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AL East Notes: Logan, Alvarez, Pineda, Blue Jays, Tobias

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Here’s the latest from around the American League East…

  • The Orioles “have long coveted” Boone Logan, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko writes.  Signing Logan would give Baltimore a more reliable lefty specialist-type of a relief option beyond Donnie Hart and T.J. McFarland, though Kubatko isn’t sure if the O’s would be able to afford Logan’s services.  The Blue Jays, Mets, Yankees and Mariners have all been linked to Logan this winter, though the Mariners may have addressed with left-handed bullpen needs by signing Marc Rzepczynski.
  • Pedro Alvarez may be the Orioles free agent most likely to re-sign with the team, though as Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun notes, Alvarez’s return could create some roster complications.  With Alvarez and Trey Mancini, the O’s would have two players best suited for DH duty, giving them less bench flexibility.  Alvarez has indicated a willingness to learn to play outfield, though Encina isn’t sure if Alvarez will be able to defensively handle even a part-time outfield role.  On the flip side, Alvarez does bring a lot of power from the left side and bringing him back could cost Baltimore much less than it would to re-sign Mark Trumbo.
  • The Yankees have fielded several buy-low offers for Michael Pineda this winter, ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand reports.  Pineda posted a 4.82 ERA last season, a number somewhat inflated by a .339 BABIP and a 17% home run rate Pineda’s advanced metrics (3.80 FIP, 3.30 xFIP, 3.40 SIERA, 10.61 K/9, 3.91 K/BB rate) presented his season in a much better light, and his 175 2/3 innings pitched was a new career high for the injury-prone righty.  Pineda will be a free agent after 2017, though rather than trade him, the Yankees are counting on Pineda to put it all together and help stabilize a rotation with several question marks.
  • The Blue Jays seem to be looking to solve their position player needs before returning to their search for left-handed relief, Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports.  Logan, Jerry Blevins and Travis Wood are the most prominent southpaw relievers linked to the Jays this winter, though the team also isn’t settled in either corner outfield spot.
  • The Red Sox freed up some salary by dealing Clay Buchholz to the Phillies, but Boston also likes the prospect (Josh Tobias) they got in return, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes.  Tobias, a 10th-round pick for the Phillies in 2015, was one of 10 names targeted by the Sox as they looked through Philadelphia’s system.  Red Sox director of pro scouting Gus Quattlebaum describes Tobias as “having potential as a versatile, switch-hitting guy with make-up and a feel to hit.  Whenever you can find someone who can hit, that guy is going to standout.“

6 Teams Have Made Offers To Edwin Encarnacion

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6:56pm: Cleveland, Texas, and Oakland appear to be the three most likely destinations at present, Bowden adds. On the N.L. side, the Rockies are said still to be “monitoring” the developments while the Marlins aren’t involved.

6:13pm: In addition to the Indians and Blue Jays, the Rangers, Astros, and Athletics have all made offers to Encarnacion, according to ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden (who cites team sources for each organization). As noted below, there’s apparently at least one other organization that has dangled a proposal as well.

Each of those five clubs have put multiple years on the table, per Bowden, who notes that some of the offers include opt-outs following the 2017 campaign. Two suitors, in particular, are said to be engaged in negotiations “at a rapid pace” with Encarnacion’s reps. It’s not known which of the five organizations are pushing hardest at present.

2:35pm: The Indians are “pulling out all the stops” to land Encarnacion, although they might ultimately not be able to afford him, a source tells Fan Rag’s Jon Heyman. Kinzer tells Heyman that two teams have been especially enthusiastic in their pursuit of Encarnacion, although he doesn’t say who.

11:14am: Here’s the latest from Edwin Encarnacion’s agent Paul Kinzer, via an interview with Jeff Blair of Sportsnet590:

  • Kinzer says he is surprised Encarnacion isn’t yet signed. He acknowledges the “glut” of power hitters remaining on the free agent market (presumably including players like Mark Trumbo, Mike Napoli, Jose Bautista and Chris Carter) but says he felt Encarnacion and Yoenis Cespedes stood above that group.
  • Encarnacion has gotten three- to four-year offers from six teams, Kinzer says. Most of those offers were for three years. National League teams have been involved in Encarnacion’s market as well as American League teams.
  • Encarnacion’s priority, though, has been to return to the Blue Jays. The Jays, of course, made a significant offer to Encarnacion, but that offer came right around the opening of free agency, and Kinzer says the timing wasn’t quite right for Encarnacion, who wanted to assess other teams’ interest. After the Jays signed Kendrys Morales and then Steve Pearce, Kinzer and Encarnacion felt it wasn’t likely Encarnacion would return to Toronto. “We never had any idea that the Blue Jays were going to move that fast,” Kinzer says. He acknowledges the two sides have spoken recently, but says Encarnacion is coming to grips with the fact that he probably won’t be a Blue Jay next season.
  • Kinzer says he expected significant offers from teams like the Red Sox and Yankees early in free agency. Those apparently didn’t materialize, and Kinzer says he believes the threat of a lost draft pick had an impact on Encarnacion’s market. The absence of a new CBA early in the offseason was a factor as well, he adds.
  • Kinzer feels it wasn’t a mistake that Encarnacion didn’t discuss an extension with the Jays once the 2016 season started. He says that when he negotiated Starlin Castro’s extension with the Cubs, it was a significant distraction for Castro, affecting his eating and sleeping habits. Encarnacion, meanwhile, was very productive in his final year before free agency.

Latest On Mets Outfield Situation

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10:03pm: Though there have been some discussions involving McCutchen, “there’s no traction there,” per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). New York is “not actively looking to upgrade” at the center-field position at this time, he adds.

9:18pm: On the selling side of the equation for the Mets, the Blue Jays “remain in talks” regarding both Bruce and Granderson, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (via Twitter).

8:45pm: The Mets are at least looking into the possibility of a trade for a center fielder, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. He describes the organization as being “semi-engaged” in talks for a variety of possibilities.

Among the options, it seems, are a few high-profile veterans. There has been some “preliminary” talk with the Pirates on Andrew McCutchen, but there’s no present momentum towards a deal. Likewise, New York has spoken with the Royals, but doesn’t want to add a one-year rental in Lorenzo Cain and evidently is not excited about adding another speed/glove player in Jarrod Dyson, who Rosenthal says is viewed as being “too similar” to in-house option Juan Lagares.

There are other theoretical options that could be pursued, but Rosenthal notes that Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies and Billy Hamilton of the Reds don’t necessarily appear to represent matches. (Colorado doesn’t seem interested in dealing Blackmon, at least at a palatable price; Hamilton doesn’t deliver the kind of on-base threat that the Mets prefer, and he too is said to come with a high asking price.) The report does not indicate that the Mets have specifically considered or inquired about either player.

Of course, even if there was a clear target, matters are complicated by the fact that the Mets would need to pull off at least one other move to clear roster space. In addition to the center-field-capable Lagares, and newly re-inked left fielder Yoenis Cespedes, New York employs three left-handed-hitting options for right field: Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce, and Michael Conforto.

While it has long been assumed that one of the two veterans (Granderson and Bruce) will end up being traded, adding a regular in center might entail finding takers for both. And the open market still has a few players that interested teams could view as alternatives. There’s certainly value in the fact that both of those options have only one year left on their contracts, but they aren’t exactly cheap seasons; Bruce is owed $13MM after the Mets picked up his option, while Granderson will earn $15MM in the final year of his free-agent deal. While one of the three in-house players could conceivably end up at first base, that’s already manned by southpaw-swinging Lucas Duda, and there’s no indication that the Mets have looked to find a taker for him in a market still flooded with lefty first base/DH bats.

As Rosenthal goes on to note, the Mets’ remaining needs in the bullpen also complicate matters. Trade partners will likely be interested in young talent at or near the majors, and if New York continues to hold off on dealing Conforto or top prospect Amed Rosario, it may well need to part with arms (such as Robert Gsellman or Seth Lugo) to get a deal done. That would mean further paring back the depth in the relief corps, which already could stand to add one or two arms.

While there are obvious complications here for the Mets, it’s not hard to see the reasoning behind exploring the market for a center fielder. Lagares is still just 27 and still brings value with the glove, but hasn’t produced at the plate since signing his five-year extension before the 2015 season. While a platoon would make sense — his career OPS is about 100 points higher against lefties — the lefty bats mentioned above would be stretched defensively up the middle.

Purely hypothetically, if the Mets end up dealing one or more of their slugging corner bats, and can’t find a suitable trade for a regular center fielder, the alternative might be to add a lefty platoon piece that is capable of playing center. Potential options could include free agents Ben Revere and Michael Bourn, though neither impressed at the plate over the full course of the 2016 season.

Blue Jays Have Not Offered Jose Bautista More Than Qualifying Offer

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Since slugger Jose Bautista declined the one-year, $17.2MM qualifying offer made to him by the Blue Jays at the outset of the offseason, the club has not made him a formal offer that exceeds that amount, Jon Morosi of MLB Network tweets.

That’s not exactly surprising, perhaps, as Bautista’s market has seemingly not yet developed — in large part, perhaps, because former teammate Edwin Encarnacion and several other power bats (particularly Mark Trumbo) also remain unsigned. But it’s notable that Toronto hasn’t even seen fit to put that kind of cash on the table yet, as the team reportedly dangled four years and $80MM to Encarnacion at one point (though that offer seemingly no longer stands).

We took a look at Bautista’s market recently, upon Morosi’s suggestion that a reunion with the Jays could make the most sense at this point. That may well turn out to be the case, but it doesn’t seem likely to happen any time soon unless Toronto’s interest perks up or Bautista decides to settle for a lot less than he surely hoped for when he turned down the QO.

MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicted that Bautista could earn $51MM over three years on the open market, but there was always some downside in his case given his age, defensive limitations, and recent power drop, as well as (especially) the presence of so many other appealing power hitters in free agency. Because he rejected the qualifying offer, of course, Bautista would also cost a signing team a draft choice (or prevent the Jays from adding an additional selection), which further dents his value.

As Dierkes noted at the outset of the offseason, a one-year arrangement always seemed a plausible outcome, and a pillow contract now seems more likely than ever. Of course, it’s far too soon to say that a multi-year guarantee won’t be found; ongoing market developments may yet decide that question. Since our latest snapshot of the overall market for Bautista, we’ve heard some updated chatter on the potential connection to the Rays and the seeming unlikelihood of a match with the Mariners.

Trade/Free Agent Rumors: Quintana, Jays, Trumbo, Breslow

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The Yankees have yet to add a starting pitcher to their rotation this winter, but MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets that they’re still interested White Sox ace Jose Quintana. As he points out, the Yankees certainly have a deep enough farm system to entice the Sox to part with their second front-of-the-rotation lefty of the offseason. However, Morosi doesn’t contextualize their interest, and it’s worth noting that Yankees GM Brian Cashman has said earlier this winter that he’s reached out to virtually every team at some point and is casting a wide net in attempting to improve his team. Along those lines, ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand writes that the Yankees have been extremely disinclined to part with young talent this winter, and he ultimately characterizes the chances of Quintana landing in New York as unlikely.

A few more notes on the trade and free-agent markets…

  • Morosi also tweets that in addition to Boone Logan and Jerry Blevins, the Blue Jays have interest in free-agent southpaw Travis Wood. Toronto has already been connected to both Logan and Blevins, but there hasn’t been much of a link between the Jays and Wood to this point. The Blue Jays have already lost Brett Cecil to the Cardinals this winter and have yet to replace him. Left-handed relief was arguably a need for the Jays even before Cecil departed, so they figure to be linked to a number of prominent southpaws as the offseason wears on. In Wood’s case, though, it’s worth wondering if he’d prefer to sign somewhere that gives him a chance to start. Wood spent the past couple of seasons in the Cubs’ bullpen, but he averaged 30 starts per year from 2012-14 and reached 200 innings in 2013. In a market that is thin on starters, giving Wood a chance to redefine himself as a rotation member holds plenty of merit for pitching-needy clubs.
  • Orioles GM Dan Duquette said on MLB Network’s High Heat today that he’s still interested in Mark Trumbo and there’s still a “window open” for the slugger to return to Baltimore (Twitter link via FanRag’s Jon Heyman). Baltimore reportedly pulled its four-year offer to Trumbo over the weekend, but it doesn’t seem that Duquette and his staff have completely abandoned the idea of Trumbo returning in 2017 (and beyond). Trumbo drilled an MLB-best 47 homers last season but also comes with some question marks surrounding his defense, and the fact that he rejected a qualifying offer means any team will have to forfeit a draft pick to sign him.
  • Left-hander Craig Breslow will throw for teams on Jan. 23 in Boston, reports Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald (Twitter links). The 36-year-old Breslow has been working out with Rich Hill this offseason and changed his arm angle, Drellich notes. Back in September, Breslow spoke to Drellich about how he planned to take an analytical look at his pitch selection this winter, exploring horizontal/vertical movement, spin rate and other factors and pair that knowledge with a lower arm slot in order to revive his career. Breslow has spent parts of 11 seasons in the Majors, but his last truly successful year came back in 2013 with the Red Sox (1.81 ERA in 59 2/3 innings).

AL East Notes: Encarnacion, Red Sox, Yankees

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Here’s the latest from around the AL East…

  • After Edwin Encarnacion didn’t immediately accept the Blue Jays’ initial four-year, $80MM offer, Toronto quickly pivoted to sign Kendrys Morales.  With Encarnacion still unsigned as we move into late December, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi opines that the Jays could have re-signed the slugger at around that price had they been a bit more patient.  By contrast, as Davidi notes, the Dodgers were able to re-sign Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner and Rich Hill after expressing their interest in the players but giving them time to test the market before circling back with an offer.  “Given how much common ground there was [between Encarnacion and the Jays], it’s an awful, awful way to part with a franchise icon,” Davidi writes.  The door isn’t yet totally closed on an Encarnacion return to Toronto, though with Morales and Steve Pearce both joining Justin Smoak in the first base/DH mix, it seems like the Blue Jays have already moved on.
  • The Red Sox have positioned themselves for a three-year window as World Series contenders, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald writes, with a potential for a longer-term run of contention if current top prospects develop or if the Sox decide to lock up current young stars like Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley or Xander Bogaerts to extensions.
  • As part of a reader mailbag, Mike Axisa of the River Ave Blues blog posits that Masahiro Tanaka, Dellin Betances and/or Tyler Clippard are logical deadline trade chips for the Yankees if New York is only on the fringes of the postseason race (as in 2016) or out of it altogether.  Tanaka (if he exercises his opt-out) and Clippard will both be free agents next winter, and Axisa feels the Yankees should probably be listening to offers for Betances right now, given the current high demand for elite relief pitching.  Tanaka’s opt-out looms as one of the major subplots of the Yankees’ season, and while Tanaka could arguably be shopped now if the team doesn’t feel he’ll stay beyond 2017, Axisa doesn’t think it makes sense for the Yankees to trade their best pitcher after spending big to re-sign Aroldis Chapman.  It’s not out of the question that the Yankees trade Tanaka for prospects at the deadline and then look to re-sign him, as they did with Chapman this past year.

Minor MLB Transactions: 12/16/16

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Here are the latest minor moves from around the league:

  • The Rays added catcher Michael McKenry on a minor-league contract, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets. Heyman further adds that McKenry will receive $900K if he’s in the Majors, plus a possible $475K in incentives. He has opt-outs on March 30 and June 1. With Wilson Ramos not expected to be ready to take over behind the plate for at least the first month or two of the year, there’s a need for depth. McKenry will presumably battle with pre-existing options Luke Maile and Curt Casali for a roster spot to open the season.
  • Outfielder Brandon Barnes is headed to the Marlins on a minors pact, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. The deal includes a Spring Training invite. Barnes, 30, figures to function as a depth piece after seeing time in the majors over parts of the last five seasons. He struggled to a .220/.250/.320 batting line in just 109 MLB plate appearances last year.
  • Lefty Jeff Beliveau is headed to the Blue Jays on a minors deal with a spring invite, per a club announcement. The 29-year-old has thrown 45 MLB frames spread over four years, with an even 4.00 ERA and 9.4 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9. Last year, he didn’t pitch above the Double-A level in the Orioles system, but provided 49 2/3 innings of 2.54 ERA pitching with a dozen K/9 to go with a sub-optimal 5.3 BB/9.
  • Righty Erik Johnson is back with the Padres on a minor-league arrangement, Heyman tweets. Johnson will continue to work back from Tommy John surgery with San Diego, which had recently non-tendered him.
  • The Orioles announced a series of minors signings. Among those not previously covered at MLBTR, the club will bring back outfielder Chris Dickerson and take a shot on Tomo Ohka. Dickerson joined Beliveau at Double-A in the Baltimore organization last year, hitting well in brief action there, but hasn’t seen the bigs since 2014. Ohka, 40, is a much more speculative addition; he’s trying to return to the majors for the first time since 2009 by turning himself into a knuckleballer.
  • Anther pitcher seeking to make it back after a long run away from the majors is lefty Andy Oliver, who’ll try things out with the Brewers, per Heyman (via Twitter). Heyman adds that can opt out of his deal on June 15 if he’s not on the big-league roster, and Oliver also receives a foreign team inquiry clause. Oliver blitzed through the Tigers system after being taken in the 2nd round of the 2009 draft. He cracked the bigs briefly in 2010-11, but has plied his trade at Triple-A ever since. Oliver moved back to the rotation for half of his appearances last year with the Orioles’ top affiliate, which may have helped as he finally quelled some of his control issues. Oliver ended 2016 with a 3.43 ERA over 86 2/3 frames and 8.7 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 (his lowest walk rate since his debut year in full-season professional ball).
  • The Tigers added third baseman Zack Cox on a minor-league arrangement, the indy ball Wichita Wingnuts announced. Once a highly regarded prospect, Cox never earned a major league call-up during his time in the Cardinals and Marlins systems, but hit .290/.348/.452 last year in 460 plate appearances for Wichita.
  • Five players are returning to the Rangers organization on minor-league pacts, per Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter links). Utilityman Alex Burg will join right-handed hurlers Dario Beltre, Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Anthony Carter, and David Perez in returning to Texas. There’s a new farmhand coming in, too, as the Rangers added righty James Dykstra from the White Sox in a cash deal. Dykstra, 26, reached Double-A last year, throwing 102 1/3 innings of 4.93 ERA ball with 5.8 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9.
  • Two previously designated players — catcher Justin O’Conner (Rays) and lefty Williams Jerez (Red Sox) — have been outrighted by their organizations, per club announcements.

Blue Jays Sign T.J. House To Minor League Deal

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The Blue Jays announced on Wednesday that they’ve signed former Indians left-hander T.J. House to a minor league contract and invited him to Major League Spring Training.

[Related: Updated Toronto Blue Jays Depth Chart]

Back in 2014, House looked to have emerged as a viable back-of-the-rotation option in Cleveland after tossing 102 innings of 3.35 ERA ball and averaging 7.1 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 to go along with a hefty 60.9 percent ground-ball rate as a 25-year-old rookie. However, House spent a pair of stints on the disabled list with shoulder problems in 2015, the latter of which sidelined him for the final four months of the season. In the two years since that promising debut, he’s pitched just 15 2/3 innings in the Majors and allowed 20 runs on 27 hits and 12 walks with nine strikeouts. Now 27 years of age, House did manage a 3.98 ERA in 72 1/3 innings with Triple-A Columbus last season, but his 6.2 K/9 rate and 5.4 BB/9 rate were hardly encouraging.

For the Blue Jays, left-handed depth is an area of clear need on their pitching staff, though. Toronto lost Brett Cecil to a four-year deal with the Cardinals earlier this offseason and has yet to bring in a proven southpaw to take his place. The Jays’ top left-handed options in the ’pen are Aaron Loup, Chad Girodo, Matt Dermody and Ryan Borucki, plus non-roster invitee Brett Oberholtzer.

Latest On Market For Jose Bautista

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Neither the Yankees nor the Giants are “seriously pursuing” veteran slugger Jose Bautista, Jon Morosi of MLB Network writes. Morosi goes on to discuss the remaining market for the 36-year-old, who will require draft compensation from a signing team since he turned down a qualifying offer from the Blue Jays.

Both New York and San Francisco seemed at least to be decent hypothetical matches, particularly the latter. All said, the news doesn’t improve the outlook for Bautista. As Morosi notes, organizations such as the White Sox and Phillies could have a theoretical need in the corner outfield, but will probably be loath to part with a draft choice and spend big on an aging player at this stage of their respective rebuilding efforts.

Several AL East teams make some sense, at least on paper, beyond the Yankees and incumbent Jays. But the Orioles have shot down any such notions, citing Bautista’s poor reputation among the Baltimore faithful. (The same, presumably, is true of the Rangers.) We have also heard some suggestion that the Rays could have some interest in Bautista — or, at least, a theoretical player of his ilk — but that would likely be more as an opportunistic landing spot than as a dedicated pursuit. The Red Sox appear to have been of interest to Bautista, but it seems that the organization doesn’t feel there’s a fit (in part, at least, due to salary considerations).

I’d add, speculatively, that there are a few other teams that could conceivably enter the picture. The Mariners could stand to add a bat and have some positional flexibility with which to work, though they do have several right-handed-hitting pieces in the corner outfield/first base/DH areas already, it’s possible to imagine a fit. It’s a similar situation for the Mets, who have been rumored to have at least some interest in the past. If you squint hard enough, or imagine a trade to open space, it’s still possible to see a match with the Astros despite the addition of Carlos Beltran. And the Nationals did surprisingly pursue Bautista at the 2016 trade deadline, though the acquisition of Adam Eaton makes a move on him now a tough proposition. Most intriguingly, perhaps, the Rockies could stand to plug Bautista’s bat in at first base, if they were to move an outfield piece and shift the just-inked Ian Desmond to the grass.

Given the overall market setting, Morosi argues that the most sensible outcome at this point is for Bautista to end up back with the Blue Jays. For Toronto, there’s still an evident need to add offense, particularly in the outfield. In a multi-year scenario, at least, Bautista could slide in at first base at some point down the line. While the team would stand to sacrifice the chance to recoup a compensatory draft pick, adding Bautista wouldn’t hurt as much in the draft department as it would many other organizations. (Under the new CBA, no organization will be able to make Bautista a qualifying offer in the future.) Plus, there’s obviously a special connection between this particular team and player.

It’s worth emphasizing that the level of interest on the Jays’ side remains somewhat unclear. The club is said to be in touch with Bautista’s representatives, but there’s little doubt that Toronto will prefer to minimize its commitment in any arrangement. While Bautista was still a productive player last year, and maintained his excellent plate discipline, he wasn’t quite himself in the power department (22 home runs, .452 slugging percentage). With the obvious issue of age and declining glovework in the outfield — not to mention the fact that the Jays already locked into a three-year commitment at DH with Kendrys Morales — there’s good reason for the organization to be wary of a lengthy entanglement.

AL Notes: Bautista, Saunders, Holliday, Lewis, Angels

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Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins and Jay Alou (Jose Bautista’s agent) have remained in contact since speaking on the final day of the Winter Meetings, FOX Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi tweets.  It seemed like the door was more or less closed on a reunion between the two sides, though the fact that talks re-opened during the Meetings and have apparently continued represents notable progress.  If the qualifying offer and accompanying draft pick compensation has indeed been hampering Bautista’s market, re-signing with the Jays would seem like a logical avenue for Bautista.  From Toronto’s perspective, the team would have to see enough value in bringing Bautista back into the fold that it would be willing to pass on the first-round compensation pick the Jays would receive if Bautista signed elsewhere.

Here’s more from around the American League….

  • We’ve already heard about the Indians’ one-year offer to Mike Napoli, though earlier this week, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reported (Twitter link) that the Tribe also offered one-year contracts to Matt Holliday and Michael Saunders.  Holliday was known to be a Cleveland target and he ended up signing a one-year, $13MM deal with the Yankees.  The Blue Jays and Orioles have shown interest in Saunders but the winter rumor mill has otherwise been pretty quiet for the Canadian outfielder.  Saunders hit .253/.338/.478 with 24 homers over 558 PA for Toronto last season, though his production badly declined after the All-Star break.  The Tribe already has several left-handed hitting or switch-hitting corner outfield options, though Saunders could play in the field or perhaps get some DH time when Carlos Santana is at first base, given Saunders’ poor fielding metrics last season.
  • The Rangers continue to have interest in a reunion with Colby Lewis, though there doesn’t appear much has changed between the two sides, GM Jon Daniels tells MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan.  “There is always going to be interest in Colby.  There is no doubt about the man.  No question there.  There’s not much I can say that hasn’t already been said.  It’s more dollars and what the opportunity there is,” Daniels said.
  • After a dire 2016 season, the Angels are already looking in better shape for next year, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal writes.  The acquisitions of Cameron Maybin and Danny Espinosa fill two big lineup holes for the Halos, and they’ve added pitching depth to bounce back from the rotation’s injury-plagued season.  In Rosenthal’s view, the Angels could be a .500 team with better health and better luck, though making the postseason is still unlikely at this point.
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