We are rapidly approaching the start of spring training, and almost all major free agents are committed. That said, it is still the off-season, and that means rumors can be found. We found them and rounded them up for Monday. Here they are:
The Yankees hired left-handed reliever Justin Wilson, by Sweeny Murti from WFAN.
Wilson, 33, has spent the past two seasons at the Mets. In 68 appearances in Queens, he posted an ERA of 2.91 (143 ERA +) and a strike-to-walk ratio of 2.39. Wilson, who shot for the Yankees in 2015, mainly has two shots: a mid-90s fastball and a cutter, a combination that has allowed him to suppress quality contact in recent years.
Wilson is the second notable addition that the Yankees made to their bullpen recently, joining right-handed Darren O’Day, which the Yankees signed after transferring Adam Ottavino in a trade with the Red Sox.
Mets adds pillar to the external field
The New York Mets signed a one-year contract with free agent outfielder Kevin Pillar, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Pilar, 32, will give the Mets more depth of field for the 2021 MLB season. The veteran – who can play all three field positions – hit 0.288 / 0.336 / 0.462 with six home runs, 12 doubles and 26 RBI during the abbreviated 2020 season. Pillar started his 2020 season with the Red Sox before being traded on the Rockies deadline. Pillar established himself as an elite defender during his eight-year career in the MLB, and although his numbers are not at their peak, he still boasts impressive defensive statistics.
The Mets lost free-field player George Springer this offseason, and Pillar’s recent signing may signal that they may be out of court Jackie Bradley Jr. as well. As things stand now, it appears that Pillar can take control of the center, which would be a clear update on Brandon Nimmo. Pillar played mainly in the center and in the right field throughout his career. So they would have Michael Conforto on the right and Dominic Smith on the left. Or Mets could have Nimmo on the left and move Smith to the bench. They have flexibility with their outfielders.
New York also added outfielder Albert Almora Jr. this winter. Pillar joins Almora, Jose Martinez and Guillermo Heredia as right-field options on the Mets 40-player roster, with Smith, Nimmo and Conforto as left-handed outfielders.
With all of that to say, these moves don’t necessarily keep them out of the Bradley Jr. dispute. They were involved in discussions with the Red Sox’s outlaw, who entered the off-season rated by CBS Sports as the 12th best free agent available. Our own Mike Axisa recently listed the Mets as a good landing spot for the JBJ.
Kipnis joins the Braves
Veteran infielder Jason Kipnis tweeted on Monday afternoon that he had signed with Braves. The deal is a secondary league pact.
Kipnis, 34 in early April, spent the last season with the Cubs. He hit 0.237 / 0.341 / 0.404 (101 OPS +) with three home runs in 135 trips to the plate. It was Kipnis’ best offensive effort since 2016, as judged by OPS +.
Kipnis wants to compete for a seat on the bench with Braves. As it stands, Atlanta should take reserve catcher Alex Jackson, outfielder Ender Inciarte, and indoor fields Johan Camargo and Adrianza as reserves.
Twins catch cobbler
The Minnesota Twins signed veteran Matt Shoemaker for a $ 2 million one-year contract, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal is pending a physical exam and allows Shoemaker to earn another $ 250,000 in performance bonuses, adds Passan.
Shoemaker, 34, could feature in the twin rotation as a back-end match. He will face competition from right-handed Randy Dobnak and left-wing Devin Smeltzer for fifth place. In 2020, Shoemaker started six games (28 2/3 IP) and registered an ERA 4.71 (94 ERA +) with 26 eliminations and nine walks to Toronto.
In Shoemaker’s last three seasons, he has an ERA of 3.77 to go along with a 23.5 percent elimination rate and 7.9 percent walk rate at 88 1/3 innings in 18 matches. But injuries (he has had surgery on his forearm and knee) could keep him out of rotation in 2021. He has been limited to just six games a year in the past three. The last time he reached 15 games in one season was in 2016 with the Angels. The twins also added the left-handed JA Happ, who is the free agent, to their rotation this winter.
Red Sox sign Sawamura
The Red Sox reached an agreement with Japanese reliever Hirokazu Sawamura in a two-year deal worth $ 3 million, by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The contract includes an option considered “conditional and complex”, but which would push the total value of the deal to close to $ 8 million.
Sawamura, who turns 33 in April, made about 400 appearances during his career at Nippon Professional Baseball. He comes out with an ERA of 2.82 and a scratched to walk ratio of 2.95.
Baseball Info Solutions’ Ted Baarda provided an observation report for Sawamura in December:
Sawamura throws a straight mid-90s fastball around 96, which he can locate deep in the zone. His primary secondary pitch is a mid-90s divider, which has some late fall but does not have a big break due to the speed with which he plays it. He does a good job of keeping the pitch low, in or below the zone, and hitters regularly swing over him when he leaves the zone. Dividers are pitches that are difficult to command, which contributes to Sawamura’s high walking rates.
Sawamura wants to compete for a high-leverage job alongside Matt Barnes, Adam Ottavino and Ryan Brasier.
The Fathers have one of the majors’ most busy off-season. This continued on Monday, with San Diego hiring veteran reliever Keone Kela for a one-year contract, by Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
Kela, 28 in mid-April, did not rank among the 60 best free agents for CBS Sports in the main companies that entered the winter. The reasons for his exclusion were straightforward: he was limited by COVID-19 and injured to just two entries in 2020, and was involved in many incidents off the field in 2019 to merit inclusion.
However, Kela has been an effective reliever when she is strong and healthy. In 231 major league appearances in his career, he posted 139 ERA + and a 3.20 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Kela’s arsenal consisted largely of just two pitches: a mid-90s fastball and a broken swinging and failing ball.
Kela is the second veteran reliever the Padres added last week, joining former Braves player Mark Melancon.
The Rockies announced on Monday that they had hired first base veteran CJ Cron for a lower league pact.
Cron, 31, entered the winter ranked as the 43rd best free agent available. Here is what we wrote at the time;
Cron played in just 13 games before needing knee surgery at the end of the season. He is still one of the first grassroots players on the market, a statement that says more about the scarcity of good options available than about him. Cron is a maintenance option, remember, that it can deliver more than 20 homers and an OPS + in the range of 100-110. Unfortunately, the first “useful” base players tend to change their uniforms frequently. Cron for sure, as he has played with four teams in the past four years. Expect it to become five out of five soon, and then six out of six, and then ….
Cron wants to compete with another recent signing, Greg Bird, for playing time at first base.
The Brewers made a potential addition to their bullpen on Sunday, signing Brad Boxberger’s former All-Star for a minor league deal, by ESPN.
Boxberger, 33 in May, appeared in 23 games with the Marlins last season, accumulating 151 ERA + and a walkout ratio of 2.25 out of 18 entries. The weather hasn’t been very kind to Boxberger since he made the All-Star Game 2015: even including his success in 2020, he has compiled an ERA of 4.27 and more than five walks over nine in his last 151 innings.
Brewers have a largely flexible bullpen, as only Ray Black lacks options. That said, Milwaukee will certainly carry Josh Hader, Devin Williams, Brent Suter and Freddy Peralta if he is healthy. Boxberger may then be competing with Justin Topa and / or JP Feyereisen for a spot on the Opening Day pen.