Nationals Sign Dan Uggla To Minor League Deal
The Nationals have signed Dan Uggla to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, the team announced (on Twitter). Uggla is a client of Turn 2 Sports Management.
The Nationals are plenty familiar with Uggla, who turns 35 in March, for a couple of reasons. He’s spent the bulk of his big league career in their division as a member of the Marlins and Braves, and additionally, GM Mike Rizzo drafted Uggla when he was the Diamondbacks’ scouting director back in 2001.
Clearly, Uggla’s five-year, $62MM contract extension with Atlanta didn’t pan out as the Braves had hoped. In fact, they’ll pay him $13MM this coming season after releasing him in the fourth year of his contract. Uggla’s bat significantly declined in 2013 and fell off even further in 2014. In total, he batted a mere .171/.291/.326 in 694 plate appearances over the life of those two seasons. While strikeouts have always been a problem for Uggla, his K-rate jumped to 31 percent in 2013-14, and his power vanished entirely in 2014 (two homers in 157 PA, .064 ISO).
The Nationals have some uncertainty at second base, as they’ll shift Anthony Rendon to third base full-time in 2015, with Ryan Zimmerman jumping to first base. That leaves Danny Espinosa, who has had offensive struggles of his own, and utility infielder Kevin Frandsen as the primary internal options at the keystone. And while Uggla’s name often invokes cynicism from fans, it’s tough to fault the Nats for taking a low-risk flier on a player that hit 30 or more homers each year from 2007-11 and has been roughly a league-average bat as recently as 2012.
Braves To Sign A.J. Pierzynski
DEC. 26: Pierzynski will earn exactly $2MM, and his contract contains an additional $700K worth of incentives, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
DEC. 24, 2:01pm: Pierzynski is expected to earn around $2MM in the deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
1:50pm: The Braves have reached a one-year deal with free agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports on Twitter. Financial terms are not yet reported, and the deal will not become official until a physical that will be delayed by the holidays.
Soon to turn 38, Pierzynski played last year for the Red Sox and Cardinals, struggling to the lowest offensive output of his career. The veteran slashed just .251/.288/.337 and hit five home runs in 362 plate appearances. Advanced defensive metrics (via Baseball Prospectus) saw Pierzynski as slightly below average. The net package was below replacement level.
All that being said, Pierzynski has a lengthy history of solid-to-good output for his position. His lifetime slash of .281/.320/.424 is quite productive for a backstop, and he was good for an .827 OPS and 27 home runs as recent as 2012. Pierzynski has also generally been regarded as a sturdy option behind the dish, both in terms of defensive ability and (especially) durability.
It is ultimately not surprising to see the Braves add a veteran of this ilk. The team appears set to move Evan Gattis out from behind the plate (if not to another team altogether), and pairing well-regarded youngster Christian Bethancourt with a more established option makes plenty of sense.
If Pierzynski returns to his prior form, he could help lead a surprise run for a team that many have written off. Or, he could turn into July trade fodder. Of course, there may be some added risk given the frequent chatter about issues with Pierzynski’s personality. But that likely figured into the price tag, and he delivers scarce upside in a largely barren catching market.
Aaron Lunsford first tweeted news of Pierzynski’s agreement.
Poll: Where Will Max Scherzer Land?
It’s December 25th and the top available free agent of the winter remains unsigned. In some ways, it’s surprising to see the 30-year-old Max Scherzer still on the market given the widespread interest in him as a talent. On the other hand, agent Scott Boras has never been afraid to patiently wait for the right deal. So, who’s in right now? Well, oddly enough, it might be easier to list the teams that appear or claim to be out.
The incumbent Tigers have had “no conversations” with Scherzer’s camp, according to assistant GM Al Avila. Earlier this month, an industry source told MLB.com’s Jason Beck even though Scott Boras has openly said the Tigers won’t receive a chance to match an opposing team’s final offer for the hurler, Boras will, in fact, give owner Mike Ilitch a chance to match “at least as a professional courtesy.” Keeping Scherzer won’t be cheap, but the Tigers know the value that he brings and David Price is a year away from hitting the open market himself.
The Giants have some major question marks in their rotation beyond top starters Madison Bumgarner and Tim Hudson and they’d undoubtedly love to add the former Cy Young winner to their starting five. However, Giants GM Brian Sabean says that he hasn’t had discussions with Scherzer and doesn’t plan to. Given their financial constraints and the recent commitments made to retain Jake Peavy and Sergio Romo, SF’s budget just won’t allow for such a deal.
It’s a similar story for the rest of the field. The Cardinals say they are not actively pursuing Scherzer, even though he’s a native of the St. Louis area. Teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, Nationals, and Red Sox, who are normally not as shy about spending, have also been quick to say they’re not in the mix.
Yesterday, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post sized up the rest of the field and rightly noted that the Blue Jays aren’t likely to splurge on Scherzer after showing a reluctance to spend heavily on a reliever. Davidoff spoke with an AL official who speculated the possibility of the Nationals trading Jordan Zimmermann, a year away from free agency himself, and signing Scherzer – a theory that ESPN’s Jayson Stark was hearing quite a bit from others earlier this month. Another official from a second AL team pegged the Angels as the team to suck it up and pay the luxury tax penalty necessary to sign Scherzer. Davidoff picked Detroit and St. Louis as the most likely landing spots for Scherzer while leaving room at the table for the Cubs, who were thought to be a top contender at the start of the offseason.
Take your best guess – where will this offseason’s best free agent wind up in the New Year?
Which Team Will Sign Max Scherzer?
-
Tigers 22% (10,649)
-
Yankees 21% (10,074)
-
Cardinals 8% (4,024)
-
Red Sox 8% (3,833)
-
Cubs 7% (3,654)
-
Another team not listed 7% (3,594)
-
Angels 7% (3,381)
-
Dodgers 6% (3,039)
-
Nationals 5% (2,431)
-
Giants 4% (2,088)
-
Blue Jays 4% (2,076)
Total votes: 48,843
Chihiro Kaneko To Stay With Japanese Club
Japanese standout Kenta Maeda won’t be coming to MLB in 2015 and neither will right-hander Chihiro Kaneko. The Orix Buffaloes ace announced yesterday that he’ll be staying with his club after signing a four-year deal worth ¥2 billion (~$16.6MM) plus performance-based incentives, according to The Japan Times.
Kaneko was named the Pacific League MVP for his stellar season in 2014 and also won the Sawamura Award, roughly the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award. Kaneko, like Maeda, was not eligible for true free agency this season but could have been posted by his club. Kaneko signed on with Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group last month.
Back in October, Kaneko attended the World Series to get a first-hand look at the atmosphere of Major League Baseball. Despite having some interest in making the jump and scouting looks from the Phillies (GM Ruben Amaro personally watched him throw in September), Red Sox, and Padres, he opted to remain with Orix. Still, the major leagues remain in his future plans.
“I would like to do that at some point,” Kaneko said.
While not as highly regarded as Maeda, Kaneko earned an honorable mention on Tim Dierkes’ Top 50 Free Agents list and likely would have been included had he been posted. This past season, Kaneko pitched to a 1.98 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 through 26 starts.
D’Backs To Re-Sign Jordan Pacheco
The Diamondbacks will re-sign Jordan Pacheco to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training, a source tells Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (via Twitter).
Arizona claimed the infielder/catcher off waivers from the Rockies back in June. Pacheco, 29 in January, was outrighted in November, but the club made it known soon after that they were hoping to retain him.
Though he hasn’t set the world on fire offensively, he does offer contact skills and defensive versatility. Over the last few years, he has seen significant time at catcher, first base, and third base. In 2012, he posted a .309/.341/.421 slash line (good for a 93 OPS+) across 505 plate appearances. Since then, however, he has slashed just .245/.285/.320.
Pacheco is represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database.
Indians Sign Jeff Manship
The Indians have signed right-hander Jeff Manship to a minor league contract, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports. Manship elected free agency in October, and the 29-year-old is represented by the Boras Corporation.
Manship signed a minor league deal with the Phillies last winter and earned a spot on their Opening Day roster. He went on to post a 6.65 ERA, 16 strikeouts and 14 walks over 23 innings out of the Philadelphia bullpen before being designated for assignment and then outrighted off their roster in July.
Over 139 1/3 career innings with the Phillies, Rockies and Twins, Manship has 6.46 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 1.55 K/BB rate. He is something of a reverse-splits pitcher, as right-handed batters have performed much better (.953 OPS) against Manship than left-handed batters (.753 OPS).
Rockies Sign Roger Bernadina
The Rockies have signed outfielder Roger Bernadina to a minor league contract, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports. Bernadina, a client of the All Bases Covered agency, elected free agency from the Dodgers following the 2014 season.
Since posting a .291/.372/.405 slash line in 261 plate appearances with the Nationals in 2012, the veteran has since managed only a .550 OPS over 330 PA, going from the Nats to the Phillies in 2013 and then picking up only 80 PA while playing for both the Dodgers and Reds last season. Colorado’s crowded outfield picture (Carlos Gonzalez, Corey Dickerson, Drew Stubbs, Brandon Barnes, Charlie Blackmon) doesn’t seem to hint at an obvious Major League opportunity for Bernadina, though several Rockies outfielders have been mentioned in trade rumors this winter.
Kenta Maeda Re-Signs With Hiroshima Carp, Will Not Be Posted To MLB
One of the top pitching talents thought to be available this offseason will instead remain in Japan, as the Hiroshima Carp have signed right-hander Kenta Maeda to a new contract, The Japan Times reports. The re-signing comes on the heels of last week’s news that the Carp told Maeda he wasn’t going to be posted this winter, as per Jim Allen of the Kyodo News (Twitter link).
The 26-year-old Maeda is coming off his fifth consecutive season with a sub-3.00 ERA, having posted a 2.60 mark with 7.7 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 187 innings for the Carp. While he’s not thought to have the same ceiling as countrymen Yu Darvish and Masahiro Tanaka, most feel that Maeda can, at the very least, be a competent mid-rotation starter in Major League Baseball. He’s totaled 1303 1/3 innings in a seven-season career with the Carp, working to a 2.44 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9.
“I am thinking this [going to the majors] is close to becoming a reality. Hopefully I can go in the offseason next year,” Maeda said.
As Ben Badler of Baseball America wrote in a scouting report following Maeda’s last game of the season, the right-hander offers three average-or-better pitches — a 90-94 mph fastball, an 80-84 mph slider and an 85-86 mph changeup — and occasionally works in a cutter and curveball. Maeda won’t turn 27 until next April, so his age alone could’ve resulted in a significant asking price. Under the new rules agreed to with Nippon Professional Baseball last winter, however, the Carp would only have been entitled to a maximum $20MM posting fee — a far cry from the posting fees of Darvish and Daisuke Matsuzaka, both of which were in excess of $50MM.
Maeda could still be posted next offseason and would be an unrestricted free agent following the 2017 season. While the entire list of clubs with interest in him is unknown, the Red Sox and Phillies have both scouted Maeda, with Philadelphia GM Ruben Amaro personally making a visit to Japan to watch the right-hander. Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart candidly admitted that he “loves” Maeda and would be a player if the right-hander were posted. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes ranked Maeda twelfth on his list of this offseason’s top 50 free agents.
Orioles To Sign Delmon Young
The Orioles have agreed to a one-year, $2.25MM deal with free agent outfielder Delmon Young, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (links to Twitter). Young can earn up to $750K more through incentives. The deal is dependent upon a physical, which will not take place until the new year.
Young, still a relatively youthful 29, enjoyed something of a renaissance last year in Baltimore. Splitting his time as a part-time DH and reserve outfielder, the one-time top prospect slashed .302/.337/.442 with seven home runs over 255 plate appearances.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether he can carry that performance forward. At least some skepticism is suggested by the fact that Young rode a .359 BABIP. And the Steamer projection system expects him to drop back to being a league-average bat.
Several other factors warrant mention as well. Somewhat curiously, despite strong career platoon splits (.091 OPS), Young actually posted much stronger numbers against righties last year. In fact, he was better across the board, with greater power and OBP when facing same-handed pitching. And then there is defense, where Young continues to rate rather poorly.
On the whole, though, the O’s are taking on very limited risk given the contract’s duration and value. With left-handed platoon mates already on board — and more potentially coming — Young can be deployed strategically to maximize his value.
Jake Peavy On His New Two-Year Deal With Giants
The Giants have some uncertainty in their rotation behind top starters Madison Bumgarner and Tim Hudson, but they shored things up by bringing back Jake Peavy on a two-year, $24MM deal. The pact became official yesterday and on a conference call with reporters yesterday evening, Peavy talked about his decision to stay put in San Francisco. Like Sergio Romo yesterday, Peavy had nothing but praise for the Giants organization and its close-knit locker room.
The veteran says that he had lots of interesting opportunities elsewhere, but ultimately it was an easy choice to return to the Giants.
“Not being Jon Lester, I wasn’t flying around everywhere nor did I want to get my door beat in but…we had six or seven teams wanting to make offers,” Peavy said when I asked him about interest from other clubs around baseball. “Once the market starts to go, it starts to go, and guys start to go to teams fast and teams want to get players fast.”
The veteran, 34 in May, intimated that he spurned more lucrative offers from other teams to remain in orange and black.
“I had some really nice offers but I wasn’t chasing the most money. There were opportunities for that, but I didn’t take those and I feel blessed. I wanted to be in a situation where A. I can win – [manager Bruce Bochy] and [Giants vice president Bobby Evans] will tell you this, it does nothing but re-energize you and it makes you want to win even more than you previously did.”
“I feel like I can be a really good major league player and I wouldn’t show up if I didn’t think I could go out and replicate what I did in August and September there and I wanted to get a fair deal – what I thought was very fair deal – and I think for both sides we gave a bit to make that happen and that’s about as good as I can answer.”
Peavy’s desire to return to the Giants has been clear for some time but he “waited for the dust to settle” rather than rushing into a deal. He was never skeptical about whether he could work out a new pact with the Giants but, rather, he wanted to see how the market played about before signing anywhere. As he alluded to, that was the smart move for free agent starters on the second-tier or below. With Lester and others off the board, things became much clearer for Peavy and other veteran starters looking for their landing spot.
At the age of 34, this was Peavy’s first go-round through free agency and it wasn’t a process that he terribly enjoyed. In the end, though, things appear to have worked out just fine. Peavy is back with the Giants – and back with Bochy – on a two-year pact. And, thanks to his full no-trade clause, he knows that he’ll be able to take off his coat and stay a while.