Notes

Central Notes: Kuhnel, Reds, Tigers, Moreno, Jobe

By Darragh McDonald | February 20, 2022 at 9:27am CDT

In 2019, right-hander Joel Kuhnel threw 53 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A with an ERA of 2.18, strikeout rate of 23.3% and walk rate of 7.4%. Just 24 years old at the time, he also made his MLB debut that year, logging 9 2/3 innings out of the Reds’ bullpen. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to build off that strong campaign, with injuries hampering him over the subsequent two years. In 2020, a shoulder issue limited him to just three big league innings. Due to the pandemic wiping out the minors, those are the only innings on his ledger that year. He underwent surgery to repair a torn capsule in his right shoulder in October of 2020 and was outrighted off the roster, then was rehabbing for much of 2021, throwing eight minor league innings on the year.

Kuhnel is now getting geared up in spring training for 2022, since he is not on Cincy’s 40-man roster and not affected by the lockout. Mark Sheldon of MLB.com checked in with the 27-year-old as he tries to get back on track. “Everything feels normal,” Kuhnel said. “It feels better than ever, really.” The Reds’ bullpen didn’t do them many favors in 2021, as their 4.99 ERA ranked 27th in baseball, only beating out the non-competitive Diamondbacks, Nationals and Orioles. Advanced metrics were a bit kinder, but not by much, with Reds’ relievers putting up a 4.56 FIP and 4.34 xFIP. The club has been rumored to be cutting payroll this offseason, making it unlikely they bolster their staff with a big free agent splash. That means that improvement from internal options like Kuhnel will be important for them as they try to walk a fine line of keeping spending down but staying competitive.

Some other Central notes…

Chris McCoskey of The Detroit News is at the Tigers’ spring training facility, even if none of the players on the 40-man roster are. One player in camp that caught his eye is Gerson Moreno, who was selected to the club’s roster after the 2017 season. 22 years old at the time, Moreno lasted just a few months on the roster as he required Tommy John surgery. The Tigers released and re-signed him in the summer of 2018. His rehab period wiped out most of his 2018 and 2019, then the pandemic wiped out the minors in 2020. Last year, Moreno was finally able to get some significant time on the mound, throwing 49 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. His 4.59 ERA doesn’t jump out, but his 33.2% strikeout rate is excellent. It does, however, come with an elevated 13.2% walk rate. The Tigers spent big already this offseason to upgrade their rotation and lineup with Eduardo Rodriguez and Javier Baez but haven’t made a big move in the bullpen. If the 26-year-old Moreno can take a step forward, he could give them a boost from within.
Other than Eduardo Rodriguez, the Tigers’ rotation consists of hurlers they drafted and developed: Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning and Tyler Alexander. The next guy behind them on that path is Jackson Jobe, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Selected by the Tigers with the third overall pick in last year’s draft, Jobe is just 19 years old and isn’t close to the majors, but is already drawing rave reviews. MLB Pipeline ranks him the 46th-best prospect in baseball and Baseball America places him in the 79th spot. Petzold spoke to one scout, who had nothing but superlatives to offer about the right-hander, giving Jobe’s fastball and changeup 70s and his breaking ball an 80, on the 20-80 scouting scale. Jobe is still quite young, meaning Tigers fans will need to be patient, but the scout offers this as the ceiling: “If everything lines up, he’s the No. 1 starter in the big leagues on a championship team.”

NL East Notes: Morton, Braves, Allan, Nationals

By Mark Polishuk | February 19, 2022 at 5:49pm CDT

As Charlie Morton continues to recover from a fractured fibula, the veteran righty said last week that he is “mostly caught up” to where he’d be physically at this point in a normal offseason, The Athletic’s David O’Brien writes. Morton did caution that he wouldn’t know for sure until he actually got back to regular action in a Spring Training environment, though for now, all seems good for Morton as he approaches his 15th Major League season. Still in fine form last year, Morton was a big contributor to the Braves’ championship team, though the righty’s participation in the World Series was limited to just 2 1/3 innings after he was hit in the leg by a ball off the bat of Yuli Gurriel during Game One. Three of Morton’s seven outs were recorded after the injury, as Morton gutted out the pain as long as he could.

Assuming Morton is healthy, he’ll represent one less question mark for an Atlanta roster that is already largely set (with the obvious exception of first base and the Freddie Freeman situation). With the lockout now forcing some type of shortened or even a rushed Spring Training, this could play to the Braves’ favor, as they already have a familiar chemistry between the coaching staff and the players, plus most of the World Series-winning core group will be returning.

AL Notes: Crochet, Johnson, Guardians

By Mark Polishuk | February 19, 2022 at 3:45pm CDT

Garrett Crochet is slated to be a big part of the White Sox pitching mix in 2022, even if his longer-term role is still up in the air. The Sox certainly have designs on eventually moving the 11th overall pick of the 2020 draft into the rotation, though the reigning AL Central champions already have a tentative starting five in place for the coming season. Plus, “it sure seems like the White Sox can little afford to leave Crochet out of their 2022 bullpen plans,” NBC Sports Chicago’s Vinnie Duber writes, as Craig Kimbrel is a popular trade candidate and the club might need Crochet to provide further depth and quality in the relief corps.

Because of the canceled 2020 minor league season, Crochet has never made even a single appearance in a minor league game, going right from the draft to Chicago’s alternate training site in 2020 and then onto the big league roster. In theory, at least a short stint in the minors would help Crochet get properly stretched out as a starter and acclimated to rotation work, though then he wouldn’t be available to provide immediate help for a White Sox team that plans to contend this year. Stretching him out during the season has its own set of pros and cons, as that tactic also wouldn’t necessarily mean Crochet was being used in optimal fashion towards helping the Sox win games. Duber figures the team’s post-lockout moves will provide a hint to Crochet’s role, since if the White Sox added some other relief depth, Crochet could then be transitioned more smoothly to starting pitching.

Yankees Notes: Judge, LeMahieu, Bowman

By Anthony Franco | February 18, 2022 at 6:49pm CDT

Aaron Judge is headed into his final year of arbitration eligibility, with the slugging outfielder on track to be one of next offseason’s top free agents. Judge, who’s projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a $17.1MM salary, has expressed openness in the past to working out a long-term deal with the Yankees and avoiding the free market altogether.

Judge recently reiterated his willingness to sign an extension, although he didn’t sound as though he felt any pressure to get a deal done. In an appearance on Ryan Ruocco’s and C.C. Sabathia’s R2C2 podcast, the 29-year-old was asked about the possibility of signing a long-term deal. “If we get an extension done at some point before the season starts, that’d be great,” Judge replied. “I’d be completely honored to be able to wear pinstripes for a couple more years. But if it doesn’t happen and this is my last year, I had a lot of great memories. … It’s all in God’s hands. It’s going to work out the way it’s supposed to.”

Judge didn’t explicitly state he’d be unwilling to negotiate an extension in-season, although some fans may read his mention of “before the season starts” as an implication he’d prefer to avoid talks dragging into the regular campaign. In any event, it seems likely the Yankees front office will open talks with his representatives at PSI Sports Management at some point between the end of the lockout and Opening Day. Earlier this offseason, general manager Brian Cashman suggested the front office was interested in the possibility of keeping Judge from hitting the open market.

Some more Yankees tidbits:

DJ LeMahieu underwent sports hernia surgery shortly after the season, but it doesn’t seem that’ll have much of an effect in 2022. LeMahieu told Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that he rehabbed for a few weeks before returning to batting practice. The 2020 batting champ should be a full-go for Spring Training, whenever that begins. LeMahieu quipped to Ackert that he could be ready for the regular season within two days but more seriously opined that a four-week ramp-up period will be necessary. Whenever games get underway, LeMahieu will be looking to bounce back from an uncharacteristically ordinary showing. He hit just ten home runs across 679 plate appearances last year, with his .268/.349/.362 line checking in as exactly league average output by measure of wRC+. That’s far from the excellent .336/.386/.536 mark he put up from 2019-20, form he’ll obviously hope to recapture this year.
Minor league Spring Training is underway, with players not on teams’ 40-man rosters unaffected by the ongoing lockout. Former Cardinals and Reds reliever Matt Bowman isn’t currently a union member, as he’s in camp with the Yankees on a non-roster deal. Bowman, who underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2020, signed a two-year minors contract with the Yankees last offseason. After spending all of 2021 rehabbing, he’s fully recovered and in minor league camp, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post. Bowman logged 181 1/3 frames of relief between 2017-20, pitching to a 4.02 ERA/3.86 SIERA. Whenever the lockout concludes, the right-hander will try to carve out a middle innings job in the Yankees bullpen.

Phillies Notes: Stott, Mattingly, Player Development, Bench

By Mark Polishuk | February 17, 2022 at 10:34am CDT

Bryson Stott is expected to make his MLB debut in 2022, with the Phillies hoping that the top prospect can provide some immediate help to a lineup that both has plenty of holes, and is in need of a youth infusion. Stott has spent most of his two pro seasons at shortstop, but “if I have to move over [to another position], it is what it is,” Stott told NBC Sports’ Jim Salisbury and other reporters. “I just want to do anything I can do to get to Philadelphia and help that city and that team win. So whatever it may be, if it’s short or anywhere else, it’s obviously not up to me.”

Stott has also seen action at second and third base during his time in the minors, giving the Phillies some flexibility in determining both his eventual everyday role and what they might pursue roster-wise once the lockout is over. Second baseman Jean Segura is entering the last year of his contract and third baseman Alec Bohm is looking to bounce back from a rough 2021, and might not stick at third base over the long term anyway. It is also possible Stott might simply remain at shortstop, given how president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said back in October that incumbent Didi Gregorius wasn’t a guaranteed to even return in 2022, let alone remain the starting shortstop. The Phillies will benefit from some extra time to monitor Stott during ongoing minor league minicamps and minor league spring camp next month, as Stott isn’t locked out since he isn’t yet on Philadelphia’s 40-man roster.

More from the City of Brotherly Love….

A breakout performance from Stott would be a nice win for a Phillies organization has had well-documented issues in drafting and developing players who eventually contribute at the big league level. Newly-hired player development director Preston Mattingly has a lot of work ahead in turning things around, though Mattingly told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki and other reporters that “our system’s a lot deeper than people give it credit….I’ve had the pleasure of seeing a bunch of other teams’ top guys, and I think the guys in our system stack up with those guys. They don’t get the recognition that others do.” In the first months of his tenure, Mattingly has prioritized improving communication within the organization and throughout the different levels of the minor leagues, focusing on making sure that “everybody has the same message when it goes from staff to players…getting everybody with a consistent message going in the same direction” and also that the players themselves are well-informed about the team’s plans. As Mattingly put it, “it’s all a team effort, right? The players, the staff — it’s a two-way street. We got to work together; it’s their career, we’re trying to help them in any way possible.”
Bench depth and pinch-hitting are both areas of need for the Phillies to address after the lockout, as The Athletic’s Matt Gelb notes that the team got very little pop from their pinch-hitters in 2021. The likely introduction of the universal DH will create the need for more position-player help, as Gelb indicates that the Phillies are going to rotate their everyday starters through the DH position rather than have a regular designated hitter.

Quick Hits: Free Agents, Goodrum, Zombro

By Mark Polishuk | February 17, 2022 at 8:53am CDT

We have continued to see minor league signings even with the lockout still limiting most offseason business, though The Athletic’s Eno Sarris and Brittany Ghiroli note that the total number of minors contracts signed this winter is naturally much lower than usual compared to past offseasons. While the lockout extends to MLBPA members, players on MLB contracts, and players on 40-man rosters, some players within these parameters are stuck in a strange middle ground, like Sam McWilliams. Since the righty signed a Major League contract with the Mets last winter but hasn’t actually appeared in a big league game in his pro career, he is both locked out and not an official union member.

It isn’t known exactly how many players are in McWilliams’ status, which is part of the confusion shared over which players are exactly “covered” by the lockout regulations. As a result, some offseason throwing showcases have had to stagger workout times (since MLB scouts aren’t permitted to even observe locked-out players) or even prevent some “covered” players from attending these showcases. McWilliams and others might therefore have even more of an uphill battle in landing a contract during what is expected to be an absolute frenzy of transactions once the lockout is finally over. [UPDATE: Ghiroli tweets that the MLBPA has adjusted its qualification standard for stipends to include McWilliams and other players in his situation]

AL West Notes: Astros, Rangers, A’s

By Steve Adams | February 16, 2022 at 12:10pm CDT

The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan takes a look at the Astros’ depth chart for the upcoming season, highlighting a few minor areas the club could look to pursue depth. With top prospect Jeremy Pena currently atop the depth chart at shortstop and Aledmys Diaz slated to back up at all four infield positions, Kaplan suggests an additional shortstop candidate — ideally one with a minor league option remaining — would be a prudent addition. Obviously, the whole situation would change in the event that the ’Stros re-sign Carlos Correa or pivot by inking fellow free agent Trevor Story. There aren’t too many free-agent options available in that bucket, but that’s the sort of player who can be found in a smaller-scale trade or on the waiver wire as teams make cuts amid the forthcoming flurry of transactions.

Kaplan also raises the “wild card” possibility of the Astros adding another corner outfielder (thus moving Kyle Tucker to center field) and suggests that if there’s one area from which the Astros are likely to trade in order to address other deficiencies, it’d be from their enviable starting pitching depth. (MLBTR listed veteran righty Jake Odorizzi among our likeliest trade candidates last week.) It’s a solid, broad-reaching look at where the Houston roster stands and how the team might attack some depth needs post-lockout, and ’Stros fans in particular will want to take a full read-through.

Here’s a few more notes from the division…

While the Rangers are likely to give Adolis Garcia the starting nod in center field again in 2022, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News suggests that there’s enough uncertainty that the club could pursue additional depth in the outfield. Seiya Suzuki has been connected to Texas, of course, but even absent a big splash like Suzuki or Michael Conforto, smaller-scale outfield additions seem plausible. Specifically, someone capable of playing center and also handling left field would be of intrigue, Grant notes. Garcia got out to a blistering start but cratered with a .219/.266/.386 slash from July 1 onward (334 plate appearances). Meanwhile, backup option Eli White is recovering from elbow surgery, while top prospect Leodys Taveras has yet to hit in the big leagues. Over in left field, Willie Calhoun has not yet proven himself capable of consistently hitting MLB pitching or remaining healthy. Speculatively, names like Kevin Pillar, Jake Marisnick and Jarrod Dyson could all fit the billing described by Grant, though there’s little reason to discount the possibility of Texas making a bigger splash, given their pre-lockout levels of aggression.
In running through some of the minor league free agents already brought aboard by the Athletics this winter, Melissa Lockard of The Athletic suggests that the A’s probably aren’t done adding catching help. Twenty-eight-year-old Austin Allen received only eight plate appearances despite a robust .317/.351/.584 slash in 299 trips to the plate at the Triple-A level. The A’s instead gave 94 plate appearances to light-hitting Aramis Garcia and acquired veteran Yan Gomes at the trade deadline as a second catcher to pair with young backstop Sean Murphy. Neither Garcia nor Gomes is with the organization anymore, and the top option in Triple-A at the moment is journeyman Christian Bethancourt. Catching depth, then, indeed figures to be an area of focus for the A’s — be it via minor league free agency, the waiver wire or perhaps as part of the return in some of the trades they’re widely expected to execute when transactions resume.

Quick Hits: Guardians, Allen, Yankees, Severino, Brewers, Hiura

By Anthony Franco | February 11, 2022 at 9:52pm CDT

As part of a broader overview of the Guardians’ 40-man roster, Zack Meisel of the Athletic suggests southpaw Logan Allen could be a possible trade candidate. Allen, not to be confused with a Double-A pitching prospect of the same name, is out of minor league option years. Cleveland therefore needs to carry the 24-year-old on the active roster or make him available to other clubs. The Guardians are currently projected to open the year with a starting five of Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac, Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie.

It’s possible Allen lands a spot in a bullpen that could also include Sam Hentges and Anthony Gose as left-handed options. Allen has worked primarily as a starter throughout his professional career, though. He’s yet to find much big league success, posting a 5.89 ERA/5.19 SIERA across 88 2/3 career innings, but he appeared on top 100 prospect lists at Baseball America and MLB Pipeline heading into 2019 and has excellent numbers up through Double-A.

Meisel also looks at the position player group in a piece that’ll be of interest to Cleveland fans. Notably, he points out that the club will likely have to add a catcher to the roster before the start of the season, with only Austin Hedges and prospect Bryan Lavastida (who has scant Triple-A experience) currently on the 40-man. The Guardians brought in veteran Sandy León on a minor league deal in November. He currently seems the favorite for the #2 job behind Hedges, but he’d have to be formally selected to the 40-man roster once the team breaks camp.

More notes from around the league:

After missing nearly two full seasons on account of a February 2020 Tommy John surgery, Luis Severino returned to the Yankees late last season. He made four regular season appearances in relief, tallying a combined six innings, before working 1 1/3 frames during the Wild Card game loss to the Red Sox. Severino told Andy Martino of SNY this week (Twitter link) that he’s been throwing bullpen sessions and remains on track to return to the starting rotation in 2022, as expected. It’s not clear how many innings New York can bank on from Severino, who also only logged twelve frames in 2019 due to shoulder issues. They’ll no doubt be cautious with the 27-year-old righty’s workload, but Severino would be a highly valuable piece of the Yankees pitching staff if he’s able to return at peak form on a rate basis. In his last two healthy seasons (2017-18), he posted a 3.18 ERA with an excellent 28.8% strikeout rate.
The 2021 campaign was a massive struggle for Keston Hiura. The former ninth overall pick struck out in an untenable 39.1% of his plate appearances, and the Brewers accordingly optioned him to Triple-A Nashville on multiple occasions. It marked the second straight year of struggles for Hiura, who burst onto the MLB scene with a .303/.368/.570 showing in 348 plate appearances as a rookie in 2019. Will Sammon of the Athletic wrote this week that the right-handed hitter is working with a longtime personal coach to simplify his mechanics and tone down his leg kick in an effort to improve his contact rate. With Kolten Wong and Rowdy Tellez in place at second and first base, respectively, the Brewers aren’t likely to rely on Hiura as an everyday option out of the gate. Last fall, president of baseball operations David Stearns suggested he could see some time in the outfield to offer manager Craig Counsell more flexibility in working him into the lineup at multiple positions.

Quick Hits: Minors Camp, Guardians, Hall

By Mark Polishuk | February 5, 2022 at 10:39pm CDT

Clubs aren’t being allowed any adjustments to their minor league Spring Training camps, as Major League Baseball stated in a recent memo to all 30 teams. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman has portions of the memo, outlining both how minor league camps are expected to open at their usual time (around March 1), and how veteran players signed to minor league deals can be given the option to either participate in the minor league camp, or not participate in unity with the MLBPA (even though these players are technically not part of the current union membership).

In essence, the memo keeps all 30 teams on an even playing field, as Sherman notes that some teams may have gained a competitive advantage by opening minor league camps early. Plus, the early opening of a minor league camp “could be seen by the union as an antagonistic act by MLB” in the words of one source familiar with labor talks, as it could paint those minor leaguers as replacement players or scabs. Since the lack of movement in CBA talks is making it increasingly likely that Major League spring camps won’t open as scheduled on February 16, fans may have to wait until minor league camp in March to get any semblance of a traditional Spring Training experience.

AL Central Notes: Buxton, Delmonico, Baddoo

By Steve Adams and Anthony Franco | February 4, 2022 at 4:44pm CDT

Chatting with SportsGrid’s Craig Mish earlier this week, Byron Buxton spoke about his decision to re-sign a seven-year extension with the Twins rather than play out the 2022 season and enter the free-agent market next winter. Reports dating back to July have indicated that the Twins and Buxton both hoped to work something out, and the 28-year-old tells Mish that “loyalty was a big thing for my family and me” when it came to contract talks. Buxton expressed appreciation for the Twins sticking with him and wanting to build around him despite a litany of injuries. He added that since being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 draft, his goals have been to reach the Majors, play for a long time, and to spend his career with one team.

There’s no guarantee that last part will come to fruition, but in addition to a $100MM guarantee, Buxton’s contract came with a full no-trade clause. He can also boost his annual salary considerably with incentives tied to plate appearances and MVP voting. There’s a good bit of risk involved in the deal, given Buxton’s injury history, but as his .277/.321/.575 line and 42 home runs through his past 684 plate appearances show, Buxton is one of the game’s best in terms of raw talent. A hip flexor strain and then a broken hand sustained on a hit-by-pitch limited him to 254 plate appearances in 2021, but Buxton turned in a mammoth .306/.358/.647 slash with 19 home runs in that time.

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