Angels Designate Austin Brice
The Angels have designated right-hander Austin Brice to make room for catcher Jonathan Lucroy, whose signing is now official, Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group reports.
The 26-year-old Brice didn’t last long on the Angels’ 40-man roster, as the club claimed him off waivers from the Reds on Nov. 2. A ninth-round pick of the Marlins in 2010, Brice has logged an underwhelming 5.68 ERA/5.25 FIP with 7.71 K/9 and 2.68 BB/9 in 84 major league innings, despite featuring 95 mph heat. Brice saw his most MLB action in 2018, when he threw 37 1/3 frames in Cincinnati and posted a 5.79 ERA/5.87 FIP with 7.71 K/9 and 3.13 BB/9.
While Brice has generated grounders at a solid 51.3 percent clip during his big league career, the fly balls he has allowed have been costly. Thus far, he’s the owner of a lofty 21.8 percent home run-to-fly ball rate at the game’s highest level. Brice has been far more effective in the minors, particularly in 53 1/3 innings in Triple-A, where he has pitched to a 2.87 ERA and recorded 9.3 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9.
Angels Interested In Josh Harrison
The Angels are among the teams interested in free-agent infielder Josh Harrison, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets. They join the Nationals, Yankees, Reds, Astros, Brewers and Giants as teams that have shown interest in Harrison since the Pirates declined his club option after last season.
Harrison has picked up vast experience at both second and third base, making him a logical fit for the Angels. They’re currently set to start David Fletcher at the keystone and Zack Cozart at the hot corner in 2019, though there are concerns with both players. Cozart struggled mightily in 2018, the first season of a three-year, $38MM contract, before his campaign ended in late June on account of left shoulder surgery. Fletcher’s defense helped net him an impressive 1.9 fWAR in just 307 plate appearances, on the other hand, but as evidenced by a .275/.316/.363 line with one home run, the 24-year-old wasn’t exactly an imposing offensive presence.
Of course, while both Cozart and Fletcher come with question marks, the same is true of Harrison. He held his own at times in Pittsburgh, especially during a 4.8-fWAR campaign in 2014 and a 2.6-fWAR showing in 2017, but endured his share of down seasons as a Pirate. Just last season, the 31-year-old Harrison hit a mere .250/.293/.363 (78 wRC+) in 374 PAs and offered almost no power (eight home runs, .113 ISO).
Harrison’s 2018 offensive numbers may have taken a hit as a result of the fractured left hand he suffered in mid-April, and it’s worth noting he has been a roughly league-average hitter throughout his career. Combining Harrison’s normally competent offense with the plus defense he has shown off at both second and third, it’s no surprise plenty of teams are eyeing him on what should be an affordable, short-term deal.
Angels Reportedly Interested In David Robertson
The Angels have interest in adding right-hander David Robertson to the back of their bullpen, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (Twitter link). As he points out, Angels general manager Billy Eppler is quite familiar with Robertson due to his time as an assistant GM with the Yankees. While Robertson’s reported preference is to pitch in the northeastern part of the country — he’s an Alabama native but now resides in Rhode Island — the Angels could give him the opportunity to pitch in the ninth inning, which could well appeal to the self-represented veteran.
Robertson, 33, has been among the game’s most consistent relievers since emerging as a regular more than a decade ago. He’s totaled at least 60 innings and 60 appearances per season dating back to 2010 and hasn’t been on the disabled list since 2014, when he missed the minimum amount of time due to a mild groin strain. It stands to reason that for a team that has had an overwhelming barrage of injuries throughout the pitching staff, Robertson’s durability and consistency would hold extra appeal.
The Angels have run through a carousel of closers in recent seasons. Blake Parker, Cam Bedrosian, Keynan Middleton, Bud Norris, Huston Street, Andrew Bailey, Fernando Salas and Joe Smith have all logged at least six saves in a single season since 2016, and the Halos haven’t had a consistent ninth-inning presence since Street’s 40-save showing in 2015. Of that bunch, only Middleton (recovering from Tommy John surgery) and Bedrosian remain with the organization. Adding Robertson to the mix would give the Angels a much more definitive option at the back end of the ‘pen and allow in-house closing candidates like Ty Buttrey, Justin Anderson and Bedrosian to pitch in a setup capacity.
Eppler and his staff have already made a pair of additions to the rotation, bringing both Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill on board last week. Those two signings pushed the Angels’ projected Opening Day payroll to around $163MM, which is more or less in line with the Opening Day payrolls authorized by owner Arte Moreno in each of the past three seasons. Adding Robertson, or virtually any other free agent of note, would push the Angels to a new record in terms of Opening Day payroll, although they finished out the 2016 and 2017 seasons with year-end payrolls in excess of $180MM following trade deadline additions.
AL West Notes: Angels, Rangers, Mariners
Angels general manager Billy Eppler said following the signing of Trevor Cahill, the signing of Matt Harvey and the re-acquisition (via waivers) of Parker Bridwell that the Angels’ “numbers are increasing” and “getting to an area that provides us a lot more comfort than we had even a week ago” (link via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register). Eppler spoke of an “uptick” in the efficacy of Harvey’s slider and changeup following his trade to the Reds, adding that he’s done his due diligence on Harvey’s character and reputation off the field. With Cahill and Harvey penciled into the rotation alongside Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney, the Angels would appear to have their top four starters in place. Bridwell, Jaime Barria, Nick Tropeano, Felix Pena and Dillon Peters are among the options for the fifth spot, and the Halos also have J.C. Ramirez on the mend from Tommy John surgery. It still seems possible that the Angels could add another arm — they were tied to Dallas Keuchel once again over the weekend — but they’ve at the very least improved their depth with a pair of relative upside plays.
More from the division..
- The Rangers “are not done acquiring” catching help this offseason, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes in his latest Rangers Inbox column, though he indicates that the team isn’t expected to be in the mix for J.T. Realmuto as the Marlins look to move him. Texas could add some more veteran depth to pair with defensive whiz Jeff Mathis, it seems, but a high-end acquisition doesn’t appear to be in the cards. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the other option atop the Rangers’ catching depth chart at the moment, but he’s still developing and has more experience at both second base and third base than he does at catcher.
- The trade of Jurickson Profar to the Athletics as part of a three-team swap was part of the Rangers‘ ongoing attempt to build a sustainable young core of pitching talent, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. General manager Jon Daniels spoke particularly highly of left-hander Brock Burke, the Rays’ minor league pitcher of the year. “We think he reached a different level this year and think he might have another gear to get to, too,” said Daniels of his new prospect. The Rangers added three upper-level arms in that trade, and the $750K of international bonus allotments they acquired could be further invested in adding some young arms.
- The Mariners have absolutely gutted their bullpen this offseason with the trades of Edwin Diaz, Alex Colome, James Pazos and Juan Nicasio, to say nothing of outrighting Nick Vincent and Erasmo Ramirez. At present, there’s no clear answer as to who will be the Mariners’ primary option in the ninth inning, and GM Jerry Dipoto recently suggested that there may not be one answer to that question (link via the Tacoma News Tribune’s T.J. Cotterill). “Probably similar to what we did when we first moved [Diaz] into the closer role or when we got here and signed Steve Cishek,” said Dipoto. “It’s having multiple guys who have some experience doing it.” Dipoto did mention righty Anthony Swarzak when discussing potential closing options, but there’s clearly room for some additions in the Seattle ‘pen beyond last week’s low-profile signing of Zac Rosscup.
KBO’s Doosan Bears Sign Infielder Jose Miguel Fernandez
The Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization announced this week that they’ve signed former Angels infielder Jose Miguel Fernandez to a one-year contract (link via the Yonhap News Agency). He’ll receive a $50K signing bonus, a $300K base salary and another $350K worth of incentives, giving him the opportunity to earn up to a total of $700K on the deal.
Fernandez, 30, made his big league debut with the Halos this past season and posted a .267/.309/.388 batting line with a pair of home runs and eight doubles through 123 trips to the plate. Those numbers are hardly inspiring, but Fernandez is also a veteran of the Cuban National Series who’s previously served as the second baseman on Cuba’s World Baseball Classic team. He hit .315 or better in six of his eight pro seasons in Cuba and turned in a terrific .332/.397/.531 line through 406 career plate appearances at the Triple-A level between the Dodgers and Angels organizations. Fernandez also walked nearly as many times (34) as he struck out (35) in that time in Triple-A — a trait which a Bears spokesperson highlighted as particularly intriguing when announcing the move.
By going to South Korea, Fernandez will secure a greater payday than he would have bouncing back and forth between the Majors and minors, and a strong showing for a year or two in Asia could create greater intrigue among Major League clubs than he’d have otherwise received. Heading overseas also creates the potential to return as a free agent who can command a more substantial than he’d have otherwise commanded as a pre-arbitration player through at least the 2021 season.
Hernandez is the second former Angels infielder to sign with an Asian team in the past week; Jefry Marte inked a one-year deal with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball last week.
International Notes: Bahamas, Japan, Korea
With not much likely to happen in the way of U.S. baseball transactions today, we’ll turn an eye to some locations overseas…
- The quality of talent in Bahamian baseball is on the rise, writes MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. To date, only six players from the Bahamas have played in the major leagues, including Antoan Richardson, the player who famously crossed the plate for the walk-off run Derek Jeter drove in during his final MLB at-bat. However, as many as fifteen players across MiLB’s 30 farm systems come from the Bahamas. Notably, Kristian Robinson currently ranks as the Diamondbacks’ 12th-best prospect, while Trent Deveaux and D’Shawn Knowles are among the Angels’ top 30 minor-leaguers. Lucius Fox, another Bahamian native (and a former $6MM international signing by the Giants), batted .326 in the Arizona Fall League and projects to open the 2019 season with the Rays’ Double-A Affiliate. Perhaps the most intriguing name on the list of Bahamian prospects is Jazz Chisholm, who’s ranked as the Diamondbacks’ third-best farmhand by MLB Pipeline.
- Kazuto Yamazaki of Baseball Prospectus suggests that a “wave” of Nippon Professional Baseball talent could make its way to MLB next year, and lists their names in a tweet. Left-handed-hitting outfielder Shogo Akiyama is reportedly set for international free agency, while Takahiro Norimoto, Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, and Ryosuke Kikuchi are all probable candidates to be made available through NPB’s posting system. Japan, of course, as produced plenty of high-end MLB talent in recent seasons, including Masahiro Tanaka and Shohei Ohtani. Yusei Kikuchi, who was just posted earlier this month, is the NPB’s most interesting player to make the jump to MLB this winter.
- Per Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston, a longtime Astros scout has taken a job with a Korean Baseball Organization team. Aaron Tassano, who’s also done legwork for the Cubs and Rays, is now the scouting coordinator for the KBO’s Samsung Lions, for whom he’ll now be trying to pluck talent from MLB farm systems. Drellich’s piece compiles some interesting quotes from Tassano that help form a picture of how KBO teams might make their pitches to certain MLB players and their agents.
Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contracts
Managers and front office bosses are always doing their best to progress their teams forward, though this particular list of names could be feeling a bit more pressure this coming season, as 2019 is their final guaranteed year under contract.
As always when compiling this list, a pair of caveats should be noted. Firstly, several teams don’t publicize the lengths of management contracts, and some teams don’t even announce when new contracts have been finalized. It could very well be that at least some of the executives listed have already quietly reached extensions beyond the 2019 season, or there could be some other names with unknown contract terms who have 2019 as their end date.
Secondly, lack of an official contract doesn’t always mean that a manager or an executive is lacking in job security. Some clubs have unofficial handshake agreements in place with the skipper or GM/president of baseball operations, wherein the job is promised as theirs, with the specific contractual details to be hammered out at some point in the future. In the case of managers, specifically, many do prefer some type of public agreement, if for no other reason than to avoid being perceived as a “lame duck” who lacks authority within a clubhouse.
With a big tip of the cap to Cot’s Baseball Contracts for many of these details, here are the managers and executives who are believed to be entering their final seasons…
Angels: General manager Billy Eppler is three years into his original four-year contract to run the Halos’ front office, a term that has yet to result in a winning record. Much has been made about the Angels’ inability to build a contender around Mike Trout during the outfielder’s Cooperstown-level prime years, and time is running short in that regard, given that Trout can become a free agent the 2020 season. In Eppler’s defense, he has added quality pieces like Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton, and Shohei Ohtani as GM, though he has been hampered by a seemingly endless list of pitching injuries, not to mention some payroll-albatross contracts (Josh Hamilton, C.J. Wilson, and the ongoing Albert Pujols deal) left over from the tenure of previous Angels GM Jerry Dipoto. Longtime manager Mike Scioscia had reportedly always had quite a bit of influence within the front office, though with Scioscia not returning, Eppler had the opportunity to make his own managerial hire in the form of Brad Ausmus. There hasn’t yet been any indication that Eppler could be in particular danger of not being extended, though it’s worth noting that neither of Eppler’s predecessors in the job (Dipoto and Tony Reagins) lasted more than four years.
Blue Jays: Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi noted in September that general manager Ross Atkins was likely to receive an extension, and that such a deal wasn’t likely to receive public acknowledgement. So, Atkins may already be locked up beyond the original end-date of his four-year deal prior to the 2016 season. Atkins and president Mark Shapiro have planted the seeds for a rebuild over the last two seasons, and with the Jays now in full-fledged retooling mode for at least one more year, it makes sense that Atkins would continue to hold the reigns as Toronto prepares for the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. era.
Brewers: This one is a bit speculative, as terms of GM David Stearns‘ original deal with the Brewers weren’t released, though The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported in October that “Stearns has at least one year left” under contract. Stearns was hired prior to the 2016 season, so a four- or five-year deal seems pretty standard for a new general manager, particularly one that was seemingly facing a rebuild upon taking the position. Needless to say, things are ahead of schedule in Milwaukee, as the Brewers were just a game away from the World Series last October. Even if Stearns’ deal runs through 2020 rather than just 2019, it seems likely that Brewers ownership will have some talks about an extension this offseason given Stearns’ immediate success.
Cubs: There has already been quite a bit of speculation about Joe Maddon‘s future at Wrigley Field, as the Cubs aren’t planning to discuss a new contract with the manager. Though Maddon himself seems unperturbed about the situation and president of baseball ops Theo Epstein denied rumors of any hard feelings with his skipper, it does seem like a dugout change could be made unless the Cubs make another deep postseason run.
Diamondbacks: With two winning seasons and the 2017 NL Manager Of The Year Award on his resume in two years as manager, Torey Lovullo seems like a prime candidate for a new deal. Though Arizona is now moving into a semi-rebuilding phase, this actually seems closer to the situation Lovullo was expected to inherit when he initially took the job, before he led the D’Backs to their surprise postseason berth in 2017. I’d expect Lovullo to have an extension in hand by Opening Day at the latest.
Dodgers: Since president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman signed his five-year, $35MM deal to take over the Dodgers’ front office in October 2014, the club has extended its streak of NL West titles to six in a row, and finally got over the postseason hump to return to the World Series, capturing the NL pennant in each of the last two seasons. While the Comissioner’s Trophy has remained elusive, Friedman has managed to keep the Dodgers competitive even while cutting salaries, getting the team under the luxury tax threshold last season after payrolls touched the $300MM mark earlier this decade. This is probably another instance of an extension being just a matter of time, as the Guggenheim Baseball ownership group seemingly has every reason to want to keep Friedman in the fold for several years to come.
Giants: The leadership shakeup that installed Farhan Zaidi as the Giants’ new GM didn’t extend to the dugout, as longtime manager Bruce Bochy will return for the last year of his current contract and his 13th overall season in San Francisco’s dugout. Bochy turns 64 in April and he has dealt with heart issues in the past, leading to some whispers that he could move into retirement and hand the job over to a new manager. Longtime coaches Hensley Meulens and Ron Wotus have both been mentioned as possible managers-in-waiting, or Zaidi could prefer to hire a new face from outside the organization. It also wouldn’t be a shock to see Bochy stick around in 2020 or beyond, should he want to continue managing and he forms a solid relationship with Zaidi. Given Bochy’s championship-winning track record and the large amount of respect he holds within the organization, the possibility exists that he has already been promised the opportunity to end his tenure on his own terms.
Indians: General manager Mike Chernoff reportedly agreed to an extension with the team in November, though this is technically still an unknown situation since there wasn’t any official confirmation from either side. That said, since Cleveland is one of the organizations that generally stays quiet about contract details for management figures, we can probably consider this one a done deal. Chernoff was promoted to general manager in October 2015, so he could have been at the end of a three-year contract or the Tribe was getting an early jump on extending his four-year contract. It’s also worth noting that president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti signed an extension of indeterminate length back in 2013 and we haven’t heard any further contract news since, so Antonetti could also be approaching the end of a deal…unless he also signed an unreported extension at some point. It’s safe to assume that big changes aren’t in the offing for a team that has won three straight AL Central titles.
Marlins: “There are indications the Marlins would like to retain [Don] Mattingly beyond 2019,” MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro recently reported, though Mattingly said that he had yet to hear from the team about extension negotiations. Mattingly has managed the Fish through three tumultuous years in the organization’s history, and the fact that he is one of the few members of the Jeffrey Loria regime still in Miami could indeed be a sign that Derek Jeter and company have interest in keeping the veteran manager around to help mentor and develop young players during the franchise’s latest rebuild.
Red Sox: Principal owner John Henry recently noted that the team was “running out of time” in regards to an extension with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, whose five-year contract is up after the 2019 season. (Since Dombrowski was hired in August 2015, the deal can probably be more accurately described as 4.5 years in length.) Regardless of when the specific end-date may be, Dombrowski could hardly be in better position to land an extension in the aftermath of Boston’s World Series triumph.
Rockies: 2019 is the last guaranteed year of Bud Black‘s contract as manager, though he has a bit of extra cushion since the Rockies hold a club option his services for 2020. Since Black has led Colorado to the postseason in each of his first two seasons as manager, it seems like he’ll at least get that option exercised to add a bit more security, plus the team is likely to discuss a longer-term deal as well.
Royals: GM Dayton Moore has often reiterated that manager Ned Yost will decide on his own when to step away from the dugout, though that won’t happen for at least one more year, as Yost agreed to a one-year extension last September. As Fancred Sports’ Jon Heyman put it, however, there is “strong belief” that Yost won’t manage beyond 2019. The Royals’ recent hiring of Mike Matheny to a special advisor role could be another sign that the team already has a successor in place for the 2020 season.
AL Notes: Rays, A’s, Angels
The Rays‘ primary motivation in inserting themselves into the Athletics‘ recent acquisition of Jurickson Profar was likely opening a spot on their 40-man roster, writes ESPN’s Keith Law (subscription link). In return for sending Brock Burke and Kyle Bird to Texas, the Rays received homer-prone reliever Emilio Pagan from Oakland and the Rangers’ draft pick in Competitive Balance Round A. Additional picks are always welcome, but the most important aspect of this draft pick is the slot value it adds to the Rays’ bonus pool. The pick comes with a slot value of between $1.6MM and $2MM, a valuable sum that extends beyond the pick itself. By boosting their bonus pool, the Rays have more flexibility should they want to go over slot, which is one way to snag a potential star. Given the Rays deep pool of young talent at the MLB level right now, they can afford to turn some of that excess prospect depth into further prospect wealth down the road.
A few other notes from around the American League…
- For the Athletics‘ part in the above deal, Law notes they took advantage of their own area of depth, the bullpen, to get their new starting second baseman. The signing of Joakim Soria more than makes up for the loss of Pagan, and in Profar they now have an inexpensive, versatile player who may still have some upside. Functionally, he’s not all that different from the guy he’ll be replacing, Jed Lowrie, who was brought in as a similarly high-upside, low-cost, versatile option when they went out and got him from another division rival via trade (Houston).
- The Angels have had a tough time building a winner around Mike Trout, but they’ve suffered their share of bad luck too, particularly in the rotation, per Jonah Keri of cbssports.com. The history of injuries to promising rotation arms is disheartening: Garrett Richards with knee issues in 2014 leading up to Tommy John surgery, Matt Shoemaker getting hit in the head with a line drive near the end of a promising 2016 season, Tyler Skaggs with Tommy John in 2016, Andrew Heaney’s various ailments that kept him sidelined for most of 2016 and 2017, and of course, Shohei Ohtani’s latest injury – and that’s before even touching on the bullpen. Keri documents the poor performances of acquired position players as further misfortune suffered under Arte Moreno’s leadership: Albert Pujols, Vernon Wells, Zack Cozart and Josh Hamilton all disappointed relative to their pre-Angels production. It does begin to feel like the Angels are cursed, and yet poor major league scouting could also be the culprit in many of these cases. The recent deals for Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill, then, nicely sidestepped the issues above by building pitching depth on short-term deals, and Keri suggests a furthering of that strategy by pursuing buy low candidates like Sonny Gray, Julio Teheran or even Yasmani Grandal, should his asking price come down.
Quick Hits: Trout, A’s, Lowrie, Barreto, Cardinals
Despite Mike Trout‘s presence, the Angels are stuck in no-man’s land as a club that doesn’t look like a clear-cut contender, Buster Olney of ESPN observes (subscription required). As brilliant as Trout has been, the Angels haven’t made the playoffs or won more than 85 games in a season since 2014, leading Olney to note there’s a legitimate argument they should consider a Mariners-esque rebuild. However, the Angels have signed starters Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill in win-now moves this winter, and Olney concedes it’s unlikely they’ll blow things up in the final two years of Trout’s contract. The 27-year-old Trout “desperately” wants to win, and the Angels are uninterested in trading him, writes Olney. But moving Trout to jump-start a rebuild is something the Angels should at least consider if he’s unwilling to sign an extension, Olney argues.
Here’s more from around the game:
- Although Jed Lowrie was among the majors’ premier second basemen from 2017-18, during which he totaled 8.5 fWAR in 1,325 plate appearances as a member of the Athletics, the A’s won’t bring the free agent back. With Lowrie currently on the open market, Oakland acquired his replacement, Jurickson Profar, on Friday. The fact that Profar’s younger and cheaper than Lowrie led the A’s in that direction, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. While the 25-year-old Profar will earn a projected $3.4MM in 2019, Lowrie, 34, is seeking a three-year contract, according to Slusser. MLBTR estimates the switch-hitting Lowrie will find a three-year, $30MM pact, though Slusser writes that “many industry experts” are anticipating a two-year deal in the $18MM to $20MM range.
- The Profar acquisition will also have an effect on A’s middle infield prospect Franklin Barreto, long one of their top farmhands. Trading for Profar suggests the A’s aren’t convinced Barreto can be part of the solution at second, posits Slusser, who adds that the team could shift the 22-year-old to the outfield (where he has racked up some experience in the Venezuelan Winter League) or even deal him. If Barreto does stick around, it’s likely he’ll “take on more of a utility role,” general manager David Forst said. Forst remains bullish on Barreto, as he added, “He’s going to be a valuable guy for us, his bat is going to play.”
- Having acquired Paul Goldschmidt and Andrew Miller, most of the Cardinals’ heavy lifting for the offseason is already done prior to the New Year. The club hasn’t ruled out picking up another reliever to join Miller & Co., though, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests. The Cards will also land a backup catcher – potentially by way of a minor league contract, per Goold – and perhaps another left-handed bench bat. St. Louis did acquire lefty-hitting reserve Drew Robinson from the Rangers earlier this month, but the 26-year-old utilityman hasn’t produced much in the majors and still has another minor league option remaining.
Angels, Brewers, Rangers Reportedly Interested In Dallas Keuchel
The Angels, Brewers and Rangers join the previously reported Phillies as a few of the teams with interest in free-agent left-hander Dallas Keuchel, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
As a onetime American League Cy Young winner (2015) who ranks among the majors’ top 20 starters in ERA (3.28) and fWAR (18.2) since his breakout 2014 season, Keuchel entered the winter as the most accomplished rotation piece available. Nevertheless, the soon-to-be 31-year-old has gone without a contract for nearly two months, and has watched several other starters – including newly minted $100MM man Patrick Corbin – ink lucrative pacts.
Both Keuchel and agent Scott Boras are partly responsible for the hurler’s unemployed status, of course, as they’re reportedly seeking a five- to six-year deal worth big money. At the outset of the offseason, MLBTR predicted a four-year, $82MM pact for Keuchel, who, as a qualifying offer recipient, would cost a team more than just a major chunk of cash. Because Keuchel rejected the Astros’ QO, both the Angels and Rangers would give up their second-highest 2019 draft pick and $500K in international bonus pool space to sign him. The Brewers would face a lesser penalty, though, as they’d only have to surrender their third-highest draft choice.
Among Los Angeles, Milwaukee and Texas, the Brewers are arguably the best fit on paper for Keuchel. Milwaukee came within a game of a World Series berth in 2018, but it did so in spite of an uninspiring-looking rotation – one that has since seen Wade Miley reach free agency after a surprisingly effective campaign. The problem is that the Brewers might not have the payroll room to make a headline-grabbing splash on the open market. Meanwhile, having already added starters Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill in free agency, the Angels may be done addressing their rotation this winter, as Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com suggested Thursday. And the Rangers, unlike the Brewers and Angels, are in a rebuild and aren’t targeting a playoff berth in 2019. As such, even though their rotation is in dire need of help, it may not make sense for the Rangers to fervently pursue a high-priced starter – excluding Japanese import Yusei Kikuchi, 27 – over the next year or two.