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Dae-ho Lee Becomes Free Agent, Seeks MLB Deal

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First baseman Dae-ho Lee has declined his 2016 player option with the Fukuoka SoftBak Hawks, he announced (story via Jee-ho Yoo of Yonhap News). He added that he intends to pursue a contract with a major league organization.

The South Korean has played in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league since 2012. He moved there after more than a decade in the Korean Baseball Organization.

Unlike many other international players covered here at MLBTR, Lee will be looking to make the jump at the (relatively) advanced age of 33. That isn’t an unprecedented number, but it obviously limits his earning capacity and will reduce the number of teams that have interest in guaranteeing him money.

Lee has shown plenty with his right-handed bat, though, swatting 31 home runs and posting a .282/.364/.524 slash last year in the highly competitive NPB. That was his best overall campaign, but he has been quite consistently productive in Japan’s top league and the KBO before that.

Notably, because he is a free agent, Lee won’t require a posting fee. That eliminates some complications from the process and ought to drop the overall asking price. Presumably, the veteran will be looking first and foremost for opportunity, and it’s easy to imagine a variety of teams rolling the dice if the price is right.

“All baseball players dream of playing in the majors, and I’d like to pursue that dream,” Lee explained in his press conference. “If I can give 100 percent, like I’ve done throughout my career, I don’t think it will be impossible.”

Shapiro, LaCava On Jays Offseason

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The Blue Jays’ new front office leadership — president Mark Shapiro and interim GM Tony LaCava — held a press conference today in which they addressed a variety of important topics. Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reported on all the key aspects of the discussion. Among the most notable bits:

  • Toronto will bring back manager John Gibbons. He was under contract for another year already, as his deal includes a clause that guarantees an added season if he’s not let go within the prior calendar year. It’s designed to prevent him from ever entering a season as a lame duck manager, and the Jays will apparently allow that provision to go into effect this season.
  • While LaCava will take the reins of the baseball operations department for the time being, Shapiro said that he intends to conduct a full search for a new general manager. It’s not yet clear whether LaCava will be a candidate and what kind of timeline the club expects. Looking ahead, Shapiro indicated that he will operate at a high-level in collaboration with his general manager, but gave Nicholson-Smith the impression that he is and will continue to be well-versed in all of the organization’s baseball assets and decisions.
  • Shapiro clearly rejected idea that he’d criticized Alex Anthopoulos for his deadline dealing in an internal meeting, as had been reported. He told the press that the summer moves were “great trades,” even if they required the organization to part with good young talent.
  • The Jays payroll will give the team what it needs to continue in contention, Shapiro said, though he did not give details on the club’s actual spending appetite for the coming year. He did note that he’s not unaware that he’ll be working with more flexibility than he had with the Indians. As he put it, “if you have a larger payroll you have a greater tolerance for risk.” In that regard, Toronto will no longer abide by any strict rules against issuing contracts of more than five years in duration. “I don’t believe in absolutes,” Shapiro explained.

 

Reds Decline Options Over Badenhop, Schumaker; Outright LeCure

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The Reds have made a series of moves to shape the club’s roster on the first day of the offseason, as the club announced. Cincinnati will decline its club options over righty Burke Badenhop and utilityman Skip Schumaker and has outrighted right-hander Sam LeCure.

Badenhop, 32, has long been a sturdy reliever. He joined the club on a one-year deal with an option that seemed likely to be exercised — it contained a $1.5MM buyout and $4MM value — but began and ended his season with rough stretches (at least in the earned run department). The first and last impressions didn’t help, but Badenhop also put up a 3.93 ERA that landed well above his recent years’ marks and did not impress ERA estimators along the way. Still, he ought to draw plenty of interest from teams looking for solid innings — especially if they are drawn to groundball producers.

The 35-year-old Schumaker had a two-year guarantee, but contributed just a .238/.297/.322 batting line over his 539 plate appearances over the last two years. That made it rather an easy decision to buy out his $2.5MM option for $500K. While Schumaker is valued for his defensive versatility, he’s rated well below replacement level for each of the past three seasons.

As for LeCure, who’s 31 years of age, 2015 was a major disappointment despite the fact that he carried a 3.15 ERA. That’s because he started the year in the minors and ultimately threw only twenty MLB frames. LeCure has continued to see his strikeout and swinging strike rates fall along with his velocity in recent seasons.

All told, it’s not exactly surprising to see Cincinnati parting with these kinds of veteran players, though it wouldn’t have cost much to retain them. The organization now has more youthful options in both the infield and the bullpen after its trade activity over the last year or so.

Submit Your Questions For The MLBTR Mailbag

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It’s been a busy today with the offseason officially getting underway, but we’ll still run out another edition of the weekly Monday Mailbag this evening. Last week’s edition touched on the likeliest outfield trade candidates of the winter, whether Jason Heyward and/or Pedro Alvarez would fit with the Orioles, whether or not Howie Kendrick and J.P. Howell factor into the Dodgers’ future and the Royals’ chances of re-signing Ben Zobrist and Alex Gordon.

If you have question you’ve been mulling over and would like MLBTR’s take, let us know: mlbtrmailbag@gmail.com. Sheer volume will prevent us from getting to every question, of course, though readers can also send questions our way on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in the weekly live chats hosted by myself and Jeff Todd, respectively.

Orioles Intend To Make Qualifying Offer To Matt Wieters

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The Orioles intend to make a one-year, $15.8MM qualifying offer to catcher Matt Wieters, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney (via Twitter). Olney further notes (Twitter link) that the Braves, on paper, seem to be a good fit with Wieters, given their protected first-round pick and lack of certainty behind the plate. Wieters, of course, played his college ball at Georgia Tech and saw longtime teammate Nick Markakis head from Baltimore to Atlanta on last year’s free agent market.

The Orioles, of course, will receive a compensatory draft pick between the first and second rounds of next year’s draft in the event that Wieters rejects the offer and signs with another team. A rival club would have to surrender its top unprotected draft pick (the first 10 picks in next year’s draft are protected) in order to sign Wieters. And, of course, the Orioles are free to pursue Wieters as a free agent even if rejects the offer.

Recent reports have indicated that the Orioles weren’t certain whether or not they’d make the offer to Wieters, but they’ve apparently now made up their minds. The thinking at MLBTR has long been that it’s a logical course of option for the O’s, as a prime-aged catcher that’s represented by one of the more outspoken critics of the QO system Scott Boras, never figured to be the first to accept such an offer. (And if he did, a healthier Wieters at $15.8MM on a one-year deal is probably a good value, anyway.) MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk explored the scenario in further detail in recent Offseason Outlook on the Orioles.

Wieters, 29, struggled to some extent in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. As MLBTR owner Tim Dierkes explained in Wieters’ free agent profile, elbow tendinitis kept him on the DL to open the season and delayed his season debut until June. Additionally, he only caught on back-to-back days four times this season as he re-acclimated  himself to the rigors of the position. Nonetheless, Wieters’ 31 percent caught-stealing rate was right in line with his career norm and the surprisingly high league average in 2015 (both 32 percent).

At the plate, Wieters was solid, albeit unspectacular, slashing .267/.319/.422 with eight homers in 282 plate appearances. That batting line translates to a park-adjusted OPS of 100 — exactly league average — which is in line with Wieters’ career marks. (He was off to a much better start in 2014 before tearing the UCL in his throwing elbow.) While league-average production isn’t the most exciting concept in the world, it’s extremely valuable when coming from behind the plate; the league-average catcher in 2015, for instance, hit just .232/.295/.383, leaving them about 14 percent below league-average production.

While Boras and his team could theoretically eye something in the Brian McCann/Russell Martin mold for Wieters this winter, Tim predicted that Wieters can land a four-year commitment worth somewhere in the vicinity of $16MM on an annual basis in a weak market where he looks to be the only reasonably young starting option with a track record of success at the Major League level.

Wieters figures to be one of three Baltimore free agents to receive and reject a qualifying offer, with fellow Boras clients Chris Davis and Wei-Yin Chen serving as much more concrete cases. Other Orioles free agents such as Darren O’Day and Steve Pearce won’t receive the QO, while Gerardo Parra is ineligible to receive one after coming over via trade from the Brewers midseason (though he probably wouldn’t command one anyhow).

Nationals Decline Options On Casey Janssen, Nate McLouth

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The Nationals announced that they’ve declined their 2016 options on right-hander Casey Janssen and outfielder Nate McLouth. Washington will pay a $1.5MM buyout on Janssen’s $7MM mutual option, whereas McLouth will receive a $750K buyout on his $6.5MM club option. James Wagner of the Washington Post first reported (via Twitter) that Janssen’s option would be bought out, though the move isn’t surprising on the heels of a disappointing year for the former Toronto closer.

Janssen, who turned 34 in September, signed a one-year, $5MM contract with the Nationals last winter that contained the $7MM mutual option which was bought ought today. The former closer opened the season on the disabled list due to tendinitis in his throwing shoulder, which subsequently limited him to 40 innings of work this year. In those 40 frames, Janssen tallied just a 4.95 ERA with 6.1 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and a career-low 29.4 percent ground-ball rate. His fastball velocity, which registered between 91 and 92 mph at Janssen’s peak with the Jays, sat an average of just 88.5 mph this year.

Last season, Janssen struggled tremendously in the second half after coming down with a dreadful case of food poisoning that caused him to lose eight pounds in less than 12 hours. Matters weren’t helped by the fact that he spent two days on an IV to regain fluid in his body and then proceeded to pitch on five of the next eight days for Toronto. The hope was that an offseason of regular rest and workouts would get him back to the form he displayed from 2011-13 when he compiled a 2.46 ERA in 172 innings of work despite Toronto’s hitter-friendly home environs, but he instead was another piece to an underwhelming bullpen that served as one of a disappointing D.C. team’s greatest flaws.

As for McLouth, who turned 34 in late October, the 2015 season was a lost cause. He spent the year recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder and didn’t appear in a game. That’s obviously not the way that the Nationals or McLouth hoped to see his two-year, $10.75MM contract end — especially considering the fact that shoulder woes limited him to a .173/.280/.237 batting line in just 162 plate appearances for the 2014 club. Given the injuries to Denard Span this season, a healthy McLouth would’ve served as a valuable depth piece for since-dismissed manager Matt Williams, but McLouth will instead likely be looking at a minor league deal this offseason as he hopes to make a roster in Spring Training and restore some value with a healthy 2016 season.

Cardinals Decline Jonathan Broxton’s Option, Outright Pete Kozma

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The Cardinals announced on Monday that they have declined their $9MM club option on right-hander Jonathan Broxton. He’ll instead be paid a $2MM buyout and hit the open market, where he’s free to sign with any club. Additionally, the Cardinals announced that they have outrighted shortstop Pete Kozma off the 40-man roster along with catchers Ed Easley and Travis Tartamella.

Acquired from the division-rival Brewers in exchange for minor leaguer Malik Collymore at this year’s trade deadline, Broxton enjoyed an excellent turnaround in St. Louis after an ugly start in the Milwaukee ’pen. Sporting a 5.89 ERA at the time of the trade, Broxton worked to a 2.66 ERA with a 26-to-12 K/BB ratio in 23 2/3 innings with the Cardinals. While his ERA, strikeout rate and ground-ball rates took a notable turn for the better following the trade, Broxton’s control was actually better with the Brewers. Overall, ERA estimators such as FIP, xFIP and SIERA all pegged him for an ERA in the mid- to low-3.00 range. (xFIP and SIERA, specifically, liked his work, giving him a pass on what looks to have been a fluky homer-to-flyball ratio that inflated his ERA and FIP.)

Kozma, 27, received 111 plate appearances for the Cardinals in 2015 but batted just .152/.236/.152. Known for his defensive wizardry, it’s been two seasons since Kozma was the team’s regular shortstop. That 2013 campaign proved to be the only in Kozma’s five-year career in which he’s received regular at-bats, to this point. The former first-round pick batted just .217/.275/.273 that season, which was weak enough for him to grade out as replacement level despite being one of the game’s better defenders at shortstop.

The 29-year-old Easley and 27-year-old Tartamella each made their big league debuts in 2015, though Easley went 0-for-6 and Tartamella just 1-for-2 in their brief cups of coffee. Easley is a lifetime .289/.360/.420 hitter in nearly 300 games at the Triple-A level and has enough minor league experience to qualify as a free agent. Tartamella, too, has the minor league service to become a free agent, though he doesn’t have the offensive track record that Easley carries. Tartamella is a .229/.276/.289 hitter in his Triple-A career, though he’s regarded as a solid defender behind the dish.

Cardinals Exercise Jaime Garcia’s Option

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NOV. 2: The Cardinals announced that they have indeed exercised their option on Garcia (Twitter link).

NOV. 1: The Cardinals have informed Jaime Garcia’s representatives that they will be picking up his $11.5MM option for 2016, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.  Had the Cardinals declined his option, Garcia would have received a modest $500K buyout.

Garcia’s option wasn’t a given to be picked up, but comments from GM John Mozeliak back in October seemed to hint that the club was leaning in that direction.

“You think back to Garcia, and the impact that he made on our roster was extremely positive,” said Mozeliak. “If we were having this conversation in February, I don’t think any of us would have thought he was going to contribute, especially the way he did.”

Garcia, 29, pitched to a 2.43 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 across 20 big league starts this season.  Despite his rough outing in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, the left-hander gave the Cardinals solid pitching overall, no small feat considering that he began the year on the disabled list.  As Strauss notes, Garcia’s talent has never really been in question, but his durability has been.  Garcia has made more than 30 starts in a season only once (2011) and he took the hill only 16 times between 2013 and 2014.

Garcia’s deal is only guaranteed through 2016, though he could be brought back to St. Louis on a second option year in 2017.  Next year, the Cardinals will have the option of retaining Garcia for $12MM or instead buying him out for $500K.

Marlins Notes: Fernandez, Free Agents, Alvarez, Coaches

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While specifics of the deal aren’t known, Marlins president David Samson told reporters today, including Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), that ace Jose Fernandez rejected a long-term contract offer made by the team. It’s not exactly surprising that Fernandez, a Scott Boras client coming off a season that was shortened by 2014 Tommy John surgery, would be averse to a long-term pact at this time. Boras clients rarely sign pre-arbitration extensions, and Fernandez’s value is down due to his long layoff (although he was utterly dominant when healthy). A right biceps strain also slowed Fernandez late in the season, but he’s still one of the two faces of the Miami franchise, alongside Giancarlo Stanton. An extension for Fernandez, if even possible, would figure to be exceptionally lucrative, though the 23-year-old and his agent may simply prefer to wait until he’s pitched a full season post-Tommy John before even opening their minds to such a concept.

A few more notes from Samson’s session with the media…

  • The Marlins have a known desire to add starting pitching this winter, but Samson says the team won’t pursue the top tier of available arms, via Jackson’s tweet above. That means that David Price and Zack Greinke are off the table, and I’d imagine that Johnny Cueto and Jordan Zimmermann are similarly too pricey for Miami’s tastes. The Marlins, of course, weren’t expected to pursue free agents of that caliber anyhow, although the Fish did jump into the James Shields derby late last offseason.
  • Right-hander Henderson Alvarez, who missed nearly all of the 2015 season with shoulder injuries that eventually required surgery, won’t be ready for Opening Day, according to Samson (via Jackson). The 25-year-old Alvarez was Miami’s Opening Day starter and has a no-hitter under his belt since coming to Miami by way of a trade with Toronto, but the Marlins aren’t even decided on whether or not they’ll tender him a contract, per Samson. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Alvarez to earn $4MM next season, and while that’s not an outrageous number, the team could conceivably cut ties if the belief is that Alvarez’s injuries will keep out for a significant portion of 2016.
  • Via MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (on Twitter), first base/infield coach Perry Hill will return to the coaching staff for a third straight season. Lenny Harris will return as the assistant hitting coach/third base coach, and Reid Cornelius will reprise his role as bullpen coach. With a new manager entering the picture, the future of the coaching staff can always be a bit uncertain, but it appears that there won’t be sweeping changes under newly minted skipper Don Mattingly. However, Mattingly did indicate at today’s press conference that he believes Dodgers bench coach Tim Wallach will accompany him from L.A. to Miami.
  • Frisaro also tweets that former Major Leaguers Joey Cora and Mark DeRosa interviewed for the Marlins’ managerial vacancy. Both former infielders have been doing broadcasting work recently but were well-liked and well-respected players during their playing careers.

Blue Jays Name Tony LaCava Interim GM

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1:15pm: Shapiro announced LaCava as the interim GM at today’s press conference and said there’s no timetable yet for finding a permanent solution for the position (links to Twitter via Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson Smith).

12:24pm: The Blue Jays will name assistant general manager Tony LaCava the team’s interim general manager, Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun first reported this weekend. The Blue Jays are holding a press conference today to formally announce president Mark Shapiro today, so it seems likely that LaCava will be announced as the GM — at least on a temporary basis — today as well.

Toronto’s GM position was vacated last week when now-former GM Alex Anthopoulos turned down a new contract and resigned due to reported differences with incoming president Mark Shapiro. Blue Jays ownership also reportedly promised Shapiro full authority over player personnel decisions, meaning Anthopoulos’ extension essentially came along with a demotion in terms of his standing within the organization.

As Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi writes today, LaCava’s ties to Shapiro date back to 2002, when he served as a national cross-checker with Cleveland during Shapiro’s time as general manager there. LaCava joined the Blue Jays’ front office that October as a special assistant to then-GM J.P. Ricciardi. He was named assistant GM in 2007 and has since gained traction as a GM candidate around the league, interviewing for the Angels’ GM vacancy this summer. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Rob Biertempfel reminds that LaCava, a Pittsburgh native, interviewed for the Pirates’ GM job in 2007 before Neal Huntington was hired (Twitter link).

The Jays face many questions this offseason, including whether or not to exercise R.A. Dickey’s $12MM club option or pay him a $1MM buyout — they’re reportedly planning to exercise it — and whether or not to make a qualifying offer to Marco Estrada, as Davidi notes. However, the Blue Jays are also faced with the possibility of having to fill three rotation spots if Estrada and David Price depart and Mark Buehrle retires, as many expect. Both Aaron Sanchez and Roberto Osuna, who came through the minors as starters, are options, but shifting one or both to the rotation will create holes in the ’pen and raise 2016 innings concerns.

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