Jeff Francis Retires
Veteran lefty Jeff Francis will retire after parts of 11 seasons in the Major Leagues, he tells MLB.com’s Thomas Harding.
Selected ninth overall by the Rockies in the 2002 draft, Francis, now 34 years old, would make his Major League debut just over two years later in 2004. While the 4.77 ERA that Francis logged in his first stint with the Rockies (882 2/3 inning from 2004-10) doesn’t necessarily look impressive, that translated to league-average production (100 ERA+) when adjusted for the fact that Francis’ home games in that time came at Coors Field and in a much greater offensive environment than that of today’s game.
Francis tossed 183 innings for the Royals in 2011 before returning to the Rockies in 2012-13 and ultimately splitting the 2014-15 campaigns between the Reds, Yankees, Athletics and Blue Jays. Though he played for several clubs over the course of his career, Colorado holds a special place in his heart, Francis explains to Harding. He spoke particularly highly of the 2007 Rockies that rode an incredible streak — 21 wins in 22 games — to a Game 163 tiebreaker, an NLDS victory and a National League Championship.
“It was special to be able to be a champion,” said Francis. “I know we didn’t win it all, but that was a team that came together, even though I don’t know what was expected of us. We did special things in dramatic fashion. We felt unstoppable. It was almost as if the drama was too much to think about. Looking back, I’m sure there was a lot of pressure, but I don’t think we felt it. We just rode a wave and took it as far as we could.”
Francis will bring his career to a close with a 72-82 record, a 4.97 ERA, 869 strikeouts and 384 walks in 1291 innings. All told, Francis took home more than $20MM between his yearly salaries and hefty $1.85MM signing bonus out of the draft. MLBTR extends its best wishes to Francis in his post-playing days.
Cubs Sign Jason Heyward
3:43pm: Heyward receives full no-trade protection from 2016-18 and limited no-trade protection in 2019-20, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. (Heyward will have 10-and-5 rights after that point, assuming he remains with the Cubs.) Heyman also reports that Heyward receives a $20MM signing bonus that is fully deferred, adding that the he’ll earn $15MM in 2016, $21.5MM in 2017-18, $20MM in 2019, $21MM in 2020-21 and $22MM in 2022-23 (links to Twitter).
Heyward can opt out after the 2018 season, and, if he chooses not to do so, will trigger a second opt-out clause following the 2019 season by reaching 550 plate appearances in 2019, Heyman adds.
DECEMBER 15, 2:34pm: The Cubs have announced the signing and are introducing Heyward today.
DECEMBER 11, 2:29pm: FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that Heyward can opt out after the third year or fourth year if he meets certain plate appearance thresholds.
1:47pm: Heyward’s contract does indeed contain the option to opt out early, reports MLB Network’s Peter Gammons (Twitter link). However, he can opt out not only once, but twice, per Gammons. ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers reports (also on Twitter) that the first opt-out clause comes three years into the contract, meaning Heyward can hit the open market entering his age-29 season if he chooses.
1:35pm: Bob Nightengale of USA Today hears it’s an eight-year, $184MM deal for Heyward (Twitter link) — an annual value of $23MM.
1:04pm: Heyward’s contract guarantees him less than $185MM and is believed to be for eight years, reports Wittenmyer (Twitter link).
12:12pm: Jason Heyward has chosen to sign with the Cubs, multiple sources tell Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). Exact financial terms aren’t known, but Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets that the Cubs landed Heyward for less than $200MM despite the fact that the Nationals are said to have offered around, or exactly $200MM. An opt-out clause in the contract would certainly make some sense, though reports haven’t indicated that to be the case just yet. Still, Heyward’s agent, Casey Close of Excel Sports Management, has previously negotiated such clauses for clients Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Masahiro Tanaka.
Heyward, 26, adds to an exciting class of free-agent additions for the Cubs this offseason (really, in the past week or so), as the team has already agreed to a four-year, $56MM pact with Ben Zobrist and a two-year, $32MM contract with John Lackey (to say nothing of a one-year deal to bring back Trevor Cahill, who had a relatively quiet resurgence in the Chicago bullpen).
Like Lackey, Heyward rejected a qualifying offer at the beginning of the offseason, meaning he’ll cost Chicago a draft pick. The Cubs, then, will be forfeiting the No. 28 pick in the draft as well as their second-round pick, which would’ve fallen in the early 70s when factoring in the first Competitive Balance Round and compensation picks for teams losing free agents that rejected the qualifying offer.
The question following this addition, of course, will be how Heyward slots into the outfield. The three-time Gold Glove winner is known as one of the game’s premier defensive players but has been almost exclusively a right fielder. Consensus seems to be that he can handle center field if need be, but with a pair of highly controllable assets flanking him in the form of Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler, it’s conceivable that the team will make a move to flip a young outfielder (Soler has been mentioned in rumors far more than his young counterpart, Schwarber) in order to further strengthen the rotation. Of course, that would again leave the Cubs with a hole in center field that needs to be addressed.
Defensive metrics are, of course, imperfect, but it’s still notable that since debuting in 2010, Heyward leads all Major Leaguers, at any position, with 119 Defensive Runs Saved. He’s also the runaway leader in cumulative Ultimate Zone Rating in that time (+94.4), and his prorated UZR/150 of +18.4 trails only Juan Lagares and Andrelton Simmons among qualified fielders. Those rankings hold weight even when shortening the sample size to the past three years, as each metric agrees that Heyward is the best defensive player in the game aside from his former Atlanta teammate, Simmons.
Wherever he fits onto the diamond or into the lineup, Heyward will strengthen the Cubs not only defensively but on offense as well. Though many point to his lack of home run power in recent years — he’s averaged 13 per season since 2013 — Heyward has continually whittled away at his strikeout rate and posted consistently strong on-base percentage marks (especially relative to the declining league average in that regard). In his lone season with the division-rival Cardinals, Heyward batted .293/.359/.439 with 13 homers and 23 steals (in 26 attempts). His offensive output was 16 percent better than that of a league-average hitter when adjusting for park, by measure of OPS+, while a similar metric, wRC+, rated his park-adjusted offense to be 21 percent better than the league average.
That the Cubs will effectively be signing Heyward away from the Cardinals only sweetens the deal for the club. Much in the way that the D-backs felt extra value by keeping Zack Greinke away from the Dodgers and Giants in signing him, Heyward will not only strengthen the Cubs — his departure will weaken one of their two biggest rivals. The same can be said of Lackey, who will also jump from St. Louis to the other side of the storied rivalry between the two franchises.
The Heyward market was quiet for a good portion of the offseason, but in recent days, the finalists were said to be the Cubs, Cardinals, Nationals and possibly the Angels, while the Giants also reportedly had interest but didn’t progress to the point of making an offer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
2016 MLB Arbitration Tracker Now Available
20 of the 183 arbitration eligible MLB players have agreed upon contracts for 2016, so there’s plenty of work left to be done. Star players such as Josh Donaldson, Jake Arrieta, Nolan Arenado, Dallas Keuchel, Manny Machado, Matt Harvey, and A.J. Pollock are among those eligible for the arbitration process for 2016. Keep track of all arbitration eligible players with MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker! The tracker allows you to filter by signing status, team, and service time, and also contains information on Super Two players, filing numbers, and hearings. Bookmark the 2016 Arbitration Tracker today! You can also find the link under the Tools menu up top and under MLBTR Features on the sidebar.
Players will file for salary arbitration on January 12th, figures will be exchanged on January 15th, and hearings will take place during the first three weeks of February. MLBTR’s world-famous arbitration salary projections can be found here.
Mets Re-Sign Jerry Blevins
The Mets have reached agreement with free agent lefty Jerry Blevins on a deal that will bring him back to New York, MLB Network’s Matt Yallof reports on Twitter and Blevins himself confirms in a tweet. Per Yallof, the veteran southpaw will earn $4MM and can tack on another $1MM through incentives.
Blevins, 32, came to New York from the Nationals last winter via trade and posted five hitless frames to open the year. But successive arm fractures ended his season at that early juncture, breaking up a three-year run in which he averaged 61 frames annually.
The Nats shipped Blevins to their division rivals after he put up an ugly 4.87 ERA in 2014. But by some measures, that was actually the most productive season of his career. He put up career bests that year in strikeouts (10.4 K/9), FIP (2.77), xFIP (3.25), and SIERA (2.93).
Obviously, the Mets like the outlook for Blevins, both in terms of his ability and his health. He certainly has put up strong run prevention numbers in the past — including a 2.80 ERA over 125 1/3 innings from 2013-14 — and has dominated left-handed hitters to the tune of a career .206/.257/.322 slash.
While the arm troubles are concerning, it isn’t as if they were the typical elbow/shoulder problems that could prove persistent. Blevins was simply unlucky, first taking a line drive to the forearm and then re-fracturing it in an ill-timed fall.
MLBTR Poll: Best $100MM+ Pitching Contract
We expected a lot of competition at the top of the free agent market for starting pitching, and the results have not disappointed. There was plenty of discussion heading into the winter as to which top arm would make the most sensible investment, and now we can begin to assess that with the knowledge of the deals they’ve signed.
While all of the top four starters have landed guarantees of over $100MM, as expected, there have been some creative contract structures that make it impossible to assess the deals simply by comparing total value. Let’s take a closer look (in order of lowest to highest guarantee; links to posts on signings):
Jordan Zimmermann, Tigers: Five years, $110MM. Full no-trade for three seasons, then 19-team no-trade list for final two seasons. Backloaded annual salary structure. Guarantees age 30 through 34 campaigns.
Johnny Cueto, Giants: Six years, $130MM. Opt-out rights after two seasons; also includes club option if opt-out isn’t triggered. Slightly front-loaded structure in which $46MM of guarantee is payable in first two years. Guarantees age 30 through 35 campaigns.
Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks: Six years, $206.5MM. Significant deferrals ($60MM total) reduce present value to around $194MM. Limited no-trade protection. Guarantees age 32 through 37 campaigns.
David Price, Red Sox: Seven years, $217MM. Opt-out rights after three seasons. Guarantees age 30 through 36 campaigns.
The Zimmermann contract looks relatively affordable, but Detroit won’t easily be able to trade him. Cueto could give San Francisco two good seasons at a good price and then leave, but is the risk worth it? The D-backs get one of the best pitchers in the game in Greinke, but it took a huge AAV to buy up his mid thirties. And then there’s Price, who is an in-prime ace but required Boston to promise the highest-ever total guarantee for a pitcher.
So, which of these contracts looks like the best bet to work out?
Which $100MM+ Pitching Contract Is The Best Investment?
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Jordan Zimmermann 38% (7,776)
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David Price 23% (4,745)
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Johnny Cueto 22% (4,461)
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Zack Greinke 18% (3,667)
Total votes: 20,649
Rangers Re-Sign Bobby Wilson
The Rangers have announced the re-signing of catcher Bobby Wilson to a minor league deal. Texas also announced a previously-reported two-year pact with reliever Tony Barnette.
Wilson, 32, slashed just .189/.255/.250 over 147 plate appearances last season, splitting his time between the Rangers and Rays. Though he’s seen action in parts of seven MLB campaigns, he has not quite reached 600 plate appearances in the majors. Wilson’s calling card is his glove; he continued to draw strong framing ratings last year.
West Notes: Cueto, Giants, Astros, Dodgers
Giants GM Bobby Evans discussed the prospective addition of Johnny Cueto yesterday, noting the deal’s upside, as Alex Pavlovic of CSNBayArea.com reports. “You have a guy that has a chance to be an elite presence in your rotation if he’s healthy and we can play good defense behind him and he uses our ballpark to his advantage,” said Evans. Of course, the deal is not yet official, though Evans’s comments appear to suggest that the club isn’t too worried about the physical, which John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle says (on Twitter) will likely take place Wednesday.
Here’s more from out west:
- The San Francisco GM also addressed the team’s outfield search, indicating that he’ll continue to keep an eye on all potential options in the market. But a significant move isn’t likely after the commitments to Cueto and Jeff Samardzija, Pavlovic reports.
- ESPN.com’s Keith Law discusses the Cueto move, explaining that there’s a good deal of risk for the Giants but noting that there are some positives. For one thing, says Law, the veteran looks to be a good fit for spacious AT&T Park; for another, the early opt-out provision (after two years) arguably makes better sense than other such uses of that type of clause. Of course, it ultimately all comes down to whether Cueto will return to form or if his rough second half is an indication of the future.
- The Astros would “definitely like to bring in another starter,” owner Jim Crane said yesterday, as Jose de Jesus Ortiz tweets (video link). Houston has real interest in Yovani Gallardo, could potentially match up on Mike Leake, and remains interested in a reunion with Scott Kazmir, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports. The team doesn’t appear to be moving on Kenta Maeda, he adds, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if GM Jeff Luhnow and co. decide to wait out the market and “bargain hunt.”
- Former big league catcher Josh Bard is likely to join the Dodgers coaching staff, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports tweets. He’s expected to slot in as the bullpen coach, Morosi suggests.
Latest On Hyun-Soo Kim
TODAY: Kim has strong offers in his native Korea and appears likely to remain there, a source tells Rich Dubroff of CSNmidatlantic.com (via Twitter).
But there are other MLB clubs in pursuit also, tweets Connolly. He says that the Padres may also have made an offer.
YESTERDAY: The Orioles appear to have serious interest in Korean outfielder Hyun-Soo Kim, according to report from Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). Baltimore has already extended Kim a two-year offer that would likely guarantee him $3MM to $4MM per season and is continuing to negotiate with his representatives.
Kim, who’ll soon turn 28, just reached free agent eligibility after nine seasons with the KBO’s Doosan Bears. He has reportedly received offers from multiple MLB clubs, though it appears that Baltimore is the first club to be publicly tied to an actual offer.
The Orioles have long been said to be looking for one or more outfielders, and a commitment of that magnitude would suggest that Kim would slot into at least a semi-regular role. Baltimore utilized a variety of platoon options in the corner last year, but Kim would “likely” feature in left if signed, Connolly adds via Twitter.
Kim has put up a big .318/.406/.488 slash in the offensively robust KBO, and last year had his best-ever showing. Not only did he slash .326/.438/.541, but Kim also banged a career-best 28 home runs. But Kim’s real calling card is in the on-base arena. Unlike some other KBO players who have moved over to MLB (or have shown interest in doing so), Kim is a master of plate discipline. Last year, he struck out only 63 times while drawing 101 free passes.
While the money that the O’s have reportedly put on the table certainly represents a significant figure, it’s not the kind of cash that teams generally must part with to add regular or semi-regular players. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports had suggested at one point that Kim might slot in “toward the top of the next tier of corner outfielders” behind the four major free agents, but that does not appear to be the case — unless Baltimore’s offer is wholly non-competitive.
Minor MLB Transactions: 12-14-15
Here are the minor moves on the day:
- The Nationals announced the signing of righty Nick Masset. He’s now 33 years of age and will be plenty familiar with the NL East after pitching for both the Marlins and Braves last year. Masset threw 25 innings of 4.68 ERA ball in 2015.
- The Brewers announced three signings today: infielder Jake Elmore, righty Daniel Tillman, and outfielder Alex Presley. Of these, Presley’s signing is probably most notable. The thirty-year-old had averaged 267 plate appearances with a .255/.299/.397 slash over 2011-14, but got just 13 chances to bat in the majors in 2015 and also did not have a great year at Triple-A.
- Outfielder Antoan Richardson inked a minors deal with the Pirates, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter. Richardson, 32, did not play much at any level last year. He has good speed and knows how to get on base, at least in the upper mino but has never shown any pop at the plate.
- Meanwhile, the Orioles signed a MiLB pact with outfielder Alfredo Marte, per another Heyman tweet. The 26-year-old has put up strong numbers at Triple-A in recent years, but struggled with his most extended chance at MLB playing time in 2014 and only appeared in five MLB games in 2015.
- Southpaw Buddy Boshers is heading to the Twins on a minor league deal that comes with a spring invite, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports on Twitter. The 29-year-old saw time with the Angels in 2013, but hasn’t been given a return trip to the majors since. In fact, despite posting a 3.28 ERA in the upper minors in 2014, Eveland ended up playing (and thriving) in independent ball last year.
- Another left-hander, Dana Eveland, has joined the Rays and will also get a camp invite. The 32-year-old has seen action in parts of ten MLB campaigns. He had a strong 2014 campaign with the Mets and put up nice numbers at Triple-A last year, but only was given 3 1/3 MLB innings in 2015 with the Braves.
Orioles Designate Rey Navarro
The Orioles have designated infielder Rey Navarro for assignment, per a club announcement. His 40-man spot goes to the just-resigned Darren O’Day.
Navarro, who’ll soon turn 26, debuted last year in Baltimore but appeared in just ten games. He spent most of the year at Triple-A, slashing .261/.310/.372 over 394 plate appearances. Navarro — a well-regarded defender at short — has previously played in the Diamondbacks, Royals, and Reds organizations.