Good morning, Mets fans! Welcome to the last hot stove rumor roundup of 2018! As the mill continues to turn, more information has emerged surrounding the infield market as well as the state of affairs in the San Diego Padres’ rotation.
Gonzalez, Lowrie on Nationals’ Radar
Following up on a previous report that the Washington Nationals had been in touch with DJ LeMahieu and Josh Harrison, MLB.com‘s Jamal Collier also writes that the team has reached out to both Marwin Gonzalez and Jed Lowrie in an expansive effort to fill a hole at second base.
Among the four options, Lowrie posted the highest bWAR at 4.8 – though it may be worth noting that such a mark made for a career-high, and was likely hampered to a degree by his .239/.347/.380 line in the second half following just his first appearance in an All-Star game.
The 34-year old has combined for just nine errors in 272 games at second base the past two years, and has seen improvements across the board in terms of power and plate discipline – as his .356 OBP and 168 RBI prove.
Meanwhile, the inclusion of Gonzalez shouldn’t be all that surprising given the widespread interest he’s drawn – and for good reason. Having seen time at all four infield positions as well as the corners of the outfield the last two years, the switch-hitter has earned a reputation as one of the league’s most versatile players.
Gonzalez’s 134 wRC+ following the All-Star break was the 14th best in the American League – beating out such hitters as Xander Bogaerts and Giancarlo Stanton, though such success also makes it harder for the Nationals’ front office to emerge victorious in a bidding war that could command a four-year deal (as predicted by MLB Trade Rumors).
Blue Jays Add Pitching Depth
First reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Toronto Blue Jays have acquired left-hander Clayton Richard from the San Diego Padres in exchange for minor league outfielder Connor Panas. Richard, 35, was designated for assignment by the Padres last Thursday and is owed $3MM for the 2019 season – with the Jays agreeing to pay half of it, per MLB.com‘s AJ Cassavell.
The 2018 season wasn’t all that kind to Richard, who was hit hard to the tune of a 5.33 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 0.7 fWAR, and -1.2 bWAR in 27 starts. Since returning to baseball in 2015 following shoulder injuries throughout the prior year, Richard has averaged just 6.2 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9, though he seems to have found refuge in his two-seamer, which has combined for 20 runs above average in that time (fifth-best in baseball) and accounted for an improved groundball rate of 59.3%.
He joins a rotation that, beyond Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, lacks much of a direction heading into 2019, as younger arms like Ryan Borucki and Sean Reid-Foley, while promising, could still use seasoning.
In order to make room for Richard, the Blue Jays designated righty reliever Oliver Drake for assignment.
Padres Still Interested in Gray
Potentially replacing Richard in the rotation, current Yankee starter Sonny Gray remains a focus for the Padres as they continue working towards a competitive supporting cast of big-leaguers to support their stellar farm system, as first reported by Cassavell earlier yesterday afternoon.
Gray, 29, enters a contract year worth a feasible $9.1MM, but also does so fresh off a turbulent 2018 campaign in the Bronx in which he struggled to a 5.26 ERA and 1.496 WHIP in 23 starts. Granted, much of his fall from grace can be explained by a diminished use of his fastball, which, supplemented with a cutter, led to a career-high 3.9 BB/9, and his 2.65 FIP on the road suggests working in a bandbox like Yankee Stadium did more harm than good.
A return to form for the once-formidable Oakland ace could very well hinge on a return to the west coast, though teams have balked at discussions surrounding Gray through much of the offseason largely due to the Yankees’ own demands in return. Given the New York Mets’ own decision to hang onto Noah Syndergaard, the Padres are more likely to turn to Gray than they were earlier in the month.
