Interesting on @Buster_ESPN‘s podcast today a Cardinals beat writer was far from convinced Reyes is in the rotation. Take a listen:
So far this winter, the Cardinals rank second in baseball in free agent spending. Only the Dodgers ($192 million) have spent more than the $113 million the Cardinals forked over for center fielder Dexter Fowler and lefty reliever Brett Cecil. Checking in behind the Cardinals are the Mets ($110 million), the Yankees ($99 million), the Rockies ($96 million), the Astros ($82 million) and the Giants (65.3 million).
The Mets plan to open the season with Jay Bruce playing right field
The Mets will take a look at both Bruce and Michael Conforto at first base in Spring Training, according to Davidoff, but they also have Lucas Duda returning from a back injury. Duda does not have a Guaranteed contract. If he doesn’t look good in the Spring, he could be cut , for a prorated amount of money.
The Dodgers moved past the Cubs when they imported Logan Forsythe to fill their second-base void. Forsythe is projected to be a two-win player, and with him in the mix, FanGraphs has the Dodgers down for 95 wins next season, one more than the Cubs. In looking for a RH bat after trading Forsythe, the Rays are checking in on Mike Napoli among others.
Evan Longoria on Forsythe deal: “I’m surprised and upset at losing a player, clubhouse presence and friend like Logan. He’s a rare player”
I’m really, really, really gonna miss Logie bear 🐻. Doesn’t get more classy or blue collar than him. Happy I was able to play with that man.
— Chris Archer (@ChrisArcher22) January 24, 2017
Officials and scouts with other teams are not as glowing in their assessment of Jose De Leon, the Dodgers prospect who was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for second baseman Logan Forsythe on Monday night to plug L.A.’s hole at second base.
De Leon will be 25 in August, the age at which the perception of prospects can begin to turn, and the Dodgers’ handling of him last season raised questions in the eyes of some rivals. L.A. scrambled for starting pitching in 2016, with 15 different players taking turns in the rotation.
De Leon — who had reached the top of the Dodgers’ farm system, at the end of his theoretical development — got just four starts, all in September. And he did not get good results in those, mustering 17 innings and a 6.35 ERA.
The Rays will get six years of De Leon (and the first three at near the major-league minimum, so less than $1.8 million total) in exchange for two years of Forsythe, at more than $15 million, including his 2018 option.
Giants’ hope in left field is that either Mac Williamson or Jarrett Parker will separate himself from those in competition for the spot and win the job this spring
Hector Mendoza has been declared a free agent and can now sign with any club,
Sources: Cuban RHP Hector Mendoza is a free agent & can sign. He’s expected to wait until his 23rd bday on 3/5 to sign as unrestricted FA.
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) January 24, 2017
At 6’3″ and 195 pounds, Mendoza notes that he’s worked as a closer during his career in Cuba but has a starter’s repertoire and could develop as such with a big league team. In 149 2/3 innings as a pro in Cuba and Japan, Mendoza has a 2.95 ERA with 6.6 K/9 against 5.3 BB/9.
Matt Harvey, who said in December he “feels great” and is “right where I want to be” in his rehab, tries to return to a rotation he once owned — slotted in as the number three starter in the rotation.
It doesn’t appear that Jae-gyun Hwang is expected to break with the team to start the season. Evans said Hwang could play some first base, but would be looked at as a third baseman.“We found him very impressive and hope he has the potential to help our club at some point this year,” Giants GM Bobby Evans said.
Assuming the Phillies do not look to move somebody such as Vince Velasquez to the bullpen, Jake Thompson could be headed back to Triple-A after a wildly ineffective five-start cameo at the end of last season.
The Washington Nationals traveled the second-fewest miles of any team in baseball last year, evidence of the fact that distance alone does not define grueling travel. While only the World Series champion Cubs traveled less by actual mileage (and interestingly, the Indians traveled fourth-least), those in the Nationals’ traveling party almost certainly would have testified to having one of baseball’s more strenuous schedules.
Newly signed infielder Luis Valbuena, is likely to spend a good chunk of time playing first base in 2017, general manager Billy Eppler told reporters on a conference call yesterday
This indicates that C.J. Cron will have to fight for playing time in the upcoming season.
Austin Jackson has a deal with the Indians. $1.5M base on minors deal off injury year, plus $4M incentives. The Indians’ agreement with Austin Jackson is a minor-league deal
Come April, Greg Holland won’t have thrown a competitive pitch in 18 months. Great for TJ
After serving as barista at a neighborhood coffee shop in a Dodgers community appearance on Monday, Yasiel Puig said he wants “to be a starter again, whether it’s here or somewhere else.”
Todd Frazier is wearing splint as he recovers from sprained finger on his left hand. Frazier is expected to be ready for spring training.
Adam Ottavino is the “clear favorite” to open the season as the Rockies’ closer. Rockies manager Bud Black said Ottavino “has the leg up” in the race for the ninth-inning job heading into spring training
Source: #Rays continue to draw interest in Colome, but no urgency to move him. Not eligible for arbitration until next off-season.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 25, 2017
Colome dominated opponents after taking over the ninth inning for Brad Boxberger, tossing 56 2/3 innings of 1.91 ERA ball with 11.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 47.1 percent ground-ball rate. Colome, though, is controllable for another four years and won’t even be arbitration-eligible until next winter, so the asking price on him would presumably be exceptionally high
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