Yoan Moncada To Hold Showcase
Top young Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada has established residence in Guatemala, where he will have a showcase November 12, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports. Evaluators from all 30 teams are expected to attend. Moncada is petitioning to become an MLB free agent. In June, Sanchez reported that Moncada had left Cuba through legal means.
Unlike many Cuban arrivals, the 19-year-old Moncada will be subject to MLB rules regarding MLB bonus pools. Sanchez notes that it’s not clear whether Moncada plans to sign in the current signing period or wait until next July 2. The Cubs and Rangers, who spent dramatically more than their bonus pools in the 2013-14 signing season, would not be allowed to sign him for more than $250K in the current signing period, while the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays will not be able to sign him for more than $300K starting next summer.
The young shortstop and third baseman has played alongside Jose Abreu, Erisbel Arruebarrena, Raisel Iglesias and other top Cuban players. Sanchez notes that scouts have described Moncada as “the next Jorge Soler.”
Orioles Discussing Four-Year Deal With Nick Markakis
The Orioles and Nick Markakis have been discussing a new contract in the range of four years for the free agent outfielder, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. “The two sides have been talking for weeks” about a new deal, and Kubatko believes the two sides will reach an agreement to keep Markakis in Baltimore. Kubatko thinks a deal will come “in the not-too-distant future,” though the Orioles’ exclusive negotiating window with Markakis and all their free agents ends at 11pm CT on Monday night.
After signing J.J. Hardy to an extension before the start of the ALCS, it would be quite a coup for the O’s if they were able to lock up another of their major in-house free agents before letting him hit the open market. MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently predicted that Markakis (as long as the O’s didn’t tag him with a qualifying offer) would find a four-year, $48MM deal this winter, so the reported deal length would seem to be a fit, provided that the two sides can agree on the finances.
Baltimore has already declined its half of Markakis’ $17.5MM mutual option for 2015, which was something of a surprising move since it cost the team a $2MM buyout; the O’s could’ve simply exercised their side of the option since Markakis was clearly going to decline his side in order to hit the open market. Declining the option could make more sense, however, if the Orioles thought they were close to a new contract anyways, making that $2MM almost a kind of makeshift signing bonus.
Cafardo’s Latest: Aoki, Ross, Friedman
Here are some of the highlights from the latest Sunday notes column by Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe…
- The White Sox will have “a lot of interest” in free agent outfielder Nori Aoki, Cafardo predicts.
- David Ross was told by Red Sox GM Ben Cherington earlier this week that the club “wanted to see how the roster shook out before making a commitment to” bring back the veteran catcher. Cafardo speculates that Cherington could be keeping his options open in regards to the team’s need for a left-handed hitting bat; if one can’t be found at another position, the Sox could look to add one at catcher.
- Now that Joe Maddon is managing the Cubs, Cafardo wonders if Andrew Friedman will regret sticking with Don Mattingly in Los Angeles and not making a move to bring Maddon to the Dodgers. “I think it will be a case of, ‘Why didn’t I do what the Cubs did?’ ” a baseball executive tells Cafardo. “Joe Maddon seems to be the hot manager out there and guys like that aren’t available very often. When Maddon is out there you don’t need a long, drawn-out managerial search. If you can afford him, you hire him.”
- Rays bench coach Dave Martinez has been mentioned as a prime candidate to become the team’s next manager, and will surely be on the team’s list of interview candidates. That said, “the feeling is that if…[Martinez] was going to get the job, he would have gotten it by now,” Cafardo writes.
- Nelson Cruz‘s free agency “will test the Orioles‘ commitment to winning.” In Cafardo’s opinion, the team has “no excuses” for not re-signing such a key part of their lineup, especially with extra revenues coming in from TV and increased attendance.
Phillies, A.J. Burnett Decline Mutual Option
The Phillies and A.J. Burnett have each declined their sides of the right-hander’s $15MM option for 2015, The Associated Press reports. This expected move leaves Burnett until Monday to decide whether or not to exercise his $12.75MM player option for next season.
Burnett has considered retirement in recent years, though latest rumors have him leaning towards pitching in 2015 and Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. believes the veteran will return. Burnett posted a 4.59 ERA, 1.98 K/BB rate and 190 strikeouts over 213 2/3 IP last season, a step back from his strong performances with Pittsburgh in 2012-13, though Burnett’s track record would still net him plenty of attention on the free agent market (if perhaps not at a $12.75MM price tag). While he would undoubtedly prefer to pitch for a contender rather than a rebuilding club like the Phillies, Burnett has been vocal about wanting to play for a team close to his Maryland home, so he could decide to just pick up his player option and remain in Philadelphia.
Latest On Twins’ Managerial Search
While the Twins have initially denied reports that a manager has been chosen, a source has told Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter) that Paul Molitor has been offered a contract. In an earlier tweet, Berardino noted that GM Terry Ryan referred to the search process in past tense, indicating that a decision has been reached. Contractual details are still being worked upon, per Berardino’s source (also twitter).
Earlier Updates
The Twins appear likely to name Paul Molitor as their next manager, Patrick Reusse of 1500 ESPN reports. There could be a press conference Monday.
The Twins have already informed Class A+ Fort Myers manager Doug Mientkiewicz that he is no longer a candidate, leaving Molitor and Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo as the finalists for the job to replace Ron Gardenhire. Molitor, a coach with the Twins in 2014, had been widely considered the favorite for the job. The report notes that the Twins also spoke to Joe Maddon, but even then he seemed likely to be heading to Chicago.
Molitor was born in St. Paul and had a Hall of Fame career as a second baseman for the Brewers, Blue Jays and finally the Twins, with whom he collected his 3,000th hit. After retiring, he served as a bench coach with the Twins before becoming hitting coach for the Mariners, later returning to the Twins to coach in the minor leagues.
Rockies Decline Option On Brett Anderson
The Rockies have declined their option on lefty starter Brett Anderson, Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports tweets. Colorado will pay a $1.5MM buyout rather than exercising its $12MM option.
Anderson will be 27 in February and pitched very well in 43 1/3 innings in 2014, but the Rockies’ decision is understandable given his struggles to stay healthy. Anderson has not pitched more than 113 innings in a season since 2009, and he missed most of 2014 with finger and back injuries, having back surgery in August. Still, he might be an interesting buy-low free agent target for a team seeking a ground-ball pitcher — he has an excellent 55.4% career ground ball rate. Anderson is expected to be ready for spring training.
Marlins Exercise Option On Jeff Mathis
The Marlins have announced that they’ve exercised their $1.5MM team option on catcher Jeff Mathis. The 31-year-old has never hit well — his .200/.263/.274 line in 195 plate appearances last year is roughly in line with his .196/.256/.307 numbers in parts of ten big-league seasons.
His option costs very little, however, and well evaluations of his defense have varied over the years, he graded fairly well behind the plate last year, catching 16 of 49 would-be base stealers and posting decent blocking and framing numbers. He’ll serve as Jarrod Saltalamacchia‘s backup again next season.
Blue Jays Exercise Thole Option, Decline Three Others
The Blue Jays have announced that they’ve exercised their option on catcher Josh Thole and declined their options on first baseman Justin Smoak and righties Brandon Morrow and Dustin McGowan. Smoak is still eligible for arbitration and will remain in the organization. Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet.ca was the first to report on Smoak’s status (via Twitter), while Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish was first on McGowan.
Thole will make $1.75MM next season after hitting .248/.320/.278 in 150 plate appearances last season. He’ll continue to serve as the Jays’ catcher when knuckleballer R.A. Dickey is pitching.
The Jays will pay the newly acquired Smoak a $150K buyout rather than picking up his $3.65MM option. They’ll gamble that he’ll make less in arbitration. With Adam Lind headed to Milwaukee, the lefty now has a clearer path to a role with the Jays in 2015.
Morrow will receive a $1MM buyout on his $10MM option after missing much of the season due to a finger injury. He still throws hard, however, and his intriguing track record (including an excellent 9.4 K/9 in a career mostly spent as a starter) will make him a free agent to watch. McGowan, who posted a 4.17 ERA in 82 innings split between the rotation and the bullpen last year, will receive a $500K buyout rather than a $4MM option.
Blue Jays Make Qualifying Offer To Melky Cabrera
NOVEMBER 1: The Jays have officially announced that they’ve extended a qualifying offer to Cabrera.
SEPTEMBER 16: The Blue Jays are pleased with Melky Cabrera both on and off the field and will make him a qualifying offer following the season with the hope of retaining the switch-hitter on a multi-year deal, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. A qualifying offer, expected to fall in the $15MM range this winter, will be worth nearly as much as the two-year, $16MM pact Cabrera inked with the Blue Jays prior to the 2013 season.
As ESPN.com’s Buster Olney recently said (Insider link), issuing Cabrera a QO appears to be a “slam dunk” for Toronto. Though his season ended a bit prematurely due to a fractured pinkie finger suffered this month, Cabrera certainly put up some impressive numbers in his walk season. The 30-year-old hit .301/.351/.458 with 16 homers with slightly below-average glovework in left field. In total, Fangraphs pegs him at 2.7 wins above replacement, while Baseball-Reference valued him at 3.1.
Cabrera, of course, brings with him to free agency the baggage of having served a 50-game suspension after testing positive for synthetic testosterone back in 2012. While many were quick to point to his disappointing 2013 season — he hit just .279/.322/.360 — as evidence that he’d benefited substantially from PEDs, doctors eventually found a benign tumor on Cabrera’s spine that had to significantly impact his ability to produce.
The question, of course, will be what type of deal Cabrera can command this winter — a topic which MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth examined in depth in a recent Free Agent Stock Watch post. Cabrera recently told reporters that he hopes to remain in Toronto, stating that he loves the city of Toronto and suggesting that he feels indebted to a team that gave him a chance when his value was at its lowest point. I’d think a four-year deal is attainable for Cabrera on the open market, particularly after Jhonny Peralta managed to secure such a contract on the heels of a much more recent PED suspension last winter.
Blue Jays, Brewers Swap Adam Lind, Marco Estrada
The Brewers have acquired 1B/OF Adam Lind from the Blue Jays, Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish tweets. SportsNet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith initially reported the two sides were close to a deal. The Jays will receive righty Marco Estrada in return, Andrew Walker of Sports590.ca tweets.
The Blue Jays exercised Lind’s $7.5MM option on Lind earlier today, and Lind’s contract also includes a 2016 option for $8MM or a $500K buyout. Even though the Jays picked up the option, there were rumors they might trade Lind. Lind hit .321/.381/.479 in 290 plate appearances this season, but the Jays’ acquisition of another lefty first baseman, Justin Smoak, last week was a possible indication that they were planning for Lind’s departure.
The Brewers had a need at first base, and Lind will presumably take most of the at-bats there. He’s below average defensively at any position, but he should be able to make up for that with his hitting. At age 31, there isn’t much reason to expect a steep decline from his .273/.336/.450 career numbers, although a repeat of his 2014 offensive performance is perhaps unlikely.
Lind is a career .212/.257/.331 hitter against lefties, so the Brewers will surely use him in a platoon, possibly with someone like Jason Rogers or with another outside addition. As Brewers GM Doug Melvin points out (via Todd Rosiak of the Journal Sentinel on Twitter), though, the NL Central is heavy on right-handed starting pitching. The main Brewers 2014 first basemen, lefty Lyle Overbay and righty Mark Reynolds, are both set to become free agents.
Estrada posted a 4.36 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 for the Brewers in 2014. He’s entering his last season of arbitration eligibility (in which he’s projected to make $4.7MM) before he can become a free agent. He lost his job in the Brewers’ rotation in July, then pitched significantly better down the stretch as a reliever. He’s a fly ball pitcher and he isn’t a hard thrower, which led to 29 home runs allowed last season. Still, his other peripherals are solid, particularly if he can revert to his 2013 numbers, when he posted 8.3 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9. The Blue Jays currently appear mostly set in their rotation, particularly after picking up J.A. Happ‘s option last night, so Estrada could be ticketed for the bullpen.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.