Pirates Notes: Meadows, Prospects, Injuries
“The Pirates are facing perhaps their most challenging offseason of the Neal Huntington Era — rivaled only by the 2012-13 offseason when jobs might have been at stake,” Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Sawchik gives his take on the many big decisions faced by the Bucs this winter, and he proposes signing utilityman Steve Pearce and “a second-tier starting pitcher” such as Scott Kazmir or Ian Kennedy in free agency, dealing or non-tendering Pedro Alvarez, and trading Mark Melancon and rebuilding the bullpen with less-costly arms. It’s possible the Pirates have already undertaken one of Sawchik’s suggestions (“bid aggressively” on Byung-Ho Park) since the Bucs haven’t been eliminated as the mystery winner of the highest posting big on the Korean first baseman.
- One scout is excited about Pirates prospect Austin Meadows, telling Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter) that he feels the Bucs could “not miss a beat” in the outfield if Andrew McCutchen left in free agency. The scout believes Meadows could take over in left field with Starling Marte moved to fill McCutchen’s spot in center.
- Meadows is one of several Pirates prospects cited by Bill West of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review as important to the club’s future if current start depart as free agents. West thinks 2012 supplemental first-rounder Barrett Barnes, however, could be called up ahead of Meadows to fill any possible vacancies in the outfield; Barnes is almost four years older than Meadows, though his progress was slowed by injuries. While West doesn’t address this topic in his piece, I’d think it’s also possible one of two of these minor leaguers could be trade chips as the Bucs look to bolster their Major League roster for a World Series run. (Though probably no more than one or two, as mid-market teams like the Pirates are particularly reliant on their farm system.)
- Ten Pirates prospects underwent Tommy John surgery in 2015, Biertempfel reports in a separate piece. This has required in some shuffling in the club’s minor league pitching staffs, and Biertempfel figures Pittsburgh will sign one or two veteran arms to minor league deals over the winter.
MLBTR’s Zach Links also contributed to this post
AL Central Notes: Soria, Indians, Cueto, Glass
The Tigers have contacted Joakim Soria‘s agent about a possible return to Detroit, MLB.com’s Jason Beck reports, though they’ll be one of several teams in the mix for his services. The reliever-needy Tigers have a distinct need for a solid bullpen arm, but Aroldis Chapman probably isn’t a fit since Detroit aren’t keen on dealing from their just-rebuild farm system to match the Reds‘ high asking price for the ace closer. Here’s some more from around the AL Central…
- Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti told Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (via Twitter) that he will look into trading a starting pitcher in order to improve elsewhere, though it’s not necessarily something that he’d like to do. The Tribe received a lot of interest in their young starters last summer; Carlos Carrasco drew particular attention and Cleveland in fact almost dealt him to the Blue Jays.
- While the Indians may not be able to spend big on free agents, what they can offer is playing time at third, first or in the outfield, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes (Insider-only link). This might be significant in helping the Tribe land a lower-tier free agent veteran; Olney suggests the likes of Juan Uribe, Justin Morneau, Mike Napoli and Will Venable as possible fits.
- Johnny Cueto‘s agent, Bryce Dixon, also Duquette and Bowden (Twitter links) to discuss his client’s free agency. Dixon expressed confidence that teams will see that Cueto his healthy after viewing his medicals, and if Cueto had been hurt, he wouldn’t have been able to deliver such strong results for the Royals in two of his postseason outings.
- Royals owner David Glass deserves credit for standing behind GM Dayton Moore during tough times, Tracy Ringolsby of MLB.com writes. Moore’s tenure is the fourth longest among current general managers behind Brian Sabean of the Giants (now executive VP of baseball operations), Brian Cashman of the Yankees, and Jon Daniels of the Rangers. Those executives, however, enjoyed either quick success or quicker returns on rebuilds than Moore, as the Royals didn’t even post a winning record until Moore’s seventh full season running the team.
- Joe Mauer will be 36 when his current contract expires in three years, but the Twins first baseman tells Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he hasn’t given any thought about retirement at that time, only that he “probably” wants to play “as long as I can.”
MLBTR’s Zach Links also contributed to this post
Heyman’s Latest: Free Agents, O’Day, Gordon, Hunter
CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman shares his predictions about where this offseason’s top 50 free agents will earn in their next contracts. Be sure to check out MLBTR’s own top 50 free agents list, as Heyman and Tim Dierkes have a few interesting differences over some contract values and where some players are ranked within the top 50. In other news from Heyman, his latest Inside Baseball column recaps several items that he and others have reported over the last few weeks, as well as some fresh hot stove tidbits…
- The Dodgers, Nationals, Red Sox and Tigers are among the many teams who have already shown interest in Darren O’Day. It’s no surprise that quartet has been particularly eager to check in with O’Day given how all four teams are known to be hunting for bullpen upgrades this winter. The Orioles, the righty reliever’s former team, “are trailing at present.”
- The Royals will look to re-sign Alex Gordon but are hoping to do so on a three- or four-year contract. Given how Gordon’s well-rounded game makes him a fit on several teams, he’ll easily top the three-year plateau and even four might be a pipe dream for Kansas City unless the Royals inflate his average annual value. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicts Gordon will land a five-year contract worth $105MM.
- We’ve already heard that the Twins were disappointed by Torii Hunter‘s retirement, and beyond the loss of his clubhouse leadership, Heyman adds that the team will miss him from an on-field standpoint as well. Hunter would’ve been an insurance policy since the Twins aren’t sure if former top prospect Byron Buxton is ready for an everyday job. Buxton’s rookie season was a forgettable one, as he hit .209/.250/.326 over 138 plate appearances and also spent about seven weeks on the DL with a sprained thumb.
Red Sox Re-Sign Sandy Leon; Alexi Ogando Elects Free Agency
SUNDAY: Ogando has elected to become a free agent, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes has learned.
FRIDAY: The Red Sox announced a series of moves this afternoon, including the re-signing of catcher Sandy Leon. Boston also outrighted several players off of its 40-man roster (joining Ryan Cook, who was claimed by the Cubs).
Leon was given a major league deal, but simultaneously was outrighted off of the 40-man roster to Triple-A. He’ll earn $534K in the big leagues and $273K in the minors, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports (Twitter links). The move was obviously conceived of as a mechanism to keep him around as a back-up plan behind the plate without committing a 40-man roster spot.
Meanwhile, Boston has outrighted first baseman/outfielder Allen Craig along with relievers Alexi Ogando and Jean Machi. Craig, of course, is still playing under a significant extension and has now twice been outrighted off of the team’s big league roster. Ogando and Machi were both eligible for arbitration — with MLBTR projecting salaries of $2.4MM and $900K, respectively. Obviously, the club was not interested in committing to that level of pay to the pair of righties.
AL East Notes: Red Sox, Blue Jays, Anthopoulos
Dave Dombrowski has never shied away from free agent splashes, but he’s really made his bones with trades. Now, with the GM Meetings on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how the new Red Sox president of baseball operations knows his new farm system, Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal writes. Dombrowski has indicated that he might deal from the team’s organizational outfield depth, but deciding who to move and who to hold can be tricky. DD will have to evaluate outfielders from the majors like Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. down to minor leaguers Manuel Margot and Andrew Benintendi.
Here’s more out of the AL East:
- When asked if he could eventually return to the Blue Jays as GM, Alex Anthopoulos told Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette of SiriusXM (via Twitter links) that there is “no chance.” When asked if he’d seek out another GM job, AA said, “Certainly not in the near term. Going forward, I would be open to it. I don’t know I need to do it again.” Anthopoulos also refuted reports that new Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro was critical of his summer trades. Shapiro himself shot those rumors down in a press conference last week.
- There’s a lot of pressure on Dombrowski to acquire an ace, but ultimately any big ticket move will be the call of Red Sox owner John Henry, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald writes. It is well known that Henry is against long-term, high-priced deals for aging pitchers, but one industry insider speculates that he will defer to Dombrowski’s judgment “on one big fish” this winter. Last year, the Red Sox went into April without a true ace and while there were other factors holding them back, they wound up with a second consecutive last-place finish.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com looked at MLBTR’s projection of a six-year, $144MM deal for Orioles slugger Chris Davis and gave his own take.
NL East Notes: Baker, Nats, Marlins, Gordon
The Nationals reportedly agreed to hire Bud Black as their manager before going with Dusty Baker, but GM Mike Rizzo has a slightly different version of events. “We definitely had financial parameters discussed with (both), at the same time,” Rizzo said at a press conference, according to The Associated Press.
“We felt that was the best track to go by,” Rizzo said, “because sometimes the negotiating process also tells you a lot about the people that you’re negotiating with. As we discussed baseball in the interview process, and parameters in the financial process, we came to the conclusion that Dusty Baker was the perfect guy for us.”
Here’s more from the NL East..
- The Marlins will explore making an extension offer to second baseman Dee Gordon, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. For his part, Gordon says that he would be receptive to such an offer. The NL batting and stolen base champ is under team control for a few more years and will not be eligible to hit the open market until after the 2019 season. Recently, team president David Samson remarked that the organization has “three of the top ten players in baseball” — referring to Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Fernandez, and Gordon.
- The Marlins are less optimistic about signing shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, however. Miami is under the impression that the 26-year-old (27 in April) will seek a deal in the neighborhood of Elvis Andrus‘ eight-year, $120MM pact. Hechavarria, under team control through 2018, slashed a career-best .281/.315/.374 in 2015. Of course, he is valued more for his glove, which resulted in a stellar 17.7 UZR/150 this past season.
- Catcher Jeff Mathis remains a possibility to return to the Marlins because of his defense and the way he handles the pitching staff, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. Mathis, 33 in March, slashed just .161/.214/.290 in 103 plate appearances last season. For his career, he owns a slash line of .194/.254/.306 over the course of eleven big league campaigns. While he won’t be winning any battling titles soon, Mathis is valued for plenty of other things outside of his bat.
MLBTR Originals
A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR the last seven days:
- On Friday, MLBTR rolled out its 2015-16 Top 50 MLB Free Agents list, with predictions as to where each player will wind up. Where will David Price land? How much will Jason Heyward earn? Click the link to hear Tim Dierkes’ picks!
- On the most recent installment of the MLBTR Podcast, Jeff welcomed Tim to discuss the site’s annual top 50 free agent predictions. A new episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is released every Thursday and can be accessed on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
- From a pure payroll standpoint, the Diamondbacks look to be in excellent shape moving forward, but there is still work to be done, as Steve Adams writes. The pitching staff will be Arizona’s top priority and Steve looked at the second-tier arms that might appeal to Arizona.
- There’s a new regime in Philadelphia and it’ll be up to the revamped front office to make something of its blank slate, Jeff writes. Overall, Jeff sees the Phillies having a fairly modest offseason, though he thinks that they should at least explore creative trades.
- How do rival clubs view Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro? MLBTR’s Brad Johnson asked readers to weigh in on Sunday night with their thoughts.
- Addressing Heyward’s impending free agency is step No. 1 to the Cardinals’ offseason, Charlie Wilmoth writes. Beyond that, Charlie looks at how the Cards might beef up their bench and keep up their strong pitching.
- The Braves are looking to put an excellent product on the field when they open their new park in 2017 and Jeff ran down what they might do this winter to set themselves up for their future home. Atlanta was willing to part with its long-term control over Evan Gattis and Craig Kimbrel last offseason, so it would seem that anything is on the table for them in terms of trades.
- Recently, MLB Trade Rumors launched a brand new official Instagram account:@TradeRumorsMLB. Each day, we’re sharing conversation-inspiring images about the hottest topics in baseball. From there, we invite you to give us a like, weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section, and even share the link with a friend. So, what are you waiting for? If you don’t have an Instagram account, this is the perfect excuse to sign up and get one. Follow us on Instagram today!
- If you missed out on last week’s chat, check out the transcript here.
Cafardo On Napoli, Victorino, Gomes
Analytics have taken over baseball and not everyone is thrilled about it, as Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe writes in today’s column.
“I’ve seen so many good baseball men who will be pushed out of the game, and never be allowed back, to make room for some of the huge analytical departments that these teams employ now,” said an American League GM. “And the question we all have: Has this made the game better? I’m not sure the answer to that is yes.”
Cafardo also broke down MLB’s teams in a T-chart of “Analytical” vs. “Traditional” and the split appears to be roughly 50/50. Interestingly, every team in the AL West is listed as an analytical club while the entire NL East is in the traditional column.
Here’s more from Cafardo:
- There’s “some talk about” free agent Mike Napoli adding the catching position back into his arsenal, Cafardo writes. Playing as a first baseman/outfielder in the second half of the season, Napoli helped restore his value by hitting .295/.396/.513 with five homers for the Rangers across 78 plate appearances. Napoli would make sense as a right-handed-hitting complement to the club’s left-heavy lineup and GM Jon Daniels says that there is interest in a reunion.
- Agent John Boggs told Cafardo that client Shane Victorino wants to play in 2016. The agent added that Victorino is finally healthy and intends on getting back to switch-hitting. The Flyin’ Hawaiian hit just .230/.308/.292 in 2015 in 204 combined plate appearances for the Red Sox and Angels. Still, he’s only two years removed from his 2013 campaign in which he slashed .294/.351/.451 with 15 homers for Boston.
- Jonny Gomes would love to be a manager some day, but not just yet. “They’ll have to rip the jersey off my back,” the 34-year-old said. Last week, Gomes had his $3MM option declined by the Royals. On paper, that’s not an unreasonable sum for a platoon outfielder that posted a .371 OBP and a .185 isolated power (slugging minus batting average) against lefties, but KC opted for greater payroll flexibility. Gomes came to the Royals in an August deal with the Braves picking up half of his remaining salary.
- In his short time with the Red Sox, newly-minted Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto turned in a detailed report on the Sox organization from top to bottom, according to Red Sox top exec Dave Dombrowski. With that kind of intimate knowledge of the Sox, Cafardo speculates that it would make sense to watch for Mariners/Red Sox trade talks.
- Some have theorized that ex-Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos will eventually become the GM of a Montreal franchise, whether it’s by expansion or the relocation of the Rays or A’s. While that could be a fit, Cafardo writes that AA is very likely to get a job before that takes place.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Indians, Gardner, Cardinals
Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere:
- DTTWLN wonders how far the Indians are from being a playoff team.
- NYY Talk asks if the Yankees should move Brett Gardner.
- Redbird Rants evaluated the Cardinals’ arbitration eligible players.
- Rumbunter has a Pirates fan’s reaction to the World Series.
- Bronx Bomber Blogger wants to beef up the bullpen.
- Section 215 considered Carlos Ruiz‘s future.
- Offspeed Podcast interviewed Mariners marketing VP Kevin Martinez.
- TPOP surveyed the Bucs’ first base options this winter.
- Outside Pitch has five ideas for the Mets.
- The First Out At Third ran down the Brewers’ winter goals.
- Yankees Unscripted discussed Carlos Beltran‘s contract.
- Inside The ‘Zona ran down the D’Backs’ top prospects.
- Baseball Hot Corner gave us their top landing spots for David Price.
- MLB Reports looked at the Dodgers’ future.
- Baseball Essential wants to see Tim Lincecum in Seattle.
- Brew Crew Ball says Brewers pitchers didn’t get a ton of help in 2015.
- Florida Sports View is impressed with the growth of Dee Gordon.
- Reviewing The Brew advocates for a K-Rod trade.
- Blue Jays Plus doesn’t think Tony LaCava should be Toronto’s GM.
- Pinstriped Prospects analyzed Tyler Webb.
- Angels Win looked at the Halos’ second base options.
Please send submissions to Zach at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
West Notes: Rangers, Padres, Rockies, Eppler
The Rangers made their biggest additions at the trade deadline, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The principle additions were ace Cole Hamels along with relievers Jake Diekman and Sam Dyson. Between Hamels’ contract and raises to existing personnel, the Rangers won’t have budget to compete for top free agents. Instead, they’ll pursue more cost effective options. Possible reunions with Yovani Gallardo, Colby Lewis, and Mike Napoli represent a few possible fits. Additional bullpen depth is also seen as a need.
Here’s more from the western divisions:
- Padres GM A.J. Preller “remains an enigma,” writes Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union Tribune. Payroll is expected to range anywhere from slightly below last season’s $108MM to $120MM. That doesn’t give Preller any room for a splashy free agent signing. The club does have to work on building a better balanced product. A real shortstop – not Will Middlebrooks or Jedd Gyorko – should be a priority. The club probably also needs to replace Ian Kennedy and add another depth piece to the rotation. James Shields, Craig Kimbrel, Joaquin Benoit, and Derek Norris are the most likely veterans to be traded.
- History says the Rockies won’t make a splash either, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Trade interest in outfielder Carlos Gonzalez could affect the team’s plans. If the club is able to trade the two-years and $37MM remaining on his deal, they could potential bid for a slugger like Chris Davis. Despite terrible performance out of the rotation, they probably won’t try to woo free agent pitching.
- Angels GM Billy Eppler is a blend of the old and new schools, writes Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. For those interested, the profile of Eppler details his rise from intern to one of the top GM prospects in the game. The Angels faithful will hope his blend of scouting chops with an analytical instinct will result in a productive offseason for the club. His first test – the GM Meetings – begins on Monday.