Marlins To Sign Junichi Tazawa
The Marlins have agreed to a two-year deal with free-agent righty Junichi Tazawa, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). He’ll earn $12MM in the contract, per Rosenthal, with $5MM in the first year and $7MM coming in the second, according to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Updated Marlins Depth Chart]
Tazawa, 30, has long carried strong strikeout-and-walk numbers, with a lifetime 8.9 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9, though he induces grounders on less than two of every five balls put in play against him. From 2012 through 2014, that steady backdrop allowed Tazawa to carry an excellent 2.62 ERA over 175 1/3 innings.
While the K/BB figures remained about the same over the ensuing two seasons, however, Tazawa has fallen off in the results department. Since the start of 2015, he has allowed 4.15 earned runs per nine. The main culprit in 2015, perhaps, was an elevated .349 batting average on balls in play against him. While that fell back to earth (.292) in 2016, Tazawa showed a new susceptibility to the long ball, allowing 1.63 homers per nine.
The Marlins could have a relative bargain on their hands if Tazawa’s earned-run dip is more fluke than fact. He was mostly dinged up last year in a six-appearance stretch in August, but finished strong and otherwise was much the same pitcher as usual. His average fastball velocity in 2016 (92.8 mph) was down slightly against prior years, but not drastically so (he had ranged between 92.2 and 93.9 over the prior four seasons). And Tazawa’s 13.0% swinging-strike rate was the second-best mark of his career.
Having missed on top-dollar closer Kenley Jansen, Miami will instead plug Tazawa — and, potentially, another as-yet-undetermined new acquisition — into the set-up corps. A solid unit is taking shape in front of presumptive closer A.J. Ramos, with Tazawa joining returning righties David Phelps and Kyle Barraclough, each of whom was excellent in 2016.
Of course, that’s not quite the potential super-pen that has been hypothesized as the Fish seemingly moved off of the idea of dealing for a high-quality starter, but there may be more yet to come from president of baseball operations Michael Hill and his staff. Having watched as former southpaw reliever Mike Dunn landed with the Rockies earlier today, it’s possible to imagine the Marlins turning their sights to the remaining market for lefty relievers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor MLB Transactions: 12/14/16
Let’s catch up on the latest minor moves:
- The Padres have agreed to minors deals with non-tendered players Jose Pirela and Hector Sanchez, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports via Twitter. San Diego will also bring in outfielder Rafael Ortega and righty Andre Rienzo on minor-league deals. Of this group, Sanchez has the most major league experience and seems most likely to have a chance to reaching the bigs in San Diego. He has seen time in each of the past six major league campaigns, compiling a .241/.278/.354 batting line across 691 plate appearances. Ortega, though, saw the most time in 2016, posting a .232/.283/.292 slash in 202 plate appearances with the Angels.
- Righty Stephen Fife and first baseman Tyler Moore are the newest additions to the Marlins organization, per Eddy (on Twitter). Fife, 30, saw time in three years for the Dodgers and owns a 3.66 ERA in his 91 major league frames. After missing time for Tommy John surgery, he returned to make ten Triple-A starts in the Cubs organization in 2016, working to a 4.58 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. Moore, meanwhile, spent parts of four years in the majors with the Nationals, but struggled in limited action last year at the Braves’ top affiliate.
- The Astros agreed to terms with 26-year-old southpaw C.J. Riefenhauser, Eddy tweets. He’ll likely end up as a depth piece, as he did last year with the Cubs. Riefenhauser does have twenty major league innings under his belt — all with the Rays, and with a 6.30 ERA — but spent all of 2016 at Triple-A (with Fife), where he posted a 4.71 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9 over 28 2/3 frames.
- The White Sox have added outfielder Caleb Gindl on a minors pact, Eddy further tweets. Despite showing some promise upon reaching the majors in 2013 with the Brewers, Gindl fell off badly in each of the ensuing two seasons. He ended up playing indy ball last year, but showed enough with the Lancaster Barnstormers to return to an affiliated club.
- Outfielder Lane Adams is headed to the Braves on a minors pact, also via Eddy (on Twitter). The 27-year-old has exceedingly brief major league time, but has spent the past several seasons in the upper minors. Last year, with the Yankees and Cubs organizations, Adams put up a .266/.342/.388 batting line and swiped 44 bags to go with ten home runs over 481 plate appearances split between Double-A and Triple-A.
- The Orioles added infielder/outfielder Sean Coyle on a minor-league deal, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports on Twitter. Now 24, Coyle was once seen as solid prospect in the Red Sox’ system. But he struggled badly last year in the upper minors, posting a cumulative .181/.269/.293 batting line over 426 plate appearances. He was claimed in mid-season by the Angels, but ended up being dropped from the team’s 40-man.
- The Phillies outrighted righty Michael Mariot, who was recently designated for assignment.
Marlins To Re-Sign Dustin McGowan
DECEMBER 12: McGowan receives a $1.75MM guarantee, Heyman tweets.
DECEMBER 7, 1:32pm: The Marlins and McGowan are in agreement on a one-year, Major League contract, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
11:58am: The Marlins are close to re-signing right-hander Dustin McGowan, reports MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (via Twitter). It is not clear at this point whether or not the veteran hurler stands to receive a major league deal.
McGowan, 34, turned in a nice year for the Marlins in 2016 after joining the organization as a minor-league free agent. Over 67 frames, he worked to a 2.82 ERA on just 49 hits. McGowan struck out 8.5 and walked 4.4 batters per nine innings.
Once a promising starter, McGowan saw his career derailed by injuries. He has made just 13 starts since he last worked consistently from a rotation back in 2008, and has compiled only 219 total innings since the start of the 2009 season. But the bulk of those have come over the past several years, and McGowan just tied a career-high in average fastball velocity (94.7 mph), so there’s some reason to believe that there’s still some life left in hism
Bullpen Notes: Nationals, Miller, Marlins
Some items on the always-busy relief pitching market…
- The Nationals explored acquiring Andrew Miller at last July’s trade deadline, though balked at the idea of moving Lucas Giolito and other prospects for the ace reliever, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian recently noted (as cited by ESPN.com’s Buster Olney in his latest subscriber-only column). Trading for Miller would’ve solved Washington’s search for a long-term closer, and the Nats ended up moving Giolito anyway at the Winter Meetings to obtain Adam Eaton “in a market saturated with outfield options.” This decision presents an interesting what-if for Nats fans, though the answer could simply come down to the fact that the Nationals no longer valued Giolito as highly. “Their view of Giolito obviously changed completely. Whatever it was, they were working to move him,” an evaluator tells Olney.
- Speaking of Miller, this offseason’s skyrocketing relief prices have made the Indians lefty a bargain for the team, Zack Meisel of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. Miller is owed $9MM in each of the next two seasons, a fraction of what he would earn if he was on the open market this winter.
- Brad Ziegler and Neftali Feliz have been mentioned as potential Marlins backup plans if they can’t sign Kenley Jansen, and MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro also adds Fernando Salas and Junichi Tazawa to the team’s list of possible candidates. Overall, the Fish would be looking to add relievers with closing experience, though A.J. Ramos would likely remain Miami’s closer.
Pitcher News & Rumors: Red Sox, Marlins, Rockies, Mets, Tigers
In addition to showing an unwillingness to take on Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz‘s $13.5MM salary for next season, the Marlins weren’t open to dealing righty prospect Luis Castillo in trade talks, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The Marlins previously traded Castillo to the Padres last July in the Andrew Cashner deal, but San Diego quickly returned the 23-year-old to Miami in exchange for the injured Colin Rea. Castillo, whom MLBpipeline.com ranks as the Marlins’ fifth-best prospect, spent most of last season at the High-A level and logged a 2.07 ERA, 6.96 K/9 and 1.38 BB/9 in 117 2/3 innings.
More pitcher-related news:
- While Colorado native Mark Melancon reportedly would have taken a slight discount to sign with the Rockies, they were never really in contention for the closer before he inked a four-year, $62MM deal with the Giants on Monday, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “They knew that we were interested, but I wouldn’t say we were at the front of the line,” said general manager Jeff Bridich.
- The Mets have given closer Jeurys Familia permission to pitch in the Dominican Winter League with Gigantes del Cibao, per Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. Familia has a scheduled Thursday court hearing, at which his simple assault charge stemming from an Oct. 31 domestic violence arrest will likely be dropped. Even if that happens, commissioner Rob Manfred could still suspend Familia for some portion of next season.
- The Tigers are listening to offers for relievers Justin Wilson and Shane Greene, but the former is the likelier of the two to move because he’s pricier and would bring back more in a trade, according to Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. Shipping out the left-handed Wilson would free up an estimated $2.7MM for Detroit, which acquired him from the Yankees for righties Chad Green and Luis Cessa last winter. In his first year with the Tigers, Wilson recorded a 4.14 ERA, 9.97 K/9, 2.61 BB/9 and 54.6 ground-ball rate in 58 2/3 innings. The right-handed Greene, also an ex-Yankee, will make close to the league minimum in 2017. He ended last season with a 5.82 ERA, 8.8 K/9, 3.28 BB/9 and 47.6 grounder rate across 60 1/3 frames.
Minor MLB Transactions: 12/8/16
Here are the latest minor moves from around the game:
- The Rangers have signed outfielder Cesar Puello to a minors deal, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. The deal includes an invitation to major league Spring Training. Still just 25, and once a well-regarded prospect with the Mets, Puello spent last year at Triple-A with the Yankees. He didn’t flash much power, but reached base at a prodigious .413 clip in his 289 plate appearances.
- Also receiving a non-roster invite is Ramiro Pena, who’ll join the Giants, per Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area (via Twitter). The 31-year-old will remain with San Francisco, which gave him thirty games of action in 2016. Pena actually hit quite well, posting a .299/.330/.425 slash. He has also been productive at Triple-A in each of the last two years. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see the seven-year MLB vet get another look at some point next season.
- Outfielder Matt den Dekker has joined the Marlins on a minor league deal, he announced on Twitter. The 29-year-old, who is a Florida native, has previously played with the Nationals and Mets. While he has received some major league time in each of the last four seasons, den Dekker struggled in 2016. He only received 39 MLB plate appearances, and posted only a .207/.292/.315 slash in his 421 trips to the plate at Triple-A.
- Catcher Johnny Monell is headed to Korea, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets. He’ll join the KBO’s NC Dinos after wrapping up a two-year stint in the Mets organization. Monell never cracked the majors in 2016, but did hit a productive .276/.336/.470 with 19 homers in 461 plate appearances at Triple-A Las Vegas.
East Notes: Chapman, Marlins, Nationals, Eaton, Yankees, Gardner, Mets
Aroldis Chapman agreed to an $86MM guarantee from the Yankees last night, but the Marlins offered him a bigger guarantee of $87MM, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets. The Yankees’ deal contains additional value for Chapman in the form of an opt-out clause after three years, and the terms of the Marlins’ offer might have been different. (FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that the salary distribution in the Yankees’ deal, which includes a large signing bonus, was better, and Chapman also liked the no-trade clause.) Still, last night, Chapman specifically cited a desire to return to the Yankees as a key reason for his decision. Here’s more from the East divisions.
- The conventional wisdom was that the Nationals paid too heavily for Adam Eaton this week, Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post writes. One key to the trade from the Nationals’ perspective, though, is that the organization had changed its mind about Lucas Giolito, with one team official telling Svrluga, “He’s not going to be what I thought he was going to be.” Also, Eaton (who is controllable for the next five years) offered the Nationals a long-term outfield solution that Andrew McCutchen wouldn’t have — McCutchen would have been eligible for free agency after the 2018 season, at the same time as Bryce Harper, and the Nats would have been forced to address two outfield positions at once.
- GM Brian Cashman says the Yankees have completed their biggest moves this offseason, “unless I trade (Brett) Gardner,” as related by MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (on Twitter). Hoch adds that Cashman has rejected trade offers for third baseman Chase Headley. The Yankees, of course, have agreed to terms with Chapman and Matt Holliday to upgrade their bullpen and DH spot. The Yankees have listened to offers for Gardner this week.
- With the Winter Meetings in the books, the Mets will now attempt to trade Jay Bruce or another outfielder, and they’ll try to add relief pitching on short-term deals, ESPN’s Adam Rubin tweets. Earlier this week, the Mets reportedly were interested in a Curtis Granderson / Brad Brach deal with the Orioles that would have addressed both needs, but that trade seems unlikely.
Marlins, Dodgers, Nationals Vying For Kenley Jansen
THURSDAY, 12:39pm: If the Marlins don’t land Jansen, they could turn to another free agent, Neftali Feliz, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (on Twitter). The 28-year-old Feliz is coming off a good year with the Pirates (3.52 ERA, 10.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9) and has closing experience. He should also be considerably cheaper than Jansen.
7:50am: Rival executives don’t expect the Dodgers to match the Marlins’ offer, per Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
7:15am: The Nationals are now “making a push” for Jansen, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (Twitter links). However, the Nats are “uncomfortable” with the financial commitment it would take to land him, tweets Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. The club has previously used deferrals as a way to help sign big-money players like Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, but that’s unlikely to work this time, per Rosenthal.
WEDNESDAY: The Marlins have made an offer of five years and more than $80MM to free agent closer Kenley Jansen, Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan tweets. The Marlins were reportedly the runners-up to acquire Aroldis Chapman, who agreed to a five-year, $86MM deal with the Yankees late tonight. Now, with Chapman off the table, it appears they’re trying to lure Jansen with a similarly huge offer. Barring an unforeseen turn of events, Jansen seems likely to pick the Marlins (where he’d be reunited with former manager Don Mattingly and teammates Dee Gordon and A.J. Ellis) or re-sign with the Dodgers.
Jansen doesn’t have Chapman’s spectacular velocity, but he’s a dominating reliever in his own right — he’s coming off a season in which he posted a 1.83 ERA, 13.6 K/9 and an incredibly low 1.4 BB/9 in 68 2/3 innings with the Dodgers. He’s had a much quieter career than Chapman has, but there’s no arguing his tremendous career numbers, including a 2.20 ERA, 13.9 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.
Still, it’s somewhat surprising to hear that he’s received at least one contract offer similar to Chapman’s deal, which broke the previous record for a relief pitcher contract by $24MM. The recent offers he, Chapman and Mark Melancon have received have been stratospheric, reflecting a trend throughout the industry of increasing salaries for dominant relievers.
It’s also somewhat odd that the Marlins (who won just 79 games last season and recently lost former ace Jose Fernandez under tragic circumstances) are ready to make such an enormous investment in a closer, even a great one. Jansen, who rejected a qualifying offer from the Dodgers, would also cost the Marlins their top 2017 draft pick, No. 13 overall.
Latest On The Red Sox’ Starting Pitchers
The Red Sox had a busy Winter Meetings, trading for Chris Sale and Tyler Thornburg and signing Mitch Moreland. Here are a few notes on the Red Sox, specifically focusing on their rotation, as their front office heads home to Boston.
- With Sale in the fold, the Red Sox have a surplus of starting pitching, leading to a flurry of calls from rival executives. The Red Sox are more interested in trading Clay Buchholz than Drew Pomeranz, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes, noting that according to one source, the Red Sox have shown no interest at all in sending Pomeranz packing. Buchholz could generate some interest due to his strong finish in 2016, although his $13.5MM salary could be an obstacle.
- The Marlins spoke to the Red Sox about Buchholz but balked at his salary, Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller tweets. The Marlins recently acquired Jeff Locke at significantly less to fill out their rotation; they also signed Edinson Volquez earlier this winter.
- Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski says the Sox have received calls about their starting pitchers, likely Pomeranz, Buchholz and Steven Wright, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald writes. Dombrowski adds, however, that he’s in no rush to make a deal. “We had a lot of phone calls on our pitchers today, and different ones,” he says. “But we’re just kind of sitting back at this point and kind of collecting thought processes. I can’t say we’re aggressively looking to doing something.” Mastrodonato notes that if Pomeranz stays, the Red Sox will have four lefties in their rotation, also including Sale, David Price and Eduardo Rodriguez, plus an abundance of lefty depth in Henry Owens, Brian Johnson and Roenis Elias. The Red Sox, though, say they’re not concerned about that. “I have no driving force to make any trades just because four of the guys are lefties,” Dombrowski says.
Latest On Kenley Jansen, Aroldis Chapman
There’s been plenty of talk about Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen over the past 24 hours. At least four teams (the Yankees, Marlins, Dodgers and Nationals) appear to be in the mix for top-tier closers, and the Yankees have reportedly made offers to both (though Chapman is their top target). There’s also been word of a $92MM offer to Chapman (via USA Today’s Bob Nightengale), as noted in yesterday’s roundup of rumors surrounding the market’s top two closers. We’ll keep track of the latest on this pair today as they move toward setting records for relievers…
- “Everyone is waiting on Chapman” to make a decision, a source tells ESPN’s Jayson Stark. The idea is that Chapman’s deal will set the market for Jansen. One of the teams pursuing Chapman expects him to sign somewhere within 24 hours, although Stark cautions that the exact timetable for Chapman’s signing isn’t known. Both the Yankees and Marlins have made five-year offers to Chapman, Stark writes.
- After acquiring Adam Eaton, the Nationals would like their next move to be a Chapman acquisition, Nightengale tweets. The Nationals, of course, are short a closer after the departure of Mark Melancon to San Francisco.
- There’s an “increasing sense” among teams in the market for top-tier closers that both Jansen and Chapman are nearing a decision, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald tweets that Marlins manager Don Mattingly has reached out to Jansen to gauge his level of interest in coming to Miami. He’s also done the same with veteran backstop A.J. Ellis, in whom the Marlins are said to have interest. Mattingly managed both Jansen and Ellis with the Dodgers, which could influence their decision process to some extent. Nightengale tweets that Jansen told Mattingly he is definitely open to the possibility of pitching in Miami.