Offseason Outlook: Kansas City Royals
The 2020 season was the third straight year in which the Royals finished in fourth of fifth place, but the club did begin to see some of the fruits of its rebuilding efforts break into the big leagues. They’ll head into the winter looking to supplement their lineup and plug some holes in the bullpen.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Danny Duffy, LHP: $15.5MM through 2021
- Salvador Perez, C: $13MM through 2021
- Whit Merrifield, 2B/OF: $10.25MM through 2022 (includes $750K buyout of 2023 club option)
Arbitration-Eligible Players (salary projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
- Franchy Cordero – $900K / $1.0MM / $900K
- Hunter Dozier – $1.9MM / $2.9MM / $1.9MM
- Maikel Franco – $4.5MM / $8.0MM / $5.0MM
- Jesse Hahn – $1.1MM / $1.7MM / $1.0MM
- Jakob Junis – $1.5MM / $1.7MM / $1.5MM
- Brad Keller – $2.4MM / $4.3MM / $2.4MM
- Kevin McCarthy – $700K / $800K / $700K
- Adalberto Mondesi – $2.1MM / $3.8MM / $2.1MM
- Mike Montgomery – $3.1MM / $3.1MM / $3.1MM
- Jorge Soler – $7.4MM / $9.2MM / $8.0MM
- Glenn Sparkman – $600K / $600K / $600K
- Non-tender candidates: Montgomery, Sparkman
Option Decisions
- None
Free Agents
The Royals’ record didn’t really reflect it, but the club still had some high points in 2020. Top pitching prospects Brady Singer and Kris Bubic, viewed as potential building blocks in the rotation, both made their big league debuts and held their own. Ups and downs were obviously to be expected given that Singer had just 16 Double-A starts under his belt and Bubic made the jump straight from Class-A Advanced, but the bottom-line results were plenty respectable. Singer tossed 64 1/3 frames with a 4.06 ERA and near-identical marks in FIP (4.08) and xFIP (4.05). Bubic was hit hard early but finished well, ultimately completing his rookie season with 50 frames and a 4.32 ERA (4.75 FIP, 4.48 xFIP).
There were positives in the bullpen, too, where minor league rolls of the dice on both Trevor Rosenthal and Greg Holland proved to be savvy. Moore spun Rosenthal into a prospect package headlined by an MLB-ready outfielder, Edward Olivares, while Holland anchored the bullpen and helped to ease some younger arms like Josh Staumont into higher-leverage spots. Moore has said he’ll look into re-signing both, but each right-hander should have a chance at garnering multi-year offers this winter, with Rosenthal in particular standing out as one of the most sought-after relief options on the market. Both are probably out of the Royals’ price range at this point.
The bullpen will still be a priority for Moore and his lieutenants this winter, but the primary focus could be on augmenting the lineup. Moore was candid in addressing his team’s offense following the season, proclaiming a need to improve his team’s on-base percentage and expressing a desire to upgrade at least two spots in the lineup. Whit Merrifield’s versatility will allow the Royals to explore a broad range of possibilities, but looking up and down the lineup, it’s rather clear where they could look.
Six spots in next year’s lineup appear largely set. Franchise cornerstone Salvador Perez will be back at catcher, and the Royals’ infield corners are set with Hunter Dozier at first and a revitalized Maikel Franco at third base. Adalberto Mondesi will man shortstop. Jorge Soler will serve as the DH. Merrifield can play either second or anywhere in the outfield, but recent usage seems to suggest the club prefers the latter. The Royals haven’t gotten much of a look at trade acquisitions Olivares and Franchy Cordero in the outfield, so bringing in two new outfield faces seems unlikely.
The outfield should be an easy spot to add one veteran, however, with affordable OBP-driven veterans like Brett Gardner, Matt Joyce and Robbie Grossman all likely to be available this winter. (Gardner does have a club option with the Yankees.) If Moore wants to buy low on another former top prospect, as he did with Franco, he could see whether Jurickson Profar‘s September hot streak as the Padres’ left fielder proves sustainable.
If there’s a second spot in the lineup, it seems second base is likely. Moore was quick to praise Nicky Lopez‘s glovework and overall upside, but there’s little overlooking that the former second-round pick has logged an awful .228/.279/.307 slash in just shy of 600 big league plate appearances. Said Moore in regard to his middle-infield duo (via Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star):
We love the combination of Mondesi and Lopez, especially defensively. I think we all recognize that there’s a lot of range, talent, athleticism, creativity, with those two. They’re able to make plays. I think that’s really important. We also all understand from watching our team play and from knowing baseball, you’ve got to have production from those spots. You can’t have a period of time when you’re not getting production out of shortstop and second base. You can live with one or the other struggling offensively, but not both.
Moore went on to state that the Royals are “prepared to give [Lopez] more time,” although that certainly doesn’t have to be in the Majors right away. There are varying ways to read into the comments — MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes sees it as a vote of confidence in Lopez for 2021 — but at the very least Moore left open the door for Lopez to return to Triple-A and iron out the kinks while a veteran provides more competitive at-bats.
The market is flush with veteran infielders and will be all the more so after the non-tender deadline. Players like Cesar Hernandez and Tommy La Stella would give the club the short-term OBP boost it seeks while Lopez works to bring his bat up to speed. If Kolten Wong‘s 2021 option is bought out by the Cardinals, his combination of elite defense, speed and low strikeout rate is a skill set the Royals have prioritized often in recent years.
Clearly, none of the names listed are going to transform what was a light-hitting lineup into a powerhouse, but for a still-rebuilding club that ranked 26th in the Majors in OBP (.309), 25th in walk rate (7.8 percent) and 24th in total runs (248), adding some lower-cost options to boost the unit’s competitiveness is a sensible approach. Some tinkering with the bench is always possible, and a shortstop-capable infielder would prove particularly prudent if there is indeed some minor league time in Lopez’s future, as he’s also the primary backup for Mondesi at short.
The rest of the club’s lifting seems likely to be done on the pitching side of things, although as is usually the case, there’s little reason to expect the Royals will make a major splash. That’s in part due to their typically middle-to-lower tier payroll but also due to the stock of enticing arms that is bubbling up to the Majors.
Kansas City’s rebuild has been rooted in stockpiling interesting young pitching, and there’s more on the horizon beyond the aforementioned Singer and Bubic. Top prospects Daniel Lynch and Jackson Kowar also figure to make their MLB debuts in 2021. The quartet of Singer, Bubic, Lynch and Kowar probably won’t all pan out as quality big league starters — such is the nature of pitching prospects — but they’ll be given every opportunity to do so. That foursome should make plenty of starts in 2020, and the Royals have veterans like Danny Duffy, Brad Keller and the somewhat less-established Jakob Junis to help rounds things out. Perhaps they’ll still bring in a recognizable name on a low-cost or even minor league deal to stash some depth in Triple-A, but 2021 should be spent prioritizing opportunities for that promising young group. Each of Singer, Bubic, Lynch and Kowar landed on at least one Top 100 list of note heading into the 2020 campaign, after all.
That leaves the bullpen as the likely area of focus on the pitching side of things. As previously alluded to, Rosenthal, Holland and shared agent Scott Boras will likely be targeting multi-year arrangements in free agency this winter. Ian Kennedy’s ill-fated five-year deal is at last off the team’s books, but his departure creates another vacancy in Mike Matheny’s bullpen.
The Royals have some interesting arms in the ‘pen, headlined by fireballing strikeout machine Josh Staumont and breakout former first-rounder Kyle Zimmer. Veteran Jesse Hahn, meanwhile, turned in perhaps the most quietly dominant season of any reliever in MLB this year: one run on four hits and eight walks with 19 strikeouts in 17 1/3 frames. Righty Scott Barlow posted big K/BB numbers, while rookie Tyler Zuber showed the ability to miss bats but needs to further refine his control before cementing himself in the group. Kevin McCarthy has been solid in the past, and Jake Newberry gave some cause for optimism in 2020.
While the organization has some intriguing arms in house, there’s room to add some low-cost supplements. If the Royals want to try to replicate this year’s Rosenthal/Holland jackpot, old friend Wade Davis is on the market in search of a place to rebound. A lefty could also be a sensible target for K.C., as they’re presently lacking much certainty in that regard. The relief market figures to be more volatile than ever this winter, though, with a few dozen new additions expected to join the fray by way of non-tender. That should present the Royals with ample opportunities for bargain hunting, and their lack of a defined closer could allow them to dangle save opportunities to a reliever of particular interest.
Turning away from free agency and looking to the trade market, the Royals have some options on whom they could listen — but a move isn’t as likely as fans of other clubs would expect or hope. Whit Merrifield’s name has been bandied about the rumor mill for years, but Moore has repeatedly gone on the record to quell such talk. It’s only natural to speculate on the trade of a quality player in his early 30s who has a team-friendly contract with a rebuilding club. However, the Royals operate differently in that regard than most of today’s teams. Expect to see rumblings of interest in Merrifield, of course, but an actual trade coming together feels unlikely.
Kansas City also has three players set to reach the open market next winter who’ll be points of focus over the winter. Salvador Perez likely becomes the de facto face of the franchise now that Alex Gordon has retired. With little catching help on the horizon in the farm, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Royals look to extend him next spring — revenue losses or not. There were suggestions last winter that the Royals had interest in hammering out a long-term deal with 2019 home run king Jorge Soler, though it’s not clear how or whether that lost revenue and an injury-hindered season for Soler have impacted that goal.
In the rotation, stalwart Danny Duffy is coming up on the final season of the five-year, $65MM extension he took in lieu of his first bite at the free-agent apple. He’ll turn 32 in December and is coming off a lackluster 4.95 ERA and 4.75 FIP in 56 1/3 frames, but he’s been a stable member of the staff there since moving to the rotation full-time in 2016. At $15MM next season, Duffy probably won’t command significant trade interest off a down year, and as noted in discussing Merrifield, the Royals tend to value continuity.
It’s certainly possible that the Royals will look to acquire some additional controllable options as they did when picking up Cordero and Olivares in separate deals with the Padres over the past several months. With Perez, Soler and Franco all entering their final season of club control and no set option yet at second base, there are myriad possibilities on which to speculate.
The American League Central is more competitive than at any point in recent years thanks to the emergent White Sox and continued strong showings from Minnesota and Cleveland. It’s tough to envision everything coming together for the Royals to jump right back into contention next year, but by the time 2021 rolls around they could have some major contracts off the books, a core of young rotation pieces that have all gotten their feet wet in the Majors and two more of the game’s elite prospects, infielder Bobby Witt Jr. and left-hander Asa Lacy, looming in the upper minors. A quiet offseason seems likely, but things are still beginning to look up in Kansas City.
Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
Matt Swartz has created a model to project salaries for arbitration eligible players, which we’ve been publishing at MLB Trade Rumors for ten years. This winter, due to the pandemic and 60-game MLB season, there’s more uncertainty than ever with arbitration, as I explained here.
In the baseball industry, teams and agents determine arbitration salaries by identifying comparable players – a method I hope to illustrate with examples later this winter. To project the entire arbitration class in this way would take a massive amount of time and effort. So, Matt has developed an algorithm to project arbitration salaries that looks at the player’s playing time, position, role, and performance statistics while accounting for inflation. The performance of comparable players matters, but our system is not directly selecting comps for each individual player.
As a disclaimer, I should note that even in a normal year, our projections are not to be used as a scorecard for the agent and team on an individual player level. A player doing better or worse than our projection isn’t indicative of anything. Our arbitration projections are created as a tool for our readers to get a general idea of a team’s payroll situation.
This winter, those involved in the process do not know how arbitration will account for the 60-game season, nor is there an agreement in place between MLB and the MLBPA on how to address it. Many cases may end up getting resolved in a hearing room. To reflect that uncertainty, we’re providing three projections for each player:
- Method 1: Applies model directly with actual statistics from this 60-game season
- Method 2: Extrapolates all counting stats to would-be 162-game totals. One home run becomes 2.7 home runs.
- Method 3: For non-first-time eligibles, finds the raise they’d get in a 162 game season, then gives them 37% of that raise
Keep in mind that with a potential record number of non-tenders, many of these players will be released by December 2nd.
If you find MLBTR’s arbitration projections useful, please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Angels (11)
- Justin Anderson – $700K / $700K / $700K
- Matt Andriese – $1.8MM / $2.8MM / $1.9MM
- Dylan Bundy – $5.9MM / $9.8MM / $6.8MM
- Andrew Heaney – $5.0MM / $8.0MM / $5.7MM
- Mike Mayers – $800K / $1.5MM / $800K
- Keynan Middleton – $1.0MM / $1.1MM / $900K
- Shohei Ohtani – $2.1MM / $3.0MM / $2.1MM (using hitter model)
- Felix Pena – $800K / $1.3MM / $800K
- Noe Ramirez – $1.1MM / $1.2MM / $1.0MM
- Hansel Robles – $3.85MM / $4.1MM / $3.9MM
- Max Stassi – $1.8MM / $2.5MM / $1.4MM
Astros (3)
- Carlos Correa – $8.0MM / $10.2MM / $8.8MM
- Aledmys Diaz – $2.8MM / $3.1MM / $2.8MM
- Lance McCullers Jr. – $4.7MM / $7.0MM / $5.2MM
Athletics (10)
- Chris Bassitt – $3.1MM / $5.6MM / $5.5MM
- Mark Canha – $5.4MM / $8.2MM / $6.1MM
- Matt Chapman – $2.9MM / $4.3MM / $2.9MM
- Tony Kemp – $900K / $1.2MM / $900K
- Sean Manaea – $4.2MM / $6.4MM / $4.7MM
- Frankie Montas – $1.6MM / $2.4MM / $1.6MM
- Matt Olson – $3.5MM / $6.4MM / $3.5MM
- Chad Pinder – $2.2MM / $2.4MM / $2.2MM
- Burch Smith – $600K / $800K / $600K
- Lou Trivino – $900K / $1.1MM / $900K
Blue Jays (3)
- A.J. Cole – $800K / $1.1MM / $800K
- Teoscar Hernandez – $2.7MM / $5.3MM / $2.7MM
- Travis Shaw – $4.2MM / $5.4MM / $4.5MM
- Ross Stripling – $2.5MM / $3.7MM / $2.7MM
Braves (8)
- Johan Camargo – $1.9MM / $2.3MM / $1.9MM
- Grant Dayton – $900K / $1.0MM / $800K
- Adam Duvall – $4.4MM / $7.1MM / $4.7MM
- Max Fried – $2.4MM / $4.6MM / $2.4MM
- Luke Jackson – $1.9MM / $2.1MM / $1.9MM
- A.J. Minter – $1.1MM / $1.6MM / $1.1MM
- Mike Soroka – $1.8MM / $1.9MM / $1.8MM
- Dansby Swanson – $4.3MM / $8.3MM / $5.0MM
Brewers (10)
- Dan Vogelbach – $1.4MM / $1.9MM / $1.4MM
- Orlando Arcia – $2.7MM / $3.8MM / $2.8MM
- Alex Claudio – $2.0MM / $2.3MM / $2.0MM
- Ben Gamel – $1.7MM / $2.1MM / $1.7MM
- Josh Hader – $4.5MM / $6.8MM / $5.1MM
- Corey Knebel – $5.125MM / $5.125MM / $5.125MM
- Omar Narvaez – $2.725MM / $3.1MM / $2.9MM
- Manny Pina – $2.1MM / $2.3MM / $2.0MM
- Brandon Woodruff – $2.3MM / $4.5MM / $2.3MM
- Jace Peterson – $800K / $900K / $700K
Cardinals (6)
- Harrison Bader – $1.2MM / $1.7MM / $1.2MM
- John Brebbia – $800K / $800K / $800K
- Jack Flaherty – $2.2MM / $3.0MM / $2.2MM
- John Gant – $1.5MM / $1.9MM / $1.5MM
- Jordan Hicks – $900K / $900K / $900K
- Alex Reyes – $1.0MM / $1.2MM / $1.0MM
Cubs (12)
- Albert Almora Jr. – $1.575MM / $1.575MM / $1.575MM
- Javier Baez – $10.0MM / $11.9MM / $10.7MM
- Kris Bryant – $18.6MM / $18.6MM / $18.6MM
- Victor Caratini – $1.2MM / $1.6MM / $1.2MM
- Willson Contreras – $5.0MM / $7.4MM / $5.6MM
- Ian Happ – $2.5MM / $4.6MM / $2.5MM
- Colin Rea – $1.0MM / $1.6MM / $1.0MM
- Kyle Ryan – $1.2MM / $1.5MM / $1.2MM
- Kyle Schwarber – $7.01MM / $9.3MM / $7.9MM
- Ryan Tepera – $1.2MM / $1.5MM / $1.1MM
- Dan Winkler – $1.0MM / $1.2MM / $900K
- Jose Martinez – $2.1MM / $2.3MM / $2.1MM
Diamondbacks (5)
- Caleb Smith – $1.3MM / $1.6MM / $1.3MM
- Junior Guerra – $2.7MM / $3.3MM / $2.8MM
- Carson Kelly – $1.3MM / $1.8MM / $1.3MM
- Luke Weaver – $1.5MM / $2.3MM / $1.5MM
Dodgers (7)
- Scott Alexander – $1.0MM / $1.2MM / $1.0MM
- Austin Barnes – $1.4MM / $1.7MM / $1.3MM
- Cody Bellinger – $11.5MM / $15.9MM / $13.1MM
- Walker Buehler – $2.3MM / $3.1MM / $2.3MM
- Dylan Floro – $900K / $1.2MM / $900K
- Corey Seager – $9.3MM / $15.0MM / $10.4MM
- Julio Urias – $1.6MM / $3.0MM / $1.7MM
Giants (9)
- Daniel Robertson – $1.2MM / $1.3MM / $1.1MM
- Tyler Anderson – $2.4MM / $4.3MM / $3.7MM
- Alex Dickerson – $2.0MM / $3.3MM / $1.8MM
- Jarlin Garcia – $900K / $1.3MM / $900K
- Trevor Gott – $700K / $1.0MM / $700K
- Reyes Moronta – $800K / $800K / $800K
- Wandy Peralta – $1.0MM / $1.2MM / $1.0MM
- Darin Ruf – $1.4MM / $1.9MM / $1.4MM
- Austin Slater – $1.1MM / $1.7MM / $1.1MM
- Donovan Solano – $2.2MM / $3.8MM / $2.3MM
Indians (7)
- Austin Hedges – $3.0MM / $3.1MM / $3.0MM
- Adam Cimber – $800K / $1.0MM / $800K
- Delino DeShields – $2.0MM / $2.4MM / $2.1MM
- Francisco Lindor – $17.5MM / $21.5MM / $19.0MM
- Phil Maton – $700K / $1.0MM / $700K
- Tyler Naquin – $1.8MM / $2.4MM / $1.8MM
- Nick Wittgren – $1.4MM / $2.2MM / $1.5MM
Mariners (3)
- J.P. Crawford – $1.3MM / $2.4MM / $1.3MM
- Mitch Haniger – $3.0MM / $3.0MM / $3.0MM
- Tom Murphy – $1.6MM / $1.6MM / $1.6MM
Marlins (9)
- Jesus Aguilar – $3.6MM / $6.1MM / $3.9MM
- Jorge Alfaro – $1.7MM / $2.2MM / $1.7MM
- Brian Anderson – $2.2MM / $4.3MM / $2.2MM
- Garrett Cooper – $1.5MM / $2.2MM / $1.5MM
- Yimi Garcia – $1.4MM / $1.8MM / $1.4MM
- Ryne Stanek – $800K / $800K / $800K
- Jose Urena – $3.8MM / $4.2MM / $3.9MM
- Richard Bleier – $1.1MM / $1.5MM / $1.1MM
Mets (13)
- Guillermo Heredia – $1.4MM / $1.5MM /$1.3MM
- Michael Conforto – $9.0MM /$13.6MM / $10.1MM
- J.D. Davis – $1.7MM / $2.9MM / $1.7MM
- Edwin Diaz – $5.1MM / $6.5MM / $5.6MM
- Robert Gsellman – $1.2MM / $1.4MM / $1.3MM
- Seth Lugo – $2.2MM / $3.1MM / $2.4MM
- Steven Matz – $5.0MM / $5.3MM / $5.1MM
- Brandon Nimmo – $3.0MM / $5.2MM / $3.3MM
- Amed Rosario – $1.8MM / $2.6MM / $1.8MM
- Dominic Smith – $1.9MM / $3.6MM / $1.9MM
- Noah Syndergaard – $9.7MM / $9.7MM / $9.7MM
- Miguel Castro – $1.3MM / $1.8MM / $1.3MM
- Chasen Shreve – $900K / $1.1MM / $800K
Nationals (3)
- Joe Ross – $1.5MM / $1.5MM / $1.5MM
- Juan Soto – $4.5MM / $8.5MM / $4.5MM
- Trea Turner – $9.4MM / $16.6MM / $10.8MM
Orioles (6)
- Hanser Alberto – $2.3MM / $4.1MM / $2.6MM
- Shawn Armstrong – $800K / $1.0MM / $800K
- Trey Mancini – $4.8MM / $4.8MM / $4.8MM
- Renato Nunez – $2.1MM / $3.9MM / $2.1MM
- Anthony Santander – $1.7MM / $3.0MM / $1.7MM
- Pedro Severino – $1.4MM / $2.3MM / $1.4MM
- Pat Valaika – $1.1MM / $1.9MM / $1.1MM
Padres (8)
- Dan Altavilla – $700K / $900K / $700K
- Zach Davies – $6.3MM / $10.6MM /$7.2MM
- Greg Garcia – $1.6MM / $1.7MM / $1.6MM
- Dinelson Lamet – $2.3MM / $4.6MM / $2.5MM
- Emilio Pagan – $1.2MM / $1.9MM / $1.2MM
- Luis Perdomo – $1.1MM / $1.2MM / $1.0MM
- Tommy Pham – $7.9MM / $8.1MM / $8.0MM
- Matt Strahm – $1.6MM / $1.9MM / $1.6MM
Phillies (6)
- Seranthony Dominguez – $900K / $900K / $900K
- Zach Eflin – $3.3MM / $5.5MM / $3.7MM
- Rhys Hoskins – $3.4MM / $5.5MM / $3.4MM
- Andrew Knapp – $1.2MM / $1.5MM / $1.0MM
- Hector Neris – $4.8MM / $6.4MM / $5.3MM
- Vince Velasquez – $3.8MM / $4.8MM / $4.0MM
Pirates (15)
- Josh Bell – $5.1MM / $7.2MM / $5.7MM
- Steven Brault – $1.5MM / $2.5MM / $1.5MM
- Kyle Crick – $800K / $900K / $800K
- Michael Feliz – $1.1MM / $1.1MM / $1.1MM
- Adam Frazier – $3.3MM / $5.2MM / $3.7MM
- Erik Gonzalez – $1.2MM / $1.9MM / $1.2MM
- Chad Kuhl – $1.3MM / $2.2MM / $1.4MM
- Colin Moran – $1.9MM / $3.3MM / $1.9MM
- Joe Musgrove – $3.2MM / $4.4MM / $3.4MM
- Jose Osuna – $1.1MM / $1.3MM / $1.1MM
- Richard Rodriguez – $1.1MM / $1.7MM / $1.1MM
- Jacob Stallings – $1.0MM / $1.4MM / $1.0MM
- Chris Stratton – $800K / $1.2MM / $800K
- Jameson Taillon – $2.3MM / $2.3MM / $2.3MM
- Trevor Williams – $3.2MM / $4.6MM / $3.5MM
Rangers (4)
- Joey Gallo – $4.7MM / $6.8MM / $5.3MM
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa – $1.2MM / $2.3MM / $1.2MM
- Rafael Montero – $1.4MM / $2.5MM / $1.4MM
- Danny Santana – $3.6MM / $3.6MM / $3.6MM
Rays (8)
- Jose Alvarado – $1.0MM / $1.1MM / $1.0MM
- Yonny Chirinos – $1.6MM / $1.8 / $1.6MM
- Ji-Man Choi – $1.6MM / $2.1MM / $1.6MM
- Tyler Glasnow – $2.8MM / $5.1MM / $3.2MM
- Manuel Margot – $2.8MM / $3.6MM / $2.9MM
- Hunter Renfroe – $3.6MM / $4.3MM / $3.7MM
- Joey Wendle – $1.6MM / $2.7 / $1.6
- Ryan Yarbrough – $2.2MM / $3.6MM / $2.2MM
Red Sox (7)
- Matt Barnes – $3.7MM / $5.7MM / $4.1MM
- Ryan Brasier – $1.0MM / $1.6MM / $1.0MM
- Austin Brice – $700K / $900K / $700K
- Rafael Devers – $3.4MM / $6.3MM / $3.4MM
- Kevin Plawecki – $1.6MM / $2.0MM / $1.3MM
- Eduardo Rodriguez – $8.3MM / $8.3MM / $8.3MM
- Ryan Weber – $900K / $1.5MM / $900K
Reds (9)
- Brian Goodwin – $2.7MM / $3.6MM / $2.7MM
- Curt Casali – $2.0MM / $2.4MM / $1.8MM
- Luis Castillo – $3.0MM / $5.8MM / $3.0MM
- Amir Garrett – $900K / $1.4MM / $900K
- Michael Lorenzen – $3.8MM / $4.4MM / $4.0MM
- Tyler Mahle – $1.5MM / $2.5MM / $1.5MM
- Robert Stephenson – $600K / $600K / $600K
- Jesse Winker – $2.0MM / $3.4MM / $2.0MM
- Archie Bradley – $4.3MM / $5.7MM / $4.7MM
Rockies (13)
- Daniel Bard – $1.2MM / $2.2MM / $1.7MM
- David Dahl – $2.5MM / $2.7MM / $2.6MM
- Elias Diaz – $700K / $1MM / $850K
- Jairo Diaz – $800K / $1.2MM / $800K
- Carlos Estevez – $1.5MM / $2.3MM / $1.5MM
- Kyle Freeland – $3.5MM / $5.5MM / $3.9MM
- Chi Chi Gonzalez – $1.2MM / $1.2MM / $1.2MM
- Jon Gray – $5.6MM / $6.5MM / $5.9MM
- Ryan McMahon – $1.7MM / $2.8MM / $1.7MM
- Antonio Senzatela – $2.2MM / $4.9MM / $2.2MM
- Raimel Tapia – $1.5MM / $2.6MM / $1.5MM
- Tony Wolters – $1.9MM / $2.2MM / $2.0MM
- Mychal Givens – $3.4MM / $4.3MM / $3.6MM
Royals (9)
- Franchy Cordero – $900K / $1.0MM / $900K
- Hunter Dozier – $1.9MM / $2.9MM / $1.9MM
- Maikel Franco – $4.5MM / $8.0MM / $5.0MM
- Jesse Hahn – $1.1MM / $1.7MM / $1.0MM
- Jakob Junis – $1.5MM / $1.7MM / $1.5MM
- Brad Keller – $2.4MM / $4.3MM / $2.4MM
- Adalberto Mondesi – $2.1MM / $3.8MM / $2.1MM
- Jorge Soler – $7.4MM / $9.2MM / $8.0MM
- Glenn Sparkman – $600K / $600K / $600K
Tigers (9)
- Matthew Boyd – $5.5MM / $7.8MM / $6.2MM
- Jeimer Candelario – $1.7MM / $3.3MM / $1.7MM
- Jose Cisnero – $900K / $1.3MM / $900K
- Buck Farmer – $1.4MM / $1.9MM / $1.4MM
- Michael Fulmer – $2.8MM / $3.2MM / $2.9MM
- Niko Goodrum – $1.6MM / $2.5MM / $1.6MM
- Joe Jimenez – $1.0MM / $1.7MM / $1.0MM
- Jacoby Jones – $2.2MM / $2.8MM / $2.0MM
- Daniel Norris – $3.0MM / $3.4MM / $3.1MM
Twins (7)
- Jose Berrios – $4.8MM / $7.5MM / $5.3MM
- Byron Buxton – $4.4MM / $5.9MM / $4.1MM
- Tyler Duffey – $1.5MM / $2.6MM / $1.7MM
- Mitch Garver – $1.8MM / $1.9MM / $1.8MM
- Taylor Rogers – $4.8MM / $6.9MM / $5.3MM
- Eddie Rosario – $8.6MM / $12.9MM / $9.6MM
- Matt Wisler – $1.1MM / $1.8MM / $1.1MM
White Sox (7)
- Adam Engel – $1.0MM / $1.4MM / $1.0MM
- Jace Fry – $800K / $1.0MM / $800K
- Lucas Giolito – $2.5MM / $5.3MM / $2.5MM
- Reynaldo Lopez – $1.7MM / $2.2MM / $1.7MM
- Evan Marshall – $1.3MM / $1.9MM / $1.4MM
- Nomar Mazara – $5.6MM / $5.9MM / $5.7MM
- Carlos Rodon – $4.5MM / $4.5MM / $4.5MM
Yankees (11)
- Luis Cessa – $1.1MM / $1.3MM / $1.1MM
- Clint Frazier – $1.6MM / $2.6MM / $1.6MM
- Chad Green – $1.5MM / $2.2MM / $1.6MM
- Ben Heller – $700K / $800K / $700K
- Jonathan Holder – $900K / $1.0MM / $900K
- Aaron Judge – $9.2MM / $10.7MM / $9.3MM
- Jordan Montgomery – $1.2MM / $2.0MM / $1.3MM
- Gary Sanchez – $5.1MM / $6.4MM / $5.5MM
- Gleyber Torres – $2.5MM / $3.4MM / $2.5MM
- Giovanny Urshela – $3.5MM / $5.2MM / $3.5MM
- Luke Voit – $3.7MM / $7.9MM / $3.7MM
Framber Valdez, Blake Snell To Start Game 6 Of ALCS
Thanks to the heroics of shortstop Carlos Correa, who hit a walk-off home run Thursday, the Astros forced a Game 6 of the American League Championship Series against the Rays. Both teams’ starters are set for that affair on Friday. The Astros will use left-hander Framber Valdez, per manager Dusty Baker (via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com), while the Rays will turn to fellow southpaw Blake Snell, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
This will be the third straight backs-against-the-wall game for the Astros, who fell behind 3-0 in the series but have refused to go away quietly. They’ve won two consecutive games by a 4-3 score and will now rely on the 26-year-old Valdez to keep their season going. He was an indispensable part of their Justin Verlander-less rotation during the regular season, when he tossed 70 2/3 innings of 3.57 ERA/2.85 FIP ball with 9.68 K/9, 2.04 BB/9 and a 60 percent groundball rate. Valdez has added another 18 frames in the postseason and allowed just four earned runs. The Rays did, however, get the better of him in Game 1 of the ALCS with a 2-1 victory.
Snell was at the helm for the Rays in the series’ first game, and the former AL Cy Young winner gave up one run in five innings. He has generally been excellent in these playoffs, having surrendered five ER in 15 2/3 frames. Before that, Snell had another effective regular season with 50 innings of 3.24 ERA/4.35 FIP pitching with 11.34 K/9, 3.24 BB/9 and a 49.2 percent GB rate. The 27-year-old now has a chance to pitch Tampa Bay into the World Series for the first time since 2008.
Jonathan Villar Switches Representation
Blue Jays infielder Jonathan Villar has changed agencies and is now a client of Wasserman, Robert Murray reports. He’d previously been with MDR Sports Management. MLBTR has made note of the switch in our Agency Database.
The change in representation comes at a key time for Villar, who’s on the cusp of free agency. He’s on track to join Didi Gregorius, Andrelton Simmons, Marcus Semien, Freddy Galvis and Korea’s Ha-Seong Kim as some of the most recognizable shortstop-capable players on the open market.
Now 29 years old, Villar has posted quality seasons in the past (including a 4.0-fWAR showing with the Orioles in 2019), but he’s due to reach the open market off a poor campaign. Between Miami and Toronto, the latter of which acquired him before the Aug. 31 trade deadline, the switch-hitting Villar recorded a paltry .232/.301/.292 line with two home runs in 207 plate appearances in 2020. But with 16 stolen bases, it was the fifth straight season in which Villar swiped double-digit bags, and he did continue to flash defensive versatility by accruing well over 100 innings at both middle infield spots.
Steven Souza Changes Agencies
Free agent outfielder Steven Souza Jr. has hired Moye Sports Associates to represent him moving forward, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. He’d previously been with ACES.
Souza, 31, returned from a catastrophic knee injury in 2020 and struggled through a rough showing with the Cubs, hitting just .148/.258/.333 in a tiny sample of 31 plate appearances. Some struggles were to be expected after Souza suffered not only a torn ACL but a torn LCL, partially torn PCL and a torn posterolateal capsule in his right knee during a Spring Training game with the D-backs in 2019. The gruesome knee injury shelved Souza for the entire season and could very well have put his future in the game in jeopardy, given the extent of the damage, but he was thankfully at least able to work back to the field in 2020.
Given the recent history of injuries and Souza’s down showing with the Cubs, a minor league pact seems likely this winter. It’s been awhile since we saw him at his best due not only to that knee injury but also a pectoral issue in 2018, but Souza did give the Rays a strong .239/.351/.459 slash with 30 big flies back in 2017. He has a strong defensive track record in right field as well, although a knee injury of that magnitude will of course give clubs some reason for trepidation.
Souza’s switch in representation has been updated in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains information on more than 2500 Major League and Minor League players. We do our best to keep it up to date, though the frequency with which players hire new representation makes that an uphill battle. If you see any errors or omissions, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.
MLBTR Chat Transcript: 10/15/20
Click here to read a transcript of today’s live chat with Connor Byrne of MLBTR.
Mallex Smith, Bryan Shaw, Jimmy Yacabonis Elect Free Agency
Mariners outfielder Mallex Smith and right-handers Bryan Shaw and Jimmy Yacabonis have elected free agency, Greg Johns of MLB.com tweets. The Mariners outrighted all three players in September.
Seattle had high hopes for Smith when it acquired him from Tampa Bay before 2019 in a deal that also involved catcher Mike Zunino, among others. The Mariners seemed right to be bullish on Smith, who was coming off a 3.5-fWAR, 40-steal season at the time. Smith has continued as a stolen base threat since then (he swiped 40 bags in 2019), but the 27-year-old has otherwise struggled. He finished his M’s tenure with 613 plate appearances of .220/.290/.323 hitting and six home runs.
It was also an awful 2020 for Shaw, continuing a downward trend for the once-effective Cleveland reliever. After a woeful two-year stint in Colorado, Shaw joined the Mariners on a big league contract in July, but the deal didn’t work out for either side. The 32-year-old wound up tossing six frames, yielding 12 earned runs on 13 hits and issuing six walks in Seattle.
Yacabonis joined the Mariners in a minor trade with the Padres in August, but he also didn’t establish himself in the M’s bullpen. The 28-year-old gave up one earned runs on two hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings.
Rays, Astros Set Game 5 Starters
The Rays and Astros have set their starters for Thursday’s Game 5 of the ALCS. Tampa Bay will give the start to right-handed reliever John Curtiss in what should be a bullpen game, while Houston is turning to rookie right-hander Luis Garcia with their season on the line. Garcia has yet to pitch in the playoffs and pitched just 12 1/3 regular-season frames — his first career work above the Class-A Advanced level.
The 27-year-old Curtiss proved to be the latest gem unearthed by the Rays, as he gave the club 25 innings of 1.80 ERA ball with a 25-to-3 K/BB ratio during the regular season. The former Twins prospect was greeted rudely in his playoff debut earlier this month when the Yankees clobbered him for five runs in just two thirds of an inning, but he’s bounced back with a trio of scoreless outings. Curtiss didn’t pitch more than 2 2/3 innings in any appearance this season and hasn’t thrown more than 43 pitches in an outing, so it’ll be an all-hands-on-deck approach for the Rays today.
Garcia, 23, hasn’t pitched in a game since Sept. 27 and wasn’t asked to pitch more than two innings at any point after a five-inning effort back on Sept. 9. The Astros won’t be asking for bulk innings from the rookie today, as manager Dusty Baker told reporters his hope is that Garcia can navigate a potent Rays lineup once through the order (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart). It’s a stark contrast from last year’s Astros club, which rode the trio of Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke to Game 7 of the World Series, but it’s also a testament to the club’s young pitching that their arms have been able to take them this far in spite of so many key injuries to veteran pitchers.
In other lineup news, Baker revealed that x-rays taken after Michael Brantley fouled a ball into his foot were negative. He’s batting second as the Astros’ DH in today’s elimination game.
Padres Still Deciding On Mitch Moreland’s Option
The Padres have a relatively small decision to make on trade deadline acquisition Mitch Moreland, whose contract contains a reasonable $3MM club option for the 2021 season. San Diego can buy out that option for $500K and send Moreland back into free agency, but general manager A.J. Preller told reporters yesterday that no decision has been made (link via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune). The dilemma isn’t so much a financial one, it seems, but rather a quandary as the Padres — and all other NL clubs — will still have a designated hitter slot in 2021.
“The DH question is definitely a question all the teams are asking about,” Preller said. “It does affect your team planning. … We felt that option was something we’d consider. It would help a little bit having a sense of if there is a DH or not.”
At face value, keeping Moreland at a net $2.5MM even if he’s primarily a bench bat seems perfectly defensible, although there’s some reason to be a bit bearish on his outlook. Moreland posted an outrageous .328/.430/.746 slash in 22 games with the Sox before cratering with a .203/.247/.362 line in 20 games with the Padres. Those were samples of 79 and 73 plate appearances, respectively, however — rather small sets of data from which to glean much. Moreland’s overall .265/.342/.551 slash was still terrific, and the composite .251/.329/.479 output he’s put together over the past three seasons reflects that he’s an above-average hitter when properly shielded from facing too many left-handed opponents.
At the same time, the Padres have Eric Hosmer entrenched at first base thanks to the eight-year, $144MM deal he inked three seasons ago. Hosmer had his best year with the Friars in 2020, hitting .287/.333/.517 with nine homers in just 158 plate appearances. Barring an injury, he’d stand in the way of everyday at-bats for Moreland, and the Padres may not want to commit $2.5MM right out of the gate this winter when they already have $90.5MM on next year’s books and are faced with a notable arbitration class; Tommy Pham, Zach Davies, Mike Clevinger, Matt Strahm, Dinelson Lamet and Emilio Pagan are among the club’s more notable cases, and there’s also talk of a potential Fernando Tatis extension.
Preller clearly knows Moreland well, as he was an assistant GM in Texas when Moreland was drafted, developed and broke into the Majors with the Rangers. San Diego parted with some legitimate minor league talent to acquire Moreland, so one would expect that they hoped to get more than one month of production. Whether that’ll be the case may well be tied to measures beyond their control, however.
From a broader perspective, the Padres aren’t the only club that would strongly like to have clarity on this front headed into the offseason. Each NL club’s roster construction plans would vary considerably from universal DH to conventional NL rules structure. Players and agents, similarly, would benefit from a definitive decision on next year’s DH situation being made. A player like Nelson Cruz, for instance, would surely like to know if he can plausibly market himself to NL clubs. At the moment, however, there’s no clear indication as to when anything will be set in stone. The league and MLBPA would need to agree on a change of this nature, but the previous agreement only implemented universal DH status for the 2020 eason.
Michael A. Taylor Clears Waivers, Elects Free Agency
Nationals outfielder Michael A. Taylor has cleared waivers and elected free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Fresno, per a team announcement. The 29-year-old was arbitration-eligible this winter but stood as a clear non-tender candidate on the heels of a rough 2020 season. The decision to pass him through waivers effectively amounts to an early non-tender.
Taylor made $3.25MM with the Nationals in 2020 — about $1.17MM prorated — but scuffled to a .196/.253/.424 batting line in 99 plate appearances. It was the third straight below-average season at the plate for Taylor, who peaked with a .271/.320/.486 slash and 19 dingers back in 2017 but hasn’t produced since. The Nats sent Taylor to the minors for much of the 2019 season, but with a projected raise into the mid-$3MM range and a three-year slash line of .225/.284/.370, the club will instead move on.
While Taylor has struggled at the plate in recent years, he still has some pop in his bat and the ability to play any of three outfield spots well. Strikeouts have long been an issue and likely will continue to be, but Taylor has a .175 ISO (slugging minus batting average) since 2017 and boasts career marks of +23 Defensive Runs Saved and +10.6 Ultimate Zone Rating (4.8 UZR/150) in nearly 3300 center field innings.
Taylor’s exit could be part of broader-reaching changes in the Washington outfield. The Nats hold a $10.5MM club option over right fielder Adam Eaton, but that seems likely to be bought out after a career-worst year at the plate and a generally injury-interrupted Nationals tenure. The Nats took a look at Juan Soto in right field in the season’s final week — perhaps foreshadowing a changing of the guard in that aspect.