Blue Jays Claim Leonel Campos From Padres
The Blue Jays announced that they’ve claimed right-hander Leonel Campos off waivers from the Padres. He’s the second right-hander they’ve claimed off waivers out of the NL West today, as Toronto also picked up Dominic Leone from Arizona.
Campos, 29, pitched 22 innings for the Padres this past season and turned in an unsightly 5.73 ERA and 5.7 BB/9, though he posted a more encouraging 9.8 K/9 and 50.9 percent ground-ball rate. Campos has averaged 93.3 mph on his fastball in his MLB career — a total of just 30 innings all coming with the Padres. He has a 4.35 ERA in parts of three seasons at Triple-A and has averaged nearly 12 strikeouts per nine innings at that level. However, he’s also displayed some considerable control issues, averaging 5.3 walks per nine and throwing 25 wild pitches in 109 2/3 innings.
Blue Jays Claim Dominic Leone; Josh Thole Elects Free Agency
The Blue Jays have claimed righty Dominic Leone off waivers from the Diamondbacks, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports on Twitter. Meanwhile, Toronto announced that catcher Josh Thole has elected free agency after clearing outright waivers.
Leone, 25, struggled through 27 MLB frames last year, posting a 6.33 ERA with 7.7 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9 while allowing an unhealthy number of home runs (seven). But he was much better at Triple-A, working to a 3.34 earned run average, notching 36 strikeouts versus 11 walks, and allowing only 25 hits in his 35 innings.
As for Thole, the departure of starter R.A. Dickey spelled the end of his time in Toronto. The 30-year-old had been trusted primarily to handle the knuckle-baller behind the dish, but hit just .169/.254/.220 over 136 plate appearances.
Heyman’s Latest: Bautista, Encarnacion, Castro, Heyward, Anibal
The Blue Jays are not showing any interest in rekindling talks with Jose Bautista, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports in his latest notes post. The departure of Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion drew down a big chunk of the team’s right-handed power, which helps explain the interest in some less pricey options, but it had seemed that the club would at least explore returns for both. With Kendrys Morales now on hand, the likelihood seemed reduced, but it’s interesting to hear that the door may nearly be closed on Bautista.
- Encarnacion, meanwhile, is among the players drawing interest from the Yankees, Heyman reports in another post. New York has seemingly cast quite a wide net, it should be noted, with GM Brian Cashman suggesting he could go in any number of directions in bolstering the lineup now that Brian McCann is playing in Houston.
- The Rays are indeed interested in Jason Castro, Heyman adds (and as others have recently suggested could be the case). But it seems there’s rather a robust market forming for the lefty-swinging backstop, which makes it a bit hard to imaging Tampa Bay beating out the competition.
- Jason Heyward‘s dreadful first season with the Cubs isn’t likely to result in a change of scenery, Heyman also reports. There has been no mention of the still-youthful outfielder in trade talks this winter, which certainly isn’t surprising give that there’s $169MM left on his contract. Even if Chicago were to desire a trade, it would likely have little choice but to hope that Heyward can find his way at the plate to rebuild some value.
- Some teams are showing interest in Tigers righty Anibal Sanchez, Heyman reports. Though his contract ($21MM owed between 2017 and a 2018 option buyout) is well under water, it could be that the club could save some cash if it’s willing to pay a decent chunk of what’s owed. Sanchez has been tagged with a 5.42 ERA over the last two seasons, with gobs of home runs more than offsetting strikeout and walk numbers that are within his typical range. But plenty of organizations are looking for innings, and might see some bounceback potential in the 32-year-old.
- Teams are always looking for value in their pitching acquisitions, of course, and giving shots to veterans sometimes pans out. One hurler who could draw some looks this winter is Justin Masterson, who Heyman says is believed to be healthy after battling through shoulder issues. While he’s still just 31, Masterson hasn’t been effective in the big leagues since 2013, and managed only a 4.97 ERA with 5.3 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9 with a 1.620 WHIP at Triple-A last year for the Pirates. He did finish his minor-league season on a high note, though, and it seems reasonable to expect that some organization will be intrigued enough by his previously established ceiling to bring him in on a minor-league deal.
Market Chatter: Rays, Gray, Yankees, Sale, Rodriguez
There’s an expectation among rival executives that the Rays will trade one of either Drew Smyly or Chris Archer this winter, writes ESPN’s Buster Olney in his latest blog (Insider subscription required and recommended). Other teams are also expecting that Tampa Bay will trade closer Alex Colome, who moved into the ninth inning following an injury to Brad Boxberger and delivered a brilliant breakout season in the Rays’ bullpen, though we haven’t really heard any specific clubs tied to him. Smyly is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $6.9MM this winter in his latest trip through the arbitration process, while Colome is not yet eligible for arbitration (though he’s building a nice case for himself when he does reach that point). Because Colome hasn’t reached arbitration and comes with an additional four years of club control, the Rays should be able to ask for a sizable haul. Of course, those same factors also mean that Tampa Bay doesn’t need to feel an urgency to move Colome, as he’d earn scarcely over the league minimum in 2017. The 27-year-old posted a pristine 1.91 ERA and averaged 11.3 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 to go along with a 47.1 percent ground-ball rate in 56 2/3 innings.
A bit more on some other possible trade and free agent scenarios around the league…
- The Athletics are “actively listening to offers” for right-hander Sonny Gray, per Olney. Gray’s name has been a mainstay in trade rumors over the past year and a half, but with a $3.7MM salary projection for next season and Oakland looks more likely to move veteran pieces, there’s a better chance this winter that he’s moved than there has been in previous trade seasons. Of course, teams may be wary of Gray’s 5.69 ERA and time on the disabled list this past season, and the A’s aren’t likely to consider selling Gray at a discounted price, so agreeing on price with interested teams certainly presents some hurdles. Gray is still just 27 and is controlled for another three seasons.
- With Brian McCann shipped out today, the Yankees appear to be turning their attention to additions to the roster. Pitching is at the top of the list, with Rich Hill a possible target, Olney tweets. And he adds that slugger Carlos Beltran remains a target. As James Wagner of the New York Times reports (Twitter links), GM Brian Cashman says that the organization is looking to add bats. While it isn’t committed to spending big, he says he expects to continue discussions with top-of-the-market hitter Yoenis Cespedes. “I’m sure we’ll talk again,” said Cashman of his contact with Cespedes’s reps. “Now that we have more flexibility, it gives us more choices.”
- Though the Braves have been connected to several top young starters, their focus is on trying to work a deal with the White Sox for Chris Sale, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It’s still unclear just how hard Atlanta will push to pry him loose, and certainly Chicago isn’t in a position where it needs to move its affordable, excellent, and still-youthful ace. And as O’Brien notes, the Braves have signaled previously that they aren’t interested in emptying their farm to move toward contention — though there may be an added willingness to give up some premium assets in this case, as would certainly be necessary to get something done.
- The Blue Jays are looking into infielder/outfielder Sean Rodriguez, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. It seems that Toronto would like to add a right-handed-hitting piece with some defensive versatility, with Rodriguez joining Steve Pearce as plausible targets. The idea would be to utilize such a player as a platoon complement to first baseman Justin Smoak (a switch-hitter who struggles against lefties) and in the corner outfield.
Trade Chatter: Sale, Astros, Votto, Watson, Marlins
Though the Braves already added R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon this winter, it seems they aren’t quite done shopping for starters. They have joined the division-rival Nationals, and probably a sizable portion of the rest of baseball, in reaching out to the White Sox about lefty Chris Sale, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. Atlanta is among the organizations “trying hardest” to pry Sale loose from Chicago, per the report, with some around the league believing that he could change hands this winter. Of course, yesterday’s report regarding the Nats also suggested that the South Siders have yet to engage in serious chatter as of yet, and the Braves are looking at a variety of options, so it’s a bit soon to dwell heavily on the Sale/Braves connection. Atlanta has also inquired with the Rays on Chris Archer and the Athletics on Sonny Gray, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman notes.
A few more notes on some trade situations from around the league…
- Astros GM Jeff Luhnow told reporters today, including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, that he still hopes to have one or two transactions completed before the Winter Meetings (video link). Luhnow said as much when leaving the GM Meetings last week, but the Houston GM offered indications today that the club has narrowed its focus. “I think instead of working on 12 things right now, we’re working on four, which gives us a little bit more focus,” said Luhnow. “…We’re in a position where we did all of our homework ahead of time, we know what resources we have, we know what needs we need to fill, and we can be a little bit more aggressive this year than we have in years past.” Asked about his potential areas of focus, Luhnow spoke generally about needing “some pitching help” and “a bat or two,” though he did say that his team is willing to act as quickly as a trade partner or agent will allow.
- Reds GM Dick Williams continues to downplay any notion that Joey Votto could be traded, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. Speaking at last week’s GM Meetings, Williams said that he “certainly [hasn’t] had any discussions with [Votto]” about waiving his no-trade clause, per Sheldon. Williams said that the constant speculation is understandable for a player of Votto’s caliber but believes the first baseman will be at the center of the team’s lineup throughout the rebuild and beyond. As we’ve pointed out here at MLBTR many times, Votto also has a full no-trade clause and has gone on record as saying he has no desire to leave Cincinnati. Sheldon offers another quote from Votto, from 2015: “I just absolutely love playing here. I really like where I live. … I like the location of the ballpark and the fans and the clubhouse and the uniform and the number on my back — all the littlest things that people take for granted are very comfortable to me and something I look forward to. I don’t think of myself as anything other than a Cincinnati Red. It’s one of the really cool things about having a no-trade clause.”
- The Mariners may not feel comfortable spending enough to compete with the Blue Jays for the services of free-agent lefty Brett Cecil, which could lead them to the trade market, writes Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Per Dutton, Pirates left-hander Tony Watson is one name to monitor as Seattle looks for a late-inning lefty, noting that Watson is “believed to be available.” The 31-year-old stepped into Pittsburgh’s closer role last year following the trade of Mark Melancon and performed well, as he’s done in virtually every role he’s been used over the past several seasons. Dating back to 2012. Watson boasts a 2.40 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 45 percent ground-ball rate in 345 1/3 innings. He’s lefties to a downright pitiful .190/.253/.273 slash but also more than held his own against righties, yielding a collective .214/.280/.346 batting line in that time. Watson has one more year of club control and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $5.9MM in his final trip through the arbitration process.
- Though the Marlins are exploring the trade market for rotation help, they’re not willing to part with either Christian Yelich or J.T. Realmuto, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. There have also been no indications that they’d consider moving Giancarlo Stanton, Frisaro continues, although with a full no-trade clause and the largest contract in history, that could potentially be a moot point anyhow. Marcell Ozuna and Adeiny Hechavarria are the most oft-mentioned names the Fish could look to move, though Hechavarria’s anemic bat offsets a great deal of his defensive talent.
Latest On Carlos Beltran’s Market
The Red Sox, Astros, Yankees and Blue Jays are the four teams that are showing the most interest in free-agent designated hitter/right fielder Carlos Beltran, reports WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. According to Bradford, the Rangers aren’t involved in the talks for Beltran at this point.
Boston has an obvious opening at DH following the retirement of David Ortiz, although the team seemingly has enough internal options to cover the position. Hanley Ramirez could be shifted from first base to DH (or at least see occasional time there), while the Sox could also give Pablo Sandoval a look there after he returns from 2016 shoulder surgery. With Travis Shaw, Brock Holt and Sam Travis all representing possible options at the infield corners (Shaw at both, Holt at third, Travis at first), there are enough names to cobble together an effective corner rotation (especially if Yoan Moncada can prove capable of handling the hot corner at some point in 2017).
It’s been a dozen years since Beltran’s historic postseason run with the Astros back in 2004, but his bat remains potent enough to have him on the front office’s radar. The ‘Stros could use Beltran as their primary DH and an occasional outfielder (George Springer could slide over to center field when Beltran is in the field), though that would seemingly push Evan Gattis from part-time catcher and DH to the team’s primary catcher.
The Yankees, of course, are the most familiar of the bunch with Beltran, as he played there from 2014-16 before his August trade to Texas. The Yankees will have more opportunities to get Beltran at-bats with both Alex Rodriguez (released) and Mark Teixeira (retired) off the roster, and he could see occasional action in right field, particularly if younger options like Aaron Hicks and Aaron Judge continue to struggle. Beltran is a known commodity to the New York coaching staff and in the Yankees’ clubhouse, which one would think could foster mutual interest.
As for Toronto, they’d have made more sense as a fit just one week ago, but the addition of Kendrys Morales on a three-year deal makes Beltran a tougher fit for the Jays. While Beltran’s switch-hitting bat would help to create more of the lineup balance in which GM Ross Atkins has openly expressed interest, signing Beltran would mean that the Jays would have to play either Beltran or Morales in the field regularly (Beltran in right field or Morales at first base). The Blue Jays would have to place a very heavy emphasis on the bats of both Beltran and Morales, as Beltran hasn’t graded out as even an average defender in right field since 2012, whereas Morales played just 128 total innings at first base over the life of his recent two-year deal with Kansas City. In fact, he hasn’t played more than 300 innings in the field since 2010 with the Angels. All of that makes the Blue Jays fit difficult to envision, though
It’s also certainly worth noting that the Rangers appear to be bowing out of the running for Beltran right now. That’s notable for a number of reasons, as Texas could use help in the outfield corners and at designated hitter but will apparently address those needs by other means. The team thought highly enough of Beltran’s bat to surrender young right-handers Dillon Tate, Erik Swanson and Nick Green in a deadline deal, but Beltran’s time with the Rangers, for now, looks as if it’ll be even more brief than his stay with Texas’ other team back in ’04.
East Notes: Holland, Encarnacion, Sale, Reddick, Bruce
The Red Sox are one of the most aggressive pursuers of free agent reliever Greg Holland, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. But there are multiple other organizations that have keen interest in the veteran hurler, who is looking to return following Tommy John surgery. Boston, of course, wouldn’t be able to offer Holland much of a path toward a closing job; presumably, he’d be expected to serve in a set-up capacity in front of Craig Kimbrel. Whether or not other organizations would hand Holland the ninth — or, perhaps, at least provide a chance for him to get there at some point — isn’t known, and it’s also not clear to what extent that really matters in his decisionmaking process.
- There are numerous opportunities for the Red Sox to consider this winter — with free agent Edwin Encarnacion, perhaps, being the most intriguing. Bradford reports that the organization has yet to engage Encarnacion’s camp in earnest, however, and certainly the public signals given by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski suggest that he’s not a top target. That could be posturing, or a nod to the still-uncertain CBA talks, but Bradford argues that Boston ought to be in on Encarnacion.
- The Nationals have spoken to the White Sox about ace lefty Chris Sale, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. But Chicago has not undertaken serious talks with any clubs about Sale to this point, he adds. While it’s certainly reasonable to think that the Nats would be interested in knowing what it might take to add the talented southpaw, it seems at this point there’s no reason to view the chatter as more than due diligence.
- The Blue Jays, meanwhile, are looking for a lefty outfield bat and are exploring options in both trade and free agency, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com said in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter link). Josh Reddick is one possible target, per the report, and Toronto has also chatted with the Mets about Jay Bruce — who, perhaps, would be shopped if New York were to add a certain, significant free agent.
Minor MLB Transactions: 11/14/16
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- Outfielder Shane Robinson and righty Cory Rasmus cleared outright waivers and were sent to Triple-A by the Angels, the club announced. The 32-year-old Robinson, a seven-year MLB veteran, struggled badly last year in his time in the majors but displayed his typical high-OBP bat in the upper minors. The 29-year-old Rasmus, meanwhile, worked to a 5.84 ERA in 24 2/3 frames with the Halos, posting 17 strikeouts against 16 walks.
- The Braves have agreed to a minor league deal with utilityman Colin Walsh, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (via Twitter). Walsh, 27, struggled in limited major league action last year with the Brewers after being selected in the Rule 5 draft. Though he displayed his trademark plate discipline, taking 15 walks in 63 plate appearances, he also racked up 22 strikeouts and managed only four base knocks. Upon returning to the Athletics after losing his major league roster spot in Milwaukee, Walsh put up a .259/.384/.388 batting line in 245 plate appearances at Triple-A.
- Matt Duffy has signed on with Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines, Cotillo also reports on Twitter. Not to be confused with the other infielder of the same name — who was traded this summer from the Giants to the Rays — the 27-year-old saw brief MLB action in each of the last two years with the Astros and played most recently for the Rangers. Duffy had impressed at Triple-A in 2015, but struggled to a .229/.297/.387 slash in 444 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors in the 2016 campaign.
- Right-hander Casey Lawrence will return to the Blue Jays on a minor league deal that includes a Spring Training invite, the club announced. Lawrence, who just turned 29, has spent his entire professional career with the Toronto organization but has yet to crack the big leagues. Working as a starter last year, splitting 162 frames about evenly between Double-A and Triple-A, he pitched to a 4.17 ERA with 6.0 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9.
Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista To Reject Qualifying Offers
9:49am: Edwin Encarnacion, too, is rejecting his QO, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. That was among the most obvious calls in the entire class (or in any class of QO players). On the heels of a .263/.357/.529 batting line and 42 homers — his fifth straight season with at least 34 round-trippers — Encarnacion figures to cash on a substantial four-year pact and has a chance at a five-year deal worth in excess of $100MM. If both Encarnacion and Bautista sign elsewhere, the Jays will net a pair of compensatory picks in next year’s draft.
8:46am: Blue Jays right fielder/DH Jose Bautista will decline Toronto’s one-year, $17.2MM qualifying offer before today’s 5pm ET deadline, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. That decision has long been viewed as likely even on the heels of a disappointing and injury-filled season for the 36-year-old slugger. In light of Bautista’s decision, the Jays will receive a compensatory draft pick at the end of the first round if he signs elsewhere.
Bautista spent roughly six weeks of the 2016 season on the disabled list due to a toe injury and a knee sprain. When healthy, the two-time MLB home run leader (2010, 2011) batted just .234, though his .366 on-base percentage, .452 slugging percentage and .217 isolated power mark were all considerably above the league average. Bautista walked at nearly a 17 percent clip and struck out in just a shade under 20 percent of his plate appearances, and he finished the year on the upswing, hitting .262/.401/.469 in 162 plate appearances after being activated from his second stint on the DL.
The most significant questions surrounding Bautista are his age and his defense in right field. Having just turned 36 in October, a significant multi-year deal would carry him into at least his age-38 season. While that’s certainly not unheard of — Carlos Beltran, for instance, just played out a three-year, $45MM deal that spanned his age-37 through age-39 seasons — there will certainly be teams that are wary about committing to such pacts for a player that’s closer to 40 than to 30. Beyond that, his defense has rated out quite poorly in each of the past two seasons; Ultimate Zone Rating pegs him at 15.5 runs below average over his past 1825 innings in right field, while Defensive Runs Saved has him at -11 in that same time frame.
Those factors will likely scare away numerous National League clubs, although since formally receiving the qualifying offer, Bautista has already drawn some level of interest from the Mets. He’s also been loosely linked to both the Red Sox and Yankees, and it stands to reason that other American League teams will at least kick the tires on Bautista, who has hit more home runs than anyone in baseball dating back to the 2010 season. The Blue Jays may yet express interest in retaining Bautista, although their three-year deal with Kendrys Morales, signed last Friday, certainly makes him a bit of a tougher fit on Toronto’s roster.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Blue Jays Reportedly Make Three-Year Offer To Brett Cecil
The Blue Jays have made a three-year offer to Brett Cecil in an effort to retain the free-agent left-hander, reports Sportsnet’s Jamie Campbell (via Twitter). The average annual value of the offer isn’t known at this time.
Cecil, 30, posted an abnormally high 3.93 ERA in 2016 but turned in excellent strikeout-to-walk numbers, averaging 11 strikeouts and just two walks per nine innings pitched. The primary factor behind his uncharacteristic ERA spike was a spike in his homer-to-flyball rate; Cecil saw 11.6 percent of the fly-balls against him turn into home runs from 2009-15, but that rate jumped to 20.8 percent in 2016. Homer-to-flyball rate is prone to year-to-year fluctuations, however, and it’s never been a significant problem for Cecil before, who has somewhat quietly dominated over the past four seasons, posting a 2.90 ERA with 11.5 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 50.2 percent ground-ball rate in 205 innings for the Jays. He’s held both left-handed hitters and right-handed hitters in check over that time as well, so he shouldn’t be limited to a specialist role like many southpaw relievers.
Outside of Aroldis Chapman, Cecil is very arguably the top free-agent lefty on the market. He ranked 26th on MLBTR’s list of top 50 free agents, where he was projected to land a three-year, $18MM pact. Cecil already been connected to the Mariners in the past week and figures to draw widespread interest, as nearly every team in the league is looking for bullpen pieces early in the offseason, and the supply of quality left-handed arms is slimmer than the supply of quality right-handers. As it stands, Aaron Loup, Chad Girodo and Matt Dermody are the only left-handed relievers on Toronto’s 40-man roster, so their need to add some left-handed stability to the bullpen is evident.