Latest On Desmond Jennings
It’s been a quiet offseason for outfielder Desmond Jennings, who was released by the Rays back in August and remains a free agent. The 30-year-old missed the majority of the 2015-16 seasons due to hamstring and knee injuries (including knee surgery in June of 2015), but Mike Fiore, the vice president of the Boras Corporation (Jennings’ agency), tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that Jennings is healthy and could sign with a team by the end of the week.
Jennings once rated as one of the top prospects in all of baseball and looked to be on the way to establishing himself as a solid everyday center fielder for the Rays. From 2011-13, Jennings batted a combined .251/.331/.410, averaging 18 home runs and 35 steals per 162 games played to go along with solid (if unspectacular) defense. His production took a step back in 2014, however, and he hit the disabled list with bursitis in his left knee early in the 2015 season. That injury eventually led to surgery, and while Jennings did briefly return in August, he was quickly placed back on the DL with lingering discomfort in the knee. He appeared in just 28 games that season and just 65 in 2016.
For a player with the leg issues that Jennings has experienced in the past two seasons, moving away from the artificial playing surface at Tropicana Field seems like a step in the right direction. Topkin suggests that a reunion with the Rays won’t be happening, but there are a number of clubs that could still use a right-handed bat to plug into the outfield mix. Jennings may not be an everyday option in center field any longer — the Rays had already been playing him in left field more regularly — but he should theoretically be able to split time across the three outfield slots as needed, assuming he is indeed back up to full strength.
From a purely speculative standpoint, the Orioles, Tigers, Twins, Braves, White Sox and Giants all seem like plausible landing spots for Jennings. However, to this point in the offseason he’s yet to be connected to a specific team.
Pitching Notes: Hammel, Jays, Royals, Blevins, Blanton, Braves
Let’s take a look in at the latest on the pitching market:
- MLB Network’s Peter Gammons tweets that one Cubs official to whom he recently spoke believes that many teams around the league assumed Jason Hammel was injured when Chicago surprisingly decided to decline his seemingly reasonable $12MM club option. That’s not the case, however, per Gammons, who notes that Hammel is in good health. It’s been a surprisingly slow market for the 34-year-old Hammel, who looks to be the top remaining starter on the open market. The 2016 season saw Hammel toss 166 2/3 innings with a 3.83 ERA, 7.8 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 42.1 percent ground-ball rate. Over the past three seasons, Hammel sports a 3.68 ERA, 8.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 40 percent grounder rate. Hammel did see his strikeout and walk rates trend in the wrong direction last year, which contributed to a 4.48 FIP, 4.34 xFIP and 4.28 SIERA that are among his worst marks since establishing himself as a big league starter.
- Despite adding lefty J.P. Howell, the Blue Jays are still looking for another pen arm, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). It doesn’t seem as if there’s a clear preference between a righty and a lefty, as the club is said to be exploring both varieties of pitchers.
- Likewise, Royals GM Dayton Moore says that his club still intends to add another arm, though it’s not clear specifically whether it’ll be for a starter or reliever, as Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com was among those to tweet. Either the trade or the free agent market could hold the missing piece, the GM noted.
- The Mets and left-hander Jerry Blevins “have been exchanging concepts” for some time now, writes ESPN’s Buster Olney, but the Mets have only proposed one-year scenarios to this point. Blevins is known to be seeking a multi-year pact and seemingly has a realistic shot of obtaining one. Payroll has reportedly been an issue for the Mets — their current projection of $146MM would be their second-highest Opening Day mark ever — though the New York Post reported yesterday that the Mets are open to pursuing a back-loaded deal, which could serve as a compromise of sorts.
- Similarly, Olney notes that the Dodgers were very pleased with Joe Blanton last summer but have limited interest at this time after spending a combined $192MM to retain the trio of Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner and Rich Hill. Los Angeles is open to adding a reliever, but there have been rumors that they’re focused on one-year deals, and Olney’s mention of them does little to dispel that notion.
- While there’s some uncertainty as to which left-handers will be working out of the Braves‘ bullpen in 2017, Atlanta hasn’t expressed much interest in free agents such as Blevins, Javier Lopez, Boone Logan, Travis Wood and Chris Capuano, per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Braves feel that those options are either too expensive or not definitive enough upgrades to sign. Ian Krol and Paco Rodriguez (if healthy) are likely to see significant work in the Atlanta relief corps this season, per O’Brien, who also runs down a number of other internal options.
- Right-hander David Aardsma is slated to throw for interested teams tomorrow in hopes of landing an invite to Major League Spring Training somewhere. The 35-year-old last pitched in the Majors back in 2015, tossing 30 2/3 innings with the Braves and registering a 4.70 ERA. Aardsma has added about 20 pounds while following an Olympic weightlifting program in hopes of boosting his velocity. He struggled through a brief showing with Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate last season but turned in strong minor league results in 2014-15.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Click here to view the transcript of MLBTR Live Chat With Jason Martinez: February 1, 2017
Josh Bell Undergoes Knee Surgery
The Pirates have announced that exciting young hitter Josh Bell has undergone knee surgery to remove a loose body from his left knee. He is expected to require a two-to-four-week down period before resuming baseball activities, which could put his Opening Day status in doubt.
It seems that the procedure is a fairly minor one; certainly, there’s little reason to think it seriously clouds Bell’s outlook for 2017 and beyond. It’s true, as Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes on Twitter, that this is now the third recent injury to that joint, but all have been relatively minor. While it’s disappointing that the surgery did not occur until this late stage, Pittsburgh explains that Bell felt discomfort during offseason workouts and was examined upon reporting the issue to the club.
Bell, 24, cracked the majors for the first time in 2016. While the switch hitter didn’t show much power, Bell exhibited a rare mastery of the strike zone, recording 21 walks against just 19 strikeouts over 152 plate appearances. He ended with a strong .273/.368/.406 batting line, setting the stage for a much more prominent role in the season to come.
The Bucs are well positioned to deal with any absence, though the injury adds to the creeping uncertainty in the corner infield. Presumptive third baseman Jung Ho Kang is a question mark after a regrettable DUI incident — though he’s expected for camp. David Freese and John Jaso remain on hand to pick up any slack, and there’s depth beyond that. The 40-man roster includes versatile fielders such as Alen Hanson, Adam Frazier, and Gift Ngoepe, while Jason Rogers and Joey Terdoslavich are among the non-roster possibilities to fill some time at first base.
Orioles To Sign Johnny Giavotella
The Orioles have agreed to a minor-league deal with second baseman Johnny Giavotella, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). He can earn $1.1MM annually at the MLB level in the deal, which also includes incentives.
Presumably, Giavotella will compete for a bench spot in Spring Training. If he fails to make the roster, he’ll have a chance to opt out at the end of camp (March 27th). If he ends up opening the year in the minors, and isn’t later promoted, he can also request his release on July 31st.
Giavotella, 29, spent the better portion of the past two seasons as the Angels’ near-regular at second. Though he put up a serviceable .272/.318/.375 batting line in 2015, however, he fell off last year. After 367 plate appearances of .260/.287/.376 hitting, the Halos outrighted Giavotella, who has generally rated as a somewhat below-average defensive performer. Though he hit well in his brief stay at Triple-A, he wasn’t recalled when rosters expanded. Because he had been outrighted earlier in the year, Giavotella was eligible to take free agency after the season.
For the O’s, the move bolsters their infield depth with little in the way of a commitment. It’s possible that Giavotella could push Ryan Flaherty for the team’s utility job, though the left-handed-hitting Flaherty makes for a more natural pairing with the team’s righty bats.
Rangers Entering Jose Quintana Talks?
3:25pm: Texas is not embarking on a new endeavor to land Quintana, despite their longstanding interest, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Two sources that spoke with him “downplayed the possibility of significant talks.”
As Grant suggests, one must consider the possibility that there’s some gamesmanship at play. Chicago has been known to be fielding offers on Quintana for months, and the Astros — rumored to be one of the primary suitors for Quintana — are a division-rival of the Rangers and would assuredly hate to see the left-hander open the season in Arlington. Chicago has reportedly asked Houston for a hefty package containing right-handers Joe Musgrove and Francis Martes as well as outfielder Kyle Tucker in exchange for Quintana in the past, and Houston has seemingly been steadfast in its refusal to meet that price.
2:47pm: The Rangers have “suddenly increased their pursuit” of White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports (Twitter link). He cautions that it’s not clear if the Texas will ultimately be able to pull off a deal, though their emergence is nonetheless the first apparent step forward in the Quintana trade market in several weeks.
A pursuit of Quintana makes sense on paper for the Rangers, who lack clarity in the rotation behind Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels, Martin Perez and Andrew Cashner. Texas signed Tyson Ross to eventually pitch in the fifth slot of the rotation, but he’s not likely to be ready to open the season. Beyond that, shifting to a six-man rotation later in the year could help keep not only Ross but the remainder of the rotation healthy. Darvish, in particular, has had recent injury woes, missing the 2015 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. Furthermore, Darvish is a free agent upon completion of the 2017 season, so adding Quintana would give the Rangers an affordable rotation piece that is controlled for three more seasons after Darvish is set to depart.
Certainly, there are obstacles to any Quintana trade. The Rangers, for one, have seen their once-vaunted farm system diminished in recent years by executing win-now trades for Hamels, Jonathan Lucroy, Jeremy Jeffress and Carlos Beltran, among others. While they once rated among the best minor league organizations in all of baseball, the Rangers recently placed 15th on this week’s rankings from ESPN’s Keith Law (subscription required and recommended). That said, the team still has appealing young talent in both the minors and in the Majors. Law placed outfielder Leody Taveras, right-hander Ariel Jurado and lefty Yohander Mendez all in his top 75 prospects, and the big league roster has controllable pieces such as Nomar Mazara, Rougned Odor and, to a lesser extent, Jurickson Profar — any of whom could pique the interest of White Sox GM Rick Hahn and his staff. Slugging corner infielder Joey Gallo, too, has long seen his name bandied about trade rumors — especially since Adrian Beltre inked a two-year extension with the team last year.
It’s also worth questioning exactly how Quintana would fit into the Rangers’ plans from a financial standpoint. While the roughly $37MM that Quintana is owed over the next four seasons is eminently affordable for a pitcher of his caliber, multiple reports this offseason have suggested that Texas is nearly tapped out in terms of payroll. The Rangers are projected to enter the season with a $166MM payroll, which would represent a new franchise record.
Adding Quintana’s $7MM salary to the ledger could be considered a stretch, although Texas has reportedly been trying to broker a one-year contract with Mike Napoli. If that’s the case, it’s hard to imagine that the team definitively cannot add another $7MM to its payroll — a deal for Napoli would figure to be in that range, at minimum — though perhaps Texas does not have the financial capital available to pull off both additions.
One also has to at least consider that the possibility that there’s some gamesmanship at play on behalf of the White Sox in this scenario as well. Chicago has been known to be fielding offers on Quintana for months, and the Astros — rumored to be one of the primary suitors for Quintana — are a division-rival of the Rangers and would assuredly hate to see the left-hander open the season in Arlington. Chicago has reportedly asked Houston for a hefty package containing right-handers Joe Musgrove and Francis Martes as well as outfielder Kyle Tucker in exchange for Quintana in the past, and Houston has seemingly been steadfast in its refusal to meet that price.
Royals Sign Brandon Moss
The Royals on Wednesday announced that they’ve agreed to a two-year contract with free-agent first baseman/outfielder Brandon Moss. The ACES client will reportedly be guaranteed a total of $12MM, which comes in the form of $3.75MM in 2017, $7.25MM in 2018 and a $1MM buyout on a $10MM mutual option for the 2019 campaign.
[Related: Updated Royals Depth Chart]
Beyond the money that is guaranteed on his contract, Moss can reportedly earn up to $500K per season based on plate appearances. He’ll take home $50K for reaching 275 plate appearances and an additional $50K for every 25 plate appearances from that point forth, up to 500 PAs. Those incentives apply to each year of the deal.
Signing with the Royals will keep the 33-year-old Moss in Missouri, where he played the past season-plus as a member of the Cardinals. (Moss was traded from Cleveland to St. Louis in a trade that sent southpaw Rob Kaminsky to Cleveland.) In 2016, his only full campaign in St. Louis, the powerful Moss slugged 28 home runs in 464 plate appearances and posted a .259 ISO. The latter figure ranked 13th among major leaguers with at least 450 PAs, though Moss didn’t register a particularly impress overall line (.225/.300/.484) and hit just .191/.248/.392 after the All-Star break. Moss’ second-half woes offset the red-hot .256/.344/.566 triple slash he logged in the first three-plus months of the year.
Moss also had a relatively mediocre 2015, which was thanks in part to a hip injury, but the lefty-swinger is a well-regarded clubhouse presence and a four-time 20-home run hitter who should at least give the Royals a capable bat against right-handed pitchers. Plus, Moss has typically been usable against southpaws, although they stymied him last season.
Defensively, Moss spent the lion’s share of 2016 in the corner outfield and also saw plenty of time at first base – areas where the Royals already possess everyday-caliber players. Eric Hosmer is set to occupy first again in 2017, while Alex Gordon and offseason acquisition Jorge Soler are the team’s top options in the corner outfield. Moss will likely slot in primarily at designated hitter if the deal goes through, then, as the Royals have been lacking there since Kendrys Morales signed with the Blue Jays in November.
Kansas City will be the seventh major league team for Moss, who debuted with the Red Sox in 2007 and then broke out with the Athletics in 2012. Nearly all of Moss’ big league homers (123 of 138) have come since then.
ESPN’s Jim Bowden first reported that Kansas City was nearing an agreement with Moss. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported the agreement and the terms (Twitter link). Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star reported that the deal was heavily backloaded. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports provided the exact financial breakdown (via Twitter). MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reported the value of the 2019 option and the incentives structure (Twitter links).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor MLB Transactions: 2/1/17
Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…
- The Mariners announced that right-hander Jonathan Aro and catcher Jesus Sucre, each of whom had been designated for assignment over the past week, have been sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma. Both will be in Major League camp as non-roster invitees come Spring Training. Aro, 26, lost his roster spot when the Mariners claimed Tuffy Gosewisch from the Braves. He’s tallied 11 big league innings between the Red Sox and Mariners in the past two seasons and had a solid showing in Triple-A last year, tossing 36 1/3 innings with a 2.48 ERA. In 88 career Triple-A innings he has a 2.86 ERA with 8.0 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9. As for Sucre, the 28-year-old backstop was out of options and lost his 40-man spot when Seattle acquired Dillon Overton from Oakland. A solid defensive backstop, Sucre has never hit much in the Majors or minors and owns a .209/.246/.276 in 264 big league plate appearances.
Khris Davis Wins Arbitration Hearing Against Athletics
Khris Davis has won his arbitration hearing against the Athletics, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (via Twitter). As a result, the Oakland left fielder/designated hitter will earn $5MM instead of the $4.65MM figure submitted by the team. Davis is represented by Octagon.
The 29-year-old Davis, acquired in a trade with the Brewers last offseason, had a breakout campaign at the plate with the A’s in 2016, hitting .247/.307/.524 with a career-best 42 home runs. That gaudy home run total undoubtedly aided Davis’ case, as did the fact that he set new career-highs in games played (150), plate appearances (610) and RBIs (102). Ultimately, his $5MM salary ends up as an exact match with the projection of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.
This marked the first trip through the arbitration process for Davis, who remains controlled for another three seasons. He’ll be eligible for arbitration twice more before qualifying as a free agent upon completion of the 2019 campaign. Davis was the last remaining arbitration case for the A’s, who have now determined salaries for all five of their arb-eligible players (MLBTR Arb Tracker link).
Cubs Acquire Eddie Butler, Designate Dylan Floro For Assignment
The Cubs announced that they’ve acquired right-hander Eddie Butler from the Rockies in exchange for minor league righty James Farris. Butler had been designated for assignment over the weekend.
The trade also includes the Cubs sending their top international bonus slot, No. 28 overall, to the Rockies in exchange for a lower slot — No. 74 overall. The swap of international slots adds an additional $255K to the Rockies’ international signing pool. To make room on the roster for Butler, the Cubs designated right-hander Dylan Floro for assignment.
Butler, who’ll turn 26 in March, once rated among the game’s top 50 prospects in the eyes of Baseball America, MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus, but the right-hander’s stock has tumbled substantially since that time. Butler has logged consistently impressive ground-ball rates as a professional but has never missed bats or been able to demonstrate exemplary command at any level. In parts of three big league seasons with the Rox, he’s struggled to a 6.50 ERA with 5.3 K/9, 4.0 BB/9 and a 48.6 percent ground-ball rate. His work in Triple-A (5.01 ERA, 4.3 BB/9, 3.1 BB/9 in 159 innings) doesn’t look much better on paper.
As recently as the 2014-15 offseason, though, Butler ranked as Baseball America’s No. 77 overall prospect, and prior to that he rated 24th overall. Butler’s career has been slowed by some shoulder troubles to date, but when his prospect status was at its best, BA’s scouting reports (subscription required/recommended) lauded his power sinker and “extraordinary” changeup while giving him credit for three plus pitches and a solid-average slider. His velocity has taken a step back since that time (perhaps due to the shoulder woes), but Butler does have a minor league option remaining. As such, he’s likely to open the season at Triple-A Iowa and look to get his career back on track, potentially serving as a depth piece for a Cubs team that will look to deploy a six-man rotation in the latter stages of the season. Chicago also lacks a defined fifth starter at this time, with lefties Mike Montgomery and Brett Anderson set to vie for that job in Spring Training.
This marks the second DFA of the winter for the 26-year-old Floro, who made his Major League debut with the Rays last season. In 15 innings with Tampa Bay, Floro posted a 4.20 ERA with 14 strikeouts and four unintentional walks to complement a strong 54.7 percent ground-ball rate. Floro also averaged a respectable 92.5 mph on his fastball and enjoyed a successful season at the Triple-A level, logging 50 innings with a 2.88 ERA, 7.2 K/9, 1.6 BB/9 and a 56.5 percent ground-ball rate. He’s walked just 1.3 hitters per nine innings in his minor league career, so there’s definitely some appeal in his blend of strong control and ground-ball tendencies. Floro, though, fell all the way to Chicago on waivers just two weeks ago, so there’s a chance that the Cubs will be able to pass him through unclaimed this time around and retain him without dedicating a 40-man spot.
The 24-year-old Farris split the 2016 season between Chicago’s Class-A Advanced and Double-A affiliates, working to a combined 2.59 ERA with 10.1 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 47.1 percent ground-ball rate in 66 innings of relief. Farris also fired nine scoreless innings with an 11-to-2 K/BB ratio in the 2016 Arizona Fall League. Farris has never rated among the Cubs’ top prospects in recent years and didn’t make the cut on yesterday’s Cubs rankings from ESPN’s Keith Law, either. The former ninth-round pick averaged 91.7 mph on his fastball this season and 83 mph on his changeup, per PITCHf/x data at MLBfarm.com.