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Betts, Schoop, Ray, Others Move To The Legacy Agency

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Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts has changed agencies, staying with his representative — Steve Veltman — as he moved to The Legacy Agency, as Robert Murray of Baseball Essential was first to report (via Twitter). He’s not alone, as players including Jonathan Schoop of the Orioles and Robbie Ray of the Diamondbacks are also making the move, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports, with player rep Ed Cerulo accompanying Veltman to a new home.

Betts, still just 23, has emerged as one of the game’s most exciting young talents. He followed up a highly promising partial season in 2014 with an outstanding campaign last year in which he put up a .291/.341/.479 slash over 654 plate appearances with 18 home runs and 21 steals. Of course, Betts is also a high-quality and versatile fielder and excellent baserunner.

Boston has plenty of cheap control remaining, as Betts won’t even reach arbitration eligibility until 2018 and doesn’t stand to hit the open market until 2021. He certainly profiles as an extension candidate, though, and his new agency will quite possibly field interest from the Sox.

Other quality 1+ outfielders have signed lengthy deals — including, recently, Gregory Polanco ($35MM) and Christian Yelich ($49.57MM) — but it seems fair to expect that Betts would command a good bit more given the floor and ceiling he’s shown to this point. And the price will likely only rise, as his service clock continues to run and he pads the stat sheet.

Schoop and Ray also rate as promising young players, but have more to prove at this stage than Betts. Other big leaguers joining The Legacy Agency, per Rosenthal, include Cody Anderson and Rajai Davis (Indians), Trevor May (Twins), Kevin Siegrist (Cardinals), Carter Capps (Marlins), Jerad Eickhoff (Phillies), and Tony Wolters (Rockies). Several unnamed prospects are also changing agencies.

As always, you can find reported player representation in MLBTR’s Agency Database.

AL Central Notes: Royals, Wang, Twins, Brantley

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It’s undeniably been a special couple of seasons for the Royals, and many of the team’s core players tell Bob Nightengale of USA Today that they are enjoying the time they have together for at least the next couple of seasons. To a man, they expressed an interest in sticking around long-term, though of course it would be hard to predict how many will ultimately do so. Meanwhile, GM Dayton Moore suggested that the organization is taking much the same approach. “You can’t be so consumed with what players are going to be here for just this period of time,” he said. “There’s urgency every day. We’re not going to focus on next year, two years, or three years from now. I can’t predict the future. We’re just going to go out there and do the best we can.”

More from the division…

  • One Royals newcomer, veteran righty Chien-Ming Wang, is hoping to become the organization’s latest pitching turnaround success, as MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports. The sinkerballer has thrown six impressive frames and worked into the mid-90s with his fastball after taking a different approach to his preparation over the winter. Wang, who will soon turn 36, has a May 1 opt-out date but is making a real run to crack the roster in the bullpen.
  • Twins right-hander Trevor May is headed to the bullpen to open the season, writes MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger. GM Terry Ryan told reporters that May took the news “the right way,” though he may not have been privately displeased with the decision. Ryan went on to explain that he still believes May can start for the Twins in the future: “There are other factors in the decision and who is in the rotation and how they’ve done,” said Ryan. “But I don’t know why he couldn’t be a future starter in the Major Leagues. He’s got the pitches, he’s got the strength. He’s shown he can do it. But right now for this ballclub, the better fit is in the bullpen.” With May out of the rotation picture, Tommy Milone, Ricky Nolasco and top prospect Jose Berrios are competing for the final spot behind Ervin Santana, Phil Hughes, Kyle Gibson and Tyler Duffey. Nolasco, notably, has two years and $25MM remaining on his contract with the Twins.
  • Michael Brantley’s accelerated recovery from shoulder surgery will take another step in the right direction tomorrow, as MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian writes. Brantley is slated to play four or five innings in the outfield and receive multiple at-bats in a minor league game, per manager Terry Francona. While Francona stopped short of calling Opening Day a possibility, Bastian notes that the opener continues to be Brantley’s goal. Francona noted that Brantley could return to the lineup in early or mid April, either of which would be considerably better for the Indians than initial projections on Brantley’s timeline. Bastian also breaks down the Indians’ potential outfield alignments in the event that Brantley does need to sit out the first couple weeks of the season.

Twins Notes: Catchers, Hunter, Plouffe, Dozier, May, Offseason

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Twins general manager Terry Ryan met with the media today to discuss the team’s upcoming offseason. Some highlights from his wrap-up and other notes on the Twins…

  • As Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes, Ryan said he will be open to the idea of making an upgrade behind the plate. The GM noted that starting catcher Kurt Suzuki had a down season but also praised Suzuki for his durability. However, he wouldn’t commit to being satisfied with the team’s current catching situation in 2016. “Let’s not get into that,” Ryan said. “Let’s see what happens. If there’s a catcher available that we think can help this club, we’ll look at it. Kurt can improve, as can almost every offensive player we have.”
  • Berardino adds within that report that the Twins made an effort to acquire A.J. Pierzynski from the Braves this summer but couldn’t strike a deal. He also reminds that the Twins tried to bring Pierzynski back to Minnesota on a two-year deal prior to signing Suzuki in the 2013-14 offseason. It stands to reason that the Twins will have some level of interest in Pierzynski again this winter.
  • In a separate piece, Berardino tackles the issue of whether or not Torii Hunter will return next season. The 40-year-old Hunter has said previously that he wants to retire with the Twins, but he’s also expressed that he isn’t interested in a limited role. Ryan said today that he hopes to meet with Hunter sooner rather than later to discuss his future. “I don’t think the day after the season ends is the right time for him to make that conclusion,” said Ryan in reference to Hunter’s future and all of the factors that will weigh into it. Hunter said he planned to know by Thanksgiving whether or not he’ll play another year, writes Berardino, but Ryan understandably doesn’t want to wait that long and said he’ll discuss situation with Hunter “fairly soon.”
  • MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger has a full rundown of Ryan’s comments from today, and within his write-up is Ryan’s reveal that second baseman Brian Dozier will have an MRI on his hip. Ryan didn’t believe there to be a serious injury with Dozier, but the 28-year-old followed up a .256/.328/.518 first half (which resulted in his first All-Star nod) with a .210/.280/.359 second half.
  • Ryan doesn’t want Miguel Sano to get into the mindset of being solely a designated hitter, but he also stated that Trevor Plouffe is a third baseman only and wouldn’t play in the outfield at all to accommodate the impressive young Sano. Because of that, Bollinger notes that one option would be to trade Plouffe this offseason, though Ryan himself suggested no such notion. Still, it’s a situation worth monitoring; Joe Mauer’s bat at first base has faded, but he has three years at $23MM per season remaining and has a full-no trade clause on his contract, so moving across the diamond isn’t an option for Plouffe, who is controlled through 2017 and has batted .251/.317/.429 with 36 homers and much-improved defense from 2014-15.
  • Everyone on the coaching and training staff has been invited back for the 2016 season, though no new contracts have been finalized, per Bollinger.
  • Trevor May, who was one of the team’s more effective starters early in the season but moved to the bullpen due to team need, has been told to prepare as a starter this offseason, Bollinger writes. Ryan said that no firm decision has been reached, but it’s easier to taper down from starter to reliever than vice versa. Sticking in the rotation would be preferable for May himself, Berardino wrote yesterday. May told Berardino he feels he can be a “go-to guy” for the Twins. “I don’t think I’ve achieved anywhere close to what I can achieve as a starter,” May told Berardino. “I’m excited to come in next year and kind of open some eyes.”
  • Ryan said the team will look into upgrading both the rotation and bullpen this offseason, Bollinger writes. The GM also isn’t ruling out upgrades at catcher or shortstop, though he does feel that Eduardo Escobar has put himself into a good position heading into 2016. The 26-year-old hit .262/.309/.445 this season — a batting line that was bolstered by a .269/.330/.486 second half.

AL Central Notes: Nolasco, May, Sands, Royals, Tigers

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Following yesterday’s MRI, the Twins will place right-hander Ricky Nolasco on the disabled list and recall prospect Trevor May to join the rotation, reports Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. After signing a four-year, $49MM contract in the 2013-14 offseason, Nolasco’s first season was marred by an elbow injury that limited his time on the field and led to an ERA well north of 5.00. He improved upon returning from the DL, so both he and the team hoped to leave last season’s struggles in the past. Unfortunately, his elbow flared up again in an ugly first start, leading to the forthcoming decision to officially place him back on the DL. May, ranked as one of Minnesota’s best prospects by Baseball America (No. 9), MLB.com (No. 11) and Fangraphs (No. 9), notched an excellent 2.85 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 98 Triple-A innings last year. He was hit hard in his first taste of MLB action, registering a ghastly 7.88 ERA, but a sky-high .377 BABIP contributed heavily to those troubles. One would think that this could be an opportunity for May to seize a rotation spot for the long run if he performs well out of the gate.

Here’s more from the AL Central…

  • The Indians announced today that they’ve purchased the contract of first baseman/outfielder Jerry Sands, optioned Austin Adams to the Minors and transferred Josh Tomlin to the 60-day DL. The addition of Sands may not be a long-term maneuver, however, as MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets that Sands will serve as outfield insurance while Michael Brantley deals with a back issue. (Brantley is in the lineup for today’s home opener, though.)
  • In a Royals mailbag, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star notes that while the team’s bullpen is excellent, its composition isn’t exactly ideal. The only Royals relievers with options remaining are Greg Holland, Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera. The Royals lack the flexibility to option a lesser reliever to the Minors without first exposing them to waivers, thereby eliminating the possibility of making roster moves to bring in a fresh arm when necessary. McCullough opines, though, that a trade won’t be necessary upon Luke Hochevar’s activation from the disabled list. McCullough also handicaps future rotation options and discusses Mike Moustakas’ outlook in the piece.
  • Joakim Soria is better equipped to be the Tigers’ closer than Joe Nathan, writes MLive.com’s James Schmehl, and while Soria will indeed own the ninth inning while Nathan is on the disabled list, that transition in no way fixes the Detroit ’pen, he opines. The Tigers lack a reliable option to step into the eighth inning on a consistent basis, and the move of Soria to the ninth inning only further exemplifies what a thin relief corps Detroit has on its hands. Manager Brad Ausmus called the bullpen “a little bit of a concern” but said he only expects Nathan to be sidelined for a few weeks. All this said, I doubt there’d be much surprise around the game if the Tigers were yet again seeking bullpen help on the trade market this season.

AL Central Links: May, Milone, Pestano, Garcia

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All signs point to the Twins promoting Trevor May to make Saturday’s start against the A’s, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. The 24-year-old was acquired from the Phillies in 2012’s Ben Revere trade, and he’s seen his command steadily improve since joining the Twins organization. May’s ERA has dropped accordingly, and he’s currently sporting a 2.93 mark through 95 1/3 innings at Triple-A this season. With Vance Worley now in Pittsburgh, May is the lone piece remaining from that deal. Having averaged 10.5 K/9 in his minor league career, May could prove to be a valuable addition for a Twins team that’ has long been starved for power arms.

Here’s more on the Twins and the AL Central…

  • Recently extended catcher Kurt Suzuki influenced the Twins’ decision to acquire Tommy Milone from the A’s, reports John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Suzuki, who has caught Milone numerous times as a former member of the A’s, made pitch to manager Ron Gardenhire, pitching coach Rick Anderson and bench coach Terry Steinbach — all of which were presumably relayed to the front office.
  • Following today’s trade of Vinnie Pestano to the Angels, Indians GM Chris Antonetti offered the following statement to MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian (Twitter link): “Vinnie was a very valuable member of the organization who made some great contributions to our bullpen throughout his time with us. As we’ve had [Major League] bullpen opportunities over the course of the last month, we’ve promoted other pitchers from [Triple-A] Columbus, so we thought it made sense to give Vinnie a fresh start with the Angels. In return, we acquired a young pitcher who we think has a chance to help our Major League team in the next few years.” For his part, Pestano is excited about the fresh start, particularly due to the fact that he is a SoCal native. In a classy series of thank you tweets to the Indians organization, Pestano, who was born in Newport Beach, noted that he couldn’t imagine a better destination for a trade.
  • MLB.com’s Scott Merkin writes that Avisail Garcia’s aggressive approach to his rehab from a shoulder injury has impressed the White Sox. Garcia’s injury was thought to be season-ending back in April, but an August return now looks possible. Merkin notes that the move could create an interesting roster decision, though GM Rick Hahn has noted that he will pursue August trades, so a roster spot could be created that way.

Rob Antony Talks Twins’ Offseason, Future

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For the fourth straight year, Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony sat down with Jesse Lund of SB Nation's Twinkie Town to discuss the state of affairs with his team. Antony and Lund discussed the Twins' offseason at length, ranging from the trades of Denard Span and Ben Revere to the Twins' pursuit of starting pitching. Here's a look at some of the highlights, but bear in mind that entire piece is well worth your time…

  • The Twins never intended to trade both Revere and Span, but the Phillies' offer of Trevor May and Vance Worley was too strong not to pull the trigger. Antony identifies May as someone who could get a September call-up in 2013 if he enjoys a strong season.
  • The Twins had conversations with both Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano, but were unable to agree to terms with either one. In particular, the Twins sought a club option for Baker, who wanted strictly a one-year deal. Antony said they didn't want 2013 to "be a donation" to Baker in the event that he wasn't healthy and effective for most of the season. That decision looks wise, with Baker on the 60-day disabled list for the Cubs.
  • Mike Pelfrey identified the Twins as a team he wanted to pitch for and was aggressive in working out a deal, according to Antony. The Twins did quite a bit of homework on Pelfrey's recovery from Tommy John surgery in order to ascertain that the right-hander would indeed be ready for Opening Day, as he promised.
  • The Twins made several "competitive offers" to free agent starting pitchers, in some cases making better offers than the ones those pitchers ultimately took. The Twins had conversations with nearly every free agent starting pitcher and spoke with around 15 agents for pitchers at the Winter Meetings in December.
  • Following the Span trade, most teams didn't believe that the team would also trade Revere. Antony says four teams were in the mix for Revere, but the Phillies were the most aggressive and ultimately landed him with the aforementioned offer.
  • The Twins were willing to do a one-for-one swap of Span and Alex Meyer because they believe Meyer is a legitimate front-of-the-rotation candidate who can be a "dominant" strikeout pitcher.
  • The decision to bring Aaron Hicks north as the team's Opening Day center fielder was a result of Hicks' strong play in Spring Training and his poise off the field. The Twins' front office was never overly concerned with delaying Hicks' free agency by a season: "If he's that good of a player we're going to do what we can to sign him long term and none of that's going to matter."
  • Antony, GM Terry Ryan and the rest of the front office prefer to gradually expose their top prospects to the Major Leagues so as not to field a team of all rookies. Additionally, that line of thinking prevents mass arbitration and free agency issues: "If you can bring a couple guys, a couple rookies in each year, it helps infuse that and it helps to spread it out so that not everybody becomes arbitration eligible at the same time or free agents at the same time, all that stuff."
  • The Twins "admire" the Royals' bullpen of power arms and would like to build a similar bullpen. The team prioritized power arms in the 2012 Draft, selecting a number of hard-throwing college relievers.
  • Antony offered a definitive "No," when asked if the team had interest in Aaron Harang prior to his trade to the Mariners. The Twins feel they have a number of similar arms in the organization already.
  • There's been no contact between the Twins and Jim Thome for "a couple of months," and the two were never on the same page. Minnesota had interest in Thome, but they were far apart in discussions.
  • "It would be great if he could be a Twin for life," Antony said of Justin Morneau. "He's a guy who's meant a lot for this organization and we'd love it if he were to play his entire career here, but you just don't know how things are going to work out in the end."
  • Antony feels that too much has been made of the decision not to extend Ron Gardenhire prior to this season. Many have speculated that Gardenhire is on the hot seat following a pair of 90-loss seasons, but Antony said it was intended to be an organization-wide message that they're looking to get better from top to bottom. He adds that he hopes Gardenhire is the Twins' manager for years to come, and that in three years people are surprised there was even a debate.

Trade Rumors: Harang, Capuano, Phillies

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Let's round up a few rumblings from Nashville on players who might be on the trade block…

Earlier updates:

  • There have been "no conversations" about trading Andre Ethier, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly tells Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
  • One rival executive thinks the Royals will eventually make a deal for Rays starter James Shields, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Within his piece, Knobler explains why the Royals are more inclined to trade Wil Myers than Billy Butler.
  • The return the Twins received for Denard Span has somewhat hampered the Indians' efforts to trade Shin-Soo Choo, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains in a pair of Twitterlinks.
  • Ramon Santiago's name has surfaced at the Winter Meetings as a potential trade candidate, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (via Twitter). While Beck isn't sure if the Tigers would move him, he says the utility infielder could draw interest.
  • The Dodgers are "aggressively shopping" Juan Uribe in Nashville, but predictably aren't receiving much interest, writes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets that when he asked an MLB official if the Yankees could have interest in Uribe with Alex Rodriguez out, he was met with a chuckle.

Stark On Wigginton, Lopez, Atkins, Lee

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Unlike the Red Sox and Rockies, who may try to avoid making a trade to replace their injured infielders, the Phillies are "trying like hell" to find an infield bat, writes ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Stark breaks down the Phillies' options and shares some Cliff Lee rumors in a new blog entry:

  • Enough teams are interested in Ty Wigginton that the Orioles can be patient in their attempts to get maximum value for him. The Phillies, on the other hand, need an infielder now, so they'll either have to meet Baltimore's asking price or look elsewhere.
  • A scout tells Stark that some people in the Phils' organization like Jose Lopez "a lot."
  • The Phillies have never been overly interested in Garrett Atkins, and that hasn't changed now that he has become available.
  • Kelly Johnson, Jhonny Peralta, Jose Bautista, and Miguel Tejada are also possibilities to varying degrees for Philadelphia.
  • The Phils don't want to move Domonic Brown, Jarred Cosart, Anthony Gose, or Trevor May for an infielder, but would discuss anyone except Brown for a top starting pitcher.
  • The Reds "are more interested than they're letting on" in Lee, while the Yankees also continue to monitor the Mariners' left-hander.
  • The Rangers and Dodgers would love to acquire Lee, but would have to give up a slew of prospects to avoid taking on his salary.
  • According to Stark, there have even been rumblings that the Rays could be a match for the M's ace if they were willing to move B.J. Upton.

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