AL Central Notes: Tribe, Cueto, Hunter, Joba
After the Indians traded several veterans at the July deadline, manager Terry Francona asked remaining team leaders like Michael Brantley, Yan Gomes, Jason Kipnis and Corey Kluber if they could draft a type of “accountability contract” for the rest of team, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian writes. “It’s just a matter of playing the game the right way,” Gomes said. “We’re building a culture and we’re building a way that we believe in. That’s pretty much all I can say.” After several weeks of finalizing the wording, the contract was passed out to Cleveland players this week and signed by the group. As Gomes put it, “I think we’re going to be here for a long time together. So, we figured, if we really put together something that us guys that will be here for a long time, something that we really believe in, and we truly live by it and we enforce it, then I think guys will come around and follow it. It was something we really wanted to put together.”
Here’s some more from around the AL Central…
- Johnny Cueto‘s recent struggles have “baseball people wondering again about the health of his elbow, among other issues,” Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. Cueto was excellent over his first four starts since joining the Royals and then posted a 9.57 ERA over his next five outings before rebounding with a very solid outing (7 IP, two ER, eight hits, four K’s) on Friday against Detroit. He missed some time with elbow stiffness earlier this season while pitching for the Reds, though he didn’t go on the DL and the ailment ultimately didn’t hurt his trade value since Cueto returned and continued to pitch well. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently dropped Cueto to eighth in his 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings, so it’s looking like Cueto will need a strong finish in both the regular season and playoffs to regain some earning potential.
- The Twins wouldn’t engage in extension talks with Torii Hunter‘s representatives this summer, ESPN 1500’s Darren Wolfson reports (Twitter link). Nick Cafardo reported earlier today that the Twins indeed want Hunter to return for 2016, and since Hunter has himself said he’s taking his playing future on a year-to-year basis, it could simply be a case of the club waiting until the season and playoff race is over before getting into future contractual business. As Wolfson notes in a subtweeted response to his original message, Twins manager Paul Molitor particularly wants Hunter back.
- Brad Ausmus isn’t sure the Tigers made the right move in releasing Joba Chamberlain in July, he told reporters (including James Schmehl of MLive.com). Asked if he second-guessed the transaction, Ausmus admitted that, “Yeah. I did. Even at the time, I didn’t know if it was the best idea.” Chamberlain posted a 4.09 ERA over 22 innings for the Tigers (a number possibly inflated by BABIP and an ungainly home run rate) before moving on to minor league deals with Toronto and Kansas City and eventually returning to the bigs as a Royal. While Chamberlain’s numbers weren’t anything special, he still would’ve been an upgrade to a Detroit bullpen that has been one of the worst in the game this year.
Bridich On Offseason, Weiss, CarGo
The Rockies are already looking ahead to the offseason, and GM Jeff Bridich is giving some hints about his winter plans with a few different media outlets. Here’s the latest from the Colorado general manager…
- In an interview with Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link), Bridich said that “everything is on the table” in terms of what the club could do this winter. This includes “players, how the team looks, how the team gelled together this year. We had a number of guys injured so we’ll have to make a number of evaluations in terms of those players, do they factor into our future whether they’re young players or veteran guys headed towards free agency. We’ll evaluate our own process [in the] front office, evaluate the Major League staff and our collective combined process together this year.”
- Manager Walt Weiss’ status for 2016 will be decided after the season. “We’ll have meetings, sit down and talk and see what the right fit is,” Bridich said. “This isn’t the time or the place yet to say 100 percent yes or no. He’s got to have a part in that too and we’re going to let the season play out before we make that final determination.” A month ago, Weiss said he wanted to return next season, which would be the final year of his three-year contract.
- No big changes are seemingly on the horizon in player acquisition, as “we’ll probably proceed as we have for the last year, which is eyes and ears open and if people want to talk we’re willing to talk.” Carlos Gonzalez has again become an object of trade speculation given his big season, though Bridich reiterated that the Rockies are in no particular rush to move the star outfielder. “I think we’ve showed that if we were hellbent on trading Carlos Gonzalez, he would’ve already been gone by now,” the GM said.
- While there’s no magic formula to rebuilding, Bridich told The Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders that he has taken some lessons from how the Pirates and Royals rebuilt their organizations, though he clearly believes Colorado won’t suffer multi-decade struggles like those two teams. How the Rockies “evaluate, collectively, the available pitching in the industry, might shift a little bit” but Bridich said player development will still be the organization’s prime focus. “If you are asking if there is going to be massive monetary or financial shifting with us, I would be very surprised if that happens,” he said. “The Pirates didn’t do it that way and neither did the Royals.”
- For more from Bridich, check out the Sept. 4 edition of the MLBTR Podcast when the GM spoke with Jeff Todd.
AL East Notes: Ortiz, Tanaka, Orioles, Price
David Ortiz made his 575th plate appearance of the season today, boosting the value of his 2016 contract to $15MM, Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe tweets. The Red Sox held a club option on Ortiz for 2016 that vested for $11MM when the slugger hit the 425-PA plateau, and he has only been adding to his future salary ever since by making more and more plate appearances. Big Papi can max out his deal at $16MM in 2016 by reaching 600 PA, which seems like a foregone conclusion with two weeks left on the schedule. The deal is contingent on Ortiz passing a physical, though the slugger has been seemingly healthy and is still very productive, hitting .270/.357/.544 with 35 homers this year.
Here’s some more from around the AL East…
- Masahiro Tanaka will miss his scheduled start against the Blue Jays on Wednesday due to a hamstring strain, Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch). Tanaka suffered the injury while running out a sac bunt in an interleague game with the Mets last Friday, though he was able to stay in the game and pitch six innings. It is a Grade One strain, the lowest level, so the Yankees hope that Tanaka will only miss one outing; the righty himself “lobbied” to pitch as scheduled in the big AL East matchup.
- The Orioles rotation hasn’t pitched up to expectations this season, though Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun doesn’t think the starting five will be too different in 2016. The O’s have rarely been big free agent buyers, and are probably even less likely to spend big on pitching given how Ubaldo Jimenez hasn’t delivered much return on his four-year, $50MM deal. Schmuck figures Wei-Yin Chen will depart in free agency, but Baltimore will still have Jimenez, Kevin Gausman, and arbitration-eligibles Miguel Gonzalez and Chris Tillman projected to return as the top four. Chen will likely be replaced by an internal option, with Mike Wright or Tyler Wilson standing as the best candidates to be the fifth starter.
- In an interview with Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link), Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos has been pleased to see what David Price has brought the team on the field and also “to see the impact that he’s had on the entire clubhouse. He truly loves his teammates and the environment.” Price has made similar comments praising his team and the Toronto fans, which obviously can’t hurt the Jays’ chances of re-signing the southpaw in free agency this winter. It will take more than good feelings, of course, to keep Price in town, as he is expected to command at least a $200MM deal this winter.
- It sounds like former Rays notable Aubrey Huff could be interested in a comeback, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Now 38 and retired since 2012, Huff took to Facebook recently and wrote: “I do feel mentally, and physically stronger than I ever have in my life. Hmmmmmm!???” Huff retired after a 13-year big league career in which he posted a .278/.342/.464 line in 6,786 plate appearances for the Rays, Astros, Orioles, Tigers, and Giants.
Minor MLB Transactions: 9/20/15
Here are today’s minor moves from around baseball, with the latest transactions at the top of the post…
- The Athletics purchased the contract of catcher Bryan Anderson from Triple-A Nashville, creating 40-man roster space by shifting Kendall Graveman to the 60-day DL. This will be Anderson’s first stint on an MLB roster this season, providing some catching depth as Stephen Vogt and Josh Phegley are both battling injuries. Anderson has appeared in 36 career big league games since 2010 (with the Cardinals, White Sox and A’s) and has a .202/.273/.288 line over 322 PA at Triple-A this season.
MLBTR Originals
A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR the last seven days:
- In the latest edition of Tim Dierkes’ power rankings, slugger Chris Davis is slotted at No. 4 with more earning power than Yoenis Cespedes, who is No. 5. Click the link to see his entire top ten list, including a couple of honorable mentions.
- On the most recent edition of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast, host Jeff Todd spoke with veteran right-hander David Aardsma to talk about how the veteran reliever is navigating the later stages of his career. Aardsma offered his thoughts on the feeling of being traded and being designated for assignment as well as the difficult decision to opt out of his minor league deal with the Dodgers this year. A new episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast will be 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, Mark Polishuk fielded questions on Jason Heyward, Daniel Murphy and possible free agent targets for the Red Sox.
- Last week, Tim hosted the weekly chat. You can get caught up by reading the transcript.
- John Lackey should be able to find, at minimum, a two-year contract with a stronger average annual value than Bronson Arroyo and Tim Hudson, but a three-year deal wouldn’t be shocking, Steve Adams writes.
- The Padres need to get their talent pipeline flowing and sort out the middle infield, Jeff writes.
- The top item on the Marlins’ checklist should be to solidify its leadership positions, Charlie Wilmoth writes.
Recent September Extensions
September isn’t a terribly active month on the trade front as players acquired after Aug. 31 are not eligible to join an acquiring club’s postseason roster. However, in recent years, we have seen some notable extensions hammered out in September. Could we see one go down in the next week and change? Here’s a look back at some notable September extensions over the past four seasons…
2014
- Rockies sign Jorge De La Rosa to a two-year, $25MM extension. — De La Rosa saw a strong uptick in his fastball velocity in 2014, his second full season back from Tommy John surgery. With an average of 92.3 mph on his heater versus 91.1 mph in 2013, De La Rosa pitched to a 4.26 ERA with 6.7 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 51.9 percent ground-ball rate in 160 2/3 innings of work at the time of the signing. This season, the hurler has pitched to a similar 4.17 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9.
2013
- Padres sign Will Venable to a two-year, $8.5MM extension. — Venable had a breakout season in terms of his power production in 2013, so the Padres moved to lock in his remaining arbitration salaries, as further 20-homer/20-steal seasons would cause the price to soar. Unfortunately for the team, Venable’s decision to opt for security looks wise, in hindsight, as he batted just .224/.288/.325 in the first year of the deal and .248/.325/.356 in 2015. This season Venable was moved to Texas in an August waiver trade as the Rangers looked to add outfield depth.
- Marlins sign Greg Dobbs to a one-year, $1.75MM extension. — This extension drew plenty of public scrutiny, as Dobbs’ on-field performance in 2013 (.228/.303/.300) didn’t warrant the deal. It was eventually reported that owner Jeffrey Loria negotiated the deal without consulting former president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest. The Dobbs extension would be one of many stories that were referenced when describing the rift between Loria and Beinfest at the time of Beinfest’s dismissal.
- Giants sign Hunter Pence to a five-year, $90MM extension. — The most notable of any extension in this post, Pence was positioned to be one of the top free agents in the 2013-14 class, but he took what looked to be market value at the time to remain in San Francisco. As it turns out, the market for outfield bats was more aggressive than many had thought, with Jacoby Ellsbury and Shin-Soo Choo landing seven-year deals worth $153MM and $131MM, respectively. Last season, Pence hit .277/.332/.445 with 20 homers. This season, Pence has put up a similar .275/.327/.478 line, though he has seen only 52 games on the year due to injury.
2012
- Padres sign Chris Denorfia to a two-year, $4.25MM extension. — Denorfia’s strong season led former GM Josh Byrnes to lock in his final arb years with this modest extension, and Denorfia made the deal look like a good one in 2013 by hitting a solid .279/.337/.395 with a career-high 10 homers and excellent numbers against lefties. His production fell off in the contract’s second year, but the Padres’ triumvirate of interim GMs were still able to flip him to Seattle for outfielder Abraham Almonte and minor league righty Stephen Kohlscheen.
- Rangers sign Colby Lewis to a one-year, $2MM extension. — Lewis went down for the season in mid-July back in 2012, but he’d been enjoying a strong season and was expected to return for the 2013 campaign, making a $2MM salary a potential bargain for Texas. Unfortunately for the Rangers, Lewis had multiple setbacks and wasn’t able to take the hill the following season, but it’s not hard to see why they were interested in the low-risk deal; Lewis had turned in a 3.93 ERA over his previous 506 1/3 innings with the Rangers.
2011
- Cardinals sign Chris Carpenter to a two-year, $21MM extension. — Carpenter led the league in innings pitched in 2011 and had been generally excellent over the previous three seasons, prompting quite a bit of praise for this deal. He, in fact, restructured his contract and took what most expected to be less money in the long run, giving up a $15MM club option in favor of this two-year deal. Of course, Carpenter would sadly throw just 17 more innings in his career before injuries forced him to retire. While it looked good at the time, this deal didn’t pan out.
- Mets sign Tim Byrdak to a one-year, $1MM extension. — While the extension wasn’t particularly memorable and didn’t have a large impact on the 2012 Mets, Byrdak fired 30 2/3 innings of 4.40 ERA ball and was a strong weapon against lefties, making him worth his modest salary.
- Cardinals sign Lance Berkman to a one-year, $12MM extension. — After a huge rebound campaign in 2011, Big Puma was rewarded with this contract, but he totaled just 97 plate appearances the following season due to knee injuries. He wasn’t able to recover with the Rangers in 2013 and retired following that season, putting an end to an excellent career.
- Marlins sign Omar Infante to a two-year, $8MM extension. — This contract paid dividends in the sense that Infante was largely excellent for the Marlins over the next half-season before being dealt to the Tigers along with Anibal Sanchez. That trade netted former top prospect Jacob Turner, catcher Rob Brantly and lefty Brian Flynn — a respectable haul at the time but one that now looks lackluster. Miami dealt Turner to the Cubs for a pair of low-level relievers last season, and Brantly was passed over in favor of Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
- White Sox sign Sergio Santos to a three-year, $8.25MM extension. — Signed at the end of a breakout season as the White Sox closer, Santos found himself traded to the Blue Jays for pitching prospect Nestor Molina that offseason. Molina didn’t do much and was outrighted by the ChiSox in 2014, but they probably feel fortunate not to have had to pay Santos the money he was guaranteed, as shoulder injuries led to a 5.23 ERA and just 51 innings pitched over the life of his three guaranteed years with Toronto.
A previous installment of this post written by Steve Adams ran in September 2014.
Cafardo On Duquette, Showalter, Hunter, Howard
In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe caught up with ex-Red Sox GM Ben Cherington. Cherington reflected on some of the decisions he regrets but he also recognizes that he left Boston with a solid core of young talent to build upon going forward. Many of those young players remain in Boston because Cherington resisted the urge to put together a package for Cole Hamels.
“We had a lot of conversations with [the Phillies]. I just didn’t want to give up our core and we couldn’t find another way to get it done,” Cherington said of the ace, who ultimately went to the Rangers.
Here’s more from today’s column..
- There’s tension over Orioles owner Peter Angelos not allowing GM Dan Duquette to pursue a higher-profile and higher-paying job with the Blue Jays, major league sources tell Cafardo. Sources also tell The Boston Globe scribe that Angelos has not compensated Duquette for the lost opportunity. All in all, it’s a slight that baseball execs Duquette to be “bush league,” Cafardo writes.
- There’s also been talk of friction between Duquette and manager Buck Showalter, Cafardo writes, although both men are signed through 2018. Meanwhile, there’s fear that the Orioles will not spend the money necessary to retain free agents like Chris Davis, Matt Wieters, and Wei-Yin Chen.
- The Twins want Torii Hunter back for at least one more season, according to a team official who spoke with Cafardo. For his part, the veteran says that he’s going year to year. In 516 plate appearances this season, Hunter has posted a batting line of .245/.298/.414 which isn’t really in line with his career offering of .277/.332/.462. However, he has played well in right field and the Twins like his veteran leadership.
- The Phillies had a scout watching the Orioles last week in the event that the O’s lose Davis in free agency and gain interest in Ryan Howard. Howard is not be expected to replicate Davis’ production, of course, but Cafardo notes that he still has power and would be better suited as a DH.
- There’s “continued interest” in Red Sox utilityman Brock Holt, Cafardo writes. Holt’s opportunities in the Red Sox’s outfield may be limited and new team president Dave Dombrowski should get a fair amount of offers this winter for him.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Estrada, Pirates, Price
On this date five years ago, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was honored with a 7-by-5-foot, 760-pound bronze monument of bronze in Monument Park, as Leo Panetta of NationalPastime.com writes. The unveiling of the monument was attended by estranged former manager Joe Torre, who made his first visit to the new Yankee Stadium. Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..
- Blue Jays Plus examined Marco Estrada.
- The Point of Pittsburgh looked at Pirates’ pitching prospects.
- Blue Jay Hunter wonders if the Blue Jays have a legit chance of keeping David Price.
- Ian Thomas Malone ran down his expectations for Red Sox this offseason.
- Reviewing The Brew says Orlando Arcia shouldn’t start 2016 with Milwaukee.
- World Series Dreaming says the Cubs’ infield will be a long-term strength.
- When Sid Slid made the case for Yoenis Cespedes.
- Baseball Hot Corner looked at the Blue Jays’ tough decision regarding Mark Buehrle.
- Outside Pitch says there’s nowhere to go but up for the Astros.
- Swingin A’s explained why Jesse Chavez should move to the bullpen:
- Nolan Writin‘ believes that the Rangers have what it takes to win it all.
- A’s Farm presents its 2015 organizational All-Star team.
- Rumbunter can’t believe the difference that a year makes.
- True Grich has some thoughts on the Halos.
- Cover Those Bases checked in on Michael Dimock.
- Yankees Unscripted talks Gregory Bird in 2016.
- Baseball Essential wonders if the Orioles will sell high on Zach Britton.
Please send submissions to Zach at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
Quick Hits: Walker, Cespedes, Gyorko
The Pirates may say goodbye to second baseman Neil Walker after the season, writes Rob Biertempfel of the Pittburgh Tribune-Review. He’s set to earn at least $10MM in his final year of arbitration eligibility. Due to a balky back and the availability of Jung-ho Kang, Jordy Mercer, and Josh Harrison, Pittsburgh may prefer to commit that money to another position. Of course, the Pirates will probably never reach the point of actually non-tendering Walker. Plenty of teams should be interested in a one-year flier on the 30-year-old. Biertempfel offers a fascinating look at Walker who is actually a Pittsburgh native. It’s well worth a read.
- Pittsburgh should actually extend Walker, opines Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Rossi refers to Walker as a fan favorite and lauds his clubhouse presence. Rossi suggests a four-year, $47MM contract as a reasonable compromise. Of course, the notoriously penurious club does have a wealth of affordable middle infield depth with Kang, Harrison, and Mercer on the roster. Prospect Alen Hanson is also close to major league ready. Presumably, Walker could return a decent player via trade too. While it’s tough to part with a hometown fan favorite, sometimes it’s the right thing to do.
- A hot October could lead Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to his desired six-year contract, writes Mark Townsend of Yahoo. While teams may be concerned about offering a big guarantee through his age 36 season, they may be willing to swallow the risk if they can bank on production early in the contract. Of course, no player is a sure thing to repeat past exploits. Postseason success would certainly go a long way towards assuaging any doubts. I said the same earlier tonight when examining the players who most improved their free agent stock.
- The Padres are pleased with Jedd Gyorko‘s development at shortstop, writes Corey Brock of MLB.com. The Friars began the experiment to keep both Cory Spangenberg and Gyorko in the lineup. While there is obviously concern about his defense, his offense easily ranks among the best at the position. Advanced statistics like UZR aren’t a fan of his work, but a one month sample is way too small to form a judgment. He hasn’t committed an error and makes all the routine plays. A NL West scout even suggested that he looks more comfortable at short than second. If the club thinks he can continue to man the position in 2016, it could save them from scrounging through the free agent shortstop market.
Most Improved Free Agent Stock
It may be premature to talk about the most improved free agent stock – after all it’s mid-September. We still have two weeks left in the regular season. More importantly, the playoffs can be a massive boon to October’s top performers. Big numbers on the biggest stage are often parlayed into bigger paydays. For now, let’s just make do with what we know.
When thinking about the players who most improved their stock, there are two angles we can consider. Some players entered the season with sky high expectations. All they had to do was get through the current campaign at a level similar to their career rates to ensure a free agent windfall. David Price and Zack Greinke have outdone themselves and could be in line to earn even more than originally conjectured.
Price, 30, has long been viewed as a reliable left-handed ace. He’s largely matched his terrific 2014 campaign, and he’s turned up the gas since joining the Blue Jays. Prior to the season, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes ranked him as the third best free agent with a chance to reach $200MM. A minor injury or lackluster season could have easily pushed him down closer to $100MM. Dierkes’ most recent update to the power rankings has Price as the top free agent with a realistic chance to exceed Clayton Kershaw‘s seven-year, $215MM pact with the Dodgers. As an added bonus, Price won’t come with a qualifying offer attached since he was traded at the deadline.
While it was clear that 31-year-old Greinke would opt out of his contract with the Dodgers (assuming health), the success he has enjoyed was not wholly expected. Projection systems tabbed Greinke for around a 3.00 ERA this year. Instead, he’s worked to a 1.65 ERA through 30 starts. Home run suppression and a .231 BABIP have helped matters, but his dominance has allowed him to crawl out from under Kershaw’s shadow. Prior to the season, Dierkes thought another typical season from Greinke could get him $100MM in new money. Now he thinks Greinke could exceed Jon Lester‘s six-year, $155MM deal.
Another pair of soon-to-be free agents may have increased their value by nearly nine figures this year. In a monetary sense, these are the clear victors of the most improved stock game. Neither slugger was a consensus top free agent prior to the season, but they’ll certainly be treated like royalty in a few months.
First baseman Chris Davis entered the year as an enigma. After a 53 home run campaign in 2013, Davis followed with a miserable 2014 season. For what it’s worth, I expected 2015 production somewhere around the mid-point between the two platform years. The 29-year-old has definitely exceeded that by a wide margin. Back in February, Dierkes considered Davis as an also-ran for the top 10 free agents list (along with Steve Pearce, Doug Fister, and Mat Latos among others). Now he’s fourth in the power rankings. Dierkes believes a seven-year deal worth more than $140MM is well within reach. I agree.
Right there with Davis is Yoenis Cespedes. Like Davis, he missed Dierkes’ top 10 before the season. Now he’s fifth and in a virtual tie with Davis. Dierkes projects the same seven-year contract of more than $20MM per season for Cespedes. The outfielder will turn 30 in a month and has reached new career heights with 35 home runs. His acquisition by the Mets is a big part of their current success. He’s in a bit of a mini-slump going 0-for-17 over his last four games. A slow end to the season and playoffs could remind buyers of his previous production. Alternatively, a noisy postseason could propel him past Davis.
This all begs the question – who most improved their stock? Is it the star who has all-but-secured a $200MM payday? The aging ace who’ll receive another massive contract? Or is it one of the surging sluggers?
Who Most Improved Their Free Agent Stock
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Yoenis Cespedes 46% (3,977)
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Zack Greinke 23% (1,969)
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Chris Davis 20% (1,693)
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David Price 11% (944)
Total votes: 8,583