Brewers Interested In Shin-Soo Choo At First Base
It’s been a few seasons since Shin-Soo Choo had an opportunity for impact at-bats, but the southpaw swinger has maintained his control of the strike zone with solid bat-to-ball skills. His 10.2 walk percentage in 2020 remains solidly above-average, and though a 26.0 strikeout rate isn’t ideal, he did enough damage when he did make contact to produce a 97 wRC+. His exit velocity (90 mph), 10.1 percent barrel rate and below-average .284 BABIP suggest Choo might have gotten that wRC+ number back above average had there been a full season in 2020. Instead, that number fell below 100 for the first time since 2007.
While the 38-year-old seems to have enough left in the tank to contribute offensively, he’s long been considered a subpar defender in the outfield, a perception that’s born out in -25 career defensive runs saved across 1,722 career innings in left, and -26 DRS over 8,109 2/3 career innings in right. But Choo has been working out at first base this offseason to provide teams with another avenue for getting his bat in the lineup, per Robert Murray of FanSided (via Twitter).
That’s enough for the Brewers to give him a look, notes Murray. Presumably, the Brewers also like Choo as a potential contributor at the designated hitter spot, should it eventually find its way into the 2021 rule book. Otherwise, Choo would join a rotating collection of position players at manager Craig Counsell‘s disposal. With the recent addition of Kolten Wong at second, Keston Hiura is expected to slide over to first full-time. There are at-bats to be had at third base for Hiura, as well, with Luis Urias being relatively unproven at the hot corner. All in all, it’s not hard to imagine Choo getting regular work in Milwaukee between first base and right field, where Avisail Garcia‘s career splits suggest he might be best suited in a short-side platoon.
The Pirates have also expressed some interest in Choo at first base, per the Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel (via Twitter), though not much progress was made towards a deal. The Phillies are another of Choo’s known suitors.
Minor MLB Transactions: 1/29/21
The latest minor transactions from around the game…
- The Rockies have re-signed utilityman Chris Owings to a minor league deal, per Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The 29-year-old slashed .268/.318/.439 with two home runs over 44 trips to the plate as a Rockie in 2020. In all, Owings – a former Diamondback, Red Sox and Royal – has hit .241/.285/.367 with 36 homers and 76 steals in 2,346 plate appearances as a major leaguer.
- The Athletics have re-upped catcher Carlos Perez to a minor league contract, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. Perez will earn a $650K salary if he makes it to the majors. The 30-year-old appeared in the majors in each season from 2015-18, but he hasn’t gotten back to the bigs since then. A former Angel, Ranger and Brave, Perez has batted .215/.257/.319 with 11 home runs in 670 plate appearances.
- The Pirates have outrighted outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. to Triple-A Indianapolis, per reports from Jake Crouse and PittsburghBaseball.com’s John Dreker. The team previously designated Stokes for assignment Jan. 24, less than two weeks after it claimed him from the Tigers via waivers. Stokes, who will turn 25 on Feb. 2, has batted .250/.351/.411 with 57 HRs and 129 steals in 2,355 PA at the minor league level.
Pirates Discussing Adam Frazier In Trade Talks
The Pirates are discussing second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier in trades, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, who adds that Frazier could be the next piece subtracted as the Bucs continue their aggressive teardown. The Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel speculated this morning that another deal could be in the works as well (Twitter link).
Frazier, 29, is coming off a rough showing in 2020 that saw him bat .230/.297/.364 in 58 games. However, prior to that down season he was steadily an average or better performer both at the plate and with the glove. It’s worth noting, too, that Frazier shook off a disastrous start to the season and was trending upward in his production over the season’s second half. It’s an arbitrary endpoint, but over his final 30 games Frazier slashed .273/.368/.414 through 115 plate appearances with as many walks (13) as strikeouts (13).
Those numbers fall right in line with the career .279/.342/.420 batting line that Frazier carried into the 2020 season, and they serve as a rough approximation of what interested clubs could expect in trading for Frazier, who is still controlled for two more years. He’s set to earn $4.3MM in 2021 after avoiding arbitration earlier this winter, and the Pirates have been on a mission both to acquire as much young talent as they can in trades and, seemingly, to slash payroll to whatever extent possible. The Bucs have already traded Josh Bell, Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon this winter. Remarkably, that leaves Frazier and his $4.3MM salary as the team’s second-most expensive player.
While there’s good reason for clubs in need of help at second base and/or in left field to show some interest in Frazier, the Bucs are also peddling a left-handed-hitting second baseman/outfielder at a time when the free-agent market offers comparable alternatives. Granted, it’s been a bullish market for some players (e.g. Jurickson Profar, Tommy La Stella), but we’ve also seen players with very comparable production to Frazier, such as Cleveland’s Cesar Hernandez, settle for lackluster deals (one year, $5MM in Hernandez’s case).
Among the unsigned second base options still on the market are Kolten Wong, Jonathan Schoop and Marwin Gonzalez. The left field market includes Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall, Nick Markakis and Brett Gardner, among others. Frazier’s $4.3MM salary is quite likely less than some of those players will command, but interested parties have open-market alternatives, which doesn’t help the Pirates’ cause in extracting maximum value.
At the end of the day, Frazier is still a somewhat versatile defender and solid hitter who rarely strikes out (career 13.6 percent). With two years of affordable club control remaining, he could certainly help a number of contending clubs, even if it’s more of a utility capacity than as a team’s everyday option at second base or in left field. Given the way the Pirates have operated to this point in the winter, it’d come as little surprise to see Frazier in a different uniform come Opening Day.
Central News & Rumors: E. Rosario, A. Rosario, Rodon, Lester, Kuhl
The Brewers have shown interest in free-agent outfielder Eddie Rosario, according to Robert Murray of Fansided. Rosario, on the open market since the Twins non-tendered him in December, stands out as one of the most accomplished free-agent hitters remaining. The 29-year-old is a three-time 20-home run hitter who belted another 13 during a shortened 2020 season, though it’s unclear where he would fit in Milwaukee. The Brewers already appear to have their starting outfield figured out with Christian Yelich and Avisail Garcia flanking Lorenzo Cain, but if the universal designated hitter sticks around in 2021, Rosario could play a big role there.
- Indians shortstop Amed Rosario is garnering trade interest, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. Cleveland acquired Rosario from the Mets as part of the teams’ Francisco Lindor trade earlier this month, but as Puma notes, the Indians also picked up fellow shortstop Andres Gimenez in that deal. As such, New York may be open to moving Rosario, once a star prospect whose major league career hasn’t gone according to plan so far. The 25-year-old has batted .268/.302/.403 with 32 home runs and 50 stolen bases in 1,564 plate appearances since he debuted in 2017.
- The Cubs will be in attendance for free-agent left-hander Carlos Rodon‘s workout this week, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score writes. Rodon has spent his entire career thus far in Chicago, where he has pitched to a 4.14 ERA/4.32 SIERA with a 22.6 percent strikeout rate and a 9.6 percent walk rate in 536 2/3 innings as a member of the White Sox. Rodon looked like a solid mid-rotation type earlier in his career, but the 28-year-old has declined since 2018 because of shoulder troubles and Tommy John surgery. He became a free agent when the White Sox non-tendered him in December.
- If signed, Rodon could help the Cubs replace veteran southpaw Jon Lester in their rotation. Lester officially joined the Nationals on Wednesday, when he revealed to Bob Nightengale of USA Today and other reporters that the Cubs did make a late push to re-sign him. The details on the Cubs’ offer aren’t known, but the Nationals brought him in on a one-year, $5MM guarantee. Lester signed a six-year, $155MM deal with the Cubs before 2015, and he and the team enjoyed great success during that contract.
- It’s a matter of when, not if, the Pirates will trade righty Chad Kuhl, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of The Athletic. Kuhl had a middling 2020 campaign after missing all of the prior season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, as he logged a 4.27 ERA/5.29 SIERA and recorded a 22.3 percent strikeout rate against an unappealing 14.2 percent walk rate in 46 1/3 innings. He has two years of control left and will earn $2.13MM in 2021.
Pirates Sign Joe Hudson To Minor League Deal
The Pirates announced Monday that they’ve signed catcher Joe Hudson to a minor league contract and invited him to Major League Spring Training.
Hudson, 29, spent the 2020 season with the Mariners and appeared in nine big league games, going 3-for-17 with a pair of walks and five strikeouts in 20 trips to the plate. That marked Hudson’s third straight season with at least a taste of the Major Leagues, although both the nine games and 20 plate appearances were career-highs for the journeyman backstop. Overall, he’s a .167/.219/.200 hitter in a minuscule sample of 33 plate appearances.
Beyond his limited big league time, Hudson has logged 102 games at the Triple-A level, batting .249/.323/.411 with 13 homers, 14 doubles and a triple in 383 plate appearances. He’s thwarted a whopping 43 percent of the 505 stolen base attempts against him in the minors since being drafted by the Reds in the sixth round back in 2012, and Baseball Prospectus gives him generally strong marks both in terms of pitch framing and pitch blocking.
Jacob Stallings and Michael Perez are the only two catchers on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster at the moment, and they lack an MLB-ready prospect behind the dish. Hudson joins fellow non-roster invitee Andrew Susac and 2017 fourth-rounder Jason Delay as depth options for the Bucs who could see action in Triple-A. Delay hasn’t played above Double-A yet and struggled there in 2019, hitting .234/.286/.398 in 67 games.
Yankees Acquire Jameson Taillon
12:49PM: The trade has been officially announced by both teams.
11:35AM: The Yankees have worked out a deal to acquire right-hander Jameson Taillon, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. The Pirates will receive four prospects in return. ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan (Twitter link) reports that the minor leaguers in question are right-handers Miguel Yajure and Roansy Contreras, infielder Maikol Escotto and outfielder Canaan Smith.
Multiple reports broke yesterday that a Taillon trade was nearing completion, with the Yankees emerging as the favorites to land the 29-year-old. According to Mackey, “at least three clubs” submitted offers for Taillon, but it was indeed New York who eventually landed the right-hander.
Taillon joins a Yankees rotation that is headlined by Gerrit Cole, and otherwise has a lot of upside but an equal number of question marks. Corey Kluber has two AL Cy Young Awards on his resume but also has barely pitched in two seasons due to injuries, Luis Severino won’t return from Tommy John surgery rehab until midseason, Domingo German didn’t pitch in 2020 due to a domestic violence suspension, and the likes of Jordan Montgomery, Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt or Michael King are lacking in MLB experience.
Taillon is himself not exactly a sure thing, as he didn’t pitch in 2020 (and threw only 37 1/3 innings in 2019) due to Tommy John surgery. This was the second TJ procedure of Taillon’s career, following an earlier surgery during his days as a star prospect in Pittsburgh’s farm system. While there is risk involved in the acquisition, the Yankees are betting that Taillon is healthy and can match or surpass the form he has showed over his 466 career innings.
Drafted second overall in 2010, Taillon has posted a 3.67 ERA, 21.5K%, and 15.5K-BB% over his Major League career. While not a big strikeout pitcher, Taillon has a mid-90’s fastball, strong control, the ability to keep the ball on the ground (career 48.2% grounder rate) and does a good job of limiting hard contact.
The other important numbers from the Yankees’ perspective were two (as in the number of years of team control remaining over Taillon) and $2.25MM, which is what Taillon is set to earn in 2021. The Yankees are known to be looking to stay under the $210MM luxury tax threshold and reset their tax penalties to zero, so there is added value for the team in acquiring a potential No. 3 or even a No. 2 starter at such a low financial cost. According to Roster Resource‘s projection, the Yankees are now less than a million dollars under the $210MM mark, so some creativity will be required if the team is going to make any more additions.
Contreras and Yajure were also both on the 40-man roster, so the Yankees have now opened spots up for Taillon and for one of Kluber or DJ LeMahieu, whose signings have yet to be officially announced by the team.
For the Pirates, this is the latest big move of a rebuild that has already seen Joe Musgrove and Josh Bell dealt in respective trades with the Padres and Nationals this winter. There was no pressing payroll concern surrounding Taillon, but since the Bucs look to be more than two years away from contending, it made sense for the team to shop the righty now rather than risk an injury setback or poor performance from Taillon during the season.
For Musgrove, Bell, and now Taillon, the Pirates have added 11 young players to their organization via the three trades. Similar to the Musgrove deal with San Diego, Pittsburgh received a larger package of prospects rather than a singular blue-chip talent, but it would be incorrect to say that the Pirates opted for quantity over quality. Yajure (#15), Contreras (#19) and Smith (#21) were all ranked on MLB.com’s list of the top 30 prospects in the New York farm system.
Yajure made his Major League debut in 2020, posting a 1.29 ERA over seven relief innings while recording eight strikeouts and five walks. Control wasn’t really a problem for Yajure over his minor league career, with only a 5.9BB% to go along with a 2.47 ERA and 20.8K% over 291 2/3 innings. The 22-year-old also had a knack for keeping the ball in the park, with only 10 homers allowed during his minor league career.
Yajure started 54 of 61 minor league outings, and MLB Pipeline’s scouting report says he “has a high floor as a likely No. 4 or 5 starter.” He could be a candidate for action in the Pirates’ rotation this season, but since he has yet to pitch at the Triple-A level, Yajure will probably begin the year in the minors.
Contreras, 21, was a product of the 2016 international draft class and has yet to pitch beyond the A-ball level, but he has a 3.25 ERA over 249 1/3 innings, starting 47 of 50 games. There is some doubt as to whether or not Contreras will stick as a starter or be moved to the bullpen, according to MLB Pipeline, since he doesn’t record many strikeouts (20.1K%) and is “a flyball pitcher without much life on his fastball.” Both his fastball and changeup receive a 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale, however, and his fastball averages in the 92-95mph range with some quality spin rate.
Smith was a fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft, and the 21-year-old has already shown an aptitude for getting on base. Smith has hit .280/.389/.426 over 936 plate appearances in his young career, reaching as high as the A-ball level in 2019. His left-handed swing doesn’t have much loft, as per Pipeline, but his slugging percentage did jump upwards to .465 in 2019. Smith has played mostly left field and is an average defender overall, and he has shown good skill as a baserunner in stealing 21 bases in 28 chances despite average speed.
An international signing out of the Dominican Republic, the 18-year-old Escotto hit .315/.429/.552 over 218 PA in Dominican Summer League action in 2019. Baseball America ranked Escotto 27th on their list of Yankees prospects, citing his “compact swing” and “solid plate discipline” and also describing him as a plus runner and plus defender. Escotto played mostly second base in the DSL but also saw action as a third baseman and shortstop.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
East Notes: Mets, Hand, Bradley, Yankees, Rays
The Mets made an offer to free agent reliever Brad Hand that was “right in the ballpark” of the one-year, $10.5MM deal he agreed to with the Nationals, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). New York was linked to Hand throughout the offseason, with team president Sandy Alderson acknowledging the club might’ve claimed him last fall had the team’s ownership change been finalized at the time Hand was available on waivers. After missing out on their top lefty bullpen target, the Mets could look into a Justin Wilson reunion, Heyman posits.
More news and notes from the game’s East divisions:
- Elsewhere on the Mets, free agent center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is “on their radar,” hears Heyman (Twitter link). That’s hardly an indication New York is actively engaged in the bidding for Bradley, but he does make sense as a potential target for the Mets after they missed out on George Springer. Outfield isn’t necessarily an area of need, but acquiring a true center fielder would push current projected starter Brandon Nimmo into a corner role for which he might be better suited. Bradley is one of the game’s best defenders and coming off a strong 2020 season at the plate.
- The Yankees tried to acquire Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon in a package deal with the Pirates before Pittsburgh traded Musgrove to the Padres, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). New York ended up pulling in Taillon for a package of four prospects this morning. Taillon and free agent signee Corey Kluber have been New York’s most important rotation pickups this winter.
- The Rays are hiring former major league outfielder Denard Span as a special assistant in baseball operations, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. A Tampa native, Span spent part of the 2018 season playing for the Rays. The former first-rounder also played for the Twins, Nationals, Giants and Mariners over an eleven-year MLB playing career. Span explained his decision to retire as a player last June.
Pirates GM Ben Cherington Discusses Offseason
The Pirates sent Jameson Taillon to the Yankees this morning, making him the second starting pitcher the Bucs have moved this offseason (after Joe Musgrove). In addition to Musgrove and Taillon, Pittsburgh sent first baseman Josh Bell to the Nationals earlier this winter.
Today’s trade could mark the end of Pittsburgh’s teardown of the MLB roster for this offseason. General manager Ben Cherington told reporters (including Rob Biertempfel of the Athletic) that the Pirates’ front office will now “likely shift our energy back toward adding to the team,” although he cautioned they’ll “definitely keep the phone on” if rival teams call on their remaining big leaguers. Specifically, picking up a veteran starter is now a priority, Cherington said.
Presumably, that’d be a lower-cost addition. The Pirates perennially run one of the league’s lowest payrolls, and there’s no reason to expect any high-impact acquisitions at the start of a rebuild. Free agency offers a plethora of experienced starters coming off down or injury-plagued seasons. The opportunity to claim a regular rotation spot in a pitcher-friendly home park could appeal to any number of rebound candidates.
Cherington also noted that Miguel Yajure could compete for a rotation spot at some point in 2021 (via Biertempfel). Part of the four-player return for Taillon, the 22-year-old had an MLB cameo out of the Yankees’ bullpen last season.
Pirates Designate Troy Stokes For Assignment
The Pirates are designating outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. for assignment, per Rob Biertempfel of the Athletic (Twitter link). Stokes was claimed off waivers from the Tigers earlier this month.
Pittsburgh needed to open a 40-man roster spot after today’s trade with the Yankees. Miguel Yajure and Roansy Contreras were each on New York’s 40-man; Jameson Taillon’s departure only freed space for one of those players.
Stokes, 25 next month, hasn’t yet made his MLB debut. A former fourth-round pick of the Brewers, he has bounced from Milwaukee to Detroit to Pittsburgh over the past couple years via waivers. That suggests Stokes is held in some regard by teams; indeed, the Tigers and Pirates were at the top of the league in waiver priority at the time of their respective claims. It wouldn’t be surprising if Stokes winds up claimed yet again.
In parts of six minor-league seasons, Stokes has compiled a .250/.351/.411 line while playing mostly left field. He has a pair of minor-league option years remaining. The Pirates have a week to trade Stokes, release him, or place him on outright waivers.
Jameson Taillon Could Be Next Pirates Player To Be Traded
10:45 pm: A trade does appear to be on the horizon, potentially as soon as tomorrow, per Jason Mackey (via Twitter). By all accounts, nothing has been finalized. The Pirates are said to be looking for high-ceiling prospects, even if that means taking players who are further away from reaching the Majors.
8:45 pm: The Yankees are indeed one of the teams talking to the Pirates about Taillon, tweets MLB Insider Jon Heyman. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter) goes as far as to say they “appear to be emerging as the frontrunner.” The Yankees are not the only team involved, however, as the Pirates have offers from multiple teams, adds Jason Mackey of PGSportsNow. Taillon has two years of control remaining.
2:23 pm: Joe Musgrove now gets his paychecks from the San Diego Padres, and Josh Bell his from the Washington Nationals, so it’s only natural that someone step into the void as the “next Pirates player to be traded.” According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter), right-hander Jameson Taillon is in the proverbial on-deck circle. Feinsand and MLB.com’s Adam Berry hear that Jameson could be moved as soon as this weekend.
When Taillon made his debut as a 24-year-old in 2016, he and then-rotation-mate Gerrit Cole represented a promising core that was meant to build on the success of a 98-win 2015 team. That future never quite came to be, of course, as the Pirates fell back to the basement of the NL Central and now face yet another organizational rebuild. From that perspective, trades of the roster’s veterans are borderline inevitable. Still, a Taillon trade at this juncture is not without its complications, given his uncertain status returning from Tommy John surgery. Taillon went under the knife in August 2019, missing the entire 2020 season. It was the second Tommy John surgery of his career.
Taillon’s one full season came in 2018 when he made 32 starts and logged 191 innings with a 3.20 ERA/3.46 FIP, 22.8 percent strikeout rate, 5.9 percent walk rate, and 46.2 percent walk rate. That’s the version of Taillon that will stick in the heads of opposing teams as they consider acquiring the 29-year-old. Generally speaking, Taillon brings better-than-average strikeout rates, near-elite walk rates, and a career-average 85 FIP-. Though expectations should be tempered to reflect his injury status, it’s fair to hope that Taillon might again provide mid-rotation-or-better production for a contender.
The Yankees were linked to Taillon earlier this offseason and could still be a potential landing spot. Of course, it would not be hard to find a team in need of a starting pitcher – even one coming off his second TJ surgery. Given the caution with which most teams are approaching increasing workloads for 2021, a rehabbing hurler like Taillon may benefit from a smoother transition back to action, as he would not be expected to post a 200-inning season out of the blocks.