Reds Name Dick Williams President Of Baseball Ops; Walt Jocketty Moves To Advisory Role
The Reds announced on Tuesday that general manager Dick Williams is moving up the ladder and is now also the president of baseball operations, with former president Walt Jocketty now serving as an executive advisor to CEO Bob Castellini (as C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer chronicles in greater detail). The move has been expected for quite some time, as Jocketty himself suggested a year ago (when Williams was first promoted to GM) that he’d be shifting into an advisory role following the 2016 campaign.
Williams — who sat down for an interview with MLBTR last spring to discuss his college days and his path to a Major League front office — will now have final say over any and all baseball operations decisions for the Reds, who have been rebuilding for the past 18 months or so.
In that time, Williams and Jocketty have traded Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Aroldis Chapman, Todd Frazier and Jay Bruce for Brandon Finnegan, Cody Reed, John Lamb, Adam Duvall, Keury Mella, Rookie Davis, Eric Jagielo, Tony Renda, Caleb Cotham, Jose Peraza, Scott Schebler, Brandon Dixon, Dilson Herrera and Max Wotell. Some of those prospects — Finnegan, Duvall, Peraza, Schebler and possibly Herrera — already look to have significant roles on the 2017 Reds, while others such as Lamb and Cotham are no longer with the organization. Jocketty and Williams have also explored trades of Brandon Phillips, though the veteran second baseman has invoked his no-trade protection to nix multiple would-be deals.
Elsewhere in the Cincinnati front office, assistant GMs Sam Grossman and Nick Krall as well as amateur scouting director Chris Buckley each had “vice president” added to his title, among a slew of other promotions and title changes. Cincinnati also announced eight new hires that will add to its player development, analytics, amateur scouting and international scouting departments, including a pair of new additions that will focus on scouting the top professional leagues in Asia.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Candidates For The Reds’ First MLB Deal Of The Offseason
The Reds have been busy on the waiver wire, but quiet elsewhere. Beyond picking which young players upon which to make dice rolls, GM Dick Williams has largely held his hand thus far. That’s not terribly surprising, for a variety of reasons.
The club’s most obvious potential trade chips come with no-trade protection (Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips) or play positions that aren’t in huge demand (Phillips, Zack Cozart). There was never a strong prerogative to deal from among the Reds’ other controllable assets, such as righty Anthony DeSclafani and center fielder Billy Hamilton. At the same time, after spending about two years compiling prospects, the organization has plenty of young players who are ready to compete for major league opportunities in 2017, so there aren’t a lot of needs.
Still, it would be surprising if the team makes it through the winter without striking at least one major-league contract. Cincinnati nearly did so a winter ago, giving MLB deals only to Blake Wood and (in mid-March) Alfredo Simon. While the Yankees actually did manage to avoid handing out a 40-man spot to a free agent in 2015-16, it’s a rarity.
And it isn’t as if the Reds are fully loaded for 2017, particularly if they hope to have an outside chance at turning into a contender. In particular, the bullpen appears ripe for an addition. That’s especially true of the open closer role; while Raisel Iglesias, Michael Lorenzen, or even Tony Cingrani would represent internal options, giving any of those youngsters the opportunity would also mean boosting their expected arbitration earnings. Cincinnati might as well make the investment to add another arm, while utilizing them in set-up roles. Alternatively, or additionally, the Reds could look to add some veteran arms — either swingman types or pure relievers — to provide depth.
So, what are the options should Cincinnati decide to open up one of its prized 40-man roster spots? Let’s run down a few of the remaining bullpen arms that could make sense…
- Joe Blanton: After a pair of resurgent seasons split between the Royals, Pirates and Dodgers, it’s very possible that Blanton will be too expensive for Cincinnati’s tastes. He’s posted a 2.65 ERA across his past 165 MLB innings with good control and better than a strikeout per inning. He could find a high-leverage spot on a contending club, though Cincinnati could entice him by offering a ninth-inning role.
- Santiago Casilla: If Casilla wants to continue closing, his age and his September meltdown in 2016 might limit his opportunities. However, Cincinnati could offer him that type of opportunity with an eye toward flipping him in July if he performs well. His poor finish aside, Casilla has a 2.42 ERA in 394 2/3 regular-season innings dating back to 2010 and has whiffed better than a batter per inning in each of the past two seasons.
- Neftali Feliz: The former AL Rookie of the Year had a resurgent season in the Pirates’ bullpen this past season and could command a high-leverage role with Cincinnati (or another club) if his medicals check out. Feliz ended the season on the shelf but there’s been no word of any arm issues lingering into the offseason. He posted a 3.52 ERA with 61 strikeouts against 20 unintentional walks in 53 2/3 innings this past season.
- David Hernandez: Hernandez crashed and burned when given a short leash as Philadelphia’s closer early last season, but he rebounded to pitch quite well over the remainder of the season. The 31-year-old posted a 3.53 ERA and punched out 69 hitters against 28 walks in his final 66 1/3 innings of the 2016 campaign. As a presumably low-cost veteran arm with closing experience, he’d be a nice add to a Cincinnati bullpen that could develop into a trade chip down the line with a good full season.
- Greg Holland: Perhaps the highest-upside arm left on the market, Holland could potentially be lured to the Reds with a guarantee of pitching in the ninth inning from day one. Contending clubs may be wary to make such a commitment, but a rebuilding team like the Reds has little to lose. And while Holland may prefer to sign with a contender, he could also sign in Cincinnati with the guarantee of save opportunities and with the understanding that he’d be likely to be flipped to a contender come July if he rediscovered the form he showed from 2011-15 prior to Tommy John surgery (2.15 ERA, 12.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 in 301 innings).
- Yusmeiro Petit: The Reds don’t have anyone locked into a multi-inning role, but Petit could be had on an affordable one-year deal and fill that role while also serving as a safety net for an inexperienced rotation. The Nationals didn’t use him much down the stretch in 2016, and he struggled when he did take the hill, but he’s worked to a very solid 3.83 ERA with 8.5 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9 between the rotation and bullpen across the past five seasons (307 2/3 innings).
- Sergio Romo: The former Giants closer lost his ninth-inning role to the aforementioned Casilla late in his San Francisco tenure, but he’s been rock solid in terms of bottom-line results virtually every year in the Majors since debuting in 2008. The 33-year-old has only posted an ERA north of 3.00 in two MLB seasons and has a lifetime 2.58 ERA with 10.2 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 in the Majors. He doesn’t throw hard, but Romo would bring loads of late-inning experience to a Reds team that is lacking in that area.
- Joe Smith: Like so many others on this list, Smith comes with some closing experience but has also worked in a setup capacity for a number of years. Set to turn 33 in March, Smith is a ground-ball specialist with a history of limiting the long ball — a trait that’d be appealing to the Reds, who play in a homer-happy home park. A 2.64 ERA over his past 389 MLB innings only adds to the appeal.
- Drew Storen: It’s been a stark downward spiral for Storen since the Nationals acquired Jonathan Papelbon in July 2015. Storen was demoted to a setup role, performed poorly, and found himself flipped to the Blue Jays, where his results weren’t any better. A midseason trade to the Mariners in 2016 didn’t improve his results, either. Rough stretch aside, the former No. 10 overall pick has a career 3.31 ERA and posted a 2.91 ERA with solid control and nearly a strikeout per inning from 2011-15. On a short-term deal, the upside for the Reds would be tantalizing.
- Shawn Tolleson: In 2015, Tolleson emerged as a surprise closer for the Rangers, saving 35 games and logging a 2.99 ERA in 72 1/3 innings — his second straight year with 70-plus innings and a sub-3.00 ERA. Tolleson imploded in 2016 and saw his strikeout rate plummet while his home-run rate skyrocketed. There are a number of reasons for interested suitors to have skepticism, but the Reds could offer a low-base one-year deal with the promise of a high-leverage role. If Tolleson returns to form, he’d be a summer trade chip at the very least. However, he’s also controllable through 2018, so the Reds could simply enjoy his services for a full year and reassess next winter if he rebounds in 2017.
Reds Claim Richie Shaffer, Tyrell Jenkins Off Waivers
The Reds announced on Friday that they’ve claimed infielder/outfielder Richie Shaffer off waivers from the Phillies and also claimed right-hander Tyrell Jenkins off waivers from the Rangers. Both players were recently designated for assignment by their now-former organizations.
Shaffer, 25, spent parts of the 2015-16 seasons at the Major League level with the Rays but batted a disappointing .213/.310/.410 in 142 plate appearances. The former first-round pick has been considerably more productive at the Triple-A level, where he’s slashed .243/.338/.445 with 30 homers in 188 games. Shaffer, a right-handed hitter, has experience at all four corner positions but has spent the majority of the time at first base. In his big league career, he’s actually been better against right-handed pitching than left-handers, but he doesn’t come with much of a platoon split looking back throughout his minor league career. He’ll presumably compete for a bench job with Cincinnati in Spring Training.
Jenkins, meanwhile, has moved around the league quite a bit in the past couple of years. The former Cardinals top prospect (drafted No. 50 overall in 2010) went to the Braves in the Jason Heyward/Shelby Miller deal back in 2014, and Atlanta traded him to Texas earlier this month. The Rangers, though, designated Jenkins for assignment this week and weren’t able to pass him through waivers. Jenkins draws plenty of praise for his athleticism, but he’s posted rather unsightly numbers in the Majors (5.88 ERA, 4.5 K/9, 5.7 BB/9 in 52 innings) and in questionable rate stats in Triple-A (2.86 ERA in 129 innings but with 5.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9). Jenkins won’t turn 25 until July, however, so the Reds are adding a bit of upside at minimal cost for the time being. (It seems far from a given that Jenkins will survive the offseason on Cincinnati’s 40-man roster.)
Diamondbacks Claim Juan Graterol, Designate Peter O’Brien For Assignment
The D-backs announced today that they’ve claimed catcher Juan Graterol off waivers from the Reds and designated catcher-turned-outfielder Peter O’Brien for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Graterol, 27, made his MLB debut and logged 15 plate appearances with the Angels this past season. The former Royals farmhand spent the 2015 season in the Yankees organization before inking a minors pact with the Halos last winter. He’s a career .274/.306/.338 hitter in parts of three seasons (95 games) at the Triple-A level and has halted stolen base attempts at a very strong 38 percent clip in the minors. Baseball Prospectus gives him average pitch-framing grades in the minors as well. He’s made his way from the Angels to the Reds to the Diamondbacks on the offseason waiver wire thus far and will give the new Arizona front office a seemingly solid defensive depth option behind the dish.
O’Brien, meanwhile, has drawn his fair share of attention over the years due to his gaudy power numbers in Triple-A. Now 26 years old, he’s compiled a career .270/.315/.530 batting line in Triple-A stints with the D-backs and Yankees — New York sent him to Arizona in the 2014 Martin Prado trade — and hit 35 homers in Triple-A as recently as 2015. However, while O’Brien began his career as a catcher, few scouts gave him much of a chance to stay behind the plate due to defensive concerns. Many scouting reports have suggested that O’Brien lacks any real position on the defensive spectrum, and he’s struggled in his brief taste of the Major Leagues to date (.176/.228/.446 with six homers but 32 strikeouts in 79 plate appearances). His pop could make him alluring to another organization, but questions surrounding his defense may limit the interest.
Mets Notes: Robertson, Conforto, Bruce, Hamilton
The latest out of Citi Field…
- The Mets “haven’t made a serious inquiry” about a trade for White Sox closer David Robertson this winter or at the last trade deadline, though New York hasn’t ruled out the possibility, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports. Chicago would ask for Michael Conforto in any Robertson deal, however, so it could be hard for the two sides to settle on a deal. The White Sox weren’t looking for a big prospect return when they explored moving Robertson at the deadline, Ackert writes, though their current ask of Conforto reflects this offseason’s huge market for relief pitching.
- Also in regards to a possible Robertson trade, since the Mets are unlikely to deal Conforto or another young talent for the closer, Metsblog.com’s Matthew Cerrone proposes that the White Sox should swap Robertson for Jay Bruce if they’re unable to find a team willing to surrender a good prospect for Robertson’s services. The Sox would, if nothing else, save some money in the deal, as Bruce is owed $13MM in 2017 while Robertson is owed $25MM through 2018. Bruce could also become a good trade chip at the deadline, which would allow the White Sox to eventually get the prospect they want. The Mets would be taking on extra salary in this proposed deal, though allocating that money towards a strong relief arm is a better fit for the club than paying for a superfluous corner outfielder.
- In another item from Cerrone, he reports that the Mets “had zero interest” in Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton last summer. While Hamilton is an elite baserunner and defender, those skills were thought to be “unsustainable,” while the Mets also had issues with Hamilton’s strikeouts, low OBP and the fact that he’ll become more expensive over the next three years as he enters his arbitration years. Hamilton has been speculatively linked to the Mets as a possible solution to their outfield conundrum, though if the Mets still have those concerns, there seems to be little chance they would meet Cincinnati’s reportedly high price tag for the center fielder.
Quick Hits: Reds, Hudson, Mariners, Twins, FA Relievers
The Reds were among the teams in contact with reliever Daniel Hudson before he agreed to join NL Central rival Pittsburgh on a two-year, $11MM deal Monday, Cincinnati general manager Dick Williams told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Due diligence has been a theme for the rebuilding club this offseason as it looks to upgrade a bullpen that was utterly disastrous in 2016. “I think we’ve talked to pretty much everybody out there, even the ones that appear not to be in our price range,” Williams said regarding available relievers. “You still want to have conversations because things change, people’s markets change. We offer opportunity, not just money. It’s important to convey to every available pitcher what the opportunity might be.” The likelihood is that the Reds will wait until closer to spring training to add to their bullpen, writes Sheldon, with Williams noting that he’s targeting “value plays.”
More from around the majors:
- Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto has made 32 trades in just 14 months on the job, and he explained to Greg Johns of MLB.com why he prefers that route to free agency. “With trades, you’re acquiring players that fit your roster,” Dipoto said. “It gives you the ability to fit a puzzle piece in with some degree of precision, because you identify the pieces and move forward. With free agents, you’re in the market competing with 29 other teams. You have to fit the puzzle piece, but also sell your team, stadium, manager, city, the money. Each step gets more complicated.” Given the Mariners’ desire to improve their rotation, not to mention reports connecting them to other teams’ starters, a 33rd Dipoto trade could be on the way. The GM also wants to pick up another reliever, but odds are that will come via free agency, per Johns.
- Catcher Jason Castro‘s pitch-framing prowess played a significant role in the Twins’ decision to sign the ex-Astro to a three-year, $24.5MM contract last month, writes Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Both StatCorner and Baseball Prospectus have ranked Castro among the game’s premier framers over the past three seasons. If that keeps up, it should help a pitching staff that previously worked with a subpar framer, Kurt Suzuki, and tied for the majors’ worst ERA last season (5.09). “The whole idea of signing Jason Castro, a lot of it was measured on the impact of catching on a staff,” manager Paul Molitor told Bollinger. “As we’ve learned more about how to quantify that, it’s probably been a little bit of an undervalued position for guys that handle some of those types of things better than others. We thought that was a big piece in trying to at least start off a way of trying to figure out a way to pitch better.” On the subject of framing, Castro commented, “It’s something over the last couple years I’ve tried to refine as much as possible. I don’t know if ‘enlightenment’ is the right word, but there was a focus on this new topic of pitch framing. I tried to get a better understanding of what works, what doesn’t.”
- Free agent right-hander Anthony Bass spent last season in Japan, but he could be on his way back to the majors. The 29-year-old, a former Padre, Astro and Ranger, has received multiple offers this winter and might land a major league deal, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (Twitter link). Bass saw extensive big league action in 2015, when he amassed 64 innings with Texas and logged a 4.50 ERA, 6.33 K/9 and 2.81 BB/9. Those numbers are closely in line with Bass’ career totals across 278 1/3 frames (4.40 ERA, 6.05 K/9 and 3.46 BB/9).
- Like Bass, fellow righty reliever Todd Coffey is looking for a major league opportunity. Coffey hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2012, having since spent time in the Pacific Coast League, the Mexican League and the independent Atlantic League, but he told MLBTR’s Jeff Todd earlier this month that his fastball still sits in the mid-90s. The 36-year-old owns a lifetime 4.10 ERA, 6.75 K/9, 2.83 BB/9 and 51.4 percent ground-ball rate in a combined 438 2/3 innings with four teams.
Minor MLB Transactions: 12/20/16
The latest minor moves from around baseball:
- Outfielder Juan Perez, third baseman Zack Cox and right-handed reliever Waldis Joaquin have joined the Tigers on minor league deals. Perez’s only major league experience came as a member of the Giants, with whom he batted .224/.267/.316 in 246 plate appearances from 2013-15. All of his time in 2016 was spent with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate in Iowa, where he slashed .276/.310/.444 with nine home runs and 16 steals in 412 trips to the plate. Cox went to the Cardinals in the first round of the 2010 draft (25th overall), but he didn’t get to the majors with either them or his second organization, the Marlins. The 27-year-old hit .290/.348/.452 in 460 PAs with Wichita of the independent American Association last season. Joaquin, who spent the past few seasons pitching in Mexico and his native Dominican Republic, was with the Giants from 2007-11. He notched 21 2/3 big league innings of 5.40 ERA ball during that period, also adding matching strikeout and walk rates of 7.06 per nine.
- The Reds have signed righty reliever Rob Wooten to a minor league contract, tweets Chris Cotillo of SB Nation. Wooten last pitched in the majors in 2015, when he totaled six innings as a member of the Brewers. Overall, he has registered a 5.03 ERA, 7.01 K/9, 2.91 BB/9 and 48.1 ground-ball rate in 68 major league innings – all of which have come with the Brewers, who selected him in the 13th round of the 2008 draft. The 31-year-old spent last season with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate and recorded a 3.58 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 1.36 BB/9 in 73 frames.
- The Diamondbacks have added righty swingman Brooks Hall on a minors deal. Hall, 26, went to Milwaukee in the fourth round of the 2009 draft and stayed with the organization through last season, but he hasn’t yet cracked the majors. He saw his first action at the Triple-A level in 2016 and struggled with a 6.94 ERA, 4.24 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 23 1/3 frames. Most of Hall’s recent work has come at the Double-A level, where he has logged a 3.90 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 across 267 2/3 innings since 2013.
- To continue the theme of ex-Brewers catching on elsewhere, third baseman Garin Cecchini has signed a minor league deal with the Royals. Cecchini, whom the Brewers designated for assignment in October, hit .271/.325/.380 over 469 Triple-A plate appearances last season. The 25-year-old was previously a high-end prospect with Boston, and even slashed a terrific .258/.361/.452 in a small sample of 36 major league PAs in 2014, but the shine truly wore off in 2015. That year, Cecchini batted just .213/.286/.296 in 496 Triple-A plate appearances.
- Righty Jon Edwards has re-signed with the Padres on a minors pact, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). The 28-year-old reliever missed all of last season after suffering a flexor strain in spring training. He previously totaled 25 innings with the Rangers and Padres from 2014-15.
- The Cubs have reached a minors agreement with middle infielder Elliott Soto, who was previously with the organization from the 2010 draft (15th round) through the 2015 campaign. All of Soto’s action last season came with the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate, with which he hit .241/.358/.297 in 190 plate appearances. In 2,202 minor league PAs, Soto has batted .249/.329/.299.
Latest On Mets Outfield Situation
10:03pm: Though there have been some discussions involving McCutchen, “there’s no traction there,” per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). New York is “not actively looking to upgrade” at the center-field position at this time, he adds.
9:18pm: On the selling side of the equation for the Mets, the Blue Jays “remain in talks” regarding both Bruce and Granderson, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (via Twitter).
8:45pm: The Mets are at least looking into the possibility of a trade for a center fielder, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. He describes the organization as being “semi-engaged” in talks for a variety of possibilities.
Among the options, it seems, are a few high-profile veterans. There has been some “preliminary” talk with the Pirates on Andrew McCutchen, but there’s no present momentum towards a deal. Likewise, New York has spoken with the Royals, but doesn’t want to add a one-year rental in Lorenzo Cain and evidently is not excited about adding another speed/glove player in Jarrod Dyson, who Rosenthal says is viewed as being “too similar” to in-house option Juan Lagares.
There are other theoretical options that could be pursued, but Rosenthal notes that Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies and Billy Hamilton of the Reds don’t necessarily appear to represent matches. (Colorado doesn’t seem interested in dealing Blackmon, at least at a palatable price; Hamilton doesn’t deliver the kind of on-base threat that the Mets prefer, and he too is said to come with a high asking price.) The report does not indicate that the Mets have specifically considered or inquired about either player.
Of course, even if there was a clear target, matters are complicated by the fact that the Mets would need to pull off at least one other move to clear roster space. In addition to the center-field-capable Lagares, and newly re-inked left fielder Yoenis Cespedes, New York employs three left-handed-hitting options for right field: Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce, and Michael Conforto.
While it has long been assumed that one of the two veterans (Granderson and Bruce) will end up being traded, adding a regular in center might entail finding takers for both. And the open market still has a few players that interested teams could view as alternatives. There’s certainly value in the fact that both of those options have only one year left on their contracts, but they aren’t exactly cheap seasons; Bruce is owed $13MM after the Mets picked up his option, while Granderson will earn $15MM in the final year of his free-agent deal. While one of the three in-house players could conceivably end up at first base, that’s already manned by southpaw-swinging Lucas Duda, and there’s no indication that the Mets have looked to find a taker for him in a market still flooded with lefty first base/DH bats.
As Rosenthal goes on to note, the Mets’ remaining needs in the bullpen also complicate matters. Trade partners will likely be interested in young talent at or near the majors, and if New York continues to hold off on dealing Conforto or top prospect Amed Rosario, it may well need to part with arms (such as Robert Gsellman or Seth Lugo) to get a deal done. That would mean further paring back the depth in the relief corps, which already could stand to add one or two arms.
While there are obvious complications here for the Mets, it’s not hard to see the reasoning behind exploring the market for a center fielder. Lagares is still just 27 and still brings value with the glove, but hasn’t produced at the plate since signing his five-year extension before the 2015 season. While a platoon would make sense — his career OPS is about 100 points higher against lefties — the lefty bats mentioned above would be stretched defensively up the middle.
Purely hypothetically, if the Mets end up dealing one or more of their slugging corner bats, and can’t find a suitable trade for a regular center fielder, the alternative might be to add a lefty platoon piece that is capable of playing center. Potential options could include free agents Ben Revere and Michael Bourn, though neither impressed at the plate over the full course of the 2016 season.
Trade Chatter: Colome, Mariners, Wilson, Profar
There has been significant movement on the market for closers, leaving the Rays with an interesting trade piece in Alex Colome. But while the team is receiving ongoing interest in the controllable young hurler, it’s not moving off of a “price they believe is appropriately high,” Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Moving Colome would put a dent in the team’s 2017 hopes, Rosenthal notes, and it seems fair to say that the organization’s other recent moves do not suggest that the organization has any intentions of packing it in before reaching Spring Training. It still seems much more likely that the club will deal a starter; Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times recently provided the latest on that front, suggesting that one of Drew Smyly, Alex Cobb, and Erasmo Ramirez may be more likely to be dealt than are Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi.
- The Mariners have been talking with both the Rays and the Reds about starters, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports on Twitter. Seattle has been said to be hunting for one more rotation piece, and it’s not surprising to see these two particular organizations mentioned. Tampa Bay, as noted, has long been expected to consider trading out of its staff; the M’s could conceivably have interest in just about any of the pitchers listed above. And while we haven’t heard much in the way of specifics from Cincinnati, it stands to reason that the club would at least weigh offers for pitchers such as Anthony DeSclafani and Dan Straily.
- The Tigers and Cubs have been in contact about left-handed reliever Justin Wilson, tweets Morosi, although he notes that it’s unclear whether there’s any momentum. Detroit acquired Wilson last winter in a trade that sent Chad Green and Luis Cessa to the Yankees, and while Wilson didn’t have the year the Tigers likely envisioned (4.14 ERA in 58 2/3 innings), there were plenty of positive indicators in the 29-year-old’s results. Wilson turned in a career-best 10.0 K/9 and career-low 2.6 BB/9 in his 58 2/3 frames out of the Detroit ‘pen, and he also notched a career-high 54.9 percent ground-ball rate.
- Before landing Adam Eaton, the Nationals approached the Rangers about a deal to acquire infielder Jurickson Profar, Rosenthal reports (Twitter links). Washington was reputedly interested in utilizing Profar at shortstop, which would have meant keeping Trea Turner in center field, but moved on when Texas requested righty Joe Ross in return. It’s certainly not clear whether the Nats would have preferred to work something out on Profar rather than acquiring Eaton, but it’s nevertheless interesting to learn of the discussions. If nothing else, it represents one of the first suggestions we’ve heard of a team approaching the Rangers about the 23-year-old, a former top prospect who is now one of the more hard-to-peg potential trade chips in baseball. He has been thrust into a utility role after dealing with significant shoulder issues, and hit just .239/.321/.338 in 307 plate appearances last year. Further, despite his relatively scant MLB experience (184 total games), Profar has already racked up over three years of service time. But the prospect pedigree is second to none, and he has shown flashes of his talent in the upper minors and (in stretches) in the majors.
Reds Announce Minor-League Signings, Non-Roster Invitations
The Reds have announced 18 non-roster invitations to MLB camp this spring, as C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. That includes a variety of internal players as well as a few outside additions: southpaw Lucas Luetge along with catchers Rob Brantly and Shawn Zarraga.
Luetge, 29, spent 2016 at Triple-A for the Angels after spending parts of four seasons in the majors with the Mariners. He ended the campaign with 55 2/3 innings of 4.85 ERA pitching. Though he managed a healthy 9.4 K/9, Luetge continued to issue a few too many free passes (4.7 BB/9).
The 27-year-old Brantly has seen action in three major league seasons, hitting .225/.286/.317 over 392 plate appearances. At Triple-A with the Mariners last year, he slashed .244/.268/.432 over 315 trips to the plate. He also chipped in a personal-best 14 long balls.
Zarraga, also 27, will also join the group of backstops hoping to establish a place in the pecking order. He reached base at a useful .384 clip in 99 Double-A plate appearances with the Dodgers in 2016, but struggled with the bat in limited action at the highest level of the minors. Zarraga is still looking for his first crack at the majors.
Other players receiving big league invites include, on the position-player side, catcher Chad Wallach, infielders Brandon Dixon, Tony Renda (who was recently outrighted), and Zach Vincej, utilitymen Hernan Iribarren (who will stay with Cincinnati after also being outrighted) and Patrick Kivlehan (claimed and then outrighted in October), as well as outfielders Sebastian Elizalde and Gabriel Guerrero (who was claimed, non-tendered, and then re-signed to a minors deal). Among pitchers, lefties Ismael Guillon and Nick Routt are joined by righties Alejandro Chacin, Jimmy Herget, Tyler Mahle, Evan Mitchell, Kevin Shackelford, and — perhaps most intriguingly — just-signed Cuban hurler Vladimir Gutierrez.