Kuzul

The Los Angeles Angels probably don’t need to be told this, but they should feel blessed to have Mike Trout. He’s been a regular since 2012—a historically awesome regular since 2012.

But now for something that maybe the Angels do need to be told: They should be mindful of Trout’s historical awesomeness possibly going to waste.

Though the Angels didn’t watch Trout win his second straight American League MVP in 2015, they did see him enjoy his fourth straight MVP-caliber season. The 24-year-old center fielder led the AL in OPS at .991 and in WAR at 9.4, according to Baseball-Reference.com.

While we’re on the topic, WAR is still the No. 1 fan of Trout’s career to date. He rates as the best player in baseball history through the age of 23. Further, August Fagerstrom of FanGraphs dug deeper and found that only nine players have ever had better four-year runs than Trout at any age.

Consider this your midwinter reminder that Trout is really something else. Feel free to take a moment to pay homage to your personal Mike Trout shrine. We all have one, folks.

But now we must move on to where the Angels stand in all this.

The Angels aren’t about to lament what Trout has done for them, but they can’t be happy about how they’ve failed to capitalize on his greatness. They won 98 games and made the playoffs in 2014, but their drop to 85 wins in 2015 made it three of four seasons they’ve fallen short of October. On the results spectrum, that’s toward the “suboptimal” end.

And right now it’s looking like the Angels haven’t done enough to avoid a similar fate in 2016.

Granted, they haven’t been laying low this winter. Their trade for Yunel Escobar should upgrade their offense, and adding Andrelton Simmons and Geovany Soto will definitely improve their defense.

But is that sufficient?

According to FanGraphs‘ WAR projections, the Angels aren’t likely to be the best team in the AL West in 2016. In fact, they project to be worse than the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners and only as good as the Texas Rangers. This is also suboptimal.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: WAR projections aren’t gospel. But it’s sometimes hard to argue with them, and this is one of those times.

Trout has been awesome, but the problem the Angels have had is giving him enough support. That’s a lingering concern that hasn’t necessarily been eased by their activity this winter. Escobar‘s probable offensive upgrade may be mitigated by Simmons and Soto likely being offensive downgrades.

There are outstanding issues elsewhere too. Trout is flanked by holes in left field and second base as well as a veteran in Albert Pujols who’s only getting older and more banged up. The Angels do have solid depth in their starting rotation, but it could be better in terms of talent.

This sounds like a job for the free-agent market, a place where the Angels have made noise in the past. And if they really wanted to, they could do it again this winter. Still out there is a selection of left fielders and starting pitchers and at least one good second baseman.

The trouble, of course, is the Angels seem wary of sticking to their old habits on the open market. And in fairness, one can see why.

Over the last five seasons, the Angels’ Opening Day payroll has tended to hover around $150 million. With $142.3 million in salary commitments and $17.7 million in projected arbitration payouts, per MLB Trade Rumors, the Angels are already slated for a franchise-high $160 million payroll in 2016.

What’s more, figures compiled by Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register show the Angels’ adjusted payroll is pretty close to the $189 million luxury-tax threshold for 2016. As a result, any free-agent signing will push them over that and force them to pay a penalty.

At the outset of the offseason, that’s something Angels owner Arte Moreno seemed willing to live with under the right circumstances. As he told Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com, “If it’s the right player in the right situation, we’ll do whatever is needed.”

Evidently, neither the right player nor the right situation has emerged. The way things stand now, the Angels are sending the message that they believe they’re better off not spending big money this winter.

From the outside looking in, however, it’s too easy to question their logic.

It’s arguably enough that the Angels don’t look like the clear favorites in the AL West heading into 2016—or even a clear wild-card contender, for that matter. There’s a real possibility of them making it four out of five prime-Trout seasons wasted.

Again, suboptimal.

If there’s something that could justify another postseason-less year for the Angels in 2016, it’s the notion that their best days will be in 2017 and beyond. This seems to be the angle the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are taking this winter—and for good reason. Both clubs are in a position to integrate young talent in the coming seasons, perhaps laying the groundwork for dynasties.

The Angels, though, aren’t even in the same ocean as the Yankees and Dodgers, much less the same boat.

The Angels’ farm system doesn’t feature a single prospect in MLB.com’s top 100, and even that may understate the problem. As Christopher Crawford and the Baseball Prospectus crew put it, “There are good systems. There are poor systems. Then there’s 50 pounds of effluence, and then there’s the Marlins. Add another 50 pounds, and you’ve finally reached the Angels.”

This puts the Angels at quite a disadvantage, not just when it comes to building from within, but in building through trades. Take away those two avenues, and spending is the only team-building strategy at their disposal.

To this end, maybe the Angels’ goal is to spend next winter when C.J. Wilson, Jered Weaver and others will go off the books. But the big problem there is that next winter’s free-agent market isn’t going to be anywhere close to as loaded as this year’s. After Stephen Strasburg and Carlos Gomez, there aren’t going to be many in-their-prime talents.

A better idea would be for the Angels to wait until after 2018 when an absurdly deep class of free agents will be available. But “better” in this case doesn’t mean “perfect.” Among that winter’s valuable free agents will be Garrett Richards, a key piece of the Angels’ current core. Also, the rising costs of Trout’s and Pujols’ contracts will render the Angels without a ton of spending power.

But that’s three whole years from now. If those three seasons go poorly, the Angels would be spending to force their window back open rather than spending to open their window even wider.

The latter is what they could be doing right now and, indeed, something they at least seem tempted to do.

Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times has reported the Angels aren’t in serious talks with players such as Justin Upton, Alex Gordon and Yoenis Cespedes. But reports from DiGiovanna, Jon Morosi of Fox Sports and Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News indicate those three are at least on the Angels’ radar.

And though a deal isn’t likely, Fletcher has reported they’ve also been in touch with former Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick. The Angels seem less hung up on starting pitching, but among the options still out there are Scott Kazmir, Wei-Yin Chen and Yovani Gallardo.

Because the Angels need to restock their farm system, it’s understandable if they’re wary of players with ties to draft-pick compensation. But that list doesn’t include Cespedes or Kazmir, and one can argue the Angels shouldn’t be too fixated on the draft anyway. They hold the No. 20 pick, and the reality is they’re not going to rebuild their system in one draft, no matter what.

In all, the Angels don’t have many excuses not to spend. Their window to contend is open now, and money is all the Angels have to open it as wide as it needs to be.

It’s either that or hope Trout can somehow become even larger than life and single-handedly make the Angels a superpower. But that’s asking a bit much, even of him.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked. Contract and payroll data courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

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The Houston Astros have outraced the competition to land Carlos Sierra.

Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reported the Cuban flamethrower has agreed to sign with Houston, though terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Sierra, 21, will be restricted to a contract under MLB’s international signing rules. He had a showcase for MLB teams in October and has had multiple other workouts where he’s looked impressive. The Astros came away particularly impressed, with Jerad Goodwin complimenting Sierra after going head-to-head against the Homeplate Chilidogs. 

“He was as advertised,” Goodwin said, per Teddy Cahill of Baseball America. “He was very good. Dominated the lower half, hard slider. It was just a tough matchup, especially coming out first game where they traveled and did all that.”

As Sanchez wrote in an April profile, Sierra boasts a fastball he throws in the 90s at three different angles. He also boasts a slider, curve and circle changeup. Though his experience has largely been limited, Sierra most recently played for the Tenerife Marlins in the Division de Honor de Beisbol, Spain’s top baseball division.

Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle put the signing in context:

Sierra will almost certainly start his MLB career in the minors, where the Astros will look to season his four pitches and get him throwing at a more consistent arm angle.

As Drellich notes, this isn’t a massive deal; odds are he tops out as a back-of-the-rotation talent. That said, it’s still a worthwhile move given his age and skill set.   

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Yu Darvish missed the entirety of the 2015 season following Tommy John surgery, and the Texas Rangers starting pitcher could be out of the rotation for another month upon the start of the 2016 campaign.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi on MLB Network Radio that Darvish could return in the middle of May.  

Continue for updates.

Rangers Content to Play Waiting Game with Darvish

Sunday, Dec. 20

Most pitchers need at least a year of recovery before they’re back to 100 percent. Considering Darvish had his Tommy John procedure in March, a May return date would be in line with that timetable. The Rangers start their year on April 4 against the Seattle Mariners, so he’d be out for roughly a quarter of the regular season.

The three-time All-Star made just 22 starts in 2014, including five in the second half of the year. His numbers looked to demonstrate signs of a lingering arm issue after his earned run average jumped from 2.51 in the month of June 2014 to 4.66 in July and then 4.91 in August.

That month, the Rangers removed Darvish from the rotation after he was discovered to have right elbow inflammation, and the team shut him down for good in September.

“I was told last year it was inflammation and that’s what I felt,” Darvish said in March after Texas announced the need for Tommy John surgery, per MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan. “I didn’t think this would happen, but maybe there was some damage and I carried it through.”

“Every rehab is different, but we’re not going to put a stopwatch on it,” said Daniels. “We want to get him back and get him back for good. We’ll take it as it goes. Our mindset is to bring him back once and not have any setbacks.”

While Darvish will be a key piece of the Rangers’ rotation, Texas has Cole Hamels to anchor the staff until he is healthy enough to come back.

Missing Darvish for a month and a half shouldn’t demonstrably harm the team’s chances of making a second straight trip to the playoffs.

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For a time, it looked like the Seattle Mariners had lost Hisashi Iwakuma. During that time, they had the look of a solid yet flawed team.

But then Iwakuma fell back into their laps. And now, well, surprise! What was a solid but flawed team now looks like a plain ol’ solid team.

If you missed this week’s Iwakuma drama, it started Thursday evening when Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported that the veteran right-hander’s three-year agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers had hit a health-related snag. It seemed at the time like the two sides were merely going to restructure their agreement, but that’s when Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto surprised us all.

He even surprised his coworkers, for that matter, announcing that the club had agreed to bring Iwakuma back at the Mariners’ holiday party:

The agreement Iwakuma made with the Dodgers called for him to make $45 million. The Mariners aren’t taking as big of a risk. As reported by Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, Iwakuma’s contract is only guaranteed for 2016, with club options for 2017 and 2018. It also guarantees him only $12 million.

This doesn’t sound like a bad gamble to take on a guy who was an American League Cy Young contender in 2013 and has only “regressed” to post a 3.53 ERA across 48 starts in two seasons since. And though there’s obviously a question about Iwakuma’s health, the Mariners aren’t as hung up on it as the Dodgers apparently were.

“We understood where he was going into the offseason,” said Dipoto, referring to an exit physical exam at the end of 2015, per Larry Stone of the Seattle Times. “We have every confidence that situation has not changed, and we’re comfortable moving forward.”

If Iwakuma does stay healthy, he’ll occupy his usual role as Seattle’s No. 2 starter behind Felix Hernandez. That is good, because that appeared to be the one glaring need the Mariners had before the Dodgers let the 34-year-old slip through their grasp.

“We’re all thrilled. This is a big move for us,” Dipoto told Greg Johns of MLB.com. “We feel like this really puts a finishing touch on what we think has been a very productive offseason.”

Iwakuma’s signing does indeed look like the finishing touch on Seattle’s offseason. Regarding that, calling it “very productive” might actually be an understatement.

In fact, it’s surprising how productive the Mariners have managed to be this winter.

It was clear when Seattle hired Dipoto in late September that he had his work cut out for him in repairing a roster that disappointed its way to 86 losses. But how Dipoto was supposed to repair the Mariners was a good question. He was walking into a situation where he had little payroll flexibility to work with and a farm system Baseball America ranked No. 25 in MLB at the start of the year. 

As such, blockbuster trades and free-agent signings—a la the ones that had delivered Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz the prior two winters—were basically out of the question. That left Dipoto with pretty much one option—and one option only.

“I think the one that we are missing right now is just a general roster depth,” he said at his introductory press conference, via ESPN.com. “The lineup needs to be a little longer, the rotation needs to be a little deeper, the bullpen needs to have more layers than it presently has.”

Many twists and turns later, “depth” is exactly what Dipoto has acquired.

In trades, the Mariners have added right-handed starter Nathan Karns, left-handed starter Wade Miley, right-handed relievers Joaquin Benoit and Evan Scribner, center fielder Leonys Martin and first baseman Adam Lind. In addition to Iwakuma, the Mariners have also added catcher Chris Iannetta, left fielder Nori Aoki and righty reliever Steve Cishek.

That’s a pretty big haul for a single team, and it looks even better that the Mariners didn’t have to sacrifice much to make it happen. Apart from righty relief ace Carson Smith, the Mariners’ trades didn’t take away anything they figure to miss. Each of the club’s free-agent contracts, meanwhile, is low-risk.

Best of all, though, is how none of this has been Dipoto adding depth simply for the sake of adding depth. Everything he’s done has been with a purpose.

On the mound, it doesn’t look like the Mariners are going to need Hernandez and Iwakuma to carry the rotation again. Karns and Miley aren’t great pitchers, but they figure to at least be solid innings-eaters. With them in tow, Johns of MLB.com notes that Seattle’s rotation looks a lot deeper:

Depth was also a problem in Seattle’s bullpen, which sputtered to a 4.15 ERA that ranked 25th in MLB.

After that, swapping out Smith for Benoit, Scribner and Cishek doesn’t sound like such a bad idea. Benoit has been largely dominant over the last three seasons, posting a 1.98 ERA. Scribner just posted an MLB-best 16.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2015. Cishek suffered through a rough patch for a while there, but he showed signs of life in posting a 2.31 ERA down the stretch with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Elsewhere, the other pieces Dipoto has acquired fill more specific needs left over from 2015.

Lind should help the Mariners avoid another modest .681 OPS at first base. Iannetta should help them avoid another hideous .208 OBP at catcher. After the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in Seattle’s lineup posted OBPs in the low .300s, Aoki’s on-base talent should upgrade the top of the order. Lastly, Martin’s glove is an easy upgrade for what was terrible center field defense.

Now, understand that we’re not looking at an elite team. FanGraphs’ WAR projections for 2016 peg the Mariners as roughly a middle-of-the-road team. When you remember Cano and Hernandez are coming off less-than-awesome seasons and Cruz is Seattle’s only elite bat, that sounds fair enough.

Look again, though, and you’ll notice the only AL West team with a higher WAR projection is the Houston Astros. I would also argue that WAR projections can underrate teams that aren’t necessarily great on paper but are constructed in a coherent way. These Mariners have that kind of vibe.

This is to say that, though they’re not necessarily favorites, the Mariners have bought themselves a fighting chance in the AL West. That’s a credit to Dipoto, who walked into a difficult job and has probably surpassed expectations with how he’s dealt with it.

Of course, he does owe the Dodgers at least some credit for that. Without them, finding the finishing touch for his offseason would have been much more difficult.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

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The Texas Rangers and veteran starting pitcher Colby Lewis reportedly reached an agreement on a one-year, $6 million deal late Thursday.

Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports the re-signing is dependent on Lewis passing a physical after dealing with a knee injury, which might not happen until after the holidays. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports confirmed the terms of the deal are in place.

The Rangers originally selected Lewis in the 1999 MLB draft. He struggled across three years with the big club after making his way through the system, though. He also failed to lock down a spot during brief stints with the Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics.

That led to a journey to Japan, where he would spend two years with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp before returning stateside and rejoining the Rangers.

He’s been more effective since his return in 2010. He posted a 3.72 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 196 strikeouts in 201 innings in that first year back in MLB. He’s been unable to match that success in the years that followed, but he’s still provided a reliable veteran presence in the middle of the rotation.

Lewis stated in early December that he hoped it would work out so he could stay with Texas, as noted by Wilson.

“There are quite a few other teams that have called and have gotten all the medicals. We’ll see. This is my first choice,” Lewis said. “This is where I want to be. If I don’t fit in, then I don’t fit it. That’s just how baseball operates these days.”

Or Moyal of WFAA expanded on what he brings to the team:

The 36-year-old right-hander certainly isn’t an ace, a role he’s been forced to fill with the Rangers at times in recent years. That said, he should slot in nicely behind the likes of Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish and Derek Holland in 2016.

His ability to provide the veteran influence described Moyal simply adds to his overall value. It’s a wise one-year investment for a Rangers club that will be looking to repeat as AL West champs.   

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The term “untouchable” is always relative, and the parameters of it depend on the organization and front office that hold said player who might be off limits in trade discussions.

Some teams hang up the phone after such a player’s name is mentioned, and that is assuming they do not answer the phone by stating the player is off the table as a salutation. Then again, other teams use the label loosely, as if to say an interested team would have to be willing to part with a massive return package just to start the conversation about that player.

It is the tag’s second form that most accurately applies to the Houston Astros’ view on George Springer, their 26-year-old right fielder who possesses promising power potential and is seen as part of the young core that has Houston garnering World Series expectations. Rumors about Springer came up during the winter meetings earlier this month, but to this point, there is no traction beyond passing inquiries as the Astros seem unlikely to part with Springer unless the haul for him is significant.

As it should be, rightfully making him one of Houston’s “untouchables.”

Source: Astros have not discussed Springer in any deals.

— Brian McTaggart ⚾️ (@brianmctaggart) December 9, 2015

That does not mean the Astros will not listen, though many of the words might go in one ear and out the other if other teams are simply trying to gauge the market.

“We listen,” Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow told reporters at the meetings (h/t Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle). “We talk to clubs about everything. There’s nothing out of bounds.”

Of course, that is a far trek from putting a player on the trading block. That is particularly true when the player has put up back-to-back seasons with a 126 OPS+ despite injuries and still has five seasons of team control.

Luhnow is quite aware of those facts.

“It’s a tricky question to answer,” he told reporters when he was asked about untouchable assets. “Because if you have good players, other clubs are going to ask you about them and any time you get an inbound inquiry on any player, you’re going to at least look at it and talk about it with your group. I think for us, we’ve got young core players. That starts with [Dallas] Keuchel, [Jose] Altuve, [George] Springer, [Carlos] Correa.

“Those guys are part of the Astros and there’s no reason for us to move any of those types of players. They’re here, they’re under control for years, they’re good, they’ve played together, it works. I don’t think anybody in that group would be going anywhere any time soon.”

That seems to prove especially true for Keuchel and Correa, the American League’s reigning Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year winners, respectively.

Springer could be a different case, though.

The Astros certainly are not shopping him, but the 11^th overall pick of the 2011 draft is attractive because of his ceiling and control. His current club understands the value that brings, and if he can garner a package of high-ceiling prospects and/or a top-shelf pitching prospect or front-line major league-ready starter, that listening the Astros are doing could turn into real talks.

There is a lot to like about Springer as a high-upside offensive player. He hit 20 home runs in 345 plate appearances as a rookie, and last season he ended up as the team’s leadoff hitter for most of the year, posting an .829 OPS from that spot—he also hit third early in the year and second in the final month.

Springer suffered a fractured wrist in early July, when he was hitting .264/.365/.457 with an .822 OPS. He returned in September for the final 27 games and hit .304/.373/.464 with an .837 OPS, five doubles and three home runs.

Springer can also play solid defense. Last season, among major league right fielders with at least 800 innings played, he was sixth with five defensive runs saved, a counting stat likely lowered because of the time Springer missed, and seventh with a 4.4 ultimate zone rating per 150 innings, according to Fangraphs.

Despite missing most of July and all of August, Springer was still almost a four-win player by both Baseball-Reference‘s and Fangraphs‘ calculations. There is significant value in that, which is why other teams have a desire to put that type of lineup-versatile player on their roster.

The Astros are right to label Springer as one of their untouchables at this point. He could be just entering his prime, and his potential when given 600-plus plate appearances is high enough to cause salivation and project some All-Star selections in his future. The Astros are also right to listen to the chatter about their budding star. If a team is willing to pay the asking price, the organization has to consider moving him.

For now, though, Springer is an Astro and a major part of the organization’s plan to go from doormat to title hopeful. With him, the Astros are better. Without him, they might improve. And that difference is enough of a reason to mark him as an “untouchable.”

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired first-hand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

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Hisashi Iwakuma is staying in Washington, after all.

After originally agreeing to leave the Seattle Mariners for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Iwakuma signed a new deal with the Mariners on Thursday for 2016 with options for 2017 and 2018, per Shannon Drayer of ESPN Radio in Seattle.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported Iwakuma’s first year of the deal was worth close to $15.8 million, and with the two option years tacked on, the contract could be worth nearly $45 million. 

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported Iwakuma received a full no-trade clause in the deal, while the team announced Seattle designated outfielder Dan Robertson for assignment to clear a roster spot.

The Mariners posted a video of general manager Jerry Dipoto announcing the re-signing of Iwakuma:

“Hello everyone,” Iwakuma said to start his press conference on Friday, per Greg Johns of MLB.com. “The Bear is back in Seattle.”

“I’m very glad it worked out this way,” Iwakuma added, per Johns.

The Japanese right-handed pitcher accepted a three-year, $45 million deal with the Dodgers on Dec. 6, but Los Angeles backed out after reviewing Iwakuma’s physical, according to Japan’s Jiji Press (via ESPN.com’s Mark Saxon).

“I’m very healthy,” Iwakuma said, per Bob Dutton of the News Tribune.

Johns of MLB.com provided a transcript of Dipoto’s reasoning for re-signing Iwakuma:

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted the shaky ground on which his team stood with Iwakuma mid-Thursday, per Eric Stephen of True Blue LA:

The 34-year-old starter has recorded a winning season every year since coming to the major leagues in 2012. He went 9-5 with a 3.54 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 2015. As the Mariners continue to rebuild under Dipoto, getting Iwakuma back was a huge signing as Seattle looks to cobble together a rotation around ace Felix Hernandez.

However, Iwakuma’s failed physical could be an issue, as it was enough to cause the Dodgers to back off. But if healthy, the righty will be in the mix with Taijuan Walker, Wade Miley and others for a top-of-the-rotation spot in 2016.

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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. 

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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. 

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The Washington Nationals have reached an agreement Thursday to trade infielder Yunel Escobar to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for pitchers Trevor Gott and Michael Brady, announced the Angels.

Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reported the Angels were getting $1.5 million as part of the trade, likely to help pay Escobar’s salary. 

Escobar became expendable for Washington because of a crowded infield depth chart looking toward 2016. Anthony Rendon, Danny Espinosa and Ryan Zimmerman all figure to play key roles, and promising prospect Trea Turner is nearing his full-time arrival.     

Given that uncertain path to playing time, the Nationals opted to move Escobar now in order to upgrade elsewhere while his value was reasonably strong.

The 33-year-old natural shortstop spent all of his time at third base last season. He put together one of his most complete campaigns at the plate, posting a .314 average and .375 on-base percentage with nine home runs and 75 runs scored in 139 games.

It’s fair to wonder whether he can replicate that success, though. He’s a contact hitter—just 70 strikeouts and 45 walks in 2015—and that means he depends on a bit of luck to have consistent success. His batting average on balls in play (BABIP) was 41 points higher than his career mark, per FanGraphs.

That said, the Angels were seeking to bolster their roster at both second base and third base. Escobar can play either of those positions while also providing additional depth behind defensive wizard Andrelton Simmons at shortstop if needed.

Even if his offensive numbers drop off a bit as his BABIP comes down to a more typical level, he should be a solid pickup for a Los Angeles club that finished 20th in runs scored last season.

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