PT Today

(*) PT TODAY: Bumgarner stays in the West, moves to desert

PT Today

BaseballHQ

Dec 16 2019 1:08am

(*) PT TODAY: Bumgarner stays in the West, moves to desert

BaseballHQ

Dec 16 2019

Team-by-team playing time allocation charts can be found in our Teamview pages.

National League \| American League

Diamondbacks \| Madison Bumgarner joining Arizona
Free-agent LHP Madison Bumgarner agreed to terms on a five-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday, Dec. 15, worth $85 million with $15 million deferred, according to sources. Source: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal

BHQ take: Bumgarner’s 2019 rebound was impressive, i.e. from an injury-plagued two years during which he logged 154 IL days—to post 208 IP of sub-4 ERA ball, as velocity, 12 % SwK and 4.7 Cmd all again looked vintage. Somewhat surprisingly for a free agent SP of his caliber, Bumgarner will now head the rotation of a rebuilding club that remains under development behind him, with offensive and bullpen support that also looks uncertain. And even though Chase Field in ARI was less offense-friendly in 2018, Bumgarner leaves one of MLB’s best pitching parks in Oracle Field, where he enjoyed a 2.93 ERA over 122 IP last year vs. a 5.29 ERA on the road. Historically, Bumgarner owns a 3.53 ERA on the road and a 2.72 ERA at home over a career spent entirely in SF. Something to think about, as Bumgarner’s value will now be more health-dependent than ever. —Jock Thompson

Impact: High
Bumgarner, Madison



Dodgers \| Blake Treinen officially signs with LAD
Free-agent RP Blake Treinen officially signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday, Dec. 15, worth $10 million. Source: Los Angeles Times - Jorge Castillo

BHQ take: Injuries (elbow, shoulder, back) and pitch location seem to be primary reasons Treinen tumbled from being one of THE elite closers of 2018 into oblivion last year, and was eventually non-tendered by OAK. His ERA ballooned from 0.78 to 4.91; Ctl from 2.4 to 5.7. His SwK fell from 18.6% to 12.6% and Treinen’s typically elite GB% dropped to 43%. So he has a lot to fix, but the Dodgers have obviously checked out his health, and like what they see—particularly mid-90’s stuff that remained intact for most of his struggles. Treinen is unlikely to approach his inflated 2018 numbers, even if LA can fix his location. But with Kenley Jansen no longer the dead-solid lock he once was for all of LA’s saves, it wouldn’t completely surprise to see a rejuvenated Treinen get more high-leverage work—or even ninth opportunities again at some point in 2020. Worth at least a draft-day flyer in deep leagues. —Jock Thompson

Impact: Med
Treinen, Blake
Jansen, Kenley



Mets \| Rick Porcello agrees with Mets
Free-agent RHP Rick Porcello agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with the New York Mets Thursday, Dec. 12. Source: MLB Network - Jon Heyman

BHQ take: One day after signing Michael Wacha for their vacant rotation slot, the Mets have signed Porcello seemingly for the same slot. Of course, the Mets may just be looking for insurance, as pitchers including Wacha, Steven Matz, and Noah Syndergaard all have significant injury histories. The signing could also portend a trade of one of the existing Met starters. In any event, Porcello had seasons with BPVs north of 120 and xERAs below 3.80 in both 2016 and 2018, but the soon to be 31-year old struggled in 2019 with an xERA of 5.18 and a BPV of 84. —Phil Hertz

Impact: Med
Porcello, Rick



Giants \| Kevin Gausman headed to San Francisco
Free-agent RHP Kevin Gausman signed a one-year contract worth $9 million with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Source: NBC Sports Bay Area - Alex Pavlovic

BHQ take: Gausman signs with the Giants after being released by ATL in August and non-tendered by CIN at the end of 2019. He struggled as a starter (6.37 ERA over 17 starts / 82 IP) but fared much better in relief, posting a 3.10 ERA 27/5 K/BB over 20 IP mostly out of the Reds' pen. Rebuilding SF needs all kinds of pitching help, and was obviously impressed by the 28-year-old Gausman's stuff (15% SwK, 10.0 Dom) and health. They'll likely try him out in the rotation and move him to the pen again if it doesn't work, with the intention of flipping him at mid-season. Fantasy-wise, he's a flyer at best, particularly given that off-season changes in Oracle Park's dimensions will make an extreme pitcher-friendly park decidedly less so. —Jock Thompson

Impact: Med
Gausman, Kevin



Giants \| San Fran lands Zack Cozart, Will Wilson
Los Angeles Angels INFs Zack Cozart and Will Wilson were traded to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations and a player to be named later Tuesday, Dec. 10. Source: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya

BHQ take: The rebuilding Giants clearly targeted Wilson, a bat-first collegiate SS who was LAA’s first-round pick in 2019 and could move through the system quickly if he can move on from the nagging injuries that impeded his small sample Rookie League debut (.275 BA over 189 AB). Regardless, he’s unlikely to make a 2020 impact at the MLB level. In return, SF will eat the final year of Cozart’s $12m salary, and likely release him at some point unless he can engineer an unexpected turnaround. Now 34, Cozart has accumulated just 321 AB over the past two seasons with Mendoza-line production thanks to a myriad of injuries—and is coming off of major shoulder surgery. No immediate fantasy relevance here. —Jock Thompson

Impact: Low
Cozart, Zack





American League \| National League

Rangers \| Texas acquires Corey Kluber
Cleveland Indians RHP Corey Kluber was acquired by the Texas Rangers Sunday, Dec. 15, in exchange for RHP Emmanuel Clase and OF Delino DeShields Jr. The Rangers also received cash considerations in the trade. Source: MLB.com - John Blake

BHQ take: Another big add to the top of the TEX rotation means more PT hits are likely for some of the Rangers' pitching prospects (as we recently profiled when TEX added Jordan Lyles and Kyle Gibson). Of course, Kluber's 2019 was decimated by injury, but before that, the Texas native had been in the Cy Young conversation consistently, winning two. Kluber's skills appear intact, and while we can't count on a rebound to 200 IP coming off his injuries, he should rebound well. Meanwhile, Clase's departure will affect the back of the Rangers bullpen, but it remains to be seen who falls in behind apparent closer José Leclerc. In addition, with DeShields' departure, the Rangers' CF situation became clearer, barring another acquisition: TEX GM Jon Daniels stated that 2019 comeback sensation Danny Santana would be the starter if the season opened today. Santana resurrected his career with a 20/20 season in 2019, but his skills profile suggests a pullback, especially in BA (.257 xBA). That said, Santana's counting stat line was mostly supported by skills, and even if TEX installs another full-time CF, we would expect Santana to go back into his super-utility role and grab another 500-ish PA. So don't bid to last season's levels, but Santana's counting stats appear more likely to reach a near-repeat with DeShields' departure. —Rod Truesdell

Impact: High
Santana, Daniel
Kluber, Corey



Red Sox \| Boston signs Martín Pérez
The Boston Red Sox signed free agent LHP Martín Pérez to a one-year, $6 million contract on Thursday, Dec. 12. The deal includes a $6.25 million team option for 2021. Source: FOX Sports - Ken Rosenthal

BHQ take: Perez fits into the middle of the BOS rotation, covering the slot formerly held by Rick Porcello. Perez's 5.12/5.01 ERA/xERA and 1.52 WHIP in 2019 should keep him away from most fantasy rosters, despite his career best 7.3 Dom driven by an extra mile per hour on his fastball. Also note the F Health Grade and the 16 PQS DISasters in 29 starts, and let someone else take the risk in 2020. —Matt Dodge

Impact: Med
Perez, Martin



Red Sox \| José Peraza heads to Boston
Free-agent INF José Peraza signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Boston Red Sox Thursday, Dec. 12. He'll be under team control through the 2022 season. Source: MLBDepthCharts.com - Jason Martinez

BHQ take: The Red Sox already have several candidates to cover 2B in 2020 (Michael Chavis, Dustin Pedroia, Marco Hernández), but Peraza and his 20-game eligibility at 2B, SS and OF, may find a chance to stick with BOS as a six-years-younger version of Brock Holt. Unfortunately, Pereza's bat came up short in 2019, with more weakly hit fly balls torpedoing both BA and xBA, which resulted in less AB and fewer stolen base opportunities. This skill set now only looks attractive in AL-only play as a reserve/ utility batter, shuffling between positions to maximize roster flexibility. —Matt Dodge

Impact: Low
Peraza, Jose



Yankees \| Brett Gardner re-ups with Yankees
Free-agent OF Brett Gardner agreed to a one-year, $12.5 million deal to re-sign with the New York Yankees Thursday, Dec. 12. The deal will include a $20 million option for 2021. Source: New York Post - George A. King III

BHQ take: As expected, Gardner re-ups with the only major league organization he has ever been associated with. He should see regular CF playing time through the first half of the 2020 season, and be part of an OF rotation once Aaron Hicks returns sometime midseason. Most of Gardner’s 2019 offensive contributions came against RH pitching (.892 OPS), so the Yankees may look for a short-side platoon partner if he cannot improve on his .654 OPS against lefties. —Matt Dodge

Impact: Low
Gardner, Brett



Angels \| Anthony Rendon agrees on seven-year deal
Free-agent 3B Anthony Rendon and the Los Angeles Angels agreed on a seven-year, $245 million deal Wednesday, Dec. 11. The deal includes a full no-trade clause and doesn't contain an opt-out clause, sources said. Owner Arte Moreno made it a priority to surround OF Mike Trout with talent this offseason, and Rendon is a big piece of the puzzle. Source: ESPN

BHQ take: An elite player on both sides of the ball, Rendon comes off a career season in 2019 (1.010 OPS over 545 AB) with outstanding support metrics—though a 34 HR repeat shouldn’t be expected following his departure from RHB-friendly Nationals Park. His arrival in Anaheim suggests that infield/outfield utility David Fletcher (.290 BA, 89% ct% over .596 AB) will now get more time at 2B where he was a superb defender. Fletcher’s 2019 1H 2B/3B job-share partner had been Tommy La Stella, who posted a surprising .832 OPS over 16 HR in 292 AB before a fractured tibia ended his season in early July. Rendon’s arrival puts La Stella’s overall playing time and LAA future in question. After being pressed into playing time by LAA injuries, 22-year-old Luis Rengifo (.685 OPS over 357 AB in his MLB debut) projects to begin 2020 at Triple-A again for more seasoning. Plenty of ripples here with Rendon’s signing, with still plenty of time left for more moves by the Angels’ front office. —Jock Thompson

Impact: High
La Stella, Tommy
Rendon, Anthony
Rengifo, Luis
Fletcher, David



Blue Jays \| Tanner Roark heads north of border
The Toronto Blue Jays signed free-agent RHP Tanner Roark to a two-year, $24 million contract Wednesday, Dec. 11. Source: Sportsnet.ca - Ben Nicholson-Smith

BHQ take: Roark is essentially a replacement level starting pitcher, but the current state of the Toronto pitching staff puts him at the top of the rotation at this juncture. He does take his turn consistently (30+ starts each of the 2016-19 seasons) and consume innings (736 IP for the same period), which is a valuable commodity for a pitching staff in flux and those leagues using innings as a scoring category. However, his middling Dominance and decimals with those innings will neither help nor hurt most fantasy teams. —Matt Dodge

Impact: Low
Roark, Tanner



White Sox \| Nomar Mazara acquired from Texas
The Chicago White Sox acquired OF Nomar Mazara from the Texas Rangers Wednesday, Dec. 11, in exchange for OF Steele Walker. Source: MLBRosterMoves

BHQ take: Mazara is penciled in as the starting RF for the Sox in 2020. His addition makes for an intriguing OF with Eloy Jiménez and the soon-to-be-arriving Luis Robert. Chicago is counting on Mazara to break out from his four seasons of 19-20 HR, BAs in the .250 to .260 range and BPV in the low-to-mid 30s. On the plus side, he's only 24, he hit 19 HR in 2019 in 429 AB and dealt with a thumb injury in the second half. His slugging rose 32 points in 2019, along with a rise in HctX, H%, Px and xPx, so he brings some upside into the next season. —Rick Green

Impact: High
Mazara, Nomar

News feed provided by: Fantasy.USATODAY.com

Playing Time Key

The playing time percentage changes at the bottom of most news items correspond to BaseballHQ.com's Teamview pages. The percentages approximate changes in AB, IP and Saves in the following manner:

For batters, each 5% of PT% ~ 31 AB (100% total for each position = 618 AB)
For pitchers, each 3% of PT% ~ 44 IP (100% total for a team's entire pitching staff)
For relievers, each 5% of Svs ~ 2 saves (100% of a team's total = about40 saves)

A complete explanation of BaseballHQ.com's playing time allocations can be found in the article "How the Projections are Created."