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Gavin Lux Will Miss 2023 Season Due To Torn ACL

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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced this morning that infielder Gavin Lux suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during yesterday’s Cactus League game and will miss the 2023 season (Twitter thread via Juan Toribio of MLB.com). Lux also sustained damage to his right knee’s LCL. He’ll undergo surgery on March 7.

Lux, 25, was slated to step into the spotlight as the Dodgers’ primary shortstop following the free-agent departures of Corey Seager following the 2021 season and Trea Turner this past offseason. However, while advancing from second to third base on a grounder in yesterday’s game, Lux altered his course a bit to avoid a throw across the diamond. In doing so, the infielder’s knee buckled, and he immediately tumbled to the ground in pain. Lux was unable to put any weight on his right leg and was carted off the field.

With Lux now out for the season, the Dodgers’ January reacquisition of infielder Miguel Rojas now becomes a far more pivotal pickup. Rojas, who’s spent the past half decade as the Marlins’ primary shortstop (after being traded from the Dodgers to Miami), is a light hitter but grades out as one of the best defensive shortstops in the game. He’d been ticketed for a utility role but will now step up as the everyday shortstop in Lux’s absence. Roberts added that Swiss army knife Chris Taylor could get some reps in the infield as well, and Mookie Betts could see some extra work at second base for the Dodgers, too (Twitter link via Jack Harris of the L.A. Times).

The 2022 season saw Lux take the field for a career-high 129 games and slash 276/.346/.399 in a career-high 471 plate appearances. That was solid production — 13% better than average, per wRC+ — but it also bears mentioning that a woeful cold streak in September and October weighed down Lux’s end-of-season numbers. Lux was slowed by neck and and upper-back soreness late in the year, receiving a cortisone injection and missing about two weeks of action while mending that injury. Based on the way his season finished out, it doesn’t seem the injection and downtime had their intended effect.

Through Sept. 1, Lux was slashing a far more robust .293/.368/.428 in 418 plate appearances. During the season’s first five months, he walked at an 11% clip and fanned at a lower-than-average 18.9% rate. Upon returning on Sept. 17, however, Lux tallied 53 more plate appearances but hit just .154/.170/.192 with an alarming 30.2% strikeout rate and 1.9% walk rate.

Between that five-month run to open the 2022 season, a strong K-BB profile, sharp defensive grades at second base and Lux’s pedigree as a former first-round pick and universally lauded top prospect, a 2023 breakout seemed like a real possibility. That’ll no longer be the case, and it’s a gut-punch for both the Dodgers and for Lux. He’ll spend the year on the injured list, gaining Major League service time along the way and inching closer to free agency at the conclusion of the 2026 season.

Rojas figures to be a downgrade with the bat on the heels of a .236/.283/.323 showing in 2022. While he did post a much more solid .277/.334/.398 line from 2019-21 (1208 plate appearances), Rojas just turned 34 and has seen his quality of contact degrade considerably over the past couple seasons. However, while he doesn’t have the offensive upside of Lux, Rojas should provide the Dodgers with lights-out glovework at the position. He piled up a gaudy 15 Defensive Runs Saved and 11 Outs Above Average with the Marlins at shortstop in 2022, and dating back to 2017 he’s been credited with 27 DRS and 19 OAA in more than 4800 innings.

Even if Rojas gives the Dodgers a more-than-passable replacement option at shortstop, Lux’s injury still thins out the organization’s infield depth in a meaningful way — particularly with top prospect and projected regular second baseman Miguel Vargas also dealing with a hairline fracture in his pinkie finger. While there’s no indication Vargas is expected to miss substantial time with the injury — he’s playing in Cactus League games but not swinging during his plate appearances at the moment — subtracting Lux from the roster likely pushes a depth option such as Yonny Hernandez up from Triple-A. The outfield depth is also impacted, as any time Taylor spends in the infield cuts into his availability elsewhere on the diamond.

It’s feasible that the Dodgers could yet look to add some infield depth, though options on the free-agent market at this point are extremely limited. Veterans like Jose Iglesias, Jonathan Villar, Didi Gregorius and Andrelton Simmons remain unsigned, but the latter three in particular have had their share of recent struggles. The Dodgers are no strangers to making small-scale trades and adding depth via waivers, of course, and this injury gives them the freedom to accommodate a new acquisition on the 40-man roster by shifting Lux to the 60-day injured list.

Gavin Lux Expected To Miss Significant Time Following Knee Injury

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Feb. 28: ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that Lux is expected to miss significant time following yesterday’s injury, with one source simply telling him: “It is bad.”

Feb. 27: Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux injured his right knee during this afternoon’s Cactus League game against the Padres (video provided by SportsNet LA). While running from second to third base on a Luke Williams grounder, Lux stumbled trying to avoid a throw from San Diego third baseman Jantzen Witte.

A visibly disappointed Lux was helped onto a cart and taken off the field without putting any weight on his leg. After the game, manager Dave Roberts told reporters the infielder felt a pop in the outer area of his knee (via Juan Toribio of MLB.com and Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times). “Right now we’re in the ’hope’ phase. It’s a tough one. I’m just hoping for the best,” the manager said. Lux is headed for an MRI this evening; the club will surely provide some kind of update over the next day or two once those results come back.

Obviously, it’s a worrisome start to exhibition play for Los Angeles. If healthy, Lux is poised to take on a key role in the L.A. infield. The 25-year-old hit .276/.346/.399 with a 10% walk rate and 20.2% strikeout percentage in 471 plate appearances as the primary second baseman last season. He’s slated to move to shortstop this year after Trea Turner departed via free agency. It’d be the first season in which the former top prospect serves as the Dodgers’ primary shortstop, as he’d moved to other positions in deference to Corey Seager and Turner in years past.

It’s too soon for anyone to know whether he’s in for an extended absence. If he requires time on the injured list, veteran Miguel Rojas would figure to step into an everyday role. Acquired from the Marlins in January, Rojas has been ticketed for a utility job off the bench. He’s a high-end defensive shortstop and has a lengthy track record as an everyday player at the position, though he’s not the same caliber of hitter as Lux.

Rojas has posted average or worse offensive numbers in every full season of his career. That includes a .236/.283/.323 showing in 507 plate appearances for Miami last season. Rojas underwent a pair of offseason surgeries on his right wrist, however, and playing through that discomfort could’ve adversely affected his production. He’s expected to be a full-go for the start of the season.

The Dodgers have Max Muncy and Miguel Vargas lined up for regular work at third and second base, respectively. Vargas is a highly-touted prospect who mashed in Triple-A last season but has very little MLB time. That’s also true of Michael Busch, who has yet to reach the majors. Offseason trade acquisition Yonny Hernández is on the 40-man roster as a depth option.

Williams is in camp as a non-roster infielder. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports (Twitter link) that L.A. is also bringing in Bryson Brigman on a minor league contract. Brigman, who has never reached the majors, has played the middle infield in six minors campaigns in the Seattle and Miami organizations. A right-handed hitter, he posted a .251/.299/.369 line with eight homers in 105 Triple-A games last season.

Injury Notes: Whitlock, Ahmed, Vargas, Reynolds

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Right-hander Garrett Whitlock is still on the mend from September hip surgery, though Red Sox skipper Alex Cora indicated this morning there’s a possibility he won’t be ready for Opening Day (Twitter link via Ian Browne of MLB.com). Whitlock has been throwing off a mound but is not yet performing pitchers’ fielding practice, and Cora stated that if the right-hander isn’t ready for the start of the season, “he’s not going to lose too much time.”

One of the best Rule 5 selections in recent memory, the 26-year-old Whitlock has pitched 151 2/3 innings for Boston over the past two seasons, logging a sharp 2.73 ERA with a strong 26.8% strikeout rate against a brilliant 5.3% walk rate. The Red Sox have used him far more out of the bullpen than the rotation, but he’s slated to get a look as a starter in 2023, joining the likes of Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, James Paxton and Nick Pivetta in the mix for rotation work. Fellow righty Tanner Houck and top prospect Brayan Bello are both options to step into the rotation, should Whitlock need to miss any time early in the season.

A few more health situations to monitor as spring camps continue to ramp up…

  • D-backs shortstop Nick Ahmed received a cortisone injection in his right forearm and will be shut down for at least five days, writes Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. The 32-year-old Ahmed (33 next month) was dealing with inflammation and tightness in his forearm, and the hope is that the injection and some downtime will clear it up and avoid a lengthy absence. Ahmed was limited to 129 games in 2021 and just 17 games in 2022 thanks to a shoulder injury that ultimately required surgery last year. If healthy, he’ll be back in line for regular reps at shortstop, where he’s ranked among the game’s best defenders at any position. A healthy 2023 campaign is of particular importance for Ahmed, as he’s entering the final season of a four-year, $32MM contract and is slated to become a free agent for the first time next offseason.
  • Infielder Miguel Vargas, who suffered a hairline fracture of his pinkie finger earlier this spring, has resumed swinging a bat, writes Jack Harris of the L.A. Times. The 23-year-old Vargas, widely considered to be one of the sport’s 100  best prospects, scuffled through a 50-plate appearance MLB debut in 2022 (.170/.200/.255) but ripped through Triple-A pitching at a torrid .304/.404/.511 pace (129 wRC+). He’s the favorite for everyday work at second base to begin the season, though obviously the health of his finger will determine his readiness for the season. Vargas is in the Dodgers’ lineup for the second time in three spring games today, but he’s batting ninth and isn’t expected to swing during any plate appearances today (he walked and struck out on Saturday). He’ll still get some work at second base and use today’s game to work on tracking pitches in the batter’s box. It’s not clear yet when he’ll begin swinging the bat in a game setting.
  • Reds infielder Matt Reynolds is headed for an MRI after exiting Saturday’s Cactus League game with a quadriceps injury, tweets Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The 31-year-old Reynolds, in camp as a non-roster invitee, logged a career-high 272 plate appearances with Cincinnati in 2022, slashing .246/.320/.332 while appearing at every position other than catcher. Reynolds is competing with fellow non-roster invitees like Chad Pinder, Alejo Lopez and Jason Vosler for a spot on manager David Bell’s bench to begin the 2023 season.

West Notes: Syndergaard, White, Davis

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Noah Syndergaard signed a one-year, $13MM free agent deal with the Dodgers this winter, and the right-hander tells the New York Post’s Jon Heyman that “there might have been more money on the table with another team.”  But, Los Angeles held particular appeal for Syndergaard, as “I wanted to give myself the best chance to get back to the World Series and win it all.  And I wanted the best coaching and direction that the sport has to offer and I’m fully convinced that that is with the Dodgers.”  There is certainly a solid track record of pitchers being revived after joining the Dodgers, and Syndergaard might have a lot in particular to offer, given his past ace status and the fact that he is now fully healthy.

Tommy John surgery and some related setbacks cost Syndergaard all but two innings of the 2020-21 seasons.  While he had a 3.94 ERA over 134 2/3 combined innings with the Angels and Phillies last year, Syndergaard still felt the “Tommy John hangover,” saying that “I didn’t throw a pitch where it didn’t feel like I was pitching in a straightjacket….It’s hard to get hitters out when you’re thinking about what your body is doing in mid-delivery.”  It remains to seen if Syndergaard can ever fully return to his All-Star form, but even solid numbers and a clean bill of health would put him in nice position for a richer, multi-year contract in free agency next winter.

More from the NL and AL West…

  • Formerly one of baseball’s top prospects, Evan White played only 30 MLB games in 2021 and none in 2022 due to hip surgery, a sports hernia surgery, and related other setbacks and injuries.  White is feeling much better now, however, as the Mariners first baseman told Larry Stone of the Seattle Times that he received offseason treatment for “a muscle in my pelvic floor that was the biggest issue….You can give me all the stabilization exercises you want, but if I can’t do it from the very inner parts of me, it’s tough to do.  I’ve had injuries on that side since I was probably 14 years old.  I had to make sure everything was firing, firing the right patterns.”  Manager Scott Servais said the current plan is to keep White in his regular first base spot this spring until both White and the Mariners are fully sure of his health, and then perhaps White might get some looks as a corner outfielder, as a way of finding a lineup spot since Ty France now has first base locked down.
  • David Villar’s emergence as the Giants’ planned regular third baseman has left J.D. Davis in something of a crunch for playing time, as The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser notes that Davis might only see most of his action when a left-handed pitcher is on the mound, with Davis and Wilmer Flores stepping in for Joc Pederson and LaMonte Wade Jr. at DH and first base, respectively.  Of course, injuries, under-performance, or the Giants’ penchant for platoon advantages could boost Davis’ time on the field, but on paper, Davis again looks to be a part-time player after filling a similar role over a good chunk of his time with the Mets.  Even after an underwhelming start last season, Davis finished 2022 hitting .240/.340/.418 over 365 plate appearances (119 wRC+) with New York and San Francisco, boosted largely by a hot streak after the Giants acquired him at the trade deadline.

Read The Transcript Of Our Chat Hosted By Former MLB Catcher And Pro Scout Brian Johnson

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Brian Johnson was a 16th-round pick by the Yankees in 1989 out of Stanford University, where he’d been the football team’s quarterback and a jack-of-all-trades on a baseball club that won a pair of College World Series titles. Ironically, one of the only positions Johnson didn’t play in college was catcher, which wound up being his primary position over the course of an eight-year Major League career.

Johnson spent parts of three seasons in the Yankees’ system but wound up debuting with the Padres in the strike-shortened 1994 season, batting .247/.283/.409 and connecting on the first three of his 49 big league home runs. Johnson spent three seasons in San Diego, batting .260/.288/.392 along the way, before being traded to the Tigers in a trade that shipped left-hander Joey Eischen back to the Padres.

While his run in Detroit proved brief — 45 games before being flipped to the Giants in a one-for-one swap for fellow catcher Marcus Jensen — Johnson found himself with the Giants and closed out the year with his most productive stretch as a big leaguer. Following the trade, he raked at a .279/.333/.525 clip, swatting 11 home runs in 201 trips to the plate. He spent a second year with the Giants, hitting .237/.310/.396 in 99 games, before bouncing through one-year stints with the Reds, Royals and Dodgers.

All told, Johnson’s career drew to a close with a .248/.291/.403 batting line, 49 home runs, 60 doubles, six triples, 132 runs scored, 196 RBIs, a stolen base and a 29% caught-stealing rate behind the plate. He was part of a pair of NL West division winners: the ’96 Padres and ’97 Giants. Some of the pitchers he homered against include Al Leiter, Rick Reed (twice), Mark Portugal, Mike Remlinger and, in 2000, a rookie left-hander by the name of Johan Santana. On Sept. 18, 1997, Johnson’s clubbed a 12th-inning, walkoff homer that put the Giants into a tie for the NL West lead and is still fondly remembered by Giants faithful as “the Brian Johnson game” (YouTube link).

Following his playing days, Johnson returned to the Giants organization, where he spent 10 seasons in their pro scouting department. That included all three of San Francisco’s World Series victories in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

These days, Brian is a diversity consultant with the Chicago-based Kaleidoscope Group. We were thrilled to have him answer reader questions about his experiences on the field, in the clubhouse and as a big league scout for a trio of World Series winners. Brian graciously took two hours of his time to talk with fans, sharing memories of teaming with legends like Trevor Hoffman and Tony Gwynn, insight on what pro scouts look for when recommending trades, thoughts on the changes in the current game and his experiences and opinions on playing at the height of the steroid era. Click here to read a transcript of today’s chat!

NL Notes: Marte, Stephenson, Dodgers, Taillon

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Starling Marte underwent core surgery in November, and the outfielder talked with reporters (including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) today about the somewhat unexpected nature of that procedure.  Marte ended up requiring surgery on both sides of his groin, providing an unwelcome answer to he’d been bothered by leg and lower-body problems for a big portion of the 2022 season.  Marte played through quad and groin soreness but didn’t go on the injured list until he suffered a fractured finger in September, sidelining him until the playoffs.

Despite all the injuries, Marte’s first Mets season was a success, as he hit .292/.347/.468 with 16 homers over 505 plate appearances.  Both Marte and manager Buck Showalter indicated that the veteran outfielder will be ramped up somewhat slowly in the early days of Spring Training, yet Marte is expected to be ready to roll for the Opening Day lineup.

More from around the National League…

  • Pirates reliever Robert Stephenson is suffering from some right arm discomfort, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey tweets.  It seems to be a precautionary slowdown at this point, and Stephenson threw as recently as Saturday.  Heading into his first full season with the Pirates, Stephenson had a 3.38 ERA and a whopping 36% strikeout rate over 13 1/3 innings after the Bucs claimed him off waivers from the Rockies in late August.  Assuming that this arm issue isn’t overly serious, Stephenson is an interesting high-leverage bullpen arm for Pittsburgh, given that he posted good results in 2019 (with Cincinnati) and 2021 (with Colorado).
  • Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya and other reporters that J.D. Martinez will be the club’s designated hitter “99.9 percent of the time,” though Martinez isn’t necessarily expected to play all 162 games.  This plan differs from the Dodgers’ rotational use of the DH spot last season, and in particular, Will Smith will be slated for more full rest days with Martinez on board, as Los Angeles often used Smith at DH on days when he wasn’t catching.  As productive a bat as Smith has been, he might be even better with a bit more rest, and ideally Martinez’s offense would further enhance the Dodgers’ lineup punch.
  • Jameson Taillon is on a new team and he is now learning a new pitch, as the Cubs right-hander has started to work on a sweeping slider.  As Taillon tells The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma, he was one of the relatively few Yankees pitchers who didn’t use the “whirly,” as his 2020-21 offseason was spent recovering from Tommy John surgery and adjusting after being traded from the Pirates, and Taillon’s 2021-22 offseason work was hampered by the lockout and recovery from ankle surgery.  “This year, healthy offseason, I signed on the earlier end, got familiar with the pitching coaches and I’m comfortable with my delivery.  So I feel like it’s the perfect storm for being able to tinker a little bit,” Taillon said.  The righty inked a four-year, $68MM free agent deal with Chicago in early December.

Dodgers Hire Tyson Ross For Special Assistant Role

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The Dodgers have hired Tyson Ross for a special assistant position, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports (Twitter link).  Ross will be involved in the team’s player development and player performance departments.  The hiring seemingly indicates that Ross has ended his playing career after 10 Major League seasons.

A second-round pick for the Athletics in 2008, Ross began his career with three seasons for his hometown team before he was traded to the Padres during the 2012-13 offseason.  The right-hander reached another level with his new club, posting strong numbers as a member of San Diego’s rotation and receiving an All-Star nod in 2014.

Unfortunately for Ross, injuries limited his effectiveness after this promising run.  He pitched in only a single game in 2016 due to shoulder problems and eventually a surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.  After two injury-marred seasons, it seemed like Ross was regaining some of his old effectiveness during a solid 2018 year with the Padres and Cardinals, but after signing with the Tigers in December 2018, his time in Detroit was limited to only seven starts due to elbow problems.

Ross’ five innings of work in the Tigers’ 6-0 loss to the Twins on May 10, 2019 ended up being his final Major League appearance.  He signed a minor league deal with the Giants prior to the 2020 season but he chose to opt out of the pandemic-shortened season, and another minors deal with the Rangers in the 2020-21 offseason didn’t lead to any game time even in the minors before he was released that May.

Ross turns 36 in April, and he is hanging up his cleats after 203 MLB games (142 of them starts) and 904 2/3 innings.  During his time with the A’s, Padres, Rangers, Cardinals, and Tigers, Ross had a 4.04 ERA, relying on a grounder-heavy arsenal rather than blow-away strikeout numbers.  Ross had a 53.5% grounder rate to go along with a 21.2% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate.

As he embarks on this new role with the Dodgers, Ross now finds himself opposite his younger brother Joe on both sides of the heated Los Angeles/San Francisco rivalry.  Joe (who is recovering from Tommy John surgery) signed a minors deal with the Giants last month.

We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Tyson on a fine career, and we wish him the best as he moves into his post-playing endeavors in the game.

Dodgers Sign Alex Reyes

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Feb. 16: The Associated Press has the details on the contract. Reyes can earn an extra $1MM in 2023, getting $250K for reaching 15, 20, 25 and 30 relief appearances. His relief appearances this year would also have an impact on his 2024 option, with a $300K bump for 15 and 20 and another $400K for 25.

If the option is triggered for 2024, he can earn $500K bonuses for spending 60 and 120 days on the active roster. He can also earn an extra $3MM in performance bonuses that year: $250K each for 50, 55, 60 and 65 relief appearances, $250K apiece for 30, 35, 40 and 45 games finished, and $500K each for 50 and 55 games finished.

Feb. 11: The Dodgers have an agreement in place with right-hander Alex Reyes, pending a physical, according to Juan Toribio of MLB.com. The deal will pay Reyes $1.1MM in 2023, and comes with a $3MM club option for 2024. The deal comes with a number of incentives which take the value up to $10MM. Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports Reyes can add an additional $2MM in incentives in 2023, and a further $8MM in incentives in 2024.

Reyes, 28, has had an injury-plagued career but has tremendous upside and was an All Star in 2021 with the Cardinals. He is still recovering from shoulder surgery which will likely keep him out for part of the upcoming season, but as Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic notes, he is on track to pitch in the big leagues before the All Star break.

Originally signed by the Cardinals back in 2012, Reyes was one of the best prospects in the sport coming up through the minor leagues, regularly featuring towards the top of various top-100 prospect lists. He debuted in 2016, flashing signs of his immense promise in a 46 inning stint for the Cards that year, working to a 1.57 ERA. That tantalizing sample of work came with a 27.5% strikeout rate and 12.2% walk rate, but would be the bulk of Reyes’ work for the next few years.

He’d undergo Tommy John surgery that off-season, missing the entire 2017 campaign. His recovery from elbow surgery and a lat strain would restrict him to just one start in 2018, while he struggled to regain form in the minors in 2019 and was restricted to just three innings of work that year.

St Louis shuttled him off and on the active roster through the abbreviated 2020 season, but there were signs that Reyes – now a full-time – reliever was regaining his stuff. That year, he worked to a 3.20 ERA over 19 1/3 innings, with a well above-average 31.4% strikeout rate. He looked to be well and truly back to his best to begin 2021, working to an elite 1.52 ERA over the first half as the Cardinals’ closer, earning a trip to the All Star game as a result. The second half was another story though, as Reyes was tagged for a 5.52 ERA. All told, he wound up with a 3.24 ERA over 72 1/3 innings.

Reyes wouldn’t pitch again for the Cardinals, as he underwent shoulder surgery that ended his 2022 season before it began, and the Cardinals subsequently non-tendered him at the end of the year. There’s not been any recent updates on Reyes’ recovery, although Derrick Goold of the St Louis Post-Dispatch wrote in November that he was targeting a return in May this year.

Reyes was always one of the more intriguing names on the free agent market this winter, given the combination of his lengthy injury history and tantalizing upside. A $1.1MM deal does appear to represent a solid bet on that upside for the Dodgers, and while those incentives could raise the value of the contract, the club option for 2024 could turn out to be a bargain if Reyes can rediscover the form that took him to the Midsummer Classic in 2021.

The Dodgers have a track record of getting the best out of their pitchers, and they’ll certainly be hoping they can do the same with Reyes.  It’ll be interesting to see what his stuff looks like coming back from shoulder surgery, but he flashed a 97mph fastball and an 87mph slider back in 2021 which helped him post strikeout rates north of 30%.

As far as payroll goes, this is a modest addition but ticks the Dodgers number for 2023 up to around $227MM according to RosterResource. That’ll be a ~$244MM figure for luxury tax, which lands them roughly in the middle of the first and second tiers of luxury tax. There had been some speculation that the Dodgers might look to dip under the first luxury tax threshold to reset their penalties this year, but they’ll now need to shed around $11MM of luxury tax payroll to do that.

Dodgers Sign David Peralta

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Feb. 16: Peralta’s incentives are based on days on the active roster, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Peralta will get $500K for 90, 120 and 150 days on the active roster.

Feb. 10: The Dodgers are adding one of the top remaining free agent outfielders, agreeing to terms with David Peralta on a one-year deal. The contract, which is pending a physical, reportedly guarantees the ACES client $6.5MM and could max out at $8MM if Peralta reaches all his incentives.

Peralta heads back to the NL West, where he spent the first eight and a half years of his big league career with the Diamondbacks. The left-handed hitter broke out with a .312/.371/.522 showing in 2015 to secure the primary left field job in the desert. He’d only once recapture quite that level when he hit 30 homers in 2018 but typically posted slightly above-average offensive numbers while playing quality defense.

Things have been fairly consistent over the past four seasons, with the Venezuela native putting up offensive numbers within the realm of league average. Going back to the start of the 2019 season, he’s a .266/.329/.425 hitter in over 1600 plate appearances. That production checks in two percentage points above league average, as measured by wRC+. Peralta typically walks around a league average rate, makes a decent amount of contact and has averaged a 13-homer pace per 600 plate appearances over that stretch.

It seemed as if he might take a step forward early in his age-34 campaign. Peralta seemingly made a concerted effort to elevate the ball more, hitting fly balls at a 44.9% clip in his first 87 games after never previously topping a 31% rate in a season. That came with a slight uptick in strikeouts but also a notable jump in power, as he hit 12 homers with a solid .248/.316/.460 line through 310 trips to the dish. With the Diamondbacks out of contention and wanting to get a look at a number of promising controllable outfield options, they dealt Peralta to the Rays a little before the summer deadline.

Peralta’s newfound power didn’t translate to his time in Tampa Bay. He didn’t connect on a single homer in 47 contests for the Rays, stumbling to a .255/.317/.335 line over 180 plate appearances. His fly-ball percentage dropped ten points, and while his 34.7% rate as a Ray would’ve still represented a career high before last season, it was much more in line with his previous marks. Between the two clubs, the veteran combined for a .251/.316/.415 line over 490 trips.

It’s possible back discomfort played a role in Peralta’s late-season drop in production. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times recently reported he underwent an offseason surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. There’s no indication that’ll affect his readiness for spring camp and provides some hope he might be able to recapture his first-half form with better health.

Peralta adds an experienced lefty bat to a corner outfield mix that had seemed fairly uncertain aside from Mookie Betts. Chris Taylor had his worst season as a Dodger last year with a strikeout rate exceeding 35%. He’ll surely get an opportunity to bounce back but might be better suited for his typical multi-positional role than everyday work in left field. Center field looks to fall to Trayce Thompson, who had a huge .256/.353/.507 line in a half-season last year but struck out at a 36.5% clip himself.

Highly-regarded prospect James Outman could also secure some playing time after a big season in the upper minors. The 25-year-old only has four games of big league experience so far, however. Veterans Jason Heyward, Bradley Zimmer and Steven Duggar will be in camp as non-roster invitees. Manager Dave Roberts recently indicated on a podcast appearance with ESPN’s Buster Olney that Heyward had a strong chance of making the club, though that’d presumably be in a depth capacity.

Peralta can take some at-bats from Taylor and/or Thompson against right-handed pitching while perhaps giving the club the freedom to start Outman back with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Peralta has long been a reliable option with the platoon advantage and typically plays strong left field defense. Public metrics were mixed on his glovework in 2022 — Defensive Runs Saved estimated he was five runs below average, while Statcast graded him five runs above par — but he should at least offer competent work on that side of the ball.

It’s a fairly modest roll of the dice from a financial perspective. Tacking on Peralta’s salary brings Los Angeles’ projected 2023 payroll around $227MM, as calculated by Roster Resource. The organization’s luxury tax ledger is now up to about $243MM, taking them more than $10MM above the base threshold. The Dodgers are taxed at a 50% rate on any spending between $233MM and $253MM as a team that’s set to pay the tax for a third consecutive season. The total acquisition cost for Peralta is roughly $9.75MM — $6.5MM in salary plus $3.25MM in fees — and brings the Dodgers within $10MM of the second threshold and its associated heightened penalties.

That’s not nothing, though it’s not a huge outlay for a franchise that spent an MLB-most $32.4MM in luxury payments last year. The Dodgers flirted with the possibility of dipping below the threshold this winter, a move that would’ve been mostly about resetting their payor status and dodging repeat penalties if they went back over next offseason. Those hopes mostly evaporated once Trevor Bauer’s suspension was reduced on appeal and his salary came back on the books. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman confirmed last week the club was not looking to avoid the tax as they fight for another division title, and they’ve backed that up by bringing Peralta aboard.

With Peralta headed to L.A., the free agent corner outfield market thins out even further. Jurickson Profar is the clear top player still remaining, while platoon types like Tyler Naquin and Ben Gamel are also unsigned. The Yankees have been linked to left field help, Peralta included, at times this offseason but might be up against their spending limit. The Rangers are still scouring the corner outfield market, while teams like the Braves and White Sox have some question marks but appear likely to roll with their in-house options at this point.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Dodgers and Peralta were in agreement. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported it was a one-year, $6.5MM guarantee that could max out at $8MM.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Dodgers Place Three Pitchers On 60-Day IL, Finalize Three Free Agent Signings

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The Dodgers announced Thursday that they’ve placed right-handers Walker Buehler, Blake Treinen and J.P. Feyereisen on the 60-day injured list. The trio of transactions clears space on the 40-man roster for the previously reported free-agent signings of David Peralta, Alex Reyes and Jimmy Nelson, whose one-year deals have now become official.

None of three IL placements come as a surprise. Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery late in the 2022 season and is expected to miss most, if not all of the upcoming 2023 campaign. Treinen, meanwhile, could miss the entire 2023 season after undergoing surgery to repair the labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder back in November. At the time the surgery was announced, the team provided an estimated recovery period of about 10 months, which would run into early September.

As for Feyereisen, he’s never thrown a pitch for the Dodgers but was acquired in a December trade that sent minor league lefty Jeff Belge to the Rays. The 30-year-old Feyereisen rattled off 24 1/3 shutout innings for Tampa Bay in 2022 and has a 1.48 ERA in 61 innings of relief work with the Rays dating back to 2021. However, he underwent a similar procedure to Treinen (rotator cuff and labrum repair) in early December and is reportedly looking at August as a best-case scenario for his own return.

The Rays entered the offseason with three players on their 40-man roster whom they expected to miss most or all of the 2023 season — righties Shane Baz and Andrew Kittredge are recovering from Tommy John surgery — creating enough inflexibility that they opted to designate Feyereisen for assignment and find a trade partner. It’s a long-term play for the Dodgers, as Feyereisen is controllable via arbitration for another three seasons after the 2023 campaign.

The trio of 60-day IL placements are effectively formalities, but this slate of Dodgers moves is also a good reminder that teams can now create roster space for new additions — be they Major League signings, waiver claims or trade acquisitions — without necessarily having to designate a current player for assignment. MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald recently ran through all 30 teams and looked at each club’s 60-day IL candidates to begin the season.

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