White Sox Sign Aaron Bummer To Five-Year Extension
The Chicago White Sox signed Aaron Bummer to a five-year, $16MM contract extension, tweets USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. The deal also includes two option years that could raise the overall value to $29.5MM, per Nightengale. Nightengale notes that it’s the “largest extension given to a non-closer who has yet to qualify for salary arbitration in #MLB history.” Bummer is represented by O’Connell Sports Management.
Bummer, 26, evolved into a reliable lefty out of the pen for the ChiSox last season, and he’s now set to burn worms on the Southside through the 2026 campaign. Bummer will make $1MM this season, $2MM in 2021, $2.5MM in 2022, $3.75MM in 2023, and $5.5MM in 2024. The option years are for $7.25MM and $7.5MM, respectively, with $1.25MM buyouts, per MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. The 2026 option could escalate to $9MM with a second- or third-place finish in the AL Reliever of the Year voting, or $10MM if he wins the award, according to The Athletic’s James Fegan.
The White Sox are getting one of the game’s premier groundball artists at rates that carry minimal risk. The investment signals both their confidence in Bummer, and their continued commitment to longevity for the incoming core. Bummer was among the best in the game at limiting barrels last season (2.3% barrel%) and well as opponents’ expected slugging percentage (.281 xSLG). Bummer’s sinker drives his arsenal, and it jumped in velocity last year to an average of 95.6 mph. In 58 games out of the pen last season, the southpaw produced a 72.1 GB%, ranking behind only the Yankees’ Zack Britton in that regard.
Big picture, Bummer joins Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez as White Sox to have been extended through 2026 (including option years). The ChiSox now have a long-term piece in their bullpen to add some stability to that area of the club. In an era of flame-throwing strikeout artists, Bummer also brings a different approach. Should he continue to pitch as he did last season (2.13 ERA/3.41 FIP), the Sox will happily charge him with care of their late innings.
White Sox Extend Leury Garcia’s Contract To Include 2021 Team Option
The Chicago White Sox signed Leury Garcia to a one-year, $3.5MM guaranteed deal today, per MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. The deal includes a $3.25MM base salary for 2020 with a $3.5MM team option for 2021. The White Sox can decline next year’s option with a $250K buyout. Garcia’s deal takes the place of the one he signed in January to avoid arbitration, giving the team the option of a second season. Garcia is a client of Rep 1 Baseball.
Garcia, 29 in March, has been a longstanding member of the White Sox. He joined the club midseason in 2013 from the Texas Rangers in a trade for Alexis Rios. He had been a part-time player every season since the deal until last year when he started 135 games for Chicago, the largest chunk of which came in centerfield, though he spent time at every position except pitcher, catcher, and first base.
As for this season, Garcia may open the year as the regular second baseman, though whoever gets the at-bats in the early going will likely eventually yield playing time to Nick Madrigal. Regardless, he provides the team with a valuable safety net. He’s comfortable in the clubhouse, unlikely to kick up a fuss over playing time, and he can play wherever they need him on the diamond. His career .256/.292/.357 doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence, but as a bit player, he should continue to compliment the White Sox roster nicely at a low investment.
Quick Hits: Puig, Arbitration Process, Royals, Montgomery
The status of top remaining free agent Yasiel Puig remains up in the air as Spring Training baseball kicks off today. The mercurial and ever-entertaining pugilist got everyday at-bats in 2019 after a couple years of more judicious playing time with the Dodgers – but the results don’t have teams lined up with contract offers. Puig hit .267/.327/.458 across 611 plate appearances with the Reds and Indians with 24 home runs and 84 RBIs. Puig’s singular personality makes his on-field contributions just a part of the overall package, but even after a year of modest production (101 wRC+), Puig ought to be able to find a job somewhere. Latest reports have the White Sox and Rockies as potential landing spots for Puig, per Hector Gomez of Deportivo Z 101. The Athletic’s Nick Groke downplays the Rockies interest (via Twitter), however.
- CAA agent Jeff Berry lost two arbitration cases this week. Arbitration panels chose the team award amount in cases for J.T. Realmuto and Josh Hader, two transformative performers trying to make their cases to earn beyond the scope of their positional historical comps, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Said Berry of the proceedings, “This was about two guys (Hader and Realmuto) willing to go to the mat to fight for what’s right, and hopefully other players take notice.” It’s possible to look at the results and presume that Berry overestimated his cases for both superstars (within the confines of the current system). It’s surely a fine line between fighting for the best result in an uneven system and politicking for change. Either way, the arbitration panel could use some work. Rosenthal brought a particularly interesting point to the foreground, noting that either the players’ union or MLB “can unilaterally fire any arbitrator at any time.” That’s certainly an inflection point for turning a supposedly unbiased system into one rife for manipulation.
- After trading for Cubs’ swingman Mike Montgomery in July, the Royals believe he can reach another gear when settled into a starting role, per Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star. The Cubs thought the same thing when they acquired Montgomery in the middle of 2016. Though the Cubs never found consistent work for Montgomery in the rotation, he played an important role as a swingman for Chicago. And of course, never forget, he earned the save in game seven of the 2016 World Series. Not for nothing, but Montgomery has desired a rotation slot for some time now, and it could be that the consistency and trust the Royals plan on giving him in his role will have the desired effect – but only time will tell. In 13 starts after the trade last season, Montgomery went 2-7 with a 4.64 ERA/5.23 FIP while striking out 7.2 batters per nine innings.
Prospect Notes: Carlson, Graterol, Dunning, Ramos
The Cardinals‘ hole in left field has many fans focused on top prospect Dylan Carlson, and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explores the 21-year-old’s potential timeline to the big leagues. The Cards, Goold notes, don’t have a history of service time manipulation — in part because they’re aggressive in trying to lock up key young players on long-term contracts that buy out the seventh year that would be gained by holding a prospect down in the minors. That said, Carlson has limited exposure in Triple-A and several competitors he’ll have to outplay in decisive fashion this spring in order to be considered for the Opening Day roster. Tyler O’Neill, Lane Thomas, Justin Williams and waiver claim Austin Dean are all in the mix for at-bats in the outfield. Goold spoke with president of baseball ops John Mozeliak, manager Mike Schildt, teammate Jack Flaherty and Carlson himself about what it’d take to complete the former No. 33 overall pick’s ascent to the Majors. Mozeliak wouldn’t expressly rule out an Opening Day nod for Carlson, indicating that the club would use Spring Training “to figure out exactly what we have.” Barring injury, it’d be a surprise if Carlson didn’t play in the Majors at some point in 2020.
More notes on some of the game’s most promising young talent…
- The Dodgers plan to utilize newly acquired flamethrower Brusdar Graterol as a reliever in 2020, writes Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times. That’s the same plan that the Twins had for the highly touted righty, making it all the more perplexing that the Red Sox claim to have backed away from the three-team iteration of the Mookie Betts blockbuster upon deciding that Graterol was best suited for the ‘pen in the short-term. Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts tells Castillo that his understanding of Graterol’s medical review is that he’s “asymptomatic,” and the right-hander has impressed officials with his new club right out of the gate in camp. “A guy with his stuff, it’s just a different look for our bullpen,” pitching coach Mark Prior says. “The ability to bring that kind of raw power, impact into the game is only a good thing for us.” The state of limbo in which Graterol found himself after the Red Sox backed off the initial trade iteration wasn’t easy on the righty, who felt like he “had a weight on top of” him while awaiting resolution.
- White Sox righty Dane Dunning is slated to throw his first live batting practice of the spring next week, writes MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. That’ll be Dunning’s first time facing hitters since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2019. Dunning, 25, was a consensus top 100 prospect heading into the 2019 season but didn’t throw a pitch during the season due to that surgery. Dunning, whom the White Sox acquired from the Nationals in the Adam Eaton trade, acknowledged that he’ll likely be on an innings limit in 2020. There’s no indication as to the organization’s target for him, but Dunning has never tossed more than the 144 frames he logged back in 2017 — be it in college or in pro ball.
- A knee injury shortened the 2019 season for Giants outfield prospect Heliot Ramos, but president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi believes that the 2017 first-rounder can “absolutely” ascend to the Majors in 2020, writes Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Ramos wasn’t invited to Major League Spring Training and has only played 25 games in Double-A, where he’ll likely open the 2020 campaign. But the Giants have a fairly wide-open outfield at the moment, with veteran Hunter Pence returning to join Steven Duggar and a pair of corner options with limited track records (Mike Yastrzemski and Alex Dickerson). Ramos, who hit .290/.369/.481 in 444 plate appearances between Class-A Advanced and Double-A when healthy in 2019, remains the organization’s top outfield prospect and won’t turn 21 until this September.
White Sox Sign Gorkys Hernandez To Minor League Deal
The White Sox have signed outfielder Gorkys Hernandez to a minor league contract, Hernandez himself tells Daniel Parra of SportsVenezuela.com. He’ll head straight to minor league camp it seems.
Hernandez, 32, spent the 2019 season in the Red Sox organization but in a tiny sample of 57 Major League plate appearances (.143/.218/.243) and in a larger body of work for Triple-A Pawtucket. In 504 trips to the plate with Boston’s top minor league affiliate, Hernandez hit just .219/.319/.377.
Hernandez is only a season removed from hitting 15 home runs in a part-time role with the Giants, though. His overall .234/.285/.391 slash from that season aligns closely with his career stats in 1091 MLB plate appearances. Hernandez has had much better luck in Triple-A — even with last year’s numbers dragging him down — where he’s compiled a career .266/.342/.380 slash. He has experience playing all three outfield positions, and while his marks in center aren’t as sharp as those in the corners, he’s a capable glove at all three. Over the past four years, Hernandez has a cumulative 3.0 Ultimate Zone Rating, 11 Outs Above Average and -1 Defensive Runs Saved.
Chicago’s offseason extension of Luis Robert all but ensured that the ballyhooed 22-year-old will open the season as the Major League center fielder. With Robert ticketed for the big leagues, the White Sox’ outfield mix in Triple-A will likely feature prospects Luis Alexander Basabe, Luis Gonzalez and some combination of offseason minor league signees Daniel Palka, Nicky Delmonico and Jaycob Brugman. Hernandez adds a righty bat to an otherwise heavily left-handed mix and can capably give the White Sox’ Charlotte affiliate reps anywhere in the outfield.
AL Central Notes: Abreu, Maybin, Zimmer
Heading into free agency last fall, Jose Abreu made no secret that he wanted to remain with the White Sox, and he told reporters (including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune) that he didn’t even talk to any other clubs during his brief time on the open market. “My family is good in Chicago. They love Chicago,” Abreu said. “They are really grateful and good and happy with the White Sox organization, just the way that the organization has treated them….For us, it didn’t make sense to look around to other places.” The Marlins were the only other team known to have have interest in Abreu last November, though it appears that interest didn’t manifest itself into any early negotiation with Abreu’s representatives.
There never seemed much chance that Abreu and the White Sox would part ways, given how GM Rick Hahn repeatedly spoke during the season about how much the team valued Abreu’s contributions on the field and in the Sox clubhouse. After Chicago extended a one-year, $17.8MM qualifying offer to Abreu, the first baseman ensured his continued stay on the South Side by accepting the offer, and then worked out a contract extension in November that runs through the 2022 season.
The latest from around the AL Central….
- While Abreu more or less sidestepped free agency entirely, the market wasn’t as kind to Cameron Maybin, who told the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and other reporters that he received mostly minor league offers before finally landing a Major League deal from the Tigers. Maybin rebounded from a pair of subpar years to hit .285/.364/.494 with 11 home runs over 269 PA with the Yankees last season, but still found the process of obtaining a guaranteed contract to be “frustrating….I thought it would be easier to get a big-league job. I do feel like I’m a big-league talent, like I am big-league caliber.” Still, Maybin is happy to be back in Detroit for his third stint as a Tiger, and is eager to serve as a veteran mentor to a young team and prove that his 2019 performance wasn’t a fluke. Though Maybin turns 33 in April, “honestly, with my athleticism, I feel like I can play for another five years. Especially with this swing change.”
- Kyle Zimmer was given a fourth minor league option by the league, the Royals right-hander told MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan. Players usually only have three option years, though a fourth option can sometimes be granted under certain circumstances — like, in Zimmer’s case, a wide range of injuries that have limited to just 341 total professional innings since being selected with the fifth overall pick of the 2012 draft. Zimmer was finally healthy in 2019 and made his MLB debut, making 15 relief appearances for Kansas City and posting a 10.80 ERA over 18 1/3 innings. With this fourth option year to work with, the Royals can now opt to start Zimmer in the minors to begin the season rather than potentially be forced into exposing him to waivers as an out-of-options player if they didn’t have a 26-man roster spot for him.
Health Notes: White Sox, Leake, Perez, Dominguez
The White Sox opened camp with a series of unwelcome injury developments, as each of Yasmani Grandal, Lucas Giolito and Gio Gonzalez are all dealing with minor injuries (link via Daryl Van-Schouwen of the Chicago Sun Times). Grandal injured his calf in the weight room last week, and an MRI revealed a minor calf strain. Giolito is working through a strained muscle in his chest, and Gonzalez is battling some discomfort in his left shoulder. However, GM Rick Hahn expects all three to be good to go by Opening Day and referred to the injuries as “minor.” Grandal clearly isn’t overly worried about his status, as he joked with reporters that he was merely trying to get out of some running drills in Spring Training (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Scott Merkin). Giolito, meanwhile, is already throwing from 120 feet and said he’s “zero percent” concerned about his injury.
Some more health/injury notes from early on in camp…
- Diamondbacks right-hander Mike Leake is undergoing an MRI after experiencing soreness in his left wrist following a fall at his home, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters today (Twitter links via The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan). Lovullo described the MRI as precautionary in nature, so it doesn’t seem as though the organization is overly concerned at the moment. Leake, 32, landed in Arizona following a deadline swap with the Mariners and pitched to a 4.35 ERA in 60 innings (10 starts). Leake fanned just 27 hitters in those 60 frames but was quite stingy in terms of issuing free passes as well, surrendering just eight bases on balls. The ever-durable righty made at least 30 starts for the eighth consecutive season in 2019, eating up 197 innings between Seattle and Arizona.
- After missing the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery, Royals stalwart Salvador Perez is ahead of schedule and expected to be ready for Opening Day, new manager Mike Matheny told reporters (link via MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan). Perez is already throwing to second base without issue and is slated to meet with his doctors tomorrow for another check-in. Interestingly, Matheny suggested that Perez would not only see some time at designated hitter early in the season but also at first base, as the Royals look to be cautious with his throwing workload.
- Phillies right-hander Seranthony Dominguez managed to avoid Tommy John surgery last year after an elbow scare, and he now appears to be on track for Opening Day, tweets Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Dominguez resumed throwing in December and has now thrown three bullpen sessions — including one earlier today. The 25-year-old was lights out in his debut effort back in 2018 and took a step back in limited action in 2019 before hitting the injured list. In 82 2/3 innings between those two seasons, he’s pitched to a 3.27 ERA with 11.2 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and 16 saves.
Yoan Moncada Changes Agencies
White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada has changed representation and is now a client of Movement Management Group, as agent Alex Cotto posted on Instagram (hat tip to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN).
Still just 24 years old, Moncada already has one lucrative payday under his belt. The Cuba native joined the Red Sox on a $31.5MM signing bonus in March 2015. Moncada changed Sox shortly after when Boston traded him to Chicago in a blockbuster centered on left-hander Chris Sale in December 2016.
It took a little while for Moncada to live up to the considerable hype he generated as a prospect, but he now looks like one of the most valuable players in the game. He broke out last year, his first full season at third after moving from second, slashing .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs and 10 stole bases over 559 plate appearances. Just 14 position players outdid Moncada’s 5.7 fWAR.
Judging by their aggressive moves this offseason, the long-struggling White Sox expect to contend for a playoff berth in 2020. Moncada’s a key piece of that puzzle, and with that in mind, he’s someone they could try to extend. No matter what, he’s in line to remain one of their most integral players for the foreseeable future. The switch-hitter still has another pre-arbitration campaign left and won’t become eligible to reach free agency until after the 2023 campaign.
Moncada’s change in representation will be reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains agent info on thousands of Major League and Minor League players. If you see any errors or omissions within, please let us know: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.
White Sox Reach Agreement With Norge Carlos Vera
The Chicago White Sox are in agreement with international free agent Norge Carlos Vera, per ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. The deal won’t become official until the opening of the new international signing period on July 2. Vera will collect a $1.5MM signing bonus. The deal would leave the White Sox with just under $3.9MM to spend on international free agents, per Baseball America.
Vera is a 19-year-old right-handed pitcher out of Cuba who threw for scouts in late September, hitting as high as 97 mph on the radar gun, per Fangraphs’ Josh Herzenberg. He’s a slim, easy-action righty whom evaluators peg as equivalent to a second round talent. There aren’t a ton of statistics available for the young righty, but a reel of side sessions can be viewed here.
For the White Sox, this represents just their latest foray into the Cuban market. Recent history on the Southside is cluttered with successful Cuban imports, from current mainstays Jose Abreu and Yoan Moncada, to Alexei Ramirez, to Jose Contreras, the winning pitcher in game one of the 2005 World Series. Contreras went 3-1 that postseason for the World Champion White Sox, including a complete game (one of four consecutive for the ChiSox) to punch Chicago’s World Series ticket.
AL Central Notes: White Sox, Madrigal, Kopech, Royals, Perez, Mondesi
SoxFest is a victory lap trap for the Chicago White Sox this year, but Rick Hahn won’t cop to it. “We haven’t won anything yet,” said the Sox’ GM, per The Athletic’s James Fegan. With the golden boy Cubs hanging a winter goose egg (Steven Souza notwithstanding), the White Sox’ rebuilding efforts are cusping at the right time to steal the spotlight from their crosstown rival. Hahn was promoted to GM late in October of 2012, the last time the Sox posted a winning record. After seven years at the helm of an extended rebuild, Hahn is getting an opportunity to show a different aspect of his GM profile as he oversees the Southsiders’ push for contention. The handling of Nick Madrigal and Michael Kopech, in particular, will be interesting litmus tests, writes Fegan. For Madrigal it’s a question of service time, an issue Hahn and company sidestepped with fellow youngster Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez by signing them to extensions. For Kopech, it’s a question of inning and pitch limits as he returns from injury. After an aggressive winter, look to Madrigal and Kopech to track their pedal-to-the-metal approach into the season. Let’s check in on a division rival…
- A couple of injury updates for key players came out of Kansas City yesterday. Both Salvador Perez and Adalberto Mondesi are expected to be ready by opening day, per The Athletic’s Alec Lewis (twitter links). Perez hit an important benchmark yesterday, throwing down to second base for the first time since Tommy John surgery. Royals catchers were a bottom-10 unit in 2019 by measure of fWAR, wOBA, and wRC+. Power was one of Perez’s calling cards, which should help the unit if he can return without any lingering effects.
- Mondesi, meanwhile, underwent shoulder surgery in the fall and expects to be ready. The 24-year-old is arguably the Royals’ best young player, despite a history of poor on-base skills. Speed (43 stolen bases), dynamism (20 doubles, 10 triples, 9 home runs), and lynchpin defensive skills up the middle (4 OAA, 10 DRS, 9.1 UZR) make Mondesi a key figure moving forward for the Royals. Any push for contention for the Royals will probably come coupled with another development step from Mondesi and/or the other Kansas City youngsters.