Jacob deGrom Puts Opening Day Deadline On Contract Talks
Long-anticipated contract talks between the Mets and star right-hander Jacob deGrom have yet to get underway, though indications are that the sides will explore a new deal in camp. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the sides will need to work quickly if they are to reach agreement, as deGrom has informed the team he will not negotiate during the season.
This news means that the Mets and deGrom have only about six weeks to hammer out the details of what promises to be a monster new contract, if one is to be reached at all. While it’s common for extensions to be announced during camp, it seems in this case that deGrom and his agents at CAA had anticipated much more background dialogue in the months between the Winter Meetings (when they met with Mets officials) and Spring Training.
To be sure, there’s no mandate that the sides reach agreement. They already have agreed to a $17MM arbitration salary for 2019, which includes a record-setting raise befitting deGrom’s historically notable 2018 season. And with deGrom under team control for one more season, there’d still be time to negotiate in the future.
Getting something done now, however, may be the Mets’ best chance to secure deGrom’s future services at a relatively palatable rate. Otherwise, the 30-year-old could decide to take on the risk of health or performance decline with hopes of eventually striking it rich in free agency. His relatively advanced age is a factor, to be sure, but to this point deGrom has been a workhorse and he projects to enter the open market in advance of his age-33 season. If his ensuing two campaigns are anything like the one he just wrapped up, he’ll have no trouble commanding big numbers on the open market. That said, deGrom is plainly interested in capitalizing on his 2018 excellence, and is also surely aware of the risks that come with pitching through two full MLB seasons.
There are some other considerations here. Puma notes, as Andy Martino of SNY.tv has suggested previously, that deGrom’s current agent — Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen’s former partner Jeff Berry — has suggested that players have on-field recourse to utilize against their employers to gain leverage in an increasingly unfriendly market setting. Specifically, he proposed that pitchers self-impose workload limits if they aren’t protected by long-term agreements. That path — sure to be highly controversial if implemented — seems to be on the table here. Public perception would be an important consideration in how that would play out, and also colors the present talks. The Mets had given fans (as well as deGrom) reason to believe that they’d make a big push to lock up the reigning NL Cy Young winner. Now, the onus seems to be on the organization to come forward with a significant offer.
Orioles Sign Eric Young Jr.
TODAY: The O’s have announced the signing.
YESTERDAY: The Orioles have agreed to a minor league contract with outfielder Eric Young Jr. and invited him to Major League Spring Training, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (via Twitter).
Young, now 33 years old, spent the 2017-18 seasons with the Angels but, after a solid run in 2017, saw his offensive output crater in 2018. Overall, he hit a combined .233/.293/.361 with five homers, nine doubles, a pair of triples and 17 steals through 242 plate appearances with the Halos. Young paced the National League with 46 stolen bases back in 2013 as a member of the Rockies, and he doesn’t look to have lost much of a step, as his sprint speed of 29.0 feet per second (via Statcast) still ranked in the 91st percentile of big leaguers.
Baltimore currently projects to have Trey Mancini, Cedric Mullins and DJ Stewart line up as the primary outfielders, with Mark Trumbo, Joey Rickard, Austin Hays, Anthony Santander and Rule 5 pick Drew Jackson all potentially factoring into the mix as well. Young, though, would bring an element of speed to the O’s that is largely lacking outside of Mullins and infielder Jonathan Villar, so perhaps that’ll hold some appeal to the Orioles’ new leadership as Young vies for a bench job this spring.
Central Notes: Ventura, Goldschmidt, Taillon
At the time of his tragic death in 2017, Yordano Ventura was playing on a long-term deal with the Royals that still included $20.25MM in guaranteed future salary. Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star provide an update on the status of that contract and the remaining loose ends of his estate, which has claimed insolvency. Ventura’s daughter, now five, is the sole heir. Fortunately, she did already receive a significant recovery under a life insurance policy. But the estate, which has had to pay down obligations that Ventura incurred while supporting family and friends in his native Dominican Republic, is still pursuing the balance of his contract with the Royals. It appears to present some potentially novel (and likely also fact-intensive) issues. According to the piece, there does not appear to be a prior instance of a player dying during a long-term contract. Those interested in learning about the full story and potential factors in the still-unresolved contract situation will certainly want to read the Star’s full report.
Here are some more notes from the game’s central divisions:
- The Cardinals made clear that they intend to seek a long-term deal with new star Paul Goldschmidt, and the opening of camp also starts the clock on pre-season conversations. That said, there are indications that the St. Louis organization will not impose any timing restrictions on talks, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted in a recent article regarding a host of Spring Training issues. The team is evidently prepared to hold discussions in whatever time and manner Goldschmidt himself prefers, even if that means keeping the line open in the midst of his first (and potentially only) season in St. Louis.
- Pirates righty Jameson Taillon enters the 2019 season facing big expectations, as Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. He also has his eye on the broader player market as a union rep and student of the business of the game. The 27-year-old starter says he’s not only hoping for free agents to earn big salaries, but rooting for those that do to perform well under their contracts. As Gorman notes, the Bucs hold Taillon in high esteem and would surely be interested in working out an extension — particularly given that he’s still a full season away from arbitration. It stands to reason, though, that the former second overall draft pick will not sell his future campaigns for anything less than full value.
AL Notes: Yanks, Machado, Didi, Romo, Cole
The Yankees still aren’t pushing the market for Manny Machado, and probably never will, but also shouldn’t be counted out. That’s the word from Andy Martino of SNY.tv, who reports that the New York org is still keeping tabs on Machado in hopes that a golden opportunity will emerge. The Yanks aren’t interested in utilizing him at short, but would instead plan to put Machado at third while pushing Miguel Andujar across the diamond in the even of a signing. Of course, Martino cautions that it still seems unlikely that anything will come together.
- It’s interesting that the Yankees evidently wouldn’t see Machado as a factor at shortstop. That lends greater credence to the idea that the team really is committed not only to allowing Troy Tulowitzki to take the job there to open the season, but also to paying a big arbitration salary to Didi Gregorius in hopes that he’ll return in relatively short order (and in good form) from Tommy John surgery. As Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports, Gregorius has now begun his throwing program. There’s still a long road ahead, but he seems to be on track to make his anticipated summer return.
- In addition to the Blue Jays, the Twins and Rangers are looking into signing veteran righty Sergio Romo, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com (via Twitter). The Minnesota and Texas organizations, though, only seem to be considering minor-league offers. (Toronto’s offer level isn’t clear.) It’s a bit surprising to hear of such limited interest in the 35-year-old, who still gets plenty of swings and misses and comes with ample late-inning (and opening) experience.
- The Astros battled Gerrit Cole in front of an arbitration panel today, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Obviously, that indicates that the sides were unable to agree to a last-minute deal. The outcome is expected later this week. As MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker shows, there’s just over $2MM at stake, as Cole is seeking $13.5MM and the club prefers to pay $11.425MM.
Athletics Not Giving Up Hope Of Landing Kyler Murray
The Athletics were hit with the news today that top 2018 draft choice Kyler Murray intends to pursue a career in the NFL. While that seemed to all but resolve the question of which sport he’d pursue, the Oakland organization may not be ready to concede the matter.
According to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription link), the A’s still intend to engage with Murray’s camp as his NFL draft journey begins. As Rosenthal notes, the club still can beat any offer that a football team makes, at least in theory, by dangling a guaranteed MLB contract on top of the MLB draft bonus money that Murray presently stands to sacrifice.
Though the Heisman Trophy winner is now going to turn his full attention to football, his draft prospects remain up in the air. It’s certainly possible Murray will end up being taken lower than some pundits expect. Regardless where he goes, his earnings will be capped by the NFL draft slotting system, so the Oakland org will at least have a chance to submit a final, higher bid.
Realistically, there’s sure to be a limit as to how much cash the A’s will put up to keep Murray off the gridiron. The team clearly values his future, particularly since there’s no compensation for losing him, but Murray is also a long way from being a big league contributor. There’s risk in any prospect, but he’s seen a particularly boom-or-bust player given his relative lack of polish on the diamond.
It’ll certainly be fascinating, for a variety of reasons, to see how high the Oakland organization will ultimately bid for Murray, if it does indeed attempt to woo him back. Perhaps he won’t even entertain another baseball offer if he receives a good enough opportunity with the right NFL franchise. For the time being, there’s still some uncertainty to the matter — at least, that is, from the A’s perspective.
A.J. Ellis Reportedly Set To Join Padres In Baseball Ops Role
The Padres have agreed to hire A.J. Ellis as a special assistant to GM A.J. Preller’s baseball operations department, according to MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell (via Twitter).
Ellis’s precise role remains to be seen, but it obviously will not be as a uniformed player. He’ll wrap up his playing career after spending parts of eleven seasons in the majors.
It’s at least a bit of a surprise to see Ellis hang up his spikes now. After all, he turned in 183 plate appearances of .272/.378/.344 hitting last year for the San Diego organization. As ever, he compensated for a lack of power with outstanding plate discipline and contact ability.
In his 2,303 total plate appearances in the big leagues, Ellis managed only 44 long balls and a .113 isolated power mark, but walked at a hefty 12.2% rate. He managed to be nearly a league-average overall offensive producer by carrying a 5.5% swinging-strike rate and offering at pitches out of the zone at less than a twenty percent clip. (Check the 2018 leaderboards in SwStr and O-Swing% and you’ll see how notable those figures are.)
Ellis finished out his career with the Phillies, Marlins, and Friars, but he will be remembered best for his longstanding tenure with the Dodgers — and, in particular, his relationship with the great Clayton Kershaw. The two shared the field for 829 total innings, even though most of Ellis’s nine seasons in Los Angeles came in a reserve role. When the end came for Ellis in L.A. in the middle of the 2016 season, the two friends were moved to tears. Ellis also had a rather notable run of postseason success for the Dodgers, turning in a .365/.450/.615 slash in 61 total plate appearances, though he never had a chance to play in a World Series.
Twins Optimistic Of Reaching Extensions
It seems the Twins are optimistic of reaching terms with one or more of their young core players. According to LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune, it’s even possible that some new contracts could be wrapped up and announced “by the end of the week.”
It’s still unclear precisely which players the Twins are pursuing, and which of those are likely to put pen to paper. There is no shortage of conceivable candidates. Jose Berrios and Eddie Rosario both stand out as the most obviously appealing targets, but a variety of others could also make sense under the right circumstances.
For his part, chief baseball officer Derek Falvey acknowledged that the club has real interest in extensions this spring. As in most cases, he suggested, the team’s interest is twofold. “Having those guys under control for longer than what they presently are would be a good thing, in our minds,” said Falvey. Likewise, he added, “it’s helpful to know you are going to be able to plan out a number of years with a lot of young players.”
The first deal to hit the books will, remarkably, represent the Twins’ first post-2019 player commitment. While the organization reportedly put a few multi-year offers on the table over the winter, it has yet to spill ink on its pristine future balance sheets. That has been cause for no little consternation from some fans, as the club seems to have quite a bit of unallocated spending capacity in 2019 and beyond.
Setting aside the question whether the organization is doing enough to boost its present roster, it’ll be interesting to see how aggressive it ends up being in reaching new deals with existing players. Falvey did clearly specify a desire to expand control rights, but that’ll likely cost a pretty penny in some cases — particularly, those of Berrios and Rosario, who turned in strong 2018 seasons after reportedly rebuffing prior extension efforts from the Twins.
MLBTR Chat Transcript: Harper, Machado, CBA
Click here to read a transcript of today’s chat with MLBTR owner Tim Dierkes.
Reds Designate Jose Lopez For Assignment
The Reds announced Monday that they’ve designated minor league right-hander Jose Lopez for assignment. His roster spot will go to lefty Zach Duke, whose previously reported one-year contract to return to Cincinnati is now official.
Lopez, 25, isn’t that far removed from ranking as one of the Cincinnati organization’s more promising young arms. However, after pitching to a combined 2.57 ERA with 8.8 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 44 percent ground-ball rate between Class-A Advanced and Double-A in 2017, the Dominican-born righty took a step back in 2018. This past season, Lopez turned in a 4.47 ERA with 7.5 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 1.21 HR/9 and a significantly diminished 29.1 percent ground-ball rate in 141 innings.
The Reds have spent much of the offseason bolstering their pitching depth. The additions of Sonny Gray, Tanner Roark and Alex Wood not only create a difficult path for Lopez to make the big league roster, they also push several would-be MLB arms back down the ladder to the minors, which apparently further squeezed Lopez out of the 40-man picture. Cincinnati does have a pair of out-of-options arms in Robert Stephenson and Matt Wisler, though apparently the organization is more optimistic about that duo than Lopez.
That said, Lopez performed reasonably well up until reaching the minors’ top level and still has a pair of minor league options remaining, which could certainly make him appealing to other clubs that are thin on starting pitching and/or looking to build flexibility on the pitching staff with optionable upper-minors depth. He’s the type of arm that it’s tough to sneak through waivers, although clubs have a bit less 40-man flexibility this time of year, which could play to the Reds’ advantage should they attempt to outright Lopez.
Reds Sign Zach Duke
Feb. 11: Duke’s one-year contract with the Reds has now been announced by the team. He’ll be guaranteed $2MM, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com (Twitter link).
Feb. 1: The Reds are in agreement on a contract with free-agent lefty Zach Duke, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Ken Rosenthal and C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reported last night that the ISE Baseball client was in “serious” negotiations with Cincinnati.
Duke, 36 in April, had mixed results as a starter with the Pirates early in his career but has come into his own in his mid-30s after shifting to the bullpen. That run of success may actually have kicked off with the Reds back in 2013, as Duke signed in Cincinnati after being cut loose by the Nationals and allowed just one run in 14 games (10 2/3 innings).
Over the five seasons that have followed, Duke has logged a 3.12 ERA and 3.35 FIP with 9.7 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, 0.6 HR/9 and a 58 percent ground-ball rate. The 2018 season was his weakest in that stretch, due largely to a poor finish to his season after being traded from the Twins to the Mariners. Duke pitched well in Minnesota, though, and his overall 4.15 ERA, 51-to-21 K/BB ratio and 59.4 percent ground-ball rate through 52 innings last season was solid.
Left-handed opponents, in particular, have struggled with Duke over that strong five-year stretch, hitting him at just a .209/.284/.311 clip. Right-handers have had an easier go of it but haven’t exactly thrived against Duke themselves, hitting him at a .240/.341/.357 clip dating back to the 2014 season.
The Reds weren’t exactly starved for left-handed relief options, but Duke will deepen the mix, and all of the team’s other southpaws have minor league options remaining. Among them are Amir Garrett (who thrived through late June but struggled over the final three months of 2018), Wandy Peralta and Brandon Finnegan. Cody Reed, too, could be a left-handed option for the Reds if he can’t earn a look as a starter in a suddenly crowded rotation.
It’s been a highly active offseason for the Reds’ front office. Already on board are Sonny Gray, Alex Wood, Tanner Roark, Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp, with the organization reportedly still considering the possibility of adding a center fielder as well.