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The Arizona Diamondbacks may not be done making deals, this time exploring trade possibilities for second baseman Aaron Hill.

According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, the Diamondbacks are “trying to trade” Hill. 

Continue for updates. 

Uncertain Market for Hill

Sunday, Jan. 24

One problem the Diamondbacks could run into trying to deal Hill, as Heyman mentioned, is the surplus of free-agent middle infielders available like Jimmy Rollins, Howie Kendrick and Ian Desmond. 

Another issue that the Diamondbacks will have to figure out is Hill’s salary. He’s due to make $12 million in the final year of his three-year, $35 million deal signed in 2013, per Spotrac. 

The 33-year-old is being paid like a star, but his on-base percentage has been under .300 the past two seasons and his slugging percentage has gone from .522 in 2012 to .345 in 2015. The Diamondbacks will presumably have to pay a lot of the money he’s owed in order to make a deal happen. 

As Matthew Trueblood of Baseball Prospectus said, Hill is dead money right now and “modest salary relief” would be the biggest victory Arizona can hope for. 

Arizona’s situation at second base is a mess right now. In addition to Hill’s struggles, Chris Owings was a disappointment with a .587 OPS in 147 games last season. The Diamondbacks have made a lot of big moves to upgrade their pitching staff this offseason, but they still have offensive holes to plug. 

Exploring any potential market for Hill does open things up for Arizona’s front office, which has found ways to get creative this offseason. He’s not going to net any sort of valuable return, but being able to save $2-3 million in salary may help the Diamondbacks make one more move before spring training begins.

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With the Texas Rangers less than one month away from reporting to spring training, outfielder Josh Hamilton is still dealing with lingering knee problems. 

According to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Hamilton said at an awards dinner Friday night that the left knee he had surgery on in October is still “bothersome” even though he was able to swing a bat after receiving a cortisone shot.   

Continue for updates. 

Hamilton Optimistic About 2016

Saturday, Jan. 23

In November, per Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels announced Hamilton required a second surgery on his left knee to clean up lingering problems after he suffered a torn meniscus in September. 

While not exactly bragging about his health at this moment, Hamilton did tell Wilson he’s slowly starting to feel better. 

“I’ve just been fighting back and forth with it, just pushing through the rehab,” he said. “He put some cortisone in there, and I tell you what, man, to wake up this morning and put my shoe on without any pain was a wonderful thing. Everything else feels good.”

Wilson added that Hamilton anticipates going through a full spring training this year after missing it last year with the Los Angeles Angels following shoulder surgery. 

Injuries have defined Hamilton’s career, even when he won an MVP award in 2010. He’s reached the 140-game barrier only three times in nine seasons and has played a total of 139 games since 2014. 

The Rangers have amassed plenty of outfield depth, with Joey Gallo able to play left field and platoon outfielder Justin Ruggiano signed in the offseason, so they don’t have to depend on Hamilton’s bat to succeed.

A healthy Hamilton can be a difference-maker with 30-homer potential, but at 34 years old and with his long injury history, the Rangers would be happy if he was able to play adequately over the course of a full season. 

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New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman will not face criminal charges in an alleged domestic violence incident with his girlfriend last October. 

According to Rafael Olmeda of the Sun-Sentinel, prosecutors in Broward County, Florida, decided not to file criminal charges against Chapman.

Chapman’s lawyer, Paul Molle, told Olmeda they were “pleased” with the decision and thoroughness of the investigation: “We are all pleased that the Davie Police Department and the Office of the State Attorney took the time to fully investigate the matter and have concluded that charges were not warranted.”

In December 2015, not long after the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a trade with the Cincinnati Reds to acquire Chapman, Tim Brown and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports uncovered a police report in which the left-hander was alleged to have “fired eight gunshots in the garage of his Miami-area home” following an “argument with his girlfriend in which she told police he ‘choked’ her and pushed her against a wall.”

Chapman’s attorney at the time, Jay Reisinger, told Brown and Passan that on behalf of his client “we vehemently deny the allegations as stated” after saying he reviewed the case. 

After the allegations became public, the Dodgers’ trade for Chapman was put on hold. Three weeks later, the Yankees acquired the 27-year-old All-Star for a package that included four minor league prospects. 

Speaking to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com about the trade, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said “there are some serious issues here that are in play,” and he understood the risk involved with acquiring Chapman at the time. 

Even though Chapman has avoided charges, he’s still subject to a possible suspension by Major League Baseball under the terms of the new domestic violence policy adopted last August. The commissioner’s office investigates all allegations, with commissioner Rob Manfred having final say on “appropriate discipline, with no minimum or maximum penalty under the policy.”

There has been no official timetable given for a potential MLB suspension or punishment facing Chapman. The Yankees’ pitchers and catchers report to spring training on Feb. 18 with the regular-season opener against the Houston Astros on Apr. 4. 

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The Detroit Tigers and Justin Upton made their partnership official on Wednesday, as the 28-year-old outfielder officially signed his six-year contract and met with the media for his introductory press conference. 

First things first, per MLB GIFs, Upton had to show off what he looked like in his new Tigers threads:

One topic addressed by Upton’s agent, Larry Reynolds, was the opt-out clause after 2017, per Matthew B. Mowery of the Oakland Press:   

Before Upton had an opportunity to discuss his new home, Tigers general manager Al Avila praised team owner Mike Ilitch for pushing the deal, per the Tigers’ official media relations department:

Avila added that the Tigers had Upton very high on their wish list if they opted to make another move this offseason, per Mowery:

Sticking with Ilitch, Upton also gave praise to the Tigers owner for being aggressive, per the Tigers’ official media relations department:

Ilitch, who is 86 years old, has been happy to spend money in hopes of bringing Detroit its first World Series victory since 1984. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Tigers are spending a franchise-record $184.6 million on talent this season after signing Upton. 

Regarding the fact the Tigers are nearing MLB’s luxury-tax threshold of $189 million, per Mowery, Avila said it’s “a good question for Mr. I(litch). He’s comfortable with it, and that’s what counts.”

Looking at how the money is being spent, Upton made an astute observation about Detroit’s hitters, per MLB on Twitter:

With the addition of Upton, the Tigers are boasting a lineup that features Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez and Victor Martinez. That’s an old core, as J.D. Martinez (age 28) and Upton are the only players under the age of 32, but if they play close to their potential, it will be a scary group. 

Another aspect of Detroit’s lineup that’s drawn some criticism lately is the platoon splits against right-handed hitters, something Upton addressed, per the Tigers’ official media relations department:

Avila also touched on the platoon question around his lineup, making a great point that isn’t mentioned much, per Mowery:

According to FanGraphs‘ ZiPS projections by Carson Cistulli, the Tigers project to have nine players hit at least 15 home runs and have six hitters with an above-average (100) OPS+. 

Upton is at an age where his skills can reasonably be expected to get better. At least, he can be expected to maintain his 25-homer production from the past three seasons and increase his batting average (.251) and on-base percentage (.336) from last year now that he’s out of the vast wasteland of San Diego‘s Petco Park. 

The Tigers have no reason to think that Upton will be anything less than a solid hitter in the middle of their lineup. He’s been a three-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger winner, so this is a great marriage between a player who wants to win and a team built to win now. 

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Following his most successful season in the big leagues and a World Series title, the Kansas City Royals have rewarded outfielder Lorenzo Cain with a two-year contract extension to avoid arbitration. 

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported Cain and the Royals were nearing an agreement on a deal that will pay the All-Star $17.5 million through 2017. ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick confirmed the agreement. 

Cain’s deal covers his final two years of arbitration, so the center fielder is still on track to become a free agent when he is 31 years old.

Passan added that Cain had been seeking a six-year deal, but Kansas City officials “balked” at the proposal, noting the Royals likely couldn’t have sustained their success with two outfielders signed into their late 30s—Alex Gordon will play the final year of his new four-year deal at 36 years old.

While Cain’s long-term future is unclear, the Royals should be thrilled to get one of the American League‘s best players under contract without having to worry about arbitration. He had a breakout season in 2014 and followed it up by finishing third in AL MVP voting last year.

Defense has always been Cain’s calling card, but his offensive surge last season, with a career-high 16 home runs, helped bolster a lineup that finished seventh in Major League Baseball in runs scored. He’s still in his prime years, so his rising performance should continue over the next two years. 

Despite their World Series victory in October, the Royals still have to be smart about spending money. They are a small-market franchise that doesn’t have the luxury of an open pocketbook, and Cain’s extension is a reflection of how they are still operating.

Cain may have wanted a deal with more long-term security, but given how his career has gone to this point, he’s still going to be in line for a payday in two years. The Royals will happily accept that trade-off if he helps them continue to make deep runs in October, as he has over the past two seasons.

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Ryne Sandberg is reportedly returning to the Chicago Cubs in 2016 to serve as a special ambassador, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score.   

The 56-year-old Sandberg played 15 seasons for the Cubs from 1982-97 and was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. 

According to CBS Chicago, the exact details of Sandberg’s gig with the Cubs will “probably” be revealed during his scheduled appearance at this weekend’s Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. 

Carrie Muskat of MLB.com added the official announcement of Sandberg’s hiring from the team will come this weekend. He’s regarded as one of the greatest players in franchise history, getting his No. 23 retired the same year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Sandberg has had an interesting relationship with the Cubs in recent years. He managed his way through their minor league system from 2006-10, with former Cubs skipper Lou Piniella saying prior to his retirement in 2010 that Sandberg would be in the mix to manage the MLB team, per MLB.com’s Andrew Simon.

However, the Cubs opted to hire Mike Quade, and Sandberg went to manage the Philadelphia Phillies‘ Triple-A team. He then took over as manager of the Phillies in August 2013 after Charlie Manuel was fired. 

Following two rebuilding seasons with the Phillies, Sandberg resigned as manager last June. He’s since mended any fences with the Cubs, even throwing out the first pitch at Wrigley Field in October prior to the team’s National League Division Series Game 3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. 

After last year’s breakout season in which the Cubs advanced to the National League Championship Series, 2016 is going to be a huge year for the franchise. Bringing back one of the key figures from years past, like Sandberg, will only increase the good vibes around the North Side of Chicago. 

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The Pittsburgh Pirates have renewed their relationship with Chris Stewart, reportedly re-signing the free-agent catcher to a new deal. 

According to Robert Murray of Baseball Essential, Stewart’s new pact with the Pirates is for two years with a third-year team option. Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish confirmed the deal. 

The Pirates acquired Stewart in December 2013 from the New York Yankees. He’s served as a backup for the Pirates, first to Russell Martin in 2014 and to Francisco Cervelli last year, and he has posted solid numbers across the board.  

While not a power hitter, Stewart’s slash line of .292/.340/.336 in two years with Pittsburgh ranks among the best in baseball for catchers. Only San Francisco’s Buster Posey and Cervelli have higher batting averages, and his on-base percentage ranks ninth among players at the position since the start of 2014 (minimum 300 plate appearances).    

Stewart’s defense has also been decent, producing 0.6 wins above replacement (WAR) in just 107 games, per Baseball-Reference.com. It’s crucial for a backup catcher to provide solid defense and manage a pitching staff, and Stewart fits the bill.

Pirates ace Gerrit Cole seemed to develop a strong rapport with Stewart last season, as ESPN Stats & Info noted prior to a September game against the St. Louis Cardinals:

Stewart can be thought of as a bonus to the Pirates’ roster. He is one of the most underrated weapons on a team that is still loaded with talent despite losing Pedro Alvarez (free agent), A.J. Burnett (retired) and Neil Walker (traded to the New York Mets) from last year’s playoff group. 

If Stewart’s ability to call a game is what it takes for Cole to pitch like the No. 1 starter he turned into last season, the Pirates will be happy with whatever he gives them over the next two years.

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Bolstering their manpower behind the scenes, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced that they have hired Alex Anthopoulos as vice president of baseball operations. 

Anthopoulos spent the previous six seasons as general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, leading the franchise to its first playoff appearance in 22 years last season.

Once the Blue Jays were eliminated from the postseason, Anthopoulos parted ways with the organization after he turned down a contract extension. 

Toronto’s front office went through a shake-up prior to Anthopoulos deciding to leave. The team hired Cleveland Indians President Mark Shapiro to be its president and CEO. 

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the Blue Jays’ contract offer to Anthopoulos included an opt-out if his working relationship with Shapiro was not congenial. 

Speaking to the Associated Press, via FoxSports.com about his decision to leave, Anthopoulos did not go into specifics about why he walked away following his most successful season in Toronto: “I don’t know that I’ve had to make a harder decision in my life, but I did what I felt like I needed to do. I just didn’t feel like this was a right fit for me going forward.”

MLB Network Radio tweeted out the official press release announcing the Dodgers’ hiring of Anthopoulos:

The Blue Jays’ loss is Los Angeles’ gain. The Dodgers have built a huge brain trust in their front office with Anthopoulos joining President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman, general manager Farhan Zaidi, Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations Josh Byrnes and President/CEO Stan Kasten. 

Los Angeles has plenty of resources, but it has fallen short in the postseason each of the last three years. The Dodgers are acquiring as much front-office expertise as possible to get them over the hump. 

Anthopoulos may not have the final say on personnel moves, but his experience as a general manager and shrewd trades during his time in Toronto will give him a louder voice than a typical vice president of baseball operations. 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have opened their hefty pocketbooks by reportedly agreeing to a six-year deal with Cuban right-handed pitcher Yaisel Sierra.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network first reported Tuesday on the agreement between the Dodgers and Sierra. Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com confirmed the deal, adding it will be worth between $30 million and $33 million. 

Sierra’s market began heating up over the weekend, with Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com noting the 25-year-old was “expected to beat” the deal Cincinnati gave to Raisel Iglesias (seven years, $27 million) in June 2014. 

After defecting from Cuba last April, according to Sanchez, Sierra was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball on Dec. 28. He was also not subject to MLB’s international spending rules because of his age and professional experience in Cuba. 

With the Dodgers losing Zack Greinke to free agency as well as uncertainty around oft-injured starters Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-jin Ryu, they badly needed to add rotation depth behind Clayton Kershaw. They did sign left-hander Scott Kazmir to a three-year deal in December to serve as the No. 2 pitcher. 

Sierra’s eventual MLB role is very much uncertain. He threw more than 100 innings only once in five professional seasons in Cuba. In a total of 300 innings during that time, he had 221 strikeouts and 166 walks. His ERA increased in his last three years, ballooning to 6.10 in 2014. 

Brian Sakowski of Perfect Game USA did note Sierra showed a 94-96 mph fastball and a plus slider when he had a three-inning look at him, and he believes that a 2016 MLB debut is possible. 

Whatever Sierra’s role with the Dodgers will be, the front office is still piecing this roster together for 2016. Arizona and San Francisco have improved this winter, while the Dodgers don’t look as imposing on paper due to the loss of Greinke. 

Sierra isn’t going to replace one of the National League‘s three best pitchers from last season, but he gives the Dodgers much-needed upside and depth for next season as they look to keep their National League West crown.

Stats per Baseball-Reference.com.

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Cuban right-hander Yaisel Sierra has reportedly found a new home in the NL West.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported Sierra and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a six-year deal. Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reported the deal is in the $30-$33 million range.

Major League Baseball declared Sierra a free agent on Dec. 28, allowing him to sign with any team of his choosing. He’s going to generate additional intrigue from teams because his age (25) and experience in Cuban professional leagues exempt him from MLB’s international spending rules. 

According to Sanchez, Sierra dazzled in an exhibition last October and has the stuff and potential to pitch in the big leagues next season:

Most scouts believe Sierra can help a Major League team next season. He could command a contract comparable to the seven-year, $27 million deal the Reds awarded Cuban starting pitcher Raisel Iglesias last summer and the four-year, $32 million deal starter Jose Contreras signed with the Yankees in 2002.

Ben Badler of Baseball America (per Mike Axisa of CBS Sports) noted that Sierra throws a “lively fastball that sat 91-94 mph in Cuba and touched 96.” He also noted the young fireballer mixes in a slider that is above average at its best and a changeup but does knock him for “poor command and pitchability.”

Sierra’s Cuba National Series stats aren’t impressive, with Baseball-Reference.com showing he had a 6.10 ERA with 55 strikeouts and 31 walks in 62 innings for Holguin in 2014. 

Even with those numbers, Sierra’s combination of a power arm and inexpensive price tag compared to the average free-agent pitcher will make him an intriguing option for the Dodgers.

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