Jeff Samardzija Has Offers Of $90-100MM
DEC. 3: An $18MM average annual value is the “going rate” for Samardzija, Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com/CBS Chicago hears (Twitter link). A source confirmed to Levine that at least one team has offered Samardzija $90MM. It remains unclear which teams are involved at this level, but it would appear that Samardzija has at least a pair of quite strong offers in hand already as his camp gears up for the Winter Meetings.
DEC. 2: The representatives of free agent righty Jeff Samardzija are telling teams that the hurler already has at least one $100MM offer on the table, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. Needless to say, that’s a huge number for a pitcher coming off a down year, but speaks to his popularity among scouts and executives.
As MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes explained in his profile of the talented veteran, there’s a lot to like about Samardzija despite his ugly ERA last season. Dierkes foresaw a five-year, $80MM deal resulting.
To be sure, it once seemed plenty plausible to imagine Samardzija taking down nine figures in free agency. His outstanding 2014 season appeared to set the table for just that kind of payday, and the fact that he was traded for a premium prospect in Addison Russell confirmed that the market put a high value on his arm. And it’s often been noted that Samardzija comes with relatively low mileage.
Rogers, Noesi, Spruill, Coello Sign With KBO Teams
Former Major League right-handers Hector Noesi, Esmil Rogers, Zeke Spruill and Robert Coello have signed contracts to play in the Korea Baseball Organization. The Hanwha Eagles have signed Rogers to a one-year, $1.9MM contract, making him the highest-paid foreign player in the league, the club announced (report from Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency). Noesi, meanwhile, will become the league’s second-highest-paid international player, landing a $1.7MM guarantee on his one-year deal with the Kia Tigers (Yonhap link). Kia also inked former Diamondbacks righty Zeke Spruill, who will receive a $700K salary. And, right-hander Robert Coello has signed with the Nexen Heroes for $550K on a one-year deal (Yonhap story).
Rogers, 30, was released by the Yankees at the trade deadline this year and latched on to play with the Eagles in KBO. Rogers was outstanding in 10 starts with the Eagles, tossing four complete games (three shutouts) as he worked to a 2.97 ERA with 7.1 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 in 75 2/3 innings in what is a notoriously hitter-friendly league. His salary is technically $1.7MM, though he also receives a $200K signing bonus, per the above report.
Noesi, 28, will be getting his first taste of Korean ball with this contract. While he struggled to a 6.89 ERA in 33 2/3 innings with the White Sox this past season and eventually yielded his rotation spot to impressive rookie Carlos Rodon, Noesi logged 166 innings of 4.39 ERA ball for the ChiSox a year prior and comes with a strong minor league track record.
The 26-year-old Spruill was long one of the Braves’ most highly ranked farmhands but found himself traded to the D-backs in the original Justin Upton trade. After appearing in the Majors with Arizona in 2013-14, Spruill spent this past season with the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket, where he recorded a 3.94 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 across 114 1/3 innings. The former second-round pick will also be playing overseas for the first time.
Coello, 31, has appeared in parts of three seasons in the Majors, most recently in 2013 with the Angels. He’s struggled to a 5.90 ERA in an admittedly tiny sample of 29 innings but has a career 3.78 ERA while averaging better than a strikeout per inning in parts of seven Triple-A seasons. He split the past season between the Triple-A clubs of the Rangers and Giants.
Free Agent Notes: Utley, Victorino, Cubs, Rangers, Giants, Non-Tenders
Both the Angels and Dodgers have ongoing interest in free agent Chase Utley, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com tweets. A source tells Stark that the veteran would like to play in his native California, and it seems he’ll have options to do just that. Utley has been consistently linked to the Dodgers since they declined his $15MM option, and agent Joel Wolfe recently went on-record to state that five or six teams have expressed interest in Utley as a “mostly everyday infielder.” From my vantage point, the Angels have a clearer path to regular (or near-regular) at-bats for Utley. The Dodgers have multiple infield options, including Enrique Hernandez and Jose Peraza.
A few more notes on the free-agent market…
- Another former Phillies stalwart, Shane Victorino, is telling clubs that he intends to return to switch hitting in advance of the 2016 season, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. “I am finding out that not switch-hitting and not doing things from both sides of the plate had lots to do with the way my body has felt,” Victorino told Rosenthal. “Going back and doing things from both sides is such a good thing for my body now that I can physically do it again.”
- Within that same piece, Rosenthal notes that the Cubs are “busy” looking for a center fielder but are faced with relatively limited options. Dexter Fowler is a possibility for the Cubs but is currently exploring the open market. Signing Jason Heyward to play center field is an option, but the team would then need to address its rotation in a cost-effective manner by trading a young bat such as Jorge Soler or Javier Baez. If Soler ends up being the price to bolster the rotation, then the outfield would, of course, remain an issue.
- The Rangers still love Mike Napoli, tweets MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, but general manager Jon Daniels indicated today that his club may not have the “right spot” to fit Napoli into the mix next season. Sullivan’s Seattle counterpart, Greg Johns, however, tweets that Napoli could potentially be of interest to the Mariners, who have a need at first base after trading both Logan Morrison and Mark Trumbo this offseason. Napoli struggled for much of the season in Boston but was reinvigorated by a return to the Lone Star State, hitting .295/.396/.513 in 91 plate appearances with the Rangers. His cumulative .278/.391/.563 line against lefties last year indicates that Napoli, at the very least, is still a highly potent platoon option.
- Sticking with former Rangers, right-hander Colby Lewis tells Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram that Dr. Keith Meister gave him a “thumbs up” on his left knee (links to Twitter). Lewis has been working out and expects to be 100 percent for Spring Training. Many teams have contacted his agents at Octagon, says Lewis, though he remains hopeful that the Rangers will be interested after his latest knee exam. There’s some interest on both sides, according to Wilson.
- The Giants consider Jeff Samardzija and Mike Leake fallback plans in the event that they’re unable to lure Zack Greinke away from L.A., tweets Rosenthal. John Lackey, too, is a consideration for San Francisco. There’s no word yet on a decision from Greinke, who is said to be choosing between the Dodgers and Giants.
- In the wake of yesterday’s tender deadline, MLB.com’s Zachary Finkelstein identified five non-tendered players that are still worthy of roster spots and can be potential bargains for clubs in 2016 (and, in some cases, beyond). Henderson Alvarez tops the list and is followed by Pedro Alvarez, Chris Carter, Tyler Flowers and Neftali Feliz. Alvarez’s youth and track record, the power of Alvarez and Carter, the pitch-framing abilities of Flowers and still-strong velocity plus a nice finish for Feliz give some elements of value to each, he writes.
Blue Jays Name Atkins GM, Promote LaCava To Senior VP
5:20pm: The Blue Jays have officially announced the hiring via press release, adding that LaCava will remain with the organization and be promoted to senior vice president of baseball operations. Atkins will be introduced at a press conference tomorrow at 11am ET.
3:20pm: The Blue Jays will hire Indians vice president of player personnel Ross Atkins as their new general manager, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter), citing a “well-placed source.” The connection between Atkins and the Blue Jays has been made in the past and is a logical one, as Toronto president/CEO Mark Shapiro was recently hired away from the Indians, where he served as GM from 2001-10 and president from 2010-15. Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun reported recently that Atkins was curiously absent from the Indians’ organizational meetings, leading him to speculate that it could be due to the likelihood of him leaving to become the next Jays GM.
The hire means that longtime Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava, who has been operating as the club’s interim general manager, will relinquish his GM duties and, presumably, return to his old role. The Blue Jays recently inked LaCava to a contract extension that would keep him in the organization regardless of whether or not he was named the club’s permanent general manager.
Atkins, 42, has spent the past 15 years with the Indians occupying a variety of roles in the organization, including vice president of player development, director of player development, director of Latin American operations and assistant director of player development. The Wake Forest grad played college ball for four years before being selected by Cleveland in the 38th round of the 1995 draft and embarking on a five-year minor league career.
Per Cleveland’s media guide, Atkins’ most recent responsibilities with the Indians included overseeing the entirety of the team’s player development operations, facilitating collaboration between the player development and scouting departments and advising president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti in player evaluation and staffing decisions.
Indians Interested In Pedro Alvarez, Chris Carter
The Indians are interested in recently non-tendered sluggers Pedro Alvarez and Chris Carter, reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Were the Tribe to agree to a deal with either player, the team would view him primarily as a designated hitter, per Hoynes’ report.
As Hoynes notes, Cleveland has not deployed a full-time designated hitter since the days of Travis Hafner, with manager Terry Francona’s tendency having been to utilize the DH spot as a means of resting regulars and playing matchups against opposing pitchers. Bringing either free agent into the mix would add some thump to a team that ranked 22nd in the Majors in home runs last season (141). Production from the DH spot wasn’t a problem for Cleveland last season, but much of the offense they received came from a platoon of Ryan Raburn and David Murphy, neither of whom remains with the club.
While both Alvarez and Carter could technically see occasional action at first base should Carlos Santana need a breather or fall to an injury, each is a defensive liability. Alvarez committed 23 errors in just over 900 innings at first base last season and posted Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved marks of -14. Carter was better than Alvarez in a similar sample of innings, though he was decisively below average.
From a platoon perspective, the right-handed Carter has the far more balanced splits of the two. While he’d provide solid power production versus both righties and lefties, he typically strikes out more than Alvarez and hits for a lower average.
The left-handed Alvarez is a better hitter when holding the platoon advantage than Carter is versus pitchers of either handedness. He’s best deployed with a platoon partner (career 68 wRC+ vs. LHP), though that of course would mean dedicating two roster spots to the DH situation, and Cleveland already declined to bring back a strong right-handed platoon bat in the form of Raburn. Then again, Chris Johnson is already on the roster and could be utilized to form a solid platoon with Alvarez.
While both players have their flaws, either would add an element of game-changing power to the Cleveland lineup that currently isn’t present. Alvarez ranks 11th in the Majors in home runs dating back to 2012 (111), while Carter checks in at 15th (106). Both players have a 35-homer season to their credit, making them two of just 27 players in all of Major League Baseball to have reached that mark in that four-year span.
Mariners Sign Nori Aoki
4:37pm: Aoki will receive a $5.5MM base salary, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter). The contract contains a $6MM mutual option that will automatically vest if Aoki reaches an unspecified but “easily attainable” playing time figure (presumably, plate appearances). Aoki can also earn up to $1.5MM worth of incentives in each season of the contract.
By signing for $5.5MM, Aoki receives the exact same amount he’d have been guaranteed if the Giants had exercised his 2016 option. Of course, Aoki does come out ahead in this scenario, as he’ll pocket the $700K buyout that was already paid to him by the Giants. And, of course, he can surpass the $5.5MM figure via incentives, creating the opportunity to further distance himself from what he’d have earned by returning to San Francisco for a second season.
4:21pm: Jerry Dipoto’s ongoing efforts to create a more athletic outfield and bolster his club’s on-base percentage continued on Thursday, as the Mariners’ GM announced the signing of Nori Aoki to a one-year contract with a vesting/mutual option for the 2017 season. Aoki is represented by CAA Sports.
Aoki has spent four years in the majors after coming over from Japan. Now entering his age-34 season, he has consistently delivered average (or slightly better) offensive production with a high-contact, low-K, high-OBP approach. All told, he owns a .287/.353/.386 MLB batting line, and has never wavered much from that mark.
It had seemed for some time that Aoki would be spending this season back with the Giants, but the club paid him a $700K buyout rather than picking up a $5.5MM option. Aoki’s .287/.353/.380 slash last year was a virtually direct match for his career line, though it translates to a 112 wRC+ once the effects of playing in spacious AT&T Park are accounted for. But the veteran was less effective in the second half, and missed significant time with a concussion.
Now, it seems, Aoki is back to health. However, he’s still not without his limitations as a player. As the above-cited offensive numbers show, he’s not much of a power threat and has never again hit double-digit homers since his first season in the majors. Though UZR has consistently rated him as an above-average gloveman in the corner outfield, many have observed that he’s not an efficient or consistent route-taker and the DRS metric has identified a defensive dip in recent seasons. Aoki remains a twenty-steal threat, but Fangraphs’ BsR calculation pegs him as a below-average baserunner.
We heard just recently of Seattle’s interest in the veteran. As I noted at the time, the club’s overall outfield (and first base/DH) mix seemed a bit crowded. Following this week’s trade of Mark Trumbo, though, there’s now one less highly-compensated player in the mix.
By plugging in Aoki, Seattle now has three outfielders at the Major League level that hit from the left side, as he joins center fielder Leonys Martin and corner outfielder Seth Smith. Meanwhile, Nelson Cruz and fellow right-handed hitter Franklin Gutierrez are also under contract. New skipper Scott Servais will have plenty of platoon options available to him.
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the signing (links to Twitter).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Darren O’Day
2:54pm: Industry expectation is that O’Day will secure a four-year deal that comes in a bit shy of Andrew Miller‘s $36MM pact, Crasnick now tweets, suggesting something in the range of $32-34MM.
DEC. 3, 1:59pm: Baltimore has been making contact with alternative free agent relievers, reports Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (Twitter links), who suggests that could be an indication that the team “might not be optimistic” about its chances of re-signing O’Day. Meanwhile, the Nats, Dodgers, and Braves remain in the hunt, per the report, which notes that the veteran would like to continue pitching on the east coast.
DEC. 1: The Orioles have made a “competitive” bid for free agent reliever Darren O’Day, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports. Baltimore appears to be one of the final teams under consideration for the veteran, though numerous others — the Nationals, Braves, Dodgers, and perhaps more — could still be involved, per the report.
While a signing timeline remains uncertain, O’Day has seen plenty of action over the early weeks of the offseason. He could reach an agreement before the Winter Meetings open on Monday, Connolly suggests.
The O’s have been in touch with O’Day’s representatives for some time, so the interest itself isn’t new. But Connolly writes that this is the team’s first formal offer to the late-inning ace. And its apparent competitiveness also seemingly suggests that the team is more serious about retaining O’Day than had perhaps been expected.
O’Day is the top-ranked reliever on the free agent market, per MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes. While he’s entering his age-33 campaign, O’Day’s sub-2.00 ERA over the last four seasons makes him an obvious target for many teams looking at pen upgrades.
MLBTR Live Chat: 12-3-2015
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