Position Players Recently Electing Free Agency
Since the conclusion of the regular season, a number of players have elected free agency. That right accrues to certain players who are outrighted off of a 40-man roster during or after the season — namely, those that have at least three years of MLB service and/or have previously been outrighted. Such players that accepted outright assignments during the season have the right to elect free agency instead at season’s end, provided they aren’t added back to the 40-man in the meantime.
Here are the position players that have recently taken to the open market, along with their now-former teams (via the International League and PCL transactions pages):
- Jim Adduci, OF, Cubs
- Aaron Altherr, OF, Mets
- Rob Brantly, C, Phillies
- Wilkin Castillo, C, Marlins
- Isaac Galloway, OF, Marlins
- Dustin Garneau, C, Athletics
- Juan Graterol, C, Reds
- Gorkys Hernandez, OF, Red Sox
- Oscar Hernandez, C, Red Sox
- Rafael Lopez, C, Braves
- Deven Marrero, INF, Marlins
- Peter O’Brien, OF, Marlins
- Jace Peterson, IF/OF, Orioles
- Yadiel Rivera, 3B, Marlins
- JB Shuck, OF, Pirates
- Jesus Sucre, C, Orioles
- Blake Swihart, C/OF, Diamondbacks
- Beau Taylor, C, Athletics
- Charlie Tilson, OF, White Sox
- Bobby Wilson, C, Tigers
Marlins Return Rule 5 Pick Julian Fernandez To Rockies
The Miami Marlins have returned right-handed pitcher Julian Fernandez, who was selected in the Rule 5 Draft, to the Colorado Rockies, according to the Rockies’ official Twitter account. The move leaves 36 players on the Marlins’ 40-man roster.
Fernandez was originally selected by the Giants in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft, but was unable to pitch in the following season after suffering an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. In the 2018-2019 offseason, he was claimed off waivers by the Marlins. After suffering a setback in his recovery from surgery, he was again unable to pitch for the entire year.
Since he hasn’t spent any time on a Major League roster in the two years since he was selected in 2017, he will be returned to the Colorado organization.
Fernandez’s career has certainly followed a curious, if unfortunate, path. He’s now accrued two years of Major League service time despite not having thrown a pitch in the big leagues. And with Fernandez returning to Colorado, the Rockies have stumbled into an interesting arm. At 6’6″, Fernandez is a physical specimen who attracted interest for his ability to touch triple digits with his fastball prior to surgery. He’s still just 23 years old, though he’s now lost two critical years of development and hasn’t thrown a pitch above Class-A ball.
In his most recent season, 2017, Fernandez threw 58 quality innings for the Rockies’ Class-A affiliate, striking out 57 batters and notching a 3.26 ERA. His high-octane fastball led many to believe that he had potential as a high-leverage reliever, though of course that potential had to be put on hold. Still, he’ll be an interesting case to monitor moving forward: when he’s at full health, will he retain his electric fastball velocity? Where will the Rockies assign him in his return to action? It’ll be fun to see if he can carve out a role with his new/old organization, which first signed him when he was 16.
Bryan Holaday Elects Free Agency
The Marlins announced Friday that veteran catcher Bryan Holaday cleared waivers and has elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A New Orleans. He’ll be free to sign with any club this winter.
Holaday, 32 next month, has spent the past two seasons in the Marlins organization. The veteran backup took a backseat to young Jorge Alfaro in Miami this season but was productive when he got the call, hitting .278/.344/.435 in 129 plate appearances. That production is demonstrably better than Holaday’s typical output, however, as evidenced by his lifetime .241/.287/.340 line through 735 MLB plate appearances between Detroit, Texas, Boston and Miami.
Defensively, Holaday has been average or better in terms of controlling the running game throughout his MLB career, as his 30 percent caught-stealing rate checks in a bit north of the 28 percent league average over his Major League tenure. He typically draws above-average marks for his pitch-blocking skills but has long been regarded as a slightly below-average framer (positive marks in 357 innings with the Marlins in 2018 notwithstanding). Catching depth is seemingly always in demand throughout the league, so Holaday will have his share of interested teams, though he’ll likely have to settle for a minor league pact and an invite to MLB camp — be it with the Marlins or a new organization.
Reds Claim Josh Smith, Designate Juan Graterol For Assignment
4:45 pm: The Marlins have announced Smith’s claim, with an addendum indicating that Miami has also outrighted catcher Tyler Heineman and righty Hector Noesi to the Triple-A New Orleans roster. This puts Miami’s 40-man roster count at 37.
2:47 pm: The Reds have claimed pitcher Josh Smith off of waivers from the Marlins, according to a tweet from C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic (link). In a corresponding move, Cincinnati has designated catcher Juan Graterol for assignment.
The Marlins had claimed the left-handed Smith off of waivers from the Indians on Sept 14, making his time in the Miami organization exceedingly brief. Occasionally referred to as “Josh D. Smith” in order to avoid confusion, the lefty is a soft-tossing reliever with a largely fastball/slider dependent repertoire. The 30-year-old played in both the Pirates and Red Sox organizations before making his big league debut with Cleveland in 2019; he ultimately made 14 appearances between the Indian and Marlin pens, logging a 6.39 ERA (4.32 FIP) in a small sample of 12.2 innings. Amir Garrett is the only lefty on-hand in the Cincinnati bullpen, so Smith could be a relatively no-cost flier for a club looking to broaden its mix-and-match capabilities.
The 30-year-old Graterol first came up to the bigs with the Angels in 2016, but he’s never really been given an extended look in the majors. Across parts of three seasons, he’s received just 129 plate appearances at the game’s highest level, logging a meek .218/.227/.266 line with zero home runs. He spent most of 2019 at Triple-A in the Reds organization, logging a .249/.301/.325 slash through 226 plate appearances.
Quick Hits: Nix, JBJ, Alfaro
Padres minor league piitchers Jacob Nix and Tom Cosgrove were arrested on criminal trespassing charges Sunday in Peoria, Ariz., after Nix allegedly entered a home through a dog door, per Jessica Suerth of 12 News. The homeowner caught Nix trying to break in at 3:30 a.m. and kicked him in the face, at which point Cosgrove reached into the dog door in an attempt to get Nix out. The homeowner then hit Nix in the torso with a Taser as he and Cosgrove tried to flee the premises. The police found Nix and Cosgrove at a different home about 10 minutes away and took them into custody. Nix was ordered to post a $100 bond and appear in court Oct. 14, while Cosgrove was ordered to post a $50 bond. Cosgrove appeared in court on Tuesday. This bizarre story looks like the biggest professional setback yet for the 23-year-old Nix, a promising prospect who missed most of 2019 with damage in his right ulnar collateral ligament. Nix, who joined the Padres as a third-round pick in 2015, ranks as their 28th-best farmhand at MLB.com.
Now for some more conventional items from around the league…
- With the Red Sox set to embark on a payroll-cutting campaign this offseason, center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. could wind up on the outs, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic observes (subscription link). “You always think about it,” Bradley told McCaffrey in regards to a potential trade, adding, “It’s one of those things you just have to wait and see what happens.” Trade rumors centering on Bradley aren’t anything new, but no other club has convinced Boston to move him yet. However, the soon-to-be 30-year-old’s team control is dwindling – he’ll be a free agent after next season – while his salary is rising. Bradley’s projected to earn $11MM in 2020, and that could be too rich for the Red Sox’s blood in the wake of a modest season for JBJ. He totaled just 1.4 fWAR, his lowest since 2014, while hitting .225/.317/.421 with 21 home runs, eight stolen bases across 567 plate appearances. Although Bradley’s offensive output in 2019 wasn’t much different than the production he posted over the prior two seasons, his defensive numbers fell off, as he notched both a negative DRS (minus-1) and UZR (minus-0.7) for the first time since 2013.
- While Jorge Alfaro will go into next season as the front-runner to start at catcher for the Marlins, they’ll at least “explore” adding depth at the position this winter, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com writes. Alfaro, whom the Marlins acquired from the Phillies as part of last offseason’s J.T. Realmuto blockbuster, batted .262/.312/.425 with 18 homers over 465 plate appearances during his first season in Miami. Those are acceptable offensive numbers from a catcher, though it’s troubling that Alfaro struck out in at least 33 percent of PA for the second year in a row. Defensively, the cannon-armed 26-year-old did throw out 33 percent of would-be base-stealers, but he struggled in the framing and blocking aspects.
Marlins Retain Stottlemyre, Hillman; Gonzalez To Explore Other Opportunities
11:10am: While Gonzalez is set to explore other opportunities, the Marlins have agreed to 2020 contracts with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. and first base/infield coach Trey Hillman, per SiriusXM’s Craig Mish (Twitter links).
11:05am: Third base coach Fredi Gonzalez has informed the Marlins that he has decided to “explore other options,” MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports (via Twitter). The former Marlins/Braves skipper doesn’t have anything lined up at the moment, Frisaro adds, but rather appears ready for a change of scenery after three seasons in his current role. Gonzalez’s departure creates yet another vacancy on the Marlins’ staff; bench coach Tim Wallach also departed of his own volition, and it was reported earlier this month that neither catching coach Brian Schneider nor bullpen coach Dean Treanor will be back next season.
The 55-year-old Gonzalez should have no shortage of opportunities given his experience. In addition to four years managing the Marlins (2007-10) and six years managing the Braves (2011-16), Gonzalez has served as a minor league manager and spent a decade as a Major League third base coach between the Braves and multiple stints in Miami. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Gonzalez, a Cuban-born and bilingual dugout veteran, emerge as a candidate in other managerial or coaching searches at a time of near-record turnover around the league. And with nearly 40 years of experience in pro ball dating back to his days as a minor league catcher in the 1980s, he could land in a variety of roles if he’s up for a new challenge.
In 10 seasons as a Major League manager, Gonzalez compiled a 710-692 record. He was at the helm of a 2012 Braves club that won 94 games and secured a Wild Card berth as well as a 2013 Braves team that won 96 games and captured the NL East title, although neither club advanced beyond its first round of play.
NL Notes: Keuchel, Cards, Mets, Reds, Wood, Fish, DJ
Dallas Keuchel and the Braves are squaring off against the Cardinals in a memorable NLDS, but the left-hander recently told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he’s surprised the Redbirds didn’t make a bigger effort to sign him when he was a free agent from November to June. “Honestly, I was fully expecting an offer from them,” said Keuchel. “Just never really came about.” Keuchel, whom the Braves signed to a one-year, $13MM deal after a protracted standoff between him and the entire league, added that he viewed St. Louis as “a good destination,” which could be notable with the soon-to-be 32-year-old set to hit free agency again in the coming weeks. Meantime, his club will try to eliminate the Cardinals in a do-or-die Game 5 on Wednesday.
- The manager-needy Mets may have a couple in-house candidates for the job in quality control/outfield coach Miguel Rojas and Single-A manager Edgardo Alfonzo, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. The 38-year-old Rojas, who’s the son of longtime MLB outfielder/first baseman/manager Felipe Alou and the brother of former outfielder Moises Alou, has been a member of the Mets organization for 14 seasons (including eight as a minor league skipper). Now 45, Alfonzo’s best known for a highly productive run as a second/third baseman for the Mets from 1995-2002. Having coached in the organization since 2014, Alfonzo’s hoping New York considers him to replace the fired Mickey Callaway, Puma reports.
- If the Reds are going to re-sign pending free-agent left-hander Alex Wood, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com estimates it would happen by way of a minor league contract. Considering Wood’s past success and relative youth (29 in January), getting him to accept a non-guaranteed deal may be unrealistic. Regardless, it’s inarguable Wood is coming off a contract year to forget. Acquired from the Dodgers last winter, Wood made only seven starts and threw just 35 2/3 for the Reds this year as he battled nagging back issues. Wood managed an ugly 5.80 ERA/6.38 FIP with 7.57 K/9, 2.27 BB/9 and a 38.2 percent groundball rate when he was healthy enough to take the ball for Cincy.
- It’s already known the Marlins had interest in DJ LeMahieu last winter, but Joe Frisaro of MLB.com writes the Fish “made a strong push to sign” the second baseman in free agency. The former Cub and Rockie ultimately accepted a two-year, $24MM contract from the Yankees, with whom he has enjoyed a career season. The low-budget Marlins, meanwhile, ended up guaranteeing a mere $4.5MM to players in free agency, inking infielder Neil Walker (who served as a lesser version of LeMahieu for the club) and reliever Sergio Romo to one-year contracts.
Marlins Will Make At Least Two Additional Coaching Changes
The Marlins have decided to retain manager Don Mattingly, but will make several changes to his coaching staff. Catching coach Brian Schneider and bullpen coach Dean Treanor will both depart, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (via Twitter).
At this point, it’s not entirely clear whether any other changes will be made. The organization is still making its final calls on the remainder of the coaching staff, per Frisaro, with “several … expected back.” Bench coach Tim Wallach had already decided to leave of his own volition.
Schneider, a former big league receiver, has been in his role since the start of the 2016 season. The 42-year-old’s only other non-playing experience came as a minor-league manager in the Miami organization.
As for Treanor, he has a long history of working as a minor-league pitching coach and Triple-A manager. He had served as the bullpen coach for three seasons under Mattingly.
NL East Notes: Brinson, Phillies, Mets
Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson has faced steep expectations after he was acquired as the centerpiece of the trade that sent Christian Yelich to Milwaukee. But after back-to-back disappointing seasons in Miami, the 25-year-old may be running out of chances, writes Wells Dusenbury of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. While manager Don Mattingly has been at times willing to sacrifice winning in exchange for player development, he hopes to turn the corner and begin the transition out of mediocrity in year three of the complete rebuild. For Brinson, that means he will have to capitalize on his opportunities and start to translate his undeniable tools into on-field production. In particular, he’ll need to cut down on the strikeouts and improve his walk rate; it bears mentioning that he’s begun to show some progress in that department in September. However, the overall batting line still leaves much to be desired, including a complete power outage: Brinson hasn’t homered once in 2019 after tallying 11 just a year ago. After more than 650 plate appearances with the Marlins, next season may be his last chance to actualize the potential that made him a highly-touted prospect.
More from around the NL East…
- A pair of Phillies infielders may have played their final game in the City of Brotherly Love, cutting the final tie between today’s Phillies and the powerhouse teams of the late-2000s, writes Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic. With Maikel Franco and Cesar Hernandez eligible for arbitration, both are strong candidates to be non-tendered: It would cost a considerable price to keep Hernandez around when Scott Kingery exists as a cheaper, more productive option; likewise, Franco has been streaky and is likely not viewed as a long-term solution for the club. However, they remain as the only links to the days of Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Ryan Howard, bridging the team through the doldrums of 2014-2015 and into a new era of Bryce Harper-led Philly baseball.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post offers a look towards the Mets’ offseason, advocating for an uptick in payroll as the team seeks to vault itself into contention in the hyper-competitive NL East. With franchise cornerstones like Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil playing under affordable pre-arbitration contracts, now might be the time to hike up the spending elsewhere to capitalize on existing young talent. The Mets will have to navigate the impending free agency of Zack Wheeler, who could be retained in order to preserve the rotation depth, as well as make decisions on Edwin Diaz and Noah Syndergaard. Sherman proposes a two-year payroll allocation, which would allow general manager Brodie Van Wagenen to, say, go all-in on 2020 under the promise that expenditures will drop the following season, when David Wright and Yoenis Cespedes come off the books.
Tim Wallach Will Not Return As Marlins Bench Coach
Veteran coach and long-time big leaguer Tim Wallach will step away from the Marlins at the end of the season, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter links). Wallach has served as the bench coach in Miami since the 2016 season.
Though the Marlins decided to retain skipper Don Mattingly, they’ll be on the look for a new second in command in the dugout. The split is entirely amicable, it seems. Per Heyman, Wallach would simply like to live nearer to his extended family.
Wallach is said to be willing to continue his coaching career elsewhere if it puts him closer to his native California. He had spent his prior coaching career with the Dodgers organization.