Phillies To Sign Ryan Flaherty
TODAY: Flaherty would earn at a $1.9MM rate if he makes the roster, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. He could also earn a further $300K in incentives and may opt out on March 22nd if he has not been added to the MLB roster.
YESTERDAY: The Phillies and free-agent infielder Ryan Flaherty have agreed to terms, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. Presumably, it’s a minor league deal for the CAA client, based on Crasnick’s note that Flaherty will “compete for a job in Spring Training.” He’ll join fellow veterans Adam Rosales and Pedro Florimon in competing for a utility infield spot with the Phils.
Baltimore was said to have interest in retaining Flaherty, who hit free agency this winter after spending the past six seasons with the Orioles. Instead, he’ll head to an organization that has several Orioles ties in the front office; Philadelphia president Andy MacPhail, GM Matt Klentak and assistant GM Ned Rice were all with the Phils at some point during Flaherty’s tenure with the team.
Flaherty, 31, missed a significant chunk of the 2017 season due to a shoulder strain and only took 43 plate appearances at the big league level last year. But, from 2012-16, the versatile utility man averaged 86 games and 245 plate appearances per year with the O’s, appearing at all four infield positions and in the outfield corners.
Flaherty isn’t much of a hitter, as evidenced by a career .215/.284/.355 slash. He does have a bit of extra-base pop, though (.140 ISO) and draws above-average grades for his defensive work at second base and third base. He can play shortstop in a pinch as well, though Defensive Runs Saved (-8) and Ultimate Zone Rating (-4.8) aren’t exactly bullish on his work in 391 innings at the position.
Royals Sign Blaine Boyer To Minor League Deal
The Royals announced Wednesday that they’ve signed veteran right-hander Blaine Boyer to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training. The Moye Sports client will vie for a bullpen spot in Kansas City.
Boyer, 36, had walked away from baseball for nearly three full seasons before making a 2014 comeback with the Padres and reestablishing himself as a solid big league arm. Since returning to the bigs, he’s pitched for the Padres, Twins, Brewers and Red Sox on a series of minor league deals — making the roster in each instance and ultimately performing well at each stop along the way. Over the past four seasons, he’s pitched to a combined 3.51 ERA with 5.1 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 0.6 HR/9 and a 44.7 percent ground-ball rate.
Despite the quality bottom-line results, Boyer has attracted minor league offers only in each season since his return. The lack of strikeouts may contribute to that relatively tepid level of interest, though it’s also worth noting that Boyer has compensated for the lack of whiffs by limiting hard contact against him. Only 28 of the 299 pitchers that have logged 200+ innings since 2014 have turned in a lower hard-contact rate than Boyer’s 26.2 percent, per Fangraphs.
With the Royals, Boyer will compete for a spot in a new-look relief corps. Right-hander Joakim Soria and left-handers Scott Alexander and Ryan Buchter have already been traded away by the Royals this winter, and it stands to reason that GM Dayton Moore and his staff will continue entertaining offers on higher-priced members of the bullpen such as Kelvin Herrera and Brandon Maurer.
Mets To Designate Matt Reynolds For Assignment
The Mets have designated infielder Matt Reynolds for assignment in order to clear a spot on the roster for newly signed Todd Frazier, tweets Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
The 27-year-old Reynolds (not to be confused with the veteran lefty reliever of the same name) has appeared in parts of two seasons for the Mets, hitting a combined .228/.300/.351 with four homers in 226 plate appearances. While he’s never provided much value with the bat, he’s provided some defensive versatility by appearing at all four infield positions and in both outfield corners (with the bulk of his work coming at third base and shortstop).
Reynolds has a much better track record in Triple-A, albeit in a hitter-friendly environment (Las Vegas / the Pacific Coast League). Through 1234 PAs in Triple-A, Reynolds has slashed .289/.348/.419 — including an impressive .320/.396/.484 line this past season in limited action (144 PAs).
Nationals’ Raudy Read Suspended 80 Games Following Positive PED Test
Major League Baseball announced Wednesday that Nationals catching prospect Raudy Read has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for Boldenone — a substance that is banned under the league’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Read is on the Nationals’ 40-man roster, so the suspension creates an unexpected vacancy for the Nats.
“This is a very serious matter — one that I do not take lightly,” said Nationals GM Mike Rizzo in a statement on the matter. “We educate players across our system on the program and set the expectation that they fully abide by it. I am deeply disappointed in Raudy. I have spoken with him directly and he understands that he is ultimately responsible for what he puts into his body. In the end, I hope he learns from this experience.”
Read issued a statement via the MLBPA and, like many before him, expressed confusion as to how a banned substance could have gotten into his system. The 24-year-old notes that he’s been tested dozens of times and passed seven different drug tests over the course of the 2017 season (Twitter link via the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes). As MLB.com’s Jamal Collier points out (also on Twitter), Read is the first 40-man player for the Nationals to ever receive a PED suspension.
The suspension is a blow to an already thin area of organizational depth for the Nationals. Read enjoyed a solid season in Double-A last year, hitting .265/.312/.455 with 17 homers through 442 plate appearances, and he ultimately made his MLB debut late in the season. While he’s behind both Matt Wieters and Pedro Severino on the current depth chart (to say nothing of recent minor league signee Miguel Montero), Read certainly had a chance to reach the Majors and make an impact in 2018. ESPN’s Keith Law recently ranked him 14th among Nats farmhands, praising his power and plus arm behind the plate.
[Related: Washington Nationals depth chart]
The Nationals, of course, have already been tied to catching upgrades — most notably a pursuit of Marlins star J.T. Realmuto. While Read’s suspension isn’t likely to push them to radically accelerate their efforts to acquire a significant upgrade, his absence could theoretically push the Nats to add some depth at the position. Read’s absence from camp will enhance Montero’s chances of making the club, though it seems that Severino could have an edge in that race given the fact that he’s out of minor league options.
Yolmer Sanchez Wins Arbitration Hearing Against White Sox
Yolmer Sanchez has won his arbitration hearing against the White Sox, as MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports on Twitter and the team has now announced. Sanchez, a client of MVP Sports Group, will play for $2.35MM in 2018.
The 25-year-old Sanchez qualified for arbitration as a Super Two. MLBTR projected that he’d earn $2.1MM, which is also the number that the South Siders submitted to the arb panel.
After three straight seasons of middling offensive production, Sanchez emerged with a solid effort in 2017. He saw regular action for the rebuilding White Sox, slashing .267/.319/.413 with a dozen home runs over 534 plate appearances.
With highly-rated glovework at second and third base mixed in, Sanchez graded out as an average or better regular last year. If he can maintain anything like that overall productivity moving forward, he’ll represent quite a useful asset for the White Sox.
As always, you can find all the latest arbitration numbers at MLBTR’s 2018 MLB Arbitration Tracker.
Mets Sign Todd Frazier
WEDNESDAY: The Mets have announced the deal.
TUESDAY: Frazier will earn $8MM in 2018 and $9MM in 2019, Rosenthal tweets.
MONDAY:The Mets have struck a two-year deal with third baseman Todd Frazier, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). If he passes a physical, Frazier will receive a $17MM guarantee. The deal includes a $500K assignment bonus in the event that Frazier is traded, Jim Bowden of The Athletic tweets. Frazier is represented by Creative Artists Agency.
MLBTR predicted this match, but expected the veteran to take home a significantly bigger contract (three years and $33MM). The market for third basemen certainly hasn’t developed as the players might have hoped. Long-time shortstop Zack Cozart moved to the hot corner upon joining the Angels on a three-year, $39MM deal. The Giants filled their own need by acquiring Evan Longoria via trade. The Yankees have an ongoing opening but little to spend if they are to stay beneath the luxury tax line.
That situation had left Frazier, Mike Moustakas, and others without as much interest as had been anticipated. Indeed, in this case, it seems that some developments had to occur before the match could come together. Mets infielder Asdrubal Cabrera had seemingly been set to move to third. But he indicated recently he’d actually prefer to move to second base, leading GM Sandy Alderson to note that the flexibility might open up some new avenues for the organization.
New York held an obvious draw for Frazier, a New Jersey native who got a taste of playing near his home town last year with the Yankees. As Jon Heyman of Fan Rag notes on Twitter, that geographic preference seemingly played a role in the agreement that has now come together. It may have helped the Mets land a solid player at a reasonable price.
[RELATED: Updated Mets Depth Chart]
On the one hand, Frazier has not shown of late the kind of well-above-average offensive output he did at his peak with the Reds. At his best, Frazier produced about twenty percent more offense than the average hitter, with significant home run output and even some value on the basepaths offsetting subpar on-base abilities.
Frazier has been unable to produce both significant power and a useful OBP over the past two seasons. In 2016, he tallied forty long balls but only a .302 on-base mark. Last season, he rode a personal-best 14.4% walk rate (and personal-low 9.3% swinging-strike rate) to a .344 OBP but managed only 27 dingers and a .428 slugging percentage. While Frazier still generated a strong .215 isolated slugging mark, his batting average (.213) and batting average on balls in play (.226) remained at the sorts of low levels he has sported in recent campaigns. (For what it’s worth, there may well be at least some poor fortune in Frazier’s lowly BABIP; he carried a .352 xwOBA that lagged his .340 wOBA in 2017.)
Even if the Mets can anticipate only slightly above-average offensive work from Frazier, the deal holds plenty of promise. He has long graded as a quality performer with the glove and turned in one of his best-ever seasons in 2017. Both DRS (+10) and UZR (+6.7) credited him with saving plenty of runs as a full-time player at third base. Frazier also has an excellent track record of durability, having suited up for an average of 154 games annually since the start of 2013.
As an above-average regular for each of the past six seasons, Frazier surely anticipated a bigger contract entering the winter. At the same time, his earning power was always limited by his age. The somewhat late-blooming slugger will turn 32 years of age in a week. With teams seemingly more hesitant than ever to lock in commitments to aging players, and the league as a whole hewing younger, Frazier always seemed unlikely to drive a massive bidding war.
Still, this contract seems likely to deliver the Mets some quality infield value, much as Cabrera did on a similar contract (two years, $18.5MM plus an option that was exercised for 2018). While Frazier could conceivably also spend time at first base, the likelihood is he’ll be the primary third baseman. In that sense, perhaps, the move all but formalizes the already evident fact that the chronically injured David Wright is unlikely to factor again at the hot corner for New York.
As he reunites with his former Cincinnati teammate Jay Bruce, Frazier will hope to be part of a resurgent Mets roster. The club has brought back most of the band despite a disappointing 2017 campaign, with a few modifications. New York has now filled its most glaring needs and certainly has the talent to compete in the coming season, though the organization still faces its fair share of uncertainty — particularly in the injury department.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Orioles To Re-Sign Craig Gentry
The Orioles have struck a minor-league deal to bring back outfielder Craig Gentry, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). Gentry receives a MLB spring invite and could earn $900K in the majors.
The 34-year-old has seen action in each of the past nine MLB campaigns, including a 77-game run with the O’s last year. He took only 117 plate appearances in that span, but did produce a useful .257/.333/.386 slash line. The right-handed hitter performed much better against lefties, as he has for most of his career.
Gentry will likely battle for a bench spot in camp, with players such as the right-handed-hitting Joey Rickard, switch-hitting Anthony Santander, and lefty-swinging Jaycob Brugman also in the same general mix. The Orioles will need to give at least one spot to a lefty bat — perhaps one that’s not yet in the organization — but figure to have at least one reserve spot open to competition.
Minor MLB Transactions: 2/7/18
We’ll track the most recent minor MLB transactions here:
- The Red Sox have re-signed outfielder Steve Selsky to a minors pact, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Boston claimed him last winter from the Reds, but he received only a brief shot at the majors. Selsky spent most of the year at Triple-A, where he posted a mediocre .215/.270/.360 slash in 322 plate appearances, though he has been more productive in prior seasons in the upper minors.
- Emmanuel Burriss is joining the Angels on a minor-league deal, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). He’d earn at a $800K rate at the MLB level. Burriss, 33, is a long way removed from seeing frequent bench work with the Giants but has briefly touched the majors in each of the past two seasons. He’s just a .237/.300/.266 hitter through 856 total MLB plate appearances but is obviously seen as a worthy veteran depth piece to have in an organization.
Angels Sign Ian Krol To Minor League Deal
The Angels announced that they’ve signed left-hander Ian Krol to a minor league contract and invited him to Major League Spring Training. Krol, 27 in May, is a client of ISE Baseball.
The 2017 season proved to be a rough followup to a strong 2016 campaign for Krol, as he saw his ERA soar from 3.18 to 5.53. Krol’s K/9 rate fell from 9.9 in ’16 to 8.1 in ’17, while his BB/9 rate ballooned from 2.3 to 3.9. He also allowed eight homers in 49 innings after surrendering just four long balls in 51 frames a year prior.
Though he throws from the left side, Krol has actually struggled more against lefties than righties in each of the past three seasons. In that time, he’s allowed a .253/.336/.420 slash to righties and struggled to a more concerning .292/.369/.426 slash against same-handed opponents.
That said, Krol averages better than 93 mph on his fastball and more than eight strikeouts per nine innings, and he has also shown the ability to generate grounders at a roughly league-average clip over the course of 188 MLB innings thus far in his career. The resulting 4.55 ERA isn’t overly appealing, but a 4.05 xFIP and 3.77 SIERA forecast a somewhat rosier picture.
With the Halos, he’ll compete for a spot in manager Mike Scioscia’s bullpen, where Jose Alvarez currently projects as the only lefty. In fact, the only other southpaws on the Angels’ 40-man roster at all are starters Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney, meaning Krol landed in a spot that should afford him a decent opportunity to crack the big league roster in Spring Training.
Reds Win Arbitration Hearing Against Eugenio Suarez
Cincinnati third baseman Eugenio Suarez lost his arbitration hearing against the Reds, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). Suarez and his agents at Octagon had filed for a $4.2MM salary, while the Reds countered with a figure of $3.75MM (as reflected in MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker). Suarez will earn that $3.75MM salary for the upcoming season, and he’ll now have a lower launching point for the subsequent arbitration raises for which he is in line in the next two offseasons.
Suarez, 26, was in his first trip through the arbitration process this winter on the heels of a strong .260/.367/.461 batting line with 26 homers, 25 doubles and a pair of triples. The former Tigers farmhand, who came to Cincinnati in exchange for righty Alfredo Simon, has blossomed into the everyday third baseman for the Reds in recent years and was among the top all-around third basemen in the National League this past season. In addition to his fine work at the plate, Suarez turned in strong marks of +5 Defensive Runs Saved and a +5.8 Ultimate Zone Rating.
The Reds can enjoy that strong, well-rounded production for at least the next three seasons, as Suarez can be controlled through the 2020 campaign via arbitration. It stands to reason that even after agreeing on a salary for the coming season, the Reds could yet hold interest in brokering a longer-term pact for Suarez that would extend him beyond his arbitration seasons. Of course, the Reds have been undergoing a lengthy rebuilding phase and, depending on the team’s results this season, could ultimately look gauge interest in him on the trade market as well.
With Suarez’s case now wrapped up, the lone remaining case for the Reds is that of Scooter Gennett (Arb Tracker link). Gennett filed for $5.7MM, while the team submitted a $5.1MM sum.