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Cafardo’s Latest: Giants, Braves, Gordon, Chapman

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Here’s the latest from The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo…

  • The Braves are one of multiple teams who have asked the Giants about Joe Panik and Matt Duffy in trade talks but San Francisco isn’t interesting in dealing either young infielder.  Panik and Duffy may have come up in discussions with the Braves over pitching, as Cafardo reports the Giants have discussed Julio Teheran and Shelby Miller.
  • Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon is generating “a ton of interest” and Miami is at least listening.  It would take a controllable, front-of-the-rotation arm to really get the Marlins’ attention, however, and it “seems unlikely” that Gordon would go anywhere.  I have to agree that dealing Gordon would be a stunning move even for the Marlins; if anything, the club is far more likely to extend him, as has been noted in recent reports.
  • The Reds and Red Sox discussed a trade for Aroldis Chapman, but Cincinnati wanted more from Boston than the Sox eventually sent to the Padres to land Craig Kimbrel.  That would represent a stunningly high asking price for a closer who is only under contract through the 2016 season.  Kimbrel, by contrast, is owed $25MM through the 2017 season and Boston has a $13MM club option on his services for 2018.
  • Andrew Miller is “atop” the Astros’ list of closer targets and Mark Melancon is also under consideration.  We’d already heard about Houston’s interest in acquiring a top reliever earlier today, with Miller’s name included with the likes of Chapman, Brad Boxberger and Ken Giles.
  • Speaking of Melancon, the Pirates closer tells Cafardo that he’s keeping an open mind about trade speculation.  “I love the Pirates. I love our group of guys and would love to stay here, but I also understand the business of it.  Every organization has a different business plan, and if the Pirates feel they need to deal me, then I understand that. Our people haven’t said a word to me about the possibility, so until that changes, I’m assuming I’m starting the year with the Pirates.”
  • The Twins are another team looking for relief help and they’ve also received a lot of interest about third baseman Trevor Plouffe.  There has been speculation that Plouffe could be moved to make way for Miguel Sano at third base, especially if the Twins come to an agreement with Byung-Ho Park.
  • Though Brett Gardner’s name has surfaced in trade talks, it’s “not a slam dunk” that the Yankees would part with him since he’s a clubhouse leader.  As CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman did yesterday, Cafardo also downplays the idea of a Gardner-for-Starlin Castro trade, noting that the Yankees would only trade Gardner if they got a starting pitcher back.
  • Five general managers told Cafardo that they wouldn’t take Hanley Ramirez in a trade even if the Red Sox covered at least half of Ramirez’s remaining salary.  Ramirez is owed $66MM through 2018 and he has a $22MM vesting option for 2019, so even at a reduced rate, that’s still a hefty price for a player coming off such a rough season on and off the field.
  • Cafardo feels the Cubs and Giants have the best chance at signing John Lackey, who wants to remain in the National League.  The Cardinals have also “kept their toes in the water” for his services.  The Red Sox have checked in on Lackey but are more focused on landing an ace starter.
  • John Boggs, Trevor Cahill’s agent, said his client looks to be a starter again “but he would accept a bullpen spot if he doesn’t secure a starting job.”

Latest On Jose Fernandez

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Despite recent rumors swirling about the Marlins looking to trade ace Jose Fernandez or Fernandez asking to be dealt himself, both sides say they’re looking to continue their relationship in 2016.  At a recent charity event, Fernandez told reporters (including MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro) that he’d heard about the trade speculation but “I’m not paying attention to it at all….I really don’t have no time to look into that stuff. It’s not important to me.”

“I’m looking forward to being with my teammates and winning some ballgames. Get ready to go to Spring Training healthy and have a nice long year with the boys. Hopefully we get the opportunity to win the World Series. That’s the main goal. That’s what the city deserves and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Sources within Marlins management saw a Fernandez trade as doubtful a few days ago, and Frisaro hears (Twitter link) that the righty will indeed be staying put.  In a recent appearance on the MLB Network, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman said that teams who contacted the Marlins about Fernandez were told that the ace isn’t available.

Any number of “unavailable” players have been dealt over the years, of course, so it’s possible the Marlins are simply trying to give themselves extra leverage in trade talks and thus drive what’s already sure to be a high asking price for Fernandez even higher.  If Miami really did want to trade Fernandez, this offseason may not be the best time for it — the righty was limited to just 64 2/3 innings in 2015, missing half the season recovering from Tommy John surgery and then another month with a bicep strain in his throwing arm.

This shortened workload will mean that Fernandez will pitch under an innings limit in 2016, and interestingly, the 23-year-old said that Scott Boras, his agent, will indeed play a role in how that limit will be determined.  Marlins president David Samson said last week that Boras wouldn’t have a say in Fernandez’s workload, though the right-hander himself said that Boras was already involved in such discussions last year and “it’s worked perfectly fine. We all agreed. We’re all on the same page.”

“I do not know what all this is all about, but Scott Boras will be there because he’s my agent, and I get to decide who is going to be on my phone calls on my conference. It’s that simple.”

Even an inning-capped version of Fernandez would still be attractive to virtually every team in baseball, should the Marlins decide to make him available.  On the flip side, Miami hopes to be contender itself in 2016 and dealing an ace wouldn’t help an already-questionable Marlins rotation.  The Fish could try to get Major League-ready pitching in return for Fernandez, though on paper, a team with such arms to spare wouldn’t necessarily be the best trade partner for Fernandez.

NL West Notes: Rockies, Cueto, Puig, Padres

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With the Rockies in need of starting pitching and the Indians in need of outfield help, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post wonders if the two clubs could fit as trade partners.  Carlos Gonzalez and Corey Dickerson could both be available if Colorado could land the right arm (or arms) in return, and Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer have all been mentioned as possible trade chips for the Tribe this winter.  As Saunders notes, Cleveland could balk at the remaining $37MM on Gonzalez’s contract and the fact that he’d only be controlled through 2017.  Dickerson comes with four years of control and isn’t even eligible for arbitration until next winter, though he’s obviously a much less proven asset than Gonzalez and also missed a lot of time with injuries last season.  Here’s some more from around the NL West…

  • The Diamondbacks have had internal discussions about possibly signing Johnny Cueto, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports (Insider subscription required).  It’s no secret that Arizona has been targeting pitching this offseason, as they’ve been linked to such names as Shelby Miller, Yovani Gallardo and John Lackey on the trade and free agency fronts.  Those pitchers carry a much lower price tag than Cueto would on the open market, however, and it would be surprising to see the mid-market Snakes make a big splurge on the type of nine-figure contract it would take to land Cueto.
  • The Dodgers aren’t likely to trade Yasiel Puig this offseason since his potential is still so high, his contract is reasonably priced and he brings some right-handed hitting balance to an L.A. outfield full of left-handed bats, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times writes.  The Dodgers would also be selling low on Puig in the wake of his disappointing 2015 season.
  • Olney also addresses the Puig situation in his previously-linked column, reporting that Dodgers upper management “is much more open to the idea of moving Puig than they would’ve been, say, 18 months ago.”  If Puig is really a clubhouse problem, Olney feels the Dodgers should cut their losses and trade him this winter, since they’re one of the few teams with the financial muscle to not have to worry about getting the best possible return back for a sell-low player.
  • The trades of Craig Kimbrel and Joaquin Benoit would seem to open the door for Brandon Maurer to take on a bigger late-game role in the Padres bullpen, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.  The Padres are reportedly looking to add a mid-range bullpen arm, though Lin notes that the team could simply keep Maurer in relief to address that need.  The team hasn’t closed the door on shifting Maurer back to starting pitching, however, since the Padres have rotation needs both this year and in coming seasons.
  • Also from Lin, he reports that the Padres are in talks with Mark McGwire about the ex-slugger becoming the team’s new bench coach, with a source calling McGwire “a very strong candidate for the job.”  McGwire is currently the Dodgers’ hitting coach, though his role with that club is up in the air as they search for a new manager.  Lin reports that the Diamondbacks were also considering McGwire as their new hitting coach but McGwire took himself out of consideration for that position.  Ron Gardenhire had previously been linked to San Diego’s bench coach job, though it now appears as though if he was to join the club, it would be in a front office capacity rather than in the dugout.

KBO Notes: Kim, Son, Hwang

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Korean outfielder Hyun-soo Kim (whose name is occasionally Romanized as Hyeon-soo Kim) confirms today that he’s interesting in signing with an MLB team, Yonhap News Agency reports. (Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan had previously reported that Kim was looking to continue his career in North America.) Kim has recently been involved in the Premier 12 tournament in Tokyo.  “I haven’t had a chance to set specific plans for my future because I wanted to concentrate on the Premier 12,” he says. “I will have to talk to my agent afterward, but there’s no reason to turn down interest from major league clubs. I’d love to play in the majors.” Kim has played nine seasons for the Doosan Bears, batting an excellent .318/.406/.488 in what Passan notes is a tough hitting environment by KBO standards. Kim doesn’t have the power that Byung-ho Park and Jung-ho Kang demonstrated in Korea, but he’s a terrific contact hitter. “He’s just great at putting bat on ball,” a scout told Passan. “He’s got a Royals-type offensive profile.” He’s also still just 27, and as an international free agent, he’s free to sign with any team and won’t require a posting fee.

  • With Kang already having a year under his belt with the Pirates, and with Park, Ah-seop Son, Kim and Seung-hwan Oh potentially attracting interest this offseason (along with first Dae-ho Lee, a Korean first baseman who was playing in Japan), there’s no shortage of intrigue surrounding Korean players looking to join MLB teams. It’s possible that the talent in the KBO has simply improved recently, Joe Lemire of USA Today writes. But it’s also possible the increased interest is due not so much to improved talent in Korea, but to changes in the ways MLB teams are allowed to pursue talent. “There’s only so many avenues to acquire players,” says an NL executive. “With the cap on draft and international (amateur free agents), now you can go over there and acquire big league-ready players, and it doesn’t go against your spending cap.” Experts feel that about a dozen players in the KBO are capable of handling the jump to the Majors, writes Lemire.
  • Many executives prefer third baseman Jae-gyun Hwang to Son, his Lotte Giants teammate, Passan writes. The problem is a rule that stipulates that a KBO team cannot accept bids on two players that have been posted in the same offseason. The bidding for Son will conclude Monday. If Lotte accept the top bid, then it risks allowing Hwang to leave as a free agent next season without collecting a posting fee for him. Son, on the other hand, is not eligible for free agency until after 2017, so Lotte might be able to maximize its earnings by rejecting the top bid for Son, taking bids on Hwang, and posting Son again next year. The team, however, earned negative publicity when it refused to allow Son to skip a road trip to be with his dying father, so it’s possible the Giants could accept Son’s bid as a way of avoiding the perception that they’re treating him unfairly.

AL Notes: Yankees, K-Rod, Athletics

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The dwindling relief market could work in the Yankees’ favor, George A. King III of the New York Post writes. The Braves and Dodgers have recently been linked to Darren O’Day, and if O’Day signs with one of those teams, the best late-inning option available on the free agent market will be Joakim Soria, who doesn’t appear likely to be cheap. The lack of capable and reasonably priced late-inning relievers could increase the trade value of Andrew Miller, who the Yankees could potentially use as a trade chip to bolster their rotation. Here are more quick notes from the American League.

  • The Tigers pursued a number of potential upgrades for their bullpen before completing their deal for Francisco Rodriguez, MLB.com’s Jason Beck writes. They asked about Aroldis Chapman, Miller and Brad Boxberger, but any of those three relievers would have cost too much in prospects. They also had discussions with free agent Joakim Soria, but it appears he’ll get a three-year deal. Darren O’Day, meanwhile, seems likely to get four. So the Tigers approached the Brewers. Rodriguez was a good fit for them in that what’s left of his contract amounts to one year plus an option ($7.5MM for 2016, some of it deferred, and $6MM or a $2MM buyout for 2017), and the prospect cost (infielder Javier Betancourt plus a player to be named) wasn’t prohibitive.
  • The Athletics also had interest in K-Rod, as FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal writes. They balked, however, at the $9.5MM financial commitment. They have, of course, addressed their bullpen to some degree (while also shedding salary) with their trade of Jesse Chavez to the Blue Jays for Liam Hendriks.

Astros Strongly Interested In Acquiring Closer

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The Astros are “hell-bent” on acquiring a closer, sources tell ESPN’s Jayson Stark. The Astros have made calls on Aroldis Chapman of the Reds, Andrew Miller of the Yankees, and Brad Boxberger of the Rays, as well as potential free agent possibilities. They’ve also spoken with the Phillies about Ken Giles, as had previously been reported.

Adding a closer would move current closer Luke Gregerson back to the setup role in which he excelled with the Padres and Athletics. A dominant ninth-inning type like Chapman or Miller would also give the Astros not only a terrific ninth-inning option but also enviable depth, with a bullpen that would also feature Gregerson, Pat Neshek, Josh Fields and Will Harris. Also, the bullpen’s 5.63 ERA in September and October and its eighth-inning implosion in Game 4 of the ALDS against the Royals are surely fresh in the organization’s mind, particularly after watching a Royals team with a hard-throwing bullpen win the World Series after beating them. It’s easy, then, to see the appeal of adding a shutdown closer.

Still, overall, the Astros’ bullpen was a key element of the team’s success last season, and Gregerson is a perfectly good ninth-inning man in his own right (although Stark notes that Gregerson’s K/9 was relatively low for a closer, at 8.6). Stark notes that the Astros might not want to pay the prospect cost of acquiring Chapman, Miller or Giles, and therefore could ultimately pursue hard-throwing setup-type relievers instead. Given the potential departures of lefties Tony Sipp and Oliver Perez via free agency, a lefty appears likely to be a priority, whether they add a closer or not.

Week In Review: 11/14/15 – 11/20/15

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Here’s a look back at last week at MLBTR.

Key Moves

Trades

Signings / Re-signings

Avoided Arbitration

Designated For Assignment

Claims

Outrights

Released

Key Minor League Signings

Other

  • Teams added a number of prospects to their 40-man rosters in preparation for the Rule 5 Draft.

Orioles, Reds Have Discussed Jay Bruce; No Momentum Towards Deal

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The Orioles and Reds have engaged in discussions regarding Cincinnati outfielder Jay Bruce, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. But there isn’t any “momentum” toward a trade, at least at this point.

There’s a lot to like about Bruce as a player, but his trade value remains uncertain. He’s a perennial threat to hit 25 to 30 long balls, a quality baserunner, and a generally well-regarded defender in the corner outfield. But Bruce has fallen shy of the league average in OBP in each of the last two years and his defense and baserunning metrics have also dipped — though, it should be noted, DRS saw him as a +5 defender in right last year. Then again, the power is still there, as his .209 ISO in 2015 fell just shy of a .215 career mark. And youth is still on his side.

Bruce is still just 28 years of age as he enters his ninth big league season. He’ll earn $12.5MM in 2016 and can be controlled for the following year with a $13MM option — or be bought out for $1MM. That’s not exactly cheap given Bruce’s inconsistent results, but the O’s have payroll flexibility even after adding Wieters onto the ledger.

Whether or not discussions go anywhere, it’s worth considering Baltimore’s interest. The team is also said to have checked in on another short-term, high-priced lefty bat in Pirates second baseman Neil Walker, though Bruce makes for a more obvious fit given the team’s needs in the corner outfield. With Matt Wieters deciding to return on a pricey, one-year deal by accepting his qualifying offer, it could be that the O’s are looking to add quality veterans around him — and to fill in for the southpaw power production of Chris Davis — without over-committing for future seasons.

Pirates “Shopping” Neil Walker, Have Talked With Orioles

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FRIDAY: The Bucs are “shopping” Walker and have spoken not only with the O’s but with several other clubs, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY: The Orioles and Pirates discussed a trade that would’ve sent Neil Walker to Baltimore at last week’s GM Meetings, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Baltimore’s initial hope was that Walker could be non-tendered due to his impending raise (MLBTR projects him at $10.7MM in 2016), but the Pirates do plan on tendering him a contract, Kubatko notes. Trade talks between the two sides didn’t get very far, as Pittsburgh’s asking price on Walker was deemed too high.

Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun also heard the two sides talked Walker, adding that it’s “pretty evident” that the Pirates are attempting to move Walker (links to Twitter). He classifies talks between the two teams as “off and on.” Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review hears that the Pirates are fielding offers for Walker, though he doesn’t characterize the desire to move Walker quite as aggressively as Encina does.

Both Kubatko and Encina note that while Walker is a second baseman by trade, the O’s are set there with Jonathan Schoop. Rather, the duo suggests that Walker could see time at first base while spelling Schoop and third baseman Manny Machado on occasion. Kubatko adds that the two sides could revisit talks in Nashville at the Winter Meetings next month and notes that the Pirates are likely seeking young pitching in return.

Per Biertempfel, Pirates GM Neal Huntington appeared on KDKA-FM radio today and said that the team has the resources to retain Walker, closer Mark Melancon ($10MM projection) and first baseman Pedro Alvarez ($8.1MM projection). All three have been suggested as possibilities to leave the organization, however, with Melancon and Walker being trade candidates and Alvarez being either a trade or non-tender candidate. Recently, Jon Heyman noted that the Pirates have fielded offers on all three, plus the rest of their arbitration class.

Walker, who recently turned 30, will be a free agent next winter. He’s coming off a solid, albeit down season at the plate, in which he batted .269/.328/.427 with 16 home runs in 603 plate appearances. Walker has rated as a considerably above-league-average bat by measure of OPS+ (114) and wRC+ (115) in parts of six big league seasons dating back to 2010. A history of back troubles and a pair of fluke injuries — a 2014 appendectomy and a severely lacerated finger in 2013 — have limited him to an average of 136 games per season in that time. He also rates as a below-average defender, though not egregiously so. Defensive Runs Saved pegs him at -10 runs over the course of 6889 innings at second base, and Ultimate Zone Rating feels he’s about six runs below average per 150 games.

The intrigue surrounding Baltimore’s interest in Walker is somewhat dependent on how the team truly feels he’s best deployed. If Baltimore is looking at Walker as an everyday first base option, then that would signal that the team isn’t confident in its ability to retain free agent Chris Davis. If the plan is for Walker to split time between DH, first base, second base, third base and perhaps even the corner outfield, as Encina writes, the interest wouldn’t seem to immediately preclude a reunion with Davis.

Dodgers Interested In Zimmermann; Giants A “Threat” To Land Greinke

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Righty Jordan Zimmermann is one of the Dodgers’ “top targets” among free agent starters, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (Twitter links). That shouldn’t be read as a shift of focus away from Zack Greinke, he adds, so much as an indication of the team’s affinity for Zimmermann.

That report comes on the heels of another suggesting that the Giants could be a “formidable threat” to land Greinke. As Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes, San Francisco is at least creating an impression in the marketplace that it is prepared for a serious pursuit of the talented — but less than youthful — veteran starter. Of course, the Giants are also said to be doing some diligence on David Price.

It’s always intriguing to consider these two division rivals competing over a player, but in truth the connection goes beyond the fact that only one can win the NL West. Los Angeles probably has more free agent spending capacity than any team in baseball right now — whether or not it chooses to use it — while their neighbors to the north seemingly saved their hefty war chest for this winter’s strong group of free agents. And, of course, both have obvious needs in the rotation.

One year ago, it wouldn’t have been surprising at all to expect to debate the relative merits of these two pitchers. At that point, Zimmermann was coming off of a season in which he looked like an improving, top-of-the-rotation arm, while Greinke was good but obviously not getting any younger.

Things have changed quite a bit in the meantime, though. The 29-year-old Zimmermann has lost some luster, while Greinke turned in a season for the ages. Of course, there’s an argument to be made that perceptions and recency bias could be clouding the situation, but it seems clear at this point that Greinke will out-earn his younger competitor.

All told, it remains far too early to get any kind of a reasonable read of the market. There’s arguably been more chatter surrounding Greinke than other top arms — it’s mostly been crickets, in particular, regarding Johnny Cueto — but as of yet there’s nothing to suggest any sort of clarity. Indeed, if anything, these reports serve only to confirm the fluidity at the top of the pitching market.

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