As part of our annual Offseason in Review series, MLBTR is hosting team-specific chats in conjunction with each entry as it’s released. Yesterday, the Orioles’ installment of the series was published. After you check that out, click here to read the transcript of the Orioles-centric chat.
Yankees Sign Nick Ciuffo To Minor League Deal
The Yankees have signed catcher Nick Ciuffo to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com.
This is a nice birthday present for Ciuffo, who turns 28 years old today. Originally selected by the Rays in the first round of the 2013 draft, he was a notable prospect in their system for many years after that. Though he was originally considered a well-rounded prospect, he seemed to struggle at the plate when he reached the upper levels of the minors.
Since the start of 2018, he’s appeared in 167 minor league games with a batting line of .247/.299/.381, walking in just 6.8% of his plate appearances while striking out at a 28.8% rate. He’s also appeared in 21 major league games over that time, hitting .188/.259/.292 for the Rays and Orioles. Ciuffo spent last year in Triple-A with the White Sox but was punched out in 31.1% of his trips to the plate.
For the Yankees, it was reported last week that they were looking for some some extra depth behind the plate because of a rash of injuries at the position. Ben Rortvedt, Austin Wells and Josh Breaux each suffered injuries that will keep them out of action for at least a few weeks. The Yanks still have their primary catching tandem healthy in Jose Trevino and Kyle Higashioka, but the latter is participating in the World Baseball Classic and will be away from camp for a while. With all of those absences, it makes sense that they would look to bring in another receiver to help out with all the arms looking to get ready for the season.
If Ciuffo is able to make his way onto the roster at any point, he has a full slate of options and less than a year of service time, meaning he could stick around as depth for a while if the Yankees would like.
Lorenzo Cain To Officially Retire As A Royal This Summer
Outfielder Lorenzo Cain was released by the Brewers in June of last year and didn’t sign with another team. He tells Andy McCullough of The Athletic that he got some interest from other clubs but ultimately decided to call it a career. He will return to Kauffman Stadium at some point during the upcoming season to officially retire as a Royal, though the timing and logistics of that are still being worked out.
Cain was certainly struggling last year, as he had a batting line of .179/.231/.234 at the time he was cut loose by the Brewers. But his defensive grades were still good and he had been roughly average at the plate the year before. It seems a few teams thought he still had something left in the tank. Cain says the Dodgers were in touch, as were players on the Phillies and Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals. However, Cain decided to defer to his three young boys.
“I left it in the hands of my boys,” Cain said to McCullough. “I said, ‘Hey, do you guys want Daddy to continue to play ball? Or are you ready for Daddy to be done and go home?’ And they said, ‘Dad, we want you to go home.’ And I said, ‘OK, then.’ So I’ve been done. I just haven’t announced it, I guess.” As mentioned, the details of the upcoming ceremony are still being hashed out, but Cain says they are tentatively targeting the month of May. Once the paperwork is filed, it will officially bring to a close a career that was bookended by time with Milwaukee but had its greatest highlights in Kansas City.
The Brewers selected Cain in the 17th round of the 2004 draft. He worked his way up through the minors and cracked the big leagues in 2010, getting into 43 games that year. Prior to the 2011 campaign, the rebuilding Royals sent Zack Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt to the Brewers in exchange for Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress, Jake Odorizzi and Cain.
His first year with his new club was primarily spent in the minors and then Cain was hurt for much of 2012. In 2013, he started to show signs of becoming a viable major leaguer, as he got into 115 games, stole 14 bases and provided excellent defense. He took another step forward in 2014, hitting .301 on the year and swiping 28 bags. He helped the club to the World Series that year, winning ALCS MVP along the way.
The Royals lost that World Series but were back the next year, thanks in no small part to Cain. He hit 16 home runs in 2015, effectively doubling his career tally at that time, as he had just 17 coming into the year. He also stole another 28 bases, continued to be great in the field and hit .307. He made the All-Star game that year, the first of two selections for him, and the Royals eventually emerged victorious in that year’s World Series.
Cain would play another couple of seasons in Kansas City before reaching free agency. He returned to the Brewers on a five-year, $80MM deal going into 2018. He continued to be an excellent player in the first few years of that contract, providing his typical blend of speed and defense, along with a few home runs. He was selected to the All-Star game again in 2018 and won a Gold Glove award in 2019.
Cain played five games in 2020 before deciding to opt out due to the pandemic. He was then hampered by injuries in 2021, getting into just 78 games. He struggled out of the gate in 2022 and was ultimately let go by the Brewers. As mentioned up top, Cain seemed to have some chances to continue his playing career but ultimately decided to be with his family instead.
Cain goes into the history books with 1,220 hits, including 225 doubles, 24 triples and 87 home runs. He scored 626 runs, drove 454 of them in and stole 190 bases. He was a two-time All-Star, a Gold Glove winner and a World Series champion. We at MLB Trade Rumors salute him on a fine career and wish him all the best in retirement.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Reds Add Chase Anderson To Major League Camp
The Reds’ original minor league deal with Chase Anderson last month did not contain an invite to Major League spring training, but Cincinnati announced today that he’s now been added to big league camp. Furthermore, manager David Bell tells Reds beat writers that Anderson is in the mix for a spot in the big league bullpen or rotation (Twitter link via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com).
Anderson, 35, spent part of the 2022 season in the Reds organization as well, though he was hit hard in 24 innings, yielding 17 runs on 17 hits and 15 walks. He fanned 23 of 103 opponents (22.3%) but posted the worst walk rate of his career as well (14.6%). Anderson was also with the Triple-A affiliates for the Rays and Tigers in 2022, logging a combined 4.50 ERA in 80 innings.
The past three seasons, in general, have been a struggle for Anderson — at least at the MLB level. However, from 2014-19 he was a solid mid-rotation hurler, pitching to a combined 3.94 ERA in 857 innings between the D-backs and the Brewers.
The Reds have traded away most of their established pitchers in recent seasons and are now left with a staff short on experience. The rotation figures to be fronted by three young hurlers who just debuted last year in Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft. The favorites for the final two spots are Luis Cessa and Luke Weaver. The former has primarily been a reliever in the majors and only recently made the switch to the rotation, while the latter has been a starter but struggled so much that he got bumped to a bullpen role last year.
In the bullpen, Tejay Antone and Tony Santillan seem slated to being the season on the injured list, potentially opening up a couple of spots back there. Anderson has been more of a starter than a reliever but could potentially help the Reds out by providing a veteran presence for either role.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Click here to read a transcript of Tuesday’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
Marlins Still Discussing Deal With Yuli Gurriel
The Marlins’ interest in free-agent first baseman Yuli Gurriel first came to light back in late January, although after initially looking as though it might lead to a deal, Miami instead backed off its pursuit. The two parties remain in contact and are still discussing a potential contract, however, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets. Any deal between the two parties, at this point, would likely be a minor league contract, he adds.
It’s been a quiet offseason with regard to Gurriel, who has been tied to the Twins and Astros, in addition to the Marlins. Minnesota, however, has since signed Donovan Solano to fill this same type of role (right-handed-hitting infielder who’ll see plenty of time at first base), while the Astros simply don’t have much in the way of at-bats to offer. Houston signed Jose Abreu to a three-year deal early in the offseason and re-signed Michael Brantley to split time with Yordan Alvarez in left field and at designated hitter. Alvarez has been a bit banged up this spring, with hand soreness keeping him from swinging a bat, but there’s no indication he’s slated to be delayed into the regular season. Astros GM Dana Brown even acknowledged last month that it’d be challenging for Gurriel to get many at-bats on the roster as currently constructed.
Gurriel, 39 in June, is looking for a rebound after turning in a rough .242/.288/.360 batting line in 584 plate appearances last season. His bat-to-ball skills remained excellent (12.5% strikeout rate), but Gurriel’s 5.1% walk rate was his lowest since 2018, while his .117 ISO (slugging minus batting average) was a career-low mark. Meanwhile, his once vaunted defensive grades dipped to below-average (-2 Defensive Runs Saved, -9 Outs Above Average).
Tough as the 2022 season might have been, Gurriel is also just a year removed from winning an American League batting title and Gold Glove. In 2021, he slashed .319/.383/.462 with 15 home runs and 31 doubles. And, even while struggling in 2022, he still managed a solid .265/.298/.441 slash in 181 plate appearances against left-handed pitching.
The Marlins reportedly offered Gurriel a bit more than $2MM on a guaranteed deal earlier in the winter, but it seem that guarantee of a roster spot is no longer on the table now that spring training is well underway. There should still be room for Gurriel to win a bench job, however. Backup catcher Nick Fortes and utilityman Jon Berti have two spots locked down. Whichever of Bryan De La Cruz or Jesus Sanchez isn’t in left field on a given day will likely hold a third spot. (Sanchez, notably, is out of minor league options.) The fourth spot is more up for grabs, however, with infielders Jordan Groshans and Jacob Amaya among the infielders on the 40-man roster (in addition to non-roster invitees like Garrett Hampson).
Miami’s original vision for Gurriel was a right-handed bench bat who could help out at each of first base, second base and third base — despite his lack of recent experience at the latter two positions. Ostensibly, that role is still there for the taking, if he’s willing to come to camp on a nonguaranteed deal and compete for it.
There’s also the possibility for increased time at first base. While incumbent Garrett Cooper has quietly been an underrated and consistently productive force in the lineup when healthy, injuries have been far too frequent for the talented 32-year-old. Since being acquired in the 2017-18 offseason, Cooper has missed time due to wrist, hand, back, elbow, calf and finger injuries, in addition to a stay on the 7-day concussion list last summer. Gurriel would provide some veteran insurance and perhaps a backup at other positions, if Miami feels he’s still a capable option at the hot corner and/or second base.
Read The Transcript Of Our Chat With Former MLB Catcher Gary Bennett
Former MLB catcher Gary Bennett chatted with MLBTR readers for more than two hours this morning. Click here to read the transcript and learn more about Bennett below:
Gary Bennett was drafted by the Phillies in the 11th round in 1990 out of Waukegan East High School. His MLB career began with a single plate appearance more than five years later, when he pinch-hit for the Phils against David Wells. His first big league home run came in 1999, at the age of 27.
In July of 2001, Bennett was traded to the Mets for Todd Pratt. A year later, he was dealt to the Rockies.
It was in 2002, at the age of 30, that Bennett landed regular work in the Majors, serving as Colorado’s primary catcher. He then signed a free agent deal with the Padres, leading their ’03 club in innings caught. After the ’03 season, Bennett signed as a free agent with the Brewers. He served as the backup to Chad Moeller that year.
On to the Nationals in ’05, Bennett’s life as a big league mercenary catcher continued, this time with Damian Miller as his counterpart.
Bennett moved to the Cardinals for the ’06 season, working behind Yadier Molina. The Cards beat the Tigers in five games in the World Series that year, and Bennett earned a ring. The Cardinals retained Bennett for ’07, providing some rare continuity, after which he closed out his career with the Dodgers.
In the end, Bennett spent over 4,200 innings in the Majors behind the dish, catching pitchers such as Jake Peavy, Ben Sheets, and Adam Wainwright. He also hit a homer off Sheets at one point, taking Dontrelle Willis and many others deep as well. Memorable moments included walk-offs on back-to-back days against the Cubs in ’06 – one a single and the other a grand slam.
In 2007, Bennett was one of the players named in the Mitchell Report. He owned up to his use of human growth hormone, later telling Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “It was unethical, cheating, taking performance enhancement stuff.”
After Gary’s playing days wrapped up, he became a partner in a training academy called Slammers Baseball. Other ventures have included medical device sales, real estate, and non-profit foundations such as CASA Lake County and Science of Sport. The Bennetts also have three kids, one of whom played baseball at Mizzou and another currently playing at Illinois. You can follow Gary on Twitter @gdbjr5.
Gary offered to chat with MLBTR readers, and we’re happy to have him! Click here to join the live chat.
If you’re a current or former MLB player and would like to do a one-hour chat on MLBTR, please contact us!
Cubs Notes: Bullpen, Happ, Hendricks
The Cubs remain open to adding a left-handed reliever, writes Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, though it’s not a lock that they’ll ultimately strike a deal. The Cubs are reluctant to surpass the $233MM luxury tax barrier, and an incentive-based deal for former All-Star Zack Britton could push them past that point if he’s healthy and effective. Chicago has been “monitoring” Mike Minor as well, per the report, though his struggles in recent seasons are an understandable red flag.
President of baseball ops Jed Hoyer said just last week that he “wouldn’t be shocked” to see another reliever come into camp, although the Cubs saw a pair of options come off the board over the weekend when Will Smith signed with the Rangers and Brad Hand inked a deal with the Rockies. Chicago currently sits with a projected $225MM luxury tax figure, placing them $8MM shy of penalization. Even if a deal with Britton or Minor doesn’t come to fruition, that doesn’t necessarily close the book on the Cubs making any kind of addition. Many non-roster veterans throughout the league have opt-out provisions they could trigger if told they’re not making their current organization’s roster, and there will surely be a number of arms being designated for assignment and/or placed on waivers later this month as teams set their Opening Day rosters.
More from Wrigley…
- Left fielder Ian Happ is slated to reach free agency following the 2023 season and could be positioned as one of the top names on the market with another big season in 2023, but he tells Mark Feinsand of MLB.com that his hope is to remain with the Cubs long-term. “It would be weird to wear another jersey,” says Happ, whom the Cubs selected with the ninth overall draft pick back in 2015. “I would love to stay here and I would love to be a part of the next great Cubs team, but we’ll see.” In addition to Happ, next year’s outfield market is slated to include Teoscar Hernandez, Hunter Renfroe, Cody Bellinger, Joey Gallo and perhaps Michael Conforto, depending on his player option. In general, the 2023-24 class will be a lighter group than this past offseason, and that’s especially true now that Rafael Devers and Manny Machado have foregone trips to the open market in favor of extensions. Happ could do the same, of course, but the Cubs didn’t sign any of Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Kris Bryant or Willson Contreras to extensions before they reached six years of service time (and thus qualified as free agents). Based on Happ’s comments, he’ll at least be open to it if they want to try to change that trend with him this spring.
- Kyle Hendricks threw a bullpen session on Monday, writes Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times. That marks the first full-strength, max-effort bullpen session for the veteran right-hander since last July, when he underwent surgery to repair a torn capsule in his shoulder. (Hendricks previously threw off a mound in late February and earlier this month but did not do so at full intensity.) The plan for Hendricks is to throw 10 bullpen sessions of this nature before he progresses to facing hitters. Hendricks will open the season on the 15-day injured list, and he’s not likely to complete that slate of 10 bullpen sessions until mid-April. From there, he’d need to throw live batting practice before progressing to a minor league rehab assignment, where he’d surely need multiple starts to build up. The 33-year-old Hendricks was one of the NL’s most durable and consistently effective starters from 2015-20, pitching to a 3.17 ERA over the life of 967 innings in that time. He’s stumbled to a 4.78 ERA in 48 starts over the past two seasons, however, as he’s become increasingly homer-prone. Hendricks is entering the final guaranteed season of a four-year, $55MM contract, though the Cubs hold a net $14.5MM decision on him for the 2024 campaign ($16MM option with a $1.5MM buyout).
The Opener: WBC, Mets, MLBTR Chats
With just over three weeks until Opening Day, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. World Baseball Classic Begins
The first game of the WBC is scheduled for tonight at 10pm CST, where Team Netherlands will face off against Team Cuba. Per the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s World Rankings, the Netherlands is the 7th ranked country in the world for their baseball program, whereas Cuba is the 8th ranked country. In 2017’s Classic, Cuba was eliminated in the second round while the Netherlands made it to the semifinals before falling to Puerto Rico in a 4-3, 11 inning loss. This year, Team Netherlands is highlighted by Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts, while White Sox center fielder Luis Robert highlights Team Cuba. Tonight’s game will be aired on FS1.
2. Mets’ fifth starter up in the air:
Given the news that Mets lefty Jose Quintana suffered a stress fracture in his fifth rib on his left side, it seems likely that the Mets will need to begin exploring alternatives for the fifth slot in their rotation behind Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Kodai Senga, and Carlos Carrasco. The top option for that role appears to be left-hander David Peterson, who posted a 3.83 ERA (101 ERA+) in 105 2/3 innings last year. Other options include right-hander Tylor Megill and fellow southpaw Joey Lucchesi. Megill excelled early last season with a 1.93 ERA in his first five starts of the season but began to battle injuries as the calendar flipped to May, spending most of the rest of the season on the injured list an struggling badly when he was able to take the mound. Lucchesi, meanwhile, missed almost the entire 2022 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
3. MLBTR Chats Today
Following yesterday’s chat with former Cubs GM and major-league pitcher Ed Lynch, the transcript of which you can read here, MLBTR is excited to welcome former major-league catcher Gary Bennett for a chat with readers. The journeyman catcher suited up for the Phillies, Mets, Rockies, Padres, Brewers, Nationals, Cardinals, and Dodgers during his 13-year career, which included a World Series championship with the Cardinals in 2006. Bennett appeared in 587 games at the big league level and slashed .241/.302/.328 (64 OPS+) over the course of his career. Be sure to tune in later this morning at 10am CST for Bennett’s live chat!
Other live chats today include Steve Adams’ weekly Tuesday chat — open for advance questions right now and kicking off at noon CT — as well as Darragh McDonald’s Orioles-focused chat, which is being held in conjunction with the Orioles offseason review he published yesterday. You can ask a question in advance for that chat as well.
Revisiting The Best Fits For Jurickson Profar
Jurickson Profar was one of just three players on our annual Top 50 free-agent list here at MLBTR who hadn’t agreed to terms on a new contract prior to the calendar flipping to 2023. Two months later, Profar is still a free agent and, unsurprisingly, is the final unsigned member of that same top 50 list.
It’s fair to wonder just how aggressive he and agent Scott Boras were early in the winter. Profar began his offseason by declining a $7.5MM player option. While he never seemed likely to sign any kind of mega-deal, even as someone who’s more bearish on the player than many, I anticipated that he’d surpass that level of compensation. We put a relatively modest two-year, $20MM prediction on Profar’s eventual contract, but MLBTR was lower than many on the veteran switch-hitter; the New York Post’s Jon Heyman put down a four-year, $48MM estimate, and The Athletic’s Keith Law pegged him at $15-18MM annually over a term of three to four years. To be clear, the intent in highlighting those predictions is not to criticize them — we’ve had more than our share of misses in this regard — but rather to highlight that there was a wide range of outcomes that onlookers viewed as reasonable with regard to Profar.
Whatever contract Profar and Boras sought clearly hasn’t been there to this point. Brendan Kuty of The Athletic wrote this morning that Profar was at one point seeking a contract that’d pay him $10MM per season. It’s worth emphasizing that Kuty doesn’t specify whether that’s a current asking price or whether it’s on a multi-year pact. Regardless, Profar turned down a $7.5MM deal to remain in San Diego, so it’s not a huge shock to see there’s been a point where his camp was eyeing an eight-figure annual salary.
It’s hard to imagine Profar securing that $10MM AAV at this point, even on a one-year deal. Prices on recent free-agent signings have been more modest than early in the winter. Late signees like Matt Moore ($7.55MM), David Peralta ($6.5MM), Andrew Chafin ($6.25MM), Michael Fulmer ($4MM), Elvis Andrus ($3MM), Brad Hand ($2MM), Robbie Grossman ($2MM) and Will Smith ($1.5MM) have all come in south of that $10MM sum. No free agent has reached a $10MM AAV since Carlos Correa finalized his deal to return to the Twins on Jan. 11.
Perhaps Profar can yet buck that trend. He only just turned 30 and is coming off a decent 2022 season in which he batted .243/.331/.391 with 15 home runs and a career-high 36 doubles. He has above-average bat-to-ball skills, has upped his walk rate over the past couple seasons, and generally graded as an average or slightly worse defender in left field for the Padres.
That last point, in particular, is worth expanding on a bit. Many onlookers have wondered why Profar hasn’t emerged as a more viable option for the many teams in need of infield help. Profar, after all, was the game’s No. 1 overall prospect a decade ago when he was rising through the Rangers’ ranks as a shortstop. However, he’s since had a pair of shoulder surgeries, moved to the other side of the second base bag, and (during his time with the A’s) developed a case of the yips that eventually pushed him to left field.
The A’s traded Profar to San Diego after just one year, and the Padres gave him all of 197 innings at second base from 2020-22 — none of which came this past season. The Friars were shorthanded enough in the infield that they signed Robinson Cano after he was released by the Mets on the heels of a .195/.233/.268 showing. That they were content to give that version of Cano 40 innings at second base but didn’t move Profar into the infield isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of his ability to play the position.
At this point, it’s hard to consider Profar anything other than a left fielder. He’s played 156 innings of center in the big leagues (2020-21 in San Diego) and 208 innings in right field (again, 2020-21 with the Padres), but neither sample drew strong or even average ratings. Profar’s average sprint speed, per Statcast, was in the 32nd percentile of MLB players in 2022. His outfield jumps were in the 37th percentile, and his 87 mph average velocity on his throws from left field ranked 95th among 156 qualified outfielders. With limited speed, below-average jumps and below-average arm strength, center or right could be a stretch for Profar.
Profar is a switch-hitter with slightly better-than-average results at the plate, modest defensive upside in left field and perhaps an emergency infield option. He walks at a high clip and puts the ball in play far more often than the standard big league hitter. The quality of that contact isn’t particularly strong (87.5 mph exit velocity, 34.3% hard-hit rate, 4% barrel rate), but there’s something to be said for just putting the ball in play — particularly as shifts are more limited in 2023 and beyond. A slightly above-average offensive left fielder isn’t a star, but it’s a solid player. Jean Segura has a similar skill set in the infield, and he received $17MM on a two-year deal.
Even that type of deal might be out of reach at this point, but assuming Profar can still land a one- or two-year deal in the near future, he can obviously help a club in search of some corner outfield reinforcements. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco took a look back in early January at which teams made the most sense for Profar based on their lack of left field production in 2022, but it seems like an exercise worth revisiting. The market and many rosters have changed since that time. Profar is now the only viable regular remaining in free agency, and several teams that might’ve made sense as a suitor back on Jan. 2 look less likely to add him now. The Rangers, for instance, have since signed Robbie Grossman. The Marlins moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. to center and acquired Luis Arraez to play second, which means they’ll stick with Jesus Sanchez and Bryan De La Cruz in left.
Let’s take a look at some clubs that still seem like they could use in left field — and perhaps why those teams haven’t yet more earnestly pursued Profar. He’d likely require somewhere that can grant him mostly regular playing time, which makes the incumbent Padres a tough fit once Fernando Tatis Jr. returns and joins Juan Soto and Trent Grisham in the outfield.
Postseason Hopefuls
- Yankees: The Yankees are one of the most oft-cited — if not the most oft-cited — speculative fits for Profar. It’s not hard to see why, considering their left fielders combined for a .224/.312/.391 output last season. Oft-injured Aaron Hicks, still owed three years and $30.5MM on his contract, and young Oswaldo Cabrera are the two favorites. The latter outproduced the former by a wide margin last season, but Hicks’ contract will probably get him another look. The Yankees are loath to step into the fourth and final luxury-tax tier, however, and signing Profar (or just about anyone, really) will put them into that bracket and come with a 90% dollar-for-dollar hit on any contract. There’s also no clear indication that Profar is a huge upgrade over in-house options. His .243/.331/.391 slash line last year isn’t that different from the .224/.312/.391 output for which the Yankees combined. Yes, Profar’s numbers would probably tick up a bit playing his home games at Yankee Stadium instead of Petco Park. But even the Yankees’ tepid left field production last year was good for a 103 wRC+; Profar was at 110 himself.
- Braves: Atlanta’s left fielders hit .238/.285/.431 in 2022, and that includes a combined 175 productive plate appearances from Adam Duvall, Robbie Grossman and William Contreras, none of whom are on the team any longer. Veterans Marcell Ozuna (.226/.274/.413 in 2022) and Eddie Rosario (.212/.259/.328) are the primary options here, with Sam Hilliard, Jordan Luplow, Eli White and non-roster invitees Kevin Pillar and Magneuris Sierra providing depth. There’s clearly room for an upgrade, but the Braves are paying Ozuna and Rosario a combined $27MM in 2023 and probably don’t want to sign a third left fielder to add to that sum. More broadly, the Braves just haven’t spent much of anything in free agency this winter; their lone big roster splash was a trade bringing Sean Murphy in from the A’s. They’re into the first tier of luxury territory, so Profar would cost them 20% penalty on top of his contract.
- Rays: Tampa Bay has been looking for a left-handed bat for much of the winter. Profar would help to balance out the lineup, likely splitting time with Randy Arozarena in left field and at designated hitter. That could cut into Harold Ramirez’s playing time or push him to first base more often, with Yandy Diaz sliding back to third (at the expense of Isaac Paredes). As with most Rays moves, it’d require a whole lot of moving parts and likely push some MLB-worthy bats off the roster and into the upper minors to serve as depth in the event of injuries. Profar’s offensive upside is limited, so the Rays probably feel confident they can match it with in-house options. The likely price tag hurts as well.
- Rangers: The Rangers already signed Grossman, so perhaps they have no interest in adding another outfielder. Grossman’s not a clear everyday option in left field, though, and center fielder Leody Taveras is a little banged up, which could push Adolis Garcia from right to center early in the season. If Texas had a clear option at DH, this wouldn’t work as well, but they don’t. The Rangers could add Profar, go with him/Taveras/Garcia across the outfield when everyone’s at full strength, and use Grossman as a reserve corner outfielder and part-time DH.
Rebuilding Clubs
- Royals: Kansas City doesn’t have a single established outfielder on the roster. They’ll go with a combination of Edward Olivares, Kyle Isbel, Nate Eaton, catcher/outfielder MJ Melendez, corner bat Hunter Dozier and, once healthy, former top prospect Drew Waters. Olivares, Isbel, Eaton, Melendez and Waters all have minor league options remaining. Non-roster vets like Franmil Reyes and Jackie Bradley Jr. could eventually impact this group, too, but there’s room for a solid veteran right now. Then again, the Royals waited until they’d cleared the salaries of Adalberto Mondesi and Michael A. Taylor in respective trades with the Red Sox and Twins before they even brought righty Zack Greinke back on a one-year, $8.5MM contract. They may not want to or have ownership permission to sign another free agent with a notable salary.
- Reds: The Reds will cycle through Wil Myers, TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, Will Benson, Nick Solak, Stuart Fairchild and perhaps non-roster veteran Chad Pinder in the outfield corners this season. Myers will see his share of time at first base, too, as Joey Votto recovers from 2022 shoulder surgery. Friedl and particularly Fraley hit well enough last year that it’s understandable if Cincinnati wants to get them some extra looks, but Fraley has been on the IL five times in the past three seasons, including a 60-day IL stint last year for knee troubles. Center fielder Nick Senzel has also had repeated health troubles. Signing Profar deepens the lineup and adds a potential deadline chip for a rebuilding Cincinnati club, but the Reds have spent under $14MM in free agency and probably view Myers as the lone corner-outfield addition they’d prefer to make.
- Tigers: The Detroit outfield is composed largely of rebound candidates, where each of Akil Baddoo, Austin Meadows and top prospect Riley Greene will look for better results in 2023 than they had in 2022. Twenty-five-year-old Kerry Carpenter will also get his share of opportunity after a blasting 36 homers between the upper-minors and MLB. Reserve option Matt Vierling can and will at times handle all three outfield spots. From a depth standpoint, prospects Parker Meadows (Austin’s younger brother) and Justyn-Henry Malloy could both reach the big leagues in 2023, but Meadows hasn’t played above Double-A and Malloy has only eight games there.
Realistically, you could squint and shoehorn Profar onto a number of teams. He’s not going to be so highly compensated that he couldn’t be pushed to a bench role eventually or even traded, and enough teams have at least one shaky option in the outfield corners that you could justify signing him as an upgrade. At this point, it could take a spring injury to really motivate a team to sign him at a decent salary, though.
The other element at play here is the looming World Baseball Classic. Profar, a native of Curacao, is suiting up for the Netherlands and could look to use the tournament to showcase himself for MLB clubs. The WBC will give him some reps to help get ready for the season, and it’s possible that a big league team will suffer an outfield injury while the tournament is ongoing. If that happens, Profar could pitch himself as a game-ready replacement who could join up with a new team and be ready to step right onto the Opening Day roster.
