Dodgers, Justin Wilson Agree To Minor League Deal
The Dodgers have agreed to a deal with free-agent lefty Justin Wilson, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. It’ll be a minor league pact with a spring training invite for the ACES client, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic adds.
Wilson, 36, has been limited to just 3 2/3 innings over the past two seasons due to Tommy John surgery and a lat strain. That brief sample of work came with the Reds and saw Wilson create some intrigue with a bump back to his peak velocity levels (95.1 mph average fastball). He faced only 13 hitters as a Red but fanned seven of them and didn’t issue a walk. Surgery cut his season short, however, and he signed with the Brewers on a one-year deal with an option. The TJS rehab and subsequent lat strain wound up combining to keep Wilson off a big league mound for the entirety of the 2023 season.
Prior to those health setbacks, Wilson had enjoyed a lengthy run as a quality setup man for the Pirates, Yankees, Tigers, Cubs and Mets. From 2013-21, the lefty rattled of 458 2/3 innings of 3.43 ERA ball with 132 saves and 18 holds. He’s never had great command (career 10.7% walk rate), but Wilson has fanned just shy of 26% of hitters in his MLB career and sat north of 29% with his strikeout rate from 2017-20 after shelving his sinker and ramping up the usage of his four-seamer.
The Dodgers lost some left-handed depth in the bullpen this winter, trading Victor Gonzalez and Caleb Ferguson to the Yankees in separate swaps. Alex Vesia and Ryan Yarbrough are currently slated to manager Dave Roberts’ left-handed options in the ‘pen, with fellow southpaw Matt Gage also on the 40-man roster (and still possessing a minor league option). Wilson and veteran T.J. McFarland give the Dodgers a pair of experienced lefty relievers who’ll be non-roster invitees in camp. They’ll be joined by NRI righties Daniel Hudson, Dinelson Lamet, Nabil Crismatt and Jesse Hahn, among others, in looking to win a spot in a crowded Dodgers bullpen.
Angels, Ehire Adrianza Agree To Minor League Deal
The Angels have agreed to a minor league deal with veteran infielder Ehire Adrianza, manager Ron Washington announced to beat writers in camp this morning (X link via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). It’s a minor league deal, although Adrianza hasn’t completed his physical, so the Warner Sports Management client’s deal is not official just yet.
The 34-year-old Adrianza knows Washington well, having spent the majority of the past three seasons in the Braves organization where Washington was coaching before being hired back to a manager’s post in Anaheim this offseason. He’ll bring some versatility to camp and compete for a spot on the Halos’ bench.
Adrianza has appeared in the majors in each of the past 11 seasons, typically filling a bench role. He’s suited up for the Giants, Twins and Nats in addition to the Braves and sports a career .238/.308/.352 batting line in 1550 trips to the plate. He appeared in only five big league games and another 15 Triple-A contests with Atlanta last season due to an elbow injury that sent him to the 60-day IL for the bulk of the 2023 campaign.
Though his numbers from 2022-23 are unsightly (.159/.248/.187 in 121 plate appearances), Adrianza was an important utility piece for the Braves as recently as 2021, when he hit .247/.327/.401 and played six positions during Atlanta’s World Series-winning season. He’s played every position other than catcher in the big leagues — including three innings of mop-up work on the mound. At this stage of his career, Adrianza isn’t considered the plus infield defender he was in his 20s, but he’s unlikely to be a liability in the infield, either.
The Angels’ bench right now will include backup catcher Matt Thaiss and outfielder Aaron Hicks, who signed a big league deal earlier this offseason. The other two spots are more open for the taking. Former top prospect Jo Adell is out of minor league options and will need to make the club or else be traded or placed on waivers. Infielder Michael Stefanic could make the club as a bat-first utility option, but he does have a minor league option remaining. Adrianza will join fellow non-roster veterans Hunter Dozier, Miguel Sano and Richie Martin (among others) in vying for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Nationals, Jacob Barnes Agree To Minor League Deal
The Nationals and right-handed reliever Jacob Barnes are in agreement on a minor league contract, reports Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. The Vayner Sports client will presumably be in big league camp as a non-roster invitee.
Barnes has pitched in the majors every year since 2016, suiting up for eight different teams along the way. The 33-year-old had a strong start to his career with the Brewers from 2016-18, when he pitched to a 3.54 ERA and matching 3.55 FIP over the life of 147 1/3 frames, but he’s struggled in the five years since and slipped into journeyman status. Dating back to the 2019 season, Barnes has pitched 115 1/3 innings for the Brewers, Royals, Angels, Mets, Blue Jays, Yankees, Tigers and Cardinals — logging a combined 6.32 ERA with a 20.8% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate.
Despite those big league struggles, Barnes has produced at a steadily excellent clip in the upper minors. He’s pitched 134 innings over parts of six Triple-A seasons and turned in a stellar 2.15 earned run average. He’s fanned 24.1% of his opponents at that level against a 9% walk rate and has yielded only six total home runs — an average of just 0.4 round-trippers per nine innings pitched. The right-hander has above-average grounder rates and still averages better than 95 mph on his four-seamer. He’s been a two-pitch reliever throughout his career, typically leaning on a fairly standard four-seamer/slider profile.
The Nationals have largely sat out of the free agent market this offseason, with righty Dylan Floro standing as their only bullpen addition. The relief mix behind closer Kyle Finnegan and setup man Hunter Harvey is generally wide open, particularly with this week’s revelation of an injury to right-hander Mason Thompson. Floro and a returning Tanner Rainey (who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022) will give manager Davey Martinez another pair of experienced arms on which to rely, but there’s plenty of opportunity in the Washington ‘pen, should Barnes impress either in camp or in Triple-A Rochester to begin the season.
Blue Jays To Sign Eduardo Escobar
TODAY: Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports that Escobar’s deal is a minor league arrangement.
Feb 15, 10:44pm: Escobar and the Jays are in agreement on a contract pending a physical, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (on X). Terms of the deal remain unreported. Escobar is represented by DJ Rengifo y Associates.
9:55pm: Infielder Eduardo Escobar is nearing agreement on a free agent deal with the Blue Jays, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (X link). It’s not known if the former All-Star is closing in on a big league contract or a minor league pact with a non-roster invite to Spring Training.
Escobar, 35, is coming off a disappointing 2023 campaign. He opened the season as the Mets’ third baseman but began the year in a dreadful slump. Escobar carried a .125/.173/.229 line into the middle of April and lost the starting job to Brett Baty. The 13-year MLB veteran turned things around in a depth role but seemed a bit superfluous on the New York roster once Baty was recalled.
The Angels, reeling with infield injuries in late June, acquired Escobar for a pair of minor league pitchers. He didn’t produce much offensively, slumping to a .219/.259/.303 slash over 59 contests. The Halos made the obvious call to buy him out for $500K at year’s end as opposed to retaining him via $9MM team option.
Escobar finished the season with a combined .226/.269/.344 batting line in 309 trips to the plate. He struck out in a little more than a quarter of his plate appearances against a 5.8% walk percentage. While he has never had great strikeout and walk numbers, Escobar’s power production dropped off sharply. He hit six home runs after topping the 20-homer mark in each of the prior five full schedules. That was the result of a significant uptick in ground-balls and a drop in his hard contact rate.
The Jays will hope for something more closely approximating his 2021-22 form. Escobar was a slightly above-average hitter in each of those seasons and combined for a .247/.305/.452 showing with 48 longballs over that stretch.
Escobar’s defensive grades have dropped off as he’s gotten into his mid-30s. He can play any of first, second or third base but received below-average marks at all three spots (although his first base experience is limited enough that it’s difficult to draw conclusions about his glovework there).
Toronto has a number of upper level infield options but doesn’t have much certainty at either second or third base. Last year’s primary starters, Whit Merrifield and Matt Chapman, are free agents. The Jays brought in Isiah Kiner-Falefa on a two-year pact. Davis Schneider, Cavan Biggio, Santiago Espinal, Ernie Clement and prospect Addison Barger are all on the 40-man roster and could vie for reps at one or both positions.
Rays Win Arbitration Hearing Over Harold Ramirez
The Rays were victorious in their arbitration hearing against Harold Ramírez, as first reported by The Associated Press. The DH/corner outfielder will be paid $3.8MM for the upcoming season. His camp had filed at $4.3MM.
Ramírez has been an effective rotational bat for Tampa Bay over the last two seasons. Acquired from the Cubs just before Opening Day in 2022, he hit .300/.343/.404 in his first year with the Rays. The righty hitter turned in an even better .313/.353/.460 slash with a career-best 12 home runs across 434 trips to the plate last season. He owns a .306/.348/.432 in a little under 900 plate appearances with Tampa Bay.
The 29-year-old isn’t a great defensive outfielder and saw the majority of his time at designated hitter a year ago. His lack of defensive value and slightly increasing salaries led Tampa Bay to float his name on the trade market earlier in the offseason. Nothing has come together to this point. Locking in his salary could make a trade moderately more appealing if the Rays continue to field offers during Spring Training, yet it’s also possible he sticks in Tampa Bay for a third season.
Ramírez has between four and five years of MLB service. He’ll be eligible for arbitration again next winter and is on track for free agency after the 2025 campaign, at which point he’ll be 31 years old. This is the second straight year in which Ramírez and the Rays went to a hearing. His camp won a $2.2MM salary (against a $1.9MM team figure) last offseason. They’re on the other end this time around. As the AP notes, the three players who went to a hearing this year after winning in arbitration last offseason — Ramírez, Jason Adam and Luis Arraez — all lost this winter.
Of the 13 hearings thus far, arbitrators have sided with the players on seven. Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm and Marlins closer Tanner Scott have the two cases yet to be resolved.
White Sox Sign Mike Moustakas To Minor League Contract
The White Sox announced the signing of veteran infielder Mike Moustakas to a minor league deal. He’s in camp as a non-roster invitee to Spring Training. The Boras Corporation client would lock in a $2MM salary if he makes the Opening Day roster, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (X link). The deal contains an additional $2MM in performance incentives.
Moustakas will try to play his way onto an MLB roster for a 14th straight season. The left-handed hitter debuted with the Royals in 2011. He was teammates in Kansas City with Chris Getz, who is now leading baseball operations in Chicago. Moustakas had a strong eight-year run with the Royals, earning a pair of All-Star nods and helping the franchise to its World Series title in 2015.
After two seasons in Milwaukee, he inked a four-year, $64MM free agent deal with the Reds. Cincinnati released him 75% of the way through that contract. Moustakas hit .216/.300/.383 for the Reds, battling heel and calf injuries along the way. Cincinnati ate the final $22MM on his deal last season.
The three-time All-Star inked a minor league contract with the Rockies shortly after his release. He made the Opening Day roster and turned in a solid .270/.360/.435 performance in 47 games. That was enough for the Angels to send a minor league pitcher to Colorado to add Moustakas to a reeling infield mix in the middle of June. He didn’t maintain the offensive pace he’d shown at Coors Field, though. Moustakas hit .236/.256/.371 over 65 contests as the Halos fell out of contention.
Between Colorado and Los Angeles, he finished the season with a .247/.293/.392 line. His 386 plate appearances and 12 home runs were his highest tallies since his 2019 campaign in Milwaukee. While he stayed healthier than he had in the preceding few seasons, it was his third consecutive below-average year. Dating back to the start of 2021, Moustakas is a .227/.291/.372 hitter in nearly 900 plate appearances.
A longtime third baseman, Moustakas saw some action at second base in Milwaukee and early in his Cincinnati tenure. He has barely played the middle infield over the past three seasons. Moustakas split his defensive work almost evenly between the corner infield positions a year ago.
Chicago has Andrew Vaughn and Yoán Moncada penciled in as the corner infield tandem. The latter had a pair of injured list stints related to back soreness last season. The Sox have the light-hitting pairing of Nicky Lopez and Paul DeJong slated for up-the-middle work. Getz recently indicated they viewed improving the middle infield defense as a priority. It seems unlikely Moustakas would get much consideration at second base, but he could battle for a spot as a bench bat who rotates through the corner infield.
A’s Sign Scott Alexander
The Athletics announced the signing of free agent left-hander Scott Alexander to a one-year contract. Left-hander Ken Waldichuk, who’s recovering from a flexor strain and UCL sprain, has been transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man roster spot. Alexander, a client of Apex Baseball, is reportedly guaranteed $2.25MM. The deal includes up to $300K in performance incentives and an unspecified assignment bonus in the event of a trade.
The 34-year-old Alexander is the third recent member of the Giants pitching staff to head across the bay to Oakland, joining righty Ross Stripling and lefty Alex Wood. Stripling was traded to the A’s earlier this month in a deal that sent 2023 sixth-rounder Jonah Cox back to the Giants. Wood inked a one-year, $8.5MM deal at that same time. They’ll both pitch out of the rotation, whereas Alexander figures to head to the Oakland bullpen.
Alexander spent the past two years in the Giants’ bullpen and has appeared in parts of four seasons with the Dodgers (where he was also teammates with Stripling and Wood) and another three with the Royals as well. He sports a career 3.29 ERA in 270 2/3 big league innings, though last year was a down season that saw the southpaw turn in a career-high 4.66 ERA in 48 1/3 frames for San Francisco.
Alexander has never missed many bats, instead relying on a sinker that’s produced a mammoth 68.4% ground-ball rate to help him neutralize opposing lineups. He battled command issues earlier in his career but has reined in the walks over the past three seasons, issuing a free pass to just 4.7% of his opponents during that time. He’s also recorded a 14.5% strikeout rate that ranks among the lowest in the league. Even with the lack of punchouts, fielding-independent metrics feel Alexander’s 3.56 ERA dating back to 2021 is generally in line with his skill set. He touts a 3.47 FIP and 3.53 SIERA in that time, both right in line with his earned run average.
Throughout his career, Alexander has shown a noticeable platoon split. Left-handed hitters have mustered a miserable .218/.274/.311 batting line against him through 442 plate appearances, while right-handed hitters have turned in a far better .275/.349/.377 slash.
With this signing, Alexander joins righty Trevor Gott and fellow southpaw Sean Newcomb as the most experienced relievers in the Oakland bullpen. The Giants tended to use him in lower-leverage spots and even deployed Alexander as an opener on eight occasions in 2023, but he’s worked in higher-leverage spots in the past, including a 2018 season that saw him pile up a career-high 21 holds for the Dodgers. Given the youth and inexperience in Oakland’s bullpen, Alexander ought to get some more leverage opportunities with the A’s than he did with the Giants. Flamethrowing 25-year-old Mason Miller, who made his MLB debut in 2023, is perhaps the favorite to take the closer’s role in 2024 after GM David Forst announced he’d work out of the ‘pen this coming season, but Alexander could be a notable piece of Oakland’s setup corps in 2024.
Martín Gallegos of MLB.com first noted that Alexander had a locker in the Oakland clubhouse. MLBTR’s Steve Adams reported the sides had agreed to a major league deal. The Associated Press reported the $2.25MM base salary and the bonuses.
Yankees Sign Lou Trivino To Major League Deal
The Yankees announced they’ve brought back right-hander Lou Trivino on a one-year deal with a club option for 2025. Outfielder Jasson Domínguez was placed on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move. Trivino, a client of Pro Edge Sports Management, is guaranteed $1.5MM for the upcoming season. The club option is valued at $5MM. The deal also contains various escalators and performance bonuses.
His 2024 salary reportedly increases by $100K for every fifth appearance between 15 and 35 games, potentially reaching $2MM. Hitting those same thresholds would also escalate the value of next year’s club option by $200K, pushing the option value to $6MM if Trivino pitches in 35 games this year. If the Yankees exercise the option, Trivino could earn another $400K in 2025 based on games finished that season.
Trivino, 32, was acquired by the Yankees at the 2022 deadline in the same deal that brought Frankie Montas to the Bronx. He was excellent in pinstripes, posting a 1.66 earned run average over 25 appearances after that trade. His 10.8% walk rate in that time was a tad high but his 23.7% strikeout rate was solid and his 51.7% ground ball rate very strong.
The Yanks kept him around for 2023 by agreeing to a $4.1MM salary, avoiding arbitration. Unfortunately, it would prove to be a lost season for the righty. He was diagnosed with an elbow sprain during Spring Training and began the year on the injured list, ultimately requiring Tommy John surgery in May.
The Yanks could have retained him via arbitration again for 2024, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting another $4.1MM salary after he missed the entire 2023 campaign. The Yankees non-tendered him instead, sending him out to free agency. They’ll circle back at a lower cost and tack on the option to potentially keep him in the fold for 2025.
Domínguez is going to be out until the summer due to his Tommy John rehab. Trivino himself could move to the 60-day IL if he is on the 40-man. Given that Tommy John rehab generally takes 14 months or longer, he likely won’t be able to rejoin the club until the summer himself. But once healthy, he could provide a nice boost to the relief mix. The club has an affinity for ground ball pitchers and he would certainly qualify. In his 285 career appearances, Trivino has a 3.86 ERA, 24.5% strikeout rate, 10.6% walk rate and 47.4% ground ball rate.
The New York Post’s Greg Joyce first noted that Trivino was in the Yankee clubhouse. Andy Martino of SNY confirmed the sides had reached an agreement. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the $1.5MM guarantee, the $5MM option value, and the various incentives/escalators.
Phillies Designate McKinley Moore For Assignment
The Phillies have made their previously-reported deal with right-hander Spencer Turnbull official, announcing that they have signed him to a one-year contract. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, fellow righty McKinley Moore was designated for assignment.
Moore, 25, has powerful stuff but serious control issues. Last year, he was able to make his major league debut, getting into three contests and tossing 3 1/3 innings. He averaged 97.2 miles per hour with his fastball in that time but issued five walks and allowed seven earned runs.
He was optioned to the minors and spent some time on the injured list down on the farm. He tossed 29 2/3 innings at different levels with a tiny ERA of 0.91, but paired his 38.4% strikeout rate with an 18.4% walk rate.
That’s generally been the recipe with Moore to this point in his career. He has split his minor league time between the White Sox and Phillies, switching orgs as part of the 2022 Adam Haseley trade. He has faced 605 hitters in the minors and struck out 199 of them, a strong 32.9% rate, but his 86 walks make for a 14.2% clip.
Despite those control issues, he is still young and has a couple of option years remaining. He could appeal to a club in search of some extra bullpen depth and perhaps a bit of patience for a long-term project. Matt Gelb of The Athletic relays that there is expected to be trade interest from other clubs around the league. The Phils will have one week to work out some kind of deal or pass Moore through waivers.
Giants Sign Austin Warren To Major League Deal
The Giants announced to reporters, including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, that they have signed right-hander Austin Warren to a one-year major league deal. Lefty Robbie Ray was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Slusser adds that Warren, a client of the Ballengee Group, will make $755K this year. That’s just barely over this year’s $740K league minimum.
Warren, 28, was designated for assignment by the Angels last week. He underwent Tommy John surgery in May of last year and is still recovering. Since injured players can’t be put on outright waivers, the Angels had to either trade him or release him and opted for the latter.
The righty has 32 games of major league experience, dating from his 2021 debut to the early parts of the 2023 season prior to his surgery. He has a 3.55 earned run average in his 38 innings, striking out just 19.4% of opponents but walking just 6.3% of them and keeping 44.3% of balls in play on the ground.
Over the past three years, he’s tossed 92 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level, pitching for the Salt Lake Bees in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. In that time, he had a 3.50 ERA, 24.4% strikeout rate, 10.2% walk rate and kept roughly half of batted balls down in the dirt.
The Giants are clearly hoping that he can return from his Tommy John layoff in good form. Assuming they don’t expect him back in the first two months of the season, he will be transferred to the 60-day IL once the club needs his roster spot. Once activated, he has a couple of minor league options and can be kept in Triple-A if he doesn’t earn his way into the big league picture.
The bullpen in San Francisco would appear to have some innings available. Camilo Doval, Taylor Rogers, Tyler Rogers and Luke Jackson will be in four spots. Apart from that, none of the other relievers on the roster have even a year of service time. If Warren is still on the 40-man at season’s end, he can be retained for future seasons as he currently has just under two years of major league service time.