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A’s Acquire Burch Smith

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The A’s have acquired reliever Burch Smith from the Giants for cash considerations, the club announced (h/t to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). Smith was designated for assignment by San Francisco earlier this week. As the A’s noted, this is the first swap involving an MLB player between the Bay Area rivals since 1990.

Smith, 29, hasn’t found much success at the MLB level. In 99.1 innings with the Royals, Brewers and Giants over the past two seasons, Smith has just a 6.61 ERA with an underwhelming combination of strikeouts (20.9%) and walks (11.6%). He has continued to find 40-man roster spots around the league, though, suggesting teams are holding out hope for better results.

To create roster space for Smith, Daniel Mengden was placed on the 60-day injured list, tweets Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. Mengden underwent elbow surgery earlier this week.

AL East Notes: Grichuk, McKay, Bleier

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We’ll kick off the weekend with a few notes from the AL East:

  • The Blue Jays are likely to enter 2020 with Randal Grichuk as their top option in center field, GM Ross Atkins confirmed (via Shi Davidi of Sportsnet). That’s not terribly surprising, as the always-sparse free agent market for center fielders has been almost completely picked over. Grichuk is coming off a disappointing 2019, the first season of a five-year extension he inked last April. Despite a career-high 31 home runs, he managed only a .232/.280/.457 line (90 wRC+) over 628 plate appearances. That at least seemed to open the door for an outside addition for the Jays, who have made some improvements around the roster this offseason. Between Grichuk’s right-handed pop and favorable Statcast ratings defensively, it seems he’s earned another opportunity to improve upon his lackluster plate discipline.
  • Brendan McKay is entering 2020 with a slightly more aggressive pitching plan than he had previously, reports Juan Toribio of MLB.com. McKay will work every fifth day this spring in hopes of carrying that schedule into the regular season, Toribio notes. Last season, he was limited to mound work every six days as he worked up to a career-high 122.2 innings across three levels. A two-way star at the University of Louisville, McKay will continue to see some action at DH and perhaps at first base, Toribio notes, although that’ll be worked in judiciously around his pitching schedule to keep him fresh. From the outside, Tampa’s rotation looks to be spoken for by Charlie Morton, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yonny Chirinos and Ryan Yarbrough. Teams can’t rely on the same five starters to take them through an entire season, of course. So while an initial bullpen role or demotion to Triple-A Durham is still on the table for McKay, Toribio notes, the southpaw seems a good bet to start for manager Kevin Cash at some point next season.
  • Orioles reliever Richard Bleier is at full strength entering spring training, reports Roch Kubatko of MASN. The 32-year-old was sidelined by shoulder soreness early in 2019, perhaps contributing to his career-worst 5.37 ERA in 53 appearances last year. Kubatko unsurprisingly characterizes the soft-tossing ground-ball specialist as an essential lock to make Baltimore’s Opening Day roster. If Bleier can regain the form that saw him post a sub-2.00 ERA in both 2017 and 2018 (albeit with less inspiring peripherals), he’d be a solid trade chip for the rebuilding club. Bleier is making just $915K this season and comes with two additional years of team control.

Camp Battles: Rangers’ First Base Situation

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After a run as a well-regarded prospect, Rangers first baseman Ronald Guzman made his major league debut in 2018. Since then, though, few teams have gotten less from the position. Guzman’s defense has drawn praise, but that only goes so far when you struggle to hit at an offensively charged position. He’s coming off a two-year stretch in which he slashed a less-than-stellar .229/.307/.415 with 25 home runs in 723 plate appearances. Guzman accounted for just 0.1 fWAR along the way, and his lack of production even led the Rangers to option him to Triple-A Nashville last season.

In the wake of Guzman’s weak 2019, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see the Rangers make an improvement at first base in the offseason. Even for modest prices, there were apparent free-agent upgrades available (Eric Thames and Justin Smoak come to mind). The Rangers even considered signing pricey outfielder Nick Castellanos and putting him at first, but he wound up with the Reds.

Having struck out on Castellanos, the Rangers have just about stood pat at first in recent months. Therefore, Guzman’s the front-runner to start again in 2020. He does have an option remaining, however, so the Rangers could send him back to the minors and still retain him if he doesn’t win the job in camp.

Cognizant of the fact that he may be in a make-or-break situation, the 25-year-old Guzman worked hard to better himself during the winter. He sought help from one of the game’s best offensive players in recent memory, former Ranger and current Twin Nelson Cruz, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News explained earlier this week.

On the heels of his work with Cruz, both Guzman and the Rangers seem optimistic he’ll finally begin realizing his potential in 2020. If that doesn’t happen, though, there are other in-house first base choices to whom they could turn. Granted, there may not be a clear answer on the roster at all.

The Rangers brought in former Yankees first baseman Greg Bird on a minor league contract Feb. 4. As a prospect and then as a rookie in 2015, when he batted .261/.343/.529 with 11 homers in 178 plate appearances, Bird looked like a possible long-term answer at first for the Yankees. But a series of injuries – including to his foot, shoulder, ankle and knee – helped take a sledgehammer to his Yankees career. Bird missed all of 2016 and was unproductive from 2017-19, appearing in a paltry 10 games in the last of those seasons. The Yankees let the 27-year-old Bird go a few months ago, and he now has to prove himself all over again.

The Rangers also took a low-risk flier on former Red Sox first baseman Sam Travis over the winter. Like Guzman and Bird, Travis was once a quality prospect. Now 26, Travis wasn’t especially impressive at the Triple-A or major league levels from 2017-19. Consequently, the Red Sox – despite needing a first baseman at the time – moved on from Travis a month ago.

If you’re not inspired by Guzman, Bird or Travis, it’s hard to blame you. Problem is that the Rangers aren’t teeming with obvious solutions otherwise. In theory, veteran third baseman Todd Frazier could man the position, but that seems improbable unless the club puts Nick Solak or Danny Santana at the hot corner or does the unlikely and acquires the Cubs’ Kris Bryant or the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado in a blockbuster preseason trade. Should no trade occur, Solak or Santana may see some time at first, but the Rangers might prefer to move the versatile duo around the diamond.

Considering their current options, it looks as if it’ll be another bleak year at first base for the Rangers. The club has made real improvements elsewhere, particularly to its starting staff, but it doesn’t appear that’ll happen at first before the season opens. The spot’s devoid of impact players in free agency, so it would take an unexpected trade in order to find a slam-dunk upgrade now.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Josh Hader Discusses Arbitration Defeat

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Brewers reliever Josh Hader just barely earned Super Two status this offseason, setting him up to take four trips through arbitration instead of three. Hader then filed for a $6.4MM salary – a far cry from the $4.1MM the Brewers proposed. The decision on the case came down Friday, and the Brewers emerged as the victors. Even in defeat, Hader’s now set to make significantly more than he’d have hauled in had he not gotten to arbitration this early. But this loss will negatively affect Hader’s earning power in future years, and he’d like to see a change in the system.

Speaking on Friday, the 25-year-old left-hander said (via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com): “We definitely knew that we were the underdogs going into it. But it’s something that needs to be put out there: Baseball’s always changing, and we’re at a point now that we’re continuing to change, and I think the system needs to change with that. You can see it in baseball now — a lot of relievers aren’t in certain roles that they once were.”

Hader added that the current arbitration setup is “outdated” with respect to reliever usage, and it’s difficult to argue against that. The present system puts a great deal of emphasis on racking up saves and holds, which doesn’t seem fair to dominant relievers who aren’t just used in those spots (Hader, for example). Hader does have 49 saves and 39 holds since he debuted in 2017 (including 37 and six in those respective categories in 2019), but the Brewers utilized him in various high-leverage situations in his first two seasons, thereby hurting his counting stats. That tactic, while perhaps wise on the team’s part, didn’t do Hader any favors in his initial arbitration hearing.

No matter how they’ve used him, Hader has been lights-out. A two-time All-Star and a back-to-back NL Reliever of the Year winner, Hader owns a superb 2.42 ERA/2.74 FIP with 15.35 K/9 and 3.17 BB/9 through 204 career 2/3 innings. Furthermore, he has regularly recorded more than three outs per appearance. Given Hader’s excellence to date and Friday’s results, he’s not unreasonable to contend that the arbitration process is behind the times for those in his position.

Zack Wheeler Heard “Crickets” From Mets In Free Agency

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Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler and the Mets are engaged in a public feud. Wheeler, a Met from 2013-19, joined the Phillies on a five-year, $118MM contract during the offseason. However, Wheeler indicated Thursday that he had hoped to remain with his longtime team, revealing (via Greg Joyce of the New York Post) that he reached out to the Mets to gauge their interest in re-signing him before he became a Phillie. But Wheeler said he only heard “crickets” from the Mets, adding: “Because it’s them. It’s how they roll.”

Wheeler went on to suggest the Mets are a dysfunctional organization, but general manager Brodie Van Wagenen took exception to his comments. Van Wagenen expressed “surprise” in regards to Wheeler’s statements, per Tim Britton of The Athletic. The GM also noted, “I feel like this organization supported him in giving him the opportunity to reach major league success.” He then took a shoot at Wheeler, contending, “Our health and performance department, our coaches, all contributed and helped him parlay two good half-seasons over the last five years into $118MM.”

It should be pointed out that Wheeler has produced palatable results in every season but 2017 – his first year back from a March 2015 Tommy John procedure that helped cost him two campaigns. He has otherwise totaled three seasons with at least 180 innings and ERAs somewhere in the threes. The hard-throwing Wheeler was statistically one of the most effective starters in baseball from 2018-19, during which he put up a 3.65 ERA/3.37 FIP ERA with 8.91 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 377 2/3 frames. Considering that, Van Wagenen’s snipe doesn’t ring true.

Neither side may look great in this situation, but the spat does make a division rivalry even more interesting. Both teams are looking up at the Braves and the Nationals in the NL East, though all four are arguably good enough on paper to at least compete for the division. Wheeler was the Phillies’ big-ticket acquisition during the winter, while the Mets still boast a strong rotation even in the wake of his departure. Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz lead the group, and the Mets have added Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha since free agency opened.

Latest On Russell Martin

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We’ve reached the middle of February, but longtime major league catcher Russell Martin is still without a job. He’s the best backstop left on a market that has drastically dwindled since last season ended. As of November, Martin was still planning to play in 2020. That remains the case, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

While Martin has received chances to sign with teams since 2019 ended, he has turned down those opportunities for family reasons, Sherman reports. However, expectations are that he’ll put himself back on the market within the “next few weeks,” per Sherman.

Since the offseason commenced, the Athletics have been the only team connected to Martin in the rumor mill. Wherever he goes (if he signs anywhere), he’ll have to settle for a low-paying major league contract or even a minors deal. But that’s not to dismiss Martin’s vast accomplishments. Set to turn 37 on Saturday, the former Dodger, Yankee, Pirate and Blue Jay is statistically one of the most successful catchers ever, ranking ninth all-time at his position in fWAR (55.2).

Although Martin’s no longer the player he was in his heyday, the four-time All-Star still has something to offer. Martin was worth 1.2 fWAR in a part-time role last season in Los Angeles, where he hit .220/.337/.330 in 249 plate appearances. He also rated as one of the top pitch-framing catchers in the game. Beyond statistics, Martin has always been thought of as a high-quality teammate and leader, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him end up in a major league uniform yet again in 2020.

Nolan Arenado Discusses Relationship With Rockies

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It hasn’t even been a full 12 months since third baseman Nolan Arenado signed a whopper of an extension with the Rockies, but the relationship between the two has already grown frosty. Arenado said late last month that he felt “disrespected” by the Rockies. Trade rumors were swirling around Arenado at the time, but that wasn’t the problem. Rather, he was reportedly irked because the Rockies made little effort to improve in the offseason after winning just 71 games in 2019.

With spring training in its early stages, there remains a “disconnect” between Arenado and the Rockies, he admitted to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports. While Arenado isn’t thrilled with Rockies higher-ups, the relationship isn’t necessarily irreparable, nor will Arenado be a disruptive force behind the scenes if the team does retain him.

On the contrary, Arenado said to Brown: “To be honest with you, there is a disconnect right now, right? There’s a little bit of a disconnect. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed. It doesn’t mean that I’m not gonna go out there and play hard for my teammates. Or be a negative presence in that locker room. That’s just not me. It’s not how I’m going to do things. I’m not going to be there trying to show them I don’t want to be there. I’m not going to be that way. That’s not fair. That’s drawing attention to me.”

That’s good news for the Rockies, who inked Arenado to a franchise-record seven-year, $234MM contract before last season. However, Arenado noted that he doesn’t regret anything he has said this offseason. The bottom line remains that the five-time All-Star wants to play for a contender.

“I’ve been to All-Star Games. I’ve done some special things, you know? I’ve won Gold Gloves,” he told Brown. “Those all mean a lot to me. At the end of the day the goal is to win. They signed me to win. And I want to be on a winner. If that’s in Colorado or somewhere else, I want to win.”

The Rockies made playoff appearances in 2017 and ’18, the first two of Arenado’s career, but they’ve fallen flat since then. The club, led by owner Dick Monfort and general manager Jeff Bridich, has signed just one major league free agent (unproven righty Jose Mujica) since last season ended. Thanks in part to that, the Rockies aren’t favored to push for a playoff spot this year.

While there’s certainly a case that Arenado’s within reason to be upset, that doesn’t mean he’ll be going anywhere before the season opens. Among his potential suitors, the Cardinals have indicated they don’t have payroll space for such a mega acquisition; the Rangers don’t expect anything to come together right now; the Nationals like their third basemen; and the Cubs probably aren’t moving Kris Bryant for Arenado.

Angels Outright Parker Markel

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The Angels announced that righty Parker Markel has been outrighted after clearing waivers. He was designated recently to make way for the addition of another hurler.

This’ll give the Halos another arm in camp without any real commitment. Markel hasn’t actually appeared with the club; he was added in an early-offseason trade with the Pirates for cash considerations.

Markel, 29, scuffled badly last year when he first got a shot in the majors. But he earned his way up with an interesting arsenal — a 50/50 mix of a mid-nineties fastball and slider. Markel turned in a 1.74 ERA in his 41 1/3 Triple-A frames, logging an eye-popping 16.3 K/9 to go with 5.7 BB/9.

Klentak, MacPhail On Phillies’ Stance Towards Luxury Tax

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As the Phillies have ramped up their spending in recent years, the question has become inevitable: will they cross the luxury tax line for the first time, and if so when? GM Matt Klentak and president Andy MacPhail discussed the subject in camp, as Scott Lauber and Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer report.

Even as Klentak downplayed the importance of the $208MM line in the team’s decisionmaking, he also seemed to acknowledge it as a rather prominent factor in the internal decisionmaking process. Klentak labeled the Competitive Balance Tax line a “guide” rather than a “barrier.”

The rubber meets the road when a stated principle is put to a real-world test. Klentak says that hasn’t quite happened just yet, explaining that the team “never got to the point of really asking ownership about [any moves] because we never lined up a baseball trade that we thought was right.” If and when an opportunity arises that would force the Phils to foot a luxury bill, Klentak says he “would expect to have a good, productive dialogue with our owners about” the matter.

MacPhail suggested a clearer desire to push into the luxury realm if circumstances warrant. “It’s my hope and frankly my expectation that we’re going to exceed it this year,” he said. Read one way, that’s a strong indication that the club intends to spend. Read another, it’s an acknowledgement that the organization will plunk down more cash if the team finds itself in a competitive enough position. That’ll mean waiting to find out how the already assembled roster can perform.

In comments of more general interest — to the MLBPA, if not the casual fan — MacPhail laid out rather clearly how teams — even those with revenues as great as the Phillies — view the function of the tax. “Nobody can live over it,” MacPhail says of the luxury line. “The penalties are too severe — not just economically, but it grabs you every different way.”

It probably won’t take much to force a decision on the luxury tax matter. The Phils are right up on it already. Cot’s on Contracts has the club sitting at $203MM in CBT payroll, which is also Lauber’s estimate. Roster Resource has that number over $2MM higher, which would mean even less breathing room.

Calculating payroll for CBT purposes is an evolving process, of course. Decisions taken during the season can move it up or down. And it isn’t as if there is any drastic penalty for going over (just 20% on the amount over the line). The actual financial hit only ramps up when you go into higher tax penalty levels and do so over multiple seasons.

So, what does this all mean from a practical perspective? Perhaps Klentak should be taken at his word when he says the team is pleased with the talent it has assembled, which includes a long list of notable veterans on non-roster deals. There’s obviously room to improve and deepen the pitching staff and/or to add an established performer at third base or center field. But that’ll require a higher level of ownership involvement to complete, unless Klentak can work something out that’s mostly cost-neutral.

Odds are, any movement past the line — should it occur — will happen during the season. MacPhail says the club intends to “evaluate what we have and make a determination in-season as if we are going to go over or not.” The front office has seemingly already committed most of the money it has been allocated, even if its spending is viewed as a guide rather than a “hard barrier.”

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