MLBTR Podcast: John Baker Joins From Cubs’ Camp
Former big league catcher John Baker joins the show to discuss his new role with the Cubs organization. Among the topics covered are the special vibe in camp and the organization’s supremely talented young backstops. Having recently written a piece for MLBTR describing the sense of anticipation as camp approaches, John also discusses what it’s like to be a player battling for a roster spot as camp draws to a close.
Also, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes hops on the line to dig into his first power rankings for the next class of free agents. Tim and host Jeff Todd exchange thoughts on players like Stephen Strasburg, Carlos Gomez, Yoenis Cespedes, and more as the 2016 campaign nears its start.
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The MLB Trade Rumors Podcast runs weekly on Thursday afternoons.
NL West Notes: D-Backs, Gray, Grandal, Seager
Diamondbacks middle infielders Jean Segura, Nick Ahmed, and Chris Owings have all thrived offensively in Spring Training, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. On whether he’d move any of the three for help elsewhere, general manager Dave Stewart told Rosenthal, “Not going to happen. If you make a trade, you’re depleting your depth. One thing we have right now is three major-league middle infielders capable of playing — and in my opinion starting — for a lot of teams at a top level.” Stewart is quite bullish about the D-backs as a whole, saying, “When I look at our team, I don’t have any concerns whatsoever.” Click here to read a newly published, in-depth interview between Stewart and MLBTR contributor Brett Ballantini.
Here’s the latest on some injury situations in the NL West:
- The Rockies expect righty Jon Gray to require about two weeks before returning to action while he rests his strained abdominal, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports. That doesn’t sound too serious, of course, but Gray expressed frustration that he won’t be able to fine tune in camp before the season starts. It seems likely that he’ll open up on the DL, with Christian Bergman and David Hale being the most obvious fill-in candidates. Of course, that might also open a roster spot for another pitcher to slide into the pen.
- Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal is dealing with a right forearm issue and, as a result, isn’t allowed to swing a bat or throw a ball, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. The Dodgers will limit Grandal in workouts until at least Sunday and then try to ease him back in as a designated hitter in minor league camp games, according to manager Dave Roberts. With the season just 10 days away, that would seem to put Grandal’s status for the opener in jeopardy. Grandal downplayed the injury – saying it’s not “major” or worthy of concern – and an MRI on his forearm “showed there was nothing of significant damage,” Roberts said. Still, Roberts didn’t rule out a season-opening stint on the disabled list for the 27-year-old. “I think if you look at his at-bats this spring, he hasn’t had many,” Roberts stated. “To get him back in a major-league game, optimistically Monday, you’re up against the calendar. That’s taking out any other setbacks.” The Dodgers could back-date Grandal’s placement on the DL to Friday and only lose him for the first five games of the year, per Plunkett.
- Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager looks like a better bet than Grandal to take the field on Opening Day. Seager, who sprained his left knee two weeks ago, took four at-bats in minor league games Thursday and tested his knee on the base paths beforehand. Though Seager didn’t run out of the batter’s box after his four ABs or play defense, he did come away encouraged by how his knee held up in his pregame workout, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. “Everything was fine,” Seager said. “I rounded first, stopped like I did when it buckled the last time, did other little things, no problems so far. No pain, that was nice.” While that’s generally positive news, his presumptive double-play partner, Howie Kendrick, may be another Los Angeles player to keep an eye on; as Gurnick tweets, he was scratched today with calf soreness.
Connor Byrne co-authored this post.
Diamondbacks Seek To Pursue New Ballpark
Chase Field opened in 1998, the year of the Diamondbacks’ inception, and has long drawn praise from the baseball community. But if the D-backs have it their way, it may not be their home for much longer, as Craig Harris of the Arizona Republic reports.
In a letter to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, President and CEO Derrick Hall argued that there is no reasonable recourse for the club but to “pursue other stadium options.” The problem, from the club’s perspective, is that the Maricopa County Stadium District — the board-controlled entity that owns the park — has failed to honor its alleged obligation to account for upwards of $187MM in maintenance and repair costs through 2027.
Hall puts it in even more dramatic terms in a statement released by the club today. “This spiral is insurmountable,” he said, apparently referring to the lack of funding for capital improvements, “and will result in a Chase Field that will no longer be a state-of-the-art facility as our agreement requires and may, in fact, become unsuitable for continued use. We cannot risk being put in that position.”
Even if that funding was available, however, the D-Backs say it wouldn’t make sense to use it towards the current, 18-year-old ballpark. Therefore, the team concludes in its letter, a new facility is necessary. While the organization says it strongly prefers to build in Phoenix, it also warns that it willing to “go elsewhere” to find an arrangement to its liking.
Of course, the contract at issue does not permit the team to pursue alternative stadium sites until 2024. While contending that the stadium district has ceded that right by breaching the contract, the club also requests authorization to explore alternatives — a request that has already been denied — under threat of pursuing court action.
Clearly, these maneuvers have set up a political and legal battle over the future home of the franchise. As Harris notes, the city’s hockey and basketball teams are also angling for new public commitments relating to their facilities, so there’s a broader picture at play here.
The Diamondbacks recently locked up a big new TV contract, ultimately dedicating over $200MM of that expected revenue flow to Zack Greinke. But new taxpayer-funded stadiums have long been another popular — yet highly controversial — means of boosting teams’ bottom lines yet further. The Braves’ shocking move out of downtown Atlanta provides a recent model, as Turner Field opened two years before Chase; the D-Backs’ letter calls that decision “economically efficient and responsible.”
Connor Byrne co-authored this post.
Offseason In Review: Pittsburgh Pirates
This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series. The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.
The Pirates’ offseason didn’t feature the kinds of decisive signings or trades that might convince fans the Bucs are ready to follow up on their terrific 98-win 2015 season, but that’s par for the course for an organization whose recent successes have been built more on sly under-the-radar moves than on heavy spending.
Major League Signings
- 1B John Jaso: two years, $8MM
- P Neftali Feliz: one year, $3.9MM
- P Juan Nicasio: one year, $3MM
- IF David Freese: one year, $3MM
- UT Sean Rodriguez: one year, $2.5MM
- P Ryan Vogelsong: one year, $2MM
- P Trey Haley: Major League contract
- 1B/OF Jake Goebbert: Major League contract
Notable Minor League Signings
Trades And Claims
- Acquired P Jon Niese from Mets for 2B Neil Walker
- Acquired P David Whitehead from Phillies for P Charlie Morton
- Acquired IF Jason Rogers from Brewers for OF Keon Broxton and P Trey Supak
- Acquired P Trevor Williams from Marlins for P Richard Mitchell
- Acquired P Kyle Lobstein from Tigers for cash
Extensions
- Chris Stewart, C: two years, $3MM (plus 2018 option)
Notable Losses
- Walker, Morton, A.J. Burnett (retired), J.A. Happ, Pedro Alvarez, Antonio Bastardo, Joakim Soria, Joe Blanton, Aramis Ramirez (retired) Vance Worley, Travis Snider
Needs Addressed
Critiquing a Pirates offseason is intimidating, because you feel like the team is daring you to admit you don’t really know what you’re talking about. Many commentators greeted recent past Pirates offseasons with ambivalence or even derision for being built around seemingly off-brand additions of players like A.J. Burnett, Russell Martin, Francisco Liriano, Mark Melancon and Francisco Cervelli … who then turned out to be core members of excellent teams. Whoops.
So what to make of the Pirates’ past winter, which featured the departures of key players like Burnett, Neil Walker and J.A. Happ and additions of a slew of low-cost replacements like Ryan Vogelsong, Juan Nicasio and John Jaso? Your guess is as good as mine. On the surface, it doesn’t look like the Pirates did nearly enough. But then, that’s how previous offseasons have looked too, and the last several have mostly turned out brilliantly.
The 2016 Bucs will have a new-look infield, with Pedro Alvarez and Walker departing to make room for Jaso and Josh Harrison (who will take over for Walker at second). Alvarez hit 27 home runs in 2015, but the Pirates non-tendered him anyway, a move that was entirely justified — Alvarez struck out frequently and hit for low batting averages, and his defense was inexplicably awful after moving across the diamond to first base. He was unlikely to produce enough value to earn the $8.1MM he was set to make in arbitration, so he had no trade value, and it’s not surprising the Bucs opted to let him depart.
To replace him, they signed Jaso to a cheap two-year deal. Like Alvarez last year, Jaso will be new to first base, but most players’ efforts to move to first from another position go better than Alvarez’s did. Also, as FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan has pointed out, catchers have generally fared well in transitioning to first base — think of Scott Hatteberg, Jason Phillips or Joe Mauer. Jaso doesn’t have nearly the power Alvarez did, but he does have a career .361 on-base percentage that should play well at first, particularly at just $4MM per season. Jaso, a left-handed hitter, needs to be platooned, but the Pirates already had righty first baseman Michael Morse under contract and top prospect Josh Bell in the minors, and their acquisitions of David Freese and Jason Rogers this offseason give them plenty more righty first base depth should Morse falter.
The Bucs then sent Walker to the Mets for Jon Niese. At first glance, this move makes less sense than the Alvarez/Jaso swap did. Walker, unlike Alvarez, is a genuinely good player, a consistent hitter with a broad offensive skill set who will generally produce two to three wins per season. (As a Pittsburgh native, he was a fan favorite to boot.) Niese, meanwhile, is a competent but uninspiring lefty whose strikeout rate dropped to 5.8 batters per nine innings last season. Walker and Niese also have similar salaries, so the Pirates didn’t even really save money in the deal.
Walker, though, was a below-average defender, and was only one year from free agency. Niese, meanwhile, gets ground balls — a skill the Pirates love — and has two options at the end of his contract, potentially allowing the Bucs to keep him for two more years than they could have kept Walker. The Pirates’ acquisitions of starting pitchers have generally gone quite well in recent years, so if pitching coach Ray Searage and company are able to rejuvenate Niese, the Bucs will be able to keep him through 2018 — but also aren’t required to guarantee those seasons if it doesn’t work out.
The long-term plan in Walker’s absence is to use Harrison (who played five positions in 2015) as their regular second baseman and Jung-Ho Kang at third. That plan set them up well defensively, but reduced their depth and wouldn’t work in April, when Kang figured to be battling back from a knee injury he suffered late last season. And so, in a late-breaking move, the Bucs signed Freese to a cheap contract. He’ll man third base until Kang returns, and will likely occupy a variety of roles after that, perhaps eventually displacing Morse as Jaso’s platoon partner. Freese, who’s been an average or better player in five of the last six seasons, was a bargain at $3MM.
The same can’t necessarily be said of some of the Pirates’ other cheap contracts. Sean Rodriguez can, at least theoretically, play seven different positions, but he hits so poorly that his versatility is of limited use. It would have been easy to imagine him signing a minor-league deal this offseason, rather than a $2.5MM Major League contract. Perhaps Rodriguez has value in the clubhouse that isn’t easy for outsiders to see.
Ryan Vogelsong, too, was a questionable use of funds, even though he’ll only make $2MM this season. Vogelsong is 38, has been replacement-level or below in two of the last three seasons, and was demoted to the bullpen last year. He’s in competition for one of the Pirates’ last two rotation jobs, and perhaps with some attention from Searage, he can improve upon his 4.67 ERA last season. Given his age and recent history, however, his upside appears limited.
The Bucs also signed Neftali Feliz for $3.9MM, which seems like a lot to pay a reliever who flamed out badly last season, has persistent control issues and hasn’t had an unambiguously good season (with both good results and good peripherals) since 2010. Feliz is just 27, though, and has good velocity working for him (although he doesn’t throw quite as hard as he did in his first few seasons with the Rangers). He’s also done well in Spring Training thus far, so perhaps he can be a Pirates reclamation project.
A more interesting cheap pitching deal was that of Juan Nicasio (pictured), who has a good fastball and slider (although not much of a changeup) and whiffed 10.0 batters per nine innings in the Dodgers’ bullpen last year. Given his stuff, age (29), service time (4.084 years, allowing the Pirates to control him for 2017 if they like) and ability to start, $3MM for Nicasio seemed like a reasonable gamble, and there are already signs it could pay off, with Nicasio whiffing 24 batters in 15 shutout innings so far in Spring Training. He’s still in competition for a job in the back of the rotation.
The Pirates also made a number of even less costly depth acquisitions. They got starting pitching prospect Trevor Williams in a lopsided, but minor, deal with the Marlins compensating the Bucs for the Marlins’ hires of Pirates executives Jim Benedict and Marc DelPiano. (In particular, the loss of Benedict, who was widely credited with helping many of the Bucs’ pitchers, could potentially be significant for the organization.) A reliever, Trey Haley, arrived from the Indians on a big-league deal but is likely to begin the season in the minors, where he’ll hone his mid-90s fastball, with the Pirates hoping he can improve his control enough to eventually contribute. There’s still some hope that Cory Luebke (who was signed to a minor league deal) can regain his former promise after a long battle with injuries. And fellow lefty Kyle Lobstein, acquired in a minor trade after the Tigers designated him for assignment, could serve as rotation depth or as a lefty out of the bullpen.
More analysis after the break …
Shane Victorino Won’t Make Cubs’ Roster, Mulling Rehab Offer
Cubs manager Joe Maddon announced today that outfielder Shane Victorino will not be on the Opening Day roster, as ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers was among those to report on Twitter. As an Article XX(B) free agent, he’d have posed a $100K retention bonus question to the club in just a few days’ time.
It appears that Chicago has offered Victorino an alternative arrangement, as MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat tweets. He is still considering the new deal, pursuant to which he’d rehab his ailing calf before reporting to Triple-A in hopes of earning a major league opportunity.
It’s not entirely clear whether a new contract is being contemplated or whether the veteran would be given his retention bonus (and an automatic June 1st opt-out date). Implicitly, it seems, he could instead elect to look for another organization on the open market.
Victorino, 35, signed on with the Cubs on a minor league deal in late February. He’s managed only ten plate appearances this spring, and already seemed to face an uphill battle to crack a roster full of outfield options. Long a sturdy regular, Victorino posted a meager .230/.308/.292 batting line in just 204 plate appearances last season — by far his worst output since he established himself in the majors back in 2006.
MLBTR Live Chat: 3/24/16
Click here to read a transcript of today’s chat with host Jeff Todd.
Orioles Acquire Edgar Olmos
The Orioles have acquired lefty Edgar Olmos from the Cubs, per a Baltimore announcement. Chicago will receive a player to be named later in the swap.
Olmos will join just-signed southpaw Zach Phillips in the mix to fill in for injured reliever Brian Matusz. Baltimore gave Phillips a 40-man spot, but will be able to hold onto Olmos without committing to him on the major league roster since he was previously outrighted by Chicago.
Baltimore has obviously been intrigued with Olmos before, as he was briefly a member of the organization before the Cubs claimed him off waivers. Soon to turn 26, the former third-round draft pick only has minimal major league experience but posted a 3.55 ERA with 9.3 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 in 33 Triple-A innings last year.
Career Notes: Dickey, Colon, Jimenez
Several notable big leaguers have officially hung up the cleats this offseason, or given an indication (sort of) about when they might be retiring. Here’s the latest from some more veterans about when they may or may not consider calling it a career…
- R.A. Dickey is entering the last year of his contract with the Blue Jays and the 41-year-old tells VICE Sports’ John Lott that he’ll sit down with his family after the season to decide on his future. Right now, “we’re all kind of undecided. We just like to stay in the moment,” Dickey said. If he does return, it would be for a situation that suits his family and likely a one-year contract. “I think I will be an attractive option for a lot of teams because I will not be requiring a multi-year deal, and I will probably be asking less than what my market value will be….And for me, it’s not necessarily about the money at this point. It’s about the right fit, and how close to home I’d be, and are there direct flights, and what is the clubhouse policy for kids, all that stuff,” Dickey said. Despite his age, the knuckleballer is as steady an innings-eater as any in baseball, averaging 219 frames per season since 2011. Given the lack of starting pitching available in next winter’s free agent market, Dickey is probably correct in assuming he would get a lot of interest.
- Speaking of ageless right-handers, Bartolo Colon tells Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that plans to pitch as long as he’s healthy. “I take it year by year. We’ll see what happens for me,” Colon said. The 42-year-old fan favorite is preparing for his 19th season in the bigs, returning to the Mets rotation until Zack Wheeler makes his midseason return from Tommy John rehab.
- Left-hander Cesar Jimenez hasn’t arrived at the Brewers‘ Spring Training camp, and while the team hasn’t heard anything official yet, Jimenez might be retiring, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. Jimenez appeared in 16 games with the Crew last season after he was selected off waivers from Philadelphia in August, and he signed a minor league deal to return to Milwaukee in January. Jimenez, 31, has a 4.05 ERA over 104 1/3 career innings and parts of six big league seasons with the Brewers, Phillies and Mariners.
Opt-Out Notes: Robinson, Boyer, Morales, Burnett, Murphy
As Spring Training winds to a close, several teams will face roster decisions on veteran minor league signings. Some of these veterans are Article XX(B) free agents whose fates have to be decided five days prior to Opening Day, while others have differing opt-out dates. Here’s the latest on some veterans looking to catch on with Major League rosters…
- Shane Robinson can opt out of his contract with the Indians on March 29 if he isn’t on the Tribe’s 25-man roster, MLBTR has learned. While Cleveland is notably thin on outfield options, Robinson could choose to opt out since the Indians have added veterans Marlon Byrd and Will Venable to their outfield mix within the last month. While Robinson has only a .237/.302/.313 slash line over 649 career plate appearances, he is an above-average baserunner and defender at all three outfield positions.
- Blaine Boyer‘s opt-out with the Brewers is March 27 and Franklin Morales can opt out on March 28, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Chris Capuano, another veteran arm competing for a job in the Brewers bullpen, appears to have the standard Tuesday deadline for Article XX(B) players.
- Sean Burnett‘s opt-out date on his Nationals contract is April 1, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports. The Nats have 24 hours to either add Burnett to the roster or release him if he exercises his clause. The southpaw is looking to make a comeback after pitching only 10 1/3 innings total over the last three seasons due to shoulder surgery and Tommy John surgery.
- David Murphy hasn’t heard anything from the Red Sox about his roster status and doesn’t expect to before the March 27 opt-out date, the outfielder tells WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. “I think in most cases in a situation where an out date is created in a contract, most teams are going to want to take it down to the wire because you never know what might happen with injuries,” Murphy said. On Monday, the veteran said he might consider retirement rather than go to the minors at this stage of his career.
Minor MLB Transactions: 3/24/16
Here are some minor moves from around baseball over the last week…
- The White Sox signed righty Chris Volstad to a minor league contract, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports. The move comes less than two weeks after Volstad was released from his previous minors deal with the Braves. Volstad was an innings-eating rotation arm for the Marlins and Cubs from 2009-12 but he’s pitched just 10 1/3 big league frames since then, bouncing between five different MLB clubs and a stint in the Korea Baseball Organization.
- The Marlins released righty Preston Claiborne, as per the team’s official MLB.com transactions page. Miami took Claiborne off waivers from the Yankees last winter but he missed the entire season with a shoulder injury. Claiborne posted a 3.79 ERA, 7.3 K/9 and 2.42 K/BB rate over 71 1/3 innings out of the Yankees bullpen in 2013-14.
- The Reds released southpaw Jonathan Sanchez, as per the team’s Twitter feed. Sanchez was a staple in the Giants rotation from 2008-10, tossing a no-hitter in 2009 and helping the team win the World Series in 2010. He had control problems even at his peak, however, and he posted an 8.73 ERA, 63 walks and 60 strikeouts over 78 1/3 innings in 2012-13, which was his last taste of MLB action.