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Joe Smith Undergoes Surgery For Torn Achilles Tendon

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The Astros announced today that righty Joe Smith has undergone surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left leg. (H/t Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle, via Twitter.) It will sideline him for an estimated six-to-eight month stretch, putting a large chunk of his 2019 season in jeopardy.

Needless to say, that’s most unwelcome news for both player and team. Smith, 34, is said to have suffered the injury in a recent workout. The 34-year-old is slated to earn $8MM for the 2019 campaign, his second in Houston since signing a two-year deal last winter.

Smith, a crafty sidearmer who has held opposing right-handed batters to an anemic .215/.280/.311 batting line over his dozen MLB campaigns, would surely have been a part of the ’Stros pen again in 2019. Last year, he worked to a 3.74 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9. He was tough to square up, as usual, but did allow nearly 1.4 homers per nine — about twice his career average.

Of course, it’s only fair to note that the organization will have a bevy of alternatives, particularly if it makes some rotation additions that bump other players into relief contention. Smith, in fact, was not much of a factor in the club’s postseason mix, cracking the roster but making just one appearance (which did not go well). Still, he’s a quality veteran performer and it always hurts to carry a salary commitment that doesn’t provide production. The Astros will have to hope that Smith is able to recover relatively quickly and provide a mid-season boost.

MLBTR Poll: Likeliest Landing Spot For Manny Machado

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Star infielder Manny Machado is rolling into Philly today after previous stops in Chicago and New York. That’s the extent of his 2018-19 winter tour, so far as is known, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t keen interest. The White Sox seem inclined to make a splash, the Yankees are squared up against some other powerful teams in the AL, and the Phillies face lofty expectations. Plus, there’s ongoing chatter about a mystery team, though there are conflicting reports on that score.

As things stand today, what’s the likeliest landing spot for Machado? (Response order randomized. Link for app users.)

Likeliest Landing Spot For Manny Machado
Yankees 43.29% (15,923 votes)
Phillies 27.82% (10,232 votes)
White Sox 14.53% (5,344 votes)
Mystery Team 14.36% (5,282 votes)
Total Votes: 36,781

Josh Lindblom, Seth Frankoff Re-Sign With Korea’s Doosan Bears

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The Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization have announced new deals with right-handers Josh Lindblom and Seth Frankoff. H/t to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net (Twitter link).

Both hurlers will receive notable paydays for their 2018 efforts. Lindblom is slated to receive a $1.7MM salary, along with a $70K signing bonus, while Frankoff will earn $1.1MM after a $50K bonus of his own for putting his name on the dotted line.

These deals represent the latest reminder that there’s a thriving market for players who don’t quite manage to establish themselves in the majors. While roster rules limit the number of slots that KBO organizations can utilize on foreign-born players, those that are available can offer financial and playing-time opportunities that are quite appealing. And, of course, we’ve seen quite a few players ultimately make their way back stateside after impressing in Korea. Most recently, Merrill Kelly landed a two-year deal with the Diamondbacks.

Lindblom owns a 4.10 ERA in 147 career MLB innings, but has only made four big-league appearances since the end of the 2014 campaign. The former second-round pick, who’s now 31 years of age, spent half of the 2017 season in Korea and returned there for the ’18 campaign. He ended up spinning 168 2/3 frames of 2.88 ERA ball, with a healthy 157:38 K/BB ratio.

As for the 30-year-old Frankoff, he has just one big-league appearance under his belt. He proved a quality asset for the Bears in 2018, though, earning himself a nice payday. Frankoff worked to a 3.74 ERA in 149 1/3 innings, with 134 strikeouts against 55 walks.

Those stats were all the more impressive in the KBO’s high-scoring offensive environment. Lindblom led all league starters in ERA, in fact, with Frankoff also landing high atop the leaderboard. (Visit the MyKBO stats page to revisit some other familiar names.)

Manny Machado Meets With Yankees

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The Yankees met with Manny Machado earlier today at Yankee Stadium, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post. Machado and agent Dan Lozano arrived at Yankee Stadium and were greeted by a contingent consisting at least of GM Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone and veteran starter CC Sabathia, writes Martin, though other members of the organization were likely present. The meeting has been anticipated since weekend reports indicated that Machado would sit down for in-person visits with the White Sox, Yankees and Phillies this week. The face-to-face with the ChiSox came yesterday, and Machado is reportedly slated to meet with the Phillies tomorrow.

The meeting at Yankee Stadium lasted for roughly 90 minutes, though the Yankees’ courtship of Machado extended beyond that point. Fancred’s Jon Heyman tweets that the Yankees took Machado, his wife and Lozano out to dinner in Manhattan tonight as they continued to discuss the possibility of Machado signing in the Bronx. Some reports in recent days have indicated that Machado will sit down with a fourth club in the near future, and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand suggested as much was possible once again earlier today. However, Heyman definitively states that the market for Machado, at present, consists of the White Sox, Yankees and Phillies with “no mysteries” in play.

Regardless, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Yankees are a significant factor in the Machado auction. While Martin wrote in his column that “indications are they won’t invest $300 million over 10 years,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the Yankees are “enamored” and believe him to be the “perfect fit” for their franchise. Whether that means topping the White Sox, the Phillies and any “mystery” suitors that may or may not truly be in the mix is another question entirely, though.

Ultimately, managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner will have to give the go-ahead to offer what could end up a record-setting deal to bring Machado to the Yankees. Steinbrenner previously called Machado’s infamous “Johnny Hustle” comments “troubling” and flatly stated that such an attitude “ain’t going to sell where we play baseball.” Those comments, as well as Machado’s intentional kick of Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar, undoubtedly came up in today’s face-to-face meeting.

As Feinsand writes, it’s not fully clear whether Steinbrenner himself was present in today’s meetings, as his family is mourning the recent passing of his mother, Joan. However, Steinbrenner implied to Nightengale last month that Machado would be explaining those comments and actions to Cashman, whom ownership trusts to make that type of call. “But that’s really [GM Brian Cashman’s] job,” said Steinbrenner at the time. “If we’re interested in any player, to sit down with them face to face and ask him, ’Where did this come from? What was the context around the entire interview? Was there a point? How do you justify it?’ … That conversation will happen.”

MLB, Cuban Baseball Federation Reach Agreement On Posting System

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9:30pm: The league’s formal announcement of the system indicates that only players under contract with the FCB are eligible for the posting system. Others are eligible to sign with MLB teams under the same system as other international amateurs. Cuban professionals will be made eligible to MLB clubs each offseason and are free to sign with any MLB team willing to pay a release fee on said player.

A professional player’s release fee will be determined based on the same scale as in the NPB and KBO posting systems. That is to say that, on top of the bonus paid to the player, a Major League team will pay a release fee equal to 20 percent of the first $25MM of a bonus, 17.5 percent of the next $25MM and 15 percent for anything beyond that point. Notably, today’s announcement indicates that Cuban players who’ve been released into the posting system “will be scouted and signed in Cuba by MLB clubs.”

The agreement runs through Oct. 31, 2021, unless there is an agreement of an extension of the system prior to that point. Full details of the arrangement can be seen in the league’s announcement.

3:23pm: MLB and the FCB have indeed reached an agreement, as Romero reported last night and as Passan now details in a new column. An announcement could come as soon as today. While the agreement is significant, the newly agreed-upon system could be dashed if the current presidential administration opts to scale back on regulations installed under the previous administration that loosened restrictions on business interactions with Cuba.

As Castillo tweets, however, the new system doesn’t require immediate government approval before going into place, as MLB already has a license in place. That does not preclude future legislation from throwing a wrench into the system.

The specifics of the new system aren’t yet fully clear, though Passan does detail some of the financial elements of the arrangement. Major League teams signing a Cuban player would pay the FCB a release fee on top of the money promised to that player — a 25 percent tax on amateur players (i.e. players under 25 and/or with fewer than six years of experience) and a 15 to 20 percent fee for professional players (i.e. players 25 or older and with more than six years of pro experience). The exact release fee on a professional player is determined based on a sliding scale — the specifics of which are not yet publicly available but will presumably come to light when the league makes a formal announcement.

Interestingly, Castillo suggests (via Twitter) that players who qualify as professionals (25 years of age, six-plus years of pro experience) will all be “released” by default, allowing them to pursue opportunities with MLB clubs. Presumably, those who do not wish to leave Cuba in pursuit of a big league deal will be able to continue playing on the island.

The new system leaves Cuba with an overwhelming amount of control over its native talent. Players who defect will indeed be subject to the punishment of an additional waiting period, per Passan. Professionals who defect would need to wait until the start of the next free-agent period (i.e. the week after the conclusion of the World Series). Amateur players who defect will be forced to sit out an entire signing period. As Passan spells out, that’d mean a player who defects after July 2 next year would sit out not only for the 2019-20 signing period but also the 2020-21 signing period before becoming eligible to sign in the 2021-22 period. Obviously, then, those regulations were put forth in an effort to severely punish those who wish to defect from the island and circumvent the newly created system.

11:50am: It seems there could soon be a new arrangement to allow Cuban ballplayers to move to MLB organizations, though the timeline for a formal agreement remains unclear. Francys Romero of CiberCuba.com reported (Spanish language link) on the prospective deal, which Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times says was presented to teams at the Winter Meetings, though Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) emphasizes that a deal is not yet completed.

Details are not fully clear, but generally it seems the concept under contemplation is a kind of posting system not unlike those already in operation with professional leagues in Japan and Korea. In this case, the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) would evidently recoup the fees paid by MLB teams for the right to acquire talent from the island nation.

The approach would seemingly do away with the current process, in which Cuban players who wish to play with affiliated organization have been forced to defect from their homeland and establish residency elsewhere. Needless to say, it’s far from an ideal system (if that’s even a fair term), and one that has resulted in some highly problematic trafficking situations.

Under the proposal, the reporting of Romero and Castillo suggests, MLB teams would pay a release fee of a varying amount, tied to the value of the bonus. Fees for minor-league signings would be set at 25%, while MLB deals would require 15% or 20% payouts. While the bonuses themselves would presumably continue to count against teams’ international bonus pools, the fees would not.

The new system would seem to open the door to a more open and accessible transfer system. Of course, there are still some concerns and also some hurdles. It seems the Cuban organization would control the pipeline to no small extent. Per Castillo, there’d be no provision to allow for scouting in Cuba. More importantly, any players who defect would not only face a penalty “waiting period” but would still be subject to the fee requirements.

Obviously, there’ll also need to be some governmental machinations before any deal can be finalized. It seems reasonable to presume that the commissioner’s office has been operating in conjunction with the relevant federal authorities, but broader political forces could presumably still influence the outcome. After all, there’s still ample uncertainty in the broader United States-Cuba relationship.

NL Notes: Reds, Anibal, Nats, Tulo, Darvish

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The Reds were keen on retaining Matt Harvey entering the offseason and held talks with him right up until he agreed to join the Angels on a one-year deal yesterday, Cincinnati GM Nick Krall tells Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter links). However, the Reds simply weren’t comfortable matching the $11MM guarantee promised by the Halos. That said, Krall made clear that the Reds still hope to add another starting pitcher, be it via free agency or trade, and the GM also added that his club is pursuing another outfielder and some bullpen help. “We need to improve this club, and we know that,” said Krall, whose largest offseason move to date has been acquiring Tanner Roark. While the durable Roark certainly helps to shore up the back of the Reds’ rotation, there’s still plenty of question marks in the mix of in-house rotation options.

A few notes from around the National League on a quiet Wednesday evening…

  • The Nationals have had “ongoing conversations” with Anibal Sanchez’s agent, Gene Mato, since the Winter Meetings, tweets Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. That said, there are still multiple teams interested in Sanchez, who enjoyed a career renaissance with the Braves in 2018, as he pitched to a 2.83 ERA with 8.9 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 45 percent ground-ball rate. There’s no shortage of skeptics with regard to Sanchez’s resurgence, though the substantial increase in his usage of a cut-fastball and the fact that he allowed less hard contact than any qualified pitcher in baseball last season (per Statcast) should pique the interest of some clubs. Mato told MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes last week that teams interested in Sanchez “realize it wasn’t luck” that fueled his 2018 rebound.
  • Robert Murray of The Athletic writes that the Brewers sent three representatives to watch Troy Tulowitzki’s audition for MLB clubs yesterday (subscription required). Murray spoke to multiple scouts in attendance who had positive things to say about how Tulo looked on that given day, though obviously the primary question isn’t whether the 34-year-old is healthy right now, but whether he’ll be able to hold up over the course of a full season. The Brewers could utilize Tulowitzki at either third base or second base, with Travis Shaw manning the other spot. Given Shaw’s experience (and proficiency) at the hot corner, second base would be Tulowitzki’s likeliest position in Milwaukee. There were at least 11 other clubs on hand at yesterday’s showcase, however, so Milwaukee is but one of many possible landing spots for the former Rockies star. Any team that signs Tulowitzki would only owe him the league minimum of $555K in 2019.
  • Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish went through his second day of a throwing program as he works his way back from an arthroscopic debridement procedure in his right elbow (Instagram link). The Chicago organization said at the time Darvish’s surgery was announced that the right-hander is expected to be ready for Spring Training 2019, and the fact that he’s throwing in mid-December is an encouraging sign in that regard. Injuries limited Darvish to just 40 innings with the Cubs in a disappointing first season with the team. The six-year, $126MM contract for Darvish looks all the more problematic for the Cubs in light of reports that the team has extremely limited financial resources at its disposal this offseason. The fact that the Cubs spent a combined $186MM on Darvish, Tyler Chatwood and Brandon Morrow last winter, then acquired the second season of Brandon Kintlzer’s contract at the deadline this summer, only to now be handcuffed by payroll issues is undoubtedly a bitter pill for Cubs fans to swallow.

Tigers Sign Eduardo Paredes, Chris Smith To Minor League Deals

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The Tigers announced Wednesday that they’ve signed right-handers Eduardo Paredes and Chris Smith to minor league pacts with invitations to Major League Spring Training. Lefty Nick Ramirez, too, has been added on a minors pact, though he won’t be in big league camp, it seems.

Despite seeing big league action with the Angels in both 2017 and 2018, Paredes is still just 23 years of age and won’t turn 24 until March. The righty showed a bit of promise in 22 1/3 innings with the Halos in 2017 but was bludgeoned to the tune of a 6.87 ERA in 18 1/3 innings in the 2018 campaign. In all, Paredes has a 5.53 ERA with 7.1 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 1.55 HR/9 and a 44.1 percent ground-ball rate in 40 2/3 frames as a big leaguer. His average fastball has sat at a solid but unspectacular 93.3 mph over his two MLB campaigns, and he’s posted below-average marks in terms of swinging-strike rate and opponents’ chase rate.

Paredes has had a fair bit of success in the upper minors, however, and he moved quickly through the lower minor league ranks while posting gaudy strikeout totals along the way. Given his relative youth, there’s perhaps still some hope that he could yet develop into a usable reliever at the MLB level. A rebuilding club like the Tigers should be able to provide him ample opportunity, should he earn a roster spot in camp or force his way onto the MLB roster with a strong Triple-A showing.

The 30-year-old Smith has just five big league innings under his belt, all of which came with the Blue Jays back in 2017. He spent the 2018 campaign with the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate and pitched fairly well, notching a 3.93 ERA with 10.6 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 1.15 HR/9 and a 32.2 percent grounder rate. All but one of Smith’s 189 appearances in the minors has been a relief outing, and he’s generally shown an ability to register more than a strikeout per inning with solid control. Like Paredes, his fastball sits 93-94 mph, and a slider is his go-to secondary offering.

As for Ramirez, the 29-year-old is a first baseman turned pitcher who has had success on the mound at the Double-A level but struggled in Triple-A. The former Brewers farmhand has a pristine 1.48 ERA with 7.3 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 in 109 innings of Double-A work, but Triple-A batters have handled him with ease. In 38 innings at the minors’ top level, Ramirez has a 5.66 ERA with more walks allowed (21) than strikeouts recorded (18). Of course, he’s still rather new to pitching at the professional level, and much of those 38 innings came in the hitters’ paradise that is the Pacific Coast League — specifically in hitter-friendly Colorado Springs.

Indians, Cody Anderson Avoid Arbitration

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The Indians announced today that they’ve avoided arbitration with right-hander Cody Anderson. He’ll take home a salary of $641,500 for the 2019 season, per Fancred’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). The mark checks in shy of his $900K projection from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, in part due to the fact that Anderson was something of a unique case, having missed the prior two seasons due to injury.

Now 28 years of age, Anderson debuted with Cleveland back in 2015 and gave the Indians 91 1/3 innings of 3.05 ERA ball over the life of 15 starts. A deeper look indicated that that level of run prevention wouldn’t be sustainable for Anderson barring an improvement in his perilously low 4.3 K/9 mark. Much of the success he enjoyed appeared attributable to a well below-average .237 BABIP and a fairly lofty 78.3 percent strand rate.

The 2016 season saw Anderson ramp up the usage of both his changeup and cutter, resulting in a dramatic uptick in strikeouts (8.0 K/9). However, the pendulum swung in the complete opposite direction with regard to his average on balls in play (.381 BABIP) and strand rate (66.8 percent), leaving Anderson with an ugly 6.68 ERA through 60 2/3 innings before an injury sent him to the operating table.

Anderson’s return from Tommy John surgery back in March 2017 has been a bit slower than that of most Tommy John patients, but the good news for him and the Indians is that he’ll be a full two years removed from the procedure come Spring Training. Anderson made a trio of scoreless rehab appearances in the minors late in the season, pitching three innings with four strikeouts against two walks. Given the depth the Indians possess in the rotation and the uncertainty that permeates their relief corps, it’s possible that Anderson will be brought back into the fold as a bullpen piece. He did move from the rotation to the bullpen late in the 2016 and saw his average fastball jump from about 92.2 mph to 94.1 mph in the process.

Red Sox, Erasmo Ramirez Nearing Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox are nearing a minor league agreement with right-hander Erasmo Ramirez, per Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (Twitter link). If the deal is completed, the ISE Baseball client would head to Major League Spring Training and compete for a spot on Boston’s 2019 staff.

Ramirez, 28, should be a familiar name for Red Sox fans after spending parts of three seasons with the Rays and pitching to a combined 3.98 ERA in 323 1/3 innings with the Tampa Bay organization. Unfortunately for the right-hander, the 2018 campaign was effectively a nightmare. Shoulder troubles limited Ramirez to just 45 2/3 innings of work, and he was woefully ineffective in that time.

Ramirez, pitching in his second stint with the Mariners organization this past season, posted a 6.50 ERA with 6.5 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, a staggering 2.76 HR/9 and a 39.6 percent ground-ball rate. The effects of the injury on Ramirez were evident when looking at his velocity; after sitting at 91.6 mph with his heater a year prior, his average fastball in 2018 checked in at just 89.8 mph. Those red flags prompted the Mariners to outright Ramirez rather than retain him through arbitration. He’d been projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn a $4.4MM salary in his final trip through that process.

Certainly, the Red Sox will hope for a healthier version of Ramirez — the version who proved adept as both a starter and a multi-inning reliever prior to the 2018 season during a separate stint with the Mariners and a two-and-a-half year run in Tampa. From 2015-17, Ramirez logged a solid 3.97 ERA with 7.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 1.21 HR/9 and a 47.3 percent grounder rate. Both his 10.3 percent swinging-strike rate and 32.9 percent opponents’ chase rate were solid marks that underscore his ability to keep hitters off balance when he’s at his best.

While the Sox won’t be counting on Ramirez for anything unless he proves capable of a show of faith in Spring Training, he can serve as a long option in the ’pen or a depth piece in the rotation beyond Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello, Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez. Ramirez is just shy of six years of MLB service, so if he makes the roster, he’ll be a one-year option before reentering free agency next offseason.

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