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Yunel Escobar

AL West News & Rumors: Paxton, Walker, Angels

By Mark Polishuk | August 8, 2016 at 8:58pm CDT

Here’s the latest from around the AL West…

  • Mariners lefty James Paxton was two outs away from a complete game victory yesterday when he was hit on his throwing elbow by an Andrelton Simmons line drive.  Fortunately for Paxton and the M’s, x-rays were negative and manager Scott Servais told reporters (including Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune) that he’s hoping Paxton may not even miss a start, thanks to an off-day this week in Seattle’s schedule.  The injury has been diagnosed as a deep bruise, and Paxton will be able to pitch if the swelling subsides.  Paxton has been a big part of the Mariners rotation, posting a 3.53 ERA, 4.06 K/BB rate and 8.04 K/9 over 81 2/3 IP this season, and any missed time for Paxton would undoubtedly be a blow to Seattle’s wild card hopes.
  • In other Mariners pitching news, Taijuan Walker was optioned to Triple-A to create a 25-man roster spot for the newly-acquired Arquimedes Caminero.  Ariel Miranda will continue in the Mariners’ rotation filling Walker’s spot.  [Updated Mariners depth chart at Roster Resource.]  Walker got off to a strong start this season that fueled his solid year-long stats (4.10 ERA, 8.0 K/9, 4.0 K/BB rate), though he has had trouble pitching deep into games.  Walker has also struggled in his last two outings, sandwiched around a month-long DL stint due to right foot tendinitis, and the M’s couldn’t allow for Walker time to regain his form with the team in a playoff race.  “His last 13 starts, he’s had three quality starts.  It may be different if we were 10 or 15 games below .500.  We’re not,” Servais told Dutton and other reporters.
  • Despite the demotion, the Mariners haven’t given up on Walker and aren’t looking to trade him, Dutton tweets in response to a reader question.  Walker received a lot of attention from other teams prior to the trade deadline but GM Jerry Dipoto said the young hurler wasn’t available.
  • With the Angels already looking ahead to 2017, both MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez and the Los Angeles Times’ Pedro Moura addressed the team’s future in separate mailbag pieces.  Gonzalez believes the Halos will have an offseason similar to last, when they look to upgrade with relatively low-cost or cost-neutral moves since the payroll will still be bogged down by several large contracts (albeit with some relief since C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver will be off the books).  Aiming for contention in 2018 may be a wiser move since Josh Hamilton’s contract will also be up, and Gonzalez feels Kole Calhoun could be an interesting trade chip to address other needs, though Calhoun is obviously a valuable piece of the current roster.
  • Moura’s mailbag addresses such topics as whether or not Arte Moreno would consider selling the team (Moura doesn’t believe so), the possibility of Yunel Escobar being traded and Kaleb Cowart possibly stepping in as a low-cost third base option in his place, plus how Angels GM Billy Eppler really can’t be judged on his job performance since Eppler is still dealing with poor organizational decisions made prior to his hiring.
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Los Angeles Angels Seattle Mariners James Paxton Kole Calhoun Taijuan Walker Yunel Escobar

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AL Rumors: Rangers, Rays, Twins, Tigers, Angels

By Connor Byrne | July 23, 2016 at 7:19pm CDT

The most prominent pitcher the Rangers have pursued as the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline nears is White Sox ace Chris Sale, who’s currently embroiled in a strange controversy, but the sides haven’t made much progress, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. With that in mind, Texas’ focus is on the Rays’ starters at the moment, writes Grant. Tampa Bay’s asking price is high for Matt Moore and Jake Odorizzi, though, as it wants powerful corner infielder/outfielder Joey Gallo – Baseball America’s 11th-ranked prospect. The Rangers would only give up Gallo for the Rays’ top starter, Chris Archer, per Grant.

More rumors from the American League:

  • While reports have connected the Rangers to Milwaukee catcher and trade candidate Jonathan Lucroy for months, Texas is “not really” in pursuit of the All-Star backstop as of now, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com (Twitter link). The Rangers’ focus is instead on upgrading their pitching.
  • The Twins aren’t inclined to deal right-hander Ervin Santana unless they’re “wowed” by an offer, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Despite Santana’s age (33) and their distance from contention, the last-place Twins regard him as a quality future piece. Santana, who’s on a $13.5MM yearly salary through 2018 and has a $14MM club option for 2019, has pitched respectably this season (105 1/ innings, 3.93 ERA, 6.41 K/9, 2.48 BB/9).
  • The Tigers, who are 51-46 and just 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, are likely to stand pat at the deadline, general manager Al Avila told reporters – including Evan Woodbery of MLive.com (via Twitter) – on Saturday. “It’s not sexy,” admitted Avila, who added that buying is difficult because teams are asking for the Tigers’ best young starters, standout rookie righty Michael Fulmer and southpaw Daniel Norris. “I have been in contact with several GMs in sell mode. The asking price is too high right now, even for fifth starters,” Avila stated (Twitter links via Jason Beck of MLB.com). Avila’s Tigers do have in-house reinforcements on the way in Norris, righty Jordan Zimmermann and right fielder J.D. Martinez, all of whom are on the disabled list. When those three come back, Avila expects Detroit to have enough talent to compete for a World Series (Twitter link via Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press).
  • The playoffs continue to look highly unlikely for the Angels, who have won 10 of 12 games and closed the gap in the AL West from 19 1/2 games to a still-high 11 1/2 behind first-place Texas, but their recent hot streak could prevent them from selling, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. “A lot of things have come together at the exact same time,” GM Billy Eppler told DiGiovanna. “We felt that this club had a lot of positive elements to it. It wasn’t all clicking like it is right now, but the character and the fight within those guys has never faded.” The Halos don’t have the assets to turn into buyers, notes DiGiovanna, so their decision will come down to selling or keeping the roster as it is. If they sell, DiGiovanna lists third baseman Yunel Escobar, setup man Joe Smith and closer Huston Street as Angels who could soon change homes.
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Chicago White Sox Detroit Tigers Los Angeles Angels Minnesota Twins Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Chris Archer Chris Sale Daniel Norris Ervin Santana Huston Street Jake Odorizzi Joe Smith Joey Gallo Jonathan Lucroy Matt Moore Michael Fulmer Yunel Escobar

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Trade Notes: Ervin, Hellickson, Red Sox, Angels, Royals, Rays

By Steve Adams | July 7, 2016 at 9:04pm CDT

Ervin Santana is the “most likely” member of the Twins to be traded this summer, per ESPN’s Jayson Stark. However, executives that have spoken to the Twins about trades tell Stark that Minnesota is willing to talk about virtually anyone on their roster. Per one exec to whom Stark spoke, the Twins are telling potential trade partners, “If you’ve got any ideas, throw them out there.” Santana is far from the only trade candidate on the Twins’ roster; Fernando Abad, Eduardo Nunez, Ricky Nolasco and Trevor Plouffe are all free agents at the end of the 2017 season, and Kurt Suzuki is set to hit the open market following the current season. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd has listed several Twins among the game’s top trade candidates over the past few weeks. As for Santana, who tossed a shutout yesterday in Oakland, he’s earning $13.5MM this year and in each of the next two seasons, so he’d be considerably more than a rental piece for an interested club. However, that remaining salary might mean that some interested parties would want the Twins to include some cash in a deal to make the trade more financially palatable.

A few more notes on the trade market…

  • The Red Sox have been scouting Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson lately tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports and MLB.com. Per Morosi, Hellickson is one of many options that Boston is considering as it seeks to upgrade the back of its rotation. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said tonight on the conference call to discuss the Aaron Hill trade with the media that the fourth and fifth spots of his rotation are indeed areas of focus, as ESPN Boston’s Scott Lauber writes. Hellickson could indeed fill one of those spots, as he’s delivered a solid 3.92 ERA with 7.9 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 42.4 percent ground-ball rate in 105 2/3 innings. The Phillies can probably get more for Hellickson than they surrendered to acquire him at this point, and as a free agent at season’s end it seems likely that he’ll be wearing a new uniform by the time the non-waiver deadline passes.
  • Infielder Yunel Escobar and left-hander Hector Santiago are getting hot at an opportune time if the Angels wish to shop them, writes MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez. However, he also notes that it’s difficult to envision the Halos parting with either player. The Angels have a desperate need for rotation pieces in 2017 after losing Andrew Heaney to Tommy John surgery while Garrett Richards faces the possibility of the same fate. Santiago is controlled through the end of the 2017 season and doesn’t figure to be overly expensive, as he’s earning $5MM this year. Moving Escobar would mean that the Halos need to find a new third baseman for the third time in four years, Gonzalez points out, though he lists the Royals, Mets and Giants as possible suitors for the versatile infielder. Escobar, of course, comes with a questionable clubhouse reputation, but Gonzalez spoke to Santiago about Escobar’s presence in the clubhouse and received a positive review. Santiago admitted that he disliked Escobar when playing against him but enjoys his passion and enthusiasm now that they’re teammates.
  • The Royals are continuing to monitor the market for starting pitchers, reports Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. The Royals are moving Chris Young to the bullpen and have seen both Kris Medlen and Mike Minor suffer setbacks in their rehab, leaving a very thin supply of starters from which to choose. Either Dillon Gee or Brian Flynn could get a start this weekend, but Dodd cites a source in stating that the Royals have expressed some interest in the Rays’ available starting pitchers. Tampa Bay starters Jake Odorizzi and Matt Moore have each seen their names pop up in trade rumors as of late.
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Boston Red Sox Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Angels Minnesota Twins Philadelphia Phillies Tampa Bay Rays Ervin Santana Hector Santiago Jeremy Hellickson Yunel Escobar

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Mets, Giants Interested In Yunel Escobar; Angels “Listening”

By Jeff Todd | June 26, 2016 at 1:10pm CDT

SUNDAY: The Mets have also shown interest in Escobar, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link).  Escobar could directly serve as a replacement for the injured David Wright at third, or his multi-position versatility could further add to a plethora of infield options for New York, especially now that Jose Reyes is also in the mix.

FRIDAY: The Angels are listening to offers on infielder Yunel Escobar, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). It appears that multiple teams have expressed at least some level of interest, with the Giants among them.

Escobar, 33, has continued to put up strong offensive numbers since he was acquired over the winter from the Nationals. All told, he owns a  .313/.369/.413 batting line over 892 plate appearances dating to the start of 2015. He has only hit a dozen home runs in that span, but has continued to hit at a high average while knocking 43 doubles.

Long a shortstop, Escobar has seen most of his action recently at third. He had been slated to play second for the Nats before internal needs dictated a change, though, and it seems that a contender could add him with intentions of utilizing him in any number of ways in the infield. Though the glove doesn’t rate very well, it’s versatile. It’s worth noting, too, that Escobar can be controlled for another season via a $7MM club option (with a $1MM buyout). He’s playing this year at the same reasonable annual rate, so there’s a bit of contract value included as well.

For the Giants, it’s hard not to tie interest in Escobar to Matt Duffy’s issues. He’s not expected to need a terribly long DL stint after a recent injury, but was off to a rough .253/.313/.358 start to the season that fell well shy of the above-average batting line he put up in 2015. Of course, he’s still a highly-valued defender, but it’s not difficult to see why the organization might want to add another piece with a bit more bat to the infield mix. Both Duffy and Escobar hit from the right side, but the latter could fill in now at the hot corner and then float around the infield thereafter. (Notably, second bagger Joe Panik and shortstop Brandon Crawford both hit from the left side, though quality young utilityman Kelby Tomlinson is another righty bat.)

If you’re curious how Escobar might hypothetically fit on the San Francisco roster, you can check out the team’s depth chart right here.

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Los Angeles Angels New York Mets San Francisco Giants Yunel Escobar

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Nationals, Angels Swap Yunel Escobar, Trevor Gott

By Steve Adams | December 10, 2015 at 6:53pm CDT

6:52pm: Around $1.5MM is headed to head to L.A., per DiGiovanna (via Twitter).

5:47pm: The teams have announced the swap, with the Nats saying an undisclosed amount of cash will go with Escobar to Los Angeles.

4:25pm: Gott tweets that he’s been informed of the deal and is indeed joining the Nationals.

Righty Michael Brady is the other player going to Washington, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter. Though he’s closing in on 29 years of age and was hit hard in a 17-appearance run at Triple-A in 2014, Brady is coming off of an impressive 2015 campaign at the Double-A level. He made 19 starts after working almost exclusively as a reliever in prior years, and ended up throwing 119 1/3 innings of 3.77 ERA ball while logging 8.5 K/9 against 0.9 BB/9.

2:56pm: The Winter Meetings are wrapping up, but clubs still aren’t done dealing. The Angels and Nationals have reportedly agreed to a swap that will send versatile infielder Yunel Escobar to the Angels in exchange for hard-throwing young righty Trevor Gott and a second, yet-unnamed minor leaguer.

Yunel Escobar

The 33-year-old Escobar will fill a significant need for the Angels while also allowing general manager Billy Eppler and his staff to remain flexible. Escobar is a capable defender at second base or third base — both positions of need to the Halos — freeing Eppler to pursue upgrades at either spot despite effectively already having filled one of the voids.

Escobar batted .314/.375/.415 with the Nats last season and saw all of his time on the field at third base, though there was also talk of playing him at second base before Anthony Rendon was sidelined for most of the season due to injury. Escobar hasn’t played second base since 2007 but has worked extensively at shortstop in recent seasons, though defensive metrics were down on his work there in 2014 with the Rays.

Escobar gives the Angels an affordable option in the infield, as he’s slated to earn $7MM this season and has a $7MM club option for the 2017 season as well. That should keep the Angels well below the luxury tax threshold, especially since the average annual value of his two-year, $13MM contract is a slightly lower $6.5MM.

The Angels were said last week to be in talks with David Freese about a reunion at third base, and while this doesn’t preclude that from happening due to Escobar’s stated versatility, he does have more experience at the hot corner. Additionally, he brings another right-handed bat to an Angels team that has, over the past six months, been said to be seeking some balance in the lineup, perhaps indicating that a left-handed second baseman would be a better fit than a right-handed third baseman. Indeed, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Angels’ plan is to use Escobar at third base, though he notes that the newest Halos acquisition could be moved to second base in the event of a Freese return.

For the Nationals, the deal continues president/GM Mike Rizzo’s efforts to revamp a bullpen that proved problematic throughout the 2015 season. Gott, 23, debuted with the Halos in 2015 and recorded a strong 3.02 ERA in 47 2/3 innings while averaging a blistering 96.2 mph on his fastball. However, in spite of that plus heat, Gott averaged just 5.1 K/9 while also averaging 3.0 walks per nine. Gott also averaged better than a strikeout per inning over the course of his minor league career, though, so there’s hope for additional missed bats as he gains more experience in the Majors. And, the Nationals have to be intrigued by his excellent 57.2 percent ground-ball rate.

Washington will control Gott for a full six seasons, as he fell shy of a full year of service in 2015. Not only that, but he finished the year with 114 days of big league service time, which should leave him shy of Super Two designation, meaning he’ll only be arbitration eligible three times. Gott will be one of several new faces in a re-worked Nats bullpen, joining lefty Oliver Perez and, presumably, right-hander Shawn Kelley (if his much-debated contract is ultimately finalized). Righty Yusmeiro Petit figures to see action in the bullpen as well, although he could also see some work in the rotation, depending on how the rest of the offseason shakes out.

Jon Morosi of FOX Sports first reported that the two sides were discussing a deal. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the agreement was in place (on Twitter). Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reported Gott’s inclusion in the deal (links to Twitter). Heyman tweeted that another minor leaguer was headed to the Nats.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Los Angeles Angels Newsstand Transactions Washington Nationals Trevor Gott Yunel Escobar

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Angels, Nationals Discussing Yunel Escobar Trade

By Steve Adams | December 10, 2015 at 2:25pm CDT

The Angels and Nationals are in talks on a trade that would send infielder Yunel Escobar to Anaheim, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

Escobar, 33, is coming off one of the strongest seasons of his career, having batted .314/.375/.415 with nine home runs in his first season with the Nats. He’s certainly a reasonable target for Halos GM Billy Eppler to pursue, given the team’s needs around the infield and Escobar’s defensive versatility. Escobar could hold down the fort at either second base or third base for the Angels next season, which would allow Eppler to maintain flexibility as he continues plotting the Angels’ course this offseason.

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East Notes: Encarnacion, Nationals, Rollins, Cabrera, Braves, Howard, Giles

By Jeff Todd | December 8, 2015 at 12:25am CDT

Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion will not entertain extension talks into the regular season, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reports. If a new deal isn’t worked out, of course, Encarnacion would stand to reach free agency after the 2016 season, where Bradford says he could draw interest from Boston. Toronto executive Tony LaCava said today that he’s not been informed of that stance by Encarnacion’s camp, but would respect the request if it’s made, per MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm (via Twitter). LaCava also said “it’s possible” that the Jays could reach new deals with both Encarnacion and fellow power bat Jose Bautista, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca tweets. As MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently explained in breaking down the extension candidacy of Bautista, however, it’s worth wondering whether the team will be willing and able to commit to both players.

Here’s more from the game’s eastern divisions:

  • If the Nationals can’t draw Ben Zobrist to D.C., the club could consider Jimmy Rollins as a lower-cost bridge to prospect Trea Turner at short, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. In his comments today, GM Mike Rizzo said that he doesn’t feel compelled to add at the shortstop position, whether or not Zobrist is brought on board to play second. “I have a comfort level that if today were opening day, we have a shortstop on the roster and feel good about it,” said Rizzo, via Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post.
  • The Nationals’ head baseball executive also noted that there’s been some interest in veteran Yunel Escobar, who could factor at short or elsewhere in the infield if he’s not dealt. “There’s been several teams that have inquired about Escobar,” Rizzo said. “He’s a versatile player that’s a good hitter and a really good big-league player, so there have been several teams that have interest in him.” Escobar could be expendable if an
  • The Yankees have at least some level of interest in infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. It’s unclear as of yet how much cash New York will dedicate to free agency, but Cabrera could be an option at second for the club, per Morosi.
  • While the Braves are interested in signing a center fielder, the club isn’t keen on giving up a draft choice to get Dexter Fowler and could find Austin Jackson too expensive, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter links). Atlanta could instead pursue the trade route, with a fallback of platooning Michael Bourn with a cheaper free agent in the mold of Drew Stubbs.
  • New Phillies GM Matt Klentak sat down recently with first baseman Ryan Howard and his agent to discuss his role with the organization, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports. “Everybody was very honest with each other, and he seemed genuinely excited and energized looking forward to next year,” said Klentak. “If Ryan Howard is performing, Ryan Howard is going to play,” Klentak went on to say. “If he’s not, he’ll play less. And that’s not specific to Ryan, that’s true to everyone on our club and probably just about everyone in baseball.”
  • Klentak also acknowledged that the Phillies are drawing plenty of interest in closer Ken Giles, as Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports. Philadelphia is “taking it day by day” in assessing whether to move Giles, but doesn’t — and, in my view, shouldn’t — feel any pressure to force a move. “I don’t know how much I really want to say about that, but, yeah, there’s a lot of interest in him because he’s good, and because he’s young and because he’s cheap,” said Klentak. “We’ll see. I don’t know how that’s going to shake out, [but] if he’s with us we’ll be very happy he’s still with us.”
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Atlanta Braves New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies Toronto Blue Jays Washington Nationals Asdrubal Cabrera Austin Jackson Ben Zobrist Dexter Fowler Drew Stubbs Edwin Encarnacion Jimmy Rollins Jose Bautista Ken Giles Michael Bourn Ryan Howard Yunel Escobar

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Trade Notes: Escobar, Yankees, Shields

By Jeff Todd | December 3, 2015 at 12:03pm CDT

We just took a look at the latest on Braves righty Shelby Miller, but there are plenty of other possible trade situations percolating around the league. Here are some notes on a few of those:

  • The Nationals are expected to dangle infielder Yunel Escobar in trade talks next week, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. A possible trade of Escobar has long seemed plausible, as Washington has a variety of other right-handed-hitting infield options. He could still be relied upon to hold down the fort at shortstop while Trea Turner finishes his development, but a left-handed bat (such as Ben Zobrist) would probably fit better. As I discussed in breaking down the Nats’ offseason outlook, the club might prefer to reallocate Escobar’s $7MM payroll hit elsewhere.
  • The Yankees are participating in wide-ranging trade talks in the run-up to the Winter Meetings, Buster Olney of ESPN.com tweets, with the one refrain being New York’s focus on adding young rotation pieces. That’s long seemed a defining focus of the winter for GM Brian Cashman, though it remains to be seen what level of starter the team hopes to acquire and what kind of assets it is willing to part with to make a deal.
  • Meanwhile, the Padres “continue to push” righty James Shields in trade talks, Olney tweets. Shields will soon turn 34, is coming off of an underwhelming campaign, and is owed $65MM over the next three seasons (including a 2019 option buyout) under his back-loaded deal. Those considerations suggest that San Diego may need to sweeten the pot (with young talent or cash) to find a taker for the contract, but Shields is hardly immovable. To the contrary, he’s still quite a useful pitcher: his 2015 effort did nothing to disturb his record of durability and he actually put up career highs in swinging strike rate (12.4%) and strikeout rate (9.6 K/9).
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New York Yankees San Diego Padres Washington Nationals James Shields Yunel Escobar

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NL East Notes: Zobrist, Minor, Ozuna, Jennings

By Mark Polishuk | November 29, 2015 at 10:43pm CDT

Earlier today, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported that the Mets, Nationals and Braves were among the teams most interested in Ben Zobrist.  The Braves are a somewhat surprising candidate since they appear to be rebuilding, but Rosenthal tweets that Atlanta likes Zobrist as a role model for its young players as the team moves into its new ballpark in 2017.  Braves GM John Coppolella declined comment on the report, only telling Rosenthal (Twitter links) that he “can’t comment on any free agent pursuits, but we will explore every possible opportunity to improve [the] club in the short- and long-term. Ben Zobrist brings so much to the table on and off the field that he could help all 30 teams.”

Here’s more from around the NL East…

  • Mike Minor’s fate is still up in the air as the Braves approach the non-tender deadline on December 2, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.  Minor missed all of 2015 recovering from labrum surgery and suffered a setback in early November that has limited him to stretching and range-of-motion exercises.  As such, the Braves still haven’t seen Minor throw off a mound, which Copplella indicated a few weeks ago as a significant factor in the team’s decision.  The GM tells O’Brien that the Braves are still gathering more information about Minor’s status, and he praised Minor and agent B.B. Abbott for their openness.
  • The Mariners still have interest in Marcell Ozuna but they’re unlikely to meet the Marlins’ asking price of Taijuan Walker in exchange, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports (Twitter link).  The two teams were known to be discussing possible Ozuna deals earlier this week, with reports coming that Walker “isn’t available” in trade talks.
  • Former Marlins manager and GM Dan Jennings tells Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that he has no regrets about his move from the front office to the dugout, calling it “the best experience he’s had in 30 years in baseball” and saying he “absolutely would do it over again” (Twitter link).
  • Jennings also gave his opinion on Ozuna’s struggles in 2015 and the rumors of Jose Fernandez’s issues within the Marlins clubhouse (audio link), saying that he had no issues with Fernandez, calling him “one of the best competitors I’ve ever been around in 30 years.“
  • A businessman approached Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria about buying the team only to be told that Loria has no intention of selling, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes.  This interested buyer hopes that Loria may change his mind after the Marlins host the 2017 All-Star Game.  The Marlins indicated to him that if Loria ever did look to sell the club, the asking price would be $1 billion, well north of the $650MM estimation of the team’s value as calculated by Forbes Magazine.
  • Yunel Escobar could be a good trade chip for the Nationals since the club seems to have its starting infield set, MASNsports.com’s Pete Kerzel writes.  On the other hand, Escobar could also be valuable depth given some of the question marks surrounding that infield — Anthony Rendon could get hurt, Danny Espinosa could regress to his 2013-14 form or Trea Turner may not quickly adjust to the majors.  I would think the Nats may only shop Escobar if they land Zobrist, in which case Espinosa (the better defender) would become the backup infielder.
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Atlanta Braves Miami Marlins Seattle Mariners Washington Nationals Ben Zobrist Dan Jennings Marcell Ozuna Taijuan Walker Yunel Escobar

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East Notes: Anthopoulos, Nats, Desmond, Montero, Cespedes, Gordon

By Jeff Todd | October 29, 2015 at 11:04pm CDT

Blue Jays ownership is to blame for the team’s surprising separation with former GM Alex Anthopoulos, argues Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star. New president Mark Shapiro “said he strongly disagreed with some of the deadline choices that sent prospects out,” Arthur reports, and indications are that he took the job in part because he is interested in increasing his involvement in personnel decisions. (The club made several swaps, most notable shipping out young pitching talent to acquire David Price and Troy Tulowitzki.) Rogers Communications, the club’s ownership group, initially offered Anthopoulos only a one-year contract with an option, says Arthur, and though the offer ultimately was bumped to a five-year term, that seemingly set the stage for the departure of Anthopoulos. Meanwhile, the new free agent executive took a conciliatory tack on his way out, saying, “I just didn’t feel like this was the right fit for me going forward.”

Here’s more from Toronto and some other eastern division clubs:

  • Writing for the National Post, Andrew Stoeten takes rather a different perspective on the Blue Jays’ front office changes. He suggests that it’s a valid criticism that Anthopoulos gave up too much young talent over the summer, even if the immediate results were good. More broadly, there’s no reason in particular to think Anthopoulos is uniquely irreplaceable, Stoeten argues.
  • Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post takes a look at an interesting offseason for the Nationals. As he explains, the club could probably just add some bullpen pieces and a left-handed-hitting, center field-capable fourth outfielder and call it a day. That wouldn’t be perfect, but it should be workable enough, and it may be what the team had hoped and expected to be looking at heading into 2015. But a terribly disappointing campaign changes the equation somewhat. Svrluga says that the organization has pegged a $175MM overall annual operations budget, a number which includes player salaries but would also include additional spending in other areas (he cites various front office upgrades, though presumably it might also involve international spending or other speculative investments). With various big-money players are coming off of the books, Svrluga argues at least some of their salaries ought to be reallocated to new acquisitions. Upgrading over Wilson Ramos at catcher should be considered, he argues, and the team must decide whether to trade Yunel Escobar (possibly for bullpen help) and how much trust to put in Michael Taylor.
  • Outgoing Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond figures to draw strong interest from the Mets, people around the game are telling Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (as part of a broader notes column). Heyman says he’s expecting a “robust” market for Desmond after a late-season return to form, and also notes the Mariners, Padres, White Sox, and Twins as plausible landing spots.
  • It’s easy to forget about righty Rafael Montero given the success of the Mets’ other arms, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that the team hasn’t. New York expects Montero to be ready to go this spring after dealing with shoulder issues all year, and Sherman notes that he’ll at least represent a solid depth piece in the near-term if he can stay healthy. Of course, with Zack Wheeler also set to return next summer and Steven Matz now looking like he’ll command a rotation spot for years to come, Montero could ultimately factor as a trade chip.
  • Sherman also takes a crack at assessing the in-season changes to the future free agent market of Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. The Red Sox offered him a five-year deal at about $75MM when he was with the club, says Sherman, and might have considered going to the Hunter Pence range (5/$90MM). Now, says Sherman, Cespedes’s future valuation has swung wildly. Before his mid-season swap to New York, he says, Cespedes was generally expected to receive a deal that might not have reached $100MM. The outfielder pushed his ceiling to the six-year, $150MM range after a blistering couple of months, per Sherman, but now some executives feel a tepid few weeks could drop him shy of nine figures. For what it’s worth, my own take is that Cespedes’s earning capacity has probably not moved quite so violently; while it’s obviously shifted, I’d have pegged him at a higher mid-season expectation and still believe he’ll easily clear the $100MM barrier this offseason.
  • The Red Sox could be a surprise contender to add outfielder Alex Gordon via free agency, Sherman writes. While Boston could move forward with its internal options in the outfield, rival executives see a scenario where the team tries to utilize the resurgent Jackie Bradley Jr. as a trade piece to add a pitcher while simultaneously locking up Gordon. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe analyzes the concept, explaining that Fenway Park has seemed uniquely capable of undermining otherwise strong defenders’ abilities in left field. As Sherman suggests, Gordon could be added with the idea of deploying him in right, and Speier does add that Castillo looked good in limited action in left, so there’s some hypothetical plausibility but also some tough questions to be answered before pursuing that strategy.
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Boston Red Sox Chicago White Sox Minnesota Twins New York Mets San Diego Padres Seattle Mariners Toronto Blue Jays Washington Nationals Alex Anthopoulos Alex Gordon Ian Desmond Jackie Bradley Jr. Mark Shapiro Rafael Montero Wilson Ramos Yoenis Cespedes Yunel Escobar

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