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Rangers Release Jeremy Guthrie

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The Rangers have released veteran starter Jeremy Guthrie, as per Rangers executive VP of communications John Blake (on Twitter).  Guthrie was let go by the club after he exercised the opt-out clause in his minor league contract, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Guthrie, who turns 37 in April, earned a World Series ring with the Royals last season though he didn’t make the club’s postseason roster.  The right-hander suffered through the worst season of his 12-year career, posting a 5.95 ERA, 5.1 K/9, a career-worst 14.1% home run rate and a league-leading 29 homers allowed over 148 1/3 innings.  Kansas City declined its end of Guthrie’s $10MM mutual option for 2016, giving him a $3.2MM buyout instead.

Guthrie has been a reliable innings-eater over the years, and despite his struggles, he could get another look from teams.  The righty told reporters (including Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram) that he is receiving consideration from two clubs about a new contract.

With Guthrie out of the mix, A.J. Griffin and Nick Martinez are the remaining contenders for the fifth spot in the Texas rotation.  One of those two will hold down the fort until Yu Darvish makes his expected return from Tommy John rehab in late May or early June.

AL West Notes: Lee, Peralta, Ruggiano, Rangers

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Some news from the AL West…

  • Dae-Ho Lee can opt out of his minor league deal with the Mariners on Sunday and become a free agent if he isn’t on the 40-man roster, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune writes.  It seems as if Lee is on track to indeed make the M’s as the right-handed side of a first base platoon with Adam Lind, and Lee will earn a $1MM base salary if he makes the MLB roster (plus another $3MM in possible bonuses).  If Lee beats out Jesus Montero for the job, Dutton figures the M’s will try to deal the out-of-options Montero before exposing him to the waiver wire.
  • Also from Dutton’s piece, the Mariners face the Tuesday deadline for Article XX(B) free agents to let Joel Peralta know if he’s made the roster, though Dutton figures Peralta is a pretty safe bet.  Peralta signed a minor league deal with Seattle last month that will pay the 11-year veteran $1.25MM in guaranteed salary if he makes the M’s roster.  While Peralta hasn’t had a great spring, his case has been helped by some injuries to other Mariners relievers.
  • Rangers outfielder Justin Ruggiano could become a trade target for clubs looking for outfield help, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal opines (Twitter link).  Ruggiano signed a one-year, $1.65MM Major League deal with Texas in December to provide depth in left given Josh Hamilton’s injured status, though with Ian Diamond now signed as the regular left field, Ruggiano has become a bit of a surplus.  Ruggiano turns 34 in April and owns an impressive .272/.336/.520 career slash line after left-handed pitching.
  • The Rangers could use a modified four-man rotation as a way of sidestepping a roster crunch in April, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News opines.  The club’s fifth starter candidates operate as swingmen to cover both those spot starts and the role as eighth man in the bullpen.  This could also allow Texas to keep out-of-options Sam Freeman rather than exposing him to waivers.
  • “A baseball team can’t ever be carried by one individual player. Yet Mike Trout comes the closest,” Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan writes in a piece about his site’s outfield projections.  Trout’s projected 8.8 fWAR for 2016 almost single-handedly gives the Angels the best projected outfield in baseball (with right fielder Kole Calhoun contributing 2.8 fWAR and the Daniel Nava/Craig Gentry platoon in left at 0.7 fWAR).  Sullivan feels Trout alone is keeping the Halos competitive, as without him, “the Angels are a group we’d think ought to be rebuilding….the Angels’ situation is miserable. They’d be a bad team with a bad farm system. That’s the worst situation to be in.”
  • In other AL West news from earlier today, the Astros released veteran southpaw Neal Cotts…the Angels shut down C.J. Wilson’s throwing program, and thus the lefty will be sidelined until at least May.

Tigers Among Teams Looking At Kyle Lohse

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11:11am: In addition to the Tigers, Heyman reports (via Twitter) that the Orioles, Rangers and Reds also attended Lohse’s recent showcase.  The O’s and Rangers would presumably also be looking at Lohse as experienced depth, though Baltimore’s rotation is unsettled enough that Lohse could have an opportunity at regular innings.  Cincinnati, meanwhile, is going with a very inexperienced group of starting candidates so Lohse could be a fit as a veteran innings eater.

9:33am: The Tigers “are emphasizing depth” in the starting rotation and have some interest in veteran righty Kyle Lohse, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  Lohse is a client of Scott Boras, who has a well-documented connection with Tigers owner Mike Ilitch.

The Marlins were the only other club connected to the 37-year-old this winter, and the quiet rumor mill probably isn’t a surprise given Lohse’s age and his rough 2015 season.  He posted a 5.85 ERA and 6.4 K/9 over 152 1/3 innings with the Brewers, a performance that cost him his rotation job.  The largest issue seemed to be a 15.3% homer rate that was well above Lohse’s 10% career average, though a .314 BABIP and 68.7% strand rate also added to Lohse’s misfortune. While his ERA indicators (5.12 FIP, 4.48 xFIP, 4.43 SIERA) weren’t particularly impressive, they show that Lohse’s 5.85 ERA was at least a bit misleading.

Lohse is probably available on a minor league deal at this point, and he could provide some veteran depth for a rotation that has had a couple of injury question marks.  Anibal Sanchez recently pitched his first outing of camp on Monday after battling triceps inflammation this spring, and Daniel Norris recently left a start due to tightness in his lower back.  Justin Verlander, Jordan Zimmermann, Sanchez and Mike Pelfrey are penciled in as Detroit’s top four starters, with Shane Greene, Matt Boyd and Buck Farmer all battling Norris for the fifth starter’s job (and potentially a spot outing for Sanchez if he isn’t able to make his first start of the regular season).

AL Notes: Drellich, Odor, Wang, Parker

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The Boston Herald has announced that it has hired Evan Drellich to join Michael Silverman and Jason Mastrodonato on their Red Sox beat. Drellich had previously been with the Houston Chronicle, where he covered the Astros. Before that, he had written about the Red Sox for MLB.com and MassLive.com. We at MLBTR wish Drellich the best of luck as he returns to Boston. Here’s more from the American League.

  • The Rangers have tried to sign young infielder Rougned Odor to an extension, but the two sides found themselves far apart and talks are no longer active, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets. Heyman reported in October that Odor and the Rangers would discuss a deal. Odor, who only recently turned 22, posted a .261/.316/.465 line in 2015 that was perhaps even more promising than it sounds, given the trajectory his season took — he struggled for the first six weeks of the season, headed down to Triple-A Round Rock, posted a 1.065 OPS there, and then batted .292/.334/.527 in the big leagues from June through the end of the year.
  • Earlier today, we noted that one potential competitor for a spot in the Royals’ bullpen, Ross Ohlendorf, had opted out of his contract, giving the Royals 48 hours to place him on the roster or release him. Another potential competitor for one of the bullpen spots Ohlendorf is trying to win is Chien-Ming Wang, who has looked good in Spring Training. Wang’s opt-out date is May 1, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star tweets. That means that, unlike with Ohlendorf, the Royals have a bit of time to figure out how they want to use him.
  • Athletics pitcher Jarrod Parker has “no doubt” he will attempt to return to the mound, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Parker was once one of the game’s most promising starters after two strong seasons with the A’s in 2012 and 2013, but since then his career has become a mess of injuries. Last month, Parker re-fractured the medial epicondyle in his right elbow. He has already had two Tommy John surgeries and has missed the past two seasons, and in April he’ll undergo what sounds like a somewhat experimental surgery performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache to see if it’s possible his UCL can be repaired.

AL Notes: Red Sox, Rangers, Eppler

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The Red Sox could trade from their considerable catching depth, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes. Blake Swihart projects as their starter, while Christian Vazquez has looked good defensively after having Tommy John surgery last year. There’s also veteran Ryan Hanigan, as well as Sandy Leon, who MacPherson notes isn’t on the 40-man roster but is “being paid commensurate with a front-line depth option.” At some point, MacPherson suggests, youngsters Swihart and Vazquez will likely be the Red Sox’ top two catchers. That would imply that Hanigan could be a candidate to be dealt, with the Astros and Rangers as potential trade partners. Hanigan hit a decent .247/.337/.328 last year, has a reputation as a good defender and framer, and is only owed $3.7MM in 2016, so he could be an attractive target for teams in need of catching help. Here’s more from the American League.

  • The Rangers have announced that they’ve optioned high-profile youngsters Joey Gallo, Jurickson Profar and Nomar Mazara to Triple-A Round Rock. Gallo has wowed minor-league fans with his power and hit 29 home runs between three levels in 2015, but he struck out in over 40% of his plate appearances in the big leagues and at nearly as high a rate at Triple-A. Profar was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the game by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus prior to the 2013 season, but he missed all of 2014 and most of 2015 with shoulder issues and has only recently begun playing shortstop again. Mazara, an outfielder, batted .296/.366/.443 in a 2015 season split between Double-A Frisco and Round Rock. Via MLB.com, he ranks as the Rangers’ third-best prospect, with Gallo ranking first.
  • Tyler Kepner of the New York Times’ profile on new Angels GM Billy Eppler describes Eppler’s earlier days as assistant GM of the Yankees. In particular, Kepner gives Eppler credit for many of the Yankees’ smaller but effective moves, like their 2014 stretch-drive trade for Brandon McCarthy and their 2008 offseason deal for Nick Swisher, neither of which cost the Yankees much. “I think you demonstrate that to the people interviewing you, like, ’There’s other moves that the Yankees make,'” says Eppler, who had previously interviewed for the Padres’ and Mariners’ GM jobs, as well as interviewing for the Angels job when it previously went to Jerry Dipoto. “It’s not just the $150 million guys and nothing else. There are other moves; they just don’t grab the attention in New York.”

Rangers Content With Current Catching Situation

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The Rangers have reportedly been in the market for a catcher in recent weeks, but that search has apparently been put on the back burner.  On Sunday, Texas GM Jon Daniels indicated that he will not be adding another catcher between now and Opening Day, as T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com writes.

“At this point I anticipate both our catchers are in camp,” Daniels said. “We are open if there is a true improvement to the team, but we’re not going to change for change’s sake.”

Daniels admitted that he has talked “a little bit” with rival teams about acquiring a catcher, but Sullivan gleans that the asking prices for Derek Norris and Jonathan Lucroy have simply been too high.  Ultimately then, the Rangers will head into April with Robinson Chirinos behind the dish and a handful of veteran catchers jostling for the No. 2 job.

But, aside from Bobby Wilson, Chris Gimenez, and Michael McKenry, Sullivan notes that 2010 sixth-round pick Brett Nicholas has looked strong in camp and could also find his way on to the roster.  Daniels says that the team wasn’t sure what they had in Nicholas but his performance as of late has the club viewing him as “a big league-capable catcher.”  On the other hand, Nicholas can be stashed in the minors whereas the team’s trio of veterans probably can’t.  Gimenez is out-of-options and Wilson and McKenry have opt-out opportunities if they’re not on the big league roster.

In a perfect world, the Rangers would probably prefer to have Lucroy or Norris to shore things up behind the plate, but they are not presently willing to meet the demands of the Brewers or Padres in order to make a trade happen.  The salaries of both players ($4MM and $2.9MM), respectively, are also factors.  Even though those are relatively modest sums, the team is already said to be well over their projected payroll thanks to the Ian Desmond signing.

AL West Notes: Street, Simmons, De Fratus, Romero, Rangers

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If you’re wondering how Angels closer Huston Street has managed to continue befuddling major league hitters despite a lack of an overwhelming fastball, the answer may lie in his incredibly strict routine. As MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez explains in an interesting piece, Street’s daily regimen is shaped by lessons learned from his late father.

Here’s more from the AL West:

  • Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons, the organization’s key offseason addition, has now missed four straight days to rest his arm, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. Manager Mike Scioscia reiterated that the team isn’t concerned with Simmons’s health and is merely “err[ing] on the side of caution.”
  • Mariners skipper Scott Servais says the club has interest in bringing back just-released righty Justin De Fratus on a minor league arrangement, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports on Twitter. That continued interest and the move’s timing could suggest there was a financial motivation for setting De Fratus back on the open market, since there was no corresponding 40-man addition. Also, stashing him in the minors might be the organization’s preferred outcome, and he is out of options. Whether or not De Fratus returns to the fold, Seattle is said to be on the lookout for additional bullpen candidates.
  • The Mariners have several options for right-handed power bats in the first base/DH mix, and MLB.com’s Greg Johns notes that it would be unwise to count out Stefen Romero. He has impressed at the plate and in the field thus far, though he’ll likely still need to beat out both Jesus Montero and Dae-ho Lee to earn a roster spot.
  • Derek Norris may be a more sensible target for the Rangers than Jonathan Lucroy, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News opines. Salary and length of control are the two main factors, but Grant notes that there are some reasons to prefer Norris over Lucroy from an on-field perspective, too.

AL West Notes: Reed, White, Rangers, Desmond, Weaver, Triggs

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The Astros’ first base job remains up for grabs, and general manager Jeff Luhnow tells Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that he can envision prospects A.J. Reed and Tyler White both making the Opening Day roster (audio link), depending on the health of designated hitter Evan Gattis. “Both could make the team,” said Luhnow. “It’s not clear what Gattis’ situation is going to be on Opening Day, and it’s not clear whether he’s going to be ready, so we might have an extra spot. But I wouldn’t say just two guys, either. I think Matt Duffy’s got to be in that equation as well. [Pacific Coast League] player of the year, he’s had a good spring so far, and you can’t count Jon Singleton out either. He’s had a couple of good years in the minor leagues, just hasn’t put it together at the big leagues.” Asked about the impact that Singleton’s contract could play when determining first base playing time, Luhnow expressed confidence that Singleton could still make good on his five-year, $10MM contract but said that decisions of the past won’t impact the present-day roster, and he has to do what’s best for the club. Notably, it should be pointed out that the club’s signing of Doug Fister, which could push Scott Feldman’s $8MM contract to the bullpen, is reflective of that line of thinking.

Here’s more from the AL West…

  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels joined Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News on his podcast, and Grant has transcribed some of the highlights (in addition to providing the full audio, for those that are interested). Daniels addressed the positive signs he’s seen this spring from Joey Gallo, the returning Jurickson Profar and a number of other prospects. Interestingly, Daniels highlighted starting pitching and catching as two potential areas where the club could be exposed. Earlier tonight, Grant reported that the Rangers are surveying the market for catching help and listed Derek Norris as a player of interest.
  • Ian Desmond has reached out to Royals left fielder Alex Gordon for advice in making the transition from the left side of the infield to left field, writes Grant’s colleague Gerry Fraley. Gordon explains to Fraley that one tactic that helped him (and has become a part of his usual pre-game routine) is to spend at least two rounds of batting practice in the outfield, shagging fly-balls as if he were in a game situation. As Fraley notes, Desmond is looking to become the first player in history to start 100 games at shortstop in one season and start 100 games in left field in the season to follow.
  • Angels right-hander Jered Weaver has a bulging disk on the left side of his neck that sometimes triggers irritation in his left arm, writes Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times, but his neck troubles don’t appear to be related to his declining velocity in the estimation of the doctors Weaver has visited. Weaver said that there are no more tests to be performed and no more doctors to see about the issue, joking that he “almost wishes” that doctors would inform him he needs surgery, just so he could know the cause of his velocity loss. While Shaikin notes that Weaver’s frustration is apparent, the 33-year-old says he’ll take the ball whenever asked. Weaver is scheduled to pitch on Saturday, but manager Mike Scioscia tells the L.A. media that the Halos will first evaluate him in a bullpen session on Wednesday.
  • Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan loves the Athletics’ claim of right-handed reliever Andrew Triggs off of release waivers from the Orioles. Though the 27-year-old hasn’t yet reached the Majors, Sullivan notes that the improvement in Triggs’ K%-BB% from 2014 to 2015 ranked sixth among all minor leaguers, rating him alongside the likes of Mychal Givens and Tony Zych — two relievers that had breakout campaigns after making such gains. Triggs’ low arm slot and slider also yield plenty of ground-balls, and the last homer he allowed came in 2014, Sullivan notes. While Triggs is no sure thing to make a near-term impact, Sullivan opines that the decision to release him to clear room for Pedro Alvarez was curious, as there were other candidates on the 40-man roster that carry less intrigue than Triggs.

Rangers Exploring Catching Market, Showing Interest In Derek Norris

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The Rangers are “surveying the market for a possible catching addition,” three sources tell Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. While the Rangers have had interest in Jonathan Lucroy all offseason, Grant cites another source in reporting that the Padres’ Derek Norris is a likelier target at this stage.

Norris, 27, is more affordable for the 2016 season ($2.9MM versus Lucroy’s $4MM), and he’s under control through the 2018 season, whereas Lucroy is controlled only through the 2017 campaign (by virtue of a club option following the upcoming season). While the $1.1MM difference between their 2016 seasons appears largely trivial relative to big league payrolls, Grant notes that the Rangers have already exceeded their projected payroll by $7MM (in large part due to their late signing of Ian Desmond).

Though he had somewhat of a down season at the plate last year, hitting .250/.305/.404, Norris has plenty of bat for the position and has amassed a .256/.333/.405 slash line dating back to 2013 despite playing his home games in the pitcher-friendly confines of Oakland’s O.Co Coliseum and San Diego’s Petco Park. He’s caught 27 percent of opposing base-stealers in the Majors, including a career-best 34 percent with the Padres in 2015. And, he delivered quality framing numbers last season in the eyes of Baseball Prospectus.

From the Padres’ vantage point, catching is a position of depth. Not only does the club have an experienced option in Norris, the club also has a pair of young backstops in the form of Austin Hedges and Christian Bethancourt. Each player has rated among the game’s top 100 prospects as recently as last offseason, though both did struggle in the Majors in 2015. The 23-year-old Hedges, considered one of the best defensive catching prospects in baseball, tallied 152 plate appearances in 2015 but batted a mere .168/.215/.248 in that stretch. Hedges tallied just enough plate appearances to surpass his rookie status, thus making him ineligible for prospect lists, but his defensive prowess and solid production in limited time at Triple-A in 2015 would’ve likely kept him ranked near the top of the Padres’ list of farmhands.

Bethancourt, like Hedges, has eclipsed rookie status despite struggles in the Majors. Acquired in an offseason swap with the Braves, the 24-year-old has hit just .219/.245/.283 in 278 big league plate appearances across the past few seasons with Atlanta. However, Bethancourt hit .327/.359/.480 in 218 Triple-A plate appearances last year and has received grades of 70 to 80 for his arm behind the plate (on the 20-80 scale). However, passed ball issues that some scouts believed he’d eventually correct never improved, resulting in an alarming 14 passed balls in just 73 games last season. Because he’s out of minor league options, Bethancourt will have to be placed on the Padres’ 25-man roster at the end of Spring Training or be exposed to waivers.

This won’t be the first time that Norris’ name has surfaced in trade talks. The Padres reportedly shopped both Norris and Hedges around a bit at the Winter Meetings, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported back in November. More recently (in February, to be exact), Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports said that the Padres were still exploring deals for Norris in Matt Kemp. If the Rangers add Norris, Grant writes, it would allow them to lessen the workload of Robinson Chirinos, perhaps starting him in 70 to 80 games with Norris taking on a slightly larger workload. Internal options for the Rangers would include Michael McKenry, Bobby Wilson and Chris Gimenez. Tigers backstop Bryan Holaday has also seen his name surface in trade rumors recently, as he looks to be third on the Detroit depth chart and is out of minor league options.

AL Notes: Athletics, Lucroy, Eveland

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The Athletics’ collection of infield prospects will be key to the organization’s future, MLB.com’s Jim Callis writes. Seven of the Athletics’ top eight prospects — Franklin Barreto, Matt Olson, Richie Martin, Renato Nunez, Matt Chapman, Yairo Munoz and Chad Pinder — play in the infield. All except Martin appear likely to start the year in Double-A or Triple-A. “The future of our organization really resides in that core group,” says A’s farm director Keith Lieppman. “There’s a real intent to get them exposed to as much as possible. Whether they go up later in the year or up in 2017, we have a crop of guys in Double-A and Triple-A who are all going to have an opportunity to make the A’s competitive in the future.” As Callis notes, the amount of infield talent in the A’s system raises questions about whether the ever-active Billy Beane could deal from that surplus — he’s already traded top infield prospects Addison Russell and Daniel Robertson in recent seasons. Here’s more from the AL.

  • The Rangers still have interest in adding Jonathan Lucroy, tweets FOX’s Ken Rosenthal, but they haven’t had recent discussions with the Brewers about the former All-Star catcher. The Astros and Athletics have also had some interest in Lucroy, Rosenthal notes. It’s rare but not unprecedented to see a player of Lucroy’s caliber dealt at this juncture of Spring Training; last year the Braves sent Craig Kimbrel to the Padres the night before Opening Day, for instance.
  • Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune spoke to left-hander Dana Eveland, who is in camp with the Rays on a minor league deal in hopes of making the ’pen as a second lefty behind Xavier Cedeno. Eveland candidly admitted to Mooney that he wasn’t too excited by the prospect of pitching for the Rays earlier this offseason, as he’d hoped to land with a club that played its spring games in Arizona (near his southern California home) — preferably an NL team. However, Eveland went to camp with an open mind and a curiosity about how the Rays have done so well in the division over the past decade despite their modest payroll, and he’s quite happy in his new environment. “There is obviously something they do well here on the developmental side,” said Eveland. “I was curious. I want to know: Am I going to be a better pitcher if I spend a year in this organization or for however long it’s going to be?” The 32-year-old Eveland said that he’s willing to go to Triple-A, though he hopes to break camp with the team. If he does make the team, he could be retained via arbitration this offseason, as he has four years and 55 days of big league service time.
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