Headlines

  • Starling Marte Suffers Fractured Rib
  • Jay Bruce Announces Retirement
  • Nationals Place Stephen Strasburg On Injured List, Select Paolo Espino
  • Cody Bellinger Has Hairline Fracture In Left Leg
  • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings
  • MLB To Experiment With New DH Rule, Mound Distance During 2021 Atlantic League Season
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Indians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • Last 100 Comments
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Jon Gray

NL Notes: Nats, Cubs, Rox, Cards

By Jeff Todd | November 15, 2019 at 10:15pm CDT

In one of the winter’s most fascinating storylines, the Nationals face the potential loss of two more centerpiece players after bidding adieu to Bryce Harper last winter … and then winning a long-awaited crown. The D.C. organization would like to “get quick resolutions” on both Anthony Rendon and Stephen Strasburg, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter), rather than engaging in a protracted courtship. If it’s a fond farewell, in either situation, then the Nats would like to get on with sorting out a replacement plan. The offseason could take any number of different directions for the defending World Series champs.

More from the National League …

  • The Cubs like Nicholas Castellanos and he likes the Cubs. So … why not bring him back? Sahadev Sharma breaks down the situation for The Athletic (subscription link), explaining the many barriers to a reunion. In part it’s simply a financial issue, but there is also a legitimate dilemma in the outfield. Kyle Schwarber’s season went much like that of Castellanos, starting meekly and ending quite strong, so why replace the former with the latter? Both are bat-first players that probably shouldn’t be standing on the same outfield grass for too long. That leaves the focus on center field, per Sharma, which is where things get tricky. There are loads of other clubs facing similar situations and relatively few up-the-middle options available — particularly in free agency. It’ll be interesting to see how the Cubs sort things out, but Castellanos seems to be a bit of a mis-fitting puzzle piece — unless, perhaps, other developments intervene and his market doesn’t develop as he hopes.
  • It is still tough to gauge whether the Rockies will end up pulling off some major roster moves or simply make a few tweaks. GM Jeff Bridich and owner Dick Monfort have suggested the club will need to improve largely from within, while also expressing optimism that it can do so. But we’ve heard persistent chatter regarding possible trade scenarios involving top Colorado players — much of it speculative, to be fair. Odds are, the Rox will simply be looking for affordable, marginal improvements this winter. Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post provides a transcript of Bridich’s most recent comments. Bolstering the pitching and finding a second catcher are the two goals, though it still seems those will be of modest expense. So what of the idea of trading Jon Gray? Saunders tweets that the Rockies could be open to it … if they can secure a major package involving significant prospects as well as “an established pitcher” to replace Gray. That feels unlikely to come to fruition.
  • The Cardinals have traded away a huge volume of outfield talent in recent years and have plenty of internal options at or near the majors. Yet the teams still enters the winter with a possible need in that area, as Mark Saxon of The Athletic writes (subscription link). He reasons that the team needs to add a left-handed-hitting piece and looks at a few theoretical trade possibilities. The trick is that the Cards don’t appear interested in raising payroll and all the veterans cited will not be particularly cheap. Joc Pederson ($8.5MM), David Peralta ($8.8MM), and Jackie Bradley Jr. ($11MM) probably wouldn’t require major prospect hauls to acquire, but could bust the self-imposed St. Louis budget. We actually predicted that this year’s top two left-handed-hitting free agent corner outfielders, Corey Dickerson and Kole Calhoun, would secure less annually than each of those players.
Share 0 Retweet 7 Send via email0

Anthony Rendon Chicago Cubs Colorado Rockies Jon Gray Notes St. Louis Cardinals Stephen Strasburg Washington Nationals

122 comments

Jon Gray Drawing Trade Interest

By Steve Adams | November 14, 2019 at 1:42pm CDT

Rockies right-hander Jon Gray was an oft-mentioned name at this week’s GM Meetings, tweets Jon Morosi of MLB.com, with the Padres among the clubs interested in acquiring the former No. 3 overall pick.

That Gray would emerge as a potential trade candidate isn’t really a surprise; as explored here at MLBTR a month ago, the Rockies are in a tough spot as a team that is projected to have a franchise-record payroll in 2020 before making a single addition to improve what was a 71-91 club in 2019. Gray and shortstop Trevor Story are the two members of the club that are relatively short-term assets (both controlled through 2021) and have performed well enough to have legitimate trade value. Owner Dick Monfort began the offseason by declaring a lack of payroll flexibility. As such, if the Rockies are to look to ways to improve, they may need to walk a fine line and move some quality big league pieces to simultaneously pare back spending and add more affordable (but less proven) near-MLB talent.

Gray, who last week turned 28, has demonstrated front-of-the-rotation ability at times in his big league career but has yet to establish much in the way of consistency. He’s averaged better than a strikeout per inning in 641 1/3 MLB frames and has delivered sub-4.00 ERAs in two of the past three seasons despite pitching his home games at Coors Field. However, Gray also logged a mediocre 4.61 ERA in 2016 and a woeful 5.12 mark in 2018.

Inconsistency notwithstanding, Gray is a former No. 3 overall pick and vaunted top prospect who averages better than 96 mph on his heater and owns a career 11.4 percent swinging-strike rate. He’s not exactly the prototypical Statcast darling, as he has below-average spin on his fastball and slider, but he’s managed to consistently generate punchouts all the same. And, that low spin rate has helped Gray to post above-average ground-ball tendencies throughout his MLB tenure.

Gray has only made 30 starts in a big league season once, although his durability isn’t questionable in the same way that it would be for a pitcher with a history of arm troubles. Rather, Gray has twice suffered a fracture in his left foot, limiting him to 110 1/3 innings in 2017 and 150 innings this past season. Outside of those two injuries, the only issue that’s ever shelved Gray during his MLB career was an abdominal strain in 2016. He did have some shoulder fatigue late in the 2014 season — his first full year of pro ball — but Gray’s right arm has an otherwise clean bill of health.

There are at least some parallels between the Rockies’ current situation with Gray and the situation the Pirates faced with Gerrit Cole two offseasons ago. Both are flamethrowing former top picks/prospects. Gray has a 112 ERA+ over his past four seasons — the same mark that Cole posted from 2014-17 in Pittsburgh. And, as was the case with Cole, Gray has another two years of club control remaining and a decidedly non-prohibitive (for most clubs) projected arbitration salary at $5.6MM. (Cole had settled at $6.75MM at the time of his trade.)

That’s not to suggest that Gray will erupt with a new club in the same manner that Cole did, but rather to underscore that Gray is the type of pitcher teams will dream on when scouring the trade market. The fact that this winter’s trade market lacks a clearly available frontline starter should only lead to further intrigue surrounding Gray, although there’s no guarantee that the Rockies will ultimately part ways with the hard-throwing right-hander. The Colorado organization, by all accounts, is hopeful of a bouncing back as a collective unit in 2020, so moving Gray for down-the-pipeline prospect who won’t reach the Majors until 2021-22 doesn’t seem likely.

Share 0 Retweet 7 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Jon Gray San Diego Padres

73 comments

The Rockies Need To Make Tough Calls On Some Key Players

By Steve Adams | October 14, 2019 at 10:18am CDT

The Rockies poured $106MM into their bullpen prior to the 2018 season, signing Wade Davis to a three-year, $52MM contract (the highest annual rate ever promised to a reliever) and inking right-hander Bryan Shaw and lefty Jake McGee to matching three-year, $27MM deals. To this point, none of that trio has pitched up to his abilities, with 2019 being a particularly brutal year thanks to Davis’ stunning struggles. In 42 2/3 innings, Davis posted an 8.65 ERA with career-worst walk and home run rates. Shaw, meanwhile, posted an ERA north of 5.00 for the second straight season, while McGee managed a tolerable 4.35 ERA in an injury-shortened campaign.

Those underperformances not only combined to play a significant role in Colorado’s playoff miss but have also hamstrung the Rockies entering the current offseason. Owner Dick Monfort has plainly stated that the team lacks payroll flexibility. It’s instinctual to suggest that the Rockies need to move some contracts this winter in order to help free up some payroll capacity, but that’s far easier said than done; beyond the poor showings from that high-priced trio of relievers, each has a 2021 option that further complicates matters (hat tip to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post for the observation on Davis and Shaw).

Davis’ contract stipulates that his $15MM option for the 2021 season becomes a player option if he finishes just 30 games in 2020. He’s reached that total in each of the past four seasons. The Rockies (or another team) at least have direct control over that, however, and could simply pitch Davis in a setup or middle relief capacity. Based on his 2019 output, they’d hardly be unjustified in moving him to a lower-leverage role. They already began giving Scott Oberg save opportunities over Davis in 2019 anyhow.

The more problematic contractual options belong to Shaw and McGee, each of whom will see a $9MM option for 2021 become fully guaranteed with a full, healthy season. McGee would need to appear in 65 games next year in order to boost his combined games total from 2019-20 to 110, thus triggering that guarantee. He hasn’t appeared in 65 games since 2014, so perhaps it’s a long shot anyway, but the clause does the Rockies no favors in attempting to move him.

Shaw’s contract is probably the biggest concern. It’s structured the same as McGee’s, in that he’ll trigger his option with 110 appearances between 2019-20. Unlike McGee, though, Shaw was fully healthy in 2019 and took the ball 70 times. He only needs to appear in 40 games next season for another $9MM to be tacked onto that contract. Shaw, who’ll turn 32 this winter, has a 5.61 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 4.1 BB/9 and 1.5 HR/9 in 126 1/3 innings since signing with the Rockies. It’s arguable that they’d be better off releasing him rather than risking that $9MM salary vesting in 2021, but doing so would mean forgoing a chance to shed even a portion of that commitment in a trade.

So if those three deals are all extraordinarily difficult to move, then where else could the Rockies look to create flexibility? Charlie Blackmon’s $108MM contract still has two guaranteed years remaining before he encounters an opt-out provision. He’s owed $21MM in both 2020 and 2021 before he can opt for free agency or a $21MM salary for the 2022 season. His contract has a second player option for 2023 that was initially valued at $8MM, but he’s already well on his way to maxing out the escalators that’d push that option as high as $18MM. Those escalators are based on plate appearances, and Blackmon is already over halfway there after tallying 1330 trips to the dish over the past two seasons.

Were he still an elite all-around player, perhaps that’d be viewed in a different light. But while Blackmon is still a terrific hitter (.314/.364/.576 in 2019), he’s no longer a base-stealing threat and was widely panned by defensive statistics in 2019. Just three years after a 43-steal campaign in 2016, Blackmon went 2-for-7 in stealing bags in 2019. Defensive Runs Saved (-8), Ultimate Zone Rating (-10.6) and Outs Above Average (-9) all soured on his glovework, too, even with a shift from center field to right field.

With two years and $25MM to go on Ian Desmond’s ill-fated $70MM contract, there’s little hope of moving him. The same is true of Daniel Murphy (owed $14MM in 2020) after he logged an 87 OPS+ / 86 wRC+ in an injury-shortened season in 2019. And, of course, the Rockies would surely be loath to trade franchise icon Nolan Arenado just one year into his record-setting extension (seven years, $234MM in new money, bringing the total to eight years and $260MM).

So how can the Rockies go about cleaning up the payroll a bit while addressing some holes on the roster? Their best bet would be to trade some higher-end arbitration-eligible players. Fans would bristle at the notion of trading Trevor Story and, perhaps to a lesser extent, righty Jon Gray. But both players have just two seasons of club control remaining before free agency. An extension for either doesn’t seem especially likely when Monfort is already citing payroll issues. Story is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $11.5MM in 2020 while Gray is pegged at $5.6MM. Not only that, but both would assuredly net some high-end young talent that could strengthen the farm. Plus, the Rockies have a premium middle-infield prospect in Brendan Rodgers who could hypothetically replace Story in 2020 (if he recovers sufficiently from shoulder surgery).

General manager Jeff Bridich’s comments at the team’s year-end press conference heavily suggested that he believes this club can turn things around, as currently constructed. That could prove to be the case, but this is a team that finished 20 games under .500 with a -123 run differential. The Rockies didn’t just finish 35 games out of first place, they finished 18 back from a Wild Card spot and 14 games back from even sitting in second place in the NL West. And they already have more money projected for next year’s payroll (including arbitration projections) than they spent on the roster in 2019. This feels like a team that needs a lot more than just a handful of rebounds to get back on track. Bridich and has staff have some tough choices this winter, but cashing in on two of his best trade assets in Story and Gray would be a logical start.

Share 0 Retweet 7 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Jon Gray MLBTR Originals Trevor Story

69 comments

Jon Gray Suffers Season-Ending Foot Fracture

By Mark Polishuk | August 22, 2019 at 8:07pm CDT

THURSDAY: Gray will undergo surgery Friday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com tweets.

WEDNESDAY, 1:56PM: Speaking to MLB.com’s Jake Rill and other reporters, Gray said his injury is another stress fracture, similar to his 2017 injury.  Gray indicated that he is considering having surgery to correct the problem, and such a procedure wouldn’t interfere with his readiness for the start of the 2020 season.

12:07PM: Rockies right-hander Jon Gray will miss the rest of the season after suffering a left foot fracture, the team announced.  Gray has been placed on the 60-day injured list.  Colorado purchased the contract of right-hander Tim Melville from Triple-A, and Melville will take Gray’s spot as the starter for today’s game against the Diamondbacks.

The news brings a premature end to what was looking like the best of Gray’s four full MLB seasons, as the 27-year-old had a 3.84 ERA, 2.68 K/BB rate, and an even 9.0 K/9 over 150 innings for the Rox.  It was a nice bounce-back from the 5.12 ERA Gray posted in 172 1/3 frames in 2018, though advanced metrics indicated that he was a little unlucky to post such an inflated ERA, while some of his 2019 ERA indicators (4.06 FIP, 3.89 xFIP, 4.35 SIERA) hint at a bit of good fortune this year.  Statcast also paints rather a dour picture of Gray’s 2019 work, as he is in the bottom 10 percent of all pitchers in hard-hit ball rate and fastball spin rate, not to mention a below-average xwOBA.

On the plus side, Gray posted a career-best 50.4% grounder rate and he is still one of the game’s hardest throwers, with an average fastball velocity of 96.1 mph.  He was also the rare pitcher who actually performed better at Coors Field (3.46 ERA in 75 1/3 IP) than on the road (4.22 ERA in 74 2/3 IP).  With 12.6 fWAR accumulated since the start of the 2016 season, Gray has become a generally reliable, if still a touch inconsistent, rotation stalwart, which is no small feat for a homegrown Rockies pitcher.

While he has been pretty durable over his short career, this is the second time Gray has suffered a major left foot injury, as he spent two and a half months on the injured list in 2017 due to a stress fracture.  Still, Gray and German Marquez project as the top two members of the Rockies rotation going forward to 2020, as Kyle Freeland and Tyler Anderson have been respectively bedeviled by inconsistency and injuries this season.

Today’s outing will see Melville make his first Major League appearance since September 26, 2017.  The 29-year-old tossed 14 2/3 innings for the Reds, Twins, and Padres in 2016-17, and then went onto pitch in the Orioles’ farm system and in independent baseball until inking a minor league contract with the Rockies back in May.  Pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Melville has a 5.42 ERA and 2.2 HR/9 over 96 1/3 innings at Triple-A this season, though with an 8.8 K/9 and 2.35 K/BB rate.

Share 0 Retweet 11 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Jon Gray Newsstand Tim Melville Transactions

26 comments

Jeff Bridich: Rockies Playing “Really Bad Baseball”

By Connor Byrne | July 18, 2019 at 1:36am CDT

This has been an up-and-down season for the Rockies, who began 3-12, climbed all the way to 40-34 and have since nosedived to 46-50. The multiple rotten stretches the Rockies have stumbled through this year may prevent them from earning a third straight playoff berth, but for now, they’re a still-manageable 3 1/2 games out of wild-card position in the jam-packed National League. However, that doesn’t seem to be of much solace to general manager Jeff Bridich, who admitted to Thomas Harding of MLB.com that the Rockies are playing “really bad baseball.” Bridich added that the Rockies’ horrid performance over the past several weeks could complicate matters leading up to the July 31 trade deadline.

“It all needs addressing,” Bridich said of his roster, though he doesn’t see “any quick fixes” and suggested he’s not gearing up to purchase outside help right now. While Harding notes Bridich bought at the previous two deadlines, which helped the team get to the postseason in each case, the GM was frank in saying this year “feels different” compared to those seasons.

“Just watch us play,” Bridich said. “We get a good outing from our starter and we’ll find a way to lose that game through offense or the bullpen or defense. We’ll get a lot of offense one game and our bullpen will come blow it or defense will blow it, or combine. There’s a different way each night, it seems. When that’s your reality in all parts of your team, it’s a tough go to fix all that in one small time period of the year.”

Problems are indeed prevalent for the Rockies. Despite having to pitch half its season at Coors Field, Colorado’s staff was legitimately effective last year. Among their starters, Kyle Freeland finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting, German Marquez was a strikeout machine, and Tyler Anderson, Jon Gray and Antonio Senzatela offered fine complementary performances. This year, with the exception of Gray, everyone from that group has taken noticeable steps back. Meanwhile, the Rockies’ bullpen has felt the absence of Adam Ottavino, who signed with the Yankees in the offseason, and fellow veterans Wade Davis and Seunghwan Oh (whose season is now over because of an elbow injury) have been dreadful. The bullpen’s lone bright spot over a large sample of work has been Scott Oberg, who has posted a 1.35 ERA/3.06 FIP in 46 2/3 frames.

As Bridich suggested, the Rockies’ position player group has also fallen flat. Despite the presences of Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon and David Dahl, the unit’s the fifth worst in the league by fWAR (5.2). Colorado has scored the majors’ fourth-most runs (527), but according to park-adjusted metric wRC+ (85), only five offenses have been worse. In the field, the club has been run-of-the-mill at best in errors (15th), Defensive Runs Saved (20th) and Ultimate Zone Rating (22nd).

Thanks to the Rockies’ team-wide issues, they may be more inclined to sell or stand pat than buy in the next two weeks. The trouble is, if the team wants to ship players out, it doesn’t seem to have a lot of realistic trade chips. Oh, catcher Chris Iannetta and infielder Mark Reynolds are the Rockies’ only impending free agents, but there’s little to no trade value in any of those cases. While the Rockies would likely jump at the chance to get any of the big contracts of Davis, Ian Desmond, Jake McGee and Bryan Shaw off their books, that’s not happening. Daniel Murphy has been hot of late, though he’s a soon-to-be 35-year-old with almost $18MM in guaranteed money left on his contract through 2020.

On the other hand, Story – who has two years of arbitration eligibility left after this one – would bring back a haul in a trade. But it’s almost impossible to imagine the Rockies dealing the 26-year-old this summer, especially considering they’d like to extend him. Gray and Oberg, who also come with arbitration control through 2021, would be easier to give up than Story. However, it would take a “truly special” return for the team to trade either of those right-handers, according to Harding.

Share 0 Retweet 8 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Jon Gray Scott Oberg

32 comments

Quick Hits: Padres, Keuchel, Strickland, Gray, “The Belt” Reactions

By George Miller | March 31, 2019 at 4:29pm CDT

The Padres are “determined to add a starter,” according to Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic. With a slew of young pitchers comprising the Friars’ current rotation—Joey Lucchesi, Eric Lauer, and Chris Paddack—and the addition of Manny Machado driving the team’s desire to win now, San Diego is a natural fit for a veteran starter to anchor an otherwise inexperienced pitching staff. Dallas Keuchel, of course, remains unsigned and fits the profile, though he and agent Scott Boras have remained firm on their asking price, which the Padres have thus far refused to meet. Rosenthal and Lin also mention Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman as a potential trade target. Stroman, who endured a disappointing 2018 campaign, remains a strong candidate to be traded at some point this season, though it remains unclear just how quickly the Padres plan to move in their hunt for a starter. As Rosenthal and Lin note, trades this early in the season are uncommon, though Keuchel remains on the table for the Padres if they can reach a compromise on the price tag.

Here’s the latest from around baseball…

  • Following the revelation that MLB teams award a belt to the team that best suppresses its players’ arbitration salaries, several players—including Jameson Taillon, Chris Archer, and Anthony Rizzo—offered their thoughts on the news, in pieces from Nubyjas Wilborn of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Rizzo and others provide insight into the shaky relationship between the players and owners, also commenting on the possibility of a work stoppage when the current CBA expires.
  • Mariners manager Scott Servais said that reliever Hunter Strickland, who suffered a grade 2 lat strain and was recently placed on the 10-day IL, will be out “at least a couple months,” per Greg Johns of MLB.com. In the meantime, then, it appears that Servais and the Mariners will adopt a committee approach to the closer situation, though the current bullpen options for Seattle are not particularly inspiring, with Cory Gearrin at the forefront of a thin group.
  • Rockies fans may have had some concerns after right-handed pitcher Jon Gray left Sunday’s start against the Marlins in the seventh inning after meeting with the team’s trainer on the mound. However, Nick Groke of The Athletic tweets some good news for Colorado, as Gray was merely experiencing calf cramps and is expected to be ready for his next scheduled start.
Share 0 Retweet 3 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Dallas Keuchel Hunter Strickland Jon Gray San Diego Padres Seattle Mariners

72 comments

West Notes: Castillo, Arenado, Rockies, A’s, Ohtani

By Mark Polishuk | March 1, 2019 at 7:57pm CDT

Padres left-hander Jose Castillo will be sidelined for an estimated six-to-eight weeks to recover from a flexor strain in his throwing arm, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.  Castillo began feeling forearm tightness last week, which caused San Diego to shut down his bullpens and then ultimately place him on the 60-day injured list today.  Needless to say, any type of forearm injury is cause for concern, though the team is still “confident” that Tommy John surgery won’t be required.  The 23-year-old Castillo made his MLB debut last season and immediately delivered results, posting a 3.29 ERA, 4.33 K/BB rate, and a whopping 12.2 K/9 over 38 1/3 innings out of San Diego’s bullpen.  With Castillo on the IL, the Padres’ top left-handed options consist of Matt Strahm and the recently-signed Aaron Loup, with former big leaguers Eric Stout, Kyle McGrath, and Brad Wieck also available in the upper minors.

Some more from both the NL and AL West divisions….

  • The specter of what Manny Machado or Bryce Harper could land in free agency theoretically loomed over the extension talks between Nolan Arenado and the Rockies, though the Machado/Harper situations “had a lot less to do with it than you might think,” Rockies GM Jeff Bridich said in an appearance on Inside Pitch show on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link).  While both the team and Arenado’s camp were obviously cognizant of the larger market forces at play, Bridich said “There were never any sort of deadlines or caveats put in going ’Hey, we need to know this first before…’ We just focused on our business at hand, and I think that’s why we ended up getting what hopefully ends up to be a great deal for everybody involved.”
  • Now that Arenado has been locked up to the biggest contract in franchise history, the Rockies don’t have any more big extension candidates on their radar for at least a couple of years, Kyle Newman and Jeff Bailey of the Denver Post write.  Colorado’s top young stars are still controlled through arbitration or have yet to even reach their arb years — Trevor Story and Jon Gray are controlled through the 2021 season, while Kyle Freeland and German Marquez aren’t eligible for free agency until after the 2022 campaign.  This doesn’t mean the Rockies couldn’t explore a long-term deal in advance, though it’s worth noting that Arenado and Charlie Blackmon both only signed their extensions when they were a season removed from the open market.  Looking at Colorado’s long-term payroll, Arenado and Blackmon are the only players guaranteed salary beyond 2021, several of the team’s other big contracts (Wade Davis, Bryan Shaw, Jake McGee, Daniel Murphy, and likely Ian Desmond) come off the books after 2020 or 2021.
  • The early start to the regular season for the Athletics and Mariners (who play a two-game series in Tokyo on March 20-21) has also pushed up some roster deadlines.  Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the A’s will have to decide by March 14 whether or not minor league signees Jerry Blevins and Nick Hundley will make the MLB roster.  Otherwise, Blevins and Hundley each can opt out of their minors contracts.  It could be a moot point, however, as “Blevins and Hundley both appear to be near-locks to make the team,” Slusser writes.  Hundley’s inclusion could leave Josh Phegley as the odd man out of the catching mix, and the out-of-options backstop is a good candidate to be claimed off waivers, multiple scouts tell Slusser.  Oakland’s early start doesn’t extend to out-of-options players, however, as the club has until March 28 (when their regular season resumes) to decide on Phegley, Frankie Montas, Aaron Brooks, and other players who can no longer be freely optioned to the minors.
  • Shohei Ohtani has moved from hitting off a tee to hitting soft toss, as the Angels slugger continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery.  The Halos are targeting a May return for Ohtani, though manager Brad Ausmus told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger and other media that the unique nature of Ohtani’s two-way status makes him “patient zero,” and thus “he doesn’t really have a set schedule.  He is making the schedule for future Shohei Ohtanis.”  Ohtani obviously won’t pitch this season, and he’ll be limited to DH-only duty once he does return to the team’s lineup.
Share 0 Retweet 8 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Jeff Bridich Jerry Blevins Jon Gray Jose Castillo Josh Phegley Los Angeles Angels Nick Hundley Nolan Arenado Oakland Athletics San Diego Padres Shohei Ohtani

32 comments

Players Avoiding Arbitration: National League

By Steve Adams,Jeff Todd and TC Zencka | January 12, 2019 at 12:15pm CDT

The deadline for players and teams to exchange arbitration figures passed yesterday at 1pm ET, and there has been a landslide of settlements on one-year deals to avoid an arbitration hearing. We’ll track those settlements from the National League in this post. Once all of the day’s settlements have filtered in, I’ll organize them by division to make them a bit easier to parse.

It’s worth mentioning that the vast majority of teams have adopted a “file and trial” approach to arbitration, meaning that once arbitration figures are exchanged with a player, negotiations on a one-year deal will cease. The two parties may still discuss a multi-year deal after that point, but the majority of players who exchange figures with their team today will head to an arbitration hearing.

As always, all salary projections referenced within this post are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, and we’ll also be updating our 2019 Arbitration Tracker throughout the day…

Today’s Updates

  • Rounding out contract numbers for the St. Louis Cardinals, Dominic Leone will take home $1.26MM, Chasen Shreve will make $900K, and outfielder Marcell Ozuna will earn $12.25MM in his last season before free agency, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). Ozuna has the most high-impact potential as he looks to rebound from a still-productive season in 2018 that saw his power output hindered at times by a balky shoulder. He still managed 23 home runs and a .280/.325/.433 slash line while playing just about every day outside of a 10-day DL stint late in August.
  • The Diamondbacks came to terms with a slew of players, per Feinsand (via Twitter), including Matt Andriese for $920K, Steven Souza Jr. for $4.125MM, shortstop Nick Ahmed for $3.6625MM, and potential closer Archie Bradley for $1.83MM.
  • The Rockies and starting pitcher Jon Gray have come to an agreement on a $2.935MM deal, per Feinsand (via Twitter). Gray had an up-and-down 2018 that is generally considered to be more promising than the optics of his 5.12 ERA make it seem.
  • The Pirates have come to terms on one-year deals with both of their arbitration eligible players, per Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Left fielder Corey Dickerson signs for $8.5MM, and reliever Keone Kela takes home $3.175MM. It’s a small arb class for the Pirates, whose list will grow next season as players like Josh Bell, Jameson Taillon, and Joe Musgrove, among others, reach their first season of eligibility.
  • The Dodgers signed a couple of their remaining arbitration-eligible players yesterday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter links). Utility man Chris Taylor has a $3.5MM deal, while outfield Joc Pederson settled at $5MM.

Earlier Updates

Read more

  • Outfielder David Peralta has a $7MM deal with the Diamondbacks, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter).
  • Trevor Story has settled for $5MM with the Rockies, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • The Dodgers have lined up deals with all of their arbitration-eligible players, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports (Twitter links). Shortstop Corey Seager is slated to receive $4MM as a first-time arb eligible player. Seager had only a $2.6MM projection, but was clearly rewarded for the excellent output he turned in before missing all of the 2018 season due to Tommy John surgery. Reliever Josh Fields went for $2.85MM, Hoornstra adds on Twitter.
  • Yasiel Puig has struck a $9.7MM deal with his new team, the Reds, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (via Twitter).
  • The Mets have inked three notable players. Righty Zack Wheeler shook hands at $5.975MM, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets. Likewise, outfielder Michael Conforto ($4.025MM) and lefty Steven Matz ($2.625MM) have agreed to terms, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter links).
  • Staying in the division, the Braves also have a trio of new deals today. Starter Kevin Gausman agreed at $9.35MM, righty Dan Winkler at $1.61MM, and lefty Sam Freeman at $1.375MM, per David O’Brien of The Athletic (Twitter link).
  • The Phillies have agreements in place with all of their arb-eligible players except for star righty Aaron Nola, the club announced. Per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, the salaries came in at $1.35MM for Aaron Altherr, $1.925MM for Jose Alvarez, $5.2MM for Maikel Franco, $7.75MM for Cesar Hernandez, $1.1MM for Adam Morgan, and $2.249MM for Vince Velasquez.
  • Brewers third baseman Travis Shaw has agreed to a $4.675MM salary, while righty Zach Davies settled at $2.6MM, per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy (via Twitter).
  • Cubs righty Carl Edwards Jr. secured a $1.5MM salary, per Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (via Twitter).
  • Southpaw Adam Conley will earn $1.125MM with the Marlins, Murray tweets.
  • The Marlins and J.T. Realmuto reached a $5.9MM agreement for the upcoming season, tweets Jon Heyman of Fancred. As perhaps the premier trade chip in baseball, Realmuto’s salary is of particular note for interested teams. He’d been projected at $6.1MM and can be controlled for another two seasons. Meanwhile, infielder Miguel Rojas will earn $3.155MM, per Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). He’s controllable through 2020 and was projected to earn $2.6MM, so he quite nicely topped our projection.

 

  • Anthony DeSclafani agreed to a $2.125MM salary with the Reds, tweets Murray, which tops his $2.1MM projection by a narrow sum of $25K. The oft-injured righty will be expected to play a key role in an improving Cincinnati rotation this season and can be controlled through 2020.
  • The D-backs and third baseman Jake Lamb are in agreement on a $4.825MM salary for next season, Murray tweets. That closely resembles the $4.7MM projection for Lamb, who’ll look to bounce back from shoulder troubles and reestablish himself before reaching free agency after the 2020 season.
  • The Diamondbacks and Taijuan Walker settled at $5.025MM, tweets Murray. Walker, who’ll miss a portion of the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last April, had been projected to earn the same $4.825MM he made last season, which is common for players who miss an entire season. However, he’ll get a small raise after making three starts. Walker is controlled through 2020.
  • Junior Guerra and the Brewers agreed at $2.225MM, Murray tweets, which checks in a bit south of Guerra’s $2.7MM projection. The late-blooming righty is controlled through the 2022 season. Murray adds that catcher Manny Pina will earn $1.6MM next year after being projected at $1.8MM. He’s controllable through 2021.
  • Padres right-hander Kirby Yates agreed to a $3.0625MM deal that falls nicely in line with his $3MM projection, Murray tweets. Controlled for another two seasons, Yates has established himself as a high-quality reliever in recent years and figures to be among the game’s more prominent trade chips this summer.
  • Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett has agreed to a $9.775MM salary for his final season of club control prior to free agency, tweets Nightengale Jr. He falls a bit shy of his $10.7MM projection, though a near-$10MM payday for Gennett is nonetheless indicative of how much he’s elevated his status since being claimed by the Reds two years ago.
  • Righty Michael Wacha and the Cardinals are in agreement on a $6.35MM salary that is within striking distance of his $6.6MM projection (Twitter link via Nightengale). Wacha will be a free agent next winter.
  • The Mets agreed to a $6MM salary with right-hander Noah Syndergaard, tweets Nightengale. That comes in $100K north of the $5.9MM projection for “Thor,” who is still controllable for another three seasons.
  • Thomas Harding of MLB.com tweets that the Rockies agreed to a $960K salary for the 2019 season with catcher Tony Wolters. A rough season at the plate didn’t help Wolters’ earning power, and he’ll come in a bit shy of his $1.1MM projection. Murray tweets that the Rox are also in agreement with southpaw Tyler Anderson on a $2.625MM salary. He’d been projected for $2.9MM. Wolters is controllable for another four years as a Super Two player, while Anderson can be controlled for three.
  • Newly acquired Brewers left-hander Alex Claudio agreed to a $1.275MM salary for the 2019 season, Murray tweets. Claudio, who can be controlled by Milwaukee for three seasons, was projected to earn $1.3MM.
  • Trea Turner and the Nationals avoided a hearing by settling on a one-year deal worth $3.725MM, tweets Murray. That figures to represent one of the more significant misses from MLBTR’s arbitration algorithm this season, as Turner had been projected at $5.3MM as a first-time-eligible Super Two player. The star-caliber shortstop will nonetheless be poised for enormous earnings in arbitration, as he’ll be eligible three more times before reaching free agency after the 2022 season.
  • Cubs lefty Mike Montgomery avoided arbitration with a one-year, $2.44MM contract, tweets Wittenmyer. Montgomery, eligible for arbitration for the first time and controllable for another three years, was projected to earn $3MM.
  • The Rockies and right-hander Chad Bettis settled on a $3.35MM salary for 2019, tweets Nightengale. He’d been projected at $3.2MM and is controlled through the 2020 season.
  • Giants reliever Will Smith has agreed to a $4.225MM salary for his final season of team control, Nightengale tweets. Smith’s outstanding 2018 season will push his arbitration salary a bit north of his $4.1MM projection as he gears up for his final season before reaching free agency.
  • Diamondbacks southpaw Robbie Ray is set to earn $6.05MM next season after agreeing to a one-year deal, per Nightengale. That lands with in $50K of Ray’s $6.1MM projection. The left-hander is controlled through the 2020 season.
  • The Marlins and right-hander Jose Urena settled at a $3.2MM salary for the 2019 campaign, Murray tweets, That figure checks in a bit shy of the $3.6MM projected for Urena, who is arb-eligible for the first time this offseason and remains under club control through the 2021 season. Meanwhile, Nightengale tweets that Dan Straily will earn a $5MM salary in 2019, topping his $4.8MM projection by $200K. Straily can be controlled through 2020.
  • Kyle Schwarber and the Cubs have avoided arbitration with a one-year deal worth $3.39MM, tweets Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. That checks in slightly north of his $3.1MM projection as a first-time eligible player. Schwarber is controlled for another three seasons.
  • The Braves and righty Dan Winkler settled at $1.61MM, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (Twitter link). That tops MLBTR’s projection by the slightest of margins, at $10K. Winkler is controllable through the 2020 season.
  • Right-hander/pinch-hitter extraordinaire Michael Lorenzen and the Reds settled at $1.95MM, tweets Murray. He’d been projected to earn $1.9MM. Lorenzen is a Super Two player who’s eligible for arbitration for the second time this winter. Cincinnati can control him through the 2021 season, and he’ll be arb-eligible twice more. Bobby Nightengale Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer adds that Jose Peraza agreed to a one-year deal worth $2.775MM. The shortstop is a first-time eligible Super Two player who’d been projected at $3.6MM.
  • The Braves announced that they’ve signed Charlie Culberson to a one-year deal worth $1.395MM, which lines up near perfectly with his $1.4MM projection. It’s his first trip through the arbitration process, and the Braves can control him through the 2021 season. Murray tweets that the Braves also settled at $2.875MM with outfielder Adam Duvall, who’d been projected at $3.1MM.
  • Corey Knebel and the Brewers settled on a one-year, $5.125MM salary for the upcoming season, tweets Murray. The right-hander is in his second trip through arbitration as a Super Two player and had been projected at $4.9MM. He’s controlled through the 2021 season.
  • The Cubs and right-hander Kyle Hendricks agreed to a one-year deal worth $7.405MM, tweets Fancred’s Jon Heyman. He’d been projected at $7.6MM and will be arb-eligible once more next winter before reaching free agency.
  • Right-hander Mike Foltynewicz and the Braves settled at one year and $5.475MM, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today, which lines up very closely with his $5.5MM projection. Folty’s breakout season netted him a substantial raise from last year’s $2.2MM, and he’ll be arb-eligible twice more before reaching free agency after the 2021 season.
  • Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino has agreed to a one-year deal worth $4.8MM, tweets Robert Murray of The Athletic. That matches his $4.8MM salary projection on the dot. It’s the 28-year-old’s final season of arbitration eligibility, as he’ll be a free agent next winter.
  • The Diamondbacks avoided arbitration with lefty reliever Andrew Chafin by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $1.945MM, tweets Murray. He’ll top his $1.8MM projection by a slight margin and will be arb-eligible once more next winter before hitting free agency following the 2020 season.
Share 0 Retweet 9 Send via email0

Aaron Altherr Aaron Nola Adam Conley Adam Duvall Adam Morgan Alex Claudio Anthony DeSclafani Arizona Diamondbacks Arodys Vizcaino Atlanta Braves Carl Edwards Jr. Cesar Hernandez Chad Bettis Charlie Culberson Chicago Cubs Chris Dickerson Chris Taylor Cincinnati Reds Colorado Rockies Corey Dickerson Corey Knebel Corey Seager Dan Straily Dan Winkler David Peralta Dominic Leone J.T. Realmuto Jake Lamb Jameson Taillon Joc Pederson Joe Musgrove Jon Gray Jose Alvarez Jose Peraza Jose Urena Josh Bell Josh Fields Junior Guerra Keone Kela Kevin Gausman Kirby Yates Kyle Hendricks Kyle Schwarber Los Angeles Dodgers Maikel Franco Manny Pina Marcell Ozuna Miami Marlins Michael Conforto Michael Lorenzen Michael Wacha Miguel Rojas Mike Foltynewicz Mike Montgomery Milwaukee Brewers New York Mets Noah Syndergaard Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates Robbie Ray Sam Freeman San Diego Padres San Francisco Giants Scooter Gennett St. Louis Cardinals Steven Matz Taijuan Walker Todd Zolecki Tony Wolters Transactions Travis Shaw Trea Turner Trevor Story Tyler Anderson Washington Nationals Will Smith Yasiel Puig Zach Davies Zack Wheeler

41 comments

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Ramos, Rox, Smoak, Desmond, Pads, Profar

By Connor Byrne and Jeff Todd | December 13, 2018 at 5:47pm CDT

The Dodgers reached out to free agent backstop Wilson Ramos with interest, per Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). It seems, though, that the Dodgers are angling for a one-year pact, while Ramos is still seeking a multi-year contract. A single-year deal for Ramos appears unrealistic, given that he’s one of the two best catchers on the market – along with Dodgers free agent Yasmani Grandal – and is coming off an excellent offensive season. MLBTR predicts Ramos, 31, will receive a three-year, $36MM guarantee, which should put him out of the Dodgers’ reported range. Either way, with Austin Barnes as the only catcher who has significant major league experience on its roster, LA seems likely to add a backstop sometime this offseason. The club is reportedly among those still in the hunt for Marlins star J.T. Realmuto.

More on a few other NL West teams…

  • The Rockies have at least given internal consideration to pursuing Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak, according to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post (Twitter link). It seems the Rox could also consider some free agent bats, with MLB.com’s Thomas Harding writing that Daniel Murphy, Neil Walker, and Logan Morrison are all on the club’s radar. Colorado received National League-worst production at first base last season, putting it in the market for help there. Smoak, meanwhile, put together his second straight solid offensive campaign. He’s due an affordable $8MM in 2019, and MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk noted in October that he’d make sense for the Rockies. Murphy, Walker and Morrison were less successful than Smoak in 2018, but they’ve experienced varying degrees of success and should come at affordable prices this winter. Further, both Murphy and Walker are versatile enough to line up at multiple positions.
  • More on the Rockies from Harding, who reports that right-hander Jon Gray and utiliyman Ian Desmond drew trade interest at the Winter Meetings. It’s no surprise teams inquired about Gray, a potential front-end starter with three years of control left, but there’s no word no whether the Rockies would consider dealing the 27-year-old. Desmond isn’t nearly as appealing, on the other hand, but “teams were receptive to discussing” him, Harding writes. Not only has the 33-year-old Desmond combined for minus-1.5 fWAR since 2017, but he’s still owed $40MM through 2021 (including a $2MM buyout of his $15MM club option for 2022).
  • The Padres are discussing a contract with shortstop Freddy Galvis, but it appears “unlikely” the two sides will reach an agreement, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports. Now a free agent, Galvis spent last season in San Diego after the team acquired him from Philadelphia last December for young right-hander Enyel De Los Santos, who’s now the Phillies’ ninth-ranked prospect at MLB.com. The 29-year-old Galvis posted below-average offensive numbers (.248/.299/.380, good for an 85 wRC+, in 656 plate appearances) and earned mixed reviews at short (seven DRS, minus-4.4 UZR).
  • Continuing with the Padres, they’ve reached out to the Rangers regarding infielder Jurickson Profar, but the chances of a deal happening are “faint,” Dennis Lin of The Athletic relays (subscription required). Padres general manager A.J. Preller is a fan of Profar from his days as an executive with the Rangers. However, he’s not having much luck prying the 25-year-old Profar and his two remaining seasons of team control from Texas.
Share 0 Retweet 4 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Daniel Murphy Freddy Galvis Ian Desmond Jon Gray Jurickson Profar Justin Smoak Logan Morrison Los Angeles Dodgers Neil Walker San Diego Padres Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Wilson Ramos

81 comments
« Previous Page

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Starling Marte Suffers Fractured Rib

    Jay Bruce Announces Retirement

    Nationals Place Stephen Strasburg On Injured List, Select Paolo Espino

    Cody Bellinger Has Hairline Fracture In Left Leg

    2021-22 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings

    MLB To Experiment With New DH Rule, Mound Distance During 2021 Atlantic League Season

    Astros, Martin Maldonado Finalizing One-Year Extension

    James Paxton To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

    2021 Trade Deadline Will Be July 30

    Diamondbacks Sign Josh Reddick To Minor League Deal

    Recent

    Giants Designate Trevor Gott For Assignment

    Carlos Correa vs. Trevor Story

    MLBTR Chat Transcript

    Athletics Designate Ka’ai Tom For Assignment

    Braves, Jesse Chavez Agree To Minor League Deal

    Mariners Activate Kyle Lewis From Injured List

    Why Subscribe To Trade Rumors Front Office?

    Anibal Sanchez Getting Interest From Three Teams

    AL Notes: Yankees, Rendon, Mondesi, Rays

    Commenter Mute Button Now Available

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Kris Bryant Rumors
    • Francisco Lindor Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Indians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version