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Dodgers Notes: Turner, Jansen, Second Base, Puig, Thompson

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Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner both spoke with Doug Padilla of ESPN.com to discuss their decisions to return to the Dodgers organization this winter. As the pair explains, they were in Curacao for Jansen’s wedding along with teammates Yasiel Puig and Scott Van Slyke and hadn’t discussed baseball for the first several days of the trip. Amusingly, it was during a haircut when the barber asked the duo about their free agency that they first discussed the decisions at hand with each other and eventually their teammates. “I don’t think either one of us was trying to pressure anyone to make any decision, we were just laying out the options and different situations and experiences,” said Turner. Jansen said that none of the teammates in attendance pressured him, instead respecting any decision he’d make, which only further instilled a bond and a sense of family. Jansen adds that the Dodgers upped their offer from four years to five shortly before his wedding, which helped to tip the scale in Los Angeles’ favor.

“When we were all together it made it tough for me to make a decision to be in another uniform,” said Jansen. “…A few days before my wedding, it seemed as if I was going to Washington. But after the Dodgers came at the end, I couldn’t leave. I wanted to stay.” Dodgers fans should absolutely check out the story in its entirety, as its stuffed with quotes from the newly re-signed pair of stars.

More on the Dodgers…

  • Dodgers president of baseball ops Andrew Friedman spoke with reporters, including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, about his team’s needs at second base, and while he wouldn’t comment specifically on the reported impasse with the Twins in their talks for Brian Dozier, he spoke in general terms about the difficult negotiations. “Throughout the course of a negotiation process there are ups and downs,” said Friedman. “So it’s just a tough thing to assess. But there are a number of different options out there. I think some are more likely than others. But three days from now I could feel very differently and those things could flip.” Plunkett reports that the Dodgers have kept in contact with Chase Utley’s representatives this season, though he doesn’t characterize the extent of their interest at this juncture.
  • MLB.com’s Austin Laymance was also on-hand, and he writes that Friedman offered plenty of praise for Puig and spoke of the outfielder as a piece of the team’s future. “I think the upside is significant, and I think there’s a lot more awareness of kind of what’s expected,” said Friedman. “I definitely see some real maturation. In terms of how that translates on the field and success remains to be seen. But he’s capable of so much, and I know his teammates want to see him achieve that, we want to see him achieve that, and we’ll do everything we can to put him in a position to do that.” Friedman suggested that Puig has developed some bad habits in the batter’s box over the years but made progress in correcting them during his demotion to Triple-A. “What we saw in September was just kind of scratching the surface of that…” Friedman added, referencing a month that saw Puig rake at a .281/.338/.561 clip (albeit in just 65 PAs). Puig’s name has been bandied about the rumor mill for the past year or so, but a trade doesn’t seem especially likely at this point.
  • Outfielder Trayce Thompson has “slowly progressed” from a pair of stress fractures in his back that preemptively ended his season back in July, per Friedman (via Laymance). He’s yet to swing a bat and may not be ready for early workouts in Spring Training, but the Dodgers believe he’ll be up to speed at some point before the regular season begins. “We expect him, at some point in Spring Training, to be kind of full go,” said the Dodger president.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Trumbo, Orioles, Mallex, Kiermaier, Twins, Gohara

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In his latest notes column, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports provides some new twists in the ongoing saga between Mark Trumbo and the Orioles. Trumbo reportedly rejected a four-year proposal worth more than $50MM earlier this offseason, and Rosenthal hears that he recently asked Baltimore for a three-year deal worth about $50MM. Since that request, Trumbo’s camp has indicated a willingness to take an offer between $40-50MM over three years, he continues. As Rosenthal notes, Trumbo does have interest elsewhere. But, the Rockies would have to move an outfielder and shift Ian Desmond off of first base to facilitate a signing, while the Rangers are currently engaged with Mike Napoli and have suggested on multiple occasions this winter that major free-agent signings aren’t in the cards due to financial reasons.

As always, I’d encourage readers to check out Rosenthal’s column in full. Here are a few more highlights…

  • The Orioles are interested in re-signing Pedro Alvarez to slot in as their DH and replace some of the lost production if Trumbo signs elsewhere. It’s been a quiet market for Alvarez (and most first base/DH types) thus far, but the soon-to-be 30-year-old slugger enjoyed a strong season against right-handed pitching with the O’s in 2016. Last year, “El Toro” batted .249/.322/.504 with 22 homers on the season as a whole. That line includes a dismal .243/.293/.378 showing in a small sample of 41 plate appearances against left-handers. In 334 PAs against righties, Alvarez slashed .251/.326/.522 with 21 of his 22 big flies. From my vantage point, the O’s could use another left-handed stick in their lineup, as right now only Seth Smith, Hyun Soo Kim and Chris Davis project as regulars in the lineup, and Ryan Flaherty is the only lefty on the bench. Adding a switch-hitter like Angel Pagan to handle one outfield slot and moving Smith to a DH platoon with either Christian Walker or Trey Mancini makes a fair amount of sense as well, in my eyes. The O’s are also eyeing left-handed relievers and rotation depth, per Rosenthal.
  • The Mariners tried to acquire Mallex Smith from the Braves on multiple occasions this offseason and had talks with Atlanta about him as recently as last Friday. However, Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto swung a deal for Jarrod Dyson, instead. Dipoto and the Mariners still saw value in Smith and knew the Rays had interest in him as a potential component in a Drew Smyly trade, so Dipoto circled back with Atlanta counterpart John Coppolella over the weekend to get talks rolling once again. (As an aside, Rosenthal counts a staggering 35 trades for Dipoto since taking over as Seattle’s GM in Sept. 2015. Thanks for always keeping us busy, Jerry.)
  • Despite the fact that the Rays now have a fair amount of center-field depth in Smith, Kevin Kiermaier and newly signed Colby Rasmus, a Tampa Bay source tells Rosenthal it’s “very unlikely” that they’ll move Kevin Kiermaier in a trade. Kiermaier won’t turn 27 until April, is controlled through the 2020 campaign and is arguably the game’s top defensive player, making him a highly valuable asset. Defensive metrics are obviously an inexact science, but Defensive Runs Saved pegs Kiermaier at a ludicrous +68 runs in his 2346 Major League innings in center field (and another +13 in his limited corner work). Ultimate Zone Rating has him at +44 in center and +16 in the corners. On top of that, he’s projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to make an eminently affordable $2.1MM in his first trip through arbitration as a Super Two player this winter. He’s also a plus baserunner, and his bat has been slightly above the league average in his career, as he’s a .258/.313/.425 hitter (105 OPS+ and wRC+).
  • Despite possessing options at first base and DH, the Twins are keeping tabs on right-handed hitters in that market in the event that a bargain arises. Minnesota has the well-compensated but declining Joe Mauer at first base as well as former KBO superstar Byung Ho Park and switch-hitter Kennys Vargas as options at first and DH. Mauer’s full no-trade clause and $23MM salary means he won’t be going anywhere, and Park’s contract is affordable enough that it makes sense to see if he can rebound after a strong start to the 2016 season was derailed by a wrist injury that ultimately required season-ending surgery. Vargas, meanwhile, has shown flashes of potential (particularly as a right-handed hitter) but has yet to cement himself in the Majors. Rosenthal’s report meshes with recent rumors that have connected the Twins to Jose Bautista, though it seems that Minnesota is only open to jumping into that market at a certain price point. It strikes me as unlikely that any of Bautista, Trumbo or Mike Napoli would see his market reach that point.
  • In a separate column, Rosenthal writes that while he received some negative feedback from scouts on the Mariners’ decision to move left-handed pitching prospect Luiz Gohara in yesterday’s trades with the Braves (and then the Rays), Seattle may have been more willing to part with the 20-year-old due to medical concerns. The would-be Zack Cozart trade from this past trade deadline fell apart due to the Reds’ concerns over Gohara’s shoulder, Rosenthal hears. Certainly, Atlanta is comfortable enough with Gohara’s shoulder, and GM John Coppolella suggested to Rosenthal that he’s not afraid to move on from a trade due to medical reasons. “We have had to walk away from two trades this offseason because of failed medicals,” said Coppolella. “We feel good about the health of [Gohara and left-hander Thomas Burrows].”

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

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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.

Twins Agree To Minor League Deals With Ryan Vogelsong, Nick Tepesch

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JANUARY 11: Tepesch would earn $1MM if he makes the MLB roster, while Vogelsong’s deal has a lower base rate with greater incentives, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (via Twitter).

Berardino provides details on the Vogelsong’s contract, too. He’d earn at a $1MM base rate if he cracks the roster. In terms of incentives, he could take home up to $2.5MM if he earns and keeps a rotation spot for most of the year (30 starts), or as much as $1MM if he’s a stalwart in the pen (55 appearances, available in $200K increments). Though Vogelsong can opt out just before the start of the season, he won’t have any later opt-out opportunities if he ends up opening the year in the minors.

JANUARY 10: The Twins have agreed to minor league contracts with right-handers Ryan Vogelsong and Nick Tepesch, reports Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Both players will receive invitations to Major League Spring Training, Miller adds. Paul Roberts of WEEU radio in Reading, Pa. was the first to report that Vogelsong had reached a deal with Minnesota (Twitter link).

The 39-year-old Vogelsong struggled to a 4.81 ERA with the Pirates last year and missed a significant portion of the season after being struck in the face by a fastball during an at-bat against the Rockies. Vogelsong’s career looked to be in serious jeopardy, and he underwent surgery and spent two-plus months on the disabled list due the facial fractures he suffered in that incident. However, he was able to return to the diamond and make a dozen starts for the Pirates down the stretch.

While Vogelsong’s past two seasons have been somewhat discouraging (4.72 ERA in 217 1/3 innings), he was a key member of the Giants’ pitching staff in 2011-12 and turned in a very solid effort as recently as 2014 in San Francisco (4.00 ERA in 184 2/3 frames). Vogelsong’s best years in the Majors have all come in his second stint as a Major Leaguer; after being knocked around for several years and battling injuries early in his career, Vogelsong spent three seasons pitching in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball before an unexpected resurgence with the 2011 Giants. Since returning to the U.S., he’s turned in 875 innings with a 3.98 ERA, 7.0 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9/.

As for Tepesch, he’s a familiar commodity for first-year Twins GM Thad Levine. The 28-year-old broke into the Majors with the 2013 Rangers and made 39 starts for Texas from 2013-14 (plus three relief appearances). In that time, Tepesch logged a 4.56 ERA with 5.4 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and roughly league-average ground-ball tendencies. Shoulder issues prevented Tepesch from pitching in 2015 and ultimately led to surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome — the same surgical procedure that Twins righty Phil Hughes underwent this past summer. Tepesch split the 2016 season between the Triple-A affiliates for the Rangers, A’s, Royals and Dodgers, and he also tallied four big league innings for L.A. His Triple-A work resulted in a solid, if unspectacular 3.96 ERA with 4.8 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9.

Both Vogelsong and Tepesch will compete for jobs either in the Twins’ rotation (which seems unlikely) or possibly as a long man out of the bullpen. Minnesota currently projects to have Ervin Santana, Hector Santiago, Kyle Gibson and Hughes as locks for the 2017 rotation (assuming Santana isn’t traded and Hughes is healthy). Candidates for the fifth spot include top prospect Jose Berrios, who struggled tremendously in his brief MLB look last year, as well as left-hander Adalberto Mejia and right-handers Tyler Duffey and Trevor May. Minnesota could also still strike up a trade that alters its rotation outlook as well; Brian Dozier has been the most talked-about trade candidate in recent weeks and could net the team an MLB-ready arm such as the Dodgers’ Jose De Leon. Alternatively, it stands to reason that Santana could draw interest from teams seeking veteran starters, which would obviously alter the rotation composition in Minnesota.

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

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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.

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

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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.

Central Notes: Encarnacion, Dozier, Pirates

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Agent Paul Kinzer said at this week’s press conference to introduce Edwin Encarnacion in Cleveland that the attendance bonuses that are built into the contract — worth upwards of $1MM per season, according to FanRag’s Jon Heyman — helped push the Indians’ offer over the top, writes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. However, it may be tough to meet those figures, as Hoynes points out that Cleveland hasn’t topped two million fans (the minimum threshold for Encarnacion to begin receiving incentives) since 2008 and haven’t drawn three million fans in a season since 2001. That type of clause is rare enough, Kinzer notes, that Cleveland president of baseball ops Chris Antonetti had to call the commissioner’s office just to see if the Indians would even be allowed to include such an incentive in the contract. While it’s unlikely that Encarnacion alone will drive the Indians’ attendance to those levels, MLB.com’ Jordan Bastian tweets that Cleveland has sold more than $1MM worth of season tickets since word of the agreement with Encarnacion broke — a 50 percent increase in new sales relative to last year’s offseason. A couple more notes on the Central divisions:

  • Though this week’s report that Brandon Phillips nixed a trade to the Braves (via FOX’s Ken Rosenthal) lends some credence to recent connections between Atlanta and Twins second baseman Brian Dozier, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press circled back with a source that characterized a Dozier-to-Atlanta deal as a “long shot” (Twitter link). It continues to appear as if the Dodgers are the only team that currently has a strong enough need to consider meeting Minnesota’s price for its excellent second baseman.
  • Fastball velocity has increased throughout the game in the past several seasons, but it’s increased even faster within the Pirates organization during that time, Travis Sawchik of FanGraphs writes. The Bucs finished first in fastball velocity in 2015 (94.0 MPH) and second in 2016 (93.4 MPH). A key trait of many of the reclamation pitchers the Pirates have used in recent years — from starters like A.J. Burnett, Edinson Volquez and Francisco Liriano to relievers like Arquimedes Caminero, Neftali Feliz and John Holdzkom — is that they possess above-average velocity, as Sawchik points out. Bucs GM Neal Huntington notes that velocity gives pitchers more cushion for their mistakes, in that a poorly located pitch thrown in the mid-90s is less likely to yield poor results than a poorly located pitched thrown at a more modest radar reading. Now that other teams are also valuing velocity among free-agent pitchers, the Pirates are looking to develop hard-throwing pitchers of their own, like Tyler Glasnow, Jameson Taillon and Chad Kuhl.

Market Notes: Jays, Bruce, A’s, Plouffe, Dozier, Bautista, Trumbo, Lefty Relievers, Lewis

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports argues that the Blue Jays may have misread the market for power bats this winter. In the case of Toronto, he suggests, the team ought to have been more patient with Edwin Encarnacion. By moving quickly to give a three-year deal to Kendrys Morales after Encarnacion declined to take the team’s early-offseason offer, the Jays may have spent much more than necessary to land a player of Morales’s quality while also tying their hands on Encarnacion, who ended up signing for one year and $20MM less than Toronto had reportedly offered.

  • The Mets, too, might have erred in their approach on Jay Bruce. He now seems a superfluous piece after the re-signing of Yoenis Cespedes, and Rosenthal says that he expects New York will need to pay down part of Bruce’s $13MM salary to deal him. The team picked up that option in large part to insure against the loss of Cespedes; a team source notes that insurance “doesn’t come for free,” and Rosenthal notes that the decision may have improved their bargaining position with their star free agent. But perhaps a greater recognition of the flood of sluggers would have led the team to choose an alternate path to protecting itself in the event of a departure of Cespedes.
  • As they continue to look to bolster their lineup, the Athletics are showing interest in free-agent third baseman Trevor Plouffe, per Rosenthal. He’d presumably be a value-focused addition to the overall mix at third and first base. Of course, Oakland is also said to be looking at Mark Trumbo, so it seems the organization is still casting a fairly wide net.
  • While there has been a suggestion that the Dodgers won’t form a package around Jose De Leon to pry Brian Dozier from the Twins, preferring instead to pursue a one-for-one deal, Rosenthal writes that Los Angeles is “willing to include other prospects” to get something done. Of course, it could well be that the issue isn’t so much the inclusion of some other pre-MLB players — surely, the Dodgers could find some expendable pieces to part with — so much as the question whether any are seen by Minnesota as adding significant value.
  • Jon Heyman of Fan Rag provides a lengthy list of the winners and losers in the open-market action to date, though that can still change with a lot of free agents left and perhaps some trades still to be swung. As for some of those still-unsigned open-market players, Heyman provides a few notes. Jose Bautista’s representatives “circled back” to the Orioles to gauge interest, but it still seems that Baltimore isn’t interested. And the Blue Jays “do not seem anxious” to strike a deal with the veteran. Meanwhile, the O’s remain involved on Trumbo.
  • Heyman further notes that there remains robust demand for left-handed relievers. He lists the Mets, Yankees, Indians, and Blue Jays as teams still looking at southpaws. Jerry Blevins, Boone Logan, Travis Wood, and J.P. Howell are among the established left-handed options that remain available.
  • It’s unlikely that the Rangers will bring back veteran righty Colby Lewis, as Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Though “the door’s open,” per GM Jon Daniels, he adds that he doesn’t “foresee anything happening at this point” with Lewis. Texas would be interested only in a minor-league arrangement, it seems, due in part to questions over Lewis’s health outlook.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/4/17

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Some minor signings from around the game as Wednesday night winds down…

  • The Twins signed veteran right-hander Jim Miller to a minor league deal, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). The 34-year-old was a solid member of the Athletics’ bullpen back in 2012 (2.59 ERA in 48 2/3 innings) but has seen scarce MLB action since — most recently with the Yankees in 2014. Miller has a 3.48 ERA in 67 2/3 innings as a Major Leaguer and figures to head to Triple-A as a depth option for the Twins following a very strong showing in the independent Atlantic League last year. Miller fired 25 shutout innings and posted a 24-to-2 K/BB ratio for the Somerset Patriots.
  • The Twins also added another player from the indy circuit, purchasing the contract of outfielder Leandro Castro from the Can-Am League’s Rockland Boulders, as the Boulders announced yesterday. The 27-year-old Castro, a former Phillies farmhand, saw his career sputter at the Triple-A level in 2013-14 but has turned in a consecutive pair of excellent seasons in independent ball. Castro hit .322/.364/.530 with 13 homers and 21 steals for the New Jersey Jackals of the Can-Am League in 2015 and batted a combined .316/.355/.524 between the American Association’s Laredo Lemurs and the aforementioned Boulders this past season. Though he never generated all that much prospect fanfare, Castro did rank in the back third of the Phillies’ top 30 prospects from 2009-11, per Baseball America. BA rated him 24th in the Phillies system prior to the 2012 season and pegged him as a fourth outfielder with solid-average speed but not enough bat to profile in a corner slot.
  • FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that right-hander Jaye Chapman has inked a minors pact with the Rangers. While he won’t get an invite to Major League Spring Training, Chapman will function as a Triple-A depth piece for a deep Texas bullpen. Chapman hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2012 in large part due to a rare genetic condition — femoroacetabular impingement in both hips — that caused considerable damage to the tissue surrounding the head of his thigh bones (as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy chronicled back in 2014). Chapman told McCalvy then that doctors who examined his hips said “it was like somebody had taken a razor blade to my labrums,” adding that if untreated, the condition could’ve resulted in hip replacements before his 30th birthday. Chapman has a career 4.21 ERA with 9.7 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9 in parts of five Triple-A seasons and will turn 30 next May.

Resolution On Dozier Trade Talks Expected Soon

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4:05pm: Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that the Twins are planning to wrap up talks one way or another out of respect for Dozier in the near future. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick notes that there’s agreement throughout the organization that it’s not fair to Dozier nor is it beneficial to the team to allow the uncertainty to drag out much longer. Both reporters note that there’s been no definitive deadline for a decision set by the team.

10:03am: Trade talks regarding star Twins second baseman Brian Dozier are expected to wrap up within the week, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (via Twitter). Whether and where he’ll be dealt remain to be seen, but it appears that Minnesota will make a final call well before the opening of Spring Training.

Last we heard, the Twins were said to asking interested organizations to place their final bids for the slugging second bagger. We haven’t heard any indication yet of how that effort is proceeding, but Morosi does note that the Dodgers (quite unsurprisingly) remain involved.

Indeed, it’s fair to wonder whether any other organizations are truly interested in making a competitive run at Dozier. If not, it may simply come down to a test of willpower (and baseball valuations) between the Minnesota and Los Angeles front offices.

So, what to make of this renewed indication that the clock is ticking on any move involving Dozier? Perhaps, it’s a negotiating tactic designed to drive the action and boost a possible return. But it could also legitimately suggest that the Twins’ front office is as torn on the subject as is the MLBTR readership; we may need to hold a recount of yesterday’s poll asking whether Dozier will end up changing hands over the offseason.

Of course, even if Dozier is still a Twin this time next week, it’s wise never to say never in the arena of player transactions. Spring Training injuries routinely open new avenues for trades, of course, or an organization can simply reevaluate its situation. As the stunning, Opening Day-eve Craig Kimbrel swap shows, deals can come together at just about any time.

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