Could the White Sox now be the favorites to land Manny Machado? Despite whispers of a mystery team being involved in Machado’s market, the Sox, Yankees, and Phillies were known to be the three clubs most heavily pursuing the free agent infielder. However, with the Yankees addressing their infield needs elsewhere and the Phillies perhaps now in the driver’s seat to sign Bryce Harper, it leaves the White Sox as potentially the last team standing for Machado. While things seem to be leaning in the Pale Hose’s direction right now, an industry source tells Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times that “everything is still on the table” in regards to where Machado or Harper could sign. “These guys are still so young (both 26), so if things aren’t what they want they could gamble and take a much shorter deal and try [free agency] again in the near future,” the source speculated.
White Sox Rumors
White Sox Sign Randall Delgado, Jacob Lindgren, D.J. Peterson
The White Sox have signed a pair of pitchers – right-hander Randall Delgado and lefty Jacob Lindgren – as well as first baseman D.J. Peterson to minor league contracts, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports.
Among the trio, the most major league experience belongs to Delgado, who accumulated 542 2/3 innings and 271 appearances (53 starts) with the Braves and Diamondbacks from 2011-18. He pitched to a 4.10 ERA/4.19 FIP with 7.71 K/9 and 3.37 BB/9 along the way, and was particularly successful in Arizona during the 2015 and ’17 campaigns. However, the 28-year-old Delgado endured a rough 2018, during which he totaled just 11 1/3 innings and saw his velocity decline. An oblique injury helped slow Delgado, who lost his spot with the Diamondbacks when they released him in late July, only to re-sign him in mid-August.
Lindgren, 25, had been on the market since the Braves outrighted him in October, ending a two-year run with the franchise. Formerly a promising prospect with the Yankees, who chose him in Round 2 of the 2014 draft, Lindgren never threw a professional pitch with the Braves on account of significant arm problems. Lindgren underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2016 season, but the Braves nonetheless signed him to a major league deal entering 2017. But Lindgren underwent yet another TJ procedure prior to last season, which at least temporarily derailed his comeback efforts. When healthy, Lindgren has recorded a sterling 1.83 ERA with sky-high strikeout and walk rates (14.2 K/9, 5.3 BB/9) across 54 frames in the minors. He also reached the bigs in the Yankees in 2015, when he yielded four earned runs with eight strikeouts and four walks over seven innings.
Like Lindgren, Peterson was a well-regarded prospect somewhat recently. After going 12th overall to the Mariners in the 2012 draft, Peterson cracked BA’s top-100 prospects list over the next couple years. While Peterson had his moments in the Mariners’ system, they designated him in July 2017, leading his current club – the White Sox – to claim him off waivers. Peterson didn’t last long during his first stint with the Pale Hose, though, as the Reds grabbed him off waivers in September 2017. His time with the Reds concluded when they released him last month, even though he batted a decent .277/.322/.462 with 16 home runs in 453 plate appearances as a member of their Triple-A affiliate in 2018. Thus far, the 27-year-old Peterson is a .262/.315/.431 hitter in 1,177 PAs at the minors’ highest level.
Players Avoiding Arbitration: American League
The deadline for players and teams to exchange arbitration figures passed at 1pm ET yesterday, meaning over the next few hours, there will be a landslide of settlements on one-year deals to avoid an arbitration hearing. We’ll track today’s minor settlements from the American League in this post. Once all of the day’s settlements have filtered in, I’ll organize them by division to make them a bit easier to parse.
It’s worth mentioning that the vast majority of teams have adopted a “file and trial” approach to arbitration, meaning that once arbitration figures are exchanged with a player, negotiations on a one-year deal will cease. The two parties may still discuss a multi-year deal after that point, but the majority of players who exchange figures with their team today will head to an arbitration hearing.
As always, all salary projections referenced within this post are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, and we’ll also be updating our 2019 Arbitration Tracker throughout the day…
Today’s Updates
- Yankees 1B Greg Bird will make $1.2 MM next season, per Bob Nightengale on Twitter.
- The controversial Roberto Osuna will make $6.5MM next season, per Feinsand. Teammate Jake Marisnick, who again scuffled in ’18 after a promising 2017, will make $2.2125MM.
- Per Mark Feinsand on Twitter, A’s lefty Sean Manaea $3.15MM in what’s sure to be an injury-marred 2019.
- Hard-throwing reliever Mychal Givens will make $2.15MM, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter), with additional incentives for making the All-Star team or placing in the Top-3 for the Rivera/Hoffman Reliever of the Year Awards, added MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter).
- The Mariners agreed on a $1.95MM deal with outfielder Domingo Santana, per MLB.com’s Greg Johns (via Twitter). Santana is the second and last of the Mariners’ arbitration-eligible players.
- The Angels agreed to contracts with a pair of players yesterday, per Maria Torres of the LA Times (via Twitter). Reliever Hansel Robles signed for $1.4MM. Robles threw 36 1/3 innings of 2.97 ERA baseball after the Angels claimed him off waivers from the Mets in June. Luis Garcia, acquired via trade from the Phillies this winter, signed for $1.675MM.
- The Tigers and reliever Shane Greene settled on $4MM, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (via Twitter).
- The Yankees reached an agreement with Sonny Gray for $7.5MM, per Nightengale. Gray, of course, has been involved trade rumors most of the winter, but for the time being, he stands to play a role in the Yankee pen while providing insurance for the rotation.
- Didi Gregorius has also come to an agreement with the Yankees on a one-year, $11.75MM deal in his final season before free agency, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter links).
- New Yankee James Paxton signed for $8.575, per Nightengale (via Twitter). Paxton is under contract for the 2020 season as well.
- The Houston Astros came to an agreement with Collin McHugh for $5.8MM, per Nightengale (via Twitter). McHugh could be moving back into the rotation after a stellar season in the pen, either way this will be his final season of arb eligibility before hitting the open market.
- Jonathan Villar comes away with $4.825MM for what will be his first full season in Baltimore, per Nightengale (via Twitter).
Earlier Updates
Market Notes: Smith/Watson, Reds, White Sox, AGon
Let’s catch up on a few market notes from around the game after a busy day on the arbitration front …
- The Angels are evidently a team to watch on Giants southpaws Will Smith and Tony Watson, as Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports that the teams “have been in constant contact this winter” regarding both pitchers (subscription link). It’s not surprising to see the Halos chasing lefties, as their current staff is quite thin in that area. Whether or not the club will offer up enough to entice the Giants remains to be seen. The San Francisco org is surely willing to deal either or both of these veteran relievers, each of whom is coming off of a strong season with an appealing contract situation, but there figures to be ample interest from other teams as well. With many of the best free agent relievers already off the board, now may be the time for new Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi to market his southpaws in earnest.
- The Reds are still looking to add another starter, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon. He ticks through some possibilities, though it’s not clear that any particular pitcher is especially likely at this point. Among the potential targets, the Reds are still pursuing Yankees starter Sonny Gray, per Jon Heyman of Fancred (via Twitter). While the New York club made clear at the outset of the winter that Gray was on the block, recent indications are that there’s some consideration of hanging on to him. If nothing else, the Yanks are still trying to get value back. Heyman says that GM Brian Cashman is asking for more than one pitching prospect in return. While it’s doubtful he expects to land a premium arm, the veteran exec is said to be seeking “multiple … upper level guys with a chance.”
- Likewise, the White Sox are still interested in filling out their rotation, GM Rick Hahn told reporters including Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (Twitter link). While the veteran exec emphasized that the organization still sees Manny Banuelos and Dylan Covey as possibilities, he indicated that depth remains a consideration. Needless to say, neither of those pitchers has established himself as a reliable MLB starter to this point, so it’s unsurprising to hear that the South Siders are still flipping through some external targets.
- Veteran first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is readying for a showcase in the coming days, Jon Heyman of Fancred reports on Twitter. He’s said to be in “excellent shape,” though teams will surely remain a bit skeptical after two consecutive unproductive campaigns. The 36-year-old Gonzalez was long one of the game’s most respected hitters, of course, but it’s tough to imagine him securing a MLB roster spot on the open market at this stage. Still, there should be some teams with bench bat needs that would be glad to give Gonzalez a shot to show what he’s got left in camp.
White Sox Avoid Arbitration With Jose Abreu
The White Sox have hammered out a deal to avoid arbitration with veteran first baseman Jose Abreu, per Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (via Twitter). Abreu will earn $16MM in his final season of arb eligibility.
That figure is a dead-on match for the $16MM that MLBTR and contributor Matt Swartz projected entering the offseason. It’s a redemptive day for the arb model, which had struggled to deal with a player who originally signed a large, guaranteed contract but opted out of it upon reaching his third year of service time.
Abreu, 31, wasn’t as productive last year as he had been in the past. Still, he was a well-above-average hitter, as he has been in his five seasons in the majors. All told, Abreu carries a .295/.353/.516 batting line with 146 home runs.
White Sox Designate Charlie Tilson For Assignment
The White Sox announced Thursday that they’ve designated outfielder Charlie Tilson for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to recently signed Jon Jay, whose one-year, $4MM contract with the South Siders is now official.
Chicago acquired Tilson, now 26 years of age, from the Cardinals back in 2016 in a straight-up swap for reliever Zach Duke. Tilson quickly emerged in the Majors with the Sox and was viewed as a potential long-term option in the outfield, but the speedster suffered a torn hamstring in his MLB debut that largely derailed his opportunity in his new organization. He was further set back by a stress reaction in his ankle last season but eventually returned to the field, logging a sub-par .264/.331/.292 slash in 121 plate appearances.
A career .266/.321/.356 hitter in parts of two Triple-A seasons, Tilson does have a minor league option remaining, making it possible that teams with outfield needs (specifically in center) could take a look either in a minor trade or via the waiver wire. If Tilson does clear waivers, he can be sent outright to Triple-A Charlotte and attempt to work his way back into the big league picture for the Sox.
Harper & Machado Rumors: 1/9/19
The free agent market as a whole is moving at a plodding rate. Somewhat surprisingly, perhaps, there also hasn’t been a ton of action surrounding superstar free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. Of course, with so much money at stake, perhaps it shouldn’t come as a shock that both players are taking some time to work out new deals.
The latest …
- Heyman now indicates that Machado’s camp is looking not only for a $300MM+ offer but is still seeking a total guarantee that tops Giancarlo Stanton’s $325MM record (Twitter links). Furthermore, he adds that while there’s been no indication from the Yankees that they’re formally out of the running for Machado, New York has not yet made an offer and isn’t willing to go anywhere all that close to $300MM in order to sign Machado. Obviously, all of that can change quickly with one decision from ownership, but it’s not an encouraging update for Yankees fans hoping to see Machado in the Bronx in 2019 and beyond.
Earlier Updates
- Machado is still looking for an offer in excess of $300MM, according to Jon Heyman of Fancred (Twitter link). The White Sox and Phillies are the only two teams known to have made formal proposals, neither of which have reached that value. Of course, the Philadelphia organization is reportedly set to put in another offer, the details of which remain unknown. The Yankees have also still yet to officially put anything on the table for Machado, Heyman adds.
- Will there be significant movement? If so, when and by what mechanism? MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand hears that the markets for Machado and Harper are “heating up.” As his sources have it, the Phillies are “turning up” their efforts for the former, while the Nationals have “momentum building” to bring back the latter. Bruce Levine of 670theScore.com also cites a sense of market movement, but he hears it’s the White Sox who are gaining “momentum” on Machado. Levine also mentions a fourth, unknown potential suitor for Machado, though Heyman claims there’s “still no word” of a shadowy pursuer.
- Generally, there’s still a dearth of hard information on the various teams’ stances regarding these players. It’s still easy to imagine the negotiations evolving in any number of different ways. Still, it’s striking that so few teams appear to be involved. The entire situation is a “disgrace,” Jim Bowden of The Athletic argues (subscription link). He ticks through a variety of ballclubs that should be able to fit $30MM+ salaries and have cause to be involved, decrying a market situation in which “essentially just four teams [are] legitimately bidding for the game’s two best free agents.” On the same note, Jonah Keri of CBS Sports provides some anonymous opinions on the matter from well-placed league executives. There seems to be at least something of a consensus that teams are less interested than ever in exceedingly lengthy contracts, even for players of such relative youth, with a variety of other theories batted around regarding this duo in particular. The story also delves into broader market topics and is well worth a read.
White Sox Could View Moustakas As Machado Fallback
- Both the Phillies and White Sox are looking at Mike Moustakas as a fallback option in the event that Manny Machado signs elsewhere, writes Jon Morosi of MLB.com. The 30-year-old Moustakas is a fairly logical fallback option for either club should it miss out on Machado, though Moustakas is a less concrete upgrade over either club’s top incumbent options. Morosi notes that the Phils will likely try to trade Maikel Franco in the event that either Machado or Moustakas signs in Philadelphia, and presumably the ChiSox would shift Yolmer Sanchez into a utility role should it land either free-agent target. Morosi lists the Padres as a potential landing spot for Moustakas as well, though with a preexisting logjam of corner options in San Diego, that fit seems more difficult to envision without some additional roster shuffling by general manager A.J. Preller.
White Sox Designate Ian Clarkin, Announce Kelvin Herrera Signing
The White Sox announced today that they have designated lefty Ian Clarkin for assignment. His roster spot will go to righty Kelvin Herrera, whose previously reported signing is now official.
Clarkin has already been bounced from the White Sox’ 40-man roster once this offseason, though he found his way back in short order. He was claimed in late November by the cross-town Cubs, only to be re-claimed by the South Siders less than a week later.
We’ll have to see how things play out this time around. The White Sox obviously like the 23-year-old, who was originally acquired in the 2017 deal that sent David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to the Yankees. At the same time, the club’s numerous winter additions have created some roster pressures. The White Sox’ hope, no doubt, is that Clarkin will clear waivers so that he can be outrighted.
There have been some ups and downs to this point for the 2013 first-rounder, who has yet to crack the big leagues. Clarkin had generally produced promising results in the lower minors, but last year, he struggled to a 4.98 ERA with just 4.6 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9 through 68 frames at the Double-A level.
AL Notes: Machado, Yankees, Tigers, White Sox
The market for Manny Machado is by most accounts down to three teams, though perhaps it’s not too late for others to get involved. Interestingly, the Yankees are still the least aggressive of that group, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter links), who suggests that the New York powerhouse has not yet and may not ever put more than $200MM on the table for one of the game’s best players. Meanwhile, the White Sox have now made two intriguing acquisitions of players with close personal ties to Machado, with Jon Jay joining Yonder Alonso on the South Side. And the Phillies are reportedly lining up a second offer to present to Machado.
- Ken Davidoff of the New York Post looks further at the Yanks’ thus-far tepid pursuit of Machado, noting that the club hasn’t yet even made him a formal offer. Clearly, there’s a point at which the Bronx Bombers would be thrilled to land Machado, but there isn’t much indication at this point that the team is going to bid up a massive, long-term guarantee. Meanwhile, the club’s recent signing of veteran Troy Tulowitzki may have been an interesting development, but it likely won’t have any kind of impact on the possible pursuit of Machado. As Davidoff notes, Tulo is hardly a clear difference-maker at this stage of his career. And the veteran himself tells MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (via Twitter) that he’d be thrilled to have Machado join him in New York.
- In years past, we might have been wondering whether the Tigers might be a surprise entrant to the Machado market. But the Detroit org is now deep in a rebuild, the timing of which is unclear. As Evan Woodbery of MLive.com writes, that’s by design. While the club has intentionally not put any dates on its anticipated return to competition, though, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some in mind. As GM Al Avila has acknowledged, the club’s ledger will be clear of some hefty obligations after the 2020 season. In the meantime, there’s still quite a lot to be done to build a new competitive core.
- In other Tigers news, the club has added former MLB infielder Josh Wilson, albeit in a non-playing capacity. The 37-year-old is an eight-year big-league veteran who played his final season with the Detroit organization back in 2015. Wilson will begin his new career in the game in a scouting capacity. As Lynn Henning of the Detroit News covers, the club also announced a series of other staffing moves.
- The White Sox are hoping their own rebound will occur much more quickly than that of their division rivals. Accordingly, the team is not only pursuing Machado but continues to hunt for quality veteran pieces to plug into its roster. Before agreeing to sign Kelvin Herrera yesterday, the Sox “were among the finalists” to ink fellow hard-throwing, right-handed reliever Joe Kelly, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com (via Twitter). Kelly, of course, landed with the Dodgers for three years and $25MM. Clearly, the White Sox have knocked down quite a few doors this winter. It’ll be fascinating to see what other players they end up adding to the MLB roster.
