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NL Central Links: Votto, Reds, Nova, Schoop, Brewers

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By Joey Votto’s lofty standards, batting .284/.417/.419 counts as a down year, and the Reds first baseman tells MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon that he is aiming for a return to form in 2019.  Votto plans to refocus on his hitting during his offseason preparations, while also putting a greater emphasis on conditioning.  “It’s not like I dogged it or anything, but there are levels to it,” Votto said.  “If I was 99 percent ready, to be at your very best you need to be at 99.9 percent. I would never have once come into Spring Training and a Major League season without feeling like I’m ready. There are really extremes. I do feel like that’s something I fell short on.”  While Votto still led the league in his OBP, his power dropoff was pronounced, as he posted the lowest full-season slugging percentage, isolated power, and home run numbers of his career.  Votto has been a remarkably productive and consistent player over his career, though since he did just turn 35 in September, so some manner of decline wouldn’t be a surprise going forward, assuming Votto doesn’t get things figured out this winter.

More from around the NL Central…

  • The Reds have some extra payroll to spend and they’ve been linked to several available pitchers this winter, though president of baseball operations Dick Williams threw a bit of cold water on the many rumors swirling around this team thus far in the offseason.  Speaking to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer and other reporters at the Redsfest fan event, Williams said that “the reports as a whole I’ve been surprised by how inaccurate they’ve been. They’ve taken us by surprise because they were so off base.  I’m not going to comment on which ones they were. I’ll just caution that in general that those statements on a guy we’re in on or not in on….I just don’t know where that comes from.”  Free agents and trade targets ranging from Dallas Keuchel, J.A. Happ, Patrick Corbin, Sonny Gray, and (before he was dealt to the Yankees) James Paxton have all reportedly drawn some interest from Cincinnati.
  • Pirates right-hander Ivan Nova has changed agents and is now being represented by the Wasserman agency, The Athletic’s Robert Murray tweets.  Nova is entering the last season of a three-year, $26MM free agent deal he signed in the 2016-17 offseason, and the righty has been solid over the first two-thirds of that contract, posting a 4.16 ERA, 6.3 K/9, and 3.45 K/BB rate over 348 innings for the Bucs.  Similar numbers in 2019 would put Nova in line for another multi-year deal, though he will be 33 years old by Opening Day 2020.
  • The Brewers’ ill-fated midseason acquisition of Jonathan Schoop was summed up by GM David Stearns “as a bad deal and that’s on me,” as Stearns said during a phone call with reporters (including Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) on Friday.  Stearns surrendered some notable talent to the Orioles in order to land Schoop, who hit just .202/.246/.331 with four home runs over 134 PA as a Brewer, plus an 0-for-8 showing in the postseason.  Between this poor performance and Schoop’s projected $10.1MM salary in 2019 through the arbitration process, the Brewers chose to non-tender the second baseman on Friday.  Milwaukee did reach agreements with infielders Tyler Saladino and Hernan Perez, each of whom Stearns mentions as possible options for second base, though the team will no doubt explore external options via trades and free agency in the coming weeks.  Travis Shaw played some second base down the stretch once the Brewers acquired Mike Moustakas, and while Stearns noted that Shaw’s versatility “is a nice asset to have” in regards to the team’s offseason options, reinstalling Shaw as the everyday third baseman is the team’s “default scenario.”

Quick Hits: Schoop, Brewers, Nationals, Stroman

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Jonathan Schoop is a key figure in the Brewers’ offseason plans, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, as the club’s decision whether or not to tender the second baseman a contract could have a ripple effect throughout the infield.  Schoop is projected to earn $10.1MM via arbitration, though he is coming off a rough season that saw him hit just .233/.266/.416 over 501 plate appearances for the Brewers and Orioles.  Since Schoop did post big numbers for the O’s in 2017, however, Milwaukee could keep Schoop in the fold to see if he can regain that form.  If Schoop was non-tendered, the Brewers could again consider moving Travis Shaw to second base (as they did last season) and then pursue third base help, possibly in the form of a reunion with Mike Moustakas.  I’d also suggest that the Brewers could simply try to acquire another second baseman if Schoop was non-tendered, as there are several interesting options available that might be preferable to taking the defensive hit that would likely come with Shaw getting regular second base duty.  GM David Stearns was quick to dismiss the possibility that Keston Hiura, Milwaukee’s top prospect, could be a possibility for the second base job, as Hiura has yet to even reach the Triple-A level.

Here’s more from around baseball as we wrap up Thanksgiving weekend…

  • The Nationals are thought to be “aiming higher” in their search for starting pitching rather than trying to swing buy-low trades for Marcus Stroman or Sonny Gray, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post writes.  Janes’ piece in general looks at the pitching options open to the Nats on the trade market, and while GM Mike Rizzo doesn’t often make deals for notable starters, he is willing to pay a significant price when he does covet an arm.  Washington parted with seven total players to acquire Doug Fister in 2013 and Gio Gonzalez in 2011, and since those trades, Rizzo has preferred to rely on free agency or homegrown arms to bolster the rotation.  With so many interesting starters available in trade talks this winter, however, it wouldn’t be surprising if Rizzo went that route instead of making another signing.
  • Speaking of Stroman, the Blue Jays have been asked about the right-hander but have yet to enter into any significant trade talks.  The Athletic’s Andrew Stoeten (subscription required) feels the Jays should be willing to deal Stroman even at something of a sell-low price, since a slow start in 2019 would further diminish any real trade value Stroman possesses.  Since Toronto doesn’t seem to be planning to contend again until 2021, Stoeten feels the Jays should be exploring deals for any player (like Stroman) whose isn’t under team control in 2021 or beyond.

Trade Chatter: Braves, Eovaldi, Indians, Mets, Harvey, Moose

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Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos suggested today that he’s not looking only to make a minor addition or two. Rather, as Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM tweets, the Atlanta executive says his club “can afford to add a starter and reliever and a bat.” And the organization won’t just be considering adding supplemental temporary pieces; rather, per Anthopolous, “we are looking for acquisitions on players we can control rather than rentals.” Needless to say, those comments tend to expand the conceivable array of possibilities for the Braves. With a healthy array of prospects available to deal from, the Braves could certainly make a run at a player who’d be viewed as a major present and future asset.

Here’s more trade chatter from the day …

  • MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand pegs the Cubs as a possible Nathan Eovaldi suitor. It’s easy to see the connection: the Rays right-hander holds out some real promise of being a weapon down the stretch, but his injury history and thin recent track record will likely limit the return the Tampa Bay organization can achieve. Meanwhile, the Cubs are arguably well-positioned to take a risk on a dynamic arm, as they have a decent array of at-least serviceable hurlers already on hand and also perhaps lack the upper-level prospect capital to chase down a more valuable commodity.
  • Unsurprisingly, Feinsand further reports, the Indians are working hard to make an outfield addition. The club would prefer a player that’s capable of playing both center and right field, he notes. Perhaps the slate of targets depends most of all upon the degree to which the club feels it needs innings up the middle. Certainly, there are quite a few outfield possibilities listed among MLBTR’s top 75 trade deadline candidates. Among them, though, only a few really have significant experience in center. And the most obvious candidates that do — Curtis Granderson and Adam Jones — perhaps aren’t optimal up-the-middle defenders at this stage. (That’s not to say that either of those two names is currently of interest to Cleveland, though the organization has previously been tied to Jones.)
  • While the focus is on the pitching staff, the Mets are getting some hits on mid-season acquisitions Jose Bautista and Devin Mesoraco, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter). Both players are headed for the open market at season’s end, though they are in different contractual situations otherwise. Bautista is playing for the league minimum, while the Mets owe Mesoraco some real cash. (Per reports at the time Mesoraco was acquired for Matt Harvey, the Reds sent money sufficient to pay down the difference in the two players’ salaries, suggesting that the Mets still are responsible for the balance of a $5.6MM annual salary.) It seems reasonable to anticipate that both players will be moved. Since joining the Mets, Bautista has produced a strong .235/.396/.432 batting line and Mesoraco has sported a league-average bat while lining up behind the dish.
  • Speaking of Harvey, he’s also a potential trade chip after a mostly sturdy showing thus far with the Reds. ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick runs down the latest on his market, noting that the Mariners and Brewers have poked around a bit on the former ace. Both teams, presumably, see Harvey as a potential upgrade over internal options, though certainly there’s not much to commend him as a front-line hurler at this stage. Through 68 frames in Cincinnati, Harvey is carrying a mid-nineties heater. But he still hasn’t rebounded in the swinging-strike department and owns only a 4.50 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.0 B/9.
  • The Brewers are evidently open to being rather creative, as MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweets that they have actually considered the idea of bumping Travis Shaw to second base to facilitate the acquisition of Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas. That’s a bit of an eyebrow-raising concept at first glance, given that Shaw — who’s listed at 6’4 and 230 pounds — has never lined up at second base as a professional. While Moustakas figures to help out some contending organization, it’s not as if he’s a unique piece on the market. And there are quite a few accomplished hitters available who have experience up the middle.

Central Notes: Twins, Shaw, Cervelli, Kuhl, ChiSox

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The Twins are open to trading their pending free agents, MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reports, as the team begins to look ahead to the 2019 season.  Minnesota’s loss to the Brewers today drops them to 35-48 on the season, 11.5 games out of first place in the AL Central and 18 games out of a wild card slot.  One NL executive believes the Twins would be willing to hold trade talks for just about every player on the roster, not just the free agents, though Morosi doubts the team’s younger players under long term control would be seriously discussed.

Looking only at the players signed through 2018, the list includes Brian Dozier, Eduardo Escobar, Lance Lynn, Zach Duke, and Joe Mauer, plus Fernando Rodney, Logan Morrison, and Ervin Santana could also be free agents depending on club options.  There are several big names in that group, though only a few (Escobar, Duke, Rodney) are playing well enough to be considered prime trade chips.  Dozier’s disappointing year, in particular, has both hurt the Twins’ hopes of contending and drastically lowered his value at the deadline.  It isn’t known if Mauer would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to go elsewhere, as Mauer’s agent declined to provide any details about how the longtime face of the franchise would respond if a trade offer materialized.

Here’s the latest from around both the AL and NL Central divisions….

  • A recent report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (subscription required) stated that the Brewers had been working Travis Shaw out at second base, which created speculation about Milwaukee potentially targeting third basemen at the deadline.  Brewers GM David Stearns, however, said in an e-mail to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy that Shaw’s pregame alignment is fairly routine procedure.  “We have guys taking ground balls all over the field during early work and BP….Travis plays on that side of the bag a fair amount in our shift alignments so it makes sense for him to take ground balls over there. Adding to positional versatility is always helpful,” Stearns wrote.  For his part, Shaw said that the team asked him both recently and earlier in the season “if I would be open to playing second if that situation presents itself,” and he said he’d be willing to do so.  Shaw has never played second base during his eight-year professional career, so it would be a bold move if Milwaukee actually shifted him to the keystone midway through the season to accommodate a new acquisition at third base.
  • Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomcyzk updated some of the team’s injury situations in a chat with reporters (including The Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel and MLB.com’s Adam Berry) today.  Francisco Cervelli could begin a rehab assignment this weekend, as the catcher has resumed full baseball activities after being cleared of concussion symptoms.  Cervelli has been on the disabled list since June 22.
  • The outlook is more ominous for right-hander Chad Kuhl, who was diagnosed with a strained right forearm after undergoing an MRI.  “Doctors have recommended a conservative treatment at this time,” Tomcyzk said, so Kuhl won’t be facing a surgical procedure in the near future.  Kuhl has a 4.37 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 2.21 K/BB rate over 313 career innings and 61 starts for the Pirates.
  • Since the White Sox heavily bolstered their prospect ranks in the Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, and Adam Eaton trades, the team now faces the potentially lengthy and sometimes-frustrating wait to see this young talent develop at the Major League level.  The Sox haven’t shown much this season, and as executive VP Ken Williams tells Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, “We’re probably ahead of where we have a right to believe we’re supposed to be, but we’re right where we want to be, but not quite where we need to be yet.”  Both Williams and Carlos Rodon stressed the importance of the young team learning how to win and not getting used to losing, though obviously the organization is in for more growing pains during the rebuild process.

NL Central Notes: Greene, Brewers, Cervelli, Meadows

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The Reds’ efforts to sign right-hander Hunter Greene are complicated by the need to wait for fourth overall pick Brendan McKay to reach agreement with the Rays, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. It seems that Greene is still hoping to emerge as the highest-paid player in the draft, with Cincinnati apparently willing to oblige to the extent possible. Buchanan runs the math on where the Reds’ pool money stands and notes that the club has given no indication of concern that Greene will choose to head to UCLA rather than starting his professional career.

Elsewhere in the NL Central…

  • Heyman also writes that the Brewers, a surprising division leader, could look to add some bullpen help prior to the trade deadline this summer. Milwaukee’s top tier of prospects, however, looks to be nearly untouchable in trade talks, he continues, listing the likes of Josh Hader, Lewis Brinson, Luis Ortiz, Corey Ray and Isan Diaz. Heyman also notes that Travis Shaw was a target of the Brewers’ front office from day one last offseason, though it took until the Winter Meetings in early December to finalize a deal with the Red Sox.
  • In Pirates injury news, Pittsburgh placed catcher Francisco Cervelli back on the 7-day concussion disabled list for a second time this season yesterday. Cervelli was only activated for about a week between his two stints on the DL. Pirates head trainer Todd Tomczyk described Cervelli’s symptoms as “post-concussive” and “post-viral,” writes MLB.com’s Adam Berry, who notes that this is at least the third concussion with which Cervelli has been diagnosed in his pro career. In Cervelli’s absence, the Bucs have again recalled 27-year-old Jacob Stallings from Triple-A Indianapolis.
  • Top Pirates prospect Austin Meadows will be sidelined for at least a week in Triple-A after an MRI revealed a hamstring strain, writes Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Meadows, 22, entered the year as a consensus top-10 prospect leaguewide. But he has struggled thus far at Triple-A, with a .248/.313/.358 batting line through 281 plate appearances. With this injury now limiting him, it seems all but certain the Bucs won’t be in a rush to call him up to the majors — which perhaps alters the team’s calculus somewhat at the trade deadline, with longtime star Andrew McCutchen potentially featuring as an important chip.
  • Finally, in agency news, Reds infielder Jose Peraza has elected to join ISE Baseball, according to Robert Murray of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The 23-year-old entered the year with 141 days of service, so he could reach arbitration eligibility after the 2018 season as a Super Two player.

Brewers Acquire Yeison Coca From Red Sox To Complete Tyler Thornburg Trade

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10:07am: Both teams have now announced the trade. Coca is headed to Milwaukee’s extended Spring Training program for the time being, according to the Brewers.

9:50am: The Brewers will acquire minor league shortstop Yeison Coca from the Red Sox as the player to be named later in the offseason Tyler Thornburg/Travis Shaw trade, according to Evan Drellich of CSN New England (Twitter link).

Coca, 18, signed with the Red Sox back on July 2 in 2015 as a 16-year-old and has just one full season of pro ball under his belt. He spent the 2016 campaign with Boston’s affiliate in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .307/.370/.409 with a homer, five doubles, nine triples and 12 stolen bases (in 17 attempts). Baseball America rated Coca as the Red Sox’ No. 25 prospect this offseason, noting that he shows the instincts and defensive aptitude to eventually be an everyday shortstop with above-average bat-to-ball skills and below-average power. Certainly, any up-the-middle player with the potential to stick at his position is a valuable commodity. But, Coca is a long ways from realizing his potential, and there’s a fairly notable attrition rate among promising teenage shortstops.

Regardless of what happens with Coca, the trade has been overwhelmingly lopsided in Milwaukee’s favor to this point. Shaw has gotten off to an outstanding start with the Brewers, hitting .292/.339/.530 with 10 homers, 16 doubles and a triple through 210 plate appearances. While he’s only seen 57 PAs against lefties, he’s held his own in that limited sample, hitting .250/.316/.442. In a larger sample of 161 PAs while holding the platoon advantage, Shaw has laid waste to right-handers with a .307/.348/.560 triple slash.

The Brewers also added minor league righty Josh Pennington, who has yet to pitch in 2017, and minor league infielder Mauricio Dubon in that trade. The 22-year-old Dubon is hitting .294/.346/.383 with 25 steals (in 32 attempts) through 56 games for Milwaukee’s Double-A affiliate in Biloxi.

Thornburg, on the other hand, has yet to pitch for the Red Sox at all due to a nebulous shoulder issue. The righty has been shut down since Spring Training due to ongoing discomfort in his right shoulder, but there’s been no firm timetable placed on his recovery nor any suggestion of surgery to this point in the season. A healthy Thornburg would help to balance the scales on that trade, so to speak, but the strong play from both Shaw and Dubon is only magnified by a lack of infield depth (specifically at third base) that has plagued Boston throughout the 2017 season.

Central Notes: Royals, Cardinals, White Sox, Brewers

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Five games back of a playoff spot, the Royals aren’t ready to sell yet, but contending clubs are eyeing their potential trade chips, reports Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. The changed qualifying offer system in the new collective bargaining agreement could impact the Royals’ decisions, per Dodd, who notes that draft-pick compensation isn’t as appealing as it was previously. Had the Royals been in this situation last year, they could have kept impending free agents such as Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas, issued them qualifying offers and landed first-round picks had they signed elsewhere. Now, in order to secure a first-rounder, KC would need to offer a QO, have the player reject it and then join another team for $50MM-plus. Otherwise, if a player signs someplace else for less than $50MM, the Royals will get a pick after the second round.

More from the Central divisions:

  • The Cardinals will have to decide before the trade deadline whether their current lineup will suffice, observes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Ranking 26th in the majors in runs and 21st in wRC+, the Cardinals’ offense lacks a hitter capable of inspiring fear in opposing teams, several talent evaluators told Goold. They’re unlikely to acquire that type of hitter if he’s only a short-term rental, though, as Goold relays that the Redbirds “remain reluctant” to sacrifice significant assets for a stopgap. Internally, St. Louis isn’t convinced it needs to make a notable upgrade offensively. Rather, the club could pin its hopes on Matt Carpenter, Dexter Fowler and Aledmys Diaz recovering from slow starts. All three, especially Carpenter, have been resoundingly successful offensive producers in recent seasons.
  • Writing for MLB.com, Cuban outfield prospect Luis Robert acknowledges that the White Sox “probably were the team that offered more money” than anyone else, which was key in his decision to sign with the team for $26MM last weekend. It also helped the White Sox’s cause that they’ve never shied away from adding Cuban players. That includes first baseman Jose Abreu, who “can be a big help for me, because he is a veteran and has experience in this league,” posits Robert. The 19-year-old believes he’ll need a full year in the minors before he’s ready to contribute at the big league level.
  • Third baseman Travis Shaw has been a steal thus far for the Brewers, opines Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. Shaw, whom the Brewers acquired in an offseason trade with Boston, has slashed .296/.341/.538 with 10 home runs and five steals across 214 plate appearances with his new team. The 27-year-old is relishing his time in Milwaukee, telling Kepner: “I miss the guys over there, but coming over here was a blessing for me,” Shaw said. “I get a chance to play every single day. They wanted me, the ballpark fits my strengths a little bit more, and so far everything’s gone very smoothly. I’m glad I’m over here.”

NL Central Notes: Davis, Pirates, Shaw

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The Reds announced this morning that right-hander Rookie Davis has been optioned to Triple-A Louisville. The 24-year-old Davis, acquired in the trade that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Yankees, had a nice season in Double-A last year and performed well in Spring Training, but he’s been hit hard through five starts in the Majors. Davis has worked a total of 19 innings, yielding 16 earned runs (7.58 ERA) on 29 hits and 13 walks with 15 strikeouts. A corresponding move hasn’t been announced, though Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets that a Triple-A arm is likely to be recalled to join the rotation rather than turning to Robert Stephenson for a spot start.

A couple more notes from the NL Central…

  • The Pirates have, incredibly, deployed 30 different lineups and 29 different defensive alignments (not including the starting pitcher) thus far in 2017, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A large portion of the shuffles have been borne out of necessity, as Nesbitt also points out that the Bucs are currently carrying nine rookies on their roster. “There’s not always experienced guys to go get,” said manager Clint Hurdle of the team’s youthful composition. “With what’s happened to us, this wasn’t the plan coming in. This is an adapt, improvise and overcome situation.” While many Pirates fans have clamored for the team to pursue outside help, Hurdle suggested that improvements aren’t available at this time. “We don’t feel there have been better options outside,” said the manager.
  • Nesbitt also writes that the Pirates now seem to have entirely scrapped their offseason outfield realignment, as Gregory Polanco has been shifted back to right field. The suspension of Starling Marte led Pittsburgh to move Andrew McCutchen back to center field, and Polanco’s shift back to right field is tied to the revolving door that the Bucs have had at that spot. “He’s done fine. Pretty average metrics in left,” said Hurdle of Polanco. “But we keep shuffling guys into right, and we’ve already got a guy who has played right pretty well.” Of course, Polanco’s move across the outfield could lead to similar issues in left field. Asked if he’ll keep Polanco in right field once Marte returns from his suspension, Hurdle said the team hasn’t yet made that decision.
  • Brewers third baseman Travis Shaw and Red Sox right-hander Tyler Thornburg were swapped for one another this offseason but are in very different places as Milwaukee takes on Boston in interleague play, notes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Shaw has settled in as the Brewers’ cleanup hitter, and his seven homers, 24 RBIs and .544 slugging percentage would all lead the Red Sox. Thornburg, meanwhile, has yet to pitch in a game for the Sox due to a shoulder impingement that has him on the disabled list. Thornburg expressed frustration about his injury and his subsequent inability to face his former team, while Shaw admitted that the games against his former team mean a bit more. “Everybody is a competitor,” Shaw told Haudricourt. “You want to kind of show your old team up.” The trade looks to be a good one for the Brewers at present, though a healthy Thornburg could certainly balance out the scales. The 28-year-old logged a 2.15 ERA and averaged better than 12 strikeouts per nine innings pitched with Milwaukee last year.

Cafardo’s Latest: Ortiz, Buchholz, Pomeranz, Papelbon, Haren, Preller

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Here’s the latest from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

  • The Red Sox are in reasonable position to welcome David Ortiz back to the fold if he chooses to delay retirement. Cafardo points out that there could be many factors getting in the way of an Ortiz return, like the fact that Ortiz retired in the first place, or that his return would have luxury tax ramifications for the club. But the team has avoided substantial commitments to players who might get in his way, and even Mitch Moreland, recently added on a one-year deal, might be more of a replacement for Travis Shaw’s work at first base than Ortiz’s at DH. And Ortiz, of course, recently penned a provocative Instgram post expressing excitement at the Red Sox’ acquisition of Chris Sale.
  • The Red Sox would prefer to trade Clay Buchholz, but they would generate more interest from other teams if they were to make Drew Pomeranz available instead, Cafardo writes. Buchholz is set to make $13.5MM next year, while Pomeranz will make about $4.7MM, as MLBTR projected. (I’d add that Pomeranz is also controllable through 2018, while Buchholz is not.) The medicals on both pitchers “probably aren’t that great,” a rival executive says. Buchholz missed time in 2015 with an elbow injury, and Pomeranz had a forearm issue last year.
  • It doesn’t sound like Jonathan Papelbon will pick a new team anytime soon. According to his agent, Seth Levinson, Papelbon is dealing with a family matter, and wants to be dedicated to that issue until it’s resolved. “We hope that people can respect his privacy during this time,” Levinson says.
  • The Diamondbacks recently added retired righty Dan Haren as a “pitching strategist,” but D’backs manager Torey Lovullo says not to expect Haren to be in the public eye. “I think he’s going to be somebody behind the scenes, and that’s by his choice,” Lovullo says. “He wants to just remain behind the scenes and help our pitchers be successful. I think he has an attachment to Arizona. … So I think there’s a good starting point for him to come in and come up with a game plan as to how to reach some of these guys and how to help them as quickly as possible.”
  • Rival front offices have been careful in making trades with Padres GM A.J. Preller, who recently served a 30-day suspension over a failure to disclose medical information. “I think it’s just human nature to keep your eyes open when dealing with him at least for a while,” says one executive.

Red Sox Tried To Acquire Wade Davis From Royals

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Before Boston acquired reliever Tyler Thornburg from Milwaukee on Tuesday, the Red Sox made a run at then-Kansas City closer Wade Davis, reports Rob Bradford of WEEI. Corner infielder Travis Shaw was the major league headliner the Red Sox surrendered for Thornburg, but he wasn’t enticing enough to the Royals in a Davis deal, a source told Bradford. The Royals instead preferred now-former Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler, whom they acquired for Davis in a one-for-one swap on Wednesday.

[RELATED: Thornburg, MLBTR contributor Burke Badenhop chat about the trade]

Landing Davis would have given the Red Sox two of the majors’ most proven closers in him and Craig Kimbrel, though the former has more setup experience and likely would have served in that role in Boston. Davis has been dominant since 2014, his first year as a full-time reliever, but picking up him instead of Thornburg would have put a greater dent in the payroll of a Red Sox franchise that’s trying to stay under the $195MM luxury-tax threshold. The 31-year-old Davis would have cost the team $10MM in 2017, the last season of his contract, while Thornburg is set to rake in a much more modest salary (an estimated $2.2MM, per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) in his age-28 campaign. Thornburg is controllable through 2019 via arbitration and could potentially give the Red Sox a top-caliber setup man over the next three seasons. While he doesn’t have Davis’ track record, Thornburg is nonetheless coming off a breakout year, having recorded a 2.15 ERA, 12.09 K/9 and 3.36 BB/9 across a career-high 67 innings.

As is often the cases with pitchers, both relievers carry health risks: Davis was on the disabled twice last season because of forearm and flexor strains, and the Brewers shut down Thornburg early in 2014 on account of a UCL injury that nearly led to Tommy John surgery.

Meanwhile, that the Royals went for the upside play in Soler over Shaw is understandable. The soon-to-be 25-year-old Soler’s also younger (2017 will be Shaw’s age-27 season), though he comes with less control. Shaw won’t be a free agent until after the 2021 season, and he has two pre-arbitration years remaining, whereas Soler can hit the open market at the end of the 2020 campaign. He can also opt into arbitration beginning next winter, which seems likely if he comes closer to realizing his vast potential. For now, though, the Cuba native is due a modest $15MM over the remainder of the nine-year, $30MM contract he signed with the Cubs in 2012.

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