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Akil Baddoo Undergoes Hamate Surgery

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The Tigers announced that outfielder Akil Baddoo underwent surgery to address a hamate hook fracture in his right hand yesterday. The club didn’t provide a return-to-play timeline but such procedures usually require a shutdown period of four to eight weeks.

Baddoo, 26, came into camp as a non-roster depth outfielder. The Tigers passed him through waivers unclaimed in December, so he no longer had a spot on the 40-man roster. The fact that he lost his roster spot and no other club claimed him is a testament to his recent struggles. He had a tremendous 2021 season but wasn’t able to keep his performance going in the subsequent three seasons.

Going into 2021, the Tigers plucked Baddoo from the Twins in the 2020 Rule 5 draft, and he hit the ground running that year. He got into 124 games for the Tigers, hitting 13 home runs and slashing .259/.330/.436 for a 108 wRC+. He also stole 18 bases and played all three outfield positions.

Since that was just his age-22 season, it seemed like the Tigers had snagged a nice long-term piece for their outfield. However, Baddoo has hit just .203/.292/.328 for a 76 wRC+ over the past three seasons. He has been surpassed on the depth chart by other outfielders and been bumped down into a depth role. He spent most of 2024 on optional assignment, getting into 82 Triple-A games and hitting .238/.340/.418 at that level for a 98 wRC+. As mentioned, he was bumped off the 40-man roster a couple of months ago.

Going into the season, the Tigers project to have Riley Greene and Parker Meadows in two outfield spots. Matt Vierling will likely be in another, though it’s possible he ends up at third base if prospect Jace Jung struggles. Kerry Carpenter will undoubtedly see some time in the outfield as well, though he projects as a frequent designated hitter, at least against right-handed pitching.

Justyn-Henry Malloy and Wenceel Pérez could be in the mix but also have minor league options remaining, meaning they could be ticketed for regular playing time in Triple-A. Andy Ibáñez and Zach McKinstry will likely be in utility roles at the major league level.

Players like Jahmai Jones, Bligh Madris and Baddoo gave the Tigers some extra depth in the non-roster department, but Baddoo will be subtracted from that group for a while. He will likely be shut down until late March/early April. At that point, he will effectively have to restart spring training to get into game shape, meaning he may not be a realistic option for the Tigers until May.

Mets Not Planning To Add A Starter

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The Mets’ rotation suffered a blow barely a week into camp when free agent acquisition Frankie Montas felt discomfort in his first bullpen session of camp. After a healthy offseason, Montas was diagnosed with a lat strain that has prompted the Mets to shut him down from throwing entirely. The team announced a no-throw period of six to eight weeks. Montas is taking a more optimistic tack, suggesting it’ll be four to six weeks. Regardless, he won’t throw at all for the majority of spring training, at which point he’ll need to build up from scratch. An absence extending into at least mid-May seems likely.

Even with that loss and a handful of notable starters still on the market, the Mets aren’t planning to add another arm to their rotation, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports. While further injuries could of course change that thinking, for now the Mets plan to rely on their in-house depth while weathering their first injury of note. Additionally, the previously planned six-man rotation will now likely drop to five, manager Carlos Mendoza tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Locks for the Opening Day rotation, health permitting, include Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, David Peterson and reliever-turned-starter Clay Holmes. Righties Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning and Paul Blackburn will vie for the fifth spot. Megill has a minor league option remaining. Canning and Blackburn do not, and both are earning more than $4MM this season, so it’s unlikely they’d be cut loose. (That’s especially true of Canning, who signed as a free agent over the winter.) Top prospect Brandon Sproat will be in the running at some point, but he still has only 116 1/3 professional innings under his belt, with only 28 2/3 of those coming in Triple-A.

Sammon’s report dovetails with recent suggestions that the Mets aren’t likely to pursue a reunion with Jose Quintana, despite the veteran left-hander’s openness to returning to Queens. Quintana declined an offer worth more than $5.25MM from the Pirates before Pittsburgh agreed to terms with fellow left-handed veteran Andrew Heaney. While it’s not clear that decision was made in hopes of the Mets coming through with an offer of their own, it does appear to shut the door on opportunities for Quintana with either club. Beyond Quintana, veterans like Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn and Spencer Turnbull are all still seeking homes.

For the Mets, any additions to the major league roster will be doubly cost prohibitive. They’re again a CBT payor in the top penalty tier, meaning any subsequent additions come with a 110% luxury tax. Signing Quintana in the $5-6MM range, for instance, would cost the team $10.5MM to $12.6MM. The Mets are already running a $331MM cash payroll, per RosterResource, which comes with nearly $67MM worth of luxury taxes.

In essence, the Mets are already paying close to $400MM total for the current roster. On the one hand, fans could argue “what’s another $10-12MM at that point?” On the other, even the sport’s wealthiest owner, Steve Cohen, surely has his limits. Plus, if things go according to plan in 2025, the Mets will be deadline buyers, presumably adding even further to that massive financial outlay. Time will tell whether the rest of the rotation group holds up through the remainder of camp — injuries abound in spring training every year — but for now, Mets fans shouldn’t hold out hope for a Quintana reunion or any other guaranteed deal to deepen the starting staff.

Details On Nick Pivetta’s Contract With Padres

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The Padres signed Nick Pivetta to a four-year earlier this week. Previous reporting had revealed that it was a four-year, $55MM deal, though heavily backloaded. Pivetta will receive a $3MM signing bonus, then make a salary of just $1MM this year, followed by salaries of $19MM, $14MM and $18MM in the next three years. He has the opportunity to opt out after the second and third years of the deal. Yesterday, Ronald Blum of the Associated Press provided some new details that had not been previously reported.

The new details revolve around contingencies for the Padres if Pivetta gets injured. Pivetta’s $14MM salary in 2027 becomes a club option “if at any point through 2026 he has a specified injury or surgery related to the injury and is on the injured list for more than 130 consecutive days in any season or in a one-year period.” Blum mentions that Pivetta spent time on the injured list in 2024 due to a right elbow flexor strain, implying that the contract provision relates to a significant elbow surgery.

If the Padres turn down the option, Pivetta would head back to free agency in the 2026-27 offseason. At that point, he will have made $23MM over the first two years of the deal. If those injury conditions are not met, then Pivetta will have a $14MM player option and $18MM player option for 2027 and 2028.

The Friars can also trigger a 2029 club option for 2029, valued at just $5MM, “if Pivetta has the specified injury or surgery related to the specified injury and goes on the injured list for more than 130 consecutive days in any season or in a one-year period, all occurring from July 1, 2026, through the 2028 season.”

It seems the Padres have built in some cover for themselves if Pivetta needs to miss significant time, likely due to Tommy John surgery or a similar procedure. A major elbow surgery usually requires a player to miss 14 months or more, which can be a big sunk cost for a club’s payroll. The Padres have been dealing with notable financial restraints in recent years, so that’s perhaps even more so for them. With these contract provisions, they have a few options in the event Pivetta does get hurt.

At the end of 2026, they can walk away if Pivetta is slated to miss a decent chunk of the next year or two. If he sticks around but then suffers a major injury in the latter half of the deal, the 2029 option gives them a chance to add an extra year of control at a bargain rate.

The Opener: Yankees, Spring Training, Miller, Quintana

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As Spring Training continues, here are four things to keep an eye on heading into the weekend:

1. Yankees alter facial hair policy:

For more than half a century, the Yankees have adhered to a strict facial hair policy barring their players from sporting beards. The policy dates back to 1973, when late owner George Steinbrenner disapproved of the shaggy hair and facial hair of several players on Opening Day — Thurman Munson, Sparky Lyle and Bobby Murcer among them. Each offseason, there’s an air of almost novelty when a typically bearded player signs with the Yankees and fans wonder how he’ll look reporting to camp clean-shaven. (Or, alternatively, when a longtime Yankee departs and promptly grows a beard, as Gleyber Torres has done in his new Detroit environs.) Many Yankees have still donned mustaches over the years, with examples ranging from Don Mattingly to Jason Giambi to 2024 Yankees like Nestor Cortes and Austin Wells. Newly signed Max Fried arrived in camp with a prominent mustache on display last week.

As of this morning, managing partner Hal Steinbrenner has had a change of heart. He issued the following statement:

“In recent weeks I have spoken to a large number of former and current Yankees — spanning several eras — to elicit their perspectives on our longstanding facial hair and grooming policy, and I appreciate their earnest and varied feedback. These most recent conversations are an extension of ongoing internal dialogue that dates back several years. Ultimately the final decision rests with me, and after great consideration, we will be amending our expectations to allow our players and uniformed personnel to have well-groomed beards moving forward. It is the appropriate time to move beyond the familiar comfort of our former policy.”

It doesn’t appear that the Yankees will embrace a full Brandon Marsh or peak “Captain Caveman” Johnny Damon look anytime soon, but for the first time in a generation, there’ll be some beards sprouting up in camp. Early returns on a quick poll from Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch suggests that the move is overwhelmingly popular among fans, with roughly 80% of respondents approving of the change.

2. Spring Training games:

The first Spring Training game of the year was held yesterday between the Cubs and the Dodgers, and throughout the weekend the rest of the league will get in on the action as well. Notable starters who have been announced for this weekend’s slate of games include Yankees righty Marcus Stroman and Dodgers righty Tony Gonsolin, both of whom are fighting for a rotation spot this spring. Diamondbacks and Red Sox fans will get their first glimpse of offseason additions Corbin Burnes and Garrett Crochet pitching for their new organizations. Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara will be making his first pitching appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. Fans and clubs will also be getting their first taste of the automatic ball-strike system that MLB is testing this spring, which could be implemented in the majors as soon as next year.

3. Miller in concussion protocol:

Yesterday’s game between the Dodgers and the Cubs featured a scary moment where right-hander Bobby Miller was struck with a 106mph line drive off the bat of Michael Busch. The comebacker struck Miller in the head, though after briefly hitting the ground the 25-year-old managed to walk off the field under his own power. Miller later posted on social media to assure fans that he was doing well after the incident, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale relayed that the righty remains in MLB’s concussion protocol. Miller, Gonsolin and Dustin May are among the pitchers hoping to win the final rotation spot in Los Angeles this spring, though on-the-field considerations are a very, very distant second to the player’s general well-being in frightening situations such as this.

4. Will Quintana find the right deal?

After the Pirates signed southpaw Andrew Heaney to deepen their rotation mix yesterday, reporting indicated that Pittsburgh actually went to Jose Quintana first in hopes of working out a reunion. The veteran southpaw was reportedly offered a guarantee larger than the $5.25MM Heaney landed from the Pirates, but when Quintana declined the offer, the Bucs pivoted to bring Heaney into the fold. With Heaney off the market, Quintana is now the clear best left-handed starter still available and arguably the best overall starter left on the market. With the majority of teams seemingly satisfied with their starting depth as things stand, however, will he be able to find the deal he’s looking for?

White Sox, Mike Clevinger Agree To Minor League Contract

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The White Sox are in agreement with Mike Clevinger on a minor league deal, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The ACES client receives a non-roster invite to Spring Training.

Clevinger returns to Chicago for what’ll be a third straight season. He signed a $12MM deal with the Sox over the 2022-23 offseason. That was a generally successful pickup, as he turned in a 3.77 earned run average through 24 starts. That came with a below-average strikeout rate for a second consecutive season, leading to a quieter market last winter. Clevinger remained unsigned beyond Opening Day. He eventually returned to Chicago on a $4MM deal.

As a result of the late signing, the veteran righty agreed to start the season in the minors. That afforded him a few weeks to build his arm into game shape. The White Sox recalled him in early May. He took four turns through the rotation, allowing 13 runs (12 earned) across 16 frames. Elbow inflammation shelved him for a couple months. Clevinger was building back from that when the Sox announced in late July that he’d undergo season-ending surgery to address a disc issue in his neck.

The injury-plagued season limited Clevinger to minor league offers as he enters his age-34 campaign. He’s clearly comfortable with the White Sox, where there’s plenty of opportunity in the rotation. Chicago has added Martín Pérez and Bryse Wilson on one-year deals this offseason. No other starter on their 40-man roster has even reached one year of major league service. Clevinger joins Justin Dunn and Jonathan Heasley as non-roster invitees who have MLB experience.

Mariners, Rowdy Tellez Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Mariners are in agreement with Rowdy Tellez on a minor league deal with an invite to MLB camp, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Tellez is represented by Primo Sports Group.

It’s a rebound opportunity for the 29-year-old first baseman. Tellez signed with the Pirates last offseason on a $3.2MM free agent deal. He spent most of the season as Pittsburgh’s starting first baseman. He had an up-and-down year. Tellez limped to a .177/.239/.223 line through the first two months. He caught fire once the summer got underway. Tellez raked at a .310/.346/.533 clip between the start of June and the end of August. His numbers crashed back to earth in September, when he hit .116/.255/.209 across 51 plate appearances.

Pittsburgh released Tellez in late September. That controversially came just before he was set to reach his 425th plate appearance, which would have triggered a $200K bonus in his contract. While it’s likely that played a part in the team’s decision, Tellez’s late-season slump dropped his overall numbers back below replacement level. He finished the year with a .243/.299/.392 line with 13 homers across 421 trips to the plate.

Tellez has been a below-average hitter in three of the past four seasons. He carries a .229/.301/.417 slash in nearly 1700 plate appearances since the start of 2021. Tellez had mashed in small samples with the Blue Jays in 2018 and ’20, but he’s a career .234/.303/.436 hitter. He’s a subpar baserunner and defensive first baseman, which puts a lot of pressure on the bat.

Luke Raley will get most of the first base work against right-handed pitching. Mitch Garver and Mitch Haniger each figure to get designated hitter reps as they look to bounce back from rough seasons. Tellez doesn’t have much of a path to an Opening Day roster spot unless someone suffers an injury. He could open the season with Triple-A Tacoma if opportunities don’t arise during Spring Training.

Quintana Declined Offer From Pirates Before Heaney Deal

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The Pirates added to the back of their rotation this evening with the $5.25MM agreement with Andrew Heaney. Robert Murray of FanSided writes that the Bucs pivoted to Heaney after first making an unsuccessful push to bring Jose Quintana back.

According to Murray, the Pirates offered Quintana a stronger guarantee than the sum which they eventually agreed to pay Heaney. Quintana declined the offer. It’s not clear what kind of contract the 36-year-old southpaw is seeking. It’s unlikely that Pittsburgh would circle back after landing Heaney. Quintana and Kyle Gibson are the top two unsigned starting pitchers.

Quintana spent the first half of the 2022 season in Pittsburgh. He’d signed a $2MM deal as a buy-low free agent with a then-rebuilding Bucs club. The Pirates hit on the common hope for rebuilding teams of turning a low-cost free agent pickup into a midseason trade chip. Quintana turned in a 3.50 ERA across 20 starts in black and gold. The Bucs flipped him to the Cardinals alongside reliever Chris Stratton for righty Johan Oviedo and minor league first baseman Malcom Nuñez. Oviedo lost last season to Tommy John surgery but could find himself at the back of Derek Shelton’s starting staff this year.

A strong finish in St. Louis positioned Quintana much more strongly for his return to the market. He landed a two-year, $26MM guarantee from the Mets over the 2022-23 offseason. It turned out to be a good investment on New York’s part. While he missed a good chunk of the ’23 season, Quintana was a key rotation piece last year. He fired 170 1/3 frames of 3.75 ERA ball. He chipped in another 14 1/3 innings of 3.14 ERA ball in the postseason — including six scoreless in a winner-take-all Game 3 against Milwaukee in the Wild Card series.

Effective as Quintana was last year, the Mets haven’t seemed eager to bring him back. The New York Post’s Mike Puma reported shortly after the Frankie Montas injury that the Mets hadn’t reciprocated the veteran lefty’s eagerness for a reunion. Francys Romero suggested yesterday that the Mets, Padres and Rangers could show interest. The Padres have already added Nick Pivetta and Kyle Hart to the back of their rotation. The Rangers seem unlikely to seriously pursue Quintana unless they first offload salary in a trade, as they’re projected within $6MM of the luxury tax threshold. The Post’s Jon Heyman wrote this evening that the Mets have “limited” interest in Quintana because of concerns about his underlying numbers.

That’s presumably mostly about his lack of swing-and-miss. Quintana posted an 18.8% strikeout rate in consecutive seasons. He generated swinging strikes on only 8.5% of his offerings last year. It’s the third consecutive year in which Quintana succeeded despite middling whiff rates. He’s a quality strike-thrower who got grounders at a solid 47.4% clip and has rattled off a trio of consecutive sub-4.00 ERA showings.

Scott Sauerbeck Passes Away

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Former major league reliever Scott Sauerbeck has passed away, the Pirates announced on Thursday morning. He was 53.

Sauerbeck was a Cincinnati native who attended Miami University in Ohio. The Mets selected him in the 23rd round of the 1994 draft. Sauerbeck pitched four years in the New York system. They lost him to the Pirates in the ’98 Rule 5 draft. The 6’3″ southpaw would spend the majority of his career in Pittsburgh.

As a rookie, Sauerbeck fired 67 2/3 innings with an even 2.00 earned run average. He tossed a career-high 75 2/3 frames the following season, posting a 4.04 ERA. He struggled in ’01 but rebounded with arguably his best season the year after that. Sauerbeck pitched to a 2.30 ERA across 62 2/3 innings while striking out nearly 28% of opposing hitters.

Pittsburgh dealt Sauerbeck to the Red Sox at the ’03 trade deadline. While he struggled down the stretch in Boston, the deal allowed him to pitch in the postseason for the only time. He made one appearance in that year’s ALCS loss to the Yankees. Sauerbeck missed the following season to injury. He concluded his career with brief stints in Cleveland and Oakland.

Over parts of seven seasons, Sauerbeck pitched to a 3.82 ERA. He recorded 20 wins, struck out 389 hitters, and finished 98 games. MLBTR sends our condolences to his family, loved ones, former teammates and friends.

Cubs Notes: Caissie, Assad, Shaw

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Cubs outfielder Owen Caissie has been shut down, per manager Craig Counsell, as relayed by Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times. The outfield prospect is battling left groin tightness. Lee mentions that Caissie underwent offseason core muscle surgery, though it’s unclear if his current issue is related to that procedure.

Caissie, 22, is on the 40-man roster but was unlikely to earn an Opening Day roster spot. That’s more to do with the overall roster picture than anything about Caissie in a vacuum. He’s a top 100 prospect who hit .278/.375/.472 for a 121 wRC+ in 127 Triple-A games last year. He was added to the 40-man in November to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft.

The Cubs’ big league outfield is slated to be crowded, with Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker in three spots. Seiya Suzuki will likely be in the designated hitter spot with regularity but could tag in for those others on occasion. Alexander Canario was designated for assignment earlier today but Jon Berti and Vidal Bruján are likely to be on the bench in utility roles.

Tucker is slated for free agency after this season and both Happ and Suzuki will hit the open market the following winter. That should open more long-term playing time but Caissie and fellow outfield prospect Kevin Alcántara appear slated for more Triple-A work in 2025, at least to start the year. Alcántara has just one option year remaining, perhaps giving him a slight edge in terms of earning a major league chance if an injury opens up some big league playing time. For as long as Caissie is shut down, the Cubs will have a bit less outfield depth but shouldn’t be in trouble unless a few more injuries pop up in the outfield mix.

Turning to the pitching staff, it was revealed last week that right-hander Javier Assad was out with some oblique soreness. That was later diagnosed as a mild strain, per Lee last week. Counsell relayed today that Assad has resumed playing catch.

That hopefully indicates that Assad is more or less on schedule, as he projects to be in the Opening Day rotation as long as he avoids the injured list. He will slot in at the back of a starting mix that includes Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon. If Assad were out of action, then perhaps swingman Colin Rea would step up. But that may not be necessary, allowing Rea to serve as a long reliever out of the bullpen. Assad has a 3.40 earned run average in 294 innings for the Cubs over the past three years, mostly as a starter.

On the infield, Counsell says Matt Shaw has been hitting in the cage and throwing. Like Assad, he had been slowed by an oblique issue but it appears both are making progress. Assuming Shaw stays healthy for the next few weeks, he’s the favorite to earn the third base job out of camp. However, the Cubs have been clear that he will have to earn the job and it won’t just be handed to him.

He will therefore have to be healthy enough to get on the field in the next few weeks and show the Cubs he’s worthy of the gig. The timeline is a little tighter than some other teams, as the Dodgers and Cubs are heading to Japan soon for the Tokyo Series. Those two clubs will be playing exhibition games against Japanese clubs on March 15th and 16th, before playing regular season contests against each other on March 18th and 19th.

Shaw slashed .284/.379/.488 for a wRC+ of 146 between Double-A and Triple-A last year. If he doesn’t secure the job out of camp, then some combination of Berti, Bruján, Justin Turner and Rule 5 pick Gage Workman would likely be the fallback options. Nicky Lopez and Dixon Machado are non-roster invitees with some big league experience in camp.

ESPN, MLB Opt Out Of TV Deal For 2026-28

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Major League Baseball and ESPN each opted out of their broadcasting contract covering the 2026-28 seasons. Barring a renegotiation, the upcoming season will be the final year of their partnership. Evan Drellich and Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported the news before either MLB or ESPN announced it.

MLB released a statement reading in part:

“We have had a long and mutually beneficial partnership with ESPN that dates back to its first MLB game in 1990. Unfortunately in recent years, we have seen ESPN scale back their baseball coverage and investment in a way that is not consistent with the sport’s appeal or performance on their platform.

Given that MLB provides strong viewership, valuable demographics, and the exclusive right to cover unique events like the Home Run Derby, ESPN’s demand to reduce rights fees is simply unacceptable. As a result, we have mutually agreed to terminate our agreement. … The positive energy around the sport has also led to significant interest from both traditional media companies and streaming services who would like to obtain rights to MLB games. We will be exploring those opportunities for a new agreement which would start in the 2026 season following the conclusion of ESPN’s agreement at the end of this year.”

ESPN said in a statement of its own that it “applied the same discipline and fiscal responsibility that has built ESPN’s industry-leading live events portfolio. … As we have been throughout the process, we remain open to exploring new ways to serve MLB fans across our platforms beyond 2025.”

Clearly, the contract’s collapse stems from a disagreement on rights fees. Drellich and Marchand write that ESPN would have paid roughly $550MM annually had it not triggered an opt-out by March 1. The broadcast company sought to renegotiate, pointing to the much lower fees paid by Apple and Roku on its own deals. Apple pays $85MM annually for a pair of Friday night games that are carried on Apple TV+. Roku is paying $10MM per season for the right to broadcast one game on Sunday mornings.

ESPN’s television package was much more robust. The network carried the Sunday night game each week of the regular season (the only game in that time slot), the Home Run Derby, and the Wild Card round of the playoffs. That’s far more valuable than Apple’s pair of non-exclusive Friday night games or Roku’s Sunday morning slot. It’s not clear how far ESPN wanted to cut fees on a new deal, but that wasn’t of interest to the league.

Drellich and Marchand relay a memo that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred sent to the league’s owners explaining the decision. In addition to differentiating between ESPN’s package and those of Apple and Roku, Manfred wrote that MLB has “not been pleased with the minimal coverage that MLB has received on ESPN’s platforms over the past several years outside of the actual live game coverage.” The commissioner wrote that he did “not think it’s beneficial for us to accept a smaller deal to remain on a shrinking platform.”

Manfred indicated that MLB has begun discussions with other platforms. ESPN had carried Sunday Night Baseball since 1990 and the Home Run Derby since ’93. The current contract was negotiated in 2021.

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