Free Agent Notes: Cespedes, Lackey, Asdrubal, Oh
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick has a fascinating new column on the lengths to which Yoenis Cespedes‘ agents at CAA and Roc Nation Sports have gone to market the outfielder to clubs. Cespedes’ representatives have distributed a roughly 100-page, cloth-covered book entitled “52 Reviews” (a hat tip to Cesepedes’ jersey number) that contains testimonials from managers, coaches, teammates, executives and media members on Cespedes. The book also has a video player embedded on the inside cover which plays a highlight reel set to music. (One can only hope it is as majestic as Cespedes’ initial 20-minute showcase video as an amateur.) While Crasnick notes that such materials don’t necessarily provide increasingly analytic teams with any data of which they were previously unaware, one assistant GM offered an interesting take on the book’s purpose: “I think the agents are hoping these things will find a way into hands of the owners and have an impact on people who are writing the checks. And it’s such a cutthroat industry, the agents want to make it 100 percent clear they’re doing everything they can and more than the next guy will do.” Crasnick spoke to officials who are familiar with Cespedes that downplayed any clubhouse concerns and also talked with CAA head Brodie Van Wagenen about the effect that “52 Reviews” has had, with Van Wagenen noting that more than anything, it has sparked dialogue about Cespedes’ talent, which is the primary purpose. Crasnick’s column is well worth checking out in full, of course.
A few more notes on the free agent market…
- The Cardinals, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Red Sox and Dodgers have all “at least checked in” with John Lackey‘s representatives, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Each of the listed teams has a well-known desire to add pitching help either via free agency or trade this winter (or, in some cases, likely both).
- Asdrubal Cabrera is currently getting interest from four clubs, tweets SB Nations’ Chris Cotillo. The Rays aren’t believed to have ruled out a reunion, he adds, though it seems unlikely to me that Tampa Bay would not only bring Cabrera back but likely give him a raise after already acquiring Brad Miller this offseason. Miller gives the Rays an option at shortstop, and Logan Forsythe, of course, had a breakout season at second base. A Cabrera return would jam up the payroll and also push Miller into a utility role, which doesn’t make much sense after he was the key piece acquired from Seattle in exchange for Nate Karns — a quality, young right-handed starter.
- Newsday’s Marc Carig tweets that Korean closer Seung-hwan Oh is on the Mets‘ radar, but the team isn’t planning an aggressive pursuit of him at this time. New York is said to be eyeing relievers to bolster its setup core.
- Dave Cameron of Fangraphs lists the five free agents that he would avoid this season, citing Dexter Fowler, Yovani Gallardo, Justin Upton, Jordan Zimmermann and Chris Davis as potential landmines and explaining his rationale for skepticism in each case.
Added To The 40-Man: Reds, Padres, Braves, Jays, Cards, Nats
The deadline for teams to add players to their 40-man roster and thereby protect them from this year’s Rule 5 Draft is tomorrow night at 8:00pm ET. As such, there will be a large volume of players added to 40-man rosters in the coming day as well as a handful of moves to clear 40-man space for those new additions. The Astros’ trade of Jonathan Villar and release of Robbie Grossman and Luis Cruz earlier today, for instance, created three new spots on their 40-man for the purpose of protecting prospects. Players who signed at 18 or younger must be added to the 40-man roster within five years of signing or be exposed to all 29 other teams in the Rule 5 Draft. Players who were 19 or older at the time they signed must be added within four seasons.
MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo has more specifics on the intricacies of the Rule 5 Draft for those that are interested. Mayo also notes that 11 of MLB.com’s Top 100 prospects are in need of protection from the Rule 5 Draft, and he goes on to list the players from each organization’s Top 30 prospects who must be added by tomorrow night in order to be protected.
With all of that said, here’s today’s list of players that have been added to the 40-man roster…
- The Reds have added right-handers Robert Stephenson and Sal Romano as well as left-hander Stephen Johnson to the 40-man roster, per a tweet from MLBPipeline.com.
- Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets that the Padres have added recently acquired outfielder Manuel Margot to the 40-man roster in addition to shortstop prospect Jose Rondon. Margot was one of the centerpieces in the trade that sent Craig Kimbrel to Boston.
Earlier Updates
- Outfielder Mallex Smith and right-hander John Gant have been added to the Braves‘ 40-man roster, the team announced today. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets that there won’t be any further additions before tomorrow’s deadline.
- The Blue Jays have added right-handers Blake McFarland and Brady Dragmire to their 40-man roster, writes Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. That still leaves five empty spots on the club’s 40-man roster, though there’s no guarantee that the Blue Jays will fill those voids prior to tomorrow’s deadline.
- The Cardinals announced today that they’ve purchased the contracts of shortstop Aledmys Diaz, left-hander Dean Kiekhefer and outfielder Charlie Tilson, thus protecting them from the Rule 5 Draft (Twitter link).
- The Nationals have selected the contracts of infielder Chris Bostick, catcher Spencer Kieboom and left-hander Nick Lee, per a team announcement (on Twitter).
Central Notes: Indians, Tigers, Buehrle, Pirates
The Indians need outfield help, particularly after Michael Brantley‘s recent shoulder surgery, but they don’t appear likely to trade Carlos Santana or any of their top starting pitchers (Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar or Trevor Bauer) to get it, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com writes. They likely won’t pursue top free agents like Yoenis Cespedes or Alex Gordon, either. Instead, they could sign a middle-tier outfielder like Gerardo Parra, Austin Jackson, Steve Pearce or Nori Aoki, and even then, they’ll probably wait until December or January when the market is a bit clearer. Santana, meanwhile, is likely to play first base or DH, with the Indians looking for someone else to take the other spot. The Indians are also likely to give Giovanny Urshela, whose defense they like, more opportunities at third base. They could, however, have someone platoon with him. Here’s more from the Central divisions.
- The Tigers have interest in free agent starter Yovani Gallardo, Buster Olney of ESPN tweets. The Tigers don’t seem likely to be serious bidders for top starting pitchers, but they could bid for players in Gallardo’s tier as they attempt to fill in their rotation around Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez and Daniel Norris.
- It’s unclear whether veteran starter Mark Buehrle will retire, but if he doesn’t, he’s likely to pitch for the Cardinals, Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun writes. The Cardinals seem likely to look for starting pitching in the wake of Lance Lynn‘s injury, although it’s unclear whether they would have interest in Buehrle specifically. Buehrle was born and raised in St. Charles, Missouri, about a half hour from St. Louis.
- The Pirates will have to consider adding a number of prospects to their roster next week to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft, writes MLB.com’s Adam Berry. Top prospects Tyler Glasnow, Josh Bell and Harold Ramirez will likely be easy decisions, in my opinion, and pitcher Clay Holmes and infielder (and Pirates minor league player of the year) Max Moroff will likely receive consideration as well.
2015 Qualifying Offer Decisions
The deadline or players to accept or reject their one-year, $15.8MM qualifying offers was today at 5pm ET. We already know that Colby Rasmus will become the first player to ever accept a qualifying offer, and Marco Estrada reached a two-year deal with the Blue Jays. Brett Anderson also accepted his qualifying offer from the Dodgers.
Here are the updates on the rest of the 20 players that received qualifying offers one week ago today…
- Ian Desmond will reject the Nationals‘ offer, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports on Twitter. He’ll be joined on the open market by Jordan Zimmermann, who did the same, per a tweet from MLB.com’s Bill Ladson.
- While Brett Anderson will be returning on a one-year deal, Howie Kendrick and Zack Greinke have rejected their qualifying offers from the Dodgers, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter links),
- It’s an obvious one, but Alex Gordon will hit the open market rather than taking a one-year deal from the Royals, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports on Twitter. Likewise, Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy of the Padres will participate in the open market his fall (per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, on Twitter) and Dexter Fowler has turned down his offer from the Cubs, as Paul Sullivan of 670thescore.com tweets.
- The Cardinals will stand to pick up draft choices if Jason Heyward and John Lackey sign elsewhere, as they too have rejected the offer, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
- Daniel Murphy and Jeff Samardzija have declined their offers, per reports from Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter) and Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com (also via Twitter).
- Gallardo has declined his QO, Stevenson now tweets.
- As expected, Hisashi Iwakuma has turned down the qualifying offer issued to him by the Mariners, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets.
Earlier Updates
- Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star Telegram hears differently on Gallardo, reporting that he’s still deciding whether or not to accept (links to Twitter). Gallardo’s camp has spoken to multiple other clubs about a deal, but the righty is still mulling a return to his hometown team.
- Yovani Gallardo will decline the Rangers‘ qualifying offer in search of a multi-year contract, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Gallardo never seemed likely to accept the deal, though there may have been a bit of temptation given the fact that Gallardo is a Fort Worth native. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets that he spoke to Gallardo’s agent, Bobby Witt, and was told that he’s yet to officially inform the Rangers one way or the other (Twitter link).
Those who are unfamiliar with the process can refer to MLBTR’s explanation of the qualifying offer system for full details.
Free Agent Notes: Kim, Zobrist, Davis, Braves
Korean outfielder Hyeon-Soo Kim (or, alternatively anglicized, Hyun-soo Kim) has reached free agency and hopes to sign with an MLB club, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports writes. (Because he is a free agent, he will not need to go through a posting process.) The 27-year-old corner outfielder doesn’t quite have the power numbers of Byung-Ho Park, but has delivered good pop in the hitter-friendly KBO while taking walks more than he strikes out. He’s a .318/.406/.488 lifetime hitter, suggesting a nice blend of contact, patience, and pop, though he’s more of a 20 home run threat than a 40+ bomb KBO masher. Passan cites at least one scout that sees the left-handed-hitting Kim as a possible regular left fielder, and says he could have significant earning power this winter.
Here’s more on the market:
- The Nationals have interest in Ben Zobrist, though he’s not viewed as a top priority, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports. That’s not exactly surprising, for all the familiar reasons, but the possible fit in D.C. does seem to be a good one since the club could use a left-handed bat capable of playing second and the corner outfield. (Even better, Zobrist is a switch-hitter.)
- Meanwhile, GM Mike Rizzo indicated at the meetings that the team isn’t looking to bring back Denard Span, Wagner also reports. That’s even less surprising, of course. Rizzo indicated that the club feels good about Michael A. Taylor in center and doesn’t feel the need to add a new regular option there.
- As with the rival Nats, the Mets plan to speak with Zobrist’s representatives at Octagon, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. New York is well aware that Zobrist will have a broad market, though, Puma adds.
- Did I mention that there’d be wide interest in Zobrist? The Cardinals, too, have interest in him, Buster Olney of ESPN.com writes on Twitter. It’s not exactly clear how St. Louis would deploy Zobrist, but it’s possible to imagine him seeing time at more or less every position on the diamond (with a few exceptions) with the club.
- Agent Scott Boras made clear at the GM Meetings this week that he intends to pitch Chris Davis as a legitimate outfield option, as ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick writes. In addition to rare power, says Boras, Davis is more than capable of playing a passable right field for at least a year or two. That is indeed an intriguing idea, since it would open up some new possibilities, and Crasnick explains that there are good reasons to believe it’s plausible.
- Despite already adding A.J. Pierzynski, the Braves could sign another backstop to pair with him, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Twitter links). But any such signing isn’t likely to be an expensive one, he cautions, which seems to suggest that Matt Wieters won’t be a target. Of course, that raises the question of what the team’s plans are for Christian Bethancourt, who has increasingly been mentioned as a change-of-scenery trade candidate. All this chatter occurred before Atlanta agreed to trade away Andrelton Simmons, though, so it’s hard to know whether a change in the club’s strategy will follow.
- Multiple agents suggested to Olney (Twitter link) that the teams with protected first-round picks don’t seem particularly inclined to spend a lot of money in free agency. That would appear to suggest that qualifying-offer-bound free agent may need to bear the full brunt of the draft pick compensation owed by any team signing them, since there will be fewer clubs that can add them at the cost of only a later pick. Of course, with so many players having received the QO, it’s likely that there will be a few teams that sign more than one, reducing the unit cost of the lost draft picks.
Minor MLB Transactions: 11/12/15
Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…
- Indians infielder/outfielder Michael Martinez elected free agency after refusing an outright assignment, the club announced. The 33-year-old veteran hit .267/.290/.333 in 32 plate appearances with Cleveland this season and will seek a minor league deal elsewhere as a free agent. The longtime Phillie is just a career .187/.235/.256 hitter between Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Cleveland, though he can play several positions and has a decent Triple-A track record, making him a nice depth piece.
- The Cardinals announced that they’ve signed catcher Eric Fryer and right-hander Juan Gonzalez to minor league contracts. Fryer, 30, has spent the past three seasons in the Twins organization and received 124 plate appearances in the Majors, hitting .236/.323/.355. He has similar Triple-A numbers, and while he’s struggled to catch runners in the Majors, he’s done so at a 30 percent clip in the minors. He’ll give the Cards an alternative to the light-hitting Tony Cruz at backup catcher. As for Gonzalez, The 25-year-old posted a 1.62 ERA with 9.2 K/9 vs. 2.9 BB/9 in 50 innings split between the Dodgers’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates in 2015. That marked his first experience at the Triple-A level, though, so it did take him awhile to reach that point, considering he’ll be 26 early next April.
Heyman’s Latest: Offseason Spending, CarGo, Pirates, Kennedy, Gallardo
In his latest notes column, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports begins by classifying the Angels, Giants, Tigers, Red Sox, Cubs, Cardinals and Dodgers as the expected “big spenders” of the offseason, breaking down some targets that each club could pursue. Heyman goes on to call the Orioles, Blue Jays, Yankees, D-Backs, Mets, Royals and Padres as “medium spenders,” noting that each has needs and could make one significant addition or a series of mid-range moves in order to address multiple areas around the roster. As he did with the big-spending clubs, Heyman examines a few plausible scenarios for each, noting that the Royals are still in the three- or four-year range on Alex Gordon, thereby casting some doubt on a potential reunion.
A few highlights from his column…
- While Andrelton Simmons‘ name has been a hot topic over the past 15 hours or so, there’s a “good chance” that the Braves will make Julio Teheran available at some point this winter. Teheran’s value isn’t as high as that of Simmons at the moment, I wouldn’t think, due to a down year for Teheran in 2015. Moving him would be selling low, which makes it more difficult to envision a deal, from my vantage point.
- The White Sox were one of “many teams” to which agent Brodie Van Wagenen made a presentation regarding Yoenis Cespedes, though the greater needs for the ChiSox come at catcher, third base, second base and shortstop.
- The Rockies have again made Carlos Gonzalez available in trades, as many expected would be the case following the summer trade of Troy Tulowitzki. CarGo dominated the National League from June through season’s end after struggling with injuries in 2014 and early 2015 and undoubtedly restored an exceptional amount of trade value. Heyman speculatively listed the Orioles as a potential match when discussing Baltimore in his intro section.
- Pittsburgh has fielded offers on all seven of its players that are a year removed from free agency. That includes Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, Mark Melancon, Mike Morse, Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli. However, the Pirates are also said to be considering an attempt at locking Cervelli up on a multi-year deal.
- Ian Kennedy is planning to decline the Padres‘ qualifying offer, per Heyman. Both Tim Dierkes and I have noted that there’s little sense in Kennedy accepting the offer. The right-hander is fourth in innings pitched in the NL over the past five seasons and has averaged 8.5 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in that time while posting a 3.89 ERA, 3.87 FIP and 3.78 xFIP. Homer struggles in 2015 aside, Kennedy finished strong and should get paid somewhere. It’s hard to envision a Scott Boras client being the first to accept a qualifying offer, and if all else fails, Kennedy can go the Ervin Santana route and sign a one-year deal near the value of the QO late in the offseason.
- Similarly, Yovani Gallardo plans to turn down the Rangers‘ QO. Heyman hears he’s expected to sign elsewhere despite being a Fort Worth area native. The Rangers will again attempt to re-sign Colby Lewis, he adds.
Central Notes: Hicks/Murphy, Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, Oh, Chapman
In an ESPN Insider analysis of today’s Twins/Yankees swap of center fielder Aaron Hicks and catcher John Ryan Murphy, Keith Law opines that both sides did quite well. While the Twins might have traded a bit more upside in exchange for stability, both clubs came away with a player who fit their current roster better than the piece they traded, says Law. Hicks has the potential to be an elite defender and is an immediate upgrade for the Yankees in a regular role solely based on his glove, while Murphy’s defense has steadily improved. Law feels that Murphy projects as an everyday catcher, though not a star-caliber one with tremendous offensive upside.
A few more notes from the game’s Central divisions…
- Asked about the possibility of a contract extension for Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, agent Scott Boras told reporters, including ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers: “We’re going to be talking about that as the offseason unfolds, about Jake. I would say it’s fair to say the Cubs are pleased with Jake. And I’m sure Jake is happy playing there so we have to see where it goes.” Boras went on to state that Cubs’ ownership is in a new phase, having entered a “championship phase” after spending years in a rebuilding phase. “How owners react to that and what they do is a completely different thought process,” said Boras.
- The Cubs still like Jeff Samardzija and aren’t ruling out a return for the right-hander, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports wrote today. The Cubs, at one point, offered Samardzija $80-85MM on a contract extension, and Heyman notes that a similar sum may be a ballpark offer for what he can expect on the free-agent market.
- The rebuilding Brewers won’t be players for top-of-the-market free agents, writes MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat, but new GM David Stearns could still sign some free agents to fill the club’s voids in center field and at third base. Stearns said that Domingo Santana, who played some center field in 2015, is best-suited for a corner outfield spot, but he’s not against using Santana in center if needed. If no external center field option is acquired, Santana will man the position in 2016. At third base, Stearns spoke of a need to pursue some external options given the lack of depth the Brewers currently have. “There’s a chance [internal options] could take a step up in production, and we’re certainly also going to look for external options,” said Stearns.
- The Indians are interested in Korean right-hander Seung-hwan Oh, reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cleveland bid “aggressively” on first baseman Byung-ho Park but fell short of the division-rival Twins’ bid. However, Oh won’t be subject to the posting system given his professional service time in Korea, and Oh would present a much-needed late-inning option for manager Terry Francona to put alongside Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw. Oh, nicknamed “the Final Boss” and “Stone Buddha” in Korea, is said to be traveling to the U.S. to meet with MLB clubs this week.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the team must consider playing on the free agent market in a way he typically avoids. As Goold notes, recent Cardinals’ free-agent plays for pitchers have either been short-term deals or re-signings of pitchers the team already knows (e.g. Kyle Lohse, Jake Westbrook). However, the loss of Lance Lynn and the potential departure of Lackey on a two- or three-year deal with another club could lead to atypical activity for the Cardinals. Mozeliak is bullish on a healthy return for Carlos Martinez, but the team still needs further certainty in the rotation. Said Mozeliak: “The opportunity to add is something that we have to consider. … We’ll see. I’d like to let the market develop before I weigh in on that.”
- Aroldis Chapman will probably be the first domino to fall in the Reds‘ impending fire sale, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Reds know that Chapman, a free agent after the season, will earn about $13MM via arbitration (MLBTR projects him at $12.9MM), and they need to maximize the return they can get on him by dealing him this offseason so that an acquiring team can make a qualifying offer following the 2016 campaign.
Latest On Mariners’ Search For Center Fielder
Several reports emerged early this morning suggesting that new Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto is hard at work canvassing the market for center field options. Here’s the latest:
- Seattle has engaged with the Yankees in preliminary talks regarding Brett Gardner, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. The 32-year-old faded down the stretch, but nevertheless ended the season with a typically productive overall effort. He’s owed $38MM over three years (including a buyout of a 2019 option), which isn’t exactly cheap but is probably below Gardner’s open-market value. Sherman indicates that New York is in search of controllable starters, and says that the M’s have indicated they are willing to discuss lefty James Paxton in trades. It’s not apparent from the report, though, whether he would play any role in talks on Gardner.
- The trade route to a center fielder seemingly holds appeal for Dipoto and his staff, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. (Of course, the club could also just be exploring its options on that market before turning to free agency.) Rosenthal suggests a variety of possible trade targets: Jon Jay and Peter Bourjos of the Cardinals, Leonys Martin of the Rangers, and Jackie Bradley Jr. of the Red Sox. It’s not clear whether the M’s have specific interest in any of these players, let alone whether actual trade chatter has taken place. It’s worth noting, also, that an acquiring team would likely feel the need to supplement any of these players with a capable reserve option (if not an outright platoon mate, in some cases). It’s not yet clear whether Seattle is inclined more towards that kind of scenario as opposed to a single solution.
- Free agent Gerardo Parra represents another possibility, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports writes. Dipoto heaped praise on the 28-year-old, noting that he was coming up through the Diamondbacks system when Dipoto was in Arizona. “Love him,” Dipoto said of Parra. “Gerardo’s a great kid. Love his attitude. He plays hard. He’s coming off a very good year. The version of what Gerardo did this year in Milwaukee is what we could have dreamed he was going to be when we had him at 18, 19 years old in the Diamondbacks system. He can really play defense. He can really throw. And he can rake right-handed pitching.” Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean Seattle will pursue Parra. It’s worth bearing in mind that the left-handed hitter not only carries rather pronounced platoon splits, but has spent most of his time in the corner outfield — especially in recent seasons. Morosi doesn’t make a suggestion for how the M’s could theoretically deploy Parra, but he might make more sense as a heavily-used fourth outfielder than a regular in center.
Lance Lynn Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn will miss the 2016 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery today, the team announced today.
Lynn’s injury is a significant blow to the Cardinals’ pitching staff, though the team does have some depth to get around the loss of its No. 2 starter. Adam Wainwright is expected to be healthy again for the duration of the 2016 campaign, and he’ll be joined in the rotation by Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez and Jaime Garcia, whose $11.5MM club option was recently exercised. Other options in the rotation include Tyler Lyons and Marco Gonzales, though Gonzales dealt with shoulder injuries in 2015, as did the impressive but inexperienced Martinez. Between the unexpected loss of Lynn, the potential departure of John Lackey via free agency, and the 50-game suspension for top prospect Alex Reyes, it seems reasonable to expect the Cardinals to enter the both the free-agent and trade markets for rotation upgrades.
General manager John Mozeliak acknowledged today after the announcement that the injury to Lynn alters the Cardinals’ course of action this winter (Twitter link via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold). While the team hasn’t previously dabbled in lucrative starting pitching contracts for free agents, that could change this winter, Goold notes. It’s obviously extremely early to speculate, but one would think the injury to Lynn considerably enhances the Cardinals’ pre-existing interest in a reunion with Lackey.
The top of the free agent market, of course, consists of David Price and Zack Greinke, while Jordan Zimmermann and Johnny Cueto occupy the next tier. If there’s such a thing as an opportune time to lose one of your best starters, the Cardinals have found it, as this year’s free-agent market features virtually unprecedented starting pitching depth. Other options for the Redbirds would include Jeff Samardzija, Mike Leake, Wei-Yin Chen, Ian Kennedy, Yovani Gallardo, Hisashi Iwakuma, Doug Fister, Mark Buehrle and more.
The Cardinals have the lowest first-round pick, No. 30 overall, by virtue of owning the Majors’ best record in 2015, and they could potentially gain two compensatory picks if Lackey and Jason Heyward sign elsewhere. I’d imagine that would make the team less wary about parting with its first-round pick to bolster the rotation.
Over the past three seasons, the 28-year-old Lynn has quietly solidified himself as one of the more valuable starting pitchers in the National League. The former No. 39 overall pick has tallied 580 1/3 innings of 3.25 ERA ball in that time, averaging 8.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 with a 43.9 percent ground-ball rate. Fangraphs rates him 20th among starting pitchers in wins above replacement in that time.
The Cardinals considered Lynn reliable enough to lock in his three arbitration seasons last winter with a three-year, $22MM contract. A healthy Lynn, of course, easily justifies that type of financial commitment, and he did so in 2015. He’ll be penciled in for a $7.5MM salary next season and $7.5MM the following year as well before hitting the open market heading into his age-31 season.