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Players Avoiding Arbitration: National League

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The deadline for players and teams to exchange arbitration figures passed yesterday at 1pm ET, and there has been a landslide of settlements on one-year deals to avoid an arbitration hearing. We’ll track those settlements from the National League in this post. Once all of the day’s settlements have filtered in, I’ll organize them by division to make them a bit easier to parse.

It’s worth mentioning that the vast majority of teams have adopted a “file and trial” approach to arbitration, meaning that once arbitration figures are exchanged with a player, negotiations on a one-year deal will cease. The two parties may still discuss a multi-year deal after that point, but the majority of players who exchange figures with their team today will head to an arbitration hearing.

As always, all salary projections referenced within this post are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, and we’ll also be updating our 2019 Arbitration Tracker throughout the day…

Today’s Updates

  • Rounding out contract numbers for the St. Louis Cardinals, Dominic Leone will take home $1.26MM, Chasen Shreve will make $900K, and outfielder Marcell Ozuna will earn $12.25MM in his last season before free agency, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). Ozuna has the most high-impact potential as he looks to rebound from a still-productive season in 2018 that saw his power output hindered at times by a balky shoulder. He still managed 23 home runs and a .280/.325/.433 slash line while playing just about every day outside of a 10-day DL stint late in August.
  • The Diamondbacks came to terms with a slew of players, per Feinsand (via Twitter), including Matt Andriese for $920K, Steven Souza Jr. for $4.125MM, shortstop Nick Ahmed for $3.6625MM, and potential closer Archie Bradley for $1.83MM.
  • The Rockies and starting pitcher Jon Gray have come to an agreement on a $2.935MM deal, per Feinsand (via Twitter). Gray had an up-and-down 2018 that is generally considered to be more promising than the optics of his 5.12 ERA make it seem.
  • The Pirates have come to terms on one-year deals with both of their arbitration eligible players, per Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Left fielder Corey Dickerson signs for $8.5MM, and reliever Keone Kela takes home $3.175MM. It’s a small arb class for the Pirates, whose list will grow next season as players like Josh Bell, Jameson Taillon, and Joe Musgrove, among others, reach their first season of eligibility.
  • The Dodgers signed a couple of their remaining arbitration-eligible players yesterday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter links). Utility man Chris Taylor has a $3.5MM deal, while outfield Joc Pederson settled at $5MM.

Earlier Updates

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Trade Rumors: Rockies, Santana, Castellanos, Jays, Pirates, Realmuto

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Before the Phillies traded Carlos Santana to the Mariners as part of the Jean Segura deal, Rockies GM Jeff Bridich told reporters (including The Athletic’s Nick Groke and Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post) that his team had also been in talks about the veteran first baseman.  We heard this morning that Colorado was likely to be an interested party if and when the Mariners explore flipping Santana as part of their ongoing fire sale.  In other first base news, Bridich also said the Rockies checked in with the Diamondbacks about Paul Goldschmidt prior to Goldschmidt being dealt to the Cardinals.  It seems like it may have been a short conversation, as the D’Backs “made it clear” that Goldschmidt wouldn’t be dealt to the Rockies.

With this reminder that divisional rivalries can still play a big factor in trade talks, let’s take a look at some other deal-making buzz from the Winter Meetings…

  • As the Mariners continue their teardown, GM Jerry Dipoto said that he has received a lot of calls about outfielder Mitch Haniger, though the team is much less interested in dealing such a controllable and inexpensive asset.  “We just weren’t willing to go there. I tell them if you want to blow me away, give it a shot,” Dipoto told the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish and other reporters.  “We’ve had [a] handful of teams try, but they haven’t quite gotten to where we would even consider it.”
  • The Dodgers have interest in Tigers right fielder Nick Castellanos, MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi tweets.  Castellanos “is not their highest priority,” however, as L.A. is exploring a wide range of other trade options.  MLB.com’s Jason Beck also reported things were quiet on the Castellanos front, suggesting that Detroit could get more interest after some of the free agent hitters start coming off the board.  As you might expect for a rebuilding team, the Tigers are open for business on the trade front, with GM Al Avila telling media (including Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press) that no player on the 25-man roster is untouchable.
  • Interest is “significant” in Blue Jays right-handers Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, GM Ross Atkins told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and other reporters.  Despite the buzz, it would be “very difficult” for the Jays to find a good deal for either pitcher.  It was a busy day in general for the Jays, who met with representatives from five different teams and five different agencies while exploring various trade and free agent options.
  • Ivan Nova, Francisco Cervelli, and Corey Dickerson have all been mentioned as possible trade candidates for the Pirates, though “it’s going to have to be something that makes sense for us in the big picture to have us entertain” offers, GM Neal Huntington told MLB.com’s Adam Berry and other media.  The trio will all be free agents after 2019, so it makes sense that Pittsburgh would explore trades if none seem likely to sign extensions or re-sign after the season.  That said, since the Bucs are aiming to compete this year, quality players on short-term commitments aren’t necessarily a major issue, even though payroll concerns are always a factor for the team.
  • With so many teams linked to J.T. Realmuto in trade rumors, Fancred Sports’ Jon Heyman lists seven teams as having “the best chance to land Realmuto” at this moment.  The list includes the Astros, Braves, Dodgers, Mets, Padres, Phillies, and Yankees, even if some of those clubs have denied interest in the Marlins catcher.  New York is one such team that has poured cold water on its involvement in the Realmuto talks, though Heyman wonders if the Yankees could only be part of a Realmuto trade if it was a three-team effort.

Pirates Notes: Searage, Rodriguez, Kuhl, Offseason

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The Pirates announced today that pitching coach Ray Searage will undergo cervical neck surgery this week (Twitter links via Adam Berry of MLB.com). He’s expected to resume his coaching duties once he’s sufficiently recovered, but he’ll cede those responsibilities to assistant pitching coach Justin Meccage for the time being. The 63-year-old Searage is widely regarded as one of the league’s best coaches, thanks largely to the Buccos’ numerous successful reclamation projects over the past several years (e.g. A.J. Burnett, Francisco Liriano, Edinson Volquez, Juan Nicasio). Best wishes to Searage in his recovery.

A bit more out of Pittsburgh…

  • Right-hander Richard Rodriguez, it seems, is another example of Searage’s positive impact on the club. Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette spoke to the 28-year-old Rodriguez about his breakout with the Pirates this season, and Rodriguez revealed that many of his teammates in the Dominican Winter League this past offseason, including Wandy Rodriguez, Edwin Espinal and Reese McGuire, vouched for Searage and bullpen coach Euclides Rojas as coaches who could strongly benefit the righty. Rodriguez first heard from the Bucs in November but was mulling interest from multiple clubs when teammates urged him to go to Pittsburgh. Brink chats with Rodriguez about his disappointment over quickly being cut loose by the Orioles after finally debuting last season as well as his long journey to the big leagues. He’s been a revelation for the Pirates, notching a terrific 2.61 ERA with 11.3 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 0.73 HR/9 and a 34.5 percent ground-ball rate in 62 innings.
  • Right-hander Chad Kuhl is set to be examined by Dr. David Altchek in New York this Tuesday after suffering a setback in his rehab from forearm/elbow tightness, tweets Biertempfel of The Athletic. Kuhl hasn’t taken the mound in a game since June 26 but was said to be progressing toward a return until he felt renewed tightness in his arm when prepping for a bullpen session on Tuesday.
  • In a full column (subscription link), Biertempfel looks at all of the players who were new to the Pirates’ Major League roster this season and examines their future. Notably, he speculates that right-hander Ivan Nova could emerge as a winter trade candidate in advance of the final season of his contract, while outfielder Corey Dickerson could be a candidate to be approached about a modest extension following the trade of Austin Meadows and the shoulder surgery for Gregory Polanco. Nova will earn $8.5MM next year and currently has a 4.07 ERA with 6.4 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and a 45.4 percent ground-ball rate in 152 2/3 innings. Dickerson, meanwhile, has faded after a huge start to the season but is hitting .289/.320/.449 with 11 homers and a vastly improved strikeout rate (24.2 percent in ’17, 15.1 percent in ’18). He’s also posted sensational defensive metrics (+13 DRS, +7.7 UZR) after previously grading out as a below-average defender.

Injury Notes: Snell, Dickerson, Fowler, Williams, Skaggs

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As expected, the Rays have activated left-hander Blake Snell to start tonight’s game against the White Sox. The first-time All-Star will be on a limited pitch count following a two-week DL stint for left shoulder fatigue. Following a trade of Chris Archer to the Pirates, Snell looks like the only reliable starter in a Rays rotation that continues to see relievers open games more often than the starters themselves. Snell’s pre-injury performance, of course, was phenomenal; his 2.27 ERA would be more than a run lower than his career best season.

Here are a few other disabled list transactions from around the league…

  • Pirates outfielder Corey Dickerson has been activated after a short stint on the disabled list; he’d been sidelined with a left hamstring strain. They’ll surely be glad to have him back after the club traded away notable outfield depth in the form of Austin Meadows at the July 31st deadline. While he’s active, Dickerson won’t be starting today’s game against the Cardinals (though he’ll presumably be available off the bench).
  • As expected after last night’s news, Cardinals outfielder Dexter Fowler will hit the DL after suffering a fractured foot. Fowler’s enduring a miserable season that’s by far his career worst; he’s managed to hit an absolutely wretched .180/.278/.298 across 334 plate appearances while playing middling outfield defense. Fangraphs rates him as being 1.2 wins below replacement level on the season after a 2.5 fWAR debut with the Cards last year.
  • Switch-hitting relief pitcher Taylor Williams is headed to the DL with right elbow soreness. It’s certainly bad news for a Brewers bullpen that’s seeing Corey Knebel struggle mightily of late. Williams has tossed 42 2/3 relief innings and managed to strike out 10.43 batters per nine innings, though he’s only managed to keep the ball on the ground 34.8% of the time and has walked a batter nearly every other inning on average. Williams is in the midst of his first full season in the majors after a 4 2/3 inning cup of coffee last year.
  • Angels hurler Tyler Skaggs is headed to the disabled list with a left adductor strain, the club has announced. Skaggs has described the injury as “extremely frustrating”, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. He apparently sustained it during his last start. In his stead, the Angels have called up right-hander Taylor Cole. The Angels, of course, have already seen their rotation annihilated by injuries this year, with Garrett Richards, Shohei Ohtani, J.C. Ramirez and Matt Shoemaker among the affected starters.

NL Notes: Mesoraco, Cubs, Bucs, Nats, Brewers

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There’s not much “momentum” on a trade involving Mets catcher Devin Mesoraco, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets, though he notes that a deal still may come together by the non-waiver deadline on Tuesday. Mesoraco has already been part of one trade this year, as he joined the Mets in May in a deal for now-Reds righty Matt Harvey. The 30-year-old Mesoraco has batted .230/.206/.393 with eight home runs in 219 plate appearances and caught 26 percent of would-be base stealers this season. He’ll be a free agent in the offseason.

More from the National League…

  • Cubs right-hander Tyler Chatwood is headed to the team’s bullpen to make room for just-acquired starter Cole Hamels, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com was among those to report. Chatwood joined the Cubs on a three-year, $38MM contract last winter, but the deal hasn’t worked out as planned for the club. Prior to his demotion to a relief role, Chatwood walked a ridiculous 8.14 batters per nine innings across 94 frames (19 starts) and pitched to a 4.98 ERA/5.57 FIP.
  • The Pirates placed outfielder Corey Dickerson (left hamstring strain) and first baseman Josh Bell (left oblique strain) on the 1o-day disabled list Saturday, per Jerry DiPaola of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review. The club recalled outfielder Austin Meadows and first baseman Jose Osuna from Triple-A to take their places. If not for Pittsburgh’s recent hot streak, it may have been in position to sell Dickerson prior to the deadline. The 29-year-old, who’s on a $5.95MM salary in 2o18 and has one arbitration-eligible season left, has batted a terrific .318/.351/.517 with 11 home runs in 367 plate appearances.
  • The Nationals reinstated outfield prospect Victor Robles from the disabled list Friday and activated him at the Triple-A level, according to Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. The 21-year-old Robles has missed nearly all of this season after suffering an elbow injury early in the spring. He continues to rank as one of the majors’ premier prospects, though, as evidenced by Baseball America grading him as the game’s sixth-best farmhand in its most recent top-100 list.
  • Brewers first base prospect Jake Gatewood will undergo season-ending surgery after suffering a torn left ACL, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com tweets. The 22-year-old Gatewood, Milwaukee’s 14th-best prospect at MLB Pipeline, hit .244/.302/.466 with 19 home runs in 388 PAs at the Double-A level this season.

Central Notes: Dawson, Martin, Dickerson, Machado

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Bob Nightengale of USA Today provides an interesting look at the post-playing career of Hall-of-Famer Andre Dawson, the slugging outfielder best remembered for his time with the Cubs and Expos. The Hawk now operates a funeral home with his wife in the Miami area, a surprising turn for a legendary ballplayer. Fans of the former great will certainly want to read the entire piece, which paints a compelling picture of Dawson and his new line of work.

Here’s the latest from the central divisions:

  • The Tigers announced that outfielder Leonys Martin is going on the DL, with fellow outfielder Mikie Mahtook taking his place on the active roster. A hamstring strain is the cause of the placement for Martin, who had been off to a solid start in Detroit. Thus far, he has amply justified the team’s $1.75MM investment, turning in a .294/.355/.508 slash in his 138 plate appearances. Though he has not been as effective on the bases as usual, that may just be a short-sample blip for a player who has long been excellent with his legs. And metrics view him as a quality defender in center. That could make Martin a useful trade chip come July if he’s able to get back to health and continue producing.
  • Over at Fangraphs, Jeff Sullivan examines the excellent work turned in thus far in 2018 by new Pirates outfielder Corey Dickerson. It really has been a fascinating showing to this point, as Dickerson is not just producing good numbers — a .333/.371/.550 slash — but is doing so while making vast improvements in his contact rate. Bucs fans will certainly want to give a full read to understand why and how the 28-year-old has thus far managed to change his approach and boost his productivity so significantly.
  • The summer trade picture is only just starting to take shape, but Manny Machado obviously represents a key component. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams wrote recently, it is hard to imagine the Orioles won’t end up trading him before he reaches free agency at season’s end. And the Cubs are shaping up to be an interesting fit, as Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Indeed, per the report, the Chicago organization has plans to discuss Machado with the O’s once the trade window begins to open. Of course, that’s hardly surprising and hardly suggests that the Cubs are a favorite. As Wittenmyer notes, the club has a relatively diminished upper-level talent pool to draw from in making a deal; while indications are that ownership is willing to green-light an aggressive approach, it’ll still be tough to pull off a deal. And the Cubs surely won’t be alone in pursuing Machado, who could be seen as a difference-maker for numerous rosters around the game.

AL East Notes: Hernandez, Swihart, Dickerson, Orioles

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The Red Sox told reporters today that infielder Marco Hernandez will miss the remainder of Spring Training after incurring a setback in his rehab from last year’s shoulder surgery (via MassLive.com’s Jen McCaffrey). Hernandez, who initially went under the knife late last May, went back to Boston for a second procedure this week after doctors determined that he needed to have the pins that were inserted into his shoulder during that initial operation removed. Manager Alex Cora said that Hernandez’s shoulder was feeling abnormally weak and sore following his spring workouts, which prompted the followup exam. There’s no timetable on his return at present.

  • Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston argues that while the Red Sox could benefit from a year of carrying the out-of-options Blake Swihart as a utility player, they may not ever get a higher return for him in a trade than they would this spring. Other clubs still view Swihart as a viable catching option, he notes, whereas a year of scarce opportunities behind the plate thanks to the presence of Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon could change that. The Sox seem to have three players for two bench spots — Brock Holt, Deven Marrero and Swihart, with the latter each being out of minor league options. On the flip side of the coin, one could also argue that a full year of production at the big league level, even in a part-time role. It also seems feasible that Sandy Leon could see his role diminish if his 2017 struggles at the plate carry over into the 2018 season.
  • Rays GM Erik Neander admitted to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that the decision to designate Corey Dickerson for assignment was “very difficult and something he didn’t deserve in that way.” However, the presence of so many corner options on the market were dragging out the Rays’ efforts to trade him, and the DFA served as a means of putting a clock on the process for interested trade parties, which ultimately accelerated the process. “With the market and how many guys were out there, we felt that the best way to try to accomplish something was to put a timer on it and expedite the process,” said Neander.
  • The Orioles are dealing with some early injuries in camp, writes MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko. Most notable is that of Jonathan Schoop, who was scratched from today’s lineup due to bursitis in his left elbow and is listed as day-to-day. The injury isn’t characterized as serious, but Kubatko notes that it underscores the team’s need to have a strong utility infielder on hand. With that in mind, Kubatko notes that Baltimore still plans to monitor the waiver wire and could continue to be active in picking up infield options in that manner. Kubatko also writes that righty Miguel Castro is suffering from patellar tendinitis in both knees and possibly some back soreness. He won’t make his first scheduled start of the spring. Castro is among the many internal candidates to fill in the fifth spot in the Baltimore rotation.

NL Central Notes: Dickerson, Reds, Senzel, Braun

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Pirates GM Neal Huntington suggested today that he expects new acquisition Corey Dickerson to handle the bulk of the action in left field for he coming season, as MLB.com’s Adam Berry report on Twitter. No doubt the Bucs will end up giving Dickerson some time off against lefties; while he performed well against southpaws last year, he has long carried wide platoon splits. But it seems the plan is to give him an opportunity to function as something approaching an everyday player, with the Pittsburgh organization evidently willing to stomach the less-than-stellar glovework Dickerson is reputed to deliver. Perhaps the biggest question will be whether the powerful 28-year-old can overcome an interesting problem identified by Travis Sawchik of Fangraphs in a piece today: a tendency to swing and miss at four-seam fastballs.

More from the NL Central:

  • Upon his arrival in camp, Reds star Joey Votto made clear he hopes the team can begin pushing toward consistent contention, as Gary Schatz writes in the Dayton Daily News. Votto’s stellar 2017 season was not enough to keep the club out of the NL Central cellar. Clearly, ending up anywhere near a winning record is going to require quite a lot of internal improvement given the organization’s limited additions over the winter. At some point, though, the Reds organization will surely look to outside acquisitions to help take the next step, a topic covered by Rian Watt of Fangraphs.
  • One key piece of the Reds picture, both in the near term and especially in the future, is top infield prospect Nick Senzel. Notably, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes, Senzel will see action at shortstop in what ought to be an interesting storyline to keep an eye on. Craig Edwards of Fangraphs looks at Senzel’s possible move up the scale of defensive difficulty and puts it in a broader context. Needless to say, the possibility is quite intriguing for the Reds. In other Senzel-related news, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer has the fun story of the 22-year-old’s conquest of minor-league skipper Pat Kelly, the Reds’ house wrestling champion who had long fended off challengers from the farm system. No doubt the front office is just relieved that everyone has emerged unscathed.
  • The Brewers’ plans regarding Ryan Braun are perhaps an underappreciated spring storyline. As Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes, the veteran slugger is going to find time at first base and perhaps also second. That would potentially allow the club to balance the demands of finding enough time for Braun after adding Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich to an outfield that already featured Domingo Santana (with Brett Phillips and others also pushing up from the farm). As a long-time star corner outfielder who is now 34 years of age, Braun is an unusual candidate to turn into a utility player of sorts. But it’s also interesting to consider the potential upside as well as the merits of limiting the load on Braun, who has had his share of nicks and scrapes over the years. Just how things look on Opening Day, though, still aren’t clear. It still seems possible Santana could be dealt. And Jon Heyman of Fan Rag argues the organization still needs to add a significant rotation piece if it hopes to keep pace.

Pirates Acquire Corey Dickerson From Rays

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1:17pm: The Pirates are sending the Rays $1MM as part of the trade, reports Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic (Twitter link). In essence, then, they’ll spend an additional $1.45MM to turn Hudson into Dickerson, while the Rays will add a reliever to their ’pen, a prospect to the lower levels of their farm system, and trim $1.45MM from their 2018 payroll.

12:24pm: The Pirates announced that they’ve acquired outfielder Corey Dickerson from the Rays in exchange for reliever Daniel Hudson, minor league infielder Tristan Gray and cash.

Corey Dickerson | Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay recently designated Dickerson, 28, for assignment in a move that came as a surprise to many. Dickerson posted solid overall numbers in 2017, hitting .282/.325/.490 with 27 homers in 629 trips to the plate. Dickerson, though, faded badly after a strong start to the season.

Though Dickerson hit .326/.369/.570 with 17 homers through the season’s first three months, that production was supported by a .374 BABIP that he didn’t seem especially likely to maintain. That number came back down to earth from July through season’s end as Dickerson’s strikeout rate rose to nearly 29 percent, and he batted just .232/.273/.397 with 10 homers and an 82-to-16 K/BB ratio in the final three months of the season.

That said, Dickerson still has an overall track record as a quality bat, as evidenced by a lifetime .280/.325/.504 slash and 119 OPS+. He’ll earn $5.95MM in 2018 and is controllable for one more year via arbitration before he can reach free agency.

The Pirates desperately needed some outfield help following this offseason’s trade of former face of the franchise Andrew McCutchen, and Dickerson should slot into the organization as the team’s new everyday left fielder. Defensive metrics aren’t exactly bullish on his glovework in the outfield, though he’s graded out as generally average or slightly above-average in left field over the past two seasons after drawing poor marks early in his career with the Rockies. He’ll be joined in the outfield by Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco, each of whom is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2017 season.

[Related: Updated Pittsburgh Pirates depth chart]

Though Dickerson isn’t likely to recreate the massive performance he rode to his first career All-Star appearance in the first half last season, he should nonetheless serve as an offensive upgrade over the Pirates’ internal options in left field. Adam Frazier and Jordan Luplow were two of the main candidates for that gig on the 40-man roster, while veterans Michael Saunders and Daniel Nava are in camp as non-roster invitees to Spring Training. Certainly, the Dickerson pickup places a significant roadblock to either veteran making the roster, and it’s fair to wonder if they’ll ultimately be allowed to seek other opportunities.

Daniel Hudson | Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

In Hudson, the Rays will pick up a hard-throwing veteran reliever looking for a rebound season of his own. Hudson’s contract calls for him to earn $5.5MM this season, so the two contracts nearly cancel each other out. However, the Pirates are also sending cash to the Rays in the deal, so it appears that Tampa Bay will come out ahead, financially speaking, in the swap.

Hudson, 31 early next month, posted a 4.38 ERA with 9.6 K/9, 4.8 BB/9, 1.02 HR/9 and a 43.3 percent ground-ball rate while averaging 95.6 mph on his fastball through 61 2/3 innings last year. A converted starter that has twice undergone Tommy John surgery in his career, Hudson has a 4.59 ERA in the ’pen over the past three-plus seasons since making the switch, but secondary metrics have been considerably more optimistic based on his strikeout rates and, outside of last season, his control. In 192 1/3 frames as a reliever, Hudson has a 3.84 FIP and 3.78 SIERA.

Tampa Bay executives Erik Neander and Chaim Bloom recently downplayed the possibility of the Rays trading closer Alex Colome before the season begins, so it seems that Hudson will pair with recently re-signed Sergio Romo to give the Rays another experienced arm in their setup corps.

The addition of that pair of veteran arms will allow the Rays to lean less heavily on what had looked to be a largely inexperienced group of relievers outside of Colome and southpaw Dan Jennings. Andrew Kittredge, Chaz Roe, Austin Pruitt, Ryne Stanek, Jose Alvarado and Chih-Wei Hu wiill be among the names vying for the remaining bullpen spots with the Rays this spring now that Hudson is on board.

[Related: Updated Tampa Bay Rays depth chart]

Gray, meanwhile, was Pittsburgh’s 13th-round pick in last year’s draft and posted a .269/.329/.486 slash with seven homers and five steals in 53 games for the Pirates’ short-season Class-A affiliate last year. The second baseman was an honorable mention on Fangraphs’ list of the Pirates’ Top 25 prospects, with Eric Longenhagen pointing to a long track record of production as an amateur but also labeling his overall offensive profile as “middling.”

All told, it’s a fairly underwhelming return for Dickerson, though that’s largely indicative of the manner in which bat-first corner outfielders have been devalued in the current economic climate of baseball. The Rays surely tried to trade Dickerson for much of the winter but seemingly found no takers before designating him for assignment, and even in this swap it seems that Tampa Bay had to agree to take on some salary to work out a deal. Jay Bruce managed to score a three-year, $39MM pact with a similar, albeit superior overall profile at the plate, but both the trade and free-agent markets for good-not-great corner outfielders have been rather tepid over the past couple of seasons.

It seems plausible that the Rays simply felt they could utilize a full season of Mallex Smith in a corner outfield spot without losing much in the way of overall value, and elected to turn Dickerson into an alternative Major League asset. The surprising trade of Steven Souza that followed Dickerson’s DFA, as the Rays’ front office told it recently, was more or less a function of an unexpected and aggressive pursuit of Souza by the Diamondbacks, who promised a prospect package the Rays felt they could not afford to turn away. The Rays were then able to capitalize on a weak free-agent market and bring in Carlos Gomez at a bargain rate — a move that further reflects the dwindling value of above-average offensive outfielders that aren’t premium defensive assets.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AL Notes: Moose, Royals, Rays, Dickerson, O’s, Mauer, Ellsbury

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The Eric Hosmer era is over in Kansas City, and free agent third baseman Mike Moustakas could become the next Royals cornerstone to head elsewhere. Although general manager Dayton Moore said earlier this month that Moustakas hasn’t prioritized re-signing with the Royals this offseason, it’s still possible he’ll re-up with KC, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag (Twitter link). Now that the Royals are out of the running for Hosmer, they have the funds to bring back Moustakas, Heyman notes. There hasn’t been a strong market for the 29-year-old Moustakas’ services this offseason, but if the qualifying offer recipient does leave the Royals, they would net a compensatory pick in this year’s draft. They’re already in line to receive two, thanks to the departures of Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain.

More out of the American League:

  • The Rays would’ve been the biggest story in baseball last night if not for the Hosmer news, having designated outfielder Corey Dickerson for assignment in an eye-opening move, acquired first baseman C.J. Cron from the Angels and traded righty Jake Odorizzi to the Twins. It wasn’t at all surprising that the Rays dealt Odorizzi, who had been in trade rumors for months, but it was unexpected that they only received a borderline top 30 Twins prospect (Single-A shortstop Jermaine Palacios) in return. General manager Erik Neander addressed that, telling Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times and other reporters that the Rays “probably have him valued quite a bit higher than some of the public publications.” Ultimately, with the Rays set to begin full-squad workouts on Monday, parting with Odorizzi and Dickerson was something they had to do, according to Neander. “You just don’t want a cloud of uncertainty hanging over our group,” he said. “It was time to move forward.” Even if the Rays end up cutting Dickerson and getting nothing back, they’ll justify it as essentially trading two years of control over him for three of Cron and saving money in the process, per Topkin. After parting with Odorizzi and Dickerson, the club could use its added “financial flexibility” to “reinvest” in free agency, Neander said Sunday (Twitter link via Topkin).
  • A Dickerson trade was not imminent as of last night, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported (Twitter link), but a deal could come together with the AL East rival Orioles, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun suggests. The Orioles, who have been on the lookout for a lefty-hitting outfielder for months, “will undoubtedly inquire about Dickerson,” Encina writes. Dickerson has impressed Orioles manager Buck Showalter in the past, relays Encina, who adds that being in the same division hasn’t stopped the Rays and O’s from swinging deals at previous points (Baltimore acquired infielder Tim Beckham from Tampa Bay last season, for instance).
  • Set to wrap up his eight-year, $184MM contract this season, Twins icon Joe Mauer tells Phil Miller of the Star Tribune he and the team haven’t engaged in any extension talks. But Mauer plans to continue his career in 2019 “if I can still contribute,” and the first baseman is hopeful he’ll still be in a Twins uniform then. “This is where I want to be. This is where my family is, where my daughters are growing up,” said the St. Paul native. “I have no intention of going anywhere else. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.” The former superstar catcher enjoyed a strong year at the plate in 2017 with a .305/.384/.417 line in 597 PAs.
  • Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was somewhat popular in the rumor mill during the winter, but he informed Jack Curry of the YES Network and other reporters Sunday that the team never approached him about waiving his no-trade clause (Twitter link). It would’ve been (and would still be) a tall order for the Yankees to move Ellsbury, who hasn’t delivered as hoped during his four-year Bronx tenure and still has another $68MM left on his contract. He’ll spend the spring trying to reclaim his old job as New York’s starting center fielder, a role Aaron Hicks usurped in 2017.

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