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Adam Morgan

Adam Morgan Opts Out Of Minors Deal With Astros

By Darragh McDonald | May 1, 2022 at 4:59pm CDT

Left-handed pitcher Adam Morgan has opted out of his minor league contract with the Astros, reports Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Once he exercised that opt out, the club had 24 hours to either select him to the big league roster or release him, with the club option for the latter choice. He is now a free agent.

Morgan, 32, was drafted by the Phillies and spent parts of six seasons with the big league team, from 2015 to 2020. He was primarily a starter for the first two campaigns but a reliever for the remainder. The move to the bullpen improved his results, as his his 2015-2016 seasons yielded a 5.37 ERA, 16.8% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate, whereas in the four subsequent campaigns, his walk rate jumped to 9%, but his ERA was 4.11, along with a 25.4% strikeout rate.

He spent last year with the Cubs, throwing 25 1/3 innings, with his walk rate climbing to 11.1%, his ERA ticking up to 4.26 and his strikeouts dropping to 25.9%. He signed a minor league deal with the Astros in the offseason, seeming like a decent bet to crack the club’s roster as left-handed relief is one of their few weak spots. Blake Taylor and rookie Parker Mushinski are the only southpaws in the Houston bullpen, but they are evidently satisfied enough with those options to let Morgan get away.

Through 8 2/3 innings in Triple-A so far this year, he has a 3.12 ERA with 10 strikeouts and just a single walk. He will now return to the open market and look for his next opportunity.

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Houston Astros Transactions Adam Morgan

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Several Veterans On Minor League Deals Have Sunday Opt-Outs

By Steve Adams,Mark Polishuk and TC Zencka | April 30, 2022 at 7:32pm CDT

The latest collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association is rife with contractual intricacies, as one would expect. MLBTR has confirmed that one of the new wrinkles set forth in this latest agreement stipulates that any Article XX(B) free agent — that is, a player with at least six years of service time who finished the prior season on a big league roster or injured list — who signs a minor league contract will have three uniform opt-out dates in his contract, so long as that minor league deal is signed 10 days prior to Opening Day. Those opt-out dates are five days before the start of the regular season, May 1 and June 1.

As the MLBPA announced at the onset of the most recent offseason, there were 188 players who became Article XX(B) free agents. The majority of those players signed Major League contracts. A handful retired, and some have yet to sign a contract at all. There were still more than two dozen players who signed minor league contracts, however, which makes them subject to the new uniform opt-out dates. Several of those players — Marwin Gonzalez, Matt Moore and Wily Peralta, to name a few — have already had their contracts selected to the Major League roster. Others signed their minor league deal after March 28, meaning they’re not covered under the uniform opt-out provision.

By my count, there are a dozen players who qualified as Article XX(B) free agents, signed minor league deals on or before March 28, and remain with those organizations but not on the 40-man roster. Each of the following veterans, then, will have the opportunity to become a free agent Sunday if they’re not called up to the current organization’s big league roster:

  • Tyler Clippard, RHP, Nationals: The 37-year-old Clippard had a strong 2019 season in Cleveland and pitched brilliantly with Minnesota in 2020. His 2021 campaign with the D-backs was solid but truncated by a strained capsule in his right shoulder. He missed nearly four months to begin the year but pitched to a 3.20 ERA in 25 1/3 innings upon activation — albeit with subpar strikeout and walk rates (19.8% and 9.9%, respectively). He’s had a rough go in Triple-A Rochester so far, yielding seven runs on six hits and a whopping 11 walks in 8 1/3 innings. He’s also picked up a dozen strikeouts.
  • Austin Romine, C, Angels: Romine is 2-for-15 with a pair of singles so far in Triple-A Salt Lake. He’s never provided much with the bat, but the longtime Yankees backup is regarded as a quality defender and receiver. He spent the 2021 season with the Cubs but only logged 62 plate appearances thanks to a sprained left wrist that landed him on the 60-day injured list for a significant portion of the season. Romine hit .217/.242/.300 when healthy last year and is a lifetime .238/.277/.358 hitter in 1313 Major League plate appearances.
  • Billy Hamilton, CF, Mariners: At 31 years old, the former top prospect is what he is now: an elite defender and baserunner who’s never been able to get on base consistently enough to capitalize on his 80-grade speed. Hamilton slashed .220/.242/.378 in 135 plate appearances with the White Sox last season and is out to a 7-for-32 start with one walk and 11 strikeouts so far with the Mariners’ top affiliate. Hamilton has four seasons of 55-plus stolen bases under his belt, but he also has a career .293 OBP  that’s gotten even worse (.269) over the past three seasons (524 plaste appearances).
  • Blake Parker, RHP, Cardinals: Parker, 36, has yielded three runs in 7 1/3 Triple-A frames but is brandishing a far more impressive 11-to-1 K/BB ratio. He split the past two seasons between Philadelphia and Cleveland, pitching to a combined 3.02 ERA with a 24.4% strikeout rate against a 9.1% walk rate. Parker has had an up-and-down career since debuting with the Cubs as a 27-year-old rookie in 2012, but the cumulative results are solid. He carries a career 3.47 ERA with 34 saves and 47 holds. When Parker’s splitter is working well, he can be a very effective late-inning option.
  • Derek Holland, LHP, Red Sox: The veteran southpaw has provided innings, but not necessarily at quality since transitioning into a bullpen role in 2019. Last season he appeared in 39 games for the Tigers, tossing 49 2/3 innings with a 5.07 ERA/3.96 FIP. Holland’s time with Triple-A Worcester hasn’t been smooth, as he has a 5.79 ERA and six walks over 9 1/3 innings.
  • Steven Souza Jr., OF, Mariners: Due to an ugly knee injury and some struggles at the plate, Souza hasn’t been a truly productive big leaguer since 2017. Looking to revive his career with the Mariners, Souza has hit .200/.383/.333 over 60 PA with Triple-A Tacoma.
  • Kevin Pillar, OF, Dodgers: This season marks Pillar’s first taste of Triple-A ball since 2014, and the veteran outfielder is overmatching pitchers to the tune of a .313/.415/.627 slash line over 82 plate appearances. One would imagine this performance will earn Pillar a look in Los Angeles or perhaps another team if the Dodgers don’t select his contract. Pillar’s minor league deal guarantees him a $2.5MM salary if he receives a big league call-up, which could be a factor for a Dodgers club that may be trying to stay under the third tier ($270MM) of the luxury tax threshold.
  • Cam Bedrosian, RHP, Phillies: After signing a minor league deal with Philadelphia last July, Bedrosian posted a 4.35 ERA over 10 1/3 innings with the club despite recording almost as many walks (seven) as strikeouts (eight). The righty inked a new minors deal with the Phillies over the winter but has yet to pitch this season due to injury.
  • Shelby Miller, RHP, Yankees: The former All-Star pitched well with the Cubs’ and Pirates’ Triple-A affiliates in 2021, and he has kept up that strong Triple-A performance now working as a full-time reliever.  Over eight innings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barres, Miller has a 2.25 ERA with outstanding strikeout (31.3%) and walk (3.1%) rates. He also hasn’t allowed any homers, a notable stat for a pitcher who has had great trouble containing the long ball over the last few seasons.
  • Matt Carpenter, INF, Rangers: Carpenter got a late start to Spring Training, and upon Opening Day, he expressed a desire to take the necessary time to get himself up to speed. Through 52 plate appearances in Triple-A, Carpenter has slashed an improved .239/.327/.457 with a pair of home runs. While not standout numbers, they are an improvement over the .203/.235/.346 slash line Carpenter posted in 901 PA from 2019-21 with the Cardinals.
  • Carlos Martinez, RHP, Giants: Another former Cardinal looking for a fresh start, Martinez has yet to pitch for Triple-A Sacramento, as he is still rehabbing from the thumb surgery he underwent last July. With injuries and a nasty bout of COVID-19 factoring into matters, Martinez has only a 6.95 ERA over 102 1/3 big league innings since the start of the 2020 season.
  • Keone Kela, RHP, Diamondbacks: Kela has also been ravaged by injuries over the last two seasons, including Tommy John surgery last May. Given the usual TJ recovery timeline, Kela isn’t likely to be a factor for the D’Backs until at least midseason.

Of course, players remain free to negotiate additional out clauses into their minor league contracts. Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports, for instance, that lefty Adam Morgan has an opt-out provision in his contract with the Astros today. Morgan doesn’t have enough service time to qualify as an Article XX(B) free agent, but he’ll nevertheless have the opportunity to become a free agent Sunday if he doesn’t like his chances of eventually being added to Houston’s roster.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Boston Red Sox Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Dodgers New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies San Francisco Giants Seattle Mariners St. Louis Cardinals Texas Rangers Washington Nationals Adam Morgan Austin Romine Billy Hamilton Blake Parker Cam Bedrosian Carlos Martinez Derek Holland Keone Kela Kevin Pillar Matt Carpenter Shelby Miller Steven Souza Tyler Clippard

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Astros Sign Adam Morgan To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | March 21, 2022 at 9:33am CDT

The Astros have signed lefty Adam Morgan to a minor league contract and invited him to Major League Spring Training, tweets Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Morgan is repped by CAA Baseball.

Morgan, 32, spent the 2021 season with the Cubs, pitching to a 4.26 ERA with a strong 25.9% strikeout rate against an 11.1% walk rate and a 44.8% grounder rate. It was the first season Morgan spent with any club other than the Phillies, who drafted him with their third-round pick back in 2011. Morgan spent the first six seasons of his career as a Phillie, originally pitching out of the rotation in 2015-16 before moving to the ’pen in 2017.

Since moving to a relief role on a full-time basis, Morgan has seen his strikeout rate and velocity increase, rising from 16.8% and 90.6 mph in 2015-16 up to 25.5% and 93.6 mph from 2017-21. He has a 4.13 ERA through 172 relief innings since making the switch. He’s shut down lefties to the tune of a woeful .198/.280/.305 batting line in that five-year stretch, but right-handed opponents continue to give him trouble, evidenced by a .281/.347/.528 output.

Left-handed relief depth has been an area of need for the Astros, and Morgan will give them some additional depth in that regard. Blake Taylor is currently the only southpaw expected to break camp in the Houston bullpen, though Morgan and fellow veteran Zac Rosscup have both signed non-roster invites to Spring Training within the past few days. Even if neither is on the Opening Day roster, it’s possible they could get get a look as the season wears on — particularly if Taylor incurs any type of injury or struggles.

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Houston Astros Transactions Adam Morgan

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Cubs Place Ryan Tepera On Injured List, Select Adam Morgan

By Anthony Franco | June 29, 2021 at 5:53pm CDT

The Cubs announced they’ve placed right-hander Ryan Tepera on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain and optioned right-hander Trevor Megill to Triple-A Iowa. Righty Tommy Nance was recalled from Iowa, while southpaw Adam Morgan was selected to the big league roster. To create 40-man roster space for Morgan, infielder Matt Duffy was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.

Tepera has been quite productive this season. Through 37 2/3 innings, the righty has worked to a 3.35 ERA/3.28 SIERA. He’s punched out a strong 28.3% of opposing hitters- his second consecutive season missing plenty of bats- against a solid 8.3% walk percentage. Tepera has been a key piece of a Cubs bullpen that has surprisingly been one of the game’s best. Chicago relievers have a 2.95 ERA that trails only the Padres’ 2.85 mark, and they’re also near the top of the league in strikeout rate (29%), strikeout/walk rate differential (17 percentage points) and SIERA (3.67).

Morgan will try to emulate that work in his first taste of big league action this year. The 31-year-old pitched in the majors each season between 2015-20 with the Phillies, and he’ll now get an opportunity for a seventh straight campaign. While Morgan was generally underwhelming early in his career as a starting pitcher, he proved fairly effective upon a move to the bullpen. He has a 4.07 ERA/4.22 FIP with decent strikeout and walk numbers (25.5% and 9.1%, respectively) in 150 1/3 career innings as a reliever.

Unfortunately, Morgan was forced to undergo flexor tendon surgery last October. The Phillies outrighted him and he signed a minor league deal with the Cubs in January. He’s been fantastic over 16 1/3 innings with Iowa, working to a 2.20 ERA with a 32.3% strikeout rate and a 4.6% walk percentage.

Duffy went on the IL with a low back strain on May 23. Today’s transfer rules him out for sixty days from the date of his original IL placement, so he won’t return until at least July 22. The 30-year-old infielder has hit a solid .278/.377/.356 through 106 plate appearances this season.

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Chicago Cubs Transactions Adam Morgan Matt Duffy Ryan Tepera

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Cubs Sign Adam Morgan To Minor League Contract

By Mark Polishuk | January 4, 2021 at 1:29pm CDT

JANUARY 4: Morgan’s deal comes with a $900K base salary if he makes the majors, with additional incentives available, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link).

JANUARY 3: The Cubs have signed left-hander Adam Morgan to a minor league deal with an invitation to Chicago’s big league spring camp, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury (Twitter link).

Morgan chose to become a free agent after the Phillies outrighted him off their 40-man roster at the end of the season.  It was effectively an early non-tender, as Morgan was arbitration-eligible for the third time this winter and wasn’t likely to be retained.  After posting a 5.54 ERA over 13 relief innings for Philadelphia in 2020, Morgan underwent flexor tendon repair surgery in October. Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune has good news on Morgan’s recovery timeline, tweeting that Morgan is “expected to be game ready sometime in March.”

On a minor league deal, there isn’t much risk for the Cubs in monitoring Morgan’s health and seeing if he can contribute to their bullpen at some point next year.  A familiar face will be waiting for Morgan in the pen, as former Phillies pitching coach Chris Young is entering his second year as Chicago’s bullpen coach.

Morgan has posted some decent numbers since becoming a full-time relief pitcher, delivering a 3.97 ERA, 2.84 K/BB rate, and 9.6 K/9 over 133 2/3 innings from 2017-19.  Homers have been a consistent issue, as Morgan has a 1.5 HR/9 over his career and allowed three home runs during the smaller sample size of his 2020 workload.  Morgan has some pretty significant career splits (left-handed batters have a .640 OPS against him, but righty swingers have an .859 OPS) but he could provide some help to a Cubs relief corps that is thin on reliable southpaw options.

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Chicago Cubs Transactions Adam Morgan

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Phillies Decline David Phelps’ Option

By Anthony Franco | October 30, 2020 at 2:14pm CDT

The Phillies announced they’ve declined their $4.5MM club option on right-hander David Phelps. He’ll receive a $250K buyout and hit free agency. The Phillies also declined their $7MM option on fellow reliever Héctor Neris, although he remains on the roster as an arbitration-eligible player. Philadelphia also confirmed the previously-reported declination of David Robertson’s club option.

Additionally, utilityman Phil Gosselin, right-handers Heath Hembree and Blake Parker and southpaw Adam Morgan have all cleared outright waivers and elected free agency. Right-hander Johan Quezada, meanwhile, was claimed off waivers from the Marlins.

Phelps came over from the Brewers in a midseason swap for three low-level prospects. The hope was that he’d help salvage a bullpen that had been the club’s weak point. Unfortunately, he was tattooed for eleven runs in 7.2 innings down the stretch. Phelps’ overall strikeout and walk numbers were stellar, but massive home run problems led to a 6.53 ERA.

Neris is projected for a salary between $4.8MM and $6.4MM in arbitration if tendered. That made declining the option an easy call, and it’s possible Neris ultimately winds up non-tendered.

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Miami Marlins Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Adam Morgan Blake Parker David Phelps David Robertson Heath Hembree Hector Neris Johan Quezada Phil Gosselin

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Phillies Outright Heath Hembree, Adam Morgan

By Steve Adams | October 29, 2020 at 7:51am CDT

The Phillies have outrighted relievers Heath Hembree and Adam Morgan, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Both were arbitration-eligible, and both have the service time to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, which is a mere formality at this point. Hembree was one of the team’s August trade pickups from the Red Sox. Morgan has been a longtime member of the bullpen but recently underwent flexor tendon surgery that is expected to sideline him for six to nine months.

Hembree, 31, was a stable member of the Boston bullpen for years but got out to an ugly start in 2020 and saw things get worse after the trade. From 2016-19, the right-hander notched a solid 3.60 ERA with 10.1 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 in 212 2/3 innings of work — plus 4 2/3 shutout frames in the 2018 postseason. He allowed six runs in 9 2/3 frames with the Red Sox prior to the swap, although nearly all of the damage against him came in one nightmare outing (four runs and zero outs recorded).

With the Phils, however, Hembree uncharacteristically yielded runs in eight of his 11 appearances on the mound, including a four-run drubbing in his final outing of the year. All told, he served up 13 runs on 17 hits — a staggering seven of which were home runs — and five walks with 10 strikeouts in just 9 1/3 innings. His struggles made him a clear non-tender candidate, and the Phillies opted to act early rather than prolong the decision.

Morgan, a 30-year-old lefty, was tagged for eight runs in 13 frames during an injury-shortened 2020 season. He broke into the Majors as a rotation hopeful with the Phillies, starting 36 games for the club from 2015-16, but struggled to find success in that role. Upon a full-time move to the ’pen in 2017, though, Morgan found a home as a regular member of the staff. From 2017-19, he tallied 133 2/3 frames with a 3.97 ERA and 4.08 FIP, averaging 9.6 strikeouts and 3.4 walks per nine innings pitched while also recording a solid 47.8 percent grounder rate.

The bullpen figures to be among the Phillies’ top priorities this winter — a new deal with J.T. Realmuto is surely their No. 1 goal — and moving on from Hembree and Morgan now gives them a bit more flexibility as they pursue those goals.

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Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Adam Morgan Heath Hembree

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Adam Morgan Undergoes Flexor Tendon Surgery

By Mark Polishuk | October 9, 2020 at 1:15pm CDT

Oct. 9: The Phillies announced that Morgan has undergone a flexor tendon repair procedure and will require six to nine months to recover.

Oct. 8: Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan is set to undergo surgery on his throwing elbow tomorrow.  Morgan’s wife Rachel revealed the news in a post on her Instagram past, and NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury added that the surgery will address a flexor pronator injury.  Salisbury estimates a six-to-eight month recovery time for Morgan, based on past timelines for other injured pitchers undergoing similar procedures.

This isn’t the first time that Morgan has dealt with such an injury, as injured list stints for both a forearm strain and a flexor strain limited Morgan to 29 2/3 innings pitched in 2019, and the latter flexor problem ended his season after July 31.  The southpaw did spend some time on the IL this season due to shoulder soreness, yet while Morgan’s elbow didn’t cause him to miss any time this season, there were some red flags.

Morgan averaged only 91.6 mph on his fastball in 2020, a drop from his 92.6mph velocity in 2019 and a further decline after topping the 94mph threshold in both 2017 and 2018 (his first two seasons as a full-time reliever).  In the small sample size of 13 innings, Morgan posted a 5.54 ERA, 11.1 K/9, and 2.67 K/BB rate this season.  He also had career-worst totals in BB/9 (4.15) and HR/9 (2.08), though ERA predictors were generally satisfied with his work — Morgan had a 4.04 xFIP and 3.81 SIERA, each significantly below his real-world ERA.

After being converted to relief pitching, Morgan delivered some solid results for the Phillies in 2017, 2018, and even in his injury-shortened 2019.  The lefty posted a 3.97 ERA, 9.6 K/9, and 2.84 K/BB rate over 133 2/3 innings over those three seasons.  If the Phils have confidence that this elbow surgery will help Morgan get back on track, they could have interest in retaining him given the club’s dire need for bullpen help.

Morgan earned $1.575MM this season and is line for only a modest raise in his third and final year of arbitration eligibility.  He wouldn’t represent a big investment for Philadelphia, but by the time the non-tender deadline rolls around in early December, the team might not yet know if Morgan’s recovery will be on the shorter end or longer end of that 6-to-8 month timeframe.  As such, Morgan might not be tendered a contract, though the Phils (or another team) could then explore signing him to a less-expensive deal.

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Philadelphia Phillies Adam Morgan

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Phillies Designate Neil Walker, Select Ronald Torreyes

By Steve Adams | September 11, 2020 at 1:58pm CDT

The Phillies announced Friday that they’ve designated veteran infielder Neil Walker for assignment and swapped him out for fellow veteran Ronald Torreyes, whose contract has been selected from their alternate training site. Additionally, southpaw Adam Morgan has been reinstated from the injured list, and righty Ramon Rosso is up as the 29th man for today’s twin bill.

Walker, who turned 35 yesterday, beat out a crowded field to secure a bench spot with the Phillies during Summer Camp. In addition to Torreyes, the Phils had Josh Harrison, Logan Forsythe, Phil Gosselin and T.J. Rivera on minor league deals. Walker and Gosselin won backup spots, but Walker struggled to a .231/.244/.308 slash through 18 games and 41 plate appearances prior to today’s move.

Obviously, Walker wasn’t a heavily used piece in Philadelphia, where top prospect Alec Bohm has impressed through his first 25 big league games at third base. With Jean Segura holding his own at second base and Rhys Hoskins raking at first, playing time has been hard to come by for Walker. The addition of Torreyes in his place will give the club another option to handle shortstop — one of the few positions that Walker has never played at the MLB level.

Although Walker didn’t hit much in his short time with Philly, he’s just a season removed from posting a solid .261/.344/.395 batting line in a utility role with the Marlins. And, of course, Walker was a consistently strong producer from 2010-17, when he hit a combined .273/.342/.439 in just shy of 4300 plate appearances between the Pirates, Mets and Brewers.

The 28-year-old Torreyes, meanwhile, will be reunited with former Yankees skipper Joe Girardi. Torreyes was a fan favorite with the Yanks from 2016-18 when he hit .281/.308/.374 through 221 games as an oft-used bench piece. He spent the 2019 season in the Twins organization but hit poorly in Triple-A and saw only a very brief look in the big leagues.

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Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Adam Morgan Neil Walker Ronald Torreyes

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Players Avoiding Arbitration: National League

By Steve Adams and Jeff Todd | January 10, 2020 at 5:24pm CDT

Entering the day, there were more than 150 players on the clock to exchange arbitration figures with their respective teams prior to a noon ET deadline. As one would expect, there’ll be an utter landslide of arbitration agreements in advance of that deadline. We already ran through some key facts and reminders on the arbitration process earlier this morning for those who are unfamiliar or simply need a refresher on one of MLB’s most complex idiosyncrasies, which will hopefully clear up many questions readers might have.

We’ll track the majority of the National League’s settlements in this post and are maintaining a separate one for American League settlements as well. Note that all projections referenced come courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz:

  • The Rockies have an agreement in place with righty Jon Gray, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post (via Twitter). It’s a $5.6MM deal, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link).
  • Outfielder Tommy Pham has struck a $7.9MM pact with the Padres, who acquired him at the outset of the offseason, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Other Friars striking deals, per an update from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, include Zach Davies ($5.25MM) and Matt Strahm ($1.4MM).
  • The Nationals announced that they’ve avoided arbitration with Trea Turner. It’s a $7.45MM agreement, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (via Twitter), right in range of the $7.5MM projection.
  • The Mets are in agreement with a laundry list of players. Right-handers Marcus Stroman ($12MM) and Noah Syndergaard ($9.7MM) were the top earners, per reports from MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter) and MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). Both come in close to their projected values of $11.8M and $9.9MM, respectively. The Mets also have a $5.1MM deal with reliever Edwin Diaz, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports (Twitter links). He entered the offseason projected at the $7.0MM level but will fall well shy of that. Despite an outstanding overall track record, Diaz’s platform season was a dud and obviously created some risk in a hearing for his side. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo will play for $2.175MM in his first season of arb eligibility, landing well over the $1.7MM that the model projected. Southpaw Steven Matz, meanwhile, lands a $5MM deal, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). That’s $300K shy of his projected amount. Relievers Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo will earn $1.225MM and $2MM, respectively, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter links). Slugger Michael Conforto will earn $8.0MM, per SNY.tv’s Andy Martino (via Twitter), which is notably south of the $9.2MM that we projected. And fellow outfielder Jake Marisnick checks in a just over 10% north of his projection at $3,312,500, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets.
  • Star reliever Kirby Yates receiveds a $7,062,500 salary from the Padres, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. He tops the $6.5MM that MLBTR projected by a solid margin, reflecting just how exceptional he was in 2019.
  • The Marlins will pay recently acquired infielder Jonathan Villar a $8.2MM salary, per MLB.com’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). That’s a far sight shy of the $10.4MM that the MLBTR system projected, perhaps reflecting a more difficult path to the bigger number through recent comparables. The club also had some added leverage here since Villar would likely not fare terribly well on the open market if cut loose at this stage or later. (Unless this is a guaranteed deal, Villar could still be jettisoned, with the club paying just a fraction of the settled amount.) The Fish also have also agreed to terms with lefty Adam Conley (for $1.525MM, per MLB Network Radio’s Craig Mish, via Twitter) and righty Jose Urena (for $3.75MM, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, on Twitter).
  • Righty Vince Velasquez will pitch for $3.6MM this year with the Phillies, per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philly (via Twitter). Fellow hurler Jose Alvarez will earn $2.95MM, per Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
  • The Rockies have an agreement with lefty Kyle Freeland, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). He’ll earn $2.875MM. Outfielder David Dahl takes home $2.475MM, Heyman adds on Twitter. The former had projected at $2.4MM and the latter at $3.0MM.
  • Pirates hurler Joe Musgrove will receive $2.8MM, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter links). Fellow righty Keone Kela will earn a reported $3.725MM. Both players had projected at $3.4MM, but land well to either side of that number. Infielder Adam Frazier also has a deal at $2.8MM, per Mackey (via Twitter).
  • Righty Anthony DeSclafani will earn $5.9MM from the Reds, according to Robert Murray (via Twitter). He had projected at $5.2MM. Backstop Curt Casali will earn $1.4625MM, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). And reliever Matt Bowman takes down $865K, Murray adds on Twitter.
  • The Dodgers have worked out a non-typical deal with righty Ross Stripling, Heyman tweets. He’ll get an up-front signing bonus of $1.5MM, which he’ll receive in the next week, and then earn $600K for the campaign to come. Stripling had projected to earn $2.3MM on the year.
  • Cardinals righty John Gant will earn $1.3MM after settling with the club. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first tweeted that a deal was in place, while Murray had the number on Twitter. That comes in just under his $1.4MM projection.

Earlier Settlements

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  • Rockies reliever Carlos Estevez has settled for a $1.08MM salary, Robert Murray reports on Twitter.
  • Dodgers lefty Julio Urias will earn $1MM, per Robert Murray (via Twitter).
  • The Brewers will pay catcher Omar Narvaez $2.725MM, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.com.
  • A pair of Nationals hurlers also have deals, Murray reports (Twitter links). Southpaw Roenis Elias takes down $1.975MM while righty Joe Ross will receive $1.5MM.
  • Pirates first baseman Josh Bell earns $4.8MM, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). That’s short of the projection, though Matt Swartz recently explained why he believed Bell would land closer to the $5MM level — as indeed he now has. Reliever Michael Feliz earns $1.1MM, Murray tweets, and the Bucs will pay starter Trevor Williams $2.825MM, per MLB.com’s Adam Berry (via Twitter).
  • The Diamondbacks have a $5.515MM settlement with corner infielder Jake Lamb, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. The Snakes will pay righty Andrew Chafin $3.045MM, Murray tweets.
  • The Padres will pay catcher Austin Hedges $3MM, Nightengale also tweets. Friars outfielder Manuel Margot earns $2.475MM, Robert Murray adds on Twitter. And righty Dinelson Lamet will earn $1.3MM, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter).
  • A pair of Braves position players have agreed to terms, per David O’Brien of The Athletic (Twitter links). Infielder Johan Camargo has settled for $1.7MM, while outfielder Adam Duvall receives $3.25MM. Southpaw Grant Dayton will earn $655K, Murray tweets, while fellow reliever Luke Jackson gets $1.825MM, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter).
  • Southpaw Adam Morgan takes home $1.575MM from the Phillies, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia tweets.
  • The Pirates and righty Chad Kuhl have settled on an $840K salary, tweets Adam Berry of MLB.com. Kuhl didn’t throw a pitch in 2019 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, leaving him with minimal leverage in talks. He falls quite a bit shy of the $1.4MM forecast by the MLBTR algorithm.
  • Right-hander Luis Perdomo and the Padres agreed to terms on a one-year deal, tweets Robert Murray. Few former Rule 5 picks like Perdomo make it all the way to arbitration, and he’ll be rewarded with a $950K salary that narrowly falls shy of his $1MM projection.
  • The Reds and right-hander/center fielder Michael Lorenzen agreed to a $3.725MM salary for 2020, tweets Bobby Nightengale Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. A Super Two player who’ll be eligible once more next winter, Lorenzen was projected at $4.2MM.
  • Right-hander Matt Andriese and the D-backs settled at $1.395MM for the upcoming season, tweets Robert Murray. That lines up nicely with his $1.4MM projection in his second year of eligibility. He’s controlled through 2021.
  • The Pirates and righty Jameson Taillon agreed to a $2.25MM salary for the upcoming season, tweets USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Taillon isn’t expected to pitch in 2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, so this is likely the amount he’ll earn both next season and in 2021. The deal is right in line with his $2.3MM projection.
  • The Diamondbacks and southpaw Robbie Ray settled at $9.43MM for his final season of club control, Nightengale tweets. It’s more than $1MM shy of the $10.8MM at which he’d been projected, which gives the Snakes a bit more flexibility but also makes Ray slightly more appealing should Arizona listen to offers on him.
  • The Braves agreed to one-year deals with shortstop Dansby Swanson and right-hander Mike Foltynewicz, Nightengale tweets. Swanson will be guaranteed $3.15MM, while Foltynewicz is in line to take home a $6.425MM salary. They’d been projected to earn $3.3MM and $7.5MM, respectively. Swanson is in his first year of eligibility, while Foltynewicz is in his second as a Super Two player.
  • The Mets and righty Robert Gsellman settled at $1.225MM for the 2020 season, tweets SNY’s Andy Martino. He’d been projected to earn $1.2MM in his first season of eligibility.
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Arizona Diamondbacks Atlanta Braves Cincinnati Reds Colorado Rockies Los Angeles Dodgers Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres St. Louis Cardinals Transactions Washington Nationals Adam Conley Adam Duvall Adam Frazier Adam Morgan Andrew Chafin Anthony DeSclafani Austin Hedges Brandon Nimmo Carlos Estevez Chad Kuhl Curt Casali Dansby Swanson David Dahl Dinelson Lamet Edwin Diaz Grant Dayton Jake Lamb Jake Marisnick Jameson Taillon Joe Musgrove Joe Ross Johan Camargo John Gant Jon Gray Jonathan Villar Jose Alvarez Jose Urena Josh Bell Julio Urias Keone Kela Kirby Yates Kyle Freeland Luis Perdomo Luke Jackson Manuel Margot Marcus Stroman Matt Andriese Matt Strahm Matthew Bowman Michael Conforto Michael Feliz Michael Lorenzen Mike Foltynewicz Noah Syndergaard Omar Narvaez Relievers Robbie Ray Robert Gsellman Roenis Elias Ross Stripling Seth Lugo Steven Matz Tommy Pham Trea Turner Trevor Williams Vincent Velasquez Zach Davies

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