Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

AL East Notes: Hernandez, Swihart, Dickerson, Orioles

By | at

The Red Sox told reporters today that infielder Marco Hernandez will miss the remainder of Spring Training after incurring a setback in his rehab from last year’s shoulder surgery (via MassLive.com’s Jen McCaffrey). Hernandez, who initially went under the knife late last May, went back to Boston for a second procedure this week after doctors determined that he needed to have the pins that were inserted into his shoulder during that initial operation removed. Manager Alex Cora said that Hernandez’s shoulder was feeling abnormally weak and sore following his spring workouts, which prompted the followup exam. There’s no timetable on his return at present.

  • Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston argues that while the Red Sox could benefit from a year of carrying the out-of-options Blake Swihart as a utility player, they may not ever get a higher return for him in a trade than they would this spring. Other clubs still view Swihart as a viable catching option, he notes, whereas a year of scarce opportunities behind the plate thanks to the presence of Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon could change that. The Sox seem to have three players for two bench spots — Brock Holt, Deven Marrero and Swihart, with the latter each being out of minor league options. On the flip side of the coin, one could also argue that a full year of production at the big league level, even in a part-time role. It also seems feasible that Sandy Leon could see his role diminish if his 2017 struggles at the plate carry over into the 2018 season.
  • Rays GM Erik Neander admitted to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that the decision to designate Corey Dickerson for assignment was “very difficult and something he didn’t deserve in that way.” However, the presence of so many corner options on the market were dragging out the Rays’ efforts to trade him, and the DFA served as a means of putting a clock on the process for interested trade parties, which ultimately accelerated the process. “With the market and how many guys were out there, we felt that the best way to try to accomplish something was to put a timer on it and expedite the process,” said Neander.
  • The Orioles are dealing with some early injuries in camp, writes MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko. Most notable is that of Jonathan Schoop, who was scratched from today’s lineup due to bursitis in his left elbow and is listed as day-to-day. The injury isn’t characterized as serious, but Kubatko notes that it underscores the team’s need to have a strong utility infielder on hand. With that in mind, Kubatko notes that Baltimore still plans to monitor the waiver wire and could continue to be active in picking up infield options in that manner. Kubatko also writes that righty Miguel Castro is suffering from patellar tendinitis in both knees and possibly some back soreness. He won’t make his first scheduled start of the spring. Castro is among the many internal candidates to fill in the fifth spot in the Baltimore rotation.

Twins Place J.T. Chargois On Outright Waivers

By | at

Feb. 23: Chargois was actually placed on waivers on Wednesday, Berardino tweets, meaning the outcome should be known this afternoon.

Feb. 22: The Twins have placed righty J.T. Chargois on outright waivers, according to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (Twitter link). It seems the hope is that the injured Chargois will clear waivers while leaving the organization a 40-man spot to work with.

Chargois, a second-round pick in the 2012 draft, steadily moved up the Minnesota system as he worked to harness a big heater. In 2016, he impressed in his first attempt at Triple-A, posting a 1.29 ERA with 10.5 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 over 35 innings. And while he struggled overall in a first attempt at the majors, Chargois did finish his debut effort with a strong final month.

The arrow pointed up heading into 2017, but Chargois stalled out. He took the mound only twice in competitive situations while dealing with an elbow problem that was ultimately diagnosed as a stress reaction. While he did not require surgery, there’s obviously some uncertainty as to how his career will progress from this point.

Given that Chargois held onto his 40-man spot throughout the winter, it seems the Twins have maintained at least some cause for optimism. On the other hand, the club is obviously now willing to take a chance at losing a pitcher who not long ago seemed a future closer possibility. Whether his early showing in camp impacted the decision is not clear, but it’s somewhat notable that Minnesota did not place Chargois on the 60-day DL, suggesting that he’s healthy enough that such a placement would not be warranted.

Rangers Sign Jesse Chavez

By | at

Feb. 23: The Rangers have announced the signing. Chavez does indeed go on the 40-man roster, taking the place of left-hander Joe Palumbo, who has been transferred to the 60-day DL in a corresponding move. Palumbo underwent Tommy John surgery last April and will not be ready for the start of the season.

Feb. 22: Chavez’s deal is a guaranteed, Major League contract at $1MM, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. He’ll get a 40-man roster spot, it seems, and Chavez’s base salary will elevate to $1.5MM once he is placed on the 25-man roster. Cotillo notes that there’s a very strong chance that Chavez breaks camp on the Rangers’ roster.

Feb. 21: The Rangers are in agreement on a contract with veteran right-hander Jesse Chavez, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (Twitter links). The Sosnick, Cobbe & Karon client seems to have signed a non-guaranteed deal, as Heyman notes that the pact calls for a $1MM base that’ll increase to $1.5MM if he makes the big league roster. Chavez’s contract has $500K worth of incentives based on relief appearances and $1MM based on starts, Heyman adds.

Now 34 years of age, Chavez will return to the organization that gave him his first professional opportunity. Texas selected Chavez in the 42nd round of the 2002 draft — a round that no longer even exists in modern drafts — and the righty spend parts of four seasons in their system before being traded to the Pirates in the 2006 Kip Wells swap.

Chavez went on to make his big league debut with the 2008 Pirates, and he’s spent time with six additional big league organizations since that time (primarily with Oakland). Chavez’s 2017 season was spent with the division-rival Angels, for whom he pitched to a disappointing 5.35 ERA in 138 innings. Chavez managed respectable marks of 7.8 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 41.1 percent ground-ball rate, but like so many other pitchers throughout MLB was plagued by the long ball; in those 138 frames, he surrendered 28 big flies — good for a career-worst 1.83 HR/9 mark.

Texas has been aggressively stockpiling veteran arms on which to rely over the course of the season, adding Doug Fister on a low-cost MLB deal while also picking up Chavez, Bartolo Colon, Jon Niese and Edinson Volquez on minor league contracts. (Volquez’s deal was a two-year minor league deal, as he’ll miss 2018 recovering from August Tommy John surgery.)

The Rangers currently project to have Cole Hamels, Fister, Matt Moore, Mike Minor and Matt Bush in their rotation. There’s plenty of talent in that bunch, to be sure, as each has had big league success at various points. However, it’s a fairly uncertain group at present.

Hamels is coming off a down season in which he logged significant time on the DL, and Moore, too, is in need of a rebound after a dreadful showing with the 2017 Giants. Minor, meanwhile, will be returning to a rotation role for the first time in four years, and Bush has never worked as a starter. Fister posted promising peripherals in a tough AL East last year, but he hasn’t had a full season with above-average run prevention numbers since 2014. Given the uncertainty among that group, it makes sense for GM Jon Daniels and his staff to create a fairly large supporting cast of experienced arms to serve as insurance.

Chavez has extensive experience both as a starter and reliever, so he’ll add to that depth and can support the group either as a rotation option in the upper minors or perhaps as a swingman at the big league level. He has a career 4.69 ERA in 742 2/3 Major League innings and enjoyed a solid run from 2013-16, during which time he sported a 3.94 ERA and 3.85 FIP in 427 1/3 frames.

Heyman’s Latest: LoMo, Braves, Moustakas, White Sox, CarGo, Lynn, Arrieta

By | at

There’s enough talent left on the free-agent market — including seven of the top twenty players on MLBTR’s list of the top 50 free agents — that the overall assessment of spending could yet be swayed by contracts that have yet to be reached. (As always, you can review the action to this point in our 2017-18 MLB Free Agent Tracker.) As we wait for the final data points to be registered, it’s worth considering this recent piece from The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh regarding the debate over player spending in comparison to revenue (as well as this earlier AP examination of spending and revenue from the spring of 2016). Calculating the players’ slice of the pie — and the size of the pie itself — is certainly a nuanced undertaking, and one for which complete public data is lacking.

The markedly sluggish timing of this year’s market, of course, is something that has already been established quite clearly. With an unprecedented number of top players still awaiting new deals as Spring Training opens, let’s take a look at a few of the most notable bits of information from Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (from his latest notes column, unless otherwise noted):

  • At least as of a few days back, says Heyman, first baseman Logan Morrison was not sitting on any open offers. While LoMo’s representatives surely have an idea of what might be available, it’s rather notable that no organizations seem to be making a concerted effort to draw him. MLBTR’s Connor Byrne recently argued in favor of Morrison as a worthy free-agent target, but it certainly isn’t doing him any favors that the market still holds a few other quality slugger types. Still, Morrison’s excellent recent work at the plate would unquestionably hold out the promise of real improvement for a variety of organizations.
  • There’s still no evidence that the Braves are particularly likely to agree to terms with third baseman Mike Moustakas, but Heyman says there has been some amount of engagement — even if “there’s no common ground” to this point. The Atlanta organization, which Heyman says even considered Lorenzo Cain at one point, may have reduced 2018 flexibility after a salary swapping deal with the Dodgers moved some obligations forward. But it seems the team is still at least hunting around for interesting possibilities. As for Moustakas, Heyman notes he has “plenty of one-year opportunities,” but it’s not clear at this point whether a significant multi-year deal will be forthcoming. That’s surely disappointing after he turned in a strong 2017 season, though it is not atypical for some quality players to run into problematic market circumstances.
  • The White Sox have been linked, albeit loosely, to Moustakas, and it still seems as if the Chicago organization could have some tricks up its sleeves. While the focus, no doubt, remains on the future, the club is going to have some solid veterans and high-end young talents on the roster for the coming season. With just over $70MM on the books for 2018, perhaps the organization could yet pursue some one-year or multi-year deals that would hold out the promise of delivering excess value. Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is a “possibility” for the South Siders, per Heyman. It stands to reason that the Sox might hold added appeal to players such as Gonzalez if they are willing to offer more playing time than might be available elsewhere.
  • With several starters locking in solid rates of pay of late, and the bullpen market heating up earlier in the offseason, pitchers seem generally to have had an easier go of things on this winter’s wacky market. Heyman writes that veteran righty Lance Lynn has not been forced to significantly drop his asking price. Indications are that the Twins, per the report, “seem to prefer” Lynn to other still-available starters. Heyman further reports that Jake Arrieta’s agent, Scott Boras, still seems to believe that Arrieta compares more reasonably with pitchers who have landed mega-deals than he does with the recently inked Yu Darvish, who received a $126MM guarantee. Of course, we’re still waiting to see how those and a few other top open-market pitchers will end up doing when all is said and done.

Minor MLB Transactions: 2/22/18

By | at

Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around baseball…

  • Righty Joan Gregorio has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A by the Giants, per Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter). The 26-year-old was once regarded as a quality prospect but needs to regain his trajectory after a 2017 season marred by a PED suspension. He did work to a 3.04 ERA in 74 Triple-A innings over 13 starts, but managed only 7.4 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9 on the year.
  • Southpaw Casey Crosby has signed on with the Twins on a minor-league deal, as Seth Stohs of TwinsDaily.com pointed out today on Twitter. Rick Armstrong of the Aurora Beacon-News had the story a few weeks back, charting Crosby’s quiet exit from the sport and his decision to attempt a comeback. The lefty briefly appeared with the Tigers in 2012 but has not returned to the majors since. Indeed, Crosby last recorded time in affiliated ball with Detroit in 2014, with elbow pain contributing to his departure. The 29-year-old, a former fifth-round draft pick, returned to indy ball late last year and is hoping that an improved diet and revamped mechanics will lead to a remarkable rebound.

Earlier Updates

  • Former big league outfielder Jose Tabata has signed with the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League, the team announced today. Tabata, 29, once looked like a building block for the Pirates after hitting .299/.346/.400 with four homers, 19 steals and terrific outfield defense as a 21-year-old rookie back in 2010. Pittsburgh was bullish enough on the former top prospect that they inked him to a six-year, $15MM contract extension that offseason, but even that modest guarantee proved to be a misstep, as Tabata’s production declined in the coming years. The outfielder went on to hit .267/.333/.369 with diminishing value on the basepaths and in the outfield in 407 games over the next five seasons. He hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2015 and hasn’t performed well in Triple-A in recent seasons, either. He’ll now look to follow in the footsteps of dozens of other big leaguers who have used the independent circuit (the Atlantic League, in particular) as a stepping stone back into affiliated ball.

NL Central Notes: Dickerson, Reds, Senzel, Braun

By | at

Pirates GM Neal Huntington suggested today that he expects new acquisition Corey Dickerson to handle the bulk of the action in left field for he coming season, as MLB.com’s Adam Berry report on Twitter. No doubt the Bucs will end up giving Dickerson some time off against lefties; while he performed well against southpaws last year, he has long carried wide platoon splits. But it seems the plan is to give him an opportunity to function as something approaching an everyday player, with the Pittsburgh organization evidently willing to stomach the less-than-stellar glovework Dickerson is reputed to deliver. Perhaps the biggest question will be whether the powerful 28-year-old can overcome an interesting problem identified by Travis Sawchik of Fangraphs in a piece today: a tendency to swing and miss at four-seam fastballs.

More from the NL Central:

  • Upon his arrival in camp, Reds star Joey Votto made clear he hopes the team can begin pushing toward consistent contention, as Gary Schatz writes in the Dayton Daily News. Votto’s stellar 2017 season was not enough to keep the club out of the NL Central cellar. Clearly, ending up anywhere near a winning record is going to require quite a lot of internal improvement given the organization’s limited additions over the winter. At some point, though, the Reds organization will surely look to outside acquisitions to help take the next step, a topic covered by Rian Watt of Fangraphs.
  • One key piece of the Reds picture, both in the near term and especially in the future, is top infield prospect Nick Senzel. Notably, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes, Senzel will see action at shortstop in what ought to be an interesting storyline to keep an eye on. Craig Edwards of Fangraphs looks at Senzel’s possible move up the scale of defensive difficulty and puts it in a broader context. Needless to say, the possibility is quite intriguing for the Reds. In other Senzel-related news, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer has the fun story of the 22-year-old’s conquest of minor-league skipper Pat Kelly, the Reds’ house wrestling champion who had long fended off challengers from the farm system. No doubt the front office is just relieved that everyone has emerged unscathed.
  • The Brewers’ plans regarding Ryan Braun are perhaps an underappreciated spring storyline. As Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes, the veteran slugger is going to find time at first base and perhaps also second. That would potentially allow the club to balance the demands of finding enough time for Braun after adding Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich to an outfield that already featured Domingo Santana (with Brett Phillips and others also pushing up from the farm). As a long-time star corner outfielder who is now 34 years of age, Braun is an unusual candidate to turn into a utility player of sorts. But it’s also interesting to consider the potential upside as well as the merits of limiting the load on Braun, who has had his share of nicks and scrapes over the years. Just how things look on Opening Day, though, still aren’t clear. It still seems possible Santana could be dealt. And Jon Heyman of Fan Rag argues the organization still needs to add a significant rotation piece if it hopes to keep pace.

Rangers Seen As Favorites To Land Julio Pablo Martinez

By | at

The Rangers are now considered the favorite in the pursuit of Cuban prospect Julio Pablo Martinez, according to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). Martinez is not technically eligible to put pen to paper until March 6th, but it seems the Texas organization is working to line up a deal once he can formally sign.

Martinez, 21, will likely command a $2.7MM to $2.8MM bonus, according to the report. That’s a far sight shy of what similarly situated young players have earned in recent years, though that’s a reflection of newly restrictive signing rules (which place a hard cap on total bonus spending) rather than Martinez’s promise as a player.

The Rangers did not seem to have quite that much pool availability when last we checked, though it is always difficult to keep close tabs on international expenditures. Evidently, the Texas organization had more to work with than we realized, and also acquired an additional $350K just days ago, immediately sparking indications that the move was designed to facilitate the acquisition of Martinez.

Given that we’re still weeks away from Martinez even being able to sign, it seems reasonable to expect that we’ll have to wait to learn of his destination with any real certainty. But from the tenor of tonight’s report and the recent swap, all signs are that Texas is indeed set to land Martinez. That said, the Yankees and Marlins have also been closely tied to the talented youngster (by Ben Badler of Baseball America). He may be a year or two away from the majors, but that’s closer than most amateurs. And Martinez is said to possess an enticing blend of speed and power.

Orioles Sign Colby Rasmus

By | at

TODAY: Rasmus would earn a $3MM salary in the majors and can add another $2MM via incentives, per Feinsand (via Twitter).

YESTERDAY: The Orioles have agreed to a deal with free-agent outfielder Colby Rasmus, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (Twitter link). Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun had strongly connected the sides this morning. It’s a minor-league pact, per the report.

Baltimore has been looking for a lefty outfield bat all winter long, and may now have found its man. Rasmus will still need to earn his way onto the roster, of course, but the O’s presently have no left-handed-hitting outfielders on the 40-man after designating Jaycob Brugman earlier today.

Rasmus, 31, logged 129 plate appearances last year with the Rays before going on the DL. Rather than returning when he was back to health, though, the veteran outfielder decided not to continue playing and was placed on the restricted list for the remainder of the season, foregoing the remainder of the $5MM deal he had signed.

Now, it seems, Rasmus is interested in resuming his career. He had shown signs of bouncing back from a tough, injury-filled 2016 season in his early showing with Tampa Bay, posting a .281/.318/.579 slash with nine home runs in limited time.

For Baltimore, this move represents a low-risk method of bolstering their overall outfield unit. Rasmus has never come around against left-handed pitching, but has succeeded against opposing righties to the tune of a .252/.318/.463 lifetime triple-slash.

Dee Gordon Among Players Moving To Rep 1 Agency

By | at

Mariners center fielder Dee Gordon is among the notable players that will be joining Rep 1 Baseball, the agency announced today. Veteran agent Nate Heisler has joined the Rep 1 ranks as a vice president, bringing with him an array of clients.

In addition to Gordon, the players going with Heisler to his new agency include major leaguers Liam Hendriks and Chase Whitley. Several prospects are coming along as well, includingJesus Luzardo and Jacob Pearson.

Gordon is obviously the most notable name on this list. He’s also under contract through at least 2020, pursuant to the extension he inked with the Marlins back in 2016. Now with the Mariners following a December swap, Gordon has been tasked this winter with moving from his accustomed middle infield role into center field in Seattle.

Hendriks is earning $1.9MM this year and will qualify for arbitration one final time at season’s end. Whitley, also a reliever, recently agreed to a $800K deal in his first trip through the arb process. Among the younger players, Luzardo has received top-100 leaguewide prospect billing.

Rep 1 Baseball already represents such prominent major leaguers as Edwin Encarnacion and Miguel Montero. Its new clients are reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database.

An earlier version of this post indicated that Twins prospect Nick Gordon was also changing representation, as Rep 1 announced. A report from Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter) now indicates that the younger Gordon will remain with the Beverly Hills Sports Council.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top