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Quick Hits: Lindor, Bauer, Rangers, Ichiro, Bae, Boxberger

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It doesn’t look like the Indians will reach any extensions with Francisco Lindor or Trevor Bauer before the season begins, though the team did at least explore the possibility of long-term deals with both players, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes.  It isn’t any surprise that the Tribe looked into gaining some cost certainty on either man even though Bauer is already controlled through the 2020 season and Lindor through 2021.  In the latter’s case, Lindor is still a year away from salary arbitration, though one wonders if Lindor may feel confident enough in his abilities to forego guaranteed money now and wait until free agency to chase an even bigger contract.  He already turned down an extension offer reportedly worth around $100MM last offseason, and his stock has only risen after a superb 2017 campaign.

Here’s more from around the baseball world as we enter the offseason’s final day…

  • The Rangers seems to be done their offseason shopping, as GM Jon Daniels stated to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan and other reporters.  “I couldn’t be more clear, I don’t expect any more significant acquisitions.  There is not a lot going on from our standpoint in the free-agent market,” Daniels said.  This also seems to include a pursuit of Greg Holland, as Daniels reiterated that Texas plans to be flexible with the ninth-inning role and allow a closer to emerge from several candidates.  Adrian Beltre, for one, still feels that a more established arm is needed, as he feels the end-game plan is “an area that’s going to be a question mark. Normally, when you have really good teams, you have [a closer.]  You have closers out there in the free-agent market. … Ideally for me, you get a closer, put him in there and use him.”
  • Ichiro Suzuki may begin the season on the DL to give him more time to fully recover from a right calf strain, with Mariners manager Scott Servais telling the Associated Press and other media that a decision will be made tomorrow when the team sees how Suzuki is feeling after playing seven innings today.  Utilityman Taylor Motter looks to make the Opening Day roster if Ichiro isn’t available.
  • The Pirates’ interest in Korean shortstop prospect Ji-Hwan Bae dates back almost two years, Elizabeth Bloom of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, and the team was finally able to land the 18-year-old after he was made a free agent following the Braves’ international signing scandal.  Given a second chance at the signing, Pittsburgh again made a push, and Bae said (via an interpreter) that he chose them over other suitors because the “Pirates were the most active team approaching” about a contract.  The Pirates thought enough of Bae to give him $1.25MM, the second-largest bonus the franchise has ever given to an international prospect, and GM Neal Huntington feels Bae can stick at shortstop over the long term.
  • Brad Boxberger has been named the Diamondbacks’ closer, the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro and others reported.  Boxberger posted a league-best 41 saves in his first season as the Rays’ closer back in 2015, though injuries both cost him the job and limited him to 53 2/3 total innings in 2016-17.  Now healthy, Boxberger could again blossom into an effective late-game weapon for Arizona, though Piecoro notes that the larger factor in the Diamondbacks’ decision might’ve been the team’s preference to keep Archie Bradley as a fireman rather than in a strict ninth-inning role.  For updates on every team’s closing situation, be sure to follow MLBTR’s sister Twitter feed @CloserNews.

Rangers Re-Sign Bartolo Colon, Trevor Plouffe

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The Rangers have re-signed right-hander Bartolo Colon and infielder Trevor Plouffe to minor league contracts, according to a team announcement. Both players will report to Triple-A Round Rock.

It’s not surprising that the Rangers brought back Colon, whom they were reportedly interested in re-signing when they released him on Saturday. The accomplished and well-liked 44-year-old will serve as depth behind the starting quintet of Cole Hamels, Matt Moore, Doug Fister, Mike Minor and Martin Perez.

Plouffe, 31, looked into other opportunities after the Rangers released him from his previous minors deal last week, but he apparently came up empty in that search. Once a quality regular in Minnesota, where he combined for 5.9 fWAR from 2014-15, Plouffe’s career has taken a terrible turn in recent years. He was especially poor in 2017 between Oakland and Tampa Bay (.198/.272/.318 in 313 plate appearances), leaving him to rebuild his stock this season in the minors.

AL Notes: Rays, Rangers, Rupp, Bird, Orioles, Brantley

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Neither left-hander Dan Jennings nor righty Daniel Hudson will make the Rays’ roster, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The futures of both relievers are now in question, but the Rays expect a resolution in each case within 24 to 48 hours, according to Topkin. Jennings is due $2.375MM this year, though the majority of that’s not guaranteed because it’s an arbitration salary. As such, the Rays could release Jennings and only pay one-fourth of that sum. Hudson, on the other hand, has a guaranteed $5.5MM coming his way. However, his previous employer – Pittsburgh – is covering $1MM of that. The Pirates traded Hudson to the Rays in a deal for outfielder Corey Dickerson last month.

More from the AL…

  • The Rangers have interest in catcher Cameron Rupp, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Rupp’s currently in limbo after the Phillies designated him for assignment Sunday morning. For the moment, the out-of-options Juan Centeno is the Rangers’ projected backup catcher behind starter Robinson Chirinos (Rupp has two options left). The Rangers also have minor league backstop Jose Trevino on their 40-man roster.
  • Yankees first baseman Greg Bird missed most of last season with a right foot injury and is once again dealing with an issue in that area. While Bird will see a foot specialist Monday, the Yankees are hopeful he’ll avoid a long-term absence. “(We are) at least a little bit optimistic, based on the pictures, but tomorrow should tell us a lot as far as what it is time-wise, all those kinds of things. Hopefully we’ll get some good answers tomorrow,” manager Aaron Boone said Sunday (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). In the event Bird does miss time, Tyler Austin could serve as the Yankees’ primary first baseman, Boone suggested (per Billy Witz of the New York Times).
  • The Orioles attempted to reunite with one of their ex-players – free-agent utilityman Ryan Flaherty – on a minor league contract, but he’ll head elsewhere on a big league deal, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. The identity of Flaherty’s next team isn’t known. The 31-year-old hasn’t been on the open market for long, having opted out of the minors pact he had with the Phillies on Thursday.
  • Indians outfielder Michael Brantley will begin the year on the disabled list, paving the way for Tyler Naquin to make the team, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com tweets. Brantley has made progress in his recovery from the right ankle surgery he underwent last October, but he’s not quite ready for regular-season action.

Quick Hits: Miller, Tribe, Conforto, Ubaldo, Cubs, Rangers

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Indians reliever Andrew Miller could be one of the faces of a star-studded class of free agents next winter, but he’d prefer to continue his career in Cleveland. “I’m focused on this season. But absolutely. If I have an opportunity to stay here, I would. I love it here. The city’s been great to us. I can’t imagine a better place to be,” Miller told Grant Segall of Cleveland.com. After combining for a 1.93 ERA with 14.7 K/9, 2.48 BB/9 and a 51 percent groundball rate from 2013-17, the 32-year-old Miller will attempt to turn in yet another elite campaign in 2018. He’ll earn $9MM in the process.

More from around baseball…

  • Mets outfielder Michael Conforto has made notable progress in his recovery from the left shoulder surgery he underwent last September. Still, the Mets informed Conforto on Sunday that he’ll open the season on the disabled list, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports. New York’s not taking any risks with Conforto after he slashed a tremendous .279/.384/.555 (146 wRC+) with 27 home runs in 440 plate appearances last season, his age-24 campaign. As the Mets await Conforto’s 2018 debut, their outfield will consist of some combination of Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce, Brandon Nimmo and Juan Lagares.
  • Free-agent right-handers Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Feldman are drawing interest from teams seeking starting depth, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. The 34-year-old Jimenez endured an ugly 2017 in Baltimore, where he logged a 6.81 ERA/5.54 FIP in 142 2/3 innings (31 appearances, 25 starts). Feldman, 35, also struggled – he made 21 starts with the Reds and pitched to a 4.77 ERA/5.04 FIP across 111 1/3 frames.
  • Cubs catcher Chris Gimenez has a June 1 opt-out date in the minor league contract he signed over the winter, Bruce Levine of 670thescore tweets. Gimenez isn’t on the Cubs’ season-opening roster, but he’ll give them some veteran depth behind Willson Contreras and Victor Caratini for at least a couple months.
  • Ryan Rua has beaten out Drew Robinson for the Rangers’ starting left field job, per TR Sullivan of MLB.com. Prospect Willie Calhoun vied for the role earlier in the spring, but the Rangers demoted him to the minors in mid-March. The 28-year-old Rua logged time with the Rangers in each of the previous four seasons, hitting an uninspiring .246/.305/.388 in 608 PAs. The majority of the right-handed Rua’s success has come versus left-handed pitchers, against whom he has batted .273/.326/.433.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/24/18

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The latest minor moves from across baseball…

  • The Reds have acquired right-hander Robinson Leyer from the White Sox, per Jon Heyman of FanRag. It’s not yet known what the ChiSox will receive for the 25-year-old Leyer, who debuted with their organization in 2012. Leyer spent a large portion of the previous two seasons at the Double-A level, including all of 2017, when he posted a 3.55 ERA with 9.57 K/9, 5.09 BB/9 and a 37.3 percent groundball rate in 58 1/3 innings.

Earlier updates:

  • The Red Sox have acquired catcher Mike Ohlman from the Rangers for cash considerations, TR Sullivan of MLB.com tweets. A 2009 draft pick of the Orioles (11th round), Ohlman made his major league debut with the Blue Jays last year, though he only collected 13 plate appearances, before signing a minors pact with the Rangers in the offseason. The 27-year-old has done most of his recent work at the Triple-A level, where he has batted .240/.334/.424 in 518 PAs. It seems unlikely he’ll be a factor in Boston, whose catcher contingent features just-extended starter Christian Vazquez and backups Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart.
  • The Pirates have placed outfielder Bryce Brentz on outright waivers, Liz Bloom of the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette reports. Pittsburgh acquired the 29-year-old Brentz from Boston back in February, but the out-of-options slugger was then unable to earn a spot with his new organization during the spring. Brentz raked in the minors last year, where he tortured Triple-A pitchers with a .271/.334/.529 line (138 wRC+) and 31 home runs in 494 PAs. However, Brentz hasn’t been nearly that successful in the majors since the BoSox used a first-round pick on him in 2010, having hit .287/.311/.379 with just one HR in 90 trips to the plate.

Injury Notes: Sale, Pomeranz, Rodriguez, Gregerson, Lincecum, Hughes

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Red Sox starter Chris Sale left today’s start after being struck by a comebacker off the bat of J.D. Davis. Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald was first to tweet that the club called it a hip contusion. Thankfully for fans in Boston, the X-rays on his hip came back negative (according to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe). For his part, Sale himself has said that he feels fine and that it “looked a lot worse than it actually is.” The lack of serious injury to their prized left-hander brings a sigh of relief to the Red Sox, as they need him now more than ever; Alex Cora announced today that both Eduardo Rodriguez and Drew Pomeranz will begin the season on the DL (h/t Sean McAdams of the Boston Sports Journal). With Steven Wright set to face a 15-game suspension, that leaves Brian Johnson and Hector Velazquez at the back end of the club’s rotation. With David Price no sure bet to stay healthy, any questions surrounding Sale would have been wildly unsettling for a club hoping to compete with a tough Yankees ballclub for the AL East crown.

Other injury-related news from around the league…

  • Luke Gregerson, who was projected to be the Cardinals’ closer on opening day, will instead begin the season on the DL. Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch outlines the news, which comes as a result of a hamstring strain. The usually-durable Gregerson had also dealt with an oblique injury earlier in the spring, and it’s unclear when he’ll be able to return to major-league action. According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, the club has said that Dominic Leone or Tyler Lyons will receive closing opportunities. They do not appear close to any sort of deal with free agent closer Greg Holland at this time, Morosi adds.
  • Speaking of right-handers who’ll begin the season on the DL, Tim Lincecum’s blister issues will put him in that company as well. Lincecum joined the Rangers on a one-year deal with a $1MM base salary just weeks ago and didn’t pitch competitively in 2017; by his own words, he was unlikely to be ready for opening day anyway. Still, the blister issue will delay The Freak’s comeback bid, which will be an interesting story to watch as the season progresses considering how much he impressed scouts in a February showcase. Lincecum’s last MLB stint was with the Angels in 2016, when he posted a 9.16 ERA across 38 1/3 innings (nine starts).
  • Twins right-hander Phil Hughes has a mild oblique strain, according to a tweet from Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. Berardino adds that a DL stint would give him more time to build up arm strength following surgery, though I’d add that Hughes might simply be utilized in a long relief role anyway. For the time being, the Twins will continue to evaluate Hughes.

Rangers Release Bartolo Colon

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The Rangers have released Bartolo Colon from his minor-league contract, TR Sullivan of MLB.com reports. Colon was in camp competing for a starter or long relief job, but evidently his performance this spring didn’t convince the club to add him to the MLB roster at this time. However, Sullivan reports in a separate tweet that the Rangers are interested in trying to keep Colon around for Triple-A depth, and that the two sides are still discussing a way to make that happen.

Cole Hamels, Matt Moore, Doug Fister and Mike Minor were already locks to make the club’s rotation, so Colon had to beat out a lot of competition (including Tim Lincecum and Jesse Chavez) in order to win the final job. However, with Martin Perez expected to return on April 5th, the club wouldn’t seem to have an immediate need for the 44-year-old Colon.

Colon has seen playing time in parts of 20 MLB campaigns, including a Cy Young-winning 2005. Though he sat out 2010 (which would have been his age-36 season) due to shoulder damage, a stem-cell treatment revived his career and helped him post at least 2.4 fWAR in six consecutive seasons. A 6.48 ERA showing last year caused him to settle for a minor-league deal, but as a fan favorite, “Big Sexy” would still seem to have a shot at cracking the Rangers’ rotation at some point this season if he indeed agrees to start the year at Triple-A Round Rock.

Rule 5 Decisions: 3/23/18

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We’re starting to learn about the initial fates of Rule 5 players, whose teams are weighing Opening Day assignments. While cracking the roster out of camp is no assurance that a player will stay there all year, only those that have impressed a fair bit to this point are typically given a chance.

Here’s are a few who’ll get their first shot at the majors:

  • Outfielder Carlos Tocci has been told he’ll be on the Rangers’ active roster to open the year, he tells reporters including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). The 22-year-old, who was taken from the Phillies, has only reached base ten times in his 54 plate appearances this spring. But he has swiped seven bags and reputedly brings a plus glove in center, so the Texas organization has decided to look past that initial showing with the bat. Tocci struggled upon reaching Triple-A for a brief stretch at the end of the 2017 season, but did produce at a useful .307/.362/.398 rate in his 474 Double-A plate appearances.
  • The Orioles will carry righty Pedro Araujo to begin the season, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to tweet. He only has made one appearance north of the High-A level in the Cubs organization, but was awfully impressive there in 2017. In 64 2/3 innings over 44 apperances, he allowed just 13 earned runs on 42 hits while racking up 83 strikeouts against 17 walks. Araujo kept that output going in the Arizona Fall League and into the Grapefruit League, so the O’s — who frequently utilize the Rule 5 process — will see if he can take it another big step forward in the majors.

Rangers Release Trevor Plouffe

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The Rangers have released third baseman Trevor Plouffe, MLB.com’s TR Sullivan was among those to report via Twitter. He had been in camp with the team on a minor-league deal.

It’s still possible the 31-year-old will end up re-joining the organization to play at Triple-A, Sullivan notes. First, though, he’ll look into other opportunities with other teams.

Plouffe turned in a middling performance in camp, with just six base hits in his 34 trips to the plate. With the Rangers deciding to keep Jurickson Profar in the infield and otherwise carrying a full slate of healthy starters, there was no room for the veteran Plouffe.

During his seven seasons with the Twins, Plouffe was generally a solid regular at the hot corner. But he failed to make good on a one-year pact with the Athletics in 2017 and continued to struggle upon landing with the Rays in the middle of the season. He ended with a .198/.272/.318 batting line in 313 MLB plate appearances last year.

AL West Notes: Jepsen, Mariners, Pagan, Bautista

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Some rumblings from around the AL West…

  • Veteran righty Kevin Jepsen has allowed only one run over 9 1/3 Spring Training innings, making him a strong bet to win a spot on the Rangers’ Opening Day roster, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes.  Jepsen didn’t pitch in the majors in 2017 after a terrible spring camp with the Diamondbacks that led to a temporary absence from the game, as Jepsen took a couple of months to rehab a dead arm.  Once he felt healthy, he caught on with the Nationals on a minor league deal, though the biggest step in his turn-around came after a tip from catcher Spencer Kieboom allowed Jepsen to regain some of his old velocity.  Jepsen was a very effective reliever as recently as 2015, so Texas may have found a much-needed bullpen reinforcement for the cost of a minor league contract.
  • The Mariners thought so highly of Emilio Pagan as both a player and a person that GM Jerry Dipoto described the swap that sent Pagan and minor leaguer Alexander Campos to the Athletics for Ryon Healy as “probably the most painful trade we’ve made,” Dipoto tells Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  “In a group that’s not unused to changing bodies, a lot of guys were crushed we traded Emilio.  He’s an unbelievable guy, a tremendous human being, he does all the right things,” Dipoto said.  Pagan made his MLB debut in 2017 and immediately became a key cog in Seattle’s bullpen, posting a 3.22 ERA over 50 1/3 innings and recording 56 strikeouts against just eight walks.  Pagan has continued to hone his game this spring, telling Slusser that he has increased usage of his changeup and also been throwing more inside fastballs to hitters.
  • Contrary to some reports out of Mexico, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports (Twitter link) that the Astros aren’t signing Jose Bautista.  Given the Astros’ loaded roster, there wouldn’t have seemed to be much of a spot for the veteran slugger, particularly since he is coming off a sub-replacement level season in 2017.  There hasn’t been much in the way of concrete news about Bautista this winter, though the former Blue Jays slugger recently said he was still trying to find the best fit for he and his family amidst multiple Major League offers.
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