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Royals Exploring Pitching Market, Have Interest In Seth Lugo

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The Royals have been “aggressive” in their search for rotation help this offseason and made an offer to right-hander Sonny Gray before he signed with the Cardinals, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Rosenthal further writes that the Royals are among the teams showing strong interest in right-hander Seth Lugo, who’s drawn widespread interest this winter.

Kansas City general manager J.J. Picollo has made no secret about his desire to add to his rotation, plainly stating early in the offseason that “one of our goals is to get starting pitching.” The Royals need at least one arm and could well look to add multiple pieces to the rotation between now and Opening Day. The Royals got a breakout showing from Cole Ragans after acquiring him from the Rangers in exchange for Aroldis Chapman this past summer, and right-hander Brady Singer is likely locked into a rotation spot even after an up-and-down year (and, more broadly, up-and-down big league tenure in terms of performance). Beyond that, the Royals have veteran innings eater Jordan Lyles signed for next season and are surely still hopeful of getting some quality innings from former top prospects Kris Bubic (recovering from Tommy John surgery) and Daniel Lynch.

That said, the Royals have been hoping for the quartet of Singer, Lynch, Bubic and Jackson Kowar to eventually emerge at the MLB level for several seasons. That group comprised the nucleus of a vaunted 2018 crop of college arms around whom the Royals hoped to build, but their development hasn’t panned out. Singer had a brilliant 2022 season and took a step back in 2023. Bubic had Tommy John surgery early in 2023. Kowar has been twice traded this offseason and is now in the Mariners organization.

Rosenthal suggests that in their quest to find rotation upgrades, the Royals have been willing to talk about trades of former top catching/outfield prospect MJ Melendez, infielder Michael Massey and catcher Freddy Fermin. Melendez and Massey, however, are coming off dismal 2023 campaigns. The former is a .227/.314/.396 hitter in 1136 MLB plate appearances and has posted bottom-of-the-scale defensive grades both behind the plate and in the outfield corners. The latter got his first full-time look in ’23 but managed only a .229/.274/.381 slash with mixed defensive ratings (-9 Defensive Runs Saved, +3 Outs Above Average). Both players still have five seasons of remaining club control.

Fermin, meanwhile, looks to be a late-blooming option capable of handling a regular workload behind the dish, be it for the Royals or another club. He entered the 2023 season with just seven MLB plate appearances but wound up tallying 235 trips to the plate with a .281/.321/.461 output and nine home runs. Defensive Runs Saved credited Fermin at a hearty mark of +8, and both FanGraphs and Statcast credited him as an above average framer. Statcast also tabbed Fermin as league-average in terms of blocking balls in the dirt, and his 31% caught-stealing rate checked in 10 percentage points above the league average.

Age and lack of big league track record notwithstanding, there’s plenty of intrigue surrounding Fermin and his breakout rookie season. However, that also makes him quite valuable to a Royals club that has an aging Salvador Perez behind the plate. Perez’s defensive ratings have been in a freefall for the past few seasons, and his production at the plate has also begun to wane. The 33-year-old (34 in May) team captain still smacked 23 home runs last year, but his overall .255/.292/.422 batting line was his weakest since 2018. Perez still caught 91 games last year (against 29 at DH), but at some point the Royals could begin playing him more regularly at DH, which would open time for Fermin. Perez is still signed for another two years at a total of $44MM.

Since Rosenthal reports that Kansas City has spoken with the Marlins and Mariners about pitching-related trades, Miami might stand out as a logical team that could have interest in Fermin’s services.  The Fish are in need of catching help, and seem to be open to the idea of dealing more pitching, after already parting ways with a decent chunk of their rotation depth in other trades over the last couple of years.

As for the team’s free-agent pursuits, Lugo is a sensible and logical target both due to his strong platform season and the fact that the Royals also reportedly had interest in him a year ago. After spending the bulk of his career as a reliever with the Mets, Lugo signed a two-year, $15MM deal with the Padres, who offered him a chance to start and even included an opt-out in the event that he showed well in a starting role.

That’s exactly how things played out. Lugo took the ball 26 times and posted a 3.57 ERA with a 23.2% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate in a career-high 146 1/3 innings. He’s already 34, but Lugo figures to command a much nicer multi-year deal this time around — perhaps reaching three years in length. That the length of his deal will likely be capped due to age should be appealing to the Royals, who typically operate on a tight budget but do have some spending flexibility this winter. Picollo has already said that his club should have at least $30MM to spend.

Rays Acquire Jake Mangum As PTBNL From Bruján/Faucher Trade

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The Rays announced that they have acquired outfielder Jake Mangum as the PTBNL in last month’s deal that sent infielder/outfielder Vidal Bruján and right-hander Calvin Faucher to the Marlins. The Rays received minor league infielder Erick Lara, right-hander Andrew Lindsey and a player to be named later, which is now revealed to be Mangum. Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reported the transaction shortly before the official announcement.

Remarkably, Mangum was also a PTBNL in a deal almost exactly one year ago. On December 7 of 2022, it was reported that he would go from the Mets to the Marlins as the PTBNL in the deal that sent Elieser Hernández and Jeff Brigham to Queens.

He spent 2023 in Triple-A, getting into 119 games at that level. He only struck out in 17.7% of his plate appearances but also only drew walks at a 5.4% clip and hit just five home runs. His .298/.346/.425 batting line amounted to a wRC+ of 93. But Mangum is considered a plus defender and baserunner, stealing 16 bases on the year. His bat has also been in better shape before, such as hitting .306/.363/.441 in the minors in 2022 across multiple levels.

The Rays have a solid big league outfield at the moment but guys like Manuel Margot and Randy Arozarena have been in trade rumors this winter. Whether they subtract an outfielder or not, Mangum will give them an extra bit of non-roster depth.

Marlins Re-Sign Devin Smeltzer To Minor League Deal

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The Marlins are bringing back one of their most heavily used depth arms for another stint, as they’ve re-signed lefty Devin Smeltzer to a minor league deal, according to the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. He’ll presumably be in big league camp next spring.

Smeltzer, who just turned 28 this week, had a Ryan Weber/Yankees-esque run in Miami last year. The Marlins signed him to a minor league deal over the winter and selected his contract to the Majors on four different occasions. Each call to the big leagues was followed by a DFA after an appearance or two, and Smeltzer passed through waivers and accepted outright assignments to return to the club’s Triple-A affiliate each time.

It wasn’t the most direct path to doing so, but Smeltzer still picked up about six weeks of big league service time and pitched 22 1/3 MLB frames over the course of the year. He was knocked around for a 6.45 ERA in that time and posted similar numbers in 86 innings at the Triple-A level.

Lackluster performance notwithstanding, Smeltzer has a stronger track record dating back to his days with the Twins, who originally acquired the former fifth-round pick (2016) in a trade sending Brian Dozier to the Dodgers. Smeltzer pitched 140 innings of 3.99 ERA ball for Minnesota in parts of three seasons, showing a well below-average strikeout rate (16.6%) but strong command (6.4% walk rate). Smeltzer has regularly shown good command throughout his pro career and has experience both as a starter and a reliever. The Marlins also know he’ll likely be amenable to similar up-and-down usage in 2024 if necessary, making the reunion a fairly logical one.

Dodgers, Marlins, Brewers Have Shown Interest In Isiah Kiner-Falefa

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There are plenty of clubs with some level of interest in utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa — the Yankees and Blue Jays have been linked to him this week — and the former Ranger/Yankees Swiss army knife is also of some interest to the Dodgers, Marlins and Brewers, per Fabian Ardaya and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

At 28 years old (29 in March), Kiner-Falefa is among the younger free agents on the market. Acquired by the Yankees prior to the 2022 season as their hopeful starting shortstop and bridge to top prospect Anthony Volpe, the infielder-turned-catcher-turned-infielder didn’t grab that job and run with it. However, he settled into a versatile utility role in the Bronx, ultimately taking 892 plate appearances during his two seasons there and posting a .253/.311/.333 batting line (84 wRC+) with 10 home runs, 32 doubles, a triple and 36 stolen bases (in 45 tries).

Kiner-Falefa won a Gold Glove as the Rangers’ primary third baseman during the shortened 2020 season and notched 10 Defensive Runs Saved as their main shortstop in 2021. DRS and Statcast have strongly disparate views on his work at shortstop, however, and there was at least some question among team evaluators as to whether Kiner-Falefa could handle that position moving forward. Both the Twins, who originally acquired him from the Rangers, and the Yankees, who acquired him from Minnesota just over a day later, clearly felt Kiner-Falefa could handle shortstop on a generally full-time basis in the 2021-22 offseason.

Even if the Yankees’ opinion of that changed, their fondness of the player did not. New York could’ve non-tendered or traded Kiner-Falefa following the 2022 season with both Volpe and Oswald Peraza on the cusp of the Majors. Instead, they held onto him and used him in a utility capacity this past season, giving Kiner-Falefa his first MLB looks in the outfield (in addition to time at shortstop, second base and third base).

Kiner-Falefa didn’t grade especially well at any one position other than third base this past season, but the newfound versatility undoubtedly enhances his appeal to teams. Given his age, above-average sprint-speed, solid arm strength and the athleticism he’s shown by playing multiple positions, there’s likely some belief that he could yet improve on his glovework at various positions with more experience. Kiner-Falefa also boasts strong bat-to-ball skills (career 15.5% strikeout rate), although he couples that with a well below-average walk rate (career 6.1%).

The right-handed-hitting Kiner-Falefa has generally neutral platoon splits, but as a right-handed hitter who can handle multiple positions on the diamond, he may hold some appeal to the Dodgers, who are said to be seeking a righty bat to potentially platoon with Jason Heyward in right field. Kiner-Falefa’s career .259/.325/.348 slash against lefties doesn’t make him much of a short-side platoon option, but he could give the Dodgers some depth in the outfield and at third base, where slugger Max Muncy is also better off being shielded against southpaws.

In Milwaukee, Kiner-Falefa could provide insurance at both second base and third base, where sophomores Brice Turang and Andruw Monasterio are currently slated to start, respectively. (Owen Miller is also in the infield mix at both spots.) Turang, a former first-round pick and top Brewers prospect, hit .218/.285/.300 in 448 plate appearances as a rookie. He struggled regardless of opponent handedness but was particularly overmatched by lefties. Monasterio posted a superior .259/.330/.348 slash and, like Kiner-Falefa, is a right-handed hitter. Kiner-Falefa could take on a larger role in the event that the Brewers chose to option either young infielder.

The Marlins might have the most straightforward fit of this trio: a clear opening at shortstop. Miami plans to keep Jazz Chisholm Jr. in center field and is on the lookout for help at the shortstop position. In-house names like Jon Berti and former top prospect Vidal Brujan (recently acquired from the Rays) could step up in that role, but Kiner-Falefa would offer a more experienced option — one who could seamlessly slide into a utility option if someone like Brujan, 24-year-old Xavier Edwards or 25-year-old Jacob Amaya stepped up and ran with the shortstop job.

Marlins Listening On Starters; A.J. Puk To Be Stretched Out In Spring

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The Marlins are listening to trade offers on their starting pitchers, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. On a related note, the club is planning to have left-hander A.J. Puk get stretched out in the spring, per Isaac Azout of Fish On First and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

The past few offseasons have seen plenty of rumors surrounding the Miami rotation, as they have had lots of attractive young arms but holes in the lineup that need to be addressed. However, that surplus has been chipped away at quite a bit in the past year. The Fish finally made a significant deal in January when they flipped Pablo López to the Twins for Luis Arráez. They also traded away prospect Jake Eder at the deadline for Jake Burger. Then Sandy Alcántara required Tommy John surgery late in the year, making him unavailable for all of 2024.

That still leaves them with a strong front three of Jesús Luzardo, Eury Pérez and Braxton Garrett, though it gets a bit shakier after that. Trevor Rogers was great in 2021 but struggled the year after and then was limited by a left biceps strain to just four starts in 2023. Edward Cabrera can rack up both strikeouts and ground balls but he also has significant control problems. Ryan Weathers has a career earned run average of 5.88 thus far. Max Meyer missed all of 2023 rehabbing from his own TJS. Sixto Sánchez has been held back by shoulder issues and has thrown one minor league inning over the past three years.

There are some options in there but it’s not quite overflowing with talent the way it was a year ago. Perhaps that’s why the club is considering moving Puk back to the rotation. He came up as a starter but was moved to the bullpen by the Athletics before the Marlins acquired him. He has generally fared well out of the bullpen, posting an ERA of 3.12 with the A’s in 2022 and a mark of 3.97 with the Marlins in 2023.

Puk was once considered a top 100 prospect during his time as a minor leaguer with the A’s, so perhaps the Marlins think there’s more value to be tapped into by stretching him out. However, he’s faced his fair share of health issues in his career, having undergone shoulder surgery in 2020 and then subsequently dealt with a strained left biceps and nerve irritation in his left elbow. But there’s generally no harm in getting stretched out in the spring and then moving into the bullpen, as it’s much easier than doing it the other way around.

Teams are generally willing to listen to all kinds of trade offers, so it doesn’t mean that the Marlins are likely to make a move just because they will pick up the phone. We saw last year that they flipped López and then tried to make up for his loss by signing Johnny Cueto. Though that didn’t work out since Cueto had an injury-marred season, they could try a similar strategy again. But since then, general manager Kim Ng has departed the club and Peter Bendix has been hired as president of baseball operations, perhaps leading to a change in the way the club operates.

A new decision maker can sometimes lead to a roster shakeup, as the new person is less committed to the incumbent players than their predecessor. Perhaps Bendix will have some willingness to move on from someone in this group and maybe that’s why there’s a shift in the strategy with Puk. Then again, it might also be down to the fact that the club is loaded with lefty relievers and the bullpen could be fine without Puk in it.

The Marlins have obvious needs in their lineup, with Bendix admitting that shortstop and catcher are areas where the club is looking to improve. The Marlins generally aren’t big spenders and the free agent options for those positions aren’t amazing, so perhaps the club will earnestly considering trading from their rotation in order to fill those spots. Just about every club in the league is looking for some starting pitching help, so they will undoubtedly be fielding plenty of calls.

2023 Rule 5 Draft Results

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The 2023 Rule 5 draft will begin at 1pm Central time today at the Winter Meetings in Nashville.

As a refresher, the Rule 5 draft is a way for players potentially talented enough for the big leagues but blocked by their current clubs to find opportunities elsewhere. Any players that were 18 and under at the time of their original signing and have played five professional seasons, and any players who signed at 19 years of age or older at signing that now have four professional seasons, who are not on a club’s 40-man roster are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft.

The clubs will draft in reverse order of the 2023 standings, with no club obligated to make a selection when it’s their turn. If they do make a pick, they will have to pay $100K to the team they select from. The selected players must stay on the active roster (or injured list) for the entire 2024 season or else be placed on waivers. If they clear waivers, they must be offered back to their original team. They cannot be optioned to the minors. Last year’s edition saw some key players change clubs, such as Ryan Noda going from the Dodgers to the Athletics and Blake Sabol going from the Pirates to the Giants.

This post will be updated as the draft continues. Here is the order…

1.  Athletics: RHP Mitch Spence (Yankees)
2. Royals: RHP Matt Sauer (Yankees)
3. Rockies: RHP Anthony Molina (Rays)
4. White Sox: LHP Shane Drohan (Red Sox)
5. Nationals: SS Nasim Nuñez (Marlins)
6. Cardinals: RHP Ryan Fernandez (Red Sox)
7. Angels: pass
8. Mets: RHP Justin Slaten (Rangers); Mets later traded Slaten to the Red Sox for LHP Ryan Ammons* and cash considerations.
9. Pirates: pass
10. Guardians: 3B Deyvison De Los Santos (Diamondbacks)
11. Tigers: pass
12. Red Sox: pass
13. Giants: pass
14. Reds: pass
15. Padres: RHP Stephen Kolek (Mariners)
16. Yankees: pass
17. Cubs: pass
18. Marlins: pass
19. Diamondbacks: pass
20. Twins: pass
21. Mariners: pass
22. Blue Jays: pass
23. Rangers: RHP Carson Coleman (Yankees)
24. Phillies: pass
25. Astros: pass
26. Brewers: pass
27. Rays: pass
28. Dodgers: pass
29. Orioles: pass
30. Braves: pass

The minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft also occurred this afternoon. Those players will not go onto the selecting teams’ 40-man roster. A few former major leaguers changed uniforms. They include 1B Seth Beer going from the Diamondbacks to the Pirates while the Yankees took RHP Kervin Castro from the Astros.

* (Robert Murray of FanSided first reported that Ammons was going to the Mets. Joel Sherman of The New York Post added that Ammons and cash were being exchanged for Slaten.

Marlins Looking To Add Shortstop Help, Jazz Chisholm To Remain In Center Field

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Joey Wendle and Garrett Hampson have already signed with other teams, as the free agent departures left the Marlins further thinned out at a shortstop position that was already something of a weak link.  President of baseball operations Peter Bendix is looking to address the position this winter, telling MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola and other reporters that “I’d like to increase the number of options that we have who can play shortstop.”

Utilityman Jon Berti is the top choice at the moment, as manager Skip Schumaker told the media.  Jacob Amaya, Xavier Edwards, and the recently-acquired Vidal Brujan provide further depth.  Brujan and Edwards are former top-100 prospects looking for a big league breakout, while Amaya is a defensive standout acquired from the Dodgers in the Miguel Rojas trade last offseason.

It makes for an interesting mix, and Bendix noted that “I think we have a few people on the roster, off the roster, who are pretty good options, but nobody who’s the clear, ’This is our everyday shortstop.’  So we’d love to add that, and really just adding long-term value to the organization — whether that is players at the Major League level with control, whether that is prospects.  Ideally, it’s both.  It’s supplementing the 2024 club, just building on what’s a competitive team already, but also keeping that eye on the future.”

Finding a long-term shortstop answer is obviously easier said than done, and landing such a player would require a significant return on Miami’s part.  For instance, the Fish have continued to get lots of interest in their starting pitching, yet considering how injuries and other trades have cut down on their rotation depth over the last two years, it remains to be seen if Bendix will be open to trading more arms when the Marlins are no longer dealing with a surplus.  Bendix was somewhat non-committal about the idea of moving the team’s own pitchers, and even implied that Miami could look to add hurlers due to the basic credo of “you always need more pitching.”

In terms of other in-house shortstop candidates, it doesn’t appear as though Miami will be turning to its former shortstop.  Asked whether or not Jazz Chisholm Jr. might be moved back to shortstop, Schumaker said “I don’t see that happening yet.  Jazz really took off kind of the second part of the season in the outfield as our center fielder, so I don’t anticipate that happening just yet.”

Since Chisholm had another injury-shortened season, the first priority is just to get him healthy as he recovers from an October turf toe surgery.  Between his toe problems and an oblique strain, Chisholm was limited to 97 games in 2023, extending his unfortunate streak to three consecutive injury-plagued years.

Chisholm hasn’t played any shortstop since the 2021 season, as he played second base in 2022 before being shifted to the outfield last winter.  The position change was made to both accommodate Luis Arraez as the new everyday second baseman, and also to see if Chisholm could be an answer to the Marlins’ longstanding need in center field.  Considering both his injuries and the fact that it was the first time Chisholm had ever played as an outfielder in his pro career, the results were somewhat respectable — a +4 in Outs Above Average, though other public defensive metrics (a -6.6 UZR/150 and -9 Defensive Runs Saved) weren’t impressed.

As Schumaker noted, Chisholm naturally looked more comfortable with the more experience he gained at the position, so it makes sense that Miami wouldn’t want to switch his position yet again when he might still be something of an untapped resource as a center fielder.  There’s also the fact that moving Chisholm would again create an outfield vacancy for the Marlins to address, and adding something of a supplementary shortstop alongside Berdi and company is probably an easier task than landing a new regular center fielder.

Jim Leyland Elected To Baseball Hall Of Fame

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Former Pirates, Marlins, Rockies, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, the only person elected out of the eight nominees under consideration by the 16-person Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.  Leyland received 15 of 16 votes, surpassing the 12-vote threshold with room to spare.

Of the other seven nominees, Lou Piniella came closest with 11 votes, representing another tough near miss for Piniella after previously falling one vote shy on his previous appearance on the ballot in 2019.  Former National League president Bill White received 10 votes, and the other five nominees (Cito Gaston, Davey Johnson, Ed Montague, Hank Peters, and Joe West) all received fewer than five votes.

Leyland managed 22 seasons in the majors, beginning his Cooperstown-worthy run with the Pirates in 1986.  His 11 seasons in Pittsburgh was highlighted by three straight AL East titles for the Bucs from 1990-92, as well as the personal achievements of Manager Of The Year awards for Leyland in 1990 and 1992.  Unfortunately for the Pirates, they couldn’t get over the hump and into the World Series, falling to the Reds in six games in the 1990 NLCS and then losing a pair of seven-game nailbiters to the Braves in both 1991 and 1992.

After Francisco Cabrera broke the Pirates’ hearts in Game 7, Pittsburgh didn’t have a winning record again until 2013.  Leyland had long departed the team by that point, as he moved on following the 1996 season to become the Marlins’ new skipper.

This new job finally brought Leyland his long-desired World Series ring.  The Marlins were the team delivering some October heartbreak this time, as the Fish triumphed over the Indians in seven games to bring the organization its first championship in only its fifth year of existence.  Unfortunately for Leyland and the Marlins players and fans, the club went into fire sale mode immediately afterwards, resulting in Leyland’s resignation after a 108-loss season in 1998.

Leyland quickly caught on as Colorado’s manager for the 1999 season, but his frustration at working and trying to manage pitchers in the thin-air environment led to his resignation after just a single year.  Leyland became a scout for the Cardinals, and it appeared as though his managerial career might’ve come to an end.

However, a major final act then developed in Detroit.  Leyland was hired as the Tigers’ new manager prior to the 2006 season, just as the team was emerging from a rough rebuilding period.  Undoubtedly hiring Leyland was itself a major reason why the Tigers finally got on track, and the results were immediately impressive — the 2006 Tigers reached the playoffs as a wild card team and then reached the World Series before falling to the Cardinals.

That was the first of seven .500 or better seasons Leyland would enjoy over his eight years managing in Motown.  The Tigers made the postseason three more times, including a World Series appearance in 2012 that saw Detroit swept by the Giants.  After another narrow six-game loss to the Red Sox in the 2013 ALCS, Leyland decided to retire from managing at the MLB level, though he did return to the dugout to guide the United States to victory in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Leyland’s career resume consists of a 1769-1728 record, eight playoff appearances, three league pennants, and that 1997 World Series championship.  He ranks 18th on the all-time managerial wins list, and 17th on the all-time list of total games managed.  He was also a three-time winner of the Manager Of The Year Award, as Leyland added the 2006 trophy to his two awards from his Pittsburgh days.

While the numbers paved Leyland’s path into the Hall of Fame, he is also a beloved figure around the sport, highly respected by peers, coaches, and the many players he managed over the years.  Just about everyone who encountered Leyland seemed to immediately have an anecdote about the quick wit and big heart of the longtime baseball man, which was somewhat obscured by his hard-nosed reputation.  “What others saw as a gruff, chain-smoking caricature of an old-school manager, those in baseball considered brilliant for how he connected with everyone from the superstar to the last man on the roster to the least-tenured coach on his staff,” the Athletic’s Stephen J. Nesbitt and Cody Stavenhagen wrote in a chronicle of Leyland stories published today.  (Stavenhagen and Rob Biertempfel had another collection of Leyland anecdotes three years ago, well worth a read for some more chuckles.)

The “veterans committee” is the catch-all name for an annual panel of rotating membership, organized by the Hall Of Fame every year to gauge the cases of players who weren’t elected or considered by the writers, or non-playing personnel who aren’t a part of the writers’ ballot.  Candidates are considered from the “Contemporary Baseball” (1980-present) and “Classic Baseball” (1980 and earlier) time periods, and broken down into a three-year rotation…

  • Classic Baseball, all candidates: 2024, 2027, 2030, etc.
  • Contemporary Baseball, players: 2025, 2028, 2031, etc.
  • Contemporary Baseball, managers/executives/umpires: 2026, 2029, 2032, etc.

Leyland will be inducted into Cooperstown on July 13.  He’ll be joined by any players elected via the writers’ ballot, and those results will be announced on January 23.

This year’s 16-person Contemporary Baseball committee was comprised of HOF members Jeff Bagwell, Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones, Bud Selig, Ted Simmons, Jim Thome, and Joe Torre; MLB owners and executives Sandy Alderson, Bill DeWitt, Michael Hill, Ken Kendrick, Andy MacPhail, and Phyllis Merhige; media members/historians Sean Forman, Jack O’Connell and Jesus Ortiz.

Angels, Padres, Marlins, White Sox Have Shown Interest In Martin Maldonado

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TODAY: The Angels are also interested in Maldonado, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.  The Halos already have Logan O’Hoppe, Max Stassi, and Matt Thaiss lined up behind the plate, though O’Hoppe and missed most of the year due to injury and Stassi didn’t play at all due to a hip strain and time off for a family situation.  Conceivably, L.A. could look to trade from this catching surplus if they brought Maldonado into the fold.  Maldonado previously played for the Angels in 2017-18, making him a known quantity to the organization.

DECEMBER 1: The Astros have interest in a reunion with catcher Martin Maldonado, but they’re not alone in showing interest. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported last month that four or five clubs had shown interest in the 37-year-old, and Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports today that in addition to the Astros, Maldonado has received some level of interest from the Padres, Marlins and White Sox.

All three clubs are in need of some catching help, to varying extents. The Padres received a breakout performance from former top prospect Luis Campusano in 2023, as the 25-year-old turned in a stout .319/.356/.491 batting line in 174 plate appearances. That showing likely puts him atop the team’s depth chart, particularly following the Friars’ decision to non-tender veteran backstop Austin Nola, who’d been their primary catcher since his acquisition in 2020. Maldonado would represent a backup option — one whose acumen in terms of game-calling and game-planning would be particularly beneficial in a mentorship role for a young catcher like Campusano.

The ChiSox have a young catcher of their own, one who’s quite familiar with Maldonado: former Astros first-round pick Korey Lee. Chicago acquired Lee from Houston in the deadline trade sending Kendall Graveman back to Houston. Lee’s initial stint with the Sox went poorly, as he hit just .077/.143/.138 — albeit in a tiny sample of 70 plate appearances. Lee hit .278/.325/.386 in 82 contests at the Triple-A level last year, and the Sox will hope for something closer to that level of output in the Majors this season.

The Sox are also hoping for continued development from prospect Edgar Quero, acquired from the Angels in the Lucas Giolito/Reynaldo Lopez trade. Quero is just 20 years old and not yet on the 40-man roster, but he hit .255/.380/.351 in 101 games against far older competition at the Double-A level last year. He could be up in the big leagues at some point in 2024 or 2025. And even if his big league debut doesn’t come next season, he’d surely be in spring training with the Sox, where Maldonado could take both Quero and Lee under his wing.

Things are far more open in Miami, where the only catcher on the 40-man roster is defensive standout Nick Fortes. The Marlins non-tendered Jacob Stallings in November, and newly installed president of baseball operations Peter Bendix has already made clear that he could add multiple catchers this offseason. A pairing of Fortes and Maldonado wouldn’t do much for the Marlins offensively; Fortes hit just .204/.263/.299 last year, but he also has minor league options remaining. If the Fish were to add both Maldonado and another more seasoned catcher with superior offensive capabilities, they could option Fortes and relegate him to No. 3 on the organization’s catching depth chart.

Of course, it remains eminently possible — if not likely — that Maldonado stays put in Houston. The Astros organization has routinely extolled the veteran backstop’s intangible value to the team’s pitching staff, even as his framing grades and throwing numbers have deteriorated. The ’Stros love Maldonado’s work with their pitchers, his ability to help plan for games, and his actual game-calling skills. He still rates as an above-average catcher in terms of blocking pitches in the dirt, as well. Houston has already gone out of its way to anoint young Yainer Diaz as the primary catcher in 2024, but Maldonado could occupy a similar mentor role to the highly touted Diaz that he could offer any of his other suitors and their young catchers.

In parts of six seasons with Houston, Maldonado carries just a .191/.273/.350 batting line. That lack of offensive production makes a backup role seem likely wherever he eventually lands but also speaks to the extent to which the Astros have valued him. He’s received nearly 1600 plate appearances and twice re-signed in Houston despite that dearth of offensive output, which only underscores how much Houston loves his work with their staff.

Marlins Claim Kaleb Ort From Mariners

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The Marlins have claimed right-hander Kaleb Ort from the Mariners, per Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. There was no previous reporting to indicate Ort was available, but the Mariners evidently tried to pass him through waivers. The Marlins now have a 40-man roster count of 39 and the Mariners 38.

Ort, 32 in February, has been with the Red Sox for the past three seasons. He appeared in 47 games at the big league level, tossing 51 2/3 innings with a 6.27 earned run average. This is the second time he has been claimed off waivers since Boston’s season ended, with M’s claiming him in October and now the Marlins today.

The interest likely stems from Ort’s big strikeout numbers in the minor leagues. He has punched out 182 of the 571 batters he’s faced in Triple-A, a rate of 31.9%. He’s also given out walks at a 12.3% clip but it’s understandable that clubs would hope for a breakout with a bit more finesse.

Ort still has an option year remaining, allowing the Marlins to utilize him as a depth piece for the year if he doesn’t earn his way into a major league role. He’s also still cheap, heaving yet to qualify for arbitration. For the Mariners, they have cleared up a couple of roster spots with this claim and also that of Cooper Hummel, who was claimed by the Mets. That gives the M’s some spots for new additions, perhaps in next week’s Rule 5 draft.

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