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Royals To Sign Dillon Gee

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DECEMBER 18, 1:24pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links) pegs the potential base salary at $2MM and says that Gee can earn up to $3.3MM in incentives as a starter or up to $700K as a reliever. He also adds that the opt-out ended up being for March 15th, which is still an early date.

11:03am: Gee’s base salary, if he’s on the major league roster, would be $1.75MM, Heyman tweets.

DECEMBER 14, 8:11pm: Gee can opt out of his contract on March 2nd if he has not yet been added to the 40-man roster, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports on Twitter.

That’s an unusually early date, and certainly gives Gee plenty of leverage entering the spring. Most opt-outs occur at the end of camp (if not later), allowing clubs time not only to assess performance but also to look for alternatives.

In this case, Kansas City will be forced into an earlier decision. That makes sense, given that the Royals had to lure Gee away from major league offers from other clubs, per Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter), though those reportedly came from “rebuilding clubs.”

Gee also gets significant salary upside, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The contract includes performance incentives that could bring its total value as high as $5.3MM or so. While the details remain unreported, Passan suggests that Gee could max out the deal with a full season’s worth of starts and an innings tally at or near his career high of 199 frames.

5:35pm: The Royals have struck a minor league deal with veteran righty Dillon Gee, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. Gee opted for free agency after a mid-season outright.

2014 was a disappointing season for the 29-year-old, who lost his rotation spot with the Mets after scuffling out of the gates to a 5.90 ERA. Gee’s peripherals suggested that he was much the same pitcher as always, but New York obviously had good reason to believe that youngster Noah Syndergaard was ready to take his place — and offer an upgrade.

That’s no slight to the generally sturdy Gee, who owns a 4.03 ERA in his 679 1/3 career frames. Kansas City will presumably look at Gee as a bullpen or back-of-the-rotation depth piece, and he makes a good bit of sense in that swingman capacity.

As Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca observes on Twitter, the righty could make for a nice match with the deep K.C. pen if he’s utilized as a starter. Over his career, Gee has been quite good the first two times through the order but has allowed a .806 OPS the third time through.

Braves To Sign Jhoulys Chacin To Minor League Deal

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DECEMBER 18: Chacin will earn a $1.1MM salary if he’s in the majors, Heyman tweets.

DECEMBER 14: The Braves have reached agreement on a minor league pact with righty Jhoulys Chacin, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter.

Chacin was outrighted by the Diamondbacks in early November, as Arizona decided not to tender him a contract through arbitration. He had been projected to earn $1.8MM via arbitration.

Atlanta could end up utilizing Chacin in a swingman capacity, as he’s spent time as both a starter and reliever in recent seasons. Last year, he had a solid (albeit brief) showing in the majors and also compiled 137 2/3 innings of 3.27 ERA pitching at Triple-A.

Chacin has been effective as a full-time big league starter as recently as 2013. That year, he fell just shy of 200 innings and managed a 3.47 ERA despite pitching at altitude.

Latest On Chris Davis, Orioles

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The Orioles have continued to talk with agent Scott Boras about slugger Chris Davis, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. Boras has been reaching out to other clubs on Davis as well, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets.

As Kubatko explains, it still remains unclear — publicly and to the O’s — what other clubs are serious about pursuing Davis. Baltimore appears to be comfortable waiting, he suggests, and doesn’t seem motivated to up its bid. The previously reported offer reached about $150MM in total value, after accounting for deferred money. Kubatko adds.

If Davis doesn’t end up taking that offer, the Orioles don’t have plans to re-allocate the funds to another major free agent, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports. Owner Peter Angelos has already gone “out of his comfort zone” in pushing the offer to Davis as high as it is, Connolly writes, because of Davis’s unique standing in the organization and his unique ability to generate long balls.

All said, then, it doesn’t appear as if much has changed since the Winter Meetings wrapped up. But that’s notable in its own right, as the lack of alternative suitors and targets, respectively, arguably leaves Davis and the O’s as the most comfortable fit. Of course, whether or not the sides’ contractual differences can be bridged remains to be seen.

Brewers Sign Nick Hagadone

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The Brewers have signed lefty Nick Hagadone to a minor-league deal, the club announced. He’ll receive an invitation to major league camp this spring.

Hagadone, who’ll soon turn 30, has compiled 118 1/3 total major league innings — all with the Indians — over the last five years. He owns a 4.72 ERA in that span, with a robust 9.3 K/9 against a less-healthy 4.6 BB/9.

Milwaukee will take a chance at harnessing the southpaw’s big arm. His average fastball velocity dropped below 94 mph for the first time last year, though he still sat at a sturdy 93.6 mph. Hagadone has been much more effective against same-handed hitters, but that could still leave him as a useful LOOGY candidate if he can reel in the walks.

As Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer notes, Hagadone is still working his way back from surgery for a fracture in his left elbow. The procedure was performed in July and was expected at the time to require a six-to-nine month absence.

Mariners Again Pursuing Hisashi Iwakuma

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Now that his three-year deal with the Dodgers is in jeopardy due to issues with his physical, Hisashi Iwakuma is back on the market, and Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM reports that the Mariners have resumed their pursuit of Iwakuma (Twitter link).

Iwakuma, of course, has spent his entire Major League career with the Mariners, who earlier this winter were said to consider him their “top priority.” As J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group tweets, the Dodgers “surged” past the Mariners in the Iwakuma bidding after they were willing to guarantee a third year on his contract (pending a physical). If the Dodgers’ third year is off the table, then, it would make sense that the Mariners could potentially re-enter the picture. However, at this time, we don’t know whether the Dodgers have pulled the third year entirely or are simply hoping for a reduced annual rate given the reported medical concerns.

Iwakuma, who will pitch next season at 35 years of age, posted a 3.54 ERA with 7.7 K/9, 1.5 BB/9 and a 50.4 percent ground-ball rate in 129 2/3 innings with Seattle last season, though a lat injury kept him on the shelf for more than two months and limited his innings total. That marked the second straight season in which he was limited by injuries, as his 2014 campaign was truncated by a torn tendon in his right middle finger.

The specific issue with Iwakuma’s physical remains unknown, but that the Dodgers are reportedly still trying to come to an agreement and the Mariners are now back in the mix suggests that there’s nothing dire in his medical results. However, without knowing the nature of the red flags, it’s nearly impossible to gauge what sort of reduction will need to be made from the previously reported three-year, $45MM price tag that the Dodgers had place on Iwakuma.

NL East Notes: Chipper, Fernandez, Raburn, Mets, Phillies

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The Braves announced on Thursday that former NL MVP and likely Hall of Famer Chipper Jones has joined the front office as a special assistant to GM John Coppolella and president of baseball operations John Hart. Jones, who retired in 2012, will serve as an instructor in Spring Training, assist Braves hitters during the regular season, assist in amateur scouting in advance of the June draft and evaluate/instruct minor leaguers throughout the organization in his new role. Said Coppolella of the addition (via press release): “[Jones] brings a wealth of experience – from being a number one overall draft pick, to having a highly-successful career as a World Series champion, a league MVP and a batting champion, to coming back from major injuries. Chipper spent his entire Hall-of-Fame caliber career in a Braves uniform and we look forward to his input with our staff and with our hitters.” Indeed, Chipper seems Cooperstown-bound after wrapping up his career with a lifetime .303/.401/.529 batting line, 468 homers, eight All-Star appearances, an MVP Award, two Silver Slugger Awards and 85 wins above replacement across a brilliant 19-year career.

Here’s more from the NL East…

  • Joe Frisaro of MLB.com gets the sense that the Marlins don’t see the Dodgers as a fit for Jose Fernandez (Twitter link). Then again, he writes, Fernandez is highly unlikely to get traded anywhere. There’s been quite a bit of speculation connecting the Dodgers to the Marlins’ young ace recently, especially in light of the club’s acquisition of three new prospects in the three-team Todd Frazier deal.
  • The Mets have checked in on Ryan Raburn, according to Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record (on Twitter). Raburn would make a lot of sense for the Mets as a backup first baseman/outfielder, he adds, which makes sense given the left-on-left struggles we’ve seen from Curtis Granderson and, to a lesser extent, Lucas Duda (although Duda’s success against lefties in 2015 was heavily BABIP-driven). Raburn, 35 next April, batted .301/.393/.543 with eight home runs in 201 plate appearances. Despite those outstanding numbers (which were the result of extreme platooning), the Indians declined their $3MM option for him.
  • Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com notes (on Twitter) that there should be some interesting bullpen competition brewing in Phillies camp thanks to the additions of non-roster vets James Russell, Ernesto Frieri, Andrew Bailey, and Edward Mujica. (Bailey and Mujica are the newest additions to that mix, having agreed to deals on Thursday.) The bullpen picture in Philadelphia does indeed appear to be very open following trades that have seen Jonathan Papelbon, Jake Diekman and Ken Giles depart over the past five months. As it currently stands, the only pitcher on the Phillies’ bullpen depth chart at MLB.com that have even thrown 100 career innings are David Hernandez, Jeanmar Gomez and Luis Garcia (who barely reaches that threshold, with 112 innings under his belt). That could indeed open the door for veterans to make the club — any of whom could ultimately pitch his way into status as a trade chip.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Pirates Acquire Jason Rogers From Brewers

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The Pirates announced that they have acquired corner infielder/outfielder Jason Rogers from the Brewers in exchange for outfielder Keon Broxton and right-hander Trey Supak.

Jason Rogers

Rogers, 27, is a right-handed bat that will give the Pirates further depth at first base, although the club admittedly already had a right-handed hitting option there in the form of Mike Morse. In 169 plate appearances will Milwaukee last season, Rogers batted .296/.367/.441 with four homers. That marked Rogers’ first extended taste of the Major Leagues, as he’d previously accumulated just 10 plate appearances — all in 2014. Lack of MLB experience notwithstanding, Rogers is a highly accomplished minor league hitter, having compiled a lifetime .290/.372/.476 slash in the minors, including a more impressive .326/.406/.582 line in 90 games at the Triple-A level. Over the past two seasons, between the Majors and minor, Rogers has handled right-handed pitching better than lefties, though his track record prior to that indicates a more traditional platoon split.

In exchange for Rogers, the Brewers will receive a fleet-footed center fielder (Broxton) and a right-hander that was Competitive Balance (Round B) draft pick as recently as 2014 (Supak). Broxton, 26 in May, made his big league debut in 2015, though he received just seven plate appearances. Most of his work came in the minors, where he batted .273/.357/.438 with 10 homers and 39 stolen bases between the Double-A and Triple-A affiliates for Pittsburgh. The Pirates originally acquired him from the D-backs early in 2014 in exchange for cash considerations. The former third-round pick (2009) long rated as one of Arizona’s more promising farmhands in the eyes of Baseball America, but he hasn’t appeared on a Top 30 list for either the D-backs or Buccos since 2012, when BA wrote that while he was a plus runner with a plus arm that played MLB-caliber defense in center field even at Class-A Advanced, he struggles to pick up breaking pitches and has a long way to go at the plate. Broxton’s drawn high praise for his athleticism, and it’s possible that even if he doesn’t hit much, he could seemingly be a defensive-minded reserve outfielder.

Supak is 19 years old and rated as the Pirates’ No. 15 prospect, per MLB.com. Supak received a healthy $1MM signing bonus out of the ’14 draft but hasn’t lived up to that investment just yet, as he struggled to a dismal 6.67 ERA with a 23-to-5 K/BB ratio in 28 1/3 innings with the Pirates’ Rookie-level Appalachian League affiliate. MLB.com notes that his fastball sits in the low 90s and could grow as his 6’5″ frame develops. However, their scouting reports note that his curveball and changeup are a ways behind his fastball, and even his heater could use some work, as it presently lacks downhill plane.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Padres To Re-Sign Brandon Morrow On Minor League Deal

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The Padres and right-hander Brandon Morrow are in agreement on a minor league contract with an invite to Major League Spring Training, reports MLB.com’s Corey Brock (via Twitter). The Wasserman Media Group client spent the 2015 campaign in San Diego but, as Brock notes, was limited to just five starts due to a right shoulder impingement that ultimately required surgical repair. The August operation was said to come with a recovery time of three to four months, so Morrow should be nearly back to health at this stage.

Morrow, 31, has proven to be an exceptional talent when healthy, but has unfortunately been too injury prone throughout his career to demonstrate that talent for sustained periods. In 2012, he worked to a 2.96 ERA with a 108-to-41 K/BB ratio in 124 2/3 innings, but that marked the last time that Morrow was able to reach even 55 innings in a single season. In 120 2/3 frames since that time, he has an ERA of 4.85, though he was excellent in his five appearances with San Diego last year, recording a 2.73 ERA with a 23-to-7 K/BB ratio in 33 innings.

Formerly the No. 5 overall pick in the 2006 draft, Morrow has seen time both as a high-leverage reliever and as a starting pitcher in parts of nine seasons at the Major League level. Morrow could conceivably help the Padres in either capacity, as the team could use depth in both areas, though his specific role, if healthy, remains undetermined. It’s possible that no decision will be made on that front until the club sees how his surgically repaired shoulder looks in Spring Training this year.

Antonio Bastardo Seeks Contract Similar To Tony Sipp Deal

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Free-agent lefty Antonio Bastardo and his representatives at The Legacy Agency are seeking a contract that is roughly equivalent to fellow left-handed reliever Tony Sipp’s three-year, $18MM contract with the Astros, officials from clubs interested in Bastardo have told ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link).

While that’s a sizable sum for any relief pitcher, the market for free-agent relievers has been strong this offseason, and Bastardo’s production over the past few years is similar to that of Sipp. Bastardo doesn’t have as strong of a two-year platform as Sipp carried into free agency, but he’s been a perhaps quietly excellent reliever over the past three seasons. In that time (split between the Phillies and Pirates), Bastardo has logged a 3.18 ERA with 10.5 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and a 30.8 percent ground-ball rate. He’s also been effective against both left- and right-handed batters, holding same-handed opponents to a .167/.273/.295 batting line while surrendering just a .204/.310/.314 batting line even when his opponents hold the platoon advantage. Additionally, having just turned 30 in late September, he’s more than two full years younger than Sipp — an element that figures to work in his favor. Bastardo does have his faults, with sub-par control (career 4.3 BB/9 rate) and a previously served 50-game suspension for his ties to the Biogenesis PED clinic chief among them.

Bastardo is one of the top remaining relievers on the market, but his name hasn’t frequented the rumor mill much this winter. He’s been linked to the Twins and Tigers, although Detroit has since acquired Justin Wilson from the Yankees, potentially removing them as a candidate for Bastardo’s services. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweeted yesterday that a Twins official denied a report stating that the Twins aren’t interested in Bastardo, but Wolfson implied that the asking price could be beyond Minnesota’s comfort zone. Many other clubs, including the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Mariners, D-backs and Cubs have been linked to relief help in the past day or two.

Cubs Designate Yoervis Medina For Assignment

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The Cubs announced on Thursday that they have designated right-hander Yoervis Medina for assignment. Medina’s roster spot will go to infielder Brendan Ryan, who has now officially been acquired as the player to be named later in last week’s Starlin Castro/Adam Warren trade.

Chicago acquired the now 27-year-old Medina from the Mariners in a May trade that sent Welington Castillo to Seattle. Medina had enjoyed strong results in Seattle from 2013-14, pitching to a combined 2.81 ERA with 9.4 K/9, 4.9 BB/9 and a 53.5 percent ground-ball rate before taking a significant step backwards in 2015. This season, Medina logged a 4.71 ERA with an unsightly 16-to-11 K/BB ratio in 21 innings for the Mariners and Cubs. Notably, his fastball velocity, which had averaged 94.8 mph in 2014, sat a full two miles per hour lower at 92.8 in 2015, and his ground-ball rate dipped to 36.8 percent.

Medina’s struggles weren’t confined to the Major Leagues, either. He also recorded 40 innings of Triple-A work between the two teams but limped to a 5.62 ERA with 8.8 K/9 against 5.0 BB/9. Those numbers, clearly, represent a significant departure from his best work at the upper levels of the minors and in the Majors. If there’s no health issue at play — though his diminished velocity certainly stands out as cause for concern — another club may look at him as a low-risk option with four years of club control remaining and hope that he can rediscover the form he displayed in 2013-14. ERA estimators like FIP, xFIP and SIERA were never sold on Medina as a sub-3.00 ERA arm, but all felt that he could hold down a mark somewhere in the mid-3.00 range given his blend of missed bats and grounders.

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