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Phillies Notes: Galvis, Bohm, Arbitration

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Infielder Freddy Galvis makes no secret about his desire to return to the Phillies in an interview with Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As Breen explores, Galvis had an immediate impact on the clubhouse and team morale and was generally beloved and viewed as a veteran leader — both by teammates who’d played with him during his original run with the club and by newcomers who knew little of Galvis before the Phils acquired him from the Orioles this past July. Fellow utilityman Brad Miller tells Breen he was caught by surprise to see the clubhouse excitement after the trade was announced, but he quickly understood why. “It’s the epitome of being a pro,” Miller said. “Like we say it all the time, ‘That guys a pro’ or ‘He’s a good teammate’ or ‘He’s a winner.’ All these little terms. That’s what it comes down to when you’re a major-league baseball player is having those traits. He’s prepared for everything.”

Galvis wouldn’t be a candidate to start for the Phillies, but he could serve as a versatile infield piece and perhaps a bridge to prospect Bryson Stott — if the Phillies don’t pursue one of the higher-profile names on the free-agent market this winter. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski plainly acknowledged the need to improve at shortstop after the season and said veteran Didi Gregorius is not assured the starting job in 2022.

More out of Philly…

  • Newly hired hitting coach Kevin Long is already headed to the Phillies’ spring training complex in Clearwater, Fla., where he’ll get an early start on working with Alec Bohm, writes Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philly. Bohm, 25, looked well on his way to cementing himself as a mainstay in the heart of the Phillies’ order in 2020 when he hit .338/.400/.481 in 180 plate appearances as a rookie. He mustered only a .247/.305/.342 slash in 417 trips to the plate this season, however, and eventually found himself optioned to Triple-A. Long, previously the hitting coach for the Yankees, Mets and Nationals, notes that young players are “really, really important to big-market teams,” as they can offset the cost of high-priced free agents and arbitration-eligible players. Long calls Bohm “one of the best hitters in the league in 2020” and suggests that Bohm “is a big part of the Philadelphia Phillies and us winning a championship.” Dombrowski acknowledged at season’s end that Bohm probably won’t win any Gold Gloves at the hot corner (link via 97.3 ESPN) but can be a bat-first option for the team moving forward. “His key is he has to hit. If he hits well enough, you’ll live with the defensive aspect of it,” said Dombrowski.
  • Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia took a look at the Phils’ upcoming arbitration class earlier this week, opining that Odúbel Herrera, Ronald Torreyes, Travis Jankowski, Roman Quinn and Andrew Knapp might all be cut loose this winter. None of Torreyes, Jankowski, Quinn or Knapp would cost much to bring back, but everyone in that group comes with performance and/or durability question marks. The Phils hold an $11.5MM club option on Herrera’s services for next season that comes with a $2.5MM buyout. Even if they decline the option, the Phillies could retain Herrera via arbitration, but his projected $11.6MM arb salary isn’t any more affordable (projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz). That indeed seems like a steep price for a player who hit a fine but unspectacular .260/.310/.416 over 492 plate appearances this past season. Herrera underperformed early in the 2019 season, then was suspended for the remainder of that year after violating MLB’s domestic violence policy. He didn’t play in 2020, but the Phillies brought him back to the majors in late April this year.

Phillies Designate Vince Velasquez For Assignment, Reinstate Matt Joyce

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The Phillies made a number of roster moves today, most notably designating righty Vince Velasquez for assignment, per the team (Twitter links).Velasquez has been on the injured list with a blister issue. Regardless, it’s a disappointing result for Velasquez, who never quite lived up to expectations in Philly, despite six seasons on the roster. This season, Velasquez has a 5.95 ERA/5.58 FIP in 81 2/3 innings.

Time will tell if this is the end of the road for Velasquez and the Phils; the other 29 teams will have the opportunity to claim him off waivers, though that might be unlikely given his current injury status and the fact that he will be a free agent at the end of the season.

In terms of their other moves, Matt Joyce was reinstated from the 60-day injured list to claim one available roster spot. Joyce has just 62 plate appearances this season with much of his usage coming as a pinch-hitter.

Adonis Medina and Mickey Moniak were also recalled from Triple-A. Moniak has 32 plate appearances with the big league club this year. He will see some time as an extra outfielder. Medina will potentially take on some of Velasquez’s former repsonsibilities as a fifth starter. The Phillies may not go with a traditional fifth starter, but Medina could be used as a multi-inning reliever.

Heading out,Enyel De Los Santos and Ramon Rosso were optioned to Triple-A, while Travis Jankowski was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right foot contusion. Jankowski had been the primary alternate in the outfield, but that role will now be taken on by Joyce and Moniak.

Roster Notes: Marlins, Phillies, Royals

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Let’s round up some roster moves made ahead of today’s ballgames…

  • The Marlins will reinstate Sandy Alcantara from the bereavement list today. To create a roster spot, Braxton Garrett will be optioned to Triple-A, per MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola (via Twitter). Garrett made the most of his spot start yesterday, tossing seven innings to get the win against the Padres. He gave up just two earned runs on four hits while walking one and notching 10 strikeouts.
  • The Phillies announced a number of roster moves today. Mickey Moniak has returned to the Major League roster in place of Travis Jankowski, who was placed on the COVID-related injured list. Chase Anderson, meanwhile, was reinstated from the COVID-related IL, and Cristopher Sanchez was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
  • The Royals optioned Tyler Zuber to Triple-A today to make room for Daniel Lynch, who has been recalled to start today’s ballgame, per MLB.com’s Anne Rogers (via Twitter). Lynch is hoping for better results today after getting shelled in his first three career starts. He’s lasted just eight total innings while yielding 14 earned runs on 18 hits and five walks while recording seven strikeouts.

Phillies Place Roman Quinn On 60-Day Injured List, Select Travis Jankowski

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TODAY: Quinn’s season is over, as the Phillies announced that he will undergo surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon.  Quinn will be sidelined for the next nine-to-12 months.

MAY 30: Quinn is indeed going to miss a substantial amount of time, as the Phillies announced they placed him on the 60-day IL this morning. Jankowski was selected to the roster in his place. The 29-year-old Jankowski has never hit much in the majors (.238/.315/.313 over 994 plate appearances) but he’s capable of playing all three outfield positions. He was off to a good start at the plate at Lehigh Valley, slashing .304/.451/.375 over his first nineteen games.

MAY 29: Phillies outfielder Roman Quinn left today’s game after suffering an injury to his left Achilles.  It certainly looks as if Quinn is facing a lengthy absence, as manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia) that Quinn would be examined by doctors but “I don’t expect to get any good news from the MRI.  We’re pretty sure it’s not good.”

The injury occurred as Quinn was trying to score from first base on a Ronald Torreyes double in the fifth inning.  Quinn fell while rounding third base and managed to score the run while hopping to home plate, but he then had to be carried off the field.  Matt Joyce replaced Quinn in right field for the bottom of the fifth.

This isn’t the first Achilles injury Quinn has faced during his career, as a ruptured Achilles tendon in 2014 cost him a big chunk of his minor league season with high-A ball Clearwater.  Considered a top-100 prospect earlier in his career, Quinn’s progress has been hampered by numerous trips to the injured list over the years, and was only just activated off the 10-day IL on Tuesday after missing three weeks due a laceration on his right index finger.

Quinn is hitting .173/.306/.288 over 62 plate appearances this season, playing in 28 games and serving mostly as part of the Phillies’ revolving door in center field.  With Odubel Herrera having taken over center field duties in the last month, Quinn has since seen action in both corner outfield spots since returning from the IL, including two starts in right field in place of the injured Bryce Harper.

With Quinn joining Harper and Scott Kingery on the injured list, the Phillies’ outfield mix is down to Andrew McCutchen, Herrera, Joyce, and utilityman Brad Miller.  Nick Maton might be a candidate for the outfield mix once Didi Gregorius returns to handle shortstop, and Mickey Moniak, Travis Jankowski, Jorge Bonifacio, and Ryan Cordell are among the options at Triple-A.

Phillies Option Scott Kingery, JoJo Romero; Release Christian Bethancourt

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The Phillies announced a set of roster moves, including the news that utilityman Scott Kingery, left-hander JoJo Romeo, and catcher Rafael Marchan have been optioned to Triple-A.  Outfielder Travis Jankowski and catcher Rodolfo Duran were reassigned to the team’s minor league camp, and catcher Christian Bethancourt (in camp on a minors contract) has been released.

Though Kingery has had a tough time at the plate in Spring Training, it still counts as something of a surprise to see the 26-year-old not break camp with the team.  While Kingery could be recalled in relatively short order, today’s move underlines how the former top prospect has struggled since the start of the 2020 season, a year that saw him suffer through a positive COVID-19 diagnosis during the summer and then hit just .159/.228/.283 in 124 plate appearances once he got onto the field.

The Phillies thought so highly of Kingery’s potential in 2018 that he was signed to a contract extension before even debuting in the majors.  Though he had a rough 2018 rookie season, Kingery looked to be turning the corner with a respectable .258/.315/.474 slash line over 500 plate appearances in 2019 before his season-long setback last year.  Heading into the current season, Kingery was seen as a candidate to win the Phillies’ center field job.  While Kingery would still have been a backup option at multiple other positions, it seemed as though he would primarily be focused on outfield work — perhaps a necessary move, given how Kingery has spoken in the past about the extra difficulties associated with a super-utility role.

With Kingery now in the minors, it could be a sign that the Phillies are confident that Brad Miller will be ready to go on Opening Day and assume super-utility duties.  Miller has been out since March 10 due to an oblique injury, but he is in Philadelphia’s lineup today for their Spring Training game with the Yankees.

Romero’s demotion also counts as a bit of a surprise, both because he’d pitched well in camp and because Jose Alvarado now looks to be the only left-hander in the Philly bullpen after Tony Watson opted out of his minor league contract earlier this week.  The hard-throwing Romero (a fourth-round pick for the Phillies in the 2016 draft) worked exclusively as a reliever when making his MLB debut in 2020, but since he has otherwise operated as a starting pitcher in the minors, he could be kept stretched out as potential rotation depth.

Bethancourt signed minor league contracts with the Phillies in each of the last two offseasons, but has yet to appear in a big league game with the team.  Bethancourt hit .222/.252/.316 over 489 PA with the Braves and Padres from 2013-17 and hasn’t since returned to the Show, spending 2018 with the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate and playing in South Korea in 2019.

Phillies Sign Travis Jankowski To Minors Contract

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The Phillies have signed outfielder Travis Jankowski to a minor league deal, the team announced.  Jankowski receives an invitation to the Phillies’ big league Spring Training camp.

Jankowski can play all three outfield positions and has graded out as an average-to-plus defender (as per UZR/150 and Defensive Runs Saved) at all three spots, which could help him win a job amidst a lot of competition.  Jankowski will head to the Grapefruit League to battle with Adam Haseley, Roman Quinn, Matt Joyce, and Mickey Moniak for a backup outfielder role, and if he doesn’t make the team, Jankowski would be a useful depth piece in the minors.

A native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Jankowski has signed on with his local team after spending five seasons with the Padres and the 2020 season with the Reds.  Jankowski didn’t see much action with Cincinnati, receiving only 17 plate appearances over 16 games.  Between last season and a 2019 campaign that included a long IL stint due to a broken wrist, Jankowski has appeared in only 41 MLB games in two years after getting semi-regular playing time with San Diego in 2016 and 2018.  The 29-year-old has hit .238/.315/.313 over 994 career plate appearances.

Reds Outright Four To Triple-A

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The Reds outrighted four players to Triple-A on Wednesday, the team announced. Jesse Biddle, Matt Bowman, Matt Davidson, and Travis Jankowski all cleared waivers. Bowman had been on the 45-day IL, but not on the 40-man, so the Reds 40-man roster now has three open spots.

Bowman is a 29-year-old right-hander originally claimed off waivers from the Cardinals after the 2018 season. He made 27 appearances out of the bullpen for the Reds in 2019, pitching to a 3.66 ERA/3.68 FIP across 32 innings with 7.0 K/9 to 3.7 BB/9. The Maryland native unfortunately underwent Tommy John surgery on September 1st, making the 2022 season the earliest he is likely to return to action.

Biddle was the 27th overall pick of the 2010 draft by the Phillies, though he never appeared with Philadelphia in the big leagues. He has seen big-league action for the Braves, Mariners, Rangers, and Reds, making one outing with Cincinnati in 2020 before being sidelined with shoulder discomfort. The 28-year-old owns a 4.68 career ERA in 92 1/3 innings across 91 appearances.

Jankowski came to the Reds from the Padres for international slot money after the 2019 season. The southpaw-swinging outfielder went just 1-for-15 at the plate, appearing 7 times as a pinch-runner, and contributing 49 1/3 innings of outfield defense for the 2020 Reds. The 29-year-old owns a career triple slash of .238/.315/.313 in 350 career games.

The 29-year-old Davidson surprisingly appeared in 20 games for the Reds in 2020 after spending all of 2019 with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate. This marked his second return to the bigs after a somewhat prolonged absence, previously returning to the Show in 2016 with the White Sox after making his debut in 2013 with the Diamondbacks. Davidson has been attempting life as a two-way player, and he did make 3 pitching appearances for the Reds, though most of his usage came as a DH or pinch-hitter. He slashed .163/.234/.395 across 47 plate appearances with 3 home runs. On the mound, he gave up 2 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings of work.

Reds Return Rule 5 Pick Mark Payton To Athletics

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4:03pm: Payton has indeed been added to the Athletics’ player pool, the team announced.

3:02pm: The Reds have returned Rule 5 pick Mark Payton to the Athletics, per a club announcement. The 28-year-old outfielder was not claimed by another club on waivers. It’s not yet clear if he’ll be part of Oakland’s 60-man player pool.

Last season was Payton’s first in the Oakland organization, and he made an impression with a gaudy .334/.400/.653 batting line in 447 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. Payton bashed a career-best 30 home runs last year, albeit in an extremely hitter-friendly setting amid a leaguewide home run surge. (The Triple-A ball was the same as the MLB ball last year.) That said, Payton also altered his swing and hit fly-balls at a career-high rate in 2019, so the uptick in power wasn’t solely attributable to the league context.

Unfortunately for Payton, the Reds added multiple high-profile outfielders to a group that already included Nick Senzel, Jesse Winker, Aristides Aquino and Phil Ervin. Cincinnati signed both Nick Castellanos and Shogo Akiyama this winter, leaving Payton as a long-shot to make the club — even with an expanded roster. That crammed outfield already led to a DFA for Scott Schebler and Payton’s return to the A’s, but outfielder Travis Jankowski has been told he’ll make the Reds’ Opening Day roster, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets.

Players Avoiding Arbitration Prior To 2019 Non-Tender Deadline

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With tonight’s 8pm ET deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players looming, there’ll be several players who agree to one-year contracts for the 2020 season today. It’s common for the day of the non-tender deadline to be a big one for arbitration agreements, though it’s also worth noting that many of the players who agree to terms today will do so at a rate that’s lower than the salary figures projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.

Broadly speaking, players who agree to terms on a salary this far in advance tend to be those who were at risk of being non-tendered, and their teams are able to use tonight’s deadline as leverage in bringing about a deal that saves them a bit of cash. A look at some of the early instances of players agreeing to terms reveals this to be true already; Mike Zunino ($4.5MM salary vs. $4.9MM projection), Wilmer Difo ($1MM salary vs. $1.2MM projection) and Scott Alexander ($875K salary vs. $1MM projection) have all agreed to lesser terms rather than risk being cast out into the free-agent market.

We’ll keep track of today’s players who avoid arbitration in this post and update throughout the day…

  • The Padres have a deal for $1.5MM with infielder Greg Garcia, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. That’s a shade under his $1.7MM projection for the 30-year-old.
  • Infielder Orlando Arcia has avoided arbitration with the Brewers, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Though he’s set to lose some playing time, it seems Arcia will be expected to retain a notable role. He’s considered a talented defender at short and was long expected to come around with the bat, but it hasn’t happened yet.
  • Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes is in agreement on a $1.1MM deal, per Robert Murray (Twitter link). It’s a guaranteed deal, which isn’t standard for arbitration pacts. Barnes had projected at $1.3MM on the heels of a disappointing season. It seems he’ll be asked to function as the club’s second backstop in 2020.

Earlier Moves

  • The Rangers have a deal in place with right-hander Nick Goody, the club announced. He’ll earn $915K, according to MLB.com’s TR Sullivan (via Twitter). Goody projected to earn $1.1MM, so he’s taking a discount on that mark with his new club.
  • Just-acquired righty Jharel Cotton has agreed to a $640K deal with the Cubs, Rosenthal tweets. Cotton had projected at $800K but he’s surely focused first and foremost on getting a significant MLB opportunity. He didn’t quite make it back to the majors in 2019 after a long injury layoff but figures to represent a swingman option for the Chicago club in 2020.
  • Outfielder Alex Dickerson and lefty Wandy Peralta are in agreement with the Giants, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter links). Dickerson settled for $925K, which is well under his $1.2MM projected earning power. The 29-year-old has had trouble staying healthy but usually hits when he is on the field. He rewarded the San Francisco organization for taking a shot on him last year by turning in a .290/.351/.529 batting line in 171 plate appearances. As for Peralta, he lands right at his projected value with a $805K salary. The 28-year-old was claimed off waivers late in the 2019 season.
  • The White Sox and James McCann avoided arbitration with a one-year deal worth $5.4MM, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Passan. McCann’s deal checks in a half million dollars north of his $4.9MM projection. Chicago’s addition of Yasmani Grandal has likely relegated McCann to backup duties, so he’ll be a rather expensive second catcher for the South Siders. A free agent next winter, McCann hit .273/.328/.460 with a career-high 18 home runs, but his bat went dormant in the season’s final few months and his .359 BABIP seems particularly ripe for regression.
  • The Athletics avoided arbitration with left-handed reliever T.J. McFarland by agreeing to a one-year contract worth $1.8MM, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets. That salary effectively puts McFarland in line for the same salary he’d have received had he had his $1.85MM club option exercised by the Diamondbacks. Arizona, however, bought him out for $50K and then ran him through waivers, at which point the A’s claimed him. The 30-year-old posted a 4.82 ERA with a middling 5.6 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 56 2/3 innings this past season, but he’s a ground-ball behemoth (61.1 percent). He’ll be a free agent next winter and had been projected at $2.1MM.
  • Infielder Ehire Adrianza and the Twins agreed on a $1.6MM salary for the upcoming season, Nightengale tweets. The versatile utilityman hit .272/.349/.416 in 236 plate appearances while appearing at all four infield spots and both outfield corners. Adrianza, a free agent next winter, was projected at $1.9MM.
  • Outfielder Travis Jankowski agreed to a rare arbitration pay cut with the Reds, Bobby Nightengale Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. After earning $1.165MM in 2019, he’ll be owed $1.05MM in 2020 if he makes the club. A fractured wrist cost him much of the season in 2019, and he was just 4-for-22 when healthy and in the Majors. Jankowski did have a nice season in Triple-A, though (.393 OBP in 39 games), and the Reds gave up some international funds to acquire him, which seemingly indicated that they planned to tender him a contract. He was projected to earn $1.2MM.

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Reds Acquire Travis Jankowski

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The Reds have acquired outfielder Travis Jankowski from the Padres, as announced on San Diego’s official team Twitter feed.  International bonus money will head back to San Diego in return.

2019 was essentially a lost year for Jankowski, who suffered a broken wrist in Spring Training and didn’t start playing until July, turning him into something of an afterthought in a crowded Padres outfield mix.  Jankowski ended up appearing in only 25 games and receiving just 24 plate appearances.  Given that abbreviated campaign, Jankowski wasn’t expected to receive much of an arbitration raise, as MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projected the outfielder to receive only $1.2MM in his second of four arb years as a Super Two player.  (Jankowski earned $1.165MM in 2019.)

It’s a minor enough sum that, despite Jankowski’s struggles last year, he was still an interesting option for a Cincinnati club that is looking to add outfield depth.  Jankowski has displayed some solid glovework at all three outfield positions, making him a decent candidate for bench duty or perhaps as the left-handed hitting side of a platoon.

Between the Jankowski trade and other recent transactions, the Padres have now cleared four spots off their 40-man roster.  San Diego faces something of a 40-man roster crunch given the number of prospects that have to be protected from the Rule 5 draft, so we could perhaps see even more minor housecleaning moves from the team in the coming days.

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