MLBTR Chat Transcript
Click here to read a transcript of Tuesday’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
Marlins Acquire Severino Gonzalez
The Marlins have acquired righty Severino Gonzalez from the Phillies, per a team announcement. Philadelphia will receive a player to be named later or cash considerations in the deal.
Gonzalez had been designated for assignment recently to clear roster space for the signing of Michael Saunders. Now, he’ll head to the Phils’ N.L. East rivals in Miami, who have already accumulated quite a few other pitchers over the winter. Gonzalez is still optionable, which increases his appeal.
The 24-year-old Gonzalez has shown intriguing K/BB numbers in his 66 MLB frames (8.5 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9), but he owns an ugly 6.68 ERA. He has always shown excellent control in the minors, and did boast 35 strikeouts and a 3.13 ERA over his 36 innings last year at Triple-A after shifting to a full-time relief role.
Giants Designate Ehire Adrianza
The Giants have designated infielder Ehire Adrianza for assignment, the team announced (h/t Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area, via Twitter). His roster spot will go to just-signed catcher Nick Hundley.
With San Francisco also reaching agreement recently with another infield option, Jae-gyun Hwang, there was a less pressing need for the 27-year-old Adrianza. Of course, it’s certainly possible that he’ll be retained if he clears waivers. He had agreed to a $600K deal to avoid arbitration after qualifying as a Super Two, though the deal came with a split affording him half as much for time spent in the minors.
Adrianza has played an occasional utility role in each of the last four years. He has accumulated 331 total plate appearances, with a .220/.292/.313 batting line to go with three home runs and four steals. The switch hitter has spent most of his MLB time in the middle infield, functioning as a reserve behind stalwarts Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik.
Giants Sign Nick Hundley
The Giants have officially struck a one-year deal with catcher Nick Hundley, as Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group first reported (via Twitter). The contract is believed to include a $2MM guarantee. per Baggarly.
Hundley, 33, certainly seems destined to function as the backup to star catcher Buster Posey. San Francisco would otherwise have likely held a spring competition for that role, with incumbent Trevor Brown joined by minor-league signees Tim Federowicz and Josmil Pinto in the mix. Instead, the organization will take a rather well-stocked group of receivers into the spring’s activities.
[Related: Updated Giants Depth Chart]
The veteran Hundley has at times shown an approximately league-average bat, but he wasn’t quite to that standard last year by measure of park-adjusted metrics like OPS+ (88) and wRC+ (82). Over the past two seasons, which he spent with the Rockies, he slashed a combined .282/.330/.455 while adding 18 home runs over 615 plate appearances. Though Coors Field obviously inflated those figures, Hundley certainly produced at a solid rate for his position.
Teams weighing a bigger commitment to Hundley were, perhaps, less enthused of his defense. Accurately valuing the tools of ignorance remains a difficult task — particularly in areas such as game preparation, pitcher motivation, and pitch-calling — but he hasn’t rated well in the more measurable areas. Hundley threw out just nine of the 66 baserunners who attempted to steal against him last year (14 percent) and drew poor reviews for his framing (see Baseball Prospectus; Stat Corner), though BP also has typically credited him as doing a solid job of handling balls in the dirt. It’s worth noting that he did prevent out 34 percent of stolen-base attempts against him in an all-around superior 2015 season and does have a solid 27 percent mark in for his career in that regard.
All told, the signing seems to work out well for San Francisco, which can rely on the established veteran at a fairly meager commitment. Brown, meanwhile, can continue to work on his hitting in the upper minors, with the bat-first Pinto perhaps seeking to refine his work behind the dish and Federowicz providing additional depth.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Relief Market Notes: Holland, Dodgers, Salas, Maness, Breslow
There are at least three teams still pursuing veteran reliever Greg Holland, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). He lists the Nationals and Rockies as the two known entities, with a third mystery entrant also involved. With Spring Training just about three weeks off, Holland’s market seems to be “heating up,” Heyman says, though it’s still not clear what kind of timeline to expect.
At the moment, of course, Holland is occupied with more important matters, as he is among the players attending the funeral of stricken former teammate Yordano Ventura. Certainly, our thoughts are with Ventura’s family and friends as they lay him to rest today. Those interested in finding coverage from the perspective of the Royals’ contingent may wish to follow the reporting of Kansas City Star columnist Vahe Gregorian.
Here are some more notes relating to the relief market:
- Having addressed their need at second base, the Dodgers will now focus on adding another arm to their bullpen mix, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Joe Blanton could still return, per the report, while southpaw Jerry Blevins is also a target. But the club is looking to make only a one-year investment, Rosenthal notes, and could pivot to another arm if the value is there. Whether or not the team could still chase Holland isn’t clear at this moment.
- Righty Fernando Salas, meanwhile, remains one of the better available relievers. He’s still drawing interest from six unnamed teams, sources tell Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (Twitter link). While Salas has struggled a bit with limiting the long ball and hasn’t posted terribly exciting earned run averages over the past two years, he has run up some compelling K/BB numbers at times. Plus, Salas finished the 2016 season with a flourish, permitting just four earned runs on 11 hits over 17 1/3 frames while racking up 19 strikeouts without issuing a single walk.
- Another right-handed reliever, Seth Maness, is set for a showcase on February 6th, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). The 28-year-old is looking to prove to organizations that he’s ready for camp after undergoing a new “primary repair” procedure — which Goold detailed here — in lieu of Tommy John surgery. Having already demonstrated a big groundball rate (59.4% for his career) and outstanding control (1.7 BB/9), there’ll be no shortage of interest if Maness looks anything like his usual self.
- About half of the teams in the league came to watch lefty Craig Breslow throw recently, per Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com (via Twitter). The veteran is attempting to follow the Rich Hill model for a late-career renaissance, with buttressed strength work and a new arm angle. Breslow’s new motion can be seen in this video, provided by Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (courtesy of Twins scout Bill Mele, who was on hand). The 36-year-old has pitched in 11 major league seasons for seven different clubs, most recently appearing in 15 games for the Marlins in 2016.
Rangers Only Interested In Mike Napoli On One-Year Deal
It once seemed like the Rangers were moving swiftly toward a deal with free agent first baseman Mike Napoli, but nothing has come together as of yet. That may be because Texas is only interested in guaranteeing the veteran a single season, as ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (Insider link).
It’s not terribly surprising, perhaps, to learn of that stance. With so many other power bats still remaining — even with Mark Trumbo and Jose Bautista now off the market — there’s good reason for teams to look to minimize their commitments in adding defensively limited hitters.
Indeed, we’ve heard before that the Rangers were hoping to see whether Napoli or Chris Carter would settle for a deal to the team’s liking. It seems that may be more than just a temporary bargaining position, though, as Olney suggests that Texas just isn’t interested in Napoli if it means promising him two years’ worth of salaries.
There are certainly some warts on Napoli’s free-agent case, too. He did hit 34 home runs and post a productive .239/.335/.465 batting line last year, but he also struggled badly down the stretch and in the postseason. Likewise, defensive metrics turned on him after previously showing favor toward his glovework at first base. Given that he’s already 35 years of age, Napoli comes with some obvious risks on a multi-year pact.
Still, Napoli is arguably the best-remaining slugger of the bunch. Only Carter compares in terms of right-handed hitters, with Mark Reynolds perhaps representing a bounceback option after an underwhelming 2016 season. But there are still a variety of strong lefty hitters out there, including Brandon Moss, Pedro Alvarez, Adam Lind, and Logan Morrison; any could also draw consideration from teams that don’t have a strong preference for handedness.
Dae-ho Lee To Sign With KBO’s Lotte Giants
Slugger Dae-ho Lee has decided to return to his native Korea, according to Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency (Twitter links). Lee, who is represented by MVP Sports Group, will receive a $12.9MM guarantee over four years from his original professional team, the Lotte Giants. That represents a record contract for the Korea Baseball Organization.
Lee, 34, came to the majors last year after joining the Mariners on a minor-league deal. He made the roster and ultimately provided the organization with 14 long balls and a .253/.312/.428 batting line over 317 plate appearances.
While that represented a solid effort for a player transitioning to the majors at this late stage of his career, there are obviously some limitations. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the right-handed hitter showed better when facing lefties. And though Lee drew roughly average ratings for his work in the field, he’s limited to first base or a DH hole.
Though the Mariners had some interest in a reunion at one time, it never seemed that he’d be in line for more than part-time duty there or elsewhere in the majors. And the chance to play regularly was a significant factor, Lee said earlier in the offseason.
Before making his way to Seattle, Lee played in both Korea and Japan for 15 seasons. He starred with Lotte for most of that stretch, seemingly capping his tenure there with a pair of stellar, 1.000+ OPS campaigns in 2010 and 2011. From there, Lee went on to a productive four-year stint in the NPB, where he combined power and plate discipline.
While there was no doubt some interest from MLB organizations and NPB clubs, Lee will instead return to the place where he first made his name. It helps, no doubt, that he’ll land such a significant contract; per Yoo, it’s over $4MM higher than any prior KBO deal.
Diamondbacks To Sign Josh Thole
The Diamondbacks have agreed to a minor-league deal with catcher Josh Thole, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). His potential salary and other terms have not been reported at this time.
Thole, 30, had spent the last four years with the Blue Jays after an equivalent stint with the Mets. He went with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey in the 2012 swap between those organizations, and continued to function as Dickey’s personal catcher in Toronto.
Though he rates as a high-quality blocker and framer behind the dish, and did hit at around a league-average rate earlier in his career, the left-handed hitter has trailed off over the last five seasons. Things reached a breaking point over the last two years, as he compiled an anemic .180/.253/.228 batting line in his 188 plate appearances.
Thole joins an increasingly crowded backstop mix in Arizona. After non-tendering Welington Castillo, the organization has added Chris Iannetta and Jeff Mathis to go with incumbent Chris Herrmann. Presumably, Thole will open the year in the upper minors to function as depth, though it’s certainly possible that plans could change over the course of the spring.
Dodgers Acquire Logan Forsythe From Rays
The Dodgers have finally found their next second baseman after a rumor-filled offseason, officially striking a deal with the Rays to acquire Logan Forsythe. Prized young righty Jose De Leon is heading to Tampa Bay in return in the 1-for-1 swap.
Los Angeles had, of course, long been said to be dangling De Leon as a headliner in talks with the Twins on Brian Dozier, with Minnesota holding out for more. The lack of progress in L.A.’s pursuit of Dozier seems to have spurred a renewed effort to look at alternatives. It has long been clear that the Dodgers wished to acquire a right-handed-hitting veteran to man second base, and it now seems that they’ve found their man.
Forsythe, who just turned 30, took off in the 2015 season and largely followed that up with a quality effort last year. All told, he owns a .273/.347/.444 batting line with 37 home runs in 1,182 plate appearances over the past two campaigns. Forsythe has typically rated as a solid fielder and baserunner, though Defensive Runs Saved was particularly fond (+8 runs) of his glovework in 2015. There’s added appeal in the fact that Forsythe can also play third, the corner outfield, and even shortstop in a pinch.
Those numbers dwarf Forsythe’s output over the prior four campaigns, though he did enjoy a productive 2012. In particular, his power surge has added a new element to his game. So long as he can keep that up, he figures to remain a solid regular over the final two years of his deal.
That contract, which the Rays wisely signed with Forsythe after his breakout 2015 season, promises him just $5.75MM for 2017. It also comes with an affordable option for 2018. The option price started at $8.5MM, but has already risen to $9MM based on escalators. It can moved another $1.5MM northward if Forsythe accumulates enough plate appearances. There’s a $1MM buyout, though that seems unlikely to be required.
[RELATED: Updated Dodgers & Rays Depth Charts]
For the Rays, this certainly looks to be a situation where the team saw an opportunity it couldn’t pass up. The organization has signed several veteran free agents this winter and obviously intends to compete. With Forsythe departing, players such as Nick Franklin, Tim Beckham, and perhaps Brad Miller appear to represent the top options at second for Tampa Bay, which certainly could look for an outside addition.
That the Rays believe in De Leon is further reflected in the fact that the organization already dealt away from its rotation depth in two notable recent trades (parting with Matt Moore and Drew Smyly). It’s certainly conceivable that De Leon or another starter could be moved in another swap, or the organization can enjoy a healthy rotation mix full of controllable, affordable arms.
The 24-year-old De Leon does indeed seem to have a bright future ahead of him. After ranking as a top-thirty prospect leaguewide entering the 2016 season, he battled through some injuries to earn his major league debut. Though he wasn’t terribly impressive in four MLB outings, De Leon laid waste to Triple-A hitters with 86 1/3 innings of 2.61 ERA ball with 11.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9.
There is some debate as to just how high a ceiling De Leon possesses, and his health and durability are still open questions, though there’s little doubt he’s expected to provide significant value in the near and long term. Parting with six years of control over the promising hurler no doubt represents a heavy price to pay, but Los Angeles clearly feels confident in the quality of its other young arms.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported that a deal was agreed to pending medical review (via Twitter). Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported that the deal was done and that De Leon would be the return (via Twitter).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Giants To Sign Jae-Gyun Hwang
7:45pm: The deal is complete, per Shea (via Twitter).
3:43pm: The Giants are closing in on a minor league contract with Korean third baseman Jae-gyun Hwang, tweets Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. The contract, first reported by Naver Sports in Korea, will guarantee Hwang $1.5MM if he makes the big league roster in Spring Training, according to Baggarly. John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that there are additional incentives beyond that guarantee, with Jee-ho Yoo of Yonhap adding (via Twitter) that they could tack on another $1.6MM. Hwang is represented by GSI and ACES.
Hwang, 29, hit .335/.394/.570 with 27 home runs and 25 stolen bases last season, demonstrating an ability to sustain the power increase he showed during the 2015 season. Hwang also boosted his walk rate while more than halving his strikeout rate, which likely further piqued the Giants’ interest in his services.
Unlike last winter, Hwang was an unrestricted free agent this offseason (having accrued the requisite nine years of service time in the Korea Baseball Organization) and thus did not need to be posted by his former club, the Lotte Giants. He reportedly turned down a “sizable” offer from his former team and was also pursued by the KBO’s KT Wiz, but he’s been said to be willing to accept less money for the opportunity to pursue a Major League career. While the exact nature of that offer isn’t known, Hwang’s deal with San Francisco is presumably less lucrative in the short-term but obviously creates the opportunity for considerably better financial compensation down the line.
The Giants don’t have a clear-cut need at third base — Eduardo Nunez and Conor Gillaspie are both on hand as options, with Nunez likely to see the bulk of the playing time — but Hwang has significant experience at shortstop in Korea as well. Certainly, he won’t be displacing Brandon Crawford, but Hwang could earn a look as a utility option that can bounce all over the infield (and possibly the corner outfield).
Alternatively, if his bat proves capable of handling big league pitching, he could push Nunez into that role and assume regular third base duties. San Francisco does have an uncertain setup in left field at the moment, and Nunez has experience there, though his glove hasn’t been rated well in the outfield. Either Hwang or Nunez could conceivably handle the previously mentioned super-utility role (as Nunez did for multiple years in Minnesota), so Hwang’s spring and early-season performance will be worth keeping an eye on.
Photo courtesy of Ilgan Sports.