Yankees Avoid Arbitration With Joey Gallo
The Yankees announced this afternoon they’ve agreed to terms with 11 of their 12 arbitration-eligible players. Among them is All-Star outfielder Joey Gallo, whom Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports (Twitter link) settled for $10.275MM.
That’s right in line with the $10.2MM projection of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. Gallo will avoid a hearing during his final trip through the process, as he’s slated to hit free agency at the end of the season. The 28-year-old bounced back from a rough showing in the 2020 shortened campaign to hit .223/.379/.490 through last season’s first few months in Texas. Upon being dealt to the Yankees, however, he slumped to a .160/.303/.404 mark.
If he can regain his first-half form in the Bronx, Gallo would line up as one of the top players in next year’s free agent class. Teammate Aaron Judge will likely be even more coveted, though — if he makes it to the open market. Judge is going through arbitration for a final time this offseason, and the Yankees have maintained they’ll soon initiate extension talks with the three-time All-Star.
They’ll do so with some uncertainty about how much money Judge will make in 2022, however. He was the only of the Yankees’ arb-eligible players not to come to terms with the team today. Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reports (Twitter link) that Judge filed for a $21MM salary while the team offered him $17MM. (Swartz’s $17.1MM projection came in much closer to the team’s filing figure than to the player’s). They didn’t close that gap, and it seems they could be headed for a hearing to determine his ultimate price point.
If Judge and the Yankees agree on a long-term deal in the coming weeks, that’ll prove moot. If they don’t, the 29-year-old’s salary for the upcoming season will likely be chosen by an arbitrator. If it goes to a hearing, the third-party would unilaterally set Judge’s salary at either his desired $21MM or the team’s offered $17MM, not at any sort of midpoint. The Yankees and Judge’s camp could continue to kick around a possible settlement until the hearing begins if they so desire.
Latest On Willson Contreras
The Cubs have overhauled a good portion of their roster this winter. Among the most impactful moves was bringing in veteran backstop Yan Gomes — the top catcher in this year’s free agent crop — on a two-year deal prior to the lockout.
That has naturally led to some trade speculation regarding incumbent catcher Willson Contreras, who’s entering his final year of club control. There hasn’t been much firm indication the Cubs have shopped the 29-year-old this winter, but they’d also yet to open talks regarding a possible long-term extension with his representatives as of last week.
Speaking with Bruce Levine of 670 The Score over the weekend, an emotional Contreras acknowledged the possibility he could either be dealt or depart the organization via free agency next winter. “This is something that is really tough for me,” the two-time All-Star said. “Personally, the relationships I have with the team, players and fans, (leaving would) be something that will be really tough to take. This is something very emotional for me, knowing all that I have had to go through to get to this point. It’s going to be really tough and very emotional.”
Levine reports that the Yankees and Padres are among the teams that have checked in with the Cubs to gauge Contreras’ availability, although it’s not clear if any discussions are currently ongoing. Chicago certainly doesn’t have to trade the right-handed backstop, as the implementation of the universal designated hitter could allow manager David Ross to pencil both him and Gomes into the lineup on a regular basis. The Cubs’ fairly active offseason suggests they’re not punting the 2022 campaign entirely, and keeping both players would give the team enviable depth behind the dish and the opportunity to lengthen the overall lineup.
That said, one could argue that having Contreras and Gomes as a 1A/1B tandem between catcher and designated hitter isn’t an optimal deployment of those players. Both are good hitters for catchers, but neither has the kind of offensive track record that’d make them great fits as regular options at the DH spot. Contreras is the better offensive player of the duo, but even he falls a bit shy of the typical output expected from the bat-only position.
Contreras has been an above-average hitter by measure of wRC+ in each of his six career seasons. Going back to the start of 2020, he owns a .239/.345/.429 line, numbers that check in nine percentage points above the league average. That’s markedly better than the .230/.307/.392 figure put up by catchers around the league, but it’s not elite middle-of-the-order output overall. Most American League teams have increasingly preferred to cycle various regulars through the DH spot as quasi-rest days unless they have an excellent bat-only player to plug in. Just seven hitters tallied 300+ plate appearances as a DH last year; of that group, only Miguel Cabrera didn’t outhit Contreras.
While he might not be a great fit for semi-regular DH time, Contreras should hold plenty of appeal to catching-needy teams. The Yankees make an unsurprising possibility after trading away Gary Sánchez. New York is presently slated to roll with Kyle Higashioka and Ben Rortvedt behind the dish. That duo figures to be capable defensively but doesn’t seem likely to come close to Contreras’ production at the plate.
The Padres making a run would be more surprising, as San Diego already has something of a logjam at catcher. Contreras’ price tag could also prove problematic for the Friars. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for an $8.7MM salary in his final year of arbitration. That’d come with a matching luxury tax hit, and the Padres already have around $224MM in CBT commitments, in the estimation of Jason Martinez of Roster Resource. Acquiring Contreras would push the Friars right up against or perhaps past the $230MM base tax threshold, and Dennis Lin of the Athletic wrote last week the club would prefer to not surpass the CBT marker for the second straight season.
Aside from Contreras, there don’t seem to be many options for teams looking to upgrade behind the plate before the start of the season. Almost all the free agent options at the position have been signed, and there aren’t any other teams who seem likely to make regulars available in trade. The A’s might entertain the possibility of moving Sean Murphy, but that seems unlikely since he has yet to even reach arbitration eligibility. The trade market may just consist of depth types like Reese McGuire and Jorge Alfaro if the Cubs elect to hold onto Contreras.
Yankees Claim Yoan Aybar From Rockies
The Yankees have claimed left-hander Yoan Aybar off waivers, the team announced. The Rockies designated Aybar for assignment two days ago, in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for Kris Bryant.
A longtime member of the Red Sox farm system, Aybar spent his first four pro seasons as an outfielder before converting to pitching in 2018. He has a 5.06 ERA over 131 2/3 innings of minor league mound work, including a 6.22 ERA over 46 1/3 innings with the Rockies’ Double-A affiliate in 2021. As one might expect for a player relatively new to pitching, control has been a particular issue for Aybar, as he has a 14.62% walk rate during his 131 2/3 IP.
Aybar does bring plenty of velocity, however, and the Yankees will now get a closer look at the 24-year-old to see if his stuff can be harnessed. Double-A Somerset seems the likeliest destination for Aybar to begin the season, though the southpaw could potentially be headed back to DFA limbo if the Yankees make another roster move and need to make room on their own 40-man.
Yankees To Sign Marwin Gonzalez To Minor League Deal
The Yankees agreed to a minor league deal with utility man Marwin Gonzalez, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. He’ll earn $1.15MM if he reaches the Majors, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Gonzalez, 33, has struggled with the bat over the last two seasons with the Twins, Red Sox, and Astros, posting a 62 wRC+ in 506 plate appearances. Gonzalez came up with the Astros, establishing himself as a versatile oft-used utility player capable of above average offense, particularly in 2017 when he put up a 144 wRC+. He has experience at all four infield positions as well as both corner outfield spots.
Though he fell back to Earth in 2018, Gonzalez was good enough after that season to rank 16th on MLBTR’s top 50 free agents list. He set out looking for a four-year deal, but landed a two-year, $21MM pact with the Twins. After the 2020 season, Gonzalez signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the Red Sox. He was released by August 2021, returning to the Astros and cracking their World Series roster.
Ultimately, Gonzalez represents nothing more than a harmless minor league deal for the Yankees. Every team signs at least a half-dozen of these every spring, to little consequence. However, it’s difficult denying the poor optics and timing of the Gonzalez signing for the Yankees. While the Yankees have found their 2021 shortstop in Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the Gonzalez minor league deal comes about a day after the Twins landed Carlos Correa on a three-year, $105.1MM deal, and minutes after the Red Sox reached a six-year, $140MM agreement with Trevor Story.
The juxtaposition with Correa is particularly stark. Both Correa and Gonzalez were heavily involved in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal of 2017 and ’18. In Tony Adams’ research of 58 home games from the ’17 Astros, no player had more correct trash can bangs (signifying what type of pitch was coming) than Marwin Gonzalez. It had been reported that at least one of the reasons the Yankees were cool on Correa was his involvement in the scandal, with the club having lost the 2017 ALCS to the Astros. Now the Yankees have added perhaps the chief perpetrator to the organization.
Of course, a no-risk minor league deal for Gonzalez is not analogous to the ten-year commitment Correa initially sought, but it’s still a bad look. Throw in Story’s surprising megadeal with the arch-rival Red Sox, who already had an excellent player at shortstop in Xander Bogaerts, and this morning’s Gonzalez signing may represent more for Yankees fans than a minor depth addition.
Ultimately that’s all it is, and Gonzalez isn’t guaranteed a spot on the big league team. Having traded Luke Voit, the Yankees are set up around the infield with Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Josh Donaldson, with DJ LeMahieu filling in at first, second, and third as needed. LeMahieu has never played the outfield and has almost never played shortstop. But the Yankees also still have Miguel Andujar on the 40-man roster, and the 27-year-old has experience at both third base and left field.
Injury Notes: Urias, Rortvedt, Funkhouser
Luis Urias was removed from today’s Spring Training game after suffering a quad injury while running the bases. Brewers manager Craig Counsell told Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other reporters that the extent of the injury won’t be known until tomorrow. If Urias needs to miss any amount of time, it would certainly be a blow to the Brewers, as Urias’ excellent breakout campaign (.249/.345/.445 with an 111 wRC+) put him in line to be the club’s everyday third baseman this year.
The Brewers succeeded last year despite a mediocre offense, getting tremendous results from their pitching staff. They’ve made efforts to bolster the lineup this offseason, adding Hunter Renfroe, Andrew McCutchen and Mike Brosseau. If Urias has to miss any time, Brosseau and Jace Peterson are the most likely to step up and man the hot corner.
Some other injury notes from around the league as Spring Training games get underway…
- The Yankees‘ newly-acquired catcher Ben Rortvedt has been sidelined by an oblique injury, per Dan Martin of the New York Post. Rortvedt was just acquired as part of the big trade with the Twins, coming over with Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa in exchange for Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela. As a left-handed bat, Rortvedt was expected to play in a platoon capacity alongside right-handed batter Kyle Higashioka. The club doesn’t have another catcher on their 40-man roster. If Rortvedt’s injury proves significant, they may have to look for outside additions, or else rely on depth options like Rob Brantly or David Freitas.
- Tigers reliever Kyle Funkhouser has lat soreness in his right side and may not be ready for Opening Day, reports Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. Funkhouser emerged as a valuable member of Detroit’s relief corps last year, throwing 68 1/3 innings with a 3.42 ERA. His 21.1% strikeout rate and 12.8% walk rate were both subpar, but he did log a strong 53.2% ground ball rate. “It just hasn’t resolved itself,” Tigers’ manager A.J. Hinch said of the injury. “He hasn’t been throwing any bullpens or live batting practice. That’s a concern with the shorter spring. I don’t anticipate that he’ll be ready for the season. Three weeks from yesterday we open up. That’s not much time on a regular schedule, let along when you have a bump in the road like this.”
Latest On Trevor Story
The Rangers are one of the latest clubs to be linked with free agent shortstop Trevor Story, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. On the surface, it might seem rather absurd that either the Rangers or Story would entertain a union. The Rangers, after all, have already signed two of the top free agent shortstops on the market in Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.
But the Rangers have a hole at third base right now, and if Story is indeed willing to entertain a position change and/or a short-term contract, which is the latest, then Story’s fit with in Texas is actually much smoother than it seems at first glance. Even if Story isn’t the target, the Rangers are known to be on the lookout for a third baseman, going so far as to approach the recently-retired Kyle Seager about the possibility of playing along his younger brother in Texas. Seager the elder kindly declined, the offer, however, per Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (via Twitter).
Beyond Story, there aren’t a lot of options left in free agency for the Rangers to add a third baseman. The players available – Jed Lowrie, Asdrubal Cabrera, Starlin Castro, Todd Frazier – are veterans who don’t necessarily upgrade on Texas’ in-house options. Right now, the Rangers would field a third base by committee approach while awaiting the arrival and good health of prospect Josh Jung. Even though he’s injured, Jung’s presence means that the Rangers might only be interested in securing Story if they can do so with a very short-term deal.
Without Story, Andy Ibanez, Nick Solak, and Brad Miller are all candidates to get regular playing time at the hot corner. The Rangers also recently signed Matt Carpenter and Charlie Culberson to minor league deals.
If the Rangers were to end up signing Story, it would be a fairly remarkable sequence events, not only because it would mean a 102-loss team signing three of the top free agent shortstops in a single offseason, but because of the sequence of events that have led the Rangers and Story to a place where this could even be possible.
It wasn’t long ago that the Rangers had Isiah Kiner-Falefa ready to return to the hot corner to be their regular third baseman. But when the Rangers traded Kiner-Falefa to the Twins for catcher Mitch Garver, the machinations of the offseason really kicked into high gear. Kiner-Falefa ended up as the Yankees’ pick at shortstop (at least for now), which opened up shortstop again in Minnesota, improbably, for a short-term pact with Carlos Correa. If Story is willing to take a deal similar in style to Correa’s, the Rangers could swoop in and be the beneficiary.
Of course, they’re not the only team with interest. The Yankees themselves have recently been tied to Story as well, despite their recent acquisition of Kiner-Falefa and Josh Donaldson. The Red Sox are also lurking, though like the Rangers, they’d ask Story to move off his preferred position.
Heyman suggests that the Yankees and Astros “likely have an edge” to sign Story because they would allow him to remain at shortstop. The Yankees had reportedly discussed a four-year contract with Correa that included opt-outs before he signed with Minnesota, per Andy Martino of SNY (via Twitter). A similar contract structure might be enough to reel in Story, assuming a more modest AAV. Story won’t come cheap, but he’ll be cheaper than Correa, which seems to be fueling the Yankees’ interest. All that said, it’s a bit of an overcrowded fit, with Anthony Rizzo now penciled in at first base, Giancarlo Stanton locking down the DH spot, and Gleyber Torres, Kiner-Falefa, and Donaldson already potentially cutting into DJ LeMahieu‘s playing time.
The Rockies made one last call to Story before inking Kris Bryant, per The Athletic’s Nick Groke, but that door appears to be closed. From the same division, the Giants are the other team that have been mentioned as a potential suitor for Story. The Giants have Brandon Crawford at short, Evan Longoria at third, and Tommy La Stella at second, a trio that would certainly make room for Story, should that be his ultimate landing spot.
Yankees Trade Luke Voit To Padres
After months of speculation, Luke Voit‘s time with the Yankees organization drew to a close Friday. The Yankees and Padres agreed to a trade sending the slugging first baseman to San Diego in exchange for minor league right-hander Justin Lange, according to announcements from both clubs. The Padres moved right-hander Michel Baez to the 60-day injured list in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster Voit.
The writing for Voit has been on the wall at least since New York re-signed Anthony Rizzo — and quite arguably longer than that. The Yanks acquired Rizzo last summer while Voit was on the injured list for the third time that year alone, and since the 2021 season ended they’ve been connected to Rizzo, Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson as they made no secret about pursuing alternative options to the incumbent Voit.
Voit’s trade marks the culmination of a swift shift in the organization’s stance on him. Just one year ago, Voit was heading into Spring Training as the clear everyday first baseman, having just led the Majors with 22 home runs during the truncated 2020 season. However, a knee injury in camp led to meniscus surgery that kept Voit out of action for the season’s first six weeks. Voit returned in early May, but just two weeks later he headed back to the 10-day IL due to an oblique strain. That issue kept Voit out another three-plus weeks, and he lasted only a month before going back on the IL in mid-July due to lingering inflammation in his surgically repaired left knee.
All told, Voit was limited to just 68 games and 211 plate appearances in 2021. When he was on the field, Voit remained somewhat productive, slashing .239/.328/.427 (111 wRC+), but his offensive output was nowhere near its peak levels. Looking beyond leading the Majors in long balls during the brief 2020 season, Voit had raked from the moment the Yankees acquired him from the Cardinals in exchange for relievers Chasen Shreve and Giovanny Gallegos.
Largely blocked from regular playing time in St. Louis, Voit immediately proved to be a hidden gem unearthed by the Yankees. He belted 14 home runs in less than two months down the stretch in 2018, and in 892 trips to the plate as a Yankee from ’18-’20, he batted .279/.372/.543 with 57 home runs, 31 doubles, a triple and an 11.5% walk rate against a 26.3% strikeout rate. Even adding in his “down” year this past season, Voit’s time with the Yankees will draw to a close with a stout .271/.363/.520 batting line in 1133 plate appearances.
That type of production would be a boost to any lineup, and the Padres in particular could use some thump of that nature at first base and/or designated hitter. San Diego first basemen, led by Eric Hosmer, hit a combined .275/.337/.412. That’s not terrible production by any means, but the resulting 106 wRC+ ranked 20th in the Majors. Of more concern was that the Padres, as a team, hit just .241/.324/.380 against left-handed pitching (94 wRC+, 24th in MLB). Voit, a career .264/.344/.516 hitter against left-handed pitching, ought to be particularly helpful with regard to that deficiency — though it’s important to note that he shouldn’t be regarded as a platoon player. To the contrary, Voit actually has slightly better career numbers against right-handed pitching.
Productive as he’s been at the plate throughout his Yankees tenure, Voit is a below-average defender at first base. The Yankees have made improving the defense a clear priority of late, evidenced not only by bringing Rizzo back but also moving Gleyber Torres to second base, acquiring Isiah Kiner-Falefa to take the reins at shortstop and moving Gary Sanchez to the Twins in favor of what currently projects to be a glove-first pairing of Kyle Higashioka and Ben Rortvedt (acquired in that deal with the Twins).
Voit now heads to the Padres not only for the 2022 season but perhaps all the way through 2024. He’s still arbitration eligible, projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $5.4MM in 2022 before earning a pair of raises on top of that sum. It’s an eminently reasonable price to pay for a hitter of Voit’s caliber, particularly if he can boost his production away from his 2021 output and closer to its 2018-20 levels.
As for the Yankees’ return, they’ll acquire a 20-year-old righty who can reach triple digits with his fastball but has drawn questions from scouts about his command. The 6’4″, 220-pound Lange was the No. 34 overall pick in the 2020 draft and made his pro debut with the Padres’ Rookie-ball club in 2021. There, he pitched 22 innings with a 6.95 ERA, a 28.4% strikeout rate and a bloated 14.7% walk rate. When ranking Lange 13th among San Diego farmhands, The Athletic’s Keith Law wrote that the righty has “huge stuff and a workhorse build” but questionable command in addition to a recent knee issue.
Lange adds a power arm to the lower levels of the Yankees’ system, albeit a high-risk one who’ll be a bit of a project for their development staff. Trading Voit drops the Yankees’ projected 2022 payroll a bit south of $240MM, although in terms of luxury-tax obligations, they’re still a bit over $253MM, which places them squarely in the new new CBA’s second tier of penalization.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the Padres’ interest in Voit. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman first reported that Voit had been traded to the Padres (Twitter link). Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the return (Twitter link).
Padres Showing Interest In Luke Voit
The Padres have cast a wide net searching for upgrades this offseason, coming up empty on a number of free agents and eyeing several who remain on the market. In his latest column, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic adds Yankees first baseman Luke Voit to the list of targets San Diego is considering. The Yankees are speaking with a number of clubs about Voit, though the identities of other teams and the odds of a deal coming together remain unknown.
Voit represents a unique trade chip for the Yankees, as he has batted a strong .271/.363/.520 (132 OPS+) since joining the club in 2018. Even last year Voit was able to produce at a .239/.328/.437 (109 OPS+) clip despite battling with knee problems and uneven playing time. A run of solid offensive production and three years of team control remaining (via arbitration) doesn’t change the impression that Voit appears to be a man without a home on a loaded Yankees roster, however.
Following their re-signing of first baseman Anthony Rizzo, the Yankees have an abundance of infielders, all of whom can lay claim to being more defensively valuable than Voit and his career -22 Outs Above Average mark. The 31-year old Voit also saw his strikeout rate spike to an untenable 30.7% mark last season that’s more than double apparent-replacement Rizzo’s 15.1% mark.
For New York, they may not have a specific aversion to Voit so much as they are looking to put more balls in play and back up their pitchers with more reliability. This is a team after all that had the sixth worst strikeout percentage, eighth worst batting average, and eighth worst team defense (per FanGraphs) in all of baseball last season. As a team with World Series aspirations it’s a defensible move to relocate a player that was a drain on all three team categories last season.
Enter the Padres. San Diego no doubt has the same World Series aspirations the Yankees do, but they also have a clearer path to playing time for an under-utilized Bronx bomber. Whereas New York has Giancarlo Stanton and a number of other slugging veterans filling their DH spot, the Padres are largely unequipped to fill theirs. Despite outscoring the Yankees last season, the Friars are in an optimal position to borrow some offense from the Yankees, with the added bonus of keeping their team defense intact.
A hypothetical Voit acquisition would strengthen a lineup that is thin on middle-of-the-order firepower after Fernando Tatis Jr.‘s most recent injury. Projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $5.4MM in arbitration, Voit would also prove eminently affordable for a Padres club that’s about $10MM of payroll shy of incurring luxury tax-related penalties. That projected arbitration figure likely appeals to a handful of clubs, but for a San Diego team saddled with pricy contracts and limited free agent options, a displaced Voit may prove to be their best bet at improving team offense without emptying the farm or wallets.
Yankees Place Domingo German On 60-Day Injured List
The Yankees have placed righty Domingo German on the 60-day injured list, the team announced. The placement creates a 40-man roster spot for Anthony Rizzo, whose new deal with the club is now official.
New York manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Brendan Kuty of NJ.com) earlier this week that German was only just beginning his throwing program, after shoulder problems hampered him in January. If German is essentially starting from scratch, the 60-day IL placement will allow him time to get fully ramped up through extended Spring Training, and he’ll be available for the Yankees by May.
German’s absence removes another arm from a Yankees’ rotation mix that arguably could’ve used some more reinforcement even if German had been healthy. Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Luis Severino, Jameson Taillon, and Nestor Cortes give the Yankees a starting five, even if plenty of health questions surround Severino and Taillon (though Boone also said that Taillon’s October ankle surgery won’t keep him out of the Opening Day roster). Michael King, Luis Gil, Deivi Garcia, or Clarke Schmidt form the first line of starter depth at Triple-A or in the bullpen, though none of that group has a proven MLB track record.
The same could also be said of German, as home run issues have been a big factor in his 4.54 ERA over 341 1/3 career innings in the majors. German also missed the 2020 season while suspended under the league’s domestic violence policy, and shoulder inflammation limited him to 98 1/3 frames in 2021. More shoulder problems can’t be seen as good news for German now, though there yet any indication that he could be facing a structural issue.
Minor MLB Transactions: 3/16/22
Some minor league signings from what’s shaped up to be a very busy Wednesday…
- The Yankees announced their minor league signing of outfielder Ryan LaMarre, who has received an invitation to Spring Training. The 33-year-old LaMarre is no stranger to the Bronx, having spent last season in the Yankees organization. A strong 60-game showing (.826 OPS) in Triple-A led to a few big league call-ups, in which LaMarre hit two home runs and stole a base across just nine games. The speedy outfielder can cover all three outfield spots in a pinch and should serve as some nice depth behind New York’s top center field options in Aaron Hicks and the recently re-signed Tim Locastro.
- The Angels have signed infielder Kean Wong to a minor league deal with an invite to MLB Spring Training camp. Primarily a second baseman, Wong has also demonstrated the ability to handle third base and both outfield corners. Despite the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season, the 26-year-old showed no signs of rust in Triple-A last year. In 46 games the left-handed hitter slashed .339/.384/.476 with 10 steals (13 attempts). He didn’t show as much firepower in 66 big league at-bats last season with just a .427 OPS, but there may be time to build on those numbers with a Halos club that has recently found health and production elusive at second and third base.