Nationals Acquire Second Baseman: Hot Stove 1/15

News

The Nationals made a big trade and I have a strong opinion so scroll down to the Trades section and listen up.

It has been announced that the San Diego Padres will host the 2016 All Star Game. In 2015, the Summer Classic will be played in Cincinnati.

Cardinals signed Lance Lynn to a three year, $22 million contract-reconstruction deal to buy out his arbitration years.

Free Agent Signings

Padres signed Jose Valverde (1-1, 5.66 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 2 SV, 2015 age: 37) to a minor league deal.

Braves signed Josh Outman (4-0, 2.86 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 2015 age: 30) to a one year, $925,000 deal.

Dodgers signed David Huff (4-1, 3.36 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 2015 age: 30) to a minor league deal.

Indians signed Anthony Swarzak (3-2, 4.60 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 2015 age: 29) to a minor league deal.

Rangers signed Carlos Peguero (0 HR, 1 RBI, .222 AVG, 0 SB, 2015 age: 28) to a minor league deal.

Indians signed Michael Roth (1-0, 8.76 ERA, 2.03 WHIP, 2015 age: 25) to a minor league deal.

Trades

Nationals traded Tyler Clippard (7-4, 2.18 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 1 SV, 2015 age: 30) to the A’s for Yunel Escobar (7 HR, 39 RBI, .258 AVG, 1 SB, 2015 age: 32).

Braves traded Evan Gattis (22 HR, 52 RBI, .263 AVG, 0 SB, 2015 age: 28) and minor leaguer James Hoyt (3-3, 3.17 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 7 SV at AA and AAA, 2015 age: 28) to the Astros for Mike Foltynewicz (0-1, 5.30 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 2015 age: 23) and minor leaguers Rio Ruiz (11 HR, 77 RBI, .293 AVG, 4 SB at High Class A, 2015 age: 21) and Andrew Thurman (7-9, 5.38 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 1 SV at Class A, 2015 age: 23).

Red Sox traded Dan Butler (0 HR, 2 RBI, .211 AVG, 0 SB, 2015 age: 28) to the Nationals for minor leaguer Danny Rosenbaum (1-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.35 WHIP at AAA, 2015 age: 27).

CLIPPARD DEAL READ THIS I HAVE STRONG OPINIONS

This may come as a shocker to many of the Nationals’ more soft-hearted fans, but, GOOD TRADE. I am glad Rizzo pulled the trigger. Too many people viewed this trade through an emotional perspective, whereas the Nationals were losing a team player. I look at this from a tactical point of view, and here are the reasons I agree with it. The Nationals have five big players hitting free agency next year: Tyler Clippard, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, Ian Desmond, and Denard Span. By swapping Clippard for Yunel Escobar, the Nationals not only saved money to sign the other four guys (Escobar’s contract is a few million below Clippard’s), but they also gained control, with Escobar’s contract set to run out after the 2016 season, with an option for the 2017 season. Additionally, it is very easy to over-value relievers. A reliever will give you 70-80 innings, max, while a second baseman can play 150-160 games. There is a reason no reliever has ever been given a contract over $50 million. That, plus the contract differences, are enough to bring Clippard, a more talented player, to the same level as Escobar. The market for capable second basemen is thin and getting thinner, and the Nationals needed to act. There are always relievers, always, and the Nats could go out and sign one like Casey Janssen, Burke Badenhop, or Brian Wilson, or they could easily trade for another. Rizzo bought himself time and options. Many people also dislike the fact that Escobar is a shortstop with little experience at second base, but they forget Asdrubal Cabrera, who seamlessly made the transition after being traded from the Indians to the Nationals, or Anthony Rendon, who made the arguably more difficult transition from third base to second and played excellent defense. Escobar can also move over to shortstop if Desmond is traded this offseason or he leaves via free agency after the season. Eventually, he will serve as an excellent bridge to top infield prospect Wilmer Difo. There, those are my two cents. Rizzo has made odd looking deals before, only for them to turn out well in the end. We got Tanner Roark way back in the Christian Guzman trade of 2010. In Rizzo we trust.

Now to actually talk about the trade. The Nationals are getting a solid infielder in Yunel Escobar. Escobar had a down year last year, but that was likely due to lingering leg injuries that have since been cleared up. He can be counted on for decent power, an ability to get on base, and slick defense. He’s not going to win any Gold Gloves, but with the leg issues cleared up, he can maintain second base just fine. The Cuban’s best year came in 2009, when he batted .299 with 14 home runs, 76 RBI, and 89 runs in 141 games for the Braves. He also batted .290 with 11 home runs in 2011. Since then, his average has fluttered between .250 and .260 and his power has dropped slightly, but still expect him to hold his own in the Nationals lineup. I can see him being a similar player to Asdrubal Cabrera, just right handed instead of switch.

Going back to Oakland, obviously, is fan favorite Tyler Clippard. Clip, who was featured in many editions of “Clip and Save” with Matt Caps, Drew Storen, and Rafael Soriano, will now be paired with closer Sean Doolittle. Though Doolittle appears to be slated to close again, Clippard will be prepared to take over if Doolittle falters or gets injured. Clip led the National League in holds (which are like saves where you don’t finish the game) in 2011, 2013, and 2014. In 2014, his 40 holds tied the National League record set by Luke Gregerson in 2010, and were just one shy of Joel Peralta’s major league record of 41, set in 2013. He had his best year in 2011, when he was 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP, and 38 holds in 72 appearances. The Nats tried him out as a closer in 2012, and though he saved 32 games, he set a career worst with a 3.72 ERA. Returning to set-up man in 2013, he was 6-3 with a 2.41 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP, and 33 holds in 72 appearances. Last year, Clip finished 7-4 with a 2.18 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and 40 holds in 75 appearances. His 150 holds are already 15th in major league history, including ninth among active pitchers (the Nationals have the active leader, Matt Thornton at 188, anyways).

Power hitters are hard to come by nowadays, and the Astros are getting one in Evan Gattis. Gattis, best known for going from janitor to big league catcher, will serve as an excellent stabilizer to the Astros lineup. Slotted right in the middle with their young core of George Springer, Chris Carter, and Jason Castro (plus non power hitter Jose Altuve), Gattis comes with four years of control. He will likely see time behind the plate, at DH, and in the outfield. As a 26 year old rookie in 2013, he exceeded expectations by batting .243 with 21 home runs and 65 RBI in 105 games. Last year, he built off of that with a strong sophomore campaign, batting .263 with 22 home runs and 52 RBI in 108 games. He struck out a little more, but his on-base percentage jumped from a lowly .291 to a respectable .317, and his slugging percentage jumped from .480 to .493. Also going to Houston is 28 year old minor league reliever James Hoyt, who appears to be a throw-in guy. Hoyt has never played in the majors, but he was a lock down reliever at AA Mississippi last year, posting a 1.14 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and six saves in 28 appearances. He did not fare as well in 24 appearances for AAA Gwinnett, but he could be a call-up to the Astros if they are in need of bullpen help.

The Braves did indeed get a nice prospect haul from the well-stocked Astros. Headlining the list is 23 year old starter Mike Foltynewicz, who has turned heads with solid pitching performances in the minor leagues. From 2012-2013, he combined to go 20-7 with a 3.10 ERA over 57 games (48 starts) for Class A Lexington, High Class A Lancaster, and AA Corpus Christi. He struggled a bit last year at AAA Oklahoma City, going 7-7 with a 5.08 ERA over 21 games (18 starts), but he showed enough to earn a late-season call-up. He was knocked around a bit in 16 relief appearances, but the Braves are hoping he can make a run at the rotation in 2015. Foltynewicz does not turn 24 until after the season. Another name going back to Atlanta is Rio Ruiz, a 20 year old third baseman who fills the hole left by recently traded minor league third baseman Kyle Kubitza. Ruiz looks to develop into a power hitter, and last year was his best offensive season in the minors. In 131 games at High Class A Lancaster, he batted .293 with 11 home runs, 77 RBI, and 37 doubles. He did play his home games at the notorious hitters’ park in Lancaster, California, which led to eight of his eleven home runs coming at home. On a good note, he did manage to bat .314 with 20 of his 37 doubles on the road (versus .270 at home), which means his production is not at all entirely linked to playing in the hitters’ haven. Lastly, Andrew Thurman is going to Atlanta from Houston. Thurman, like Hoyt, appears to be a throw-in guy, as he is 23 and has not pitched above Class A. Even there, the 2013 second round pick struggled, going 7-9 with a 5.38 ERA in 26 games (20 starts) for Class A Quad Cities. The UC Irvine alumnus is 11-11 with a 4.99 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP in his minor league career, and he will likely start the 2015 season at either Class A Rome or High Class A Carolina.

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Teams followed in this update: Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers

If your team is not included, please leave a comment.
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