Tigers Rumors

AL Notes: Dozier, Bautista, Tanaka, Yankees, Tigers

By Steve Adams | January 11, 2017 at 10:21pm CDT

While the Brian Dozier saga has been a drawn out process, it seems that the Twins and Dodgers have agreed to table talks for the time being. Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press adds a bit more on the talks that never gained enough traction to push a deal across the finish line, reporting that Los Angeles wasn’t willing to part with any of Yadier Alvarez, Walker Buehler or Brock Stewart alongside top prospect Jose De Leon. L.A.’s refusal to deal Alvarez or Buehler has been previously reported, though Stewart’s name hasn’t been previously mentioned as a sticking point. As Berardino also adds in his column, Twins GM Thad Levine discussed the talks on Go 96.3 FM, explaining that a hard deadline in talks was never set. However, he also suggested that the Twins won’t be initiating further talks with the Dodgers. “The reality is there’s going to be a point in time in this offseason where we may stop initiating calls but we’re always going to pick up the phone and hear teams out,” said Levine.

Dozier, too, appeared on the show (audio link) and called the trade drama an “eye-opening experience,” adding that it was interesting to “[dig] deeper into how other clubs value you, how the Twins value you, and that kind of thing.”

A few additional notes from the American League…

The Twins were somewhat surprisingly connected to free agent Jose Bautista yesterday, but La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune tweets that the Twins don’t have interest in the slugger. The link between the Twins and Bautista was never characterized as a strong one, as MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger reported that the Twins touched base with Bautista’s agent. They may well have done so out of due diligence — chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said yesterday that the club has an idea of a price point at which they’d be interested in every remaining free agent — and simply found that Bautista is still seeking more than they’d care to commit. Of course, the 36-year-old Bautista doesn’t seem like a great on-paper fit for a team in the Twins’ situation anyhow, though a team with a protected first-round pick (like Minnesota) could perhaps gamble on punting its second pick in the hopes of flipping Bautista this July for greater value.
There’s been no talk of a new contract between the Yankees and Masahiro Tanaka, general manager Brian Cashman tells Mike Mazzeo of the New York Daily News. Tanaka is, of course, technically under contract with the Yankees for another four years, but he also has an opt-out clause in his contract following the 2017 season, which will allow him to re-enter the free agent market if he performs well. “We have a significant contract with Masahiro Tanaka,” said Cashman. “…I think he pitched like a Cy Young award candidate last year, and I certainly hope he does so again this year. But at this point we’ve had no discussions internally to pursue any kind of extension.” Tanaka is just one of three Yankees starters that is set to hit free agency next winter, as lefty CC Sabathia and righty Michael Pineda will also see their contracts expire.
Mazzeo adds that Cashman said he’s “not in active trade talks at all” regarding veteran Yankees like Brett Gardner, Chase Headley or any of his position players. That comes as little surprise, as Cashman has quite recently suggested that the roster, as currently constructed, is the likely roster that the team will take into Spring Training. While both seemed like on-paper trade candidates entering the offseason, neither Gardner nor Headley ever surfaced all that much on the rumor circuit.
Tigers GM Al Avila appeared on 97.1 FM The Ticket in Detroit and discussed the team’s needs in center field, and CBS Detroit’s Will Burchfield has highlights from the interview. Avila acknowledged that the Tigers are keeping tabs on the free agent market, but also cautioned, “…if you look at what you’re going to get in production, you have to evaluate that compared to what you already have in-house.” Avila listed usual candidates Tyler Collins, Anthony Gose and JaCoby Jones as options and also twice mentioned non-roster invite Alex Presley without being prompted (per MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery, on Twitter).
In a full column on Avila’s interview, Woodbery notes that the GM said he’s fielded calls about left-handed reliever Justin Wilson this winter but decided there’s more value to Wilson opening the year in the bullpen. Wilson, as Woodbery notes, could boost his value with improved results this season and become a more appealing trade chip this summer. As I noted when previewing the Tigers’ offseason in October, Wilson’s bottom-line results were rather pedestrian, but his secondary stats suggest that he should see a rebound from 2016’s lackluster 4.14 ERA.

AL Central Notes: Tigers, Twins, Moncada, Kopech, Indians

By Steve Adams | January 10, 2017 at 10:05pm CDT

Tigers general manager Al Avila appeared on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM today and discussed the lack of activity on the trade front for the Tigers since sending Cameron Maybin to the Angels on the first day of the offseason (All Twitter links via MLB.com’s Jason Beck). “I had many conversations through the winter, but nothing to the point where I felt we were going to make a trade,” Avila stated. “I thought there was going to be opportunity. That never really developed to that point where I was close to calling ownership. … Frankly, ownership has not told me to dump salary. Basically they asked me: If you can make a good baseball trade, that’s great.” Those comments cast doubt on the Tigers’ ability to trade of one of their veterans before the season begins, although the Dodgers reportedly could circle back to the Tigers about Ian Kinsler now that their talks for Brian Dozier have reached an impasse. Kinsler has a no-trade clause that includes the Dodgers, but his agent told FOX’s Ken Rosenthal a couple of months ago that the clause could be waived in exchange for a contract extension.

A few more notes pertaining to the AL Central…

Earlier today, MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger reported that the Twins have met with Jose Bautista’s agent and are doing their due diligence on the top bats left on the market. That obviously raised an eyebrow or two, and chief baseball officer Derek Falvey explained to KSTP’s Chris Long that the Twins aren’t ruling out any opportunities this winter (video link). Falvey was asked specifically about the report linking the Twins to Bautista, and while he sidestepped a specific comment on the longtime Blue Jays star, he didn’t rule out that type of addition, either. “We’ll continue to monitor all potential avenues for players, whether it’s free agents or trades,” said Falvey. “…For every potential free agent that’s out there, [GM Thad Levine], [assistant GM Rob Antony], me — our group — we have our list of everyone who’s still unsigned and values where we think it would make sense. I wouldn’t shut the door on any player out there right now, even if it was slightly unconventional.” Falvey added that the Minnesota front office “has [owner Jim Pohlad’s] blessing” to pursue free agent additions.
White Sox top prospect Yoan Moncada, who was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Chris Sale to Boston, tells CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes that the magnitude of being a part of such a high-profile trade isn’t lost on him. “I also have expectations about myself because of the trade,” Moncada said via his interpreter. “This team gave up a lot to get me. I feel very humbled for this opportunity.” Moncada said that despite playing some third base last year with the Red Sox, his natural position of second base is his “favorite” position to play, and he hopes to remain there. However, as was the case in Boston, Moncada said he’d be willing to move anywhere on the diamond if asked by the ChiSox.
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that another key piece in that Sale trade, right-hander Michael Kopech, has changed representation and is now a client of CAA Sports. The 20-year-old Kopech boasts a triple-digit fastball and split the 2016 season between the White Sox’ Low-A and Class-A Advanced affiliates, making a dozen starts and compiling a 2.08 ERA. Kopech tossed 56 1/3 innings, and while he battled his control (33 walks, five hit batters, 11 wild pitches), he also racked up an impressive 86 strikeouts against much older competition (especially in High-A). His switch is now reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database.
Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti tells MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian that top outfield prospect Bradley Zimmer could make his MLB debut in 2017. That’s not a surprising revelation after Zimmer, a former first-round pick and a consensus top 50 prospect in MLB, enjoyed a solid season at Double-A and reached Triple-A late in the 2016 season. Bastian writes that the current plan for the Cleveland outfield is for Lonnie Chisenhall and Brandon Guyer to platoon in right field, with Tyler Naquin handling center on most days, Michael Brantley returning to left field and Abraham Almonte functioning as the primary fourth outfielder (possibly helping to shield Naquin from some lefties). Further injury problems for Brantley, regression from Naquin or an injury elsewhere on the roster could create an opening for the 24-year-old Zimmer. Bastian, though, also notes that Cleveland could still pursue a trade for an affordable center field option. Recent comments from GM Mike Chernoff suggest that Cleveland is mostly tapped out in terms of payroll after signing Edwin Encarnacion, though, so any acquisition would need to be very low-cost in nature.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/10/17

By Steve Adams | January 10, 2017 at 6:20pm CDT

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

The Athletics announced that infielder/outfielder Max Muncy has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A (h/t: Melissa Lockard of OaklandClubhouse.com). He’ll head to Spring Training on a non-roster invitation and hope to work his way back into the team’s big league plans down the line. The 26-year-old Muncy has been up and down between Triple-A and the Majors with the A’s over the past two seasons and has batted a combined .195/.290/.321 batting line with five homers in 295 plate appearances.
The Tigers announced 22 minor league signings today, and while we’ve previously noted the majority of them, new to the mix are first basemen Brett Pill and Sean Halton. Pill, 32, hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2013 but spent parts of the 2011-13 campaigns with the Giants. He’s a career .233/.279/.404 hitter with nine homers in 259 trips to the plate. Following his time with San Francisco. Pill jumped to the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization and spent three seasons with that club, most recently hitting .317/.359/.521 with 20 homers and 36 doubles. As for Halton, the longtime Brewers farmhand spent the bulk of the 2016 season playing quite well for the independent Atlantic League’s Lancaster Barnstormers. The 29-year-old Halton got a brief look with the Brewers in 2013, when he hit .238/.291/.396 in 111 PAs. He’s a career .270/.340/.432 hitter in Triple-A.
Left-hander Tim Berry announced (on Instagram) that he’s back in the Orioles organization (h/t: MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko). The 25-year-old rated as one of the Orioles’ top 30 prospects from 2011-15, in the eyes of Baseball America, but the past two seasons have been a struggle for him in the minors. Berry logged an unsightly 7.32 ERA in 82 1/3 innings with the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate in 2015, and he posted a 6.32 ERA across two levels between the Padres and Marlins organizations in 2016.
Right-hander Deunte Heath has agreed to terms with the Reds on a minor league contract, as Baseball America’s Matt Eddy first reported. The deal comes with a $600K base salary in the Majors, I’m told. Heath, 31, last appeared in the Majors with the 2013 White Sox. He’s pitched just 9 2/3 innings at the big league level but has recently posted a 2.37 ERA in 101 1/3 innings between two campaigns with Japan’s Hiroshima Carp. He also pitched 46 1/3 innings with a 3.11 ERA in the Mexican League in 2016. Cincinnati also picked up catcher Adrian Nieto on a minors pact, per Eddy. The 27-year-old spent the 2014 season with the White Sox as a Rule 5 pick, hitting .236/.296/.340 with a pair of homers in 118 plate appearances. That’s been Nieto’s only big league exposure to this point, as he’s struggled greatly at Double-A and Triple-A in the two subsequent seasons. The 27-year-old switch-hitter posted a meager .195/.287/.257 batting line in 129 PAs with the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate last year.

Twins, Dodgers At “Impasse” In Dozier Talks; Dodgers Expected To Explore Other Options

By Jeff Todd and Steve Adams | January 10, 2017 at 5:05pm CDT

5:05pm: In a full column on the matter, Rosenthal adds to his initial report, noting that the Dodgers are now expected to circle back to the Rays and Tigers on respective trade targets Logan Forsythe and Ian Kinsler. (Kinsler has a no-trade clause, but his agent has previously told Rosenthal that he’d waive the protection in exchange for a contract extension.)

Both Forsythe and Kinsler are right-handed bats, which would fill a significant need for the Dodgers, who rated as the game’s worst offense against left-handers in 2016. Forsythe enjoyed a breakout season with the Rays in 2015 and had a strong (albeit slightly diminished) followup in 2016. Across the past two seasons, the 29-year-old has batted .273/.337/.444 with 37 homers and 15 steals.

Forsythe lacks the power of Dozier (who has homered 70 times in the past two seasons), but he’s comparable from a financial standpoint. Currently, Forsythe is set to earn $14.75MM in the next two years, although the $9MM value of his 2018 option could rise by as much as $1.5MM based on his plate appearances in 2017. He’ll earn $500K upon reaching 550, 600 and 633 plate appearances. With a comparable financial commitment but less power than Dozier, Forsythe could potentially be had for a lower asking price, although the Rays are still likely to ask for quite a bit in return.

Talks between the Twins and Dodgers could pick back up later this offseason, but for the time being, it doesn’t seem as if the two sides will continue talking. Rosenthal writes that the Twins want Dozier to have some increased peace of mind heading into the season, and that meshes with previous reports that cited similar reasoning behind Minnesota pushing for resolution one way or another.

1:35pm: The Twins and Dodgers are at an “impasse” in their discussions over second baseman Brian Dozier, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Minnesota could still hold further discussions, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today also suggests via Twitter, but it seems that the sides are at a standstill for the time being.

Meanwhile, there’s another intriguing thread to the Dozier saga, courtesy of MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger. He says that the Twins have had at least some talks with the representatives for free agent slugger Jose Bautista, as well as other prominent open-market hitters. Particularly if Dozier remains in the fold, it seems, the Twins could perhaps make a slight pivot in their offseason strategy to take advantage of a tantalizing arrangement of power bats still available to the highest bidder.

In a sense, of course, the news on Dozier isn’t new. We’ve been told for some time that the Dodgers were largely standing on their offer of young righty Jose De Leon for the veteran, with the teams bargaining over the additional pieces. While Los Angeles was said to be willing to kick on some more prospect assets, perhaps those pieces aren’t viewed as significant enough to move the ball for Minnesota.

It seems there’s still some opening for talks to continue, but we are at the end of the roughly one-week period within which Minnesota was reportedly set to make a decision. The club has put out the word that it doesn’t intend to drag out negotiations over the rest of the spring, due at least in part out of respect for Dozier. Of course, the organization likely also would like to move on with alternative approaches in the event that Dozier is to remain on hand for at least the first half of the upcoming season.

Free Agent Notes: Bautista, Blue Jays, Braves, Tigers, Indians

By Steve Adams | January 9, 2017 at 1:35pm CDT

Speculation about Jose Bautista ultimately signing a one-year deal is growing throughout the industry, writes Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. The Blue Jays were recently said to be in active talks with Bautista, and Nicholson-Smith notes that he spoke with execs from two other clubs that considered Bautista the exact type of player that could end up as a significant bargain if he’s had on a one-year pact. Nicholson-Smith adds that there’s still a belief in the industry that Toronto would be perfectly happy to let Bautista depart, sign elsewhere, and collect a compensatory draft pick. However, the Jays do still need two corner outfielders, and Bautista is a known commodity among the fans, in the clubhouse and on the field for Toronto.

A few more notes on the free-agent market…

Nicholson-Smith also reports that the Blue Jays are continuing to hunt for a backup catcher after seeing one target, Bobby Wilson, sign a minor league contract with the Dodgers. Per Nicholson-Smith, the Blue Jays wanted to sign the 33-year-old Wilson, but he elected to sign with the Dodgers after Toronto declined to offer his camp any assurances that additional catchers would not be pursued. Among the options still on the market are Chris Iannetta, Nick Hundley, Kurt Suzuki and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, to name a few.
The Braves are still open to adding a bench bat despite having a full 40-man roster at the moment, and both Kelly Johnson and Jeff Francoeur are possibilities, per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). This would mark the third straight year in which the Braves signed Johnson as a free agent and his fourth overall stint with the team that originally drafted him, if an agreement is ultimately reached. It’d also represent the third stint with the Braves for Francoeur and the second consecutive offseason in which he inked a deal with Atlanta.
The Tigers are known to be on the lookout for some help in center field, but they didn’t show interest in Ben Revere before he signed with the Angels and haven’t had any serious discussions with Austin Jackson about a return to Detroit, reports MLB.com’s Jason Beck. Last week, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reported that the Tigers are looking for a center field option that would cost around $2MM. Jackson could fit that bill after missing the last three months of the 2016 season with a knee injury, though Beck’s report paints that as unlikely. Last week, I took a look at a few other options the Tigers could consider as well.
Any further additions made by the Indians this winter seem likely to be low-cost in nature following the signing of Edwin Encarnacion. Cleveland GM Mike Chernoff implied to Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon-Journal that the team’s remaining resources are somewhat limited. “Obviously with a commitment like this, we couldn’t bring either [Mike Napoli] or [Rajai Davis] back at the dollars they would have cost,” said Chernoff. “Raj gave us a huge amount last year, too. You could see him potentially being a fit again with the role he had last year. I think we have a lot of internal pieces that can fill some of those spots.” Davis signed a one-year, $6MM deal with Oakland last week, so Chernoff’s suggestion that he was too expensive could well signal that any final additions will be rather minimal in nature. As Lewis further notes, that could lead to a bit less depth in the outfield and on other areas of the roster than Cleveland brass would otherwise prefer.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/7/17

By charliewilmoth | January 7, 2017 at 5:52pm CDT

Baseball America’s Matt Eddy has released a long list of minor transactions from over the holidays. Here are a few of the bigger moves from that list not already noted elsewhere on MLBTR (we’ll also keep track of additional minor moves from Saturday as they happen):

The Brewers have signed first baseman Cody Decker to a minor league deal, tweets Tommy Stokke of FanRag. The pact doesn’t include an invitation to big league camp, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com (Twitter link). Decker announced (via Twitter) that he’ll move to catcher, where he has seen action in 23 games during parts of eight minor league seasons. The 29-year-old has slashed an impressive .255/.333/.501 in 1,498 Triple-A plate appearances, though he has only logged eight PAs in the majors (with San Diego in 2015).
The Cubs have signed catcher Carlos Corporan and re-signed infielder Munenori Kawasaki to minor league contracts. Corporan spent several years as a backup in Houston and last appeared in the Majors in 2015 with Texas; he hit .197/.246/.333 at two Triple-A stops in 2016. The 35-year-old Kawasaki played briefly for the Cubs last season and spent most of the year playing shortstop with Triple-A Iowa, where he batted .255/.352/.312. The popular former Blue Jays infielder has now appeared in parts of five seasons in the big leagues, as well as 11 in Japan.
The Red Sox have signed outfielder Brian Bogusevic to a minor league deal. The 32-year-old had a tough season with Orix in Japan in 2016, batting just .187/.320/.322 over 193 plate appearances. He last appeared in the big leagues with the Phillies in 2015.
The White Sox have released hard-throwing righty Jorge Rondon so that he can sign with Chunichi in Japan. They had previously signed him to a minor league deal after he posted a 2.67 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 pitching in the bullpen of the Pirates’ Triple-A Indianapolis bullpen in 2016.
The Angels have re-signed lefty reliever Cody Ege to a minor league deal. They had previously non-tendered him even though he had far less than three years of service time and was very effective in 8 2/3 innings for them last season, although he struggled in three innings with the Marlins and posted a modest 4.50 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 5.5 BB/9 in 44 innings at Triple-A.
The Phillies have signed righty reliever Pedro Beato to a minor league deal. The 30-year-old Beato was very effective for Triple-A Norfolk in 2016, with a 2.65 ERA, 8.2 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 68 innings (although he allowed nine unearned runs). He’s pitched in the big leagues for three teams, but hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2014 and hasn’t logged significant time since he was a Met in 2011.
The Nationals have signed reliever lefty Josh Outman to a minor league deal. The 32-year-old last pitched in the big leagues in 2014, when he appeared with the Indians and Yankees. He posted a 4.95 ERA, albeit with 6.8 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9, in 20 innings with Indianapolis in 2016 before being released.
The Tigers have signed first baseman Efren Navarro to a minor league deal. The 30-year-old batted .275/.337/.368 at two Triple-A stops in 2016. He’s appeared in parts of four big-league seasons, all with Anaheim.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/6/17

By Jeff Todd | January 6, 2017 at 10:18pm CDT

Here are the day’s minor transactions:

The Tigers have outrighted righty Angel Nesbitt to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, per a team announcement. Nesbitt, 26, was bumped from the 40-man recently to make way for the signing of Alex Avila. He has a bit fastball and drew grounders during his brief major-league action in 2015, but didn’t make it back to the bigs last year. Nesbitt ended up spending the entire season at Triple-A, where he worked to a 4.91ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 over 47 2/3 frames.
Also outrighted, per the MLB.com transactions page, was Pirates first baseman/third baseman Jason Rogers. He, too, was designated to clear roster space for a new addition — in his case, righty Nefi Ogando. The bulky 28-year-old has seen scattered time in the majors over the last three years, and hit well in 2015 for the Brewers, but didn’t enjoy a productive season in his first go-round in the Pirates organization. Pittsburgh acquired Rogers in a deal that sent Trey Supak and Keon Broxton to the Brewers last offseason. But he ended up seeing just 33 MLB plate appearances and struggled to a .263/.338/.371 slash with four home runs in his 420 trips to the plate at the highest level of the minors.

Affordable Center Field Options For The Tigers

By Steve Adams | January 5, 2017 at 4:56pm CDT

The Tigers are still on the lookout for a center field stopgap, tweets Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press, but their preference is to add a low-cost option and spend around $2MM to fill the vacancy. Fenech further notes that the Tigers have opportunities to trade for a center fielder that fits that mold, but adding an affordable veteran via free agency is seemingly the likelier course of action.

Detroit’s in-house candidates in center field include the likes of Tyler Collins and Anthony Gose, each of whom is out of minor league options and will need to break camp with the team or be exposed to waivers. JaCoby Jones represents a younger alternative that has drawn some praise from the organization, but the 24-year-old Jones hasn’t played much center field in the pros. He also hit just .243/.309/.356 in 324 plate appearances at Triple-A last year, so while the Tigers may view him as an option down the line, there’s certainly a case that he could use more development time.

The vast number of corner bats and relievers left on the market have generated more attention than the remaining center-field capable bats, but Detroit GM Al Avila should have plenty options to choose from if his hope is to add a cheap center fielder to handle the position on Opening Day. While some of these players figure to command more than $2MM, that’s not characterized as any sort of hard cap by Fenech, and the sheer number of available assets relative to the number of teams seeking this type of player may suppress salaries.

All that said, here’s a look at some of the available names that could yet fit the bill in Detroit (listed alphabetically, as this isn’t intended to be a ranking of any sort)…

Peter Bourjos: Long considered one of the game’s premier defenders, Bourjos’ defensive ratings have taken a hit following offseason hip surgery following the 2014 campaign. He’s never recreated his brilliant 2011 season — .271/.327/.438 with 12 homers, 22 steals and elite glovework in center — but Bourjos fits the bill as a cost-efficient stopgap that could compete for the regular center field job in Spring Training and act as a fourth outfielder even if he loses out on the gig. Bourjos hit .251/.292/.389 in 383 plate appearances with the Phillies last year and enjoyed a torrid June before suffering a July shoulder injury.
Michael Bourn: The 34-year-old isn’t the elite defender and baserunner that he once was, but he still contributed positive value on the bases in addition to a +4 DRS rating in 2016 (UZR had him a tick below average). Bourn .264/.314/.371 with six homers and 15 steals between the D-backs and Orioles last year, and he’d give the Tigers a left-handed bat to pair with a heavily right-leaning lineup. Then again, with Collins swinging from the left side, a righty bat may be actually be preferable for the Tigers based solely on matchup purposes.
Coco Crisp: To be clear, Crisp has spent much more time in left field than in center over the past two seasons, and with good reason, as his once-excellent defensive ratings have taken a steep nosedive as Crisp has advanced into his upper 30s. The 37-year-old switch-hitter batted .231/.302/.397 between Oakland and Cleveland last season but still showed a blend of pop and speed, hitting 13 homers and swiping 10 bags.
Austin Jackson: No player on the free-agent market is more familiar to the Tigers than Jackson, who starred in Detroit from 2010-14 before somewhat surprisingly being shipped to the Mariners in 2014’s three-team David Price trade. Jackson’s bat has been mostly anemic since that swap (.255/.302/.345), and he ended last season on the shelf after suffering a knee injury that required surgery. That may call into question how capable Jackson is of manning center field. But, Jackson won’t turn 30 years old until Feb. 1, and he made just $5MM with the White Sox last year. A reduced salary seems likely, and there’s a bit of upside here to go along with the obvious familiarity.
Desmond Jennings: Even though he’s seven years younger than Crisp, Jennings comes with similar question marks surrounding his ability to handle center field. The 30-year-old once looked like a star in the making, but his career has been slowed in recent years by a cavalcade of knee and hamstring issues. Jennings had arthroscopic surgery on his knee in 2015 and has also had separate DL stints for a bruised knee and a knee contusion since going under the knife. He’s batted just .222/.295/.347 in 93 games/333 plate appearances in the past two seasons. Like Jackson, he’s still relatively young and is only a couple years removed from being a solid everyday contributor.

There are at least two other hypothetical options in Colby Rasmus and Angel Pagan, though neither spent much time in center in 2016 and it seems likely that they’ll command a good bit more than Fenech’s suggested price range (possibly, over a multi-year term). Detroit would likely need to jettison salary elsewhere in order to make a play for either outfielder.

Additionally, there are a number of veterans that figure to sign minor league deals and could potentially be options for the Tigers. (Although any of the above players could certainly need to settle for a minors pact as well, depending on how the market plays out.) Players like Will Venable, Sam Fuld, Craig Gentry and Drew Stubbs all have recent center field experience that could be of appeal to Detroit.

AL Central Notes: Brantley, Encarnacion, O’Brien, Tigers

By Steve Adams | January 4, 2017 at 8:10pm CDT

After missing nearly the entire 2016 season due to shoulder surgery and undergoing a second shoulder operation in August, Michael Brantley began some non-contact swinging drills over the holidays, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian. Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti has maintained this offseason that Brantley is in the team’s plans to be the Opening Day left fielder in 2017, Bastian continues, although it’s worth noting that Cleveland offered similar optimism last offseason, penciling Brantley in for a late April/early May return. While Brantley did indeed make his season debut in that window, he was limited to just 11 games all season and didn’t produce when on the field. The amount that Brantley will be able to contribute in 2017 will be crucial for Cleveland, although the Indians will get a nice boost to the lineup in the form of Edwin Encarnacion. Cleveland announced tonight that they’ll host a press conference tomorrow at 10:15am ET “regarding a potential new member of the organization,” thus indicating that Encarnacion passed today’s physical.

3 Remaining Needs: American League Central

By Connor Byrne | January 1, 2017 at 10:15am CDT

To set the stage for the remainder of the offseason, we’ll take a look at the most pressing remaining needs of every team in baseball over the coming week or so, division by division. (Hat tip to MLBTR commenter mike156 for the idea.) We often discuss things through the lens of an organization’s trajectory; thus, a rebuilding team might “need” to move some salary, while a contender might “need” an expensive starter. But with camp in sight, every club is making final calls on who’ll compete for big league jobs in the season to come (while also pursuing broader opportunities), so the focus here is on specific positions on the MLB roster. Fortunately, the task of roster analysis is made much easier by the MLB depth charts available at RosterResource.com. Each team listed below is linked to its respective depth chart, so you can take a look for yourself.

So far, we’ve checked in on the NL West, NL East and AL East. Here’s the AL Central, a division which features the reigning league champions…

Cleveland Indians

Outfield Depth: The Indians are fine on paper with Michael Brantley, Tyler Naquin, Lonnie Chisenhall and Brandon Guyer representing their primary outfield options, but there’s uncertainty surrounding Brantley. The star-caliber performer from 2014-15 missed all but 11 games last season because of a shoulder injury, and while he and the team are optimistic about his status, “better safe than sorry” applies. With that in mind, the Indians have been connected to free agents like Rajai Davis, a member of the Tribe in 2016, and Michael Saunders. Davis would be the more realistic acquisition, but Cleveland’s payroll limitations are standing in the way of a deal. Whether it’s Davis or someone else, though, having another outfielder – one who’s more established than Abraham Almonte – would be nice.
Left-Handed Reliever: Again, after winning the Edwin Encarnacion sweepstakes, the Indians might not have the financial freedom to do much else. Nevertheless, they have been in the market for a left-handed reliever, perhaps to take some pressure off Andrew Miller late in games. While Miller is arguably the best reliever in the sport, the Indians will have to monitor his workload to some degree next season after their liberal usage of him last year.
Utility Infielder: As you can probably tell, the Indians aren’t exactly loaded with weaknesses; hence the “need” to add competition for a reserve infield spot. After a strong season at Triple-A Columbus, Erick Gonzalez is the front-runner to serve as a backup to the Indians’ high-caliber group of infield starters. Michael Martinez could push for a spot, but he has been a woeful hitter in his major league career (.197/.241/.266 in 578 plate appearances). Signing a cheap free agent to vie for a role might not be a bad idea, then.

Detroit Tigers

Cut Payroll: General manager Al Avila made it clear at the outset of the offseason that the Tigers, who exceeded the luxury tax threshold in 2016, need to scale back their spending. Trading on-the-block outfielder J.D. Martinez and his $11.75MM salary would help in that regard, but it would subtract a key piece from what should be a playoff-contending roster. It would be far more beneficial for Detroit’s chances in 2017 to somehow jettison at least one of Anibal Sanchez ($21MM, including a $5MM buyout in 2018) or Mike Pelfrey ($8MM). Teams have checked in on the two right-handers this offseason, but it’s unclear if serious talks have developed.
Center Field: While the Tigers shed money earlier in the offseason in trading Cameron Maybin to the Angels, doing so left them devoid of even a somewhat proven center fielder. In the wake of Maybin’s exit, Avila said last month he’s seeking center field help “on every front,” as his top in-house choices for next season are Tyler Collins, JaCoby Jones and Anthony Gose. Free agency offers some veterans who shouldn’t cost much in ex-Tiger Austin Jackson, Peter Bourjos and Desmond Jennings, among others, though Avila acknowledged that acquiring a center fielder via trade is a possibility.
Figure Out The Bullpen: This is mostly in reference to left-handed reliever Justin Wilson, who has drawn significant interest on the trade market this offseason. As is the case with Martinez, though, shipping Wilson out would damage Detroit’s chances of contending in 2017. Plus, Wilson isn’t even particularly expensive (MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz forecasts a $2.7MM arbitration award). The Tigers are also listening to offers for right-hander Shane Greene, but they’re better positioned to absorb losing him with righties like Francisco Rodriguez, Alex Wilson, Bruce Rondon and minor league destroyer Joe Jimenez in the fold. On the other hand, the only non-Justin Wilson southpaw reliever on their projected 25-man roster is Rule 5 pick Daniel Stumpf.

Kansas City Royals

Bullpen: Like Cleveland and Detroit, Kansas City is another AL Central team dealing with payroll constraints. The Royals aren’t eager to tear things down, though, which would be an easy route to take for a team with so many integral players entering contract years. One of those cogs, closer Wade Davis, is now gone. GM Dayton Moore sent him to the Cubs for a major league contributor – and one with high upside – in outfielder Jorge Soler, which saved the Royals $7MM. That was a sound move by the Royals, but they now have a gaping hole in their bullpen because of it. As a result, they’re searching for a late-game complement to Kelvin Herrera and Joakim Soria, with longtime Royals and now-free agents Greg Holland and Luke Hochevar on the radar.
Starting Pitcher: Edinson Volquez and Dillon Gee combined for 314 1/3 innings last year – albeit not overly effective ones – and are now out of the organization. The Royals’ depth has taken a hit, then, and they’re on track to rely on Matt Strahm – who was brilliant in relief in 2016 – and 2015 Tommy John surgery recipient Jason Vargas to step into their starting five alongside Ian Kennedy, Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura. That quintet has the potential to succeed, but the club should protect against injuries and/or underwhelming performances with an outside acquisition who’s an upgrade over the likes of Chris Young and Mike Minor. Jason Hammel is reportedly an option if his price comes down enough, but that seems like a long shot. If so, there are several other veteran starters on the open market who will come at lesser costs should the Royals look to bolster their rotation depth.
Middle Infielder: With Whit Merrifield and 2016 third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert around, the Royals might be able to address this concern from within. That would be ideal for an organization whose other middle infielders scuffled last season. Shortstop Alcides Escobar (.261/.292/.350 in 682 PAs), second baseman Raul Mondesi (.185/.231/.281 in 149 PAs) and backup Christian Colon (.231/.294/.293 in 161 PAs) brought nothing to the table at the plate in 2016.

Chicago White Sox

Keep Dealing Veterans: GM Rick Hahn said last summer that the White Sox’s direction for 2017 would become obvious early in the offseason. True to his word, Hahn shipped out ace Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton for a cavalcade of touted prospects at the Winter Meetings, thereby announcing that Chicago’s in a rebuild. Sale and Eaton probably aren’t going to be the last known commodities to leave the organization via trade in the coming months, either, as front-line starter Jose Quintana, third baseman Todd Frazier, first baseman Jose Abreu, closer David Robertson and outfielder Melky Cabrera are also available.
Outfield: The likes of Avisail Garcia, Charlie Tilson and Jason Coats will compete for starting roles alongside Cabrera in left, while waiver claim Rymer Liriano (.220/.289/.266 in his 121-PA major league debut last season) is set to serve as depth. That’s an unspectacular collection of players, clearly, and even the 24-year-old Tilson – the youngest of the bunch – merely projects as a reserve or below-average regular, according to FanGraphs prospect guru Eric Longenhagen. Given the state of the franchise, the White Sox don’t need to make a splash with a big-time outfield pickup, but finding someone to supplement their current group via free agency would be sensible. Adding an inexpensive outfield bat this offseason might serve a purpose around next summer’s trade deadline, where the White Sox could flip that player for another prospect(s) if he shows well.
Catcher: The White Sox aren’t exactly in great shape behind the plate with Omar Narvaez and Kevan Smith as their top options at the moment. The 24-year-old Narvaez has more upside than Smith, 28, though the former doesn’t have an overly promising track record as either a hitter or pitch framer. Free agency doesn’t offer much in the way of solutions, but the White Sox could benefit from Matt Wieters’ decision. If he signs with the Braves, for instance, the Sox would be wise to at least inquire about their former backstop, Atlanta’s Tyler Flowers. On the other hand, the Nationals could shop one of their well-regarded veteran framers – Derek Norris or Jose Lobaton – if they sign Wieters. White Sox pitchers have lost a lot of strikes lately because of subpar framing, so finding a backstop capable of aiding young starters like Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez would be logical.

Minnesota Twins

Decide Brian Dozier’s Fate: The Twins’ star second baseman has been on the block throughout the offseason, and a resolution finally looks imminent. New Twins front office bosses Derek Falvey (chief baseball officer) and Thad Levine (general manager) have asked teams to submit their final offers for Dozier and will soon determine whether to trade him. Minnesota is arguably in a win-win position with Dozier, as it’ll either land a high-end prospect (or more) for him or retain one of the sport’s best second baseman for at least a bit longer. The Brewers were in a similar position last year with catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who didn’t go anywhere in the offseason despite myriad rumors. Milwaukee then shipped him to Texas during the summer for a prospect bounty. Dozier, like Lucroy last winter, has two years of team control left at a palatable price tag ($15MM combined).
Starting Pitching: The Twins have asked teams for controllable starting pitching in their Dozier talks, and they might secure a potential long-term piece in Jose De Leon if a deal with the Dodgers materializes. Otherwise, the Twins have shown interest this offseason in low-cost veterans like Clayton Richard, who re-signed with the Padres, and Justin Masterson. The club has four veteran starters in Ervin Santana, Hector Santiago, Kyle Gibson and Phil Hughes, and acquiring a fifth could lead to all three of Jose Berrios, Tyler Duffey and Adalberto Mejia receiving further seasoning at the Triple-A level.
Bullpen: Levine revealed a couple weeks ago that Minnesota is searching for experienced late-game arms, and there are a slew of those available in free agency. Even though the Twins aren’t contenders, offering a veteran a prominent eighth- or ninth-inning role could entice one to join the club. The rebuilding Twins could then shop that player as the season progresses if he fares nicely.

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