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Rangers, Matt Davidson Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Rangers have agreed to a minor league contract with corner infielder Matt Davidson, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Passan. He’ll presumably head to Major League Spring Training, and, interestingly, will work as both an infielder and a pitcher with his new organization, according to Passan. Davidson is represented by MVP Sports.

Davidson, 28 in March, more than doubled his career walk rate last season, walking in 10.5 percent of his plate appearances after doing so at only a 4.3 percent pace in 2017. That increase in plate discipline came at the expense of some of Davidson’s power, though, and strikeouts remained a severe issue (33.3 percent). Overall, he hit .228/.319/.419 with 20 home runs in 496 plate appearances last year and has 46 home runs in his past 939 PAs. He’s primarily been a corner infielder and, if he makes the MLB roster, would give the Rangers a right-handed bat to back up at first base, third base and designated hitter.

On the pitching side of the equation, Davidson is obviously even more of a work in progress. To his credit, though, he tossed three shutout innings of relief last season with a pair of strikeouts, one hit and one walk allowed. Davidson’s fastball sat at only 90 mph in that tiny sample, though one would imagine that with greater focus on pitching, that number could trend upwards.

Rangers Sign Jason Hammel To Minor League Contract

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The Rangers announced Friday that they’ve signed veteran right-hander Jason Hammel to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Hammel is represented by ACES.

Hammel wrapped up an ill-fated two-year, $16MM contract with the Royals this past season and will head to the Rangers in search of a rebound on the heels of two of his worst big league seasons. As a Royal, Hammel struggled to a 5.59 ERA in 307 1/3 innings, averaging 6.9 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 with below-average ground-ball tendencies. Fielding-independent metrics felt he was marginally better (4.44 FIP, 4.95 xFIP), but the overall results were a far cry from the strong work turned in by Hammel from 2014-16 between the Cubs and the Athletics. Over those three years, Hammel logged a 3.68 ERA with 474 strikeouts against 173 alks in 513 2/3 innings.

The addition of Hammel is the latest depth move for a Rangers organization that has prioritized stockpiling inexpensive rotation pieces for much of the offseason. As was the case last winter, Texas made a three-year signing — this year it was Lance Lynn for $30MM; last offseason it was Mike Minor for $28MM — followed by a series of smaller-scale additions. Texas has added Drew Smyly and Shelby Miller to the rotation picture, too, and selected the contract of veteran Edinson Volquez to the Major League roster. (Volquez had previously signed a two-year minor league contract as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.)

Giants Claim John Andreoli, Designate Derek Law

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The Giants announced Friday that they have claimed outfielder John Andreoli off waivers from the Rangers. Texas designated him for assignment earlier this week after signing Shawn Kelley to a one-year contract. In order to make room on the 40-man roster for Andreoli, the Giants designated right-hander Derek Law for assignment.

Andreoli split the 2018 season between the Orioles and the Mariners, posting a combined .230/.284/.262 slash in a tiny sample of 67 plate appearances. He has a strong track record of getting on base in the upper minors, as evidenced by his .264/.371/.408 batting line in nearly 2000 Triple-A plate appearances, and he’s knocked 34 homers, 83 doubles and 26 triples in that time while also collecting 121 steals. He’ll give the Giants a much needed outfield option, although with San Francisco reportedly on the hunt for additional veteran outfielders, it’s far from a guarantee that Andreoli will factor prominently into the organization’s 2019 plans.

As for Law, the 28-year-old burst onto the scene with a dominant rookie campaign in 2016 but has failed to approximate that year’s success in two subsequent efforts. Law was dominant as a rookie, recording a 2.13 ERA with a 50-to-9 K/BB ratio and a 50.3 percent ground-ball rate in 55 innings out of Bruce Bochy’s bullpen. Fielding-independent metrics largely supported that emphatic announcement of his arrival in the Majors, with FIP (2.53), xFIP (3.12) and SIERA (3.00) all concurring on his excellence.

Since that time, however, Law has been torched for a 5.68 ERA in 50 2/3 MLB frames. While his strikeout rate has remained constant, his 3.9 BB/9 mark over the past two seasons is two and a half times higher than his 1.5 mark as a rookie. His ground-ball rate, meanwhile, plummeted by more than 10 percent, with his home-run rate experiencing a corresponding spike. Law’s fastball velocity hasn’t depreciated, so perhaps another club will look at him as an intriguing bullpen reclamation project. He’s out of minor league options, so any club that picks him up (be it via trade or waivers) will need to carry him onto the Opening Day roster or else expose him to waivers.

Nationals Win Arbitration Case Against Michael A. Taylor

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The Nationals won their arbitration case against outfielder Michael A. Taylor reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). He’ll earn the $3.25MM figure that the team submitted rather than the $3.5MM figure at which he filed. Taylor was arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter and will be eligible once more next offseason before reaching free agent in the 2020-21 offseason.

Taylor, 28 in March, will receive a $725K raise over last year’s $2.525MM salary on the heels of a down season in which he hit just .227/.287/.357 with six homers, 22 doubles and three triples in 385 plate appearances. That marked a noted drop-off from his solid 2017 output: a .271/.20/.486 slash with 19 home runs, 23 doubles and three triples.

At present, Taylor will have an expanded role with the Nationals early in the 2019 campaign. The potential departure of Bryce Harper could put Taylor in line for increased at-bats alongside fellow outfielders Juan Soto and Adam Eaton, though the looming presence of top prospect Victor Robles casts a shadow over Taylor’s playing time. Whether it’s Opening Day or later in the upcoming season, Robles will get a shot at cementing himself as Washington’s everyday center fielder, at which point Taylor will again revert to a more limited role. And, of course, if the Nationals do bring Harper back to the organization, playing time will be all the more difficult to come by for Taylor.

As always, you can keep up to date with this year’s ongoing arbitration hearings and settlements in MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker. With Taylor, Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner, Joe Ross and Sammy Solis out of the way, Washington’s lone remaining unsettled case is that of reliever Kyle Barraclough.

Astros Sign Wade Miley

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Feb. 1: The Astros have formally announced the signing. Houston’s 40-man roster is now at 39 players.

Jan. 31: The Astros have agreed to a one-year deal with lefty Wade Miley, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). The O’Connell Sports Management client receives a $4.5MM guarantee and can tack on $500K in incentives, Bob Nightengale of USA Today adds (Twitter links).

Miley becomes the latest mid-range starter to settle for a one-year pact after entering the offseason with a case for a multi-season arrangement. He’ll presumably step into the Houston rotation, though his incentives package includes provisions allowing him to earn either for starts or relief appearances, per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post (Twitter link).

This trip through free agency may not have been quite as financially rewarding as Miley might have hoped, but he landed with a clear contender and certainly fared better than he did the last time around. Miley settled for a minors pact last year with the Brewers after a rough two-season run, but turned things around after overcoming some health issues early in the season.

All told, Miley worked to a 2.57 ERA in 80 2/3 frames over 16 starts last year in Milwaukee. He averaged only 5.6 K/9 with 3.0 BB/9, but generated a robust 52.8% groundball rate and allowed only three home runs on the year.

In some regards, Miley was not a substantially different pitcher last year than he had been over the prior seven seasons. His swinging-strike rate sat just a half percentage point above his lifetime 8.6% mark; his average fastball velocity sat right at his career mean of ~92 mph. But that only tells part of the story, as Miley drastically revamped his arsenal in a manner that obviously paid dividends.

In particular, Miley ramped up usage of his cutter, which became his most-used and most-effective pitch, while burying his sinker and slider in favor of enhanced usage of a curve and change. He surrendered much more pull-side contact than before, but with a career-high 2.24 GB/FB rate, the shift-savvy Brewers were able to gobble up quite a few of those well-struck balls. Miley also induced weak contact on 19.5% of the balls put in play against him and ended the season with a career-low .269 BABIP-against.

That last figure — batting average on balls in play — is an interesting one to consider. Any change in Miley’s fortunes in that area, or in the number of balls that leave the yard, could reverse his turnaround. First, though, opposing hitters will have to find a way to solve Miley’s two favorite new offerings; they managed sub-.200 batting averages and sub-.300 slugging percentages against both his cutter and curve last year. Statcast was duly impressed, as it credited Miley with a .300 xwOBA that largely supports the weak .283 wOBA mark he held batters to.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Orioles, Jesus Sucre Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Orioles are in agreement on a minor league contract with catcher Jesus Sucre, tweets USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. He’ll be invited to Major League Spring Training and would earn $850K if he makes the big league roster. Sucre can also opt out of the contract on March 22 if he’s not on the MLB roster at that point.

Sucre, 30, spent the past two seasons with the Rays, hitting a combined .232/.268/.330 with eight homers in 390 plate appearances spanning 135 games. Those numbers line up fairly well with Sucre’s career marks, though he’s more of a defensive-minded option behind the dish. Throughout his big league career, Sucre has halted 32 percent of stolen-base attempts against him, and he’s consistently registered above-average framing grades throughout his career (with the exception of last season), per Baseball Prospectus.

Presently, the Orioles have only two catchers on the 40-man roster in Chance Sisco and Austin Wynns, though they’ll also have Carlos Perez and Andrew Susac in camp competing for roster spots.

Padres, Mets Among Teams Interested In Gio Gonzalez

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The Padres have been connected to a number of high-profile names over the past week — Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto — and MLB.com’s Jon Morosi now adds that they’re also considering free-agent lefty Gio Gonzalez. The Mets, too, have maintained contact with Scott Boras regarding Gonzalez, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports (via Twitter).

Gonzalez, 33, has made 31 or more starts in all but one season dating back to 2010, with the lone exception being a 2014 campaign in which he took the ball 27 times. Last season, in 171 innings between the Nationals and Brewers, the two-time All-Star logged a respectable 4.21 ERA but did so with his lowest K/9 (7.8) and highest BB/9 (4.2) marks since cementing himself as a big league starter. Of course, a year prior, Gonzalez tossed 201 innings of 2.96 ERA ball with 8.4 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9.

Earlier this winter, the Padres were linked more to younger rotation options, as their goal at the time appeared to be to add a pitcher on a multi-year deal who’d still be in his prime during San Diego’s return to contention. Gonzalez may not fit that bill, though it’s also quite possible that like many other free agents, his asking price has dropped. And, it’d be easy enough for the Padres to fit Gonzalez into their rotation picture, given the general lack of experience among the team’s current rotation options. San Diego has numerous young options with more upside than Gonzalez, but Gonzalez is one of the most reliable sources starts remaining on the open market and could thus help to stabilize that young group.

As for the Mets, Puma notes that they’re debating internally whether he’s enough of an upgrade over in-house options. Certainly, Gonzalez would appear to be an upgrade over Jason Vargas, although Vargas is owed $8MM this season, which would likely be a factor to consider when potentially displacing him. Beyond that, it’s worth noting that each of Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler spent time on the disabled list last season. The Mets’ rotation is quite talented, though health has long been an issue for the collective group, and depth beyond the team’s top quintet is thin, too.

It’s been a quiet winter on the Gonzalez front, with few known suitors beyond today’s pairing, although the Brewers were mentioned as a possibility by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt just yesterday.

Athletics “Considering” Matt Wieters

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The Athletics are at least “considering” pursuit of veteran backstop Matt Wieters, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). It’s unclear just how much interest the Oakland organization has; multiple unnamed rival organizations are also said to be involved.

Wieters, now 32, first qualified for free agency after the 2015 season. At the time, he was considered a high-quality, everyday backstop, but he was also coming off of two injury-plagued campaigns and took a qualifying offer to remain with the Orioles. Despite a subpar 2016 campaign, the Nationals promised him $21MM over two years (while also giving Wieters an opt-out chance that he did not ultimately take).

Add it all up, and Wieters owns a tepid .235/.303/.376 batting line in 1,200 plate appearances over the past three campaigns. Though he still draws average reviews for his blocking and throwing, Wieters has graded out as a negative in the pitch framing department. Of course, he’s also a respected veteran who seemed to suit the pitchers who worked with him in D.C., so there’s room for interpretation regarding his defensive value.

Wieters obviously does not profile as a regular receiver at this point, but the former fifth overall pick does still seem like a reasonable target for the right team. The fact that he hits from both sides of the plate adds to the appeal, along with his clubhouse gravitas. For the Athletics, there’s clearly room to improve a depth chart that’s presently topped by Josh Phegley and Chris Herrmann. Wieters ought to be an affordable option and still has a bit of pop; perhaps the A’s will stake a bet on the hope that he’ll be reinvigorated in a timeshare situation.

Bud Norris Hires Ballengee Group

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Free agent reliever Bud Norris has made a late-breaking agency change. Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network, via Twitter, Norris is now represented by the Ballengee Group.

Norris, who’s closing in on his 34th birthday, evidently hasn’t been pleased with the opportunities he has been afforded to this point on the open market. He’s coming off of a $3MM deal that he signed with the Cardinals last February, just before the start of Spring Training.

The St. Louis org received a quality contribution for its money, as Norris tossed 57 2/3 innings of 3.59 ERA ball with 10.5 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. He also recorded 28 saves after stepping into the closer’s role for the Cards. Norris sat at 95 mph with his four-seam fastball, continued to get good results with a cutter, and reached a 12% swinging-strike rate for the second-straight season.

That showing seemed likely to boost Norris’s market standing, but there has been little in the way of reported interest to this point. That isn’t necessarily unusual for a non-star reliever. Still, with just two weeks left until camps begin to open, his market outlook is unclear. MLBTR predicted that Norris would secure a two-year, $12MM deal on the open market, though that obviously represents only a best guess after contemplating a wide range of plausible outcomes.

Reds “In Serious Discussions” With Zach Duke

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The Reds are engaged “in serious discussions” with free agent southpaw Zach Duke, according to C. Trent Rosecrans and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). The likelihood of a deal coming together is not yet known.

It remains an active winter for the Cincinnati front office, which increasingly seems to have created an opportunity to compete in what could be a tightly packed NL Central division. Among other things, the club has targeted lefty relief assets, having already agreed to minors deals with Buddy Boshers and Ian Krol.

Bringing in Duke would give the Cincy bullpen a much-needed option against opposing lefty hitters. Though Amir Garrett showed well in the pen last year, he’s still not fully polished and actually has been just as effective against righties at the MLB level. Otherwise, the club stands to rely upon the above-noted minor-league signees along with Wandy Peralta and Brandon Finnegan, both of whom are looking to bounce back from rough 2018 campaigns.

Duke had his own stumbles last year, particularly after joining the Mariners in a mid-season trade. He ended the season with a 4.15 ERA in 52 innings, with 8.8 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9. But Duke surrendered only a single long ball on the year and checked in with a monster 59.4% groundball rate. He also held opposing lefties to a meager .220/.283/.319 batting line.

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