Rangers Rumors: Deadline, Darvish, Choo
Some rumblings on the Rangers, who improved to 24-19 on Saturday:
- After acquiring top-end starter Cole Hamels at last year’s trade deadline, the prospect-stocked Rangers are well-positioned to make another major splash this summer, writes Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com. The Rangers aren’t yet engaged in “significant” discussions with other teams, reports Morosi, but he believes they could ultimately land another quality pitcher – be it a closer or a starter – and lists the Yankees’ Andrew Miller and the Rays’ Drew Smyly as possible targets. Texas would be “reluctant” to put together a package sufficient enough to land Marlins ace Jose Fernandez, per Morosi, who cites young infielder Jurickson Profar and corner infield/outfield prospect Joey Gallo as potential trade chips.
- The deadline is still a ways off, but the Rangers are poised to land a notable reinforcement in ace Yu Darvish, who hasn’t pitched since 2014 after undergoing Tommy John surgery a year ago. Darvish is on track to make his season debut for the Rangers next Saturday, tweets Morosi. Darvish’s last remaining hurdle is a 90-pitch rehab start Sunday for Double-A Frisco, relays Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
- Thanks in part to second baseman Rougned Odor‘s forthcoming eight-game suspension, the Rangers might have to put right fielder Shin-Soo Choo back on the disabled list, as Grant details. Choo returned from a month-plus absence stemming from a calf injury Friday, but he had to leave the game because of a hamstring injury and is unlikely to play before Monday. Thus, rather than play with a 23-man roster and two-man bench (including a backup catcher), it could behoove the Rangers to return Choo to the DL and allow him to fully heal. “There is going to be a convergence of decisions,” manager Jeff Banister said. “We know we are going to have to play short-handed at some point. We are not in position to play ultra-short-handed.”
Latest On Rangers’ Catching Situation
The Rangers could be without catcher Robinson Chirinos for nearly three months, but while there’s been some talk about searching outside the organization for an upgrade, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick hears that Texas is more likely to stay in house than make a splashy acquisition (Twitter link). That would mean entrusting catching duties to recently acquired Bryan Holaday and rookie Brett Nicholas, though Crasnick does note that the Rangers could make a minor trade to acquire some depth at the position.
Though Crasnick downplays the possibility of a significant trade taking place, it’s still worth noting that his colleague, Buster Olney, reported this morning that the Rangers did at least engage in talks for a significant trade this winter (Twitter link). Per Olney, the Rangers spoke to the Padres about a trade involving Derek Norris, Andrew Cashner and Jurickson Profar, though clearly nothing ever came to fruition. Texas was connected to Norris right up through the end of Spring Training, with Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News calling him a likelier trade candidate than the Brewers’ Jonathan Lucroy (to whom the Rangers were also frequently linked).
Holaday was naturally able to be acquired for a much lower return than it would’ve cost Texas to land either Lucroy or Norris this offseason, and the price tags on those two bigger-name catchers may have gotten even larger given how the Rangers now have an even more pressing need behind the plate. It’s also somewhat rare to see significant trades for catching take place during the season, as most teams prefer to give their backstops and pitchers time to learn to work with each other.
Cashner and Norris have been mentioned in trade rumors for much of the winter, as there was speculation the Padres could unload some of their top trade chips to rebuild after their disappointing 2015 season. While notables like Craig Kimbrel, Yonder Alonso and Jedd Gyorko were dealt, San Diego stopped short of a full-fledged fire sale. Profar has also been cited as a trade candidate, as the former top-ranked prospect in all of baseball has missed almost all of the last two seasons with shoulder injuries and doesn’t have a place in the Rangers’ middle infield with Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor in starting roles. Padres GM A.J. Preller, of course, was formerly a longtime assistant general manager in the Rangers organization.
AL Notes: Red Sox, Rangers, Eppler
The Red Sox could trade from their considerable catching depth, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes. Blake Swihart projects as their starter, while Christian Vazquez has looked good defensively after having Tommy John surgery last year. There’s also veteran Ryan Hanigan, as well as Sandy Leon, who MacPherson notes isn’t on the 40-man roster but is “being paid commensurate with a front-line depth option.” At some point, MacPherson suggests, youngsters Swihart and Vazquez will likely be the Red Sox’ top two catchers. That would imply that Hanigan could be a candidate to be dealt, with the Astros and Rangers as potential trade partners. Hanigan hit a decent .247/.337/.328 last year, has a reputation as a good defender and framer, and is only owed $3.7MM in 2016, so he could be an attractive target for teams in need of catching help. Here’s more from the American League.
- The Rangers have announced that they’ve optioned high-profile youngsters Joey Gallo, Jurickson Profar and Nomar Mazara to Triple-A Round Rock. Gallo has wowed minor-league fans with his power and hit 29 home runs between three levels in 2015, but he struck out in over 40% of his plate appearances in the big leagues and at nearly as high a rate at Triple-A. Profar was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the game by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus prior to the 2013 season, but he missed all of 2014 and most of 2015 with shoulder issues and has only recently begun playing shortstop again. Mazara, an outfielder, batted .296/.366/.443 in a 2015 season split between Double-A Frisco and Round Rock. Via MLB.com, he ranks as the Rangers’ third-best prospect, with Gallo ranking first.
- Tyler Kepner of the New York Times’ profile on new Angels GM Billy Eppler describes Eppler’s earlier days as assistant GM of the Yankees. In particular, Kepner gives Eppler credit for many of the Yankees’ smaller but effective moves, like their 2014 stretch-drive trade for Brandon McCarthy and their 2008 offseason deal for Nick Swisher, neither of which cost the Yankees much. “I think you demonstrate that to the people interviewing you, like, ‘There’s other moves that the Yankees make,'” says Eppler, who had previously interviewed for the Padres’ and Mariners’ GM jobs, as well as interviewing for the Angels job when it previously went to Jerry Dipoto. “It’s not just the $150 million guys and nothing else. There are other moves; they just don’t grab the attention in New York.”
AL West Notes: Hultzen, Beltre, Profar, Astros
This year in Spring Training, Mariners pitcher and 2011 No. 2 overall draft pick Danny Hultzen will make the transition to pitching in relief, Ryan Divish notes for Baseball America (subscription only). It’s been a long fall for Hultzen, who was outrighted in November after his career was derailed by shoulder issues. Hultzen has pitched only 43 2/3 innings in the last three seasons. “Anybody in the league is making that same pick,” says GM Jerry Dipoto, who wasn’t in the organization when the Mariners selected Hultzen. “It’s unfortunate that it has worked out the way it has. But as I said to Danny on the phone when I told him we were removing him from the roster—I want to see him pitch in the big leagues.” Here’s more from the AL West.
- Adrian Beltre, who is eligible for free agency next winter, sees no reason why he wouldn’t consider an extension with the Rangers, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes. Sullivan further notes that Beltre and the Rangers have had preliminary conversations. “[GM Jon Daniels] did what he promised in keeping the team around to win,” Beltre says. “Right now I’m confident with the way everything is going, there is no reason why I don’t want to stay here.” The Rangers have had a quiet offseason, with Tom Wilhelmsen, Tony Barnette and Justin Ruggiano among their key acquisitions. (They also re-signed Colby Lewis to bolster their rotation.) Obviously, though, their in-season addition of Cole Hamels, and subsequent division win, might have some impact on Beltre’s thinking. Beltre will be 37 near the start of the 2016 season, and he took a step back offensively last year, although his still-excellent defense continues to make him an impact player.
- The Rangers could effectively add another player this season in Jurickson Profar. Profar is throwing 135 feet expects to be 100% by mid-March, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. The former top infield prospect missed the entire 2015 season due to shoulder trouble, although he hit well in the Arizona Fall League after the season.
- The Astros might have another move or two up their sleeves this offseason, Jon Heyman tweets. They were in on Justin Upton and have checked in on starting pitching, and owner Jim Crane tells Heyman the team has been “nosing around” for more talent. Lately, they’ve been connected to Yovani Gallardo, the top starting pitcher left on the free agent market.
Players Avoiding Arbitration: Thursday
Here are the day’s lower-value arbitration deals, with all projections coming via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz:
- The Padres and southpaw Drew Pomeranz have avoided arb by agreeing to a one-year, $1.35MM deal, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. That’s a near-match with Swartz’s projection of $1.3MM. Acquired in an offseason trade with the A’s, Pomeranz will slot into the San Diego ‘pen this season and look to build on last season’s 86 innings of 3.66 ERA, during which he averaged 8.6 K.9 and 3.2 BB/9 to complement a 42.2 percent ground-ball rate.
- Fernando Salas and the Angels are in agreement on a one-year, $2.4MM deal, thereby avoiding a hearing, per Rosenthal. The 30-year-old Salas, who will be a free agent next winter, posted a 4.24 ERA in 63 2/3 innings this past season but had more encouraging peripherals; Salas averaged 10.5 K/9 against 1.7 BB/9 with a 35.1 percent ground-ball rate, prompting FIP (3.15) xFIP (3.23) and SIERA (2.65) to forecast markedly better results.
- Right-hander Jeanmar Gomez and the Phillies have avoided arb with a one-year, $1.4MM agreement, Rosenthal tweets. The soon-to-be 28-year-old posted a strong 3.01 ERA with 6.0 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 and also recorded a sound 48.8 percent ground-ball rate in 74 1/3 innings of relief across 65 appearances. He’ll again provide some valuable innings for the rebuilding Phillies.
Rangers Receiving Trade Interest In Jurickson Profar
Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar is drawing “a lot of hits” from teams interested in acquiring the former top prospect, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (via Twitter). Despite all this trade buzz, Texas is “at the moment very much inclined to hold” onto the 22-year-old.
In this respect, not much has changed since early November, when Rangers GM Jon Daniels said “we are not looking to trade” Profar. The only difference is that the Arizona Fall League season is now complete and teams may have had a fuller chance to scout and analyze Profar’s impressive performance. He hit .267/.352/.453 with two homers over 91 AFL plate appearances, playing exclusively as a DH as he continues to work his way back from the shoulder injuries that sidelined him for virtually all of the last two seasons, save a handful of minor league games in 2015.
It’s no surprise that Profar continues to generate trade interest given his high pedigree. Baseball America, MLB.com, ESPN’s Keith Law and Baseball Prospectus all unanimously tabbed Profar as the game’s top prospect prior to the 2013 season, and he received his first significant taste of MLB action that year, hitting .234/.308/.336 over 324 PA as a 20-year-old. It’s still an open question, however, whether or not Profar’s troublesome right shoulder is fit enough to handle throwing. Since the Rangers aren’t going to accept a buy-low offer, it’s unlikely that any team will make a serious push for Profar until scouts can see him play the field during Spring Training.
Even at the height of his prospect value, Profar still drew a lot of trade speculation given the presence of Elvis Andrus as the Rangers’ everyday shortstop and Rougned Odor also making his way up the minor league ladder. Andrus still has seven years and $105MM remaining on his pricey extension (though he has opt-out clauses after 2018 and 2019) and Odor established his claim on the second base job with a strong 2015 season, so there’s even more question about where Profar fits into the Rangers’ long-term middle infield plans.
Nationals Notes: Phillips, Profar, Desmond
The latest on the Nats:
- Among the issues the Reds needed to resolve with Brandon Phillips was the question of money deferred in the six-year, $72.5MM contract extension he signed in 2012, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post writes. The Nats appeared to be on the cusp of trading for the second baseman earlier this week until Phillips declined to waive his no-trade clause.
- Now that the Phillips deal appears to be dead – or at least on hold – the Nationals could consider Jurickson Profar of the Rangers as a trade possibility, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com. However, Profar’s health situation probably means that a deal wouldn’t take place until March. GM Jon Daniels told reporters back in November that he was getting trade interest on the oft-injured Profar, though he added that teams were looking to buy low on him. Profar, who missed the entire 2014 season after twice tearing a muscle in his shoulder, underwent right shoulder surgery in February. Profar ranked as the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball heading into the 2013 season, receiving that distinction from Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, MLB.com and ESPN’s Keith Law. He made his debut as a 20-year-old that season and homered in his first big league plate appearance, though he went on to struggle, relatively speaking, to a .234/.308/.366 batting line in 324 plate appearances that season.
- On Saturday night, ex-GM Dan O’Dowd (writing for MLB.com) ran down five players who he feels won’t be signing anytime soon. At the top of the list is Nationals free agent shortstop Ian Desmond. O’Dowd feels that Desmond will be driven to get an offer as good as the seven-year, $107MM extension he reportedly turned down from the Nats last offseason and that could lead to a prolonged stint in free agency. Perhaps the game’s best shortstop from 2012-14, Desmond only produced a .233/.290/.384 batting line in 2015. At the outset of the offseason, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicted that Desmond would net a five-year, $80MM deal on the open market. Of course, he comes with a qualifying offer attached.
Trade Notes: Plouffe, Storen, Papelbon, Rangers, Rays
If the Twins are able to work out a contract with Korean first baseman Byung-ho Park, the Angels are expected to pursue a trade of third baseman Trevor Plouffe, assuming their third base vacancy hasn’t already been filled by that time, tweets Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The Twins are intrigued by some of the Angels’ power bullpen arms, including Cam Bedrosian, Fletcher further reports. As he notes, the Twins wouldn’t part with Plouffe solely for Bedrosian, though the Angels certainly have other pieces that could entice Minnesota.
A few more notes pertaining to the trade market as executives discuss swaps at the 2015 GM Meetings…
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says that he’s yet to receive any inquiries on right-hander Stephen Strasburg but has received calls on both Drew Storen and Jonathan Papelbon (via Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). James Wagner of the Washington Post, however, adds (via Twitter) that Rizzo says he won’t move either reliever unless he receives a “real baseball offer.” Many have speculated that the Nats will sell low on Papelbon following his altercation with Bryce Harper and will be forced to do the same with Storen after the Papelbon acquisition strained his relationship with the team. Rizzo’s comments, on the surface, suggest that that’s not the case, though he clearly wouldn’t come right out and say he was looking to move either right-hander.
- The Rangers are receiving interest in both center fielder Leonys Martin and oft-injured shortstop prospect Jurickson Profar, GM Jon Daniels told reporters, including Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star Telegram and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (links to Twitter). Daniels notes that teams are looking to buy low on both players, though, which isn’t an ideal time to deal a formerly valuable asset. Grant notes that Profar, in particular, is still viewed highly by the organization.
- The Rays are receiving considerable trade interest in both Brad Boxberger and Jake McGee, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, but the general sense is that they’d need to be offered “a LOT” for the Rays to deal either reliever. Boxberger is not yet arbitration eligible, so it makes sense that Tampa Bay would value him very highly. However, with McGee slated to earn $4.7MM in arbitration this year (via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz), one can imagine the cost-conscious Rays being reasonably open to offers on McGee.
AL Notes: Chris Young, Royals, Forsythe, Profar, Red Sox
The Red Sox are among the team’s expressing early interest in free agent outfielder Chris Young, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. It remains to be seen what kind of fit he’d have in Boston, which features two right-handed bats in Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo in the outfield. Presumably, Young would be pursued as a possible complimentary piece to the left-handed-hitting Jackie Bradley Jr. Of course, it’s still early, and Nightengale also mentions that several other clubs have already been in contact with Young, who had a nice 2015 season for the Yankees (.252/.320/.453 with 14 home runs in 356 plate appearances).
- That’s not the only player by that name, of course, and the other Chris Young has also crafted an interesting free agent case for himself with a strong platform campaign. The Royals do have interest in bringing Young back, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star tweets, but only if his asking price drops. After drawing only marginal interest on the market the last two winters, Young is seeking “pay commensurate to his performance,” per McCullough. (The 36-year-old has contributed 288 1/3 innings of 3.40 ERA pitching over the past two seasons, which was obviously quite valuable.)
- The Royals are giving indications that they see a reunion with Ben Zobrist as more likely than the re-signing of Alex Gordon or Johnny Cueto, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter links). Zobrist not only makes for a nice fit, given his ability to play second or the corner outfield, but will presumably end up with a contract of a shorter duration than the other two players.
- Another player coming off of a big season is Rays infielder Logan Forsythe, who broke out with a .281/.359/.444 slash line. Tampa Bay and the 28-year-old have mutual interest in discussing an extension of some kind, according to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. Forsythe has two years of control remaining, and MLBTR projects him to earn $3.3MM for the coming season. Given that the five-year veteran has never come close to his 2015 production in prior seasons, and bearing in mind the organization’s scant payroll, the likeliest scenario may be a deal that guarantees only two or three seasons while leaving the team with an option or two at the back end.
- The Yankees are among the team’s that would have interest in Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar if he’s made available, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. But teams looking for a buy-low opportunity are likely barking up the wrong tree, per the report. “We are not looking to trade him,” said Rangers GM Jon Daniels. “We held onto him this long. We are pretty optimistic his shoulder is fit. The mindset is to wait and see where he is. We believe he will get back to his value, which was one of the best young players out there.”
- Turning back to the Red Sox, the club not only has some acquisition work to do this winter, but will surely at least consider the idea of extensions, with Betts and Xander Bogaerts seemingly representing the two most likely targets. Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com discusses that possibility, noting that new president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has reached significant extensions in the past. While he declined to discuss those two players’ situations, he did talk about his general approach. “I don’t really have any specific rule on it other than that you want to make sure you feel comfortable that when you give it to the player that you feel their abilities merit it, that you’re going to get the performance,” said Dombrowski. “It’s an exchange of they’re getting a long-term contract and you’re getting some end of it back yourself. Maybe you’re getting some free agency type years. But I don’t really have any set formula when to do that and I think every player is different.”
AL West Notes: Astros Payroll, Rasmus, Profar, Acta
Astros owner Jim Crane said today that the organization is prepared to add significant payroll space for GM Jeff Luhnow to work with, as MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports on Twitter. “We’ve got quite a bit of room if we need it,” he said. Houston had dramatically slashed its spending as part of its complete overhaul, but moved back over $70MM in Opening Day payroll last year, added salary via mid-season trades, and seems prepared for yet greater increases now that the club’s contention window has been thrown open. Then again, Luhnow himself has indicated that he does not see many areas of significant need entering the winter.
Here’s more from Houston and the rest of the AL West:
- Luhnow says that the Astros made a qualifying offer to outfielder Colby Rasmus in hopes that he’d accept it, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports on Twitter. “We obviously want to keep Colby,” he said. “So that’s the outcome that we’re hoping for.” That’s certainly interesting to hear, as it certainly would’ve been easy enough for Luhnow to answer the question diplomatically without stating so clearly that he has real interest in a reunion. (In many instances, of course, the qualifying offer is used simply as a tool to open the door to draft compensation.) Rasmus looks like a useful fit for Houston, but it had been presumed that the club would look elsewhere given the rising cost of the 29-year-old, especially after adding Carlos Gomez at the trade deadline. It’s not yet clear whether Rasmus will seriously entertain the offer, or whether the team will pursue Rasmus if he rejects it, but at a minimum it seems that the addition of a left-handed outfield bat of some kind would be of interest. Preston Tucker had a solid rookie effort last year, and might be the leading in-house option to take that role if Rasmus is not retained.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels says that Jurickson Profar is expected to enter spring playing shortstop exclusively, as Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Though Profar has been serving as a DH in the Arizona Fall League, leaving it somewhat unclear what the future might hold as he works his way back from serious shoulder issues, Daniels struck an optimistic tone. Saying that Profar is “close to kind of having this thing in the rearview mirror,” the GM expressed confidence in the 22-year-old’s ability to return to full strength while also adding that the organization will continue to tread carefully in ramping up his activities (particularly in the field). The club will keep an open mind about Profar’s use next year, but he seems likely to begin the season at Triple-A.
- The Mariners have hired former big league manager Manny Acta as their third base coach, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. Acta ran the Indians and Nationals dugouts previously and has more recently served as an ESPN analyst.