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AL East Notes: Sox, Rays, Erasmo, Bautista, Iannetta, Cashman, Orioles

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Today’s acquisition of Tyler Thornburg from the Brewers will end Boston’s foray into the relief market for the winter, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters (including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe).  Most notably, this would seem to end any chance of the Sox re-signing Koji Uehara or Brad Ziegler.  Thornburg will join closer Craig Kimbrel, Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, Robbie Ross, Fernando Abad and (when he is healthy) Carson Smith in the Sox bullpen, plus with Chris Sale now in the rotation, Clay Buchholz, Drew Pomeranz or even Eduardo Rodriguez could now be bullpen options.  Pomeranz or Rodriguez would help add some left-handed depth to the pen, as Abad struggled mightly after coming to the Sox last season.  Here’s more from around the AL East…

  • With Sale off the board, the Rays’ starting pitchers could become even hotter trade commodities, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes.  Some of the teams connected to the Rays’ pitching in trade talks already this winter (such as the Nationals, Astros and Braves) were also suitors to land Sale from the White Sox.  The Rays have received more interest in Drew Smyly and Alex Cobb than Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi since the latter two come at much higher asking prices.
  • Erasmo Ramirez has also drawn some interest, Topkin reports.  The former starter-turned-workhorse reliever for the Rays in 2016 posted a 3.77 ERA, 52.5% grounder rate and 6.25 K/9 over 90 2/3 innings, with 63 of Ramirez’s 64 games coming out of the bullpen.  MLBTR projects Ramirez to earn a $3.5MM salary through arbitration next season, which could be a bit pricey for Tampa’s liking.
  • The Blue Jays’ talks with Jose Bautista’s representatives today didn’t appear to bring much progress towards a reunion, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports.  Bautista’s market seems rather unclear at this point, with some wondering if a more creative contract (such as front-loaded deal with a player opt-out clause after the first year) could be in store for the veteran slugger.
  • The Blue Jays also spoke with catcher Chris Iannetta’s representatives today, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).  The Mariners declined their $4.25MM club option on the veteran catcher following a season that saw Iannetta hit .210/.303/.329 over 338 PA, eventually ceding regular duty to Mike Zunino in Seattle.  The Jays are in need of a backup catcher for Russell Martin after parting ways with Josh Thole and Dioner Navarro testing the open market.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn’t expect to add a starting pitcher at the Winter Meetings, telling reporters (including George A. King III of the New York Post) that “it’s a tough market and the price tags are extremely high. We could play on a lot of things because we have a lot of prospects people desire and we desire them, too. I would say it’s less likely for us to acquire a starter.”
  • The Orioles have had success in landing qualifying offer free agents late in the winter, and Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun writes that this strategy could benefit the team again this offseason.  Edwin Encarnacion’s eventual deal will bring some clarity to the market for big bats, though there is still enough uncertainty around the likes of Mark Trumbo and Ian Desmond (not to mention other non-QO free agents) that the Orioles could find some quality hitting at a relatively low price come January or February.

Trade Rumors: Straily, Reds, McCutchen, Rays, Twins, Wilson, Davis

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The Rangers were rumored yesterday to have interest in Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that Texas also asked the Reds about right-hander Dan Straily. Nothing is close on either front, he notes, but Straily would give Texas a controllable option for the back-end of the rotation. A waiver claim by the Reds last spring, Straily had a nice season in the Cincinnati rotation, tossing a career-high 191 1/3 innings with a 3.76 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9. However, Straily also posted just a 32 percent ground-ball rate and was very homer-prone, yielding an average of 1.5 big flies per nine innings pitch, which could give interested parties some pause.

A few more notes on the trade market…

  • Rosenthal also notes in the above-linked tweet that the Reds are trying to move both Brandon Phillips and Zack Cozart in separate deals. Moving one or both would allow the Reds to open some playing time for younger middle infield options like Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera, each of whom has been acquired via trade in the past calendar year. Phillips has full no-trade protection but has been said this winter to be more open to waiving that protection than he was in recent years. Cozart has been linked to the Mariners on multiple occasions and would give any team an affordable one-year stopgap at shortstop that can provide premium offense and a bit of pop before hitting free agency next winter.
  • Giants GM Bobby Evans tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that he checked in with the Pirates on Andrew McCutchen, but Evans didn’t imply that there was anything more than due diligence behind the call. “When you invest heavily in your rotation and you invest heavily in your bullpen and you invest heavily in your first baseman, your shortstop, your catcher, your right fielder, your center fielder, at some point, you need your farm system to raise up,” Evans tells Shea. “…Ultimately, you can’t lose sight of the fact your farm system is there for a reason. Successful organizations give their farm systems a chance to produce, and some of that production doesn’t get realized until it’s at the big-league level.” The Pirates’ reported asking price for McCutchen has been lofty, and based on Evans’ comments, it doesn’t seem that San Francisco would be interested in gutting its minor league ranks to insert McCutchen into its lineup.
  • The Rays are “almost certain” to deal a starting pitcher, tweets Yahoo’s Jeff Passan, and interest in right-hander Alex Cobb and left-hander Drew Smyly has been “strong,” Passan hears. ESPN’s Buster Olney, meanwhile, spoke to an exec who called Tampa Bay’s asking price on Chris Archer “beyond prohibitive,” prompting Olney to call Cobb and Smyly considerably likelier candidates to be traded (Insider subscription required and recommended). As Passan further notes, the Rays don’t necessarily feel like the return on Archer right now will be drastically superior to the return for Archer two years from now (when he still has three years of control remaining), so there’s little urgency to deal him unless they’re bowled over.
  • The Twins are seeking controllable starting pitching in all of their trade talks, tweets Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Minnesota has reportedly received a number of inquiries on slugging second baseman Brian Dozier, and other logical trade candidates on their roster (in my view) include right-hander Ervin Santana and reliever Brandon Kintzler. Dozier is controlled through 2018 for a total of $15MM, while Santana is guaranteed $28MM through 2018 and has a club option for the 2019 campaign as well. Kintzler quietly had a rebound season in the Minnesota ’pen last year and can be a free agent next winter.
  • Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets that the Rangers asked the Tigers about southpaw Justin Wilson, though he characterizes the scenario as a long shot. Wilson, though, would give the Rangers a couple of years of control over a quality southpaw reliever and give the team flexibility to make further roster alterations.
  • The Mets inquired wih the Royals about closer Wade Davis, reports SNY’s Andy Martino (on Twitter), but he also notes that it’s hard to see the two sides lining up on a deal given the fact that Davis will command a $10MM salary next season and would also require the Mets to surrender with upper-echelon prospects. Were Davis controlled for multiple years, perhaps it’d be more appealing to the Mets, but the Kansas City relief ace is set to hit the open market next winter.

Agency News: Stewart, Cobb, Howard, Montero

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Former Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart has returned to his family-run agency – Sports Management Partners – which he’ll operate with his wife, Lonnie Murray, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). Stewart previously represented Matt Kemp and Chris Carter, among others, but he had to leave the business when the D-backs hired him in 2014. The fact that Murray remained with the agency while Stewart served as a GM led to conflict-of-interest questions, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic detailed last March.

Now for a few updates on notable agency changes that have happened this week:

  • One year before he’s scheduled to hit the open market, Rays right-hander Alex Cobb has switched agencies from ACES to Beverly Hills Sports Council, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Cobb was a high-end starter from 2013-14, but he missed all of 2015 thanks to Tommy John surgery and posted ugly results in his return last season. Over an admittedly small sample size (22 innings), the 29-year-old logged an 8.59 ERA to go with 6.55 K/9 – his lowest since 2011. It’s possible Cobb will spend his platform season in a different uniform, as the Rangers have expressed interest in acquiring him.
  • Free agent first baseman Ryan Howard has departed CAA Sports for Excel Sports Management, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag (via Twitter). Regardless of his representation, the longtime Phillie will have difficulty securing a decent deal this offseason as part of a market laden with first base/designated hitter types, Heyman contends. Howard won the National League MVP award in 2006 and scored a five-year, $125MM extension in 2010, but his output declined significantly after he inked that deal. To the left-handed slugger’s credit, he is coming off a 25-home run season, though that accompanied a subpar .196/.257/.453 batting line in 362 plate appearances. Unsurprisingly, the Phillies bought the 37-year-old Howard out for $10MM last month instead of keeping him for $23MM in 2017.
  • Cubs catcher Miguel Montero has left Octagon for Rep 1 Baseball, per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN (Twitter link). Next season is the last one left on the five-year, $60MM extension Montero signed with the Diamondbacks in 2012. He’s set to make $14MM in 2017 as the backup to Willson Contreras. Montero is coming off perhaps the worst offensive campaign of his career, having hit just .216/.327/.357 in 284 PAs, though his strong defensive reputation remains. Both Baseball Prospectus and StatCorner gave his pitch-framing work rave reviews.

MLBTR’s Agency Database contains representation information on more than 2,500 Major League and Minor League players. If you see any errors or omissions, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Rays Notes: Archer, Odorizzi, Castillo, Pearce, Alvarez

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Here’s the latest on the Rays from Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (multiple story links)…

  • A source on one of the teams interested in right-hander Chris Archer tells Topkin that the Rays are asking for five or six players in return.  Obviously that specific ask could be related to that specific team, but with a price tag generally thought to be quite high, Topkin is doubtful Archer will be dealt.
  • Tampa is getting a lot of attention about its rotation in general, including the Pirates showing interest in Jake Odorizzi.  Pittsburgh initially had interest in Odorizzi at the July trade deadline, and it would be fascinating to see what kind of deal (if any) the Rays and Bucs could work out, as fellow small-market teams.
  • Welington Castillo is generating enough interest that he is expected to get a multi-year deal, so the Rays could be priced out of his market.  One source “wouldn’t expect” the Rays to wind up with Castillo, who has also drawn interest from teams like the Braves and Orioles since he was surprisingly non-tendered by the Diamondbacks this week.
  • Steve Pearce was targeted by the Rays before he signed a two-year, $12.5MM deal with the Blue Jays earlier today.  Topkin tweets that the Jays got the edge over the Rays by offering the second guaranteed year and more money.
  • The Rays have interest in Rangers lefty Dario Alvarez, who posted a 5.06 ERA, 13.8 K/9 and 5.86 K/BB rate over 26 2/3 innings with Texas and Atlanta last season.  His ERA was inflated by continuing problems with the long ball, as Alvarez has given up nine homers over his 31 2/3 career innings in the majors.  The Rangers are one of the teams known to be looking into the Rays’ pitching, so Alvarez could potentially be included as part of a trade package.
  • There are so many hitters in the outfield/first base/DH mold available that Topkin believes the Rays could be able to land a good bat at a relative discount price simply by waiting until later in the offseason to make a signing.  Perhaps even a higher-tier hitter like Jose Bautista would be willing to take a one-year, incentive-filled contract to play near his home in the Tampa Bay area and test the market again next winter (though Topkin admits that Bautista is rather a longshot).

Rangers Notes: Daniels, Inciarte, Cobb, Tolleson, Hoying

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The Rangers have already created some buzz today at the Winter Meetings, and now here’s more out of Texas…

  • It is “unlikely” that the Rangers will sign a “big ticket” free agent, GM Jon Daniels told reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News).  Texas has been linked to the likes of Edwin Encarnacion, Ian Desmond, Mark Trumbo and other notable free agent names this winter, and the team has notable question marks at first base, center field and DH.  If free agency isn’t as likely an option for the Rangers, they could continue to pursue trades.  To that end…
  • The Rangers asked the Braves about Ender Inciarte but talks “went nowhere,” Evan Grant tweets.  Inciarte has drawn trade chatter ever since the Braves acquired him as part of the Shelby Miller trade with the D’Backs last offseason, but it is clear Atlanta regards the defensive standout as a building block in center field.
  • Also from Grant in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link), the Rangers don’t have interest in dealing Rougned Odor or Nomar Mazara.  It would’ve been rather surprising to see Texas trade either young cornerstone player, though the Rangers have been linked to some big names in trade talks (i.e. Chris Sale) that would require a major return.
  • Alex Cobb’s name has been discussed between the Rays and Rangers, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (via Twitter).  The Rangers have targeted such Tampa pitchers as Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi and Drew Smyly in the past, though Cobb would theoretically come at a lower price tag.  He is only under control through the 2017 season and he missed all of 2015 and most of 2016 due to Tommy John surgery.
  • The Rangers are in ongoing talks with Shawn Tolleson about a reunion, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reports (Twitter link), as the club wants to bring the former closer back on a minor league deal.  Tolleson elected to become a free agent after a very rough 2016 season that saw him lose his closing job in Texas, spend time on the 60-day DL with a back injury and ultimately get outrighted off the Rangers’ 40-man roster.  The season was a stark contrast to 2014-15, when Tolleson posted very good numbers out of the Texas bullpen.
  • Similarly, the Rangers are talking to outfielder Jared Hoying about a reunion, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets.  Hoying, who made his big league debut last season, was non-tendered by the Rangers earlier this week.

Nationals Notes: Harper, Kiermaier, McCutchen, Giolito, Wieters

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There’s a sense within the Nationals organization that it may not be possible to reach agreement with outfielder Bryce Harper on a long-term deal to keep him from reaching free agency after the 2018 season, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  A team source says that the club believes Harper is looking for a deal in excess of ten years and $400M — though it does not appear he has actually made such a specific request.  That level of contract would apparently be a non-starter for the team, which is perhaps not surprising after Harper failed to repeat his outstanding 2015 campaign.  Despite the chatter on the polarizing star, agent Scott Boras says that he has yet to discuss a long- term arrangement with the Nationals, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).  Nats GM Mike Rizzo declined to comment on the subject, as Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post tweets.  Whatever situation may or may not exist involving a Harper extension, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that Harper isn’t the subject of any active trade talks.

Some more news out of Washington…

  • Also from Nightengale’s piece, he reports that the Nationals asked the Rays about Kevin Kiermaier but “consider the asking price exorbitant.”  Arguably the game’s best defensive player, Kiermaier has generated 13.1 fWAR over the last three seasons and is under team control through 2020, so it is very understandable that Tampa wants a huge return for Kiermaier’s services.
  • Both Nightengale and FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman report that the Nats are willing to discuss prized righty Lucas Giolito, with Heyman noting that Giolito’s name has surfaced in talks with the White Sox about Chris Sale.  If D.C. is unwilling to part with either Trea Turner or Victor Robles, one would think that Giolito would almost have to be involved in a potential Sale trade, as Chicago surely wouldn’t part with its ace without landing at least one blue-chip youngster.
  • The Nats have found the Pirates’ asking price on Andrew McCutchen to be too high, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets.  This doesn’t necessarily close the door on a McCutchen trade, though Sherman writes that the Nationals are reportedly more focused on other options, including a deal for Sale.
  • Despite some rumors to the contrary, the Nationals aren’t planning to flip catcher Derek Norris and then pursue Matt Wieters, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Solarte, Astros, Rays, De La Rosa, A’s

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The latest column from FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal explores how the luxury tax threshold’s relatively small annual increases as per the new collective bargaining agreement could lead to teams placing an even greater importance on locking their young talent up to long-term extensions.  Rosenthal also shares some hot stove buzz…

  • The Padres are “aggressively” shopping Yangervis Solarte.  The third baseman has posted solid numbers over the last two seasons, including hitting .286/.341/.467 with 15 homers over 443 plate appearances last year.  The 29-year-old Solarte is projected by MLBTR to earn $2.7MM in his first year of arbitration eligibility, and his three years of remaining team control would make him an intriguing trade chip for teams in need of infield help.
  • The Astros are continuing to “pay really close attention” to the Rays’ starting pitchers, according to sources.  Houston has made several lineup upgrades (Brian McCann, Josh Reddick and now Carlos Beltran) this offseason but Charlie Morton is the only addition to a rotation that underachieved in 2016.  Tampa is widely expected to deal at least one of Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Alex Cobb or Drew Smyly this winter.  The Astros are known to have interest in Archer, though he would command the highest price of the lot.
  • Jorge De La Rosa is telling teams that he is willing to pitch as a multi-inning reliever.  De La Rosa pitched three games in relief last season, his first bullpen outings since 2009.  The veteran southpaw posted a 5.51 ERA, 1.71 K/BB rate and 7.3 K/9 over 134 innings for the Rockies in 2016, so between those lackluster numbers and his age (he turns 36 in April), it isn’t surprising that De La Rosa is willing to be flexible to increase his market.
  • Dave Kaval’s new role as the Athletics’ president could potentially lead to some changes in how the A’s do business.  With Kaval looking to secure a new ballpark in Oakland and generally trying to change the club’s profile, a “more of the same” deal of a star for prospects (i.e. dealing Sonny Gray) wouldn’t help Kaval’s objectives.  That said, Rosenthal writes that “it’s difficult to imagine” the change in management having any impact on how Billy Beane does business.

Market Notes: EE, Braves, Archer, Tigers, Royals, Mets, Ziegler

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Free agent designated hitter/first baseman Edwin Encarnacion will probably agree to a deal during the winter meetings, agent Paul Kinzer told Joel Sherman of the New York Post on Sunday (Twitter link). Negotiations between Encarnacion and interested teams have intensified since Major League Baseball and the players’ union reached a new collective bargaining agreement Wednesday, Kinzer revealed. Given that the Astros are signing Carlos Beltran and the Red Sox are reportedly falling out of contention for Encarnacion, it seems the slugger’s group of suitors has shrunk this weekend.

More on the free agent and trade markets:

  • If the Braves acquire an ace, it’s more likely to be the Rays’ Chris Archer than the White Sox’s Chris Sale, tweets Mark Bowman of MLB.com. However, the Rays’ current asking price “far exceeds” what Atlanta is willing to pay, Bowman adds. The Braves have run into a similar problem with the White Sox regarding Sale.
  • Although Detroit general manager Al Avila stated in October that the team has been spending “above its means,” the Tigers aren’t necessarily in payroll-slashing mode, one of their executives informed Sherman (Twitter link). Rather, they only intend to trade high-priced veterans if the right deals come along. The Tigers are currently planning on contending in 2017, per the executive. That makes sense considering they’re part of a division which already includes one rebuilding team, the Twins, and could feature two more if the Royals and White Sox decide their windows have closed.
  • The new CBA is a negative for the Royals, opines Sherman, who reports (via Twitter) that their executives will meet Sunday night to discuss which path to take this offseason. The club has several integral contributors entering contract years, namely left-hander Danny Duffy, closer Wade Davis, outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson, first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas and shortstop Alcides Escobar. It stands to reason the 2015 World Series champions could part with at least some of those players in the coming months.
  • The idea of the Mets trading both Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce came up Saturday, but the team is “unlikely” to deal multiple outfielders, GM Sandy Alderson said Sunday. The likelihood is that Bruce will end up on the move, relays Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, as Alderson noted Granderson’s importance to the Mets (Twitter links). New York isn’t progressing toward jettisoning an outfielder yet, according to Buster Olney of ESPN (Twitter link). In a perfect world, the Mets would acquire bullpen help in return for Granderson or Bruce. Their best reliever, closer Jeurys Familia, could face a domestic violence suspension in 2017, and top southpaw Jerry Blevins is a free agent.
  • Thirteen teams have checked in on free agent reliever Brad Ziegler, reports Olney (Twitter link). One of those clubs is Arizona, Ziegler’s longtime employer. When it comes to available relievers, the lion’s share of attention has understandably gone to Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon. Ziegler has more than held his own since debuting in 2008, though, with a 2.44 ERA and 66.3 percent ground-ball rate across 596 2/3 innings. The 37-year-old ended 2016 as a setup man with Boston, but he was previously the D-backs’ closer and combined for 48 saves from 2015 through the midway point of last season.

Rumors: Dodgers, BoSox, Astros, O’s, Rockies, Nats

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Twins general manager Thad Levine revealed earlier this week that the team would have to be “really inspired” to trade second baseman Brian Dozier. It’s now possible the Dodgers will do enough to wow Minnesota into dealing Dozier, as Los Angeles is aggressively pursuing the slugger and has “piqued” the Twins’ interest, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). The second base-needy Dodgers have been after Dozier throughout the offseason.

More rumblings with the winter meetings set to commence:

  • Backing up a recent report from Rob Bradford of WEEI, the Red Sox are unlikely to sign free agent first baseman/designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, writes Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. Moreover, the Sox probably won’t make any major free agent splashes in general, adds Drellich, thanks in part to their reluctance to spend beyond the $195MM luxury-tax threshold accompanying the new collective bargaining agreement. Boston has exceeded the luxury-tax limit in each of the previous two seasons and will need to pay a 40 to 50 percent penalty if it surpasses the mark for a third straight year.
  • In addition to the previously reported Chris Sale, the Astros have interest in Rays ace Chris Archer, per Fanrag’s Jon Heyman. There’s skepticism around the game that the Rays would trade Archer, though. The right-hander is under team control through 2021 at eminently affordable rates.
  • A report earlier this week indicated that the Orioles had interest in free agent left-hander Rich Hill, but they haven’t pursued the 36-year-old, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Hill, who was with the O’s in 2009, is on the verge of re-signing with the Dodgers.
  • Free agent closer Mark Melancon reportedly has four-year offers worth $60MM-plus in hand from San Francisco, Washington and perhaps another team. In light of that, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post tweets that the Rockies probably aren’t the mystery club; however, as a Colorado native, Melancon would be open to taking a bit less to join the Rockies, Saunders hears. General manager Jeff Bridich has reached out to Melancon’s representatives this offseason, but it’s nonetheless difficult to imagine the Rockies putting together a rich enough offer to land the 31-year-old.
  • While the Nationals may have shored up the catcher position in trading for Derek Norris and avoiding arbitration with Jose Lobaton earlier this week, they’re still interested in free agent backstop Matt Wieters, relays Kubatko. If the Nats were to sign Wieters, the “sense” across the industry is that they’d look to flip Norris elsewhere.

Orioles, Rays, Braves Among Teams Interested In Welington Castillo

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1:17pm: Add the Orioles to the list of teams interested in Castillo, as MASN’s Roch Kubatko tweets. The Orioles could lose Matt Wieters to free agency and have been interested in Castillo for some time, according to Kubatko.

11:03am: The Diamondbacks’ unexpected decision to non-tender Welington Castillo has added a new name to the free agent catching market, and Castillo is already receiving interest. The Rays are “expected to aggressively pursue” Castillo, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wrote last night. The Rays, who currently have Luke Maile and Curt Casali atop their depth chart at catcher, were already expected to look for catching help, so it’s easy to see why the surprise addition of a .264/.322/.423 hitter and longtime starter to the market would be intriguing for them.

Topkin also tweeted this morning, though, that Castillo was receiving a number of calls, and not just from the Rays. It’s possible one of those teams could be the Braves, who have “some interest,” as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets. Current Braves backstop Tyler Flowers hit fairly well last year and rates as a good framer, and he and fellow catchers Anthony Recker and Tuffy Gosewisch are all now under contract for 2017. Castillo could certainly still help the Braves, however, and it stands to reason that they’d have interest, since they’ve also shown at least some interest in free agent backstops like Matt Wieters and Jason Castro.

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