Mets Release Buddy Carlyle
The Mets have released right-hander Buddy Carlyle, ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin reports (Twitter link). Carlyle told Rubin that he isn’t sure if he wishes to continue his career, though the veteran righty noted he’s healthy in the wake of hip surgery that cut short his 2015 season.
It was an all-around injury-plagued year for Carlyle in 2015, as he also missed time with back and hamstring issues and was limited to just eight innings. It was a far cry from his first year with New York in 2014, when he posted some very impressive numbers (1.45 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 5.6 K/BB rate) in 31 innings out of the Mets bullpen. Carlyle signed a new minor league deal to rejoin the Mets in January.
The 38-year-old Carlyle has enjoyed a 20-year pro career that has seen him pitch for 10 different Major League organizations as well as stints in Japan and the Korea Baseball Organization. Carlyle has appeared in parts of nine MLB seasons since 1999, posting a 5.14 ERA over 292 1/3 innings with the Mets, Yankees, Braves, Dodgers and Padres.
Career Notes: Dickey, Colon, Jimenez
Several notable big leaguers have officially hung up the cleats this offseason, or given an indication (sort of) about when they might be retiring. Here’s the latest from some more veterans about when they may or may not consider calling it a career…
- R.A. Dickey is entering the last year of his contract with the Blue Jays and the 41-year-old tells VICE Sports’ John Lott that he’ll sit down with his family after the season to decide on his future. Right now, “we’re all kind of undecided. We just like to stay in the moment,” Dickey said. If he does return, it would be for a situation that suits his family and likely a one-year contract. “I think I will be an attractive option for a lot of teams because I will not be requiring a multi-year deal, and I will probably be asking less than what my market value will be….And for me, it’s not necessarily about the money at this point. It’s about the right fit, and how close to home I’d be, and are there direct flights, and what is the clubhouse policy for kids, all that stuff,” Dickey said. Despite his age, the knuckleballer is as steady an innings-eater as any in baseball, averaging 219 frames per season since 2011. Given the lack of starting pitching available in next winter’s free agent market, Dickey is probably correct in assuming he would get a lot of interest.
- Speaking of ageless right-handers, Bartolo Colon tells Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that plans to pitch as long as he’s healthy. “I take it year by year. We’ll see what happens for me,” Colon said. The 42-year-old fan favorite is preparing for his 19th season in the bigs, returning to the Mets rotation until Zack Wheeler makes his midseason return from Tommy John rehab.
- Left-hander Cesar Jimenez hasn’t arrived at the Brewers‘ Spring Training camp, and while the team hasn’t heard anything official yet, Jimenez might be retiring, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. Jimenez appeared in 16 games with the Crew last season after he was selected off waivers from Philadelphia in August, and he signed a minor league deal to return to Milwaukee in January. Jimenez, 31, has a 4.05 ERA over 104 1/3 career innings and parts of six big league seasons with the Brewers, Phillies and Mariners.
NL East Notes: TJ, Wright, Marlins, Nats, Chacin
In a piece for ESPN The Magazine, Sam Miller speaks with Scott Boras about pitching injuries — focusing, particularly, on several key NL East former TJ patients who are repped by the super agent. It’s an interesting piece, and I recommend you give it a full read. Boras says that his sometimes rather public discussion of the care of arms is “not an authority-driven exercise,” but rather “an education exercise” designed to draw attention to the issue. He explains that he hopes only to help ensure that all involved — including teams and, especially, his players — are able to “make an informed decision” for themselves. As Miller notes, that was precisely the purpose of the recent Tommy John study of MLBTR contributor Bradley Woodrum, which endeavored to identify statistical clues of UCL tear susceptibility.
Here’s more from the National League East:
- Speaking of key injury situations, Mets third baseman David Wright faces an ongoing battle to overcome spinal stenosis, as Ron Berler writes in an excellent article for Men’s Fitness. New York will hope that he is able to remain productive and healthy, but it’s going to take a continued effort from the veteran — who has certainly been up to the task thus far, as the piece details.
- The Marlins announced several camp decisions today; among them, the team is optioning righty Kyle Barraclough and southpaw Justin Nicolino to Triple-A. Barraclough had an impressive debut last year after coming over in the Steve Cishek trade, and looked to be a power pen option to help fill in for the injured Carter Capps. He still may have that chance, but will need to keep working on refining his command after permitting eight walks to go with eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 spring innings. Nicolino, meanwhile, had good results in the earned run department but only managed two strikeouts in his 8 1/3 frames, but he’ll likely be the first man up if and when a rotation need arises.
- The Nationals have an interesting potential dilemma brewing in the outfield, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. Michael Taylor has had a strong camp, and seems clearly ready for a full test at the MLB level, but Ben Revere is now in the fold at center while Jayson Werth‘s contract (and, it might be added, standing in the organization) make it difficult to create space. From my perspective, Werth’s injury history makes him a prime candidate for regular rest, which ought to provide plenty of opportunity for all of these players. It’s interesting to note, though, that Rosenthal says the Nats likely would have traded Taylor had the club managed to sign Jason Heyward or Yoenis Cespedes over the winter.
- Off the field, but relating to it, the Nationals are engaged in a renewed effort to sell their ballpark’s naming rights, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports. Valerie Camillo, the organization’s chief revenue and marketing officer, explained that “this is a major revenue opportunity that was untapped by the team, when you look at overall picture of revenue growth potential.” Particularly with the MASN television dispute still proving a tough nut to crack, it obviously makes sense to pursue all avenues to improve the bottom line. While that may require some difficult tradeoffs with the Nationals Park name fairly entrenched, Camillo says that the club is doing it for a good reason: “It’s not as if we’ll be maximizing revenue without a competitive product on the field. We’re doing what we can to keep the fans happy, and I think the predominant thing fans want is winning.”
- Braves righty Jhoulys Chacin is making a push for a rotation job, as Michael Kolligian reports for MLB.com. He has generally been expected to land in the pen after signing a minor league pact, but skipper Fredi Gonzalez says that Chacin is “really making a case.” Gonzalez continued: “he is definitely a guy who, if he keeps pitching like he is, he’ll be in the rotation someplace.” Utilizing Chacin and other veterans in the starting staff would certainly allow the organization to be conservative in deploying its younger options — a topic I discussed in reviewing the Braves’ offseason earlier this morning.
New York Notes: Wright, A-Rod, Tejada, Ellsbury
Here’s the latest from both Big Apple teams…
- Alex Rodriguez‘s health problems have made him the Yankees’ full-time DH while David Wright‘s spinal stenosis makes him questionable for even the modest 120-game plan the Mets originally slated for the star third baseman. As Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes, the health issues faced by these two stars have led to roster flexibility problems for both teams. The Mets don’t have a left-handed hitting utility option available, and Sherman suggests that players like Yangervis Solarte, Derek Dietrich, Luis Valbuena could be good fits as potential trade targets if they’re made available. The Yankees could use both an extra reliever and a versatile infielder as their 25th man, since depth is a need with so many aging stars in both the lineup and rotation. This is a reason why the Yankees didn’t want to give a big league deal to a veteran infielder, as the club hopes Rob Refsnyder can also learn to play third. On the external help front, Sherman suggests that Cody Asche makes sense as a trade target when healthy.
- Signing Ruben Tejada to a minor league deal would’ve greatly helped the Yankees’ utility situation and also given a bit of a PR tweak to the Mets at the same time, Newsday’s David Lennon observes. Tejada rejected the Yankees’ minor league offer for a one-year, $1.5MM Major League deal with the Cardinals.
- X-rays and a CT scan were negative on Jacoby Ellsbury‘s right wrist after the outfielder was hit by a pitch yesterday, though he tells reporters (including Lennon) and his wrist “is in a bad spot” and may need some time for the inflammation to die down. With this and the Yankees’ spring schedule in mind, Ellsbury likely won’t play until Thursday at the earliest, as per Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
- There’s an open spot in the Mets’ bullpen with Josh Edgin still recovering from Tommy John surgery, and ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin looks at some of the roster logistics that could factor into the competition between Erik Goeddel and Jim Henderson. It could end up being a short-term gig for either pitcher as Edgin hopes to be back by the start of May.
NL East Notes: Giolito, Henderson, Appel, Toussaint, Newcomb
If Lucas Giolito isn’t in the majors by June then something has gone wrong, a scout tells Jayson Stark of ESPN, Giolito is the number three prospect in the game per ESPN, Baseball Prospectus, and MLB.com. Giolito features a 98 mph fastball, plus-plus curve, and an above average changeup. Stark and those he’s talked to can’t offer enough praise, throwing around terms like future “superstar” without reservation. The Nationals will hope Giolito can provide the same midseason boost their division rivals enjoyed from Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz last season.
Here’s more from the NL East:
- Mets non-roster invitee Jim Henderson is battling for one of the final bullpen jobs, writes Glenn Sattell of MLB.com. The former closer has missed most of the last two seasons with a shoulder injury. He’s finally healthy, throwing in the 90s, and turning in solid results. With only a couple spots open to competition, Henderson will face stiff competition. The good news for him is this: if he’s really healthy, somebody will have a job for him.
- Former first overall pick Mark Appel may be well served by his recent change of scenery, writes Jim Salisbury of Baseball America. Appel, 25, joined the Phillies organization over the offseason as a part of the Ken Giles trade. Despite well-regarded stuff, a straight fastball and command issues have limited his performance to date. The command has continued to be an issue this spring, but perhaps a new coaching staff can help to add a new perspective. My own two cents – the comparison between Appel and former first overall pick Luke Hochevar is an easy one. Hochevar didn’t unlock his talent until he transitioned to relief. Appel may also benefit from such a move, and he could have the necessary stuff to switch back to starting like Carlos Carrasco.
- A couple Braves trade acquisitions are turning heads, writes J.J. Cooper of Baseball America. Touki Toussaint joined Atlanta as compensation for taking on Bronson Arroyo‘s salary. While his stuff continues to impress, command and control issues plague him. He’s described as possessing a quality fastball, curve, and change. Meanwhile, Sean Newcomb has shown better strikeout stuff throughout his minor league career. Acquired in the Andrelton Simmons trade, Newcomb also has a history of shaky command.
Mets Release Ruben Tejada
The Mets have released shortstop Ruben Tejada after he cleared waivers, per a club announcement (via Mike Puma of the New York Post, on Twitter). New York will remain obligated for just under $500K of obligations to Tejada for the coming season, having previously avoided arbitration with him for a non-guaranteed $3MM.
Thus concludes an eventful tenure with the Mets for the 26-year-old, who never lived up to the club’s hopes when given a chance at regular playing time but ended up being a useful player and sympathetic figure. After starting the 2015 season as a utility option, Tejada solidified the shortstop position while playing quite a bit down the stretch. His season ended, unfortunately, when he suffered a broken leg during the postseason.
Speculation will immediately turn to his eventual landing spot. The Cardinals are the team with the most obvious need at shortstop, but there will surely be others with interest, too. Tejada isn’t an exciting player, but he has shown the ability to provide sturdy defense with a decent bat. That history, his age, and the fact that New York has already paid down a chunk of the tab make him a fairly intriguing option for clubs in need of a utility piece or fill-in up the middle.
NL Central Notes: Figueroa, Ngoepe, Tejada, Brewers
There are many analytically-savvy players out there these days, but few are probably as dedicated and capable as Pirates utilityman Cole Figueroa. As Travis Sawchick of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes in an interesting profile, the son of an old-school former big leaguer incorporates math and coding into his personal regimen — and isn’t afraid to share his knowledge with his teammates. It’s a great piece and well worth a read.
Here’s more from the game’s central divisions:
- Pirates shortstop Gift Ngoepe is impressing in camp thus far and has a realistic hope of becoming the first black South African to crack the majors after being added to the 40-man over the winter, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. The defensive specialist has moved from switch-hitting to focusing on hitting from his natural right side, with improved results. He’s in competition, along with Figueroa and others, to win a utility job.
- ESPN.com’s Mark Saxon looks at the Cardinals‘ decision on shortstop Ruben Tejada, whom the Mets just placed on waivers. It appears that St. Louis is more likely to make a play for Tejada if he clears waivers than it is to claim him, though, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.
- The Brewers‘ offseason of change was a product of “trying to aggregate as much young talent as we possibly can,” GM David Stearns tells Tom Haudricourt in a piece for Baseball America. “A lot of them were minor moves that didn’t make headlines, but the end result was that half of our 40-man roster will look different from the last day of the season,” said Stearns. “It’s a byproduct of the cycle we’re going through.” The newly-minted head Milwaukee baseball man suggested that such turnover may or may not continue moving forward, explaining that, “sometimes it takes a jump-start like this to get younger and more flexible on your roster.”
Mets Place Ruben Tejada On Waivers
The Mets have placed shortstop Ruben Tejada on waivers, ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin reports. He had agreed to a $3MM deal to avoid arbitration, and New York will remain responsible for one-sixth of that amount ($500K) if he is not claimed (or whatever portion of it he does not earn over the course of the season).
Tejada, 26, has settled in as a slightly below-average hitter and is capable of playing up the middle defensively. Though he’s generally graded out as an average defender at short, both UZR and DRS pegged him as a net negative there last season.
For a player that looks like a solid utility option, there’s been quite a bit of intrigue in recent months. Tejada suffered a broken leg due to a controversial take-out slide by Chase Utley during the post-season. He seemed a plausible non-tender candidate, but was offered a contract by the Mets. Then, he was awarded an extra day of service time to move up his free-agent timeline by one year (he’ll be eligible after this season).
Since that time, Tejada has seen his name enter the rumor mill, particularly with the Cardinals losing Jhonny Peralta for the first half of the year. Per Rubin, the Mets feel satisfied with their middle infield situation after adding Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker over the winter, with Wilmer Flores set to see plenty of action around the diamond.
NL East Notes: Jennings, Ozuna, Wright, Flores
The Marlins have filed a grievance over the $100K salary that the Nationals are allegedly paying former Miami GM/manager Dan Jennings, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Jennings joined the Washington front office as a special assistant to GM Mike Rizzo in January after being fired by Miami after the season. Jennings still had three years and $5.8MM remaining on his Marlins contract, including $1.5MM for 2016, and Miami owes Jennings the difference between that $1.5MM figure and his new salary for the 2016 season. The Marlins aren’t pleased about still being on the hook for $1.4MM and they claim their NL East rival is paying Jennings “well below a salary commensurate with his responsibilities,” Jackson writes.
Here’s some more from around the NL East…
- Marcell Ozuna is looking at 2016 as “a fresh start” and he’s happy to still be with the Marlins, the outfielder told Andre C. Fernandez of the Miami Herald. Ozuna was widely assumed to be on his way out of Miami after a tough season and a reported personality clash with owner Jeffrey Loria, though a trade never came to fruition and he’s still slated to be the Marlins’ regular center fielder. Manager Don Mattingly noted that many players struggle to adjust in their second seasons in the bigs, and that “almost every club was calling us about [Ozuna]…because people see he’s that kind of talent.”
- Almost all of Wilmer Flores‘ spring action has come at third base, leading Newsday’s David Lennon to wonder if the Mets have even more concerns about David Wright‘s health. The veteran third baseman is scheduled to make his spring debut in a minor league game on Monday with an eye towards joining the Mets later in the week. The club was originally planning to limit Wright to around 130 games in order to manage his spinal stenosis, though Wright said last month that “you can’t have a plan” given the condition’s unpredictability. Flores has played only 27 games at third in the bigs and just one in the last two seasons, so the extra time could merely be the Mets’ way of getting him re-acclimated for an increased workload at the position. If Flores ends up spending more time than expected at third, Lennon notes, that will leave New York thin on backup options around the infield.
- In other NL East news from earlier today on MLBTR, the Mets are looking for a backup catcher and the Nationals have a June 15th deadline to decide on GM Mike Rizzo’s two-year contract option.
Six Teams Have Interest In Alejandro De Aza
There are six clubs interested in Mets outfielder Alejandro De Aza, according to ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin (via Twitter). But New York is apparently waiting for an offer to take on all of the $5.75MM he is owed for the coming season.
It’s an unusual situation, of course, because De Aza signed on with the Mets before the team dramatically re-united with Yoenis Cespedes. While he had been expected to platoon with Juan Lagares in center, De Aza now looks to be be an expensive fifth outfielder — with two other left-handed hitters (Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson) in front of him in the corners.
De Aza, who’ll soon turn 32, is a solid outfield option who can play all three positions on the grass (though he’s hardly a premium defender up the middle). He handles right-handed pitching while struggling against lefties, so there are limits to his usefulness, but on the whole he’s a nice piece in the right situation. For what it’s worth, De Aza has seven hits (including two doubles) and two walks in his 16 spring plate appearances to date, so he’s off to a nice start.
There aren’t very many teams with glaring outfield needs at this stage of the winter, so finding a taker for all of De Aza’s salary may prove difficult (and he’ll also need to approve any spring trade). The Indians remain the expected contender in most obvious need of an outfield addition, though it’s not clear that the club would be willing to take on that much cash. The Angels have also been hesitant to add any more salary, but could surely justify such an addition. If the Royals are more concerned with Jarrod Dyson‘s health than is publicly known, they too could conceivably match. And arguments might possibly be made for a few other organizations, including the Blue Jays (who pursued Jay Bruce previously) and the Cardinals — who could use the depth in center and whose top left-handed-hitting outfield options are Brandon Moss, who hasn’t spent all that much time in the grass, and minor league signee Carlos Peguero.