Alex Cobb

Heyman’s Latest: Quintana, Lindor, Rays, Rangers, Coghlan, Nathan

By Jeff Todd and Steve Adams | March 30, 2017 at 10:35pm CDT

The Cardinals have shown at least some interest in White Sox lefty Jose Quintana, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, though he makes clear there’s no indication that Chicago is likely to strike a deal for the lefty before the start of the season. It seems that the Cards’ interest is something worth bearing in mind as the season progresses and their rotation needs come into focus, though certainly other teams will also continually monitor the asking price for Quintana. St. Louis, of course has already lost young Alex Reyes for the year due to Tommy John surgery and will reportedly place Trevor Rosenthal on the disabled list to open the season.

Heyman also has new notes columns on both the American League and National League, and here are a few highlights from those pieces…

Extension talks between the Indians and star shortstop Francisco Lindor do not appear to have gained much traction, per Heyman. There’s just not enough incentive for him to take a deal, Heyman suggests, due at least in part to the fact that Lindor has landed a significant marketing contract with New Balance. It’s also perhaps worth noting that Lindor received a $2.9MM signing bonus when he was drafted eighth overall back in 2011.
The Rays are still on the hunt for outfield help, though the addition of Peter Bourjos to the organization gives them one potential fourth outfield option. Heyman lists free agent Angel Pagan and the Cubs’ Matt Szczur as speculative fits, though the out-of-options Szczur made Chicago’s Opening Day roster, which seemingly lessens the chance of a trade. Heyman also notes that the Rays “came close” to locking up right-hander Alex Cobb on an extension on multiple occasions in the past, but the deal was never quite completed. Given Cobb’s arm troubles over the past two years, perhaps that’s somewhat of a dodged bullet for the Rays (though the 29-year-old is certainly a candidate to bounce back).
Rougned Odor’s representatives were prepping a counter-offer to the Rangers’ six-year, $49.5MM extension proposal when they were informed, firmly, that the $49.5MM sum was the team’s best and final offer, according to Heyman. Ultimately, the 22-year-old and his reps at the Beverly Hills Sports Council elected to take the deal, locking in the powerful young second baseman’s first massive payday. While there have been talks with another promising young Rangers talent, Nomar Mazara, Heyman adds that there’s “nothing substantive” between the two sides to this point.
Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill suggested he has high hopes in comments to Heyman. He says he believes the team’s rotation is “solid” and that its pen “is the best in the league, collectively.” While some may raise an eyebrow at that statement, given the lack of name value in the Marlins’ relief corps, the Fish do have a rather deep collection of bullpen arms. As it stands, A.J. Ramos, Kyle Barraclough, Brad Ziegler, Junichi Tazawa and David Phelps make a formidable one through five in that ’pen. Also of note is the fact that the Marlins are hopeful that injured third baseman Martin Prado, who suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain in the World Baseball Classic, will be back at some point in April. The team plans to use Derek Dietrich, who hit .279/.374/.425 in 412 plate appearances last year, in Prado’s absence.
It seems the Phillies would have carried veteran Chris Coghlan, except that he declined to sign a 45-day advance consent form. While not an oft-discussed clause, the 45-day advance consent allows a team to cut or option a healthy veteran — the clauses can only be offered to players with five or more years of service — for any reason within the first 45 days of the season. Former MLBTR scribe Zach Links (now the editor of our sister site, Pro Football Rumors) took a much deeper look at advance consent clauses back in 2014 after veteran left-hander Randy Wolf somewhat surprisingly requested his release from the Mariners when asked to agree to such a condition.
Veteran righty Joe Nathan is still looking to latch on elsewhere after being released by the Nationals earlier this week. The former All-Star was appreciative that the Nationals allowed him to pitch once more in a game even after that decision was made, as it allowed scouts from other clubs to see him in a game setting. The 42-year-old Nathan logged a 3.86 ERA with 15 hits, three walks and nine strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings this spring. That showing comes on the heels of 6 1/3 shutout frames between the Cubs and Giants last year as well as a 2.35 ERA in 15 1/3 minor league innings. Despite his age, Nathan is attempting to reestablish himself after undergoing Tommy John surgery as a 40-year-old in 2015.

Rays Notes: Cobb, Weeks, Whitley, Boxberger

By Mark Polishuk | March 18, 2017 at 9:25pm CDT

Some rumblings out of Tampa Bay…

Alex Cobb is drawing “potential interest” from the Cubs, Dodgers, and other teams as a trade target, The Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin writes. The determining factor, as Topkin notes, is how Cobb performs in his first full season back after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2015. The righty returned late last season to make five starts (and post an 8.59 ERA in 22 IP), and still drew some offseason trade buzz as teams likely were looking to buy low. The Cubs and Dodgers, of course, both have past connections to Cobb and the Rays in the form of Joe Maddon and Andrew Friedman. If Cobb returns to his 2012-14 form and Tampa is out of contention, he’ll be a prime trade chip at the deadline.
Cobb is entering his last year before free agency, and he tells Topkin that he is being realistic about the possibility that he’ll be dealt since the Rays rarely retain top players hitting the open market. “It’s just the way things unfold here. If you were a betting man, [a trade] probably would be the way to go,” Cobb said. The fact that 2017 could be his last year in a Rays uniform has been weighing on Cobb due to the “life-changing stuff” that has taken place over his 13 years with the franchise. “Then you go into the clubhouse and you see all the faces, people that I’ve seen since I was 18, that really have been your family since then….You think about it, and it’s sad. It’s sad that it’s a possibility I could no longer be around here,” Cobb said.
Rickie Weeks’ minor league deal with the Rays will pay him $1.5MM if he makes the big league roster, Topkin reports in another item, with $600K more available to the veteran in incentives. In that same piece, Topkin looks through some of the roster decisions facing the Rays during the spring, as the club’s choices are complicated by several out-of-options players. Nick Franklin, for instance, could lose his utility job to Daniel Robertson, or Erasmo Ramirez could be dealt to a team in need of starting depth.
Chase Whitley, who also underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2015, pitched four scoreless innings in Spring Training action on Saturday. Manager Kevin Cash told reporters, including Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times, that while Whitley is slated for a relief job, “we’re not ruling out him starting, either. It depends on how the numbers and how the injuries pan out, but right now, we saw last year what he can do coming out of the bullpen. There’s a lot of value to that.” The pen (specifically a long relief role) is still Whitley’s best bet to make the roster, and a spot could open up should Brad Boxberger start the year on the DL. Boxberger has been sidelined all spring with a bad back, but expects to pitch in a minor league game on Tuesday.

Cafardo’s Latest: Rays, Indians, Bautista, Arroyo, Hanigan

By Connor Byrne | January 21, 2017 at 5:23pm CDT

The Rays shipped starter Drew Smyly to the Mariners earlier this month, and they might not be done dealing veterans from their rotation, a major league source told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. It’s doubtful the Rays will trade either ace Chris Archer or Alex Cobb, whose value is down because he hasn’t reestablished it since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2015, observes Cafardo. That leaves right-hander Jake Odorizzi as a vet who could end up on the move. Odorizzi’s name has come up in rumors throughout the winter after a season in which he posted a 3.69 ERA with 7.96 K/9 against 2.59 BB/9 in a career-high 187 2/3 innings. The soon-to-be 27-year-old is under team control via arbitration through the 2019 campaign.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: American League

By Steve Adams | January 13, 2017 at 9:58pm CDT

The deadline for players and teams to exchange arbitration figures has come and gone, and there have been dozens of agreements broken throughout the league today. So many, in fact, that I’ve split the list up into a pair of league-specific posts to avoid having 100-something names in this list. You can see all the NL players here, and both of these will be updated as quickly as we’re able.

Many teams use the arbitration exchange as a hard deadline for negotiations on one-year deals — a “file and trial” approach which effectively means that once figures are exchanged, the only option they’ll pursue before a hearing is a multi-year deal. (The Mets and Orioles are both adopting that approach this year, and other teams to use that strategy in the past include Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Marlins, Rays, White Sox, Pirates, Reds and Nationals.)

The most significant arb agreements of the day have been snapped off into their own posts already. We’ll continue adding the smaller-scale agreements from the American League right here (all projections referenced are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, and all arbitration agreements and filings can be monitored in MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker)…

The Rangers have announced agreement on a deal to avoid arbitration with lefty Jake Diekman. With today’s deadline having passed, the sides did exchange figures — $3.1MM versus $1.9MM — but obviously were already nearing a number. The high-powered southpaw projected at $2.6MM, and will receive $2.55MM, per Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
The Mariners announced that they’ve avoided arb with all eight of their eligible players, which includes Jean Segura (reported last night), Danny Valencia, Jarrod Dyson, Leonys Martin, Drew Smyly, James Paxton, Evan Scribner, Nick Vincent. Numbers aren’t all in yet, but Valencia took home $5.55MM, per FanRag’s Robert Murray (on Twitter). Martin will earn $4.85MM, per Heyman. They were projected at $5.3MM and $6.3MM, respectively. Meanwhile, Dyson gets $2.8MM, Heyman tweets, which lands just over his $2.5MM projection. Smyly will receive $6.85MM — right at his $6.9MM projection — while Scribner gets $907,500, per MLB.com’s Greg Johns (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Paxton will land at $2.35MM and Vincent will receive $1.325MM, per Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune (via Twitter), both of which fall shy of their respective projections ($2.7MM and $1.5MM).
Catcher Martin Maldonado will receive $1.725MM from the Angels, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (via Twitter). That’s just over his $1.6MM projection.
The Tigers announced that they settled with third baseman Nick Castellanos. He projected at $2.8MM, but will receive $3MM, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter).
Jeremy Jeffress and Jurickson Profar have each avoided arbitration with the Rangers, per Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegarm (via Twitter). Jeffress receives $2.1MM, while Profar will receive $1.005MM. Also of note, the Jeffress deal includes incentives that can add up to $250K in incentives, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). He’ll get $50K apiece upon reaching 55, 60, 65, and 70 innings. He had projected for a $2.9MM salary, but his legal issues late last year certainly dented his bargaining power.
The Athletics have avoided arbitration with catcher/DH Stephen Vogt, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports on Twitter. Vogt will receive $2.965MM, falling shy of his $3.7MM projection. Oakland has also reached agreement with starter Sonny Gray for $3.575MM, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter), which is just shy of his $3.7MM projection. Also, reliever Liam Hendriks has agreed to terms, per John Hickey of the Mercury News. He’ll get $1.1MM, per Heyman (via Twitter).
Righty Adam Warren will get $2.29MM from the Yankees, per Baseball America’s Josh Norris (via Twitter). That’s just a shade under his $2.3MM projection. New York also announced deals with shortstop outfielder Aaron Hicks and lefty Tommy Layne, among other players whose arrangements were previously reported. Layne receives $1.075MM, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (via Twitter).
The Orioles have avoided arbitration with second baseman Jonathan Schoop, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter links). He’ll receive $3.475MM, just over his projection of $3.4MM.
Adding to their previously reported deals, the Red Sox have announced agreement with all but two of their arb-eligible players. Salaries were reported by MLB.com’s Ian Browne for the players avoiding arb: shortstop Xander Bogaerts gets $4.5MM ($5.7MM projection), utilityman Brock Holt receives $1.95MM ($1.7MM projection), righty Joe Kelly will earn $2.8MM ($2.6MM projection), catcher Sandy Leon takes home $1.3MM (the same as his projection), lefty Robbie Ross gets $1.825MM (just $25K over his projection), and new righty Tyler Thornburg will earn $2.05MM (just under his $2.2MM projection).
Two moreplayers have avoided arbitration with the White Sox, per Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago (via Twitter). Among those not previously reported, starter Miguel Gonzalez gets $5.9MM and reliever Zach Putnam receives $1.175MM. That clearly indicates that Gonzalez and the Sox utilized his prior-years’ arb starting points, rather than his much lower earnings with the team last year. Putnam, meanwhile, had projected for $975K.

Earlier Updates

Twins setup man Ryan Pressly will earn $1.175MM in his first trip through the arb process, Crasnick tweets. That’s a shade better than the $1.1MM projection for Pressly, who has three years of club control remaining.
Danny Salazar and Bryan Shaw have both settled on one-year deals with the Indians, per Heyman (Twitter links). Salazar will receive $3.4MM in his first trip through the arb process, which checks in $400K below his $3.8MM projection. Meanwhile, Shaw’s $4.6MM salary (via Heyman) lands within $100K of his $4.5MM projection. As a Super Two player, Salazar still has four years of control remaining, whereas Shaw will be a free agent next winter. Lonnie Chisenhall, meanwhile, will earn $4.3MM according to MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian (on Twitter). That’s $200K more than his projection.
George Springer and the Astros avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $3.9MM, reports Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Springer has four years left until he can be a free agent and will be arb-eligible three more times due to his status as a Super Two player. That $3.9MM figure checks in a ways south of his $4.7MM projection.
The Rays have now announced that they’ve avoided arbitration with all of their arb-eligible players except Jake Odorizzi. That means that in addition to Beckham, Kiermaier, Dickerson and Cedeno (all noted below), they’ve avoided arb with Alex Cobb, Erasmo Ramirez, Brad Boxberger, Danny Farquhar and Brad Miller. Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter) that Cobb gets $4.2MM, Farquhar gets $900K and Miller gets $3.575MM. Heyman tweets that Ramirez gets $3.125MM and adds on Twitter that Boxberger settled at $1.6MM. Cobb slightly topped his projection by $200K, while Farquhar fell short by the same margin and Miller fell $225K shy of his $3.8MM figure. Ramirez also came up short of his $3.5MM projection. Cobb is a free agent next winter while Miller and Ramirez are controllable for another three seasons and Farquhar can be controlled for four.
The Tigers avoided arb with both Jose Iglesias and Bruce Rondon, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). Also, Heyman tweets that Justin Wilson settled at $2.7MM. Iglesias’ $4.1MM salary clears his $3.2MM projection by a wide margin. He has one more offseason of arbitration remaining before he can hit free agency following the 2018 campaign. Rondon, meanwhile, comes in at $800K, which is $100K shy of his $900K projection. He’s still controllable for another three years and will be arb-eligible twice more. Wilson, meanwhile, checked in exactly in line with his $2.7MM projection and is controlled through 2018.
The Rangers announced that they’ve avoided arb with Tanner Scheppers and Robinson Chirinos. Slated to be the backup catcher in 2017, Chirinos will earn $1.95MM according to the Star-Telegram’s Jeff Wilson (Twitter link). That falls just shy of his $2.1MM projection. Wilson adds that Scheppers will earn $975K — a bit lighter than his $1.1MM projection. Both are controlled through 2018.
Brandon Kintzler and the Twins agreed to a $2.925MM deal, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Kintzler parlayed a minor league deal into a run as Minnesota’s closer following a Glen Perkins injury. He did considerably better than his $2.2MM projection after logging a 3.15 ERA and 17 saves with 5.8 K/9 against 1.3 BB/9 in 54 1/3 innings. Kintzler is a free agent next winter.
A.J. Griffin has agreed to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration, the Rangers announced. Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram tweets that Griffin will earn $2MM on the new pact. Griffin, 28, signed a minor league deal last winter and made the club after coming back from Tommy John surgery with the A’s. He logged a 5.07 ERA in 119 innings and could be either the team’s fifth starter or a swingman, depending on how the rest of the offseason and Spring Training play out. He can be controlled through 2018.
Aaron Loup and the Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with a one-year, $1.125MM deal, tweets Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. Loup lands just under his $1.2MM projection and earns a $100K raise after pitching to a 5.02 ERA in just 14 1/3 innings of work. The Jays can control him through the 2018 season.
Corey Dickerson agreed to a $3.025MM salary with the Rays, tweets Heyman, which is $350K south of his $3.4MM projection. Dickerson is controllable through the 2019 season.
Austin Romine and the Yankees settled at $805K for the 2017 season, Heyman tweets, which is $95K less than the $900K projection. He’ll be their primary backup catcher and is controllable through 2019.
The Rangers announced that right-hander Sam Dyson agreed to a one-year deal, and Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets that he received a $3.52MM contract. Dyson, who emerged as the closer in Texas this season, falls shy of his $3.9MM projection but still lands a nice payday for a first-year reliever that has achieved Super Two status. He saved 38 games with a 2.43 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 70 innings and is controllable through 2020.
The Yankees and Didi Gregorius agreed to a $5.1MM salary that is an exact match with Swartz’s projection, tweets Heyman. The 2016 season was Gregorius’ best at the big league level, as he hit .276/.304/.447 with a career-high 20 homers. He lands a nice raise over last year’s $2.425MM salary and can be controlled through 2019 via arbitration.
Kevin Kiermaier and the Rays have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $2.975MM deal for 2017, tweets Heyman. Kiermaier is fresh off his second Gold Glove season and is considered one of the game’s premier defenders, but he also had a nice season at the plate. In 414 plate appearances, the 26-year-old hit .246/.331/.410 with 12 homers and 21 steals. Kiermaier crushed his $2.1MM projection after sneaking into arbitration eligiblity by exactly one day of service time. He’ll be arb-eligible thrice more before hitting the open market following the 2020 season.
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Tigers and righty Alex Wilson avoided arb by agreeing to a one-year, $1.175MM deal. Wilson was projected to earn $1.2MM, so his deal falls right in line with that figure. The 28-year-old posted his second straight season of at least 70 innings with a sub-3.00 ERA in 2016. He can be controlled through the 2019 season and is arb-eligible twice more.
The Twins and right-hander Kyle Gibson settled on a one-year deal worth $2.9MM, tweets Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The former first-rounder had a solid season in 2015 but struggled to a 5.07 ERA with 6.4 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 in an injury-shortened 2016 campaign (147 1/3 innings). He falls a ways shy of his $3.5MM projection from Swartz. Gibson will remain under Twins control through 2019 and is arbitration-eligible twice more.
Center fielder Jake Marisnick and the Astros have agreed to a $1.1MM deal, tweets Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle. Marisnick, a defensive wizard, batted just .209/.257/.331 last season but has an inside track at the fourth outfield role in Houston due to his outstanding glovework. His salary lines up exactly with his $1.1MM projection, and he’ll be arbitration-eligible three more times as a Super Two player.
The Rays and infielder Tim Beckham agreed to an $885K salary for the 2017 season, tweets Heyman. The former No. 1 overall pick hit .247/.300/.434 with five home runs in 215 plate appearances for Tampa Bay last year. He seemed to fall out of favor with the organization late in the year and didn’t receive a September call-up after being demoted to Triple-A. However, he looks to be back in the fold for the 2017 campaign. Beckham is controllable through 2020.
The Red Sox and center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $3.6MM, tweets Crasnick. Bradley, 27 in April, enjoyed far and away his best big league season in 2016, hitting .267/.349/.486 with 26 home runs, nine steals and brilliant defense. He topped his $3.3MM projection by $300K and will be arbitration-eligible three more times as a Super Two player before hitting free agency upon completion of the 2020 season.
The Indians and right-hander Zach McAllister have settled at one year and $1.825MM, tweets Heyman. The 29-year-old righty earned a $525K raise over last year’s $1.3MM salary and topped his projection of $1.7MM by $125K. McAllister tossed 52 1/3 innings out of the Cleveland ’pen last season, logging a 3.44 ERA, 9.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 to go along with seven holds. He’ll be arb-eligible one last time next winter and a free agent after 2018.
Lefty reliever Xavier Cedeno and the Rays have agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.3MM, tweets Heyman. That tops his projection of $1.2MM by $100K. Cedeno, 30, logged a 3.70 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 41 1/3 innings this past season and chipped in 19 holds as well. He’s arb-eligible twice more and can be a free agent after the 2019 season.
Heyman also tweets that Tigers infielder Andrew Romine has agreed to a $1.3MM deal for the 2017 season. He was projected to earn $1.2MM, so he topped that sum by a $100K margin. The 31-year-old utilityman appeared at every position except catcher and pitcher for Detroit in 2016, hitting .236/.304/.322 with a pair of homers in 194 plate appearances across 109 games. His salary represents a $400K raise from last year’s $900K mark, and he’ll be arb-eligible again next winter before qualifying for free agency after the 2018 season.

Rays Discussing Several Free Agent Hitters

By Connor Byrne | December 17, 2016 at 10:18pm CDT

Newly promoted Rays general manager Erik Neander isn’t ruling out a rebuild “if the interest and market dictates,” he told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. But, on the heels of a 68-win campaign, it seems Neander is more focused on immediately returning the Rays to relevance.

“There’s a certain belief that we have in the core of our team, that it’s not out of the question that we can compete deep into the season,” Neander said.

As Topkin previously reported, it’s unlikely the Rays will subtract their best starter, Chris Archer, from that core. But they continue to discuss left-hander Drew Smyly with other teams, and right-hander Alex Cobb is also a candidate to end up elsewhere via trade. Dealing one of those two would leave the Rays with a still-capable group that would also consist of Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Blake Snell and perhaps Matt Andriese. They’re mulling adding free agent starter Nathan Eovaldi to the mix, but he underwent Tommy John surgery in August and wouldn’t become a factor until 2018.

[RELATED: Rays Depth Chart]

In order to complement what should be a respectable 2017 starting staff, the Rays are considering outside help for their bullpen and lineup, per Topkin. Specifically, the team would like to add an adept defensive outfielder and a first base/designated hitter type to its collection of position players. With the latter need in mind, Tampa Bay has discussed such left-handed free agent hitters as Pedro Alvarez, Ryan Howard, Brandon Moss, Luis Valbuena and 2016 Ray Logan Morrison. If they opt for a right-handed batter, which could make more sense given that first baseman Brad Miller and DH Nick Franklin struggle against left-handed pitchers, 2016 National League home run co-champion Chris Carter and Billy Butler are on their radar.

However, of greater intrigue than securing any of the aforementioned names is the possibility of signing Jose Bautista. While he seems like a longshot pickup for the low-payroll Rays, they could be in position to pounce on the Tampa Bay-area resident if his market doesn’t develop as hoped this offseason. Plus, because the Rays finished in the bottom 10 of the standings last season, they wouldn’t have to give up a first-round selection to sign Bautista, who rejected the Blue Jays’ qualifying offer. The Rays would instead surrender their competitive balance pick (currently No. 31 overall) in next year’s draft to ink the longtime AL East rival.

Regardless of whether they’re able to reel in Bautista, it does seem the Rays are aiming to compete next year. Last season’s subpar record notwithstanding, the club has a bevy of quality players in the fold, and free agent signing Wilson Ramos should further help matters if the catcher is able to return from a torn ACL in early 2017.

Trade/FA Rumblings: Rays, Indians, Pirates, Ortiz

By Connor Byrne | December 11, 2016 at 2:08pm CDT

The Rays want “massive returns” for their on-the-block starting pitchers – which, in Chris Archer’s case, could mean more than the White Sox received from Boston for Chris Sale – reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Archer, 28, hasn’t been as effective as Sale, though he does come with five controllable years at a combined $38.5MM (Sale has three years of control at $38MM). Given their asking price, odds are that the Rays won’t trade Archer, writes Topkin, who adds that fellow right-hander Jake Odorizzi is also unlikely to go anywhere. Tampa Bay isn’t as attached to Drew Smyly, Alex Cobb or Erasmo Ramirez, meaning any of the three could end up on the move in the right deal.

Now for the latest on a few players who aren’t under contract for 2017:

The Indians weren’t able to reach an agreement to re-sign free agent first baseman/designated hitter Mike Napoli when they met Monday, but the two sides continue to maintain dialogue, team president Chris Antonetti told MLB Network Radio on Sunday (Twitter link). Cleveland is also in touch with other first base/DH types, though Antonetti didn’t specify which players are on the club’s radar. Reports over the past week have linked free agents Edwin Encarnacion, Mark Trumbo, Chris Carter and Adam Lind to the Tribe.
The Pirates “are still engaged” with free agent right-hander Ivan Nova’s camp, general manager Neal Huntington said Sunday (Twitter link via Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). There hasn’t been much chatter of late regarding Nova, who joined the Pirates in an Aug. 1 trade with the Yankees and subsequently posted a 3.06 ERA, 7.29 K/9 and .42 BB/9 in 64 2/3 innings to boost his stock entering free agency. The soon-to-be 30-year-old is arguably the best starter remaining in a thin class that has lost Rich Hill, Jeremy Hellickson and Bartolo Colon, among others, over the past few weeks.
The idea of former Red Sox DH David Ortiz postponing his retirement is mostly wishful thinking, it seems. Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald informed MLB Network Radio on Sunday that Ortiz’s mind is made up there’s “zero chance” barring an unexpected change of heart from the 41-year-old Ortiz (Twitter link). Ortiz has already filed his retirement paperwork, Drellich points out, and the process of reversing course is both cumbersome and uncommon.

AL East Notes: Sox, Rays, Erasmo, Bautista, Iannetta, Cashman, Orioles

By Mark Polishuk | December 7, 2016 at 1:16am CDT

Today’s acquisition of Tyler Thornburg from the Brewers will end Boston’s foray into the relief market for the winter, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters (including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe). Most notably, this would seem to end any chance of the Sox re-signing Koji Uehara or Brad Ziegler. Thornburg will join closer Craig Kimbrel, Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, Robbie Ross, Fernando Abad and (when he is healthy) Carson Smith in the Sox bullpen, plus with Chris Sale now in the rotation, Clay Buchholz, Drew Pomeranz or even Eduardo Rodriguez could now be bullpen options. Pomeranz or Rodriguez would help add some left-handed depth to the pen, as Abad struggled mightly after coming to the Sox last season. Here’s more from around the AL East…

With Sale off the board, the Rays’ starting pitchers could become even hotter trade commodities, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Some of the teams connected to the Rays’ pitching in trade talks already this winter (such as the Nationals, Astros and Braves) were also suitors to land Sale from the White Sox. The Rays have received more interest in Drew Smyly and Alex Cobb than Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi since the latter two come at much higher asking prices.
Erasmo Ramirez has also drawn some interest, Topkin reports. The former starter-turned-workhorse reliever for the Rays in 2016 posted a 3.77 ERA, 52.5% grounder rate and 6.25 K/9 over 90 2/3 innings, with 63 of Ramirez’s 64 games coming out of the bullpen. MLBTR projects Ramirez to earn a $3.5MM salary through arbitration next season, which could be a bit pricey for Tampa’s liking.
The Blue Jays’ talks with Jose Bautista’s representatives today didn’t appear to bring much progress towards a reunion, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports. Bautista’s market seems rather unclear at this point, with some wondering if a more creative contract (such as front-loaded deal with a player opt-out clause after the first year) could be in store for the veteran slugger.
The Blue Jays also spoke with catcher Chris Iannetta’s representatives today, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link). The Mariners declined their $4.25MM club option on the veteran catcher following a season that saw Iannetta hit .210/.303/.329 over 338 PA, eventually ceding regular duty to Mike Zunino in Seattle. The Jays are in need of a backup catcher for Russell Martin after parting ways with Josh Thole and Dioner Navarro testing the open market.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn’t expect to add a starting pitcher at the Winter Meetings, telling reporters (including George A. King III of the New York Post) that “it’s a tough market and the price tags are extremely high. We could play on a lot of things because we have a lot of prospects people desire and we desire them, too. I would say it’s less likely for us to acquire a starter.”
The Orioles have had success in landing qualifying offer free agents late in the winter, and Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun writes that this strategy could benefit the team again this offseason. Edwin Encarnacion’s eventual deal will bring some clarity to the market for big bats, though there is still enough uncertainty around the likes of Mark Trumbo and Ian Desmond (not to mention other non-QO free agents) that the Orioles could find some quality hitting at a relatively low price come January or February.

Trade Rumors: Straily, Reds, McCutchen, Rays, Twins, Wilson, Davis

By Steve Adams | December 6, 2016 at 11:27am CDT

The Rangers were rumored yesterday to have interest in Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that Texas also asked the Reds about right-hander Dan Straily. Nothing is close on either front, he notes, but Straily would give Texas a controllable option for the back-end of the rotation. A waiver claim by the Reds last spring, Straily had a nice season in the Cincinnati rotation, tossing a career-high 191 1/3 innings with a 3.76 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9. However, Straily also posted just a 32 percent ground-ball rate and was very homer-prone, yielding an average of 1.5 big flies per nine innings pitch, which could give interested parties some pause.

A few more notes on the trade market…

Rosenthal also notes in the above-linked tweet that the Reds are trying to move both Brandon Phillips and Zack Cozart in separate deals. Moving one or both would allow the Reds to open some playing time for younger middle infield options like Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera, each of whom has been acquired via trade in the past calendar year. Phillips has full no-trade protection but has been said this winter to be more open to waiving that protection than he was in recent years. Cozart has been linked to the Mariners on multiple occasions and would give any team an affordable one-year stopgap at shortstop that can provide premium offense and a bit of pop before hitting free agency next winter.
Giants GM Bobby Evans tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that he checked in with the Pirates on Andrew McCutchen, but Evans didn’t imply that there was anything more than due diligence behind the call. “When you invest heavily in your rotation and you invest heavily in your bullpen and you invest heavily in your first baseman, your shortstop, your catcher, your right fielder, your center fielder, at some point, you need your farm system to raise up,” Evans tells Shea. “…Ultimately, you can’t lose sight of the fact your farm system is there for a reason. Successful organizations give their farm systems a chance to produce, and some of that production doesn’t get realized until it’s at the big-league level.” The Pirates’ reported asking price for McCutchen has been lofty, and based on Evans’ comments, it doesn’t seem that San Francisco would be interested in gutting its minor league ranks to insert McCutchen into its lineup.
The Rays are “almost certain” to deal a starting pitcher, tweets Yahoo’s Jeff Passan, and interest in right-hander Alex Cobb and left-hander Drew Smyly has been “strong,” Passan hears. ESPN’s Buster Olney, meanwhile, spoke to an exec who called Tampa Bay’s asking price on Chris Archer “beyond prohibitive,” prompting Olney to call Cobb and Smyly considerably likelier candidates to be traded (Insider subscription required and recommended). As Passan further notes, the Rays don’t necessarily feel like the return on Archer right now will be drastically superior to the return for Archer two years from now (when he still has three years of control remaining), so there’s little urgency to deal him unless they’re bowled over.
The Twins are seeking controllable starting pitching in all of their trade talks, tweets Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Minnesota has reportedly received a number of inquiries on slugging second baseman Brian Dozier, and other logical trade candidates on their roster (in my view) include right-hander Ervin Santana and reliever Brandon Kintzler. Dozier is controlled through 2018 for a total of $15MM, while Santana is guaranteed $28MM through 2018 and has a club option for the 2019 campaign as well. Kintzler quietly had a rebound season in the Minnesota ’pen last year and can be a free agent next winter.
Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets that the Rangers asked the Tigers about southpaw Justin Wilson, though he characterizes the scenario as a long shot. Wilson, though, would give the Rangers a couple of years of control over a quality southpaw reliever and give the team flexibility to make further roster alterations.
The Mets inquired wih the Royals about closer Wade Davis, reports SNY’s Andy Martino (on Twitter), but he also notes that it’s hard to see the two sides lining up on a deal given the fact that Davis will command a $10MM salary next season and would also require the Mets to surrender with upper-echelon prospects. Were Davis controlled for multiple years, perhaps it’d be more appealing to the Mets, but the Kansas City relief ace is set to hit the open market next winter.

Agency News: Stewart, Cobb, Howard, Montero

By Connor Byrne | December 6, 2016 at 4:24am CDT

Former Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart has returned to his family-run agency – Sports Management Partners – which he’ll operate with his wife, Lonnie Murray, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). Stewart previously represented Matt Kemp and Chris Carter, among others, but he had to leave the business when the D-backs hired him in 2014. The fact that Murray remained with the agency while Stewart served as a GM led to conflict-of-interest questions, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic detailed last March.

Now for a few updates on notable agency changes that have happened this week:

One year before he’s scheduled to hit the open market, Rays right-hander Alex Cobb has switched agencies from ACES to Beverly Hills Sports Council, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Cobb was a high-end starter from 2013-14, but he missed all of 2015 thanks to Tommy John surgery and posted ugly results in his return last season. Over an admittedly small sample size (22 innings), the 29-year-old logged an 8.59 ERA to go with 6.55 K/9 – his lowest since 2011. It’s possible Cobb will spend his platform season in a different uniform, as the Rangers have expressed interest in acquiring him.
Free agent first baseman Ryan Howard has departed CAA Sports for Excel Sports Management, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag (via Twitter). Regardless of his representation, the longtime Phillie will have difficulty securing a decent deal this offseason as part of a market laden with first base/designated hitter types, Heyman contends. Howard won the National League MVP award in 2006 and scored a five-year, $125MM extension in 2010, but his output declined significantly after he inked that deal. To the left-handed slugger’s credit, he is coming off a 25-home run season, though that accompanied a subpar .196/.257/.453 batting line in 362 plate appearances. Unsurprisingly, the Phillies bought the 37-year-old Howard out for $10MM last month instead of keeping him for $23MM in 2017.
Cubs catcher Miguel Montero has left Octagon for Rep 1 Baseball, per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN (Twitter link). Next season is the last one left on the five-year, $60MM extension Montero signed with the Diamondbacks in 2012. He’s set to make $14MM in 2017 as the backup to Willson Contreras. Montero is coming off perhaps the worst offensive campaign of his career, having hit just .216/.327/.357 in 284 PAs, though his strong defensive reputation remains. Both Baseball Prospectus and StatCorner gave his pitch-framing work rave reviews.

MLBTR’s Agency Database contains representation information on more than 2,500 Major League and Minor League players. If you see any errors or omissions, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Rangers Notes: Daniels, Inciarte, Cobb, Tolleson, Hoying

By Mark Polishuk | December 5, 2016 at 7:17pm CDT

The Rangers have already created some buzz today at the Winter Meetings, and now here’s more out of Texas…

It is “unlikely” that the Rangers will sign a “big ticket” free agent, GM Jon Daniels told reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News). Texas has been linked to the likes of Edwin Encarnacion, Ian Desmond, Mark Trumbo and other notable free agent names this winter, and the team has notable question marks at first base, center field and DH. If free agency isn’t as likely an option for the Rangers, they could continue to pursue trades. To that end…
The Rangers asked the Braves about Ender Inciarte but talks “went nowhere,” Evan Grant tweets. Inciarte has drawn trade chatter ever since the Braves acquired him as part of the Shelby Miller trade with the D’Backs last offseason, but it is clear Atlanta regards the defensive standout as a building block in center field.
Also from Grant in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link), the Rangers don’t have interest in dealing Rougned Odor or Nomar Mazara. It would’ve been rather surprising to see Texas trade either young cornerstone player, though the Rangers have been linked to some big names in trade talks (i.e. Chris Sale) that would require a major return.
Alex Cobb’s name has been discussed between the Rays and Rangers, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (via Twitter). The Rangers have targeted such Tampa pitchers as Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi and Drew Smyly in the past, though Cobb would theoretically come at a lower price tag. He is only under control through the 2017 season and he missed all of 2015 and most of 2016 due to Tommy John surgery.
The Rangers are in ongoing talks with Shawn Tolleson about a reunion, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reports (Twitter link), as the club wants to bring the former closer back on a minor league deal. Tolleson elected to become a free agent after a very rough 2016 season that saw him lose his closing job in Texas, spend time on the 60-day DL with a back injury and ultimately get outrighted off the Rangers’ 40-man roster. The season was a stark contrast to 2014-15, when Tolleson posted very good numbers out of the Texas bullpen.
Similarly, the Rangers are talking to outfielder Jared Hoying about a reunion, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Hoying, who made his big league debut last season, was non-tendered by the Rangers earlier this week.

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