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Reds Notes: Bruce Trade, Votto, Phillips, Peraza

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Jay Bruce’s name dominated headlines last night as the longtime Reds outfielder was reportedly on the verge of being dealt to the Blue Jays in a three-team trade (also involving the Angels) before the medical reviews of another player involved derailed the would-be deal. FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tweeted today that an official involved in the deal told him it’s “doubtful” that a new iteration of the trade will be drawn up, suggesting that the Reds will have to explore other opportunities if they’re still seeking to trade Bruce. Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM tweets that the Reds sought to shed all of the money that is owed to Bruce, adding that the asking price on Bruce is lower than some might expect it to be.

A few additional notes on the Bruce situation (including comments from Bruce himself) and on the Reds…

  • Bruce openly addressed the trade talk with reporters this morning, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and the Cincinnati Enquirer’s C. Trent Rosecrans write. Bruce said that his main focus is, to the best of his ability, to prevent the trade rumors surrounding his name from becoming a distraction to his teammates over the course of Spring Training. “I don’t want to have to come in every single day and talk to guys and honestly, answer the same questions,” Bruce explained. “It’s nothing against y’all. Y’all are just trying to do a job, I understand that. We’re in a special situation as it is here with this organization with the team. We have to be focused on the field. We have to focus on the task at hand. I don’t want this to become something every single day.” Bruce added the he would “completely understand” if something ultimately did happen, expressing a recognition of the game’s business component, but repeated that from his point of view, “I’m a Red until I’m not.” Both the Enquirer (link) and MLB.com (link) have video of some of Bruce’s comments.
  • Even with the Reds rebuilding, Joey Votto hopes to remain with the team for the long haul, writes Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We rode out some (stuff) last year,” Votto explained to reporters. “If I can ride that out and have a good time and be optimistic, I can handle just about anything. As long as we continue to head in the right direction, I’m very excited and proud to be a Red. I’m motivated by being a part of the future.” ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick was also on hand and notes that Votto expressed that it was difficult to see so many of his teammates and friends traded over the past year but also looks forward to getting to know new teammates and forming new bonds as his Reds career continues. Votto is owed $199MM over the next eight seasons and has a full no-trade clause included in his 10-year, $225MM contract, so even if the Reds wanted to move him, he’d have plenty of say in the matter.
  • Brandon Phillips deflected questions when asked about his decision to invoke his own no-trade rights rather than approve a trade to the Nationals, Sheldon writes. “I don’t know nothing about that stuff,” Phillips said. “I’m just here to play this game that I love. I’m just happy to still be wearing this Reds jersey.” Phillips added that he didn’t hear much about talk of prospect Jose Peraza, acquired in the Todd Frazier trade, challenging for playing time. Peraza would’ve been in line to be the team’s everyday second baseman had Phillips been traded, but he’ll see some time at shortstop and in center field this spring in addition to some reps at second base, manager Bryan Price told Rosecrans and other reporters earlier this week.

AL East Notes: Machado, Desmond, Rays, Atkins, Bautista

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Here’s the latest from around the AL East…

  • Manny Machado talked to reporters (including MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko) about several topics in a media session today, including his happiness that Chris Davis, Matt Wieters and Darren O’Day are all still Orioles.  The team’s willingness to spend this offseason “brings out hope” that Machado will also be able to sign a new contract to remain in Baltimore, as he desires.  “They’re trying to keep everybody here.  That’s good for me.  I hope they keep me here for [the] long term,” Machado said.  “But the case is, you can’t really sign everybody.  You can’t bring everybody back.  But it’s just part of the business, people you can bring back, people who you can’t, people who won’t be.  But I think we’re making an effort of bringing everybody back, keeping the same clubhouse, the same core.”
  • It’s “still quite unlikely” that Ian Desmond will sign with the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes.  Desmond’s list of possible suitors got even thinner yesterday when the White Sox signed Jimmy Rollins to address the shortstop position.  The Rays have had some talks with Desmond, but the sticking point is the Rays’ unwillingness to surrender its first round draft pick (the 13th overall selection) to make the signing, as Desmond is a qualifying offer free agent.
  • In a session with reporters (including Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi) this morning, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins gave no comment on either Jose Bautista’s contract ultimatum or the reportedly off-the-table trade involving Jay Bruce and Michael Saunders.  In regards to Bautista, Atkins said any extension talks between the team and the slugger won’t be made public, as “in relation to the negotiation, out of respect for him, out of respect for the Blue Jays organization, we just can’t get into the specifics of it.”
  • In another piece from Davidi, he characterized the Blue Jays’ decision on Bautista as a bellwether of how the club plans to operate in the near future beyond the 2016 season, in regards to both spending and fielding a contender.

Three-Team Jay Bruce Deal With Reds, Angels, Blue Jays “Dead”

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TUESDAY: The medical concerns were in regard to a Blue Jays minor leaguer involved in the deal who was presumably going to the Reds, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).  With this trade at least temporarily off, Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan wonders if other teams could approach the Reds with offers for Bruce since they seem open to dealing him for a fairly low price.

11:15pm: Talks are “dead” for the time being, Olney tweets.

11:06pm: The reason for the holdup is that one of the teams found an issue with one of the players’ medicals, Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan tweets, clarifying that the player in question was not Bruce. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, meanwhile, tweets that someone close to the talks believes the problem is Saunders’ knee, an injury to which caused him to miss most of last season.

10:47pm: Some of the parties discussing the deal now doubt it will come to fruition, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets. The reasons for the hitch are currently unclear.

8:44pm: The three teams are reviewing medical records of the players involved, tweets Rosenthal.

8:20pm: The deal is nearing completion, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets.

6:36pm: The current deal has Bruce going to Toronto, Saunders heading to Anaheim and prospects going to the Reds, Heyman tweets. That suggests the Angels, who have a very weak farm system, will be providing the prospects.

6:13pm: Bruce does not currently have the Jays on his no-trade list, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.

6:03pm: Heyman tweets that the proposed deal between the Jays and Reds actually also involves the Angels, with Saunders heading from Toronto to Anaheim in the deal. The Jays and Reds also discussed a three-team deal with the Athletics, but that trade is no longer on the table, Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan tweets.

5:44pm: Reds outfielder Jay Bruce remains on the trade market, and they could be in the process of trading him to the Blue Jays, Jon Heyman tweets. If the Jays were to acquire Bruce, he would likely play mostly left field, with Jose Bautista in right. Toronto’s top left field options currently include Michael Saunders, who missed most of last season due to injury, and 23-year-old Dalton Pompey.

For the Reds, Bruce would be the latest in a long string of veteran departures that has also included Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Marlon Byrd, Todd Frazier and Aroldis Chapman. Bruce would be unlikely to command a large return, since he’s hit just .222/.288/.406 in the last two seasons. He might, however, be in line for somewhat of a resurgence in 2016 if his batting average on balls in play (which was just .251 last season) improves a bit. When he does make contact, he has largely retained his ability to hit for power, hitting 26 home runs last season.

Still, Bruce will make $12.5MM in 2016, plus a $1MM buyout or a $13MM option in 2017, and while those figures aren’t exorbitant, he’s far from a bargain at that price. The Orioles have also recently been connected to Bruce, although at last check, their interest wasn’t particularly strong.

Bautista “Not Willing To Negotiate” After Naming Asking Price

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Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista met with multiple reporters at the Jays’ Spring Training facility in Dunedin, Fla. today, and a potential extension was among the topics discussed. However, as MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm and Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi write, Joey Bats isn’t interested in giving the Blue Jays any form of hometown discount. Bautista, who is eligible for free agency next offseason, said that he met with the Blue Jays two weeks ago and named his asking price. Toronto president of baseball operations Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins sought to negotiate, but that isn’t in Bautista’s plans.

“I’m not willing to negotiate,” Bautista candidly explained. “I don’t think there should be any negotiation. I think I’ve proven myself.” 

It’s hard to argue with the notion that Bautista has done anything short of that since signing his five-year, $65MM contract with the Blue Jays prior to the 2011 season. Since that time, Bautista has posted a .270/.393/.540 batting line with 173 home runs. Even when factoring in his hitter-friendly home park, Bautista’s bat has been 55 percent better than the league-average hitter, according to OPS+, and 54 percent better than average, per wRC+. Both Baseball-Reference and Fangraphs agree that he’s been worth between 26 and 27 wins above replacement in that time frame.

That production, relative to his cost, makes it relatively easy to see why Bautista would say, “In my eyes, I’ve given this organization a five-year hometown discount already.” Of course, Bautista knew the risk he was taking in signing that deal; the possibility always existed that he’d continue the torrid pace from his 2010 breakout and turn the contract into a massive bargain, just as the Blue Jays knew there was a possibility that he’d decline and leave them holding one of Major League Baseball’s least desirable contracts.

Bautista tells reporters that he met with Shapiro and Atkins for about 15 minutes. “I didn’t want to waste any time,” Bautista explained. “If this is going to happen, I think it should be natural, organic, quick and easy, it shouldn’t be a pull and tug about a few dollars here or there. I didn’t want to waste any time, I didn’t want to waste their time or their effort, so they can start planning ahead, and if it’s not going to happen they have plenty of time to do so.”

It’s unclear what Bautista specified in terms of years or dollars, although a five-year deal certainly seems like a possibility. Chisholm, in fact, tweets that Bautista was asked whether he thinks he can play for another five years, and the slugger was “emphatic” in responding in the affirmative. Earlier this offseason, MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk examined Bautista’s extension candidacy, noting that Bautista seems very likely to be able to secure at least a four-year deal at a premium rate — well north of $20MM — as a free agent next winter, assuming a typical Bautista season. I’d agree that a healthy four-year deal is a safe expectation, with a five-year deal certainly on the table should he approach last year’s production.

Blue Jays Sign Tony Sanchez To Minor League Deal

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The Blue Jays announced that they have signed former Pirates catcher Tony Sanchez to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training.

Sanchez, who is represented by ACES, will compete for a backup role to Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin — a former Pirate himself. The 27-year-old Sanchez was selected fourth overall in the 2009 draft and saw time in parts of three big league seasons with the Bucs, batting a combined .259/.303/.378 with four homers in 155 plate appearances. Rated as one of baseball’s Top 100 prospects by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus in 2010-11, Sanchez’s bat stalled in the upper minors after he excelled at Class-A and Class-A Advanced. With parts of four seasons at Triple-A under his belt, the Boston College product has a .248/.342/.415 batting line at that level. He’s caught 22 percent of opposing base-stealers throughout his minor league tenure and 17 percent in the Majors. Baseball Prospectus, which keeps track of minor league framing numbers as well as Major League numbers, feels that Sanchez has been a generally above-average pitch-framer throughout his time at the Triple-A level.

Josh Thole currently projects to be Toronto’s backup catcher, and his familiarity with R.A. Dickey’s knuckleball perhaps gives him a leg up in any competition that could form in Spring Training. Sanchez will add to a relatively thin depth chart behind the plate for the Blue Jays, however, who currently have A.J. Jimenez and veteran Humberto Quintero in camp as big league alternatives or options at Triple-A Buffalo.

Extension Notes: Strasburg, Harvey, Encarnacion, Buchholz

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Spring training is also extension season, and Steve Adams and I previewed things on a recent edition of the MLBTR Podcast. Several players have inked arb-only deals, and there have been a pair of interesting contracts for injury-risk relievers, but thus far only Dee Gordon (Marlins) and Brandon Crawford (Giants) have landed truly significant contracts this winter. There are already rumblings about some big names who could dabble with long-term negotiations, many of whom pose significant questions to their organizations.

Here are a few links to the latest extension chatter:

  • It does not appear that the Nationals and Stephen Strasburg have any intentions of making a real effort at a new contract, as Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports. Agent Scott Boras had high praise for the Washington organization and its handling of the prized righty, but his comments suggest that a pre-season deal would come as a major surprise. “We amicably agreed to a one-year deal (for 2016),” Boras said. “He’s going to pitch, and we’ll see where it goes from there. It’s something we’ll be discussing at the end of the year.” None of that comes as much of a surprise, of course, as Strasburg has a chance at a huge contract if he can put up a healthy and productive campaign.
  • There may be slightly more daylight for an extension in the case of another NL East, Boras-repped ace — Matt Harvey of the Mets — according to a report from ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin. Unlike Strasburg, Harvey can be controlled for two more seasons after 2016, so there’s quite a bit more ground to cover before he hits the open market. Harvey said he hasn’t heard any talk of negotiations, but indicated he would be willing at least to consider a long-term arrangement. Boras, meanwhile, provided a trademark analogy to explain his stance: “Expectations of an extension are like dinner invitations. They are always politely considered until you know the restaurant.”
  • The Blue Jays have yet to open talks with slugger Edwin Encarnacion, his agent Paul Kinzler tells Morosi. That’s not surprising with camp still on the horizon, but the new Toronto front office has made clear it intends to make an effort to reach agreement with Encarnacion (and fellow star Jose Bautista). Kinzer indicated that he believes there’s plenty of time to work something out, with Encarnacion very open to the idea of foregoing free agency for the chance to cement his legacy with the balllub.
  • Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz says that he doesn’t think the time is right to discuss a new deal, as Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports. “I still think I have some stuff to prove before we even get into [extension discussions],” Buchholz told Mastrodonato. Boston probably feels similarly, particularly given that the roller-coaster righty is already controllable for 2017 (his age-32 season) by way of a $13.5MM club option. 

Minor MLB Transactions: 2-15-16

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We’ll kick off the week with today’s roundup of outright assignments and minor signings from around the league…

  • Right-hander Chad Jenkins, whom the Blue Jays designated for assignment upon signing Gavin Floyd to a one-year deal, has been outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo, according to the Jays’ transactions page at MLB.com. The 28-year-old posted a 3.25 ERA with the Blue Jays in 97 innings from 2012-14 but saw just 3 2/3 innings in the big league bullpen last season. Jenkins, the 20th overall pick in 2009, instead spent the bulk of the season in Buffalo, where he logged a 2.98 ERA with a 60-to-26 K/BB ratio in 93 2/3 innings (11 starts, 30 relief appearances).
  • The Rockies have signed a familiar face, per Baseball America’s Matt Eddy; infielder Chris Nelson is back with the club on a minor league deal. Nelson, now 30, spent 10 seasons in the Rockies organization after being selected ninth overall in the 2004 draft. He batted .279/.322/.416 in 212 big league games with the Rox from 2010-13 but went on to struggle away from the hitter-friendly Coors Field in stints with the Padres, Angels and Yankees.
  • Right-hander Clayton Mortensen, 31 in April, is back with the Royals on a minor league deal for the second consecutive season, according to Eddy. Another former top pick (36th overall in 2007), Mortensen was one of the players sent from the Cardinals to the A’s in the 2009 Matt Holliday trade. Mortensen posted solid big league numbers (3.59 ERA in 100 1/3 innings) from 2011-12 with the Rockies and Red Sox but hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2013. He’s worked to a 5.12 ERA in 184 2/3 innings for Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate across the past two seasons.
  • The Rangers signed shortstop Doug Bernier to a minors deal last week, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). Bernier, 35, won’t receive an invite to Major League camp, but the veteran infielder will provide some up-the-middle depth for Texas’ Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock. Bernier spent the past three seasons in the Twins organization and was a feel-good story for the 2013 team, as he reached the Majors that year for the first time a brief two-game appearance with the 2008 Rockies (at the time, his only prior MLB experience). Bernier appeared in 44 games with Minnesota from 2013-15 and tallied 79 plate appearances, hitting .231/.351/.292. He’s a career .255/.346/.345 hitter in nine seasons at Triple-A and is known for his solid glove at shortstop, second base and third base.

Minor MLB Transactions: 2/13/16

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the game:

  • The Diamondbacks have outrighted lefty Will Locante, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. They designated Locante for assignment last week after he posted a 5.79 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 7.3 BB/9 in 42 rough innings of relief for Double-A Mobile last year.
  • The Indians have announced that they’ve signed 34-year-old catcher Guillermo Quiroz to a minor-league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. The light-hitting Quiroz has played parts of ten seasons in the Majors, but in the 2015 regular season he only appeared with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento, where he hit .247/.303/.292 in 99 plate appearances.
  • The Angels have signed catcher Lou Marson and righties Josh Zeid and Cody Satterwhite to minor-league deals, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy tweets. Marson, the former Indians backup, has played sparingly in the last several seasons due to injury. He has a lifetime .219/.309/.299 line in parts of six big-league seasons. The 28-year-old Zeid is perhaps best known as one of the pieces the Phillies sent the Astros in the 2011 Hunter Pence deal. He spent the 2015 season in the Tigers’ Triple-A bullpen, posting a 4.46 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9. The 29-year-old Satterwhite pitched last season in a tough pitching environment at Triple-A Las Vegas, posting a 4.38 ERA, 8.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 72 innings of relief.
  • The Blue Jays have re-signed lefty reliever Colt Hynes to a minor-league deal, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet tweets. Hynes pitched in five games for the Jays last season. He also pitched 47 1/3 innings combined at Double-A and Triple-A, posting a 3.47 ERA, 7.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9.

Marlins To Sign Craig Breslow To Minors Deal

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The Marlins have agreed to a minor league pact with veteran southpaw Craig Breslow, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reports. He would earn $1.5MM if he can crack the MLB roster.

Though he had kicked around the idea of seeking a starting opportunity, Breslow will reportedly chase a pen slot in Miami. He also considered offers from the Cubs, Blue Jays, and Red Sox.

Working for Boston last year, the 35-year-old carried a 4.15 ERA over 65 frames with 6.4 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9. While the results were improved after a tough 2014, Breslow wasn’t able to show quite the same form that led to a 2.82 earned run mark over his first 402 MLB frames over the span of 2005 to 2013.

The veteran’s groundball rate is down and his home run susceptibility is up, and it’s reflected in advanced metrics, which do not put a positive spin on his past two seasons. While he has long outpaced ERA estimators, and did so again in 2015, they are increasingly sour on his work (5.27 FIP, 5.07 xFIP, and 4.51 SIERA last year).

On the other hand, Breslow still pitches with about the same fastball velocity (he averaged 90.0 mph with his four-seamer last year) as he always has. And he boosted his swinging strike rate into double digits for the first time since 2012. He ought to have every opportunity to earn a job this spring in a Miami pen that was in need of options behind top southpaw Mike Dunn.

Blue Jays, Josh Donaldson Reach Two-Year Extension

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The Blue Jays have announced a two-year, $28.65MM deal with star third baseman Josh Donaldson. He’ll earn $11.65MM in 2016 and $17MM for the following year.

The sides had been set for arbitration, with Donaldson filing at $11.8MM and the team countering at $11.35MM. While the gulf between those numbers is obviously a pittance compared to the overall value involved, the Jays employ a “trial and file” strategy that made a hearing inevitable after numbers were swapped — barring a multi-year deal. The sides could have worked out a deal to buy out all of Donaldson’s remaining arb years — he was a Super Two last year and is under control through 2018 via arbitration — if not a yet longer pact to lock up some free agent seasons, but chose the more straightforward option.

Josh Donaldson

Fresh off of an American League MVP award, Donaldson had enormous earning power at the arb table. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz broke down his case in January, noting that the projected $12MM salary would have represented a record $7.7MM raise. Obviously, both team and player agreed that was a bit more than was warranted, though even the Jays were willing to pay the same bump that the prior record holder received (Chris Davis, with a $7.05MM raise).

The new deal not only rewards Donaldson for his monster 2015 season with a nice salary in the coming season, but also promises him a second huge payday. It’s less than he might have earned with another strong season — and much less than a repeat MVP effort would have brought — but significantly reduces his risk in exchange for some potential cost savings and certainty to the club.

Donaldson, who came over from the A’s last winter, went to a hearing with his new club before he ever suited up. The club won, with Donaldson settling for $4.3MM — a fair sight shy of the $5.75MM that he sought. Of course, he’s now more than made up for it with this new deal.

There certainly weren’t any lingering effects from that adversarial proceeding on Donaldson, who exceeded already-high expectations last year. The MVP tab was well deserved, as the 30-year-old delivered a .297/.371/.568 slash and 41 home runs, helping to lead Toronto to an AL East pennant. With typically stellar defense mixed in, Donaldson tallied 8.8 rWAR and 8.7 fWAR.

Something of a late-bloomer, Donaldson represents a tough decision as a long-term extension candidate. There’s little chance he’d take a significant discount to give away free agent years, but he’s already under control through his age-32 season and has every right to demand a premium payday.

Toronto is, of course, already examining the possibility of buying up seasons of sluggers in their mid-30s, as pending free agents Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista are on the docket for extension talks this spring. Having Donaldson’s salary for 2017 already on the books certainly removes a variable, though balancing the long-term checkbook still seems a matter that will require some care.

Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reported the agreement and approximate value. Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reported the precise guarantee (via the Washington Post).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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