NL Notes: Diamondbacks, Phillips, Cards, Mets
If the Diamondbacks endure another non-contending season and decide to enter a rebuild, they might have to consider trading their two best players – first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and center fielder A.J. Pollock – writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Goldschmidt and Pollock are running out of team control (three and two years remaining, respectively), and it would behoove the Diamondbacks to somehow replenish a farm system that ESPN’s Keith Law ranks as the majors’ worst (subscription required/recommended). While moving the two bona fide stars would certainly help Arizona beef up its prospect pool, new general manager Mike Hazen unsurprisingly told Piecoro that such drastic measures aren’t under consideration at this point. “We’re not really there yet in terms of sort of long-term strategic thinking,” Hazen said. “We like this team. We’ll see where this team goes. If we have to make some adjustments, we will.”
More from the National League:
- The Cincinnati-Atlanta trade that Brandon Phillips blocked in November would have resulted in a better return for the second baseman than the one the Reds have since received from the Braves, reports Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Phillips finally agreed to waive his no-trade rights Sunday, largely because he’s going to get more playing time this year with the Braves than he would have with the rebuilding Reds, observes ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required/recommended).
- Even though Jedd Gyorko led the Cardinals with 30 home runs last season, he’ll enter spring training as the underdog to Jhonny Peralta in the team’s third base competition, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Peralta was far less productive than Gyorko in 2016, when he batted .260/307/.408 with eight homers in 313 plate appearances, but a hand injury may have been a key reason for the normally steady contributor’s drop-off. “My hope is that he is 100 percent,” GM John Mozeliak said of Peralta, who’s going into a contract year. “My hope is that he has a little spring in his step. And my hope is that he can either give us a lot of flexibility in the infield or be our anchor at third. He’s one guy who has the ability to hit home runs and hit with power.” Ultimately, despite both Gyorko’s output last season and Mozeliak’s optimism regarding Peralta, Matt Carpenter could see more time at third than either of them if first baseman Matt Adams reemerges as a quality performer this year, posits Goold. For now, Carpenter is penciled in as the Cardinals’ starter at first.
- The Mets “absolutely” believe in corner outfielder Michael Conforto, GM Sandy Alderson told Steve Serby of the New York Post, but the executive didn’t mention the 23-year-old when discussing the club’s outfield. “If Bruce is in right and [Curtis] Granderson and [Juan] Lagares in center, Cespedes in left — Cespedes is an excellent left fielder, Granderson did a nice job for us in center last year, Lagares is excellent, and Jay Bruce I would say he’s league average at least,” said Alderson. Given the amount of major league-caliber outfielders the Mets have, Conforto’s status is “something we’d have to work out in spring training,” Alderson acknowledged. “I don’t think that Michael is the kind of player that we want to be sitting on the bench.” Conforto has two minor league options remaining, so he could again go to Triple-A Las Vegas after embarrassing opposing pitchers there last year (.422/.483/.727 in 143 PAs). The Mets will give the left-handed-hitting Conforto some reps at first base and center field this spring, tweets Newsday’s Marc Carig, though they already have an established, lefty-swinging option manning first in Lucas Duda. And Granderson and Lagares will occupy center, as Alderson mentioned.
Rays Sign Nathan Eovaldi
FEBRUARY 14: Eovaldi can also earn up to $3.5MM in incentives in the 2018 season, Topkin adds on Twitter.
FEBRUARY 12, 8:27pm: Eovaldi will also earn $2MM in 2018 if the Rays exercise their option, Topkin reports (Twitter link).
4:04pm: Eovaldi’s pact will include a $2MM salary for 2017, a club option for 2018 and incentives, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney.
1:30pm: The Rays are close to signing right-hander Nathan Eovaldi to a major league deal, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The contract will include a 2018 option, as the ACES client will miss the upcoming season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Eovaldi has been on the market since the Yankees released him in November, which came just over three months after his August elbow procedure. The soon-to-be 27-year-old previously underwent Tommy John surgery as an amateur, and he also had his right flexor tendon repaired during his latest operation.
Before landing on the shelf last year, the hard-throwing Eovaldi averaged a personal-high 97 mph on his fastball, registered a career-best 9.3 percent swinging-strike rate and posted a 49.6 percent ground-ball mark. Nevertheless, he struck out only seven batters per nine innings and logged a below-average 4.76 ERA over 124 2/3 innings frames. Home run troubles were the main reason Eovaldi had issues preventing runs, as he allowed HRs on 18.7 percent of fly balls.
From 2011-15, when he also spent time as a Dodger and Marlin, Eovaldi recorded a far more palatable homer-to-fly ball ratio (7.1 percent) and yielded a much better ERA (4.10) over 614 1/3 innings. Despite his velocity, Eovaldi wasn’t a strikeout artist during those five years (6.48 per nine), though he did a respectable job limiting free passes (2.92 BB/9). Going forward, Eovaldi could at least provide the Rays an intriguing relief option in 2018 if he doesn’t slot into their rotation.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Braves Acquire Brandon Phillips
The Braves have announced that they’ve acquired second baseman Brandon Phillips from the Reds in exchange for minor league pitchers Andrew McKirahan and Carlos Portuondo. Phillips is owed $14MM in 2017, the last year of his contract, and the Reds will pay all but $1MM of that sum.
[RELATED: Updated Braves and Reds Depth Charts]
Phillips previously blocked the Braves’ attempt to acquire him in November, which came after he shot down efforts from the Nationals and Diamondbacks to land him a year ago. But the 35-year-old finally had a change of heart and will head to his native Georgia. The Braves will honor Phillips’ limited no-trade clause (12 teams), and they’ll give him a $500K bonus if he’s dealt to a club not on his list, general manager John Coppolella announced.
The Braves seemingly picked up at least a part-time second base solution when they signed Sean Rodriguez as a free agent in November. However, Rodriguez needs left shoulder surgery thanks to a January car crash and will be out three to five months, according to FOX Sports’ Rosenthal (Twitter links). The right-handed Rodriguez could have platooned with the lefty-swinging Jace Peterson at the keystone. With Rodriguez out of commission, the righty-hitting Phillips will now take over at second and provide the Braves a respectable stopgap as they count down to the start of the Ozzie Albies era.
Phillips has historically performed better against southpaws (.284/.332/.455) than same-handed pitchers (.271/.315/.409), but the three-time All-Star obviously doesn’t carry an alarming platoon split. He’s also coming off yet another fairly productive offensive season, having slashed a decent .291/.320/.416 across 584 PAs. Phillips simultaneously surpassed double-digit home run and stolen base marks (11 and 14) for the ninth time, too. On the other hand, the normally adept defender’s production in the field declined sharply, as Phillips registered minus-7 Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-2.1 Ultimate Zone Rating after recording positive marks in each category from 2007-15.
By moving Phillips, the rebuilding Reds will open up playing time for young middle infielders Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera. Peraza fared well in a 256-plate appearance stint as a utilityman in 2016 (.324/.352/.411), but Herrera hasn’t yet debuted with the Reds since they acquired him from the Mets for outfielder Jay Bruce last summer. The Reds aren’t getting much in return for a longtime franchise cornerstone, though. Neither the 27-year-old McKiran nor Portuondo, 29, will land on the Reds’ 40-man roster or receive invitations to big league camp, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Moreover, ESPN’s Keith Law classifies the two as “non-prospects” (Twitter links).
Phillips’ exit from Cincinnati brings about the end of a long and fruitful tenure that began in 2006. The Reds acquired Phillips from the Indians that year in exchange for a player to be named later (right-hander Jeff Stevens), which undoubtedly counts among the best trades in the history of the Cincy franchise. Phillips hit .279/.325/.429, swatted 191 home runs, stole 194 bases and racked up 31.7 fWAR over 6,899 trips to the plate with the Reds from 2006-16. He also never played in fewer than 121 games in any of his 11 seasons as a member of the club, and he exceeded the 140-game plateau 10 times – including in 2016. Along the way, Phillips helped the Reds to three playoff berths, the first of which came in 2010 and broke a 14-year drought.
The Reds have now gone three straight years without a postseason trip, and given that they’re not close to contention, GM Dick Williams is taking the organization in a Phillips-less direction. Phillips’ departure will make superstar first baseman Joey Votto the Reds’ longest-tenured player.
FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal first reported that a trade was close. He also reported that the Reds would eat most of Phillips’ salary and get a minimal return. Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported on the concessions the Braves made to Phillips, and he was the first to identify the players the Reds received. Mark Sheldon of MLB.com first reported that the Reds would get two minor leaguers in return. ESPN’s Buster Olney first reported that the trade was done. ESPN’s Jim Bowden reported on the exact concessions the Braves had made to Phillips. FanRag’s Jon Heyman first reported that the Reds would eat $13MM. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AL Notes: Rays, Astros, Orioles, Red Sox
Although Brad Miller said he’s “on the same page” with the Rays about potentially shifting from first base to second, he hasn’t necessarily embraced the move, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The 30-home run man from 2016 last played second two seasons ago as a member of the Mariners, and he has generally fared poorly as a middle infielder (minus-27 Defensive Runs Saved, minus-12.3 Ultimate Zone Rating as primarily a shortstop in 3,300-plus innings). Should Miller scuffle in his return to the keystone this year, the Rays would likely scrap the experiment and divide his playing time among first, designated hitter and short, per Topkin, who points to Tim Beckham, Nick Franklin and Daniel Robertson as their other in-house second base possibilities.
More from the American League:
- The Astros have been in pursuit of a front-line starter via trade all offseason, though nothing has materialized and general manager Jeff Luhnow doesn’t expect anything to come together this spring, he told MLB Network Radio on Sunday. However, Luhnow mentioned that having two extra draft picks resulting from ex-Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa’s hacking of the Astros and five top 100 prospects could help him swing a deal at some point (Twitter links).
- The idea of converting Dariel Alvarez from an outfielder to a pitcher is intriguing to some members of the Orioles organization, and manager Buck Showalter wouldn’t be against it, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. As it stands, the 28-year-old Alvarez could be in danger of losing his 40-man roster spot, per Kubatko. Alvarez slashed a modest .288/.324/.384 with four home runs in 560 Triple-A plate appearances last season, and trying him on the mound would perhaps enable the Orioles to take advantage of his “plus-plus” arm, Kubatko notes.
- Third baseman Pablo Sandoval, left-hander Drew Pomeranz, right-hander Joe Kelly, first baseman Sam Travis and catcher Christian Vazquez are among the Red Sox who will need strong spring performances this year, opines Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. If the beleaguered Sandoval is unable to show enough defensively to win the third base job, the lefty-swinger could have trouble finding playing time in Boston, which is likely to deploy Hanley Ramirez as its designated hitter against righties. Vazquez, meanwhile, has no minor league options remaining and will battle with Sandy Leon (also out of options) and Blake Swihart for a roster spot. The Red Sox might attempt to trade Vazquez if he doesn’t crack their roster, or they could send Swihart to the minors, observes Mastrodonato.
Minor MLB Transactions: 2/12/17
Sunday’s minor moves from around baseball:
- The Rays have signed right-handed reliever Jeff Walters to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). This will be the second major league organization for Walters, who had been with the Mets since they selected him in the seventh round of the 2010 draft. The 29-year-old never cracked the majors as a Met, and he’s coming off a season in which he struggled to a 5.89 ERA, 6.58 K/9 and 3.84 BB/9 over 65 2/3 Triple-A innings.
MLBTR Originals
A recap of the original content featured at MLBTR over the past week:
- Onetime major league left-hander Ryan Dennick returned to MLBTR with an in-depth piece detailing his first day in the bigs, which came as a member of the Reds in 2014. Ryan concluded an unforgettable day with a 1-2-3 inning in Baltimore.
- Jeff Todd updated the 10 best free agents left on the board in a class that unsurprisingly continues thinning out as spring training approaches. Only three free agents remain from the top 50 list MLBTR founder Tim Dierkes assembled entering the offseason.
- Charlie Wilmoth revisited several notable February trades that have occurred in Major League Baseball since 2012. Today happens to be the one-year anniversary of the Athletics acquiring 42-home run outfielder/designated hitter Khris Davis from the Brewers.
- After the Twins designated first baseman/DH Byung Ho Park for assignment, I asked readers whether it would be worthwhile for someone else to pick up the flawed slugger. The vast majority of voters advocated for another club to take Park off the Twins’ hands, but he ultimately went through waivers unclaimed and will stay with the Twins organization.
- Speaking of flawed sluggers, Charlie searched for a team for then-free agent first baseman Chris Carter, who agreed to a deal with the Yankees two days later. The Yankees hadn’t been connected to Carter at all until they reached an agreement with him Tuesday, so they weren’t listed as a poll choice. The plurality of voters actually predicted Carter would sign in Japan.
Pirates Still Willing To Trade Andrew McCutchen, Josh Harrison
Pirates general manager Neal Huntington put both right fielder Andrew McCutchen and infielder Josh Harrison on the block earlier this offseason, though he wasn’t able to find a palatable deal for either. With spring training approaching, Huntington remains willing to trade either player, reports Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
After he couldn’t secure a taker for McCutchen at the Winter Meetings in December, Huntington declared that the five-time All-Star would likely continue in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have since decided to shift the longtime center fielder to right, where he’ll attempt to bounce back from a highly disappointing 2016 in which his production declined in the field, at the plate and on the base paths. McCutchen was his typical durable self, having eclipsed the 150-game plateau for the sixth time in seven full seasons, but he logged a career-low fWAR (0.7) across 675 plate appearances. That mostly came on account of mixing a slightly above-average batting line (.256/.336/.430) with a major league-worst minus-28 Defensive Runs Saved.
Despite his stunning drop-off last season, McCutchen still comes with a relatively appealing contract. The 2013 NL MVP has two years and $28.5MM left on his deal, including a $14.5MM club option for 2018. However, the 30-year-old has highly rated outfield prospect Austin Meadows pushing for a spot behind him in Pittsburgh. Baseball America, ESPN’s Keith Law and MLB.com all regard the 21-year-old Meadows as one of the game’s 10 best prospects, and it stands to reason he’s not going to knock either of McCutchen’s fellow starting outfielders, Starling Marte or Gregory Polanco, out of the organization. Marte and Polanco, after all, are younger than McCutchen and under team control at eminently affordable prices through 2021 and 2023, respectively.
Harrison, meanwhile, is controllable for up to four more seasons – including two club options – at a maximum of $39.5MM. Like McCutchen, Harrison endured a rough 2016; unlike McCutchen, though, Harrison doesn’t carry a star-caliber track record, which has surely made it that much more difficult for Huntington to find a quality return for him. Since he earned his lone All-Star nod in 2014 and then inked an extension the next spring, Harrison has slashed a mediocre .285/.318/.389 over 971 trips to the plate. Harrison, to his credit, put up a career-high 19 steals and registered a plus DRS (eight) in 1,077 innings at second base in 2016. Nevertheless, thanks largely to a subpar .283/.311/.388 batting line in 522 PAs, he accounted for a below-average 1.5 fWAR.
Huntington tried in November to jettison Harrison in order to re-sign then-free agent Sean Rodriguez, and failing to do so led Rodriguez to join the Braves. Now, barring a late-winter deal, the 30-year-old Harrison will start 2017 at the keystone in Pittsburgh. It seems an ideal scenario for the club would include dealing him and opening up an everyday job for utilityman Adam Frazier. The 25-year-old impressed as a rookie last season, as he hit .301/.356/.411 in 160 PAs and totaled double-digit appearances at second, left field and right field, and Huntington took notice.
“We believe [Frazier] will evolve into a very versatile defensive player who can swing the bat,” Huntington told Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last month. “We also see a role in which he progresses into a regular, where he takes a position, grabs hold and never let’s go. It’s just we have somebody in front of him right now in some places. His opportunity is going to be to bounce around the field and do what he does well.”
Elsewhere on Pittsburgh’s roster, if Rule 5 pick Tyler Webb makes the team, it could could lead Huntington to trade either Tony Watson or Antonio Bastardo, writes Biertempfel. Webb, Watson, Bastardo and Felipe Rivero would give the Pirates four left-handed relievers. While both Watson and Bastardo have come up in trade rumors this offseason, the former would clearly warrant a greater return. Watson last year wasn’t as effective as he had been from 2013-15, as his 4.37 FIP paled in comparison to the combined 2.92 figure he recorded over the previous three years. On the plus side, the former setup man and current closer did exceed the 65-inning mark for the fourth straight season and post a 3.06 ERA. He’s also set to rake in an a reasonable salary in the $6MM neighborhood in 2017, which is his final season of team control. Bastardo is entering a contract year, too, but the Pirates’ reported willingness to eat some of the $6.5MM he’s owed hasn’t paved the way for a trade.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Pirates, Jays, Rockies, Yankees, D-backs
This week in baseball blogs:
- Legends On Deck has a piece from free agent right-hander Jon Velasquez, who reflects on his baseball career to this point.
- Pirates Breakdown interviews Bucs righty prospect Mitch Keller.
- Clutchlings talks with Blue Jays director of player development Gil Kim.
- Chin Music Baseball argues that the Rockies erred in not signing now-Rangers first baseman Mike Napoli.
- Camden Depot regards Orioles righty Kevin Gausman as a breakout candidate.
- Think Blue Planning Committee looks at the Dodgers’ roster in the wake of the Sergio Romo, Franklin Gutierrez and Chase Utley deals.
- Inside the ‘Zona previews the battle among Shelby Miller, Patrick Corbin and Archie Bradley for the final two spots in the Diamondbacks’ rotation.
- Pinstriped Prospects ranks the Yankees’ top 50 prospects.
- NYRDCAST projects Cardinals righties Carlos Martinez, Mike Leake and Lance Lynn.
- BP Toronto and Blue Jay Hunter analyze the signed Blue Jays’ signing of reliever Joe Smith.
- Outside Pitch MLB and District On Deck offer thoughts on the possibility of the Nationals acquiring White Sox closer David Robertson.
- Call To The Pen (links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) compares the Phillies to the National League East rival Marlins and Braves; ranks the NL East in a separate piece; focuses on the biggest positional logjams across the majors; and lists six unheralded Yankees pitchers primed to make impacts in 2017.
- A’s Farm projects the Athletics’ Opening Day roster.
- Jays From the Couch interviews Blue Jays right-hander Mike Bolsinger.
- The First Out At Third picks the Brewers’ starting rotation.
- Rotisserie Duck forecasts the best hitters of 2017.
- Two Strike Approach: A Baseball Podcast previews this year’s Yankees.
- World Series Dreaming touches on Major League Baseball’s potential pace-of-play rule changes.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2, 3) lists the Yankees’ top five outfield- and designated hitter-related storylines entering spring training; previews the Yankees’ rotation; and profiles Astros righty Cy Sneed.
- The 3rd Man In talks with UC Irvine outfielder Keston Hiura, one of the highest-ranked prospects going into this year’s draft.
- Real McCoy Minors chats with Athletics pitching prospect Cody Stull.
- Jays Journal names four Toronto prospects set to make their big league debuts in 2017.
- Mets Daddy writes that left-handed reliever Josh Smoker needs to develop his slider.
- The K Zone is pleased with the Dodgers’ decision to re-sign Utley.
- MLB Reports highlights five teams that could either end up as contenders or pretenders this year.
- The Point of Pittsburgh assembles a staff based on the best pitching seasons of individual Pirates since 1989.
- Rascals Of the Ravine (links here) breaks down Dodgers fanfest.
Please send submissions to ZachBBWI @gmail.com.
Cubs, Pedro Strop Avoid Arbitration
The Cubs and right-handed reliever Pedro Strop have reached a deal to avoid arbitration, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Strop’s 2017 salary will be $5.5MM – a little above the $5.3MM midpoint. As MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker shows, Strop had been seeking $6MM, while the Cubs’ $4.6MM offer came in well below that figure.
MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Strop would receive $5.5MM via arbitration on the heels of a third straight excellent season. Strop, 31, logged a sub-3.00 ERA (2.85, to be exact) and at least 20 holds (21) for the third consecutive year. He also posted tremendous strikeout and walk rates of 11.41 and 2.85, respectively, to go with a lofty 58.5 percent ground-ball mark. Injuries limited Strop to 47 1/3 regular-season innings, his lowest total since 2011, but he did get solid results over 5 2/3 playoff frames for the World Series champions. In postseason series wins over the Giants, Dodgers and Indians, Strop struck out three and yielded two earned runs on three hits and one walk.
With Strop’s salary now set for 2017, the Cubs have settled with all of their arbitration-eligible players. Strop could be entering his final season with the club, as he’s scheduled to become a free agent next winter.
East Notes: Marlins, Red Sox, Yankees
Unsurprisingly, Marlins president David Samson didn’t reveal much Saturday when asked about the rumored “handshake agreement” owner Jeffrey Loria has to sell the franchise to Joshua Kushner. “There’s obviously a lot of buzz, there’s rumors, there’s all sorts of stuff that happens all the time,” he told Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Are these rumors different than other rumors? Time will always tell what happens.” Samson, who added that Loria “loves being [in Miami],” also informed Joe Frisaro of MLB.com that the franchise is focusing on selling Marlins Park’s naming rights and amending its TV deal prior to 2018. On naming rights, Samson said: “There’s still three companies, and we cannot figure out which direction we’re going to go in. I still want to get it done before the All-Star Game. It’s such a long-term decision. I don’t want to make the wrong one.” The Marlins’ TV contract with FOX Sports Florida runs through 2020, but Samson noted that both parties know the “deal is in a place where it’s not commensurate with the revenue that should be coming to the team, given the content that we’re giving. That is no fault of anybody’s but mine.”
Now the latest from the American League East:
- That the Red Sox were able to acquire ace Chris Sale from the White Sox without giving up left fielder Andrew Benintendi could propel them back to the World Series this year, opines Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. Red Sox left-hander David Price called it “amazing” that the team landed Sale while retaining Benintendi, and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski observed that “Andrew is not a player you’re ever looking to trade.” The 22-year-old Benintendi was terrific in his 118-plate appearance major league debut last season (.295/.359/.476) and enters 2017 as an AL Rookie of the Year front-runner. He’s also No. 1 on Baseball America’s just-released Top 100 prospects list – one spot ahead of second baseman/third baseman Yoan Moncada, who headlined Chicago’s return in the Sale trade. Right-hander Michael Kopech, the second-biggest piece the White Sox received, is 32nd.
- The Yankees left a great impression on closer Aroldis Chapman during his stint with them last year, which led him to prioritize re-signing with the club in free agency. Ultimately, he returned to the Bronx on a five-year, $86MM deal – a record-breaking pact for a reliever. “The first moment that I got here in Spring Training, the way that they treated me, the attention that I got,” he told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “The work ethic of this team, the clubhouse, the athletes that they have. Those things, all of them made me feel very comfortable. That for me was the most important thing, and I wanted to come back.” Chapman, who ended last season with the World Series champion Cubs, sees similarities between the way the Yankees are assembling their roster and how Chicago has built its juggernaut of a squad. “Chicago started doing the same thing, bringing young players in the beginning, combined with veterans,” he said. “It worked for them, and it’s a solid team. The Yankees are similar in that way. They’re trying to bring in some youth, athletes that are very gifted.”