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2019 Vesting Options Update

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With more than a quarter of the season in the books, it’s time to check in on some players whose status for the 2019 season could be determined by how they perform the rest of the way.  To recap, a vesting option is an option within a player’s contract that can alter the structure of the deal itself should a player stay healthy and/or achieve certain playing-time thresholds.

Though not all vesting options are reported, six players are known to have such options on their current deals.  The list…

  • Cole Hamels: The Rangers have a $20MM club option on the southpaw for 2019 (with a $6MM buyout).  The option vests into a $24MM guarantee if Hamels isn’t on the DL with a shoulder or elbow injury at the end of this season, if he tosses 200 IP this season, and has 400 total innings pitched in 2017-18.  The latter clause is the important one, as since Hamels only threw 148 innings in 2017, that essentially ended his chances at hitting the 400-inning plateau and locking in $18MM more in guaranteed money.
  • Brian McCann: The Astros have a $15MM club option on him for 2019 that vests into a player option if he doesn’t end 2018 on DL, starts at least 90 games at catcher in 2018, and has at least 1000 plate appearances in 2017-18.  With just 399 PA last season, McCann would need a career-best 601 PA this year to gain control over his 2019 status.  He does have 118 PA through 33 games, and he made his 30th start behind the plate tonight, so it’s not completely out of the question that McCann could hit both thresholds, if unlikely.  There’s also the possibility that McCann plays less down the stretch as the Astros rest him for the postseason.
  • Logan Morrison: If the first baseman gets 600 plate appearances this season, the Twins’ $8MM club option ($1MM buyout) for 2019 vests into a guaranteed year worth $9.5MM.  So far, Morrison has 154 PA through Minnesota’s first 42 games, putting him on pace to fall just short (596 PA) of the guarantee.  Morrison’s attempt could be hampered by his poor splits against left-handed pitching, though he held his own against southpaws in 2016-17 and should see more time at first base in the short term as Joe Mauer is on the DL dealing with concussion symptoms.  Morrison has also been hitting much better after an ice-cold three-week slump to open the year (.281/.385/.517 since April 20), so this one might go right down to the wire.
  • Seunghwan Oh: The Blue Jays have a $2.5MM club option ($250K buyout) for 2019 that vests into a guaranteed deal if Oh pitches in 70 games.  Oh is one of several workhorses to emerge in the heavily-used Toronto bullpen, as the former Cardinals closer has already made 21 appearances and is on pace for 72 games this season.  With the Jays struggling, however, one has to factor in the possibility that Oh could be a trade candidate at the deadline, so his role could change if he switches teams.
  • Hanley Ramirez: The priciest and most intriguing case on this list, Ramirez has a $22MM vesting option for 2019 that is guaranteed at 1050 plate appearances in 2017-18, and if he passes a physical at the end of the season.  After amassing 553 PA in 2017, HanRam only needs 314 more plate appearances this season (and good health) for his option to vest.  Ramirez has a .271/.328/.422 slash line, six homers, and a perfectly league-average 100 wRC+ this season, as an .876 OPS in March and April gave way to a slump (.567 OPS) in May.  Ramirez turns 35 in December and has been only a slightly above-average hitter during his three-plus years with the Red Sox, so Boston would likely prefer to not have him on the books for $22MM in 2019, especially with other available first base/DH options like J.D. Martinez, Mitch Moreland, Rafael Devers, or Sam Travis.  The Sox could justify benching Ramirez more often in the wake of his May struggles, though if he heats up again, the team will need his bat for the AL East pennant race.  This is definitely the vesting situation to watch as the season progresses, particularly since the Red Sox will face some further roster-juggling when Dustin Pedroia returns.
  • Ervin Santana: The Twins have a $14MM club option on Santana for 2019 that would have become guaranteed if he had passed a physical after this season, amassed 400 IP in 2017-18, and 200 IP this season.  The finger surgery that has sidelined him for all of the current season will prevent Santana from hitting the 200-inning requirement for 2018, so this vesting option can be written off already.

AL East Notes: Duquette, Orioles, Martin, Venters

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Some items from around the AL East…

  • Orioles executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette said his team is “still taking a look at” whether or not to start trading veterans, as he discussed the Orioles’ status in a recent radio appearance on 670 The Score’s “Inside The Clubhouse” show (partial transcript provided by 670TheScore.com’s Bruce Levine, plus the audio link is included).  While Duquette didn’t firmly indicate that a sell-off was coming, he did admit that “I am not sure we will be in that position” to consider adding pieces come Memorial Day, which is when the O’s and other teams usually take stock in their rosters.
  • Since the trade market has yet to really kick into gear, Duquette said that the Orioles “haven’t had that many calls, frankly” about their impending free agents.  Brad Brach and Zach Britton could end up getting the most attention, as Duquette predicted “a robust market for relief pitchers.”  The market for position players is harder to predict, with Duquette not knowing how things will fare in regards to a Manny Machado trade.  “The issue for the Orioles would be, ’Will the Orioles ultimately trade a player who’s on his way to a Triple Crown or possibly MVP season?’” Duquette said. “That’s an issue for the club. And in the offseason, there were some teams interested in Manny, but there wasn’t a lot of talent coming back. Because teams know it’s going to take a lot of money to re-sign Manny.”
  • Russell Martin tells Sportsnet.ca’s Jeff Blair that he is willing to spend more time as an infielder in the latter stages of his career.  “Whatever management thinks makes the team better, gives us a better chance to win.  You know, the goal for me on any team I’ve played on is what’s best for the squad.  And I’ve always been a fan of the infield,” Martin said.  The Blue Jays catcher has 33 career appearances as a third baseman, four at second base, and one game each at shortstop and right field during his 13-year career, so he certainly provides more versatility than most backstops.  Due to several Toronto infielders landing on the DL and backup catcher Luke Maile’s surprisingly hot bat, Martin has already made four appearances at third base this season.  This positional flexibility could make Martin into a unique backup option in 2019 (the final year of his contract) or beyond, as well as providing Toronto with the means to give catching prospects Danny Jansen or Reese McGuire some quality playing time as early as this season.
  • Though Jonny Venters has the service time to decline a minor league demotion, the southpaw agreed to a consent form that allows the Rays to send Venters to the minors during a 45-day window that began when he made the 25-man roster, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.  Since Venters’ contract was purchased on April 25, that 45-day period is up on June 8.  With a 1.13 ERA over his first eight innings, it doesn’t seem Venters is a candidate for demotion, though the Rays’ unique deployment of their pitchers requires a lot of roster shuffling.  Venters is in the midst of a remarkable comeback, returning to a big league mound for the first time since 2012 after his career was thought to be over following three Tommy John surgeries and another UCL procedure.

MLB Weekend Roster Roundup: Cabrera, Hill, Mauer, Soto, Swanson

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ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(May 19th-May 20th)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

  • LOS ANGELES DODGERS | Depth Chart
    • Placed on 10-Day DL: SP Rich Hill (blister)
      • Hill was removed two pitches into his start on Saturday. He’s expected to miss at least 4 weeks.
    • Activated from 10-Day DL: RP Tony Cingrani
    • Added to roster: RP Erik Goeddel
      • Goeddel was claimed off waivers from the Mariners on Friday and added to the 25-man roster prior to Game 2 of Saturday’s double-header.
    • Promoted: RP Yimi Garcia, RP Pat Venditte
      • Garcia was the 26th man in Saturday’s double-header
      • Venditte was optioned after the 1st game of Saturday’s double-header and recalled prior to Sunday’s game.
    • Optioned: RP Adam Liberatore
  • PITTSBURGH PIRATES | Depth Chart
    • Activated from 10-Day DL: 2B Josh Harrison
      • Harrison played 2B and batted 1st on Sunday.
    • Promoted: SP Nick Kingham
      • Kingham started Saturday’s game and was optioned to the minors prior to Sunday’s game.
    • Optioned: INF Max Moroff, SP Nick Kingham 

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

Heyman’s Latest: Arrieta, Cain, Davis, Rays, Reds, Morales

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Some items from around baseball in the latest notes collection from FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman…

  • The Nationals were linked to Jake Arrieta during the offseason, and Heyman reports that the team was interested in signing the righty to a contract similar to the three-year, $75MM deal Arrieta eventually got from the Phillies.  No offer was officially made, however, while GM Mike Rizzo had interest in adding Arrieta, ownership declined to make another big investment in a starting pitcher.  With Arrieta pitching well and the Phillies ahead of the Nats in the NL East standings, this non-signing could be an interesting what-if scenario for the future, though Washington’s rotation is already one of the best in baseball.
  • Speaking of winter what-ifs, Heyman adds the Mariners, Braves, and Dodgers to the list of teams that had interest in signing Lorenzo Cain before the center fielder inked a deal with the Brewers.  Seattle had a clear need for center field help prior to the Dee Gordon trade, though the other two wouldn’t seem to be obvious fits on paper for Cain’s services.  The Braves already have Ender Inciarte in center, plus they needed to trade Matt Kemp to make room for Ronald Acuna’s eventual promotion; potentially, Cain could’ve been a fit if Atlanta had managed to trade Nick Markakis (and then convince Cain to shift to right field).  For the Dodgers, signing Cain would have run counter to their plan of getting under the luxury tax threshold, plus L.A. would’ve had to give up two draft picks and $1MM in international bonus pool funds as compensation for signing Cain.  It’s also possible, of course, that both the Braves and Dodgers merely had a due diligence-type of interest in Cain given that his free agent stint stretched into late January.
  • Khris Davis and the Athletics were in talks about a one-year extension to cover Davis’ final season of arbitration eligibility, though Heyman reports that Davis declined an offer from the team.  It isn’t known whether negotiations are ongoing or if the two sides will table the issue.  Davis has a .235/.307/.497 slash line and 13 homers through his first 205 PA, so he is on pace to earn another big raise from his current $10.5MM salary in his last arb year.
  • The Mets aren’t for sale, though “folks around the league believe” that Rays owner and New York native Stuart Sternberg would try to buy the the Mets if they were available.  Needless to say, the Mets would be a highly sought-after property if the Wilpon family did decide to sell — one would imagine the sale price of a team in the gigantic NYC media market would easily surpass the $2 billion mark.  Heyman writes that there is even some speculation Sternberg would try to move the Rays to New York or Montreal if the league allowed it, though obviously the Mets and Yankees would have something to say about the former option in terms of territorial-rights issues.  Sternberg’s relative lack of ties to his own team’s area (“he isn’t often in Tampa“) could also be an obstacle in the Rays’ longstanding desire for a new stadium.
  • The Reds have been playing better under Jim Riggleman, but if the team does still want to make a long-term change in the dugout, Heyman hears that the team isn’t going to be spending big on a managerial salary.  A new skipper will almost certainly make less than Dusty Baker’s $3.5MM annual salary when he was running the team.  This could rule out a star hire like Joe Girardi, who impressed Reds ownership when he interviewed for the job prior to Baker’s hiring.  Interestingly, Heyman believes that Girardi — an Illinois native — could be a candidate if the White Sox decided to make a managerial change, though there isn’t any indication that the Sox are considering moving on from Rick Renteria.  That scenario would have a strong echo of Renteria’s last managerial job, when he stewarded the Cubs through some rebuilding years before being replaced by another star manager in Joe Maddon.
  • The Royals had some interest “awhile back” in a reunion with Blue Jays DH Kendrys Morales, though that trade possibility has evaporated since both the Royals and Morales are badly struggling.  K.C. is looking like a deadline seller, while Morales is hitting so poorly (.163/.248/.279 through 117 PA) that the Jays may have to release him or eat all of the approximately $19.76MM left on his contract through the 2019 campaign.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Betts, Astros, Yanks, Harper, Bucs, Cards, Dodgers

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This week in baseball blogs…

 Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com

Nationals Place Ryan Madson On 10-Day DL

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The Nationals announced that right-hander Ryan Madson has been placed on the 10-day DL with a pectoral muscle strain.  The placement is retroactive to May 17.  Nats manager Davey Martinez told reporters (including Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post) that Madson was feeling “a little bit better” after missing Saturday and Sunday’s games and the placement was “just to be safe,” so it’s possible the reliever could miss only a minimal amount of time.

Madson has a 4.19 ERA over 19 1/3 innings this season, though ERA predictors (2.16 FIP, 3.67 xFIP, 3.42 SIERA) paint a more favorable view of his performance.  Madson has yet to allow a home run this season, and has owns a 9.3 K/9, 3.33 K/BB rate, and a 43.9% grounder rate.  Late-game situations have been a strength for the Nats this season, between Madson and Brandon Kintzler’s solid set-up work and Sean Doolittle’s spectacular early numbers.  As Janes notes, Tim Collins looks to be the likeliest candidate to be called up to fill Madson’s spot in the bullpen; while Madson isn’t truly replaceable, Collins at least provides the Nats with an extra left-hander.

Madson’s absence represents yet another DL setback for the Nats, who are already without Daniel Murphy, Adam Eaton, Howie Kendrick, Ryan Zimmerman, Joaquin Benoit, Matt Wieters, Koda Glover, Jhonatan Solano, Brian Goodwin, and Matt Grace.  (Anthony Rendon also missed significant time earlier this season.)  Despite this hard bite from the injury bug, the Nationals are still 24-21 and staying afloat in the crowded NL East and wild card races.

Cafardo’s Latest: Peavy, Abreu, Moose, Braves, Fish, BoSox, Rangers

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Free-agent right-hander Jake Peavy was reportedly going to throw in a scouting showcase around May 1, but that hasn’t happened yet, the soon-to-be 37-year-old tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Nevertheless, Peavy is still aiming to return to the majors, where he last pitched in 2016 with the Giants. “In the next three weeks I’ll make a decision,” said Peavy, who added that he wanted to consult with his four kids before attempting a comeback. Continued Peavy: “I feel that I can help a team in the second half. My arm feels great. I’ve had a chance to rest it so I feel as strong as I’ve felt in a long time. I’ve kept in shape. I throw bullpens. So I’m hoping that once I make the decision to do it, that the interest will be there.” Notably, the onetime NL Cy Young Award winner realizes he’d “have to sign an incentive-based deal” and work his way back to MLB via the minors.

Here’s more from Cafardo:

  • First baseman Jose Abreu is “likely” to be the next player the White Sox trade, Cafardo writes. Even though the White Sox are rebuilding, they’ve continued to hold on to the 31-year-old Abreu, in part because he has emerged as a key mentor to their young players. Abreu would figure to garner interest from contenders, though, considering he’s having another big offensive season (.294/.366/.518 with eight HRs in 183 plate appearances) and under wraps through 2019.
  • “There’s a growing feeling among talent evaluators” that the Braves will go after Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, according to Cafardo. That may have become even more likely Sunday when the Braves ended their brief Jose Bautista experiment, though they’re bent on giving Johan Camargo a serious look at third base for the time being. Regardless, Moustakas does seem like a strong bet to finish the season outside of Kansas City, which is rebuilding and doesn’t have him under contract beyond this season (there is a $15MM mutual option, however). Moustakas is making a very reasonable salary ($5.5MM) and enjoying a terrific year at the plate, having slashed .294/.333/.528 with 10 long balls in 195 PAs.
  • The Marlins expect reliever Kyle Barraclough to generate interest prior to the deadline, Cafardo reports. The 27-year-old is amid his fourth straight high-strikeout/high-walk/low-ERA season, with 11.32 K/9, 5.23 BB/9 and a 1.74 ERA through 20 2/3 innings. Adding to his appeal, Barraclough’s under control through 2021 and making just over $1.1MM this season.
  • The Rangers had interest in Red Sox utilityman Blake Swihart as recently as a week ago, per Cafardo, who notes “that avenue may still be available.” A catcher by trade, Swihart’s out of options and doesn’t seem to have a place on this year’s Red Sox, which led his agent to request a trade earlier this week. Still, Boston’s unsure about parting with the 26-year-old, Cafardo suggests. If the Sox do explore a deal, though, there are other fits besides Texas, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams pointed out Wednesday.
  • More on the Red Sox, who’d “likely want bullpen help and/or a prospect” in a trade for center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., Cafardo observes. Boston spurned teams’ interest in Bradley in the offseason and has since gotten off to one of the majors’ best starts, though the 28-year-old hasn’t contributed to that as much as expected. Bradley has posted an ugly .165/.267/.252 line in 146 trips to the plate, leading Alex Speier of the Boston Globe to wonder if the Red Sox could consider demoting him despite his $6.1MM salary when second baseman Dustin Pedroia comes off the disabled list soon. While it’s a long shot, Speier concedes, a Bradley-less Red Sox team would still feature the enviable outfield trio of Mookie Betts in right, Andrew Benintendi in center and J.D. Martinez in left.

Indians Select Melky Cabrera, Designate Alexi Ogando

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4:36pm: The Indians have indeed optioned Marshall, Hoynes reports. Additionally, the club has designated reliever Alexi Ogando for assignment. Ogando signed a minor league accord with the Indians during the offseason and ended up cracking their roster earlier this month. However, the 34-year-old only made one appearance – a disastrous May 4 outing against the Yankees in which he pitched one frame and allowed two earned runs on two hits and three walks. Ogando took the loss in that game.

4:12pm: Cabrera will start in right field for Cleveland on Sunday, per Zuppe. It appears the Tribe will option reliever Evan Marshall to open up a 25-man spot for Cabrera, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com suggests.

4:02pm: The Indians are set to promote veteran outfielder Melky Cabrera to the majors, T.J. Zuppe of The Athletic tweets. Adding Cabrera wouldn’t require the Indians to make a 40-man roster move, as they currently have a vacancy.

Even though the 33-year-old Cabrera has enjoyed a successful MLB career, he was one of several notable veterans who didn’t encounter much interest on the free-agent market last offseason. In fact, he went without a contract until the end of April, when the Indians inked him to a minors pact. By making it to Cleveland, Cabrera will be in position to earn at a $1MM rate and have an opportunity to rake in extra cash via incentives.

Cleveland will be the seventh different major league destination for the switch-hitting Cabrera, who didn’t produce much in 42 plate appearances with its Triple-A affiliate (.286/.286/.381) but does bring a .286/.335/.418 MLB line across 6,852 PAs. He offered similar numbers last year between two of the Indians’ AL Central rivals, the White Sox and Royals, combining to slash .285/.324/.423 with 17 home runs in 666 trips to the plate.

Cabrera’s 2017 production was more than the Indians have gotten this year from their outfielders, who have combined for a .255/.308/.396 mark in the first month and half of the campaign. Michael Brantley and Tyler Naquin have held their own, but each of Bradley Zimmer, Lonnie Chisenhall, Rajai Davis, Greg Allen and Brandon Guyer have scuffled, and three of those players (Naquin, Zimmer and Chisenhall) are on the disabled list.

AL Injury Notes: A. Garcia, K. Davis, Bird, Astros

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White Sox right fielder Avisail Garcia likely won’t return to game action until the end of June, the team announced. Garcia, who has been out since April 24 with a strained right hamstring, underwent an MRI “that revealed improvement but the continued presence of a grade 2 strain,” per the club. On the heels of a terrific 2017, Garcia looked like a potential trade chip entering this season. However, between Garcia’s lengthy absence and the fact that he opened 2018 with a .233/.250/.315 line and no walks in 76 pre-injury plate appearances, his trade value has likely taken a sizable hit this year.

  • Athletics slugger Khris Davis left their game Sunday with a right groin strain, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. The severity isn’t known, though Slusser points out that groin strains tend to take anywhere from two to six weeks to heal. A stint on the disabled list seems like a strong possibility, then, and that would be a tough development for the surging A’s. The club’s on its way to a 25-22 start, and Davis has certainly had a role in that with a .235/.307/.497 line and a team-high 13 homers in 205 PAs.
  • Yankees first baseman Greg Bird could make his season debut during the upcoming week, manager Aaron Boone told Mike Mazzeo of the New York Daily News and other reporters Sunday. Bird hasn’t played this year on account of the right ankle surgery he underwent in late March, after missing most of last season with foot problems and all of 2016 with a torn labrum. Owners of the majors’ best record (29-13), the Yankees have gotten off to a great start without the talented Bird, thanks in part to first base fill-in Tyler Austin’s production. The 26-year-old rookie has smacked two HRs on Sunday to give him eight on the season and raise his OPS to .930 through 100 PAs.
  • The Astros have placed outfielder Derek Fisher on the DL (retroactive to Saturday) and recalled corner infielder/outfielder J.D. Davis from Triple-A, per reports from Mark Berman of FOX 26 and Jake Kaplan of The Athletic. Fisher, who has hit just .176/.222/.419 in 81 PAs, is dealing with gastrointestinal discomfort. Like Fisher, Davis hasn’t been great at the big league level this year (250/.357/.250 in 28 PAs). However, the 25-year-old laid waste to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League prior to Sunday’s call-up, slashing .415/.473/.654 in 146 tries.

Athletics Claim Carlos Ramirez From Blue Jays

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The Athletics have claimed right-hander Carlos Ramirez off waivers from the Blue Jays, per an announcement from Oakland.

Oakland will be the second organization for the 27-year-old Ramirez, who had been with the Blue Jays since 2009. Ramirez started off as an outfield prospect with the Jays before moving to the mound in 2014. He impressed enough as a minor league pitcher to reach the majors in 2017, and has since logged a combined 19 innings at the game’s highest level (2 1/3 this year). During that small sample of work, Ramirez posted a 2.84 ERA/4.84 FIP with 8.05 K/9, 3.79 BB/9 and a 33.3 percent groundball rate, but that wasn’t enough to prevent Toronto from designating him for assignment last week.

Given that Ramirez has three options remaining, he seems likely to start off as minors depth with the Athletics. The A’s currently have a full bullpen, and the unit has begun the year with the majors’ 12th-best ERA (3.82).

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