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AL East Notes: Jays, Yelich, Guerrero, Schoop, O’s, Yankees, Sox, JDM

By | at January 27, 2018 1:20pm CDT

The Blue Jays were “the only other team that came close” to acquiring Christian Yelich from the Marlins before the outfielder was dealt to the Brewers, SiriusXM’s Craig Mish reports (Twitter links).  “Several variations” of trade packages were discussed between the Jays and Marlins, including some deals that would’ve seen Toronto take some extra money off Miami’s payroll.  What ended talks between the two sides was the Jays’ refusal to deal Vladimir Guerrero Jr.  It was no secret that the Marlins were demanding a big return for Yelich, and it also isn’t surprising that the Jays balked at moving Guerrero, one of baseball’s very best prospects.

Here are more rumblings from around the AL East…

  • Despite “a significant reduction in the gap between” the arbitration numbers filed by the Orioles and Jonathan Schoop, “the level of frustration on both sides is growing” as a deal still isn’t close, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko writes.  In what could be a related story, Schoop didn’t attend the Orioles’ FanFest this weekend, which left manager Buck Showalter “disappointed,” implying that Schoop’s agent advised the second baseman to skip the event (as per Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun and other reporters).  Schoop filed for a $9MM salary while the Orioles filed at $7.5MM.  Kevin Gausman‘s arbitration case has also yet to be settled, though Kubatko hears that the O’s will continue to talk to both Gausman and Schoop in the hopes of avoiding a hearing.
  • The Yankees have roughly $10-$15MM ticketed to spend on a starting pitcher or an infielder who can play second base and/or third base, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes.  If everything breaks right for the Yankees in regards to the slow free agent market, they could fill both needs with those funds.  With the club intent on staying under the $197MM luxury tax threshold, that $10-$15MM will leave the Yankees with around $15-20MM on other potential expenses (i.e. contract bonuses, in-season callups or midseason trade acquisitions).  Adding a second baseman would provide depth if Gleyber Torres needs more minor league time as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, and Sherman notes that delaying Torres’ debut would help the Yankees gain an extra year of team control over the star infield prospect.
  • With Lorenzo Cain landing a five-year commitment from the Brewers, the Boston Herald’s Michael Silverman believes that the Red Sox may be forced to offer J.D. Martinez more than the five-year deal they reportedly have on the table for the free agent outfielder.  Martinez is two years younger than Cain and can be signed without draft pick compensation, which could go towards enhancing Scott Boras’ argument that Martinez should receive at least a six-year deal.
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AL Notes: Rangers, Ramirez, Betts, Orioles

By | at January 17, 2018 11:50am CDT

Rangers GM Jon Daniels cast doubt on the idea of the team making any marquee additions in comments yesterday to the media, including MLB.com’s TR Sullivan. Daniels called it “unlikely” that the club would end up with a top starter, though he said he also wouldn’t “close the door” on a market that includes former ace Yu Darvish. More likely, it seems, would be a depth addition of some kind, though Daniels also emphasized that the organization is not close to any new deals. Broadly, the organization remains steadfast in its “realistic” assessment of its abilities and needs. While the anticipated roster mix is likely “to create some challenges,” says Daniels, that doesn’t mean it will vary from its strategy entering the winter. The Rangers, he says, were “not going to go all-in, spending big dollars this year, nor were we going to be looking to trade all of our young players.”

More from the American League:

  • The Angels received some promising news on righty J.C. Ramirez, GM Billy Eppler tells Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (via Twitter). Ramirez is continuing to show healing in his right elbow, where he suffered a season-ending partial UCL tear. Stem cell treatment has been promising to this point, giving the team some renewed confidence that it will receive a contribution again from Ramirez, who agreed to a $1.9MM arbitration salary after turning in 147 1/3 innings of 4.15 ERA ball in 2017.
  • As the Red Sox prepare for an arbitration show-down with star outfielder Mookie Betts, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald argues the team never should have put itself in this position. The sides have a $3MM gap at present ($10.5MM vs. $7.5MM) and indications are they’ll resolve it in a hearing, meaning the Sox will be put in the position of presenting Betts in a less-than-positive light before an arb panel. With a prior disagreement over his 2017 pre-arb salary, the financial relationship between the sides isn’t exactly off to the most promising start. For what it’s worth, MLBTR contributor and arbitration guru Matt Swartz argued before numbers were exchanged that Betts is likelier to command a first-time arb payday on the lower side of the existing gulf.
  • Speaking of arbitration, the Orioles will evidently not commit to going to trial over their remaining cases, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Rather the club is still willing to engage in negotiations with both infielder Jonathan Schoop ($9MM filing versus $7.5MM counter) and righty Kevin Gausman ($6.225MM filing versus $5.3MM counter). Whether that’ll mean avoiding a hearing isn’t yet known, but the seeming strategic shift will at least leave remaining room for talks on a few players of quite a bit of importance to the organization’s future.
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Unresolved 2018 Arbitration Cases

By | at January 12, 2018 6:02pm CDT

We’ve covered a whole lot of arbitration deals today, many of them reached before today’s deadline to exchange filing figures. Some other agreements have come together after team and player submitted their numbers. It’s still possible, of course, that these situations will be resolved before an arbitration hearing becomes necessary. (At this point, we seem to lack full clarity on teams’ approaches to negotiations after the filing deadline. And most organizations make exceptions for multi-year deals even if they have a file-and-trial stance.)

Some situations could even be dealt with in short order. As things stand, though, these unresolved arbitration cases could turn into significant hearings. (As always, MLBTR’s 2018 arbitration projections can be found here; you will also want to reference MLBTR’s 2018 arbitration tracker.)

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Rockies Looking Into Rotation Trades

By | at July 18, 2017 1:41pm CDT

The Rockies are at least “poking around” on the market for rotation help, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Just how much of a priority the rotation is remains to be seen; GM Jeff Bridich did suggest earlier today that he’s most focused on bolstering the team’s pen.

While Colorado is loaded with plausible big league starters — a luxury that has rarely been afforded the high-altitude franchise — many of its options hold more future promise than present value. And some of the younger arms could also be limited by workload considerations. While Chad Bettis is also working his way back, perhaps it’s still a bit unclear what can be expected from him.

On the whole, there’s plenty of room for an upgrade, but little in the way of a clear need in the Rockies’ rotation. But adding a new starter might also bump an arm to the bullpen, perhaps providing some improvement there as well by inserting a multi-inning arm into a mix that has had its share of difficulties of late.

Of course, it’s also possible that Colorado could be compelled to part with some young hurlers — particularly if they pursue a quality, controllable arm. As Passan notes, the team does also possess an impressive collection of talent on the farm system. Given the team’s array of controlled talent in the majors, perhaps there’ll be some added willingness to move a prospect or two.

Interestingly, the Rockies are said to have inquired about Orioles Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy. Those two have struggled quite a bit this year; since the start of June, the former has allowed 32 earned runs in 40 2/3 innings while the latter has surrendered 29 earned over his 36 1/3 frames. Still, they’ve each experienced their share of MLB success after long runs as top prospects. And both can be controlled into the future, Gausman for three years and Bundy for four.

Those same factors will likely prevent the O’s from selling them short, despite the difficulties in 2017, even if they decide to give up on the current campaign. Indeed, Baltimore will surely be eyeing pitching in any trades it does pursue; the rotation, after all, has been a big problem this year and seems an uncertainty looking past the current season.

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AL Notes: Twins, Orioles, Red Sox, Tribe

By | at July 15, 2017 7:04pm CDT

Right-hander Bartolo Colon, whom the Twins signed to a minor league deal July 7, will start Minnesota’s game against the Yankees on Tuesday, reports Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. The 44-year-old spent the first couple months of the season with Atlanta, which signed Colon for a guaranteed $12.5MM over the winter but had to release him after he recorded an 8.14 ERA across 63 innings. Colon has made one minor league start with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester, and even though it didn’t go well (four earned runs on four hits and two walks, with five strikeouts, in 3 2/3 innings), he’ll return to the majors for the upstart playoff contenders. Colon won’t get any defensive help Tuesday from standout center fielder Byron Buxton, whom the Twins placed on the 10-day disabled list Saturday with a left groin strain. His absence will make room for the return of Joe Mauer, who went on the DL earlier this month after straining his lower back.

More from the AL:

  • In the wake of yet another poor outing from Kevin Gausman on Friday, Orioles manager Buck Showalter didn’t rule out demoting the righty to the minors, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. “That’s a matter of, you can get a lot of opinions on the answer to that question,” Showalter said in regards to whether a Triple-A stint would benefit Gausman. “I have my own thoughts and we listen to a lot of people, and if something like that was a possibility we were thinking about, he would hear about it. He wouldn’t read about something I responded to. But that’s always an option.” The 26-year-old Gausman was likely the Orioles’ best starter in 2016, but he has experienced a shocking fall from grace this season. Across 100 innings, Gausman has pitched to a 6.39 ERA (with a better but still-ugly 5.19 FIP), and he has only registered quality starts in five of 20 tries. He surrendered eight earned runs on seven hits, four of which were homers, in a loss to the Cubs on Friday.
  • The Red Sox acquiring third baseman Todd Frazier from the White Sox is reportedly “almost inevitable,” and landing the powerful veteran would make plenty of sense for Boston, details Mike Petriello of MLB.com. As a dead-pull hitter, the right-handed Frazier would be able to take advantage of the left field wall at Fenway Park, notes Petriello, who adds that he’d also give the third base-needy Red Sox a competent defender at the hot corner. As an impending free agent, reeling in Frazier wouldn’t require an enormous haul, likely a prospect in the 11-20 range and one in the 21-30 range, posits Petriello.
  • While the Red Sox have their own big-time third base prospect in Rafael Devers, they’re not counting on him to contribute in the big leagues at this point, president Dave Dombrowski told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe and other reporters Friday (Twitter link). The 20-year-old Devers moved to Triple-A on Friday after dominating Double-A pitching over the first three months of the season.
  • Injuries to second baseman Jason Kipnis and hot-hitting outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall have “complicated” the Indians’ approach as the deadline nears, president Chris Antonetti admitted Saturday (Twitter link via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com). Kipnis went on the DL last Sunday with a strained right hamstring, while Chisenhall landed on the shelf Friday with a strained right calf. With those two out, the Indians are casting a wider net in their search for potential upgrades, relays Bastian.
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Orioles, Kevin Gausman Avoid Arbitration

By | at February 5, 2017 9:21am CDT

The Orioles and right-hander Kevin Gausman have struck a deal to avoid arbitration, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link). Gausman will earn a $3.45MM salary in 2017 – up from a $3.35MM midpoint – and could rake in $50K in incentives if he makes 30 starts and another $50K if he records 33.

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected a $3.9MM arbitration award for Gausman, whose hearing was set to take place this upcoming Tuesday. The 26-year-old is coming off his best season since his 2012 debut, having amassed 30 starts and registered a 3.61 ERA, 8.72 K/9, 2.35 BB/9 and 44.1 percent ground-ball rate across 179 2/3 innings. Gausman also induced infield fly balls at a 14.3 percent rate, which ranked fourth in the majors among qualified starters.

The Orioles had planned to employ a file-and-trial approach with all their arbitration-eligible players, including Gausman, though they scrapped it in his case. The club will also control Gausman via the arbitration process over the next three offseasons. The last unsigned player the Orioles have as the spring draws closer is reliever Brad Brach, whose hearing is scheduled for Feb. 16, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link). Check out MLBTR’s arbitration tracker to keep up with this year’s cases.

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Orioles Notes: Britton, Arb Hearings, Bourn, Wieters

By | at February 2, 2017 10:44am CDT

While the Orioles have already agreed to an $11.4MM salary with closer Zach Britton for the 2017 season, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported this week that Baltimore at one point this winter attempted to lock in both of Britton’s remaining arbitration seasons on a two-year deal. That certainly would’ve made sense as a means of establishing some cost certainty, but the caveat in the scenario is that Baltimore sought to have a club option for a third year tacked onto the deal. Unsurprisingly, those talks didn’t come to fruition. It’s not difficult to see why Britton and his representatives wouldn’t be interested in that sort of deal. Since moving to the bullpen, he’s become arguably baseball’s best bullpen arm and just watched fellow relief aces Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman sign respective contracts of $80MM and $86MM. With plenty of financial security already in his pocket, there’s little reason for Britton to delay free agency by another season in exchange for guaranteeing his final arbitration year. That initial multi-year offer doesn’t appear to have led to any more substantial talks at this point, per Heyman.

More notes out of Baltimore…

  • Caleb Joseph‘s arbitration hearing took place yesterday, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, meaning we should find out today whether the presumptive backup to Welington Castillo will earn the $1MM figure submitted by his camp or the $700K figure submitted by the team. Hearings for Kevin Gausman and Brad Brach are set for Feb. 7 and Feb. 16, Kubatko adds. Gausman filed for $3.55MM, while the team countered at $3.15MM. Brach, meanwhile, submitted a $3.05MM figure and was met with a $2.525MM counter (all of which can be seen in MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker).
  • In a separate piece, Kubatko writes that the Orioles have met with Michael Bourn‘s agent about a possible return to Baltimore. The O’s are looking for an outfielder that can bring an element of speed to the lineup and serve as a defensive upgrade at times, though Kubatko notes that they’re not necessarily looking for an everyday option. Bourn hit well in a small sample of 55 plate appearances with Baltimore last year following an Aug. 31 trade, batting .283/.358/.435 with a pair of homers. The 34-year-old Bourn posted an overall batting line of .264/.314/.371 in 413 plate appearances between the D-backs and Orioles last year.
  • Matt Wieters‘ former teammates, including Caleb Joseph and Chris Davis, are somewhat bewildered that the catcher is still on the market, writes Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun. “I didn’t see it playing out like this at all,” said Davis. “I thought it was going to be a lot quicker process, just the whole free agency process this year with the number of guys that were out there and the quality of players that are out there. I feel for Matty right now. It’s really tough not knowing where you’re going to be…” Mark Trumbo also weighed in on the slow-moving market for free agents and the glut of available veterans that remain unemployed for 2017. “There are still some guys fighting for jobs who are very high level major league players that bring a heck of a lot to the table, and they’re forced to look at one-year, incentive-laden contracts for a fairly low dollar amount, considering the type of seasons they put up,” said Trumbo.
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Orioles Rumors: Trumbo, Carter, Alvarez, Gausman, Outfielders

By | at December 11, 2016 8:47am CDT

The latest on the Orioles, courtesy of Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com:

  • At last check, Baltimore and free agent outfielder/first baseman Mark Trumbo had agreed to a four-year framework, but the sides remained far apart on the slugger’s worth. Despite that, the Orioles likely have the best offer on the table for Trumbo, according to Kubatko. If they’re unable to re-sign Trumbo, the O’s could bring back free agent designated hitter Pedro Alvarez, but he’ll probably end up elsewhere if Trumbo returns to Baltimore. And contrary to an earlier report, the Orioles are not in on free agent first baseman/DH Chris Carter, per Kubatko.
  • While the Rockies could trade one of their outfielders this offseason, they’re unlikely to reach a deal with the Orioles. No matter which Rockie the Orioles have shown interest in, Colorado has consistently pressed for right-hander Kevin Gausman in trade talks. The Orioles aren’t going to move Gausman, though, as he’s arguably their top starter and has four years of club control remaining. Gausman, 25, led all Orioles starters in innings pitched (179 2/3), ERA (3.61) and K/BB ratio (3.7) last season.
  • The Orioles are in the lead for free agent catcher Welington Castillo‘s services, writes Kubatko. Baltimore is willing to give a two-year deal to Castillo, who has been seeking a three-year pact since the Diamondbacks non-tendered him Dec. 2.
  • Moving to the outfield, the O’s haven’t closed the door on re-signing free agent Michael Bourn. The club acquired the fleet-footed Bourn from the Diamondbacks at the end of August, and he then proceeded to hit .283/.358/.435 with two home runs and a pair of steals over 55 plate appearances. Meanwhile, the Orioles haven’t discussed a contract extension with fellow outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, who’s entering the final season of the two-year, $7MM deal he signed as a free agent from Korea last winter. The lefty-swinging Kim accrued 346 PAs – 323 against righties – as a major league rookie in 2016 and held his own with a .302/.382/.420 line.
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AL Notes: Darvish, Smith, ERod, Kelly, Owens, Snell, Farquhar, Gausman, Gallardo

By | at April 22, 2016 9:56pm CDT

Here’s the latest out of the American League, with a focus on some recent injury news on key pitchers:

  • Rehabbing Rangers ace Yu Darvish will throw another live BP session before beginning his rehab assignment, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. The righty hasn’t suffered any kind of setback, but hopes to refine his offspeed offerings before reporting to Double-A to begin his march back to the majors.
  • Meanwhile, Red Sox reliever Carson Smith looks to be on track for a return in early May, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports on Twitter. He’ll need to make at least three minor league outings, including two on back-to-back days, before being activate. The righty will be a welcome addition to the back of the Boston pen. Likewise, lefty Eduardo Rodriguez may be on his way back soon, as Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald tweets that he could return to the majors after two rehab starts.
  • In other Red Sox pitching news, the club is hopeful that Joe Kelly won’t miss much more than the minimum on his 15-day DL stint, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports (Twitter links). Southpaw Henry Owens will step into Kelly’s place in the rotation. He’s put up three solid outings at Triple-A thus far, allowing just two earned runs in 18 innings with 23 strikeouts and ten walks.
  • With top Rays pitching prospect Blake Snell coming up for his first start tomorrow, Baseball America’s Vince Lara-Cinisomo takes a look at the 23-year-old lefty. While he still needs to refine his command, BA suggests he could become a number two starter if he can reach his ceiling in the majors. Tampa Bay has optioned reliever Danny Farquhar to clear room for Snell, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The 29-year-old righty has pitched well enough in the early going, but he was one of only a few optionable arms in the Rays’ pen and appeared in each of the last two games.
  • The Orioles are set to activate Kevin Gausman for his first start of the season on Monday, with the heralded righty saying that he thinks his shoulder issues are a thing of the past, as MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli reports. In his latest rehab appearance, said Gausman, he felt more “comfortable” than he had in his prior outings. Hopes are high for the 25-year-old, and the Baltimore rotation is certainly need of a boost with only one member (Ubaldo Jimenez) currently carrying a sub-4.00 ERA.
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AL East Notes: Donaldson, Smith, Machado, Orioles

By | at April 21, 2016 9:50pm CDT

Josh Donaldson‘s incredible 2015 season earned him American League MVP honors and made him a household name, but ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick profiles the Blue Jays third baseman and the level of preparation that made it possible for him to reach those heights. Newly acquired teammate Drew Storen tells Crasnick that he’s floored by the detail that Donaldson put into preparing for the season from day one of Spring Training, and Crasnick spoke to an NL exec that offered similar amazement at Donaldson’s consistent level of effort. “You never see him mail it in,” said the official. “He’s always on, even when you say he shouldn’t be on today. Day game after a night game, or they’re up 8-2 and you think he’s going to give the last at-bat away. He doesn’t do that. He doesn’t give anything away.” Donaldson’s reputation and character played a role in now-former Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos’ original pursuit of the third baseman, Crasnick writes, and that same emphasis on character also played a heavy role in Toronto’s signing of Russell Martin.

Here’s more from the AL East…

  • Red Sox right-hander Carson Smith is nearing a return, writes WEEI.com’s Ryan Hannable. Smith is slated to appear in extended Spring Training games on Friday and Saturday, and following that pair of appearances he’ll head out on a minor league rehab assignment early next week (barring any form of setback, of course). The Sox picked up Smith in the trade that sent left-hander Wade Miley to the Mariners and will be counting on him to pair with Koji Uehara and Craig Kimbrel in what, on paper, should be a dominant trio of relievers.
  • While Bryce Harper and Mike Trout receive plenty of adulation as the game’s most exciting young stars, Dave Cameron of Fangraphs writes that Orioles third baseman Manny Machado should be right alongside that duo. Machado’s evolution into a legitimate slugger last season has him in an elite tier alongside Harper, Trout and Donaldson across the past calendar year. Machado, Cameron writes, is now hitting like Miguel Cabrera while also contributing Gold Glove defense, and even if he doesn’t grab as many headlines as other young stars in the game, he’s secured his place among the elite.
  • Brian Matusz is slated to come off the disabled list on Saturday, writes MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli, and right-hander Kevin Gausman might not be far behind. Gausman could join the club early next week, Ghiroli writes. The pair of additions will likely cost the Orioles some length in their bullpen, Ghiroli writes, as skipper Buck Showalter said that he won’t use Matusz in a multi-inning role. Ghiroli notes that each of Mike Wright, Tyler Wilson, Mychal Givens and T.J. McFarland have minor league options remaining, though it’s certainly difficult to see Givens being optioned.
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