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Offseason Outlook: Texas Rangers

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Despite losing ace Yu Darvish to Tommy John surgery in Spring Training, the Rangers shocked everyone with a return to the postseason. Now, they’ll look to build toward a 2016 return despite possibly losing a few key contributors to free agency.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Prince Fielder, 1B/DH: $120MM through 2020 ($6MM paid annually by Tigers)
  • Elvis Andrus, SS: $103MM through 2022 (can opt out after 2018 or 2019 seasons)
  • Shin-Soo Choo, OF: $102MM through 2020
  • Cole Hamels, SP: $73.5MM through 2018
  • Yu Darvish, SP: $21MM through 2017
  • Adrian Beltre, 3B: $18MM through 2016
  • Derek Holland, $11.5MM through 2016 (includes buyout of 2017 option)
  • Martin Perez, SP: $9.75MM through 2017 (includes buyout of 2018 option)
  • Josh Hamilton, OF: About $6MM through 2017 (can opt out after 2016 season)

Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections via MLB Trade Rumors)

Contract Options

  • None

Free Agents

Most pundits were throwing dirt on the Rangers’ grave as early as March. The news of Yu Darvish’s Tommy John surgery and pre-existing injuries to Derek Holland, Martin Perez and others led observers to wonder how Texas could conceivably contend in a tough AL West — especially considering no one knew what to expect from Prince Fielder coming off 2014 neck surgery.

As we know now, the story played out quite differently. Fielder returned with a flourish, earning American League Comeback Player of the Year honors. The club rode early, albeit unsustainable hot streaks from the likes of Nick Martinez and Wandy Rodriguez, each of whom helped bridge the gap to the return of Holland and Perez. Shawn Tolleson stepped up and solidified the ninth inning after former Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz was designated for assignment and released. Everything seemed to click for the Rangers, whose outlook heading into 2016 already looks vastly improved.

That’s due, in large part, to the fact that the Rangers effectively did some of their offseason shopping in July. The loss of the five prospects with which GM Jon Daniels parted to acquire Hamels undoubtedly stung, but the Rangers softened the blow by convincing the Phillies to surrender live-armed lefty setup man Jake Diekman, take on the remainder of Matt Harrison’s contract and include $9.5MM in cash. Hamels will probably be the Opening Day starter for Texas next season unless Darvish is ready to go for the opener. Regardless of their ordering, that duo will create a formidable one-two punch for second-year manager Jeff Banister.

The Rangers have Holland, Perez, Martinez, former first-rounder Chi Chi Gonzalez and Nick Tepesch as internal rotation options to fill in behind the co-aces, but there’s still interest in re-signing Colby Lewis, and a reunion with Fort Worth native Yovani Gallardo can’t be ruled out. Gallardo should command at least a three-year deal, if not four, but the Rangers made sure to recoup some value by a qualifying offer to the right-hander, so they’ll secure a 2016 draft pick if he’s not retained.

Adding a starting pitcher is said to be a priority for the Rangers, and I’d imagine they’ll look to add an arm even if a new pact with Lewis is reached. Lewis delivered 204 innings for an injury-hampered club, but he turned 36 in August and logged a 4.66 ERA (4.17 FIP) this season. If he can be had on a one-year deal, it could make sense to lock down those innings but still bring in a younger arm that can be relied upon for better results.

It’s not clear whether the Rangers would be open to free agents that require draft pick forfeiture, but reports early in the offseason indicated that they’d only be interested in Matt Wieters if the Orioles’ catcher did not receive a QO. (Of course, Wieters did receive one and made the surprising decision to accept, so he’s not a consideration anymore.) If the team is intent upon keeping its pick, then the free agent pitching options could include names like J.A. Happ, Scott Kazmir, Rich Hill, Mike Leake, Mike Pelfrey, and Chris Young.

Of course, that prior report on Wieters also seems to indicate an openness to upgrading at catcher. Daniels has expressed a willingness to do so this winter, but the need isn’t as strong as many would think. Robinson Chirinos is far from a household name, but the 31-year-old batted .232/.325/.438 with 13 homers this season to go along with more or less average pitch-framing numbers and a solid 29 percent caught-stealing rate. He’s not a defensive wizard nor is he an elite slugger, but his bat is above-average for a catcher, he’s a competent defender and he can be had for little more than the league-minimum. Wins above replacement pegs Chirinos at about four wins over the past two seasons (4.2 rWAR, 3.8 fWAR). That’s a useful starter, especially at his price, and clear free-agent upgrades aren’t readily available, especially with Wieters and A.J. Pierzynski off the market. Jonathan Lucroy could potentially be a sizable upgrade, but he finished the year battling post-concussion symptoms, casting some doubt on his ability to get behind the dish every day. (He played only first base upon return from the disabled list.) The Brewers would probably be open to moving him for a significant return, but they may be able to extract more from an acquiring team if Lucroy is traded this summer once he demonstrates his health. Whenever he’s made available, the Rangers will probably at least check in.

Looking around the infield, the Rangers are set with Mitch Moreland at first base, Rougned Odor at second, Elvis Andrus at shortstop and Adrian Beltre at third base. In the event that either corner option falls to injury — each has had some struggles with the injury bug in recent years — prospect Joey Gallo could again enter the fold. Gallo wowed early in his Major League debut, but his penchant for strikeouts was soon exposed. He ultimately landed in Triple-A and struggled to make contact there as well. Still, Gallo is a potential 40-homer threat, and the Rangers may want to find a way to see him in the Majors for an extended time next year, as he could be the team’s regular third baseman as soon as 2017.

Texas will probably shop Andrus’ unfortunate contract around to see if there are any takers for the 27-year-old, but that’s not likely (at least, not without the Rangers taking on a similarly undesirable deal or absorbing an enormous amount of cash). Andrus’ bat never developed like Texas hoped, and it in fact regressed heavily following the 2012 season. Defensive metrics have been down on Andrus over the past two seasons as well, with his once premium ratings slipping to well below-average over that two-year span.

One idea that the Rangers are said to be considering is a long-term contract for Odor. Still just 21 years old, Odor looked utterly lost early in the season, and a .144/.252/.233 batting line in mid-May finally earned him a demotion back to the minors. Odor remained at Triple-A for about five weeks before returning with a 3-for-3 showing on June 15. That big game set the tone for the rest of his season, as the highly touted young infielder would hit an incredible .292/.334/.527 with 15 home runs over his final 91 games. That’s outstanding production for any second baseman, let alone one who is younger than the average player in the Class-A Midwest League. An extension would guarantee Odor his first fortune while possibly extending the Rangers’ club control into Odor’s free agent years by a season or two. Odor currently projects to be a free agent heading into his age-27 season, so he can still hit the open market at a young age even if he signs away a free agent year in exchange for his first major payday.

The X-factor in the infield is shortstop Jurickson Profar. Formerly ranked the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, Profar’s career has stalled after he twice ripped a muscle in his shoulder, requiring a pair of surgeries and a lengthy rehabilitation. Profar is making up for some lost time by playing in the Arizona Fall League, but he’s been DHing there and still needs to work his way back up to full-time fielding efforts. If it seems like forever ago that Profar homered in his first Major League at-bat, that’s because that long ball occurred back in 2012. The Rangers almost certainly wouldn’t sell this low by trading Profar now, especially when he’s so close to a possible Major League return. They’ll instead see if he can handle some time in the middle infield next year, possibly starting him out at Triple-A while working him back in with the glove. In the unlikely event that the team is able to find a taker for Andrus, the Rangers could bring in a veteran shortstop like Cliff Pennington or Clint Barmes (if not a more expensive option like Alexei Ramirez or Jimmy Rollins) to handle shortstop and hope that Profar can eventually slide into regular reps there. Or, young Hanser Alberto, who filled in admirably for the injured Beltre in late 2015, could see some time there.

In the outfield, Choo’s contract isn’t exactly favorable in its own right, but his second half makes it look far less daunting for the Rangers. The 33-year-old delivered a strong August and a Herculean September to end with a .343/.455/.560 second-half batting line. He won’t repeat the .420 BABIP that he logged following the break, but Choo walked at a 14.4 percent clip and slugged 11 homers over his final 305 plate appearances, so the improved production wasn’t all BABIP smoke and mirrors. Perhaps it’s not enough to convince a team to take on Choo’s contract in a trade, but it’s enough that the team can feel more comfortable that he can hold down a prominent role heading into the 2016 campaign.

The Rangers’ first major move of the offseason was to ship out Leonys Martin in an intradivision trade that netted Tom Wilhelmsen, James Jones and a player to be named later from the Mariners. In doing so, Texas essentially named Delino DeShields Jr. its starting center fielder. He’ll receive the bulk of the at-bats there and bring plenty of speed to the top of the order. A left-handed hitting backup option might be worth considering, though Jones, acquired in the Martin trade, could fill that role, and DeShields’ .334 OBP versus right-handers in 2015 doesn’t suggest that a platoon is necessary.

Hamilton is in line to receive quite a bit of playing time as well, but he underwent a second minor knee operation this winter and struggled to stay healthy in 2015. The Rangers picked him up on the cheap from the Angels and aren’t heavily invested in Hamilton from a financial standpoint, so I don’t envision him standing in the way of a significant bat, should an opportunity present itself. A right-handed bat is said to be something Daniels and Co. are seeking this offseason, and left field would make a reasonable place to deploy that bat. However, a run at Justin Upton or Yoenis Cespedes could simply be deemed too pricey. Texas already has $76.5MM committed as far out as the 2018 season and $54MM in both 2019 and 2020. Adding another $20MM+ salary to the ledger for those seasons this far in advance is a risky endeavor and probably shouldn’t be deemed likely unless the club shuffles some salary by dealing Andrus or Choo.

Perhaps a more likely scenario would be an addition in the Steve Pearce mold — a player who can at least platoon with Hamilton in left field and can also fill in for Mitch Moreland at first base if needed. Pearce crushes left-handed pitching and would bring a bit of versatility to the table as an emergency option elsewhere around the infield (he played some second base in Baltimore in 2015). Texas could pursue a reunion with Mike Napoli, who filled that role last year, but Napoli’s left-field experience is limited to 2015, whereas Pearce has more than 2,000 innings of outfield experience between the Majors and Minors.

With Tolleson, Wilhelmsen, July acquisition Sam Dyson (one of the most underrated trade pickups of the year) and brilliant rookie Keone Kela serving as right-handed bullpen options and Diekman representing a terrific left-handed option, there’s a lot of talent in the bullpen. Sam Freeman is a potential second lefty after logging a 3.05 ERA in 38 1/3 innings, but while Freeman struck out 40 hitters in that time he also walked 25 men — an average of nearly six free passes per nine innings. A lefty with better control is something the Rangers may consider, and there’s the possibility that they’ll pursue a more proven ninth-inning arm. Tolleson was great for much of the season but did wilt late in the year. Then again, that could have something to do with Banister’s alarming decision to pitch Tolleson on five consecutive days from late September into early October.

The bottom line for the Rangers is that a team that was little more than an afterthought seven months ago is now entering the offseason with firm expectations of contending in 2016. Daniels and his staff will look to supplement the team’s lineup and rotation with complementary pieces, knowing full well that much of the club’s core is already in place.

Mariners Acquire Leonys Martin From Rangers For Tom Wilhelmsen

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The Mariners have officially struck a deal to acquire outfielder Leonys Martin and righty Anthony Bass from the Rangers in exchange for right-handed reliever Tom Wilhelmsen, outfielder James Jones, and a player to be named later.

May 29, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder <a rel=

Martin had fallen out of favor in Texas after a rough 2015 season. The 27-year-old is an outstanding defender and major threat on the bases, but he slashed just .219/.264/.313 over 310 plate appearances. In the meantime, the Rangers found a Rule 5 gem in Delino DeShields Jr. While he and Martin made for a natural platoon pairing, there seemed to be some discord between Martin and the club after he was left off of the playoff roster and then refused to participate in Instructional League as a way to stay ready in case he was needed.

New Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto said that he sees Martin as a victim of bad luck — citing his .270 BABIP last year, which fell well below his .313 career mark — who ought to turn things around. (Via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, on Twitter.) It appears that Martin will go right to the top of the depth chart in Seattle, though Dipoto also told reporters tonight that another outfield addition could still be in the offing. It’s a good bet, though, that the team won’t now chase top free agents such as Dexter Fowler or Denard Span.

In addition to adding three years of control over Martin, Seattle will pick up three arb seasons of Bass. He represents a useful arm who will help maintain the Mariners’ bullpen depth. The 28-year-old comes with three years of arb control. He contributed only a 4.50 ERA last year, with 6.3 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9, but tossed 64 innings and drew more positive reviews from advanced metrics. While Wilhelmsen had represented a late-inning option, Dipoto had already gone out and added veteran set-up man Joaquin Benoit. But the club’s pen struggled last year, and adding Bass in this trade helps to guard against any scrambling for innings.

Texas, meanwhile, will add two seasons of Wilhelmsen, a 31-year-old righty who possesses a mid-90s heater. The veteran has thrown over 300 frames in the majors, working to a 2.97 overall ERA with 8.5 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9. He was right in that range in 2015, but continued a trend of posting earned run results that are much better than ERA estimators would expect. (For his career, Wilhelmsen has a 3.39 FIP, 3.94 xFIP, and 3.67 SIERA.)

Wilhelmsen figures to bolster a Rangers’ late-inning relief corps that has its share of questions. While pitchers like Shawn Tolleson, Keone Kela, Jake Diekman, and Sam Dyson all turned in quality seasons, there are enough question marks with that group that another good arm made sense.

And Jones is more than a throw-in, as he could ultimately be a cheaper and more controllable version of Martin. The left-handed hitter has not shown much of anything in his 400+ major league plate appearances, but has generally been rather productive at the plate in the high minors. Notably, last year, he not only put up a solid .294/.373/.423 batting line at Triple-A, but struck out only 68 times (against 53 walks) in his 501 trips to the plate — representing a huge improvement over prior seasons. While he may not possess an elite glove, Jones has swiped 28 bags in his limited MLB action. He could make for a useful pairing with DeShields up the middle.

While this deal shifts the assets between the clubs, it’s worth noting that it won’t have much impact on their respective payroll situations. MLBTR projects Martin to earn $3.75MM next year, matching his salary from 2015 — he would have only been projected at $1.6MM without that starting point — while Bass lands at $1.1MM. Meanwhile, the arb model pegs Wilhelmsen at an even $3MM.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported the deal on Twitter. T.R. Sullivan first reported (on Twitter) the inclusion of Jones.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Quick Hits: Rebuilding, Rangers, Maeda, D-backs

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The recent successes of the Cubs and Astros might ensure the team-building strategy of “tanking” (that is, intentionally fielding a series of non-competitive teams) will continue to remain popular in the near future, as Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle writes in a long feature story. The Braves, for example, appear to be employing a variation of the Astros’ rebuilding approach, the Phillies are doing something somewhat similar, and the Brewers could conceivably do the same. But “tanking” isn’t without its downfalls. “[Y]ou risk losing the fan base and alienating a fan base and in some cases they come back and in some cases they don’t come back,” says Pirates GM Neal Huntington, who traded many of his team’s key players beginning in 2008, after he had been on the job for about a year. “I don’t know, I mean, we’re a copycat society, let alone industry, so I think it’s worked remarkably well on a couple of fronts. I think once it doesn’t work well, then it probably won’t be a thing to do anymore.”

Part of the “tanking” strategy simply involves trading assets to acquire, and clear playing time for, younger talent, but another part of it is potentially more controversial — losing teams receive higher draft picks, so in some cases, it might be sound strategy for a franchise to structure itself so that it doesn’t play well. The results can be hard to watch, as the Astros frequently were before this season. And for some markets, tanking might be difficult or impossible. The Astros and Cubs “were losing for a long time and a lot of markets can’t do that,” says Reds president Walt Jocketty. “We can’t do that in our market.” Here’s more from around the game.

  • The Rangers have a void to fill at catcher, and it’s unclear how they’ll do it, Evan Grant of Dallas Morning News writes. Matt Wieters might have been one possibility, but he disappeared from the market when he accepted the Orioles’ qualifying offer. The Brewers could deal Jonathan Lucroy, and might even be more likely to with new GM David Stearns in place, but the market for Lucroy could be strong this winter given the lack of strong catching options available via free agency. The Rangers got solid performances from Robinson Chirinos and journeyman Chris Gimenez last season, but they have little depth behind them, particularly with Jorge Alfaro sent to Philadelphia in the Cole Hamels deal. They also traded Tomas Telis to the Marlins when they dealt for Sam Dyson. “We understood that it was going to leave a void in the system,” says GM Jon Daniels. “But we look back on those trades we made and don’t have any regrets.”
  • Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart says he’s continued to monitor Japanese righty Kenta Maeda, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick writes (Twitter links). Assuming Maeda is posted (which seems likely), it probably won’t be for at least another week or two, after Team Japan’s run in the WBSC Premier 12 international tournament comes to an end. The Diamondbacks’ interest in Maeda has never been a secret, and it still sounds strong now. Crasnick also notes that the D-backs could pursue Yovani Gallardo. They might not be able to afford a higher-tier pitcher like Johnny Cueto or Jordan Zimmermann.

2015 Qualifying Offer Decisions

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The deadline or players to accept or reject their one-year, $15.8MM qualifying offers was today at 5pm ET. We already know that Colby Rasmus will become the first player to ever accept a qualifying offer, and Marco Estrada reached a two-year deal with the Blue Jays. Brett Anderson also accepted his qualifying offer from the Dodgers.

Here are the updates on the rest of the 20 players that received qualifying offers one week ago today…

  • Ian Desmond will reject the Nationals’ offer, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports on Twitter. He’ll be joined on the open market by Jordan Zimmermann, who did the same, per a tweet from MLB.com’s Bill Ladson.
  • While Brett Anderson will be returning on a one-year deal, Howie Kendrick and Zack Greinke have rejected their qualifying offers from the Dodgers, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter links),
  • It’s an obvious one, but Alex Gordon will hit the open market rather than taking a one-year deal from the Royals, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports on Twitter. Likewise, Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy of the Padres will participate in the open market his fall (per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, on Twitter) and Dexter Fowler has turned down his offer from the Cubs, as Paul Sullivan of 670thescore.com tweets.
  • The Cardinals will stand to pick up draft choices if Jason Heyward and John Lackey sign elsewhere, as they too have rejected the offer, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
  • Daniel Murphy and Jeff Samardzija have declined their offers, per reports from Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter) and Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com (also via Twitter).
  • Gallardo has declined his QO, Stevenson now tweets.
  • As expected, Hisashi Iwakuma has turned down the qualifying offer issued to him by the Mariners, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets.

Earlier Updates

  • Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star Telegram hears differently on Gallardo, reporting that he’s still deciding whether or not to accept (links to Twitter). Gallardo’s camp has spoken to multiple other clubs about a deal, but the righty is still mulling a return to his hometown team.
  • Yovani Gallardo will decline the Rangers’ qualifying offer in search of a multi-year contract, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Gallardo never seemed likely to accept the deal, though there may have been a bit of temptation given the fact that Gallardo is a Fort Worth native. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets that he spoke to Gallardo’s agent, Bobby Witt, and was told that he’s yet to officially inform the Rangers one way or the other (Twitter link).

Those who are unfamiliar with the process can refer to MLBTR’s explanation of the qualifying offer system for full details.

AL West Notes: Kotsay, A’s, Rangers, Astros, Dunn, Gutierrez

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The Athletics announced yesterday that former outfielder Mark Kotsay, who most recently served as the Padres’ hitting coach, has been hired as the new bench coach in Oakland. (The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser first reported that Kotsay would be hired.) “I think every bench coach is an extension of the manager, and the manager sets the tone,” said Kotsay of the hiring (via MLB.com’s Jane Lee). “From my standpoint as a bench coach, hopefully I can share my experiences as a player and get across to them the importance of buying in and how special teams can be when the group really believes in that.” Kotsay spoke fondly of the organization, which is no surprise considering the fact that he spent four of his prime-aged seasons with the A’s, reaching the postseason in 2006. Kotsay batted .282/.336/.410 in his four years with the A’s and .276/.332/.404 across parts of 17 Major League seasons.

Some more notes from the AL West…

  • While the Athletics know there is uncertainty around the health of Coco Crisp’s neck, GM David Forst told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart that he still doesn’t expect to seek much in the way of outfield help this winter. Forst spoke highly of Josh Reddick, Billy Burns, Mark Canha and Jake Smolinski as alternative options that are under club control for the 2016 season. Rather, Forst and the A’s front office are trying to determine the best way to add a starting pitcher to the mix in 2016, be it through trade or via free agency. Forst told McTaggart that he laid some groundwork with a number of other clubs and with some agents, though it’s too early to tell whether any of those talks will ultimately lead to a transaction.
  • The Rangers are in the market for a starting pitcher, a right-handed bat and a bullpen arm, McTaggart writes in a second column, and GM Jon Daniels said that the club’s current focus is more on trades than on free agency. McTaggart also spoke to Daniels about the possibility of pursuing a catcher, though Daniels didn’t make it sound like a priority, expressing confidence that Robinson Chirinos is capable of catching 110+ games in 2016 if the Rangers head into the season with him as their starter. The 31-year-old Chirinos very quietly delivered a respectable .232/.325/.438 batting line in 273 plate appearances this past season.
  • Marlins southpaw Mike Dunn would be a reasonable trade option in the Astros’ search for left-handed relief help, writes the Houston Chronicle’s Evan Drellich. Dunn will earn $3.45MM in 2016 — his final year of club control before free agency. Dunn’s average of 95 mph on his fastball would fit GM Jeff Luhnow’s previously stated goal of adding velocity to his bullpen, and Dunn has shown the ability to retire both left- and right-handed batters over the years. Dunn does come with some control problems, and the Marlins have been reluctant to trade him in the past. Still, he does make sense as a lefty relief trade target for clubs seeking such commodities. Luhnow wouldn’t comment on Dunn when asked by Drellich, stating only that he’s checked in with all teams this offseason.
  • In a second column, Drellich examines the Astros’ front-office structure in the wake of David Stearns’ departure. Stearns, who was hired as the Brewers’ GM, handled most of the club’s arbitration negotiations and was also in touch with agents regarding contract negotiations. In his absence, director of pro scouting Kevin Goldstein has stepped up to begin talking with some agents regarding free agency, while some of the arbitration duties are falling to director of baseball ops Brandon Taubman, director of business development Samir Mayur and player development assistant Armando Velasco, per Drellich.
  • Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto called the decision to re-sign Franklin Gutierrez a “no-brainer,” writes MLB.com’s Cash Kruth. “We love his makeup, we love what he brings to our clubhouse, and just generally to the balance of the team,” said Dipoto of Gutierrez. Dipoto says that Gutierrez will likely platoon in left field with Seth Smith next season, which should create a formidable offensive duo. Smith batted .255/.343/.458 against righties in 2015 and has a lifetime .274/.356/.478 line when holding the platoon advantage. Gutierrez checked in at .317/.357/.615 against southpaws last season and has a career .291/.346/.491 line against them.

Heyman’s Latest: Offseason Spending, CarGo, Pirates, Kennedy, Gallardo

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In his latest notes column, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports begins by classifying the Angels, Giants, Tigers, Red Sox, Cubs, Cardinals and Dodgers as the expected “big spenders” of the offseason, breaking down some targets that each club could pursue. Heyman goes on to call the Orioles, Blue Jays, Yankees, D-Backs, Mets, Royals and Padres as “medium spenders,” noting that each has needs and could make one significant addition or a series of mid-range moves in order to address multiple areas around the roster. As he did with the big-spending clubs, Heyman examines a few plausible scenarios for each, noting that the Royals are still in the three- or four-year range on Alex Gordon, thereby casting some doubt on a potential reunion.

A few highlights from his column…

  • While Andrelton Simmons’ name has been a hot topic over the past 15 hours or so, there’s a “good chance” that the Braves will make Julio Teheran available at some point this winter. Teheran’s value isn’t as high as that of Simmons at the moment, I wouldn’t think, due to a down year for Teheran in 2015. Moving him would be selling low, which makes it more difficult to envision a deal, from my vantage point.
  • The White Sox were one of “many teams” to which agent Brodie Van Wagenen made a presentation regarding Yoenis Cespedes, though the greater needs for the ChiSox come at catcher, third base, second base and shortstop.
  • The Rockies have again made Carlos Gonzalez available in trades, as many expected would be the case following the summer trade of Troy Tulowitzki. CarGo dominated the National League from June through season’s end after struggling with injuries in 2014 and early 2015 and undoubtedly restored an exceptional amount of trade value. Heyman speculatively listed the Orioles as a potential match when discussing Baltimore in his intro section.
  • Pittsburgh has fielded offers on all seven of its players that are a year removed from free agency. That includes Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, Mark Melancon, Mike Morse, Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli. However, the Pirates are also said to be considering an attempt at locking Cervelli up on a multi-year deal.
  • Ian Kennedy is planning to decline the Padres’ qualifying offer, per Heyman. Both Tim Dierkes and I have noted that there’s little sense in Kennedy accepting the offer. The right-hander is fourth in innings pitched in the NL over the past five seasons and has averaged 8.5 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in that time while posting a 3.89 ERA, 3.87 FIP and 3.78 xFIP. Homer struggles in 2015 aside, Kennedy finished strong and should get paid somewhere. It’s hard to envision a Scott Boras client being the first to accept a qualifying offer, and if all else fails, Kennedy can go the Ervin Santana route and sign a one-year deal near the value of the QO late in the offseason.
  • Similarly, Yovani Gallardo plans to turn down the Rangers’ QO. Heyman hears he’s expected to sign elsewhere despite being a Fort Worth area native. The Rangers will again attempt to re-sign Colby Lewis, he adds.

AL West Notes: Mariners, Astros, Aybar, Martin, Napoli, Jennings

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The Mariners have continued to express interest in catcher Chris Iannetta, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports on Twitter. Iannetta, 32, hit the open market after four years with the Angels — which was, of course, also the most recent stop of new Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto. The M’s have also reached out to Jarrod Saltalamacchia as the team weights its options for veteran additions behind the dish, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets.

Here’s more from the AL West:

  • The Astros could aim to achieve “balance” with their roster moves, Evan Drellich of The Houston Chronicle writes. Adding some high-octane arms to the pen and some contact bats to the lineup might prove beneficial, though GM Jeff Luhnow notes that his primary concern is with achieving production through whatever means necessary (and, presumably, at a good value).
  • In other news, also via Drellich, Luhnow says that he’s not inclined to move catcher Jason Castro and center fielder Carlos Gomez, even though both players are a year away from free agency.  “I think Gomez right now is our center fielder and Castro’s our catcher and those guys are hard to replace,” Luhnow said. “We could be looking at a situation next year where either or both of those are in the qualifying offer camp as well, so. If you trade ’em, you’re potentially giving up opportunity to keep them on a one-year deal after next year. Or a draft pick if they choose to sign elsewhere. That’s a valuable situation. But most importantly for us, I think Gomez and Castro are key parts of our team next year.”
  • Similarly, the Angels are not terribly concerned with the contract status of shortstop Erick Aybar, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. The Halos have several other priorities, and aren’t currently focused either on working out a new contract with the 31-year-old or finding his replacement.
  • The Rangers will tender a contract to outfielder Leonys Martin, GM Jon Daniels made clear to the media today. As Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports, Daniels called that outcome “100%” to occur. There had been at least some questions about the 27-year-old’s status after a tough season, but it seems Texas still sees plenty of value. MLBTR projects Martin to earn $1.6MM in his first season of arbitration eligibility, which is hardly an overwhelming number.
  • While the free agent market has had its draws for the Rangers in recent years, the club has also struck several major trades and is focused on talks with other teams this winter, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports. “I think there’s a little bit of confidence going into the offseason as far as [having] an experienced core, and even the young guys now have experience on a big stage,” Daniels told McTaggart. “You feel you can try to add a couple of pieces and [not] need to reinvent the wheel and totally change over the club. You don’t want to get complacent either, but there’s a confidence, especially [considering] where we were a year ago, and we’ve gotten some real positive answers [for] some of our injured guys.”
  • The Rangers do, however, have interest in bringing back right-handed slugger Mike Napoli, Daniels added. If that happened, the club would look for him to work out in left field during camp to see if he could provide an option there alongside Josh Hamilton (who, it should be noted, just underwent another minor knee surgery).
  • The Rangers have expressed interest in bringing former Marlins GM Dan Jennings into their front office, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reported last week on Twitter. Jennings has reportedly drawn fairly wide interest since he was cut loose after a long run in Miami.

Relief Market Notes: Giles, Soria, D’Backs, Tigers, Braves

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Ken Giles is drawing quite a bit of trade interest in the early stages of the offseason, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Salisbury asked Phillies GM Matt Klentak if he’d be open to moving Giles, despite the fact that he can be controlled through the 2020 season, to which Klentak somewhat diplomatically replied that while it’s “not a goal” to move Giles, he avoids operating in absolutes and can’t definitively rule anything out. Klentak didn’t sound like a GM that is anxious to trade such a talented, controllable arm, though. “I think it’s a little different when you’re talking about a guy with one year of service time,” he explained. “If you were talking about a pending free agent then, yeah, that might be a slightly different situation. But Ken Giles, if he’s here, can very easily be a part of our future, so I think we have to account for that in our thinking.” Klentak added that it’s important, from a morale standpoint, to “win the games we are in a position to win,” emphasizing that a strong bullpen is key to that thinking. I’ve personally written in the past that I think it makes sense for Philadelphia to shop Giles, as he’ll be getting expensive in arbitration by the time the team is again ready to contend, and a relief pitcher isn’t the safest bet to serve as a building block due to their somewhat volatile nature. That said, Giles is unequivocally excellent and should only be moved for a rather notable return.

A few more notes on the relief market…

  • The Red Sox, Tigers and Rangers have all expressed interest in Joakim Soria, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (links to Twitter). All three clubs have some previous ties to the right-hander, Morosi notes, as Soria recently closed games for both Texas and Detroit, while Boston president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski traded for Soria when he was GM of the Tigers. Soria’s market figures to be robust, as he’s already been linked to the Twins as well as the three teams listed here by Morosi.
  • There are conflicting reports on the Diamondbacks’ intentions in the late innings. Arizona “seem[s] intent on acquiring a closer,” Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports, while Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says that the team “now seem[s] content” to add arms in front of Brad Ziegler.
  • The Tigers are one team with interest in Craig Kimbrel of the Padres, says Heyman, who adds that Detroit seems more inclined to utilize free agency for its relief acquisitions.
  • “I think we’re going to try to add at least one left-hander and as many quality relievers as we can,” Braves GM John Coppolella told MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. While the Braves are on the hunt for bullpen upgrades, they’re looking for lower-key arms that could yield big results without a huge price tag. Bowman notes that the Braves won’t be pursuing the likes of Darren O’Day and Tyler Clippard due to their presumed asking prices. The team will look for players who could turn into for the Braves what Ryan Madson turned into for the Royals. The Braves enjoyed success from a similar strategy last year, enjoying positive results from low-cost pickups Jason Grilli and Jim Johnson. Grilli, though, suffered an Achilles injury that cost him half the season, while Johnson was eventually traded to the Dodgers. A few speculative fits that are somewhat cut from that cloth: Jonathan Broxton (whom Bowman also mentions), Bobby Parnell and Sean Marshall.
  • At least in terms of free agents, the first major domino may be O’Day, who is reportedly receiving wide and intense interest.

Latest On Mariners’ Search For Center Fielder

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Several reports emerged early this morning suggesting that new Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto is hard at work canvassing the market for center field options. Here’s the latest:

  • Seattle has engaged with the Yankees in preliminary talks regarding Brett Gardner, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. The 32-year-old faded down the stretch, but nevertheless ended the season with a typically productive overall effort. He’s owed $38MM over three years (including a buyout of a 2019 option), which isn’t exactly cheap but is probably below Gardner’s open-market value. Sherman indicates that New York is in search of controllable starters, and says that the M’s have indicated they are willing to discuss lefty James Paxton in trades. It’s not apparent from the report, though, whether he would play any role in talks on Gardner.
  • The trade route to a center fielder seemingly holds appeal for Dipoto and his staff, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. (Of course, the club could also just be exploring its options on that market before turning to free agency.) Rosenthal suggests a variety of possible trade targets: Jon Jay and Peter Bourjos of the Cardinals, Leonys Martin of the Rangers, and Jackie Bradley Jr. of the Red Sox. It’s not clear whether the M’s have specific interest in any of these players, let alone whether actual trade chatter has taken place. It’s worth noting, also, that an acquiring team would likely feel the need to supplement any of these players with a capable reserve option (if not an outright platoon mate, in some cases). It’s not yet clear whether Seattle is inclined more towards that kind of scenario as opposed to a single solution.
  • Free agent Gerardo Parra represents another possibility, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports writes. Dipoto heaped praise on the 28-year-old, noting that he was coming up through the Diamondbacks system when Dipoto was in Arizona. “Love him,” Dipoto said of Parra. “Gerardo’s a great kid. Love his attitude. He plays hard. He’s coming off a very good year. The version of what Gerardo did this year in Milwaukee is what we could have dreamed he was going to be when we had him at 18, 19 years old in the Diamondbacks system. He can really play defense. He can really throw. And he can rake right-handed pitching.” Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean Seattle will pursue Parra. It’s worth bearing in mind that the left-handed hitter not only carries rather pronounced platoon splits, but has spent most of his time in the corner outfield — especially in recent seasons. Morosi doesn’t make a suggestion for how the M’s could theoretically deploy Parra, but he might make more sense as a heavily-used fourth outfielder than a regular in center.

Trade Notes: Plouffe, Storen, Papelbon, Rangers, Rays

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If the Twins are able to work out a contract with Korean first baseman Byung-ho Park, the Angels are expected to pursue a trade of third baseman Trevor Plouffe, assuming their third base vacancy hasn’t already been filled by that time, tweets Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The Twins are intrigued by some of the Angels’ power bullpen arms, including Cam Bedrosian, Fletcher further reports. As he notes, the Twins wouldn’t part with Plouffe solely for Bedrosian, though the Angels certainly have other pieces that could entice Minnesota.

A few more notes pertaining to the trade market as executives discuss swaps at the 2015 GM Meetings…

  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says that he’s yet to receive any inquiries on right-hander Stephen Strasburg but has received calls on both Drew Storen and Jonathan Papelbon (via Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). James Wagner of the Washington Post, however, adds (via Twitter) that Rizzo says he won’t move either reliever unless he receives a “real baseball offer.” Many have speculated that the Nats will sell low on Papelbon following his altercation with Bryce Harper and will be forced to do the same with Storen after the Papelbon acquisition strained his relationship with the team. Rizzo’s comments, on the surface, suggest that that’s not the case, though he clearly wouldn’t come right out and say he was looking to move either right-hander.
  • The Rangers are receiving interest in both center fielder Leonys Martin and oft-injured shortstop prospect Jurickson Profar, GM Jon Daniels told reporters, including Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star Telegram and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (links to Twitter). Daniels notes that teams are looking to buy low on both players, though, which isn’t an ideal time to deal a formerly valuable asset. Grant notes that Profar, in particular, is still viewed highly by the organization.
  • The Rays are receiving considerable trade interest in both Brad Boxberger and Jake McGee, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, but the general sense is that they’d need to be offered “a LOT” for the Rays to deal either reliever. Boxberger is not yet arbitration eligible, so it makes sense that Tampa Bay would value him very highly. However, with McGee slated to earn $4.7MM in arbitration this year (via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz), one can imagine the cost-conscious Rays being reasonably open to offers on McGee.
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