Marlins To Decline Fernando Rodney’s Option
The Marlins will decline reliever Fernando Rodney‘s 2017 option, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter) — and as various reporters, including MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro, have previously suggested would occur. Previous reporting had indicated the Marlins were interested in trading Rodney, but it appears they couldn’t find a deal they like, and Rodney will become a free agent. The Marlins will pay Rodney a $400K buyout.
Rodney’s contract, originally signed with the Padres, called for the option to carry a base salary of $2MM, but he cleared bonuses in 2016 that brought the value of the option to $4.5MM. That was, evidently, more than the Marlins were willing to pay, which perhaps is understandable — Rodney will be 40 before the start of the 2017 season, and he struggled in Miami, posting a 5.89 ERA, 10.1 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 in 36 2/3 innings there after arriving in a June trade for prospect Chris Paddack. He eventually lost the closer role to A.J. Ramos, the same pitcher he had originally displaced.
Nonetheless, Rodney pitched very well for the Padres at the start of the season, and his overall numbers for the year (3.44 ERA, 10.2 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9 in 65 1/3 innings) suggest he’ll attract real interest on the open market this winter, particularly given his experience closing. He still gets grounders, too, with a 55.2% groundball rate on the year. If teams believe that the veteran can tamp down his home run susceptibility — 16.1% HR/FB rate in 2015, 13.5% last year — then he ought to hold quite a bit of appeal, particularly with his average fastball still averaging better then 95 mph.
Dodgers “Exploring” Trade Involving Howie Kendrick
The Dodgers are looking into the possibility of a trade involving infielder/outfielder Howie Kendrick, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. It appears the move may be motivated at least in part by the fact that Kendrick was not enamored of his multi-positional usage last year.
Sources tell Rosenthal that the 33-year-old could end up being shipped to the Phillies, who apparently have interest. The Angels also make good sense, Rosenthal notes. It isn’t clear whether trade discussions are particularly active right now, or whether the possibility of a deal is something that will be pondered over the course of the offseason.
From the Dodgers’ perspective, gaining clarity on Kendrick may best be accomplished early. Though he spent significant time in left field in 2016, it had seemed rather likely that he’d return to his natural second base — whether or not joined by a platoon partner — for the season to come. Of course, the Dodgers surely wouldn’t be shy about utilizing him at third or in a broader utility role. But whether the team feels it can allocate resources elsewhere or simply thinks it’s better off honoring Kendrick’s apparent wishes, it seems there’s at least some momentum toward a deal.
Both of the teams mentioned make a good deal of sense on paper. The Phillies do have a rather productive second baseman on hand already, but could still use Kendrick in the infield or corner outfield. While the club isn’t exactly desperate to plug holes as a contender might be, it’s clearly seeking good value on respected veterans who don’t require multi-year commitments. With just one year and $10MM owed to Kendrick, he fits that mold perfectly, and Philly’s immense payroll space would easily accommodate the salary.
The Angels, likewise, are looking to avoid lengthy tie-ups, but in their case there’s a more urgent need to add quality major league pieces. Kendrick spent much of his career with Los Angeles’s other team, and the Halos have a clear need for a second baseman. Of course, the organization doesn’t necessarily have a lot of flexibility to move assets — whether major leaguers or prospects — to make a deal work.
Of course, the Dodgers may not have immense leverage in moving Kendrick. He was certainly not himself at the plate last year, slashing just .255/.326/.366 over 543 plate appearances, which made 2016 the worst offensive season of Kendrick’s career. And though Kendrick had typically rated well in the field, his 2015 work at second base was panned by defensive metrics. While he actually received solid marks in left field last year, that’s not really where his peak value lies.
Hahn: White Sox “Focusing On Longer-Term Benefits”
The White Sox enter the winter with plenty of questions — not just of how to address immediate roster needs, but also of how to approach the offseason strategically. GM Rick Hahn suggested to reporters today that the club intends to oversee some changes in its roster-building mentality this winter, as Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago reports.
With an impressive, controllable, affordable core, but also numerous needs, the White Sox could pursue a variety of avenues. The most drastic would be a full-blown tear-down in which the team’s best player assets — the contracts of stars such as Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, and Adam Eaton — are marketed to the highest bidder.
Hahn certainly didn’t commit to that kind of course. But he did indicate that the broad imperative is now different, which could conceivably lead to rather dramatic change. Hoping to “put ourselves in a position to in on a sustainable basis,” Hahn explained, required the team to “focus[] on longer-term benefits over the offseason.
What does seem clear is that the White Sox will not continue to pursue shorter-term, expensive veterans to build around their core. “We have taken the approach for a number of years that we were focused on a short-term success,” Hahn said, specifying that the team was no longer interested in continuing that course because it “realize[s] a better position for the long-term is a more prudent path.”
Hahn didn’t prime fans for a massive rebuilding effort, though. He suggested that the club still has hopes of winning next year, but that the offseason “targets will have a little bit longer fits in nature.” But there does still appear to be a real possibility of some deals involving the team’s veterans. Hahn explained:
“Should we go to the position of selling off assets, looking toward a more long-term future, the market will dictate how deep of a cut that is. That would also be based on the return for some of our players. The market plays a huge role. … The other part is how your players are valued by the industry. We would not be just trading a younger piece for a younger piece. We would want to diversify the use of players, depending on the depth and strength of the roster. You may look at five or six spots to improve on.”
Clearly, there’s still a lot of uncertainty even with the GM Meetings underway. But it sounds as if the White Sox are open to any number of scenarios involving veterans. In addition to the key players noted above, the organization possesses a wide variety of short-term assets (e.g., Melky Cabrera, Todd Frazier, David Robertson) who’d surely hold appeal to contenders. And if the organization isn’t looking to add those types of players, it’s fair to wonder whether they’ll want to retain them.
Matt Carpenter Will Enter 2017 Season As Cardinals’ First Baseman
The Cardinals have informed Matt Carpenter that he’ll be the team’s first baseman entering the 2017 season, GM John Mozeliak told reporters, including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. While Carpenter played quite a bit of first base down the stretch in 2016, he also mixed in some appearances at second base and third base as well. That doesn’t seem like it’ll be the case now, as Carpenter appears poised for everyday duties there.
The 2017 alignment will see Kolten Wong take the reins at second base once again with breakout rookie Aledmys Diaz manning shortstop and serving as his double-play partner on a regular basis. That leaves Jhonny Peralta and Jedd Gyorko as third base options, though Mozeliak did note that Gyorko can move around the diamond and Peralta can occasionally spell Diaz at shortstop.
Nonetheless, the Cardinals’ infield arrangement does seem to lend itself to the possibility of trade scenarios. Peralta has already been an oft-speculated trade candidate as he enters the final season of a four-year $53MM contract that will pay him $10MM in 2017. First baseman Matt Adams, whose primary spot has now been filled by Carpenter, could also be shopped around. Neither player figures to have especially high trade value, though. Peralta missed several months in 2016 due to a thumb injury and batted .260/.307/.408 in 313 plate appearances when healthy. He also drew dismal Defensive Runs Saved/Ultimate Zone Rating marks for his work at third base (-7 and -9, respectively, in just 570 innings).
As for Adams, he batted .249/.309/.471 with 16 homers in 327 trips to the plate. While that power output represented the best of Adams’ career on a rate basis, the 28-year-old has poor overall numbers against left-handed pitching in his career (.212/.243/.352) and carries negative value on the basepaths. He’s also spent time on the disabled list due to myriad physical ailments dating back to the 2012 season, including shoulder inflammation (2016), a torn quad (2015), a calf strain (2014) and an oblique strain (2013). Adams has averaged just 107 games/349 plate appearances per season dating back to 2013 and is projected to earn $2.8MM through arbitration next winter. He’s controllable for two more seasons.
Free Agent Rumors: Hill, Dodgers, Napoli, Logan, Braves, Hwang
There’s a flurry of offseason rumors flying about Twitter in the early stages of free agency and with the General Managers Meetings taking place in Arizona at the moment. Much of the talk is preliminary at this juncture, and many of the names connected to teams in the early-going won’t ultimately be targets in the long run. That said, the GM Meetings can certainly provide a forum to lay the groundwork for future free-agent deals and trades, and we even see the occasional big-name signing there (as was the case with Victor Martinez re-signing with the Tigers prior to the 2015 season). Here’s a rundown of all the latest free-agent chatter…
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters that he plans to reach out to the representatives for free agent left-hander Rich Hill (Twitter link via NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty). Cashman stressed that he’s planning to meet with the reps for a large number of free agents, but the Yankees have been an oft-speculated landing spot for Hill, who seems likely to cash in on a significant free agent deal this winter less than 18 months removed from a stint pitching for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. MLBTR ranked Hill 14th among free agents and pegged him for a three-year, $50MM deal.
- The Dodgers will also be in the mix for Hill, tweets Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times, and they’re having dialogue with his representatives as well as those for free agents Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner. The Dodgers already made qualifying offers to both Jansen and Turner, though it’s a no-brainer for each to reject in search of a more lucrative deal. It’d be somewhat of a surprise if the Dodgers let all three of their big-name free agents sign elsewhere this winter, although re-signing all three doesn’t seem to be an especially likely outcome, either.
- Mike Napoli is drawing early interest from the Mariners, tweets Jon Morosi of the MLB Network. As Morosi points out, Napoli has a good history with Seattle manager Scott Servais dating back to his Rangers days. Napoli would be a logical fit for the M’s, who project to have the unproven Dan Vogelbach as their starting first baseman next year. However, the possibility of an eventual timeshare situation developing between the two may not be palatable from Napoli’s vantage point, I wouldn’t think. And it would seem strange for the Mariners to part with a controllable lefty like Mike Montgomery to acquire Vogelbach only to block him a few months later by giving Napoli the everyday first base gig.
- Morosi also tweets that left-hander Boone Logan is generating some early interest, and FanRag’s Jon Heyman hears the same. Morosi notes that the Blue Jays and Giants both had interest in Logan at the non-waiver trade deadline this summer, though the Rockies elected not to trade him. Toronto, in particular, could probably use some left-handed relief help, as it was an area of weakness for them for much of the 2016 and they now stand to lose Brett Cecil to the open market. The 32-year-old Logan is probably best deployed as a lefty specialist, which may limit his market a bit, but he excels in that area. Logan held lefties to a putrid .142/.222/.255 slash in 2016 and a .225/.349/.254 slash in 2015.
- MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes that if the Braves are to sign a new catcher this winter, the likeliest targets are Jason Castro and Nick Hundley. Bowman tabs Wilson Ramos as a long shot and says he’d only land in Atlanta if his asking price declined significantly. Also per Bowman, Atlanta has never seemed all that interested in pursuing former Georgia Tech star Matt Wieters. Castro would give the Braves another strong defender and a left-handed bat to complement the right-handed bat of Tyler Flowers. Hundley, meanwhile, would be more of an offensive-minded backstop for the Braves.
- Korean third-baseman Jae-gyun Hwang will host a showcase for interested teams in Florida on Nov. 21, tweets Morosi. The 29-year-old didn’t draw a bid when posted last offseason but delivered another very strong season in the KBO this year. Hwang hit a career-best 27 homers and posted a .335/.394/.570 line with dramatically improved K/BB numbers in 2016 and could be a relatively low-cost option at the hot corner this winter.
Dillon Gee, Daniel Nava Elect Free Agency
2:54pm: MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan tweets that outfielder Daniel Nava has also cleared waivers and elected free agency. The 33-year-old Nava joined Kansas City on a midseason minor league deal and came up with the team late in the season but only saw 12 plate appearances there. The 2016 campaign was one to forget for Nava, as he posted just a .223/.297/.292 batting line in 148 trips to the plate between the Angels and Royals.
1:25pm: Right-hander Dillon Gee has elected free agency after clearing outright waivers, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Gee spent the 2016 season with the Royals but finished the year on the shelf and underwent surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome following the season. Rosenthal notes that Gee is expected to be ready for Spring Training.
Gee, 31 next April, adds another name to a weak market of free-agent starters. The longtime Mets hurler inked a minor league deal with Kansas City last winter and broke camp with the team in Spring Training. Gee ultimately played a fairly significant role with K.C., racking up 125 innings between the bullpen and the rotation (14 starts) and working to a 4.68 ERA with 6.4 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 41 percent ground-ball rate in his first taste of the American League. Those numbers were a bit better prior to a September slump, and it seems fair to assume that Gee’s performance was adversely impacted by his TOS symptoms.
While Gee lost his rotation spot during his final season with the Mets and spent much of that year in Triple-A, he was a regular on the Mets’ starting staff from 2011-14 when he pitched 606 2/3 innings of 4.01 ERA ball with 6.6 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected Gee to earn $3.6MM via arbitration, but he’ll now be able to negotiate with teams around the league. A one-year deal or a minor league pact seems the likeliest outcome for Gee on the heels of two seasons’ worth of mixed results and a notable surgery, but he could prove to be an affordable source of innings at the back of a rotation or in a swingman capacity next year.
Yankees Claim Joe Mantiply From Tigers, Designate Branden Pinder
The Yankees have claimed left-handed reliever Joe Mantiply off waivers from the Tigers, the teams announced today. In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designated right-hander Branden Pinder for assignment, per the club’s announcement.
Mantiply, 25, made his Major League debut for the Tigers this past season, though he logged just 2 2/3 innings and surrendered five runs on seven hits and a pair of walks in that time. His minor league work, though, was outstanding, as he pitched to a 2.73 ERA with 10.5 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 in 59 1/3 innings between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Though Mantiply works with limited fastball velocity, at best (he averaged 87.5 mph on his fastball in his brief September call-up), he’s posted a sub-3.00 ERA in each season of his pro career since being drafted in the 27th round by Detroit back in 2013. In 239 1/3 minor league innings he sports a 2.44 ERA with 8.9 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9.
Pinder, meanwhile, pitched just six innings between the Majors and minors this season before going down with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The 27-year-old has a 3.45 ERA in 28 2/3 big league innings between the 2015 and 2016 seasons and has shown well throughout his minor league career, logging a 2.88 ERA with 9.2 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9.
Top 50 MLB Free Agents Chat Transcript
MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents list came out yesterday. Click here to read the transcript of today’s chat with the list’s author and MLBTR owner Tim Dierkes.
Royals, Yankees, Jays, Red Sox Interested In Kendrys Morales
1:45pm: Royals general manager Dayton Moore tells MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan that he has “definite interest” in re-signing Morales this winter as well (Twitter link). The Royals, of course, are facing some potential payroll constraints, so it’s not clear that they’d be able to fit Morales into the budget.
9:41am: The Yankees have reached out to the representatives of free agent DH Kendrys Morales, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The 33-year-old would be seen as an option for New York in the event that the club deals catcher and DH candidate Brian McCann this winter.
There’s more interest from the AL East, too, according to the report. Both the Blue Jays and Red Sox have also put out early feelers on Morales, who was not issued a qualifying offer by the Royals and can therefore be signed without sacrificing a draft pick. Those organizations have also been tied to Edwin Encarnacion, who’ll certainly require a much larger contract, so Morales looks to represent something of an alternative.
The lack of a qualifying offer certainly enhances the appeal of Morales, who is more or less a pure DH but does deliver some flexibility as a switch-hitter. Despite a lull early in 2016, he ended his two years in Kansas City with a robust .277/.344/.476 batting line and 52 home runs over 1,257 plate appearances.
While there are plenty of alternative sluggers available in free agency — some of a more premium variety, others on par, and still others with less appeal than Morales — it seems that he is a popular early target. That’s certainly a good sign for the veteran, who is expected to command a multi-year contract once again. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicts that Morales will land at $26MM over a two-year commitment. That would represent a solid raise over his most recent contract, which was signed on the heels of a much-less-encouraging platform.
Dodgers, Mariners Swap Carlos Ruiz, Vidal Nuno
NOV. 8: MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports that Ruiz’s contract was altered a bit as part of the deal (Twitter link). Ruiz had $500K worth of incentives added to the package, so he’ll now receive $100K for reaching 85, 90, 95, 100 and 105 starts in 2017. That meshes with a recent tweet from ESPN’s Jayson Stark in which Stark indicated that the Mariners anticipate Ruiz playing more regularly than a traditional backup.
NOV. 7: The clubs have announced the swap of Ruiz for Nuno, making it official.
NOV. 6, 10:48pm: The Dodgers are likely to receive left-hander Vidal Nuno, per Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The 29-year-old threw 58 2/3 innings in 55 appearances (one start) with the Mariners in 2016 and logged a 3.53 ERA, 7.82 K/9 and 1.69 BB/9. Nuno previously racked up a combined 38 starts in 66 appearances with the Yankees, Diamondbacks and Mariners from 2014-15. He’s now eligible for arbitraion for the first time, and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a $1.1MM salary for 2017.
8:19pm: The Mariners will acquire catcher Carlos Ruiz from the Dodgers, according to FanRag’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). In return, the Dodgers will receive a pitcher from the Mariners’ 40-man roster, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link).
[Related: Updated Mariners Depth Chart]
Ruiz, who agreed to waive his no-trade clause, will make $4.5MM next season under a club option that the Mariners will exercise. He’s now set to join his third team since August, when the Phillies shipped him to the Dodgers for fellow catcher A.J. Ellis. Ruiz had been with the Phillies organization since signing as an amateur free agent in 1998.
Ruiz was among the majors’ best all-around catchers at times during his Phillies tenure, which began in 2006. While those days are behind Ruiz, he’ll still provide solid insurance behind Mike Zunino in Seattle. Ruiz is coming off a season in which he hit a respectable .264/.365/.348 in 233 plate appearances and threw out a National League-best 42 percent of base stealers. Baseball Prospectus awarded positive throwing and blocking grades to Ruiz in 2016, though neither BP nor StatCorner thought much of his pitch-framing work. Nevertheless, he’s likely an upgrade over previous No. 2 catcher Chris Iannetta, whom the Mariners parted with Thursday, and is clearly preferable to in-house option Jesus Sucre.
For the Dodgers, moving on from Ruiz will open the door for Austin Barnes to serve as Yasmani Grandal‘s primary backup. Barnes, 26, has just 74 major league PAs to his name, but he has raked as a minor league hitter in both the Marlins and Dodgers organizations. Los Angeles acquired Barnes in December 2014 as part of a seven-player trade that saw second baseman Dee Gordon head to Miami.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.