Daily Clips
February 1, 2018
LOCAL
Starling energized to compete for starting spot
Former 1st-round pick nearly quit baseball in 2017
January 31, 2018 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
https://www.mlb.com/news/royals-bubba-starling-nearly-quit-baseball/c-265617234
NATIONAL
MLB Buzz: Hosmer seeks deal of 8-plus years
January 31, 2018 MLB.com
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-buzz-trade-talk-deals-and-rumors/c-260657722
Eric Hosmer reportedly wants eight-year deal, but teams would be crazy to make the commitment
January 31, 2018 By Mark Townsend/Big League Stew (Yahoo! Sports)
https://sports.yahoo.com/eric-hosmer-reportedly-wants-eight-year-deal-teams-crazy-make-commitment-004426839.html
Brandon Moss: MLB players 'have to take responsibility' for slow free-agent market
Moss thinks the players conceded too much during collective bargaining agreement talks
January 31, 2018 By Mike Axisa/CBSSports.com
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/brandon-moss-mlb-players-have-to-take-responsibility-for-slow-free-agent-market/
God Bless Alcides Escobar, The Actual Replacement-Level Player
January 31, 2018 By Emma Baccellieri/Deadspin
https://deadspin.com/god-bless-alcides-escobar-the-actual-replacement-level-1822614179
Cheslor goes to Spring Training with clear objectives
Cheslor Cuthbert departed Wednesday from Managua to Arizona, where the Royals of Kansas City have their training base
January 31, 2018 By Bayron Saavedra/La Prensa
https://www.laprensa.com.ni/2018/01/31/deportes/2369400-cheslor-se-marcha-al-spring-training-con-los-objetivos-claros You Didn't Know You Were Interested in This Royals/A's Trade
January 30, 2018 By Jeff Sullivan/FanGraphs
https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/you-didnt-know-you-were-interested-in-this-royals-as-trade/
MLB TRANSACTIONS
February 1, 2018 •.CBSSports.com
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions
LOCAL
Starling energized to compete for starting spot
Former 1st-round pick nearly quit baseball in 2017
January 31, 2018 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
https://www.mlb.com/news/royals-bubba-starling-nearly-quit-baseball/c-265617234
The low point came just a few weeks into the 2017 season for prospect Bubba Starling.
Most Royals fans know Starling's story: A first-round pick in the 2011 Draft, he was a three-sport standout from Gardner, Kan., who was so good at football that the University of Nebraska signed him to play quarterback.
Starling chose baseball and the Royals instead. But after six-plus seasons of mostly struggles, Starling virtually reached the end last May when he stared in disbelief at his .121 average at Triple-A Omaha.
"I thought that was it for me," said Starling, a career .234 hitter in the Minors. "I remember sitting in the batting cage the next day just thinking it was done. I remember calling my parents that night and I was bawling. I said, 'I can't do this anymore.'"
But his parents urged him to continue.
"They said, 'Hang in there. God has a plan for you,'" Starling said. "I stuck with that advice."
A few days later, Starling's hitting coach, Tommy Gregg, suggested he lower his hands in his stance. Suddenly, Starling felt his swing become less two-part and more one constant flow.
The results came rather quickly. Soon after, Starling put together a 12-game hitting streak.
And by the time his season was cut short by a right oblique injury in mid-August, Starling had raised his average to .248 with seven home runs and 14 doubles.
"The other thing is, I didn't get bothered by going 0-for-8 anymore," Starling said, "because I knew I could bounce back. Those oh-for-eights didn't turn into oh-for-sixteens."
Starling, 25, now feels energized for the 2018 season. And he knows there's a potential opening in center field with Lorenzo Cain having signed with the Brewers.
"I haven't talked to anyone about it," Starling said. "You got Paulo [Orlando] and Billy [Burns], too. But I feel I can compete with them.
"I know it's in there for me, and that's why I'm still working hard at it. If I didn't think I could make it to the Major Leagues, I'd have been done with it. Obviously, I not only want to do if for me, I want to do it for my family and for all the support I have around Kansas City.
"I've been in the system long enough -- seven years now. I feel like I'm getting kind of old. It's time for me to figure this baseball thing out and run with it."
NATIONAL
MLB Buzz: Hosmer seeks deal of 8-plus years
January 31, 2018 MLB.com
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-buzz-trade-talk-deals-and-rumors/c-260657722
Hosmer seeking deal longer than seven years
The representatives of free-agent first baseman Eric Hosmer have continuously been "pushing for a contract of more than seven years," a source told MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi on Wednesday.
Morosi also notes that with the Royals dealing Brandon Moss to the A's earlier in the week, Kansas City became a better fit to re-sign Hosmer, and the club's "capacity to pay him" has increased.
Hosmer, 28, reportedly has a $140 million offer on the table from the Padres and a $147 million proposal from the Royals, but he is hoping a potential suitor might reach a bit higher.
The left-handed-hitting first baseman recorded a career-best batting line of .318/.385/.498 and tied a career high with 25 homers in 2017 with Kansas City. He also played in all 162 games last season and has appeared in at least 128 games in every season of his career.
Hosmer, taken with the No. 3 overall pick by the Royals in the 2008 Draft, is a .284/.342/.439 career hitter with 127 home runs and 566 RBIs in seven big league seasons, all of which have come with Kansas City.
Brewers strong in pursuit of Yu
Yu Darvish, arguably the top free-agent starting pitcher this winter, is expected to come off the market this week, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. The Brewers, who have reportedly already made an offer to the four-time All-Star, are making a strong pursuit in the wake of acquiring outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich, per Heyman and Robert Murray of FanRag Sports. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said this past weekend that the club has payroll flexibility to add one of the top starting pitchers who remain in free agency, although he did not name a specific player.
Darvish's delay of signing this winter could also be related to his desire to return to the Dodgers, according to Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles remains interested in a reunion with the power right-hander, but the club is seeking to get under the $197 million luxury tax threshold. And, given the Dodgers' current payroll, that could make signing Darvish to the multi-year contract in the $20 million to $25 million range he's expected to land difficult. L.A. has reportedly tried moving costlier players, such as catcher Yasmani Grandal (due $7.9 million in '18), second baseman Logan Forsythe ($8.5 million) and left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu ($7.833 million) to free up money to pursue Darvish, per McCullough.
The Cubs, Twins, Phillies and Yankees have also been linked to Darvish, with Milwaukee and Minnesota having reportedly made offers. However, the Twins are not willing to go beyond a five-year commitment, per Heyman, and view right-hander Alex Cobb as a potential backup should they not sign Darvish.
The Cubs have been in the market for starters all winter because two members of their 2017 rotation, Jake Arrieta and John Lackey, are free agents. They have been long rumored to potentially bring back Arrieta -- particularly with how slowly this offseason's free-agent market has progressed -- but have been more strongly linked to Darvish. The Cubs have already signed former Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood to a three-year, $38 million deal to shore up the back end of their rotation.
Darvish posted a 3.86 ERA in 31 starts with the Rangers and Dodgers last season, including a 3.44 ERA over nine starts down the stretch for Los Angeles following a deal just before the non-waiver Trade Deadline. He was also excellent in the first two rounds of the postseason, posting a 1.59 ERA in two starts over the National League Division Series and the NL Championship Series. He was hit hard by the Astros over two World Series starts, surrendering eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Twins remain in market for starting pitching
Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey appeared on MLB Network's "High Heat" with Chris Russo on Wednesday and reaffirmed the Twins' interest in adding starting pitching. Minnesota remains in the mix for Yu Darvish but also has interest in other starters such as Lance Lynn, Alex Cobb and Chris Tillman. Falvey didn't mention specific names but said the Twins remain likely to add a starter before pitchers and catchers report in roughly two weeks.
"We still have opportunity," Falvey said. "There are a number of players still on the board. We have a chance to add to our group before Spring Training."
Mets have 4 infielders on radar
The Mets are looking at four players who could help the club at second and third base, according to a report from MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal. There are three free agents in that group, including Eduardo Nunez, Todd Frazier and Neil Walker, a former Met. The team is also said to be exploring the possibility of a trade for the Pirates' Josh Harrison.
The Mets would likely need to deal promising young outfielder Brandon Nimmo in order to acquire Harrison from Pittsburgh, according to Rosenthal. The Mets already have some good depth in the outfield, with Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce, Juan Lagares and Michael Conforto, who hopes to be ready by May as he works his way back from left shoulder surgery.
In addition to Walker, Nunez and Frazier also have experience playing in New York. Nunez played parts of four seasons with the Yankees after debuting with the team in 2010. Frazier, who grew up in New Jersey, was traded to the Yankees last July.
Nationals inquiring about Realmuto
The Marlins have traded all three of their starting outfielders from 2017 following a deal that sent Christian Yelich to Milwaukee, and it appears the club is not done listening to offers.
The Nationals are the "team most heavily engaged in trade discussions" for Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto, a source told Craig Mish of SiriusXM Radio on Thursday. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman adds Miami has "been asking" for Washington's top outfield prospect Victor Robles.
Heyman adds the Nats are "among the teams trying to reel in Realmuto," though it's unclear what other clubs may be trying to acquire his services.
Robles is considered one of the top prospects in baseball and batted .250/.308/.458 with three extra-base hits and four RBIs in a brief 13-game stint with the Nationals last season. The 20-year-old hit .300/.382/.493 with 10 homers and 47 RBIs in 114 games split between Class A Advanced Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg while in the Minors in 2017.
Realmuto, 26, batted .278/.332/.451 with 17 homers and 65 RBIs in 141 games for Miami last year and is under team control through 2021.
The Nationals have reportedly been looking at several options to upgrade at catcher this offseason, but landing Realmuto would likely be their best option.
Yankees looking for depth at second, third and in rotation
The Yankees have budgeted about $10 million to $15 million of payroll to add depth at second base, third base and the starting rotation, according to the New York Post. This could keep the club under the luxury tax threshold of $197 million for 2018.
While the organization believes Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar, its No. 1 and No. 5 prospects, respectively, per MLBPipeline.com, are the club's long-term answers at second and third, and that No. 2 prospect Chance Adams and No. 4 prospect Justus Sheffield, among others, could soon be ready for a starting role, depth for the short term is a priority.
According to the report, New York would ideally like to sign a player that can play both second and third base. A player who would fit that role is Nunez, who hit .313/.341/.460 with 12 home runs and 24 steals between the Giants and Red Sox in 2017. Other infielders reportedly on the Yankees' radar include Frazier and Walker.
As for pitchers, the Post report suggests Andrew Cashner, Jason Vargas and Chris Tillman as potential targets for the Yankees to insert behind Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray and CC Sabathia.
Archer believes he's staying put
Rays right-hander Chris Archer is "confident he won't be traded," according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Archer told Topkin, "I've talked to [general manager] Erik [Neander] a lot and he's made me feel pretty good about being with the Rays in 2018."
Topkin speculated as to whether Archer staying with Tampa Bay could "conceivably change," depending on what happens with the free-agent market, which has been relatively slow.
Archer has been a topic of trade discussions since the 2017 Trade Deadline, but he finished out his third consecutive season with more 200 innings pitched and more than 200 strikeouts.
Archer, 29, is 51-63 with a 3.63 ERA in 162 career games (160 starts). He has one year remaining on his current contract, which includes team options for both 2020 and 2021.
Mets interested in reunion with Colon
At 44 years young, Bartolo Colon is still angling for one more year in the Majors, and the right-hander may already have one suitor. The Mets are interested in a potential reunion with Colon, according to former Twins teammate Ervin Santana, who discussed Colon in an interview with the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Colon was a fan favorite with the Mets from 2014-16, a span in which the veteran went 44-34 with a 3.90 ERA and 3.79 FIP. The reunion could make sense for both sides, as the pitcher figures to carry a low price tag and has a specific goal to reach before retirement.
Colon has reportedly been striving to play another season in an effort to pass Dennis Martinez as the Majors' all-time winningest Latin American pitcher. With 240 wins, Colon is just five victories behind Martinez's record. Colon already holds the record for Dominican-born pitchers, having passed Pedro Martinez in 2016.
Working against Colon's goal is the fact that he posted a career-worst 6.48 ERA last season with the Braves and Twins. Colon did manage to add seven more wins -- along with 14 losses -- to his career total last season, but he will likely have to improve on last year's performance if he wants an opportunity to reach his goal.
Indians discussing Moylan
The Indians may be interested in signing veteran reliever Peter Moylan according to ESPN's Buster Olney. Cleveland is looking to fill the bullpen vacancies left by Bryan Shaw and Joe Smith, each of whom departed via free agency (Shaw to the Rockies and Smith to the Astros).