Chase Utley Intends To Play In 2016
Though some have wondered whether or not Chase Utley will return for a 14th Major League season, Utley’s agent, Joel Wolfe of the Wasserman Media Group, tells the New York Post’s Joel Sherman that Utley is “one hundred percent” returning for the 2016 season.
The Dodgers hold a $15MM club option on Utley that is, as Sherman points out, an easy option to decline. The 37-year-old Utley batted just .212/.286/.343 between the Phillies and Dodgers this season — Philadelphia traded him to L.A. in exchange for Darnell Sweeney and John Richy in August — and an ankle injury kept him from reaching the 500 plate appearances necessary for that $15MM option to automatically vest.
Utley’s season could begin with a two-game suspension, though, after a controversial slide in the NLDS took out Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada and fractured his right fibula. MLB ruled that Utley would be suspended for the next two games of the Division Series, but his camp appealed the suspension. Players are typically allotted up to two weeks to assemble their case when appealing a suspension, Sherman notes, and as such the hearing was delayed until next season so as not to overshadow the remainder of the playoffs or the offseason.
Utley’s disappointing 2015 campaign marked the first full season of his career in which he failed to reach double-digit home runs (he hit eight) and also represented the first time since 2004 that his adjusted OPS fell shy of the league average. He’ll face a limited market as he looks for a new team in free agency, though his track record should earn him an incentive-based big league deal for a team with needs at second base. The Yankees, Royals, White Sox, Angels (who had interest in him this summer) and Padres all make some degree of sense as highly speculative fits for the Phillies icon.
Front Office Notes: Jennings, Anthopoulos, Klentak, Cherington, Chavez
The Marlins‘ front office arrangement remains unresolved, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports. Dan Jennings isn’t listed on the team’s official website and hasn’t been working as the team’s general manager, per the report. It’s not yet clear where things are headed, but as Morosi notes, Jennings is under contract for the next three years in Miami.
Here’s more from the NL East:
- Meanwhile, the Blue Jays now face an increasingly interesting situation with their own general manager, Alex Anthopoulos, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. The crux of the matter isn’t money, says Davidi, who writes that Anthopoulos “is believed to have a strong extension offer on the table.” Instead, it’s a matter of resolving the authority structure between Anthopoulos and new president Mark Shapiro. Per Davidi, working that out is the key; if that can’t be done, a departure is “a real possibility.”
- The Phillies finally installed a new baseball operations leader by hiring Matt Klentak, and the organization now seems largely set up to begin moving back toward contention in earnest. As MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes, the organization’s newly accessible leader, owner John Middleton, wants to make the team a consistent presence at the top of the standings. He acknowledged that the Phils “didn’t recognize early enough and act upon that recognition that the window had closed.” Now, the work to open a new window will start with a new philosophy. “The word that [president Andy MacPhail] has talked about and the word [Klentak] has talked about today is ‘discipline,'” Middleton said. “So I think you’re right. I think you have to have a goal and you have to have a road map to achieve it, and you have to be disciplined to know where you are on that road and therefore use that to dictate your decisions and what you do. That’s what I think is going to be the key to success. The other part of this is being objective about yourself and your performances.”
- Of course, the Phillies‘ front office decisionmaking process is an important matter in and of itself, even after the hiring, and CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury lays out where things stand in that regard. MacPhail said that he will vest substantial authority in Klentak, even though his job is also baseball-focused, and both men emphasized that they are looking for balance in all regards (including, notably, between analytics and scouting in player assessment). Klentak also noted that he sees a big opportunity in the club’s worst-in-baseball finish last year. “There’s a really strong foundation of players in this organization, some of whom are in the big leagues and some of whom are coming,” he said. “I think that, coupled with the first pick in the draft, the largest international bonus pool this year, the first priority in the waiver period, the first pick in the Rule 5 draft, etc., creates some inherent advantages at least in the short term that are incredible. And I think if we do our jobs right, we will turn this into a winner and it’s going to be fun for a long time.”
- Former Red Sox GM Ben Cherington has joined Columbia University’s Sports Management Program as an “executive in residence,” according to a press release. As Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes, the move isn’t as surprising as it might seem at first glance.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Yankees tried to hire Cherington following his resignation from the division-rival Red Sox in August. “I reached out to him,” Cashman told Sherman. “I have a lot of respect for him, his integrity and how he did his job.” Sherman notes that Cherington could have conceivably become an assistant GM when Billy Eppler left to go become the Angels’ GM, but Eppler’s responsibilities go to top scout Tim Naehring, as has been previously reported. Cherington will eventually join a front office, but for the time being, his role at Columbia makes sense, as his wife and children were living in suburban New York even while he was Boston’s GM.
- In another interesting GM transition, former Phils GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has taken the unusual step of moving to the Red Sox as their first base coach, and Tim Britton of the Providence Journal delves into the reasoning for the move. As manager John Farrell noted, both men have some similarities in having moved from the front office to the field, though obviously the skipper made that move much earlier in his post-playing career. “I guess it’s unusual but for me, I’ve always had an itch to be back on the field,” Amaro said. “It’s always been something I’ve thought about quite a bit, and I was afforded a wonderful opportunity…. Had it not been the Red Sox, frankly I probably would not be doing this.”
- The Angels have added former big league third baseman Eric Chavez as a special assistant, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported earlier today in his latest notes column. Chavez had served in that capacity last year for the Yankees, working there with new Halos GM Billy Eppler. It sounds as if the 37-year-old will have wide-ranging job responsibilities, including working with the club’s younger players and performing various scouting-related functions.
Latest On Padres’ Managerial Search
Pat Murphy won’t return as the Padres’ manager next season, meaning that San Diego is one of four possible destinations for managerial hopefuls (along with Los Angeles, D.C. and Miami). GM A.J. Preller has promised a wide-ranging search. While we haven’t heard much yet about possible candidates, information is starting to trickle out. Here’s the latest:
- Preller says that the club is moving into the second round of its search, as MLB.com’s Corey Brock reports. “I feel good about the number of guys we had in the initial stage, and now we’ll be able to get that down to a smaller group,” Preller said. “We’re looking to push things forward.” As Brock writes, there could be some new names under consideration, as Preller indicated that the Pads have spoken with some candidates who “were involved in the postseason.”
- Pirates third base coach Rick Sofield has had a second interview and “appears to be a finalist,” Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports on Twitter.
- Ron Gardenhire recently had a second interview with the team, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports. It isn’t known which (if any) other candidates have also been interviewed a second time, though this return meeting would seem to hint that Gardenhire is a strong contender.
Earlier Updates
- San Diego bench coach Dave Roberts has not interviewed for the Padres’ managerial gig, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports, though he was a finalist for the Mariners’ job. The club has interviewed hitting coach Mark Kotsay, though he’s viewed as a “long shot.”
- The Friars will interview long-time big leaguers Alex Cora and Phil Nevin, according to reports. That pair has been tied in at least some manner to every other team with a current opening, though it is worth noting that Nevin spent the most productive portion of his playing career in San Diego.
- Also set for an interview with San Diego is former Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Gardenhire obviously comes into the offseason managerial search with plenty of experience, having piloted Minnesota for 13 years. It appears that the Padres are, as expected, looking at candidates with a variety of resumes.
- Pirates third base coach Rick Sofield is also interviewing for the Padres’ opening, reports Peter Gammons (via Twitter). Sofield has more than a decade of head coaching experience at the college level and also has served as a minor league manager in the Pirates and Expos systems in addition to his time as a third base coach and first base coach in the Majors. A first-round pick of the Twins in 1975, Sofield saw big league action in parts of three seasons and also had a 10-year minor league career.
- It has previously been reported that San Diego has interest in Diamondbacks third base coach Andy Green. The 38-year-old, a four-year MLB veteran infielder in his playing days, managed in the minors for several seasons before joining Arizona’s big league staff.
MLBTR Chat: Brown, Twins, Zimmermann, Braves, Longoria
Click here to read a transcript of today’s live chat, hosted by Steve Adams.
Poll: Should Marco Estrada Get A Qualifying Offer?
Let’s be honest: this is not a question we expected to be asking at the start of the year, when Marco Estrada was settling into the Blue Jays pen as a swingman and long reliever. But he impressed early, provided a solid rotation presence much of the way, and had a notable impact in the post-season. That makes it worthwhile to wonder: is a qualifying offer in play?
We already know something about Estrada’s market valuation, because the Jays acquired him early last fall from the Brewers. The swap sent first baseman Adam Lind to Milwaukee. He, too, had a nice season after the deal, but at the time it wasn’t the most impactful deal. If anything, that trade suggested that Lind was the more valuable player, since he was the more expensive side of the 1-to-1 trade. Lind cost $7.5MM last year, plus a $500K buyout on a $8MM option that wasn’t certain to be exercised (but now likely will be). Estrada, meanwhile, ultimately agreed to a $3.9MM salary to avoid arbitration.
Nothing about that trade suggested that Estrada would be valued at anything close to the qualifying offer rate. Wwhen he came to Toronto, he was coming off of a four-year run in which he compiled 509 2/3 innings of 3.99 ERA pitching, with 8.4 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9. But that K rate had been in decline, and 2013 was his worst season in the earned run department.How have things changed since? MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk took a closer look in September, but in a nutshell, it’s hard to argue with Estrada’s 2015 results: he logged a 3.13 ERA over 181 frames. But his strikeouts plummeted to 6.5 per nine, while his walks ranged above his career average to 2.7 BB/9. And ERA estimators were not pleased with the new mix of peripherals: Estrada earned a 4.40 FIP, 4.93 xFIP, and 4.64 SIERA.
It’s worth noting, also, that Estrada enjoyed a .216 batting average on balls in play against him. He’s always controlled contact, as Tony Blengino of Fangraphs has explained, but that’s still a notably low mark. He has a notably excellent change, and doesn’t rely on velocity, so you might like his chances going forward. But Estrada has already turned 32 years of age, so that’s not on his side, either.
Then again, the post-season provided Estrada an opportunity to put his abilities on display before the entire league, and he didn’t disappoint. In 19 1/3 innings over three starts, he allowed just five earned runs while striking out 15 and issuing only one walk.
All said, there’s reason for some skepticism, but also reason to believe that some team will make Estrade a three-year offer at a healthy AAV. And given that possibility, he might be inclined to test the market for what will likely be his best chance at a multi-year deal. Meanwhile, a pitching-needy Toronto club might feel okay about taking the risk that Estrada will accept a $15.8MM, one-year qualifying offer. That wouldn’t exactly be crippling for a large-budget contender, even if he’s only a solid back-of-the-rotation piece.
It’ll be fascinating to see what happens with Estrada. For now, let’s see what MLBTR’s readers think: should the Jays make him a qualifying offer?
Should The Blue Jays Make Marco Estrada A Qualifying Offer?
-
Yes 63% (2,785)
-
No 37% (1,655)
Total votes: 4,440
Marlins’ Managerial Search Focused On Mattingly
The Marlins’ managerial search is in full effect after the team formally announced that Dan Jennings would not return to the dugout and has been asked to rejoin the front office. To this point, it’s known that Larry Bowa, Manny Acta and Bo Porter are candidates for the Marlins, who are said to prefer someone with previous managerial experience.
Here’s the latest on their search…
- Mattingly’s interview went well, tweets Frisaro, who says it may simply be time for the sides to talk numbers and work out the terms of employment. Bowa, meanwhile, appears to be out of the running after agreeing to return as the Phillies’ bench coach.
- Jackson reports that the Dodgers wouldn’t be responsible for the $1.6MM that Mattingly would’ve earned in 2016 if he receives a new managerial job that pays him more than that figure. Mattingly wants assurances that he can hire his own coaches, which the Marlins are willing to grant, and he also wants financial security with a new deal. As Jackson notes, Loria has shown a willingness to spend generously on managers that appeal heavily to him.
- Mattingly is interviewing with the Marlins today, reports MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (via Twitter). FOX’s Jon Morosi notes (also on Twitter) that if Mattingly is hired by Miami, his 2016 salary would be subject to being offset due to the fact that Mattingly is still under contract with the Dodgers.
Earlier Updates
- Mattingly has interest in the Marlins’ job, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Miami will likely reach out to him to open discussions within “the next few days,” per the report. Because the sides have yet even to meet, Jackson says it would be premature to call the match-up a done deal. But he echoes the other reports suggesting that Mattingly is the front-runner to become the next Miami skipper.
- Don Mattingly will hit the open market after parting ways with the Dodgers, and the Marlins have often been said (see here and here) to have keen interest in him. That is indeed still the case, as MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says (on Twitter) that the Fish have “serious” interest, explaining that their managerial search has been on “semi-hold” while waiting to see what would happen in Los Angeles.
- Nevin has also received two interviews, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today, who calls Mattingly a “favorite” for the position now that he’s free to join any club.
- Bowa is taking his second interview with the Fish on Oct. 24, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports on Twitter. Currently the Phillies bench coach, Bowa has previously skippered the Padres (1987-1988) and Phillies (2001-2004).
- Among the candidates in Miami is Alex Cora, who’ll receive an interview. But reports indicate that the organization may prefer to wait until the Dodgers decide on Don Mattingly to make their own hire. Mattingly would make for an appealing candidate to the Fish.
- The Marlins have received permission from the Diamondbacks to interview Triple-A manager Phil Nevin, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. His interview will come tomorrow and be backed by a “strong endorsement” from D-Backs GM Dave Stewart, Nightengale adds. While Nevin lacks Major League managing experience, he’s been a very successful minor league manager and has been oft-regarded as a future big league skipper over the past couple of seasons.
- The current coaching staff will have the opportunity to get some face time with whichever candidate the team elects to hire, president of baseball operations Michael Hill told reporters, including the Miami Herald’s Clark Spencer (Twitter link). Spencer adds in a followup tweet, however, that everyone on the coaching staff has also been granted the permission to seek opportunities in other organizations, should they wish to do so.
Royals Promote Raul Mondesi, Designate Joba Chamberlain
The Royals have called up top prospect Raul Mondesi in order to add him to their World Series roster, the club announced. To clear 40-man roster space, Kansas City designated righty Joba Chamberlain for assignment.
It’s not a traditional top-prospect promotion, as Mondesi — a consensus top-fifty prospect in all of baseball — will make his first MLB appearance in the World Series. While he won’t pick up any service time for that, and figures to return to the minors to start 2016, the 20-year-old does now reach the 40-man roster earlier than was necessary.
Mondesi, whose father was a prominent big leaguer, signed with Kansas City as an international free agent and saw his first action in Rookie ball in 2012 at just 16 years of age. He spent all of this season playing at Double-A, putting up a .243/.279/.372 batting line and swiping 19 bases.
Presumably, the switch-hitting middle infielder will be used mostly for running and defense in his high-leverage debut series. He’ll take the spot of Terrance Gore, the club’s usual post-season burner, while also providing another infield glove.
Meanwhile, Chamberlain will hit the free agent market a bit early, though the move was largely procedural. The 30-year-old joined Kansas City late in the season, allowing five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. He did not appear in the post-season. Chamberlain will probably be looking for a make-good minor league deal this offseason after a rough overall campaign.
Pirates Claim Jorge Rondon
The Pirates have claimed righty Jorge Rondon off waivers from the Orioles, according to the MLB.com transactions page. Rondon, 27, was designated recently to create 40-man space.
Interestingly, Rondon lost his spot with Baltimore to make way for the team’s claim of fellow right-hander Vance Worley from Pittsburgh. The result is a more-or-less direct swap of those two players.
Rondon carried a 2.23 ERA over 60 2/3 innings at Triple-A last year, with 7.4 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9. He was once rated among the top thirty prospects of the Cardinals, and has a track record of solid, if unspectacular, numbers in the minors.
In a rather small sample at the big league level, though, Rondon has struggled. He allowed ten earned runs in just two appearances in Colorado, and permitted eleven more in his 13 1/3 frames with the O’s. In his 15 1/3 total MLB innings, Rondon has struck out only nine batters while walking ten and surrendering 28 hits.
MLBTR Mailbag: Offseason Trades, Orioles, Kendrick, Howell, Royals
Time for another MLBTR Mailbag! As always, thanks for the questions — if yours wasn’t answered this time, join in one of our weekly chats (Tuesday and Thursday, 2pm Central) for another shot.
On to the questions and answers …
We all know who the big free agents are this off-season and there has been much speculation on where the wind up. But, who do you think will be the 4 or 5 biggest names traded this off-season? Yasiel Puig appears to be the top candidate, but is he? Who else might join him? — Troy K.
I wouldn’t call Puig the “top trade candidate” of the offseason, but he’s a high-profile talent whose name does figure to be kicked around the rumor mill this winter. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him moved, but the Dodgers won’t sell low on him despite a down season.
A good place to start if you’re trying to find big-name offseason trade candidates is to parse the list of players that will be free agents following the 2016 season. Teams that control these players will almost certainly be far more willing to entertain offers due to the limited control they have left. The most intriguing name there is Stephen Strasburg, whose name has been mentioned previously as a possible offseason trade piece. That’s not to say it’s likely, but clubs looking to make a win-now splash will at least call GM Mike Rizzo. Neil Walker, Andrew Cashner, Carlos Santana and Jay Bruce all strike me as possibilities as well, though the latter two have club options to control them beyond 2016.
Tyson Ross and Craig Kimbrel will be discussed, as will Jonathan Lucroy, Adam Lind and perhaps even Todd Frazier, who has two years of club control remaining. Aroldis Chapman might be the likeliest elite name to change hands this offseason, as he has just one year of club control remaining, and the Reds don’t figure to contend in 2016.
If (when) the Orioles don’t bring Davis back would they consider (be in the running) for some like Heyward or Alex Gordon? — Dave S.
Jason Heyward‘s probably going to cost as much or more than Davis, so he’s not a likelier consideration. Gordon probably comes cheaper due to his age, but it’d still require a franchise-record contract for Baltimore, probably in excess of $100MM. That seems pretty unlikely.
What do you think the O’s would have to give up to get Pedro Alvarez? — David K.
Not much, really, Alvarez is a non-tender candidate, so if the Orioles want to take on his arb salary and send a second-tier prospect or a pair of low-level lottery ticket minor leaguers to the Pirates, they’d probably have some interest. Alvarez has huge power, but he’s a very poor defender that doesn’t hit lefties and is going to cost a projected $8.1MM.
Do you think the Dodgers will try to bring back Kendrick or decide to go with young guys like Hernandez and/or Peraza? — Jeff D.
They’ll have interest, yeah. At one point during the season, there was talk that the Dodgers loved Kendrick enough to consider him an extension candidate. It’s a little difficult to imagine the Dodgers as the top bidder — that sentence felt strange to type — since they have other infield options in Justin Turner, Corey Seager, Jose Peraza and Enrique Hernandez that could fill in.
The only way Kendrick makes sense on a long-term deal, though — barring trades of any of the aforementioned infielders — is if Turner plays third in 2016 with Seager at shortstop and Kendrick at second base. Then, when Turner leaves as a free agent following the 2016 campaign, Seager moves to third with Peraza taking over at shortstop.
Given the needs they have throughout the rest of the roster, I don’t know that Kendrick should be a primary focus. Starting pitching and attempting to move an outfielder (specifically Carl Crawford or Andre Ethier) seem like bigger needs.
J.P. Howell’s 2016 club option has now vested to a player option. Do you expect Howell to exercise his option and stay with Dodgers, or elect free agency for a longer contract? — Jesse P.
Howell’s excellence has kind of flown under the radar, but he’s coming off a three-year window with a 1.97 ERA, 8.2 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a huge 58.3 percent ground-ball rate. Howell’s going to be 33 next year and was roughed up by right-handed hitters in 2015, but some of his platoon struggles were BABIP-related (.368), and his overall track record seems worthy of more than a one-year deal. I think he can opt out and find two years or maybe even work out a two-year deal with L.A. that cuts his annual salary but boosts his guarantee. After all, Andrew Friedman traded for Howell in 2006 as a 29-year-old GM and had him in the organization until 2012, when Howell hit the open market at season’s end. He knows Howell well and, presumably, would like to keep him around.
With salaries coming off of the books (Rios, Holland, Guthrie) will the Royals be able to sign both Gordon and Zobrist? — Kit M.
Those salaries are coming off the books (along with those of Gordon and Zobrist, at least for now), but even with those subtractions, the Royals have some significant increases in next year’s payroll. Wade Davis and Alcides Escobar will combine to earn $3.25MM more in 2016 than they did in 2015, and significant arbitration raises are in store for Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, Danny Duffy and Jarrod Dyson. Before factoring in for league-minimum players to fill out the roster, Kansas City should have about $90.5MM on the books ($91.6MM if they tender a contract to Drew Butera).
Payroll could conceivably rise, with another World Series appearance providing a revenue boost, but Gordon is going to command an annual salary in the $20MM range, if not a bit higher. Signing him alone would put Kansas City above their Opening Day payroll from 2015, unless they shed salary elsewhere.
As for Zobrist, he’s shaping up as one of the most in-demand free agents of the offseason. His age places a cap on his earning potential, unlike some of the younger free agents on this year’s market (e.g. Jason Heyward), which could keep more teams in the bidding picture. On the one hand, that makes a return plausible for Kansas City; on the other, it’s not the Royals’ style to outbid the rest of the market in a competition like that.
Last winter, they diversified the risk of their offseason spending by giving one- and two-year deals to multiple free agents. That’s a more realistic expectation than re-signing Zobrist. Gordon could be the exception due to his status as a franchise icon, but there will be other clubs willing to pay him more than Kansas City can stomach.
Domonic Brown Elects Free Agency After Outright
OCTOBER 26: Brown has elected free agency, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports on Twitter. That will bring his tenure in Philadelphia to an end, barring a somewhat surprising reunion.
OCTOBER 19: The Phillies announced today that former top prospect and starting right fielder Domonic Brown has been outrighted off their 40-man roster. As a player with more than three years of big league service time, Brown will have the option to elect free agency rather than accepting an assignment to Triple-A. Also outrighted were catcher/first baseman Tommy Joseph, outfielder Brian Bogusevic and outfielder Kelly Dugan.
Brown, 28, batted just .228/.284/.349 this season — a disappointing season and a near-mirror image of his 2014 batting line: .235/.285/.349. Ranked by Baseball America as the game’s No. 1 overall prospect midway through the 2010 season, many believed Brown to be ticketed for stardom. The former 20th-round pick batted .327/.391/.589 with 20 homers in just 93 games between Double-A and Triple-A in that 2010 campaign, leading to visions of future 30-home runs seasons from the powerful lefty batter.
Brown looked to be delivering on that promise in 2013 when he belted 27 homers and batted a hefty .272/.324/.494 in his age-25 season, but much of that production came in a torrid six-week stretch, and he’s been unable to recreate anything resembling that level of success. He’ll assuredly draw some interest from other clubs with the hope of buying low on his once-potent bat. Brown cleared four years of big league service in 2015, meaning any team that signs him would be able to control him for 2016 and 2017, if he’s productive enough to justify a spot on the roster for that long.
Making this series of moves even more disappointing for the Phillies is that Joseph, too, once ranked among their top prospects. The main piece acquired from the Giants in the trade that sent Hunter Pence to San Francisco, Joseph’s once-promising career has been slowed by injuries — most recently a series of significant concussion issues. Joseph’s first full year in the Phillies organization was marred by injuries, but he looked to have turned a corner in 2014 when he got off to a .282/.345/.551 start in 27 games at Double-A Reading. A left wrist issue that ultimately required surgery cut that season short as well, though, and he hit just .193/.220/.301 in Triple-A this season before moving to first base due to concussion woes.
The 25-year-old Dugan rated 17th among Phillies farmhands last offseason, per Baseball America, but batted just .221/.295/.298 upon reaching Triple-A for the first time this year. Bogusevic, 31, has bounced around the league since debuting with the Astros in 2010. He’s a lifetime .238/.311/.373 hitter in 834 big league plate appearances.