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Orioles Have Interest In Fowler, Bruce, Alvarez

By Steve Adams | February 11, 2016 at 9:40pm CDT

FEB. 11, 9:37pm: Cincinnati thinks that the O’s do have the young talent needed to put together a deal for Bruce, Jon Heyman tweets. Baltimore will probably add at least one additional bat, he adds.

8:08am: At least one Orioles official prefers Fowler to Gallardo, writes Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun, but it appears that the overall consensus among Baltimore decision-makers is that a run at Fowler is contingent on first agreeing to terms with Gallardo.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post, meanwhile, tweets that the Orioles considered a combination of Alvarez and Yoenis Cespedes as a fallback to signing Chris Davis at one point, so it stands to reason that the club does still have some interest in Alvarez. Sherman also tweets that the Orioles feel that freeing Alvarez from the need to worry about his fielding could turn him into their own version of a Kendrys Morales-esque slugger at DH. (Of course, that would shift Trumbo to right field, creating some defensive issues.) Sherman tweets that the Orioles would like to add one more lefty bat to the mix, echoing reports that Alvarez, Fowler and Bruce are all in play.

FEB. 10, 5:17pm: ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that the Orioles are interested in something in the vicinity of Howie Kendrick’s two-year, $20MM with regard to Fowler (links to Twitter). He also hears that there’s been at least informal dialogue between the two sides recently.

4:29pm: The Orioles are reportedly nearing an agreement with right-hander Yovani Gallardo, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that if that deal is ultimately finalized, it might only mark the beginning of Baltimore’s late-season maneuvering (links to Twitter). Signing Gallardo would require forfeiture of the team’s No. 14 overall draft pick, and if Baltimore surrenders that pick, the team would be willing to part with the 29th overall selection (its second overall pick, received as compensation for Wei-Yin Chen signing with the Marlins) to add Fowler to the mix. The Orioles also have interest in a trade for Reds right fielder Jay Bruce and interest in free agent Pedro Alvarez, according to Rosenthal. MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko tweets that he, too, has heard that the Orioles would be willing to part with their second pick for Fowler, though not everyone in the front office is in agreement on that front.

Fowler, 29, is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, having batted .250/.346/.411 with a career-high 17 home runs and 20 stolen bases (the second-highest single-season total of his career). The Orioles have a notable need in the outfield, as mainstay Adam Jones is the only surefire source of production in the current group. Korean slugger Hyun-Soo Kim has the upside to be an everyday left fielder, based on his track record in the KBO, but he’s untested in Major League waters. The right field picture is even murkier, with Nolan Reimold, Ryan Flaherty and Mark Trumbo as 40-man options and non-roster invitees L.J. Hoes, Xavier Avery and Alfredo Marte also in the mix. Trumbo, though, profiles more as a designated hitter and has traditionally been a defensive liability in the outfield.

Trumbo may, in fact, have to play in the outfield were the Orioles to sign Alvarez and give him a regular role, as he’d be limited to DH, leaving Trumbo and Chris Davis as options at first base and in right field. Alvarez could, in theory, be a platoon option at DH, with Trumbo handling right field against right-handed pitchers and slotting in at designated hitter with a lefty on the mound.

Bruce, 29 in April, is coming off his second straight disappointing season after a poor finish to the 2015 campaign dragged down his numbers on the year. Bruce was batting .260/.342/.492 as of Aug. 1, but he limped to a .173/.214/.345 finish across his final 59 games, leaving him with an overall batting line of .226/.294/.434 line. Bruce did mash 26 home runs — the fifth time in the past six seasons that he’s hit 25 or more. He’s owed $12.5MM in 2016 and has a $13MM club option ($1MM buyout) for the 2017 season on his contract as well.

Adding Fowler, in particular, would make some sense for the Orioles, as he’d be a defensive and offensive upgrade over their current options in right field. The fit between the two sides has been addressed in multiple editions of the MLBTR Podcast and once again this week in the MLBTR Mailbag, when I opined that Fowler represents an even more substantial upgrade to the Orioles’ internal options than does Gallardo. The downside, of course, is that the Orioles already possess one of baseball’s weakest farm systems (indeed, Rosenthal notes that Baltimore may not even have enough prospect capital to entice the Reds to part with Bruce). Parting with the top two picks in their 2016 draft would only further deplete the team’s chances of re-stocking the farm and could prove costly as the rest of the roster ages. Then again, the Orioles could potentially recoup draft picks in the event that they make qualifying offers to Gallardo and/or Fowler, should either perform well and be eligible to enter the open market again next winter (either via one-year contract or an opt-out clause, as is reportedly being discussed with Gallardo).

Royals Reach Two-Year Extension With Mike Moustakas

By Jeff Todd | February 11, 2016 at 8:52pm CDT

The Royals are closing in on a two-year deal with third baseman Mike Moustakas, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports (Twitter links), with Jon Heyman tweeting that it’s a done deal. He is expected to be guaranteed $14.3MM in the contract, per Flanagan, with $5.6MM coming in 2016 and $8.7MM for the following year.

With the move, Kansas City has avoided an arbitration hearing with the 27-year-old and precluded any need for future arb negotiations. Moustakas could still partake in long-term talks, of course, but this agreement buys up all of his remaining arbitration eligibility without adding any team control.

In that regard, Moustakas joins teammate Lorenzo Cain in locking in a raise but failing to reach a lengthier accommodation with the reigning World Series champs. Josh Donaldson, J.D. Martinez, and A.J. Pollock are other prominent players who have landed two-year, arb-only pacts as a way to help bridge 2016 salary disputes.

The $5.6MM price point set for the coming season represents the exact midpoint between the sides’ $7MM and $4.2MM filing figures. And it lands just a shade below the $5.7MM salary that MLBTR projected earlier in the winter. Moustakas, a client of the Boras Corporation, had earned $2.64MM in his first turn at the arb process last year.

Moustakas was long considered a significant prospect, but largely disappointed in his first four years in the majors. But a late surge for the surprising 2014 Royals raised hopes that he’d found his groove, and his 2015 campaign suggests he did. Moustakas not only turned in another strong defensive campaign, but surged to a .284/.348/.470 slash and career-high 22 home runs in a performance that dwarfed anything he’d done previously.

With age and glovework on his side, a repeat of that strong effort won’t be needed for K.C. to make out on this new contract. But there’s every hope that Moustakas has matured at the plate and established a new performance baseline, having decreased his reliance on pulling the ball and found success against left-handed pitching.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Blue Jays, Josh Donaldson Reach Two-Year Extension

By Jeff Todd | February 10, 2016 at 11:52am CDT

The Blue Jays have announced a two-year, $28.65MM deal with star third baseman Josh Donaldson. He’ll earn $11.65MM in 2016 and $17MM for the following year.

The sides had been set for arbitration, with Donaldson filing at $11.8MM and the team countering at $11.35MM. While the gulf between those numbers is obviously a pittance compared to the overall value involved, the Jays employ a “trial and file” strategy that made a hearing inevitable after numbers were swapped — barring a multi-year deal. The sides could have worked out a deal to buy out all of Donaldson’s remaining arb years — he was a Super Two last year and is under control through 2018 via arbitration — if not a yet longer pact to lock up some free agent seasons, but chose the more straightforward option.

Fresh off of an American League MVP award, Donaldson had enormous earning power at the arb table. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz broke down his case in January, noting that the projected $12MM salary would have represented a record $7.7MM raise. Obviously, both team and player agreed that was a bit more than was warranted, though even the Jays were willing to pay the same bump that the prior record holder received (Chris Davis, with a $7.05MM raise).

The new deal not only rewards Donaldson for his monster 2015 season with a nice salary in the coming season, but also promises him a second huge payday. It’s less than he might have earned with another strong season — and much less than a repeat MVP effort would have brought — but significantly reduces his risk in exchange for some potential cost savings and certainty to the club.

Donaldson, who came over from the A’s last winter, went to a hearing with his new club before he ever suited up. The club won, with Donaldson settling for $4.3MM — a fair sight shy of the $5.75MM that he sought. Of course, he’s now more than made up for it with this new deal.

There certainly weren’t any lingering effects from that adversarial proceeding on Donaldson, who exceeded already-high expectations last year. The MVP tab was well deserved, as the 30-year-old delivered a .297/.371/.568 slash and 41 home runs, helping to lead Toronto to an AL East pennant. With typically stellar defense mixed in, Donaldson tallied 8.8 rWAR and 8.7 fWAR.

Something of a late-bloomer, Donaldson represents a tough decision as a long-term extension candidate. There’s little chance he’d take a significant discount to give away free agent years, but he’s already under control through his age-32 season and has every right to demand a premium payday.

Toronto is, of course, already examining the possibility of buying up seasons of sluggers in their mid-30s, as pending free agents Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista are on the docket for extension talks this spring. Having Donaldson’s salary for 2017 already on the books certainly removes a variable, though balancing the long-term checkbook still seems a matter that will require some care.

Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reported the agreement and approximate value. Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reported the precise guarantee (via the Washington Post).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

White Sox Sign Mat Latos

By Jeff Todd | February 9, 2016 at 3:04pm CDT

The White Sox have officially added free agent righty Mat Latos on a one-year, $3MM pact. It’s a straight guaranteed deal with no incentives or options.

Latos has long appeared to be one of the better bounceback options on this year’s market, as he’s only just turned 28 and has established a rather lofty ceiling in the majors. The Bledsoe Agency client does come with some health concerns after dealing with elbow issues and tallying just 218 2/3 innings over the past two seasons, but he was largely healthy after an early DL stint in 2015.

Clubs are often willing to give more significant guarantees to such players — Justin Masterson, for instance, got $9.5MM from the Red Sox and Doug Fister just secured $7MM from the Astros. Low-base, high-incentive deals are another popular option; to take but one recent example, Bronson Arroyo received $6MM worth of upside in his deal with the Nationals (if he cracks the major league roster).

In the case of Latos, though, it seems there may have been some hesitation about adding a player who has developed a questionable reputation in prior clubhouses. It doesn’t help that he scuffled badly down the stretch with both the Dodgers and Angels, of course, but it remains notable that Latos fell so far shy of expectations — $12MM on a one-year deal, in the estimation of MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes — in a market that paid out so much for pitching. It was just last winter that the Marlins gave up a solid young pitching prospect for the rights to employ Latos at what turned out to be a $9.4MM salary.

By taking on some risk, but making only a limited commitment, the White Sox seem to have made a worthy gamble to bolster their rotation. The staff’s top three looks quite strong, but as August Fagerstrom of Fangraphs notes, John Danks and Erik Johnson are an underwhelming duo behind that group and there isn’t much depth to speak of. Fagerstrom was explaining why a move for Yovani Gallardo might make sense, but that would seem rather unlikely after today’s move.

Of course, the addition of Latos represents quite a different proposition than that of a player such as Gallardo, whose main claim to free agent earnings comes from durability and solid innings. But gambling on the still-youthful righty is arguably a better allocation of resources for a club that’s already committed to exceed its 2015 Opening Day payroll and still has other areas to improve.

Latos has every incentive to get himself back on track, and the upside is significant. Other than his struggles as a rookie and his troubles last year, the big righty has been a major contributor. In over 900 innings between 2010 and 2014, he logged a 3.27 ERA with 8.2 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9.

Looking more closely at his efforts last year, it’s easy to see cause to look past an unsightly 4.95 ERA. All major ERA estimators valued him as a sub-4.00 pitcher, and he not only recovered velocity from 2014, but improved over his early-season results as the year wore on. Latos posed a swinging strike rate (9.9%) that lines up with his earlier years’ work. Of course, the finish left much to be desired, but on the whole there’s plenty to roll the dice on.

ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick first reported the signing on Twitter. Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago had the value via Twitter. SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo noted (on Twitter) that no incentives or options were included.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Astros Win Arbitration Hearing Against Jason Castro

By Jeff Todd | February 9, 2016 at 12:32pm CDT

The Astros have defeated catcher Jason Castro in their arbitration hearing, Jon Heyman reports on Twitter. He’ll earn $5MM for the coming season after filing at $5.25MM.

This dispute seemed to be one of principle, as practicalities would have suggested a compromise with just $250K at issue. Castro had been projected by MLBTR to earn only $4.6MM in his final season of arb eligibility, and Houston seemingly felt it had already gone high enough in its negotiations. Indeed, the team reportedly took a “file and trial” stance with respect to his case.

Castro earned $4MM last year but turned in a disappointing overall campaign. Despite carrying a rare left-handed bat for a backstop, and receiving near-regular playing time in the prior two seasons, he only took 375 plate appearances. Already coming off of a down 2014, Castro did not post the hoped-for turnaround. All told, since his breakout 2013 campaign, he owns a .217/.284/.365 slash with 25 home runs.

There’s cause to think there could be more in the tank, of course. Castro has shown an average to above-average bat in prior campaigns, and did manage a useful .219/.299/.408 batting line against right-handed pitching last year. His strikeout rate remains a concern, but he’s succeeded with big K numbers before, and might be in line for some positive regression after posting a .280 BABIP.

Castro has also turned himself into a highly-regarded defender — see here for one recent evaluation from a statistical perspective, and read this on his framing. As a defensively-proficient, lefty-swinging receiver, he doesn’t need to do much with the bat to justify a prominent role, and the glove gives him a nice floor. Castro should still more than justify his salary, and his good power (.154 ISO in 2015) leaves some room for upside.

Diamondbacks, A.J. Pollock Agree To Two-Year Extension

By Jeff Todd | February 9, 2016 at 9:33am CDT

TODAY: Pollock will receive annual salaries of $3.5MM and $6.75MM, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.

YESTERDAY: The Diamondbacks have struck a two-year deal to avoid arbitration with outfielder A.J. Pollock, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports on Twitter. He’ll receive $10.25MM in the contract, Buster Olney of ESPN adds (Twitter link).

Pollock filed at $3.9MM, with the team countering at $3.65MM — both of which fell below his $4.3MM projection — so there wasn’t much room for movement on his 2016 salary. But Arizona may have saved a bit of cash on next year’s bill in order to help ease a settlement on this season’s payday.

And for Pollock, he won’t have to worry about injury or a performance decline sapping his earning power for 2017. Certainly, the new deal builds in a substantial raise for the burgeoning star. He’ll be promised a $3.25MM bump for the added season covered in the pact.

As a 3+ service-time player, Pollock will still have one year of arb eligibility remaining after his new deal is up. A longer-term arrangement still seems plausible for the 28-year-old, who cemented himself as the D-Backs’ center fielder with an excellent 2015 campaign. If nothing else, the major raise baked into the deal suggests that the team doesn’t expect him to fall off in the coming year.

Pollock’s signing puts a cap on a banner evening for two-year, arb-only extensions for prominent players. Josh Donaldson reportedly struck his own such arrangement with the Blue Jays, while J.D. Martinez did the same with the Tigers. In some cases, that can suggest that the sides were unable to work out something larger and settled for agreeing to terms on salaries on years already controlled. Of course, Pollock is younger than Donaldson and further from free agency than Martinez, so he remains a fairly plausible candidate to sell some free agent seasons to his current club.

Pollock turned heads in an injury-shortened 2014 in which he emerged as a premium player both at the plate and in the field. But many were waiting to see if he could repeat in a full season of action, and he delivered.

All told, Pollock contributed a .315/.367/.498 slash with 20 home runs and 39 steals over his 673 plate appearances in 2015. And he rated as one of the game’s most productive center fielders, too, significantly adding to his value. By any measure, he was one of the game’s best all-around players, and his 7.4 rWAR and 6.6 fWAR attest.

The move continues a busy offseason for Arizona, which recently added reliever Tyler Clippard to a pitching staff that was already set to gain starters Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller. While this latest contract won’t impact the organization’s roster for the coming season, or any future campaigns, it does represent another significant commitment.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tigers, J.D. Martinez Agree To Two-Year Extension

By Jeff Todd | February 8, 2016 at 7:07pm CDT

7:30pm: Martinez will receive $6.75MM this year and $11.75MM for the following campaign, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press tweets.

7:07pm: The Tigers have reportedly bought out the remaining arbitration eligibility of outfielder J.D. Martinez. The RMG Baseball client is said to have a deal in place for two years and $18.5MM.

Martinez, 28, has long been said to be discussing a long-term pact with Detroit, but it appears that the sides have settled on a deal to avoid an arbitration hearing this year and lock in a salary for 2017 as well. As MLBTR’s Matt Swartz explained earlier this winter, Martinez had an interesting arbitration case. He projected at $7.8MM and filed at $8MM, with the team countering at $6MM.

Obviously, the two-year arrangement won’t buy up any free agent years. But it will get the breakout star a guaranteed contract for both of the next two seasons. And the Tigers could well stand to save some money. Martinez was projected at a $4.8MM raise from his 2015 salary, and anything approaching his numbers from last season would have set him up for yet more in his final year of arb eligibility.

It remains to be seen whether this contract will set the stage for future talks — or, instead, represent a compromise agreement that lines Martinez up for the open market. We’ve seen several recent examples of arb-only extensions for prominent players, in large part as a mechanism to help resolve the initial year’s arbitration disagreement. Lorenzo Cain and the Royals did the same back in January.

In several other instances, new deals were never reached. Players such as Todd Frazier (Reds), Ian Desmond and Jordan Zimmermann (Nationals) were either traded or allowed to reach free agency. While further negotiations are hardly out of the question in Martinez’s case, the salary agreement does remove one major motivator for further talks.

Martinez looks to be a bargain at that rate — as would be expected given the way the arb system works. He’s been nothing short of outstanding since coming to the Tigers as a minor league free agent before the 2014 campaign. Martinez owns a composite .296/.350/.543 slash and has hit 61 home runs over 1,137 plate appearances for Detroit. It’s fair to note, too, that Martinez received positive marks in right field last year from both UZR and DRS.

Robert Murray of Baseball Essential first noted “unconfirmed rumblings” of a two-year, $18.5MM deal on Twitter. Chris Cotillo of SB Nation confirmed the deal, years, and dollars (Twitter links).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

D-Backs Sign Tyler Clippard

By Steve Adams | February 8, 2016 at 4:36pm CDT

The D-backs have officially signed right-hander Tyler Clippard to a two-year, $12.25MM contract, as first reported by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Clippard is represented by Excel Sports Management. Rosenthal further tweets that the deal is official (though the team has not announced the move just yet) and will give Clippard a $4MM signing bonus plus salaries of $4.1MM and $4.15MM in the next two seasons, respectively. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported earlier today that the two sides had made progress on a deal, and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick later added that an agreement was close.

Clippard, 31 on Sunday, will join Brad Ziegler, Daniel Hudson, Andrew Chafin, Randall Delgado and Josh Collmenter at the back of the Arizona bullpen, leaving the team with one unsettled spot. With Chafin representing the only lefty in that mix, it’s possible that Matt Reynolds or non-roster invitee Wesley Wright would have the inside track on that final spot, though GM Dave Stewart has mentioned several other relievers by name recently. Among those listed by Stewart were Silvino Bracho, Enrique Burgos, Jake Barrett, Cody Hall, Sam LeCure, Dominic Leone and Evan Marshall — each of whom is right-handed.

Ziegler, who admirably stepped into the closer’s role last offseason when Addison Reed lost his handle on the ninth inning, will remain the D-backs’ closer, according to the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro (on Twitter). Clippard, then, will join Hudson (who has shown excellent velocity as a setup option since returning from his second Tommy John surgery) as a setup man at the back of the ’pen. Clippard does have 53 career saves and spent the early portion of the 2015 campaign as Oakland’s closer before being traded to the Mets, and it seems reasonable to expect that he’d be the first line of defense should Ziegler falter.

The addition of Clippard, in some ways, mirrors the D-backs’ previous acquisition of Reed in that both are notorious fly-ball pitchers. The Diamondbacks wound up trading Reed to the Mets in what amounted to a salary dump after Reed posted a 6.36 ERA at the homer-friendly Chase Field over the course of his 18 months with the club, making the decision to replace him with an even more extreme fly-ball pitcher puzzling. Clippard is coming off the second-highest fly-ball rate of his career and will be pitching in what is the most hitter-friendly environment he’s called home (with the exception of his brief call-up at Yankee Stadium in 2007). Last season, Clippard’s 60.6 percent fly-ball rate was easily the highest in baseball, and he also saw his strikeout and walk rates also trend backwards (8.1 K/9, 3.9 BB/9) while his velocity dipped for a third consecutive year.

All that said, Clippard again delivered outstanding bottom-line results between the Athletics and the Mets in 2015, totaling a 2.92 ERA in 71 innings. He also rattled off his sixth consecutive season with at least 70 innings pitched and continued his remarkable track record of durability in the bullpen. Dating back to the 2009 season, Clippard’s 464 1/3 innings are the most by any reliever in baseball by more than 50 innings, meaning he’s essentially thrown an extra season’s worth of innings than anyone else in that time. While there’s undoubtedly some concern that the workload has taken a toll on his arm and the effects began to manifest last season, his consistency and durability is virtually unparalleled by any of his peers in the league.

Stewart said just last Thursday that the team had “nothing going on” in terms of trade talk and free-agent pursuits just last Thursday, though he changed course less than 24 hours later and expressed an interest in reaching out to Clippard’s representatives. The Diamondbacks saved about $4MM in the trade that sent Aaron Hill, Chase Anderson and Isan Diaz to the Brewers in exchange for Jean Segura and Tyler Wagner, and that sum was essentially reallocated to function as Clippard’s signing bonus (or, if you prefer, his 2016 salary). By my calculation, the Clippard signing should put the D-backs around $95MM in terms of Opening Day payroll (including players at or near the league minimum), which is shy of their record $112MM Opening Day mark from 2014 but higher than the $86MM and $83MM marks from 2015 and 2013, respectively.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Gurriel Brothers Reportedly Defect From Cuba

By Steve Adams | February 8, 2016 at 8:44am CDT

Yulieski Gurriel and his brother, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., each defected from Cuba while the Cuban National Team was in the Dominican Republic this past weekend, Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald first reported. Sources tell MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez the same — the brothers are “believed” to have defected from Cuba.Each will seek a contract with a Major League team, placing two of the most highly regarded international players on the planet in the mix for MLB clubs to pursue.

Yulieski, 31, was ranked by Baseball America’s Ben Badler as the No. 1 player remaining in Cuba. The third baseman is a career .333/.414/.577 hitter as a professional and has enjoyed success in both Cuba and, recently, Japan. The elder of the two brothers that defected (the oldest Gurriel brother, Yunieski Gurriel, apparently did not join his younger siblings) was recently allowed to play in Nippon Professional Baseball, where he batted .305/.349/.536 with 11 homers in 62 games for the Yokohama Bay Stars. Thus far in the 2015-16 Cuban season, Yulieski was batting a ludicrous .535/.604/1.012 with 10 homers in 106 plate appearances across 23 games.

Badler has previously praised Yulieski for his plus bat speed and plus raw power to all fields, drawing comparisons to David Wright and Hanley Ramirez from Badler last spring (prior to Ramirez’s poor debut season in Boston). He’s said to be an above-average defender at third base, where he’s best suited, but also capable of handling second base adequately. Previously, Yulieski has spoken to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez about his desire to play in the Major Leagues, but only if he were permitted to do so legally by the Cuban government. With today’s news, that line of thinking has seemingly changed.

Because of his age and extensive professional experience, Yulieski would be free to sign with any club for any amount once he is declared a free agent by Major League Baseball. While the fact that he turns 32 years old in June places him at a disadvantage (from an earning power standpoint) as compared to the likes of Jose Abreu, Yasmany Tomas and Rusney Castillo (each of whom was in his mid-20s upon signing), Yulieski would still seem poised to command a significant Major League deal. It’s also worth noting that Hector Olivera received a $62.5MM guarantee despite being just 15 months younger than Yulieski, and while that contract looks perhaps questionable in hindsight, it does serve to illustrate that age should not stand in the way of a notable payday.

As for Lourdes, he’s still 22 years old and won’t turn 23 until October. If he signs before his 23rd birthday, Lourdes would be subject to international bonus pools. While the exact timing of his free agency isn’t 100 percent clear — we don’t know when the league will clear him — that limitation does place some restrictions on where he could sign. If he’s declared a free agent within the current signing period, Lourdes wouldn’t be able to sign with the D-backs, Angels, Rays, Red Sox or Yankees. Should he sign after July 2, the Dodgers, Royals, Giants, Cubs and Blue Jays would join that list of restricted teams, as each has exceeded its 2015-16 spending pool. Were he to wait until after Oct. 19 to sign, Lourdes would be free to sign with any club for any amount, as his age would then meet the minimum requirements for bonus pool exemption. Given the length of time it’ll take for him to be declared a free agent in the first place, Lourdes may only have to wait a few months to be exempt from bonus pools, making it seem highly likely that he’ll ultimately go that route; the difference in his amateur signing bonus and a Major League contract could easily be an eight-figure sum.

Lourdes isn’t as accomplished as his 31-year-old brother, but he’s hit well to this point in his Cuban career, batting .269/.355/.414 in 1036 Serie Nacional plate appearances. His numbers have trended significantly upward in recent seasons, though (.854 OPS in the 2014-15 season, .924 OPS in 183 2015-16 PAs). Badler most recently labeled him an eventual 20-homer threat with good strike zone knowledge, adding that from a defensive standpoint, he might be best suited to play third base in the long run, though he’s been playing shortstop regularly for the past couple of seasons. Lourdes has experience at third base, second base and in left field, however, and it seems reasonable that different teams could have varying opinions on his proficiency at each position. Presumably, a club believing that Lourdes is capable of handling shortstop, even on a short-term basis, would prefer to play him there as long as possible, though Badler notes that his range is already a bit fringy there and could worsen as his frame fills out.

Both players, of course, will need to establish residency in a new country and be declared a free agent by Major League Baseball before clubs can officially pursue them. The amount of time it takes for those steps to occur varies on a case-by-case basis, so attempting to pin down a specific time at which they’ll be able to sign, at this juncture, would be mostly guesswork.

Blue Jays To Explore Extensions With Bautista, Encarnacion

By Jeff Todd | February 5, 2016 at 4:37pm CDT

The Blue Jays will attempt to hammer out new contracts with pending free agents Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. Toronto intends to engage with those stars’ representatives this spring, per the report.

As has previously been reported, Jays president Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins have sat down with both sluggers already this winter, though Atkins made clear to Stark that the meetings didn’t involve contract negotiations. But those chats did solidify the team’s view that it would “love to have both of them” remain in Toronto past the 2016 campaign, as Atkins put it.

“And the more we’ve learned about them, that has only increased our interest in keeping them here,” Atkins went on to say. “The challenge lies in placing a value on that and then agreeing on a contract.”

Of course, as that last line suggests, finding common ground still appears to pose a significant challenge. While both players paid off — and then some — under their prior extensions, there as many reasons for hesitation now as when they first inked big deals.

Though both players are now well entrenched among the game’s best power hitters, age is a major consideration. Bautista is already 35, while Encarnacion just hit 33. And defensive limitations also come into play. The former has begun to draw negative metrics in the outfield, while the latter is more or less limited to first base or DH duties at this point.

As MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently wrote in evaluating Bautista’s extension candidacy, those considerations would seem to make it unlikely that long-term commitments would be made to both players. Exactly how that will play into the way the Jays approach talks — for instance, whether one or the other is prioritized, or whether Toronto pursues each independently but only to a certain cost point — remains to be seen.

It does appear that Bautista, at least, is ready to engage in talks. He has spoken glowingly of the organization and indicated he’d like to finish his career there. Of course, as Ken Rosenthal discussed with Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca on a recent podcast, it is hard to see the veteran taking a truly significant discount with free agency beckoning.

You’d be hard pressed to find a better middle of the order duo that’s stayed together and been so consistently productive. Dating back to 2010, their first full season together, Bautista has slashed .268/.390/.555 and contributed 227 home runs. Encarnacion, meanwhile, has carried a .271/.358/.525 line with 189 long balls, with his output only increasing over that span.

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