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AL West Notes: Doubront, Wilson, Gregerson, Loney

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Athletics lefty Felix Doubront has suffered “fibrous tearing” in his pitching elbow, trainer Nick Paparesta tells Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area (Twitter links). A second opinion will still be needed before a course of treatment is determined, but a surgical option seems to be on the table. The 28-year-old southpaw had been lined up for fifth-starter duties, at least to open the year.

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  • Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson is still waiting to be cleared to begin ramping up, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. Wilson, 35, is building up strength in his balky shoulder, and says he expects to need a full month to get ready once he’s allowed to begin a throwing program. Los Angeles will need everything it can get from the veteran, but it remains unclear at present how long it will take for him to make it back to the big league rotation.
  • Luke Gregerson will open the year as the Astros’ closer, manager A.J. Hinch announced and Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports. The 31-year-old will reprise his 9th-inning role of a year ago, beating out recent addition Ken Giles for the job, though certainly the young flamethrower will be knocking at the door if a need arises. For the time being, said Hinch, Giles will “pitch in a couple different roles, depending on what the highest leverage situation of the game would be” — including, perhaps, some save chances. Even the analytically-inclined Astros apparently believe that roles matter, though; as Hinch explained: “for the purposes of getting guys prepared, I think it’s important that they know sort of generally how they’re going to be used.”
  • Meanwhile, the Astros don’t have interest in now-free agent first baseman James Loney, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports on Twitter. Houston views that position as “set” with Spring Training in the books, he adds. Tyler White figures to get the first look, though players such as Marwin Gonzalez, Evan Gattis, Jon Singleton, and rising prospect A.J. Reed could factor into the picture as well.

Rays To Release James Loney

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The Rays will release first baseman James Loney, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.  In late March, the Rays informed Loney that he would not be making the Opening Day roster, so his release was widely expected. The Rays are still on the hook for the $8MM that they owe the veteran for the 2016 season and they ostensibly could not find a trade partner willing to take on a portion of that money.

Injuries slowed Loney down in 2015 and limited him to a 104-game season.  In 388 plate appearances, Loney slashed just .280/.322/.357 and posted his lowest OPS since 2012.  Over the years, Loney has picked up a reputation for solid defensive play at first base, but the advanced numbers show that he has declined in that area recently.  In 2015, he had a -5.4 UZR/150 and his 2014 UZR/150 of -1.8 was also poor.  And, while Loney has multiple double-digit home run seasons on his resume, he doesn’t offer much in the way of power.

According to Baseball Reference, Loney has earned nearly $27MM in salary over the course of his big league career.  His next deal probably won’t be the most lucrative contract of his career, but he’s also not hurting for cash.  Prior to signing a three-year, $21MM deal with the Rays prior to the 2014 season, Loney spent six-and-a-half years with the Dodgers and had a short stint with the Red Sox.

Quick Hits: D’Backs, Kim, Surkamp, Loney, Hunter

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Eric Hosmer’s game-tying run in Game Five of the World Series was captured in a memorable photo by Chang W. Lee of the New York Times, though the picture’s most notable aspect was the array of horrified reactions from Mets fans in the background.  The Times tracked down 11 of the people immortalized in the photo to get their take on the moment months later.  The group consisted of nine Mets fans bemoaning their team’s fate and two people who had an opposite reaction — Royals legend George Brett and his wife Leslie.

As we’re just hours away from the first games of the 2016 season, let’s look around baseball…

  • Speaking to reporters today (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic and MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert), Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart and manager Chip Hale addressed the team’s next steps in the wake of A.J. Pollock’s elbow fracture.  For now, Stewart said, the D’Backs will give internal candidates a chance before looking at players outside the organization to take Pollock’s place.  Hale suggested the D’Backs are looking at players who might not make their current teams’ Opening Day rosters, so Arizona could wait at least a couple of days to fully assess the market.
  • An unknown Korean team has reportedly made a “substantial” offer to the Orioles for Hyun Soo Kim, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports, though Kubatko notes that this item has yet to be confirmed by a second source.  The offer could be a moot point if true, though, since Kim has firmly stated that he wishes to play in North America.  The Orioles, meanwhile, have no intention of releasing Kim and eating his entire $7MM contract.  The unusual situation between Kim and the O’s has left both sides in a “state of suspended animation,” one source tells Kubatko.
  • Athletics lefty Eric Surkamp is drawing interest from teams in Asia, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.  Surkamp’s minor league deal with the A’s allows him to opt out in June and look for opportunities elsewhere.  Surkamp isn’t expected to make Oakland’s Opening Day roster.
  • With James Loney entering perhaps his final day with the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times looks back on the team’s decision to re-sign the first baseman in the 2013-14 offseason.  The Rays outbid other suitors like the Pirates and Brewers to re-sign Loney on a three-year, $21MM deal, which still stands as the most expensive free agent deal of Stuart Sternberg’s ownership tenure.  Needless to say, the deal has not worked out, as Loney was a sub-replacement level player in 2015 (-1.3 fWAR) and he’s already been told he won’t make Tampa’s Opening Day roster.
  • Cedric Hunter is one of the more unlikely players to be suiting up on Opening Day, MLB.com’s Paul Hagen writes, as the longtime minor leaguer unexpectedly earned himself a regular outfield job with the Phillies.  A third-round pick for the Padres in the 2006 draft, Hunter has hit .288/.348/.413 with 76 homers over 4727 career plate appearances in the minors, playing for four different organizations’ farm systems.  His MLB career consisted of just six games for San Diego in 2011, yet Hunter is now back in the bigs and still looking to stick around.  “To be realistic, it’s just beginning.  I haven’t proved myself at all on this level yet,” Hunter said.  “So everybody’s giving me congrats and I’m happy about that, but in the back of my mind, I’m like, ’Look, this is just the beginning. I’ve really got to go out and prove myself and show that I’m ready to be here.’ “

Padres Notes: Preller, Trade Deadline, Wood, Lincecum

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Padres president Mike Dee denies recent whispers that GM A.J. Preller’s job is in danger after the team’s failed attempt at contention last season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. “Not true,” says Dee. “We have more confidence and excitement about him as GM than when we hired him in 2014. … He’s here for the long haul.” Dee says one reason the team hired Preller was because of his background in acquiring amateur talent, and it will take awhile for his efforts in that area to bear fruit. Notably, the organization is already rumored to have committed almost $30MM to talent that will become available in next summer’s Latin American amateur market — a huge figure, particularly given the penalties that will be involved. Here’s more on the Padres.

  • Sherman also has some fun details of the Padres’ activity — or lack thereof — on the trade market last summer. They were reportedly offered only outfielder Junior Lake from the Cubs in return for Ian Kennedy. The Mets offered pitching prospect Michael Fulmer (later the key to the Yoenis Cespedes deal) for Justin Upton, but the Padres were concerned about Fulmer’s long-term viability as a starter. The Yankees, meanwhile, offered infield prospect Jorge Mateo for Craig Kimbrel (who, of course, later netted a considerable return from the Red Sox). They let Kennedy and Upton walk, but will receive compensation picks for them.
  • After trading Nick Vincent to the Mariners, Preller says he doesn’t think the team will make any more significant deals before the start of the season, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. “I don’t really think so,” says Preller. “I think at this point, our focus has been more on some of the position battles, the competitions to round the club out. But you never want to say no.” As Lin notes, the team acquired Kimbrel just as the season started last year, but it doesn’t appear they plan on something like that happening again. Preller adds that the team is happy with Wil Myers at first base, seemingly in response to a question about whether they might pursue someone like James Loney (who’s now in limbo after being told he won’t make the Rays’ Opening Day roster) to platoon with him.
  • Former phenom Brandon Wood — who belted a remarkable 43 home runs as a 20-year-old for Class A+ Rancho Cucamonga in 2005 but never made an impact in the Majors — is now 31 and preparing for his first season as a minor-league manager, Ted Berg of USA Today writes. Before the 2006 season, Baseball America rated Wood (then with the Angels) the third-best prospect in the game. Now he’s set to manage the short-season Tri-City Dust Devils. Wood says anxiety was his undoing as a player, recalling that he at times struggled to control his body because he wasn’t breathing enough.
  • The Padres are expected to be keenly interested in free agent starter Tim Lincecum, Jon Heyman writes (Twitter links). Lincecum is rumored to be throwing 90 MPH off flat ground, Heyman reports, but he hasn’t yet had a showcase (even though there has been talk of a showcase for months now), saying he wants to be “perfect” for it. Lincecum is making his way back from hip surgery.

Rays Inform James Loney He Won’t Make Opening Day Roster

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Rays first baseman James Loney has been informed that he won’t make the team’s Opening Day roster, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter links). He has been informed he’ll either be traded or released.

Loney is owed $8MM this year in the final season of the three-year pact he signed to return to Tampa Bay before the 2014 campaign. He was displaced by the team’s addition of several players, including fellow left-handed hitters Logan Morrison and Corey Dickerson, over the winter.

It remains to be seen whether the Rays can find a taker for any of that salary, though the failure to do so thus far suggests it may not be a viable option.

Though he’s a high-average hitter, Loney doesn’t draw a ton of walks and doesn’t have much pop. His production at the plate has tailed off in each successive year he’s been with the Rays, and he hit at a below-average clip (.280/.322/.357) in an injury-limited 2015 season. Loney has traditionally rated well with the glove, though metrics have seen him as very slightly below average in the last two seasons.

AL East Notes: Loney, Yankees, Levine, Smith

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Here’s the latest from around the AL East…

  • Hearing his name mentioned in trade speculation is nothing new for James Loney, as the veteran first baseman tells Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune.  “I think I’ve dealt with this pretty much every year in my career, at some point, trade rumors.  It gets kind of old.  I’m not putting too much stock in it, because nothing’s happened yet,” Loney said.  It’s no secret that the Rays have been shopping Loney and his $8MM salary for much of the offseason, though no takers have been found.
  • Loney’s presence is one of the many playing-time complications facing the Rays as they prepare to set their Opening Day roster, as Mooney and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times explore in separate pieces.  Dealing Loney wouldn’t just save some payroll, but it would also free up a much-needed roster spot for either one of the Rays’ several available position players or perhaps another reliever.  If a trade can’t be found, Topkin speculates that Tampa could hang onto Loney for a few weeks into the season until a fifth starter is needed, or the team could just see Loney’s salary as a sunk cost and release him.
  • The Yankees optioned Rob Refsnyder to Triple-A camp, with manager Joe Girardi telling reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch) that the club wants Refsnyder to get more experience playing third base before using him as a utility infielder at the big league level.  Ronald Torreyes and Pete Kozma are battling for the backup infield job now, though Giradi didn’t rule out the possibility that the Yankees would look at adding an infielder when other teams make their spring cuts.
  • While the Yankees will continue to support income redistribution in the next collective bargaining agreement, president Randy Levine tells FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that the Yankees certainly want to see some changes made to the current system.  “What is very burdensome to us — and is unfair — is the amount of money we have to pay in revenue sharing compared, for example, to teams in our market that pay 10 times less than us,” Levine said, referring to the Mets.  The revenue-sharing contributions are determined by a formula based around net local revenue.  Levine said the Yankees made around $90MM in revenue-sharing payments in 2015.  According to Forbes magazine, the Yankees still led all MLB teams in revenue ($516MM) last year, even accounting those revenue-sharing payments.
  • There has been some speculation that Carson Smith’s potential as an injury risk could’ve been a reason the Mariners dealt the reliever to the Red Sox this winter, Fangraphs’ David Laurila writes.  Smith is on the DL with a strain of his flexor mass muscle and it isn’t known when he’ll return, though the injury isn’t thought to be too serious.  The red flags for Smith are his unusual delivery and his heavy use of the slider — only four pitchers (minimum 60 innings) threw a higher percentage of sliders than Smith did in 2015.  “I’ve heard that my whole life, but throwing from a lower arm slot is something that’s come natural for me,” Smith told Laurila.  “I’ve found ways to manage it, whether it’s the weight room, the trainer’s room, or on the field.”  MLBTR contributor Bradley Woodrum recently cited Smith as a slightly above-average risk for Tommy John surgery as a part of his larger study to predict which pitchers will require TJ procedure in the future.
  • In other AL East news from earlier today, David Murphy opted out of his minor league contract with the Red Sox and is already drawing interest from the Orioles and other clubs….the Orioles have discussed releasing Hyun Soo Kim from his two-year contract.

Sox Notes: ChiSox, BoSox, Sale, Craig, Loney, LaRoche

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The Red Sox and White Sox not only share similar nicknames, but they’ve also shared struggles in each of the last two seasons.  In fact, Boston and Chicago have identical 149-175 records over that stretch.  Here’s the latest from both shades of Sox…

  • Chris Sale had some harsh words for executive VP Kenny Williams in the wake of the Adam LaRoche controversy, though this hasn’t had any impact on Sale’s future with the team, a White Sox official tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  There is “no chance” Sale would be traded, the official said: “There was no chance in the offseason and no chance now. We’re building our team around Chris Sale.”
  • Just in case the relationship between Sale and the White Sox has indeed gone south, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe opines that the Red Sox should make a trade inquiry.  Abraham admits that Sale and and the Pale Hose “will probably make peace,” though this piece gives an idea of the gigantic price Chicago would demand for its ace.  Abraham suggests Boston could offer a trade package that includes Allen Craig and $18MM of his salary, plus young righty Anderson Espinoza and three other top-tier prospects.  In my opinion, I think even this impressive offer wouldn’t be enough to land a valuable asset like Sale, who is prized for not just his ability but also his contract — $21.15MM through 2017 and then club options for 2018 and 2019 worth a respective $12.5MM and $13.5MM.
  • While Craig may not be part of a blockbuster Red Sox trade package, Cafardo also suggests the first baseman could be a fit for the White Sox with LaRoche gone.  Chicago seems ready to fill LaRoche’s DH spot with Melky Cabrera and Avisail Garcia, though since Boston would inevitably be footing almost all of the $21MM remaining on Craig’s contract, it might not be a bad flier to take (especially since Cabrera and Garcia are coming off poor seasons).  Craig is trying to revive his career after two rough seasons that dropped his stock to the point that he was outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster last year.
  • In other first base trade speculation, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wonders if James Loney could be a fit for the White Sox.  The Rays have been unsuccessfully shopping Loney all winter and are reportedly willing to cover some of the $8MM Loney is owed in 2016.  Like LaRoche, Loney is also a left-handed hitter, perhaps making him a more ideal complement to the right-handed Garcia and Jose Abreu.
  • LaRoche’s dispute with the White Sox about his son’s presence in the clubhouse has drawn a lot of response from around baseball, with ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required) collecting some reaction from unnamed officials and front office personnel.  Most observes were surprised by the unusual nature of LaRoche’s demand that his son be a constant presence with the club and the seeming lack of communication between Kenny Williams, Rick Hahn and Robin Ventura about the situation.
  • “Honestly, I don’t think I was talking about the Red Sox,” David Price told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about his early comments about his ideal new team.  Price was focused on joining a team with a pipeline of young talent, and was initially thinking about the Cardinals and Cubs rather than the Red Sox since he “wasn’t as familiar” with Boston’s farm system.  The Cards and Cubs ended up being the next two highest bidders for Price’s services this winter, though their offers reportedly fell well short of the seven-year, $217MM contract Price signed with Boston since the Red Sox were intent on landing the ace.
  • One final note from Cafardo’s column: he notes that Red Sox infield prospect Marco Hernandez could be a trade target for other clubs in the wake of Hernandez’s strong Spring Training performance.  Hernandez, ranked as the 12th-best prospect in Boston’s system by Baseball America, is a 23-year-old who posted a combined .305/.330/.454 slash line over 484 PA at Double and Triple-A last season.  While his bat is still developing, Hernandez already has value as a utility infielder able to play second, third and shortstop.

AL East Notes: Wieters, Choate, Aardsma, Rays

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Orioles catcher Matt Wieters left today’s game with a sore elbow, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. X-Rays taken this afternoon did not reveal any obvious problems, and the club won’t take an MRI at this time. Manager Buck Showalter downplayed the injury and characterized it as normal spring soreness for a catcher. Wieters’ elbow is always going to generate added concern given the Tommy John surgery that he came back from last season. Since an MRI is designed to see soft tissue damage, we can expect the club to proceed to that step if Wieters doesn’t respond positively to rest. Caleb Joseph is Baltimore’s primary backup catcher.

  • An injury to Blue Jays reliever Aaron Loup could open the door for Randy Choate, writes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. Choate signed a minor league deal with the Jays just yesterday, ostensibly with the understanding that the injury to Loup would improve his odds of making the club. Choate, 40, is one of the original poster children of the lefty-specialist movement. Over his career, he’s held fellow southpaws to a .193/.274/.273 line while recording 9.37 K/9 and 2.60 BB/9. Against righties, he’s scuffled with 4.97 K/9, 5.84 BB/9, and a .304/.414/.416 line allowed. For a more nuanced look at the entire Toronto bullpen picture, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca has the details.
  • Jays reliever David Aardsma can opt out of his minor league contract at the end of May, tweets Nicholson-Smith. The former Mariners closer last experienced major league success back in 2010. In 2015, the now 34-year-old pitched to a 4.70 ERA with 10.27 K/9 and 4.11 BB/9 in 30 innings for the Braves. His slider continues to be a plus pitch although he’s lost about three mph off his fastball since his prime.
  • Rays shortstop Brad Miller is struggling with his throwing accuracy this spring, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. His errant throws could unleash a cascade of roster moves. The club could begin to more seriously consider internal alternatives at shortstop. James Loney’s sure-handedness at first base could give him starts over offseason acquisition Logan Morrison. With Corey Dickerson on the roster, one of Morrison or Loney may be redundant and thus difficult to roster. The logjam could also be solved by trading an outfielder.

Cafardo On Orioles, Bruce, Red Sox, Maeda

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In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders where James Loney might fit in with the Rays this year.  The veteran is currently behind the platoon of Steve Pearce and Logan Morrison at first and he’s also blocked at DH and left field by Corey Dickerson and Desmond Jennings, respectively.  With a salary of $8MM, the Rays have been unable to find a taker for Loney via trade, though they are willing to eat some of that money to facilitate a deal.

Here’s more from today’s column:

  • The Orioles are still considering a deal for Reds outfielder Jay Bruce as they try to bolster their lineup in March.  The O’s are also considering Austin Jackson, but Bruce could be considered the better fit thanks to his power.  Bruce will make $12.5MM in 2016, plus a $1MM buyout or a $13MM option in 2017, which isn’t exactly chump change.  Also, even though Bruce has some excellent campaigns on his resume, his play over the past two seasons hasn’t been all that strong.
  • One NL exec says a few teams have ID’d Red Sox catcher Ryan Hanigan as a possible trade target this summer.  Red Sox officials have said that it’s unlikely they would part with Hanigan due to the inexperience of Blake Swihart and fellow youngster Christian Vazquez.  However, rival officials aren’t sold on that and believe that Hanigan could be more available than Boston is letting on.  Hanigan has a $3.7MM salary for 2016 with an option for 2017.
  • Can new Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda be effective in his first MLB season?  One scout who watched him throw in Japan isn’t so sure.  “His stuff isn’t as good as [Masahiro] Tanaka and he’s more a middle to end of the rotation type of guy,” said the scout. “I don’t know how his fastball plays in the big leagues. I think he’s got the secondary pitches, but the quality of hitters he’ll face may be a challenge at first.”  The Dodgers will be without Brett Anderson for the next three to five months, so they are certainly hoping that Maeda can hit the ground running.
  • Agent Randy Rowley tells Cafardo that Justin Masterson will throw a bullpen session for several teams towards the end of March.
  • The trade sending John Ryan Murphy to the Twins in exchange for outfielder Aaron Hicks was “the best pure baseball deal of the offseason,” in the opinion of one official who spoke with Cafardo.  That official, Cafardo notes, was not involved in the swap in any way.  Hicks, a defensive specialist, posted a .256/.323/.398 batting line in 2015 and added 13 steals, numbers that made him a little more attractive to the Bombers.  The Twins, meanwhile, got themselves an upgrade behind the plate in the wake of Kurt Suzuki’s struggles.
  • Free agent outfielder Grady Sizemore hasn’t received much interest to date.  The veteran spent the second half of last season with the Rays.

Rays Notes: Cobb, Whitley, Rotation, Outfield, Loney

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Rays pitcher Alex Cobb is targeting a late July return from Tommy John surgery, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Cobb went under the knife in mid-May of last season. This reported time table puts him on a typical 14 to 15 month pace. Cobb last pitched in 2014 when he posted a 2.87 ERA with 8.06 K/9, 2.54 BB/9 and a 56 percent ground ball rate.

  • Waiver claim Chase Whitley is on a similar return schedule to Cobb. Whitley’s surgery came a few days after Cobb so it’s possible he won’t be ready until early August. While Cobb has a borderline ace ceiling, Whitley has performed more like a swingman. In 95 career innings, he has a 5.02 ERA with 7.20 K/9 and 2.18 BB/9. Interestingly, his peripherals suggest the potential for a sub-4.00 ERA.
  • While they recover, the rotation is a little thin if injuries strike. The team is already relying upon Matt Moore and Drew Smyly – both of whom have missed significant time in recent seasons. Matt Andriese is one of the main depth options with top prospect Blake Snell knocking on the door.
  • Topkin also runs through the position battles at other positions. Outfield is a spot to watch for our readers. The club is particularly deep. Trade acquisition Corey Dickerson is expected to be the primary designated hitter with Desmond Jennings in left, Kevin Kiermaier in center, Steven Souza in right, and Brandon Guyer in a reserve role. Injuries or a trade opportunity could quickly mutate the plans.
  • The Rays problems are of the “good” variety, Topkin writes in a separate piece. Most of the roster is crowded with the exception of the bullpen where options can emerge unexpectedly. With their depth, future transactions in the outfield and at first base are possible. The team has been shopping James Loney for awhile now. He’s owed $8MM for this season.
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