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Added To The 40-Man Roster: Friday

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Tonight at 8:00pm ET is the deadline for teams to add players to their 40-man roster and thereby protect them from this year’s Rule 5 Draft. In other words: there will be a significant amount of 40-man roster moves made over the course of the next 13 or so hours. Six clubs already made moves to protect prospects from the Rule 5 yesterday, and each of the remaining 24 clubs should make moves today as well.

In brief: players drafted/signed at 18 years of age or younger must be added to the 40-man roster within five years of signing or be exposed to the Rule 5 Draft. Players drafted/signed at 19 or older must be added within four years. Those interested in all of the specifics can refer to articles from MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and J.J. Cooper of Baseball America. Perhaps of greater interest is that Mayo lists all of the prospects from MLB.com’s Top 100 list and from their organizational Top 30 lists that much be protected in advance of tonight’s deadline, while Cooper provides brief write-ups on each player that has been protected (and will continue to do so as additions are made).

Here are today’s additions to the 40-man roster. You can check out Baseball America’s coverage to learn more about the individual players listed below …

Earlier Updates

Indians, Shane Robinson Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Indians and former Twins/Cardinals outfielder Shane Robinson are in agreement on a minor league contract, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press first tweeted that the two sides were expected to finalize an agreement soon. Presumably, the contract includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training for Robinson, who spent the entire 2015 season on Minnesota’s big league roster. Robinson is represented by CAA Sports.

Robinson, 31, batted .250/.299/.322 in 197 plate appearances for the Twins. The right-handed hitter posted a higher OBP against lefties (.309) than righties (.292), but nearly all of his extra-base hits came against same-handed pitching. Robinson didn’t hit much for the Twins, clearly, but he’s a strong defender at all three outfield positions and brings some speed to the table. He’s 13-for-16 in stolen base attempts as a big leaguer and has delivered positive baserunning values in each season in which he’s received more than 100 plate appearances, per Fangraphs’ BsR metric.

AL Central Notes: Indians’ Starters, Fister, Tigers, Sox, Soria

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The Blue Jays, Dodgers and Yankees are among the teams that have reached out to the Indians and had “preliminary” trade talks about Cleveland’s starting pitching, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (links to Twitter). The still-very-early frameworks being discussed would each send a controllable starter away from Cleveland in exchange for an everyday outfielder, he continues. In an appearance on MLB Network (video link), Morosi noted that Brett Gardner’s name has come up in talks with Cleveland. Of course, Gardner alone wouldn’t fetch Carlos Carrasco or Danny Salazar, given the outfielder’s poor second half (though that was said to be injury-driven) and the more general fact that it makes little sense for Cleveland to part ways with five affordable years of either pitcher in exchange for three to four years of a well-compensated veteran. Other young and very well-regarded pieces would be a necessity. Trevor Bauer could be a more intriguing candidate in that scenario, as the soon-to-be 25-year-old was impressive in bursts in 2015 but continued his longstanding battle with control issues for most of the season. Other very speculative fits from the listed clubs could include Yasiel Puig, Joc Pederson, Kevin Pillar, Dalton Pompey and Aaron Judge. Of course, each of those suggestions comes with varying degrees of uncertainty.

Some more notes from the AL Central…

  • The Tigers are among the teams with interest in free-agent right-hander Doug Fister, according to Buster Olney of ESPN (Twitter link). Fister is coming off a poor season in D.C. that saw his velocity dip to about 86 mph, causing him to lose his rotation spot. However, he enjoyed his best seasons in Detroit, and I can envision him being interested in a return on a make-good contract as he looks to rebuild his value, perhaps on a one-year deal in search of a larger contract among next year’s weak crop of free-agent starters.
  • MLB.com’s Jason Beck breaks down the Tigers’ options in their search for a left fielder. As Beck writes, fans should put to bed the notion of Jason Heyward, Justin Upton or a Yoenis Cespedes reunion, as all figure to be out of Detroit’s price range. Avila spoke highly of Tyler Collins recently, Beck notes, lending some credence to the possibility of simply acquiring a platoon partner for the left-handed-hitting 25-year-old. Beck lists Chris Young, former Tigers Ryan Raburn and Rajai Davis as possibilities. However, if the club feels an everyday left fielder would be an upgrade over a platoon of Collins and one of those righty bats, names like Nori Aoki and Gerardo Parra could come into play. Of course, it should be noted that Parra himself could benefit from a platoon partner, though he has a stronger defensive reputation than Collins (his surprising 2015 downturn in the view of defensive metrics not withstanding).
  • White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin that the team hasn’t made a definitive decision as to which direction it will go this offseason (Twitter link). While that will probably induce a large amount of Chris Sale and Jose Quintana trade speculation from fans of pitching-hungry teams, it does seem difficult to envision the White Sox changing course after spending so heavily last winter. Chicago’s core of Sale, Quintana, Carlos Rodon, Jose Abreu, Adam Eaton and David Robertson is an excellent start to a contending club. Previous reports have indicated that the Sox believe 2015 was just the first of a multi-year window to contend. Nonetheless, that Williams didn’t take the opportunity to firmly denounce the possibility of some retooling is notable.
  • The Twins have reached out to Joakim Soria’s agent and received his medical records for review, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN, though it’s not known whether the team is comfortable with a number anywhere near his reported $27MM asking price. (My guess: no.) In other Soria/AL Central news, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press tweeted today that while the Tigers were interested in Soria as recently as this past weekend, the two sides weren’t on the same page in contract talks. Detroit’s acquisition of Francisco Rodriguez seems likely to have diminished their interest in Soria anyhow.

Quick Hits: Cuba, Zobrist, Dodgers, Gallardo, Tribe

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For a rundown of some of the top Cuban talents who could soon be on their way to Major League Baseball, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez lists several Cuban players who are full free agents and some who are subject to the July 2 international signing limits.  Some of the free agents have yet to be officially declared as such due to paperwork, including righty Yaisel Sierra, who is considered to be the top Cuban player available on the open market this offseason.  Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • The Mets are one of many teams to contact Ben Zobrist’s agent but the Yankees don’t appear to be in the running, according to Ken Davidoff and Dan Martin of the New York Post.  The Yankees aren’t willing to pay what is likely to be a pretty significant price tag for Zobrist considering the number of teams interested in his services, and are more apt to upgrade their roster through trades rather than major free agent signings.  The Mets, meanwhile, would use Zobrist to replace Daniel Murphy at second, and also give him some time in the outfield.
  • Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly says his team’s payroll will drop from its $300MM threshold in 2015 to much closer to the $200MM level, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.  The vast Dodger payrolls of the first few years under the Guggenheim group’s ownership were meant to ensure the team could stay competitive while rebuilding the farm system, and once this young talent starts to emerge, the spending will drop.  Boehly thinks “sustainable is more like the league average [payroll], plus some, or plus a lot.”  As Shaikin notes, this still leaves the Dodgers with the flexibility to maintain a payroll at or near the luxury tax level every year.
  • Bobby Witt, Yovani Gallardo’s agent, discussed his client’s free agency with Jim Memolo and Brad Lidge of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter links).  Gallardo is looking for a long-term deal, Witt said, which is why he rejected the Rangers’ one-year qualifying offer.  Witt said that a market for his client has yet to really develop and it may take time until the pitchers at the top of the market (i.e. David Price and Zack Greinke) pick their next teams.
  • In their end-of-season discussions, the Indians briefly considered using Jason Kipnis in the outfield next season with Jose Ramirez taking over at second, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes.  The team abandoned the idea, however, since Kipnis is just too valuable at the keystone.  Cleveland is in dire need of outfield help and may need to make a big trade to fill the void, Pluto argues.
  • More Indians outfield possibilities are discussed by Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer as part of a reader mailbag, though Hoynes doubts the Tribe is quite ready to trade one of its highly-touted starters for an everyday outfielder.  Michael Brantley’s status will be a big factor, as if it looks like his injury rehab will keep him out longer than expected, Cleveland may have no choice but to trade a pitcher or sign a notable free agent.
  • The Phillies should trade Ken Giles while his value is at its highest, Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines.  Giles isn’t even eligible for arbitration until 2018, so he carries much more cost-effective and long-term value than other notable closers on the trade market like Aroldis Chapman, Jonathan Papelbon or Mark Melancon.  A rebuilding team like the Phillies, Kaplan argues, has little need for a top closer.

Minor MLB Transactions: 11/14/15

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the game.

  • The Mets have announced that they’ve signed second baseman, third baseman and outfielder Ty Kelly to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. Kelly, 27, established himself as a solid hitter coming through the minors, but he had a down year with the Cardinals’ and Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliates in 2015, combining for a .222/.322/.296 line in 429 plate appearances, including just 16 extra-base hits. He had hit for more power in Triple-A in previous seasons, though, and his versatility and willingness to take walks (he has 486 walks and 484 strikeouts in his minor league career) give him value on a Triple-A roster.
  • The Indians have agreed to terms with infielder/outfielder Michael Martinez on a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. Martinez opted free agency after refusing an outright assignment earlier this week. Martinez collected 32 big-league plate appearances in 2015 but spent most of the season at Triple-A Columbus, where he batted .289/.344/.424 over 401 plate appearances. Between the two stops, the 33-year-old played at every outfield position and every infield position except first base.

Central Notes: Indians, Tigers, Buehrle, Pirates

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The Indians need outfield help, particularly after Michael Brantley’s recent shoulder surgery, but they don’t appear likely to trade Carlos Santana or any of their top starting pitchers (Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar or Trevor Bauer) to get it, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com writes. They likely won’t pursue top free agents like Yoenis Cespedes or Alex Gordon, either. Instead, they could sign a middle-tier outfielder like Gerardo Parra, Austin Jackson, Steve Pearce or Nori Aoki, and even then, they’ll probably wait until December or January when the market is a bit clearer. Santana, meanwhile, is likely to play first base or DH, with the Indians looking for someone else to take the other spot. The Indians are also likely to give Giovanny Urshela, whose defense they like, more opportunities at third base. They could, however, have someone platoon with him. Here’s more from the Central divisions.

  • The Tigers have interest in free agent starter Yovani Gallardo, Buster Olney of ESPN tweets. The Tigers don’t seem likely to be serious bidders for top starting pitchers, but they could bid for players in Gallardo’s tier as they attempt to fill in their rotation around Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez and Daniel Norris.
  • It’s unclear whether veteran starter Mark Buehrle will retire, but if he doesn’t, he’s likely to pitch for the Cardinals, Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun writes. The Cardinals seem likely to look for starting pitching in the wake of Lance Lynn’s injury, although it’s unclear whether they would have interest in Buehrle specifically. Buehrle was born and raised in St. Charles, Missouri, about a half hour from St. Louis.
  • The Pirates will have to consider adding a number of prospects to their roster next week to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft, writes MLB.com’s Adam Berry. Top prospects Tyler Glasnow, Josh Bell and Harold Ramirez will likely be easy decisions, in my opinion, and pitcher Clay Holmes and infielder (and Pirates minor league player of the year) Max Moroff will likely receive consideration as well.

Minor MLB Transactions: 11/12/15

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Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…

  • Indians infielder/outfielder Michael Martinez elected free agency after refusing an outright assignment, the club announced. The 33-year-old veteran hit .267/.290/.333 in 32 plate appearances with Cleveland this season and will seek a minor league deal elsewhere as a free agent. The longtime Phillie is just a career .187/.235/.256 hitter between Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Cleveland, though he can play several positions and has a decent Triple-A track record, making him a nice depth piece.
  • The Cardinals announced that they’ve signed catcher Eric Fryer and right-hander Juan Gonzalez to minor league contracts. Fryer, 30, has spent the past three seasons in the Twins organization and received 124 plate appearances in the Majors, hitting .236/.323/.355. He has similar Triple-A numbers, and while he’s struggled to catch runners in the Majors, he’s done so at a 30 percent clip in the minors. He’ll give the Cards an alternative to the light-hitting Tony Cruz at backup catcher. As for Gonzalez, The 25-year-old posted a 1.62 ERA with 9.2 K/9 vs. 2.9 BB/9 in 50 innings split between the Dodgers’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates in 2015. That marked his first experience at the Triple-A level, though, so it did take him awhile to reach that point, considering he’ll be 26 early next April.

Central Notes: Hicks/Murphy, Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, Oh, Chapman

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In an ESPN Insider analysis of today’s Twins/Yankees swap of center fielder Aaron Hicks and catcher John Ryan Murphy, Keith Law opines that both sides did quite well. While the Twins might have traded a bit more upside in exchange for stability, both clubs came away with a player who fit their current roster better than the piece they traded, says Law. Hicks has the potential to be an elite defender and is an immediate upgrade for the Yankees in a regular role solely based on his glove, while Murphy’s defense has steadily improved. Law feels that Murphy projects as an everyday catcher, though not a star-caliber one with tremendous offensive upside.

A few more notes from the game’s Central divisions…

  • Asked about the possibility of a contract extension for Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, agent Scott Boras told reporters, including ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers: “We’re going to be talking about that as the offseason unfolds, about Jake. I would say it’s fair to say the Cubs are pleased with Jake. And I’m sure Jake is happy playing there so we have to see where it goes.” Boras went on to state that Cubs’ ownership is in a new phase, having entered a “championship phase” after spending years in a rebuilding phase. “How owners react to that and what they do is a completely different thought process,” said Boras.
  • The Cubs still like Jeff Samardzija and aren’t ruling out a return for the right-hander, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports wrote today. The Cubs, at one point, offered Samardzija $80-85MM on a contract extension, and Heyman notes that a similar sum may be a ballpark offer for what he can expect on the free-agent market.
  • The rebuilding Brewers won’t be players for top-of-the-market free agents, writes MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat, but new GM David Stearns could still sign some free agents to fill the club’s voids in center field and at third base. Stearns said that Domingo Santana, who played some center field in 2015, is best-suited for a corner outfield spot, but he’s not against using Santana in center if needed. If no external center field option is acquired, Santana will man the position in 2016. At third base, Stearns spoke of a need to pursue some external options given the lack of depth the Brewers currently have. “There’s a chance [internal options] could take a step up in production, and we’re certainly also going to look for external options,” said Stearns.
  • The Indians are interested in Korean right-hander Seung-hwan Oh, reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cleveland bid “aggressively” on first baseman Byung-ho Park but fell short of the division-rival Twins’ bid. However, Oh won’t be subject to the posting system given his professional service time in Korea, and Oh would present a much-needed late-inning option for manager Terry Francona to put alongside Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw. Oh, nicknamed “the Final Boss” and “Stone Buddha” in Korea, is said to be traveling to the U.S. to meet with MLB clubs this week.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the team must consider playing on the free agent market in a way he typically avoids. As Goold notes, recent Cardinals’ free-agent plays for pitchers have either been short-term deals or re-signings of pitchers the team already knows (e.g. Kyle Lohse, Jake Westbrook). However, the loss of Lance Lynn and the potential departure of Lackey on a two- or three-year deal with another club could lead to atypical activity for the Cardinals. Mozeliak is bullish on a healthy return for Carlos Martinez, but the team still needs further certainty in the rotation. Said Mozeliak: “The opportunity to add is something that we have to consider. … We’ll see. I’d like to let the market develop before I weigh in on that.”
  • Aroldis Chapman will probably be the first domino to fall in the Reds’ impending fire sale, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Reds know that Chapman, a free agent after the season, will earn about $13MM via arbitration (MLBTR projects him at $12.9MM), and they need to maximize the return they can get on him by dealing him this offseason so that an acquiring team can make a qualifying offer following the 2016 campaign.

Michael Brantley Out Five To Six Months Following Shoulder Surgery

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12:50pm: Indians head athletic trainer James Quinlan told reporters, including Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (links to Twitter) that Brantley won’t begin swinging a bat for four months. The five-month timeline refers to Brantley getting into rehab games, Hoynes adds, meaning it’s more likely to be six before Brantley can play in a Major League contest.

Bastian adds, also via Twitter, that Brantley’s injury was diagnosed as a small tear in the labrum of his right shoulder.

12:15pm: Indians outfielder Michael Brantley underwent surgery to repair a right shoulder injury today, the team announced (Twitter link). He’ll be ready for game activity in five to six months, according to the club.

Brantley appeared to suffer the injury while coming up just short of robbing Twins center fielder Aaron Hicks of a triple on Sept. 22 (video link). Brantley would take his next plate appearance but came out of the game the following inning and would go on to start just two more games over the remainder of the season. As MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets, Brantley and the club both thought he could avoid surgery following the season, but the discomfort in his shoulder lingered two weeks into his rehabilitation program, prompting the surgical procedure.

The 28-year-old Brantley has broken out as one of the game’s best all-around players over the past two seasons, hitting a combined .319/.382/.494 with 90 doubles and 35 homers across a pair of excellent seasons. Among qualified hitters, only Victor Marintez has a lower strikeout rate than Brantley’s 8.4 percent since the beginning of Opening Day 2014, and no player has a higher contact rate than Brantley’s 91.9 percent in that time.

Clearly, the five- to six-month timeline is an unfortunate one for the Indians, as it means Brantley will be sidelined for all of Spring Training and likely for the early portion of the regular season as well. Losing your best player for the beginning of the regular season isn’t the way that any club wants to begin an offseason, especially not a team like the Indians, which fancies itself a possible contender in 2016 due to its strong core of controllable pitching.

The Indians were already expected to pursue outfield upgrades on the trade and free-agent markets this winter, and the loss of Brantley, even for a potentially short period of time, only figures to increase the club’s urgency to add depth in the outfield. While outfield targets like Alex Gordon, Dexter Fowler and Colby Rasmus could prove to be too costly for Cleveland’s tastes (both in terms of dollars and draft-pick forfeiture), second-tier names like Gerardo Parra, Alejandro De Aza and Nori Aoki make sense as players that can fill the temporary Brantley void and also handle other outfield positions if necessary.

Brantley is entering the third season of a four-year, $25MM contract. He’ll earn $6.5MM next season, $7.5MM in 2017 and is under control via an $11MM club option for the 2018 season as well.

Latest On Byung-ho Park

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8:52am: Yahoo’s Jeff Passan tweets that the White Sox aren’t the winner, either. That leaves the Brewers and Twins in addition to the Cubs and Reds, though the latter duo doesn’t have much of a spot for Park to play (unless Cincinnati feels he can handle left field). Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reported last week that the Twins have scouted Park quite a bit, though the Brewers seem to be a better fit from a roster standpoint, in my eyes.

8:37am: Heyman also eliminates the Rockies and the Phillies from the mix (via Twitter). That leaves the Brewers, Reds, Cubs, White Sox and Twins as the remaining options. As I noted before, the presence of Joey Votto in Cincinnati and Anthony Rizzo on the Cubs’ roster makes that pair of NL teams seem like long shots, to say the least. The White Sox and Twins each have long-term first base options in Jose Abreu and Joe Mauer, though Park could certainly split time at first and DH with either player.

8:22am: The Astros didn’t submit the winning bid for Park, either, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

NOV. 9, 7:29am: We’re down to seven possibilities on the mystery team for Park, as ESPN’s Buster Olney (Twitter link) and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Rob Biertempfel (Twitter link) report that the Pirates have not won the bidding.

There have been reports eliminating all but seven teams from the Park bidding, leaving the Phillies, Brewers, Reds, Cubs, White Sox, Twins and Astros as possibilities. And while the Reds and Cubs are technically possibilities, it’d be surprising to see either NL club post the winning bid on a first baseman, given the stars that each has entrenched at that position. The Rockies haven’t been completely ruled out, though the report below seems to indicate they’re more of a long shot than anything else at this point.

Alan Nero, Park’s agent at Octagon, tells Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that even he does not yet know which club won the bidding, adding that both league offices were closed over the weekend (Twitter link).

NOV. 8, 9:51pm: The winning bid wasn’t posted by the Royals or Braves, Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan reports (Twitter links).  “It’s safe to assume” the Rays didn’t have the winning bid either, the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin tweets.

9:10pm: The Athletics and Marlins also didn’t have the top bid, Heyman tweets.

7:24pm: The Mariners and Diamondbacks didn’t place bids on Park, as per tweets from CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman and Zach Buchanan of AZCentral.com.  Also, the Giants can be eliminated from contention, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  The Rockies might also be out, as MLB.com’s Thomas Harding doesn’t “think anything is happening there.”

2:39pm: Italian artist Michelangelo is famously misquoted as saying that he sculpted the historic David statue by chipping away the parts that did not look like David.  Perhaps that is how we will whittle down the field of suitors for first baseman Byung-Ho Park until we unravel the mystery team that submitted the winning bid to negotiate with the Korean star.  Failing that, we might just have to wait until Monday, when the announcement is formally made.

On Friday, Korea’s Nexen Heroes accepted a $12.85MM bid on the rights to negotiate a big league contract with Park.  As of today, we still don’t know which MLB club won the posting process, but one team out there now has a thirty day window with which to hammer out a deal with one of the winter’s most intriguing and mysterious free agents.

The Blue Jays are not the winning team, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter), and the winning bid was not submitted by the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, or Angels, either (link),  The Cardinals, who are looking at various first base options, tendered an unsuccessful bid for the 29-year-old, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  James Wagner of the Washington Post (on Twitter) heard that the Nats did not have interest.  Late last week, the Indians, Tigers, Rangers, Orioles, Padres, and Red Sox were also crossed off the list by various reporters.

If Park and his new club do not reach agreement on a contract, Nexen will lose out on the posting fee and the winning team will have to move on to a Plan B at first base.  The reported $12.85MM fell shy of the $25MM+ posting amount commanded by lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, but it easily tops what the Pirates paid Nexen last year (~$5MM) for the rights to reach a deal with infielder Jung-Ho Kang. After the team-to-team transfer was arrived at, Kang and the Bucs agreed to a four-year, $11MM guarantee.

In the recently-released list of MLBTR’s top fifty free agents, Tim Dierkes predicted that Park would command a $10MM posting fee and a five-year, $40MM contract from the winning team. The first part of that was close, but it remains to be seen how negotiations will proceed.

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