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Quick Hits: Shapiro, Kendrick, Chapman, Parra

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Mark Shapiro’s tenure as president of the Blue Jays hasn’t exactly been met with a full embrace by the team’s fans, but he tells John Lott of the National Post that he’s focused on the job at hand rather than worrying about criticism. “I think it’s just inefficient for me to spend a lot of time and energy on that,” says Shapiro. “What I think fans ultimately want is for me to work for this team and make it as good as it can possibly be. If I spend my energy worrying about how to be popular, it’ll be time away from doing the job. That’s not what I’m going to do.” The piece offers a lengthy and interesting look at the veteran executive, and is well worth a full read.

Here are a few more stray notes from around the game:

  • When asked about free agent second baseman Howie Kendrick today, Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi said that the organization “feel[s] pretty set” at the position at this point, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The Dodgers will utilize Chase Utley and Kike Hernandez there, he said, indicating that there’s little reason for the club to pursue a reunion with Kendrick. Otherwise, per Zaidi, the team could still add another starter and is “still evaluating” its options in the bullpen (via J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group, on Twitter).
  • Zaidi also addressed the Dodgers’ reported deal with the Reds for Aroldis Chapman, via another Shaikin tweet. Los Angeles wasn’t “comfortable making the move” and “moved on” after allegations of a domestic dispute involving Chapman surfaced.
  • Unsurprisingly, Gerardo Parra is expected to wait to sign until the top of the outfield market sheds some names, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports tweets. He is still drawing interest from the Royals, Nationals, Giants, and Angels, per the report.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post takes a broader look at the outfield market and wonders what teams could be readying to spring. The Nats top his list, followed by four AL clubs: the White Sox, Orioles, Tigers, and Angels. I agree with Sherman’s assessment that the market will still likely pay these players, as I recently wrote. As an anonymous GM told Sherman: “You will have some owners soon say, ‘Wow, we can have this guy rather than what we have now.’ That is when the aggressiveness comes back in.”

AL Central Notes: Gordon, Zimmer, Duensing, White Sox

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At a recent instructional night for youth baseball in Nebraska, Alex Gordon told Ken Hambleton of the Lincoln Journal Star that there’s “no truth” to the recent report that the Royals have been told they have “no chance” of re-signing their longtime left fielder. (Though it should be noted, the initial report said “no chance” based on the club’s current offer as opposed to “no chance” in a general sense.) As is the case with any player, Gordon almost certainly wouldn’t publicly rule out a destination — especially not one where he has spent his entire career to date. Gordon spoke fondly of his time in as a member of the Royals when talking with Hambleton. “We had so much fun, and to be around to see a team grow like Kansas City did and win the World Series was unbelievable,” he explained. “Right now I’m unemployed and I pay an agent 4 percent to make the calls, take the calls and let me know what’s going on,” he continued.

More from the AL Central…

  • Hambleton also spoke to Gordon’s longtime friend and current free agent Brian Duensing (another Nebraska native). “Waiting for a new contract is very scary and stressful, but you can’t let it bother you,” said the former Twins lefty. “They say you never have too much pitching, but I’m waiting to see that come true.” Duensing spent the past seven seasons with the Twins and, after initially seeing a good deal of work as a starter, settled into a bullpen role. Duensing, 33 in February, has a 3.82 ERA over his past 164 innings of relief (three seasons’ worth of work), but his strikeout rate has plummeted in recent seasons, and he’s long been susceptible to right-handed hitters.
  • Royals assistant GM J.J. Piccolo said in an appearance on MLB Network Radio today that right-hander Kyle Zimmer is someone the team envisions helping in its rotation, possibly as soon as early 2016 (Twitter link). Zimmer, a former No. 4 overall draft pick, has seen his career slowed by shoulder problems but has put together an impressive resumé when healthy. The 24-year-old worked mostly in relief last year while returning from injury but worked to a 2.39 ERA in 64 innings between Class-A and Double-A, and he has a lifetime 3.28 ERA with 10.8 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in 216 2/3 minor league innings. Durability will be a question for Zimmer until he proves he can handle a full season’s worth of innings, but his upside is substantial.
  • It makes little sense for the White Sox to add Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie if a significant outfield addition is not on the horizon, opines Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Sox have made a pair of upgrades in the infield but still have questions at both corner outfield spots and DH. And, while some believed that owner Jerry Reinsdorf would be reluctant to spend heavily in back-to-back offseasons after a disappointing 2015 season, Van Schouwen notes that the White Sox have long operated in a win-now capacity and are clearly doing so this winter. Adding an outfielder and trading Avisail Garcia or giving Melky Cabrera more DH at-bats would deepen the Sox’ lineup and serve to complement a promising core of Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Carlos Rodon, Adam Eaton, Jose Abreu, David Robertson and the newly acquired Frazier.

Latest On Yoenis Cespedes’ Market

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DEC. 30: Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes that after checking around with the Orioles in light of their connection to Cespedes, he doesn’t get the sense that any deal is close. Kubatko writes that a team source indicated no chance of the Orioles going near MLBTR’s projected $140MM price tag on Cespedes, and another source told Kubatko that a contract proposal hasn’t even been presented to ownership at this time. Pitching remains the Orioles’ primary focus at this time, according to Kubatko.

DEC. 29: The Orioles and White Sox are emerging as the favorites to land outfielder Yoenis Cespedes “for now,” reports MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). According to Sanchez, the Giants and Angels are also “in the mix,” and the Rangers are monitoring the situation (though Sanchez’s implication seems to be that they’re relatively far removed from a serious pursuit).

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports linked the ChiSox to Cespedes earlier this morning while reporting that the club was actively seeking an outfield upgrade. Per Rosenthal, longtime division rival Alex Gordon is still on the Sox’ radar as well as the team searches for a superior corner option — presumably, an upgrade over Avisail Garcia. Either Garcia or Melky Cabrera would be logical candidates to lose playing time in the event of an outfield acquisition for the Sox, though the team could try to find a taker for some of Adam LaRoche’s contract and move Cabrera to DH instead. Cabrera, though, batted a solid .288/.330/.449 with 11 homers from June 1 through season’s end after initially struggling with his new team in 2015, so he’s probably still in the team’s plans. (The $29MM owed to him from 2016-17 undoubtedly plays a role in that picture as well.)

The Orioles have a clear need for additional help in the outfield corners, as Adam Jones currently projects to be flanked MLB newcomer Hyun-soo Kim and Nolan Reimold. While Kim, one of the top hitters in the Korea Baseball Organization over the past several years, could emerge as a viable everyday option, he’s untested and figures to have some form of adjustment period even if he does prove to be a quality Major Leaguer. Adding Cespedes to the mix would lessen the need for immediate production from Kim, who could perhaps be eased into MLB a bit more, as countryman Jung Ho Kang was with the Pirates in 2015.

For Baltimore, adding Cespedes would unquestionably require a franchise-record contract (though the same could be said of the White Sox), as Jones’ six-year, $85.5MM deal is the largest in club history at this time. Baltimore has made a strong effort to retain slugger Chris Davis this offseason, reportedly offering $150MM over a seven-year term. Cespedes’ ultimate price tag could approach that point, though many predictions, including MLBTR’s six-year, $140MM projection from early November, have him falling shy of that mark. An earnest pursuit of Cespedes would at the very least clash with previous reports pertaining to the Orioles, which indicated that the team was only interested in spending this type of money on Davis and would not re-allocate the funds to another top-tier free agent were Davis to ultimately sign elsewhere. While the extent of their willingness to spend may be somewhat uncertain,it seems unlikely that the Orioles would be able to sign both Cespedes and Davis. In other words, if Baltimore does indeed bring Cespedes into the fold, it would probably spell the end of Davis’ tenure with the Birds. Should that prove to be the case, the Orioles can deploy trade acquisition Mark Trumbo at first base in 2016, giving the club a wealth of right-handed pop between Cespedes, Trumbo, Jones and Manny Machado.

The Angels have long been connected to corner outfield upgrades, and GM Billy Eppler has said he believes owner Arte Moreno will approve a luxury tax penalty for the right player. The rest of the team’s moves this winter, however, would seem to indicate a strong preference to remain underneath that $189MM barrier, however, as the additions of free agents Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry as well as trade pickups Yunel Escobar and Andrelton Simmons have all been of the lower-cost variety (financially speaking).

As for the Giants, they’ve been more than willing to spend this offseason, adding both Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto to their rotation after a strong pursuit of Zack Greinke came up short and giving Brandon Crawford a $75MM extension. The three players received a combined $285MM in guaranteed money from the Giants, and GM Bobby Evans recently said on MLB Network Radio that he still hopes to add a left fielder, thereby shifting Gregor Blanco into a valuable fourth outfield role. Evans emphasized the trade market in that interview, though one wouldn’t expect a GM to openly broadcast his desire to spend top dollar on a free-agent upgrade, either.

AL Central Notes: Alexei, White Sox, Indians, Nathan

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The White Sox haven’t closed the door on a return for longtime shortstop Alexei Ramirez, writes Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago/670thescore.com. Levine’s belief at this time is that most of the remaining budget will be spent on an outfield upgrade, but he opines that Ramirez’s strong second half — .277/.325/.432 following the All-Star break — and questions about Tyler Saladino’s bat would make a two-year deal with Ramirez a wise investment. The Sox could still pay Ramirez less than the $10MM he’d have earned via his previously declined club option, and Ramirez would then serve as a bridge to top prospect Tim Anderson, who could be ready in 2017. Levine writes that Ian Desmond is the only other free agent shortstop that Chicago “may also look into,” but Desmond’s career OBP doesn’t fit the team’s needs, and a long-term deal for him would clash with Anderson’s timeline to the Majors. Additionally, Levine hears that the Padres, too, have interest in adding Ramirez on a short-term deal, suggesting that there will be some competition if the Sox do pursue a reunion.

Here’s more from the AL Central….

  • We’ve already heard quite a bit on the White Sox and their outfield options today, and MLB.com’s Scott Merkin suggests that smoke is coming from a legitimate fire. (Twitter links.) He writes that he anticipates that Chicago would pursue an alternative outfield addition if it’s unable to land Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes, or Alex Gordon.
  • While it’s still unclear whether they’ll make an aggressive move on the open market, the White Sox are rather uniquely well-situated to do so, MLB.com’s Mike Petriello explains. Most importantly, argues Petriello, the team has a high-quality core and other affordable pieces that make near-term competitiveness the optimal strategy. While there are several major areas still in need of improvement, that actually increases the marginal return on a well-targeted signing. And then there’s the fact that Chicago snuck into the top ten in next year’s draft and thus needs only to sacrifice a compensation pick (tied to the qualifying offer rejected by Jeff Samardzija) in order to add a QO-bound free agent. That certainly increases the team’s flexibility to act opportunistically in a position player market that is still loaded with quality options.
  • Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer recently fielded a number of reader inquiries, sharing some insight into the Indians’ signings of Rajai Davis and Mike Napoli as well as the team’s plans at third base and trade scenarios involving starting pitchers. Hoynes believes that Cleveland will utilize a combination of Giovanny Urshela and Jose Ramirez at third base, and, in response to a question about a potential swap of Yasiel Puig for a starting pitcher, says the Indians want more than one piece in return for any deal sending away Danny Salazar or Carlos Carrasco. Hoynes doesn’t specifically mention whether a 1-for-1 deal involving Puig and one of those two prized young starters has been discussed, though he does note that he doesn’t believe Cleveland has ever had any real intention of trading a starting pitcher.
  • Reliever Joe Nathan — a long-time member of the Twins who pitched most recently for the Tigers — is hoping he’ll be ready for game action by May or June, he said in an MLB Network appearance today (via Jon Morosi, on Twitter). The 41-year-old had a disappointing run in Detroit, to say the least, but had some outstanding seasons before that and would still make for an interesting bounceback candidate.

Latest On White Sox Outfield Search

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The White Sox are actively pursuing outfield upgrades, with Alex Gordon and Yoenis Cespedes “among [the] possibilities” for the team, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Chicago has been linked to outfield upgrades ever since adding Todd Frazier in a three-team trade with the Reds and Dodgers, and Rosenthal himself reported that the South Siders were interested in Gordon just last week.

Either Gordon or Cespedes would provide a major upgrade for the Sox, who currently project to have an outfield of Melky Cabrera, Adam Eaton and Avisail Garcia (left to right). While Eaton is among the game’s more underrated players and quietly enjoyed an excellent 2015 after a slow start, the club’s corner options are less exciting. Cabrera is only one season removed from a strong performance in Toronto and recovered from a slow start of his own to bat .288/.330/.449 with 11 homers from June 1 through season’s end. Considering that finish and the remaining $29MM on his contract over the next two seasons, Cabrera seems likely to stay put.

Garcia, on the other hand, has been a more disappointing case. He’ll earn a projected $2.3MM next season (per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) but is coming off a season in which he batted just .257/.309/.365 with sub-par defense in right field and poor baserunning metrics. The White Sox looked at Garcia as a potential star when they acquired him from the Tigers in 2013’s three-team Jake Peavy/Jose Iglesias trade, but he’s yet to realize his potential, having delivered below-average offense with the Sox in addition to his poor glovework. Both Baseball-Reference and Fangrapgs peg his collective body of work at sub-replacement level over his time in Chicago.

The 32-year-old Gordon would considerably improve Chicago’s outfield defense even if he were to shift to right field, as he rates eighth in Defensive Runs Saved and fifth in Ultimate Zone Rating among Major Leaguers at any position over the past three seasons. (Alternatively, Cabrera could move to right field in the event of a Gordon signing.) Gordon’s bat has been about 16 percent better than the league average over the past four seasons, as he’s produced at a .275/.354/.436 clip despite a decidedly pitcher-friendly home environment, so he’d add value on both sides of the ball. He’ll probably command a five-year committment when all is said and done, and he’d require the Sox to part with their top unprotected draft pick — the No. 27 selection the team received as compensation for the loss of Jeff Samardzija in free agency.

Cespedes, unlike Gordon, wouldn’t cost the Sox a draft pick, and he’s also two years younger. Those elements, however, lead to a higher expected asking price for the slugger, who is coming off the best season of his four-year Major League career. Cespedes, slashed a combined .291/.328/.542 with 36 homers between the Tigers and Mets, would be a more impactful offensive upgrade for the Sox, pairing with countryman Jose Abreu in the middle of the order. His glovework hasn’t generated as much fanfare as Gordon’s, but he’s an above-average defender in the corner outfield and could handle center on a short-term basis in the event that Eaton misses some time due to minor injuries.

Garcia is still just 24 years of age, so he could potentially improve and lessen the need for a player such as Gordon or Cespedes. But, the Sox are very much in win-now mode as they seek to maximize the prime years of Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and Abreu as well as the limited two-year window for which they control Frazier before he can become a free agent.

Nobuhiro Matsuda Likely To Stay In Japan

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DEC. 23: Matsuda’s offer from the Hawks is a four-year deal worth $20-25MM in total, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). That’s a sizable offer that he seems unlikely to top in Major League Baseball based on the limited reports we’ve seen connecting him to big league clubs thus far. Crasnick tweeted earlier that Matsuda will hold a press conference in Japan within a few hours to address his plans for the 2016 season.

DEC. 22: Japanese third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda was expected to crossover into MLB this winter and perhaps even net a multi-year contract.  Apparently, however, he’s now leaning towards staying in Japan, as Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.  The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks have offered the third baseman a five-year deal and he seems more likely to accept that than an MLB contract.

Matsuda had multiple MLB offers, according to Heyman, and the Padres were known to be a club with serious interest.  Earlier this month, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune said that the Padres could have been mulling a multi-year offer for the Japanese standout.  The White Sox were also identified by Heyman as a club with interest, but that was before the team’s acquisition of Todd Frazier.

Matsuda, 32, is a career .277/.325/.477 hitter in Japan and is said to be capable of handling second base and third base from a defensive standpoint.  As a free agent, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks did not have the ability to attach a release fee to Matsuda.  Given his age, it seems unlikely that we’ll ever see Matsuda in the majors if he in fact inks a five-year deal without an MLB out.

White Sox Claim Jerry Sands

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The White Sox have claimed outfielder Jerry Sands off waivers from the Indians, Chicago announced.

The 28-year-old failed to seize an opportunity with Cleveland last year, slashing just .236/.286/.390 in 133 plate appearances on the year. But he has dominated upper-minors pitching and showed legitimate pop with a .268/.357/.492 slash over parts of five seasons at the Triple-A level.

White Sox Have Interest In Alex Gordon

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The White Sox are showing interest in free agent Alex Gordon, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).  Gordon has appeal for the White Sox since he’s already familiar with the AL Central, offers left-handed hitting, and solid defense.

However, it’s unclear whether the White Sox could pay Gordon enough to pry him away from the Royals (link).  To free up room on the payroll, the White Sox could conceivably move Melky Cabrera, Adam LaRoche, or Avisail Garcia, with their preference being to move LaRoche.  However, with Pedro Alvarez and Chris Carter available on the open market, Chicago might not find a strong market for those players.

In November, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes projected a five-year, $105MM deal for Gordon.  Given the money that Gordon could command coupled with the draft pick compensation attached to him, it’s not surprising to see that he’s still without a deal as we head into Christmas.

Gordon missed nearly two months with a strained groin this season but enjoyed a characteristically strong overall campaign both at the plate and in the field. The lifetime Royal hit .271/.377.432 with 13 home runs and was seven runs above average in left field despite the layoff, according to both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating.

AL Central Notes: Frazier, Salazar, Allen, White Sox, Twins

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The Reds spent “at least a month” trying to pry Danny Salazar from the Indians for Todd Frazier with no luck, and were also unsuccessful with their next demand of Cody Allen and prospects for Frazier, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports in his chronicle of the negotiations between the two Ohio clubs.  Cleveland wanted to keep Salazar and Allen in order to contend in 2016 so the Indians were more open to talking about Jose Ramirez and second-tier prospects (Justus Sheffield, Michael Clevinger, Bobby Bradley) with the Reds.  Cincinnati, however, wanted two of those prospects plus one of Clint Frazier or Bradley Zimmer, and the Tribe was unwilling to give up either of its top two minor leaguers.  The Indians attempted to construct a three-way deal to land Frazier from Cincinnati but the Reds instead ended up swinging a three-team trade of their own with the White Sox and Dodgers that sent the third baseman to Chicago.

Here’s more from around the AL Central…

  • Also from Pluto’s piece, he hears the acquisitions of Rajai Davis and Mike Napoli may be the Indians’ last notable moves of the winter.  The club may still make a minor transaction or two but their heavy lifting could be over.
  • The White Sox are monitoring the free agent outfield market and giving up a draft pick to sign a qualifying offer free agent “won’t necessarily be a deal-breaker,” ESPN’s Buster Olney writes (subscription required).  Chicago’s first-rounder is protected by virtue of being a top-10 pick, so if they were to sign someone like Justin Upton or Dexter Fowler, the Sox would only sacrifice the extra compensation round pick they recently obtained when Jeff Samardzija left to sign with San Francisco.  As Olney notes, the White Sox are intent on being contenders while cornerstone pieces like Chris Sale and Jose Abreu are on such reasonable contracts.
  • The Twins are looking for a veteran backup outfielder, MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger writes.  This player would essentially replace Shane Robinson on Minnesota’s roster, serving as an experienced bench piece behind the Twins’ young outfield corps.
  • It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the World Series champions thus far, though Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star feels the Royals front office has earned the benefit of the doubt given its recent success.  Expecting the Royals to suddenly splurge above their usual payroll limits was unrealistic, Mellinger notes, as the club needs “efficient spending” to remain competitive in both the short- and long-term.  It’s worth noting that the Royals signed Joakim Soria and Chris Young to multi-year contracts and they’ve been at least connected to several major free agents and trade targets (such as Alex Gordon, Yovani Gallardo, Scott Kazmir, Gerardo Parra, Carlos Gonzalez and Frazier), so K.C. could simply be waiting to strike with another notable move.

Reactions To And Effects Of The Todd Frazier Trade

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It’s been a busy week at MLBTR, and we’re just now catching up on some reactions to one of the week’s major moves: the three-team deal in which the White Sox received star third baseman Todd Frazier from the Reds. The Reds, of course, got infielders Jose Peraza and Brandon Dixon and outfielder Scott Schebler from the Dodgers, while the Dodgers received righty Frankie Montas, infielder Micah Johnson and outfielder Trayce Thompson from Chicago.

  • The Reds got surprisingly little in return for Frazier, ESPN’s Keith Law writes (Insider-only). Peraza, the key to the Reds’ end of the trade, is a potentially terrific defender at second base and a very fast baserunner, but he’s coming off an underwhelming season and doesn’t have much in the way of power or patience. Schebler, meanwhile, merely looks like a potential fourth outfielder, and Dixon might not even be a significant prospect. The White Sox did very well in the deal, Law writes, and the Dodgers got good value, although it’s unclear why they didn’t just acquire Frazier themselves, since they had what the Reds evidently wanted.
  • MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, meanwhile, wonders why the Reds didn’t just cut the three-team deal off at the pass and trade directly with the White Sox, who gave up three young players who appear to be better than the ones the Reds ultimately got.
  • After adding Frazier and Brett Lawrie, the White Sox could continue to make moves, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes. They could deal outfielder Avisail Garcia or first baseman Adam LaRoche if they can find a trade partner, and dealing one of those two players could conceivably allow them to sign Yoenis Cespedes or Justin Upton. (I’d counter that Garcia, who projects to make just $2.3MM next season, shouldn’t be a significant obstacle to signing Cespedes or Upton if that’s really what the White Sox want to do, and that it should be difficult for the team to clear much of LaRoche’s salary in a trade.) The Dodgers, meanwhile, could now use their collection of prospects to trade for Jose Fernandez, or failing that, someone like Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco, Sonny Gray or Tyson Ross.
  • The White Sox expressed interest in Frazier at the beginning of the offseason, Reds GM Dick Williams tells MLB Network Radio (link to audio). The Reds and White Sox did have discussions about a two-team trade, but the Reds preferred the package of players the Dodgers brought to the table. Williams adds that one factor in the deal was the strength of their competition in the NL Central, which meant that their best chance of success was to gather prospects and build a team that could be successful “a couple of years” from now. Williams also notably says that teams have continued to discuss with him the possibility of trading for Aroldis Chapman despite the domestic violence accusations against Chapman.
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