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Lucas Duda

6 Potential DH Contributors For NL Clubs

By Steve Adams | May 13, 2020 at 5:42pm CDT

The National League appears likely to implement the designated hitter in 2020 — much to the chagrin of many fans — suddenly giving 15 clubs the potential to bulk up their lineup with another non-pitcher bat. Several teams already have logical in-house options to fill that spot. However, there are a handful of yet-unsigned position players who’ll welcome the seemingly forthcoming influx of DH spots as they look to get another chance at the big league level. Let’s run through some still-available names…

  • Yasiel Puig (29 years old): Puig was still a perfectly fine defensive right fielder last season, grading out as average via Defensive Runs Saved, Ultimate Zone Rating and Outs Above Average. A team may not look at him as a full-time DH because of that, but a club with an already-set outfield could now switch a more defensively challenged option to DH and slot Puig into right field. Or, Puig could simply rotate through DH and the outfield corners on a new NL club. The Giants have been oft-connected to Puig and have a piecemeal mix of options in the outfield. At the very least, an added DH spot wouldn’t hurt his chances of landing in San Francisco (or anywhere else in the NL).
  • Jose Bautista (39): Joey Bats generated some chatter this winter when word got out that he was contemplating a return as a two-way player. The former home run champ set the record straight last month, indicating that while he did throw some bullpen sessions with friend/former teammate Marcus Stroman this winter and would welcome the opportunity, he’s more focused on a return as a hitter. Bautista’s glovework declined quite a bit in his late 30s, but he walked at a 14 percent clip and posted a .168 ISO in his final two seasons in 2017-18. He’s kept himself in shape — could he have one more run left in him?
  • Mark Trumbo (34): Knee problems torpedoed Trumbo’s 2019 season and much of his 2018 campaign as well, though he did return late last year to appear in a dozen games with the Orioles. While 2019 was a lost season, the slugger hit .261/.313/.452 in 358 plate appearances in 2018 (105 wRC+, 108 OPS+). Trumbo has never been much of an OBP threat, but he has massive power from the right side — evidenced by an MLB-best 47 homers in 2016. He was open about his uncertain baseball future back in November, but 15 new DH slots could give him an unexpected opportunity.
  • Melky Cabrera (35): The Melk Man is still hoping to play another couple seasons, but deteriorating glovework has become increasingly difficult to overlook. That said, the switch-hitter hasn’t batted lower than .273 in the past decade, and his contact skills generally make him a source of a respectable OBP even though he doesn’t walk that much. Cabrera’s .280/.313/.399 slash with the Pirates last year was below-average on the whole (88 OPS+, 85 wRC+), but he was an average or better hitter in the three preceding seasons. Melky carried an .807 OPS into the All-Star break last year, but he hit just .231/.257/.306 down the stretch as his role shrunk. To his credit, he struck out at just a 10.3 percent clip last year.
  • Hanley Ramirez (36): HanRam’s comeback attempt with the Indians last year was a bust. He homered in his second game of the season but went deep just once more, posting an ugly .184/.298/.327 slash in 57 plate appearances before being cut loose. Ramirez underwent shoulder surgery last summer, revealing that he’d been plagued by shoulder pain for several years and making clear that he hoped to play in 2020. He played in the Dominican Winter League this offseason, hitting .273/.298/.418 in 57 plate appearances. Ramirez has a lot to prove, but maybe an NL club would take a flier in a rebooted Spring/Summer Training and hope to catch lightning in a bottle.
  • Lucas Duda (34): Nothing went right for Duda last year, although the Royals still gave him 119 plate appearances. In that time, he posted a disastrous .171/.252/.324 slash, and he wasn’t much better in Triple-A, hitting .202/.281/.303 in 114 PAs between the affiliates for Kansas City and Atlanta. Duda showed solid power while bouncing around the league in the two seasons prior, hitting .228/.318/.482 with 44 home runs in 253 games spread across five teams — including a 30-homer effort in 2017. Last year didn’t inspire any confidence, but he’s only 34 and could perhaps operate as a platoon option or lefty bench bat.

There are still some other unsigned players. Scooter Gennett never latched on with a team this winter. Tim Beckham remains unsigned, though he still has to serve the final 32 games of an 80-game PED ban. Russell Martin is a free agent. It’s doubtful that any of those players would markedly impact a team’s DH picture or see his market improved by the new presence of a DH (although any could draw increased interest as a bench option by virtue of expanded rosters). It’s also possible that some veterans on minor league deals could opt out or be cut loose once training camp resumes, thus entering the mix for potential DH work in the NL. Carlos Gonzalez, for instance, was reportedly unlikely to make the Mariners’ roster.

Most clubs will probably prefer to handle the DH spot internally rather than hand out more money at a time when revenue is already being slashed by the pandemic stoppage. But for the non-Puig veterans here who are simply looking for one more chance to revive their careers, a sizable commitment wouldn’t be expected anyhow. Whether it’s one final run for Joey Bats (with a bullpen appearance or two?), a Hanley Homecoming in Miami, a Trumbo resurgence or any number of other scenarios, there could be some fun storylines to follow.

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MLBTR Originals Hanley Ramirez Jose Bautista Lucas Duda Mark Trumbo Melky Cabrera Yasiel Puig

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Braves Release Lucas Duda

By Connor Byrne | August 27, 2019 at 9:26pm CDT

The Braves have released first baseman Lucas Duda, Grant McAuley of Braves Radio Network tweets.

It’s an unceremonious ending to the second Braves tenure for Duda, who signed a minor league contract with the team Aug. 5. Duda was previously a Brave in 2018, when they acquired the slugger from the Royals almost exactly one year ago (Aug. 29). While Duda was a useful bench piece for the Braves then, albeit over only 22 plate appearances, he didn’t make it back to the majors with the club this summer. The 33-year-old instead posted hideous numbers across 68 PA as a member of Triple-A Gwinnett, with which he batted .140/.235/.211.

At his best, Duda was a legitimate power threat with the Mets and Rays from 2014-17. Aside from an injury-limited 2016, he piled up at least 27 home runs in each of those seasons – including 30-HR campaigns to bookend that four-year span. Duda hasn’t been anywhere near as formidable at the plate over the past couple seasons, though. After settling for a minors deal with the Royals in late March, the lefty-swinging Duda stumbled to a .171/.252/.324 line with four homers in 119 PA before they released him July 29.

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Atlanta Braves Transactions Lucas Duda

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Braves To Sign Lucas Duda

By Jeff Todd | August 5, 2019 at 6:41pm CDT

The Braves have agreed to a minors deal with first baseman Lucas Duda, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). The Roster Roundup Twitter account first connected the sides.

Duda, 33, will seek to reprise the role he played late last year in Atlanta, when he provided some bench punch in September. He’ll begin by trying to get his swing in form at Triple-A.

This has been a season to forget so far for the veteran slugger. Given a limited role in Kansas City, Duda failed to earn more opportunities. Ultimately, he limped to a .171/.252/.324 batting line in 119 plate appearances for the Royals. He was cut loose recently when the team couldn’t find a trade taker.

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Atlanta Braves Kansas City Royals Transactions Lucas Duda

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Royals Release Lucas Duda

By Steve Adams | July 29, 2019 at 11:41am CDT

The Royals announced Monday that they’ve requested unconditional release waivers on first baseman/designated hitter Lucas Duda. He’ll be a free agent in 48 hours once he clears.

Kansas City designated Duda, 33, for assignment over the weekend. He signed a minor league contract with the club in Spring Training after being cut loose from a similar pact he’d signed with the Twins. However, Duda mustered only a .171/.252/.324 batting line with four home runs in 119 trips to the plate in his second stint with the Royals. Given the magnitude of those struggles and the number of alternate options — Ryan O’Hearn, Cheslor Cuthbert and even Frank Schwindel, who was released over Duda early in the year — it’s a bit surprising that Duda lasted on the roster as long as he did.

Duda’s track record against right-handed pitching could get him a minor league deal elsewhere once he reaches the open market. He’s a lifetime .249/.351/.481 hitter when holding the platoon advantage at the Major League level, and he hit .264/.336/.477 in such situations just last year. But Duda is also strictly a first baseman, if not a pure designated hitter in the eyes of clubs around the league at this point in his career. If he’s to find his way back onto a big league roster, he’ll likely need to head to Triple-A and show some signs of life against minor league opposition in order to earn another look.

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Kansas City Royals Transactions Lucas Duda

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Royals Designate Lucas Duda For Assignment

By Ty Bradley | July 27, 2019 at 4:51pm CDT

The Royals have designated 1B/DH Lucas Duda for assignment and recalled 1B Ryan O’Hearn in his place, the team reports.

Duda, 33, produced in volume for the Mets clubs of the mid- and early-decade, but has fallen on hard times since a 2017 trade to the Rays. In 119 plate appearances for Kansas City this season, the lefty slashed a putrid .171/.252/.324 (47 wRC+) and appeared in just 19 games at first base. His long track record of righty-mashing will be hard for certain clubs to ignore, but it’s possible this is the end of the line for Duda, who’s cracked 156 MLB homers thus far.

Following an out-of-nowhere 2018, in which O’Hearn posted a 153 wRC+ in limited action despite an uneven-at-best minor-league track record, the 26-year-old has fallen back to earth in ’19, slashing a mere .186/.286/.333 in near-full-time action at the season’s outset. He’ll likely again be in line for at least semi-regular at-bats for a club that’s long since fallen out of the race.

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Kansas City Royals Transactions Lucas Duda Ryan O'Hearn

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AL Injury Notes: Andujar, Eloy, Rangers, Jays, Royals

By Connor Byrne and Jeff Todd | April 27, 2019 at 8:50am CDT

The Yankees will open a seven-game homestand May 3, at which point injured third baseman Miguel Andujar could rejoin their lineup, manager Aaron Boone said Friday (via George A. King III of the New York Post). Whether that happens will depend on how Andujar fares in extended spring training and minor league rehab games over the next several days. For now, though, Boone is “cautiously optimistic” about Andujar’s torn right labrum, which looked like a potential season-ending injury when he went on the IL on April 1.  The 24-year-old is one of a whopping 15 Yankees who have landed on the injured list this season, but the reserve-laden club has weathered the storm with a 15-11 start. Third base subs DJ LeMahieu and Gio Urshela have performed well along the way, helping to ease the burden of Andujar’s absence.

  • White Sox left fielder Eloy Jimenez exited Friday’s game with a right ankle sprain and was wearing a walking boot afterward, per James Fegan of The Athletic (subscription required). X-rays on Jimenez’s ankle came back negative, but he’ll undergo an MRI on Saturday. An IL stint seems like a distinct possibility for the 22-year-old phenom, who’s just 85 plate appearances into his career.
  • Rangers lefty Taylor Hearn endured a rough debut start. Now, he’s headed to the 10-day IL with elbow tightness. That’s not how the club drew things up when it called upon one of its most promising young pitchers to join the MLB roster. Hearn’s outlook isn’t yet known. That was just one of several moves, as fellow hurler Jeffrey Springs and infielder Patrick Wisdom were optioned out. Second bagger Rouned Odor was activated from the IL while pitchers Ariel Jurado and Wei-Chieh Huang were called up to provide some fresh arms.
  • Standout Blue Jays infield prospect Bo Bichette is down with a broken left hand, but general manager Ross Atkins said Friday he won’t require surgery, as Scott Mitchell of TSN tweets. The Jays expect a four- to six-week recovery time for the 21-year-old Bichette, who’s regarded as one of the game’s premier prospects.
  • The Royals have placed first baseman Lucas Duda on the 10-day IL, retroactive to April 24, and recalled third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez from Triple-A Omaha, according to Pete Grathoff and Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star. Duda’s dealing with a lumbar strain, which continues a rough start to the season for the 33-year-old. The free-agent pickup has hit a miserable .174/.304/.326 in 56 trips to the plate. Meanwhile, Gutierrez batted an impressive .333/.443/.439 in 79 PA prior to his promotion, and he’s now in line for his first major league action. The Royals acquired Gutierrez, 24, from the Nationals last June as part of a deal centering on reliever Kelvin Herrera. Gutierrez currently ranks as KC’s 14th-best prospect at MLB.com.
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Chicago White Sox Kansas City Royals New York Yankees Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Ariel Jurado Bo Bichette Eloy Jimenez Kelvin Gutierrez Lucas Duda Miguel Andujar Rougned Odor Wei-Chung Wang

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Royals Select Lucas Duda, Release Brian Goodwin

By Steve Adams | March 25, 2019 at 1:03pm CDT

1:03pm: MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that Duda’s deal with the Royals carries a $1.25MM base salary and another $250K available via incentives.

12:44pm: The Royals announced Monday that they’ve selected the contract of veteran first baseman Lucas Duda and requested unconditional release waivers on outfielder Brian Goodwin. Duda will make the Kansas City Opening Day roster, while the out-of-options Goodwin, who’d previously been viewed as a strong candidate to log ample time in right field this coming season, will become a free agent if and when he clears release waivers in 48 hours.

Duda, 33, spent most of the spring with the division-rival Twins but opted out of his minor league pact with Minnesota last week when it became clear that he wouldn’t make the club as a bench bat. He’ll now open his second consecutive season with the Royals, who signed Duda to a one-year, $3.5MM contract in the 2017-18 offseason. Duda spent the first five months of last season with the Royals and hit .242/.310/.413 before being acquired by the Braves in exchange for cash on Aug. 29. Thus far in Spring Training, he’s posted a .250/.386/.417 slash through 44 PAs between Minnesota and Kansas City.

The Royals haven’t commented on what role Duda will play with the club, but the presence of a younger player with a similar skill set, Ryan O’Hearn, makes it seem likely that Duda will start the season as either a bench bat, joining Cam Gallagher, Terrance Gore and Chris Owings, or as a part-time designated hitter.

Spring Training was a disaster for the 28-year-old Goodwin, whom the Royals acquired in a trade with the Nationals last July. Goodwin appeared in 17 games for the Royals and took 49 plate appearances but slashed .166/.188/.256 with 13 strikeouts against four walks. His .266/.317/.415 output in 101 plate appearances with Kansas City last season gave the Royals a bit of cause for intrigue, but they’ll now entrust right field to a combination of Soler, Owings and Gore early in the season. It’s possible that they’ll try to bring Goodwin back on a minor league contract, though he’ll also have the opportunity to field interest from other clubs once his waiver period expires.

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Kansas City Royals Transactions Brian Goodwin Lucas Duda

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Royals Sign Lucas Duda

By Jeff Todd | March 22, 2019 at 3:45pm CDT

The Royals have inked veteran first baseman Lucas Duda to a minor-league deal, per a club announcement. He had been cut loose recently by the Twins.

Duda, 33, played with Kansas City last year. Though he failed to return to his prior levels of output, he turned in a nearly league-average slash line (.241/.313/.418) and obviously left a good impression before he was traded late in the year to the Braves.

In 3,462 plate appearances with the Mets, the left-handed-hitting slugger put up a strong .246/.343/.457 output and knocked 125 home runs. He was a substantially above-average bat as recently as the middle of the 2017 campaign.

While things have turned south since, Duda still seems a reasonable candidate to reemerge as a quality option against right-handed pitching. That said, it’s tough to see where he fits on a Kansas City roster that features another left-handed-hitting first baseman in Ryan O’Hearn.

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Kansas City Royals Transactions Lucas Duda

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Twins Release Lucas Duda

By Jeff Todd | March 20, 2019 at 2:00pm CDT

The Twins have released first baseman Lucas Duda, as Dan Hayes of The Athletic was among those to report (Twitter link). The move comes in advance of the opt-out clause his contract provided on Saturday.

Duda, 33, has long been quite a productive MLB hitter, though he hit a wall late in the 2017 season and hasn’t recovered since. He’ll head back out onto an unforgiving free agent market for defensively limited sluggers.

While he hasn’t hit anywhere near his prior levels of late, Duda has remained an approximately league-average bat. That’s not enough, clearly, for a player who’s likely to be viewed at most as a platoon first baseman. But there’s still some reason to hope that he can be a useful member of the right roster.

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Minnesota Twins Transactions Lucas Duda

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Twins Sign Lucas Duda To Minors Deal

By Ty Bradley | February 9, 2019 at 1:47pm CDT

The Twins have signed 1B/DH Lucas Duda to a minor-league pact with an invite to Spring Training, per a team release. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that Duda will earn $1.75MM if he cracks the MLB roster, and can earn up to $1.5MM in further incentives.

Duda, 33, turned in a number of stellar seasons with the Mets in the middle part of the decade, four times posting a 120 wRC+ or better during the most pitcher-friendly era in decades. His output has tapered substantially over the last two seasons, though: a putrid second-half performance with Tampa in 2017 was followed by a below-league-average .241/.313/.418 mark over 367 PAs with the Royals and Braves last season.

Never a defensive stalwart – he was a disaster in an early-career outfield experiment – Duda’s bat, particularly against right-handed pitching, against whom he owns a robust .251/.354/.485 line, has carried him to a long and mostly-productive career. His hard-hit rate, always among the league’s best, has slipped in a bit in recent seasons, but still checked in a respectable 38.4% last season.

For the Twins, he’ll offer an excellent complement at first base to C.J. Cron, who was over 40% better against lefties than righties last season, and should serve as a serviceable strong-side platoon option at DH, were Nelson Cruz to succumb to injury. Even in a bench role, or stashed in the minors as insurance, Duda is the perfect choice to offset a righty-heavy Twins lineup.

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Minnesota Twins Transactions Lucas Duda

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