Blue Jays Notes: Atkins, Encarnacion, Osuna, Carrera
Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins had to hit the ground running after joining club president Mark Shapiro in moving from Cleveland to Toronto. He gave an interesting interview with Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star about the transition. Among other things, Atkins says he has been impressed with the level of minor league talent still in place despite the significant trades swung by former GM Alex Anthopoulos.
Here’s more out of Toronto:
- It doesn’t appear that the Blue Jays have any further extension talks lined up with slugger Edwin Encarnacion during the final days of camp, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports on Twitter. That’s not terribly surprising, given that all indications are the sides were not able to gain much ground earlier in the spring. Still, it’s worth noting that many extension — particularly of pending free agents — come together just before the season opens.
- Roberto Osuna will open the year as the closer for the Jays, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca tweets, meaning that the recently acquired Drew Storen will operate in the 8th inning. As Nicholson-Smith notes (also via Twitter), the Opening Day pen will include four other new additions: Gavin Floyd, Jesse Chavez, Arnold Leon, and Rule 5 pick Joe Biagini.
- Meanwhile, Toronto has settled upon Ezequiel Carrera as the team’s fourth outfielder to open the season, as MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm tweets. He had been competing for the job with players like Darrell Ceciliani, Junior Lake, and Domonic Brown. Carrera, 28, owns a .259./.309/.349 slash with 27 stolen bases over 670 plate appearances spread over five MLB campaigns.
Minor MLB Transactions: 3/29/16
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- Padres righty Philip Humber has decided to retire after learning he wouldn’t make the club, A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com tweets. Now 33, Humber was once the third overall pick in the amateur draft, but never was able to consistently deliver results at the MLB level and will end his career with a 5.31 ERA in 371 innings. He last cracked the majors back in 2013 with the Astros. Of course, Humber also twirled an exceedingly rare perfect game for the White Sox in 2012, giving him quite a notable place in the history books.
- Shane Robinson has requested and been given his release by the Indians, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports on Twitter. Robinson had been on the fringes of the Cleveland outfield competition, but the club was set to go with other options and he exercised the opt-out clause that MLBTR recently reported. The 31-year-old is valued more for his glove than his bat; he owns a .237/.302/.313 batting line in 649 career plate appearances over parts of six seasons.
- As expected, Roberto Hernandez has officially exercised his opt-out clause and requested that he be released by the Blue Jays, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca tweets. The 35-year-old is hopeful of finding a major league opportunity elsewhere after Toronto decided not to add him to the active roster (and take on what would have been a $1.25MM salary). In 84 2/3 innings last year, Hernandez worked to a 4.36 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.
- Lefty Caleb Thielbar is headed to the indy league St. Paul Saints, Seth Stohs of TwinsDaily.com tweets. The former Twins southpaw, who’s just 29, played a bit role in Minnesota’s pen over 2013-14 but only got five innings in the majors last year. He had good run prevention numbers at Triple-A, but uninspiring peripherals may have tamped down interest from major league teams.
Blue Jays Release Steve Delabar, Randy Choate
The Blue Jays have released righty Steve Delabar, Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star reports on Twitter. Toronto also cut loose southpaw Randy Choate, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca was among those to tweet.
Delabar, 32, had agreed to avoid arbitration for $835K, and the Jays will remain on the hook for about one fifth of that (45 days of salary). But he was out of options and obviously wasn’t destined to make the pen. Things haven’t gone well for the righty since his All-Star nod in 2013. In the last two seasons he owns a 5.07 ERA in 55 frames with 8.3 K/9 against 5.4 BB/9 in the major leagues, and he’s also had stints at Triple-A in both years.
As for the veteran Choate, Toronto skipper John Gibbons says that the club hopes to sign him to a new deal to remain in the organization. He was an Article XX(B) free agent and thus was eligible for a $100K retention bonus had he been kept in the minors. A 40-year-old LOOGY, Choate has continued his dominance against left-handed hitters over the past several years but is a very marginal option against righties.
AL Notes: Panda, Rangers, Sanchez, White, Angels
The Padres have sent a scout to watch Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. It’s far from clear whether that is an indication of serious interest, of course, let alone whether the scout is watching more than just Sandoval. Regardless, it’s the latest hint that there could be some remaining trade chatter to be held between these organizations, who already struck a significant swap early in the offseason.
Here’s more from the eastern divisions:
- The Rangers are not only continuing their search for another catcher, but could look outside the organization for rotation help, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. A.J. Griffin may have the inside track to take the fifth starter’s job at present, says Grant, but there’s some concern about the overall starting pitching depth as camp comes to a close. As for the backstop situation, it doesn’t appear that much has changed, but Texas is still looking to improve upon its reserve options — if not to strike a more significant upgrade. (Grant notes that the club has inquired on Derek Norris of the Padres and Bryan Holaday of the Tigers.)
- Of course, interest doesn’t always mean that a deal gets done, and significant spring trades are rare. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports also reports that the Rangers have real interest in both areas (Twitter links), but he says the club thinks it has only an “outside chance” at adding a catcher and is “doubtful” to find a new pitcher. All in all, both reports suggest that Texas is looking at its options but is hardly certain to add outside pieces. And still others suggest there’s not much reason to expect movement. Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram tweets that outside inquiries have mostly been tire-kicking exercises, while MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan adds on Twitter that club officials have suggested to him that the final rotation piece will come from inside the organization.
- Reclamation righty Matt Bush isn’t in the mix for an Opening Day pen spot with the Rangers, Grant also writes, but he has been enormously impressive this spring and could be an option later in the season. Bush’s story is well-known, of course — the former first overall draft pick recently finished a prison term for severely injuring a man in a DUI.
- Aaron Sanchez has been named as the Blue Jays‘ fifth starter, manager John Gibbons told reporters (including John Lott of Blue Jays Nation) this morning. It won’t be a season-long assignment for Sanchez, however, as the righty seems to be under an innings cap and will eventually be transitioned into the bullpen as he approaches his limit. The 23-year-old has never thrown more than 133 1/3 innings in a season. Sanchez and Gavin Floyd emerged as the top two contenders for the fifth starter’s job during camp, and Floyd will join Jesse Chavez in the bullpen while Drew Hutchison has been optioned to Triple-A. It stands to reason that Floyd, Chavez or Hutchison will all be rotation candidates when Sanchez is moved back to relief pitching.
- The Astros have decided to give an Opening Day roster spot to young first baseman Tyler White, as Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports. Houston’s first-base situation has been in flux all spring, but it appears that the 33rd-round draftee is in line for a significant opportunity to take the position and run with it. He is one of several players in the organization who have impressed this spring; third base prospect Colin Moran has also compiled a 1.000+ OPS in more than thirty plate appearances, though Drellich notes on Twitter that he’s not considered a roster option at this point. The same holds true of A.J. Reed, of course, who could also have a chance to make an impact later in the season.
- Angels GM Billy Eppler says that he is “not optimistic” of adding to his roster before the season starts, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports. Gonzalez provides a deep rundown of the club’s remaining roster considerations.
Blue Jays Claim Jesus Montero; Designate A.J. Jimenez For Assignment
The Blue Jays have claimed Jesus Montero off waivers from the Mariners, according to a Toronto press release. To create roster space, catcher A.J. Jimenez has been designated for assignment.
The move ends Montero’s four-year tenure with the Mariners, a stint that undoubtedly created frustration for both the player and the team. Montero was acquired in a trade that sent Michael Pineda to the Yankees, a rare case of two blue chip prospects being swapped in the same deal. The M’s were counting on Montero to become a fixture in their lineup, but instead he hit .247/.285/.383 with 24 homers in 796 PA as a Mariner.
Montero’s checkered time in Seattle included several trips to the minors, injuries, defensive issues that turned him from a catcher into a first baseman/DH, weight problems, a 50-game suspension as part of the Biogenesis PED scandal and a bizarre altercation with a minor league coach in 2014 that saw him banned for the last month of the season.
Despite all of this baggage, Montero was still putting up big numbers at the Triple-A level and is just 26 years old. For a player who was considered a consensus top-five prospect in the sport just five years ago, Toronto may feel it’s worth a low-risk signing to see if a change of scenery unlocks Montero’s potential.
Montero is out of options, which complicates things for the Jays since they don’t have an obvious roster spot for him. Edwin Encarnacion is the everyday DH with Chris Colabello and Justin Smoak splitting the first base duties, so as MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm notes, the Blue Jays may have to try and sneak Montero through waivers again if they intend to keep him.
Jimenez has a reputation as a good defensive catcher and he has hit .272/.314/.381 over 1923 minor league PA. Once considered a possible catcher of the future for the Jays, Jimenez was ranked as the 14th-best prospect in the club’s system by Baseball America prior to the 2014 season before slipping to 23rd in 2015 to out of the top 30 entirely this year. His lack of progress at the plate was a factor in his slide down the rankings and he also has a significant injury history, including Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for much of 2012. Like Montero, Jimenez was also out of options.
Players Exercising Opt-Out Clauses: Monday
As Opening Day approaches, teams will be making tough roster decisions involving their veteran players. Some of these decisions pertain to Article XX(B) free agents who have their opt-out date on Tuesday, though other players have opt-outs today or later this week. We’ll keep track of the players who opt out of their deals in search of new opportunities here:
- Lefty Brian Duensing told reporters (including Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star) that he will be opting out of his minor league deal with the Royals, giving the team 48 hours to either release him or add him to the 25-man roster. As per the terms of his contract, Duensing will make $2MM in base salary if he makes the team. It isn’t yet clear if K.C. will part ways with Duensing or not; while the Royals are deep in relief options, most of them are right-handed. Danny Duffy is the only southpaw slated for a bullpen job.
- Roberto Hernandez has been told he isn’t making the Blue Jays roster, and the veteran right-hander is expected to exercise his opt-out clause today, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports. Hernandez signed a minor league deal in February that would’ve paid him $1.25MM in salary and another $750K in available bonuses he had made the Major League roster. The 10-year veteran posted a 4.36 ERA, 4.5 K/9 and 1.62 K/BB rate over 84 2/3 innings with the Astros last season.
AL East Notes: Tejada, Gausman, Matusz, Rays
Some news from around the AL East…
- The Blue Jays had interest in Ruben Tejada and “were serious” about adding the infielder before he signed with the Cardinals, ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin reports (Twitter link). With Devon Travis still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and not expected back until May or June, Tejada would’ve provided depth for Toronto’s infield. Ryan Goins will start at second until Travis is healthy, with Troy Tulowitzki at short, Josh Donaldson at third and Darwin Barney serving as the utility infielder.
- Two very notable Orioles arms are battling injuries as Opening Day approaches. Kevin Gausman told reporters (including Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun) that a recent cortisone shot has helped relieve some of the soreness caused by right shoulder tendinitis. Still, Gausman is going to be very cautious with the injury to avoid causing a problem that would drag into the regular season. Manager Buck Showalter hinted that Gausman could face a DL stint, but one backdated to March 25 so he’d be eligible to start on April 10.
- In another piece from Meoli, Brian Matusz will meet with Orioles coaches and trainers today to plan what’s next for the lefty reliever, who’s been sidelined for almost all of Spring Training due to a bad back. It seems like Matusz will require a DL stint as well, if only to give him time to get loose and make up for his lost time in camp. The O’s have acquired southpaws Edgar Olmos and Zach Phillips in recent days, indicating that the club is preparing to be without Matusz.
- The Rays have some roster flexibility since they only need four starters in April, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets. The Rays have four off-days scheuled between April 3 and April 29. With an extra roster spot to work with, the Rays could keep an extra first baseman — as noted in my Rays Offseason In Review piece, Tampa has a surplus at first, the outfield and at catcher. Rosenthal notes that the Rays could address catcher by keeping out-of-options backstops Curt Casali and Rene Rivera while optioning Hank Conger.
- In other AL East news from earlier today, check out this Blue Jays Notes post.
Blue Jays Notes: Encarnacion, Bautista, Sanchez
“The external perception is that the Blue Jays are a team ready to win but also a team in transition,” MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince writes in a piece detailing how 2016 stands out as a win-now season for the franchise. While the Jays have several major players and young stars controlled into 2017 and beyond, this could also be Toronto’s last season with Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, R.A. Dickey, Brett Cecil and (perhaps) even manager John Gibbons if the new front office wants to hire its own dugout boss. Here’s some more from north of the border…
- The Jays are “willing to be much more flexible” in talks with Bautista than Encarnacion when it comes to contract length and money, Sportsnet’s Jeff Blair reports. Encarnacion is rumored to be asking for a five-year deal, though even a four-year pact could be too much for the Jays. The debate over contract length has reportedly already been a stumbling block in talks between Encarnacion’s camp and the Jays, with the club reportedly offering extensions of only one or two years. It seems like Toronto will have to be flexible if the team is to keep Bautista, as its reported preference for a deal in the three-year/$75MM range is about half of Bautista’s demands.
- Paul Kinzer, Encarnacion’s agent, told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that his client’s reported demand for a five-year deal is inaccurate. “We have never put a number on the terms of the length of the contract. We have never discussed a dollar amount,” Kinzer said.
- There is “no chance” the Jays re-sign both Bautista and Encarnacion, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets, as the club simply can’t put two more large salaries on the books when Russell Martin and Troy Tulowitzki are also signed to major deals through 2019 and 2020, respectively. I explored the difficulties Toronto would face in extending both sluggers in a Bautista extension candidate piece last November, and given the reports since, it’s becoming increasingly possible that neither player is wearing a Jays jersey in 2017.
- Gavin Floyd will make a start in a minor league game today, which could bring more clarity to the still-unsettled fifth starter’s battle between Floyd and Aaron Sanchez. Gibbons was rather vague in comments to reporters (including Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi) yesterday about whether the Jays were any closer to a decision. Both starters have pitched very well this spring, adding to the debate as to whether the Blue Jays should go with the veteran reclamation project or the promising but still raw youngster. Andrew Stoeten of Blue Jays Nation points out that Sanchez still has unanswered questions about whether or not he can retire left-handed hitters after getting hit hard by lefty bats last season, while an NL scout tells Jeff Blair (in the previously-linked piece) that Sanchez has the “best stuff I’ve seen anywhere this spring. They’re crazy if they put him in the bullpen.”
- Fangraphs’ August Fagerstrom opines that Sanchez should be in the rotation, arguing that if the Blue Jays put him in the bullpen again, transitioning Sanchez back to a starting role will be more difficult down the road. Given Sanchez’s top prospect status, “it’s far more important to the organization to know whether Sanchez can stick as a starter than it is to know whether Floyd can stick as a starter….The information on Sanchez is just worth more.”
Career Notes: Dickey, Colon, Jimenez
Several notable big leaguers have officially hung up the cleats this offseason, or given an indication (sort of) about when they might be retiring. Here’s the latest from some more veterans about when they may or may not consider calling it a career…
- R.A. Dickey is entering the last year of his contract with the Blue Jays and the 41-year-old tells VICE Sports’ John Lott that he’ll sit down with his family after the season to decide on his future. Right now, “we’re all kind of undecided. We just like to stay in the moment,” Dickey said. If he does return, it would be for a situation that suits his family and likely a one-year contract. “I think I will be an attractive option for a lot of teams because I will not be requiring a multi-year deal, and I will probably be asking less than what my market value will be….And for me, it’s not necessarily about the money at this point. It’s about the right fit, and how close to home I’d be, and are there direct flights, and what is the clubhouse policy for kids, all that stuff,” Dickey said. Despite his age, the knuckleballer is as steady an innings-eater as any in baseball, averaging 219 frames per season since 2011. Given the lack of starting pitching available in next winter’s free agent market, Dickey is probably correct in assuming he would get a lot of interest.
- Speaking of ageless right-handers, Bartolo Colon tells Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that plans to pitch as long as he’s healthy. “I take it year by year. We’ll see what happens for me,” Colon said. The 42-year-old fan favorite is preparing for his 19th season in the bigs, returning to the Mets rotation until Zack Wheeler makes his midseason return from Tommy John rehab.
- Left-hander Cesar Jimenez hasn’t arrived at the Brewers‘ Spring Training camp, and while the team hasn’t heard anything official yet, Jimenez might be retiring, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. Jimenez appeared in 16 games with the Crew last season after he was selected off waivers from Philadelphia in August, and he signed a minor league deal to return to Milwaukee in January. Jimenez, 31, has a 4.05 ERA over 104 1/3 career innings and parts of six big league seasons with the Brewers, Phillies and Mariners.
NL Central Notes: Lucroy, Bruce, Schwarber, Pirates
Here’s the latest from around the NL Central…
- The Brewers were talking with the Astros and Braves about a three-team trade involving Jonathan Lucroy last month, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports. Houston made an attempt at Lucroy earlier in the offseason, as previously reported by FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, and the club has also been linked to Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte. This isn’t to say that Inciarte was also necessarily part of this three-team proposal, of course, as Atlanta’s role in the trade could’ve taken any number of forms.
- Lucroy has been the subject of many trade rumors this winter, to the point that he and his family don’t have living arrangements in Milwaukee settled yet since he presumed he was going to be dealt. “It’s all out of your control. But communication is a big thing. I’d like to be kept up to date what’s going on. It’s not like I’m going to spread it all around, I just want to know when it’s coming, when to expect it,” the longtime Brewers catcher said.
- Also from Nightengale’s piece, he notes that the Reds were willing to pay roughly $8MM of Jay Bruce‘s $12.5MM salary as part of the abandoned three-team trade that would’ve sent Bruce to the Blue Jays, Michael Saunders to the Angels and prospects to Cincinnati. It was expected that the Reds would have to eat some money in any Bruce deal, given that the outfielder is coming off two consecutive subpar seasons. Saunders is making $2.9MM in 2016, so adding Bruce would’ve cost Toronto around $1.6MM in extra salary (not counting the $1MM buyout of Bruce’s $13MM club option for 2017).
- Like Lucroy, Bruce is also rather surprised to still be with his original team given all of the trade speculation. He reiterated that he would prefer to stay with the Reds, and blames his recent “pretty poor” play for threatening his long-term future in Cincinnati. (Though it could be argued that if Bruce had been hitting more, the Reds would’ve been able to move him sooner.) “In order for me to have a chance to stay here, I need to play better. We’ll see what happens. I never changed my sentiment, wanting to be part of this for the long haul….But obviously, I have to do my part to even have a chance,” Bruce said.
- Kyle Schwarber could be a personal catcher for Jason Hammel this season, CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney writes, as the Cubs are looking for ways to get Schwarber’s bat into the lineup whenever possible. Schwarber’s defensive future has been the subject of much debate, as he’s scheduled to see most of his playing time in left field this year even though his fielding prowess is still a question mark. It’s also unclear if Schwarber can handle being a regular catcher, though with Miguel Montero and David Ross ahead of him on Chicago’s catching depth chart, he could be eased into the position for just Hammel’s starts. Being removed from too much grind behind the plate could actually benefit Schwarber, Mooney notes, by helping him stay healthy.
- The Pirates hired James Harris as a special assistant to baseball operations in February, and Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review examines how the hiring is an example of how the Bucs are willing to look outside of baseball for ways to build their organization. Harris specializes in fitness and nutrition techniques and he has spent much of his career in football, including the last decade working with Chip Kelly both at the University of Oregon and with the NFL’s Eagles. Harris’ lack of baseball experience wasn’t a big factor for Pirates GM Neal Huntington, as the goal for any athlete is about “maximizing performance. How do we help this player get better every day and perform as consistently as possible?“