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Zaidi On Giants’ Rotation, Bullpen, Dubon, Backup Catcher

By Steve Adams | February 28, 2020 at 7:50am CDT

The Giants have a whopping 71 players in Major League Spring Training this season — a testament to an active offseason in terms of minor league free agency and also a reflection of the lack of certainty on a roster that is still being retooled by a new regime. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi appeared on KNBR’s Murph & Mac Show yesterday to discuss the state of the roster, echoing at multiple points that “competition is going to be the theme of this camp” (full audio of the 18-minute interview).

Not surprisingly, Zaidi dubbed both Kevin Gausman and Drew Smyly, who each signed one-year Major League deals this winter, as likely members of the rotation. As for the fifth spot behind Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Gausman and Smyly, the Giants’ president named right-hander right-handers Tyler Beede, Logan Webb and Dereck Rodriguez as well as lefty Andrew Suarez as possible options to win the job.

While there’s really only one spot available on the starting staff, that’s far from the case with respect to San Francisco’s relief corps. “Our bullpen is going to be pretty wide open,” Zaidi acknowledged. “…We’ve had some guys really impress. Matt Carasiti, Rico Garcia were both really impressive a couple days ago.”

That open competition is partly by design and partly by circumstance. The club surely hoped that righty Reyes Moronta would anchor a high-leverage spot in 2020, but shoulder surgery late in the ’19 campaign will sideline him for most, if not all of the upcoming season. Will Smith departed via free agency, taking an early three-year deal with the Braves. Zaidi & Co. traded both Mark Melancon and Sam Dyson, each of whom was controlled through 2020, at last year’s deadline. What was arguably the Giants’ greatest strength entering the 2019 season quickly became a blank canvas for 2020.

So, who’s in the mix? Likely closer Tony Watson and out-of-options righty Trevor Gott are the only two relievers on the roster who threw even 30 innings out of the ’pen last season. It’s possible that any of the aforementioned quartet of fifth-starter candidates could transition to a relief role. Tyler Rogers, Sam Coonrod and Jandel Gustave all received auditions in the bullpen last year, with Rogers (the twin brother of Twins closer Taylor Rogers) looking particularly impressive. Elsewhere on the 40-man roster, waiver claim Jarlin Garcia is out of minor league options, and Rule 5 pick Dany Jimenez is in a similar make-the-team-or-get-the-boot scenario.

The Giants moved prospect Shaun Anderson to the bullpen last year, and his name was notably absent when Zaidi discussed potential fifth starters. That’s also true of veteran non-roster invitees Trevor Cahill and Tyson Ross. One shouldn’t necessarily read Zaidi’s omission of those names in an off-the-cuff setting as a clear statement that they’re being viewed as bullpen-only pieces, but both Cahill and Ross have worked as relievers in the past, and it’s clear the bullpen offers a broader avenue to making the team. Beyond Carasiti and Garcia, both named by Zaidi, the Giants have veterans Jerry Blevins, Nick Vincent and Andrew Triggs in camp on non-roster deals.

Zaidi spent less time discussing the battles on the position-player side of things, but he did offer some insight into the role of Mauricio Dubon. It’s been suggested that the Giants will get the former Red Sox/Brewers infield prospect — acquired in last summer’s Drew Pomeranz/Ray Black swap — some work in center field. Zaidi made the organization’s plans for Dubon rather clear.

“He’s really embraced that possibility of moving around,” Zaidi said of the 25-year-old Dubon. “He obviously he played shortstop the first day [of Cactus League play]. Hopefully we get him out there in center field pretty soon. … He knows the more spots he can play, the more options he’s going to give Gabe and the staff, and the more at-bats he’s going to get. He’s fully embraced that.”

Playing Dubon all over the diamond will allow the club to take a longer look at non-roster invitee Yolmer Sanchez for second base. The Giants also have veteran utilityman Donovan Solano and former Rays prospect Kean Wong (younger brother of the Cardinals’ Kolten Wong) to evaluate. And with an outfield mix that is, by Zaidi’s own admission, somewhat unsettled in its own right, a successful acclimation to outfield work by Dubon (even on a part-time basis) would help shore things up.

With such a wide level of options already competing for roster spots, one might assume the Giants are done adding, but that’s not necessarily the case. The Giants’ catching depth took a hit when presumptive backup Aramis Garcia suffered a hip injury that required surgical repair — possibly sidelining him for the whole season. Rob Brantly and Tyler Heineman had already been inked as depth options behind Garcia, but that duo is now battling for a spot on the Opening Day roster … unless the Giants acquire another option.

“[Brantly and Heineman] both have legitimate shots,” Zaidi said. “But we also told those guys, ’Hey, we may go out and get somebody else. Either somebody else who’s in the competition or maybe even jumps to the front of the line.’ So those guys are aware of that, and we’ll keep an eye out. We’ll keep looking for the best possible option.”

The catching market has been largely picked over, although Russell Martin stands out as a notable veteran option who still boasts quality on-base and defensive skills. Any number of veterans who signed minor league deals elsewhere could potentially opt out of said deals or be cut loose, replenishing some of the open-market options. The waiver wire, of course, always presents another avenue from which Zaidi has never shied away. The bulk of the Giants’ offseason work in terms of player acquisition is done, but Zaidi and his staff still have a landslide of decisions to make over the next four weeks.

NL Notes: Senzel, D-backs, Rockies, Giants

By Connor Byrne | February 28, 2020 at 12:58am CDT

Reds outfielder Nick Senzel could begin appearing in spring training games next week, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Senzel has been working back from the shoulder surgery he underwent last September, and though the Reds believe he’s versatile enough to handle all three outfield positions, they’re only going to play him in center until he’s fully healed, according to manager David Bell. “I know he could do it but allowing him to focus on one spot may be more important than any of our other outfielders just because they all have so much more experience out there than he does,” Bell said of Senzel, a former infield prospect who spent his rookie season in center. The 24-year-old’s one of several outfielders for the Reds, who also count Nick Castellanos, Jesse Winker, Shogo Akiyama and Aristides Aquino among their options in the grass.

Trevor Bauer Discusses Future

By Connor Byrne | February 27, 2020 at 11:03pm CDT

Always known for thinking outside the box, Reds right-hander Trevor Bauer has another unconventional idea: Wherever he signs as a free agent after this season, he wants to pitch every fourth day instead of every fifth, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

“It only seems crazy because no one is doing it right now,” Bauer said of his plan. “But I’m very convicted in the fact that, one, I can do it. Two, I would be better doing it. And three, it would be a benefit to my team.”

Along with that request, Bauer wants to play for a contender that respects him and values technology, Nightengale relays. That all seems reasonable enough, but whether anyone would sign him with the intention of starting him every fourth day is an open question. Regardless, it’s not the first time Bauer has expressed a willingness to pitch on short rest.

Back when he was a member of the Indians during the 2017 ALDS, Bauer made a start on three days’ rest, saying beforehand, “I consider this normal rest for me.” He added, “If I could draw it up personally, this is how I’d pitch every time.”

Bauer then went out and yielded four earned runs in 1 2/3 innings in a loss to the Yankees, though it wouldn’t be fair to pass judgment based on a one-game sample size.

Aside from offering his opinions on how much rest he prefers, Bauer has raised eyebrows in the past by expressing a desire to eschew long-term contracts and sign one-year deals for the rest of his career. While discussing that subject with Nightengale, the 29-year-old seemed less sure of how he’ll proceed.

“I mean, I don’t know how I’m going to react once free agency gets here,” Bauer stated. “I said what I said, but you can never know how it’s going to go until you actually get there.”

Bauer also noted that he’s not motivated by money at this point, having “made a lot of” it during his career. He earned just under $30MM in salaries from 2011-19, according to Baseball Reference, and will make another $17.5MM this season in his last year of arbitration control.

Bauer may be in for another big salary in 2021, but it’s fair to say that will depend in part on how he pitches this year. While he had a rough go of it with the Reds after they acquired him from the Indians last July, his combined production between the two teams was still decent. The hard-throwing Bauer wound up with a 4.48 ERA/4.34 FIP and 10.69 K/9 and 3.46 BB/9 in a career-best 213 innings (his fifth straight season with 175 or more frames), but those numbers pale in comparison to his all-world output from 2018.

Yankees Notes: Judge, Stanton, Severino, Frazier

By Connor Byrne | February 27, 2020 at 9:33pm CDT

Already bedeviled by injuries early this spring, the last thing the Yankees need is more unwelcome news on that front. However, in yet another less-than-ideal development, right fielder Aaron Judge will likely be down for at least another week, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports. Judge is “doing well” in his recovery from a sore right shoulder, per manager Aaron Boone, but he hasn’t progressed beyond hitting in the cage. Boone added that there’s “plenty of time” for Judge to ramp up before the season starts, but it’s still a situation worth monitoring for a Yankees club that’s also down two other starting outfielders in Aaron Hicks and Giancarlo Stanton.

Speaking of Stanton, Joel Sherman of the New York Post looks back on a 2017-18 offseason that saw the Yankees acquire him and strike out in their pursuit of two-way star Shohei Ohtani. Three days after Ohtani went to the Angels, the Yankees landed the high-priced Stanton – then the reigning NL MVP – in a trade with the Marlins. Stanton would not have been a Yankee had they gotten Ohtani because there wouldn’t have been room for the two of them at DH, Sherman observes. While Stanton had a very productive first year as a Yankee and Ohtani has barely pitched because of injuries, his tenure in New York hasn’t gone well since then. Stanton was just about nonexistent last season because of his own health woes and is now battling a calf injury that could shelve him for Opening Day. Moreover, the Yankees are still on the hook for eight more seasons and $244MM of the 30-year-old Stanton (Ohtani makes a relative pittance, on the other hand), so Sherman argues that the team’s “going to have to continue to build rosters that assume his regular absence and do it with a payroll elevated by his contract.”
Like Stanton, ace right-hander Luis Severino has seldom been available of late. Severino missed nearly all of last season as a result of injuries to his shoulder and lat, and he’ll sit out the entire 2020 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery this week. The Yankees, expecting Severino to remain the force he was from 2017-18, signed him to a four-year, $40MM extension before 2019. They’ve gotten pretty much nothing from that contract so far, though Bradford William Davis of the Daily News opines that there shouldn’t be any regret on the Yankees’ part for giving Severino the deal. Indeed, he was one of the best pitchers in the game at the time, then coming off two straight seasons of 190-plus innings, so durability wasn’t a question at that point. And as someone who won’t turn 27 until next February, there’s still time for Severino to make good on his reasonably priced pact.
If the injury troubles that have limited Judge and Stanton since last season continue, it could open up playing time for outfielder Clint Frazier. Formerly a touted prospect, the 25-year-old racked up a career-high 245 major league plate appearances and hit .267/.317/.489 with 12 home runs last season, but he spent mid-June through the start of September in the minors to work on his defense. Although Frazier has long been a rumored trade candidate, he remains with the club, and he’s now vying for an everyday spot in its lineup, as Spencer Fordin of MLB.com writes. As Fordin details, Frazier has made a mechanical change at the plate – an approach he credits ex-teammate Matt Holliday for – and is hoping it helps him break through as a full-time major leaguer. “A lot of times, people have talked about my bat speed, but I never really felt like it was always there,” Frazier said. “I felt like I was trying to shoot a gun with it on safety. There were things stopping it along the way and I didn’t feel like I wanted it to. I feel like this move is giving me my best chance.”

Red Sox Still Open To Adding Rotation Depth

By Mark Polishuk | February 27, 2020 at 8:40pm CDT

With Chris Sale heading to the 15-day injured list, a Red Sox rotation that was already lacking in depth got a little bit thinner to begin the season. To this end, Sale’s situation doesn’t really alter the team’s interest in potentially adding a new arm from outside the organization, as chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters (including the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier and MLB.com’s Ian Browne) that the Sox were exploring such an acquisition even before Sale’s recovery from pneumonia delayed his preseason preparations. “We would always want to accumulate as much depth as we can. So I don’t think that changes,” Bloom said.

The Red Sox could look into trade possibilities, perhaps picking up a starter who has become a spare part on another team that already has an excess of pitching candidates. Such surplus arms could also become available closer to the end of Spring Training as teams start to finalize their rosters, not to mention the free agent hurlers who are currently on the market. While these pitchers might not necessarily be picky in choosing a new team this deep in the offseason, the Sox can offer extra opportunity to available starters, since a solid short-term performance could lead to a proper rotation spot even after Sale returns.

Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez, Nathan Eovaldi, and Martin Perez were Boston’s top four projected starters, and with Sale now out for at least the first couple of weeks of the regular season, the battle for the fifth starter’s job now expands to a battle for two spots. (Assuming a “starter” is required at all, since interim manager Ron Roenicke raised the possibility that the Red Sox could use an opener for one or both of the rotation spots.) Hector Velazquez, Ryan Weber, Matt Hall, Chris Mazza, Phillips Valdez, and Brian Johnson are among the names under consideration, and it’s possible that the Red Sox could stick with one or more of these options rather than an outside acquisition.

“We have a lot of guys here we’re interested in learning more about, that we’re excited about, and we brought them all in for a reason,” Bloom said. “We have some guys within the organization to help them get better. This is good to see them put those adjustments into play and learn more about them.”

NL East Notes: Nimmo, Adams, Marlins, Kingery

By Mark Polishuk | February 27, 2020 at 7:44pm CDT

After undergoing more rounds of cardiac testing, Brandon Nimmo has been cleared to resume baseball activity, Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen told reporters (including Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News). There was some concern yesterday after it was announced that Nimmo would be taking the extra tests after being scratched from a spring lineup, though it appears as though Nimmo can return to action as per usual. The outfielder is already trying to rebound from an injury-shortened season, as a bulging cervical disk limited Nimmo to only 69 games in 2019. While Nimmo is returning, however, Matt Adams will also be undergoing more cardiac tests. The eight-year veteran signed a minor league contract with the Mets last month and is hoping to crack the roster as first base/outfield bench depth.

Mets, Others Have Shown Interest In Russell Martin

By Connor Byrne | February 27, 2020 at 7:14pm CDT

It’s already known that the Athletics have checked in on free-agent catcher Russell Martin. Add the Mets “and a few other teams” to the list, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. As Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported two weeks ago, Martin has turned down offers since last season to deal with a “family matter,” but the 37-year-old does intend to continue his career in 2020.

It’s unknown how recent the Mets’ interest in Martin was, but it does look as if the team could use a competent veteran to team with starter Wilson Ramos. Martin happens to be far and away the best backstop remaining in free agency, where available players at his position are all but nonexistent at this point. Martin appeared in a career-low 83 games with the Dodgers in 2019, but he posted 1.2 fWAR with a .220/.337/.330 line and an above-average 12 percent walk rate in 249 plate appearances. He also kept up his eminently useful ways behind the late, where he finished both 17th among all catchers in Baseball Prospectus’ Fielding Runs Above Average metric and as a pitch framer.

Mets backup Tomas Nido was similarly impressive as a defender last season (19th in FRAA and as a framer), but his offense doesn’t compare to even that of an aging Martin. The 25-year-old Nido has basically been unplayable as a hitter since he began garnering a decent chunk of playing time two seasons ago, having batted .182/.219/.286 in 234 trips to the plate dating back to 2018.

Behind Ramos and Nido, the most established option in the New York organization is non-roster invitee Rene Rivera, who – despite having earned the trust of prominent right-hander Noah Syndergaard in the past – has never been much of an offensive threat in the majors. He also hasn’t seen much time in the bigs over the past couple years. The Mets’ backup catcher situation looks ripe for an upgrade, then, and Martin may be the one to provide it.

Latest On Nolan Arenado, Rockies

By Connor Byrne | February 27, 2020 at 6:54pm CDT

It has been an awkward few months between the Rockies and franchise player Nolan Arenado. Although the superstar third baseman signed a club-record extension worth $234MM over seven years almost exactly 12 months ago (Feb. 26, 2019), there’s already friction between the two sides.

Arenado has frequented trade rumors and felt “disrespected” by the Rockies over the fact that they’ve done almost nothing to improve since a 71-win showing last year. Rockies bigwigs “felt assaulted” as a result of that revelation from Arenado, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports writes. And when Arenado met with owner Dick Monfort and general manager Jeff Bridich during the offseason, the two organizational higher-ups took offense when the player questioned how much they want to win.

Had Arenado known the Rockies wouldn’t make a legitimate effort to better themselves, he may have turned down the extension, played out last season and tested the free-agent waters this past winter.

“Of course, I look back,’’ Arenado told Nightengale of his decision to stay in Colorado for the long haul. “I’m human, man.’’

Bridich, the executive responsible for constructing the Rockies’ roster, said last week that he expects to sit down with the disgruntled Arenado sometime this spring in an effort to repair their frayed relationship. That hasn’t happened thus far, though, per Nightengale. The two aren’t even speaking at all right now, according to Nightengale, who adds that Arenado’s only “nodding [Bridich’s] way when they’ve cross paths.”

Despite his unhappiness with those running the franchise, Arenado’s not going to serve as a behind-the-scenes distraction or put in any less effort if he stays with the Rockies, as he stated a couple weeks ago. It continues to appear less and less likely he’ll wind up on the move before the season starts in a month, but Nightengale reports that the Rockies are expected to put him back on the block before the July 31 trade deadline.

Between now and the deadline, the hope for both sides is that the Rockies will return to their playoff-caliber ways of 2017-18, thus negating the desire for a trade. If not, though, Arenado told Nightengale: “Then, the whole organization has to look at themselves and say, ‘Ok, what’s the next step?’ I guarantee I’ll be part of that conversation.’’

Cardinals Notes: Molina, Southpaws, Carpenter

By Mark Polishuk | February 27, 2020 at 6:10pm CDT

The latest out of the Cardinals’ camp…

Yadier Molina intends to finish his career as a Cardinal, though the longtime catcher won’t insist on a starting role throughout the life of a potential new contract with St. Louis. According to The Athletic’s Mark Saxon (subscription required), Molina “has informed club officials he would be willing to take a reduced role in the second season of an extension.” This would represent the 2022 campaign, as Molina is entering the final year of his current contract. Given that Molina will be 39 years old on Opening Day 2022, moving into a part-time or backup role at that late stage of his career isn’t really a surprise, aside from the fact that Molina has always been such a workhorse behind the plate. Molina has the seventh-most games played (1947) as a catcher in baseball history, and with three more seasons, could potentially pass Carlton Fisk (2226) for second on the all-time list. Andrew Knizner and Ivan Herrera are the two top young catchers in the Cards’ farm system, with Saxon noting that Knizner (who has already cracked the big leagues and would be 27 on Opening Day 2022) could still potentially become a trade chip if St. Louis feels Herrera is the better bet as Molina’s heir apparent.
The Cardinals have been working to add more left-handed pitching to their roster, with GM Michael Girsch telling the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold that “when we had the opportunity to make transactions, we sided slightly to the left if we could.” Some of the southpaws acquired in big and small moves over the last two years include Andrew Miller, Kwang-Hyun Kim, Genesis Cabrera, Tyler Webb, Matthew Liberatore, Rob Kaminsky, and Ricardo Sanchez, and several of those names are in the mix to play bigger roles for the Cards in 2020. Beyond the need for greater balance between lefty and righty pitching, there is also a specific strategic element at play, given all of the big left-handed bats in the NL Central.
Matt Carpenter missed Wednesday’s Spring Training game with what he described as a “super minor” back injury, MLB.com’s Anne Rogers writes. The back tightness wouldn’t have prevented Carpenter from playing in a regular season game, though perhaps even the fact that he reported the issue is indicative of how Carpenter is approaching his health and conditioning as he tries to rebound from a rough 2019 season. “Today would’ve been a great example of not saying anything, going out and played, and something happening….I think that is going to be big for me going forward, just being open to not push through stuff that can set me back for a month, and just say, ‘Hey, today I don’t feel as good,’ and it’s two days instead of two months,” Carpenter said.

Tatis: “Nothing Happening Out There Yet” On Contract Extension

By Mark Polishuk | February 27, 2020 at 5:14pm CDT

An extension with star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. was reportedly one of the Padres’ offseason goals, though it doesn’t appear as if much progress has been made on that front. In a radio interview on the Ben & Woods morning show (Twitter link), Tatis said he and his representatives at the MVP Sports Group would “talk about it if the Padres come with something, but there’s nothing happening out there yet.”

While Padres general manager A.J. Preller was “definitely not looking to comment publicly” on the status of negotiations during his own Ben & Woods interview (Twitter link), Preller indicated that the club did want to “explore every option and possibility” in terms of a potential long-term agreement with Tatis. “We’ll sit down with him and his representatives when the time is right here, and kind of get a feel for where they’re at and see if there’s something there,” Preller said.

The fact that talks have seemingly yet to truly begin isn’t necessarily a sign that an extension couldn’t still happen before Opening Day or shortly into the season, as many teams don’t turn their attention to extension talks whatsoever until Spring Training. Of course, there also isn’t any immediate urgency to get a deal done since Tatis is under team control through the 2024 season — the shortstop has two remaining years as a pre-arbitration player, and then three seasons of arbitration eligibility.

Gaining some additional control (not to mention cost certainty) over Tatis would certainly be of interest to the Padres, as Tatis has one of the brightest futures of any player in the sport. The 21-year-old is coming off a rookie season that saw him hit .317/.379/.590 with 22 home runs over 372 plate appearances. This was despite a pair of injured list stints due to a hamstring strain, and then a back strain that ended Tatis’ season in mid-August.

Should Tatis continue to perform at this high level over the next five years, he would be on track for free agency heading into his age-26 season and be in line for a monster payday on the open market, more than likely over the $400MM threshold. San Diego knows a thing or two about spending big on a 26-year-old free agent, having just dropped $300MM on Manny Machado (another MVP Sports Group client, of note) last winter. Locking up even one or two of Tatis’ free agent years as part of a long-term deal could end up being quite a bargain for the Padres, and by that same token, Tatis could be open to an extension that gives him financial security now, yet also doesn’t prevent him from free agency before his 30th birthday.

Some larger factors could also be at play, as The Athletic’s Dennis Lin (subscription required) raised the possibility that Tatis and other younger players might hold off on extensions “with the idea that the next collective bargaining agreement will change the structures of club control and free agency.” The current CBA expires in December 2021, so assuming a new labor agreement is in place prior to the start of the 2022 season, Tatis would still have three years remaining as a Padre and potentially a new range of contractual options to consider from a negotiating perspective. Perhaps as a nod to how a new CBA would impact the status quo, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reported yesterday that multiple teams were looking to lock up pre-arbitration players to extensions in the next few weeks.

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