Central Notes: Bryant, Odorizzi, Reds, Gose
Kris Bryant has continued to express openness to a contract extension with the Cubs, but he reiterated today there’s not yet been any discussion between his representatives and the organization (via Patrick Mooney of the Athletic). The 29-year-old isn’t ruling out the possibility of a long-term deal coming together eventually, even though he’s currently on track to reach free agency after the season. “I’m not looking at it as my last year (as a Cub),” Bryant said (via Mooney). “Who knows what year it could be? I could have 10 more years here. Who knows? I could come back as a coach. I could live in Chicago. I don’t know.” Regardless of what happens after 2021, it’s clear Bryant will open the season with the Cubs after an offseason of trade rumors didn’t result in a deal.
Elsewhere in the game’s central divisions:
- Jake Odorizzi is moving on from the Twins after a three-year run in Minnesota, but the right-hander said during yesterday’s Astros introduction that the Twin Cities “hold a special place” in his heart and left the door open for a return down the road (link via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Phil Miller). “I loved my time in Minnesota,” said Odorizzi, whose two-year deal with the Astros became official this week. “Maybe there’s a time to circle back after this stint [in Houston] is done.” Odorizzi noted that he originally hoped a new deal would come together, but he saw the writing on the wall when the Twins inked fellow free agent J.A. Happ to a one-year, $8MM deal earlier in the winter.
- A few teams have announced their intention to start out with a six-man rotation. That doesn’t seem to be on the table for the Reds, who are going to open the season with a five-man starting staff, manager David Bell said (via MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon). Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle are obvious locks, while Bell suggested Wade Miley is likely to get a shot at a rebound season as a starter. That leaves Michael Lorenzen, Tejay Antone, Jeff Hoffman and José De León in a battle for the final job. The pitchers who don’t earn the season-opening rotation spot figure to start off as multi-inning relief options.
- Reliever Anthony Gose is impressing the Indians as a non-roster invitee, writes Zack Meisel of the Athletic. Continuing to throw in the upper-90’s and now incorporating a slider, Gose has struck out four without issuing a walk through his first three Cactus League innings. The former outfielder has attracted the attention of a few teams since moving to the mound in 2017 but has yet to get back to the big leagues as a pitcher. Continued strike-throwing is the key for Gose, who walked an untenable 21.5% of opposing hitters during his most recent minor league action in 2019.
COVID Notes: 3/7/21
The latest on coronavirus-related situations around baseball…
Latest Updates
- Right-hander Pedro Strop is being held out of the Cubs‘ training camp due to COVID protocol violations, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports (Twitter link). In regards to the earlier item about Franmil Reyes, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports that a now-deleted social media post revealed that Strop and Reyes were out together. A fixture in the Cubs’ bullpen from 2013-19, Strop rejoined the team on a minor league deal last month after pitching for the Reds in 2020.
Earlier Today
- Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes are both being held out of Indians training camp for breaking health and safety protocols, manager Terry Francona told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mandy Bell and the Akron Beacon Journal’s Ryan Lewis). The players self-reported their violations, which included dining together at a restaurant and a haircut for Reyes on Friday. Ramirez and Reyes will have to test negative for COVID-19 before returning to camp, with Francona saying that he hopes to know more specifics later today about possible return dates.
- The Red Sox officially removed catcher Kevin Plawecki from the COVID-19 injured list and returned Plawecki to the 40-man roster. A roster spot was created yesterday when the Blue Jays plucked reliever Joel Payamps away from the Sox on a waiver claim. Plawecki already cleared health protocols and returned to training with the team over a week ago.
Additional Details On Allegations Against Mickey Callaway Emerge
3:47pm: The Indians issued a statement in response to the report, saying (via Zack Meisel of The Athletic, on Twitter): “Our organization continues to actively cooperate with MLB on their investigation into Mickey Callaway. It is important we honor the confidentiality and integrity of that investigation. While we don’t believe the reporting to date reflects who we are as an organization, we will not comment further on the specifics of the matter. We remain committed to creating an inclusive work environment where everyone, regardless of gender, can feel safe and comfortable at all times. We will let our actions – not just our words – reflect our commitment.”
9:25am: As Major League Baseball’s investigation into harassment allegations against Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway continues, new and even more troubling details about his behavior have surfaced in an additional report from Brittany Ghiroli, Katie Strang and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Not only have additional women come forward to reveal that Callaway made unwanted advances toward them, but The Athletic report details that the husband of a woman with whom Callaway was having a consensual, extramarital affair repeatedly contacted the Indians organization and Major League Baseball in 2017 about “pornographic material” sent to his wife.
The report contains quotes from a recorded conversation between the wife and a Cleveland-based attorney indicating that the issue had been presented to manager Terry Francona. The Athletic report also indicates that Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff were both aware of the man’s complaint against Callaway. A league security official involved in the exchange is quoted, too. The husband also managed to contact the Mets in Aug. 2018 to make the same complaint with Callaway’s new organization. (That timing, notably, would mean his complaint was filed after Mets president Sandy Alderson had left the team to undergo treatment following a cancer diagnosis.)
Ghiroli, Strang and Rosenthal conducted 22 interviews over the past month in gathering information for the latest report, which strongly support the idea that Callaway’s behavior dates back to his days as a minor league pitching coach in the Indians’ system.
Also concerning are the suggestions that higher-ups in multiple organizations were willing to look the other way due to Callaway’s reputation as a strong pitching coach. A former Indians employee said Antonetti’s claim that there were no complaints regarding Callaway filed to him, human resources or other organizational leaders “hit me the wrong way” due to the widespread knowledge within the organization of Callaway’s behavior. Another called Callaway’s behavior the “worst-kept secret in the organization,” and both a current and former Mets employee made clear to The Athletic that several in the organization were aware of Callaway’s behavior.
Callaway himself was contacted for a quote on the story, wherein he acknowledged multiple “infidelities” but called much of the reporting around his actions “inaccurate” and pushed back against the idea that he has ever “[used] his position to harass or pressure a woman.”
The Athletic report should be read in its entirety in order to fully grasp not only the alarming and inappropriate nature of Callaway’s alleged behavior but also the mounting number of troubling indications that many around him were, to varying degrees, aware of the issue.
Giants Claim Jordan Humphreys
The Giants have claimed right-hander Jordan Humphreys off waivers from Cleveland, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The Indians designated Humphreys for assignment Wednesday. In a corresponding move, the Giants placed righty Tyler Beede on the 60-day injured list as he continues to recover from March 2020 Tommy John surgery.
This will be the second go-around with San Francisco for Humphreys, whom the team first acquired from the Mets for outfielder Billy Hamilton last August. Humphreys never made an appearance with the Giants, though, and they designated him in November. The Indians quickly claimed Humphreys, who only lasted about three months with the organization.
An 18th-round pick of the Mets in 2015, Humphreys has yet to get past the High-A level, owing in part to the Tommy John procedure he underwent in 2017. The 24-year-old has performed well in the minors, however, with a 2.60 ERA and a 26.1 percent strikeout rate against a minuscule 4.4 percent walk rate over 169 2/3 innings.
Indians Claim Harold Ramirez, Designate Jordan Humphreys
The Indians announced Wednesday that they’ve claimed outfielder Harold Ramirez off waivers from the Marlins. Right-hander Jordan Humphreys was designated for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
The 26-year-old Ramirez debuted at the MLB level with the Marlins in May 2019 and posted a superb .368/.419/.474 batting line over his first month of action before his bat cooled off. Ramirez struggled through June and July that year before rebounding, to an extent, in the final two months of the year. Overall, his .276/.312/.416 batting line through 446 plate appearances as a rookie looked to position him well for a lengthier audition in 2020.
That didn’t happen, however, as Ramirez was one of the 20 members of the Marlins organization to test positive for Covid-19 during the team’s outbreak. When he returned from that diagnosis, he sustained a hamstring injury almost immediately and didn’t return from there on. All told, he played in just three games last summer.
Ramirez adds to what has been a consistently jumbled outfield mix for Cleveland over the past few seasons. The Indians brought in former division rival Eddie Rosario on a one-year deal to play left field, and they’ll likely give Oscar Mercado a chance to rebound in center field. Beyond that, playing time ought to be largely up for grabs, and Ramirez should be squarely in the mix, alongside Josh Naylor, Jordan Luplow, Jake Bauers, Bradley Zimmer and Daniel Johnson.
All of those players in that hodgepodge, Ramirez included, have at least one minor league option remaining, so there won’t be any cases of a player winning out solely to avoid a DFA. That should set the stage for a legitimate competition during camp, though Ramirez and Luplow are the only two right-handed bats in the bunch, which could give them an advantage.
Humphreys, 24, has yet to make his big league debut but had a big 2017 season across two Class-A levels in the Mets organization before requiring Tommy John surgery. He allowed just two runs in 13 innings of Rookie ball in 2019 as he rehabbed from that surgery and likely would’ve been ticketed for a Double-A assignment in 2020 had their been a minor league season.
The Mets traded Humphreys to the Giants in exchange for Billy Hamilton, however, and Cleveland eventually picked Humphreys up off waivers. Coincidentally, both Humphreys and Hamilton are with the Indians organization at the moment, as Hamilton inked a minor league deal earlier in the winter.
Cleveland will have a week to trade Humphreys or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. If they can indeed sneak him through waivers, he’d remain in camp as a non-roster invitee and give the club an interesting depth piece. In 169 2/3 professional innings, Humphreys has a 2.60 ERA with an above-average 26.1 percent strikeout rate and a brilliant 4.4 percent walk rate.
Extension Notes: Lindor, Correa, Bieber, Bichette
New Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor revealed that there’s “mutual interest” in an extension, though he believes “it’s too early” for serious talks to start, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com. Lindor said in early January, shortly after the Mets acquired him from Cleveland, that he wouldn’t want to discuss a new contract during the season. His feelings on that subject seemingly remain the same, as he notes, “It would be unfair for me and the rest of the team to have ongoing conversations on an extension, and we show up on Opening Day and our mind is somewhere else.” Considering Lindor’s stance, the Mets figure to spend the next month-plus trying to lock up the 27-year-old, who has been a premier player throughout his career and who was the biggest acquisition the club made in the offseason.
- The Astros’ Carlos Correa could join Lindor as part of a star-studded class of free-agent shortstops next winter, but he would also like to secure a new deal before the upcoming season, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com writes. “If the Astros want to extend me, I would like to get it done before the season starts,” Correa said. “I feel good, my body feels great and I feel I’m going to have such a great season. Once the season starts, I don’t want to be involved and distracted with those conversations.” Correa, 26, put up uncharacteristically mediocre production in 2020, but he stayed healthy for the first time in a few seasons. He avoided arbitration Feb. 6 with an $11.7MM agreement for 2021, but he and his agent haven’t heard from the Astros about a long-term deal since then, McTaggart relays.
- Indians ace Shane Bieber hasn’t discussed a long-term deal with the club, but he’d be willing to do so, Zack Meisel of The Athletic tweets. The Indians don’t necessarily have to urgently sign Bieber, who won’t be eligible for arbitration until after 2021 or free agency until the end of 2024. But with the club’s low budget in mind, it could behoove it to extend the reigning AL Cy Young winner sometime soon.
- Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet and other reporters that he’s open to an extension, but the team hasn’t made him an offer so far. The 22-year-old Bichette has been a revelation for the Blue Jays dating back to his 2019 debut, having slashed .307/.347/.549 with 16 home runs and eight stolen bases in 340 plate appearances. Fortunately for Toronto, it isn’t in danger of losing Bichette in the near future, which would explain the lack of urgency in inking him to an extension. Bichette still has two pre-arbitration years remaining and isn’t slated to reach free agency until after 2025.
Minor MLB Transactions: 2/20/21
Let’s round up some minor moves from around the game…
Latest Transactions
- The Cubs have outrighted infielder Sergio Alcantara to Triple-A, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports (Twitter link). Alcantara was designated for assignment earlier this week, and has been invited to the Cubs’ Major League spring camp. Alcantara only joined the Cubs earlier this month via a waiver claim from the Tigers, as the 24-year-old looks to compete for a roster spot after making his big league debut (10 games, 23 plate appearances) in 2020. Over 2611 career minor league PA, Alcantara has hit .256/.340/.318.
- The Rangers announced that right-hander Jimmy Herget has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, though Herget will still be invited to the big league Spring Training camp. Herget was designated for assignment earlier this week. Selected off waivers from the Reds last winter, Herget posted a 3.20 ERA and 17 strikeouts over 19 2/3 innings for Texas last season, but control was a major issue, as he also walked 14 batters.
Earlier Today
- The Indians announced the signing of Ryan Lavarnway to a minor league deal. The 33-year-old catcher has received an invite to spring training. The former Red Sox farmhand appeared in five games with the Marlins in 2020, collecting four singles in 11 plate appearances. He has generally served as catching depth with occasional stints at the big league level, though he hasn’t seen more than a few games worth of action since 2015. Since debuting with Boston in 2011, Lavarnway has gone on to log Major League playing time with the Orioles, Braves, A’s, Pirates, Reds, and Marlins. For his career, he owns a triple slash line of .215/.272/.344 in 456 plate appearances over nine seasons, with a 6.8 percent walk rate and 24.1 percent strikeout rate.
Shane Bieber Tests Positive For COVID-19
FEB 20: Bieber has returned to camp as of this morning, reports a number of outlets including the Athletic’s Zack Meisel and Mandy Bell of MLB.com. Bieber is working out with the team.
FEB 18: Indians ace Shane Bieber recently tested positive for COVID-19, president of baseall operations Chris Antonetti told Mandy Bell of MLB.com and other reporters Thursday. Bieber had “very, very mild symptoms,” according to Antonetti, and the Indians are hopeful that the right-hander will join them in camp in the next few days.
There is, of course, no more valuable member of the Indians’ staff than Bieber, who won the American League Cy Young Award in 2020 and was likely the premier pitcher in the sport. The 25-year-old turned in an astounding 1.63 ERA/2.52 SIERA with a 41.1 percent strikeout rate, a 7.1 percent walk rate, and a 48.4 percent groundball mark over 77 1/3 innings.
Assuming he does return to health sometime soon, Bieber should take the ball for Cleveland on Opening Day. The club’s rotation has undergone changes this offseason with the trade of Carlos Carrasco to the Mets, but it still looks like a talented group with Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac and Triston McKenzie among those continuing to complement Bieber.
Indians To Re-Sign Oliver Perez
The Indians and veteran left-handed reliever Oliver Perez have agreed to a new deal, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). It’s a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, tweets Tom Withers of the Associated Press. The 39-year-old Perez has spent the past three seasons in Cleveland. Perez is represented by the Boras Corporation.
Perez has had something of a late-30s renaissance in Cleveland, pitching to a combined 2.67 ERA and 3.22 SIERA in 91 innings since landing with the Indians back in 2018. His strikeout and walk rates trended in the wrong direction during last year’s shortened slate of games — likely a function of facing more right-handed batters than left-handed batters in a season for the first time since 2014. The three-batter minimum rule for relievers is a detriment to specialist relievers like Perez, but he held his own against righties, who managed only a tame .229/.341/.286 batting line in 41 plate appearances against him.
The Cleveland bullpen is clearly lacking in stability, though fireballer James Karinchak looked every bit the part of a dominant closer in 2020. He’ll be set up by steady Nick Wittgren and the talented but still inexperienced Emmanuel Clase. Righty Adam Plutko figures to give the team some long relief and spot-start innings, and Cleveland has also brought Blake Parker, Heath Hembree and Bryan Shaw into the fold on minor league deals similar to their pact with Perez.
Cody Allen Retires
Right-handed reliever Cody Allen received interest from teams earlier this offseason, but he has decided to retire, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.
Allen, who turned 32 in November, is best known for what was largely an excellent run with the Indians. The club selected him in the 23rd round of the 2011 draft, and he debuted just a year later. From then through 2017, Allen notched a 2.67 ERA with a 31.5 percent strikeout rate and a 9.5 percent walk rate in 373 2/3 innings. Allen averaged about 95 mph on his fastball during that span, amassed 67 or more innings in five seasons, and saved 122 of his 140 chances – good for a tremendous 87-plus percent success rate.
While Allen was a gem in Cleveland for the majority of his career, his production started to drop off in his last season with the team in 2018, though he did save another 27 games that year. The Angels then signed Allen to an $8.5MM guarantee heading into 2019, but the union didn’t work out for either side. Allen tossed 23 innings with the club and recorded a 6.26 ERA with a career-worst 17.2 percent walk rate and a personal-low 92.3 mph fastball velocity. The Angels released Allen in June of that season, and he didn’t pitch again after that despite signing minor league contracts with the Rangers and Cubs last winter.
Allen’s time in the bigs concluded with a 3.14 ERA and 153 saves in 463 2/3 innings. MLBTR congratulates Allen on a solid career and wishes him the best in retirement.