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Athletics Part Ways With Third Base Coach Al Pedrique

Mark Polishuk — Sun, 25 Oct 2020 01:49:23 +0000

The A’s won’t be bringing third base coach Al Pedrique back for the 2021 season, The Athletic’s Alex Coffey reports (Twitter link). This is expected to be the only change made to the Oakland coaching staff, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Pedrique has been a coach with the Athletics for the last three seasons, working as a first base coach in 2018-19 before shifting across the diamond to the third base box in 2020. Pedrique might be best known for his 83-game stint as the Diamondbacks’ interim manager in 2004, though the 60-year-old has over 25 years of coaching and managing experience at the minor league and Major League levels, as well as a special assistant job in the Astros’ front office from 2005-07. Before being hired in Oakland, Pedrique previous worked as a big league coach with Arizona in 2004 (as a third base coach) and with Houston from 2009-11 (third base coach and bench coach).

According to Pedrique via Coffey, the Athletics would “like to give someone else within the organization a chance” in a coaching role. Slusser thinks Mark Kotsay, currently the quality control coach, could be a candidate for the third base coach job, though she also suggests the A’s could go outside the organization for a familiar face. Chip Hale, who previously worked four years on Oakland’s coaching staff, recently became available after being let go from his third base coaching job with the Nationals earlier this month.

Diamondbacks Release Artie Lewicki

Mark Polishuk — Sun, 25 Oct 2020 00:28:21 +0000

The Diamondbacks have released right-hander Artie Lewicki, as per the MLB.com transactions page. According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, Lewicki will be signing with a team in Asia.

Lewicki appeared in two games for the D’Backs this season, making his return to the field after Tommy John surgery sidelined him for all of 2019. Lewicki posted a 5.14 ERA over 49 innings for Detroit in 2017-18 before the D’Backs claimed him off waivers following the 2018 campaign.

Originally an eighth-round pick for the Tigers in the 2014 draft, Lewicki had some solid numbers over 398 2/3 innings in the Detroit farm system. Starting 68 of 81 games, Lewicki had a 3.54 ERA, 3.54 K/BB, and 8.1 K/9 as a minor leaguer.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 23:20:10 +0000

Click here to read the transcript of today’s live baseball chat!

MLBTR Live Chat

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 21:15:10 +0000

Click here to ask questions and follow along with today’s live baseball chat!

Quick Hits: Bauer, Angels, Hill

TC Zencka — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 19:46:04 +0000

The Rays are changing it up tonight in an effort to even up the World Series with the Dodgers, per MLB.com’s Juan Toribio (via Twitter). Against the southpaw Julio Urías, the Rays have dropped Brandon Lowe to the 5-spot, while lefty killer Mike Brosseau gets the start at third base batting third. Hunter Renfroe gets the start in right field in place of Austin Meadows. The Rays tend to play match-ups against lefties, but don’t be surprised to see Ji-Man Choi or Meadows come in off the bench late in the game. While we wait for first pitch, let’s see what else is going on around the game…

Trevor Bauer had more fun playing baseball with the Reds this season than in any of his prior professional campaigns, per the Athletic’s C. Trent Rosencrans. That bodes well for a return to Cincinnati for the free agent hurler, though the financial component will still have to be figured out by new head baseball decision-maker Nick Krall. Projecting free agent contracts has never been a murkier business than this season following widespread revenue loss around baseball. Bauer figures to be a rare free agent not to have his market diminished all that much, not after a Cy Young worthy campaign.
The Angels will consider ex-Marlins executive Michael Hill to fill their General Manager vacancy, per MLB Network contributor Craig Mish (via Twitter). By all accounts, Hill’s departure from Miami stemmed from a salary disagreement, which would not be out of character for the cost conscious Marlins. Hill had been with the Marlins in one capacity or another since 2002. The Angels would represent a starkly different challenge for Hill, who has spent years managing slow-burn rebuilds in Miami. Whoever takes over baseball ops in Los Angeles will be pressured to get the team back to the playoffs as soon as possible, lest another year of Mike Trout’s prime pass by without postseason play.

Josh James Out 6-8 Months After Undergoing Hip Surgery

TC Zencka — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 18:25:20 +0000

Astros reliever Josh James underwent surgery to repair a labral tear in his left hip, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The recovery period for James is expected to be somewhere from 6 to 8 months, which means he is likely to miss the beginning of 2021.

The Astros have been hoping that James would take a step forward in his development for a couple of seasons now, but he struggled more than ever in 2020, particularly with his command. He remained a big piece of the bullpen into the postseason, however, when manager Dusty Baker called his number once in the ALDS and twice in the ALCS against the Rays. James managed two scoreless innings in the middle performance, but he was hit with a blown save in each of his other two outings. He gave up 4 earned runs on 5 hits (2 home runs) in 4 innings total.

More to come…

Latest On Giants’ 2021 Rotation Options

TC Zencka — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 17:27:00 +0000

Earlier today we took a brief look at the A’s rotation picture heading into 2021, but whereas the A’s have more rotation continuity than most years, it’s a starkly different picture on the other side of the bay. Most of the Giants’ 2020 rotation is heading to the open market, including Kevin Gausman Drew Smyly, Jeff Samardzija, and Trevor Cahill, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Of course, they got very little from Samardzija in 2020 (4 starts, 9.72 ERA), while Smyly (5 starts, 26 1/3 innings, 3.42 ERA) and Cahill (6 starts, 25 innings, 3.24 ERA) were moderate contributors. Gausman would be the biggest loss of the group, going 3-3 with a 3.62 ERA/3.09 FIP across 59 2/3 innings. The 30-year-old has provided somewhat spotty production throughout his career, making his free agency case difficult to project.

The Giants aren’t bereft of in-house options to fill out the rotation, however. Johnny Cueto remains under contract for $22MM in 2021 with a $22MM club option with $5MM buyout for 2022. The 34-year-old maintained his rotation spot in 2020, though he only provided middling production with a 5.40 ERA/4.64 FIP across 63 1/3 innings.

Beyond the veteran, the Giants have Tyler Beede returning from Tommy John surgery, as well as Logan Webb, Tyler Anderson, Andrew Suarez, and Anthony Banda who could get a look somewhere on the rotation depth chart. Prospects Seth Corry and Sean Hjelle, Shea notes, are still probably at least a year from providing quality innings at the big leagues.

The challenge for President of Baseball Ops Farhan Zaidi will be identifying those front of the rotation arms that can help the Giants contend with the Dodgers and Padres in the NL West. Anderson will be 31-years-old next year, Beede is coming off Tommy John, and Webb has largely disappointed thus far with a 5.36 ERA/4.15 FIP in 94 innings across two seasons. Depending on the timeline for their pitching prospects, the Giants could at least explore adding through the free agent market.

Reliever Of The Year Awarded To Liam Hendriks, Devin Williams

TC Zencka — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 16:07:19 +0000

Liam Hendriks of the Oakland Athletics and Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers have won the Reliever of the Year Award in their respective leagues, per MLB.com (via Twitter).

Hendriks takes home the Mariano Rivera Reliever Of Year Award in the American League after saving 14 games in 24 appearances with a 1.78 ERA/1.14 FIP and 13.1 K/9 to 1.1 BB/9 across 25 1/3 innings. It was the second consecutive stellar campaign for the native Australian. He posted a 1.80 ERA/1.87 FIP in 75 games (85 innings) while notching 25 saves in 2019.

Hendriks becomes the first A’s player to win the award, which replaced the Rolaids Relief Award in 2014. The 2019 All-Star heads into free agency this winter at the pinnacle of his career.

Williams takes the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever Of The Year Award from his teammate Josh Hader, who won the previous two years. It’s quite the achievement for the unheralded rookie, who rode his trademark change-up to a 0.33 ERA/0.86 FIP in 27 innings across 22 games. He unfortunately missed the playoffs due to injury.

More to come…

Liam Hendriks, Devin Williams Win Reliever Of The Year Awards

TC Zencka — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 16:07:19 +0000

Liam Hendriks of the Oakland Athletics and Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers have won the Reliever of the Year Award in their respective leagues, per MLB.com (via Twitter).

Hendriks takes home the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever Of Year Award after saving 14 games in 24 appearances with a 1.78 ERA/1.14 FIP and 13.1 K/9 to 1.1 BB/9 across 25 1/3 innings. It was the second consecutive stellar campaign for the native Australian. He posted a 1.80 ERA/1.87 FIP in 75 games (85 innings) while notching 25 saves in 2019. In the postseason, he impressed with a scoreless 3-inning outing with the season on the line in game three of the ALDS against Houston. Unfortunately, it would be his final appearance of the year, as Oakland would bow out of the postseason tourney in the next game.

Hendriks becomes the first A’s player to win the award, which replaced the Rolaids Relief Award in 2014. It’s particularly good timing for Hendriks, as the 2019 All-Star heads into free agency this winter at the pinnacle of his career.

Williams takes the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever Of The Year Award from his teammate Josh Hader, who won the previous two seasons. It’s quite the achievement for the unheralded rookie, who rode his trademark change-up to a 0.33 ERA/0.86 FIP in 27 innings across 22 games with an absurd 17.7 K/9 to 3.0 BB/9 in 2020. The 26-year-old unfortunately missed the playoffs due to right shoulder soreness. He’ll be one of the more interesting cases to track next season, assuming a return to the standard 162-game season.

A’s Rotation Options For 2021

TC Zencka — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 15:15:39 +0000

The Oakland A’s have grown accustomed to finding year-by-year stopgaps to fill their starting rotation. Flyball pitchers fair well in the spacious dimensions of the Coliseum, and Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Billy Beane and General Manager David Forst apply their ballpark as an advantage by targeting under-market contact veterans like Mike Fiers, Homer Bailey, Brett Anderson, and Tanner Roark. They’re also one of the best in the game at making mid-year adjustments to keep the roster competitive.

For the first time in a while, however, they’re looking at a mostly-holdover rotation in 2021, writes Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle. Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Jesus Luzardo, and Chris Bassitt are all under contract, and all four should be guaranteed rotation roles, assuming good health. Daulton Jefferies also made his debut this year, and they hope to see A.J. Puk return healthy enough to threaten for a rotation role.

Given Puk’s injury history, they might prefer to go a year leaving him in the bullpen – especially considering that’s looking like a greater need at the moment. Along with lockdown closer Liam Hendriks, relievers Joakim Soria, Yusmeiro Petit, and T.J. McFarland are heading towards free agency. Leveraging a high-impact arm like Puk in relief could be a more economical way to backfill those bullpen departures. As we noted above, the A’s have a knack for finding back-end rotation types for a reasonable fee on the free agent market. They could easily look to bring Fiers back, for instance, if he were amenable to taking a pay cut from the $8.1MM full-scale contract he was set to earn in 2020.

World Series Game 3 Recap

Alex Kleinman — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 15:10:57 +0000

Walker Buehler continues establishing his postseason legacy...

The post World Series Game 3 Recap appeared first on Pitcher List.

Brusdar Graterol’s Sinker and the Nastiest Pitches from 10/23

Ben Brown — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 14:30:24 +0000

Ben Brown brings you the nastiest pitches from Game 3.

The post Brusdar Graterol’s Sinker and the Nastiest Pitches from 10/23 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Latest On Red Sox Managerial Search

TC Zencka — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 14:20:21 +0000

The Red Sox won’t be interviewing Red Sox bench coach Matt Quatraro for their managerial vacancy. Per Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal, Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom cannot hire anyone from the Rays for a period of two years. The condition was put into Bloom’s contract when the Rays allowed him to be hired away by Boston, which certainly makes sense, given the number of Rays executives who have been poached by other organizations the past couple of years.

Expanding the agreement to include uniformed personnel also makes sense, given that the Rays and Red Sox are divisional rivals. One might imagine the Rays being more amenable to letting someone like Quatraro take a promotion with, say, the Pirates, a league away. They proved once again to be rather prescient in putting this agreement in place before letting Bloom join Boston.

Bloom has no shortage of candidates, however. James Rowson of the Marlins, Will Venable of the Cubs, Mike Bell of the Twins, Skip Schumaker of the Padres, Luis Urueta of the Diamondbacks, and Don Kelly of the Pirates are all rumored to be in the mix. And while none of those names carry the public weight of, say, Alex Cora, the rumored favorite for the position, the process is sincere, per Rob Bradford of WEEI. Bradford is quick to point out that Kevin Cash was an unknown of a similar ilk when Bloom and the Rays chose him to be their manager.

Alex Cora remains the favorite until we hear otherwise, but these other candidates have time to make an impression. Boston cannot speak with Cora until after the World Series when his suspension will be lifted.

MLBTR Poll: Veteran Free-Agent Shortstops

Connor Byrne — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 03:45:56 +0000

Next year’s group of free agents is scheduled to feature a star-studded group of shortstops, as Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager, Trevor Story, Carlos Correa and Javier Baez are all due to reach the open market then. The upcoming winter’s shortstop class pales in comparison to that bunch, but there are still a few household names set to become available. As far as veterans go, Didi Gregorius, Marcus Semien and Andrelton Simmons lead the way. The question is: Which of the three would you prefer to sign this offseason?

The qualifying offer could serve as an impediment for all three players, as each could conceivably receive one. There may not be a better candidate for a QO among the trio than Gregorius, a 30-year-old who’s coming off his latest effective season with the Phillies. He was a key part of the Yankees’ roster from 2015-18, combining for 14.6 fWAR, before taking a step back in ’19 during a year cut short by Tommy John surgery on his left elbow.

Semien, also 30, has enjoyed the greatest peak season of anyone in this group. He was a 7.6-fWAR player with Oakland back in 2019, but Semien was an average to slightly above-average contributor in the years preceding that, and he fell back to earth in 2020.

Simmons, who turned 31 next month, has never been an offensive juggernaut, but a combination of respectable work with the bat and all-world defense have propelled him to a stellar career with the Braves and Angels. There’s no denying Simmons is one of the greatest defenders in recent memory at any position, which could serve him well as a free agent.

In a vacuum, Gregorius looks like the best choice here. He’s most likely to command a multiyear deal and a qualifying offer, but that doesn’t mean every team would prefer him over Semien or Simmons. Keep in mind that Semien and Simmons may not be saddled with a QO, which could make one or both more appealing than Gregorius. All things considered, then, which of these established shortstops would you prefer?

(Poll link for app users)

Rangers To Name Doug Mathis Pitching Coach

Connor Byrne — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 01:39:54 +0000

The Rangers plan to name bullpen coach Doug Mathis as their pitching coach, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Mathis will take over for Julio Rangel, whom the Rangers said goodbye to earlier this month.

Mathis will grab the helm of a pitching staff that struggled for two seasons under Rangel, combining for the majors’ fifth worst-ERA (5.07) and its seventh-highest FIP (4.85). In fairness to Rangel, though, the Rangers weren’t exactly teeming with talent on his watch. However, they did at least get back-to-back solid seasons from right-hander Lance Lynn (whom they could trade during the winter), while Jonathan Hernandez blossomed in their bullpen this year.

The 37-year-old Mathis has long been familiar to the Rangers, who spent a 13th-round pick on him in 2005 before he was part of their coaching staff. As a player, Mathis didn’t have an extensive career with the team, though all 87 1/3 innings during his MLB tenure came with Texas. He logged a 4.84 ERA with the club from 2008-10.

D-backs Claim Taylor Guilbeau From Mariners; M’s Outright Gerson Bautista

Connor Byrne — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 23:46:06 +0000

The Diamondbacks have claimed left-hander Taylor Guilbeau off waivers from the Mariners, per an announcement from Seattle. The M’s also announced that righty Gerson Bautista has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma.

Now 27 years old, Guilbeau joined the Mariners as part of their return from the Nationals in a 2019 deal that sent relievers Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland to Washington. Guilbeau went on to toss 20 innings of 2.70 ERA ball with a 59.1 percent groundball rate as a member of the Mariners, though he also struck out barely more hitters (10) than he walked (nine). He dealt with a shoulder strain in 2020 and saw his velocity tumble.

Bautista, whom the Mariners acquired in their pre-2019 trade with the Mets centering on Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz, has only thrown nine innings with Seattle. He racked up all of those frames in 2019, as the 25-year-old missed all of this season with a flexor strain in his right elbow.

Red Sox Interview Luis Urueta, Don Kelly, Skip Schumaker, James Rowson

Steve Adams — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 23:15:08 +0000

6:15pm: The Red Sox have also interviewed Marlins bench coach James Rowson, Speier tweets.

5:46pm: The Red Sox have asked the Twins for permission to interview their bench coach, Mike Bell, according to Speier.

3:33pm: Boston has also interviewed Padres associate manager Skip Schumaker, Kevin Acee of the San Diego-Union Tribune tweets.

10:45am: The Red Sox interviewed Diamondbacks bench coach Luis Urueta for their vacant managerial post last week, ESPN’s Enrique Rojas reports. It’s the second time in the past year that Urueta has interviewed for the position. He was also a candidate after Alex Cora was let go, although the team opted to instead stick with an internal option in Ron Roenicke, who won’t return as skipper in 2021. Meanwhile, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports that the Sox interviewed Pirates bench coach Don Kelly as well.

Urueta, 40 in January, has held his current position in Arizona for three seasons. He’s previously served as Arizona’s minor league field coordinator in addition to managing the Diamondbacks’ Rookie-level affiliate, managing in the Dominican Winter League and managing Team Colombia in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

The 40-year-old Kelly has fast risen as a popular managerial candidate after retiring as a player following the 2016 season. The longtime Tigers utilityman began working in Detroit’s player development part upon retiring and moved to their scouting staff the next year. He was hired as Houston’s first base coach for the 2018 season and hired as the Pirates’ bench coach under rookie skipper Derek Shelton last offseason.

There’s considerable speculation that Cora could return to Boston after his suspension for his role in the Astros’ 2017 cheating scandal has been served. That ban runs through the current postseason. However, the Red Sox have also reportedly interviewed Cubs third base coach Will Venable and, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, could talk to Dodgers first base coach George Lombard.

Red Sox Interview Luis Urueta, Don Kelly, Skip Schumaker

Steve Adams — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 22:46:08 +0000

5:46pm: The Red Sox have asked the Twins for permission to interview their bench coach, Mike Bell, according to Speier.

3:33pm: Boston has also interviewed Padres associate manager Skip Schumaker, Kevin Acee of the San Diego-Union Tribune tweets.

Cubs, Terrmel Sledge Part Ways

Connor Byrne — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 22:35:43 +0000

After a below-average offensive season, the Cubs are parting with assistant hitting coach Terrmel Sledge, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report. They’ll look for someone else to partner with hitting coach Anthony Ianoce.

A former major league outfielder, Sledge spent two seasons on the Cubs’ staff. They finished 2019 ninth in wRC+ and 10th in runs with Sledge in the fold, but the Cubs fell to 21st and 20th in those categories this year. That surely didn’t help Sledge’s cause, though it’s difficult to quantify the impact of an assistant coach.

Beyond Sledge’s departure, the Cubs’ offense could face more drastic changes leading into next season. While the club did win the National League Central in 2020, it bowed out in the wild-card round against the Marlins, and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein has expressed an openness to overseeing a significant offensive shakeup since then. With that in mind, it’s possible the Cubs will seriously consider trade offers for some of their most notable hitters (Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber may be at the top of the list), especially considering the dwindling team control over some of their key players.

Rob Manfred Discusses Rule Changes, Playoff Expansion

TC Zencka — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 21:04:41 +0000

OCT. 23: Manfred told Dan Patrick “all of the COVID-related rule changes,” including extra innings, the universal DH and seven-inning doubleheaders, are likely to “return to the status quo, absent an agreement with the players association” in 2021. Of course, a lack of a universal DH could have an effect on quite a few free agents, including Nelson Cruz. Meanwhile, Manfred once again did admit he would like to expand the playoffs, but not necessarily to 16 teams.

OCT. 22: Commissioner Rob Manfred hopes that a couple of 2020’s changes will stay as long-term additions to the MLB season, per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press. Manfred spoke in favor of an “expanded playoff format,” though he was careful to say that the 16-team format from this year might be a bridge too far.

Manfred would aim for something between the standard 10-team format at this year’s 16-teamer. He has previously advocated for a 14-team postseason, which would reward the top team in each league with a bye through the first round, with the bottom-6 playoff teams facing off in an elimination round much like this year’s Wild Card format to create the 4-team Divisional match-ups in each league.

Manfred is also in favor of keeping the man-on-second extra innings rule. Blum notes that the longest games this season were a pair of 13-inning affairs. The rule certainly drove more action in extra innings, and though eliminating the couple of marathon-type extra innings games would seem to be a small victory in the grand scheme of things, MLB can check that box, it would seem.

Once the season ends, Manfred will be back to the laborious process of negotiation with Head of the Players’ Union Tony Clark. It won’t be a total back-to-the-drawing-board situation, but given the temporary nature of this season, the changes that were made will need to be re-addressed this winter.

Mariners Claim Domingo Tapia From Red Sox

Connor Byrne — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 20:03:51 +0000

The Mariners announced that they have claimed right-hander Domingo Tapia from the Red Sox via waivers. Seattle now has 34 players on its 40-man roster.

Tapia, formerly a farmhand with the Mets and Reds, joined the Red Sox on a minor league contract last December. The hard-throwing 29-year-old wound up making his major league debut with Boston this past season and tossing 4 1/3 innings of one-run, four-hit ball with four strikeouts and two walks. Tapia has also spent time at the Triple-A level, where he has pitched to a 4.34 ERA and posted 6.8 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9 over 134 2/3 innings.

Gregorius On Time With Phillies, Potential Yankees Reunion

Steve Adams — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 18:57:08 +0000

Didi Gregorius’ decision last winter to bet on himself with a one-year deal looks to have been a wise one, and he’ll now head back to free agency on the heels of a .284/.339/.488 slash with 10 home runs in a full 60 games with the Phillies. He’s already been linked to the Angels, and Gregorius himself said today in an appearance on WFAN’s Moose & Maggie Show that he’d have interest in returning to the Phillies (audio link).

“If they want me back, sure,” Gregorius said. “…I can’t force or say that I have to do this, or I have to be there. At the end of the day, it’s up to them. I really enjoyed playing with the guys over there. I had a really great time.”

Gregorius’ deal with the Phils reunited him with former Yankees skipper Joe Girardi, whom the shortstop praised multiple times throughout the interview. The 30-year-old Gregorius also had nothing but positive things to say when asked about playing alongside Bryce Harper, calling him “awesome” multiple times while discussing the experience.

While Gregorius’ positive comments on his time with the Phillies and his openness to a return are surely of note, his reply when asked about a return to the Yankees is drawing considerable attention in its own right.

“I don’t think they would want me back in New York to be honest right now,” Gregorius said when asked about whether he could envision a return to the Bronx. Asked why, he expressed confidence that Gleyber Torres would rebound from his 2020 struggles and seize the shortstop job.

“I think Gleyber is the future shortstop,” said Gregorius. “It’s just the one year and to my understanding he was hurt for some of it. Once you get hurt, it’s like a step back on everything. If he gets to next year, he’s fully prepared and ready to go, I think everything should work smoothly and he will be fine.”

It was a rather rough season for 23-year-old Torres in 2020, but he’ll surely be given every opportunity to rebound next year, whether at shortstop or second base. Torres turned in a respectable .243/.356/.368 slash through 160 plate appearances, but that was a far cry from 2019’s brilliant .278/.337/.535 line and 38 homers. More glaring, perhaps, were Torres’ defensive issues (-9 DRS, -5 UZR, -4 OAA).

Despite those defensive struggles, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said last week that Torres “is our shortstop moving forward” (link via Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News). Cashman expressed confidence that Torres could improve his glovework but stopped short of declaring that he’d be the shortstop in 2021, instead stating that the organization will “continue to evaluate” its options.

Many Yankees fans have clamored for a reunion with Gregorius, who exceeded expectations in the Bronx as the successor to Derek Jeter at shortstop. However, Gregorius implied that he saw the writing on the wall toward the end of his time in New York and did not speak optimistically about a return tour in the near future.

Of course, Gregorius’ strong season makes him a potential qualifying offer candidate. That could impact his market and would leave him with the choice of returning to join Girardi, Harper and others on a one-year deal worth $18.9MM or hitting the market in search of a multi-year pact. Generally, when a player bets on himself with a one-year pact and delivers high-quality results, it’s expected that he’ll look to cash in on a longer-term deal the following winter. This offseason is anything but typical, though, and the league-wide revenue losses raise the question of whether the Phillies would risk making the offer and whether Gregorius would consider accepting.

Red Sox Interview Luis Urueta

Steve Adams — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 16:45:08 +0000

The Red Sox interviewed Diamondbacks bench coach Luis Urueta for their vacant managerial post last week, ESPN’s Enrique Rojas reports. It’s the second time in the past year that Urueta has interviewed for the position. He was also a candidate after Alex Cora was let go, although the team opted to instead stick with an internal option in Ron Roenicke, who won’t return as skipper in 2021.

Red Sox Interview Luis Urueta, Don Kelly

Steve Adams — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 16:45:08 +0000

Nelson Cruz Reportedly Seeking Two-Year Deal

Steve Adams — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 14:47:58 +0000

The Twins and Nelson Cruz have expressed mutual interest in extending their relationship, although it sounds as though that could require a multi-year offer out of Minnesota. LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune writes that Cruz is “believed to be seeking a two-year deal” as he sits on the cusp of a return trip to the open market.

That the 40-year-old Cruz hopes to play another two years is notable in and of itself, although that doesn’t register as a huge surprise given his continued production at the plate. Cruz posted a superlative .303/.397/.595 slash with 16 home runs as the Twins’ DH in 2020 and has raked at a .308/.394/.626 clip overall since signing in Minnesota prior to the 2019 season. That contract was a one-year, $14.3MM deal with a club option for 2020. In total, he’s banked $26MM in his two years with the Twins.

At present, the uncertainty surrounding the universal DH keeps Cruz’s market fairly small. He’s played just nine games in the field since Opening Day 2017 and never played the outfield for the Twins. As such, Cruz would need an AL club with a win-now mindset, DH at-bats to spare and a willingness to spend. The Twins certainly fit that bill, as do the division-rival White Sox, and there’s an easy case that the Blue Jays could slot Cruz in at DH over Rowdy Tellez.

Looking around the rest of the league, most clubs either have an expensive name in their DH mix (Khris Davis, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez, Giancarlo Stanton), a younger option at DH (Yordan Alvarez) or are simply in a rebuilding phase. And with revenue losses from the absence of fans hitting all 30 clubs, some teams just won’t want to spend the type of money Cruz would command anyhow. On the surface there’s little reason to expect that he’d have to take a pay cut in terms of annual salary; his production with the Twins actually outpaced his final couple years in Seattle.

Of course, if the MLBPA and the league agree to implement a designated hitter in both leagues, Cruz’s market would expand immensely. Nearly any National League contender would be able to make space to install a bat this potent in its everyday lineup, and the two-year term would become much easier to envision. From that standpoint, one could argue that the Twins would be best-served to proactively move to keep Cruz in the fold. Alternatively, if they’re skeptical the universal DH will be implemented in 2021, perhaps they’d hold firm at one year to avoid the risk of locking themselves into what would be Cruz’s age-42 season in 2022.

Neal suggests that Cruz may simply wait to sign until some clarity on the DH front is gained, although at this point there’s still no indication as to when that will be. His situation is far from the only one impacted by that still-unknown outcome, however. We’ve already heard GMs in San Diego, San Francisco, Atlanta and other NL cities comment publicly on the difficulty of constructing a roster without knowing for certain whether they’ll have those DH at-bats available. Padres GM A.J. Preller indicated last week that the NL DH status could impact their decision on Mitch Moreland’s club option. Both Giants president of baseball ops Farhan Zaidi and Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos have referenced uncertainty regarding the DH as an offseason challenge in the past week as well.

2021 Chicago Cubs Top 15 Prospects

Rich Wilson — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000

The Chicago Cubs continue to re-build their farm system after using it to bring a Championship to the Windy City in 2015. Brailyn Marquez still needs another year of development but has the big arm from the left side that could make him a nice mid-rotation piece. Brennen Davis is the top positional player and […]

The post 2021 Chicago Cubs Top 15 Prospects first appeared on https://prospect361.com.

Ian Anderson, 2021 Fantasy Outlook

Grey — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 07:00:29 +0000

One thing I'm noticing in the bigger picture sorta way is there's gonna be more pitchers in this fantasy baseball rookies series this year than other years. The nature of the season made it more conducive for rookies to be called up, and rookie pitchers had no way of exceeding eligibility requirements. On a side but related note, this year made it abundantly clear that teams only keep prospects down in the minors because of phony money concerns. I mean, the concerns are phony, not that their money is phony. It's real, and absurd. Not to become Willy Woke, but if a guy is worth $5 billion dollars; he can afford to promote a prospect and lose control of him a year early. On another side but related note, how many teams in the playoffs would've not been in the playoffs or there with a totally different looking rotation? It's hard to imagine the Braves getting to the playoffs with the rotation of Max Fried, Kyle Wright and Ian Anderson. That's not to say I don't like them (to varying degrees). But if, say, the Braves called up Ian Anderson in May, his arm would've been so taxed by the playoffs, or just shut down. It's interesting (to me, at least) to think of what a guy like Ian Anderson would've been in a 162-game season. Him especially, because he could've been up in May, and pitched 150 IP. I have an idea! Let's actually figure out what he can do in a full season! Bravo, Grey, an ingenious plan! So, what can we expect from Ian Anderson for 2021 fantasy baseball?

Quick Hits: LeMahieu, Angels, Dombrowski, Pino, Crawford

Mark Polishuk — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 04:21:44 +0000

Don’t count on a reunion between DJ LeMahieu and the Rockies. Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post recently contacted “those close to LeMahieu” to gauge the chances of the free agent returning to his former team, and “was told that while [LeMahieu is] keeping his options open, he doesn’t see the Rockies as a good fit for him.” LeMahieu spent seven seasons with the Rox from 2012-18, a stretch that saw him make three All-Star appearances, win two Gold Gloves, and capture the 2016 NL batting title.

After leaving Coors Field to sign with the Yankees in the 2018-19 offseason, however, LeMahieu hit another level, posting MVP-type numbers over his two seasons in the Bronx. It’s certainly possible that LeMahieu simply remains in New York, though several teams are bound to inquire about his services — that is to say, teams with more available payroll and perhaps closer to immediate contention than the Rockies.

As we await tomorrow’s Game 3 of the World Series, some more from around the baseball world…

Multiple reports linked Dave Dombrowski was a favorite to take over the Angels’ front office, though after almost a month, there hasn’t been much new information on that front. In fact, in an appearance on Jon Heyman’s Big Time Baseball podcast (audio link), USA Today’s Bob Nightengale believes Dombrowski will “absolutely not” end up in Anaheim. Both Heyman and Nightengale think Dombrowski might remain in Nashville, where he is part of a group vying to bring an expansion team to the Music City, with Nightengale opining that the Phillies could also potentially be a fit for Dombrowski as a win-now team. As for the Angels’ job, Nightengale thinks their search is “wide open“at this point. Earlier reports have suggested that the Angels are just beginning their search, and Nightengale thinks a new front office boss might not be in place until close to Thanksgiving.
16-year-old Cuban outfielder Luis Pino worked out for scouts this week in the Dominican Republic, and ESPN.com’s Enrique Rojas (Spanish language link) reports that the Athletics and Rays are the favorites to land Pino when the international signing window opens on January 15. The Giants, Cubs, White Sox, Red Sox and Padres have also shown interest in Pino, who seems likely to command a bonus of $1MM or more.
Longtime Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2020, rebounding from a down year both offensively and defensively in 2019. As NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic notes, Crawford’s return to form solidified the Giants’ shortstop situation, and the team can now be more confident that Crawford can still be a productive player as he heads into his age-34 campaign. 2021 will also be the final year of Crawford’s contract with San Francisco, however, and the Giants have a star shortstop prospect in Marco Luciano coming down the pipeline. Luciano could potentially be ready for a regular role by 2022, so it remains to be seen if Crawford will only be a bridge to Luciano or if the veteran could potentially still land another deal to stay in the orange and black.

NL Central Notes: Betts, Brewers, Venable, Tigers, Pirates

Mark Polishuk — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 02:46:17 +0000

Could Mookie Betts have blossomed to stardom in a Brewers uniform? It could have been a reality if former Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin had had his way, as he tried to acquire Betts from the Red Sox in 2013 in exchange for closer Francisco Rodriguez, according to MLB.com’s Adam Berry and Adam McCalvy. As a fifth-round pick for Boston in the 2011 draft, “Mookie sort of went under the radar if you went by the so-called MLB Pipeline or whatever. I don’t think at the time he was in their top 10-15 prospects,” Melvin said. Both the Brewers’ analytics and scouting departments agreed on Betts’ potential, however, so the pitch was made to then-Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington, who wisely declined the offer.

Betts was already in the midst of a big season at the A-ball levels in 2013, and Cherington recalls that by season’s end, Betts’ “name was the first one” mentioned by other clubs in trade negotiations. “Doug Melvin was the first to ask, so I always give Doug credit. He was the first one to ask for him,” Cherington said.

While Milwaukee fans take a moment to sigh ruefully, let’s look at some other items from around the NL Central…

Cubs third base coach Will Venable spoke with the Tigers about their managerial vacancy, NBC Sports Chicago’s Gordon Wittenmyer reports. Venable was first cited as a potential candidate for the Tigers job back in September, and Venable has also recently interviewed with the Red Sox about their managerial job. Beyond the Red Sox and Tigers, “other clubs also have sought the Cubs’ permission to talk with Venable about other, non-managerial openings in their organizations,” Wittenmyer writes. A veteran of nine MLB seasons, Venable has spent the last three years in Wrigleyville as a special assistant to Theo Epstein, as well as a first base and third base coach. This is the second straight winter that Venable has been a popular candidate, as the Cubs considered him for their own manager’s job last offseason, and the Astros and Giants also interviewed him for their managerial openings.
The Pirates have 19 players eligible for arbitration this offseason, the most of any team in baseball. At least some of those names won’t be back in Pittsburgh in 2021, as The Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel thinks as many as six players could be non-tendered and several others are trade candidates. Interestingly, Biertempfel cites Trevor Williams as a potential non-tender, on the heels of a season that saw Williams get off to a good start but then struggle to finish with a 6.18 ERA over 55 1/3 innings, with a league-high 15 homers allowed. Williams received some trade interest from at least one team (the Blue Jays) back in August, so it’s possible Toronto or another club could have some talks with the Pirates before the non-tender deadline. Williams had a pair of solid seasons in 2017-18 and is entering his age-29 season with two years of team control remaining. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Williams to earn between $3.2MM and $4.6MM through the arbitration process this winter.

Latest On White Sox, La Russa, Rotation

TC Zencka — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 01:49:04 +0000

TODAY: La Russa’s interview with the White Sox has taken place, 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine reports, as La Russa spoke with team executive VP Kenny Williams and GM Rick Hahn. Levine adds that the White Sox hope to make a hire within the next 10-14 days, and that the club has spoken to other candidates besides just La Russa about the job.

OCTOBER 14: News came down on Wednesday night that the White Sox received permission from the Angels to interview Tony La Russa for their managerial opening. The 76-year-old looks more-and-more like a front-runner to land the job. For his own part, La Russa is reportedly excited about his upcoming conversations with the White Sox, per Bruce Levine of 670 the Score (via Twitter).

La Russa managed the White Sox from 1979 until 1986 – his first managerial role in the majors – so there’s certainly a nostalgic angle that makes sense here. He fits the bill as laid out by GM Rick Hahn as well: He’s a voice technically coming from outside the organization, and he hard-checks the championship experience box. La Russa has six times managed a team into the World Series, winning the ring in 1989 with Oakland and in 2006 and 2011 with St. Louis. He retired after winning the 2011 World Series with the Cardinals. He spent the past season as a special advisor to the Angels, and the White Sox’ opening is an appealing position, even without the circle-of-life angle.

For the White Sox part, Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has expressed regret in the past for allowing his GM-at-the-time Ken Harrelson to fire La Russa midway through 1986. What’s more, La Russa and Reinsdorf were often seen watching White Sox games together prior to 2020, writes the Athletic’s James Fegan. A committed La Russa must be a tantalizing possibility for ownership, but the White Sox are still early in their search process, per Fegan.

In the meantime, Hahn has his hands full trying to upgrade right field and the starting rotation. Though they have a lot of young pitching for whom they are closely tracking development (Reynaldo Lopez, Dane Dunning, Dylan Cease, Garrett Crochet, Jonathan Stiever, Michael Kopech, and others), Hahn doesn’t plan on just waiting for the kids to grab the reins, per this piece from Fegan. Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, and Dunning are slotted into the rotation, but they may explore outside the organization for back-end upgrades. The White Sox have no shortage of guys who could very capably fill out those last two rotation spots, but with the Twins and Indians set to compete again, their margin for error may again be slim.

Angels Have Early Interest In Didi Gregorius

Mark Polishuk — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 00:18:36 +0000

The Angels have done some “advance work” on shortstop Didi Gregorius, George A. King III of the New York Post writes. Gregorius won’t officially hit free agency until five days after the completion of the World Series, of course, but it’s safe to assume the Halos and every other team in baseball are already preparing offseason shopping lists.

In the Angels’ case, shortstop will be a clear need since Andrelton Simmons is also headed for free agency. While Simmons suffered through an injury-shortened season, Gregorius played in all 60 of the Phillies’ games and hit .284/.339/.488 with 10 home runs over 237 plate appearances. It was a nice bounce-back season for Gregorius, who missed over two months of the 2019 campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The left-handed hitting Gregorius would add some balance to a predominantly right-handed Angels lineup, and represents a hitting upgrade over Simmons, though not a big upgrade. Since the start of the 2017 season, Gregorius has hit .270/.318/.477 with 78 homers over 1720 PA to Simmons’ 32 home runs and .281/.329/.401 slash line over 1798 PA. On the flip side, Los Angeles would making a trade-off on defense — while Gregorius has wielded a generally solid glove over his career, he obviously isn’t in the league of Simmons, who is one of the more celebrated defensive shortstops of all time.

Despite his down year in 2019, Gregorius was still offered multi-year contracts last winter before opting to sign a one-year, $14MM deal with Philadelphia. He should be in line for a multi-year deal this offseason, albeit with the uncertainty of the sport’s tighter financial picture hanging over the free market. Gregorius’ free agent stock could also be impacted by qualifying offer compensation, should the Phillies choose to issue him a QO and if Gregorius turned down the one-year, $18.9MM offer.

The Angels would certainly find Gregorius more attractive if they didn’t have to give up a draft pick to sign him, though Gregorius isn’t the only shortstop available. Marcus Semien is also a free agent, and some intriguing options (Francisco Lindor, anyone?) exist on the trade market. Plus, Los Angeles could opt to just use David Fletcher at shortstop and instead turn its attention to second base additions.

Padres Notes: Strahm, Coaches, Front Office

Mark Polishuk — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 23:19:35 +0000

Reliever Matt Strahm will undergo surgery on his right knee next week, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Twitter link), and the southpaw is expected to be recovered for by Spring Training. Strahm is looking to fix his right patellar tendon, three years after undergoing a procedure on his left patellar tendon. The right knee issues bothered Strahm throughout the season, Acee said, and led to an injured list stint in September.

Despite the injury, Strahm still had some effective bottom-line stats over 20 2/3 relief innings, posting a 2.61 ERA and 3.75 K/BB rate. With the caveat of a small sample size, the left-hander also posted a career-low (6.5 K/9) strikeout rate, and the lack of missed bats led to some unimpressive ERA predictors (4.93 FIP, 5.01 xFIP, 4.24 SIERA). It’s possible that between these numbers and any uncertainty over his knee situation, the Padres could look to non-tender Strahm, who is projected to earn between $1.6MM-$1.9MM in his second trip through the arbitration process. On the other hand, the Padres might prefer to retain a member of their bullpen considering Trevor Rosenthal and Kirby Yates could depart in free agency, and Luis Perdomo will miss 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The latest from San Diego…

In another tweet from Acee, the Padres aren’t planning to make any changes to their coaching staff. One potential exception could be Skip Schumaker, if Schumaker receives any consideration for any of the managerial openings around baseball. Schumaker worked in San Diego’s front office for two seasons before becoming a first base coach in 2018-19 and then serving under skipper Jayce Tingler in an “associate manager” position. Schumaker was a candidate for the Mets’ managerial job last winter prior to New York’s (short-lived) hiring of Carlos Beltran.
The Padres won’t be renewing the contracts of 25 employees in the baseball operations department, the club announced today. Most of the 25 employees were offered severance packages. According to The Athletic’s Dennis Lin (Twitter link), many of the employees let go were in player development roles related to the Padres’ farm system, indicating “continued uncertainty about the minor leagues.” It isn’t yet known if there will be any sort of normal minor league season in 2021, and even if there is, several minor league franchises are expected to be contracted as part of a more uniform, MLB-operated farm system.

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Tim Dierkes — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 22:05:52 +0000

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Nationals Bring Back Kevin Long As Hitting Coach

TC Zencka — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 21:26:57 +0000

Contrary to a prior report, the Washington Nationals have agreed to bring back hitting coach Kevin Long on a one-year deal, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). Long’s previous three-year contract just expired, and he had been one of the highest paid hitting coaches in the game, per The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli (via Twitter). The initial split seems to have been merely a failure to reach an agreement on a new deal. Though we don’t know the terms, the two sides have apparently struck a compromise on a one-year pact.

After being extended this past season, manager Dave Martinez was given some hiring power this offseason. He has had the opportunity to build out his coaching staff for the first time since taking over as manager. Thus far, the biggest change has been moving on from Paul Menhart as pitching coach. The longtime organizational pitching coach was replaced by Jim Hickey. Martinez and Hickey were on Joe Maddon’s staff together from 2008 to 2014 with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Martinez and the Nats also moved on from Chip Hale, who spent last season as the third base coach. Hale was hired as the bench coach, meant to help Martinez along as he got his feet wet in his first managerial position. He served in that role when the Nats won the World Series in 2019. In 2020, however, Martinez rotated some of his staff, moving Hale to third base, Bob Henley from third to first, and Tim Bogar from first base coach to the bench.

With Long re-installed as the hitting coach, Martinez needs only to fill Hale’s spot at third base to fill out his 2021 staff. Henry Blanco returns as the bullpen coach, and Pat Roessler will presumably return as the assistant hitting coach.

Gold Glove Nominees Announced

TC Zencka — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 20:20:25 +0000

The 2020 Rawlings Glove Glove Award finalists have been released, with the Cubs netting the most nominations with seven. The Mets, Nationals, Phillies, Brewers, Rays, and Red Sox were shut out.

The awards for defensive prowess will be handed out based on defensive metrics alone this year, since managers and coaches weren’t able to see players outside their regional bubble. Moving to a metrics-based system, even for a year, certainly make for interesting television, especially since these awards can make an impact on arbitration cases. Considering the uncertainty of a 60-game season, awards could carry greater weight than usual in those proceedings, thought that’s just speculation. Without further ado, here are this year’s nominees:

AL Pitcher

Griffin Canning (LAA)
Kenta Maeda (MIN)
Zach Plesac (CLE)

NL Pitcher

Max Fried (ATL)
Kyle Hendricks (CHC)
Alec Mills (CHC)

AL Catcher

Yasmani Grandal (CHW)
James McCann (CHW)
Roberto Perez (CLE)

NL Catcher

Tucker Barnhart (CIN)
Willson Contreras (CHC)
Jacob Stallings (PIT)

AL First Base

Yuli Gurriel (HOU)
Matt Olson (OAK)
Evan White (SEA)

NL First Base

Brandon Belt (SF)
Paul Goldschmidt (STL)
Anthony Rizzo (CHC)

AL Second Base

Cesar Hernandez (CLE)
Danny Mendick (CHW)
Jonathan Schoop (DET)
Nicky Lopez (KC)

NL Second Base

Adam Frazier (PIT)
Nico Hoerner (CHC)
Kolten Wong (STL)

AL Third Base

Isiah Kiner-Falefa (TEX)
Yoan Moncada (CHW)
Gio Urshela (NYY)

NL Third Base

Brian Anderson (MIA)
Nolan Arenado (COL)
Manny Machado (SD)

AL Shortstop

Carlos Correa (HOU)
J.P. Crawford (SEA)
Niko Goodrum (DET)

NL Shortstop

Javier Baez (CHC)
Miguel Rojas (MIA)
Dansby Swanson (ATL)

AL Left Field

Alex Gordon (KC)
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (TOR)
Kyle Tucker (HOU)

NL Left Field

Shogo Akiyama (CIN)
David Peralta (ARI)
Tyler O’Neill (STL)

AL Centerfield

Byron Buxton (MIN)
Ramon Laureano (OAK)
Luis Robert (CHW)

NL Centerfield

Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL)
Cody Bellinger (LAD)
Trent Grisham (SD)

AL Right Field

Clint Frazier (NYY)
Joey Gallo (TEX)
Anthony Santander (BAL)

NL Right Field

Mookie Betts (LAD)
Charlie Blackmon (COL)
Jason Heyward (CHC)

Nicky Lopez of the Royals was originally left off the list, but he is in fact a nominee at second base, one of four nominations at the keystone in the American League. It’s the only position with four nominations.

There are a few other interesting things of note. Perennial candidates like Andrelton Simmons and Matt Chapman did not make the list this year due to shortened seasons, nor did last season’s Outs Above Average leader Victor Robles. Both Gurriel brothers earned nominations this year, with the younger Lourdes (LF) joining perennial candidate Yuli (1B).

There are also a couple of largely part-time players that made the cut, like Hoerner of the Cubs and Mendick for the White Sox. Neither was the everyday second baseman, but they did reach the inning minimum of 265 total defensive innings. They qualified at second because that’s where they played the most innings. Mendick, for example, registered just 226 innings at second, but with 27 innings at third and 15 at shortstop, he ended the year with 268 total defensive innings played.

Catchers required a minimum of 29 games, which is how we got a pair of White Sox catchers making the top-3. Pitchers had to throw a minimum of 50 innings.

The winners will be selected using the SABR Defensive Index and announced on November 3rd, per sabr.org.

World Series Game 2 Recap

Alexander Chase — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 19:00:27 +0000

Rays win 6–4 and even the series.

The post World Series Game 2 Recap appeared first on Pitcher List.

MLBPA Announces 2020 Players Choice Award Winners

TC Zencka — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 18:58:31 +0000

The MLBPA announced their Players Choice Awards today, which were voted on by the players prior to the postseason. Freddie Freeman was the biggest winner, taking home both the NL Player of the Year honor, as well as the NL Outstanding Player Award, which correlates to the MVP. Jose Abreu of the White Sox took home the AL MVP equivalent award. Nelson Cruz was awarded the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award in the American League, while Andrew Dawson won the inaugural Curt Flood Award, given to “a former player, living or deceased, who in the image of Flood demonstrated a selfless, longtime devotion to the Players Association and advancement of Players’ rights.”

Feel free to read their official press release here, and check out the other award winners as voted on by the players below:

AL Outstanding Pitcher: Shane Bieber

NL Outstanding Pitcher: Trevor Bauer

The Outstanding Pitcher award in each league – or the Cy Young equivalent – went to Trevor Bauer of the Reds and Shane Bieber of the Indians. Bieber was a shoo-in as the best pitcher in the American League, but Bauer faced some tough competition in the NL from Jacob deGrom and Yu Darvish.

AL Outstanding Rookie: Kyle Lewis

NL Outstanding Rookie: Jake Cronenworth

Lewis broke out as a star for the Mariners, an important development for him, of course, but also for the Mariners and their rebuild. Lewis hit .262/.364/.437 with 11 home runs and highlight-reel defensive work in centerfield. The 26-year-old Cronenworth came to San Diego as an unheralded pickup from the Rays, but the two-way player focused on his offense in 2020, got regular reps at second base, and emerged as a star. Cronenworth hit .285/.354/.477 in 192 plate appearances while completing the Padres infield picture.

AL Comeback Player: Carlos Carrasco

NL Comeback Player: Daniel Bard

These are both tremendous stories. Carrasco was treated for leukemia last season before returning at the end of the year. This season he returned to his prior form, going 3-4 with a 2.91 ERA/3.59 FIP across 68 innings. Bard, meanwhile, hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2013, retiring in 2017. He discovered renewed velocity while coaching, then came back to become the Rockies’ closer by the end of 2020. He made 23 appearances with a 3.65 ERA/3.64 FIP with 6 saves. Many have tried and failed to provide steady relief in Colorado, so for Bard to come back where he did is particularly impressive.

The traditional awards that we tend to reference throughout the years are released by the Baseball Writer’s Association of America. They announced their reveal dates today as well: November 11th for the Cy Young and November 12th for MVP.

The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 859 – Too Early Mock Hitters

Paul Sporer — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 18:46:08 +0000

10/22/20

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2021 TOO EARLY MOCK HITTERS

The Catching Pool

Catchers Discussed: J.T. Realmuto, Salvador Perez, Christian Vazquez, Gary Sánchez, Austin Nola, Sean Murphy, Daulton Varsho, James McCann, Mitch Garver, Max Stassi, Joey Bart, Danny Jansen, Tyler Stephenson, Omar Narváez

Where is Hitter X Goin?

Favorite Post-200 Hitters

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Approximately 91 minutes of joyous analysis.

Latest From Manfred On Rule Changes, Playoff Expansion

TC Zencka — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 17:04:41 +0000

Commissioner Rob Manfred hopes that a couple of 2020’s changes will stay as long-term additions to the MLB season, per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press. Manfred spoke in favor of an “expanded playoff format,” though he was careful to say that the 16-team format from this year might be a bridge too far.

Matt Magill, Carl Edwards Jr., Nestor Cortes Jr. Elect Free Agency

TC Zencka — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 16:20:45 +0000

The Seattle Mariners outrighted three relievers to Triple-A, the team announced. Matt Magill, Carl Edwards Jr., and Nestor Cortes Jr. each elected free agency. The Mariners have 7 open spots on their 40-man roster.

Magill underwent arthroscopic debridement surgery on his right shoulder on Sept. 15, effectively ending his season. The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles, per the team release. The 30-year-old reliever did a fine job for the Mariners in 2019 after Seattle purchased his contract from the Twins in July, posting a 3.63 ERA across 22 appearances totaling 22 1/3 innings. His 2020 was more fraught, however, yielding over 6 runs per 9 innings before going down with injury. Originally drafted in the 31st round by the Dodgers, Magill has appeared in the bigs with the Dodgers, Reds, Twins, and Mariners since his debut in 2013.

Edwards Jr. will be well-remembered by Cubs fans for his time in Wrigley Field where he spent the first 4 1/2 seasons of his career. One of a small cadre of relievers that gained manager Joe Maddon’s trust during their title run in the 2016 playoffs, Edwards Jr. remained a key member of the Cubs’ bullpen from 2015 to 2018 with a 3.06 ERA/3.12 FIP in 159 innings over 172 appearances with 12.3 K/9 to 4.9 BB/9. The String Bean Slinger lost his command as he stumbled through a difficult season in 2019. The Cubs eventually traded him to the Padres for Brad Wieck in a swap of bullpen projects.

Edwards Jr. signed with the Mariners as a free agent before 2020, appearing in just 5 games, though he looked sharp in those 4 2/3 innings, allowing just 1 earned run while striking out 6 to just 1 walk. A forearm strain sent him to the injured list on August 10th, ending his season. The 29-year-old will be an interesting reclamation project to track for someone next season. If he can return to the player he was with the Cubs, he’d certainly be a viable weapon out of the bullpen.

Like Magill and Edwards Jr., Cortes was put on the injured list in mid-August, and he too missed the remainder of the season. Cortes made one start and four relief appearances for the Mariners, giving up 13 earned runs across 7 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old has a 6.72 career ERA over parts of 3 seasons with the Orioles, Yankees, and Mariners.

Front Office/Coaching Notes: Red Sox, Venable, Marlins, Denbo, Cubs, Epstein, Hoyer

TC Zencka — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 15:50:40 +0000

The Red Sox are beginning the process of bringing in candidates for their managerial opening. Cubs coach Will Venable has already come in to interview, while George Lombard of the Dodgers and Don Kelly of the Pirates are likely on the list of incoming interviewees, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Venable has been a popular managerial candidate recently. He interviewed for openings with the Astros and Giants last season, ultimately returning to the Cubs to serve as their third base coach in 2020. The former player moved back into the dugout for the 2018 season after being hired by the Cubs as a special assistant. For the Red Sox opening, however, Alex Cora continues to be seen as the favorite, though he will not be able to interview for the role until his suspension lifts after the conclusion of the World Series.

The Marlins are looking to hire a Team President that can complete their upper leadership group in the player ops department. That means augmenting and supplementing the work of Gary Denbo, their Director of Player Development and Scouting. Derek Jeter and Denbo are close, making it easy to presume that he could be a candidate to fill Michael Hill’s Team President role, but that’s not the case, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Jackson provides a quote from Jeter that shines some light on his thinking for the position, as Jeter said, “Gary has done a great job where he is right now. You look at how you build an organization; you have to have a great scouting department and a great player development department. Gary deserves a lot of credit for what we’ve been able to do to this point. Where he is right now is where he is most important.”
The Cubs and Theo Epstein remain aligned on the current plan for Epstein to play out the last year of his contract before likely departing after 2021. Executive VP and General Manager Jed Hoyer does not share Theo’s exit strategy, however, and it seems right now as if he’ll stay on to fully take control of the Cubs’ baseball ops department after Theo departs, writes The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney. Hoyer has served as Theo’s partner in the front office for many years, but Theo still steers the ship, as was the case specifically with the Cubs’ rigorous approach to COVID-19 testing this year when they were the only team in the majors without a positive test. Hoyer will preserve a healthy dose of continuity when Theo leaves, but there will be change when the buck officially stops with him.

On The Corner Episode 212 – Revisting Top 100 SP For 2021

Nick Pollack — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 15:30:47 +0000

Nick and Alex go over their initial thoughts for 2021's SP Ranks.

The post On The Corner Episode 212 – Revisting Top 100 SP For 2021 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Astros Hold Club Option On Brooks Raley

Steve Adams — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 14:53:30 +0000

The Astros’ acquisition of Brooks Raley over the summer appeared to be a mostly straightforward trade bringing a journeyman lefty to a beleaguered bullpen in exchange for a player to be named later. The 32-year-old Raley had less than a year of service time in the Majors, so it seemed as though if he stuck with the club, he’d be an affordable, pre-arbitration player moving forward. That’s not quite the case, as The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan reports that the minor league contract Raley signed with the Reds over the winter actually contains a $2MM club option for the 2021 season and allows him to become a free agent thereafter.

Raley, 32, went seven years between big league appearances, pitching for the Cubs back in 2013 and then falling off the big league radar until he was selected to the Reds’ roster early this season. He split the 2014 season between the Triple-A affiliates for the Twins and Angels and did enough to attract some interest from the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization. Raley capitalized on that first KBO opportunity, turning in 179 1/3 innings of 3.91 ERA ball in his first season — an effort which he parlayed into a successful five-year run in the KBO.

Raley didn’t impress Major League clubs enough to score the type of multi-year arrangement Josh Lindblom landed to return to the big leagues and instead took a non-guaranteed pact with the Reds. But while Cincinnati quickly moved on from Raley after just four innings, the Astros saw something they liked enough to part with a PTBNL in a seemingly minor swap. The lefty rewarded their show of faith with a 21-to-4 K/BB ratio and a 3.94 ERA over 16 frames out of the Houston bullpen. He went on to pitch in six postseason games, holding opponents to a pair of runs on four hits and five walks with nine punchouts in 5 2/3 innings.

All told, Raley pitched 21 2/3 innings with the ’Stros between the regular season and the playoffs. In that time he worked to a 3.74 ERA with 30 strikeouts against nine walks. As Kaplan notes in his column, Raley’s performance makes the club’s decision on that $2MM option a pretty simple “yes” — particularly when looking at the glut of unproven rookies on which they were forced to rely in 2020.

Looking ahead, if Raley can maintain his strong showing over the course of a full season in 2021, he’d position himself for a much more lucrative free-agent deal in the 2021-22 offseason. He’d be heading into his age-34 campaign, so a multi-year pact is plenty feasible. At present, there’s a pretty thin class of lefty relievers projected to reach the open market that offseason, headlined by Andrew Miller (who’ll be heading into his age-37 season) and also including Alex Claudio and Adam Morgan. There will surely be some one-year deals this winter that add to that group, and some names could take unorthodox paths to reaching the market, as we’re currently seeing with Raley.

Nationals Re-Sign Josh Harrison

Steve Adams — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 14:06:38 +0000

The Nationals announced Thursday that they’ve re-signed infielder/outfielder Josh Harrison. It’s a one-year deal for the MSM Sports client. The Nationals have also announced the deal. The deal is for $1MM. Incentives beginning at 200 plate appearances could add as much as $250K to the total, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (via Twitter).

Harrison joined the Nats early in the season after being cut loose by the Phillies. He quickly became a favorite of the coaching staff for his versatility and clubhouse presence. Especially once Starlin Castro broke his wrist, Harrison’s contributions turned more from a veteran voice to an on-field supporter. The 33-year-old slashed .278/.352/.418 across 91 plate appearances while mostly splitting his time between second, third, and the outfield corners.

Harrison was a two-time All-Star with the Pirates before entering this nomadic phase of his career bouncing between the Tigers, Phillies, and Nats.

More to come.

Blake Snell’s Slider and the Nastiest Pitches from 10/21

Benjamin Haller — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 13:50:46 +0000

The nastiest pitches from Game Two of the World Series.

The post Blake Snell’s Slider and the Nastiest Pitches from 10/21 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Hitter FB% Decliners — 8/11/20, A Review

Mike Podhorzer — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 12:15:29 +0000

Yesterday, I reviewed the hitters that enjoyed a fly ball rate surge early on in the season to see how they performed the rest of the way. Today, let’s review the decliners. Did they rebound back to their 2019 level or was the early season slump an indication of a season-long decreased FB%?

FB% Decliners

Name	2019 FB%	2020 FB% Through 8/9	Diff	2020 FB% After 8/9	FB% After 8/9 vs Through 8/9	FB% After 8/9 vs 2019
Yandy Diaz	32.0%	7.3%	-24.7%	13.6%	6.3%	-18.4%
Chris Taylor	34.8%	14.7%	-20.1%	32.3%	17.6%	-2.5%
Nelson Cruz	40.2%	22.7%	-17.5%	33.7%	11.0%	-6.5%
Yasmani Grandal	38.0%	20.7%	-17.3%	48.7%	28.0%	10.7%
Eric Sogard	42.3%	25.8%	-16.5%	35.3%	9.5%	-7.0%
Avisail Garcia	31.6%	16.0%	-15.6%	29.4%	13.4%	-2.2%
Isiah Kiner-Falefa	33.1%	17.6%	-15.5%	23.5%	5.9%	-9.6%
Kyle Seager	43.8%	30.2%	-13.6%	55.6%	25.4%	11.8%
Willson Contreras	34.0%	20.8%	-13.2%	35.8%	15.0%	1.8%
DJ LeMahieu	26.2%	13.2%	-13.0%	23.8%	10.6%	-2.4%
Shed Long Jr.	31.3%	18.6%	-12.7%	35.1%	16.5%	3.8%
Pete Alonso	41.5%	28.9%	-12.6%	47.8%	18.9%	6.3%
Eduardo Escobar	44.6%	32.5%	-12.1%	42.7%	10.2%	-1.9%
Cesar Hernandez	28.7%	17.1%	-11.6%	31.6%	14.5%	2.9%
Mike Trout	49.2%	38.9%	-10.3%	54.4%	15.5%	5.2%
Jackie Bradley Jr.	33.4%	23.3%	-10.1%	28.9%	5.6%	-4.5%

Every single one of the 16 hitters experienced at least a partial rebound in FB%. In fact, 12 of the 16 saw their FB% rebound by at least 10%. Surprisingly, seven of the 16 actually improved their FB% so much over the rest of the season, the RoS mark was actually higher than their 2019 mark! There were only five whose RoS FB% remained meaningfully below their 2019 mark (I’m considering those who lost at least 4.5% from 2019 as “meaningful”). So once again, we learn that when dealing with small samples, no matter what metric we’re looking at, odds are good the hitter ultimately reverts back to historical performance.

After a partial season power breakout in 2019, I was bullish on Yandy Díaz. While I was right in that he not only repeated his HR/FB rate spike, but actually slightly improved it, I was wrong about his ability to sustain his FB% gains. While injury limited him to just 114 at-bats and 97 balls in play, it’s hard to fluke your way into a measly 11.3% FB%. There’s no way of knowing which version of Díaz appears next year, the worm-killing extreme groundballer, or the 2019 power breakout, but it’s going to determine how much fantasy value he’ll earn. His value will either be limited to OBP and AL-Only leagues or be playable in shallow mixed leagues.

I sounded foolish when I proclaimed that we might be seeing early signs of Nelson Cruz’s age-related decline, as most of his metrics rebounded, but his FB% didn’t come all the way back. At age 40 now, do you really want to pay the going rate for a guy whose strikeout rate was the highest of his career, SwStk% the second highest, FB% the lowest, and both EV and maxEV the lowest from the data we have going back to 2015? Nobody noticed these small skill declines because he BABIP’d a ridiculous .360 and posted an insane 41% HR/FB rate. While he’s shown no signs of being human just yet, the downside risk is likely going to make him a bad buy at his cost.

Yasmani Grandal enjoyed the biggest FB% rebound after a groundball heavy start, and he was so fly ball crazy that he posted a mark nearly 11% higher than 2019 over the rest of the season. He ended up posting a full season FB% right in line with his history, which is good, because you don’t want Grandal hitting so many grounders.

Kyle Seager ended up as the second biggest FB% gainer over the rest of the season, which was enough to push him to the top of the RoS leaderboard on this list when compared to 2019. He hit a crazy 55.6% of his balls in the air after the slow fly ball start. The funny thing is, that still wasn’t enough to push his full season FB% up to a career high. That was 51.6%, set back in 2017. All those fly balls weren’t exactly the best strategy though, as his HR/FB rate fell to its lowest since 2013, and his BABIP, which has always been low, fell another notch to a new career low. I’m intrigued by the career best walk rate coupled with a career low strikeout rate though!

Willson Contreras, DJ LeMahieu, Eduardo Escobar and Cesar Hernandez ended up more or less in line with 2019 over the rest of the season.

Pete Alonso got off to an overall poor start, which included a big decline in FB%. Alonso is the epitome of the type of guy you want hitting 40% fly balls, so an early decline deservingly sounded alarm bells. But he also struggled with BABIP, and as a result, his season was underwhelming given what he did during his 2019 rookie season. Does he come at a value next season? We’ll have to see, but his price will clearly come down, making him a much better buy than he was heading into this season.

Let’s talk about Mike Trout. Early on, a lot of his underlying metrics looked very unTrout-like. On the FB% front, he ended up going crazy the rest of the way like Seager, and actually brought his season mark up well above his 2019 mark. While his walk and strikeout rates moved much closer to what we expect from Trout, he still finished with his worst walk and strikeout rates since 2015. The more important concern I raised in my initial blurb is his steals. At that time, he hadn’t attempted one yet. He ended up attempting just two all season, succeeding once. That matters, a lot, because part of what has made him such a consistent top overall pick was that he also swiped double digit bases.

Now fantasy owners will have to decide how much to pay for his consistency, safety, and high floor, because without the double digit steals, his 2021 projection is highly unlikely to result in the highest projected dollar value. It was fine to take him at the top if he remained within a couple of bucks of the highest projected value who may have been higher risk. But what if his projection results in $5 less in projected value?

The Robbie Ray Retrospective

everywhereblair — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 07:00:54 +0000

"I released it, he's swinging, and as he's making contact, I'm like, "Oh boy, this is gonna hit me, and so I turn... and it hit me, and it actually ricocheted off my head...my ears were ringing, so loud that it was hurting my eyes.

"When I hit the ground, I just went straight for my hat, and ripped my hat off, and I was bleeding. From the time I hit the ground, it was really...kinda crazy. I just had this, like, amazing peace about me. It was like God was saying 'Hey, you're OK.' It's like, 'I got you.'"

Robbie Ray, Interview with YMI, published March 12, 2019

Mark Shapiro Expects To Remain With Blue Jays

Jeff Todd — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 03:51:12 +0000

Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro has fielded his share of criticism over five years at the helm, but now seems on the precipice of another term. As Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca was among those to report, Shapiro strongly suggested that he’s going to re-up with the Toronto organization.

Shapiro has long spoken of his interest in remaining with the Jays, so there’s no news there. But as Davidi observes, it’s hard to imagine that the veteran executive would’ve casually made these additional comments in the absence of an all-but-imminent new contract:

“The desire to be here long term has been reciprocated by the people I work for. That’s as simple as I can be for you. I’ll be here until I’m not here. Based upon my desire to be here and the reciprocation of that, I would expect that that’s going to continue to happen.”

It’d certainly rate as a major surprise at this point to see Shapiro depart. Just how long and lucrative his new contract will be remains to be seen, but it appears the Blue Jays will entrust him with navigating a tricky economic and competitive situation.

Quite apart from these suggestive comments, Shapiro seemed safe after a successful 2020 showing. Facing increasing pressure from the fanbase, he and GM Ross Atkins delivered a postseason appearance after making a few significant roster moves in the 2019-20 offseason.

Mattingly On Marlins’ 2021 Rotation Plans

Jeff Todd — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 02:19:20 +0000

The Marlins turned in a strong 2020 campaign, raising expectations for the immediate future. To compete over a 162-game season, and to deliver a multi-year window of contention, the organization will need several promising young starters to settle in as top-quality rotation pieces.

Compiling a 2021 rotation will be the ultimate responsibility of a new baseball operations leader, but now-entrenched skipper Don Mattingly will likely have a significant say in the matter. Mattingly discussed the outlook for the pitching staff recently, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald covers.

While it stands to reason that high-profile youngster Sixto Sanchez will occupy a major role, Mattingly made clear that a the righty will have to earn a rotation spot. Though Sanchez “showed what he’s capable of,” Mattingly says there’s also “some downside to that and some areas where he needs to grow.”

Sanchez’s rookie showing was impressive by most any measure. Over 39 frames, he limited the long ball and racked up a 58.0% groundball rate to support a sturdy 3.46 ERA. The 22-year-old averaged 99 mph with his four-seam heater.

Despite that effort, Mattingly says Sanchez will enter camp in the same boat as fellow newcomer Trevor Rogers, who posted eyepopping strikeout numbers but carried a 6.11 ERA. Both hurlers will need to “continue to develop,” Mattingly said.

So, who is assured of a rotation job, presuming good health? Mattingly explains that he’s penciling in Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, and Elieser Hernandez at this early point.

It’d be hard to argue with that assessment. Hernandez has the thinnest track record of the trio, but it’s hard not to be impressed by his compilation of 11.9 K/9 against just 1.8 BB/9 in a six-start run. Mattingly expressed confidence in Hernandez’s health after his season was cut short by a lat injury.

The Fish could have the makings of a strong unit, but plenty of variables remain. Full health can’t be presumed, so there’ll be a need for more arms even if Sanchez ultimately takes a rotation slot. Mattingly also tabbed Nick Neidert and Jose Urena as possibilities, though the former has yet to make a MLB start and the latter seems to be a potential non-tender candidate.

Looking For A Match In A Francisco Lindor Trade

Connor Byrne — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 01:30:46 +0000

The 2020 season ended in more disappointment for the Indians, who reached the playoffs but were once again unable to break a World Series drought that has gone back to their most recent title in 1948. The Indians may again try to contend next season, but it’s entirely possible they’ll do so without superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor. Although the charismatic four-time All-Star won’t even turn 27 until next month, he’s only a year from a trip to free agency, and odds are that the low-budget Indians won’t be able to extend him. With Lindor due to earn anywhere from $17.5MM to $21.5MM in arbitration, it could make sense for the Indians to listen to trade offers before next season. If that happens, here’s a group of teams that might inquire…

Yankees

New York seems to have its long-term answer at shortstop in Gleyber Torres, but he had a so-so season, after which general manager Brian Cashman indicated he’s not a lock to remain at the position. With second baseman DJ LeMahieu set to reach free agency, the Yankees will have to address their middle infield in the coming months. What better way to replace LeMahieu than by acquiring Lindor? He’d grab short and allow the Yankees to move Torres back to the keystone, where he gained a large amount of experience from 2018-19.

Mets

This should be an aggressive offseason for the Mets, who figure to change owners from the Wilpons to Steve Cohen. If Cohen wants to make an immediate, headline-grabbing impact, there won’t be many better ways than by acquiring Lindor. The Mets aren’t necessarily set at short, where Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario were more OK than great in 2020.

Angels

Regardless of whether the Angels acquire Lindor, they’re probably going to add a new starting middle infielder this offseason. David Fletcher’s capable of playing shortstop, so they’re not necessarily a shoo-in to pick up someone there. However, with Andrelton Simmons set to hit free agency, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them add a high-profile replacement and keep Fletcher at second. The Angels, having missed the playoffs six years in a row, could decide to go big on Lindor. He’d look good in a lineup with Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon.

Braves

The Braves received solid production from shortstop Dansby Swanson in 2020, but after failing to take home a championship once again, would they consider a sizable splash in their infield? It seems possible, especially considering their uncertainty at third base. In the event of a Lindor acquisition, the Braves could either move Swanson to the hot corner or make Swanson part of the (a) trade.

Phillies

Shortstop wasn’t an issue in 2020 for the Phillies, who benefited after signing Didi Gregorius to a $14MM contract. The problem for Philly is that it may lose Gregorius in free agency, leaving the position as a question mark heading into the offseason. Lindor would make for a more-than-adequate Gregorius replacement if the latter leaves.

Dodgers

Flaws are typically hard to find on the Dodgers’ roster, but considering their deep farm system and their penchant for pursuing stars in trades (Mookie Betts and Manny Machado, to name a couple in recent years), it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them involved in the Lindor sweepstakes. The Dodgers are fine with moving players all over the diamond, so even though there’s no clear “fit” for Lindor in LA – which boasts Corey Seager, Max Muncy and Gavin Lux among its returning middle infielders – the club could probably make it work.

Blue Jays

Toronto already has an-up-coming shortstop in Bo Bichette, but perhaps the club would be willing to shift its infield around to accommodate Lindor after a playoff season. Bichette could move to second or third, giving the Jays an infield consisting of him, Lindor, Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. On paper, that may be among the scariest IF units in the game.

Reds

A Lindor pursuit could be out of the question for the Reds, but they do need immediate aid at shortstop. Picking up Lindor would give the team a better chance to contend in 2020, and it would hand Cincinnati an opportunity to send Jose Garcia back to the minors for further seasoning.

Athletics

The A’s may not have the financial clout to pull this off, but all bets could be off if it’s just for a year. Either way, the A’s, who are coming off a division-winning season, will have to figure out their middle infield before next season. Starting shortstop Marcus Semien is slated for free agency, leaving the A’s without a solution there for the time being.

Twins

Considering Cleveland and Minnesota are in the same division, it seems unlikely they’ll match up on a Lindor trade. Still, if the Twins make a compelling offer, the Indians would have to listen. Adding Lindor would allow the Twins to move current starting shortstop Jorge Polanco into a utility role, though that’s assuming he wouldn’t be involved in a possible deal.

Cubs

The Cubs already have a shortstop in Javier Baez, but he had a shockingly rough 2020 and does have extensive experience at second base. Maybe president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, who’s seeking to change around the Cubs’ offense, would acquire Lindor and move Baez to the keystone in hopes of giving the club a jolt. Chicago does have a notable young middle infielder in Nico Hoerner, but he hasn’t hit since debuting in 2019.