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Nationals Hire Jim Hickey As Pitching Coach

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The Washington Nationals have named Jim Hickey their next pitching coach, the club announced. Hickey, 59, spent the past two seasons as a special assistant for player development for the Dodgers.

The move does not come as a surprise, as manager Davey Martinez had been expected to bring in people from his past to join the coaching staff. Martinez, having recently been extended, has been granted the opportunity to hand-pick his coaching staff for the first time since taking over as Washington’s manager. He will also be selecting a new bench coach at some point this offseason.

Hickey and Martinez go all the way back to their days together on Joe Maddon’s staff in Tampa Bay. The pair worked together in Tampa for seven seasons from 2008 to 2014. Hickey, of course, comes with his own set of qualifications, having spent 15 years as a pitching coach – most recently with the Cubs in 2018.

Paul Menhart had been the Nationals pitching coach for the last year and a half, taking over midway through 2019. His ascension to the bench coincided with the Nats’ turnaround, and Menhart was credited with helping Stephen Strasburg make key adjustments during their World Series victory over the Astros. A long-time organizational coach, Menhart was informed recently that he would not be brought back.

Hickey has plenty of material to work with in Washington, who boast a three-headed monster at the top of their rotation in Strasburg, Max Scherzer, and Patrick Corbin. The back half of the rotation tells a different tale, however, as Joe Ross, Erick Fedde, and Austin Voth have been unable to fully claim rotation spots. Along with a bullpen that’s perpetually in question, Hickey will be tasked with steering their pitching corps back in the direction of the foundational unit it’s been for the franchise prior to 2020.

Reds Announce Nick Krall As Head Of Baseball Ops Department

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The Cincinnati Reds officially announced Nick Krall as the head of their baseball operations department. Krall is the current VP and General Manager, but he now steps up to assume the duties as the Reds’ top baseball decision-maker.

Per the team release, the Reds wrote: “We are excited for Nick to assume the lead over our baseball operations. His hands-on approach as General Manager gives us the opportunity to reinstate that role as the top position in our baseball department and keep the years of hard work that happened under his purview producing stronger, more competitive teams.”

Previous Team President Dick Williams stepped down earlier this month to take on greater responsibility in his family business. Installing Krall in the top spot on the org chart maintains a strong sense of continuity, despite Williams’ departure. Krall and Williams worked together for 15 years in the Reds’ front office. Krall has been the GM for the past 3 seasons, helping to lead the charge in building a roster that returned the Reds to the postseason this year.

The Reds have a fair amount of money committed to their 2021 roster with Joey Votto, Mike Moustakas, Nicholas Castellanos, and Eugenio Suarez accounting for almost $64MM in 2021 payroll. The impending free agency of Trevor Bauer will be the first significant decision for the Reds under Krall’s leadership. Bauer went 5-4 with a 1.73 ERA/2.88 FIP to take home the NL ERA crown in 2020.

Marlins Part Ways With Michael Hill

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10:31AM: In a conference call with Barry Jackson and Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter links) and other media members, Jeter said the club had talks with Hill about a new contract but eventually decided to part ways.  The club will have a GM/president of baseball operations in place, though Jeter likes his front office’s collaborative way of decision-making.  Marlins director of player personnel Dan Greenlee has also been promoted to assistant GM, Jeter said.

9:12AM: The Marlins have moved on from president of baseball operations Michael Hill, the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).  The news ends an 18-year run for Hill in Miami’s front office.

The move isn’t a firing, as Hill’s contract with the club (an extension signed under previous owner Jeffrey Loria) was up at the end of the 2020 season.  There hadn’t been any word about a new deal for Hill, yet today’s news still counts as a surprise, both because there hadn’t been any indication that Hill wouldn’t be staying on with the club, and because the Marlins are coming off their first playoff appearance since 2003.

Despite this recent success, however, it could be that majority owner Bruce Sherman and CEO Derek Jeter simply wish to cut ties with one of the few remaining faces from the Loria era.  The Marlins organization underwent a pretty substantial makeover once Sherman bought the team in 2017, though Hill retained his job and helped oversee the Marlins’ latest roster overhaul.

Hill steadily moved up the chain of command over his long stint in Miami, moving from an assistant general manager to the GM job in 2007, and then the president of baseball operations role in 2013.  It is a tenure that is difficult to properly evaluate, given the tumult that Hill often had to navigate amidst Loria’s controversial ownership of the Marlins.  As noted by the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson (Twitter links), “Hill never had total authority” to run the front office under either Loria or Sherman.  “Loria made all significant personnel decisions in prior regime,” while Hill was the public face of the front office under Jeter but was “part of what was essentially a committee of people who gave input to Jeter on personnel moves.”

One common thread throughout Hill’s time with the Marlins has been the team’s knack for drafting and developing young talent, though time after time, this pipeline was undercut by Loria ordering ill-advised trades and major signings.  Compounding the problem was Loria’s tendency to immediately lose faith in his team after failing to experience immediate success, which led to the front office having to then figure out how to cut costs and start over with another rebuild.  The fact that the Marlins were able to generate a good core group of young talent multiple times over (both under Loria and under Jeter) is perhaps a hint of what Hill could achieve if he was able to run a more normal front office environment.

Hill is only 49 years old, and given his respected reputation around baseball, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him emerge as a candidate for one of the open GM/president of baseball operations jobs this offseason.  The most immediate speculation has focused on the Reds, as president of baseball ops Dick Williams resigned earlier this month and Hill is from Cincinnati.  It stands to reason that the Phillies and Angels might also have interest in speaking to Hill about their front office vacancies.

Speaking of the Angels, former Halos GM Billy Eppler could potentially be a candidate to step into Hill’s old role in Miami, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets, as well as Yankees VP of baseball operations Tim Naehring.  Both Eppler and Naehring were in the Yankees organization during Jeter’s time in New York, and Jeter has shown a propensity for hiring people with ties to the Bronx.

It also isn’t necessarily clear whether or not a new Marlins hire would enjoy any more autonomy than Hill did, since Jeter is ultimately making the baseball decisions.  A new GM or president of baseball ops might simply be trusted with handling day-to-day duties and being a member of the aforementioned “committee” reporting to Jeter.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes that Gary Denbo, the Marlins’ director of player development and scouting, is seen around baseball as being Jeter’s top front office advisor, so a new general manager might not even rank second in Miami’s front office pyramid.

Still, there is bound to be plenty of industry interest in being part of a Marlins organization that has signs of turning the corner.  After ten losing seasons, the Fish went 31-29 to reach the postseason and then defeated the Cubs in the NL wild card series before being swept by the Braves in the NLDS.  This success was in spite of a widespread COVID-19 outbreak within the clubhouse that impacted 18 players and coaches and put the Marlins’ season on hold for over a week.

Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021

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Matt Swartz has created a model to project salaries for arbitration eligible players, which we’ve been publishing at MLB Trade Rumors for ten years.  This winter, due to the pandemic and 60-game MLB season, there’s more uncertainty than ever with arbitration, as I explained here.

In the baseball industry, teams and agents determine arbitration salaries by identifying comparable players – a method I hope to illustrate with examples later this winter.  To project the entire arbitration class in this way would take a massive amount of time and effort.  So, Matt has developed an algorithm to project arbitration salaries that looks at the player’s playing time, position, role, and performance statistics while accounting for inflation.  The performance of comparable players matters, but our system is not directly selecting comps for each individual player.

As a disclaimer, I should note that even in a normal year, our projections are not to be used as a scorecard for the agent and team on an individual player level.  A player doing better or worse than our projection isn’t indicative of anything.  Our arbitration projections are created as a tool for our readers to get a general idea of a team’s payroll situation.

This winter, those involved in the process do not know how arbitration will account for the 60-game season, nor is there an agreement in place between MLB and the MLBPA on how to address it.  Many cases may end up getting resolved in a hearing room.  To reflect that uncertainty, we’re providing three projections for each player:

  • Method 1: Applies model directly with actual statistics from this 60-game season
  • Method 2: Extrapolates all counting stats to would-be 162-game totals.  One home run becomes 2.7 home runs.
  • Method 3: For non-first-time eligibles, finds the raise they’d get in a 162 game season, then gives them 37% of that raise

Keep in mind that with a potential record number of non-tenders, many of these players will be released by December 2nd.

If you find MLBTR’s arbitration projections useful, please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Angels (11)

  • Justin Anderson – $700K / $700K / $700K
  • Matt Andriese – $1.8MM / $2.8MM / $1.9MM
  • Dylan Bundy – $5.9MM / $9.8MM / $6.8MM
  • Andrew Heaney – $5.0MM / $8.0MM / $5.7MM
  • Mike Mayers – $800K / $1.5MM / $800K
  • Keynan Middleton – $1.0MM / $1.1MM / $900K
  • Shohei Ohtani – $2.1MM / $3.0MM / $2.1MM (using hitter model)
  • Felix Pena – $800K / $1.3MM / $800K
  • Noe Ramirez – $1.1MM / $1.2MM /  $1.0MM
  • Hansel Robles – $3.85MM / $4.1MM / $3.9MM
  • Max Stassi – $1.8MM / $2.5MM / $1.4MM

Astros (3)

  • Carlos Correa – $8.0MM / $10.2MM / $8.8MM
  • Aledmys Diaz – $2.8MM / $3.1MM / $2.8MM
  • Lance McCullers Jr. – $4.7MM / $7.0MM / $5.2MM

Athletics (10)

  • Chris Bassitt – $3.1MM / $5.6MM / $5.5MM
  • Mark Canha – $5.4MM / $8.2MM / $6.1MM
  • Matt Chapman – $2.9MM / $4.3MM / $2.9MM
  • Tony Kemp – $900K / $1.2MM / $900K
  • Sean Manaea – $4.2MM / $6.4MM / $4.7MM
  • Frankie Montas – $1.6MM / $2.4MM / $1.6MM
  • Matt Olson – $3.5MM / $6.4MM / $3.5MM
  • Chad Pinder – $2.2MM / $2.4MM / $2.2MM
  • Burch Smith – $600K / $800K / $600K
  • Lou Trivino – $900K / $1.1MM / $900K

Blue Jays (3)

  • A.J. Cole – $800K / $1.1MM / $800K
  • Teoscar Hernandez – $2.7MM / $5.3MM / $2.7MM
  • Travis Shaw – $4.2MM / $5.4MM / $4.5MM
  • Ross Stripling – $2.5MM / $3.7MM / $2.7MM

Braves (8)

  • Johan Camargo – $1.9MM / $2.3MM / $1.9MM
  • Grant Dayton – $900K / $1.0MM / $800K
  • Adam Duvall – $4.4MM /  $7.1MM / $4.7MM
  • Max Fried – $2.4MM / $4.6MM / $2.4MM
  • Luke Jackson – $1.9MM / $2.1MM / $1.9MM
  • A.J. Minter – $1.1MM / $1.6MM / $1.1MM
  • Mike Soroka – $1.8MM / $1.9MM / $1.8MM
  • Dansby Swanson – $4.3MM / $8.3MM / $5.0MM

Brewers (10)

  • Dan Vogelbach – $1.4MM / $1.9MM / $1.4MM
  • Orlando Arcia – $2.7MM / $3.8MM / $2.8MM
  • Alex Claudio – $2.0MM / $2.3MM / $2.0MM
  • Ben Gamel – $1.7MM / $2.1MM / $1.7MM
  • Josh Hader – $4.5MM / $6.8MM / $5.1MM
  • Corey Knebel – $5.125MM / $5.125MM / $5.125MM
  • Omar Narvaez – $2.725MM / $3.1MM / $2.9MM
  • Manny Pina – $2.1MM / $2.3MM / $2.0MM
  • Brandon Woodruff – $2.3MM / $4.5MM / $2.3MM
  • Jace Peterson – $800K / $900K / $700K

Cardinals (6)

  • Harrison Bader – $1.2MM / $1.7MM / $1.2MM
  • John Brebbia – $800K / $800K / $800K
  • Jack Flaherty – $2.2MM / $3.0MM / $2.2MM
  • John Gant – $1.5MM / $1.9MM / $1.5MM
  • Jordan Hicks – $900K / $900K / $900K
  • Alex Reyes – $1.0MM / $1.2MM / $1.0MM

Cubs (12)

  • Albert Almora Jr. – $1.575MM / $1.575MM / $1.575MM
  • Javier Baez – $10.0MM / $11.9MM / $10.7MM
  • Kris Bryant – $18.6MM / $18.6MM / $18.6MM
  • Victor Caratini – $1.2MM / $1.6MM / $1.2MM
  • Willson Contreras – $5.0MM / $7.4MM / $5.6MM
  • Ian Happ – $2.5MM / $4.6MM / $2.5MM
  • Colin Rea – $1.0MM / $1.6MM /  $1.0MM
  • Kyle Ryan – $1.2MM / $1.5MM / $1.2MM
  • Kyle Schwarber – $7.01MM / $9.3MM /  $7.9MM
  • Ryan Tepera – $1.2MM / $1.5MM /  $1.1MM
  • Dan Winkler – $1.0MM / $1.2MM / $900K
  • Jose Martinez – $2.1MM / $2.3MM / $2.1MM

Diamondbacks (5)

  • Caleb Smith – $1.3MM / $1.6MM / $1.3MM
  • Junior Guerra – $2.7MM / $3.3MM /  $2.8MM
  • Carson Kelly – $1.3MM / $1.8MM /  $1.3MM
  • Luke Weaver – $1.5MM / $2.3MM / $1.5MM

Dodgers (7)

  • Scott Alexander – $1.0MM / $1.2MM / $1.0MM
  • Austin Barnes – $1.4MM / $1.7MM /  $1.3MM
  • Cody Bellinger – $11.5MM / $15.9MM / $13.1MM
  • Walker Buehler – $2.3MM /  $3.1MM / $2.3MM
  • Dylan Floro – $900K / $1.2MM /  $900K
  • Corey Seager – $9.3MM / $15.0MM / $10.4MM
  • Julio Urias – $1.6MM / $3.0MM / $1.7MM

Giants (9)

  • Daniel Robertson – $1.2MM / $1.3MM / $1.1MM
  • Tyler Anderson – $2.4MM /  $4.3MM / $3.7MM
  • Alex Dickerson – $2.0MM / $3.3MM / $1.8MM
  • Jarlin Garcia – $900K / $1.3MM / $900K
  • Trevor Gott – $700K / $1.0MM / $700K
  • Reyes Moronta – $800K / $800K / $800K
  • Wandy Peralta – $1.0MM / $1.2MM / $1.0MM
  • Darin Ruf – $1.4MM / $1.9MM / $1.4MM
  • Austin Slater – $1.1MM / $1.7MM / $1.1MM
  • Donovan Solano – $2.2MM / $3.8MM / $2.3MM

Indians (7)

  • Austin Hedges – $3.0MM / $3.1MM / $3.0MM
  • Adam Cimber – $800K / $1.0MM / $800K
  • Delino DeShields – $2.0MM / $2.4MM / $2.1MM
  • Francisco Lindor – $17.5MM / $21.5MM / $19.0MM
  • Phil Maton – $700K / $1.0MM / $700K
  • Tyler Naquin – $1.8MM / $2.4MM / $1.8MM
  • Nick Wittgren – $1.4MM / $2.2MM / $1.5MM

Mariners (3)

  • J.P. Crawford – $1.3MM / $2.4MM / $1.3MM
  • Mitch Haniger – $3.0MM / $3.0MM / $3.0MM
  • Tom Murphy – $1.6MM / $1.6MM / $1.6MM

Marlins (9)

  • Jesus Aguilar – $3.6MM /  $6.1MM / $3.9MM
  • Jorge Alfaro – $1.7MM / $2.2MM / $1.7MM
  • Brian Anderson – $2.2MM / $4.3MM / $2.2MM
  • Garrett Cooper – $1.5MM / $2.2MM / $1.5MM
  • Yimi Garcia – $1.4MM / $1.8MM / $1.4MM
  • Ryne Stanek – $800K / $800K / $800K
  • Jose Urena – $3.8MM / $4.2MM / $3.9MM
  • Richard Bleier – $1.1MM / $1.5MM / $1.1MM

Mets (13)

  • Guillermo Heredia – $1.4MM / $1.5MM /$1.3MM
  • Michael Conforto – $9.0MM /$13.6MM / $10.1MM
  • J.D. Davis – $1.7MM / $2.9MM / $1.7MM
  • Edwin Diaz – $5.1MM / $6.5MM / $5.6MM
  • Robert Gsellman – $1.2MM / $1.4MM / $1.3MM
  • Seth Lugo – $2.2MM / $3.1MM / $2.4MM
  • Steven Matz – $5.0MM / $5.3MM / $5.1MM
  • Brandon Nimmo – $3.0MM / $5.2MM / $3.3MM
  • Amed Rosario – $1.8MM / $2.6MM / $1.8MM
  • Dominic Smith – $1.9MM / $3.6MM / $1.9MM
  • Noah Syndergaard – $9.7MM / $9.7MM / $9.7MM
  • Miguel Castro – $1.3MM / $1.8MM / $1.3MM
  • Chasen Shreve – $900K / $1.1MM / $800K

Nationals (3)

  • Joe Ross – $1.5MM / $1.5MM / $1.5MM
  • Juan Soto – $4.5MM / $8.5MM / $4.5MM
  • Trea Turner – $9.4MM / $16.6MM / $10.8MM

Orioles (6)

  • Hanser Alberto – $2.3MM / $4.1MM / $2.6MM
  • Shawn Armstrong – $800K / $1.0MM / $800K
  • Trey Mancini – $4.8MM / $4.8MM / $4.8MM
  • Renato Nunez – $2.1MM / $3.9MM / $2.1MM
  • Anthony Santander – $1.7MM / $3.0MM / $1.7MM
  • Pedro Severino – $1.4MM / $2.3MM / $1.4MM
  • Pat Valaika – $1.1MM / $1.9MM / $1.1MM

Padres (8)

  • Dan Altavilla – $700K / $900K / $700K
  • Zach Davies – $6.3MM / $10.6MM /$7.2MM
  • Greg Garcia – $1.6MM / $1.7MM / $1.6MM
  • Dinelson Lamet – $2.3MM / $4.6MM / $2.5MM
  • Emilio Pagan – $1.2MM / $1.9MM / $1.2MM
  • Luis Perdomo – $1.1MM / $1.2MM / $1.0MM
  • Tommy Pham – $7.9MM / $8.1MM / $8.0MM
  • Matt Strahm – $1.6MM / $1.9MM / $1.6MM

Phillies (6)

  • Seranthony Dominguez – $900K / $900K / $900K
  • Zach Eflin – $3.3MM / $5.5MM / $3.7MM
  • Rhys Hoskins – $3.4MM / $5.5MM / $3.4MM
  • Andrew Knapp – $1.2MM / $1.5MM / $1.0MM
  • Hector Neris – $4.8MM / $6.4MM / $5.3MM
  • Vince Velasquez – $3.8MM / $4.8MM / $4.0MM

Pirates (15)

  • Josh Bell – $5.1MM / $7.2MM / $5.7MM
  • Steven Brault – $1.5MM / $2.5MM / $1.5MM
  • Kyle Crick – $800K / $900K / $800K
  • Michael Feliz – $1.1MM / $1.1MM / $1.1MM
  • Adam Frazier – $3.3MM / $5.2MM / $3.7MM
  • Erik Gonzalez – $1.2MM / $1.9MM / $1.2MM
  • Chad Kuhl – $1.3MM / $2.2MM / $1.4MM
  • Colin Moran – $1.9MM / $3.3MM / $1.9MM
  • Joe Musgrove – $3.2MM / $4.4MM / $3.4MM
  • Jose Osuna – $1.1MM / $1.3MM / $1.1MM
  • Richard Rodriguez – $1.1MM / $1.7MM / $1.1MM
  • Jacob Stallings – $1.0MM / $1.4MM / $1.0MM
  • Chris Stratton – $800K /  $1.2MM / $800K
  • Jameson Taillon – $2.3MM / $2.3MM / $2.3MM
  • Trevor Williams – $3.2MM / $4.6MM / $3.5MM

Rangers (4)

  • Joey Gallo – $4.7MM / $6.8MM / $5.3MM
  • Isiah Kiner-Falefa – $1.2MM / $2.3MM / $1.2MM
  • Rafael Montero – $1.4MM / $2.5MM / $1.4MM
  • Danny Santana – $3.6MM / $3.6MM / $3.6MM

Rays (8)

  • Jose Alvarado – $1.0MM / $1.1MM / $1.0MM
  • Yonny Chirinos – $1.6MM / $1.8 / $1.6MM
  • Ji-Man Choi – $1.6MM / $2.1MM / $1.6MM
  • Tyler Glasnow – $2.8MM / $5.1MM / $3.2MM
  • Manuel Margot – $2.8MM / $3.6MM / $2.9MM
  • Hunter Renfroe – $3.6MM / $4.3MM / $3.7MM
  • Joey Wendle – $1.6MM / $2.7 / $1.6
  • Ryan Yarbrough – $2.2MM / $3.6MM / $2.2MM

Red Sox (7)

  • Matt Barnes – $3.7MM / $5.7MM / $4.1MM
  • Ryan Brasier – $1.0MM / $1.6MM / $1.0MM
  • Austin Brice – $700K / $900K / $700K
  • Rafael Devers – $3.4MM / $6.3MM / $3.4MM
  • Kevin Plawecki – $1.6MM / $2.0MM / $1.3MM
  • Eduardo Rodriguez – $8.3MM / $8.3MM / $8.3MM
  • Ryan Weber – $900K / $1.5MM / $900K

Reds (9)

  • Brian Goodwin – $2.7MM / $3.6MM / $2.7MM
  • Curt Casali – $2.0MM / $2.4MM / $1.8MM
  • Luis Castillo – $3.0MM / $5.8MM / $3.0MM
  • Amir Garrett – $900K / $1.4MM / $900K
  • Michael Lorenzen – $3.8MM / $4.4MM / $4.0MM
  • Tyler Mahle – $1.5MM / $2.5MM / $1.5MM
  • Robert Stephenson – $600K / $600K / $600K
  • Jesse Winker – $2.0MM / $3.4MM / $2.0MM
  • Archie Bradley – $4.3MM / $5.7MM / $4.7MM

Rockies (13)

  • Daniel Bard – $1.2MM / $2.2MM / $1.7MM
  • David Dahl – $2.5MM / $2.7MM / $2.6MM
  • Elias Diaz – $700K / $1MM / $850K
  • Jairo Diaz – $800K / $1.2MM / $800K
  • Carlos Estevez – $1.5MM / $2.3MM / $1.5MM
  • Kyle Freeland – $3.5MM / $5.5MM / $3.9MM
  • Chi Chi Gonzalez – $1.2MM / $1.2MM / $1.2MM
  • Jon Gray – $5.6MM / $6.5MM / $5.9MM
  • Ryan McMahon – $1.7MM / $2.8MM / $1.7MM
  • Antonio Senzatela – $2.2MM / $4.9MM / $2.2MM
  • Raimel Tapia – $1.5MM / $2.6MM / $1.5MM
  • Tony Wolters – $1.9MM / $2.2MM / $2.0MM
  • Mychal Givens – $3.4MM / $4.3MM / $3.6MM

Royals (9)

  • Franchy Cordero – $900K / $1.0MM / $900K
  • Hunter Dozier – $1.9MM / $2.9MM / $1.9MM
  • Maikel Franco – $4.5MM / $8.0MM / $5.0MM
  • Jesse Hahn – $1.1MM / $1.7MM / $1.0MM
  • Jakob Junis – $1.5MM / $1.7MM / $1.5MM
  • Brad Keller – $2.4MM / $4.3MM / $2.4MM
  • Adalberto Mondesi – $2.1MM / $3.8MM / $2.1MM
  • Jorge Soler – $7.4MM / $9.2MM / $8.0MM
  • Glenn Sparkman – $600K / $600K / $600K

Tigers (9)

  • Matthew Boyd – $5.5MM / $7.8MM / $6.2MM
  • Jeimer Candelario – $1.7MM / $3.3MM / $1.7MM
  • Jose Cisnero – $900K / $1.3MM / $900K
  • Buck Farmer – $1.4MM / $1.9MM / $1.4MM
  • Michael Fulmer – $2.8MM / $3.2MM / $2.9MM
  • Niko Goodrum – $1.6MM / $2.5MM / $1.6MM
  • Joe Jimenez – $1.0MM / $1.7MM / $1.0MM
  • Jacoby Jones – $2.2MM / $2.8MM / $2.0MM
  • Daniel Norris – $3.0MM / $3.4MM / $3.1MM

Twins (7)

  • Jose Berrios – $4.8MM / $7.5MM / $5.3MM
  • Byron Buxton – $4.4MM / $5.9MM / $4.1MM
  • Tyler Duffey – $1.5MM / $2.6MM / $1.7MM
  • Mitch Garver – $1.8MM / $1.9MM / $1.8MM
  • Taylor Rogers – $4.8MM / $6.9MM / $5.3MM
  • Eddie Rosario – $8.6MM / $12.9MM / $9.6MM
  • Matt Wisler – $1.1MM / $1.8MM / $1.1MM

White Sox (7)

  • Adam Engel – $1.0MM / $1.4MM / $1.0MM
  • Jace Fry – $800K / $1.0MM / $800K
  • Lucas Giolito – $2.5MM / $5.3MM / $2.5MM
  • Reynaldo Lopez – $1.7MM / $2.2MM / $1.7MM
  • Evan Marshall – $1.3MM / $1.9MM / $1.4MM
  • Nomar Mazara – $5.6MM / $5.9MM / $5.7MM
  • Carlos Rodon – $4.5MM / $4.5MM / $4.5MM

Yankees (11)

  • Luis Cessa – $1.1MM / $1.3MM / $1.1MM
  • Clint Frazier – $1.6MM / $2.6MM / $1.6MM
  • Chad Green – $1.5MM / $2.2MM / $1.6MM
  • Ben Heller – $700K / $800K / $700K
  • Jonathan Holder – $900K / $1.0MM / $900K
  • Aaron Judge – $9.2MM / $10.7MM / $9.3MM
  • Jordan Montgomery – $1.2MM / $2.0MM / $1.3MM
  • Gary Sanchez – $5.1MM / $6.4MM / $5.5MM
  • Gleyber Torres – $2.5MM / $3.4MM / $2.5MM
  • Giovanny Urshela – $3.5MM / $5.2MM / $3.5MM
  • Luke Voit – $3.7MM / $7.9MM / $3.7MM

Clayton Kershaw Scratched From Game 2, Tony Gonsolin To Start

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1:40PM: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times (Twitter links) and other reporters that chances are “very good” that Kershaw will pitch in the NLCS but he won’t be starting Game 3.  Kershaw’s back spasms developed during his bullpen session on Sunday, Roberts said.

11:57PM: The Dodgers have optimism that Kershaw can be back for Game 4, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets.  “If his back improves relatively quickly,” there’s a chance Kershaw could even be ready for Game 3.

11:02PM: Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw has been scratched from his scheduled start in today’s Game 2 of the NLCS due to back spasms.  Tony Gonsolin will instead take the ball to start against the Braves.

Kershaw has dealt with back problems at various points during this career, including a bout of back tightness that put him on the injured list for the first week of the 2020 season.  Naturally, the timing couldn’t be much worse for Kershaw to again suffer back woes just hours before the start of Game 2, and the question now becomes when exactly the longtime Dodger ace will be able to pitch again.

Depending on the severity of the spasms, Kershaw could potentially start Wednesday’s Game 3, though that would seem to be a quick turn-around.  Assuming the spasms are minor, Kershaw could be held off until Game 4 on Thursday, in what could be a series-deciding game should Los Angeles fall behind 3-0.

The Dodgers had been relying on Walker Buehler and Kershaw as the cornerstone of their postseason rotation plan, with the duo starting the first two games of each playoff series thus far.  Dustin May started Game 3 of the NLDS against the Padres, and some combination of May, Gonsolin, and Julio Urias was expected to handle the third and fourth starter duties for the remainder of the playoffs, the Dodgers also making liberal use of their bullpen.  Alex Wood was also added to the Dodgers’ NLCS roster to provide even more pitching depth given the lack of off-days throughout the series.

More immediately, Gonsolin now faces the immediate and unexpected pressure of having to keep Los Angeles out of an 0-2 series deficit in his postseason debut.  Gonsolin has impressed over his two MLB seasons, posting a 2.60 ERA, 3.77 K/BB, and 8.6 K/9 over 86 2/3 innings, starting 14 of his 20 career games.  It is something of a tribute to the Dodgers’ depth that a promising young arm like Gonsolin wasn’t even a full-time starter for them heading into October, but he will have a stiff test in a Braves lineup that crushed right-handed pitching this season.

Billy Beane’s MLB Future Uncertain

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Athletics executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane is co-chair of RedBall Acquisition Corp., a company in talks with current Red Sox ownership, Fenway Sports Group, about a potential merger that would see RedBall take over a 25% ownership stake in the Boston franchise. Those talks are in their early stages and a deal isn’t an inevitability, but there’d be an obvious conflict of interest if the parties do eventually come to an agreement. (Beane also has an approximate 1% ownership stake in the Athletics, notes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle).

If the potential RedBall-FSG merger were to go through, Beane would likely step down from his position with the A’s, report Jared Diamond, Joshua Robinson and Miriam Gotffried of the Wall Street Journal. Slusser hears the same, noting that the deal might be finalized by the end of the calendar year. Beane leaving the A’s wouldn’t be surprising under those circumstances, but he’s not planning to make the jump to the Red Sox front office. Rather, Beane would step away from MLB front office work altogether, per the reports, likely to pursue a position with a European soccer club. The 58-year-old has spoken about his affinity for soccer in the past, and he was part of a group that purchased English club Barnsley FC in 2017, as Eric Chesterton of MLB.com detailed at the time.

Red Sox principal owner John Henry has long had an affinity for Beane. Henry tried unsuccessfully to coax Beane out of Oakland in 2002 to take over the Red Sox baseball operations, shortly before the publication of Moneyball helped make the latter one of the most famous sports executives in history. The two men also share a passion for soccer, with Fenway Sports Group purchasing Premier League club Liverpool FC in 2010.

It’s worth reiterating that nothing is yet official between RedBall and FSG. Beane was part of the A’s season-ending media call with general manager David Forst and manager Bob Melvin last week and gave no indication he was contemplating an imminent exit, the Wall Street Journal notes. Beane has declined comment regarding his future, but one source told Slusser he might “like a new adventure.” The A’s front office was especially frustrated with ownership’s decision to institute widespread layoffs and furloughs over the summer, Slusser adds, although it’s unclear if that has any impact on Beane’s thought process.

If Beane were to step away, the A’s would unsurprisingly hand the reins to Forst, Slusser reports. The 44-year-old has been in the organization since 2000 and served as GM for the past five seasons. Forst signed a long-term extension two years ago and has longed seemed the baseball operations leader of the future in Oakland.

White Sox Part Ways With Rick Renteria

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The Chicago White Sox and manager Rick Renteria has agreed to “part ways,” per The Athletic’s James Fegan and others (via Twitter). The club announced the move. The rest of the coaching staff will be determined in consultation with their next manager, per Fegan.

The news comes as a surprise after the White Sox stormed the AL Central to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Renteria was famously let go by the Chicago Cubs as well in a similar fashion. After one season with the Cubs in 2014, the team jumped at the chance to hire Joe Maddon, just as the team was becoming competitive. The White Sox had lauded Renteria’s work, but ultimately they decided to make a similar move just as their club hopes to embark on a multi-year run of contention.

Renteria spent four seasons with the White Sox totaling a 236-309 (.436) record in that time. Of course, for most of this tenure, the White Sox did not roster a team expected to contend in the AL Central. It was only this season that expectations rose. Renteria seemingly answered the call, leading Chicago to a 35-25 record before falling to the A’s in a 3-game wild card series.

As successful as this season was, however, it was also marred by two late collapses, one to lose the division crown after taking a lead into the week’s final weeks. The other came in the wild card round, when a game one victory brought them to within one win of advancing. GM Rick Hahn, however, said the decision was about the organization’s standing at this time, and it doesn’t have anything to do with specific decision made on Renteria’s part, per Fegan.

Still, neither collapses rate on a grand scale, especially in the playoffs, where a 3-game series hardly allows for enough of a lead to swing expectations. Regardless, GM Rick Hahn felt a change should be made. He will be addressing the media a little later on today.

Joe Morgan Passes Away

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In a year defined by loss, the baseball community was hit with more heartbreak this morning. Baseball legend, Hall of Famer, and one of the greatest second baseman of all-time Joe Morgan has passed away at the age of 77, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (via Twitter). The Cincinnati Reds released a statement of condolences, as many around the baseball community have already started to share stories and praise Morgan’s character and career.

Morgan played in the major leagues for 22 seasons for the Colt.45s/Astros, Reds, Giants, Phillies, and A’s, most recognizably as a member of the Big Red Machine from 1972 to 1979. Even on a team stacked with all-time greats like Johnny Bench and Pete Rose, Morgan stood out, not only for his iconic wing-flap batting stance, but for his MVP-turn on the field. His acquisition prior to the 1972 season turned Sparky Anderson’s Reds into the juggernaut that we remember them as today. Led by Morgan’s triple slash of .292/.417/.435 – a 9.3 rWAR season – the Reds won the pennant in his first season with the club, falling to the A’s in the seventh game of the World Series.

That was just the beginning for Morgan and the Reds, however. Morgan won MVP honors in back-to-back seasons in 1975 and 1976, leading the Reds to World Series victories in both seasons. He was a 10-time All-Star and 5-time Glove Glove Award winner. A refined eye at the plate contributed to a stellar .392 career OBP and 100.5 rWAR, 31st all-time. Morgan was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990 with 2,517 hits, 268 home runs, and 2,649 games played from 1963 to 1984. He is a member of both the Astros’ and Reds’ Hall of Fame. The Reds also retired Morgan’s #8 in 1987, not long after the end of his playing career.

The gregarious and always respectful Morgan took on a second life as a broadcaster after his playing career. Morgan was part of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team along with Jon Miller from 1990 until 2010, when he took on a role as special adviser for the Reds’ baseball operations department.

We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Morgan. Morgan will forever be an remembered as a baseball legend.

Whitey Ford Passes Away

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The Yankees will head into Game 5 of tonight’s ALDS with heavy hearts. The team announced today that franchise icon and baseball Hall of Famer Whitey Ford has passed away at the age of 91.

A ten-time All-Star and the 1961 American League Cy Young winner, Ford stood as one of the last remaining members of a star-studded Yankees dynasty from the 1950s and 1960s. Ford missed the 1951 and 1952 seasons while serving in the military but took home six World Series rings as a member of the club — including World Series MVP honors for a 1961 series in which he hurled 14 shutout innings with just six hits and one walk allowed.

Ford, born and raised in New York City, spent all 16 of his big league seasons with his hometown Yankees, posting a sub-3.00 ERA in a dozen of them. He finished second in 1950 Rookie of the Year voting, and by the time he retired in 1967, he’d compiled a stellar 236-106 record with a lifetime 2.75 ERA and 1956 strikeouts in 3170 1/3 innings pitched.

The “Chairman of the Board” also racked up 146 postseason frames in his career, and his 2.71 ERA in that time was a near-mirror image of his regular season efforts. Ford twice led the league in ERA (1956 and 1958) and in shutouts (1958 and 1960), and he paced the American League in wins three times as well (1955, 1961, 1963). He topped 20 wins in two different seasons, including a 25-4 season in 1961 that saw him lead the Majors not only in victories but in starts (39) innings pitched (283).

Ford’s legacy with the club will forever be commemorated at Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park, where his iconic No. 16 is retired among the organization’s all-time greats. Ford and lifelong teammate Mickey Mantle were inducted into Cooperstown together in the summer of 1974. No list of the best lefties — or simply the best pitchers, for that matter — in the game’s history would be complete without Ford’s inclusion.

We at MLB Trade Rumors join those throughout baseball mourning the loss of a genuine icon and extend our condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Ford.

Qualifying Offer Value Set At $18.9 Million

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This offseason, Major League Baseball’s qualifying offer will be set at $18.9MM, reports Evan Drellich of the Athletic (via Twitter). The value, which is determined by taking the average of the game’s 125 highest-paid players, represents a $1.1MM raise over last offseason’s $17.8MM figure.

Any team wishing to receive draft compensation for the loss of a free agent will first have to make that free agent a one-year offer worth that $18.9MM value. Qualifying offer recipients will have 10 days to decide whether to accept or reject the offer and are free to talk with other clubs during that window as they get an early sense of their market value. If a player accepts, he’ll have signed at that rate for the 2021 season. Like other free-agent signings, that player would be ineligible to be traded, without his consent, prior to June 15 of the following season.

Only players who spent the entire 2020 season with the same organization are eligible to receive a qualifying offer; midseason trade acquisitions and signings cannot receive one. Additionally, the 2017-21 collective bargaining agreement also added the stipulation that players can only receive one qualifying offer in their career. Twins DH Nelson Cruz, for instance, will hit the open market unencumbered after receiving a qualifying offer from the Orioles in 2014. That also rules out Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna, who was tagged last year by the Cardinals, and Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, who received one in 2016.

In past offseasons, teams deployed the qualifying offer rather liberally. Doing so ensured the club would receive draft compensation if a player departed, and the player accepting the QO would only lock them in on a short term, albeit at a relatively lofty rate. With the pandemic-driven revenue losses that plagued MLB in 2020, it’s likely that teams will be more reluctant to put those large single-year salaries on the table for borderline players.

Turning to the upcoming free agent class, a few players stand out as obvious QO candidates despite the broad financial uncertainty. Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, Reds starter Trevor Bauer, Astros outfielder George Springer and Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu are all established players coming off strong to elite seasons. All four appear to be locks to receive and reject the QO.

More interesting are the potential borderline cases. As Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle points out (Twitter link), Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien would’ve been an obvious QO candidate in a typical offseason. Between the aforementioned revenue losses and Semien’s disappointing abbreviated season, that no longer appears to be likely. Starting pitchers Kevin Gausman and Marcus Stroman seem unlikely to receive offers from the Giants and Mets, respectively, but they’re plausible candidates. So too are Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons and Phillies infielder Didi Gregorius, among others.

As a reminder, the parameters for teams signing or losing qualified free agents are as follows:

For teams that signs a qualified free agent…

  • A team that received revenue sharing the previous season will forfeit its third-highest selection upon. Signing a second qualified would result in the loss of that team’s fourth-highest selection. Signing a third would result in the loss of its fifth-highest selection.
  • A team that did not receive revenue sharing and also did not pay any luxury tax penalties would lose its second-highest selection as well as $500K of the league’s allotted international bonus pool. Signing additional qualified free agents would result in forfeiting the third-highest selection and another $500K of international allotments.
  • A team that paid luxury tax penalties must forfeit both its second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2019 draft and forfeit $1MM of international funds. Signing a second would result in the loss of that team’s third- and sixth-highest picks, plus another $1MM in international funds.

For teams who lose qualified free agents…

  • A draft pick after Competitive Balance Round B will be awarded if the team losing the free agent did not receive revenue sharing or if the free agent in question signed a contract worth less than $50MM in guaranteed money.
  • A draft pick after Round 1 will be awarded if the team losing the free agent received revenue sharing and the free agent in question signed for more than $50MM.
  • A draft pick after Round 4 will be awarded if the team losing the free agent paid luxury tax penalties in the preceding season.
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