Minor MLB Transactions: 2/17/17
Plenty of players are still looking for opportunities as Spring Training gets underway in earnest. Among them is former White Sox lefty Scott Snodgress, who worked out for teams this week and will likely choose his landing spot tomorrow, per MLBTR’s Zach Links (via Twitter). Snodgress played indy ball last year after a rough 2015 season in the upper minors with the Angels.
Here are the latest minor moves from around the game, featuring a host of other southpaws:
- The White Sox have added lefty Tyler Matzek on a minors pact, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). A 2009 first-rounder, Matzek worked through control problems and showed promise upon reaching the majors in 2014 with the Rockies. But his struggles with the strike zone returned with renewed vigor the next year, and Matzek was ultimately diagnosed with anxiety. Though he was able to make 33 minor-league appearances in 2016, he was outrighted off of Colorado’s 40-man and ended up issuing as many walks as strikeouts (11.1 per nine) on the year.
- Former first-round pick Chris Reed has decided to retire from the Marlins, Eddy tweets. Just 26 years of age, Reed worked to a 3.65 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 81 1/3 innings in the upper minors last year. That represented progress after he struggled badly with control in 2015, but it seems that Reed will move on to other pursuits. The Dodgers, who originally took him 16th overall in 2011, will still get something out of their investment, though, as the trade that sent Reed to Miami netted southpaw Grant Dayton.
- Outfielder Slade Heathcott has landed with the Giants on a minor-league deal that includes a camp invite, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The 26-year-old, who was taken after Reed in the first round in 2009, has long been viewed as a talented player but hasn’t yet earned a full MLB opportunity. He showed well in his lone stint in the bigs, in 2015, but hit only .254/.359/.380 in his 247 Triple-A plate appearances last year.
- Lefty Hung-Chih Kuo is attempting a comeback with the Padres, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County-Register reports on Twitter that he has struck a minor-league deal with San Diego. Now 35 years of age, the Taiwanese native provided the division-rival Dodgers with 292 1/3 innings of 3.73 ERA ball over 2005 through 2011. Kuo has been pitching in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League for the past two campaigns.
Potential Loria Ambassadorship Could Compromise Marlins Sale Negotiations
Last week, Mike Ozanian of Forbes reported that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria had a “handshake agreement” in place to sell the team to a New York-based real estate developer, which was later reported (by Steven Wine of the Associated Press) to be Joshua Kushner — the brother of Jared Kushner, who serves as a senior advisor to his father-in-law, president Donald Trump.
In a new and fairly astonishing wrinkle to the story, Daniel Halper of the New York Post reports that White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus pushed for and received sign-off to name Loria the United States ambassador to France. The decisions were made without the approval of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, sources tell Halper, despite the fact that Tillerson was promised a say in the appointment of ambassadors.
In response to this story, the the Kushner group issued a statement to the press suggesting that it will not pursue the purchase of the Marlins if Loria is indeed a nominee or appointee to that post. Via Maggie Haberman of the New York Times (on Twitter):
“Our family has been friends with Jeff Loria for over 30 years, been in business together, and even owned an AAA baseball team together. Although the Kushners have made substantial progress in discussions for us to purchase the Marlins, recent reports suggest that Mr. Loria will soon be nominated by the President to be Ambassador to France. If that is true, we do not want this unrelated transaction to complicate that process and will not pursue it. The Kushners remain interested in purchasing a team and would love to buy the Marlins at another time.”
The potential appointment of Loria is just the latest complication in the potential sale. The initial report of the agreement noted that the Kushner group does not currently have enough liquid assets to meet the $1.6 billion price point that the two sides have reportedly agreed upon. Beyond that, Charles Kushner — Joshua’s father — served a two-year prison sentence last decade, which could have proved problematic when the Kushner group sought ownership approval from the office of Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. Furthermore, the commissioner’s office released a statement shortly after the initial wave of reports which indicated that it had “not heard directly or indirectly of any conversation involving Charles Kushner.”
Wine’s report indicated that the deal between Loria and Joshua Kushner was made independently of Charles or Jared Kushner, though certainly one would imagine that the Manfred’s approval process would’ve nonetheless been extensive given the circumstances.
Quick Hits: MacPhail, Biagini, Bumgarner, Bour
Phillies president Andy MacPhail shared his thoughts on the status of the organization’s rebuild with MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. Expressing his agreement with the offseason maneuverings of GM Matt Klentak, MacPhail emphasized that he’s expecting tangible progress, but won’t necessarily reduce his assessment to the team’s win-loss record. Notably, MacPhail suggested that the organization could be readying to further open its substantial pocketbook next winter. The organization’s fairly significant investment in short-term veterans this winter was driven by ownership’s determination to improve the on-field product, he indicated, and it seems that yet further spending is contemplated for the future. MacPhail acknowledged that the Phillies could “absolutely” boost their payroll into the top half or third of the league by the 2018 season.
Here are a few more notes from around the league:
- The Blue Jays intend to stretch out righty Joe Biagini as a starter this spring, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca writes. A surprisingly productive Rule 5 reliever last year, the 26-year-old could even end up starting out in the Triple-A rotation when camp breaks — though GM Ross Atkins says that’s hardly a certainty. Biagini’s status may impact the composition of the bullpen, which Davidi examines further. Mike Bolsinger and Bo Schultz are two out-of-options arms who’ll be batting for the final slots with a variety of other pitchers, he notes.
- A new deal for star Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner may need to wait until at least next year, owing to luxury tax considerations, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes. But the already fabled, still youthful southpaw says he’s not unhappy with the lack of contract movement as camp opens. As Baggarly notes, the team has suggested that it is ready to discuss a second extension whenever Bumgarner likes, but striking accord now would drive up the team’s tax bill because future years would be averaged in determining his CBA hit.
- Marlins manager Don Mattingly says that Justin Bour will be a regular at first base, as Tim Healey of the Sun-Sentinel reports. Though Bour’s limited trips to the plate against left-handed pitching thus far haven’t been very promising, the organization seems intent on giving him a chance to show he can be more than a platoon player. “This is a guy who has an opportunity,” said Mattingly. “We think he’s getting better.”
Marlins Notes: Francoeur, Johnson, Lineup, Padres
The latest from the Marlins, as per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald…
- The Marlins only have interest in bringing back Jeff Francoeur or Chris Johnson if there’s an injury on the current roster. The two veterans haven’t generated much buzz this offseason, as Johnson has only been linked to the Marlins while Francoeur has at least received some interest from both Miami and Atlanta. It seems like the Marlins will go into Spring Training and possibly the season itself with just a four-man bench, something president of baseball operations Michael Hill calls “a calculated risk on our part. We’re comfortable with where we sit right now.” That said, Hill told Jackson and other reporters that the door wasn’t totally closed on another addition: “There are still players out there and that’s not to say we still may not do something before Opening Day.”
- Though signing another hitter “was definitely discussed,” Hill believes his club already has the personnel to deliver a big improvement at the plate. Hill cited the hiring of new hitting coach Mike Pagliarulo as one reason for this belief, not to mention full seasons from Giancarlo Stanton, Justin Bour and Dee Gordon. “This organization has supreme confidence in our core position players. You go position by position, and you have talent and players that are championship caliber players. Ultimately, that’s why we chose to focus on our pitching,” Hill said.
- Last week, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal wrote about the impact that the controversial and partially-reversed Marlins/Padres trade had on both clubs and on the NL East as a whole, as Miami would’ve instead acquired Jeremy Hellickson from the Phillies. Rosenthal reported that while MLB offered the Marlins the chance to reverse the entire trade, Miami chose to just take a partial rescind (re-acquiring Luis Castillo and sending Colin Rea back to San Diego) since the Fish believed the league “preferred” that the two sides work out a solution between themselves. Jackson adds a different twist, reporting that the league “told” the Marlins to make a new arrangement with the Padres rather than cancel the original trade entirely, which was the solution Miami wanted.
East Notes: Marlins, Red Sox, Yankees
Unsurprisingly, Marlins president David Samson didn’t reveal much Saturday when asked about the rumored “handshake agreement” owner Jeffrey Loria has to sell the franchise to Joshua Kushner. “There’s obviously a lot of buzz, there’s rumors, there’s all sorts of stuff that happens all the time,” he told Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Are these rumors different than other rumors? Time will always tell what happens.” Samson, who added that Loria “loves being [in Miami],” also informed Joe Frisaro of MLB.com that the franchise is focusing on selling Marlins Park’s naming rights and amending its TV deal prior to 2018. On naming rights, Samson said: “There’s still three companies, and we cannot figure out which direction we’re going to go in. I still want to get it done before the All-Star Game. It’s such a long-term decision. I don’t want to make the wrong one.” The Marlins’ TV contract with FOX Sports Florida runs through 2020, but Samson noted that both parties know the “deal is in a place where it’s not commensurate with the revenue that should be coming to the team, given the content that we’re giving. That is no fault of anybody’s but mine.”
Now the latest from the American League East:
- That the Red Sox were able to acquire ace Chris Sale from the White Sox without giving up left fielder Andrew Benintendi could propel them back to the World Series this year, opines Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. Red Sox left-hander David Price called it “amazing” that the team landed Sale while retaining Benintendi, and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski observed that “Andrew is not a player you’re ever looking to trade.” The 22-year-old Benintendi was terrific in his 118-plate appearance major league debut last season (.295/.359/.476) and enters 2017 as an AL Rookie of the Year front-runner. He’s also No. 1 on Baseball America’s just-released Top 100 prospects list – one spot ahead of second baseman/third baseman Yoan Moncada, who headlined Chicago’s return in the Sale trade. Right-hander Michael Kopech, the second-biggest piece the White Sox received, is 32nd.
- The Yankees left a great impression on closer Aroldis Chapman during his stint with them last year, which led him to prioritize re-signing with the club in free agency. Ultimately, he returned to the Bronx on a five-year, $86MM deal – a record-breaking pact for a reliever. “The first moment that I got here in Spring Training, the way that they treated me, the attention that I got,” he told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “The work ethic of this team, the clubhouse, the athletes that they have. Those things, all of them made me feel very comfortable. That for me was the most important thing, and I wanted to come back.” Chapman, who ended last season with the World Series champion Cubs, sees similarities between the way the Yankees are assembling their roster and how Chicago has built its juggernaut of a squad. “Chicago started doing the same thing, bringing young players in the beginning, combined with veterans,” he said. “It worked for them, and it’s a solid team. The Yankees are similar in that way. They’re trying to bring in some youth, athletes that are very gifted.”
East Notes: Top Prospects, Fernandez, Mackanin
Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi is the best prospect in baseball, according to Baseball America’s new top 100 prospects list. Following Benintendi is Yoan Moncada, who would have given the Red Sox the top two prospects in baseball had he not been traded to the White Sox this offseason. In fact, what sticks out about Baseball America’s list and other recent top prospect lists is just how many top talents have been traded lately, including Moncada as well as the players at spots No. 3 (Dansby Swanson), No. 5 (Gleyber Torres), No. 21 (Anderson Espinoza), No. 24 (Manuel Margot) No. 25 (Lucas Giolito), No. 27 (Lewis Brinson) and No. 29 (Jose De Leon). Here’s more from the East divisions.
- The families of Eduardo Rivero and Emilio Jesus Macias, who were killed in a boat wreck along with former Marlins ace Jose Fernandez last September, are suing Fernandez’s estate for $2MM each, Rafael Olmeda of the Sun Sentinel writes. Fernandez’s attorney says a settlement is “highly unlikely,” noting that he expects the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s pending investigation of the wreck to show that Fernandez was not driving the boat when it crashed. He also adds that there are indications Fernandez’s use of cocaine that night was “not voluntary” and that Fernandez might not have known he had the drug in his system.
- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin’s contract runs through 2017 with a team option for 2018, but GM Matt Klentak remains mum on an extension or an exercise of Mackanin’s option, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury writes. “We have time to do that,” says Klentak. “Obviously last year we talked about his status in spring training and I’m sure the time will come when we’ll sit down and talk about it again.” The Phillies signed Mackanin to his current contract last March. Salisbury points out that there’s no danger of Mackanin losing his job at this time after the Phillies improved from 63 to 71 wins in 2016, so Mackanin’s contract now qualifies as a “low-priority item.”
Marlins Reportedly Have “Handshake Agreement” To Sell Team
SATURDAY 8:49am: Charles Kushner’s son Joshua — Jared Kushner’s younger brother — is the person with the preliminary agreement to buy the Marlins, Steven Wine of the AP writes. Charles and Jared Kushner are not believed to be involved with the deal. The team could sell for far less than $1.6 billion after Joshua Kushner does due diligence, according to Wine.
THURSDAY 5:24pm: Kushner is “not involved” in the reported handshake deal, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag, and likely wouldn’t pass muster from the league’s perspective.
4:34pm: The league has issued a short statement on the matter (h/t Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, on Facebook): “Under Major League Baseball rules, the Commissioner’s Office must be informed of any conversations about a potential sale. The Commissioner’s Office has not heard directly or indirectly of any conversation involving Charles Kushner.”
3:55pm: New York real estate executive Charles Kushner is involved with at least one group making a bid for the Marlins, according to the AP and ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell, though it’s not clear how prominent a role he has or whether his party is the one referenced in this morning’s report. Assuming he is a part of the leading bid group, Kushner could complicate matters for the league. Beyond the cash shortfall noted by Ozanian, Kushner has a troubling criminal history, as this Bloomberg story details. And then there’s the fact that his son, Jared, is married into the family of and serves as a senior adviser to president Donald Trump.
10:27am: The Marlins have a “handshake agreement” in place to sell the team to a New York-based real estate developer for the price of $1.6 billion, reports Mike Ozanian of Forbes. Ozanian cites two anonymous sources that claim to have been told by Marlins president David Samson that the deal is in place. The $1.6 billion price tag would be more than 10 times the $158MM price at which owner Jeffrey Loria purchased the team back in 2002.
The hangup in the reported agreement for the time being is that the potential buyer does not have enough liquid assets to make the purchase, as the majority of his net worth is tied up in real estate investments. Allowing this buyer to purchase the team would require more debt than Major League Baseball would be comfortable with, per Ozanian.
As Ozanian points out, the Dodgers’ current ownership group took on an enormous amount of debt when buying the team for $2 billion, but Guggenheim Baseball Management also had hundred of millions of dollars in hedge fund money and a $6 billion television agreement that dwarfs the Marlins’ current contract with Fox Sports Florida.
Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald writes that he reached out to Samson in light of the Forbes report but was met with a reply of, “no comment at all.” There have been reports since December that Loria could consider a sale of the team, with Ozanian reporting at the time that Loria sought a $1.7 billion price tag. In Ozanian’s latest report, he notes that Solamere Capital considered purchasing the club and had been discussing a $1.4 billion price with Loria.
A sale of the Marlins would bring to a close one of the most controversial ownership tenures in recent history. Loria has been widely panned by both fans and the media for an unwillingness to spend on the on-field product, orchestrating multiple fire sales even after winning the World Series in 2003 and opening a new, taxpayer-funded stadium in 2012. As Vocativ’s Joe Lemire points out (on Twitter), if the sale of the team does ultimately go through, Loria will have paid just $15.5MM of the $325MM that is owed to star right fielder Giancarlo Stanton on his exceptionally backloaded 13-year contract.
David Phelps Wins Arbitration Hearing Against Marlins
Right-hander David Phelps has won his arbitration hearing against the Marlins, reports Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link). As shown in MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker, Phelps had filed for a $4.6MM salary against the Marlins’ submission of $4.3MM. Phelps, a client of Arland Sports, will earn the greater of those two sums in 2017.
The 30-year-old Phelps had a breakout season with the Marlins in 2016, emerging as a lights-out setup man for much of the season and making five starts late in the year as well. All told, the former Yankee tossed 86 2/3 innings with a 2.28 ERA, 11.8 K/9, 4.0 BB/9 and a 46.2 percent ground-ball rate. He also racked up 25 holds, which figures to have aided his arbitration case.
Phelps is capable of both starting and relieving, though the Marlins are said to prefer him in a bullpen role this coming season. He’ll team with A.J. Ramos, Kyle Barraclough, Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa at the back of what looks to be a formidable Marlins relief corps.
With Phelps’ salary now settled, the Marlins have resolved all six of their offseason arbitration cases.
NL East Notes: Cashner Trade Fallout, Nats, Familia, d’Arnaud
Last summer’s partially deconstructed swap between the Marlins and Padres had far-reaching implications, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. After learning of issues with Colin Rea‘s health and discovering that San Diego had failed to disclose certain medical information, Miami considered rescinding the entire deal — which the commissioner’s office offered to facilitate. But due to practical considerations and the apparent preferences of the league, the Fish instead worked out a deal to send Rea back to the Pads for prospect Luis Castillo, thus keeping Andrew Cashner in Miami and Josh Naylor (and others) in San Diego. That, in turn, prevented an alternative deal that would’ve sent Naylor to the Phillies for righty Jeremy Hellickson. There was fallout beyond that, as Rosenthal explains, including the fact that Hellickson ultimately received and accepted a qualifying offer from the Phils that he otherwise wouldn’t have been eligible for.
Here are some more NL East-focused notes:
- As presently constructed, the Nationals have a strong core but questionable depth beyond it, Dave Cameron of Fangraphs argues. The problems are compounded by the health questions facing many of the Nats’ best players. Cameron suggests (as we’ve done here, as well) that Washington ought to have considered adding a quality, left-handed bat to share time with Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth. Though that could still come to pass, the most obvious options are now off the market. Meanwhile, the team still arguably ought to bolster its late-inning relief corps and rotation depth.
- The league’s investigation into domestic violence allegations against Mets closer Jeurys Familia is moving slowly, per Bob Klapisch of NorthJersey.com. With the criminal case dropped — in large part, it seems, due to a decision by his wife not to testify — the commissioner’s office is struggling to obtain information. While that won’t necessarily prevent a suspension, it is creating delay. According to Klapisch, it’s likely that the final penalty won’t be known until late in Spring Training.
- The Mets are hopeful that backstop Travis d’Arnaud can restore his career trajectory after a tough 2016 season, David Lennon of Newsday writes. He’s already working with catching instructor Glenn Sherlock to work out the defensive kinks, though d’Arnaud also needs to prove he can stay healthy and productive at the plate.
Quick Hits: Howard, Marlins, Rockies, Rays, Wieters
Ryan Howard tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that a productive second half in 2016 — Howard batted .262/.324/.608 in his last 140 plate appearances — convinced him that he still has “a lot left in the tank.” Howard is working out and waiting in hopes of receiving an offer for the upcoming season, Rosenthal writes. The longtime Phillies cornerstone is open to signing in the American League and serving as a designated hitter, and he’s realistic and understanding of the fact that he isn’t likely to be given an everyday role. Howard is one of many left-handed sluggers on the free-agent market — Brandon Moss, Pedro Alvarez, Adam Lind and Justin Morneau are all also available, for instance — but a strong finish and 24 home runs against right-handed pitching (in 327 plate appearances) could get him a look as a part-time DH or a bench bat in 2017.
Here are a few more late-night notes from around the game…
- The Marlins‘ acquisition of right-hander Severino Gonzalez filled the team’s 40-man roster, making further guaranteed contracts unrealistic, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports. The Marlins could still add some players on minor league deals, but with a full 40-man roster and a payroll that is at its limit (roughly $110MM), additional spending is a long shot. Miami was recently connected to both Chris Carter and Mark Reynolds, but Frisaro calls the chances of signing either “extremely remote.” The Fish do have interest in Jeff Francoeur, but he’d have to be willing to sign a minor league contract in order to return to Miami. That could ultimately happen, but Francoeur does have interest elsewhere, as the Braves are said to be in on him as well.
- Sticking with the Marlins, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears that it was the agents for Carter and Reynolds who reached out to the Marlins recently, and not vice versa. That would certainly make sense, as Miami could look like an appealing landing spot, on paper, for either slugger. Jackson writes that the Marlins are considering a 13-man pitching staff and a four-man bench, making the addition of even a modestly priced right-handed bat like Carter or Reynolds unlikely. There’s still some interest in Francoeur and Chris Johnson, he notes.
- Fangraphs’ David Laurila spoke with Rockies GM Jeff Bridich about a number of topics, interestingly touching on what lessons that Major League front offices can learn from the front offices of teams in other sports. Laurila notes that Bridich is a diehard Green Bay Packers fan, and the two discussed Green Bay’s ability to build through the draft as well as the Atlanta Falcons’ turnaround from a sub-.500 club to a Super Bowl participant. Bridich also spoke about the Rockies’ focus on youth and athleticism as well as their growing analytics department. “We’ve worked in leaps and bounds to do that, but it’s probably unfair to say we’ve brought our analytics process up to par with our scouting process,” said Bridich. “…in terms of the human capital, in terms of the financial capital, and the time spent in the growth of the analytics over the last year, year and a half… it’s real. We’re starting to really see some movement there.”
- Rays general manager Erik Neander tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that newly acquired right-hander Jose De Leon is very close to making a “significant impact” on the team, though Topkin writes that De Leon could open the year in Triple-A. De Leon’s shoulder has been a source of concern for some, but the right-hander denies that there’s any cause for concern and said his arm is healthy. “I’m on a mission,” De Leon tells Topkin. “I was a low draft pick, nobody knew about me, nobody believed in me, so I’m on a mission to fulfill my dreams. Getting to the big leagues is just the beginning.”
- Topkin also notes at the end of that column that the Rays are “possibly” considering free-agent catcher Matt Wieters in their search for a bat. While that may seem like a curious fit at first glance, offseason signee Wilson Ramos will be out early in the season as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn ACL. Even when Ramos is healthy enough to take the field, it’s all but certain that the Rays will want to be cautious at first once he’s activated. Wieters could catch regularly for a good portion of the season and eventually be part of a catcher/DH timeshare with Ramos, in theory.