League talent is something of a rarity, yet that's what the Nationals and Cubs accomplished this afternoon when David DeJesus was sent to Washington for a player to be named later.  Here are some of the follow-up notes about the swap and some reaction…

  • Cubs GM Jed Hoyer spoke to reporters this afternoon (including Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago) and said that salary was the main factor in the trade.  The trade will save the Cubs roughly $2.5MM — the approximately $975K left on DeJesus' 2013 salary and the $1.5MM buyout on his club option for 2014 (the option costs $6.5MM if exercised).
  • Hoyer also noted that the Cubs would be interested in re-signing DeJesus if the Nats don't pick up the outfielder's option.  As CSN Chicago's Patrick Mooney notes (via Twitter), there appears to be mutual interest from both sides in a DeJesus return to Wrigley Field.
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo also spoke to the media, telling reporters (including CSN Washington's Mark Zuckerman) that DeJesus was acquired to improve the Nats' left-handed bench depth and that the move was made with the 2013 season still in mind.  "We're going to take this thing one game at a time," Rizzo said. "But I certainly haven't given up on this season, and I think that with the talent level that we have on this ballclub that we still have a run left in us."  The Nationals entered today's action 15.5 games behind the Braves in the NL East and 9.5 games behind the Reds for the last NL wild card spot.  According to Baseball Prospectus' playoff odds calculations, Washington has just a 1.2% chance of reaching the postseason.
  • Also from Zuckerman's piece, the Nats were interested in DeJesus before the July 31 trade deadline but couldn't work out a deal in time.  This trade was worked out after the Cubs put DeJesus on waivers and the Nationals claimed him.
  • USA Today's Bob Nightengale (via Twitter) thinks DeJesus' $6.5MM option is too expensive for the Nats to pick up this winter.  I don't agree with Nightengale — despite what Rizzo says, the Nats have to be looking ahead to 2014.  There would be no point in picking DeJesus up now just to let him walk in the offseason, unless Rizzo plans to flip DeJesus to a contender before the August 31 waiver trade deadline.
  • The lack of bench production has been one of the underrated reasons for the Nationals' disappointing performance this season, Amanda Comak of the Washington Times writes, and DeJesus' acquisition is a step towards fixing that problem.
  • Nationals manager Davey Johnson hinted to reporters (including MASNsports' Dan Kolko) that DeJesus might not receive much playing time over the rest of the season.  The Nats already have Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth and Denard Span playing every day in the outfield and Johnson seems more keen to give any spare at-bats to younger players like Tyler Moore.

Nationals Acquire David DeJesus

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The Nationals have acquired David DeJesus from the Cubs in exchange for a player to be named later, the team has announced via press release. The Nationals reportedly claimed DeJesus off waivers before working out a trade with Chicago. In order to clear roster space for their newest acquisition, the Nationals released fellow outfielder Roger Bernadina.DeJesus

The 33-year-old DeJesus is hitting .250/.330/.401 in 84 games (318 plate appearances) for the Cubs this season. While his overall batting line is solid, he's developed a significant platoon split in recent years and is hitting just .156/.224/.178 against lefties in a small sample of 45 plate appearances this season. DeJesus can play all three outfield positions, though The Fielding Bible isn't a fan of his work in center field, and Ultimate Zone Rating has considered his glove in center to be merely average over the course of his career. Both metrics praise his work at the outfield corners.

DeJesus has roughly $975K of his $4.25MM salary remaining this season and is under control via a $6.5MM club option for 2014. That option carries a $1.5MM buyout, so the Nationals will essentially have a $5MM decision on their hands in the offseason regarding DeJesus. Barring a significant injury, it seems likely that they'll exercise that option.

DeJesus originally signed a two-year, $10MM contract with the Cubs prior to the 2012 season. In 232 games with Chicago, he batted .258/.343/.403. Fangraphs pegs his value as a Cub at 3.1 wins above replacement, suggesting that despite his injuries, he was well worth the money the Cubs invested.

DeJesus is the second outfielder that the Nationals have acquired from the Cubs this summer, as Washington has already dealt for Scott Hairston. Chicago GM Jed Hoyer and president Theo Epstein have also moved Matt Garza, Alfonso Soriano, Scott Feldman, Steve Clevenger, Carlos Marmol and minor leaguer Ronald Torreyes in trades this summer.

Danny Knobler of CBS Sports was the first to report the trade (via his colleague Jon Heyman on Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted that the trade came after Washington had claimed DeJesus on waivers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Quick Hits: Jordan, Johnson, Manuel, Soriano, Baez

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Let's have a look at a few stray notes before calling it an evening …

  • Nationals starter Taylor Jordan will be shut down for the year after throwing a combined 142 innings in his first full year back from Tommy John surgery, reports James Wagner of the Washington Post. (For some reason, we've yet to hear of any outrage over the decision.) The 24-year-old emerged this season and became one of the few nice surprises for the sputtering Nats. With a 3.66 ERA over 51 2/3 innings, Jordan has certainly established himself as a viable rotation option for next year, which could impact the Nationals' off-season shopping plans. While Jordan registered only by 5.1 K/9 (against 1.9 BB/9), his FIP (3.48) and xFIP (3.79) backed up his solid results. 
  • With Orioles closer Jim Johnson continuing to struggle to finish games, CSN Baltimore's Rich Dubroff writes that he is increasingly becoming a non-tender candidate. Earning $6.5MM this year, Johnson should see a multi-million dollar raise through arbitration if the O's decide to hold onto him. (He does have 39 saves, best in baseball, to go with his league-worst 9 blown.) The team has a younger, cheaper option in Tommy Hunter who could step into the role, though Dubroff wonders if he can take on save chances with the same frequency as has Johnson.
  • Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the details of the Phillies' firing of manager Charlie Manuel. The Phils' front office knew it was moving on without Manuel for months, says Gelb, but finally decided to pull the trigger now in order to have a look at his anticipated replacement, Ryne Sandberg. 
  • While the Yankees' acquisition of Alfonso Soriano drew a lot of criticism at the time, it is hard to complain about the performance he's put up since arriving in the Bronx. Depending upon how one works the statistics, in fact, his recent run is downright historic. In just 19 games with his new/old club, Soriano has racked up an outstanding 1.5 WAR (according to Baseball-Reference). Of course, the naysayers' concerns related more to the rest of the Yankees' team, and its reasonable prospects for the playoffs, than to Soriano himself. Sure enough, New York's playoff odds have continued to fall since the deal was consummated.  
  • Cubs' shortstop Javier Baez continues to tear the cover off of the ball as he ascends the minor-league ranks, making the 20-year-old a dark-horse candidate to earn a big league roster spot next year. As Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald writes, there are many good reasons (cost, control, and development among them) for the Cubs to be hesitant. Nevertheless, manager Dale Sveum noted, “when you have that kind of numbers and power, sometimes you do force the issue. It’s not in the plans right now, but we’ve all seen it happen.”

Cubs Notes: Guerrier, Arrieta, Strop, Offseason

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Here's the latest from Wrigleyville….

  • Matt Guerrier will be sidelined for the next 6-8 months after undergoing flexor mass surgery on his throwing arm today, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports.  Guerrier posted a 2.13 ERA in 12 2/3 IP for the Cubs after being acquired from the Dodgers in July.  The 35-year-old righty will be a free agent this winter and has said he would like to re-sign with the Cubs.  Given his injury situation, one would think Guerrier will be limited to a minor league deal this offseason.
  • The Scott Feldman trade is looking like a win for the Cubs thus far, ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine notes, as Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop have both pitched well since coming to Chicago.  Arrieta allowed two hits over seven shutout innings in today's 7-0 Cubs win over the Cardinals, dropping Arrieta's ERA to 0.69 in two starts with his new club.  Strop, meanwhile, has a 2.41 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings as a Cub.
  • In a live chat with Cubs fans, ESPN's Jesse Rogers predicts a relatively quiet winter for the Cubs, with "more turnover in pitching than anywhere else," though he doesn't think the Cubs will make a big splash for someone like David Price.  Rogers thinks outfielders Nate Schierholtz and David DeJesus will both stick with the team until at least the middle of next season

International Notes: Abreu, Red Sox, Cubs, Nationals

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The Red Sox don't yet have a scouting report on Cuban slugger Jose Abreu, GM Ben Cherington tells WEEI's Dennis and Callahan Show (via Alex Speier of WEEI.com). "We just don’t know him well enough yet," Cherington says. "And of course until he’s gone through the process of getting cleared and all that, there’s really not much to say. As with any player that comes out of Cuba and has a chance to help us, we’ll certainly do the work that we need to do." With Mike Napoli set for free agency, the Red Sox could easily clear space for Abreu at first base, and they also have the money to make a competitive bid for a player who's likely to receive the biggest contract ever given to an international free agent, so the Red Sox appear likely to give Abreu a close look. (Since Abreu is 26 and has many years of experience in a Cuban professional league, he is not subject to rules regarding international bonus pools.)

Here are more notes on international signings.

  • Abreu may do tryouts as he moves toward a deal with an MLB team, but he doesn't really need to, Baseball America's Ben Badler tweets. Teams already have access to plenty of information about Abreu, Badler argues.
  • The Cubs decided to splurge on international spending this season because they had the second-largest international bonus pool, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports. Another factor in the Cubs' thinking was their belief that there wouldn't be an international draft in 2014. That means they'll be taxed at 100 percent of their pool overage if they go 10 to 15% over their pool value, and they won't be able to sign any international free agent for more than $500K. "Next year, we'll spread our money around with some pitching instead of going after the large investments. We like the large investments this year," team president Theo Epstein says. The Cubs have spent a total of $7.895MM on Dominican outfielder Eloy Jimenez, Venezuelan shortstop Gleyber Torres, Taiwanese pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng, Dominican pitcher Jefferson Mejia, Colombian pitcher Erling Moreno and Dominican catcher Johan Matos.
  • The Nationals' signing of Dominican third baseman Anderson Franco for $900K is part of an effort to become more aggressive in Latin America, the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore reports. A scandal resulting from the Nationals' 2006 signing of a 16-year-old shortstop named Esmailyn Gonzalez — later revealed to actually be a 20-year-old shortstop named Carlos Alvarez — led to the departures of then-GM Jim Bowden and special assistant Jose Rijo. Since signing Gonzalez/Alvarez for $1.4MM, the Nationals had not spent more than $385K on a Latin American free agent, Kilgore notes.

Cubs Sign Jen-Ho Tseng

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August 12: Tseng has officially signed his deal with the Cubs, reports MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (via Twitter). 

July 26: The Cubs have signed 18-year-old Taiwanese right-hander Jen-Ho Tseng for a $1.625MM bonus, according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez (on Twitter). Sanchez adds that top international prospect Eloy Jimenez, who agreed to terms with the Cubs earlier this month, will officially sign with the team next week.

Sanchez ranked Tseng as the No. 29 prospect in this year's international crop, noting that his broad frame bodes well for future durability. Tseng's fastball touches 95 mph and sits comfortably in the low 90s, according to Sanchez, who adds that Tseng also has a feel for a curveball and slider. Tseng continued to draw interest from the Twins even after the initial reports that he was nearing a deal with the Cubs surfaced on July 9.

The Cubs have already signed Gleyber Torres for $1.7MM, Jefferson Mejia for $850K, Erling Moreno for $650K and Johan Matos for $270K, and their agreement with Jimenez is for $2.8MM. Despite having acquired additional bonus money from the Orioles and Astros, the Cubs are on pace to vastly exceed their $5.52MM international bonus pool.

I analyzed the Cubs' international expenditures earlier in the month, noting at the time that they were likely facing a strict penalty for exceeding their pool by 10 to 15 percent. The penalty for such an overage would be a 100 percent tax on the overage as well as severe restrictions on 2014-15 spending that would prevent the team from signing a player for any more than $500K. However, given the size of Tseng's bonus, it appears that the Cubs will exceed their bonus pool by 15 percent or more, which would mean they won't be able to sign a player for more than $250K in 2014-15 (in addition to the 100 percent tax on the overage).

Because teams cannot acquire more than 50 percent of their initial international bonus pool, the maximum bonus pool for the Cubs would be $6.836MM. With Tseng signing for $1.625MM, the Cubs have committed $7.895MM to international prospects. That's $1.059MM over their maximum international bonus pool, or a 15.5 percent overage, suggesting that the team is likely facing the maximum penalties for international spending next summer.

NL Notes: Cubs, Weiss, Rockies, Manuel

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On this date in 1961, 40-year-old Warren Spahn became the 13th pitcher in MLB history to win 300 games as he went the distance in the Milwaukee Braves' 2-1 victory over the Cubs. The complete game was the 317th for the left-hander, who also drove in Milwaukee's first run with a sacrifice fly. Spahn was enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 with 363 victories, the most by any left-hander and the most by any pitcher who played his entire career in the live ball era. Here's more from this era's National League: 

  • Cubs catcher Welington Castillo is having a strong season behind the plate and he's showing the club he can be a valuable piece for the future. The same can't be said for the rest of the catchers in the Chicago farm system and the position is thin enough that GM Jed Hoyer said this weekend the front office plans to make acquiring more backstops a priority this winter, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  
  • Walt Weiss signed only a one-year contract to manage the Rockies this season, but he told the Denver Post's Patrick Saunders he wants to return in 2014. "Yes, sure. I knew it wasn't going to be all fun and games," Weiss said. "I have been through enough Major League seasons to understand that you'll get beat up. But I want to be a part of building something special here. That's what drives me."
  • The final weeks of the season provide the Rockies a platform for cold-hard analysis, opines Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. The Rockies need more talent and Renck names Giancarlo Stanton and Nelson Cruz as aquisitions who could fill the club's void of a right-handed power bat and Jesse Crain should be a free agent priority as a much needed late-inning arm.
  • The Phillies need to provide clarity to their managerial situation, according to Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Brookover writes the assumption is Charlie Manuel will step aside for Ryne Sandberg and, if that is the Phillies' desire, the announcement should be made now so Manuel can use the remainder of the season as a well-deseved bow for being the franchise's winningest manager while also giving the players, who will be around when Spring Training opens in February, an idea of what they can expect from their next manager.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

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