Ervin Santana, the Minnesota Twins newest pitcher, is officially following Cheap Seat Chronicles on Twitter…just like you should be doing.
That’s right, y’all. Ervin Santana is following CSC. We’re officially in the big time.
We’re one of a very select…um…126,000 people that Santana follows. So, you know, we’re basically BFFs now.
No big deal.
#SmellBaseball
Hmmmmm…you don’t see that every day.
Rex Grossman, reportedly a professional football player, turned down an offer to join the Cleveland Browns this week.
That’s not super hard to imagine, I mean, the Browns are a steaming dumpster fire where quarterbacks go to die – or at least their careers do.
That having been said, Grossman is technically an NFL quarterback and it’s rare that folks who make their living playing a sport are going to turn down an offer for a job.
As a ten-year veteran, Grossman would have made roughly $53,500 for this one week of work. It’s good work if you can get it.
Admittedly, most of that “work” would have been holding a clipboard and pretending to be game-ready.
So why is Grossman passing on the Browns? Does he have a better offer elsewhere? Is he nursing an injury? Does he feel like it’s time to hang up his cleats at 34-years-old?
Well, not so much, in Grossman’s case he’d rather chill with his family over the holidays and maybe do some kite surfing.
Well, there you have it.
The Browns are desperately in need of quarterback depth as Brian Hoyer has a bum shoulder and the “heir-apparent” Johnny Manziel saw his season come to an abrupt end thanks to a hamstring injury.
As it currently stands, practice squad quarterback Connor Shaw – an undrafted free agent who also got cut in training camp – is slated to make his NFL debut as the starter this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
Cleveland originally cut Grossman in training camp and he never latched on with another team. As such, his decision to drink eggnog and watch “Scrooged” with his in-laws constitutes him deciding to punt on the 2014 season altogether.
Given that he’s rejecting Kyle Shanahan – who seems obsessed with keeping Grossman employed – it also potentially signals the end of his career.
The Browns are reportedly now reaching out to 30-year-old Tyler Thigpen – whom they also cut in the preseason – as their fallback option for Grossman.
I realize we don’t cover football all that often here at Cheap Seat Chronicles, but there’s something noteworthy about a quarterback who hasn’t seen more than clipboard duty since 2011 passing on the opportunity to sign with a team that needs a warm body and might find itself in a situation where the aforementioned warm body ends up as the team’s starting quarterback.
Okay, so it’s only sorta noteworthy. I mean we are talking about Rex Grossman and the Cleveland Browns.
The real reason that I dipped my toes into the football world mostly to serve as a semi-relevant segue to this clip from “Major League” that seems all-too-appropriate:
Okay, so they’re not really the World Series champions.
That one teeny-tiny fact didn’t stop a department store in Joplin, Missouri, from selling a whole bunch of t-shirts last weekend that proclaimed the Royals were, in fact, the “2014 World Series Champions.”
While we all know that these shirts get printed for every major sporting championship, they generally disappear into the ether (or Africa or South America) never to be seen again.
This time around, a handful of the losing team’s shirts landed in a Ross department store where they sold for a very reasonable $8.99 per shirt.
So while Madison Bumgarner remained invincible and the San Francisco Giants hoisted a third World Series banner in the last five years, I think we can all imagine an alternate universe where things turn out differently for the Royals.
In that alternate universe, Alex Gordon kept running around third base and Brandon Crawford sailed the throw over Buster Posey’s head into the backstop, allowing Gordon to score and tie the game.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy – realizing that he’d gotten all he could from Bumgarner – gave the lefty the hook and went to closer Santiago Casilla to hold the tie.
Salvador Perez, still hurting from getting drilled in the left leg in the second inning, stepped into the box.
Coming into the game, Perez was 0 for 1 lifetime with a strikeout against Casilla, but on that October night he took a 2-1 slider, low and away and pulled it deep into the left field bleacher for a walk-off, World Series winning home run.
…and scene. Roll the credits.
While that makes for a better narrative – if you’re not a Giants fan – it’s also nothing but fiction.
As such, anyone who snagged one of these shirts will have to deal with the fact that it’s wildly incorrectly, but at least they can consider it one heck of a collector’s item.
After all, how many people can say that they have a shirt from an alternate universe?
Jon Heyman is reporting that Dan Haren is still holding out for a trade to the Angels or Padres.
This comes as no surprise as Haren previously went on the record saying that he’d only pitch in Los Angeles – be it for the Dodgers or Angels – or he’d retire. It seems he’s softened his stance a bit and would continue pitching if he could simply return to southern California.
The Marlins traded for Haren as part of the Dee Gordon/Andrew Heaney deal and were fully aware of his stance at the time. It’s uncertain if the club was hoping to change his mind or if they were simply willing to deal with the headache to acquire Gordon.
Since the trade went down, Haren has reportedly been “evaluating his options” and has yet to make a decision. Heyman’s report would indicate that Haren’s preference is to pitch in 2015, if he can do so on the west coast.
A move back west makes sense if the Marlins weren’t legitimately counting on Haren as part of the rotation. The trades of Heaney and Nathan Eovaldi, however, would seem to indicate that the club is expecting Haren to fill a rotation spot.
If he stays in Miami, he’d slot in alongside recently acquired Mat Latos, recovering Jose Fernandez, Henderson Alvarez, and Jarred Cosart. Should the Marlins decide to move on from Haren, they have newcomers David Phelps and Aaron Crow as potential rotation options along with incumbent starter Tom Koehler.
If Miami feels comfortable moving on from Haren, both the Angels and Padres could make some sense as trade partners.
A return to the Angels could be feasible if the club has any uncertainty about Garrett Richards projected time table to return in May and if Haren is willing to be flexible with his role in Los Angeles.
If Haren were to rejoin the Angels, he’d likely find himself relegated to the bullpen when Richards is healthy as the rotation currently features better options in Jered Weaver, CJ Wilson, Matt Shoemaker, and Hector Santiago; with both Heaney and Richards expected to contribute in 2015.
The club was rumored to be interested in moving Wilson earlier this offseason, but that talk seems to have died down since the Winter Meetings and it’s hard to imagine Haren cracking the club’s top five (or six) if/when everyone is healthy.
The wheeling-dealing Padres are another interesting alternative that may be a better fit, both for the club and for Haren to stay in the rotation. Despite a flurry of moves in recent weeks, the Padres kept their rotation largely intact, but could use an extra arm at the backend to make up for the loss of Jess Hahn.
As currently comprised, the Padres have Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, and Ian Kennedy making up the front three with some combination of Odrisamer Despaigne, Robbie Erlin, and recent signee Brandon Morrow expected to fill out the rest of the rotation.
Haren could be an upgrade over Erlin and potentially Morrow if he can’t regain his once dominant, if not erratic, stuff from his early days in Toronto. It also stands to reason that Haren would benefit greatly from plying his trade in Petco Park for a full season.
It’s hard to gauge what the Marlins would want back in the deal, but on the surface it seems that, if there’s a match to be made, San Diego is the most logical destination.
We here at Cheap Seat Chronicles got a little bit bogged down after the Winter Meetings and fell way behind with our coverage of this offseason’s transactions.
In an attempt to remedy that, we’ve gone the hotlink route and put together a cumulative list of all signings and trade we missed over the past two weeks with a quick CSC Hot Take for each move.
The upshot is that you still get the info you need and you get it from much, much better writers than we employ here at CSC.
That, my friends, is a win-win!
Enjoy…
December 12, 2014 – Ervin Santana to Twins
CSC Hot Take: We covered the Twins interest in Santana during the Winter Meetings and the club eventually made it officially with a four-year, $55 million deal with a conditional $14M option for a fifth year. Santana is no one’s idea of an ace, but he’s also not getting paid like one. If he can maintain something close to the level of performance he’s displayed since leaving Los Angeles, he’ll be a huge addition to the Twins rotation.
December 14, 2014 – Melky Cabrera to White Sox
CSC Hot Take: Chicago is apparently the place to be this offseason. Cabrera adds a solid bat to the White Sox lineup and won’t break the bank at three-years, $42M. He also makes Dayan Viciedo expendable, which is a plus for the Sox. He was reportedly looking for a guaranteed fourth year, which was believed to be a sticking point with Seattle, but settled for three years to join the vastly improved White Sox. At just 30 years old and coming off a .301/.351/.458 campaign it’s surprising he couldn’t land more guaranteed years or dollars, but I think both sides win in this deal. Cabrera’s bat figures to look even better in Chicago’s bandbox and the White Sox are getting a good deal without a long-term commitment.
December 15, 2014 – Jason Motte to Cubs
CSC Hot Take: Motte moves from St. Louis to Chicago and figures to play a big role in the club’s bullpen. The Cubs rotated through a handful of closers last year before Hector Rondon took the job, but a healthy Motte could easily claim that spot if he can prove he’s returned to his 2010-2012 pre-Tommy John form and regained his velocity.
December 15, 2014 – Chase Headley to Yankees
CSC Hot Take: It’s pretty clear all that talk about the Yankees not wanting to go beyond three-years was a smokescreen. The same can be said for the infamous four-year, $65 million deal that Headley supposedly had in hand. Ultimately, the Yankees keep a solid glove and good bat in the lineup for the next four years and Headley get some security, a solid payday, and the opportunity to ply his trade at Yankee Stadium. It’s a good deal for both sides and should make for some headline-worthy A-Rod drama come Spring Training.
December 15, 2014 – Brett Anderson to Dodgers
CSC Hot Take: This move hurts me and many members of Twins Territory as the oft-injured left-hander was high on our wish list. Anderson – as we covered earlier this month – has all of the potential to get back on track in a big way. The Dodgers saw that value and are paying an upfront premium for it, but that ballpark and the improved defense figure to do wonders for Anderson…if he can stay healthy.
December 15, 2014 – Jed Lowrie to Astros
CSC Hot Take: Lowrie reunites with the Astros at a reasonable cost and the club gains some flexibility thanks to Lowrie’s ability to play dang near anywhere on the infield. He shouldn’t block any top prospects, but he’ll serve as a solid place holder until someone is ready to move him off their position. If he can return to his 2013 form at the plate, the Astros received a solid bargain given the dearth of quality free agent infielders in free agency this offseason.
December 16, 2014 – Brandon Morrow to Padres
CSC Hot Take: Solid move for both sides. Morrow gets a move to the NL West and a giant ballpark to rebuild his value. The Padres land a potential front of the line starter for just $2.5M guaranteed in a season where they’re clearly going all-in to be a contender. Win-win.
December 16, 2014 – Michael Morse to Marlins
CSC Hot Take: Assuming he takes over at first base and doesn’t play an inning in the outfield, this looks solid. Morse is a cheap power source in a game that’s put a big price tag on power in recent years. He had an MVP-lite season with Washington in 2011 and could prove to be a huge bargain for a club that has improved by leaps and bounds in the past three weeks.
December 16, 2014 – Matt Joyce to Angels
CSC Hot Take: The Angels add another outfielder and one who has been roughly just as valuable as Josh Hamilton since his move to Los Angeles. He’s also proven to be far more durable. Jepsen was coming off a career year, so the trade looks like a solid insurance acquisition for the Angels.
December 16, 2014 – Kendrys Morales to Royals
CSC Hot Take: Given what Morales showed he had left in the tank in 2014 (read: nothing, zip, nada, zero, zilch, etc.) this seems like an overpay, but it’s worth noting that he didn’t play a game until June last year, so if he returns to his 2012-2013, post-ankle injury form when he posted a good not great .275/.329/.457, 121 OPS+, and 4.9 WAR, this could workout. If and only if he proves last year was an aberration.
December 16, 2014 – Alex Rios to Royals
CSC Hot Take: Honestly, I like this move. I think it’s an overpay in terms of guaranteed money and I think they’d have been better off getting Nori Aoki back in right field, but Rios did hit .291/.329/.473 with 43 HR, 70 2B, 65 SB, and a 115 OPS+ from 2012-2013. He was hampered by injuries – like everyone else on the Rangers roster – last season and could easily see a return to form in 2015. If he has any sort of bounce back year he’s a solid value and could be flipped to a contender for additional pieces if the rebuilt Royals fall out of contention.
December 17, 2014 – Wil Myers to Padres
CSC Hot Take: There were A LOT of bodies on the move to make this one happen, but Myers is the centerpiece. We’re only a few years removed from Myers being viewed as a can’t miss prospect when he got moved in the much-maligned James Shields/Wade Davis deal. Following that trade he won Rookie of the Year with Tampa Bay in 2013, but one injury-riddled down season was apparently enough for the Rays to get comfortable moving on from Myers. His power may suffer a bit in San Diego, but he still has way too much upside for this not to be a steal for San Diego, given that they held onto the bulk of their elite prospects.
December 17, 2014 – Edinson Volquez to Royals
CSC Hot Take: I’m not a fan of Edinson Volquez. I’m not a fan of someone giving him $20 million over two years. The Royals, however, have managed to drag productive seasons out of much worse, so it could work out. Ultimately, if I’m the Royals, I’d have looked elsewhere. If I’m Edinson Volquez, I’m pumped that I put together a good enough season to avoid scrounging for minor league deals. Here’s to hoping he can moderately replicate his 2014 performance with Kansas City.
December 17, 2014 – Sergio Romo to Giants
CSC Hot Take: Another move that seemed set in stone before the offseason. Romo is a “San Francisco Guy” and it’s hard to imagine him pitching anywhere else. Detroit might have paid a little more to add him to their bullpen mix, but comfort plays a big part in contract negotiations and Romo never seemed primed to leave the Giants.
December 17, 2014 – Justin Ruggiano to Mariners
CSC Hot Take: This isn’t quite the same as landing Justin Upton, Matt Kemp, or Yoenis Cespedes. Hell, it’s not even the same as, you know, not trading Michael Saunders…but it’s what the Mariners could pull off. Ruggiano has a solid power/speed combo, but he’s never stayed healthy or gotten on-base enough to warrant keeping him in the lineup on a regular basis. He should have a decent leash in Seattle, but I’d expect the club to continue looking for an upgrade.
December 18, 2014 – Kris Medlen to Royals
CSC Hot Take: As a Twins fan, this is the one that got away. Medlen has been one of the best pitchers in the game when healthy, but he’s now had two TJ surgeries and is no sure thing to bounce back. The deal is for two years with a mutual option for 2017. It only includes $8.5M guaranteed with $10M available in incentives. This is a great long-term play by the Royals who are landing a very talented 29-year-old. I’m really rooting for him to return to form.
December 19, 2014 – Jake Peavy to Giants
CSC Hot Take: This one felt like a lock before the offseason ever started and was pretty much set in stone when the Giants missed out on Jon Lester. Peavy is a solid mid-rotation, five-inning starter at this point in his career, but he put up solid numbers in his half-season in San Francisco last year. There’s little reason to think he can’t put up two more good years at a reasonable price of $24M
December 19, 2014 – Martin Prado to Marlins / Nathan Eovaldi to Yankees
CSC Hot Take: The Yankees acquisition of Headley made Prado expendable now that he can’t really handle second base with any regularity. He’ll serve as the Marlins everyday third baseman going forward. He’s owed $11M each of the next season seasons and is coming off a very “Prado-esque” year where he posted a .733 OPS with low-double digits power and defense spread around the diamond. Eovaldi is the other big part of this trade. A former big time prospect for the Marlins, he’s got a good not great 4.07 career ERA, but hasn’t posted impressive strikeout totals. He’s still only 24 and will be under team control through 2017. His upside makes this a solid deal for both sides.
December 19, 2014 – Justin Upton to Padres
CSC Hot Take: The Padres landed yet another stud outfielder and gave up a former top-prospect in Max Fried who is coming off Tommy John surgery. If San Diego can extend Upton before he hits free agency, this is a great move. If not, here’s hoping they make the playoffs in 2015 or manage to move Upton at the deadline for additional prospects. If the club underachieves, adding a third right fielder with power will look like a very redundant move for a team that had plenty of other holes and way too many outfielders on the books when the trade went down.
December 19, 2014 – Corey Hart to Pirates
CSC Hot Take: Hart is 33 and coming off a rough year in a Seattle which followed a lost season due to knee injury. He hasn’t played regularly since 2012, but he did post a tidy .857 OPS with 31, 26, and 30 homers from 2010-2012. He’ll likely assume a part-time platoon role spending time at first base and – if necessary – in the outfield. At $2.5M guaranteed, it’s a solid buy-low move for the Pirates.
December 19, 2014 – Casey McGehee to the Giants
CSC Hot Take: The Giants were in dire need of a third baseman after losing out on Pablo Sandoval and Chase Headley in free agency. McGehee has plenty of faults, but he’s coming off a bounce back year where he hit .287/.355/.357 for the Marlins. He had no power to speak of and figures to be more of a warm body than a long-term solution. As for the Marlins, McGehee was expendable after acquiring Martin Prado and Dee Gordon earlier this offseason.
December 19, 2014 – Derek Norris to Padres
CSC Hot Take: The Padres picked up a stopgap at catcher to make up for the loss of Yasmani Grandal. The Athletics picked up a promising young pitcher for the back of their rotation. Norris overachieved in 2014 and faded down the stretch, but as a place-holder for top prospect Austin Hedges, he should hold his own. If Jesse Hahn turns into a stud in Oakland, this one will hurt down the road, but given the Padres push to win now, this move makes a lot of sense.
December 19, 2014 – David Ross to Cubs
CSC Hot Take: It was rumored that Ross was headed to San Diego. Granted, at that point it looked like everyone was headed to San Diego. He changed course and ended up reunited with Jon Lester in Chicago where he’ll serve as a backup to Miguel Montero and officially usher Welington Castillo out the door.
December 21, 2014 – Wil Ledezma to Twins
CSC Hot Take: Not so much a “hot take” as a “oh, that guy’s still alive, that’s cool…good for him.” Ledezma was reportedly very impressive in the Venezuelan Winter League and the Mexican League this year. It’s a minor league deal with limited implications, but if he can prove remotely reliable against big league hitters, he’d make a nifty addition to the Twins bullpen, for now he’s best viewed as organization depth.
December 22, 2014 – Josh Johnson to Padres
CSC Hot Take: Johnson signed with the Padres last offseason on a one-year deal hoping to have a big bounce back. That didn’t exactly pan out. Instead, Johnson got hurt in April and underwent his second Tommy John surgery and missed all of 2014. The year prior Johnson posted an abysmal 6.20 ERA over 16 starts with Toronto. Needless to say, he hadn’t exactly impressed and the club declined his $4M option for 2015. That having been said, the Padres must still be intrigued by his potential as they brought him back today with $1 million guaranteed over another one-year deal. The deal is, predictably, loaded with incentives. Johnson was fantastic for years with the Marlins before arm issues derailed his career. At 30-years-old, he still has plenty of upside if he can get (and stay) healthy.
Phil Hughes received his Christmas gift a few days early this year.
The Twins and Hughes agreed on a three-year, $42 million extension this morning that locks Hughes up through the 2019 season.
The extension turns his current deal into a five-year, $58 million contract – the largest for a pitcher in team history – and includes a limited no-trade clause and roughly $1 million in incentives.
Hughes, 28, was excellent in 2014, posting a career year in Minnesota where he won 16 games with a 3.52 ERA, 1.130 WHIP, and 182/16 K/BB ratio in 209.2 innings. Advanced metrics indicate those numbers could have been even better as his FIP was an ace-like 2.65. He posted a 112 ERA+ and was worth 4.3 WAR on the season.
Last offseason, Hughes was coming off a train wreck season with the New York Yankees when he signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Twins. He clearly bounced back in a big way after moving away from Yankee Stadium and the potent bats of the American League East, but one has to wonder if this extension was a bit premature.
In his four full seasons as a starter prior to 2014, Hughes posted an abysmal 4.64 ERA, 1.336 WHIP, 4.46 FIP, 91 ERA+, with a 479/173 K/BB ratio in 588 innings. All-in-all he was worth just 3.1 WAR over those four seasons combined. As a point of reference, those numbers are unnervingly similar to the stats posted by the likes of Kevin Correia and Mike Pelfrey in their four years prior to joining the Twins.
There are, however, some caveats to those numbers. Hughes was obviously pitching in a tougher hitting division – although the American League Central is quickly loading up with firepower this offseason – and in a stadium that was tailor-made to induce the long-ball.
The upshot is that even if Hughes does take a step backwards over the duration of the contract – while $42 million certainly isn’t chump change – he won’t be making “ace” money at any point in the new deal and the Twins overall spending shouldn’t be severely hampered with this contract on the books.
The extension bumps his salary for 2015 and 2016 from $8 million to $9.2 million and pays him $13.2/year from 2017-2019. It’s not big money, especially in light of the deals the club has signed with Ricky Nolasco and Ervin Santana, but it seems like a hearty investment for a player lacking a track record for sustained success.
The Twins have signed players coming off career years in the past – Joe Mauer and the aforementioned Nolasco immediately come to mind – with the expectation that the outlier was the new norm, only to be disappointed when the player underachieved.
Additionally, the ever-fickle Minnesota fan base has proven to be less-than-forgiving with players who fail to replicate the numbers that earned them a big pay day and it will be interesting to see how Twins fans react if/when Hughes regresses over the life of the contract.
Ultimately, it was a now or not at all situation for the Twins. Hughes had a great year in Minnesota and if he was able to duplicate that again in 2015, he’d be very likely to bolt via free agency after 2016 and sign for more money elsewhere.
He’s still relatively cheap, based on the current going rate for starters, and if he’s able to keep his ERA under 4.00 and stay healthy, he’ll provide a solid return on investment.
If he returns to the player he was in New York, expect to hear a lot about this extension from disgruntled Twins fans for the next half-decade.
I’m optimistic for the former, but mentally preparing for the latter.
Justin Masterson is returning home to the Boston Red Sox.
Masterson agreed today to a one-year, $9.5 million deal with the team that originally drafted him in the second round of the 2006 amateur draft.
This time last year, the lanky right-hander looked primed to earn a multi-year, big money payday in free agency.
At the time Masterson was coming off a brilliant 2013 season with Cleveland that saw him win 14 games with a 3.45 ERA, 1.202 WHIP, three shutouts, and 195 strikeouts in 193.0 innings.
Masterson’s performance earned him a spot on the American League All-Star team.
Unfortunately for Masterson, the 2014 season wouldn’t be nearly as kind.
His velocity was down coming out of spring training and he suffered a knee injury that plagued him all season and would eventually send him to the disabled list with Cleveland.
Masterson was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in a deadline deal, but was even worse in St. Louis and was relegated to a bullpen role by season’s end.
On the whole, Masterson finished 7-9 with a 5.88 ERA and 1.565 WHIP between both clubs.
Masterson, 28, entered the market looking for a one-year deal to rebuild his value before trying to land a long-term deal next offseason. Given his past production and high-upside he had a number of teams interested in his services.
Ultimately, he chose to return to where it all started and re-join the Red Sox.
The newly acquired trio of Masterson, Rick Porcello, and Wade Miley will round out Boston’s rebuilt rotation alongside incumbents Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly.
Fun Fact: The Red Sox newly acquired trio of groundball pitchers will collectively cost around $26 million in 2015, which is just shy of the average annual value of Jon Lester’s six-year, $155 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.
The Cincinnati Reds have traded starting pitcher Mat Latos to the Miami Marlins.
Latos, 27, went 5-5 with a 3.25 ERA, 1.153 WHIP, 74/26 K/BB ratio over 102.1 innings in an injury-riddled season that limited him to 16 starts.
Over six big league seasons, Latos has accumulated a very solid 3.34 ERA, 1.168 WHIP, and a 3.04 K/BB ratio. If he is healthy, there’s no reason Latos shouldn’t return to form as a front-of-the-rotation starter.
He is projected to earn $8.4 million in his third and final year of arbitration eligibility before hitting the market as a free agent after the 2015 season.
In return for Latos, the Reds received right-handed starter Anthony DeSclafani and catcher Chad Wallach from the Marlins.
DeSclafani, 24, is the prime piece coming back to the Queen City. The right-hander entered the season as the Marlins #5 prospect according to Baseball America and made his major league debut in May.
The rookie struggled in 13 appearances – including five starts – going 2-2 with a 6.27 ERA and a 1.364 WHIP. Those numbers are accompanied by a very promising 26/5 K/BB ratio over 33 total innings and a FIP of 3.77, indicating bad luck may have inflated his ERA.
DeSclafani has a solid minor league track record having gone 26-19 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.239 WHIP, and 304/79 K/BB ratio over three seasons. He projects to be a solid mid-rotation starter for the Reds going forward.
Wallach, 24, is the son of former big leaguer and current Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach Tim Wallach. In two minor league seasons, he’s put up a nifty .293/.392/.399 batting line with 7 HR, 70 RBI, 19 2B, and a great 73/73 K/BB ratio in 481 at bats.
It’s hard to tell on the surface if this move – coupled with the acquisition of Dee Gordon and Dan Haren and speculation about Justin Morneau – is a sign the Marlins are getting serious about a playoff push in 2015.
Or if this move—coupled with today’s trade of Alfredo Simon—is more indicative of the Reds beginning a fire sale on all soon-to-be free agents to acquire future value in return.
Latos is likely to earn big bucks on the open market, so it makes sense for Cincinnati to move him now if they had no intention of signing him to a $100+ extension.
The Marlins now have a year to convince Latos to sign with them long-term, before he hits the market.
Given the contracts we’ve seen doled out this year, it’s hard to imagine Latos passing up a shot at that kind of payday next offseason.
It’s been rumored for a couple of days and now it’s a done deal.
Rick Porcello is coming to Boston and Yoenis Cespedes is headed to Detroit. Cespedes will be joined by Alex Wilson and Gabe Speier.
The trade makes sense for both clubs. Detroit came into the offseason looking to add some punch to its lineup and replace Torii Hunter in the outfield. Boston was looking to build a playoff caliber rotation.
Cespedes, 29, and Porcello, 25, are both due to hit free agency following the 2015 season, so this swap appears to be an all-in move for both sides.
Cespedes is owed $10.5 million next year and, due to a provision in his original contract, the Tigers will not be able to extend a qualifying offer at season’s end. Porcello is projected to earn $12.2 million in his final round of arbitration.
Cespedes brings good defense, speed, and a cannon arm to a big outfield that was in need of reinforcements. He also brings a lot of power, having posted three consecutive 20+ homer seasons.
The Cuban-born slugger does, however, struggle to get on base consistently. His OBP has dropped steadily from .356 during his rookie year to .301 last season split between Oakland and Boston.
Porcello is coming off a career year in 2014. The righty-hander won 15 games with a 3.43 ERA, 1.231 WHIP, and 129 K in 204.2 innings.
Porcello fits the same mold as recently-acquired Wade Miley in that he’s an extreme groundball pitcher that figures to cool the big bats of the American League East and keep Boston infielders busy all summer long.
The Tigers made another move today to address their rotation by trading for Alfredo Simon from Cincinnati. He figures to slot into Porcello’s vacated spot in the rotation.
As it stands right now the Tigers have a starting rotation of David Price, Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez, Simon and Shane Greene.
The Red Sox are still looking for further rotation reinforcements and have an offer out to right-hander Justin Masterson.
Detroit may still be on the lookout for some bullpen help and Boston still needs to shed an outfielder or two, so expect more movement from both clubs.
Andrew Heaney had himself one heck of a Wednesday.
Heaney was the Miami Marlins top prospect when he woke up on Wednesday morning.
When he sat down for dinner that same day, he’d been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a seven-player deal.
Before he went to bed that night, the Dodgers had already traded him to the Angels for second baseman Howie Kendrick.
That’s a pretty intense day for a big-time pitching prospect who figured to be a sizable piece of the Marlins long-term plans prior to Wednesday.
Heaney appears to have taken it all in stride and even managed to find some humor in the situation:
I guess he doesn’t have to clean out a locker or anything, which is nice.
The upshot is that he has a great chance of making the Angels opening day rotation and figures to be a presence in the club’s rotation for years to come.
…but he should probably still rent for a bit before he buys.
You know, just in case.
The Matt Kemp era in Los Angeles is over.
After weeks of speculation, the Dodgers have agreed to send Kemp to the San Diego Padres, along with catcher Tim Federowicz, in exchange for catcher Yasmani Grandal and
right-handers Joe Wieland and Zach Eflin.
The Padres will also receive $30 million to off-set some of the $107 million remaining over the next five years on the original eight-year, $160 million deal he signed with Los Angeles following his MVP runner-up season in 2011.
Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com reported earlier this week that the talks were “hot and cold,” as the two sides haggled over who would accompany Grandal to Los Angeles in the trade, but ultimately the two sides found common ground to hammer out a deal.
The Padres have been linked to Kemp for weeks leading up to the Winter Meetings.
It seemed that they would have plenty of competition early on as the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers reportedly showed interest as well, but nothing ever seemed to materialize beyond speculation and all three were out of the running by Tuesday afternoon.
The San Diego rumors, however, refused to go away and now it is official.
The Dodgers came into the offseason looking to thin their glut of high-priced outfielders in hopes of upgrading either the middle infield or behind the plate. The club got the ball rolling on the former by acquiring shortstop Jimmy Rollins and second baseman Howie Kendrick yesterday. In acquiring the 26-year-old Grandal, they’ve now completed the latter as well.
Grandal, will likely enter a platoon with incumbent A.J. Ellis, who is a favorite of the club’s dual aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Grienke, but has been a disappointment offensively, posting a .218/.320/.318 line over the past two seasons after producing at a .271/.374/.393 clip in his first three full years with the club.
The rapid regression of Ellis led to speculation that the Dodgers would look to upgrade this offseason and that speculation was promptly confirmed when the club reportedly had a trade in place to acquire Miguel Montero from the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this offseason, but the deal fell through.
As such, it was no surprise that the Kemp trade talk always seemed to come back to Grandal as the centerpiece of San Diego’s package.
Grandal was a top prospect prior to the 2012 season and has hit .245/.350/.412 over three seasons although his playing time has been limited due to a PED suspension and two major knee injuries.
The presence of 2011 second-round draft pick Austin Hedges made Grandal expendable to the Padres as they continued to focus on adding a big bat to boost one of baseball’s least imposing offenses.
The addition of Eflin, 20, makes for a very solid return for Los Angeles, which shouldn’t be a surprise given Andrew Friedman’s ninja-like tactics over the past 24 hours.
Eflin was the Padres supplemental first-round draft pick in 2012, is highly-regarded for his change-up, and posted a solid 3.41 ERA, 1.269 WHIP, and 183/65 K/BB ratio in 253.2 innings over three minor league seasons.
Ultimately, as good as the return is for the Dodgers, this deal is all about Kemp and the Padres efforts to add some punch to an anemic lineup.
San Diego offered big-money deals to Pablo Sandoval and Yasmany Tomas earlier this offseason, but missed on both free agents.
The club then turned to the trade market where they have been linked to everyone from Justin Upton to Jay Bruce to a potential reunion with Chase Headley.
Over the weekend, the club was said to be involved in discussions with the Red Sox about a potential Yoenis Cespedes/Ian Kennedy swap.
The addition of Kemp is certainly a step in the right direction, but should not be the club’s only move if they’re serious about improving the worst offense in all of baseball.
Kemp was maligned for missing a lot of time with injuries and performing below expectations after signing his contract with the Dodgers, but still produced a very solid .842 OPS with 54 HR, 191 RBI, 75 2B, and 26 SB from 2012-2014.
He had a solid bounce-back year in 2014 hitting .287/.346/.506 with 25 HR, 89 RBI, 38 2B, and 8 SB while playing in 150 games across all three outfield positions. If he can stay healthy, he should produce well in the heart of San Diego’s lineup.
For his career, Kemp has hit .322/.372/.495 with 7 HR, 14 2B, and 8 SB in 214 at-bats at Petco Park. Granted, he won’t get to hit off of San Diego’s pitching anymore.
Overall, this seems like a solid win-win trade for both sides.
The Dodgers have upgraded behind the plate, cleared some big money from their payroll to go after another big-name starting pitcher, and thinned the herd in an overcrowded outfield.
The Padres added an impact bat without giving up any major pieces of the future and should have the flexibility to add more offense via trade or free agency.
Given the excitement of the past 12 hours or so, I’m anxious to see what Andrew Friedman has up his sleeves on the last day of the Winter Meetings.
Andrew Friedman is not messing around.
The Dodgers president of baseball operations was firing on all cylinders Wednesday afternoon.
It started when he traded for shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Then he somehow managed to turn Dee Gordon’s career year into Andrew Heaney. Mere hours later, Heaney was flipped to the cross-town Angels for second baseman Howie Kendrick. Finally, to cap off his evening, Friedman has reportedly signed free agent starter Brandon McCarthy.
The contract is reportedly a four-year, $48 million deal.
Six months ago, it looked like McCarthy would be lucky to get a minor league contract.
McCarthy, 31, was in the midst of a year and a half stretch in Arizona that saw him get lit up to the tune of a 4.75 ERA, 1.361 WHIP, and eight wins in 244.2 innings. Admittedly, it did come with a 4.12 K/BB ratio and a FIP of 3.78 that indicates he was pitching better than his inflated ERA.
In July, McCarthy was traded to the New York Yankees and he turned things around in a big way after he began using his cutter, a pitch he’d been discouraged from throwing with the Diamondbacks.
Once he donned the pinstripes, McCarthy proceeded to win seven games with a 2.89 ERA, 1.151 WHIP, 82/13 K/BB in 90.1 great innings over 14 starts, posting a 134 ERA+, the highest mark of his career.
That late season renaissance was seemingly enough to convince Friedman that McCarthy is the right guy to round out what appears to be a rotation with championship aspirations.
McCarthy figures to slot in the back of the Dodgers rotation with Hyun-Jin Ryu behind dual aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke.
At least he doesn’t have to clean out a locker or anything.
The Dodgers are trading Andrew Heaney, who was acquired in a trade earlier this evening, across town to the Angels for second baseman Howie Kendrick.
Kendrick, 31, is an immediate upgrade over Dee Gordon, who was shipped off to Miami in the aforementioned trade. He’s a career .292/.332/.424 hitter and he’s one of the best defensive second basemen in the game today.
Kendrick – like recently-acquired shortstop Jimmy Rollins – is a free agent after 2015 and the Dodgers are only on the hook for his $9.5 million salary next season.
His presence should solidify the infield, add a reliable bat to the lineup, and allow for Cuban imports Alex Guerrero and Erisbel Arruebarrena to get another year of seasoning in the minors before taking over the middle infield in 2016.
The Angels added some much needed rotation depth. The Heaney addition not only gives the club a big time prospect for years to come, but he can play an important role right out of the gate in 2015 with Garrett Richards not expected back until May.
The club could turn to prospect Grant Green at second base or they could look outside the organization to fill the position.
The real story here, however, is the Dodgers and the fact that they are going for it all in 2015. Zack Greinke’s impending opt-out clause may be playing a role, but at this point, it seems that anything short of a championship isn’t good enough for Andrew Friedman and company.
Heck, all I can think right now is that by moving Heaney, the Dodgers have opened up a rotation spot to make a play for Max Scherzer or James Shields.
I’m going to go grab some popcorn and get ready for the Friedman’s next move.
It looks like Brandon McCarthy is poised to sign a four-year deal with the Dodgers.
He would be part of a very imposing rotation alongside Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Andrew Heaney.
More on this one when it’s official.
It’s not quite the same as signing Jon Lester, but it will have to do for now.
The Boston Red Sox have agreed on the framework of a deal to send pitchers Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster along with a yet-to-be-determined prospect to the Arizona Diamondbacks for lefty starter Wade Miley.
Miley, 28, is a ground ball machine – he has a career 48.6% ground ball rate – a trait that figures to serve him well moving to the American League East.
In four big league seasons, Miley has a 3.79 ERA, 1.323 WHIP, 499/196 K/BB in 638.2 career innings. The last three seasons he’s pitched 201.1, 202.2, and 194.2 innings. The Red Sox were looking to add a durable innings-eater and they appear to have found one in Miley.
Miley is entering arbitration for the first time this offseason and he’s projected to earn $4.3 million. He is under team control through 2017.
Miley figures to be one of many moves the Red Sox make between now and spring training to bolster their rotation.
De La Rosa and Webster have now been packaged together twice. The pair originally came to Boston in the Adrian Gonzalez/Carl Crawford/Josh Beckett/Nick Punto trade in 2012.
Both have shown the ability to shutdown hitters in the minors and occasional glimpses of that talent at the big league level, but neither was able to put it together enough to earn a long-term job with the Red Sox. Hopefully, they’ll both have better luck in the desert.
Once Boston and Arizona agree on the third player going to the Diamondbacks in the deal, we’ll update this post.
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