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Nick Hundley

West Notes: Trout, D-backs, Acuna, Giants, Hundley, Holland

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The out-of-contention Angels have arguably wasted another year of control over baseball’s best player, center fielder Mike Trout, with whom they still haven’t even won a playoff game since his rookie campaign in 2012. But even though Trout’s team control is dwindling (2019 is the penultimate year of his contract), the Angels should continue trying to win with the future Hall of Famer – not trade him – Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times opines. While Trout would warrant a massive return in a trade, Shaikin argues that even the best prospects aren’t sure bets to produce in the majors or avoid injuries, using the package the White Sox received from the Red Sox for Chris Sale in 2016 as an example.

Of course, as opposed to shopping Trout – which, despite the Angels’ struggles, has always looked incredibly improbable – the Halos could try to keep him for the long haul. Trout is fond of Anaheim, Shaikin notes, though he writes that there aren’t any compelling reasons for the player to ink a contract extension now. Asked Friday about the possibility of signing a new deal, Trout told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register:  “I don’t know. It’s up to them. Obviously you’ve got to finish out the season and worry about it in the offseason. I don’t want to worry about it right now.” Trout added that his main objective is to win, and while that hasn’t happened in Anaheim, he didn’t throw its front office under the bus. Rather, he rightly suggested that injuries have played a huge role in the Angels’ disappointing season.

Here’s the latest on a couple other West-based teams:

  • Twenty-year-old Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna may be on his way to joining Trout as an elite player, which is a difficult reality for the Diamondbacks, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic explains. The Venezuelan-born Acuna signed with the Braves for a $100K bonus four years ago, but before that, the Diamondbacks believed they were on the verge of adding him for $80K. Junior Noboa, the Diamondbacks’ vice president of Latin American operations, revealed to Piecoro that the two sides reached an agreement in the Dominican Republic. However, rules state a player must officially sign in his home country, and by the time Acuna returned to Venezuela, the Braves had made a stronger offer, according to Noboa. “They accepted it before I could come back with another offer,” Noboa said of Acuna’s camp. Acuna disagrees with Noboa’s version of the story, as he said through an interpreter Thursday: “There was a difference between what was promised and what was eventually settled upon. They gave me an initial number and then afterwards that wasn’t it. That’s why I wasn’t on board with signing.” Regardless, as Piecoro notes, Acuna was not a superstar prospect when he chose Atlanta over Arizona. Thus, whether he’d have developed into the player he is now had he signed with a different team is anyone’s guess.
  • The Giants would be wise to re-sign upcoming free agents Nick Hundley and Derek Holland, opines The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly, who writes that re-upping the former “figures to be a top priority” (subscription required). Hundley’s approaching the end of his second season in San Francisco, where he has backed up star catcher Buster Posey. It’s no surprise the Giants are prioritizing the position, though, considering Posey underwent season-ending hip surgery last month and could miss the start of next year. Offensively, the 35-year-old Hundley has made a case for a new deal by hitting a passable .235/.294/.407 (90 wRC+) in  245 PAs. On the other hand, Baseball Prospectus has Hundley ranked among the majors’ worst defensive backstops this season. Holland, a minor league signing last winter, has been a major bargain for the Giants. After his career went into a tailspin with the Rangers and White Sox from 2015-17, the soon-to-be 32-year-old has bounced back to log a 3.54 ERA/3.87 FIP with 8.96 K/9 and 3.54 BB/9 in 152 2/3 innings (31 appearances, 27 starts).

Yasiel Puig Receives Two-Game Suspension

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Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig was slapped with a two-game suspension and a fine for his role in a recent dust-up with the Giants. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times had the news (Twitter links). The primary San Francisco protagonist, catcher Nick Hundley, received only financial punishment.

Officially, Puig was suspended for “fighting and inciting a bench-clearing incident.” Those interested in seeing the video and some of the reactions from those two players will want to click this link.

The incident arose when Hundley seemingly took issue with Puig’s reaction to fouling off a pitch. A verbal dispute quickly escalated into a push-punch to the chest protector by Puig. The bullpens emptied on cue. Ultimately, the Dodgers outfielder got another swipe at the still-masked Hundley, who was by then engaged in a sort of drive-block dance with Dodgers coach George Lombard, though no damage was done. Both players were ejected.

Needless to say, there’s certainly a deeper history between these two ballclubs. The heated on-field rivalry has perhaps helped fuel some animosity between members of the current rosters. Puig and Giants hurler Madison Bumgarner have had some memorable clashes, for instance.

At the end of the day, the news won’t likely cause many problems for the Dodgers. Puig can appeal, which might lead to a reduction and will certainly precipitate a delay of the suspension. That’ll at least give the club time to sort out its roster situation to account for his brief absence.

Giants Re-Sign Nick Hundley

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The Giants have announced a new one-year deal with catcher Nick Hundley, as Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area was among those to tweet. He receives a $2.5MM guarantee in the pact, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on Twitter.

Hundey, 34, has spent the bulk of his career in the NL West. The ten-year MLB veteran will return for a second run with the Giants. With the move, San Francisco has lined up its reserve for star backstop Buster Posey.

Though he has rarely received anything approaching everyday playing time, Hundley has long been a heavily utilized piece. He has averaged nearly 300 plate appearances annually, with a lifetime .249/.300/.406 batting line.

For the most part, it was a typical season for Hundley in 2017. He strode to the plate 303 times and ended with a .244/.272/.418 output that was shy, but within range of, his career mean.

San Francisco will hope for a bit more bat, though palatable offensive output is only a part of the value of the respected veteran. Hundley is valued for his presence in the clubhouse and with the pitching staff. While he has never fared well in framing ratings, he does otherwise grade as a sturdy option behind the dish.

Quick Hits: Hosmer, Pads, Kinsler, Nats, Twins, Brewers, Royals

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Surprisingly, the Padres have been among the most aggressive suitors for free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer this offseason. While the rebuilding Padres likely wouldn’t be near-term contenders even with Hosmer, they regard the longtime Royal as enough of a culture-changing player to justify their attempt to sign him, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. But Hosmer’s still seeking a contract in the $200MM range, according to Lin, who doubts San Diego likes him enough to bid that much (Twitter link).

Elsewhere, the Padres seem to be making some headway in their efforts to add a shortstop, Lin tweets. GM A.J. Preller says the club has at least narrowed the list of possibilities to a handful or so. They’ve been connected to the likes of Freddy Galvis, Zack Cozart and Alcides Escobar (Hosmer’s teammate in Kansas City) recently.

More from around the majors as the meetings wind down…

  • Just-acquired Angels second baseman Ian Kinsler was only willing to waive his 10-team no-trade clause for them, Tigers general manager Al Avila told reporters. Avila added that he had talks with three other teams on Kinsler’s no-trade list Wednesday, noting that he “had no leverage” because of the second baseman’s limited NTC. The executive’s not upset with Kinsler, though, as he realizes the player was fully within his rights prevent certain deals from happening (all Twitter links via Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press and Evan Woodbery of MLive.com).
  • The Nationals and various right-handed relievers have had “serious” talks today, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports. While Janes doesn’t include any names, Jon Heyman of FanRag lists Addison Reed, Brandon Kintzler and Steve Cishek as relievers who are on the team’s radar (Twitter links). Wade Davis and Hector Rondon have also been mentioned in connection with the Nats during the meetings.
  • The Twins are also seeking bullpen help, and they have an offer out to a free agent reliever, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. That’s not J.J. Hoover, whom they’re uninterested in but who’s “squarely in the mix” for the Brewers, per Wolfson. The Twins also weren’t in on Juan Nicasio before he signed with the Mariners on Wednesday, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press writes (Twitter links here).
  • The sharks are circling the aforementioned Royals, who are looking to get their payroll below $110MM, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). As things stand, K.C. will be north of that amount, so clearly the club will need to pare back. GM Dayton Moore discussed the situation on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter link), saying there’s a need to rebuild the team’s farm while also not giving up on the possibility of retaining top free agents or otherwise remaining competitive.
  • Free agent catcher Nick Hundley told Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle he’s “optimistic” that he’ll re-sign with the Giants (Twitter link). Hundley, 34, inked a $2MM deal to serve as Buster Posey’s backup last winter and proceeded to hit .244/.272/.418 in 303 in plate appearances. He was a mixed bag defensively, throwing 29 percent of would-be base stealers but earning minus marks as a pitch framer.
  • Still looking for rotation pieces, the Reds could have some interest in veteran free agent Yovani Gallardo, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. The soon-to-be 32-year-old Gallardo is coming off a miserable two-season stretch in which he posted a 5.57 ERA and log 6.48 K/9 against 4.38 BB/9 across 248 2/3 innings with Baltimore and Seattle.

West Notes: Giants, Cueto, Padres, Hand, Rangers, Profar

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Following his final start of the season, Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto wouldn’t tip his hand regarding his opt-out decision when asked by reporters (link via Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area). It seems unfathomable that Cueto will opt out of the remaining $84MM on his deal on the heels of the worst season of his big league career, and Cueto suggested that he’s enjoyed his time as a Giant and believes there’s a winning core in place. Backstop Nick Hundley also told the media that he “loves” San Francisco and his teammates, Pavlovic continues. His declined to elaborate on the opportunity to pursue a larger deal in free agency this winter or a potential starting role but certainly sounded open to a return.

More from the majors’ West divisions:

  • Padres general manager A.J. Preller told Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune and other reporters on Monday that upgrading at shortstop and in the rotation will be offseason priorities. The Padres will also “look to tinker with the bullpen,” Preller said. Trading left-handed closer Brad Hand would qualify as much more than tinkering, but Preller didn’t rule out dealing him. “He was similar to a few years ago when we had (Craig) Kimbrel,” Preller said. “We talked to teams about Kimbrel at the trade deadline in ‘15. There were teams that reached out early in that offseason and said, ‘OK, we’re still interested.’ I would expect that to probably be the case, but we’ll see how that plays out.” Despite vast interest, the Padres decided against trading Hand at the deadline in July. The 27-year-old obviously comes with less team control now than he did over the summer, when an acquiring club could have viewed him as an integral piece for a playoff run, but he’s still signed through 2019. Hand made a relative pittance – $1.38MM – in his first year of arbitration eligibility in 2017.
  • The Rangers just wrapped up a disappointing campaign, one that ended without a playoff berth for only the third time in the past eight years, but it’s not going to spur an offseason rebuild, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Instead, the Rangers will do their best over the winter to return to contention in 2018. Sullivan writes that they’ll focus on bolstering their rotation via free agency and/or trades, perhaps add an outfielder, and decide where to put 41-home run corner infielder/outfielder Joey Gallo.
  • One thing the Rangers must do this offseason is trade infielder/outfielder Jurickson Profar, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News argues. Profar, 24, was once among the game’s premier prospects, but injuries and poor performance have defined his time in Texas. The switch-hitting Profar, who has batted an ugly .229/.309/.329 in 718 major league plate appearances, spent most of 2017 at the Triple-A level and was not one of the Rangers’ call-ups when rosters expanded in September. Further, Profar will be out of options next year, making it seem all the more likely that the Rangers will cut ties with him in the coming months.

Quick Hits: Lackey, Lynn, Nicasio, Hundley

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The Cubs’ clubhouse celebration after clinching the NL Central included some telling comments from Jon Lester, who proclaimed that John Lackey had made “probably his last regular-season start.  Here’s to one hell of a career!” before toasting his longtime teammate.  (USA Today’s Bob Nightengale has the details.)  This is the first open acknowledgement that Lackey is heading towards retirement after the season.  Lackey’s two-year, $32MM contract is up once the Cubs conclude their postseason run, and he turns 39 in October.  He struggled to a 4.56 ERA over 169 2/3 innings thanks in large part to problems with the long ball, as Lackey surrendered a league-high 36 homers and a career-high 18.3% home run rate.  Still, Lackey has enjoyed a tremendous 15 seasons in the big leagues and, coming out of the Cubs bullpen in the playoffs, he’ll look to collect his fourth World Series ring.

Here’s more from around baseball as we head into the final weekend of the regular season…

  • The Cardinals don’t expect extensions with any of their upcoming free agents before the season is over, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.  This includes Lance Lynn, whose representatives haven’t had any in-depth talks with the club about a new deal.  When asked if Thursday’s start could be his last with the Cardinals, Lynn said it “certainly looks that way.”  Lynn looks to be one of the top pitchers available in this year’s free agent market, and it appears he’ll be departing a Cards rotation that will mostly be relying on promising younger arms in 2018.
  • Also from Goold’s article, he reports that the Cardinals have been in touch with Juan Nicasio about a new deal.  Nicasio came to St. Louis after a rather surprising series of transactions that saw the right-hander waived by the Pirates, claimed by the Phillies and then dealt to the Cards all within a week’s time at the end of August and in early September.  No matter the uniform, Nicasio pitched well, posting a 2.65 ERA, 3.55 K/BB rate and 71 strikeouts over 71 1/3 innings for his three teams, making a league-high 75 appearances.  The Cardinals have clearly liked what they’ve seen in their short time with Nicasio on the roster and may be trying to lock Nicasio up before he hits the open market.
  • There is mutual interest between the Giants and Nick Hundley in a new contract, though Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle observes that it might hinge on how much playing time Hundley is able to find elsewhere from a catching-needy team.  Obviously, anything more than a backup role isn’t an option in San Francisco with Buster Posey locked in as the regular catcher.  Hundley hit .246/.276/.425 over 296 PA with the Giants while becoming a big voice in the team’s clubhouse.

West Notes: Maxwell, Rodney, Hundley

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Whatever one may think about athletes making social or political gestures during the National Anthem, this excellent piece from Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports on Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell is well worth a read. The first-year big leaguer, who became the first and thus far only major-league player to join many in the NFL in taking a knee during the anthem, certainly has thought deeply about his actions and appears to be motivated by honestly-held beliefs.

Here’s more from out west:

  • While the Diamondbacks will end up paying closer Fernando Rodney more than he was guaranteed before the season, that’s a good thing. As Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic explains, Rodney has already tacked on $1.25MM on top of his $2.75MM base salary. With one more appearance he’ll take home another $250K check. The purpose, says GM Mike Hazen, was to “pay him more if we leaned on him in a good season” but leave the team “more protected” if things went south. With the D-Backs slated for a Wild Card play-in, the money has proven well spent. The 40-year-old Rodney carries a less-than-inspiring 4.33 ERA, but has racked up 39 saves and has perhaps thrown better than the ERA suggests. Rodney has stranded only 59.9% of baserunners to reach against him, which likely reflects some poor fortune. He carries 10.5 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 along with a 51.5% groundball rate on the year.
  • Veteran backstop Nick Hundley says he’d like to return to the Giants, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News reports. Skipper Bruce Bochy says he’ll “sit down” with the catcher about the future, noting that he expects Hundley to “have some choices” in free agency. Hundley slashed .252/.281/.434 with nine home runs in 290 plate appearances, with the on-base struggles offsetting his pop. And he doesn’t rate well as a framer. Still, the Giants seem to feel they have received good value on their $2MM investment; Baggarly documents Hundley’s work with the pitching staff and positive clubhouse presence. “I love it here,” said Hundley, adding that he “can’t imagine how much better it’d be if we were winning more games.”

Giants Sign Nick Hundley

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The Giants have officially struck a one-year deal with catcher Nick Hundley, as Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group first reported (via Twitter). The contract is believed to include a $2MM guarantee. per Baggarly.

Nick Hundley | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Hundley, 33, certainly seems destined to function as the backup to star catcher Buster Posey. San Francisco would otherwise have likely held a spring competition for that role, with incumbent Trevor Brown joined by minor-league signees Tim Federowicz and Josmil Pinto in the mix. Instead, the organization will take a rather well-stocked group of receivers into the spring’s activities.

[Related: Updated Giants Depth Chart]

The veteran Hundley has at times shown an approximately league-average bat, but he wasn’t quite to that standard last year by measure of park-adjusted metrics like OPS+ (88) and wRC+ (82). Over the past two seasons, which he spent with the Rockies, he slashed a combined .282/.330/.455 while adding 18 home runs over 615 plate appearances. Though Coors Field obviously inflated those figures, Hundley certainly produced at a solid rate for his position.

Teams weighing a bigger commitment to Hundley were, perhaps, less enthused of his defense. Accurately valuing the tools of ignorance remains a difficult task — particularly in areas such as game preparation, pitcher motivation, and pitch-calling — but he hasn’t rated well in the more measurable areas. Hundley threw out just nine of the 66 baserunners who attempted to steal against him last year (14 percent) and drew poor reviews for his framing (see Baseball Prospectus; Stat Corner), though BP also has typically credited him as doing a solid job of handling balls in the dirt. It’s worth noting that he did prevent out 34 percent of stolen-base attempts against him in an all-around superior 2015 season and does have a solid 27 percent mark in for his career in that regard.

All told, the signing seems to work out well for San Francisco, which can rely on the established veteran at a fairly meager commitment. Brown, meanwhile, can continue to work on his hitting in the upper minors, with the bat-first Pinto perhaps seeking to refine his work behind the dish and Federowicz providing additional depth.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Orioles Notes: Alvarez, Brach, Schoop, Hundley

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Orioles executive VP of baseball ops Dan Duquette has a long history of making significant roster moves late in the offseason, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes. It certainly seems that the stage is set yet again for the O’s to round out their 2017 mix in the new year, as the team is still looking to fill a need in right field and perhaps add one more power bat to the lineup. Here’s the latest out of Baltimore:

  • There’s nothing new to report on Mark Trumbo, who remains a seeming match to return to the O’s, but Kubatko notes that the club has remain engaged with lefty slugger Pedro Alvarez. Price will be a factor, of course, and it seems the organization may prefer to pursue some other opportunities before committing. But Alvarez would represent a solid platoon option at the DH slot and could conceivably even give the outfield a try, Kubatko suggests.
  • Baltimore also remains willing to deal set-up man Brad Brach, Kubatko notes. The 30-year-old entrenched himself as a key part of the O’s pen last year, throwing at least 79 innings for the second consecutive season and locking down a 2.05 ERA with 10.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. Even after that impressive showing, MLBTR gives Brach a $2.9MM arb projection in his second season of eligibility, making him an affordable asset. Just what the Orioles are willing to consider with regard to a trade remains unclear; presumably, he’ll only be moved for a significant return.
  • While the O’s have more prominent extension candidates, the team would be wise to explore a deal with second baseman Jonathan Schoop, Rich Dubroff opines for PressBoxOnline.com. With three years of control remaining, now may be the optimal time to find value, he suggests. Even if Schoop isn’t a superstar, he’s a significant power threat and only just turned 25. It’s worth noting, though, that Schoop is already projected to earn $3.4MM through arbitration, and also is set to protect his downside through an agreement with Fantex. Those earning opportunities could certainly impact his willingness to take a discount.
  • The Orioles took a hard look at Nick Hundley before deciding instead to go with Welington Castillo behind the plate, Hundley tells MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter links). Hundley, who says he still views himself as a regular catching option, says that his camp “talked to the Orioles a lot” before Castillo became available.
  • In other recent news out of Baltimore, the club has been mentioned as a possible suitor for Mike Napoli and Kubatko recently broke down the possibilities in right field.

Jason Castro Reportedly Has Multiple Three-Year Offers

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9:46pm: The Twins are “still engaged” on Castro, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. It’s not clear, though, whether Minnesota has put three years on the table for the veteran backstop.

4:23pm: Free-agent catcher Jason Castro has received three-year offers from multiple clubs, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). A team willing to push its offer to four years could ultimately be the team to lock a deal into place, he notes, adding that many clubs are viewing Nick Hundley as a “Plan B” to Castro. The exception there, it seems, is the Orioles, who view Hundley as their top target, one source tells Rosenthal. BaltimoreBaseball.com’s Dan Connolly reported the Orioles’ interest in Hundley earlier today.

A fourth year for Castro would exceed even aggressive projections for the premium pitch-framer’s market, but the 29-year-old has reportedly been drawing interest from at least five teams for more than a week now. The Twins, Braves and Rays are the most oft-mentioned collection of suitors, though Rosenthal did note earlier today that the Angels have checked in on Castro recently (Twitter links). However, the Halos don’t consider an upgrade at catcher to be a top priority at this time, according to Rosenthal, which makes the fit unlikely. He adds that they’re instead looking for help at second base as well as a left-handed-hitting reserve outfielder and a pitcher that can both start and relieve in 2017.

The Rays are known to have made Castro an offer, but it’s not clear if they’ve submitted one of the three-year proposals on which the Stanford product is sitting. In addition to the teams mentioned thus far, the White Sox have been listed as a speculative fit for Castro, although they might be an unlikely fit to be adding relatively expensive veterans after GM Rick Hahn indicated earlier this winter that he could be open to selling veteran pieces as well.

Castro is coming off a season in which he batted just .210/.307/.377 with 11 homers, but he’s regarded as an excellent defender/framer and does have an All-Star season under his belt. It’s been three years since he slashed a highly impressive .276/.350/.485 with 18 homers back in 2013, though, and he’s also struck out in nearly 31 percent of his plate appearances since that time. Castro is a quality bat against right-handed pitching, however (.247/.328/.424 in his career), and paired with his glovework, that’s been enough to generate some interest early in the offseason. What isn’t certain is exactly how many teams are willing to go even to the three-year threshold; to this point the only teams that have been repeatedly linked to him are Minnesota, Tampa Bay and Atlanta, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times downplayed the Rays’ ability to go to three years at all, let alone win a bidding war, over the weekend.

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