Details On And Reactions To Edwin Encarnacion’s Deal With The Indians
Last night, Edwin Encarnacion agreed to a three-year, $60MM contract with the Indians that contains a club option for a fourth year which would bring the deal to a total of $80MM over four years. The contract fell shy of expectations for Encarnacion, whose free-agent stock was damaged due to his age, draft pick compensation and a market flooded with sluggers capable of splitting time between first base and designated hitter. In the hours since that pact was reached, Cleveland has drawn widespread praise for the deal, and agent Paul Kinzer has publicly given some insight into the final stages of negotiations that led up to the deal. Here’s a roundup of some context on the signing, reactions to the deal and the impact it’ll have on the remainder of the first base/DH market…
- In an appearance with Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio, Kinzer stated that both the Athletics and Rangers remained in the mix for Encarnacion’s services until the final decision to take Cleveland’s offer (audio link). According to Kinzer, A’s president of baseball ops Billy Beane got creative and made offers with a high average annual value over a short term. Kinzer says that Encarnacion turned down more money from Oakland, though prior reports suggest that Oakland was only willing to offer two years. It’s quite possible, of course, that Kinzer was simply referring to “more money” on an annual basis. Indeed, the AAV in the A’s offer was $25MM at what is believed to be a shorter (presumably, two-year) term, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). The agent also noted that Cleveland’s proximity to the Dominican Republic (relative to Oakland) was enticing for Encarnacion, who wanted to limit travel obligations for his family as best he could.
- The Rangers‘ final proposal was “well within the Indians’ neighborhood,” according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, though precise details remain unknown. Texas long presented a public stance that downplayed the likelihood of landing Encarnacion, though it certainly seems that the organization put together a competitive effort. Interestingly, Passan adds that, by the end of the Winter Meetings, the market for the veteran slugger had slowed to the point that some (unidentified) team felt it reasonable enough to dangle a three-year, $42MM offer.
- Clearly, the market rebounded from that point, but Encarnacion never saw the kind of cash that the Blue Jays had initially put on the table. Toronto’s reported four-year, $80MM offer to Encarnacion earlier in the offseason may well have had an additional wrinkle, per Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi (video link via Twitter). Though the guarantee was indeed $80MM, the Jays were also interested in including a fifth-year option that could have brought the total value up to $100MM. Depending upon the structure of the deal — including how the option could be exercised and what portion of the guarantee would have been included as a buyout — the presence of such a provision could conceivably have slightly improved or reduced the value of the overall potential contract from Encarnacion’s perspective.
- The Cardinals explored Encarnacion’s market and had “mild” interest in the slugger, one source tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). The P-D’s Jeff Gordon, though, opines that Encarnacion was never a good fit in St. Louis due to the team’s pre-existing infield logjam. St. Louis already has Matt Carpenter at first base, Kolten Wong at second, Aledmys Diaz at shortstop and Jhonny Peralta at third base, while Jedd Gyorko figures to function as a super-utility option. Matt Adams currently projects as a bench player. Adding Encarnacion into that mix would’ve only resulted in further complications and forced what could possibly have been multiple trades, none of which would’ve necessarily been easy to facilitate.
- ESPN’s Keith Law calls the signing a “colossal coup” for the Indians (ESPN Insider subscription required and strongly recommended), opining that Encarnacion will be worth an extra two to three wins during the regular season over the player he is effectively replacing: Mike Napoli. Returning to the postseason in the first year of the deal would recoup much of the $60MM guarantee Encarnacion received, and that’s worth the risk that Encarnacion won’t be a $20MM player in the third year of the deal, Law continues. He calls the Blue Jays the biggest losers in this situation, noting that the team paid more than half of Encarnacion’s guarantee for a player (Kendrys Morales) that may not be one-quarter as productive, citing Morales’ recent struggles in 2014 and the early portion of the 2016 season.
- Law’s colleague Buster Olney argues differently from the Blue Jays‘ vantage point (Insider also required), writing that Toronto president Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins weren’t in position to expect Encarnacion’s market to collapse in this fashion. Olney adds that among agents and teams around the league, the three-year, $33MM contract the Jays issued to Morales is viewed as a “solid move,” though it goes without saying that a number of teams likely feel differently. (Toronto, after all, outbid all other interested parties, suggesting that plenty of teams wouldn’t be comfortable at that rate.) Still, I agree with Olney’s take that Encarnacion’s market collapse was surprising; few projected that high-payroll fits like the Yankees, Red Sox and (to some extent) Rangers would all balk at a long-term investment for a player of Encarnacion’s caliber. And Olney rightly points out that the new Jays’ front office has made some nice value adds since taking over, citing the reasonable contracts given to J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada.
- The agreement is good for both Encarnacion and the sport, argues FOX’s Ken Rosenthal, who notes that it’s refreshing to see a pair of low-payroll clubs like the Athletics and Indians as finalists for one of the market’s top free agents. While he’s quick to note that he’s not suggesting the new CBA has leveled the playing field between high-revenue and low-revenue clubs, the fairly minimal increases to the luxury tax threshold (and boosted penalties) do appear to have impacted clubs like the Yankees and Red Sox and the way in which they’ve approached their offseason dealings — though, perhaps, that was driven largely by both organizations’ preexisting motivations to reset their base tax rate by dipping under the luxury line for at least one year. Then again, the Red Sox in particular never seemed likely to pursue a long-term commitment at the DH spot, based on myriad reports out of Boston. And another suitor that went a different direction, the Astros, aren’t near the current luxury tax threshold, so the CBA’s impact on them probably wasn’t much of a factor.
Market Chatter: Brach, Jeffress, Rangers, Rockies, Adams, LoMo
Here’s the latest chatter on the trade and free-agent markets to round out the evening:
- While there has been some movement on the free-agent market for relievers now that the top three arms are off the board, there’s also some untapped potential on the trade side, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The Orioles are “willing” to deal Brad Brach, who quietly turned in an excellent season and is projected by MLBTR to earn $2.9MM in his second pass at arbitration. And the Rangers are taking calls on some arms, with Jeremy Jeffress — a quality sinkerballer who has dealt with substance-abuse issues — said to be “in play,” among other hurlers. He, too, projects at a $2.9MM tab in his first season of arb eligibility.
- The Rangers have held discussion with the Rockies about the latter organization’s potentially available outfielders, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (via Twitter). It’s not entirely clear just who might be targeted, though certainly Charlie Blackmon would make for a high-quality and reasonably affordable fit — presumably, bumping Shin-Soo Choo to DH and perhaps moving Carlos Gomez to a corner. Carlos Gonzalez could also step into right for Choo, though he’s owed $20MM this year — which, from all indications, is more than Texas is looking to spend. Lining up may not be easy, though Colorado surely would have interest in some of the Rangers’ relievers.
- With little apparent need for him given their present roster construction, the Cardinals are “listening” on first baseman Matt Adams, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Particularly with so many defensively limited, left-handed bats still floating around in free agency, it’s certainly hard to see Adams drawing an exciting return. The 28-year-old put up a slightly above-average .249/.309/.471 batting line last year and did pop 16 long balls, but was scarcely used against left-handed pitching. (While he actually hit well against southpaws last year, it came in a minimal sample; over his career, Adams owns a .212/.243/.352 batting line without the platoon advantage.) MLBTR projects Adams to earn $2.8MM in his second season of arbitration eligibility, so he may at least be somewhat cheaper than some of the other players who rival clubs will be considering.
- One piece of that surplus of lefty bats, free-agent first baseman Logan Morrison, is starting to see his market heat up a bit, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). As Passan notes, Morrison did hit quite well for much of the year, though his putrid opening month and a half left the 29-year-old with an overall .238/.319/.414 batting line — which, much like his career production, sits right at the league average level. Like Adams, Morrison has traditionally been much better against right-handed pitching, though his splits aren’t nearly so dramatic.
Cardinals Sign Dexter Fowler
The Cardinals have filled their oft-discussed need in center field, officially announcing a deal with free-agent Dexter Fowler. Fowler, a client of Excel Sports Management, will earn a reported five-year, $82.5MM in the deal, which comes with a $10MM signing bonus distributed over the contract and successive, $14.5MM annual salaries. The deal includes full no-trade protection.
[Related: Updated St. Louis Cardinals Depth Chart]
Fowler, 30, will fill the open spot in the Cardinals’ outfield. The club has been seeking a player who can take over up the middle, bumping Randal Grichuk to a corner role. Though some questions remain as to just how strong a glove he brings to the center field job, Fowler certainly has plenty of experience. And the overall defensive alignment promises to be a vast improvement over the team’s 2016 unit.
While positional flexibility is a major element of Fowler’s appeal, the strongest elements of his game are on the offensive side of the spectrum. The switch-hitter typically performs better on the short side of the platoon but is an everyday option who looks good at the top of the lineup.
A remarkably consistent hitter, Fowler has rarely strayed from the .271/.371/.428 slash line that he carries since the start of the 2011 season. He was even better last year, hitting .276/.393/.447 for the division-rival Cubs. He’s a reasonable bet for a dozen or more home runs per year, but is at most an average source of power. The real value comes in his ability to reach base, and what happens when he does. Fowler did reject a one-year, qualifying offer from the Cubs following the season, meaning the Cardinals will forfeit the No. 19 pick in the 2017 draft. The Cubs, in return, will receive a compensatory pick following the first round.
Fowler’s excellent on-base numbers are supported by a strong walk rate (14.3% last year) and palatable strikeout numbers (22.2% career, which is right at league average). While he has benefited from elevated BABIP numbers, that appears more a reflection of skill than luck. When he gets aboard, Fowler continues to add value with his legs. He’ll typically swipe between 12 and 20 bags a year, but more importantly draws very strong overall baserunning reviews (eighth in BsR last year).
The biggest area of uncertainty is in the field. Both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating have panned his glove over the years, with ratings typically ranging from slightly below average to rather abysmal. But last year was his best in the eyes of those metrics, which regarded him as a just-above-average fielder in center (where he has played almost exclusively as a major leaguer). Fowler credited alterations to his positioning in center field — specifically, playing deeper than in previous years — for the improvements.
All told, Fowler clearly featured as one of the stronger all-around players available on this year’s free-agent market. He’s arguably a superior player to Ian Desmond, who just landed a five-year, $70MM deal with the Rockies, depending upon whether one prefers Fowler’s steady hitting or Desmond’s defensive flexibility and raw tools.
Frank Cusumano of KSDK Sports (via Twitter) and Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter) first reported that a deal was close. Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reported that an agreement was in place. FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported the terms (Twitter link), with ESPN’s Mark Saxon (in a tweet) and Heyman (also via Twitter) also providing details.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cardinals Sign Eric Fryer, Jordan Schafer To Minor League Deals
The Cardinals announced today that they’ve signed three players to minor league deals: catcher Eric Fryer, outfielder/left-handed pitcher Jordan Schafer and catcher Gabriel Lino. Each of the three have been invited to Major League Spring Training.
The 31-year-old Fryer should be a familiar face for Cardinals fans after he raked in a small sample as Yadier Molina‘s backup last year. Fryer made the roster after expected backup Brayan Pena hit the disabled list with a knee injury and hit a robust .368/.415/.421 in 41 plate appearances across 24 games with St. Louis. He was ultimately designated for assignment and picked up off waivers by the Pirates, with whom he batted .218/.300/.269 in 92 trips to the plate. Fryer spent the 2013-15 seasons in the Twins organization and is a lifetime .254/.332/.328 hitter in 291 MLB plate appearances.
Schafer, 30, was once one of the Braves’ top outfield prospects but went to Houston in the 2011 Michael Bourn trade and was never fully able to realize his potential. He wound up with the Twins in 2014-15, where he got his most recent taste of MLB experience, but is a career .228/.308/.307 hitter in 463 games/1472 plate appearances. His struggles at the plate led him to work out as a pitcher in the Dodgers organization last year, where he posted a 3.83 ERA with 59 strikeouts against 18 walks in 49 total innings. Most of Schafer’s work came at the Double-A level, where he threw quite well. He did ascend to Triple-A briefly late in the year, but he surrendered seven runs in 6 1/3 innings there.
Lino, 23, has spent most of his career in the Phillies organization and reached Triple-A in 2015 before moving back down a level in 2016. He’s a career .230/.303/.341 hitter in parts of seven minor league seasons and has thrown out one-third of the runners that have attempted stolen bases against him in his minor league career.
NL Notes: Bumgarner, Cardinals, Fowler, Mets, Conforto
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.
More from the NL:
- The Cardinals entered free agency intent on signing center fielder Dexter Fowler, general manager John Mozeliak revealed after the team inked him to a five-year, $82.5MM deal Friday. “From day one, this was always someone we were hoping to sign,” Mozeliak said (via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). “We wanted to address athleticism. We wanted to address someone who could hit at the top of the order if possible to allow us flexibility with (Matt) Carpenter. And we were also looking to find someone extremely competent on the basepaths. But Mr. Fowler is more than that.” Mozeliak, who just met Fowler face to face for the first time Thursday, also lauded his “infectious” personality and leadership abilities. “I don’t want to overplay this but when you think about his personality and the energy he brings, it was very evident at dinner,” added Mozeliak. “It really just reinforced what we were trying to do, that this was the right person for us.”
- Mets manager Terry Collins wanted Michael Conforto to play winter ball this offseason, but the outfielder’s representatives “weren’t enthused,” tweets Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. Conforto’s camp balked at the idea because of the significant financial ramifications that would have come had he suffered a major injury. The 23-year-old isn’t under contract for the long haul (or even next season), so he doesn’t have future guaranteed money due from the Mets. That isn’t the case for teammate and fellow outfielder Juan Lagares, who’s playing winter ball two seasons into a five-year extension. Lagares, who suffered a minor injury to his throwing shoulder Saturday, has at least $20.5MM coming his way over the rest of his contract.
Cardinals Notes: Encarnacion, Trumbo, Fowler, Prospects
While the Cardinals have already made two significant additions via free agency, they could consider a third, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis is expected to consider free agents Edwin Encarnacion and Mark Trumbo, both of whom exited the Winter Meetings without a contract. Either of those players would presumably factor at first base for the Cards, if they are ultimately pursued. Though the team has said it intends to utilize Matt Carpenter there, he could theoretically shift back to third base if one of those big bats were to be added. (Matt Adams also remains on hand, though the organization already has signaled that it will not use him as a regular option at first with Carpenter’s position change.) Of course, both Encarnacion and Trumbo are somewhat questionable targets for a National League team, since both could well need to shift to a pure DH role at some point in the coming years. Unsurprisingly, then, it seems the Cardinals’ interest may be limited to a scenario where Encarnacion or Trumbo is forced to consider a shorter-term pact, ESPN.com’s Mark Saxon notes on Twitter.
- The most recent Cardinals’ signing was a five-year arrangement with center fielder Dexter Fowler. It’s a sensible deal from the team’s perspective, Keith Law of ESPN.com opines (Insider link). Fowler’s high-OBP bat is a perfect fit for the lineup, Law writes, and he steps right in at a position of obvious need. While Law argues that Fowler came at a solid value, even with a $82.5MM guarantee, the Cards surely would’ve preferred to spend less. But that became nearly impossible when Ian Desmond signed with the Rockies and Adam Eaton went to the Nationals via trade, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag notes on Twitter. St. Louis had been pursuing Desmond along with Fowler, and its hand was forced somewhat by those other moves.
- St. Louis seems inclined to continue focusing on the free-agent market rather than pursuing major trades, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch writes. GM John Mozeliak explains that the organization remains loath to part with talented young righty Alex Reyes. After him, he suggests, “maybe we just didn’t have that next tier [of prospects] that was good enough to compete with some of the names being bantered about.” This prospect “gap,” as Mozeliak terms it, would have forced the team either to sacrifice Reyes or a number of other youngsters to find significant upgrades via trade. “The problem you start to run into there is then quantity, and how much are you willing to part with if you’re not willing to move Reyes?” Mozeliak explained. “And that can be a pretty big hit from a volume standpoint. We finally got this system up to where we have some confidence in it. And to move four or five players from there, that would be hard to do.”
Angels Asked Cardinals About Kolten Wong
The Angels asked the Cardinals about second baseman Kolten Wong this week, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. The Cardinals, though, greatly prefer to keep Wong, as MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch explained earlier this week. They see Wong’s defensive ability as a plus, manager Mike Matheny says.
“None of us have shied away from the fact that this should be a top-tier defender at second base,” says Matheny. “And we’re never going to back off that, and neither should he.”
The Cardinals would trade any player if offered the right deal. But, GM John Mozeliak says, “We’re not actively shopping him.”
Still, it’s easy to see why the Angels asked. They have an acute need at second base, and with Jedd Gyorko also in the Cardinals’ fold, St. Louis theoretically could afford to part with Wong. Wong’s big-league career thus far has been uneven, but his combination of defense and modest pop still make him an asset overall, particularly at the relatively low price $24.25MM over four years — that’s the guaranteed money he has remaining on the five-year extension he signed with the Cardinals in March.
Ian Desmond Focused On One Team, Working To Finalize Deal Today
9:27am: FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that Desmond won’t be returning to the Rangers, either.
9:17am: Free agent outfielder/infielder Ian Desmond has narrowed his focus to one team, and his representatives are “in the process of finalizing his deal today,” reports ESPN’s Jim Bowden. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears the same (Twitter link), adding that the Cardinals have been been discussing Desmond. However, Goold isn’t sure if St. Louis is the team on which Desmond is focused. Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post also tweets that Desmond is likely to sign today, but he won’t be returning to the Nationals.
[Related: Ian Desmond’s Free Agent Profile]
Desmond, 30, has been connected to the Rangers, Cardinals, Orioles and Nationals over the course of his second trip through free agency, though many teams are likely to be interested in him after he proved a capable outfielder and hit .285/.335/.446 with 22 homers and 21 steals in a rebound campaign with the Rangers.
That production at the plate has led to a notable shift in the demand for Desmond when compared to his market an offseason ago, when he remained available into February and signed a one-year deal with the Rangers. Speculatively speaking, in addition to the above-listed teams, Desmond would be a strong fit for the Blue Jays, Giants, Mariners, Indians and Phillies.
Latest On Cardinals’ Outfielder Search
The Cardinals are exploring several options as they look to the outfield market, with Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporting that the club is thought to have spoken to the White Sox about a trade for Adam Eaton. The Rockies are also open to the idea of swapping Charlie Blackmon for “a high return” and Goold notes that the Cards and Rox have held discussions in the past. Goold also notes previously-reported Cardinals targets as Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson of the Royals and free agent Dexter Fowler, plus another notable free agent name in Ian Desmond. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported yesterday that the Cards had held some internal discussions about pursuing Desmond’s services.
All of these players would fit the Cardinals’ stated goal of upgrading their defense and athleticism and all play center field, which would allow the Cards to keep Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty in corner outfield roles (though Eaton and Blackmon bring more defensive value in corner spots than as center fielders.) It doesn’t appear that St. Louis is necessarily close to a move, however, as GM John Mozeliak said Tuesday that he didn’t feel he was “a phone call away” from completing an acquisition, though he was in talks about at least five potential moves.
Now that Chris Sale has been traded, it would seem that the White Sox are at least open to discussing a deal for any player, though Eaton would come at a high cost. The outfielder signed a contract extension in March 2015 that keeps him under team control through 2019 at the earliest, and potentially through 2012 via club options. While Chicago may be in rebuild mode, the team surely hopes to be on track quickly enough that Eaton could be part of the next White Sox contender.
Blackmon comes with two years of control via his arbitration years, and while the Rockies plan on contending in 2017, they could look at a Blackmon deal as an opportunity to solve an outfield logjam (to find a spot for Gerardo Parra) while also addressing other roster holes. Starting or relief pitching are the most obvious needs for Colorado, and while the Cards have some arms to spare, they’ve already dealt perhaps their clearest pitching trade chip in Jaime Garcia. The Rox also have an open spot at first base, so perhaps Matt Adams could factor into a potential trade package, though it would certainly take more than just Adams to land Blackmon. Blackmon also has some questions marks due to his ordinary career numbers away from Coors Field.
Rather than sacrifice prospects or roster depth in a trade, the Cards could instead just sign Fowler or Desmond, though either of those signings would cost St. Louis a draft pick (both outfielders are qualifying offer free agents) and a significant cash outlay. Given that the Cardinals have been so heavily linked to Fowler this winter, it makes sense that they’d also be considering Desmond, who can similarly be an option in both center and left. Desmond has received interest from the Nationals, Orioles and Blue Jays this offseason, and while he had talks with his former team in Texas, the Rangers’ re-signing of Carlos Gomez doesn’t help Desmond’s chances at a return.
Trade Notes: Gio, Wilson, Tigers, Rangers, Szczur, White Sox, Kelly, Cardinals
The Nationals failed to land Chris Sale today, and instead have reportedly turned their attention to another White Sox starter, Jose Quintana. If they had acquired Sale, though, they likely would have tried to trade lefty Gio Gonzalez, ESPN’s Jayson Stark writes. As Stark suggests, the 31-year-old Gonzalez would make an attractive trade candidate in his own right — he’ll make a reasonable $12MM in 2017, with a club/vesting option for another $12MM in 2018, and he’s eaten over 1,300 innings over the past seven seasons. His 4.57 ERA in 2016 was among his worst, but his underlying numbers (8.7 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 47.6 GB%) don’t suggest a massive change in ability. Here are more quick notes on potential trades:
- GM Al Avila says the Tigers player who’s been most popular lately among teams hoping to make trades has been lefty reliever Justin Wilson, MLive.com’s Evan Woodberry writes. “The highest level of interest has been on Justin Wilson,” Avila says. Avila has also fielded calls about Shane Greene, but Woodberry writes that the Tigers are less likely to trade Greene, since, unlike Wilson, he’s under team control for the league minimum salary next year.
- The Rangers continue to be among the teams interested in Wilson, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Grant reported yesterday that the two teams had had conversations about Wilson.
- The Rangers have also asked the Cubs about Matt Szczur, Grant tweets. The 27-year-old Szczur batted .259/.312/.400 while playing all three outfield positions for the Cubs last season. He might be a better fit on a team like the Rangers that’s currently a bit short on established outfielders, rather than one like the Cubs who have plenty.
- The White Sox are interested in acquiring young catching, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch tweets. If they end up trading Adam Eaton to the Cardinals, one player they might target is 22-year-old backstop Carson Kelly, who batted .292/.352/.381 for Triple-A Memphis in 2016. Kelly currently ranks 11th on MLB.com’s list of the top Cardinals prospects.