Giants, Blue Jays Discussing Potential Kevin Pillar Swap
10:49am: The clubs are close on some kind of trade, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on Twitter.
It’s frankly possible to imagine a variety of scenarios. Speculatively, the Giants could send some veteran pitching to Toronto, or the potential transaction could involve prospects or even other teams.
10:45am: The Giants are engaged with the Blue Jays in trade talks regarding Toronto outfielder Kevin Pillar, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). It’s not clear how likely a deal is at this point.
This is hardly a typical time of year for swaps to come together, except in cases of 40-man roster casualties. But there may yet be some unfinished business around the league. These two organizations are among several that could conceivably allow the offseason to drag into the 2019 campaign. Neither figures to contend this year, but both have significant resources and are surely interested in finding creative ways to improve their outlook for the near future.
Pillar has been on the Giants’ radar for some time now. He’s a defensive standout who hasn’t managed to produce consistently at the plate. With a $5.8MM salary, Pillar isn’t cheap but is also a rather affordable asset for teams in these tax brackets. He’s controllable via arbitration for one more season to come.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Kimbrel, Keuchel, Eloy, Pillar, Joyce
There isn’t much indication that Craig Kimbrel or Dallas Keuchel are closing in on new contracts, though that hasn’t stopped teams from keeping in touch with the two free agents. Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic (subscription required) list the Mets and Brewers as two of the clubs checking in on both pitchers, though Milwaukee is more focused on Kimbrel as a potential add. The Rays are also still maintaining contact with Kimbrel, after reports during Spring Training suggested Tampa Bay was at least considering signing the closer. Rosenthal and Lin described the Mets’ interest in Keuchel and Kimbrel “as a matter of due diligence,” with MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and Newsday’s Tim Healey (both Twitter links) adding that it doesn’t seem likely that either pitcher will end up in a Mets uniform.
Here’s more from Rosenthal, via his most recent Full Count video for FOX Sports…
- Eloy Jimenez‘s career-opening extension with the White Sox included “an understanding” that Jimenez and his camp wouldn’t pursue a service-time grievance with the league and players’ union. Jimenez’s agents expressed public displeasure last summer when their client wasn’t given a late-season promotion, and the young slugger had been ticketed to begin this season in Triple-A before he inked his extension, which opened the door for Jimenez to join Chicago’s Opening Day roster. The evidence seems to pretty clearly suggest that the White Sox were aiming to extend their control over Jimenez for an extra year, though the Sox are far from the only team that deploys this strategy with top prospects.
- The Giants are the only team known to be involved in the Kevin Pillar trade market, though Rosenthal notes that the Blue Jays have also talked with multiple other teams about the center fielder. Pillar offers two years of team control and a center field glove that was elite from 2015-17, as per the UZR/150 and Defensive Runs Saved metrics. Last season, however, Pillar’s glovework was rated closer to average overall, and he has yet to post even league-average run production over his six MLB seasons. If a trade did take place, Pillar would join Kendrys Morales, Russell Martin, and Troy Tulowitzki as Jays veterans sent out of town as Toronto makes room for its younger players.
- The Braves acquired Matt Joyce from the Giants last weekend, just three days after Joyce joined San Francisco on a minor league contract. Rosenthal provides some details on the transaction, stating that while the Giants were prepared to part ways with Joyce regardless, Atlanta chose to send some cash to the Giants in a trade rather than simply sign Joyce when he became available. Since league offices were closed last Saturday on the day of the trade, Joyce’s arrival in the Braves’ spring camp could have been further delayed had the two sides been required to wait for the contract to be officially approved. With a trade, however, Joyce was able to get some time in Atlanta’s camp, which led to his placement on the club’s Opening Day roster (Joyce marked his first PA with his new team by swatting a pinch-hit homer).
Mariners Acquire Tom Murphy
1:06pm: The Mariners have announced the trade. To make room for Murphy on the 25-man roster, Freitas has indeed been optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.
12:55pm: The Mariners will send minor league righty Jesus Ozoria to the Giants in return for Murphy, according to Greg Johns of MLB.com. The 20-year-old Ozoria has yet to pitch above Rookie ball but logged 49 1/3 innings of 2.19 ERA ball there last season. Ozoria turned in a brilliant 59-to-7 K/BB ratio in that time and paired it with a 39.3 percent grounder rate. He’s a long way from MLB readiness but seemingly adds a live arm to the lower levels of the organization. The long-term question will be one of whether Ozoria carries more value than righty Merandy Gonzalez, whom the Giants designated for assignment when claiming Murphy; the move, in essence, swaps those two pitchers out while also clearing a spot on the Giants’ 40-man roster.
7:20am: The Mariners have reached a deal to acquire catcher Tom Murphy from the Giants, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). San Francisco claimed the out-of-options Murphy from the Rockies earlier this week but did not carry him on the Opening Day roster, ultimately designating him for assignment just days after initially claiming him. Seattle has an open 40-man roster spot, so a corresponding move isn’t a necessity.
Currently, Omar Narvaez and David Freitas are the only catchers on Seattle’s 40-man roster, so Murphy figures to supplant Freitas as the primary backup/platoon partner for Narvaez. Freitas has options remaining and can freely be sent to Triple-A without first being placed on waivers.
Murphy, 28 next week, was once considered to be among the game’s top catching prospects but hasn’t produced at the plate in limited Major League opportunities across the past couple of seasons (.188/.221/.325 in 122 plate appearances). The Rockies, who owe veteran Chris Iannetta nearly $5MM through contract’s end, opted for a more defensive-minded second catcher in Tony Wolters when they cut Murphy loose.
Murphy, however, isn’t a poor defender by most measures. He sports average caught-stealing rates in both the Majors and minors throughout his career, and while he’s not a standout in terms of pitch framing, he’s been a bit above average in that regard over the past three seasons combined. At the plate, Murphy raked at a .266/.341/.608 clip through his first 88 plate appearances from 2015-16. He has a career .286/.335/.567 batting line across 875 Triple-A plate appearances, including a .258/.333/.568 slash in 264 PAs a year ago.
Outrighted: Duensing, Wilkerson, Okert
With the recent slew of players being designated for assignment, several have cleared waivers. We’ll keep track of today’s outrighted players here…
- The Cubs announced that lefty Brian Duensing has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Iowa. He has enough service time to reject the assignment and still retain the entirety of this year’s $3.5MM salary, but there’s no indication yet whether he’ll choose to do so. The 36-year-old Duensing had a strong year with the 2017 Cubs but was clobbered for a 7.65 ERA in 37 2/3 innings last season after signing a two-year, $7MM contract to remain in Chicago. His second season with the Cubs saw him walk more batters (29) than he struck out (24), and his struggles continued into Spring Training, where he yielded eight runs in seven innings of work.
- Infielder Stevie Wilkerson was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk after clearing waivers, per an announcement from the Orioles. The 27-year-old made his big league debut a year ago and hit .174/.224/.239 in 49 trips to the plate with the O’s. The versatile Wilkerson has experience at every position other than catcher and center field. He’s a career .266/.342/.368 hitter in parts of five minor league seasons.
- The Giants announced Thursday that left-handed reliever Steven Okert has been outrighted to Triple-A Sacramento after clearing waivers. Okert, 27, has spent time in the Giants’ bullpen in each of the past three seasons and compiled a career 4.28 ERA with 8.2 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in 48 1/3 innings as a Major League reliever. He’ll remain with the organization as a depth option should the club need to call upon some additional left-handed bullpen help at some point in the 2019 season.
Cardinals Claim Merandy Gonzalez
The Cardinals have claimed righty Merandy Gonzalez off waivers from the Giants, per a club announcement. Southpaw Brett Cecil was moved to the 60-day injured list to create roster space.
The 23-year-old Gonzalez didn’t have a stirring performance in 2018, leading the Marlins to dump him from their 40-man roster. But he has drawn no shortage of interest from clubs that like the raw tools, with the Cards now following the Giants in being willing to commit a roster spot to get a first-person look.
Reds Claim Jose Lopez, Designate Brandon Finnegan
The Reds have claimed righty Jose Lopez off waivers from the Giants, per a club announcement. To open a roster spot, lefty Brandon Finnegan was designated for assignment.
Lopez had been claimed from Cincinnati in mid-February. Given a chance to reconsider their decision after watching both players this spring, the Reds decided they’d rather have him back at the expense of Finnegan. While he didn’t impress in camp, Lopez remains an interesting hurler with a strong pedigree.
Finnegan’s career has gone off the rails a bit after beginning with real promise. He has dealt with injury issues and produced brutal results last year. The former first-rounder, who cracked the majors in his first professional season, was tagged for 11 earned runs in five innings this spring.
Giants Designate Mac Williamson, Alen Hanson, Tom Murphy
The Giants have announced their final roster moves, with a trio dropped from the 40-man. Out of options players Mac Williamson, Alen Hanson, and Tom Murphy have all been designated for assignment after failing to crack the active roster, as Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets.
It had been clear already that Hanson and Murphy were on their way off the 40-man, but Williamson’s fate was not resolved. But the writing was largely on the wall. The San Francisco organization made clear it would carry newly acquired outfielders Michael Reed and Connor Joe along with third baseman Pablo Sandoval.
Williamson has flashed ability at times, including a stirring power outburst last year at Triple-A. But the 28-year-old’s 2018 season was stunted by a concussion and he has yet to make good on his talent at the game’s highest level. Through 339 total plate appearances in the majors, Williamson carries a .222/.295/.386 slash with 13 home runs.
Giants Announce Roster Decisions On Hanson, Murphy, Sandoval
Giants skipper Bruce Bochy has announced several notable roster decisions to reporters, including Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group (links to Twitter). Of particular note, out-of-options players Alen Hanson and Tom Murphy will not be carried on the active roster, meaning they’ll either need to be traded or exposed to waivers.
Recently acquired, right-handed-hitting outfielders Michael Reed and Connor Joe (who also has infield experience) are both slated to have MLB jobs, per Bochy. And the same holds for veteran third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who’s said to be in the club’s plans for the time being.
Hanson, 26, played a big role for the Giants last year. He was excellent in the first half of the season but faded down the stretch, ending the year with a .252/.274/.425 slash. While it’s rarely wise to read too much into spring stats, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Hanson racked up twenty strikeouts in his 54 plate appearances in camp.
As for Murphy, he was only just plucked off waivers from the division-rival Rockies. Evidently, the plan was to nab him in hopes of slipping him to Triple-A through the wire. Whether that works out remains to be seen.
It seemingly remains a fluid situation in San Francisco, with late-spring decisions from other teams potentially still intervening. As Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic notes on Twitter, the evening’s announcements appear to indicate that either Sandoval or out-of-options outfielder Mac Williamson will ultimately need to be bumped from the roster. If the latter is sent packing, that’d seem to leave Joe and Redd (with an assist from Yangervis Solarte) responsible for manning one corner spot while also filling in at times for left-handed-hitting outfielders Steven Duggar and Gerardo Parra.
Giants CEO Larry Baer Suspended Through July 1st
Giants president/CEO Larry Baer has been suspended without pay through July 1st of 2019, per an announcement from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. His preexisting leave of absence will be converted to an unpaid suspension, meaning the cumulative suspension will be for 120 days.
The discipline was applied after the league reviewed the facts surrounding a public altercation that was captured on video. In the course of a verbal argument, Baer attempted to retrieve a cell phone from his wife, causing her to fall to the ground. He is not expected to face criminal charges in relation to the incident.
Manfred says that he met with Baer and reviewed the results of an investigation into the matter. The suspension was arrived at upon the conclusion that Baer’s “conduct was unacceptable under MLB policies and warrants discipline,” with the length of the term set based upon the view that Baer “should be held to a higher standard because as a leader he is expected to be a role model for others in his organization and community.”
Notably, the commissioner’s statement does not specify that Baer was suspended pursuant to the league’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy. That policy, which applies to Baer and all MLB owners, players, and personnel, has been pointed to as the underlying grounds for discipline in recent player suspensions. Manfred’s statement does make clear that Baer will be totally precluded from involvement with the club during his suspension.
There are some potential long-term ramifications here from an organizational perspective. The Giants announced (Twitter link) that Baer will return to his position. However, the organization will not continue to utilize him as the designated control person vis-a-vis Major League Baseball. Ownership representative Rob Dean will continue to fulfill that role, as he has since Baer took a leave of absence, on an interim basis. A permanent control person will ultimately be designated, along with other unstated “changes to the Club’s corporate governance structure.”
There could also be a counseling component to the action. Per Manfred, “Baer will be required to undergo an evaluation by an expert to determine an appropriate treatment and counseling plan.” Baer released his own statement, as John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on Twitter. He says that he “made a serious mistake” and will “seek professional advice” as part of a plan for “doing what it takes to earn the trust and respect of the many people impacted by my actions.” Baer also made clear that he will will not challenge the suspension.
Angels Acquire Chris Stratton From Giants For Williams Jerez
The Giants and Angels have swung an intrastate deal involving a pair of pitchers. Southpaw Williams Jerez is heading up to San Francisco in exchange for righty Chris Stratton.
Jerez, 26, will give the San Francisco organization a left-handed relief option. That could come in handy if the club ends up moving one or more of its veterans. Jerez handed out six walks to go with six strikeouts in 7 1/3 spring innings after struggling in his first 15 MLB frames last year. But he also showed a mid-nineties heater and the ability to get swings and misses (11.8% SwStr) at the game’s highest level and carried 12.0 K/9 in 55 2/3 innings over 38 Triple-A appearances.
The Giants will have the opportunity to shuttle Jerez up and down as they see fit. That would not have been the case with regard to Stratton, who is out of options. Presumably, then, the Halos see a spot for the former first-round pick on their MLB staff as either a starter or long reliever. The 28-year-old has worked to a 4.63 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 213 2/3 innings in the majors. He hasn’t excited much at Triple-A either, with 327 total frames of 4.10 ERA ball, but could help stabilize a Halos staff that has seen quite a lot of turnover in recent years.