Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Brewers Rumors

2015-16 National League Non-Tenders

By | at

Major League clubs have until 11pm CT tonight to tender contracts to players for the 2016 season. Remember that you can track all of the action using MLBTR’s Non-Tender tracker, and we offer a full list of non-tender candidates (in the estimation of MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes). Also important for reference is the set of arbitration salary projections from MLBTR and contributor Matt Swartz.

We’ll run down the list of National League non-tenders here, and update it as reports come in.

  • Pre-arb outfielder Eury Perez was non-tendered last night by the Braves, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports on Twitter. The 25-year-old could, in theory, have served as Michael Bourn’s backup in center, but it appears that Atlanta will look for an alternative.
  • The Rockies won’t tender contracts to left-handers Yohan Flande or Jason Gurka for the 2016 season, per a club announcement. The team also announced that outfielder Rosell Herrera will be non-tendered. Flande, 29, is the most experienced arm of the bunch, having soaked up 127 1/3 innings for Colorado over the past two seasons, albeit with a 4.95 ERA.
  • The Dodgers announced that they’ve non-tendered righties Juan Nicasio and Lisalverto Bonilla. Nicasio is a mild surprise considering the fact that he logged a 3.86 ERA with a robust 10.0 K/9 rate and a 2.83 FIP in 2015. However, he also averaged 4.9 walks per nine innings and had what was almost certainly unsustainable luck in terms of home runs, yielding just one big fly in 58 1/3 innings. The hard-throwing righty should garner some interest on the free-agent market.
  • The Marlins announced that they’ve non-tendered Aaron Crow, who missed the 2015 season due to Tommy John surgery. The team also formally announced its previously reported decision to non-tender Henderson Alvarez (more on that controversial decision here).
  • The Nationals will not tender right-hander Craig Stammen a contract for the 2016 season, per a club announcement. He missed nearly the entire season due to a pair of torn tendons in his right forearm that required surgery.

Earlier Updates

  • The Cubs announced that right-hander Ryan Cook has been non-tendered. An offseason waiver claim, Cook never suited up for Chicago. The former All-Star setup man yielded an astounding 18 earned runs in just 8 2/3 innings this season between Oakland and Boston.
  • The Giants have also non-tendered backup catcher Hector Sanchez, per a club announcement, which additionally confirmed Petit’s non-tender.
  • The Giants will non-tender right-hander Yusmeiro Petit, MLBTR’s Steve Adams reports (Twitter link). The right-hander has recorded a solid 3.66 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 across 245 2/3 innings for the Giants over the past four seasons while spending time in both the rotation and the bullpen. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted that Petit was offered to at least one other club in a trade, but clearly nothing materialized, as he’ll now hit the open market in search of new club.
  • The Brewers announced that they’ve non-tendered utilityman Elian Herrera. The 30-year-old was not yet arbitration eligible, but Milwaukee clearly preferred to keep the rosters spot open. Herrera hit .242/.290/.395 last season in a career-high 277 PAs, and GM David Stearns has interest in retaining him on a new minor league deal, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
  • The Reds will not tender contracts to righty Ryan Mattheus, outfielder Ryan LaMarre, or righty Pedro Villarreal, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports on Twitter and the club has since announced. Of those players, only Mattheus was eligible for arbitration. The 32-year-old, who threw 55 innings and posted a 4.09 ERA last year, projected for a $1.3MM salary. LaMarre, 27, just cracked the MLB roster last year but spent most of the year at Triple-A. Villareal, also 27, notched a solid 3.42 ERA in his fifty frames in 2015, but his strikeout rates fell and ERA estimators did not smile upon the quality of his contribution.

Prospect Notes: Rule 5, Peraza, AFL

By | at

Though it won’t take place until the end of the Winter Meetings, the stage has been set for the Rule 5 draft, as teams re-set their 40-man rosters in preparation. Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper breaks down the players who weren’t protected and thus remain eligible to be plucked away. Cooper writes that we’re unlikely to see a repeat of last year’s incredible Rule 5 success rate, but still manages to come up with a large group of players who could draw interest. Best of all, they are sorted by player type (e.g., “inexperienced pitchers with great arms”).

Here are a few more prospect-related links to check out:

  • MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo answered reader questions in a mailbag today. Among other topics, he talks about the status of Dodgers second baseman Jose Peraza. The club ought to give him a chance to win regular playing time this spring, Mayo argues.
  • Mayo also recently listed ten standout prospects from the just-concluded Arizona Fall League. This group doesn’t reflect the players with the highest prospect standing from the fall league, but rather those that most improved their standing during the short season. Among them is Cardinals infielder Aledmys Diaz, who was outrighted last year but finished with a robust .315/.370/.616 line in Arizona and was added back to the 40-man roster.
  • Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s Eric Longenhagen took a detailed look at the fall league results. Catcher Gary Sanchez of the Yankees and Rangers center fielder Lewis Brinson were among the players who showed increased promise from a scouting perspective. Also drawing that review was lefty Josh Hader, who was one of several interesting players who went to the Brewers in the Carlos Gomez/Mike Fiers trade.

NL Notes: Reyes, Pirates, D’Backs, Davis

By | at

Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes has been charged with abuse of a family or household member, the Associated Press reports (via SI.com). The 32-year-old has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges, which stem from his recent arrest in Hawaii for alleged violent acts against his wife during an argument. As explained in the linked post, the commissioner’s office will be watched closely as it applies the newly agreed-upon domestic abuse protocol for the first time to a highly-paid, high-profile player.

As we wait for further information in that disappointing and concerning situation, let’s take a look at some other links relating to National League clubs:

  • The Pirates are “definitely listening” on all players entering their final year of contract control, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports on Twitter. Closer Mark Melancon, second baseman Neil Walker, and first baseman Pedro Alvarez are all prime candidates to be dealt, says Stark. It certainly will be fascinating to see how the team proceeds with those notable players, including what they seek (and potentially obtain) in return as well as what other moves the ultimate decisions set up.
  • The Diamondbacks are said to be looking into a variety of options to add starting pitching, including cashing in some young position player talent via trade. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic breaks down the considerations facing GM Dave Stewart and co. Piecoro gathers the thoughts of numerous talent evaluators in the interesting piece, focusing his analysis on the timing of the team’s assets. Arizona is still testing several possibilities, he reports, but it sounds rather likely that some kind of hitting-for-pitching deal will come together at some point this winter.
  • Bernie Miklasz of 101Sports.com takes a look at the Cardinals’ decision-making process regarding free agent first baseman/outfielder Chris Davis. There’s a fit on paper, writes the veteran journalist, but he says it would rate as a surprise if St. Louis emerges as a serious bidder — especially if the ask goes past five years (as it almost assuredly does).
  • If those links don’t have enough interesting reading to get you through turkey day, check out these two recent pieces on Fangraphs: Brewers GM David Stearns spoke with David Laurila about a variety of interesting and relevant topics. And Jeff Sullivan assesses the trade value of all-world Reds closer Aroldis Chapman.

Indians Acquire Kirby Yates, Designate Michael Choice

By | at

The Indians have acquired recently designated right-hander Kirby Yates from the Rays in exchange for cash considerations and designated outfielder Michael Choice for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster, tweets MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian.

Yates, 29 in March, enjoyed a solid rookie campaign in 2014 when he logged a 3.75 ERA with a robust 10.5 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9. He couldn’t replicate that in his age-28 season, however, due largely to an incredible amount of home runs allowed. Yates is an extreme fly-ball pitcher, but nearly one third of the balls put in the air against him left the yard this past season (30.3 percent). Extreme fly-ball pitcher or not, that rate is nearly unheard of and is almost certain to regress in the future. However, the poor results left Yates with a 7.97 ERA due to yielding 10 homers in 20 1/3 innings.

Choice is a former top 100 prospect with the A’s that never fully panned out. Traded by Oakland to the Rangers in exchange for Craig Gentry, Choice batted just .188/.253/.320 in parts of three seasons between the two teams. Texas designated him for assignment this winter before Cleveland claimed him off waivers. Choice is a career .271/.356/.426 hitter in parts of three seasons at Triple-A and is still relatively young, having turned 26 just two weeks ago.

Minor MLB Transactions: 11/21/15

By | at

Here are the latest minor moves from around the league…

  • The Orioles have signed first baseman Ji-Man Choi to a minor league deal, according to South Korean media outlet Ilgan Sports (hat tip to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun).  Choi will be invited to the Orioles’ Major League spring camp and he’ll earn a $650K base salary if he makes the club, plus at least another $350K available in incentives.  Still just 24 years old, Choi has five years of minor league experience in the Mariners’ system, hitting .302/.404/.481 with 35 homers over 1378 PA.  His bat has fallen off over the last two seasons, however, thanks to injuries and a 50-game PED suspension in 2014.
  • The Indians announced that Taiwanese righty C.C. Lee was sold to the Saitama Seibu Lions, with Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reporting that the Tribe received between $350K-$500K from the NPB club.  Lee has been in the Indians organization since 2008 and he posted a 4.50 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 2.06 K/BB rate over 34 relief innings for the Tribe from 2013-15.
  • The Athletics have signed left-hander Patrick Schuster to a minor league contract, MLBTR has learned.  Schuster has a 3.46 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 1.92 K/BB rate over 408 career minor league innings, most of which came in the Diamondbacks’ farm system before he was dealt to the Reds last June.  The 25-year-old was also briefly property of the Astros, Padres and Royals during the 2013-14 offseason, in a flurry of transactions in the wake of Houston taking Schuster first overall in the 2013 Rule 5 draft.
  • The Braves have signed reliever David Carpenter to a minor league deal, Scout.com’s Bill Shanks writes. Carpenter elected free agency this week after being outrighted by the Nationals. He had two of the best seasons of his career with the Braves in 2013 and 2014 before being traded to the Yankees, so his signing with Atlanta represents a bit of a homecoming. Carpenter will now get a shot to re-join a Braves bullpen that struggled in 2015. Carpenter posted a 4.01 ERA, 5.5 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 24 2/3 big-league innings last season.
  • The Nationals have agreed to terms outfielder Chris Heisey on a minor league deal, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. Crasnick notes that Heisey will be reunited with Dusty Baker, who managed him with the Reds. After spending most of the previous several seasons in the big leagues, Heisey collected only 72 plate appearances with the Dodgers in 2015, instead spending most of the season at the Triple-A level (where he hit .223/.350/.445 in 302 plate appearances). Heisey’s batting average in the big leagues has decreased in each of the last three seasons, suggesting he’s lost a step offensively. He remains, however, a solid defender at any of the three outfield positions.
  • The Nationals have also signed infielder Scott Sizemore to a minor league deal, writes MLB.com’s Bill Ladson. Sizemore, a veteran of parts of four seasons with the Tigers, Athletics and Yankees, spent 2015 with the Triple-A affiliates of the Marlins and Nationals, batting .263/.369/.354 in 289 plate appearances while playing second base and third base.
  • The Blue Jays have signed Humberto Quintero to a minor league deal, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca writes. The 36-year-old, a veteran of 12 MLB seasons, will likely provide the Jays with catching depth at the Triple-A level. He spent the 2015 season with the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket, batting .254/.287/.354 in 305 plate appearances.
  • The Brewers have announced a variety of minor league signings and re-signings, including righties Hiram Burgos and Jaye Chapman, outfielder Ben Guez, and catcher Rene Garcia. The 28-year-old Burgos, a longtime Brewers minor leaguer, had a solid year in the minors in 2015, pitching 149 1/3 innings with a 3.62 ERA, 8.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. Chapman, also 28, pitched in the bullpens at Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Colorado Springs for the Brewers in 2015, posting a 2.37 ERA, 9.3 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 64 2/3 innings. Guez established himself as a good minor league hitter in the Tigers system before heading to Colorado Springs in 2015. There, he hit a strong .287/.410/.504, although he missed three months in the middle of the season, apparently due to injury. Garcia, 25, spent 2015 in the Phillies system, batting .318/.332/.359 in 200 plate appearances in the high minors. His previous performances in the Astros system, however, suggest that he’s more of an organizational catcher type than that high 2015 batting average suggests.

AL Notes: Yankees, K-Rod, Athletics

By | at

The dwindling relief market could work in the Yankees’ favor, George A. King III of the New York Post writes. The Braves and Dodgers have recently been linked to Darren O’Day, and if O’Day signs with one of those teams, the best late-inning option available on the free agent market will be Joakim Soria, who doesn’t appear likely to be cheap. The lack of capable and reasonably priced late-inning relievers could increase the trade value of Andrew Miller, who the Yankees could potentially use as a trade chip to bolster their rotation. Here are more quick notes from the American League.

  • The Tigers pursued a number of potential upgrades for their bullpen before completing their deal for Francisco Rodriguez, MLB.com’s Jason Beck writes. They asked about Aroldis Chapman, Miller and Brad Boxberger, but any of those three relievers would have cost too much in prospects. They also had discussions with free agent Joakim Soria, but it appears he’ll get a three-year deal. Darren O’Day, meanwhile, seems likely to get four. So the Tigers approached the Brewers. Rodriguez was a good fit for them in that what’s left of his contract amounts to one year plus an option ($7.5MM for 2016, some of it deferred, and $6MM or a $2MM buyout for 2017), and the prospect cost (infielder Javier Betancourt plus a player to be named) wasn’t prohibitive.
  • The Athletics also had interest in K-Rod, as FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal writes. They balked, however, at the $9.5MM financial commitment. They have, of course, addressed their bullpen to some degree (while also shedding salary) with their trade of Jesse Chavez to the Blue Jays for Liam Hendriks.

Trade Notes: Giles, Cubs-Braves Talks, Ozuna, Lind

By and | at

While the Phillies are downplaying the possibility of trading Ken Giles this offseason, there’s an expectation among other teams that he’ll be dealt either this winter or in July, according to ESPN’s Jayson Stark. Stark heard that the asking price on Giles is steep — at least two or three high-ceiling prospects — and that the Phillies are willing to hang onto him if their price isn’t met. My first thought upon seeing the Craig Kimbrel trade return was to wonder what type of haul the Phillies could receive in exchange for Giles. While Giles hasn’t established himself to the level that Kimbrel has, of course, he’s still earning just over $500K per season, won’t be arbitration-eligible for two more years and can be controlled through 2020. The Phillies are within their rights to seek a huge return.

Here’s more on the trade market:

  • The Cubs and Braves have had talks regarding Atlanta’s controllable, MLB-level pitching, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). That would appear to involve Julio Teheran and/or Shelby Miller, as it’s hard to imagine Chicago having interest in any other Braves starters for immediate MLB jobs. Rosenthal writes that the Cubs are “doing background work” on somewhere around a dozen rotation options, while colleague Jon Morosi has said that the team is in contact with nearly the same number of free agent starters. Meanwhile, the Braves are looking to get young position players back if they ship out arms, per Rosenthal.
  • As we’ve heard suggested previously, the Marlins are asking other clubs for young pitching in return for outfielder Marcell Ozuna, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports (links to Twitter). It’s always seemed likely that Ozuna would be dealt, as MLBTR explained in its post on the club’s offseason outlook, and one of Crasnick’s sources confirmed that the sentiment is held around the league. “I’d be surprised if they keep him,” said an anonymous executive. “Loria clearly can’t stand the guy and everybody knows it.”
  • There’s “lots of activity” on Brewers first baseman (and prospective DH) Adam Lind, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. The righty-masher could end up being the next veteran asset shipped out of Milwaukee, says Rosenthal, and that certainly wouldn’t be surprising.

Mariners Acquire Luis Sardinas From Brewers

By | at

The Mariners and Brewers announced the completion of a relatively minor trade, with infielder Luis Sardinas going to the Seattle in exchange for outfielder Ramon Flores.

Luis Sardinas

Sardinas, still just 22, has been traded twice within the past year, originally going from the Rangers to Milwaukee in the Yovani Gallardo trade. The former Top 100 prospect struggled this past season in both the Majors and may have been deemed expendable by the new front office following yesterday’s acquisition of infielder Jonathan Villar from the Astros.

In 105 plate appearances at the Major League level this season, Sardinas batted .196/.240/.216 — a notable step back from the more palatable (albeit still below-average) .261/.303/.313 line he posted in a similar sample size (125 PAs) in 2014 with Texas. Of course, Sardinas is still considerably younger than the average Triple-A player, so it’s not entirely surprising that he’d be overmatched by big league pitching.

Sardinas appears to fit GM Jerry Dipoto’s oft-stated goal of improving the Mariners’ defense. Last winter, Baseball America ranked Sardinas seventh among Rangers prospects (prior to his trade to Milwaukee, obviously), calling him a plus runner and “talented shortstop with nimble feet, smooth actions, good instincts and an above-average arm.” BA notes that Sardinas profiles as at least a utility player, if not a defensive-minded starter that can hit at the bottom of a big league lineup.

The 23-year-old Flores was acquired by the Mariners in the trade that sent Dustin Ackley to the Yankees. Flores made his big league debut with the Yankees this season but batted just .219/.219/.250 in 33 plate appearances. He has a better minor league track record (.282/.376/.449 in Triple-A) and got off to a torrid start with the Mariners’ Triple-A club, hitting .423/.534/.654 in 14 games. However, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times points out (links to Twitter), Flores broke his leg in that 14th game and had season-ending surgery as a result. Flores is out of minor league options and might not be ready for Spring Training, so he’s seemingly ticketed for the disabled list to open the 2016 season. Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper tweets that this is an “ideal roster construction modification trade,” noting that Flores has a much better bat than Sardinas, who has considerably more defensive value than Flores.

Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reported that the two sides were nearing a trade. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported the players involved (links to Twitter). 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Brewers Acquire Jonathan Villar From Astros

By | at

The Brewers announced that they’ve acquired shortstop Jonathan Villar from the Astros in exchange for minor league right-hander Cy Sneed. Villar will be reunited with former Astros assistant GM David Stearns, who is now the general manager in Milwaukee.

Jonathan Villar

Villar, 24 (25 in May), provides the Brewers with some much-needed infield depth. Unlike fellow infielder Javier Betancourt, whom the club acquired in exchange for Francisco Rodriguez yesterday, Villar is capable of stepping directly onto the Brewers’ big league roster, however. Despite his young age, the switch-hitter has spent parts of three seasons in the Majors with the Astros and was even Houston’s Opening Day shortstop in 2014.

The Astros originally acquired Villar — along with Anthony Gose and J.A. Happ — from the Phillies in exchange for Roy Oswalt. Villar surfaced in the Majors in 2013 and batted .243/.321/.319 with a homer and 18 stolen bases in 58 games, which was enough to place him in the 2014 Opening Day lineup. He struggled that season, however, and his poor performance was likely a contributing factor in the Astros’ decision to sign Jed Lowrie to a three-year pact last winter.

In spite of the Lowrie addition, Villar still saw some playing time in 2015 and enjoyed better production, batting .284/.339/.414. Most notably, he dramatically cut his formerly problematic strikeout rate in his return to the Majors. While his 22.7 percent whiff rate was still higher than you’d like to see from a player with Villar’s lack of power, it was still a marked improvement from the 28.5 percent K-rate he displayed in 2013-14. He’s also shown reasonable plate discipline in the Majors, walking at an 8.1 percent clip in 658 total trips to the plate (7.8 percent in 2015). Villar’s greatest asset is his speed, as he’s swiped 34 or more bags in each season dating back to 2010 (in some cases, between the Majors and minors combined).

While not a gifted defender at shortstop (career -6 DRS, -19 UZR in 1344 innings), he could play some second base in Milwaukee next season or take the reins at shortstop in the event of a Jean Segura trade. Of course, with top shortstop prospect Orlando Arcia nearing the Major Leagues, Villar might not be long for that position one way or the other. He’s spent some time at second base, third base and in the outfield recently, so the Brewers may not the feel the need to commit to one single position for Villar at all, instead eyeing him as a fleet-footed super utility option. Villar is out of options, so he’ll almost certainly be on the Major League roster to begin the 2016 season. Milwaukee can control him through the 2020 season, as he currently has one year, 113 days of Major League service time.

The 23-year-old Sneed spent this past season, his age-22 campaign, pitching for the Brewers’ Class-A affiliates in the Midwest and Florida State Leagues. The 2014 third-rounder posted a combined 2.58 ERA with 7.9 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 in 139 1/3 innings of work. MLB.com didn’t rank Sneed among Milwaukee’s Top 30 prospects, and J.J. Cooper of Baseball America tweets that Sneed is a “three-pitch right-haner who competes with fringe-average stuff.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top