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Infield Notes: Phillies, Simmons, Wong, Tigers, Paredes

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The Phillies narrowed their focus on Andrelton Simmons before he signed with the Twins this afternoon, writes Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Didi Gregorius remains in play to return, but he may not be so keen on another one-year deal. Regardless, the Phillies prefer not to move Jean Segura back to short, notes Lauber. Even with Gregorius more-or-less the only remaining starting shortstop on the market, Segura’s presence, as well as Scott Kingery, means they don’t have to panic on an overpay. Should they ultimately strike out on Gregorius, Jonathan Villar and Hanser Alberto lurk as free agents, or the Phils could turn to the trade market to make a play for either Trevor Story of the Rockies or Javier Baez of the Cubs. Neither club has seemed particularly likely to move their star shortstop, but Phillies’ president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski might be the guy to convince them. Let’s check in on some other infield news…

  • With middle infielders flying off the shelves, Kolten Wong is seeing an uptick in interest, per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter). The ace defensive second baseman has seen at least preliminary interest from the Tigers, Mariners, Rays, Cubs, Phillies, and Cardinals, with whom he’s spent his entire career. Wong’s power disappeared in 2020, slashing .265/.350/.326, but he won a second consecutive Gold Glove Award and continued to be an on-base presence for the Cardinals. Wong has quietly posted 3.3 bWAR per 600 plate appearances throughout his career, and as he enters his age-30 season, he could prove one of the more impactful free agents remaining on the market.
  • The Tigers plan on experimenting with Isaac Paredes at second base, writes Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Paredes is penciled in as the Tigers’ everyday third baseman, but manager A.J. Hinch said basically that there is no harm in expanding the 21-year-old’s skill set. He’s been on fire playing winter ball, and with Jeimer Candelario having a big season in 2020 (and Spencer Torkelson on his way to claim one of the infield corners,) it’s certainly worth testing the limits of Paredes’ defensive abilities.

 

Phillies Sign Ivan Nova To Minors Contract

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The Phillies have signed right-hander Ivan Nova to a minor league deal, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (via Twitter).  Nova will earn $1.5MM if he cracks Philadelphia’s active roster.

The signing reunites Nova with Joe Girardi, who managed the righty over Nova’s seven seasons with the Yankees.  Nova delivered some solid results in New York’s rotation (albeit missing large parts of the 2014-15 seasons due to Tommy John surgery) before being dealt to the Pirates at the 2016 trade deadline.  Nova pitched for the Bucs through the 2018 campaign, before moving on to the White Sox in 2019 and the Tigers in 2020.

Never a hard thrower or a big strikeout pitcher (career 16.7 K%), Nova has relied on durability and a lot of ground balls as his calling card over 11 Major League seasons.  However, Nova’s performance took a drastic dropoff last season, with an 8.53 ERA over the admittedly small sample size of 19 innings in Detroit’s rotation.  Nova did allow four home runs in that brief stint, and issued as many walks (nine) as strikeouts.

Nova averaged 174 innings per season from 2016-19, returning from his TJ surgery with seemingly no loss of his former durability.  If the 34-year-old has anything left in the tank, the Phillies could use Nova as an innings-eater at the back of their rotation, or as the first line of defense if any of their projected five starters suffers an injury or needs to be rested to rebuild arm strength.  The Phils also signed Bryan Mitchell to a minor league deal earlier today, a former Nova teammate under Girardi in the Bronx.

Phillies, Bryan Mitchell Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Phillies have agreed to a minor league contract with free-agent righty Bryan Mitchell, reports Jayson Stark of The Athletic (via Twitter). He’ll presumably be invited to big league Spring Training.

Mitchell, 29, hasn’t appeared in the Majors since a disappointing stint with the Padres in 2018. The Friars effectively purchased Mitchell from the Yankees, agreeing to take on the remainder of Chase Headley’s four-year contract in order to land four years of control over Mitchell. The hope was that Mitchell could function as a viable fourth starter in San Diego, but he was hammered for a 5.42 ERA and an even uglier 5.89 SIERA with more walks (43) than strikeouts (38) in 73 innings of work. Headley, meanwhile, was released in mid-May after 60 plate appearances.

In 2019, Mitchell was dropped from the Padres’ 40-man roster prior to Opening Day. He didn’t fare well in Triple-A that year either, allowing more than a run per inning over 44 frames. Prior to that implosion in 2018-19, however, Mitchell had showed some promise. He carried a 3.18 ERA in just shy of 200 innings at the Triple-A level and had some decent big league outings, albeit without consistency (4.94 ERA through his first 98 1/3 MLB frames).

Mitchell latched on with the White Sox for the 2020 season but didn’t earn a promotion from their alternate site prior to being released in late August. Overall, he carries a 5.15 ERA and a nearly identical 5.20 SIERA in 171 1/3 big league innings. Mitchell doesn’t miss bats (13 percent strikeout rate) but does carry a 50 percent ground-ball rate. Philadelphia skipper Joe Girardi surely knows Mitchell well after managing him for parts of four seasons with the Yankees, which surely played a part in this match.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has spoken recently of bringing in some veteran rotation depth on non-roster deals, and Mitchell gives them one such player. It’s certainly possible that further additions along these lines will be made in the weeks to come as more experienced starters ultimately settle for lesser deals with Spring Training looming.

Phillies Among Teams Considering Andrelton Simmons

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The Phillies, Reds, and Jays (among others) are those taking a look at Andrelton Simmons, per MLB Insider Jon Heyman (via Twitter). The Phillies and Reds are natural fits for the former Angel, given their openings at shortstop. The Blue Jays have notably explored many avenues for improvement. In the case of Simmons, it would mean raising their defensive efficiency in the infield, presumably by installing Simmons at short and letting Bo Bichette slide to third, where he would no doubt be a plus defender. At present, it would be surprising if the Phillies and Reds aren’t able to nab a shortstop apiece from the group of Simmons, Marcus Semien, and Didi Gregorius, given their clear need compared to other teams around the league. Considering the group of shortstops that could become free agents next year, teams could be trying to limit their long-term commitments at the position, though that’s not as likely as negotiations simply hanging up because of total dollars as teams hunt value deals.

Braves Claim Victor Arano, Kyle Garlick

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The Braves have claimed right-hander Victor Arano and outfielder Kyle Garlick off waivers, the Phillies announced.  Philadelphia recently designated both players for assignment.  The claims fill the final two open spots on Atlanta’s 40-man roster.

A member of the Phillies organization since August 2014, Arano has a 2.65 ERA, 26.3 K%, and 18.8 K-BB% over 74 2/3 career innings in the big leagues, all from 2017-19 (and mostly in 2018, when Arano tossed 59 1/3 frames).  Unfortunately, elbow surgery sidelined Arano for much of 2019 and kept him from making any MLB appearances in 2020.  If healthy, Arano could certainly be an interesting weapon for the Atlanta bullpen, as he has shown an ability to miss a lot of bats both in the majors and in the minors.

The right-handed hitting Garlick also gives the Braves another option as they figure out their outfield situation.  With no sign that a reunion with Marcell Ozuna is forthcoming, the Braves have Ronald Acuna as a lock for one starting position in either center field or right field, and then a combination of Ender Inciarte, top prospects Cristian Pache and Drew Waters, and bench candidates Abraham Almonte and Johan Camargo all in the mix for outfield duty.  Garlick could conceivably share platoon duty with Inciarte (a left-handed hitter) or switch-hitters Almonte and Camargo, or Atlanta could just stash him in the minors as depth.

Garlick (who turns 29 later this week) has appeared in each of the last two MLB seasons, amassing a .214/.276/.414 slash line over 76 total plate appearances with the Dodgers and Phillies.  Originally a 28th-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2015 draft, Garlick hit a very impressive .288/.345/.536 over 1846 PA in the Los Angeles farm system, though with the caveat that he was mostly playing against younger competition and that the Pacific Coast League is very hitter-friendly.

Latest On J.T. Realmuto’s Market

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As potential suitors for J.T. Realmuto continue to dwindle, Fansided’s Robert Murray tweets that the Braves are “circling” on the free-agent catcher, adding that some clubs on the west coast also remain interested in the former All-Star.

It’s a surprise to see the Braves linked to Realmuto for a number of reasons. Atlanta already has veteran Travis d’Arnaud signed for $8MM in 2021, and he’s coming off a .273/.336/.465 showing across the past two seasons. Beyond that, Realmuto has been seeking the exact type of long-term contract that Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos has eschewed since taking the reins in Atlanta.

The Braves waited out Dallas Keuchel’s market to get a one-year deal and opted not to come close to the Twins’ four-year offer when endeavoring to retain Josh Donaldson. They inked Cole Hamels on a one-year deal last winter rather than pursue a multi-year pact with Zack Wheeler or Madison Bumgarner. ESPN’s Buster Olney recently wrote recently that Marcell Ozuna is “highly unlikely” to return to Atlanta. Ozuna, of course, is seeking a lucrative multi-year deal himself.

This type of contract simply hasn’t been in the Braves’ playbook under the current front-office regime. Granted, it only takes one exception to change the narrative, but with recent reports that the Phillies have offered in the vicinity of $110MM over five years, a Realmuto-to-Braves deal would need to break the Braves’ short-term mold in rather dramatic fashion. It’s possible, too, that the Braves are “circling” — a decidedly nebulous term — to see if Realmuto opts to follow in Yasmani Grandal’s footsteps and take a one-year pact due to his dissatisfaction with multi-year offers. A high-priced one- or even two-year deal would absolutely be in the Braves’ wheelhouse, based on recent history. That’s also tough to envision when the Phillies have put forth a nine-figure offer, however.

Realmuto has been vocal in the past about his desire to advance the market for future catchers. It’s a large part of the reason he went to an arbitration hearing with the Phillies last year, arguing for a $12.4MM salary against the team’s $10MM filing number. The Phillies won that hearing, but Realmuto said afterward that he was “fighting for a cause and fighting for the rest of the catchers,” adding that he “takes pride” in fighting for future generations of players at his position. Those comments don’t make him sound like a catcher who is intent on taking much of a discount in any setting.

All of that is to say that if Realmuto were to take a short-term pact, the deal would likely have to represent a decisive new record for a catcher’s annual value. That sum currently belongs to Joe Mauer, who was paid an average of $23MM per year over his eight-year deal with the Twins. However, the Phillies are reportedly already offering close to that sum on a five-year term, which makes it tough to see Realmuto stepping back on a shorter-term arrangement. That’s especially true when the current offer from the Phils would set a catcher record in and of itself — the first ever nine-figure contract for a free-agent catcher. (Mauer and Buster Posey signed their nine-figure deals as extensions while still under club control.)

It also has to be noted that word of interest from the Braves only serves to benefit Realmuto’s camp if they’re yet looking to push the Phillies’ offer a bit further north. A five-year deal at $110MM would come in just shy of an AAV record for catchers, and topping that $23MM annual mark is surely something that’s still important to Realmuto.

The vague nature of the reporting in this instance does not indicate that Atlanta is comfortable doling out an uncharacteristic nine-figure pact, and there’d be a seismic difference between hoping Realmuto falls into their laps on a short-term, Grandal-esque contract and making a genuine run at top-of-the-market prices. Perhaps Anthopoulos and his staff believe Realmuto to be a difference-maker worth budging from their typical hardline stance against such contracts, but there’s no real evidence to support that thinking at this time.

If the Braves ultimately break character and sign Realmuto at a premium, pushing d’Arnaud to an $8MM backup or a trade candidate in the process, they’ll be a better team for it. But history doesn’t support them making an aggressive multi-year play, and it seems like a rather well-timed scenario to be broached as the division-rival Phillies appear to be in an increasingly favorable position to re-sign their star backstop.

Phillies Rumors: Realmuto Offer, Pitching Depth, Herrera

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The Phillies’ most recent offer to J.T. Realmuto is “believed” to be about $110MM, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Jayson Stark of The Athletic reported last Friday that the Phils had recently put forth a new five-year offer worth “slightly” more than $100MM. It’s not clear whether that’ll get the job done, as Realmuto has reportedly been intent on setting a new record for average annual value among catchers — currently held by former Twins star Joe Mauer ($23MM).

Still, the Phillies’ chances have to be considered vastly improved from where they stood early in free agency. The Mets have inked James McCann on a surprising four-year deal, while other potential Realmuto suitors have spent heavily in other areas. Toronto agreed to a six-year deal with George Springer. The Nats have made several mid-tier additions (Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber, Jon Lester). The Angels, too, have gone that route with Jose Quintana, Raisel Iglesias, Jose Iglesias and a new catcher of their own, Kurt Suzuki. Others could certainly enter the bidding, or one of those suitors could yet find room for Realmuto, but the Phillies have to be encouraged by how the market has panned out thus far.

A few more notes out of Philly…

  • The Phillies were in attendance yesterday when right-handers Julio Teheran and Anibal Sanchez threw for teams, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. Either hurler would give the Phils some needed depth at the back of the rotation, and neither would be expensive after struggling through poor 2020 seasons. President of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski yesterday suggested he’s still on the hunt for rotation depth and could find some via minor league deals with non-roster invites to Spring Training. Sanchez has revitalized his career after one non-guaranteed deal already and could be forced to do so again. Teheran, though, won’t turn 30 until next week and was a perfectly serviceable starter as recently as 2018-19. It’s at least worth noting that Dombrowski, while serving as Tigers GM, acquired Sanchez from the Marlins and re-signed him to a five-year, $80MM contract that offseason.
  • Odubel Herrera is no longer on the Phillies’ 40-man roster but remains with the organization under the five-year, $30.5MM contract he signed back in December of 2016. Herrera hasn’t played in the Majors since receiving an 85-game suspension under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy, though, and Dombrowski did little when speaking to reporters this week to indicate that Herrera has a chance of returning (link via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). “We’re still in a position where we are discussing that internally,” said Dombrowski. While he noted that Herrera has gone to counseling, Dombrowski would only state that Herrera’s status is something the club will “continue to talk through from an internal perspective.” Herrera’s contract expires at season’s end.

Phillies Interested In Jeremy Jeffress

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  • MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweets that Jeremy Jeffress is on the radar of several clubs, including the Red Sox, Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, Nationals and Blue Jays. It’s a wide field, though the level of interest of each team surely varies. The 33-year-old Jeffress was dominant back in 2018 but hasn’t replicated that form since. He did post an aesthetically pleasing 1.54 ERA and 54.4 percent grounder rate in 23 1/3 innings with the Cubs last year, but the rest of his numbers were something of a mess. Jeffress’ 13.6 percent walk rate was his worst since establishing himself as a consistent presence in MLB bullpens, while his 19.3 percent strikeout rate was 10 percent lower than his 29.8 percent clip from that brilliant 2018 campaign. Last year also saw Jeffress post career-worsts in average fastball velocity (93.3 mph), average exit velocity (89.9 mph) and hard-hit rate (45.6 percent). If Jeffress can rediscover his ’18 form, he’d be a premium late-inning option, but last year’s ERA was propped up by a .161 average on balls in play that is miles south of his career .308 mark.

Phillies Not Pursuing Andrew Benintendi Trade

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  • The Red Sox have asked at least one team for “a younger corner outfielder along with a minor-league pitcher not necessarily on the 40-man roster” as the trade return for Andrew Benintendi, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes.  While Benintendi has drawn interest from several teams, the Phillies and Reds haven’t been involved in talks.  (The Rangers are also not in the mix, as Bradford originally reported last week.)  Former Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is now running the Phils’ front office and the Reds have explored a Benintendi trade in the past, so there was speculation that those two clubs could be looking into acquiring Benintendi this time around.

Phillies Looking At Further Bullpen Additions

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Since Dave Dombrowski was named the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, the club has acquired Jose Alvarado from the Rays and signed former D-backs closer Archie Bradley. (Philadelphia also picked up lefty Sam Coonrod in a deal with the Giants.) At today’s press conference to introduce Bradley, Dombrowski made clear that his club is still open to further augmenting the bullpen (YouTube link).

“I think we’ve improved ourselves, but we can continue to work on improving ourselves, too,” said Dombrowski. “I think we’re open-minded to future additions as we continue to talk in this free-agent market. We’ll continue to work on it, but I do think we have significantly improved ourselves.” Neither Dombrowski nor manager Joe Girardi dubbed Bradley the team’s closer just yet, and Bradley himself enthusiastically said he’s open to pitching in any role.

Dombrowski wouldn’t delve into specifics regarding the team’s budget, but acknowledged that he has a “pulse” of where owner John Middleton is comfortable drawing the payroll line. The Phils still have room to make a few moves, per Dombrowski, who also suggested that further rotation depth would be “ideal.” Some of that depth could come in the form of non-roster invitees to Spring Training, he added.

Of course, the key factor in determining the Phillies’ budget for the upcoming season is whether the club is able to reel J.T. Realmuto back into the fold. The Phillies reportedly put forth a new five-year offer worth more than $100MM total in the past few days, and while Dombrowski unsurprisingly declined to comment on negotiations, he confirmed that the team is still hoping to keep the two-time All-Star behind the plate.

At the moment, the Phillies’ projected payroll clocks in at roughly $152MM, per Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez, with their luxury-tax obligations at a slightly heftier $157MM. That’s a ways shy of last year, when the Phils were in line to carry about a $187MM payroll prior to the prorated season — a mark that would’ve been a franchise record. That said, after a season without any gate revenue, it’s not clear how aggressively Middleton and the rest of the club’s ownership group are willing to spend.

Were the Phillies to head into the 2021 season with the current group of relievers, the newly acquired trio of Bradley, Alvarado and Coonrod would be complemented by holdover Hector Neris, swingman David Hale and likely some youngsters from the group of Connor Brogdon, Ranger Suarez, Cole Irvin and Ian Hamilton. (Brogdon, specifically, was mentioned during today’s press conference.) Certainly, there’s room for more veteran help to be brought in — be it on a guaranteed deal or, as Dombrowski alluded to when discussing the rotation, on a non-roster pact.

More broadly, Dombrowski rejected the manner in which some have characterized the 2021 season as a transitional year for his club. The Phillies simply have “too many good players … to be thinking about transitioning,” said Dombrowski, adding that the team’s focus is solely on competing for a playoff berth. The veteran front office exec acknowledged that the Phils won’t be perceived as the favorites but mentioned on multiple occasions that there are still about four weeks until camp opens, while also pointing to the increased frequency of free agents signing after Spring Training begins.

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