AL Notes: Orioles, Indians, Tigers, Red Sox
Orioles scout Todd Frohwirth passed away Sunday at the age of 54, the team confirmed. Frohwirth had worked as a scout with the club since 2003, and he was previously a reliever with the O’s from 1991-93. He also pitched for the Phillies and Angels during his career, which spanned from 1987-96. Orioles legend Jim Palmer tweeted Sunday that Frohwirth “could light up a room,” and the team announced it will honor him with a moment of silence before its game Monday. MLBTR joins those around the baseball world in extending our condolences to Frohwirth’s family, friends and organization.
- Outfielder Austin Jackson will open the season on the Indians’ 25-man roster, tweets Ryan Lewis of Ohio.com. Jackson presumably would have opted out of his minor league contract Sunday had the Tribe cut him, but he’ll instead earn a $1.5MM salary as a major leaguer and potentially collect $4MM in incentives. The Indians have three left-handed-hitting starting outfielders in Michael Brantley, Tyler Naquin and Lonnie Chisenhall, so Jackson and Brandon Guyer will offer variety off the bench as righty-swingers. It’s also worth mentioning that the 30-year-old Jackson has typically been a capable fielder in center, where he has played almost exclusively and totaled 41 Defensive Runs Saved and a 6.9 Ultimate Zone Rating .
- The Tigers reassigned Anthony Gose to minor league camp Sunday, and while the 26-year-old will continue to work as an outfielder, he”ll also try his hand as a pitcher, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News was among those to report. Gose, who possessed a mid-90s fastball as a left-handed high school hurler but chose to give up pitching, approached the Tigers with the idea. They’re intrigued, per manager Brad Ausmus. “(Sean) Doolittle in Oakland did it and he was in the big leagues a couple of years later,” Ausmus said, referring to Doolittle’s successful transition from first base and the outfield to the mound. “It’s going to take some time. He’s going to have to be a sponge and catch up on experience fast. But we feel it’s worth investigating.”
- The Red Sox are likely to put their plan to use Hanley Ramirez at first base against lefties on hold, at least to begin the season, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. A right shoulder issue has prevented Ramirez from playing the field in spring training games, and manager John Farrell noted that time’s running out in the exhibition schedule. “I’m still hopeful but recognizing where we are on the calendar,” he said. Ramirez is well enough to hit, so he’ll be the full-time DH as long as he’s unable to line up in the field, though it’s unclear if anyone will platoon with first baseman Mitch Moreland in the meantime. If healthy, Ramirez would’ve relegated the lefty-swinging Moreland to the bench versus southpaws. With Moreland and third baseman Pablo Sandoval, the Red Sox have two prominent corner infielders who struggle against lefties.
Indians Notes: Lindor, Ramirez, Jackson, Shaffer
It was on this day in 1910 that the Chalmers Auto Company announced that a new car would be awarded to the batting champions from the American and National League. This innocent promotion ended up leading to a memorable controversy, as Cleveland’s Nap Lajoie “won” the AL batting title after collecting eight hits in nine at-bats (under very dubious circumstances) during a season-ending double-header against the St. Louis Browns. Chalmers ended up awarding cars to both Lajoie and runner-up Ty Cobb in the wake of the embarrassing situation.
Here’s some news from modern-day Cleveland baseball…
- There aren’t any extension talks going on between the Indians and Francisco Lindor, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (via Twitter). Cleveland isn’t necessarily in any rush since Lindor isn’t even eligible for arbitration for two more seasons, though the Tribe has historically looked to extend young talent when possible. Once Jose Ramirez‘s extension is finalized, he’ll be the ninth member of the Tribe’s roster signed to a multi-year extension by the team. Lindor’s extension case will be particularly fascinating to watch given his status as one of the sport’s rising superstars. (Cleveland.com’s Zack Meisel recently speculated that a Lindor extension might cost the Indians something in the neighborhood of $65MM-$75MM on a six-year deal.)
- Ramirez’s extension was finalized after about a month of negotiations, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. According to Rafael Nieves, Ramirez’s agent, yesterday was the self-imposed deadline for the extension to be settled, so Ramirez could focus on preparing for Opening Day. Ramirez originally turned down an offer comparable to Jose Altuve‘s four-year, $12MM extension with the Astros from 2013.
- Austin Jackson‘s minor league contract with the Indians was known to contain an out clause near the end of Spring Training, and MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports (Twitter link) that Jackson’s opt-out date is actually tomorrow. Jackson is hitting well this spring though it may still be difficult for him to carve out a spot in the Tribe’s crowded outfield picture.
- After an offseason in “DFA limbo,” Richie Shaffer is hoping for some stability with the Tribe, Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan writes. Shaffer was traded from the Rays to the Mariners in November and then designated for assignment and claimed by Seattle, Philadelphia and Cincinnati before finally landing in Cleveland on a waiver claim…and then being DFA’ed again and outrighted off the Indians’ 40-man roster. Needless to say, it was a trying offseason for Shaffer and his family, and Passan’s piece is well worth reading as an insight into how such transactions take their toll on a player. “That was the first time I’d ever been talked about in that light – as a player a team would consider DFA’ing,” Shaffer said. “A year prior to that, I was in the Futures Game….Baseball’s an odd business. The game is pretty simple, but the business is strange. Once you get DFA’d once, there’s almost this perception that you’re a guy who can be DFA’d. Essentially, the next person who picks you up gets you for nothing, so you’re just as expendable to the next team because they got you free.”
Indians Return Rule 5 Pick Hoby Milner To Phillies
The Indians have returned lefty Hoby Milner to the Phillies, per a club announcement. Milner, 26, was taken with the 27th pick in last winter’s Rule 5 draft.
Fresh off of a World Series run, Cleveland obviously would’ve needed to be rather impressed to give the 26-year-old an active roster spot. He did rack up nine strikeouts against three walks in his seven spring innings, though he also coughed up seven earned runs on nine hits.
Milner could factor into the Phillies’ depth plans entering the year now that he’s back in the fold. He did have a rather impressive 2016 season. Despite carrying pedestrian strikeout totals for most of his career to that point, Milner averaged 10.5 K/9 against just 2.1 BB/9 in his 65 frames in the upper minors, with a shiny 2.49 ERA on the year.
Pitching Notes: Cubs, Rangers, White Sox, Indians
The Cubs have tabbed left-hander Brett Anderson to open the season as their fifth starter, tweets Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago. Consequently, fellow southpaw Mike Montgomery, whom Anderson beat out, will head to the bullpen. At $3.5MM, Anderson received one of the biggest contracts the Cubs handed out during an offseason devoid of free agent splashes for the reigning World Series champions. Given the 29-year-old Anderson’s well-known injury history, though, it stands to reason Montgomery could end up in the rotation this season. “I could see him starting,” manager Joe Maddon told Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com. “Long relief, short relief. All of it.”
- The Rangers “have had conversations with other clubs” about acquiring starting pitching, though they didn’t delve into the “top end” of the trade market, general manager Jon Daniels told MLB Network Radio (Twitter link). Daniels doesn’t expect to land another starter from outside the organization, as he noted that the Rangers are “going internally” to address their rotation. Texas won’t need a fifth starter until April 15, when Andrew Cashner could return from biceps tendinitis, and it appears they’ll slot A.J. Griffin in as the No. 4 option behind Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels and Martin Perez, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The recovering Tyson Ross (shoulder) figures to join the starting five when he makes his 2017 big league debut, which could happen in early May.
- Right-handed prospect Lucas Giolito has lost some of the hype that accompanied him last year, leading Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com to wonder if he’ll regain it with the White Sox organization. Previously a member of the Nationals, with whom he topped out as Baseball America’s fifth-best prospect, Giolito was part of a blockbuster December trade in which he (and fellow righties Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning) went to Chicago for outfielder Adam Eaton. Despite serving as the headlining part of the return for the Sox, and despite continuing to rank as a high-end prospect according to most outlets, skepticism has developed regarding the 22-year-old. “I think he will be a bullpen guy down the line, kind of like a Jon Rauch or Luke Hochevar,” a National League executive told Crasnick. “He got hyped up a lot and Washington found out later. Usually, the drafting team is the last to know.” Meanwhile, one member of an American League front office Crasnick spoke with isn’t as ready to write off Giolito. “As a 22-year-old who’s already missed a year with Tommy John, Lucas Giolito deserves a chance to grow and evolve,” he said. “He really hasn’t had enough innings to show us what he’s going to be.”
- Indians righty Carlos Carrasco could begin the year in extended spring training as he looks to build up his arm strength after a bout with elbow soreness, writes Terry Pluto of cleveland.com. The Indians have two off days in the first two weeks of the season, which would enable them to be patient with Carrasco and not have to use five starters immediately.
Central Notes: Pirates, Indians, White Sox, Brewers
In an expansive Q&A with Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington discusses the challenges that accompany running a low-payroll club, noting that “large-dollar free-agent signs are not available to us,” so the Bucs must rely on developing cheap talent from within. As a result, Huntington has found it difficult to part with packages of prospects in trades for established major leaguers (Jose Quintana, for instance). “You can look around our entire club right how and anybody that came through our system, we could have traded somewhere along the way,” said Huntington. “Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Gregory Polanco, Starling Marte, Jordy Mercer, Josh Harrison, Josh Bell, Tony Watson; we could have traded any and of all of them at some point, and every single player we would have acquired wouldn’t be with the Pittsburgh Pirates anymore. They would have left for somewhere else because of free agency.”
More from the Central divisions:
- Superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor is under Indians control for the next five seasons, including two pre-arbitration years, but Zack Meisel of cleveland.com wonders how much the Tribe would have to pay to keep him in the fold for longer. Noting that the Indians would like to buy out at least one free agent year, Meisel proposes a six-year extension worth between $65MM and $75MM. Such a deal would indeed keep Lindor with the Indians for an extra season, and it would make him the first shortstop with between one and two years’ service time to ink an extension since then-Brave Andrelton Simmons (1.125 years) signed a seven-year, $58MM deal that bought out two free agent years in February 2014. At that point, the defensive virtuoso was a .256/.304/.400 hitter who had swatted 20 home runs, stolen seven bases and accounted for 6.6 fWAR over his initial 840 plate appearances. Lindor, who has one year and 113 days of service time, owns a .306/.356/.454 line, 27 homers, 31 steals and 10.4 fWAR in 1,122 PAs. He’s also an elite-caliber defender.
- Speaking of extensions, neither the White Sox nor shortstop Tim Anderson‘s representatives wanted discussions on a new deal to drag into the season, according to Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago. Thus, it was a must for the two sides to reach an agreement by Opening Day, which they did Tuesday. Anderson’s camp was skeptical of signing a long-term pact when the White Sox contacted them several weeks ago, per Hayes, who reports that they rejected the team’s initial offer. But talks intensified from there and ultimately yielded a six-year, $25MM guarantee. “In the end, what really mattered was the fact that Tim wanted to do the deal, so we pulled the trigger,” said Patrick Murphy, the COO of Anderson’s agency, Reynolds Sports Management.
- The Brewers demoted reliever Michael Blazek to Triple-A on Wednesday, which frustrated the right-hander. “I’m not happy about it,” he said (Twitter link via Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Blazek is indignant mostly because he followed the Brewers’ orders to throw more fastballs during big league camp and still couldn’t crack their roster, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “I did what they told me to do,” stated the breaking ball-reliant Blazek. “I came into camp ready to go and they wanted me to throw the fastball more. That’s not the kind of pitcher I really am; I’m a guy who mixes stuff up. If they’re going off the way I was pitching in Spring Training throwing just fastballs, I mean, they didn’t really see the kind of pitcher that I am.” Blazek’s unsuccessful bid to land a roster spot came after he endured a rough 2016, in which he battled elbow troubles and logged a 5.66 ERA, 7.84 K/9 and 5.88 BB/9 over 41 1/3 innings. The year before, he registered a 2.43 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 2.91 BB/9 over 55 2/3 frames.
AL Central Notes: Carrasco, Tigers, Martinez, Anderson
While the image of father and son playing catch is a core part of baseball lore, it doesn’t always happen quite that way. Indians starter Carlos Carrasco penned an interesting post at the Player’s Tribune detailing how he got started in the game as a youngster — urged on by his mother. Carrasco traces his path — including a pizza binge driven by his still-developing English language skills — on the way to becoming a top-quality big leaguer with a nice contract. The culmination isn’t just his on-field success, though; it’s about his own young family and recent achievement of U.S. citizenship.
That story is well worth a full read. Here’s more out of the American League Central:
- Tigers skipper Brad Ausmus strongly suggested today that the club will go with its existing options in center field, as MLB.com’s Jason Beck reports on Twitter. While we’ve heard ongoing suggestions that Detroit is still looking at alternatives, Ausmus says he’s “90-something percent sure” an outside addition won’t be made that alters the regular duties up the middle.
- In other Tigers news, slugger J.D. Martinez projected optimism in discussing his sprained right foot, as Beck reports (links to Twitter). While he’s being tested “to rule out other things,” Martinez says he believes it’s nothing more than a ligament sprain. Assuming that is indeed the case, there’s still the question of a recovery timeline, though it seems likely that’ll be dictated by how Martinez feels. Progress is slow, he says, but “it’s going in the right direction” and he is now able to put weight on the injured foot.
- White Sox GM Rick Hahn discussed the team’s newly minted extension with shortstop Tim Anderson, as MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reports. He emphasized “the cost certainty and the added control” achieved in the unusually early agreement, noting that doubling down with long-term deals for Chris Sale and Adam Eaton functioned to enhance the value of those players when they were dealt in December. Of course, the hope now is that Anderson will be a core player for a contending team in Chicago. If he can build off of a promising 2016 season, the Sox can perhaps check an important box at a reasonable cost for years to come. “[C]ertainly if you have a number of players outperforming what they’re paid, it makes more free money available to go out and augment the roster,” said Hahn. “That’s certainly the intent.”
Cody Anderson To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Indians right-hander Cody Anderson will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2017 season, the team announced (Twitter link via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com). Anderson made the decision after a second opinion confirmed both a sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and a mild flexor strain.
The unfortunate news for Anderson comes as an unexpected development, as manager Terry Francona indicated earlier this month that the 26-year-old would likely avoid surgery. Instead, Anderson will undergo the second procedure on his elbow since November, when he had arthroscopic surgery.
Anderson would not have cracked an Indians rotation that’s set to feature Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin. However, he likely would have factored into the equation this year as either starting depth and/or in a long relief role. He made 19 appearances, nine of which were starts, for the American League champions last year and pitched to an unsightly 6.68 ERA in 60 2/3 innings, though he encouraged with his K/9 (8.01), BB/9 (1.93) and swinging-strike rate (12.2 percent). Anderson also saw his average fastball velocity jump from 92.1 mph in 2015 to 93.5 mph last year. That came after a 2015 debut in which Anderson pitched to a sparkling 3.05 ERA in 91 1/3 innings and 15 appearances (all starts), albeit with worse numbers in the other categories (4.34 K/9, 2.36 BB/9 and 7.8 percent swinging-strike rate).
Anderson, who’s in his penultimate season of pre-arbitration eligibility, will lose a year of service time as he spends 2017 recovering on the disabled list. Meanwhile, more opportunities could come this season for any of Hoby Millner, Mike Clevinger or 2016 postseason hero Ryan Merritt, among others (depth chart).
In another less-than-ideal development for the Indians, second baseman Jason Kipnis is roughly four to five weeks from returning to major league action. Kipnis went for a second opinion on his bothersome right shoulder, and Dr. Keith Meister concurred with Indians doctors that he’s dealing with inflammation. If the Kipnis-less Indians don’t venture outside the organization for help at the keystone, they could turn to in-house options Erik Gonzalez, Michael Martinez or Ronny Rodriguez. Alternatively, Francona said this week that third baseman Jose Ramirez could head to second, which would leave the hot corner to Gonzalez, Giovanny Urshela or Richie Shaffer (Twitter link via Bastian).
On a positive note, Michael Brantley will make his spring debut on Monday and play left field. An integral cog from 2014-15, when he slashed an outstanding .319/.382/.494 with 35 home runs and 38 steals across 1,272 plate appearances, Brantley totaled just 11 PAs last year on account of shoulder troubles. The 29-year-old underwent shoulder surgery in November 2015 and again last August.
Quick Hits: Free Agents, Johnson, Braves, Blue Jays, Reds, Shaffer
Just over a year removed from the 2015-16 offseason, nine of the top ten contracts handed out last winter are already looking problematic, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. Only Johnny Cueto turned in a vintage season in the wake of signing his pricey deal with the Giants last winter, while the other nine (David Price, Zack Greinke, Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Jordan Zimmermann, Jeff Samardzija, Wei-Yin Chen and Mike Leake) ranged from slight to complete disappointments in their first seasons with their new teams. Injuries played a role in several of these down years, which is perhaps even more ominous for the teams that have tens of millions in remaining commitments to these players. While this winter’s free agent market wasn’t as star-studded as the last, the lack of early returns on many of the 2015-16 investments could be another reason — beyond the new CBA, luxury tax concerns or a simple lack of elite talent — that teams were far more reluctant to spend over the last few months.
Some more from around the baseball world…
- Kelly Johnson has received interest from the Blue Jays, Braves and Reds about a minor league deal and non-roster invite to Spring Training, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link). Johnson, however, is still holding out in the hopes of landing a Major League contract. Atlanta’s interest in a reunion with Johnson has been well-documented, though Cincinnati and Toronto are new names as suitors. The veteran utilityman would fit as a needed left-handed bat and versatile bench piece for both the Reds and Jays.
- The Reds also have Ryan Raburn and Desmond Jennings in camp on minor league contracts, and their track records mean more to manager Bryan Price than their Spring Training performance necessarily does, the manager tells MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and other media. “Hopefully with the Raburn, Jennings group of experience and even [Hernan] Iribarren with his background, you want to have at least one of those guys if not two of them on the club to lend that experience,” Price said. The skipper’s further comments about valuing experience and versatility could be another hint as Cincinnati’s interest in Johnson, though that’s just my speculation.
- After a wild offseason that saw Richie Shaffer become property of five different teams, he may now be emerging as a candidate for the Indians’ Opening Day roster, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian writes. Shaffer is hitting very well in spring action and his ability to play first base, third base and both corner outfield slots serves him well on a Cleveland team that is looking for flexibility with Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley both facing DL stints to start the season.
- Then again, it’s pretty rare for a player to win an Opening Day job with a big spring unless he’s already in a general manager’s plans, ESPN’s Jim Bowden writes (subscription required). As GMs Dayton Moore, Jerry Dipoto and Thad Levine all tell Bowden, teams tend to have a set timeline for their minor leaguers and many non-roster invitee veterans are around to provide depth. “Intuitively, we know that 10-15 innings pitched or 40-50 plate appearances do not represent a significant amount of performance from which we should make meaningful changes,” Levine explained. “That being said, when a player’s performance is married with work ethic, character and a clear sense that he will enhance the team’s chemistry, the temptation to alter plans becomes real.”
Central Notes: Tigers, Cabrera, Carrasco, Brantley, Broxton, Brewers, Twins
The Tigers are continuing to scan the market for center field upgrades, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Detroit has been looking around for more options throughout camp, though perhaps the time isn’t quite ripe to make a move with other organizations holding onto their depth until their own situations are resolved. Rosenthal notes that JaCoby Jones has shown most impressively thus far among the in-house competitors with a .346/.393/.615 batting line. Alex Presley has also hit well this spring, though he has spent most of his time in the majors in a corner spot, while fellow competitors Tyler Collins and Mikie Mahtook have each struggled at the plate in game action.
Here’s more from the central divisions:
- Miguel Cabrera left yesterday’s WBC action with back tightness, but Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he’s not concerned with his star’s health, as Evan Woodberry of MLive.com reports. Team Venezuela skipper Omar Vizquel, who’s also a member of the Detroit coaching staff, notified Ausmus that it’s nothing more than a minor issue.
- The Indians received positive health updates on two critical players, as MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports. Carlos Carrasco is ready to begin throwing again, with the organization expressing optimism that his elbow soreness was little more than a blip. Meanwhile, outfielder Michael Brantley “feels good” after a five-inning appearance on the minor-league side of camp. His shoulder health remains a major variable for the defending American League champs.
- The Brewers pulled center fielder Keon Broxton from the team’s game today after he experienced soreness in his surgically repaired wrist, as Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports (Twitter links). Fortunately, though, it’s just a minor bone chip that’s said not to represent a significant concern. Broxton impressed in his limited time in the bigs last year and is hitting a scorching .395/.489/.737 in 14 games this spring, so the club is undoubtedly relieved that it can still look forward to a full season from the 26-year-old.
- Of course, the Brewers are also hoping that another wave of young outfielders will push Broxton and others before long. The organization plans to field a Triple-A outfield of Lewis Brinson, Ryan Cordell, and Brett Phillips, Haudricourt further writes. That’s at least somewhat surprising in the case of Phillips, Haudricourt notes, given his rough 2016 campaign at Double-A.
- Twins GM Thad Levine spoke with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand about a variety of topics in his first spring with his new organization. He says the Twins are hoping to avoid the lengthy rebuilding processes that some other organizations have pursued in recent years, citing the “wealth of young talent” the club will field at the major league level. The 103-loss 2016 campaign was something of an anomaly, he suggests, given the talent level. While the hyped Minnesota position players are well known, Levine also suggests there’s some cause for optimism in the pitching staff. He suggests there’s “some burgeoning pitching talent” on hand and also notes that he expects better health — and results — from Phil Hughes and others. There’s plenty more to digest from the interview for the Twins’ faithful.
Heyman’s Latest: Quintana, Pagan, Cozart, Padres, Bautista, Giants
In his latest notes column, FanRag’s Jon Heyman reports that while teams such as the Astros, Pirates, Rangers and Yankees were all linked to Jose Quintana in trade rumors this offseason, the best offer the White Sox received came from an unnamed club that is currently perceived as more of a rebuilding team. That could mean any number of teams — the Braves, Phillies, Twins, Reds, Brewers and Padres are all in the midst of retooling their organizations — and further context is seemingly unknown at this time. A trade of Quintana, at this point, seems far likelier to occur this summer than during the final days of Spring Training, though Heyman’s note is a reminder that Quintana would appeal to virtually any club in baseball. With four years and $36.85MM remaining on his contract, Quintana’s affordable level of excellence can help clubs looking to win now or those looking to contend more in 2018-19.
A few more highlights…
- The Braves have made “multiple” attempts to sign free-agent outfielder Angel Pagan, but the veteran has been holding out for a big league deal worth around $5MM. Heyman notes that Pagan has received some guaranteed offers, but they’ve come with very low base salaries. Atlanta has also been tied to another reunion with infielder Kelly Johnson, but Heyman notes that Johnson, too, is seeking a Major League contract.
- Zack Cozart is still available in trade talks, but the Reds haven’t gotten much in the way of appealing offers due to the fact that few clubs are looking for a shortstop right now. The Padres have talked to Cincinnati about Cozart, but Heyman notes that they’re not keen on giving up top-tier talent for a player with only one year of club control remaining before free agency. Heyman notes that San Diego is still on the lookout for a shortstop upgrade.
- The Rangers would want a Major League ready starting pitcher in any trade involving Jurickson Profar, Heyman notes. The Padres like Profar but wouldn’t be willing to surrender right-hander Luis Perdomo in order to obtain him, he adds. That may raise an eyebrow for some fans, but I’d point out that Perdomo has five years of control remaining (to Profar’s three) and posted a 4.47 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 61.4 percent ground-ball rate across his final 110 2/3 innings in 2016 after a dismal start in the bullpen. In that time, he posted a 3.84 xFIP and 3.88 SIERA. Profar hit .239/.321/.338 in 307 plate appearances last season.
- Right-hander Jered Weaver tells Heyman that he considered retirement this offseason following a career-worst year in 2016. However, Weaver began to feel stronger after a month of rest, ultimately landing with the Padres on a one-year, $3MM deal. Weaver says that he’s “10 steps above last year” in terms of how he feels physically at this point.
- The Indians made an offer to Jose Bautista that was for roughly the same $18.5MM guarantee he received with the Blue Jays, Heyman reports, and they weren’t entirely closed off to a multi-year deal. However, Bautista’s preference was to head back to Toronto.
- The Pirates sought right-hander Derek Law (among other pieces) in trade talks centering around Mark Melancon with the Giants at last year’s trade deadline, per Heyman. It seems that the Pirates were focused on adding an MLB-ready replacement arm for the bullpen in Melancon talks, which they received in the form of left-hander Felipe Rivero. San Francisco, of course, signed Melancon to a four-year deal this winter.