The end of November is an interesting time in Major League Baseball, as it’s a time when rumors begin to simmer heading into the winter meetings in two weeks.
There will also be an overabundance of rumors that are either false or useless. Hearing that teams are “willing to listen” on a random player says nothing because a general manager will take a phone call about any player, even if there’s no intention of moving that player.
Sometimes, though, rumors come out that have merit or are at least worth discussing because it could be a sign of discontent with the player or team, or a franchise wants to move in a different direction and holds up a “for sale” sign.
Here are the rumblings around MLB that warrant discussion, for one reason or another.
Robinson Cano is Sleepless in Seattle
Scrolling through Twitter on Monday, the biggest baseball-related topic was John Harper of the New York Daily News speaking to a close friend of Robinson Cano’s, who said Seattle’s second baseman wants to get back to the Bronx.
“But even if Cano has had the best intentions as a Mariner,” Harper wrote, “one long-time friend who spoke to him recently says the second baseman is not happy in Seattle, especially with a new regime in charge there now, and that he’d love to somehow find his way back to New York.”
One scenario that was bantered about on the interwebs was a trade of two bad contracts involving Cano and Jacoby Ellsbury. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports shot it down:
Cano, to his credit, took to Twitter with a workout video of him getting ready for 2016 and a Mariners hashtag at the end:
There’s also the question of why Seattle would look to deal Cano at this date, other than financial relief. He’s not a superstar anymore, but his 2015 season took a dramatic turn after the All-Star break.
It was also revealed after the season, which Harper noted, that Cano was battling stomach and intestinal injuries that required surgery. He is 33 years old and in the back half of his career, but the six-time All-Star is still Seattle’s best pure hitter. (Nelson Cruz is a better power hitter, but he’s not hitting over .300 again.)
Seattle’s quest to become a playoff team hinges on many things, which general manager Jerry DiPoto is trying to address with acquisitions like Leonys Martin to handle center field, but a healthy Cano in 2016 will go a long way.
Nationals Want Bullpen Upgrade
In news that will surprise no one, per ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Washington Nationals want to upgrade their bullpen and rid themselves of Jonathan Papelbon:
Getting rid of Papelbon has felt like a foregone conclusion for the Nationals as soon as he got involved in a dugout scuffle with recently crowned National League MVP Bryce Harper. The 35-year-old had a solid 2015 season with a 2.13 ERA, 24 saves and 56 strikeouts in 63.1 innings.
Complicating any potential trade for the Nationals is the fact that Papelbon’s value has certainly diminished because of his age and struggles after being acquired from Philadelphia (3.04 ERA, 16 strikeouts in 23.2 innings).
Papelbon is also owed $11 million in 2016, currently tied for the second-highest salary among all MLB closers, so Washington will have to eat a lot of money to deal the right-hander.
Aroldis Chapman is the most interesting name Stark mentioned as a potential ninth-inning replacement for Papelbon. Cincinnati’s flame-throwing lefty would certainly be an upgrade over virtually any other option, though the Reds are going to milk his market for all it’s worth.
Heyman reported on Nov. 23 that the Los Angeles Dodgers are one of “several other teams” that have checked in on Chapman. The good news is it does seem like Cincinnati’s front office is finally serious about trading the 27-year-old.
The bad news is a Chapman deal comes as he enters his final year of arbitration. Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com estimates Chapman will make $12.9 million in 2016 as a result. By comparison, Boston’s Craig Kimbrel is currently MLB’s highest-paid closer with an average salary of $11.25 million.
The Nationals do have money opening up with Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, Ian Desmond, Dan Uggla and Denard Span coming off the books. Chapman’s salary, while exorbitant for his ultimate role, would solve a need in Washington.
The first order of business will be dealing Papelbon, who did not ingratiate himself very well after moving to the Nationals.
Baltimore’s Offseason Agenda
The Baltimore Orioles got an answer to one of their free-agent questions when catcher Matt Wieters accepted a one-year qualifying offer, but they still have a lot of work to do this offseason.
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick broke down exactly what positions the Orioles need to fill or upgrade this winter:
Another key free agent the Orioles are looking to retain is Chris Davis, with ESPN’s Buster Olney reporting Baltimore owner Peter Angelos is “personally involved” in the discussions.
The problem for Baltimore on the Davis front is he’s represented by Scott Boras, who is the master at playing the system to get his clients as much money as possible. Considering Davis had a bounce-back 2015 in which he led MLB in homers for the second time in three years, he is going to make a lot of money.
St. Louis has already been linked to Davis by Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports, who noted the Cardinals “are poised to spend heavily in free agency this winter, thanks to revenues from their new local television contract…”
Putting Davis to the side for a moment, Crasnick did note on ESPN.com that the Orioles have “examined the market for Jay Bruce and other impact hitters.”
Going back to the beginning of the article, “examined the market” is one of those vague terms that says nothing. Crasnick put some water on the fire by adding that teams often engage the Orioles in trades by asking for pitcher Kevin Gausman or second baseman Jonathan Schoop.
“Duquette is hesitant to move either player because he would just be weakening one position to strengthen another,” Crasnick wrote.
Bruce is another player who seems like a good candidate to move as part of Cincinnati’s full-blown rebuild. His value has dropped precipitously since 2014 after consecutive seasons with sub-.300 on-base percentages, though the power did return in 2015 with 26 homers.
Given that Bruce will be just 29 in April, there’s some reason to believe he can get back to his 2013 line of .262/.329/.478 with 74 extra-base hits. It’s a long shot because he’s two years removed from that, but not out of the question because of his youth.
The Orioles have to decide how much their hole in right field is worth, both in financial terms and trade-asset-wise. This isn’t a franchise that can open its wallet to anyone, so general manager Dan Duquette‘s ability to create flexibility will be essential if Baltimore hopes to remain competitive in the AL East.
Stats per Baseball-Reference.com; Contract info per Spotrac.com.
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