Hot Stove: 11/22

Contract Extensions

Marlins signed Giancarlo Stanton (37 HR, 105 RBI, .288 AVG, 13 SB, 2015 age: 25) to a 13 year, $325 million extension ($25 million per season) with an opt out clause after five years.

First thing I have to say is I disagree with this extension. While Giancarlo Stanton is the core of the team and just recently turned 25, $325 million is a very, very hefty sum. That money could potentially bring three perennial All Star players to Miami. His contract is heavily back-loaded, giving the Marlins a chance to surround Stanton with talent during the first six years of his contract before his salary skyrockets. So while they have a chance to build a winning team over the next few years, the Marlins may be financially crippled later in the deal. Additionally, unless the Marlins bring in another bat to back him up (right now they’re relying on Casey McGehee, Christian Yelich, and Marcell Ozuna to do that), Stanton will not see pitches to hit and his chances to contribute offensively will be limited. Last year, he walked 94 times in just 145 games, only one behind NL leader Matt Carpenter’s 95 in 158 games. With that off my chest, I can say that Stanton is one of the best players in all of baseball. He has more raw power than perhaps anybody else in baseball, and he combines good averages, high on-base percentages, and good base-running with a cannon for an arm in right field. His .555 slugging percentage in 2014 led the National League, ahead of Andrew McCutchen’s .542.

Free Agent Signings

Blue Jays signed Russell Martin (11 HR, 67 RBI, .290 AVG, 4 SB, 2015 age: 32) to a five year, $82 million deal ($16.4 million per season).

Tigers resigned Victor Martinez (32 HR, 103 RBI, .335 AVG, 3 SB, 2015 age: 36) to a four year, $68 million deal ($17 million per season).

Mets signed Michael Cuddyer (10 HR, 31 RBI, .332 AVG, 3 SB, 2015 age: 36) to a two year, $21 million deal ($10.5 million per season).

White Sox signed Zach Duke (5-1, 2.45 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 2015 age: 32) to a three year, $15 million deal ($5 million per season).

Yankees resigned Chris Young (11 HR, 38 RBI, .222 AVG, 8 SB, 2015 age: 31) to a one year, $2.5 million deal.

The Blue Jays added one of the top catchers in baseball in Russell Martin, a 31 year old with excellent all-around skills. In addition to his decent power and knack for getting on base, he’s proven to work exceptionally well with pitching staffs as a top-notch defensive catcher. Martin is a native Ontario, which he says was a factor in deciding to sign with Toronto. Over the first three years of his career from 2006-2008, he was considered one of the best catchers in baseball, but under-performance and injuries caused him to fall from grace from 2009-2013. However, in the second year of his two year deal with Pittsburgh, Martin found himself by setting a career high in on-base percentage (.402) and posting his highest batting average since 2007. He will start behind the dish, and it remains to be seen what Toronto will do with Dioner Navarro, who has requested a trade. Assuming Navarro is out of the picture, Josh Thole and possibly prospect A.J. Jimenez will serve as Martin’s back-ups. Martin’s best season was 2007, when he hit 19 home runs, drove in 87, and batting .293 with 21 stolen bases for the Dodgers, picking up a Silver Slugger and even a Gold Glove Award, beating out Yadier Molina. Last year, he hit .290 with 11 home runs despite playing in only 111 games.

Rumors linked the Mets to all kinds of outfielders, including Nick Markakis and Justin Upton, but they ultimately grabbed Michael Cuddyer early in the offseason. Cuddyer’s friendship with fellow Virginian David Wright helped bring him on board. The 14 year veteran has flashed power, but was a hit-machine in Colorado. In 2013, he batted .331 with 20 home runs, 84 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 130 games, even gaining MVP consideration. Some of that can be attributed to playing his home games at Coors Field (where he hit .356 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI in 60 games), but he did bat .311 with 9 home runs in 70 road games. Despite battling injuries and being limited to 49 games, he showed increased power with 10 home runs while keeping a .332 average. This time, his home-road splits were wider, as he hit .400 with six home runs in 20 home games versus .282 with four home runs in 29 road games. Cuddyer had his best non-Colorado season in 2009 with the Twins, batting .276 with 32 home runs and 94 RBI. He also hit .284 with 20 home runs in 2011, again with Minnesota.

Trades

Braves traded Jason Heyward (11 HR, 58 RBI, .271 AVG, 20 SB, 2015 age: 25) and Jordan Walden (0-2, 2.88 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3 SV, 2015 age: 27) to the Cardinals for Shelby Miller (10-9, 3.74 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 2015 age: 24) and minor leaguer Tyrell Jenkins (6-5, 3.28 ERA, 1.31 WHIP at High Class A, 2015 age: 22-23).

Rays traded Jeremy Hellickson (1-5, 4.52 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 2015 age: 28) to the Diamondbacks for minor leaguers Andrew Velazquez (9 HR, 56 RBI, .290 AVG, 50 SB at Class A, 2015 age: 20-21) and Justin Williams (4 HR, 46 RBI, .351 AVG, 1 SB at Rookie and Class A, 2015 age: 19).

Blue Jays traded Adam Lind (6 HR, 40 RBI, .321 AVG, 0 SB, 2015 age: 31-32) to the Brewers for Marco Estrada (7-6, 4.36 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2015 age: 31-32).

Braves traded Tommy La Stella (1 HR, 31 RBI, .251 AVG, 2 SB, 2015 age: 26) and an international signing bonus slot to the Cubs for Arodys Vizcaino (0-0, 5.40 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 2015 age: 24) and three international signing bonus slots.

Jason Heyward, the Atlanta native and former number one overall prospect who homered in his first at bat, is packing his bags and heading for St. Louis. His trade makes sense, considering the Braves have both Heyward and Justin Upton hitting free agency after the 2015 season, but only have the funds to extend one. The Cardinals tragically lost an outfielder earlier in the offseason when Oscar Taveras and his girlfriend were killed in a drunk driving accident, and Heyward will be his replacement. Still 25 with the potential to be a perennial All Star, the right fielder has experienced inconsistencies at the plate. A strong rookie 2010 that included 18 home runs, a .277 average, and 11 stolen bases at age 20 started it off, but he didn’t hit .270 again until 2014. His power potential flashed in 2012, when he knocked 27 home runs and batted .269 while also stealing 21 bases, but he experienced a disappointing 2013. Last year, he set a career low with eleven home runs while hitting just 26 doubles, but he did bat .271 with 20 stolen bases. He has the potential to be a five tool player if he can simply put it all together, and St. Louis may be just the place. In the field, he’s proven to be as reliable as they come, winning Gold Glove awards in 2012 and 2014. The Cardinals also got Jordan Walden, a right handed reliever famous for the little jump he takes before releasing the a pitch. He is an able set-up man who can pitch the eighth inning ahead of Trevor Rosenthal, rarely allowing hits. In fact, the highest opponents’ average he’s ever allowed was .229 in 2012 with the Angels. Last year, he set a career best at .186 (very evenly getting out lefties and righties). The 6’5”, 250 pound Texan also has closing experience, saving 32 games with a 2.98 ERA as a 23 year old with the Angels in 2011. Walden’s one weak spot is the fact that he walks a lot of batters; he allowed 27 free passes in just 50 innings in 2014.

The Braves gave up a big time outfield piece, but they are getting a prized arm in return. Shelby Miller is one of the bright young stars on the mound, and he will spend the entire 2015 season at age 24. Miller rose to national fame when he went 11-6 with 2.77 ERA and 170 strikeouts in less than 140 innings in the minors in 2011, then put up a huge rookie season in 2013 by going 15-9 with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP over 31 starts. It seemed as though he took a step back in 2014, finishing just 10-9 with a 3.74 ERA over 32 games (31 starts), but the difference can be noted in one single stat. Almost every stat he put up in 2014 was nearly identical to its 2013 counterpart. Opponents hit .234 off him in 2013, then .236 in 2014. He allowed 152 hits in 173.1 innings in 2013, then 160 in 183 innings in 2014. He allowed 20 home runs in 2013, then 22 in 2014, again with the slightly increased innings total. He allowed .78 groundouts for every air out in 2013, then 0.80 groundouts to air outs in 2014. The one stat that changed was walks. He walked 57 in 2013, but then allowed 73 free passes in 2014, which attributes directly to his slip. The Braves need not be worried, however, because after going 7-8 with a 4.29 ERA and 54 walks in 109 innings before the All Star Break in 2014, he went 3-1 with a 2.92 ERA and just 19 walks in 74 innings after the break. For his career, Miller is 26-18 with a 3.33 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP over 69 games (63 starts). The Texan was needed to fill holes in the rotation left by departing Ervin Santana, Aaron Harang, and Gavin Floyd. The Braves picked up a second young, budding, starting pitcher in minor leaguer Tyrell Jenkins. The 22 year old (also from Texas) had a breakout season with High Class A Pembroke Pines in 2014, going 6-5 with a 3.28 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP over 13 starts. It was his first season with a sub-4.00 ERA since 2011, a season which he began at 18 years old. He will likely start at AA Mississippi next year, putting him relatively close to the majors. If he continues to steadily move up the minor league ranks, he could be in the big leagues some time in 2016.

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HR: home runs. RBI: runs batted in. AVG: batting average. SB: stolen bases. ERA: earned run average. WHIP: walks/hits per innings pitched. K’s: strikeouts. WPCT: winning percentage

Zack Silverman