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Latest On Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes

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With Alex Gordon off the board to the Royals, all the other teams seeking significant outfield or power bat pieces remain in the market. That could, in theory at least, be good news for the top unsigned free agent bats.

Here’s the latest chatter, with a particular focus on Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes:

  • Olney tweets that the Orioles have been in talks with the representatives for both Upton and Cespedes, noting that Baltimore has money to spend (as evidenced by their reported offer to Davis).

Earlier Updates

  • The Rangers have interest in Upton in a one-year or multi-year scenario Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). Either way, the club’s budgetary restrictions will limit their involvement, per Rosenthal, who adds that Upton is still looking to do better than a short-term pact.
  • The Orioles are remaining in contact with Upton as well, FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi reports on Twitter, though he’d factor as a backup option if the team doesn’t land Chris Davis. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets that the hypothetical fit would make the most sense on a one-year arrangement.
  • Heading into the day, Jon Heyman tweeted that the Orioles are holding with their $154MM offer to Davis. And, at least at present, owner Peter Angelos is not permitting the club to engage in a “full-bore pursuit” of alternatives to the slugger.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adds, on Twitter, that the Orioles’ interest in Upton could still just be a leverage play against Davis. Or, he notes, it may still be that Baltimore prefers Cespedes to Upton.

Rangers Sign Cesar Ramos To Minor League Deal

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The Rangers have signed left-handed reliever Cesar Ramos to a minor league contract and invited him to Major League Spring Training, according to a tweet from Rangers executive vice president of communications John Blake.

Ramos, a client of the Wasserman Media Group, spent the 2015 season with the division-rival Angels and enjoyed a strong season out of the Halos’ bullpen but was surprisingly non-tendered in December. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected him to receive a $1.7MM salary, which the Angels clearly weren’t interested in paying despite the fact that Ramos logged a 2.75 ERA with 7.4 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a 47.1 percent ground-ball rate in 52 1/3 innings.

The 31-year-old Ramos certainly didn’t dominate opponents, as lefties hit .265/.346/.316 against him last season, while righties batted .276/.324/.382. Ramos, though, does have a 3.49 ERA in 276 innings dating back to the 2011 season, giving him a solid track record. Interestingly, the Rangers’ release notes that Ramos will be stretched out to work as a starting pitcher rather than resuming his traditional bullpen role. Ramos did start seven games for the Rays in 2014, but just 10 of his 251 Major League appearances have been starts.

Rangers Sign Michael McKenry, Donnie Veal To Minor League Contracts

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The Rangers announced that they have signed catcher Michael McKenry and left-handed reliever Donnie Veal to minor league contracts. McKenry will receive an invitation to Major League Spring Training, per the announcement.

McKenry served as a reserve backstop for the Rockies over the last two seasons, slashing a combined .268/.367/.464 in 344 plate appearances. That’s quite an impressive batting line, even when adjusted for Coors Field, but it’s important to bear in mind that most of the damage was done in 2014, when he carried a .381 BABIP and 18.2% HR/FB rate.

The veteran McKenry’s defensive skills aren’t held in terribly high regard, either, which helps to explain why Colorado was willing to cut him loose. But he certainly makes for a useful depth option, at least, and will join the competition this spring with Robinson Chirinos, Chris Gimenez, and Bobby Wilson.

As for the 31-year-old Veal, last year marked his fifth season of MLB action, though he received just five appearances with the Braves. Veal was quite good at Triple-A, however, as he allowed just four earned runs in 41 1/3 innings with an even forty strikeouts against just eleven walks. All told, he’s thrown 69 frames in the majors, working to a 5.48 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 6.4 BB/9.

Latest On Yoenis Cespedes’ Market

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DEC. 30: Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes that after checking around with the Orioles in light of their connection to Cespedes, he doesn’t get the sense that any deal is close. Kubatko writes that a team source indicated no chance of the Orioles going near MLBTR’s projected $140MM price tag on Cespedes, and another source told Kubatko that a contract proposal hasn’t even been presented to ownership at this time. Pitching remains the Orioles’ primary focus at this time, according to Kubatko.

DEC. 29: The Orioles and White Sox are emerging as the favorites to land outfielder Yoenis Cespedes “for now,” reports MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). According to Sanchez, the Giants and Angels are also “in the mix,” and the Rangers are monitoring the situation (though Sanchez’s implication seems to be that they’re relatively far removed from a serious pursuit).

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports linked the ChiSox to Cespedes earlier this morning while reporting that the club was actively seeking an outfield upgrade. Per Rosenthal, longtime division rival Alex Gordon is still on the Sox’ radar as well as the team searches for a superior corner option — presumably, an upgrade over Avisail Garcia. Either Garcia or Melky Cabrera would be logical candidates to lose playing time in the event of an outfield acquisition for the Sox, though the team could try to find a taker for some of Adam LaRoche’s contract and move Cabrera to DH instead. Cabrera, though, batted a solid .288/.330/.449 with 11 homers from June 1 through season’s end after initially struggling with his new team in 2015, so he’s probably still in the team’s plans. (The $29MM owed to him from 2016-17 undoubtedly plays a role in that picture as well.)

The Orioles have a clear need for additional help in the outfield corners, as Adam Jones currently projects to be flanked MLB newcomer Hyun-soo Kim and Nolan Reimold. While Kim, one of the top hitters in the Korea Baseball Organization over the past several years, could emerge as a viable everyday option, he’s untested and figures to have some form of adjustment period even if he does prove to be a quality Major Leaguer. Adding Cespedes to the mix would lessen the need for immediate production from Kim, who could perhaps be eased into MLB a bit more, as countryman Jung Ho Kang was with the Pirates in 2015.

For Baltimore, adding Cespedes would unquestionably require a franchise-record contract (though the same could be said of the White Sox), as Jones’ six-year, $85.5MM deal is the largest in club history at this time. Baltimore has made a strong effort to retain slugger Chris Davis this offseason, reportedly offering $150MM over a seven-year term. Cespedes’ ultimate price tag could approach that point, though many predictions, including MLBTR’s six-year, $140MM projection from early November, have him falling shy of that mark. An earnest pursuit of Cespedes would at the very least clash with previous reports pertaining to the Orioles, which indicated that the team was only interested in spending this type of money on Davis and would not re-allocate the funds to another top-tier free agent were Davis to ultimately sign elsewhere. While the extent of their willingness to spend may be somewhat uncertain,it seems unlikely that the Orioles would be able to sign both Cespedes and Davis. In other words, if Baltimore does indeed bring Cespedes into the fold, it would probably spell the end of Davis’ tenure with the Birds. Should that prove to be the case, the Orioles can deploy trade acquisition Mark Trumbo at first base in 2016, giving the club a wealth of right-handed pop between Cespedes, Trumbo, Jones and Manny Machado.

The Angels have long been connected to corner outfield upgrades, and GM Billy Eppler has said he believes owner Arte Moreno will approve a luxury tax penalty for the right player. The rest of the team’s moves this winter, however, would seem to indicate a strong preference to remain underneath that $189MM barrier, however, as the additions of free agents Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry as well as trade pickups Yunel Escobar and Andrelton Simmons have all been of the lower-cost variety (financially speaking).

As for the Giants, they’ve been more than willing to spend this offseason, adding both Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto to their rotation after a strong pursuit of Zack Greinke came up short and giving Brandon Crawford a $75MM extension. The three players received a combined $285MM in guaranteed money from the Giants, and GM Bobby Evans recently said on MLB Network Radio that he still hopes to add a left fielder, thereby shifting Gregor Blanco into a valuable fourth outfield role. Evans emphasized the trade market in that interview, though one wouldn’t expect a GM to openly broadcast his desire to spend top dollar on a free-agent upgrade, either.

Brewers Claim Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Josmil Pinto, Andy Wilkins

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2:46pm: Milwaukee has made the claim of Niewhenhuis official and also announced two other additions off the wire: backstop Josmil Pinto, from the Padres, and first baseman Andy Wilkins, from the Rangers.

Pinto has shown some real upside at the plate at times, but has gone through rougher times more recently. And he’s always been raw defensively. But he certainly makes sense as a depth piece with some upside in Milwaukee.

With yet another claim, Wilkins is making a strong bid for most-moved player of the winter: Milwaukee becomes his sixth organization in 2015. A lifetime .274/.324/.490 hitter at the Triple-A level, he could compete to fill the role of the traded Adam Lind.

1:17pm: The Brewers have claimed outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis off waivers from the Mets, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter.

Nieuwenhuis has never really gained traction in his four years in the majors. New York briefly lost him to the Angels last year, then re-claimed him and outrighted him, only to call him back up for some time later in the season. After adding fellow left-handed-hitting outfielder Alejandro De Aza, it seemed unlikely there would be a place for Nieuwenhuis in New York in 2016.

For Milwaukee, meanwhile, the 28-year-old represents a possible part of the team’s outfield mix. Nieuwenhuis has played center field and shown some pop at times, and it’s arguable he has a bit of upside left given his relatively young age.

Rangers Sign A.J. Griffin To Minor League Deal

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The Rangers announced on Monday that they have signed former Athletics right-hander A.J. Griffin to a minor league contract with an invite to Major League Spring Training. The soon-to-be 28-year-old Legacy Agency client hasn’t pitched since 2013 due to 2014 Tommy John surgery and a 2015 shoulder injury.

Prior to those injuries, Griffin was on the verge of establishing himself as a potential long-term cog in Oakland’s rotation. After posting a 3.06 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in 82 innings as a rookie in 2012, Griffin rattled off 200 innings of 3.83 ERA ball in 2014, averaging 7.7 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9. He’s very much a fly-ball pitcher, as evidenced by the 33.7 percent ground-ball rate he yielded across those two seasons and the fact that he led the AL with 36 homers allowed in ’13. That skill set may not be as well suited for Arlington’s Globe Life Park as it is for Oakland’s O.Co Coliseum, but a healthy Griffin would nonetheless be a nice option for the back of the rotation. Colby Lewis, for instance, has enjoyed a nice five-year run with the Rangers despite never having topped 38 percent with his ground-ball rate.

Griffin will look to compete for a spot in the Rangers’ rotation behind Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels, Derek Holland, Martin Perez, Chi Chi Gonzalez and Lewis, who reportedly agreed to a new one-year deal with Texas last week. While there are plenty of established names in that mix, Darvish is recovering from Tommy John surgery, Perez returned from that same operation late in 2015 and Holland has been beset by shoulder and knee injuries over the past two seasons. Griffin has three years and 34 days of big league service, so if he makes it back to the Majors next season, he could be controlled through at least 2018 and possibly 2019, depending on the amount of service time accrued in 2016.

Rangers Receiving Trade Interest In Jurickson Profar

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Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar is drawing “a lot of hits” from teams interested in acquiring the former top prospect, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (via Twitter).  Despite all this trade buzz, Texas is “at the moment very much inclined to hold” onto the 22-year-old.

In this respect, not much has changed since early November, when Rangers GM Jon Daniels said “we are not looking to trade” Profar.  The only difference is that the Arizona Fall League season is now complete and teams may have had a fuller chance to scout and analyze Profar’s impressive performance.  He hit .267/.352/.453 with two homers over 91 AFL plate appearances, playing exclusively as a DH as he continues to work his way back from the shoulder injuries that sidelined him for virtually all of the last two seasons, save a handful of minor league games in 2015.

It’s no surprise that Profar continues to generate trade interest given his high pedigree.  Baseball America, MLB.com, ESPN’s Keith Law and Baseball Prospectus all unanimously tabbed Profar as the game’s top prospect prior to the 2013 season, and he received his first significant taste of MLB action that year, hitting .234/.308/.336 over 324 PA as a 20-year-old.  It’s still an open question, however, whether or not Profar’s troublesome right shoulder is fit enough to handle throwing.  Since the Rangers aren’t going to accept a buy-low offer, it’s unlikely that any team will make a serious push for Profar until scouts can see him play the field during Spring Training.

Even at the height of his prospect value, Profar still drew a lot of trade speculation given the presence of Elvis Andrus as the Rangers’ everyday shortstop and Rougned Odor also making his way up the minor league ladder.  Andrus still has seven years and $105MM remaining on his pricey extension (though he has opt-out clauses after 2018 and 2019) and Odor established his claim on the second base job with a strong 2015 season, so there’s even more question about where Profar fits into the Rangers’ long-term middle infield plans.

Nationals Notes: Phillips, Profar, Desmond

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The latest on the Nats:

  • Among the issues the Reds needed to resolve with Brandon Phillips was the question of money deferred in the six-year, $72.5MM contract extension he signed in 2012, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post writes.  The Nats appeared to be on the cusp of trading for the second baseman earlier this week until Phillips declined to waive his no-trade clause.
  • Now that the Phillips deal appears to be dead – or at least on hold – the Nationals could consider Jurickson Profar of the Rangers as a trade possibility, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com.  However, Profar’s health situation probably means that a deal wouldn’t take place until March.  GM Jon Daniels told reporters back in November that he was getting trade interest on the oft-injured Profar, though he added that teams were looking to buy low on him.  Profar, who missed the entire 2014 season after twice tearing a muscle in his shoulder, underwent right shoulder surgery in February.  Profar ranked as the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball heading into the 2013 season, receiving that distinction from Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, MLB.com and ESPN’s Keith Law. He made his debut as a 20-year-old that season and homered in his first big league plate appearance, though he went on to struggle, relatively speaking, to a .234/.308/.366 batting line in 324 plate appearances that season.
  • On Saturday night, ex-GM Dan O’Dowd (writing for MLB.com) ran down five players who he feels won’t be signing anytime soon.  At the top of the list is Nationals free agent shortstop Ian Desmond.  O’Dowd feels that Desmond will be driven to get an offer as good as the seven-year, $107MM extension he reportedly turned down from the Nats last offseason and that could lead to a prolonged stint in free agency.   Perhaps the game’s best shortstop from 2012-14, Desmond only produced a .233/.290/.384 batting line in 2015.  At the outset of the offseason, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicted that Desmond would net a five-year, $80MM deal on the open market.  Of course, he comes with a qualifying offer attached.

Minor MLB Transactions: 12-18-15

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Here are some notable minor league deals on a day that produced a high volume of minor transactions…

  • The Nationals have signed veteran left-hander Aaron Laffey to a minor league deal and invited him to Major League Spring Training, tweets MASNsports.com’s Dan Kolko. Because he debuted at 22 years of age, it might be a surprise for some to find that the well-traveled Laffey is still just 30 years old. He spent the 2015 season in the Rockies organization but wound up pitching just 7 1/3 big league innings for Colorado, with the rest of his work coming in the minors. Laffey has spent parts of eight big league seasons in the Major Leagues and, with the exception of the 2014 season, has seen big league action each year dating back to 2007. He sports a career 4.44 ERA with 4.5 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9.
  • The Twins announced that they’ve signed outfielder Ryan Sweeney to a minor league deal and invited him to Major League Spring Training. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets that Sweeney would receive a $750K base salary upon making the club. Sweeney, also 30, was a significant piece of the Athletics’ roster from 2008-11 but has been limited to a part-time role since that time. Sweeney was out of baseball in 2015 but will look to get back into the Majors in 2016. That he can handle all three outfield positions and has an outstanding defensive reputation in right field would seem to help his cause. Minnesota doesn’t have a clear-cut fourth outfielder at this time.
  • Lefty Ryan Buchter is headed to the Padres on a minor league deal with a big league Spring Training invite, MLB.com’s Corey Brock was the first to report (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has just one inning in the Majors — a scoreless frame with the Braves in 2014. However, he had a very strong year at Triple-A with the Cubs and Dodgers in 2015, pitching to a 1.78 ERA with 11.0 K/9 against 4.4 BB/9 in 50 2/3 innings of relief. Control issues have long plagued Buchter, but his strikeout prowess has helped him overcome that trouble in the minors, resulting in a career 3.26 ERA. Lefties barely stood a chance against him at Triple-A this season, where he yielded just a .187/.237/.225 against same-handed batters. His .211/.344/.257 line against righties was strong as well, though it also exemplifies his control issues.
  • Right-hander Jarrett Grube will return to the Indians on a minor league pact with a camp invite, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The 34-year-old has pitched just two-third of an inning in the Majors (2014 with the Angels), and while his overall body of work at Triple-A has resulted in a 5.07 ERA, Grube was outstanding at Triple-A in the Cleveland organization last year, firing 79 2/3 innings of 2.26 ERA ball with 7.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9.
  • The Mariners have announced five minor league signings. In addition the previously reported signing of infielder Ed Lucas, Seattle has invited outfielder Mike Baxter, left-hander Brad Mills, right-hander Casey Coleman and right-hander Blake Parker to Major League Spring Training. Each player has some big league experience, though Baxter and Coleman have the most of the bunch. Baxter split last season with the Cubs and their Triple-A affiliate, logging 66 PAs in the Majors. Coleman saw significant work out of the Cubs’ bullpen and rotation from 2010-12, while Parker has spent a couple of seasons in the Cubs’ bullpen as well. Mills made one start for the A’s last season and has a fair bit of MLB experience but has never spent more than 21 innings in the Majors in a single season despite a strong track record at Triple-A.
  • Former No. 1 overall pick Matt Bush has signed with the Rangers on a minor league deal, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Bush has spent the past three years in prison, serving out a 51-month sentence for critically injuring a motorcyclist in a DWI incident back in 2012. GM Jon Daniels explained to Grant that he was skeptical when learning that Bush was interested in getting back into baseball, but the team was impressed with the level of sincerity expressed by Bush as he explained his regret and desire to turn his life around. (In May 2014, the victim, Tony Tufano, told Gabe Kapler — then of FOX Sports — that he has forgiven Bush and even will root for him in his attempt to turn his life around.) Bush won’t receive an invite to Major League camp and will instead be hoping to make one of the Rangers’ minor league affiliates, Grant notes, adding that Bush is enrolled in a 12-step program and will have to adhere to a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol and drug use with the Rangers.

Details On Jonathan Papelbon’s Current No-Trade List

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DECEMBER 18: That list was apparently the one in effect for 2015, as Crasnick now provides a list that, he says, will be in effect for the year to come. It is the same as the prior iteration except for four changes.

On this new list, the Braves, Reds, Royals, and Mariners have moved into the group of teams to which Papelbon can reject a trade. Meanwhile, the Giants, Phillies, Tigers, and Yankees are now among the clubs to which Papelbon may freely be dealt, without his authorization.

DECEMBER 15: Nationals reliever Jonathan Papelbon has the right to name 17 clubs to which he cannot be traded without his consent, and ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports on this year’s list.

Papelbon can block deals to the following clubs: the Athletics, Blue Jays, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, Indians, Marlins, Orioles, Phillies, Pirates, Rangers, Rockies, Tigers, Twins, White Sox and Yankees. The league’s remaining teams can acquire the controversial veteran without his approval.

No-trade lists tend to reflect both personal preferences and strategic considerations. It’s hard to know the precise motivations here, but it’s worth remembering that Papelbon has previously made good use of his no-trade rights in exerting leverage. In approving the trade that sent him to D.C. last year, Papelbon received assurances he’d be used as the closer and picked up a guarantee of his 2016 option (though that would have vested anyway and he took a discount to facilitate the move).

While an exceedingly public spat with star Bryce Harper has led to wide speculation that Papelbon will be dealt, Nats GM Mike Rizzo has maintained that the team won’t simply cut him loose for whatever it can get. Papelbon is neither cheap ($11MM) nor young (35), but he’s continued to produce quality results and represents a fair value from a pure baseball perspective.

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