Red Sox Sign Mark Contreras To Minor League Deal
The Red Sox have signed outfielder Mark Contreras to a minor league contract, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports. Contreras is changing teams for the first time in his pro career, as he had been a member of the Twins organization since he was selected in the ninth round of the 2017 draft, and until Minnesota released him in August.
That time in the Twin Cities did result in Contreras’ first stint as a big leaguer, as he played in 28 games for Minnesota during the 2022 season, hitting .121/.148/.293 over 61 plate appearances. This lackluster output and the Twins’ crowded outfield picture meant that Contreras didn’t get any more MLB playing time in 2023, plus he didn’t force the issue by batting a modest .274/.352/.418 over 381 PA for Triple-A St. Paul last season.
Contreras (who turns 29 in January) has had a lot of problems avoiding strikeouts during his pro career, but he has posted decent numbers at the Triple-A level. A solid defender who can play all three outfield positions, Contreras’ speed has helped both his defensive efforts and his offensive threat level, as he has stolen 93 bases in 126 chances during his minor league career.
With two minor league option years remaining, Contereras gives the Red Sox some possible extra depth to be kept at Triple-A should a need arise in the outfield. Since the Twins outrighted him off their 40-man roster in August, Contreras now has the ability to reject any future outright assignments in favor of free agency, giving him a bit of extra leverage for the remainder of his career.
Cam Gallagher Elects Free Agency
Cam Gallagher has elected to become a free agent, according to the veteran catcher’s official MLB.com profile page. The Guardians designated Gallagher for assignment earlier this week and he presumably cleared waivers, and then opted for free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment to Cleveland’s Triple-A team. Because Gallagher has been outrighted before in his career, he has the ability to reject any future outright assignments.
Gallagher seemed like a pretty clear non-tender candidate even before the Guardians picked up Christian Bethancourt off waivers from the Rays, which was the move that led to Gallagher’s DFA. Over 149 plate appearances for the Guardians last season, Gallagher hit only .126/.154/.168 — this translated to an ugly -17 wRC+, the lowest of any player in baseball in 2023 with at least 140 PA.
Seven different players saw action at catcher for the Guards last season, a mess of a situation sparked when offseason acquisition Mike Zunino struggled badly at the plate. This led to a revolving door of backstops until Zunino was designated for assignment in June, and Bo Naylor was called up from Triple-A for good. With Naylor’s bat coming alive near the end of the season, the former top prospect looks to have solidified his role as the Guardians’ starting catcher going forward, hopefully adding some pop to a position that has long been an offensive black hole for Cleveland.
Between Naylor, Bethancourt, and utilityman David Fry able to catch once in a while, there wasn’t any room for Gallagher to vie for work as a backup. Gallagher is projected to earn $1.3MM via the arbitration process in 2024, but it seems likely that he’ll have to settle for another minor league contract and compete for a backup job in Spring Training.
Turning 31 next month, Gallagher is a veteran of 227 MLB games over seven seasons with the Royals and Guardians, with a .211/.266/.307 slash line over 618 PA. While the offense hasn’t been there, Gallagher is a pretty well-regarded defender, and 2023 was at least a very strong year for Gallagher with the glove. As per Statcast’s numbers, Gallagher was solidly above average at framing and blocking, and he threw out nine of 52 baserunners for his first-ever positive (+1) grade in the Catcher Stealing Runs metric.
Coaching Notes: Cora, Tigers, Johns, Rays, Albernaz, Guardians
The Tigers will be hiring Joey Cora for their coaching staff, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (X link) reported earlier this week. Cora has spent the last two seasons as the Mets‘ third base coach, and he “is expected” to fill that same role in Motown, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, who reports that current third base coach Gary Jones will remain on the staff in a new role. However, that new position won’t be first base coach, as Petzold suggests that Triple-A manager Anthony Iapoce might take over first-base duties from the departing Alfredo Amezaga.
The 58-year-old Cora has 16 seasons’ worth of MLB coaching experience, coming on the heels of his 11 seasons as a Major League player from 1987-98. Cora has worked as a bench coach and third base coach at the big league level, and is also known for his work as an infield instructor. This is the first time Cora and Detroit manager A.J. Hinch have worked together, though Cora’s brother Alex worked as Hinch’s bench coach with the Astros before the younger Cora was hired as the Red Sox manager.
Catching up on some other coaching hires from the past week…
- The Rays named Michael Johns as the club’s new first base coach. (Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported the day before the official announcement that Johns was the “likely choice” for the job.) Johns will replace Chris Prieto as both the first base coach, and as a baserunning and outfield instructor. This will be the first time the 48-year-old Johns has worked on a big league staff, though he has a wide range of experience as a coach, coordinator, and manager within Tampa’s farm system since the 2007-08 offseason. Johns has managed five different Rays affiliates, including Triple-A Durham in 2023.
- The Guardians announced that Craig Albernaz has been hired as their big league coaching staff’s new field coordinator. Albernaz interviewed for the managerial vacancy that was filled by Stephen Vogt, though obviously Albernaz impressed the Guards enough to earn a spot in the organization. The 41-year-old Albernaz played with Vogt when both were minor leaguers in the Rays farm system, and Albernaz went onto a five-season stint in Tampa’s organization as a coach, coordinator, and manager in the minors after ending his playing career. For the last four seasons, Albernaz was the Giants‘ bullpen coach.
The Problem(s) With Trading Nick Castellanos
Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos has seen his name pop up on the rumor mill this week, with Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reporting that the team is “open” to moving him in a potential trade. There’s no indication any deal is close at this time.
Frankly, it’s only natural that the Phillies would be open to moving Castellanos. He’s entering the third season of a five-year, $100MM contract and has not played up to expectations to this point. Castellanos’ 2023 campaign (.272/.311/.476, 29 homers) was far better than his 2022 season (.263/.305/.389, 13 home runs), but it still wasn’t anywhere close to the standout production he turned in with the Reds during his final season in Cincinnati (.309/.362/.576, 34 homers).
Castellanos has never graded as even an average defender in the outfield, and his two seasons in Philadelphia haven’t changed that. He’s played just over 2300 innings in right field with the Phils and been dinged for -17 Defensive Runs Saved. Ultimate Zone Rating pegs him at -20.2, and Statcast has him at 19 outs below average. The huge offensive output that Castellanos produced in 2018, 2019 and 2021 more than offset his shaky glovework, but he was below average at the plate with the Phils in 2022 and only about nine percent better than average at the plate in 2023 (by measure of wRC+, which weights for home park and league run-scoring environment).
As with any free-agent signing, the Phillies were surely most interested in the first few years of the long-term deal to which they inked Castellanos. He’s played out his age-30 and age-31 seasons in red pinstripes and is now heading into his age-32 campaign. As he moves into his mid-30s, it stands to reason that Castellanos’ defense will only slip further. His average sprint speed (as measured by Statcast) dipped from 27.7 feet per second in 2022 to 27.2 in 2023. That checks into the 46th percentile of MLB players, and his arm strength (83.5 mph average on his throws) tied for 142nd out of 152 qualified outfielders.
There are also some red flags in his offensive profile; Castellanos has seen his exit velocity and barrel rates drop in Philadelphia, while this past season’s 27.6% strikeout rate was the worst of his career in a full 162-game season. He’s never walked at an especially high clip, but his patience is also on the decline. Castellanos drew a free pass in 7.3% of his plate appearances during his final two seasons with the Reds. That’s dropped to 5.3% in two seasons with the Phillies. Meanwhile, he’s chasing pitches off the plate more than ever before (43.1% with the Phils; 37.1% in his career prior). As a result, his contact rate has plummeted. This past season’s 66.6% contact rate is nearly five percentage points south of his career 71.5% mark.
There’s virtually no way the Phillies would be able to move the entirety of Castellanos’ contract and receive something of value in return. Even just getting someone to take on the entire contract in a straight salary dump might not be feasible.
That said, it’s a woeful crop of free agent bats, and Castellanos still popped 29 homers with an above-average batting line. A club with more playing time at designated hitter could have some interest in swapping out an underwater contract of its own that better fits the Phillies’ roster. The Phils could also pay down some of Castellanos’ contract, but they’d likely need to include a substantial amount of cash in order to make it a palatable deal for a trade partner — let alone to acquire meaningful players in return.
The free-agent market, for instance, features right-handed bats of generally similar skill set in the form of Teoscar Hernandez, Jorge Soler, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Hunter Renfroe. Hernandez is a year younger than Castellanos. Gurriel is two years younger. Taking on Castellanos at $60MM for his age-32 through age-34 seasons when there are younger and/or less expensive comparables on the free-agent market isn’t likely to hold widespread appeal throughout the league. Soler, in particular, is coming off a stronger season at the plate but might not even cost as much as the remaining sum on Castellanos’ contract.
Given the overall lack of quality bats on the market, it’s possible there’ll be some interest in acquiring Castellanos at a lower price than what’s left on his five-year deal. That the Phillies are “open” to trading him should come as no surprise. Actually finding a way to facilitate a deal would be another story.
Dennis Higgins Passes Away
Former MLB pitcher Dennis Higgins passed away last week, according to an obituary from a Missouri funeral home. He was 84.
Higgins was a Jefferson City native who entered the professional ranks out of high school. He signed with the White Sox as an 18-year-old in 1958. The right-hander would spend the next eight seasons in Chicago’s minor league ranks. He reached the big leagues in 1966, turning in a solid rookie year out of the Sox’s bullpen.
In 42 appearances, he posted a 2.52 ERA. As was the case with many relievers of the time, Higgins frequently shouldered multiple innings. He logged 93 frames, picking up 86 strikeouts. In a season in which the average reliever posted a 15.5% strikeout rate, Higgins fanned 23.1% of his opponents.
That would prove to be his best season. Higgins’ control gave him problems from that point forward. He nevertheless managed a sub-4.00 ERA each year from 1968-72 (albeit in a very pitcher-friendly era for baseball). Along the way, the 6’3″ hurler was traded three times, while his contract was sold on two other occasions.
Higgins wound up pitching for the White Sox, Washington Senators, Indians and Cardinals over a big league career that spanned parts of seven seasons. He won 22 games and worked to a 3.42 ERA in 410 1/3 innings. Higgins recorded 339 strikeouts and finished 120 contests. While the save wasn’t introduced as an official stat until midway through his career, he was retroactively credited with 46. MLBTR sends our condolences to Higgins’ family, friends and loved ones.
Blue Jays Open To Adding Primary Designated Hitter
The Blue Jays are looking to add multiple position players this offseason. It’s possible one of them will be a bat-first option who doesn’t provide much defensive flexibility.
General manager Ross Atkins told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet yesterday that the club is open to bringing in a designated hitter. The veteran executive cited “the versatility we already have on our team” as affording opportunity to add an offense-first player.
That’s not surprising considering the Jays may lose this year’s DH. Brandon Belt led the team in at-bats from the position. He’s back in free agency on the heels of last winter’s one-year, $9.3MM free agent deal. While a surprising move at the time given Belt’s previous knee injuries, that proved an excellent pickup for Atkins and his staff. The longtime Giant turned in a .254/.369/.490 line over 404 plate appearances for the Jays, albeit in a platoon role that shielded him from left-handed pitching.
Any mention of a DH pursuit this offseason is going to lead to speculation about Shohei Ohtani. It’s fair to presume the Jays will kick the tires on the expected AL MVP, although they’re not generally regarded as a likely landing spot. No one else in the class comes close to Ohtani, of course, but there are a handful of offense-minded veterans who are on the open market.
J.D. Martinez connected on 33 home runs in 113 games with the Dodgers. Justin Turner declined a player option with the Red Sox on the heels of a .276/.345/.455 showing. Jorge Soler blasted 36 homers with a .250/.341/.512 line for the Marlins, leading him to decline a player option of his own. Mitch Garver and an excellent year as a DH/catcher hybrid. Rhys Hoskins missed all of 2023 after a Spring Training ACL tear. When healthy, he has proven an annual threat for 30 homers and is career .242/.353/.492 hitter. He could look for a one-year pillow contract or a two-year deal that gives him a chance to opt out next season. None of those five were tagged with a qualifying offer (Turner was ineligible), so they wouldn’t cost draft compensation.
There are additional players likely to be available on one-year deals, including a couple with local ties. A Belt reunion isn’t far-fetched. As a Toronto native, Joey Votto has been floated as a speculative target since the Reds bought out their option. Carlos Santana and Joc Pederson are also on the open market. Other than Ohtani and perhaps Martinez, each of those players could factor in at first base or the corner outfield on occasion — although a run at any would pair them with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as defensively limited players who could step into the middle of the Toronto lineup.
Mariners, Tyson Miller Agree To Minor League Contract
The Mariners have signed reliever Tyson Miller to a minor league contract, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America. It stands to reason he’ll get an invitation to MLB Spring Training.
Miller, 28, has pitched in parts of three big league campaigns. While he only has 31 career innings, he has gotten to the highest level with five different teams. The righty pitched for three clubs in 2023 alone, logging time with the Brewers, Mets and Dodgers. He allowed eight runs over 15 1/3 major league innings between the trio.
A former fourth-round selection, Miller has allowed nearly seven earned runs per nine in the big leagues. While that’s clearly not ideal, he’s coming off a solid run in Triple-A. Miller worked to a 3.50 ERA through 43 2/3 innings at the top minor league level. He struck out nearly 28% of opponents against an average 8.3% walk percentage.
Miller has exhausted his option years. If he cracks the Seattle roster at any point, he’d need to hold his place on the major league club or be put back on waivers. Despite that, the Triple-A results make him a solid depth addition. The Mariners have one of the game’s best bullpens. They finished fourth in the majors in ERA (3.48) and second in strikeout percentage (26.1%) this year.
Lee Richard Passes Away
Former big league infielder Lee “BeeBee” Richard recently passed away, per an obituary from Serenity Life Celebrations out of Waco, Texas. He was 74 years old.
Richard was born in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1948. He attended Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, getting drafted by the White Sox in 1970. He played for the Sox from 1971 to 1975, getting traded to the Cardinals prior to 1976 for Buddy Bradford and Greg Terlecky. He was released after one year in St. Louis and didn’t make it back to the big leagues in subsequent seasons.
He finished his career having played in 239 games across five seasons. In 535 plate appearances, he recorded 83 hits, including 12 doubles, six triples and two home runs. He scored 71 runs and drove in 29, also stealing 12 bases. He mostly played shortstop but also some second base, third base and outfield.
We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to Richard’s family, friends, fans and former teammates.
Giants Add Ryan Christenson, Pat Burrell To Coaching Staff
The Giants announced some additions to their coaching staff in year one under Bob Melvin. Longtime Melvin lieutenant Ryan Christenson joins as bench coach, while former MLB outfielder Pat Burrell is taking over as hitting coach. Matt Williams is also leaving the Padres to take over as third base coach.
Incumbent hitting coach Justin Viele will retain his title, tweets Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. He and Burrell are co-hitting coaches, while Pedro Guerrero is returning as an assistant hitting coach. According to Pavlovic, assistant hitting coach Dustin Lind will not be back in 2024.
San Francisco also announced a few holdovers from last year’s group. Mark Hallberg, Alyssa Nakken, J.P. Martinez and Taria Uematsu are all returning to the staff. Hallberg is moving across the diamond from third base to first base coach. Martinez remains an assistant pitching coach, while Nakken and Uematsu are assistant coaches.
None of the additions are surprising, as all three had been rumored to join the staff. Christenson’s strong relationship with Melvin has led him from Oakland to San Diego and back to the Bay Area. He worked as a bench coach in Oakland and San Diego and spent this year as the associate manager for the Friars.
Burrell, a former number one overall pick, was a two-time World Series winner during his 12-year MLB career. The second of those titles came in San Francisco, where he closed his playing days in 2010 and ’11. Burrell hit .253/.361/.472 with just under 300 home runs in the big leagues. The Miami product has coached in the Giants’ minor league ranks going back to 2020.
Williams, of course, had an excellent playing career in his own right. The five-time All-Star got a managerial job with the Nationals in 2014. He led Washington to a 96-win season to earn the NL Manager of the Year award in his first season. After the team went 83-79 during his second year at the helm, the Nationals dismissed him and hired Dusty Baker. Williams has subsequently spent time on the Diamondbacks, A’s and Padres staffs (overlapping with Melvin in the latter two places) and managed for two seasons in South Korea.
There’s still more to come on the coaching front in San Francisco. The team has not announced the future for pitching coach Andrew Bailey, who has reportedly considered leaving to take a position closer to his family on the East Coast.
Padres Re-Sign Drew Carlton To Minor League Deal
The Padres have re-signed right-hander Drew Carlton to a minor league deal, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He will presumably receive an invitation to major league Spring Training and compete for a roster spot.
Carlton, now 28, came up through the Tigers’ system but this is the second year in a row that he’s landed with the Friars on a minor league pact. He was added to the roster in May and made 11 appearances, tossing 20 2/3 innings with a 4.35 ERA. His 21.2% strikeout rate was a bit below average but his 7.1% walk rate and 43.9% ground ball rate were both a bit better than par.
He landed on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation at the start of July and never made it back. He started a rehab assignment in August but only made three appearances in the minors that month. The club outrighted him off the roster last week as the offseason was beginning, as the IL goes away from five days after the World Series until Spring Training. The current health of his elbow isn’t publicly known but the Padres felt good enough about it to bring him back for another year.
The San Diego bullpen saw significant pieces like Josh Hader and Nick Martinez reach free agency last week. They could replenish that group over the offseason but may have diminished funds to work with, perhaps making depth signings a bit more important. If Carlton cracks the roster, he’s still optionable and has just over a year of service time, meaning he has the potential to serve as a long-term depth piece with roster flexibility.