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Indians Sign Chris Colabello

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9:57am: There’s an opt-out in the deal, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Colabello can exercise it on June 1 if he has not been added to the MLB roster, Joel Sherman of the New York Post adds on Twitter.

9:38am: The Indians have announced the signing of outfielder/first baseman Chris Colabello to a minor-league deal. It comes with an invitation to participate on the majors side of spring camp.

Colabello, 33, recently elected free agency after being outrighted by the Blue Jays in a move that long seemed all but inevitable. He struggled out of the gates in 2016 before being slapped with an 80-game suspension for failing a PED test during the offseason. Colabello’s miserable year continued when he returned to action at Triple-A, where he hit just .180/.248/.288 over 153 plate appearances.

Despite those issues, Cleveland seems to offer a fairly promising landing spot. The organization has been on the hunt for pop, and could conceivably utilize Colabello in the corner outfield, at first, or in a bench bat/DH role — if he can earn a roster spot at some point.

The upside here lies in Colabello’s 2015 campaign in Toronto. Over 360 plate appearances, he hit a robust .321/.367/.520 with 19 home runs. Though he had never put up that kind of production in his earlier time with the Twins, perhaps there’s hope that the one-time indy ball find could again be a major-league contributor.

Red Sox May Be Nearing Deal Involving Clay Buchholz

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The Red Sox may soon strike a deal to move righty Clay Buchholz, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The potential acquiring team has not yet been identified, but Heyman adds (on Twitter) that the Phillies were looking into the veteran starter. Other organizations could conceivably have interest as well, of course; the Marlins have previously been linked, though at last check the sides were not lining up on a deal.

International Signings: 12/20/16

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Here are some of the latest comings and goings on the international market:

  • There are a few recent moves to cover on the KBO side as well. Southpaw Hyeon-jong Yang will return to Korea’s Kia Tigers, Yonhap News reports (h/t Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net, via Twitter). The 28-year-old has been on the MLB radar for some time, and had been expected to gauge interest as a free agent this winter. Evidently, there wasn’t enough of an opportunity in North American ball for him to forego a chance at what’s reported to be the biggest single-season contract ever awarded in the KBO: 2.25 billion won, or about $1.89MM. Yang carries a 3.02 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 over 373 innings in the past two seasons in the hitter-friendly KBO.
  • Also, SK Wyverns recently announced the signings of infielder Danny Worth (for $700K) and lefty Scott Diamond ($600K). Both have seen action in multiple MLB campaigns. Most recently, Worth briefly cracked the Astros’ major-league roster. Though he struggled there, he did slash an excellent .330/.431/.525 in his 368 Triple-A plate appearances in 2016. And Diamond, once a rotation piece for the Twins, made one major-league appearance last year with the Blue Jays, but spent most of the year working to a 4.50 ERA (with 5.4 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9) over 166 innings at Triple-A.

Earlier Updates

  • The Yakult Swallows have added righty David Buchanan on a one-year deal worth about $750K, per a team announcement (via Kyodo News). Buchanan, 27, had been cut loose by the Phillies after spending all of 2016 at Triple-A, working to a 3.98 ERA over 167 1/3 innings. He had some success in a twenty-start rookie year at the major-league level back in 2014, but struggled there in 2015 and wasn’t able to return last year. “He can keep his pitches low with a high strike rate, and has strong fighting spirit. We wanted that kind of a pitcher,” said Yakult international director Masayuki Okumura.
  • Also heading to Japan after a recent stint with the Phillies is fellow righty Phil Klein, who the club recently released to pursue an opportunity in the NPB. He’s heading to the Yokohama BayStars, the team announced (Japanese-language link), for a deal that’s said to promise him around 150MM yen (~$1.27MM) along with an incentives package. Though Klein hasn’t succeeded in his looks at the majors, he obviously drew real interest from Asia with his intriguing numbers in the upper minors — including a 2.14 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 over 160 Triple-A frames.
  • The BayStars will not retain free agents Guillermo Moscoso and Zach Petrick, the team also noted. Moscoso, a former big leaguer, had spent three years with the organization. The 27-year-old Petrick, a former Cardinals farmhand, struggled to a 5.51 ERA in his only campaign in Japan.
  • Continuing their international spree, the Padres have agreed to a $400K bonus with Cuban lefty Ramon Ernesto Perez Favier, according to a report from Francys Romero of OnCuba.com (Twitter link), which Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune confirms (also via Twitter). There isn’t much public information on the 17-year-old, though you can check out his stuff on this YouTube video that reputedly features him. Lin provides a few tidbits on Favier as well, tweeting that the young southpaw sits in the low-nineties with his fastball and features a breaker with two varieties of change-ups. Since San Diego has long seen blown past its bonus limitations, the team will double its investment in the form of a penalty tax.

Minor MLB Transactions: 12/19/16

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • The Tigers have a minor-league deal with infielder Brendan Ryan, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The 34-year-old can earn $625K in the big leagues. Once a slick-fielding, semi-regular shortstop with the Cardinals and Mariners, Ryan has received just 241 MLB plate appearances over the past three seasons, slashing just .188/.231/.251 in that span. He spent the bulk of 2016 at the Triple-A level in the Nationals and Angels organizations.
  • Outfielder Shane Peterson is headed to the Rays on a minors pact, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Peterson, 28, hit .259/.324/.353 in a 226 plate appearance stint with the Brewers in 2015, his first real crack at the big leagues, after showing well at Triple-A that year. An arm injury limited the left-handed hitter to just 15 games in 2016, but he did continue to hit well when he was on the field. All told, the former second-round pick owns a productive .298/.385/.468 slash across 1,775 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors.

Pirates Sign Daniel Hudson

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WEDNESDAY: The deal is now official.

MONDAY 7:43pm: The deal is split into two $5.5MM annual salaries, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets.

2:49pm: The Pirates have agreed to a two-year, $11MM contract with free agent right-hander Daniel Hudson, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. Hudson, a client of Jet Sports, can earn up to $1.5MM of incentives per year based on games finished and could end up being a factor for the Pirates in the ninth inning on this new contract.

[Related: Updated Pittsburgh Pirates Depth Chart]

Daniel Hudson

Hudson, 30 in March, posted an unsightly 5.22 ERA in 60 1/3 innings with the D-backs last season, but all of the damage done against him was confined to one dismal stretch over the summer. Hudson was sporting a 1.55 ERA as deep into the season as June 21, but he was rocked for 26 runs over his next 15 appearances (during which time he had a staggering .625 BABIP). To close out the season, Hudson allowed just four runs in 21 1/3 innings.

The Pirates are clearly banking that the dominant form with which Hudson bookended his 2016 campaign is a true representation of his talent. Since coming back from his second Tommy John surgery, Hudson has averaged about 96 mph on his fastball and looked the part of a potentially dominant late-inning presence, though his bottom-line results have yet to line up with that perception. The Pirates, though, have a history of success when it comes to turning pitchers’ careers around, and Hudson becomes the latest in a long line of arms to attempt to go that route.

While Hudson probably won’t be handed the closer’s role outright, he’ll compete with longtime setup man Tony Watson for that role. Watson stepped into the ninth inning following the trade of Mark Melancon last year and performed well, though Watson himself has been an oft-mentioned trade candidate and could be moved this winter or next summer, as he’s just a year from reaching free agency. Other late-inning options for manager Clint Hurdle include hard-throwers Felipe Rivero (acquired in the Melancon trade) and Juan Nicasio.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Astros To Sign Juan Centeno

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The Astros have struck a minor-league deal with catcher Juan Centeno, according to Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He’ll join the MLB side of spring camp as part of the arrangement.

Centeno, who recently turned 27, was outrighted a month ago by the Twins. While the relationship didn’t continue with Minnesota, he got his first real look at the majors there in 2016. Previously, Centeno had seen action in three MLB seasons, but appeared in only 24 games.

Over 192 plate appearances with the Twins, Centeno slashed .261/.312/.392 — good for a 91 OPS+, which is just fine for a backstop. But he also rated as one of the game’s worst pitch framers, by measure of both StatCorner and Baseball Prospectus, which doubtlessly did not endear him to a new Minnesota front office that ended up signing catcher Jason Castro (one of the game’s best at earning strikes for his pitchers) away from Houston. (It’s fair to note that Minnesota did offer him a minors pact, per ESPN1500’s Darren Wolfson, via Twitter.)

Despite that solid showing at the plate, offensive expectations remain limited for Centeno, a long-time Mets farmhand who spent 2015 in the Brewers organization. In parts of four seasons at the highest level of the minors, after all, he has demonstrated good contact skills but also an utter absence of power. Over 681 Triple-A plate appearances, Centeno carries a .293/.333/.355 batting line with a pair of home runs.

For Houston, the move adds another plausible major league option to the organization. Brian McCann and Evan Gattis are expected to handle things at the MLB level, and youngsters Max Stassi and Tyler Heineman remain on hand, but Centeno will represent another experienced backstop to call upon if a need arises.

Blue Jays Have Not Offered Jose Bautista More Than Qualifying Offer

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Since slugger Jose Bautista declined the one-year, $17.2MM qualifying offer made to him by the Blue Jays at the outset of the offseason, the club has not made him a formal offer that exceeds that amount, Jon Morosi of MLB Network tweets.

That’s not exactly surprising, perhaps, as Bautista’s market has seemingly not yet developed — in large part, perhaps, because former teammate Edwin Encarnacion and several other power bats (particularly Mark Trumbo) also remain unsigned. But it’s notable that Toronto hasn’t even seen fit to put that kind of cash on the table yet, as the team reportedly dangled four years and $80MM to Encarnacion at one point (though that offer seemingly no longer stands).

We took a look at Bautista’s market recently, upon Morosi’s suggestion that a reunion with the Jays could make the most sense at this point. That may well turn out to be the case, but it doesn’t seem likely to happen any time soon unless Toronto’s interest perks up or Bautista decides to settle for a lot less than he surely hoped for when he turned down the QO.

MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicted that Bautista could earn $51MM over three years on the open market, but there was always some downside in his case given his age, defensive limitations, and recent power drop, as well as (especially) the presence of so many other appealing power hitters in free agency. Because he rejected the qualifying offer, of course, Bautista would also cost a signing team a draft choice (or prevent the Jays from adding an additional selection), which further dents his value.

As Dierkes noted at the outset of the offseason, a one-year arrangement always seemed a plausible outcome, and a pillow contract now seems more likely than ever. Of course, it’s far too soon to say that a multi-year guarantee won’t be found; ongoing market developments may yet decide that question. Since our latest snapshot of the overall market for Bautista, we’ve heard some updated chatter on the potential connection to the Rays and the seeming unlikelihood of a match with the Mariners.

Trade/Free Agent Rumors: Quintana, Jays, Trumbo, Breslow

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The Yankees have yet to add a starting pitcher to their rotation this winter, but MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets that they’re still interested White Sox ace Jose Quintana. As he points out, the Yankees certainly have a deep enough farm system to entice the Sox to part with their second front-of-the-rotation lefty of the offseason. However, Morosi doesn’t contextualize their interest, and it’s worth noting that Yankees GM Brian Cashman has said earlier this winter that he’s reached out to virtually every team at some point and is casting a wide net in attempting to improve his team. Along those lines, ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand writes that the Yankees have been extremely disinclined to part with young talent this winter, and he ultimately characterizes the chances of Quintana landing in New York as unlikely.

A few more notes on the trade and free-agent markets…

  • Morosi also tweets that in addition to Boone Logan and Jerry Blevins, the Blue Jays have interest in free-agent southpaw Travis Wood. Toronto has already been connected to both Logan and Blevins, but there hasn’t been much of a link between the Jays and Wood to this point. The Blue Jays have already lost Brett Cecil to the Cardinals this winter and have yet to replace him. Left-handed relief was arguably a need for the Jays even before Cecil departed, so they figure to be linked to a number of prominent southpaws as the offseason wears on. In Wood’s case, though, it’s worth wondering if he’d prefer to sign somewhere that gives him a chance to start. Wood spent the past couple of seasons in the Cubs’ bullpen, but he averaged 30 starts per year from 2012-14 and reached 200 innings in 2013. In a market that is thin on starters, giving Wood a chance to redefine himself as a rotation member holds plenty of merit for pitching-needy clubs.
  • Orioles GM Dan Duquette said on MLB Network’s High Heat today that he’s still interested in Mark Trumbo and there’s still a “window open” for the slugger to return to Baltimore (Twitter link via FanRag’s Jon Heyman). Baltimore reportedly pulled its four-year offer to Trumbo over the weekend, but it doesn’t seem that Duquette and his staff have completely abandoned the idea of Trumbo returning in 2017 (and beyond). Trumbo drilled an MLB-best 47 homers last season but also comes with some question marks surrounding his defense, and the fact that he rejected a qualifying offer means any team will have to forfeit a draft pick to sign him.
  • Left-hander Craig Breslow will throw for teams on Jan. 23 in Boston, reports Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald (Twitter links). The 36-year-old Breslow has been working out with Rich Hill this offseason and changed his arm angle, Drellich notes. Back in September, Breslow spoke to Drellich about how he planned to take an analytical look at his pitch selection this winter, exploring horizontal/vertical movement, spin rate and other factors and pair that knowledge with a lower arm slot in order to revive his career. Breslow has spent parts of 11 seasons in the Majors, but his last truly successful year came back in 2013 with the Red Sox (1.81 ERA in 59 2/3 innings).

Orioles Notes: Machado, Wieters, Rasmus, Free Agents

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In his latest column, ESPN’s Buster Olney argues that the Orioles need to begin preparing for the possibility of trading superstar third baseman Manny Machado (Insider subscription required and highly recommended). Olney is careful to report that sources in the organization tell him no such talks have taken place, but he also lays out a compelling argument for dealing Machado this coming summer if the O’s aren’t in contention. Machado’s $11.2MM arbitration projection will take his career earnings north of $20MM, so he can afford to wait for free agency two years from now, financially speaking. And the Orioles have what is generally regarded as one of the game’s weaker farm systems, so moving Machado and other top-tier MLB assets (i.e. Zach Britton, Adam Jones) could net GM Dan Duquette the type of prospect bounty that would make for an accelerated rebuilding process.

O’s fans undoubtedly would prefer to see Machado extended, but I agree with Olney’s assessment that the window for that has likely closed. At this juncture, it’s hard to envision Machado signing anything less than a record-setting contract. He’s a better all-around player than Giancarlo Stanton, whose 13-year, $325MM contract is the current benchmark. Hitting the open market at age 26, Machado should shatter Stanton’s record contract barring some form of devastating injury. Of course, if Baltimore is in contention in 2017, then it’s all a moot point for a bit longer, as there’s no way the Orioles would (nor should they) consider dealing Machado and others if a potential postseason berth is in the cards.

A few more notes on the Orioles…

  • Agent Scott Boras reached out to Orioles owner Peter Angelos one last time to try to get the O’s back into the Matt Wieters bidding before Baltimore signed Welington Castillo, reports MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko. The Orioles were simply far more comfortable committing a modest $6MM salary in 2017 (and possibly $7MM in 2018) to Castillo than they were with considering the price levels that Boras is seeking for Wieters. Kubatko notes that Wieters’ situation may not be resolved before the calendar flips to 2017.
  • Within that same piece, Kubatko reports that Colby Rasmus’ agents have reached out to the Orioles, but the team considers his current asking price to be too high. If the O’s do end up with Rasmus, a deal would have to be reached closer to Spring Training once his asking price drops a bit further. Rasmus struggled to a .206/.286/.355 batting line last year but played through myriad physical issues over the course of the season. Rasmus had a cyst surgically removed from his ear this past summer — an issue that very likely could’ve impacted his balance and all-around skill set — and underwent surgeries to repair his hip and a sports hernia following the 2016 season. A healthier Rasmus could be a nice rebound candidate, though the O’s likely aren’t alone in expressing some trepidation about committing a significant guarantee to a player coming off Rasmus’ recent injuries.
  • Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes that the O’s are still looking for a defensive upgrade in the corner outfield and depth in the bullpen, but he casts some doubt on the team’s ability to squeeze in another acquisition prior to the holidays. The team’s talks with Mark Trumbo have been lagging a bit, and while the O’s haven’t pivoted to similar players like Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Chris Carter yet, Encina adds that they’ll eventually go that route if talks with Trumbo’s camp don’t intensify.

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