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Latest On Asdrubal Cabrera

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Asdrubal Cabrera didn’t sign a contract this offseason, but that doesn’t mean there was a lack of interest from major league teams. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Cabrera is open to returning under the right circumstances but has declined one MLB offer.

The offer was probably fairly modest, as the 36-year-old didn’t have a strong year in 2021. He was signed by the Diamondbacks to a one-year, $1.75MM deal that also came with incentives. Through 90 games with Arizona, he hit .244/.324/.392, amounting to a wRC+ of 92. In late August, he went to the Reds on a waiver claim but scuffled down the stretch. In 20 games for Cincy, he hit just .077/.194/.077. That’s a very small sample size, of course and was likely due to a lot of bad luck, as he had a .301 BABIP with the Snakes but just .100 with the Reds. Nonetheless, it dragged his overall season line down to .230/.313/.366, 82 wRC+.

That’s the lowest wRC+ of Cabrera’s career so far and, combined with his age, meant he was likely not going to be able to match the $1.75MM guarantee that he got a year ago. Still, as a switch-hitter with the ability to play multiple positions, he has enough versatility that he could find a way into a team’s plans. He hasn’t seen significant time in the middle infield since 2019 but played most of his games at third base last year, while also getting decent reps at first.

Heyman doesn’t provide any details about the offer Cabrera received, why it was turned down or what kind of offer he would be more inclined to accept. It’s possible that Cabrera wants to play full-time and was only offered a part-time role, or perhaps he wants to be on a competitor and isn’t interested in playing for a rebuilding club. He’s already banked over $64MM in career earnings, according to Baseball Reference, after many successful seasons with the Indians, Rays, Mets and others. Since the offers he’s likely to receive won’t significantly change his finances, he can afford to be selective about the opportunities that do and don’t tempt him.

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Follow The NFL Draft At Pro Football Rumors

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The 87th NFL draft begins tonight from Las Vegas. Our sister site, Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors on Twitter), has all the top stories covered. Although this draft differs from the past several, as it appears to lack a top-end quarterback, the event features a host of teams with high-stakes decisions. This promises to be the most enigmatic NFL draft in at least nine years.

Picking first for the second straight year, the Jaguars have their quarterback (2021 top pick Trevor Lawrence) and are focusing on their lines. Georgia defensive end Travon Walker has become the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick, despite fellow D-end standout Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan) producing far better college numbers. But Jags owner Shad Khan was believed to disagree with GM Trent Baalke’s Walker preference, adding intrigue to tonight’s top pick. The Jaguars are also interested in trading down, though a lack of interested suitors may force them to stay at No. 1.

The Panthers look to represent the draft’s first quarterback domino, having needed an answer here since Cam Newton’s injury run began years ago. Rather than the NFC South team gambling on one of this class’ polarizing QBs, waiting for a mid- or post-draft trade for the Browns’ Baker Mayfield is in play. That said, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule recruited one of this class’ top QBs (Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett) when he was Temple’s coach years ago; a belated partnership remains a possibility. The Falcons (No. 8), Seahawks (No. 9), Saints (No. 15) and Steelers (No. 20) also loom as quarterback suitors. Liberty’s Malik Willis and Ole Miss’ Matt Corral join Pickett as this class’ top signal-caller prospects; the group could be in for an Aaron Rodgers-esque green-room wait.

This draft’s most interesting subplot: the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel decision. The All-Pro wide receiver requested a trade last week. Reports of Samuel disenchantment with the 49ers’ first extension offer, his unconventional role as a part-time running back, and a desire not to live in California have come up as reasons for the request. The Jets are viewed as Samuel’s most likely landing spot, and the 49ers’ future with the fourth-year playmaker could come down to the wire tonight — with a loose deadline being the Jets’ No. 10 overall pick.

For the latest updates throughout tonight’s first round, and the final six rounds this weekend, stay with Pro Football Rumors and follow us on Facebook and Twitter — @pfrumors.

Khris Davis Intends To Play This Season

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Khris Davis is looking to play in the majors this year and currently trying to find a team to join, per Robert Murray of FanSided. Murray relays that Davis is drawing interest from multiple clubs.

Davis had a tremendous run with the Brewers and Athletics from 2013 to 2018. Over those six seasons, he hit 193 home runs and slashed .248/.320/.519. He had a wRC+ of 107 or higher in each of those six campaigns and was only below 122 in one of them.

Unfortunately, multiple injuries took a toll on him in 2019, causing his production to fall into a nosedive that he hasn’t been able to pull out of. Hip, oblique and hand injuries brought him down to a line of .220/.293/.387 that year. He put up similar numbers in 2020 and 2021, leading to a .216/.291/.376 line over the 2019-2021 stretch, a wRC+ of 80.

Davis wasn’t graded as a strong defender even in his prime, but he’s taken the field less and less over the years. After playing left field at least 90 times each year from 2013 to 2017, he’s only taken the field in 18 total contests since that time. Without being able to contribute on the defensive side of things, he really needs to be able to hit in order to be valuable.

It’s been a few years since Davis has been useful with the bat, but he’s only 34 years old. While a contending team is unlikely to take a chance on him, perhaps a rebuilding club could give him some time at the plate and see if he can rediscover his prior form. If he succeeds, he could then be sent to a contender at the trade deadline.

Speculatively speaking, perhaps Davis and the A’s could have mutual interest in a reunion. Although Oakland traded Davis to the Rangers as part of the Elvis Andrus trade prior to last season, they re-signed him in August after the Rangers released him, giving him 53 plate appearances down the stretch. The club has been trying out a lot of younger players this year, but has occasionally used their designated hitter slots for veterans like Jed Lowrie or Stephen Vogt. With Vogt now on the shelf due to a grade 2 MCL sprain, perhaps someone like Davis could make sense for an elder statesman role.

Latest On Michael Conforto

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The 2022 MLB season is now more than two weeks old, yet there’s one significant free agent that’s still unsigned. Outfielder Michael Conforto was ranked 32nd on the MLBTR list of the top 50 free agents, the only one of that group still without a team.

The last report on Conforto, from about three weeks ago, was that his market had been slowed by an injury suffered during the lockout. Conforto’s agent Scott Boras explained the delay, telling reporters that the outfielder suffered a right shoulder strain while training in January.

At the time of that report in late March, Joel Sherman of the New York Post relayed that Conforto had been hitting for five weeks, meaning that he was taking hacks weeks before the lockout ended on March 10. That seemed to at least cast a bit of doubt on the report from Boras, though the health issue seems to be lingering, despite the fact that Conforto has been hitting for about two months now. Mike Puma of the New York Post relays that the shoulder injury was significant enough that surgery was considered, although Conforto opted to forgo that and try to let the shoulder heal. Although Puma doesn’t provide any specific diagnosis of the injury, he reports that Conforto has still not resumed throwing and even suggests it’s possible Conforto may not be able to return to the field at all this season.

If that ends up being the case, it would be another step in a string of bad luck for the outfielder, who already had the misfortune of having a down year just as he was about to qualify for free agency. From 2017 to 2020, he hit 97 home runs and slashed .265/.369/.495. In the estimation of FanGraphs, that production was about 33% better than league average (133 wRC+) and helped him produce 14.9 wins above replacement. However, his offense slipped in 2021 to .232/.344/.384, a wRC+ of 106, still above average but well below his previous level.

He was already going to be challenged to find a contract to his liking after that dip, and after declining an $18.4MM qualifying offer. MLBTR predicted that Conforto would settle for a one-year deal in the $20MM range and then return to the open market without the QO attached, hoping for better offers. This was a route previously taken by players like Yasmani Grandal and Marcell Ozuna, who each took one-year deals and eventually got four-year contracts worth over $60MM. How it will play out for Conforto now will be largely determined by the eventual timeline of his recuperation, which is currently quite murky.

If this injury is as serious as reported, Conforto might just linger on the market long enough to follow that Grandal/Ozuna plan, just without the one-year deal. If he’s able to heal his shoulder and get back into game shape over the next few months, this year’s draft is scheduled to take place July 17-19. Once the draft is completed, any team signing Conforto won’t have to worry about the draft pick forfeiture. Although his extended absence will likely dim the enthusiasm clubs will have for signing him, it’s also possible that a contender suffers an outfield injury of their own that spurs them towards taking a chance. For Conforto’s part, he will surely want to show his health, if he’s able to, in order to improve his earning power after the 2022 season. Even a contract with a modest financial outlay for the season’s final months could be enough to get him onto the field as an audition for his next job. The Marlins, Yankees, Padres, Rockies, Blue Jays and Rangers were known to be interested in him before this injury was revealed.

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MLB Hires CC Sabathia As Special Assistant

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Major League Baseball announced this afternoon they’ve hired six-time All-Star CC Sabathia as a special assistant to commissioner Rob Manfred. According to the league, the role was specifically created for Sabathia and will see the 41-year-old work in “player relations, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, social responsibility, youth participation, and broadcasting.”

Since hanging up his spikes, Sabathia has served as a vice president with the Players Alliance, a nonprofit organization aimed at increasing accessibility within the sport for Black athletes. He has also appeared on the MLB Network and co-hosts a baseball podcast with Ryan Ruocco for The Ringer.

“We are excited to have CC Sabathia join the Commissioner’s Office to work on some of our most important initiatives,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a press release. “We welcome CC’s positive energy, strong character, creative mind, and civic-minded approach in building on our efforts to strengthen the game, diversify the sport, and give back to the community. CC has a powerful voice in Baseball and we value the perspective he will bring to our office.”

Sabathia made a statement of his own in the aforementioned release. “I’m looking forward to sharing my viewpoint as a former Major League player with the Commissioner’s Office,” Sabathia said. “I want to be able to continue to give back to the game that I love so much. This new role gives me the opportunity to continue the work I’m passionate about, be an advocate for players and be able to contribute to the decision-making process of the league office after 19 years on the field. I can’t wait to get started.”

Sabathia, of course, is one of the most accomplished pitchers in recent memory. He spent 19 seasons in the big leagues, suiting up with the Indians, Brewers and Yankees. The southpaw eclipsed 3,500 career innings and fanned more than 3,000 batters. Sabathia finished in the top five of Cy Young balloting on five separate occasions, taking home the award with Cleveland in 2007. He posted an ERA below 3.50 in every season from 2006-12, surpassing 190 frames in all seven years. Sabathia will add a decorated resume and, of greater import, a respected voice to the league office in a variety of roles.

Three Free Agents Suspended 80 Games After Testing Positive For PED

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Major League Baseball announced this afternoon that three players — reliever Richard Rodríguez, utilityman Danny Santana and infielder José Rondón — have each been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Boldenone. All three are currently free agents. PED testing had been suspended during the lockout, but Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal reports (0n Twitter) that the trio tested positive before the work stoppage.

Rodríguez was one of the higher-profile remaining free agents, and today’s suspension offers insight into why he’s yet to sign. The 32-year-old isn’t far removed from being an excellent late-game option for the Pirates. Over three and a half seasons in Pittsburgh, he posted a 2.98 ERA in 196 1/3 innings of relief. Along the way, he punched out a strong 27.2% of batters faced while walking just 6.5% of opponents.

The rebuilding Bucs traded Rodríguez to the Braves at this past summer’s trade deadline. The 32-year-old’s performance dipped at the end of the year. While he managed a respectable 3.12 ERA in 26 innings as a Brave, he surrounded six home runs and struck out only nine batters in that time. Atlanta non-tendered Rodríguez at the end of the year. The Pirates were reported to have interest in a reunion in December, but it stands to reason the failed PED test put a damper on that pursuit.

Santana, 31, has appeared in the majors in each of the last eight seasons. Known for his speed and defensive versatility, the switch-hitting Santana has mixed in some solid showings at the plate but has an up-and-down overall track record. He’s coming off a tough year in which he hit just .181/.252/.345 with five homers and four steals over 38 games with the Red Sox.

Rondón has played in parts of four seasons, never tallying more than 157 plate appearances in a year. A right-handed hitting utility infielder, he owns a .216/.274/.353 slash in 380 career trips to the dish. Rondón had a respectable .263/.322/.413 showing in limited playing time with the Cardinals last season, but St. Louis non-tendered him in November.

Trevor Rosenthal Drawing Interest

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Trevor Rosenthal is drawing a lot of interest, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. After serving as one of the best relievers in baseball for many years, Rosenthal suffered a major setback when he required Tommy John surgery in 2017. That wiped out the remainder of that season and also prevented him from pitching at all in 2018. When he finally made it back to the hill in 2019, he didn’t seem to resemble his former self, registering a 13.50 ERA in 15 1/3 innings that year, a showing which included an ugly 30.6% walk rate.

While many people considered him cooked, he had a tremendous return to form in 2020. After signing a minor league deal with the Royals, he eventually had his contract selected and threw 13 2/3 innings with a 3.29 ERA and excellent 37.5% strikeout rate, though the walks were still present at a rate of 12.5%. After being traded to the Padres, he pitched another 10 innings without allowing a single earned run. His strikeout rate shot up to an incredible 48.6% and his walk rate dropped down to 2.9%.

In February of last year, the Athletics quite surprisingly outbid the field and gave Rosenthal a one-year, $11MM deal, a huge sum for a typically low-spending club. Unfortunately, the gamble backfired in a big way, as shoulder inflammation sent him to the IL in April, leading to surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. Though he was hoping for a midseason return, hip surgery in July wiped out any chance of that. In the end, he wasn’t able to make a regular season appearance at all last year.

Despite that litany of injuries, it’s not surprising that Rosenthal is garnering plenty of interest, as he’s already shown himself capable of returning from the injury wilderness. His final line on the 2020 season between the Royals and Padres was 23 2/3 innings with a 1.90 ERA with a 41.8% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate. While a pessimist could say that he has only had a couple of good months over the past four seasons, there’s no denying that he was elite the last time he was healthy. After missing another full season due to injuries, he surely won’t be able to land a significant commitment in either years or dollars, meaning there should be plenty of teams interested in taking a low-cost flier that he can pull off a repeat of 2020.

MLB Umpires To Begin Announcing Replay Decisions

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Major League Baseball announced this morning that beginning in the 2022 season, Major League umpires “will conduct in-park announcements during the replay review process.”

It’s an overdue update to a replay system that has often been confusing for fans viewing at home and, particularly, for fans at the the park. The NFL-style announcements regarding the nature of the challenge and the reasoning behind the umpires’ rulings will lend some clarity for all spectators. The league announced that training for this process is already underway both in Arizona and in Florida, where Spring Training games are being held. All indications are that the practice will be in place come Opening Day next week.

Under the prior system, viewers were at times unclear as to what specifically was being challenged, and it was not always immediately clear to viewers (particularly those at the park) whether a call had been confirmed or simply not overturned due to a lack of sufficient video evidence. The additional transparency provided by simply giving the umpiring crew with a microphone to explain the review and its outcome should be a welcome addition moving forward.

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