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Tigers Owner Mike Ilitch Passes Away

By Jeff Todd | February 10, 2017 at 5:34pm CDT

Tigers owner Mike Ilitch has passed away at 87 years of age, Bill Shea of Crain’s Detroit Business reports on Twitter. MLBTR extends its condolences to his family and friends, as well as the entire Tigers organization.

In a press release, his son Christopher — who is the president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. — called his father “a once-in-a-generation entrepreneur, visionary and leader.” A son of Macedonian immigrants, the elder Ilitch was born and raised in Detroit. He went on to own two of the city’s iconic sports franchises, the Tigers and the Red Wings of the NHL.

Ilitch spent five years in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating from high school, and then joined the Tigers as an infielder. He ended up playing four seasons of minor-league ball before hanging up his spikes at 25 years of age. From there, according to the release, Ilitch worked as a door-to-door salesman to fund the opening of a pizza joint — the first Little Caesars.

After growing that small business into a massive, multi-national corporation, Ilitch expanded his business holdings. He bought the Red Wings in 1982, overseeing a golden era for that franchise, and took control of the Tigers in 1992.

While the hockey glories never quite carried over into the baseball arena, it wasn’t for lack of trying. Ilitch’s initial period of ownership was notable mostly for the Tigers’ poor play, but things began to turn around after he developed Comerica Park in a public-private partnership in advance of the 2000 season.

The tide broke in 2006, when the Tigers finally reached the postseason for the first time since 1987, advancing to the World Series (where they lost to the Cardinals). Detroit posted winning campaigns in eight of the next eleven seasons, returning to the playoffs four more times. The club made it to the Fall Classic once more in 2012, but again came up short.

Over his later years, Ilitch spared no expense to put a quality product on the field. The Tigers routinely placed among the game’s biggest spenders in player salaries, committing hundreds of millions of dollars annually to acquire and retain star-level talent.

Looking ahead for the Tigers organization, it seems that Christopher Ilitch will largely step into his father’s shoes. While there are indications that the club will look to streamline its finances, the younger Ilitch has expressed a similar passion for fielding a winning team.

Mets Re-Sign Jerry Blevins

By Jeff Todd | February 9, 2017 at 1:59pm CDT

FEB. 9: The Mets have announced the signing. FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that Blevins will earn $5.5MM in 2017 and has a $7MM club option for the 2018 season that comes with a $1MM buyout.

FEB. 4: Blevins will make $6.5MM in 2017 and could earn $12.5MM over the next two seasons if the Mets exercise his 2018 club option, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. He’ll also get $100K in incentives in each year (Twitter links).

FEB. 3, 8:10pm: The deal includes an option, per James Wagner of the New York Times (via Twitter).

7:52pm: The Mets have agreed to a deal to bring back free-agent lefty Jerry Blevins, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). He’ll be guaranteed around $6MM in the deal, per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post (via Twitter).

With the move, New York further adds to a relief corps that already saw new additions earlier today. The organization also brought back righty Fernando Salas and brought in southpaw Tom Gorzelanny on a minor-league pact for depth.

[RELATED: Updated Mets Depth Chart]

Blevins, though, was arguably a particular priority for New York. He’ll step in front of Josh Edgin and Sean Gilmartin in the pecking order among southpaws. Gorzelanny joins other depth options, including Josh Smoker and Adam Wilk.

Ultimately, it’s an appealing price tag for the Mets, who brought back Blevins last year for $4MM after an injury-shortened 2015 season. The results were excellent for both team and player, as Blevins turned in what was arguably his best full season as a big leaguer.

Over 42 innings last year — compiled across a personal-high 73 appearances — Blevins worked to a strong 2.79 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 to go with a 45.8% groundball rate. Long a weapon against opposing lefties, Blevins has increased his effectiveness against righties since coming to New York, perhaps aided by the increased deployment of his cut fastball. He also throws a sinker, a slider, and (much less frequently) a change.

With Blevins signed, the bulk of the left-handed relief market has now settled out. It’s interesting to see how things landed. Blevins, Boone Logan, and J.P. Howell all settled for single-season pacts, while Brett Cecil, Mike Dunn, and even Marc Rzepczynski landed bigger guarantees in multi-year arrangements.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Byung Ho Park Clears Waivers, Outrighted To Triple-A

By Steve Adams | February 9, 2017 at 1:16pm CDT

First baseman/designated hitter Byung Ho Park has cleared waivers and been outrighted off the Twins’ 40-man roster, reports La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The team has since announced the move. Park will be in camp with the Twins as a non-roster invitee in Spring Training.

Park was somewhat surprisingly designated for assignment last week in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Matt Belisle, who signed as a free agent. However, the guaranteed $9.25MM remaining on Park’s contract allowed him to pass through waivers unclaimed, and he’ll now remain with the Twins and vie for a job in camp or early this season after getting in some work with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester.

The 30-year-old Park was a superstar in the Korea Baseball Organization prior to being posted by the Nexen Heroes, and the Twins secured exclusive negotiation rights with him in December 2015 by submitting a blind bid of $12.85MM. Minnesota and Park’s representatives at Octagon worked out a four-year, $12MM contract that came with a fifth-year club option, and Park was penciled in as Minnesota’s primary DH heading into the 2016 campaign.

Park rallied after a slow first week and was hitting .257/.339/.578 with nine homers through his first 124 plate appearances. Strikeouts were a problem for Park from the get-go, however, and his production fell off the table before a June demotion to Triple-A. With Rochester, Park was eventually sidelined by a wrist injury that ultimately required surgical repair. The slugger wouldn’t blame his struggles in the Majors on the injury, though it’s certainly possible that Park’s ailing wrist/hand contributed to his .191/.275/.409 slash in the Majors.

MLBPA Weighing Proposals For Multiple Rule Changes

By Mark Polishuk and Steve Adams | February 8, 2017 at 8:30pm CDT

FEB. 8: Another rule change being weighed by Major League Baseball is more radical and would put a runner on second base at the onset of extra innings, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. The league is planning to test the scenario in the lowest levels of the minor leagues, according to Passan, and there’s already at least one proponent of the idea among the league’s top decision-makers: MLB chief baseball officer Joe Torre.

“Let’s see what it looks like,” Torre told Passan. “It’s not fun to watch when you go through your whole pitching staff and wind up bringing a utility infielder in to pitch. As much as it’s nice to talk about being at an 18-inning game, it takes time. … What really initiated it is sitting in the dugout in the 15th inning and realizing everybody is going to the plate trying to hit a home run and everyone is trying to end the game themselves. I don’t know what inning is the right inning. Maybe the 11th or 12th inning. But there are a number of reasons.”

Passan notes that any implementation of this type of radical change to the course of play would likely take years, adding that adoption would be an easier sell to players that have become accustomed to the shift throughout their minor league career. Nonetheless, there figures to be strong opposition to a change of this magnitude, which could have far-reaching impacts ranging from scoring decisions to in-game strategy to actual roster construction.

FEB. 6: Major League Baseball has made formal proposals to the MLB Players Association for two rule changes, ESPN’s Jayson Stark reports. The proposed changes would affect the size of the official strike zone (raising the lower part of the zone to the top of the player’s knees from its present location at “the hollow beneath the kneecap,” as per the official wording) and allow a team to simply signal if it wants to intentionally walk a hitter, letting the batter advance to first base without the pitcher having to lob four balls wide of home plate.

The latter change would be largely symbolic of MLB’s efforts to increase the pace of play, as Stark notes that the actual time saved by eliminating the four tosses per intentional walk is fairly negligible. Reducing the size of the strike zone is also technically a time-saving proposal, as the move would theoretically cut down on strikeouts and produce more balls in play, and thus more action.

The MLBPA is weighing both rule change proposals with membership, with Stark reporting that the intentional walk elimination is the more likely of the two to be approved for this season. An automatic intentional walk is a cosmetic change, whereas altering the strike zone obviously has much more impact on the game itself. According to Stark, the new zone would be roughly two inches higher than the old one, as umpires have been calling strikes below the knees with more regularity.

There are “mixed feelings” amongst players about the strike zone proposal, Stark reports, and thus it could be difficult for a decision to be reached in time for the new regulation to be implemented for the start of the 2017 season. Since Spring Training is so close, a decision on either proposal for 2017 will need to come “sooner rather than later,” according to one Stark source.

Royals Sign Jason Hammel

By charliewilmoth | February 8, 2017 at 2:10pm CDT

The Royals have added a veteran arm to their rotation, announcing on Wednesday that they’ve signed right-hander Jason Hammel to a two-year deal with a mutual option for the 2019 season.

The 34-year-old ACES client will reportedly receive a $16MM guarantee that includes a $5MM salary in 2017, a $9MM salary in 2018 and a $2MM buyout on his option. He can also earn an additional $250K per season for reaching 200 innings pitched.

Hammel’s long offseason began when the Cubs allowed him to decide whether he wanted them to exercise his $12MM 2017 option or give him a $2MM buyout. The Cubs ultimately declined the option, already an unusual decision on a reportedly healthy pitcher coming off a solid 3.83 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 season as a back-end starter, and Hammel hit the open market, only to linger there for almost four months. That long period on the market included a change of agencies, from Octagon to ACES.

The $16MM guarantee Hammel will receive over two years has to qualify as a disappointing outcome for him, at least relative to his likely expectations earlier in the offseason. While this offseason was a slow one for starting pitchers in general, Hammel compares favorably to several starters who received similar or greater amounts, either in total contract value or average annual value, including Charlie Morton (two years, $14MM), Bartolo Colon (one year, $12.5MM) and former Royal Edinson Volquez (two years, $22MM).

A fit with the Royals seemingly emerged following the tragic death of Yordano Ventura in a car wreck in the Dominican two weeks ago. Hammel represented the top available starting pitcher on the free agent market at that point. Now he’ll enter a Kansas City rotation picture that will also feature Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Nate Karns, Jason Vargas and Chris Young.

With the exception of an ugly 2013 season in Baltimore, Hammel has generally posted consistently solid results since leaving Colorado in prior to the 2012 campaign — he’s eaten 771 innings in that time, with a slightly-above-average 3.88 ERA to go with 8.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. Those peripheral numbers slipped a bit last season with Chicago, to 7.9 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9, but he was still generally effective, with a 3.83 ERA. He relies heavily on his very good slider, a pitch he threw more frequently (35.1%) than any other qualified starter last season except Michael Pineda, Chris Archer and Ervin Santana.

Hammel turned 34 in September, so his new deal will cover his age-34 and age-35 seasons, with the mutual option covering his age-36 campaign. A large number of Royals (including Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Alcides Escobar and Vargas) are eligible for free agency next winter, so Hammel’s addition will help the club bridge the gap between next season and the immediate future beyond it. As Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star tweets, the Royals’ late deals with Hammel and Brandon Moss have sent their payroll north somewhat, although those increases have been offset in part by the departures of Wade Davis and Jarrod Dyson, as well as Duffy’s extension, which reduced the 2017 salary he would have received through the arbitration process.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement (Twitter link). Hammel will receive $16MM guaranteed, Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports tweeted the terms, and Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star reported the year-to-year breakdown (via Twitter). MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reported the deal’s incentives (via Twitter).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pro Hockey Rumors Has The NHL Trade Deadline Covered

By Tim Dierkes | February 7, 2017 at 1:13pm CDT

The NHL trade deadline is less than a month away, and our sister site Pro Hockey Rumors has all the breaking news and rumors. Will the Dallas Stars finally upgrade their goaltending? Will the Arizona Coyotes pull the trigger and trade the face of the franchise? Will the Red Wings stand pat or make moves to preserve their record playoff streak? Visit Pro Hockey Rumors today and follow us on Twitter @prohockeyrumors!

Blue Jays To Sign Joe Smith

By Tim Dierkes | February 7, 2017 at 8:31am CDT

FEB. 7: Smith’s deal comes with a $3MM base salary and $500K in performance bonuses, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney.

FEB. 4: The Blue Jays have reached an agreement with right-handed reliever Joe Smith on a one-year Major League deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The signing, should it become official, will require a 40-man roster move by Toronto. Smith is represented by Excel Sports Management.

Smith, 33 in March, posted a 3.46 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 1.38 HR/9, and 50.3% groundball rate in 52 innings for the Angels and Cubs. In terms of peripheral stats, it was the veteran sidearmer’s worst campaign since 2010. The Blue Jays will look for Smith to recapture some of his excellence spanning 2011-14, when he was fourth among all relievers with a 2.25 ERA in 271 2/3 innings. Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro has a previous connection to Smith, having acquired him in December 2008 while serving as general manager of the Indians.

Early in the 2016 season, Smith became the top man in the Angels’ bullpen when Huston Street went down with an oblique injury. However, Smith hit the DL himself in June with a hamstring injury. Shortly after his return, he was dealt to the Cubs at the trade deadline. Smith’s time with the Cubs was particularly brief due to a recurrence of the hamstring injury, and he was left off the team’s playoff roster.

The Jays’ contract with Smith comes on the heels of a one-year pact signed with lefty J.P. Howell on Tuesday. Howell will fill the role of the departed Brett Cecil, who signed a four-year deal with the Cardinals. Holdovers in the Blue Jays’ bullpen include Roberto Osuna, Joe Biagini, and Jason Grilli.

With pitchers and catchers reporting in a week for some teams, free agent relievers Joe Blanton, Travis Wood, and David Hernandez are among those still looking for a home.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mets To Re-Sign Fernando Salas

By Steve Adams and Jeff Todd | February 3, 2017 at 1:34pm CDT

2:18pm: Salas will earn $3MM and can tack on an additional $350K in incentives, MLBTR’s Steve Adams reports on Twitter.

1:34pm: The Mets have reached an agreement to re-sign right-hander Fernando Salas, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Salas, a client of Paragon Sports, will receive a one-year deal, Rosenthal adds. The contract is pending a physical.

[Related: Updated New York Mets Depth Chart]

The 31-year-old Salas opened the 2016 season with the Angels and posted fairly uninspiring results through 56 1/3 innings there, logging a 4.47 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 in what was his third season with the Halos. However, Salas was dominant following an August trade to the Mets, allowing just four runs in 17 1/3 innings (2.08 ERA) with 19 strikeouts and zero walks. He’ll now return to the Mets for a second season, joining Addison Reed as a right-handed bridge to closer Jeurys Familia.

Of course, Salas also will play a larger role with the Mets early in the season, as Familia figures to be suspended under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. With Familia on the restricted list, Reed seems likely to close, which could make Salas the primary setup man for manager Terry Collins for a portion of the season.

Much of the chatter surrounding the Mets and their desire to add a relief pitcher have centered around lefties — specifically former Met Jerry Blevins. New York has been said to be working with some financial constraints as their payroll approaches $150MM, but Newsday’s Marc Carig reports that the team is not yet out on Blevins (Twitter link).

Salas, for what it’s worth, has held opposing lefties to a .239/.294/.383 batting line in his career and limited lefties to a .237/.270/.412 slash in 2016. So, while not utterly dominant against opposite-handed batters, he does limit lefties more effectively than a number of right-handed middle relievers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Indians To Sign Boone Logan

By Jeff Todd | February 2, 2017 at 6:49pm CDT

6:49pm: Logan will earn a $5.5MM base salary in 2017, tweets Hoynes. His 2018 club option is worth $7MM and comes with a $1MM buyout.

2:31pm: It’s a one-year deal with a club option, per Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer (via Twitter).

1:55pm: The Indians have agreed to a deal with free-agent lefty Boone Logan, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Terms remain unknown at this time; the deal is pending the results of a physical.

Logan, 32, has reportedly sought a two-year deal, with indications he’d be able to command that. Before the offseason, MLBTR predicted a two-year, $12MM contract for the veteran. He just wrapped up a three-year, $16.5MM pact with the Rockies that didn’t really pan out for the team, though Logan certainly ended his tenure in Colorado on a strong note.

In 2016, Logan worked to a 3.69 ERA — all the more impressive that he did so while pitching at Coors Field — with 11.1 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 over 46 1/3 innings. With a 93 mph fastball and a devastating slider, he racked up an outstanding 16.4% swinging-strike rate that rates among the game’s best. He typically produces solid groundball rates, too, with a lifetime 46.4% mark.

Of course, Logan wasn’t nearly as good over the two prior seasons, over which he carried a 5.37 ERA — due, at least in part, to elevate BABIP totals (.379 in 2014 and .374 in 2015). He has also dealt with elbow issues at times, which presents not-unfamiliar risk.

The bigger issue, though, may be in his usage limitations. While he’s dominant against opposing southpaws, Logan isn’t nearly as effective against righties. Over 847 total plate appearances during his career, righty hitters own a .288/.376/.478 slash.

[RELATED: Updated Indians Depth Chart]

For the Indians, though, Logan still offers plenty of functionality. The club already has the dominant Andrew Miller available as the southpaw piece of a high-leverage mix that includes righties Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw. With those three arms already in place, skipper Terry Francona ought to have plenty of flexibility in deploying Logan to take full advantage of his skillset.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Check Out HoopsRumors.com For NBA Trade Deadline Coverage

By Tim Dierkes | February 2, 2017 at 1:05pm CDT

The NBA trade deadline is just over three weeks away, and our sister site Hoops Rumors is on top of all the latest news and rumors for each of the league’s 30 teams.

Will the Carmelo Anthony era come to an end in New York, given the trade rumors surrounding the Knicks star? Will the Bulls blow things up after several of their marquee players publicly traded barbs? Will the Cavaliers be able to satisfy LeBron James by adding another playmaker to their roster? Is this the year that Danny Ainge and the Celtics finally cash in some of their assets to make a major trade?

For the latest updates on those stories and many more, visit Hoops Rumors today and follow us on Twitter @HoopsRumors!

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