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The Inner Monologue of @DimTillard Opening Day

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It’s 8:33pm on Monday April 3rd, 2017.  (That’s right, it’s 2017 and Mattel still hasn’t delivered on a real Hoverboard)  Anyway, the past 3 nights I’ve slept in 3 different hotels in 3 different cities in 3 different states.  My schedule has been a little sporadic, so I thought I’d slow things down and type some thoughts for an hour… or at least until the NyQuil does its thing.

8:37pm  First off, I’d just like to congratulate all MLB and MiLB players who made an Opening Day roster somewhere!  It’s a very special accomplishment, and shouldn’t be taken for granted.  And it also means that, after waking up at 5am in spring training for the last 6 weeks … you are now allowed to sleep till noon and go to bed at midnight!

8:41pm  Oh yeah, my name is Tim Dillard.  And this is the third time logging my Inner Monologue for MLB Trade Rumors.  (Part 1 and Part 2)  I’m currently watching Opening Day baseball in a hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  And I am proud to be on a professional Minor League baseball roster for my 15th season!

8:43pm  Making an Opening Day roster anywhere is the equivalent to winning an award!  It’s like the end of Star Wars, where Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are awarded medals!  The few years I didn’t make an Opening Day roster, I felt a bit more like Chewbacca… who was there and did stuff, but didn’t get a medal. *insert pity party emoji

8:45pm  I should really stop using Star Wars analogies though.  Cause one time… I had a former friend tell me he didn’t like Star Wars.

8:48pm  Just heard a lady swearing out in the hallway!  Sounds like she’s upset that her key card doesn’t work.  That’s true.  That can be frustrating.  When you check into a hotel, go up the elevator, drag luggage down the hall, find your room, and the key doesn’t work!  #$%^>*&@!

8:50pm  Last week I was the odd man out, and played catch with a pitching coach.  He looked a little frustrated with me, as I “nonchalantly” tried to make EVERY throw extra hard and extra awesome!  I over-do-it throwing with members of the coaching staff for 2 reasons:  First, I’m always looking for an opportunity to try and impress the coaches… and I forgot the other reason.

8:55pm  The NyQuil may be preparing its magic, so I better type fast.

8:56pm  The other day I was fortunate enough to be in Milwaukee to help back up the Brewers for their Exhibition Games before Opening Day!  I didn’t get to pitch, but got to soak up several memorable moments!

8:59pm  One of the moments was just putting on a Big League Brewers uniform in that clubhouse!  Something I haven’t done since July 2012!  I began thinking of all the mounds I’ve pitched on, and all the places I’ve been between then and now.  Very special.

9:01pm  The other moment was something I had never experienced before!  After the last Exhibition Game concluded, there was NEARLY zero time to catch my return flight back to the Minor Leagues.  So let’s just say, that the person next to me on the 3 and a half hour plane flight could smell a combination of Dubble Bubble and Flexall.  Aaaaannd that’s the first time in my career I’ve played a baseball game in one state, and showered in another.

9:07pm  Speaking of interesting flights, this past December I was on a plane with PGA golfer Jordan Spieth!  Yeah I don’t watch golf, but somebody told me it was him.  And that he was famous!  So naturally I consulted google after we landed.  But it was interesting because, right after I googled him… I looked up, and saw Jordan Spieth looking at me and typing on his phone.  Kinda got the feeling he was googling ME.

9:13pm  Anyway sorry to name-drop.  Not sure why I shared that story.  I really don’t like name-dropping that much.  In fact, I was talking about that with Ryan Braun last week.

9:15pm  Also last week, I made some Latin music videos for Twitter and Instagram.  It was fun.  But the response I got was incredible!  Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Panama, even Telemundo in Milwaukee!  It’s like no one’s ever seen a gringo perfectly lip-syncing Spanish mega-ballads before!  But yes for the record… no habla español.

9:18pm  But I did buy Rosetta Stone before I flew to Mexico to play baseball in spring 2013!  Only to give up after it constantly taught me how to ask about the current state of the foresting industry in Chile.

9:24pm  Hold on, I’m reading NyQuil’s side effects.  Interesting.  Along with “constipation” and “diarrhea,” one of the side effects is actually, “trouble sleeping.”  I guess they have to put those on there to make sure they cover all their bases.

9:27pm  Tonight is the Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship!  It’s between team such and such, and team yada yada… actually I don’t really know who’s playing.  My junior college Alma Mater didn’t make the cut this year, so I don’t really care who wins.

9:30pm  Yesterday a teammate asked me how many teams were in the Final Four.  Later he asked me how I’ve managed to play baseball as long as I have.  My answer to both questions was the same: “Listen man, I really need to take a shower.”

9:34pm  This is my 2nd night in Colorado Springs.  And after all my recent hard work and exercise in Arizona… today, I was easily defeated by a flight of stairs.  Adjusting to 6,000 feet above sea level is no joke.  The important thing is to be patient, and wait for the elevator.

To Be Concluded…

Confused? It may or may not help if you read Part I and Part II.

Inside The Draft Room: The 1998 White Sox

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Duane Shaffer was involved in many facets of the game during his 36-year stint in the Chicago White Sox organization. He was a pitcher, coach, roving instructor, manager, area scout, supervisor and scouting director after being selected by the club in the 11th round of the 1969 draft.

While he is the answer to the trivia question of “Who was manager Tony La Russa’s first pitching coach?” – Shaffer performed those duties for LaRussa at Double-A Knoxville in 1978 – he is best known in baseball circles for overseeing 17 White Sox amateur drafts from 1991-2007.

“I was fortunate enough to work for Jerry Reinsdorf during most of my time there,” said Shaffer, who is now a pro scout with the San Diego Padres. “He afforded me the opportunity to do pretty much anything I wanted to do. He was a tremendous owner. He was a great guy to work for, and I don’t want that to go unsaid. I appreciate what he did for me when I was there.”

Shaffer’s finest hour as the scouting director – and his greatest opportunity to thank Reinsdorf – took place in 1998, when his draft netted two of the most important pieces on the White Sox’s 2005 World Series championship club.

Heading into that draft, Shaffer had plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the White Sox’s draft position. Although the team wasn’t selecting until the 16th spot, Shaffer was certain that the guy he wanted was going to be sitting there for the taking.

The White Sox also received a supplemental first-round pick (No. 35 overall) and an extra third-round pick due to losing free agent outfielder Dave Martinez – who signed with Tampa Bay.

In 1998, Chicago’s first four selections – Kip Wells, Aaron Rowand, Gary Majewski and Josh Fogg – all went on to see extensive big league action, appearing in a combined 38 major league seasons. That in itself merits attention. But it was a 38th-round draft-and-follow selection named Mark Buehrle that turned this into an outstanding draft for the White Sox.

– – –

On the day of the draft, Shaffer’s plan was to select a college pitcher at No. 16 who could get to the majors quick. The player at the top of his draft board was Kip Wells, a right-hander out of Baylor University.

“Kip Wells was the guy we knew had the best chance of being there when we picked,” Shaffer recalled. “Obviously, you had 15 other guys in front, but doing your homework, you have a good idea who they’re going to take prior to you picking. When it came down to that, he was the guy that we wanted.

“He was a guy that you watched pitch, and he was 91-to-95. Good breaking ball. Had a decent feel for pitching. I saw him pitch a few times that year, and I recollect taking Ron Schueler, the general manager, to go see him. This was at the University of Arizona, down in Tucson. We went over and sat down the third-base line and watched him pitch six or seven innings. He was very impressive. You watched the ball come out of his hand. You watched the breaking ball – and the ease in which he did it. He was a big, loose, lanky kid that just impressed you watching him go about his business. He repeated that on a regular basis. That’s who we targeted.

“As it got closer to our turn, Jeff Weaver – who we had drafted the year before (second round in 1997) – went to the Tigers at No. 14. Then Clint Johnston went right in front of us – he was a Vanderbilt kid, left-handed pitcher, who the Pirates picked. Kip was sitting there for us when we picked. Actually, it ended up being a Kip Wells/Brad Lidge discussion when we got down to it. And we ended up selecting Kip.”

It turned out to be an immediate gratification selection, as Wells was in the majors by the end of the following season. In total, he pitched 12 major league seasons – mostly as a starter – with nine different teams. Lidge, meanwhile, was a big league reliever for 11 years.

Looking back, it’s hard not to notice that four of the 10 players selected immediately before Wells did not see a day in the majors.

Looking back, it’s also hard not to notice that four picks after Wells, the Indians selected a high school left-hander by the name of CC Sabathia.

“I went up and saw Sabathia, and he was a good-looking kid,” Shaffer said. “Hindsight is 20-20, obviously, and you’d love to have him. The problem is we thought he might have trouble throwing a breaking ball. At that particular time, we didn’t want to take a guy who had one pitch in the first round. We thought about him and we talked about him – he was a big strong kid – but we weren’t convinced as a group that he was going to have a really good breaking ball. He ended up doing it, obviously. So if you want to say we missed, yeah, we missed. But I’m happy with Kip Wells and I thought he was a good pick at that time.”

As the draft moved into the supplemental round, the future heart-and-soul of the White Sox’s 2005 championship team was there for the taking. And Shaffer was more than happy to take Cal State-Fullerton outfielder Aaron Rowand at No. 35 overall.

Aaron Rowand | Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

“When he got to us with that pick, I was extremely happy to get a kid like him,” Shaffer said. “I knew the physical tools, but it was the mental side for him. He was going to make himself a big leaguer – no matter what. This kid had tremendous determination to be a good major league player.

“You might ask why I didn’t take him first, and the answer is because I didn’t have to. I knew the market. I knew what was in front of him … I knew what was behind him. When he was there for the taking as the supplemental pick, we were extremely happy – because we knew we were getting a gamer, one of those guys that loved to put the uniform on and do whatever he could do to help a ball club win. Aaron was always like that.

“I just had a really good feeling about him … the way he went about his business … the competition level he played against and excelled in at the Division I level at Fullerton. He was one of those guys … you look at him, and you know this guy is a big leaguer.”

Rowand spent five seasons with the White Sox, two with the Phillies and four with the Giants, earning a pair of World Series rings (2005 with the White Sox and 2010 with the Giants).

Shaffer’s next two selections – right-handed pitchers Gary Majewski (St. Pius X High School in Houston, No. 59 overall) and Josh Fogg (University of Florida, No. 89) – had solid but unspectacular big league careers.

Majewski was a reliever with Expos, Nationals, Reds and Astros from 2004-2010, appearing in 231 games.

“Gary was a good-arm kid. He could let it fly. That’s what we liked about him,” Shaffer said. “Good loose arm, and the ball came out of his hand extremely well. Good, live fastball. This is the separator for me when you talk about the high school kid vs. the college guy at this point. His breaking ball wasn’t great; it was OK. He’d show you flashes. At that particular time of the draft, that’s when you might take a chance on a high school kid. Do you think he’s going to get a good breaking ball? Fortunately for us, he ended up developing a decent breaking ball, and he turned out to be a solid-average major league relief pitcher.”

Fogg had a cup of coffee with the White Sox in 2001 before being traded to the Pirates – along with Wells – as part of a five-player deal in which starter Todd Ritchie was acquired by Chicago. Fogg was mostly a starter with the Pirates, Reds and Rockies from 2002-2009 – with five double-digit victory campaigns to his credit.

“Josh Fogg showed you a good idea of how to pitch,” Shaffer said. “90-to-93. Good off-speed stuff. Repeated well – and that’s the part of it I liked the most. He was a great competitor, and he would be facing the University of Miami or whoever it was – and he’d just handle it as well as he could. He knew when and how to make pitches. I really liked the way he went about his business. And I thought that translated well into a major league pitcher.

“These are the kind of guys that we emphasized as you got down into the draft – and I know the third round is not deep. But at that particular time, when you had multiple picks or supplemental picks, the third round was farther down than it might sound. I liked Josh. I thought he was a good competitor. When he was on the board when we picked right there, I thought that was a good pick. He was a college guy we thought could move fast.”

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Offseason In Review: Colorado Rockies

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This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series. The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.

The Rockies obviously see an opportunity to contend in 2017, and made some hefty commitments over the winter to bolster that possibility. But ongoing pitching questions and a slate of spring injuries have clouded the outlook somewhat.

Major League Signings

Trades And Claims

Extensions

Notable Minor League Signings

Notable Losses

Rockies Depth Chart; Rockies Payroll Information

Needs Addressed

After addressing the open managerial job with the hiring of Bud Black at the opening of the offseason, the Rockies had a wide-open slate of possibilities. The team could conceivably have pursued a variety of trade scenarios involving such established stars as Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon. Instead, the club ended up keeping its core intact and adding the old-fashioned way: through some pretty big spending on the open market.

Mar 9, 2017; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman Ian Desmond against Puerto Rico during a 2017 World Baseball Classic exhibition game at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

There were two major openings on the position-player side entering the winter: first base and catcher. Colorado elected to plunk down a lot of cash to add a productive veteran, but the player chosen came as quite some surprise. When the news broke that Ian Desmond was headed to the Rockies, it was generally assumed that he’d be playing in the outfield, with one of the team’s left-handed hitters — Gonzalez, Blackmon, Gerardo Parra, or perhaps even David Dahl — likely to be traded to address another need. Instead, the Rox stuck to their initial suggestion that Desmond would play first, though the organization notes that it values his versatility now and into the future. (More on that below.)

Behind the dish, the Rockies bypassed opportunities to pursue veterans via trade or free agency, where names like Matt Wieters, Jason Castro, Welington Castillo and (on the trade front) Brian McCann were available. Instead, the organization decided to rely on Tony Wolters, Tom Murphy, and Dustin Garneau. Murphy, who seems to have the greatest upside of the bunch, will be on the DL to open the year, so the Rockies made a late move to add veteran Ryan Hanigan.

Alexi Amarista was added to replace departing utilityman Daniel Descalso, but otherwise a bunch of friendly faces will be taking the field at Coors. In addition to the outfielders named above, high-power/high-strikeout shortstop Trevor Story is back from injury; Nolan Arenado and 2016 NL batting champion DJ LeMahieu will look to repeat their strong 2016 seasons at third and second base; and Mark Reynolds will return to first base (he re-signed on a minors deal) until Desmond, who suffered a fractured finger in Soring Training, is healthy. Rounding out the bench is Stephen Cardullo, an indy ball find who surprisingly spent time in the bigs last year.

Of course, the lineup was always seen as a strength for Colorado. Entering the winter, most expected the club to focus on pitching. Though the rotation finally had shown signs of life, it wasn’t exactly overloaded with established arms, and the bullpen had some clear holes.

The latter group got the attention that was expected, and then some. In addition to tendering a contract to Jake McGee despite his poor first year with the organization, Colorado gave Mike Dunn a surprising three-year deal and beat the market to roll the dice on Greg Holland, the once-elite reliever who’ll be returning from Tommy John surgery. That makes for one pricey relief corps. When you add the 2017 salaries of those three pitchers to what’s owed Adam Ottavino, Jordan Lyles, Chad Qualls, and the just-designated Jason Motte, the tab for this season alone lands just under $30MM.

But the rotation was another story. Content to keep its lefty-heavy outfield mix intact, and enamored of the relatively untested options on hand, the Rox did not add a single starter over the offseason.

Questions Remaining

The Rockies were arguably justified in staying their hand on adding another piece to the rotation. Entering camp, four spots were firmly accounted for (by Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson, Tyler Chatwood, and Chad Bettis). Beyond that quartet, there were quite a few contenders for the final job. Though adding a veteran to bolster the competition would have been nice, perhaps an appealing target couldn’t be enticed given the arms on hand and the prospect of pitching at Coors Field. And while the trade route surely was at least considered, either a lack of suitable matches or a differing strategy may simply have led the Rockies to a different approach.

Taking that course, though, always meant there’d be a lot of pressure on quite a few young pitchers. Teams know they’ll use more than five starters over the course of a season, so their depth charts must go at least eight or ten arms deep. In the case of the Rockies, outside of the top four arms listed above, the only potential starter in the organization who has more than eight MLB appearances under his belt is Chris Rusin, who thrived last year in a relief role. Prospects Jeff Hoffman and German Marquez are the only others who have seen any major league action at all, with each getting a taste of the bigs last year.

The situation worsened significantly with the terrible news that Bettis would require chemotherapy after his testicular cancer unexpectedly spread. Though he says it’s possible he could return this year, everyone’s first priority will remain Bettis’s well-being. Clearly, the team can’t count on a contribution from the steady performer in 2017.

Thus it was that the Rockies found it necessary to pluck two fresh arms from the farm to open the 2017 season. It seems that Antonio Senzatela (22) and Kyle Freeland (23) will get those jobs, with Marquez functioning as a swingman to open the season. The former was oustanding at Double-A in 2016, but he threw only 34 2/3 innings as the team exercised plenty of caution with a shoulder issue. While he had reached 154 frames in the prior season, asking for 32 starts would be a reach. Freeland, meanwhile, was the eighth overall pick in the 2014 draft. However, he only reached the upper minors last year and didn’t exactly dominate with a 3.89 ERA over 162 innings with 6.0 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9. Also of note: that innings tally represented a big jump after two consecutive partials seasons.

Whenever the next need opens up, the Rockies can turn to Rusin (once he’s healthy), Marquez, Hoffman, and perhaps Lyles. They’ll also be able to dip further into the farm, which includes pitchers such as 40-man members Shane Carle, Yency Almonte, and Zach Jemiola. That may well be sufficient depth, but the Rockies set to tap into an unusually youthful reservoir of starting pitching for an organization that has its sights set on contention.

The ’pen faces its own questions, but they’re mostly of the typical kind. Overall, the unit has a fair bit of upside despite the recent health issues faced by pitchers such as Holland, McGee, Ottavino, and Qualls; those hurlers will be looking to return while others (Marquez, Carlos Estevez, and Miguel Castro, if he clears waivers) will try to convert impressive raw stuff into effectiveness.

You could say the same of the bulk of the lineup, which has a nice overall blend of stars, solid pieces, and role players. There may be minor quibbles about the lefty-heavy outfield mix — top prospect Raimel Tapia also hits from the left side — and the catching mix is as unestablished as any in baseball. The organization, though, seems to believe in the current catching options. And overall, the the collection of position players seems to be a good one.

Deal Of Note

That includes Desmond, the presumptive first baseman. He ought to be fine there, after all. If he’s a slightly above-average hitter and great baserunner, as he has been, and perhaps adds some value with the glove, he should be a solid-enough performer for the position.

But this is a club that enters the season with a record-setting $120MM payroll — prior to 2015, it had never even reached nine figures — and designs on more than competence. Desmond was the marquee addition, clearly. And teams generally accept that when they sign long-term deals with free agents — at least, those that aren’t abnormally youthful — they’re accepting that they’ll pay a premium later (in the post-prime years of the deal) in order to get a quality, established player on the MLB roster right away.

While we’ve heard plenty of explanations from the Rockies, and from observers, as to why Desmond will work at first base, it still seems an odd decision. Even granting that Desmond is a uniquely high-character player and that he could at least be an average hitter for the slugger’s position (though he’s only a league-average hitter for his career), the move represents a relatively enormous investment that just doesn’t come with much upside up front.

If the Rockies were so enamored of Desmond as a player and a person, perhaps the team ought to have lined up a trade for one of its left-handed-hitting outfielders. It’s reasonable to think that’d have had a reasonable chance of resulting in a pitching upgrade, at least. And it would have allowed the Rockies to take advantage of a free-agent market that was selling quality power bats for next to nothing.

While there’s admittedly some hindsight involved in that assessment, the awkward fit (barring trade) was apparent from the moment the deal was struck. And while Desmond’s future flexibility does carry value, but certainly not enough for that consideration alone to drive the signing. There’s still every chance that the contract will work out for Colorado. But every free-agent signing is a bet, and this one doesn’t seem particularly well-conceived.

Overview

This might all work out; even if not, it’s hard to criticize the Rockies too harshly for pushing some chips in. It’s always good to see a moribund franchise up its investment at an opportune time. And the unique circumstances of Coors Field certainly factor in, too, albeit in hard-to-discern ways. But from here, it doesn’t seem as if the organization got quite as much bang for its hundred-million bucks as perhaps it should have.

What’s your take on the Rockies’ winter? (Link to poll for mobile app users …)

How would you grade the Rockies' winter?
C 36.60% (643 votes)
B 35.52% (624 votes)
D 15.08% (265 votes)
F 6.94% (122 votes)
A 5.86% (103 votes)
Total Votes: 1,757

Offseason In Review: Seattle Mariners

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Check out all the published entries in our Offseason in Review series here.

The Mariners took steps toward relevance last season, when they finished with the seventh-best record and the fourth-best run differential in the American League. Still, at 86-76, they fell short of the playoffs for a major league-worst 15th year in a row. Team brass is ready to draw that ignominious streak to a close in 2017. Amid an aggressive, trade-packed winter, general manager Jerry Dipoto proclaimed in January that the Mariners are “plainly” in “’win-now’ mode.” Then, just after the start of spring training in February, club president Kevin Mather declared, “It is time to play October baseball in Seattle.”

Major League Signings

Trades And Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

  • None

Notable Losses

Walker, Marte, Karns, Nuno, Seth Smith, Nori Aoki, Franklin Gutierrez, Dae-ho Lee, Adam Lind, Drew Storen, Chris Iannetta, Tom Wilhelmsen, Arquimedes Caminero

Mariners Roster; Mariners Payroll Information

Needs Addressed

In his second offseason at the helm of the Mariners, Dipoto swung a whopping 15 trades, several of which figure to hugely impact the team’s chances this year. None should carry as much weight as the late-November, four-major leaguer swap that saw the Mariners give up high-potential right-hander Taijuan Walker and unproven shortstop Ketel Marte for a fellow shortstop who has shown flashes of brilliance, Jean Segura, and untested outfielder Mitch Haniger.

Jean Segura

In theory, Segura shouldn’t have difficulty serving as an upgrade over Marte, whose .259/.287/.323 batting line in 466 plate appearances made him one of the majors’ least valuable shortstops last season. However, Segura posted a near-identical line as a Brewer from 2014-15 (.252/.285/.331 in 1,141 PAs) before stunningly breaking out in Arizona last year. His success as a Diamondback came thanks in part to better pitch selection (he swung at fewer pitches than ever, both in and out of the strike zone, yet still made contact at a rate in line with career norms) and an emphasis on elevating the ball. Segura’s ground-ball rate dropped roughly 6 percent from the previous two years, while both his fly ball and line drive marks rose. That led to more hard contact and a sizable uptick in power, evidenced by career bests in home runs (20) and ISO (.181), and a stellar .319/.368/.499 line in 694 trips to the plate.

Both Segura’s production with the bat and his baserunning prowess (he stole 33 of 43 bags and ranked 15th in FanGraphs’ BsR metric) made him of the premier second basemen in baseball in 2016. Now, with superstar Robinson Cano locking down the keystone, Segura will play shortstop in Seattle. The 27-year-old has plenty of experience at short, where he lined up in Milwaukee and graded as a passable defender (two Defensive Runs Saved, minus-10.6 Ultimate Zone Rating in 4,253 innings). Segura’s work at the plate will draw more scrutiny, though, and if the gains he made last year prove sustainable, he and Cano will give the Mariners an elite middle infield.

As the most established players in the deal, Segura and Walker understandably drew the lion’s share of attention when Seattle and Arizona consummated the trade. But don’t sleep on Haniger, who will open 2017 as the Mariners’ right fielder. Haniger, 26, got his first taste of major league action last season and hit a forgettable .229/.309/.404 in 123 PAs, though he wasn’t necessarily overmatched (he did log approximately average strikeout and walk rates to go with a slightly above-average ISO). Plus, Haniger has a history of raking at the minor league level. At Triple-A Reno last year, he slashed a video game-like .341/.428/.670 in 312 attempts. It’s true that Haniger posted those numbers in the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but wRC+ indicates his line was an incredible 85 percent better than the PCL average. Dipoto took notice.

“By the numbers, (Haniger) was able to show that he was the best offensive player (last year) in the minor leagues at any level,” Dipoto told Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune in January. “He’s also a right-handed batter, and we acquired him for that reason. Mitch is also the one that brings with him a skill set that includes power, and he’s got on-base ability.”

While it’s up in the air how much Haniger will boost the Mariners’ offense this season, odds are he’ll at least help their defense. Back in November, Kyle Glaser of Baseball America (subscription required and recommended) wrote that Haniger is a “good athlete” with “good range” and an “above-average arm.” The Mariners lacked quality defense in right last year, when their primary options – Seth Smith, Franklin Gutierrez and Nelson Cruz – combined for minus-10 DRS and a minus-9.1 UZR.

Seattle was even worse off in left, where Nori Aoki and Smith racked up minus-12 DRS and a minus-10.3 UZR between them. Those two are now out of the organization, and another trade acquisition, ex-Royal Jarrod Dyson, will take over as the Mariners’ No. 1 left fielder. The pickup of Dyson typifies the Mariners’ win-today philosophy – the 32-year-old is only signed through this season, while the player they gave up for him, 29-year-old righty Nate Karns, is controllable through the 2020 campaign.

In previewing Seattle’s offseason in October, I wrote, “Ideally for the Mariners, they’ll upgrade their position player group during the offseason with better defenders and baserunners who can also contribute offensively.” Dyson certainly checks two of those boxes. He’s not much of a hitter (.260/.325/.353 line in 1,539 lifetime PAs), but his defensive and baserunning excellence should combine to make him a valuable addition for the Mariners. Going back to 2012, the first year in which he saw extensive big league action, Dyson has amassed 53 Defensive Runs Saved and a 55.5 UZR – both of which rank among the league’s top seven outfielders over the past half-decade. On the base paths, the speedster swiped between 26 and 36 bags in each of the previous five seasons. He also finished last year with a 5.4 BsR, which placed 19th in the majors.

The other notable newcomer to the Mariners’ starting lineup is Danny Valencia, whom they acquired from the AL West rival Athletics for nondescript pitching prospect Paul Blackburn. The plan was for the right-handed Valencia to platoon with the lefty-hitting Dan Vogelbach at first base, but the former will instead open the season as the everyday option there in the wake of the latter’s minor league demotion. It’s possible the Mariners’ faith in Vogelbach will come back to haunt them. Their offseason belief that he was ready for the majors stopped them from pursuing affordable left-handed hitters like Mitch Moreland, Brandon Moss and Pedro Alvarez, any of whom could have teamed with Valencia to form a satisfactory platoon. On the other hand, Valencia won’t need a partner if his recent success against same-handed pitchers continues. Once unusable versus righties, the 32-year-old combined for a .795 OPS in 602 PAs against them from 2015-16. With his performance against lefties factored in, Valencia quietly hit a tremendous .288/.346/.477 in 895 PAs during the previous two years. That type of production would certainly play at first, where the Mariners will try to hide the defensively challenged third baseman/outfielder.

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Offseason In Review: San Diego Padres

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This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series. The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.

While the rebuilding Padres still owe a ton of money to high-priced veterans Matt Kemp and James Shields, who were traded away last season, the players on the current team will make approximately $30MM in 2017. That’s less than the salary of Clayton Kershaw, who they’ll face off against on Opening Day and likely several more times during the season. It’s no surprise that they’re the favorite to land the No. 1 pick in the 2018 Amateur Draft, but that’s all part of the plan.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Trades And Claims

Rule 5 Draft

Extensions

  • 1B Wil Myers: Six years, $83MM, plus $20MM club option in 2023 ($1MM buyout)
  • 2B/3B Yangervis Solarte: Two years, $7.5MM, plus $5.5MM club option in 2019 ($750K buyout) and $8MM club option in 2020 ($750K buyout)

Notable Losses

Needs Addressed

Despite having one of the best farm systems in baseball, the Padres are light on pitching prospects who are ready to contribute at the Major League level in 2017. With a talented (if largely unproven) core of young position players, led by first baseman Wil Myers, and a strong bullpen, the top priority of this offseason was to fill out the starting rotation with inexpensive veterans who can eat innings and possibly pitch well enough to draw trade interest.

At a cost of just over $8MM, they were able to fill four rotation spots for the upcoming season by signing free agents Trevor Cahill, Jhoulys Chacin, Clayton Richard and Jered Weaver to one-year deals. This rotation won’t make them a contender or even a .500 team. But each has experienced a good level of Major League success and should be able to keep games from getting out of hand on a consistent basis. At least that’s what the Padres are hoping for.

Cahill was once on his way to being one of the better young pitchers in baseball—he finished 9th in the AL Cy Young race in 2010—but his career quickly went south. He bounced back in 2016 with a terrific season out of the ’pen for the World Champion Cubs and now the Padres are giving the 29-year-old a chance to prove he can maintain that success while returning to a starting role. Chacin, also 29 years old and a once-promising pitching star for the Rockies, is trying to resurrect his career with a return to the NL West. He had a strong finish to the 2016 season (0.75 ERA over last four starts) and has a strong track record against the Padres’ division opponents. Richard signed with the Padres late last season after being released by the Cubs and impressed with a 2.52 ERA over 53.2 innings. He has not started more than nine games in a season since 2013, the last year of a four-season stint with the Padres. In Weaver, the Padres brought in a former ace who is trying to succeed with a low-80’s fastball.

Luis Perdomo, a Rule 5 success story in 2016, will be the No. 5 starter, although he’ll likely have an innings limit after logging less than 150 innings as a rookie. Former prospects Jarred Cosart, Tyrell Jenkins and Zach Lee could also work their way into the mix at some point, as will rookies Dinelson Lamet and Walker Lockett. The Padres’ pair of elite pitching prospects, Anderson Espinoza and Cal Quantril, are likely slated for High-A and won’t reach San Diego anytime soon.

The team’s highly suspect rotation will likely be one of, if not the worst, in baseball. But when they do hand a lead over to the bullpen, as rare as that might be, the Padres should be able to hold on for the win on most occasions. If Carter Capps can return to his pre-injury form—he had a 1.16 ERA, 2.0 BB/9 and 16.8 K/9 in 31 innings in 2015 before an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery—the Padres could have themselves quite an effective group of late-inning arms. Along with Capps, who is expected to start the season on the DL, closer Brandon Maurer and lefty setup men Ryan Buchter and Brad Hand will all be highly-coveted by playoff contenders and could prove to be valuable trade chips in July. Veteran Craig Stammen, signed to a Minor League contract in the offseason, could also end up attracting trade interest if his spring performance (11.2 IP, ER, 12 K) is any indication of a return to form.

While the Padres are mostly sticking with their young position players, they did make one notable offseason addition in veteran Erick Aybar, who came to camp on a Minor League deal and ended up beating out Luis Sardiñas for the starting shortstop job. He’ll be yet another one-year stop-gap—Clint Barmes and Alexei Ramirez were the team’s Opening Day shortstops in 2015 and 2016, respectively—as Preller continues his search for the team’s shortstop of the future.

Aybar’s double-play partner will be Yangervis Solarte, who is shifting over from third base, while Ryan Schimpf (.533 slugging percentage in 330 MLB plate appearances) and former 1st Round draft pick Cory Spangenberg are competing for time at the hot corner. Top prospects and NL Rookie of the Year candidates Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe, who each had late-season MLB auditions in 2016, are expected to step into regular roles in the Padres’ outfield with Jabari Blash, Alex Dickerson—once he returns from the disabled list—and Travis Jankowski each getting plenty of opportunities to prove that they should be a part of the team’s future.

Behind the plate, Padres fans will finally get to see Austin Hedges, one of the most highly-touted defensive catching prospects in recent memory, on a regular basis. After spending 2015 as Derek Norris’ backup and most of last season in the minors, he’ll get the bulk of playing time in 2017 with Norris out of the picture, Christian Bethancourt splitting time between the bench and the bullpen, and 20-year-old Rule 5 draftee Luis Torrens expected to mostly watch and learn, having never played a game above Low-A ball.

More analysis after the break …

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Offseason In Review: Baltimore Orioles

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This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series. The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.

The Orioles bought back a number of familiar faces for the 2017 team, most notably the league’s top home run hitter.

Major League Signings

Trades And Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

  • None

Notable Losses

Baltimore Orioles Depth Chart; Orioles Payroll Overview

Needs Addressed

After a giant spending splurge in the 2015-16 offseason, the Orioles quieted things down with a more traditional Dan Duquette winter.  The Orioles executive VP of baseball operations focused mostly on his usual tactics of lower-level transactions and waiting until later in the offseason to enact major business.

Mark Trumbo

The waiting game may have allowed Baltimore to save a significant chunk of money in negotiations with Mark Trumbo.  The two sides were connected in talks for much of the offseason, with the O’s reportedly making Trumbo an offer in the range of $52MM-$55MM over three or four guaranteed years but then pulling that offer a couple of weeks later.

Trumbo was said to be looking for a deal north of $70MM, though the slugger’s market was hampered by a number of factors — draft pick compensation tied to rejecting the qualifying offer, a number of other big 1B/OF/DH types available in free agency, and a general league-wide downturn in offseason spending due, in part, to the new collective bargaining agreement’s stricter luxury tax rules.  Trumbo drew some interest from the A’s and the Rockies, though with apparently no other major suitors stepping forward, he returned to the Orioles for three years and $37.5MM.

Trumbo thrived in his first season at Camden Yards, clubbing a league-high 47 homers and hitting .256/.316/.533 over 667 plate appearances.  With the Orioles building up a lot of corner outfield depth, it looks as if the majority of Trumbo’s bats will come as a DH this season, so his shaky glovework will no longer be dragging down his value.

Seth Smith is the biggest new face in the Baltimore outfield, joining the team in a trade that sent rotation disappointment Yovani Gallardo to Seattle.  Smith is himself a question mark defensively (-16.6 UZR/150 and -7 Defensive Runs Saved last season, after a career of average corner outfield grades) but he’ll only be in the lineup against right-handed pitching.  The Orioles are intending to platoon both corner outfield between left-handed bats Smith and Hyun Soo Kim and right-swinging Joey Rickard and Craig Gentry, with the latter duo providing more speed and defense than pop at the plate.

Trumbo and Smith ended up being the answers to the Orioles’ search for outfield and DH help this winter, a search that led the team to check in on such names as Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce, Mike Napoli, Chris Carter, Brandon Moss, and perhaps even Jose Bautista (Duquette’s unusual public statement describing Bautista as a poor fit in Baltimore notwithstanding).  Gentry’s emergence as a viable big league roster piece has also been a boost for the O’s, with Gentry enjoying a good spring as he rebounds from two injury-plagued years.

Gentry is one of many notable MLB veterans signed to minor league deals this winter, a list that includes both newcomers to the organization (such as Jesus Montero, Johnny Giavotella and Gentry himself) and re-signed Orioles like Michael Bourn, Paul Janish and Pedro Alvarez.  Assuming the bulk of these veterans remain in the organization rather than opt out, the O’s now have some experienced depth on hand should injuries develop, or if a change if needed within the many moving parts of the outfield platoon.

The Orioles had some light talks with Matt Wieters as their longtime catcher’s free agent wait extended into February, though really, the chances of a reunion between the two sides ended when Welington Castillo was signed in December.  Castillo ended up being rather an unexpected solution to Baltimore’s catching search, as the Diamondbacks surprised many by non-tendering the veteran backstop rather than pay him a healthy (an MLBTR-projected $5.9MM) salary in his final year of arbitration.

When Castillo hit the market, the O’s turned away from such rumored targets as Nick Hundley and Chris Iannetta to ink Castillo to a deal that could turn into a two-year, $13MM commitment if Castillo exercises his 2018 player option.  Top prospect Chance Sisco could be ready for the majors as soon as this summer, so Castillo provides Baltimore with a short-term veteran behind the plate until Sisco is ready.

Questions Remaining

For all the Orioles’ depth options, they’re still rather light on right-handed hitting outfielders, given Rickard’s inexperience and Gentry’s injury history.  Trumbo can play the outfield in a pinch, of course, though that leaves the DH spot open (possibly for Alvarez).  Steve Pearce, who left in free agency to join the Blue Jays, would’ve helped in this regard as a lefty-mashing bat who could provide depth in both corner spots, not to mention first or second base.

Angel Pagan was reportedly in agreement with the O’s on a major league contract this winter before he failed the team’s infamously difficult physical.  Though the switch-hitting Pagan has more recently hit better from the left side of the plate, he could have been a more stable part-time addition than Gentry or Michael Choice.

Gallardo didn’t deliver much in his lone season in an Orioles uniform, and the fact that the O’s were able to save a bit of money on Gallardo’s contract and obtain a useful asset in Smith already makes that trade an on-paper victory.  Still, Gallardo’s departure further thins out an already-questionable rotation.  The Orioles’ lack of pitching depth is already being tested since Chris Tillman will start the season on the DL with a shoulder issue, and while the injury isn’t thought to be too serious, Tillman is expected to miss as much as a month of action.

Beyond the solid Kevin Gausman, the Orioles will deploy Ubaldo Jimenez and Wade Miley in search of bounce-back seasons and former top prospect Dylan Bundy is finally tapped for a rotation job after years of arm problems.  The O’s have a host of candidates to fill in for Tillman (Tyler Wilson, Mike Wright, Chris Lee, Alec Asher, Gabriel Ynoa, or Logan Verrett) though this list is much longer on potential than on any sort of established track record in the big leagues.  The fact that Asher was just acquired so close to the end of Spring Training may indicate that the O’s aren’t satisfied with their internal options.  The team can make do until Tillman gets back, though pitching may again be an issue if there are any further injuries or performance struggles in the rest of the rotation.

The lack of any significant pitching upgrades stands out as the only real question of Baltimore’s offseason.  The club is obviously counting on Bundy to live up to his promise and on Jimenez/Miley to pitch more effectively, though that’s quite a bit of risk for a team that plans on contending in 2017.  The Orioles have been consistent postseason threats in the Duquette era despite a lack of top-shelf pitching, yet while one could say that they haven’t been in need of top arms to consistently win, the counter-argument is that this lack of a truly strong rotation has held the Orioles back from true consideration as World Series contenders.

Looking at the bullpen, Baltimore is going with an interesting collection of young arms to back up its dominant top four of Zach Britton, Brad Brach, Mychal Givens, and Darren O’Day.  Vidal Nuno, Donnie Hart and Jayson Aquino are all lefties, and while the Orioles could keep two in their pen (since Britton obviously won’t be used for situation work), that third leftover arm could potentially be a trade chip, in my opinion.

Speaking of bullpen trades, the Orioles at least considered the idea of moving Brach in a deal for an outfielder this winter.  Brach drew interest from the Mets as part of the Granderson/Bruce talks and the Braves also asked about Brach’s services, with the O’s wanting Mallex Smith in return.  Clearly the Orioles had a pretty big price tag on Brach’s services, though it’s interesting to speculate about the team’s long-term bullpen plans if Brach was a potential trade chip and extension talks with Britton only seemed to go as far as two years with a club option.

The even larger extension question looming over the O’s is Manny Machado, as the two sides reportedly didn’t have much discussion about keeping the superstar beyond his scheduled entry into the free agent market after the 2018 season.  Quite a bit of money comes off the Orioles’ books next winter (Jimenez, Tillman, Smith and potentially Castillo and J.J. Hardy) so the club could be waiting to address those potential roster holes before fully exploring the $300MM+ commitment required to lock up Machado.

Deal Of Note

Despite 22 homers and a solid .249/.322/.504 slash line in 376 PA last season, Alvarez ended up settling for a minor league contract in a familiar environment.  The cold market for sluggers played a factor, though Alvarez has also not brought much to the table aside from power over his seven-year career, delivering low averages and OBP numbers as well as poor defensive metrics as a first and third baseman.

Pedro Alvarez

With these limitations in mind, Alvarez looked to improve his versatility by working out as an outfielder this winter.  Alvarez isn’t a speedster, though he also isn’t quite a lumbering slugger type; as per Fangraphs’ BsR metric, Alvarez has been an above-average baserunner in each of the last two seasons.

The Orioles made outfield defense a priority this winter, though as shown in the past with Trumbo, Kim and now even Smith, the team is willing to put up with some degree of subpar glovework if a player can hit.  It remains to be seen if Alvarez can viably handle corner outfield duty, though if not, he is stuck behind Trumbo, Chris Davis, and rookie Trey Mancini in the first base and DH mix.

Overview

The Orioles didn’t feel the need to overhaul a roster that was good enough to win a wild card berth, and given Duquette’s knack for finding hidden gems, it’s likely that at least one or two of his under-the-radar moves will prove to be quality additions.  The real heavy lifting for the team may come next winter when, as mentioned earlier, they’ll face some big free agent departures and Machado and Britton will both be one year away from the open market.

How would you evaluate the Orioles’ winter moves?  (Link for app users.)

How would you grade the Orioles offseason?
C 40.05% (853 votes)
B 35.45% (755 votes)
D 12.72% (271 votes)
F 6.15% (131 votes)
A 5.63% (120 votes)
Total Votes: 2,130

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: Miami Marlins

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This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series. The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.

Faced with the daunting prospect of making up for the tragic loss of Jose Fernandez, the Marlins focused on bolstering their pitching staff in hopes of staging an elusive run at the postseason.

Major League Signings

Trades And Claims

Options Exercised

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

Notable Losses

Marlins Roster; Marlins Payroll Information

Needs Addressed

The Marlins pushed to contend in 2016, but as the campaign drew to a close, it seemed destined to be defined by on-field disappointment. Then came the unthinkable, late-season death of Fernandez at just 24 years of age. His loss continues to tell in myriad ways.

A move back toward stability, though, came not long after Fernandez’s passing, when the club reached agreement on a deal to keep third baseman Martin Prado off of the upcoming open market. It was hardly a bargain rate for the sturdy (if unspectacular) performer, but Miami clearly prioritized his steadying presence at third and in the clubhouse. Prado is entering his age-33 season, but is a well-balanced player who has compiled consecutive 3+ WAR campaigns.

Feb 28, 2017; Jupiter, FL, USA; Miami Marlins third baseman Martin Prado (14) at bat against the New York Mets during a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Prado deal kicked off the winter a little early, and signaled clearly that the Marlins were intent upon continuing to add to their controllable core. But it also represented the organization’s only significant move on the position-player side of the equation. Otherwise, the club brought back Ichiro Suzuki after his surprisingly productive season (or was it, really?) at 42 years of age. And a largely parallel change was made in the catching corps, with veteran A.J. Ellis stepping in for the departing Jeff Mathis.

From that point forward, it was all about arms. Mid-season trade acquisitions Andrew Cashner and Fernando Rodney were allowed to leave after disappointing tenures, and key setup lefty Mike Dunn found big money with the Rockies. In the aggregate, there were multiple openings in both the rotation and the bullpen.

Miami directed fairly significant investments to both sides of the pitching staff. The 2017 rotation will feature at least two new members. Edinson Volquez, 33, landed a two-year deal off of the free-agent market, while Dan Straily brings four years of control — the first at the league minimum — with him from the Reds. (When Colin Rea was shipped back to the Padres after coming down with an injury last summer, the Marlins lost the controllable arm they wanted but also got back the key prospect — Luis Castillo — used to get Straily.) If he can overcome biceps tendinitis, bounceback free-agent signee Jeff Locke could also factor in the rotation mix, though he may be slated for long relief duty once he returns from a biceps problem.

There are numerous new faces in the bullpen, too. Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa both join the late-inning mix on two-year deals, joining holdovers A.J. Ramos (the closer), Kyle Barraclough (who gives up gobs of walks but also generates tons of swinging strikes), and David Phelps (who was suddenly outstanding last year and is capable of throwing multiple innings). The Marlins held onto Dustin McGowan with a fairly low guarantee after he turned in 67 innings of 2.82 ERA ball. Also joining the 40-man as a depth piece was righty Severino Gonzalez.

Keep reading for more analysis …

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Offseason In Review: Tampa Bay Rays

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This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series. The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.

The Rays struck an interesting balance between keeping their payroll in check and adding young talent, while also making some significant additions that point towards postseason hopes in 2017.

Major League Signings

Trades And Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

Notable Losses

Needs Addressed

The Rays’ offseason began with a pair of notable front office promotions.  Erik Neander and Chaim Bloom were both made senior VPs of baseball operations, while Neander was also named general manager.  President of baseball ops Matt Silverman remained atop the decision-making pyramid, this time in more of a big-picture role while Neander and Bloom focused on day-to-day operations.

This “three-headed” front office structure is a little uncommon, yet it is perhaps fitting for a team that has to be able to move in several different directions at the same time.  The Rays entered the winter, in fact, prepared to be either buyers or sellers depending on how they dealt with all of the trade interest in their rotation.  If a rival club made an offer big enough to pry Chris Archer or Jake Odorizzi loose, Tampa Bay would look to rebuild after losing a cornerstone pitcher.  If a somewhat lesser arm like Drew Smyly or Alex Cobb was dealt, however,  the Rays would instead reload for another run back to contention in 2017.

After several weeks of rumors surrounding the four Rays starters, Smyly ended up being the odd man out, going to the Mariners for a three-player package headlined by Mallex Smith.  The 23-year-old Smith is still a work in progress at the plate, though he displayed outstanding speed and defense during his 2016 rookie season with the Braves.  Smith is also under team control for at least five years, whereas Smyly is a free agent after 2018 and was getting expensive ($6.85MM in 2017) in his arbitration years.

Wilson RamosIt should be noted that the Rays signed Wilson Ramos well before moving Smyly, though it could be that Ramos’ situation presented such a unique opportunity (and Tampa Bay’s long-standing need at catcher was so dire) that the team would’ve made the move whether it was rebuilding or not.  The Rays made catcher a priority this winter, looking into such names as Jason Castro and Welington Castillo before finally landing Ramos on a two-year, $12.5MM deal.

The idea of Ramos signing with the Rays would’ve been far-fetched six months ago, when the catcher was enjoying a big season with the Nationals and well on his way to a big payday in free agent.  Disaster struck, however, when Ramos tore his ACL and meniscus in the final week of the regular season.  The subsequent surgery will keep Ramos out of action until May or June, and this health uncertainty allowed Tampa Bay to get into the bidding.  Assuming Ramos is able to get back on the field and look like his old self, this could end up being a win-win for both sides — Ramos gets some security now and he’ll still be only 31 when he hits the open market again, while the Rays can potentially get an All-Star backstop at a bargain price.

Since Ramos will miss some action and require a good deal of DH time when he does return, Tampa was still active on the catcher front, landing Jesus Sucre in yet another trade with Seattle and also exploring such bigger-name options as Matt Wieters before Wieters signed with the Nationals.  That Wieters signing led to the Nats releasing Derek Norris, which in turn allowed the Rays to then land Norris on a one-year, $1.2MM deal.  Norris is an excellent pitch framer who brings more hitting upside than any of Sucre, Curt Casali, or Luke Maile, and the Rays could now shop one or more of that trio to other teams in need of help behind the plate.

Ramos’ eventual role as a part-time DH also added an interesting dynamic to the Rays’ search for help at first base, left field and designated hitter.  The rather slow market for free agent hitters allowed the Rays to at least explore several notable names (i.e. Jose Bautista, Mike Napoli, Wieters) that seemed far too expensive for Tampa Bay’s payroll limitations at the start of the winter.

As it turned out, the Rays stuck with inexpensive options and signed Colby Rasmus and familiar face Logan Morrison to one-year contracts.  Rasmus can provide cover at all three outfield positions, though his best position is in left, where he was quietly one of the game’s best defenders in 2016 with the Astros.  Morrison is at best a platoon option at first base, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Brad Miller shifted back to first from second base as the season goes on.  Veteran Rickie Weeks is in camp on hand as potential platoon partner for Morrison, with switch-hitting Nick Franklin in the mix (though Franklin is better against righty pitching) and intriguing rookie Jake Bauers lurking down at Triple-A.

Turning to the bullpen, the Rays signed former Rangers closer Shawn Tolleson to a one-year contract with Tolleson looking to bounce back after a very rough season.  Waiver claim Jumbo Diaz and minor league signing Tommy Hunter round out Tampa Bay’s most notable relief additions.  The pen will take an early hit since Brad Boxberger will begin the season on the DL with a lat injury, though the Rays look to have a pretty solid relief corps behind breakout closer Alex Colome (who drew quite a bit of trade buzz this winter).

The Rays also locked down center field for years to come by signing Kevin Kiermaier to a six-year, $53.5MM extension.  The two-time Gold Glove winner has been an above-average run creator in two of his three seasons and he made great strides with his plate patience in 2016.  If Kiermaier can augment his excellent baserunning and otherworldly defense with more consistent hitting, it isn’t a stretch to say that he’ll become one of the game’s most valuable assets — even without much batting production, Kiermaier still generated 13.1 fWAR over the last three seasons.

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MLBTR Originals

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A roundup of MLBTR’s original content from the past week:

  • In a fascinating, extremely detailed piece, MLBTR contributor and former Cubs front office man Chuck Wasserstrom went back in time to the team’s active offseason after the 2006 campaign. The Cubs won just 66 games in 2006, leading the Tribune Company – which owned the franchise at the time and was looking to sell it – to give then-general manager Jim Hendry the green light to spend in free agency. Improving the on-field product would increase the Cubs’ value, the Tribune Company figured, so Hendry brought in famed manager Lou Piniella and made several signings. Wasserstrom interviewed both Hendry and Piniella about that offseason, and Hendry noted that left-hander Ted Lilly was the Cubs’ top free agent pitching target entering the Winter Meetings. Both Lilly and his agent, Larry O’Brien, as well as Hendry, Piniella and Yankees GM Brian Cashman (the Bombers were Lilly’s top choice) were among those who detailed the courting of Lilly, who ultimately signed a four-year, $40MM deal with Chicago. At the same time, though, Hendry was in a terrifying personal situation, having found out that he’d need to undergo an emergency heart procedure. When Lilly agreed to join the Cubs, Hendry was in the midst of an EKG. “To this day, the story obviously has been embellished in some ways by the fact that a couple hours later I was going to have a heart procedure – but the fact is that Larry O’Brien called me when I was on the gurney,” Hendry said. Added Cashman, who now works with Hendry in the Yankees’ front office, “I know we as an industry were worried sick about Jim and his health, but it’s nice to be able to look back on it in a fond way promoting how dedicated Jim is – because he survived it.” Hendry’s signing of Lilly proved to be a quality move, as the left-hander went on to post a 3.70 ERA in 113 starts with the Cubs and help the team to two playoff appearances.
  • Brewers reliever and funnyman Tim Dillard, who’s in minor league camp in Arizona, returned to share the second part of his Inner Monologue. Here’s an excerpt: “Yesterday a teammate walked in the clubhouse carrying coffee and wearing a huge round fancy wristwatch.  So just to be stupid, I asked him what time it was.  The guy stopped… dug his watch hand into his pocket… and emerged with a smart phone.  He hit the button to make the screen light up, but it was upside down.  But after repositioning his coffee between his arm and chest, he managed to flip the phone right side up.  “It isssssssss 6:37.”’
  • This year’s Offseason In Review series continued with looks at five teams. Tim Dierkes handled both Chicago clubs (links: Cubs, White Sox), while I tackled the Mets and Athletics, and Mark Polishuk analyzed the Blue Jays.

The Inner Monologue of @DimTillard Part 2

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A few weeks ago I blogged my Inner Monologue for MLB Trade Rumors.  They decided it didn’t suck that bad, and asked if I’d write down some more thoughts… so now, back by not a whole lot of demand, my Inner Monologue Part 2!

It’s 4:08pm on Saturday March 25th, 2017.  My name is Tim Dillard.  I’m 32 years and 614 days old.  I’m a relief pitcher trying to win a spot for my 15th professional baseball season.  I’m currently in Arizona as part of Minor League spring training with the Milwaukee Brewers baseball club team organization.  I’m married and have 3 kids.  I enjoy movies, Star Wars, and movies about Star Wars.

4:11pm  I really need to work on my opening paragraphs for these blog things.  I remember my speech teacher back in college saying that the key to giving a good speech or writing an article, is to always start off with a funny joke.

4:12pm  But I can’t think of one.

4:13pm  Probably because I’m a little pressed for time.  My aforementioned offspring are enjoying nap/quiet time right now.  And according to my calculations, they will be standing on the furniture in 47 minutes.  And by furniture, I mean hotel furniture (so who cares really).  And by my calculations, I mean my watch.  And by my watch, I really mean the clock on my iPhone.

4:16pm  Yesterday a teammate walked in the clubhouse carrying coffee and wearing a huge round fancy wristwatch.  So just to be stupid, I asked him what time it was.  The guy stopped… dug his watch hand into his pocket… and emerged with a smart phone.  He hit the button to make the screen light up, but it was upside down.  But after repositioning his coffee between his arm and chest, he managed to flip the phone right side up.  “It isssssssss 6:37.”

4:20pm  Oh no, just heard a faint child cry from the other room… I’m betting it’s either my 18-month-old or my 76-month-old.

4:23pm  False alarm.  It was the TV.  Tell me again why ad agencies continually think it’s a good idea to have crying babies in their commercials?  I may be alone on this, but the sound of a crying baby in the house puts me on high alert.

4:28pm  Not sure why the TV was on anyway.  I really don’t watch that often. Unless you count sports, or the Dancing with the Voice Bachelor Project show my wife insists we view together.

4:29pm  During team stretch today, some of the guys were talking about the new Netflix show A Series of Unfortunate Events.  Jokingly, I asked if that was the show loosely based on my baseball playing career… no one laughed.  But honestly shouldn’t there be a show about the Minor Leagues?

4:34pm  Think about it… the plot could center around a Triple-A team.  It could be filmed in the offseason at any of the hundreds of unused baseball stadiums around the country.  It would probably work best as a dramedy.  And as far as casting and stunts, just call on former pro players who want to show off their acting chops!  Quick, anyone have Michael Bay’s err Steven Spielberg’s email?!

4:41pm  Just imagine the movie Summer Catch… but like completely different in every way.

4:42pm  Last week before batting practice, a bunch of position players were talking about the movies they have on digital download or their very legal hard drive.  So me being fluent in the language of movies, I naturally butted in on the fun.  But got some weird looks from the younger guys when I mentioned I had VHS growing up.

4:47pm  That same day I had a milestone event in my baseball career!  At the Angels stadium out here in Phoenix, I managed to pitch 2 different times in the same game!  I came in to end the 3rd inning, then came in again to end the 4th.  I know the rules can be bent in spring training, but pretty sure that’s the first time I’ve had 2 appearances in 1 game.  Guess I can add that to my list of strange career highlights.

4:51pm  It will sit right up there next to:  bunting in a hail storm, pitching with a broken hand, almost winning a fan a new mattress, breaking a 107-year-old record for most hit batters in a season, escaping a bases loaded jam with ice cream on my face, being ejected, stadium lights turning off mid-pitch during a potential no-hitter, maintaining a career Major League batting average of .500, almost tackling Will Ferrell in the outfield, fielding a groundball off a giant boulder, hitting a bird mid-flight with a pitch… never mind, actually, that last one happened to Randy Johnson.

4:59pm  No kids have emerged from slumber as of yet, so I guess I’ll keep typing.

4:59:49pm  And not to brag, but I was once one of the top 10 or 15 typers in my entire 8th grade class.  I was also third-string quarterback.  And that same year, during Awards Day at school, I was unable to accept my Perfect Attendance Trophy due to sickness.

5:02pm  Today starts the closing week of Minor League spring training 2017.  And for players, it can be a very difficult and emotional time.  With so many decisions left to be made, players wait, wonder, and worry about what will happen next.  Which Minor League team roster will I make?  Am I really ready for opening day?  Who do I ask to be roommates for the next 5 months?  How do I find an apartment in just a few days time?  What if I don’t make a team?  What if I get released?

5:09pm  These thoughts are real.  These thoughts are scary.  And there isn’t a vaccine or antibiotic to stop them from spreading. (believe me)

5:11pm  I told a rookie yesterday to stay strong and stay standing to the very end of spring training… I honestly have no idea what this means.  May have stolen it from a Facebook picture with a cat on it.  But I’d like to think what I meant was: to keep fighting and keep grinding and show the decision makers everything you are.  That will put you in the best possible position to be awarded a baseball season.

5:13pm  “I’m in a glass case of emotion!” -Ron Burgundy

5:14pm  The sound of furniture under attack means I’m done for now.

To Be Concluded…

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