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Rangers Interested In Joe Kelly, Drew Smyly

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The Rangers have spoken to the Red Sox about right-hander Joe Kelly, reports MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan (via Twitter), who adds that Rays lefty Drew Smyly is another potential target for the Rangers. Meanwhile, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo tweets that the Rangers are “very interested” in Kelly. Rob Bradford of WEEI spoke with Kelly himself, who acknowledged the possibility that he could be moved due to Boston’s rotation surplus.

Kelly, 27, struggled tremendously in his first 14 starts with Boston, logging a 5.67 ERA that prompted a demotion to the minors. Upon returning, Kelly pitched to a much-improved 3.77 ERA with a 50-to-18 K/BB ratio in 11 starts, including an impressive 2.35 mark across his final eight outings of the season. Kelly also averaged 95.4 mph on his fastball, ranking him among the game’s hardest-throwing starters, and can be controlled for three more seasons via the arbitration process. If Texas, or any other club, believes that his end-of-season production is sustainable, he’s certainly an appealing trade chip. And, of course, many have long believed that Kelly could thrive in a bullpen role, which would be a nice fallback option for any team should he not pan out in the rotation.

The 26-year-old Smyly stands out as another reasonable rotation target for the Rangers. Like Kelly, he’s controllable through the 2018 season, though he’s coming off a season that was significantly shortened by a small labral tear in his left shoulder. Smyly threw just 66 1/3 innings for the Rays in 2015, although they were high in quality, as has come to be the expectation. Smyly logged a 3.11 ERA with 10.4 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 to go along with a 36.8 percent ground-ball rate. While the Rays have already moved one starter this winter in Nate Karns, reports have indicated over the past month that they’re open to moving another arm.

NL Central Notes: Castro, Montero, Kazmir, Walker, Lucroy

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With the Cubs contending and enjoying skyrocketing revenues, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times wonders why these added resources haven’t translated to extra payroll for the baseball operations department.  It’s possible payroll won’t truly rise to the level of other big-market teams until the Cubs renegotiate their next TV contract, which is due to expire in four years.  With revenues booming, Wittenmyer reports that president of business operations Crane Kenney has signed a contract extension that will keep him with the organization through at least the 2020 season.  Here’s some more from around the NL Central…

  • Starlin Castro was told after the season that he wouldn’t be traded, Wittenmyer reports, as the Cubs believe him to be a major building block for their 2016 roster.  Castro’s name has swirled in trade rumors for the last two years, most recently in discussions with the Yankees for Brett Gardner just a few weeks ago.  If the Cubs indeed do plan to keep Castro (barring an unexpectedly great offer, of course), that would seem to make Jorge Soler the team’s top trade chip among position players.
  • Miguel Montero could also be a trade candidate, as Wittenmyer hears from a source that the team is now considering the possibility of moving the catcher to free payroll space.  Moving the $28MM remaining on Montero’s deal through 2017 could save enough money for the team to make a big-ticket splurge on the likes of a Jason Heyward.  The issue with dealing Montero is that it leaves the Cubs very thin at catcher, as the slugging Kyle Schwarber is still very much a work in progress behind the plate.
  • While the Pirates have been interested in Scott Kazmir in the past, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link) believes the rising costs of free agent pitching will put the lefty out of the Bucs’ price range.
  • In another tweet from Biertempfel, he hears that the Mets and Orioles “still have at least lukewarm interest” in Neil Walker.  Pittsburgh and Baltimore have discussed Walker “off and on” during the winter, while New York is a new player in connection with Walker’s services.  The Mets are likely to have a hole at second base with Daniel Murphy’s departure, though Walker’s MLBTR-projected $10.7MM salary in arbitration may be as much of an issue for the budget-conscious Mets as it is for the Pirates.
  • The Rangers have shown interest in Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.  The Brewers are receiving “plenty of action” on Lucroy from several teams but it would take a huge offer to entice Milwaukee to part with the former All-Star.
  • From that same piece, Haudricourt opines that it would make sense for the Brewers to trade Jean Segura sooner rather than later.  Dealing Segura would open the door for prospect Oswaldo Arcia at the shortstop, and the Crew could use Jonathan Villar and Yadiel Rivera at short until Arcia was ready for the majors.  That said, Haudricourt feels Adam Lind is the far more likely Brewer to be dealt during the Winter Meetings.

Rangers Notes: Frazier, Moreland, Napoli

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Here’s the latest out of Arlington…

  • GM Jon Daniels cited a right-handed hitter who can play left field and first base as an “important” need for the team, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.  Such a player could both platoon with Mitch Moreland and fill in for Josh Hamilton in left, or possibly act as cover should Hamilton again miss significant time with injuries.  Ryan Rua or Patrick Kivlehan are internal options who lack experience in such a role, while the free agent market offers some possibilities at both positions (Steve Pearce, Sean Rodriguez) or one or the other.  The best-case scenario for Texas, of course, would be that Hamilton stays healthy, and with that still a possibility, the Rangers aren’t likely to invest in a major left field upgrade like Justin Upton.
  • Also from Wilson’s piece, he interestingly notes that the Rangers checked in with the Reds on Todd Frazier, though “nothing came out of [the] conversation.”  Frazier, who played some left in the minors, would’ve been used as that first base/left field bat rather than his usual third base spot, which is obviously spoken for by Adrian Beltre.  Presumably Frazier would’ve gotten more regular playing time than a regular platooner, and with Beltre a free agent after 2016, Frazier could’ve then been an option to replace him at the hot corner.
  • The Rangers like Mike Napoli but the first base/DH situation is already pretty filled by Moreland and Prince Fielder, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes.  “Mike probably fits us best if there is another move where we get presented with something on the trade front that opens some playing time up,” Daniels said.  Moreland is clearly much more likely to be dealt than Fielder, and Grant opines that the Pirates could be a good fit due to Moreland’s long relationship with Bucs manager Clint Hurdle and their need at first base with Pedro Alvarez gone.
  • In another piece from Grant, he talks to Daniels about how the Rangers will go about acquiring starters in what has become a particularly expensive market for pitching.  As Daniels notes, the Rangers “were kind of anticipating this kind of market” which is why they instead got a long-term ace in Cole Hamels last summer.  That deal cost them a hefty sum in prospects but it could end up costing Texas less than what other teams have paid to sign or acquire top-of-the-rotation arms this winter.  Daniels doesn’t anticipate making another major deal of minor leaguers to add another pitcher.  Grant suggests a few lower-cost options, like re-signing Colby Lewis or signing non-tendered free agents like Henderson Alvarez or Mike Minor who could be buy-low candidates.

Heyman’s Latest: Cueto, Giants, Rangers, Alvarez, Puig

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Johnny Cueto tops the list as the key player to watch at the Winter Meetings, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman writes in his latest Inside Baseball piece.  Several big-market clubs have already checked in on Cueto and the Dodgers may hold particular interest since they considered trading for Cueto at the deadline last summer but held off out of a desire to keep their top prospects.  Heyman’s piece was written before the news of Zack Greinke’s deal with the Diamondbacks broke, so it stands to reason that the Dodgers’ interest could be even greater with Greinke off the board.  The Cardinals, Heyman reports, haven’t checked in on Cueto, as the righty “had a rough relationship with Cardinal Nation while starring in Cincinnati.”

Here are some of the hot stove highlights of Heyman’s lengthy news roundup…

  • The Giants may pursue not one but two pitchers now that they’ve missed out on Greinke.  San Francisco is “believed to have big money to spend” and they’ve been connected to such names as Mike Leake and Jeff Samardzija.
  • The Rangers are receiving a lot of interest in many of their top relievers, including closer Shawn Tolleson, Jake Diekman, Sam Dyson and the newly-acquired Tom Wilhelmsen.
  • The Rangers’ shopping list includes a right-handed bat for lineup balance and a starting pitcher likely to fill out the back of the rotation.  Texas is also looking for a young catcher.  Earlier this week, the Rangers were said to be working on a deal to add a catcher but no trade materialized.
  • Pedro Alvarez has received calls from five teams, including the Indians, since being non-tendered by the Pirates earlier this week.
  • Another non-tendered Alvarez, former Marlins righty Henderson Alvarez, is also drawing a lot of interest on the open market, with 10 teams checking in.  Though 2015 was a lost year for Alvarez due to injuries and he may miss some time in 2016 in the wake of shoulder surgery, it’s no surprise that Alvarez is a hot commodity given his track record.
  • The Marlins’ desire to trade Marcell Ozuna is well-known, though Heyman notes that one obstacle is Miami’s lack of a ready-made replacement in center field.  In a tweet from this morning, Heyman wonders if Dexter Fowler could be pursued since Fowler was formerly tutored by new Miami hitting coach Barry Bonds.  There hasn’t yet been any sign that the Marlins are interested in Fowler, however.
  • Speaking of Marlins trades, closer A.J. Ramos and third baseman Martin Prado have both drawn interest but Heyman figures the team isn’t too likely to part with either player.
  • A few teams called the Dodgers to ask about Yasiel Puig’s availability but the Dodgers aren’t keen on selling low on the outfielder.  The team intends to “try to reach him” and inspire Puig to return to his old form.  The Dodgers are more likely to trade Carl Crawford or Andre Ethier if they do decide to move an outfielder, though dealing either could be hard given the crowded outfield market (not to mention both players’ salaries).
  • Daniel Murphy was connected to the Dodgers this offseason but he “doesn’t appear to be at the forefront” of the team’s plans at the moment.
  • The Mets seem to be more serious about adding a platoon partner for Juan Lagares in center field rather than sign an everyday center fielder like Fowler or Denard Span.
  • Brett Gardner’s name has surfaced in trade rumors this winter but “there isn’t currently any traction for a trade” between the Yankees and any other teams.
  • The Yankees are another team monitoring the free agent pitching market and New York “may be laying in the weeds” to make its move on Samardzija or Wei-Yin Chen.
  • Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar would be a fit with the Cubs but there is “nothing to that one at the moment.”  It’s hard to see Toronto dealing the defensively-spectacular Pillar given how their next best center field option (Dalton Pompey) is still unproven at the Major League level and struggled badly when given the everyday job last April.

Free Agent Notes: Utley, Victorino, Cubs, Rangers, Giants, Non-Tenders

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Both the Angels and Dodgers have ongoing interest in free agent Chase Utley, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com tweets. A source tells Stark that the veteran would like to play in his native California, and it seems he’ll have options to do just that. Utley has been consistently linked to the Dodgers since they declined his $15MM option, and agent Joel Wolfe recently went on-record to state that five or six teams have expressed interest in Utley as a “mostly everyday infielder.” From my vantage point, the Angels have a clearer path to regular (or near-regular) at-bats for Utley. The Dodgers have multiple infield options, including Enrique Hernandez and Jose Peraza.

A few more notes on the free-agent market…

  • Another former Phillies stalwart, Shane Victorino, is telling clubs that he intends to return to switch hitting in advance of the 2016 season, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. “I am finding out that not switch-hitting and not doing things from both sides of the plate had lots to do with the way my body has felt,” Victorino told Rosenthal. “Going back and doing things from both sides is such a good thing for my body now that I can physically do it again.”
  • Within that same piece, Rosenthal notes that the Cubs are “busy” looking for a center fielder but are faced with relatively limited options. Dexter Fowler is a possibility for the Cubs but is currently exploring the open market. Signing Jason Heyward to play center field is an option, but the team would then need to address its rotation in a cost-effective manner by trading a young bat such as Jorge Soler or Javier Baez. If Soler ends up being the price to bolster the rotation, then the outfield would, of course, remain an issue.
  • The Rangers still love Mike Napoli, tweets MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, but general manager Jon Daniels indicated today that his club may not have the “right spot” to fit Napoli into the mix next season. Sullivan’s Seattle counterpart, Greg Johns, however, tweets that Napoli could potentially be of interest to the Mariners, who have a need at first base after trading both Logan Morrison and Mark Trumbo this offseason. Napoli struggled for much of the season in Boston but was reinvigorated by a return to the Lone Star State, hitting .295/.396/.513 in 91 plate appearances with the Rangers. His cumulative .278/.391/.563 line against lefties last year indicates that Napoli, at the very least, is still a highly potent platoon option.
  • Sticking with former Rangers, right-hander Colby Lewis tells Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram that Dr. Keith Meister gave him a “thumbs up” on his left knee (links to Twitter). Lewis has been working out and expects to be 100 percent for Spring Training. Many teams have contacted his agents at Octagon, says Lewis, though he remains hopeful that the Rangers will be interested after his latest knee exam. There’s some interest on both sides, according to Wilson.
  • The Giants consider Jeff Samardzija and Mike Leake fallback plans in the event that they’re unable to lure Zack Greinke away from L.A., tweets Rosenthal. John Lackey, too, is a consideration for San Francisco. There’s no word yet on a decision from Greinke, who is said to be choosing between the Dodgers and Giants.
  • In the wake of yesterday’s tender deadline, MLB.com’s Zachary Finkelstein identified five non-tendered players that are still worthy of roster spots and can be potential bargains for clubs in 2016 (and, in some cases, beyond). Henderson Alvarez tops the list and is followed by Pedro Alvarez, Chris Carter, Tyler Flowers and Neftali Feliz. Alvarez’s youth and track record, the power of Alvarez and Carter, the pitch-framing abilities of Flowers and still-strong velocity plus a nice finish for Feliz give some elements of value to each, he writes.

Rangers Working On Deal For Backup Catcher

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The Rangers have a deal in the works that would bring in a “backup type catcher,” according to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan (Twitter links). If Texas pulls off the deal, says Sullivan, there could be an impact on its non-tender decisions this evening.

There are two backstops on the Rangers’ rolls of arbitration-eligible players: Chris Gimenez ($1MM projection) and Robinson Chirinos ($1.4MM). It seems unlikely that the latter would be displaced from the roster after averaging a league-average batting line and just over 300 plate appearances in each of the last two years. He can be controlled for two more seasons after this one.

Gimenez, though, could be at risk. Soon to be 33, he slashed an excellent .255/.330/.490 in just over one hundred plate appearances last year, but that doesn’t line up with his more modest career numbers. It’s certainly possible to imagine that Texas wouldn’t want to commit to giving him a roster spot if another option is added.

Rangers Acquire Patrick Kivlehan To Complete Martin Trade

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The Rangers have acquired corner infielder/outfielder Patrick Kivlehan as the player to be named later in the recent trade that sent Leonys Martin to the Mariners, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News tweets and the teams have announced.

Kivlehan, 25, posted a .256/.313/.453 batting line in 518 plate appearances at Triple-A last year, hitting 22 home runs in the process. He’s hit for a better average and reached base at a better clip in prior seasons, though, and showed enough that MLB.com recently rated him Seattle’s fifth-best prospect. The MLB.com team credits Kivlehan with good athleticism and makeup, noting that he’s still working on his polish after having spent much of his college career playing football.

In sum, then, Texas’s haul for Martin and righty Anthony Bass includes Kivlehan, young outfielder James Jones, and righty Tom Wilhelmsen.

 

Prospect Notes: Rule 5, Peraza, AFL

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Though it won’t take place until the end of the Winter Meetings, the stage has been set for the Rule 5 draft, as teams re-set their 40-man rosters in preparation. Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper breaks down the players who weren’t protected and thus remain eligible to be plucked away. Cooper writes that we’re unlikely to see a repeat of last year’s incredible Rule 5 success rate, but still manages to come up with a large group of players who could draw interest. Best of all, they are sorted by player type (e.g., “inexperienced pitchers with great arms”).

Here are a few more prospect-related links to check out:

  • MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo answered reader questions in a mailbag today. Among other topics, he talks about the status of Dodgers second baseman Jose Peraza. The club ought to give him a chance to win regular playing time this spring, Mayo argues.
  • Mayo also recently listed ten standout prospects from the just-concluded Arizona Fall League. This group doesn’t reflect the players with the highest prospect standing from the fall league, but rather those that most improved their standing during the short season. Among them is Cardinals infielder Aledmys Diaz, who was outrighted last year but finished with a robust .315/.370/.616 line in Arizona and was added back to the 40-man roster.
  • Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s Eric Longenhagen took a detailed look at the fall league results. Catcher Gary Sanchez of the Yankees and Rangers center fielder Lewis Brinson were among the players who showed increased promise from a scouting perspective. Also drawing that review was lefty Josh Hader, who was one of several interesting players who went to the Brewers in the Carlos Gomez/Mike Fiers trade.

Rosenthal On Tigers, Nats, Papelbon, Cespedes

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has tons of great info and insight in his latest column.  The whole article is worth a read, but here’s a look at a few of the highlights:

  • Before acquiring Francisco Rodriguez via trade, the Tigers made an offer to free agent Joakim Soria, major league sources tell Rosenthal.  They also inquired on a few Nationals relievers, including Jonathan Papelbon and Drew Storen.  George A. King III of the New York Post first reported that there were discussions earlier this month between Soria and Detroit.  Soria is seeking a three-year, $27MM deal, so that was likely too rich for the Tigers’ blood.
  • Papelbon and Storen have been mentioned in rumors for some time now and sources tell Rosenthal that both are likely to be moved.  Meanwhile, talk persists that the Nationals have been one of the clubs trying to pry closer Aroldis Chapman away from the Reds.  All in all, it seems like Washington is looking for a major overhaul in their bullpen.  Still, the Nats feel that a left-hander hitter is their biggest need and they could also be on the hunt for a starting pitcher.
  • The Rangers inquired on Yoenis Cespedes multiple times when he was crushing homers for the A’s, sources tell Rosenthal, but it still seems unlikely that they’ll send the money necessary to sign him this winter.  Last week, Steve Adams looked at the Rangers’ various options as a part of MLBTR’s Offseason Outlook series.

Free Agent Starter Notes: Price, Zimmermann, Buehrle

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Here are some items about some notable pitchers on the open market…

  • David Price and Jordan Zimmermann have both been cited as Cubs targets this winter, and ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers looks at the pros and cons for signing each starter for the Northsiders.
  • A reunion between Mark Buehrle and the White Sox is probably unlikely, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin writes as part of a reader mailbag, since adding Buehrle would give the Sox five left-handers in the rotation.  It isn’t yet clear if Buehrle plans to pitch in 2016 but at least 10 teams have shown interest if he did come back for another season.
  • Colby Lewis underwent meniscus surgery after the season and will have a checkup on his progress around Thanksgiving, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reports.  The Rangers are interested in re-signing Lewis but they’ll wait to see the results of the checkup before they revisit negotiations.
  • The Rangers have been aggressive in checking out the trade and free agent markets for a pitching upgrade, but Sullivan notes that the most expensive pitchers (i.e. Price, Zack Greinke) aren’t being targeted.  Beyond finding a new starter, the biggest help to the Texas rotation will be if Yu Darvish, Martin Perez, Derek Holland are all healthy next season.
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