Dodgers Hire Greg Maddux, Raul Ibanez As Special Assistants
The Dodgers have hired former MLB stars Greg Maddux and Raul Ibanez as special assistants to president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and the club’s baseball operations department, per a team announcement.
Maddux and Ibanez are both highly decorated ballplayers, of course, and also have accumulated a fair bit of experience since their playing days ended. They’ll assist in scouting and player development functions, according to the team’s press release.
The 49-year-old Maddux — a recent Hall of Fame inductee — has worked with both the Cubs and Rangers front offices in recent years, as J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group writes. During the 2013 World Baseball Classic, he was the pitching coach for Team USA.
Ibanez, meanwhile, worked as a television analyst last year after wrapping up his 19-year-career following the 2014 season. The 43-year-old has seen his name come up as a possible field staff candidate, but will instead make his first foray into the front office world with Los Angeles.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Click here to read a transcript of today’s live chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
Blue Jays To Acquire Darrell Ceciliani
The Blue Jays acquired outfielder Darrell Ceciliani from the Mets, as Chris Cotillo of SB Nation first tweeted. Toronto will send a player to be named later in the deal, per a team announcement, though New York calls it a cash deal in its own release.
The 25-year-old had been designated for assignment to clear roster space for Yoenis Cespedes. He’ll provide another outfield option for Toronto, which sacrificed some depth when it shipped Ben Revere to the Nationals for reliever Drew Storen. A left-handed hitter, Ceciliani did reach the bigs last year for New York but accrued only minimal major league experience.
It remains to be seen what the youngster can do with a full opportunity, but he’s shown some promise. He logged an impressive .345/.398/.581 slash and contributed nine home runs and 16 steals in his 255 plate appearances at Triple-A last year, and has generally swung the bat well during his time on the farm.
Notably, too, Ceciliani drew strong ratings from defensive metrics in his short, 129-inning run in the majors last year. He can be deployed all across the outfield, too, adding to his versatility.
Nationals Sign Brendan Ryan To Minors Pact
The Nationals have announced the signing of infielder Brendan Ryan to a minor league deal. He’ll receive an invitation to major league camp.
It’s been something of an odd offseason thus far for the 33-year-old veteran, who kicked things off by exercising a $1MM player option with the Yankees. But he found himself dealt to the Cubs along with Adam Warren in exchange for Starlin Castro, only to be released shortly thereafter by Chicago — indicating that the organization took on his salary as part of the financial maneuvering in that swap.
Ryan will enter a crowded infield situation in D.C., which already has added fellow former Yankee middle infielder Stephen Drew and second baseman Daniel Murphy this winter. And the Nats already feature Anthony Rendon, Danny Espinosa, and prospects such as Trea Turner and Wilmer Difo.
But the Nationals have a history of trusting roster spots to solid veterans, and Ryan could still have something to offer as a depth option in the team’s utility mix. He only slashed .201/.244/.271 while battling injuries over two seasons in New York and has never really done much at the plate. But Ryan rated as an immensely valuable defender when he featured as a regular shortstop and is capable of playing anywhere in the infield dirt.
Twins To Sign Carlos Quentin To Minors Deal
The Twins have agreed to a minor league contract with outfielder Carlos Quentin, according to Jon Heyman (Twitter links). He’ll receive an invitation to MLB camp, per Heyman, and would earn $750K if he makes the MLB roster, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets. Quentin also picks up a June 1 opt-out opportunity if he hasn’t been added to the roster, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter).
It had appeared that the veteran was headed toward retirement, though more recent indications were that he would pursue a return to the majors. His representatives have suggested he could factor in at first base or DH in addition to his usual corner outfield role.
Quentin, 33, was released last winter after he was shipped from the Padres to the Braves as part of the contract balancing equation in the (first) Craig Kimbrel trade. He caught on with the Mariners on a minor league deal, but appeared only briefly at Triple-A Tacoma before calling off his attempt to work back.
We last saw Quentin in the majors in 2014, when he scuffled to a .177/.284/.315 batting line while dealing with a steady progression of injuries. Of course, he’s done much more previously. Over the 2009 through 2013 campaigns, Quentin posted a strong .252/.346/.485 slash. While he’s never rated well as a defender, that robust production shows that the bat has never been much of an issue.
Minnesota certainly has little to lose by giving Quentin a shot at a return, but it’s not immediately clear how he’d fit in the club’s plans. The organization made a fairly significant investment in Byung-ho Park, who also profiles as a defensively-limited, right-handed slugger. And the club seemingly has the corner outfield covered with Miguel Sano (who’ll convert from third base), Eddie Rosario, prospect Max Kepler, and the still-youthful Oswaldo Arcia. First base remains occupied by Joe Mauer, with Park factoring as a part-time stand-in.
There’s always the possibility that Quentin could squeeze onto the roster as a veteran bench piece. But players such as Eduardo Nunez and Danny Santana look to be favorites to grab 25-man spots, given their youth and defensive flexibility for a club that has some questions in center and at short. Both Nunez and Santana are out of options, as is the left-handed-hitting Arcia, who may be facing his final shot in Minnesota.
For what it’s worth, though he hits from the right side, Quentin has actually been somewhat better against opposing righties over his career. If nothing else, he’ll provide a veteran option and some competition for the less-established players currently on hand.
Quick Hits: Do-Over Deals, QO, Tanking, Platoons
In honor of Groundhog Day, MLB.com has compiled some interesting tales of woe from top MLB executives. There’s a nice mix of mistakenly parting with prospects (Doug Melvin laments parting with Nelson Cruz when he didn’t need to); failing to pull the trigger for a key veteran (John Hart says he should have been willing to give Brian Giles to land Randy Johnson); failing to pick a side (Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti took a failed middle course in trading away Roberto Alomar); giving up on the wrong guy (Terry Ryan owns up to the decision to release David Ortiz); and reaching on a free agent (the Jeff Keppinger signing is a regret for Rick Hahn). It’s well worth a perusal of the bullets available at the link above, which has individual links to those and many more stories.
Here are a few more notes from around the game:
- The qualifying offer seems increasingly likely to be a major point of discussion in the coming CBA talks, with Howie Kendrick‘s surprisingly light free agent contract providing the latest cause for concern. In his interview with MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM yesterday (the second half of the chat at this audio link), agent Scott Boras provided an interesting case against the system. As he poses it, teams shouldn’t be forced to decide between improving at the major league level and taking opportunities for future improvement off of the table. And Jon Morosi of FOX Sports ticks through a few possible tweaks that might help balance the system out.
- “Tanking” is another subject that’s been in the papers lately, and ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports that it was also a topic of discussion at the most recent owner’s meeting. There are tie-ins to the revenue sharing system, Olney suggests, with some contributing organizations feeling that recipient clubs should be required to utilize those funds in service of their major league roster.
- Of course, small market clubs will always need to be more creative than their larger-budget brethren, and August Fagerstrom of Fangraphs explores one key method that most employ: taking advantage of platoons. Fagerstrom looks at projected platoons around the league to identify the combinations with the most promise. Three teams have reasonable expectations of 3+ WAR platoons, should they decide to use them: the Mets (Neil Walker and Wilmer Flores), Red Sox (Jackie Bradley Jr. and Chris Young), and Cardinals (Kolten Wong and Jedd Gyorko). Of course, none of those teams are light spenders, but there are numerous other examples throughout the post, including the possible combination that the Rays just set up with Corey Dickerson and Steve Pearce.
Central Notes: Alvarez, Uribe, Brewers
Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News takes an interesting look back at what was perhaps the first modern deployment of the opt-out clause. Then-Twins GM Andy MacPhail utilized a player option to lure top starter Jack Morris to the organization. “I thought, what’s the worst thing that can happen?” says the current Phillies president. “I was already committed to giving him $9 million over three years. He could pitch great and leave or he could like it and stay the whole time. Either scenario, I would’ve taken. Nor did I get any criticism at the time.” Things couldn’t have worked out much better, as it turns out, as Morris helped lead Minnesota to a World Series before departing. If you’re interested in some more reading on the history and development of the now-pervasive opt-out, check out this piece from MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes.
Here are some notes from the game’s central divisions:
- Former Pirates corner infielder Pedro Alvarez is more than just a DH, his agent Scott Boras tells MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (audio link). Alvarez still has the skills and athleticism that got him to the hot corner in Pittsburgh in the first place, says Boras, who rejects the idea that he’s a bat-only player “based upon a short sample size or a moment in his career where he’s had an irregularity in throwing.”
- The Indians are still pursuing free agent third baseman Juan Uribe, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. We’ve heard consistent chatter on that connection for quite some time, but it still isn’t clear whether Cleveland will (or will need to) push up its offer to get something done. There have also been suggestions that the club may be prepared to wait to see who’s left without a seat when the music stops this winter.
- The Brewers have paid a lot of attention to center field this winter, Tom Haudricourt writes for Baseball America. In the immediate term, the organization will hold “an open competition,” per GM David Stearns, with veterans Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Eric Young Jr. looking to hold off youngsters Domingo Santana and Keon Broxton. Of course, Santana is seen more as a corner outfielder in the long run, but the club will presumably dedicate most of its playing time there to Ryan Braun and Khris Davis. As for Broxton, Stearns had praise for him as a near-term and future option. “He gives us increased depth in the outfield and has a chance to play center field,” he said. “We think Keon has a chance to be a real asset to our team, beginning this year.”
2015-16 Free Agent Spending By Team To Date
There’s certainly still some work left to be done in the free agent market, so it’s too soon for any grand pronouncements, but the vast majority of the money has probably already been spent. It’s long been clear that this year would include a record overall spend, and that has indeed occurred. (2013-14 had the previous high of just over $2B.) And it seems we’ll likely end up with another new high point in terms of average annual value, though awarding that crown will need to await a final tally.
For now, we’ll focus primarily on spending by team. With Ian Desmond, Dexter Fowler, Yovani Gallardo, David Freese, Austin Jackson, Tyler Clippard, Mat Latos, and Justin Morneau still yet to be taken off of MLBTR’s top fifty free agent board — to say nothing of the many other viable as-yet-unsigned players — there’s definitely more cash to be distributed.
So, the list could well change quite a bit, and that may be something to revisit. But it’s still interesting to take a peak. We did this last year, and the year prior, and some spending patterns have changed. There are obvious reasons for that, of course, which in many cases reflect roster realities and opportunities more than overarching strategies. But the cases of some teams — the Yankees and Mariners, for example — are rather dramatic.
There are several observations apparent from these figures, and others which are buried in the underlying data. The Dodgers, of course, have spread a good bit of money over many players and years. Organizations like the Cubs (Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist, and John Lackey), Tigers (Justin Upton & Jordan Zimmermann), Giants (Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, and Denard Span) racked up significant tallies with multiple large contracts. Other clubs’ major splashes are hidden somewhat by multiple, less significant signings, as with the Orioles (Chris Davis), Marlins (Wei-Yin Chen), and Cardinals (Mike Leake). The Rangers and Angels are traditional big spenders, and current contenders, who have been quiet in free agency. And the Diamondbacks’ one big open-market splash — Zack Greinke — remains a sight to behold.
Note that the above figures include the signings and posting fees for Kenta Maeda (Dodgers) and Byung-ho Park (Twins), neither of whom was technically a free agent. The contract between Cuban free agent Yaisel Sierra and the Dodgers is not included, as its precise value remains unreported, though it is said to be in the range of $30MM over six years. (That would, of course, only further drive home that organization’s wide spread of free agent spending.) MLB deals with unreported guarantees are presumptively treated as league-minimum.
Here it is in chart form for visualization:
Quick Hits: Yankees, Cardinals, Brewers, D-Backs
The Yankees don’t appear to have any inclination to go hunting for a big league replacement for injured first baseman Greg Bird, as Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News tweets. “[Dustin] Ackley is the backup first baseman on the big-league level and we’ll explore replacing Bird for Scranton,” said Cashman. Needless to say, that quote doesn’t appear to put New York in the running for any of the better remaining free agent options.
Here are a few more stray notes from around the game:
- While the Cardinals have pursued outfield moves this winter, that doesn’t mean the team isn’t excited about its current group, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch writes. The lack of a major addition certainly opens the door to a full opportunity to younger options — Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty, in particular. “You look at his progression through the Minor Leagues, and it was a perfect trend,” said GM John Mozeliak of Piscotty. “It was always getting better. There is a level of confidence that he’s the right guy to make the bet on.”
- The Fangraphs team has a few interesting looks at the recent five-player trade between the Brewers and Diamondbacks. Jeff Sullivan suggests that righty Chase Anderson delivers some sneaky value upside to Milwaukee. And Dave Cameron argues that Arizona might not have chosen the wisest route to upgrading its middle infield.
- The MLB.com prospect team rates the best tools among prospects. It’s no surprise that many of the leaderboards are dominated by the game’s very best overall young talents, but there are a few (somewhat) less-prominent players that took home top honors, too. Among them: Yankees shortstop Jorge Mateo (best speed) and righty Dillon Tate of the Rangers (top slider).
Minor MLB Transactions: 2/1/16
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- Righty Jonathan Pettibone has signed a minor league pact with the Cubs and received an invitation to MLB camp, per a club announcement. The 25-year-old contributed 100 1/3 solid innings as a starter for the 2013 Phillies, registering a 4.04 ERA with 5.9 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9. But significant shoulder issues interrupted that campaign, and he’s hardly pitched competitively since. Pettibone underwent surgery to repair a SLAP tear in 2014, had a second procedure done last summer, and then lost his 40-man spot earlier this winter.
- The Mets have added catcher Raywilly Gomez on a minor league deal, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The 26-year-old gets a major league camp invite. Gomez spent last year with the Angels’ Double-A affiliate, compiling a .291/.385/.336 slash in 284 plate appearances. He’s also spent time in the Phillies and Diamondbacks organizations.