Luis Robert

Central Notes: Zambrano, Brewers, Robert, Gose

By Jeff Todd | May 22, 2017 at 11:44pm CDT

Long-time Cubs righty Carlos Zambrano will return to the hill, per Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (via Twitter). At this point, though, there’s no indication he has his sights set on a return to the majors; rather, the soon-to-be-36-year-old will suit up for Venezuelan Winter League action. Zambrano last pitched in the majors in 2012 and spent time in the minors in 2013 before hanging up his spikes. Before that, he threw 1,826 2/3 innings of 3.60 ERA ball for the Cubs from 2001 through 2012.

Let’s take a look at the latest from the game’s central divisions:

Brewers GM David Stearns talked about his team’s promising start and what it might (or might not) mean for his deadline planning, as Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. Stearns is undeniably pleased with the fact that his club sits atop the NL Central standings, and didn’t shy away from the possibility that the wins could continue to come sooner than had been anticipated. But he also suggested that the imperative of sustainable building would largely remain the same. “The plan is to consistently win major league games over a period of years,” he said. “If that process begins a little bit sooner than people expected, that’s great. And we’ll react accordingly. But it doesn’t change our strategy; it doesn’t change our plan.”
With the White Sox reportedly beating out the Cardinals to sign Cuban prospect Luis Robert, Bernie Miklasz of 101sports.com wonders whether St. Louis should have been more aggressive in its bidding. You’ll need to read through his entire argument to see how you feel, but the gist is the view that the organization ought to have been willing to stake a greater bet on a potential impact talent — particularly given the fact that it had a unique opportunity with many big spenders unable to go after Robert and plenty of available resources given the team’s meager draft assets this summer.
The Tigers’ efforts to transition Anthony Gose from outfielder to pitcher became official today, as he was activated at Class A Lakeland to work out of the pen. While he didn’t escape from his first inning of action unscathed, Gose did make quite an impression. Per Lakeland assistant GM Dan Lauer, on Twitter, Gose was clocked at 99 mph with his debut heater.

NL Notes: Cardinals, Padres, Phillies

By Connor Byrne | May 21, 2017 at 9:25am CDT

The Cardinals were aggressive in trying to sign Cuban outfield prospect Luis Robert, but general manager John Mozeliak sensed the 19-year-old would end up elsewhere, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. Robert proved Mozeliak correct when he agreed to sign with the White Sox on Saturday. Ultimately, St. Louis wasn’t up to paying north of $50 million, including a 100 percent overage tax, for Robert. “When you’re looking at the overall investment, it’s real and historically there are not too many players that sign for that many dollars,” said Mozeliak. “It’s really hard to justify those types of dollars for any player with a lack of a proven track record. No matter how you try to equate the Cuban league or his international experience, it’s very hard to calibrate what that means to here.”

More from two other National League cities:

While the Padres would gain an extra year of control over outfielders Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe if they’re demoted to the minors for a couple weeks, the team doesn’t plan to send either rookie down, sources informed Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The rebuilding Padres are pleased with the progress the two have made at the major league level, a high-ranking team official told Lin. “We started them here for a reason,” the official noted. “We think they’re ready to contribute and be part of what we’re doing.”
Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez continued a disappointing season with another rough outing Saturday, and he suggested afterward that he wouldn’t resist a move to the bullpen. Asked if he feared losing his rotation spot, the hard-throwing Velasquez said (via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com): “Is it a fear? No, it’s not a fear. If it’s a way to help the team in the bullpen, then so be it. But do I think about that going out there? No.” There’s no indication that Velasquez will lose his starting role, though his struggles have nonetheless been alarming. After a highly promising 2016, his first in Philly, the 24-year-old has pitched to a bloated ERA (5.98) over 43 2/3 innings and seen his strikeout and walk rates trend in the wrong direction. Velasquez attributes his issues to “a lack of commitment, a lack of concentration, just a lack of everything” and believes he’s putting too much pressure on himself.
It seemed possible on Friday that righty Jered Weaver’s 2/3-inning, seven-earned run debacle against Arizona would go down as his last outing with the Padres, but they’re not ready to move on quite yet. Instead of cutting ties with Weaver, the club placed him on the disabled list Saturday with left hip inflammation. Manager Andy Green indicated the 34-year-old will be out longer than 10 days (per Ryan Posner of MLB.com), saying: “He’s been battling and hasn’t been at full health, and it’s something for the last couple years he’s battled. He just doesn’t feel like he has the freedom to pitch the way he can pitch.” The Padres have lost all nine of the soft-tossing Weaver’s starts, in which he has logged a 7.44 ERA (with an even worse 7.99 FIP) and averaged fewer than five innings per appearance. Since Padres chairman Ron Fowler revealed May 10 that Weaver’s on a short leash, the ex-Angel has given up 15 earned runs in 9 2/3 frames.

AL Notes: Red Sox, Athletics, White Sox, Tigers

By Connor Byrne | May 20, 2017 at 7:20pm CDT

Speaking with Evan Drellich of CSNNE.com on Saturday, Athletics third baseman Trevor Plouffe confirmed that the Red Sox had interest in signing him as a free agent during the offseason. In the end, Plouffe chose to ink a deal with Oakland because it presented a clearer path to playing time at the hot corner than Boston did at the time. “I wanted to play third base and [the A’s] came and right away and expressed their interest in that, and to me it was kind of a no-brainer,” said Plouffe, who’s on a one-year, $5.25MM contract. “I was going to come here and get a chance to start at third. Kind of after last year, not being able to play a ton of games, prove that I can stay healthy again — that was kind of the real selling point for me.” As Drellich notes, it turns out Plouffe would have had an opportunity to play had he signed with the Red Sox, whose third base options (including Pablo Sandoval) have dealt with injuries this season. Plouffe could still end up with the Red Sox around the trade deadline, Drellich adds, and the 30-year-old realizes it’s possible he’ll head elsewhere if the A’s aren’t in contention. “Of course. You can’t be naive about that fact,” acknowledged Plouffe, a .248/.318/.421 hitter in 148 plate appearances this season.

White Sox, Cardinals Favorites For Luis Robert; Reds Likely Out

By Jeff Todd | May 19, 2017 at 4:45pm CDT

TODAY: The Reds likely won’t end up with Robert, president of baseball operations Dick Williams suggested in comments to Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Per Williams, the price is “moving beyond something that we are able to do.” While the club does indeed have interest, says its top baseball decisionmaker, “there’s a certain amount beyond which a franchise in our market just can’t afford.”

YESTERDAY: The White Sox and Cardinals are seen as the two likeliest organizations to land standout Cuban youngster Luis Robert, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Sources say the same to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.

That’s not to say that other teams aren’t still involved in pursuit of the 19-year-old phenom, who will officially be eligible to sign this weekend. He will need to ink a deal by June 15th if he wishes to avoid the hard spending caps that will be instituted for the next July 2nd signing period — which seems a certainty at this point. Passan, in fact, suggests that Robert has already selected a team and will sign soon after he is eligible. Furthermore, he cites three sources in stating that the “suggested floor” when teams began submitting bids for Robert was $20MM — a sum that would be accompanied a 100 percent luxury tax.

Among the others that have been tied to Robert are the Reds, Astros, Athletics, and Padres. Neither the Nationals nor the Braves appear to be in pursuit, per Badler, despite going well over their own allocations. Those organizations have taken close looks at the intriguing prospect and have already accepted the maximum penalties for overshooting their pool allocations.

As Badler explains, the Cards are in a somewhat unique situation because of their lack of draft picks this year. (The club’s top three selections are gone due to the signing of Dexter Fowler and the Astros database access scandal.) That leaves the club with a large war chest with which to work internationally.

The White Sox, meanwhile, have not yet exceeded their 2016-17 pool, meaning they could avoid a two-year ban on $300K+ signings if they don’t get Robert. But Chicago is obviously focused on accumulating high-upside young talent that’s nearing readiness, and Robert is closer to the majors than the typical sixteen-year-old international signee. Notably, per Badler, the club hasn’t lined up deals with high-bonus talent for the ensuing signing period — perhaps suggesting that the organization is eyeing a move on Robert.

Whichever way Robert goes, Passan writes, it’ll be the end of an interesting era of major Cuban signings. For one thing, the pipeline of talent will likely hew to an earlier age, particularly if there’s a continued move to improve relations between the United States and the neighboring island nation. Combined with the new rules prohibiting teams from going past their spending limits on players under 25 years of age — even if they’d be willing to pay a 100% tax on overages — there’s little prospect for another major payday unless and until the system undergoes an unexpected change.

NL Central Notes: Lackey Trade, Robert, Wacha, Happ, Theo

By Jeff Todd | May 17, 2017 at 12:41pm CDT

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers a look back at the stunning 2014 trade that the Cardinals pulled off with the Red Sox. While the deadline swap that brought in John Lackey devastated the St. Louis clubhouse at the time — Allen Craig and Joe Kelly went to Boston — it looks quite good for the team in retrospect. Goold explores it from all angles, including those of the players involved, while noting one of the intriguing remaining elements of the deal: Cards outfield prospect Dylan Carlson, who was taken with the comp pick the team added when Lackey turned down a qualifying offer after the 2015 season.

The Cardinals aren’t exactly hiding their interest in Cuban prospect Luis Robert, though it’s also still not fully clear just how hard the club will push to sign him. As Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, GM John Mozeliak acknowledges that he had a face-to-face meeting with Robert, but also wasn’t willing to telegraph the team’s direction. “It’s hard for me to characterize exactly how I would position ourselves,” he said, “but I definitely felt like our scouts in our international department have done a good job.” It’s still hard to handicap the running for Robert, who is drawing interest from quite a few teams around the league.
Cardinals righty Michael Wacha says it wasn’t his idea to skip a start, as Goold and Hummel write. Rather, it was a team decision to give the resurgent hurler a break, with the organization hoping to keep him fresh over the long haul. Wacha has shown improved velocity and results after struggling through an injury-marred 2016 season. “[A]nything you can bank now is smart,” Mozeliak explained, suggesting that there may not be another opportunity for an extended rest until the All-Star break.
Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein suggested that the team is open to keeping young outfielder Ian Happ on the MLB roster, as Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com reports on Twitter. “When you call someone up, you always have plans in pencil,” said Epstein. “Nothing’s ever written in ink. He’s feeling great at the plate.” Indeed, the 22-year-old has launched two home runs in his first three games. If the highly regarded Happ can prove he’s capable of handling major league pitching as it adjusts to him, he could provide a boost to the defending champs.
Meanwhile, Epstein tamped down any speculation that the Cubs or others might begin eyeing early trades, as Mooney further reports. Clubs around the league know that there’s still plenty of time for developments to change the calculus in any number of ways. For the Cubs, the current approach is the same as always, Epstein says: “We obviously have to prepare and allocate our scouting resources and whatnot. But it doesn’t make any sense to speculate on the nature of the trade market now, because it will look different in July than it does right now.”

Latest On Luis Robert’s Market

By Steve Adams | April 27, 2017 at 9:31pm CDT

Nineteen-year-old outfielder Luis Robert is the top international talent that is available on the amateur market and, after recently being declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, has already begun hosting private workouts with interested teams, according to Baseball America’s Ben Badler. The Athletics hosted a workout for Robert last Friday that was attended by GM David Forst, according to Badler, and Reds GM Dick Williams was on hand to watch him this past Tuesday in a workout. Prior to that, he’d worked out for the Astros, Badler adds.

Badler notes that Robert’s camp is also expected to set up private workouts with the Padres, Cardinals and White Sox in the coming weeks. It seems that of those three clubs, the heavy-spending Padres are up first, as Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union Tribune reports (via Twitter) that Robert will work out with the Pads tomorrow. To this point, the Padres have paced all 30 teams in terms of international spending during the current signing period, as their total investment (including luxury tax penalties for shattering their allotted bonus pool) is in the vicinity of $80MM.

The willingness to spend at such an aggressive level may be key for any club that wishes to sign Robert, as FanRag’s Jon Heyman writes in his latest Inside Baseball column that one source who closely follows the international market believes Robert already has a $25MM offer “in hand,” though Heyman notes that others have suggested to him no offers have been made to this point. There could, of course, be some semantics at play there in terms of what constitutes a formal offer. A price tag in the vicinity of $25MM for Robert would come with a 100 percent luxury tax attached to it, meaning he’d cost any team that signed him at that rate a total of roughly $50MM.

As Badler writes, though Robert has been declared a free agent, he won’t formally be cleared to sign until May 20. In the interim, he’ll host at least one more open showcase for teams, in addition to the remaining private workouts his camp will orchestrate.

It’s worth noting that of the teams linked to Robert, only the White Sox have yet to exceed their current international bonus pool. In other words, while other clubs would essentially only be parting with money in order to sign Robert, the ChiSox would need to determine if Robert is worth handcuffing themselves in each of the next two international signing periods; should the Sox decide to exceed their pool in the eleventh hour — the current signing period ends on June 15 — they’d be unable to sign any individual player for more than $300K in either the 2017-18 or 2018-19 signing periods.

In a similar vein, teams that are still in the metaphorical “penalty box” for crushing their allotted pools in previous signing periods won’t be able to compete for Robert’s services, as they’re each capped at that same $300K figure on individual signings. That eliminates the Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, Blue Jays, Rays, Royals and Diamondbacks from serving as serious competition in the Robert market.

Though Robert is just 19 years of age, he’d already blossomed into a star, hitting a ridiculous .401/.526/.687 with 12 homers, 12 doubles, a pair of triples and 11 steals over the life of 53 games (232 plate appearances) in his final pro season in the Cuban National Series. Scouting reports on Robert note that he’s capable of playing center field right now, though he may ultimately wind up in a corner. Badler has previously written that both his bat speed and raw power are plus, and Heyman’s above-linked piece offers a number of favorable reviews of Robert’s skill set. Additionally, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez has previously spoken to a number of international scouting directors who have heaped praise onto Robert, calling him the game’s best international prospect behind Japanese phenom Shohei Otani and labeling him one of the most talented young players on the planet.

Latest On Luis Robert

By charliewilmoth | April 22, 2017 at 1:43pm CDT

Here’s the latest on top Cuban outfield prospect Luis Robert, who became eligible for free agency this week and can sign with an MLB club beginning May 20:

The Braves have interest in Robert, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “Through the hard work of our international department, led by Gordon Blakely, we are in every game,” says GM John Coppolella. “We like Robert, and so do many other teams, so we will see where it goes.” O’Brien notes, though, that the Braves are “unlikely to get in a major bidding war” for Robert. The Braves were among the heaviest spenders in international free agency last season (nabbing top prospect Kevin Maitan and others), but can still make Robert whatever offer they like before mid-June, albeit with penalties for exceeding their bonus pool.
The White Sox, Padres, Cardinals, Reds and Astros are among the favorites to sign Robert, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez writes, echoing previous reports. Sanchez also lists the Athletics as a possibility, noting that the A’s have spent heavily on international talent (including Cuban outfielder Lazaro Armenteros) since July and have “strong interest” in Robert. Sanchez further notes that the A’s took the rest of MLB by surprise by signing another Cuban outfield phenom, Yoenis Cespedes, in 2012. Sanchez also tweets that A’s GM David Forst and other team officials are in the Dominican to scout Robert.
Cardinals GM John Mozeliak confirms his team is interested, according to Derrick Goold and Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I know the math,” Mozeliak says. “I think we’ll be in the game.” The Cardinals think he is a “rare talent” who would be worthy of a top draft choice if he were eligible for the draft, Goold writes. Like other teams likely to be involved in the bidding, the Cardinals have already spent heavily on international free agents this signing period, giving seven-figure bonuses to outfielders Jonatan Machado, Randy Arozarena and Victor Garcia as well as pitcher Johan Oviedo.
The Padres have also confirmed their interest, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “We have seen him multiple times and will continue to scout him aggressively until he signs,” says Padres international scouting director Chris Kemp. Including penalties, the Padres since July 2 have already spent an amazing total of nearly $80MM on a large collection of international amateur talent headlined by Cuban lefty Adrian Morejon. Lin notes that sources tell him the Padres might not have much more to spend on amateur talent after such an incredible expenditure (although it should also be noted that the team’s international spending has been balanced by a remarkably cheap big-league payroll). The Padres might see Robert as a special opportunity to add top talent, however, particularly given that their ability to spend will be restricted once the current spending period ends.
At his Twitter page, Baseball America’s Ben Badler has videos explaining which teams look most likely to sign Robert and which teams don’t seem likely. One obstacle for some teams, Badler notes, is that they already have unofficial deals in place with players who are not technically eligible to sign until the start of the next signing period on July 2. Signing Robert before that would cause those teams to incur penalties, thus jeopardizing existing agreements. Such deals are not binding, but backing away from them would be seen as negotiating in bad faith.

Luis Robert Declared A Free Agent

By Jeff Todd | April 20, 2017 at 11:08am CDT

Top Cuban prospect Luis Robert has been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. He’ll now be eligible to sign with any team as soon as May 20th, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez tweets, though there are some constraints at play.

Because he’s eligible to sign in the current international free agent signing period, Robert will have an opportunity to ink a deal that isn’t limited by the new caps that will enter effect on July 2nd. But the youngster will be subject to the existing international rules, meaning certain clubs can’t offer him more than a $300K bonus while others would need to pay a 100% tax on any bonus money. (We covered the details on those clubs when it was reported Robert was heading stateside.)

Robert, a 19-year-old outfielder, has reportedly drawn wide interest from around the league. Last we checked in, a variety of organizations were planning to take closer scouting looks. If there’s a favorite at this point, it could be the White Sox, though they’d be entering the penalty box by striking a deal with Robert. Numerous other organizations have already blown past their bonus pools, so going on to sign Robert would mean ponying up double his bonus but wouldn’t change their future international spending eligibility.

The chief reason for the keen interest in Robert is his advanced power bat, as Ben Badler of Baseball America explained in a recent profile. He’s also currently athletic enough to play in center field, though there are questions as to whether he’ll stay there in the long run. Teams are now getting a chance to see more of Robert in person, and he’s currently planning another showcase in May, per Sanchez (via Twitter).

Quick Hits: Agency News, Robert, Hochevar, Thames, Lindor

By Mark Polishuk | April 18, 2017 at 1:25pm CDT

The CSE Talent agency announced that it has purchased Arland Sports, with Arland founder Jason Wood taking over as the president of CSE’s baseball division. Arland Sports’ client list includes such notable big leaguers as Jake Odorizzi, Devon Travis, David Phelps and Andrew Benintendi. It isn’t known whether these players or any of Arland Sports’ other clientele will be joining Wood under the CSE umbrella, so stay tuned for any potential representation changes via MLBTR’s Agency Database. Here are some more news and notes from around the game…

Early indications are that Cuban outfielder Luis Robert will be cleared for free agency during the current international signing period, Baseball America’s Ben Badler reports, though nothing has yet been finalized. If Robert is cleared before the stricter international bonus rules come into play during the next signing period (which opens on July 2), he stands to score a much larger payday than he would if his free agency isn’t granted until after the end of the current signing period on June 15. Robert had a private workout for the Astros in the Dominican Republic and he is scheduled for workouts with the Athletics and Reds next week; the Padres, Cardinals and White Sox are also expected to bring the 19-year-old in for workouts. Chicago is the only one of those six teams that hasn’t already exceeded its 2016-17 bonus pool limit, though Badler has reported that the White Sox may be the favorites to sign the highly-touted Robert.
Luke Hochevar could potentially sign with a team in the second half of the season, though MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan hears that “2017 is more than likely a wash for him.” Hochevar underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last August and was originally projected to be ready when Spring Training camps opened in February. Hochevar’s surgery, however, was “much more complicated” than a similar procedure for Royals prospect Kyle Zimmer (who had his TOS surgery last July and is back pitching in the minors), and thus Hochevar is apparently facing an extended recovery time. The 33-year-old Hochevar already missed all of 2014 due to Tommy John surgery, though the former first overall draft pick posted strong numbers in 2013, 2015 and 2016 out of the Kansas City bullpen.
Eric Thames is one of the early stars of the 2017 season, as the Brewers slugger is leading the league in homers (seven), runs (15), and slugging percentage (an even 1.000) while also hitting .405 and posting a .479 OBP through 48 plate appearances. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale profiles Thames’ unique personality and unlikely career path, as he bounced around several MLB organizations before becoming a Ruthian superstar in South Korea from 2014-16.
Francisco Lindor would be short-changing himself by signing an extension worth anything less than $100MM, Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan opines. Lindor is off to a huge start in 2017, and while he is five seasons away from free agency, the Indians shortstop is putting himself in line for a massive payday. Assuming Lindor keeps producing all season, Passan argues that Lindor could ask for something in the realm of Mike Trout’s six-year, $144MM deal from the Angels.

NL Central Notes: Robert, Braun, Pirates

By Steve Adams | April 13, 2017 at 7:13pm CDT

The Reds are “keeping an eye on” top Cuban outfield prospect Luis Robert, reports Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Manager Dick Williams called Robert “a physical specimen” when speaking to Buchanan, adding that the Reds have scouted Robert several times in the past. The price tag on Robert, of course, will be a major consideration for the Reds, but Buchanan points out that Cincinnati has greater incentive than most clubs to break the bank on the 19-year-old. Cincinnati has already soared past its international bonus pool, meaning they’ll be prohibited from signing any player for more than $300K in either of the next two international signing periods. If Robert is declared a free agent before the current period ends on June 15, it’s logical for the Reds to make one last splash while they’re still allowed to do so. Williams, though, notes that they won’t pursue him at all costs. “I have no idea where the dollars are going to go on him,” says the GM. “It could be that it quickly gets outside of our comfort level.” The Padres, Cardinals, Astros, Braves, Athletics and Nationals are all over their allotted bonus pools as well.

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