AL Notes: Athletics, Astros, Rays
With Athletics executive vice president Billy Beane in his 20th year atop the team’s baseball department, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle takes an interesting look at his legacy. Beane’s best known as the subject of the 2003 book “Moneyball,” which has made the executive an iconic figure in business circles, Slusser writes. The author, Michael Lewis, told Slusser that Beane “made it cool to bring science into player evaluation, and because of that, every businessperson in America wants to meet him.” Lewis’ book followed the 2002 A’s, who won 103 games and were part of a run that included four straight playoff berths and eight consecutive seasons of at least 87 victories for the franchise. The low-payroll A’s haven’t been nearly that successful in recent years (they’ll finish well below .500 for the third season in a row in 2017), in part because of the trade that sent third baseman Josh Donaldson to Toronto in 2014. Beane offered an unenthusiastic review of the move to Slusser, saying: “In hindsight, that was certainly questionable — and I’m being kind to myself. There were a number of reasons why, and Josh was a good player who became a great player — but when you make as many transactions as we do, some are going to be good and some are not going to be good.”
While the Donaldson deal will likely go down as a misfire, Beane’s entire body of work has clearly earned him the respect of his peers across big league front offices, as Slusser details in a piece that’s worthy of a full read.
More from the American League:
- The Astros announced a series of front office changes on Friday, as Brian McTaggart of MLB.com details in full. The mutual parting between the team and assistant director of player personnel Quinton McCracken was among those moves. McCracken, who had been in the Astros’ front office since 2012 and even drew interest from Boston when it was looking for a GM in 2015, talked about his exit with Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle. “(With) the recent reconfiguration of the front office staff, we mutually agreed it was best for me to pursue other opportunities in the baseball community,” McCracken said. “It was a mutual agreement. My contract was due at the end of this cycle, and we decided that it just wasn’t a proper fit moving forward.” McCracken’s departure comes on the heels of the Astros firing eight scouts earlier this month.
- Signing infielder Danny Espinosa and optioning Daniel Robertson to the minors is the latest example of the Rays balancing the present and the future, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times observes. While Espinosa struggled mightily this season in stints with the Angels and Mariners, both of whom released him, the 23-year-old Robertson wasn’t exactly indispensable to the Rays’ lineup during his first 223 major league plate appearances (.211/.302/.340). But if the former top 100 prospect does develop into a quality big leaguer, Tampa Bay could end up controlling him for another year thanks in part to the Espinosa signing, Topkin points out. If Robertson stays in the minors for at least 20 days, he won’t accrue a year of service time this season, putting him on pace to become a free agent entering 2024 instead of 2023.
Rays Sign Danny Espinosa To Major League Deal
12:34pm: The Rays have now announced the signing. Fellow infielder Daniel Robertson was optioned to Durham to clear a roster spot.
12:30pm: It’s a Major League deal for Espinosa with the Rays. (SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo first tweeted as much.)
12:16pm: The Rays are adding veteran infielder Danny Espinosa, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter). Espinosa began the year with the Angels but was cut loose and latched on with the Mariners before being released there as well. Topkin doesn’t specify the type of transaction, though presumably it’s a minor league deal. Espinosa was placed on release waivers five days ago, so he’d already have cleared at this point. Espinosa is represented by MVP Sports.
It’s been a brutal year at the plate for Espinosa, 30, as he’s struggled to a career-worst .164/.237/.279 slash line through 271 plate appearances in the American League West. In his first taste of American League play, the longtime Nationals infielder saw his strikeout rate soar to 36.2 percent as his line-drive rate plummeted to a career-worst 12.9 percent. Espinosa’s hard-hit rate (32.2 percent) is still a bit higher than his career mark (31.1 percent), but the majority of those balls in play have apparently been of the fly-ball or ground-ball variety, as Espinosa checks in north of 41 percent in each regard (41.8% grounders, 45.7 percent flies).
For all of his warts at the plate in recent years, though, Espinosa has terrific career marks in both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating as a second baseman and as a shortstop. Neither DRS nor UZR was especially bullish on his work in 2017, grading him as a roughly average glove at second base, but the track record (and the bit of experience he has at the hot corner as well) likely appealed to a Rays club that traditionally places a high value on defensive prowess and versatility.
Whether Espinosa immediately joins the big league club remains to be seen. We’re just a week away from the point at which rosters can expand, so Tampa Bay could conceivably stash him at Triple-A Durham for the next seven days and then bring him aboard to add some bench depth and versatility for the final month of the year.
Mariners Place Danny Espinosa On Release Waivers
The Mariners have placed infielder Danny Espinosa on release waivers, according to a team announcement. Espinosa lasted less than a month with the Mariners, who signed him July 23. They recalled utilityman Taylor Motter from Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding move.
This is the second time this season a team has released Espinosa. The Angels, who acquired the 30-year-old in a trade with the Nationals over the winter, cut ties with him July 20. Espinosa batted a paltry .162/.237/.276 in 254 plate appearances as the Halos’ starting second baseman and turned in a similar line with the Mariners – .188/.235/.313 – albeit over just 17 PAs. He lined up at first, second, third and shortstop during his brief stay in Seattle.
The 2017 campaign has been disastrous for Espinosa, though he was a fairly solid middle infielder in Washington from 2010-16. Espinosa posted three different seasons of at least 2.0 fWAR during that 2,972-PA span, thanks largely to excellent defense, and contributed some pop (92 home runs) and baserunning value (60 steals and a 15.2 BsR, per FanGraphs). The switch-hitting Espinosa slugged a career-best 24 homers last season (with a less-than-stellar .209/.306/.378 line in 601 PAs, granted), but the Nats moved on from him and his $5.43MM salary after acquiring outfielder Adam Eaton in an early winter blockbuster trade with the White Sox and shifting Trea Turner from center to shortstop.
Mariners To Sign Danny Espinosa
The Mariners have agreed to a Major League deal with infielder Danny Espinosa, Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown reports (Twitter links).
[Updated Mariners depth chart at Roster Resource]
Espinosa was released earlier this week by the Angels, ending a brief and very disappointing stint for the 30-year-old in Los Angeles. Espinosa hit just .162/.237/.276 over 254 plate appearances for the Halos, posting the lowest wRC+ (40) of any hitter in baseball with at least 250 PA.
Espinosa also posted below-average hitting numbers last season, albeit with some pop, hitting 24 homers for the Nationals. If he can regain even his modest from last year, he can help a Mariners team that was known to in the market for infield depth, including some recent interest in the Mets’ Asdrubal Cabrera. Espinosa has flashed some good glovework at both second base and shortstop over his career and he has some brief (109 1/3 innings) experience at third base as well, so he could supplant struggling rookie Taylor Motter as Seattle’s chief utility infielder.
Angels Release Danny Espinosa
The Angels have announced that infielder Danny Espinosa has been released. He’ll hit the open market for the first time with the Halos set to pay the remainder of his $5.425MM salary.
Clearly, no other organizations were so motivated to add Espinosa that they struck a deal to get him while he was in limbo after being designated for assignment. And that’s not surprising, given the anemic .162/.237/.276 batting line he carries through 254 plate appearances on the year.
But Espinosa could still hold appeal. He has historically rated as a quality baserunner and up-the-middle defender. And while he’ll never hit for much average or reach base at a healthy clip, the bat has shown much more life in the recent past. The switch-hitter drove 24 home runs with a .169 isolated slugging mark last year, after all.
Angels Designate Danny Espinosa For Assignment
The Angels have designated second baseman Danny Espinosa for assignment, the team announced on Twitter. Right-hander Parker Bridwell was called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
[Updated Angels depth chart at Roster Resource]
Espinosa was acquired from the Nationals last offseason as a possible answer to their long-standing hole at second base, though 2017 has been a disastrous year for the 30-year-old. Espinosa has hit just .162/.237/.276 over 254 plate appearances for Los Angeles, owning both the lowest wRC+ (40) and the sixth-highest strikeout rate (35.8%) of any player with at least 250 PA this season. While his defensive numbers have still been solid-to-average depending on the metric (+3.4 UZR/150, zero Defensive Runs Saved), Espinosa’s offensive futility has made him a below-replacement level player.
While Espinosa has never been much of a hitter over his career, there were signs that he had turned a corner at the plate last season, hitting 24 homers and posting strong numbers against left-handed pitching. Between that offensive promise and his excellent defensive track record, the Angels thought they were obtaining good value for a second baseman, at Espinosa’s $5.425MM price tag after avoiding arbitration.
Now, unless another team works out a trade with the Angels or claims Espinosa on waivers, the Halos will be on the hook for the roughly $2MM remaining on Espinosa’s contract. The infielder is a free agent this winter and may be hard-pressed to find a guaranteed Major League deal, barring a turn-around with another team in the second half of the season.
Nick Franklin and Cliff Pennington will form a platoon at second base for the time being in Los Angeles, though the position is a clear target area for the Halos if they choose to be buyers at the trade deadline. The Angels just got Mike Trout back from the disabled list, though with a 45-49 record and a four-game deficit in the wild card hunt, they’ll need to get on track quickly to justify making a purchase before July 31. Not many teams are looking for second base help this summer, so the Angels could enjoy a wide berth in the market, and they’ve already been linked to one long-term asset in Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon.
Angels Avoid Arbitration With Espinosa, Calhoun, Richards, Shoemaker
JAN. 13: The Angels have avoided arb with right fielder Kole Calhoun and right-handers Garrett Richards and Matt Shoemaker, reports Heyman (all Twitter links). Calhoun will earn a $6.35MM salary in his second trip through arbitration as a Super Two player, while Richards will earn $6.85MM and Shoemaker will receive $3.325MM.
JAN. 12: The Angels have reached a deal with infielder Danny Espinosa to avoid arbitration, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). He’ll receive $5.425MM for the 2017 season.
That’s a slight bump over the $5.3MM that MLBTR and contributor Matt Swartz projected. Though Espinosa, 29, turned in a below-average overall offensive season last year, slashing .209/.306/.378, he did pop 24 home runs over his 601 plate appearances. That helped to drive a solid raise over Espinosa’s $2.875MM salary from 2016.
As he entered his final season of arb eligibility, Espinosa was dealt to the Halos from the Nationals — the only organization for which he has previously played. While it’s a fairly hefty salary for a player with his strikeout tallies, Espinosa is also regarded as a top-quality defender. That doesn’t pay in the arbitration process, but helps justify his earnings for the season to come.
Nationals Notes: Espinosa, Turner, Jansen, Strasburg
Speaking to reporters Sunday, Nationals president/general manager Mike Rizzo acknowledged that now-traded middle infielder Danny Espinosa would have been “frustrated” as a bench player. The executive downplayed the notion that sending Espinosa to the Angels on Saturday had anything to do with the 29-year-old’s reported discontent with a diminished role, however. According to Rizzo, he didn’t speak with either Espinosa or his agent after the team acquired outfielder Adam Eaton on Wednesday, and he added that the Espinosa deal had been in the works for a while. “I have no beef or problem with Danny Espinosa. Never have,” said Rizzo. “And I still consider him a good player that gave everything he had” (all Twitter links via Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post, Chelsea Janes of the Post and Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com).
Here’s more on the reigning NL East champions:
- Trea Turner‘s emergence as a rookie last season was one of the factors that ultimately made Espinosa expendable, but the up-and-coming star didn’t expect the veteran to go anywhere. “Little surprised, he was a big part of us last year,” Turner told Zuckerman. “But I think that’s direction we’re heading after Eaton trade.” Turner’s a natural shortstop, though he saw action there in just two of 75 games in 2016 because of Espinosa’s presence. The 23-year-old is now set to move back to his typical position next season after mostly working in center field (45 games) and at second base (28 games) in 2016. “I think that’s where I’m most comfortable,” Turner said regarding shortstop. “I look forward to proving that I can play there at a high level” (Twitter links).
- Washington is one of the teams in the race for the best pitcher remaining on the free agent market, closer Kenley Jansen, and Rizzo revealed Sunday that he and the longtime Dodger’s agent have stayed in touch throughout the offseason. Other options are under consideration, though, per Rizzo (Twitter link via Janes). Those options could perhaps include the White Sox’s David Robertson and the Rays’ Alex Colome – two closers whom the Nats have pursued via trade.
- Right-hander Stephen Strasburg slider/cutter was his second-most-used pitch in 2016 (he threw it 17.1 percent of the time), tweets Jamal Collier of MLB.com. However, Strasburg will rely less on the pitch going forward because he believes it put too much stress on his arm during an injury-shortened campaign, he said Sunday. Strasburg inked a seven-year, $175MM extension in May, but he subsequently landed on the disabled list multiple times – once because of elbow soreness in late August. He then returned from his elbow ailment for one start, a Sept. 7 outing in which tossed 2 1/3 innings, before missing the rest of the season with a flexor mass strain. Fortunately, Strasburg expects to be fine for 2017 (Twitter links via Janes and Zuckerman).
Angels Acquire Danny Espinosa
The Nationals have traded middle infielder Danny Espinosa to the Angels for minor league right-handers Austin Adams and Kyle McGowin, per an announcement from Washington.
[RELATED: Updated Nationals & Angels Depth Charts]
The Nats’ decision to move on from Espinosa came shortly after Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reported the 29-year-old’s displeasure with the club’s acquisition of outfielder Adam Eaton. In trading a haul to the White Sox for Eaton, the Nationals picked up a player who should be their long-term answer in center field, thereby sending Trea Turner to shortstop. With Daniel Murphy entrenched at second base, Espinosa would have had to take on a bench role in 2017 had Washington kept him.
Now on his way out of D.C., Espinosa will head back to his native California and join an Angels team that, prior to Saturday, was in dire need of a second baseman to pair with shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Before settling on Espinosa, the Angels made recent inquiries to the Padres, Cardinals and Phillies about their second base options. Espinosa will also reunite with a former teammate in third baseman Yunel Escobar, whom the Nationals traded to the Angels exactly one year ago.
A lifetime .226/.302/.388 hitter in 2,972 plate appearances, Espinosa is fresh off a season in which he slashed .209/.306/.378 with a career-best 24 home runs in 601 PAs. The majority of the switch-hitting Espinosa’s offensive success has come versus left-handed pitchers, against whom he has posted a .257/.327/.454 career line in 736 trips to the plate. But he has provided most of his value via the field, having amassed 25 Defensive Runs Saved and an Ultimate Zone Rating of 27.0 in 4,400-plus innings as a second baseman. With Espinosa and Simmons, one of the majors’ foremost defenders, the Angels should have an enviable double-play combination for at least next season. Espinosa will make an estimated $5.3MM through arbitration in 2017, his final year under team control.
Of the two pitchers the Halos sent to the Nationals, McGowin is the more notable. The 25-year-old ranked as the Angels’ 20th-best prospect, per MLBpipeline.com, which credits the 2013 fifth-round pick for his three-pitch mix and suggests that he has back-end starter upside. The 25-year-old hasn’t generated great results during his minor league career, though, and just finished a season in which he recorded a 6.11 ERA, 7.58 K/9 and 3.58 BB/9 over 116 1/3 innings in his first taste of Triple-A action.
Adams, also 25 (and not to be confused with the Indians righty), was impressive in relief for the Angels’ Double-A affiliate in Arkansas in 2016. Although he issued too many walks (5.28 per nine), the 2012 eighth-round pick offset that somewhat with a sky-high K/9 (13.28). All told, he registered a 3.05 ERA across 41 1/3 frames. In assessing Adams in 2015, former FanGraphs prospect analyst Kiley McDaniel complimented his above-average fastball and plus slider, though he also noted Adams’ lack of control.
Josh Norris of Baseball America was the first to report the trade and the two-prospect return (Twitter links). Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Danny Espinosa Unhappy With Nationals
On the heels of the Nationals’ acquisition of center fielder Adam Eaton, shortstop Danny Espinosa skipped the team’s annual Winterfest this weekend because he’s unhappy with his likely relegation to a bench role, a source told Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. With Eaton in the field, 2016 center fielder Trea Turner is set to take over at short next year, leaving Espinosa without an everyday spot.
The Nats do value Espinosa, evidenced by their unwillingness to non-tender him, but general manager Mike Rizzo didn’t rule out trading the 29-year-old even before the club landed Eaton.
“I could see him as utility player. I could see him as a player you could utilize in a trade context to get another piece that you need,” Rizzo said last month.
If Washington does shop Espinosa, it shouldn’t have difficulty finding a taker, tweets Chelsea Janes of the Post. Espinosa is reasonably priced – he’s due an estimated $5.3MM in his final arbitration year – and has combined for 4.0 fWAR since 2015. The switch-hitter batted a modest .209/.306/.378 in 601 plate appearances last season, but he did club a career-high 24 home runs.
While right-handed pitchers have confounded Espinosa, who has slashed just .216/.294/.367 in 1,967 career PAs against them, he has been useful versus southpaws with a .257/.327/.454 line in 736 trips to the plate. Most of Espinosa’s value, though, has come in the middle infield, where he has totaled 35 Defensive Runs Saved and a 31.9 Ultimate Zone Rating.
By moving Espinosa, the Nats would likely turn to the 24-year-old Wilmer Difo as their primary reserve behind Turner and second baseman Daniel Murphy. They also haven’t closed the door on re-signing free agent Stephen Drew, as FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweeted earlier this week.