Jose Bautista Willing To Consider One-Year Deal
Veteran slugger Jose Bautista is willing to take a one-year contract, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. There’s something of a catch, though: per the report, “he wants it to be at a higher value than the qualifying offer.”
It seems, then, that Bautista would need to see something greater than $17.2MM on an offer sheet for the 2017 season before he’s willing to give up his pursuit of a lengthier pact — at least at this stage. Notably, the report does not suggest that the organization has shown any movement on its part; at last check, Toronto had yet to indicate a willingness to exceed the value of the QO that it previously extended, and Bautista declined. As Passan puts it, “the next move is the Blue Jays’.”
Passan explores in great detail why a reunion with Toronto makes sense, particularly in a single-season scenario; you’ll want to give his breakdown a full read for that reasoning. Indeed, with former teammate Edwin Encarnacion now off the market, the path is perhaps cleared for Bautista (and other defensively limited power bats) to find their own landing spots. And the Jays’ lineup surely is still in need of some pop, especially in the outfield, as the team’s current depth chart shows. Bautista wants to return to the place where he finally found his stride as a ballplayer, too, a source informs Passan.
It’ll be interesting to see whether this new bargaining position for Bautista changes the calculus for Toronto (or other organizations). Much of the risk in his profile lies in his age (36); though he took a step back in the power department last year, he also dealt with some injuries and still maintained his top-of-class plate discipline. All told, Bautista still generated a strong .234/.366/.452 batting line with 22 home runs in 517 plate appearances. In that regard, the demand for a salary in excess of the QO does not seem startling; coming into the winter, after all, expectations were that he could find a multi-year contract with an AAV in that ballpark.
Other market markers seem relevant here, too. Carlos Beltran landed $16MM from the Astros on a one-year term, while Matt Holliday got $13MM from the Yankees. It’s certainly arguable that Bautista is a bigger prize than either of those players, though neither required draft compensation. (For Toronto, the club wouldn’t punt one of its existing picks, but re-signing Bautista would mean surrendering its rights to a compensatory choice.)
At the same time, teams eyeing power bats no longer have quite as many names to choose from, particularly if they prefer an outfield-capable player. The younger but less-accomplished Mark Trumbo is perhaps the biggest remaining competition on the free-agent market, which still includes other options such as Mike Napoli (who is limited to first base) and Brandon Moss (who hits from the left side). On the trade side of the equation, J.D. Martinez can presumably still be had, though we haven’t heard much indication that anything will come together on the Tigers star. There are a variety of other free-agent outfielders, including recent Toronto teammate Michael Saunders, though none feature anything approaching Bautista’s offensive track record.
From the demand side, plenty of hypothetical suitors remain for Bautista and his market competition. We ticked through some of them recently in this post. As the recent bidding for Encarnacion shows, there could still be an appetite on the market for multi-year pacts with significant value, as well as creative, shorter-term deals at high average annual values. But just how much demand exists for the older Bautista — whose platform season wasn’t as promising as that of his long-time teammate — remains unclear.
In prior years, we’ve seen players settle for one-year deals after turning down qualifying offers, though in most instances they took less than the value of the offer itself. (This was the case for players such as Ian Desmond, Dexter Fowler, Kendrys Morales, and Stephen Drew.) Ervin Santana agreed to a $14.1MM deal with the Braves in advance of the 2014 season, matching that year’s QO value, though he had to wait for spring injuries to land that contract. Only Hiroki Kuroda was able to beat the qualifying offer on a single-season pact; in November of 2012, he inked a $15MM contract after turning down what was then a $13.3MM QO. Unlike those situations, however, the new rule preventing multiple qualifying offers from being extended to a single player would prevent the Blue Jays or another team from lining up possible draft compensation after the 2017 campaign.
Details On And Reactions To Edwin Encarnacion’s Deal With The Indians
Last night, Edwin Encarnacion agreed to a three-year, $60MM contract with the Indians that contains a club option for a fourth year which would bring the deal to a total of $80MM over four years. The contract fell shy of expectations for Encarnacion, whose free-agent stock was damaged due to his age, draft pick compensation and a market flooded with sluggers capable of splitting time between first base and designated hitter. In the hours since that pact was reached, Cleveland has drawn widespread praise for the deal, and agent Paul Kinzer has publicly given some insight into the final stages of negotiations that led up to the deal. Here’s a roundup of some context on the signing, reactions to the deal and the impact it’ll have on the remainder of the first base/DH market…
- In an appearance with Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio, Kinzer stated that both the Athletics and Rangers remained in the mix for Encarnacion’s services until the final decision to take Cleveland’s offer (audio link). According to Kinzer, A’s president of baseball ops Billy Beane got creative and made offers with a high average annual value over a short term. Kinzer says that Encarnacion turned down more money from Oakland, though prior reports suggest that Oakland was only willing to offer two years. It’s quite possible, of course, that Kinzer was simply referring to “more money” on an annual basis. Indeed, the AAV in the A’s offer was $25MM at what is believed to be a shorter (presumably, two-year) term, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). The agent also noted that Cleveland’s proximity to the Dominican Republic (relative to Oakland) was enticing for Encarnacion, who wanted to limit travel obligations for his family as best he could.
- The Rangers‘ final proposal was “well within the Indians’ neighborhood,” according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, though precise details remain unknown. Texas long presented a public stance that downplayed the likelihood of landing Encarnacion, though it certainly seems that the organization put together a competitive effort. Interestingly, Passan adds that, by the end of the Winter Meetings, the market for the veteran slugger had slowed to the point that some (unidentified) team felt it reasonable enough to dangle a three-year, $42MM offer.
- Clearly, the market rebounded from that point, but Encarnacion never saw the kind of cash that the Blue Jays had initially put on the table. Toronto’s reported four-year, $80MM offer to Encarnacion earlier in the offseason may well have had an additional wrinkle, per Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi (video link via Twitter). Though the guarantee was indeed $80MM, the Jays were also interested in including a fifth-year option that could have brought the total value up to $100MM. Depending upon the structure of the deal — including how the option could be exercised and what portion of the guarantee would have been included as a buyout — the presence of such a provision could conceivably have slightly improved or reduced the value of the overall potential contract from Encarnacion’s perspective.
- The Cardinals explored Encarnacion’s market and had “mild” interest in the slugger, one source tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). The P-D’s Jeff Gordon, though, opines that Encarnacion was never a good fit in St. Louis due to the team’s pre-existing infield logjam. St. Louis already has Matt Carpenter at first base, Kolten Wong at second, Aledmys Diaz at shortstop and Jhonny Peralta at third base, while Jedd Gyorko figures to function as a super-utility option. Matt Adams currently projects as a bench player. Adding Encarnacion into that mix would’ve only resulted in further complications and forced what could possibly have been multiple trades, none of which would’ve necessarily been easy to facilitate.
- ESPN’s Keith Law calls the signing a “colossal coup” for the Indians (ESPN Insider subscription required and strongly recommended), opining that Encarnacion will be worth an extra two to three wins during the regular season over the player he is effectively replacing: Mike Napoli. Returning to the postseason in the first year of the deal would recoup much of the $60MM guarantee Encarnacion received, and that’s worth the risk that Encarnacion won’t be a $20MM player in the third year of the deal, Law continues. He calls the Blue Jays the biggest losers in this situation, noting that the team paid more than half of Encarnacion’s guarantee for a player (Kendrys Morales) that may not be one-quarter as productive, citing Morales’ recent struggles in 2014 and the early portion of the 2016 season.
- Law’s colleague Buster Olney argues differently from the Blue Jays‘ vantage point (Insider also required), writing that Toronto president Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins weren’t in position to expect Encarnacion’s market to collapse in this fashion. Olney adds that among agents and teams around the league, the three-year, $33MM contract the Jays issued to Morales is viewed as a “solid move,” though it goes without saying that a number of teams likely feel differently. (Toronto, after all, outbid all other interested parties, suggesting that plenty of teams wouldn’t be comfortable at that rate.) Still, I agree with Olney’s take that Encarnacion’s market collapse was surprising; few projected that high-payroll fits like the Yankees, Red Sox and (to some extent) Rangers would all balk at a long-term investment for a player of Encarnacion’s caliber. And Olney rightly points out that the new Jays’ front office has made some nice value adds since taking over, citing the reasonable contracts given to J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada.
- The agreement is good for both Encarnacion and the sport, argues FOX’s Ken Rosenthal, who notes that it’s refreshing to see a pair of low-payroll clubs like the Athletics and Indians as finalists for one of the market’s top free agents. While he’s quick to note that he’s not suggesting the new CBA has leveled the playing field between high-revenue and low-revenue clubs, the fairly minimal increases to the luxury tax threshold (and boosted penalties) do appear to have impacted clubs like the Yankees and Red Sox and the way in which they’ve approached their offseason dealings — though, perhaps, that was driven largely by both organizations’ preexisting motivations to reset their base tax rate by dipping under the luxury line for at least one year. Then again, the Red Sox in particular never seemed likely to pursue a long-term commitment at the DH spot, based on myriad reports out of Boston. And another suitor that went a different direction, the Astros, aren’t near the current luxury tax threshold, so the CBA’s impact on them probably wasn’t much of a factor.
East Notes: Revere, Braves, Bird, Ross
Free agent center fielder Ben Revere is reportedly likely to sign in the near future (as MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko first relayed earlier today), and Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet tweets that the Blue Jays won’t be his landing spot. That crosses the Blue Jays and Orioles (per Kubatko) off the list for Revere — two teams that could conceivably be in the market for a left-handed-hitting outfielder with some speed. Multiple teams still make some degree of sense for Revere, with the Giants, Mariners, Rangers, Angels and Tigers all striking me as on-paper fits (though that list is purely speculative). Non-tendered by the Nats this offseason, Revere logged a dismal .217/.260/.300 batting line in 375 plate appearances in 2016, but he’d batted .305 or better in each of the three prior seasons.
- Braves president of baseball operations John Hart spoke with MLB.com’s Hal Bodley about the parallels between the rebuild he’s helped to architect in Atlanta and the one that he led in Cleveland back in the early to mid-90s. Hart also discussed the team’s decision to promote Dansby Swanson this past summer and the decision to add a trio of veteran starters — Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, Jaime Garcia — this winter despite the team’s bulk of young pitching. “We didn’t want to stand in the way of our young pitchers, so we went with guys who I think are going to give us innings,” said Hart of adding three starters on one-year commitments. “I think this gives us a more competitive ballclub going into the new park. I don’t think this deviates from the plan we have.”
- The Yankees “appear content” with Matt Holliday serving as the major offensive addition to their roster this winter, writes MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, which increases the importance of Greg Bird to the team’s 2017 roster. Bird is the early favorite to serve as manager Joe Girardi’s everyday first baseman next year, and GM Brian Cashman said that getting a look at Bird in the Arizona Fall League was important. “All we care about is him having a full healthy Fall League, which he’s done,” said Cashman. “It checks the box and we’ll be looking forward to seeing him in Spring Training. All reports are, he looks good.” Bird and Tyler Austin could compete for time at first base and may eventually settle into a platoon, while the outfield could see Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks in a similar spring battle for playing time, Hoch writes.
- Nationals right-hander Joe Ross missed significant time with a shoulder injury in 2016, but MLB.com’s Jamal Collier writes that the 23-year-old’s arm is back to health. Ross took a few weeks off to rest his shoulder, and it’s now full strength as Ross progresses through his typical offseason routine. As Collier points out, the trades of Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez magnify the importance of getting a healthy season out of Ross. Notably, Ross said he’s tinkering with some potential mechanical alterations to his delivery and throwing program in an effort to stay healthier next year.
AL East Notes: Logan, Alvarez, Pineda, Blue Jays, Tobias
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.