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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.

Minor MLB Transactions: 11/14/15

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the game.

  • The Mets have announced that they’ve signed second baseman, third baseman and outfielder Ty Kelly to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. Kelly, 27, established himself as a solid hitter coming through the minors, but he had a down year with the Cardinals’ and Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliates in 2015, combining for a .222/.322/.296 line in 429 plate appearances, including just 16 extra-base hits. He had hit for more power in Triple-A in previous seasons, though, and his versatility and willingness to take walks (he has 486 walks and 484 strikeouts in his minor league career) give him value on a Triple-A roster.
  • The Indians have agreed to terms with infielder/outfielder Michael Martinez on a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. Martinez opted free agency after refusing an outright assignment earlier this week. Martinez collected 32 big-league plate appearances in 2015 but spent most of the season at Triple-A Columbus, where he batted .289/.344/.424 over 401 plate appearances. Between the two stops, the 33-year-old played at every outfield position and every infield position except first base.

Free Agent Notes: Kim, Zobrist, Davis, Braves

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Korean outfielder Hyeon-Soo Kim (or, alternatively anglicized, Hyun-soo Kim) has reached free agency and hopes to sign with an MLB club, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports writes. (Because he is a free agent, he will not need to go through a posting process.) The 27-year-old corner outfielder  doesn’t quite have the power numbers of Byung-Ho Park, but has delivered good pop in the hitter-friendly KBO while taking walks more than he strikes out. He’s a .318/.406/.488 lifetime hitter, suggesting a nice blend of contact, patience, and pop, though he’s more of a 20 home run threat than a 40+ bomb KBO masher. Passan cites at least one scout that sees the left-handed-hitting Kim as a possible regular left fielder, and says he could have significant earning power this winter.

Here’s more on the market:

  • The Nationals have interest in Ben Zobrist, though he’s not viewed as a top priority, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports. That’s not exactly surprising, for all the familiar reasons, but the possible fit in D.C. does seem to be a good one since the club could use a left-handed bat capable of playing second and the corner outfield. (Even better, Zobrist is a switch-hitter.)
  • Meanwhile, GM Mike Rizzo indicated at the meetings that the team isn’t looking to bring back Denard Span, Wagner also reports. That’s even less surprising, of course. Rizzo indicated that the club feels good about Michael A. Taylor in center and doesn’t feel the need to add a new regular option there.
  • As with the rival Nats, the Mets plan to speak with Zobrist’s representatives at Octagon, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. New York is well aware that Zobrist will have a broad market, though, Puma adds.
  • Did I mention that there’d be wide interest in Zobrist? The Cardinals, too, have interest in him, Buster Olney of ESPN.com writes on Twitter. It’s not exactly clear how St. Louis would deploy Zobrist, but it’s possible to imagine him seeing time at more or less every position on the diamond (with a few exceptions) with the club.
  • Agent Scott Boras made clear at the GM Meetings this week that he intends to pitch Chris Davis as a legitimate outfield option, as ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick writes. In addition to rare power, says Boras, Davis is more than capable of playing a passable right field for at least a year or two. That is indeed an intriguing idea, since it would open up some new possibilities, and Crasnick explains that there are good reasons to believe it’s plausible.
  • Despite already adding A.J. Pierzynski, the Braves could sign another backstop to pair with him, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Twitter links). But any such signing isn’t likely to be an expensive one, he cautions, which seems to suggest that Matt Wieters won’t be a target. Of course, that raises the question of what the team’s plans are for Christian Bethancourt, who has increasingly been mentioned as a change-of-scenery trade candidate. All this chatter occurred before Atlanta agreed to trade away Andrelton Simmons, though, so it’s hard to know whether a change in the club’s strategy will follow.
  • Multiple agents suggested to Olney (Twitter link) that the teams with protected first-round picks don’t seem particularly inclined to spend a lot of money in free agency. That would appear to suggest that qualifying-offer-bound free agent may need to bear the full brunt of the draft pick compensation owed by any team signing them, since there will be fewer clubs that can add them at the cost of only a later pick. Of course, with so many players having received the QO, it’s likely that there will be a few teams that sign more than one, reducing the unit cost of the lost draft picks.

Braves Listening On Andrelton Simmons

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4:31pm: The Rockies are not engaged in trade talks regarding Simmons, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports on Twitter.

8:58am: The Mets checked in on Simmons this morning and were met with the asking price of Jacob deGrom or Matt Harvey, tweets Sherman, which is steeper than New York would care to pay.

NOV. 12, 7:09am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the Braves are indeed listening to offers for Simmons, and they’ve been in recent contact with the Padres, Dodgers and Angels (three Twitter links). The Braves recognize the weak free-agent market at shortstop and want to at least see what the return would be for Simmons considering how valuable he is. Sherman adds that the Mets haven’t checked in on Simmons yet, perhaps assuming that the Braves wouldn’t deal him within the NL East.

NOV. 11, 10:42pm: The Braves have discussed Simmons, but no deal is close at the moment, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (links to Twitter). They’re willing to listen, and as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution adds (also via Twitter), Atlanta is determined to add multiple young, impact pieces without raising payroll much. Moving Simmons could achieve that goal, but the cost would assuredly be astounding for a player with as much surplus value on his contract as Simmons presently has.

10:31pm: The Padres have checked in on Simmons but nothing is close in terms of trade talks between the two sides, according to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union Tribune (Twitter link).

9:58pm: Keri now tweets that the Braves’ talks revolve around Andrelton Simmons. That doesn’t necessarily rule out any of the four remaining teams, as the Rockies and Padres could certainly use a long-term answer at shortstop and either the Dodgers or D-Backs could shuffle their current infield alignment to add a defender of Simmons’ caliber.

Simmons’ offensive output was down in 2015, but he remains arguably the game’s most elite defensive player and is under contract for another five seasons at a total of $53MM.

9:33pm: The Giants aren’t in talks with the Braves, both SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo and the San Francisco Chronicle’s Henry Schulman hear (links to Twitter).

9:11pm: The Braves are “deep” in trade talks with a yet-unnamed NL West club, reports Jonah Keri of ESPN (via Twitter). Clearly, there’s a lot left to the imagination with this report, but there’s enough to at least envision a few possibilities.

The Braves are known to be shopping expensive veterans Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, though neither player is a desirable asset considering the $15MM each is owed in 2016. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported today that Cameron Maybin is available in trades, and Maybin could be a more appealing piece on the heels of the first fully healthy season he’s enjoyed since 2012. There’s also been speculation over the past several months that Atlanta could move on from formerly presumed catcher-of-the-future Christian Bethancourt, and the team did just reportedly agree to terms on a new one-year deal with A.J. Pierzynski earlier tonight. Other possibilities include Julio Teheran, whose name has been kicked around in trade rumors since the summer, and Mike Minor, whom the team is reportedly uncertain about tendering after he experienced a setback in his rehab from shoulder surgery.

A quick rundown of the NL West’s team needs: the Rockies could be looking for catching or pitching help, the Giants are reportedly interested in outfielders and rotation arms, the Diamondbacks are hunting for general pitching help (rotation or bullpen), the Dodgers are in much the same boat as the D-Backs, and the Padres could conceivably be looking to add in the outfield, infield or rotation. That creates a wide-ranging slate of possibilities, of course, though if a trade is indeed nearing fruition, further details are likely to be reported sooner rather than later.

Heyman’s Latest: Offseason Spending, CarGo, Pirates, Kennedy, Gallardo

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In his latest notes column, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports begins by classifying the Angels, Giants, Tigers, Red Sox, Cubs, Cardinals and Dodgers as the expected “big spenders” of the offseason, breaking down some targets that each club could pursue. Heyman goes on to call the Orioles, Blue Jays, Yankees, D-Backs, Mets, Royals and Padres as “medium spenders,” noting that each has needs and could make one significant addition or a series of mid-range moves in order to address multiple areas around the roster. As he did with the big-spending clubs, Heyman examines a few plausible scenarios for each, noting that the Royals are still in the three- or four-year range on Alex Gordon, thereby casting some doubt on a potential reunion.

A few highlights from his column…

  • While Andrelton Simmons’ name has been a hot topic over the past 15 hours or so, there’s a “good chance” that the Braves will make Julio Teheran available at some point this winter. Teheran’s value isn’t as high as that of Simmons at the moment, I wouldn’t think, due to a down year for Teheran in 2015. Moving him would be selling low, which makes it more difficult to envision a deal, from my vantage point.
  • The White Sox were one of “many teams” to which agent Brodie Van Wagenen made a presentation regarding Yoenis Cespedes, though the greater needs for the ChiSox come at catcher, third base, second base and shortstop.
  • The Rockies have again made Carlos Gonzalez available in trades, as many expected would be the case following the summer trade of Troy Tulowitzki. CarGo dominated the National League from June through season’s end after struggling with injuries in 2014 and early 2015 and undoubtedly restored an exceptional amount of trade value. Heyman speculatively listed the Orioles as a potential match when discussing Baltimore in his intro section.
  • Pittsburgh has fielded offers on all seven of its players that are a year removed from free agency. That includes Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, Mark Melancon, Mike Morse, Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli. However, the Pirates are also said to be considering an attempt at locking Cervelli up on a multi-year deal.
  • Ian Kennedy is planning to decline the Padres’ qualifying offer, per Heyman. Both Tim Dierkes and I have noted that there’s little sense in Kennedy accepting the offer. The right-hander is fourth in innings pitched in the NL over the past five seasons and has averaged 8.5 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in that time while posting a 3.89 ERA, 3.87 FIP and 3.78 xFIP. Homer struggles in 2015 aside, Kennedy finished strong and should get paid somewhere. It’s hard to envision a Scott Boras client being the first to accept a qualifying offer, and if all else fails, Kennedy can go the Ervin Santana route and sign a one-year deal near the value of the QO late in the offseason.
  • Similarly, Yovani Gallardo plans to turn down the Rangers’ QO. Heyman hears he’s expected to sign elsewhere despite being a Fort Worth area native. The Rangers will again attempt to re-sign Colby Lewis, he adds.

NL East Notes: Minor, Braves, Ozuna, Mets, Speier

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The Braves are now uncertain whether or not they’ll tender lefty Mike Minor a contract, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Signs had pointed to the team offering arbitration, with Minor likely to earn at or near the $5.6MM level that he set by winning his arbitration case with the team last year. But the 27-year-old has reportedly suffered a setback in his efforts to return from labrum surgery, and has yet to make it back onto a mound. “We think it could happen prior to the tender date,” said GM John Coppolella. “We want to see something, whether it’s off the mound or … we need to see something. We can’t just blindly tender him a contract and put the team at risk. Because every single dollar counts for us.”

  • The Braves suddenly find themselves with a surplus of outfielders after largely committing to shifting Hector Olivera to left field, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes. If Atlanta finds it hard to shed any of the salary owed to Nick Swisher or Michael Bourn, says Bowman, the team may look closer at a trade of Cameron Maybin. But the club’s top executives continue to say they don’t feel pressure to trade Maybin, even after the Olivera move, as O’Brien tweets.
  • The Marlins are indeed interested in trading outfielder Marcell Ozuna, but not at anything less than his market value, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports. Of course, as Frisaro notes, the team may find it necessary to trade him if it hopes to accomplish its apparent  goal of adding a quality, controllable pitcher.
  • Mets assistant GM John Ricco says that the club is receiving strong interest in its pitching, as Mike Puma of the New York Post reports on Twitter. That’s not surprising, given the depth and quality of arms present in the organization.
  • Ricco also said that the Mets could look to add an offensive player that is capable of filling in around the diamond, rather than seeking a regular at one spot, Puma tweets. Naturally, that statement calls to mind the possibility of signing Ben Zobrist, but there are other players — including, arguably, Daniel Murphy — who could function in a similar capacity.
  • It may be time for Mets third baseman David Wright to begin a transition across the diamond, Mark Simon of ESPNNewYork.com writes. The veteran and team leader made a thrilling comeback from serious back issues, but showed real difficulty throwing the ball across the diamond, and Rubin argues that now is the time to begin spelling him at the hot corner and working him in at first base.
  • The Nationals are set to add Chris Speier to their coaching staff, either as the third base or bench coach, according to a tweet from MLB.com’s Bill Ladson. The 19-year MLB veteran served as the bench coach under new Nats skipper Dusty Baker when he was with the Reds. Speier has continued on with Cincinnati as a special assistant to GM Walt Jocketty since Baker departed.

Market Notes: Matsuda, Maeda, O’Day, Aoki, Shark, Santana

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There may be another name to watch on the free agent market, as Japanese infielder Nobuhiro Matsuda has declared free agency and is looking for a deal with a major league club, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The 32-year-old has spent the vast majority of his time at third base while playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league. Matsuda has delivered consistent power numbers over the years, but showed a significant increase in his home run output last year, when he swatted a career-best 35 long balls. However, as Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker notes on Twitter, that tally was likely boosted by a favorable change in his home park’s dimensions. Over 603 plate appearances on the year, Matsuda slashed a robust .287/.357/.533. While his age (and lack of MLB experience) limits his value, the veteran does have the benefit of entering a market that lacks much in the way of hot corner options. And because he was eligible to become a free agent, he won’t need to go through the posting process (or have any part of his potential earnings reduced by a release fee).

Here are more notes from around the game as the free agent market kicks into gear:

  • Japanese righty Kenta Maeda likely won’t be posted until after the “Super 12” tournament is completed in late November, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports. His team, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, is still expected to make the intriguing starter available. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes took an early look at Maeda as a part of his annual top fifty free agent list, explaining that the Diamondbacks could be a strong contender for his services.
  • Reliever Darren O’Day is drawing a lot of attention early in the offseason, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. While a variety of large-budget clubs — including the Tigers, Nationals, Mets, and Yankees — are expected to have interest, Sherman says the Orioles will have a chance to match any offers.
  • Lefty Mark Buehrle still has not told his agents whether or not he’ll pitch next year, Sherman adds. But he’ll draw plenty of interest if he does, as about ten clubs have already reached out to see whether he would be pitching or retiring.
  • Free agent outfielder Nori Aoki is completely healthy after dealing with concussion issues late in the season, agent Nez Balelo tells Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Giants’ decision to decline a seemingly affordable option on the veteran was motivated by a desire for flexibility, Balelo indicated, rather than Aoki’s ability to return at full speed. Aoki remains an often-underappreciated player, and he’ll be an interesting target for teams looking for value in the corner outfield.
  • It’s shaping up as a strong market for righty Jeff Samardzija, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. He struggled mightily in the run prevention department last year, but many executives remain big fans of his stuff and makeup.
  • Southpaw Johan Santana still wants to return in 2016, agent Peter Greenberg tells Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The 36-year-old’s most recent comeback attempts have been derailed by an array of ailments, but the two-time Cy Young winner is evidently still committed. He last threw in the big leagues in 2012.
  • If you’re interested in reading up on what this winter may have in store, here are a few pieces looking at the market from a broader perspective. In an interesting and well-researched piece, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca explains that the addition of the second Wild Card has made deadline additions more difficult — which, in turn, makes it all the more important to build a team over the winter. The active period of front office turnover that we just experienced may lead to increased activity on the trade market, Sherman suggests.
  • Likewise, a variety of outlets have recently taken different approaches to looking at individual players. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney provides a list of free agents who he thinks could be under-valued on the market. And ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick surveyed executives around the league on a variety of subjects, providing extensive quotes and analysis on different segments of the market.

Latest On Byung-ho Park

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8:52am: Yahoo’s Jeff Passan tweets that the White Sox aren’t the winner, either. That leaves the Brewers and Twins in addition to the Cubs and Reds, though the latter duo doesn’t have much of a spot for Park to play (unless Cincinnati feels he can handle left field). Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reported last week that the Twins have scouted Park quite a bit, though the Brewers seem to be a better fit from a roster standpoint, in my eyes.

8:37am: Heyman also eliminates the Rockies and the Phillies from the mix (via Twitter). That leaves the Brewers, Reds, Cubs, White Sox and Twins as the remaining options. As I noted before, the presence of Joey Votto in Cincinnati and Anthony Rizzo on the Cubs’ roster makes that pair of NL teams seem like long shots, to say the least. The White Sox and Twins each have long-term first base options in Jose Abreu and Joe Mauer, though Park could certainly split time at first and DH with either player.

8:22am: The Astros didn’t submit the winning bid for Park, either, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

NOV. 9, 7:29am: We’re down to seven possibilities on the mystery team for Park, as ESPN’s Buster Olney (Twitter link) and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Rob Biertempfel (Twitter link) report that the Pirates have not won the bidding.

There have been reports eliminating all but seven teams from the Park bidding, leaving the Phillies, Brewers, Reds, Cubs, White Sox, Twins and Astros as possibilities. And while the Reds and Cubs are technically possibilities, it’d be surprising to see either NL club post the winning bid on a first baseman, given the stars that each has entrenched at that position. The Rockies haven’t been completely ruled out, though the report below seems to indicate they’re more of a long shot than anything else at this point.

Alan Nero, Park’s agent at Octagon, tells Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that even he does not yet know which club won the bidding, adding that both league offices were closed over the weekend (Twitter link).

NOV. 8, 9:51pm: The winning bid wasn’t posted by the Royals or Braves, Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan reports (Twitter links).  “It’s safe to assume” the Rays didn’t have the winning bid either, the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin tweets.

9:10pm: The Athletics and Marlins also didn’t have the top bid, Heyman tweets.

7:24pm: The Mariners and Diamondbacks didn’t place bids on Park, as per tweets from CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman and Zach Buchanan of AZCentral.com.  Also, the Giants can be eliminated from contention, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  The Rockies might also be out, as MLB.com’s Thomas Harding doesn’t “think anything is happening there.”

2:39pm: Italian artist Michelangelo is famously misquoted as saying that he sculpted the historic David statue by chipping away the parts that did not look like David.  Perhaps that is how we will whittle down the field of suitors for first baseman Byung-Ho Park until we unravel the mystery team that submitted the winning bid to negotiate with the Korean star.  Failing that, we might just have to wait until Monday, when the announcement is formally made.

On Friday, Korea’s Nexen Heroes accepted a $12.85MM bid on the rights to negotiate a big league contract with Park.  As of today, we still don’t know which MLB club won the posting process, but one team out there now has a thirty day window with which to hammer out a deal with one of the winter’s most intriguing and mysterious free agents.

The Blue Jays are not the winning team, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter), and the winning bid was not submitted by the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, or Angels, either (link),  The Cardinals, who are looking at various first base options, tendered an unsuccessful bid for the 29-year-old, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  James Wagner of the Washington Post (on Twitter) heard that the Nats did not have interest.  Late last week, the Indians, Tigers, Rangers, Orioles, Padres, and Red Sox were also crossed off the list by various reporters.

If Park and his new club do not reach agreement on a contract, Nexen will lose out on the posting fee and the winning team will have to move on to a Plan B at first base.  The reported $12.85MM fell shy of the $25MM+ posting amount commanded by lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, but it easily tops what the Pirates paid Nexen last year (~$5MM) for the rights to reach a deal with infielder Jung-Ho Kang. After the team-to-team transfer was arrived at, Kang and the Bucs agreed to a four-year, $11MM guarantee.

In the recently-released list of MLBTR’s top fifty free agents, Tim Dierkes predicted that Park would command a $10MM posting fee and a five-year, $40MM contract from the winning team. The first part of that was close, but it remains to be seen how negotiations will proceed.

Quick Hits: Yankees, Bundy, Green, Mets

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No free agent has ever accepted a qualifying offer, and if all 20 of this winter’s QO players reject their offers as well, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal figures it may inspire changes to the free agent process in the next collective bargaining agreement.  (The current CBA expires on December 1, 2016.)  The large number of QOs in play, Rosenthal reasons, might actually make some teams with their own qualifying offer players less hesitant to give up draft picks to sign such free agents.  The Royals, for instance, would only drop a few spots in the draft order if they gave up their 27th overall pick to sign a QO free agent and then let Alex Gordon leave, thus netting them a supplemental first-rounder back.  Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • The Yankees generally haven’t made recent free agent splashes unless they had money coming off the books and could recoup surrendered draft picks via their own departing free agents, so Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders if the Bombers could be fairly quiet this winter, especially when it comes to qualifying offer players.  While the draft pick compensation is certainly a concern, I’m not sure the payroll is necessarily an obstacle.  As I noted in my Yankees Offseason Outlook piece, the club could sign a major free agent to a backloaded deal, as Carlos Beltran, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and C.C. Sabathia will all have their contracts end within the next two years.
  • The Orioles have been very active in the Rule 5 draft in recent years, though MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko notes that the club may not be able to pick a reliever this year due to Dylan Bundy’s situation.  The former top prospect is out of options and recovering from a spate of injuries, so the O’s could ease Bundy back in via a bullpen role.  It would therefore be difficult for the club to manage with two pen spots filled with a rehab project and a raw minor league talent.
  • New Padres manager Andy Green is profiled by MLB.com’s Corey Brock, detailing Green’s playing career in the Majors and Japan, his move into coaching and his funny negotiation with then-Diamondbacks executive Mike Rizzo after being drafted in 2000.
  • Mets fans often clamor for their team to be bigger players in free agency, though Mike Puma of the New York Post notes that the club hasn’t had much success on the open market under Sandy Alderson’s tenure.
  • Also from Puma’s piece, he writes that the Mets could be open to re-signing Bartolo Colon if the veteran is willing to pitch as a swingman, and if the team is able to deal Jon Niese to create rotation space.
  • ESPN’s Keith Law (Insider-only link) provides his ranking of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, complete with contract valuations based on what Law would feel comfortable giving each player, not what they’ll actually receive in the open market.  For instance, Law would only offer Yoenis Cespedes a three-year, $60MM contract due to concerns about his on-base skills and a desire to avoid Cespedes’ decline years — MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes’ Top 50 Free Agents list, which predicts real-world contract values, has Cespedes receiving over twice Law’s number at six years and $140MM.

Mets Notes: Alderson, Shortstop, Cuddyer

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The Mets began 2015 with a $103MM payroll, and they will likely pursue their second consecutive NL pennant with a similar Opening Day figure, writes Marc Carig of Newsday. In lieu of splashy acquisitions, GM Sandy Alderson will have to carefully tweak the current roster. Free agents Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel Murphy are expected to sign elsewhere which could create a need for more offense. The team could try trading pitcher Zack Wheeler, as they attempted in the nixed Carlos Gomez deal. Carig runs down the club’s various needs and potential solutions in detail. In addition to offense, shortstop, second base, and reliever top the list.

  • If they feel the need to acquire a shortstop, the Mets should consider trading for Javier Baez of Jurickson Profar, opines Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman notes that Mets shortstops – namely Wilmer Flores and Ruben Tejada – led New York to the 10th best shortstop WAR. While the fans have long asked for an upgrade at the position, statistics suggest it’s unnecessary. However, with the influx of top prospects at shortstop, there is a growing sentiment that a first division club should have a young stud at the position. Baez has well-known strikeout problems, but they’re the only thing between him and All Star quality production. Profar was once as hyped as Carlos Correa or Francisco Lindor, but he’s missed a couple seasons with a shoulder injury. For what it’s worth, I think the Mets are well served with by their current cost effective options. They should focus their resources on more gaping wounds like second base or a cleanup hitter.
  • Outfielder Michael Cuddyer had surgery on Thursday for a core muscle injury, reports Carig. Cuddyer struggled in the first season of a two-year, $21MM contract. The team also forfeited a draft pick to ink him. Cuddyer, owed $12.5MM in 2016, could see a reduced role in 2016. Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson are expected to man the outfield corners with Lucas Duda at first base. Since all three are left-handed, he should at least have a regular platoon role. It’s also possible the Mets will view him as a trade candidate.
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