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Latest On Eddy Julio Martinez, Cubs, Giants

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TODAY: MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports some additional details on the situation. San Francisco’s claim to a signing is based upon “a series of texts and emails” that were exchanged with BHSC. The Giants filed paperwork with the league, per the report, but it appears that Martinez has yet to sign anything with the club. Chicago, meanwhile, struck its deal with Martinez’s Dominican representatives.

YESTERDAY: The controversy surrounding Cuban center fielder Eddy Julio Martinez is now in the hands of Major League Baseball officials, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. MLB is working to decide whether Martinez, 20, will become property of the Giants or Cubs and hopes to have a ruling by the end of the week, per Heyman.

One of the most sought-after prospects on this year’s international free agent market, Martinez agreed to a $2.5MM signing bonus with the Giants about two weeks ago. Giants general manager Bobby Evans publicly acknowledged the agreement, though the team never made an official announcement of the signing. Shortly after, ESPN’s Keith Law reported that Martinez would not be signing with the Giants and remained on the free agent market.

Following that unusual sequence of events, Martinez reportedly agreed to sign with the Cubs for a larger bonus of $3MM. However, since that time, Evans has come out and said that the Giants are still in the running for the highly touted Martinez.

According to Heyman, the heart of the issue here is that Martinez has multiple representatives negotiating on his behalf. While he is a client of MLBPA certified agents Rick Thurman and Rafael Nieves of the Beverly Hills Sports Council, Martinez also has multiple “buscones,” or “street agents” as Heyman terms them. Multiple people are laying claim to the role of agent for Martinez and, as such, there’s uncertainty regarding the validity of Martinez’s deal with the Giants.

It’s not known which parties negotiated which deal, but MLB is working to determine whether or not the agreement with the Giants was binding. That deal was struck before the agreement with the Cubs, and the Giants, according to Heyman, believed it to be binding at the time it was made.

Martinez, a right-handed hitting center fielder, draws praise for his power and speed, though some scouts believe his pop will only translate to doubles power in the end, and he’s more of a corner outfielder than a true center fielder. Those that are more bullish have likened his tools to those of Andruw Jones, though that’s a lofty comparison and obviously a best-case scenario as opposed to a likely outcome. Both the Giants and Cubs have already incurred the maximum penalty level for exceeding their allotted international bonus pools. That means that either would pay a 100 percent luxury tax on Martinez’s signing bonus, so he’d actually cost the Giants $5MM and the Cubs $6MM in total.

Chase Utley Appealing Two-Game NLDS Suspension

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OCT. 12: MLB wants Utley’s appeal hearing to take place today, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, but the MLBPA would like more time than that to prepare. Rosenthal adds (also via Twitter) that a pair of sources expressed doubt that a hearing would take place today, so Utley could very well be available for tonight’s contest. Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times hears the same (Twitter link), with a source calling a Monday appeal hearing “highly unlikely.”

OCT. 11: Major League Baseball has suspended Dodgers infielder Chase Utley for Game Three and Game Four of the NLDS for what the league has deemed as an “illegal slide” during Saturday’s Game Two win over the Mets, according to a statement released today.  Here is the full text from MLB Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre:

“I recognize that there has been much commentary and many questions regarding the unfortunate play in last night’s game in which Ruben Tejada was injured. As I said after the game, the determination of whether a baserunner has intentionally interfered with a player attempting to turn a double play is left to the judgment of the Umpire on the field, and that judgment call is not subject to review. I should add that determining where to draw the line between an illegal slide and a legitimate hard play is an extremely difficult call for our Umpires.

“However, after thoroughly reviewing the play from all conceivable angles, I have concluded that Mr. Utley’s action warrants discipline. While I sincerely believe that Mr. Utley had no intention of injuring Ruben Tejada, and was attempting to help his Club in a critical situation, I believe his slide was in violation of Official Baseball Rule 5.09 (a)(13), which is designed to protect fielders from precisely this type of rolling block that occurs away from the base.

“We have been in discussions with the Players Association throughout the year regarding potential rule changes to better protect middle infielders, and we intend to continue those discussions this offseason.”

Utley is appealing the suspension, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the league will try to have Utley’s hearing tomorrow so he could potentially play in Game Three that evening (both links to Twitter).

During the seventh inning of last night’s game, Utley’s hard slide into second base not only broke up a double play and allowed the tying run to score, but Tejada also suffered a fractured fibula on the play.  The Dodgers scored three more runs in the inning and went on to even the NLDS at 1-1 after their 5-2 victory in Game Two.  As per the rule cited by Torre, since Utley’s slide was in violation, the batter (Howie Kendrick) should’ve also been called out and the inning should’ve been over.

Needless to say, the play has generated an immense amount of controversy over the last 24 hours over whether Utley’s slide was dirty pool or a hard-nosed attempt to break up a double play.  Former big leaguer C.J. Nitkowski, writing for FOX Sports, polled 65 current and former players about Utley’s play, with the majority agreeing that it was legal but “legal and dirty.”  Interestingly, 55 of the 65 players didn’t think Utley should be suspended for the slide, an opinion obviously not shared by the league.  In his latest Insider-only post, ESPN’s Buster Olney believes that Utley’s play will lead to a rule change preventing runners from making contact with fielders, akin to the rule instituted a few years ago barring collisions at home plate.

Evans: Giants Still In Hunt For Eddy Julio Martinez

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Despite multiple reports suggesting that free agent outfielder Eddy Julio Martinez had agreed to terms with the Cubs, Giants GM Bobby Evans indicated today that his team remains in the chase for the young Cuban. Evans made those comments in a podcast interview with Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News.

Martinez, of course, had initially been set to join the San Francisco organization — as Evans himself acknowledged — before that deal reportedly fell through. Reports suggested that Martinez was seeking a $3MM bonus, a $500K increase over what he had been said to be getting from the Giants. Just one day later, Martinez was said to have reached a contract with the Cubs at the higher amount.

“That’s probably going to be a great story here in the near future,” Evans said of the Martinez situation. He noted that he is still holding talks with the youngster’s agents at BHSC. When asked whether San Francisco still had a shot at landing Martinez, Evans responded: “I want to be careful not to be too presumptuous, but yeah, I think there’s still that chance.”

Needless to say, there’s an immense amount of uncertainty and a general lack of clarity regarding Martinez’s status. It remains unclear what kinds of motivations and factors are driving the unusual situation.

Dan Jennings To Return As Marlins’ GM

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OCT. 9: Jennings will return to his previous role as general manager, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. An announcement could come anytime between Sunday and Tuesday of the coming week, he adds. Jennings is under contract with the Marlins for three more seasons.

OCT. 6: The Marlins have announced that Jennings will not return as the manager, as Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports (all links to Twitter).

Club president David Samson explained that Jennings is the general manager as he is a “signed member” of the front office. Though president of baseball ops Michael Hill seemingly indicated that Jennings had yet to decide whether to continue that arrangement, Samson said that “there’s no decision for him to make.”

OCt. 4, 8:28pm: A pair of tweets from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale suggests Jennings might return to the Marlins’ front office, but not in the GM position. The Marlins could make Berger GM, with Jeff McAvoy as assistant GM, Arnold as player personnel director and David Keller as pro scouting director. Jennings would then occupy some other position. Frisaro, meanwhile, writes (via Twitter) that the Marlins are planning to establish an analytics department and that Arnold could head it.

8:08pm: The Phillies have granted the Marlins permission to interview bench coach Larry Bowa for their manager position, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com writes. Bowa is expected to interview on Monday, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets. Bo Porter and Manny Acta have already interviewed for the job. In addition, Frisaro reports that Dan Jennings, who posted a 55-69 record as the team’s manager following the firing of Mike Redmond earlier this season, is expected to return to the Marlins’ GM job.

As of yesterday, Jennings was still deciding whether to accept a return to the Marlins’ front office. Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reported that the team’s front office would undergo changes, with assistant GM Mike Berger taking over something resembling a GM position. The Marlins also recently interviewed Rays director of player personnel Matt Arnold about a front office position. It has lately appeared that Jennings’ power in the organization was somewhat diminished. If Jennings does return to the GM position, it’s not clear how the Marlins will manage their decision-making process given the presence Jennings, Berger and other front-office voices.

Bowa, 69, was previously the manager of the Padres and Phillies. He led the Phillies to a 337-308 record from 2001 through 2004 and won the NL Manager of the Year award in 2001. He also served as a base coach for the Yankees and Dodgers and as an analyst for ESPN and the MLB Network before rejoining the Phillies organization in 2014.

Mariners Dismiss Lloyd McClendon, Make Significant Coaching Changes

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11:45am: The Mariners have now formally announced that McClendon will not return in 2016. Additionally, pitching coach Rick Waits and coach Chris Prieto have been reassigned within the organization, while bench coach Trent Jewett, third base coach Rich Donnelly, outfield coach Andy Van Slyke and bullpen coach Mike Rojas have all been let go. Hitting coach Edgar Martinez and infield coach Chris Woodward were each invited back for their current roles in 2016.

“I have a great deal of respect for Lloyd, as a person and a manager,” Dipoto said in a statement. “It is a credit to his professionalism that the team continued to play hard through the final day of the season. However, after extensive conversations it became clear to me that our baseball philosophies were not closely aligned. On behalf of the Mariners I want to thank Lloyd and his staff for their hard work the past two seasons, and I wish him the best moving forward.”

10:25am: Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon won’t be back as the team’s manager in 2016, sources tell Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports had written just minutes earlier that McClendon was “likely” to be dismissed as the team’s skipper, adding that he’s still owed $1MM in 2016 — the final season of his contract with Seattle.

The Mariners will formally announce the decision today, per Divish, and the search for McClendon’s replacement will immediately get underway. While the team must go through an interview process, Divish hears that Angels special assistant Tim Bogar — the former bench coach and interim manager of the division-rival Rangers — is a favorite to take over in Seattle. Bogar worked with Dipoto in the Anaheim front office and is said to embrace analytics, which is something Dipoto is known to desire in a manager. Heyman noted last Friday that Bogar would be a prime candidate to replace McClendon should the incumbent Seattle skipper not be retained.

Heyman writes that the decision was carefully considered by Dipoto, in part because McClendon is quite popular with the current Mariners’ players. Robinson Cano is said to have such a close relationship with McClendon, Heyman adds, that Cano used his manager as part of his pitch in trying to lure Nelson Cruz to sign with the team when Cruz was a free agent last offseason.

McClendon was hired as the Mariners’ manager prior to the 2014 season after an eight-year hiatus from that role. After managing some dismal Pirates clubs in the early 2000s, McClendon experienced immediate success in Seattle, guiding the Mariners to a strong 87-75 record and finishing the year just one game shy of postseason play. That finish, along with the offseason additions of Nelson Cruz and Seth Smith as well as the emergence of Taijuan Walker and James Paxton, led to lofty expectations in Seattle this year. However, the Mariners’ rotation was hit hard by injuries to Walker, Paxton and Hisashi Iwakuma, and other offseason pickups such as Justin Ruggiano and Rickie Weeks failed to perform. The Mariner bullpen also took a significant step backwards in 2015, leading to a season that was largely spent out of contention, eventually resulting in the firing of GM Jack Zduriencik.

Cubs To Sign Eddy Julio Martinez

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The Cubs have reached agreement with Cuban outfield prospect Eddy Julio Martinez, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports on Twitter. He’ll receive the $3MM bonus that he was reportedly seeking.

Martinez, 20, had been said to be in agreement with the Giants earlier in the week. The $2.5MM deal was said to be complete pending only a physical, with San Francisco GM Bobby Evans acknowledging it to the press. But things fell apart, apparently for financial reasons, as Sanchez reported that that the youngster was looking for a $3MM bonus.

Chicago swooped in to meet that asking price, adding him to an already-loaded class of international signings. The Cubs, like the Giants had previously committed to spending well past their overall pool allocation, meaning that they were already set to face a two-year ban on $300K+ signings. Adding Martinez did nothing to impact that, though the club will pay a 100% overage tax on his bonus.

We’ve heard some varying opinions on Martinez’s outlook over the last several months, but all agree that he is a legitimate prospect with a good hit tool and excellent speed. The questions are about his power potential and ability to handle center field in the long run. Read more on the BHSC client from Sanchez and Ben Badler of Baseball America (subscription required and recommended).

Tigers, J.D. Martinez Have Mutual Interest In Extension

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Tigers GM Al Avila said today that the organization has interest in pursuing an extension with outfielder J.D. Martinez, as Chris Iott of MLive.com reports. He declined to discuss whether and to what extent the sides had already discussed that possibility.

“I don’t really want to get into our conversations with the players or their agents at this point,” said the newly-minted Detroit GM. “Usually we don’t make those comments. I can tell you we would have interest in something like that.”

Martinez, 28, is entering his second season of arbitration eligibility after earning $3MM last year. He’ll be looking for a big increase on that payout after a stellar campaign. MLBTR’s arbitration projections, via Matt Swartz, expect Martinez to receive nearly a $5MM raise this winter.

From his perspective, Martinez tells Iott, he has interest in a longer-term arrangement. But he said he’d let his representatives at RMG Baseball handle any contractual matters. “I would love to play in Detroit the rest of my career,” said Martinez. “But I leave the business part to my agent.”

That increasing earning power certainly has Martinez set up for a significant new contract. There aren’t many recent comps from power-hitting corner outfielders, but Adam Jones (six years, $85.5MM) and Alex Gordon (four years, $50MM) previously signed fairly large extensions when they were in the 4+ service class.

With 61 total home runs and a composite .304/.350/.543 batting line over the last two seasons, Martinez has out-produced all of this winter’s top free agents since he began his breakout. If he keeps that up, he’ll be in line for a massive free agent payday, and any extension would need to reflect that. All said, it seems that the initial interest is there to make a deal plausible, but both sides have plenty of ground to cover if something is to get done.

Eddy Julio Martinez Not Signing With Giants; Seeks $3MM Deal

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TODAY: Martinez and his camp are “seeking a bonus closer to $3MM,” MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports.

YESTERDAY: Giants GM Bobby Evans acknowledged weekend reports of an agreement between his team and Cuban center fielder Eddy Julio Martinez yesterday and said the team was excited about the prospect of finalizing the deal, but ESPN’s Keith Law now reports that the Giants are not signing Martinez, who remains available as a free agent (Twitter links). It’s worth noting that while Evans confirmed an agreement, the team did not formally announce the signing. While that may lead to speculation of a physical issue, Law says there’s no injury in this instance. In fact, he adds that he watched Martinez take batting practice today and came away very impressed.

Martinez, 20, was believed to be in line for a signing bonus in excess of $10MM, but the reported agreement with the Giants was a $2.5MM signing bonus. One of the most talked-about and highly ranked free agents earlier in the summer, Martinez curiously went months with his name scarcely coming up in news and rumors before the agreement with the Giants was reported. Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel chronicled the reasons for his falling stock in a chat with readers today, noting that teams were offering as much as $7MM earlier in the summer, but when Martinez’s camp wouldn’t bite on those offers, the teams moved on.

With Martinez back on the market, other teams that showed interest in him — the Dodgers, Cubs, Astros, Reds and Rangers were all intrigued, to varying extents — will again have the opportunity to strike a deal. Martinez reportedly switched agents in mid-September, hiring Rick Thurman and Rafael Nieves of the Beverly Hills Sports Council.

Martinez is said to possess a powerful, compact swing and the ability to hit the ball to all fields in addition to base-stealing upside due to his above-average speed. However, some scouts feel that he’s more of a doubles hitter than a home run hitter, and not all are convinced that he can stick as a center fielder. MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez and Ben Badler of Baseball America each have scouting reports on Martinez (the latter requires a highly recommended subscription).

Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2016

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As explained here, Matt Swartz and MLB Trade Rumors have developed an accurate model to project arbitration salaries.  Many MLB teams and agencies reference our projections in their work.  You won’t find anything else like this on the Internet!  The number in parentheses next to each player is his Major League service time (Years.Days) through 2015 (172 days constitutes a full year of Major League service, per the collective bargaining agreement).

Service time data, the Super Two cutoff, and the 2016 MLB minimum salary are not yet official or known.  We’re using 2.130 for the Super Two cutoff and $508K for the MLB minimum here.  In general, if you see any inaccuracies or have questions, please leave a comment or contact us.  Also, please note that we’ve fixed some errors from the original version of this post.

Angels (6)

  • Fernando Salas (5.048) – $2.2MM
  • Cesar Ramos (5.003) – $1.7MM
  • Hector Santiago (4.016) – $5.1MM
  • Collin Cowgill (3.151) – $1.0MM
  • Garrett Richards (3.148) – $6.8MM
  • Kole Calhoun (2.130) – $3.6MM

Astros (8)

  • Luis Valbuena (5.148) – $5.8MM
  • Jason Castro (5.104) – $4.6MM
  • Hank Conger (4.051) – $1.8MM
  • Chris Carter (3.159) – $5.6MM
  • Marwin Gonzalez (3.133) – $1.9MM
  • Dallas Keuchel (3.089) – $6.4MM
  • Josh Fields (3.000) – $800K
  • Evan Gattis (3.000) – $3.4MM

Athletics (15)

  • Ike Davis (5.155) – $3.8MM
  • Sam Fuld (5.140) – $2.0MM
  • Jesse Chavez (5.108) – $4.7MM
  • Josh Reddick (5.050) – $7.0MM
  • Craig Gentry (4.125) – $1.6MM
  • Danny Valencia (4.118) – $3.4MM
  • Fernando Abad (4.073) – $1.5MM
  • Eric Sogard (4.064) – $1.7MM
  • Brett Lawrie (4.055) – $3.9MM
  • Felix Doubront (4.041) – $2.5MM
  • Fernando Rodriguez (4.032) – $1.3MM
  • Jarrod Parker (4.000) – $850K
  • Drew Pomeranz (3.013) – $1.3MM
  • A.J. Griffin (3.000) – $508K
  • Evan Scribner (2.142) – $700K

Blue Jays (9)

  • Brett Cecil (5.152) – $3.4MM
  • Michael Saunders (5.138) – $2.9MM
  • Justin Smoak (5.077) – $2.0MM
  • Ben Revere (4.149) – $6.7MM
  • Josh Thole (4.126) – $1.8MM
  • Josh Donaldson (3.158) – $12.0MM
  • Drew Hutchison (3.128) – $2.6MM
  • Aaron Loup (3.083) – $900K
  • Steve Delabar (3.008) – $700K

Braves (5)

  • Mike Minor (4.138) – $5.6MM
  • Pedro Ciriaco (3.049) – $800K
  • Shelby Miller (3.030) – $4.9MM
  • Arodys Vizcaino (2.168) – $1.1MM
  • Chris Withrow (2.132) – $600K

Brewers (3)

  • Jean Segura (3.065) – $3.2MM
  • Wily Peralta (3.033) – $2.8MM
  • Will Smith (2.155) – $1.2MM

Cardinals (7)

  • Brandon Moss (5.160) – $7.9MM
  • Peter Bourjos (5.062) – $1.8MM
  • Steve Cishek (4.143) – $7.1MM
  • Tony Cruz (4.105) – $1.0MM
  • Trevor Rosenthal (3.058) – $6.5MM
  • Matt Adams (3.033) – $1.5MM
  • Seth Maness (2.154) – $1.2MM

Cubs (8)

  • Clayton Richard (5.154) – $1.1MM
  • Chris Coghlan (5.148) – $3.9MM
  • Travis Wood (5.004) – $6.4MM
  • Pedro Strop (4.156) – $4.7MM
  • Jake Arrieta (4.145) – $10.4MM
  • Ryan Cook (3.086) – $1.4MM
  • Hector Rondon (3.000) – $3.6MM
  • Justin Grimm (2.170) – $1.0MM

Diamondbacks (8)

  • Daniel Hudson (5.117) – $2.0MM
  • Josh Collmenter (5.000) – $2.8MM arbitration projection; has a $1.825MM club option.
  • Matt Reynolds (4.046) – $800K
  • Welington Castillo (4.009) – $3.6MM
  • Patrick Corbin (3.105) – $2.3MM
  • Randall Delgado (3.100) – $1.0MM
  • Rubby De La Rosa (3.097) – $3.2MM
  • A.J. Pollock (3.052) – $4.3MM

Dodgers (9)

  • A.J. Ellis (5.151) – $4.5MM
  • Kenley Jansen (5.073) – $11.4MM
  • Justin Turner (5.045) – $5.3MM
  • Juan Nicasio (4.084) – $3.1MM
  • Yasmani Grandal (3.115) – $2.7MM
  • Luis Avilan (3.077) – $1.1MM
  • Joe Wieland (3.027) – $508K
  • Scott Van Slyke (2.151) – $1.2MM
  • Chris Hatcher (2.146) – $900K

Giants (4)

  • Yusmeiro Petit (5.016) – $2.4MM
  • Brandon Belt (4.128) – $6.2MM
  • Hector Sanchez (3.113) – $900K
  • George Kontos (2.171) – $1.0MM

Indians (7)

  • Josh Tomlin (4.151) – $3.1MM
  • Bryan Shaw (4.081) – $2.8MM
  • Lonnie Chisenhall (3.158) – $3.0MM
  • Zach McAllister (3.077) – $1.0MM
  • Cody Allen (3.076) – $3.5MM
  • Nick Hagadone (3.056) – $600K
  • Jeff Manship (2.130) – $700K

Mariners (3)

  • Mark Trumbo (5.027) – $9.1MM
  • Charlie Furbush (4.121) – $1.7MM
  • Anthony Bass (3.148) – $1.1MM
  • Leonys Martin (3.063) – $3.75MM*

Marlins (9)

  • Aaron Crow (5.000) – $1.975MM
  • Henderson Alvarez (4.051) – $4.0MM
  • David Phelps (3.156) – $2.5MM
  • Dee Gordon (3.154) – $5.9MM
  • Adeiny Hechavarria (3.060) – $2.3MM
  • A.J. Ramos (3.030) – $2.8MM
  • Tom Koehler (3.016) – $3.9MM
  • Bryan Morris (3.011) – $1.1MM
  • Carter Capps (3.007) – $800K
  • Jose Fernandez (3.000) – $2.2MM

Mets (8)

  • Ruben Tejada (4.171) – $2.5MM
  • Lucas Duda (4.137) – $6.8MM
  • Addison Reed (4.002) – $5.7MM
  • Carlos Torres (3.114) – $800K
  • Jenrry Mejia (3.085) – $2.6MM
  • Matt Harvey (3.072) – $4.7MM
  • Jeurys Familia (3.030) – $3.3MM
  • Josh Edgin (3.015) – $600K

Nationals (9)

  • Craig Stammen (5.160) – $2.4MM
  • Drew Storen (5.140) – $8.8MM
  • Stephen Strasburg (5.118) – $10.5MM
  • Wilson Ramos (5.047) – $5.3MM
  • Jose Lobaton (4.138) – $1.5MM
  • Danny Espinosa (4.113) – $2.7MM
  • Tyler Moore (3.018) – $1.0MM
  • Anthony Rendon (2.130) – $2.5MM

Orioles (10)

  • Brian Matusz (5.156) – $3.4MM
  • Nolan Reimold (5.113) – $900K
  • Paul Janish (4.156) – $600K
  • Chris Tillman (4.113) – $6.2MM
  • Miguel Gonzalez (4.095) – $4.9MM
  • Ryan Flaherty (4.000) – $1.5MM
  • Zach Britton (3.158) – $6.9MM
  • Vance Worley (3.112) – $2.7MM
  • Brad Brach (3.063) – $1.1MM
  • Manny Machado (3.056) – $5.9MM
  • David Lough (2.149) – $800K

Padres (8)

  • Marc Rzepczynski (5.132) – $3.0MM
  • Andrew Cashner (5.126) – $7.0MM
  • Cory Luebke (5.033) – $5.25MM arbitration projection;  has a $7.5MM club option with a $1.75MM buyout.
  • Tyson Ross (4.126) – $10.0MM
  • Yonder Alonso (4.116) – $2.5MM
  • Derek Norris (3.102) – $3.4MM
  • Will Middlebrooks (3.057) – $1.5MM
  • Brett Wallace (3.003) – $1.1MM

Phillies (4)

  • Jeremy Hellickson (5.045) – $6.6MM
  • Andres Blanco (5.007) – $1.0MM
  • Jeanmar Gomez (4.063) – $1.5MM
  • Freddy Galvis (3.021) – $1.9MM

Pirates (9)

  • Neil Walker (5.166) – $10.7MM
  • Francisco Cervelli (5.146) – $2.5MM
  • Mark Melancon (5.098) – $10.0MM
  • Chris Stewart (5.091) – $1.6MM
  • Pedro Alvarez (5.085) – $8.1MM
  • Tony Watson (4.101) – $4.6MM
  • Jared Hughes (3.162) – $2.2MM
  • Jordy Mercer (3.095) – $1.8MM
  • Jeff Locke (3.020) – $3.5MM

Rangers (10)

  • Mitch Moreland (5.067) – $5.6MM
  • Tom Wilhelmsen (4.089) – $3.0MM
  • Chris Gimenez (3.163) – $1.0MM
  • Shawn Tolleson (3.122) – $2.6MM
  • Tanner Scheppers (3.111) – $800K
  • Robinson Chirinos (3.103) – $1.4MM
  • Jake Diekman (3.049) – $1.0MM
  • Jurickson Profar (2.167) – $508K
  • Nick Tepesch (2.136) – $508K

Rays (11)

  • Logan Morrison (5.069) – $4.1MM
  • Jake McGee (4.127) – $4.7MM
  • Logan Forsythe (4.113) – $3.3MM
  • Desmond Jennings (4.101) – $3.1MM
  • Rene Rivera (4.082) – $1.6MM
  • Alex Cobb (4.061) – $4.0MM
  • J.P. Arencibia (4.052) – $1.4MM
  • Daniel Nava (4.045) – $1.9MM
  • Drew Smyly (3.154) – $3.9MM
  • Brandon Gomes (3.082) – $900K
  • Brandon Guyer (3.066) – $1.3MM
  • Erasmo Ramirez (2.158) – $2.8MM

Red Sox (5)

  • Junichi Tazawa (5.086) – $3.3MM
  • Anthony Varvaro (3.121) – $700K
  • Joe Kelly (3.101) – $3.2MM
  • Robbie Ross (3.100) – $1.1MM
  • Jean Machi (2.154) – $900K

Reds (4)

  • Aroldis Chapman (5.034) – $12.9MM
  • Zack Cozart (4.084) – $2.9MM
  • Ryan Mattheus (3.123) – $1.3MM
  • J.J. Hoover (3.102) – $$1.1MM

Rockies (9)

  • John Axford (5.170) – $6.5MM
  • Adam Ottavino (4.087) – $1.6MM
  • Jordan Lyles (4.060) – $2.8MM
  • Rex Brothers (3.131) – $1.5MM
  • DJ LeMahieu (3.128) – $3.7MM
  • Wilin Rosario (3.123) – $3.2MM
  • Charlie Blackmon (3.102) – $4.5MM
  • Brandon Barnes (3.024) – $1.2MM
  • Nolan Arenado (2.155) – $6.6MM

Royals (8)

  • Greg Holland (5.028) – $11.3MM
  • Drew Butera (5.018) – $1.1MM
  • Mike Moustakas (4.111) – $5.7MM
  • Tim Collins (4.097) – $1.475MM
  • Jarrod Dyson (4.088) – $1.7MM
  • Danny Duffy (4.085) – $4.0MM
  • Lorenzo Cain (4.074) – $6.1MM
  • Louis Coleman (3.018) – $1.0MM

Tigers (5)

  • Neftali Feliz (5.151) – $5.2MM
  • Al Alburquerque (4.147) – $2.1MM
  • J.D. Martinez (4.036) – $7.8MM
  • Andrew Romine (3.049) – $700K
  • Jose Iglesias (3.036) – $1.5MM

Twins (6)

  • Kevin Jepsen (5.163) – $6.0MM
  • Trevor Plouffe (4.162) – $7.7MM
  • Eduardo Nunez (4.090) – $1.5MM
  • Casey Fien (3.143) – $2.2MM
  • Tommy Milone (3.143) – $4.5MM
  • Eduardo Escobar (3.128) – $1.8MM

White Sox (5)

  • Tyler Flowers (4.148) – $3.5MM
  • Nate Jones (4.000) – $900K
  • Jacob Turner (3.033) – $1.0MM
  • Dan Jennings (2.171) – $700K
  • Avisail Garcia (2.167) – $2.3MM
  • Zach Putnam (2.135) – $800K

Yankees (7)

  • Ivan Nova (5.024) – $4.4MM
  • Michael Pineda (4.099) – $4.6MM
  • Dustin Ackley (4.087) – $3.1MM
  • Nate Eovaldi (4.013) – $5.7MM
  • Adam Warren (3.036) – $1.5MM
  • Justin Wilson (3.035) – $1.3MM
  • Didi Gregorius (2.159) – $2.1MM

*Original projection ($1.6MM) updated to reflect prior season’s salary.

Indians Promote Chris Antonetti, Mike Chernoff

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3:53pm: Bastian tweets that from an operational standpoint, little will change with the Indians. The new titles reflect the way in which the team has operated for several years, per Antonetti.

11:06am: The Indians have announced a widely-anticipated series of front office promotions. Chris Antonetti will move into the newly-minted position of president of baseball operations, with Mike Chernoff stepping into the general manager role.

To an extent, the move was precipitated by the departure of former president Mark Shapiro. But Antonetti will remain atop the baseball operations department rather than stepping into Shapiro’s broader, business-oriented role, as MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian notes on Twitter.

Antonetti, 41, served as the Indians’ GM for five years after a lengthy stint as Shapiro’s right-hand man. Among his most notable achievements are a series of appealing extensions, many of them with high-performing players that the organization acquired at a discount. Under Antonetti’s leadership, Cleveland has locked up Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley, Yan Gomes, and Carlos Santana on the position player side as well as Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco among its pitchers.

The club that Antonetti compiled this year fell somewhat shy of expectations. After a 2013 playoff berth and 85-win campaign last year, the team’s array of excellent starters made it a popular pick to reach the post-season. Instead, the club landed at 81-80, though it did manage a late run at Wild Card relevance.

There’s still plenty to like about the team’s young talent, even if it didn’t reach its ceiling this season. In addition to those noted above, players such as Francisco Lindor, Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer, and Cody Allen are all controlled for the foreseeable future.

Tasked with turning that impressive core into a consistent winner will be the 34-year-old Chernoff. The Princeton grad has been with the organization since 2003, but drew plenty of interest from other organizations that were seeking general managers. But he and the team rebuffed those overtures, preferring instead to structure this internal promotion.

Cleveland also announced that it would account for the upward movement of Chernoff with another internal move. Former director of baseball operations Derek Falvey will become the assistant GM in the new front office structure.

The front office combination has some flexibility to work with despite a generally meager spending capacity. The organization has yet to crack $90MM in Opening Day payroll, but has a decent bit of uncommitted potential cash over the next several seasons — even after committing future salary to the significant players listed above.

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