Freddy Galvis

Pirates Notes: Galvis, Gonzalez, Payroll, Free Agency, Taillon

By Connor Byrne | January 26, 2019 at 9:00pm CDT

The latest out of Pittsburgh…

The Pirates have been connected to free-agent shortstop Freddy Galvis this winter, though general manager Neal Huntington suggested Saturday that a deal between the two sides won’t come together. “We feel like we got a young Freddy Galvis. His name is Erik Gonzalez,” said Huntington, who added the Pirates are optimistic Gonzalez and fellow middle infielder Kevin Newman will “be as good if not better than what Freddy Galvis or any of the others who are out there right now or any of the players we can get in a trade right now” (via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). The 27-year-old Gonzalez didn’t provide much at the plate in Cleveland from 2016-18, but Pittsburgh was excited to acquire him in November, and he’s now the favorite to serve as its Opening Day shortstop. Pirates scouts were “beating the table” to get Gonzalez, who they believe will be “’above average. Dynamic. Very good. More range than anybody you’ve had at short maybe some you have managed,'” manager Clint Hurdle said.
Gonzalez is one of a slew of cheap players for the budget-conscious Bucs, who are poised to enter the season with an outlay under $75MM, Jason Martinez of Roster Resource estimates. Huntington defended the Pirates’ low-payroll ways Saturday, telling Adamski, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and others that they’ve succeeded in the past in spite of their financial disadvantages and adding: “Spending gives you a larger margin for error and what GM wouldn’t want a larger margin for error?” It does not guarantee you anything other than you spent money. The upgrade is not guaranteed.” And though the Pirates haven’t closed the door on making further additions on the open market, where they’ve picked up Lonnie Chisenhall, Jordan Lyles and Jung Ho Kang this winter, Huntington seemingly isn’t a big fan of taking that route. Free agency’s a “losing game,” according to Huntington. “When you sign a free agent, you have automatically outbid everybody else to get him 95, 99 percent of the time. You have theoretically overpaid to get that free agent.”
Pittsburgh is far from the only team eschewing sizable free-agent contracts this offseason, which Pirates right-hander and union representative Jameson Taillon spoke about Saturday. Taillon’s fellow players are “pretty riled up and pretty upset” about the current state of affairs, revealed Taillon, who was present for the union’s recent board meetings, Brink reports. While Taillon conceded that players are hard to sympathize with because many are earning millions of dollars, he pointed out that “the owners are making money too, and they’re making way more than we are.” The players, mindful of that fact, may be more inclined to go to arbitration rather than accept what often end up as team-friendly extensions during their arb-eligible years, Taillon contended. Taillon’s words are the latest indication that the players and owners could be in for an ugly labor war when the collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, 2021.

NL Rumors: Realmuto, Braves, Bucs, Galvis, Padres, Pirela, Nats

By Connor Byrne | December 15, 2018 at 7:05pm CDT

Here’s the latest from the National League:

Not only are the Braves one of the teams still in the hunt to acquire Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto, but they’re “slight” favorites as of now, Craig Mish of SiriusXM tweets. Braves third base prospect Austin Riley’s “on the table” in talks, Mish adds. The 21-year-old Riley – MLB.com’s 43rd-ranked prospect – got his first taste of Triple-A action in 2018 and batted a terrific .282/.346/.464 in 324 plate appearances, though he also struck out in nearly 30 percent of trips. Riley is blocked at third in Atlanta, at least temporarily, by the recently signed Josh Donaldson and 2018 starter Johan Camargo.
The Pirates have “big interest” in free-agent shortstop Freddy Galvis, according to George A. King III of the New York Post. In Pittsburgh, the switch-hitting 29-year-old would take over for Jordy Mercer, who signed with the Tigers earlier this week. Joining the Pirates would also mean a return to Pennsylvania for Galvis, a Phillie from 2012-17 who spent last season in San Diego. Across 3,096 major plate appearances, Galvis has batted .248/.299/.380 with 65 home runs, including 13 in 2018.
Once the Padres’ signing of Ian Kinsler becomes official, they’re “likely” to designate infielder/outfielder Jose Pirela for assignment, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports. Even if the Padres don’t designate Pirela, he’s not long for their roster, Cassavell suggests. The 29-year-old Pirela, a member of the San Diego organization since it acquired him from the Yankees in 2015, racked up 817 PAs at the major league level from 2017-18 and managed a respectable .265/.320/.405 line with 15 home runs and 10 stolen bases.
While free-agent second baseman DJ LeMahieu has been on the Nationals’ radar, they’re “more likely” to look for a cheaper infielder, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post, who lists Brian Dozier, Josh Harrison and Jed Lowrie as speculative fits. Although, in MLBTR’s estimation, Lowrie will easily land the richest contract of that quartet this offseason.

New York Notes: Yanks’ Infield, Gray, Kluber, Bauer, Mets

By Connor Byrne and Jeff Todd | December 13, 2018 at 6:15pm CDT

With shortstop Didi Gregorius set to miss a large chunk of next season, the Yankees are reportedly in the market for the best infielder available, free agent Manny Machado. But in the event the team loses out on Machado, general manager Brian Cashman is casting a wide net in his search for infield help. “I’ve talked to [agent] Danny Lozano about Manny, I’ve talked to the agents for Freddy Galvis. I’ve talked to everybody, from high end to low end,” Cashman said (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). “This marketplace is deep on second basemen. I have a shortstop that we’re playing at second in Gleyber Torres, so how does this play out?” As Cashman implied, the Yankees could easily slide Torres to short to cover for Gregorius’ loss. In doing so, they’d perhaps be able to add one of the many veteran second basemen available in free agency, though no one from that group would move the needle nearly as much as Machado.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Ramos, Rox, Smoak, Desmond, Pads, Profar

By Connor Byrne and Jeff Todd | December 13, 2018 at 5:47pm CDT

The Dodgers reached out to free agent backstop Wilson Ramos with interest, per Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). It seems, though, that the Dodgers are angling for a one-year pact, while Ramos is still seeking a multi-year contract. A single-year deal for Ramos appears unrealistic, given that he’s one of the two best catchers on the market – along with Dodgers free agent Yasmani Grandal – and is coming off an excellent offensive season. MLBTR predicts Ramos, 31, will receive a three-year, $36MM guarantee, which should put him out of the Dodgers’ reported range. Either way, with Austin Barnes as the only catcher who has significant major league experience on its roster, LA seems likely to add a backstop sometime this offseason. The club is reportedly among those still in the hunt for Marlins star J.T. Realmuto.

Market Notes: Yankees, Padres, Gray, Athletics, Cards

By Jeff Todd | November 9, 2018 at 10:14pm CDT

With the GM Meetings now wrapped up, the stage is set for the offseason action to get underway. Of course, we’re still waiting for some significant dominoes to fall … and everyone involved is no doubt curious to see how this year’s market will develop after the 2017-18 dud. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports cites some warning signs on spending levels; readers interested in the higher-level picture will want to give his reasoning a look.

While we wait for some hard data points to be set down, the just-completed meetings left quite a few rumors. We’ve covered many over the past several days; here are a few more worthy of note:

Though the Yankees seem unsettled at first base, Jon Heyman of Fancred reports that they haven’t reached out to the Diamondbacks on slugger Paul Goldschmidt. The potential rental slugger, one of the game’s steadiest offensive producers, is reportedly on the trading block. While the Yankees got stunning production from Luke Voit over a brief stretch late last year, and still have Greg Bird on hand, it wouldn’t be surprising if they sought to add a bigger piece.
Unsurprisingly, the Bronx organization seems fixated first on pitching. Beyond its free agent targets, the club is looking into the biggest possible names on the trade market. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets that the Yanks have opened a line of communication with the Mariners on James Paxton. And the New York delegation to the GM Meetings met with their peers from the Indians, per Jon Heyman of Fancred (via Twitter), with Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco both covered in conversation. It obviously isn’t at all surprising to hear that the Yankees have checked in on these distinguished hurlers, but it’s nevertheless a notable bit of information as the market continues to develop.
There are quite a few possibilities for the Padres, writes Dennis Lin of The Athletic (subscription link), as the organization is feeling a need to show some real strides in the win-loss department. We’ve heard chatter recently about the desire for a young starter and the series of potential trade pieces, but Lin’s most interesting notes seem to focus on the left side of the infield. Manny Machado is not seen internally as a realistic target, with Freddy Galvis still under consideration at short. If the team really wants to push things forward, though, Galvis or another veteran may only warm the seat up for top prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. At third, Josh Donaldson does not appear to be the first name on the club’s list of targets. Rather, says Lin, the current plan is to seek a new third baseman via trade.
So, where have the Padres set their sights for a third baseman? There aren’t many obviously available options that would figure to represent everyday pieces. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported recently, though, that the Pads are interested in pursuing Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who recently posted a big campaign on the heels of what now looks to be quite a team-friendly extension. Given the Cincinnati organization’s inclination to begin pushing toward contention, that seems like a tough deal to swing for Padres GM A.J. Preller.
Acee also tabs the Padres as a suitor for Yankees righty Sonny Gray, who’s being openly marketed. Whether Gray would be seen as fulfilling the club’s rotation needs, or rather serving as a potential complement to a more significant addition, isn’t clear. There are other teams with interest in Gray, of course. Per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, at least five organizations have inquired, and it wouldn’t be surprising to hear of more. Among those contemplating a move is Gray’s former employer. The Athletics evidently think their former staff ace could bounce back in Oakland, per Jon Heyman of Fancred. Of course, it remains to be seen how much the A’s will be willing to stake on a turnaround. Meanwhile, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand hears that at least five teams have inquired with the Yankees on Gray’s availability — the A’s presumably among them. Gray is projected to top $9MM in arbitration earnings this winter, but he thrived away from Yankee Stadium last season and had plenty of encouraging secondary metrics beyond his rudimentary ERA.
We’ve heard recently that the Cardinals intend to explore the relief market, with one southpaw on the team’s priority list. Accordingly, it’s no surprise to hear that the club is among the many teams to show early interest in veteran lefty Andrew Miller, as MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweets. Miller is drawing interest after getting some good news on his knee, so there’ll be no shortage of competition. At this point, it’s entirely unclear where he’ll end up.

NL Notes: Phillies, Cubs, Marlins

By TC Zencka | October 30, 2018 at 12:02pm CDT

The Phillies have done a good job of avoiding toxic contracts, but they also don’t have much in the way of homegrown stars in the upper levels of the minors, Matt Gelb of the Athletic notes. It seems obvious, then, that the route to improve this offseason is the free agent market, and they have been one of the teams with assumed interest in free agency’s biggest fishes, to wit, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. That said, owner John Middleton once balked at a perceived lack of on-field hustle from former Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis, which would seem at odds with a willingness to go all-in on Machado, given his growing reputation. Generational talents or not, it’s Middleton’s money, and it’ll ultimately be his decision whether or not Machado and Harper are worth the long-term investment.

Regardless of what happens with Machado and Harper, the Phillies do not appear inclined to overreach in the secondary market, per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, specifically as it pertains to their outfield, where in-house options Nick Williams, Odubel Herrera, Roman Quinn, and Aaron Altherr are comparable-to and cheaper-than the middle class of talent available in free agency. GM Matt Klentak also says the Phillies are unlikely to explore the starting pitching market, despite potential interest in upgrading in that area. They are hypothetically interested in a left-handed starter, but Patrick Corbin, the top name on the market, figures to command more money than the Phillies are willing to spend on him.
Cole Hamels is open to signing an extension with the Cubs, or at least that’s the impression 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine came away with after speaking with his agent, John Boggs. The Cubs have until Thursday to decide whether to pick up Hamels’ $20MM option for the 2019 season or let the Texas Rangers pay his $6MM buyout. His impressive turnaround with the Cubs (12 starts, 2.36 ERA, 3.59 xFIP) leads many to believe the team option will be exercised, but nothing official has come down from Chicago yet. If the Cubs do pick up the option, they could begin negotiating an extension as early as Friday with the soon-to-be 35-year-old lefty. In theory, the Cubs could decline their option and negotiate a new contract with Hamels from there. This is unlikely, however, as the Rangers would be on the hook for the $6MM buyout, and they’d have grounds to file a grievance in that circumstance. However it happens, we should know by Thursday if Hamels will play his 2019 home games at Wrigley Field.
The Marlins are open to being active in free agency this offseason, albeit for moderately-priced, low-risk veterans, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. With six arbitration cases and only three hefty contracts on the books, the Marlins are better positioned than in recent seasons to bring in some reinforcements from the outside to help build culture and mentor their younger players. One of those arbitration cases, last year’s Opening Day starter Jose Urena, has been rumored to be available via trade, but according to Frisaro he is much more likely to be the Opening Day starter in Miami for the second consecutive season.

A.J. Preller On Padres’ Offseason Plans

By Mark Polishuk | September 30, 2018 at 7:44pm CDT

Padres general manager A.J. Preller spoke to reporters (including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune and AJ Cassavell of MLB.com) today, prior to his team’s final game of what ended up as a 66-96 campaign. Here are some of the most pertinent items of Preller’s chat, in regards to what his front office has ahead for the coming offseason…

The Padres have yet to post a winning record in Preller’s four full years as GM, and haven’t had a winning season of any sort since 2010. After another year of rebuilding and focusing on young talent, however, Preller believes the team can take a step forward competition-wise in 2019. “[We’re] starting to climb out of this point where it’s a development mindset, where we’re at the bottom part of the standings….From our standpoint next year we’re going to look to start to compete. You’ve got to get over .500 to do that,” Preller said.
After last winter’s surprising signing of Eric Hosmer, San Diego could again pursue some of the bigger-name free agents in this year’s market, or (as they did at the trade deadline) look to acquire controllable starting pitching. “I think we start with: Never say no to anything,” Preller said. “It’s not like anything is off-limits. We’re open to every possibility, every situation.” In regards to potential trades, the GM noted that “In the last 12 months, any established players that have been put on the trade market, we’ve been part of those discussions. We’ve had other teams reaching out to us, wanting to tap into some of the resources we have in our system. I think that’ll be no different this offseason. We’ll evaluate the guys we have in our system, versus what we’re able to.”
While San Diego could dip into its vaunted prospect depth to swing a trade or two this offseason, it would seemingly be surprising if the club dealt any of its top blue-chippers for the sake of immediate improvement. As Preller noted, his goal is to build a long-term contender: “Every decision we make is built toward a plan. What we’re not going to do is short-circuit that. The last few years, we’re building, really, to get away from the mindset of being average.”
The Padres have approximately $51.4MM in guaranteed salaries committed to the 2019 payroll, with Preller saying “I feel like we’re going to have some financial flexibility because a lot of the players are younger players. We understand we’re at that point from a plan standpoint where we’re going to have to supplement from the outside – be it the free agent or trade route. We’ll look to do that in the next few months.”
The bulk of next year’s payroll expenditures are due to the salaries of Hosmer and Wil Myers, and Cassavell thinks it possible that the Padres could try to move Myers due to the former first baseman’s position crunch. Franmil Reyes and Hunter Renfroe have earned more playing time in the corner outfield spots in 2019, leaving Myers perhaps at third base (where he struggled defensively, albeit in a small sample size) or maybe in a super-utility role at both corner infield and outfield spots. Of course, Cassavell also believes that Reyes or Renfroe could be traded to address the crowed corner outfield situation, and obviously either of those two younger players would be easier to deal given that Myers is owed at least $64MM through the 2022 season.
Preller said that the team hadn’t yet decided on Myers’ role for next season, though Myers will be informed early so he can properly prepare heading into Spring Training. For his part, Myers believes that “with an offseason, I will absolutely be able to play third base.”
Freddy Galvis could also be a factor at third base, as Preller expressed an interest in re-signing the veteran. Galvis hit .248/.299/.380 over 656 PA while appearing in all 162 games, appearing as a shortstop in all but five of those contests. Galvis hasn’t played the hot corner since 2014, but he’d have to shift into a utility role if he returns to San Diego, as the team plans to give more infield time to its top young players next year.

NL West Rumors: D-Backs, Pence, CarGo, Galvis

By Jeff Todd | September 28, 2018 at 11:08am CDT

Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic breaks down the tough choices facing the Diamondbacks this winter. Taking another crack at contention would mean filling several needs. It’d also come with some clear risks. As Piecoro well explains: “For years, the Diamondbacks have had just enough talent to want to keep pushing forward, but not enough to seriously contend for a World Series. And, it seems, each time they’ve tried to load up, they’ve only set themselves back further from a possible championship.” It’s a really interesting initial look at the complicated situation, including some takes from rival executives from around the game.

Quick Hits: Padres, Galvis, Rangers, DeShields, Trade Deadline, Tigers

By Connor Byrne and Mark Polishuk | August 12, 2018 at 8:38pm CDT

Padres shortstop Freddy Galvis is on track to reach free agency in the offseason, but that may not happen if the team has its druthers. San Diego has “serious interest” in re-signing Galvis, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports. However, considering the Padres have an excellent shortstop prospect in 19-year-old Fernando Tatis Jr. – who has held his own at the Double-A level this season – it doesn’t seem Galvis is destined to be their long-term starter at the position. Acquired from the Phillies last winter for young right-hander Enyel De Los Santos, the 28-year-old, switch-hitting Galvis has amassed 477 plate appearances in 2018 and batted an unimpressive .237/.296/.355 (79 wRC+) with eight home runs, also drawing mixed reviews in the field (seven Defensive Runs Saved, minus-2.2 Ultimate Zone Rating).

More notes from around the game…

Rangers center fielder Delino DeShields may be running out of time to show he’s capable of holding down the position in Texas, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News observes. DeShields, now 25, joined the Rangers in the 2014 Rule 5 draft and subsequently performed well as a rookie in 2015, only to flop in 2016. While DeShields returned to being a decent contributor in 2017, the speedster’s now in the throes of a forgettable season in which he has hit a lackluster .208/.310/.279 (63 wRC+), endured a short minor league demotion and taken multiple trips to the disabled list. Meanwhile, the Rangers like fellow center fielders Drew Robinson and Carlos Tocci, and they have good prospects at the position, notes Grant – who writes they’re “determined” to retain Tocci for the long haul. Like DeShields, Tocci hooked on with the Rangers as a Rule 5 pick. The soon-to-be 23-year-old Tocci has been in way over his head at the plate during his initial MLB action this season, though.
“There’s a movement within baseball” to extend the non-waiver trade deadline from July 31 to mid-August, and eliminate the August waiver period, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. “The way it is now is just futile. If you’re a good team, you constantly get blocked for players that could be useful to you,” one NL official tells Cafardo. From a league standpoint, eliminating the trade waiver process would also cut down on a lot of paperwork and red tape. It isn’t clear if there is sentiment from both the owners and the MLBPA to change the August trading process, as such mutual agreement would be required for the deadline to be extended.
Veteran reliever Zach McAllister chose to sign with the Tigers earlier this week not only because of the on-field opportunity they presented, but because they were “aggressive” in pursuing him, the righty tells Max Bultman of The Athletic (subscription required). Even though McAllister’s not under control past this season, the fact that Detroit put forth such an effort to add him suggests it could be open to retaining him beyond 2018, Bultman notes. In the meantime, McAllister, 30, will use the rest of the season to try to rebuild his once-solid stock after struggling this year with the Indians. If the hard-throwing McAllister succeeds and puts himself back on other teams’ radars heading into the winter, his tenure with the rebuilding Tigers could go down as a short-lived union.

Trade Chatter: Jones, Kela, Beltre, A’s, Gibson, Phillies

By Steve Adams | July 27, 2018 at 10:31am CDT

The Orioles haven’t yet approached Adam Jones about the possibility of waiving his no-trade clause, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. That doesn’t mean that the Orioles won’t be moving him, however, and Crasnick echoes previous reports in writing that both the Phillies and Indians have some degree of interest in Jones, who’d likely play right field for either club. Per Crasnick, there are some in the industry who feel Jones would want an extension in order to waive his full no-trade protection — Jones has 10-and-5 rights — though there’s been no firm indication of that from Jones’ camp, it seems.

Meanwhile, Jones himself chatted with MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski about the possibility of being moved, calling reported interest from other teams “humbling” and “flattering.” The longtime Baltimore center fielder, though, says he has not yet discussed the possibility of approving a trade away from the Orioles with his family. “If the scenario is right, I want to win, I want play ball,” says Jones. “You look at these kind of scenarios and what is the best fit for you. When all the information comes and we get more information, I’ll be able to make a better decision based on the information.”

More trade chatter from around the league…

With Cole Hamels on his way to the Cubs, pending medical reviews, the next player the Rangers move could be closer Keone Kela, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Per Passan, clubs that have spoken to Texas about Kela “get a sense they’re getting close to something.” The Pirates have been the team most prominently linked to Kela in recent days, though a hard-throwing, 25-year-old reliever who can be controlled affordably through the 2021 season clearly won’t have any shortage of interested parties. Kela might be the Rangers’ best trade chip, given that remaining club control, although that control also lessens the Rangers’ sense of urgency in finding a trade partner.
Sticking with the Rangers, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reports that the Braves have emerged as somewhat of a longshot suitor for third baseman Adrian Beltre. Atlanta wouldn’t be looking to supplant Johan Camargo at third base, but Beltre would share some time at the hot corner with the much younger Camargo while deepening the Atlanta bench and providing some leadership on a youthful club. Beltre has the ability to veto any trade, of course, and reports have painted the possibility of a trade surrounding him to be remote. Sullivan also notes that, with regard to the Pirates and their interest in Kela, the Rangers could have some interest in starting pitching prospects Clay Holmes and Taylor Hearn.
The Athletics remain on the hunt for a rotation upgrade, but Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that the A’s “haven’t sounded particularly enthusiastic” about that market. If the A’s can’t find a starter at a price point they deem acceptable, they could instead look to add to their bullpen as a means of shortening games and taking some pressure off the current members of their rotation.
The Twins “have fielded inquiries” on right-hander Kyle Gibson, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, but they’re more interested in dealing their impending free agents than Gibson, who is controlled through 2019 and is in the midst of a breakout season. The former first-round pick was brilliant against the Red Sox last night, allowing one run over eight innings and lowering his ERA to 3.42 in the process. Through 129 innings, Gibson has averaged 8.8 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 and 0.91 HR/9. His fastball is up nearly a mile per hour over its 2017 average, and his 12.2 percent swinging-strike rate is easily a career-high. The Twins are currently seven games back of the division lead in the AL Central, but they’ve won four in a row. With three games in Boston and another hosting Cleveland before Tuesday’s non-waiver deadline, Minnesota faces a tough road to closing that gap.
Sherman also reports that the Phillies, after missing out on Manny Machado, would at the very least like to add a defensive upgrade at shortstop. Interestingly, he notes that the Phils have at least had internal discussions about reacquiring Freddy Galvis from the Padres. He also lists the Rays’ Adeiny Hechavarria and the Tigers’ Jose Iglesias as players that the Phillies’ front office has considered. The Phils have also been tied to Eduardo Escobar since Machado went to L.A.

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