Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Universal DH Could Open Door For 2019 Minor League Home Run King

By | at

The Diamondbacks weren’t a bad offensive club in 2019, but they were a middle-of-the-pack unit in the National League in terms of total runs (sixth overall with 813), home runs (ninth, 220) and wRC+ (seventh, 94). Like most contending clubs with a good bit of depth, those numbers should tick up if the league implements a universal DH in 2020, as seems increasingly likely.

For the Diamondbacks, the most established beneficiary on the roster is lefty swinging Jake Lamb. Shoulder injuries have torched the 29-year-old’s past two seasons, and the former everyday third baseman has since lost that spot to Eduardo Escobar as a result. With a DH added to the mix, Lamb could rotate between designated hitter and both infield corners, providing occasional breathers for Escobar and 2019 breakout performer Christian Walker — at least against right-handed pitching. Lamb has struggled mightily in his career against southpaws, though, so he’d likely need to be platooned.

Enter Kevin Cron.

The righty swinging younger brother of slugger C.J. Cron has never been considered among the D-backs’ top prospects, in part because of a lack of defensive value and the type of plodding speed you’d expect from a 6’5″, 250-pound first baseman. But Cron has consistently hammered minor league pitching, and never more so than in 2019, when he belted a minor-league-leading 39 home runs in just 84 games. (Yes — the Triple-A ball was also juiced.)

Cron logged a ridiculous .331/.449/.777 slash with a career-high 16.2 percent walk rate and a 20.4 percent strikeout rate with Triple-A Reno. He only received 78 plate appearances in the Majors, due in no small part to the breakout of Walker, who is also a stellar defender at first base. That said, Cron tacked on another six round-trippers in the big leagues, bringing his season total to 45 in just 460 plate appearances.

Lamb might get the first look at DH — he’s playing on a $5.525MM contract after all — but Cron should be in line for at least a platoon gig early in the season. Further injuries to Lamb or some struggles at the plate could open the door for a wider look. It’s not a given that Cron’s minor league dominance would carry over to the big leagues — he’s not even ranked in their top 30 prospects at Baseball America and sits just 26th at MLB.com — but when you homer in nearly 10 percent of your 400-plus plate appearances, it’s probably time for a legitimate chance.

Beyond Cron and Lamb, the D-backs have prospect Seth Beer working his way toward the Majors. He came over from Houston in the Zack Greinke swap and is a bat-first corner option himself, although he’s yet to appear in Triple-A. Versatile Swiss army knives like Josh Rojas and Andy Young can be plugged in all over the diamond, giving the Snakes increased opportunities to spell Ketel Marte, David Peralta, Kole Calhoun, etc. with a day at designated hitter as well.

The D-backs have the depth to take a mix-and-match approach to the DH spot, plus one veteran option looking for a bounceback … but the most interesting thread to follow will be whether 2019’s minor league home run king can capitalize on an opportunity he didn’t expect to have when Spring Training originally commenced.

Latest On MLB’s Proposal For Return To Play

By | at

Since the league shutdown in mid-March, the looming question hanging over Major League Baseball has been one of how a positive test or tests among players and coaches would be handled. Even earlier this week, as the league presented the the Players Association with a proposal to return to play, that aspect remained a critical unknown. This morning, Jared Diamond and Louise Radnofsky of the Wall Street Journal shed some light on those matters, reporting that MLB’s proposal would see players tested multiple times per week.

Major League Baseball, per the WSJ report, is confident in its ability to gain access to tens of thousands of test kits without depleting the supply available to essential frontline workers. The specifics of that arrangement aren’t clear, and detractors will surely argue that multiple tests per week for athletes, coaches, training staff and umpires could be better allocated. Granted, testing capacity is on the rise and could look markedly different by the time play resumes. Diamond and Radnofsky also write that the league will focus on acquiring primarily 24-hour tests as opposed to more immediate, rapid-result tests.

That, of course, comes with its own potential for pitfalls; an asymptomatic player, coach or umpire who tests positive would still have been in contact with others for a full day before learning of the diagnosis under that scenario. Paired with going a day or multiple days between tests, it’s not hard to envision infections spreading quickly.

Notably, Diamond and Radnofsky underline that a positive test would not result in a stoppage of play under the current proposal. Any person or persons who test positive would be immediately quarantined, while those who’d been in contact will be more closely monitored. Specifics on the protocol for contact tracing and increased or more aggressive testing in the wake of a positive test remain unknown.

With all that in mind, it’s not particularly surprising to see SNY’s Andy Martino cite an unnamed agent who states that there’s “no question” some players will opt not to play in 2020. He adds that no specific proposals on how exemptions for at-risk players would be handled — a debate that carries its own set of intricacies regarding service time and salary.

Some players with heightened risk due to underlying medical conditions have recently voiced a willingness to play, but others have been more outspoken about their concern. There are also many players with underlying conditions that aren’t public knowledge, to say nothing of family members and loved ones who could be at greater risk. Concerns figure to be prominent among coaching staffs as well, where numerous personnel are in their 60s and 70s — some with more troubling medical concerns.

Of course, there’s no situation where play resumes and the risk is wholly eliminated. The goal is to dramatically reduce the risk, and regular testing coupled with temperature checks and other regulations will work toward that end. In the Korea Baseball Organization, there’s been a ban on spitting, high fives and handshakes. Similar restrictions will likely be put in place in MLB, and although strictly enforcing them will be difficult, the players know it’s in their best interest to work to curtail those habits. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that players and personnel will be discouraged from using rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft, and they’ll also be advised against signing autographs and taking pictures with fans at their hotels.

MLB is also wary of the potential for another notable wave of virus cases in the fall and winter, Nightengale adds, which is why the league ultimately scrapped a plan that would’ve seen postseason play push into December. The aim now is for an 82-game season with an expanded, 14-team postseason format that can be concluded in early November.

The health component is the most important piece of negotiations between the league and the players union — although it’s certainly not the only one. The two sides still need to reach some kind of agreement on salary, and players appear loath to accept a revenue sharing system that would represent even greater reductions than the prorated salaries to which they already agreed back in March.

Which 15 Players Should The Orioles Protect In An Expansion Draft?

By | at

In a few weeks, we’ll be running a two-team mock expansion draft here at MLBTR.  Currently, we’re creating 15-player protected lists for each of the existing 30 teams.  You can catch up on the rules for player eligibility here.

So far, we’ve done the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays.  The Orioles are next.

Free agent Jose Iglesias has a club option for 2021, but we won’t force the Orioles to use a protected spot on him.  We will make them include Chris Davis and Alex Cobb, players with full or partial no-trade rights.  After those two, I’ll lock in seven more players:

Trey Mancini
John Means
Austin Hays
Hunter Harvey
Hanser Alberto
Renato Nunez
Anthony Santander

That leaves six spots for these 23 players:

Shawn Armstrong
Richard Bleier
Miguel Castro
Paul Fry
Mychal Givens
David Hess
Travis Lakins
Richie Martin
Cedric Mullins
Evan Phillips
Rio Ruiz
Tanner Scott
Pedro Severino
Chance Sisco
Dwight Smith Jr.
DJ Stewart
Kohl Stewart
Cole Sulser
Dillon Tate
Andrew Velazquez
Hector Velazquez
Asher Wojciechowski
Austin Wynns

With that, we turn it over to the MLBTR readership! In the poll below, please select exactly six players you think the Orioles should protect in our upcoming mock expansion draft. Click here to view the results.

Create your own user feedback survey

Universal DH Would Highlight Dodgers’ Ridiculous Depth

By | at

The designated hitter is likely coming to the National League in 2020. And while many lifelong NL fans will have strong feelings against the change, Dodgers fans may be most amenable to the switch, knowing how strongly their club is positioned to take advantage of the rule change.

Among the 18 non-pitchers who took at least 50 plate appearances with the Dodgers last season, a whopping 13 of them were better than the league average in terms of wRC+. That doesn’t even include projected second baseman Gavin Lux, who is widely regarded as the game’s No. 2 overall prospect due largely to his upside at the plate (.392/.478/.719 in 232 Triple-A plate appearances last year). It seems safe to expect him to join that group of above-average bats.

It’s true that the Dodgers lost three of those above-average hitters — David Freese retired, Alex Verdugo and Kyle Garlick were traded — but L.A. also added one of the best hitters on the planet in Mookie Betts. He’ll pair with Cody Bellinger and some type of platoon between Joc Pederson, A.J. Pollock and Chris Taylor in the outfield.

That’s only part of the Dodgers’ outfield depth, of course, and the infield is similarly stacked with talent and much better-than-average bench pieces. The arrival of Lux at second base likely pushes Max Muncy to first base, leaving Corey Seager and Justin Turner to continue suiting up on the left side of the diamond. Will Smith has the makings of a very good hitter behind the plate, as well.

That’s an extremely deep starting lineup as is, but the Dodgers could field nearly an entire second starting infield with their bench options. Taylor, already mentioned, hasn’t quite replicated his huge debut season in L.A., but his .257/.332/.451 slash over the past two seasons is strong. First baseman/left fielder Matt Beaty was a roughly league-average hitter in 268 PAs last year, and fellow corner option Edwin Rios would be in the mix to start at third base for some clubs after posting a 112 wRC+ in Triple-A last year and hitting .277/.393/.617 in 56 big league plate appearances. Enrique Hernandez had a down season but is only a year removed from hitting .256/.336/.470.

Beaty and Rios give manager Dave Roberts a pair of lefty-swinging bats to work into the mix at first base (either player), third base (Rios) and in left field (Beaty). Hernandez and Taylor can both play shortstop, second base or any outfield slot. No matter who needs a breather at DH on a given day or what hand the opposing starter throws with, Roberts has versatile option with quality offensive track records. The Dodgers also got a nice showing from outfielder DJ Peters in Triple-A last year and reacquired first baseman/outfielder Luke Raley from the Twins this winter on the heels of a 122 wRC+ in Triple-A. Don’t worry — platoon options abound there as well; Peters hits right-handed to Raley’s left-handed bat.

As it already stood, the Dodgers could’ve rolled out a lineup featuring Betts, Bellinger, Pederson/Pollock, Turner, Seager, Lux, Muncy and Smith on any given day. Now, it seems they’ll be able to rotate any of those regulars through the DH position while replacing him in the field with a versatile piece in a favorable platoon matchup. And on days when that projected lineup is out there, virtually any bench bat at Roberts’ disposal should be equipped to deliver well above-average offense — particularly given the ability to tweak based on matchups.

The Dodgers led the NL with a 111 wRC+ last year, and with a deep stable of balanced bats who have versatile gloves, they should excel in 2020 without even needing to think about another addition for the new DH spot.

How Boston Landed One Of Its Most Valuable Pitchers

By | at

Andrew Miller was the sixth overall pick of the Tigers in the 2006 draft and continued as an elite prospect for a little while after that, but it took the left-hander several years to truly make his mark as a major leaguer. Miller began as a starter in Detroit, but after struggling over parts of two seasons, the team dealt him and others to the Marlins in December 2007 for Miguel Cabrera in one of the most impactful trades in the two clubs’ histories. Miller didn’t pan out in Miami from 2008-10, though, and he went to Boston after the last of those seasons in exchange for lefty Dustin Richardson.

Richardson never even threw a pitch as a Marlin, whereas the Red Sox are still profiting from the trade to this day. While Miller continued to flounder in his first year with the Red Sox, the 6-foot-7, 205-pounder moved to the bullpen on a full-time basis the next season. That represented a eureka moment for Miller, who began a years-long run as one of the most imposing late-game options in baseball.

Miller held his own in Boston into the 2014 season, but with the team well out of contention at that year’s deadline, it traded the then-pending free agent to the AL East rival Orioles. Miller went on to provide 20 dominant regular-season innings in Baltimore, which coasted to a division title, as well as 7 1/3 scoreless, one-hit frames in the playoffs. The Orioles lost the ALCS in four games to the Royals, however, and then saw Miller head to a different division rival – the Yankees – during the ensuing period of free agency. In light of those results, and considering what they gave up for Miller, perhaps the O’s now regret the trade. Boston definitely doesn’t, having received one of its top pitchers in Eduardo Rodriguez for Miller.

Dating back to the deal, the Red Sox have seen Rodriguez turn into an above-average major league starter. Rodriguez, who debuted with Boston in 2015, is the owner of a lifetime 4.03 ERA/3.94 FIP across 699 innings. Although Rodriguez didn’t prove to be a workhorse in his first four years in the league, that changed last season. The 27-year-old Rodriguez was one of 15 pitchers who accumulated 200-plus frames (203 1/3, to be exact), and he posted a 3.81 ERA/3.86 FIP with 9.43 K/9 and 3.32 BB/9 to rank 24th among starters in fWAR (3.7). Ace-like numbers? No, though Boston was surely pleased with that production from a hurler who was on an eminently affordable $4.3MM salary. And the team could get at least two more seasons from Rodriguez, who won’t be eligible to become a free agent until after 2021.

While he hasn’t shown himself to be a true No. 1 starter, the Red Sox can’t be displeased with acquiring Rodriguez for someone on an expiring contract. Meanwhile, the Rockies may be kicking themselves for passing on Rodriguez. Peter Gammons reported in 2014 that the O’s agreed to send Rodriguez to Colorado for fellow southpaw Jorge De La Rosa, but Rockies owner Dick Monfort vetoed the deal. De La Rosa stayed in Colorado through 2016, though the team didn’t contend then or in his last couple years on its roster.

You never know how Rodriguez would have turned out as a Rockie – everyone knows it’s a bear to pitch in their home park – but he has certainly held up well in the AL East. Rodriguez is now one of the most valuable players Boston has.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Is Big Papi A Hall Of Famer?

By | at

Baseball fans love to debate which players should make it to the Hall of Fame, and with the designated hitter position so prominent in the news at the moment, it got me to thinking about David Ortiz’s Cooperstown case. The Boston legend will be eligible to make it there in 2022, and there’s a strong argument he should wind up with a plaque in the museum.

Ortiz is one of the most feared hitters in recent memory, but his career began inauspiciously in Minnesota. As a Twin from 1997-2002, Ortiz amassed 1,693 plate appearances and batted .266/.348/.461 (106 wRC+) with 58 home runs. The Twins then cut ties with Ortiz, but at the behest of Pedro Martinez, the Red Sox signed Big Papi to a non-guaranteed contract in January 2003. Now, in terms of franchise-altering steals, that could rank in Boston sports lore with the Patriots getting Tom Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.

Ortiz was a smash success with the Red Sox from the jump, as he slashed .288/.369/.592 (145 wRC+) and put up 31 homers in 509 trips to the plate during his first season with the team. The Red Sox lost to the hated Yankees in the ALCS that year, but they and Ortiz frequently ruled the sport after that. During the rest of Ortiz’a career from 2004-16, all of which was spent in Boston, the Red Sox won three World Series. He was a 10-time All-Star and a .290/.386/.570 hitter (146 wRC+) who piled up 483 homers with the team during that span. Along with his regular-season accomplishments, Ortiz was a monster in the playoffs. When the chips were down in the fall, Ortiz was known to thrive. He was a World Series MVP (2013) and an ALCS MVP (2004 – the year the Red Sox overcame a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees) who appeared in 85 postseason games between his two clubs and hit .289/.404/.543 with 17 HRs.

As for the regular season, Ortiz ranks 65th all-time in wRC+ (140) and 182nd among position players in fWAR (51.0). He ended his career a .286/.380/.552 hitter who racked up the 17th-most homers ever, 541, and remained an elite hitter even in his last season. Ortiz’s amazing run didn’t come without issues, though. Back in 2009, the New York Times reported Ortiz tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in his breakout 2003 campaign. Ortiz vehemently denied those claims, as you’d expect, and commissioner Rob Manfred came to the slugger’s defense in 2016. Manfred said (via the Boston Globe) it was “entirely possible” Ortiz didn’t take PEDs, adding that “he’s never been a positive at any point under our (testing) program” that began in 2004.

Even if you’re OK with brushing off the PED questions when it comes to Ortiz’s Hall of Fame candidacy, are you willing to be as forgiving when it comes to a lack of defensive impact? For the most part, Ortiz was a full-time DH during his career, which some purists frown upon. For example, former Mariners superstar Edgar Martinez is one of the greatest DHs ever, but it took him until his final year on the ballot (2019) to get to Cooperstown. He’d have been a first-ballot pick for me if I had a vote, though, and the same applies to Ortiz. However, as Hall of Fame expert and FanGraphs writer Jay Jaffe explained in a piece for SI.com in 2016, “a spot in Cooperstown is no certainty” for Ortiz. Do you think it should be?

(Poll link for app users)

How The Athletics Acquired A Cornerstone From A Division Rival

By | at

Apparently the Astros didn’t know everything that was coming in 2017. Their Nov. 20 trade with the Athletics netted them right-hander Brandon Bailey … in exchange for budding outfield star Ramon Laureano.

Ramon Laureano | Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

At the time of the swap, it barely drew notice. It certainly didn’t seem like any sort of egregious misstep. Laureano had turned in a woeful .227/.298/.369 slash in Double-A that year. He connected on 11 home runs and swiped 24 bags, showing a bit of pop and some speed, but his walk rate was cut in half from its 2016 mark. Scouting reports praised his glovework, but the Astros apparently didn’t think his defense was as good as it’s proven to be. Former GM Jeff Luhnow admitted to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle last April that the Astros didn’t “quite [have] the defense rated as well as it’s played in the big leagues,” plainly calling the trade “one I’d love to have back.”

Laureano’s glove in 2019 didn’t play out quite as well as it did in 2018 — at least not in the estimation of most metrics. In just 385 innings in 2018, he logged +6 Defensive Runs Saved, a 3.7 Ultimate Zone Rating and +2 Outs Above Average. Those numbers dipped to +3, +0.7 and -5, respectively, in 1041 innings between center field and right field this past season. Even as his overall numbers might’ve taken a step back, Laureano showed off a cannon from both center and right. In 1426 innings at the MLB level, he’s racked up 17 assists — earning every bit of his “Laser Ramon” nickname.

As for his work at the plate, Laureano’s 2019 output matched his standout showing from his 2018 debut. Over the life of 481 plate appearances, he turned in a .288/.340/.521 batting line with 24 long balls and 13 stolen bases (in 15 attempts). That was good for a 126 wRC+ that lined up nicely with the 130 mark he posted as a rookie in 2018.

Overall, Laureano has appeared in 171 MLB games and taken 687 plate appearances — just over a full regular season’s worth of work. Between his outrageous arm, solid all-around defense, well-regarded baserunning ability and his strong work at the plate, he’s been worth 6.0 fWAR and 5.9 bWAR. That trade, considering the club control (through 2024) and low cost of acquisition, stands out as one of the best moves in recent memory for A’s executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane, GM David Forst and the rest of the Oakland staff.

Speaking of that cost of acquisition, it’s worth taking a look at what the Astros did get. The now-25-year-old Bailey is still a prospect of some note — albeit one that the ’Stros almost lost for nothing. Houston opted to leave Bailey unprotected in December’s Rule 5 Draft, and the Orioles (headed up by former Astros assistant GM Mike Elias) snagged him with the second overall pick. Baltimore since returned him, but that selection speaks to Bailey’s ability in and of itself.

Last year, the right-hander logged a 3.30 ERA in a pitcher-friendly Double-A setting, averaging an even 10 strikeouts against 3.98 walks per nine innings pitched. He’s not an elite prospect, but Eric Longenhagen ranked him 30th among Houston farmhands at FanGraphs this winter, labeling him as a potential reliever with a “robust” arsenal. Clearly though, even if Bailey meets or exceeds that ceiling, he has a long way to go before making the Laureano swap look like anything less than a heist.

So, why did Houston move Laureano in the first place? The trade took place just prior to the deadline to set 40-man rosters in advance of the 2017 Rule 5 Draft, and the Astros weren’t set on adding Laureano after his aforementioned down year in Double-A. It’s a mistake that every club has made in some shape or form, and I’ll be the first to say that it’s not really fair to look back and make harsh judgments with the benefit of hindsight. That said, Astros decisionmakers have to cringe when they look back at the players they chose to preserve over Laureano.

The Astros themselves actually kept a 40-man roster spot open, which they used to select outfielder-turned-left-hander Anthony Gose from the Rangers in the Rule 5 Draft. Gose never pitched for Houston and wound up back with the Rangers. Preston Tucker was already on the 40-man roster but had posted a 102 wRC+ in Triple-A in 2017 without appearing in a big league game. He was designated for assignment less than a month after trading Laureano (clearing a roster spot for Hector Rondon). Houston also dedicated a 40-man roster spot to backup catcher Juan Centeno, whom they claimed off waivers a few days after trading Laureano.

As for players actually selected to the 40-man roster in protection from the Rule 5 Draft, Houston added lefty Cionel Perez and righty Dean Deetz. The former is still with the team but has yet to establish himself as a regular member of the pitching staff. The latter was hit with an 80-game PED suspension later that offseason and outrighted off the 40-man roster earlier this winter. He’s pitched 3 1/3 innings in the Majors.

Both Perez and Deetz were more highly regarded prospect at the time, and no one was labeling the Laureano deal any sort of heist or steal for the A’s. The purpose here isn’t to look back and say, “How could the Astros have possibly done this?!” but rather to give a tip of the cap to a savvy acquisition from the A’s that has not only greatly boosted their own long-term outlook but done so at the expense of a division powerhouse.

Oakland, after all, has Laureano penciled in as its center fielder for the next half decade and figures to reap enormous surplus value from his remaining pre-arb years and early arbitration seasons. For a low-payroll club, that’s all the more valuable. The Astros, meanwhile, are set to lose their entire outfield to free agency this winter. Vaunted prospect Kyle Tucker gives them one likely replacement, but it must be particularly difficult to see another would-be outfield cornerstone thriving with their closest competitor for AL West supremacy.

The Best No. 1 Overall Pick Of The ’80s

By | at

We have recently been taking a look back at No. 1 overall draft picks from previous decades. After focusing on 2000-09 and the 1990s, let’s go back to the ’80s. As you’ll see below, most of these top choices had respectable careers. However, one player was far better than the rest.

1980 – Darryl Strawberry, Mets (41.5 fWAR in 6,326 plate appearances):

  • We don’t need to rehash Strawberry’s many off-field issues. Let’s instead focus on what the outfielder did on the diamond, where he often thrived with the Mets, Dodgers, Giants and Yankees from 1983-99. Strawberry was an NL Rookie of the Year winner who made eight All-Star teams, took home four World Series titles and batted .259/.357/.505 with 335 homers and 221 steals during his time as a major leaguer. In other words, he lived up to his draft selection.

1981 – Mike Moore, Mariners (34.7 fWAR in 2,831 2/3 innings pitched):

  • Moore was seldom spectacular, but he did carve out a nice career for himself among the M’s, A’s and Tigers from 1982-95, during which he made 440 starts and logged a 4.39 ERA/4.27 FIP. He was also a key playoff contributor for the A’s World Series-winning team in 1989 – the same season he made his lone All-Star team.

1982 – Shawon Dunston, Cubs (7.4 fWAR in 6,276 plate appeaances):

  • Four picks before the Mets selected Dwight Gooden, the Cubs went with Dunston, a shortstop/outfielder who had a long career but wasn’t a high-impact player. Dunston appeared in the majors in each year from 1985-2002, and though he totaled 150 HRs and 212 steals, he was just a .269/.296/.416 hitter who never reached the 2.0-fWAR mark in a single season.

1983 – Tim Belcher, Twins (30.3 fWAR in 2,442 2/3 innings pitched):

  • While Belcher enjoyed a nice major league career with a slew of teams, the righty wouldn’t sign with the Twins. The Yankees then selected Belcher in the 1984 supplemental draft, but they lost him to the A’s in the compensation pool. That reportedly left then-Yankees owner George Steinbrenner fuming. Belcher, meanwhile, went on to post a 4.16 ERA/4.27 FIP from 1987-2000.

1984 – Shawn Abner, Mets (minus-1.2 fWAR in 902 plate appearances):

  • Abner, an outfielder, was a .227/.269/.323 MLB hitter who never even played for the Mets. They sent him and Kevin Mitchell to the Padres in a trade for outfielder Kevin McReynolds, who had a few productive seasons in New York. But Abner was a disappointment, concluding his time in the majors with just 11 homers. Mark McGwire, who went nine picks after him, finished with 583.

1985 – B.J. Surhoff, Brewers (31.4 fWAR in 9,106 plate appearances):

  • Surhoff went one pick before Will Clark and five ahead of Barry Bonds, who turned out to be far better players. But that’s not to say Surhoff was a failure. He started his career as a catcher, later became a corner infielder/outfielder, and wound up a .282/.332/.413 hitter with 188 HRs, 141 steals, and an All-Star appearance between 1987-2005 with the Brewers, Orioles and Braves.

1986 – Jeff King, Pirates (17.0 fWAR in 4,812 plate appearances):

  • King lasted from 1989-99 between the Pirates and Royals, with whom the infielder combined to hit .256/.324/.425 with 154 homers and 75 steals. No shame in those numbers, but fellow high picks Greg Swindell (No. 2), Matt Williams (No. 3), Kevin Brown (No. 4) and Gary Sheffield (No. 6) proved to be better players.

1987 – Ken Griffey Jr., Mariners (77.7 fWAR in 11,304 plate appearances):

  • Here’s the best No. 1 pick of the ’80s – now a Hall of Famer and a sports icon. The sweet-swinging Griffey hit 630 home runs – the seventh-highest total ever – and made 13 All-Star teams in a career divided among the M’s, Reds and White Sox from 1989-2010.

1988 – Andy Benes, Padres (36.2 fWAR in 2,505 1/3 innings pitched):

  • Benes was a capable righty and a onetime All-Star who combined for a 3.97 ERA/4.08 FIP with the Padres and three other organizations from 1989-2002. The workhorse threw at least 220 innings in a season five times. He also led the NL in strikeouts (189) in 1994.

1989 – Ben McDonald, Orioles (20.5 fWAR in 1,291 1/3 innings pitched):

  • Neither McDonald nor picks 2-6 in this draft earned a single All-Star nod. Those six teams overlooked Frank Thomas, who went seventh. Oops. To McDonald’s credit, though, he had a decent career, as he thrice exceeded the 220-inning mark in a season and hung it up with a quality 3.91 ERA/4.08 FIP between Baltimore and Milwaukee after pitching in the bigs from 1989-97.

6 Potential DH Contributors For NL Clubs

By | at

The National League appears likely to implement the designated hitter in 2020 — much to the chagrin of many fans — suddenly giving 15 clubs the potential to bulk up their lineup with another non-pitcher bat. Several teams already have logical in-house options to fill that spot. However, there are a handful of yet-unsigned position players who’ll welcome the seemingly forthcoming influx of DH spots as they look to get another chance at the big league level. Let’s run through some still-available names…

  • Yasiel Puig (29 years old): Puig was still a perfectly fine defensive right fielder last season, grading out as average via Defensive Runs Saved, Ultimate Zone Rating and Outs Above Average. A team may not look at him as a full-time DH because of that, but a club with an already-set outfield could now switch a more defensively challenged option to DH and slot Puig into right field. Or, Puig could simply rotate through DH and the outfield corners on a new NL club. The Giants have been oft-connected to Puig and have a piecemeal mix of options in the outfield. At the very least, an added DH spot wouldn’t hurt his chances of landing in San Francisco (or anywhere else in the NL).
  • Jose Bautista (39): Joey Bats generated some chatter this winter when word got out that he was contemplating a return as a two-way player. The former home run champ set the record straight last month, indicating that while he did throw some bullpen sessions with friend/former teammate Marcus Stroman this winter and would welcome the opportunity, he’s more focused on a return as a hitter. Bautista’s glovework declined quite a bit in his late 30s, but he walked at a 14 percent clip and posted a .168 ISO in his final two seasons in 2017-18. He’s kept himself in shape — could he have one more run left in him?
  • Mark Trumbo (34): Knee problems torpedoed Trumbo’s 2019 season and much of his 2018 campaign as well, though he did return late last year to appear in a dozen games with the Orioles. While 2019 was a lost season, the slugger hit .261/.313/.452 in 358 plate appearances in 2018 (105 wRC+, 108 OPS+). Trumbo has never been much of an OBP threat, but he has massive power from the right side — evidenced by an MLB-best 47 homers in 2016. He was open about his uncertain baseball future back in November, but 15 new DH slots could give him an unexpected opportunity.
  • Melky Cabrera (35): The Melk Man is still hoping to play another couple seasons, but deteriorating glovework has become increasingly difficult to overlook. That said, the switch-hitter hasn’t batted lower than .273 in the past decade, and his contact skills generally make him a source of a respectable OBP even though he doesn’t walk that much. Cabrera’s .280/.313/.399 slash with the Pirates last year was below-average on the whole (88 OPS+, 85 wRC+), but he was an average or better hitter in the three preceding seasons. Melky carried an .807 OPS into the All-Star break last year, but he hit just .231/.257/.306 down the stretch as his role shrunk. To his credit, he struck out at just a 10.3 percent clip last year.
  • Hanley Ramirez (36): HanRam’s comeback attempt with the Indians last year was a bust. He homered in his second game of the season but went deep just once more, posting an ugly .184/.298/.327 slash in 57 plate appearances before being cut loose. Ramirez underwent shoulder surgery last summer, revealing that he’d been plagued by shoulder pain for several years and making clear that he hoped to play in 2020. He played in the Dominican Winter League this offseason, hitting .273/.298/.418 in 57 plate appearances. Ramirez has a lot to prove, but maybe an NL club would take a flier in a rebooted Spring/Summer Training and hope to catch lightning in a bottle.
  • Lucas Duda (34): Nothing went right for Duda last year, although the Royals still gave him 119 plate appearances. In that time, he posted a disastrous .171/.252/.324 slash, and he wasn’t much better in Triple-A, hitting .202/.281/.303 in 114 PAs between the affiliates for Kansas City and Atlanta. Duda showed solid power while bouncing around the league in the two seasons prior, hitting .228/.318/.482 with 44 home runs in 253 games spread across five teams — including a 30-homer effort in 2017. Last year didn’t inspire any confidence, but he’s only 34 and could perhaps operate as a platoon option or lefty bench bat.

There are still some other unsigned players. Scooter Gennett never latched on with a team this winter. Tim Beckham remains unsigned, though he still has to serve the final 32 games of an 80-game PED ban. Russell Martin is a free agent. It’s doubtful that any of those players would markedly impact a team’s DH picture or see his market improved by the new presence of a DH (although any could draw increased interest as a bench option by virtue of expanded rosters). It’s also possible that some veterans on minor league deals could opt out or be cut loose once training camp resumes, thus entering the mix for potential DH work in the NL. Carlos Gonzalez, for instance, was reportedly unlikely to make the Mariners’ roster.

Most clubs will probably prefer to handle the DH spot internally rather than hand out more money at a time when revenue is already being slashed by the pandemic stoppage. But for the non-Puig veterans here who are simply looking for one more chance to revive their careers, a sizable commitment wouldn’t be expected anyhow. Whether it’s one final run for Joey Bats (with a bullpen appearance or two?), a Hanley Homecoming in Miami, a Trumbo resurgence or any number of other scenarios, there could be some fun storylines to follow.

Which 15 Players Should The Blue Jays Protect In An Expansion Draft?

By | at

The last MLB expansion draft took place on November 18th, 1997.  Each of the 28 existing teams was able to initially protect 15 players, with the Devil Rays and Diamondbacks mostly alternating picks to fill their new rosters.

The first round consisted of one player being taken from each of the 28 teams, giving the Devil Rays and D’Backs 14 players each.  At that point, each of the 28 teams was able to protect an additional three players.  After the completion of the second round, each team added another three players to their protected list.  In the third round, the Rays and D’Backs would each take an additional seven players, with each new club ending up with 35 in total.

Detailed rules can be found here, but basically each team’s best prospects were not eligible for the draft.  Still, about a quarter of the players chosen were minor leaguers.  Also, players with no-trade clauses or ten-and-five rights had to be put on protected lists unless they waived those rights.  And there would be no reason to protect players eligible for free agency.

We thought it would be fun to determine each team’s current 15-player protected list, as if a new two-team expansion draft is scheduled for November.  For simplicity’s sake, only players with MLB experience will be eligible for our mock expansion draft.

So far, we’ve done the Yankees and Red Sox.

Next up, we’ll shape a 15-player protected list for the Blue Jays.

Free agents Matt Shoemaker, Ken Giles, Joe Panik, and Anthony Bass will be excluded.  Chase Anderson and Rafael Dolis have club options for 2021.  For this exercise, we won’t force the Jays to use protected spots on them, even though they might prefer to retain one or both.

I’ve decided to make any Baseball America top 100 prospect with a 2020 ETA eligible for this mock expansion draft, under the assumption that they would reach the Majors this year.  I’ll also automatically put such players on the team’s protected list.  That means we’ll add the Blue Jays’ Nate Pearson here, and I’ll make adjustments to include the Yankees’ Deivi Garcia and the Red Sox’ Bobby Dalbec.

Hyun-Jin Ryu automatically takes another of the Blue Jays’ 15 spots due to his no-trade protection.  After Pearson and Ryu, that leaves 13 more players to protect.  I’ll also put these four players on the list:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Bo Bichette
Cavan Biggio
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

That leaves nine spots for these 24 players:

Anthony Alford
Ryan Borucki
Jonathan Davis
Yennsy Diaz
Brandon Drury
Derek Fisher
Wilmer Font
Sam Gaviglio
Randal Grichuk
Teoscar Hernandez
Danny Jansen
Anthony Kay
Elvis Luciano
Reese McGuire
Billy McKinney
Thomas Pannone
Sean Reid-Foley
Tanner Roark
Jordan Romano
Travis Shaw
Rowdy Tellez
Trent Thornton
Jacob Waguespack
T.J. Zeuch

With that, we turn it over to the MLBTR readership! In the poll below, please select exactly nine players you think the Blue Jays should protect in our upcoming mock expansion draft. Click here to view the results.

Create your own user feedback survey

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top