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Max Stassi

Angels Sign Max Stassi To Extension

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The Angels announced this evening they’ve signed catcher Max Stassi to a three-year, $17.5MM extension. The veteran backstop will earn $3MM in 2022, and $7MM apiece in 2023-24. The deal also contains a $7.5MM club option for the 2025 campaign that comes with a $500K buyout. Stassi is a Wasserman client.

The deal buys out up to three free agent years, as Stassi had been set to hit the open market after this season. He and the team had already agreed to a $3MM salary for the upcoming season. That figure remains in place, with the club tacking on $14.5MM in new money to keep him under club control through 2025.

Stassi has appeared in each of the last nine big league seasons, but he didn’t play in more than 15 games in any of the first five years. The righty-hitting backstop had never even tallied 300 plate appearances in a season until last year, as he’d spent his early days as a depth catcher with the division-rival Astros.

The Angels picked up Stassi in a seemingly minor deadline deal with Houston in 2019. He didn’t do much in 20 games with the Halos down the stretch that season, but he’s enjoyed a late-career breakout over the past two years. Stassi mashed at a .278/.352/.533 clip during the shortened 2020 schedule, rapping nine extra-base hits in 105 plate appearances. There’s little doubt the limited sample inflated his numbers that year, but Stassi continued to perform well over his largest body of work last season.

In 2021, Stassi appeared in 87 games and picked up 319 trips to the plate. He hit .241/.326/.426 with 13 homers, showing solid power and drawing a fair number of walks. Stassi struck out in an alarming 31.7% of his plate appearances, but the combination of pop and patience were more than adequate for a catcher. By measure of wRC+, Stassi’s production lined up exactly with that of a league average hitter. League average offense isn’t easy to find at the most demanding position at the diamond, with catchers overall posting a .229/.305/.391 mark last season.

Stassi pretty clearly wielded an above-average bat for a backstop, and he also rated well in the eyes of Statcast’s pitch framing metrics. Baseball Savant pegged him as six runs above average as a framer last season, his fourth straight year garnering positive marks in that regard. He didn’t do well to control the running game, throwing out only 15.4% of attempted base-stealers (against a 24.3% league average). Stassi had fared a bit better in that regard in years past, however, and the Angels are clearly comfortable in both his receiving ability and ability to handle a pitching staff over the coming seasons.

Because he didn’t establish himself as a regular until nearly a decade into his big league career, Stassi wasn’t going to hit free agency until after his age-31 season. That always figured to cap his long-term market upside, but the two years and $14.5MM in guarantees for his first couple free agent seasons is in line with the recent going rate for capable but not elite #1 catchers. The Braves signed Travis d’Arnaud to a two-year, $16MM extension last August; the Cubs added Yan Gomes for two years and $13MM just before the lockout.

d’Arnaud and Gomes were the top options in a free agent catching class that was short on #1 options this winter. Next year’s crop looks stronger, with Mike Zunino, Willson Contreras, Gary Sánchez and Omar Narváez among a handful of players set to hit the market. Rather than stick in that fairly deep class, Stassi will stick around in Orange County for at least the next couple years.

The Angels re-signed Kurt Suzuki this winter, and he’ll serve as Stassi’s back-up for the upcoming campaign. The extension won’t affect the Angels’ books for the upcoming season, given that it doesn’t change his price tag from the previously agreed upon $3MM arbitration settlement. Los Angeles is still set to open this season with a franchise-record payroll in the $188MM range. The extension brings their 2023 estimated player commitments up to around $119MM, in the estimation of Jason Martinez of Roster Resource.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Angels Notes: Ohtani, Trout, Rendon, Stassi

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Shohei Ohtani’s epic season has made him one of the most fascinating players in recent memory, and his contract status may only add to that intrigue.  Ohtani is controlled through the 2023 campaign (via the final year of his current two-year contract with the Angels and then a final arbitration-eligible season) and as ESPN’s Buster Olney writes, speculation has already begun about whether a potential Ohtani extension would set new precedents.  Rival evaluators feel the Angels could be best served to work out an extension with Ohtani this winter, in order to figure out as soon as possible how to best manage a difficult payroll situation.

It is hard to imagine that the Angels would trade Ohtani or let him walk in free agency, yet Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon are also committed to huge salaries and not going anywhere.  Olney estimates that retaining that trio of stars could put Los Angeles on the hook for roughly $120MM-$130MM per year, which wouldn’t leave the Angels with much wiggle room in filling out the rest of the roster.  While the luxury tax thresholds could rise in the next collective bargaining agreement and owner Arte Moreno has been willing to spend big, the Angels haven’t paid a tax bill since 2004.  With Albert Pujols’ deal still on the books until the end of the season, the Angels are used to top-heavy payrolls, but that tactic has left the team unable to amass much in the way of depth (especially on the pitching side) and the Halos haven’t had a winning season since 2015.

More from the Halos…

  • The team hasn’t yet any discussions about the possibility of shutting Trout down for the season, GM Perry Minasian told MLB.com’s Daniel Guerrero and other reporters.  Trout is continuing to recover from a right calf strain that has kept him off the field since May 17, and the three-time AL MVP already experienced one setback last month that added a lot of uncertainty to his timeline.  Since the Angels are a longshot in the postseason race, there wouldn’t seem to be any urgency to get Trout back for what amount to just a few weeks of meaningless September games.  Minasian said that “we will not rush [Trout].  We want him to feel good about how his calf feels,” though he noted that the outfielder is “doing everything he can in his power to get back as soon as he can.”
  • Rendon talked to The Athletic’s Sam Blum (Twitter links) and other reporters about his season-ending hip surgery, which is scheduled to take place next week.  Rendon spent much of the season on the injured list with a variety of injuries stemming from his hip problem, leaving the third baseman feeling “weak” and like he “had no legs” throughout his 58 games played.  The idea is that the surgery will fix the problem once and for all, and Rendon is hopeful that he’ll be ready for the start of Spring Training in February.
  • X-rays were negative on Max Stassi’s forearm after the catcher was hit by an Alek Manoah pitch yesterday and was forced to leave the game.  Angels manager Joe Maddon told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group) that Stassi is undergoing some more tests but is feeling better, and he might be available to come off the bench in a defensive capacity tonight.  Stassi has rather quietly been on fire since the start of the 2020 season, hitting .285/.362/.511 with 17 home runs over his last 309 PA.  Of players with at least 300 PA in 2020-21, only 23 players have a better wRC+ than Stassi’s 139 mark.

Angels Activate Max Stassi, Option Jose Quijada

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The Angels have activated catcher Max Stassi from the injured list, per the team. He’ll be in the lineup and starting behind the plate for the Angels tonight. Meanwhile, Drew Butera has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, and Jose Quijada was optioned to Triple-A in order to create the roster spot to bring Stassi off the IL.

Stassi returns to the lineup with a .241/.313/.345 batting line across 32 plate appearances. He’s one of three catchers currently on the roster, along with Kurt Suzuki and Anthony Bemboom. If healthy, Stassi figures to get a healthy share of the playing time behind the dish.

The veteran Butera remains in the organization to serve as further depth. The Angels’ catching corps has been beat up for much of the season – and they’re not a young group – so Butera may very well find himself with another opportunity this year. He’ll be seeking a redemptive effort after going just 3-for-32 with 16 strikeouts in 32 plate appearances.

As for Quijada, the 25-year-old southpaw logged 3 1/3 scoreless innings across a pair of outings. He went 1 2/3 innings yesterday, and while he didn’t allow a run and struck out three, he also walked three and allowed both of his inherited runners to score – one via a wild pitch and the other via a Wilmer Flores double.

Angels Make Several Roster Moves

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The Angels announced several roster moves Thursday: They selected the contracts of outfielder Jon Jay and catcher Jack Kruger, placed backstop Max Stassi (concussion) and right-hander Chris Rodriguez (shoulder inflammation) on the 10-day injured list, and reinstated righty Felix Pena from the IL.

Jay spent time in the majors with the Angels earlier this season, but they designated him for assignment on April 16 after he went 1-for-8 at the plate. He’ll rejoin an Angels outfield going through some upheaval at the moment, as Justin Upton is battling knee problems and Jared Walsh is heading to first base in the wake of the team’s decision on Thursday to designate Albert Pujols.

Kruger, 26, could make his major league debut with Stassi out for at least the next week. The Los Angeles native was a 20th-rounder in 2016 who hasn’t played above Double-A ball yet. He owns a .265/.326/.357 line with 15 home runs in 1,392 minor league plate appearances.

Rodriguez has held his own out of the Angels’ bullpen this year, having thrown 15 2/3 innings of 2.30 ERA ball with 17 strikeouts against eight walks, but manager Joe Maddon said his injury isn’t serious (via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register). They’ll replace him with Pena, a regular in their pitching staff from 2018-20. Pena amassed 215 2/3 frames of 4.34 ERA ball during that span, though he hasn’t contributed this year after straining a hamstring during the spring.

Angels Notes: Odorizzi, Injuries, Rodriguez

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The Angels’ offseason search for pitching help led them to Jose Quintana and Alex Cobb in the rotation, as well as Raisel Iglesias, Tony Watson, Steve Cishek, Alex Claudio, Junior Guerra and Aaron Slegers in the bullpen. That’s a considerable amount of turnover on its own, but right-hander Jake Odorizzi revealed during last night’s broadcast that the Halos made a strong run at him in free agency as well. The Angels, according to Odorizzi, “were one of the teams that talked to us pretty much from start to finish” (Twitter link via Jack Harris of the L.A. Times). Odorizzi, of course, went on to sign with the division-rival Astros, pushing them right up against the luxury-tax threshold and prompting them to cut Cishek loose from a minor league deal he’d signed with Houston — despite a solid spring effort. Cishek latched on with the Halos on a big league deal and has been solid thus far through his first seven relief appearances. Odorizzi has struggled a bit after signing late, but the fact that he’s punched out 11 of the 36 hitters he’s faced (30.6%) and walked just three (8.3%) is encouraging.

Some more notes on the Halos…

  • Manager Joe Maddon said after last night’s game that he expects injured outfielder Juan Lagares and catcher Max Stassi to rejoin the club this weekend (Twitter link via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register). Lagares has been out since April 11 due to a calf strain, while Stassi hit the IL two days later owing to a thumb injury. Maddon added that he expects third baseman Anthony Rendon, out since the 11th himself due to a groin strain, to return to the club early next week during the Angels’ series against the Rangers. The 30-year-old Rendon has been nothing short of brilliant since signing his seven-year deal; in 60 games as an Angel, he’s slashed a hearty .286/.413/.482 with 10 homers, 11 doubles, a triple, 43 walks and just 38 strikeouts through 269 plate appearances.
  • Rookie right-hander Chris Rodriguez is expected to remain in the bullpen for the 2021 season, writes MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger, but his early work has reinforced the organization’s belief that he can be an impact starter in the future. “He’s a strike-thrower and he can get quick outs by challenging hitters with that fastball and force them to beat it into the ground,” says Maddon of Rodriguez. “You can see him becoming a frontline starter. It gives me a lot to think about now that I’ve seen it.” Rodriguez has indeed been impressive thus far. The 22-year-old has held opponents to four runs on eight hits and six walks in 10 1/3 innings while racking up 14 strikeouts. The command could obviously stand to improve, but Rodriguez is also boasting a whopping 64% ground-ball rate thanks to his power sinker. Hitters have seemingly had a tough time reading the ball out of his hand, too, as evidenced by a 23.4% called-strike rate that ranks fifth among all pitchers (min. 10 innings pitched). Maddon noted that Rodriguez could eventually see late-inning work this year, though for the time being he’s providing ample value in a multi-inning role.

Angels Make Handful Of Roster Moves

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The Angels have selected outfielder Jon Jay from their alternate site and placed outfielder Dexter Fowler on the 60-day injured list, the team announced. In other moves, the Angels placed catcher Max Stassi (left thumb sprain) and outfielder Juan Lagares (calf) on the 10-day IL, and they recalled backstop Anthony Bemboom.

The 36-year-old, whom the Angels signed to a minor league contract before the season, has put together a respectable career going back to his Cardinals debut in 2010. However, his numbers plummeted from 2018-20 with the Royals, Diamondbacks and White Sox. He hit a miserable .160/.211/.240 in 57 trips to the plate with Arizona last year, though Jay will get a chance to rebound beginning tonight with Fowler out for the season and both Lagares and Justin Upton (back stiffness) dealing with injuries.

Stassi has typically been known for his defensive acumen, but he has come alive at the plate since 2020. Including a red-hot start this season, Stassi has slashed .292/.371/.538 with eight home runs – albeit over a small sample of 124 PA and 38 games. Bemboom and Kurt Suzuki will handle the catching duties while Stassi is out.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: 1/15/21

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The deadline to exchange arbitration figures is today at 1pm ET. As of this morning, there were 125 arbitration-eligible players who’d yet to agree to terms on their contract for the upcoming 2021 season. Arbitration is muddier than ever before thanks to the shortened 2020 schedule, which most believe will lead to record number of arb hearings this winter. Be that as it may, it’s still reasonable to expect dozens of contractual agreements to filter in over the next couple of hours.

We’ll highlight some of the more high-profile cases in separate posts with more in-depth breakdowns, but the majority of today’s dealings will be smaller-scale increases that don’t radically alter a team’s payroll or a player’s trade candidacy. As such, we’ll just run through most of today’s agreements in this post.

I’ve embedded MLBTR’s 2021 Arbitration Tracker in the post (those in the mobile app or viewing on mobile web will want to turn their phones sideways). Our tracker can be sorted by team, by service time and/or by Super Two status, allowing users to check the status on whichever groups of players they like. You can also check out Matt Swartz’s projected arbitration salaries for this year’s class, and we’ll do a quick sentence on each player’s agreement at the bottom of this post as well, with the most recent agreements sitting atop the list.

Today’s Agreements (chronologically, newest to oldest)

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Max Stassi Undergoes Hip Surgery

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The Angels announced that catcher Max Stassi underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. He should take around four to six months to recover from the procedure.

Considering the timeline for Stassi’s surgery, it’s possible the Angels won’t have him for at least the early part of next season. That would be a blow for the team, as Stassi was its primary option at the position in 2020 and performed well in the role. While the defense-first Stassi typically hasn’t offered much offensively, he did slash .278/.352/.533 with seven home runs in 105 trips to the plate this year.

Stassi’s absence would leave the Angels with Anthony Bemboom as the No. 1 option on their roster, but it’s possible they’ll look elsewhere for help during the winter. Jason Castro’s a pending free agent, and he spent the first part of 2020 on the Angels’ roster before they traded him to the Padres at the end of August. If the Angels want to aim higher, though, J.T. Realmuto and James McCann are also scheduled to hit the open market. It also seems possible the Yankees will part with Gary Sanchez in a trade, so the Angels could inquire about his availability.

AL Injury Notes: Simmons, Yankees, S. Perez, Astros

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The Angels reinstated Andrelton Simmons from the 10-day injured list and placed catcher Max Stassi (right quad strain, knee bruise) on the IL, the team announced. Simmons is back after a three-plus-week absence because of a sprained left ankle. It could be an interesting upcoming 10 days for Simmons, a soon-to-be free agent whom the non-contending Angels may choose to move before the Aug. 31 trade deadline. Regardless, the 30-year-old Simmons will spend the next month-plus trying to boost his stock before he reaches the open market for the first time in his career. He dealt with injury issues (including to his ankle) during a down season in 2019, and he has hit a mere .188/.188/.250 in 16 plate appearances this year.

  • Yankees manager Aaron Boone issued updates Friday on a few of their key players who are on the IL, telling WFAN (via Marly Rivera of ESPN.com) that right fielder Aaron Judge is “likely” to be in the Yankees’ lineup for their next game (that won’t be this weekend, as their series with the Mets was postponed). Judge has been down for a week with a mild calf strain. Meanwhile, second baseman DJ LeMahieu is doing “significantly better” as he recovers from the left thumb sprain that sent him to the IL last weekend. And reliever Zack Britton, whom the Yankees shelved Thursday with a strained left hamstring, should recover “on the shorter side.”
  • The Royals announced that they’ve placed catcher Salvador Perez on the IL, retroactive to Aug. 18, with left eye central serous chorioretinopathy and recalled left-hander Randy Rosario. Perez’s issue has bothered him since last weekend and hampered his vision, though it’s not believed to be a long-term problem. After missing all of last year because of Tommy John surgery, Perez was enjoying a strong return season with a .307/.326/.511 line, four home runs and a 25 percent caught-stealing percentage prior to going to the IL.
  • Astros outfielder Michael Brantley is eligible for activation Saturday, but manager Dusty Baker told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and other reporters he’s “not real optimistic” that will happen. It seems Brantley will need a bit more time to recover from a right quad injury that has kept him out since Aug. 11. Baker also suggested (via Rome) that yet another Astro – right-hander Josh James – will probably go on the IL. James suffered a hip injury and had to be helped off the field in Colorado on Thursday. That continued a nightmare of a season for James, who has surrendered 13 earned runs on 12 hits and 14 walks (with 13 strikeouts) in 10 2/3 innings.

AL West Notes: Astros, Angels, Rangers

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Let’s check in on the latest notes from around the American League West …

  • With or without baseball in 2020, the Astros will soon be faced with a gaping void in the outfield, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle observes. Each of George Springer, Michael Brantley and Josh Reddick are slated to hit the open market at season’s end. And while top prospect Kyle Tucker can hopefully step up as an everyday option in their absence, the organization has little else waiting in the wings. Astros steal Yordan Alvarez is regarded as a part-time corner outfielder at best, while fleet-footed Myles Straw has looked like more of a reserve type than a regular. That trio’s potential departure does open up some payroll space, but the ’Stros already have more than $134MM in luxury tax obligations — and that’s before arbitration raises to Carlos Correa, Roberto Osuna, Lance McCullers Jr., Chris Devenski, Aledmys Diaz and Joe Biagini.
  • The Angels weren’t able to land any of their top rotation targets in free agency this winter, but general manager Billy Eppler and his staff hope that an emphasis on improved receiving from their catchers will contribute to better results on the pitching staff, writes Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Max Stassi and Jason Castro are considered to be two of the game’s best in terms of pitch framing, and the pair spoke about the fact that it’s not necessarily a coincidence that they’re considered as such. Both were with the Astros in 2013 when Astros analyst Mike Fast presented on the importance of the skill to Houston catchers during Spring Training. Both backstops provide their thoughts on the skill as a whole — Castro on why he feels “framing” is a misnomer and Stassi giving his thoughts on a potential automated strike zone. Framing has become an increased point of emphasis for the Angels in recent years, per Eppler: “…[I]f you have a catcher who you know can present a ball well and receive a ball well, that gives confidence to your pitchers and could potentially move a count from 2-1 to 1-2.”
  • Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels updated reporters on his organization, as Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram relays. Of note, three members of the organization – all minor leaguers – have shown coronavirus symptoms. Fortunately, those players seem to be recovering well. Meanwhile, after suffering a fractured jaw just under a month ago, outfielder Willie Calhoun continues to progress. Calhoun “has no limitations” at this point, Wilson writes. Assuming there is a season, Calhoun just might break out in 2020 after a promising showing last year.
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