Tigers Officially Name A.J. Hinch Manager
12:02 pm: The Tigers have announced Hinch’s hiring on a “multi-year” contract.
12:01 pm: The Tigers are expected to officially announce the hiring of A.J. Hinch as the club’s manager by the end of the day, hears Jon Morosi of MLB Network (Twitter link). Lynn Henning and Chris McCosky of the Detroit News previously reported Hinch and the club were nearing agreement on a three-year contract. The deal is done, hears Cody Stavenhagen of the Athletic (via Twitter).
The hiring process moved quickly, as Hinch first interviewed just yesterday. Almost immediately thereafter, it became clear he was overwhelmingly likely to get the position. Given that rapid turnaround, it seems likely the 46-year-old was the target (or at least a top candidate) for GM Al Avila and the rest of the front office from the moment Ron Gardenhire retired.
Given Hinch’s recent on-field success, it’s easy to understand the appeal. He managed the Astros to great heights between 2015-19, winning a pair of American League pennants and the 2017 World Series. He had plenty of extremely talented players with whom to work, to be sure, but Hinch was generally regarded as one of the top managers in the game just twelve months ago.
That all preceded the exhaustive reporting that emerged on the sign-stealing scandal perpetrated by the Astros during some of Hinch’s tenure, most notably throughout that World Series-winning season. Commissioner Rob Manfred suspended Hinch (and then-Houston GM Jeff Lunhow) for one year in January. Within hours, Astros owner Jim Crane ousted both Hinch and Lunhow.
In his report, the commissioner noted that Hinch did not approve of nor orchestrate the Astros’ illicit activities. Nevertheless, he was unquestionably aware of the scheme and didn’t do nearly enough to stop it. There’s no question the manager bears some of the responsibility for knowingly permitting players and other staff to brazenly conduct a cheating operation, regardless of his involvement (or lack thereof) in setting it up. There figures to be plenty of backlash if/when Hinch is officially hired, but the Tigers certainly don’t seem to be the only team comfortable granting those involved with the Astros’ scandal another chance.
Hinch was reportedly a candidate for the White Sox managerial vacancy, as well. Detroit’s division rival instead turned to Tony La Russa. There’s also speculation that Alex Cora, who was Hinch’s bench coach on the 2017 Astros (and by the commissioner’s account, more actively involved in orchestrating the sign-stealing operation than Hinch was) might return from his own suspension to again manage the Red Sox, as he did from 2018-19.
The Tigers’ roster isn’t one set up to contend immediately, but the organization is beginning to see the fruits of its rebuild. Top prospects Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal are already in the majors, while Matt Manning and Spencer Torkelson probably aren’t far behind. Jeimer Candelario and Willi Castro also impressed in 2020 and will continue to try to cement themselves as long-term pieces on the position player side. Hinch will be tasked with trying to guide that young core back to the postseason for the first time since 2014.
Rays To Decline Options On Charlie Morton, Mike Zunino
The Rays are not going to exercise their club options on right-hander Charlie Morton or catcher Mike Zunino, vice president of baseball operations Erik Neander told reporters (including Juan Toribio of MLB.com and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). Morton’s option was valued at $15MM, while Zunino stood to make $4.5MM if his option were exercised. Neither player will receive a buyout and both are now free agents.
Tampa Bay is leaving the door open to bringing either player back, Neander adds (via Toribio). They’re particularly interested in retaining Morton, it seems, with Neander noting the parties will look for a “creative” way to keep him in the fold (Topkin link).
Both players had important roles on the Rays’ pennant-winning 2020 club, but Morton is the more notable of the two. The 36-year-old (37 next month) was a Cy Young finalist just a year ago, when he tossed 194.2 innings of 3.05 ERA ball. He took a bit of a step back over nine regular-season starts this season but he still looks like a strong mid-rotation starter at the very least. He reaffirmed that with four stellar postseason starts.
Morton immediately becomes one of the best pitchers on the free agent market, but it remains to be seen how much interest he’ll have in exploring deals with other teams. The veteran makes his home in Florida, a key point in his decision to sign with the Rays as a free agent after the 2018 season. Earlier this month, Morton said he’d seriously discuss the possibility of retirement with his family if the Rays declined his option. At the moment, though, he “is believed to want to continue his career,” hears Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link).
As for Zunino, the call was probably a bit easier for the front office. The former third overall pick has started just over half the Rays’ games behind the plate the past two years but hasn’t hit much. Since Tampa Bay acquired him from the Mariners, Zunino has hit just .161/.233/.323 over 373 plate appearances. He struck out in 64 of his 140 plate appearances between the regular season and playoffs in 2020. The well-regarded defender hits the market at just 29 years of age, though.
Latest On Plans For 2021 Minor-League Season
In a typical season, spring training camps begin in mid-late February and feature a large swath of players with varying levels of experience. Given the uncertainty associated with COVID-19, however, MLB is considering a staggered start to 2021 spring training for minor-league players, reports Evan Drellich of the Athletic.
If MLB were to adopt a staggered reporting system, higher-level players (likely those at Triple-A or in the majors) would be the only group to report to spring training at its typical start date, Drellich reports. Lower-level players would report to spring camps only after the higher-level players have dispersed to start their regular seasons (MLB’s Opening Day is currently scheduled for April 1), thus minimizing human contact.
Of course, delaying the start of lower-minors players’ spring training would necessitate delaying the start of their regular season. They would still need a few weeks, at minimum, to work their way into game shape. Drellich suggests a potential mid-May start date for lower-minors teams in this scenario.
Nothing is yet set in stone, it should be noted. It’s not even guaranteed we’ll have minor-league games in 2021. The timetable for widespread deployment of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is far from certain, as is the extent of varying municipalities’ willingness to sign off on minor-league play next season. Indeed, using the 2020 alternate site system again remains a possibility, per Drellich. The resources available to MLB teams for testing and distancing procedures generally aren’t available to minor-league owners. That creates further challenges in guaranteeing those players’ safety, as Drellich discusses with MiLB player advocate Garrett Broshuis.
All this comes during a time of uncertainty about the relationship between MLB and MiLB. The Professional Baseball Agreement that links the parties expired this month. Drellich notes there’s an expectation that a new PBA will come together this winter. That agreement will almost certainly involve the contraction of some teams at the lowest levels, a move MLB angled for even before the pandemic began.
Yankees Decline Brett Gardner’s Option
The Yankees have declined their $10MM club option on outfielder Brett Gardner, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). He’ll instead receive a $2.5MM buyout. The Yankees have interest in bringing the 37-year-old back to the Bronx, Heyman adds, but it’ll have to come at a cheaper rate than his option price. Given the buyout figure, the Yankees opted against bringing Gardner back on what amounts to a $7.5MM decision.
The longest-tenured Yankee player, Gardner has been in the organization since they selected him in the third round of the 2005 draft. He has gone on to a long, very productive career as a high-OBP hitter with a little bit of pop who plays excellent defense in left field. Gardner reinvented himself as something of a slugger in 2019, when he hit .251/.325/.503 with 28 home runs over 550 plate appearances. That strong season prompted the Yankees to guarantee him $12.5MM on a one-year deal with this option last offseason.
Gardner was still fairly productive in the abbreviated 2020 season, hitting .223/.354/.392 with five home runs over 158 plate appearances. His power took a step back from its 2019 heights, but Gardner’s .169 ISO (slugging percentage minus batting average) was still solid. His strikeout and whiff rates were each at career-high levels, but both remained lower than league average. And the ever-patient Gardner drew a boatload of walks to prop up his on-base numbers.
That said, the Yankees declining the option isn’t much of a surprise. A few teams have already declined options that would typically seem reasonable on the heels of massive revenue losses due to a season with no fans. The New York organization itself seems likely to scale back payroll this winter. With Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Clint Frazier in the fold already, the Yankees aren’t hurting for outfield help, although it’s arguable Gardner’s left-handed bat fits well in the Yankees’ righty-heavy lineup.
It’s hard to imagine Gardner in anything other than a Yankee uniform, and the door seemingly remains open to a return. But he’s now free to explore his options with all thirty clubs. At his age, it’s doubtful anyone will see Gardner as an everyday center fielder, but he’s still capable of playing up the middle when needed and should be above-average in left. Plenty of teams figure to have interest in Gardner as a short-term upgrade, at least as the strong side of a platoon arrangement.
Brewers Decline Ryan Braun’s Option
8:06pm: The Brewers have declined the option, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays.
7:57pm: Longtime Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun is now a free agent, according to the MLBPA. That suggests the Brewers have turned down their half of a $15MM mutual option for 2021 in favor of a $4MM buyout.
Because of Braun’s recent decline, it’s no surprise that Milwaukee is going this route. Nevertheless, it could bring an end to a fruitful Brewers tenure for Braun. He joined the organization as the fifth overall pick in 2005 and proceeded to turn into one of the most productive players in the history of the franchise.
From his debut in 2007 up until this past season, Braun slashed .296/.358/.532 with 352 home runs, 216 stolen bases and 43.9 fWAR over 7,340 plate appearances. Braun also racked up six All-Star nods, a Rookie of the Year and the 2011 NL MVP Award along the way, though the latter accomplishment has been tainted because of his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal.
Major League Baseball suspended Braun for 65 games in 2013 after finding that he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The ban cast a pall on what was an excellent career to that point, but Braun has been mostly productive at the plate since then. Injuries have taken their toll in recent years, though, and Braun is now coming off the worst offensive season of his career. The 36-year-old ended 2020 as a .233/.281/.488 hitter with eight home runs in 141 plate appearances, and he racked up almost as many appearances as a designated hitter (16) as he did an outfielder (20).
Braun said as recently as July that he’d like to continue his career in 2021, but that was before his troubles this year. He’ll now have to decide whether to continue in baseball, but if the universal DH doesn’t stick around next season, it won’t do Braun any favors should he seek another contract. Braun’s next deal (if there is one) won’t be especially lucrative.
Yankees Pick Up Zack Britton’s Option
The Yankees have exercised reliever Zack Britton‘s option, thereby keeping the left-hander under contract for the next two years, Andy Martino of SNY reports. The team had been facing a decision over whether to pick up a $14MM option for 2022. Had the Yankees declined it, Britton would have had the chance to opt out of his contract immediately and become a free agent.
Prior to Thursday, it would have been hard to imagine the Yankees turning down Britton’s option. But things then took a dire turn for other veteran relievers, evidenced by the Indians placing Brad Hand on outright waivers and the Braves declining the option for Darren O’Day. Hand has a $10MM option for 2020, so someone could still pick him up for that sum, but the Braves decided against paying O’Day $3.5MM. On paper, those look like reasonable salaries for Hand and O’Day.
Likewise, $14MM in ’22 comes off as acceptable for Britton, a former Oriole who has continued to serve as a quality late-game option since the Yankees acquired him from their division rivals late in 2018. Britton was effective enough in his first taste of action with the Yankees that they re-signed him to this deal – a three-year, $39MM guarantee that will turn into a four-year, $53MM pact. The move has worked out for both sides, as the 32-year-old has used a ridiculous 76.3 percent groundball rate to post a 2.14 ERA/3.62 FIP in 105 1/3 innings as a Yankee. Based on this news, Britton will continue to be a key part of their bullpen going forward.
Braves Decline Darren O’Day’s Option
The Braves have turned down right-handed reliever Darren O’Day‘s $3.5MM club option for 2021 in favor of a $500K buyout, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. O’Day is now the second notable reliever to have a team decline his option today, joining the Indians’ Brad Hand, who could earn $10MM in 2021 if another club acquires him.
While O’Day isn’t as noteworthy or expensive as Hand, it’s nonetheless surprising to see the Braves give him up. With the league coming off a pandemic-shortened season sans fans, though, these moves could be a sign of negative things to come for the players this winter. It seems relievers will face some economic adversity in free agency, but it’s possible the open market will prove to be disappointing for most or all players, regardless of position.
No matter how free agency does shake out across the league, O’Day currently looks like one of the most accomplished relievers on the open market. Despite averaging around 86 mph on his fastball throughout his career, O’Day has been highly effective with a handful of teams since he debuted in 2008. The longtime Oriole owns a 2.51 ERA/3.43 FIP with 9.36 K/9 and 2.47 BB/9 in 576 2/3 innings in the majors.
The Braves acquired O’Day from the O’s in the 2018 season, but his year had already ended on account of a hamstring issue. Anthony injury, this time to his forearm, kept O’Day out until September of last season, but he was able to end on a positive note with five strong innings. The Braves then re-signed O’Day to a guaranteed $2.5MM last winter, and he went on to deliver in 2020 with 16 1/3 innings of eight-hit, three-run ball, also notching 22 strikeouts against five walks. But that excellent performance was not enough to convince the Braves to keep O’Day around for what looked like a reasonable sum.
White Sox Name Tony La Russa Manager
The White Sox announced today that Hall of Famer Tony La Russa is returning to the organization as their new manager for the 2021 season. La Russa has agreed to a multi-year deal, tweets Scott Merkin of MLB.com.
This is, of course, the second managerial stint for La Russa with the White Sox organization. His first began more than four decades ago in 1979 and ran through the 1986 season. While others were connected to the White Sox vacancy, most notably former Astros skipper A.J. Hinch, it appears that La Russa was owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s pick from the beginning. Indeed, ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweets that the move to hire La Russa was purely a “Reinsdorf decision” while noting that others in the organizations “have concerns” about La Russa’s ability (or lack thereof) to connect with the club’s young core.
It’s been nine full seasons since La Russa last managed at the MLB level, with the Cardinals, and the game has changed considerably since that time. Data from clubs’ analytics departments has increasingly made its way into in-game decision-making, often generating polarizing reaction from fans, and the sport as a whole has moved to embrace aggressive defensive shifts and pitching strategies that defy the conventional wisdom which permeated big league dugouts during La Russa’s last run.
Since that time, La Russa has remained involved in the game in a variety of roles, most notably serving as the Diamondbacks’ “chief baseball officer” from 2014-17 — a stint that is remembered more for his role in overseeing one of the more lopsided trades in recent memory than for the team’s performance in that time.
After moving on from skipper Rick Renteria, it was reported that the White Sox wanted an experienced manager with a winning pedigree, which prompted many onlookers to speculate about Hinch and former Red Sox manager Alex Cora. La Russa does fit the bill on a fundamental level, having spent 33 years a Major League manager during which time he’s posted a .536 winning percentage, taken home six pennants and won three World Series titles.
Still, to say this hiring bucks the industry trend at this point would be making a colossal understatement, and the decision to bring La Russa aboard has already generated a rather perplexed reaction from those within the game and pundits alike. La Russa will inherit a wildly talented core of young players that give him the foundation for a championship caliber club — Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Nick Madrial, Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease and Dane Dunning among them — but the unconventional (by today’s standards) nature of his hire will also put him under a microscope as he strives to navigate that core to the World Series.
Indians Place Brad Hand On Outright Waivers
In a rather stunning move, the Indians have placed closer Brad Hand on outright waivers, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). It’s a pure cost-cutting transaction from Cleveland, with the hope that another team places a claim on the left-hander, who has a $10MM club option on his current contract. Any club that claims Hand would be able to pick up that option and retain him for the 2021 season at that $10MM price.
Per Meisel, the Indians had planned to decline the option, which would’ve required paying a $1MM buyout. They’ll decline it if he goes unclaimed. However, Cleveland would stand to save that $1MM if another team makes a claim, which seems possible given Hand’s excellent 2020 season and generally strong track record.
Hand, 30, led the American League with 16 saves this year and posted a 22-to-4 K/BB ratio with a 2.05 ERA over the life of 22 innings. He had a few hiccups in the ninth inning early on, but Hand’s overall results fall right in line with his All-Star track record. Since being unearthed by the Padres on a waiver claim back in 2016, Hand owns a 2.70 ERA with 12.2 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and 0.87 HR/9.
Waiver priority at this juncture is based on reverse order of the league-wide standings. That’d give the Pirates, Rangers, Tigers, Red Sox, D-backs, Orioles, Nationals, Mets, Rockies and Angels first crack at Hand, in that order. Most of those clubs are rebuilding or cutting costs themselves, but it’s feasible that a team like the Red Sox, Nats, Mets or Angels could place a claim with an eye toward contending in 2021.
Frankly, revenue losses notwithstanding, it’s arguable that any club should welcome the chance to bring Hand into the fold. There’s not a team that wouldn’t be bettered by adding a pitcher of this caliber to its relief corps, and the one-year, $10MM price point would be considered a bargain under normal market circumstances.
Of course, the absence of fans in 2020 has created what most expect to be a brutal market for free agents as clubs take drastic measures to cut payroll. As such, some clubs will surely pass on claiming Hand — maybe in hopes that he’ll go unclaimed and be available on a multi-year deal at a lower annual rate — but it’s hard to imagine that a hopeful contender won’t jump at the opportunity to acquire an elite bullpen price on a one-year term.
As for the Indians, this removes doubt about the club’s offseason direction. It’s long been expected that they’ll continue last winter’s efforts to pare back payroll, although not in such egregious fashion. The move to place Hand on waivers only seems to further the likelihood that Cleveland will trade superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor, whose salary could approach or exceed $20MM in his final trip through the arbitration process. That much has looked likely since owner Paul Dolan infamously told fans to “enjoy him” a few years back, but it now feels more inevitable than ever before.
Looking more broadly at the market as a whole, it’ll be of greater concern for free agents — relievers, in particular — across the game if Hand somehow passes through waivers unclaimed. If no club is willing to take on Hand at a one-year, $10MM term (or if he survives all the way to the Dodgers, who are last in waiver priority), that will speak volumes about market expectations in the months to come.
Mariners Re-Sign Kendall Graveman
11:42am: Graveman’s deal comes with a $1.25MM base salary and another $2.5MM worth of incentives, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter link). That will give him the opportunity to earn a bit more than the $3.5MM he’d have taken home had the Mariners picked up his option.
11:35am: That was quick. Just one day after declining their $3.5MM club option on Kendall Graveman, the Mariners announced that they’ve re-signed the right-hander to a new one-year, Major League contract for the 2021 season. It’s surely at a lesser rate than that $3.5MM price point, but the Sports One Management client looks as though he’ll be locked in as a member of the team’s bullpen again next season.
Graveman, 29, returned to the Majors in 2020 after missing most of 2018 and all of 2019 due to Tommy John surgery. The initial hope was that he’d be a member of the team’s six-man rotation, but Graveman spent much of the year on the injured list due to a neck injury and returned to the club in September as a reliever.
The results upon his return were encouraging, however, as Graveman averaged a career-best 96.4 mph on his sinker and held opponents to four runs on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 10 innings. Three of those runs came in one particularly rough outing, but Graveman allowed just one run in the rest of his bullpen outings combined. He also sported a hefty 55.4 percent ground-ball rate in that time, giving further cause for optimism about his potential as a reliever over the course of a full season.
For Seattle, re-signing Graveman is its first noteworthy order of business in what should be an active winter for its relief corps. After the Mariners’ bullpen finished 2020 last in the AL in ERA and fWAR, general manager Jerry Dipoto declared the M’s would try to add three to four relievers in the offseason.