Blue Jays Interested In Chase Headley
Reports have noted that the Blue Jays are looking for upgrades at second base or third base for the past few days, and Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that multiple baseball sources have confirmed that Chase Headley is among Toronto’s targets. San Diego appears willing to move the struggling third baseman, as one source tells Sanders that the Friars are “open for business” on talks involving anyone except ace Andrew Cashner.
Headley’s trade value is a bit tough to determine for a number of reasons. He’s earning $10.25MM this season in his final year before free agency, but he hasn’t played up to his standards, having produced just a .199/.286/.328 line with six homers and a pair of steals. Beyond his somewhat high salary is the fact that he underwent an epidural injection in an attempt to alleviate pain in his back caused by a herniated disc. He missed four games following the epidural and is back on the field, but as Sanders notes, interested parties seem likely to wait a bit to see how Headley responds to the treatment.
Lastly, the Padres may simply not wish to sell low on Headley, who in 2012 was a legitimate MVP candidate but has been bothered by injuries since. Headley rode a monstrous second-half surge that season to a fifth-place finish in the MVP voting, batting .308/.386/.592 after the All-Star break. Knowing that his diminished performance will lead to a lesser return in terms of prospects, San Diego may prefer to hope that Headley finishes with a strong performance. That could lead the Padres to make a qualifying offer and receive draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere, though that scenario is my own speculation and not something included in Sanders’ report.
The Blue Jays have relied heavily on Brett Lawrie and Juan Francisco at the hot corner this season. Francisco has seen a good deal of playing time against right-handed pitching, with Lawrie shifting to second base on those days. When the Jays face a lefty starter, Lawrie has shifted back to third with one of Steven Tolleson or Munenori Kawasaki handling second base. However, Lawrie is currently on the DL and Francisco’s bat has cooled, even against right-handed pitching. Francisco is hitting just .164/.215/.377 in the month of June, and that slide, coupled with his poor defense at third, have likely played into Toronto’s motivation to search for upgrades.
Angels, Pirates Swap Ernesto Frieri And Jason Grilli
In a fascinating swap of struggling late-inning righties, the Angels have acquired Jason Grilli from the Pirates in exchange for Ernesto Frieri, Pittsburgh announced via press release.
On its face, the deal is a swap of change-of-scenery candidates, and indeed both general managers have described it as such. But context is everything, as always. Frieri is still just shy of 29 years old, and agreed to a $3.8MM salary in his first year of arbitration eligibility. Meanwhile, Grilli — who is already 37 — is playing out the final year of his two-year pact, under which he is owed $4MM for this season. In sum, while the current salary obligations are a virtual push, the Pirates will also gain the right to control Frieri through arbitration until 2016, if they so choose.
Grilli had served as the Pirates’ primary closing option for most of the past two seasons before being removed from the role recently. The veteran had put together three straight seasons of outstanding pitching in Pittsburgh, tossing a combined 141 1/3 frames of 2.74 ERA ball with 12.8 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9. But 2014 was a different story, as he is allowing 4.87 earned runs per regulation game, with his strikeouts falling and walks rising (9.3 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9). Some of Grilli’s difficulties can probably be attributed to a susceptibility to the long ball (1.77 HR/9 and 14.3% HR/FB) that may be due for some regression.
Meanwhile, Frieri emerged with the Angels in 2012 after being acquired from the Padres in a rare early-season trade. He went on to put up two good seasons as the Halos’ 9th-inning man, notching a stellar 2.31 ERA in 66 total innings in 2012 before working to a 3.80 mark over 68 2/3 frames last year. As with Grilli, things have gone south quickly: Frieri now sports a 6.39 ERA through 31 innings in 2014. On the other hand, his peripherals (11.0 K/9 vs. 2.6 BB/9 and a 35.3% ground-ball rate that is an improvement over past seasons) suggest at least some hope for a turnaround. Indeed, both xFIP (3.20) and SIERA (2.56) could indicate that Frieri has been somewhat better than his results.
It remains to be seen precisely how the two players will be incorporated into their respective bullpen mixes. Angels manager Mike Scioscia indicated that Grilli will not jump straight into the closer’s role, reports Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (via Twitter), who notes that the club almost certainly intends to move him there in time. “We’ll see where he fits in,” said Scioscia. Of course, subsequent moves could alter things further, as Los Angeles GM Jerry Dipoto indicated in a quote (via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, on Twitter): “This is a step toward addressing those [bullpen] needs, but I’d be surprised if it’s the only step.”
On the other side of things, Pittsburgh has deployed Mark Melancon as its closer since moving Grilli out of the role (and, earlier in the season, while Grilli was rehabbing). It would seem more likely that Frieri ends up working in a set-up capacity, unless Melancon falters. Pirates GM Neal Huntington said that Melancon will indeed be the closer, though he also made mention of Frieri’s experience in that role, reports Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter).
Reds Sign Raisel Iglesias To Seven-Year Deal
The Reds announced that they have signed Cuban right-hander Raisel Iglesias to a seven-year contract. The deal will guarantee Iglesias $27MM (including a signing bonus in the range of $5MM to $6MM) once he obtains a work visa. It also allows him to opt into arbitration if he becomes eligible. While the deal is for seven years, Iglesias’ free agency will not be delayed, as one of those years includes the 2014 season, during which he will not accrue a full year of service time anyway.
Iglesias, who is represented by Bart Hernandez and Praver Shapiro Sports Management, was said last week to be nearing a deal with the Reds. At the time, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports relayed a report from Cuban baseball expert Peter Bjarkman, who has seen the 24-year-old Iglesias pitch extensively and thinks he could be in the Majors after just a month or so in the minor leagues (Twitter links).
Iglesias’ name has been on the rumor circuit for months following his defection from Cuba last November (after one previous failed attempt). Ben Badler of Baseball America provides a scouting report on the 5’11, 165 lb righty, noting that he pitched at 88-92 mph in the 2013 World Baseball Classic but had pitched more in the 92-95 mph range in previous international tournaments. Iglesias also features a sweeping breaking ball in the 76-81 mph range, per Badler.
The 24-year-old Iglesias’ stats are available over at ObstructedView.com, which shows that in his past 82 2/3 innings in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, he posted a 3.05 ERA with a 74-to-30 K/BB ratio (five of those walks were intentional). His new contract means that he will be controlled through the 2020 season.
Most evaluators peg Iglesias as a quick-to-the-Majors bullpen arm, but the report of MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon notes that the Reds believe he is capable of starting. According to a tweet from MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez, Iglesias has added a changeup and otherwise tightened up his offerings. Cincinnati held a similar belief about fellow Cuban signee Aroldis Chapman before eventually settling Chapman into the closer’s role, where he has become arguably the best reliever in baseball. The club has also used several valuable draft picks on college relievers with the intention of trying them as starters, such as Tony Cingrani, Michael Lorenzen, and Nick Howard.
Depending on the annual salary structure and his ultimate usage, the ability to go to arbitration could convey a good bit of upside to Iglesias. Certainly, he would have greater earning capacity if he is used a starter or closer. Sheldon tweets that Iglesias will take the 40-man roster spot of Roger Bernadina, who was designated for assignment earlier this week.
MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and colleague Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter) reported the financial details of the deal. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweeted that that Iglesias could opt into arbitration.
Vote On A’s New Coliseum Lease Canceled
FRIDAY: Approval of the lease did not go through as expected today, reports Carolyn Jones of the San Francisco Chronicle, because four representatives of the city of Oakland boycotted the meeting. Without their presence, a quorum could not be reached, and therefore the vote could not pass.
Jones spoke to sources close to the negotiations and was told that the Oakland City Council met behind closed doors on Wednesday and barred two members — both of whom are also members of the Coliseum Authority — from attending Friday’s meeting. Other members of the Coliseum Authority were “livid,” according to Jones, including Authority chair and Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley: “I’m shocked and upset and very disturbed. We feel like we’re being hampered from doing our business because the city has taken this position. At this stage, it’s just shocking.”
Jones also notes that Oakland mayor Jean Quan stated on Wednesday, following the initial news that an agreement had been reached, that no such deal was actually in place, as the city had yet to have a chance to review the team’s latest proposal.
Miley added that if the city has a problem with the proposal, it should address that problem when the new lease comes before the city council — not when it comes before the Coliseum Joint Powers Authority (JPA). As was reported on Wednesday, the lease required approval from the JPA, the city of Oakland, and the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.
WEDNESDAY: The A’s have agreed to a new 10-year lease with the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority to remain at O.Co Coliseum, according to a report from the Associated Press.
The new lease would run through 2025 and still needs to be approved by the Coliseum Joint Powers Authority, which will vote on the extension this Friday, the AP reports. The lease is also subject to the approval of the city of Oakland and the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.
The Athletics are still hopeful of securing a new stadium, but owner Lew Wolff told the AP via email that both MLB and the A’s rejected a proposed site near Jack London Square. Commissioner Bud Selig denied to the AP that the committee formed to deal with the Athletics’ stadium issues suggested that site as the best location for a new facility. He added that he “continue[s] to believe that the Athletics need a new facility” and that he is supportive of the team’s belief that the best site for them in the city of Oakland is the Coliseum site.
The A’s are the only team that still shares a facility with an NFL team, though the Raiders are in the final year of their lease and are hoping for a new facility of their own following the upcoming NFL season, per the AP report. The Athletics’ new lease is expected to contain out clauses, presumably included in the event that a new location can be agreed upon.
Previously, the A’s had rejected a 10-year lease extension from the Coliseum Authority, stating that the proposal did not address all of their needs. The stadium issue has been an ongoing one for the A’s for years, with a move to San Jose suggested on multiple occasions. The city of San Jose even filed a lawsuit against Major League Baseball just over a year ago, claiming that the city was being illegally blocked from importing the A’s.
Stark On Yankees, Brown, Astros, Papelbon, Dodgers
ESPN’s Jayson Stark hosted a chat with readers today and touched on a number of hot stove topics with the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline roughly a month away. Here are some highlights, though the entire thing is worth a read-through for those interested in next month’s deadline…
- Stark has received no indications that the Yankees are shopping for a third baseman. He hears that they’re prioritizing the rotation over everything else at this time.
- Domonic Brown‘s trade value is dropping by the day, says Stark. Scouts have been watching Brown (and the Phillies in general) over the past couple of weeks, and Philadelphia is trying to bill Brown as “a guy who did it once before so he can do it again.” However, Stark has a hard time seeing Brown fetching anything more than another change-of-scenery candidate.
- Jeff Luhnow and the Astros view most relievers as interchangeable parts, making it likely that they’ll be very willing to move names like Chad Qualls and Tony Sipp next month.
- Right-hander Ken Giles has impressed so much that Stark expects the Phillies to ratchet up their efforts to trade Jonathan Papelbon, and with Papelbon pitching better than he has in years, this is the perfect time to do it, he opines. Giles has thrown just seven innings for the Phils, but he’s averaged 97.1 mph on his heater with a 12-to-3 K/BB ratio and a ground-ball rate north of 55 percent.
- The Dodgers have been telling teams that they won’t move Joc Pederson or Corey Seager this summer, according to Stark. If that’s indeed the case, that should take them out of the running for David Price (in my opinion).
- Stark doesn’t get the sense that the Tigers are shopping for a closer, which meshes with yesterday’s comments from GM Dave Dombrowski. Detroit doesn’t think Joe Nathan is finished yet.
Diamondbacks Release J.J. Putz
JUNE 27: The D’Backs have released Putz, according to the team’s transactions page on MLB.com. They’re still on the hook for the remaining $3.86MM on his contract, and he is now free to sign with any team. Given Putz’s track record and his solid strikeout, ground-ball and swinging-strike rates, I’d imagine he and his agents at LSW Baseball will have multiple interested parties.
JUNE 20: The Diamondbacks announced that they have designated righty J.J. Putz for assignment and reinstated outfielder Ender Inciarte from the seven-day disabled list.
The 37-year-old Putz missed more than a month with a forearm strain this season and was only recently activated from the disabled list. He’s allowed three runs in 3 2/3 innings since coming back, causing his ERA to balloon to 6.59 on the season, though it’s come in a small 13 2/3 inning sample size.
Putz’s velocity has dipped to an average of just 89.6 mph this season, but his ground-ball rate to this point is a career-best 55 percent, and he’s posted a solid 14-to-6 K/BB ratio in his limited action. He’s also still generating whiffs, as evidenced by a 10.8 percent swinging-strike rate.
Putz is earning $7MM this season after signing a one-year extension with the Snakes, meaning that Arizona is on the hook for the remaining $3.86MM on his deal. They’ll have 10 days to trade, outright or release Putz. A team in need of bullpen help could have some interest if Arizona picks up some of his remaining salary.
Gavin Floyd Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
JUNE 26: The Braves announced that Floyd underwent surgery to repair the issue yesterday and described the operation as “season-ending.” Floyd’s surgery was performed by Dr. David Altchek — the same surgeon who performed his Tommy John surgery in 2013.
JUNE 19: Braves right-hander Gavin Floyd has suffered a broken olecranon bone in his right elbow and will be placed on the disabled list, the team announced (Twitter links). While the recovery time has yet to be announced, Yahoo’s Jeff Passan notes that Joel Zumaya suffered the same injury on June 28, 2010 and missed the remainder of the season (Twitter link). Floyd’s case, of course, is its own case and doesn’t necessarily have to follow the same timeline.
The silver lining for the Braves, if there is one, is that the team has a very capable replacement in the minor leagues in the form of left-hander Alex Wood. The 23-year-old Wood owns a 3.30 ERA in 101 career innings as a starter but found himself as the odd man out when Atlanta elected to go with a starting rotation of Floyd, Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, Ervin Santana and Aaron Harang.
Still, there will likely be some hot stove repercussions of the injury. For one, Floyd himself had been mentioned as a possible trade chip to help the Braves secure some bullpen help. Additionally, his injury leaves the Braves a bit thinner in terms of rotation depth, which could limit their willingness to trade from their remaining depth in order to improve areas of need.
Atlanta signed Floyd to a one-year, $4MM contract as he returned from Tommy John surgery. The 31-year-old has pitched very well in his 54 1/3 innings for the Braves, posting a 2.65 ERA with 7.5 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 49.5 percent ground-ball rate.
Examining A Potential Daniel Murphy Extension
It’s been reported that the Mets, who have shown a reluctance to move veteran pieces under GM Sandy Alderson, could work out an extension with second baseman Daniel Murphy rather than trade him for prospects at this year’s deadline. The natural reaction to that news, particularly for Mets fans, is to wonder what an extension would cost the team.
Murphy entered the year with four years, 109 days of service time and a $5.7MM salary in his back pocket after avoiding arbitration with the team for the second time this past winter. He’s under control through next season and is due one more raise in arbitration before being scheduled to hit the open market for the first time in his career.
Using MLBTR’s Extension Tracker to look at extensions for second basemen with between four and six years of service time, Martin Prado jumps out as a strong comparable for Murphy both in terms of service time and in terms of production. Here’s a look at Murphy’s career to date alongside Prado’s career through the time he signed his four-year, $40MM deal with the D’Backs:
From an offensive standpoint, the two are very similar. Even when adjusting for ball park, Murphy has a 110 OPS+, where Prado’s was at 109 heading into the 2013 season. The big difference between the two, of course, is defense. Murphy, drafted as a third baseman, learned to play second base on the job and was a liability there early in his career. Defensive metrics have come around on his glovework at the keystone, but Defensive Runs Saved still pegs him as below-average, and Ultimate Zone Rating feels he’s average at best.
Prado, meanwhile, was considered a standout defender at third base and in left field at the time of his extension, and he was also capable of sliding over to second base or shortstop if needed. That’s versatility that Murphy simply doesn’t have to offer, and it’s a large reason for the fact that Fangraphs valued Prado’s career at 14.2 WAR when he signed his deal, while Murphy’s career to date is pegged at 11.1 fWAR.
However, Prado’s contract was signed 18 months ago, and his $4.75MM salary in 2012 was lower than Murphy’s current $5.7MM mark. It stands to reason that Murphy would earn more next season in arbitration than Prado would have in his final arb year, and we’ve seen the price of extensions grow over the past few seasons. Additionally, if the Mets feel that Murphy has progressed to the point where he’s at least an adequate defender at second base, they’ll likely be willing to pay for his future defensive value rather than ding him for his past struggles.
Murphy himself mentioned the possibility of a four-year deal multiple times in the report from Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, and if that’s the target window for an extension, something in the neighborhood of $9MM in 2015 and $12-13MM annually for his first three free agent seasons could work for both sides. That’d put his deal in the $45-48MM range over four years, beginning in 2015.
Murphy could also follow the route of Brett Gardner — another above-average player who was never seen as a star prior to his offseason contract extension. Gardner agreed to his final arbitration salary and then signed a four-year deal that began in 2015 and covered only free agent years. Were Murphy to go that route, an additional year at $12-14MM could be added to Murphy’s deal (which would then begin in 2016), meaning he would earn roughly $9MM in 2015 and earn something in the $48-52MM range for his age-31 through age-34 seasons (2016-19).
Padres Claim Irving Falu From Brewers
The Padres have claimed utilityman Irving Falu off waivers from the Brewers, reports MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy (via Twitter). With the move, the club has opened a spot on its 40-man roster.
Falu, 31, saw only 12 hitless plate appearances with Milwaukee this season, and has just 107 career MLB plate appearances. He has spent the vast majority of the past six seasons (including this one) at the Triple-A level, where he owns a lifetime .284/.343/.365 line over 2,671 plate appearances. Falu has spent most of his time as a middle infielder, though he also has a significant number of games under his belt at third base and right field.
Astros Outright Kyle Farnsworth, Who Elects Free Agency
1:07pm: Farnsworth has declined to accept an assignment and will instead elect free agency, tweets MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart.
10:39am: The Astros have outrighted reliever Kyle Farnsworth, reports Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Houston has selected the contract of Jose Veras to take his place on the active roster.
Farnsworth, a 38-year-old righty, has worked to a 6.17 ERA in 11 2/3 innings since joining the Astros, striking out eight hitters while walking nine. Combined with his earlier work with the Mets, his season ERA stands at 4.40 through 28 2/3 frames, with 5.7 K/9 against 4.7 BB/9.
Farnsworth generated some headlines when he expressed his displeasure at being released by the Mets shortly before he would have passed his advance-consent date and been guaranteed his full season’s contract. He then inked a big league deal with Houston that could have been worth up to $1.2MM with incentives.
Meanwhile, Veras will get a chance to right his career with the team for which he closed just last year. Dealt to the Tigers at the 2013 trade deadline, Veras somewhat surprisingly had his option declined by Detroit and ultimately signed on to be the Cubs’ closer. But after a productive 2013 (3.02 ERA in 62 2/3 innings), things went south in Chicago, where Veras saw his ERA balloon to 8.10 in 13 1/3 frames (with 8.8 K/9 against a troubling 7.4 BB/9).