Oscar Colas To Seek MLB Deal
Cuban two-way prospect Oscar Colas has defected in hopes of landing a major league contract, Jeff Passan of ESPN tweets. Francys Romero of Las Mayores first reported on Colas’ defection.
The 21-year-old Colas is an outfielder/pitcher who most recently played with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan, where he slashed .300/.353/.511 with 12 home runs in 295 plate appearances in 2019. As a left-handed pitcher, Colas is capable of hitting 95 mph, according to Passan.
It remains to be seen whether Colas will emerge as a two-way threat in the majors a la Shohei Ohtani, but nevertheless, it’s likely he’ll get “significant interest” from major league teams, per Passan. Colas could wait until at least July to sign with a big league club, however, as there appears to be less money available to him now that the current international signing period – which began July 2 – is almost a half-year old.
MLBTR Poll: The Starter Of The Decade
In case you missed it, I named my all-decade lineup for 2010-19 earlier this week. Pitchers were omitted from that piece, but now we’ll dedicate this post to the most successful hurlers from 2010-19, and I’ll leave it up to you select the best one from the previous decade. Realistically, there are only a few pitchers capable of emerging victorious in this poll, but it’s still worthwhile to run down the top 10 from several important categories (minimum 1,000 innings). Playoff performance isn’t listed, but if that factors heavily into your judgment of pitchers, it could affect your choice. Special thanks to FanGraphs for the below data…
ERA:
- 1. Clayton Kershaw: 2.31
- 2. Jacob deGrom: 2.62
- 3. Johnny Cueto/Chris Sale: 3.06
- 4. Justin Verlander: 3.10
- 5. Max Scherzer: 3.12
- 6. Madison Bumgarner: 3.14
- 7. Corey Kluber: 3.15
- 8. Stephen Strasburg: 3.17
- 9. Zack Greinke: 3.18
- 10. Gerrit Cole: 3.22
FIP:
- 1. Clayton Kershaw: 2.64
- 2. Jacob deGrom: 2.78
- 3. Chris Sale: 2.90
- 4. Stephen Strasburg: 2.98
- 5. Corey Kluber: 2.99
- 6. Gerrit Cole/Max Scherzer: 3.06
- 7. Zack Greinke/Justin Verlander: 3.26
- 8. David Price: 3.28
- 9. Adam Wainwright: 3.31
- 10. Madison Bumgarner: 3.32
fWAR:
- 1. Clayton Kershaw: 59.1
- 2. Max Scherzer: 55.0
- 3. Justin Verlander: 53.8
- 4. Chris Sale: 42.8
- 5. Zack Greinke: 41.6
- 6. David Price: 39.9
- 7. Cole Hamels: 36.8
- 8. Stephen Strasburg: 36.7
- 9. Jon Lester: 35.3
- 10. Felix Hernandez: 34.5
RA-9 WAR:
- 1. Clayton Kershaw: 66.4
- 2. Justin Verlander: 58.9
- 3. Max Scherzer: 56.4
- 4. Cole Hamels: 45.8
- 5. Zack Greinke: 45.6
- 6. Chris Sale: 42.2
- 7. David Price: 41.7
- 8. Jon Lester: 38.6
- 9. Johnny Cueto: 36.1
- 10. Felix Hernandez: 35.0
Strikeouts per nine:
- 1. Yu Darvish/Chris Sale: 11.12
- 2. Max Scherzer: 10.69
- 3. Stephen Strasburg: 10.6
- 4. Jacob deGrom: 10.25
- 5. Gerrit Cole: 10.06
- 6. Chris Archer: 9.84
- 7. Clayton Kershaw: 9.83
- 8. Corey Kluber: 9.8
- 9. Trevor Bauer: 9.51
- 10. Carlos Carrasco/Justin Verlander: 9.5
Walks per nine:
- 1. Bartolo Colon: 1.55
- 2. Dan Haren: 1.74
- 3. Masahiro Tanaka: 1.79
- 4. Jordan Zimmermann: 1.87
- 5. Phil Hughes/Mark Buehrle: 1.94
- 6. Corey Kluber: 1.95
- 7. Clayton Kershaw: 1.96
- 8. Mike Leake/Chris Sale: 1.97
- 9. Hiroki Kuroda: 2.0
- 10. Zack Greinke: 2.01
Cy Young Awards:
- 1. Clayton Kershaw/Max Scherzer: 3
- 2. Jacob deGrom/Justin Verlander/Corey Kluber: 2
- 3. Jake Arrieta/R.A. Dickey/Roy Halladay/Felix Hernandez/Dallas Keuchel/Rick Porcello/David Price/Blake Snell: 1
Innings:
- 1. Justin Verlander: 2,142
- 2. Max Scherzer: 2,063 2/3
- 3. Clayton Kershaw: 1,995
- 4. Zack Greinke: 1,984
- 5. Jon Lester: 1,979 2/3
- 6. Cole Hamels: 1,955
- 7. David Price: 1,877 2/3
- 8. Rick Porcello: 1,860 1/3
- 9. James Shields: 1,840
- 10. Madison Bumgarner: 1,836
Wins:
- 1. Max Scherzer: 161
- 2. Justin Verlander: 160
- 3. Clayton Kershaw: 156
- 4. Zack Greinke: 155
- 5. Jon Lester: 148
- 6. David Price: 139
- 7. Rick Porcello: 135
- 8. Gio Gonzalez: 122
- 9. Madison Bumgarner: 119
- 10. Adam Wainwright: 116
(Poll link for app users)
Who was the starter of the decade?
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Clayton Kershaw 64% (10,333)
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Max Scherzer 20% (3,181)
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Justin Verlander 12% (1,898)
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Other (specify in comments) 5% (768)
Total votes: 16,180
Top 10 Remaining Free Agents
Free agency has moved much quicker this winter compared to the previous couple offseasons. MLBTR ranked the top 50 players on the market at the beginning of November, and the majority of them have already found new deals. Two more familiar names came off the board Thursday with reliever Will Harris agreeing to join the Nationals and catcher Jason Castro heading to the Angels. There are still some stragglers from our top 50, though, so with January underway, let’s use that list to check in on the 10 highest-ranked players available…
5. Josh Donaldson, 3B (original prediction: three years, $75MM)
- Donaldson’s the lone free agent left with an elite track record. Even at 34 years old, he could command a four-year contract approaching $100MM. The Braves (his previous team), Nationals, Twins, Dodgers, Phillies and Rangers are among the teams that have shown interest in Donaldson this winter. Donaldson’s choice figures to affect the trade market, as the clubs that lose out on him could become more motivated to pursue the Cubs’ Kris Bryant or the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado.
8. Nicholas Castellanos, OF (original prediction: four years, $58MM)
- The Cubs would still like to re-sign Castellanos, but their aversion to the luxury tax could prevent that from happening. The crosstown rival White Sox, not to mention the Rangers and Giants, have also shown recent interest in the big-hitting 27-year-old.
11. Marcell Ozuna, OF (original prediction: three years, $45MM)
- Ozuna’s saddled by a qualifying offer, but that hasn’t stopped interest from pouring in. The 29-year-old’s most recent team, the Cardinals, as well as the Reds and Rangers are reportedly the leading candidates to sign him.
28. Daniel Hudson, RP (original prediction: two years, $12MM)
- Harris could replace Hudson in Washington, but the latter has replaced the former as the No. 1-ranked reliever without a deal. Hudson was one of the many heroes for the Nationals during their World Series-winning campaign in 2019, and multiple teams have reportedly been willing to offer him multiyear deals as a result. The hard-throwing 32-year-old hasn’t found one to his liking, though.
33. Robinson Chirinos, C (original prediction: two years, $10MM)
- Chirinos’ stay in free agency may be on the verge of ending, as he seems to be nearing a decision on where to sign. The 35-year-old has been a popular free agent this offseason, and that’s understandable when considering how effective he has been at the plate throughout his career.
35. Craig Stammen, RP (original prediction: two years, $10MM)
- While there was lots of interest in Stammen during last month’s Winter Meetings, it’s been radio silence in terms of rumors since then. But the 35-year-old brings an enticing mix of effectiveness and durability to the table. Dating back to 2017, Stammen has averaged 80 innings per season, put up a 50.6 percent groundball rate and recorded a 3.06 ERA/3.57 FIP. Stammen also walked fewer than 1.7 batters per nine a season ago and saw his average fastball velocity rise to a career-high 92.8 mph, though it’s worth noting his swinging-strike rate plummeted about 5 percent from 2018 to ’19.
36. Steve Cishek, RP (original prediction: two years, $10MM)
- Cishek reportedly hopes to sign with the Red Sox, but it’s up in the air whether they’re willing to meet the Massachusetts native’s asking price. Whether it’s Boston or someone else, the team that lands Cishek will be adding a hurler who has somewhat quietly enjoyed an excellent career. The soft-tossing, sidearming Cishek, 33, has registered a sub-3.00 ERA in seven of his nine full seasons, including last year with the Cubs. Although Cishek’s strikeout and walk rates in 2019 didn’t impress (8.02 K/9, 4.08 BB/9), he induced grounders at a 50 percent clip and thrived at limiting hard contact, ranking in Statcast’s 99th percentile in average exit velocity against and hard-hit rate.
37. Yasiel Puig, OF (original prediction: one year, $8MM)
- Puig’s still just 29 years old and has starred in the past, but he’s having a hard time on the market after a down season divided between Cincinnati and Cleveland. Those teams haven’t shown any reported interest in bringing Puig back, and the clubs that have been connected to him (the Marlins and White Sox) have gone in other directions to address their needs.
39. Alex Wood, LHP (original prediction: one year, $8MM)
- Another Red from 2019, Wood’s the sole starter on this list. Although the 28-year-old had a quality run between the Braves and Dodgers from 2013-18, he hit the market at an inopportune time. Back problems largely kept Wood off the mound last season, and during the 35 2/3 innings he did pitch, he slumped to a 5.80 ERA/6.38 FIP.
41. Brock Holt, UTIL (original prediction: two years, $8MM)
- Reported interest in Holt has been scarce, even though he’s coming off a nice run in Boston. While the 31-year-old possesses very little power, he has proved capable of mixing roughly league-average offensive production with defensive versatility. Holt saw action at six different positions (mostly second base) last season.
AL Notes: Yanks, Happ, Astros, Harris, White Sox, Robert
Here’s an early morning look around the American League…
- Even after losing right-hander Domingo German to an 81-game suspension for a violation of the league’s domestic violence policy, the Yankees “remain open to trading” lefty J.A. Happ, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes. The Yankees were of the belief German would serve a significant suspension all along, so the league’s decision hasn’t affected their plans regarding Happ. The big question continues to be whether they’ll be able to find a taker for Happ, who’s 37 years old, coming off a poor season and due $17MM in 2020. Happ also has a $17MM option for 2021 that will vest if he amasses 165 innings or totals 27 starts this year. He posted back-to-back 30-start seasons from 2018-19.
- The Nationals reeled in the top reliever left in free agency on Thursday, agreeing to a three-year, $24MM contract with righty Will Harris. The 35-year-old entered free agency off a long and fruitful run in Houston, but Harris explained to Mark Berman of Fox 26 that the Astros “were eliminated pretty early on in the process” because they weren’t prepared to approach his asking price. “They weren’t in that ballpark, no. They had kind of admitted to me they would’ve liked to have done more, but they weren’t able to.” Harris is now the latest key Astro to leave last season’s AL pennant-winning club, joining Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley. Robinson Chirinos could be the next to go.
- In another of Thursday’s major news items, the White Sox locked up center field prospect Luis Robert to a six-year, $50MM guarantee. The two sides began negotiations back in September, and those talks gained steam at last month’s Winter Meetings, according to general manager Rick Hahn (via Scott Merkin of MLB.com). Now that Robert’s long-term future is settled, there’s no reason for the White Sox to worry about his service time, so it appears likely he’ll crack their roster out of camp. Robert’s fully confident that will happen. “I’m 100 percent convinced I’m going to be on the Opening Day roster,” the 22-year-old said.
Poll: Grade The Twins’ Rotation Moves
The Twins’ biggest offseason need was no secret — apart from Jose Berrios, every member of their 2019 starting rotation was scheduled to reach free agency. With Jake Odorizzi, Michael Pineda, and Kyle Gibson all hitting the open market and Martin Perez also becoming a free agent after the Twins bought out their club option, the AL Central champs were faced with both a predicament and something of an opportunity.
While Minnesota starters collectively ranked in the top third or top half of the league in most major statistical categories in 2019, the rotation was seen as more of a solid complement to the team’s big-hitting lineup than as a strength unto itself. There was certainly room for not just improvement, but significant improvement to the pitching corps, especially for a Twins club that entered the winter with very few future payroll commitments. As chief baseball officer Derek Falvey told reporters after the season, the club was intent on adding “impact pitching” to its rotation and was open to spending to add those arms.
As the calendar has turned to the new year, Minnesota has indeed restocked its staff with starters both old and new, though on paper, some of that promised “impact” isn’t obviously present. The first steps were equal parts promising and cost-effective for the Twins — Odorizzi accepted the team’s one-year, $17.8MM qualifying offer rather than test free agency, and then re-signing Pineda for two years and $20MM.
After those familiar faces returned to the fold, however, the Twins faced some long weeks of rumors and missed targets before eventually landing a pair of veterans. Homer Bailey and Rich Hill each signed one-year contracts with Minnesota on the same day, with Bailey earning $7MM in guaranteed money and Hill pulling in $3MM guaranteed (with hefty incentives). Bailey got his career on track with a solid 2019 season following multiple rough years with the Reds, while Hill isn’t going to be able to pitch until midseason due to his recovery from primary revision surgery.
The Twins pursued such names as Zack Wheeler, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Madison Bumgarner, Dallas Keuchel, Jordan Lyles, and Japanese hurler Shun Yamaguchi, yet all wound up signing elsewhere. As for the team’s own remaining free agents, Gibson signed with the Rangers while Perez inked a deal with the Red Sox. On the trade front, the Marlins’ Elieser Hernandez have been on the radar, though no deal has been completed. This isn’t to say that Minnesota hasn’t been aggressive, as shown most clearly by their five-year, $100MM offer to Wheeler before the righty instead opted to sign with the Phillies. But, the free agent pitching market moved much faster (and at higher costs) than expected, leaving the Twins missing out on many of their first-choice options.
Barring any further pickups via trades or free agency, the Twins’ Opening Day rotation now stands as Berrios, Odorizzi, and Bailey, with two of the young trio of Randy Dobnak, Devin Smeltzer, and Lewis Thorpe handling the final two slots. Pineda is unavailable for the first 39 games of the season while he finishes out a 60-game PED suspension, and when he returns, one of Dobnak/Smeltzer/Thorpe will continue to start until Hill is healthy and ready. Top prospect Brusdar Graterol also looms as an early-season callup after making his MLB debut in 2019.
It isn’t the slam-dunk collection of upgrades many Twin Cities fans were hoping for, yet it’s also wrong to say that this group doesn’t have any talent. While Hill’s injury status has long been a question mark, he has pitched like an ace when he has been healthy over the last four years. Berrios might well rise to true ace status himself, if he can avoid another late-season slump and consistently pitch like he did in the first half of the 2019 season. Odorizzi and Pineda both pitched well for Minnesota last season, and as a fifth starter option, Bailey isn’t a bad veteran arm to have amidst the younger hurlers.
Also, in not spending big now, the Twins are keeping some financial powder dry so they can spend later, potentially on a midseason trade acquisition if necessary. Then there’s the additional chance that Minnesota could indeed spread some cash around this offseason, though on another major hitter (such as Josh Donaldson) rather than another pitcher.
What’s your take on Minnesota’s rotation moves? (Poll link for app users.)
What is your grade for how the Twins have addressed their rotation thus far?
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C 46% (7,400)
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B 23% (3,664)
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D 21% (3,448)
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F 8% (1,271)
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A 2% (344)
Total votes: 16,127
Reds Sign Matt Davidson To Minors Contract
The Reds have signed corner infielder Matt Davidson to a minor league contract, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (via Twitter). Davidson will be invited to Cincinnati’s big league Spring Training camp.
Davidson didn’t see any MLB action last season, spending all of 2019 with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate and hitting .264/.339/.527 with 33 homers over 528 plate appearances. These big numbers (posted amidst the most hitter-friendly season in Triple-A history, to be fair) could have inspired the Rangers to keep Davidson in his customary first base/third base role rather than further experiment with him on the mound, as Davidson pitched just one inning of relief work. Davidson did indicate last February that his pitching exploits were likely to be more of the emergency mop-up variety than of any real attempt to make him a two-way player, following three innings of pitching with the White Sox in 2018.
Selected 35th overall by the Diamondbacks in the 2009 draft, Davidson was sent to the White Sox in a notable December 2013 deal that brought Addison Reed to the desert. Davidson showed some promise in 31-game cameo with Arizona in 2013 and then hit .224/.291/.435 with 46 homers over 939 PA with Chicago in 2017-18, as his power potential didn’t make up for a lack of average and on-base skills. There was a lot of swing-and-miss in Davidson’s time as a big leaguer, with 355 strikeouts over 1028 career PA. Following the 2018 season, the White Sox opted to non-tender Davidson rather than pay him a projected $2.4MM through the arbitration process.
Turning 29 in March, Davidson projects to be a corner infield depth piece for Cincinnati on either their big league bench or at Triple-A. The addition of a 26th roster spot gives Davidson a greater hope of winning a job in Spring Training, though with Eugenio Suarez and Joey Votto firmly locked into third base and first base duties for the Reds, Davidson doesn’t have much of a path to regular playing time.
Latest On Dodgers’ Interest In Mookie Betts
The Dodgers have been linked to several superstar players in both free agency and potential trades this winter, though with so many of the big free agents already signed elsewhere, the trade market might be Los Angeles’ best avenue to land a major roster upgrade. To this end, the Dodgers have continued to explore the possibility of acquiring Mookie Betts from the Red Sox, according to MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi.
The deal could potentially be expanded to involve multiple players heading from Boston to Chavez Ravine, as Morosi suggests that David Price might be a fit as the veteran arm the Dodgers are looking to add to their rotation. With the Red Sox looking to cut payroll and ideally get under the luxury tax threshold, rumors have swirled all winter about Price, Betts, and other high-priced Boston names being floated as trade chips. Betts is projected for a hefty $27.7MM salary in his final year of arbitration, though that’s certainly a reasonable price to pay (especially for a big-market team like the Dodgers) for one of the sport’s very best players.
As game-changing as the idea of a Betts trade may be, the Sox aren’t actively trying to deal him, since the club would naturally prefer to explore other cost-saving options before parting ways with the 2018 AL MVP. Moving Price and the $96MM owed to the southpaw through 2022 would be one of those preferred options. While the Sox have drummed up some trade interest in Price, however, it still seems unlikely that a suitor would take on most of that contract given Price’s age (34) and recent injury concerns.
Moving Betts along with Price would definitely make a trade suitors more willing to absorb perhaps even all of Price’s contract, though obviously the Red Sox aren’t willing to move Betts just for the sake of a salary dump. Indeed, Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom recently downplayed the idea of giving away any sort of younger talent along with Price, saying “so much of what we’re always going to be trying to accomplish, but certainly now, is to make sure we have as strong a farm system as possible.”
Morosi opines that the Red Sox would want one of the Dodgers’ top young pitchers (i.e. Dustin May or Tony Gonsolin) as part of a trade, though “Boston appears less insistent on” including infielder Gavin Lux as part of a trade package. It could be for this reason that L.A. is perhaps currently more focused on Betts than on Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, another All-Star who has been heavily rumored to be on the Dodgers’ list of targets. The Lindor talks appear to be in something of a stalemate — Cleveland has continued to demand Lux in any deal for Lindor, while the Dodgers think so highly of Lux’s potential that they “have refused to include him in any offer for Lindor alone.” The Dodgers are also known to be pursuing Cleveland righty Mike Clevinger, so it’s safe to assume that some multi-player offers have been floated in the Tribe’s direction.
Minor MLB Transactions: 1/2/2020
The latest minor league moves from around baseball…
- The Rangers announced the signing of outfielder Henry Ramos to a minors contract with an invitation to the club’s MLB Spring Training camp. Originally a fifth-round pick for the Red Sox in the 2010 draft, Ramos spent his first seven pro seasons in Boston’s farm system before playing in the Dodgers’ organization in 2017-18 and then last season with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate. The switch-hitting Ramos (who turns 28 in April) has a .275/.332/.418 slash line over 3323 career plate appearances in the minor leagues, with the bulk of his playing time coming in right field and center field.
Rangers Hire Darwin Barney As Triple-A Manager
Veteran infielder Darwin Barney will manage the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate in Nashville next season, as per a team press release. The 34-year-old Barney is taking on his first coaching or managerial job, following a playing career that saw him appear in parts of eight MLB seasons.
Barney hit .246/.294/.341 over 2759 career plate appearances and 814 career games with the Cubs, Dodgers, and Blue Jays from 2010-17. While his numbers at the plate weren’t anything special, Barney’s outstanding glovework earned him a spot as Chicago’s regular second baseman in the early part of the decade. Over 5113 career innings as a second baseman, Barney posted 53 Defensive Runs Saved and a +6.7 UZR/150. The 2012 campaign saw Barney post the third-highest (28) DRS total of any second baseman in the last 20 seasons, and Barney was duly was awarded a Gold Glove for his work that year.
Beyond the keystone, Barney also played third base and shortstop as he moved into a utility role later in his career, even amassing 50 innings as a left fielder for the 2016-17 Blue Jays. Barney signed on with the Rangers on a minor league deal prior to the 2018 season, but was released during Spring Training and didn’t catch on with any other clubs.
As per Baseball Reference, Barney earned roughly $10.25MM over his career. We at MLBTR wish Barney congratulations on a fine career and wish him all the best as he embarks on the next phase of his baseball life as a manager.
Latest On Josh Donaldson
The Braves could lose third baseman Josh Donaldson in free agency, but they’re not going down without a fight. They’ve made the longtime star a four-year offer, David O’Brien of The Athletic tweets. They join the Twins and Nationals as teams known to have made recent four-year proposals for Donaldson. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com said Thursday that all three teams seem willing to go to the four-year, $100MM range. The Dodgers and the Rangers can’t be counted out of the race, either, per Feinsand.
This has become an especially fascinating trip through free agency for Donaldson, who MLBTR predicted would sign a three-year, $75MM contract when the proceedings began. However, with fellow third baseman Anthony Rendon and a slew of other standout performers already off the market, the 34-year-old Donaldson is now easily the game’s premier player without a contract. And he partly controls the third base market, as teams that lose out on the Donaldson sweepstakes might pivot to a trade for the Cubs’ Kris Bryant or the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado with no other studs left in free agency.
In the Braves’ case, they could have the prospect capital to trade for Bryant or Arenado, though it remains to be seen whether they’ll go that route. The seven-year, $234MM Arenado’s still owed could prove too rich for their blood. Donaldson shouldn’t cost anywhere near that much in cash, nor would the Braves have to cough up young players for him, and they already know he can thrive in their uniform. The one-time MVP was an integral member of a 2019 Atlanta roster that took home its second consecutive NL East title.