Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Astros Sign Charlie Morton

By | at

The Astros announced that they’ve signed right-hander Charlie Morton to a two-year contract. The 33-year-old Jet Sports client will receive a $14MM guarantee with up to $5MM worth of incentives, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). He’ll earn a $625K bonus for reaching 15, 20, 25 and 30 starts in each year of the contract. SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo adds (via Twitter) that the guaranteed portion of the deal is evenly distributed, meaning Morton will earn $7MM in 2017 and in 2018.

[Related: Updated Houston Astros Depth Chart; Updated Houston Astros Payroll]

Charlie Morton

Morton has spent the bulk of his career with the Pirates but spent the 2016 season in the Phillies organization after being acquired in a trade last winter. However, Morton suffered a torn hamstring after just four starts in Philadelphia and ultimately required season-ending surgery to repair the injury, leaving him with a total of just 17 1/3 innings pitched in 2016. His contract with the Phils contained a $9.5MM mutual option, but that was bought out by the team, allowing Morton to hit the open market in search of a new deal.

When at his best, Morton is a ground-ball specialist that demonstrates solid control. He has a career 4.54 ERA in 893 Major League innings, though that mark reflects some considerable struggles he had early in his career. From 2011-15, Morton pitched to a more respectable 3.96 ERA with 6.4 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 0.6 HR/9 and a robust 58.2 percent ground-ball rate. And when healthy in 2016, he looked to have made some intriguing gains in terms of fastball velocity, as his two-seamer jumped from an average of 91.8 mph to 93.3 mph, per PITCHf/x data. MLB.com’s Mike Petriello also notes (on Twitter) that the spin rate on Morton’s curveball ranked in the top five in all of baseball among pitchers that threw at least 50 hooks. Houston is known to be drawn to players with lofty spin rates — a trait that led them to take a chance on Collin McHugh prior to his 2014 breakout.

Morton’s penchant for grounders and strong results against right-handed opponents should play well in Houston, where right-handed bats can feast on the short porch down the left field line. In that aforementioned stretch from 2011-15, Morton held right-handed opponents to a feeble .234/.296/.336 line, though left-handed bats did knock him around at a .298/.397/.433 clip. Even against lefties, though, he’s exceptionally stingy in terms of giving up the long ball.

Durability has been an issue for Morton, who in addition to last year’s hamstring operation has had Tommy John surgery (2012) and surgery to repair a hip injury (2014). Morton has never made more than 29 starts in a season and has topped 150 innings just twice in the Majors, with 2011’s 171 2/3 frames representing a career-high. That said, with a mere $7MM annual commitment, Morton needn’t be a workhorse to justify his salary.

Morton should slot into the back of the rotation in Houston, filling the void left by the departure of fellow free agent Doug Fister. He’ll be joined there by Dallas Keuchel, who will look to rebound from a highly disappointing followup to his 2015 Cy Young campaign. Houston also has right-handers McHugh, Lance McCullers, Joe Musgrove and Mike Fiers as rotation options, giving them the depth to either move a starter in a trade or give Musgrove some additional work in Triple-A (although he certainly pitched well enough in 2016 to justify a further look at the big league level). Alternatively, the club could simply deploy Fiers, who struggled a bit in 2016, as more of a spot starter and swingman to add some length in the bullpen and serve as valuable depth to a rotation that saw both Keuchel and McCullers miss significant time due to injury this past season.

Adding Morton to a rotation that already includes Keuchel gives the Astros two of the game’s most prolific ground-ball pitchers as well as a third potential ground-ball savant in the form of McCullers (57.3 percent in 2016). McHugh, Musgrove and Fiers all profile more as fly-ball arms, though Fiers did experience a significant uptick in his ground-ball rate in his first full season with Houston last year, jumping from 37.6 percent in 2015 to a career-high 42.2 percent in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Profile: Ian Desmond

By | at

When we did this exercise last winter, Ian Desmond was a shortstop. Now, he’s a center fielder who also holds out some promise of adding value at the corner outfield or in various infield roles.

Pros/Strengths

It’s easy to overstate clubhouse presence, but Desmond has earned unbridled praise from both of his most recent employers (the Nationals and Rangers) in that regard. He’s a hard worker who doesn’t shy away from taking responsibility when things don’t go well; if anyone gets a boost for their makeup, it’s him.

"Sep

Desmond also earns top marks for his outstanding athleticism, which allowed him to transition rather seamlessly off of the shortstop position. While he’s still capable of playing there, Desmond proved a quick study in both left and center after joining the Rangers on a one-year deal when his market failed to materialize last winter. The versatility stands out as a feather in his cap, though it’s fair to wonder whether teams will worry about relying too heavily on him in a multi-positional role given the fact that his propensity for errors in the infield played a major role in his shift off of the dirt.

If the 31-year-old has a single, standout skill, it’s his baserunning. He has swiped at least 20 bags in five of the last six years, but is even more impressive in his overall contributions. Desmond ranks ninth in all of baseball since the start of 2014 in total baserunning contributions, by measure of Fangraphs’ BsR rating. It’s an underappreciated aspect of his game, but one that adds real value.

At the plate, Desmond is a safe bet for 20 or more long balls annually. And he returned to his typically above-average overall contributions with a rise in his batting average last year, ending with a .285/.335/.446 slash over 677 plate appearances. That was good for a 106 wRC+, which doesn’t come close to his breakout 2012 output but nevertheless makes him a sturdy offensive presence.

Better still, Desmond reversed what had been a troubling increase in his strikeout tendencies. He had struck out in just under 30 percent of his plate appearances in the prior two campaigns but drew that back to a 23.6% K rate in 2016. He draws walks at just under the league average rate, but makes up for that in part by typically carrying a robust BABIP (.350 in 2016, .326 for his career) that is supported by his speed and what was a personal-low 26.0% fly-ball rate (which fell well below the league average). When Desmond does put the ball in the air, it often leaves the yard. He turned 18.2% of his flies into homers in 2016 and has often been at or near that mark in recent seasons.

Cons/Weaknesses

Those positives at the plate do hint at some questions, of course. Desmond still swung through 12.2% of the pitches he offered at last year, which was better than his rates in the two prior years but remains elevated. And batting average on balls in play is a double-edged sword. While he’s a solid bet to carry a higher-than-average mark, his mediocre 2015 season coincided with a BABIP dip. He’s also made soft contact in over a fifth of the times he has put the ball in play in each of the last two seasons, which is above league average and a much higher rate than he carried in his best seasons (2012-2014).

With those considerations in mind, teams will need to think hard about how they expect Desmond to age. Any erosion of his speed or contact could spell problems, as he has never shown much in the way of forward progress in his walk rate. Desmond took free passes in 6.5% of his plate appearances in 2016, against a career mark of 7.3%, and is below average in that regard.

The lack of a stable offensive approach has contributed to Desmond’s noted streakiness as a hitter. He started off slow for Texas last year, then charged to a .322/.375/.524 batting line through his first 89 games. There were signs that he had turned a corner. At that point, it was 2012 all over again. But the second half wasn’t nearly as promising. Over his final 293 trips to the plate in 2016, Desmond slashed just .237/.283/.347 with only seven home runs and 66 strikeouts against 16 walks.

The early-season narrative about Desmond’s glovework in the outfield also changed as time went on. He rated well in a short sample in left and seemed to be off to a nice start in center, aided in part by his powerful arm. But while both UZR and DRS tallied his full year contribution as a positive with his throwing, they soured on his range and playmaking ability. Over 1,109 innings in center, Desmond received a -5.7 grade from UZR and -6 from DRS. While that’s at least palatable enough to think he can man the center field position, it suggests there’s some refinement in order before we can safely assume that his legs and glove support a strong floor as an up-the-middle performer.

Personal

Desmond and his wife, Chelsea, have three children and live in their native Sarasota, Florida. Desmond is known for being active in the community and has done charity work relating to neurofibromatosis and the Nationals’ Urban Youth Academy initiative. On the eve of free agency, Desmond switched agencies, moving to CAA Baseball.

Market

The Rangers have made clear that they’d like to bring Desmond back, which helps reinforce the notion that his transition to the outfield is viewed as a success. Texas made him a qualifying offer, which Desmond unsurprisingly rejected. That means he’ll enter the market carrying the baggage of draft pick compensation — a burden which proved to be a major factor in his disappointing foray into free agency last winter.

Unlike his experience the last time around, when there wasn’t a ton of demand at the shortstop position, Desmond could profile as a fit with quite a few organizations. And he also may benefit from the fact that there are relatively few enticing free agents, with Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gomez representing the major competition in center field. Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Saunders, Jose Bautista and Mark Trumbo represent potential competition in the outfield corners (if one still considers the latter two viable options there).

The Astros, Cardinals, White Sox, and Nationals are all in the market in center, and the Indians could be as well. Teams looking at corner outfield or even utility types could also be involved, with the Orioles already showing interest and hypothetical matches to be found with the Giants, Dodgers, Mariners, Braves, and possibly the Phillies (depending on how things proceed following their acquisition of Howie Kendrick).

Expected Contract

At age 31, Desmond is still comfortably in the same range as many free agents who receive offers of four or even five years in length. And with a considerably stronger season in 2016 than 2015 as well as newfound defensive versatility, he should get the multi-year deal that eluded him last winter. In our ranking of the top 50 free agents, we pegged Desmond at four years and $60MM, which would land him between the four-year deals inked by Ben Zobrist ($56MM) and Alex Gordon ($72MM) last winter. It’s certainly possible to imagine his ultimate contract falling within $10MM or so in either direction of that $60MM mark, but it still seems a plausible expectation at this point.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Sale, Archer, Jays, Halos, McCann, Catchers

By | at

Talk about White Sox ace Chris Sale figures to be persistent this winter whether he gets moved or not, and FOX’s Ken Rosenthal has the latest installment in his newest notes column. Rosenthal echoes yesterday’s report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale that the Nationals are interested in Sale and adds more context to the matter. Per Rosenthal, the Nats would shut talks down if the Sox were insistent on Trea Turner’s inclusion in the deal, but they have numerous other high-end prospects — the Nats are prospect-rich with names like Victor Robles, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez, among others — that could entice Chicago. While the Nats have more glaring needs (catcher, center field), they’ve expressed interest in both Sale and Chris Archer of the Rays (and other Tampa Bay starters) with an eye toward further deepening their rotation to maximize their postseason chances. Rosenthal reminds that the Nats appeared to have a stacked rotation even when they signed Max Scherzer, and the NL East is continually improving, putting more pressure on GM Mike Rizzo and his staff.

A few highlights from the column, which I’d recommend checking out in its entirety…

  • The Blue Jays are still seeking a left-handed-hitting outfielder, and Rosenthal lists Josh Reddick and Dexter Fowler as possibilities, though Fowler would need to be willing to move to a corner to accommodate Kevin Pillar’s borderline superhuman glove. They’re also in the market for a right-handed platoon partner for Justin Smoak at first base, with Steve Pearce standing out as a possible target. The need for a platoon partner is somewhat counterintuitive since Smoak is a switch-hitter, however Smoak hit just .209/.284/.337 as a right-handed hitter last year and has hit lefties at a woeful .223/.279/.378 clip over the past three seasons.
  • Rosenthal lists the Angels’ Tyler Skaggs and Matt Shoemaker as potential under-the-radar trade candidates, speculating that the team could potentially move someone such as Skaggs (as part of a trade package) if it meant landing a premium second baseman like Minnesota’s Brian Dozier. That appears to be a speculative link at this juncture, but Dozier’s name will be a popular one this winter given the Twins’ last place finish and obvious need for pitching. The 29-year-old slugged 42 home runs for Minnesota in 2016 and is under club control for a total of $15MM through the 2018 season.
  • The Yankees and Astros are “at an impasse” in trade talks over Brian McCann, though Houston can certainly turn elsewhere in its hunt for catching help and general offensive improvements. The ’Stros were in on Kendrys Morales before he agreed to a his deal with Toronto, per Rosenthal.
  • Free agent catchers could come off the board quickly, with Jason Castro and defensive stalwart Jeff Mathis among those drawing strong early interest. Rosenthal points out that last year, Chris Iannetta, Alex Avila, Brayan Pena and Geovany Soto all signed prior to Dec. 1. Castro’s market in particular appears to be fast-moving, as he’s already reported to be weighing offers from three American League clubs and could receive a fourth from Minnesota this week.

Trade Chatter: Sale, Astros, Votto, Watson, Marlins

By and | at

Though the Braves already added R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon this winter, it seems they aren’t quite done shopping for starters. They have joined the division-rival Nationals, and probably a sizable portion of the rest of baseball, in reaching out to the White Sox about lefty Chris Sale, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. Atlanta is among the organizations “trying hardest” to pry Sale loose from Chicago, per the report, with some around the league believing that he could change hands this winter. Of course, yesterday’s report regarding the Nats also suggested that the South Siders have yet to engage in serious chatter as of yet, and the Braves are looking at a variety of options, so it’s a bit soon to dwell heavily on the Sale/Braves connection. Atlanta has also inquired with the Rays on Chris Archer and the Athletics on Sonny Gray, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman notes.

A few more notes on some trade situations from around the league…

  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow told reporters today, including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, that he still hopes to have one or two transactions completed before the Winter Meetings (video link). Luhnow said as much when leaving the GM Meetings last week, but the Houston GM offered indications today that the club has narrowed its focus. “I think instead of working on 12 things right now, we’re working on four, which gives us a little bit more focus,” said Luhnow. “…We’re in a position where we did all of our homework ahead of time, we know what resources we have, we know what needs we need to fill, and we can be a little bit more aggressive this year than we have in years past.” Asked about his potential areas of focus, Luhnow spoke generally about needing “some pitching help” and “a bat or two,” though he did say that his team is willing to act as quickly as a trade partner or agent will allow.
  • Reds GM Dick Williams continues to downplay any notion that Joey Votto could be traded, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. Speaking at last week’s GM Meetings, Williams said that he “certainly [hasn’t] had any discussions with [Votto]” about waiving his no-trade clause, per Sheldon. Williams said that the constant speculation is understandable for a player of Votto’s caliber but believes the first baseman will be at the center of the team’s lineup throughout the rebuild and beyond. As we’ve pointed out here at MLBTR many times, Votto also has a full no-trade clause and has gone on record as saying he has no desire to leave Cincinnati. Sheldon offers another quote from Votto, from 2015: “I just absolutely love playing here. I really like where I live. … I like the location of the ballpark and the fans and the clubhouse and the uniform and the number on my back — all the littlest things that people take for granted are very comfortable to me and something I look forward to. I don’t think of myself as anything other than a Cincinnati Red. It’s one of the really cool things about having a no-trade clause.”
  • The Mariners may not feel comfortable spending enough to compete with the Blue Jays for the services of free-agent lefty Brett Cecil, which could lead them to the trade market, writes Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Per Dutton, Pirates left-hander Tony Watson is one name to monitor as Seattle looks for a late-inning lefty, noting that Watson is “believed to be available.” The 31-year-old stepped into Pittsburgh’s closer role last year following the trade of Mark Melancon and performed well, as he’s done in virtually every role he’s been used over the past several seasons. Dating back to 2012. Watson boasts a 2.40 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 45 percent ground-ball rate in 345 1/3 innings. He’s lefties to a downright pitiful .190/.253/.273 slash but also more than held his own against righties, yielding a collective .214/.280/.346 batting line in that time. Watson has one more year of club control and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $5.9MM in his final trip through the arbitration process.
  • Though the Marlins are exploring the trade market for rotation help, they’re not willing to part with either Christian Yelich or J.T. Realmuto, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. There have also been no indications that they’d consider moving Giancarlo Stanton, Frisaro continues, although with a full no-trade clause and the largest contract in history, that could potentially be a moot point anyhow. Marcell Ozuna and Adeiny Hechavarria are the most oft-mentioned names the Fish could look to move, though Hechavarria’s anemic bat offsets a great deal of his defensive talent.

Latest On Carlos Beltran’s Market

By | at

The Red Sox, Astros, Yankees and Blue Jays are the four teams that are showing the most interest in free-agent designated hitter/right fielder Carlos Beltran, reports WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. According to Bradford, the Rangers aren’t involved in the talks for Beltran at this point.

Boston has an obvious opening at DH following the retirement of David Ortiz, although the team seemingly has enough internal options to cover the position. Hanley Ramirez could be shifted from first base to DH (or at least see occasional time there), while the Sox could also give Pablo Sandoval a look there after he returns from 2016 shoulder surgery. With Travis Shaw, Brock Holt and Sam Travis all representing possible options at the infield corners (Shaw at both, Holt at third, Travis at first), there are enough names to cobble together an effective corner rotation (especially if Yoan Moncada can prove capable of handling the hot corner at some point in 2017).

It’s been a dozen years since Beltran’s historic postseason run with the Astros back in 2004, but his bat remains potent enough to have him on the front office’s radar. The ’Stros could use Beltran as their primary DH and an occasional outfielder (George Springer could slide over to center field when Beltran is in the field), though that would seemingly push Evan Gattis from part-time catcher and DH to the team’s primary catcher.

The Yankees, of course, are the most familiar of the bunch with Beltran, as he played there from 2014-16 before his August trade to Texas. The Yankees will have more opportunities to get Beltran at-bats with both Alex Rodriguez (released) and Mark Teixeira (retired) off the roster, and he could see occasional action in right field, particularly if younger options like Aaron Hicks and Aaron Judge continue to struggle. Beltran is a known commodity to the New York coaching staff and in the Yankees’ clubhouse, which one would think could foster mutual interest.

As for Toronto, they’d have made more sense as a fit just one week ago, but the addition of Kendrys Morales on a three-year deal makes Beltran a tougher fit for the Jays. While Beltran’s switch-hitting bat would help to create more of the lineup balance in which GM Ross Atkins has openly expressed interest, signing Beltran would mean that the Jays would have to play either Beltran or Morales in the field regularly (Beltran in right field or Morales at first base). The Blue Jays would have to place a very heavy emphasis on the bats of both Beltran and Morales, as Beltran hasn’t graded out as even an average defender in right field since 2012, whereas Morales played just 128 total innings at first base over the life of his recent two-year deal with Kansas City. In fact, he hasn’t played more than 300 innings in the field since 2010 with the Angels. All of that makes the Blue Jays fit difficult to envision, though

It’s also certainly worth noting that the Rangers appear to be bowing out of the running for Beltran right now. That’s notable for a number of reasons, as Texas could use help in the outfield corners and at designated hitter but will apparently address those needs by other means. The team thought highly enough of Beltran’s bat to surrender young right-handers Dillon Tate, Erik Swanson and Nick Green in a deadline deal, but Beltran’s time with the Rangers, for now, looks as if it’ll be even more brief than his stay with Texas’ other team back in ’04.

Mariners Remain Interested In Zack Cozart

By | at

The Mariners nearly acquired Reds shortstop Zack Cozart prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, and their interest in the veteran infielder has persisted into the offseason, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Dutton has previously reported that back on Aug. 1, the Mariners and Reds were in talks that would’ve sent Cozart and a minor leaguer to Seattle in exchange for minor league left-hander Luiz Gohara and another prospect, but the deal never materialized, as Dutton suggested that Cincinnati simply ran out of time to complete the deal after dedicating so much effort to completing its Jay Bruce trade with the Mets.

Seattle still holds interest in Cozart, according to Dutton, but the team seemingly considers a shortstop upgrade more of a luxury than a necessity. “We don’t need a shortstop,” one Seattle exec told Dutton. “We have [Ketel] Marte, and we think he’s going to be fine in the long term. Now could he benefit from some additional development time in the minors? Yes. We did that with [Mike] Zunino, and we think that really helped him. But it’s not the same. Zunino absolutely needed that development time. With Marte, we think it would be beneficial, but it’s not a must.”

If the Mariners do feel that Marte would benefit from additional time in the minors, then Cozart, on paper anyway, would seemingly be an excellent stopgap. The 31-year-old is somewhat OBP-challenged (.309 OBP over the past two seasons) but is one of the game’s premier defenders at shortstop and has demonstrated considerably improved power numbers in the past two seasons as well. Cozart hit 15 homers as a rookie in 2012 but saw that number dip to 12 in 2013 and just four in 2014. He belted nine long balls in just 53 games in 2015, though (his season was cut short by a knee injury), and connected on a career-best 16 homers last year despite playing in just 121 games.

The abbreviated nature of those past two seasons illustrates a potential area of concern when it comes to Cozart: his durability. Cozart suffered a torn ACL and LCL that ended his 2015 season in mid-June, and on multiple occasions in 2016 he missed a handful of games due to knee problems that didn’t necessitate a trip to the disabled list. However, his season did ultimately come to an end in September when his right knee forced him to the disabled list. Cozart’s final game of the year came on Sept. 10.

As for Marte, the 23-year-old looked to have solidified his place in the Mariners’ lineup with a terrific rookie season (2015) during which he slashed .283/.351/.402, but his offensive production cratered in 2016. In 466 plate appearances for Seattle this past year, Marte hit just .259/.287/.323 and saw his walk rate plummet from 9.7 percent to 3.9 percent. On top of that, he drew negative marks for his defense at shortstop. Marte debuted as a 21-year-old and played the entire 2016 season at the age of 22, so recommending some additional minor league time would hardly mean the organization has given up on him.

Even if the Mariners aren’t the team to ultimately acquire Cozart, it does seem like there’s a solid chance he’ll be moved this offseason. Cincinnati general manager Dick Williams said at last week’s GM Meetings that a Cozart trade was “something we’d have to consider” if it could put the club in a better position for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. And the Reds have a pair of intriguing middle-infield prospects in Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera that the team would like to work into the lineup in 2017, which should lead to plenty of chatter about both Cozart and second baseman Brandon Phillips as the winter progresses.

Athletics Re-Sign Felix Doubront, Matt McBride To Minor League Deals

By | at

The Athletics have re-signed left-hander Felix Doubront, catcher/corner outfielder Matt McBride and right-handed reliever Aaron Kurcz to minor league contracts, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

The 29-year-old Doubront missed the 2016 season due to April Tommy John surgery and told Slusser that the way in which Oakland handled his rehab played a big part in his decision to return. “I felt comfortable with Oakland and they took care of me, so I want to repay them on their investment and help them in the big leagues,” said Doubront to Slusser. Doubront pitched 52 2/3 innings with the A’s back in 2015 and limped to a 5.81 ERA, although his peripheral stats that season — 6.7 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 47.1 percent ground-ball rate, 4.45 FIP, 4.31 xFIP — indicated that he performed better than that onerous ERA would otherwise suggest. In 513 2/3 big league innings, Doubront has a 4.89 ERA.

McBride, 31, was a second-rounder with the Indians back in 2006 but went to Colorado in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade and ultimately landed in Oakland last year after signing a minor league deal. He’s a lifetime .310/.350/.517 hitter in parts of seven minor league seasons but has hit just .201/.228/.299 in 202 MLB plate appearances. McBride has nearly 2500 innings in the outfield corners and more than 1800 innings as a first baseman in his minor league career.

Kurcz, 26, split the 2016 season between Oakland’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, logging a combined 3.03 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 68 1/3 innings. Kurcz has yet to pitch in the Majors but does own an impressive 3.01 ERA over the duration of his time in the minor leagues, where he’s also averaged 10.6 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9 in 329 1/3 innings.

International Notes: Otani, KBO, Bass, Wieland

By and | at

Though Japanese star Shohei Otani is generating a lot of discussion in MLB circles after his incredible two-way campaign in the NPB, he’s not a realistic candidate to come over this winter, as J.J. Cooper of Baseball America explains. For one thing, his Japanese club — the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters — has no incentive to make him available, since they are capped at a $20MM transfer fee that they’d be sure to have available in future years. And Otani himself has good reason to wait, because at just 22 years of age he’d be subject to MLB’s current international bonus rules. While that could change if the CBA is modified, as things stand his signing would be subject to a 100% tax on the amount by which a bonus exceeds a team’s signing pools. Given his anticipated value, that would represent an enormous hit to his earning capacity. Plus, ten teams — the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Diamondbacks, Angels, Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, Royals and Blue Jays — wouldn’t even realistically be able to pursue him, since they are banned from giving out more than $300K to international players in this signing period. Otani pitched 140 innings with a 1.86 ERA, 11.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in NPB this season and also batted .322/.416/.588 with 22 homers in 382 plate appearances as a DH. In previous years, he’s also played in the outfield on days when he is not pitching.

More notes on the international scene…

  • Major League Baseball has tendered a pair of status checks on Korean left-handers Kwang-hyun Kim and Woo-chan Cha, according to Jee-ho Yoo if Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. The Korea Baseball Organization informed MLB that both Kim and Cha are unrestricted free agents and free to sign with any domestic or international team. As Yoo notes, the agreement between MLB and KBO stipulates that MLB teams interested in signing Korean players must go through the status check via league offices before pursuing a KBO free agent. We’ve touched on both lefties here, and both could be viable options for big league clubs in a thin market for pitching. Of the scouts I’ve spoken to regarding Korean free agents, Kim draws stronger reviews, and some believe Cha may be better suited for ’pen work. Kim, 28, posted his third straight season with a sub-4.00 ERA this past year — no small feat in the hitter-friendly KBO. The SK Wyverns hurler worked to a 3.80 ERA with 7.7 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 in 137 innings but missed some time with a midseason elbow issue. The 29-year-old Cha, meanwhile, had a 4.38 ERA with 6.9 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 in 141 2/3 innings.
  • Also via Yoo’s piece, left-hander Hyeon-jong Yang isn’t yet sure whether he’ll pursue opportunities in Major League Baseball for a second time. The 28-year-old southpaw was posted two winters ago and drew interest from the Twins and Rangers, but his Korean team, the Kia Tigers, didn’t accept the top bid for his services (presumably deeming it too low to part with their top pitcher). Yang has a 3.02 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 in his past 373 KBO innings, though he was significantly better in 2015 than in 2016.
  • Former Padres/Astros/Rangers righty Anthony Bass announced on Twitter this week that after spending a season in Japan, he’s eyeing a return to the Majors. Bass, 29, posted a 3.65 ERA with a 71-to-47 K/BB ratio in 103 2/3 innings as a teammate of Otani with the Fighters en route to an NPB Championship this past season. In 278 1/3 innings at the big league level, Bass has a 4.40 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and a 47.8 percent ground-ball rate. Bass made 14 starts against 23 relief appearances in Japan and has also started 18 big league games and 87 minor league games, so he could try to pitch himself as a rotation option in a market that is devoid of quality starters.
  • Right-hander Joe Wieland, who has appeared in the Majors with the Padres, Dodgers and Mariners, signed a one-year deal with Japan’s DeNa Yokohama BayStars last week, the team announced (Japanese link via Sanspo). Wieland will take home $825K, per the Sanspo report. Wieland appeared in one game with Seattle last year and has a 6.32 ERA in 52 2/3 Major League innings overall. The former fourth-round pick had Tommy John surgery back in 2012 early in his Padres career and was never able to fully recover and establish himself in the Majors. He’ll head to Japan for his age-27 campaign with the opportunity to earn significantly more than he would’ve were to have spent the bulk of the 2017 campaign in Triple-A once again.

Terry Francona, Dave Roberts Win Manager Of The Year Awards

By | at

Indians skipper Terry Francona and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts have been named Manager of the Year in their respective leagues, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced tonight. It should be noted that voting is conducted prior to the playoffs, meaning their teams’ postseason performances aren’t factored into the decision.

Terry Francona

Francona, 57, guided the Indians their fourth straight winning season since coming on board as the team’s skipper prior to the 2013 season. Cleveland went 94-67 under Francona’s watch this year, running away with the American League Central division by a margin of eight games. Cleveland’s terrific season was all the more impressive due to the fact that the team’s best player from 2014-15, Michael Brantley, played in just 11 games due to difficulties recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Francona also dealt with late injuries to Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Yan Gomes down the stretch as the team made its final push to the playoffs. That performance led Francona to receive 22 of the 30 first-place votes from the BBWAA. Rangers manager Jeff Banister (four), Orioles manager Buck Showalter (two) and Red Sox manager John Farrell (two) also received first-place votes (link to full voting breakdown).

This marks Francona’s second Manager of the Year Award in just four years with Cleveland, as he also took home the honor in 2013 — his first season with the team. His efforts have already been rewarded, as Cleveland announced shortly after the World Series that the 2019 and 2020 club options on Francona’s contract have already been exercised four years in advance.

Dave Roberts

The 44-year-old Roberts takes home the honor in his first full season as a manager, having guided the Dodgers to a 91-71 record and a National League West Division title despite a multitude of injuries throughout the rotation — including a two-month absence from ace Clayton Kershaw. Fifteen different pitchers made starts for the Dodgers this year, with rookie Kenta Maeda starting a team-high 32 games and 20-year-old Julio Urias making the fourth-most starts at just 15. Prior to this season, Roberts had precisely one game of managing experience, stepping in for a single game with the 2015 Padres following the dismissal of Bud Black.

Roberts received 16 first-place votes, while Cubs skipper Joe Maddon (eight), Nationals manager Dusty Baker (four) and Mets manager Terry Collins (two) each nabbed some first-place votes as well (full voting breakdown here). Roberts still has two years remaining on the three-year deal he inked prior to the 2016 season plus a club option for a fourth year in 2019.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bobby Wilson Clears Waivers, Elects Free Agency

By | at

The Rays announced today that catcher Bobby Wilson has cleared outright waivers, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that Wilson will, unsurprisingly, elect free agency. Per Topkin, Wilson expressed some disappointment over the decision, as he had hoped to remain with the Rays, but he said the “door’s still open” when it comes to a potential reunion.

[Related: Updated Tampa Bay Rays Depth Chart]

However, Topkin opines that Wilson could find a big league deal on the open market this winter. The veteran 33-year-old (34 in April), logged 251 plate appearances between the Rays, Rangers and Tigers in 2016, hitting .237/.270/.355 with a career-high seven homers. Those numbers, paired with just a 17 percent caught-stealing rate and average pitch-framing numbers could make it difficult for Wilson to find a guaranteed 40-man spot elsewhere this winter. Wilson, a career .214/.268/.319 hitter in 849 plate appearances, will compete with the likes of Alex Avila, Drew Butera, Hank Conger, A.J. Ellis, Ryan Hanigan, Jeff Mathis and Kurt Suzuki, among others, in the lower tiers of the free-agent market for catchers as he seeks out his next contract.

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