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Sergio Romo

Rosenthal’s Latest: Dodgers, Morrow, Astros, Mets, Yankees

By Steve Adams | July 19, 2017 at 9:25am CDT

Some highlights from the latest notes piece from Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network and FOX Sports (mostly via his Facebook page, due to FOX’s bizarre decision to go video-only in its web coverage of baseball)…

  • The $192MM that the Dodgers spent to retain Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner and Rich Hill this offseason was largely a measure against having to make an aggressive splash at the trade deadline for a second consecutive season, Rosenthal writes. The Dodgers don’t want to part with either top outfield prospect Alex Verdugo or top pitching prospect Walker Buehler, as both could help the team this season (Verdugo in the case of an outfield injury, Buehler as a September callup in the bullpen). If they’re to make a trade involving high-ceiling prospects, the Dodgers prefer to deal from the lower levels of their system, where those high-upside names aren’t quite so close to the Majors. The Dodgers would like to add an impact left-handed reliever, but “[are] wary of overpaying for 15-20 innings of a pitcher who will have zero impact on them winning the division.”
  • One tweet from Rosenthal a couple of days ago that flew under our radar: the Dodgers are open to dealing either Brandon Morrow or Sergio Romo to create an opening for the potential addition of  a lefty reliever. While Romo’s numbers look decidedly unappealing despite a promising strikeout rate — 6.12 ERA, 11.2 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, 2.5 HR/9 — Morrow has been quietly excellent in an admittedly small sample. Through 15 2/3 innings, Morrow has allowed just four runs on a dozen hits with a gaudy 20-to-2 K/BB ratio. Seemingly healthy once again, Morrow’s average fastball velocity has soared to 97 mph, and he’s earning just the pro-rated portion of a $1.25MM base salary this season. The injury history and limited 2017 sample limit his overall value, but the 32-year-old could be viewed by some as an intriguing pickup.
  • The Astros, too, would like to add a left-handed reliever and may find more of a difference-maker in that pursuit than in seeking rotation upgrades, Rosenthal writes in his column. If the Astros don’t land Sonny Gray, they’ll likely at least look at rotation rentals, but they’d have to be convinced that whoever they acquire is an upgrade over Charlie Morton and/or the returning Collin McHugh. A more definitive upgrade would be easily apparent in the ’pen.
  • The Mets are willing to include cash in trades of veterans in order to net better prospects in trades, Rosenthal reports. Specifically, he mentions Jay Bruce and Asdrubal Cabrera. New York, for instance, knows it’d be on the hook for the $2MM buyout on Cabrera’s $8.5MM club option either way and would likely be willing to include that sum in a potential trade. They’d also be willing to pay down some of the remaining $5.26MM on Bruce’s salary, recognizing that said sum is a significant amount for many clubs to add at the midway point of a season. Other rentals the Mets have include Curtis Granderson ($6.07MM remaining), Addison Reed ($3.13MM) and Lucas Duda ($2.93MM). It’s worth noting that Rosenthal didn’t specifically mention Granderson, Reed or Duda by name.
  • Rosenthal also tweets that one reason the Yankees shifted course and acquired Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle from the White Sox is due to the high asking prices they encountered when seeking rotation upgrades. The Yanks are still on the lookout for starting pitching upgrades — both rental pieces and controllable assets, he adds.
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Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers New York Mets New York Yankees Alex Verdugo Asdrubal Cabrera Brandon Morrow Jay Bruce Sergio Romo Walker Buehler

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NL West Notes: Schimpf, Romo, Avilan, Descalso, D’Backs

By Mark Polishuk | June 9, 2017 at 10:01pm CDT

Here’s the latest from around the NL West…

  • The Padres have optioned infielder Ryan Schimpf to Triple-A, calling up right-hander Jose Valdez in a corresponding move.  Despite Schimpf’s team-leading 14 homers, he has been an overall below-average performer at the plate, hitting .158/.284/.424 with a whopping 70 strikeouts over 197 plate appearances.  A .145 BABIP is partially to blame, but as MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell notes, Schimpf has also seen a drop in average exit velocity, which is particularly damaging to an extreme fly ball hitter like Schimpf (and especially when such a hitter plays half his games at Petco Park).  Cory Spangenberg will take over at third base for Schimpf, with second baseman Yangervis Solarte also moving over for the occasional start at the hot corner.
  • The Dodgers activated southpaw Luis Avilan from the disabled list but placed another reliever on the injured list, as Sergio Romo will hit the 10-day DL with a left ankle sprain.  Avilan (who has a 3.00 ERA, 2.5 K/BB rate and a 12.00 K/9 in 15 IP this year) has missed the last two weeks with triceps soreness in his throwing arm.  It has been a much tougher ride for Romo in his first season as a Dodger; the former Giants closer has allowed five homers over his 19 2/3 IP to balloon his ERA up to 6.41.  By comparison, Romo has only surrendered most than five homers in an entire season just twice in his previous nine years.
  • Daniel Descalso tells the Arizona Republic’s Scott Bordow that the Diamondbacks were interested in him from the very beginning of free agency, and he picked the team in part because he felt he could fill a need for left-handed hitting infielders.  The utilityman signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the D’Backs last winter that also includes a $2MM club option for 2018.  Descalso said that he received interest from several teams over the offseason, including his former club, the Rockies.
  • Descalso is one of many unheralded veterans signed by the Diamondbacks over what looked like a pretty low-key offseason on paper,  As Bordow writes, however, players like Descalco, Gregor Blanco, Chris Iannetta, J.J. Hoover, and others have not only helped on the field, but manager Torey Lovullo credited their veteran experience with helping the younger players perform as well.
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Arizona Diamondbacks Colorado Rockies Los Angeles Dodgers San Diego Padres Daniel Descalso Luis Avilan Ryan Schimpf Sergio Romo

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Andrew Friedman On The Dodgers’ Offseason

By Mark Polishuk | March 5, 2017 at 8:57pm CDT

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman spoke with Casey Stern and Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link) today, and here are some of the hot stove-related highlights….

  • In re-signing Kenley Jansen, Rich Hill, Justin Turner and other key pieces, retaining the core was obviously a big priority for the Dodgers this winter.  “The growth from February 2016 to October was incredible.  The dynamic among the group was great, it was something we felt like was really good, in terms of the environment that’s conducive to winning….We were fortunate with the support from ownership to retain this group and kind of supplement around it,” Friedman said.
  • With Jansen, specifically, Friedman said that if the team hadn’t re-signed their longtime closer, they wouldn’t have extended a similarly large contract offer to other top closers on the market, such as Aroldis Chapman.  The Dodgers’ familiarity with Jansen’s makeup, work ethic and obviously his ability gave the team “that much more conviction to” make their five-year, $80MM deal with the stopper.  “There’s so much volatility among relief pitching in general, there are very few that are kind of bellwethers.  Kenley, for us, is a guy that’s a bellwether,” Friedman said.
  • Sergio Romo is already fitting right into the L.A. clubhouse, and his postseason track record was also part of the reason why the World Series-hopeful Dodgers added the veteran reliever.  “He has experience getting big outs in October games, which is not nothing,” Friedman said.  “There are some guys who just can’t handle that pressure, he has demonstrated that he can.”
  • “Everyone was lobbying each other” to re-sign Chase Utley, Friedman joked, as “even the groundskeeper was lobbying us to bring Chase back.”  Utley’s addition during the 2015 season was a major reason why the Dodgers developed such a good winning attitude last year, Friedman feels, as “I’ve never been around a guy who is more focused on winning.”  Utley re-signed with the Dodgers on a one-year, $2MM deal this offseason and will get only limited at-bats since Los Angeles is set around the infield, though clearly Friedman feels Utley’s influence to the Dodgers’ success extends well beyond the field.
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West Notes: Romo, Hahn, M’s, D-Backs

By Jeff Todd | February 21, 2017 at 11:12am CDT

Newly minted Dodgers righty Sergio Romo discussed his interesting journey to joining his hometown team with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Personal trials and the strain of an increasingly high-profile role in the Giants bullpen put a strain on the veteran hurler, he tells Rosenthal. He credits several former teammates, including lefty Javier Lopez, with helping him to find his footing once again. Also of note, Rosenthal says that Romo “reject[ed] a higher offer from the Rays” to head to Los Angeles, due in part to the ability to live closer to his family.

Here’s more from out west:

  • Righty Jesse Hahn is set to receive the Athletics’ first start this spring, as Susan Slusser notes on Twitter. That’s a solid indication that he’s under serious consideration for the fifth starters’ role, she notes. The 27-year-old is looking to bounce back after a rough 2016 campaign in which he pitched to a 6.02 ERA with just 4.5 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 in his 46 1/3 MLB innings. Hahn had generated quality results in his first two MLB campaigns, which occurred on both sides of a trade that sent him to Oakland from the Padres in exchange for catcher Derek Norris. But elbow troubles interrupted his 2015 campaign, and he has yet to get back on track.
  • Mariners president Kevin Mather issued a statement to MLB.com in advance of the 2017 campaign, expressing high hopes for the organization. While any executive would express an intention to win a championship, his words seem to carry a certain set of expectations for the near term. “It is time to play October baseball in Seattle,” writes Mather. “Our fans deserve playoff baseball, and I’m not just talking about a Wild Card Game. Once in the playoffs, our goal is to win the World Series. Period. And having said that, we don’t want to win just one.”
  • New Diamondbacks exec Amiel Sawdaye — whose title is senior VP and assistant GM — spoke with David Laurila of Fangraphs about the organization’s new approach. Sawdaye is only one of several key figures in Arizona with deep ties to the Red Sox, so it’s not surprising to learn that Boston’s approach will be reflected. He describes the intended decisionmaking process as “more of a flat hierarchy.” Sawdaye emphasized, though, that the D-Backs had strong player development and scouting units, good young front office people, and a “decent infrastructure” for analytics already in place. There are several other topics covered in the interesting chat, including the Jean Segura trade and the team’s possibilities for 2017.
  • Jorge De La Rosa is among the players competing for a role with the Diamondbacks this spring, and as MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert notes, he’s hoping to finally crack the big league roster there in his third stint with the organization. Of course, De La Rosa had only previously actually suited up for a few minor-league outings as an 18-year-old; his second run with Arizona only lasted a few days. Now 35, the veteran southpaw will be looking for a chance to pitch against his former club, the division-rival Rockies. “I have always liked this team, and I like the talent we have here,” says De La Rosa of the D-Backs. “I know we can do some really good things. That’s why I chose to be here.”
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Arizona Diamondbacks Los Angeles Dodgers Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays Jesse Hahn Jorge de la Rosa Sergio Romo

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Dodgers Sign Sergio Romo

By Jeff Todd | February 16, 2017 at 7:08am CDT

FEB. 16: FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that Romo would also earn $125K for making each his 50th and 60th appearance of the season.

FEB. 15: The Dodgers have added some experience to the back of their bullpen, announcing a one-year deal with veteran right-hander and longtime division rival Sergio Romo. The contract reportedly guarantees Romo, a client of Meister Sports, $3MM and affords him a chance to add to that total via incentives. To make room for Romo, right-hander Yimi Garcia was placed on the 60-day disabled list. Garcia is recovering from Tommy John surgery last October.

Sergio Romo

Romo, 33, is no stranger to Los Angeles; he has been a mainstay of the NL West-rival Giants for the past nine seasons. The right-hander’s familiarity with the NL West and his southern California roots seems to have impacted his decision, as the Nationals and others were said to be interested, but he took a reportedly smaller guarantee than other clubs had offered in order to pitch for the Dodgers.

In over 400 career innings with San Francisco, Romo has compiled an excellent 2.58 ERA with a sparkling 10.2 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9. Though he’s a soft-tosser, he has long beguiled hitters with his slider, helping to produce a lifetime 14.2% swinging-strike rate.

It was much the same in 2016, even as Romo lost about 1.5 mph on his fastball offerings as well as the vaunted slider. He also goes to a change-up at times, though it’s a little-used pitch. While the Giants’ 2016 club will long be remembered for its inability to finish out close games, Romo steadily produced results and did not actually record any of the team’s league-leading thirty blown saves. (Of course, he went on to have two unsuccessful appearances in the NLCS, including one in which he did record a blown save.)

The loss of velocity represents one area of potential concern moving forward. And Romo did spend some time on the DL in 2016, with a flexor tendon strain limiting him to forty total appearances — breaking a run of six-straight seasons in which he had made taken the ball at least 64 times. He also benefited from a lofty 92.3% strand rate and coughed up 1.47 home runs per nine innings, providing some context for his excellent results.

[RELATED: Updated Dodgers Depth Chart]

Still, it seems that Los Angeles did well to land Romo on a one-year commitment. Last time he hit the market, he landed back with the Giants for two years and $15MM. MLBTR had predicted much the same this winter, pegging Romo for another two year pact at a $7MM annual rate. (While that appears to have been off, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes did correctly guess the landing spot.)

Romo presumably slot in with Pedro Baez as part of the righty setup unit in front of closer Kenley Jansen. The move deepens a unit that could also be bolstered by whatever pitchers fail to crack a rotation that’s exceedingly deep — albeit also filled with a number of pitchers who come with health questions.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network first reported the agreement (via Twitter). MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reported that it’d be a one-year pact (via Twitter). FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported the guarantee and said Romo turned down larger offers (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Rosenthal’s Latest: Carter, Dodgers, Rays, Romo, Park

By Mark Polishuk | February 6, 2017 at 10:15pm CDT

Here’s the latest hot stove buzz from FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal…

  • The Dodgers checked in on free agent slugger Chris Carter, though Rosenthal has some doubts that the fit would work for either side.  Carter might want too significant a salary for the Dodgers’ liking, as the team is already well over the luxury tax threshold.  From Carter’s perspective, he’d likely want more playing time than L.A. could offer him as a part-time first baseman (spelling Adrian Gonzalez against lefty pitching) and receiving an occasional start in left field.
  • The Rays were the mystery team who submitted the highest bid for Sergio Romo’s services.  Previous reports indicated that the Rays were in the mix for Romo and that the reliever declined a higher offer to stay on the west coast and sign with the Dodgers for a one-year, $3MM deal.  With Romo off the board, the Rays are seemingly still in the hunt for another arm to join their bullpen.
  • The Rays earn $20MM per year on their current TV contract, which expires after the 2018 season.  Club owner Stuart Sternberg recently said negotiations were taking place about a new deal, though nothing was close to fruition.
  • Rosenthal’s column takes a broader look at the Rays’ offseason, noting that the team is trying to both save money and stay competitive at the same time.  Tampa could even project as an under-the-radar playoff contender if they catch a few breaks, such as better health from key players.  Had the club received good offers for Chris Archer or Kevin Kiermaier this winter, however, the Rays would’ve embarked on a full rebuilding process, and they could still take that route next offseason or at the July trade deadline if this year’s roster doesn’t play up to expectations.
  • The Twins will release Byung Ho Park if they can’t find a trade partner for the recently-designated first baseman (update: Rosenthal has since corrected this).  Minnesota’s decision to DFA Park was already rather unexpected, and it would be even more surprising if the club cut ties entirely, especially since earlier reports had the Twins intending to keep Park in the minors if he cleared waivers.  The Twins would be on the hook for the remaining $9.75MM owed to Park through the 2019 season if they released him.  Continuing the Tampa-centric theme, Rosenthal reports that the Rays are looking to add a right-handed bat and have Park on their list of targets.  Rather than work out a trade, the Rays could wait to see if the Twins do release Park, in which case Tampa Bay could just sign him as a free agent.  The Rays would then only owe Park a minimum salary while Minnesota covers the rest of the $9.75MM.
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New York Notes: Yankees, Mets, Romo, Betances, Bullpens

By Mark Polishuk and Steve Adams | February 6, 2017 at 7:41pm CDT

Here’s the latest baseball news from both Big Apple teams…

  • Both the Yankees and Rays made late pushes to sign right-hander Sergio Romo before he agreed to sign with the Dodgers, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports.  Romo, a southern California native, preferred to remain on the west coast, as FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets.  Heyman noted earlier that Romo had larger offers, including one from a “mystery” team that made a late increase in its offer to Romo.  The New York Post’s Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Yankees never made a formal offer to Romo, so the late increase would’ve had to have come from Tampa Bay or perhaps another mystery team in the mix.
  • There hasn’t been any change in the Yankees’ “file-and-trial” stance towards Dellin Betances’ arbitration hearing on February 17, George A. King III of the New York Post writes.  “Nothing has changed, we haven’t talked.  We have no intention of talking.  It’s not close. Somebody else will make the decision,” GM Brian Cashman said.  As King notes, other teams who have recently taken firm stances against negotiating prior to an arb hearing have instead worked out an agreement (such as the Royals and Kelvin Herrera or the Orioles and Kevin Gausman).  Betances filed for a $5MM salary in 2017 while the Yankees countered with a $3MM proposal.
  • In another piece from Joel Sherman, he looks at the contrast between how the Mets and Yankees are pursuing relief pitching upgrades.  Both teams seem to be operating under stringent budgets, though the Mets showed flexibility and a bit more of a win-now mentality in adding Jerry Blevins and Fernando Salas on deals that aren’t guaranteed beyond 2017.  The Yankees, meanwhile, missed out on Romo and don’t seem to have much willingness to add another veteran arm to their bullpen unless that pitcher meets their asking price.  It should be noted that the Yankees did make a big splash to sign Aroldis Chapman and, with the Chapman/Betances/Tyler Clippard trio in place at the end of games, the Yankees had less of a pressing need in the pen than the Mets did.  Still, as Sherman points out, the Yankees would like to add another experienced reliever to both add depth to the bullpen and to possibly allow the team’s young starters to stay stretched out in Triple-A rather than requiring them for relief work.
  • Better health from the rotation will be the biggest change to a Mets team that saw little roster turnover, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo writes.  Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker, Salas and Blevins are all returning to a roster that managed to reach the NL wild card game in 2016 despite injuries to virtually every member of the starting staff.  The Mets are aiming to keep their pitchers healthy by cutting short starts if necessary or skipping starts altogether, and by deploying a six-man rotation to keep everyone fresh.  If the rotation is healthier, it stands to reason the Mets could equal or surpass their 87-win total from last season.
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Pitcher Notes: Greinke, Darvish, Romo, Blevins

By Connor Byrne | February 2, 2017 at 10:01pm CDT

In the event the Diamondbacks rebound from a nightmarish 2016 to contend for a playoff spot this year, they should still be prepared to jettison right-hander Zack Greinke if the opportunity arises, opines ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required/recommended). Greinke will make $34MM in 2017, meaning he’s currently taking up a major league-high 46.7 percent of his team’s payroll (the Diamondbacks are at $72.8MM in commitments), notes Olney, who argues that dumping the 33-year-old’s contract should be one of the organization’s highest priorities. Greinke still has an unappealing $172.5MM left on the $206.5MM contract he inked as a free agent last winter, though Olney suggests he could be movable if the Diamondbacks agree to pay $50MM to $60MM.

Now for the latest on three other pitchers:

  • Speaking of massive contracts for aces, Rangers righty Yu Darvish was “very open” to discussing a five- to six-year extension worth around $30MM per annum earlier this offseason, but no serious talks have occurred yet, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. While the two could still reach a deal prior to the season, hammering out an agreement of that caliber during spring training would be difficult, Grant writes. For now, Darvish is on track to hit free agency after next season.
  • The mystery team vying for free agent righty Sergio Romo could be the reliever-needy Nationals, who have discussed signing the 33-year-old, tweets FanRag’s Jon Heyman. Romo told Casey Stern of MLB Network on Tuesday that both the Nationals and Mets have shown interest in him, and the longtime Giant is open to leaving the West Coast to sign with either (Twitter link). Romo could end up staying in his native California, though, given that the Dodgers are reportedly pursuing him.
  • Free agent southpaw Jerry Blevins has at least one single-year, $6MM offer in hand, tweets Olney. Of course, that figure is right in line with the guaranteed $6.5MM the Indians will give fellow lefty reliever Boone Logan. It’s possible the $6MM proposal is from the Mets, who want to re-sign Blevins, 33, but are looking to avoid a multiyear deal. Blevins, who was with the Mets the previous two seasons, recorded a 2.79 ERA with 11.14 K/9 against 3.21 BB/9 in 42 innings last year.
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Market Notes: Mets, Dodgers, Rangers, Wieters, Reynolds

By Connor Byrne | February 2, 2017 at 7:22pm CDT

The Mets were reportedly unwilling to trade outfielder Juan Lagares as of November, but teams are continuing to show interest in the soon-to-be 28-year-old, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether New York is now open to moving Lagares, who’s far and away the most qualified center field candidate on a team loaded with corner outfielders. Dealing the defensively adept Lagares and getting rid of his $4.5MM for 2017 would perhaps give the Mets the financial freedom to address their bullpen, though, as Puma notes. Lagares, who’s fresh off back-to-back underwhelming offensive seasons, has four years and either $20.5MM or $29.5MM left on his contract – depending on what happens with his 2020 club option.

More from the market:

  • Free agent reliever Sergio Romo has spent his entire career with the San Francisco organization since it took him in the 28th round of the 2005 draft, but the 34-year-old could head to the archrival Dodgers. Romo’s currently choosing between Los Angeles and an unidentified club, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link). The Dodgers are also in talks with other relievers, including free agent Joe Blanton – who was among their top bullpen options last season.
  • If a long-anticipated reunion between the Rangers and free agent first baseman/designated hitter Mike Napoli is going to happen this offseason, Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) could be a date to watch, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. As Grant explains, the Rangers will no longer have to carry the retired Prince Fielder or the ailing Jake Diekman on their 40-man roster that day, which is when pitchers and catchers begin reporting to spring training. By waiting until then to ink Napoli, the Rangers would afford themselves some roster flexibility and wouldn’t have to expose any of their pitching depth to waivers.
  • “Several teams” remain in contention for free agent catcher Matt Wieters, tweets the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin, who relays that “there’s no good read” on whether he’ll sign with the Rays. Along with the Rays, the Orioles (Wieters’ only MLB employer to date), Angels, Rockies, Reds, Nationals and Astros have drawn recent connections to the 30-year-old.
  • Before re-signing with the Rockies on a minor league deal Wednesday, first baseman Mark Reynolds turned down $3MM to play in Korea, per FanRag’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Accepting that offer would’ve easily made Reynolds the highest-paid player in Korea, topping former major league right-hander Dustin Nippert’s $2.1MM, notes Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency (Twitter link). It’s likely that the powerful Reynolds also would’ve had his way in the hitter’s paradise known as the Korea Baseball Organization, but neither that nor the payday could entice the 33-year-old to leave the States.
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Pitching Notes: Diekman, Imhof, Mets, Jays, Reds/Arroyo, Marquis, Urias, Nats, Harris

By Jeff Todd | January 26, 2017 at 9:59am CDT

Rangers lefty Jake Diekman underwent successful surgery to remove his colon, with several more procedures to come as he battles ulcerative colitis. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News has the latest, including video diary entries from Diekman himself. It’s well worth a watch to learn more about the unfortunate affliction and Diekman’s fight. We hope to see him back on the mound as soon as possible.

There won’t be a return in the offing for Phillies lefty Matt Imhof, who lost his eye in a terrible accident involving exercise bands. As Imhof himself writes in a moving piece for ESPN.com, he’s returning to finish his degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and will retire from the sport. He says it’s not just due to the injury, though; as he writes, “the truth is I need a change of pace after 20 years of doing the same thing.” You’ll want to give a full read to the southpaw’s powerful story of coming to grips with — and not being defined by — his injury.

As we wish the best to Diekman and Imhof, here’s the latest on the market for pitching:

  • As the Mets look to bolster their bullpen, the team is still weighing a variety of free agents, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). In addition to keeping open the possibility of a reunion with lefty Jerry Blevins, the Mets are also considering righties Sergio Romo and Joe Smith.
  • The Blue Jays are also keeping in touch with Blevins, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. Toronto’s search for a southpaw reliever has also led it to consider Craig Breslow, per the report. The team was among those to check out his new mechanics recently.
  • The Reds are exploring a reunion with former starter Bronson Arroyo, as Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). Unsurprisingly, the team is not interested in guaranteeing him a roster spot, as Arroyo is two full years removed from appearing in the majors and has dealt with significant arm issues of late. GM Dick Williams confirms that the team has watched Arroyo throw and is weighing a signing, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (Twitter links). Beyond a move on Arroyo or other candidates for minor-league deals, Cincinnati is done with its free-agent signings, Williams adds.
  • Speaking of longstanding veterans weighing returns, righty Jason Marquis suggested in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter link) that he’s open to reviving his career. The 38-year-old last appeared in a nine-start stint with Cincy in 2015, but he’s set to pitch for Team Israel in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
  • While Dodgers lefty Julio Urias showed plenty in 2016 to warrant a rotation spot in the coming season, innings considerations may hold him back to start the year. As Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times tweets, skipper Dave Roberts says that the organization may keep him in extended Spring Training at the beginning of the 2017 campaign. Such an approach would not only ensure that Urias is available for good once he does make it up, but would afford more opportunities for the organization to see what it has in its variety of interesting, injury-plagued arms. Over at Fangraphs, Craig Edwards takes a look at what’s shaping up to be a fascinating staff.
  • There’s an argument to be made that the Nationals not only need to address their closer situation, but also ought to bolster their rotation depth, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post writes. While the team’s five-man starting unit is likely set, which perhaps limits their ability to promise opportunities to free agents, a swingman could make sense. Janes mentions Travis Wood as at least a hypothetical match, and he would indeed seem to make a sensible fit.
  • 31-year-old Cardinals reliever Mitch Harris is hoping to join former teammate Seth Maness in bouncing back from a “primary repair” procedure to his right elbow, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Harris last pitched competitively in 2015, but will be ramping up for a full spring after undergoing the surgery last summer. Because his surgeon was able to attempt that less-invasive approach, as opposed to a full UCL replacement, there’s a possibility of a much swifter return to the hill — though Harris will first need to earn his way into MLB camp after failing to receive an invite.
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Cincinnati Reds Los Angeles Dodgers New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies St. Louis Cardinals Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Washington Nationals Bronson Arroyo Craig Breslow Jake Diekman Jason Marquis Jerry Blevins Joe Smith Julio Urias Mitch Harris Sergio Romo Seth Maness Travis Wood

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