The Weekly Rundown: 1/15/23 - 1/21/23
A Miami/Minnesota swap, Red Sox and Mets get outfield help, and more.
Good morning, friends.
Another week down and about three to go until pitchers and catchers report for spring training. February 15 is the day to count down to, though players participating in the World Baseball Classic must report to spring training a couple of days earlier than their teammates.
Speaking of the World Baseball Classic, the tournament is scheduled to begin on March 8. That means over the couple of months you can expect plenty of WBC content in your e-mail inbox. In the near term, I plan to put together a preview of the action that includes a brief “tale of the tape” for all 20 teams.
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Now for the top stories from the week in baseball, starting with a blockbuster…
A Miami/Minnesota swap
Miami Marlins right-hander Pablo Lopez has been the subject of trade rumors all winter. It was a matter of when, not if, he would be moved this offseason.
That “when” turned out to be Friday as he was traded to the Minnesota Twins in a deal that, while predictable, still managed to catch me completely off guard. Not so much because of Lopez, but because of the other moving parts.
The Twins sent 2022 All-Star and batting champion Luis Arraez to Miami in exchange for Lopez. If this were a 1-for-1 swap, I’d understand the move for both sides. Minnesota gets the pitching it desperately needs while Miami — which has plenty of talented arms — gets one of the best bats in the game. But wait, there’s more!
Miami also sent two prospects to Minnesota in the trade: infielder Jose Salas (No. 4 ranked prospect in the organization) and outfielder Byron Chourio.
The Twins need Lopez far more than the Marlins do. Miami’s rotation still looks strong with NL Cy Young award winner Sandy Alcantara, Jesus Luzardo, Trevor Rogers, Johnny Cueto, and Edward Cabrera. Still, this seems like a significant overpay.
I’m curious to see what the Marlins do from here. They’re back to having a surplus of infielders with Jazz Chisholm Jr., Garrett Cooper, Jean Segura, Joey Wendle, and Jon Berti. Apparently, they plan to move Chisholm from second base to center field. Chisholm is a great athlete, so it could work out. We’ll see.
Don’t be surprised if one of those Marlins infielders — Wendle being the most likely — is moved before Opening Day.
Lopez posted a 3.75 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP with 174 strikeouts in 180 innings pitched in 2022. Arraez hit .316 with eight homers, 49 RBI, 50 walks and only 43 Ks in 144 games.
Red Sox get their center fielder
The departure of Xander Bogaerts, followed by Trevor Story’s elbow surgery, forced the Red Sox to move utility man Kiké Hernandez from center field to shortstop. Not an ideal scenario. The need for a middle infielder or a center fielder was evident, whether they added one via trade or free agency.
They chose the latter, signing former Cincinnati Reds/Miami Marlins/Atlanta Braves outfielder Adam Duvall to a one-year contract worth $7 million and up to $10 million with incentives. A right-handed power bat? Check. An above-average defensive center fielder? Check.
Duvall was an All-Star in 2016 and a Gold Glove award winner in 2021. Last season was a forgettable one for the 34-year-old, but in 2021 he hit .228/.281/.491 with 38 homers and a National League-leading 113. There’s potential for a Hunter Renfroe-like offensive season from him in 2023.
Despite the Duvall addition, I wouldn’t be surprised if Boston added a middle infielder before Opening Day. Veterans Jose Iglesias and Elvis Andrus are the options that stand out on the free-agent market. Ha-Seong Kim and Joey Wendle are the names that have been mentioned most in trade rumors, with Willy Adames being a pipe dream.
After landing Duvall, the Red Sox front office stayed active with a couple of interesting depth moves. Catcher Jorge Alfaro and outfielder Raimel Tapia were signed to minor-league contracts and we should expect to see both with the big-league club at some point in 2023.
Alfaro hit .246 with seven homers and 40 RBI in 82 games with the San Diego Padres last year. Recently, he made headlines for his performance and incredible swagger with the Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League. He was named the league’s finals MVP after going 8-for-19 with a pair of home runs and four RBI.
Reese McGuire and Connor Wong are ahead of Alfaro on the Red Sox depth chart for now. The catching competition in spring training should be interesting.
If Raimel Tapia’s name sounds familiar, that’s because he made Red Sox fans miserable last season with one of the lowest points of the season: an inside-the-park grand slam that made Jarren Duran public enemy No. 1 in Boston.
An odd coincidence that Tapia could end up taking Duran’s fourth outfielder job.
Tapia provides much-needed outfield depth to a team that scraped the bottom of the barrel for outfielders last season. The soon-to-be 29-year-old spent six years with the Colorado Rockies before joining the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022, when he hit .265 with seven homers, 52 RBI, and eight stolen bases in 128 games.
New Member of the Pham
The Mets were the other team rumored to be in the Adam Duvall sweepstakes. Duvall ultimately chose Boston because he’ll get the chance to play pretty much every day. A real slap in the face to Steve Cohen.
With Duvall off the table, the Mets signed former Sox outfielder Tommy Pham to a one-year, $6 million deal. He presumably will split time between the outfield and a platoon role at DH with Daniel Vogelbach.
Pham still has some pop as he hit 17 homers and drove in 53 runs in 144 games last season between Cincinnati and Boston. He’s especially effective against left-handed pitching, which is a quality the Mets had been searching for. While his defense leaves plenty to be desired, he still seems like a solid fit in Queens.
Buying Low On Brian
(Sidenote: I might have to write the script for a “Buying Low On Brian” sitcom.)
The Brewers signed former Marlins third baseman/outfielder Brian Anderson to a one-year, $3.5 million deal that could earn an additional $2 million in incentives. It’s a low-risk move for Milwaukee that could pay dividends if Anderson stays healthy.
Anderson has been plagued by injuries the last couple of seasons, only playing in 98 games in 2022 and 67 in 2021. Prior to that, he was one of the more reliable bats in the Marlins’ lineup. The 29-year-old posted a .810 OPS during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and an .811 OPS in 2019. In 2018, he placed fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. This could turn out to be an underrated pickup for the Brew Crew.
KC Chapman
You got a fastball
I want a pitcher from anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get out of last place
Any place is better
Former Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman will start a new chapter in Kansas City. The Royals signed the hard-throwing southpaw to a one-year contract worth $3.75 million.
Chapman’s Yankees tenure ended on a sour note as he was left off New York’s ALDS roster after missing a mandatory team workout. The 34-year-old also missed time toward the end of the 2022 regular season due to a leg infection from a tattoo. Just a bizarre year for Chapman all around.
He’ll get a chance to bounce back with a Royals club that needs all the help it can get after a 65-97 last-place campaign. The seven-time All-Star notched nine saves with a 4.46 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 43 relief appearances last year.
Rapid Fire
The Seattle Mariners inked infielder Tommy La Stella to a one-year contract after he was DFA’d by the San Francisco Giants. La Stella was a disappointment in the Bay, playing in only 136 games during his two seasons there while hitting .245. Despite the struggles, it’s a no-risk move for Seattle and could pay off given La Stella’s track record with the Angels, A’s, and Cubs.
Pablo Lopez wasn’t the only pitcher to make headlines for the Twins this week. Minnesota signed right-hander Chris Paddack to a three-year contract extension worth $12.5 million. Paddack, 27, is recovering from Tommy John surgery but should provide rotation depth when he returns. He is 21-21 with a 4.20 ERA, 330 strikeouts, and 47 walks in 65 starts and one relief appearance (330.1 innings) between Minnesota and San Diego.
The Rumor Mill
Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck reportedly is drawing “significant interest” on the trade market. Outside of prospects, Houck makes the most sense as a trade chip for middle infield help. The 26-year-old doesn’t have a defined role for the 2023 season and hasn’t really had one through parts of three seasons with the club. That said, he’s a valuable asset as he has posted a 3.02 ERA with 164 strikeouts and a 1.12 WHIP in 146 big-league innings.
The Yankees reportedly have shown interest in free agents Jurickson Profar and Josh Harrison. Profar makes the most sense as New York has been looking for a left fielder. Harrison has experience in left field but has mostly spent time at second base.
The Mets aren’t done spending apparently. They’re reportedly looking for a left-handed reliever and specifically have shown interest in Andrew Chafin and Zack Britton. I’m a bit surprised Chafin hasn’t been signed yet as I considered him one of the top relievers on the open market this winter. Britton’s track record speaks for itself, but he’s coming off Tommy John surgery and his best days are well behind him.
That’s all for this week. Until next time…