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NL East Notes: Cashner Trade Fallout, Nats, Familia, d’Arnaud

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Last summer’s partially deconstructed swap between the Marlins and Padres had far-reaching implications, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. After learning of issues with Colin Rea’s health and discovering that San Diego had failed to disclose certain medical information, Miami considered rescinding the entire deal — which the commissioner’s office offered to facilitate. But due to practical considerations and the apparent preferences of the league, the Fish instead worked out a deal to send Rea back to the Pads for prospect Luis Castillo, thus keeping Andrew Cashner in Miami and Josh Naylor (and others) in San Diego. That, in turn, prevented an alternative deal that would’ve sent Naylor to the Phillies for righty Jeremy Hellickson. There was fallout beyond that, as Rosenthal explains, including the fact that Hellickson ultimately received and accepted a qualifying offer from the Phils that he otherwise wouldn’t have been eligible for.

Here are some more NL East-focused notes:

  • As presently constructed, the Nationals have a strong core but questionable depth beyond it, Dave Cameron of Fangraphs argues. The problems are compounded by the health questions facing many of the Nats’ best players. Cameron suggests (as we’ve done here, as well) that Washington ought to have considered adding a quality, left-handed bat to share time with Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth. Though that could still come to pass, the most obvious options are now off the market. Meanwhile, the team still arguably ought to bolster its late-inning relief corps and rotation depth.
  • The league’s investigation into domestic violence allegations against Mets closer Jeurys Familia is moving slowly, per Bob Klapisch of NorthJersey.com. With the criminal case dropped — in large part, it seems, due to a decision by his wife not to testify — the commissioner’s office is struggling to obtain information. While that won’t necessarily prevent a suspension, it is creating delay. According to Klapisch, it’s likely that the final penalty won’t be known until late in Spring Training.
  • The Mets are hopeful that backstop Travis d’Arnaud can restore his career trajectory after a tough 2016 season, David Lennon of Newsday writes. He’s already working with catching instructor Glenn Sherlock to work out the defensive kinks, though d’Arnaud also needs to prove he can stay healthy and productive at the plate.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: National League

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Quite frankly, there were too many arbitration agreements today to reasonably stuff into one post. So here’s a rundown of the National League players that have avoided arbitration on smaller deals (American League deals here). You can see all of the arbitration “action” thus far in a sortable, filterable format by checking out MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker. All projections referenced in this post are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz:

  • Wily Peralta and Carlos Torres have agreed to one-year deals, according to the team’s Twitter account. Peralta will earn $4.275MM (compared to $4.4MM projection), per Heyman. Torres was projected to make $2MM, but will get slightly more at $2.175MM, per Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (via Twitter).
  • Reliever George Kontos gets $1.75MM from the Giants, Heyman tweets. He had projected at $1.7MM.
  • The Diamondbacks also reached agreement with lefty Patrick Corbin, righty Randall Delgado, and catcher Chris Herrmann, per Jack Magruder of Fan Rag (links to Twitter). Delgado gets $1.775MM and Herrmann receives $937,500. As for Corbin, he’ll take home $3.95MM, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter), which falls a bit shy of his $4.2MM projection.
  • Infielder Eduardo Nunez will receive $4.2MM from the Giants, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). San Francisco has also reached agreement with lefty Will Smith, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). He’ll receive $2.5MM, just over his $2.3MM projection, Heyman tweets.
  • The Phillies settled at $4.2MM with righty Jeanmar Gomez, per Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). He falls just a big shy of his $4.6MM projection.
  • The Cardinals have announced arb deals with Trevor Rosenthal and Kevin Siegrist. Rosenthal receives $6.4MM, per Heyman (via Twitter), which is just $100K over his projection. Siegrist projected at $1.9MM, but his salary has yet to be reported.
  • Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom have each avoided arbitration with the Mets. Harvey gets $5.125MM in his second arb year, per James Wagner of the New York Times (via Twitter). Meanwhile, deGrom will receive $4.05MM in his first trip through the arb process, per ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin (via Twitter). New York has also agreed with lefty Josh Edgin, Rubin tweets, though terms remain unreported.

Earlier Updates

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Mets Avoid Arbitration With Jeurys Familia

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The Mets have avoided arbitration with closer Jeurys Familia, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The righty will receive a $7.425MM salary.

The 27-year-old Familia had another strong season on the mound in 2016, providing 77 2/3 innings of 2.55 ERA pitching with 9.7 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. Importantly, for arbitration purposes, he also recorded a hefty tally of 51 saves.

MLBTR had projected Familia to earn $8.7MM in 2017 after his productive campaign. But the second-time arb-eligible pitcher is facing a possible suspension after being charged over the offseason in a domestic violence incident. Though the charges were dropped, and the matter doesn’t technically impact his case, it may well be that the team had some extra leverage to exert.

 

Mets Avoid Arbitration With Duda, Reed, Familia

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JAN. 13: The Mets have also avoided arb with setup man Addison Reed and closer Jeurys Familia, per a pair of reports from Heyman and James Wagner of the New York Times (Twitter links). Reed will earn $7.75MM and Familia will take home $7.425MM. Familia was projected to earn $8.7MM and came in a fair bit shy of that sum, while Reed’s unique background somewhat “broke” MLBTR’s arbitration model and resulted in a $10.6MM projection. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, who designed the model, explained earlier this week why Reed’s case was something of an outlier and suggested at the time that a salary in the range of $8MM was more likely.

JAN. 12: The Mets have avoided arbitration with first baseman Lucas Duda, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Duda will receive $7.25MM in the deal.

That’s a fairly healthy bump over the MLBTR projection of $6.725MM, which would have been a repeat of Duda’s 2016 salary. Ultimately, he’ll get about half a million more after an injury-limited season in which he took just 172 plate appearances.

Duda will be looking to get on track before hitting the open market after the season. First, he’ll need to return to health after a long layoff due to back surgery. If he’s able to do that, there’s certainly reason to think he can be a productive bat at first base. Between 2014 and 2015, he slashed .249/.350/.483 with 57 home runs.

East Notes & Rumors: Trumbo, O’s, Familia, Nats, Yanks

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Contract talks between the Orioles and free agent outfielder/first baseman Mark Trumbo have stalled, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The two sides previously agreed to a four-year framework, but Baltimore’s offer is now off the table, per Kubatko, who notes that a deal could still come together (Twitter link). In 2016, his first (and perhaps only) season as an Oriole, Trumbo hit .256/.316/.533 with a major league-high 47 home runs. Along with the O’s, the Rockies, Indians, Mariners and Rangers are among the clubs that have shown interest in the soon-to-be 31-year-old this offseason.

More from the majors’ two East divisions:

  • Domestic violence charges against Mets closer Jeurys Familia were dropped Thursday, but he’ll still face at least a 30-game suspension next season, per Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. A 30-game ban would be identical to the punishment Major League Baseball levied on Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman last year. Like Familia, Chapman didn’t face any legal ramifications for his domestic violence incident. Rob Manfred regarded Chapman’s case as serious enough to warrant an unpaid month off, though, and the commissioner is currently investigating Familia. Bianca Rivas, Familia’s wife, said he didn’t hurt her Oct. 31, but the police who responded to her 911 call noticed a bruise on her cheek and scratches on her chest. The scratches came from the couple’s 1-year-old son, according to Rivas.
  • After trading away infielder Danny Espinosa last week, the Nationals are searching for outside bench help, writes Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. The Nats have expressed interest in re-signing free agent infielder Stephen Drew, who joined the team last year on a one-year, $3MM deal and hit .266/.339/.524 in 165 plate appearances. However, Drew might end up finding a more prominent role elsewhere. “He’s been offered some,” Drew’s agent, Scott Boras, said at the winter meetings. “So he’s just kind of evaluating the options of carrying out a multiple-position role and probably playing more than he did last year, or pursuing something more along the lines (of what he was for the Nationals this year).” If Washington doesn’t acquire an Espinosa replacement from elsewhere, the club does have 24-year-old Wilmer Difo on hand as a potential solution. He has just 77 big league PAs to his name, though.
  • Given that they haven’t added anyone to their rotation this winter, the Yankees are positioning themselves to rely heavily on unproven starters in 2017, observes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Masahiro Tanaka, C.C. Sabathia and Michael Pineda are locks for the starting five; behind them, Luis Severino, Chad Green Luis Cessa, Bryan Mitchell and Adam Warren will vie for roles. The most intriguing member of the group is Severino, who endured a miserable 2016 with an 8.50 ERA in 47 2/3 major league innings as a starter. That was only Severino’s age-22 season, though, and the former big-time prospect isn’t far removed from a highly promising 2015 debut in which he recorded a 2.89 ERA, 8.09 K/9 and 50.3 percent ground-ball rate in 62 1/3 frames. “My emphasis at the end of the year with him was locate your fastball better, repeat your delivery and make sure your breaking ball morphs back into a harder breaking ball,” pitching coach Larry Rothschild told Sherman. “I certainly look at him as a starter. But to be a starter, improvements need to be made. If the improvements are made, he will be really good.”

Domestic Violence Charges Against Jeurys Familia Dismissed

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DEC. 15: Assault charges against Familia were formally dropped today, reports ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin. According to Rubin, Fort Lee prosecutor Arthur Balsamo met with Familia’s wife prior to Thursday’s hearing and confirmed that she no longer wanted the case to be pursued.

As noted last month at the time of the report that charges could be dropped, however, this doesn’t preclude Familia from receiving some form of league-mandated suspension. Both Chapman received a 30-game suspension in the absence of either an arrest or charges being brought against him, while Reyes was suspended 52 games even though charges against him were dropped just before trial.

NOV. 18: The victim in the domestic violence case against Mets closer Jeurys Familia has asked that charges be dropped, reports Jim Baumbach of Newsday (Twitter link). Back on Nov. 1, news broke that Familia had been arrested and charged with simple assault in an alleged domestic violence incident.

Even in the event that the charges against Familia are dropped, which now seems a plausible outcome, the right-hander could still face punishment from the Commissioner’s office in the form of a suspension. Aroldis Chapman received a 30-game suspension earlier this season despite the fact that he was neither arrested nor charged in connection with domestic abuse allegations against him, and Familia’s own teammate, Jose Reyes (then with the Rockies), received a 52-game suspension even though the charges that had been brought against him were dropped shortly before the case went to trial.

If and when the criminal investigation into his actions is concluded, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred will undoubtedly look into the matter to determine the extent to which Familia will potentially be punished by the league. That determination, however, could take weeks or months depending on the level of information available. Notably, unlike suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs, domestic violence suspensions do not automatically preclude a player from participating in the offseason in a year during which they receive a ban.

Familia, who turned 27 last month, is arbitration-eligible for the second time this offseason and was projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $8.7MM on the heels of a season in which he posted a 2.55 ERA with an NL-leading 51 saves, 9.7 K.9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 77 2/3 innings. He is obviously expected to play a significant role on the team again in 2017, though with Addison Reed on hand, it seems reasonable to think that the Mets will not necessarily prioritize the addition of another late-inning arm.

Pitcher News & Rumors: Red Sox, Marlins, Rockies, Mets, Tigers

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In addition to showing an unwillingness to take on Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz’s $13.5MM salary for next season, the Marlins weren’t open to dealing righty prospect Luis Castillo in trade talks, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The Marlins previously traded Castillo to the Padres last July in the Andrew Cashner deal, but San Diego quickly returned the 23-year-old to Miami in exchange for the injured Colin Rea. Castillo, whom MLBpipeline.com ranks as the Marlins’ fifth-best prospect, spent most of last season at the High-A level and logged a 2.07 ERA, 6.96 K/9 and 1.38 BB/9 in 117 2/3 innings.

More pitcher-related news:

  • While Colorado native Mark Melancon reportedly would have taken a slight discount to sign with the Rockies, they were never really in contention for the closer before he inked a four-year, $62MM deal with the Giants on Monday, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “They knew that we were interested, but I wouldn’t say we were at the front of the line,” said general manager Jeff Bridich.
  • The Mets have given closer Jeurys Familia permission to pitch in the Dominican Winter League with Gigantes del Cibao, per Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. Familia has a scheduled Thursday court hearing, at which his simple assault charge stemming from an Oct. 31 domestic violence arrest will likely be dropped. Even if that happens, commissioner Rob Manfred could still suspend Familia for some portion of next season.
  • The Tigers are listening to offers for relievers Justin Wilson and Shane Greene, but the former is the likelier of the two to move because he’s pricier and would bring back more in a trade, according to Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. Shipping out the left-handed Wilson would free up an estimated $2.7MM for Detroit, which acquired him from the Yankees for righties Chad Green and Luis Cessa last winter. In his first year with the Tigers, Wilson recorded a 4.14 ERA, 9.97 K/9, 2.61 BB/9 and 54.6 ground-ball rate in 58 2/3 innings. The right-handed Greene, also an ex-Yankee, will make close to the league minimum in 2017. He ended last season with a 5.82 ERA, 8.8 K/9, 3.28 BB/9 and 47.6 grounder rate across 60 1/3 frames.

Jeurys Familia’s Court Date Pushed Back

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NOV. 2: Familia’s court date has been pushed back to Nov. 10, tweets Newsday’s Jim Baumbach.

NOV. 1, 9:42pm: Ken Davidoff and Kenneth Garger of the New York Post report that Familia’s wife, Bianca, is the previously unidentified victim, as her name was redacted from initial reports. Familia told Dominican reporter Hector Gomez: “Somebody is trying to damage my reputation with this info. I’m at peace with my family.” (Twitter link) However, The Post’s report cites the authorities and anonymous court officials in providing details of Familia’s arrest, including the fact that he was arraigned at the Fort Lee police station on Monday and released on $1,500 bail. Familia, according to Davidoff and Garger, is due back in court on Thursday.

2:11pm: Mets closer Jeurys Familia has been arrested and charged with simple assault in an alleged domestic violence incident, according to a report from Andrew Wyrich and Abbott Koloff of the Record.

Public judicial records suggest that the 27-year-old pitcher is alleged to have caused bodily injury to an unidentified person, with police officers stating in the filing that there was probable cause “to believe that domestic violence had occurred.” A “scratch to the chest and a bruise to the right cheek of the victim” are said to have been observed.

The incident in question occurred early Monday morning in Fort Lee, New Jersey, per the court documents. That is where Familia, 27, resides with his wife and young child, according to the report.

The Mets provided a statement to the Record on the subject, stating: “The matter was brought to our attention and we are monitoring the situation.” Major League Baseball says that it has opened an investigation into the matter, according to James Wagner of the New York Times (via Twitter).

It is certainly too soon to know where this matter may lead. Needless to say, the primary concern is with the victim and their loved ones.

Baseball (like other professional sports leagues) has struggled to deal with several high-profile domestic violence matters that have allegedly been perpetuated by its players. The league and player’s union agreed to a domestic violence protocol that vests significant power in the commissioner to assess and punish domestic violence offenders, whether or not they are arrested, charged, or convicted.

That policy was quickly put to the test by Jose Reyes, who was charged with assaulting his wife (though he never went to trial) and was ultimately suspended for 52 games. Aroldis Chapman also received a ban, in his case thirty games, though he was neither arrested nor charged in the incident in question. And Hector Olivera was punished with an 82-game suspension following an assault for which he was ultimately convicted.

Reyes later joined Familia with the Mets and is expected to stay with the team next year by operation of a club option. At the time, the organization suggested that Reyes “deserved a second chance,” in the words of GM Sandy Alderson. “I came away feeling that he had taken responsibility for this mistake on his part, that he was remorseful,” Alderson said of Reyes. “He obviously has paid a penalty for this, both financially and in terms of his career.”

As with Reyes, Familia’s situation has arisen in the offseason, meaning that the league will likely not need to utilize its powers to impose a paid administrative leave period pending investigation — at least initially. Reyes was later placed on administrative leave while the league awaited the results of the legal proceedings that had been initiated against him.

Looking ahead at hypothetical consequences, if Familia ultimately is suspended, he would not be entitled to his pay during the period of any ban. He is projected to earn $8.7MM in 2017, his second season of arbitration eligibility. It is not apparent whether Familia has gained U.S. citizenship, so it is also possible that any conviction could not only result in jail time but also carry consequences relating to his ability to continue working and residing in the United States.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Dodgers, Brewers, Braun, Puig, D-backs

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Before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, the Dodgers discussed a deal with the Brewers that would have sent outfielder Ryan Braun to Los Angeles, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). While Braun has since cleared waivers, meaning the Dodgers (or another team) could make a trade for him this month, that would require overcoming potential complications. For instance, any team acquiring Braun would likely want the Brewers to eat a significant portion of the $76MM left on his contract, says Rosenthal, who adds that Milwaukee might be hesitant to assist a high-revenue club like the Dodgers in paying the 32-year-old. If the Dodgers and Brewers aren’t able to swing a trade in August, they could revisit talks during the offseason.

Here’s more from Rosenthal:

  • As of now, the Dodgers have not placed outfielder Yasiel Puig on revocable waivers this month, making him ineligible for a trade, notes Rosenthal (video link). Even if Puig does end up on waivers in the month’s final days, the Dodgers are likelier to move him during the offseason when they can negotiate with the rest of the league instead of just one team. LA demoted Puig to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Aug. 2 and is not currently planning to recall him when rosters expand Sept. 1. The right-handed hitter has slashed .386/.435/.667 in 62 minor league plate appearances, though, and could still factor into the Dodgers’ plans before the year is out.
  • Mets manager Terry Collins’ heavy reliance on closer Jeurys Familia could help lead to his ouster, according to Rosenthal. Familia is tied for the major league lead with the Indians’ Bryan Shaw, who’s not a closer, in relief appearances since the start of the 2014 season. Familia is on track to eclipse the 75-appearance mark for the third straight year – which, in Rosenthal’s opinion, points to overuse – but he has continued as one of the league’s most effective relievers this season.
  • If the Diamondbacks fire manager Chip Hale after the season, they could target the Rockies’ Walt Weiss, per Rosenthal, who notes that Weiss has connections to both D-backs chief baseball officer Tony La Russa and general manager Dave Stewart (they’re also on the hot seat). Weiss, whom Rockies GM Jeff Bridich inherited upon taking over after the 2014 season, is in the last year of his contract. In terms of wins and losses, the Weiss-led Rockies have shown progress this year, though they’ve faded lately and have only compiled a a 268-346 record under him since 2013.
  • The Dodgers’ clubhouse was “like a cemetery” after the team traded backup catcher A.J. Ellis to Philadelphia for fellow reserve backstop Carlos Ruiz on Thursday, one LA player told Rosenthal. A rival executive added, “You never want to give players an excuse for failure,” implying that the loss of a beloved teammate like Ellis could sap the Dodgers of morale. Rosenthal is skeptical of Ellis’ departure sinking the likely playoff-bound club, though, considering he didn’t contribute much on the field.

Mets, Jeurys Familia Avoid Arbitration

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While the majority of the 156 players that filed for salary arbitration have agreed to terms with their teams, either on a one-year deal for 2016 or on an extension, the cases of 17 players remained unresolved as of Wednesday morning. You can track the status of each case using MLBTR’s 2016 Arbitration Tracker, and we’ll keep track of all of today’s smaller deals to avoid arbitration in this post (all referenced projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)…

  • The Mets and closer Jeurys Familia have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $4.1MM, reports Jon Heyman (on Twitter). Familia blew past his $3.3MM projected salary and also came in north of the $4.05MM midpoint of his own $4.8MM submission and the team’s submission of $3.3MM. Familia, 26, opened the season expected to work in a setup role but found himself in the ninth inning when Jenrry Mejia was hit with a PED suspension. Over the course of a career-high 78 innings, Familia posted a brilliant 1.85 ERA with 9.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, a 58.3 percent ground-ball rate and 43 saves. With Familia’s case resolved, the Mets have successfully avoided an arbitration hearing with all nine of their eligible players.
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