Cardinals Have Growing Interest In Albert Pujols
The Cardinals “have had increased conversations” with Albert Pujols, reports Katie Woo of The Athletic, who also says that “interest is growing in bringing back the former Cardinal for the 2022 season.”
Just two weeks ago, it was reported that the Cardinals were considering such a move. But club chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. seemed to throw some cold water on that idea, saying “we’ve got most of our club pretty well set.” However, it seems the club may have warmed to the idea of bringing Pujols back to where he started his career and had his best seasons.
Pujols was drafted by the Cardinals in 1999 and made his MLB debut with the club in 2001. Over 11 seasons from 2001 through 2011, he hit 445 home runs and put up an incredible .328/.420/.617 for a wRC+ of 167. He was a key reason why the club was a continual competitor in that time, making the postseason in 7 of those 11 seasons and winning the World Series in 2006 and 2011. Based on that otherworldly run of success, he was signed by the Angels to a ten-year, $254MM deal covering the 2012-2021 seasons. Pujols continued to hit at a level above the league average for the first five years of that deal, though a few notches below what he did as a Cardinal. From there, things only got worse, as he hit just .242/.291/.406 from 2017 to 2020, producing a wRC+ of just 84. After 24 games last year, with just a few months remaining on the contract, the Angels released him. Surprisingly, he was picked up by the Dodgers, who planned to limit the veteran slugger to a bench/platoon role, primarily facing lefties. The strategy worked out fine enough, as Pujols hit .254/.299/.460 as a Dodger, a wRC+ of 101.
As per Woo’s report, the Cardinals would be considering a reunion with Pujols to implement his skills in a similar manner to how the Dodgers did last year. She notes that the club has traditionally shied away from platoon strategies in the past, but new manager Oliver Marmol is planning on changing that. Paul Goldschmidt is firmly entrenched as the club’s regular first baseman, meaning Pujols would be in the mix for DH/pinch-hitting duties, alongside Corey Dickerson, Lars Nootbaar and Juan Yepez. For Yepez, he seemed poised to make the team after a tremendous year in the minors. Between Double-A and Triple-A last year, he hit .286/.383/.586, for a wRC+ of 154. Then there’s Nolan Gorman, who also spent last year between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting .279/.333/.481, wRC+ of 115. However, Woo reports that, given that Yepez is just 24 and Gorman doesn’t turn 22 until May, the club is considering a plan wherein they each spend a bit more time in the minors getting regular reps, waiting for an opportunity to open up as the season progresses.
Regardless of how the roster machinations play out, the move would surely have its biggest reverberations in the public relations department. It was in St. Louis that Pujols established himself as one of the greatest hitters of his generation and more or less guaranteed himself a future plaque in the Hall of Fame. A return to where it all started for the 42-year-old would surely be a tremendously popular storyline with Cardinals fans and baseball fans in general.
Marlins Claim Tommy Nance, Designate Yoan Lopez
The Marlins announced that right-hander Tommy Nance has been claimed off waivers from the Cubs. To make room on the roster, fellow righty Yoan Lopez was designated for assignment.
Nance, 31, was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Friday. The righty made his MLB debut last year, tossing 28 2/3 innings out of the Cubs’ bullpen. His 7.22 ERA on the year was certainly unsightly, though there may have been some bad luck in there, as Nance’s 52.9% strand rate was about 20 points below league average. All of the advanced pitching metrics believed he deserved much better results. In 15 1/3 Triple-A innings last year, his ERA was much better at 2.35, along with excellent strikeout and walk rates of 31.6% and 5.3%. The Marlins clearly were able to see past the unfortunate results in the big leagues last year in order to focus on his potential. Since Nance still has options, he could be sent to the minors for extra bullpen depth.
As for Lopez, 29, this is yet another trip to DFA limbo for him, a place he’s spent a good deal of time in the past year. After being designated by the Diamondbacks in May, he was traded to the Braves, who designated him again in November, being claimed by the Phillies. Yet another DFA after the lockout resulted in a claim from the Marlins just over a week ago.
The fact that he keeps getting claimed shows that teams still see signs for hope in Lopez. After earning a hefty bonus when originally signed out of Cuba in 2014, Lopez didn’t show much reason for optimism in the following years. However, after being acquired by the Braves last year, his Triple-A performance seemed to give some hope, throwing 32 2/3 innings there with a 26.7% strikeout rate and 8.4% walk rate, finishing with an ERA of 3.03. Given that he still has options, it’s possible he is claimed on waivers another time, with some team adding him as depth and hoping that he can continue with the momentum he seemed to be building last year.
Giants Acquire Luke Williams From Phillies, Place Matthew Boyd On 60-Day Injured List
The Giants have acquired utilityman Luke Williams from the Phillies in exchange for minor league third baseman Will Toffey and cash considerations. Both teams have announced the trade. To create a 40-man roster spot, the Giants placed southpaw Matthew Boyd on the 60-day injured list.
Williams was designated for assignment by Philadelphia earlier this week when the Nick Castellanos signing became official. After six seasons in the Phils’ farm system and a brief stint in the Australian Baseball League, Williams made his MLB debut in 2021, appearing in 58 games. While Williams hit only .245/.315/.316 in 108 plate appearances, he made a mark with his versatility, making multiple appearances at every position except catcher and pitcher.
Williams began his career as a third baseman, but has more recently moved all over the diamond, with the bulk of his brief big league career spent as an outfielder. Giants manager Gabe Kapler is surely familiar with Williams from Kapler’s past job as the Phillies’ skipper, and San Francisco has frequently sought out multi-positional players in recent years. Williams is also a right-handed hitter, which could give him an opportunity for playing time given how the Giants’ projected starting outfield (Mike Yastrzemski, LaMonte Wade Jr., and Joc Pederson) are all left-handed bats.
Toffey has something of a similar resume to Williams, as Toffey is also a third baseman who has started to branch out at other positions. The 2021 season saw Toffey play both corner outfield positions, first base, and second base while playing with the Mets’ Double-A affiliate and the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate. San Francisco acquired the 27-year-old Toffey from the Mets last July, with left-hander Anthony Banda going back to New York in return.
Boyd signed a one-year deal with the Giants last week, and the former Tigers lefty is set to earn $5.2MM in guaranteed money in 2022. First, however, Boyd will have to fully recover from flexor tendon surgery last September. The 60-day IL placement was expected, as Boyd wasn’t expected to be ready until early June.
Giants Outright Austin Dean
TODAY: Dean cleared waivers and has been outrighted to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.
MARCH 20: The Giants have designated outfielder Austin Dean for assignment, per Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com. His roster spot was needed for the signing of Matthew Boyd, whose deal is now official.
Dean, 28, was originally drafted by the Marlins in 2012 and eventually made his MLB debut with them in 2018. After 98 games with the Fish in 2018 and 2019, he was traded to the Cardinals, playing 25 games for them in the past couple seasons. He’s yet to impress in his limited MLB action thus far, having hit .225/.282/.391, for a wRC+ of 80. However, his Triple-A performance is much more impressive, as Dean has hit .322/.394/.535 in parts of three seasons.
The Giants just claimed Dean off waivers in November, meaning he could potentially depart the organization without ever suiting up for the team. Given his Triple-A track record, youth and remaining option year, he could potentially be claimed in the coming days by a team looking to add some cheap outfield depth.
AL Central Notes: Kelly, Melendez, Naylor, Guardians
The White Sox knew when they signed Joe Kelly that the righty likely wouldn’t be ready for the start of the season, and the reliever tells Daryl Van Schouwen of The Chicago Sun-Times that he is targeting late April for his Pale Hose debut. Biceps tightness sidelined Kelly while he was pitching with the Dodgers in the NLCS last October, and it has resulted in his now being a few weeks behind the other pitchers in terms of readiness for Opening Day.
Fortunately, Kelly reported that he isn’t feeling any pain, and “the ball is coming out good for where they expected it to be, the body is moving a lot quicker. We’re just making sure we stay with the game plan and don’t push it.” Chicago’s two-year, $17MM deal (with a club option for 2024) with Kelly added the veteran reliever to an already stacked bullpen, and the Sox look to have assembled one of baseball’s deepest relief corps, even if Craig Kimbrel is still a potential trade candidate.
More from around the AL Central…
- MJ Melendez is one of the game’s top catching prospects, yet the Royals youngster recently made his spring debut at third base and has also been working out as an outfielder. Since Salvador Perez has the Royals’ catching position on lockdown, the team is exploring ways to get Melendez into the lineup, given how he is already nearing his big league debut. “If he’s able to keep making those strides, how do we get him opportunities if any present themselves? It’s just trying to be a little creative and not making wholesale changes,” manager Mike Matheny told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters. “Because he’s a good catcher. It’s just where’s the opportunity, and how do we make the most of the talent and opportunity combined?” Melendez hit .288/.386/.625 with 41 home runs over 531 combined plate appearances at the Double-A (347 PA) and Triple-A (184 PA) levels last season, and certainly doesn’t look like he has much left to prove in the minors. Cam Gallagher is slated to work as Perez’s backup, and if Melendez can at least handle other positions, it will only help him reach the Show sooner than later.
- Josh Naylor has been playing in Triple-A games this spring, a big milestone for the young Guardians slugger as he returns from major leg surgery last summer. “It was awesome to get back out there and do it again. It felt really real and I felt really controlled, which was the most important part,” Naylor told Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes. The 12th overall pick of the 2015 draft, Naylor has only shown glimpses of his potential at the MLB level, hitting just .250/.306/.389 over 633 career plate appearances in the majors. The lack of a 2020 minor league season and then his injury last year set back Naylor’s progress, and the Guardians are hopeful he can contribute to this year’s squad. Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said that there is some hope Naylor can break camp with the team, but “we want to make sure we’re doing what’s in Josh’s long-term interest and not just rushing to meet the artificial deadline of Opening Day.”
- Roster moves of any kind present some difficulty for a Guardians team that has an overload of prospects on its 40-man roster. As MLB.com’s Mandy Bell writes, the Guards added 11 minor leaguers to the 40-man in advance of the Rule 5 Draft, yet with the roster now full, Cleveland has little room to maneuver to deal with other needs. For instance, since it looks like Luke Maile and James Karinchak could both be starting the season on the injured list, the Guardians might have to make some tough decisions depending on how long either player is expected to be sidelined.
Yankees Sign Shelby Miller To Minor League Deal
The Yankees have signed right-hander Shelby Miller, as per a team press release. Miller has been invited to the Yankees’ big league spring camp.
Still only 31 years old, Miller is best known for his time with the Cardinals and Braves, when he posted a 3.22 ERA over 575 1/3 innings from 2012-15. With a third-place finish in NL Rookie Of The Year voting and an All-Star appearance in 2015, Miller looked like one of baseball’s burgeoning young pitching stars, but he simply was never the same after being dealt to the Diamondbacks in a now-infamous trade for Arizona fans.
Miller struggled in 2016 in part due to a finger injury, and then pitched only 38 more innings during his D’Backs tenure due to Tommy John surgery. Since then, Miller has bounced around to four different teams trying to revive his career, most recently pitching for the Cubs and Pirates in 2021. The righty had a combined 9.24 ERA over 12 2/3 big league innings last season, but at least his Triple-A statistics (2.96 ERA, 37.75% strikeout rate over 24 1/3 IP) provided some cause for optimism.
While Miller technically made four Triple-A starts last year, they were more of the abbreviated variety, and he seems to be more or less a full-time relief pitcher at this point in his career. New York will be the latest team to try and get Miller on track, and he would hardly be the first ex-starter to find a second act as a viable reliever. At the cost of a minor league deal, there’s no risk for the Yankees in seeing what Miller has in camp, and perhaps stashing him at Triple-A should he accept the assignment. Given the relatively short time between now and Opening Day, it doesn’t seem like Miller has a shot at breaking camp with the team.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
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NL Injury Notes: Giants, Floro, Ahmed, Simmons
The Giants provided updates on some veteran names who have yet to appear in Spring Training games, though Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria are both expected to be ready for Opening Day, manager Gabe Kapler told MLB.com’s Maria Guardado and other reporters. Longoria has been dealing with right index finger tendinitis, while Belt has inflammation in his right knee. The latter issue might be the bigger problem on paper, given Belt’s history of knee injuries, but Kapler said “We don’t really have concerns. It’s just going to be a later start for Brandon.”
Tommy La Stella has also yet to take the field this spring, but is running the bases and taking part in other baseball activities. After undergoing Achilles surgery in October, La Stella is now “getting very close to being ready,” Kapler said, and “Tommy has shared strongly that he wants the opportunity to be ahead of schedule and be ready for Opening Day.” The final call will be up to La Stella and the team’s training staff, but even if La Stella isn’t quite ready to go when San Francisco begins play, Kapler intimated that the infielder wouldn’t miss too much time.
Some other injury notes from around the National League…
- Dylan Floro has yet to pitch during Spring Training, as the right-hander is dealing with some arm soreness. Marlins manager Don Mattingly was non-committal about Floro’s readiness for the Opening Day roster, telling MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola and other reporters that “We’ll just have to see how that goes,” though Mattingly did note that Floro worked through some similar issues last year with no ill effects during the season. One of baseball’s more underrated relievers of the last four seasons, Floro posted a 2.81 ERA over 64 innings in 2021, his first year in Miami. This performance had put Floro in line for perhaps the majority of ninth-inning work for the Marlins this season, though Mattingly said “I think we’re going to be more of a mix-and-match club” for save situations. Some new faces could also be joining the bullpen, as GM Kim Ng has stated the Marlins are exploring the relief market.
- Nick Ahmed‘s bothersome right shoulder is “good enough” for the Diamondbacks shortstop “to be out there right now,” but Ahmed told The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro that his shoulder still isn’t 100 percent after almost two years of intermittent soreness. Even after receiving two injections in his shoulder this past offseason, Ahmed said the treatment “didn’t go great, how I wanted them to go. I just ended up rehabbing it most of the offseason.” Surgery doesn’t appear to be an option at this point, as Ahmed said he has been working out a training regiment to help keep his shoulder strong and capable of holding up over 162 games. Between his nagging shoulder injury and a knee problem, Ahmed admitted that injuries played a big part in his steep dropoff at the plate, as the shortstop batted only .221/.280/.339 in 473 plate appearances in 2021. On the plus side, Ahmed’s health didn’t hamper his fielding, as he was still one of the game’s better defensive shortstops.
- Speaking of Gold Glove shortstops, Andrelton Simmons is also dealing with some right shoulder soreness, Cubs manager told reporters (including The Chicago Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro). Simmons hasn’t played the last two days and was in Thursday’s lineup only as the DH. Simmons joined the Cubs on a one-year, $4MM deal soon after the lockout ended.
Yankees Notes: Cashman, Judge, Gardner, Payroll
Yankees GM Brian Cashman met with reporters yesterday, discussing numerous Bronx Bombers-related topics with Newsday’s Erik Boland (Twitter links), MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, The Associated Press, and other media members.
Aaron Judge‘s contract was one of the subjects addressed, as the star slugger didn’t agree to terms with the club on his 2022 salary before last Tuesday’s deadline to file arbitration figures. As it stands, Judge and the Yankees will now head to a hearing, with Judge seeking $21MM and the Yankees offering $17MM — the $4MM gap is the largest between any player and team slated for an arb case this spring.
However, a much larger contract could be in the offing. Judge is set for free agency next winter, and Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has already stated that the club will discuss a long-term extension. Cashman said the same Saturday, with a nod to Judge’s preference to have all negotiations wrapped up prior to the start of the season.
“Between now and Opening Day we’ll make an offer and he’ll obviously receive an offer and all the conversions will have taken place and will either resolve into a multiyear deal or it won’t,” Cashman said. “We’re committed. We’ll make an offer and hear what he has to say in response and then it will be pencils down before Opening Day.”
It should be noted that the opener probably isn’t an absolute deadline, as the two sides aren’t likely to cease talks if they’re on the proverbial two-yard line towards finalizing an extension. Most players have shared Judge’s preference to restrict contract talks to the offseason, yet it isn’t uncommon for major extensions to be announced a few days or even a few weeks beyond Opening Day.
In fact, Judge himself told The New York Post’s Dan Martin and other reporters Saturday that there could be some flexibility to his April 7 deadline. “If there are negotiations [after Opening Day], I won’t be talking to [the media] about it at all. We haven’t decided yet, but for right now, that’s what we’ve got.”
Given that the Yankees have rarely extended players in the Hal Steinbrenner era, the fact that the two sides are talking long-term is itself notable, and a nod to just how well Judge has performed over his first six seasons. If a multi-year pact can’t be arranged, it isn’t out of the question that the two sides might still just work out a one-year pact in order to sidestep the potential awkwardness of an arbitration hearing. As Martin notes, the Yankees haven’t gone to a hearing since 2016.
“Our position has always been, we wind up only in a hearing if we’re dragged there,” Cashman said. “We only go when forced to go. We’re not afraid of going. Our history shows that we stay out of that arena unless we’re compelled to get there.”
Judge’s situation might dominate the headlines for the Yankees in their final days of camp, as the team could be finished with its major offseason work. “We’re prepared to go with what we have here,” Cashman said, while acknowledging that the door is always open in some respect for potential new moves: “We’ve stayed in touch and engaged a lot of clubs about our needs. If something comes out of those discussions, great.”
In terms of what any new additions might cost, Cashman noted the financial “flexibility” provided by ownership “doesn’t mean it [the payroll] won’t get higher but that doesn’t mean it will either.” Team spending has been a hot issue in the Bronx over the last two years, as the Yankees looked to get under the luxury tax line in 2021, then largely sat out free agency both before and after the lockout. (This isn’t to say that the offseason has been all that quiet, given that the Yankees’ five-player blockbuster deal with the Twins is arguably the winter’s biggest trade.)
Cashman did point out, however, that the Yankees are set to have their highest-ever payroll. Roster Resource projects the club for roughly $245.9MM in actual dollars spent on payroll, with a luxury tax number of just under $262.3MM. That latter figures not only puts New York back in excess of the $230MM tax threshold, but beyond the first tier ($250MM) of penalization. That means that the Yankees are currently slated to pay a 32% surtax on every dollar spent beyond the threshold, given they reclaimed “first-timer” status after getting under the tax line last year.
A new deal with longtime Yankee Brett Gardner isn’t likely to cost all that much, though it remains unclear if Gardner is a candidate to return for a 15th season in the pinstripes. “Right now we’re focused on what we have,” Cashman said in regards to the roster, while also adding that he has had multiple talks with Gardner’s representatives since Spring Training opened.
In theory, New York already has plenty of outfield depth on the roster, between the starting trio of Judge, Aaron Hicks and Joey Gallo, Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Andujar capable of playing on the grass, and Marwin Gonzalez, Tim Locastro and Ender Inciarte all in the mix. With injuries an ever-looming threat, a reunion with Gardner could be feasible, especially since Gardner has been such an important clubhouse leader.
James Karinchak, Luke Maile Likely To Begin Season On Injured List
Two notable Guardians players are likely to start their 2022 season on the 10-day injured list. Reliever James Karinchak has a strain in his teres major muscle and will be shut down for 7-10 days, while Luke Maile has a left hamstring strain. (MLB.com’s Mandy Bell was among those to report the news.)
Maile is a lock to hit the IL, as he will be out of action for three to four weeks. Karinchak’s timetable isn’t yet known outside of his shutdown period, as if he returns after seven or even 10 days with no ill effects, he might only need a minimal 10-day IL stint at the start of the season to get fully ramped up.
It all depends on the severity of his strain, as teres major muscle issues can vary greatly in terms of necessary recovery time. Cleveland fans have become all too familiar with the teres major muscle in recent years, as Mike Clevinger, Emmanuel Clase, and (just yesterday) Cody Morris have all spent time on the IL due to similar injuries.
The Guardians surely hope Karinchak’s injury is just a matter of days or weeks rather than months, as the hard-throwing righty’s big strikeout numbers hint at his potential as a dominant bullpen arm. Karinchak has a huge 38% strikeout rate over his 87 2/3 career innings, as well as a 3.49 ERA. However, Karinchak also has a 13.4% walk rate, and both those control problems and the home run ball led to a dropoff in production last season after a strong start. Cleveland ended up optioning Karinchak to Triple-A for September, in an effort to try and get him sorted.
Maile only joined the team two weeks ago on a one-year, $900K free agent deal. The veteran backstop’s guaranteed deal gave him a leg up on minor league signing Sandy Leon in the battle to be Austin Hedges‘ backup, though Leon may now have the inside track on breaking camp. Depending on what other names become available as other teams make their spring cuts, the Guardians could possibly add another experienced catcher to add further depth, or as more competition for Leon.