Yankees Notes: Quintana, Refsnyder, Kaprielian
In light of the Yankees’ decision to make outfield prospect Clint Frazier cut his hair Friday, this is a good time to revisit a piece from 1991 on the team’s longtime first baseman, Don Mattingly. Then with the New York Times (and now with the YES Network), Jack Curry wrote that Mattingly refused to obey owner George Steinbrenner’s hair policy, so New York benched and fined its captain as a result. That came two months after the Yankees denied Mattingly’s request for a trade. “Maybe I don’t belong in the organization anymore,” a frustrated Mattingly said at the time. “I talked to [general manager Gene Michael] about moving me earlier in the year. He said we’ll talk at the end of the year. Maybe this is their way of saying we don’t need you anymore.” Mattingly added that Michael wanted an “organization that will be puppets for him and do what he wants.” Michael fired back, saying: “He’s the captain and he’s got a big contract. If we asked the captain to get his hair cut, he should get it cut.”
Despite Mattingly’s dispute with the Yankees, he went on to spend the next four seasons with the club before retiring after the 1995 campaign. The Bombers were the only team for which Mattingly played, of course, in an excellent career that began in 1982. As for the Yankees, although Steinbrenner passed away in 2010, his daughter, part-owner Jennifer Steinbrenner, has kept her father’s rule in place, per Billy Witz of the Times. Many, including River Ave Blues’ Mike Axisa, aren’t happy about it.
Here’s more from the Bronx:
- Trade rumors have connected the Yankees and White Sox ace Jose Quintana over the past few months, but no deal is brewing between the teams, reports Curry (video link). Nothing has changed since January for the Yanks, who were then loath to subtract from their loaded farm system to acquire Quintana and remain unwilling to trade a prospect haul for the left-hander as Opening Day approaches.
- The Yankees are reportedly willing to listen to offers for utilityman Rob Refsnyder, and with that in mind, Curry notes that he’s going to have a difficult time cracking their 25-man roster. If New York goes with a four-man bench, odds are it’ll be Chris Carter, Austin Romine, Aaron Hicks and Ronald Torreyes who serve as their reserves, says Curry, who points out that Refsnyder does have a minor league option remaining. Thus, it’s not necessarily a must for the Yankees to trade the soon-to-be 26-year-old.
- Although he missed most of last season with an elbow injury and hasn’t pitched above the High-A level, right-hander James Kaprielian has a chance to end up in the majors sometime this year, according to George A. King III and Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. The 23-year-old, whom the Yankees chose 16th overall pick in the 2015 draft, threw a three-inning simulation game Friday and could make his next appearance in a spring training contest, manager Joe Girardi told King and Davidoff. Girardi believes Kaprielian has “a ton of talent” and will have an opportunity to “move pretty quickly” toward the big leagues if he stays healthy.
West Notes: D-Backs, Simmons, Wolters, Toles
Former Diamondbacks executive and interim general manager Jerry Dipoto (now the GM of the Mariners) tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that the biggest regrets of his tenure in Arizona are missed opportunities in the draft. “The (mistakes) that really gnaw at me and I still wake up thinking about are the ones in the draft,” says Dipoto. “Where you had a scout or multiple scouts in the room telling you, ‘This is the guy.’ You know, ‘We should take Chris Sale.’ We should have.” Of course, the D-backs were hardly alone in passing on Sale, who fell to 13th in the first round of the 2010 draft. Still, the D-backs’ selection of Texas A&M righty Barret Loux, who ultimately didn’t even sign due to medical reasons, stings Dipoto as a misstep to this day. Dipoto adds that he hopes he’s grown as an executive from his ealier days, when he’d “run renegade on a group” of scouts or let his voice “overwhelm the opinion of the group.”
More from the game’s Western divisions…
- Mariners righty Shae Simmons exited today’s Cactus League game with the trainer, tweets MLB.com’s Greg Johns. While there’s no word on the specifics of the injury just yet, that’s a troubling scene for the newly acquired flame-thrower, who has already seen one season of his career wiped out due to Tommy John surgery. Simmons is competing for one of the final spots in the Seattle ‘pen and, prior to 2015 Tommy John surgery, flashed quite a bit of potential in the Atlanta relief corps. The 2014 season saw Simmons rattle off 21 2/3 innings of 2.91 ERA ball with a 23-to-11 K/BB ratio.
- The Rockies have been without catcher Tony Wolters since March 5 due to a hyperextended right elbow that he suffered on a swing, but he could return to the field on either Sunday or Monday, tweets MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. The 24-year-old Wolters hit .259/.327/.395 in 230 plate appearances as a rookie last season and drew excellent marks for his pitch-framing skills. He’s expected to split time behind the dish with fellow youngster Tom Murphy in 2017 as half of the Rockies’ primary catching tandem.
- Dodgers outfielder Andrew Toles tells J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group that while he knew little to nothing of sabermetrics a year ago, his newfound fascination with modern metrics aided him in his rise to the Majors last season. Toles began teaching himself the new concepts on Fangraphs and admits that they changed the way he evaluated himself. “I think that’s it,” the 24-year-old said. “You don’t look at batting average, home runs, all that.” Toles cited director of player development Gabe Kapler and the Dodgers’ general willingness to break down exactly what they’re looking for as driving factors behind his embracing of advanced metrics and said that ultimately, the advice he received paid off. “I just pretty much did what they told me to do. I listened.”
Minor MLB Transactions: 3/11/17
Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…
- Former big league right-hander Donovan Hand tweeted that he’s signed a minor league contract with the Mets earlier this week. The 30-year-old tossed 68 1/3 innings of 3.69 ERA ball with the Brewers back in 2013 and saw another brief stint in the Majors with the Reds in 2015. More recently, Hand spent the 2016 season pitching professionally in Taiwan as well as in the independent Atlantic League back in the States. The former 14th-round pick seems likely to open the season with the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate, where he’ll serve as a depth option. In 372 1/3 innings of work in Triple-A, Hand has a 4.38 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9.
NL East Notes: Scherzer, Lugo, Braves, Marlins
Ken Rosenthal looks at the durability of Nationals ace Max Scherzer, who has had just one arm-related DL stint in his career (shoulder soreness in 2009) and leads all Major League pitchers in innings pitched across the past three seasons. Rosenthal spoke to Scherzer himself, former D-backs GM Josh Byrnes, former Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski (now in Boston) and Nationals GM Mike Rizzo (Arizona’s scouting director when the D-backs drafted Scherzer) about the two-time Cy Young winner. Byrnes said Scherzer deserves credit for being “very developmentally minded” as a prospect. “He wanted to find out what he needed to do to be the best version of himself, not take what was the quickest path to the big leagues,” said Byrnes. Rizzo noted that many perceived it as an overdraft when the Diamondbacks plucked him out of Missouri at No. 11 overall in 2006 and lauded Scherzer’s arm action, pitching IQ and demeanor on the mound. Scherzer offered some interesting insight on the toll that increasing workloads can take on a developing arm as well, making for a very interesting read.
Elsewhere in the NL East…
- The Mets are “strongly” considering right-hander Seth Lugo for a relief role if he doesn’t claim the final spot in the rotation, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post. While there’s been some thought that either Lugo or Robert Gsellman could head back to Triple-A to continue to work as a starter, but Puma notes that the bullpen is New York’s most pressing concern at the moment. The 27-year-old Lugo made his MLB debut last season and showed quite well, tossing 64 innings with a 2.67 ERA, 6.3 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 42.8 percent ground-ball rate in 17 appearances — nine of which came out of the ‘pen.
- Left-hander Eric O’Flaherty has rediscovered some of the sink on his fastball in Spring Training and, with righties Chaz Roe and Blaine Boyer struggling, has emerged as a legitimate option to break camp with the Braves, writes MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. “He’s throwing some good breaking balls and his fastball has a little more life than it did,” manager Brian Snitker tells Bowman. “We just need to stay with him. I think he feels good, so that’s just a good thing to just keep him out there. I think he’s feeling healthy for the first time in a while.”
- Looking to the bench competition that is ongoing in Atlanta, Bowman tweets that the only two locks for bench spots at this moment are backup catcher Kurt Suzuki and utilityman Jace Peterson. The Braves are said to be eyeing a right-handed-hitting fourth outfielder that can handle center and have several other candidates in camp vying for bench roles (as can be seen on their depth chart at Roster Resource).
- Though the Marlins have a notoriously weak farm system, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald spoke to a number of rival scouts and evaluators about which Miami farmhands could potentially make a Major League impact in 2017. The three most common responses for Spencer were right-hander Dillon Peters, infielder J.T. Riddle and right-hander Drew Steckenrider. Though small in stature, Peters has racked up impressive performances in the minors over the past two seasons and reached Double-A as a 23-year-old last year. Riddle, a glove-first infielder, could help the team’s bench/defense despite a light bat. And Steckenrider scrapped starting after Tommy John surgery and returned with a 100 mph heater out of the ‘pen. Of course, as Spencer notes, with the Marlins’ deep bullpen, it could take awhile for him to be a big league factor.
5 Key Stories: 3/4/17 – 3/10/17
The most notable story of the past week was the saddening news that Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis learned that the testicular cancer for which he underwent surgery last December has unexpectedly spread. Bettis is set to enter a chemotherapy regimen, and the silver lining in the otherwise disheartening news is that Bettis received a good prognosis from doctors — a 90 percent success rate given the current stage and treatment options. Bettis’ health obviously takes priority over any baseball-related implications, and we wish him a full and expeditious recovery.
This week’s top baseball stories include…
Sonny Gray will begin the season the disabled list. Sonny Gray hoped that his injury troubles were behind him after a disastrous 2016 season, but the right-hander learned this week that he’ll miss Opening Day and could sit out for much of the season’s first month. Gray was diagnosed with a lat strain that will prevent him from throwing for at least three weeks, which means he won’t even pick up a baseball again until the end of March. The diagnosis shocked Gray, who had been feeling strong this spring. The A’s have a number of in-house alternatives, and there’s been no word of Oakland pursuing external pitching depth. But, with Gray persistently being considered a trade candidate, yet another health issue won’t do his trade stock any favors down the line, if the A’s make him available.
Andrew Cashner won’t be ready for Opening Day; Rangers could look to add a starter. Oft-injured starter Andrew Cashner inked a $10MM one-year deal to serve as the Rangers’ fourth starter this season, but a bout of biceps tendinitis won’t allow that to happen from the outset of the season. Cashner appears DL-bound to begin the season, and with another former Padres righty, Tyson Ross, also not ready for Opening Day (though that was known at the time of his signing), the Rangers’ pitching depth looks shaky. Multiple Rangers reporters said this week that the team would at least consider free-agent alternatives. Old friend Colby Lewis, who’s spent the past seven years with the Rangers, and right-hander Doug Fister are the top two names that have yet to sign.
Jeffrey Loria likely to sell Marlins in 2017. The rumored sale of the Marlins to a Joshua Kushner-led new ownership group fell through last month, but Loria has reportedly decided it’s “time to move on from baseball” (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald), and he’ll look to sell the franchise at some point in 2017. Loria has been one of the most controversial and frequently criticized owners in all of professional sports, and a new ownership group would figure to vastly alter the future of the Marlins. For years, the Miami front office has had to cobble together piecemeal rosters under extreme budgetary constraints (this year’s $114MM payroll notwithstanding), but a sale of the team could bring about changes in that regard. The Marlins, according to Jackson, are in active discussions with four potential buyers (none of which is the previous Kushner group).
Kris Bryant sets new pre-arb salary record. Pre-arbitration salaries aren’t typically of great significance, but Kris Bryant set a new high-water mark for players that have yet to reach their arbitration years or ink a long-term Major League contract this week. Bryant’s $1.05MM salary eclipsed the previous record, set by Mike Trout, by $50,000. That’s a pittance, relative to what Bryant will earn over the life of what looks to be a superstar career, but the symbolic gesture is of greater importance than the financial component itself. Bryant is, after all, a year away from what could be a record-setting arbitration payday. However, the good will established with the gesture will probably be minimal. It’s unlikely that Bryant and agent Scott Boras take any sort of notable discount in talks for a long-term deal, and the symbolic salary probably does little to soften the blow of the service time manipulation that’ll cause Bryant to fall one single day shy of qualifying for free agency at the end of the 2020 season.
Details on Angel Pagan’s market emerge. Angel Pagan is perhaps the top remaining free agent on the market, but it’s been mostly quiet on him this winter. This week, however, details began to surface. It was reported that Pagan has received offers from multiple clubs, including the Pirates and Braves. Not only that, but FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported that Pagan had a Major League deal with the Orioles fall through due to concerns with his physical. Baltimore is notorious for having a difficult physical to pass, but certainly that news could explain Pagan’s slow-to-develop market. The outfielder is playing in the World Baseball Classic and doesn’t sound keen on taking a minor league deal. Heyman noted that Pagan has sought upwards of $5MM for the 2017 campaign, though this late in the winter, he could have to accept a fair bit less than that sum.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Orioles Agree To Minors Deal With Pedro Alvarez
For the second straight offseason, Pedro Alvarez lingered on the free-agent market until March, and for the second straight season, the slugger has found a home with the Orioles. Alvarez has reportedly agreed to a minor league deal to return to Baltimore. His contract contains a $2MM base salary and another $3.5MM worth of incentives. Most surprising of all, however, is that he’ll reportedly be tabbed as an outfielder this time around.
Alvarez, a Scott Boras client, spent the 2016 season in Baltimore, where he served primarily as a designated hitter but also saw 12 games at third base. Last year was a fairly typical season for the 30-year-old slugger, as he displayed significant power but struck out at a fairly high rate and provided little in the way of defensive value. Alvarez turned in strong numbers against right-handed pitching, hitting .251/.326/.522 with 21 of his 22 home runs. In a limited sample of 38 plate appearances against left-handed pitching, Alvarez hit just .237/.286/.368 with one homer.
It remains to be seen exactly how Alvarez will factor into the mix in Baltimore if the deal is completed and if he makes the club. While Alvarez was in lingering on the free agent market for the second consecutive offseason — he signed in Baltimore on March 8 last year — the Orioles re-signed Mark Trumbo and also acquired Seth Smith from the Mariners. With Smith and Hyun Soo Kim set to line up in the corner outfield against right-handed pitching, Trumbo figures to serve as the team’s DH on those days. That’d leave Alvarez as more of a bench bat or spot starter on days in which one of Trumbo, Kim or Smith needs a breather.
Alvarez has been working on his outfield defense all winter, per FanRag’s Jon Heyman, who reported the terms of the agreement. Nonetheless, it’s difficult to imagine Alvarez, who has graded as a poor defender at both corner infield positions, playing an average or better corner outfield. And the Orioles have a plethora of alternatives from which to choose.
In addition to the aforementioned trio of Trumbo, Smith and Kim, the O’s have sophomore Joey Rickard (a much-needed right-handed bat) and Rule 5 picks Aneury Tavarez and Anthony Santander in camp as well. Infielder Ryan Flaherty, too, has played some outfield in his career and figures to be assured of a bench spot, if healthy. Non-roster invitees Craig Gentry and Michael Bourn are in the mix as well, though Bourn is currently being sidelined by a broken finger.
A minor league deal for Alvarez serves as the latest data point in an offseason that has exemplified the market’s continuing shift away from one-dimensional sluggers. While a hefty supply of first base/designated hitter options in free agency this winter undoubtedly worked against Alvarez, the non-tender of NL home run leader Chris Carter and his subsequent $3.5MM deal with the Yankees was a clear sign that front offices are continuing to gravitate away from players of this ilk. Even higher-profile sluggers have settled for lesser deals than initially expected in recent years, as illustrated by the three-year deals for Trumbo and Edwin Encarnacion.
FanRag’s Tommy Stokke first reported that the two sides were nearing a deal (via Twitter). FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported the agreement and the terms (Twitter links).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pitching Notes: Rockies, Gee, Kendrick, Wheeler
With today’s awful news about righty Chad Bettis, the Rockies face a dilemma in the rotation. As Nick Groke of the Denver Post writes, the club had believed it was looking for one starter to step up in camp, but now it needs two. It was debatable already whether the club ought to have added a starter, but now the need is all the more apparent. A variety of youthful competitors are on hand, of course, along with 30-year-old southpaw Chris Rusin, who’s probably best suited for a return to the bullpen. While there’s plenty of interesting talent, the Rockies may feel a need to find more certainty as they seek to push toward contention.
Here’s more on a few pitching situations from around the game:
- Signed to provide the Rangers with depth, righty Dillon Gee may now be in position to take a spot in the Opening Day rotation with Andrew Cashner sidelined. As T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com writes, Gee says he feels healthy and likes the way he’s throwing. As he works back to full health following thoracic outlet surgery, Gee is also working to smooth out mechanical issues he identified in his work last year with the Royals.
- It’s a similar story for Kyle Kendrick, who’s importance to the Red Sox has risen with David Price‘s health issues. Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports that the 32-year-old won’t have an opt-out opportunity until June 15th, which gives the club some flexibility, though it’s possible he’ll be needed earlier. As Drellich writes, the Sox are encouraged by Kendrick’s initial showing, with manager John Farrell noting that the team likes that he’s working off of his sinker and cutter rather than relying on the four-seam fastball. From Kendrick’s perspective, “I feel right with where I’m at with my stuff.”
- Mets righty Zack Wheeler is drawing some good reviews from his early showing on the mound, as Marc Carig of Newsday reports on Twitter. An “evaluator” tells Carig that Wheeler is showing a “smooth delivery” and that the ball is coming out of his hand well. That’s encouraging for the Mets, who have the depth to account for any further delays from the righty but no doubt want to see him contributing in the majors sooner than later.
Pre-Arb Deals: Lindor, Duvall, Sano, Franco, Odor, Realmuto
You can find a primer on how pre-arbitration salaries work right here. In essence, teams can renew players at whatever price they wish, so long as it meets or exceeds the MLB minimum — which currently sits at $535K. But all teams consider at least nominal raises for players with prior experience. If you really want to dig into the details of the process — and how different teams approach it — be sure to check out this close look from MLBTR’s Zach Links.
We have already covered a few notable salaries for 2017: Kris Bryant set a record at $1.05MM; Mookie Betts didn’t agree with the Red Sox, but still got $950K; and Astros star Carlos Correa was renewed at the minimum after failing to see eye to eye. Here are a few of the latest numbers, all via the Twitter feed of Jon Heyman of Fan Rag unless otherwise noted:
- The Indians agreed to a $579,300 salary with star shortstop Francisco Lindor. A well-rounded performer at just 23 years of age, Lindor made his first All-Star team after landing just shy of Correa in the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year voting. It’ll be interesting to see whether the sides continue to talk money over the next few years in an effort to reach a long-term deal.
- The Reds renewed outfielder Adam Duvall at $577,500. He was evidently looking for more after a breakout 2016 campaign in which he hit 33 homers but lagged in the on-base department (.297 OBP). Duvall has established himself as the team’s regular left fielder, though, and did out-earn two other power-hitting players in the same 1+ service class.
- Third baseman Miguel Sano agreed to a $572,500 payday from the Twins, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports. The 23-year old swatted 25 long balls but fell off a bit from his torrid rookie year. He’ll still get a fairly solid pay boost, though, in his 1+ service-class year.
- Fellow young hot corner slugger Maikel Franco agreed to a $560K deal with the Phillies. Franco, 22, went through a similar sophomore slump as Sano while matching him in the long ball department. These two seem likely to be compared for years to come. Franco, though, will likely qualify for arbitration a year earlier, as he’ll easily reach Super Two status next winter so long as he stays on the MLB roster for the bulk of the upcoming season.
- The Rangers will pay second baseman Rougned Odor $563,180 in their agreement. The hard-nosed 23-year old delivered 33 bombs from the middle infield, though like Duvall he also fell short of hopes with a .296 OBP. Texas is already weighing a much heftier commitment, though, with reports suggesting the sides are in talks on a deal that could exceed $50MM in guaranteed money.
- Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto was rewarded for his promising 2016 campaign with a $562,500 deal, per Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Realmuto, who’ll soon turn 26, will reach arbitration next winter, where he’ll be paid handsomely if he can repeat his numbers from last season. Over 545 plate appearances, Realmuto slashed .303/.343/.428 and provided 11 home runs and a dozen steals — though he was aided by a .357 BABIP.
Injury Notes: Seager, Red Sox & Orioles Pitchers, Gray
We just checked in on Rangers righty Andrew Cashner. Here are a few more injury situations worthy of note from around the game:
- What seemed at first like a minor issue for Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager is beginning to seem a bit more concerning. While he’s apparently dealing with tightness in his back, manager Dave Roberts says it’s “oblique-ish” in location, as Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Though Seager is said to be improving, it’s still not clear when the star youngster will return to the lineup. He also weighed in on the injury, saying that he doesn’t expect to have any trouble getting ready for Opening Day, as MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick tweets.
- Red Sox manager John Farrell gave updates on a variety of players to reporters, including Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. That includes lefty Roenis Elias, who has been diagnosed with an intercostal strain that will sideline him for at least a few weeks. A minor thumb issue for righty Rick Porcello doesn’t appear to be posing many problems. And while it’s not strictly an injury matter, it’s worth noting Farrell’s comments on righty Tyler Thornburg, who still needs to build up shoulder strength. That’s common for hurlers that are new to the organization, says Farrell, who cites a “period of adaptation” as pitchers “go through our shoulder maintenance program.”
- Meanwhile, Red Sox lefty David Price isn’t yet ready to throw, but is able to go through a pitching motion, Drellich adds on Twitter. It’s promising, at least, that there’s forward momentum as he works through a flexor strain.
- Time is tight for Orioles righty Chris Tillman, who is still not ready to return from his shoulder issues. He will need to progress smoothly to appear in the first week of the season, manager Buck Showalter told reporters including Rich Dubroff of PressBoxOnline.com (via Twitter). There’s perhaps a bit more breathing room for O’s closer Zach Britton, who’s working through oblique pain. Showalter says that he may appear in Grapefruit League action next after a pen session today, as Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
- Orioles righty Logan Ondrusek is taking the always-ominous trip to see Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. Ondrusek talked about how he experienced the elbow injury, explaining that he felt it on a single pitch but didn’t think more of it until he woke up with soreness that evening. He notes that it’s tough for pitchers who are going year to year to deal with potentially significant injuries. In his case, it’s not clear how his contract will work out. Ondrusek agreed with the O’s on a MLB deal that didn’t guarantee him all of his $650K salary.
- Athletics righty Sonny Gray says he was surprised to learn of his lat strain, as Jimmy Durkin of the Mercury News reports. An MRI was ordered just to be on the safe side, which revealed “a little bit of a strain there that’s just going to take a little time to heal.” Gray says he’s confident he’ll return in relatively short order — and regain his former trajectory. “There’s no doubt in my mind that when this thing gets knocked out that I’m going to be back to being the guy I’ve always been,” he says. “It’s just another little test that I’ve got to deal with.”
Latest On Angel Pagan
4:09pm: Pagan had an agreement with the Orioles, but a failed physical blew things up, Heyman reports. It isn’t clear just when that occurred or what the issue was.
The deal with Baltimore was a major league deal, Heyman suggests. Pagan’s agent, Greg Genske, also says that other teams have offered MLB roster spots, per the report. Indeed, Atlanta is potentially interested in such an arrangement, though it’s not clear at what price tag.
This new report seems to change the story on Pagan. It now appears that opportunity and/or money are the main sticking points. The veteran has “been seeking close to $5MM” in contract talks, according to Heyman.
3:47pm: The Pirates and the Braves are among the “many” teams that have made offers to outfielder Angel Pagan, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. (Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported that the Braves had made an offer.) However, the 35-year-old Pagan has reportedly been holding out for a Major League offer, and it doesn’t seem that any team has made that type of proposal to this point, as Heyman adds that the outfielder has yet to find a suitable opportunity.
Pagan isn’t exactly missing out on Spring Training entirely, as he’s playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, so he’ll be somewhat up to speed if he does ink a deal with a club at some point this month. Earlier this week, Pagan told reporters that he feels that his 2016 play has earned him a spot somewhere. It’s hard to argue that, based on Pagan’s 2016 season. While he may no longer be much of an option in center field, he did bat .277/.331/.418 with 12 home runs and 15 steals last season, and his defense in left field as passable in the eyes of Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved.
Both Atlanta and Pittsburgh were among the speculative landing spots I listed for Pagan last week, as either one makes sense on paper. The Braves don’t have a true fourth outfielder, as their current backup options in center field include Jace Peterson, Chase d’Arnaud and perhaps non-roster invitee Lane Adams. The Pirates, meanwhile, are currently set to utilize Adam Frazier as an infielder/outfielder off the bench but lack a pure fourth outfield option themselves.