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Market Chatter: Marlins, Mets, Cobb, JDM, Astros, Hamilton, Royals

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While the Marlins have reportedly been holding talks regarding catcher J.T. Realmuto and outfielder Christian Yelich, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic says that four rival general managers expressed doubt” that a trade will actually take place involving these young assets. Whether that opinion is based on the reportedly astronomical asking prices or other factors isn’t immediately clear. There’s some suggestion from some of Rosenthal’s sources, though, that the Fish are concerned with perception and won’t make a deal unless it seems the offer was overwhelming. That seems largely unlikely, but the already less-than-rosy returns on the initial months of the new ownership have been marred further by reports from the Miami Herald about the incoming plans. Most recently, Barry Jackson reported that CEO Derek Jeter stands to receive a $5MM salary with multi-million-dollar bonuses if he can deliver profitability to the ownership group (of which he is a part). PR considerations aside, there’s certainly a compelling case to deal Realmuto and Yelich rather than take the risk of holding them. Rosenthal argues the organization ought to simply follow through on the rebuilding steps it has taken already, using this offseason as the time to cash in both of those quality young players.

Here are some more market notes:

  • The Mets are said to be checking in on the market for third basemen, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. The report suggests that the New York organization is positioning itself as a landing spot for Mike Moustakas or Todd Frazier if they reduce their current asking prices. Similarly, the club has checked in on backstop Jonathan Lucroy as well as left-handed-hitting first basemen Adam Lind and Logan Morrison. (Those two potential first base options, of course, occupy quite different market segments given the former’s age and the latter’s breakout 2017 season.) All told, it still seems the Mets are broadly canvassing the market for possible upgrades, but looking to do so with relatively limited financial resources still available.
  • Jon Heyman of Fan Rag has a variety of interesting notes in a look at the top remaining free agents and other notes from around the game. Free agent righty Alex Cobb is “willing” to take a four-year deal at a $70MM guarantee, says Heyman. Of course, that’s also a significant amount more than MLBTR, at least, projected he’d earn on the open market. It would appear there’s still some market development left to go between Cobb and his suitors. Of course, there are also a few higher-regarded starters left whose own situations may need to be resolved first. Meanwhile, fellow free agent righty Andrew Cashner is reportedly angling for a three-year pact. While the 31-year-old did manage a 3.40 ERA in 166 2/3 innings in 2017, teams will be wary given that he carried only a meager 4.6 K/9 on the year.
  • Years are also at issue for J.D. Martinez, Heyman explains. Red Sox president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski is not interested in offering more than five years, but Heyman suggests that agent Scott Boras could yet try to make his case at the ownership level. The “word is there are other five-year offers,” Heyman adds, though it remains hard to imagine which other reportedly interested club would be able to compete financially with the Sox for Martinez.
  • Heyman also checks in on the closer market. The Astros, he notes, remain interested in adding a high-end, late-inning arm. It’s not entirely clear if they are a realistic suitor for Greg Holland, but in theory he’d be an option. Holland is said to have set out in search of five years in free agency. That never really seemed likely, as he’s 32 years of age and had at least a few late-season stumbles in his first campaign back from Tommy John surgery. Of course, Holland is still expected to secure a significant contract, though a three-year arrangement may be likeliest at this point.
  • Though the Reds continue to engage in discussions regarding center fielder Billy Hamilton, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick notes on Twitter that there’s one major potential roadblock. Club owner Bob Castellini is quite hesitant to part with Hamilton, it seems. While there’s no indication that the switch-hitting speed demon is completely off limits, the stance may make it harder to get a deal done.
  • As the Royals weigh their options at short, it seems the team is targeting some veterans that figure to be available on lower-cost deals. Incumbent Alcides Escobar remains an option, says Heyman, while Kansas City is also said to be favorably disposed toward Ryan Goins.

NL Notes: Kang, Cutch/Mets, Giants, Marlins, Baez

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Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette takes a long look at the path of Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang, who recently washed out of Dominican winter ball and still does not appear to have an avenue back to playing in the majors. It’s well worth reading the piece in its entirety for a glance at Kang’s hard-to-decipher rise and fall. And it’s worth noting that Nesbitt says some within Kang’s former organization, the Nexen Heroes, are hopeful that the power-hitting infielder could negotiate an exit from his contract with the Pirates to pave the way for a return to the team for which he long starred in Korea.

Here’s more from the National League:

  • The Pirates and Mets have again engaged in some talks involving long-time Bucs star Andrew McCutchen, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). As things stand, though, it seems there’s no reason to believe the Mets are a particularly likely destination. The 31-year-old looks to be a solid value after a nice bounceback season, but at $14.75MM on a one-year commitment he’s not exactly teeming with value, either. And that’s still a big payroll hit for the Mets, who are reportedly looking to upgrade in several areas without greatly increasing their 2018 financial commitments. From the Pittsburgh perspective, of course, the team seems mostly still to be considering arrangements that will maximize resources without fully committing to win-now or future-oriented extreme. That’s the broad takeaway from the mailbag of MLB.com’s Adam Berry, who nicely covers a variety of topics of interest to Bucs fans.
  • Meanwhile, the Giants — who have also been tied to McCutchen — are still working through a broad slate of possibilities, as Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. GM Bobby Evans says the organization is “not really focused on the calendar” and views its options as “still very satisfying.” Patience has been the name of the game for just about all of baseball’s key actors this winter; the question remains when and how transactions will begin in earnest. For the Giants, the key limitations revolve around a desire to dip below the luxury tax line and a hesitancy to part with the best of their relatively meager prospect assets. As Schulman notes on Twitter, rivals have not only focused on outfielder Heliot Ramos, but also young pitchers Andrew Suarez and Tyler Beede.
  • It has already been an eventful and somewhat controversial offeason for the Marlins. As Danny Knobler writes for Bleacher Report, the new ownership group’s decision to move large contracts and launch a rebuild may feel unfortunate, and has not been conducted in an artful manner, but largely fall in line with what was viewed as necessary given the financial limitations and roster needs that had arisen. Perhaps there’s still a chance that the Marlins can salvage the situation from a PR perspective, though, if they can make a case to fans that they have mostly just been acting strategically — that is, methodically working through necessary trade talks without giving away their true, full intentions in a manner that may have appeased fans but drained leverage. The proof, perhaps, will be in the results of the still-percolating trade talks surrounding J.T. Realmuto and Christian Yelich — both of whom are arguably more valuable trade assets than the players who’ve already been dealt. As Rosenthal tweets, the Marlins are not prioritizing financial matters in marketing Realmuto and Yelich; rather, the club is “seeking [the] best talent” it can get its hands on. It will certainly be interesting to see how those discussions progress over the coming weeks, as it seems there’s broad interest from quite a few teams that could deliver major assets back to the Marlins.
  • Winter Meetings chatter between the Padres and Cubs involving infielder Javier Baez failed to develop, per another Rosenthal report. It’s “likely” that Chicago was looking to pick up “a controllable starter” in any such deal, says Rosenthal, and the San Diego organization was just not interested in dangling Dinelson Lamet or Luis Perdomo. The sides also held some discussions involving Baez and Friars lefty Brad Hand, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Precise formulations of potential trade packages are not really clear, but it probably shouldn’t be too surprising to hear that those particular names came up. It seems that ship has sailed at this point, though in theory the sides could always strike up talks again if one or the other has a change of heart. Lin also addresses a few other topics of note; in particular, he says the Pads are likely just about done adding rotation options, so fans looking for a Jake Peavy reunion shouldn’t hold their breath.

Free Agent Rumblings: Bautista, Bruce, Walker, Mets, Alcides, Hochevar, Utley

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The Rays have been linked to Jose Bautista both last winter and even earlier this offseason, though MLB.com’s Bill Chastain hasn’t heard about any interest from the team’s end.  Bautista makes some sense as a right-handed platoon partner with lefty-swingers Brad Miller and Corey Dickerson at first base or DH, and Bautista also lives in the Tampa area.  He would be a low-cost signing for the Rays in the wake of his dreadful 2017 season, though that same lackluster performance could be the reason the Rays are apparently looking elsewhere rather than hope Bautista can bounce back at age 37.  On the other hand, Chastain notes that the Rays have made other veteran additions in the past without any advance warning, so it’s probably too early to definitively rule out a signing.

Here are some more items about veteran names still on the market…

  • Jay Bruce or Neil Walker are “highly unlikely” to sign with the Mets, Newsday’s Marc Carig said in an appearance on The Orange & Blue Thing show (Facebook link, Carig joins around the 21:00 mark).  The possibility can’t be entirely ruled out, however, given the nature of this “weird offseason” that has seen so many top free agents remain available as we approach the start of January.  Carig’s segment is well worth a full listen, as he also discusses such topics as the communication issues that has plagued the Mets’ organization and (along those same lines) his recent commentary criticizing team ownership for its lack of transparency.
  • There isn’t much action in Alcides Escobar’s market, leading MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan to write that the Royals could consider re-signing the shortstop as veteran depth behind Raul Mondesi.  The Padres were the only team known to be interested in Escobar this offseason, and they’re now seemingly out of the shortstop market after acquiring Freddy Galvis.  It would’ve been a tall order for Escobar to find a starting gig anywhere given his lack of offensive production, and if he did go anywhere as a backup, a familiar locale like Kansas City makes as much sense as any other destination.
  • Also from Flanagan’s mailbag piece, the Royals have some uncertainty whether or not Luke Hochevar will continue his career.  Hochevar missed all of 2017 after recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, and he also missed the entire 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery.  Royals GM Dayton Moore said during the Winter Meetings that he hadn’t recently spoken to Hochevar about a possible reunion, though Flanagan wrote that the Royals would have interest in bringing him back.  Hochevar just turned 34 last September and posted excellent numbers as a reliever in his last three active seasons.
  • There is very little chance of Chase Utley returning to the Phillies, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes.  Whether Utley returns for a 16th MLB season or retires, Zolecki figures Utley will remain on the west coast, either staying at home or playing for the Dodgers.  Zolecki also refutes a report that Utley was a candidate to become the Phillies’ bench coach, noting that Utley wasn’t even under consideration for the job before the team eventually hired Rob Thomson.

Latest On Market For Josh Harrison

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In an update on the market for Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review writes that a “handful” of organizations have at least reached out to gauge the asking price. Indeed, there’s some indication that he’s the Bucs’ most heavily pursued trade candidate.

Among the teams to have reached out are the Yankees, Mets, and Blue Jays. The Yanks were tied recently, albeit somewhat speculatively, to Harrison in relation to a potentially larger move involving Gerrit Cole. Interest from the latter two was reported a few weeks back (see here and here), though it’s notable to hear they’re still in pursuit.

Though further pursuers haven’t yet been identified, it isn’t difficult to imagine quite a few other clubs having interest. Harrison, after all, can play all over the diamond and would fit quite comfortably on a number of rosters.

His contract rights are also rather appealing. The 30-year-old will earn a reasonable $10MM in 2018 and can be controlled by successive club options. At $10.5MM and $11.5MM apiece, they won’t exactly come at a bargain rate, but the flexibility is plenty desirable in its own right.

Harrison likely won’t replicate his excellent 2014 campaign, but was plenty productive in 2017. He ended the year with a solid .272/.339/.432 batting line and career-best 16 home runs to go with a dozen steals. As usual, Harrison rated as a quality defender and baserunner, making him an approximately 3-WAR player despite only carrying league-average production at the plate.

At this point, it does not seem that any team has emerged as a clear favorite to acquire Harrison — or even that the Pirates are more likely than not to move him. While the organization could fill in from within should it deal Harrison, there’s also little question that he improves the team’s outlook for 2018. Just how inclined the Pirates will be to move him may hinge on whether they end up dealing Cole and/or long-time franchise face Andrew McCutchen.

Quick Hits: Lagares, Cubs, Darvish, Arrieta, Scott

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The Mets are listening to offers for center fielder Juan Lagares, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. However, Puma notes that there’s skepticism within the industry about a trade coming together. New York may have to eat some of the $15.5MM left on Lagares’ contract in order to move him, suggests Puma, who points out that’s not something the team’s often willing to do. The Mets are already low on available spending room as it is – they may only have around $10MM to play with, per Puma – and that’s without having addressed one of second or third base (depending on where Asdrubal Cabrera plays in 2018) or adding a first baseman/outfielder.

  • As far as free agent right-handers go, the Cubs have shown more interest this offseason in adding Yu Darvish than re-signing Jake Arrieta. Regardless, the club doesn’t appear likely to engage in “a steep bidding war” for either, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. And while the 31-year-old Darvish may land the bigger contract this winter, Wittenmyer argues that the decorated Arrieta – who’s five months older – could end up as the better bet.
  • Former major league outfielder/designated hitter Luke Scott expressed interest in making a comeback at the Winter Meetings earlier this month, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. The former Astro, Oriole and Ray hasn’t played in the majors since 2013, though, and he last suited up at the minor league level in 2015. The lifetime .258/.340/.481 hitter will turn 40 in June. If he can’t resume his playing career, Scott’s open to becoming a hitting coach, Kubatko adds.
  • Free agent righty Tyler Wilson is nearing a deal with an unnamed team, Kubatko relays in the same piece. To this point, Wilson has spent his pro career with the Orioles, who chose him in the 10th round of the 2011 draft. He saw action in Baltimore as a swingman in each of the previous three seasons and posted a 5.22 ERA, 4.77 K/9 and 2.42 BB/9 across 145 1/3 innings (42 appearances, 19 starts).

Bartolo Colon Interested In Rejoining Mets

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Free agent right-hander Bartolo Colon would consider signing a minor league contract with one team – the Mets – Mike Puma of the New York Post reports (Twitter link). It could be a moot point, though, as the Mets have only shown “minimal” interest in Colon this winter, per Puma.

There’s already plenty of familiarity between Colon and the Mets, of course, as he pitched for the club from 2014-16 and emerged as a beloved member of the team during that stretch. Colon threw between 191 2/3 and 202 1/3 innings in each of those seasons and combined for a 3.90 ERA, 6.34 K/9 and 1.31 BB/9.

Colon parlayed his late-career success as a Met into a $12.5MM guarantee with the NL East rival Braves last winter, but his short tenure in Atlanta was disastrous, leading the club to release him in July. Colon finished the year with the playoff-bound Twins on a minors deal and performed better than he did with the Braves, but his results still weren’t appealing. All told, Colon’s age-44 season saw him post a 6.48 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 across 143 innings (28 starts).

Now, given that he’s set to turn 45 in May and is coming off a dreadful season, a major league deal could be difficult to come by for Colon this winter. Still, Colon is looking to play one more season, which would be his 21st. With 240 victories, Colon is within striking distance of passing Juan Marichal (243) for most wins by a Dominican-born pitcher. While it would make for a nice story to see him accomplish that feat in a Mets uniform, it doesn’t appear likely the two sides will reunite.

Heyman’s Latest: Blue Jays, D-Backs, Cobb, Lagares, Castro

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Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reported on a few items of note in his latest column and has followed up with some additional bits of information. We’ll run down some of the key takeaways here:

  • While the Blue Jays have been quiet thus far, Heyman says they could be lurking on a few interesting names. In the outfield, J.D. Martinez is a legitimate target, he says, as are Carlos Gonzalez and Lorenzo Cain. The club is also considering quality utility options such as Eduardo Nunez and Howie Kendrick. Meanwhile, Toronto has reached out to the Padres on Brad Hand, who’s a highly valuable relief asset. It remains to be seen whether the Jays will be willing to pony up a lot of cash or prospect assets to make a significant win-now move, but it’s notable that the team is at least exploring some notable possibilities.
  • The Diamondbacks reportedly had real interest in Orioles infielder Manny Machado, but Heyman says the Snakes were not willing to consider moving third bagger Jake Lamb in a deal. That’s not terribly surprising; after all, the 27-year-old Lamb has only just reached arbitration eligibility and posted consecutive solid campaigns in which he has maintained a composite .248/.345/.498 batting line. Though he’s clearly an inferior overall player to Machado, Lamb is the type of affordable, quality regular that a team with Arizona’s payroll can ill afford to part with.
  • Thus far, free agent righty Alex Cobb “is thought to have been asking for about $20 million a year,” Heyman writes, noting that his agents may view Mike Leake as a comp. Of course, Cobb is older and less durable than Leake was when he hit the open market, though Cobb also has a loftier established ceiling on the mound (at least, dating to his output before undergoing Tommy John surgery).
  • There’s some interest from rival organizations in Mets center fielder Juan Lagares, Heyman reports on Twitter. Of course, it’s far from clear that the New York organization has real interest in dealing away the 28-year-old. To the contrary, indications to date have been that the Mets expect to utilize Lagares quite heavily. The rangy defender last topped 400 plate appearances in 2015 and has not posted a league-average season with the bat since the season before that.
  • The Marlins are still indicating to rivals that they’re not particularly interested in dealing Christian Yelich or J.T. Realmuto, Heyman tweets, though of course that could yet be a bargaining stance. Notably, though, the Fish are said to be seeking ways of parting with the recently acquired contract of Starlin Castro. Though Miami executive Gary Denbo indicated earlier today the club intends to keep Castro, it certainly would not be surprising for Miami to strike a deal if it means shedding yet more salary obligations to a player who likely won’t be a part of the organization’s next contending roster.

Mets Name Omar Minaya Special Assistant To GM Sandy Alderson

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10:30am: Newsday’s Marc Carig reports that the move was not well-received within the organization’s front office (all Twitter links). Owner Fred Wilpon’s fingerprints are “all over” Minaya’s return, per Carig, adding that many in the Mets front office had some “serious reservations” about the decision.

9:15am: The Mets announced Friday that they’ve named Omar Minaya a special assistant to general manager Sandy Alderson. Minaya, of course, served as the Mets’ GM himself from 2004-10 before being replaced in that role by Alderson.

“Omar has a long history with the Mets,” said Alderson in a statement announcing the move. “He has served the club well in many different areas. Omar will be a resource on scouting and player development, will consult on player acquisitions and will serve as a community ambassador. We are very happy to have him back in the organization.”

After departing the Mets, Minaya spent four years as the Padres’ vice president of baseball operations before taking a job with the Major League Baseball Players Association, where he served as a senior advisor to executive director Tony Clark. He’ll now rejoin the organization and help evaluate young talent as the Mets look to build up a minor league system that has grown increasingly thin in recent years.

“I’m excited to return to an organization that I love,” Minaya said in his own statement. “I’m thrilled I can return to scouting and developing young talent. I look forward to working for Sandy and his staff.”

Mets Rumors: Payroll, Yankees, Bruce, Ramos

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The Mets are set to head into the 2018 season with a payroll reduction of roughly $20MM, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Mets GM Sandy Alderson has roughly $10MM remaining to spend on needs up and down the roster, per Sherman — which is reflective of ownership’s confidence in the team’s ability to make a postseason run. Sherman notes that last winter, Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz believed the team to be poised for another postseason run and spent accordingly, but last year’s cavalcade of injuries and underperformance has now curtailed their willingness to spend at such an aggressive level. The Mets could yet find a bargain option or two late in the offseason to continue rounding out the roster, as was the case last February and Jerry Blevins and Fernando Salas were inked to relatively low-cost, one-year deals.

More out of Queens…

  • Sherman’s colleague, Mike Puma, writes that Wilpon was “irate” upon learning of the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton acquisition. Wilpon frequently gets upset when seeing his crosstown rivals make blockbuster acquisitions, suggesting that business model to be unsustainable (despite the Yankees operating at the top of the payroll chain for decades). Additionally, Puma notes that big-name free agents haven’t been a consideration at any point this offseason and also lists Addison Reed (along with Tommy Hunter and Bryan Shaw) among bullpen options that have been deemed too costly.
  • Puma also tweets that the Mets are still interested in a reunion with Jay Bruce, though they haven’t made him an offer to this point. Given the payroll constraints portrayed in the above-linked columns from the Post duo, it’d be difficult to imagine the Mets winning any sort of bidding war for Bruce. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo wrote yesterday that the Mets’ interest in Bruce would be contingent on his asking price dropping from its current point — a four-year guarantee.
  • Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription required and recommended) that one creative means of dealing with their limited resources could be to trade reliever AJ Ramos for a second baseman and then sign another reliever to step into his place. The Record’s Matt Ehalt also hears that the Mets are willing to move Ramos in order to address other needs on the big league roster — second base chief among them. The Mets and Indians “do not have anything brewing” with regard to Jason Kipnis at present, however, and Ehalt also notes that Starlin Castro doesn’t appear to be a target, either (as others have previously reported). Ramos, 31, will be a free agent next year and comes with a projected arbitration salary of $9.2MM, per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. In 58 2/3 innings last year, Ramos posted a 3.99 ERA with a hefty 11.1 K/9 rate against a more troublesome 5.2 BB/9 mark.

Mets, Sandy Alderson Agree To New Contract

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The Mets announced that general manager Sandy Alderson has signed an extension of undisclosed length with the team. “I’m excited that Sandy will continue to lead the organization,” Mets COO Jeff Wilpon says in a press release announcing the extension. Previous reports had indicated that Alderson was likely to sign agree to a new two-year deal following the expiration of his previous contract, which ran through the end of 2017.

“I feel that we have some unfinished business,” says Alderson. “Spring Training is around the corner and our quest to return to the postseason will continue.”

The 70-year-old Alderson is entering his eighth season as general manager of the Mets, having been first appointed to the post as the successor to Omar Minaya after the conclusion of the 2010 campaign. Alderson’s Mets have posted winning records in just two of his seven years at the front office’s helm, though one of those positive seasons was a 90-win effort that saw the Mets advance to the World Series against the Royals in 2015. The Mets advanced to the postseason the following year as well, though quickly ousted by the Giants in the National League Wild Card game.

While Alderson takes his fair share of flak from the Mets’ faithful — some of it deserved — an extension has been rumored to be in the works for awhile now, and he’s made plenty of quality moves to better position the team for success. Alderson was in the GM’s chair when the Mets traded half a season of Carlos Beltran for then-prospect Zack Wheeler, and he opted trade R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays in a package that netted Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud rather than extend Dickey on the heels of his NL Cy Young victory. Alderson was also the top decision-maker when the Mets traded for and twice re-signed Yoenis Cespedes. Other, lower-profile moves such as opting to keep Lucas Duda over Ike Davis when the Mets had a pair of young, MLB-ready first base options also proved shrewd.

Of course, like any top-level baseball executive, Alderson has had his share of misses in his tenure. Allowing Daniel Murphy to walk and sign with the division-rival Nationals stands out perhaps chief among some missteps for the organization, and the 2017 season in general devolved into somewhat of a circus due to rampant injury issues and poor communication (both with the media and, reportedly, internally as well). Among the most eye-opening issues was the fact that Syndergaard reportedly declined a request to undergo an MRI just days before pitching and ultimately being diagnosed with a partially torn lat muscle.

The Mets are oft-criticized by the New York media for their failures to spend like a large-market powerhouse, though much of that is out of Alderson’s hands. Newsday’s Marc Carig, for instance, recently reported that Alderson and his front office often had to enter the offseason “flying blind,” with little to no information from ownership as to the level at which they’ll be able to spend. The Wilpons drew plenty of criticism over the summer amid the Mets’ medical turmoils, with ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reporting back in May that Jeff Wilpon “meddles” to a considerably greater extent than most owners.

It remains to be seen exactly how long Alderson will remain at the helm, though Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reported back in October that assistant GM John Ricco could be in line to succeed Alderson, whether that happens at the conclusion of the 2019 season or further down the line.

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