Cleveland Sports Forum

The Kansas City Royals have extended the contract of skipper Ned Yost through 2016.

Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports that the Washington Nationals have not had any extension talks with shortstop Ian Desmond. In 154 games last season, Desmond hit .255 with 24HR and 91RBI.

According to Ben Badler of Baseball America, the Arizona Diamondbacks have signed Cuban righty Yoan Lopez. He will make a record-breaking bonus of $8.25MM.

The Washington Nationals have signed outfielder Mike Carp.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks have interest in James Shields.

According to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500, the Minnesota Twins watched their former Cy Young award winner Johan Santana throw off of a mound last week. He last played for them in 2007.

Jack Curry of YES Network reports that the New York Yankees acquired righty Chris Martin from the Colorado Rockies for cash considerations. To make room on the roster they have DFAed righty Gonzalez Germen.

According to David O’ Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Wandy Rodriguez of the Atlanta Braves failed a physical that would have sent him to the Philadelphia Phillies. He has instead signed a minor league deal with the Braves.

GM Dave Stewart of the Arizona Diamondbacks states that he has no interest in trading away Mark Trumbo.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the Miami Marlins have signed righty Nick Masset to a minor league deal.

According to Jason Mastrodonato of MassLive.com he reports that the Boston Red Sox might trade Jackie Bradley Jr. due to the logjam they have in the outfield.

Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to pursue Cuban defector infielder Yoan Moncada. He is expected to have a larger bonus than Yoan Lopez of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The big move we've all been waiting for finally came Sunday night, as the Washington Nationals signed the market's top free agent in right-hander Max Scherzer.

The 2013 AL Cy Young winner agreed to terms on a seven-year, $210 million deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Half of the money is deferred, meaning he will make $15 million annually for the next 14 years.

Keep Scherzer, Zimmermann, Strasburg, Fister and Gio Gonzalez intact, and the Nationals are World Series favorites.

Deal one of them, and, well...the Nationals are still darned good, but they could also wind up like Popeye on a rough day, short by one can of spinach.

Now, this quintet makes the old Philadelphia Phillies rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt and Vance Worley (2011) look supermodel thin.

Deal one of them, and, well...a team that still hasn't even gotten out of the division series might well get rolled early again.

Truthfully, Scherzer has to be brought in. Just two weeks ago, with the Nationals still playing pitching possum, an American League executive told me he still thought they were a sleeper for Scherzer.

Agent Scott Boras plays Lerner the way Eric Clapton plays the guitar. Boras' clients on Washington's roster include Jayson Werth, Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Danny Espinosa. Boras also negotiated a spot for Rafael Soriano in the Nats bullpen a couple years ago.

When Boras says jump, Lerner asks, "How much?"

And so it was with Scherzer, who coolly stayed in the frosty shadows all winter before agreeing to a seven-year, $210 million deal Sunday that takes him all the way to age 36.

In April, after Scherzer turned down $144 million from the Detroit Tigers, the question Sports Illustrated posed on its cover was, "Did he make a dumb wager on his future?"

Nine months later, the better question is, why do people continue to underestimate Boras? Scherzer's "wager" earned him a $66 million raise. Sign me up to ride shotgun with Scherzer the next time he goes to Vegas. And I hate Vegas.

Meantime, the politics of this deal are positively delicious.

First, half of Scherzer's $210 million is deferred, sources confirm to Bleacher Report. So since the Nationals are paying him "only" $105 million from 2015-2021, is the deal structured in a way that will allow them to keep Zimmermann, Strasburg, Fister and Gonzalez in what would be an epic run at a World Series title?

Second, if Rizzo's next move is to deal one of them and move a capable Tanner Roark into the No. 5 slot, who goes? Both Zimmermann and Fister are free-agent eligible following the 2015 season, so it makes sense to move one of them in a preemptive strike to get something (presumably, bullpen help) back.

Strasburg? Rival executives say the Nats have talked about both his and Zimmermann's availability this winter. The Nationals control Strasburg for two more seasons. But Boras probably wouldn't go for broke in a Scherzer deal that would screw another of his high-profile clients, Strasburg.

However, if Strasburg by chance has indicated that he is ready to move on after what has been a sometimes-frustrating tenure with the Nationals, that's a completely different story. And if he is ready for a change, his hometown San Diego Padres are positioned to win in 2015 and could provide the Nats with the bullpen help they need. Strasburg still lives in San Diego and regularly attends the basketball games of his alma mater, San Diego State.

If the Nationals can stretch their budget for even one more year—and right now with everyone, their projected payroll for '15 is more than $160 million—they should do it. Without Scherzer, the Nats' 3.03 staff ERA was the best in the majors last summer. With him, the sky (or at least the tip-top of the Washington Monument) is the limit.

While they did the responsible thing with Strasburg in 2012 by limiting him to 159.1 innings pitched at age 23, the other end of the story was this: The stars line up so infrequently in this game that when they do and you have a legitimate chance to win, you've got to take it.

In '12, the Nats had the best record in the majors and figured their window for winning was just cracking open. Instead, with Strasburg watching that October, they fell to the Cardinals in the division series Then they followed that up with a flop in '13 that had them sitting at home during the postseason. They rebounded in '14, only to get blitzed in the division series again, this time by the Giants.

Half of the money is deferred, meaning he will make $15 million annually for the next 14 years.

So he's on the payroll for FOURTEEN years!

Too bad Jeff Moorad & the players union wouldn't allow Manny to take deferred money back in the day.

Touted Cuban infielder Moncada works out for Yanks

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com | @JoeFrisaro | 12:51 PM ET + 20 COMMENTS

Yoan Moncada, the 19-year-old Cuban sensation, reportedly has had a private workout for the Yankees. New York is among a growing list of clubs coveting the services of the switch-hitter who has been primarily a middle infielder, but may eventually wind up in the outfield. MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez confirms a Baseball America report that Moncada showcased his skills for Yankees officials. Sanchez also notes Moncada has worked out for the Giants, and he said that Moncada had seven workouts scheduled for January. A number of high-revenue Major League clubs are scouting Moncada, who is expected to sign for more than $30 million. Before being free to sign, Moncada first must be cleared by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Because Moncada is under age 23 and he has not played in a Cuban professional league for at least five seasons, he will be subject to the international signing guidelines. This means the bonus he will receive will come from a team's international bonus spending pool.

MLB.com Columnist
Lyle Spencer
Remade infields rank among baseball's best
Dodgers, Cards, Mariners, Nats, Red Sox can boast of high quality

The ongoing media focus on the Dodgers' crowded outfield has obscured the exceptional quality of their infield. If you buy the analytics, the defending National League West champions will enter the season with the best all-around infield in the game following a major makeover.

According to WAR (wins above replacement player) and defensive metrics courtesy of FanGraphs, Baseball Info Solutions and the Fielding Bible, the Dodgers' unit of Adrian Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, Jimmy Rollins and Juan Uribe, with Justin Turner in reserve, is the leader of the pack with a WAR of 18.7, based on last season's production.

On the Dodgers' heels are the American League-best Twins (15.5), Cardinals (14.7), Mariners (14.5) and Blue Jays (13.8). Rounding out the top 10 are the Nationals (12.7), Red Sox (12.6), Rockies (11.9), White Sox (11.6) and Tigers (11.0).

Winter swaps bringing Kendrick from the Angels and Rollins from the Phillies, replacing Dee Gordon and Hanley Ramirez at second base and shortstop, respectively, should tighten up the Dodgers' middle-infield defense. Kendrick and Rollins each placed sixth in the Majors at their positions in ultimate zone rating and overall defense. They join Uribe, the Majors' third-rated defensive third baseman, and Gonzalez, the NL Gold Glove Award winner at first base. Gordon ranked 12th at second base, while Ramirez, Boston's new left fielder, was rated 21st among shortstops.

Thanks to Miguel Rojas, now a Marlin, making up for Ramirez's nine runs surrendered with a whopping 11 runs saved in 284 innings at shortstop, the Dodgers saved more infield runs (38) than any team last season. The Reds (37), Orioles (34), Cards (32). Rockies (29), Padres (19), Giants (18) and Athletics (16) also were impressive run-savers.

A number of clubs figure to be improved in the infield by offseason alterations or the return of prominent players from injuries. A look at seven to watch in 2015:

Dodgers

Along with rock-solid play from third to first, the Dodgers have a significant plus in the versatile Turner. With a locker full of gloves, Turner and his .897 OPS assembled a 3.2 WAR that was superior to any regular in seven MLB infields. Uribe had a 3.8 WAR despite being held to 103 games by injuries. Kendrick (4.6) and Rollins (3.6) are steady, smart two-way talents. Gonzalez, the top-ranked glove at first by a panel of experts in the 2015 Bill James Handbook, had a 3.5 WAR, bringing the five current Dodgers' infielders to 18.7 -- up from an MLB-high 17.0 last season.

Twins

Minnesota's strong suit is offense, led by second basemen Brian Dozier (4.6 WAR). Shortstop Danny Santana (3.2) and third baseman Trevor Plouffe (3.5) handle the left side. Joe Mauer (1.9) was credited with four runs saved at first base, and versatile backup Eduardo Escobar (2.3) is a plus. Looming on the horizon is power-hitting third baseman Miguel Sano.

Cardinals

The addition of shortstop Jhonny Peralta and his 5.4 WAR and the emergence of second baseman Kolten Wong (2.0 WAR) as a postseason offensive force give the Redbirds an imposing infield, with Matt Carpenter (3.8 WAR) and Matt Adams (1.9) solid two-way operators at the corners. Peralta's 17 runs saved ranked third in the NL at shortstop behind the Braves' Andrelton Simmons and the Reds' Zack Cozart. Wong ranked sixth at his position with nine runs saved. Newcomer Mark Reynolds (1.6) brings offensive thunder to the corners, and Pete Kozma lends veteran support.

Mariners

For a team on the rise, Robinson Cano (5.2 WAR) at second and Kyle Seager (5.5) at third deliver on a consistently elite level, missing only eight games combined last season. At shortstop, Chris Taylor and Brad Miller (both 1.4) have shown promise. Logan Morrison (1.0) gets the call at first, and Willie Bloomquist can do a little bit of everything.

Blue Jays

Third baseman Josh Donaldson, acquired from Oakland, elevates this infield by virtue of his multiple talents and 6.4 WAR. Shortstop Jose Reyes (3.3 WAR) makes exciting things happen in the field and offensively. The right side of the infield has formidable Edwin Encarnacion (3.6 WAR) and Justin Smoak at first with Maicer Izturis, Ryan Goins and versatile Shawn Tolleson competing at second.

Nationals

Max Scherzer and the superb pitching staff around him will be backed by a remodeled infield. Ryan Zimmerman (1.2 WAR) moves across the diamond to first base. Anthony Rendon (6.6 WAR) is a polished gem at third, with Ian Desmond (4.1) a force at shortstop. Yunel Escobar presumably gets first call at second, with Danny Espinosa (0.6) providing competition.

Red Sox

Perhaps only the Tigers, with Miguel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler (5.4 WAR each), and the Dodgers can anticipate production from the right side of the infield to match Boston's Mike Napoli (2.5) and Dustin Pedroia (4.4). Third baseman Pablo Sandoval (3.0) is a quality defender and proven thumper from both sides. Xander Bogaerts (0.4) has the tools at shortstop, and Brock Holt (2.3) is arguably the game's most versatile player.

Others swiftly could rise to elite status. The return of exquisite shortstop Jose Iglesias in Detroit, third baseman Manny Machado in Baltimore and Prince Fielder at first in Texas could do wonders for those AL clubs. An entirely rebuilt A's infield features Ben Zobrist at second and Brett Lawrie at third.

An anticipated full season of Brandon Belt at first and Joe Panik at second should improve the World Series-champion Giants despite the loss of Sandoval at third, where Casey McGehee checks in.

The Marlins' new look has Michael Morse at first, Gordon at second and Martin Prado at third alongside shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria.

If Troy Tulowitzki and Nolan Arenado stay healthy in Denver, the Rockies' infield is as talented as any in the sport.

Manager Joe Maddon's Cubs, brimming with possibilities, are the fascinating wild cards.

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers added the impact starting they were looking for when they acquired right-hander Yovani Gallardo from the Brewers on Monday. Gallardo, who played high school baseball at Trimble Tech in Fort Worth, joins Yu Darvish and Derek Holland as three pitchers at the top of the rotation who could each give the Rangers 200 innings. Colby Lewis could be a fourth if he continues to show he is fully recovered from hip and flexor tendon surgeries. To get Gallardo, the Rangers traded reliever Corey Knebel, infielder Luis Sardinas and Minor League pitcher Marcos Diplan to the Brewers. Neither Knebel nor Diplan are considered among the Rangers' top Minor League prospects. Knebel was ranked No. 8 on the Rangers by MLB.com, while Diplan was No. 20. Daniels said it is still a good haul for the Brewers, pointing out that Knebel could impact the back end of the bullpen, Sardinas could end up as an everyday shortstop and Diplan, just 18, could develop into a significant pitching prospect.

Jan 20, 2015 | 11:00 am
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE NATS OFFENSE, AGAIN
David Huzzard
Senior Editor
This story was originally published on CitizensofNatsTown.com.

In the wake of the Max Scherzer signing I’ve been listening to a lot of sports talk radio to hear other people’s reaction to the deal. Going off of XM and venturing into the land of local sports talk radio has turned out to be a large mistake.

Without my nightly dose of Phil Wood callers I’d forgotten just how dumb these people are and it has left me with something to say. Most of the reaction to the Scherzer signing has been negative because the Nats didn’t need another great starting pitcher they needed Mike Trout or some other mystical .300 hitter that can jack 30 home runs. Actually scratch that. Mike Trout isn’t on this list. The only person currently playing in Major League baseball to hit .300 or higher with at least 30 home runs in 2014 was Victor Martinez and as the Nats play in the NL they had no place for him.

The only way the Nats could have acquired the player these callers think the team needs is to travel to Victor Frankenstein’s lab and make one themselves, and as the commissioner’s office frowns on PED use I don’t know how they’d feel about genetic engineering or the harvesting of corpses. The two best offensive players on the free agent market was the .739 2014 OPS Pablo Sandoval and the oft injured Hanley Ramirez. Neither would have been a great help to the Nationals and if we want to compare WAR value there isn’t one between those two and Max Scherzer.
Through all this we have yet to mention that the only place the Nats have to upgrade is either at second or third base. Josh Donaldson would have been a great addition and as uninspiring as that trade was Brett Lawrie was a key part of it and trading Anthony Rendon for Josh Donaldson is just spinning in circles. The other player the Nats targeted to improve their offense was Ben Zobrist and once again it appeared they just didn’t match up with what the Rays were looking for. The Nats did add Yunel Escobar, who hasn’t been great offensively in recent years but has had a similar career to Asdrubal Cabrera and is better than Danny Espinosa.

The player the Nats needed to upgrade their offense just wasn’t available and still we haven’t mentioned that the offense didn’t need upgrading. The Nats scored the third most runs in the NL last season. Lots of folks seem to think there was something wrong with the 2014 Nationals because they didn’t win the World Series. In fact there was more wrong with the Royals and Giants who played in the World Series than the 2014 Nationals. The Nationals had a top offense, a top starting rotation, and a top bullpen. If there was a weakness to the 2014 Nationals it was defense and that ranked 11th in the majors. The 2014 Nationals were as complete as a team comes.

Losing Adam LaRoche is a loss, but Ryan Zimmerman missed over 100 games for the first time since his call-up season and Bryce Harper spent most of the season recovering from knee surgery, on the DL, and recovering from a thumb injury. Having those two back and healthy in the line-up is going to help on its own. Denard Span is going to see some regression, Jayson Werth could miss the first couple weeks to month of the season, and the bench still doesn’t look good on paper (but whose bench does), but Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman being healthier and in the line-up more often will make up for all of that. Not to mentioned that people keep forgetting just how good Anthony Rendon was in 2014.Yunel Escobar is the only hitter in the Nats line-up that projects to have a wRC+ under 100 at 98 meaning he is 2% worse than a league average hitter and that is 15% better than the average NL number eight hitter in 2014. The Nationals offense doesn’t have that 40 home run bat, but no one else has that either. What the Nationals do have is league average or above hitters at every single spot on the field, and if Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon do what they should as the three and four hitters it isn’t going to matter one bit who’s playing second or if Jayson Werth can rebound from shoulder surgery or if Denard Span should be leading off.

In comparison to how good the pitching staff is I guess you could say the offense is a weakness, but compared to the rest of baseball the Nats have a really good line-up and one that has the potential to be great if Bryce Harper reaches his potential. And while the people that need to read this likely never will I wrote it anyway and now you know that while the Nats offense isn’t as good as their pitching staff it still projects to be damn good.

JOE: I thought you only posted about the White Sox

No news on the home front, JR. Some teams are making a lot of interesting moves this winter. I like the fact that some teams think they can still improve and upgrade their teams even though they could have quit with the "pat" hands they had

Diamondbacks Unveil Yasmany Tomas
January 22, 2015 by Bill Mitchell

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—

The Diamondbacks on Thursday unveiled arguably their most important offseason acquisition by introducing Yasmany Tomas during a media briefing at their Salt River Fields training facility.

Tomas, who signed a $68 million, six-year contract in November after defecting from Cuba, answered questions through interpreter Ariel Prieto for 20 minutes, with chief baseball officer Tony La Russa, new general manager Dave Stewart and new manager Chip Hale all on hand.

Tomas has been working out at the complex since arriving earlier in the week.

While most observers project Tomas as an outfielder, the Diamondbacks plan to give him a chance to earn the third base job during spring training.

“I feel comfortable,” Tomas said about playing at the hot corner. “I played a lot of third base in Cuba.”

Stewart later addressed the subject, confirming that if Tomas can handle the position it would fill an open spot for the team, although the Diamondbacks have third base depth in Jake Lamb and Brandon Drury, who could move to second base.

When asked about the success of other Cuban players who preceded him, Tomas said, “I’m going to try to follow those guys because they already have gotten results here, and I want to do the same thing because I have a goal.”

New Diamondback Yasmany Tomas 'making adjustments' to play third base

SHARE STORY BY CRAIG GRIALOU, Reporter

January 22, 2015 @ 8:16 pm

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Third base.

That's where Yasmany Tomas has been working out, and that's where the Arizona Diamondbacks envision him playing for years to come.

"I feel comfortable (there)," Tomas said. "I played a lot of third base in Cuba."

The D-backs have invested $68.5 million over the next six years in the 24-year-old, known more for his bat than his fielding.

In Cuba, Tomas mainly played outfield, though he did see time at third and at first.

"If the progression continues, he's going to be able to play third base," general manager Dave Stewart said following Tomas' introductory press conference Thursday at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. "What we don't want to do is have his hitting suffer because he's so concentrated on being a third baseman. We'd like to have him be a well-rounded player and be able to play both defensively and offensively for us. And if we feel in any way that his offense is going to lack because he's so focused on playing third base, then that's not a good decision for us organizationally."

In his five seasons in the Cuban Serie Nacional, Tomas hit 30 home runs and compiled 104 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 205 games dating back to 2008.

He fled Cuba in the summer, leaving behind his family.

"It was something hard for me," Tomas said through D-backs coach and translator Ariel Prieto.

The slugger first arrived in Haiti, a journey he described as "uncomfortable" and did not wish to elaborate on.

"Everything was fine," Tomas said. "I don't want to talk about it."

His arrival in Arizona is only the second time he has been in the United States. His first visit came during the 2013 World Baseball Classic, when he batted .375 (6-for-16) with two home runs, five RBI and a 1.224 OPS in six games. Baseball America tabbed him as the sixth-best non-MLB player in the tournament.

Now, wearing Sedona Red and white, Tomas plans to put in the time and effort to learn the nuances of third base.

"It's been a staff effort," Stewart said of Tomas' early work with manager Chip Hale and coaches Andy Green (third base), Dave MacKay (first base) and Mark Grace (assistant hitting coach), among others.

"He's making adjustments. He's a very, very smart young man, and he's really taking in the information that's being given to him and applying it immediately. We don't think it's going to be an easy transition, but we do think that he's going to be able to play the position."

Stewart said the true test of Tomas' comfort at third base is going to come once the team starts playing Cactus League games.

"We want him to play in the big leagues for us coming out of spring training," the GM said. "But, once again, we're not opposed to him getting some adjustment time at the minor league level if we have to. But we want him to be on our big league team."

That's what Tomas wants, too.

"That was my dream, first of all," he said, "but never was my goal because I never know at 24 years old (if) I can play in the big leagues. But now it's going to be my goal. I'm going to try to do the best I can to help the team and to get a great year."

I was curious why the Rays, or anyone for that matter, would sign Asdrubal Cabrera. Of course a one-year contract for $7.5 is not so much of a big deal in baseball terms. [he made $10M in 2014] But I when I read the updated Tampa top prospect list and find SS at No. 2 and No. 3 I guess they are looking for a temporary fill-in until the next day pushes him aside. Quite a come-down for a two-time all star.

This quote from a signing story:

And when you look at Cabrera’s performance record at the plate, there’s something obviously wrong -- something that the Rays might be ready to fix.

is wishful thinking.

CHICAGO -- Catcher Geovany Soto and two-time All-Star pitcher Brad Penny have agreed to minor league contracts with the White Sox. Soto, the NL Rookie of the Year with the Cubs in 2008, appeared in just 24 games with Texas and Oakland last season. He was limited by knee and foot injuries and was also arrested on a marijuana possession charge.