Boone Logan

AL East Notes: Logan, Alvarez, Pineda, Blue Jays, Tobias

By Mark Polishuk | December 22, 2016 at 10:49am CDT

Here’s the latest from around the American League East…

The Orioles “have long coveted” Boone Logan, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko writes. Signing Logan would give Baltimore a more reliable lefty specialist-type of a relief option beyond Donnie Hart and T.J. McFarland, though Kubatko isn’t sure if the O’s would be able to afford Logan’s services. The Blue Jays, Mets, Yankees and Mariners have all been linked to Logan this winter, though the Mariners may have addressed with left-handed bullpen needs by signing Marc Rzepczynski.
Pedro Alvarez may be the Orioles free agent most likely to re-sign with the team, though as Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun notes, Alvarez’s return could create some roster complications. With Alvarez and Trey Mancini, the O’s would have two players best suited for DH duty, giving them less bench flexibility. Alvarez has indicated a willingness to learn to play outfield, though Encina isn’t sure if Alvarez will be able to defensively handle even a part-time outfield role. On the flip side, Alvarez does bring a lot of power from the left side and bringing him back could cost Baltimore much less than it would to re-sign Mark Trumbo.
The Yankees have fielded several buy-low offers for Michael Pineda this winter, ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand reports. Pineda posted a 4.82 ERA last season, a number somewhat inflated by a .339 BABIP and a 17% home run rate Pineda’s advanced metrics (3.80 FIP, 3.30 xFIP, 3.40 SIERA, 10.61 K/9, 3.91 K/BB rate) presented his season in a much better light, and his 175 2/3 innings pitched was a new career high for the injury-prone righty. Pineda will be a free agent after 2017, though rather than trade him, the Yankees are counting on Pineda to put it all together and help stabilize a rotation with several question marks.
The Blue Jays seem to be looking to solve their position player needs before returning to their search for left-handed relief, Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports. Logan, Jerry Blevins and Travis Wood are the most prominent southpaw relievers linked to the Jays this winter, though the team also isn’t settled in either corner outfield spot.
The Red Sox freed up some salary by dealing Clay Buchholz to the Phillies, but Boston also likes the prospect (Josh Tobias) they got in return, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes. Tobias, a 10th-round pick for the Phillies in 2015, was one of 10 names targeted by the Sox as they looked through Philadelphia’s system. Red Sox director of pro scouting Gus Quattlebaum describes Tobias as “having potential as a versatile, switch-hitting guy with make-up and a feel to hit. Whenever you can find someone who can hit, that guy is going to standout.“

Trade/Free Agent Rumors: Quintana, Jays, Trumbo, Breslow

By Steve Adams | December 19, 2016 at 2:03pm CDT

The Yankees have yet to add a starting pitcher to their rotation this winter, but MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets that they’re still interested White Sox ace Jose Quintana. As he points out, the Yankees certainly have a deep enough farm system to entice the Sox to part with their second front-of-the-rotation lefty of the offseason. However, Morosi doesn’t contextualize their interest, and it’s worth noting that Yankees GM Brian Cashman has said earlier this winter that he’s reached out to virtually every team at some point and is casting a wide net in attempting to improve his team. Along those lines, ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand writes that the Yankees have been extremely disinclined to part with young talent this winter, and he ultimately characterizes the chances of Quintana landing in New York as unlikely.

A few more notes on the trade and free-agent markets…

Morosi also tweets that in addition to Boone Logan and Jerry Blevins, the Blue Jays have interest in free-agent southpaw Travis Wood. Toronto has already been connected to both Logan and Blevins, but there hasn’t been much of a link between the Jays and Wood to this point. The Blue Jays have already lost Brett Cecil to the Cardinals this winter and have yet to replace him. Left-handed relief was arguably a need for the Jays even before Cecil departed, so they figure to be linked to a number of prominent southpaws as the offseason wears on. In Wood’s case, though, it’s worth wondering if he’d prefer to sign somewhere that gives him a chance to start. Wood spent the past couple of seasons in the Cubs’ bullpen, but he averaged 30 starts per year from 2012-14 and reached 200 innings in 2013. In a market that is thin on starters, giving Wood a chance to redefine himself as a rotation member holds plenty of merit for pitching-needy clubs.
Orioles GM Dan Duquette said on MLB Network’s High Heat today that he’s still interested in Mark Trumbo and there’s still a “window open” for the slugger to return to Baltimore (Twitter link via FanRag’s Jon Heyman). Baltimore reportedly pulled its four-year offer to Trumbo over the weekend, but it doesn’t seem that Duquette and his staff have completely abandoned the idea of Trumbo returning in 2017 (and beyond). Trumbo drilled an MLB-best 47 homers last season but also comes with some question marks surrounding his defense, and the fact that he rejected a qualifying offer means any team will have to forfeit a draft pick to sign him.
Left-hander Craig Breslow will throw for teams on Jan. 23 in Boston, reports Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald (Twitter links). The 36-year-old Breslow has been working out with Rich Hill this offseason and changed his arm angle, Drellich notes. Back in September, Breslow spoke to Drellich about how he planned to take an analytical look at his pitch selection this winter, exploring horizontal/vertical movement, spin rate and other factors and pair that knowledge with a lower arm slot in order to revive his career. Breslow has spent parts of 11 seasons in the Majors, but his last truly successful year came back in 2013 with the Red Sox (1.81 ERA in 59 2/3 innings).

New York Notes: Figueredo, Payrolls, Headley, Harvey

By Steve Adams | December 14, 2016 at 9:49pm CDT

George A. King III of the New York Post relays the tragic news that Yankees prospect Alexander Figueredo, a 20-year-old left-handed pitcher, was shot to death in his native Venezuela. Figueredo missed the 2016 season on the suspended/restricted list for unknown reasons, though the circumstances that led to his suspension seem wholly unimportant in the wake of King’s report. We at MLBTR would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, loved ones and teammates of Figueredo as well as the entire Yankees organization in light of the talented youngster’s untimely passing.

As we all keep Figueredo’s family and friends in our thoughts, a few items pertaining to New York’s two teams…

Both the Yankees and Mets are telling agents that they need to move some veteran pieces in trades before they can sign additional talent this winter, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Yankees have been fielding calls on both Chase Headley and Brett Gardner, while the Mets have been listening on Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson (with a strong preference to deal the former rather than the latter). The Mets and Yankees both have interest in relievers Boone Logan and Brad Ziegler, but neither is likely to head to the Big Apple barring a preceding trade of a notable veteran.
Trading Headley is likely more difficult for the Yankees than many realize, and not solely due to the remaining $26MM on his contract, writes Sherman in a second piece. While it’s true that Headley is a roughly average player earning $13MM annually, the Yankees are also short on MLB-ready replacements, Sherman notes. Ronald Torreyes is more of a utility option than a candidate to replace Headley as an everyday option. Trading for someone like Todd Frazier would fill the void, but only for one year, and Frazier comes with a similar salary plus the loss of minor league talent that would need to be sent to the White Sox. The free-agent market presents options like Luis Valbuena and Trevor Plouffe, which could leave the Yankees enough money to add a setup man in free agency, but each of those scenarios is contingent on multiple moves coming together, making it difficult to bank on them.
Mets right-hander Matt Harvey started up a throwing program last month and is progressing well in his recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, he tells Newsday’s Marc Carig. “That’s all gone,” Harvey said of the tingling and numbness he was experiencing in his fingertips due to the nerve issue near his shoulder that necessitated the operation. “My hand was really cold all the time. So, I’ve got some warmth back. No more tingling. And the ball’s really coming out really good right now, especially for December.” Harvey was brilliant in his 2015 return from Tommy John surgery, but TOS limited him to 92 2/3 innings in 2016. In that time, he logged a highly uncharacteristic 4.86 ERA with a diminished strikeout rate and increased walk rate. A healthy Harvey would go a long way toward helping the Mets back to the postseason for the third straight year, though he’s one of many arms that will enter 2017 with some injury question marks. Steven Matz had surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow and also battled shoulder problems this year, while Jacob deGrom underwent ulnar nerve surgery a few months back and Zack Wheeler never pitched in the Majors due to lingering problems in his recovery from 2015 Tommy John surgery.

Yankees, Mariners, Cubs Pursued Brett Cecil

By Jeff Todd | November 23, 2016 at 1:07pm CDT

The Yankees, Mariners, and Cubs were among the organizations that pursued free agent lefty Brett Cecil, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. Cecil ultimately struck a four-year, $30.5MM pact with the Cardinals.

Those three teams figure as plausible landing spots for other top southpaws. Indeed, per Sherman, the Yankees are looking to bolster their left-handed setup corps. One possibility, he says, is high-K southpaw Boone Logan, who played in New York before departing for the Rockies and is now again a free agent. Though the report doesn’t further address the situations in Seattle and Chicago, both organizations lack impact lefties in their otherwise solid bullpens and could sensibly pursue alternatives after missing on Cecil.

[RELATED: Yankees, Mariners & Cubs Depth Charts]

While the Yankees never made Cecil an offer, the team is said to have kept a close eye on him up until the Cards emerged with a significant contract. The team is still seriously interested in bringing back Aroldis Chapman, notes Sherman. Since Chapman would likely slot in as closer, it stands to reason that another lefty could still be added even if the fireballing star lands in New York.

All told, it seems there are several possible approaches in mind with regard to the Yankees’ bullpen. The ultimate moves could be impacted in some part, too, by whether the organization is able to land the high-profile bat that it reportedly seeks. Last we heard, New York was pushing for Carlos Beltran and dabbling in the markets for top sluggers Edwin Encarnacion and Yoenis Cespedes (see here and here) — all while still weighing a move for starter Rich Hill and other rotation pieces.

East Notes: Phillies, Nationals, Logan, Mets, Yankees

By charliewilmoth | November 12, 2016 at 9:28am CDT

The Phillies plan to use newly acquired Howie Kendrick as their left fielder, but they value his versatility, writes Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice. “[F]or a young roster, especially with us likely to add many young players to our 40-man roster, having a player on the 25-man who has the ability to play left field, first base, second base, third base, really does provide Pete [Mackanin] with a lot of flexibility from a game to game basis,” GM Matt Klentak says. Kendrick’s versatility should help the Phillies avoid blocking young players who would benefit from big-league time. Klentak adds that the Phillies are not looking to trade second baseman Cesar Hernandez. If they do, though, Lawrence notes that Kendrick could see time at second, with Freddy Galvis potentially moving to the position if and when J.P. Crawford is promoted to play shortstop. Here’s more from the East divisions.

It doesn’t sound like the Nationals will be able to spend as freely this winter as they have in the past, the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes reports. The issue is the team’s ongoing rights dispute with the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. “[The MASN money] affects us,” says Nats exec Mike Rizzo. “It’s something we’ve had to manage now for four offseasons. It’s something that needs to get rectified quickly.” Last year, the Nationals attempted to lure Yoenis Cespedes with a deal that included deferred money. This year, Rizzo says the Nats have interest in Cespedes again, although the terms of that interest seem a bit non-specific. “We’re looking to improve the club any way we can,” says Rizzo. “If it makes sense for us, he improves any team he plays on.” Rizzo adds that the Nationals would have to “make some maneuvers” to clear payroll space for Cespedes or another highly expensive free agent.
The Mets and Yankees both have interest in free agent lefty Boone Logan, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. The 32-year-old Logan is coming off a strong year in Colorado, posting a 3.69 ERA, 11.1 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 over 46 1/3 innings and holding lefties to a .139/.222/.255 line. As Sherman notes, the Mets stand to lose lefty Jerry Blevins to free agency, and the Yankees have traded lefties Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Justin Wilson over the past year. Logan, of course, left the Yankees via free agency in late 2013 after four solid years in New York.

Mariners Have Interest In Brett Cecil, Boone Logan

By Steve Adams | November 10, 2016 at 5:32pm CDT

The Mariners have expressed some early interest in free agent lefty Brett Cecil tweets Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, and the M’s are also likely to take a look at southpaw Boone Logan in free agency, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets. Morosi notes that the Mariners are “determined” to add a lefty reliever, although that much has been known for quite some time, as GM Jerry Dipoto has previously expressed his desire to add a left-handed reliever to the back of his bullpen.

Cecil, 30, registered an inflated 3.93 ERA in an injury-shortened season in 2016, but he was much better after returning from a strained left triceps than he was when pitching earlier in the year. And dating back to the 2013 campaign, Cecil has somewhat quietly been a stellar left-handed option for Toronto, pitching to a 2.90 ERA with 11.5 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 50.2 percent ground-ball rate. In that time, he’s held lefties to a feeble .215/.270/.310 slash but also suppressed opposing right-handers, who batted a mere .218/.306/.350 against Cecil in that four-year span. Cecil’s velocity was down a bit early in the season, but it bounced back as he further distanced himself from from the aforementioned DL stint. Overall, he averaged 92.2 mph on his heater this season.

Logan’s recent track record isn’t as strong as that of Cecil, but his 2016 campaign was arguably superior. The 32-year-old posted a 3.69 ERA with 11.1 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 49.2 percent ground-ball rate in 46 1/3 innings with the Rockies. However, Logan was limited to facing primarily lefties and used in more situational roles than was Cecil, as he faced 68 right-handers against 119 lefties. He’s probably best deployed as a specialist as opposed to a true setup option that would face both left- and right-handed hitters, although there’s no question that escaping a hitter-friendly park would be beneficial to him as well. Logan has spent all but one season of his career calling either U.S. Cellular Field, Yankee Stadium or Coors Field home (2009 with the Braves), so he could relish the chance to play in a more pitcher-friendly setting such as Seattle’s Safeco Field. He’s already been loosely connected to the Blue Jays and Giants this winter.

Other left-handed options available to the Mariners on the free agent market include the likes of Jerry Blevins and Mike Dunn, though it’s worth noting that a couple of the available names — Travis Wood and Clayton Richard — seem likely to market themselves as starting pitchers this winter. And, as Dipoto demonstrated in making 11 trades last offseason, he’s hardly shy about making deals with other clubs to augment his roster.

Free Agent Rumors: Hill, Dodgers, Napoli, Logan, Braves, Hwang

By Steve Adams | November 8, 2016 at 3:31pm CDT

There’s a flurry of offseason rumors flying about Twitter in the early stages of free agency and with the General Managers Meetings taking place in Arizona at the moment. Much of the talk is preliminary at this juncture, and many of the names connected to teams in the early-going won’t ultimately be targets in the long run. That said, the GM Meetings can certainly provide a forum to lay the groundwork for future free-agent deals and trades, and we even see the occasional big-name signing there (as was the case with Victor Martinez re-signing with the Tigers prior to the 2015 season). Here’s a rundown of all the latest free-agent chatter…

Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters that he plans to reach out to the representatives for free agent left-hander Rich Hill (Twitter link via NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty). Cashman stressed that he’s planning to meet with the reps for a large number of free agents, but the Yankees have been an oft-speculated landing spot for Hill, who seems likely to cash in on a significant free agent deal this winter less than 18 months removed from a stint pitching for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. MLBTR ranked Hill 14th among free agents and pegged him for a three-year, $50MM deal.
The Dodgers will also be in the mix for Hill, tweets Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times, and they’re having dialogue with his representatives as well as those for free agents Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner. The Dodgers already made qualifying offers to both Jansen and Turner, though it’s a no-brainer for each to reject in search of a more lucrative deal. It’d be somewhat of a surprise if the Dodgers let all three of their big-name free agents sign elsewhere this winter, although re-signing all three doesn’t seem to be an especially likely outcome, either.
Mike Napoli is drawing early interest from the Mariners, tweets Jon Morosi of the MLB Network. As Morosi points out, Napoli has a good history with Seattle manager Scott Servais dating back to his Rangers days. Napoli would be a logical fit for the M’s, who project to have the unproven Dan Vogelbach as their starting first baseman next year. However, the possibility of an eventual timeshare situation developing between the two may not be palatable from Napoli’s vantage point, I wouldn’t think. And it would seem strange for the Mariners to part with a controllable lefty like Mike Montgomery to acquire Vogelbach only to block him a few months later by giving Napoli the everyday first base gig.
Morosi also tweets that left-hander Boone Logan is generating some early interest, and FanRag’s Jon Heyman hears the same. Morosi notes that the Blue Jays and Giants both had interest in Logan at the non-waiver trade deadline this summer, though the Rockies elected not to trade him. Toronto, in particular, could probably use some left-handed relief help, as it was an area of weakness for them for much of the 2016 and they now stand to lose Brett Cecil to the open market. The 32-year-old Logan is probably best deployed as a lefty specialist, which may limit his market a bit, but he excels in that area. Logan held lefties to a putrid .142/.222/.255 slash in 2016 and a .225/.349/.254 slash in 2015.
MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes that if the Braves are to sign a new catcher this winter, the likeliest targets are Jason Castro and Nick Hundley. Bowman tabs Wilson Ramos as a long shot and says he’d only land in Atlanta if his asking price declined significantly. Also per Bowman, Atlanta has never seemed all that interested in pursuing former Georgia Tech star Matt Wieters. Castro would give the Braves another strong defender and a left-handed bat to complement the right-handed bat of Tyler Flowers. Hundley, meanwhile, would be more of an offensive-minded backstop for the Braves.
Korean third-baseman Jae-gyun Hwang will host a showcase for interested teams in Florida on Nov. 21, tweets Morosi. The 29-year-old didn’t draw a bid when posted last offseason but delivered another very strong season in the KBO this year. Hwang hit a career-best 27 homers and posted a .335/.394/.570 line with dramatically improved K/BB numbers in 2016 and could be a relatively low-cost option at the hot corner this winter.

NL West Notes: Kershaw, Blanco, Rockies

By Steve Adams | August 23, 2016 at 7:43pm CDT

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw tossed a 40-pitch bullpen session today and is slated to throw a 60-pitch simulated game against live hitters later this week, writes J.P. Hoornstra of the L.A. News Group. There was talk of Kershaw making a pair of rehab starts, manager Dave Roberts tells Hoornstra, but that number has been dropped to one. Kershaw could head out on a minor league rehab assignment in the next week or two, Hoornstra writes. Kershaw himself said that he felt comfortable between simulated innings — a positive step from where he was prior to his placement on the DL. Hoornstra’s piece includes a series of video clips of Kershaw discussing his health and rehab, for those who wish to hear a first-hand account of his progress.

Quick Hits: Rivera, Orioles, Lackey, Fernandez, Myers, Rays

By Mark Polishuk | August 14, 2016 at 11:10pm CDT

The Yankees unveiled a Monument Park plaque in Mariano Rivera’s honor, yet as Dave Dombrowski told reporters (including Fangraphs’ David Laurila) this weekend, Rivera could have become Florida Marlins property via the 1992 expansion draft. Dombrowski, then the Marlins GM, would’ve chosen Rivera if the Rockies hadn’t taken Yankees farmhand Brad Ausmus with the previous selection. Since the rules prevented a team from losing more than one player in an expansion draft, that took Rivera and any other unprotected Yankees off the board. Here’s some more news from around baseball as we wrap up the weekend…

With Darren O’Day back on the DL, BaltimoreBaseball.com’s Dan Connolly opines that the Orioles should try to acquire a veteran southpaw reliever to fill the void. Connolly reports that the O’s looked into the Rockies’ Boone Logan and the Padres’ Brad Hand and Ryan Buchter prior to the trade deadline, so it’s possible the Orioles could revisit those talks, though it will be much harder to complete a deal through August trade waivers.
John Lackey spoke last season of signing one more two-year contract and then retiring, though ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that the right-hander could continue past the 2017 season if the desire and ability is still there. Lackey is enjoying another solid season, and Olney notes that the veteran is actually posting a career high in fastball velocity at age 37 (though this velocity is a rather modest 91.8 mph, after six seasons in the 91.5-91.7 mph range). Lackey would be 39 on Opening Day 2018, so if he is still pitching well, I would suspect he’d explore another contract with a contending team. Staying with the Cubs may well be at the top of Lackey’s list given how the team seems to be entering a long-term contention window.
It’s no surprise that the big-market Cubs and Phillies are prepared to be big spenders in the coming years, though Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe notes that the traditionally low-payroll Marlins could also potentially become more open to big salaries. With a new local TV contract on the horizon, the revenue increase could make the Marlins more likely to re-sign Jose Fernandez, who has long been considered a good bet to leave Miami in free agency after the 2018 season.
As the Padres are about to begin a series with the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times revisits the three-team blockbuster between San Diego, Tampa and Washington in December 2014. Right now, the deal doesn’t look like a good one for the Rays — Steven Souza has yet to become a consistently productive player, while three of the players Tampa flipped in the deal (Wil Myers, Joe Ross and Trea Turner) are all enjoying success in 2016. It could be years, of course, before we can really judge the trade as a win or loss for any of the three clubs. Topkin also notes that Myers was the source of some clubhouse issues in Tampa Bay, so it’s possible he would never have had his breakout season without a change of scenery.

Relief Pitching Deadline Day Rumors

By Jeff Todd and Tim Dierkes | August 1, 2016 at 2:10pm CDT

The market for relievers is always moving on deadline day, as teams look to add pen pieces that will bolster their depth down the stretch. Fernando Abad is off the board, having been traded to the Red Sox today. We’ll keep tabs on the remaining relievers here:

The Orioles and Marlins are shopping for a low-end left-handed reliever, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman feels the Braves’ Hunter Cervenka could be one such candidate, while ESPN’s Jayson Stark names Cervenka as a last-minute target for the Fish.
Sherman also notes that the Rangers are among the teams looking at Braves righty Jim Johnson. The Braves have kicked around Johnson as well, tweets Marc Carig of Newsday, but nothing appears close.
While they are also pursuing larger targets, the Giants have perused the second tier of the relief market, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). While the top targets have perhaps mostly already been traded, San Francisco has scouted the Brewers’ strong group of relievers as well as increasingly valuable Rockies southpaw Boone Logan — though last we heard he may not be traded. Jeanmar Gomez of the Phillies is another name the Giants have checked, though he too isn’t sure to be dealt. And even as the Giants talk with the Rays on starter Matt Moore, the club has also watched right-handed swingman Erasmo Ramirez, per Crasnick.
The Astros are kicking around some left-handed reliever options, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter links). That’s arguably the team’s biggest area of need. Some of the names mentioned include Logan and Jake McGee of the Rockies and the Brewers’ Will Smith — all of whom are at or near the remaining market for relief southpaws. It’s not immediately clear whether any are real options at this stage, as Crasnick notes that nothing has “materialized” to this point.

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