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Rangers Interested In Billy Hamilton

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The Reds are willing to listen to offers for center fielder Billy Hamilton, as ESPN’s Buster Olney reported last week, and the Rangers are among the teams eyeing him, Olney tweets.

With both Ian Desmond and Carlos Gomez currently on the open market, Texas has an obvious need in the middle of its outfield. Desmond spent the lion’s share of 2016 in center, and the Rangers are now “far from optimistic” that they’ll be able to re-sign him. The interest in Hamilton makes sense, then, as the 26-year-old has been a valuable member of the Reds since becoming a full-time major leaguer in 2014. As evidenced by his .248/297/.334 batting line in 1,547 plate appearances, Hamilton hasn’t contributed much at the plate, but his defensive and baserunning excellence combine to give him a high floor.

Just seven major leaguers have saved more runs in the field than Hamilton’s 37 since 2014, while only Jason Heyward and Andrelton Simmons have bettered his 47.9 Ultimate Zone Rating over the past three seasons. Hamilton swiped the most bases in the majors (172) during the same period and is fresh off his third straight season with at least 55 steals, despite having missed a combined 91 games the previous two years. Hamilton stole a career-high 58 bags in 2016, and has only been caught a combined 16 times since 2015. That’s a vast improvement over his rookie year, when opposing catchers gunned Hamilton down 23 times on 79 attempts.

Although the Reds are in the midst of a rebuild, they’d need to be “really, really motivated by an offer” to move Hamilton, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Hamilton is under team control through the 2019 campaign and is set to make his first trip through arbitration this offseason, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting an ultra-affordable $2.3MM salary for 2017.

Rangers Won't Yet Discuss Extensions With Yu Darvish, Jonathan Lucroy

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  • The Rangers have two star-caliber players entering contract years in ace Yu Darvish and catcher Jonathan Lucroy, but the team is unlikely to discuss extensions with either during the winter meetings, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). For now, the reigning AL West champions’ focus is on making outside acquisitions. The Rangers could certainly turn their attention to new deals for Darvish and Lucroy later in the offseason.

Latest On Edwin Encarnacion’s Market

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The Blue Jays’ four-year, $80MM offer to Edwin Encarnacion has been taken off the table, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).  Though that initial offer — made before Toronto signed Kendrys Morales — no longer stands, the Jays are reportedly still interested in Encarnacion’s services, according to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman (Twitter link).  Encarnacion is still “in play” for the Jays, Rangers and potentially two National League teams, who have called about the slugger with an eye towards using him as an everyday first baseman.

It probably isn’t a surprise that the Jays withdrew their offer in the wake of the Morales signing, as according to Encarnacion’s agent Paul Kinzer earlier this week, the two sides hadn’t talked numbers since that initial offer.  Other teams had made offers, though Toronto was “showing Edwin the most love,” in Kinzer’s words.  As Rosenthal notes in another tweet, however, the Blue Jays are also still exploring the outfield market, and they could forego re-signing Encarnacion if they land a big-ticket outfielder like Dexter Fowler.

Kinzer has also indicated that he and his client could be looking for five years and as much as a $25MM average annual value, though those comments are now almost a month old.  Five years in the $125MM range may have been a high target anyway (MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes projected Encarnacion to land four years and $92MM) and it could be an even longer shot given that Encarnacion’s market seems to have shrunk in recent days.  The Red Sox don’t seem to be in hot pursuit given their reluctance to surpass the luxury tax threshold again, while the Astros and Yankees have addressed their DH needs with less-costly one-year deals with Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday, respectively.

In regards to the Rangers, GM Jon Daniels told reporters (including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Jeff Wilson) today that the team was more likely to use internal options like Jurickson Profar, Joey Gallo or Ryan Rua to handle first base than a free agent.  This could, of course, be some negotiating gamesmanship on Daniels’ part, as entrusting both the first base and DH spots to those inexperienced players would seem like an odd move for a contender, notwithstanding Profar and Gallo’s blue-chip prospect status.

As I noted in my Encarnacion free agent profile, the Orioles, White Sox, Rockies and Marlins make some sense as speculative fits for the slugger, though it isn’t known whether any of those teams are willing or financially able to make such a big splash.  Among NL teams, even Miami is something of a longshot since the Fish are more apt to be looking for a right-handed complement to Justin Bour (who had quite a solid season) rather than an outright replacement.  Unless a first base job opens up due to an injury or another trade, there doesn’t seem to be much room for Encarnacion within the National League.

Dodgers, Rich Hill Nearing Agreement

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SUNDAY, 7:09pm: An official announcement from the Dodgers about a Hill agreement isn’t likely to happen tonight, Andy McCullough tweets.

SATURDAY, 6:48pm: The Dodgers and Hill are “closing in” on a contract, tweets Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. They’re unlikely to reach an agreement today, per Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times, though he corroborates Plunkett’s report that a deal is forthcoming (Twitter link). The Dodgers aren’t facing much of any competition from Hill’s previously reported suitors – the Astros, Rangers or Yankees – according to FanRag’s Jon Heyman.

4:02pm: Another team who tried to negotiate a deal with free agent starter Rich Hill believes the lefty has a three-year contract worth $40MM or more in place with the Dodgers, Peter Gammons tweets. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tells a similar story, saying the Dodgers might already have a deal in place for Hill for three years and $46MM-$48MM. Cafardo, though, emphasizes the possibility that one of a number of East Coast teams could still sign him. No move has been confirmed by Hill or the Dodgers at this point, however.

The latest rumors about Hill had the Dodgers as one of four teams bidding for his services, along with the Yankees, Rangers and Astros. The Red Sox and Orioles were also believed to be interested. Hill, of course, is coming off an outstanding age-36 season with the Athletics and Dodgers during which he posted a 2.12 ERA, 10.5 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 110 1/3 innings, including a start in which he was pulled a perfect game after seven innings. His performance in 2016 landed him the No. 14 spot on MLBTR’s list of the top 50 free agents, making him one of the top starters available.

The downsides with Hill are his age and his lengthy injury history — even in his 2016 breakout campaign, he dealt with blister problems and a groin injury. As Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times points out via Twitter, though, the Dodgers’ depth puts them in position to take advantage of Hill’s upside while minimizing their risk if he’s not available to pitch. Particularly given Hill’s vanishingly low 2016 home run rate of 0.33 per nine innings, there’s reason to be somewhat skeptical of his ability to repeat his incredible performance last season. He could regress a fair amount in the next couple years and still be a vital contributor, however, and if he does return to the Dodgers, he should provide their rotation with a healthy boost if he’s able to stay healthy.

For Hill, a $40MM-plus contract would represent an enormous financial windfall — he has spent most of his career as a journeyman and has never had a long-term deal. He’s also never made more in a season than the $6MM he made last year.

The Dodgers are currently dealing with debt issues, but those issues seem unlikely to prevent them from pursuing a free agent of Hill’s stature, and the team has not been required to reduce its payroll. In addition to Hill, the team has also been fleetingly linked to other potentially expensive or relatively expensive players like Aroldis Chapman and Andrew McCutchen.

Latest On Chris Sale’s Trade Market

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5:45pm: Rangers GM Jon Daniels told reporters (including Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram) that his team isn’t looking at the trades like the blockbuster that brought Cole Hamels to Texas in 2015, which would seem to confirm that the Rangers indeed aren’t in on Sale right now.

SUNDAY, 1:40pm: Mark Bowman of MLB.com joins Heyman in reporting that the Braves aren’t willing to give up Swanson, whom the White Sox covet. Discussions between the two teams aren’t leading anywhere as a result (Twitter link). While it won’t surrender Swanson, Atlanta would consider parting with Albies, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter).

10:51am: The Braves have deemed Swanson untouchable in trade talks, while the Nationals have likely done the same with shortstop/center fielder Trea Turner, reports Heyman.

SATURDAY: The Braves have already added three starting pitchers in Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey and Jaime Garcia early this offseason, and they’re now trying to swing a trade with the White Sox for ace Chris Sale, according to Fanrag’s Jon Heyman. However, there’s competition in the form of the Astros, Nationals, Red Sox, Rangers and Dodgers, writes Heyman, who notes that Los Angeles is lagging behind because it’s hesitant to deal any of its top prospects.

The Dodgers are more focused on bolstering their rotation through free agency than trades, tweets FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, which aligns with a report from earlier Saturday that they have a deal in place to re-sign left-hander Rich Hill. Contrary to Heyman, Rosenthal relays that the Astros and Rangers are out on Sale at the White Sox’s current asking price. And while the Red Sox are involved, they’re also reluctant to meet Chicago’s demands (Twitter link).

After agreeing to sign outfielder/designated hitter Carlos Beltran on Saturday, Astros owner Jim Crane told Mark Berman of FOX 26 that the team will go into the winter meetings seeking pitching, but it’s unlikely to make any “big moves” (Twitter link). That would seem to rule out a Sale acquisition for Houston.

Based on reports from Heyman and Rosenthal, both the Braves and National League East rival Nats – who are continuing their discussions with the Pirates regarding center fielder Andrew McCutchen, per Rosenthal – are among the front-runners for Sale.

It’s unlikely the Braves would include prized young shortstop Dansby Swanson in a trade, Heyman suggests, but the belief is that they have the pieces to make a deal happen. Atlanta has major league trade chips in center fielder Ender Inciarte and right-hander Mike Foltynewicz, not to mention a well-regarded prospect pool that features the likes of middle infielder Ozzie Albies, southpaws Sean Newcomb and Kolby Allard, and righties Mike Soroka and Touki Toussaint. Baseball America included all five of those players in its Midseason Top 100 prospects list.

Rangers’ Talks With Ian Desmond Have “Intensified”

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3:23pm: Rangers team officials are “far from optimistic” a deal can be completed with Desmond, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com tweets.

2:40pm: Talks between free agent center fielder Ian Desmond and the Rangers have “intensified” lately, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports writes (Twitter links). Desmond is likely to receive a four-year deal, Morosi adds.

Desmond rejected the Rangers’ qualifying offer last month (as was expected), but it appears he’s ready to listen to other proposals to return to the Rangers, perhaps for a longer term. Desmond hit well for the Rangers in 2016, batting .285/.335/.446 while transitioning fairly seamlessly from shortstop to the outfield. He also impressed the team on a personal level, with GM Jon Daniels saying in October that he appreciated Desmond’s behavior “as a person and [with] the consistency he brought from that standpoint.”

Desmond therefore is in a much stronger position this offseason than he was last year, when he settled for a mere $8MM guarantee after batting .233/.290/.384 in his last year in Washington. MLBTR has predicted that Desmond will receive four years and $60MM on his next contract.

The Rangers are in need of a center fielder after losing both Desmond and Carlos Gomez to free agency. They’ll have to set themselves apart from what might be a large group of suitors to get Desmond back, though, as he’s already reportedly attracted interest from the Nationals, Orioles and Blue Jays.

Rangers Non-Tender Jared Hoying

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  • The Rangers announced that outfielder Jared Hoying will be non-tendered, making him a free agent. The 27-year-old made his major league debut last year, struggling through 49 plate appearances. He did have a solid run at Triple-A, though, slashing .269/.336/.474 with 78 strikeouts against 37 walks over 435 trips to the plate.

Rangers Focusing On Trade Market

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  • Another team in the outfield market is the Rangers, who hope to add a center fielder as well as another starter. GM Jon Daniels says that he’s currently paying more attention to the trade market than to free agency, as T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com tweets. Texas is drawing hits on relief pitching, Daniels added.

Rangers Claim Brady Dragmire

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The Rangers have claimed righty Brady Dragmire off waivers from the Pirates, per an announcement from Texas. Pittsburgh had acquired him from the Blue Jays in early October.

Dragmire has yet to advance past the Double-A level, though he’s still just 23 years of age. At the penultimate level of the minors last year, he tossed 72 relief innings of 4.38 ERA pitching, with 5.1 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9. That’s the second straight campaign in which Dragmire has posted underhelming earned-run and K/BB numbers, but there is something of an ace up his sleeve. Despite otherwise underwhelming results, he continues to induce grounders on more than three out of every five balls put in play against him.

Phillies Designate Cody Asche For Assignment, Claim David Rollins

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The Phillies announced that they’ve claimed lefty David Rollins off waivers from the Rangers and designated infielder/outfielder Cody Asche for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Asche, formerly one of the Phillies’ top prospects, has struggled in parts of four seasons and was a non-tender candidate prior to tonight’s 8pm ET deadline.

Philadelphia was hopeful at one point that Asche, now 26, could develop into a regular option at the hot corner, but his bat has never come around at the Major League level, and Maikel Franco’s arrival pushed him out to left field. The left-handed hitter owns a career .240/.298/.385 batting line with 31 homers in 1287 Major League plate appearances — a far cry from the .297/.359/.491 slash he’s compiled in 150 games across parts of four seasons at Triple-A.

Prior to the 2013 season, Baseball America rated Asche seventh among Phillies farmhands and noted that while he doesn’t have the prototypical power or high-level defense one would expect out of a regular third baseman, he had the potential to hit enough to land a role as a Major League regular. To this point in his career, that hasn’t panned out.

Rollins, 27 next month, has gone from the Mariners to the Cubs to the Rangers to the Phillies on waivers in a matter of two months. The former 24th-round pick has a 7.60 ERA in 34 innings with the Mariners across the past two seasons and has averaged 7.1 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9 with a 41.9 percent ground-ball rate. He’s been rather unlucky, as evidenced by a .379 BABIP, but even the most optimistic ERA estimator pegs him in the mid-4.00s (4.41 SIERA). Rollins does have minor league options remaining, so the Phils could stash him in Triple-A next year if he doesn’t break camp with the club. Then again, the Phillies may try to pass Rollins through waivers themselves at some point with an eye toward keeping him in the organization but freeing up a 40-man roster spot. No team has been able to successfully do that this winter, however.

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