AL Central Notes: Twins, Salazar
Twins owner Jim Pohlad has given GM Terry Ryan carte blanche this offseason, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. That shouldn’t be read to mean that Minnesota will compete to sign Jason Heyward and David Price, but it could signal a more aggressive stance from the club. After years of rebuilding, the team finally has a potent young core headlined by Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton. They entered 2015 with a $108MM Opening Day payroll about half of which went to Joe Mauer, Ervin Santana, Ricky Nolasco, and Phil Hughes. They’ll all return with similar contracts. I would anticipate a modest increase in payroll with veteran bench depth and the bullpen as top priorities.
- Minnesota should upgrade at catcher and in the bullpen, writes La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune. The club has sufficient rotation depth even if they lack star power. However, the bullpen was a serious problem where only Glen Perkins stands out – and he’s dealt with neck injuries in the last two seasons. Catcher Kurt Suzuki regressed in 2015. Per Ryan, “Kurt, on his behalf, had a very nice 2014. This year was a bit of a struggle. And that’s an area I feel like I need to help the cause. Maybe take some of the workload down a bit. But we need to improve back there.” Former Twin A.J. Pierzynski could be a target to help shoulder the load.
- The Indians should be open to trading starting pitcher Danny Salazar for the right offensive return, writes Katrina Putnam of FanSided blog Wahoo’s On First. Salazar is coming off an impressive campaign despite starting the season in the minors. He posted a 3.45 ERA with 9.49 K/9 and 2.58 BB/9 in 185 innings and is club controlled through 2021. It’s widely thought that Cleveland will use its rotation depth to improve the lineup, although most analysis focuses on Carlos Carrasco or Corey Kluber. In my opinon, since Salazar is a pre-arbitration player, dealing him could be a challenge from a payroll perspective. They would have to acquire similar pre-arbitration talent.
Mets Notes: Alderson, Shortstop, Cuddyer
The Mets began 2015 with a $103MM payroll, and they will likely pursue their second consecutive NL pennant with a similar Opening Day figure, writes Marc Carig of Newsday. In lieu of splashy acquisitions, GM Sandy Alderson will have to carefully tweak the current roster. Free agents Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel Murphy are expected to sign elsewhere which could create a need for more offense. The team could try trading pitcher Zack Wheeler, as they attempted in the nixed Carlos Gomez deal. Carig runs down the club’s various needs and potential solutions in detail. In addition to offense, shortstop, second base, and reliever top the list.
- If they feel the need to acquire a shortstop, the Mets should consider trading for Javier Baez of Jurickson Profar, opines Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman notes that Mets shortstops – namely Wilmer Flores and Ruben Tejada – led New York to the 10th best shortstop WAR. While the fans have long asked for an upgrade at the position, statistics suggest it’s unnecessary. However, with the influx of top prospects at shortstop, there is a growing sentiment that a first division club should have a young stud at the position. Baez has well-known strikeout problems, but they’re the only thing between him and All Star quality production. Profar was once as hyped as Carlos Correa or Francisco Lindor, but he’s missed a couple seasons with a shoulder injury. For what it’s worth, I think the Mets are well served with by their current cost effective options. They should focus their resources on more gaping wounds like second base or a cleanup hitter.
- Outfielder Michael Cuddyer had surgery on Thursday for a core muscle injury, reports Carig. Cuddyer struggled in the first season of a two-year, $21MM contract. The team also forfeited a draft pick to ink him. Cuddyer, owed $12.5MM in 2016, could see a reduced role in 2016. Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson are expected to man the outfield corners with Lucas Duda at first base. Since all three are left-handed, he should at least have a regular platoon role. It’s also possible the Mets will view him as a trade candidate.
AL East Notes: Orioles, Rays, Red Sox, Greinke
The Orioles are generally patient in the free agent market under GM Dan Duquette, writes Rich Dubroff of CSN Baltimore. Duquette’s biggest free agent signings came late in the 2013-2014 offseason when he inked Nelson Cruz and Ubaldo Jimenez. Given that 20 players were extended qualifying offers, Baltimore could once again wait to see if any players fall through the cracks. In my opinion, there are some risks with this strategy. While buying low close to the season has its advantages, it can leave a player under-prepared. Additionally, several clubs appear well positioned to play the waiting game. Duquette could find an unusual amount of competition if he waits to do his shopping until late-January.
Here’s more from the AL East:
- Former Orioles Chris Davis, Wei-Yin Chen, and Matt Wieters may take a patient approach to finding a new contract, writes Dubroff. All three Scott Boras clients received a qualifying offer. In the case of Davis, the Orioles would like to re-sign him and plan to make a competitive offer. However, Dubroff wonders how long Baltimore will allow Davis to shop for offers before they move onto alternatives. Meanwhile, the market for Wieters may not be particularly robust with the White Sox, Astros, and Dodgers as possible fits. Reliever Darren O’Day was not given a qualifying offer, and he could be in line for a four-year contract.
- The Rays made an early splash on the trade market, and they’re obviously not done, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The club has narrowed its focus for the offseason but remains open to discussing any player. Topkin notes that free agent activity will wait until later in the offseason “when their currency of playing time can be worth more than money to players still on the market.” Trade talks figure to revolve around first baseman James Loney. He’s owed $8MM next season. Corner infield prospect Richie Shaffer appears ready for a high profile role if Loney is dealt elsewhere.
- The Red Sox currently have the 12th pick in the 2016 amateur draft, and it may influence some of their free agent decisions, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Under the qualifying offer system, the earliest pick ever surrendered to sign a free agent is the 13th (Padres, James Shields). The club would probably be willing to cough up a pick for a top free agent like Zack Greinke, Davis, or Jordan Zimmermann. However, pitchers like Chen, Marco Estrada, and others might not offer enough upside to forego the early pick. Per President Dave Dombrowski, “I think it’s a case-by-case basis and you analyze that based upon the player you have a chance to sign.“
- As a means of retaining their first pick, the Red Sox may attempt to trade for starting pitching, writes Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. Trade candidates are harder to predict because it’s unclear which players are really on the table. McAdam believes that A’s starter Sonny Gray, Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco, and San Diego’s Tyson Ross are logical targets. The club could also chase a top reliever like Craig Kimbrel or Aroldis Chapman.
- Greinke may not be a fit in Boston, opines Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com. Greinke actually hit similarly to Pablo Sandoval on a rate basis and reportedly enjoys batting regularly. There’s also the matter of home division. The NL West includes some of the most pitcher friendly parks in baseball. As such, the Dodgers and Giants are a good fit. Pitchers in the AL East have to survive Fenway and three homer-happy venues in Toronto, New York, and Baltimore. That could hold back the Red Sox in negotiations for other top pitchers like David Price too. Gammons does see a possible trade match with the White Sox for ace Chris Sale. Blake Swihart could potentially serve as a centerpiece.
Phillies Notes: Howard, Ruiz, Thompson, Windle
The Phillies have plans to use Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz in 2016, writes Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Howard and Ruiz are the only two remaining members from the 2008 World Series winning roster. GM Matt Klentak notes that he’s yet to have a sit down with either veteran, but there is a role for both players. Klentak also talks about the importance of setting expectations. “If we’re doing our jobs and communicating with players throughout the process, I think that goes a long way towards minimizing issues.” Howard will probably continue to platoon with lefty-mashing first baseman Darin Ruf. Ruiz himself acknowledged that teammate Cameron Rupp outplayed him, although Ruiz also sees himself as a starting catcher.
Here’s more from Philadelphia as they prepare to turn the page in 2016:
- Trade deadline acquisition Jake Thompson could begin the season in the Phillies’ rotation, writes Matt Breen of Philly.com. Thompson, acquired in the Cole Hamels trade, performed well after joining Philadelphia’s Double-A squad with a 1.80 ERA, 6.80 K/9, and 2.40 BB/9 in 45 innings. Only Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff made a strong case for rotation jobs next season so there is a potential job for Thompson. Barring several acquisitions, Adam Morgan will likely get a shot too. Of course, the Phillies will also be aware of service time with regards to promoting Thompson. It strikes me as extremely unlikely that he would open the season in the rotation, although a late April promotion is more palatable. GM Matt Klentak prefers for players to be ready when promoted, saying “we want players to be ready to stick here. I don’t know if developmentally, it does any player a service to flip them up and down throughout the course of a year if it can be avoided.” Baseball America ranks Thompson as the the third best prospect in the Phillies system.
- Another trade acquisition, Tom Windle, may be ready to join the Phillies bullpen, suggests Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The left-handed Windle was originally acquired from the Dodgers along with Zach Eflin last offseason in exchange for Jimmy Rollins. He was converted to relief in June and posted a shiny 1.69 ERA over 26 and 2/3 innings. His fastball has run between 93 and 96 mph in the Arizona Fall League.
West Notes: Padres, Athletics, Molina
It doesn’t look like A.J. Preller and the Padres will be big spenders the way they were last winter, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes in a preview of the team’s offseason. Lin notes that starting pitcher Ian Kennedy is expected to decline his qualifying offer and test free agency. He also notes that the Padres still badly need a shortstop, and could also pursue a starting pitcher and outfielder, since Kennedy and Justin Upton seem likely to depart. James Shields and Derek Norris, meanwhile, could be potential trade candidates. Moving Shields and the $65MM remaining on his salary would give the Padres more flexibility (which means Craig Kimbrel and Joaquin Benoit could also be trade candidates). If Norris departs after a solid first season in San Diego, the Padres could hand the catching position to youngster Austin Hedges, a strong defender. Here’s more from the West divisions.
- The Athletics have announced a pair of promotions within their front office. They’ve promoted director of player personnel Billy Owens to assistant GM, director of player personnel. Director of professional scouting and baseball development Dan Feinstein, meanwhile, is now assistant GM, pro scouting and player personnel.
- The Angels have named Jose Molina their catching coordinator. As MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweets, that’s a new position for the organization. Gonzalez further clarifies that Molina will mostly be working with minor leaguers. On paper, this looks like a terrific hire for the Angels, since Molina had a rock-solid reputation as a pitch-framing catcher. Molina caught for the Angels for parts of seven seasons, mostly serving as his brother Bengie’s backup. The 40-year-old last appeared in the big leagues with the Rays in 2014.
AL East Notes: Blue Jays, Yankees, Rays
Alex Anthopoulos’ abrupt departure from the Blue Jays came as a surprise to team president Mark Shapiro, but finding a new GM is now just one of many tasks ahead of him, MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm writes. Chisholm notes that Shapiro seems happy with interim GM Tony LaCava for now. “I’m comfortable in Tony guiding our baseball operations staff,” says Shapiro. “It’s not just Tony, just like it wasn’t me, not just Alex. There’s a strong group of people in that room.” Anthopoulos’ departure right before the beginning of free agency was inconvenient, but Shapiro (who is, of course, himself a former GM) sounds confident that it won’t hold the Jays back. Here’s more from the AL East.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman is “open to anything
” as he sees how the winter unfolds, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal writes. Last offseason, Cashman traded several players he had no particular intention of dealing, including Shane Greene, Manny Banuelos and Martin Prado. “You have to be pretty aggressive and open to trade a good young pitcher under team control (Greene), a left-handed prospect (Banuelos) or a guy like Prado who fits you like a glove,” says Cashman. Cashman adds that he’s not looking to trade top young players Luis Severino, Greg Bird or Aaron Judge, but emphasizes that his ears are open to all possibilities. - The Rays still see Brad Miller, acquired in a recent six-player deal with the Mariners, as a potential starting shortstop, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. “We’ve been impressed by his work at shortstop, and it’s always a plus to have a left-handed-hitting middle infielder,” says president of baseball operations. “We’ll take him and the many other guys we have and head into Spring Training feeling good about our situation in the middle infield.” The Rays are likely to use Logan Morrison at DH. “He certainly has the type of bat that fits in the DH role, and we’re excited about that bat,” says Silverman. “You add him to our lineup and we’re immediately more formidable, especially against right-handed pitching.”
Rockies Have Considered Signing Daniel Murphy
The Rockies have considered the possibility of signing Daniel Murphy to play first base, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The Mets did, of course, extend Murphy a qualifying offer. The Rockies’ top pick — fourth overall — is protected, although they would have to give up their Comp Round A pick he rejects the qualifying offer and they sign him.
The timeline of the Rockies’ interest in Murphy is unclear, but if they’ve seriously considered signing him, it’s possible they could be planning to make a surprising impact this winter. Murphy doesn’t figure to be cheap — MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicts he’ll get four years and $56MM. The market at first is rather thin, though, and Murphy does figure to be less expensive than the top first base option, Chris Davis, who should get at least twice as much. Korean slugger Byung-ho Park is another possibility, although it’s not yet clear which team won the rights to negotiate with him.
The Rockies headed into 2015 with Justin Morneau topping their depth chart at first base, but they declined their mutual option on him after he hit .310/.363/.458 in 49 games but struggled to stay healthy. Ben Paulsen ended up playing at first for much of the year, but the Rockies’ interest in Murphy suggests they won’t be wedded to Paulsen as their starting first baseman.
Murphy, of course, figures to draw interest from any number of teams, many of whom want him to play second or third, where his bat will have a greater impact. (The average first baseman last year hit .259/.336/.444, not significantly worse than Murphy’s .281/.322/.449, although Murphy did hit in a tough home park.) It will be interesting to see whether the Rockies are willing to pay a premium for Murphy’s bat (and postseason heroics) when other teams might be able to get better value from him by having him play elsewhere on the diamond.
Royals Notes: Starters, Gordon, Holland
Even though the Royals just won the World Series, they acknowledge they have flaws to address this offseason, including the need for their starters to pitch more innings, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports. “We have to address the issue of innings from our starters,” says GM Dayton Moore. “It’s important to get more innings out of our starters.” Royals starters pitched just 912 2/3 innings this season, last in the American League, and as Moore notes that can strain a bullpen, even a terrific one, over a full season. The Royals currently have Edinson Volquez, Yordano Ventura, Danny Duffy and Kris Medlen in the fold for next season, and they’ll be on the lookout for another starter this winter. Here’s more out of Kansas City.
- Royals owner David Glass says the team is interested in Alex Gordon but doesn’t yet know what it will offer him, Flanagan writes (Twitter links). Somewhat ominously, perhaps, for Royals fans, Glass adds that’s he accepts the possibility that Gordon could sign elsewhere. “We want what is best for Alex,” he says. “If another team offers him a big contract that is out of our range, then he needs to do what is best.”
- When the Royals non-tendered injured reliever Greg Holland, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the team would consider re-signing him to a two-year deal. Via Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter), Moore confirms exactly that — the team would like to keep Holland with the Royals on a deal lasting more than a year.
Nexen Heroes Accept $12.85MM Posting Fee For Byung-ho Park
SATURDAY: Neither the Indians nor the Tigers submitted the winning bid for Park, via MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and MLive.com’s Chris Iott (on Twitter). The Indians did bid for Park, although their bid came up short; the Tigers did not bid for him. The Rangers are not the team either, via a tweet from MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan. The Orioles, who looked like a potential fit for Park, were outbid and will not be signing him, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets. The Padres did not win the bidding either, according to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Jeff Passan of Yahoo tweets that the Red Sox did not win the bid and will stick with Hanley Ramirez at first base.
FRIDAY: Korea’s Nexen Heroes have decided to accept a $12.85MM bid on the rights to negotiate a big league contract with first baseman Byung-Ho Park, the club said in an announcement. (The news comes via Korean outlet Naver Sports, at a Korean language link. Han Lee of Global Sporting Integration tweeted the key portion of the report in English.)
It is not yet known what MLB club won the posting process, but the as-yet-unidentified team will have thirty days to work out a contract with the first baseman. Nexen technically has until Monday afternoon to make its formal decision on the bid, at which point the clock will begin to run.
If Park and his new club are not able to reach agreement on a contract, all involved would lose something. Nexen would not receive the posting fee, Park would not be able to play in North America, and the winning team would not only miss out on the player but also the time spent in talks. It’s far from certain that a contract will be agreed upon, but the incentives are aligned to make it happen.
The reported $12.85MM fee would fall well shy of the $25MM+ posting amount commanded by lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu. But it steadily outpaces what the Pirates paid Nexen last year (around $5MM) for the rights to reach a deal with infielder Jung-Ho Kang. After the team-to-team transfer was arrived at, Kang and the Bucs agreed to a four-year, $11MM guarantee.
Surely, the success of the latter this year in the majors helped boost the appeal of Park. Both had similarly outlandish numbers in the KBO, though Park has done it more consistently over several seasond. Of course, he’s also a first baseman.
In the just-released list of MLBTR’s top fifty free agents, Tim Dierkes predicted that Park would command a $10MM posting fee and a five-year, $40MM contract from the winning team. The first part of that was close, but it remains to be seen how negotiations will proceed.
Cubs Notes: Qualifying Offers, Samardzija, Fowler
The Cubs will likely pursue top starters this offseason, and Jeff Samadzija is a possibility as well, Paul Sullivan and Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune write. Samardzija, along with highly ranked pitchers like Zack Greinke and Jordan Zimmermann, were among 20 players who were extended qualifying offers. But GM Jed Hoyer says the qualifying offer won’t be a decisive factor for the Cubs, who currently have the 28th pick in next year’s draft. “(Losing a compensatory) draft pick is important. We’ve built this team through the draft in large part, and through trades,” says Hoyer. “But when you’re in a winning window, you look at that consideration differently than you might have when you’re building.” Here’s more from Chicago.
- ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers has more from Hoyer, who confirms that the Cubs will be hunting for not just one starter this offseason, but several. “We want to add at least one [major leaguer] but we do need to impact our starting pitching depth,” says Hoyer. “We will look to add multiple starting pitchers at various levels of the organization. That’s the best way to say it.” That means that, in addition to elite starting pitchers, the Cubs will also be in the market for less expensive ones. Rogers adds that the Cubs’ focus on pitching this winter means they aren’t likely to spend heavily on Dexter Fowler, and won’t pursue an expensive replacement if he departs.
- The Cubs are, however, “doing homework” on top free agent outfielders Jason Heyward and Alex Gordon, Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago writes. Given their focus on pitching, it would be surprising, to say the least, if the Cubs signed either player, especially since they’re both corner outfielders and they Cubs have two promising youngsters in Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler currently penciled into the corners. It does, however, make sense for the Cubs to do their due diligence on just about everyone, given that they should have a fair amount of money to spend.