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Chase Utley Won’t Serve Further Suspension For Slide

By Zachary Links | March 6, 2016 at 10:59am CDT

Dodgers infielder Chase Utley will not have to serve a suspension for his controversial slide into Ruben Tejada in last season’s NLDS, a source tells Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). Utley was supposed to sit out two more games to round out his suspension.

During the seventh inning of Game 2 of the NLDS, Utley’s hard slide broke up a double play and broke Tejada’s fibula. In the end, the Mets bested the Dodgers and went on to the World Series, but they were subsequently without the services of their starting shortstop.

MLB’s Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre determined that Utley made a “rolling block … away from the base” when he took out Tejada. However, there was no rule against such a slide until this winter.

The 36-year-old Utley joined the Dodgers after an August trade with the Phillies and hit just .202/.291/.363, numbers that don’t come close to his All-Star years. In December, the Dodgers and Utley reached agreement on a new one-year, $7MM deal. This year, the Dodgers might be hoping he improves somewhat offensively, making him a valuable player when coupled with his defensive abilities.

When asked for his reaction to today’s news, Mets GM Sandy Alderson said he’s just glad the sliding rule has been changed, as Adam Rubin of ESPN.com writes.

Brett Anderson To Undergo Back Surgery, Out 3 To 5 Months

By Jeff Todd | March 3, 2016 at 10:38am CDT

Dodgers lefty Brett Anderson is set to undergo surgery today on a bulging disk in his back, MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick reports (Twitter links). Anderson is expected to miss three to five months.

The news comes as a major blow to a Dodgers organization that has rolled the dice on several starters with injury questions. Anderson accepted the team’s $15.8MM qualifying offer at the outset of the offseason, returning on a one-year deal after his first healthy season in recent memory.

This won’t be Anderson’s first procedure for a bulging disk, as he underwent a similar surgery late in 2014. He’s missed time with other maladies before and since, of course, but his back health will now be an even greater question than it had been previously.

While there’s still hope that Anderson will contribute to the staff this year, that doesn’t mean the loss won’t tell. Fellow lefty Hyun-jin Ryu is still working back from shoulder surgery and has experienced some soreness. Brandon McCarthy remains a ways off from returning from a Tommy John procedure. Even the team’s newest MLB additions — Kenta Maeda and Scott Kazmir — are pitchers who have long-term health questions. Likewise, righty Frankie Montas, who profiled as a young rotation possibility as the season progresses, will miss time with rib surgery. (All that after the team blew up a prospective deal with Hisashi Iwakuma over the results of his physical.)

All that being said, it isn’t as if the club is hurting for options. Alex Wood now looks like a good bet to open in the rotation, where he’s had plenty of past success (despite coming with his own questions given his unusual delivery). Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias had their moments last year. The oft-injured Brandon Beachy is back on a minor league deal. Just-signed Cuban free agent Yaisel Sierra could potentially factor in, as could a variety of rising prospects including Jharel Cotton, Chris Anderson, Zach Lee, and top prospects Jose De Leon and Julio Urias.

Anderson, who only just turned 28, turned in 180 1/3 innings of 3.69 ERA ball last year, more than justifying the risk taken by Los Angeles. Indeed, he was even better than his results by measure of xFIP (3.51) and SIERA (3.46). But he hadn’t even logged 100 frames in a single season for the four preceding years, leading to questions about how his market would develop and aiding his decision to accept the QO.

The talented southpaw will, hopefully, have an opportunity to re-establish his health at some point later in the 2016 season. He could well provide a significant boost at that point, as might McCarthy, and it’s entirely possible that the Dodgers will have plenty of options down the stretch. As things stand, though, he’ll have to battle through another tough medical setback. Needless to say, both his future earning outlook and the possibility of the team benefiting from making a second consecutive QO have taken a hit.

Cardinals Extend Kolten Wong

By Jeff Todd | March 2, 2016 at 7:02pm CDT

The Cardinals have announced an extension with 25-year-old second baseman Kolten Wong. Wong, a client of PSI Sports Management, will reportedly be guaranteed $25.5MM over five years, beginning in 2016. The contract also includes a $12.5MM option (with a $1MM buyout) for another season, and doesn’t come with any no-trade protection.

Because it begins with the 2016 campaign, the deal will give St. Louis control over two free agent seasons — the latter via option — in addition to covering Wong’s entire arbitration eligibility. He’ll be under team control through his age-30 campaign. Wong had entered the spring with just over two years of MLB service under his belt and had yet to qualify for arbitration. Now, he’s set to earn $1.25MM in 2016, $2.5MM in 2017, $4MM in 2018, $6.5MM in 2019 and $10.25MM in 2020.

Last year was Wong’s first as a full-time regular, and he came out of the gates strong with an excellent first half. He ultimately faded down the stretch, struggling in particular against left-handed pitching. All told, his overall offensive output — a .262/.321/.386 batting line with 11 home runs and 15 stolen bases over 613 plate appearances — represented a fairly close match to his 2014 campaign.

With excellent baserunning and strong glovework added into the equation, Wong has played at about a 2-WAR rate to start his career. Surely, both he and the team will hope that he can build off of that as he matures. Even if he doesn’t develop into a sturdy everyday regular, he figures to represent a heavily-used and readily platoon-able option at second.

Indeed, the club already has a platoon mate on hand in the righty-swinging Jedd Gyorko, who is controllable through 2020 (the final season via option). He has fared much better against opposing southpaws over his first several seasons in the majors. The Cards added Gyorko earlier this winter from the Padres, taking over his prior extension (with about a fifth of the tab staying on San Diego’s books).

It remains to be seen precisely how playing time will be allocated — Gyorko could, at least in theory, also spend time at first with Matt Carpenter entrenched at third — but the club certainly now has infield options moving forward. By locking up Wong now, before he has a chance to boost his earning power and shorten his free agent timeline in the coming season, St. Louis will lock in a quality player at a reasonable rate of pay. For Wong, of course, the deal represents a chance to secure earnings now rather than rolling the dice year-to-year.

Ultimately, it’s not clear how much room for growth there is in Wong’s game. He walks and strikes out just a bit under the league average rates, with a career ISO that’s right at the mean for his position. Most of his other batted-ball results stand at or near that of a league-average player, and he never exactly set the world on fire in the minors. He’s certainly justified his former status as a first-round pick and top-100 prospect, but probably isn’t ticketed for stardom.

Of course, the Cards don’t need Wong to play at a superstar level to justify this commitment, and the Gyorko acquisition seems to suggest they don’t really expect it, either. There aren’t many direct comparables for the deal, but the most recent at the second base position is the four-year, $20MM extension reached by the Twins and Brian Dozier last winter. That contract only covered his arbitration eligibility, and represented the heightened arb earning ability in his power bat.

A better comp, though, might be found in another deal last winter: center fielder Adam Eaton’s five-year, $23.5MM pact with the White Sox, which came with two club options. That contract has long looked like a nice get for the team, and today’s deal only adds to that impression. Wong understandably fell shy of the six-year, $50MM+ guarantees landed by two other 2+ service-time players in recent years, Carpenter and Jason Kipnis, each of whom were coming off of much bigger seasons when they signed their deals.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported the agreement on Twitter. SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reported financial terms (all links to Twitter), while ESPN.com’s Mark Saxon had the term of the deal and its lack of a no-trade clause (Twitter links).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Blue Jays, Edwin Encarnacion Begin Preliminary Extension Talks

By Steve Adams | March 2, 2016 at 5:35pm CDT

The Blue Jays and first baseman/designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion met today to begin the process of exploring an extension, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. The Rep 1 Baseball client has gone on record recently to express his desire to remain with Toronto. The 33-year-old told the Toronto media last week that ideally, he would finish his career with the Blue Jays, as Davidi notes within his column.

Encarnacion is wrapping up a contract extension that guaranteed him $27MM from the 2013-15 seasons and included a $10MM club option for the upcoming 2016 campaign. That option “decision” was a no-brainer for the Blue Jays after Encarnacion batted .277/.372/.557 with 39 home runs in 146 games. That type of elite production has become par for the course for Encarnacion, who, like teammate Jose Bautista, experienced a late breakout in Toronto and has now blossomed into one of baseball’s premier power hitters. Dating back to the 2012 season, Encarnacion has batted .274/.371/.549, averaging 38 home runs and 28 doubles per season. And, unlike many prolific home run hitters, Encarnacion boasts one of the lowest strikeout rates in the league; across that four-year span, he’s punched out at just a 13.8 percent rate while walking in 12.5 percent of his plate appearances.

As such, despite his advanced age and limited defensive value, Encarnacion would be among the most in-demand free agents on next year’s open market were he to reach free agency. Defensively limited sluggers like Nelson Cruz and Victor Martinez have secured significant four-year extensions beginning with their age-34 and age-36 seasons, respectively, and Encarnacion’s camp would have an easy case to surpass those $57MM (Cruz) and $68MM (Martinez) contracts with ease. He’ll be two years younger than was Martinez at the time of his signing (without a recent knee surgery under his belt), and he has a considerably more consistent track record than Cruz did upon entering the open market (without a recent PED suspension on his record).

Encarnacion would be a lock to receive and reject a qualifying offer in the event that an extension cannot be brokered, and if the Jays endure an unexpected collapse and find themselves well out of the race come late July, Encarnacion could fetch a considerable haul on the summer trade market. All of that is to say that Toronto isn’t in danger of losing Encarnacion for nothing, but with him and Bautista both eligible for free agency following the season, there’s likely a sense of urgency to get something completed. Recent extension talks with Bautista may have increased the Jays’ motivation to work something out with Encarnacion, as Bautista reportedly sought a deal spanning more than five years and exceeding $150MM in total value (though his reported target in terms of annual value was under $30MM per year). Bautista plainly stated that he wasn’t interested in negotiating beyond the point of naming his asking price, making a long-term deal between the two sides seem unlikely.

Knowing that one of the cornerstones of their offense could very well be embarking on his final season with the team, the Blue Jays could feel some pressure to lock in a new deal with their other franchise slugger. Any talks between the two sides will need to be wrapped up before the conclusion of Spring Training, as Encarnacion has said that he doesn’t want talks to linger into the regular season.

Aroldis Chapman Receives 30-Game Suspension

By Jeff Todd | March 1, 2016 at 3:00pm CDT

Newly-acquired Yankees reliever Aroldis Chapman has been hit with a thirty-game suspension arising out of an investigation into domestic violence allegations, Billy Witz of the New York Times reports (links to Twitter).

The power lefty will not appeal the decision, which is the first issued by commissioner Rob Manfred under the domestic violence agreement entered into between MLB and the player’s association. In a statement, Manfred said that he determined Chapman’s behavior on the night in question to be “inappropriate … particularly his use of a firearm and the impact of that behavior on his partner.” He also expressed that he is pleased that Chapman chose to take responsibility and forgo an appeal.

In his own statement, Chapman confirmed that he will not appeal. (Via Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, on Facebook.) He continued: “I want to be clear, I did not in any way harm my girlfriend that evening. However, I should have exercised better judgment with respect to certain actions, and for that I am sorry.” In deciding against appeal, said Chapman, he sought “to minimize the distractions that an appeal would cause the Yankees, my new teammates and most importantly, my family.”

The outcome represents an important marker as Major League Baseball seeks to be proactive in addressing the types of domestic violence incidents that have recently plagued the NFL. Certainly, it sets a notable precedent as the league goes on to consider the case of Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes, who is currently set for trial after allegedly striking his wife. Reyes was recently placed on paid leave while his case is resolved.

For its part, the MLBPA expressed support for Chapman’s “decision to forgo his right to an appeal” in a written statement. It noted that the union “and its members do not condone the mistreatment of others by playing or non-playing personnel,” but nevertheless “remains committed to protecting and ensuring the rights granted to Players” in the domestic violence policy.

Needless to say, it’s been an eventful winter for the Cuban fireballer, who was reportedly ticketed for the Dodgers until the swap was scuttled. Reports later emerged that he had been involved in a dispute with his girlfriend at his residence. He was not arrested at the time, and charges were not brought, but the league pursued an investigation under its new protocol.

Chapman was ultimately shipped from the Reds to the Yankees at a discounted rate. He avoided arbitration for $11.325MM, but he’ll lose $1.856MM of that sum over the life of his punishment. The length of the suspension will not, however, be enough to prevent the ace reliever from qualifying for free agency after the coming season. Chapman will be eligible to participate in Spring Training games, per the report. He will, however, be required to submit to ongoing meetings with a treatment board and could be required to submit to counseling and forfeiture of weapons (including firearms).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Royals, Salvador Perez Agree To Extension

By Jeff Todd | March 1, 2016 at 10:27am CDT

The Royals have officially agreed to a new contract with catcher Salvador Perez. The deal covers six years for the Beverly Hills Sports Council client, including the coming season, and does not include any options. It guarantees three preexisting club options and adds two new seasons at the back end, with a total guarantee of $52.5MM.

All told, then, Perez will be promised the payouts contemplated in his original extension in addition to receiving $36MM in new money. Part of that comes in the form of a $6MM signing bonus, so there’s some added cash coming to Perez up front. His new 2017 salary will be $3MM, and he’ll earn $7.5MM and then $10MM in the two seasons to follow before taking home $13MM annually in the two new years covered by the deal.

A contract restructuring has long been said to be in the works between the sides. Perez was playing under an early-career deal that allowed the club to control him through 2019, via club options, for the relatively meager sum of $16.5MM. The original contract, negotiated by his prior agents, promised him just $7MM over five years, though of course it was reached before he had even logged a full season in the majors.

While many players have worked out second extensions after originally signing team-friendly pacts, Perez’s situation was rather unique. His first deal turned out to be unusually tilted in the club’s favor, leaving him with little leverage and no contractual protection for the years to come. Though Perez won’t receive the kind of lengthy, high-dollar commitment that some others have achieved — most of them, superstar-level performers — the new deal represents a notable achievement under the circumstances.

With the agreement, Kansas City will be committed to Perez through his age-31 season. That’s still relatively youthful, of course, but the big-framed backstop has already logged 545 games behind the dish through his first five campaigns. That’s only increased over time, as he’s averaged 143 games over the past three seasons.

Of course, that workload also goes to show Perez’s durability. He’s battled through plenty of dings and dents along the way, providing ample proof of his willingness to push his body for the club. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be given some more opportunities for rest over the coming seasons, but certainly the club has a vested interest in ensuring his longevity.

Since taking over as the full-time receiver in 2013, Perez has compiled a .270/.297/.420 slash line with 17 home runs annually. He’s declined over the past two years to a below-average overall contributor at the plate, but has certainly shown the ability to put up at least league-average production offensively. Of course, Perez shines most notably with the mask on, as he has consistently rated as a quality defender in terms of blocking and throwing. He isn’t well loved by framing metrics, though obviously that doesn’t account for his game management abilities and broader contributions on and off the field.

All told, there’s plenty of risk in the deal for the defending champion Royals, particularly given that the organization already enjoyed risk-free contract control for three more seasons. But it’s hard not to appreciate the commitment to a player who has had a major role in the team’s recent rise to prominence.

The move represents the latest investment in what’s proven to be a busy offseason for K.C. The club had already struck a significant pact to keep star left fielder Alex Gordon, signed a big contract with free agent righty Ian Kennedy, inked reliever Joakim Soria, brought back another arm in Chris Young, and added yet another rehabbing starter in Mike Minor. It also worked out arbitration-only extensions with Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas, though it remains to be seen whether lengthier pacts can be struck with either of those players or fellow young stalwarts Eric Hosmer and Alcides Escobar.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network first reported that a deal was close and added details on the contract structure (links to Twitter). Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports said the deal was done and reported information on its value and allocation (links to Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (in a tweet) and Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com (also on Twitter) added details on the breakdown.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rangers Sign Ian Desmond

By Steve Adams | February 29, 2016 at 8:33am CDT

Ian Desmond’s drawn out free agency has come to a close, as the Rangers announced today that they’ve signed Desmond to a one-year contract that reportedly guarantees the longtime National $8MM for the 2016 campaign. Desmond, a client of Sports One Athlete Management, will reportedly serve as the everyday left fielder in Texas despite a lack of experience at the position, and the Rangers indeed announced him an an “infielder/outfielder” in their press release. Right-hander Tanner Scheppers has been placed on the 60-day disabled list in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for Desmond.

Critics will be quick to point out that Desmond infamously turned down a seven-year, $107MM extension with the Nationals in the 2013-14 offseason. While Desmond undoubtedly has some financial regrets about doing so, the money he apparently left on the table isn’t quite as much as many would assume at first glance. For starters, that contract included his final two arbitration years with the Nats, during which time he earned $17.5MM anyway. Secondly, the contract was also said to include deferred money (as has been the case with virtually every significant Nationals contract offer in recent history due to their ongoing television rights fees battle), further deflating the value of the deal. While Desmond unquestionably comes out behind for the time being, he’ll hope for a big year in Texas and a significantly better result in free agency next offseason.

Throughout the offseason, there’s been talk that Desmond could draw interest from clubs at a position other than shortstop, though there were a number of obstacles that seemed to be standing between Desmond and an agreement with the Rangers. For starters, Texas has repeatedly been said to be averse to adding further payroll, as they’re already looking at what projects to be a club-record payroll north of $145MM. Beyond that, the Rangers will have to surrender the No. 19 overall pick in the 2016 draft in order to sign Desmond. However, if the Rangers make Desmond a qualifying offer next offseason and he turns it down to sign elsewhere, Texas can recoup a first-round pick.

The Rangers picked up the No. 30 overall selection in the draft when Yovani Gallardo signed with Baltimore, though, so they will still have a relatively high draft pick even after coughing up their top selection for Desmond. In turn, the Nationals will now gain the No. 29 overall selection as compensation for the loss of Desmond, who turned down a $15.8MM qualifying offer at the onset of free agency.

That decision, of course, will be scrutinized as well, though it’s easy enough to see why Desmond would bet on himself in free agency. He finished the season one home run shy of delivering his fourth consecutive 20-homer campaign, displaying rare power for a shortstop. And while Desmond’s overall batting line was dragged down by a dismal first half, he did rebound with a .262/.331/.446 second half, during which he homered a dozen times and stole eight bases. Desmond’s defense also came under fire in 2015, but an abnormally large number of his errors (nine) came within the first two weeks of the season, and his glovework settled down from that point forward. While he’s not an elite defender at short, consensus on Desmond has been that he could handle the position, and his bat has typically overshadowed any defensive questions.

It’s easy to say that Desmond “should” have accepted the qualifying offer with the benefit of hindsight, but looking at the matter from a more objective standpoint, it’s often difficult to tell which free agents will thrive in spite of a qualifying offer and which will be hamstrung by the associated draft pick compensation. For instance, at the time qualifying offers were extended, there was little questioning whether Desmond should accept or reject. Even coming off a down season, many expected that Desmond would still secure a solid multi-year pact; conversely, there was an enormous amount of discussion as to whether or not right-hander Ian Kennedy should accept. Kennedy, like Desmond, had a dreadful run early in the season before righting the ship, but most felt it was a mistake for him to test the open market. In the end, though, he landed a five-year, $70MM contract with an opt-out clause — a staggering contract and a firm reminder that predicting the manner in which a qualifying offer will impact a player is no easy feat.

Desmond, then, will end up as yet another data point in CBA negotiations when the MLBPA and the league address the qualifying offer system in the upcoming wave of collective bargaining negotiations. This offseason, the likes of Desmond, Dexter Fowler and Howie Kendrick were all undoubtedly impacted by the draft picks attached to their names in free agency. In previous winters, players like Nelson Cruz, Ervin Santana and Kyle Lohse have each seen their stock dragged down by the qualifying offer as well. There’s a common refrain calling for players to simply accept the qualifying offer, but players spend a minimum of six years (usually more) working toward free agency for the right to no longer be beholden to one-year contracts, and the intent of the qualifying offer was never to drive down the stock of players, but rather to provide teams with compensation for losing their best Major League assets. In that light, the adverse impact on players has indeed been a negative (albeit likely unintended) byproduct.

Earlier this month, we heard that the White Sox, Rays, and Rockies all reached out to Desmond’s camp in recent weeks. In January, the Padres were reportedly giving heavy consideration to signing Desmond before inking Alexei Ramirez. Now, as is often the case with free agents that linger on the market, Desmond will end up with a team that didn’t even appear to be a fit, on paper. However, with Josh Hamilton opening the season on the disabled list, the Rangers saw an opportunity to add a bat with some upside at a relatively low price and will take the chance on Desmond’s glove converting to the outfield at an acceptable level as they look to defend their AL West title.

FOX’s Ken Rosenthal first reported the agreement and the terms (links to Rosenthal on Twitter). MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reported (also via Twitter) that Desmond had passed his physical.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Indians To Sign Juan Uribe

By Jeff Todd | February 28, 2016 at 11:27am CDT

FEB. 28, 11:27am: The Indians announced that the signing is official. He’ll earn a base salary of $4MM with another $1.5MM available via performance bonuses, as Jordan Bastian of MLB.com tweets.

FEB. 24, 7:34pm: Uribe’s base salary with the Indians is $4MM, Olney tweets. He can earn more via incentives.

5:31pm: Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets that the Indians are working through some visa issues with Uribe, and his contract is still pending a physical.

FEB. 19: The Indians have reached agreement on a deal with free agent third baseman Juan Uribe, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. Uribe will earn just under $5MM in the deal, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports on Twitter.

This match-up has long been rumored, so the reports don’t come as much of a surprise. But there still may be a few days to wait for official word, as several reports suggest that Uribe will need some time to obtain visa clearance. He still needs to complete a physical to make the deal official.

Uribe will turn 37 in March, but he’s shown no signs of slowing down in recent years. Coming off of a pair of rough campaigns in 2011-12, Uribe has run off three consecutive stellar efforts. Over 1,227 plate appearances since, he owns a .281/.329/.432 slash with 35 home runs.

Of course, Uribe is known more for his glove — and dynamic clubhouse presence — than for his bat. Once a high-quality middle infielder, Uribe has settled in as a top-shelf third baseman in recent seasons. Both UZR and DRS saw a dip in his glovework last year, but he was still a firmly average option and may well have some big contributions left.

It remains to be seen just how heavily Cleveland will rely on the veteran, but odds are he’ll see plenty of action. The club still has 24-year-old Giovanny Urshela on hand, of course, and he showed a quality glove at the hot corner last year. He wasn’t much use at the plate, but did have a strong 2014 campaign at Triple-A and could certainly have some growth ahead of him.

A strict platoon between Uribe and Urshela doesn’t make immediate sense given that both hit from the right side. It could be, then, that the younger player heads off for more seasoning to start the year. Jose Ramirez, a switch-hitter who’s generally been better against right-handed pitching, could be the more promising part-time tandem piece for the Indians — particularly since he doesn’t figure to spend much time filling in up the middle with Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis locked into everyday roles.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Indians’ Abraham Almonte Suspended 80 Games For Failed PED Test

By Steve Adams | February 26, 2016 at 3:11pm CDT

The Indians announced today that center fielder Abraham Almonte has received an 80-game suspension from Major League Baseball after testing positive for a banned substance (Boldenone, per a statement from MLB).

While he’s far from a household name, Almonte quietly enjoyed a strong 51-game run with the Indians this past season after being acquired from the Padres in exchange for left-hander Marc Rzepczynski. The switch-hitter batted .264/.321/.455 across 196 plate appearances with Cleveland, adding five homers, six steals and quality defensive contributions. He had been projected to get the bulk of the club’s playing time in center field.

For Cleveland, the loss of Almonte for half of the regular season further thins out what was already a questionable outfield picture. The Indians did reportedly bring veteran outfielder Will Venable into camp on a minor league deal today, but the team’s outfield depth chart is still perilously thin. Michael Brantley figures to begin the season on the disabled list, leaving the Indians with Rajai Davis, Collin Cowgill and Lonnie Chisenhall as its primary options on the 40-man roster (plus Venable and fellow non-roster invitees Shane Robinson, Michael Choice and Robbie Grossman).

The Indians have recently been tied to Austin Jackson but were said recently to be done spending on Major League free agents with their payroll nearly maxed out. Almonte’s suspension won’t provide Cleveland with any sort of financial relief, as he is not yet arbitration-eligible, but one has to wonder whether his absence will motivate the team to take some action on the free agent market. Jackson is the top name available, though other outfield options that have yet to sign include David Murphy, David DeJesus, Marlon Byrd, Alex Rios and former Indians cornerstone Grady Sizemore.

Dan Duquette, Agent Casey Close Comment On Dexter Fowler Situation

By Steve Adams | February 25, 2016 at 6:31pm CDT

Fans and media members alike were shocked this morning when the Cubs announced that they had re-signed Dexter Fowler to a one-year deal, just days after the Baltimore media and a number of national reporters broke the news of a three-year agreement between Fowler and the Orioles. Fowler’s agent, Casey Close of Excel Sports Management, vehemently denies that an agreement was ever in place, however, and even went so far as to say that the two sides were ever even nearing a deal. Close felt strongly enough about what he terms “irresponsible behavior” on the team’s behalf to issue a release with the following statement:

“In my 25 years in this business, never before have I witnessed such irresponsible behavior on so many fronts. Both the Orioles front office and members of the media were so busy recklessly spreading rumors that they forgot or simply chose not to concern themselves with the truth. The Orioles’ willful disregard of collectively bargained rules governing free agency and the media’ eager complicity in helping the Orioles violate those rules are reprehensible. Dexter Fowler never reached agreement with the Orioles and did not come close to signing with the club; any suggestion otherwise is only a continuation of an already disturbing trend.”

Close’s comments are among the most scathing public-facing remarks from an agent or executive that I can recall seeing, and his clear intent is to communicate that his agency in no way contributed to any reports of Fowler’s alleged agreement with Baltimore. That, then, would imply that the information (or, rather, misinformation) came from the team’s side of the equation, though executive vice president and general manager Dan Duquette said today at Yovani Gallardo’s introductory press conference that he was never under the impression that a deal was in place. Via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko:

“We made a very competitive offer,” Duquette explained. “There was not an agreement to terms because they kept insisting on an opt-out. I don’t see, club ownership doesn’t see the value in that type of arrangement to the Orioles. If we are going to guarantee a contract, it should be a contract.”

The Orioles have reportedly been staunchly against opt-out clauses throughout the duration of the offseason, and while initial reports of talks with both Gallardo and Fowler included mention of opt-out provisions, the ultimately reported agreements (and, in Gallardo’s case, announced agreement) did not include opt-out clauses. Notably, Kubtako writes that while the Orioles will not publicly acknowledge that they believed an agreement to be in place, “multiple sources within the organization” confirmed to him earlier this week that there was an agreement in place, and other reporters followed suit with confirmation of the agreement.

Beyond all of that, the arguable face of the Orioles’ franchise, Adam Jones, went on record with multiple reporters (including ESPN’s Jayson Stark and the Baltimore Sun’s Eduardo A. Encina) discussing his excitement over the addition of Fowler. Jones went so far as to say that he spoke to Fowler himself. “I spoke to him,” Jones told Stark. “He’s excited. He should be on his way here now.” Whatever belief that the Orioles had that an agreement with Fowler had been reached, it trickled down out of the front office. And, if Jones’ comments are accurate, it would seem that Fowler himself at least seemed optimistic about the possibility of a deal being consummated.

What isn’t clear, then, is what specifically led those who believed a deal had been struck to come to that conclusion. Duquette’s comments today signified that the opt-out clause was a persistent sticking point from Fowler’s camp, and it should be noted that Close/Excel are the leaders in the opt-out charge; Close represents Zack Greinke, Masahiro Tanaka, Clayton Kershaw and Jason Heyward — each of whom has secured an opt-out clause in recent contracts (multiple opt-outs, in Heyward’s case). As such, it seems reasonable to expect that an opt-out clause was indeed a longstanding request from Fowler’s camp. However, reports today characterized the insistence on an opt-out as a last-minute wrench thrown into talks, thus serving as the impetus for Fowler’s return to Chicago.

Clearly, there’s no benefit for either involved party to have word of a deal leak out when it isn’t true, but something appears to have either been lost in translation during negotiations or been altered late in the game. The definitive level of transparency required to know exactly what transpired — if that level of clarity even exists one way or the other — isn’t likely to ever be publicly available, however.

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