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Hector Olivera

East Notes: Braves, Olivera, Span, Sabathia

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In the course of a broader post, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported several opt-out dates for veteran Braves pitchers in camp on minor league deals. Lefty Eric Stults can exercise his clause on April 3, just prior to Opening Day, while Chien-Ming Wang does not have the right to make himself a free agent until July 1.

Here’s more from Atlanta and the rest of the NL East:

  • Though the Braves have had plenty of discussion with the representatives for Hector Olivera, the club is indicating that it will not spend a “huge” amount of money for the free agent infielder, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.
  • The Nationals will face an early-season challenge now that center fielder Denard Span is set to miss significant time after undergoing surgery for a “right core muscle” injury, as Chelsea James of the Washington Post reports. A “league medical official” tells James that the surgery is particularly concerning since it comes right on the heels of a December sports hernia procedure. The immediate effect of the injury is to provide a full-time audition for prospect Michael Taylor. Depending upon how it proceeds, it could impact Washington’s trade deadline needs and Span’s upcoming free agency.
  • Yankees starter CC Sabathia tells MLB Network Radio (audio link) that he is at “one hundred percent” health at this point. He expects his next outing to be live game action after throwing a simulated game today. Sabathia is just one of several high-variable starting pitchers in the New York stable. His ability to bounce back this year will go a long way not only towards determining the club’s short-term success, but also toward assessing the value the team can hope to return out of the $30MM in guaranteed money (and potential for $20MM more through a vesting clause) left on Sabathia’s deal.

Braves In Ongoing Discussions With Hector Olivera

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The Braves and Cuban second baseman Hector Olivera are having ongoing discussions, tweets Jon Morosi of FOX Sports. Ben Badler of Baseball America recently listed the Braves among the favorites to sign the 29-year-old Olivera, and Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel called Atlanta the most likely of a group of teams that was “lurking if the price comes down” to sign Olivera.

What the price for Olivera will be is highly debatable. Olivera’s representatives have said they expect a deal worth $70MM or more, and Hall of Fame journalist Peter Gammons has heard from multiple executives that such a price tag is possible. However, in the linked piece above, McDaniel is exceptionally skeptical that the price will reach such heights, pegging Olivera for something south of $50MM. Concerns over Olivera’s health are well documented, as he reportedly has had blood clot issues that give scouts pause and may or may not have damage to his UCL, giving further reason for trepidation. Olivera’s camp shot down the UCL rumors almost immediately, but if the damage is there, it will almost certainly be revealed on a physical.

The Braves are familiar with Olivera’s trainer, Rudy Santin, as Santin also worked with outfielder Dian Toscano, whom the Braves signed this offseason. Additionally, manager Fredi Gonzalez is of Cuban descent and has had good meetings with Olivera, per McDaniel. The Braves lack an immediate answer at second base, which figures to be manned by some combination of Alberto Callaspo, Jace Peterson and possibly non-roster invitee Kelly Johnson this season.

However, adding Olivera may be a longer-term move than the Braves require. Top prospect Jose Peraza is nearing the point at which he will be Major League ready, and he is widely believed to be the heir apparent at second base. Of course, the Braves could always move Olivera to third base when Peraza is ready, thereby supplanting Chris Johnson, who struggled greatly in 2014. Having “too much” talent at a position is a problem that any club would be glad to have.

If a pact with Olivera is ultimately reached, it would represent the second significant, “win-now” type of free agent investment for Atlanta this winter, as Nick Markakis was signed to a four-year, $44MM deal in late 2014. But, the rest of Atlanta’s moves have looked the part of a rebuilding club. The Braves have traded Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Evan Gattis, Jordan Walden and David Carpenter for prospects while bringing in several veteran relievers and starters on low-cost Major League deals (Jason Grilli, Jim Johnson) or on minor league pacts with invites to Major League Spring Training (Wandy Rodriguez, Eric Stults, Chien-Ming Wang, Jose Veras).

Olivera is a .323/.407/.505 hitter in 10 pro seasons in Cuba and is believed by many scouts to be capable of stepping into an MLB lineup in short order and delivering strong OBP marks with 15- to 20-homer power.

Quick Hits: McFarland, Hamels, Olivera

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Many players grow up as fans of the game, but once they sign with a pro team, the nature of their fandom changes, FanGraphs’ David Laurila writes. “Once you sign a contract, you have a team of your own,” says Orioles reliever T.J. McFarland, who grew up a fan of the White Sox. “My family still roots for the White Sox, but I went from being a fan to an employee – an actual worker – within the profession.” Of course, the associations they had with veteran players they rooted for as kids don’t just disappear. McFarland says he took pride in playing opposite Mark Buehrle and Paul Konerko, and says he found it “surreal” when he faced Derek Jeter. Here’s more from throughout the league.

  • Earlier today, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported that the Yankees had come closer than any other team to acquiring Phillies star Cole Hamels. If that’s true, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman writes, that might mean the Phillies haven’t come close to dealing Hamels to any team, because the two sides have not had discussions recently and never were near a deal. The Phillies are fans of Yankees prospects Luis Severino and Aaron Judge, but the Yankees likely don’t want to trade Severino in a Hamels deal. The Red Sox, meanwhile, have refused to deal Mookie Betts or Blake Swihart for Hamels. The Rangers are another possibility, but they too appear disinclined to trade their top prospects, including Joey Gallo and Jorge Alfaro.
  • Cliff Lee’s recent bout of elbow soreness demonstrates the risk the Phillies are taking with Hamels, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com writes. Each time Hamels pitches, he could get injured, causing his trade value to decrease or simply vanish.
  • It’s wise to be skeptical of reports suggesting Cuban infielder Hector Olivera will get $70MM or more, FanGraphs’ Kiley McDaniel writes. That says more about Olivera’s representative Rudy Santin’s use of the media than about Olivera’s actual market. Finding comparables for a Cuban player with no MLB experience is difficult, so it’s hard for the U.S. media to be appropriately skeptical of reported offers for a player like Olivera, McDaniel argues. McDaniel says he would be surprised if Olivera topped $50MM.

Rosenthal On Rockies, Drew, Padres, Braves

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Other teams asked Major League Baseball about the Rockies’ decision to add John Axford to their roster so early in the spring, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Axford signed a minor-league deal with the Rockies in early February, but the team added him to its roster March 1, effectively turning a minor-league deal into a big-league one. To clear space on their roster, they moved Tyler Chatwood to the 60-day DL, a move they were not allowed to make in the offseason. The idea is that the team might have effectively agreed to a big-league deal with Axford but signed him to a minor-league deal purely to manipulate its roster. The Rockies, of course, could plausibly claim that they were impressed by Axford early in the spring and wanted to roster him so that he couldn’t exercise his out clause later in the month, perhaps making the decision early as a vote of confidence in Axford and in their team. Here are more highlights from Rosenthal’s latest notes column.

  • Scouts have doubts about Stephen Drew as the Yankees’ second baseman, Rosenthal writes. The Yankees signed Drew for $5MM in the offseason with the idea that he would provide veteran stability in the middle infield, given that they’re going with youngster Didi Gregorius at shortstop and their backup plans at second, Jose Pirela and Rob Refsnyder, are also inexperienced.
  • The Padres are reportedly among the teams most interested in Cuban infielder Hector Olivera, but Rosenthal reports that they are unlikely to pay more than the $70MM Olivera expects to get.
  • Teams interested in starting pitching depth could turn to the Braves’ collection of minor-league signees, including Eric Stults, Chien-Ming Wang and Wandy Rodriguez. Stults can opt out of his deal April 3, while Wang can opt out July 1. Whether Rodriguez has an out, and when, is unknown.

Padres, Braves, Dodgers Among Favorites To Sign Olivera

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A long new article by Baseball America’s Ben Badler assesses the current market for Cuban infielder Hector Olivera, who reportedly is expecting to land a contract of $70MM or more. Badler lists three teams that currently stand out as front-runners to sign Olivera, suggesting that other teams who have been connected to him, like the Yankees, Giants, Mariners and Athletics, now look less likely.

  • The Padres have been aggressive in their pursuit of Olivera. Badler writes that Olivera would be an upgrade for the Padres at either second (where the Padres currently have Jedd Gyorko) or third (where they have Yangervis Solarte and Will Middlebrooks). Gyorko is currently signed to a long-term deal, but as Badler notes, GM A.J. Preller is unlikely to feel too attached to a player who was signed under previous management.
  • The Braves have scouted Olivera heavily, and are connected to Olivera’s trainer Rudy Santin, who also has worked with recent Braves signee Dian Toscano.
  • The problem for the Dodgers is where Olivera would fit in the near term, since they have Howie Kendrick at second base and Juan Uribe at third. Both players are eligible for free agency after the season, however, and the ability to use Olivera (who played most of last season as a DH) in a part-time role might ease concerns about whether he can handle a 162-game season. When top Dodgers brass were present to watch him in workouts, Olivera only played third, perhaps suggesting that’s where they would ultimately use him.

Hector Olivera Expects To Receive $70MM-Plus

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Cuban infielder Hector Olivera’s representatives are telling teams their client will receive a contract of at least $70MM, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (all Twitter links). If in fact Olivera receives $70MM, Rosenthal says, that would suggest that at least the top bidding team is unconcerned about a recent report (which Olivera’s camp denies) that Olivera has UCL damage — paying $70MM to a player who will soon be 30 with the idea that he won’t play the first year of his contract seems overly ambitious.

Rosenthal suggests that if the injury means Olivera has to miss time, one team that could wait on him is the Dodgers, who have no obvious spot for him in 2015 but could have several infield openings the following year, including second base, which is currently occupied by Howie Kendrick. Olivera officially became a free agent yesterday. He has been connected to the Mariners, Braves, Yankees, Padres, Giants and Athletics as well as the Dodgers.

Hector Olivera Declared Free Agent

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Cuban infielder Hector Olivera has officially been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports on Twitter. That means that Olivera is free to sign at any time.

Olivera, 29, has widely been tabbed as likely to sign quickly after officially reaching the open market. Certainly, any team hoping to add him will be doing so with expectations that he’ll play a significant role in 2015, and will therefore want to get him into camp as soon as possible.

Sources close to Olivera vehemently denied a report yesterday suggesting that Olivera may have a UCL problem in his throwing arm. It is not yet clear whether any arm issues are a concern for teams with interest, though Olivera does have some prior medical concerns that will certainly be explored in detail by the club that signs him. Olivera discussed his health and other topics in a recent interview with Ben Badler of Baseball America.

Since Olivera was not technically allowed to negotiate with clubs before being made a free agent by the league, his market and market value remain somewhat hazy. But numerous reports have indicated that he could potentially score a significant guarantee, with estimates ranging from $30MM all the way up to $70MM+. And Olivera has been connected with teams such as the Dodgers, Braves, Mariners, A’s, Giants, Padres and Yankees at various points.

Needless to say, his late entry onto the market — while widely expected — makes for an interesting final twist to this year’s free agent market. He is considered to be a starting-caliber asset after impressing in his recent showcases, though the uncertainties inherent in his situation will no doubt play a role in his ultimate contract.

Hector Olivera May Have UCL Damage

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7:34pm: Sources from within Olivera’s camp say Olivera has passed four physicals with no issues and the report about the UCL injury is “absolutely not true,” Baseball America’s Ben Badler reports (all Twitter links).  Olivera’s representatives also deny that they have received any offers; since Olivera isn’t officially a free agent yet, he isn’t allowed to negotiate with MLB teams.

6:17pm: Olivera’s representatives were surprised by the report, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez tweets.  To their knowledge, Olivera didn’t have any UCL damage and he “feels fine.”

6:08pm: Hector Olivera may have a damaged UCL in his throwing arm, sources tell Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan.  The extent of the damage is not known, but should Olivera have to undergo Tommy John surgery, the Cuban infielder would need six to nine months of recovery time, in all likelihood sidelining him for the entire 2015 season.

Olivera’s throwing arm didn’t raise any concerns during workouts for teams, Passan notes, though clubs were already conducting physicals on the infielder in order to be prepared for his eventual free agent clearance by Major League Baseball.

Olivera was reportedly looking for a six-year contract in the $70MM range from MLB teams, and at least five team executives told Peter Gammons that this was a realistic asking price.  Passan reports that Olivera had received at least one offer already that was north of $50MM.  Obviously this injury news will dampen Olivera’s market, and his hopes of a major payday could be scuttled altogether if he needs surgery.  The Dodgers, Braves, Mariners, A’s, Giants, Padres and Yankees were among the teams known to have an interest in Olivera’s services.

Quick Hits: Clark, Olivera, Guerrier, Moncada

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Commissioner Rob Manfred recently said that he could envision an MLB franchise based in Mexico one day.  For his part, MLBPA president Clark sounds open-minded to the concept, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. “Anytime the industry considers growing, it lends itself to how well the industry is doing,” Clark said. “As such, players are interested in having those conversations, interested as to what it might look like. I would say players would be engaged and interested on any of those considerations.” Here’s more from around the majors..

  • Cuban infielder Hector Olivera has taken physicals for a number of teams in recent weeks, including the Dodgers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). MLB has yet to declare Olivera a free agent, but teams want to be prepared for when that moment occurs (link).
  • Former Twins reliever Matt Guerrier, who elected free agency in July, is still hoping to pitch in 2015, according to Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). Meanwhile, the Twins have not shown interest in a reunion with the 36-year-old.  The veteran righty produced a solid 3.86 ERA in 28 innings last season but struck out just 3.9 batters per nine.  For his career, Guerrier owns a 3.52 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.
  • Yoan Moncada’s contract with the Red Sox reveals flaws in baseball’s system, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes.  The deal reveals the true market value for high-end young players and at this point, it would be difficult for MLB to spin an international draft as anything but an attempt to suppress costs for foreign amateurs.
  • Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com wonders if the Moncada signing will push MLB even closer to an international draft.

International Notes: Bonus Pools, Alvarez, Olivera

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The bonus pools for the 2015-16 international signing period have been determined, Baseball America’s Ben Badler reports, providing the full list of dollar figures.  While the Diamondbacks have the largest bonus pool (just under $5.394MM) of any team due to their league-worst record in 2014, Arizona is unable to sign any pool-eligible player in both the coming signing period and the 2016-17 period for more than $300K.  The D’Backs, Yankees, Red Sox, Rays and Angels all face this penalty since they exceeded their 2013-14 spending limits, though as Badler notes, the five teams can trade the individual slot values that make up their new pools.

Here’s more about some of the game’s top international prospects…

  • Cuban right-hander Yadier Alvarez held a showcase for scouts today, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (Twitter link).  While past reports suggested Alvarez’s camp hoped to have the 18-year-old under contract to a team before the current int’l signing period ends, Sanchez reports that Alvarez isn’t eligible to sign until the 2015-16 international signing window opens on July 2.
  • Sanchez adds (via another tweet) the Rangers to the long list of teams who have already been rumored to be interested in Alvarez, and he notes that more clubs are sure to join the list.  The Rangers (and Cubs) were restricted from spending more than $250K on international prospects in 2014-15 due to overspending in the 2013-14 period, but they’ll again be able to spend more freely on July 2.
  • The Angels are also interested in Alvarez, Ross Newhan of the NewhanOnBaseball blog tweets.  If Alvarez isn’t able to sign until July 2, however, this will surely eliminate the Angels from contention since the righty will command a far higher bonus than $300K.
  • The Twins had scouts present at today’s Alvarez showcase, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com
  • Hector Olivera discusses his health history, his decision to leave Cuba, his transition to American baseball and more as part of a wide-ranging interview with Ben Badler of Baseball America (subscription required).
  • Olivera missed over a full season of Cuban baseball while recovering from a blood clot in his left biceps, and when he returned, he spent most of his time at DH rather than second base.  This has raised some concern with MLB scouts who wonder if Olivera is able to regularly play in the field, but as Olivera explained to Badler, his extended DH time wasn’t related to his blood issues.  “The reason was we got disqualified early (from playoff contention).  The manager and I talked about giving the younger kids a chance to play. So I asked him to just DH me and play the younger guys,” Olivera said.
  • New Red Sox signee Yoan Moncada speaks to Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel (audio link), noting that his preference would be to play second base in the majors.  “[My] baby is second base,” Moncada said via a translator, though he’ll play any position the Sox ask him to play.  Of course, second base doesn’t seem like a likely option for Moncada in Boston given the presence of Dustin Pedroia and Mookie Betts blocking him at the position.
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