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NL Central Notes: Taillon, Brewers, Shaw, Perez, Reds

By Connor Byrne | February 16, 2019 at 7:09pm CDT

Contract extensions, including deals for right-handers Aaron Nola (Phillies) and Luis Severino (Yankees), have been a dominant story across Major League Baseball this week. Sooner than later, the Pirates should follow the Phillies and Yankees in inking their own excellent young righty, Jameson Taillon, for the long haul, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review opines. Unlike Philly and New York, both of which secured their aces to four-year guarantees worth $40MM or more, Pittsburgh’s not a big spender, perhaps making it all the more important for the Bucs to lock up Taillon at an affordable price in the near future. However, Taillon – who still has four years of control remaining, including three arbitration-eligible seasons – revealed this week that he and the club “haven’t talked about anything” yet. Barring an unexpected change, the 27-year-old will pitch this season for a relative pittance after logging a 3.20 ERA/3.46 FIP with 8.43 K/9 and 2.17 BB/9 over 191 innings in 2018.

Heyman’s Latest: Angels, Moose, Ramos, Braves, Marlins, Camargo

By Connor Byrne | February 16, 2019 at 5:59pm CDT

The latest rumblings from Jon Heyman of MLB Network…

The Angels are among a handful of teams in on free-agent third baseman Mike Moustakas, joining the previously reported Brewers-Padres-Phillies trio, Heyman tweets. This is the second straight offseason in which the Angels have shown interest in Moustakas, a Los Angeles native who, per Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star, turned down a three-year, $45MM offer from the Halos last winter. Agent Scott Boras denied that, but regardless, Moustakas ended up settling for a one-year, $6.5MM guarantee to re-sign with the Royals. The 30-year-old then went on to post a typically decent season (105 wRC+, 2.1 fWAR in 635 plate appearances) divided between KC and Milwaukee. Now, if Moustakas joins the Angels, he’d presumably be the favorite to start at third for the club. His presence would likely push Zack Cozart to second base, thus sending David Fletcher to the bench, but given that Moustakas is a lefty and Cozart a righty, the two could perhaps platoon at third.
When Atlanta was pursuing catcher J.T. Realmuto, whom Miami has since traded to Philadelphia, Braves infielder Johan Camargo drew the Marlins’ interest, Heyman reports. The Braves continue to view Camargo as a key piece, however, despite the one-year, $23MM deal they struck with third baseman Josh Donaldson earlier this offseason. Camargo is coming off a terrific 2018, which he spent at third and posted 3.3 fWAR with a .272/.349/.457 line and 19 home runs in 524 plate appearances. Though Camargo doesn’t have a set position heading into the new season, the 25-year-old should see plenty of action nonetheless. Adding to his appeal, Camargo’s controllable for the next half-decade, including one more pre-arbitration season.
Back to the Angels, who targeted catcher Wilson Ramos before he signed with the Mets in free agency on a two-year, $19MM contract. It turns out that the Angels offered Ramos a “similar” deal before he chose the Mets, Heyman relays. After losing out on Ramos, the Angels made a less exciting pickup, signing Jonathan Lucroy to a one-year, $3.35MM pact. They’re left to hope the combination of Lucroy, Kevan Smith and Jose Briceno – the only catchers on their 40-man roster – will hold their own in 2019.

Orioles Sign Alcides Escobar To Minor League Deal

By Ty Bradley | February 16, 2019 at 1:20pm CDT

Per a team release, the Orioles have signed shortstop Alcides Escobar to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that Escobar will receive $700K if he cracks the big-league roster.

Escobar, 32, finally fell out of favor in Kansas City, where from 2015-18 his .251/.284/.336 (64 wRC+) line was the worst among all qualified regulars in the majors. Still, the 2015 All-Star has been remarkably durable throughout his big-league career, appearing in at least 140 games in each of the last nine seasons, and should at least offer defensive stability to a hazy Baltimore infield picture.

Escobar arrived to much fanfare in Kansas City after the 2010 trade that sent Zack Greinke to Milwaukee. He flashed his defensive chops early, posting 10 DRS and a 9.6 UZR rating in his first full season with the Royals, though his grounder-heavy bat was a harbinger of outs to come. After a slight lift-off the next season, Escobar again cratered offensively (a cringe-worthy 49 wRC+) in 2013 before leading a late-season charge to the pennant the following year. That 3.5 fWAR campaign would prove to be the shortstop’s high-water mark: discipline issues – a 4.1% career walk rate – sent the once-leadoff man to back-of-the-order rehab, from which he’d emerge only sporadically.

His long-heralded defense, too, has been anything but, according to the advanced metrics. DRS has rated Escobar below-league-average at the position in six of the last seven seasons, pegging him at a career-low -12 in 2018. UZR finally severed its sort-of attachment in 2016, but has never considered the former top 100 prospect a top-of-the-scale defender at the position.

Still, Escobar probably holds the inside track to the Oriole shortstop job in 2019. His competitors – Richie Martin, Drew Jackson, and maybe Jonathan Villar, who seems a better fit at second – haven’t much asserted themselves in recent years, and none are a sure bet to handle the rigors of the position on the regular.

Angels, Luke Bard Agree To Minors Deal

By Ty Bradley | February 16, 2019 at 12:56pm CDT

The Angels have signed reliever Luke Bard to a minor league deal, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.

Bard, 28, was a Rule V selection by Los Angeles last winter; after a lukewarm April audition, in which the righty was deployed mostly in mop-up duty, Luke was shuttled back to Minnesota, with whom he spent the rest of the season in AAA.

A Trackman dandy, Bard was coveted in the Rule-5 for his super-high spin rates – his 2770 average RPM on the four-seam ranked first among MLB hurlers with at least 100 fastballs thrown last season – and newfound ability to miss bats. In five minor league seasons before 2016, the Georgia Tech-product didn’t post a K-rate north of 8.08 per nine; since, he’s hovered around twelve, though the transition from heavy sink to top-of-the-zone heat has left him susceptible to the occasional gopher ball.

The organizational favorite would figure to be in the mix at the front end of the team’s pen, where he’ll curl neatly behind a number of similar-archetype low-budget finds.

CC Sabathia Officially Announces Retirement After 2019 Season

By TC Zencka | February 16, 2019 at 12:17pm CDT

In a press conference in front of the Steinbrenners, most of the Yankee roster and his wife and kids, C.C. Sabathia has officially announced his intentions to retire at the conclusion of the 2019 season.

Included in a statement released by the team was written statements from a wide-ranging collection of voices, including Derek Jeter, Joe Girardi, LeBron James, Fat Joe, Steve Kerr, the major of Sabathia’s hometown Bob Sampayan, Tiki Barber and more. It’s quite the show of support for Sabathia, whose storied career will come to an end after 2019, his 19th year in the league. In a career that included stops with the Indians, Brewers and Yankees, Sabathia has thus far amassed 246 wins in 3,470 innings across 538 regular season appearances, all starts. Presently, he trails Bartolo Colon by one win for the lead among active players.

Sabathia is a 6-time All-Star and American League Cy Young award winner in 2007. He was named MVP of the ALCS in 2009 after going 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in helping the Yankees down the Los Angeles Angels to win the pennant. The Yanks, of course, won the World Series that season, with Sabathia earning his keep in two World Series starts against the Phillies, though the Yanks split the two games in which Sabathia started. Though Sabathia’s career can largely be viewed as a two-part story – the first part in Cleveland, the second with the Yankees – his most memorable performance might be the work he put in for half a season in Milwaukee in 2008. He famously went 11-2 down the stretch with a 1.65 ERA and an insane 7 complete games and three shutouts in 17 starts. Going on short rest multiple times, Sabathia put on a show of endurance and durability plucked from a different era. In doing so, he also became the only pitcher of the Modern Era (since 1900) to record 120 strikeouts with two teams in a single season.

We could spend all day lauding Sabathia’s many accolades, and he’s not done yet. For now, Sabathia is fifth in AL history with 2,858 strikeouts, the most ever by a lefty. He is the active leader in that category, as well as innings pitched and quality starts. He has a good chance of overtaking Colon at some point this season for the active lead in wins. The Yankees are likely to closely monitor Sabathia’s workload this season, though he continues to pitch well deep into his thirties, taking 29 turns last year with a 3.65 ERA in 153 innings. Today’s announcement grants Sabathia, 38, the opportunity of a farewell tour as he makes his final starts in ballparks around the league.

Quick Hits: Giants, Harper, Iglesias, Severino

By TC Zencka | February 16, 2019 at 12:04pm CDT

Giants frontman Farhan Zaidi is still exploring trade opportunities, per Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter). The recent additions of Gerardo Parra, Craig Gentry, and Yangervis Solarte, after all, aren’t likely to form the backbone of the next World Series champion in the Bay. Still, they fit as puzzle pieces in Zaidi’s strategy to build the organization’s depth while maintaining future roster flexibility. They’re particularly high on Solarte, whom they see as a switch-hitter with above-average contact skills and 15-20 homer potential. His ability to play all over the field should keep him getting regular at-bats, Crowley writes in the Mercury News, and the Giants are optimistic about the potential returns. Per his word, Zaidi has focused on building depth and flexibility thus far, extending more than 20 invites to major league camp and avoiding any long-term roster obligations. Of course, Bryce Harper remains at large, and the Giants have emerged as a potential suitor. One would think Harper would be the type of foundational piece who could buoy the type of depth Zaidi is amassing, but Zaidi knows that even a talent like Harper isn’t a cure-all. For now, Harper remains one avenue among many open to Zaidi. In that sense, he fits Zaidi’s plan perfectly. Let’s check in on a couple other notes from around the league…

New Reds manager David Bell won’t assign the “closer” label to Raisel Iglesias, as the Reds are buying the new fad gripping bullpens league-wide of role fluidity, per the Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans. Put simply, the Reds plan on using Iglesias to help them win games. If that manifests itself through an appearance in the 7th or 8th, so be it. Still, the Reds anticipate Iglesias getting the bulk of save opportunities. Jared Hughes, David Hernandez and Amir Garrett could be called upon to close out games when Iglesias is unavailable. Traditional thinking has kept bullpen arms in well-defined roles in part because of the supposed psychological benefits of “knowing your role” – otherwise known as clear expectations. Bell and the Reds staff plan on communicating often with the bullpen crew, making sure that they are aware of their roles, even as those roles prove more dynamic than in year’s past.
It’s probably better for players overall if Luis Severino and Aaron Nola go year-to-year through the arbitration process, writes Joel Sherman of the NY Post, but therein lies the quandary for players weighing the risk/reward of securing their own long-term futures against market growth. While setting high arbitration annuals and reaching free agency at the earliest possible moment might technically be the best thing for the player market overall, Severino’s prudent personal decision to lock-in the first significant payday of his career makes a lot of sense from a personal standpoint. His future value was always going to be vulnerable to injury or further uneven performance such as his struggles at the end of last season. The competing interests of individual security v. collective wealth is a disadvantage the players’ union will face continually in the lead up to CBA negotiations in 2021. Yasmani Grandal represents the best recent example of the other side of this issue, as he took a one-year deal over multi-year offers in part to keep establishing higher AAVs for catchers.

Rockies Notes: Chemistry, Leadoff, Bullpen Roles

By TC Zencka | February 16, 2019 at 11:26am CDT

Although team chemistry is difficult to gauge and impossible to measure, there’s little doubt to the positive impact made by lead-by-example types Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. While Arenado and Blackmon make the culture what it is with their intensity and work ethic – as they should since they’re the two highest paid players on the team – they’re not necessarily vocal leaders. Someone will have to step into the void left by the departures of Carlos Gonzalez, Gerardo Parra and DJ LeMahieu, three players who handled a brunt of the interpersonal clubhouse responsibilities last season. Parra kept the mood light, LeMahieu fueled the competitive spirit, and CarGo took on the responsibility of access, making himself available to the press more often than not. The latter is an interesting and important responsibility, as some guys are better than others at shutting out the noise that comes with playing professionally. Mark Reynolds figures to be a top candidate to take on some of the emotional management of the Rockies’ clubhouse, but other veterans like Ian Desmond and Chris Iannetta will have the opportunity to play more of a leadership role as well. More from Saunders on the Rockies 2019 season…

In a separate piece for the Denver Post, Saunders notes that manager Bud Black likes the potency of Blackmon’s bat at the top of the lineup, and he plans to keep him there for 2019. With slugging percentages of .552, .601, and .502 the last three seasons, Blackmon fits the mold of a more traditional middle of the order bat, but Black likes the threat of the home run ball from the jump. LeMahieu handles roughly half of last season’s leadoff responsibilities (with Blackmon bumped to second), but with him in New York there will be a new face at the top of the Rockies lineup. Daniel Murphy figures to fit somewhere in the top of the order mix, but youngster Garrett Hampson is another natural choice to play himself into the conversation. With walk rates between 9.0% and 15.4% in his three minor league seasons, along with solid contact rates, Hampson has the potential to match LeMahieu’s contact ability while adding to it a more disciplined approach.
Whereas most of the league is turning to fluid bullpen roles and innovations like the Opener and the multi-inning stopper, Black and the Rockies maintain a more traditional bullpen philosophy, writes Saunders. Black prefers not only to have a standard closer, but also a regular eighth inning arm. Wade Davis figures to return to the closer role, but with Adam Ottavino gone, the eighth inning is up for grabs. A spring competition ought to iron out the exact bullpen roles, with Seunghwan Oh and Scott Oberg the odds-on favorites to land the setup gig, with veterans Bryan Shaw and Jake McGee peripheral contenders. Oberg made major strides last seasons, earning Black’s trust down the stretch last season as he cut his walk rate from a career 4.2 BB/9 to 1.8 BB/9 in 2018.

Rangers Sign Adam Moore To Minor League Deal

By TC Zencka | February 16, 2019 at 11:00am CDT

The Rangers signed catcher Adam Moore to a minor league deal and invited him to major league camp, per John Blake, the team’s Executive VP of Communications (via Twitter). Moore passed his physical this morning, making the deal official, per Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). The Rangers now have 66 players in camp from whom they will eventually form their 25-man Opening Day roster.

Moore joins a relatively deep corps of prospective backstops vying for the backup job in Texas. Jeff Mathis has a loose hold on starter’s minutes as of now, with Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Jett Bandy, Tony Sanchez and Jose Trevino also in the room. Kiner-Falefa presented a decent showing in 2018, batting .261/.325/.357 while splitting time behind the plate and in the infield, primarily at second and third. Mathis has a strong defensive reputation, of course, but if this group remains as is, it would be one of the weaker prospective catching teams in the majors.

Moore has seen time on major league rosters in 9 of the last 10 seasons, but only once has he passed the double digit mark – back in 2010, he hit .195/.230/.283 in 218 plate appearances for the Mariners. Moore has also appeared for the Royals, Padres, Indians and Rays. Moore, 34, is used to seeing regular time in Triple A, where he spent the majority of last season. For the Rays’ top affiliate, Moore hit an uninspired .219/.260/.347. Given his struggles with the stick, Moore is likeliest to play a similar role in Texas if he stays with the club past Spring Training.

NL Central Notes: Tazawa, Brach, Pirates, Goldschmidt

By TC Zencka | February 16, 2019 at 9:52am CDT

Junichi Tazawa is set to arrive in Cubs camp on Monday after working out visa issues that delayed his arrival, per the Chicago Tribune’s Mark Gonzales. Tazawa remains a long shot to make the Cubs Opening Day roster, as he hasn’t been an asset to a major league bullpen since 2016 with the Red Sox. After posting a 7.07 ERA for the Marlins and Angels last season, Tazawa looks to re-establish himself in Cubs camp for former employer Theo Epstein, though again, the window of opportunity in Chicago is slim. Pedro Strop, Carl Edwards Jr., Steve Cishek, Mike Montgomery, Brandon Kintzler, and newcomer Brad Brach all figure to hold down spots in the Chicago pen, leaving Tazawa to compete for the final remaining innings with Xavier Cedeno, Tyler Chatwood, Alec Mills, Brian Duensing, Dillon Maples, Randy Rosario, and a few others. Brandon Morrow’s injury provides a limited-time opportunity for someone, but he’ll obviously take over one of those open spots when he returns for the injured list. Here are a few more notes from the Cubs bullpen and the rest of the NL Central…

A couple weeks before being traded from the Orioles to the Braves last season, reliever Brad Brach noticed his arm slot had shifted higher than usual, writes the Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma. When his release point shifts over-the-top, Brach loses some of the deception in his delivery and changes the plane of his pitch movement. He is cognizant, however, that he’s more effective as he stays closer to a three-quarters delivery. The mechanical adjustment certainly seemed to help as he turned in 23 2/3 innings of 1.52 ERA ball after joining the Braves. His peripherals don’t wholly buy the shift in performance, but his fastball command certainly improved and that’s the foundation of his arsenal. Of course, the revelation is only one part of the process, as refining and automating the lower arm slot will continue to be a process as he starts throwing again this season. If Brach can repeat his delivery consistently, he may prove to be a significant addition to a Cubs pen who needs the help.
Brach should have no trouble keeping his competitive edge with the Cubs, who are facing a dogfight in a tight National League Central. There’s no tanking here, where the Reds have raised the floor with marked improvements to their rotation this offseason. The Cardinals and Brewers have made obvious win-now additions this winter as well, and while the Cubs have largely stood pat (excepting additions like Brach above), there’s little doubt they will be in the competitive mix once again. The sleeper in the division and maybe the league is the Pirates, per Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The PECOTA projection system has the Pirates ahead of the Cubs, and though they’ve been quiet this winter, their biggest additions were made at least year’s deadline when they traded for Chris Archer and Keone Kela. It would certainly be a surprise for the Pirates to steal the NL Central from such a crowded field, but they’re only three years removed from the most successful stretch in recent franchise history and they finished above .500 last season. A Pirates division title would be surprising, for sure, but it’s not inconceivable.
In a video for CBS Sports, Jim Bowden expresses optimism that Paul Goldschmidt will outperform both Bryce Harper and Manny Machado en route to an MVP-type season. Goldschmidt should certainly bolster the Cardinals offense in 2019, though his long-term future with the club remains uncertain. The Cardinals are pursuing an extension with Goldschmidt, and given the current free agent market, Goldy would be wise to at least consider locking up his long-term future now if the offer is fair.

AL Notes: Vlad Jr., Bogaerts, Twins, Castellanos

By Jeff Todd | February 16, 2019 at 12:27am CDT

It has long seemed obvious that the Blue Jays would prefer to hold top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at Triple-A to open the 2019 season. After all, the team decided not to call him up late last season and can push back his potential free agency by one season if they keep him down for at least a brief stretch to begin the new campaign. GM Ross Atkins declined yesterday to provide any kind of hint as to the anticipated timing, as Keegan Matheson of the Score tweets, though he did so in a manner that seemingly suggests the club is indeed preparing to hold off on a call-up. “There’s no firm timeline on when [Guerrero] arrives or when he is playing in Toronto for the first time,” said Atkins, “but we want to make sure he’s the best possible third baseman and the best possible hitter he can be.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes from the American League …

The Red Sox and shortstop Xander Bogaerts reportedly failed to gain traction in extension talks earlier this winter. Perhaps it’s still possible, though, that the pending free agent could line up with the organization on a new deal. As John Tomase of WEEI.com writes, Bogaerts acknowledged that the slow-developing free agent market provides cause for him to consider extension scenarios — “you obviously have to think about that,” he said — though he also did not exactly hint that he’s particularly inclined to forego the risks and upside of the open market. The 26-year-old called this winter’s market developments “weird.” As for the possibility of a future in Boston, he ultimately would say only that he likes playing with the team and that “we’ll see what happens.”
While the Twins have looked into extensions with multiple young players, and recently locked up both Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco, all is quiet on that front at this point, per LaVelle E. Neal III off the Star Tribune (via Twitter). Players such as outfielder Eddie Rosario and righty Jose Berrios would seem to represent highly appealing targets, though both also have added leverage due to their strong 2018 seasons.
The Tigers, meanwhile, do not appear to have anything in the works with outfielder Nicholas Castellanos, who seems to be more of a mid-season trade candidate than extension candidate. Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press writes that skipper Ron Gardenhire would prefer Castellanos stick around. He just might get his wish, at least for the first half of the season, as it still seems there’s insufficient market interest in the defensively challenged slugger to pique the Detroit organization’s interest.

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