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AL Notes: Astros, Angels, Rangers, Jays, Twins

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Astros senior vice president of broadcasting and alumni relations Jamie Hildreth passed away Friday at the age of 72, reports Alyson Footer of MLB.com. Hildreth joined the Astros in 1987 and became their longest-tenured employee. “Jamie was a vital part of the Astros’ organization for over three decades,” owner Jim Crane said in a statement. “His knowledge of the industry and great ability to connect with people were invaluable. He has left an indelible mark on those of us that were fortunate to work with him. We send our deepest condolences to his many friends and family members.”

MLBTR sends our condolences to Hildreth’s family, friends and organization.

Here’s more from the American League:

  • Thanks in part to injuries, the Angels’ rotation finished last season 20th in the majors in ERA and 28th in fWAR. The Halos responded by making several depth-oriented additions during the offseason, including Yusmeiro Petit, Bud Norris and John Lamb, and expect to have far more success in 2017 as a result. “We’re confident we have the depth that is going to give us a championship-caliber rotation,” manager Mike Scioscia said Tuesday (via Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times). “Exactly what the names are gonna be or what order remains to be seen, but we’re excited with the depth that we have. We’re excited with our defensive team, which should be an excellent team, and the positive effect that’ll have on all of our pitching, especially on our starters. We’re confident.” While Scioscia is clearly optimistic about the Angels’ pitching depth, rival talent evaluators are largely skeptical of the group, according to Moura.
  • In the same piece, Moura relays that infielder/outfielder Dustin Ackley still hasn’t received medical clearance to throw since the then-Yankee underwent shoulder surgery last June. Of course, that will make it all the more difficult for the early February minor league signing to earn a spot on the Angels’ Opening Day roster.
  • With a strong spring, first baseman James Loney “could rise to prominence in the Rangers’ camp,” writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Fellow minor league signing Josh Hamilton is also competing for a roster spot, and his knee issues might aid Loney in his quest to crack the 25-man, suggests Sullivan, who points out that they could use a lefty-swinging first baseman to complement the right-handed Mike Napoli. It’s worth noting that Hamilton has never played first, whereas Loney has lined up there almost exclusively since debuting in 2006. Although Loney batted a meek .265/.307/.397 in 366 plate appearances last year, Rangers manager Jeff Bannister told Sullivan that the lifetime .284/.336/.410 hitter “has proven over time that he’s a pretty tough out.”
  • While Blue Jays outfielder Dalton Pompey’s stock has dropped since he peaked as Baseball America’s 30th-best prospect after the 2014 season, the club remains bullish on the 24-year-old. “We think he’s part of the future, left field or whatever, in this organization,” manager John Gibbons informed Paul Hagen of MLB.com. Continued Gibbons: “We think he’s going to have a great career, but he just needs to go out there and play and don’t worry about anything else. Because he’s got a ton of talent. He’s really got everything he needs to be really, really good.” Only two of Pompey’s 384 plate appearances last season came in the majors, and with Kevin Pillar, Jose Bautista, Ezequiel Carrera, Melvin Upton Jr. and Steve Pearce around as outfield options, he seems likely to head to the Triple-A level to begin 2017.
  • Twins right-hander Ryan Vogelsong was worried the line drive he took off the head last May would not only end his career, but perhaps cost him his vision, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Fortunately, the ex-Pirate returned to the mound with his vision intact last year, and he’s now vying for a role with Minnesota after signing a minor league pact in January. On coming back for 2017, the soon-to-be 40-year-old Vogelsong said: “I love to compete. I think talking to guys who are done, it’s hard to replace that. I love being around the guys. I just love the game. I don’t play this game to make tons of money. The money is nice, but I play it because I love it. That’s what drives me. I still feel like I have good seasons left.”

Rangers To Sign James Loney

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The Rangers have agreed to a minor-league deal with first baseman James Loney, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The veteran will make $1MM if he can break onto the MLB roster.

Loney, 32, played an even 100 games last year for the Mets, who acquired him in May from the Padres after losing Lucas Duda for a lengthy stretch. (San Diego had added Loney over the winter on a minor-league deal.) In his 366 MLB plate appearances in 2016, Loney slashed .265/.307/.397 and hit nine home runs.

Clearly, that wasn’t quite as much production as most teams would like to see out of the first base position. It was the second straight year in which Loney had checked in with below-average overall offensive results. He was much better over the 2013-14 campaigns, however, when he provided the Rays with 1,249 plate appearances of .294/.342/.404 batting.

There are some other limitations, too. Loney has long carried rather drastic platoon splits, though perhaps that makes him a relatively appealing option as a bench bat to face righties. And though he has long been considered a quality defender at first, Loney hasn’t rated quite as well with the glove in recent years — though he still draws average metrics.

For Texas, Loney could compete with prospect Joey Gallo and perhaps also veteran Josh Hamilton for a left-handed-hitting role in the team’s first base/DH mix. Both of those players could conceivably also spend time in the outfield, though neither would likely be a preferable option there and the Rangers aren’t much in need of southpaw-swinging corner outfielders anyway.

Yankees Place Mark Teixeira On 15-Day DL

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10:53am: Brian Cashman says Teixeira’s injury is a significant one that could require surgery, Lohud’s Chad Jennings writes. Cashman says that the Yankees will have Teixeira rest the knee and could treat it with injections. If it does not improve, Teixeira could have surgery, which would likely end his season.

Cashman also says the Yankees tried to recruit James Loney, now with the Mets, at the end of Spring Training. “We had a conversation with Loney at the end of spring training, and at that time Loney was unwilling to go to Triple-A,” Cashman says. Loney would have given the Yankees a veteran first base option in the wake of Teixeira’s injury.

9:12am: The Yankees have announced that they’ve placed first baseman Mark Teixeira on the 15-day disabled list with a cartilage tear in his right knee. To take his place on the active roster, they selected the contract of veteran 1B/OF Chris Parmelee. They also transferred Dustin Ackley (shoulder) to the 60-day DL.

As we noted yesterday, Teixeira left yesterday’s game with right knee pain, and he received an MRI. The 36-year-old has struggled thus far this season, posting a .180/.271/.263 line while also dealing with a lingering neck issue. His 2016 has been a far cry from his performance last year, when he batted .255/.357/.548 while hitting a remarkable 31 home runs in 462 plate appearances.

With Teixeira (and Ackley) on the shelf, Parmelee, who was batting .252/.343/.444 with Triple-A Scranton, could take over a fair amount of playing time at first, perhaps along with Rob Refsnyder, although Refsnyder lacks experience at the position. (The team has elected to keep veteran slugger Nick Swisher, another potential first base option, at Triple-A after a slow start there.) Along with Teixeira, the Yankees are also missing Greg Bird, who is out for the season with a torn labrum.

NL Notes: Braun, Loney, Shields, Pomeranz, Vargas

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Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun may be generating trade buzz with his huge offensive numbers, but he’s also now dealing with a new malady, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reports. While back issues have limited early, with prior wrist and thumb problems also posing some long-term concern, Braun has most recently been limited by a stiff neck. He’s now missed the starting lineup in eight of fourteen games, though GM David Stearns says that the organization expects to manage the injury (and his lingering back trouble) without the need for a DL stint. The general manager acknowledged a “level of interest” in the slugger from other organizations, but also said that the team “fully anticipate[s] Ryan is going to be a Brewer for a very long time.”

Here’s more from the National League:

  • The Mets are expected to activate just-acquired first baseman James Loney for action on Tuesday, manager Terry Collins told reporters including Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). Acquired yesterday from the Padres, the veteran is expected to help fill in for injured first baseman Lucas Duda.
  • Padres righty James Shields addressed the recent trade chatter surrounding him, as Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. The veteran hurler says that he’s used to the rumors. “I don’t really think about that kind of thing too much, to be honest with you,” said Shields. “I’ve been in the game long enough to where these things get thrown out there. I think my name gets thrown out there every single year. I don’t really put too much emphasis on it.”
  • A prospective deal that would send Shields from the Padres to the White Sox would make sense for both organizations, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports opines. While Shields certainly doesn’t profile as an top-of-the-line starter any longer, Rosenthal says he’d unquestionably help the pitching-needy South Siders.
  • Rosenthal notes that other Padres arms, including southpaw Drew Pomeranz, have drawn interest as well. Pomeranz had his worst outing of the season today, though he still managed to set down nine hitters via strikeout in just five innings of work. The 27-year-old is an interesting player to watch, as he comes with two more years of cheap control and has turned in the most promising work of his career thus far for the Pads.
  • Meanwhile, the Padres learned that they will be without right-handed starter Cesar Vargas for a stretch, Lin also reports. Elbow soreness is the culprit, and it remains unknown how long he’ll miss. Vargas had been a nice surprise in the early going, though he was hit hard yesterday as his elbow flared up. The Friars are expected to bring back fellow righty Colin Rea to step into Vargas’s rotation spot. He had been optioned in order to limit his innings and maintain his availability for the rest of the season.

Mets Acquire James Loney From Padres

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The Mets have acquired first baseman James Loney from the Padres for cash considerations, the Padres have announced. Loney had an opt-out in his minor-league deal with the Friars, although the move that brings him to New York is a trade. The bulk of Loney’s $8MM 2016 salary will be paid by the Rays, who signed him to a three-year deal prior to the 2014 season and then released him in early April.

MLB: Spring Training-Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue JaysThe Mets were on the lookout for a first baseman with Lucas Duda out for a significant stretch due to a stress fracture in his back. Loney was an obvious potential target, and many speculated from the beginning that the Mets could pursue him. That appears to be exactly what they did. Earlier this week, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported that the Mets had at least some degree of interest.

Loney was hitting .342/.373/.424 with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in El Paso. He previously played in ten MLB seasons, spending time with the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Rays, while compiling a career .285/.338/.411 line. While he’s mostly retained his ability to hit for average as his career has progressed, though, his power numbers have dwindled — he once regularly hit ten to 15 home runs a season, but last year with the Rays he hit just four while posting a .357 slugging percentage. Once a plus defensive first baseman, his fielding numbers have taken a tumble as well, with both UZR and DRS marking him as significantly worse in the last two seasons than he was in 2011 through 2013.

Given the Mets’ need, though, and the fact that the cash return the Mets will send the Padres is presumably nominal, it’s no surprise that the team pursued him despite his flaws. He’s a longtime starter who has experience and some level of on-base ability. The team can also potentially protect the lefty hitter by using Eric Campbell at first against lefty starters.

Adam Rubin of ESPN reported that Loney was headed to the Mets and that the deal was a trade (Twitter links). Jon Heyman tweeted that the Padres would receive cash considerations in return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Mets’ First Base Search

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Mets GM Sandy Alderson said today that the club is “not ruling anything out externally” as it deals with a significant injury to first baseman Lucas Duda, as ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin reports. Assistant GM John Ricco suggested recently that the club wasn’t content with what it has in house.

While the Mets are obviously interested to see what’s out there, Alderson suggested that there isn’t much urgency. “We’ll continue to monitor what’s available,” he said. “We haven’t at this point decided that we’re just going to go with what we have.”

One possibility that many have mentioned is to make a play for James Loney. He’s an established veteran with a high-on-base approach who’s playing well at Triple-A in the Padres organization, and New York has been said to have at least some “curiosity” in him.

New York has been scouting Loney, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter), but it certainly doesn’t appear that the team has rushed out to get him. Loney is not the only player that the club is looking at, according to that report. I recently ran down the different ways the team could go about filling the void, with Loney featuring as one of the most obvious options but far from the only one.

While it’s early to be dealing, Alderson called a trade “doable.” Nevertheless, he warned that it wouldn’t be easy to find and acquire the right piece. “The circumstances have to be right,” said the veteran executive. “Whether it’s doable or not is one thing. Actually pursuing it and trying to identify something is something else.”

Mets Have “Some Curiosity About” Padres’ James Loney

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The Mets have at least “some curiosity about” Padres first baseman James Loney, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links). Loney’s representatives at the Legacy Agency are expected to contact the club today to see if there’s a fit.

While Loney remains under control of the Padres, he’s reportedly able to opt out of his contract if a major league opportunity arises with another organization. As I explained this morning in breaking down New York’s options with Lucas Duda sidelined, Loney looks to be one of the most viable targets for the club.

Playing at Triple-A to open the year, Loney owns a .333/.368/.417 slash over 155 plate appearances with two home runs and just ten strikeouts to go with his nine walks. That’s not a terribly surprising batting line for the 32-year-old, who is a somewhat atypical hitter for a first baseman. Over his decade of major league experience, Loney has slashed .285/.338/.411, relying on average and low strikeout tallies to make up for a lack of pop.

Loney has also generally graded out well with the glove, though defensive metrics viewed him as a slightly below-average performer at first in each of his last two major league seasons. He also won’t require any kind of payroll hit beyond the league minimum, as the Rays released him this spring when trade partners failed to materialize. Tampa Bay remains obligated for his $8MM salary.

With San Diego rostering both Wil Myers and Brett Wallace, it doesn’t appear as if the Padres will be motivated to move Loney up to keep him in the organization. Wallace is hardly untouchable, but his salary is guaranteed and he’s capable of playing third base. On the other hand, as ESPN.com’s Buster Olney has noted on Twitter, San Diego would have the option of elevating Loney if another team offers him a big league job, which also means the club could potentially extract some trade value.

The Mets will, no doubt, consider alternatives. The left-handed-hitting Loney wouldn’t make much sense on the roster when Duda returns, after all, and it’s probably worth at least checking to see if there’s a better match elsewhere. As covered in the above-linked post, there are a lot of possibilities out there, though ultimately a low-risk fill-in would make plenty of sense.

One hypothetical candidate, Nick Swisher of the Yankees, does not appear to be a fit. Sherman notes that the Mets don’t have interest in the veteran, who has continued to post meager numbers at Triple-A.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Beltre, Schwarber, Rickard, Sizemore

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A Beltre extension with the Rangers is challenging because there just aren’t many comparables, reports Ken Rosenthal in his latest video for FOX Sports. The Rangers consider Red Sox designated hitter to be similar, but Ortiz obviously doesn’t have Beltre’s elite third base defense. Ortiz has made around $13MM to $16MM in each of the last five seasons. His contracts have typically included complicated club options with a variety of vesting scenarios and amounts. If both sides agree to use Ortiz as a yard stick, they’ll still have to figure out how to balance offensive and defensive considerations along with what portions of the deal should be guaranteed.

Here’s more from Rosenthal:

  • Kyle Schwarber’s future at catcher is in question. The Cubs will react to how his rehab progresses, but he already had a short window to establish himself behind the plate. Catching prospect Willson Contreras will probably be major league ready sometime during this season, and he’s always rated as the better defender. Schwarber’s already a questionable outfielder. With Anthony Rizzo locked in at first base, Rosenthal wonders if Schwarber might not be destined to join an AL club.
  • The Rays had to make difficult choices when they exposed Tyler Goeddel and Joey Rickard to the Rule 5 draft. The team had a number of right-handed outfielders and pitchers to protect. They weren’t confident Rickard had a high enough ceiling to warrant an eventual everyday role. Outfielders are also hard to stash for a full season than pitchers, making it more likely the club could reacquire Rickard later in the year.
  • Former Indians star Grady Sizemore remains a free agent despite posting over an .800 OPS in the second half last year. Sizemore has received minor league offers, but he’s waiting for an opportunity to be a regular contributor. Sizemore doesn’t want to sign with a team just to provide depth. In my opinion, Sizemore may have to pick the best offer soon – perhaps with an opt-out if another club offers a major league contract. James Loney was the most recent player to sign a contract of that type.

Padres Sign James Loney To Minors Deal

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1:12pm: ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that Loney secured an opt-out provision in his contract that allows him to take a Major League opportunity if it presents itself elsewhere (Twitter link). The Padres, though, do have right of first refusal, so they’ll have a chance to put him on their own big league roster first if another club does offer a 25-man roster spot.

APRIL 8, 8:00am: While there’s no official word from the team yet, Loney himself announced that he has signed in San Diego late last night (Twitter link).

APRIL 7: The Padres have agreed to a minor league pact with first baseman James Loney, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). Loney had, of course, been released recently by the Rays, who remain on the hook for his $8MM salary for the coming season — less whatever he ends up earning in San Diego (or elsewhere), which almost certainly won’t exceed the league minimum rate of pay.

Loney, who’ll turn 32 in a month, was displaced by several offseason acquisitions by Tampa Bay. Coming off of a strong platform year, he inked a three-year pact with the Rays before 2014. Things didn’t go as hoped, however, as Loney took a step back in the first campaign and ended last year with a subpar .280/.322/.357 slash over just 388 plate appearances.

Despite showing some potential early in his career, power has never been Loney’s calling card. But at his best, he delivers a high average with solid on-base numbers while carrying a quality glove at first. Of course, advanced metrics soured on his work in the infield over the last two seasons. It’s worth noting, too, that Loney carries fairly drastic platoon splits, and is best off avoiding opposing southpaws.

For San Diego, Loney adds another piece to an organization that has struggled offensively out of the gates. Wil Myers figures to play every day at first, but could move to the outfield at times if the new addition becomes an option against righties. Of course, Brett Wallace occupies a similar role on the current roster, so Loney will have to earn an opportunity just to crack the majors.

Free Agent Notes: Murphy, Loney, Holland

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Free agent outfielder David Murphy had drawn interest from the Orioles, but Baltimore’s addition of Korean outfielder Hyun Soo Kim to their Opening Day roster closed the window on that potential fit for Murphy for the time being, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford tweeted recently. According to Bradford, Murphy will return home in hopes of receiving a Major League offer and isn’t keen on playing in the minors at this point. Late in Spring Training, reports indicated that Murphy would consider retirement if he didn’t land on a big league roster, and this seems to align somewhat with that level of thinking. Murphy, 34, split the 2015 season between the Indians and Angels, batting a combined .283/.318/.421 with 10 homers in 391 trips to the plate. Though he’s long struggled against left-handed pitching, Murphy is a lifetime .278/.341/.454 against right-handed pitching and could fit as a part-time player for a club with a corner outfield need.

A few more notes on the sparse market for free agents…

  • As James Loney waits out the process of formally clearing release waivers, he has his sights set on landing a big league opportunity in free agency, per ESPN’s Buster Olney (links to Twitter). However, in the event that no Major League offers materialize, the veteran first baseman is willing to head to Triple-A, according to Olney. However, if he does go that route, Olney adds that he would probably push for a clause that allowed him out of said minor league pact should a Major League opportunity materialize elsewhere. It’s also worth noting that MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweeted yesterday that Loney’s hometown Astros consider themselves set at first base and aren’t likely to pursue the Houston native. That tweet came prior to today’s game, during which Opening Day starter Tyler White was removed after being hit by a pitch on his right hand, but x-rays on the rookie came back negative. He’s considered day-to-day, so it seems unlikely that the incident would impact Houston’s thinking.
  • Former Kansas City closer Greg Holland tells the Kansas City Star’s Rustin Dodd that he’s still rehabbing in Tempe, Ariz., and isn’t sure of his timeline to sign a new contract (Twitter link). The 30-year-old two-time All Star closer underwent Tommy John surgery late in the 2015 season and is unlikely to pitch this season.
  • The Diamondbacks and Cardinals are potential fits for center fielder Michael Bourn, tweets Heyman. The 33-year-old Bourn was recently designated for assignment by Atlanta and could be had for the league minimum if he is ultimately released, as the Braves and Indians would be on the hook for the remainder of the veteran’s $14MM salary. (The Braves, of course, could try to find a taker in the meantime, although they were unsuccessful in that effort this winter.) The D-backs recently lost an elite center fielder to injury in the form of A.J. Pollock and have been linked to Bourn on multiple occasions since that news. St. Louis, meanwhile, is relying on a pair of largely inexperienced outfielders in Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty, and the Cards also recently placed backup Tommy Pham on the disabled list with an oblique injury.
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