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Orioles Sign Heston Kjerstad

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The Orioles have signed second overall draft pick Heston Kjerstad, per a team announcement. The University of Arkansas product will receive a $5.2MM bonus, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (Twitter link).

Kjerstad was expected to go near the top of the draft, but not with the second selection. The O’s obviously liked him quite a bit, but also saw an opportunity to save some bonus pool capacity to draft and sign other talented players in later rounds. The club was able to reapply over $2.5MM of the second overall slot value.

As things stand, the Orioles are known to have deals in place with five of their six selections. Jordan Westburg (30th overall) and Hudson Haskin (39th) secured at-slot bonuses. High schoolers Coby Mayo and Carter Baumler were lured with over-slot promises, though their deals aren’t yet official. That leaves Ole Miss infielder Anthony Servideo, the team’s third-round choice, left without a pact (so far as is publicly known).

Perhaps it’s easy to get caught up in the machinations and overlook Kjerstad’s own promise. While teams obviously see the appeal in spreading draft bonus pool availability over multiple players, they also aren’t generally inclined to spend premium draft choices on sub-premium talent.

All major draft pundits graded Kjerstad as one of the dozen or so top-available talents. Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs had the highest ranking, listing him in the seventh slot.

Most agree on the profile here. Kjerstad is seen as a solid right fielder with big potential at the plate. He was drubbing high-end college pitching (.448/.513/.791) when the 2020 season was suspended. There are some concerns over his complicated swing and proclivity to strike out, but obviously the consensus is that Kjerstad will grow into a quality offensive performer at the game’s highest level.

Rockies To Sign Matt Kemp

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The Rockies have struck a deal with veteran outfielder Matt Kemp, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). It’s a minor-league pact.

Kemp had spent the spring with the Marlins, but was left out of the Miami organization’s 60-man player pool. The Fish evidently cut him loose to pursue other opportunities, opening the door to Kemp joining his third NL West outfit.

This move simply wouldn’t have happened in late March, but intervening developments made it possible. We learned last night that right-handed-hitting Rockies veteran Ian Desmond would opt out of the 2020 season, leaving a potential roster spot. And the Rockies are newly in need of designated hitter options, given the expansion of the hitter-only spot to the National League for 2020.

The 35-year-old Kemp is coming off of a rough 2019 season in which he struggled with injuries and hit poorly in a 20-game run with the Reds. He wasn’t exactly tearing the cover off the ball in Grapefruit League action, with a .143/.200/.143 slash and 11 strikeouts in thirty plate appearances.

That said, it wasn’t long ago that the former superstar was mashing MLB pitching. In 506 trips to the plate with the Dodgers in 2018, he launched 25 home runs and carried a .290/.338/.481 batting line.

It’ll be interesting to see whether and how Kemp is utilized by the Rox. The club presumably won’t find it hard to carry him on the expanded early-season roster, having found space even last year for Mark Reynolds. The question is whether Kemp will be given a shot to take on a bigger role than that previously occupied by Reynolds. At present, the Colorado roster skews heavily towards lefty bats in the outfield mix, but Kemp’s defensive abilities have waned notably over the years.

Ian Desmond Opts Out Of 2020 Season

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Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond will opt out of playing in the 2020 MLB season. He provided a thoughtful explanation of his decisionmaking process in an announcement on Instagram.

Desmond explains that “the COVID-19 pandemic has made this baseball season one that is a risk I am not comfortable taking.” He says he’s compelled to stay home “with a pregnant wife and four young children who have lots of questions about what’s going on in the world.”

Fortunately for all of us that care about the future of the game, the widely respected Desmond says he intends to work with his local Little League (in Sarasota, Florida) while he’s not playing this year. He did not offer an indication of his future plans for returning to the diamond.

Desmond’s announcement is essential reading for all baseball fans. It’s a powerful call to action to deal with glaring inequity in the game, from its lowest to its loftiest levels.

Three other big leaguers preceded Desmond in announcing that they would not participate in the 2020 season. No doubt others will follow. It is not known whether Desmond had any personal medical issue that will allow him to opt out while still accruing salary and service time. If not, he will forego a pro-rated portion of his $15MM salary for the year. He remains under contract with the Rockies through 2021; the club also controls him in 2022 via club option.

Each MLB Team’s 60-Man Player Pool

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Teams had until Sunday at 4:00 pm EST to report their initial 60-man player pools to MLB. Note that these pools can contain up to 60 players but were not required to be full upon their first submission. Teams can — and in some cases already have begun to — make additions at any time, so long as they have an open spot in the pool. If their pool is full and they wish to sign someone, claim a player off waivers or acquire a player via trade, they’ll need to either release, waive or trade a 60-man player of their own.

While a handful of teams waited until Monday to make their player pools public, all 30 have now been announced. Here are the initial lists submitted by all 30 teams…

AL East

AL Central

AL West

NL East

NL Central

NL West

Ryan Zimmerman, Joe Ross Opt Out Of 2020 Season

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Neither Ryan Zimmerman nor Joe Ross will suit up to play for the Nationals in 2020, according to respective reports from Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. The D.C. pair joins Diamondbacks right-hander Mike Leake among the first of what figure to be many players choosing not to play amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross have decided not to participate in the 2020 season for the personal health and safety of themselves and their loved ones,” general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed in a statement. “We are one hundred percent supportive of their decision not to play this year. We will miss their presence in the clubhouse and their contributions on the field.”

Zimmerman outlined his reasoning last week in a guest piece for the Associated Press, candidly discussing his concern with having a newborn daughter and a mother who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Those understandable family concerns have prompted Zimmerman to forgo the year of service time and the prorated $2MM salary he’d have collected in 2020 had he indeed played. Zimmerman released the following statement today, via his agents at CAA Baseball:

After a great deal of thought and given my family circumstances — three young children, including a newborn, and a mother at high risk — I have decided not to participate in the 2020 season. Everyone knows how much it means to me to be a part of a team, and I will miss that camaraderie dearly this year. Of course I would love to pursue back-to-back titles. I cannot speak for anyone else, but given the unusual nature of the season, this is the best decision for me and my family, and I truly appreciate the organization’s understanding and support. To be clear, I am not retiring at this time. I have not decided on my future in baseball past 2020. But this year, I’ll be staying safe at home and pulling as hard as anyone for the guys to defend our championship.

Zimmerman likely wouldn’t have been the everyday lineup cornerstone that he’s been for much of his career in D.C., but the 35-year-old was in line to serve as a part-time first baseman and (under this year’s altered rules) designated hitter. His decision to sit out should lead to more at-bats for both Howie Kendrick and Eric Thames, among others.

As for Ross, his decision was surely difficult. Not yet established as a surefire big league starter, he was in line to serve as the Nationals’ fifth starter. Playing out the 2020 season would’ve given the 27-year-old Ross a share of a prorated $1.5MM salary and pushed him north of five years of MLB service, bringing him within a year of free agency. Now, unless Ross himself has been deemed a high-risk player by team medical personnel, he’ll waive both that salary and service time. That can’t be an easy decision to make, and it serves as a reminder of the concerns that many players harbor — particularly if they live with or are in close proximity to at-risk loved ones.

With Ross now on the sidelines for the season, it’s likely that right-handers Austin Voth (profiled here as an intriguing rotation candidate himself earlier this spring) and Erick Fedde will get a look at the back of the rotation behind Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez.

Major League Baseball Formally Announces Rule Changes For 2020 Season

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Major League Baseball has formalized a wave of rule changes and procedural protocols that have been widely reported upon and speculated upon over the past several months as the league and players union worked toward a return to play. The league also formally announced a July 3 return to training camp — now officially referred to as “Summer Camp” — and confirmed plans for July 23 or July 24 start to the regular season.

Among the changes that have now been put into place for at least the 2020 season, per the league’s press release:

On-Field Rules

  • National League games will include the use of the designated hitter for the first time in history.
  • An extra-innings rule will begin each extra inning with a runner on second base.
    • The batter (or a substitute for the batter) who leads off an inning shall continue to be the batter who would lead off the inning in the absence of this extra-innings rule.
    • The runner placed on second base at the start of each half-inning shall be the player (or a substitute for such player) in the batting order immediately preceding that half-inning’s leadoff hitter. By way of example, if the number five hitter in the batting order is due to lead off the tenth inning, the number four player in the batting order (or a pinchrunner for such player) shall begin the inning on second base.  However, if the player in the batting order immediately preceding that half-inning’s leadoff hitter is the pitcher, the runner placed on second base at the start of that half-inning may be the player preceding the pitcher in the batting order. Any runner or batter removed from the game for a substitute shall be ineligible to return to the game, as is the case in all circumstances under the OBR.
    • For purposes of calculating earned runs, the runner who begins an inning on second base pursuant to this rule shall be deemed to be a runner who has reached second base because of a fielding error, but no error shall be charged to the opposing team or to any player.
  • As previously announced, the new three-batter minimum rule will require the starting or any relief pitcher to pitch to a minimum of three batters, including the batter then at bat (or any substitute batter), until such batters are put out or reach base, or until the offensive team is put out, unless the substitute pitcher sustains injury or illness.
  • Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in OBR 4.03(c) or MLR 2(b)(2), any player may appear as a pitcher at any point during the game (i.e., no extra inning requirements or six-run rule, as were once planned for 2020). However, all players eligible to participate in the game, regardless of position, must be included on that game’s lineup card.
  • Prohibitions against unsportsmanlike conduct will be strictly enforced to prevent unnecessary physical contact and support physical distancing between individuals on the playing field. In this respect, players and managers should maintain physical distancing from all umpires and opposing players on the playing field whenever possible. Players or managers who leave their positions to argue with umpires, come within six feet of an umpire or opposing player or manager for the purpose of argument, or engage in altercations on the field are subject to immediate ejection and discipline, including fines and suspensions.

Procedures for Health and Safety

  • Each Club must submit a written COVID-19 Action Plan for approval by MLB.
  • Spitting is prohibited (including but not limited to, saliva, sunflower seeds or peanut shells, or tobacco) at all times in Club facilities (including on the field).  Chewing gum is permitted. 
  • Pitchers may carry a small wet rag in their back pocket to be used for moisture in lieu of licking their fingers.
  • Clubs must provide expanded dugout and bullpen space at their ballparks.
  • Players, umpires, and other on-field personnel should practice physical distancing to the extent possible within the limitations of competition and the fundamentals of baseball. Examples of ways in which physical distancing can be incorporated without disrupting the basics of the game include:
    • When the ball is out of play, fielders are encouraged to retreat several steps away from the baserunner.
    • If the batter is in the batter’s box and the catcher needs to stand to relay signs to the infielders, the catcher can step onto the grass towards the mound to give the signs before assuming his position behind home plate.
    • First and Third Base Coaches should remain in or behind the Coach’s Box and shall not approach a baserunner, fielder or umpire on-field.
    • Players on opposite teams should not socialize, fraternize, or come within six feet of each other before the game, during warm-ups, in between innings, or after the game.
  • There will be no pre-game exchange of lineup cards. Instead, each Club will input their lineup card into a mobile application provided by MLB.

Scheduling

  • Clubs may schedule up to three exhibition games before the end of Summer Camp.  Clubs may consider scheduling games against their opening opponent in the days leading up to Opening Day.  There is no limit on the number of intrasquad games permitted.
  • A regionally-based schedule will feature each Club playing 40 divisional games and 20 Interleague games against the corresponding geographical division. 

Revised Procedures for Transactions

  • All player transactions that had been suspended resumed this past Friday. 
  • Yesterday, each Club submitted a list of up to 60 players who will be eligible to participate in Major League games during the 2020 championship season (“Club Player Pool”).
  • Roster rules include:
    • By 12:00 p.m. (ET) on the first date of the revised 2020 regular season, each Club must submit to MLB an Opening Day Active Roster with a maximum of 30 players, and a minimum of 25.
    • The maximum Active Roster limit shall be reduced from 30 to 28 on the 15th day of the regular season.
    • The maximum Active Roster limit shall be reduced from 28 to 26 on the 29th day of the championship season for the remainder of the championship season and postseason. There shall be no expanded rosters in September.
    • The limitations on the number of pitchers on the Active Roster otherwise required by MLR 2(b)(2) shall not apply.
    • In the event that a doubleheader takes place while the Active Roster limit is 26, both Clubs may use an additional player.
  • A Club is permitted to carry up to three additional Taxi Squad players from its Club Player Pool on all road trips with the Major League team.  If the Club elects to carry three additional players, at least one must be a player whose designated position prior to the season is catcher.  Players on the Taxi Squad are permitted to workout with the Major League Club but are not permitted to be in uniform and in the dugout during games.  Upon the conclusion of each road trip, players on the Taxi Squad will return to the Alternate Training Site.
  • August 31st will be the 2020 trade deadline and September 15th will be the 2020 Postseason eligibility deadline.
  • Standard Injured List placements will be for either 10 days or 45 days, with the latter replacing 60.  A COVID-19 Related Injured List will allow for placements that will not require a confirmed positive test for COVID-19. A player may be placed on the COVID-19 Related IL based on a positive test for COVID-19, confirmed exposure to COVID-19, or if a player exhibits symptoms requiring self-isolation for further assessment.

Mike Leake Opts Out Of 2020 Season

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Diamondbacks right-hander Mike Leake is planning to opt out of participating in the 2020 season, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports (via Twitter). Leake becomes the first known player to choose not to play amid public health concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, although others will surely follow suit.

D-backs general manager Mike Hazen has confirmed the decision, tweets Zach Buchanan of The Athletic. The details surrounding Leake’s decision aren’t known, nor need they be shared. As Hazen went on to tell reporters: “I think those conversations are personal in nature” (Twitter link via the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro). Leake’s agent, Danny Horwits, offered the following statement (via ESPN’s Jeff Passan):

During this global pandemic, Mike and his family had many discussions about playing this season. They took countless factors into consideration, many of which are personal to him and his family. After thorough consideration, he has chosen to opt out of playing in 2020. This was not an easy decision for Mike. He wishes the best of luck and health for his Diamondback teammates this season and he’s looking forward to 2021.

Leake, 32, was in the final season of a five-year, $80MM contract originally signed with the Cardinals — although he’s since been traded to Seattle and then Arizona. He’d have earned a prorated $16MM salary this season — about $5.5MM — and had a $5MM buyout on an option for the 2021 season. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that Leake will not be paid in 2020, which suggests that his decision is not due to concerns about his own health but rather the health of close-proximity family and loved ones. Under the agreement reached between the league and union last week, only players who are deemed high-risk themselves are entitled to receive salary and service time after opting out.

Under the terms of Leake’s previous trades, the Cardinals were set to pay $4MM to the Mariners this season to cover a portion of Leake’s salary. The Mariners, meanwhile, were on the hook for as much of $9MM of Leake’s salary, which was to be paid to the D-backs in deferred installments. Those payments will now presumably be forgiven. As for the $5MM buyout on Leake’s 2021 option, that does not pertain to the 2020 season and should therefore still remain on the table. The Mariners are also responsible for that sum under the terms of last summer’s trade.

With Leake suddenly and unexpectedly out of the rotation picture in Arizona, the D-backs will likely rely on the quartet of Madison Bumgarner, Robbie Ray, Zac Gallen and Luke Weaver to lead the rotation. Merrill Kelly could be in line to retake the fifth spot, although he’ll face some competition from younger arms like Alex Young, Jon Duplantier and, if healthy, Corbin Martin. Arizona will also have a 40-man roster spot opened up with Leake no longer occupying a spot.

Mets Sign Melky Cabrera, Erasmo Ramirez, Gordon Beckham

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JULY 1: Cabrera can earn at a $1.1MM annual rate if he makes the roster, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.

JUNE 29: The Mets’ signing spree continued Monday with the additions of outfielder Melky Cabrera, infielder Gordon Beckham and right-hander Erasmo Ramirez. All three have been announced by the club, and all are “expected” to be added to the 60-man player pool, according to the team. They join earlier signees Hunter Strickland and Ryan Cordell in that regard.

At 35 years old, Cabrera isn’t the hitter he once was.  That said, the Melk Man also hasn’t batted lower than .273 in the past decade, and his contact skills generally make him a source of a respectable OBP even though he doesn’t walk much.

The switch-hitting Cabrera’s .280/.313/.399 slash with the Pirates last year was below-average on the whole (88 OPS+, 85 wRC+), but he was an average or better hitter in the three preceding seasons. Cabrera carried an .807 OPS into the All-Star break last year, but he hit just .231/.257/.306 down the stretch as his role shrunk. To his credit, he struck out at just a 10.3 percent clip in 2019. He’s no lock to make the roster, but if he can shake off last year’s second-half slide, the Mets could conceivably work him into the DH mix and not need to worry about his glove.

Beckham, 33, inked a minor league pact with the Padres in February but had a rough showing in their initial camp that led to his release. Although he drew five walks, Beckham was hitless in 14 at-bats. He spent the 2019 campaign with the Tigers, hitting .215/.271/.372 with six homers, a dozen doubles and a pair of triples in 240 trips to the plate.

Beckham made his big league debut just one year after being selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2008 draft by the White Sox. He wasn’t able to replicate a strong rookie campaign, though, and eventually settled in as a journeyman utility infielder. He’s appeared in the big leagues each year since 2009, but Beckham carries a tepid .237/.300/.367 slash in 3782 plate appearances as a big leaguer.

Ramirez, 30, was a quality arm with the Mariners and Rays from 2015-17, pitching to a combined 3.97 ERA (4.22 FIP) with 7.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and 1.2 HR/9 in 385 1/3 big league innings. A teres major strain wiped out most of his 2018 season, though, and Ramirez has yet to really regain his footing. He spent the 2019 season with the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate, for whom he posted a 4.74 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 125 1/3 innings.

Latest On Health, Safety Concerns In MLB

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Major League Baseball and the MLBPA reached an agreement on health and safety measures for the 2020 season Tuesday, paving the way for a July start, but the deal didn’t come to fruition until after the 5 p.m. ET deadline. The delay resulted from discussions on what the league would do if it were to start the season, only to suspend or cancel it in progress, Andy Martino of SNY reports. In addressing the issue, the league and the players updated the season agreement they made back in March, according to Martino, who obtained the passage.

A piece of the accord now reads: “The Commissioner retains the right to suspend or cancel the 2020 championship season or postseason, or any games therein, in the event that (i) restrictions on travel throughout the United States are imposed; (ii) there is a material change in circumstances such that the Commissioner determines, after consultation with recognized medical experts and the Players Association, that it poses an unreasonable health and safety risk to players or staff to stage those games, even without fans in attendance; or (III) The number of players who are unavailable to perform services due to COVID-19 is so great that the competitive integrity of the season is undermined.

The first two parts were already agreed on, while the third was put in on Tuesday, per Martino, who reports that there’s no specific number of COVID-19 cases among players that would force an in-season shutdown. But if teams can’t field competitive rosters, or if too many clubs can’t complete full seasons, the league could close up shop during the campaign.

While this comes off as a doomsday scenario for baseball, perhaps it shouldn’t be fully ruled out with COVID-19 continuing to run amok. The coronavirus has affected several teams and players in recent weeks, and it continues to take its toll on the general population. The United States set a single-day record for virus cases for the third straight day Friday, exceeding the 40,000 mark for the first time, according to the Washington Post. Thirteen states, including seven with major league teams (Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Texas and Washington), have established new single-day records for cases over the past week.

Houston, home of the Astros, has been among many areas hit hard of late. Coronavirus tests in the Houston region were at 3 percent earlier this month, but they’ve risen to 14 percent this week, per the Texas Medical Center (via ESPN.com).

Dr. David Persse, Health Authority for the Houston Health Department, expressed a great deal of concern to ESPN about staging games in the city, saying: “If the public’s health is threatened, I will take a stand. From an operational standpoint, I find myself in the position where I’m going to have to be the one, that if I think it’s going in the wrong direction, to make a stand.”

If MLB and government officials deem Houston or any other city unsafe to play in, the league would move teams to other parks, a league source told ESPN.

The league itself issued a statement to ESPN saying, in part, that “we we will play in a particular location only when we have approval from all relevant governmental authorities. To date, all governmental authorities have been favorably inclined to allow play, at least in empty stadiums, based on our extensive protocols. This situation may change as developments with respect to the virus occur. If and when that happens, we will make adjustments to comply with any change in governmental policy.”

MLB added that it plans to “make operational decisions with the safety of our players and staff as the foremost consideration.”

Regarding whether MLB will allow teams to host fans during a potential 2020 season, league sources informed ESPN that decision will be up to the commissioner’s office and local officials.

Mariners To Sign Emerson Hancock

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The Mariners have agreed to terms with No. 6 overall pick Emerson Hancock, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter). The University of Georgia righty will receive a $5.7MM signing bonus that closely aligns with his $5,742,900 slot value.

Regarded by many as the best right-handed pitcher in this year’s draft, the 6’4″, 213-pound Hancock has dominated SEC opposition since the beginning of his sophomore year with the Bulldogs in 2019. Dating back to last season, Hancock has pitched to a 2.31 ERA with averages of 10.3 strikeouts and 1.6 walks per nine innings pitched — including a gaudy 34-to-3 K/BB ratio in 24 innings prior to this year’s shutdown.

Hancock, 21, landed between fourth and seventh in this year’s class on the rankings of Baseball America, MLB.com, ESPN, FanGraphs and The Athletic. His obviously strong control of the strike zone is complemented by a fastball in the 93-97 mph range — Callis notes it can top out at 99 mph — and a changeup that he seldom used in college ball despite the fact that scouts consider it a potentially plus offering. Reviews on his slider are a bit more mixed, though most reports have it as an above-average offering as well.

The Mariners have drafted a college player with their first-round pick in each season under GM Jerry Dipoto, including three straight college right-handers. Hancock joins George Kirby and Logan Gilbert as another high-end, first-round arm to add to a growing stable of impressive pitching prospects in the Seattle system. Given his lofty draft status, Hancock could emerge as the best of the bunch, joining rotation hopefuls Justus Sheffield and Justin Dunn as potentially controllable long-term cogs on the starting staff.

Both Baseball America (No. 56) and FanGraphs (No. 78) already rank Hancock within MLB’s 100 best prospects; Baseball America lists him third in the organization behind only Julio Rodriguez and Jarred Kelenic — and places him just two spots ahead of presumptive 2020 first baseman Evan White on the aforementioned top 100 list.

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