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Giants To Sign Bryan Morris To Minors Contract

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The Giants are “finalizing” a minor league contract with right-hander Bryan Morris, GM Bobby Evans told reporters (including Janie McCauley of the Associated Press).  Amusingly, the news was officially broken by Mark Melancon, as the new Giants closer off-handedly mentioned Morris being part of the club during a conference call with the media on Tuesday.  Morris’ contract contains an invitation to the Giants’ big league spring camp, and SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reports that Morris will earn $1.25MM if he reaches the majors, plus up to $750K in further incentives.

Morris, who turns 30 in March, had a 3.06 ERA over his first 17 2/3 innings of the 2016 campaign before undergoing season-ending back surgery in June.  The Marlins outrighted Morris off their 40-man roster in late September and he chose to become a free agent.

Over five seasons and 215 career relief innings with the Marlins and Pirates, Morris has posted a 2.80 ERA and a whopping 58.6% ground ball rate that has helped outweigh his rather pedestrian strikeout (6.4 K/9) and walk (3.77 BB/9) totals.  ERA predictors haven’t been so high on Morris, though he shown a knack for inducing soft-to-medium contact on all those balls put into play.  If he regains his old form in the wake of his back surgery, Morris could be a nice bargain signing for the Giants, particularly since their outstanding defense is a particularly good fit for Morris’ grounder-heavy game.

Minor MLB Transactions: 12/7/16

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Amidst all of the big headlines from the Winter Meetings, here are some minor moves from around the game, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

  • The Twins have re-signed right-hander Yorman Landa to a minor league deal with an invite to the team’s big league Spring Training camp, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (Twitter link).  Landa was non-tendered to create 40-man roster space last week.  The 22-year-old righty worked mostly as a reliever in his 223 career IP in Minnesota’s system, posting an 2.66 ERA and 8.6 K/9 but he has battled control issues to the tune of a 5.1 BB/9.
  • The Astros signed southpaw C.J. Riefenhauser to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.  Riefenhauser was traded from the Rays to the Mariners to the Orioles last winter before being claimed off waivers by the Cubs in February, and he posted a 4.55 ERA over 27 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level.  Chicago released him in August.  In 20 career MLB innings with the Rays in 2014-15, Riefenhauser posted a 6.30 ERA, nine strikeouts and nine non-intentional walks.
  • The Giants are “set to sign” catcher Tim Federowicz, 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine reports (Twitter link).  The deal is presumably of the minor league variety, though Federowicz could provide some veteran competition for Trevor Brown for the backup role behind Buster Posey.  Federowicz spent 2016 with the Cubs, getting outrighted off their 40-man roster twice, appearing in 17 big league games, and hitting .293/.352/.450 in 253 Triple-A plate appearances.

Pirates Notes: Hudson, De La Rosa, Fister, Pitching

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Andrew McCutchen trade rumors have understandably dominated much of the offseason talk in Pittsburgh, though here’s some more buzz on other potential Pirates moves…

  • The Pirates are one of several teams who have shown interest in reliever Daniel Hudson, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets.  As many as 16 teams have checked in on Hudson, including his former team in Arizona.  Hudson posted a 5.22 ERA over 60 1/3 IP with the Diamondbacks last season, though advanced metrics (3.81 FIP, 4.12 xFIP, 3.84 SIERA, 8.65 K/9, 2.64 K/BB rate) hint that the hard-throwing righty had a better season than his ERA would indicate.
  • Jorge De La Rosa and Doug Fister have received some “due diligence” check-ins from the Pirates, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (via Twitter).  Nothing appears to be in the works between the team and either pitcher at the moment.
  • The Pirates have been very successful at turning reclamation projects into successful arms in recent years, though finding such pitchers is becoming more difficult, GM Neal Huntington tells Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and other reporters.  “There doesn’t seem to be as many (pitchers) that we’ve been able to identify,” Huntington said.  “The traits we’ve liked in the past, they’ve been more difficult to acquire because teams are paying for them.  They recognize we’ve had some ability to return some value on some guys coming off down years or injuries.  There is a higher competition level, and supply is down, and as a result cost goes up.”  Huntington hinted that the Bucs may have to acquire something other than its preferred target of a ground-ball pitcher in order to land a veteran arm, though the GM said that adding a veteran isn’t a must.  “We’d be comfortable adding nobody if it’s just not there,” he said.

NL West Notes: Turner, Rockies, Bridich, Bumgarner, Giants

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Justin Turner is “still the favorite” to return as the Dodgers third baseman, but the team is also exploring some other options, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times writes (Twitter links).  The Dodgers have checked in on White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier, and McCullough figures L.A. would also explore such Sox options as Jose Quintana or David Robertson if Chicago went into rebuild mode.  Given that the Sox dealt Chris Sale earlier today, it stands to reason that more moves could be on the way for the Pale Hose, and the Dodgers stand out as a logical trade partner.  Here’s more from around the NL West…

  • Rockies GM Jeff Bridich confirmed reports that his team had spoken to the White Sox about first baseman Jose Abreu, speaking with MLB.com’s Thomas Harding and other reporters on Tuesday.  “We have been paying attention to any and all avenues of trying to upgrade ourselves at first base, and just like we’re in touch with a lot of teams, we have been in touch with the White Sox about, not just Abreu, but also a variety of their players, because they have expressed an interest in seeing what they can get,” Bridich said.  This is just my speculation, but with the Rockies looking for both back-end relief help and starting pitching, Robertson and Quintana would stand out as obvious players of interest on the Sox roster.  Bridich also said he had talked with the Royals “about a number of different things a number of times,” with Harding reporting that Wade Davis was one player under discussion.
  • Rockies owner Dick Monfort spoke of a payroll increase earlier this offseason, and Bridich confirmed that the team is still prepared to spend in the right circumstance.  Given that Colorado has been linked to such pricey names as Edwin Encarnacion and Mark Trumbo, it would indeed seem like the Rox have some money to spend.
  • The Giants aren’t in ongoing negotiations with Madison Bumgarner about a contract extension, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.  In October, Giants CEO Larry Baer cited a desire to keep Bumgarner in the fold well past 2019 (the star lefty’s last year of control under his current contract), though the lack of talks shouldn’t necessarily indicate a change in the team’s thinking, as most teams often wait until offseason business is concluded before focusing on extensions.
  • In another tweet from Schulman, he reports that the Giants are exploring possible trades for left field help, with free agency a less likely avenue.  San Francisco’s “plan A” for left field, however, is a platoon of youngsters Mac Williamson and Jarrett Parker.

AL East Notes: Sox, Rays, Erasmo, Bautista, Iannetta, Cashman, Orioles

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Today’s acquisition of Tyler Thornburg from the Brewers will end Boston’s foray into the relief market for the winter, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters (including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe).  Most notably, this would seem to end any chance of the Sox re-signing Koji Uehara or Brad Ziegler.  Thornburg will join closer Craig Kimbrel, Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, Robbie Ross, Fernando Abad and (when he is healthy) Carson Smith in the Sox bullpen, plus with Chris Sale now in the rotation, Clay Buchholz, Drew Pomeranz or even Eduardo Rodriguez could now be bullpen options.  Pomeranz or Rodriguez would help add some left-handed depth to the pen, as Abad struggled mightly after coming to the Sox last season.  Here’s more from around the AL East…

  • With Sale off the board, the Rays’ starting pitchers could become even hotter trade commodities, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes.  Some of the teams connected to the Rays’ pitching in trade talks already this winter (such as the Nationals, Astros and Braves) were also suitors to land Sale from the White Sox.  The Rays have received more interest in Drew Smyly and Alex Cobb than Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi since the latter two come at much higher asking prices.
  • Erasmo Ramirez has also drawn some interest, Topkin reports.  The former starter-turned-workhorse reliever for the Rays in 2016 posted a 3.77 ERA, 52.5% grounder rate and 6.25 K/9 over 90 2/3 innings, with 63 of Ramirez’s 64 games coming out of the bullpen.  MLBTR projects Ramirez to earn a $3.5MM salary through arbitration next season, which could be a bit pricey for Tampa’s liking.
  • The Blue Jays’ talks with Jose Bautista’s representatives today didn’t appear to bring much progress towards a reunion, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports.  Bautista’s market seems rather unclear at this point, with some wondering if a more creative contract (such as front-loaded deal with a player opt-out clause after the first year) could be in store for the veteran slugger.
  • The Blue Jays also spoke with catcher Chris Iannetta’s representatives today, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).  The Mariners declined their $4.25MM club option on the veteran catcher following a season that saw Iannetta hit .210/.303/.329 over 338 PA, eventually ceding regular duty to Mike Zunino in Seattle.  The Jays are in need of a backup catcher for Russell Martin after parting ways with Josh Thole and Dioner Navarro testing the open market.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn’t expect to add a starting pitcher at the Winter Meetings, telling reporters (including George A. King III of the New York Post) that “it’s a tough market and the price tags are extremely high. We could play on a lot of things because we have a lot of prospects people desire and we desire them, too. I would say it’s less likely for us to acquire a starter.”
  • The Orioles have had success in landing qualifying offer free agents late in the winter, and Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun writes that this strategy could benefit the team again this offseason.  Edwin Encarnacion’s eventual deal will bring some clarity to the market for big bats, though there is still enough uncertainty around the likes of Mark Trumbo and Ian Desmond (not to mention other non-QO free agents) that the Orioles could find some quality hitting at a relatively low price come January or February.

Aroldis Chapman Reportedly Has $92MM Offer

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One of the top three relievers, Mark Melancon, is off the board after agreeing to a record-setting $62MM deal with the Giants yesterday. But both Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen, the top two relievers of the winter, remain unsigned. Both are likely to make Melancon’s time as the relief contract record holder brief, and we’ll track today’s updates on their market here…

  • The Yankees haven’t gone as high as $92MM in their offers to Chapman, and the Marlins aren’t believed to be willing to spend quite that much, Heyman reports (Twitter links).
  • Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has indeed given his front office the green light to spend on signing Chapman or Jansen, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports, though this “preliminary approval” of funds may still not be enough to outbid other big spenders on either ace closer.

Earlier Updates

  • The Yankees are “determined” to land Chapman, Heyman tweets. It’s not clear, however, that they’re the team that offered Chapman $92MM.
  • One team believes Chapman has a $92MM offer in hand, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets.
  • The Yankees have made offers to both Chapman and Jansen, reports MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (on Twitter).
  • Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times tweets that the Dodgers are remaining “competitive” in the markets for Jansen and Chapman, and they’ve also chatted with the Royals about closer Wade Davis.
  • Chapman has received multiple offers that have passed the $80MM threshold, Heyman tweets. The Yankees still see him as their priority, but the Dodgers and Marlins are in the mix as well. He also suggests that the Nationals could join the fray for Chapman, pointing out that GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dusty Baker (who managed Chapman in Cincinnati) both love Chapman.
  • There’s an expectation that Jansen will sign before Chapman, reports ESPN’s Jim Bowden.
  • The Yankees are more focused on Chapman than Jansen and are willing to offer a five-year deal in the range of $80MM, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. Chapman said yesterday that he’s hoping to receive a six-year deal, but the Yankees won’t go to that level to sign him, according to Heyman. For the Yankees, Jansen is more of a backup plan to Chapman than a prime target.
  • The Marlins are firmly in the mix for both top closers, at owner Jeffrey Loria’s behest, but their preference between the two differs from the Yankees, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Miami has preferred Jansen to Chapman from the start of free agency, despite the fact that he comes with the burden of draft pick compensation after rejecting a qualifying offer. Sherman notes that if the Marlins are able to land Jansen before Chapman signs, that could push the Dodgers to make a strong run at Chapman, potentially throwing a wrench into the Yankees’ winter plans. The Dodgers are trying to retain Jansen, according to Sherman, but they’d seemingly shift course to Chapman if Jansen came off the board.

Nationals Offered Victor Robles, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez In Chris Sale Bid

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The Nationals were outbid by the Red Sox in their attempt to acquire Chris Sale, but that wasn’t for lack of trying, as Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post (Twitter links). Remarkably, the Nationals were willing to deal outfielder Victor Robles and both their top young starting pitching prospects, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez, for Sale. But the White Sox instead opted for the Red Sox’ incredible offer, topped by Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech.

Robles, Giolito and Lopez are the Nationals’ top three prospects, according to MLB.com. All three of them rank among the top 40 in baseball and Robles and Giolito rank among the top ten. Robles has earned praise as a five-tool talent with good hitting ability and exceptional speed. Both Giolito and Lopez could make an immediate impact in a big-league rotation, and all three players have enormous upside once they reach the big leagues for good. That the White Sox were able to get one offer this good is incredible in its own right; that they had to leave it on the table because they found one they liked better is even more so.

Now that Sale is off the table, the Nationals are no longer willing to deal Robles, Chelsea Janes of the Post tweets. But the Nats could very well still pursue Andrew McCutchen, according to Svrluga. What that might take is unclear, as Robles is the name that has most frequently arisen as a possible Pirates acquisition in a potential McCutchen deal. The Pirates could perhaps continue to pursue the trade, hoping to land a package of young pitching headed by a player like Lopez or Joe Ross, whose names have both arisen in reporting about the potential swap.

Rangers To Re-Sign Carlos Gomez

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Veteran center fielder Carlos Gomez has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rangers, pending a physical, FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets. He will receive $11.5MM, according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman (on Twitter). Gomez is a Scott Boras client.

Carlos GomezThat Texas would have wanted to re-sign Gomez perhaps isn’t surprising — the Rangers, who were set to lose both Gomez and Ian Desmond to free agency this winter, were short in the outfield and had lately had talks about a variety of off-the-beaten-path outfield options, including Travis Jankowski and Matt Szczur. They’ve also shown interest in Jarrod Dyson.

Gomez gives the Rangers a more obvious solution to their hole in center field, where he’ll be flanked by Nomar Mazara and Shin-Soo Choo. After struggling with the Astros to start 2016, Gomez signed with the Rangers as a free agent at midseason and hit a terrific .284/.362/.543, looking a lot like the Carlos Gomez who played his way to the fringes of the NL MVP race with the Brewers in 2013 and 2014. While advanced metrics suggest Gomez isn’t quite the defender he once was, he’s also still very much a legitimate center fielder. MLBTR ranked Gomez 19th on its list of the top 50 free agents this winter, predicting he’d re-sign with the Rangers. (Desmond also looked like a candidate to return, but Gomez re-signing would seem to suggest Desmond will sign elsewhere, although that’s not yet certain.)

That Gomez, who’s still just 31, would receive only a one-year deal is surprising, but perhaps he’s hoping to continue rebuilding his value after his ugly performance in Houston. If he were to do so with another strong year in Texas, he could position himself for a big payday next winter. The deal is a favorable one for the Rangers, who are assuming very limited risk despite Gomez’s somewhat erratic performance history — even given Gomez’s success with the Rangers, his total line for 2016 was still just .231/.298/.384. If, for whatever reason, Gomez’s 2017 looks more like his Astros performance than his 2016 Rangers performance, the Rangers are still only out $11.5MM.

SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo wrote that Gomez and the Rangers met today (Twitter links), with Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan tweeting that a deal could come together quickly. Yahoo!’s Tim Brown tweeted the length of the deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Notes: Gio, Wilson, Tigers, Rangers, Szczur, White Sox, Kelly, Cardinals

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The Nationals failed to land Chris Sale today, and instead have reportedly turned their attention to another White Sox starter, Jose Quintana. If they had acquired Sale, though, they likely would have tried to trade lefty Gio Gonzalez, ESPN’s Jayson Stark writes. As Stark suggests, the 31-year-old Gonzalez would make an attractive trade candidate in his own right — he’ll make a reasonable $12MM in 2017, with a club/vesting option for another $12MM in 2018, and he’s eaten over 1,300 innings over the past seven seasons. His 4.57 ERA in 2016 was among his worst, but his underlying numbers (8.7 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 47.6 GB%) don’t suggest a massive change in ability. Here are more quick notes on potential trades:

  • GM Al Avila says the Tigers player who’s been most popular lately among teams hoping to make trades has been lefty reliever Justin Wilson, MLive.com’s Evan Woodberry writes. “The highest level of interest has been on Justin Wilson,” Avila says. Avila has also fielded calls about Shane Greene, but Woodberry writes that the Tigers are less likely to trade Greene, since, unlike Wilson, he’s under team control for the league minimum salary next year.
  • The Rangers continue to be among the teams interested in Wilson, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Grant reported yesterday that the two teams had had conversations about Wilson.
  • The Rangers have also asked the Cubs about Matt Szczur, Grant tweets. The 27-year-old Szczur batted .259/.312/.400 while playing all three outfield positions for the Cubs last season. He might be a better fit on a team like the Rangers that’s currently a bit short on established outfielders, rather than one like the Cubs who have plenty.
  • The White Sox are interested in acquiring young catching, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch tweets. If they end up trading Adam Eaton to the Cardinals, one player they might target is 22-year-old backstop Carson Kelly, who batted .292/.352/.381 for Triple-A Memphis in 2016. Kelly currently ranks 11th on MLB.com’s list of the top Cardinals prospects.

Rangers Ask Padres About Travis Jankowski

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The Rangers continue looking for a center fielder following the potential departures of Ian Desmond and Carlos Gomez, and it appears one possible answer could be the Padres’ Travis Jankowski, according to T.R. Sullivan and AJ Cassavell, both of MLB.com.

Jankowski, of course, is not a big, or even medium, name, as Desmond, Gomez and potential trade target Billy Hamilton are. Jankowski graded as an outstanding defender in 2016, however, and could keep the Rangers strong up the middle. He posted an excellent 12.8 UZR and 8 Defensive Runs Saved in 2016, accumulating 2.1 Wins Above Replacement even as he batted just .245/.332/.313.

“[The] reality is that the better that we get defensively, the better we’re going to make our starting pitching and relief pitching core,” says Rangers manager Jeff Banister, via Sullivan. “The situation last year, [we were] a club that won 95 games; however, we still need to get better on defense.”

Another possible current option for the Rangers in center field is Delino DeShields, although it appears he is available in a trade, as Comcast SportsNet California’s Joe Stiglich tweets. DeShields struggled to get going in 2016, batting just .209/.275/.313.

The Padres, meanwhile, have Manuel Margot to man center field in the long term, and could have interest in Rangers 24-year-old infielder Hanser Alberto, who’s struggled to get established in the big leagues over the past two seasons. Alberto also hit a modest .275/.302/.411 at Triple-A Round Rock in 2016, suggesting he’s unlikely to hit much. He could, however, hold interest for Padres GM A.J. Preller, who helped sign Alberto as a member of the Rangers’ front office in 2009. Also, like Jankowski, Alberto has fared well defensively in limited big-league time, grading out well at both shortstop and second base. While the Padres have plenty of options at second, they don’t have as many at short, where their depth chart is topped by youngster Luis Sardinas. A possible Jankowski-for-Alberto swap, then, could help both teams upgrade defensively at positions of need.

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