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Toronto Blue Jays superstar Jose Bautista is entering the final season of the five-year, $65 million contract he signed in 2011 and is looking to cash in after establishing himself as one of baseball’s most feared hitters.

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Latest on Bautista’s Reported Contract Demands

Wednesday, Feb. 24

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, reports of Bautista wanting five years and $150 million are “not exactly accurate.” He added that the demands include more years and money. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports confirmed Heyman’s report but added that the average annual value was “below” $30 million.

Rick Westhead of TSN reported Tuesday that Bautista wants a five-year extension worth more than $30 million per year.  

Bautista Comments on Reported Contract Demands

Tuesday, Feb. 23

“False,” Bautista said, when asked about his reported $150 million extension demands, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.

“There’s no negotiation,” Bautista told Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet Magazine on Monday. “I told them what I wanted. They either meet it or it is what it is.”

The team has yet to contact him since he made his demands.

Bautista Comments on Potential Hometown Discount

Monday, Feb. 22

When asked by Zwelling about giving the Blue Jays a hometown discount, Bautista said, “Doesn’t exist. Not in my world. In my eyes, I’ve given this organization a five-year hometown discount already.” 

He then offered more thoughts on the business side of baseball:

Bautista Provides Elite, Middle-of-the-Lineup Power

Bautista, 35, hit .250 with 40 home runs and 114 RBI in 153 games for the Blue Jays in 2015, helping lead the team to a playoff berth. It was his sixth straight season with at least 27 home runs and his fourth season in the last six years with 100 or more RBI.

The six-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger has shown little sign of slowing down well into his 30s, though his comments suggest that he wants the team to pay him for what he has done, not what he will do for the duration of his next contract. Bautista can certainly make a strong argument that he outplayed his previous contract by a significant margin. 

One issue for the Blue Jays will be making an enormous financial commitment to a player who will be 36 to start the 2017 season. The general rule of thumb for a club when signing players is to pay them for what they are expected to produce going forward, not what they’ve produced in the past.

The other issue will be that the younger Edwin Encarnacion will also become a free agent after this season, and the Blue Jays almost assuredly won’t be able to sign both players to extensions.

In other words, there are multiple obstacles between Bautista and the Blue Jays in contract-extension talks. Based on Bautista’s comments and the Blue Jays’ reluctance to respond to his demands at this point, it seems the sides are far apart on reuniting. 

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval talked to reporters Sunday and insisted, in no uncertain terms, that losing weight wasn’t a priority this offseason.

“I did my work to be an athlete on the field,” he said, per Sean McAdam of CSN New England. “I didn’t try to lose weight.”

Sandoval continued, per McAdam:

Those claims contradicted remarks from the team’s top brass, however, as Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe noted:

A Boston Globe photographer captured an unflattering view of Sandoval, which Jared Carrabis of Barstool Sports shared:

Despite the questions about Sandoval’s weight, Dave Dombrowski, Red Sox president of baseball operations, is “not concerned” about Sandoval’s fitness.

“We were watching him very closely all winter,” Dombrowski said, per Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. “We had people with him at least once a week. The goal was for Pablo to get in better overall condition and I feel like he did improve.

“Pablo has the body type he has,” Dombrowski continued. “He’s never going to be svelte. We know that. We wanted him to be prepared for spring training and he is.”

Sandoval, 29, had a disappointing season in 2015, hitting just .245 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI in 126 games. That wasn’t the production the team was expecting when it signed him to a five-year, $95 million deal before last season. 

Sandoval wasn’t the only newcomer to disappoint, though, as Hanley Ramirez played poorly in the outfield and hit just .249, although he did add 19 home runs and 53 RBI. And the Red Sox struggled as a team, finishing last in the loaded AL East in a season rife with underachievement. 

However, Boston has an intriguing blend of young talent in Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts to combine with veterans like Sandoval, Ramirez, David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia, so it will be expected to show improvement in 2016. Add David Price to the rotation and Craig Kimbrel to the bullpen, and the Red Sox look like contenders, at least on paper.

But comeback years from players like Sandoval will be a major key to the team’s success. Whether Sandoval was actively trying to lose weight or simply trying to stay in shape is irrelevant. What will matter is if the work he did in the offseason translates into far more production than he offered in a disappointing 2015 campaign.  

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is recovering from offseason foot surgery, leaving his status for the start of the 2016 MLB campaign in jeopardy.

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Pujols Not Expected to Play on Opening Day

Thursday, Feb. 18

The Associated Press’ Mike Cranston reported on Pujols’ status ahead of the Angels’ season opener, which is on April 4 against the Chicago Cubs at Angel Stadium.

“The doctors have given the timeline, but if you know Albert, you know he always come back quicker than the timeline given,” said manager Mike Scioscia, per Cranston. “But we’re definitely not going to sacrifice a lion’s share of the season to get him back maybe two weeks before he should.”

Even at the age of 36, Pujols has remained productive. Despite hitting just .244 last season, he still ripped 40 home runs and 95 RBI. It was his most home runs since 2010, though it was just the second time in his 15-year career he failed to reach the 100-RBI plateau.

Pujols’ one-dimensional power numbers from the plate in 2015 were perhaps partly the result of a plantar fascia injury he played through for much of the season and which required the aforementioned surgery in November.

Pujols remains one of the most prominent power hitters of his generation, evidenced by his long list of awards and accolades that includes three National League MVPs, 10 All-Star Game appearances, the 2001 Rookie of the Year Award, the batting title in 2003, two Gold Gloves and six Silver Slugger Awards.

Between 2005-10, he finished with the best WAR among National League position players each season, per Baseball-Reference.com.

While he isn’t quite the dominant force he was during his time with the St. Louis Cardinals, he’s paired with Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun to give the Angels a solid trio of power hitters in the middle of the lineup. With Pujols sidelined, the Angels will turn to C.J. Cron (.262, 16 home runs, 51 RBI in 2015) to replace him.

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Hanley Ramirez reported to Boston Red Sox camp Wednesday, six days before the deadline for position players, and he talked about the upcoming season, including his move to first base, with Rick Weber of ESPN.com.  

When asked if his move to first base was temporary until he could take over as the designated hitter for David Ortiz, Ramirez slyly responded, “What if I win a Gold Glove? What is going to happen next year? It’s too far [away]. I don’t make those decisions. I have a boss.”

Ramirez added that his main goal is to make sure the rest of the infield grows comfortable with him playing first base:

We’re going to work a lot. I just want to make my infielders comfortable. Catch the ball and throw it. That’s the main key right now. I told Bogey [shortstop Xander Bogaerts] right away, “Just throw the ball in this area and you’ll be fine. Don’t worry, I got you.” Pedey [second baseman Dustin Pedroia], he don’t make bad throws. “I’m always going to hit you in the chest.”

While Ramirez knows playing first base will be a challenge, he seems excited to make the shift to a new position.

“I know that area in the infield,” he told Weber. “It’s different. Like I say, I’m really happy to be back in the infield. It’s been a while that I haven’t taken ground balls in a real game, and I’m really excited.”

It’s hard to imagine things could go much worse for Ramirez in his new position than they did a year ago. He struggled immensely in left field, hit just .249 with 19 homers, 53 RBI and six stolen bases and missed 57 games last year, suffering a shoulder injury that ended his season in early September. 

The entire team struggled, however, finishing 78-84, the worst record in the American League East. 

But there is reason for optimism, both for Ramirez and for the Red Sox. He acknowledged he’s lost some weight coming into the season, altered his diet and added muscle, telling Weber, “I feel really good. Like I say, more athletic.”

He’s also pleased with the team’s offseason, praising the improvements the team made to both the bullpen and the starting rotation with the addition of David Price. 

The Red Sox certainly have the pieces to compete for a playoff spot again this year. They have a mix of talented veterans (Ramirez, Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Pablo Sandoval) and talented, intriguing youngsters (Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts). And with Craig Kimbrel locking down the ninth inning and Price and Clay Buchholz atop the rotation, the Red Sox are positioned to compete for a postseason spot. 

But, of course, Ramirez’s adjustment to first base and his health will play a major factor in any postseason run. As of now, the new first baseman is the picture of optimism.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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The Miami Marlins have a “tentative game plan” to put ace starting pitcher Jose Fernandez on an innings limit for the upcoming season, which the team “will review with Jose in spring training,” according to president of baseball operations Michael Hill, per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports.  

“There’s going to be a range (of innings) discussed with the team and the doctors involved,” Fernandez’s agent, Scott Boras, told Morosi.

The 2016 season will be Fernandez’s first full campaign since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2014.

According to Morosi, “The Marlins, according to one source, will be reluctant to place a hard cap on Fernandez before the season, preferring to agree on a range that could be scaled based on the number of stressful innings encountered during the year.”

Based on Matt Harvey’s experience with the New York Mets in 2015, his first full season back from the same surgery, Morosi speculated Fernandez could be looking at about 180 innings of work.

Fernandez, 23, appeared in just 11 games in 2015, finishing 6-1 with a 2.92 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 79 strikeouts in just 64.2 innings pitched. In his three seasons in the big leagues—two of which have been hampered by injury—Fernandez has established himself as one of the top young pitchers in baseball. 

But he also missed an additional month last season after suffering a right biceps strain, so it’s hard to blame the Marlins for wanting to be cautious with their young ace.

On the other hand, the Marlins signed Wei-Yin Chen this offseason to bolster the top of the rotation—an indication the organization believes it can compete for an NL East title—so finding the right balance between caution and ambition will be key for the Marlins and Fernandez as they monitor his innings count.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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The New York Mets have star pitcher Matt Harvey under contract until 2018, though the team will likely pursue a long-term contract extension in the coming years.

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Harvey Open to the Possibility of Signing an Extension

Monday, Feb. 15

Harvey hasn’t dismissed the possibility of signing a long-term contract extension with the Mets.

“I think whatever comes up is going to come up,” Harvey said on Monday, per Marc Carig of Newsday. “I think I’ve never shied away from it, I’ve never said I wouldn’t consider it.”

The one roadblock to an extension may be the presence of Scott Boras as Harvey’s agent, as Carig noted, as Boras has a history of taking his clients to free agency and maximizing their earnings rather than having them sign contract extensions.

Harvey, 26, avoided arbitration this season by signing a one-year, $4.325 million deal, per Carig. That number will only go up, especially if Harvey builds on his excellent 2015 campaign, when he went 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 188 strikeouts in 189.1 innings pitched after returning from Tommy John surgery.

The future of the Mets is tied to a talented young rotation headlined by Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. Keeping that trio intact should be a priority for the Mets as they look to win a World Series in the coming years, though the team’s pitching depth may also serve as a nice backup plan for New York in the future if Harvey’s price is higher than what the team is willing to pay.

Additionally, given Harvey’s return from Tommy John surgery, the team may decide to see if Harvey can offer another dominant, healthy season before even considering a contract extension. For both sides, then, an extension may make sense, but there are also reasons to believe they will approach the situation tactically and patiently.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have solid depth across the diamond, potentially leaving Alex Guerrero out of the mix for playing time and making him an intriguing trade chip for the team.

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Dodgers Have Reportedly Begun Shopping Guerrero in Trades

Thursday, Feb. 11

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that the Dodgers were “talking to numerous teams” about dealing Guerrero, adding that the player “fits best with an AL club.”

Guerrero, 29, hit .233 with 11 home runs and 36 RBI in 219 at-bats last season. He has some pop from the right side of the plate but can be a liability in the field, hence his fit with an American League team, where he could be a designated hitter.

In Los Angeles, it’s unclear where he fits. Second base and third base are filled by Howie Kendrick and Justin Turner, respectively, while Chase Utley and Kike Hernandez are available for depth. In the outfield, the team has a logjam with  Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig and Scott Van Slyke all available.

When asked where Guerrero will fit with the team in 2016 in a press conference in early February, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was non-committal, per Eric Stephen of SB Nation: 

We’ll get into spring training and figure it out. [Guerrero] had some versatility with his ability to play the infield and outfield. Things tend to happen over the course of spring training, as we saw last year and we do most years. We’ll figure it out as we get into March and look at exactly how we want to configure our roster, figuring out which pieces fit and which ones don’t as well.

It certainly seems as though a trade would be the best option for both teams, as Guerrero might not even make the team’s roster and likely would prefer to earn more playing time elsewhere. Dealing him would at least ensure some type of return for the Dodgers.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Yu Darvish continues to recover from Tommy John surgery after missing the 2015 season.

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Darvish Outlines Throwing Schedule

Tuesday, Feb. 9

Darvish told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News that he plans on throwing his first bullpen session in March as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

He told Grant that he’s throwing flat ground pitches twice a week and is doing a long toss four times a week. He said he feels capable of throwing 95 mph right now, though he won’t attempt to do so. He also added that going through the rehabilitation process has made him appreciate the game more.

General manager Jon Daniels told MLB Network Radio (h/t MLB Network’s Jon Morosi) in December that Darvish is expected to return to the team’s rotation in May.

Darvish, 29, last pitched in 2014, going 10-7 in 22 starts with a 3.06 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 182 strikeouts in 144.1 innings pitched.

Over his first three seasons in baseball, Darvish established himself as one of the game’s top starters. He was a strikeout machine in 2013, whiffing 277 batters.

His return will give the Rangers a very solid rotation that also includes Cole Hamels, Derek Holland, Martin Perez and Colby Lewis. And it will further bolster a team that was already talented enough to win the AL West last season without him in the rotation.

If Darvish is able to remain healthy for the 2016 season, the Rangers will have one of the best one-two punches atop their rotation (Darvish and Hamels) in the American League and will be favorites to return to the postseason.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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Veteran third baseman Juan Uribe remains a free agent with spring training just weeks away.

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Indians Continuing to Show Interest in Uribe

Tuesday, Feb. 2

The Cleveland Indians are reportedly targeting Uribe, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.

Uribe, 36, hit .253 with 14 home runs and 43 RBI in stints with the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets in 2015.

In Cleveland, Uribe would likely split time at third base with 24-year-old Giovanny Urshela, who hit just .225 with six home runs and 21 RBI in 81 games with the Tribe last season. Urshela leaves a lot to be desired at the plate, at least at this point in his career, though he’s solid in the field and could benefit from a platoon with Uribe.

And while Uribe’s days of being a solid, everyday third baseman are behind him, he’s still a solid fielder at the position who brings pop to the plate. 

Cleveland certainly remains interested in improving its offense.

“We’re looking at what the alternatives are out there,” general manager Mike Chernoff said during an interview on the MLB Network on Monday, per Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com. “You can always try to improve your team. There are still guys out there who haven’t signed and could help us. So we’re actively engaged with those players.”

Uribe appears likely to be one of those players.

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New York Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler is recovering from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in March 2015.

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Mets Reportedly Aiming to Have Wheeler Back in July

Tuesday, Feb. 2

The Mets and doctors have reportedly set back the timetable for Wheeler’s return from elbow surgery and are now expecting him back in 15 months (July 2016), according to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post.  

The success of Matt Harvey’s return from Tommy John surgery inspired the Mets to take their time with Wheeler’s return as well.

The Mets certainly have plenty of experience in the Tommy John arena. For instance, Wheeler has also altered his arm angle like Jacob deGrom did after undergoing the surgery in 2010. Along with Harvey and deGrom, Steven Matz also had Tommy John surgery and has returned.

“It’s reassuring to know those guys have all been through it,’’ Wheeler told Kernan.

For Wheeler, however, there is plenty of work left to be done.

It’s been tough, mental side and physical side. You have good days, bad days arm-wise, mostly good, but those bad days, they are there and you just have to keep in mind this is what it takes to get back on the field. Some days you don’t feel like going in that weight room, but you have to remind yourself where you want to be once you do get back up there.

Wheeler, 25, is 18-16 with 3.50 ERA and 271 strikeouts over 285.1 innings in his career. He was once considered one of the brightest young pitching prospects in baseball and has immense upside. His return will make a Mets rotation that already includes Harvey, deGrom and Noah Syndergaard arguably the best in all of baseball.

That rotation will also be expected to carry the Mets back to the postseason again in 2016 and many years into the future. The Mets are now built for October with such a young, talented staff. If Wheeler can return and give the team another ace, they’ll be very difficult to unseat in the National League. 

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