Recent Comments
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$10 million seems like a lot for Matt Boyd.
Yeah, we Roto GMs don't care nearly as much about LH bullpen arms as real GMs. I think the dam will break when one of the ace pitchers signs.
And it sounds like Judge intends to have a contract signed by the end of the winter meetings. So maybe we just have to wait it out the next 3-5 days.
Looking forward to the winter meetings and some activity that doesn't involve relief pitchers.
I'm a bit worried that the Astros are doing the dumb thing that a bunch of teams being run by the Owner rather than by smart baseball people do: go for the big name and overspend rather than get the player(s) that will best improve your team.
First they give the already-declining Abreu 3 years when he'll begin next year at age 36, and now they are courting Willson Contreras, the biggest name on the catching market. They will certainly have to overpay to get Contreras, given that he had a career year as a platform.
Wouldn't Josh Bell and Christian Vazquez have been smarter signings? And rather than throw $60 million at Abreu, why not extend some of their young ace-caliber starters?
Please Mr. Crane...Bo knows baseball. Dusty knows baseball. And surely others in your organization do too. You know logistics. Don't take us down the sinkhole that Peter Angelos and Dan Snyder did when they decided to be owners playing GM. Let your baseball guys tell you what to do and just sign the damn checks. And do this before you get any crazy ideas like luring Miggy Cabrera away from his retirement plans to DH for you.
Shelby Miller (P) LA - Nov. 29
https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.php?id=10952
Miller signed a major-league deal with the Dodgers on Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Miller spent most of last season in Triple-A, where he racked up a 3.04 ERA and 1.13 WHIP through 53.1 frames.
Michael Papierski (C) DET - Nov. 29
https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.php?id=17017
Papierski re-signed with Detroit on a minor-league deal Tuesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Papierski was designated for assignment and non-tendered by the Tigers in mid-November, but while the organization didn't see a major-league role for him, they evidently like him enough to bring him back as a depth option. He didn't look like he deserved anything else in his 39-game MLB debut last year, hitting .143/.228/.187.
Michael Conforto (OF) - Nov. 28
https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.php?id=13371
Conforto (shoulder) remains engaged in hitting and throwing programs and isn't expected to face any restrictions for spring training, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.
ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Morosi notes that Conforto has been hitting for several months now, but his involvement in a throwing program implies that he's back to full health after he underwent surgery on his right shoulder in mid-April.
Miguel Cabrera (1B) DET - Nov. 28
https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.php?id=6888
Cabrera said Monday in an interview with MLB.com that he plans to retire after the 2023 season. "I think it's going to be my last year," he said. "It feels a little weird to say that. I thought I wasn't going to say that ever. But I think it's time to say goodbye to baseball."
ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Considering that Cabrera will be due $32 million for 2023 -- the final year of the $248 million contract extension he inked in March 2014 -- his decision to play one final season comes as little surprise.
After a trade to the Dodgers he was lights out -- 0.53 WHIP. For the season 74K/5 BB -- wow.
Ken Rosenthal on the prowl for free agent news:
• Carlos Estévez is not exactly a household name, but he is attracting a good amount of interest on the open market. Some teams view the right-handed reliever as a potential high-leverage piece for an Astros-like bullpen. Others view him as a potential closer.
Estévez, who turns 30 on Dec. 28, has spent his entire career with the Rockies. He did not pitch at all in the majors in 2018 after missing the first half of the season with a strained left oblique, and was not good in the final month of the shortened 2020 campaign.
But in the last three full seasons — 2019, 2021 and 2022 — Estévez produced a combined 3.40 ERA in 190 2/3 innings while averaging more than a strikeout per inning. One concern: His walk rate, which was always relatively high, spiked even higher last season.
Probably need to add Sean Bouchard , https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=boucha000sea
Will likely end up getting backup at-bats / DH at-bats for the Rockies.
Astros for 3 years approximately $60M. Bowden really underestimated this deal. But what has he ever been right about?
Julio Teheran (P) SD - Nov. 27
https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.php?id=10042
Teheran signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Sunday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Teheran played in independent ball and the Mexican League last season, and he'll return to the affiliated ranks with San Diego for 2023. He appeared in only one game with the Tigers during 2021 but had a 10.05 ERA across 31.1 innings for the Angels during in the 2020 campaign.
Heading back to the AL Central and the White Sox on a reported one-year $8 million deal.
From the pdf of the new Baseball Forecaster:
May ankle sprain, Sept triceps soreness held back PA total, but a nice step forward in first full season. Couldn't hold 2021's
h% spike, but ct% gains softened the blow and Spd translated to bags on basepaths. This isn't a complete package—Brl%,
xHR question HR repeat and bb% waned—but BA/SB combo looks here to stay.
Off to Japan on a one-year deal with the Chunichi Dragons.
Pirates sign him to a one year deal.
What do Luis Robert, Taylor Walls, White Merrifield, Steven Kwan, Aaron Hicks, Victor Robles, Julio Rordriguez, Thairo Estrada, Tyler O'Neil, Cedric Mullins, Marcus Semien and Adam Engel have in common?
They all stole at least 10 bases last year. They all had good but not great stolen base success rates between 75% and 79%.
Ron Shandler thinks these are the players to think about as you try to anticipate who will steal more bases next season.
I’d filter out the first group of three as their underlying speed
skill (Spd) was barely league average or below. Steven Kwan and
Aaron Hicks might have some potential to increase their bags, but
they’d need to get more of a green light (SBO%). That could come
with larger bases, but is not a given.
The final seven have the underlying skill and have been given
the opportunity in the past. They might be the best prospects for
a bump in stolen bases.
More thoughts about the Angels from Jim Bowden, posted today:
Los Angeles Angels
Needs: Shortstop, a corner outfielder, a left-handed starting pitcher, utility infielder
Free-agent targets: Trea Turner, SS; Dansby Swanson, SS; Andrew Benintendi, OF; Brandon Nimmo, OF; Cody Bellinger, OF
Trade targets: Gleyber Torres, SS; Bryan Reynolds, OF; Nico Hoerner, SS; Willy Adames, SS
The Angels have been the busiest front office this offseason, already acquiring their starting pitching, utility infield and corner outfield targets. Los Angeles improved its rotation by signing left-hander Tyler Anderson to a three-year, $39 million deal and secured a quality backup infielder, Gio Urshela, in a trade with the Twins. Urshela is expected to be the backup at first base, shortstop and third base, and will provide plus defense on both infield corners off the bench. He’ll also give the Angels protection for the oft-injured Anthony Rendon at third base and provide a platoon option at first base with Jared Walsh. Earlier this week, the Angels traded three fringe pitching prospects to the Brewers for right fielder Hunter Renfroe, who hit 29 home runs last season and was worth 2.7 WAR, according to Baseball Reference. Next up on their agenda: shortstop. They’ve been scouring both leagues for a trade option, but also could surprise the industry and sign one of the star free-agent shortstops (Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts, Dansby Swanson). With the team for sale, the question is, do the Angels have more selling value with a more talented roster or should the front office keep the payroll as low as possible? It’s a complicated question that only team owner Arte Moreno can answer. The Angels have made it clear to teams that Shohei Ohtani will not be traded this offseason, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be dealt before the 2023 trade deadline if they’re not in contention for the postseason. Ohtani, who is signed through next year, wants to play for a winner. He is not expected to engage in talks with Los Angeles about a contract extension until he knows who the owner will be and believes they’ll improve the team enough to get to the playoffs.
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Just got my copy of the Bill James Handbook; it quickly becomes obvious why Chris Young thinks Corey Seager will "benefit immensely."
Hits Lost and Gained to the Shift for Batters
Player Shifts Lost Gained Net
Seager, Corey 454 48 18 30
Schwarber, Kyle 322 33 10 23
Santana, Carlos 289 33 13 20
Alvarez, Yordan 319 35 17 18
Four lefty hitters -- Mike Yastzremski, Charlie Blackman, Rudy Tellez and Ketel Marte -- are next with 16 net.
The first RHB to appear on the list is Alex Bregman, tied for 13h with Matt Olson with a net of 13.
All told 22 hitters lost 10 or more hits to the shift this season. It will be interesting to compare their 2023 batting averages with their 2022 batting averages.