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Red Sox Designate Darwinzon Hernandez For Assignment

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The Red Sox have designated left-hander Darwinzon Hernandez for assignment, per a team announcement. He’ll be the corresponding 40-man roster move to accommodate the newly signed Justin Turner, whose previously reported contract is now official.

Hernandez, 26, both misses bats and piles up walks in droves. He’s fanned 32.3% of his opponents over the life of 85 1/3 big league innings but has also walked a whopping 17.7% of the batters he’s faced. Despite that dearth of command, he was able to notch a tidy 3.17 ERA in 48 1/3 innings from 2020-21, but Hernandez was rocked for 17 runs (16 earned) in just 6 2/3 innings at the big league level this past season. Overall, he owns a 5.06 ERA in the Majors.

Despite his struggles to locate his pitches, Hernandez is a 26-year-old lefty who’s averaged just north of 95 mph on his fastball and avoided hard contact quite nicely when opponents put the ball in play against him (with the exception of 2022’s small sample). Hernandez also has a minor league option remaining, which could further broaden his appeal to other teams.

The Red Sox will have a week to trade Hernandez or attempt to pass him through outright waivers, which would allow them to keep him in the organization without dedicating a 40-man roster spot to the hard-throwing but command-challenged southpaw.

Twins Claim Oliver Ortega, Designate Blayne Enlow

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The Twins announced that they have claimed right-hander Oliver Ortega off waivers from the Angels. Ortega had been designated for assignment last month. To create a spot for him on their roster, the Twins designated fellow righty Blayne Enlow for assignment.

Ortega, 26, will now join a new organization for the first time, having spent his entire professional career with the Angels thus far. He was selected to the club’s roster in September of 2021 and made eight appearances in his MLB debut that year, posting a 4.82 ERA.

In 2022, he spent the year oscillating between the majors and minors, throwing 34 innings in the bigs and 25 2/3 in Triple-A. That time in the majors came with solid strikeout and ground ball rates of 22.3% and 49.5%, respectively, but his 12.2% walk rate was on the high side. He managed to keep his ERA to a manageable 3.71 level, but a .297 batting average on balls in play might have helped. In the minors, his strikeout rate was an exact match for his MLB work, coming in at 22.3%. His 44.3% ground ball rate was a bit lower but still strong and his 6.6% walk rate was significantly better. However, a .392 BABIP helped push his Triple-A ERA to 5.96. Ortega still has a couple of option years, allowing him to serve as a versatile depth piece for the Twins. He’s averaged over 96 mph on his fastball in his major league action thus far and could be a useful contributor if he can lower that walk rate.

As for Enlow, who turns 24 in March, he was a highly-ranked prospect going into the 2017 draft but he went undrafted over the first two rounds due to a perceived strong commitment to Louisiana State University. The Twins grabbed him in the third round and were able to get him to sign by going well over slot, giving Enlow a $2MM bonus compared to a $755,400 slot value. The Twins were able to pull that off by signing their first overall pick, Royce Lewis, for about $1MM under his own slot value.

Enlow has been considered one of the better prospects in Minnesota’s system ever since, with Baseball America having him as high as #8 in 2019 and 2020. Unfortunately, the past few years have stalled his progress. The minor leagues were canceled entirely in 2020 and then Enlow required Tommy John surgery after just three starts in 2021. He missed the remainder of that year but was added to the club’s 40-man in November to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. He returned to the mound in May of 2022 and was able to throw 57 1/3 Double-A innings last year. He posted a 4.40 ERA in that time with a 24.8% strikeout rate but an 11.6% walk rate.

The club will now have one week to trade Enlow or pass him through waivers. He’s had a rough few years but could still find interest from other clubs. He’s still young and has a couple of option years remaining. Baseball America notes that he can touch 97 mph with his fastball and has three secondary offerings. For a club looking for extra pitching depth, they may be attracted to Enlow’s arsenal and prospect pedigree.

Tigers Outright Four Players

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The Tigers announced that four of their players have cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Toledo. They are left-hander Zach Logue, right-hander Ángel De Jesus, catcher Mario Feliciano and infielder Andy Ibáñez. Logue and De Jesus were designated for assignment last month. The Tigers had not previously announced that either Feliciano or Ibanez had been placed on waivers. Detroit’s 40-man roster is now at 38 players.

Logue, 27 in April, looked like a potential back-of-the-rotation starter this time last season, when he was one of four players traded from Toronto to Oakland in the Matt Chapman deal. He made his big league debut with the A’s, starting ten games and adding another four appearances out of the bullpen. The former ninth-round pick got out to a nice start, pitching to a 2.04 ERA in his first 17 2/3 innings, but the wheels came off shortly thereafter.

The Mariners torched Logue for seven runs on May 23, and from that point through season’s end he yielded 39 runs in 39 1/3 big league innings. Things didn’t go any better during a disastrous Triple-A run that saw Logue record an ERA north of 8.00. Oakland designated Logue for assignment last month, and the Tigers picked him up via waiver claim. They can now keep him in the organization without dedicating a 40-man roster spot to him.

Grisly as those results are, Logue is a reasonably young lefty who sported a 3.32 ERA through 17 Triple-A starts as recently as 2021. He also has a pair of minor league options remaining, so if he pitches his way back into 40-man consideration, he’ll give the Tigers some rotation depth with a good bit of flexibility.

De Jesus, 25, also made his big league debut in 2022, tossing 12 2/3 innings out of the Detroit ’pen. He yielded only three runs on nine hits and four walks in that time, though De Jesus also fanned just seven hitters (13%) while benefiting from a .179 average on balls in play during that tiny sample. He spent the bulk of the 2022 season with Triple-A Toledo, where he notched a 4.15 ERA in 47 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. De Jesus has never ranked among the Tigers’ top prospects but does have a lengthy track record of solid results in the minors.

The 24-year-old Feliciano, like Logue, was claimed off waivers by the Tigers this season (although from the Brewers, not the A’s). He’s appeared in three big league games with Milwaukee and gone 1-for-4 in that time. Feliciano spent the vast majority of the 2022 season in Triple-A Nashville, batting .274/.326/.386 with six homers in 311 trips to the plate. Feliciano has plus bat-to-ball skills, evidence by a 16% strikeout rate in Triple-A, but he rarely walks and is regarded as a sub-par defender behind the plate.

Ibanez, 29, is yet another offseason waiver claim, coming over from the Rangers in early November. Once a prospect of some note when he originally left Cuba, Ibanez has spent parts of two seasons in the big leagues with Texas. He hit fairly well in 2021 (.277/.321/.435) but cratered with a .218/.273/.277 batting line in 128 plate appearances this past season. The dip in production carried over to Triple-A as well, but on the whole, the 29-year-old Ibanez has a solid .288/.358/.456 batting line in just shy of 1500 plate appearances at the minor leagues’ top level. He’s primarily a second baseman and third basemen but also has brief experience at first base, shortstop and in left field.

Nelson Cruz Has Received Offers For 2023 Season

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Veteran slugger Nelson Cruz had a down year with the Nationals in 2022 and turned 42 over the summer, but the seven-time All-Star doesn’t appear to be considering retirement. Cruz said in a radio appearance on Grandes en los Deportes in his native Dominican Republic that he’s already received formal offers for the 2023 season (Twitter link). As one would expect, Cruz did not reveal which team or teams have made him an offer, nor did he divulge additional details on the nature of said offers.

Following the season, Cruz underwent surgery on his left eye — a procedure intended to alleviate inflammation that had blurred his vision. Cruz noted at the time that he’d had issues with the eye dating back to the 2021 season, though they worsened considerably over the course of his 2022 season. Specifically, Cruz explained that he’d had difficulty picking up the spin on pitches.

Whether due to the vision troubles, his age or some combination of the two, Cruz indeed had his worst season since establishing himself as a big league regular way back in 2008. Signed by the Nationals to a one-year, $15MM contract in March, Cruz went on to bat just .234/.313/.337. He homered just ten times as a National — far and away his lowest total in any of his 14 seasons as a regular. Cruz even homered 16 times during the 60-game 2020 season and had otherwise never hit fewer than 22 long balls in a full big league campaign.

Prior to his one-year stint in D.C., Cruz remained a highly productive designated hitter with the Twins. In parts of three seasons with Minnesota, he batted .304/.386/.598 with 76 home runs in 1081 trips to the plate. Minnesota traded Cruz to the Rays in a July 2021 deal that netted them righty Joe Ryan, however, and Cruz began to struggle at the plate with Tampa Bay. The timing of that downturn in production aligns roughly with the timeline Cruz laid out when discussing his eye troubles.

Any team that signs Cruz would likely need a clear vacancy at designated hitter. Cruz hasn’t played an inning in the outfield since 2018 with the Mariners, though the Rays did give him one game (seven innings) at first base late in the 2021 campaign. Still, it’d be a stretch for any of the Dodgers (J.D. Martinez), Red Sox (Justin Turner, with Rafael Devers and Triston Casas at the infield corners), Tigers (Miguel Cabrera), Angels (Shohei Ohtani), Yankees (Giancarlo Stanton), Marlins (Jorge Soler), Giants (Joc Pederson, with Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger in the outfield corners) or Astros (Yordan Alvarez, Michael Brantley, Kyle Tucker) to squeeze Cruz into the mix, unless he were willing to accept a role as a pure bench bat. That said, given his lack of defensive ability, Cruz may not appeal to clubs as an option off the bench.

Cruz didn’t tip his hand as to when he might make a decision on a team for the forthcoming season and gave no indication as to whether the offers he’s received are ones he is strongly considering. He and agent Bryce Dixon have plenty of time to deliberate, of course, but Cruz has a rather full plate at the moment; he’s serving as the general manager for the Dominican Republic’s team in this year’s World Baseball Classic and also plans to play in the event.

Kohei Arihara To Sign With NPB’s SoftBank Hawks

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Former Rangers righty Kohei Arihara is returning to Japan for the 2023 season and will sign with the SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball, per reports from Japanese outlets The Manichi and Sports Hochi. Prior to his two-year MLB run in Texas, Arihara had spent six seasons with NPB’s Nippon-Ham Fighters.

Now 30 years old, Arihara’s brief time in the Majors was tanked by health woes. Originally signed to a two-year, $6.2MM contract, the right-hander posted a 2.21 ERA through his first four big league starts in Texas. His velocity dropped more than two miles per hour over his next four outings, however, and Arihara was shelled for 16 runs over a period of 8 1/3 innings before heading to the injured list. The Rangers discovered an aneurysm in his shoulder that required immediate surgery which sidelined him more than three months. At the time, GM Chris Young noted that it was “a very serious condition if it’s not treated, and we’re very fortunate that this was caught early and we didn’t continue to push it with [Arihara].”

Arihara returned late in the 2021 season but pitched just a dozen innings in September. The Rangers removed him from the 40-man roster over the winter. He remained with the organization in 2022 and spent the bulk of his season with Triple-A Round Rock, though Texas did call on him for 20 Major League frames late in the summer. Arihara allowed 21 runs in those 20 innings, although a staggering 11 of them came in one outing against the Blue Jays where the Rangers seemingly left him on the mound in hopes of sparing the bullpen and designated him for assignment the next day.

All in all, Arihara tossed just 60 2/3 Major League innings for the Rangers in his time with the team. He’ll head back to his native Japan and look to further build upon what was a solid NPB career prior to his MLB audition. In 836 innings with the Fighters, Arihara notched a 3.74 ERA with an 18% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate. He was particularly sharp in his final two pre-Rangers seasons, logging a 2.91 ERA through 297 innings in 2019-20.

The Opener: Correa, Houser, Released Infielders

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With less than six weeks left until pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on throughout the day today in the baseball world:

1. Correa Talking To Other Clubs Again

For a few weeks now, Carlos Correa and the Mets have been trying to work the kinks out of their 12-year, $315MM agreement due to issues with the same old injury that gave the Giants pause in their 13-year, $350MM agreement with the All-Star. It appears those negotiations are no longer entirely exclusive, as Correa’s camp has resumed discussions with at least one team besides the Mets due to the difficulties hammering out a final agreement in New York. Correa’s free agency has been one of the biggest and strangest stories of the offseason, and that’s sure to remain the case until it eventually reaches a proper conclusion.

2. What does the added rotation depth in Milwaukee mean for Houser?

The Brewers fortified their rotation this week by signing Wade Miley and added another depth arm with their waiver claim of Bryse Wilson, who’s out of minor league options (and thus will need to be on the roster or else again designated for assignment). With Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta already locked into starting roles for the club, it seems likely that Miley will compete with Eric Lauer and Aaron Ashby for the final two spots in the rotation, with the third lefty likely joining the bullpen alongside Wilson. Adrian Houser already seemed like a possible trade candidate for Milwaukee considering the number of clubs looking for starting pitching in a thin market, but with even more depth in Milwaukee now, it’s possible that a trade has become even likelier. Houser, who’s controllable for two more seasons and projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn a reasonable $3.6MM through arbitration in 2023, could make sense for a variety of teams looking to add depth to their rotation, including the Angels, Orioles, and Padres.

3. La Stella, Moustakas To Join Free Agent Market

Just as the free agent infield market was thinning out, the Reds and Giants each added another player to the mix, as Cincinnati released Mike Moustakas and San Francisco did the same with Tommy La Stella. The two players have a lot of similarities as they enter the market. Both are lefty-swinging infielders entering their mid-thirties who are capable of playing first, second, and third base. Both have struggled with injuries and under-performance in recent years but have had success as recently as the shortened 2020 season. Perhaps most importantly, both can be had for just the major league minimum in 2023, with their former club still on the hook for the remainder of their contracts.

Either player would be a useful addition to any club if they can rediscover their old form, and there should be teams with a need in the infield who’ll be willing to give them a chance, given the minimal commitment necessary to do so. The Orioles stand out as a particularly interesting match for either Moustakas or La Stella because they recently pursued a lefty infielder in a similar contractual situation: first baseman Eric Hosmer, who ultimately landed with the Cubs. Speculatively speaking, the White Sox, Tigers, Rays, and Cubs are among the other teams who could make sense for this veteran duo.

Carlos Correa’s Camp In Discussions With At Least One Team Other Than Mets

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It has now been more than two weeks since Carlos Correa and the Mets agreed to terms on a 12-year contract. That came within hours of his deal with the Giants falling through because of the club’s concerns with his physical. New York took similar umbrage with Correa’s right leg during their own examination a few days later, however, leaving one of the market’s top free agents in something of a state of limbo.

Since the Mets expressed concern about Correa’s physical a few days before Christmas, the organization and the two-time All-Star’s camp have maintained ongoing optimism about their ability to work through the issue. For the last two weeks, Correa’s representatives at the Boras Corporation had solely been in contact with the Mets as they worked to finalize the deal. That’s apparently changing now, as Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Boras engaged at least one other team regarding Correa this afternoon.

To be clear, that’s not to say Correa is moving on from the Mets. Indeed, they still seem his likeliest destination. A Mets official expressed confidence to Heyman they’ll still get the contract done even with Correa opening talks with at least one more team. Andy Martino of SNY similarly tweeted this afternoon the Mets and Correa’s camp were continuing to work on a resolution.

Nevertheless, it’s a notable development that another club is at least peripherally back in the mix. The Post’s Mike Puma reported last week that at least three other teams had reached out to Correa in the wake of the physical snag with the Mets. Correa didn’t engage in those discussions at the time, so today’s development marks a notable change in his camp’s tack.

Heyman writes today the Twins are one of the clubs that have tried to reengage Correa at some point over the past couple weeks. Minnesota maintained throughout the offseason they were hoping to bring him back after his lone season in the Twin Cities. They reportedly made a ten-year, $285MM offer earlier in the winter, but that fell shy of both the $350MM the Giants were originally set to guarantee Correa and the $315MM the Mets had put on the table. According to multiple reports, Minnesota didn’t up that offer between the time the Giants deal fell through and his agreement with New York. Whether the Twins still have a $285MM offer on the table isn’t clear, although it stands to reason they’d have some concerns of their own about the status of Correa’s leg until/unless they conduct a physical as well.

Minnesota still has a vacancy at shortstop, with stopgap veteran Kyle Farmer looking to be the current favorite at the position. Which other teams could be involved is unknown. Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told reporters last week it was unlikely the club would circle back to Correa. The Braves and Red Sox each lost star shortstops in free agency this winter, though neither was tied especially strongly to Correa at any point in the offseason. Atlanta seems unlikely to make a massive free agent strike, while Boston just agreed to terms with Rafael Devers on a $313.5MM extension yesterday.

The Orioles were loosely linked to Correa at one point but never seemed to seriously make a run at a top-of-the-market free agent. The Padres, Phillies and Cubs each turned elsewhere in free agency for a star shortstop and the Dodgers reportedly had little interest in Correa thanks to his ties to the 2017 Astros.

All things considered, it’d appear the Twins would be the strongest competition for the Mets. That’d seem to be contingent on talks with New York falling apart. Heyman characterizes those discussions as “sticky” but there’s no suggestion they’re at a dire point.

Multiple reports in recent weeks have suggested the Mets are looking to add language that’d allow them to get out of part of the contract if Correa suffers a serious right leg injury. Puma first reported a week ago such a concept was under discussion. Ken Rosenthal reiterated that on The Athletic’s podcast on Tuesday, suggesting the deal would require some kind of modification to protect the Mets in case of injury.

Heyman echoes those reports, writing the Mets are insistent on including some kind of injury provision. According to Heyman, the club doesn’t want to make any major changes to the base 12-year, $315MM structure. They do, however, apparently want to build in a manner of lowering that guarantee and/or allowing them to get out of the contract early in the event Correa spends a certain amount of time on the injured list with a right leg problem specifically. How long such an IL stint would have to be and how many years or dollars could be voided in the case of an injury would have to be agreed upon by both sides, and it seems those issues are holding up the contract’s finalization.

That kind of clause is rare but not entirely without precedent. As an example, fellow Boras Corporation client J.D. Martinez altered his deal with the Red Sox over the 2018-19 offseason after the team flagged a foot issue during his physical. The sides moved forward with their agreed-upon five-year, $110MM framework but included stipulations that would’ve allowed the Red Sox to opt out of the final two years of the contract in the event Martinez suffered another foot injury that resulted in a lengthy injured list stint (as reported by Evan Drellich, then of NBC Sports Boston). Martinez never suffered a serious injury and wound up playing out the five-year deal before hitting free agency again this winter.

The Mets continue to try to work out a similar provision in this case. Where the winding saga will go next is to be determined, but it’ll remain the offseason’s main storyline until Correa officially signs a contract somewhere.

Joe Lacob Looking Into Possible Bid In Angels’ Sale

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The Angels are one of two MLB teams currently up for sale. Owner Arte Moreno announced in August he was exploring sale possibilities.While Moreno still seems to be sorting through his options, a few names have emerged as potential candidates for a run at the franchise.

Last September, Sportico reported that Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong was among those exploring a bid. Another potential entrant confirmed some interest in the franchise this afternoon.

Joe Lacob, owner of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, tells Tim Kawakami of the Athletic he’s looking into the possibility of a bid. “It’s been reported that we’re looking at it, and that’s true,” Lacob said in an appearance on Kawakami’s podcast. “I don’t know what we’re going to do yet. I grew up (in Anaheim); it’s a little bit of an attraction for me.” Lacob went on to note it “wouldn’t be the easiest thing in the world to do” because it’s not close to the San Francisco area where the Warriors play but called an Angels pursuit “maybe doable.”

Lacob, a billionaire who made his fortune in venture capital investments, was part of a group that purchased the Warriors in July 2010. That franchise has had immense success in the decade-plus since, winning four championships. He suggested he’d also have interest in a run at either the Giants or A’s if those Bay Area franchises ever came up for sale, although a successful bid for the Angels would obviously make that a moot point.

While Lacob’s comments fall well short of a commitment at a serious run for the Anaheim franchise, it’s notable to hear that’s at least under some consideration. The timetable for the sale process is still uncertain; commissioner Rob Manfred said at last month’s Winter Meetings the team was hopeful of completing it by Opening Day.

Nate Colbert Passes Away

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Former major leaguer Nate Colbert has passed away, the Padres announced. He was 76 years old.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Padres Hall of Famer Nate Colbert,” team chairman Peter Seidler said as part of the club’s statement. “Our hearts go out to his wife, Kasey, and the entire Colbert family at this very difficult time.”

Seidler’s statement goes on to note that Colbert still holds the Friars’ franchise record for home runs, with 163 longballs in a San Diego uniform. That’s perhaps his most famous achievement, though the St. Louis native was a three-time All-Star who spent a decade in the big leagues. Originally signed by his hometown Cardinals in 1964, Colbert made it to the majors with the Astros just two years later. He appeared in 39 games with Houston between 1966-68 and got his first extended action after landing with the Padres during their first year of existence.

Selected by San Diego during the expansion draft that predated their 1969 debut, the right-handed hitting Colbert quickly cemented himself as one of the game’s better sluggers. He hit 24 home runs during his first full season, then connected on 38 longballs during his second campaign. That figure tied for eighth in the majors in 1970 and set the stage for three consecutive All-Star showings from 1971-73.

That three-year stretch saw Colbert hit 27, 38 and 22 longballs, respectively. Only Johnny Bench had more homers in 1972. Over his first five seasons with the Friars, the 6’2″ first baseman hit .260/.333/.483 in just over 3000 plate appearances. Colbert finished ninth in cumulative homers and 19th among qualified hitters in slugging. His overall offensive production was 28 percentage points above that of the league average hitter during that time, as measured by wRC+.

Colbert’s numbers fell off after his 28th birthday. He had his first below-average season in 1974 and the Padres traded him to the Tigers as part of a three-team deal with St. Louis the ensuing offseason. Colbert subsequently made brief stops with the Expos and A’s but struggled. He retired after the 1976 season, his age-30 campaign.

While he didn’t have as long a playing career as it once seemed he would, Colbert had a strong half-decade peak as one of the sport’s better power hitters. He collected a trio of All-Star appearances and placed eighth in NL MVP balloting in 1972. Over parts of 10 seasons, he hit .243/.322/.451 with 173 homers, 520 runs batted in and 481 runs scored. The Padres selected him for their organizational Hall of Fame as part of their inaugural class in 1999.

After his playing career, Colbert spent some time as a minor league hitting instructor. He later became an ordained minister; as part of his statement, Seidler noted that Colbert had “(dedicated) his time to disadvantaged youth through his ministry.” MLBTR sends our condolences to Colbert’s family, friends, loved ones and former teammates.

Orioles’ Nick Vespi Undergoes Hernia Surgery

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The Orioles informed reporters that reliever Nick Vespi underwent hernia surgery this morning (via Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com). The team didn’t narrow down a specific timetable for his return but indicated they anticipate him being available early in the 2023 season.

While it doesn’t seem a serious concern, that’d leave open the possibility he’s not ready for Opening Day. It’d be a small hit to Baltimore’s bullpen depth, as Vespi appeared in 25 games last season. The left-hander worked to a 4.10 ERA through 26 1/3 innings, striking out a quarter of opponents with a solid 7.1% walk rate and 42.7% grounder percentage. He generated swinging strikes on an excellent 14.9% of his offerings.

Despite the quality swing-and-miss marks, Vespi’s run prevention was middle-of-the-pack. That’s largely thanks to home run issues, as he allowed 1.71 longballs per nine innings pitched. Vespi doesn’t throw hard, averaging just 88.5 MPH on his fastball. Without overpowering velocity, his heater was hit hard during his rookie campaign.

The Orioles have a few left-handed relief options they can turn to as alternatives if Vespi requires an early-season injured list stint. Cionel Pérez had a strong 2022 season after coming over from the Reds via waivers. Former starter Keegan Akin pitched well through 81 2/3 innings after being moved into relief last year. They should give skipper Brandon Hyde a pair of quality southpaws to deploy even if Vespi’s a bit behind schedule.

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