- In an insightful and wide-ranging interview with FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, Jimmy Rollins discusses such topics as his new minor league deal with the Giants, his abbreviated 2016 season and whether or not he considered retirement after parting ways with the White Sox last summer.
- The Giants are amassing several utility infielders, leading SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee to wonder if the team could be building depth for a potential trade. Rollins joins Kelby Tomlinson, Ramiro Pena, Ehire Adrianza, Juniel Querecuto and Orlando Calixte as candidates to fill infield roles in the majors or Triple-A. Beyond a trade, the Giants could simply be preparing to have an open battle for the utility job in Spring Training, or getting added depth given Joe Panik’s injury history.
Giants Rumors
Latest On Dodgers’ Pursuit Of Brian Dozier
Talks between the Dodgers and Twins regarding second baseman Brian Dozier do not appear to be progressing, according to a report from Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. While the sides have (as previously suggested) agreed upon righty Jose De Leon as the centerpiece of a possible swap, they seem to be “at a standstill … if not an impasse” regarding the remaining pieces, per the report.
Ultimately, the fit still looks like a good one — at least on paper — as neither side has an obvious alternative of equal or greater appeal. While Minnesota is said to be perfectly happy to hold onto Dozier for the time being, it surely would like to boost its rebuild without taking on further risk if possible. And no other rival organization matches the Dodgers’ evident need for Dozier and ability to part with young talent.
Heyman does add that the Giants have expressed at least some interest in Dozier. But San Francisco surely doesn’t represent as clean a fit, and arguably doesn’t have a tradeable asset of De Leon’s caliber. Whether the Giants or another team will ultimately emerge with more strident interest remains to be seen, but for the time being it appears more a question of whether the Dodgers will dangle enough to force the Twins’ hand.
From L.A.’s perspective, the club’s other reported targets — Ian Kinsler and Logan Forsythe — each seem more complicated than a deal for Dozier. Kinsler’s no-trade clause and extension demands present a huge barrier, while the Rays have little apparent reason to part with Forsythe (and, if they do, might target different pieces than would the Twins).
With both sides waiting for the other to blink, says Heyman, their respective positions are fairly well-defined. The Twins would settle for a package that does not include highly valued first base prospect Cody Bellinger, but instead focuses on other young arms. But the Dodgers at this point hold “an entirely different list” of pieces they’d add to the De Leon-led deal.
Interestingly, the Twins now have a new avenue of insight into the Dodgers’ farm that might conceivably have an impact on how things turn out. As Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press notes on Twitter, just-signed coach Jeff Pickler comes straight from a stint with the Dodgers’ front office, where he functioned as a special assistant for pro scouting and player development.
Giants, Jimmy Rollins Agree To Minor League Deal
The Giants and shortstop Jimmy Rollins are in agreement on a minor league contract with an invite to big league Spring Training, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that Rollins’ contract comes with a $1MM base salary if he reaches the Major Leagues.
[Related: San Francisco Giants Depth Chart]
The 38-year-old Rollins is, of course, a franchise icon in Philadelphia, where he spent parts of 15 seasons and won the 2007 National League MVP (among many other accolades). At this stage of his career, however, Rollins is simply looking to make a Major League roster and contribute in a reserve capacity. San Francisco’s middle infield includes Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik, while Brandon Belt and Eduardo Nunez figure to shoulder the load at the infield corners. Rollins is a Bay Area native, though, so the idea of playing for the Giants even in a limited role likely carries some added appeal. He’ll try to beat out Kelby Tomlinson and Ehire Adrianza for a bench spot this spring.
Rollins opened the 2016 season with the White Sox and served as Chicago’s primary shortstop early in the year, but his bat didn’t bounce back from a rough 2015 campaign with the Dodgers. In 166 plate appearances with the White Sox last year, Rollins batted .221/.295/.329 with a pair of homers and five stolen bases. That lack of production ultimately led the White Sox to entrust the shortstop position to top prospect Tim Anderson, who turned in a solid rookie effort and positioned himself as Chicago’s long-term option moving forward.
Six Teams Set To Pay Luxury Tax
Six major league organizations will pay a luxury tax for exceeding the $189MM salary level, as the Associated Press reports (via Sportsnet.ca). With a new collective bargaining agreement set to go into effect, we’ve never seen more teams subject to the tax.
It’s no surprise which organizations lead the way yet again, but they’ll be joined by a few more others than usual. Here’s the full list:
- Dodgers, $31.8MM tax bill
- Yankees, $27.4MM
- Red Sox, $4.5MM
- Tigers, $4MM
- Giants, $3.4MM
- Cubs, $2.96MM
That’s four years in a row for Los Angeles and a remarkable fourteen straight for the Bronx Bombers, the AP notes. Also of note, this is the first time the Cubs have ever exceeded the luxury tax ceiling.
While the line will move up to $195MM next year, under the new CBA, the penalties will begin to rise — especially for consecutive offenders. Dipping back under the limbo stick may prove tough for the Dodgers, whose future obligations draw down more the following year. But the Yankees could well finally be set to re-set their luxury tax status this time next year.
Latest On Market For Jose Bautista
Neither the Yankees nor the Giants are “seriously pursuing” veteran slugger Jose Bautista, Jon Morosi of MLB Network writes. Morosi goes on to discuss the remaining market for the 36-year-old, who will require draft compensation from a signing team since he turned down a qualifying offer from the Blue Jays.
Both New York and San Francisco seemed at least to be decent hypothetical matches, particularly the latter. All said, the news doesn’t improve the outlook for Bautista. As Morosi notes, organizations such as the White Sox and Phillies could have a theoretical need in the corner outfield, but will probably be loath to part with a draft choice and spend big on an aging player at this stage of their respective rebuilding efforts.
Several AL East teams make some sense, at least on paper, beyond the Yankees and incumbent Jays. But the Orioles have shot down any such notions, citing Bautista’s poor reputation among the Baltimore faithful. (The same, presumably, is true of the Rangers.) We have also heard some suggestion that the Rays could have some interest in Bautista — or, at least, a theoretical player of his ilk — but that would likely be more as an opportunistic landing spot than as a dedicated pursuit. The Red Sox appear to have been of interest to Bautista, but it seems that the organization doesn’t feel there’s a fit (in part, at least, due to salary considerations).
I’d add, speculatively, that there are a few other teams that could conceivably enter the picture. The Mariners could stand to add a bat and have some positional flexibility with which to work, though they do have several right-handed-hitting pieces in the corner outfield/first base/DH areas already, it’s possible to imagine a fit. It’s a similar situation for the Mets, who have been rumored to have at least some interest in the past. If you squint hard enough, or imagine a trade to open space, it’s still possible to see a match with the Astros despite the addition of Carlos Beltran. And the Nationals did surprisingly pursue Bautista at the 2016 trade deadline, though the acquisition of Adam Eaton makes a move on him now a tough proposition. Most intriguingly, perhaps, the Rockies could stand to plug Bautista’s bat in at first base, if they were to move an outfield piece and shift the just-inked Ian Desmond to the grass.
Given the overall market setting, Morosi argues that the most sensible outcome at this point is for Bautista to end up back with the Blue Jays. For Toronto, there’s still an evident need to add offense, particularly in the outfield. In a multi-year scenario, at least, Bautista could slide in at first base at some point down the line. While the team would stand to sacrifice the chance to recoup a compensatory draft pick, adding Bautista wouldn’t hurt as much in the draft department as it would many other organizations. (Under the new CBA, no organization will be able to make Bautista a qualifying offer in the future.) Plus, there’s obviously a special connection between this particular team and player.
It’s worth emphasizing that the level of interest on the Jays’ side remains somewhat unclear. The club is said to be in touch with Bautista’s representatives, but there’s little doubt that Toronto will prefer to minimize its commitment in any arrangement. While Bautista was still a productive player last year, and maintained his excellent plate discipline, he wasn’t quite himself in the power department (22 home runs, .452 slugging percentage). With the obvious issue of age and declining glovework in the outfield — not to mention the fact that the Jays already locked into a three-year commitment at DH with Kendrys Morales — there’s good reason for the organization to be wary of a lengthy entanglement.
Giants Not Expected To Re-Sign Free Agents
- It doesn’t look like the Giants will be re-signing free agents Gregor Blanco, Santiago Casilla, Javier Lopez, Angel Pagan, Jake Peavy or Sergio Romo, CSNBayArea.com’s Alex Pavlovic writes. Romo has received “at least a couple of offers” from other clubs, according to Giants sources. Lopez is likely to retire unless he gets “a great offer” from an East Coast team so he can stay close to his home in Georgia.
- GM David Stearns declined to say whether or not the Brewers were one of the teams Greg Holland personally met with at the Winter Meetings, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reports. The Brewers did scout Holland’s showcase last month, however, so the Crew can be added to the long list of teams that have some degree of interest in Holland after his return from Tommy John surgery. The Cubs, Dodgers, Yankees, Giants, Red Sox, Indians, Rays, Mariners, Nationals, Padres, Twins, Mets, Phillies, Tigers, Blue Jays and Royals are all known to have sent scouts to the showcase or have other been linked to Holland this winter.
Luxury Tax Could Force Giants To Hold Off On Bumgarner Extension
The Giants have made it known that their goal is to retain ace Madison Bumgarner for the long haul, but a contract extension might not come until next offseason at the earliest because of the luxury-tax threshold, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Giants will outspend the mark for third straight year in 2017, writes Shea, meaning they’ll have to pay a 50 percent tax on every dollar they exceed next season’s $195MM limit. By extending Bumgarner, the Giants would put themselves in position to incur more taxes. Fortunately for San Francisco, a new deal for Bumgarner isn’t necessarily urgent. The 27-year-old is under control at a palatable $35MM for three more years, including $12MM team options for 2018 and ’19.
Giants Sign Matt Reynolds To Minor League Deal
The Giants have signed left-handed reliever Matt Reynolds to a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to spring training, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). San Francisco previously designated Reynolds for assignment in late September.
A few months after the Diamondbacks released Reynolds last March, the Giants purchased his contract from Lancaster of the independent Atlantic League in June. He ended up throwing a combined 24 2/3 innings at three levels with the San Francisco organization in 2016, though only six of those frames came in the majors. Reynolds yielded five earned runs on seven hits and five walks during that limited sample of work.
Before joining the Giants, Reynolds totaled 167 innings with the Rockies and D-backs from 2010-15 and pitched to a 3.66 ERA with 8.57 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9. Reynolds underwent Tommy John surgery in early 2014 and missed the entire season as a result. He has since tallied just 19 2/3 major league innings.
Giants Looking For Power Bench Bat
- Meanwhile, the Giants may largely be done with their winter work, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area tweets. That being said, San Francisco is interested in adding some pop to its bench mix. The club has inquired on free-agent slugger Mark Reynolds and other “similar players,” per the report.
Giants To Re-Sign Ramiro Pena
- Also receiving a non-roster invite is Ramiro Pena, who’ll join the Giants, per Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area (via Twitter). The 31-year-old will remain with San Francisco, which gave him thirty games of action in 2016. Pena actually hit quite well, posting a .299/.330/.425 slash. He has also been productive at Triple-A in each of the last two years. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see the seven-year MLB vet get another look at some point next season.
