Quick Hits: Royals, Keuchel, Alvarez
The Royals aren’t yet ready to wrap up their offseason after agreeing to sign Brandon Moss, per FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, who reports they’re still looking for help in their rotation and bullpen (Twitter link). It’s worth noting that the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo linked the top free agent starter remaining, Jason Hammel, to Kansas City on Saturday. Here are more quick notes from around the big leagues.
- Speaking of Moss, his presence on the Royals could complicate Cheslor Cuthbert‘s role for 2017, writes Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. Cuthbert was a candidate to spend time at designated hitter before Sunday, but that could be difficult with Moss in the fold. Cuthbert broke in last year at third base, though that opportunity only came as a result of Mike Moustakas‘ injury-shortened campaign. Moustakas is set to return from a torn ACL, so Cuthbert probably won’t play much at third, and Dodd contends that a lack of range could prevent him from manning second base. Moreover, Cuthbert is out of minor league options, meaning the Royals are either going to have to keep him on their 25-man roster or subject the 24-year-old to waivers if they try to send him down.
- On Thursday, Astros lefty Dallas Keuchel will throw off a mound for the first time since August, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle writes. Keuchel missed more than a month at the end of last season due to shoulder trouble. Keuchel feels like he’s in good shape heading into the season. Last year, his innings pitched dipped from 232 in his Cy Young 2015 season to 168, but this year he’s had extra time off due to the injury, and he feels healthy as Spring Training approaches. He avoided arbitration with the Astros two weeks ago and will make $9.15MM in the penultimate season before he’s eligible for free agency.
- Shoulder problems limited right-hander Henderson Alvarez to 22 1/3 innings in 2015 and kept him from taking a major league mound at all last season, but he’s nonetheless drawing plenty of interest in free agency. “Many” clubs have requested Alvarez’s medicals, tweets FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, who adds that the soon-to-be 27-year-old should be ready for game action by May. Unfortunately, the ground-ball and control artist’s career has gone off the rails since he tossed 187 innings of 2.65 ERA ball with the Marlins in 2014. The Fish non-tendered Alvarez after the 2015 campaign, and the Athletics outrighted him this past October. The A’s guaranteed Alvarez to $4.25MM last winter, but he only gave the organization 33 innings – all in the minors – before undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery in September.
AL Notes: Mariners, Astros, Twins, White Sox
While Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger wasn’t the headliner in the November trade that saw him go from Arizona to Seattle, the M’s have high hopes for the 26-year-old, writes Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. A 2012 first-round pick and former Brewers prospect, Haniger hit a below-average .229/.309/.404 in the first 129 plate appearances of his major league career last season, though his video game-like .341/.428/.670 line in 312 Triple-A PAs wowed Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto. “By the numbers, (Haniger) was able to show that he was the best offensive player (last year) in the minor leagues at any level,” said Dipoto. “He’s also a right-handed batter, and we acquired him for that reason. Mitch is also the one that brings with him a skill set that includes power, and he’s got on-base ability.” Dipoto expects Haniger to serve as the Mariners’ everyday right fielder this year, which would leave Ben Gamel and Guillermo Heredia to fight for a reserve role.
More from the American League:
- The Astros haven’t been willing to give up 21-year-old pitching prospect Francis Martes in a deal for White Sox ace Jose Quintana, and it’s no surprise, given the Houston organization’s opinion of Martes. “He’s got as high a ceiling as probably any righty in the major leagues,” Astros assistant general manager Mike Elias told David Laurila of FanGraphs. “He has such a gifted arm, and such a weapon breaking ball, plus the changeup as a third pitch. Something that can be lost sight of is how young he is. He went to Double-A (late in the 2015 season) and held his own. In and of itself, that says something. If you look at the list of guys who have pitched well in Double-A at age 19, it’s a really, really impressive list.” If Martes’ effectiveness continues in 2017, “his road to Houston could be a very fast one,” per Elias.
- Twins reliever Glen Perkins threw only two innings last season – both in early April – before undergoing June surgery to repair a torn labrum. Perkins’ recovery from the procedure “has gone well,” but “there’s no reason to rush” back, he informed Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. With that in mind, Perkins could begin the season on the disabled list. “It’s going to be down to the finish line at the end of spring training whether I’m ready or not,” said the 34-year-old. Long an adept late-game option, the left-handed Perkins amassed no fewer than 32 saves in each season from 2013-15. Brandon Kintzler grabbed the ninth-inning reins last year for the Perkins-less Twins, who are still scouring the open market for relief help.
- Victor Diaz is the least heralded prospect in the four-player package the White Sox received from the Red Sox in exchange for ace Chris Sale last month, but Chicago regards the hard-throwing right-hander as a quality piece. The 22-year-old Diaz is a prospect worth dreaming on and could move quickly toward the majors, according to White Sox senior director of baseball operations Dan Fabian (Twitter link via Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago). Diaz, a reliever capable of hitting triple digits on the radar gun, tossed 60 1/3 innings at the Low-A level last season.
Latest On Cardinals-Astros Hacking Scandal
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said in October that the league was nearing the end of its investigation into the improper accessing of the Astros’ computer systems by the Cardinals, but no decision has come in the nearly four months since then. It appears that’s about to change. The league could impose sanctions on the Cardinals sometime soon – perhaps as early as the upcoming week – report Dave Barron and Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle.
MLB is nearing a decision thanks to U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes’ choice to unseal details concerning ex-Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa’s hacking of the Astros’ email and player evaluation systems beginning in 2012. Correa, whom the Cardinals fired in 2015 and who was sentenced to a 46-month prison sentence and ordered to pay $279K in July, breached the Astros’ proprietary computer network, “Ground Control,” 48 times and accessed the accounts of five Houston employees, per court documents.
Correa had unlimited access to the email account of Astros director of decision sciences Sig Mejdal, who previously worked with Correa in St. Louis and was “one of Correa’s rivals,” wrote prosecutor and assistant U.S. attorney Michael Chu in one document. Hacking Mejdal’s email enabled Correa to know “what projects the Astros’ analytics department was researching, what concepts were promising and what ideas to avoid,” per Chu.
Among many other transgressions which Barron and Kaplan detail in a piece that’s definitely worth a full read, Correa used Houston general manager (and former Cardinals employee) Jeff Luhnow’s password to break into the Astros’ system. Correa also studied the Luhnow-led Astros’ trade notes “at least 14 times” leading up to the non-waiver deadline in 2013, according to Chu, who wrote that Correa “was keenly focused on information that coincided with the work he was doing for the Cardinals” and was gaining “invaluable” information from analytics-minded Houston. The Astros went through a “humiliating episode” when their trade notes were leaked to the public in 2015 and had to privately apologize to the majors’ other teams, notes Chu, who believes Correa was behind the leak.
Although the Cardinals fired Correa amid their own investigation into his violations, they could nonetheless face some form of punishment. Manfred lamented in the fall that the league hadn’t gotten enough help from the U.S. attorney’s office, though it appears the newly released information will hasten a decision from MLB.
Cafardo’s Latest: White Sox, Blue Jays, Astros, Royals
The Blue Jays have had discussions with the White Sox regarding closer David Robertson, who’s “more than available,” writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Chicago isn’t in any rush to move Robertson, though, because the team believes he’ll possess significant value around the summer trade deadline. Robertson will be more than a rental if the White Sox move him in the coming months, as he has two years and $25MM remaining on his contract. While Toronto already has a high-level closer in Roberto Osuna, it could use another setup option to go with Joe Biagini and Jason Grilli.
More from Cafardo on those two clubs and a couple others:
- The White Sox are “100 percent committed” to keeping star prospect Yoan Moncada at second base, a team source told Cafardo. Moncada, who’s the centerpiece of the haul the White Sox acquired from Boston for Chris Sale last month, primarily played third base in his brief cup of coffee at the major league level last season. Notably, some scouts have suggested moving the athletic 21-year-old to center field, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn told Chuck Garfien of Comcast Sportsnet Chicago on Saturday (Twitter link).
- Before they agreed to a minor league contract with catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, the Blue Jays showed interest in free agent Matt Wieters, relays Cafardo. Toronto already has an everyday catcher in Russell Martin, of course, and also possesses no shortage of first base/designated hitter types (though Cafardo doesn’t specify whether Wieters was on Toronto’s radar before or after it signed Kendrys Morales, Steve Pearce and Jose Bautista). With the Jays out of the picture, the Astros and the previously reported Rays remain possibilities for Wieters, who wanted a three-year deal at the outset of free agency, adds Cafardo. The Astros are another curious fit, however, with Brian McCann and Evan Gattis behind the plate – not to mention the presences of first baseman Yulieski Gurriel and DH Carlos Beltran.
- The Royals’ interest in free agent right-hander Jason Hammel has picked up since Yordano Ventura tragically died last Sunday, per Cafardo. Kansas City was surely banking on quality production in 2017 from Ventura, who tossed at least 163 innings in each of his three major league seasons and totaled a career-best 186 frames last year. From strictly an on-field standpoint, Hammel’s track record suggests he would help replace the stunning loss of Ventura. Hammel has racked up three straight years with 166-plus innings and sub-4.00 ERAs, though he surprisingly hasn’t been able to find work this offseason since the Cubs declined his option in November. It’s worth noting that the 34-year-old experienced elbow tightness late last season and wasn’t active for the World Series champions’ playoff run.
- Along with Hammel, free agent first baseman Chris Carter has piqued the Royals’ interest, but Cafardo notes that they seem likelier to target a left-handed hitter. There are still several notable lefty-swinging options remaining in free agency, including Pedro Alvarez, Brandon Moss, Logan Morrison, Adam Lind, Justin Morneau and Ryan Howard.
Luhnow: Astros Likely Done Making Significant Additions
Speaking with reporters yesterday, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said the team was likely done making big-league additions this winter, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports. Luhnow is effectively saying the team is unlikely to add a big-name pitcher such as Jose Quintana, Chris Archer or Sonny Gray, all of whom they’ve been connected to lately. He is not, however, ruling out the possibility that the Astros could still make a move.
The Astros’ roster at the moment is “probably the roster that we’re going to have to start the season,” Luhnow said. “We’re always open to considering ways to improve it, but right now I’d set the expectations low that there’s going to be any major changes.”
Health permitting, the Astros will have Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers and Collin McHugh in their rotation. After receiving a $14MM contract this winter, Charlie Morton is a reasonable bet to win a job as well, although that’s not a certainty. Mike Fiers, Joe Musgrove and Chris Devenski are also in the picture, and top prospect Francis Martes could eventually emerge as a possibility.
“We feel like we’ve got enough depth in the rotation that we’ll have five guys in our rotation that are going to be able to compete every night, and our offense is going to keep us in games,” Luhnow said. He added that it’s possible the Astros could use the early months of the season to evaluate their starting pitching and then either try to trade for a pitcher or “save ourselves a few prospects” if it turns out they don’t need one.
AL Notes: Angels, Indians, Bautista, Astros
Angels first baseman C.J. Cron has come up as a possible trade candidate in the wake of the team’s agreement with free agent Luis Valbuena on Thursday, but the Halos’ decision to add another corner infielder has more to do with Albert Pujols‘ uncertain status, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. Pujols could miss the beginning of next season as a result of December foot surgery. In the meantime, the Angels will play the lefty-swinging Valbuena against right-handed pitching and deploy him at Pujols’ positions – designated hitter and first base – as well as third base, writes Rosenthal. When Pujols returns, the club could take advantage of the fact that Cron and Jefrey Marte have minor league options remaining and send either to Triple-A Salt Lake City, Rosenthal notes. Looking ahead a year, third baseman Yunel Escobar could depart in free agency next winter. That would enable Valbuena to take over at the hot corner on a full-time basis in 2018.
More from the American League:
- Right fielder Jose Bautista, who brought an end to a drawn-out saga when he re-signed with the Blue Jays earlier this week, didn’t seriously consider joining the Indians, reports Terry Pluto of cleveland.com. The Indians inquired about Bautista, but it doesn’t seem as if either side was gung-ho about a union. After all, manager Terry Francona declared that the Tribe’s pursuit of Bautista in free agency – which may have included a bid – was overstated.
- While the Astros committed a guaranteed $14MM to Charlie Morton earlier this offseason, the right-hander isn’t a lock to win a spot in their rotation, general manager Jeff Luhnow suggested to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (Twitter link). Luhnow does expect Morton to end up in the Astros’ starting five, but he’s only “softly” part of the rotation for now. The Astros have been pushing to add a front-line starter all winter, and picking one up could relegate Morton to a bullpen role. As of now, in addition to established starters Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers, Collin McHugh, Mike Fiers and Morton, the team has intriguing young options – including Joe Musgrove and Francis Martes – knocking on the door.
- Once regarded as key building blocks for the Astros, first baseman A.J. Reed and third baseman Colin Moran are long shots to crack the big league roster this year after rough seasons, writes Jake Kaplan of Baseball America (subscription required/recommended). Reed, whom BA ranked as baseball’s 11th-best prospect a year ago, got his first taste of major league action in 2016 and batted a weak .164/.270/.262 with a 34 percent strikeout rate in 141 plate appearances. The soon-to-be 24-year-old did rake at Triple-A Fresno (.291/.368/.556 in 296 PAs), though he’s now behind $47.5MM man Yulieski Gurriel and Marwin Gonzalez on the Astros’ first base depth chart. With Carlos Beltran and Evan Gattis also on hand, Reed stands even less of a chance to garner at-bats as a DH. Moran, the sixth overall pick in the 2013 draft, didn’t help his cause in Fresno – .259/.329/.368 in 511 trips to the plate – and the emergence of Alex Bregman in Houston only added to his problems. Bregman looks like the Astros’ long-term solution at third, putting the 24-year-old Moran’s future in question.
Minor MLB Transactions: 1/21/17
Saturday’s minor moves from around baseball:
- The Astros have signed right-hander Dayan Diaz to a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to spring training, tweets Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle. This will be the second stint with the Houston franchise for the 27-year-old Diaz, who broke in as a member of the organization from 2010-12. Diaz has since pitched for three other clubs, and he made his major league debut last season in a 6 2/3-inning showing with the Reds. That didn’t go well, though, as Diaz yielded seven earned runs on 10 hits and seven walks. He has been far more successful at the Triple-A level, having recorded a 2.47 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 113 innings over the past two seasons.
Reliever Notes: Casilla, Betances, Nationals, Luhnow, Twins
Here’s the latest bullpen buzz from around the game…
- Before signing with the Athletics, Santiago Casilla told reporters (including Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle) that he also received an offer from the Brewers. Earlier this week, Milwaukee went in another direction for its closing vacancy by signing Neftali Feliz to a one-year contract.
- The Yankees discussed a multi-year deal with Dellin Betances, GM Brian Cashman tells Dan Martin of the New York Post. The two sides didn’t reach an agreement prior to the arbitration deadline, however, and thus they will go to an arbitration hearing to determine Betances’ 2017 salary. “Based on all of our discussions, it was clear our different perspectives were at such a wide bridge, that we’ll go out and basically have a polite discussion about market value and history of where the marketplace sits versus attempts for a new market creation,” Cashman said. The Yankees filed for $3MM while Betances filed for $5MM in his first year of arbitration eligibility, a number the reliever feels is justified, he told the Post’s George A. King III. “What I’ve done for the first three years for the team, we’re asking for a fair number and I just want to be treated fairly. That’s all I ask, to be honest with you,” Betances said.
- Lack of depth may be a bigger bullpen issue for the Nationals than their lack of an experienced closer, MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman writes. The Nats have been rather quiet as of late but Zuckerman notes that the club has “been looking at available relievers for weeks now,” as well as possible bench options.
- The Astros are still monitoring the market for left-handed relievers, though GM Jeff Luhnow tells reporters (including Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle) that “at this point I’m not sure that anything’s going to get done there.” Tony Sipp is the only southpaw in Houston’s bullpen right now, while inexperienced options Kevin Chapman, Ashur Tolliver and Reymin Guduan are also on the 40-man roster.
- The Twins bullpen “still needs some work,” Paul Molitor tells MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger, as the manager says the team is continuing to look for possible upgrades.
Astros, Mike Fiers Avoid Arbitration
The Astros have avoided arbitration with right-hander Mike Fiers by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $3.45MM, reports Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Fiers had filed for a $3.9MM salary, while the team countered at $3MM, as can be seen in MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker. His ultimate $3.45MM contract will land directly on the midpoint between those two proposed sums.
As things currently stand in Houston, Fiers figures to head into camp as a member of the team’s rotation, alongside Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers, Collin McHugh and offseason signee Charlie Morton. Young Joe Musgrove, who was sharp in his 2016 MLB debut, could be in the mix for rotation innings as well. Fiers does have some bullpen experience, though, so it’s at least possible that the team could explore a swingman role for him if Musgrove looks sharp in camp and the other four starters all appear healthy. It’s also worth noting that the Astros have been consistently linked to trade rumors for top-tier starting pitchers, and a deal would obviously make a significant impact on the construction of their rotation.
The 31-year-old Fiers made 30 starts and 31 total appearances for the Astros last season, pitching to a 4.48 earned run average with 7.2 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a career-best 42.2 percent ground-ball rate in 168 2/3 innings. Since coming to Houston in the 2015 trade that also netted the Astros center fielder Carlos Gomez, Fiers has turned in 231 innings of 4.17 ERA ball.
With Fiers’ situation now resolved, the only remaining arbitration cases for the Astros are those of McHugh, setup man Will Harris and utility infielder Marwin Gonzalez (via the Arb Tracker).
Trade/Free Agent Rumors: Holland, Astros, Feliz, Saunders, Twins
Former Royals closer Greg Holland is getting closer to selecting a new team and could make a decision within the next week, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. Holland has been said to be seeking a two-year guarantee with an opt-out after the first season as he looks to re-establish himself following Tommy John surgery late in the 2015 season. Roughly two-thirds of the league has been linked to Holland in some capacity, though it’s unlikely that the majority of teams would be comfortable with that type of contractual arrangement. The 30-year-old figures to draw interest from contenders and non-contenders alike so he’ll have to weigh not only the financial strength of the offers he receives but also the ability to pitch for contending club and the opportunity to compete for a ninth-inning job (which non-contending clubs may be more willing to offer right away than contenders).
Some more notes pertaining to the free-agent and trade markets…
- The Astros haven’t given up on the notion of acquiring one of Sonny Gray, Jose Quintana or Chris Archer and remain in contact with the Athletics, White Sox and Rays, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted recently. The extreme asking prices on each starter makes it seem unlikely that Houston would be able to pry any of that trio loose. They’ve already balked at Chicago’s reported asking price of Francis Martes, Kyle Tucker and Joe Musgrove for Quintana, and MLB Network’s Peter Gammons tweets that he received a flat “No” when he asked one source if Gray could land in Houston. Archer, meanwhile, seems like an even longer shot to contend. The Rays have already moved one of their starters, trading Drew Smyly to the Mariners, and the remainder of their offseason dealings have been largely focused in improving the 2017 club.
- While the Brewers and right-hander Neftali Feliz have yet to finalize an agreement, the two sides are still talking and working toward that goal, tweets MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. Reports over the weekend suggested that the two sides could be moving toward a deal, though there’s been little news since. Feliz had a strong 2016 season with the division-rival Pirates (3.52 ERA, 10.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 in 53 2/3 innings) but finished the season on the shelf with a somewhat vague arm injury.
- Both the Blue Jays and Orioles were “in” on Michael Saunders before the outfielder agreed to a one-year, $9MM with the Phillies (which includes an $11MM club option and escalators), tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. Per Crasnick, Saunders also drew some level of interest from the Brewers and the Diamondbacks as well, Crasnick adds, which is somewhat interesting given the fact that neither club has a clear on-paper need for an additional regular in the outfield.
- Twins manager Paul Molitor tells La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he’s hopeful the front office will add a veteran to the roster to help bring some experience to what is overall a young clubhouse. “I’ve talked to Thad and Derek about my opinions about adding, where we could, more experienced people who have the reputation of being influential in clubhouse culture as well as leadership,” said Molitor, “and a guy who can still play.” Neal speculates that an outfield bat would be the likeliest fit, noting that Minnesota is pretty well stocked in terms of infield options and DH types.