MLBTR Originals

Braves Have All The Pieces To Build A Solid DH

By TC Zencka | May 16, 2020 at 12:26pm CDT

With the DH likely headed to the National League in 2020, the Braves may have a few more at-bats to spread around. As a team, the Braves finished 2019 with a 102 wRC+, the 4th-highest mark in the National League, though they managed to turn that production into 855 runs, fewer than only the Nationals and Dodgers. To repeat at those levels, Atlanta has the difficult task of replacing the production from Bringer of Rain Josh Donaldson, who joined the Twins after putting up 37 bombs, 96 runs, 94 RBIs, and an all-around stellar 6.0 rWAR season in 2019. A regular DH should help.

Atlanta boasts a good deal of depth to utilize in a potential designated hitter role. For starters, there’s the question of whether Johan Camargo becomes a four-down back at third base. Austin Riley may eventually take over the hot corner, but if he doesn’t, there are probably some DH at-bats to go his way. Riley was slated to spend some time at Triple-A, but if there is no Triple-A, the Braves may just as soon bring his light-tower power to the big-league level. Riley definitely struggled closing out his rookie year, but power (.471 SLG and .245 ISO) isn’t the problem. Riley needs to close the gap on his 5.4% BB% and 36.4 K%, but given his youth and potential, he’s probably the guy the Braves want to claim the DH spot (if he doesn’t claim third base outright).

If Riley doesn’t improve the other aspects of his game, then he’s essentially Adam Duvall, another candidate for DH at-bats. Duvall, 31, has a career .229 ISO and .461 SLG at the big league level, numbers that could land him in the middle of the order if it weren’t for other drawbacks to his game. In 130 plate appearances last season, Duvall put together a solid 121 wRC+ showing by hitting .267/.315/.567. That output was bolstered by an absurd .300 ISO. He also had some good luck, as his .306 BABIP was a fair bit higher than his career mark of .271. Duvall could certainly see some time at DH, especially if they want to save Riley for a more stable playing environment, but he has gone just 1 for 3 in posting a wRC+ over 100 when given more than 400 plate appearances. In a short season, however, Duvall has the type of short-burst approach that could perform.

The safer option is to use the DH to rest their four-man outfield of Ronald Acuna Jr., Ender Inciarte, Marcell Ozuna, and Nick Markakis. Acuna will be in there every day, but he can move around the outfield and would probably benefit from a DHing day every now and again. Ozuna and Markakis complement each other perfectly in some ways, with Ozuna the right-handed power bat and Markakis the lefty on-base option, and they can both handle themselves in the field. There’s no reason both shouldn’t be in the lineup, however, especially if Inciarte is healthy enough to spend the better part of most weeks manning centerfield. Inciarte, 29, played just 65 games last season, but he’s a true difference-maker with the glove when healthy (21 OAA in 2018, 20 OAA in 2017). Assuming health, all four of Acuna, Inciarte, Ozuna, and Markakis should find their names on the lineup card most days.

With Acuna taking his spot in right, Markakis might be the guy who gets the most at-bats as the ostensible extra bat. But when southpaws take the hill, the Braves can rest some combination of Markakis/Inciarte while getting Duvall or Riley some run. Both mashed lefties in 2019. Say they go with a straight left-right platoon: Markakis hit .298/.371/.446 vs. righties in 2019, and Duvall (small sample alert) hit .333/.386/.744 vs lefties. Even take Duvall’s career splits versus lefties (.240/.318/.473), and a leveraged platoon of Markakis and Duvall makes for a pretty potent designated hitter.

This post continues a recent series from MLBTR looking at designated hitters options for each team in the National League. Thus far we’ve covered the Cardinals, Reds, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Nationals, as well as the remaining free agent options.

Universal DH Would Allow Nationals To Reboot Their World Series Approach

By TC Zencka | May 16, 2020 at 9:32am CDT

With the DH likely headed to the National League, at least for 2020, we’re going over each NL roster to find their best and most likely candidates to reap the rewards of the extra at-bats. We’ve already looked at the Cardinals and Reds from the Central, the Dodgers and Diamondbacks out West, as well as some free agent options still available. Let’s dip our toes into the NL East, and what better place to start than with the defending World Series champs: the Washington Nationals.

If there’s a team ready for post-coronavirus baseball, it’s the Nats. Last we saw of the Nationals, they were stomping the Astros on Houston’s turf en route to becoming the first team in history to win a World Series with four road wins. The Nats floundered with NL rules, scoring one run per game in front of their home crowd – but with Howie Kendrick at designated hitter, Dave Martinez’s club cannot be beat. They’ve proven they can win with their fans watching from home and their pitchers keeping a safe distance from the batters’ box.

Obviously, even the seven most high-pressure games in baseball is a poor stand-in for large sample data, and those games alone don’t suggest much of anything at all about how the Nats will actually transition to the universal DH. That said, Howie Kendrick remains their likeliest DH candidate, and that bodes well for Washington’s offense. Being able to let Kendrick DH most days should loosen Martinez’s strickly regimented rest schedule for his 36-year-old utility slugger. Given the discipline Martinez showed in limiting a healthy Kendrick to 70 starts last season – even as he put up a .344/.395/.572 line – it’s unlikely Kendrick suits up on an everyday basis. But two years removed from Achilles surgery in a shortened season with a DH: that might be the recipe for an everyday Howie Kendrick.

There could do a flip side to a shortened season, however, such as fewer rest days or stacked doubleheaders, so the Nats will need other options beyond Kendrick. Luckily, Washington has other options on the roster beyond its NLCS MVP, and if they want to station Kendrick in the field a time or two a week, he can capably man first, second, or even third.

In terms of alternative, Eric Thames should be liberally deployed against right-handers. Thames joins the roster in place of Matt Adams, who shouldered much of the first-base burden against tough righties last season. Beyond serving as injury insurance for Adam Eaton in right, that’s the role Thames should step into in Washington. With an extra bat in the lineup, the former KBO star ought to find himself in the lineup against right-handers most days, whether at first base, right field, or DH. Coming off a 25-homer season in which he slugged .529 against righties, he’s a weapon in the right spot.

As in 2019, the Nats will play a three-man game at first base, with no less than Mr. National himself taking up that third slot. Ryan Zimmerman should slot in for Thames or Kendrick on occasion against righties, but expect to find him in the lineup while Thames comes off the bench against lefties. Zim’s numbers last season could be construed as a vet nearing his last legs (.257/.314/.415), but the problem wasn’t his legs: it was his feet. Plantar fasciitis slowed Zimmerman for most of the season, but he came up with some big hits in the postseason, and the extra time to rest and recuperate this offseason should benefit the long-time National

The final consideration for the Nats’ DH spot is this: if top prospect Carter Kieboom starts the season in the minors, Asdrubal Cabrera will man third base. But if the Nats deem Kieboom ready from the jump, then Cabrera could cycle through the DH role a bit as well. Cabrera was excellent after joining the Nats in 2019, finishing the year with a total line of .260/.342/.441 with 18 home runs and 91 driven in. For what it’s worth, Cabrera reached base at a higher rate while batting right-handed last year (.357 OBP to .337 OBP), but he slugged better while hitting from the left side (.452 SLG to .410 SLG).

If indeed the National League plays with a DH this season, Dave Martinez will juggle the role as he did with his veterans’ playing time in 2019. With the Kendrick/Thames/Zimmerman triumvirate time-sharing at-bats between first base and DH, the Nats may need the extra oomph from having two of the three in the lineup up every day to help offset the loss of Anthony Rendon. If nothing else, the Nats proved in the World Series they could thrive living the American League lifestyle. Soon, they may soon get the chance to prove it for a full (shortened) season.

Royals Have Reduced Future Payroll Commitments To Under $40MM

By Jeff Todd | May 15, 2020 at 10:21pm CDT

2020 salary terms are set to be hammered out in the coming days. But what about what’s owed to players beyond that point? The near-term economic picture remains questionable at best. That’ll make teams all the more cautious with guaranteed future salaries.

Every organization has some amount of future cash committed to players, all of it done before the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe. There are several different ways to look at salaries; for instance, for purposes of calculating the luxury tax, the average annual value is the touchstone, with up-front bonuses spread over the life of the deal. For this exercise, we’ll focus on actual cash outlays that still have yet to be paid.

We’ll run through every team, with a big assist from the Cot’s Baseball Contracts database. Next up is the Royals:

(click to expand/view detail list)

Royals Total Future Cash Obligation: $38.75MM

The Last 10 First Overall Picks

By Connor Byrne | May 15, 2020 at 7:13pm CDT

We previously revisited the No. 1 overall picks from the 1980s, the 1990s and 2000-09. Let’s now take a look at the prior decade…

2010 – Bryce Harper, OF, Nationals:

This was an easy pick for the Nationals, who grabbed one of the most hyped prospects ever, and Harper hasn’t disappointed. Now 27 years old, Harper’s a six-time All-Star with an NL MVP and a Rookie of the Year Award to his name, though he’s no longer a National. Harper owns the largest overall free-agent contract ever – the 13-year, $330MM accord he signed with the division-rival Phillies before 2019. Between the two teams, Harper has slashed .276/.385/.512 (138 wRC+) with 219 home runs and 35.1 fWAR.

2011 – Gerrit Cole, SP, Pirates:

Speaking of record contracts, Cole scored a nine-year, $324MM deal with the Yankees this past winter, making him the highest-paid pitcher ever. The flamethrower got there by combining for a 3.22 ERA in 1,195 innings between Pittsburgh and Houston from 2013-19. The low-budget Pirates, unable to retain Cole for the long haul, sent him to the Astros prior to the 2018 campaign for what hasn’t been a great return thus far. Nevertheless, it’s unlikely they regret taking Cole No. 1 nine years ago.

2012 – Carlos Correa, SS, Astros:

This is yet another smash success from the previous decade’s drafts. While injuries have troubled Correa of late, he’s one of the most valuable shortstops in baseball when he takes the field, having batted .277/.356/.489 (129 wRC+) with 102 homers and 18.5 fWAR over 2,362 plate appearances.

2013 – Mark Appel, SP, Astros:

Unlike the Correa pick, this selection didn’t work out for the Astros. Appel, who still hasn’t pitched in the majors, went one pick before Cubs superstar Kris Bryant. But the Astros did get value from Appel when they dealt him and others to the Phillies in 2015 for reliever Ken Giles, who had his moments with the club from 2016-18. Appel, meanwhile, stepped away from baseball in February 2018. It’s anyone’s guess whether he’ll pitch professionally again.

2014 – Brady Aiken, SP, Astros:

Three straight No. 1 picks for the Astros. They’ve come a long way since then, but Aiken didn’t play a role in their recent success. The team failed to sign Aiken, but its inability to do so turned into a 2015 compensatory pick (No. 2) that it used on Alex Bregman. Safe to say that worked out well. Aiken re-entered the draft and went 17th to the Indians in ’15, but he hasn’t played in the majors yet, and like Appel, he isn’t sure if he ever will.

2015 – Dansby Swanson, SS, Diamondbacks:

Swanson, who came off the board one pick before Bregman (oops), never actually played for the Diamondbacks. They traded him, outfielder Ender Inciarte and righty Aaron Blair to Atlanta in a 2015 deal that brought Shelby Miller to Arizona (MLBTR’s George Miller recently revisited that swap). Swanson hasn’t blossomed into a star at the MLB level, though, as the owner of a .245/.318/.385 line (81 wRC+) with 3.9 fWAR in 1,774 trips to the plate.

The rest:

For the most part, it’s too soon to assess these players. Outfielder Mickey Moniak went No. 1 to the Phillies in 2016, but he hasn’t gotten past the Double-A level yet. If the Phillies had a do-over, they’d probably take Pete Alonso (64), Bo Bichette (66) or Shane Bieber (122), to name a few who have turned into major league standouts from that draft class. A year later, shortstop Royce Lewis went to the Twins at No. 1. Righty Casey Mize became a Tiger with the top pick in 2018, and catcher Adley Rutschman joined the Orioles with the first selection last summer. Lewis, Mize and Rutschman are still regarded as premium prospects. We’ll see how they fare if and when they appear at the sport’s highest level.

Ryu Accounts For Half Of Blue Jays’ Future Payroll Guarantees

By Jeff Todd | May 15, 2020 at 4:24pm CDT

We’ll run through every team, with a big assist from the Cot’s Baseball Contracts database. Next up is the Blue Jays:

Blue Jays Total Future Cash Obligation: $122.07MM

*Includes remaining signing bonus payout to Randal Grichuk

*Includes remaining obligation to Troy Tulowitzki (released)

*Includes buyout on 2021 club option over Chase Anderson

(click to expand/view detail list)

Universal DH Could Give Blocked Cardinals Sluggers An Opportunity

By Steve Adams | May 15, 2020 at 9:38am CDT

More than a month ago, I took a look at several Cardinals hitters who had limited avenues to big league playing time by virtue of the team’s veteran roster. The sudden likelihood of a universal DH gives those players another notable chunk of at-bats to display their MLB readiness. The Cardinals’ depth perhaps makes it unlikely that they’ll go with one or even two players as their primary DH like the D-backs will, but they’ll be able to cycle through a blend of veteran and rookie options in a matchup-based approach.

Matt Carpenter graded out well at the hot corner both in Defensive Runs Saved (+5) and Outs Above Average (+6) last year. But as he approaches his 35th birthday, he could see some more time at the DH slot or at first base on days when Paul Goldschmidt needs a breather. Either scenario makes it easier to slot Tommy Edman in at the hot corner. The 25-year-old Edman was the Cardinals’ 2019 out-of-nowhere breakout du jour — they have one every year, it seems — and manager Mike Shildt will want him in the lineup as much as possible after he hit .304/.350/.500 in 349 plate appearances.

Given Edman’s ability to play virtually anywhere on the field, though, he’d have been worked into the mix regularly with or without a DH. That’s less true of young outfielders like Tyler O’Neill and Lane Thomas, who were vying for at-bats in left field in the wake of Marcell Ozuna’s departure. O’Neill has long been awaiting a legitimate opportunity in the Majors. Soon to turn 25, he’s shown some swing-and-miss throughout his career but has clear light-tower power. Thomas is more defense-oriented than O’Neill but has had his share of success at the plate in the upper minors, too.

The Cardinals’ trade of Jose Martinez this winter may seem ill-timed now, as he’d have been well-suited for DH duties, but part of the reason for the trade may have been that the club believes in the also-right-handed bat of 28-year-old Rangel Ravelo — an out-of-options first baseman/outfielder who was squarely behind Goldschmidt on the depth chart. Despite a .293/.369/.452 slash in 1652 Triple-A plate appearances, Ravelo only has 49 big league plate appearances. That number wouldn’t have gone up much as a pure bench bat, so the implementation of a DH slot in the NL would be music to his ears. Waiver claim Austin Dean, another right-handed bat with a big Triple-A track record, carries a similar skill set. The left-handed-hitting Justin Williams is yet another option.

Of course, the player who excites Cards fans the most is top prospect Dylan Carlson, a 21-year-old 2016 first-rounder who ranks among the game’s very best prospects. Carlson was hoping to break camp with the Cards and might’ve been a long shot, but the uncertain minor league season could make him likelier to land on the Major League roster and get his at-bats in left or center. The addition gives the Cards the opportunity to get a look at Carlson without those at-bats coming at the direct expense of O’Neill, Thomas, Ravelo and Edman. Carlson surely would’ve gotten a lengthy audition sooner than later, but a DH allows the organization to evaluate him and other young options in simultaneous fashion that would’ve otherwise been difficult in the past.

With Edman and Brad Miller filling versatile super-utility roles, plus several intriguing younger and/or inexperienced bats who have been waiting for a chance (Carlson, O’Neill, Ravelo, Thomas, etc.), the Cards should be able to find a productive mix.

How Does The Future Payroll Look For Cost-Conscious Rays?

By Jeff Todd | May 14, 2020 at 7:34pm CDT

We’ll run through every team, with a big assist from the Cot’s Baseball Contracts database. Next up is the Rays:

Rays Total Future Cash Obligation: $101.17MM

*Does not include vesting option for Charlie Morton (value between $3MM and $15MM based upon number of days on injured list)

*Includes remaining obligations to Evan Longoria (traded to Giants)

(click to expand/view detail list)

Yankees Have Over Half A Billion Dollars On Books Past 2020

By Jeff Todd | May 14, 2020 at 4:33pm CDT

We’ll run through every team, with a big assist from the Cot’s Baseball Contracts database. Next up is the Yankees:

Yankees Total Future Cash Obligation: $612MM

*Giancarlo Stanton (after 2020) and Gerrit Cole (after 2024) can opt out

*total reflects that Marlins to pay $30MM if Stanton does not opt out

*Zack Britton contract includes opt-out opportunity after 2020 if team does not exercise 2022 club option

*Jacoby Ellsbury (released) still owed buyout on 2021 club option, pending grievance

*total does not include J.A. Happ vesting option ($17MM) with 165 innings/27 starts (will likely be pro-rated for shortened season)

(click to expand/view detail list)

The Senzel Factor: 2020 DH Would Give Reds A Lot Of Options

By Jeff Todd | May 14, 2020 at 2:59pm CDT

With the DH likely headed to the National League, at least for 2020, we’re going to run through each of the NL teams to see how they might best handle this new need/opportunity and explore any interesting potential roster effects. We’ve already done the Dodgers and D-Backs … now on to the Reds:

This is in some respects a dream scenario for the Cincinnati organization, which has a deep group of outfielders and spent the winter adding defensively questionable hitters. Perhaps the potential for a DH helped inform the team’s rather bold decision to give hefty four-year deals to both Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas.

With the aid of the temporary rule change, the club can really make use of exciting youngster Nick Senzel. The versatile infielder/outfielder could get in the lineup on a regular basis while moving around the diamond, opening the door to additional opportunity for him and additional rest for some veterans. If he’s in the lineup, Castellanos or Moustakas could appear as the DH … or slide over to first base to give Joey Votto a day in the hitter-only slot.

It certainly seems reasonable to think that Castellanos will end up occupying DH duties more than anyone else. He’s not considered much of a defender and is presently slated to line up in right field. The Reds could not only plug Senzel into that slot but can draw upon their bounty of platoon-friendly corner outfielders to maximize offensive output. Phil Ervin and Aristides Aquino are the top righty bats, with lefties Jesse Winker, Scott Schebler, and Mark Payton also candidates for the mix. (Left-handed hitter Shogo Akiyama is expected to spend most of his time in center. Senzel, it’s worth noting, can also play there.)

The Reds came into the year looking to shoehorn offensive production wherever possible. Now, they’ll not only have more chances to do so, but have far more flexibility to avoid the potential run-prevention problems that might have accompanied the strategy.

Which 15 Players Should The Rays Protect In An Expansion Draft?

By Tim Dierkes | May 14, 2020 at 1:30pm CDT

In a few weeks, we’ll be running a two-team mock expansion draft here at MLBTR. Currently, we’re creating 15-player protected lists for each of the existing 30 teams. You can catch up on the rules for player eligibility here.

So far, we’ve done the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Orioles. The Rays are next.

In reality, if the Rays were faced with an expansion draft, they’d make a bunch of trades to minimize the damage of losing quality players given their impressive depth. I decided to lock down only seven players:

Charlie Morton
Blake Snell
Tyler Glasnow
Austin Meadows
Brandon Lowe
Brendan McKay
Wander Franco

That leaves some very tough calls among these 29, of which you can only choose eight:

Willy Adames
Jose Alvarado
Nick Anderson
Randy Arozarena
Anthony Banda
Jalen Beeks
Michael Brosseau
Diego Castillo
Yonny Chirinos
Ji-Man Choi
Yandy Diaz
Oliver Drake
Peter Fairbanks
Brent Honeywell
Kevin Kiermaier
Andrew Kittredge
Nate Lowe
Manuel Margot
Jose Martinez
Brian O’Grady
Michael Perez
Colin Poche
Hunter Renfroe
Trevor Richards
Daniel Robertson
Chaz Roe
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo
Joey Wendle
Ryan Yarbrough

With that, we turn it over to the MLBTR readership! Click here to select exactly eight players you think the Rays should protect in our upcoming mock expansion draft. Click here to view the results.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

MLBTR Originals

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect