East Notes: Revere, Braves, Bird, Ross
Free agent center fielder Ben Revere is reportedly likely to sign in the near future (as MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko first relayed earlier today), and Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet tweets that the Blue Jays won’t be his landing spot. That crosses the Blue Jays and Orioles (per Kubatko) off the list for Revere — two teams that could conceivably be in the market for a left-handed-hitting outfielder with some speed. Multiple teams still make some degree of sense for Revere, with the Giants, Mariners, Rangers, Angels and Tigers all striking me as on-paper fits (though that list is purely speculative). Non-tendered by the Nats this offseason, Revere logged a dismal .217/.260/.300 batting line in 375 plate appearances in 2016, but he’d batted .305 or better in each of the three prior seasons.
- Braves president of baseball operations John Hart spoke with MLB.com’s Hal Bodley about the parallels between the rebuild he’s helped to architect in Atlanta and the one that he led in Cleveland back in the early to mid-90s. Hart also discussed the team’s decision to promote Dansby Swanson this past summer and the decision to add a trio of veteran starters — Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, Jaime Garcia — this winter despite the team’s bulk of young pitching. “We didn’t want to stand in the way of our young pitchers, so we went with guys who I think are going to give us innings,” said Hart of adding three starters on one-year commitments. “I think this gives us a more competitive ballclub going into the new park. I don’t think this deviates from the plan we have.”
- The Yankees “appear content” with Matt Holliday serving as the major offensive addition to their roster this winter, writes MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, which increases the importance of Greg Bird to the team’s 2017 roster. Bird is the early favorite to serve as manager Joe Girardi’s everyday first baseman next year, and GM Brian Cashman said that getting a look at Bird in the Arizona Fall League was important. “All we care about is him having a full healthy Fall League, which he’s done,” said Cashman. “It checks the box and we’ll be looking forward to seeing him in Spring Training. All reports are, he looks good.” Bird and Tyler Austin could compete for time at first base and may eventually settle into a platoon, while the outfield could see Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks in a similar spring battle for playing time, Hoch writes.
- Nationals right-hander Joe Ross missed significant time with a shoulder injury in 2016, but MLB.com’s Jamal Collier writes that the 23-year-old’s arm is back to health. Ross took a few weeks off to rest his shoulder, and it’s now full strength as Ross progresses through his typical offseason routine. As Collier points out, the trades of Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez magnify the importance of getting a healthy season out of Ross. Notably, Ross said he’s tinkering with some potential mechanical alterations to his delivery and throwing program in an effort to stay healthier next year.
Indians, Athletics Making Biggest Pushes For Edwin Encarnacion
7:30pm: Two teams that are no longer in the mix for Encarnacion tell Yahoo’s Jeff Passan that they believe Cleveland is the team to beat (Twitter link). Rosenthal tweets that Cleveland’s offer is indeed for three years with an option.
7:10pm: The Indians and Athletics are the two teams in “strongest” pursuit of Encarnacion, tweets FOX’s Ken Rosenthal. Cleveland has offered a three-year deal that may include an option, while Oakland has offered two years and an option. Heyman writes that neither the Yankees nor the Red Sox have jumped back into the Encarnacion sweepstakes even as his asking price has seemingly come down.
6:49pm: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Oakland has not made a three-year offer to Encarnacion (Twitter link). The Athletics have discussed a two-year offer with Encarnacion’s camp, per Slusser, making a deal between the two sides seem unlikely (barring an increase from Oakland).
6:33pm: Encarnacion has “multiple strong three-year offers,” tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. The Athletics and Indians are in the mix for Encarnacion, per Heyman, though he doesn’t specify that either club has made one of the offers he mentioned.
5:38pm: Edwin Encarnacion‘s representatives are signaling to some execs around the league that they’re “getting closer to pinning down a deal,” according to ESPN’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets that Encarnacion’s camp is hopeful of reaching an agreement before the weekend.
At last check, Encarnacion’s agent, Paul Kinzer, told Sportsnet’s Jeff Blair that he’d received three- and four-year offers from six clubs. Since that time, reports have suggested that the Blue Jays, Indians, Astros, Rangers and Athletics have all made offers, though Kinzer himself characterized the chances of returning to Toronto as somewhat slim. The Rockies are said to be “monitoring” Encarnacion’s market as well, though there haven’t been any reports of a firm offer being made on Colorado’s behalf.
Encarnacion’s market has been surprisingly slow this offseason, despite his status as one of the two top bats in free agency (along with Yoenis Cespedes). The soon-to-be 34-year-old is coming off an excellent 2016 season and a brilliant five-year platform with the Jays, but he’s also attached to a draft pick and comes with some defensive limitations. Those factors, plus uncertainty about the collective bargaining agreement in the month of November and Encarnacion’s age, have all likely played some factor in his lack of a market. The Blue Jays reportedly made him an offer of roughly $80MM over four years back in November, though MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm notes that said offer was taken off the table around the time the GM Meetings concluded on Nov. 10. (Toronto signed Kendrys Morales the next day.)
There’ve been some suggestions that Encarnacion could follow Cespedes’ path and sign a three-year deal with a lofty annual value and an opt-out clause after the first year of the deal. That type of arrangement could potentially make him more affordable to low-revenue teams (i.e. Cleveland), although the risk associated with that type of deal is also more significant for a low-payroll club like the Indians, as the only scenario in which Encarnacion would stick around would be if he suffered a massive injury or experienced a marked decline in 2017.
Quick Hits: Bautista, Revere, Holaday, Smith
Jose Bautista has been speculatively linked to the Rays as a possible free agent target, though if Tampa Bay does make a move, MLB.com’s Bill Chastain notes that it might not come until late in the offseason. The Rays have past used the tactic of coming in late with an offer to a veteran free agent (i.e. Asdrubal Cabrera, Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon) who is running short on options, so the Rays can land the player at a price that fits their limited budget. Bautista’s market is still pretty unclear as we approach Christmas, with the first-round draft pick attached to him via the qualifying offer seemingly acting as a deterrent to many clubs. The Rays’ top pick is protected so they would only have to surrender their competitive-balance round selection to sign Bautista — maybe an acceptable risk for a Tampa club that wants to compete in 2017, Chastain notes.
Here’s some more from around baseball…
- Ben Revere could sign as soon as tomorrow, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports (Twitter links). The mystery team isn’t the Orioles, Kubatko notes, though the O’s like the outfielder and checked in on him more than once this offseason. Revere is hoping to bounce back after an injury-marred and mediocre 2016 season that saw him get non-tendered by the Nationals earlier this month.
- Catcher Bryan Holaday can earn $850K in the majors under his new minor-league pact with the Phillies, Crasnick recently tweeted. That lands just shy of MLBTR’s $900K arbitration projection for the 29-year-old, though of course he’ll need to earn a roster spot to get it. Holaday seems to have a solid shot at taking over reserve duties behind presumptive Philadelphia starter Cameron Rupp, though he may need to hold off some younger challengers (and any additional veterans who may be added) in camp.
- Former Padres and Tigers GM Randy Smith has been hired by the Nippon-Ham Fighters’ front office, according to a Kyodo News report. Smith will be a senior advisor to Fighters general manager Hiroshi Yoshimura (a former member of Detroit’s front office when Smith ran the club) and the Fighters’ Major League scouting director.
NL West Notes: Rockies, Rollins, Giants, De Leon
Some rumblings from around the NL West…
- The Rockies formally announced their 2017 coaching staff, including new hires Tony Diaz (first base coach), Duane Espy (hitting coach), Jeff Salazar (assistant hitting coach) and Ron Gideon (major league coach). This is Espy’s second stint as Colorado’s hitting coach, having previously worked in the job from 2003-06 under then-manager Clint Hurdle. Diaz, Salazar and Gideon are all getting their first experience working on a big league coaching staff, though they’re all longtime fixtures in the Rockies organization.
- In an insightful and wide-ranging interview with FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, Jimmy Rollins discusses such topics as his new minor league deal with the Giants, his abbreviated 2016 season and whether or not he considered retirement after parting ways with the White Sox last summer.
- The Giants are amassing several utility infielders, leading SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee to wonder if the team could be building depth for a potential trade. Rollins joins Kelby Tomlinson, Ramiro Pena, Ehire Adrianza, Juniel Querecuto and Orlando Calixte as candidates to fill infield roles in the majors or Triple-A. Beyond a trade, the Giants could simply be preparing to have an open battle for the utility job in Spring Training, or getting added depth given Joe Panik‘s injury history.
- Jose De Leon has been rumored to be a central piece of a potential Dodgers trade package for Brian Dozier, and while the Twins are justified in asking for more beyond just the young righty, Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron writes that Minnesota shouldn’t get cavalier about passing on a very talented young arm. Interestingly, Cameron suggests that if the Twins are concerned about De Leon’s long-term potential, they could still make the trade, give De Leon an extended audition in the big leagues in 2017 and then look to deal him next winter. In theory, De Leon would have even more trade value at this point as a controllable young pitcher with some MLB experience.
Free Agent Notes: Encarnacion, Carter, Cahill
The latest on some notable names on the open market…
- A “perfect storm” of both a qualifying offer and the uncertainty around the new collective bargaining agreement has led to Edwin Encarnacion‘s extended stay on the open market, agent Paul Kinzer tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post. When asked if Encarnacion could pursue a contract like Yoenis Cespedes‘ deal with the Mets last winter (a big first-year salary but with the ability to opt out after the first season), Kinzer said “that can happen with a team not picking with a premium draft pick,” i.e. a team with a protected top-10 draft pick. Most of the teams with protected picks are either rebuilding or have entrenched first basemen, though the Athletics have reportedly offered Encarnacion a contract. The Rays also stand out to me as possible candidates for a creative deal. The Rockies already gave up their first-rounder to sign Ian Desmond, and thus would “only” be surrendering a second-rounder if they were to land Encarnacion. Kinzer further discussed Encarnacion’s market in other interviews yesterday.
- With Encarnacion’s market somewhat in flux, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal wonders if some teams could end up kicking themselves for not making a push to land the slugger while he may be available at a lesser-than-expected price. Teams that are still looking for value in a rather busy first base market could find themselves saving money but missing out on an established star who could help a club win the World Series.
- The market for first baseman Chris Carter seems to be held up by Encarnacion’s status, Carter’s agent Dave Stewart tells ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). “We’ve had calls from multiple teams, but no real commitment,” says Stewart, who has returned to his agency work after losing his seat as the Diamondbacks GM. The Encarnacion-driven delay has probably also impacted other free-agent sluggers, though it may have particularly concerned Cater, who is also a right-handed hitter limited to first base and DH duties. Carter hit the open market when the Brewers non-tendered him, both in spite of and because of his 41 long balls in 2016 — which drove his expected arbitration price tag to upwards of $8MM.
- Half a dozen teams are currently pursuing veteran righty Trevor Cahill, Crasnick adds (Twitter links). Three of those organizations (none of which are named) view the 28-year-old as a potential rotation option, which is said to be his preference. Though he hasn’t seen regular work as a starter since 2014, Cahill has taken the hill to open a big league game 174 times and performed well as a member of the Cubs bullpen following his mid-2015 acquisition. Over 82 2/3 IP across 61 appearances with Chicago, Cahill put up a 2.61 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9. Though he continues to pile up strong groundball numbers, he is prone to allowing home runs when opposing hitters put the ball in the air.
AL East Notes: Logan, Alvarez, Pineda, Blue Jays, Tobias
Here’s the latest from around the American League East…
- The Orioles “have long coveted” Boone Logan, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko writes. Signing Logan would give Baltimore a more reliable lefty specialist-type of a relief option beyond Donnie Hart and T.J. McFarland, though Kubatko isn’t sure if the O’s would be able to afford Logan’s services. The Blue Jays, Mets, Yankees and Mariners have all been linked to Logan this winter, though the Mariners may have addressed with left-handed bullpen needs by signing Marc Rzepczynski.
- Pedro Alvarez may be the Orioles free agent most likely to re-sign with the team, though as Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun notes, Alvarez’s return could create some roster complications. With Alvarez and Trey Mancini, the O’s would have two players best suited for DH duty, giving them less bench flexibility. Alvarez has indicated a willingness to learn to play outfield, though Encina isn’t sure if Alvarez will be able to defensively handle even a part-time outfield role. On the flip side, Alvarez does bring a lot of power from the left side and bringing him back could cost Baltimore much less than it would to re-sign Mark Trumbo.
- The Yankees have fielded several buy-low offers for Michael Pineda this winter, ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand reports. Pineda posted a 4.82 ERA last season, a number somewhat inflated by a .339 BABIP and a 17% home run rate Pineda’s advanced metrics (3.80 FIP, 3.30 xFIP, 3.40 SIERA, 10.61 K/9, 3.91 K/BB rate) presented his season in a much better light, and his 175 2/3 innings pitched was a new career high for the injury-prone righty. Pineda will be a free agent after 2017, though rather than trade him, the Yankees are counting on Pineda to put it all together and help stabilize a rotation with several question marks.
- The Blue Jays seem to be looking to solve their position player needs before returning to their search for left-handed relief, Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports. Logan, Jerry Blevins and Travis Wood are the most prominent southpaw relievers linked to the Jays this winter, though the team also isn’t settled in either corner outfield spot.
- The Red Sox freed up some salary by dealing Clay Buchholz to the Phillies, but Boston also likes the prospect (Josh Tobias) they got in return, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes. Tobias, a 10th-round pick for the Phillies in 2015, was one of 10 names targeted by the Sox as they looked through Philadelphia’s system. Red Sox director of pro scouting Gus Quattlebaum describes Tobias as “having potential as a versatile, switch-hitting guy with make-up and a feel to hit. Whenever you can find someone who can hit, that guy is going to standout.“
Pirates Have “Worked Hard” To Deal For Jose Quintana
TODAY: Even after the Pirates reached an agreement with Ivan Nova, the Pirates are still trying to acquire Quintana, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY: The Pirates have “worked hard” to trade for star White Sox lefty Jose Quintana, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets. Olney notes that Quintana’s very reasonable contract — which guarantees him a very reasonable $15.85MM over the next two years, plus cheap options or $1M buyouts for 2019 and 2020 — would fit into the budget of the low-revenue Pirates.
The Bucs currently have a very young and unproven rotation behind Gerrit Cole, and Quintana would certainly provide a big boost to a team that could conceivably contend in 2017. Acquiring Quintana, though, would seemingly constitute a significant change in direction for the Pirates, who have spent much of the offseason thus far discussing trades involving star outfielder Andrew McCutchen (who they now appear likely to keep). Adding Quintana, who has pitched over 800 innings in the last four seasons and who had a 3.20 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 while finishing 10th in AL Cy Young voting in 2016, would dramatically increase the Pirates’ chances of making the playoffs next year.
Quintana would come at a significant price in prospects. The White Sox have driven hard bargains so far this offseason in trading Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, and they reportedly asked for top prospects Francis Martes and Kyle Tucker, plus big-leaguer Joe Musgrove, when the Astros called about Quintana. That’s not a wholly unreasonable price for a terrific pitcher with four years of control remaining, particularly given the seemingly seller-friendly market this offseason, but it isn’t cheap, either. The Pirates could conceivably offer top prospects like Austin Meadows, Tyler Glasnow or Mitch Keller in a Quintana trade, although the exact players discussed as they’ve worked to deal with the White Sox remain unknown.
Mets Notes: Robertson, Conforto, Bruce, Hamilton
The latest out of Citi Field…
- The Mets “haven’t made a serious inquiry” about a trade for White Sox closer David Robertson this winter or at the last trade deadline, though New York hasn’t ruled out the possibility, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports. Chicago would ask for Michael Conforto in any Robertson deal, however, so it could be hard for the two sides to settle on a deal. The White Sox weren’t looking for a big prospect return when they explored moving Robertson at the deadline, Ackert writes, though their current ask of Conforto reflects this offseason’s huge market for relief pitching.
- Also in regards to a possible Robertson trade, since the Mets are unlikely to deal Conforto or another young talent for the closer, Metsblog.com’s Matthew Cerrone proposes that the White Sox should swap Robertson for Jay Bruce if they’re unable to find a team willing to surrender a good prospect for Robertson’s services. The Sox would, if nothing else, save some money in the deal, as Bruce is owed $13MM in 2017 while Robertson is owed $25MM through 2018. Bruce could also become a good trade chip at the deadline, which would allow the White Sox to eventually get the prospect they want. The Mets would be taking on extra salary in this proposed deal, though allocating that money towards a strong relief arm is a better fit for the club than paying for a superfluous corner outfielder.
- In another item from Cerrone, he reports that the Mets “had zero interest” in Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton last summer. While Hamilton is an elite baserunner and defender, those skills were thought to be “unsustainable,” while the Mets also had issues with Hamilton’s strikeouts, low OBP and the fact that he’ll become more expensive over the next three years as he enters his arbitration years. Hamilton has been speculatively linked to the Mets as a possible solution to their outfield conundrum, though if the Mets still have those concerns, there seems to be little chance they would meet Cincinnati’s reportedly high price tag for the center fielder.
Jonny Gomes Intends To Play In 2017
Outfielder Jonny Gomes says he intends to make a comeback, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports on Twitter. The lefty masher, who is now 36, last played in the majors in 2015 and appeared briefly in 2016 in Japan.
Gomes was a productive part-timer as recently as 2013, when he played a big role for the Red Sox in a World Series-winning season. He took 366 plate appearances on the year, swatting 13 home runs and posting a .247/.344/.426 batting line — right at his career average (.242/.333/.436).
But Gomes struggled over the ensuing two seasons. He bounced from the Sox to the A’s in 2014, then joined the Braves as a free agent before being shipped to the eventual-champion Royals for a dozen-game stint. (Though he did not appear in the postseason for Kansas City, Gomes did play a notable role in the excellent victory parade.) He needed 583 trips to the plate to match that 13-homer output, slashing just .225/.321/.337 over that two-year span.
Despite the difficulties, Gomes was still useful when facing lefties in his most recent pair of MLB seasons. Indeed, his chief appeal lies in his work against opposing southpaws — who he has tuned up historically (.855 career OPS) — along with his hard-nosed style of play and noted clubhouse presence.
While he had hoped to return to the big leagues after wrapping up his disappointing stint with the NPB’s Rakuten Golden Eagles, Gomes wasn’t able to secure an opportunity. While he surely could have landed a minor-league deal, and acknowledged that would likely have been necessary, he suggested that he was interested only in signing directly onto a MLB roster at the time.
It’s all the more clear now that Gomes will need to earn his way back to the majors in spring camp — or, perhaps, through a stint in the minors to open the 2017 season — as his age, layoff, and recent track record make a guaranteed deal seem implausible. Given the respect he commands around the game, though, Gomes figures to find a chance with an organization.
Padres Considering Jered Weaver
As the Padres continue to build out their rotation with affordable, veteran arms, the organization is considering a move on righty Jered Weaver, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter).
San Diego has parted ways with a variety of notable pitchers in recent months, which left the team with a skeleton crew entering the offseason. But the club has already reached a pair of modest, $1.75MM deals with Jhoulys Chacin and Clayton Richard, each of whom appear likely to occupy rotation slots.
Despite those signings, the rotation currently projects to feature at least three largely unproven arms. Jason Martinez of MLBTR and Roster Resource lists Luis Perdomo, Christian Friedrich, and Paul Clemens as the next starters in line on the Friars’ depth chart. Needless to say, that mix leaves plenty of room for addition.
Unlike rebuilding rivals such as the Braves and Phillies, each of whom committed significantly more cash to add their own short-term starters, the Padres are seemingly on the look for true bargains. San Diego is also said to be eyeing former staff ace Jake Peavy, who struggled last year with the Giants and will turn 36 during the 2017 season. The club surely has some interest in others as well.
Weaver, 34, ended his season with a minor back injury after giving the Angels 178 innings over 31 starts, but it seems that he fully expects to continue pitching. While he still commands the ball, and drew plaudits for taking the bump every fifth day, Weaver was more vulnerable than ever in his final season with Los Angeles. He surrendered a career-high 5.06 earned runs per nine with 5.2 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. And those disappointing results came despite a continuation of his long history of outperforming the expectations of ERA estimators, which took rather a dim view of his 2016 effort (5.62 FIP, 5.64 xFIP, 5.44 SIERA).
Never a flamethrower, Weaver has seen his average four-seam fastball velocity decline from the ~90 mph range all the way down to 84 mph in 2016. Opposing hitters made hard contact at a 34.7% clip and hit homers on 12.7% of the flies they put in play against Weaver, both of which were career-worst numbers for the former Halos ace, who also generated grounders at a personal-low rate of 28.8%.
All told, it’s tough to see much reason to believe that Weaver can regain his form of old, though perhaps with some tweaks he can still represent a plausible back-of-the-rotation option. Given the rough platform year, it likely won’t take much of a commitment for the Padres or another organization to find out. Certainly, San Diego and others will place at least some additional value on Weaver’s pedigree and respected status around the game.