Central Notes: Quintana, Guerra, Perkins, Park, Williams
The Pirates, Astros and Braves are among multiple teams still showing interest in White Sox lefty Jose Quintana, Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan reports. Pittsburgh and Houston have been widely linked to Quintana on the rumor mill all winter long, while connections between Quintana and the Braves have been largely quiet since December, when Atlanta reportedly balked at Chicago’s very high asking price for the southpaw. Several evaluators tell Passan that the Braves aren’t a great trade fit for the Sox, as while Atlanta’s farm system is very deep, its top prospects (Dansby Swanson, Ozzie Albies and Kevin Maitan) are all middle infielders, and Chicago already has Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada slated as their up-the-middle combo of the future. In short, not much has really changed on the Quintana front, as the Sox are in no rush to make a deal unless someone meets their price. “The White Sox have dispatched more scouts than usual” to minor league camps, Passan writes, in a sign of due diligence should a good trade offer suddenly emerge.
Here’s more from both the NL and AL Central…
- Also from Passan’s piece, two sources believe that after Quintana, the Brewers‘ Junior Guerra is the best starter available on the trade market. Guerra received a bit of trade buzz at the trade deadline and back in November, though there wasn’t much chatter about the righty. Guerra came out of nowhere to post a 2.81 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 2.33 K/BB rate as a 31-year-old rookie last season. Despite his rather advanced age, his good performance and five remaining years of team control make him an interesting trade chip for Milwaukee.
- Glen Perkins will meet with Twins trainers and coaches later this week to determine the next step of his rehab from shoulder surgery, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports, and a 60-day DL stint is a possibility. Perkins would have to give his consent to be placed on the disabled list, as per the rules of the collective bargaining agreement. That placement would allow Minnesota to open up a 40-man roster spot for another player, though Perkins wouldn’t be able to return until June 1 at the earliest. The veteran lefty has been limited to 20-pitch bullpen sessions every four days during Spring Training, and will start the season on at least the 10-day DL, though he is hopeful of being able to pitch much earlier than June 1.
- Byung Ho Park was outrighted off the Twins‘ 40-man roster last month, but the first baseman is trying to work himself back into the club’s immediate plans with a big Spring Training, MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger writes. Park has recovered from a wrist injury that hampered him during his rookie season, and he also seems generally more relaxed now that he is more used to MLB pitching. According to South Korean reporters who followed Park in the KBO League, Bollinger writes that Park similarly put a lot of pressure on himself early in his career before settling in and becoming a major star for Nexen Heroes. Since Kennys Vargas has one more option year remaining, Minnesota has the flexibility to send Vargas to Triple-A if Park impresses enough to win the DH job.
- White Sox VP and former general manager Ken Williams has “not been this excited about the White Sox’ future in a long, long time,” he told media (including Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times). Williams was resistant to GM Rick Hahn’s idea for a rebuild, though he noted that “a lot of us around here needed this kind of jolt” brought on by the franchise’s youth movement. “To talk to Rick about the possibilities trade-wise we may have out there in the future, free agency, international signing wise…we’re in full-go mode. And it’s exciting,” Williams said.
East Notes: Yankees, Braves, Velazquez
GM Brian Cashman says the Yankees are unlikely to trade for a rotation upgrade like Jose Quintana at this point, George A. King III of the New York Post writes. “I’m expecting we will go with what we got,” Cashman says. After Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda and CC Sabathia, the favorites for the last two rotation jobs appear to be Luis Severino and Bryan Mitchell, with Adam Warren Luis Cessa, Chad Green and perhaps rookie Jordan Montgomery in the mix as well. King notes that if Montgomery does make the team after spending much of 2016 at the Double-A level, he’s likely to pitch in long relief rather than starting. It perhaps isn’t surprising that the Yankees aren’t planning on trading for a high-profile starter like Quintana — while Quintana would be under team control for up to four years, making him a long-term asset, acquiring him would likely require the Yankees to part with a decent chunk of the young talent they’ve accumulated in recent trades. Here’s more from the East divisions.
- If the Braves attempt to add to their bench, they will likely do so via the trade route, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets. One possibility is that they could trade one out-of-options player for another, he adds. (Braves players who are out of options include Kevin Chapman, Chase d’Arnaud, Ian Krol, Jose Ramirez and Chaz Roe.) The Braves had previously been connected to outfielder Angel Pagan, although there’s reportedly nothing happening on that front at the moment. As MLBTR’s Jeff Todd noted in his recap of the Braves’ offseason, the team’s projected bench appears to be somewhat thin on hitting talent, with d’Arnaud potentially joining Jace Peterson, Emilio Bonifacio and a catcher in the Braves’ stash of reserves.
- Righty Hector Velazquez, whose contract the Red Sox recently purchased for $30K from the Mexican League, has struggled thus far in Spring Training. But the Red Sox are holding off on fully evaluating him, Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com writes. Between the Mexican League, the Mexican Pacific Winter League, and the Caribbean Series, Velazquez has made 46 starts and pitched 246 1/3 innings over the past year. During that time, he whiffed 242 batters while walking just 39. The Red Sox identified him as a possible target during the regular season, then sent their scouts to see him during the Caribbean Series. Red Sox exec Allard Baird cites Velazquez’s athleticism and relative youth (he’s 28) as traits they liked. (It doesn’t appear his velocity was overly impressive: “[H]e’s going to be a guy that has to command his pitches, not just control them but command them, and utilize his secondary stuff probably backwards at some point,” says Baird.) Due to his prior workload, he likely won’t be a factor in the early going, despite the Red Sox’ immediate need for starting pitching depth. He could, however, enter the big-league picture as the season progresses.
Heyman’s Latest: Quintana, Pagan, Cozart, Padres, Bautista, Giants
In his latest notes column, FanRag’s Jon Heyman reports that while teams such as the Astros, Pirates, Rangers and Yankees were all linked to Jose Quintana in trade rumors this offseason, the best offer the White Sox received came from an unnamed club that is currently perceived as more of a rebuilding team. That could mean any number of teams — the Braves, Phillies, Twins, Reds, Brewers and Padres are all in the midst of retooling their organizations — and further context is seemingly unknown at this time. A trade of Quintana, at this point, seems far likelier to occur this summer than during the final days of Spring Training, though Heyman’s note is a reminder that Quintana would appeal to virtually any club in baseball. With four years and $36.85MM remaining on his contract, Quintana’s affordable level of excellence can help clubs looking to win now or those looking to contend more in 2018-19.
A few more highlights…
- The Braves have made “multiple” attempts to sign free-agent outfielder Angel Pagan, but the veteran has been holding out for a big league deal worth around $5MM. Heyman notes that Pagan has received some guaranteed offers, but they’ve come with very low base salaries. Atlanta has also been tied to another reunion with infielder Kelly Johnson, but Heyman notes that Johnson, too, is seeking a Major League contract.
- Zack Cozart is still available in trade talks, but the Reds haven’t gotten much in the way of appealing offers due to the fact that few clubs are looking for a shortstop right now. The Padres have talked to Cincinnati about Cozart, but Heyman notes that they’re not keen on giving up top-tier talent for a player with only one year of club control remaining before free agency. Heyman notes that San Diego is still on the lookout for a shortstop upgrade.
- The Rangers would want a Major League ready starting pitcher in any trade involving Jurickson Profar, Heyman notes. The Padres like Profar but wouldn’t be willing to surrender right-hander Luis Perdomo in order to obtain him, he adds. That may raise an eyebrow for some fans, but I’d point out that Perdomo has five years of control remaining (to Profar’s three) and posted a 4.47 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 61.4 percent ground-ball rate across his final 110 2/3 innings in 2016 after a dismal start in the bullpen. In that time, he posted a 3.84 xFIP and 3.88 SIERA. Profar hit .239/.321/.338 in 307 plate appearances last season.
- Right-hander Jered Weaver tells Heyman that he considered retirement this offseason following a career-worst year in 2016. However, Weaver began to feel stronger after a month of rest, ultimately landing with the Padres on a one-year, $3MM deal. Weaver says that he’s “10 steps above last year” in terms of how he feels physically at this point.
- The Indians made an offer to Jose Bautista that was for roughly the same $18.5MM guarantee he received with the Blue Jays, Heyman reports, and they weren’t entirely closed off to a multi-year deal. However, Bautista’s preference was to head back to Toronto.
- The Pirates sought right-hander Derek Law (among other pieces) in trade talks centering around Mark Melancon with the Giants at last year’s trade deadline, per Heyman. It seems that the Pirates were focused on adding an MLB-ready replacement arm for the bullpen in Melancon talks, which they received in the form of left-hander Felipe Rivero. San Francisco, of course, signed Melancon to a four-year deal this winter.
AL East Notes: Quintana, Norris, Longoria, Lawrie
Here’s the latest from around the AL East…
- The White Sox have been scouting Yankees prospects in regards to a potential Jose Quintana trade, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The two clubs have been linked in Quintana trade rumors though there isn’t any movement as per the latest reports, since New York doesn’t want to part with its top minor leaguers. The Yankees have been seen as a logical target for Quintana due to the lack of certainty in their rotation beyond Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, and C.C. Sabathia, and even that top trio can’t be considered locks due to each pitcher’s injury history. It makes sense that the Sox would keep doing its due scouting diligence on the Yankees and other potential Quintana suitors should a team make a renewed push for a deal before Spring Training is out.
- The Rays would likely be interested in Derek Norris if the catcher is indeed released by the Nationals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The Nats waived Norris yesterday, and obviously the Rays would like to avoid paying the $4.2MM they would owe Norris by simply claiming him. Newly-signed Rays catcher Wilson Ramos will begin the year on the disabled list and will require quite a bit of DH time as he eases back from knee surgery, so Tampa could offer Norris a significant amount of playing time, if not quite a full-time gig behind the plate. Curt Casali, Jesus Sucre, Michael McKenry and Luke Maile are the Rays’ current internal catching options.
- In another piece from Topkin, he looks at the ever-present trade speculation that seems to swirl around Evan Longoria, no matter how much the third baseman insists that he wants to remain with the Rays for the rest of his career. With the Rays front office constantly looking to keep payroll stable and reload with young talent, trading Longoria (who is owed $100MM through 2022) would seem like a logical step if the club ever embarks on a full-fledged rebuild. Topkin notes that Longoria is on track to receive 10-and-5 rights in April 2018, which would give him the right to reject any proposed trade. The Rays could therefore look to deal him before then, Topkin opines, or perhaps they could wait until they finalize a new stadium deal.
- A reunion between Brett Lawrie and the Blue Jays “would be a shock,” MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm opines as part of a reader mailbag. In Chisholm’s view, the only path to Lawrie’s return to Toronto would be if second baseman Devon Travis “suffers a major setback” in his recovery from knee surgery. That scenario isn’t entirely out of the question given that Travis’ availability for Opening Day seems to be in doubt, though Lawrie himself is dealing with some injury concerns and wants to get healthy before pursuing a new contract. The Jays, Rays and Royals all had some interest in Lawrie after his release from the White Sox, with the Mets also linked but reportedly not overly intrigued.
Yankees Notes: Quintana, Refsnyder, Kaprielian
In light of the Yankees’ decision to make outfield prospect Clint Frazier cut his hair Friday, this is a good time to revisit a piece from 1991 on the team’s longtime first baseman, Don Mattingly. Then with the New York Times (and now with the YES Network), Jack Curry wrote that Mattingly refused to obey owner George Steinbrenner’s hair policy, so New York benched and fined its captain as a result. That came two months after the Yankees denied Mattingly’s request for a trade. “Maybe I don’t belong in the organization anymore,” a frustrated Mattingly said at the time. “I talked to [general manager Gene Michael] about moving me earlier in the year. He said we’ll talk at the end of the year. Maybe this is their way of saying we don’t need you anymore.” Mattingly added that Michael wanted an “organization that will be puppets for him and do what he wants.” Michael fired back, saying: “He’s the captain and he’s got a big contract. If we asked the captain to get his hair cut, he should get it cut.”
Despite Mattingly’s dispute with the Yankees, he went on to spend the next four seasons with the club before retiring after the 1995 campaign. The Bombers were the only team for which Mattingly played, of course, in an excellent career that began in 1982. As for the Yankees, although Steinbrenner passed away in 2010, his daughter, part-owner Jennifer Steinbrenner, has kept her father’s rule in place, per Billy Witz of the Times. Many, including River Ave Blues’ Mike Axisa, aren’t happy about it.
Here’s more from the Bronx:
- Trade rumors have connected the Yankees and White Sox ace Jose Quintana over the past few months, but no deal is brewing between the teams, reports Curry (video link). Nothing has changed since January for the Yanks, who were then loath to subtract from their loaded farm system to acquire Quintana and remain unwilling to trade a prospect haul for the left-hander as Opening Day approaches.
- The Yankees are reportedly willing to listen to offers for utilityman Rob Refsnyder, and with that in mind, Curry notes that he’s going to have a difficult time cracking their 25-man roster. If New York goes with a four-man bench, odds are it’ll be Chris Carter, Austin Romine, Aaron Hicks and Ronald Torreyes who serve as their reserves, says Curry, who points out that Refsnyder does have a minor league option remaining. Thus, it’s not necessarily a must for the Yankees to trade the soon-to-be 26-year-old.
- Although he missed most of last season with an elbow injury and hasn’t pitched above the High-A level, right-hander James Kaprielian has a chance to end up in the majors sometime this year, according to George A. King III and Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. The 23-year-old, whom the Yankees chose 16th overall pick in the 2015 draft, threw a three-inning simulation game Friday and could make his next appearance in a spring training contest, manager Joe Girardi told King and Davidoff. Girardi believes Kaprielian has “a ton of talent” and will have an opportunity to “move pretty quickly” toward the big leagues if he stays healthy.
AL Central Notes: White Sox, Royals, Romero, Jimenez
In an interview with MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, White Sox GM Rick Hahn again stated that there’s “no economic pressure” and “no timing pressure” to trade left-hander Jose Quintana. “It’s more about making sure if we were to make a major move, that we are getting an appropriate return,” Hahn continued. While the Sox have had numerous trade discussions centering on Quintana this winter, Hahn noted that there’s yet to be an offer presented to the team that made the front office think, “Boy we better move now or we are going to be kicking ourselves.” The South Side GM also once again touched on a few significant trades that fell through at the eleventh hour, noting that the “frustration lingers a little longer than the satisfaction of getting a deal done.”
More from the American League Central…
- Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star writes that the Royals‘ competition at second base — which features Cheslor Cuthbert, Whit Merrifield, Christian Colon and Raul Mondesi — won’t necessarily produce one everyday option at the position. Manager Ned Yost acknowledged yesterday that the Opening Day second baseman “probably” would not play there on an everyday basis this coming year, unless one of the candidates outright runs away with the job this spring. Yost also noted that Cuthbert, who is out of minor league options, could be an especially important piece for Kansas City in April, as the team is planning to incorporate some extra days of rest into Mike Moustakas‘ schedule following last year’s season-ending ACL tear.
- The Twins have unearthed a surprising pitching prospect in righty Fernando Romero, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star-Tribune writes. A 22-year-old power pitcher who is expected to open the season at Double-A, Romero has opened eyes with his big arm at camp. Injuries have limited his professional time, but Romero has already shown plenty to make the organization glad that it invested a relatively meager $260K to sign him — a deal that was struck within half a day after the club first saw him throw. The Dominican righty logged a sensational 1.89 ERA with a 90-to-15 K/BB ratio in 90 1/3 innings across two Class-A levels last season. And while he didn’t receive an abundance of fanfare on prospect rankings, ESPN’s Keith Law did tab Romero as the game’s No. 65 overall farmhand (subscription required/recommended).
- Speaking of prospects in the AL Central, MLB.com’s Jason Beck writes that the Tigers aren’t planning on rushing 22-year-old righty Joe Jimenez to the Majors. Manager Brad Ausmus called Jimenez, who posted a 1.51 ERA, 13.1 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 across three minor league levels last season, “an extreme long shot” to make the Opening Day roster in Detroit this season. Jimenez’s fastball plays well enough to be a Major League offering right now, Ausmus elaborated, but the young righty is still “honing and working on” his secondary offerings. As we recently noted when breaking down the Tigers’ Spring Training battles, Jimenez is one of several candidates for what could be just one vacant bullpen spot in Detroit.
Quick Hits: Quintana, Astros, Yanks, Cards, Bucs, Rockies, Mets
Although left-hander Jose Quintana was the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, he remains with the White Sox as the 2017 campaign approaches. However, the 28-year-old is still in high demand around the majors, according to CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine, who writes that the Astros, Yankees, Cardinals and Pirates are “dug into” the Quintana sweepstakes. With the exception of the Cardinals, Quintana has drawn frequent connections to each of those reported suitors in recent months. The Redbirds suffered a blow earlier this month when they lost standout prospect and rotation candidate Alex Reyes for the season because of a torn UCL, but they’re reportedly unlikely to make a significant splash in response. If true, that would rule out the acquisition of Quintana.
More from the majors:
- After posting career-best numbers while mostly serving as a reliever last year, southpaw Chris Rusin is in the mix to win a spot in the Rockies’ rotation this spring, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “We are thinking about this fella as a starting pitcher,” said manager Bud Black. “We know that he’s versatile enough to go back in the bullpen, if needed, and if that’s what’s best for our staff.” The 30-year-old Rusin possesses plenty of starting experience, having worked from the rotation in 49 of 77 big league appearances with the Rockies and Cubs, but things haven’t gone well. In 260 innings, Rusin has recorded a 5.19 ERA, 5.82 K/9 and 3.08 BB/9. Those numbers pale in comparison to his production as a reliever (3.20 ERA, 7.24 K/9, 2.09 BB/9 in 64 2/3 frames).
- In an early ranking of next winter’s free agent class, ESPN’s Jim Bowden (subscription required/recommended) places Rangers ace Yu Darvish No. 1 overall and Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer tops among position players. Hosmer’s polarizing, given his pedestrian production to this stage, but Bowden cites his age (27), 25-home run showing in 2016 and clubhouse presence as reasons for listing him above the rest of the league’s soon-to-be free agent hitters.
- Mets first baseman Lucas Duda insisted Sunday that his back and hip issues aren’t serious, per Christian Red of the New York Daily News. “In a couple days, I should be ready to go,” declared Duda, who feels “great.” With Duda on the shelf Sunday, the Mets had outfielder Jay Bruce take ground balls at first base. Manager Terry Collins came away encouraged. “I liked everything I saw,” Collins said of Bruce, who has picked up only three appearances at first since debuting in 2008. “He’s got the hands, he’s got the arm angle. He made some throws in our drills that you wouldn’t expect an outfielder to be able to make. But yet he does. If that’s where we have to go, I think he’ll be fine.”
Latest On Jose Quintana
Though the Rangers supposedly renewed interest in White Sox lefty Jose Quintana has already been largely shot down by the Dallas/Fort Worth media, general interest in the 28-year-old lefty “has remained strong throughout the offseason,” writes Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago. The Sox would prefer to trade Quintana prior to Opening Day so as not to risk any scenario in which his value deteriorates, per Hayes, but GM Rick Hahn has steadfastly refused to drop his asking price.
On a related note, Astros owner Jim Crane suggests to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale that commissioner Rob Manfred’s decision to award the Astros the top two picks remaining in the Cardinals’ draft (following the infamous Ground Control data breach scandal) could impact Houston’s willingness to part with young talent in trades.
“We’re hoping something will break,” Crane tells Nightengale. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that … getting two picks from the Cardinals gives us more depth in the system. We’re still looking into it. The thing about pitching is that it keeps games under control. And you got to have someone who can slam that door.”
Chicago reportedly asked the Astros for a package including young right-hander Joe Musgrove and top prospects Francis Martes and Kyle Tucker when the two sides last engaged in serious Quintana talks, and that package was deemed too steep by Houston. Musgrove, after all, made his big league debut at age 23 last year and threw 62 solid innings with a 4.06 ERA, 8.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 43.4 percent ground-ball rate. He’d be controllable for at least another six seasons and possibly seven, depending on how much service time he accumulates in 2017. Martes and Tucker, meanwhile, are considered two of Houston’s best prospects and both ranked within the game’s top 35 prospect in MLB.com’s recent rankings. (Both were within the top 60 on this week’s top 100 rankings from ESPN’s Keith Law, as well.)
While the extra draft picks do give the Astros a quicker avenue to replace some of the talent they’d lose in a theoretical Quintana trade, it does seem somewhat unlikely that the addition of two new draft selections will prompt GM Jeff Luhnow to part with Musgrove, Martes and Tucker. That doesn’t mean, of course, that the two sides can’t find an alternative package, but as Hayes notes, Hahn flatly said, “…we’re not going to compromise on this,” on CSN’s SportsTalk Live last week when asked about the asking price on his remaining trade assets. Per Hayes, there’s a belief that the Sox are looking for two elite prospects and a high-quality third piece, which would align with the reported initial proposal to Houston.
As has been mentioned on numerous occasions in the past, the White Sox aren’t necessarily under any sort of deadline to move Quintana. The lefty has four years of club control remaining at an eminently affordable total of $36.85MM. Only two of those seasons and a total of $16.85MM are guaranteed to Quintana, with the remainder coming via club options, further enhancing his appeal. So long as he remains healthy, Quintana will carry enormous value at any point in the next several seasons — particularly come this summer’s trade deadline. But even if he spends a full season with the Sox, Quintana would carry significant value next winter, when he could be controlled for another three years at a total of $29.85MM.
Rangers Entering Jose Quintana Talks?
3:25pm: Texas is not embarking on a new endeavor to land Quintana, despite their longstanding interest, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Two sources that spoke with him “downplayed the possibility of significant talks.”
As Grant suggests, one must consider the possibility that there’s some gamesmanship at play. Chicago has been known to be fielding offers on Quintana for months, and the Astros — rumored to be one of the primary suitors for Quintana — are a division-rival of the Rangers and would assuredly hate to see the left-hander open the season in Arlington. Chicago has reportedly asked Houston for a hefty package containing right-handers Joe Musgrove and Francis Martes as well as outfielder Kyle Tucker in exchange for Quintana in the past, and Houston has seemingly been steadfast in its refusal to meet that price.
2:47pm: The Rangers have “suddenly increased their pursuit” of White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports (Twitter link). He cautions that it’s not clear if the Texas will ultimately be able to pull off a deal, though their emergence is nonetheless the first apparent step forward in the Quintana trade market in several weeks.
A pursuit of Quintana makes sense on paper for the Rangers, who lack clarity in the rotation behind Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels, Martin Perez and Andrew Cashner. Texas signed Tyson Ross to eventually pitch in the fifth slot of the rotation, but he’s not likely to be ready to open the season. Beyond that, shifting to a six-man rotation later in the year could help keep not only Ross but the remainder of the rotation healthy. Darvish, in particular, has had recent injury woes, missing the 2015 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. Furthermore, Darvish is a free agent upon completion of the 2017 season, so adding Quintana would give the Rangers an affordable rotation piece that is controlled for three more seasons after Darvish is set to depart.
Certainly, there are obstacles to any Quintana trade. The Rangers, for one, have seen their once-vaunted farm system diminished in recent years by executing win-now trades for Hamels, Jonathan Lucroy, Jeremy Jeffress and Carlos Beltran, among others. While they once rated among the best minor league organizations in all of baseball, the Rangers recently placed 15th on this week’s rankings from ESPN’s Keith Law (subscription required and recommended). That said, the team still has appealing young talent in both the minors and in the Majors. Law placed outfielder Leody Taveras, right-hander Ariel Jurado and lefty Yohander Mendez all in his top 75 prospects, and the big league roster has controllable pieces such as Nomar Mazara, Rougned Odor and, to a lesser extent, Jurickson Profar — any of whom could pique the interest of White Sox GM Rick Hahn and his staff. Slugging corner infielder Joey Gallo, too, has long seen his name bandied about trade rumors — especially since Adrian Beltre inked a two-year extension with the team last year.
It’s also worth questioning exactly how Quintana would fit into the Rangers’ plans from a financial standpoint. While the roughly $37MM that Quintana is owed over the next four seasons is eminently affordable for a pitcher of his caliber, multiple reports this offseason have suggested that Texas is nearly tapped out in terms of payroll. The Rangers are projected to enter the season with a $166MM payroll, which would represent a new franchise record.
Adding Quintana’s $7MM salary to the ledger could be considered a stretch, although Texas has reportedly been trying to broker a one-year contract with Mike Napoli. If that’s the case, it’s hard to imagine that the team definitively cannot add another $7MM to its payroll — a deal for Napoli would figure to be in that range, at minimum — though perhaps Texas does not have the financial capital available to pull off both additions.
One also has to at least consider that the possibility that there’s some gamesmanship at play on behalf of the White Sox in this scenario as well. Chicago has been known to be fielding offers on Quintana for months, and the Astros — rumored to be one of the primary suitors for Quintana — are a division-rival of the Rangers and would assuredly hate to see the left-hander open the season in Arlington. Chicago has reportedly asked Houston for a hefty package containing right-handers Joe Musgrove and Francis Martes as well as outfielder Kyle Tucker in exchange for Quintana in the past, and Houston has seemingly been steadfast in its refusal to meet that price.
Luhnow: Astros Likely Done Making Significant Additions
Speaking with reporters yesterday, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said the team was likely done making big-league additions this winter, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports. Luhnow is effectively saying the team is unlikely to add a big-name pitcher such as Jose Quintana, Chris Archer or Sonny Gray, all of whom they’ve been connected to lately. He is not, however, ruling out the possibility that the Astros could still make a move.
The Astros’ roster at the moment is “probably the roster that we’re going to have to start the season,” Luhnow said. “We’re always open to considering ways to improve it, but right now I’d set the expectations low that there’s going to be any major changes.”
Health permitting, the Astros will have Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers and Collin McHugh in their rotation. After receiving a $14MM contract this winter, Charlie Morton is a reasonable bet to win a job as well, although that’s not a certainty. Mike Fiers, Joe Musgrove and Chris Devenski are also in the picture, and top prospect Francis Martes could eventually emerge as a possibility.
“We feel like we’ve got enough depth in the rotation that we’ll have five guys in our rotation that are going to be able to compete every night, and our offense is going to keep us in games,” Luhnow said. He added that it’s possible the Astros could use the early months of the season to evaluate their starting pitching and then either try to trade for a pitcher or “save ourselves a few prospects” if it turns out they don’t need one.