Cafardo’s Latest: Clippard, Thornton, Cobb, Lee, Free Agents
It’s easy to buy into Spring Training hype, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe notes in his latest column as he looks at some of the major Red Sox storylines heading into camp. While the Sox have drawn mostly approval for their offseason dealings, Cafardo warns that pundits were saying the same thing last year prior to Boston’s last place season. Here’s some more from Cafardo’s piece…
- The Astros have asked about Tyler Clippard. Houston has already made a couple of big offseason moves to reinforce their bullpen in trading for Ken Giles and re-signing Tony Sipp, and adding Clippard would only further deepen a relief corps that also includes Luke Gregerson, Will Harris, Pat Neshek and Josh Fields. Clippard’s market was fairly quiet for much of the winter, though as Cafardo notes, things have started to heat up for the veteran righty with at least six teams (including the Rays and Diamondbacks) showing interest.
- Matt Thornton is drawing interest from around six teams, though the veteran lefty may have to settle for a minor league contract. Thornton turned 39 in September and has a 1.98 ERA over 77 1/3 innings in 2014 and 2015, though with only a 5.9 K/9 in that stretch, ERA predictors such as xFIP (4.19) and SIERA (3.79) are less enthused with his performance over the last two years. The Braves, Pirates and Twins were all rumored to have some interest in Thornton earlier this offseason.
- The Rays are likely to keep their pitching, despite “quite a bit of interest” from other teams about Alex Cobb.
- Teams have considered signing Cliff Lee, though they’re wary of giving him a contract in the range of $6MM-$8MM (plus incentives).
- Dan Uggla‘s agent says that teams have called about his client, though no side has made any commitments. The veteran infielder is another player who is likely to only find a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite.
- “It’s just so slow out there” for the large number of veteran players still on the market, one agent tells Cafardo. This offseason has been the apex of a growing trend in recent years for teams to spend on a few high-salaried stars and then rely on young, cheap talent for the rest of the roster rather than spend more on established veterans. This not only goes for the rank-and-file veterans looking for bench jobs but also for would-be starters like Ian Desmond, Dexter Fowler and Yovani Gallardo, all of whom have had their markets slowed by the qualifying offer-attached draft compensation required to sign them. “The [draft-pick] compensation issue is a factor, no question, and we have to do something about it with our collective bargaining talks because this is hurting good baseball players getting jobs,” the agent said.
- An AL general manager, however, implies that some agents should perhaps be a bit more realistic about their demands. “The agents are still asking for major league guarantees for players who should be grateful for major league invitations and minor league deals,” the GM said. “I hear the agents blaming the teams, but I think a lot of teams are willing to add these players. But we’re in February, and quite frankly the signings need to be on our terms at this stage of the game. Eventually, these guys will break down and sign minor deals but we’re close to spring training and there hasn’t been a lot of bend.”
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Blue Jays, Pirates, Segura
Here’s our weekly look around the baseball blogosphere:
- Jays From The Couch interviewed Tayler Saucedo.
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TPOP determines the Pirates Trade Value rankings of assets in the organization.
- Inside The ‘Zona ran down Jean Segura‘s pros and cons.
- Philliesdelphia says catcher J.P. Arencibia could surprise in Spring Training.
- Chin Music Baseball ran down the most questionable moves of the offseason.
- Swingin A’s analyzed Fangraphs’ analysis of the A’s.
- Camden Depot has a primer on Odrisamer Despaigne.
- Yankees Unscripted wonders if Brett Gardner will remain a valuable commodity.
- Big Three Sports discussed Curt Casali.
- Pirates Breakdown talked Gerrit Cole‘s slider.
- Gardy Goes Yardy crunched the numbers on keeping Mark Teixeira.
- Outside Pitch MLB feels Dansby Swanson could be this year’s Carlos Correa.
- L.A. Dodger Report is now on board with the Howie Kendrick deal.
- MLB Reports also feels the Kendrick signing was wise for the Dodgers.
- Innings Eaters says keeping Jose Bautista could backfire on the Jays.
- A’s Farm ran down it’s top 10 list for 2016.
- Clubhouse Corner says Christian Arroyo is California Dreamin’ to MLB.
- The Runner got an exclusive with Bugs Bunny.
- The First Out At Third is confused by the Brewers’ trade.
- Redbird Rants delved into Lazarito.
- Think Blue PC noted the advancement of Jacob Rhame.
- Baseball Hot Corner wonders if Troy Tulowitzki can win the AL MVP.
- BBA ponders what the Yankees should do sans Greg Bird.
- Dynasty Digest says Bryce Harper would look good in pinstripes.
- Blue Jays Plus says Toronto can afford extensions for Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion.
- Notes From The Sally previewed the Greenville Drive.
- Wayniac Nation wonders if Tim Lincecum is a good fit with the Yankees
Please send submissions to Zach Links at ZachBBWI@gmail.com
Quick Hits: Bell, Linares, Puig, Jackson, Rays
The big ticket free agents aren’t always the most important offseason additions, writes AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Using the Steamer projection system, Cassavell takes a look at the six players he thinks will most affect their respective divisions. Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman and Cubs center fielder Jason Heyward are obvious picks. Surprisingly, Cassavell finds Mike Napoli to be the big name in the AL Central while Wade Miley‘s move to Seattle could be sneaky important.
Here are a few more notes from around the league:
- Cuban veterans Alexei Bell and Yordanis Linares will hold workouts on February 15 and 16 in Baja California, tweets Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. Bell, 32, was reported to have left Cuba on January 13 and could fit as a right fielder. Linares’ defection was reported last summer. The 26-year-old doesn’t have enough professional experience in the Serie Nacional to avoid international spending restrictions. Bell, however, can be signed by any team.
- The White Sox should target Yasiel Puig, opines Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Chicago has shown curiosity about the Dodgers outfield depth and could obviously stand to improve in the outfield. Rumors have tied them to veteran lefty Andre Ethier who could provide a useful platoon bat. However, Puig represents a more definitive upgrade with a star ceiling. Unfortunately, young talent comes with a price. Merkin lists pitchers Carson Fulmer, Spencer Adams, and shortstop Tim Anderson as possible targets for the Dodgers. Trading any of that trio would be a bitter pill to swallow.
- The Indians could be a fit for free agent outfielder Austin Jackson, suggest Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com. Center field depth would be useful considering that Michael Brantley will start the season on the disabled list. Lonnie Chisenhall, Rajai Davis, and Abraham Almonte figure to form the Opening Day outfield, and it’s not hard to see a way to improve upon that trio. At the very least, additional depth in case of injury would be valuable.
- The Rays should consider three more offseason moves, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The bullpen could use additional depth – perhaps Tyler Clippard or Tommy Hunter. Either Desmond Jennings or Brandon Guyer can be traded. The team is deepest with them on the roster, but they may be expendable. Jennings’ health may make a trade difficult. Lastly, Ian Desmond looks more and more attractive as a buy low option. The Rays have to be willing to discard their 13th overall selection in the draft if they’re to sign Desmond.
Rays Provide List Of Desired Stadium Specs
The Rays have provided Hillsborough County officials with a list of specifications for their proposed new stadium, write Charlie Frago and Richard Danielson of the Tampa Bay Times (see also, Christopher O’Donnell of the Tampa Tribune). The Rays recently won a concession from the St. Petersburg government that will allow them to survey the area for a new site. A one page document details the team’s wishlist ranging from development options, site size, accessibility, and financial considerations.
The club’s lease agreement for their current home park, Tropicana Field, runs through 2027. The Rays have spent most of their tenure in St. Petersburg attempting to gain clearance for a new site in the St. Pete-Tampa Bay area. Their time at the Trop has not gone well. The Rays routinely “race” the Athletics for lowest attendance. Incidentally, the A’s are also locked in a battle to relocate.
The Rays’ one page spec sheet demanded a 20 acre site suitable for a baseball field. The surrounding area should contain development potential – either existing local businesses or the potential for new ones. The team has aspirations to create a new Camden Yards by building the first in the next generation of major league stadiums. They speak of creating a come-early and stay-late atmosphere with a next level fan experience. Their desire to integrate with external entertainment, retail, and food options dovetails with the latest trends in stadium building.
The document also refers to a need for a “public-private partnership.” That’s shorthand for tax payer money. Tax payer funding of stadiums is always a fascinating angle to evaluate. Economic analyses typically find that public funding of stadiums mostly profits club ownership at the expense of tax payers. Cities still agree to fund stadiums despite the evidence against them.
As for next steps, the Rays will begin to meet with interested parties. The city believes that the current Tropicana site and another called Toytown fit the team’s specifications. Presumably, the Rays will begin to hone in on more specific details from here.
Sherman’s Latest: Cespedes, Ramirez, Castro, Sano
Several teams are gambling on successful position changes for core players, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. While it’s not uncommon for a team to sign a player like Jason Heyward and shift him to a new position for a couple seasons, these transitions don’t always go swimmingly. Sherman examines some of the biggest names to watch this season, and we’ll touch upon a few of them here.
- The Mets were wary about committing to Yoenis Cespedes in part because of his shaky history in center field. As Sherman writes, Cespedes’ top defensive attribute is his arm. However, in center, range tends to be more valuable than arm strength.
- Last season, the Padres attempted to shift Wil Myers from an outfield corner to center. His experience could serve as a chilling example for Mets fans. When he wasn’t battling injury, Myers graded out as an atrocious center fielder. This season, San Diego plans to shift Myers to first base. It’s yet another position at which he has limited experience. Interestingly, Myers has moved all over the field in his professional career – he started out as a catching prospect, and he also has experience at third base.
- Another failed outfielder moving to first base, Hanley Ramirez, will be critical to the Red Sox success this season. Ramirez was a disaster in left field, but there is hope he can be more focused and healthier in an infield role. David Ortiz occupies the designated hitter role. He’s expected to retire after the season, meaning Ramirez could be shifted to a bat-only role after 2016.
- The Yankees are taking a gamble of their own on Starlin Castro. The former Cubs shortstop hit much better after a shift to second base, but his defense still graded out as below average. Unlike Cespedes, Myers, or Ramirez, Castro looked merely below average rather than nightmarish. The Yankees hope that more experience at the position and smoother actions can lead to defensive improvement in 2016.
- In an attempt to manage their corner infield and designated hitter surplus, the Twins are going to try prospect slugger Miguel Sano in the outfield. Sano, a third baseman by trade, doesn’t have professional experience in the outfield. However, his shift will allow the club to start Sano, Joe Mauer, Byung-ho Park, and Trevor Plouffe. In my opinion, the Twins might have been smarter to move Plouffe into the outfield. He has experience as a utility man and an established bat. Sano will now need to learn a new position while adjusting to major league pitching.
East Notes: Elway, DeShields, Castillo, Wheeler
Legendary quarterback John Elway was nearly a Yankee, writes Tracy Ringolsby of MLB.com. Ringolsby sat down with scout and former executive Gary Hughes to talk about some of the multi-sport athletes he’s recommended over his lengthy career. The Yankees selected Elway in the second round of the 1981 draft. Elway told Hughes he would play baseball professionally if the Baltimore Colts didn’t trade him. Ultimately, they did, and he chose football. Hughes insists that Elway had special talent and would have had a successful career in baseball.
- While working with the Expos, Hughes was instrumental in the signing of Delino DeShields. The second baseman was committed to attending Villanova on a basketball scholarship but changed his mind after playing in rookie ball. When asked why he decided to forego his basketball scholarship, DeShields said, “if I am going to be any good, I have to concentrate on baseball.” Not only did DeShields have a successful 13 season career, his son recently broke out for the Rangers as a Rule 5 pick.
- Rusney Castillo has been worth a decent 1.3 WAR in 329 career plate appearances, writes August Fagerstrom of FanGraphs.com. That’s roughly a league average outfield over a full season, although most of the production has come on defense. The Red Sox undoubtedly hope to get more offense out of their $72.5MM investment. Fagerstrom digs deeper to examine Castillo’s profile at the plate. His high ground ball rate generates a disheartening list of comparables – Christian Yelich, Joey Butler, and Jose Tabata are the only better than average hitters of the bunch. Supposed adjustments to his swing path will need to click for him to morph into a serious offensive threat.
- The Mets are targeting a July 1 return for rehabbing pitcher Zack Wheeler, writes Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Wheeler underwent Tommy John surgery last March. The procedure typically has a 15 month recovery period, and it’s no coincidence his 15-month anniversary is June 25. While some pitchers in the past have recovered from the surgery faster than the 15 month timeline, players and teams now believe the slower recovery period is best for long term outcomes.
NL Central Notes: Pirates, Hoover, Piniella, Brewers
Here’s some news from around the NL Central…
- It’s still possible the Pirates could add another lefty reliever, MLB.com’s Adam Berry writes in a reader mailbag. Tony Watson is one of the game’s best southpaw relievers, but Pittsburgh’s bullpen is otherwise pretty thin on left-handers with Major League experience. Berry opines that the likes of Craig Breslow, Neal Cotts, Sean Marshall, Franklin Morales or Matt Thornton could be fits if the Bucs indeed chose to pursue another southpaw, though it’s also possible they stand pat since they generally don’t use specialists out of the pen.
- Neither J.J. Hoover or Reds president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty had any hard feelings over the arbitration hearing between the two sides, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reports. Hoover won the hearing, meaning he’ll earn $1.4MM in 2016 as opposed to Cincinnati’s $1.225MM figure. “It’s just part of the environment. I am thankful for the experience and seeing the inner workings of this process,” Hoover said, also noting that he “had no idea that so much research and preparation went into a case.”
- The Reds announced the hiring of Lou Piniella to a consulting position as a senior adviser to the team’s baseball operations department. The former manager will also spend time with the club during Spring Training, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. Piniella managed the Reds from 1990 to 1992, leading the team to its most recent World Series championship during the ’90 season.
- Something as simple as communication can make all the difference in a young prospect’s development, as Brewers GM David Stearns and newly-hired farm director Tom Flanagan tell Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Each player receives his own specific set or checklist of goals that need to be achieved to reach the majors, in order to make the player’s path as clear as possible. “There’s enough distractions once a player gets to the big leagues,” Flanagan said. “We’re trying to eliminate those that could come up along the way….We don’t want anyone to fall through the cracks.”
- In other NL Central news from earlier today, the Cubs have checked in with the Rays about Tampa Bay’s pitching and outfield surplus.
International Notes: Gurriel, Oh, Cardinals, Matsuda, Otani
Here’s the latest player news from abroad…
- A recent goodwill trip to Cuba from several Major League stars was “the greatest experience of my life,” Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tells MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. Gurriel, possibly the top Cuban prospect still in the country and the latest member of Cuban baseball’s most iconic family, was honored to meet such stars as Miguel Cabrera (“my hero,” Gurriel said) and Clayton Kershaw. He also received an informative pep talk from Jon Jay about what’s expected to play in the big leagues, and “hearing those words from a Major League player is something that will stay with me forever,” Gurriel said. The youngest Gurriel and his older brother Yuliesky — considered by many as the best player in the Serie Nacional — have both drawn lots of attention from MLB scouts but Lourdes Jr. insists that they will only leave Cuba with the government’s permission. (Note: the brothers are reportedly now going by ‘Gurriel’ rather than the more commonly-known ‘Gourriel’ spelling that the family has used for decades.)
- The Cardinals‘ signing of Seung-hwan Oh marks what the club hopes is the beginning of a strong pipeline of Asian talent, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch writes. In a three-part series (all links here), Langosch details how the Cards have developed their process for scouting Asian players essentially from scratch over the last decade. The piece also includes the news that St. Louis had interest in Nobuhiro Matsuda as a utility infielder earlier this winter before the team instead traded for Jedd Gyorko.
- The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters are holding their spring camp in Arizona at the Padres’ Spring Training facility, giving North American scouts a first-hand look at right-hander Shohei Otani, Baseball America’s Bill Mitchell writes. Otani is only 21 but he was attracting interest from MLB scouts even out of high school before deciding to begin his pro career in Japan. Otani owns a 101-mph fastball and has a 2.72 ERA and 421 strikeouts (against 136 walks) over his first 377 2/3 career innings, and he also has a .729 OPS in 557 PA as a part-time outfielder.
Diamondbacks Looking At Free Agent Relievers, Including Tyler Clippard
TODAY: The D’Backs have been in contact with Clippard’s representatives, Fanragsports.com’s Jack Magruder reports (Twitter link).
FRIDAY: Clippard sits “atop [the D-Backs’] wish list” for another late-inning arm, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).
THURSDAY: Despite saying just yesterday that his team doesn’t “have much going on” in the way of new player acquisitions, Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that the club will still look into the free-agent relief market.
After finding the cost too high to add another pen arm via trade, Stewart suggested that the Snakes may yet pull the trigger on an open-market addition. “We could look at what’s left on the free-agent market,” he said. “I keep getting pushed back to the same position: Trading three or four prospects for seventh-inning guys is probably not something I want to do.”
It isn’t entirely clear who might be targeted, but Stewart seemingly indicated that he’s interested in a reasonably significant addition. He certainly suggested that top remaining reliever Tyler Clippard is under some consideration. “We have not talked to his people, (but) that is a good name,” Stewart said of Clippard. “I know we talked about it internally, so I think there’s a pretty good possibility we will (reach out), at least just to see.”
Beyond Clippard, though, there don’t appear to be many fellow free-agent arms that will garner attention from Arizona. “I think there’s probably only going to be a few options that will fit,” said Stewart. “I don’t see there being a bunch.”
The D-Backs did save some cash by shedding Aaron Hill‘s contract via trade, and could conceivably deploy that $4MM or so on another arm. As explained in the above link regarding Stewart’s comments from last night, the club has a lot of names in the pen mix but could probably stand to add another, more established piece.
Quick Hits: Wedge, Nathan, Draft, Roster Building
A surprisingly large number of noteworthy veteran free agents are still available, a phenomenon that ESPN’s Buster Olney explores in his latest subscription-only column. The signing drought extends to big-name free agents like Dexter Fowler and Yovani Gallardo to lower-tier players just looking for Spring Training invites. “I understand that my guy isn’t what he once was, but nothing? Not even a chance to come in and impress and beat out other guys for a job in camp? I just don’t get it,” one agent said. Several executives and agents believe that tanking could be part of the issue, as teams looking for a higher draft pick in 2017 have little need for a veteran who could provide a win or two. Other factors include an under-valuing of experience, and a greater reliance on both young players and trades to fill out a roster.
Here’s more from around the baseball world on Babe Ruth’s 121st birthday…
- The Blue Jays have hired Eric Wedge as a player development advisor, the team announced. The former Indians and Mariners manager is well known to Jays president Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins from their time together in Cleveland, which included an AL Central title and a run to Game Seven of the ALCS in 2007. Wedge had been rumored to join Toronto’s front office for several weeks.
- Wedge’s hiring “has the feel of manager in waiting,” MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link) opines. A managerial change would be rather a surprise in the wake of the Blue Jays‘ AL East championship, though skipper John Gibbons has a well-known close relationship with former Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos and it isn’t unusual for a new front office to install a new face in the dugout.
- Dave Pepe, Joe Nathan‘s agent, tells FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi (Twitter links) that his client is planning to pitch in 2016. “He feels great…We are just going to look for the best opportunity and are not necessarily in any rush to sign,” Pepe said. Nathan underwent Tommy John surgery (the second such procedure of his career) last April and said earlier this offseason that he was hoping to pitch by May or June. Despite Nathan’s age and injury history, around 10 teams were checking in on him.
- It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a high school pitcher be selected near the top of the amateur draft, Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron writes, with perhaps even the Phillies using their first overall pick on highly-touted southpaw Jason Groome. While only a few of the high school arms taken with the top few picks have developed into productive big leaguers, Cameron notes that this year’s draft class doesn’t yet offer much in the way of standout hitting prospects or college pitchers who could be technically “safer” choices.
- Some of the draft’s intriguing junior college prospects are profiled by ESPN.com’s Eric Longenhagen (Insider subscription required), including the children of some prominent former Major Leaguers.
- Each team’s roster is broken down by Fangraphs’ August Fagerstrom to investigate how clubs acquire their players — whether by trades, international signings, free agent signings, waiver pickups, or the amateur or Rule 5 drafts. Fagerstrom breaks down each category by fWAR to see where each club excels at deriving value, including some notable observations about the Giants‘ unmatched wealth of homegrown talent and the Cubs‘ strong run of recent trades.