Yankees Sign Matt Holliday
The Yankees have announced the signing of Matt Holliday to a one-year deal. The Scott Boras client will reportedly receive a guarantee of $13MM for the 2017 season.
While Holliday has been a left fielder for 1698 of his 1773 career games, he isn’t likely to get much time at that position in New York (at least not unless Brett Gardner is traded). Holliday will instead serve as the Yankees’ primary designated hitter and possibly also get some time at first base; he appeared in 10 games at first for the Cardinals last year.
The signing will bring some veteran stability to an intriguing but rather inexperienced first base/DH mix in New York. Youngsters Greg Bird and Tyler Austin are expected to get the bulk of time at first, with Aaron Judge on hand as both a DH and right fielder. (Austin can also play right.) Holliday, Austin and Judge are all right-handed hitters, with Bird hitting from the left side and the switch-hitting Aaron Hicks traditionally performing much better against southpaws over his career.
Holliday hit .246/.322/.461 with 20 homers over 426 PA for St. Louis in 2016 in a season shortened by a thumb fracture. Between that injury and a pair of quad strains in 2015, Holliday has only appeared in 183 of 324 games over the last two years, though a move to DH should help the 36-year-old (who turns 37 in January) stay healthy. Defensive metrics like UZR/150 and Defensive Runs Saved have been down on Holliday’s left field glovework for the last five years, so a move out of left is also likely to help Holliday’s overall value.
Holliday’s below-par 2016 season led the Cardinals to decline their $17MM club option on the longtime St. Louis staple. Over 13 seasons and 7489 career PA with the Cards, A’s and Rockies, Holliday has a very impressive .303/.382/.515 slash line, 295 home runs and 49.9 fWAR. Though his walk rate, line drive rate and overall hitting numbers declined in 2016, Holliday hit with much more power last year than in 2015 and his overall hard-hit ball rate was above his career norms. A .253 BABIP may have also been partially responsible for Holliday’s somewhat disappointing (by his standards) 2016 campaign.
Holliday ranked 40th on MLBTR’s list of the top 50 free agents of the 2016-17 offseason, with Tim Dierkes predicting Holliday to land a one-year, $10MM deal.
The Yankees had been linked to several veteran bats this winter, ranging from top-of-the-market names like Yoenis Cespedes and Edwin Encarnacion to players like Holliday who would be available on shorter-term deals. In signing Holliday to an affordable one-year commitment, GM Brian Cashman could now use any affordable payroll room on the bullpen (the Yankees have been widely tabbed for a reunion with Aroldis Chapman) or perhaps the starting rotation, via free agency or the trade market. Gardner and Chase Headley have been rumored to be available in trade talks, so more moves could also be forthcoming to the Yankees’ lineup.
WFAN’s Sweeny Murti was the first to report (Twitter link) that the two sides were close to a deal, and FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reports that Holliday will earn $13MM for the one-year contract.
Royals, Cubs Swap Wade Davis For Jorge Soler
The Royals have traded closer Wade Davis to the Cubs in exchange for young outfielder Jorge Soler, tweets Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. Reports of these talks first surfaced last night, with Yahoo’s Jeff Passan, ESPN’s Jayson Stark, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale and FOX’s Ken Rosenthal all shedding light on the situation.
[Related: Updated Kansas City Royals Depth Chart and Chicago Cubs Depth Chart]
Davis, 31, originally came to the Royals from the Rays in the 2012 James Shields/Wil Myers/Jake Odorizzi blockbuster. After struggling as a starter with both Tampa Bay and Kansas City, Davis moved to the bullpen and almost instantly broke out as one baseball’s most dominant relief weapons. Over the past three seasons, Davis has pitched to a comically low 1.18 ERA in 182 2/3 innings while averaging 11.5 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9. He’s also been utterly dominant in 25 postseason innings, yielding just one earned run and posting a 38-to-5 K/BB ratio.
Davis isn’t without his red flags, though. He hit the disabled list twice this past season due to forearm and flexor strains and saw his average fastball dip from 95.7 mph to 94.9 mph. He also posted his lowest strikeout rate and highest walk rate since moving to the bullpen. But, Davis did come back strong from his final DL stint, pitching 9 2/3 innings in September and allowing three runs while posting a 15-to-1 K/BB ratio. Furthermore, ESPNs Jerry Crasnick tweeted this morning that the Cubs were being very thorough with Davis’ medical records in order to ascertain that they were willing to take him on. Davis is earning $10MM next year and will become a free agent next winter, so this is a one-year pickup for the Cubs, barring some form of extension.
The Cubs at one point seemed like a strong match for one of the market’s top free agent closers, but GM Jed Hoyer downplayed that notion early in the offseason, and there’s been little to no evidence that the Cubs pursued any of Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen or Mark Melancon before making today’s trade. The swap reunites Davis with former Rays manager Joe Maddon and likely pushes Hector Rondon from the ninth inning back down to a setup role.
In Soler, Chicago is trading away a player with four years of team control remaining. While normally selling that type of control for a one-year asset would be difficult, the Cubs possess significant outfield depth and would’ve struggled to find Soler any form of regular role, as their roster already includes Ben Zobrist, Albert Almora, Kyle Schwarber, Jason Heyward, Jon Jay and Matt Szczur.
In Kansas City, however, Soler may very well slot into an everyday role in right field. The Royals currently have a Jarrod Dyson/Paulo Orlando platoon in right field, but Dyson is a free agent next winter and is has reportedly been discussed with other clubs seeking outfield help. Dyson and Davis are just two of many players that helped to comprise a Kansas City core that is now slated to hit free agency together next winter. In addition to that pair, the Royals have Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar all slated to hit the open market next year, so the acquisition of Soler could be one of many moves made with an eye toward acquiring more controllable talent.
The 2017 campaign will mark the fourth season in which Soler has seen time in the Majors, but he’s still just 24 years of age. An extremely high-profile international prospect, Soler signed a nine-year, $30MM contract with the Cubs out of Cuba prior to the 2012 season when he was just 20 years old. Soler’s powerful right-handed swing, offensive upside and plus arm made him a mainstay on Top 100 prospect lists throughout the industry. He looked every bit like the future star he was billed to be when the Cubs promoted him late in the 2014 season, as he went on to hit .292/.330/.573 with five homers in 97 plate appearances across 24 games.
Soler, though, has batted a more pedestrian .253/.328/.413 in 187 games/668 plate appearances since that brilliant debut, and he’s battled injuries as well. Soler has landed on the disabled list three times in the past two years due to a hamstring strain, an oblique strain and an ankle sprain. While none of those injuries is necessarily concerning in isolation, durability has long been a concern for Soler. He’d never played more than 62 games in a minor league season before his 2014 promotion to the Majors, and his hamstring issues date back to his minor league days.
Nonetheless, Soler gives the Royals some much-needed controllable talent and is still young enough to become a fixture in the middle of their lineup for the foreseeable future if he’s able to conquer his injury woes and tap into his potential.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rockies To Sign Ian Desmond
11:38am: Desmond will earn $8MM in 2017, $22MM in 2018, $15MM apiece in 2019 and 2020, and then $8MM in 2021, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (Twitter links). The 2022 option is valued at $15MM and comes with a $2MM buyout. Additionally, if he’s traded, Desmond will receive a $1MM bonus and pick up full no-trade protection from that point forward.
10:33am: The Rockies have stunned many around the game, reportedly agreeing to a five-year, $70MM contract with free agent infielder/outfielder Ian Desmond, pending a physical. Colorado will forfeit the top unprotected pick (No. 11 overall) in next year’s draft in order to sign Desmond, who rejected a qualifying offer from the Rangers at season’s end. Desmond is a client of CAA Sports.
Desmond, 30, spent the bulk of the 2015 season mired in a woeful slump at the plate and had to settle for a one-year deal in his first trip through the free-agent process last winter. That pact came with an $8MM guarantee and a position change, but Desmond handled the new role with aplomb. He played a solid left field before shifting to center and performing reasonably well, given his lack of experience at the position, while also bouncing back with a .285/.335/.446 batting line, 22 homers and 21 steals on the offensive side of the ball. That newfound versatility undoubtedly played a role in pushing his market up to the five-year threshold.
[Related: Updated Colorado Rockies Depth Chart]
Colorado hasn’t been listed as a suitor for Desmond — the Rockies have David Dahl, Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra in the outfield — but his addition does open some possibilities for GM Jeff Bridich to get creative with his roster. Initial reports suggest that Desmond will spend most of his time at first base for the Rockies — Bridich has hinted in recent days that he felt he could play at the top of the market for first base — though from my vantage point, there’s also merit to the idea of shifting Gonzalez to first and pushing Parra into a bench role. Desmond isn’t likely to see much time anywhere else in the infield, though, as the Rockies have an outstanding trio rounding out their infield corps in shortstop Trevor Story, second baseman DJ LeMahieu and superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado.
Of course, the Desmond addition also further opens the number of trade possibilities that Bridich and his staff can explore. Blackmon and Gonzalez have been oft-speculated trade candidates in the past and could theoretically be moved in order to help fill other areas of need on the roster. Colorado figures to be on the hunt for pitching help and some more certainty behind the plate as the offseason wears on. The addition of Desmond seems to be a clear signal, though, that none of those veteran outfielders would be moved merely for prospects. The five-year commitment and forfeiture of the top unprotected pick in next year’s draft is a decisive win-now move, so any further roster machinations should be in that same vein.
Rockies owner Dick Monfort has previously stated that his team’s payroll will rise to record levels in 2017, and the addition of Desmond looks to immediately ensure that. The deal could certainly be backloaded to soften the blow in 2017, but assuming an evenly distributed $14MM annual structure, the Rockies project to have a payroll in excess of $126MM. That’s about $14MM greater than the team’s Opening Day mark from 2016, and the Rockies still have other areas to address (as noted earlier).
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement (via Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the contract length (Twitter link), and FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweeted the $70MM guarantee. ESPN’s Jim Bowden tweeted news of the sixth-year option.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Marlins To Sign Jeff Locke
DECEMBER 12: Locke will earn $3.025MM, Heyman tweets.
DECEMBER 7, 10:05am: Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald tweets that it’s a one-year deal, and FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that Locke will be guaranteed about $3MM on the deal.
9:52am: The Marlins have agreed to terms with free agent left-hander Jeff Locke, who was recently non-tendered by the Pirates, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The ACES client’s deal is pending a physical. MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets that it’s a Major League contract for Locke.
[Related: Updated Miami Marlins Depth Chart]
Locke, 29, joins Edinson Volquez as the second former Pirate that the Marlins have added to their rotation mix this offseason. Former Pirates special assistant Jim Benedict, renowned for his work with starting pitchers, moved to the Miami front office last winter, and he’ll now be reunited with a pair of pitchers with whom he is greatly familiar.
Locke spent the better part of four years in the Pittsburgh rotation, making an even 100 starts (plus 11 relief appearances) for the Pirates from 2013-16. In that time, he logged a solid 4.29 ERA with 6.3 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 with a 50.6 percent ground-ball rate in 593 1/3 innings. However, Locke’s performance began to decline in 2015 and cratered in 2016; over the past two years, he’s turned in a 4.90 ERA, including a 5.44 mark in 127 1/3 innings this past season. The 2016 season saw both Locke’s strikeout rate and ground-ball rate hit career lows, though his average fastball velocity held strong at 91.5 mph.
That performance led the Pirates to designate Locke for assignment (effectively non-tendering him). MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected Locke to receive a $4.2MM deal in arbitration, so he’ll come up a bit shy of that mark with his new organization. However, Locke will benefit from remaining in a pitcher-friendly setting, and the move to Miami figures to promise him a greater opportunity to accumulate innings. Locke should slot into the back of a rotation that also includes Volquez, Adam Conley, Wei-Yin Chen and Tom Koehler.
Giants To Sign Bryan Morris To Minors Contract
The Giants are “finalizing” a minor league contract with right-hander Bryan Morris, GM Bobby Evans told reporters (including Janie McCauley of the Associated Press). Amusingly, the news was officially broken by Mark Melancon, as the new Giants closer off-handedly mentioned Morris being part of the club during a conference call with the media on Tuesday. Morris’ contract contains an invitation to the Giants’ big league spring camp, and SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reports that Morris will earn $1.25MM if he reaches the majors, plus up to $750K in further incentives.
Morris, who turns 30 in March, had a 3.06 ERA over his first 17 2/3 innings of the 2016 campaign before undergoing season-ending back surgery in June. The Marlins outrighted Morris off their 40-man roster in late September and he chose to become a free agent.
Over five seasons and 215 career relief innings with the Marlins and Pirates, Morris has posted a 2.80 ERA and a whopping 58.6% ground ball rate that has helped outweigh his rather pedestrian strikeout (6.4 K/9) and walk (3.77 BB/9) totals. ERA predictors haven’t been so high on Morris, though he shown a knack for inducing soft-to-medium contact on all those balls put into play. If he regains his old form in the wake of his back surgery, Morris could be a nice bargain signing for the Giants, particularly since their outstanding defense is a particularly good fit for Morris’ grounder-heavy game.
Minor MLB Transactions: 12/7/16
Amidst all of the big headlines from the Winter Meetings, here are some minor moves from around the game, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…
- The Twins have re-signed right-hander Yorman Landa to a minor league deal with an invite to the team’s big league Spring Training camp, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (Twitter link). Landa was non-tendered to create 40-man roster space last week. The 22-year-old righty worked mostly as a reliever in his 223 career IP in Minnesota’s system, posting an 2.66 ERA and 8.6 K/9 but he has battled control issues to the tune of a 5.1 BB/9.
- The Astros signed southpaw C.J. Riefenhauser to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports. Riefenhauser was traded from the Rays to the Mariners to the Orioles last winter before being claimed off waivers by the Cubs in February, and he posted a 4.55 ERA over 27 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level. Chicago released him in August. In 20 career MLB innings with the Rays in 2014-15, Riefenhauser posted a 6.30 ERA, nine strikeouts and nine non-intentional walks.
- The Giants are “set to sign” catcher Tim Federowicz, 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine reports (Twitter link). The deal is presumably of the minor league variety, though Federowicz could provide some veteran competition for Trevor Brown for the backup role behind Buster Posey. Federowicz spent 2016 with the Cubs, getting outrighted off their 40-man roster twice, appearing in 17 big league games, and hitting .293/.352/.450 in 253 Triple-A plate appearances.
Rangers To Re-Sign Carlos Gomez
Veteran center fielder Carlos Gomez has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rangers, pending a physical, FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets. He will receive $11.5MM, according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman (on Twitter). Gomez is a Scott Boras client.
That Texas would have wanted to re-sign Gomez perhaps isn’t surprising — the Rangers, who were set to lose both Gomez and Ian Desmond to free agency this winter, were short in the outfield and had lately had talks about a variety of off-the-beaten-path outfield options, including Travis Jankowski and Matt Szczur. They’ve also shown interest in Jarrod Dyson.
Gomez gives the Rangers a more obvious solution to their hole in center field, where he’ll be flanked by Nomar Mazara and Shin-Soo Choo. After struggling with the Astros to start 2016, Gomez signed with the Rangers as a free agent at midseason and hit a terrific .284/.362/.543, looking a lot like the Carlos Gomez who played his way to the fringes of the NL MVP race with the Brewers in 2013 and 2014. While advanced metrics suggest Gomez isn’t quite the defender he once was, he’s also still very much a legitimate center fielder. MLBTR ranked Gomez 19th on its list of the top 50 free agents this winter, predicting he’d re-sign with the Rangers. (Desmond also looked like a candidate to return, but Gomez re-signing would seem to suggest Desmond will sign elsewhere, although that’s not yet certain.)
That Gomez, who’s still just 31, would receive only a one-year deal is surprising, but perhaps he’s hoping to continue rebuilding his value after his ugly performance in Houston. If he were to do so with another strong year in Texas, he could position himself for a big payday next winter. The deal is a favorable one for the Rangers, who are assuming very limited risk despite Gomez’s somewhat erratic performance history — even given Gomez’s success with the Rangers, his total line for 2016 was still just .231/.298/.384. If, for whatever reason, Gomez’s 2017 looks more like his Astros performance than his 2016 Rangers performance, the Rangers are still only out $11.5MM.
SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo wrote that Gomez and the Rangers met today (Twitter links), with Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan tweeting that a deal could come together quickly. Yahoo!’s Tim Brown tweeted the length of the deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Red Sox Sign Mitch Moreland
The Red Sox have announced that they’ve signed first baseman Mitch Moreland to a one-year contract. FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal was first to tweet news of the deal. Moreland will receive $5.5MM, Rosenthal’s colleague Jon Morosi tweets. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that the two sides were in talks. Moreland is represented by RMG Baseball.
[Related: Updated Boston Red Sox Depth Chart]
Moreland hit a disappointing .233/.298/.422 with 22 home runs in 2016 and has been inconsistent in his seven years in the big leagues, although his .278/.330/.482 season in 2015 shows what he’s capable of in a good year. He’s also a capable defender at first base, with a 6.4 UZR and 7 DRS there last season, and he’s capable of playing corner outfield in a pinch. The 31-year-old Moreland has hit .254/.315/.438 with 110 home runs in a big-league career spent entirely with the Rangers.
The deal caps what’s been a huge day for the Red Sox, who have also acquired Tyler Thornburg and, more notably, Chris Sale. Moreland should provide Boston with help at the first base and DH spots, likely in tandem with a right-handed hitter — he’s batted just .240/.275/.398 against lefties in his career. The Red Sox need help at DH following the retirement of David Ortiz, and Moreland would seem to be at least a hedge against the possibility that they’ll acquire a higher-profile player, like Edwin Encarnacion (who they seemed unlikely to sign anyway, in part due to luxury-tax concerns) or Mike Napoli. In fact, with Hanley Ramirez also in tow, Moreland’s signing but all but shut those doors. The team also recently lost Travis Shaw in the trade that brought Thornburg to Boston, and Moreland will replace some of the at-bats the lefty-swinging Shaw took at first base. It would appear, then, that the Red Sox are attempting to compensate for Ortiz’s departure by strengthening their rotation, rather than by adding a superstar to replace him at DH or first base.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Braves To Re-Sign Eric O’Flaherty To Minor League Deal
The Braves have agreed to a deal to re-sign veteran lefty Eric O’Flaherty to a minor league deal, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation writes (Twitter links). O’Flaherty is a client of MVP Sports Group.
The 31-year-old O’Flaherty struggled in 2016 in Atlanta, posting a 6.91 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 28 2/3 innings. He was one of baseball’s better lefty relievers from 2009 through 2012, then had Tommy John surgery in 2013. After a promising return in 2014, though, he has struggled with slightly diminished velocity and control issues. Perhaps promisingly, he retains a very high ground-ball rate, with a 54.0 GB% in 2016.
Red Sox Acquire Chris Sale In Exchange For Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Two Others
In one of the biggest Winter Meeting blockbusters in recent history, the Red Sox and White Sox have announced a trade that will send Chris Sale from Chicago to Boston in exchange for prospects Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe and Victor Diaz.
In acquiring Sale, the Red Sox will add one of the game’s most dominant pitchers to add to a star-studded rotation that’ll also feature David Price and Rick Porcello, with other options including Eduardo Rodriguez, Steven Wright, Drew Pomeranz and Clay Buchholz. As such, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski should have no shortage of rotation depth from which to deal if he desires to utilize that theoretical surplus to address other areas of need on the roster.
[Related: Updated Chicago White Sox Depth Chart and Boston Red Sox Depth Chart]
Sale will head from Chicago to Boston on the heels of a season in which he posted a 3.34 ERA with 9.3 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and a 41.2 percent ground-ball rate in 226 2/3 innings. Since cementing himself as a top-of-the-rotation arm, Sale has posted a collective 3.04 ERA with 10.0 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9 in 1015 2/3 innings. He’s set to earn just $12MM next season, and the Red Sox will hold club options valued at $12.5MM and $13.5MM for the 2018 and 2019 seasons, respectively.
While there was concern earlier in his career that centered around Sale’s unorthodox delivery, his arm has held up better than nearly any pitcher in the sport. Since 2012, Sale’s innings total ranks 12th among 227 qualified starting pitchers. His 10.0 K/9 is eighth in that same span, and he ranks fourth in the Majors in fWAR and third in RA9-WAR in that time as well. His average fastball dipped a bit in 2016 but still checked in at a healthy 92.8 mph.
Sale drew heavy interest from a number of teams ranging from the Astros to the Braves to the Nationals, but as of late last night it was the Nats that reportedly had a real chance at pushing a deal across the line. The Red Sox seemingly upped their level of aggression overnight, however, and will emerge from the Sale sweepstakes without having been forced to surrender any member of their expected Opening Day roster. Washington made a last-ditch effort to salvage a deal, but fell shy, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. Given the intense interest, it’s no surprise that the Red Sox ultimately paid a heavy price to add the power lefty.
With three years of club control at a combined total of $38MM and that track record of dominance, Sale was one of the most valuable trade commodities in Major League Baseball, and he commanded an according price. Moncada, 21, looked overmatched in a brief September cameo with the Red Sox in 2016, but he rates as one of the top overall prospects in all of MLB and was listed as the game’s No. 1 prospect on the midseason Top 100 list from Baseball America. He currently rates as the No. 1 prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com.
BA dropped Moncada down to No. 2 on Boston’s list of top 10 prospects this offseason (subscription required and highly recommended) but noted that he possesses the size and strength of a linebacker with elite speed on the basepaths and a left-handed approach that elicits comparisons to Robinson Cano. Add at least average defense at second base to that blend of power and speed, and even if Moncada isn’t a dominant hitter from the right-handed side of the dish, there’s still legitimate star upside. MLB.com’s report on him likens him to “Cano with more speed” and notes that few middle infield prospects come with this type of offensive upside. He should immediately become the White Sox’ second baseman of the future, joining 2017 sophomore Tim Anderson to form an envy-inducing double-play tandem for years to come.
Moncada’s 2016 season was nothing short of brilliant, as he batted .294/.407/.511 with 15 home runs and 45 stolen bases in just 106 games between Class-A Advanced and Double-A before briefly jumping to the Majors late in the year. To this point in his minor league career, he’s stolen 94 bases in 109 tries — a success rate of 86.2 percent.
Signed out of Cuba to a record-shattering $31.5MM signing bonus (which came with a 100 percent luxury tax for the Red Sox), Moncada is a versatile switch-hitter that has spent the bulk of his minor league career at second base but has also been said to be capable of playing shortstop, third base and the outfield. That $31.5MM signing bonus was spread out over three years, but the Red Sox are reportedly picking up the tab on the remainder of the money he’s owed and all of the tax obligations as well.
Kopech, 20, ranks just two spots behind Moncada on that list of top Red Sox prospects over at BA. The former No. 33 overall pick (2014) generated plenty of buzz this year when he reportedly hit 105 mph in a minor league game, though Yahoo’s Jeff Passan tweets that some scouts believe that mark to be an embellishment. Nonetheless, Kopech regularly works in the triple digits with his fastball and reached Class-A Advanced as a 20-year-old in 2016, where he pitched to a dominant 2.25 ERA with 14.2 K/9, 5.0 BB/9 and a 42 percent ground-ball rate.
BA’s scouting report notes that one evaluator called him the best minor league arm he saw all season and likened his combination of elite velocity and a low-90s slider to a younger version of Mets ace Noah Syndergaard. There are some character questions — Kopech was suspended for use of a banned stimulant and later broke his hand in a fight with a teammate — but the talent is clear. MLB.com rates Kopech 67th in baseball at the moment and calls him a potential front-of-the-rotation starter, especially after working to simplify his mechanics in 2016. He’s a bit of a longer-term asset, as it’ll probably be 2018 before Kopech is ready to debut, but the upside the Sox are receiving here is significant.
Sticking on BA’s list of top 10 Red Sox prospects, Basabe checks in at No. 8. The 20-year-old’s twin brother (Luis Alejandro Basabe) was traded from Boston to Arizona in exchange for Brad Ziegler this past summer. Luis Alexander has enough range in center field to have a floor as a fourth outfielder but also has average or better tools across the board, per BA. Basabe, who hit .264/.328/.452 with 12 homers and 25 steals between Class-A and a brief five-game stint in Class-A Advanced, could stand to improve his contact skills (119 strikeouts in 474 plate appearances), but gives the White Sox a potential everyday center fielder down the line if he can find a way to put bat to ball with more regularity.
The 22-year-old Diaz, not to be confused with the former Mets outfielder of the same name, spent the 2016 season pitching for Boston’s Class-A affiliate and worked to a 3.88 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 and a 58 percent ground-ball rate in 60 1/3 innings of relief work. He comes with the least fanfare of the four prospects in this deal but still has an upper 90s heater that has reached triple digits. MLB.com rated Diaz 28th on their midseason list of top Red Sox prospects, noting that in addition to a power fastball has a pair of inconsistent but promising secondary pitches in his slider and splitter. Diaz hasn’t made a start as a pro, so he seems like a pure relief prospect, but if he’s able to harness his control a bit and develop the secondary pitches, it sounds like there’s a potential late-inning relief arm there.
Stepping back and looking at the whole scenario from a bigger-picture perspective, the move certainly signals a move toward a rebuild for which many ChiSox fans have long clamored. Chicago GM Rick Hahn is reportedly open to trading anyone with fewer than four years of service time, which means first baseman Jose Abreu, closer David Robertson, third baseman Todd Frazier and outfielder/DH Melky Cabrera all figure to see their names bandied about in the days, weeks and months to come.
The greater question is whether Hahn & Co. will listen to offers on Sale’s now-former co-ace, Jose Quintana, who is controlled for four more years at a nearly identical total price. The Pale Hose also have one of the game’s most appealing outfield trade candidates in Adam Eaton, who is locked up through at least 2019 and has two club options on his highly affordable deal. If the White Sox want to go for a complete tear-down, the pieces are in place for Hahn to execute an accelerated rebuild given the level of MLB-ready (or near-MLB-ready) talent he can acquire in exchange for the most appealing assets on his top-heavy 25-man roster.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement and that Moncada and Kopech were in the deal (on Twitter). USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that Basabe and Diaz were in the trade (on Twitter). Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (Twitter links) and Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal (on Twitter) added context on the financial component of Moncada’s bonus.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.