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Rays Re-Sign Logan Morrison

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The Rays have agreed to a one-year contract to bring first baseman/designated hitter Logan Morrison back to the organization, the team announced. To make room for Morrison on the roster, lefty Enny Romero has been traded to the Nationals in exchange for minor league right-hander Jeffrey Rosa (more details on that deal here).

Morrison, a client of ISE Baseball, will reportedly be guaranteed $2.5MM and can earn an extra $250K if he does not spend any time on the 60-day DL due to a specific set of injuries. He can also reportedly gain up to $1MM worth of incentives to boost the value of the deal.

Logan Morrison | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Morrison, 29, posted a fairly pedestrian .238/.319/.414 batting line in 398 plate appearances with Tampa Bay last season, but that overall line is weighed down by a dreadful stretch early in the year. Morrison posted a .364 OPS through his first 95 plate appearances last season (in part due to a staggering .182 BABIP, though strikeouts were also an issue) but somewhat quietly enjoyed an excellent rebound beginning in mid-May.

From May 16 forth, the he totaled 303 plate appearances and logged a hefty .275/.350/.498 batting line and belted all 14 of his home runs. Given that finish and his relative youth, Morrison could likely have scored a larger payday were it not for an ill-timed September wrist injury that required surgery (and, obviously, ended his season prematurely).

Bringing Morrison back into the fold could very well mean that Brad Miller, who for much of the season was on track to be the team’s primary first baseman, will shift over to take the reins at second base on a regular basis. The Rays created a vacancy at second base last month when they traded Logan Forsythe to the Dodgers in exchange for young right-hander Jose De Leon, and Miller’s versatility allowed them to pursue myriad avenues to adding a bat to the lineup.

The Rays are still said to be pursuing a right-handed bat, though two of their reported targets — Chris Carter and Mike Napoli — agreed to one-year deals with the Yankees and the Rangers earlier today.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported the agreement (Twitter link). Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported the deal’s incentives total (via Twitter). FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweeted about the health clause.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nationals Acquire Enny Romero From Rays

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The Rays and Nationals have announced a trade sending left-handed reliever Enny Romero to Washington for minor league right-hander Jeffrey Rosa  The move will open a spot on the 40-man roster for first baseman Logan Morrison, whose one-year deal to return to Tampa Bay is now official. The Nationals, on the other hand, did not need to make a 40-man roster move to accommodate Romero. Even after this trade, their 40-man count is still just at 39 players.

[Related: Updated Washington Nationals Depth Chart and Tampa Bay Rays Depth Chart]

Enny Romero

The 26-year-old Romero has had a pair of rough seasons in Tampa Bay, pitching to a 5.59 ERA in 75 2/3 innings at the Major League level from 2015-16. While he’s shown a penchant for missing bats (9.6 K/9), Romero has also averaged 4.9 walks per nine innings pitched and logged a slightly below-average ground-ball rate. However, his strikeout prowess and a power fastball that has averaged 96.1 mph over the past two seasons likely made him appealing to the Nationals.

Romero is out of minor league options, so he’ll have to break camp with the Nationals to open the season or first be exposed to waivers. He’ll head to Spring Training and give the Nats a third left-handed option behind veteran southpaw Oliver Perez and impressive young lefty Sammy Solis. If Romero ultimately proves able to harness his impressive velocity and strikeout potential, he’ll be a nice long-term option in the Nationals’ bullpen, as he’s controllable via arbitration through the 2021 season.

The 21-year-old Rosa has pitched 96 1/3 innings as a pro and pitched to a 3.83 ERA with a 103-to-49 K/BB ratio since signing as an amateur. He’s yet to crack any top prospect ranking within the Nationals organization, and that’s not terribly surprising given his age and the fact that he’s yet to advance beyond Rookie-level ball. But the out-of-options Romero was likely viewed as a potential 40-man casualty in Spring Training, as the Rays have Xavier Cedeno firmly ahead of him on the depth chart in addition to a slew of right-handed options that figure to merit spots.

It’s possible that Tampa Bay could seek further left-handed depth between now and Opening Day, though they could simply look at Cedeno, Alex Colome, Brad Boxberger, Erasmo Ramirez, Danny Farquhar and Shawn Tolleson as a likely front six in their relief corps. That would leave a number of other 40-man arms and non-roster invitees to battle it out for the final bullpen spot. All of those options can be seen on the Rays’ depth chart at Roster Resource.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times first reported that Romero was going to the Nats (on Twitter). Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post tweeted that the Nationals were sending a Gulf Coast League pitcher to the Rays in the deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rays Notes: Romo, TV Contract, Rebuilding, Park

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  • The Rays were the mystery team who submitted the highest bid for Sergio Romo’s services.  Previous reports indicated that the Rays were in the mix for Romo and that the reliever declined a higher offer to stay on the west coast and sign with the Dodgers for a one-year, $3MM deal.  With Romo off the board, the Rays are seemingly still in the hunt for another arm to join their bullpen.
  • The Rays earn $20MM per year on their current TV contract, which expires after the 2018 season.  Club owner Stuart Sternberg recently said negotiations were taking place about a new deal, though nothing was close to fruition.
  • Rosenthal’s column takes a broader look at the Rays’ offseason, noting that the team is trying to both save money and stay competitive at the same time.  Tampa could even project as an under-the-radar playoff contender if they catch a few breaks, such as better health from key players.  Had the club received good offers for Chris Archer or Kevin Kiermaier this winter, however, the Rays would’ve embarked on a full rebuilding process, and they could still take that route next offseason or at the July trade deadline if this year’s roster doesn’t play up to expectations.
  • The Twins will release Byung Ho Park if they can’t find a trade partner for the recently-designated first baseman (update: Rosenthal has since corrected this).  Minnesota’s decision to DFA Park was already rather unexpected, and it would be even more surprising if the club cut ties entirely, especially since earlier reports had the Twins intending to keep Park in the minors if he cleared waivers.  The Twins would be on the hook for the remaining $9.75MM owed to Park through the 2019 season if they released him.  Continuing the Tampa-centric theme, Rosenthal reports that the Rays are looking to add a right-handed bat and have Park on their list of targets.  Rather than work out a trade, the Rays could wait to see if the Twins do release Park, in which case Tampa Bay could just sign him as a free agent.  The Rays would then only owe Park a minimum salary while Minnesota covers the rest of the $9.75MM.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Rays Made Late Push To Sign Sergio Romo

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  • Both the Yankees and Rays made late pushes to sign right-hander Sergio Romo before he agreed to sign with the Dodgers, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports.  Romo, a southern California native, preferred to remain on the west coast, as FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets.  Heyman noted earlier that Romo had larger offers, including one from a “mystery” team that made a late increase in its offer to Romo.  The New York Post’s Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Yankees never made a formal offer to Romo, so the late increase would’ve had to have come from Tampa Bay or perhaps another mystery team in the mix.

Stuart Sternberg Not Interested In Selling Or Moving Rays

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Since Stuart Sternberg purchased the Rays in 2005, the franchise has “lost money from every point in time you can pick,” he told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. In spite of that, Sternberg has no interest in selling the team and is optimistic about keeping it in Tampa Bay with a new stadium to replace Tropicana Field. “If we are going to propose it, it will be because we believe it works for generations,” said Sternberg, who is encouraged that local politicians – including the mayors of both Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg – have been cooperative in the process. Sternberg & Co. are working on cutting down a half-dozen potential stadium sites to a “pin-perfect” choice. He’s also looking to land a new TV deal sometime in the near future, but he admitted it could be years before that comes to fruition.

Market Notes: Trends, Wood, Rays, Rockies

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Looking at this winter’s free-agent market broadly, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes (Insider link) that it produced generally poor results from the players’ side. The trend, he and the agents he spoke with suggest, is one of elite players continuing to earn while others are increasingly forced into one-year pacts. That could, in turn, continue to suppress the market for sub-elite players next year, since there’ll again be a larger pool of talent. This certainly seems to be an area that warrants a closer look once the market fully settles out. As of three years ago, the trend had been in favor of multi-year deals as teams competed to land talent on the open market.

Here are some more market notes:

  • With southpaws flying off the board, things are “heating up” for Travis Wood, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). It’s possible he’ll choose his landing spot by the end of the weekend, per the report, though it’s still not clear whether he’ll be heading for a rotation or pen spot (let alone where that might be).
  • Despite picking up Logan Morrison and Rickie Weeks, the Rays still intend to remain involved on some of the better hitters still available, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (links to Twitter). In particular, slugger Chris Carter and even catcher Matt Wieters seemingly remain of interest to Tampa Bay. Another righty bat, notes Topkin, might step into a platoon in the first base and DH spots. The club could take a look at Byung Ho Park, who was just designated by the Twins, and others under consideration include Mike Napoli and Franklin Gutierrez (who’d spend time in the outfield).
  • The Rockies are unlikely to make further additions to their major league roster, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding suggests in response to a fan inquiry. Even if someone like starter Jason Hammel represents a screaming value, Harding hints, the organization may not have the roster or payroll flexibility to give out a MLB deal.

Rays Sign Rickie Weeks To Minor League Deal

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The Rays have signed infielder/outfielder Rickie Weeks to a minor league contract, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). Weeks is represented by the Legacy Agency.

After an awful 2015 season with the Mariners, the now-34-year-old Weeks had a respectable season at the plate with the Diamondbacks in 2016, though his work flew largely under the radar. In 205 trips to the dish with Arizona, the longtime Brewers second baseman batted .239/.327/.450 with nine home runs. He was particularly effective against left-handed pitching, mashing southpaws at an exceptional .284/.368/.642 clip. Six of his nine home runs on the season came in the 76 plate appearances he received against southpaws.

For the Rays, it’s easy to envision Weeks making the roster in a number of scenarios. Tampa Bay has reportedly agreed to re-sign Logan Morrison to a one-year deal, and Weeks could conceivably platoon with him at first base if he’s able to demonstrate the ability to play there in Spring Training. It’s been two years since Weeks appeared at second base, and his glovework there declined rapidly late in his stint with Milwaukee, but he could also split time with lefty-swinging Brad Miller there. And, as Weeks has played corner outfield exclusively over the past two seasons with the Mariners and D-backs, he could certainly act as a right-handed-hitting complement to Colby Rasmus in the corner outfield as well.

Weeks no longer profiles as an above-average defender anywhere on the diamond, but his ability to perform against left-handed pitching should give him a chance to earn a bench role this spring.

"No Good Read" On Whether Matt Wieters Will Join Rays

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  • “Several teams” remain in contention for free agent catcher Matt Wieters, tweets the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin, who relays that “there’s no good read” on whether he’ll sign with the Rays. Along with the Rays, the Orioles (Wieters’ only MLB employer to date), Angels, Rockies, Reds, Nationals and Astros have drawn recent connections to the 30-year-old.

Rays, Cory Rasmus Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Rays are set to sign right-hander Cory Rasmus — the younger brother of outfielder Colby Rasmus, who recently signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay — to a minor league contract, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter).

After a brief MLB debut with the Braves back in 2013, the younger Rasmus spent the bulk of the past four seasons in the Angels organization. Though he found success in both 2013 and 2014 with the Halos, the past two seasons were a struggle for Cory, as he pitched to a combined 5.56 ERA in 45 1/3 innings. The 29-year-old is predominantly a fly-ball pitcher with below-average velocity and some control issues, but he’s nonetheless racked up 121 strikeouts in 123 Major League innings to date. He also comes with a nice Triple-A track record, having compiled a 3.01 ERA with 10.5 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9 in parts of three seasons at that level.

Tampa Bay is deep in right-handed bullpen options, with Alex Colome, Brad Boxberger, Danny Farquhar, Shawn Tolleson and one of Matt Andriese or Erasmo Ramirez (whichever is not in the rotation) all likely to crack the big league ’pen to open the season. Beyond that, the Rays have a slew of right-handers already on the 40-man roster. Among the names from which they can choose are Kevin Gadea (a Rule 5 pick out of the Mariners organization), Ryan Garton, Ryne Stanek, Chase Whitley and Austin Pruitt, to name a few.

Chris Carter Could Consider Offers From Japan

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Feb. 1: Despite Stewart’s comments, Carter “made it clear” to Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that he wants to play in Major League Baseball as opposed to signing a contract overseas (Twitter link).

Jan. 31, 10:48pm: Topkin writes that Stewart told him as recently as tonight that nothing was close between Carter and the Rays. As Topkin explains, Tampa Bay is taking its time in evaluating multiple right-handed bats for a spot on their roster.

6:08pm: It’s been a slow-moving market for slugger Chris Carter this winter, and agent Dave Stewart (the former Diamondbacks GM who has resumed control of his agency since being replaced in Arizona) tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that signing in Japan is a possibility. “I think at some point we have to make it a serious consideration,” said Stewart, who also tells Rosenthal that Carter received interest from Japanese clubs last winter before signing with the Brewers.

Carter hit .222/.321/.499 and tied Nolan Arenado for the National League lead with 41 home runs in 2016, but Milwaukee elected not to tender him a contract for the 2017 season. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected an $8.1MM salary for Carter, and Carter’s glut of strikeouts (an NL-high 206) and lack of defensive value led the Brewers to consider a raise of that nature too steep.

The rest of the league, it seems, has generally agreed with the Brewers’ assessment, as there’s hardly been a robust market for his services. That this offseason’s free-agent market was teeming with defensively limited sluggers certainly couldn’t have helped Carter’s case, but it’s nonetheless a bit surprising that his camp is giving consideration to signing overseas.

Rosenthal cites Stewart and other league sources as stating that the Rays offer the best opportunity for Carter at this point. Stewart tells Rosenthal he’s spoken with Tampa Bay enough to “know what they’re thinking” but adds that talks haven’t advanced just yet. That gels with a recent tweet from Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, who reported that while the Rays are considering many options, nothing is close with Carter or with fellow right-handed slugger Mike Napoli.

Rosenthal writes that the Rangers, another potential fit, are seemingly more focused on Napoli and have told Stewart that they may rotate younger players at first base (which would be a poor outcome for both Carter and Napoli). Perhaps the Rangers would take a more serious look at Carter in the event that Napoli signed elsewhere, but Napoli has seemingly struggled to find a multi-year deal all winter, and most teams have filled their first base and designated hitter voids already.

The Yankees, for instance, signed Matt Holliday to a one-year deal at the start of the Winter Meetings, while the Astros signed Carlos Beltran to a similar pact and also acquired Brian McCann from New York (pushing Evan Gattis further into the DH mix). Boston filled its first base/DH void by inking Mitch Moreland to a one-year deal (he’ll pair with Hanley Ramirez), while the Rockies went outside the box and signed Ian Desmond to be their regular first baseman. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, quickly grabbed Kendrys Morales to replace Edwin Encarnacion, only to see Encarnacion’s market stagnate to the extent that the Indians were able to land him on a three-year, $60MM deal.

More recently, the Royals agreed to a two-year deal with Brandon Moss, removing yet another on-paper fit. And the Orioles, a once-popular prediction as Carter’s ultimate landing spot, re-signed Mark Trumbo and acquired Seth Smith, thus making it hard to see Carter fitting into the picture.

And yet despite all that movement, Carter and Napoli are hardly alone as first baseman/designated hitters remaining in free agency. Pedro Alvarez, Logan Morrison, Adam Lind, Mark Reynolds, Billy Butler, Justin Morneau and Ryan Howard are all still on the market and hoping to find jobs for the 2017 season, giving the few teams with interest in that type of player a good bit of leverage in negotiations with agents.

Looking around the league, the White Sox could still theoretically fit Carter as a designated hitter, while the Mariners could weigh the merits of signing him as an upgrade over the unproven Dan Vogelbach. The Marlins still don’t have a right-handed complement to Justin Bour at first base, though they’re said to be at their payroll capacity. The A’s, conceivably, could push Yonder Alonso to the bench and pair Carter with Ryon Healy at first base/DH, but there hasn’t been any serious talk of a reunion there. Those four teams, however, are mere speculation on my own behalf. Given the saturated market for sluggers and the fact that no team was willing to trade for Carter when his salary was projected to be in the $8MM range, it does seem possible that the best financial offer he’ll receive this winter could come from an overseas club.

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