Newsstand

Johnny Cueto’s Agent On Cardinals, Market

By Zachary Links | December 11, 2015 at 9:30am CDT

The Winter Meetings in Nashville are nearly through and many of the open market’s starting pitchers have found their homes for 2016 and beyond. However, one of this class’s very best, Johnny Cueto, is still searching for his big payday. Cueto is a bona fide ace with years of experience at the head of the Reds’ rotation, but a number of his expected suitors have already allocated major funds towards the top of the starting five. Even though some might have the impression that Cueto’s market is shrinking, agent Bryce Dixon told MLB Trade Rumors in a 1-on-1 interview that he doesn’t see things that way.

“You can always add an ace pitcher to your staff. All thirty teams can use a Cueto,” Dixon told MLBTR on Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee. “So, yeah, there are teams like the Diamondbacks that have added a [Zack] Greinke and a [Shelby] Miller, so maybe their appetite for him has lessened but, no, I don’t view the market as shrinking up. I’m still finding interest and there still seems to be enough out there for him to land comfortably with a team.”

So far, Cueto has yet to receive an offer that clearly separates him from the second tier of starting pitchers and Dixon says that he is comfortable in waiting. A few weeks ago, Cueto’s camp was handed a sizable offer from the Diamondbacks, one that was worth $126MM over six years, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (on Twitter). Some observers suggested that the offer was a strong one given Cueto’s second half issues and 50/50 showing in the postseason, but Dixon says that he did not discuss the offer at length with the pitcher before they turned it down.

Dixon concedes that the Diamondbacks are one club that does not have a clear fit for Cueto at this stage, but, on paper, the Cardinals do stand out as a team that would have the need and the resources required to sign the veteran. Still, some outsiders have suggested that unpleasant history between the two sides could get in the way of a union. In 2010, the Reds and Cardinals got into a brawl and, in one exchange, Cueto kicked catcher Jason LaRue in the head while wearing spikes. The impact of the kick left LaRue with concussion issues that forced him to retire at the end of the 2010 season. The brawl may still be fresh in the minds of some Cardinals fans, but the Cardinals organization has not brought up the incident in their talks with Cueto’s camp.

“I can’t speak to how the Cardinals feel. ..Obviously [Johnny] regrets how the fight went down,” Dixon told MLB Trade Rumors on Wednesday afternoon. “He’s expressed regret over it in the past. He loves pitching in the NL Central. He’s the best pitcher of our era in the NL Central. It would be a good marriage [between] Johnny and the Cardinals. I think once the fans got past the fight and they saw what a gamer Johnny is and what he could bring to the team, I think they would be able to embrace him now, though I don’t think that they’ll do that overnight.”

Dixon went on to explain that the circumstances of the brawl were complicated. Cueto was pushed up against the screen and, feeling trapped, he made a split-second reaction that he deeply regrets. For a time, the fight may have defined him as someone who is angry or violent, but those who work with and around Cueto, he says, can attest to his mellow character and positive attitude. Ultimately, Dixon can see the Cardinals being a great landing spot for his client.

“Johnny’s best friend is Brayan Pena (Pena signed a two-year deal with St. Louis this winter). Johnny would love to pitch to him and a catcher like [Yadier] Molina, so I think it would be a good fit. Whether the Cardinals step up with the necessary resources, that remains to be seen. But he has no problem towards the Cardinals and the manager of that [2010 Cardinals] team [Tony La Russa] is with the Diamondbacks organization now. He came down and met Johnny and they had no problem. It’s in the past. It’s unfortunate that it happened, but, on our side, we’ve moved on,” said Dixon.

Dixon could see Cueto forming a strong rotation alongside Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, and Carlos Martinez, but he could also envision his client looking good in Dodger blue next to Clayton Kershaw in L.A.’s rotation. Those are just two of the fits that Dixon can see for Cueto at this stage and he’s still willing to wait for what he feels is an appropriate pact. When asked to put a timetable on a Cueto signing, Dixon indicated that it could happen in a matter of minutes or a matter of weeks. One option he’s not considering at this time, however, is a one-year pillow deal to allow Cueto to cash in next winter.

“I don’t think we’re going to have to go down that road. We’ll remain flexible but I don’t anticipate something like that,” he said.

Padres Acquire Christian Bethancourt

By Steve Adams | December 10, 2015 at 7:46pm CDT

The Braves and Padres have announced a trade that will send catcher Christian Bethancourt to San Diego. Going back to Atlanta in the trade are right-hander Casey Kelly and young backstop Ricardo Rodriguez.

Bethancourt, 24, seemed likely to hit the block after the Braves added both A.J. Pierzynski and Tyler Flowers in free agency. But it wasn’t long ago that he looked to be a long-term answer behind the dish in Atlanta.

The now-former Braves backstop recently ranked among the game’s top 100 prospects but has had some offensive struggles in his exposure to the Majors and, perhaps more troubling, significant difficulties with passed balls. Scouts have given his arm an 80 (on the 20-80 scale) when evaluating him, so there aren’t major concerns about his throwing. In 278 plate appearances with Atlanta, however, Bethancourt has batted just .219/.245/.283. At the Triple-A level, he’s been far more impressive, hitting .299/.327/.435 in 583 plate appearances across the past two seasons.

Bethancourt further deepens the Padres’ stock of MLB-ready catchers, as the team also has Derek Norris and Austin Hedges in house. All three have been, at times, believed to be starting caliber catching options in the Majors, although only Norris has any sort of track record at the big league level. Hedges, like Bethancourt, is a much-ballyhooed prospect and has drawn rave reviews for his glove but didn’t hit at all in his 2015 debut, slashing .168/.215/.248 in 152 trips to the plate with San Diego. Bethancourt, though, is out of minor league options, which could give him the inside track on Hedges for making the roster in 2016.

Turning to the Braves’ return, the 26-year-old Kelly is a former Top 100 prospect himself, from 2010-13, who has seen his once-promising career slowed dramatically by injuries (including Tommy John surgery). He’ll join a stable of young, at-or-near MLB arms in the Atlanta organization.

Kelly cracked the majors last year for the first time since 2012, but spent most of the season in the high minors. All told, he permitted 5.16 earned runs per nine with 6.8 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 over 97 2/3 innings. More importantly, though, he made it through the full season and set himself up to “compete for a spot” on the Braves’ major league roster this spring, per GM John Coppolella.

Rodriguez is a 17-year-old from Venezuela who played last year at the Rookie ball level. He checked in as MLB.com’s 30th-ranked July 2 prospect in the 2014-15 international signing period and rated even higher (#21) on the Baseball America board (subscription required). Obviously he’s a long ways from the majors, but Rodriguez seems at least to have some promise as a player.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported the deal was in the works (Twitter link). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted it was nearing completion. Sherman tweeted that Kelly had been discussed. ESPN’s Jayson Stark previously reported (Twitter link) that the Padres had interest in Bethancourt.

Nationals, Angels Swap Yunel Escobar, Trevor Gott

By Steve Adams | December 10, 2015 at 6:53pm CDT

6:52pm: Around $1.5MM is headed to head to L.A., per DiGiovanna (via Twitter).

5:47pm: The teams have announced the swap, with the Nats saying an undisclosed amount of cash will go with Escobar to Los Angeles.

4:25pm: Gott tweets that he’s been informed of the deal and is indeed joining the Nationals.

Righty Michael Brady is the other player going to Washington, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter. Though he’s closing in on 29 years of age and was hit hard in a 17-appearance run at Triple-A in 2014, Brady is coming off of an impressive 2015 campaign at the Double-A level. He made 19 starts after working almost exclusively as a reliever in prior years, and ended up throwing 119 1/3 innings of 3.77 ERA ball while logging 8.5 K/9 against 0.9 BB/9.

2:56pm: The Winter Meetings are wrapping up, but clubs still aren’t done dealing. The Angels and Nationals have reportedly agreed to a swap that will send versatile infielder Yunel Escobar to the Angels in exchange for hard-throwing young righty Trevor Gott and a second, yet-unnamed minor leaguer.

The 33-year-old Escobar will fill a significant need for the Angels while also allowing general manager Billy Eppler and his staff to remain flexible. Escobar is a capable defender at second base or third base — both positions of need to the Halos — freeing Eppler to pursue upgrades at either spot despite effectively already having filled one of the voids.

Escobar batted .314/.375/.415 with the Nats last season and saw all of his time on the field at third base, though there was also talk of playing him at second base before Anthony Rendon was sidelined for most of the season due to injury. Escobar hasn’t played second base since 2007 but has worked extensively at shortstop in recent seasons, though defensive metrics were down on his work there in 2014 with the Rays.

Escobar gives the Angels an affordable option in the infield, as he’s slated to earn $7MM this season and has a $7MM club option for the 2017 season as well. That should keep the Angels well below the luxury tax threshold, especially since the average annual value of his two-year, $13MM contract is a slightly lower $6.5MM.

The Angels were said last week to be in talks with David Freese about a reunion at third base, and while this doesn’t preclude that from happening due to Escobar’s stated versatility, he does have more experience at the hot corner. Additionally, he brings another right-handed bat to an Angels team that has, over the past six months, been said to be seeking some balance in the lineup, perhaps indicating that a left-handed second baseman would be a better fit than a right-handed third baseman. Indeed, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Angels’ plan is to use Escobar at third base, though he notes that the newest Halos acquisition could be moved to second base in the event of a Freese return.

For the Nationals, the deal continues president/GM Mike Rizzo’s efforts to revamp a bullpen that proved problematic throughout the 2015 season. Gott, 23, debuted with the Halos in 2015 and recorded a strong 3.02 ERA in 47 2/3 innings while averaging a blistering 96.2 mph on his fastball. However, in spite of that plus heat, Gott averaged just 5.1 K/9 while also averaging 3.0 walks per nine. Gott also averaged better than a strikeout per inning over the course of his minor league career, though, so there’s hope for additional missed bats as he gains more experience in the Majors. And, the Nationals have to be intrigued by his excellent 57.2 percent ground-ball rate.

Washington will control Gott for a full six seasons, as he fell shy of a full year of service in 2015. Not only that, but he finished the year with 114 days of big league service time, which should leave him shy of Super Two designation, meaning he’ll only be arbitration eligible three times. Gott will be one of several new faces in a re-worked Nats bullpen, joining lefty Oliver Perez and, presumably, right-hander Shawn Kelley (if his much-debated contract is ultimately finalized). Righty Yusmeiro Petit figures to see action in the bullpen as well, although he could also see some work in the rotation, depending on how the rest of the offseason shakes out.

Jon Morosi of FOX Sports first reported that the two sides were discussing a deal. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the agreement was in place (on Twitter). Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reported Gott’s inclusion in the deal (links to Twitter). Heyman tweeted that another minor leaguer was headed to the Nats.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Royals Sign Joakim Soria

By Mark Polishuk | December 10, 2015 at 5:36pm CDT

DECEMBER 10: The deal is official, with Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com (via Twitter) and Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star (Twitter links) providing details.

Soria will earn $7MM next year and receive successive $1MM raises for the next two campaigns. The mutual option is priced at $10MM and comes with a $1MM buyout. Soria’s incentive package tops out at $4MM annually and can be met through games finished or games started.

Needless to say, it’s a shock to hear that the sides have contemplated the use of Soria in a starting capacity, but that has indeed made its way into the contract as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported (via Twitter) would likely be the case. Entering his age-32 season, Soria has never started a big league game and made only 18 in the minors (excluding a one-inning rehab start in 2013).

DECEMBER 7: The Royals have a major new partner in their “law firm” of a bullpen, as the World Series champs are finalizing a three-year contract with right-hander Joakim Soria, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter link). The deal will pay Soria $25MM in guaranteed money over the three seasons, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets, plus performance bonuses are available. Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports that there is also a mutual option for a fourth season. The contract will be official once Soria passes a physical, according to MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan. Soria is represented by Oscar Suarez.

Kansas City’s lockdown bullpen was one of the biggest factors behind its World Series championship, and adding Soria helps keep the pen strong after some recent personnel losses. Greg Holland will miss most of 2016 due to Tommy John surgery and was non-tendered, Ryan Madson agreed to a deal with the A’s earlier today and Franklin Morales is also a free agent.

Soria, of course, is a familiar face in K.C. as he spent his first five Major League seasons as a Royal after being selected in the 2006 Rule 5 draft. He blossomed into a star closer and recorded 160 saves from 2007-11 but then missed a season due to Tommy John surgery and hit the open market after the Royals declined their club option on his services.

Post-surgery, Soria has returned to being a strong relief arm, recording a 2.99 ERA, 9.3 K/9 and 3.59 K/BB rate over 135 2/3 innings with the Rangers, Tigers and Pirates. Soria actually posted his highest-ever average fastball speed (92.2 mph) just last year, so his arm certainly appears to be fully recovered. He’s been in demand at the last two July trade deadlines, first going from Texas to Detroit in 2014 and then last July to become a setup man for the Pirates.

With Wade Davis stepping in so brilliantly as the Royals’ closer after Holland went down, it’s probable that Soria (who turns 32 in May) will again take a setup role with his new team. The combination of Davis, Soria and Kelvin Herrera is as scary a 7th-8th-9th combination as there is in baseball, and Luke Hochevar has also emerged as a force since converting to relief work in 2013.

The $25MM guarantee doesn’t quite match the $27MM Soria was reportedly looking for, though the performance bonuses will likely give him a good shot at matching or even surpassing that total (and he’ll obviously far surpass it if he and Royals both exercise that option for 2019). As FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal wrote earlier today, Soria was looking for incentive clauses that would pay him extra if he did become a closer, so it’s fair to speculate that the bonuses in his Royals deal could address that possibility. As the only pitcher with recent and significant closing experience on the open market, it’s interesting that Soria chose a club that doesn’t have a clear path to a closing job — that could be a response to the glut of star closers that have been available in trade talks this offseason.

The Royals have never given $25MM to a reliever before, and they’ve topped that mark for very few pitchers in general over Dayton Moore’s tenure as general manager. Clearly they were open to spend to keep their bullpen at an elite level, and the extra revenue generated by the last two years of postseason baseball surely didn’t hurt in that respect. The Tigers, Rangers, Blue Jays and Giants are a few of the other teams known to have interest in Soria this offseason.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry/USA Today Sports Images

Cardinals Sign Jonathan Broxton To Two-Year Deal

By Steve Adams | December 10, 2015 at 2:50pm CDT

The Cardinals announced that they’ve signed right-hander Jonathan Broxton to a two-year contract to return to the St. Louis bullpen. Broxton, a Jet Sports client, will earn a $7.5MM guarantee and receive full no-trade protection, per reports.

Though it seems like he’s been around forever, Broxton is still just 31 years of age. And he still averages better than 94 mph on his fastball

Last year was rough in terms of bottom line results — the veteran ended with a 4.62 ERA — but that doesn’t tell the whole story. For one, Broxton’s peripherals showed that he’d been a bit unlucky leading up to a mid-season trade from the Brewers to the Cardinals. For another, Broxton produced a 2.66 earned run average over the 23 2/3 frames he logged with St. Louis.

In the aggregate, Broxton showed that he’s still plenty capable of providing valuable innings from the pen. Though his walks actually trended up in the latter part of the year, Broxton managed to strike out more than a batter per inning for the first time since way back in 2010. Then, there’s the fact that FIP (3.65), xFIP (3.24), and SIERA (3.15) all saw him as a quality producer.

St. Louis already bet on Broxton once with the mid-season trade, and now it’s doubled down after initially declining a $9MM option over the former closer. It seems likely that the veteran could have achieved a greater guarantee elsewhere, given the fact that his deal includes the kind of no-trade protection that we don’t typically see in a short-term deal (let alone one for a reliever).

But the match worked last year, and the Cards obviously felt another sturdy arm was needed in the pen. Broxton will join Jordan Walden and Seth Maness as right-handed set-up options in front of closer Trevor Rosenthal.

KMOX’s Tom Ackerman first reported (on Twitter) that the agreement was in place. Devan Fink first tweeted the contract details.

Angels, Nationals Discussing Yunel Escobar Trade

By Steve Adams | December 10, 2015 at 2:25pm CDT

The Angels and Nationals are in talks on a trade that would send infielder Yunel Escobar to Anaheim, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

Escobar, 33, is coming off one of the strongest seasons of his career, having batted .314/.375/.415 with nine home runs in his first season with the Nats. He’s certainly a reasonable target for Halos GM Billy Eppler to pursue, given the team’s needs around the infield and Escobar’s defensive versatility. Escobar could hold down the fort at either second base or third base for the Angels next season, which would allow Eppler to maintain flexibility as he continues plotting the Angels’ course this offseason.

Orioles’ Offer To Chris Davis No Longer On The Table

By Steve Adams | December 10, 2015 at 10:07am CDT

10:07am: ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that the Orioles didn’t raise their most recent offer to Davis — “not one nickel,” as his source put it. Not only that, but Baltimore’s offer to Davis is no longer on the table, according to Olney, though he adds that they’re willing to pick up the past thread of talks. MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko tweets that a club source denies their offer was increased as well.

DEC. 10, 8:40am: Baltimore has reportedly increased its offer to Davis, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, who hears they may be willing to go as high as $168MM over seven years — a $24MM average annual value. It’s uncertain whether or not the previously reported deferrals are still included in the revamped offer.

It was reported last night that Davis is seeking as much as $200MM over an eight-year term.

DEC. 9: Baltimore’s previously-reported offer of around $150MM was for seven years, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. The O’s are “currently not willing” to exceed a $22MM average annual value to Davis, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports on Twitter. The Orioles’ offer may also have some deferred money involved, per Kubatko.

As was recently reported, the team may not be willing to wait forever for Davis to decide and is pursuing other options as well.

DEC. 8: Orioles owner Peter Angelos and executive VP Dan Duquette have made their desire to retain Chris Davis abundantly clear, and Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com sheds some light on just how serious they are in their quest to retain Davis, tweeting that the Orioles offered their former first baseman “in the neighborhood” of $150MM at today’s previously reported meeting with agent Scott Boras. Despite the sizable nature of that offer, talks between the two sides have yet to progress, Kubatko adds.

The reported offer is a staggering number from an Orioles organization that has never given out a contract larger than the six-year, $86.5MM contract signed by Adam Jones back in 2012. Of course, it’s not known how long the term of that contract is, and the differences between a six-year, $150MM offer and a seven- or eight-year $150MM offer are considerable from the perspective of Davis and Boras.

The 29-year-old Davis is the top power bat on the open market, as he leads the Majors in homers over the past three seasons. He’s also considered to be a plus defender at first base, and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick recently wrote that some scouts consider him athletic enough to play a competent, albeit below-average corner outfield for a season or two should a team need to play him there in order to wait for a spot at first base to open up.

Given Boras’ history with top-tier free agents, it’s perhaps not surprising to see Davis pass on an early offer of that magnitude. Nevertheless, the offer does seem to demonstrate legitimate interest on Baltimore’s behalf, when at the onset of the 2015-16 offseason, most believed that the team did not possess the financial flexibility to keep Davis in Maryland. That line of thinking was strengthened when Matt Wieters accepted a qualifying offer and when the Orioles struck a four-year, $31MM agreement to retain setup ace Darren O’Day.

In spite of those costly contracts, the Orioles seem to be firmly in the thick of the still-developing market for Davis. The Cardinals have also been linked to Davis, and the Red Sox are said to have had internal discussions about him as well (though they’d first need to move Hanley Ramirez). ESPN’s Buster Olney also reported last month that the Giants have interest in Davis.

2015 Rule 5 Draft Results

By Steve Adams | December 10, 2015 at 9:12am CDT

The Rule 5 Draft is less than half an hour away, beginning at 10am ET as this week’s Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn. draw to a close. Those unfamiliar with the Rule 5 Draft can check out MLBTR’s full primer on the event here, but the short version of the story is that teams with open 40-man roster spots can select players with four to five years of pro experience from other organizations if said player hasn’t been protected on the 40-man roster. Players that signed at 18 years of age or younger but have five years of experience can be selected, as can players signed at 19 or older that have four years of experience. Clubs don’t have to make picks — many will not — and players that are selected must be carried on a team’s active roster (or MLB DL) throughout the entire 2016 season or be exposed to waivers and then offered back to their original club. Teams can also work out trades with the original organization to keep the selected player in the organization but send him to the minors.

The Rule 5 Draft order is based on the reverse order of last year’s standings. It’s already been reported that the Phillies are likely to take Rays outfielder Tyler Goeddel with the No. 1 pick, and Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper hears that the Reds are leaning toward selecting outfielder Jake Cave from the Yankees with the second pick. Both Cooper (link here) and Callis (link here) have listed plenty of names that could be selected and provided brief rundowns of each player, for those who want to brush up before the event approaches. Furthermore, Cooper took a stab this morning at projecting the early portion of the draft.

We’ll track the results here once the draft is officially underway (current 40-man roster count listed in parenthesis; hat tip to Callis on that info)…

Round 1

Phillies (37): Tyler Goeddel, OF (Rays)
Reds (35): Jake Cave, OF (Yankees)
Braves (39): Evan Rutckyj, LHP (Yankees)
Rockies (39): Luis Perdomo, RHP (Cardinals)
Brewers (34): Colin Walsh, 2B (Athletics)
Athletics (38): Jabari Blash, OF (Mariners) — Susan Slusser reports he’s expected to be traded to Padres (Twitter link)
Marlins (38): No Selection
Padres (36): Josh Martin (Indians)
Tigers (40): No Selection
White Sox (38): No Selection
Mariners (40): No Selection
Red Sox (40): No Selection
D-backs (40): No Selection
Rays (40): No Selection
Orioles (39): Joey Rickard, OF (Rays)
Indians (40): No Selection
Twins (40): No Selection
Nationals (37): No Selection
Giants (38): No Selection
Angels (34): Deolis Guerra, RHP (Pirates)
Astros (37): No Selection
Yankees (39): No Selection
Rangers (37): No Selection
Mets (39): No Selection
Dodgers (38): No Selection
Blue Jays (35): Joe Biagini, RHP (Giants)
Royals (39): No Selection
Cubs (39): No Selection
Pirates (38): No Selection
Cardinals (34): Matthew Bowman, RHP (Mets)

Round 2

Phillies: Daniel Stumpf, LHP (Royals)
Reds: Chris O’Grady, LHP (Angels)
Brewers: Zach Jones, RHP (Twins)
Padres: Blake Smith, RHP (White Sox)
Angels: Ji-Man Choi, 1B (Orioles)

Nationals To Sign Yusmeiro Petit

By Steve Adams | December 9, 2015 at 11:57pm CDT

11:57pm: The deal between the Nationals and Petit is in place, a source tells MLBTR (links to Twitter). He’ll earn a $3MM guarantee on a one-year deal, taking home $2.5MM in 2016 plus a $3MM club option for the 2017 season that comes with a $500K buyout and vests upon reaching 80 innings pitched.

8:04pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Nationals have reached a one-year deal with right-hander Yusmeiro Petit, who was recently non-tendered by the Giants. A source tells MLBTR, though, that while an agreement is in indeed close, there’s still no deal in place.

Petit, who just turned 31, has spent the past four years with San Francisco where he’s worked to a combined 3.66 ERA with 8.8 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9 while splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen. He’ll give the Nationals an option for the final spot in their rotation or could also be deployed in a multi-inning relief capacity — a role in which he thrived with the Giants. While Petit doesn’t throw particularly hard, averaging about 88 mph on his fastball, he’s nonetheless generated above-average swinging-strike rates over his tenure with the Giants, though he took a step back in that regard last season.

Petit is perhaps best-known for setting a Major League record in 2014 when he retired 46 consecutive batters over the course of the summer, narrowly eclipsing Mark Buehrle’s previous record of 45 straight. The Nats know Petit well, as he cemented himself in San Francisco lore by delivering six shutout innings of relief with seven strikeouts in Game 2 of the 2014 NLDS against the Nationals — an 18-inning marathon affair in which Petit was credited with the win.

White Sox Acquire Brett Lawrie

By Jeff Todd | December 9, 2015 at 8:06pm CDT

The White Sox and Athletics have officially struck a trade sending infielder Brett Lawrie to Chicago, the teams announced. Young lefty Zack Erwin and righty J.B. Wendelken make up the return to the A’s.

It hurts, no doubt, for Oakland to part with Lawrie after he was one of the key pieces of the deal that sent Josh Donaldson to the Blue Jays last year. But that seemed a near certainty after the A’s elected to bring back Jed Lowrie in yet another swap.

Soon to turn 26, Lawrie struggled to reach base consistently last year and still has not returned to the ceiling he showed earlier in his career. He slashed .260/.299/.407 with 16 homers and five steals over 602 plate appearances.

Of course, Lawrie has always been regarded as a high quality defender. But while he used to draw defensive metrics that supported that opinion, he’s seen his DRS and UZR numbers erode over the years. While a variety of injuries could be the cause for that falloff, it remains a major factor in valuing him as a player.

The Sox will get a player who can slot in either at third or second, both positions of obvious need in the organization. In spite of Lawrie’s age, he’ll only come with two years of control. But he is cheap, as MLBTR projects him to earn just $3.9MM in arbitration for the coming season.

It remains to be seen whether the South Siders will deploy Lawrie at the hot corner or up the middle, but that represents part of his appeal. Chicago can now retain some flexibility in assessing its other options, knowing that it can utilize him at either or both. Internal options include Mike Olt at third, Micah Johnson at second, and Tyler Saladino potentially at both. Of course, the team could still pursue a shortstop (if not yet another infielder) over the coming months.

In return for Lawrie, the A’s get a pair of pitching prospects, neither of whom factored among the top thirty prospects in Chicago’s system in MLB.com’s most recent ranking.

Erwin, 21, was just taken out of Clemson in the fourth round of the 2015 draft and signed for the slot bonus of $508K. He showed enough to earn a Class A placement to end the year, and had good results in his first forty or so professional innings. Entering the draft, Baseball America rated Erwin the 117th-best draft prospect, calling him a good athlete with the potential to harness three above-average offerings.

Meanwhile, Wendelken has reached Triple-A at the age of 22. He worked to a 3.81 ERA in 59 frames last year, most of them at Double-A, and put up a strong 10.5 K/9 vs. 2.4 BB/9 over that span. Wendelken came to Chicago in 2013 along with Avisail Garcia, Frankie Montas, and Cleuluis Rondon in the three-team Jake Peavy trade.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported (Twitter links) that the deal was nearing finalization and the return to Oakland (via Twitter). Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com tweeteds that the agreement is done.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Newsstand

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect