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Quick Hits: Acuna, Taylor, Rogers

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Ronald Acuna was the most-anticipated Braves prospect in decades, and in spite of the extreme hype, he managed to not only meet expectations, but surpass them in most cases. David O’Brien of The Athletic details an oral history in celebration of what’s known as the Year of Acuna. The phenom hit .293/.366/.552 en route to a 3.7 fWAR season that won him the NL Rookie of the Year award, and became the youngest player in history to hit a grand slam in the postseason. Because he opened the year in the minors, Braves fans will have the privilege of watching Acuna play in Atlanta for at least six more seasons.

A pair of other small items…

  • Although Nationals outfielder Michael A. Taylor struggled mightily at the end of the 2018 season, the club is hopeful that he’ll be able to revert to the promise he showed in a 3.1 fWAR 2017 campaign. Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post details the storyline as it stands, including a few poignant quotes from GM Mike Rizzo. “If he figures out the contact portion of it a little bit better, you are talking about a guy that could have five tools,” he explained. “He’s had flashes of it in the past and he just needs to be more consistent in his approach at the plate, because the kid’s a really good player.” While Taylor did indeed show a lot of talent in 2017, it’s well-worth noting that the biggest difference between that and his 2018 performance was a 43-point difference in BABIP. Still, Taylor’s power numbers inexplicably plummeted last season as well, leaving room for optimism in regards to a potential rebound.
  • Jake Rogers is still the Tigers’ catcher of the future, Anthony Fenech writes in a piece for Baseball America, but he’ll have to do better than the .219/.305/.412 batting line he posted across 408 plate appearances at Double-A Erie this past season. According to GM Al Avila, Rogers is likely to begin the 2019 season at that same level. “Depending on how spring training goes, we’ll make a decision there,” he said at the winter meetings. “But I would say we’re kind of leaning towards (Erie), just for his own good.” The Tigers would “like to see him improve upon the offense” before giving him a promotion to the minors’ highest level. Vice President of Player Personnel Dave Littlefield offered something in the way of optimism regarding Rogers’ capabilities, expressing “no doubt” that he’ll be able to make the necessary adjustments in his swing, adding that he improved late in the year with some minor tweaks. Rogers was taken in third round of the 2016 draft, and currently ranks 12th among Detroit’s prospects.

Dodgers Seeking “Impact” Right-Handed Hitter

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Los Angeles has been a speculative landing spot for left-handed slugger Bryce Harper this offseason, but the Dodgers are currently focused on improving their group of righty-swingers. After trading away right-handed regulars Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp on Friday, it’s “likely” the club will pick up “an impact right-handed bat,” Jon Morosi of MLB.com writes. To that end, the Dodgers are actively pursuing a trade for a right-handed catcher and/or second baseman, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets, while Morosi adds that they could land an outfielder.

As a result of the departures of Puig and Kemp – not to mention the potential exits of Manny Machado, Yasmani Grandal and Brian Dozier in free agency – the Dodgers are currently sporting a lefty-heavy lineup. Their only projected starters who can hit from the right side are third baseman Justin Turner, infielder/outfielder Chris Taylor and catcher Austin Barnes, and the latter is coming off a miserable season at the plate. There’s certainly room for improvement, then, and as Morosi points out, the Dodgers have shown interest in a few established right-handed bats this offseason in Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto, Tigers outfielder Nicholas Castellanos and free-agent second baseman DJ LeMahieu.

In Realmuto’s case, no team has been able to satisfy the rebuilding Marlins enough to pry the coveted backstop out of Miami. Meanwhile, despite Castellanos’ well-known defensive shortcomings and his lack of long-term control (he’s arbitration eligible for just one more year, at a projected $11.9MM), the non-contending Tigers have placed a “high” asking price on him, Morosi tweets. And, stellar 2016 season aside, LeMahieu may be closer to a mediocre hitter than a game-changer – as shown by the longtime Rockie’s lack of power (49 home runs, .108 ISO) and unspectacular wRC+ (90) across 3,799 major league plate appearances.

In addition to Grandal, Realmuto, Castellanos and LeMahieu, Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli, Cardinals first baseman/outfielder Jose Martinez and free-agent center fielder A.J. Pollock were each connected to LA before it shipped Puig and Kemp out of town. Anyone from that group would help the Dodgers in their quest to upgrade their right-handed attack at positions of need.

Speculatively speaking, there may be plenty of other righty-capable possibilities on the Dodgers’ radar. At least some of White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu, Mariners first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak, Marlins second baseman Starlin Castro, Padres corner outfielder/infielder Wil Myers and Yankees third baseman Miguel Andujar (who’d perhaps make sense at first or in the outfield for the Dodgers) may be logical targets for the club via trade. There are fewer formidable options in free agency, on the other hand, though utilityman Marwin Gonzalez and second baseman Jed Lowrie – a pair of switch-hitters – stand out as potential fits for LA.

While the Dodgers hope to assemble a more balanced lineup, they may ultimately eschew that plan if it means signing Harper, Morosi suggests. As far as this winter’s free-agent class goes, it’s debatable whether Harper is superior to Machado – a fellow 26-year-old superstar who’s also verging on a historic contract. Considering their positions, though, it seems Harper is a better match for LA’s roster, and he reportedly wants to sign with the back-to-back National League champions.

Tigers Sign Eduardo Paredes, Chris Smith To Minor League Deals

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The Tigers announced Wednesday that they’ve signed right-handers Eduardo Paredes and Chris Smith to minor league pacts with invitations to Major League Spring Training. Lefty Nick Ramirez, too, has been added on a minors pact, though he won’t be in big league camp, it seems.

Despite seeing big league action with the Angels in both 2017 and 2018, Paredes is still just 23 years of age and won’t turn 24 until March. The righty showed a bit of promise in 22 1/3 innings with the Halos in 2017 but was bludgeoned to the tune of a 6.87 ERA in 18 1/3 innings in the 2018 campaign. In all, Paredes has a 5.53 ERA with 7.1 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 1.55 HR/9 and a 44.1 percent ground-ball rate in 40 2/3 frames as a big leaguer. His average fastball has sat at a solid but unspectacular 93.3 mph over his two MLB campaigns, and he’s posted below-average marks in terms of swinging-strike rate and opponents’ chase rate.

Paredes has had a fair bit of success in the upper minors, however, and he moved quickly through the lower minor league ranks while posting gaudy strikeout totals along the way. Given his relative youth, there’s perhaps still some hope that he could yet develop into a usable reliever at the MLB level. A rebuilding club like the Tigers should be able to provide him ample opportunity, should he earn a roster spot in camp or force his way onto the MLB roster with a strong Triple-A showing.

The 30-year-old Smith has just five big league innings under his belt, all of which came with the Blue Jays back in 2017. He spent the 2018 campaign with the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate and pitched fairly well, notching a 3.93 ERA with 10.6 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 1.15 HR/9 and a 32.2 percent grounder rate. All but one of Smith’s 189 appearances in the minors has been a relief outing, and he’s generally shown an ability to register more than a strikeout per inning with solid control. Like Paredes, his fastball sits 93-94 mph, and a slider is his go-to secondary offering.

As for Ramirez, the 29-year-old is a first baseman turned pitcher who has had success on the mound at the Double-A level but struggled in Triple-A. The former Brewers farmhand has a pristine 1.48 ERA with 7.3 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 in 109 innings of Double-A work, but Triple-A batters have handled him with ease. In 38 innings at the minors’ top level, Ramirez has a 5.66 ERA with more walks allowed (21) than strikeouts recorded (18). Of course, he’s still rather new to pitching at the professional level, and much of those 38 innings came in the hitters’ paradise that is the Pacific Coast League — specifically in hitter-friendly Colorado Springs.

Troy Tulowitzki Hosts Workout For MLB Clubs

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At least 11 teams were on hand to watch Troy Tulowitzki work out earlier today, reports Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports. The Giants, Angels, Red Sox, Cubs, Padres, White Sox, Orioles, Yankees, Phillies, Tigers and Pirates were all represented at the showcase, Brown reports (as were other, unnamed teams), with some clubs even sending their top executives to get a first-hand look at the former Rockies star. Angels GM Billy Eppler was in attendance, per Brown, as were new Giants president of baseball ops Farhan Zaidi and manager Bruce Bochy.

Since being released by the Blue Jays last week — with two years and $38MM remaining on his contract — Tulowitzki has been separately connected to a handful of teams including the Pirates, the Yankees, the Cubs and the Giants. His agent, Paul Cohen, recently told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that Tulowitzki is open to playing second base or third base with a new team. Brown, notably, writes that the biggest appeal for Tulowitzki will be the promise of regular at-bats at one positions (as opposed to moving between those three spots in a utility role).

It doesn’t seem as though there’s any early favorite to add Tulowitzki, who’ll cost his new team only the Major League minimum of $555K next season. (Toronto is on the hook for the remainder of his salary.) At that price, it’s justifiable for virtually any team to take a look at Tulowitzki and see if he can rediscover some of the form that once made him one of the game’s premier players. While few would expect him to return to his 2013-14 levels of output, that type of performance is hardly necessary from someone whose new team will pay him the league minimum. Tulowitzki’s bat was at least league-average in both 2015 and 2016, so if he’s healthy there’s plenty of reason to believe he can at least be fairly productive at the dish. How he adjusts defensively after undergoing surgery on both heels last year could be a more pressing question — particularly if he’s also adjusting to a new position after spending his entire pro career at shortstop.

Trade Candidate Faceoff: Yasiel Puig Vs. Nicholas Castellanos

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For at least the past year, a pair of right fielders – the Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig and the Tigers’ Nicholas Castellanos – have been among the majors’ biggest potential trade chips. Neither player has gone anywhere to this point, but it now looks like only a matter of time before both Puig and Castellanos don new uniforms.

During this week’s Winter Meetings, reports surfaced indicating the Dodgers are “actively” attempting to trade Puig and the Tigers are “determined” to ship out Castellanos. As of now, Puig and Castellanos haven’t been connected to the same teams in the rumor mill, but it stands to reason they’d have similar suitors. Los Angeles may even replace Puig with Castellanos, who would likely offer analogous on-field value and perhaps cause fewer behind-the-scenes headaches.

A native of Cuba, Puig signed with the Dodgers to great fanfare in 2012 and made a dazzling debut the next season, when he was as captivating as he was productive. The early version of Puig – the one who often inspired awe at the plate, in the field and on the bases – was not only a perfect fit for Hollywood, but he was also among the majors’ elite players. From 2013-14, Puig’s first two seasons, only Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera, Andrew McCutchen and Paul Goldschmidt finished ahead of him in wRC+ (153). Meanwhile, just those four and 10 other position players outdid Puig in fWAR (9.5), despite the fact that he accrued fewer plate appearances than everyone near the top of the leaderboard.

Had Puig continued to produce at anything resembling the blistering pace of his first two seasons, it’s possible the Dodgers may have worked to extend him by now. Instead, the 28-year-old’s numbers nosedived after his second season, and his relationship with the Dodgers has soured along the way. Thanks in part to those factors, Puig’s entering his last year of team control, and it seems like a strong possibility that he has taken his final at-bat with the championship-contending Dodgers.

There haven’t been any reports of problems between Castellanos and the Tigers, on the other hand. Nevertheless, as a team in a rebuild, Detroit’s positioned to bid goodbye to Castellanos – whom it chose in the first round of the 2010 draft. Like Puig, the soon-to-be 27-year-old Castellanos is entering his final season of control, and the two players are projected to earn matching $11.3MM salaries in 2019. The similarities continue in the form of their respective outputs dating back to 2016, Castellanos’ breakout season.

Since Castellanos finally began living up to the billing he had as a prospect, he has accumulated 1,790 PAs and 7.0 fWAR on the strength of a .285/.336/.495 batting line – good for a healthy 121 wRC+. During the same period, Puig totaled far fewer PAs (1,382) but still managed 5.8 fWAR, thanks largely to a .264/.334/.470 slash and a 115 wRC+. Puig also swiped 35 bases, easily trumping Castellanos’ seven, and destroyed his fellow trade candidate in the field. From 2016-18, only nine outfielders piled up more Defensive Runs Saved than Puig’s 29. Meanwhile, Castellanos has struggled to find a position – he was a butcher at third base from 2016-17 and also fared poorly in the outfield last season. Consequently, Castellanos’ future may be at first base or designated hitter.

Aside from their dissimilarities in the field and on the bases, the two right-handed hitters have also provided their offensive production in different ways. Castellanos tortured left-handers from 2017-18 – a 308-PA sample in which he slashed .338/.386/.585 (159 wRC+) – whereas Puig was borderline unplayable versus southpaws in the same span. Although Puig was a formidable presence against lefties earlier in his career, they held him to a feeble .197/.292/.320 line and a horrid 66 wRC+ over the previous two seasons and 259 PAs. As a result, the Dodgers limited his playing time when a righty wasn’t on the hill last season, reportedly leading to discontentment from Puig and an open-minded attitude toward a trade.

Both Puig and Castellanos may well have new homes come 2019, potentially joining the top free-agent corner outfielders – Bryce Harper, Michael Brantley and McCutchen – in that regard. McCutchen’s already off the board, and for teams that aren’t in position to ink Harper to a record contract or hand Brantley a lucrative multiyear payday, Puig and Castellanos could represent appealing alternatives. The question is: Which player would you rather have?

(poll link for app users)

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mets Notes: Grandal, Castellanos, Pollock

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Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen has not stopped knocking on a multitude doors as he keeps working to improve his just-inherited roster. The latest news involves the team’s efforts to upgrade behind the dish and to boost its outfield mix.

While J.T. Realmuto has been — and still is — a top target for the Mets, the club has also been connected to numerous other receiving possibilities on the open market. The New York org is “moving closer to resolution” of its catching situation, per Andy Martino of SNY.tv (Twitter links).

As Van Wagenen and co. narrow their options, top free agent Yasmani Grandal is said to be a “very serious” possibility. That’d mean topping the market for a player who is among the best in baseball at his position — postseason foibles aside.

Certainly, Grandal would be more than an adequate consolation prize if Marlins star J.T. Realmuto can’t be had. The 30-year-old switch-hitter has posted a strong 116 wRC+ since the start of the 2016 season. Despite his well-documented issues with, well, catching the baseball in October, Grandal is a gifted overall defender. He frames about as well as anyone and is good at limiting the running game.

If the Mets aren’t able to add offense behind the plate, Van Wagenen has suggested, that’d increase the need to do so in the outfield. It seems the club would like a right-handed-hitting bat, preferably one capable of lining up in center defensively.

Tigers outfielder Nicholas Castellanos certainly has the offensive game the Mets would desire, though he’s not an option up the middle and has graded quite poorly even in a corner. Still, the two teams have discussed trade scenarios, per Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free-Press (Twitter link), with the Detroit organization maintaining a steep asking price to this point in talks, which remain ongoing with multiple clubs.

MLBTR and contributor Matt Swartz project Castellanos to earn $11.3MM in 2019, his final season of arbitration eligibility. That’s a notable sum for a Mets club that’s seeking to pack in as much talent within its payroll limits (the specifics of which are not really known). But Castellanos would only require a single-season commitment, as he’ll be a free agent at the end of the ’19 campaign.

That’s not to say that the Mets have moved off of A.J. Pollock, who’d certainly be a cleaner fit for their roster but will require a much more significant commitment. Martino adds on Twitter that the club remains “serious” about the veteran center fielder as an option.

MLBTR graded both Grandal and Pollock among the ten best players on the open market this winter. We predicted that both would secure four-year deals, with the former at $64MM and the latter at $60MM.

Tigers Sign Jordy Mercer

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The Tigers on Friday announced the signing of longtime Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer to a one-year contract. The Scott Boras client will reportedly receive a $5.25MM guarantee as well as another $250K of available incentives. Today’s signing gives the Detroit organization a full 40-man roster.

Jordy Mercer | Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

“One of our priorities this offseason was to sign a shortstop, and Jordy is a solid addition to our ball club,” said GM Al Avila in a statement announcing the move. “He was one of the players we targeted heading into the offseason, and we’re really drawn to his consistency, both on the field at a premium position and in the clubhouse as a player that is a true veteran leader.”

The 32-year-old Mercer will be switching teams for the first time, as he has spent his entire professional career in the Pirates organization since Pittsburgh selected him in the third round of the 2008 draft. Mercer developed into an unspectacular but steady regular for the Bucs at shortstop, generating 7.6 fWAR and hitting .257/.317/.383 with 54 homers over 2928 plate appearances since the start of the 2013 season. Defensively, Mercer’s glovework has dipped below the average threshold over the past three seasons, as per Defensive Runs Saved (-19) and UZR/150 metrics.

Mercer represents just the type of veteran stopgap at shortstop at the Tigers were looking for this winter, as Jose Iglesias was heading into free agency. Youngsters Dawel Lugo, Willi Castro, and Isaac Paredes are all waiting in the wings as Detroit’s potential infielders of the future, so it could be a one-year relationship at most for Mercer and the Tigers. The club could even explore dealing Mercer at the trade deadline depending on how things play out. He’ll likely bring a bit more offense to the table than his predecessor, though it’s unlikely that he’ll match Iglesias’ sterling glovework.

Fancred Sports’ Jon Heyman reported the agreement between the two sides and Mercer’s salary (Twitter links). MLB.com’s Jon Morosi initially reported the talks between the two sides as well as the one-year term of the contract (Twitter links).

Tigers Trade Tyler Hill To Yankees

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  • The Yankees announced today that they’ve acquired outfielder Tyler Hill from the Tigers in exchange for cash. Detroit had selected Hill out of the Red Sox organization in the Triple-A phase of yesterday’s Rule 5 Draft. Set to turn 23 in March, Hill spent last season with Boston’s Class-A Advanced affiliate in Salem, where he hit .254/.348/.312 through 498 plate appearances. Hill has just 14 homers in 351 professional games, but he’s swiped 93 bases in that time — highlighted by a 42-steal campaign in 2017.

Tigers Sign Chris Smith, Eduardo Paredes To Minor League Deals

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  • The Tigers have signed right-handers Chris Smith and Eduardo Paredes to minor league deals, according to Robert Murray of The Athletic and Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. The 30-year-old Smith has only picked up five big league innings – with the Blue Jays in 2017. He spent last season with the Nationals’ Triple-A club and notched a 3.93 ERA/3.88 FIP with 10.64 K/9 and 3.44 BB/9 in 55 frames. The Angels outrighted the 23-year-old Paredes last month, ending a run with the organization that began in 2012. Paredes saw some major league action with the Halos from 2017-18 and posted a 5.53 ERA/5.08 FIP with 7.08 K/9 and 2.88 BB/9 over 40 2/3 innings. He was more successful the past two years at Triple-A, where he put up a 3.86 ERA with 8.3 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9 in 79 1/3 frames.

A's Interested In Blaine Hardy

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  • The Athletics have some interest in Tigers left-hander Blaine Hardy, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser reports.  Hardy started 13 of his 30 appearances in 2018 and posted some generally solid (3.56 ERA, 3.00 K/BB rate) numbers, though he didn’t miss many bats with a 6.9 K/9.  Hardy is only projected to earn $1.2MM next season and he is controllable through two more arbitration-eligible seasons beyond 2019, making him a particularly good fit for the budget-conscious A’s.  With a rotation still dotted with injury question marks, the A’s could use Hardy as a swingman again, deploying him as a starter on occasion or possibly coming in to pitch after an “opener” starts the game.  Despite this need for pitching, Oakland could be playing the waiting game on starting options, as Slusser notes that the club has yet to contact free agent arms like Derek Holland, Gio Gonzalez, or Lance Lynn.  Also from Slusser’s piece, he notes that the Athletics will still look to re-sign catcher Jonathan Lucroy even after acquiring Chris Herrmann yesterday.
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