David Ortiz Maxes Out 2016 Option At $16MM
After taking plate appearance No. 600 on Sunday, David Ortiz‘s 2016 salary has now maxed out at a value of $16MM. The slugger first got his option to vest for 2016 at a value of $11MM when he reached 425 plate appearances back in August. Since then, however, he has boosted that total by $1MM each time he hit 475, 500, 525, 575, and 600 PAs, respectively.
Ortiz, 40 in November, hasn’t slowed down much in his old age. After an up-and-down first half of the season, Ortiz has turned it up to bring his slash line to .270/.357/.546 (heading into today’s game) with a whopping 36 home runs on the year. The only thing now standing between the veteran and his $16MM payout for next season is a physical, as the option is contingent on a clean bill of health. However, he seems rather healthy as he turns in another stellar season as Boston’s DH.
Ortiz is a veteran of 19 seasons – six with the Twins and 13 with Boston. The Mariners originally signed him as an amateur free agent back in 1992. Over the course of his career, Oritz has earned nine All-Star selections and, more importantly, helped the Red Sox to three World Series championships.
MLBTR Originals
A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR the last seven days:
- Over the weekend, Charlie Wilmoth looked at how this year’s Pirates team was put together. The Bucs clinched their third straight playoff berth last week.
- It seems impossible to peg the value of Orioles veteran Steve Pearce, but Jeff Todd and Steve Adams took their best shot. Pearce, a journeyman for much of his career, will hit the open market this winter.
- In the most recent edition of the MLBTR podcast, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy joined host Jeff Todd to break down all the recent changes in the Brewers organization. A new episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is released every Thursday and can be accessed on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
- 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!
- In the most recent edition of the MLBTR Mailbag, Steve fielded questions on a possible extension for Bryce Harper, the departure of Jerry Dipoto from the Angels, the Twins’ offseason plans, and more. You can email questions for the mailbag at any time throughout the week at mlbtrmailbag@gmail.com.
- If you missed out on Steve’s weekly chat, check out the transcript. Every Tuesday at 2pm CT, the MLBTR chat addresses all of your burning questions.
Cafardo On Cueto, Angels, Red Sox
In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe looks at the recent phenomenon of teams installing various layers of upper management. Lately, teams have taken to employing a president of baseball operations, a GM, and then one or two assistant GMs underneath that person. In baseball circles, this has become known as “title inflation,” Cafardo writes. One source says that small market teams don’t like this trend, presumably because the larger market teams are able to pluck execs away with fancier titles that really amount to a lateral move.
Here’s more from today’s column..
- One AL exec told Cafardo that he stayed away from Johnny Cueto at the trade deadline because of a possible elbow issue. Many believed that Cueto’s elbow didn’t dampen his trade value this summer since he returned to action for the Reds and continued to pitch well, but we know now that it was a turnoff for at least one club. Since coming over to the Royals, Cueto owns a 4.99 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 across eleven starts, and one can’t help but wonder if the elbow is a factor. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently dropped Cueto to eighth in his 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings.
- Many believe the biggest factor in the Angels‘ GM search will be the ability of each candidate to co-exist with manager Mike Scioscia, Cafardo writes. Scioscia, the longtime Halos skipper, has had a fair amount of say in personnel decisions over the years. Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler has a “good shot” at getting the job, per Cafardo.
- Cafardo wonders aloud if the Red Sox will allow Torey Lovullo to pursue managerial opportunities this winter. Lovullo has managed the Red Sox in Farrell’s absence and now has the managerial experience that teams were previously concerned about.
- Former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire appears ready to get back into managing, Cafardo writes.
- Jason Varitek, currently serving as a special assistant for the Red Sox, has been mentioned as a managerial candidate. However, the former catcher’s top priority right now is his family, so it’s not clear if he’d be ready for that kind of grind and commitment.
Red Sox To Appoint Sam Kennedy As President
The Red Sox announced that Chief Operating Officer Sam Kennedy will take over as club President on October 16th. Meanwhile, Larry Lucchino has been named President/CEO Emeritus. “Lucchino will be an active participant in the strategic direction of the franchise and will participate in various issues facing Major League Baseball,” according to the press release, and will remain a member of the Red Sox’s ownership group.
“Larry has helped write a new chapter in the storied history of this franchise,” said Principal Owner John W. Henry in the press release. “He has brought boldness, vision, and intensity each day to Fenway Park. He has also assembled an outstanding team around him, the hallmark of a great CEO.”
Of course, Kennedy will not be involved on the baseball side of things the same way that Lucchino was. Dave Dombrowski, hired as President of Baseball Operations over the summer, will have control over everything on the field while Kennedy is expected to deal more with business operations. In the press release, Henry notes that Kennedy has been the heir apparent to Lucchino’s title since 2012. Team chairman Tom Werner also offered a strong endorsement of Kennedy.
“I have known and worked with Sam for nearly 20 years. We have marveled at his growth and development as one of the top young executives in the sports industry. We could not be happier to entrust him with this position and look forward to working with him on the day-to-day operation of the club,” Werner said.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Blue Jays, Jimenez, Alvarez
Here’s a look at the best of the baseball blogosphere from this week..
- Blue Jays Plus broke down Brett Cecil‘s recent adjustments to find success.
- Baseball Essential assessed Toronto’s chances of keeping David Price.
- Camden Depot marveled at the calls Ubaldo Jimenez is getting.
- The Point of Pittsburgh tried to find suitable trade partners for Pedro Alvarez.
- Rumbunter wonders if Alvarez has really improved at the plate.
- Baseball Hot Corner reflected on 10 games that defined Yogi Berra.
- Fueled By Sports remembered Yogi.
- Call To The Pen told Peter Moylan‘s story.
- Notes From The Sally scouted Yoan Moncada.
- Blue Jay Musings is celebrating.
- Reviewing The Brew talks Ariel Pena.
- Inside The ‘Zona discussed Will Farrell’s influence on Robbie Ray.
- Know Hitter discussed the Tigers and the value of a protected first rounder.
- Clutchlings ran down the top Blue Jays prospects.
Please send submissions to Zach at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
East Notes: Sandoval, Ramirez, Red Sox, Phillies,
We discussed the West earlier tonight. Here’s the latest from the East:
- Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval is expected to miss the rest of the season with pneumonia, writes John Tomase of WEEI.com. This comes just a couple days after fellow offseason signee Hanley Ramirez was shut down for the year with a shoulder injury. Sandoval hit .245/.292/.366 on the year with 43 runs scored and 47 RBI. Ramirez managed just .249/.291/.426 with 59 runs and 53 RBI. Advanced metrics labelled both players as terrible defenders this season (Sandoval at least has a history of solid defense). Undoubtedly, the pair was expected to produce about twice as many runs with passable defense. Had they performed to those expectations, Boston’s 6.5 game deficit in the Wild Card race could be a lead.
- Boston has three potential candidates to man first base in 2016, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. The club plans to train Ramirez at the position after he failed to adjust to the outfield. Undoubtedly, Red Sox personnel hope first base can help Ramirez to stay healthy. The other internal option is Travis Shaw. He’s done enough to earn another look after hitting .282/.348/.511 with 11 home runs over 210 plate appearances. Shaw, 25, was never a highly touted prospect. The team may prefer to use him as depth. If they’re uncomfortable with Ramirez and Shaw, they could always dig into the coffers for Chris Davis. Personally, I expect any big free agent investments to be in the rotation.
- The Phillies have their own first base conundrum to solve, writes Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. They anticipate an influx of talent next season, but first base will probably remain a time share between Ryan Howard and Darin Ruf. Howard will be in the final guaranteed season of a five-year, $125MM extension. Previous attempts to swap him to the junior circuit have turned up zero trading partners. Howard still hits well against right-handed pitchers while Ruf handles southpaws with aplomb. The platoon has combined for about -1 WAR this season, but they’ve also bashed a combined 33 home runs with 78 runs and 108 RBI in 766 plate appearances. That’s roughly a third of the team’s run production. Clearly, they can have some value to the club so long as they avoid same-handed pitchers.
- Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond is frustrated with his 2015 season, he tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Desmond, 30, is by far the top shortstop entering free agency, but he’s coming off his first below average offense campaign since 2011. Desmond hit just .232/.286/.382 on the year. When asked if he would accept a qualifying offer, Desmond hinted it was possible.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Byrnes, Rangers, Baker, Holland
As was reported earlier, Josh Byrnes is a candidate for a role in the Angels‘ front office, notes Ken Rosenthal in his latest video for FOX Sports. It would be surprising to see Byrnes join the Angels. He’s twice lost jobs while working for difficult owners. Angels owner Arte Moreno”fits the same mold.”
Here’s more from Rosenthal:
- The Rangers have a logjam of left-handed hitters and outfielders. Improved play from Mitch Moreland and Shin-Soo Choo should offer some flexibility this offseason. Potential star prospects like Nomar Mazara, Lewis Brinson, and Joey Gallo are all on the cusp of the majors.
- Why should Dusty Baker consider managing for the Marlins? Rosenthal thinks they’re likely to overpay. Their history of firing managers also means Baker could take home three years of money for one season of work. Personally, I view that as a discouraging “advantage.” More importantly, the Marlins still have a ton of young talent headlined by Giancarlo Stanton.
- Greg Holland‘s elbow injury will allow the Royals to non-tender him without much regret. Had he remained healthy, the club probably would have tried to trade him. Now they can instead pursue a multi-year, incentive-laden extension.
West Notes: Anderson, Ausmus, Byrnes
Dodgers starter Brett Anderson has reached another performance bonus threshold tonight, tweets Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Anderson will earn another $350K for throwing 170 innings. He’s triggered $1.65MM in bonuses in addition to his $10MM base salary.
Here’s more on Anderson and baseball’s western divisions:
- Anderson would like to return to L.A. next season, reports Mark Saxon of ESPN. The club is also reportedly interested in re-signing the southpaw. Anderson is in the midst of a rough outing at Coors Field tonight, but that’s hardly an uncommon occurrence. Including his performance through three innings this evening, Anderson has a 3.77 ERA, 5.87 K/9, 2.41 BB/9, and a 66% ground ball rate over 171.2 innings. He’s just four innings short of his career high (set in 2009). Between improved health and success, Anderson should be a popular target this offseason. The 27-year-old could potentially use Brandon McCarthy‘s four-year, $48MM contract as a comparable. McCarthy was entering his age 31 season when he signed that deal, but he was arguably coming off a stronger platform season. MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth also considers McCarthy and Pirates lefty Francisco Liriano as possible precedents.
- Josh Byrnes is a top candidate for a role in the Angels front office, confirms Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (via tweet). However, Los Angeles is not looking to hire a president of baseball operations. Whoever they sign will be the GM. You can learn more about Byrnes and the other Angels’ GM candidates here.
- If the Tigers hadn’t retained manager Brad Ausmus, he would have been a top candidate for the Padres opening, writes Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Ausmus debuted with the Padres way back in 1993. He played in parts of four seasons for San Diego before later moving on to the Tigers, Astros, and Dodgers. While it’s a moot point now, it seems likely that Ausmus would have landed somewhere on both feet.
Avila On Retaining Manager Brad Ausmus
We learned earlier today that the Tigers would retain manager Brad Ausmus. GM Al Avila elaborated on his reasons for sticking with the embattled manager. Chris Iott of MLive.com and Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press have the details.
- Fenech explores the timeline of the decision to keep Ausmus. It was reported on September 10 that Ausmus would be fired at the end of the season. Owner Mike Ilitch reportedly wanted to let him go earlier in the year, but former GM Dave Dombrowski “fought off ownership.” When Avila took over for Dombrowski, he began evaluating Ausmus and other personnel. Per Avila, “Whenever you make a decision to change a manager, do it right then and there and don’t wait.”
- Avila praised Ausmus’ work with young personnel, particularly Nick Castellanos, James McCann, and Anthony Gose. Avila noted that Ausmus “had to personally get involved in the teaching of these young players. And he has.” He also has a good rapport with the veterans. Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler, and others have publicly lobbied in favor of Ausmus.
- Despite falling out of contention, the Tigers continue to battle for wins. Avila considers this another point in Ausmus’ favor. The club is 12-11 in September. In particular, Avila is pleased with his manager’s game preparation – even when the outcome is no longer relevant.
Sherman’s Latest: Alderson, Cashman, Anthopoulos, Moore
Barring an epic collapse, the Mets and Yankees will reach the postseason together for the first time since 2006, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. In fact, the Mets clinched the NL East just a few minutes ago. Sherman takes a look at how both New York franchises reached October baseball via important offseason and trade deadline moves. Here’s more on Sandy Alderson, Brian Cashman, and others.
- Alderson whiffed on his offseason moves for a second year in a row, per Sherman. Sean Gilmartin, a solid middle reliever, was the best acquisition. Alderson forfeited the Mets’ first round pick and a bundle of cash to sign Michael Cuddyer. That move has seemingly backfired. A lack of depth hurt the club until mid-season when he acquired Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe, Tyler Clippard, Addison Reed, and Yoenis Cespedes. The promotion of Michael Conforto has also helped.
- The Yankees experiencedÃÂ the polar opposite story. Cashman’s only in-season move of note was the acquisition of Dustin Ackley. However, he spiked the offseason. Rather than invest in more expensive, old players, Cashman focused on youth. First, he gambled that closer Andrew Miller could match the production of former Yankee David Robertson for less money. Cashman was right, and he earned a compensation pick when the White Sox inked Robertson. He also did well to acquire Didi Gregorius and Nathan Eovaldi (if Eovaldi can avoid a second Tommy John surgery).
- While Alderson and Cashman have been vindicated, they won’t win the executive of the year. Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos may have had the biggest impact on his roster by acquiring Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin, Devon Travis, David Price, and Troy Tulowitzki. However, those players were costly – both in prospects and financially.
- Royals GM Dayton Moore is another candidate for top executive. He made a couple unpopular moves that have turned out well, especially the signings of Kendrys Morales and Edinson Volquez. He also acquired Kris Medlen, Ryan Madson, Johnny Cueto, and Ben Zobrist. The club ran away with the AL Central after their surprising success in 2014.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels has surged up the list. His club was treading water when he traded for Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman at the July deadline. Now Texas is on the cusp of clinching the AL West. He also added Yovani Gallardo prior to the season. Sam Dyson and Mike Napoli were smaller in-season moves. While the acquisition of Hamels may have reinvigorated the club, I still wonder how history will view the trade.
- Meanwhile, Pirates GM Neal Huntington works below the radar, but his role in rostering Francisco Liriano, A.J. Burnett, Francisco Cervelli, Jung-ho Kang, Aramis Ramirez, J.A. Happ, and others should not be underestimated. The club’s depth and versatility is a big reason for their success.
- The Braves may have the second worst record in baseball, but GM John Hart did well to accept reality and rebuild. His remodeling should help the club prepare to contend in 2017 when their new stadium opens. In the process, Hart cleared dead weight off the payroll and improved the farm system dramatically. Personally, my favorite move was the creative swap for Touki Toussaint.