Cubs are going to tender Bryant I just read.
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Terrible year, but all for KB getting tendered.Comment -
The Royals announced Monday that they’ve signed outfielder Michael A. Taylor to a one-year, Major League contract. A client of the newly formed ALIGND Sports, Taylor will receive a $1.75MM base salary and another $1MM worth of available incentives, reports Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). In a corresponding move, the Royals have designated left-hander Foster Griffin for assignment.
Taylor, 29, was outrighted off the Nationals’ 40-man roster at season’s end and elected free agency. He would’ve been arbitration-eligible for the final time this winter, and the Nats opted to cut him loose early rather than pay him a raise on last year’s $3.325MM salary following a rough 2020 season.
Once ranked as one of the game’s premier outfield prospects, Taylor has struggled to find his footing as a consistent contributor in the big leagues. He looked to have broken out with a very solid age-26 campaign back in 2017, when he slashed .271/.320/.486 with 19 homers, 23 doubles, three triples, 17 steals and brilliant center-field defense. Taylor played in 118 games that season and was still worth about three wins above replacement per both Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs.
Unfortunately, Taylor wasn’t able to replicate his success in 2018 or at any point thereafter. He’s logged 581 plate appearances in the three years since that time — often being shuttled between Triple-A and the Majors — while posting a tepid .225/.284/.370 output at the plate. His blend of power and speed is plain to see, but Taylor’s overall offense is limited by a sky-high 31.7 percent strikeout rate to this point in his career.
Taylor has continued to post strong defensive marks, with a superlative 26 Defensive Runs Saved and a 12.1 UZR/150 in 1984 innings as a center fielder from 2017-20. Even if his bat doesn’t recover, he should give the Royals a high-quality defender capable of playing all three outfield positions. Per Statcast, Taylor ranked in the 91st percentile of all big leaguers in terms of outfield jumps, and his 82nd percentile sprint speed speaks to the value he can add on the bases.
Taylor joins a Royals roster that was already deep in outfield-capable players, though several of them are surely to be used in the infield at times (or even regularly) in 2021. Whit Merrifield and Hunter Dozier, for instance, can each be used on the right side of the diamond or in the outfield. Dozier could be the club’s long-term first baseman, though that’s probably somewhat dependent on any decisions the club makes with Ryan O’Hearn and/or Ryan McBroom this winter. Merrifield, meanwhile, can play all across the outfield and is a strong defender at second base as well.
Beyond that versatile pairing, the Royals have Franchy Cordero, Edward Olivares, Bubba Starling, Nick Heath and top prospect Khalil Lee all on the 40-man roster. Taylor could function as a simple platoon partner for the left-handed-hitting Cordero, or if he’s able to again approach his 2017 level of play, he could earn a bigger role in an outfield mix that is still largely undefined.
Griffin, 25, was the No. 28 overall pick by the Royals back in 2014. He made his MLB debut this past season and tossed 1 2/3 shutout innings, but Griffin underwent Tommy John surgery in August and will miss the 2021 season as a result.
Beyond that, Griffin has never developed into the pitching prospect the club had hoped at the time of that lofty selection. He posted solid ERAs through the lower minors even while walking more than 3.5 hitters per nine frames, but Griffin’s results bottomed out as he further climbed the organizational ladder. He pitched to an ERA north of 5.00 in 152 2/3 frames of Double-A ball in 2018 and saw that mark increase during his 2019 stint in Triple-A Omaha.
The Royals will have a week to trade Griffin, release him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. Because he’s a former first-round lefty with multiple minor league options remaining, another club could place a speculative claim, but it’d be tough to carry him on the roster for the remainder of the offseason knowing he won’t be able to contribute at all next season while he rehabs.Comment -
While signing Taylor is low risk/high reward I have mixed feelings on this.
1.75 million dollar base salary is mind boggling, I'm aware it's the going rate but still.
Remember when Nolan Ryan became the first million dollar man, it was front page news and not just the sports pages.
And that wasn't that long ago.
Nowadays any kid with a bat and ball start out with a million dollars it seems.
I love what Taylor brings on defense, he's a slick CF, and KC has been needing a CF since Lo-Cain left.
Plus Alex Gordon is now retired and he was one of the best defensive outfielders of this generation.
The big problem I have with Taylor is the ridiculous strike out rate.
We don't need another high strikeout guy in the lineup, we have enough of those.
Another thing Taylor has 20/20 potential, but the regression the past few years scares me.
Maybe a change of scenery will do him good.Comment -
Can't believe Tommy Pham is suing the strip club where he got stabbedComment -
Tommy Pham a solid player, just needed some action.Comment -
The Twins and free-agent designated hitter Nelson Cruz are in “a staring contest where neither side is blinking,” Dan Hayes of The Athletic writes. As a 40-year-old coming off yet another great season, Cruz is looking to secure the best possible payday, though he’s in a difficult position because there is still no word on whether the National League will have a DH in 2021. As such, it’s no surprise that Cruz is taking his time on the open market, even though he did say in the past that he would like to remain a Twin. Cruz put up a phenomenal .308/.394/.626 line with 57 home runs in 735 plate appearances in Minnesota from 2019-20.
- Free-agent outfielder Josh Reddick seemingly said goodbye to the Astros on Instagram on Tuesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle relays. “Thank you to the Astros, my teammates, coaches, staff and of course the FANS,” Reddick posted. “Houson will always be special to me. From winning a World Series, to getting engaged and starting a family here and everything in between, I loved playing here and look forward to doing it again.” The Astros could still re-sign Reddick, but that has “never seemed likely,” Rome writes. Reddick joined the Astros on a four-year, $52MM contract before 2017 and proceeded to record a respectable .275/.331/.425 slash with 48 home runs in 1,787 plate appearances as a member of the club.
- Rays righty Nick Bitsko underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a labrum issue, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Bitsko will miss time in 2021 as a result, though it’s unclear how long he’ll sit out, per Topkin. The 18-year-old was the 24th overall pick in last June’s draft.
- Indians right-handed reliever Cam Hill announced that he was involved in a car crash Monday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic relays. Hill suffered a wrist injury that required surgery, but the 26-year-old indicated that he and everyone else involved in the crash came out OK. He suggested that he’ll be ready for next season. Hill made his major league debut in 2020 and posted a 4.91 ERA/5.43 FIP with 7.85 K/9 and 2.45 BB/9 across 18 1/3 innings.
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Big day for tenders and non tenders coming up tomorrow.Comment -
The Giants have signed just one position player through a month of free agency, , Padres infielder Jason Vosler who spent the five previous years in the Chicago Cubs organization......Comment -
Twins outrighted Rosario.
Twins have outfield prospects waiting in the wings plus his OBA is ridiculously low and he does a lot of dopey baseball things.
Like getting thrown out on the bases etc.
And he's a mediocre on defense in the OF
He's expensive (for the Twins anyway) to some teams he's affordable.
Rosario will be just fine, he'll be signed, maybe even the Twins again at a cut rate discount.Comment -
Padres interested in both Snell and Bauer.Comment -
The Angels have a new shortstop, as they’ve acquired veteran Jose Iglesias from the Orioles in exchange for minor league right-handers Garrett Stallings and Jean Pinto, per announcements from both clubs. It’s the second straight winter with a notable trade between the two teams. The Halos acquired Dylan Bundy from the O’s last winter.
It’s something of a surprising move — one that rather definitively closes the door on a reunion between the Halos and free-agent shortstop Andrelton Simmons (though most expected Simmons to land elsewhere anyhow). Baltimore general manager Mike Elias has previously spoken of Iglesias’ importance to the roster, calling him a “perfect fit for what we need right now” (link via Nathan Ruiz of the Baltimore Sun). Elias said it was an easy decision to pick up the $3.5MM club option on Iglesias for the 2021 season, although the Orioles waited until the last minute to formally make said decision.
Iglesias, 31 next month, may not be the generational defender that Simmons is, but he’s long been regarded as one of the game’s premier defenders at the position. The knock against him has typically been his offense (or lack thereof), but he flipped the narrative in 2020 by slashing .373/.400/.556 with three homers and 17 doubles. Iglesias shouldn’t be expected to repeat that production, as he benefited greatly from a .407 average on balls in play while landing in just the 12th and 36th percentiles, respectively, in average exit velocity and hard-hit rate.
That said, Iglesias still has some value at the dish. The 2020 season was actually the third of his career in which he’s batted .300 or better, and he’s been one of the more difficult hitters in the game to strike out since making his MLB debut back in 2011. He lacks any real power and doesn’t draw many walks, which often leads to a rather “empty” batting average, but those bat-to-ball skills do allow him to get on base at a respectable clip (career .319).
Iglesias’ BABIP-fueled surge was well-timed, as he wasn’t able to play much at shortstop in 2020 owing to a nagging quadriceps injury that limited his mobility. Assuming he’s healthy in 2021, he’ll give the Angels a shortstop who’s posted 18 Defensive Runs Saved and a 35.4 Ultimate Zone Rating over his past 4672 innings at the shortstop position.
It’s a cost-effective means of addressing a glaring hole on the roster — one that should allow the Angels to maintain a strong infield defense. That the Halos filled such a clear need via a trade bodes poorly for this winter’s crop of free-agent shortstops, however. With Simmons hitting the market, names like Marcus Semien and Didi Gregorius were surely eyeing the Angels as a potential fit. Iglesias’ salary is light enough that the Angels could still add another shortstop and use Iglesias in a utility role, though it seems unlikely that they’d have traded away young talent to acquire a utility man with so many other options on the market. In all likelihood, Iglesias will be tabbed as the starter, leaving Gregorius, Simmons, Semien and other shortstops looking elsewhere for homes in free agency.
In Stallings and Pinto, the Orioles will add another pair of far-off pitching prospects who could add to the organization’s depth down the road. Stallings was the Angels’ fifth-round pick out of the University of Tennessee in 2019 and now slots in 26th among Orioles farmhands over at MLB.com.
Stallings has yet to pitch in a professional game because the Angels shut him down after signing him out of the draft, citing a heavy college workload. MLB.com’s report on him credits him for having a legitimate four-pitch mix, albeit without a plus offering. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen tabs Stallings as a “low-variance, fifth starter prospect.” The 19-year-old Pinto has just 12 pro innings under his belt and didn’t rank inside the Angels’ 30 best prospects, nor does he land on Baltimore’s top 30 list.Comment -
Why is that? A couple of idiots were fighting near his car, where was security? Instead, Pham asked them to move and got shanked. From everything I've read, pham did nothing wrong.
I'd rather have Snell, although would have to trade some quality for him.Comment -
Kirby was the first 3 million dollar man in 1989.
If Trout was the same age in 1989 would he have gotten 4 million?Comment -
New York Yankees offer Gary Sanchez contract ahead of deadline
The New York Yankees offered a contract to catcher Gary Sanchez on Wednesday, the deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players for the 2021 season.
The Yankees also agreed to a one-year, $1.05 million contract with right-hander Luis Cessa and a one-year deal with right-hander Ben Heller, who gets $625,000 in the majors and $225,000 in the minors.
The Yankees allowed right-hander Jonathan Holder to become a free agent, declining to offer a 2021 contract.Comment -
His best fit is still with the Yanks.
Higgy is their best catcher defensively speaking, and Sanchez has developed into a mediocre defensive catcher (upgraded from a down right awful defensive catcher)
Girardi (before he left) really helped Sanchez on that end, and like you said power hitting catchers are hard to come by.
There are whispers that the Yanks will come hard at Realmuto, but I think he stays in the NL (Phil or Mets) now that the Mets can spend some money.
If I were a Yankee fan (and I'm not really) I would want them to make a play for Arenado through a trade.
He's not free agent eligible this season but he's trade bait in Denver.
Take a look at the Yanks infield if DJ splits, it's loaded with question marks.Comment -
The Giants and Blue Jays are among the teams that are interested in free-agent outfielder Marcell Ozuna, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com (Twitter links: 1, 2). Ozuna spent a good portion of 2020 as a designated hitter for the Braves, so he seems an imperfect fit for the Giants. After all, there’s no word on whether the NL will retain the DH position next year. Ozuna would be a cleaner fit for the Blue Jays, though. The Jays don’t seem to need help in the corner outfield, where they have Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez, but Ozuna could be a DH solution for the club.
- The Mets interviewed Michael Hill for a front office job early last month, but they don’t appear likely to hire the former Miami executive. The team hasn’t spoken to Hill since president Sandy Alderson said Nov. 23 that it won’t hire a president of baseball ops, Andy Martino of SNY.tv reports. The Mets are still on the lookout for a general manager, however.
- The Red Sox have shown interest in free-agent outfielder Eddie Rosario, Morosi tweets. The Twins non-tendered Rosario on Wednesday as opposed to paying him in the $8.6MM to $12.9MM range in arbitration. The power-hitting Rosario would join Alex Verdugo to form Boston’s tandem of corner outfielders.
- Yankees right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino has come up in trade speculation, though the 35-year-old unsurprisingly said this week he’d like to remain with the club (via Ken Davidoff of the New York Post). “I want to stay on the team. I want to prove my worth. I want to pitch well,” he told Davidoff. “I want to finish what we tried to start these last few years and win that title and all that.” Ottavino had a great first season with the Yankees in 2019 after signing a three-year, $27MM contract, but the former Rockie’s run prevention numbers took steps backward during the previous campaign. He wound up with a horrid 5.89 ERA in 18 1/3 innings, though Ottavino logged a 3.52 FIP (not far from the 3.44 mark he posted the prior year) and 12.27 K/9 against 4.42 BB/9.
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