Tigers, Alex Presley Agree To Minors Deal
The Tigers have agreed to a minor league contract with outfielder Alex Presley, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. Presley will receive an invite to Major League Spring Training as well.
[Related: Detroit Tigers Depth Chart]
The 31-year-old Presley returns to Detroit after finishing the 2016 campaign in the Tigers organization. He appeared in just three Major League games with the Tigers last year, but he also saw time in 47 games with the Brewers in a limited role. Collectively, he batted .198/.269/.289 in 134 plate appearances between the two teams. Presley has a better track record than that, as he’s a career .253/.295/.382 hitter in 379 big league games (1239 plate appearances) split between the Pirates, Twins, Astros, Brewers and Tigers. He’s capable of playing center field and also has experience in both outfield corners, so he’ll have a chance to compete for a bench job or possibly more, depending on the team’s other moves this winter. J.D. Martinez has been an oft-speculated trade candidate, and dealing him would create further opportunity for Presley to earn a role with the team.
AL Notes: Sale, Orioles, Tigers, Mariners
Newly acquired Red Sox ace Chris Sale‘s unorthodox delivery hasn’t posed any significant problems to this point, as he has exceeded the 200-inning mark in three of his five seasons as a starter and combined for 386 frames in the other two campaigns. Asked if that delivery will lead to trouble down the road, Sale’s former pitching coach with the White Sox, Don Cooper, told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, “He knows himself really good. His delivery is solid.” Cooper added, “Chris Sale has three above-average major league pitches that he pours in and throws strikes. I don’t want to sound cocky, but I don’t think anyone saying stuff has a better idea about his delivery than me.” Cooper then lavished further praise on the 27-year-old Sale, who he thinks landed with the right club. “He’s put up Hall of Fame-credible numbers. And now he’s going to a team that is sparing no expense,” said Cooper. “Nothing stands in the way of them putting together the best team. He’s going to a team where he has a chance to put up even more wins. If he has 10 years like he’s had, he has a chance to have a Hall of Fame career.” Cooper had plenty more to say about Sale, so checking out Cafardo’s piece to read all of the pitching guru’s comments is highly recommended.
More from the American League:
- The Orioles are interested in bringing back two of their former relievers, free agent right-handers David Hernandez and Vance Worley, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Hernandez, 31, was the Orioles’ fifth-round pick in 2005 and stayed with the organization through the 2010 campaign. He spent 2016 in Philadelphia, where he tossed 70 2/3 innings and logged a 3.84 ERA, 9.91 K/9 and 3.96 BB/9. Worley was with the Orioles last season, but they non-tendered him earlier this month in lieu of paying the 29-year-old a projected $3.3MM via arbitration in 2017. The swingman recorded a 3.53 ERA despite an ugly 1.6 K/BB ratio last season.
- Having traded Cameron Maybin to the Angels earlier this offseason, the Tigers are looking for center field help “on every front,” general manager Al Avila told Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. “Maybe we can get that guy in a trade,” Avila said. “Maybe we can wait until January and get a guy to be a temporary fix. Maybe we can plug that hole with a sixth-year minor league free agent.” The Tigers have in-house center fielders Tyler Collins, JaCoby Jones and Anthony Gose set to compete for jobs, but they’d like for Jones to develop further at Triple-A Toledo. Gose spent most of his time last season in Toledo, where he got into a dispute with then-manager and now-Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon. That rift is now “water under the bridge,” according to Tigers skipper Brad Ausmus. Gose is unlikely to reunite with McClendon in Detroit, writes Woodbery, who points out that Gose has no minor league options remaining. As a result, he might end up joining another organization via waivers if he doesn’t crack the Tigers’ roster. Collins is also devoid of options, though he’s a better bet than Gose to stick with the Tigers, suggests Woodbery.
- After the Mariners promoted Edwin Diaz from Double-A Jackson to the majors last June, the electric 22-year-old burst on the big league scene and quickly became an elite reliever with his fastball-slider mix. The club might have another Diaz on its hands in relief prospect Thyago Vieira, who also relies on a fastball and slider, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times details. Vieira, who’s older than Diaz (24 next month), is capable of hitting 103 mph on the radar gun. “There can’t be many people in professional baseball with a better arm,” Mariners director of player development Andy McKay told Divish. “He throws enough strikes. I don’t think anyone would say there’s a ton of command, but there are plenty of strikes and the slider is hard to hit and really hard not to swing at.” Vieira spent most of 2016 at the High-A level and then pitched in the Arizona Fall League, but the Mariners nearly released him before the season. “In spring training, there was a question as to whether he was going to make a team or not based on his age and general performance history,” GM Jerry Dipoto revealed. Now, after working with minor league pitching coach Ethan Katz, Vieira is on Seattle’s 40-man roster and could debut in the majors in 2017. “I saw a big arm with a lot of potential that just needed a little more time to figure it out,” Katz stated. “There was some stuff that he was doing that needed to be fixed to help him succeed.” Vieira credits Katz for his breakout year. “I have to say thank you to the Mariners for giving me the opportunity to work with him,” Vieira said.
FA/Trade Notes: Arroyo, Tigers, Martinez, Avila, Dozier
In the latest edition of his podcast, Bill Ladson of MLB.com spoke with longtime major league starter Bronson Arroyo about whether he’ll continue his career. Arroyo, a free agent, hopes to return for what would be his age-40 season in 2017. However, the right-hander is unsure if his arm will hold up. It feels “terrible” some days, said Arroyo, who hasn’t taken a major league mound since June 2014. Arroyo underwent Tommy John surgery soon after, causing him to miss a large portion of that year and the entire 2015 campaign. He then suffered a partial tear of a tendon in his right rotator cuff during spring training with the Nationals last year and spent the season rehabbing. Arroyo informed Ladson that a few interested teams have contacted him this offseason, but he’ll wait “until closer to January” to determine if he’s physically capable of pitching anymore.
More free agency- and trade-related notes:
- The Tigers are continuing to shop J.D. Martinez, one of the majors’ best offensive outfielders, but they’re having difficulty finding a fit, reports Jerry Crasnick of ESPN (Twitter link). Detroit is looking for “young, controllable” talent in a Martinez package, according to Crasnick. Martinez is only under contract for another season, though, which helps explain why teams aren’t eager to trade major league-caliber youth for him.
- Speaking of the Tigers, they “would love” to sign free agent catcher Alex Avila, but it’s unlikely he’d fit into their budget, tweets Crasnick. Avila, of course, was with the Tigers from 2009-15 and is the son of their general manager, Al Avila. The younger Avila spent last season as a member of the AL Central rival White Sox, with whom he batted .213/.359/.373 in 209 plate appearances and made $2.5MM. A similar amount would price him out of Detroit’s range, relays Crasnick. If the lefty-swinging Avila were to return to Detroit, he’d platoon with right-handed-hitting backstop James McCann. Righties held McCann to a woeful .201/.243/.268 line in 240 PAs last season.
- The Dodgers are reportedly willing to trade a Jose De Leon-led package for Twins second baseman Brian Dozier, but no deal is imminent, a Minnesota official told Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). While at least a few teams have checked in on Dozier this offseason in the wake of a 42-home run campaign, the Dodgers are seemingly the most interested. Any offer would have to be “very strong” for the Twins to move the 29-year-old, notes Wolfson. Given Dozier’s outstanding track record and appealing contract (two years, $15MM), that’s not exactly a surprise.
Six Teams Set To Pay Luxury Tax
Six major league organizations will pay a luxury tax for exceeding the $189MM salary level, as the Associated Press reports (via Sportsnet.ca). With a new collective bargaining agreement set to go into effect, we’ve never seen more teams subject to the tax.
It’s no surprise which organizations lead the way yet again, but they’ll be joined by a few more others than usual. Here’s the full list:
- Dodgers, $31.8MM tax bill
- Yankees, $27.4MM
- Red Sox, $4.5MM
- Tigers, $4MM
- Giants, $3.4MM
- Cubs, $2.96MM
That’s four years in a row for Los Angeles and a remarkable fourteen straight for the Bronx Bombers, the AP notes. Also of note, this is the first time the Cubs have ever exceeded the luxury tax ceiling.
While the line will move up to $195MM next year, under the new CBA, the penalties will begin to rise — especially for consecutive offenders. Dipping back under the limbo stick may prove tough for the Dodgers, whose future obligations draw down more the following year. But the Yankees could well finally be set to re-set their luxury tax status this time next year.
Minor MLB Transactions: 12/16/16
Here are the latest minor moves from around the league:
- The Rays added catcher Michael McKenry on a minor-league contract, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets. Heyman further adds that McKenry will receive $900K if he’s in the Majors, plus a possible $475K in incentives. He has opt-outs on March 30 and June 1. With Wilson Ramos not expected to be ready to take over behind the plate for at least the first month or two of the year, there’s a need for depth. McKenry will presumably battle with pre-existing options Luke Maile and Curt Casali for a roster spot to open the season.
- Outfielder Brandon Barnes is headed to the Marlins on a minors pact, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. The deal includes a Spring Training invite. Barnes, 30, figures to function as a depth piece after seeing time in the majors over parts of the last five seasons. He struggled to a .220/.250/.320 batting line in just 109 MLB plate appearances last year.
- Lefty Jeff Beliveau is headed to the Blue Jays on a minors deal with a spring invite, per a club announcement. The 29-year-old has thrown 45 MLB frames spread over four years, with an even 4.00 ERA and 9.4 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9. Last year, he didn’t pitch above the Double-A level in the Orioles system, but provided 49 2/3 innings of 2.54 ERA pitching with a dozen K/9 to go with a sub-optimal 5.3 BB/9.
- Righty Erik Johnson is back with the Padres on a minor-league arrangement, Heyman tweets. Johnson will continue to work back from Tommy John surgery with San Diego, which had recently non-tendered him.
- The Orioles announced a series of minors signings. Among those not previously covered at MLBTR, the club will bring back outfielder Chris Dickerson and take a shot on Tomo Ohka. Dickerson joined Beliveau at Double-A in the Baltimore organization last year, hitting well in brief action there, but hasn’t seen the bigs since 2014. Ohka, 40, is a much more speculative addition; he’s trying to return to the majors for the first time since 2009 by turning himself into a knuckleballer.
- Anther pitcher seeking to make it back after a long run away from the majors is lefty Andy Oliver, who’ll try things out with the Brewers, per Heyman (via Twitter). Heyman adds that can opt out of his deal on June 15 if he’s not on the big-league roster, and Oliver also receives a foreign team inquiry clause. Oliver blitzed through the Tigers system after being taken in the 2nd round of the 2009 draft. He cracked the bigs briefly in 2010-11, but has plied his trade at Triple-A ever since. Oliver moved back to the rotation for half of his appearances last year with the Orioles’ top affiliate, which may have helped as he finally quelled some of his control issues. Oliver ended 2016 with a 3.43 ERA over 86 2/3 frames and 8.7 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 (his lowest walk rate since his debut year in full-season professional ball).
- The Tigers added third baseman Zack Cox on a minor-league arrangement, the indy ball Wichita Wingnuts announced. Once a highly regarded prospect, Cox never earned a major league call-up during his time in the Cardinals and Marlins systems, but hit .290/.348/.452 last year in 460 plate appearances for Wichita.
- Five players are returning to the Rangers organization on minor-league pacts, per Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter links). Utilityman Alex Burg will join right-handed hurlers Dario Beltre, Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Anthony Carter, and David Perez in returning to Texas. There’s a new farmhand coming in, too, as the Rangers added righty James Dykstra from the White Sox in a cash deal. Dykstra, 26, reached Double-A last year, throwing 102 1/3 innings of 4.93 ERA ball with 5.8 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9.
- Two previously designated players — catcher Justin O’Conner (Rays) and lefty Williams Jerez (Red Sox) — have been outrighted by their organizations, per club announcements.
Minor MLB Transactions: 12/15/16
Here are some minor moves to start the day:
- The Tigers added southpaw Anthony Vasquez on a minors pact, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (via Twitter). Vasquez, 30, made seven rough starts for the Mariners back in 2011 but hasn’t returned to the majors since. He was rather effective in the upper minors last year in the Phillies organization, throwing 172 1/3 innings of 3.08 ERA ball with 6.2 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9.
- Righty Matt Carasiti and outfielder Stephen Cardullo will each return to the Rockies on minor-league deals that include Spring Training invites, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding tweets. Both were non-tendered recently (though neither was eligible for arbitration) to clear 40-man spots. The 25-year-old Carasiti had an outstanding year at Triple-A, allowing just ten earned runs on thirty hits over 46 innings and carrying a sparkling 48:9 K/BB ratio, but was knocked around in his 19-game MLB debut. As for the 29-year-old Cardullo, who the Rox plucked from indy ball last year, a big showing at Triple-A (.308/.367/.522) earned him a surprise call to the majors. But he struggled in his 59 trips to the plate, logging a .214/.254/.411 slash with two homers.
- The Athletics have sold the contract of righty Ryan Brasier to the NPB’s Hiroshima Carp, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Now 29, Brasier reached the majors briefly back in 2013 — and also showed nice peripherals at Triple-A that year — but ended up going under the knife for a Tommy John procedure. Last year, he worked at the highest level of the Oakland farm, throwing 60 2/3 innings of 3.56 ERA ball and posting an impressive 10.4 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9.
AL Central Notes: K-Rod, Laird, Twins, Soler
Tigers closer Francisco Rodriguez doesn’t appear to be on the trade block this winter, writes Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. While GM Al Avila didn’t definitively state that K-Rod won’t be moved this winter, he certainly implied to Fenech that the team isn’t seeking out trade partners for Rodriguez, whose $6MM club option was picked up following the season. However, Avila did state that if things go south for the Tigers in 2017, K-Rod would be a logical trade chip. “If things were right, if the timing was right, would he be a guy we’d look to trade?” the GM asked rhetorically. “Yeah. A veteran guy in the last year of his contract, there might be a good situation down the road.” Avila has publicly declared a desire to shed some payroll and work toward a younger roster, but for the time being it seems likelier that K-Rod opens the year in Detroit than elsewhere.
A few more items from the AL Central…
- The Tigers announced today that former Major League catcher Gerald Laird has been hired as the manager of the team’s Class-A affiliate in Connecticut. Laird, 37, hasn’t logged significant Major League action since the 2014 season, which he spent with the Braves. The former Tiger spent parts of 13 seasons in the Majors beginning in 2003, though, batting a collective .243/.305/.353 with the Rangers, Tigers, Cardinals, Braves and Diamondbacks. He won a World Series ring with St. Louis in 2011 and now looks to be embarking on the next level of his career in baseball. There’s been no formal word that he’s retired, though it seems clear that for the time being, he’s focused on other areas.
- Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine sat down with Fangraphs’ David Laurila at last week’s Winter Meetings to discuss a number of topics, including player acquisition, building out the analytics/baseball operations staff, the coaching staff and lineup construction (though the latter of that group will firmly remain manager Paul Molitor’s duty, the two stressed). While the new duo will bring a more modern and statistical approach to the Minnesota front office, Levine emphasized to Laurila that roster decisions aren’t going to be purely “formulaic,” and both execs spoke about the importance of looking beyond statistical evidence when making decisions. Falvey and Levine also spoke highly of the work that Twins director of baseball research Jack Goin has done in the analytics department prior to their arrival and said they plan on adding to that impressive base. “When you work for another team, you really don’t know what’s under the hood of another team when it comes to systems,” said Falvey. “It felt like there’s a good framework in place, in a system where we could access information. … Right now it’s a good framework to build off of.”
- Royals GM Dayton Moore suggested at today’s press conference to introduce Jorge Soler that the talks with the Cubs that sent the outfielder to Kansas City were first explored quite awhile ago, as the Kansas City Star’s Rustin Dodd writes. “We knew that this deal was a potential fit for us a couple of months ago,” said Moore. “So it gave us plenty of time to do all the background (checks).” Per Dodd, Moore likened the deal somewhat to the 2010 trade that sent Zack Greinke to the Brewers in exchange for a package of talent headlined by Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar. While the four-for-one nature of that trade doesn’t line up with last week’s one-for-one swap of Soler and Wade Davis, Moore noted that the goal was the same: adding controllable, MLB-ready talent that still has room to grow.
Trade/Free Agent Rumors: Dozier, Dodgers, Carter, Wilson, Ross
The Dodgers wrapped up their five-year agreement with Kenley Jansen yesterday and are nearing the completion of a four-year deal with Justin Turner — both ESPN’s Jim Bowden and FanRag’s Jon Heyman have reported today that just small details remain to be worked out — but Doug Padilla of ESPN.com reports that the impending re-signing of Turner doesn’t close the door on a trade for Minnesota’s Brian Dozier. Per Padilla, a trade package for the Twins‘ slugging second baseman might have to center around right-hander Jose De Leon or a similar asset, but the Dodgers are reluctant to part with De Leon. A reunion with 2016 second baseman Chase Utley hasn’t been entirely ruled out either, according to Padilla. Utley delivered a solid season on a one-year deal with the Dodgers last year, hitting .252/.319/.396 with 14 homers, but Utley logged a dismal .154/.206/.264 slash in 97 plate appearances against lefties. The Dodgers’ greatest weakness in 2016 may have been their struggles against southpaws — an area where Dozier could provide a significant boost (.282/.353/.613 in 2016, .270/.343/.512 in his career).
A few more notes regarding the offseason trade and free-agent markets…
- FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that with Jansen back in the fold, the Dodgers aren’t planning on offering more than a one-year deal to any free agent relievers. That, he notes, could take them out of the mix for Greg Holland in the event that Holland is still eyeing multi-year deals. Of course, it should be noted that it’s difficult to definitively rule the Dodgers out of making a bargain two-year play later in the offseason. If a pitcher that is widely believed to sign a lucrative two- or three-year pact at present sees his market crumble somewhat and loers his asking price on a two-year pact a few months from now, one can imagine the Dodgers jumping in and making a value play.
- Both the Rangers and Orioles have expressed some level of interest in free-agent slugger Chris Carter, per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (on Twitter). Neither team is especially close to a deal with Carter, however, he cautions. The seriousness of the interest from Texas and Baltimore isn’t clear from Morosi’s brief report, though it’s easy to see how Carter could fit into the plans of either team. The Rangers abruptly lost Prince Fielder this past season when neck issues forced him to retire, while first baseman Mitch Moreland hit free agency and agreed to a deal with the Red Sox. The Orioles, meanwhile, could lose both Mark Trumbo and Pedro Alvarez to free agency, though they’re said to be in talks about retaining Trumbo. There’s certainly an argument that Carter is a similar and more cost-effective alternative to Trumbo, especially if the O’s are planning to use either at DH moving forward. Carter was non-tendered by Milwaukee last month on the heels of a .222/.321/.499 batting line and an NL-best 41 homers (as well as an NL-worst 206 strikeouts).
- Morosi also tweets that the Astros have had some talks with the Tigers regarding left-handed reliever Justin Wilson. Houston joins the Cubs as the most recent team to be linked to Wilson, who pitched to a 4.14 ERA in his first season with Detroit but also recorded career-bests in K/9, BB/9 and ground-ball rate. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz pegs him for a reasonable $2.7MM next year, and Wilson will be controllable through the 2018 season via the arbitration process.
- Speaking of the Cubs, they’re maintaining some interest in right-hander Tyson Ross, reports Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago/670 The Score. Ross was non-tendered by the Padres after undergoing surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome in October, and while he could well be ready to pitch early in the 2017 campaign, the Padres clearly weren’t comfortable with a projected salary between $9-10MM. Levine spoke to one NL exec who expected Ross to receive an incentive-laden contract that allows Ross to earn nearly as much as he otherwise would have through arbitration with the Padres. The Cubs, according to Levine, have had interest in Ross since the summer of 2015, when they tried to broker a deal that would’ve sent Starlin Castro to the Padres in return. According to Levine, the Rangers are also interested in swinging a deal with Ross now that he’s a free agent, though it’s easy to imagine a wide number of teams showing interest in a short-term commitment to a player with Ross’ upside. The 29-year-old turned in a 3.07 ERA with 9.2 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 and a strong ground-ball rate in 516 2/3 innings with the Padres from 2013-15.
Trade Chatter: Colome, Mariners, Wilson, Profar
There has been significant movement on the market for closers, leaving the Rays with an interesting trade piece in Alex Colome. But while the team is receiving ongoing interest in the controllable young hurler, it’s not moving off of a “price they believe is appropriately high,” Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Moving Colome would put a dent in the team’s 2017 hopes, Rosenthal notes, and it seems fair to say that the organization’s other recent moves do not suggest that the organization has any intentions of packing it in before reaching Spring Training. It still seems much more likely that the club will deal a starter; Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times recently provided the latest on that front, suggesting that one of Drew Smyly, Alex Cobb, and Erasmo Ramirez may be more likely to be dealt than are Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi.
- The Mariners have been talking with both the Rays and the Reds about starters, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports on Twitter. Seattle has been said to be hunting for one more rotation piece, and it’s not surprising to see these two particular organizations mentioned. Tampa Bay, as noted, has long been expected to consider trading out of its staff; the M’s could conceivably have interest in just about any of the pitchers listed above. And while we haven’t heard much in the way of specifics from Cincinnati, it stands to reason that the club would at least weigh offers for pitchers such as Anthony DeSclafani and Dan Straily.
- The Tigers and Cubs have been in contact about left-handed reliever Justin Wilson, tweets Morosi, although he notes that it’s unclear whether there’s any momentum. Detroit acquired Wilson last winter in a trade that sent Chad Green and Luis Cessa to the Yankees, and while Wilson didn’t have the year the Tigers likely envisioned (4.14 ERA in 58 2/3 innings), there were plenty of positive indicators in the 29-year-old’s results. Wilson turned in a career-best 10.0 K/9 and career-low 2.6 BB/9 in his 58 2/3 frames out of the Detroit ‘pen, and he also notched a career-high 54.9 percent ground-ball rate.
- Before landing Adam Eaton, the Nationals approached the Rangers about a deal to acquire infielder Jurickson Profar, Rosenthal reports (Twitter links). Washington was reputedly interested in utilizing Profar at shortstop, which would have meant keeping Trea Turner in center field, but moved on when Texas requested righty Joe Ross in return. It’s certainly not clear whether the Nats would have preferred to work something out on Profar rather than acquiring Eaton, but it’s nevertheless interesting to learn of the discussions. If nothing else, it represents one of the first suggestions we’ve heard of a team approaching the Rangers about the 23-year-old, a former top prospect who is now one of the more hard-to-peg potential trade chips in baseball. He has been thrust into a utility role after dealing with significant shoulder issues, and hit just .239/.321/.338 in 307 plate appearances last year. Further, despite his relatively scant MLB experience (184 total games), Profar has already racked up over three years of service time. But the prospect pedigree is second to none, and he has shown flashes of his talent in the upper minors and (in stretches) in the majors.
Pitcher News & Rumors: Red Sox, Marlins, Rockies, Mets, Tigers
In addition to showing an unwillingness to take on Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz‘s $13.5MM salary for next season, the Marlins weren’t open to dealing righty prospect Luis Castillo in trade talks, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The Marlins previously traded Castillo to the Padres last July in the Andrew Cashner deal, but San Diego quickly returned the 23-year-old to Miami in exchange for the injured Colin Rea. Castillo, whom MLBpipeline.com ranks as the Marlins’ fifth-best prospect, spent most of last season at the High-A level and logged a 2.07 ERA, 6.96 K/9 and 1.38 BB/9 in 117 2/3 innings.
More pitcher-related news:
- While Colorado native Mark Melancon reportedly would have taken a slight discount to sign with the Rockies, they were never really in contention for the closer before he inked a four-year, $62MM deal with the Giants on Monday, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “They knew that we were interested, but I wouldn’t say we were at the front of the line,” said general manager Jeff Bridich.
- The Mets have given closer Jeurys Familia permission to pitch in the Dominican Winter League with Gigantes del Cibao, per Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. Familia has a scheduled Thursday court hearing, at which his simple assault charge stemming from an Oct. 31 domestic violence arrest will likely be dropped. Even if that happens, commissioner Rob Manfred could still suspend Familia for some portion of next season.
- The Tigers are listening to offers for relievers Justin Wilson and Shane Greene, but the former is the likelier of the two to move because he’s pricier and would bring back more in a trade, according to Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. Shipping out the left-handed Wilson would free up an estimated $2.7MM for Detroit, which acquired him from the Yankees for righties Chad Green and Luis Cessa last winter. In his first year with the Tigers, Wilson recorded a 4.14 ERA, 9.97 K/9, 2.61 BB/9 and 54.6 ground-ball rate in 58 2/3 innings. The right-handed Greene, also an ex-Yankee, will make close to the league minimum in 2017. He ended last season with a 5.82 ERA, 8.8 K/9, 3.28 BB/9 and 47.6 grounder rate across 60 1/3 frames.