Orioles “Expect” To Land Both Gallardo, Fowler
FEB. 20: The Orioles are “closer than ever” to signing Gallardo, reports Encina. The two sides are nearing agreement on a three-year deal in the $35MM to $40MM range. Executive vice president Dan Duquette says a deal is not imminent. It’s worth noting that the Orioles tend to be very fastidious with final contract details and physicals. A final announcement may not come tonight, but it’s looking increasingly likely.
FEB. 19: The specific holdup in talks between the Orioles and Gallardo aren’t clear, but an opt-out clause is not the cause for the delay, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Baltimore is not going to give Gallardo an opt-out clause, and the pitcher’s camp is not demanding one in negotiations.
FEB. 18: Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun hears that Fowler has recently been seeking a four-year deal or, at least, more than $45MM on a three-year deal. Baltimore’s reportedly increased willingness to spend bodes well for the two sides being able to bridge that gap. Encina writes that the O’s “don’t seem to be in a rush” to complete either deal, noting that fans shouldn’t expect to see either in camp today. Encina echoes the sentiment that the O’s ultimately expect to sign both, however.
FEB. 17, 7:35pm: ESPN’s Buster Olney reports some of the parameters being discussed by the Orioles and Fowler (links to Twitter). The two sides are exploring a deal that would pay Fowler $12-13MM per season over a two- to three-year term, Olney hears. That’s a hike from previous comparisons to Howie Kendrick‘s two-year, $20MM contract with the Dodgers, but even $12-13MM over a two- or three-year deal represents, from my vantage point, a rather nice value for the Orioles.
Olney adds that it is the Orioles’ “expectation” that they will sign both Gallardo and Fowler, with Gallardo bolstering the starting pitching and Fowler becoming the team’s everyday right fielder.
1:03pm: We checked in earlier today on the Orioles’ efforts to make some late additions of qualifying offer-bound free agents, as reports have suggested continued optimism that Baltimore will finalize a deal with righty Yovani Gallardo. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com hears much the same (links to Twitter), and adds that the O’s are “confident” they’ll land outfielder Dexter Fowler as well.
Notably, per Kubatko, the O’s have yet to agree with the dollars being sought by their open-market targets — suggesting that there’s a bit more ground to cover than some minor contract provisions. He adds, interestingly, that the price tag on one or both players has “apparently changed recently.”
The expected cost of these players at this stage of the market remains a bit murky, though we have heard suggestions on both. Gallardo was said to be nearing agreement on a deal that would pay him in the $40MM to $45MM range over a three-year term. And Fowler has reportedly drawn interest from the O’s at around two years and $20MM.
While there’s still confidence in adding multiple players, Kubatko says that the Orioles would be interested in reaching agreement with Fowler whether or not a deal is first finalized with Gallardo. Adding either player would require the sacrifice of the 14th overall pick in this summer’s amateur draft, while signing both would spread that cost somewhat since the O’s next selection currently stands as the 29th choice.
Meanwhile, Baltimore still isn’t ruling out a move for Reds’ outfielder Jay Bruce. But it appears that the interest is tepid, as the team has real concerns about the former star’s ability to bounce back after two consecutive disappointing campaigns.
Mets Notes: Defense, Pitchers, Henderson
The Mets return as one of the National League’s favorites, but if they have an Achilles heel, it’s their defense, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal writes. The team’s two key new position players, Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera, rate as significantly below average at their positions, adding to a team defense that was exposed in the World Series last year. “We’re always looking to upgrade both offensively and defensively,” says Mets GM Sandy Alderson. “But I’d say generally speaking, we have a bias toward offense. I think you see that reflected up the middle for us – (Travis) D’Arnaud, Cabrera, Walker, (Yoenis) Cespedes.” Of course, as Rosenthal notes, the Mets’ pitching staff still figures to have a very high strikeout rate, and the offense should be potent. I’d add that while the Mets’ up-the-middle defense doesn’t look to be strong in 2016, and while the team’s defense struggled at times in late October, the Mets’ 2015 fielders actually graded out decently overall. They’ll also be returning some of their better-rated defenders, including Michael Conforto, Curtis Granderson and the improving d’Arnaud, along with many pitchers who have posted good defensive numbers. Here’s more from New York.
- The Mets will be very careful this season with their young pitchers’ health, writes MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. The team will have Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz all begin Grapefruit League action a bit late, and will monitor their progress throughout the season. “We’ve got to get them ready, but it will be a slower process,” says manager Terry Collins. “And we will be careful of them early in the season, because we expect them to be pitching in October again.”
- Jim Henderson, one of the Mets’ non-roster invitees, has a June 15 opt-out on his minor league contract, Newsday’s Marc Carig tweets. Henderson has not pitched in the Majors since 2014 and threw only 35 2/3 innings in 2015 while making his way back from a shoulder injury, so as Carig notes, the opt-out gives the Mets a bit of time to evaluate his progress.
Phillies Notes: Payroll, Prospects, Bullpen
GM Matt Klentak says the Phillies plan to do plenty of spending “under the hood” this winter, Matt Gelb of Philly.com writes. By “under the hood,” Klentak means spending that isn’t necessarily entirely public, like on analytics, scouting, player development and infrastructure. (The Phillies currently have about $77MM committed to ten big-league players and figure to come in significantly below their usual Opening Day payroll figure of $160MM or so.) Klentak also notes that the Phillies have the first pick in the June draft and have the largest bonus pool (about $5.6MM) with which to sign international amateur talent. They are not expected to incur penalties by significantly exceeding that bonus pool amount, Gelb writes; that likely makes sense, given that the Phillies figure to have a large pool next year as well and there is skepticism about the possibility of MLB establishing an international draft by then. Here’s more out of Philadelphia.
- Phillies president Andy MacPhail says the organization will learn plenty this season about how quickly it can return to being competitive, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com writes. “What we’re going to find out this year more than anything is what kind of track we’re on,” says MacPhail. “That’s going to be determined by the 25 we break with. It’s also going to be determined by how some of those next-level guys progress and how many of them demonstrated they’re ready to come to the big leagues.” MacPhail adds that the team will be careful with the promotions of top prospects (like J.P. Crawford, Nick Williams, Jake Thompson, Mark Appel, Jorge Alfaro and Roman Quinn) — the Phillies don’t want to have to demote their top youngsters after they’ve been promoted for the first time, so they want to make sure they’re sure they ready before they call them up.
- After sending Ken Giles to the Astros, the Phillies have plenty of space in their bullpen, Zolecki notes. They added David Hernandez on a big-league deal this offseason and hope to use one or perhaps more of four minor league signees — Andrew Bailey, Ernesto Frieri, Edward Mujica or James Russell — as late-inning options. Of course, Bailey pitched sparingly in 2015 and the other three had rough seasons, but all except the lefty Russell have closing experience, and the Phillies aren’t counting on all four to be successful. “I can’t say they’re all going to be as impressive,” says manager Pete Mackanin. “I’d like to believe that more than a couple guys are going to make our job difficult.”
Braves Notes: Payroll, Blair, Jenkins, Grilli
The Braves have over $10MM in leftover payroll that they could use to upgrade the club in-season, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes. It’s also possible they could use some of that money on amateur international talent. Of course, it seems very unlikely that the Braves will contend this season, so it would be very surprising if they were deadline buyers in the traditional sense. Perhaps, though, there are scenarios in which they could use their extra payroll to take on the contract of a player signed beyond 2016 who might help them in future seasons. Here’s more out of Atlanta.
- Also via Bowman, GM John Coppolella also notes that the Braves will not let service time concerns dictate the promotion timelines of players like Aaron Blair or Tyrell Jenkins (neither of whom have yet pitched in the Majors) should those players prove they deserve to start the season in the Braves’ rotation.
- It doesn’t appear pitchers like Blair and Jenkins will win rotation spots, but perhaps it is possible. Via David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (on Twitter), Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez says that only three pitchers (Julio Teheran, Matt Wisler and Bud Norris) are penciled into rotation spots as of now, with the other two spots open. (Other potential rotation options include non-roster invitees Kyle Kendrick and Jhoulys Chacin, along with younger pitchers like Williams Perez, Manny Banuelos and Ryan Weber.)
- Braves reliever Jason Grilli believes he’ll be able to make a successful return from the ruptured Achilles tendon that caused him to miss the second half of last season, Bowman reports. Bowman writes that Grilli has been throwing off a mound without trouble. Grilli notes that he’s had tougher injuries in the past, including a knee injury that caused him to miss the entire 2010 season. “This was child’s play in comparison to the knee,” he says. “They told me I wasn’t going to walk again with my knee. So, with the Achilles, there are still some precautions you take, just like you do with your arm. I’m just coming in here and I’ve got six weeks to get ready.” The 39-year-old was having a terrific season in 2015 prior to the Achilles injury, posting a 2.94 ERA, 12.0 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 while saving 24 games in his 33 2/3 innings.
AL West Notes: Scheppers, Nuno, Guerrero
Rangers reliever Tanner Scheppers will have surgery on his left knee to repair torn articular cartilage, and he will be unavailable for the first half of the season, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes. Scheppers suffered a bone bruise in his left knee last year, but the Rangers don’t think his current injury is related. “He woke up a few days ago and the knee was a little puffy,” says GM Jon Daniels. “He can’t think of a moment where he tweaked it.” Scheppers, 29, pitched 38 1/3 innings last season, posting a 5.63 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9. Here’s more from the AL West.
- Mariners manager Scott Servais says lefty Vidal Nuno will pitch only in relief this Spring, MLB.com’s Greg Johns tweets. (Servais also notes that the same is true of Danny Hultzen, although that had previously been reported.) Nuno arrived from Arizona in the Mark Trumbo / Welington Castillo deal last June and posted a 4.10 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in four months in Seattle. The 28-year-old was far more successful (1.91 ERA) in 37 2/3 innings in relief than he was in 51 1/3 innings as a starter (5.08 ERA), and he had a large platoon split, so he might ultimately prove most useful to the Mariners coming out of the bullpen.
- Longtime Expos and Angels star Vladimir Guerrero will return to the Halos this spring as a guest instructor, Guerrero himself tweets. The 41-year-old Guerrero has been out of affiliated baseball since playing briefly in the Blue Jays’ minor league system in 2012. He signed, but never played, with the independent Long Island Ducks in 2013 before officially retiring with the Angels in 2014. He has, however, remained on the periphery of the game, with his son Vladimir Jr. now a top Jays prospect.
Latest On Orioles’ Outfield, Pitching Searches
Here’s the latest on the Orioles’ search for outfield and pitching help, via various O’s beat writers on Twitter, including the Baltimore Sun’s Eduardo A. Encina, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli.
- A previous report had indicated that the Orioles “expected” to sign both Dexter Fowler and Yovani Gallardo, each of whom rejected qualifying offers at the beginning of the offseason. At least according to Orioles exec Dan Duquette (via Encina), though, that might not be the case — he says the Orioles are currently considering the value of the draft picks the team would forfeit as a result of signing Fowler and Gallardo (currently Nos. 14 and 29 overall) and how those draft picks impact those players’ value.
- Kubatko writes that the Orioles are considering other outfield options besides Fowler, noting that other available free agents would not require the loss of a draft pick. Of course, there’s the possibility that stance could be a ploy by the Orioles’ to drive Fowler’s asking price down. The two sides had reportedly been considering potential two- and three-year deals, although another report indicated Fowler as seeking at least four years, or over $45MM on a three-year contract.
- According to Ghiroli, the O’s haven’t yet seen Tim Lincecum pitch. The Orioles have repeatedly been connected to Lincecum, although they’re waiting to see how he looks after having worked his way back from hip issues.
Pirates Notes: Joyce, Benedict, Cole
It appears outfielder Matt Joyce, who recently signed to a minor-league deal, might have a good shot at making the Pirates out of camp. Joyce’s locker is in the same room as players already on the 40-man roster, despite the fact that he himself is a non-roster invitee, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets. Joyce himself, meanwhile, says that Pirates manager Clint Hurdle says the Bucs “see me as kind of like the fourth outfielder,” as MLB.com’s Adam Berry notes (via Twitter). Joyce does note that he’ll have to prove himself in camp. The Bucs’ three starting outfield spots are set with Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Gregory Polanco, but there isn’t much depth behind them, with Jason Rogers, Jake Goebbert and Sean Rodriguez previously looking like they had the clearest shots at any spare playing time in the outfield. Rogers and Goebbert can both be optioned, however, and Rodriguez can play other positions. Here’s more on the Bucs.
- Former Pirates pitching guru Jim Benedict could be the Marlins’ most important offseason acquisition, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. The Pirates had already lost another executive, Marc DelPiano, to the Marlins when the Fish came calling for Benedict, so the two teams worked out a related deal in which Miami sent pitching prospect Trevor Williams to Pittsburgh as compensation. “The challenge becomes when that same organization continues to come back for people,” says Bucs GM Neal Huntington. “It becomes harder to lose somebody that has insight on your organization and who the talented people are in your organization. We do need to protect ourselves from being raided by a single organization or exploited by a single organization.” Huntington adds that while the organization will miss Benedict, the team retains “parts of what allowed him to be successful” — including, presumably, well-regarded big-league pitching coach Ray Searage.
- Bucs starter Gerrit Cole is behind schedule in Spring Training due to a right rib inflammation, Biertempfel writes. The injury took place in mid-January. Obviously, the absence of their ace from an already dubious rotation would be a significant blow to the Pirates. The condition does not appear serious, however, as Cole is already throwing from flat ground and is expected to soon begin throwing from a mound. “It’s just a modified throwing program at this point,” he says. “I’m not too far behind everybody else, but I feel good.”
Padres Sign Casey Janssen To Minor League Deal
10:09am: The Padres have officially announced that they’ve signed Janssen to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite.
9:36am: It appears possible the Padres have agreed to terms with veteran righty Casey Janssen, perhaps on a minor league deal. Janssen currently has a locker at the Padres’ Spring Training facility, MLB.com’s Corey Brock tweets. Janssen is an ACES client.
The 34-year-old Janssen spent 2015 in the Nationals bullpen, pitching 40 innings while posting a 4.95 ERA, 6.1 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9. The Nats declined their option on him after the season. Janssen, who collected 20-plus saves with the Blue Jays in each season from 2012 through 2014, has maintained his walk-limiting abilities in recent years but has suffered a steep decline in his strikeout rate, likely due in part to a dip in average fastball velocity from about 92 MPH in 2011 and 2012 to below 89 MPH last year. He’s also become a fly ball pitcher, with his ground ball rate dropping from 47.9% in 2013 to 29.4% last season and his home-run rate doubling during that time.
Those factors would appear to make Janssen quite vulnerable going forward, but given his solid control and his history as a closer, it’s not surprising he found a landing spot. After trading Craig Kimbrel to the Red Sox, the Padres currently have Fernando Rodney (who, like Janssen, is a veteran with a dicey recent history), penciled in at closer. It seems possible that they could turn to Janssen in the role if he makes the team and Rodney falters.
Week In Review: 2/13/16 – 2/19/16
Here’s a look back at the past week at MLBTR.
Arbitration
- Players avoiding arbitration this week included Astros DH Evan Gattis (link). A full list of arbitration-avoiding deals can be found at MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker.
Extensions
- Rockies – IF DJ LeMahieu (two years)
- Rangers – manager Jeff Banister (link)
- Royals – manager Ned Yost, GM Dayton Moore (link)
Options
- Diamondbacks – exercised manager Chip Hale’s option for 2017
Signings / Re-signings
- Royals – P Mike Minor (two years)
- Indians – IF Juan Uribe (one year)
- Rays – P Ryan Webb (one year)
- Dodgers – P Louis Coleman (one year)
Claimed
- Rockies – C/IF Tony Wolters (from Indians)
Released
- Rockies – P Christian Friedrich (whose waiver claim had been reversed)
Retired
- IF Nick Punto (link)
Key Minor League Signings
- Pirates – OF Matt Joyce (link)
- Nationals – P Matt Belisle (link), P Burke Badenhop (link)
- Cubs – P Aaron Crow (link)
- Blue Jays – C Tony Sanchez (link)
- Royals – IF Clint Barmes, P Brian Duensing, P Ross Ohlendorf (link)
- Tigers – P Bobby Parnell (link)
- Red Sox – P Carlos Marmol (link)
- Rangers – 1B Ike Davis (link)
Pirates Sign Matt Joyce To Minor League Deal
SATURDAY: The Bucs have officially announced the deal.
THURSDAY: The Pirates have agreed to a minor league contract with outfielder Matt Joyce, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 31-year-old ACES client will presumably compete for a bench spot in Spring Training, as the Pittsburgh outfield mix of Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Gregory Polanco is among the best in the game.
The 2015 campaign was far and away the worst of Joyce’s career, as he batted just .174/.272/.291 with five homers in 284 plate appearances as an Angel after being swapped for right-hander Kevin Jepsen in an offseason trade with the Rays. While those numbers, clearly, are unappealing, Joyce’s track record prior to that dismal season was very solid. From 2010-14 with the Rays, Joyce posted a collective .251/.344/.434 batting line with 73 homers in 2219 plate appearances.
In the event that Joyce makes the Pirates’ roster, he’d very much be a platoon or matchup option for manager Clint Hurdle, as even in that quality stretch with Tampa Bay, he batted a paltry .185/.246/.313 in 326 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. Conversely, his numbers against right-handed pitching look rather impressive: .263/.360/.456 with a 12.8 percent walk rate and 18.7 strikeout rate.
Currently, the Pirates’ options for backup outfielders include Mike Morse, Jake Goebbert and Sean Rodriguez. Morse is most likely viewed as a first base option as opposed to a candidate for significant time in the outfield, leaving the latter two (and perhaps fellow non-roster invitee Antoan Richardson) as Joyce’s primary competition.