AL East Notes: Red Sox, Tulowitzki, Osuna, Kim
The Red Sox‘ outfielders are attracting interest, and the Indians have been trying to strike a deal with them, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. The problem, however, is that the Red Sox aren’t likely to trade Mookie Betts or Jackie Bradley, Jr. Rusney Castillo could be available, but the Red Sox would probably have to take on salary to make a deal possible. Castillo is signed through 2020 at a total of $56MM. The Red Sox will be without Eduardo Rodriguez for the beginning of the season and could probably use another starting pitcher, although if Dave Dombrowski considered the situation desperate, he might have already made a move. Still, some scouts aren’t impressed with the Sox’ rotation after David Price. Here’s more from the AL East.
- Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki left the Blue Jays‘ Grapefruit League game today after getting hit in the hand by a pitch, but the Jays have announced that Tulowitzki’s X-rays were negative. He has a bone bruise on his right knuckles and is day-to-day.
- Jays righty Roberto Osuna prefers closing to starting and wants to close this year before moving to the rotation next year, John Lott writes for VICE. “I like to be in those situations,” Osuna says. “I’m not saying it’s easy to close games, but it’s easy to be out there and you got on your mind that you’ve only got the ninth. So you can have the time to prepare yourself for the ninth inning. You’re watching the game. You kind of know what you’ve got to do when you get in the game.” The Jays face plenty of uncertainty in 2017, with the potential departures of R.A. Dickey and a number of other key players, and Osuna says that his own plan (and likely the Blue Jays’ plan for him) involves moving to the rotation next season, probably on some sort of innings restriction to minimize the health risk. He says he enjoys closing more, however.
- The Orioles pursued outfielder Hyun Soo Kim this offseason because they were impressed with his on-base ability, Dan Connolly writes for Naver in Korea (scroll down for English). “His discipline at the plate is exemplary,” says Orioles exec Dan Duquette. “And, of course, he uses the whole field, and last year he showed emerging power.” The 28-year-old Kim posted a .438 on-base percentage for the Doosan Bears last season, drawing 101 walks while striking out only 63 times. The O’s, meanwhile, finished 12th in the AL in OBP last season (.307) and 13th in walks (418). It still isn’t known how Kim will hit in the Majors, but Duquette says he’s optimistic, particularly after Jung Ho Kang‘s success with the Pirates last season.
AL East Notes: Donaldson, Interpreters, Gibbons, HanRam, Gausman
Star Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson has personal experience with domestic violence, as Rosie DiManno of The Star writes. As a child, Donaldson was exposed to a troubled relationship between his mother and father. “I’m not going to get too colorful with it. But it wasn’t pretty. The best way I can describe it is I can still remember things from when I was from three to five years old that are very vivid in my mind to this day. And it’s not something I would want anybody else to go through. It not only affects the two people that are involved but it affects children. It definitely has had an effect on me throughout my life,” Donaldson said. The reigning AL MVP is obviously to be applauded for his willingness to address a difficult and important subject that continues to pose challenges to major sports leagues.
- While not of the same level of significance, another notable off-field topic that’s drawn attention of late is the inclusion of Spanish interpreters in major league clubhouses, and Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News provides an interesting look at the subject. Veteran Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran, who helped lead the charge to bring Spanish translation on board for every team, explains how important it is for players. “The reality is that most of these guys come and get to the big leagues, sometimes they don’t know how to express themselves the right way,” Beltran said. “I look at having a translator as a no-brainer because it will help communication between everybody. Players and coaches, players and players, and players and media. I don’t know why it took so long.” The article includes worthwhile thoughts from several players with different language backgrounds, and is highly recommended.
- While the Blue Jays‘ new front office ultimately modified the contract of manager John Gibbons, Jeff Blair and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet report that Gibbons had raised the matter himself previously with former GM Alex Anthopoulos. “It’s something I first spoke to Alex about before he left,” said Gibbons. The new arrangement does away with the “rolling option” — which became guaranteed on each New Year’s Day with another option year added each time — that existed under his original contract. By the way, Gibbons confirmed this morning that Marcus Stroman will be the Jays’ Opening Day starter.
- Though he expresses skepticism, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that off-the-record conversations with Red Sox players and staff “all reflect a positive theme” regarding first baseman Hanley Ramirez, suggesting that perhaps the veteran has matured in his second spring with the Red Sox. Ramirez appears to be enjoying himself this spring, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal writes, who notes that the returns have been generally positive on Ramirez’s work at first.
- Kevin Gausman says his right shoulder pain is improving, but his status for Opening Day is still in question, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes. Right now, the Orioles hurler says he is aiming to be ready “by hopefully the first or second week of the season.” Needless to say, his health is of critical importance to a Baltimore club that faces rotation questions and hopes the youngster will take the next step in his development in 2016.
- In case you missed it, the Orioles added lefty reliever Zach Phillips on a Major League deal this morning, as insurance for the injured Brian Matusz.
Blue Jays, John Gibbons Restructure Contract
The Blue Jays have agreed to a new contract structure with manager John Gibbons, according to MLB Network Radio’s Steve Phillips (Twitter links). His new deal provides a pay raise and guarantees his salary through 2017.
Notably, Gibbons will no longer be managing to pursuant to an annual rollover clause. His prior contract included an anti-lame duck provision pursuant to which the following year’s option would be picked up automatically if the club did not decline it by January 1, with another option year then added.
GM Ross Atkins addressed the subject in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (audio link). He suggested that the new front office was not interested in the same structure moving forward, but remains committed to the skipper.
Gibbons, of course, led the Jays to do an AL East title last year. They ultimately lost in the ALCS after winning a divisional playoff series. Over his three years in Toronto, the club has won 250 games and improved its record in each season.
Rafael Soriano Retires
TODAY: Soriano made his retirement official in a statement from the Blue Jays media department today, as the reliever thanked fans, teammates, and personnel from his former clubs for their support over the course of his career.
THURSDAY: Right-hander Rafael Soriano is set to retire, according to James Wagner of the Washington Post (via Twitter). The 36-year-old was set to join the Blue Jays on a minor league deal but had yet to report due to apparent visa issues.
Soriano had a short stint last year with the Cubs after waiting until mid-season to sign. He was limited due to a shoulder injury and ultimately made only six appearances with Chicago before he was released.
Before that, of course, Soriano enjoyed a lengthy run as a prominent late-inning reliever. All told, he’s racked up 636 1/3 innings of 2.89 ERA pitching with 9.1 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 over 14 MLB campaigns.
That neat summation of his career probably doesn’t do justice to the volume of interesting transactional news that Soriano provided to MLBTR readers over the years. In many ways, his career functions as a crash course in recent hot stove developments.
Soriano had uneven results in his first several seasons, but established himself as a quality pen presence with the Mariners in 2006. He was dealt to the Braves after that season and enjoyed a solid three-year run. Atlanta offered him arbitration when he hit the open market after 2009, with intentions of recouping draft compensation under the old Type A/B system, but was surprised when he decided to accept. Thus began a dizzying series of trade rumors, with Soriano ultimately heading to the Rays in exchange for Jesse Chavez.
In his lone season in Tampa Bay, Soriano turned into a dominant closer, leading the league with 45 saves and posting a 1.73 ERA in his 62 1/3 frames. Entering the open market (again, as a Type A free agent), he landed with the Yankees as Mariano Rivera‘s set-up man. The deal promised the then-Scott Boras client $35MM over three years, and included two consecutive opt-outs.
Soriano’s first year in New York didn’t go as hoped, and he passed on his first opt-out opportunity. But he excelled in 2012, taking over as closer for an injured Rivera, and elected to head back to free agency. Of course, intervening rule changes had since swapped in the qualifying offer system, so this time Soriano declined a $13.3MM qualifying offer and again came with draft compensation attached to his name.
The Nationals added Soriano for two years and $28MM (with half of it deferred) on a contract that included a vesting clause. The veteran displaced an incumbent closer, Drew Storen, and ultimately gave the Nats 128 2/3 innings of 3.15 ERA pitching over a somewhat uneven tenure. (Storen ultimately re-took his closing duties, but the stage had been set for last year’s controversy and his eventual departure from D.C.)
In the aggregate, Soriano topped 200 career saves and was a net positive for the vast majority of his career. While it appears he won’t be taking a shot at a comeback, despite reportedly showing well in the Dominican winter league, Soriano has already completed a ten-year run as one of the game’s most productive overall relievers. MLBTR wishes him the best of luck in his future pursuits.
Latest On Edwin Encarnacion’s Contract Talks
Edwin Encarnacion expressed doubts about his future with the Blue Jays, telling Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that he feels “they don’t have it in their plans for me to stay here.” The slugger is “really disappointed that nothing has happened [in contract talks], but it’s not my decision,” as he wants to keep playing in Toronto beyond this season.
Encarnacion also commented on the lack of progress in extension talks earlier this week, telling ESPN’s Enrique Rojas that the two sides hadn’t begun discussing money yet, as there was still disagreement over how many years an extension would cover. An unnamed Jays player and “Encarnacion loyalist” told Elliott a few days ago that he’d heard the club had only offered Encarnacion a one-year extension at the Winter Meetings and then a two-year offer later. Blue Jays president/CEO Mark Shapiro offered no comments on the Encarnacion negotiations when talking to reporters, including John Lott of VICE Sports (Twitter links), as Shapiro noted that there would be a better chance at a positive outcome if the contract talks remained private.
Of course, there’s already been quite a bit of media buzz about both Encarnacion and (even moreso) Jose Bautista‘s extension talks with the two sluggers both set for free agency next winter and both having been vocal about their desire to stay in Toronto. It’s hard to discuss one player’s case without discussing the other, as the Jays are faced with the choice of extending two players to huge contracts through their mid-30’s (Encarnacion is 33) and late 30’s (Bautista is 35), extending just one of them or letting both walk, which would result in both fan disappointment and a gigantic hit to the Jays’ lineup.
Though Encarnacion is the younger of the two, he could be the bigger question mark in terms of long-term durability. Encarnacion is essentially already a full-time DH, and he’s been hampered by injuries to his quad, back and finger over the last two years. An abscessed tooth and an oblique strain have kept Encarnacion from any game action this spring, though he told Elliott that “the oblique pain is minor” and he’s just being cautious in order to avoid a greater injury that would cost him time in the regular season.
On the flip side, Encarnacion has generally been a pretty durable player over the last four seasons and obviously his recent injuries haven’t impacted his offensive production. Assuming that he hits as usual in 2016, he’ll be in line for a massive free agent contract next offseason, especially given how next year’s free agent class is thin on elite talent.
Encarnacion is a strong bet to land at least a four-year deal next winter, so if the unnamed teammate’s comment was accurate, then a one- or two-year extension offer is unrealistically low on the Blue Jays’ part. Then again, it’s not uncommon in any negotiation to open with a very high (or low) dollar amount or number of years just on the off-chance that other side accepts, or at least to set a baseline for the talks. Encarnacion set Opening Day as the deadline for extension talks, however, so it seems as if the two sides will need to make some quick progress if a new deal is to be reached this spring.
Quick Hits: Padres, Blue Jays, A’s
The Padres benefited from the qualifying offer system this winter, writes Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. When Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy declined their qualifying offers, it earned the Friars the 25th and 26th picks in the next amateur draft. The experiences of players like Ian Desmond and Dexter Fowler have led many to expect sweeping changes in the next collective bargaining agreement. While visiting the Padres camp today, MLBPA chief Tony Clark cautioned that changes would be “wrapped in together” with revenue sharing, service time, the luxury tax, and other factors. As Clark explains, it’s not useful to look at items individually when the entire agreement should work in concert. Clark is also expected to visit the Indians today, tweets Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com.
- The 2015-2016 offseason was the winter of the opt-out. Don’t count on the Blue Jays to join the trend, writes Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. Per team president Mark Shapiro said: “In some ways they’re just another form of a player option which I think are ridiculous. You’ll never see us do a player option.” Shapiro does allow that there are circumstances where an opt out can make sense. In other words, he’s not as firmly against them as player options. While an anti-opt out stance eliminates many top free agents, the Blue Jays typically play in the bargain end of the pool.
- The Athletics have accrued solid prospect depth, but GM Billy Beane doesn’t intend to trade them for short term upgrades, writes Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area. Players such as Matt Chapman, Franklin Barreto, and Sean Manaea may soon be cornerstones of the major league roster. While Beane dealt quality prospects for players like Jeff Samardzija, Jon Lester, and Ben Zobrist in recent seasons, the club is more focused on developing long term talent at the moment.
Market Notes: Simon, Lincecum, Harang, Jimenez, Gutierrez, Fernandez
Before he signed on with the Reds, righty Alfredo Simon drew interest from some other organizations — which helps explains why Cincinnati ultimately gave him a guaranteed $2MM contract. Simon says that the Blue Jays were one team with interest, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweets. And the Marlins also reached out, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, though the club wasn’t willing to promise that kind of money to the veteran.
Here’s more on some market situations around the game:
- The Marlins appear unlikely to add Tim Lincecum despite long being said to have interest in the comeback candidate, Jackson adds in the above-linked piece. Miami expects the price will be too steep for him, too. The Fish are not being particularly aggressive in attempting to fill in for injured reliever Carter Capps, Jackson adds.
- Righty Aaron Harang is “not planning to pitch this season,” according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link), though he’s also apparently not quite ready to sign his retirement papers. Harang is leaving open the possibility that he’ll change his mind, per the report. That could suggest that the 37-year-old would entertain an appealing opportunity, but he presumably wasn’t interested in taking a minor league offer to compete for a job in camp. Harang had a tough season last year with the Phillies, but is only one campaign removed from posting a 3.57 ERA over 204 1/3 frames for the Braves.
- The Astros are among a few clubs taking a look at out-of-options Blue Jays catcher A.J. Jimenez, the Houston Chronicle’s Jose de Jesus Ortiz reports (via Twitter). Jimenez, 25, hasn’t yet cracked the majors and hasn’t done much at the plate in the upper minors while dealing with a string of injuries. But he’s a former top-30 Baseball America organizational prospect, and is said to be a high-quality defender. Houston, of course, has a need with Max Stassi sidelined by wrist surgery, and Toronto doesn’t appear to have any inclination to put Jimenez onto the active roster.
- Cuban free agent Vladimir Gutierrez has re-established some of his lost sheen with an impressive recent showcase outing, Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper reports (subscription required and recommended). The 20-year-old has gone unsigned despite his strong prospect pedigree, with Cooper explaining that he’s churned through three agencies while struggling to show the same ability that first drew scouts to him in his homeland. In his most recent outing, Gutierrez touched the mid-90s with his fastball, showed a return to his typically excellent curve, and even demonstrated progress with his change, according to the report. He remains eligible to sign at any time, though he will still be subject to international bonus pools.
- Speaking of international matters, the Padres have long been expected to make some big investments in the coming months. Cuban second baseman Jose Fernandez may well be a leading name that will head to San Diego, according to a recent report from Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com (Twitter link). Fernandez reportedly left the island in search of a major league opportunity, though he has apparently not yet been granted free agency. Of course, recent rule changes could significantly impact his timeline. Fernandez, 27, is viewed as being more or less ready for major league action, and he could constitute a significant near and long-term addition for a Padres organization that lacks much certainty in the infield.
Brad Penny To Retire
Veteran right-hander Brad Penny is hanging up his spikes, according to MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm (via Twitter). Penny has been in camp with the Blue Jays on a minor league deal.
Now 37, Penny is rather far removed from productivity at the MLB level. Indeed, you could argue that his last full and fully effective season came way back in 2007 with the Dodgers, when he posted a career-low 3.03 ERA over a career-high 208 frames.
To that point — his age-29 season — the righty had provided 1,365 2/3 innings of 3.90 ERA pitching in extended stints with the Marlins and Dodgers. Since, he’s only appeared in 559 1/3 MLB innings and owns a composite 5.23 ERA, with his strikeout rate falling to less than five batters per nine.
Penny isn’t alone in battling the effects of age and injury, of course, and there’s a lot to commend about his willingness to keep returning to the hill — even when it’s in the minors. After leaving Los Angeles, Penny bounced from the Red Sox to the Giants, then on to the Cardinals for an injury-shortened run.
A stop in Japan did not work out as hoped, and Penny wasn’t effective in a relief role upon returning to San Francisco. He sat out all of 2013 before returning to the Marlins the following year though he couldn’t replicate a solid minor league showing at the MLB level. Last year, Penny made 24 starts at Triple-A for the White Sox, working to a 4.46 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9.
Cracking the Toronto roster always seemed a longshot, but this spring hadn’t gone as Penny probably hoped after entering camp as one of several bounceback veterans (among them Gavin Floyd, Roberto Hernandez, Wade LeBlanc, Randy Choate, David Aardsma, and Rafael Soriano, who is reportedly also retiring). He’s received a legitimate look — his seven frames is third-most in the organization — but the results haven’t been there. Penny has surrendered eight earned runs on 12 hits and four walks, with just three strikeouts on his ledger.
All said, it’s been a nice run for Penny, who ended up appearing in 14 MLB seasons and racked up 26.8 fWAR — most of it during his prime years with the Marlins and Dodgers. Penny played a major role on the then-Florida Marlins’ 2003 championship squad, taking the ball every fifth day during the regular season and logging two World Series wins. Los Angeles ultimately acquired him along with Hee-Seop Choi and Bill Murphy in a 2004 deadline deal that sent Juan Encarnacion, Paul Lo Duca, and Guillermo Mota to the Fish.
MLBTR wishes Penny the best of luck moving forward.
Edwin Encarnacion Says Talks With Blue Jays Stalled Over Deal Length
The previously-reported extension talks between the Blue Jays and slugger Edwin Encarnacion do not appear to have gained much traction, according to a report from Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes (Spanish-language link). Encarnacion expressed a generally pessimistic outlook on the possibility of a deal.
Speaking with Rojas in his native Spanish (translation errors mine), Encarnacion said that there was “nothing new” to report from the latest talks between his representative and the club. He explained that the sides have not even reached the point of talking money, as discussions have stalled over the number of years that would be covered in a new contract.
The 33-year-old is essentially limited to DH and first base duties at this stage of his career. Age and lack of positional flexibility no doubt limit the team’s interest in a lengthy pact, but with free agency beckoning it isn’t hard to see why Encarnacion and his camp are looking to maximize the term of years — which, he noted, was a key point from his perspective.
Encarnacion has established himself as one of the game’s premier power hitters and best contractual values over the last several years. Dating back to his breakout 2012 season, he has posted a .274/.371/.549 batting line with 151 home runs. Encarnacion has been consistent and durable, too, with only one campaign with an OPS+ below 150 (he put up a 145 mark in 2013) and one year in which he managed less than 600 plate appearances (he took 542 trips to the plate in 2014).
If no movement can be gained in talks with Toronto, Encarnacion says he’ll be glad to take that track record onto an open market that promises to feature a shallower crop of talent than was available this past winter. “Now, I hope to finish my year, finish my year healthy and go to free agency,” he said. While he made clear that he wouldn’t rule out a deal coming together, Encarnacion suggested an extension was not a likely outcome as things stand.
AL East Notes: Rays, Moncada, Jays, Sanchez
Here’s the latest from around the AL East…
- The Rays added several veterans to an already-crowded outfield and first base mix, leaving youngsters Mikie Mahtook and Richie Shaffer disappointed but understanding about probable Triple-A assignments, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. It’s not out of the question that a roster spot could open up in the event of an injury or a trade. The Rays have been rumored as a possible trade partner for teams looking for outfield help, and the club has been shopping first baseman James Loney for much of the winter.
- Yoan Moncada isn’t likely to be playing his natural second base position with the Red Sox as long as Dustin Pedroia is in Boston, but the Sox want to see Moncada prove himself defensively at his “base position” before shuffling him around the diamond, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes. Moncada made 23 errors in 71 A-level games at second last season, so there’s certainly still work to be done in that regard, though scouts have long felt Moncada has the athleticism to play third base or the outfield.
- Several players vying for spots on the Blue Jays roster are out of options, which the Toronto Sun’s Ken Fidlin feels could impact the team’s decisions for Opening Day. Of the four outfielders (Domonic Brown, Ezequiel Carrera, Darrell Ceciliani, Junior Lake) competing for a backup spot, for instance, Ceciliani is the only one with a minor league option remaining. The battle for the fifth starter’s job is similarly complicated since Aaron Sanchez, Gavin Floyd and Jesse Chavez are out of options while Drew Hutchison isn’t.
- The fifth starter competition is further complicated by the fact that Sanchez and Floyd both pitched well in Grapefruit League action today, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith writes. The Jays would obviously love to see heralded prospect Sanchez in their rotation, though the team also knows it use Sanchez as a setup man since he thrived in the role last season. Alternatively, Sanchez could start while Chavez and Floyd go to the bullpen, as Chavez has swingman experience and relief work could be easier on Floyd’s arm given his injury history.
- Also from the AL East, MLBTR’s Zach Links spoke to Russell Martin about the catcher’s free agent experience last winter.