AL East Notes: Sabathia, Red Sox, Jepsen
Though he gutted out a quality start after a tough first inning last night,Yankees southpaw CC Sabathia is dealing with bone-on-bone arthritis in his right knee, the left-hander told MLB.com’s Barry Bloom last night. Sabathia told Bloom that he’ll eventually need knee replacement surgery, but “that’s the price you pay.” Sabathia has been wearing a brace on his injured knee which he says prevents the ligaments in the joint from rubbing together when he plants to throw a pitch. As such, he’s able to maintain his mechanics.
A few more notes from around the AL to kick off the week…
- The Red Sox could use an “alpha dog” atop their rotation, writes Peter Gammons of the MLB Network and GammonsDaily.com. Gammons breaks down a number of options for the Sox, including Japanese right-hander Kenta Maeda (whom, according to one scout that spoke to Gammons, is “too slight” to pitch every fifth day in the Majors). Gammons outlines the case for and against the Sox reeling in top free agents David Price and Zack Greinke within his column, and he also looks at Johnny Cueto‘s struggles since over the past month with the Royals.
- Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes that while the trade of Kevin Jepsen from the Rays to the Twins doesn’t stand out as one of the more memorable deals from this past deadline, it had a significant impact on the Rays’ clubhouse. There was a feeling in the air that the team had given up by trading one of its top setup men to a team they were chasing in the Wild Card race, Topkin hears from people around the clubhouse, especially considering that the return was a pair of low-level minor leaguers who weren’t going to contribute in 2014.
AL East Notes: Ortiz, Tanaka, Orioles, Price
David Ortiz made his 575th plate appearance of the season today, boosting the value of his 2016 contract to $15MM, Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe tweets. The Red Sox held a club option on Ortiz for 2016 that vested for $11MM when the slugger hit the 425-PA plateau, and he has only been adding to his future salary ever since by making more and more plate appearances. Big Papi can max out his deal at $16MM in 2016 by reaching 600 PA, which seems like a foregone conclusion with two weeks left on the schedule. The deal is contingent on Ortiz passing a physical, though the slugger has been seemingly healthy and is still very productive, hitting .270/.357/.544 with 35 homers this year.
Here’s some more from around the AL East…
- Masahiro Tanaka will miss his scheduled start against the Blue Jays on Wednesday due to a hamstring strain, Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch). Tanaka suffered the injury while running out a sac bunt in an interleague game with the Mets last Friday, though he was able to stay in the game and pitch six innings. It is a Grade One strain, the lowest level, so the Yankees hope that Tanaka will only miss one outing; the righty himself “lobbied” to pitch as scheduled in the big AL East matchup.
- The Orioles rotation hasn’t pitched up to expectations this season, though Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun doesn’t think the starting five will be too different in 2016. The O’s have rarely been big free agent buyers, and are probably even less likely to spend big on pitching given how Ubaldo Jimenez hasn’t delivered much return on his four-year, $50MM deal. Schmuck figures Wei-Yin Chen will depart in free agency, but Baltimore will still have Jimenez, Kevin Gausman, and arbitration-eligibles Miguel Gonzalez and Chris Tillman projected to return as the top four. Chen will likely be replaced by an internal option, with Mike Wright or Tyler Wilson standing as the best candidates to be the fifth starter.
- In an interview with Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link), Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos has been pleased to see what David Price has brought the team on the field and also “to see the impact that he’s had on the entire clubhouse. He truly loves his teammates and the environment.” Price has made similar comments praising his team and the Toronto fans, which obviously can’t hurt the Jays’ chances of re-signing the southpaw in free agency this winter. It will take more than good feelings, of course, to keep Price in town, as he is expected to command at least a $200MM deal this winter.
- It sounds like former Rays notable Aubrey Huff could be interested in a comeback, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Now 38 and retired since 2012, Huff took to Facebook recently and wrote: “I do feel mentally, and physically stronger than I ever have in my life. Hmmmmmm!???” Huff retired after a 13-year big league career in which he posted a .278/.342/.464 line in 6,786 plate appearances for the Rays, Astros, Orioles, Tigers, and Giants.
AL Notes: Martin, Twins, Eppler
Former Rays shortstop prospect Brandon Martin has been arrested in the shooting deaths of two men, including his father, Ali Tadayon of the Press-Enterprise writes (via Cork Gaines of Rays Index). Two men were found dead Thursday, and another, Martin’s uncle, was badly injured. Officers apprehended Martin after a chase Friday. Martin was the 38th overall pick in the 2011 draft, but he struggled in the minors — he received good reviews for his defense but batted .211/.281/.371 in parts of three seasons from 2011 through 2013. The Rays technically released Martin this spring, although Baseball America’s Matt Eddy noted at the time that Martin retired before the 2014 season. Here’s more from the American League.
- Of the 15 remaining active Major Leaguers who were drafted in 1997 or earlier, four (LaTroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter, A.J. Pierzynski and Michael Cuddyer) were selected by the Twins, Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out. That doesn’t include Kyle Lohse, who was drafted in 1996 by the Cubs but played his first several big-league seasons with Minnesota.
- Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler has an edge as a candidate for the Angels GM job, Sherman writes. The Angels liked him in 2011, when he was a candidate for the GM position before it eventually went to Jerry Dipoto. “There is a strong sense that Arte [Moreno] and [team president] John Carpino liked [Eppler] a lot then and nothing has changed now four years later,” a source tells Sherman. “That feels like a huge advantage in this process — to have a head start with the people making the decision.”
East Notes: Ichiro, Kelly, Heathcott
Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki reached 400 plate appearances last night, triggering another $400K bonus under his contract, as Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald notes on Twitter. He’ll have a chance to tack on $400K more if he can make another fifty trips to the plate before season’s end. Miami president of baseball operations Michael Hill tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the organization is “pleased with the job he’s done for us,” adding that “I anticipate us trying to bring him back.” Ichiro, who’ll soon turn 42, has slashed just .242/.298/.298 on the year, but he sits within striking distance of 3,000 hits.
Here are a few more notes from the eastern divisions:
- Red Sox righty Joe Kelly has no injury concerns in his right shoulder, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reports. Though he left his most recent start in the third inning after experiencing tightness and failing to reach his usual velocity, it appears that there is no cause for immediate concern. With the end of the season drawing near, he’ll presumably look to rest up and try to continue his recent positive momentum into next spring. Kelly’s overall body of work probably won’t support a huge arbitration salary in his first year of eligibility. It remains to be seen how heavily Boston will rely on him in structuring its 2016 staff.
- When the Yankees non-tendered former top prospect Slade Heathcott last winter, many teams around the league were ready to jump on the opportunity to add the outfielder, Sherman writes. But he never seriously considered changing caps, because he and the team had already worked out a “wink-wink understanding.” New York needed the 40-man space, but was able to get Heathcott to agree to a return by promising him a raise, a July 1 opt-out date (if he wasn’t added back to the 40-man), and the right to use his own medical providers in the offseason.
AL East Notes: Yankees, O’Day, Pena, Snell
Though many Yankees fans have grown weary of Stephen Drew‘s low batting average at second base (and “grown weary” is admittedly an understatement), Chad Jennings of the Journal News offers a well-reasoned explanation for the team’s decision to stick with Drew and Brendan Ryan over the likes of Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela. Jennings notes Refsnyder’s poor second half at Triple-A and questionable glovework and also points to the fact that Ryan has been an ideal platoon-mate at second base, providing good defense and a hefty .286/.333/.500 batting line against lefties this year. Jennings dispels several oft-used myths, such as the Yankees’ reluctance to rely on young talent or the claim that only manager Joe Girardi would continue relying on a struggling veteran such as Drew.
A few more notes from the AL East…
- Darren O’Day‘s time with the Orioles is quite possibly winding down, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Despite being a bit older than typical free agents — he’s 32 and will pitch next season at 33 — O’Day is primed to cash in on a nice free-agent deal due to his recent string of dominant seasons. Manager Buck Showalter offered high praise for the sidearming setup man: “Darren, there’s no doubt he’s the leader of that bullpen,” said Showalter. The manager noted O’Day’s role in keeping the bullpen a tight-knit unit, noting that his shoes would be tough to fill if he ultimately signs elsewhere upon hitting the open market.
- Carlos Pena is humbled and grateful for the opportunity to sign a contract and retire as a member of the Rays organization, he tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. “As much as the Rays have meant to me, for me to even believe that I meant the same to the Rays as well, I couldn’t be more grateful,” said Pena. “This is a dream come true to end my career in such a way, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
- Rays top prospect Blake Snell was disappointed not to be called up in September, writes Topkin in a separate column, but the left-hander nonetheless has hopes of making the team out of Spring Training in 2015. Snell, 22, hadn’t pitched above A-ball heading into the season but broke out with an absurd 1.61 ERA, 10.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 134 innings between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. Baseball America named Snell its minor league player of the year as a result of the strong performance. Snell could very well have a chance at cracking the roster next season, especially considering the fact that Topkin has recently said it seems likely that Tampa Bay will deal from its surplus of rotation options this offseason.
- Baseball America’s Matt Eddy examines Snell’s historic minor league season, noting that he’s tied for the second-lowest composite ERA for a starter since 2003, trailing only Justin Verlander. Of the 10 pitchers to have posted a composite 1.60 ERA or better across multiple minor league levels, Snell is the only one who reached Triple-A in his dominant season; the others spread their dominance across lower levels. Snell’s season, Eddy writes, was one of the best in recent minor league history.
Eppler, Brown Have Interviewed For Mariners’ GM Opening
The Mariners are one of five big league teams looking for a general manager, though their search isn’t as far along as a team like the Red Sox or Angels, each of whom saw their previous GMs step down earlier than the Mariners fired Jack Zduriencik. To this point, much of the talk surrounding the Seattle GM vacancy has been preliminary and/or speculative in nature. Former Halos GM Jerry Dipoto is expected to interview, and the Mariners also have permission to interview Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler. Former Marlins GM Dan Jennings and former Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd have been linked to Seattle, though Jennings has a standing offer to return to his post with the Fish once the season ends and he’s done with his rather strange and brief tenure as the club’s on-field manager. The Mariners are said to be seeking an experienced candidate, although there is of course the possibility that a would-be rookie GM could impress in an interview.
Here’s the latest on the search for a GM in Seattle…
- The Mariners interviewed Eppler on Wednesday, reports George A. King III of the New York Post. The Mariners are the second team for which Eppler has interviewed, King notes, as he interviewed with the Angels in New York on Monday. Seattle has expanded its search to some degree, King adds, as they’re no longer set on a candidate that has prior experience. That would bode well for the likes of Eppler and Brown.
Earlier Updates
- Seattle had interest in Athletics’ assistant GM David Forst, but it appears that the club won’t have the opportunity to consider him as a candidate due to Forst’s pending promotion, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, via Twitter. It was previously reported that Oakland intends to move Forst to the GM seat, with Billy Beane stepping into a president’s role, though the precise changes and timeline remain unknown.
- Blue Jays special assistant Dana Brown will interview with the Mariners on Wednesday, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney. A former scouting director for the Nationals, Brown drafted Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman and several others while overseeing the Nats’ scouting operation. (Stephen Strasburg was selected under his watch as well, although he was seen as a slam-dunk No. 1 overall pick.) As MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm wrote in a 2011 profile, Brown actually oversaw Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos when the two worked together in the Nats/Expos franchise, even going so far as to promote Anthopoulous to coordinator of scouting with the Nationals. He rejoined Anthopoulos in 2010.
Outfielder Chris Young Changes Agents
Outfielder Chris Young (not to be confused with the right-handed pitcher of the same name) has changed agencies and is once again a client of CAA Sports, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (Twitter link).
By adding Young to their ranks, CAA will pick up a free-agent-to-be that is presently in the midst of a strong comeback season in the Bronx. Young was a flop with the Mets in 2014 after signing a one-year, $7.25MM free agent contract, but he signed a minor league deal with the Yankees after being released and re-signed with the Bombers this past offseason.
The Yankees deserve some praise for their faith in Young, as he’s rewarded their confidence with a combined .254/.320/.467 batting line in 406 plate appearances between the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Young, of course, has been heavily platooned, as his deficiencies versus right-handed pitching are well documented. He’s been forced into action against right-handed pitching more than the Yankees would like in 2015, receiving 185 total PAs and slashing just .185/.241/.346. Clearly, he still possesses a bit of pop versus righties (.161 ISO), but the bulk of his damage has come versus lefties. Young has tattooed opposing southpaws, batting .323/.393/.586 in 151 plate appearances this year.
Defensively speaking, the 32-year-old Young may no longer be equipped to handle center field with any sort of regularity, but he’s capable of playing there in a pinch at the very least and can still handle a corner spot. He’s swiped three bases this season and received positive grades for his baserunning, per Fangraphs, giving him additional value.
All told, Young won’t necessarily be the most exciting free agent, but he has plenty of desirable traits and shouldn’t come with a prohibitive price tag this offseason — the most lucrative deals for fourth outfielders in recent years have been the respective $10MM and $10.75MM two-year deals for Rajai Davis and Nate McLouth — so interest should be fairly widespread. He’ll add to an already sizable crop of free agents for his new representatives, as CAA also has Mark Buehrle, David Freese, Denard Span and Matt Belisle, among others, set to hit the open market this offseason.
Young’s change in representation will be reflected in the MLBTR Agency Database, which has information on more than 2,000 Major League and Minor League players. If you see any notable inaccuracies or omissions, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.
Angels GM Candidates Include LaCava, Hazen, Atkins, Eppler
When former general manager Jerry Dipoto left the club in the middle of the summer over an apparent lack of compatibility with manager Mike Scioscia, it became apparent that the Angels could have a unique GM search on their hands. The team has been increasingly active recently and is said to be hopeful of making a decision within a few weeks’ time.
Here’s the latest on the Angels’ search for a new leader of their baseball operations department, with updates on the preliminary interview process added as information is reported:
- Blue Jays assistant general manager Tony LaCava interviewed for the Angels’ GM vacancy today, reports Buster Olney of ESPN (via Twitter). LaCava has been an AGM with Toronto since 2007 and also currently holds the title vice president of baseball operations. He’s been strongly considered for GM openings in the past, and he even (reportedly) turned down an offer to become the Orioles’ GM back in 2011.
Earlier Updates
- Red Sox AGM Mike Hazen will interview with the Angels as soon as today, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter. Hazen has long been considered likely to head up a baseball ops department at some point. His name has also come up with regard to Boston’s own internal GM opening.
- Angels pro scouting director Hal Morris has also been given an interview for the post, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports on Twitter. He joins Klentak and Servais as internal candidates who have reportedly been given a chance to sit down with the top-level brass.
- The Angels interviewed Indians VP of player personnel Ross Atkins today, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports on Twitter. Atkins has been in the Cleveland organization for quite some time, and has occupied his current post since a promotion last year. Indians AGM Mike Chernoff has received more press as a possible GM hire, though he also seems to be an internal promotion candidate if current Cleveland GM Chris Antonetti takes the vacated president’s role. Antonetti has previously noted that Atkins holds the promise of a future general manager.
- We learned yesterday that Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler had his interview with the Halos, as had been widely expected. Eppler has been tabbed by some as the leading candidate, and is reportedly interested in the position — despite any possible limitations of authority owing to the presence of Scioscia — due in part to his ties to Southern California.
- Los Angeles is said also to have conducted interviews with its own assistant general managers, Matt Klentak and Scott Servais.
Quick Hits: Eppler, Anibal, Wilson, Kennedy
Angels owner Arte Moreno and president John Carpino were scheduled to meet with Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler tonight in New York, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. This is the latest indication that Eppler could be the favorite to become the Angels’ new general manager, though the Mariners are reportedly also interested in talking to him about their open GM position. Here’s more from around baseball…
- Anibal Sanchez told reporters (including MLive.com’s Chris Iott) that he’ll see a doctor about his shoulder issue, possibly Dr. James Andrews. The righty was scheduled to return from the DL and start for the Tigers on Wednesday, but those plans have now been scrapped. Sanchez has had a rocky season, posting a 4.99 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 2.82 K/BB rate over 157 innings and he hasn’t pitched since August 18 due to a rotator cuff strain in his throwing arm.
- In his latest subscriber-only piece, ESPN’s Buster Olney discusses some looming offseason decisions involving qualifying offers and team/player options with agents and talent evaluators. Some of the choices are pretty easy (i.e. the Blue Jays will surely pick up club options on Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion for 2016) while others are trickier. For instance, evaluators would be wary about their teams surrendering a draft pick to sign Ian Kennedy. If the qualifying offer would hurt Kennedy’s market to this extent, he could consider accepting the Padres‘ QO, leaving San Diego with roughly $81MM tied up in five players (Kennedy, Melvin Upton Jr., Craig Kimbrel, Matt Kemp, James Shields).
- Brian Wilson is aiming to return to the majors in 2016 and will soon begin throwing, Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown tweets. The Dodgers released Wilson last December and sat out the 2015 season after not catching on with any other teams. The former Giants closer missed most of 2012 and 2013 while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, and he posted a 4.66 ERA, 10.1 K/9 and a 1.86 K/BB rate over 48 1/3 IP with L.A. last season.
- Rich Hill recently threw seven shutout innings for the Red Sox in his first Major League start since 2009, and now the southpaw is considering pitching in winter ball in the hopes of landing a job in an MLB rotation next year, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes. If a Major League job can’t be found, Hill is already drawing interest from several Japanese teams.
East Notes: Yankees, Park, Orioles, Marlins
The Yankees are scouting KBO first baseman Byung-Ho Park, Chosun Ilbo reports (link in Korean; hat tip to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com). As Kuty notes, the Yankees’ level of interest is unclear, and they have Mark Teixeira under contract for 2016 and Greg Bird potentially ready to take over at first base after that. Nonetheless, Park will be a tempting option, assuming the Nexen Heroes post him after the season. He’s hit .351/.442/.727 this year and has totaled 100 homers in the last two seasons. The KBO is an offense-heavy environment, but the success of Park’s former teammate Jung-Ho Kang in Pittsburgh makes it appear likely that Park’s skills will translate fairly well to the Majors. Here’s more from the East divisions.
- At 68-72, the Orioles are still expected to push as hard as possible for the playoffs even though their chances of getting there are remote. They should consider trying equally hard in these next few weeks to keep at least some of their pending free agents, Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun writes. Scott Boras clients Chris Davis and Matt Wieters are likely to test free agency, but the team ought to consider trying to re-sign reliever Darren O’Day, who might require a three-year deal in the $20MM range. (MLBTR’s Jeff Todd profiled O’Day earlier this week.) Gerardo Parra might also be a good candidate for the Orioles to re-sign before free agency begins, Schmuck suggests.
- It’s been a lost season for the Marlins, and their struggles extend to their minor league system, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald writes. Three of the Marlins’ top four affiliates finished in last place, and the Marlins rank at the bottom of Baseball America’s Organization Standings. That’s not necessarily the kiss of death, since minor league records aren’t always the best indicators of prospect quality. But experts agree that the Marlins aren’t exactly spilling over with top prospects, other than top 2014 pick Tyler Kolek. “[Y]ou go beyond [Kolek], and you get to guys who are not top 200- or 300-type guys,” says BA’s J.J. Cooper. “I have talked to scouts who struggle to name a player or two they project as future regulars from the Marlins’ position-player prospects.” The Marlins recently attempted to address the issue by hiring Marc DelPiano from the Pirates to oversee their minor league operations.