Tigers Rumors

Avila: Tigers Won’t Exceed Luxury Tax Line In 2018

By Jeff Todd | January 27, 2017 at 9:22pm CDT

While the Tigers’ efforts to streamline their roster may not have advanced much this offseason — a scenario that was contemplated at the outset — that doesn’t mean the plan has changed for the years to come. As Anthony Fench of the Detroit Free-Press reports, GM Al Avila says his organization will not continue its current spending levels past the 2017 season.

“Our situation, really, it’s a tough situation,” said Avila. “Everybody’s looked at our payroll, and it’s over $200 million. This will be the second year we’re going over the luxury tax; we certainly are not going to go over the luxury tax for a third year.”

As the veteran baseball executive explained, it’s not just a matter of the team spending “above its means,” as Avila put it last October. There’s also the matter of the new CBA, which would impose a 50% tax on any spending over the luxury tax line of $197MM.

All told, it’s hardly surprising to hear this stance. Detroit has signaled for some time now that a broader shift in approach is in the works, with the organization unable to continue spending near the very top of the league and the current competitive window narrowing.

Looking at the Tigers’ future commitments, there’s just over $138MM already committed for next year. Arb raises will likely occupy another big chunk, and then there’s the likely-to-be-exercised Ian Kinsler option ($10MM). But Detroit ought to have little problem dipping back under the limbo stick with big earners such as J.D. Martinez, Anibal Sanchez (who technically could be retained on a $16MM option), Mike Pelfrey, Francisco Rodriguez, and Mark Lowe hitting the market.

The biggest future payroll questions, though, are largely out of Detroit’s hands. Outfielder Justin Upton has the right to opt out of his contract following the 2017 season, but he’ll likely need to improve upon his 2016 performance quite a bit in order to pass up the $88.5MM he’d stand to earn from 2018-21. And any possible trades involving highly paid veterans Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and Jordan Zimmermann would be contingent upon approval from the players, all of whom have full no-trade protection (though Zimmermann’s full protection turns to partial protection after 2018). Upton has a twenty-team no-trade clause.

AL Central Notes: Frazier, V-Mart, Indians, Grossman

By Steve Adams | January 26, 2017 at 7:37pm CDT

White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier is currently wearing a splint as he recovers from a sprained finger in his left hand, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (all Twitter links). Frazier first felt pain in his hand late in the season and experienced the issue again when he began his offseason workouts recently. He’s already had one MRI on the issue which appears to have checked out well, as Rosenthal adds that Frazier is expected to be ready for Spring Training. The injury hasn’t had any impact on the White Sox’ ability to trade Frazier this winter, per Rosenthal. It’ll be worth keeping in mind this spring and early in the season, though, as any lingering effects could impact Frazier’s performance and trade value as the year progresses.

A few more notes out of the AL Central…

Tigers GM Al Avila told reporters, including Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press, that Victor Martinez played much of the 2016 season with a small hernia that he had surgically repaired in October. Fenech writes that the umbilical hernia repair was less significant than the sports hernia/core muscle surgery that many players undergo each season, adding that Martinez was back at full strength just a couple weeks after the surgery. Avila stressed that V-Mart is 100 percent healthy, noting that the slugger is planning to play for Team Venezuela in this year’s World Baseball Classic. Martinez is owed $18MM in each of the next two seasons — his age-38 and age-39 campaigns.
The Indians are “scouring” the market and keeping an eye out for relievers, utility options and corner bats even after inking Austin Jackson to a minor league deal yesterday, Rosenthal tweets. Cleveland’s payroll is already at franchise-record level, and the 25-man roster looks to be largely rounded out, though there could be room on the fringes (e.g. the final bench spot or the final slot in the bullpen).
Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press spoke to Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey about switch-hitting outfielder/DH Robbie Grossman, who opened last season with the Indians in Triple-A but opted out in April to sign a deal with the Twins. Grossman went on to slash .280/.386/.443 in 389 plate appearances with Minnesota and was especially productive against left-handed pitching. Falvey, of course, was an assistant GM with Cleveland last year and offered praise for Grossman’s abilities as well as a hint about his role on the 2017 Twins. “We didn’t quite have the spot for him at the major league level, but I’m really happy about what panned out for him,” said Falvey. “…Robbie’s a guy that clearly, from the right side of the plate, has a chance to do some damage — real damage.” Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler figure to see the bulk of playing time in left and right field, but both are left-handed bats that struggled against left-handed pitching last season, which could lead to a platoon arrangement of sorts in 2017.

Outrighted: Anthony Gose, Zach Neal, Jabari Blash

By Jeff Todd | January 25, 2017 at 5:56pm CDT

Here are the day’s minor moves:

The Tigers announced that center fielder Anthony Gose has been outrighted after clearing waivers, per a team announcement. He won’t have an opportunity to reject the assignment, as it’s his first time being outrighted and he hasn’t yet reached three years of major league service. Still just 26, Gose lost his role on the Tigers last year and struggled upon his demotion to the upper minors (in addition to being suspended after a dugout spat with then-Triple-A skipper Lloyd McClendon). He could yet play a role in Detroit’s outfield mix, but will surely need to earn his way back. In 1,252 plate appearances over parts of five seasons in the majors, Gose owns a .240/.309/.348 batting line with 57 steals.
Also outrighted following a DFA was Athletics righty Zach Neal. The 28-year-old appeared in the majors for the first time in 2016, posting a 4.24 ERA over 70 innings. Reflecting his long history as a low-strikeout, low-walk hurler, Neal retired just 27 opposing batters via strikes but also put only six on base via the free pass. Having cleared waivers, and lacking the ability to reject an assignment, he’ll provide the A’s with some upper-level pitching depth in 2017.
The same fate awaits outfielder Jabari Blash, who’ll stay with the Padres after clearing outright waivers. The 27-year-old didn’t produce at the MLB level and faced a tough path to playing time with numerous others deserving of opportunities in San Diego. But he has been awfully impressive at Triple-A over the last few years, posting a cumulative .246/.364/.550 slash with 45 long balls over 646 total plate appearances.

Tigers Notes: Kinsler, Zimmermann, Center Field, Gose

By Jeff Todd | January 20, 2017 at 9:25pm CDT

Ian Kinsler’s stance on his limited no-trade clause — that he’d want an extension to waive it, per his agent — seemed to complicate potential trade talks between the Dodgers and Tigers. But it was never known just what kind of new contract he’d have sought, and the veteran second baseman suggested today that the trade protection wouldn’t have posed a major barrier, as MLB.com’s Jason Beck reports. “I don’t think that was going to stand in the way of a trade,” said Kinsler, who seems likely to open the season with Detroit. It wouldn’t have been preferable to veto a deal and end up back with the Tigers, he noted, explaining that “it’s just kind of awkward to have a trade in place and then have it fall through.” After praising GM Al Avila for his handling of the matter, Kinsler said of the no-trade clause: “[W]hen you have protection, you need to use it. That’s what it’s built in for. That’s how I was going to go about it.” The organization has largely held pat with its veterans, despite prior suggestions that some kind of sell-off might occur this offseason, and Beck writes that the core players seem relieved and excited at the prospect of at least one more run together.

Here’s more from Motown:

A return to form from a few key players could certainly turn the tide for the Tigers, with righty Jordan Zimmermann certainly representing an important part of the equation. As Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports, Zimmermann set out to solve his neck issues. He has undergone treatments and says he feels good, though it seems that he’s still dealing with some tightness.
After acquiring Mikie Mahtook, the Tigers now have an interesting camp battle lined up for time in center field, as Evan Woodberry of MLive.com explores. He’ll likely be competing with former LSU teammate JaCoby Jones to take the right-handed side of a platoon situation. Things are looking good for the left-handed-hitting Tyler Collins, Woodberry notes, since the organization designated Anthony Gose to make roster space for Mahtook. Alex Presley appears to be the most likely alternative as a lefty platoon piece.
Speaking of Gose, former Triple-A manager Lloyd McClendon says that the highly publicized argument between the two is water under the bridge. As George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press writes, McClendon (who is now the big league hitting coach in Detroit) says that he wishes the 26-year-old the best, wherever he ends up. Attributing the spat to the rigors of the working environment, McClendon noted that he and Gose have “had great conversations since then.” As for the still-youthful player’s future? “He’s got a lot of talent,” said McClendon. “Anthony Gose will land on his feet. He’s not the first kid, won’t be the last, that runs out of time with a certain organization. That’s just the nature of our business.”

Tigers Acquire Mikie Mahtook From Rays, Designate Anthony Gose

By Steve Adams | January 18, 2017 at 4:38pm CDT

The Rays announced that they’ve traded outfielder Mikie Mahtook to the Tigers in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. Detroit, too, has announced the move, adding that fellow outfielder Anthony Gose has been designated for assignment to clear a spot on the roster for Mahtook.

[Related: Updated Detroit Tigers Depth Chart]

Tampa Bay selected Mahtook, now 27, with the 31st overall pick in the 2011 draft, but the LSU product struggled in his second stint against Major League pitching this past season. Mahtook debuted in 2015 and batted an impressive .295/.351/.619 with nine home runs in just 115 plate appearances, but he’d never shown that type of power throughout his minor league tenure. Mahtook’s bat regressed (and then some) in 2016, as he received 196 Major League plate appearances but slashed just .195/.231/.292 with three homers over the life of 65 games. A broken left hand did sideline Mahtook for a good portion of the 2016 season, though it doesn’t seem likely that the injury had much to do with his lack of production, as Mahtook wasn’t performing at the plate even prior to being hit by the pitch that ultimately caused the fracture.

Defensively, Mahtook is capable of playing all three outfield spots and has split his time across all three slots fairly evenly (though he’s played a slight bit more in center than in either outfield corner). Mahtook has been primarily a center fielder throughout his minor league career, so he’ll give the Tigers an option in center field for the team to consider. And it should be noted that he does come with a sound track record of performance in Triple-A, where he’s batted .277/.342/.420 with 17 homers and 33 steals (40 tries) in 1088 plate appearances.

Mahtook will compete with out-of-options Tyler Collins and his former college teammate, JaCoby Jones, for playing time in center field. He could also serve as a right-handed complement to Collins in a platoon setting. Mahtook does have a minor league option remaining, so the Tigers can also send him to Triple-A for further refinement if he struggles this spring.

As for Gose, his time with the Tigers has long looked to be in jeopardy. Though the 26-year-old has been mentioned by GM Al Avila as an option in center field at times this offseason, he’s out of minor league options and hasn’t hit in the Majors with the Tigers since being acquired from the Blue Jays in exchange for Devon Travis two years ago. The fleet-footed Gose has batted just .247/.315/.363 with Detroit. That includes a .209/.287/.341 slash in 30 games last season and an even more disheartening .203/.276/.312 slash in 90 games between Triple-A and Double-A. Beyond his on-field struggles, Gose also received a brief, team-issued suspension due to a dugout altercation with Triple-A skipper Lloyd McClendon (followed by a demotion to Double-A).

As for the Rays, the trade of Mahtook opens a spot on the 40-man roster which could clear way for fellow outfielder Colby Rasmus, who has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with Tampa Bay that has yet to be formally announced. The Rays are also reportedly nearing a Major League deal with right-hander Shawn Tolleson, so Mahtook’s spot could go to him as well. Either way, it seems that the Rays stand to make at least one additional 40-man roster tweak in the days to come.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tigers “In Touch” With Peter Bourjos, Gregor Blanco

By Jeff Todd | January 17, 2017 at 1:47pm CDT

The Tigers have opened a dialogue with free-agent outfielders Peter Bourjos and Gregor Blanco, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). There’s no agreement close with either player, but the two are under consideration as the team looks to fill its void in center field.

Detroit opened the offseason by trading incumbent center fielder Cameron Maybin, which seemed at the time to be one of several potential moves to shed veterans. But further deals have not been forthcoming, in part due to larger market forces as well as complications with the contracts of the team’s established players (many of which are significant deals that include no-trade protections).

[RELATED: Tigers Depth Chart]

As things stand, then, the Tigers appear set to host a camp battle featuring some internal options and whatever veterans they add. Current players in the mix include the right-handed-hitting JaCoby Jones and lefties Anthony Gose, Tyler Collins, and Alex Presley.

Clearly, there’s little in the way of established production in that group, so it stands to reason that Detroit would at least seek to build out the group heading into Spring Training. Beyond Bourjos and Blanco, current free agents with substantial experience in center include righty bats like Austin Jackson, Desmond Jennings, and Drew Stubbs as well as southpaw hitters such as Michael Bourn and Sam Fuld. Switch hitter Angel Pagan could conceivably also be an option, though perhaps he’ll cost more than Detroit is inclined to spend.

As for the two names now known to be possibilities, it’s easy to see the potential for a match. Bourjos, 29, has long been known for his speed and glovework, though he’s an uneven performer at the plate. All told, he ended an up-and-down 2016 season with 383 plate appearances of .251/.292/.389 hitting. Bourjos hits from the right side, while the 33-year-old Blanco is a lefty. He had turned in two straight quality campaigns before a downturn in 2016, when he slashed .224/.309/.311 over 274 trips to the plate. After grading as a sturdy defender for much of his career, Blanco hasn’t drawn great reviews for his glove in recent seasons.

Latest On Jae-gyun Hwang

By Jeff Todd | January 15, 2017 at 10:01am CDT

TODAY: Hwang turned down an offer from the KBO’s Lotte Giants, Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports (hat tip to MyKBO.net’s Dan Kurtz). Yoon-won Lee, the Giants’ general manager, said his club extended “a sizeable offer” to Hwang, but the infielder seems intent on testing himself in North America, even if it means earning less money. To this end, Hwang is reportedly open to signing a split contract rather than a straight big league deal.

TUESDAY: The market continues to develop for Korean third baseman Jae-gyun Hwang, according to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (links to Twitter). He’s most interested at this point in securing an opportunity that comes with a 40-man roster spot, per the report.

Hwang, a 29-year-old free agent, was said recently to have drawn some attention from the Giants. The Brewers and Tigers are also among the team’s with some level of interest, according to Berardino. While the Twins have “checked in” on him, it seems there’s no present fit.

It could be, of course, that Hwang may still need to wait for other moves to shake out before he’s presented with a clear shot at the majors. A return to Korea can’t be ruled out, of course; indeed, a KBO club has made a four-year offer. While that will surely hold appeal, it seems Hwang is still hoping for a chance to play at the game’s highest level.

For San Francisco, the possibility of adding another corner outfielder or third baseman may make the team hesitant to commit. The Brewers already plugged in Travis Shaw at the hot corner, though presumably the right-handed-hitting Hwang could provide a complement (with both perhaps also factoring in at first base). As for the A.L. Central rivals in Detroit and Minnesota, third base appears to be set in both cases. But perhaps there’s some window for Hwang if he’s deemed capable of spending some time at second and one of those teams deal their incumbent options. Alternatively, perhaps, he could factor in the corner outfield.

It has been a tough market for third basemen, with Luis Valbuena and Trevor Plouffe among the players still looking for a job. There’s also a variety of veteran utility types with experience on the left side of the infield — including Aaron Hill, Kelly Johnson, and Stephen Drew — who have yet to sign.

Beyond the enticement of the unknown, Hwang has some possible advantages over some of those options. He won’t turn 30 until July and is coming off of a career year in the KBO. Finally combining both power and contact in a single season, Hwang popped 27 long balls with just 64 strikeouts over 522 plate appearances. He also swiped 24 bags, though he was cut down on ten other attempts.

Quick Hits: Heyward, Cubs, Tigers, Angels, WBC

By Connor Byrne | January 14, 2017 at 10:01pm CDT

The Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years last season, but they did it without any major contributions at the plate from outfielder Jason Heyward. After signing an eight-year, $184MM deal with the Cubs last winter, the normally above-average hitter posted the worst offensive season of his career with a .230/.306/.325 line and seven home runs in 592 plate appearances. As a result, the 27-year-old has been working to restore his swing with Cubs hitting coach John Mallee and assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske this offseason, as Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com details. “It’s easier said than done trying to do it in season,” said Heyward. “The offseason allows you to slow things down and focus on all the little things.” Ideally, Heyward would like to return to the form he displayed in 2012 during a 27-homer campaign with the Braves. “He’s trying to mirror the swing he had then,” Mallee said. “Right now the path is not the same it was then. It’s not making a change. It’s getting him back to who he was.”

AL Notes: Park, Trumbo, Bass

By charliewilmoth | January 14, 2017 at 4:41pm CDT

Twins first baseman Byung Ho Park’s season ended in August after a wrist injury that required surgery, but he’s now able to work out without restrictions and he has returned to batting practice, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press writes. Park, formerly one of the top power hitters in the KBO, will try to bounce back from a disappointing first season in the Majors in which he batted .191/.275/.409 and struck out 80 times in 244 plate appearances. The Twins owe him a total of $9.25MM through 2019. Here are a couple more quick notes from the American League.

A couple details on Mark Trumbo’s market — first, Peter Gammons tweets that the Orioles’ previously reported offer to Trumbo was for three years $40MM, not $50MM-plus. That’s a relatively small offer for a player who swatted 47 home runs last season, but perhaps it’s somewhat reflective of the evident change in the market for one-dimensional sluggers, many of whom linger in free agency. A second, and perhaps related, tidbit is that the Athletics don’t seem likely to be key players in the Trumbo market, as John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group writes. The A’s strongly pursued Edwin Encarnacion, but it doesn’t appear they’re as interested in Trumbo, to whom they were connected last week.
Free agent righty Anthony Bass has been in contact with five or six teams, and the Tigers are among them, MLB.com’s Jason Beck tweets. Bass would prefer an opportunity to start, but he is also open to pitching out of the bullpen. It’s probably unlikely he’ll get a chance to do either in the Major Leagues right away — the 29-year-old is coming off a decent but not overwhelming season with the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan, for whom he posted a 3.65 ERA, 6.2 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 over 103 2/3 innings. He last appeared in the big leagues in 2015 with the Rangers.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: American League

By Steve Adams | January 13, 2017 at 9:58pm CDT

The deadline for players and teams to exchange arbitration figures has come and gone, and there have been dozens of agreements broken throughout the league today. So many, in fact, that I’ve split the list up into a pair of league-specific posts to avoid having 100-something names in this list. You can see all the NL players here, and both of these will be updated as quickly as we’re able.

Many teams use the arbitration exchange as a hard deadline for negotiations on one-year deals — a “file and trial” approach which effectively means that once figures are exchanged, the only option they’ll pursue before a hearing is a multi-year deal. (The Mets and Orioles are both adopting that approach this year, and other teams to use that strategy in the past include Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Marlins, Rays, White Sox, Pirates, Reds and Nationals.)

The most significant arb agreements of the day have been snapped off into their own posts already. We’ll continue adding the smaller-scale agreements from the American League right here (all projections referenced are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, and all arbitration agreements and filings can be monitored in MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker)…

The Rangers have announced agreement on a deal to avoid arbitration with lefty Jake Diekman. With today’s deadline having passed, the sides did exchange figures — $3.1MM versus $1.9MM — but obviously were already nearing a number. The high-powered southpaw projected at $2.6MM, and will receive $2.55MM, per Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
The Mariners announced that they’ve avoided arb with all eight of their eligible players, which includes Jean Segura (reported last night), Danny Valencia, Jarrod Dyson, Leonys Martin, Drew Smyly, James Paxton, Evan Scribner, Nick Vincent. Numbers aren’t all in yet, but Valencia took home $5.55MM, per FanRag’s Robert Murray (on Twitter). Martin will earn $4.85MM, per Heyman. They were projected at $5.3MM and $6.3MM, respectively. Meanwhile, Dyson gets $2.8MM, Heyman tweets, which lands just over his $2.5MM projection. Smyly will receive $6.85MM — right at his $6.9MM projection — while Scribner gets $907,500, per MLB.com’s Greg Johns (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Paxton will land at $2.35MM and Vincent will receive $1.325MM, per Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune (via Twitter), both of which fall shy of their respective projections ($2.7MM and $1.5MM).
Catcher Martin Maldonado will receive $1.725MM from the Angels, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (via Twitter). That’s just over his $1.6MM projection.
The Tigers announced that they settled with third baseman Nick Castellanos. He projected at $2.8MM, but will receive $3MM, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter).
Jeremy Jeffress and Jurickson Profar have each avoided arbitration with the Rangers, per Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegarm (via Twitter). Jeffress receives $2.1MM, while Profar will receive $1.005MM. Also of note, the Jeffress deal includes incentives that can add up to $250K in incentives, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). He’ll get $50K apiece upon reaching 55, 60, 65, and 70 innings. He had projected for a $2.9MM salary, but his legal issues late last year certainly dented his bargaining power.
The Athletics have avoided arbitration with catcher/DH Stephen Vogt, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports on Twitter. Vogt will receive $2.965MM, falling shy of his $3.7MM projection. Oakland has also reached agreement with starter Sonny Gray for $3.575MM, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter), which is just shy of his $3.7MM projection. Also, reliever Liam Hendriks has agreed to terms, per John Hickey of the Mercury News. He’ll get $1.1MM, per Heyman (via Twitter).
Righty Adam Warren will get $2.29MM from the Yankees, per Baseball America’s Josh Norris (via Twitter). That’s just a shade under his $2.3MM projection. New York also announced deals with shortstop outfielder Aaron Hicks and lefty Tommy Layne, among other players whose arrangements were previously reported. Layne receives $1.075MM, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (via Twitter).
The Orioles have avoided arbitration with second baseman Jonathan Schoop, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter links). He’ll receive $3.475MM, just over his projection of $3.4MM.
Adding to their previously reported deals, the Red Sox have announced agreement with all but two of their arb-eligible players. Salaries were reported by MLB.com’s Ian Browne for the players avoiding arb: shortstop Xander Bogaerts gets $4.5MM ($5.7MM projection), utilityman Brock Holt receives $1.95MM ($1.7MM projection), righty Joe Kelly will earn $2.8MM ($2.6MM projection), catcher Sandy Leon takes home $1.3MM (the same as his projection), lefty Robbie Ross gets $1.825MM (just $25K over his projection), and new righty Tyler Thornburg will earn $2.05MM (just under his $2.2MM projection).
Two moreplayers have avoided arbitration with the White Sox, per Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago (via Twitter). Among those not previously reported, starter Miguel Gonzalez gets $5.9MM and reliever Zach Putnam receives $1.175MM. That clearly indicates that Gonzalez and the Sox utilized his prior-years’ arb starting points, rather than his much lower earnings with the team last year. Putnam, meanwhile, had projected for $975K.

Earlier Updates

Twins setup man Ryan Pressly will earn $1.175MM in his first trip through the arb process, Crasnick tweets. That’s a shade better than the $1.1MM projection for Pressly, who has three years of club control remaining.
Danny Salazar and Bryan Shaw have both settled on one-year deals with the Indians, per Heyman (Twitter links). Salazar will receive $3.4MM in his first trip through the arb process, which checks in $400K below his $3.8MM projection. Meanwhile, Shaw’s $4.6MM salary (via Heyman) lands within $100K of his $4.5MM projection. As a Super Two player, Salazar still has four years of control remaining, whereas Shaw will be a free agent next winter. Lonnie Chisenhall, meanwhile, will earn $4.3MM according to MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian (on Twitter). That’s $200K more than his projection.
George Springer and the Astros avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $3.9MM, reports Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Springer has four years left until he can be a free agent and will be arb-eligible three more times due to his status as a Super Two player. That $3.9MM figure checks in a ways south of his $4.7MM projection.
The Rays have now announced that they’ve avoided arbitration with all of their arb-eligible players except Jake Odorizzi. That means that in addition to Beckham, Kiermaier, Dickerson and Cedeno (all noted below), they’ve avoided arb with Alex Cobb, Erasmo Ramirez, Brad Boxberger, Danny Farquhar and Brad Miller. Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter) that Cobb gets $4.2MM, Farquhar gets $900K and Miller gets $3.575MM. Heyman tweets that Ramirez gets $3.125MM and adds on Twitter that Boxberger settled at $1.6MM. Cobb slightly topped his projection by $200K, while Farquhar fell short by the same margin and Miller fell $225K shy of his $3.8MM figure. Ramirez also came up short of his $3.5MM projection. Cobb is a free agent next winter while Miller and Ramirez are controllable for another three seasons and Farquhar can be controlled for four.
The Tigers avoided arb with both Jose Iglesias and Bruce Rondon, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). Also, Heyman tweets that Justin Wilson settled at $2.7MM. Iglesias’ $4.1MM salary clears his $3.2MM projection by a wide margin. He has one more offseason of arbitration remaining before he can hit free agency following the 2018 campaign. Rondon, meanwhile, comes in at $800K, which is $100K shy of his $900K projection. He’s still controllable for another three years and will be arb-eligible twice more. Wilson, meanwhile, checked in exactly in line with his $2.7MM projection and is controlled through 2018.
The Rangers announced that they’ve avoided arb with Tanner Scheppers and Robinson Chirinos. Slated to be the backup catcher in 2017, Chirinos will earn $1.95MM according to the Star-Telegram’s Jeff Wilson (Twitter link). That falls just shy of his $2.1MM projection. Wilson adds that Scheppers will earn $975K — a bit lighter than his $1.1MM projection. Both are controlled through 2018.
Brandon Kintzler and the Twins agreed to a $2.925MM deal, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Kintzler parlayed a minor league deal into a run as Minnesota’s closer following a Glen Perkins injury. He did considerably better than his $2.2MM projection after logging a 3.15 ERA and 17 saves with 5.8 K/9 against 1.3 BB/9 in 54 1/3 innings. Kintzler is a free agent next winter.
A.J. Griffin has agreed to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration, the Rangers announced. Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram tweets that Griffin will earn $2MM on the new pact. Griffin, 28, signed a minor league deal last winter and made the club after coming back from Tommy John surgery with the A’s. He logged a 5.07 ERA in 119 innings and could be either the team’s fifth starter or a swingman, depending on how the rest of the offseason and Spring Training play out. He can be controlled through 2018.
Aaron Loup and the Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with a one-year, $1.125MM deal, tweets Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. Loup lands just under his $1.2MM projection and earns a $100K raise after pitching to a 5.02 ERA in just 14 1/3 innings of work. The Jays can control him through the 2018 season.
Corey Dickerson agreed to a $3.025MM salary with the Rays, tweets Heyman, which is $350K south of his $3.4MM projection. Dickerson is controllable through the 2019 season.
Austin Romine and the Yankees settled at $805K for the 2017 season, Heyman tweets, which is $95K less than the $900K projection. He’ll be their primary backup catcher and is controllable through 2019.
The Rangers announced that right-hander Sam Dyson agreed to a one-year deal, and Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets that he received a $3.52MM contract. Dyson, who emerged as the closer in Texas this season, falls shy of his $3.9MM projection but still lands a nice payday for a first-year reliever that has achieved Super Two status. He saved 38 games with a 2.43 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 70 innings and is controllable through 2020.
The Yankees and Didi Gregorius agreed to a $5.1MM salary that is an exact match with Swartz’s projection, tweets Heyman. The 2016 season was Gregorius’ best at the big league level, as he hit .276/.304/.447 with a career-high 20 homers. He lands a nice raise over last year’s $2.425MM salary and can be controlled through 2019 via arbitration.
Kevin Kiermaier and the Rays have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $2.975MM deal for 2017, tweets Heyman. Kiermaier is fresh off his second Gold Glove season and is considered one of the game’s premier defenders, but he also had a nice season at the plate. In 414 plate appearances, the 26-year-old hit .246/.331/.410 with 12 homers and 21 steals. Kiermaier crushed his $2.1MM projection after sneaking into arbitration eligiblity by exactly one day of service time. He’ll be arb-eligible thrice more before hitting the open market following the 2020 season.
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Tigers and righty Alex Wilson avoided arb by agreeing to a one-year, $1.175MM deal. Wilson was projected to earn $1.2MM, so his deal falls right in line with that figure. The 28-year-old posted his second straight season of at least 70 innings with a sub-3.00 ERA in 2016. He can be controlled through the 2019 season and is arb-eligible twice more.
The Twins and right-hander Kyle Gibson settled on a one-year deal worth $2.9MM, tweets Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The former first-rounder had a solid season in 2015 but struggled to a 5.07 ERA with 6.4 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 in an injury-shortened 2016 campaign (147 1/3 innings). He falls a ways shy of his $3.5MM projection from Swartz. Gibson will remain under Twins control through 2019 and is arbitration-eligible twice more.
Center fielder Jake Marisnick and the Astros have agreed to a $1.1MM deal, tweets Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle. Marisnick, a defensive wizard, batted just .209/.257/.331 last season but has an inside track at the fourth outfield role in Houston due to his outstanding glovework. His salary lines up exactly with his $1.1MM projection, and he’ll be arbitration-eligible three more times as a Super Two player.
The Rays and infielder Tim Beckham agreed to an $885K salary for the 2017 season, tweets Heyman. The former No. 1 overall pick hit .247/.300/.434 with five home runs in 215 plate appearances for Tampa Bay last year. He seemed to fall out of favor with the organization late in the year and didn’t receive a September call-up after being demoted to Triple-A. However, he looks to be back in the fold for the 2017 campaign. Beckham is controllable through 2020.
The Red Sox and center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $3.6MM, tweets Crasnick. Bradley, 27 in April, enjoyed far and away his best big league season in 2016, hitting .267/.349/.486 with 26 home runs, nine steals and brilliant defense. He topped his $3.3MM projection by $300K and will be arbitration-eligible three more times as a Super Two player before hitting free agency upon completion of the 2020 season.
The Indians and right-hander Zach McAllister have settled at one year and $1.825MM, tweets Heyman. The 29-year-old righty earned a $525K raise over last year’s $1.3MM salary and topped his projection of $1.7MM by $125K. McAllister tossed 52 1/3 innings out of the Cleveland ’pen last season, logging a 3.44 ERA, 9.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 to go along with seven holds. He’ll be arb-eligible one last time next winter and a free agent after 2018.
Lefty reliever Xavier Cedeno and the Rays have agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.3MM, tweets Heyman. That tops his projection of $1.2MM by $100K. Cedeno, 30, logged a 3.70 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 41 1/3 innings this past season and chipped in 19 holds as well. He’s arb-eligible twice more and can be a free agent after the 2019 season.
Heyman also tweets that Tigers infielder Andrew Romine has agreed to a $1.3MM deal for the 2017 season. He was projected to earn $1.2MM, so he topped that sum by a $100K margin. The 31-year-old utilityman appeared at every position except catcher and pitcher for Detroit in 2016, hitting .236/.304/.322 with a pair of homers in 194 plate appearances across 109 games. His salary represents a $400K raise from last year’s $900K mark, and he’ll be arb-eligible again next winter before qualifying for free agency after the 2018 season.

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