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Free Agency Notes: Mets, Richards, Red Sox, Profar, Bench Bat

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The Mets made a play for Garrett Richards before the veteran righty signed with the Red Sox, notes MLB Insider Jon Heyman (via Twitter). The Mets have made their rotation a project this offseason. They are seemingly in a good place even without Richards, however. Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, and Marcus Stroman make for a very strong top three, and hopes remain high that David Peterson will maintain a spot behind them. Noah Syndergaard plans to join that group at some point, and even if Seth Lugo returns to the bullpen, the Mets have no shortage of depth options – foremost of which might be the recently-acquired Joey Lucchesi. Beyond the ex-Padre, Steven Matz, Robert Gsellman, Franklyn Kilome, Corey Oswalt, and Jerad Eickhoff surely have eyes for the rotation. In other news…

  • The Red Sox themselves were runners-up in an attempt to sign Jurickson Profar, per the San Diego Union-Tribune. Boston, of course, ended up with Kiké Hernández on a similar, but shorter contract. It’s not clear if the Red Sox preferred Profar to Hernandez, though Hernández signing merely hours after Profar re-upped with San Diego is notable. Still, one does not necessarily follow the other. All we can say for certain is that Profar’s returning to San Diego thinned Boston’s market for versatile utility types. That the Red Sox engaged in parallel negotiations with similar players doesn’t actually speak to their priorities where those players are concerned.
  • After all, they may very well have been interested in signing both players, as Boston remains on the hunt for a lefty bench bat. In a perfect world, the Red Sox would find someone who could complement Bobby Dalbec at first, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com (via Twitter). Cotillo floats Marwin Gonzalez, Brad Miller, and Mitch Moreland as some players that might fit the bill. Boston’s bench leans heavily to the right at present, with Jonathan Arauz as one of very few organizational options as a lefty bat off the bench unless Jarren Duran makes the team out of spring training.

Free Agent Notes: Ozuna, Semien, Simmons, Miller, Moreland, Richards

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The latest buzz from the free agent market…

  • The Dodgers, Brewers, Yankees, and Red Sox are among the teams interested in Marcell Ozuna, according to Hector Gomez of Deportivo Z 101 (via Twitter).  These four clubs are new additions to Ozuna’s market, while the Twins and Mets (also mentioned by Gomez) were linked to the slugger earlier this winter.  Ozuna is looking for at least a four-year contract, Gomez writes.  While financial demands weren’t mentioned, it can be assumed that Ozuna is looking for enough money to put the Dodgers and Yankees well over the $210MM luxury tax threshold, so it’s possible their interest is somewhat limited.  Such a signing would also put Boston close to the threshold, and while the Brewers are nowhere near the tax line, it would represent a very bold move by a Milwaukee team that wasn’t expected to spend much this winter.  It has been a relatively quiet offseason for Ozuna on the rumor mill, as his market may be dependent on whether or not the NL has a designated hitter spot available in 2021 and beyond.
  • Didi Gregorius, Marcus Semien, and Andrelton Simmons “are viewed within the industry as similar enough that no team is compelled to set the market with a contract,” according to Matt Gelb and C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic,  This has created a lot of uncertainty about when any of the shortstop trio might sign, what their next deals might be worth, or what teams will eventually make the leap.  Gelb and Rosecrans discussed the three shortstops with nine  evaluators, who broke down the pros and cons of each player and ranked them 1-2-3 on a ballot.
  • In other news about the shortstops, the Red Sox are likely no longer a fit for Semien now that Enrique Hernandez is heading to Boston.  The Sox were reported to have interest in Semien as a second baseman, but MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter links) hears from a source who believes “Semien still wants to sign as a shortstop,” despite interest from teams at other infield positions.  Boston is still looking to add a left-handed hitter to the bench mix, with Cotillo reporting that Brad Miller and Mitch Moreland are possibilities.
  • The Blue Jays were known to have interest in Simmons back in November and in the leadup to the trade deadline, and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that Simmons is still on Toronto’s radar.
  • Garrett Richards is one player who seems to no longer to be under consideration for the Blue Jays, as Cotillo reports that the Jays aren’t one of the teams still looking to sign the free agent righty.  “At least other teams” besides the Red Sox are still vying for Richards, Cotillo writes, though Boston seems to be relatively far along in discussions with Richards’ camp.

AL Notes: Correa, Tigers, Red Sox

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The Astros suffered a major loss in free agency this week with the departure of outfielder George Springer, who agreed to sign with the Blue Jays. Next winter, they could see shortstop Carlos Correa follow Springer in exiting on the open market, though the 26-year-old told Astroline Radio (h/t: Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle) that he prefers to stick with the franchise for the long haul. “I love this organization. I love the Astros. I would love to be an Astro for life,” the one-time All-Star and former AL Rookie of the Year said. “I hope they’re on the same side I am. If they’re on the same side, I would love to be an Astro for the rest of my life.” For now, Correa and the Astros are gearing up for an arbitration hearing (he filed for a $12.5MM salary; they filed for $9.75MM), but he understands “it’s a business and you have to leave your feelings out of it.”

  • The Tigers have shown interest in free-agent utilityman Marwin Gonzalez, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets. Signing with Detroit would reunite Gonzalez with new manager A.J. Hinch, who was the Astros’ skipper during part of Gonzalez’s time in Houston. Gonzalez had his best year in 2017 under Hinch, which was also a World Series-winning campaign for the Astros. The success Gonzalez had as an Astro led the Twins to sign him to a two-year, $21MM contract going into 2019, but the club didn’t get great value from that investment. The switch-hitting 31-year-old batted an underwhelming .248/.311/.387 in 662 plate appearances with Minnesota, though he did continue to provide defensive versatility. He saw at least some action at first, second, third, short and both outfield positions as a Twin.
  • Along with Gonzalez, the Tigers are interested in first baseman Mitch Moreland, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Moreland has been on the market since the Padres declined his $3MM option at the start of the offseason. The 35-year-old divided last season between San Diego and Boston, with which he combined for a strong .265/.342/.551 line and 10 home runs in 152 plate appearances. Moreland’s production did plummet as the year progressed, though.
  • The Red Sox continue to have interest in utility player Enrique Hernandez, as Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports that the two sides have held talks “in recent days.” However, Cotillo adds that it’s unknown if the Red Sox and Hernandez are nearing an agreement. In Boston, the former Dodger would be a candidate to rack up plenty of reps at second base, where he has played frequently. The Sox currently have Christian Arroyo, Michael Chavis and Yairo Munoz as in-house candidates to handle the keystone.

Padres To Decline Mitch Moreland’s Option

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The Padres are planning to decline their $3MM club option on Mitch Moreland, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan (Twitter link). The veteran first baseman will instead receive a $500K buyout and hit free agency. The Padres have confirmed the move.

San Diego gave up a pair of well-regarded prospects, outfielder Jeisson Rosario and infielder Hudson Potts, to acquire Moreland from the Red Sox before the August 31 trade deadline. Both Rosario and Potts would’ve had to be added to the 40-man roster or else be exposed to the Rule 5 draft this offseason. Freeing up roster space to protect each player figures to be easier for Boston than it would’ve been for the Padres, who have quite a few top prospects who’ll need roster space in the coming months. Nevertheless, losing Rosario and Potts looks like a hefty price to pay for one month of Moreland’s services.

Unfortunately, Moreland underwhelmed after the trade. While he got off to a scorching start in Boston, the 35-year-old put up subpar numbers in San Diego. A down 73 plate appearances surely hasn’t completely soured the Padres’ front office on Moreland’s ability, though. Overall, the left-handed hitter put up a fantastic .265/.342/.551 line between the two clubs.

As Chris Cotillo of MassLive points out (on Twitter), the uncertainty regarding the status of the designated hitter likely played a part in today’s decision. Eric Hosmer would likely have gotten the lion’s share of time at first base even if he had continued to perform at the unspectacular levels he’d managed between 2018-19. The 31-year-old Hosmer looked reinvigorated at the plate in 2020, cementing himself as an everyday player.

With the designated hitter available to NL teams in 2020, Hosmer and Moreland each had opportunity for playing time last season. Like all the other rule changes necessitated by the pandemic-impacted season, the universal DH was only approved for last season. While there’s long been an expectation the universal DH could become permanent under the terms of the next collective bargaining agreement, there’s no guarantee it’ll be in place for 2021.

Moreland will now join a first base market that doesn’t have many clear everyday options. He’ll probably attract a fair bit of interest, particularly if the NL does adopt the DH in the coming months. It’s a bit of a red flag the Padres resorted to declining his option, though. Presumably, the front office looked for a potential trade partner over the past five days and didn’t find a team willing to give up assets to bring Moreland aboard at a low price.

Padres Still Deciding On Mitch Moreland’s Option

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The Padres have a relatively small decision to make on trade deadline acquisition Mitch Moreland, whose contract contains a reasonable $3MM club option for the 2021 season. San Diego can buy out that option for $500K and send Moreland back into free agency, but general manager A.J. Preller told reporters yesterday that no decision has been made (link via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune). The dilemma isn’t so much a financial one, it seems, but rather a quandary as the Padres — and all other NL clubs — will still have a designated hitter slot in 2021.

“The DH question is definitely a question all the teams are asking about,” Preller said. “It does affect your team planning. … We felt that option was something we’d consider. It would help a little bit having a sense of if there is a DH or not.”

At face value, keeping Moreland at a net $2.5MM even if he’s primarily a bench bat seems perfectly defensible, although there’s some reason to be a bit bearish on his outlook. Moreland posted an outrageous .328/.430/.746 slash in 22 games with the Sox before cratering with a .203/.247/.362 line in 20 games with the Padres. Those were samples of 79 and 73 plate appearances, respectively, however — rather small sets of data from which to glean much. Moreland’s overall .265/.342/.551 slash was still terrific, and the composite .251/.329/.479 output he’s put together over the past three seasons reflects that he’s an above-average hitter when properly shielded from facing too many left-handed opponents.

At the same time, the Padres have Eric Hosmer entrenched at first base thanks to the eight-year, $144MM deal he inked three seasons ago. Hosmer had his best year with the Friars in 2020, hitting .287/.333/.517 with nine homers in just 158 plate appearances. Barring an injury, he’d stand in the way of everyday at-bats for Moreland, and the Padres may not want to commit $2.5MM right out of the gate this winter when they already have $90.5MM on next year’s books and are faced with a notable arbitration class; Tommy Pham, Zach Davies, Mike Clevinger, Matt Strahm, Dinelson Lamet and Emilio Pagan are among the club’s more notable cases, and there’s also talk of a potential Fernando Tatis extension.

Preller clearly knows Moreland well, as he was an assistant GM in Texas when Moreland was drafted, developed and broke into the Majors with the Rangers. San Diego parted with some legitimate minor league talent to acquire Moreland, so one would expect that they hoped to get more than one month of production. Whether that’ll be the case may well be tied to measures beyond their control, however.

From a broader perspective, the Padres aren’t the only club that would strongly like to have clarity on this front headed into the offseason. Each NL club’s roster construction plans would vary considerably from universal DH to conventional NL rules structure. Players and agents, similarly, would benefit from a definitive decision on next year’s DH situation being made. A player like Nelson Cruz, for instance, would surely like to know if he can plausibly market himself to NL clubs. At the moment, however, there’s no clear indication as to when anything will be set in stone. The league and MLBPA would need to agree on a change of this nature, but the previous agreement only implemented universal DH status for the 2020 eason.

Padres Acquire Jason Castro From Angels

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11:06PM: The trade has been officially announced by both teams.

5:21PM: Right-hander Gerardo Reyes is going to Los Angeles as the return for Castro, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell reports (Twitter link).  The hard-throwing Reyes has 26 MLB innings on his resume, posting a 7.62 ERA, 13.2 K/9, and 3.45 K/BB over 26 innings for San Diego in 2019.  Advanced metrics painted a much more favorable picture of Reyes’ performance, however, as he was hurt by a stunningly low 47.3% strand rate.

3:27PM: The Padres have acquired catcher Jason Castro from the Angels, confirms Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The 33-year-old veteran had been scratched from today’s game due to mounting trade interest, as first reported by Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

The return headed to the Angels in the deal is not yet known. More than likely, it won’t be a significant haul for the Halos, given that Castro is due to hit free agency at season’s end, making him essentially a one-month rental.

Castro will head to San Diego to complement Austin Hedges in the Padres’ catching mix. The move represent more win-now aggression on San Diego’s part; they’ve been busy this trade season, already making deals for reliever Trevor Rosenthal and first baseman Mitch Moreland this weekend.

The former Astro enjoyed something of a revitalizing season with the Twins last year, with his .767 OPS representing his highest single-season mark since 2013. That was fueled by a nice power surge, as Castro slugged 13 home runs in just 275 plate appearances.

That production hasn’t quite been there this season, as Castro’s batting average has slumped below .200 and his OPS is down to .707, but we ought to be careful not to rush to conclusions given that he’s made just 62 plate appearances. He’s hitting the ball just as hard as last year while getting on base at a solid clip thanks to a 16.1% walk rate. Interestingly, he’s hitting the ball in the air more than ever, so the jury’s still out on the merits of that development.

As a result, the Angels rewarded Castro with a one-year, $6.85MM contract in the winter. Unfortunately, he only wound up playing 18 games for the Halos before being shipped out. He’ll be owed just a bit more than $1MM for the remainder of the season.

In San Diego, he’ll offer a nice alternative to the defensive-minded Hedges, who’s working with a mere .614 OPS for the year. He’s probably more capable offensively than both Hedges and incumbent backup Francisco Mejia, who’s currently on the injured list. Needless to say, there will be a bit of a defensive drop-off from Hedges to Castro, the latter of whom logged above-average framing numbers a season ago but is getting somewhat negative returns thus far in 2020.

Castro’s presence will likely squeeze the young Mejia out of some at-bats, but the Padres will be happy to bring aboard a veteran of Castro’s ilk as they gear up for a postseason run in 2020, shifting their focus away from development and towards winning.

Padres Acquire Mitch Moreland

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The Padres have acquired first baseman Mitch Moreland from the Red Sox. Prospects Hudson Potts and Jeisson Rosario are headed to Boston in return.

Moreland, 34, has been in Boston since the start of 2017. On the whole, he’s been a little better than average at the plate, combining for a .251/.332/.471 line (108 wRC+). He has been on an absolute tear this season, though, blasting eight home runs in 79 plate appearances en route to a .328/.430/.746 slash. Moreland has always hit the ball hard, generally avoided strikeouts and drawn his fair share of walks.

Like incumbent Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer, Moreland’s a left-handed bat, but he could complement right-handed hitting DH Ty France. Thanks in part to strong contributions from Hosmer and France, San Diego’s lineup has been among the best in baseball this season. Moreland is owed the balance of his $925K prorated salary and comes with an affordable $3MM club option for 2021.

In exchange, Boston picks up a pair of well-regarded prospects. Both Potts and Rosario were included among Baseball America’s top 30 Padre farmhands midseason. Potts, a 21-year-old third baseman, draws praise for his big-time raw power and comes with a first-round pedigree, but some scouts question his bat-to-ball skills. He performed well in the low minors, but scuffled a bit last season, when he hit .227/.290/.406 with a 28.6% strikeout rate in Double-A. In fairness, Potts was very young for that level, and the Texas League’s an extremely pitcher-friendly environment regardless.

Rosario, 20, was a high-priced international signee from the Pads’ vaunted 2016 J2 class. He draws ample praise for his athleticism and center field defense, although it’s up in the air how much impact he’ll make offensively despite seemingly exceptional plate discipline. Rosario has topped out at the High-A level, where he hit .242/.372/.314 with three home runs in 525 plate appearances.

All told, it’s a pretty strong haul for Boston, especially since Moreland’s fantastic start hadn’t helped propel them past an 11-22 record. That said, roster rules help explain why the Padres were willing to part with both players. Each needs to be added to the 40-man this offseason or else be exposed to the Rule V draft. The Pads, who continue to progress their swath of strong prospects to the high minors and above, have a seeming roster crunch incoming. The Red Sox, on the other hand, don’t have a particularly well-regarded farm system and can more easily find roster space for Potts and Rosario this offseason.

To clear immediate space for the prospects in their 60-man player pool, Boston released infielder Marco Hernández. The 27-year-old amassed a .265/.300/.342 line in parts of three seasons in Boston.

Robert Murray first reported that Moreland had been traded to San Diego (Twitter link). Dennis Lin of the Athletic first reported the return (via Twitter).

Mitch Moreland Changes Agencies

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Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland has switched agencies and hired Paragon Sports as his representation, MLBTR’s Steve Adams reports. MLBTR has made note of the change in our Agency Database.

The soon-to-be 35-year-old Moreland is entering his fourth season with the Red Sox, who have signed him to three short-term contracts dating back to the 2016 offseason. He most recently inked a one-year, $3MM deal with the team back in January. That pact includes a $3MM option or a $500K buyout for 2021, so Moreland could stick on their roster beyond this season.

Since his career started in 2010, Moreland has consistently offered league-average production on offense, having batted .251/.319/.444 (99 wRC+) with 166 home runs in 4,132 plate appearances. Although injuries limited Moreland to 91 games and 335 PA in 2019, it was nonetheless one of his most productive and powerful seasons. He slashed .252/.328/.507 (112 wRC+) with 19 homers and a personal-best .255 ISO, which betters his lifetime mark of .192 by 63 points.

Red Sox Notes: Dalbec, Perez

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The identity of the Boston Red Sox is unclear now that Mookie Betts and David Price play for a different organization. The trickle down effect of losing a bat like Betts from a lineup will certainly affect the other Boston position players, but they still have a talented group of players on hand, starting with corner outfielders Andrew Benintendi and Alex Verdugo. If that sweet-swinging pair can take their games to the next level, the Red Sox should once again roster an above-average offense in 2020. Believe it or not, the Red Sox were fourth in the majors in runs scored last season, so even without Betts, they could surprise some people. Let’s check in on some camp battles worth watching in Red Sox territory…

  • Bobby Dalbec won’t be on the opening day roster, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Dalbec turns 25 this June, so it’s entirely likely he’ll be ready for major league action at some point this season. With Rafael Devers and Michael Chavis already on the roster, Dalbec is blocked at his natural position of third base. He has taken some reps at first base the last couple of seasons, which could pave the way for a 2020 debut. Mitch Moreland has his foot on the bag for now, with Chavis potentially sliding over from second against tough lefties. Even so, with the Red Sox holding a club option for Moreland in 2021 and a long history of just adequate offensive production, Moreland is hardly a monolith at first. With the expectation of making the opening day roster apparently dashed, Dalbec can focus in on the larger task at hand – putting himself in a position to usurp a roster spot at some point during the 2020 season. 
  • Martin Perez was courted this offseason by both the Rays and Red Sox, ultimately signing with the Red Sox on a one-year, $6MM deal just before Christmas. Perez, a client of OL Baseball Group LLC, felt strongly about joining the Red Sox, even going so far as to tell his agent that even if the Rays offered more money, he preferred signing in Boston, per The Athletic’s Chad Jennings. Perez’s most recent body of work hardly suggest he’s worthy of a bidding war – bidding skirmish, say – but Jennings provides an insightful quote from Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom, who says of Perez, “Basically, we felt two things. One, the stuff and the underlying way in which he pitched deserved better results than he got. And two, that there were further tweaks we could help him make to his repertoire to make him even more effective.” 

Red Sox Notes: Weber, Verdugo, Moreland, JBJ

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Just what are the Red Sox thinking by tying up a 40-man roster spot on righty Ryan Weber? Chad Jennings of The Athletic explores (subscription link). The club sees Weber as a clear candidate to take the fifth starter’s role or at least to serve as valuable depth. (He can still be optioned.) While his stuff isn’t eye-popping, it seems the org’s talent evaluators were wowed by Weber’s “command and execution.” And new chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom evidently hasn’t seen cause yet to disagree. Weber doesn’t throw hard and owns only a 5.04 ERA in 114 1/3 MLB innings over the past five seasons. It’ll be interesting to see whether the Sox can help him find a path to contributing value in 2020.

In other news out of Boston, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com rounds up a series of interesting stories on the Sox. We’ll take a brief look at those of particular hot stove relevance …

  • There’s some good news on the progress of recently acquired outfielder Alex Verdugo, but also some added questions. Bradford writes that the 23-year-old has made major strides just since camp opened — but also that he may miss a month or more of the regular season. “The fact it is taking this long is frustrating,” says Verdugo. “What keeps me positive is that all the players, the staff, the trainers, they all support me. They all want me to wait until I’m fully healthy and get back.” Verdugo spoke about the lingering back and related issues that have plagued him for some time now, saying that he had been on a “regular workout plan” from the Dodgers that (it now seems) may not have been the best approach.
  • Regardless whether this lengthy recovery process could’ve been shortened, it’s certainly disappointing that the Boston organization is dealing with this sort of uncertainty surrounding the key player acquired in exchange for Mookie Betts. And Verdugo’s potential also makes for a key component of the team’s 2020 outlook. Even without Betts, the club is certainly at least a plausible Wild Card contender. Fans feeling down about the situation may at least be buoyed somewhat to learn of Verdugo’s unabashed affinity for legend David Ortiz (Twitter link).
  • Returning veteran first baseman Mitch Moreland spoke of his most recent stint on the open market. While he again ended up inking with the Sox, it wasn’t an obvious outcome for much of the winter. Moreland, a Mississippi native, says he fielded interest from a number of other clubs, including some “really close to home that were enticing.” Ultimately, the Red Sox re-engaged — and Moreland says he was happy to work it out to remain in Boston. The Sox will be pleased if they get a repeat of Moreland’s 2019 output; he slashed .252/.328/.507 (112 wRC+) after putting up only league-average offensive output in his first two years with the club.
  • The free agent process can certainly have its twists and turns, but center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. sees it in a positive light. Bradley, who’ll hit the open market next winter, tells Bradford that he’s looking forward to having the ability “to finally make a choice for yourself.” There are ways in which nearing free agency can be stressful, he acknowledged, but that’s all a matter of perspective. For Bradley, there’s nothing but upside: “Why not be excited about it?” he queried.
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