Indians Designate Chris Johnson For Assignment
The Indians announced that they have designated infielder Chris Johnson for assignment. The move will make room for the newly-signed Rajai Davis on the roster.
Johnson, 31, has a career slash line of .280/.316/.411 across seven big league seasons. He first arrived in Atlanta prior to the 2013 season as a part of the Justin Upton deal. This year, he was shipped to the Indians in a waiver trade that saw Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher, and cash considerations go to the Braves.
Johnson signed a three-year, $23.5MM contract prior to the 2014 season. Then 29 years old, Johnson was coming off a career year in which he batted .321/.358/.457 with 12 homers. However, much of that production was the result of a .394 batting average on balls in play, and his overall numbers have come back down to Earth as his BABIP regressed to his career norm. He hasn’t looked like an ~$8MM player as of late, but he could be a useful platoon bat given his success against lefties.
Johnson now joins Tyler Olson (Mariners), Rey Navarro (Orioles), A.J. Achter (Phillies), and Dan Otero (Phillies) in DFA limbo. To keep track of everyone who gets designated for assignment, check out MLBTR’s DFA Tracker.
Wei-Yin Chen Seeking Five-Year, $100MM Deal
Free agent pitcher Wei-Yin Chen is searching for a five-year, $100MM contract, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter). At that price, Kubatko adds, it’s clear that the Orioles have moved on to other offseason targets. At the outset of the offseason, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes projected that Chen would land a five-year deal worth $80MM. Apparently, the Scott Boras client is aiming higher.
Chen, 30, is coming off a nice four-year run with the Orioles which was highlighted by a particularly strong two-year platform in 2014-15. Over the past two seasons, he’s logged a 3.44 ERA with 6.9 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 to go along with a 40.8 percent ground-ball rate in 377 innings of work. Chen turned down a qualifying offer from the Orioles earlier this offseason, so signing him would require a team to forfeit its first eligible draft pick. That’s a notable disadvantage for Chen compared to quality pitchers remaining on the free agent market such as Mike Leake, Scott Kazmir, and Kenta Maeda. Late last month, Tim took an in-depth look at Chen and speculated on the type of deal he could land.
The Cardinals appeared to be a solid fit for a pitcher like Chen but GM John Mozeliak recently said that the team is unlikely to make a “dynamic” signing at this stage of the offseason. The Giants were known to have some level of interest in Chen, but they are almost definitely out on high-priced pitching after adding Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto this winter.
Rays, Rockies Have Discussed SP/OF Swap
The Rockies have spoken with the Rays about a trade that would send outfield help to Tampa in exchange for starting pitching, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Tampa Bay of course, has a pitching surplus to work with and the Rockies have been listening on their trio of outfielders. However, Rosenthal notes, the Rays already have Kevin Kiermaier, Steven Souza, Desmond Jennings, and Brandon Guyer in-house, so they’re more likely to seek prospects than major league-ready outfielders in exchange for their arms.
Carlos Gonzalez carries the highest asking price of the Rockies’ outfielders, but Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson are cheaper and have greater control rights. In particular, Dickerson has put up some huge offensive numbers and won’t even hit arbitration until next year. While he missed time last year with plantar fasciitis and fractured ribs, he still looks to be a highly intriguing asset. Gonzalez has two years and $34MM remaining on his contract. Blackmon, by comparison, is projected to earn just $4.5MM in his first of three arbitration seasons and is coming off a solid 2.1 WAR season (.287/.347/.450 slash).
The Rays are open to moving pitchers, but it doesn’t sound like we should expect to see a Chris Archer trade. Tampa Bay considers Archer “pretty close” to untouchable, according to major league sources who spoke with Rosenthal. The Rays are looking to win both now and in the future and it’s hard to envision that a trade of Archer could make them a stronger club in 2016. That probably won’t stop clubs from inquiring on Archer, however, who is signed to a club-friendly extension through 2019 with club options that can hold him through 2021.
Indians To Sign Joe Thatcher
11:58am: Thatcher’s deal calls for him to earn a $1MM base salary if he’s in the majors with an additional $1.2MM available through incentives, Cotillo tweets.
9:53am: It’s a minor league deal with a spring training invite, according to Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter).
8:30am: The Indians and Joe Thatcher have reached agreement on a deal, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. The left-hander spent last season with the Astros. It’s not immediately clear whether the pact is of the minor league or major league variety.
Thatcher, 34, pitched to a 3.18 ERA with 10.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 across 43 appearances last season. The southpaw was added to Houston’s 40-man roster as an Article XX(B) veteran right before Opening Day. In July, he was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for another pitcher and subsequently elected free agency. He circled back to the Astros in August, however, and wound up finishing the year on the varsity squad. In an admittedly small sample size, Thatcher finished out the season strong. In seven fall appearances (3.2 IP), Thatcher allowed just two hits, fanned four, and walked only one batter.
The signing of Thatcher marks the Indians’ third free agent signing in 48 hours after they added Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis on Wednesday.
Pirates Re-Sign Sean Rodriguez
THURSDAY, 10:57am: The Pirates confirmed the signing via press release.
TUESDAY, 1:07pm: The Pirates have reached a deal to bring back free agent infielder/outfielder Sean Rodriguez, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter links). He’ll earn $2.5MM and can earn up to $500K in incentives, per Crasnick and Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter).
Rodriguez, 30, came to Pittsburgh last winter via trade. He earned $1.9MM via arbitration in 2015, so his new deal represents a slight bump up in earnings.
His primary value lies in his defensive versatility. He’s spent time at every position on the field other than pitcher and catcher. Though Rodriguez has spent a plurality of his innings at second base, he’s also accrued over 400 frames at first, short, third, and left field.
Last year, Rodriguez ended up being utilized most often at first base. He’s obviously not suited for that position from an offensive standpoint, as he slashed just .246/.281/.362 over his 240 plate appearances, but the club needed his glove there as Pedro Alvarez struggled defensively.
It seems likely that Rodriguez will be deployed more frequently elsewhere in the infield in 2016, especially early in the year. With Neil Walker now playing for the Mets and Jung Ho Kang looking to return from a significant injury, he’ll represent an important depth piece for the club. The veteran has shown more at the plate in the past, as he hit just shy of league average over 2013-14 in Tampa Bay, and a return to that level of production would make this deal an easy win for the club.
Twins Sign Fernando Abad
The Twins have signed left-hander Fernando Abad to a minor league deal (Twitter link via team PR man Dustin Morse). Abad’s deal includes an invite to spring training.
It’s Abad’s 30th birthday today, so it’s dual cause for celebration in his household. Last season was far from Abad’s best, so he’ll look to rebound and restore his value in 2016. The left-hander appeared in 62 games for the A’s last season, pitching to a 4.15 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. In the year prior, however, Abad posted a 1.57 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.
Abad’s 5.50 FIP in 2015 was even gloomier than his ERA, and he was hit exceptionally hard by left-handers, yielding a .277/.315/.545 batting line to same-handed hitters in 2015. MLBTR projected Abad to earn $1.5MM through arbitration, but Oakland instead decided to designate him for assignment in late November.
As shown in the MLBTR Agency Database, Abad is a client of Magnus Sports.
Cubs Notes: Price, Bullpen, Heyward
The Cubs made a run at David Price this winter, but they weren’t necessarily close to landing him. Chicago fell roughly $50MM short of the Red Sox’s offer, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told WEEI this week. “We ended up a distant third,” Epstein said.
“He’s a great pitcher and we were involved and very interested,” said Epstein, who was apparently also behind the Cardinals in the Price sweepstakes. “We thought, he’s an elite, elite pitcher, the kind that very rarely makes it to the free agent market, he’s got terrific makeup, where he influences a team not just through his performance on the field, but he’s a real culture-changer or a culture-enhancer, at the very least, in the clubhouse.”
Here’s more on the Cubs:
- The Cubs’ current focus is on trading for relievers, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Chicago isn’t looking for high-end types like Andrew Miller of the Yankees, but they are fishing for middle-inning and setup options who would provide additional depth. In the outfield, he adds, the Cubs’ plan is to play Jason Heyward in center field rather than add a center fielder and slide Heyward into right field. The Cubs could also consider a trade for a starting pitcher.
- After sitting on lower payroll numbers for six years, Cubs ownership has opened up the purse strings, Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago writes. Epstein & Co. now have a projected $155MM payroll on the 25-man roster for 2016, eclipsing the previous watermark of $145MM in 2010. The payroll should keep rising from here, thanks to a projected attendance hike this season and a TV contract that will give the Cubs billions of dollars worth of revenue.
- In his introductory press conference this week, Heyward explained that he was drawn to the Cubs in part because of the roster stability he expects them to have going forward. “Knowing the core is young and those guys are going to be around for a while is very exciting,” Heyward said, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com. “I don’t want to take the highest dollar amount when my gut is telling me to go somewhere else. Being 26 years old and knowing that my contract would put me in any clubhouse for longer than most people there, you have to look at age, how fast the team is changing and how soon those changes will come about.”
AL Central Notes: Frazier, Indians, Tigers
After adding Todd Frazier, Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago wonders if the White Sox will grab another big bat off of the free agent market. Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes are potential targets for Chicago, but Alex Gordon makes the most sense for the White Sox, in Levine’s estimation. The club has payroll limitations to deal with, but Levine has some ideas for how it can squeeze in a $20MM/year outfielder with some creative accounting.
Here’s more out of the AL Central:
- In their talks with the Indians regarding Frazier, the Reds did not waver from their requests for Bradley Zimmer, Clint Frazier, and multiple other pieces from the Tribe’s farm system, according to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com (on Twitter). As a result, some people in baseball circles are surprised about the Reds’ haul in the trade relative to their asking prices elsewhere (link). In Wednesday’s three-way trade involving the White Sox, the Reds acquired infielders Jose Peraza and Brandon Dixon plus outfielder Scott Schebler from the Dodgers.
- Tigers GM Al Avila told 105.1 FM in Detroit that the team’s payroll situation would be “pretty ugly” with another big signing, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). Avila ruled out a run at top-of-the-market outfielders like Yoenis Cespedes at last week’s Winter Meetings, but Fenech recently noted that owner Mike Ilitch made no such claim. In theory, Cespedes’ reps at Roc Nation Sports could try and pitch directly to Ilitch, as Scott Boras reportedly did with Prince Fielder four years ago.
- Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago (on Twitter) doesn’t see the White Sox winding up with a high-profile free agent. The White Sox won’t rule anything out, he says, but they would prefer to make a trade or sign a lower-level free agent who does not require draft pick compensation to his former team.
Nationals Interested In Daniel Murphy
The Nationals have interest in free agent Daniel Murphy, a baseball source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Second base has been one of the Nationals’ biggest needs this offseason so a pursuit of Murphy would make a good deal of sense.
Murphy, 31 in April, boasted the best contact rate in baseball among qualified hitters in 2015. After hitting a career-high 14 home runs in the regular season, Murphy smashed seven more in the span of seven postseason games against the Dodgers and Cubs. On the flipside, Murphy is a below average defensive second baseman who owns a weak -6.3 UZR/150 rating. Last year, he managed only a -3.3 UZR/150 rating at second base which actually turned out to be the best of his career.
At the outset of the offseason, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicted that Murphy would land a four-year, $56MM deal with the Angels, Yankees, and White Sox getting involved. At the time of this writing, it’s not exactly clear who the leading teams are for the infielder, who turns 31 in April. The incumbent Mets apparently haven’t ruled out a reunion with Murphy, though they would like to sign him to a one- or two-year deal. Meanwhile, with unprotected first round picks will have to think long and hard before signing Murphy, who rejected the Mets’ QO earlier this offseason.
Earlier this week, the Nationals reportedly had trade discussions with the Reds regarding Brandon Phillips. While Phillips is intriguing, Washington is said to be gunning for a left-handed hitting second baseman to bring balance to their lineup. Murphy could do just that, though he cannot offer defense on the level of Danny Espinosa.
Dodgers Notes: Friedman, Frazier, Turner
Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda has traveled to Los Angeles to start meeting with teams, according to Bill Plunkett of the OC Register (on Twitter). The Dodgers, he adds, are expected to be among the clubs that place a bid in order to negotiate with the right-hander.
If the Dodgers are serious about making a run at the Hiroshima Carp star, they might find that the market for him isn’t as competitive as it might have been a few weeks ago. We learned last week that the Red Sox will not submit a bid to negotiate with Maeda thanks to the mammoth deal given to David Price. At the Winter Meetings, Giants GM Bobby Evans told MLBTR that his club had internal conversations about Maeda, but they’re almost certainly out on him after adding Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto.
Here’s more out of L.A.:
- Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters, including Shaikin (Twitter link) that he didn’t land Todd Frazier himself because he wanted Justin Turner to remain at third base. Acquiring Frazier and putting him elsewhere on the diamond would have been “messy,” in Friedman’s estimation. Frazier, of course, went to the White Sox in Wednesday’s three-way deal involving the Reds and Dodgers.
- Friedman says that the Dodgers like the newly-acquired Frankie Montas as a starting pitcher and, if not, they see him as an “impact bullpen arm,” Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Many scouts see Montas as a power reliever. Friedman says that his scouts believe that Montas has one of the best fastball/slider combos in the minors, Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweets.
- Friedman said he knows some teams are interested in the players he acquired today, but he cautioned that one trade is not necessarily precursor to another, Shaikin tweets. Still, when asked if he’s now more comfortable with the idea of parting with elite pitching prospects, Friedman answered in the affirmative (link).
- In an interview on KLAC, Friedman did acknowledge that the trade improves the team’s “trade capital to match up with other teams,” according to Bill Plunkett of the OC Register (on Twitter).