KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes Sign Yasiel Puig
Free agent outfielder Yasiel Puig is in agreement with the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization, reports Yonhap News (h/t to Yonhap’s Jeeho Yoo). It’ll be a one-year, $1MM contract, the maximum amount allowed under KBO rules for first-year foreign players. (Francys Romero of Las Mayores reported yesterday that Puig was nearing agreement with a KBO team).
Puig, who turned 31 years old yesterday, hasn’t appeared in the majors since 2019. After a league average offensive showing between the Reds and Indians that year, he lingered on the free agent market for the entire offseason. Puig looked as if he’d lined up a deal with the Braves coming out of the pandemic-driven transactions freeze last July, but his potential agreement with Atlanta was scuttled after he tested positive for COVID-19.
Puig didn’t wind up playing in 2020. During the ensuing offseason, a woman filed a civil action against him, alleging that he had sexually assaulted her in 2018. In March, John Barr of ESPN detailed the allegations, which Puig and his representatives denied. Criminal charges were never filed, and the parties settled the civil case out of court this past October.
While Puig continued to express interest in a return to Major League Baseball, he spent the 2021 season in the Mexican League. The right-handed hitter signed with El Águila de Veracruz. He hit .312/.409/.517 across 247 plate appearances and 62 games. He’ll now reportedly head to South Korea for his first career action outside of North America.
Puig has appeared in seven big league seasons, including star-level showings in each of his first two years with the Dodgers. He appeared on MVP balloting in both 2013 and 2014, earning an All-Star selection in the latter of those seasons. From 2015 onwards, Puig settled in as a solid but not elite offensive player, posting slightly above-average marks until his average 2019 showing. For his career, he’s a .277/.348/.475 hitter.
Mets Interview Joe Espada In Managerial Search; Don Kelly Withdraws From Consideration
The Mets have interviewed Astros’ bench coach Joe Espada as part of their ongoing managerial search, reports Andy Martino of SNY (Twitter link). He becomes the fifth known interviewee, joining Matt Quatraro, Buck Showalter, Brad Ausmus and Bob Geren.
Espada, 46, has spent the past four seasons as the Houston bench coach. His first two years were under A.J. Hinch, and he retained that position even after the club moved on to Dusty Baker in the wake of Hinch’s firing for his role the 2017 sign-stealing scandal. Before his time with the Astros, Espada spent four seasons in the Yankees’ organization, the latter three of which came on Joe Girardi’s coaching staff. Espada’s time in the Bronx partially overlapped with that of current Mets’ general manager Billy Eppler, who worked as an AGM with the Yankees from 2012-15.
To date, Espada has no big league managing experience. He’s long been regarded as a viable candidate to land a top position at some point, though. Over the 2018-19 offseason, he reportedly interviewed for managerial positions with the Twins, Angels and Rangers, and he was reported to be a finalist for the Blue Jays’ job that eventually went to Charlie Montoyo. The following winter, he met with the Cubs and Giants — making a strong enough impression with the latter organization that he was once reported to be the front-runner for a position that ultimately went to Gabe Kapler.
Espada has also drawn interest from the other club with a current vacancy in the dugout. Britt Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported earlier this week that he’s expected to sit down with A’s brass as part of their efforts to find a replacement for Bob Melvin.
Of the six known candidates for the Mets’ position, five have now interviewed. The other — Pirates’ bench coach Don Kelly — appears to be out of the running. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported this evening (on Twitter) that Kelly has pulled his name from consideration for personal reasons. Presumably, that means he’ll reprise his role as Derek Shelton’s top lieutenant in Pittsburgh in 2022.
That’s not to say the group of five known to have interviewed are the finalists for the position. Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets that the Mets have an interview with an additional unknown candidate scheduled for tomorrow morning.
MLBTR Chat Transcript: 12/8/21
Click here to view the transcript of today’s chat with MLBTR’s Anthony Franco.
2021 Minor League Rule 5 Draft Results
Although the Major League portion of the 2021 Rule 5 Draft was postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing MLB lockout, the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft carried on as planned. Fifty-one players were selected in the Triple-A phase of the event, which allows teams to select players who were not protected on a 38-man Triple-A roster (similar to the MLB 40-man roster). Minor League Rule 5 selections cost $24,500 apiece, and that sum is paid from the drafting team to the player’s former organization.
It’s rare, but not unprecedented, to see players from the Minor League Rule 5 Draft ultimately make an impact at the MLB level. Names like Justin Bour and Alexi Ogando are recent examples of big leaguers to emerge from this process, and as you’ll see in the list of names selected today, there were a handful of draftees who already have some MLB experience (but have since been outrighted off the roster). As with the Major League Rule 5 Draft, not all teams will make selections, and some will make multiple picks. Teams with full 38-man Triple-A rosters weren’t eligible to make selections.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the draft, with a handful of notes on some of the recognizable names to follow (* denotes prior Major League experience)…
Round 1
- Orioles select RHP Nolan Hoffman from Mariners
- Pirates select LHP Zach Matson from Rockies
- Nationals select 2B Andrew Young* from Diamondbacks
- Marlins select INF Charles Leblanc from Rangers
- Cubs select LHP Conner Menez* from Giants
- Rockies select LHP Gabriel Rodriguez from Braves
- Tigers select RHP Elvis Alvarado from Mariners
- Angels select LHP Kenny Rosenberg from Rays
- Mets select RHP Alex Valverde from Rays
- Padres select RHP Grant Gavin from Royals
- Guardians select LHP Erik Sabrowski from Padres
- Phillies select RHP Matt Seelinger from Giants
- Reds select OF Ronnie Dawson* from Astros
- Athletics select OF Gabriel Maciel from Twins
- Braves select 1B John Nogowski* from Giants
- Mariners select OF Tanner Kirwer from Blue Jays
- Cardinals select OF Ben DeLuzio from Diamondbacks
- Blue Jays select RHP Abdiel Mendoza from Rangers
- Red Sox select LHP Austin Lambright from Royals
- Yankees select RHP Steven Jennings from Pirates
- White Sox select INF Moises Castillo from Cardinals
- Brewers select RHP Caleb Boushley from Padres
- Astros select RHP Ruben Garcia from Tigers
- Dodgers select C Kekai Rios from Brewers
- Giants select OF Michael Gigliotti from Rays
Round 2
- Orioles select RHP Cole Uvila from Rangers
- Pirates select RHP Nic Laio from Rangers
- Nationals select RHP Curtis Taylor from Blue Jays
- Marlins select LHP Robert Garcia from Royals
- Tigers select RHP Nick Kuzia from Padres
- Mets select RHP Carlos Ocampo from Cubs
- Guardians select RHP Brett Daniels from Astros
- Athletics select OF Vince Fernandez from Giants
- Braves select LHP Luis De Avila from Royals
- Mariners select OF Walking Cabrera from Rockies
- Cardinals select RHP Carlos Guarate from Padres
- Red Sox select RHP Brian Keller from Yankees
- Yankees select RHP Manny Ramirez from Astros
- Dodgers select RHP Carson Fulmer* from Reds
Round 3
- Pirates select 3B/1B Jacob Gonzalez from Giants
- Nationals select RHP Matt Brill from Diamondbacks
- Marlins select INF Cobie Vance from Athletics
- Braves select RHP Allan Winans from Mets
- Mariners select RHP Tommy Wilson from Mets (later traded to Orioles for cash considerations)
- Cardinals select OF Jonah Davis from Pirates
- Dodgers select RHP Jon Duplantier* from Giants
Round 4
- Nationals select RHP Dakody Clemmer from Guardians
- Marlins select RHP Luarbert Arias from Padres
- Braves select RHP Tanner Andrews from Marlins
- Cardinals select LHP Nelfri Contreras from Dodgers
Round 5
- Marlins select INF Carlos Santiago from Dodgers
Some largely anecdotal observations…
- The Giants lost a trio of former big leaguers in Menez, Nogowski and Duplantier — the latter two of whom just signed minor league contracts with San Francisco within the past few months. Menez has a 3.20 ERA in 25 1/3 MLB innings over the past two seasons but has been hit hard in Triple-A. For a Cubs team known to be looking for pitching depth in the rotation and the ‘pen, he becomes an immediate option in 2022.
- The Dodgers selected a pair of former top 100 prospects: Fulmer and Duplantier. Fulmer was the No. 8 overall draft pick back in 2015 and was at one point viewed a potential No. 1 overall pick out of Vanderbilt, but he’s struggled badly through parts of six MLB seasons. Duplantier landed on the back half of Baseball America’s Top 100 in 2018-19 and was a top-10 prospect within the D-backs’ system from 2017-20.
- Several of the players in the first round of today’s draft have been included in past big league trades you may recall (some of particular note):
- Andrew Young was the third player sent from St. Louis to Arizona (alongside Carson Kelly, Luke Weaver and a Competitive Balance draft pick) in the Paul Goldschmidt blockbuster.
- Elvis Alvarado was traded from the Nationals to the Mariners along with Aaron Fletcher and Taylor Guilbeau in the deadline trade that sent relievers Hunter Strickland and Roenis Elias to D.C.
- Matt Seelinger was traded from the Pirates to the Rays in exchange for shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria. Tampa Bay traded him to San Francisco as a PTBNL in an Erik Kratz deal a year later.
- Gabriel Maciel went from Arizona to Minnesota alongside Jhoan Duran and Ernie De La Trinidad in the trade that originally sent Eduardo Escobar to the Diamondbacks.
- Michael Gigliotti was traded from the Royals to the Rays in a deal that granted Kansas City permanent rights to then-Rule 5 pick Stephen Woods Jr.
Phillies Notes: Schwarber, Knebel, Bullpen
The Phillies, like most teams around the league, have plenty of work to do once the lockout is resolved and a new collective bargaining agreement is in place. With that in mind, it’s worth noting that NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Corey Seidman writes the Phils “pursued [Kyle] Schwarber hard” prior to the lockout but weren’t able to finalize an agreement.
The 28-year-old Schwarber (29 in March) shook off a slow couple months to begin the 2021 season, ripping through MLB pitching at a Herculean clip throughout the summer and into the postseason. The longtime Cubs slugger inked a one-year deal with the Nats last winter, found himself traded to the Red Sox despite being on the injured list due to a hamstring injury, and finished the regular season with a combined .266/.374/.554 batting line and 32 home runs in just 471 plate appearances. Schwarber added three more homers in the playoffs, though he closed out October with an 0-for-15 skid following an epic grand slam in Game 3 of the ALCS.
When finished, the new collective bargaining agreement is expected to include a universal designated hitter, which would make it easier for the Phillies (or another team) to slide the defensively challenged Schwarber into the lineup. He could still see some reps in left field or even at first base, of course, but Schwarber would be viewed largely as a much-needed bat to pair with reigning MVP Bryce Harper in Philadelphia.
Schwarber ought to have plenty of other suitors, as he’s been linked to the Red Sox, Nationals, Marlins and others since the offseason began. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported not long ago that Schwarber is seeking a deal of at least three years and $20MM annually, though with enough competition the asking price could obviously further increase.
While supplementing the lineup with some help for Harper is a major goal, it wasn’t the top priority for Philadelphia this winter. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made clear that solidifying the ninth inning was one of his top needs this winter, and the Phils look to have checked that box already.
Corey Knebel and the Phillies got their one-year, $10MM contract in just hours before the expiration of the 2016-21 CBA, and he’s expected to serve as the team’s closer in 2022, writes Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Dombrowski noted that he did not promise that role to Knebel (link viaNBC Philly’s Jim Salisbury), but he strongly suggested as much, telling reporters that Knebel opted for a one-year deal in order “to show people that he’s a dominant closer again” now that he’s healthier.
Knebel, who had Tommy John surgery in 2019, saw his fastball velocity jump two miles per hour from the 94.6 mph he averaged in his abbreviated return to the mound in 2020. While his 29.7% strikeout rate didn’t match the ridiculous 40.2% mark he posted in Milwaukee from 2017-18, it was nevertheless a strong mark and a reminder that Knebel can be as dominant as any reliever in the game when at his best.
Gelb suggests that a subsequent acquisition of Craig Kimbrel is unlikely to be in the cards, as the Phils aren’t likely to want to commit $26.5MM to a pair of relievers. Still, Knebel certainly won’t be the only addition to the ‘pen. Said Dombrowski: “We’ve got a guy that we think will close games for us, and that’s a big start. Then we can kind of build the rest of the bullpen.”
The addition of Knebel and the Phillies’ one-year, $1.4MM deal with utilityman Johan Camargo pushed the team’s payroll to a bit more than $181MM — with a near-identical tally in terms of luxury obligations, per Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez. That’s well shy of last year’s $197MM end-of-season payroll and the even-larger $206.5MM in luxury obligations the team carried. Assuming the $210MM luxury-tax threshold is ultimately increased in a new CBA, the Phils could have quite a bit more luxury breathing room than the $29MM they already possess at the moment.
Mets To Interview Bob Geren
Dec. 8: Geren’s interview will take place today, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Dec. 7: Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren will interview for the Mets’ managerial vacancy this week, according to SNY’s Andy Martino (Twitter link). Geren is the sixth known candidate for the job, joining Buck Showalter, Brad Ausmus, Joe Espada, Don Kelly, and Matt Quatraro as names on the Amazins’ radar.
Like Showalter and Ausmus, Geren has some past big league managerial experience on his resume, as he posted a 334-376 record while working as the Athletics’ skipper from 2007-11. He has also previously worked in the Mets’ dugout, serving as the club’s bench coach from 2012-15. Geren has worked as manager Dave Roberts’ bench coach with the Dodgers for each of the past six seasons.
Geren has been linked to several other managerial jobs since his time in Oakland, such as the Dodgers’ job that went to Roberts, the Red Sox vacancy that went to Alex Cora, the Giants’ job that went to Gabe Kapler, and even one of the Mets’ recent managerial searches. Before New York hired Mickey Callaway prior to the 2018 season, Geren was reportedly one of the early contenders as a possible replacement for Terry Collins, though it didn’t appear as if Geren made it too deep (if at all) into the interview process.
This past connection to the Mets certainly makes Geren a known quantity to both president Sandy Alderson and owner Steve Cohen, whereas the other known candidates don’t have any past ties to Queens. Ausmus and Espada did previously work with GM Billy Eppler, creating an interesting mix of familiarity and entirely fresh voices within the group of six.
Orioles Sign Jacob Nottingham To Minor League Deal
The Orioles have signed catcher Jacob Nottingham to a minor league deal, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Nottingham spent some of 2021 in the big leagues with the Brewers and Mariners but was outrighted in June, thus making him eligible to sign a minor league deal during the ongoing lockout.
Although it’s a minor league deal, it’s noteworthy for the Orioles given their catching situation. They don’t currently have any catchers on their 40-man roster. In 2021, most of the time behind the dish went to Pedro Severino, who was outrighted at the end of the season and has since signed with the Brewers. Chance Sisco got some playing time in the first half of the year but was claimed on waivers by the Mets in June. Austin Wynns and Nick Ciuffo, who were also in the mix, were both outrighted off the roster at the end of the season.
The club has the consensus top prospect in baseball, Adley Rutschman, set to debut at some point in 2022 after he finished this year in Triple-A. However, they will need some other catching options on hand to cover the position until his call-up, or to act as backup to Rutschman later in the year. That means Nottingham has a decent path to some playing time in the big leagues next year.
Nottingham, 26, was selected by the Astros in the sixth round of the 2013 draft. In 2015, he was shipped to the Athletics as part of the trade that sent Scott Kazmir to Houston. A few months later, Oakland sent him to Milwaukee as part of the Khris Davis deal. He made his MLB debut in 2018 and spent three years as a frequently-optioned depth catcher, appearing in 38 total games over the 2018-2020 campaigns.
2021 saw Nottingham be the centerpiece of a game of hot potato between the Brewers and Mariners. Having exhausted his option years, he was designated for assignment by the Brewers in April. He was claimed by the Mariners and then designated for assignment again a few days later. Seattle traded him back to Milwaukee, who designated him yet again after less than two weeks. He was claimed by the Mariners a second time and then, just over week later, designated yet again. In the middle of June, he finally cleared waivers and was outrighted.
Over the past four seasons, Nottingham has only gotten into 53 games at the big league level, hitting eight home runs and slashing .184/.277/.421 in that time, with a strikeout rate of 38.5%. In 2021, amidst all that traveling, he got 45 plate appearances over 15 games. He hit three homers and slashed .150/.222/.400, with a strikeout rate of 44.4% in that tiny sample size.
Brooks Kriske Signs With NPB’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars
The Yokohama DeNA BayStars have signed right-hander Brooks Kriske. (Hat tip to Sung Min Kim.) When Kriske was released by the Orioles last week, it was reported that he may have been pursuing an opportunity with a foreign club.
It’s quite common for players on the fringes of a 40-man roster to head overseas, as such opportunities can often lead to earning more than they would bouncing between the minors and the big leagues or hitting the waiver wire. A successful showing in Japan can also lead to an MLB contract in the future, as evidenced by the recent signing of Nick Martinez, who spent the past four seasons pitching in Japan but has now agreed to a four-year deal with the Padres. The ongoing lockout could also play a factor, as a player in Kriske’s shoes might prefer the certainty of having a job pinned down for 2022, as opposed to waiting for a new CBA to be signed and then scrambling to find a job in the new year.
Kriske, 27, has spent most of his career with the Yankees thus far, being drafted by them in 2016. He cracked the big leagues in 2020 but only got to throw 3 2/3 innings. He logged another 7 2/3 innings for the Yanks in 2021 before being claimed on waivers by the Orioles in September. His big league ERA is a bloated 14.40 so far, but in a small sample size of just 15 total innings. His minor league numbers are much more appealing, however. In 2021, he threw 29 1/3 Triple-A innings with an ERA of 3.68. Though his walk rate was a bit high at 12.2%, his strikeout rate was an excellent 37.4%.
Major League Rule 5 Draft Expected To Take Place After Lockout
The 2021-22 major league Rule 5 draft is expected to take place shortly after the signing of the next collective bargaining agreement, tweets JJ Cooper of Baseball America. Originally scheduled to take place this week, the major league Rule 5 draft was postponed indefinitely as part of the leaguewide transaction freeze once MLB instituted a lockout upon the expiration of the previous CBA on December 1.
Still, it’s a noteworthy development that it’s expected to happen at all. The Rule 5 had seemingly been on thin ice, with reports last week initially suggesting it’d be canceled entirely. Instead, it now seems the draft is on track to happen at some point. That’s a continuation of a more than century-old trend, as the Rule 5 has taken place each offseason since 1920.
For those unfamiliar, the big league Rule 5 draft is an acquisition process designed to give opportunities to players who might be buried on the depth chart in their current organizations. Players with either four or five years of professional experience (the exact threshold depends upon the player’s age at signing their first contract) have to either be added to their club’s 40-man roster or exposed in the Rule 5.
If they’re left exposed, they’re subject to selection by other organizations. If selected, players must remain on the active roster or major league injured list for the entirety of the upcoming season. Otherwise, they’re made available to the rest of the league and then — if not acquired by another team — offered back to their original club. After a full season on the big league roster or injured list — including a minimum of 90 days on the active roster — the player becomes a full-fledged member of his new team.
There is also a minor league phase to the Rule 5 draft, in which eligible players not included among an organization’s protected Triple-A group can be selected by another club. The minor league phase, which does not contain any roster restrictions for the acquiring teams, is scheduled to proceed tomorrow. Players selected in the minor league Rule 5 draft will not be added to teams’ 40-man rosters, so that process will continue in spite of the lockout affecting 40-man players.
Mets To Interview Buck Showalter
The Mets are scheduled to interview Buck Showalter tomorrow as part of their managerial search, reports Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (Twitter link). That’s hardly a surprise, as Showalter was reported to be on New York’s radar last week. Perhaps of more interest is that Heyman adds that some around the industry see Showalter as the favorite, although he notes that other candidates are expected to sit down in the coming days.
Few around the game can match Showalter’s experience and credentials. He landed his first big league managerial job with the Yankees nearly three decades ago. Showalter spent the 1992-95 campaigns in the Bronx and went on to log stints leading the D-Backs from (1998-2000), the Rangers (2003-06) and the Orioles (2010-18).
Now 65, Showalter is a three-time Manager of the Year award winner, claiming that honor in each of 1994, 2004 and 2014. He’s overseen five playoff clubs (including three division winners), leading the 2014 Orioles to the AL Championship Series. Baltimore posted a winning record in five of his first seven seasons at the helm, but the club nosedived in 2017, leading to the complete rebuild from which the organization still has yet to emerge. That’s not entirely or even primarily the fault of Showalter, but the O’s nevertheless dismissed him after the 2018 campaign. He hasn’t managed since, yet he’s continued to express openness to a return to the dugout.
Showalter will become the fourth known interviewee with the Mets. New York has also spoken or scheduled interviews with Rays’ bench coach Matt Quatraro, former Tigers’ and Angels’ skipper Brad Ausmus and Dodgers’ bench coach Bob Geren. Ausmus and Geren both have prior MLB managing experience, but neither has as extensive a resume as Showalter.
The latter’s long list of accomplishments figures to hold some weight in the clubhouse, and Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated reports (on Twitter) that newly-signed ace Max Scherzer has indicated to the club he’d prefer Showalter land the position. It’s not clear the front office will place much or any stock into the reported preferences of individual players, but Scherzer is certainly an important figure in the organization both from an on-field and locker room perspective.
Interestingly, the Mets aren’t the only New York team to consider a pursuit of Showalter this offseason. Heyman adds that the Yankees kicked around the possibility of making a run at bringing him back earlier in the winter. That ultimately proved not to be, as the Yankees decided to stick with incumbent skipper Aaron Boone, signing him to a three-year extension in mid-October.