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Angels Claim Livan Soto Off Waivers From Orioles

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The Angels have claimed infield Livan Soto off waivers from the Orioles, per an announcement from both teams. Anaheim placed left-hander Jose Quijada on the 60-day injured list to make room for Soto on the club’s 40-man roster. The Orioles had designated Soto for assignment earlier this week to make room for infielder Diego Castillo (who was coincidentally DFA’d himself earlier today) on the 40-man roster.

Soto’s sojourn to Baltimore was a brief one, as he returns to the Angels just over two weeks after the club designated him for assignment to make room for right-hander Jose Cisnero on the club’s 40-man roster. The 23-year-old infielder is considered a quality defender at not only shortstop but also second and third base, having spent time considerable time at each position during his professional career. He also boasts solid contact skills, as indicated by a strikeout rate of just 19.3% across six seasons in the minor leagues, though he sports minimal power with just 24 career home runs between the majors and minors.

Soto’s big league experience has been minimal to this point in his career. Though he appeared in majors with the Angels in each of the past two seasons, slashing a strong .375/.414/.531 along the way, that production has come in just 71 trips to the plate spread across 22 games in the majors. That incredible slash line has been bolstered by an unsustainable .469 BABIP throughout his big league career, making his career slash line of just .245/.339/.332 in the minor leagues likely closer to Soto’s true talent level.

Even if Soto can’t maintain his small-sample production in the majors, he still offers plenty of value to the Angels as a left-handed bat with quality defense all around the infield. It’s possible to imagine Soto competing for a bench role on the big league club this spring with the likes of Michael Stefanic and Kyren Paris. If Soto doesn’t secure a role on the Opening Day roster, the Angels will have the ability to option him to the minors and stash him as depth to protect against future injuries.

Red Sox, Triston Casas Have Discussed Possible Extension

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2023 was a difficult season for the Red Sox as the club suffered a second consecutive fifth-place finish in the AL East with an identical 78-84 record to their disappointing 2022 campaign. With that being said, rookie first baseman Triston Casas served as a bright spot in the otherwise tough season as he rode a blistering second half to a third place finish in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Prior to the 2023 season, Casas expressed interest in an extension that would keep him in Boston beyond his years of club control, which run through the 2028 season. At the time, he indicated that there had been no such discussions with Red Sox brass, though he struck a different tone in a scrum with reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) today.

“Of course we have,” Casas told reporters when asked if the sides have talked extension yet. Casas went on to add that while he hopes to stay a member of the Red Sox “forever,” “nothing enticing” had been offered offered to him at this point. Casas decline to get into specifics when asked what sort of contract he would consider, though he noted his goal is a deal that would leave himself and his family “set for the rest of [his] life.”

As a player with just over one year of service time, any extension for Casas would figure to cover his five remaining seasons of team control while also extending Boston’s window of control beyond that. One obvious comp for Casas would be first baseman and former Red Sox prospect Anthony Rizzo, who signed a six-year $40.5MM extension with the Cubs early in the 2013 season that covered the 2014-2019 campaigns. That deal included options and escalators that allowed it to max out at $73MM over eight years. With that being said, there’s several reason to expect Casas to earn significantly more on an extension than Rizzo did. That contract was signed over a decade ago, and while Rizzo was about a year younger at the time of the deal than Casas is now, he had done far less to establish himself as a big league caliber bat.

Entering the 2013 season, Rizzo had hit just .245/.324/.402 in 136 games for his career with an exactly league average wRC+ of 100. Meanwhile, Casas has slashed an impressive .263/.367/.490 (129 wRC+) in 132 games last year and sports a nearly identical 128 wRC+ for his career. While Rizzo’s pedigree as a former top-50 prospect in the sport lent credence to his ability to improve as he entered his mid-twenties, Casas having proved himself as an above-average offensive player in the majors should allow him to earn significantly more even before considering the nearly eleven years of inflation separating the two deals.

So, what sort of deal could make sense for Casas and the Red Sox? Looking at more recent comparisons, Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes was another former first-round pick entering his second full seasons in the majors when he signed an eight-year, $70MM extension with Pittsburgh two years ago. While Hayes’s ability to offer elite defense at the hot corner gives him a considerably higher floor than Casas (who is generally considered to be a fringy defender at first base), Casas offers significantly more offensive ability than Hayes, who owned a roughly league-average slash line of just .280/.340/.432 (106 wRC+) in the big leagues at the time of his extension. Casas is also a year younger than Hayes was at the time of his extension, meaning he’d hit free agency ahead of his age 29 season if not extended beyond his current club control.

Given Casas’s relative youth and significant offensive talent, an extension in a similar ballpark to Hayes’s extension with the Pirates could make sense in spite of his lack of defensive value. While the Red Sox have indicated that they expect payroll to be lower in 2024 than it was last year, an extension for Casas would figure to hardly put a dent in the club’s books for the 2024 season, as pre-arbitration extensions tend to escalate salaries over the course of the deal. A deal locking up Casas could also allow Boston to have a potential franchise cornerstone in place long-term as the club’s other young players and prospects, such as Marcelo Mayer, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Roman Anthony, begin to reach and establish themselves at the big league level over the next few years.

NL East Notes: Garrett, Wheeler, Robles, Matzek

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The Marlins kicked off Spring Training with a potential injury scare in the rotation, as Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald relays that, per manager Skip Schumaker, southpaw Braxton Garrett is dealing with “general soreness” in his left shoulder. While shoulder injuries are among the more concerning ailments for pitchers, Schumaker made clear that Garrett hasn’t been shut down at this point with the club instead planning to “push back” the start to Garrett’s spring “until he feels better.” McPherson adds that Garrett continued to play catch late last week.

Garrett, 26, has quietly broken out as a quality mid-rotation arm for the Marlins over the past two seasons. In 48 appearances (47 starts) since the start of the 2022 season, Garrett has posted an impressive 3.63 ERA with a nearly-matching 3.64 FIP across 247 2/3 innings of work. During that time, the lefty has struck out a respectable 23.8% of batters faced while walking just 5.1%. The youngster’s strong peripheral numbers are rounded out by his ability to generate grounders, which he has done at an above-average 48.7% clip over the past two years. With Sandy Alcantara set to miss the entire 2024 campaign while rehabbing Tommy John surgery, Garrett figures to slot in toward the front of the Miami rotation this season alongside the likes of Jesus Luzardo and Eury Perez.

With Garrett’s health uncertain entering camp, it’s fair to wonder what impact his status may have on the club’s trade talks regarding members of their rotation. The Marlins have long been known to be listening on their controllable starting pitching in hopes of addressing other areas of their roster, with Luzardo receiving attention from the likes of the Orioles and Dodgers while the Pirates have also reportedly shown interesting in the club’s available rotation arms. While it’s unclear what impact, if any, Garrett’s current shoulder issue would have on his availability in trade, it’s possible the Marlins may be more hesitant to shop any of their starting options until they have more certainty on Garrett’s status. After all, a hypothetical trade of Luzardo would leave the Marlins with only Perez, Edward Cabrera, and Trevor Rogers as surefire starting options entering the 2024 season if Garrett were to require time on the injured list.

More from the NL East…

  • The Phillies have long been hoping to extend veteran ace Zack Wheeler, and comments from Wheeler himself last week indicated that the sides have opened extension talks with Spring Training now underway. While Wheeler indicated that he’s open to negotiating even once the season begins, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski indicated to reporters (including Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer) that while extending Wheeler is a “priority” for the club, his preference is for the sides to come together on a deal before the regular season begins. Wheeler has established himself as one of the league’s premiere starters since first suiting up for the Phillies during the shortened 2020 campaign. During his time in Philadelphia, the right-hander has pitched to an excellent 3.06 ERA with a 2.90 FIP in 101 starts during the regular season and has augmented that resume with an incredible 2.42 ERA in 63 1/3 postseason innings.
  • Victor Robles has patrolled center field for the Nationals on a regular basis ever since his rookie season back in 2019, though it’s possible that could change entering the 2024 season. As relayed by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman, manager Dave Martinez told reporters recently that there will be a “battle” between Robles and 24-year-old rookie Jacob Young for the starting center field job, though Martinez added that Robles has “a little bit of an upper hand” coming into camp. Robles has largely been a plus-glove center fielder with below average offense throughout his career, though in 2023 he appeared to flash more offensive upside as he slashed a solid .299/.385/.364. Unfortunately, that slash line came across just 126 trips to the plate as Robles spent most of the year on the injured list due to back injuries. Young, meanwhile, held his own in a 33-game cup of coffee in the majors last year with a decent .252/.322/.336 slash line in 122 trips to the plate.
  • Braves left-hander Tyler Matzek missed the entire 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery, but he told reporters (including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) that he’s feeling good entering Spring Training and hopes to be ready for Opening Day, though he didn’t rule out a possible IL stint to open the season if he needs time to finish preparing to retake the mound. The 33-year-old’s return to the mound figures to provide a significant boost to Atlanta’s relief corps, as Matzek pitched to strong results over three seasons with the Braves prior to the injury. In 132 combined appearances, the southpaw posted a 2.92 ERA with a 3.34 FIP in 135 2/3 innings of work as he struck out 27.4% of batters faced.

Yankees Remain Interested In Blake Snell

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The Yankees made an offer to star southpaw Blake Snell last month, but pivoted to a deal with veteran right-hander Marcus Stroman shortly after due to a significant gap between the sides in negotiations. While it’s been unclear to this point whether negotiations between the sides have continued since the Yankees landed Stroman, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported this morning that the Yankees continue to have “serious interest” in Snell, though they’re currently waiting for his asking price to drop.

Snell, 31, entered the offseason as the #2 starting pitcher on the market behind now-Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It’s easy to see why, as the reigning NL Cy Young award winner enjoyed an incredible 2023 season where he posted a majors-leading 2.25 ERA over 180 frames while striking out a whopping 31.5% of batters faced. Those incredible numbers came in spite of Snell leading the majors in walks as he issued free passes to 13.3% of batters faced. Snell’s dominance on the mound is belied somewhat by the inconsistency he’s struggled with in recent years, however. In the four years between his two Cy Young campaigns, he posted the numbers of a mid-to-back of the rotation arm, with a 3.85 ERA and a 3.44 FIP in a combined 413 2/3 innings of work.

That combination of dominance and inconsistency surely has played a role in the gaps Snell is facing between his camp and interested teams. One solution Nightengale floats as a possibility for Snell and the Yankees is a shorter deal, which MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald discussed the merits of early this week. Nightengale suggests that such a deal could come with a yearly salary “in excess of” $35MM. That would seemingly leave Snell likely to beat the short-term, opt-out laden deals signed by right-hander Trevor Bauer and fellow Boras client Carlos Correa in recent years. Bauer’s three-year, $102MM guarantee is a particularly interesting comp for Snell given that both hurlers flashed Cy Young caliber performances when at their best but also struggled with consistency, often posting results closer to the league average in down seasons.

Even as New York remains interested in Snell, the club has the makings of a solid rotation even if they enter Opening Day with their current options. Gerrit Cole is among the league’s best starters, and both Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes have enjoyed front-of-the-rotation caliber seasons in the past despite difficult 2023 campaigns. Stroman, meanwhile, is a reliable veteran arm who sports a 3.32 ERA dating back to the 2019 season. The fifth spot in the rotation should the Yankees not add another arm figures to go to right-hander Clarke Schmidt, who posted decent back-of-the-rotation numbers in his first season as a full-time starter last year. While the club would certainly benefit from adding Snell and allowing Schmidt to step into a depth role that the likes of Michael King, Randy Vasquez, and Jhony Brito vacated after being dealt to San Diego in the Juan Soto trade, the addition of Stroman created a credible five-man rotation in the Bronx, at least on paper.

Likewise, the Yankees are far from the only potential suitor for Snell’s services, particularly if the price comes down over the course of the coming weeks. The Angels are a frequently-discussed potential suitor for both him and fellow Boras southpaw Jordan Montgomery, while the likes of the Giants, Phillies, and Blue Jays have all been rumored to have potential interest in Snell should the price of his services falls into a range they’re comfortable with. It’s also possible that, in the event that Snell begins to entertain shorter-term offers at a higher AAV, new clubs that had not been tied to the southpaw previously emerge as potential suitors, as was the case with Correa and the Twins during the 2021-22 offseason.

Phillies Sign Ricardo Pinto To Minor League Deal

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The Phillies have signed right-hander Ricardo Pinto to a minor league deal, according to Oscar Budejan (X link). The deal includes an invite to big league Spring Training.

Pinto, 30, began his professional career in the Phillies organization back in 2012 and eventually made his big league debut for the club during the 2017 season. Pinto’s first stint in the majors did not go well as he struggled to a 7.89 ERA in 29 2/3 innings of work, striking out just 17% of batters while walking 11.6%. Pinto was then dealt to the White Sox just before the start of the 2018 season, though he did not make a major league appearance for the club.

Pinto eventually caught on with the Rays and returned to the big leagues late in the 2019 season after posting a decent 4.13 ERA in 104 2/3 innings of work for the club at the Triple-A level, though he was shelled for four runs on four hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings for Tampa before the Rays designated him for assignment. After a brief stint in the Giants organization, Pinto headed overseas for the 2020 season to pitch in the Korea Baseball Organization. In the KBO, Pinto was used as a starter for the first time since 2016, when he was still at the Double-A level. While he struggled badly to a 6.17 ERA in his 30 starts overseas, he nonetheless found a spot in the Tigers organization.

The right-hander initially worked as a starter for the Tigers, pitching to a 4.29 ERA over 123 2/3 innings of work split between the Double- and Triple-A levels, but converted back to relief work in his second season with the Tigers. The 2022 campaign saw Pinto pitch fairly well out of the bullpen in Triple-A, with a 3.58 ERA and a 27.7% strikeout rate in 32 1/3 frames across 20 appearances. That’s his most recent stateside work, though Pinto has since pitched in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League, the Mexican League, and the Venezuelan Winter League.

In returning to affiliated ball, Pinto joins a Phillies organization that appears mostly set in the bullpen entering Spring Training. Nonetheless, Pinto will have the opportunity to establish himself in camp alongside fellow non-roster invitees like Ryan Burr and Nick Snyder as well as depth options currently on the club’s 40-man roster such as Michael Rucker and Kaleb Ort. Any of those arms could find themselves on the Opening Day roster in the event of an injury, or perhaps if they manage to outperform an arm such as right-hander Connor Brogdon during camp.

Royals Acquire John Schreiber From Red Sox

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The Royals have acquired reliever John Schreiber from the Red Sox in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect David Sandlin, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link). Kansas City placed Kyle Wright on the 60-day injured list to clear a 40-man roster spot.

Schreiber has a 27.4% strikeout rate over his 143 1/3 career innings in the majors, so missing bats has never been an issue for the 29-year-old.  Between some home run issues and a lot of bad BABIP luck, however, Schreiber had only a 6.28 ERA over 28 2/3 innings with the Tigers in 2019-20, and he pitched in only a single MLB game with the Red Sox in 2021.  The breakout came in 2022, as Schreiber had a 2.22 ERA over 65 relief innings for Boston while also delivering a 28.8% strikeout rate and an above-average 7.4% walk rate.

2023 was more of a challenge, in no small part because Schreiber spent time on the 60-day injured list due to a teres major strain in his right shoulder.  Schreiber still posted a respectable 3.86 ERA over 46 2/3 innings and had strong strikeout and barrel rates, though his walk rate spiked up to an ungainly 12.3%.  The sinker that was such a weapon for Schreiber the previous season was also less effective — batters had a .395 wOBA against his sinker in 2023, as opposed to a .245 wOBA in 2022.

An argument can certainly be made that the Red Sox might be selling high on Schreiber here, though it’s a risk Kansas City is willing to take for a reliever who is a few weeks shy of his 30th birthday and is arbitration-controlled through the 2026 season.  Schreiber had a 2.12 ERA in 17 innings before his IL stint and a 4.85 ERA in 29 2/3 innings after returning, so the Royals might view the righty’s struggles as just a byproduct his injury layoff.  Should Schreiber get back to his 2022 form, K.C. suddenly has a big strikeout arm to deploy in high-leverage situations.

Today’s trade continues a very busy offseason for Royals GM J.J. Picollo, who has brought quite a bit of veteran talent to Kansas City in an effort to quickly turn around a team that lost 106 games last season.  Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo were the headline-grabbing rotation upgrades, but Will Smith, Chris Stratton, Nick Anderson, and now Schreiber have all joined a reworked bullpen.  Schreiber is a bit more of a longer-term add given his years of arbitration control, yet the Royals have put themselves in a position to either directly benefit on the field if these pitchers perform well, or to perhaps benefit in terms of having some trade chips at the deadline if K.C. again falls short of contention.

From Boston’s perspective, moving a solid reliever from Schreiber might not be well received at first by Red Sox Nation, given how the fans have been vocally unimpressed with the team’s moves (or lack thereof) this offseason.  Craig Breslow has made a lot of lateral moves in his first winter as the chief baseball officer, continuing the franchise’s recent bent towards adding younger talent rather than splurging on win-now stars.

Sandlin brings some intriguing potential to the table, as the righty (who turns 23 next week) has a 3.41 ERA and an outstanding 32.38% strikeout rate in 68 2/3 career minor league innings.  An 11th-round pick for the Royals in the 2022 draft, Sandlin had his 2023 season cut short by a lat injury, and he made only two appearances at the high-A level before being sidelined.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel recently ranked Sandlin as the fifth-best prospect in the Royals’ farm system, while The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked the righty seventh.  Baseball America was slightly more pessimistic in ranking Sandlin only 20th, but still felt Sandlin might develop into at least a good reliever based on his two primary pitches —- a high 90s fastball and a plus slider.  If his changeup and curveball can also develop, Sandlin can perhaps stick in the rotation, though he’s still something of a wild card considering that he hasn’t yet pitched much in pro ball.

MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith reported earlier this week that the Sox were open to offers for not just Schreiber, but also Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin.  With Schreiber now out the door, it remains to be seen if Boston is still willing to move either of Jansen or Martin, or if the Sox will stop short of a full-on bullpen overhaul.  Jansen or Martin are both free agents after the season and will be prime trade candidates at the deadline if the Red Sox aren’t in contention, so there has been speculation that the Sox might look to increase their return (and cut some salary) by dealing at least one of the veteran relievers now.

Dylan Cease Discusses Trade Candidacy

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White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease has been among the most widely-discussed potential trade chips of the offseason. At the start of the winter, it was widely expected that the 28-year-old would find himself in a new uniform by the time Opening Day rolled around. After all, newly-installed GM Chris Getz has not been shy about the club’s willingness to move Cease ever since declaring that the club had no untouchables at the start of the offseason, and Cease garnered plenty of interest from pitching-hungry clubs such as the Dodgers, Reds, Orioles, and Yankees throughout the winter.

Since then, however, Cease’s trade candidacy has seemed to lose some steam. Reporting has indicated that Getz set a hefty asking price for Cease’s services and has remained firmly entrenched at that level throughout the winter. Meanwhile, several potential suitors have moved on to other solutions: the Orioles acquired Corbin Burnes from the Brewers, the Reds and Yankees landed Frankie Montas and Marcus Stroman respectively via free agency, while the Dodgers assembled a new-look rotation led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. All this has led Getz to suggest that he expects Cease to be the club’s Opening Day starter when the season begins in late March, while the right-hander recently told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale that he’s begun to search for apartments in Chicago in case he remains with the White Sox through Opening Day.

None of that is to say the door has been completely shut on the possibility of a trade, of course. After all, it’s nearly impossible to imagine Chicago deciding to retain Cease long term, with Cease himself recently confirming to reporters (including James Fegan of Sox Machine) that there have been no conversations between him and the club regarding the possibility of an extension. That’s hardly a surprise, as Nightengale relays that the White Sox have already informed Cease of their intention to trade him once a team meets their asking price, though no team has done so to this point. While recent injury news regarding Baltimore righty Kyle Bradish sparked some speculation that the Orioles would look to reignite the stalled trade talks, Getz himself indicated to Nightengale that the they’ve made no such overture regarding Cease to this point.

For Cease’s part, he’s indicated that he doesn’t have a strong preference regarding when or if he’s traded, telling reporters (as relayed by Fegan) that he loves Chicago but is “intrigued” by the possibility of playing for a contender.

“There are a lot of positives about staying here… I like the city of Chicago,” Cease told Nightengale. He then acknowledged that the situation is a “win-win,” adding that “It’s an honor to be wanted, and feel wanted. It’s hard to beat the feeling that you’re a difference-maker.”

Cease also made clear that his uncertain future won’t impact his preparation for the coming season, telling Nightengale that he “tries not to over-focus on it” and that he plans “to be a part of the team and enjoy everybody” while he’s still in the organization. Both Getz and manager Pedro Grifol echoed that sentiment while praising Cease for maintaining a strong presence in the White Sox clubhouse this spring despite the trade buzz surrounding the 28-year-old.

Per Nightengale, the White Sox prefer to deal Cease before Opening Day, though it’s worth noting that top free agent starters Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are still looking to find new homes of their own in a market without many publicly known suitors for front-of-the-rotation arms. While it’s certainly not impossible to imagine Cease’s market heating up once Snell and Montgomery sign, as Nightengale suggests as a possibility, it’s fair to wonder whether or not clubs that have to this point refused to make an overwhelming financial offer to Snell or Montgomery would feel additional motivation to make an overwhelming prospect offer to the White Sox in order to land Cease once the aforementioned duo comes off the board.

That could leave the Sox to carry Cease into the season in hopes that his trade value could increase ahead of the trade deadline this summer. It’s easy to imagine that coming to pass, should Cease return to the form he flashed in 2022 after a down season in 2023. Cease dominated to the tune of a 2.20 ERA and 3.10 FIP in 2022, finishing second in AL Cy Young award voting behind only future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. Cease’s star faded somewhat last season, however, as the right-hander struggled to a 4.58 ERA that was actually just below league average by measure of ERA+ despite a solid 3.72 FIP.

Should Cease return to form in the first half this year, it’s easy to imagine a club meeting Getz’s reportedly exorbitant demand over the summer, once they have more certainty regarding both Cease’s own performance and their own odds of contention, with that being said, a first-half performance reminiscent of his 2023 campaign could work in the opposite direction, to say nothing of the risk that Cease suffers an injury before he can be dealt, leaving the White Sox without their top trade chip as they look to retool following a 101-loss season.

NL Central Notes: Frelick, Morel, Reds

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The Brewers signed top prospect Jackson Chourio to a pre-debut extension back in December, and in doing so their outfield logjam for the 2024 season all the more apparent. While the club made some room on the depth chart by shipping Tyrone Taylor to the Mets alongside Adrian Houser earlier in the offseason, the club still figures to have Chourio, Christian Yelich, Garrett Mitchell, Joey Wiemer, Sal Frelick, and Blake Perkins all in the mix for outfield reps entering the 2024 campaign. That positional logjam has led to plenty of speculation that the club could look to trade from its depth to address other parts of the roster, but The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal suggested today that the club could have another, novel solution to the glut in mind: moving Frelick to the infield.

Frelick, 24 in April, was the club’s first-round pick in the 2021 draft and made his big league debut last season. In 57 games at the big league level last year, the lefty-swinging outfield slashed a decent .246/.341/.351 for the Brewers, putting him right around league average despite modest power production. While his first taste of big league action may have left something to be desired, Frelick was a consensus top-40 prospect entering the 2023 season and sports a career .314/.393/.451 slash line for his career in the minors, including a .311/.388/.432 line at the Triple-A level. Despite that strong pedigree, Frelick appears blocked in the outfield by likely regulars Yelich, Chourio, and Mitchell.

Given this, it’s not necessarily a surprise that Frelick has garnered interest on the trade market. The youngster was recently reported as of interest to the Padres, who have a barren outfield mix after shipping Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the Bronx earlier this winter. With that being said, the Brewers appear, at least for now, appear to be looking for ways to get Frelick’s bat into their own lineup rather than shipping him elsewhere. Rosenthal reports that Frelick is preparing to play both second and third base in addition to the outfield this spring. With Willy Adames entrenched at shortstop barring a trade, Frelick would join an infield mix in Milwaukee that currently features Joey Ortiz and Brice Turang as the likely starting options with Andruw Monasterio, Owen Miller, and top infield prospect Tyler Black also in the mix for playing time.

More from around the NL Central…

  • Speaking of youngsters attempting to learn the infield, Cubs manager Craig Counsell recently indicated to reporters, including Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, that slugger Christopher Morel is set to primarily focus on getting reps at third base this spring. Morel, 25 in June, slashed an impressive .247/.313/.508 in 429 trips to the plate last year while slugging 26 home runs in just 107 games. Most of that production, however, came out of the DH spot in the lineup. Morel’s rookie 2022 campaign saw him split time between second base, third base, shortstop, and center field though he struggled at every position except second, where the Cubs have Gold Glover Nico Hoerner as an everyday option. The Cubs previously seemed poised to rely on a combination of Nick Madrigal and Miles Mastrobuoni at third base, though if Morel can prove himself capable of regular reps at third base he could open the DH spot for an additional bat via free agency or for the club to use as a way to rest regulars.
  • As relayed by Gordon Wittenmyer and Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Reds provided a pair of minor injury updates today. Most notable is that regarding infielder Noelvi Marte, who suffered a hamstring injury while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. The youngster appeared to be recovering well last month, and the good news has continued as both Marte and Reds brass indicate he should be ready for Opening Day, though he will be delayed in the start to his spring as he’s expected to miss the first five games of Cactus League action. Left-hander Sam Moll is also delayed entering camp, with Wittenmyer and Goldsmith relaying the southpaw dealt with a bout of shoulder soreness while ramping up last month. That’s led the club to put off Moll’s first bullpen session of the spring, though the 32-year-old hurler has continued to play catch and is expected to be ready for Opening Day. Moll impressed with the Reds down the stretch with a 0.73 ERA and 3.34 FIP in 25 appearances after being acquired from Oakland last summer.

Tigers Acquire Blake Dickerson From Padres

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The Tigers announced this evening that they’ve acquired left-hander Blake Dickerson from the Padres in exchange for $500K in international bonus pool money.

Dickerson, 19, was a 12th-round pick by the Padres in the 2023 draft out of Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia. Dickerson received a bonus of $500K, equivalent to that of a fourth-round pick. The southpaw did not appear in a game for the Padres last year, meaning his Tigers debut will also be his professional debut. Baseball America recently ranked Dickerson as the #22 prospect in the San Diego farm system entering the 2024 campaign, noting that the lefty projects to have a high-velocity fastball and an above-average curveball once his 6-foot-6 frame fills out, giving him a chance to be a #4 starter or future bullpen arm depending on the development of his changeup.

For the Tigers, the addition of Dickerson adds another young arm to a system that already features a top pitching prospect in Jackson Jobe as well as lower-level arms such as Ty Madden and Troy Melton. That’s in addition to the stable of young arms contributing to the club at the big league level, led by southpaw Tarik Skubal along with the likes of Casey Mize, Matt Manning, and Alex Faedo. BA suggests that Dickerson could be a candidate to skip rookie ball and debut at the Low-A level this year.

In exchange for parting ways with Dickerson, the Padres will receive $500K in international bonus pool money, an amount identical to the bonus San Diego signed Dickerson for last summer. The Tigers opened the 2024 international signing period with a bonus pool of $6,520,000 while the Padres opened with a pool of just $4,652,000, tied with the Phillies, Rangers, and Yankees for the smallest among all thirty clubs. The trade, in effect, recoups half of the $1MM in bonus pool space the Padres forfeited by signing shortstop Xander Bogaerts last winter. The vast majority of the club’s bonus pool space for the 2024 signing period was spent on shortstop Leodalis De Vries, who the Padres signed for a $4.2MM bonus last month.

Blue Jays Notes: Manoah, Tiedemann, Martinez, Jansen

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With Spring Training now officially under way for the Blue Jays, right-hander Alek Manoah recently spoke to reporters as he looks to put a brutal 2023 campaign behind him. As noted by Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, Manoah is looking to put last year behind him.

“When your team is going to a playoff and you’re not there, it’s tough,” Manoah said, per Davidi. “but talking about 2023, for me is kind of not worth it. It’s in the past right now for me, which is really good.”

It’s not a surprise that Manoah prefers to leave his 2023 in the past. After a breakout season in 2022 where the right-hander pitched to a 2.24 ERA in 196 2/3 innings of work en route to an All Star appearance and third place finish in AL Cy Young award voting, Manoah struggled to a 5.87 ERA with a 6.01 FIP across 19 starts for the Blue Jays last year. Rather than reflect on his disastrous season, Davidi notes that Manoah spent the offseason overhauling his training regime and nutrition plan.

While it’s anyone’s guess how the game’s latest “best shape of his life” rebound candidate will perform on the mound this year, the 26-year-old hurler is seemingly to be penciled into the fifth spot in the club’s rotation behind Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt, and Yusei Kikuchi. Manoah has gotten rave reviews from others around camp this spring, including Gausman. The veteran ace told reporters (including Davidi) that his teammate “looks a lot more like himself than he ever did last year,” adding that he believes Manoah may not have been fully prepared for the impact his 2022 workload would have on him the following year.

Even as Manoah appears to be the primary candidate to round out the club’s rotation, he’s not without competition. Most notably, the Blue Jays signed right-hander Yariel Rodriguez to a five-year deal this winter. Rodriguez, 27 next month, was dominant as a reliever in Japan’s NPB but spent the 2023 campaign building himself back up to be a starting pitcher, with Toronto brass suggesting that his presence provides the club with “starting depth” that can fill multiple roles on the team. While those comments hardly indicate that Rodriguez is a favorite for a spot in the Opening Day rotation, it’s fair to wonder if the Jays could reconsider their stance if Manoah’s struggles continue throughout the spring.

Another possible alternative to Manoah in the rotation is Ricky Tiedemann, the club’s top pitching prospect. The 21-year-old southpaw made just 15 starts last year across all levels of the minor leagues, posting a 3.68 ERA in 44 innings of work, but managed to reach the Triple-A level and has long been seen as a possible contributor at the big league level for the club this season. Club manager John Schneider recently confirmed that to reporters (including MLB Network’s Jon Morosi), noting that the Jays already have a plan in place regarding Tiedemann’s workload for 2024 and that the club’s preference is for those innings to come at the big league level, provided Tiedemann proves himself ready for the opportunity.

Despite his limited workload as a professional since being drafted by the Blue Jays in the third round of the 2021 draft, Tiedemann enters the 2024 campaign as a consensus top-30 prospect in the sport and on the shortlist of the game’s very best pitching prospects alongside the likes of Andrew Painter of the Phillies, Cade Horton of the Cubs, and Kyle Harrison of the Giants. While it seems unlikely the Blue Jays would lean on Tiedemann for anything close to 30 starts this year given his minimal experience, it’s certainly possible that Tiedemann could force the issue and make it to Toronto fairly early in the season if the Jays want to maximize his big league opportunities.

Also looking to establish himself at the big league level this season is infield prospect Orelvis Martinez. The 22-year-old enjoyed a solid season in 2023 as he slashed .243/.340/.496 in 125 games split between the Double- and Triple-A levels last year. While Martinez has spent the vast majority of his professional career on the left side of the infield, he saw increasing time at second base last year and Morosi adds that Schneider has indicated he’ll continue to focus on the keystone headed into the 2024 season. There should be opportunities for Martinez to work himself into the club’s infield mix, as following the departures of Matt Chapman and Whit Merrifield via free agency the club has no certain starter at either second or third base. The likes of Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Justin Turner, Davis Schneider, Cavan Biggio, and Santiago Espinal all figure to spend time on the dirt for the club this winter alongside stars Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

While the likes of Manoah, Tiedemann, and Martinez all figure to impact the club for years to come, the same can’t currently be said for catcher Danny Jansen, who’s entering his final year under club control in 2024. Jansen recently spoke to reporters (including MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson) regarding his future, noting that he and the club have “had conversations” about the possibility of him remaining in Toronto following the 2024 campaign. While Jansen made clear that “he’s not closing any doors” on a return, his focus is on the coming season at this point.

The backstop, who turns 29 in April, has enjoyed something of a breakout over the past two seasons, slashing .242/.324/.493 combined with strong defense behind the plate. That offense is good for a 127 wRC+, a figure which ranks fourth in the majors among catchers over that timeframe behind only Adley Rutschman, Willson Contreras, and William Contreras. That being said, Jansen has appeared in just 158 games over the past two seasons due to a combination of injury woes and the presence of 25-year-old backstop Alejandro Kirk, who has gotten the lion’s share of playing time each of the past two seasons in Toronto.

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