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Nick Hundley

NL Notes: Marlins, Giants, Cardinals

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The Marlins are parting ways with director of amateur scouting D.J. Svihlik, per Barry Jackson and Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Svihlik, who had been part of Miami’s front office since 2017 including six years in his current role as scouting director, did not have his contract removed following the 2023 campaign and is now set to join former GM Kim Ng in departing the organization. The move to part ways with Svihlik is hardly a surprise given Sherman’s previously reported discontent with the club’s amateur scouting and player development apparatus.

While very few of Svihlik’s draft picks have played a direct role for the Marlins at the big league level (with right-hander Max Meyer and catcher Nick Fortes among the best examples), Jackson and McPherson make the important point that many of the club’s highest picks in recent years have been used in trades to acquire key talents on the big league roster such as Jake Burger, Josh Bell, and A.J. Puk. The duo go on to note that the task of finding a replacement for Svihlik figures to be likely left in the hands of the club’s next baseball operations leader, the search for whom Sherman has already begun. Installing a president of baseball operations who would take control of the department and lead a restructuring of the club’s amateur scouting department was one of the key goals Sherman held for this offseason that led to Ng parting ways with the organization.

More from around the National League…

  • As the Giants continue their search for a manager to replace Gabe Kapler, one potential candidate has withdrawn himself from consideration, per The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly: Rangers special assistant Nick Hundley. Baggarly added that Hundley spoke at length with longtime Giants catcher Buster Posey and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi regarding the position, but ultimately declined to interview for the role on account of family concerns. Hundley, 40, spent 12 seasons in the major leagues as a catcher, including the 2017 and 2018 campaigns in San Francisco. Upon retiring in early 2020, Hundley took a job in the commissioner’s office before eventually joining the Rangers in his current role of special assistant prior to the 2022 campaign.
  • Cardinals left-hander JoJo Romero is in a good place following his season-ending knee injury last month, per Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Guerrero notes that Romero made progress regarding the injury throughout the month, but did not return to the big league roster in hopes of ensuring the injury was fully healed and his mechanics wouldn’t be impacted headed into the offseason. Romero was a revelation for St. Louis in the second half as he took over the closer’s role from Jordan Hicks, posting a 3.18 ERA, 35.8% strikeout rate and a 0.79 FIP in his final 17 innings of the season. His overall season numbers were also impressive, as well: the lefty posted a 3.68 ERA and 2.22 FIP across 27 appearances this season. Assuming he’s healthy in time for Spring Training, Romero figures to once again play a significant role for the Cardinals out of the bullpen next year.

Rangers Hire Nick Hundley As Special Assistant

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The Rangers announced Monday that they’ve hired former big league catcher Nick Hundley as a special assistant to general manager Chris Young. The 12-year MLB vet had been working in league offices as a senior director of baseball operations.

While Hundley’s title with the league was a bit nebulous, MLB’s press release at the time of his hiring in 2020 indicated that he would serve “as an MLB liaison to Major League Clubs, players and umpires” in addition to aiding “in the administration of on-field discipline and will provide insights regarding on-field rules, initiatives, technology, instant replay and other topics.” Hundley’s role with the league also included working to promote youth baseball initiatives in somewhat of an ambassadorial capacity.

Hundley, 38, is no stranger to Young. The two were not only teammates but batterymates with the Padres from 2008-10, worked together in the league offices in 2020, and surely still enjoy a strong relationship to this day. Hundley spent the first six and a half seasons of his career in San Diego and also appeared with the Orioles, Giants, Rockies and A’s throughout his dozen years in the Majors.

Hundley received few starting opportunities but was typically used more heavily than a standard backup catcher. He appeared in 974 Major League games and racked up 3373 plate appearances over his 12-year career, batting .247/.299/.405 with 93 home runs, 169 doubles, 20 triples, 319 runs scored and 376 runs knocked in from 2008-19.

The Rangers’ press release did not specify which areas of baseball operations will be Hundley’s primary focus, but he represents the latest in a growing number of former players the organization has hired as special assistants. Michael Young, Colby Lewis, Brandon McCarthy, Darren Oliver and Ivan Rodriguez are also listed as special assistants in the Rangers’ baseball ops department.

MLB Hires Gregor Blanco, Nick Hundley As Senior Directors Of Baseball Operations

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Gregor Blanco and Nick Hundley have been hired by Major League Baseball as senior directors of baseball operations, as per a league press release.  The news would seemingly bring an end to the playing careers of the two veterans, who were teammates on the 2018 Giants, and have 22 years of Major League experience between them.

It was just yesterday that Hundley spoke of negotiations with a few teams and his desire to play in 2020, so while Hundley’s retirement is perhaps a bit of a surprise, the 36-year-old former catcher will hang up his mask and move into a new phase of his baseball career.  Originally a second-round pick for the Padres in the 2005 draft, Hundley spent 510 of his 974 career MLB games with San Diego, and also suited up for the Rockies, Giants, Orioles, and A’s over the course of his 12-year career.  Oakland was the last official stop for Hundley, as he appeared in 31 games for the A’s during an injury-marred 2019 season, then failed to crack the Phillies’ big league roster after signing a minors deal with Philadelphia last August.

Hundley hit .247/.299/.405 with 93 home runs over 3373 career plate appearances, with an 89 wRC+/91 OPS+ that grades out as pretty solid for a catcher, especially one who usually worked in a platoon or backup role.  As with many veteran catchers who have stuck around the sport, Hundley has a good reputation in the clubhouse, and for working well with pitchers and calling games, even mentioned as a potential future candidate to someday become a manager.

Blanco was also a popular figure with teammates and fans over six seasons in San Francisco, as the outfielder went from being an unheralded minor league free agent pickup in the 2011-12 offseason to a big contributor to the Giants’ World Series championship clubs in 2012 and 2014.  After three nondescript years with the Braves and Royals and then not even playing in a big league game in 2011, Blanco became a regular in the Giants’ outfield, capable of playing above-average defense at any of the three positions.  No discussion of Blanco’s glovework is complete, of course, without mention of his diving grab in the seventh inning of what became a perfect game for Matt Cain on June 13, 2012.

Over 1060 games and appearances in parts of ten Major League seasons, Blanco hit .255/.338/.348 (91 OPS+/93 wRC+) with 26 homers and 122 stolen bases in 3349 plate appearances with the Giants, Braves, Royals, and Diamondbacks.  Blanco didn’t play in a big league game in 2019, as he didn’t return to the Show after signing a minor league contract with the Mets last offseason.

The 36-year-old Blanco will now join Hundley within MLB’s organizational hierarchy.  As per the press release, Blanco and Hundley will work “as an MLB liaison to Major League Clubs, players and umpires” and “will aid in the administration of on-field discipline and will provide insights regarding on-field rules, initiatives, technology, instant replay and other topics.  Blanco and Hundley will participate in MLB’s youth baseball development initiatives in the United States and Latin America, will speak to amateur players at MLB events and will assist in the evaluation of prospective umpires.”

We at MLB Trade Rumors wish Blanco and Hundley all the best in their efforts to help grow and develop the sport, and congratulate them on their fine playing careers.

Nick Hundley Intends To Play In 2020

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Veteran catcher Nick Hundley turned 36 late in the 2019 season, but he’s not yet planning to call it a career. Hundley tells Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he’s spoken to a few teams this winter — presumably about minor league deals with non-roster invites to Spring Training (Twitter link).

Hundley’s 2019 season wasn’t exactly the finest of his 12-year career. The veteran backstop appeared in just 31 games with the Athletics, spent more than a month on the injured list with back spasms and was released by both the A’s and the Phillies. Notably for A’s fans, Hundley tells Slusser that Oakland isn’t one of the teams to which he’s spoken.

Last year’s poor showing notwithstanding, Hundley is only a season removed from hitting at a near-average clip with the Giants in 2018. That year saw him tally 305 plate appearances with a .241/.298/.408 slash (95 OPS+, 93 wRC+). Considering that the league-average catcher posted an 84 wRC+ in 2018, Hundley’s output was more than passable — particularly for a part-time/backup catcher. Overall, he’s a .247/.299/.405 lifetime hitter in the big leagues.

Hundley has never been considered a defensive standout, but his career 26 percent caught-stealing rate is only a hair below the league average. And while he’s rarely graded well in terms of pitch framing, Hundley typically posts quality marks in terms of blocking pitches in the dirt, per Baseball Prospectus. At 36 years of age, there’s little reason to expect a marked uptick in his defensive skills, but he’s generally been a capable bat relative to his positional peers, and as a depth pickup on a minor league deal, Hundley would make sense for several organizations that are still rather thin on options behind the plate.

Phillies Release Nick Hundley

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The Phillies’ top affiliate announced today that catcher Nick Hundley has been given his release. He had joined the club on a minors deal after being cut loose earlier this year by the Athletics.

Hundley is closing in on his 36th birthday. A veteran of a dozen MLB campaigns, he’s a highly respected signal-caller and clubhouse member. He had signed on with the A’s on a minors deal but made the club out of camp.

Unfortunately, Hundley was not able to keep pace offensively in Oakland. Over 73 plate appearances in the majors, he scratched out a .200/.233/.357 batting line with just two walks and two homers. The struggles have continued at Lehigh Valley, where he struck out 17 times in just 36 trips to the plate.

The timing of the move will allow Hundley to catch on with another organization while retaining his postseason eligibility — if he inks a new deal tomorrow, before the end of the month. While it’s hard to imagine a contender planning for a playoff roster that includes Hundley, he’d be a useful insurance policy given his extensive experience.

Phillies To Sign Nick Hundley

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TODAY: There is a deal in place, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link).

YESTERDAY: The Phillies are closing in on a minor league contract with veteran catcher Nick Hundley, Roster Roundup reports (Twitter link).

With J.T. Realmuto holding down everyday duties, Hundley gives the Phils more backup depth beyond Andrew Knapp, who has only a .191/.315/.266 slash line through 113 plate appearances.  Knapp hit decently well in his 2017 rookie season, but has since posted very subpar offensive numbers, plus unimpressive framing and blocking statistics.

Hundley’s own defensive metrics, not to mention his caught-stealing numbers, have also been in decline, though the 35-year-old has traditionally been able to deliver a bit more at the plate, his lackluster 2019 slash line notwithstanding.  Hundley was a career .248/.300/.406 hitter heading into this season, though back and knee problems limited him to just 73 PA with the Athletics this season.  Oakland released Hundley two weeks ago.

Athletics Release Nick Hundley

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The Athletics have released catcher Nick Hundley, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The veteran catcher was designated for assignment last week.

The move marks the end of a disappointing Athletics tenure for Hundley, who signed with the club on a minor-league contract last winter. He slashed an underwhelming .200/.233/.357 in just 73 plate appearances. That lack of production, coupled with injuries that limited his availability, left Hundley falling behind the A’s other catching options in Chris Herrman and Josh Phegley.

Despite his struggles, Hundley’s experience should earn him another chance with a team in search of depth behind the plate. Prior to this season, he served as a capable backup for San Francisco’s Buster Posey. He’s the owner of a career .703 OPS—certainly an acceptable mark for a reserve catcher—but defensive metrics see his framing and control of the running game as below-average.

Athletics Designate Nick Hundley For Assignment

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The A’s have designated Nick Hundley for assignment after activating the catcher from the injured list, according to a team media release.

Hundley managed only a .200/.233/.357 slash line over 73 plate appearances for Oakland before going on the IL with back spasms back on June 8.  That seemingly minor IL stint led to a much lengthier absence as Hundley underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee ten days later, and the veteran backstop hasn’t since been back on the field.  This made Hundley the odd man out of an Oakland catching picture that consists of Chris Herrmann, Josh Phegley, and (at Triple-A) Beau Taylor.

With the experience of 12 MLB seasons on offer, Hundley is likely to find work with another team in need of catching depth, if he doesn’t end up remaining in Oakland’s system after an outright assignment.  He signed a minor league contract with the Athletics over the winter following two years serving as Buster Posey’s backup with the San Francisco Giants, with Hundley seeing more playing time than expected given Posey’s injury problems.  Over his career, Hundley has hit decently well for a catcher (.247/.299/.405 over 3373 PA), though his framing and caught-stealing numbers have recently been on the decline.

Latest On Athletics’ Catchers

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Injured Athletics catcher Nick Hundley is within 10 days of a rehab assignment as he recovers from back and knee issues, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Once Hundley comes back in August, though, the team could jettison him or one of the other three catchers on its 40-man roster, per Slusser. Indeed, when Hundley’s healthy enough to return, the Athletics “seem likely” to designate him, Chris Herrmann, Josh Phegley or Beau Taylor for assignment, Slusser observes. With the exception of Taylor, all of those backstops are out of minor league options.

The A’s goal entering the season was to roll with Hundley and Herrmann – both free-agent signings – as their two catchers, Slusser writes, but that plan changed when the latter underwent right knee surgery March 6. Herrmann sat out the first couple months of the season recovering from the procedure, only just coming off the IL on Tuesday. The 31-year-old emphatically introduced himself to Oakland that night, smashing a grand slam in a win over Minnesota (one of his ex-teams), and added a 4-for-4 performance in another victory against the Twins on Thursday.

While the lefty-swinging Herrmann’s off to a propitious start as an Athletic, he didn’t bring much of a big league track record to his new team. Also a former Diamondback and Mariner, Herrmann has hit just .206/.283/.354 (69 wRC+) in 903 major league plate appearances. He also hasn’t been a tower of strength behind the plate.

Hundley’s much more of an established commodity in the majors, where the well-traveled 35-year-old has typically provided solid offense for his position. That hasn’t been the case in 2019, though. Before Hundley headed to the IL with back spasms June 8 and then underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery on the 18th, the righty batted an unappealing .200/.233/.357 (54 wRC+) with 18 strikeouts against two walks in 73 PA. At the same time, Hundley threw out a mere 5 of 23 would-be base stealers and earned poor pitch-framing marks.

Herrmann’s absence helped reopen the door for Phegley, an Athletic since 2015 who entered this season off three straight low-impact years in the majors. Phegley’s now enjoying what could go down as a career offensive season, however, with a .259/.303/.463 line (102 wRC+) and nine home runs in 219 attempts. The righty-hitting Phegley has been particularly tough on lefties, whom he has teed off on for a .939 OPS, though his overall offensive production has nosedived since the start of June. Like Hundley, Phegley has not garnered rave reviews as a framer this year. Worsening matters, the 31-year-old rates as Baseball Prospectus’ second-worst blocker.

Taylor, 29, hasn’t gotten much of a chance in the majors since the A’s chose him in the fifth round of the 2011 draft. Dating back to his brief MLB debut last year, Taylor has collected 30 plate appearances at the game’s highest level. The lefty’s now at Triple-A Las Vegas, where he has slashed an excellent .306/.463/.524 (149 wRC+) across 160 tries this season. Despite that production, the A’s may not regard Taylor as a major league-caliber option, in which case his time on their 40-man could soon end.

Injury Notes: Carpenter, Hamels, Athletics, Pence

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The Cardinals placed third baseman Matt Carpenter on the injured list Tuesday because of lower back spasms, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. They recalled reliever John Brebbia from Triple-A Memphis to take Carpenter’s roster spot. Expectations are Carpenter will return July 12, the first game of the season’s second half, as Mark Saxon of The Athletic tweets. Injury aside, the normally excellent Carpenter is one of several Cardinals to come up short of expectations so far in 2019. The 33-year-old’s off to a .216/.325/.381 start (90 wRC+) with 10 home runs in 326 plate appearances, putting him on pace to fall way shy of last season’s 36-HR outburst. Carpenter hasn’t started since last Tuesday, which has left third base to Tommy Edman and Yairo Munoz over the past week.

Here’s more on a few other notable injury situations…

  • The Cubs seem to have dodged a worst-case scenario with injured southpaw Cole Hamels, who suffered a strained left oblique last Friday. Manager Joe Maddon revealed Tuesday that Hamels is “feeling a lot better quicker than we anticipated,” adding the 35-year-old’s MRI delivered positive results (via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times). However, there’s still no timetable for the return of Hamels, who has joined the just-returned Kyle Hendricks as one of the Cubs’ top two starters this season.
  • A right knee sprain forced Athletics right fielder Stephen Piscotty to the IL last Sunday. While an MRI didn’t show a tear, Piscotty could still miss a month of action, according to manager Bob Melvin (via Martin Gallegos of MLB.com). Meanwhile, the Athletics finally activated catcher Chris Herrmann from the IL on Tuesday. Herrmann hasn’t gotten to play for the A’s yet since signing a one-year, $1MM deal with the team in the offseason, having undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in early March. Oakland optioned fellow backstop Beau Taylor to Triple-A Las Vegas to clear a 25-man spot for Herrmann and moved injured catcher Nick Hundley to the 60-day IL to open up 40-man space.
  • Rangers All-Star designated hitter/outfielder Hunter Pence suffered a setback during his minor league rehab game Monday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. There’s no new injury for Pence, who has been out since June 17 with a right groin strain, though it’s now possible he won’t be healthy enough to participate in the All-Star Game. Manager Chris Woodward said Tuesday that Pence is unlikely to return until after the break, but he could still get an at-bat in the Midsummer Classic.
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