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Relief Market Notes: Hunter, Nationals, Mets, Zagurski

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Right-hander Tommy Hunter is drawing interest on the free agent market, with the Padres, Tigers and Indians among the clubs teams intrigued by the former Orioles setup man, reports Rich Dubroff of CSNMidAtlantic.com. Hunter, 30 next July, split the season between the O’s and Cubs, though he enjoyed considerably more success in Baltimore than in Chicago. Hunter was surprisingly traded in exchange for Junior Lake in July after 44 2/3 innings of 3.63 ERA ball (3.38 FIP) but saw that mark soar to 5.74 (5.11 FIP) in 15 2/3 innings with the Cubs. Those late struggles notwithstanding, Hunter has a 3.26 ERA with 6.9 K/9 against just 1.7 BB/9 across 207 1/3 innings dating back to 2013, so he figures to draw further interest as the offseason wears on.

Here are a few more notes from the relief market…

  • MLB.com’s Bill Ladson joins others in characterizing the Nationals’ interest in Darren O’Day as serious, though he also notes that some clubs could offer O’Day the opportunity to close games, which Washington cannot currently promise. The market for O’Day is deep, Ladson adds, but he could be a much-needed reliable setup man for the Nats, who are “looking to trade” Drew Storen.
  • We’ve heard varying reports on the Nationals’ interest in shipping out Storen and Jonathan Papelbon, but Jayson Stark tweets that executives from three clubs have told him that the Nats are pushing to trade both righties. The club’s plan would be to rebuild the back of its relief corps with new acquisitions. Of course, as I explained in the Nationals’ offseason outlook, Washington is in need of pen additions regardless of what it does in the late innings.
  • The Mets’ bullpen focus, meanwhile, is on adding a lefty, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. New York seems prepared to give Josh Smoker a chance at cracking the pen after adding him to the 40-man roster. And the team has indicated interest in bringing back Jerry Blevins. But a surer thing would be preferable, says DiComo, who says the team is prioritizing the acquisition of a quality LOOGY this winter.
  • Former big league lefty Mike Zagurski is hoping to return to the U.S. after pitching in Japan last season, MLBTR has learned. Zagurski has struggled in a handful of Major League chances but has a 2.68 ERA with 12.0 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9 in parts of six Triple-A seasons. The 32-year-old posted a 2.40 ERA in Japan last year, albeit in a small sample of 15 innings.

Quick Hits: Dombrowski, Fernandez, Harvey, Britton

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Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski discussed his team’s pitching search in an interview with Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link here).  Dombrowski said that “any of” the top starters on both the trade and free agent markets “are under consideration for us” as the Sox are casting a wide net in looking for an ace.  “The [free agent] market is probably, as flush as it is…an area that we would pursue more, but I think that you’d feel comfortable that any names out there, you could say we have interest in them and hopefully somebody will have interest in us,” Dombrowski said.  When asked about Red Sox ownership’s recent reluctance to give long-term deals to pitchers, Dombrowski discussed the importance and necessity of keeping upper management informed about any major signing.  “I don’t think anyone really cherishes giving that long term of a contract to any pitcher in particular but it’s a situation [where]…if you’re going to participate, you’re most likely going to have to do that,” Dombrowski said.

Here’s some more from around baseball as we head into a new week…

  • “The lines of communication” between Jose Fernandez and the Marlins front office “have been good” as of late, sources tell ESPN’s Buster Olney (Insider subscription required).  This could be why neither side seems to be looking for a trade, despite some reports of personality issues between Fernandez and some teammates.  As Olney notes, there has never been any doubt of Fernandez’s passion for baseball, and some of the behavioral drama could stem from a franchise-wide lack of discipline caused by the Marlins’ unsettled managerial situation.  With a veteran skipper like Don Mattingly on board, things should theoretically be more stable within Miami’s clubhouse.
  • If the Marlins did want to deal Fernandez, Olney notes, it might better suit them to wait until next winter when the pitching market is less crowded.  The Mets could also be planning this same strategy for exploring Matt Harvey trades in the 2016-17 offseason.
  • Unless the Orioles get a huge offer, it probably makes more sense for the club to keep Zach Britton rather than shop him in trades, CSNMidAtlantic.com’s Rich Dubroff opines.  Dealing Britton would fetch some sorely-needed prospects for Baltimore, and also open some payroll space given Britton’s escalating price tag as he enters his arbitration years.  On the other hand, dealing the star closer would leave a big hole on a would-be contender, especially one that is already likely to lose a big bullpen arm in Darren O’Day.
  • Several young players have been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason, and MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince gives an overview of the some of the talents who could be trade chips rather than cornerstones for their respective clubs.
  • On the flip side, MLB.com’s Dan O’Dowd identifies Lorenzo Cain, Gerrit Cole, Jacob deGrom, A.J. Pollock and Marcus Stroman as players who have become big pieces of their clubs’ present and future, and all could be targeted for extensions this winter.  MLBTR’s Jeff Todd examined Cole as an extension candidate last March, before Cole boosted his value with a superb season.

Added To The 40-Man Roster: Friday

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Tonight at 8:00pm ET is the deadline for teams to add players to their 40-man roster and thereby protect them from this year’s Rule 5 Draft. In other words: there will be a significant amount of 40-man roster moves made over the course of the next 13 or so hours. Six clubs already made moves to protect prospects from the Rule 5 yesterday, and each of the remaining 24 clubs should make moves today as well.

In brief: players drafted/signed at 18 years of age or younger must be added to the 40-man roster within five years of signing or be exposed to the Rule 5 Draft. Players drafted/signed at 19 or older must be added within four years. Those interested in all of the specifics can refer to articles from MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and J.J. Cooper of Baseball America. Perhaps of greater interest is that Mayo lists all of the prospects from MLB.com’s Top 100 list and from their organizational Top 30 lists that much be protected in advance of tonight’s deadline, while Cooper provides brief write-ups on each player that has been protected (and will continue to do so as additions are made).

Here are today’s additions to the 40-man roster. You can check out Baseball America’s coverage to learn more about the individual players listed below …

Earlier Updates

Free Agent Notes: Cespedes, Lackey, Asdrubal, Oh

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ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick has a fascinating new column on the lengths to which Yoenis Cespedes’ agents at CAA and Roc Nation Sports have gone to market the outfielder to clubs. Cespedes’ representatives have distributed a roughly 100-page, cloth-covered book entitled “52 Reviews” (a hat tip to Cesepedes’ jersey number) that contains testimonials from managers, coaches, teammates, executives and media members on Cespedes. The book also has a video player embedded on the inside cover which plays a highlight reel set to music. (One can only hope it is as majestic as Cespedes’ initial 20-minute showcase video as an amateur.) While Crasnick notes that such materials don’t necessarily provide increasingly analytic teams with any data of which they were previously unaware, one assistant GM offered an interesting take on the book’s purpose: “I think the agents are hoping these things will find a way into hands of the owners and have an impact on people who are writing the checks. And it’s such a cutthroat industry, the agents want to make it 100 percent clear they’re doing everything they can and more than the next guy will do.” Crasnick spoke to officials who are familiar with Cespedes that downplayed any clubhouse concerns and also talked with CAA head Brodie Van Wagenen about the effect that “52 Reviews” has had, with Van Wagenen noting that more than anything, it has sparked dialogue about Cespedes’ talent, which is the primary purpose. Crasnick’s column is well worth checking out in full, of course.

A few more notes on the free agent market…

  • The Cardinals, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Red Sox and Dodgers have all “at least checked in” with John Lackey’s representatives, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Each of the listed teams has a well-known desire to add pitching help either via free agency or trade this winter (or, in some cases, likely both).
  • Asdrubal Cabrera is currently getting interest from four clubs, tweets SB Nations’ Chris Cotillo. The Rays aren’t believed to have ruled out a reunion, he adds, though it seems unlikely to me that Tampa Bay would not only bring Cabrera back but likely give him a raise after already acquiring Brad Miller this offseason. Miller gives the Rays an option at shortstop, and Logan Forsythe, of course, had a breakout season at second base. A Cabrera return would jam up the payroll and also push Miller into a utility role, which doesn’t make much sense after he was the key piece acquired from Seattle in exchange for Nate Karns — a quality, young right-handed starter.
  • Newsday’s Marc Carig tweets that Korean closer Seung-hwan Oh is on the Mets’ radar, but the team isn’t planning an aggressive pursuit of him at this time. New York is said to be eyeing relievers to bolster its setup core.
  • Dave Cameron of Fangraphs lists the five free agents that he would avoid this season, citing Dexter Fowler, Yovani Gallardo, Justin Upton, Jordan Zimmermann and Chris Davis as potential landmines and explaining his rationale for skepticism in each case.

Cubs Claim Jack Leathersich From Mets

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The Cubs announced that they’ve claimed left-handed reliever Jack Leathersich off waivers from the Mets. Leathersich is recovering from 2015 Tommy John surgery but could return to Major League action late in the 2016 campaign. The folks at RedSoxStats.com first tweeted that the Cubs would be picking up a lefty reliever off another club’s 40-man roster (about an hour prior to the claim).

Leathersich, 25, underwent his surgery in July this season, so he could potentially return next August or September, though he’ll obviously spend the early potion of the 2016 season on the 60-day disabled list. The former fifth-round pick made his big league debut in 2015 and yielded three runs on 12 hits with a 14-to-7 K/BB ratio in 11 2/3 innings before succumbing to injury. Leathersich has averaged an eye-popping 15.2 strikeouts per nine innings over the life of his minor league career, but he’s battled control issues (4.9 BB/9 in the minors) and has somewhat curiously struggled tremendously against fellow lefties while serving as a highly effective piece versus right-handed batters.

Mets Notes: Zobrist, Murphy, Tejada, O’Day

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The Mets are “very interested” in Ben Zobrist and had a conference call with his representatives at Octagon today, reports Tim Rohan of the New York Times (links to Twitter). Rohan notes, however, that there are as many as 10 teams seriously interested in Zobrist, most of whom are also contenders. Zobrist, who is seeking a four-year deal, is listening to the pitches from each club and wants to play for a winning team. Newsday’s Marc Carig writes that there’s been a “steady dialogue” between the Mets and Zobrist’s camp, but there’s no indication that the Mets are willing to enter a bidding war for the versatile switch-hitter. And Adam Rubin of ESPN New York writes that Mets officials indicated to him last week that their internal expectation was for Zobrist’s robust market to price him out of their comfort zone. To this point, the Mets haven’t made a formal offer to a free agent, Rubin adds. (Although that’s probably true of several clubs.)

Here are a few more notes pertaining to the reigning NL champs…

  • The Mets are expected to make a “legitimate bid” for Daniel Murphy, writes Rubin in a second piece. He adds that some within the Mets organization feel that Murphy might consider an offer from the Mets even if they don’t make the strongest bid due to his longstanding relationship with the team. Carig tweets that it’s still unlikely there will be a reunion though, unless Murphy is willing to leave significant money on the table, adding that the Mets passed on the opportunity to discuss an in-season extension (to which Murphy was open). MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets that the Mets seem to value Zobrist’s versatility (i.e. his outfield capability) over Murphy, but the team may very well get outbid on both free agents anyhow.
  • Rubin also writes that the Mets are moving toward a non-tender of shortstop Ruben Tejada, whose raise in arbitration is beyond what the team is interested in paying him coming off his second broken fibula and considering his rather light bat. MLBTR projects a $2.5MM salary for Tejada, though Rubin’s report is based on a $3MM+ figure that could come about if the team were to lose a hearing to Tejada.
  • Earlier this morning, Ken Rosenthal reported that Darren O’Day is seeking a four-year contract in the $28-36MM range, and while the Mets have been linked to O’Day, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets that he was told New York “most likely” wouldn’t remain in the mix if the price escalated to those levels.
  • One more from Rubin, who writes that finding a left-handed complement to Juan Lagares in center field is currently the priority for the Mets, though they’re also “poking around” the trade market for a shortstop and considering setup men to add to the back end of their bullpen. The team doesn’t envision any major additions prior to the Winter Meetings, which begin on Dec. 7, Rubin adds.

Free Agent Notes: Greinke, Soria, Hill, Parra, Anderson

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It may not be wise to assume that the Dodgers will end up bringing back righty Zack Greinke, ESPNLos Angeles.com’s Mark Saxon writes. The team has shown indications that it is looking for younger, less expensive assets rather than huge veteran contracts. And Greinke himself may be less than thrilled with the clubhouse culture in L.A., leaving a “distaste” that “is believed to be a factor in his thinking.” Obviously, Greinke and the club thrived with his first contract, so it’s probably not worth writing off a return, but the report does suggest the interest may not be as clear as had generally been assumed.

Here’s the latest on some other free agent situations around the league:

  • The Tigers have “picked up” talks with reliever Joakim Soria but haven’t yet made him an offer, MLB.com’s Jason Beck reports. Soria received one offer from an unknown team earlier in the offseason, says Beck, but the market has moved slowly as a potentially-active trade market for pen arms continues to sort itself out.
  • Lefty Rich Hill is expected to sign a contract this week, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reports. It’s not clear which club, but Bradford says it isn’t the Red Sox. Hill’s out-of-nowhere late-season run in Boston has made him an interesting piece of the market picture. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicted that Hill will be able to secure a one-year deal with a $5MM guarantee.
  • The Mets have had contact with the representatives for free agent outfielder Gerardo Parra, Marc Carig of Newsday reports on Twitter. Parra would, presumably, take part in a platoon with Juan Lagares, though that would mean relying on him rather heavily in center. While he’s played there, Parra has spent far more time in the corner outfield. And it could well be hard to find enough playing time to woo the 28-year-old, given that the club is rather heavily invested in Lagares and has two left-handed hitters (Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto) set to man the corners.
  • Dodgers lefty Brett Anderson spoke with reporters today about his decision to accept the $15.8MM qualifying offer, as Saxon reports. He indicated that he was hoping to continue to build his stock in advance of next year’s market, a risky but tantalizing strategy. On the one hand, Anderson has a lengthy injury history and is finally coming off of a healthy season; on the other, he’s still young, has mostly dealt with a few fluke injuries in recent years, and can look forward to a seller-friendly market next winter. “There were some multi-year deals out there, but my situation was a little unique and I just wanted to better myself,” Anderson said. “That, and I liked being in L.A., I liked my teammates, I liked everything about it other than the ending of the season.” Anderson also noted that he and the Dodgers had discussed a multi-year arrangement at some point and could again pursue some kind of deal, as MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick tweets.

 

Quick Hits: Cuba, Zobrist, Dodgers, Gallardo, Tribe

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For a rundown of some of the top Cuban talents who could soon be on their way to Major League Baseball, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez lists several Cuban players who are full free agents and some who are subject to the July 2 international signing limits.  Some of the free agents have yet to be officially declared as such due to paperwork, including righty Yaisel Sierra, who is considered to be the top Cuban player available on the open market this offseason.  Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • The Mets are one of many teams to contact Ben Zobrist’s agent but the Yankees don’t appear to be in the running, according to Ken Davidoff and Dan Martin of the New York Post.  The Yankees aren’t willing to pay what is likely to be a pretty significant price tag for Zobrist considering the number of teams interested in his services, and are more apt to upgrade their roster through trades rather than major free agent signings.  The Mets, meanwhile, would use Zobrist to replace Daniel Murphy at second, and also give him some time in the outfield.
  • Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly says his team’s payroll will drop from its $300MM threshold in 2015 to much closer to the $200MM level, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.  The vast Dodger payrolls of the first few years under the Guggenheim group’s ownership were meant to ensure the team could stay competitive while rebuilding the farm system, and once this young talent starts to emerge, the spending will drop.  Boehly thinks “sustainable is more like the league average [payroll], plus some, or plus a lot.”  As Shaikin notes, this still leaves the Dodgers with the flexibility to maintain a payroll at or near the luxury tax level every year.
  • Bobby Witt, Yovani Gallardo’s agent, discussed his client’s free agency with Jim Memolo and Brad Lidge of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter links).  Gallardo is looking for a long-term deal, Witt said, which is why he rejected the Rangers’ one-year qualifying offer.  Witt said that a market for his client has yet to really develop and it may take time until the pitchers at the top of the market (i.e. David Price and Zack Greinke) pick their next teams.
  • In their end-of-season discussions, the Indians briefly considered using Jason Kipnis in the outfield next season with Jose Ramirez taking over at second, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes.  The team abandoned the idea, however, since Kipnis is just too valuable at the keystone.  Cleveland is in dire need of outfield help and may need to make a big trade to fill the void, Pluto argues.
  • More Indians outfield possibilities are discussed by Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer as part of a reader mailbag, though Hoynes doubts the Tribe is quite ready to trade one of its highly-touted starters for an everyday outfielder.  Michael Brantley’s status will be a big factor, as if it looks like his injury rehab will keep him out longer than expected, Cleveland may have no choice but to trade a pitcher or sign a notable free agent.
  • The Phillies should trade Ken Giles while his value is at its highest, Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines.  Giles isn’t even eligible for arbitration until 2018, so he carries much more cost-effective and long-term value than other notable closers on the trade market like Aroldis Chapman, Jonathan Papelbon or Mark Melancon.  A rebuilding team like the Phillies, Kaplan argues, has little need for a top closer.

Cafardo’s Latest: Royals, Parra, Bradley, Hanley

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The Royals feel that Ben Zobrist might re-sign with the team but Alex Gordon “is likely gone,” the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo writes in his weekly notes column.  With a possible hole to fill in left field, Cafardo reports that the Royals are considering free agent outfielder Gerardo Parra.  Kansas City is more concerned with defense than offense in replacing Gordon, so Parra’s hitting (which has never been his strong suit, apart from a BABIP-fueled outburst in the first half of 2015) may not be a major issue for the Royals.  Here’s some more from Cafardo…

  • The Royals, Cubs and Mariners were all reported to have interest in Jackie Bradley last week, and Cafardo adds the Mets and “perhaps the Nationals” to the list of teams checking in on the Red Sox outfielder.  Despite all this trade buzz, Bradley may remain in Boston since baseball ops president Dave Dombrowski has long had interest in Bradley himself, even exploring acquiring him from the Sox when Dombrowski was the Tigers’ general manager.  Dombrowski has already implied that the Sox may be through with big trades for young talent in the wake of shipping four prospects to San Diego for Craig Kimbrel, which would mean that Bradley could indeed be staying put at Fenway Park.
  • An NL general manager doesn’t think the Red Sox can get through the 2016 season without parting ways with at least one of Hanley Ramirez or Pablo Sandoval.  Dealing either for value looks to be near impossible since both players have large contracts and are coming off rough seasons, but “sometimes you have to cut your losses.  A big-market team like Boston can do that,” the GM said.  “They have to decide whether having those two players in their clubhouse, in what is otherwise a young, accountable clubhouse, is worth it. You don’t want players tearing down what you’re trying to build. So whatever method was used to acquire those players didn’t work. So now you have to have your own chemistry lesson and determine if you can live with those guys. I would think they’d try to move one or both.”
  • Tigers GM Al Avila is upgrading the club’s analytics department from one full-time employee to three, as well as interns and some outside consultants.
  • The Braves talked to Chris Iannetta’s agents before re-signing A.J. Pierzynski to fill their need at catcher.  Iannetta has been linked to the Mariners in recent days, though there have been conflicting reports as to exactly how close he is to joining the M’s.

Mets Not Shopping Zack Wheeler

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Over the summer, the Mets nearly shipped Zack Wheeler to the Brewers in a deal that would have netted them Carlos Gomez.  That deal fell apart at the last minute due to concerns over medicals, but it showed that the Mets were willing to part with Wheeler given the right return.  However, when asked if the pitcher could be on the block this winter, Mets assistant general manager John Ricco said that would not be the case.

“We’re not actively shopping Zack by any stretch,” Ricco told Marc Carig of Newsday. “But as with the other starters, if something came up that we thought made us better, we’re going to talk about it.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his arm, the 86’d Mets-Brewers deal showed that Wheeler still holds considerable trade value.  Wheeler pitched 185 1/3 strong innings in his first full season for the Mets in 2014, but underwent Tommy John surgery in March.  Over his two seasons in Queens, Wheeler worked to a 3.50 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 50 percent ground-ball rate.

Armed with a 95mph fastball and a pair of above-average breaking pitches, there was an expectation that Wheeler would take a step forward in 2015, creating a formidable trio atop the Mets’ rotation, alongside Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom.  Rival teams could have similar expectations for Wheeler in 2016 and while the Mets won’t be shopping Wheeler, it sounds like they’ll at least be listening on him.  Ricco indicated that the Mets were probably a little more inclined to move Wheeler in July since they felt that they were one outfield bat away from being contenders.  Still, the Mets exec wouldn’t rule out a similar set of events unfolding in the coming months.

“If there’s a deal that we think really makes us better, I can’t say we wouldn’t do the exact same thing,” Ricco said.

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