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Finding The Nationals’ Next Closer

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While the Nationals reportedly pursued both Mark Melancon and Kenley Jansen in free agency, the team reached its stopping point in the bidding and missed on both players. (While Jansen reportedly took a lesser guarantee with the Dodgers, the Nats obviously could have kept moving up. And it’s not clear that D.C. would have included a valuable opt-out in its deal, as did L.A.) Aroldis Chapman is now with the Yankees and Tyler Thornburg plays for the Red Sox. Wade Davis has been traded to the Cubs, who also struck a deal with Koji Uehara.

All said, the options are dwindling. But the Nationals now face less competition for experienced, ninth-inning arms. And the club may not feel completely compelled to land one this winter, preferring instead to continue developing internal arms while bolstering the late-inning corps with a targeted signing or two.

Let’s take a look at the remaining possibilities, which are somewhat more voluminous than one might think:

Free Agency

The clear top options are all off the board, but pieces remain:

  • Greg Holland: There’s no guarantee that Holland will return to being anything like his former self. But he was at one point in the not-so-distant past one of the five or so best relievers in the entire game. And he’s still just 31 years of age. Per Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post, the sides haven’t yet engaged in earnest, though it could be that the Nats were waiting to see how things played out with Jansen.
  • Brad Ziegler: Though he’s older than and doesn’t throw as hard as your average late-inning hurler, Ziegler continues to produce an enormous number of groundballs and keeps getting results. It might feel disappointing were he to end up in the 9th for the Nats, given the high-octane arms they’ve recently pursued, but he would at least represent a reasonable option at a reasonable commitment — perhaps leaving the team free to explore further upgrades, if warranted, at the deadline.
  • Santiago Casilla & Sergio Romo: Both former Giants righties have spent time locking up wins, though neither managed to hold onto that role for the needy San Francisco organization last year. As with Ziegler, the idea here would be to get a sturdy veteran into the role at a palatable price tag and then allow things to develop from there.
  • Neftali Feliz & Daniel Hudson: These pitchers throw hard and feel more like closer types than the older pitchers noted above, but neither has a recent track record of locking down games.

Trade

While Davis was the most obvious target for teams that didn’t land one of the top three free-agent closers, there are quite a few other names that could conceivably be pursued:

  • David Robertson, White Sox: The Nats reportedly sought to include Robertson in the Adam Eaton deal, and he is perhaps the single most likely target of all the names in this post. The veteran is more solid than great at his anointed job at this point, and he isn’t cheap, but the Nats can afford him and Chicago would no doubt like to cash him in.
  • Alex Colome, Rays: It seems that Tampa Bay will continue to hold out for a big return to move the youngster after his breakout 2016 campaign, and the club isn’t exactly selling off assets, so this remains unlikely.
  • Francisco Rodriguez, Tigers: There hasn’t been much discussion of KRod despite the Tigers’ stated intention to get younger, but he’d be an interesting target. He showed some peripheral decline last year, but remains hard to square up (6.9 hits per nine) and still gets solid results.
  • Sean Doolittle & Ryan Madson, Athletics: The A’s aren’t showing much inclination to deal from the pen, but both of these arms could be of interest. Doolittle is the real prize, despite his balky shoulder, as he’s a premium relief arm when healthy and comes with a cheap contract. Madson could fill a need, but he’s expensive and fell off in 2016.
  • Sam Dyson & Jeremy Jeffress, Rangers: It’s still not really clear whether the Rangers have any interest in dealing from their relief staff, but the Nats could take a look at this pair of groundball-heavy relievers. Of course, the Nats have their own worm-burner already on hand, as explored below.
  • Tony Watson, Pirates: We’ve heard some suggestions that the Bucs could make Watson available. The 31-year-old southpaw doesn’t have a lengthy track record of closing, but he did step in last year and notched 15 saves. He has thrived on limited good contact in recent years — hitters have a lifetime .251 BABIP against him — but was a bit more home run prone (14.1% HR/FB, 1.33 HR/9) in 2016 than he had been for several seasons.
  • Kelvin Herrera, Royals: Kansas City remains in a tough spot, but despite dealing Davis, still hasn’t done anything to suggest a full-blown rebuild is afoot at this point. Herrera remains all the more important to the team’s near-term chances after that swap, but he’d also hold immense appeal on the trade market. The power hurler seemingly turned a corner last year, finally both racking up strikeouts (10.8 K/9) and limiting the free passes (1.5 BB/9) in another productive season. With two years of affordable control remaining, he’d require a significant acquisition price.
  • Raisel Iglesias, Reds: The live-armed righty may or may not ever return to the rotation, but if he doesn’t then he could be quite an exciting reliever, as he showed after returning from elbow issues last year. Of course, Cinci would be justified in putting a high asking price on Iglesias, even if his health is in question.
  • Trevor Rosenthal, Cardinals: It’s not particularly easy to see the Nats and Cards lining up, and Rosenthal comes with big questions (a worrying loss of control, elbow/shoulder issues) as well as a fairly hefty price tag. But if St. Louis prefers to send him out and the Nats are willing to roll the dice a bit, there’s no denying the upside in Rosenthal’s powerful right arm.
  • Arodys Vizcaino, Braves: Speaking of risk and reward — as with Rosenthal, relating to health and control) — the 26-year-old Vizcaino comes with both. He has produced outstanding results at times, and has a closer’s arsenal, but faltered down the stretch while battling oblique issues. Also like Rosenthal, it’s a bit difficult to imagine the Nats giving up what would be needed while staking such an important job on this type of pitcher.
  • Cody Allen & Andrew Miller (Indians), Dellin Betances (Yankees), Zach Britton (Orioles): These four talented relievers figure to stay with their respective organizations. But perhaps there’s at least some space for a deal if the Nationals shoot for the moon in trade talks.

Internal

As presently constituted, the Nationals’ pen has a grand total of 14 MLB saves to its credit, so there’s an obvious lack of experience in that role. But as skipper Dusty Baker explained (as reported in the above-cited WaPo piece), closers aren’t typically acknowledged as such until they’ve been given and run with an opportunity. As he put it: “Next thing you know, voilà! We’ve got a closer. That’s how it happens.” GM Mike Rizzo, too, suggested that the organization likes its internal slate of possibilities, even if they haven’t yet done that particular job at the game’s highest level.

So, it seems at least possible to imagine that the Nats will use their funds to add elsewhere and pick up a few set-up types via free agency, leaving the ninth in the hands of someone who’s already in the organization. In that case, who might be considered?

  • Shawn Kelley: His three-year, $15MM deal looks like a bargain after the 32-year-old turned in a 2.64 ERA with a sparkling ratio of 12.4 K/9 to 1.7 BB/9 a season ago. The team has long suggested that Kelley’s elbow health may not allow him to take a closing job, but it’s also perhaps arguable that added consistency in routine would be good for him. He did pick up seven saves last year, though he was hardly flawless in the role. Even if he isn’t relied upon to take the ball three days in a row or to provide multi-inning work when it might be preferable, Kelley certainly has the profile of a closer.
  • Blake Treinen: Though not a huge strikeout pitcher, the 28-year-old again induced grounders on more than 60% of the balls put in play against him in 2016. And he provided 67 innings of 2.28 ERA pitching. The biggest question here is in the walks department; Treinen has issued more than four free passes per nine in each of the last two years.
  • Koda Glover: The 23-year-old didn’t maintain his gaudy strikeout tallies in the majors (or, in truth, at Triple-A), but he’s perhaps the closest thing the Nats have to a closer prospect. Credited with a big heater and power slider, Glover may be the guy in D.C. in the future, but it’s far from clear whether he’s ready for the job right now.
  • Sammy Solis: There are some health questions here, perhaps making a move to the ninth unwise. But Solis brings a bulldog mentality to the hill and pitched to a 2.41 ERA in 41 frames last year. His 10.3 K/9 were accompanied by 4.6 BB/9, though, and Solis arguably remains too important to the club as a lefty set-up piece to take a shot on him in the closer’s role out of the gates.
  • Others: Before he was dealt, starting pitching prospect Reynaldo Lopez might’ve made sense as a conversion candidate. And power southpaw Felipe Rivero could be in contention had he not been shipped in the deadline deal for Mark Melancon. But there are other interesting, somewhat analogous pieces on hand. Righty A.J. Cole still seems to be on the outside of the rotation competition, but is almost certainly ready for a full chance at the majors; if his stuff plays up in the pen, it’s not inconceivable that he could emerge. And forgotten man Trevor Gott made it onto the map with a huge fastball. Though he saw minimal major league time in 2016 and wasn’t great at Triple-A, it’s possible he could turn the corner and take a crack at the job at some point.

Just for fun, we’ll end this look with a simple poll. Which general approach do you think the Nats are most likely to pursue in addressing the ninth inning? (Link for app users.)

Which Is The Likeliest Approach For The Nationals To Find Their Next Closer?
Trade 54.91% (3,676 votes)
Internal 28.36% (1,899 votes)
Free Agency 16.73% (1,120 votes)
Total Votes: 6,695

Minor MLB Transactions: 12/13/16

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Here are the latest minor moves:

  • Righty Ryan Webb has joined the Brewers on a minor-league deal, the team announced. He’ll come to MLB camp next spring in hopes of earning a spot in the Milwaukee pen. The 30-year-old allowed 10 earned runs on 27 hits in his 18 appearances last year with the Rays, but otherwise maintained the same sort of peripherals that have allowed him to compile nearly 400 innings of 3.43 ERA ball as a big leaguer.

Earlier Updates

  • The Red Sox have added third baseman Matt Dominguez on a minor-league deal, 1500ESPN’s Darren Wolfson reports on Twitter. Dominguez receives an invitation to MLB camp next spring. Still just 27, Dominguez had a short return to the majors last year with the Blue Jays but hasn’t seen substantial time at the game’s highest level since a disappointing 2014 campaign with the Astros. He posted a .269/.315/.421 batting line with 18 long balls at Triple-A last year with the Toronto organization.
  • Infielder Emmanuel Burriss is heading to the Nationals on a minors pact, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets. He, too, gets a spring invite, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post adds on Twitter. The 31-year-old is a D.C. native who spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the Nats organization, only briefly cracking the majors. He struggled in brief time in the bigs last year with the Phillies, and hit .263/.296/.309 over his 187 plate appearances at Triple-A.
  • Japan’s Orix Buffaloes have added three former major league hurlers, per Yahoo Japan (h/t NPB on Reddit, on Twitter). Lefty Phil Coke will join righties Matt West and Gonzalez Germen in Nippon Professional Baseball. West has the least major league experience of the bunch, but put up a 2.33 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 over 46 1/3 innings last year and only just turned 28. Coke, 34, is a hard-throwing southpaw who has spent a fair bit of time in the majors — and on the pages of MLBTR. He threw ten major league frames last year, continuing a streak of appearing in nine-straight MLB campaigns. The 29-year-old Germen had posted solid results upon arriving with the Rockies in the middle of the 2015 season, though his peripherals did not support the 3.86 ERA. He came back to earth in his 40 2/3 innings in 2016, posting a 5.31 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 5.5 BB/9.

Nationals Sign Jacob Turner, Three Others To Minors Deals

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The Nationals have announced four minor-league signings, most prominently including righty Jacob Turner. Also joining the organization on minors deals with spring invites are lefty Tim Collins, infielder Emmanuel Burriss, and righty Mike Broadway. (The latter two signings were previously reported by Jon Heyman of Fan Rag; Twitter links.)

Turner, who’s still just 25, was once a prized prospect. But he never quite stuck in a big league rotation, and has bounced around in recent years. Most recently, he pitched for the White Sox. Returning to the majors in 2016, mostly as a reliever, Turner threw 24 2/3 innings of 6.57 ERA ball with 6.6 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9.

The 27-year-old Collins has been a successful reliever in the past, racking up 211 frames with a 3.54 ERA and 9.4 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 between 2011 and 2014. Since then, however, he has undergone a series of Tommy John surgeries.

We covered Burriss already right here. Broadway, 29, has spent less time in the majors than the other two hurlers. Since the start of 2015, he has thrown 22 2/3 frames with the Giants, compiling a 6.75 ERA and 6.8 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9. Broadway also appeared briefly for Japan’s Yakult Swallows in 2016. He was rather good at Triple-A in 2015, it’s worth noting, racking up 48 1/3 innings with just five earned runs on 25 hits and an excellent 64:8 K/BB ratio.

Trade Chatter: Colome, Mariners, Wilson, Profar

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There has been significant movement on the market for closers, leaving the Rays with an interesting trade piece in Alex Colome. But while the team is receiving ongoing interest in the controllable young hurler, it’s not moving off of a “price they believe is appropriately high,” Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Moving Colome would put a dent in the team’s 2017 hopes, Rosenthal notes, and it seems fair to say that the organization’s other recent moves do not suggest that the organization has any intentions of packing it in before reaching Spring Training. It still seems much more likely that the club will deal a starter; Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times recently provided the latest on that front, suggesting that one of Drew Smyly, Alex Cobb, and Erasmo Ramirez may be more likely to be dealt than are Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi.

  • The Mariners have been talking with both the Rays and the Reds about starters, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports on Twitter. Seattle has been said to be hunting for one more rotation piece, and it’s not surprising to see these two particular organizations mentioned. Tampa Bay, as noted, has long been expected to consider trading out of its staff; the M’s could conceivably have interest in just about any of the pitchers listed above. And while we haven’t heard much in the way of specifics from Cincinnati, it stands to reason that the club would at least weigh offers for pitchers such as Anthony DeSclafani and Dan Straily.
  • The Tigers and Cubs have been in contact about left-handed reliever Justin Wilson, tweets Morosi, although he notes that it’s unclear whether there’s any momentum. Detroit acquired Wilson last winter in a trade that sent Chad Green and Luis Cessa to the Yankees, and while Wilson didn’t have the year the Tigers likely envisioned (4.14 ERA in 58 2/3 innings), there were plenty of positive indicators in the 29-year-old’s results. Wilson turned in a career-best 10.0 K/9 and career-low 2.6 BB/9 in his 58 2/3 frames out of the Detroit ’pen, and he also notched a career-high 54.9 percent ground-ball rate.
  • Before landing Adam Eaton, the Nationals approached the Rangers about a deal to acquire infielder Jurickson Profar, Rosenthal reports (Twitter links). Washington was reputedly interested in utilizing Profar at shortstop, which would have meant keeping Trea Turner in center field, but moved on when Texas requested righty Joe Ross in return. It’s certainly not clear whether the Nats would have preferred to work something out on Profar rather than acquiring Eaton, but it’s nevertheless interesting to learn of the discussions. If nothing else, it represents one of the first suggestions we’ve heard of a team approaching the Rangers about the 23-year-old, a former top prospect who is now one of the more hard-to-peg potential trade chips in baseball. He has been thrust into a utility role after dealing with significant shoulder issues, and hit just .239/.321/.338 in 307 plate appearances last year. Further, despite his relatively scant MLB experience (184 total games), Profar has already racked up over three years of service time. But the prospect pedigree is second to none, and he has shown flashes of his talent in the upper minors and (in stretches) in the majors.

Phillies Sign Pedro Florimon, Acquire Mario Sanchez From Nationals

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The Phillies announced that today that they’ve acquired minor league right-hander Mario Sanchez from the Nationals as the player to be named later in last month’s Jimmy Cordero swap. They also announced minor league deals for Pedro Florimon, Sean Burnett, Daniel Nava and Hector Gomez, each of whom will be invited to Major League Spring Training. (The signings of Nava and Burnett were reported last week by the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Matt Gelb and SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo, respectively.)

Sanchez, 22, spent the 2016 season with Washington’s Class-A Advanced affiliate, where he pitched to a 3.46 ERA with 7.2 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 43.1 percent ground-ball rate in 78 innings of work. The Venezuelan-born righty didn’t make any starts but made 12 relief appearances of at least three innings, including one six-inning relief performance to close out the season. He didn’t rank among the Nationals’ top 30 prospects, though given the rather low-profile nature of the trade that is sending him to the Phillies, that shouldn’t be a big surprise.

Florimon, who turned 30 two days ago, spent the 2015-16 seasons as a member of the Pirates and saw sparse time with the big league club, hitting .149/.200/.255 in just 50 plate appearances. Prior to that stretch, the entirety of Florimon’s big league time had come with the Twins, for whom he served as the primary shortstop in 2013, hitting .222/.281/.330 with nine homers and 15 steals. Florimon has never hit much in the Majors or minors, but he’s a terrific defender at shortstop and could function as a Triple-A depth option for the Phillies. He’s a career .253/.320/.368 hitter in 1222 Triple-A PAs, so his bat certainly has played a bit better at that level than in the Majors.

Gomez, 28, spent the 2016 season playing with Korea’s SK Wyverns, where he hit .283/.326/.493 with 21 homers, 31 doubles and 16 stolen bases in 484 trips to the plate. The versatile infielder spent the 2014-15 seasons with the Brewers, batting a combined .177/.209/.306 in 155 PAs. He comes with a very solid Triple-A background, having batted .298/.341/.512 in 150 games (although those numbers have likely been aided by the hitter-friendly nature of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League), and he also brings experience at shortstop, second base and third base to the Phillies organization.

Bullpen Notes: Nationals, Miller, Marlins

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Some items on the always-busy relief pitching market…

  • The Nationals explored acquiring Andrew Miller at last July’s trade deadline, though balked at the idea of moving Lucas Giolito and other prospects for the ace reliever, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian recently noted (as cited by ESPN.com’s Buster Olney in his latest subscriber-only column).  Trading for Miller would’ve solved Washington’s search for a long-term closer, and the Nats ended up moving Giolito anyway at the Winter Meetings to obtain Adam Eaton “in a market saturated with outfield options.”  This decision presents an interesting what-if for Nats fans, though the answer could simply come down to the fact that the Nationals no longer valued Giolito as highly.  “Their view of Giolito obviously changed completely.  Whatever it was, they were working to move him,” an evaluator tells Olney.
  • Speaking of Miller, this offseason’s skyrocketing relief prices have made the Indians lefty a bargain for the team, Zack Meisel of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes.  Miller is owed $9MM in each of the next two seasons, a fraction of what he would earn if he was on the open market this winter.
  • Brad Ziegler and Neftali Feliz have been mentioned as potential Marlins backup plans if they can’t sign Kenley Jansen, and MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro also adds Fernando Salas and Junichi Tazawa to the team’s list of possible candidates.  Overall, the Fish would be looking to add relievers with closing experience, though A.J. Ramos would likely remain Miami’s closer.

Nationals Notes: Espinosa, Turner, Jansen, Strasburg

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Speaking to reporters Sunday, Nationals president/general manager Mike Rizzo acknowledged that now-traded middle infielder Danny Espinosa would have been “frustrated” as a bench player. The executive downplayed the notion that sending Espinosa to the Angels on Saturday had anything to do with the 29-year-old’s reported discontent with a diminished role, however. According to Rizzo, he didn’t speak with either Espinosa or his agent after the team acquired outfielder Adam Eaton on Wednesday, and he added that the Espinosa deal had been in the works for a while. “I have no beef or problem with Danny Espinosa. Never have,” said Rizzo. “And I still consider him a good player that gave everything he had” (all Twitter links via Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post, Chelsea Janes of the Post and Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com).

Here’s more on the reigning NL East champions:

  • Trea Turner’s emergence as a rookie last season was one of the factors that ultimately made Espinosa expendable, but the up-and-coming star didn’t expect the veteran to go anywhere. “Little surprised, he was a big part of us last year,” Turner told Zuckerman. “But I think that’s direction we’re heading after Eaton trade.” Turner’s a natural shortstop, though he saw action there in just two of 75 games in 2016 because of Espinosa’s presence. The 23-year-old is now set to move back to his typical position next season after mostly working in center field (45 games) and at second base (28 games) in 2016. “I think that’s where I’m most comfortable,” Turner said regarding shortstop. “I look forward to proving that I can play there at a high level” (Twitter links).
  • Washington is one of the teams in the race for the best pitcher remaining on the free agent market, closer Kenley Jansen, and Rizzo revealed Sunday that he and the longtime Dodger’s agent have stayed in touch throughout the offseason. Other options are under consideration, though, per Rizzo (Twitter link via Janes). Those options could perhaps include the White Sox’s David Robertson and the Rays’ Alex Colome – two closers whom the Nats have pursued via trade.
  • Right-hander Stephen Strasburg slider/cutter was his second-most-used pitch in 2016 (he threw it 17.1 percent of the time), tweets Jamal Collier of MLB.com. However, Strasburg will rely less on the pitch going forward because he believes it put too much stress on his arm during an injury-shortened campaign, he said Sunday. Strasburg inked a seven-year, $175MM extension in May, but he subsequently landed on the disabled list multiple times – once because of elbow soreness in late August. He then returned from his elbow ailment for one start, a Sept. 7 outing in which tossed 2 1/3 innings, before missing the rest of the season with a flexor mass strain. Fortunately, Strasburg expects to be fine for 2017 (Twitter links via Janes and Zuckerman).

Angels Acquire Danny Espinosa

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The Nationals have traded middle infielder Danny Espinosa to the Angels for minor league right-handers Austin Adams and Kyle McGowin, per an announcement from Washington.

[RELATED: Updated Nationals & Angels Depth Charts]

The Nats’ decision to move on from Espinosa came shortly after Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reported the 29-year-old’s displeasure with the club’s acquisition of outfielder Adam Eaton. In trading a haul to the White Sox for Eaton, the Nationals picked up a player who should be their long-term answer in center field, thereby sending Trea Turner to shortstop. With Daniel Murphy entrenched at second base, Espinosa would have had to take on a bench role in 2017 had Washington kept him.

Danny Espinosa

Now on his way out of D.C., Espinosa will head back to his native California and join an Angels team that, prior to Saturday, was in dire need of a second baseman to pair with shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Before settling on Espinosa, the Angels made recent inquiries to the Padres, Cardinals and Phillies about their second base options. Espinosa will also reunite with a former teammate in third baseman Yunel Escobar, whom the Nationals traded to the Angels exactly one year ago.

A lifetime .226/.302/.388 hitter in 2,972 plate appearances, Espinosa is fresh off a season in which he slashed .209/.306/.378 with a career-best 24 home runs in 601 PAs. The majority of the switch-hitting Espinosa’s offensive success has come versus left-handed pitchers, against whom he has posted a .257/.327/.454 career line in 736 trips to the plate. But he has provided most of his value via the field, having amassed 25 Defensive Runs Saved and an Ultimate Zone Rating of 27.0 in 4,400-plus innings as a second baseman. With Espinosa and Simmons, one of the majors’ foremost defenders, the Angels should have an enviable double-play combination for at least next season. Espinosa will make an estimated $5.3MM through arbitration in 2017, his final year under team control.

Of the two pitchers the Halos sent to the Nationals, McGowin is the more notable. The 25-year-old ranked as the Angels’ 20th-best prospect, per MLBpipeline.com, which credits the 2013 fifth-round pick for his three-pitch mix and suggests that he has back-end starter upside. The 25-year-old hasn’t generated great results during his minor league career, though, and just finished a season in which he recorded a 6.11 ERA, 7.58 K/9 and 3.58 BB/9 over 116 1/3 innings in his first taste of Triple-A action.

Adams, also 25 (and not to be confused with the Indians righty), was impressive in relief for the Angels’ Double-A affiliate in Arkansas in 2016. Although he issued too many walks (5.28 per nine), the 2012 eighth-round pick offset that somewhat with a sky-high K/9 (13.28). All told, he registered a 3.05 ERA across 41 1/3 frames. In assessing Adams in 2015, former FanGraphs prospect analyst Kiley McDaniel complimented his above-average fastball and plus slider, though he also noted Adams’ lack of control.

Josh Norris of Baseball America was the first to report the trade and the two-prospect return (Twitter links). Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NL Notes: McCutchen, Eaton, Diamondbacks, Ziegler

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Andrew McCutchen has indicated in the past that he’d like to spend his entire career with the Pirates. Even after the Bucs nearly traded McCutchen to Washington at the winter meetings, the five-time All-Star center fielder hasn’t done a 180. “That hasn’t changed just because of my name being in trade (talks),” McCutchen said regarding his desire to stay a Pirate for good (via Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review). McCutchen did admit it bothered him that the Pirates placed him on the block, though he doesn’t harbor any ill feelings toward general manager Neal Huntington. “We had a really good conversation and we ended it on good terms,” the 30-year-old said. “I do understand he has a job (to do). I don’t understand what he has to do. I can’t empathize with that, just like he can’t empathize with what I could be going through, the challenges I face.” While it appears McCutchen will remain a Pirate in 2017, his penultimate year of team control, the one-time National League MVP revealed that Huntington hasn’t given him “any assurances” on his future.

Here’s more from the NL:

  • Outfielder Adam Eaton has been a well above-average offensive producer in each of his three full major league seasons, but the newest member of the Nationals hasn’t been as consistently productive in the grass. Eaton was among the majors’ best defenders as a right fielder last season, but that came after he logged mixed results in 2014 and 2015 in center – where he’s likely to line up as a Nat. Speaking Saturday to reporters, including Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com, Eaton called his 2015 output in center “very poor,” though he expressed confidence about his general defensive ability. “I don’t like to harp on the negative, either. So I think that I’m definitely the ‘14 player,” he said. “If I’m in right, hopefully I’m the ‘16 player. And when I’m in center, hopefully I’m the ‘14 (player). I think I’m very capable of playing all three (outfield positions).” Eaton finished 2014 with 11 Defensive Runs Saved and plummeted to minus-14 the next season.
  • The reliever-needy Diamondbacks have checked in with free agent and longtime D-back Brad Ziegler about a reunion, but a deal is unlikely because the 37-year-old has received far more lucrative offers than the $2.75MM the club gave Fernando Rodney, according to FanRag’s Jack Magruder. In the wake of picking up Rodney, new GM Mike Hazen told Magruder that he’s “very comfortable with the group we have right now.” Only five teams amassed fewer wins than the Diamondbacks’ 69 in 2016, but the team has “a lot of talent,” Hazen said.
  • The Pirates, Rockies and Dodgers look like logical landing spots if the White Sox trade highly effective, eminently affordable left-hander Jose Quintana, opines David Schoenfield of ESPN.com. Pittsburgh would likely have to part with at least one top-caliber prospect from the trio of right-hander Tyler Glasnow, outfielder Austin Meadows and first baseman Josh Bell to acquire Quintana, writes Schoenfield. The Rockies could center an offer on young shortstop Brendan Rodgers, suggests Schoenfield, who adds that the Dodgers might be able to secure Quintana with righty Jose De Leon and outfielder Alex Verdugo headlining a package.

Danny Espinosa Unhappy With Nationals

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On the heels of the Nationals’ acquisition of center fielder Adam Eaton, shortstop Danny Espinosa skipped the team’s annual Winterfest this weekend because he’s unhappy with his likely relegation to a bench role, a source told Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. With Eaton in the field, 2016 center fielder Trea Turner is set to take over at short next year, leaving Espinosa without an everyday spot.

The Nats do value Espinosa, evidenced by their unwillingness to non-tender him, but general manager Mike Rizzo didn’t rule out trading the 29-year-old even before the club landed Eaton.

“I could see him as utility player. I could see him as a player you could utilize in a trade context to get another piece that you need,” Rizzo said last month.

If Washington does shop Espinosa, it shouldn’t have difficulty finding a taker, tweets Chelsea Janes of the Post. Espinosa is reasonably priced – he’s due an estimated $5.3MM in his final arbitration year – and has combined for 4.0 fWAR since 2015. The switch-hitter batted a modest .209/.306/.378 in 601 plate appearances last season, but he did club a career-high 24 home runs.

While right-handed pitchers have confounded Espinosa, who has slashed just .216/.294/.367 in 1,967 career PAs against them, he has been useful versus southpaws with a .257/.327/.454 line in 736 trips to the plate. Most of Espinosa’s value, though, has come in the middle infield, where he has totaled 35 Defensive Runs Saved and a 31.9 Ultimate Zone Rating.

By moving Espinosa, the Nats would likely turn to the 24-year-old Wilmer Difo as their primary reserve behind Turner and second baseman Daniel Murphy. They also haven’t closed the door on re-signing free agent Stephen Drew, as FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweeted earlier this week.

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