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Phillies Sign J.P. Arencibia To Minor League Deal

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The Phillies announced that they’ve signed catcher J.P. Arencibia to a minor league deal and invited him to Major League Spring Training. The Phillies also confirmed their previously reported signing of Ernesto Frieri and announced minor league deals/camp invites for infielder Angelys Nina and right-handers Greg Burke and Gregory Infante.

Arencibia, 30 next month, enjoyed outstanding results at the plate in a short stint with the Rays last season, hitting .310/.315/.606 with six homers in 71 plate appearances. While those results are impressive, certainly, Arencibia’s Achilles heel over the life of his career has been huge strikeout numbers against dismal walk rates, and that continued in 2015. Arencibia walked just once in his 71 PAs but struck out a jarring 22 times (31 percent), which was enough that the Rays didn’t feel he was a part of their 2016 plans; he was designated for assignment and released this offseason.

Arencibia has caught base-stealers at a roughly league-average rate across parts of six Major League seasons, and he graded as a plus framer back in 2013 before posting average and below-average marks in smaller samples from 2014-15. Overall, he’s a lifetime .212/.258/.412 hitter in the big leagues.

Philadelphia could use some catching depth, however, as the only catchers on the 40-man roster there are Carlos Ruiz, Cameron Rupp and Jorge Alfaro, the latter of whom is not yet Major League ready despite his notable prospect status.

As for the rest of the signees, Burke and Infante figure to be depth options. Each has reached the Major Leagues in the past despite slightly below-average control numbers at Triple-A, with the 33-year-old Burke seeing significantly more big league time (4.77 ERA in 77 1/3 innings) than the 28-year-old Infante (4 2/3 innings with the 2010 White Sox). Nina, 27, is a versatile defender that saw action at second base, shortstop, third base and left field in 2015 while hitting .300/.333/.402 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Central Notes: Frazier, Rodriguez, Melancon, Royals

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The Indians and White Sox were both rumored to be interested in Todd Frazier during last week’s Winter Meetings (the Royals, too, are said to have discussed him as a possible left field option), and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports adds a few more teams to the list of interested clubs. The Dodgers, Nationals, Rangers and Angels are all “believed to have some involvement or interest,” in the Reds’ third baseman, Heyman writes. Talks are “starting to percolate,” says Heyman. Last week, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the Reds are “heavily” shopping Frazier.

A few more notes from the game’s Central divisions…

  • Utility man Sean Rodriguez is generating interest from four clubs at the moment, including the Pirates and Tigers, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. The 30-year-old batted just .246/.281/.362 in 240 PAs with the Pirates last season, but his ability to play all four infield positions as well as the outfield corners is a selling point, Crasnick notes.
  • In an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, Pirates GM Neal Huntington confirmed that he’s willing to listen to offers on closer Mark Melancon (Twitter link). However, he also added, “We’re gonna have to get something that really makes sense to even consider moving him.” The Pirates recently freed up some money by trading Charlie Morton to the Phillies and may have saved a bit of cash in the Neil Walker/Jon Niese swap, so there may not be as much pressure, financially speaking, to move him as there was even one week ago.
  • Despite last season’s World Series Championship, the Royals are expected to operate with a payroll that is similar to 2015’s mark of $115MM, writes the Kansas City Star’s Sam Mellinger. As such, it’s unlikely that the club is able to retain Alex Gordon, barring unforeseen circumstances. Specifically, Mellinger writes that the club could circle back to Gordon if he lingers on the open market, unable to find a significant pact (presumably, one of five years). Mellinger notes that recent Royals free agents James Shields and Ervin Santana saw their price drop substantially later in the offseason, and the team does believe that the crowded outfield market means that supply and demand are working in its favor with regards to the outfield market, Mellinger writes. It does seem unlikely (to me, anyhow) that Gordon’s price will dip back into Kansas City’s comfort zone, although the Royals do have to be encouraged to hear that the Cardinals aren’t likely to embark on an aggressive pursuit of Gordon.

Mozeliak: “Dynamic” Signing Unlikely For Cardinals

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Having missed out on left-hander David Price and right fielder Jason Heyward, the Cardinals are unlikely to make a “dynamic” signing this offseason, GM John Mozeliak tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“It’s clear now this offseason is not going to have that dynamic signing that we tried to do with Price and Heyward,” Mozeliak explains. “There isn’t anything now that we’re chasing with a nine-figure contract. We can take the time to see what we have in the players we control. Obviously, we’re always open to adjusting.”

While that doesn’t eliminate the chance that the Cardinals could still add a notable free agent, it casts doubt on the likelihood of adding any of the top remaining bats on the market. Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes, Chris Davis and Alex Gordon — the latter two of whom have both been linked to St. Louis — all have cases to exceed $100MM on their next contracts. While USA Today’s Bob Nightengale said after Heyward’s agreement with the Cubs that the Cardinals would turn their focus to Gordon, Goold now writes that Mozeliak and his staff don’t consider Gordon an alternative to Heyward. Goold likens the scenario to the Price/Zack Greinke market, noting that the Cards didn’t jump into the mix for the latter upon seeing the former sign in Boston.

The Cardinals are still looking for upgrades to the pitching staff, whether in the form of an additional starting pitcher or a bullpen arm, writes Goold, though he notes that the market for starting pitching may need to change before St. Louis enters the fray for the top remaining names. The team has been linked to Mike Leake and Wei-Yin Chen, though Goold specifically notes that Leake’s market may have escalated beyond the Cardinals’ comfort zone.

Price and Heyward were considered to be exceptions to the Cardinals’ typically measured approach to free agency, according to Goold. Though the loss of Heyward stings more given the fact that he’ll head to a division rival, it doesn’t appear as though there was any lack of effort on the Cardinals’ behalf. Reports have already indicated that the Cardinals offered Heyward a larger overall guarantee, and Goold adds that St. Louis’ deal, too, included an opt-out clause. (Of course, Heyward’s agreement with the Cubs is said to contain two opt-out clauses and afford him a higher annual value.) Having been spurned by Heyward, St. Louis figures to enter the season with an outfield trio of Matt Holliday, Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty (although Mozeliak said nothing to suggest that trade scenarios would not be entertained).

In the rotation, Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez and Jaime Garcia should all have spots locked down, while lefties Tyler Lyons and Marco Gonzales could factor in at the back end of the mix. Further additions shouldn’t be ruled out, although Goold does note that there’s a chance the only further signing would be to bring someone to camp to compete for a job in Spring Training. That, again, doesn’t necessarily preclude the Cards from upgrading via trade, though neither Mozeliak nor Goold indicated that said scenario is likely, either.

NL Links: Greinke, Cuddyer, Mets, Padres, Taillon

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The Diamondbacks’ whirlwind courtship of Zack Greinke is chronicled by FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.  Owner Ken Kendrick and team president Derrick Hall had lightly discussed pursuing Greinke but only gave the front office the go-ahead to start talks on the very day that Greinke was allegedly going to choose between the Giants and Dodgers. D’Backs management was emboldened by a forthcoming TV contract that allowed them to make a big initial offer (to get the attention of agent Casey Close) and also afford the deferral payments that went into the record-setting contract.  All told, the entire process took 5.5 hours from Kendrick’s okay to Greinke’s final agreement.

Here’s more from around the senior circuit…

  • Michael Cuddyer’s decision to retire caught many in the game by surprise, though as the veteran outfielder explains himself in a piece for The Players’ Tribune, “after 15 years, the toll on my body has finally caught up to me.”  Cuddyer recaps his career in the piece and he gives credit to the many people who helped inspire and shape how he played the game over his impressive run in the sport.
  • The Mets would like to sign two relievers, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets, and Jerry Blevins could be one of them.  The club met with Blevins’ agent during the Winter Meetings and were known to be interested in bringing the lefty back for another year in Queens.
  • With four catchers on the 40-man roster, the Padres have a clear area of surplus that is likely to be used for a future trade, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.  The newly-acquired Christian Bethancourt joins Derek Norris, Austin Hedges and Josmil Pinto on the roster.
  • Though Jameson Taillon hasn’t known a professional pitch since 2013, the Pirates prospect tells Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he’s still been developing as a professional while rehabbing from injury.  “It really bugged me when I heard people say I had two lost years,” Taillon said. “Because those two lost years, I was working with the best pitching coaches, away from the drawing board, getting to refine what I was weak at. I got to work out more and get on a better eating schedule. I think that ’two lost years’ is kind of bogus, because I definitely got a lot better. I didn’t stall out by any means.”  Taillon was sidelined first by Tommy John surgery and then a hernia operation but he’s aiming to be ready for his big league debut by midseason.  An innings limit hasn’t yet been discussed, as GM Neal Huntington said the Bucs may need Taillon down the stretch but the club also doesn’t want to overly restrict his workload and set him back for 2017.

Quick Hits: 2018-19, Braves, Burton, Offseason

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Forget about looking ahead to next winter, Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan is already examining the free agent class of the 2018-19 offseason, and with good reason.  An unprecedented amount of talent is scheduled to hit the open market that winter — Bryce Harper, Josh Donaldson, Manny Machado, Dallas Keuchel, Matt Harvey and Jose Fernandez are just a few of the stars that will be available.  Even more top names (Clayton Kershaw, David Price, Jason Heyward) will also be free agents if they exercise their opt-out clauses as expected, and Andrew McCutchen headlines another impressive list of players who be free agents in 2018-19 if all their club option years prior to that winter are picked up.  Big-spending teams like the Dodgers and Phillies currently have either very little or literally nothing committed to payroll past the 2018 season, so lots of clubs will have room to maneuver.  Obviously a lot can happen in three years’ time, though Passan notes that several clubs are already making plans for how they’ll approach this singular offseason.

Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • There are “no active discussions” between the Braves and Royals on a trade that would send Nick Markakis to Kansas City, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.  The Royals have gaps in both corner outfield slots with Alex Gordon and Alex Rios both hitting free agency though Markakis could be a bit pricey with $31.5MM owed to him over the next three seasons.
  • In another tweet from O’Brien, he thinks the Braves aren’t likely to trade Ender Inciarte unless they’re “blown away (again) by a great offer.”
  • Five teams are showing interest in veteran reliever Jared Burton, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  Burton signed minor league deals with the Yankees and Rangers last season but never reached the bigs, and he didn’t catch on with any other teams after Texas granted him a release in late June.  Burton put up some solid numbers out of the Reds and Twins bullpens over his eight-year career, though a down year in 2014 hurt his market last winter.
  • The Dodgers’ need for pitching tops Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com’s list of the 10 teams with the biggest remaining offseason needs.
  • In a subscription-only piece for ESPN.com, Jim Bowden grades each club’s offseason moves thus far.  The Red Sox are the only team that Bowden awards with an A+ (though three others receive an A grade), while the Reds’ lack of activity nets them the only F grade amongst the 30 teams.

AL West Notes: Gordon, Eppler, A’s, Beane, Forst, Astros

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Here’s the latest from around the AL West…

  • The Angels are “kicking all the options around” on adding an outfielder, GM Billy Eppler told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times).  Eppler also said he’s still “having conversations” with the agents of such players as Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes or Chris Davis.  DiGiovanna wonders, however, if Eppler’s other comments about the importance of “getting guys who make contact, who have an idea of the strike zone” and don’t rely on power could be a hint that the Angels may really be targeting Alex Gordon.  Gordon brings excellent defense, a high OBP and (unlike Upton or Cespedes) is a left-handed hitter that would help balance the Angels’ mostly right-handed lineup.
  • Athletics executive VP of baseball ops Billy Beane and GM David Forst spoke to reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle and CSNBayArea.com’s Joe Stiglich) about the team’s signing of John Axford.  Between Axford, Ryan Madson and Rich Hill, Beane said the A’s are pursuing a strategy of pursuing players who enjoyed comeback years in 2015 but whose poor recent track records could scare other clubs off.  “If we’re right, we’re gonna be smart.  If we’re wrong, you’ll know why we’re wrong — because we dealt with a small sample size,” Beane said.
  • As for other potential A’s moves, Forst said “Starting pitching is something we’re still looking at.  We’re having those conversations, but I don’t have a great sense of how long they’ll take or if anything will come of it.”
  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow tells the Houston Chronicle’s Evan Drellich that he thinks his club is “going to look at either bringing in another pitcher for the rotation or a bat of some sort” as the next item on the offseason to-do list.  As Drellich notes, the Astros have enough financial space and roster depth to make any number of moves to address their needs.

Indians Notes: Salazar, Alvarez, Carter, Panik, Kipnis

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It was on this day 92 years ago that Indians legend Larry Doby (1923-2003) was born in Camden, South Carolina.  Doby was the second player to break baseball’s color barrier and the first to do so in the American League, playing his first game just a few months after Jackie Robinson’s debut for the Dodgers.  Doby spent 10 of his 13 Major League seasons in Cleveland, hitting a whopping .286/.389/.500 over 5079 plate appearances in an Indians uniform and playing a major role in the Tribe’s 1948 World Series championship (still the franchise’s last title).  For both his excellent career and his role as a pioneer, Doby was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

Here’s the latest Tribe news…

  • In a reader mailbag piece, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer delves into the recent trade talks between the Tribe and the Diamondbacks.  Cleveland wanted A.J. Pollock when the Snakes asked about Danny Salazar, and while Arizona GM Dave Stewart liked Salazar, Tony La Russa was looking at a couple of other Indians players instead.  Talks may have somewhat fizzled out at that point.  The D’Backs ended up getting a top-of-the-rotation arm in Shelby Miller by dealing Ender Inciarte, Dansby Swanson and Aaron Blair to the Braves.  A package like that may not have worked for the Indians since they wanted players that could help them immediately in 2016, and only Inciarte would’ve fit that bill.
  • Also from Hoynes, the Indians’ interest in Chris Carter and Pedro Alvarez seems to have cooled.  Hoynes reported last week that the Tribe was considering one of the two non-tendered sluggers as a DH option.
  • The Indians have asked the Giants about Joe Panik “a couple of times this winter.”  ESPN’s Buster Olney recently reported that the Tribe asked for Panik and Brandon Belt as part of a package for Carlos Carrasco.  In regards to that proposed deal, Hoynes says Cleveland would’ve used Panik at second and could’ve shifted Jason Kipnis to third.  Hoynes doesn’t think Kipnis would’ve been (or is being) shopped, and I have to agree — dealing Kipnis in the wake of his big bounce-back season would be a curious move, though the Tribe could command a huge return from another club.
  • Corey Kluber has probably become “untouchable” in trade talks, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes.  The Tribe received a ton of interest in Kluber, Salazar, Carrasco and Trevor Bauer at the Winter Meetings and Pluto is doubtful that the team will ultimately end up dealing any of them.  Part of the issue could be that the Tribe’s asking price for any of the starters is “way too high,” according to chatter from the Meetings.
  • The Indians also received a lot of interest in their pitching prospects, with Mike Clevinger and Justus Sheffield getting the most asks and Double-A lefty Shawn Morimando also drawing attention.
  • Some teams think the Tribe will deal one of Bradley Zimmer or Clint Frazier, Pluto writes.  MLB.com ranks Zimmer and Frazier as Cleveland’s top two prospects, though since both are at least a year away from the majors, rivals speculate that the Indians will deal one for talent that can help them win in 2016.

NL Central Notes: Davis, Holliday, Walker, Lee

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The Cardinals didn’t have a strong interest in Chris Davis at the start of December and not much seems to have changed in two weeks, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the Cards still aren’t keen on the free agent slugger.  Of course, quite a bit has happened in the last two weeks, as St. Louis has come up short in its pursuit of such top-tier free agents as Jason Heyward and David Price.  Rather than sign Davis, the Cards seem prepared to use a Brandon Moss/Matt Adams platoon at first base this season (not to mention Stephen Piscotty also on hand as an option at first).  Here’s more from around the NL Central…

  • The Cardinals’ interest in Alex Gordon is complicated by Matt Holliday’s presence in left, FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi writes.  Aside from a handful of games at DH, Holliday has never played anywhere other than left field during his 12-year career, so someone like Gordon would have to be okay with playing in center or right for 2016 — Holliday is only under contract through this season.  Holliday has a no-trade clause, and he’s probably unlikely to waive it to go elsewhere this late in his career.  Morosi also floats an interesting little conspiracy theory, noting that Holliday and Davis are both represented by Scott Boras; so if Holliday refuses a trade and blocks a Gordon signing, that could theoretically make St. Louis a suitor for Davis if the club is intent on adding another big bat.
  • The history of Neil Walker’s long-term extension talks with the Pirates is compiled in a very interesting piece from Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  Walker turned down a multi-year offer from the Bucs in his 2010 rookie year and talks didn’t pick up again until last winter.  The Pirates offered a three-year, $27MM extension that would’ve covered Walker’s last two arb years and his first free agent year; that was countered by a two-year, $19MM offer from Walker’s camp but the Pirates wanted a team option on that 2017 free agent year.  “The offer wasn’t very realistic.  And there was no negotiating in between. It was, ‘Here it is.’ When we countered, there was no response, so we went to the [arbitration] hearing,” Walker said.  That hearing ended up being “probably the point when I lost all faith in the organization,” as Walker was put off by the Pirates’ assessment of his play and figured his days were numbered in Pittsburgh.  Walker’s tenure with the Bucs ended last week when he was traded to the Mets for Jon Niese.  On the Walker negotiations, GM Neal Huntington said that “every agreement has to find a common middle ground. We’ve been successful on other fronts. This one was not successful. We’re as much at fault as anybody.”
  • The Pirates have some level of interest in Korean first baseman/DH Dae-ho Lee, according to Biertempfel (on Twitter).  Lee met with GMs from four clubs in Nashville, per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News (on Twitter), though it’s not clear whether the Pirates were one of those teams.  Lee feels that he might not have a deal by the end of 2015, though he could sign sometime in January (link to Yoo’s Twitter).
  • The Cubs “had a lot of lines in the water” on the trade market, an NL executive tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  “The expectation is,” as Sherman writes, that the aggressive Cubs will make another big move to add a front-of-the-rotation young starter, and are dangling Jorge Soler and/or Javier Baez to make such a deal happen.

MLBTR’s Zach Links also contributed to this post

Minor MLB Transactions: 12/13/15

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Let’s catch up on some recent minor league transactions, all from Baseball America’s Matt Eddy unless otherwise noted.

  • The Reds announced the signing of right-hander J.C. Ramirez to a minor league contract earlier this month.  Ramirez posted a 5.32 ERA over 23 2/3 innings with the Diamondbacks and Mariners in 2015, and he was outrighted by the M’s after the season.
  • The Athletics signed left-hander Eric Surkamp to a minors deal.  Surkamp pitched in just one MLB game in 2015, a 3 1/3 inning relief stint for the Dodgers.  He has a 6.47 ERA over 57 innings with the Dodgers, White Sox and Giants in a career that was slowed by missing all of 2012 due to Tommy John surgery.
  • The Giants signed infielder Ramiro Pena to a minors contract.  Pena hit .244/.288/.330 over 610 PA as a utilityman with the Yankees and Braves from 2009-2014, and he spent 2015 with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate.
  • The Angels signed veteran right-hander Ramon Ramirez to a minor league contract.  Ramirez threw at least 63 2/3 innings in all but one season from 2006 through 2012, soaking up innings as a bullpen workhorse and posting a 3.32 ERA over 428 frames for five different clubs in that span.  After being dealt to the Giants at the 2010 trade deadline, Ramirez posted an 0.67 ERA in 27 relief innings to help San Francisco reach the postseason in what ended up as a World Series championship year.  Ramirez has pitched just 6 2/3 Major League innings over the last three seasons, however, and he spent 2015 in the Mexican League.
  • The Indians signed righty Felipe Paulino to a minors deal.  Paulino posted a 4.93 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 over 104 innings with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate.  The 32-year-old looked to have turned a corner as a Major Leaguer after joining the Royals in 2011 and he got off a hot start in K.C.’s rotation in 2012 before injuries forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery.  He last appeared in the majors in 2014 as a member of the White Sox, and he has 403 2/3 career innings over six years in the bigs.

Red Sox Sign Sean O’Sullivan To Minors Deal

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The Red Sox signed righty Sean O’Sullivan to a minor league deal earlier this week, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.

O’Sullivan posted a 6.08 ERA, 4.4 K/9 and 1.75 K/BB rate over 71 innings for the Phillies last season, all of them as a starting pitcher.  O’Sullivan was one of 14 pitchers who made starts for Philadelphia in 2015 as the Phils tried to both sort out their future rotation options and find some veterans (like O’Sullivan) to eat some innings.  It’s likely that Boston will use O’Sullivan as minor league rotation depth.

A third-round pick for the Angels in the 2005 draft, O’Sullivan has a 5.95 ERA and 4.3 K/9 over 302 1/3 career Major League innings with the Angels, Royals, Padres and Phillies.

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