Free Agent Spending By Team: American League
As we covered earlier this week, almost all of the prominent free agents in this year’s class have already exited the board. Because of that, we’ll see more and more minor league signings and fewer and fewer major league deals in the weeks leading up to the start of the regular season. This has been an aggressive offseason in terms of spending, though. To this point, which teams have handed out the most guaranteed money via the open market? We’ll examine both leagues, but let’s begin with the AL (reminder: This exercise excludes trades, club options, extensions, waiver claims and Rule 5 selections)…
Yankees: $336.5MM on two players (Gerrit Cole and Brett Gardner; top 50 MLBTR signings: two)
Angels: $260.85MM on three players (Anthony Rendon, Julio Teheran and Jason Castro; top 50 signings: three)
White Sox: $196.5MM on six players (Yasmani Grandal, Jose Abreu, Dallas Keuchel, Edwin Encarnacion, Steve Cishek and Gio Gonzalez; top 50 signings: five)
Twins: $151.8MM on eight players (Josh Donaldson, Michael Pineda, Jake Odorizzi, Homer Bailey, Sergio Romo, Alex Avila, Rich Hill and Tyler Clippard; top 50 signings: four)
Blue Jays: $114.35MM on four players (Hyun-Jin Ryu, Tanner Roark, Shun Yamaguchi and Travis Shaw; top 50 signings: two)
Rangers: $62.25MM on five players (Kyle Gibson, Jordan Lyles, Robinson Chirinos, Joely Rodriguez and Todd Frazier; top 50 signings: two)
Tigers: $17.8MM on four players (C.J. Cron, Jonathan Schoop, Austin Romine and Ivan Nova; top 50 signings: one)
Astros: $15.65MM on three players (Joe Smith, Martin Maldonado and Dustin Garneau; top 50 signings: zero)
Rays: $12MM on one player (Yoshitomo Tsutsugo; top 50 signings: zero)
Red Sox: $9.9MM on three players (Martin Perez, Jose Peraza and Kevin Plawecki; top 50 signings: zero)
Athletics: $7.5MM on one player (Jake Diekman; top 50 signings: zero)
Royals: $6.95MM on two players (Alex Gordon and Maikel Franco; top 50 signings: zero)
Indians: $6.25MM on one player (Cesar Hernandez; top 50 signings: zero)
Orioles: $3MM on one player (Jose Iglesias; top 50 signings: zero)
Mariners: $2.95MM on two players (Kendall Graveman and Carl Edwards Jr.; top 50 signings: zero)
GM Rick Hahn: White Sox “Probably Done With Any Major Acquisitions”
The White Sox have been one of the offseason’s busier clubs, and according to GM Rick Hahn, the South Siders may not be making more headline-grabbing transactions. While the Sox are taking a “never say never” approach to further opportunities and “various potential smaller additions” could potentially still occur, “we’re probably done with any major acquisitions,” Hahn told reporters (including NBC Sports Chicago’s Vinnie Duber).
“The nature of the job is you always feel like there’s one more addition you can make, so I’m probably never going to stand up here and say we’re finished,” Hahn said. “But in reality, I think the safe assumption is the bulk of our heavy lifting for this winter, at least, is over.”
The White Sox have erased any questions about whether the organization was willing or able to expand payroll, spending over $201MM on several new faces (i.e. Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel, Edwin Encarnacion, Gio Gonzalez, Steve Cishek) and a familiar one in Jose Abreu, who first accepted the club’s one-year qualifying offer for the 2020 season and then inked an extension that will run through 2022. If those signings weren’t enough, the Pale Hose also acquired Nomar Mazara in a trade with the Rangers, and locked up star prospect Luis Robert to a long-term extension prior to Robert’s MLB debut.
These moves have already gone a long way to turning the White Sox from an also-ran with a 72-89 record in 2019 to a potential postseason contender in 2020. That said, there are a few areas that could still possibly be upgraded — Duber cites rotation and bullpen depth, as well as a potential platoon partner for Mazara and a more stable veteran to play second base. In regards to the latter position, Hahn did say to “ask me again on March 25” about the second base plan, which could hint that the Sox are still exploring second base options. For now, “some combination of Leury Garcia, Danny Mendick and Nick Madrigal” will handle the keystone.
Madrigal is one of Chicago’s top prospects, and a player expected to eventually take over the position at some point in the 2020 season. Madrigal is likely to begin the season at Triple-A for extra seasoning (and service time reasons), leaving the veteran Garcia and the rookie Mendick with the bulk of at-bats at least early in the season. Garcia has displayed average-to-solid glovework — depending on your defensive metric of choice — and not much hitting over his seven seasons and 1493 plate appearances for Chicago, while Mendick had some good numbers at Triple-A and even over his 16-game cup of coffee for the White Sox in 2019.
Despite the promise on hand, there isn’t a lot of certainty within the group, especially for a would-be contender. There are some interesting veteran second base options still hanging around the free agent market, and would potentially be had for a relatively low price at this late date in the offseason. Signing such a player to even a one-year deal could be a good investment, and it would lessen any pressure on Madrigal to immediately contribute in his first exposure to the big leagues.
Mazara appears to be Chicago’s first choice as the everyday right fielder, as Hahn said “our scouts and coaches think there’s more upside to” Mazara’s hitting potential. The former star prospect hit a middling .261/.320/.435 over his first 2189 Major League plate appearances, though Mazara is still only 24 and could benefit from a change of scenery. The White Sox have often been linked to Nicholas Castellanos this offseason, though it seems like the Sox will give Mazara a clear shot at right field rather than make another splashy addition.
Depending on how things shake out with right field, second base, or other positions over the first few months of the season, Hahn indicated that the White Sox are open to addressing any future needs at the trade deadline.
Dylan Covey Elects Free Agency
Right-hander Dylan Covey has rejected an outright assignment from the White Sox and is now a free agent, Vinnie Duber of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. Chicago designated the 28-year-old for assignment last week.
Covey has appeared in part of three seasons with the White Sox, showing promise at times but struggling on the whole. In 250 1/3 big league innings, he’s pitched to a 6.54 ERA with 6.2 K/9, 4.1 BB/9, 1.62 HR/9 and a 50 percent ground-ball rate. The 2013 fourth-rounder (Athletics) was Chicago’s Rule 5 pick in 2016, so a rough rookie campaign was always to be expected. But Covey impressed to begin the 2018 campaign, notching a 3.45 ERA and 3.54 FIP with a whopping 60 percent ground-ball rate through his first eight starts. Things went south from there, and the sinkerballer will now look for a new club in 2020.
That Covey went unclaimed on waivers means he’ll likely latch on elsewhere on a minor league deal. He does have a minor league option remaining, so anyone who signs him can shuttle him between Triple-A and the big leagues in 2020 if he’s ever selected to the big league roster. To his credit, Covey has been terrific at both the Double-A (1.84 ERA in 29 1/3 innings) and Triple-A levels (2.63 ERA in 95 2/3 innings).
White Sox Outright Dylan Covey
The White Sox have outrighted hurler Dylan Covey to Triple-A Charlotte, per the International League transactions page. Covey has been outrighted before, so he’ll be allowed to decline the assignment in favor of free agency if he wants. It’s unclear if that will happen.
The right-handed Covey lost his spot on Chicago’s 40-man roster when the team designated him Jan. 14 to clear space for newly signed reliever Steve Cishek. Covey had been a fairly regular option in the White Sox’s pitching staff over the previous three seasons, but his time in the majors hasn’t gone well.
So far, Covey has combined for 250 1/3 innings (63 appearances, 45 starts) of 6.54 ERA/5.57 FIP ball in the bigs. Despite boasting a fastball that averages upward of 94 mph, Covey has struggled to limit home runs (1.62 per nine) and miss bats, having fanned just over six hitters per nine while walking more than four. Dating back to 2017, his K/BB ratio (1.52) ranks fifth worst among 193 pitchers who have thrown at least 200 innings.
While Covey has made double-digit starts in each of his three MLB seasons, he almost certainly won’t total that many in 2020 even if he does remain with the White Sox organization. The club has been aggressive in upgrading its rotation this winter, having signed southpaws Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez. They’re part of a group that should also include a mix of Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech and Carlos Rodon (when he returns from Tommy John surgery) during the upcoming season.
Regardless of whether Covey sticks with his current franchise, it appears he’ll have to improve his stock in the minors. The 28-year-old has been quite effective in Triple-A ball, where he owns a 2.63 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 95 2/3 frames.
White Sox Sign Adalberto Mejia, Drew Anderson, Matt Skole
The White Sox announced a series of minor league signings Tuesday, including the yet-unreported additions of left-hander Adalberto Mejia, right-hander Drew Anderson, corner infielder Matt Skole and outfielder Jaycob Brugman. They’ll all be in Major League camp this spring.
Mejia, formerly of the Twins, Angels and Cardinals, was a top-100 prospect at his best but has yet to put things together at the game’s top level. Now 26 years old, Mejia was unscored upon in 9 1/3 minor league innings across multiple organizations this year but was hit hard in the Majors, logging a 6.61 ERA (4.97 FIP, 5.98 xFIP) with an ugly 30-to-21 K/BB ratio in 31 1/3 innings.
Mejia did make 21 respectable starts for the Twins in 2017 (4.50 ERA, 7.8 K/9, 4.0 BB/9) at just 24 years of age, creating some optimism that he could settle in as the fourth starter he’d been projected as in the upper minors. But blister issues and a left wrist injury shortened Mejia’s 2018 season, and he wasn’t able to regain his footing in 2019. The White Sox don’t look to have room for him in the rotation, but he could provide depth in Triple-A or look to carve out a bullpen spot.
Anderson, 25, enjoyed solid numbers in Double-A and Triple-A in 2017-18 but hasn’t found success in the big leagues yet. He’s thrown 21 innings for the Phillies but been hammered for 18 earned runs on 29 hits and nine walks with 19 strikeouts. He’s only yielded one home run in that time, but he’s been plagued by a sky-high .389 BABIP in the Majors. Anderson notched a combined 3.72 ERA in 111 1/3 innings in Triple-A from 2017-18 but slumped to a 5.77 mark in 48 1/3 frames there in 2019.
The 30-year-old Skole appeared in 27 games for the White Sox in 2019, hitting .208/.275/.236 in 80 plate appearances. He posted a .248/.384/.497 batting line with 21 long balls in Triple-A Charlotte this past season — his second in the White Sox organization. Skole has a generally productive track record throughout the minors thanks largely to his persistent knack for drawing walks.
Brugman, 28, hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since his 2017 debut with the A’s, when he batted .266/.346/.343 in 162 plate appearances. He’s been with the Orioles and Mariners since that time, including a terrific .283/.363/.601 slash in 331 plate appearances with Seattle’s Triple-A club in 2019. Brugman, though, has never shown that type of power in the past, so those numbers should be taken with a grain of salt considering the juiced ball in Triple-A this past season; the outfielder’s 24 homers in 2019 matched his combined total from 2016-18. Brugman has long had solid walk rates, though, and he’s a solid defender who can play all three outfield spots even though he’s consistently posted below-average power numbers excluding the 2019 surge.
Central Notes: Hicks, White Sox, Tigers, Bonifacio
We’ll cover some news and notes from the game’s central divisions.
- Cardinals’ reliever Jordan Hicks is recovering as expected from his Tommy John surgery last June, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). He remains on target for a midseason return, Goold adds. Should Hicks return at full strength, he and his 102 MPH fastball figure to have a good shot at reclaiming the ninth inning for manager Mike Shildt. Carlos Martínez, who took the closer’s role in Hicks’ stead last year, is preparing for a return to the rotation this spring.
- The White Sox have been among the offseason’s most active teams in free agency. While the additions of Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel, Edwin Encarnación and Gio González (among others) figure to help Chicago next season, they’re all under team control through at least 2021, GM Rick Hahn points out to James Fegan of the Athletic. That jibes with the franchise’s long-term plan, the exec notes. The Sox have myriad prospects and young players at or near the MLB level, particularly on the pitching staff and in the outfield. Plugging some immediate holes with veterans buys Hahn and the rest of the front office additional time to sort through those largely unproven options.
- Jorge Bonifacio stands a good shot at earning a spot in the Tigers’ corner outfield mix, observes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. Bonifacio, who’ll be in camp on a minor-league deal, has struggled in recent seasons with the division-rival Royals. That said, he’s still just 26 years old and showed some promise in an extended run in 2017 with Kansas City. McCosky breaks down further position battles in the piece, which could be of interest to Tigers’ fans.
White Sox Sign Bryan Mitchell To Minors Deal
The White Sox have signed right-hander Bryan Mitchell to a minor league contract, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).
Mitchell spent 2019 in the minors, after seeing at least a bit of MLB action in each of the previous five seasons. Even with the caveat that 2019 was the most hitter-friendly season in the history of Triple-A baseball, Mitchell’s results weren’t good, as he posted a 9.41 ERA, 7.0 K/9, and 5.7 BB/9 over 44 innings for the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in El Paso.
Chicago represents a fresh start for Mitchell, who has shown flashes of promise of his short big league career but has yet to deliver consistent results over his time with the Padres and Yankees. San Diego acquired Mitchell in the 2017-18 offseason, as part of a trade that saw the Padres agree to absorb the remainder of Chase Headley‘s contract as the price for getting a controllable young arm in Mitchell. The gambit didn’t work out for the Padres, as Mitchell had a 5.42 ERA over 73 frames (starting 11 of 16 games) for the club in 2018.
White Sox Sign Andrew Romine
The White Sox and utility player Andrew Romine have agreed to a minor league contract, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Romine will earn a $900K salary if he reaches the majors in 2020.
A fifth-round pick of the Angels in 2007, Romine debuted in the majors in 2010 and has since combined for 1,323 major league plate appearances with the Halos, Tigers and Mariners. While Romine has lined up all over the diamond in that span, offensive success has been hard to come by for the 34-year-old switch-hitter. So far, Romine has only managed a .235/.291/.301 line with 10 home runs.
Romine saw at least some MLB action in each season from 2010-18, but he spent all of last year in Triple-A ball with the Phillies. He slashed .289/.342/.409 with eight homers and 21 stolen bases across 417 trips to the plate.
White Sox Designate Dylan Covey, Announce Steve Cishek Signing
The White Sox have designated right-hander Dylan Covey for assignment, per a club announcement. His roster spot goes to Steve Cishek, whose previously reported signing is now official.
Covey has certainly had his chances to forestall this result. Over the past three seasons, he has been given 250 1/3 innings of MLB action with the South Siders. The results simply have not been there.
All told, Covey carries a 6.54 ERA to this point in his career. He has an even fifty percent grounder rate but otherwise the peripherals are equally unsightly: 6.2 K/9, 4.1 BB/9, 1.62 HR/9.
Covey has averaged between 94 and 95 mph with both his four-seam and two-seam fastballs, partnering those with a changing variety of secondary offerings. Opposing MLB hitters have feasted on most everything he has sent across the plate and haven’t been tempted to chase very often.
It’s a disappointing situation for both team and player. Covey was long seen as a potential rotation fixture but just hasn’t made the leap. He has thrown 95 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level over the past three seasons as well, finding much more success there. In that span, Covey owns a 2.63 ERA with 84 strikeouts and 25 walks.
White Sox Hire Wes Helms As Triple-A Manager
The White Sox announced some notable hires at the minor league level Monday, as LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune relays. Former major league infielder Wes Helms will manage the White Sox’s Triple-A team in Charlotte. Meanwhile, ex-MLB reliever Danny Farquhar will work as the organization’s pitching coach at High-A Winston-Salem. It was already known Farquhar would serve as a pitching coach in the organization when he retired in August, but the destination was unclear at that point.
Taking over in Charlotte represents a homecoming of sorts for the 43-year-old Helms, a North Carolina native. And he’ll be the second member of his family to manage in Charlotte, joining his uncle, Tommy Helms. Wes Helms spent last season as the bench coach with the White Sox’s Double-A club, and he served in the same role with the Phillies’ top minors affiliate in 2018, but this will be his first experience as a manager.
Of course, Helms is best known for his playing days in the majors. He suited up for the Braves, Brewers, Marlins and Phillies for a combined 1,212 games from 1998-2011.
As for Farquhar, the fact that he’s making news right now is especially interesting, considering the impact he had on the momentous events that just occurred in Houston. The sign-stealing accusations Farquhar made against the Astros in November helped lead to an investigation from Major League Baseball. The league then found enough evidence against the Astros to hit them with a massive penalty on Monday, and the team fired GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch as a result.
The Astros were also the team Farquhar dealt with a scary health situation against in 2018, as he suffered a life-threatening brain aneurysm while with the White Sox. That upended Farquhar’s MLB career, though he did attempt to return to the game’s highest level last season. Farquhar will now try to help some of Chicago’s young pitchers climb their way up to the bigs.