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Latest On David Robertson’s Market

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10:15pm: There’s still “mutual interest” in a union between Robertson and the Red Sox, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweets. Boston is facing plenty of competition, though, as it’s one of “several” clubs vying for Robertson, per Feinsand.

9:21pm: There have been a handful of newsworthy bullpen signings over the past couple weeks, yet one of the majors’ most accomplished relievers – right-hander David Robertson – remains without a contract. While world champion Boston is among the teams that have shown interest in Robertson this offseason, the Red Sox believe they’re unlikely to reel in the longtime Yankee, George A. King III of the New York Post hears. That could be to the advantage of the Phillies, who are interested in Robertson, King reports.

Although it doesn’t appear the 33-year-old Robertson will join the BoSox, the fit is obvious. He’s a Rhode Island resident who’d like to remain in the Northeast, where he has spent most of his career, and the Red Sox have needs in their bullpen. They’ve already lost setup man Joe Kelly, who signed with the Dodgers, and could also see star closer Craig Kimbrel wave goodbye in free agency. Robertson is heavily experienced as both a setup man and a closer, and based on his outstanding track record of performance and durability, would be a good bet to step in with aplomb for either Kelly or Kimbrel. Nevertheless, Boston’s reportedly hesitant to offer Robertson more than a two-year deal – thus falling short of MLBTR’s three-year, $33MM prediction – and seems to be hoping for relievers’ prices to drop before committing to anyone.

Like the Red Sox, the Phillies would make sense for Robertson from a geographical standpoint. The Phillies could also stand to upgrade their bullpen, though they’ve mostly been connected to left-handed relievers on the rumor circuit. However, Philadelphia witnessed Andrew Miller come off the market Friday, when he signed with the Cardinals, possibly leaving it in “Zach Britton-or-bust” mode when it comes to lefty relievers.

Regardless of handedness, Britton or Robertson – the Yankees’ most noteworthy remaining free agents – would either give the Phillies a terrific setup man or a quality closer who’d bump the electrifying Seranthony Dominguez into a different role. Robertson wouldn’t provide the Phillies the southpaw they desire, but it’s worth noting he has been more dominant against left-handed hitters during his career, having held them to a pathetic .186/.267/.278 line while limiting righties to a weak .219/.302/.364 mark.

As for the Yankees, with both Robertson and Britton unsigned, they’re in the market for two relievers, King notes. It’s unclear how serious New York is about re-signing Robertson, but it is trying to outmaneuver the Phillies and other teams for Britton, Jon Heyman of Fancred reported this week.

Market Notes: Pollock, Grandal, Cervelli, Lucroy, Andujar, Blue Jays, Mets

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Outfielder A.J. Pollock may be looking for six years on the open market, Jon Heyman of Fancred reported among many other recent notes. That seems an optimistic target, though certainly it doesn’t hurt to aim high, at least initially. Still, finding the perfect fit to pony up even four years for Pollock isn’t easy, despite his lofty position in an otherwise barren center field market. The teams linked to Pollock so far this offseason – the Reds, Mets, Astros and Braves – have by and large augmented their lineups through alternative means. The Reds just added two fairly notable outfielders in a trade with the Dodgers, the Mets filled their need for a righty bat with Wilson Ramos, and the Astros signed Michael Brantley. While none of these necessarily precludes these teams from bringing on Pollock, they certainly lessen the urgency for the Reds, Mets and Astros, respectively. Speculatively speaking, the White Sox, Giants or Indians are teams that could be fits for Pollock moving forward.

Meanwhile in the free agent market…

  • Speaking of top free agents, backstop Yasmani Grandal is believed to “have four years somewhere if he wants it,” per Heyman, which seems to indicate that the veteran is sitting on some strong offers already. The Reds are among the clubs with interest, though the long-term presence of Tucker Barnhart means Cincinnati can be patient.
  • Elsewhere on the catching market, there was a bit of drama yesterday involving Pirates receiver Francisco Cervelli. Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic tweeted that the team was “very, very close” to sending the veteran to the Dodgers, querying whether medical problems scuttled the deal. GM Neal Huntington offered a rare public rebuke of that rumor, however, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (Twitter links). Huntington says the Bucs never “discussed any name with the Dodgers” regarding a possible Cervelli swap. He says that “the implication that a trade was nullified due to a failed medical review is completely wrong.”
  • Heyman writes that the Athletics sought to bring back veteran receiver Jonathan Lucroy, offering him $4MM for the 2019 season, but he seems to be holding out in hopes of getting more elsewhere. Lucroy signed late last offseason, inking his deal with Oakland in March, so both sides have shown a willingness to take the patient approach in waiting out the market.
  • A number of trade possibilities still seem to be swirling, though it’s tough to say at this point what likely will or will not get done. Yankees infielder Miguel Andujar “appears to be on the block, for the right price,” says Heyman. Of course, the Yanks are likely looking for high-end MLB assets in any swap involving the young third baseman, who had an impressive debut season in 2018. Despite concerns about his defensive handle at third, the 129 wRC+ and 27 bombs Andujar posted as a 23-year-old ought to have no trouble returning major league talent for New York.
  • Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca examines the situations of Blue Jays hurlers Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, noting that president Mark Shapiro made clear recently that the organization does not feel compelled to reduce its asking price on either pitcher. The Reds have been the most eager in pursing Stroman, but their recent acquisitions of Tanner Roark and Alex Wood may lessen the likelihood of a deal. Given that both pitchers still have multiple years of team control, it might behoove Shapiro and the Blue Jays to start the season with the pair of righties in their rotation. A strong start to the 2019 season might be enough to generate the type of return Shapiro desires.
  • The Mets have some new potential schemes in the oven, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. It seems the club is getting hits on backstops Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki. A backup outfielder was the intended target in a deal for either backstop, but a spare infielder who could back up Amed Rosario at short might be a better fit. They were eyeing Rangers southpaw Mike Minor, but that push has “stalled” as the Mets aren’t eager to put together the type of package that fits the Rangers’ ask. If anything, GM Brodie Van Wagenen has proven an action-oriented approach, so it’s safe to assume the Mets aren’t done dealing yet this offseason.

Manny Machado Decision Will Wait Until 2019

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Star free agent Manny Machado may have wrapped up his tour of several potential new teams, but that doesn’t mean he’ll rush into a decision. Per Jon Heyman of Fancred (Twitter link), the 26-year-old has informed the three teams he recently met with that he will not be putting pen to paper until the calendar flips.

Surely, Machado has plenty to think about and discuss after spending several hours with the White Sox, Yankees, and Phillies. He’ll also no doubt want to leave agent Dan Lozano ample time to negotiate up the offer prices — if not to reel in some other bidders as well.

There was a time when more of the free agent dealmaking was wrapped up earlier in the offseason. But with teams showing ample patience of late, it surely behooves players not to rush into things when the circumstances call for a slow-play. Plus, Machado and fellow free agent Bryce Harper find themselves in a rare spot as exceedingly youthful and accomplished open-market assets.

In any event, it seems we’ll have to wait a bit longer to find out where Machado is heading. And from all indications it’s still an open race. Over 35k MLBTR readers voted yesterday on his likeliest destination, with the Yankees easily taking the top spot but nevertheless failing to command a majority of the votes.

CC Sabathia Undergoes Angioplasty

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Yankees southpaw CC Sabathia recently underwent an angioplasty and had a stent placed, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription link). Thankfully, “his prognosis is excellent,” per the report.

Angioplasties are utilized to clear blockages in a coronary artery, with the stent functioning to maintain a clear path for blood flow. It’s an oft-performed surgery, but one that’s not commonly performed on professional athletes.

Fortunately, Sabathia is not expected to face any particular impediments to his baseball career. He’s slated to pitch for one more season after signing a one-year, $8MM deal to return to the Yankees for the 2019 campaign.

Given the outlook, there’s no real reason to think the Yankees’ plans for the winter will be altered. That said, Sabathia will have been sidelined from part of his offseason work and still needs to be cleared to resume full activities, so there’s a bit of uncertainty. On the other hand, the southpaw is said to be feeling better physically than he did before the procedure, which (per Rosenthal) “figures to benefit Sabathia in his cardiovascular work.”

Angels Claim Parker Bridwell

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The Angels have re-claimed righty Parker Bridwell from the Yankees, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (Twitter link). He had previously been lost on waivers to the Yanks, who later exposed him to waivers themselves.

Bridwell, 27, had a surprisingly effective 2017 run with the Halos but fell back hard in the following season. He only threw 34 2/3 innings at all levels in the 2018 season, with abysmal results when he was available. Bridwell’s forgettable season ended with surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow.

Clearly, the Angels still believe there’s hope that Bridwell can get back to where he was in the 2017 season. While his peripherals had suggested cause for skepticism, Bridwell’s overall track record suggests he’s at least least a worthwhile depth piece.

The Angels, like all teams, are understandably interested in ensuring they have enough innings on hand. But they’ll need to carry Bridwell on the active roster to open the season or again expose him to waivers, since he’s out of options.

Yankees Sign Danny Coulombe, Rex Brothers To Minor League Deals

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The Yankees announced Friday that they’ve signed left-handers Danny Coulombe and Rex Brothers to minor league deals with invitations to Major League Spring Training. Coulombe is repped by Elite Sports Group, and Brother is a client of Jet Sports. Max Wildstein tweeted the former signing, while Jon Heyman of Fancred had the latter (via Twitter).

Coulombe, 29, spent the past three seasons with the A’s, pitching to a 4.10 ERA with 8.7 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 1.09 HR/9 and a whopping 57.6 percent ground-ball rate. In that time, he’s held opposing left-handers to a weak .233/.298/.338 batting line through a total of 243 plate appearances. Coulombe’s FIP over those three seasons aligns almost perfectly with his ERA, though other fielding-independent metrics like xFIP and SIERA are more bullish, pegging him in the mid-3.00s.

Brothers, 31, made 28 appearances with the Braves across the past two seasons, though just one in 2018, and struggld across the board. The former No. 34 overall pick (Rockies, 2009) was once touted as Colorado’s closer of the future and even saved 19 games with a 1.74 ERA for the Rox back in 2013. Injuries have slowed Brothers’ career substantially, however, and he’s now looking to reestablish himself as a viable big league option after last experiencing success in 2015 (albeit in a small sample of 10 1/3 innings).

Latest On Manny Machado’s Market, Following Meeting With Phillies

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Manny Machado completed a three-city tour of potential landing spots in Philadelphia today, where he met with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park and was taken to dinner by several key members of the organization (links via MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki and Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia). Owner John Middleton, president Andy MacPhail, GM Matt Klentak, manager Gabe Kapler and several members of Kapler’s coaching staff were on hand to try to sway Machado toward coming to Philadelphia.

Machado, as one would expect, was vague when approached by the Philadelphia media and asked about his at Citizens Bank Park, telling reporters that the experience was “pretty awesome” and that he “learned a lot about the organization.”

The Phillies, Zolecki writes, prefer Machado to fellow free agent Bryce Harper. Salisbury indicates the same, portraying Harper as a more realistic target should the Phillies miss out on Machado. He adds that the Phils “seem willing” to outbid the Yankees and make the highest offer for Machado. Joel Sherman of the New York Post agrees, calling it a “near certainty” that the Phillies “and possibly even the White Sox” are willing to bid more on Machado than the Yankees. Per Zolecki, the Phils have maintained confidence that they can convince Machado to sign in Philadelphia despite the fact that they’d play him at third base while Machado’s preference remains to play shortstop. The Yankees, after all, will only have shortstop open for the first portion of the season before Didi Gregorius returns, and Fancred’s Jon Heyman again wrote Thursday afternoon that the organization “would love to keep” Gregorius beyond the 2019 season.

At this point, there’s no clear timeline on when Machado will reach a decision about his next team. The infielder himself told Zolecki and others that determining when to sign “is [his] agent’s job” and that he is “just enjoying the ride.” Yesterday did bring about a small flurry of free-agent activity — Trevor Cahill, Daniel Murphy, Joakim Soria and Anibal Sanchez all agreed to terms, while Andrew Miller is said to be close — but none of those deals will come close to approaching the magnitude of Machado’s eventual contract. With the holiday season at hand, there figures to be a lull in Hot Stove activity, so barring a quick decision on an already in-place offer, Machado’s free agency could well drag on into the New Year. There’s been no indication that any of the three teams with which he met this week has made its best and final offer — or any formal offer at all, for that matter.

Manny Machado Meets With Yankees

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The Yankees met with Manny Machado earlier today at Yankee Stadium, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post. Machado and agent Dan Lozano arrived at Yankee Stadium and were greeted by a contingent consisting at least of GM Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone and veteran starter CC Sabathia, writes Martin, though other members of the organization were likely present. The meeting has been anticipated since weekend reports indicated that Machado would sit down for in-person visits with the White Sox, Yankees and Phillies this week. The face-to-face with the ChiSox came yesterday, and Machado is reportedly slated to meet with the Phillies tomorrow.

The meeting at Yankee Stadium lasted for roughly 90 minutes, though the Yankees’ courtship of Machado extended beyond that point. Fancred’s Jon Heyman tweets that the Yankees took Machado, his wife and Lozano out to dinner in Manhattan tonight as they continued to discuss the possibility of Machado signing in the Bronx. Some reports in recent days have indicated that Machado will sit down with a fourth club in the near future, and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand suggested as much was possible once again earlier today. However, Heyman definitively states that the market for Machado, at present, consists of the White Sox, Yankees and Phillies with “no mysteries” in play.

Regardless, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Yankees are a significant factor in the Machado auction. While Martin wrote in his column that “indications are they won’t invest $300 million over 10 years,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the Yankees are “enamored” and believe him to be the “perfect fit” for their franchise. Whether that means topping the White Sox, the Phillies and any “mystery” suitors that may or may not truly be in the mix is another question entirely, though.

Ultimately, managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner will have to give the go-ahead to offer what could end up a record-setting deal to bring Machado to the Yankees. Steinbrenner previously called Machado’s infamous “Johnny Hustle” comments “troubling” and flatly stated that such an attitude “ain’t going to sell where we play baseball.” Those comments, as well as Machado’s intentional kick of Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar, undoubtedly came up in today’s face-to-face meeting.

As Feinsand writes, it’s not fully clear whether Steinbrenner himself was present in today’s meetings, as his family is mourning the recent passing of his mother, Joan. However, Steinbrenner implied to Nightengale last month that Machado would be explaining those comments and actions to Cashman, whom ownership trusts to make that type of call. “But that’s really [GM Brian Cashman’s] job,” said Steinbrenner at the time. “If we’re interested in any player, to sit down with them face to face and ask him, ’Where did this come from? What was the context around the entire interview? Was there a point? How do you justify it?’ … That conversation will happen.”

Troy Tulowitzki Hosts Workout For MLB Clubs

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At least 11 teams were on hand to watch Troy Tulowitzki work out earlier today, reports Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports. The Giants, Angels, Red Sox, Cubs, Padres, White Sox, Orioles, Yankees, Phillies, Tigers and Pirates were all represented at the showcase, Brown reports (as were other, unnamed teams), with some clubs even sending their top executives to get a first-hand look at the former Rockies star. Angels GM Billy Eppler was in attendance, per Brown, as were new Giants president of baseball ops Farhan Zaidi and manager Bruce Bochy.

Since being released by the Blue Jays last week — with two years and $38MM remaining on his contract — Tulowitzki has been separately connected to a handful of teams including the Pirates, the Yankees, the Cubs and the Giants. His agent, Paul Cohen, recently told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that Tulowitzki is open to playing second base or third base with a new team. Brown, notably, writes that the biggest appeal for Tulowitzki will be the promise of regular at-bats at one positions (as opposed to moving between those three spots in a utility role).

It doesn’t seem as though there’s any early favorite to add Tulowitzki, who’ll cost his new team only the Major League minimum of $555K next season. (Toronto is on the hook for the remainder of his salary.) At that price, it’s justifiable for virtually any team to take a look at Tulowitzki and see if he can rediscover some of the form that once made him one of the game’s premier players. While few would expect him to return to his 2013-14 levels of output, that type of performance is hardly necessary from someone whose new team will pay him the league minimum. Tulowitzki’s bat was at least league-average in both 2015 and 2016, so if he’s healthy there’s plenty of reason to believe he can at least be fairly productive at the dish. How he adjusts defensively after undergoing surgery on both heels last year could be a more pressing question — particularly if he’s also adjusting to a new position after spending his entire pro career at shortstop.

Carlos Beltran To Join Yankees Front Office

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The Yankees are hiring recently retired ballplayer Carlos Beltran to a front office role, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). Beltran will serve as a special advisor to GM Brian Cashman.

Last we heard, Beltran had declined a similar opportunity with the New York club last offseason. At the time, of course, he had only just wrapped up his illustrious, two-decade MLB career.

Beltran certainly was entitled to some time away from the game, but it has long seemed he’d remain engaged in some capacity. Indeed, the Yanks even considered him for their open managerial post, with Beltran indicating real interest in that demanding job.

It’ll be interesting to see what path the 41-year-old Beltran takes in his post-playing career, which is only just getting under way. As Feinsand notes, one of his first assignments could well be to help the Yanks lure Manny Machado, who shares an agent with Beltran.

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