Kuzul

Three years of retirement was apparently enough for Chipper Jones, as the former All-Star will return to the Atlanta Braves in their front office.

The Braves’ official Twitter account announced Thursday that Jones will be working as a special assistant to baseball operations.

Per Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan, Jones said it was time for him to get back into the sport he spent 19 years playing as a professional:

It’s unclear what exactly Jones’ new role will entail, though positions that include the label of “special assistant” are often given to historic figures in franchise history.

For instance, on the Braves’ official website, Fred McGriff is also listed as a special assistant to baseball operations, and Bobby Cox is a special assistant to the general manager. It’s a way to keep marquee names around an organization to make public appearances around the city and at the stadium.

Jones last played in 2012 at the age of 40, when injuries prevented him from staying on the field. He was still a productive hitter in his final season with a .287/.377/.455 line.

If Jones were ever going to work in baseball, the Braves would be the team to make it happen. He is one of the greatest players in franchise history, spending his entire career in Atlanta, winning an NL MVP award in 1999 and helping lead the team to a World Series win in 1995.

The Braves are going through a massive rebuilding phase right now, so having Jones around the team to work with the young position players already in the big leagues and coming through the farm system will certainly help teach them about hitting and the grind of a full season.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Knowing that they are a safe bet to win the 2016 World Series given their recent history in even years, the San Francisco Giants took steps to ensure a fourth title in seven seasons by signing Johnny Cueto. 

Coming off a World Series win with the Kansas City Royals, Cueto agreed to a six-year, $130 million deal with the Giants on Wednesday, per MLB.com’s Chris Haft.   

The even-year phenomenon was not lost on Cueto, who posted a special Twitter message to Giants fans on Wednesday:

On Thursday, the Giants unveiled their prized free-agent acquisition with Cueto meeting the San Francisco media for the first time. 

Giants general manager Bobby Evans kicked off the festivities by expressing his gratitude to Cueto, per the team’s official Twitter account:

Evans also talked about how the Giants were able to land Cueto and Jeff Samardzija to bolster their starting rotation, per Steve Bitker of KCBS Radio:

After Evans got the chance to thank Cueto, the 29-year-old right-hander returned the favor to the team, per the Giants’ official Twitter account:

Cueto and the Giants officially unveiled his jersey and uniform number as well, per the team’s official Twitter account:

One of the big concerns around giving Cueto a long-term deal this offseason revolved around his health. He made just 11 starts in 2013 because of injuries, was briefly shut down early in 2015 because of elbow problems and struggled with a 4.76 ERA in 13 starts with the Royals after a midseason trade. 

The discussion around Cueto’s health was certainly not lost on him, and he addressed it during Thursday’s press conference, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle:

Evans also discussed the injury concerns, per Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group:

After Cueto’s deal with the Giants was announced, he said one of San Francisco’s biggest stars got hold of him to offer a warm welcome, per the team’s official Twitter account:

Cueto has a high opinion of Buster Posey and all of his new teammates, calling the Giants a “team of champions,” per Janie McCauley of the Associated Press. 

Things have opened up in the National League West with the Giants adding Cueto and Samardzija to their rotation behind Madison Bumgarner, while Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller joined the Arizona Diamondbacks as the Los Angeles Dodgers have surprisingly been relatively quiet. 

If Cueto can pitch at the level he did in 2014, leading the league in innings pitched and finishing second in NL Cy Young voting, the Giants are going to be dangerous.

He’s been given a clean bill of health and ended 2015 on a high note with a complete-game two-hitter against the New York Mets in Game 2 of the World Series, so all signs point to a stellar 2016 campaign for San Francisco’s newest starting pitcher. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Texas Rangers have added more depth to their outfield mix for 2016 after agreeing to terms on a contract with free agent Justin Ruggiano. 

Rangers Executive Vice President of Communications John Blake confirmed on Twitter that Ruggiano agreed to a one-year deal with the team. Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram reported he will make a guaranteed $1.65 million with more in incentives. 

Texas has given itself a wealth of outfield options to use next season, with Ruggiano joining a mix that includes Josh Hamilton, Delino DeShields, Joey Gallo, Shin-Soo Choo, Ryan Rua and Nomar Mazara. 

Ruggiano has experience at all three outfield positions, which is crucial for the Rangers, who have only DeShields listed as a center fielder on their depth chart. 

The 33-year-old has not played much the last two years, appearing in 138 games with the Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers since the start of 2014. His best role is as a platoon outfielder hitting against left-handed pitching, with Blake providing statistical evidence:

That’s relevant to the Rangers because they have a lot of left-handed hitters who struggle against left-handed pitching. Choo has a .684 career OPS against southpaws. Hamilton, who can’t stay healthy, had a .271 on-base percentage against lefties last season. 

Ruggiano adds an important element to the Rangers roster for 2016 and comes at a very low cost. As long as he can stay healthy and manager Jeff Banister finds him at-bats, this deal could turn into one of the best bargains of the winter given his ability to make up for the weaknesses of Texas’ marquee stars. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Seeking infield depth for next season, the Pittsburgh Pirates re-signed versatile utility man Sean Rodriguez to a one-year contract. 

The Pirates announced Rodriguez’s signing on their official Twitter account Thursday. 

Rodriguez spent last season with the Pirates, appearing in 139 games and hitting .246/.281/.362 with four home runs. 

The 30-year-old is a valuable asset for a small-market franchise like Pittsburgh because of his ability to play multiple positions. Last year, for example, he spent time at first base, second base, third base, right field and left field. 

The Pirates have already made a substantial change to their infield, trading second baseman Neil Walker to the New York Mets for Jon Niese, causing a ripple effect, with Josh Harrison moving to the keystone and Jung Ho Kang being the starting third baseman when he returns from knee surgery. 

Kang’s timetable to return is six to eight months, making spring training an optimistic scenario. Rodriguez may be tasked with handling third base when 2016 starts if Kang is unable to hit his earliest projections. 

Even though Rodriguez’s bat doesn’t pack a lot of punch, he is a valuable defensive player. FanGraphs credited him with four defensive runs saved combined at all of the positions he played. 

The Pirates don’t need Rodriguez to be a key component in 2016 because they already have Harrison, Kang, Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Gregory Polanco in the lineup. 

As long as he continues to play solid defense wherever Pirates manager Clint Hurdle plays him while contributing an occasional extra-base hit, he will be exactly what the team needs to make another postseason appearance in 2016. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Los Angeles Angels continue to add depth in the outfield, signing Daniel Nava on Wednesday to a one-year contract for 2016. 

Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reported Nava’s deal with the Angels, adding the 32-year-old’s contract is for $1.375 million with an additional $500,000 in incentives.     

Rumors have been following the Angels around most of the offseason, with Jon Morosi of Fox Sports noting they were in the running for Jason Heyward before he signed with the Chicago Cubs and that Justin Upton’s representatives were having discussions with the team. 

As Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times cruelly pointed out, Nava is a step down from the names that have been bantered around:

The Angels might still be in play for one of the big left fielders still on the market (Upton, Alex Gordon, Yoenis Cespedes), but Nava does give the team another option to choose from. Los Angeles currently has Craig Gentry listed as the starter on its depth chart. 

A platoon with Nava and Gentry wouldn’t be a bad alternative for the Angels if they aren’t able to spend big money on those marquee free agents.

Even though that unit doesn’t boast the type of power a team wants from a corner outfield spot, the Angels are fortunate to have Mike Trout (41 HRs in 2015) in center field and Kole Calhoun (26 HRs in 2015) to make up for it. 

Nava does have to prove he can stay healthy after playing just 60 games last season, but his potential upside on a low-cost deal for the Angels is significant. As DiGiovanna said, he may not be the big bat Los Angeles fans want, but he is a solid alternative for the team in 2016. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Despite having a loaded starting rotation heading into 2016, the New York Mets have decided to bring right-hander Bartolo Colon back for one more season. 

Per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, citing “initial reports” from the Dominican Republic, Colon’s deal with the Mets will pay him $7.25 million next year, pending a physical.    

Per Susan Slusser the San Francisco Chronicle, the Oakland Athletics were one of multiple teams willing to offer Colon more money than the Mets offer.    

Colon has been an effective starter for the Mets since 2014, throwing 397 innings over the past two years. His 4.13 ERA during that span is high, but given the strength of New York’s rotation, he’s simply asked to provide quality innings. 

The Mets could have moved on from Colon with no one batting an eye. They enter 2016 coming off a World Series appearance in which Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom had fantastic October runs. 

Steven Matz, who made three playoff starts and struck out 13 in 14.2 innings, will be in the Opening Day rotation, and Zack Wheeler will be returning from Tommy John surgery at some point. 

Yet Rosenthal also noted that despite having better offers on the table, Colon wanted to return to the Mets because he “loves fans, teammates [and the] organization.”

Joel Sherman of the New York Post also noted that Colon serves a vital role for the Mets after they traded Jon Niese to the Pittsburgh Pirates for second baseman Neil Walker. 

Even though Colon may transition to a long relief role, like he did during the Mets’ postseason run, manager Terry Collins knows he can call on the 42-year-old to be the No. 5/spot starter if another pitcher gets hurt or needs extra rest. 

Colon isn’t a game-changing pitcher at this point in his career, but he’s one of those guys every team wants because of his durability and versatility. The Mets know their strength lies in pitching and took steps to ensure what worked so well in 2015 will be back when next season begins. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After revitalizing his career with the Texas Rangers at the end of 2015, Mike Napoli will be suiting up for the Cleveland Indians next season.  

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports broke the news of Napoli’s agreement with the Indians, adding that the veteran slugger is expected to be the team’s everyday first baseman. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that Napoli’s deal with Cleveland is for $7 million guaranteed with up to $3 million more in incentives. 

At the start of last season, Napoli’s career looked like it was nearing the finish line. The 34-year-old hit just .207/.307/.386 in 98 games as a member of the Boston Red Sox but would quickly turn things around after an August trade to Texas. He hit .295/.396/.513 in 35 games to help the Rangers make the postseason.

One thing Texas was able to take advantage of was Napoli’s platoon splits, which general manager Jon Daniels noted after the team brought him back, via T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com:

Napoli is a guy who has always hit left-handers. He has been very productive against them this season. That’s something we have struggled with. He is a guy who we know will fit our culture with his makeup. There will be a minimum transition period. He gives us presence and power against left-handers. It made sense for us.

Though he raked lefties, Napoli hit a paltry .191/.283/.320 in 256 at-bats against right-handed pitching last year, according to Baseball-Reference.com. He’ll need to improve those numbers substantially to be quality everyday player. 

Even with the limitations to Napoli’s game at this stage of his career, he’s still doing a lot of the things that made him a feared hitter in his prime. The former All-Star walked in 12.2 percent of his plate appearances and hit 18 home runs in 469 at-bats, according to FanGraphs. 

Right-handed power is something the Indians desperately needed to add this offseason. Yan Gomes led the team’s right-handed hitters with 12 home runs last year, while switch-hitter Carlos Santana had just four of his 19 homers from the right side. 

Santana has been Cleveland’s primary first baseman the last two years, but he’s not a good defender at the position, with minus-eight defensive runs saved since 2014, according to FanGraphs. Meanwhile, Napoli is a career plus-20 in defensive runs saved at first base. 

There’s no surprise to Napoli’s game—he’s going to see a lot of pitches, strike out a lot and provide some power—but as long as he continues to produce at a rate closer to what he did with Texas than with Boston last season, this will be a successful deal for Cleveland. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

A painful offseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers finally provided some hope for the future with the team acquiring right-handed pitching prospect Francelis Montas from the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. 

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported a trade between the Dodgers and the White Sox was in the works that included Montas. The deal turned out to be much bigger and involved the Cincinnati Reds, with Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reporting Todd Frazier was going to Chicago. 

Heyman added the Dodgers were also getting Micah Johnson and Trayce Thompson from Chicago, as well as Montas, and FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal reported the Reds were receiving infielder Jose Peraza, second baseman Brandon Dixon and outfielder Scott Schebler. 

Montas ended 2015 as a top 100 prospect, No. 54 overall, according to MLB.com’s rankings. The 22-year-old ended last year with the White Sox, appearing in seven games (two starts) and posting a 4.80 ERA with 20 strikeouts, nine walks and 14 hits allowed in 15 innings. 

That brief sample size aside, Montas has an electric arm, even though there is work left to be done before deciding if he can handle a starting role.

At the time of Montas’ call-up last summer, Mauricio Rubio of BaseballProspectus.com did question if his delivery and knack for overthrowing would hurt his chances to remain a starter:

His mechanics feature a lot of moving parts, hindering both the command he currently has and making it more difficult for him to improve on this in the future. Montas’ foot strike on landing is almost pointed straight at third base while his head is almost pointed at first. As you might imagine, this makes it difficult to control where the ball is going. Some still see the promise of a starter lying dormant within Montas, but everything about him suggests a potentially dominant relief future rather than a no. 3/4 starter.

Per MLB.com’s scouting report, Montas brings the heat with a fastball that has peaked at 102 mph with “some sink and cut” on the pitch. 

“His mid-80s slider can reach 88 mph and be a well above-average pitch at its best, though it also flattens out and gets hittable,” MLB.com wrote. “Likewise, he can show feel for a changeup with fade at times but have the pitch look like a batting-practice fastball at times.”

This does present an interesting question of how the Dodgers plan to use Montas. If they simply tell him to use his power stuff in short bursts, he can serve the role Los Angeles’ front office initially had marked for Aroldis Chapman before that deal with Cincinnati was put on hold due to a report from Tim Brown and Passan of Yahoo Sports involving an alleged domestic incident.  

However, starting pitching has been a need area for the Dodgers this offseason since Zack Greinke signed a six-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They have tried to supplement their rotation behind Clayton Kershaw, reportedly agreeing to a deal with Hisashi Iwakuma, according to Heyman. 

Youth and big league readiness are two things the Dodgers need in pitching prospects. Top prospect Julio Urias, who is just 19 and reached Triple-A last year, could be ready for a look in 2016, assuming he can remain healthy after throwing just 80.1 innings in 2015. 

Montas still has a lot of development ahead of him to stick in the starting rotation. The Dodgers do have depth in that area, with Brett Anderson and Alex Wood behind Kershaw and, assuming the deal gets finalized, Iwakuma. 

Brandon McCarthy will presumably return around the All-Star break after having Tommy John surgery last April. 

The Dodgers just have to weather an early-season storm, as well as big moves made by the Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants, but they have the pieces to stay in the National League West race. 

Montas’ power arsenal in a short burst out of the bullpen, coming in to shut down the eighth inning and paving the way for Kenley Jansen in the ninth inning, will provide stability to an area the Dodgers desperately needed to address.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

One day after Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred denied Pete Rose‘s request for reinstatement, the sport’s all-time hits leader held a press conference Tuesday to discuss what happened.

The tone of the press conference was unusual, with Rose and his attorney seemingly trying to make a plea for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to get him on the Hall of Fame ballot, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney.

It’s important to note that Rose’s being banned from MLB doesn’t make him ineligible for the Hall of Fame. That is a separate entity, and writers voted in 1991 to keep his name off the ballot.

Rose said early in the proceedings that he should hold the office currently occupied by Manfred, per Will Brinson of CBSSports.com:

Per Paul Hagen of MLB.com, Manfred released a statement that went into detail about where Rose failed to meet the necessary requirements for reinstatement:

Mr. Rose has not presented credible evidence of a reconfigured life either by an honest acceptance by him of his wrongdoing, so clearly established by the Dowd Report, or by a rigorous, self-aware and sustained program of avoidance by him of the circumstances that led to his permanent eligibility in 1989. Absent such credible evidence, allowing him to work in the game presents an unacceptable risk of a future violation by him of Rule 21, and thus to the integrity of our sport.

Rose briefly elaborated on what his meeting with the commissioner was like, per Joe Danneman of Fox 19 in Cincinnati:

Rose added he was as truthful as he could be, via MLB Network Radio:

Rose, who held his press conference in Las Vegas, said he’s now a “recreational gambler, but not a compulsive gambler,” per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale.

On the subject of performance-enhancing drugs, while Rose said he never saw any teammates taking any substances, he expressed confidence about the abilities of his Reds teams from the mid-’70s, per Nightengale:

Wrapping up his media session, per the Cincinnati Enquirer’s official sports Twitter account, Rose said what he hoped would happen one day:

It’s an unusual comment since MLB has invited Rose to take part in several on-field celebrations, including last summer during All-Star festivities in Cincinnati, but the 74-year-old clearly hopes for greater inclusion.

Unfortunately for Rose, it doesn’t seem like his 26-year ban from the sport is going to end anytime soon. He presented his case to Manfred, who has been in office less than one year, and it was rejected for reasons outlined by the commissioner.

Even though there is a large swath of the MLB fanbase that wants Rose to at least have a shot at the Baseball Hall of Fame, his odds continue to look long.

MLB has given Rose a small platform to get his adoration from those fans, and that seems to be as far as the doors will ever open.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Following an eventful 2015 in which he won a World Series with the Kansas City Royals after being traded by the Cincinnati Reds in July, Johnny Cueto is on the move once again, as he agreed to terms on a deal with the San Francisco Giants.

Buster Olney of ESPN was the first to report the deal prior to the Giants’ confirmation. SportsCenter on Twitter reported the deal was for six years and $130 million with an opt-out clause after two years. The Giants welcomed Cueto to the team with his very own emoji:

In the wake of the deal, Giants general manager Bobby Evans told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN the Giants are “still processing their outfield options” after the outlay on Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted the Giants have spent $220 million this offseason.

ESPN Stats & Info noted the Giants are the first team to ink two pitchers to deals worth $90 million or more in the same offseason.

Cueto is slated to take his physical with the team Wednesday, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Cueto had one of the most unusual seasons for an elite pitcher in recent memory, as his splits between Cincinnati and Kansas City show:

Making those numbers even more mind-boggling is the situation Cueto found himself in following the trade, as the Royals had the best defense in MLB, and Kauffman Stadium is more conducive to pitchers than Great American Ball Park. 

Despite the disappointing two-month regular season for Cueto in Kansas City, the 29-year-old likely regained some value in the postseason with two starts (vs. Houston and New York) in which he allowed a total of four hits and three runs with 12 strikeouts in 17 innings. 

Using those two games as a barometer will work out well for Cueto, as Rany Jazayerli, formerly of Grantland, noted he did something that had only been done two other times in MLB history:

There will always be a risk factor with Cueto, given his health history. He made 11 starts in 2013 and needed an MRI last May to determine if there was any significant damage to his pitching elbow after missing a start. 

ESPN.com’s Keith Law had Cueto ranked ninth on his list of the top 50 free agents, noting his new team “might get an ace” if his past elbow problems really are behind him. 

Every contract contains an element of risk, though, especially for pitchers. But Cueto has earned a reputation as one of the best in the business with two top-five finishes in Cy Young voting since 2012, and that puts the upside of this deal as high as any hurler’s in this year’s class. 

Cueto joins a starting rotation anchored by Madison Bumgarner and will slot in behind him along Samardzija, Jake Peavy and Matt Cain. While Cueto can be frustrating from time to time, he proved with the Royals that when the spotlight is brightest, he’s more than capable of rising to the challenge.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com