NL Central

Pittsburgh Pirates bench coach Don Kelly has reportedly withdrawn from consideration for the New York Mets manager opening, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Andy Martino of SNY reported Kelly was a candidate for the role earlier this month, with Joe Espada, Buck Showalter, Matt Quatraro and Brad Ausmus considered possibilities. 

Kelly spent the past two years with the Pirates after serving as first base coach with the Houston Astros in 2019.

The 41-year-old also spent nine seasons in the majors as a utility player, appearing on the field at all nine defensive positions.

Even with Kelly dropping out of the race, the Mets still have a variety of candidates who have already interviewed, per Mike Puma of the New York Post:

Astros bench coach Joe Espada interviewed for the Mets manager opening earlier this week, according to a source. Buck Showalter and Bob Geren went today. Brad Ausmus and Matt Quatraro are believed to have interviewed. First round will possibly wrap up Thursday with Don Kelly.

— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) December 9, 2021

Mets new general manager Billy Eppler previously hired Ausmus as manager of the Los Angeles Angels in 2019, while Bob Geren has experience with team president Sandy Alderson as both a manager with the Oakland Athletics and bench coach with the Mets from 2010-15.

Showalter has 20 years of managing experience in the majors for four different organizations, most recently leading the Baltimore Orioles to the playoffs three times during his nine seasons with the team from 2010-18.

The other candidates would be in their first stint as a manager, although both Espada and Quatraro have plenty of experience at this level.

Espada has been the Houston Astros bench coach since 2017 while Quatraro has served the same role with the Tampa Bay Rays for the past three seasons.

The Mets are looking for someone to replace Luis Rojas, who managed just a 103-119 record across two seasons with the team. New York has gone five straight years without a playoff berth.   

The Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers made a trade before Major League Baseball's impending work stoppage.

On Wednesday, the Red Sox announced they traded outfielder Hunter Renfroe to Milwaukee in exchange for outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and minor-league infielders Alex Binelas and David Hamilton.

According to MLB.com's list of prospect rankings, Hamilton was the No. 16 overall player in Milwaukee's farm system, while Binelas was the No. 17 player.

Boston also landed Bradley in the deal and is surely familiar with what he can do. After all, he played for the Red Sox during the first eight years of his career before they traded him to the Brewers prior to the 2021 campaign.

Bradley was an All-Star in 2016, won a Gold Glove in 2018, helped Boston win the 2018 World Series and was the ALCS MVP that year as well. The 31-year-old also hit double-digit home runs five years in a row from 2015 through 2019 and surpassed 20 long balls twice during that span.

However, he struggled in 2021 for the Brewers and slashed .163/.236/.261 with six home runs and 29 RBI in 134 games. It was a far cry from when he finished with a career-best .283 batting average during the shortened 2020 campaign in his final year before Boston traded him.

Renfroe was much better this past year.

He slashed .259/.315/.501 with 31 home runs and 96 RBI for the Red Sox in 2021, which marked his fourth straight full season (not counting the shortened 2020 one) with 26 or more long balls.

The right-handed hitter will bring immediate power to Milwaukee's lineup and figures to provide much more offensively than Bradley did during his one season with the Brewers.         

After making several big splashes in free agency, the Texas Rangers may look to the trade market to continue upgrading their roster.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Rangers have contacted the Cincinnati Reds about acquiring a starting pitcher from the trio of Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle.

The Rangers have been the surprise team of the offseason. They have spent $561.2 million on reported agreements with Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Kole Calhoun and Jon Gray.

Top 10 $ committed to free agents so far:

Texas: $561.2 million
New York Mets: $254 million
Toronto: $121 million
Seattle: $115 million
Detroit: $77 million
Houston: $67 million
Miami: $53 million
Los Angeles Angels: $45 million
St. Louis: $44 million
San Francisco: $36 million

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 29, 2021

After reporting Semien's seven-year, $175 million deal, ESPN's Jeff Passan noted the Rangers "aren't done" and "went into this winter with money to spend."

The agreements with Seager and Gray followed suit, but it still doesn't appear as if Texas' front office is standing down.

The Reds apparently came into this offseason with the goal of cutting payroll. General manager Nick Krall told reporters Nov. 3 after trading catcher Tucker Barnhart to the Detroit Tigers that they "must align our payroll to our resources and continue focusing on scouting and developing young talent from within our system."

Per Spotrac, Gray is the Reds' fourth-highest-paid player in 2022 with a base salary of $10.4 million. Castillo and Mahle are both entering their second year of arbitration with projected salaries of $7.5 million and $5.5 million, respectively, for next season. 

Mahle is the youngest of that group at 27 years old. He led Reds starters with 210 strikeouts and ranked second with a 3.75 ERA. Castillo tied for the MLB lead with 33 starts and posted a 3.98 ERA in 187.2 innings.

Gray posted his highest ERA (4.19) since 2018, but he averaged more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings for the third consecutive season.

The Rangers' moves suggest a strong desire to improve after finishing last in the American League West with a 60-102 record. Adding more help to their starting rotation would go a long way toward making them competitive in a loaded division with the Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics.   

As the Los Angeles Angels continue to explore ways to upgrade their starting rotation, they are reportedly looking at Cincinnati Reds ace Luis Castillo in a potential trade.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Angels and Reds have had preliminary talks about Castillo, but they are "far apart" in talks because the asking price by Cincinnati is "very high."

Earlier this month, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Castillo is "doubtful to be moved."

The Angels have been aggressively pursuing upgrades in their starting rotation this offseason. They already signed Noah Syndergaard to a one-year, $21 million deal.

Per MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Angels are among the teams in on Max Scherzer, who is expected to make a decision before the collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1.

It's unclear what the Reds' asking price for Castillo might entail, nor is there any indication they are seriously looking to deal the 28-year-old.

ESPN's Buster Olney reported last week that Cincinnati was open to moving Sonny Gray but "indicated" to rival executives that Castillo and Tyler Mahle were "off limits."

One potential reason for the Reds to put a high price on Castillo is his contract status. The right-hander has two more years of team control before becoming a free agent.

Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors projects Castillo will earn $7.6 million in arbitration for the 2022 season.

Castillo set a career high with 33 starts in 2021. The Dominican Republic native posted a 3.98 ERA with 192 strikeouts over 187.2 innings. He has posted a 3.60 ERA in 77 starts over the past three seasons combined.

Angels starters ranked 22nd in Major League Baseball in ERA (4.78) and 26th in innings pitched (776.1) last season.   

As teams look to improve their bullpens in search of a pennant, pitchers are beginning to dominate the offseason discussion, with a run at the position.

The Reds and Orioles, though, are in the process of dangling pitchers as trade bait, looking for teams to relieve them of the financial burden and hoping to get picks, prospects or less-expensive veterans in return.

    

Reds Open To Trading Sonny Gray...Again

Cincinnati has put pitcher Sonny Gray on the trading block again, per ESPN's Buster Olney. The report also stated the Reds consider Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle off-limits.

The Reds are said to be open (again) to trading Sonny Gray. But they've indicated to rival execs that Tyler Mahle and Luis Castillo are off limits.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 23, 2021

The team likely considers Gray the most expendable of their three top-tier pitchers. He's the most expensive and entering the final year of his contract at a time when the team is trying to cut spending. He is a solid mid-rotation pitcher who can benefit a team chasing a championship. Earlier in the offseason, the Dodgers reportedly had interest in dealing for the righty but nothing came of it.

Gray is coming off a year in which he netted his highest ERA since 2018 (4.19) and his lowest walk percentage since 2017 (3.33). He allowed 1.26 home runs per nine innings.

Could the Reds get more in return for one of the players they've deemed off-limits? Probably, but Gray is a solid hand and an upgrade at the position for a considerable number of teams.

      

Orioles Dangling John Means In Trade Talks

Olney also reported the Baltimore Orioles are "dangling left-hander John Means for trade."

Other teams say the Orioles are dangling left-hander John Means for trade. He's set to make about $3 million in arbitration, coming off a season in which he pitched great in the 1st half (2.28 ERA) struggled in the 2nd half (4.88) and had shoulder issues. https://t.co/rSQSDncyrZ

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 23, 2021

Means started the 2021 season hot but faltered in the second-half, his ERA rising exponentially from 2.28 to 4.88. That fall off as the season progressed, combined with his eligibility for salary arbitration, which could lead to a hefty raise for the southpaw, makes him a prime candidate for moving.

The question is which Means is the real one?

Is it the pitcher who threw a no-hitter during his first 11 games or the player who allowed six earned runs in the final game of his season, a 10-1 drubbing by the Toronto Blue Jays?

That will be the question teams interested in his services will be faced with.

At his best, Means is a sharp pitcher with good control and a wicked curveball. At his worst, opposing teams took that same curveball and his change-up deep, contributing to the disastrous conclusion to the O's season.

One thing surrounding Means' future is that it does not appear destined to occur in Baltimore.

That is, unless the Orioles cannot find a trade partner.

New York Mets owner Steven Cohen took aim at Icon Sports Management, the agents who represented starting pitcher Steven Matz in free agency.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Tuesday that Matz agreed to a four-year, $44 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. Cohen reacted to the deal on social media:

I’m not happy this morning . I’ve never seen such unprofessional behavior exhibited by a player’s agent.I guess words and promises don’t matter.

— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) November 24, 2021

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network provided further details about the Mets owner's unhappiness:

Mets are upset about the Matz situation and his last minute call to Cardinals. They had the impression he was going to come back to them for a final chance. Sources say Mets would have gone to that level ($44M, 4 years) https://t.co/IQb31i6Tvu

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 24, 2021

After Cohen's tweet, Rob Martin, Matz's agent released a statement in response:

Statement from Steven Matz’s agent, Rob Martin. pic.twitter.com/yC4p1FPfaP

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 24, 2021

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted that Martin added he reached out to Cohen personally after the tweet.

Matz was a second-round pick of New York in the 2009 draft. He made his big league debut in 2015 and played his first six MLB seasons with the club before getting traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in January.

The 30-year-old left-hander put together a strong season for the Jays. He compiled a 3.82 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 144 strikeouts in 150.2 innings across 29 starts. It marked his lowest ERA since 2016 (3.40) and represented a nice bounce back after posting a 9.68 ERA in nine appearances in 2020.

Since the Mets are projected to have a right-hand-heavy rotation next year—Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker, Carlos Carrasco and Tylor Megill—adding a lefty like Matz would have been ideal to provide a little bit of balance to the starting staff.

New York does have David Peterson as an internal option to fill that role, but he's coming off a 2021 season in which he finished with a 5.54 ERA in 15 starts.

So the Mets may want a more proven starter from the free-agent market as they look to rebound from a disappointing campaign.

Meanwhile, it's unclear whether Cohen's use of social media is helping or hurting his cause to build a championship contender in New York.

He hasn't been afraid to throw around criticism, even some directed at his own players, since buying the team last November:

It’s hard to understand how professional hitters can be this unproductive.The best teams have a more disciplined approach.The slugging and OPS numbers don’t lie.

— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) August 18, 2021

The 65-year-old businessman providing his transparent view of the team may endear him to fans because of the honesty, but making those type of comments in public may not have the same effect on players and their agents.

Regardless, the Mets' search for a left-handed starter continues as Matz heads to St. Louis.

Steven Matz has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $44 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The deal could be worth up to $48 million and will include a signing bonus.

Whether the southpaw had the talent to thrive as a starting pitcher in MLB has rarely been in doubt. He was sixth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2016 after finishing 9-8 with a 3.40 ERA.

However, health has largely precluded Matz from building on the early success he had with the New York Mets.

The 30-year-old missed the start of the 2017 campaign because of elbow inflammation and made 13 starts before his elbow flared up again and required surgery. Following a pair of unspectacular years in 2018 and 2019, he was limited to nine appearances in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season because of shoulder trouble in his throwing arm.

The Toronto Blue Jays acquired Matz in January 2021 in the hope he might have a return to form, and that's exactly what happened. He went 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA and a 3.79 FIP, per Baseball Reference. His 115 ERA+ was his second-best over a full season.

Projecting his value going forward, it might be somewhat encouraging that his performance wasn't a significant deviation from the norm.

Per Brooks Baseball, his sinker averaged 94.4 mph, right around where it had been in the preceding six seasons. He averaged 8.6 strikeouts and 2.6 walks, mirroring his career average in the former (8.6) and nearly doing the same in the latter (2.7). Opposing hitters also had a .321 batting average on balls in play, per FanGraphs, so his stats were inflated by opponents encountering bad luck at the plate.

Unlike with Toronto teammate Robbie Ray, who was a near-unanimous Cy Young winner, there probably isn't a breakthrough for Matz on the horizon. He doesn't rely on overwhelming stuff, and his whiff rate has never eclipsed 23.4 percent, according to Baseball Savant.

But a healthy Matz is a solid starter in the middle of the rotation.

His injury history is an obvious cause for concern, and his career high for innings in a season is 160.1, so he won't pitch deep into games with great frequency.

Those factors aside, he should be a valuable contributor for the Cardinals.

St. Louis returned the bulk of its rotation, but that continuity wasn't necessarily a good thing when Adam Wainwright, Jack Flaherty, Dakota Hudson and Miles Mikolas are all right-handers.

With Kwang Hyun Kim hitting free agency, the team needed to bring in at least one left-hander to provide some variety to its staff.

The Cincinnati Reds are reportedly open to trading starting pitcher Sonny Gray but are keeping Tyler Mahle and Luis Castillo off the market.

ESPN's Buster Olney reported Mahle and Castillo are "off limits" this winter.

Gray's no stranger to the trade block, with rumors swirling around him over the last two seasons. He posted a 7-9 record with a 4.19 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in a disappointing 2021 campaign but remains a name that will generate significant trade buzz.

The Reds owe Gray $10.2 million in base salary for 2022 and have a club option for $12 million in 2023, a number they will almost certainly accept given how vastly Gray has outperformed his deal. Any team that trades for Gray is getting a top-of-the-rotation arm for $22.2 million over two years, making him one of the best veteran bargains in baseball.

Cincinnati is coming off a promising 83-79 season and could choose to keep Gray around if it wants to make a playoff push in 2022. The Reds could easily revisit trade talks next winter or in the season if they fall out of contention. 

Mahle and Castillo are both under team control for 2022 and 2023 before they can hit free agency. Both right-handers are still in their 20s, while Gray turned 32 earlier this month, so that likely explains why he's considered the most expendable of the trio.

It would be a surprise if the Reds didn't broach the topic of new contracts for Mahle and Castillo this offseason. 

Free-agent outfielder Nick Castellanos is reportedly receiving interest from multiple teams on the open market.

According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the San Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins are two of the teams known to be pursuing the 2021 All-Star and Silver Slugger award winner.

The 29-year-old Castellanos has spent the past two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and previously enjoyed stints with the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs.

Free agency comes at an ideal time for Castellanos, as he enjoyed a career year offensively in 2021. His slash line of .309/.362/.576 were all career highs, as were his 34 home runs.

Castellanos also drove in 100 runs and scored 95 runs in only 138 games.

It represented a huge step up for Castellanos, who hit a career-low .225 with 14 homers and 34 RBI in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

Castellanos' first true breakout occurred in 2017 with the Tigers when he hit .272 with 26 homers, 101 RBI and an American League-leading 10 triples. He remained productive over the next couple of seasons, but he reached a new level in 2021, earning an All-Star nod for the first time.

Both the Giants and Marlins would benefit greatly from signing Castellanos, although they find themselves in very different positions in the National League.

The Giants are coming off a surprisingly dominant season, as they led Major League Baseball with a 107-55 record and won the NL West, although they fell to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

Meanwhile, the Marlins finished fourth in the NL East with a 67-95 record and have missed the playoffs in 17 of the past 18 seasons.

The Giants are returning some core offensive players in Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, Evan Longoria and Mike Yastrzemski, but catcher Buster Posey announced his retirement and Kris Bryant is a free agent.

San Francisco would conceivably love to re-sign Bryant after he performed so well following his trade to the Giants from the Cubs, but if the Giants are unable to re-sign him, Castellanos could be a quality replacement.

While the Giants are a team poised to contend for a World Series, Castellanos has ties to the Miami area, which could make the Marlins an attractive option as well.

Morosi noted that Castellanos attended Archbishop McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, Florida, which is only about 25 miles from the Marlins' home ballpark.

Legendary New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is now the Marlins' CEO, and he is playing a big role in building the franchise from the ground up.

The Marlins shockingly reached the playoffs in 2020 under Jeter's guidance, and while they took a step back last season, they have a chance to rebound in 2022 thanks largely to a young and talented starting pitching rotation.

Castellanos would be the centerpiece of the offense and give the Marlins some much-needed pop in the middle of the order.

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Luis Castillo and Colorado Rockies right-hander German Marquez are unlikely to be traded this winter, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. 

Both pitchers have been linked in trade rumors since the 2021 campaign ended. 

The Reds are likely to cut payroll this winter, and Castillo was seen as a prime candidate to be moved. The 28-year-old is arbitration-eligible through the 2023 season and is projected to earn $7.6 million in 2022. 

A report earlier this week by Jon Morosi also suggested the Reds were more open to trade discussions about Castillo than they've been in the past. The Los Angeles Dodgers had been linked to the former All-Star, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  

Castillo went 8-16 during the 2021 season with a 3.98 ERA, 1.364 WHIP and 192 strikeouts in 187.2 innings across a career-high 33 starts. He also had a 4.8 WAR. 

The Dominican native made his MLB debut in 2017 and has gone 40-49 with a 3.72 ERA and 1.220 WHIP across five seasons. 

Marquez, meanwhile, was listed as a "name to watch" earlier this week by Morosi, who added the Rockies are "certainly going to cycle through and maybe get a little bit younger” this winter. 

However, Marquez won't become a free agent until after the 2024 campaign. He signed a five-year, $43 million contract with the Rockies in April 2019. 

The 26-year-old earned his first All-Star selection in 2021, when he went 12-11 with a 4.40 ERA, 1.272 WHIP and 176 strikeouts in 180 innings across 32 starts. He also had a 3.3 WAR. 

With Castillo and Marquez likely off the market, look for teams to instead eye some of MLB's top free-agent pitchers, including Zack Greinke, Marcus Stroman and Anthony DeSclafani.