Lotte Giants Receive No Bidders For Jae-Gyun Hwang
No MLB teams bid for Korean third baseman Jae-gyun Hwang, Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency tweets. The KBO’s Lotte Giants posted Hwang on Monday. Hwang can become a free agent after the season.
If any of this sounds familiar, it might be because Hwang was posted only because his teammate, Ah-seop Son, also did not attract any interest after Lotte posted him. (KBO rules stipulate that a team can only post one player at a time and can only accept one bid per offseason.) Both players had impressive statistics in 2015 — the 28-year-old Hwang batted .290/.350/.521 with 26 homers in 2015, solid numbers even in the hitter-friendly KBO. Meanwhile, KBO slugger Byung Ho Park did attract a bid, but signed a contract with the Twins that many commentators found to be rather small.
The size of Park’s contract surely partially was a result of his lack of bargaining power through the posting system, of course. But the lack of a market for KBO players like Hwang and Son this winter perhaps suggests that MLB teams remain skeptical of how KBO players will fare in MLB, even after Jung Ho Kang‘s success with the Pirates last season.
Red Sox Sign David Price
The Red Sox have announced that they’ve signed ace lefty David Price to a seven-year, $217MM contract. The Bo McKinnis client will sign the largest contract for a pitcher in history when the deal becomes official, narrowly eclipsing Clayton Kershaw‘s $215MM contract with the Dodgers. Price’s deal contains an opt-out after the third year. He will receive $30MM in each season from 2016-18, $31MM in 2019 and $32MM per year from 2020-22. As FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets, Price’s $31MM average annual value ties Miguel Cabrera for the richest AAV in Major League history. Price will not receive a no-trade clause.
Price, who turned 30 in August, is the consensus top free agent on this season’s market and gives the Red Sox the bona fide ace that many feel their rotation needs to function as a serviceable unit. He’s coming off a second-place finish in the American League Cy Young voting (Houston’s Dallas Keuchel took home first-place honors) after tossing 220 1/3 innings of 2.45 ERA ball with 9.2 K/9, 1.9 BB/9 and a 40.4 percent ground-ball rate between the Tigers and the Blue jays. That type of production has come to be expected of Price, who has averaged 217 innings and a 2.97 ERA per season dating back to the 2010 season.
The opt-out clause affords Price the chance to again test the open market heading into his age-33 season. It will be a challenge although not impossible, for Price to be able to secure more than the four years and $127MM that remain on his contract at the point at which he can opt out. For comparison, Price’s main competitor in free agency, Zack Greinke, opted out of the remaining three year on his $147MM contract to begin this offseason, but he did so entering his age-32 season (one year younger than Price will be after the 2018 campaign) and with $71MM remaining on his contract.
Price will immediately slot into the top spot in Boston’s rotation and be joined by some combination of Clay Buchholz, Eduardo Rodriguez, Wade Miley, Rick Porcello, Joe Kelly and Henry Owens to round out the remainder of the starting five. His addition gives Boston a surplus of useful starting pitchers from which it could deal to address other needs throughout the roster, possibly in the bullpen or possibly for further starting pitching upgrades.
The move represents the second major transaction pulled off by new president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowksi this offseason. The former Tigers GM is more than familiar with Price, having acquired him from the Rays in a trade that cost him Austin Jackson, Drew Smyly and Willy Adames in July of 2014 and having traded him to the Blue Jays in exchange for young left-handers Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd and Jairo Labourt this past July shortly before being dismissed in Detroit. In his first major order of business atop the Red Sox’ baseball operations hierarchy, Dombrowski spent extravagantly in a different manner, surrendering four prospects — Manuel Margot, Javier Guerra, Carlos Asuaje and Logan Allen — to acquire an elite closer from the Padres in the form of Craig Kimbrel.
Such transactions are the types we’ve come to expect from Dombrowski dating back to his Tigers days, but they represent a dramatic philosophical shift for the Red Sox, who previously shied away from long-term commitments of this nature and went to great lengths to build up their farm system under previous general manager Ben Cherington (who resigned after Dombrowski was hired). In order to make moves of this magnitude, Dombrowski likely had to sell ownership on a new direction for the club that aligned more closely with the strategies he employed while guiding the Tigers to a pair of American League pennants and three division titles from 2006-13. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the thus-far bold actions of Dombrowski, Red Sox GM Mike Hazen and the rest of the team’s decision-makers will lead to similar success in Boston.
The Price contract is a significant departure from the reported $144MM that the Tigers felt comfortable offering to Max Scherzer while under Dombrowski’s watch, although the Red Sox have a different long-term financial outlook — namely that they don’t have mega-contracts on the books for Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera, as Detroit did. The contract also shows how far ownership’s thinking has come since attempting to retain Jon Lester with a reported four-year, $70MM offer that was ultimately boosted into the $120MM range but never approached the $155MM that Lester received from the Cubs.
With Price and Jordan Zimmermann now off the market, Greinke and Johnny Cueto are the top remaining arms on the market. As the top-tier names begin to come off the board, the second tier of free agent starters — highlighted by names such as Jeff Samardzija, Mike Leake, Wei-Yin Chen, Scott Kazmir and Yovani Gallardo — should come into play. Jason Heyward now stands as the top-ranked free agent from MLBTR’s Top 50 list, wherein we pegged Price to land exactly $217MM over a seven-year span (albeit from the incorrect team and without the inclusion of an opt-out clause, which does strengthen the deal’s overall value for Price).
Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe initially reported that Price and the Red Sox were in agreement. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted that Price would receive an opt-out after three years. Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports first reported details of the contract’s structure.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cubs Showing Strong Interest In John Lackey
The Cubs are “pretty hot” on John Lackey, reports Yahoo’s Tim Brown (Twitter link), who hears that the two sides are discussing both two- and three-year contract possibilities. If the two sides do come to an agreement, it’ll mark the second time that Theo Epstein has signed Lackey as a free agent, as Epstein was Boston’s GM when Lackey signed his five-year, $82.5MM contract with the Red Sox.
Lackey, 37, would give Chicago a strong No. 3 option in the rotation behind Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester. While Chicago has been said to be interested in a reunion with Jeff Samardzija, ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported earlier today that the price tag on Samardzija may be rising beyond the Cubs’ comfort level. Meanwhile, FOX’s Ken Rosenthal said that the Cubs were becoming increasingly interested in Lackey as the prices of starters who will require longer-term commitments continued to rise.
Lackey has also reportedly drawn at least some interest from the Giants, Cardinals, Dodgers, Rangers, Diamondbacks and Marlins this offseason. He rejected a qualifying offer from the Cardinals after posting a 2.77 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in a terrific 2015 season in St. Louis.
Marlins Name Barry Bonds Hitting Coach
DEC. 4: The Marlins have now officially named Bonds their new hitting coach, with Menechino assuming the role of assistant hitting coach.
DEC. 1, 12:07pm: Bonds “tentatively plans” to take the job, Nightengale tweets, though negotiations are not yet wrapped up.
11:28am: The Marlins have been pursuing legendary-but-controversial slugger Barry Bonds to serve in a coaching capacity with the club, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported yesterday. Miami has now extended him a formal offer and is awaiting a decision, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter.
If Bonds joins the organization, he’d serve as a co-hitting coach with incumbent Frank Menechino, according to Heyman. That’s somewhat unusual in that neither would, apparently, be the assistant to the other, but presumably represents the team’s attempt to strike a balance in doling out job titles and responsibilities.
The two sides are said to be close to reaching an arrangement after holding extensive talks in recent weeks, per Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (Twitter links). At this point, it seems, the only question is whether Bonds is willing to move to Miami and take on the demands of the position.
Obviously, the possibility of a hitting coach hiring doesn’t normally draw many headlines. But in this case, the name under consideration is of particular importance. Bonds, of course, hit more home runs than any player in MLB history and came closer than anyone to eclipsing Babe Ruth in total wins above replacement. Indeed, he might have done just that had he continued his career past a 2007 campaign in which he put up a .480 OBP. But Bonds had become a toxic asset by that point — he was embroiled in PED controversy, though he ultimately was unsuccessful in proving a collusion case — and has been frozen out of the Hall of Fame thus far despite his historic excellence.
The Fish, then, would be making a highly significant move in bringing Bonds back into the baseball fold. He has already increased his public exposure and engagement with the sport recently — including serving as a spring instructor with the Giants — and the rehabilitation efforts of Alex Rodriguez and Mark McGwire have probably also cleared a path. But it would still make for a major point of transition if Bonds were to put on a uniform again.
From a team-specific perspective, Bonds is obviously as knowledgeable about the craft of hitting as anyone and is said to have genuine interest in coaching. Adding his outsized personality carries some risk, of course, to say nothing of the intense media coverage his presence will generate (at least initially). But Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is said to have developed a “friendship” with the now-51-year-old, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro, and obviously appreciates the broader dimensions of the move. Notably, the club has already installed former Yankees legend Don Mattingly as its skipper and brought back Ichiro Suzuki as he pursues the 3,000 hit milestone.
Sandy Alderson Diagnosed With Treatable Form Of Cancer
The Mets announced that general manager Sandy Alderson has been diagnosed with a treatable form of cancer (via Newsday’s Marc Carig). Alderson will undergo eight to 12 weeks of chemotherapy and miss the upcoming Winter Meetings, according to the club. ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin tweets that he will continue his duties as GM of the team, however.
Alderson, 68, was named general manager of the Mets following the 2010 season and has played a vital role in the Mets’ return to contention and, in 2015, to the World Series. Alderson’s personal health, however, is clearly a far more important matter than his lengthy and impressive track record as a baseball executive.
MLBTR expresses its best wishes to the Mets organization, the friends and family of Alderson, and of course to Alderson himself as we join the baseball community in hoping for a speedy recovery.
White Sox Sign Dioner Navarro
The White Sox continued to reshape their catching corps on Friday, officially announcing the signing of veteran switch-hitter Dioner Navarro to a one-year, $4MM contract.
Chicago has now completed a total overhaul of its backstop situation this winter. The club signed Alex Avila to a one-year deal, non-tendered Tyler Flowers last night, and has now brought in Navarro to share time with his fellow free agent signee.
Navarro, a client of MDR Sports Management, served as the Blue Jays’ primary receiver in 2014 after signing a two-year deal. He put up a solid .274/.317/.395 slash with 12 home runs. But he lost his starting role last year when the Jays added Russell Martin. In his 192 turns at the plate in 2015, Navarro slashed .246/.307/.374, which was still good for an 88 OPS+.
On the defensive side of the ledger, Navarro was one of the league’s worst-rated pitch framers in 2014. But he’s generally rated more as a below-average framer than an awful one, and he returned to that status last year. More broadly, Defensive Runs Saved has pegged Navarro right at league average in terms of overall performance behind the plate.
It remains to be seen exactly how the South Siders will deploy this two-backstop unit, but presumably both were enticed to join the team by the promise of significant time. Avila, who hits from the left side, is much more productive against right-handed pitching, slashing .251/.348/.423 over his career with the platoon advantage. The opposite is true of Navarro, who has hit lefties to the tune of .270/.336/.439. GM Rick Hahn would surely be thrilled to get that kind of combined production from the position for a limited overall investment.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement (on Twitter).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
White Sox Re-Sign Jacob Turner
The White Sox announced on Friday that they have re-signed the recently non-tendered Jacob Turner to a one-year contract that will pay the right-hander $1.5MM.
It seems curious, at first glance, that Chicago declined to tender Turner a contract at yesterday’s deadline but then struck a deal with him today. Turner, after all, was projected to earn $1MM in arbitration this year, as it’s standard for players to receive an identical salary to the previous year after sitting out a season due to injury.
However, Turner’s situation was rather unique, as the former top prospect signed a Major League contract out of the draft (an outcome that is no longer possible under the since-revamped collective bargaining agreement). Turner’s big league deal out of the draft — he was selected ninth overall in 2009 — included a $4.7MM signing bonus, and an annualized portion of that sum has to be included when calculating his salary. As such, the White Sox and Turner have most likely split the difference between what he might’ve netted in arbitration and what the team would have filed.
The White Sox claimed Turner off waivers just over a month ago from the cross-town Cubs, who carried him for most of the season on the 60-day DL as Turner dealt with arm issues. Turner is out of minor league options and will have to stick on the club’s 40-man roster this spring or be exposed to outright waivers, but the Sox will hope that he can maintain better health in 2016 and realize some of the potential that once made Turner such a highly touted arm.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported the agreement (on Twitter).
Angels In Talks With David Freese
The Angels and third baseman David Freese are said to be “making progress” in talks on a new contract, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register adds (via Twitter) that GM Billy Eppler acknowledged yesterday that the two sides have continued to talk but wouldn’t specify how close the two sides were to an agreement.
Freese, 32, has spent the past two seasons as the Halos’ everyday third baseman after coming over from the Cardinals alongside right-hander Fernando Salas in a trade that sent Randal Grichuk and Peter Bourjos to St. Louis. Eppler and his staff decided against extending a one-year, $15.8MM qualifying offer to Freese, though the team reportedly considered tendering the QO due to Freese’s solid production and what looks to be a barren market at third base.
Freese would fill a notable void with a familiar face for those in the clubhouse. Over the past two seasons, he’s been a steadily productive player at the hot corner in Anaheim, batting a combined .258/.322/.401 with 24 homers in 981 plate appearances. Those numbers don’t jump off the page (or screen, in this instance), but when paired with respectable defense at third base (in the estimation of Ultimate Zone Rating, anyhow), that’s made Freese about a two-win player per year.
Outside of Freese, the free-agent market at third base contains Korean slugger Jae-gyun Hwang, who is currently posted for MLB clubs (bids are due at 5pm ET today) and possibly Daniel Murphy. However, Hwang is obviously an unproven commodity in the Major Leagues, and Murphy has considerably more experience at second base than at third base (even though some scouts feel he’s better suited to play third than second). Trades are another avenue for teams like the Angels that have glaring holes at third base, though one target in whom the Halos were said to have interest, Trevor Plouffe, may not on the market after all, per Twins GM Terry Ryan.
Tigers, Mike Pelfrey Agree To Two-Year Deal
10:15am: Sherman tweets that the contract is a two-year, $16MM deal. MLB.com’s Jason Beck hears the same (Twitter link). Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press tweets that Pelfrey’s physical is scheduled for today.
10:08am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears differently (Twitter link), as he’s been told the contract is a two-year deal.
9:15am: MLive.com’s James Schmehl reports that the contract is a one-year deal that will pay Pelfrey roughly $8MM. The deal is pending a physical.
9:08am: The Tigers are in agreement on a contract with free agent right-hander Mike Pelfrey, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Pelfrey is represented by agent Scott Boras.
Pelfrey, 32 in January, is coming off a three-year stretch with the Twins that saw him struggle in a return from Tommy John surgery in year one, battle further arm injuries in year two but bounce back to deliver solid, if unspectacular results in his final season in Minnesota. His 2015 campaign included 164 2/3 innings of 4.26 ERA ball with 4.7 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 51 percent ground-ball rate. Pelfrey’s addition figures to round out a Tigers rotation that will also include Justin Verlander, Jordan Zimmermann, Anibal Sanchez and Daniel Norris.
While Pelfrey struggled throughout most of his time in Minnesota, the 2015 season saw his average fastball velocity climb back to 93.3 mph — its fastest mark since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2012. Pelfrey’s ground-ball rate was also the highest it’s been since his TJ operation, and if he can maintain a mark north of 50 percent, that should play well with a strong defensive double-play tandem of Jose Iglesias and Ian Kinsler behind him in Detroit. (Of course, the corner infield situation — Miguel Cabrera and Nick Castellanos — certainly leaves something to be desired, from a defensive standpoint.)
Tigers GM Al Avila recently indicated that Detroit would look to add another starter in addition to Zimmermann, who signed a five-year, $110MM contract, however a back-of-the-rotation arm was the implied likelihood. I speculated at the time that Pelfrey would fit the bill, given his 2015 results and the typically strong relationship between the Tigers and Boras.
Detroit could have elected to pursue more upside to fill out its rotation, but the team is still eyeing bullpen upgrades and already projected to have a roughly $152MM committed to just 11 players even before this signing. Pelfrey’s contract will push the payroll to about $160MM (plus another $6.5MM or so for league-minimum players), bringing the team within striking distance of last year’s record $172MM Opening Day payroll.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jeff Samardzija Has Offers Of $90-100MM
DEC. 3: An $18MM average annual value is the “going rate” for Samardzija, Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com/CBS Chicago hears (Twitter link). A source confirmed to Levine that at least one team has offered Samardzija $90MM. It remains unclear which teams are involved at this level, but it would appear that Samardzija has at least a pair of quite strong offers in hand already as his camp gears up for the Winter Meetings.
DEC. 2: The representatives of free agent righty Jeff Samardzija are telling teams that the hurler already has at least one $100MM offer on the table, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. Needless to say, that’s a huge number for a pitcher coming off a down year, but speaks to his popularity among scouts and executives.
As MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes explained in his profile of the talented veteran, there’s a lot to like about Samardzija despite his ugly ERA last season. Dierkes foresaw a five-year, $80MM deal resulting.
To be sure, it once seemed plenty plausible to imagine Samardzija taking down nine figures in free agency. His outstanding 2014 season appeared to set the table for just that kind of payday, and the fact that he was traded for a premium prospect in Addison Russell confirmed that the market put a high value on his arm. And it’s often been noted that Samardzija comes with relatively low mileage.