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NL Notes: Epstein, Cubs, Broxton, Braves, Dodgers

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The Cubs’ reported lack of spending capacity has been the offseason’s main storyline out of Wrigley Field, though in a recent radio interview on 670 The Score (partial transcript here), president of baseball operations Theo Epstein dismissed the idea that the Competitive Balance Tax is “dictating any of our actions or inactions this winter at all.”  In regards to the $206MM threshold, “there are times when strategically you want to make sure you’re under it or where you don’t mind going above it. This isn’t one of those offseasons where strategically it makes a heckuva lot of difference to us,” Epstein said.  “It’s just sort of traditional budgeting. You spend what you have. You don’t spend what you don’t have….We have more than enough resources to win, and that’s the way we’re going to continue to approach it.”

It should be noted that the Cubs are already over the CBT threshold, as Roster Resource calculates a luxury tax figure of slightly under $228.5MM for the current 40-man roster.  If crossing the $206MM line altogether isn’t a concern for Epstein and his front office, a bigger issue could be the $246MM threshold, which would trigger a larger tax payment for the Cubs and a ten-position drop in the first round of the 2020 draft.  If this estimated $17.5MM of payroll space is what the team really has to work with, it still doesn’t leave room for a major addition like Bryce Harper, who has been rumored as a target if the Cubs can shave some more salaries off the books.

Here’s more from around the National League…

  • The Brewers’ deep outfield and Keon Broxton’s out-of-options status made him a trade chip for the club, GM David Stearns told reporters (including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt) in the aftermath of the trade that sent Broxton to the Mets.  “Teams are smart, so they looked at our outfield situation and saw we had a couple of out-of-option players who are talented,” Stearns said.  “Teams have been poking around on Keon since the end of the season. We discussed scenarios with different teams and this is the one that finally went over the (finish) line.”  In regards to any outfield additions, Stearns said the team will do its due diligence, but overall, “we are comfortable with the options we have at this point.”
  • “There’s no timetable for a resolution” in the dispute between the Braves and first-round draft pick Carter Stewart, Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.  As detailed by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (subscription required) in early October, the MLBPA filed a grievance claiming that Stewart failed to reach an agreement with the Braves after his physical turned up ligament damage in his wrist, and he’s now seeking to be declared a free agent by Major League Baseball. The grievance alleges that the Braves did not offer Stewart 40 percent of his slot value, which is the minimum offer that must be made to a player in order to receive a compensation pick in the following year’s draft.  Stewart was the eighth overall pick in the 2018 draft, so Atlanta stands to be picking ninth overall in the 2019 draft unless Stewart’s grievance results in a favorable ruling for the young right-hander.  Needless to say, it would be a big setback for the Braves if they missed out on such a high pick and received no compensation whatsoever, so this situation is certainly worth monitoring in the coming weeks or months until some decision is finally reached.
  • “The degree to which the Dodgers pursue [Bryce] Harper will say a lot about where they are headed as a franchise,” Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times opines.  The Dodgers have been rumored to be suitors for Harper all winter, particularly since the team created outfield space and luxury tax space in the Yasiel Puig/Matt Kemp trade with the Reds.  Rather than a long-term mega-deal for Harper, however, the Dodgers have reportedly been more interested in offering shorter-term contracts with a higher average annual value, though Hernandez wonders why money is suddenly an object for a big-market franchise that spent freely for years.  Hernandez argues that L.A. fans won’t be impressed by a sudden restraint in spending, particularly after a season that saw the Dodgers duck under the luxury tax threshold and thus perhaps leave themselves short-handed for the World Series.

Rockies Interested In Brian Dozier On Short-Term Deal

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The Rockies have interest in free agent second baseman Brian Dozier, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports.  The club is only considering short-term options for Dozier, however, and even that type of contract might be questionable depending on the Rockies’ payroll.

Dozier was one of the game’s best all-around second basemen from 2014-17, particularly in the final two years of that stretch when he hit .269/.349/.522 with 76 homers over 1396 plate appearances for the Twins.  Between that big bat, excellent baserunning and at least-average glovework, Dozier looked to be in line for a strong multi-year contract in free agency this winter before running into a rough 2018 campaign.  Dozier hit just .215/.305/.391 with 21 home runs over 632 PA with the Twins and Dodgers last season, with knee problems perhaps contributing to the down year.

In the wake of such a season, the 31-year-old Dozier could be open to a short-term agreement (i.e. a one-year contract with a player option for 2020, or perhaps just a straight one-year deal) as something of a “pillow contract.”  He’d get a chance to re-establish his value this season and then re-enter free agency next winter with a much stronger case for a lucrative multi-year commitment.

The Nationals and Brewers have both been linked to Dozier this winter, and both teams are in the market for a short-term answer at the keystone while a second baseman of the future (Carter Kieboom and Keston Hiura, respectively) waits in the wings for 2020.  The Rockies are somewhat in the same boat, as they currently have noteworthy prospects Garrett Hampson and Ryan McMahon slated for the bulk of second base duties this season, now that DJ LeMahieu is off to test his own free agent wares.  Since Colorado fully plans on contending next season, however, the team could prefer a more established second baseman, and in Dozier’s case, one that could end up being a major contributor if he returns to his old form.

Even on a one-year guarantee, Dozier might still cost too much for the Rockies’ liking, especially since his market is reportedly “starting to heat up.”  Roster Resource already projects Colorado for a club-record Opening Day payroll of just under $151.9MM.  A big chunk of those funds could be covered by a potentially record-setting arbitration payday for superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado, though the bigger issue is the amount of money the Rockies have spent in recent years on underachieving free agents (i.e. Ian Desmond, Jake McGee, Bryan Shaw, Mike Dunn).  Beyond a second baseman, the Rockies could also need to spend to address their catching situation, plus a hole in the bullpen left behind by Adam Ottavino.  The Rockies seem like a prime candidate for a contract swap, or perhaps just a pure salary dump to free up money for Dozier or other additions.

Indians Notes: Kluber, Bauer, Antonetti, Plawecki

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On this day in 1920, Indians pitching legend Early Wynn was born in Hartford, Alabama.  Wynn spent ten of his 23 Major League seasons with the Tribe, a stint that saw him rack up 164 of his 300 career wins in an Indians uniform and led to Wynn wearing a Cleveland hat on his Hall Of Fame plaque.

The latest from the modern-day team…

  • The Indians haven’t dropped their asking price on either Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer, MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi writes, as the Tribe is still looking for “Chris Sale-level return” for either starter.  As a refresher of Sale’s move from the White Sox to the Red Sox in December 2016, Chicago landed arguably baseball’s best prospect (Yoan Moncada), another blue-chip pitching prospect (Michael Kopech) and two other solid minor leaguers (outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe and hard-throwing righty Victor Diaz).  Sale came with three years of team control, in the form of one guaranteed contract year and two option years that the Red Sox have since exercised at very reasonable prices, given Sale’s ace-level production.  Kluber’s contract is also only guaranteed through 2019 with two club option years, though Kluber is also five years older than Sale.  Bauer is only slightly older than Sale was at the time of the trade, though Bauer is only controlled via arbitration for two more years.  Despite the differences between Sale and Kluber/Bauer, Cleveland’s trade ask isn’t unreasonable, though it’s hefty enough that there hasn’t appeared to be much movement towards a deal (if the Tribe trades either pitcher at all).  “There are no signs of recent progress” between the Indians and the Dodgers, who have been often linked to Kluber and Bauer in trade rumblings this winter.
  • If Kluber or Bauer are moved, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer believes a trade could happen later in the offseason, after free agent arms like Dallas Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez, and Derek Holland come off the board.  “I don’t believe the Indians will enter Spring Training without having made one more big move,” Pluto writes, arguing that the team still needs significant lineup help, particularly in the outfield.
  • The Tribe did check one notable item off its list today by acquiring catcher Kevin Plawecki from the Mets.  Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti discussed the trade with MLB.com’s Mandy Bell and other reporters, saying that the playing time split between Plawecki and Roberto Perez likely wouldn’t be determined until Spring Training, though Antonetti feels Perez would likely get the majority of at-bats and youngster Eric Haase will still be in the mix.  “We felt this was an opportunity to acquire another Major League catcher that could help absorb some of the burden in losing Yan [Gomes],” Antonetti said.  He also hinted at more potential deals in the coming weeks, noting “conversations throughout the league have intensified” since the start of January.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Turner, Yelich, Rays, Marlins, ChiSox, Bryce, Manny

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This week in baseball blogs…

Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com

Jeff Banister Joins Pirates’ Front Office

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The Pirates have hired Jeff Banister as a special assistant, baseball operations, the team announced. He joins fellow new hire David Eckstein in that regard.

The 54-year-old Banister is headed back to Pittsburgh, which selected him in the 25th round of the 1986 draft. Banister then spent seven seasons in the Pirates’ minor league system and picked up his sole majors plate appearance with the team in 1991. He eventually went on to manage for five seasons in the minors with Pittsburgh and also spent three seasons as its major league field coordinator and eight as a minor league field coordinator. Banister topped that off by serving as the Pirates’ interim pitching coach in 2008 and their bench coach in 2010.

After his long tenure in Pittsburgh, Banister became the Rangers’ manager in 2014. He held that position through last year, posting a 325-313 regular-season record with a pair of playoff berths and two American League West titles. Perhaps Banister will be in line to become the Pirates’ next manager if Clint Hurdle’s run ends, then, though there’s no indication the Bucs are down on the latter despite three straight non-playoff seasons.

Indians Acquire Kevin Plawecki

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The Indians have acquired catcher Kevin Plawecki from the Mets for right-hander Walker Lockett and infielder Sam Haggerty, Cleveland announced.

This is the second trade of the day for the Mets, who previously acquired infielder/outfielder J.D. Davis in a five-player swap with the Astros. Plawecki became expendable to the Mets when they signed Wilson Ramos in free agency last month, and Sunday’s trade leaves them with three catchers – Ramos, Travis d’Arnaud and Tomas Nido – on their 40-man roster.

The Indians entered Sunday in need of reinforcements behind the plate, as they traded Yan Gomes to the Nationals in November. The subtraction of Gomes left the Indians with Roberto Perez and Eric Haase as the only catchers on their 40-man roster. Perez was a dreadful offensive player in 2018, though, while Haase has totaled a meager 17 major league plate appearances.

A former top-1o0 prospect, the 27-year-old Plawecki debuted in 2016. He has been a respectable hitter since 2017, having batted .225/.330/.379 (97 wRC+) with 10 home runs in 395 PAs. But Plawecki hasn’t been as useful on the defensive end, as Baseball Prospectus ranked him near the bottom of the majors in 2018, when he threw out 23 percent of would-be base stealers (28 percent was the league-average mark).

The 24-year-old Lockett had a short stint with the Indians, who acquired him in a November trade with the Padres. A fourth-round pick of the Padres in 2012, Lockett debuted in the majors last year, though the results weren’t pretty. Lockett pitched to a 9.60 ERA in 15 innings in San Diego, but he has been better at the Triple-A level, where he has put up a 4.60 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 over 206 2/3 frames. Haggerty, also 24, joined the Indians as a 24th-round pick in 2015. He has since hit .244/.349/.373 in 1,341 minor league PAs.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mets Acquire J.D. Davis

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The Mets and Astros have swung a five-player trade centering on corner infielder/outfielder J.D. Davis, according to both teams. New York has acquired Davis and minor league infielder Cody Bohanek in exchange for three minor leaguers – second baseman Luis Santana, outfielder Ross Adolph and catcher Scott Manea.

A third-round pick of the Astros in 2014, Davis ranked among the team’s top-15 prospects at Baseball America through the 2017 campaign. Davis has shown plenty of promise by raking in the minors, particularly at the Triple-A level, where he debuted in 2017 and has slashed .335/.400/.589 with 22 home runs in 450 plate appearances. He has also picked up experience at all four corner positions at Triple-A, though most of his professional work has come at third base.

While Davis held his own in Houston’s system, he wasn’t much of a factor in the majors for the club. The right-handed batter performed decently across 68 PAs in 2017, the year the Astros won the World Series, but was ineffective across 113 trips last season. Thus far, Davis is just a .194/.260/.321 hitter with five homers in 181 major league PAs. Thanks in part to Davis’ big league struggles, not to mention the Astros’ collection of talent at the corners, they deemed him expendable.

In New York, the soon-to-be 26-year-old Davis will provide depth behind third baseman Todd Frazier, whichever first baseman the Mets choose (be it Peter Alonso, Dominic Smith or Jeff McNeil) and corner outfielders Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto. With two minor league options remaining, the Mets won’t be under pressure to place Davis on their Opening Day roster. Bohanek, meanwhile, will surely start in the Mets’ minor league system, as the 23-year-old has totaled just 43 PAs above the High-A level since the Astros chose him in the 30th round of the 2017 draft.

Of the players going to Houston, only Santana, 19, ranked among New York’s top 30 prospects at MLB.com. The 5-foot-8 Santana placed 24th, with the outlet lauding his “very advanced approach at the plate” and his makeup. Santana was dominant last season in rookie ball, where he hit .348/.446/.471 with more walks (27) than strikeouts (23) over 242 PAs. He’s a “shrewd” addition for the Astros, Keith Law of ESPN observes.

Adolph, 22, joined the Mets in the 12th round of last summer’s draft. He then proceeded to slash .276/.348/.509 with seven homers and 14 steals in 264 PAs at the Low-A level. The 23-year-old Manea had been with the Mets since they grabbed him in the 40th round of the 2014 draft. He hasn’t yet gotten past Single-A, though Astros president Jeff Luhnow said Sunday (via Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle) that the team believes Manea “can move pretty quickly and has a chance to be a big league catcher.”

Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports first reported the Mets were close to acquiring Davis. Andy Martino of SNY tweeted the Mets would get Davis and that the Astros would receive minor leaguers in the swap. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

6 To 7 Teams Interested In Justin Wilson

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With left-hander Zach Britton having come off the free-agent market Saturday, Justin Wilson is arguably the most desirable southpaw reliever available. Interest in Wilson is high, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports six to seven teams are vying for him.

The Mets are the only known team who have eyed Wilson, a 31-year-old who has been largely effective since he cracked the majors with the Pirates in 2012. Also a former Yankee, Tiger and Cub, Wilson has tossed upward of 50 innings in each of his six full big league seasons, and has notched a 3.33 ERA/3.30 FIP with 9.88 K/9, 4.03 BB/9 and a 46.4 percent groundball rate. Along the way, Wilson has been useful against both left- and right-handed hitters, having held the former to a .239/.319/.345 line and the latter to an even worse mark (.210/.305/.323).

Unfortunately for Wilson, he hit the market at a somewhat inopportune time, as he wasn’t at top form over the previous two seasons. While Wilson prevented runs at a solid clip (3.43 ERA/3.51 FIP in 112 2/3 frames) and struck out hitters at an even more impressive rate (11.9 per nine), his control and groundball numbers took significant steps backward. Wilson walked 5.43 batters per nine in each of those seasons and, after generating grounders 54.9 percent of the time in 2016, fell into the mid-30s from 2017-18. Still, though, the hard-throwing Wilson has seldom been prone to the home run ball, and he has limited damaging contact by posting a double-digit infield fly percentage in each of his seasons.

Market Notes: Dozier, Allen, Yanks, Tulo, Mets

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Free-agent second baseman Brian Dozier’s market is “starting to heat up,” Jon Heyman of Fancred tweets. On the heels of an uncharacteristically pedestrian campaign divided between the Twins and Dodgers, the 31-year-old Dozier has drawn reported interest from just two teams – the Nationals and Brewers – this offseason. But Dozier’s no doubt one of the most accomplished veterans remaining in free agency, and he’s not far removed from posting excellent production on a regular basis. From 2013-17, Dozier averaged 4.3 fWAR, 29 home runs and 16 stolen bases per season.

  • As with Dozier, free-agent reliever Cody Allen has encountered more interest of late, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com relays. Reported interest in Allen has been scarce since he, like Dozier, put up surprisingly underwhelming numbers in 2018. Now 30, Allen was consistently one of the majors’ most reliable closers and bullpen workhorses from 2013-17, over which he converted 120 of 135 save chances and registered a 2.59 ERA with 11.93 K/9 and 3.26 BB/9 across 344 2/3 innings. Had that version of Allen stuck around in ’18, he’d have been in contention for one of the majors’ richest contracts among this winter’s crop of free-agent relievers. Instead, Allen pitched to a 4.70 ERA with 10.75 BB/9 and 4.43 BB/9, though he did make good on 27 of 32 save chances and tally another 67 frames.
  • During the Yankees’ courtship of Troy Tulowitzki, the two sides never discussed a utility role for the longtime shortstop, according to Andy Martino of SNY. Rather, short was the only position on the table for the 34-year-old Tulowitzki, whom the Yankees officially signed Friday. Barring a change from the Yankees (who are pursuing free-agent shortstop/third baseman Manny Machado), Tulo will fill in for injured shortstop Didi Gregorius at the outset of next season. It’ll be interesting to see how the Yankees’ infield will align if they sign Machado, then. He could go back to third, the position he has handled with brilliance for most of his career, but it’s unclear how that would affect 2018 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up Miguel Andujar.
  • After acquiring center fielder Keon Broxton from the Brewers on Saturday, the Mets “aren’t so sure” they’ll pick up another major league outfielder this offseason, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. The club could still scoop up a free-agent outfielder(s) on a minor league deal – as it did Saturday with Rymer Liriano, who followed Rajai Davis and Gregor Blanco in that regard – but it doesn’t seem as if New York is in play anymore for a high-profile addition in the grass. The Mets have frequented rumors for free-agent center fielder A.J. Pollock as much as any other team, though it’s questionable whether there’s room for him on the roster. Along with Broxton and Juan Lagares in center, the team has everyday outfielders Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto in the corners, not to mention the rehabbing Yoenis Cespedes.

Pirates Add David Eckstein To Front Office

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The Pirates have hired former major league infielder David Eckstein to serve as a special assistant for baseball operations, Adam Berry of MLB.com was among those to cover. He’s now in the same organization as his brother Rick Eckstein, who’s entering his first season as the Pirates’ hitting coach.

This is David Eckstein’s first front office role since his playing career ended in 2010, though he has garnered some coaching experience with the Angels, Diamondbacks and USA Baseball, as Berry points out. Pirates general manager Neal Huntington noted that the “intelligence, intensity and a unique drive and energy” of Eckstein “will be an asset for our Major League team and player development system as a teacher and mentor.”

Now 43, the diminutive Eckstein was known for getting the most out of his talent during his tenure as a big league second baseman and shortstop. A 19th-round pick of the Red Sox in 1997, Eckstein began making his mark a few years later in Anaheim, which claimed him off waivers from Boston in 2000. Eckstein debuted in 2001 and enjoyed a successful four-year run with the Angels, whom he helped take home their only World Series title in 2002. He then moved on to St. Louis, where he played from 2005-07, earned a pair of All-Star nods and collected 2006 World Series MVP honors as part of yet another championship-winning squad.

Eckstein divided the final three years of his career among Toronto, Arizona and San Diego, finishing with a .281/.345/.355 lifetime line, 35 home runs, 123 stolen bases and 16.8 fWAR in 5,705 plate appearances.

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