Nationals Exercise Mike Rizzo’s Option
The Nationals have picked up president and general manager Mike Rizzo’s option and will keep him through at least the 2018 season, James Wagner of the Washington Post was among those to report (Twitter link). The team had until June 15 to make a decision on the future of Rizzo, who entered the season in the final year of a deal he signed in 2013.
“We are pleased with the job Mike has done over the past nine years,” managing principal owner Ted Lerner said in a statement, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. “He and the baseball operations team have worked tirelessly to help build this organization into one of Major League Baseball’s elite clubs. We are fortunate to have him.”
Rizzo, 55, joined the Nationals as an assistant general manager in 2006 and eventually took the reins when predecessor Jim Bowden resigned in 2009. In six full seasons with Rizzo at the helm, the Nats have been among Major League Baseball’s most successful organizations, piling up four years of .500-plus ball – including two with 96 or more wins – and a pair of playoff appearances, though the team has fallen short of championship expectations in the past.
As a result of the Nats’ 83-win 2015, Rizzo’s hold on his job was “tenuous,” Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post wrote in November. The 22-13 club is off to an outstanding start this season, though, on the heels of a busy offseason that saw Rizzo fire previous manager Matt Williams, replace him with Dusty Baker, and sign ex-Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy to a three-year, $37.5MM contract, among other moves.
The relatively inexpensive acquisition of Murphy, who has been one of baseball’s best hitters since last season, currently looks like a masterstroke by Rizzo. Murphy is the latest significant piece Rizzo has added to the Nats organization through free agency during his tenure, joining the likes of Max Scherzer and Jayson Werth – both of whom landed far heftier contracts, of course.
Rizzo’s highest-impact pickup came via the draft in 2010, when he selected now-superstar right fielder Bryce Harper with the No. 1 overall pick. Rizzo was also in charge when the Nationals signed right-hander Stephen Strasburg, the top choice in the 2009 draft, to a record contract for a rookie. The Nationals’ hope is that premier prospect Lucas Giolito, who’s the crown jewel of a well-regarded farm system and whom Rizzo chose in the first round of the 2012 draft, will eventually follow in Strasburg’s footsteps and become an ace-caliber major league starter.
With free agency looming at season’s end for Strasburg, Rizzo locked him up to another deal – a seven-year, $175MM accord – earlier this week to ensure that he’ll remain in Washington for the foreseeable future. Now, a few days later, the Nationals have decided to keep their head of baseball operations in the fold for at least two more seasons.
Jose Reyes Suspended Through May 31 Under Domestic Violence Policy
Major league baseball has announced that Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes has been suspended without pay through May 31st under the league’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy. He’ll be credited for the time he’s already missed in calculating the suspension, though he’ll forego salary that had previously been available under his paid administrative leave.
Reyes will not contest the ban. It’ll technically cost him 52 games, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets, though Colorado will only have had 51 contests to that point (with one re-scheduled rainout). Reyes will be eligible to begin working out now and could start a rehab assignment as soon as the calendar flips to June.
The veteran infielder will end up losing just over $7.09MM of his total $22MM salary this season, as he’ll ultimately go without pay for the first 59 days of the 183-day “championship season,” as defined in the CBA. Plus, he’ll make a $100K donation to a charity for domestic abuse. That’s a more or less token amount, but presumably its inclusion in the terms of the agreed-upon suspension was motivated by some reason beyond the money involved.
All told, the severity of the punishment is surprisingly light, at least in comparison to the precedent set in this and other spheres of league discipline. He’ll ultimately lose quite a bit less time and money than had he been caught with a PED for the first time. Indeed, his suspension barely tops the 50-game bans handed out to minor leaguers for such relatively innocuous actions as testing positive for marijuana use.
Aroldis Chapman previously received a 30-game domestic violence suspension of his own, with commissioner Rob Manfred citing his use of a firearm in the course of a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. But he was never arrested or charged in the matter, and there was seemingly never any clear evidence that he had initiated any physical contact with his girlfriend.
The Reyes case seemingly contained an even more serious factual setting: his wife said at the time that he grabbed her by the throat and shoved her into a sliding glass door, and she received treatment at a hospital. He was arrested, charged, and set for trial until the charges had to be dropped when Mrs. Reyes decided not to testify against her husband.
To be fair, Reyes has been on administrative leave and in limbo for quite some time, as the incident in question occurred on Halloween night. But that delay occurred in large part because of the pending legal action and, it seems, an effort by the league, union, and Reyes’s representatives to avoid a grievance over the length of the ban.
It’s unclear what the future holds for Reyes. He has been bypassed at the major league level by Trevor Story, and it’s not apparent what role he would play for the Rockies, who still owe him the remainder of his salary for the present season and $26MM more thereafter (including a buyout on his 2018 club option).
A report earlier today suggested that there is trade interest in the soon-to-be 33-year-old, though it’s not clear whether he’d be pursued as a means of prying a prospect or draft pick from the Rockies or also because of his potential to aid another club down the stretch. If history is any indication, he’ll have another shot at the majors at some point, though Reyes already seemed in decline before this black mark went on his record.
Reyes issued a statement apologizing, rather vaguely, “for everything that has happened,” as Nick Groke of the Denver Post was among those to report. He went on to say that he’s “happy to put all this in the past and get back to doing what I love the most, playing baseball.” Reyes also thanked his wife, who he said “has remained by my side throughout everything.”
Regardless of how one weighs those words, Reyes will certainly have a long ways to go to show he’s learned from the incident. He’ll also be required to submit to counseling, as contemplated in the policy. Commissioner Rob Manfred said that he’s “encouraged by Mr. Reyes’ commitment to the treatment provisions of the Policy in order to ensure that such an incident does not occur in the future.”
White Sox Release John Danks
MAY 13: The White Sox announced today (Twitter link) that they have placed Danks on unconditional release waivers.
MAY 3: The White Sox are set to designate starter John Danks for assignment, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports on Twitter. The 31-year-old left-hander is in the final season of a five-year, $65MM contract and is set to earn $15.75MM this season — a sum that the White Sox will simply eat in order to free up Danks’ spot on the roster. Chicago will have 10 days to trade or release Danks, though even if the team were to eat a considerable portion of the salary, it’s tough to imagine Danks drawing much interest at this point.
In 22 1/3 innings (four starts) this season, Danks has allowed 18 earned runs on 28 hits and 11 walks with 16 strikeouts and a career-worst 30.1 percent ground-ball rate. Danks’ fastball, which used to sit in the 91-92 mph range, is averaging just 87.1 mph this season. That’s simply the latest decline in velocity for Danks, whose career has never fully recovered from 2012 shoulder surgery.
Danks was a standout performer in the Chicago rotation in his early 20s, and the $65MM contract extension seemed like a justified cost following a four-year stretch that saw the former No. 9 overall pick throw 778 2/3 innings of 3.77 ERA ball in one of Major League Baseball’s most hitter-friendly environments. Danks, though, would pitch just 53 2/3 innings in 2012, the first season covered by his extension. Since returning from the surgery, he’s worked to a combined 4.84 ERA in 538 2/3 innings.
General manager Rick Hahn is addressing the media as we speak and has announced that right-hander Erik Johnson will join Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Carlos Rodon and Mat Latos in the Chicago rotation (via USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, on Twitter). Hahn says that he informed Danks of the decision yesterday and called the decision a difficult one to make. While Danks’ production, of course, has dipped since that 2012 surgery, he’s been a member of the White Sox organization since late 2006, when he was acquired in a trade that sent right-hander Brandon McCarthy to the Rangers. That lengthy tenure has made Danks a well-liked fixture in the Chicago clubhouse, and Nightengale tweets that Hahn acknowledged that the move will not be a popular one among the players. Hahn, however, insists that the move would have been made even if the 18-8 White Sox’ record were reversed.
The dismissal of Danks marks the second time in the past six weeks or so that the Sox have seen a respected veteran depart from the clubhouse. First baseman/designated hitter Adam LaRoche, of course, infamously elected to retire after White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams asked him to reduce the frequency with which his son accompanied him to the ball park. (LaRoche was said to have been promised unlimited access for his son as a contingent of signing with the Sox.) However, a club striving to win now, as the Sox are, is often forced into this type of decision. Johnson’s solid performance at Triple-A in both 2015 and in 2016 has played a role in the decision as well; the 26-year-old former Top 100 prospect has a 3.74 ERA in 21 2/3 innings this season and worked to an excellent 2.37 ERA in 132 2/3 innings with Charlotte last season.
Jose Reyes Could Face Suspension Of At Least 60 Games
MAY 13: FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reports that an announcement on Reyes could come as soon as today, and he hears the same as Heyman: Reyes is expected to be suspended for at least 60 days. Interestingly, however, Rosenthal suggests that Reyes will not be suspended an additional 60 days on top of his paid administrative leave, but rather will repay the money he earned on leave and be suspended for an additional 26 games (or more, if the suspension proves lengthier than 60 days).
Rosenthal also adds that the delay in determining a punishment for Reyes has not been due to any differences between the commissioner’s office and the MLBPA, but rather due to difficulty in obtaining the necessary information to make a final ruling.
MAY 8: Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes could be facing at least a 60-game suspension under the league’s domestic violence policy, with some sources estimating that Reyes could be sidelined for closer to 80 games, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports.
A suspension has seemed inevitable ever since the alleged incident between Reyes and his wife took place in Hawaii last November. Criminal charges against Reyes were dropped in March since Reyes’ wife wasn’t willing to participate in the case (nor has she been willing to participate in MLB’s investigation of the incident) and the shortstop has been on paid administrative leave while the matter has been examined by the league and the player’s union.
The policy gives Commissioner Rob Manfred the ability to discipline players in such alleged domestic violence situations even if no criminal charges are filed. Aroldis Chapman, for instance, is nearing the end of his own 30-game suspension for an offseason incident, though as Heyman notes, Reyes’ incident has been considered to be a more serious matter due to the severity of the alleged violence.
Reyes was owed $22MM by the Rockies this season, so a suspension in the range of 60 to 80 games would cost him roughly $7.33MM-$9.77MM (as a reminder, players are paid over the 180-day MLB calendar, not strictly the 162-game season). Beyond this season, Reyes is also owed $22MM in 2017 and a $4MM buyout of a $22MM club option for 2018. There has been speculation that once Reyes’ suspension is up, the Rockies will simply release the shortstop and eat the rest of the money owed to him in order to cut ties as quickly as possible.
Angels Acquire Jhoulys Chacin
The Angels have acquired righty Jhoulys Chacin from the Braves, as first reported by David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). Lefty Adam McCreery is going to Atlanta in the deal.
Chacin is owed $1.1MM on the minor league deal he signed with Atlanta this winter. That makes him a reasonably-priced addition for a Halos staff that has been devastated by injuries early in 2016.
A 28-year-old veteran of eight MLB seasons, Chacin has pitched to a 5.40 ERA in 26 2/3 innings over five starts this year. While that isn’t the most enticing mark in terms of run prevention, he has racked up 9.1 K/9 against just 2.7 BB/9 to go with a 48.1% groundball rate, leading ERA estimators to value his efforts thus far much more highly.
Of course, Chacin was only available on a meager commitment this winter because he’s lacked consistency at the major league level. There have been some notable highlights — including two seasons with nearly 200 innings and mid-3.00 ERAs while pitching at Coors Field — but Chacin has dealt with shoulder issues and proven susceptible to the long ball of late.
McCreery, 23, was a 22nd-round pick in the 2014 draft. He’s a tall and lanky reliever who has thrown 38 innings at the Rookie level over the last two years but has yet to make his 2016 debut. McCreery made strides in his second run at Rookie ball last year, striking out 28 batters in 28 2/3 innings while allowing just ten hits and five earned runs, but he still coughed up 14 free passes in that span. As Scout.com has explained, McCreery has high-powered stuff but has struggled to harness it with his huge frame.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Nationals Extend Stephen Strasburg
7:00pm: Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reports that Strasburg’s contract does include limited no-trade protection (Twitter link). Passan also adds some context to the deferrals (links to Twitter), reporting that Strasburg’s 2023 salary is a staggering $45MM, but as Svrluga reported, he’ll receive just $15MM in that year, with the rest being deferred. The present-day value of the deal, when factoring in the $70MM worth of deferrals, is a bit north of $160MM, per Passan.
9:19am: In a move that has drastically altered next winter’s free-agent market, the Nationals have officially agreed to a seven-year extension with righty Stephen Strasburg. He’ll reportedly earn a guaranteed $175MM over that term, though the deal does come with some wrinkles.
First and foremost, Strasburg will take home only $15MM annually over the seven seasons of the contract (2017-2023), Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post reports. The remaining $70MM will be deferred without interest and paid out in $10MM installments over 2024 through 2030. That payout structure obviously reduces the present value of the contract: per Svrluga, the club estimates that the deal would be for something like $162MM if those annual salaries were paid in full each year during the seven-year term.
The deal also affords Strasburg opportunities to opt out after its third and fourth seasons. (He’d keep the $25MM annually for the first three or four years, with the deferred amounts moved up.) Strasburg can also tack on $1MM annually for every season in which he reaches 180 innings. So far as has been reported, Strasburg won’t receive no-trade protection and there are no provisions relating to arm health.
Strasburg had been set to reach the open market after the year, and there had been no hint that a deal was in the works. The Scott Boras client currently sits atop the 2016-17 Free Agent Power Rankings of MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes, and had every hope of matching or exceeding the $200MM+ contracts landed by aces Max Scherzer and David Price over the last two winters.
There are some major limiting factors in Strasburg’s case, of course, including his prior Tommy John surgery and injury-limited 2015 campaign. While the Nationals are known for their successful rolls of the dice on pitchers with questionable elbows, the long-term durability of Strasburg’s replacement UCL remains an open question. Additionally, despite generally excellent results, he’s never quite been as dominant as his peripherals would suggest and he’s only topped 200 innings in a season once.
Still, there’s plenty of reason to think that clubs would have lined up for a chance to add Strasburg this winter. He’s pitching in his age-27 season at present, meaning he is selling several younger campaigns than were pitchers like Scherzer and Price. And apart from a bit of a blip last year, Strasburg has been one of the game’s most effective starting pitchers.
In the aggregate, Strasburg has given the Nationals 818 2/3 innings of 3.06 ERA pitching in his seven years of major league action, with a sterling 10.4 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9. But ERA estimators are in accord in suggesting that he’s been even better, as Strasburg carries a 2.78 FIP, 2.72 xFIP, and 2.77 SIERA for his career.
Strasburg has a deep and varied arsenal, beginning with a pair of mid-90s fastballs. Though he’s now sitting just under 95 mph with the heater, well below his early-career numbers, Strasburg has never been wholly reliant on upper-tier velocity. He’s increasingly utilized a slider this season, joining with his already-stellar curve and change to give him five legitimate offerings.
Both sides clearly have their reasons for agreeing to terms, though it remains an unexpected strike given the righty’s combination of age, performance, and short time left to reach the market. Strasburg won’t need to worry about another injury or performance decline interceding before reaching free agency, and he’s clearly comfortable in D.C., which made him the first overall draft selection back in 2009. And for the Nationals, acting now not only represents a chance for a nice discount — particularly once the deferrals are accounted for — but prevents the need to bid for Strasburg’s services against other organizations in a market that is largely devoid of pitching talent.
It’s worth noting that the Nationals are intimately familiar with Strasburg’s health and work ethic, particularly after going through the infamous shutdown of 2012. Having helped spurred the surprising Nats to the front of the NL East, Strasburg was shelved for the end of the regular season and the postseason because he reached pre-determined limits in his first year back from Tommy John surgery.
That episode led to plenty of criticism of GM Mike Rizzo, but Strasburg has not had any elbow issues since. And it seems that the good will has paid off with this deal. It’s fair to note, too, that other pitchers who were handled differently (e.g. Kris Medlen) experienced renewed arm problems, though elbow health remains a murky and complicated subject.
Strasburg is now set to stay with Scherzer atop the Nats staff through at least 2019, when he’ll first have a chance to opt out in advance of his age-31 campaign. It’s fair to say that the rotation looks to be in solid shape for some time to come, as the organization also controls its other current starters for multiple seasons: Gio Gonzalez (through 2018), Tanner Roark (2019), and Joe Ross (2021). And that’s before considering top prospect Lucas Giolito, who has yet to crack the majors.
Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reported the agreement on Twitter. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported the length and guarantee, as well as the inclusion of opt-outs, deferrals, and a $1MM annual incentive package (links to Twitter: 1; 2; 3; 4; 5). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted details on the opt-out, as did Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post, while Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted details of the incentives.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Angels Acquire Brendan Ryan
The Angels announced today that they have acquired shortstop Brendan Ryan from the Nationals in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later. He’ll join the Angels tonight and give them a defense-oriented replacement for the injured Andrelton Simmons, who requires surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb and is slated to miss the next six to eight weeks. Right-hander Garrett Richards, who is set to undergo Tommy John surgery, was moved to the 60-day DL to make room for Ryan on the 40-man roster.
Ryan, 34, has spent most of the past three seasons with the Yankees, hitting a combined .201/.244/.271 in a limited sample of 289 plate appearances. (Notably, the trade reunites him with former Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler, who is now the GM for the Halos.) Ryan has never been much of a threat with the bat, but like Simmons, he’s a very highly regarded defender at shortstop and should at the very least provide the Halos with quality glovework during Simmons’ prolonged absence. Ryan began the season with the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate, where he was batting .263/.305/.382 with one home run in 83 trips to the plate.
This past offseason, Ryan exercised a $1MM player option with the Yankees but found himself included with Adam Warren in the trade that sent Starlin Castro from the Cubs to the Yankees. Chicago would ultimately release Ryan, who inked a minors pact with the Nationals and (as MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman tweets) nearly made the Major League roster with a fine spring showing. Ryan is a career .234/.295/.315 hitter in 2872 Major League plate appearances with the Cardinals, Mariners and Yankees. He’s logged nearly 5700 innings at shortstop in the Majors and drawn a +99 mark from Defensive Runs Saved. Ultimate Zone Rating, meanwhile, pegs Ryan at +11 runs per 150 games played.
MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez first reported that the Angels had acquired Ryan (Twitter link).
Devin Mesoraco Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
MAY 10: Surgery revealed more significant damage than had been anticipated, manager Bryan Price told C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Expectations now are that Mesoraco will require a six-month recovery timeline.
MAY 6, 2:54pm: Mesoraco says he expects to be out for a minimum of four months, which essentially means he’l be down for the rest of the year, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports on Twitter.
2:36pm: The Reds announced this afternoon that catcher Devin Mesoraco, who was placed on the DL earlier this week, will undergo surgery next Tuesday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder (Twitter link). While Cincinnati did not give a definitive timeline for Mesoraco’s recovery, there would seem to be a chance that the injury ends up costing him the remainder of the season. Pablo Sandoval, for instance, underwent the same procedure just last week and has been announced as out for the duration of the season.
This marks the second consecutive season in which Mesoraco will lose most of the year to an injury that ultimately requires surgery. Last year it was a balky hip that ultimately needed surgical repair. The Reds briefly experimented with using Mesoraco in the outfield before conceding to the surgery, but that didn’t last long, and he was ultimately limited 23 games and 51 plate appearances. The 2016 campaign will be even more brief for Mesoraco, who has appeared in just 16 contests this season and collected just 43 plate appearances.
Suffice it to say, this isn’t what the Reds had in mind when signing Mesoraco to a four-year, $28MM contract on the heels of a 2014 breakout, though there weren’t any signs that he’d suffer through a breakdown of this magnitude. Mesoraco hit .273/.359/.534 with 25 home runs in that breakout ’14 season, and as a former first-round pick and widely regarded Top 100 prospect in his age-26 season, it seemed like he’d finally tapped into the potential scouts always saw in him. Now, he’ll hope to once again work his way back to health and give the Reds a healthy, productive season in 2017. Mesoraco earned $2.4MM last season and is earning $4.9MM in 2016. He’ll take home another $7.2MM next season and $13MM in 2018 before hitting the open market as a free agent.
Seeking Writers For New Hockey Rumors Website
Our family of websites includes MLB Trade Rumors, Hoops Rumors, and Pro Football Rumors. Later this year, we plan to start covering NHL transaction-related news with a brand new website. We are now taking applicants for part-time writers at our upcoming hockey rumors site. The position pays hourly, and we will be hiring multiple people. The criteria:
- Availability to work at least ten hours per week covering NHL news.
- Exceptional knowledge of all 30 NHL teams, no discernible bias. Knowledge of transaction-related concepts.
- A high school degree is required, and further education is preferred. Please include your highest completed level of education in your application.
- Writing experience is necessary, and online writing experience is preferred.
- Attention to detail and ability to follow the MLBTR/Hoops Rumors/PFR style and tone.
- Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news quickly and concisely.
- Ability to use Twitter, Tweetdeck, and an RSS feed reader such as Feedly. In general, you must be able to multi-task.
- Experience with social media, especially Twitter.
- If you’re interested, email prohockeyrumorshelp@gmail.com and explain how you stand out and qualify in a couple of short paragraphs. Please attach your resume to the email. We often receive several hundred applications, so unfortunately we will not be able to reply to each one.
Andrelton Simmons To Undergo Thumb Surgery
Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons will undergo left thumb surgery, the club announced (h/t MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez; Twitter links). Simmons has suffered a “full thickness tear of the ulnar collateral ligament” in the thumb.
Angels GM Billy Eppler says that a typical recovery period for the procedure would be six to eight weeks, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. Notably, though, fellow middle infielder Jed Lowrie required what appears to be the very same procedure last year. His surgery took place in late April, and he did not return until the very end of July.
All told, it seems reasonable to think that Simmons can still have an impact in 2016, though obviously he’ll need a full-blown rehab build-up even if the recovery progresses well. Still, for a Halos club that’s been hit hard by injuries and is already five games under .500, it’s a major blow.
The 26-year-old Simmons was Eppler’s first major acquisition, changing hands at the outset of the offseason. The organization spent much of its remaining prospect capital to add a player who has staked a largely unassailable claim as the very best defender in baseball. While he’s never been anywhere near as useful at the plate — Simmons owns a lifetime .253/.301/.357 slash — the glove provided a lofty floor, and there was at least some hope that he’d trend up with the bat.
Things clearly haven’t gone quite as hoped. While Simmons has more or less continued his usual wizardry in the field, he has struggled out of the gate to a .219/.246/.281 batting line with just one home run in his first 118 plate appearances. To be fair, though, he’s still been quite a bit better than the player he replaced (Erick Aybar), though the organization is without its two best pitching prospects as a result of the deal.
Of course, Los Angeles’s interest in Simmons extends well beyond the present season. He’s controlled through 2020 under the extension he signed before the 2014 season with the Braves. The Halos owe Simmons $6MM this year and $47MM over the remaining four years of that contract.
While the club awaits the return of Simmons, it may need to rely on veteran utilityman Cliff Pennington at the position. Yunel Escobar could slide over to short, in theory, but he hasn’t played there for some time and Eppler has rejected that option (as Gonzalez tweets).