Updating the Hottest Remaining MLB Questions 1 Week from Spring Training
The rough MLB winter rolls on for Dexter Fowler, Ian Desmond and Yovani Gallardo.
There's just two weeks to go before spring training camps fire up around Arizona and Florida, and those three guys headline a free-agent market that is unusually deep for the first week of February.
The big question in the latest round of hot questions is trying to pinpoint where Fowler, Desmond and Gallardo, who are all lugging around draft-pick compensation, will end up signing.
There's also room for some news about one of the offseason's busiest and boldest teams. Plus, there's a spot on the list for some talk about how to combat the rise of tanking.
How Can MLB Rein in the Rise of Tanking?
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According to the reporting of ESPN.com's Buster Olney, the rise of tanking is one of the reasons why the free-agent market has developed at such a slow pace this offseason. As Olney wrote, "many club executives believe that a growing number of teams are designing rosters to lose a lot of games and are curbing their spending and bypassing possible upgrades to do so."
Guys like Dexter Fowler, Ian Desmond and Yovani Gallardo would certainly be in agreement with those club execs.
Tanking has become such a prominent concern around the game that baseball's decision-makers discussed the topic at the Major League Baseball owners meetings in January, according to Olney. For now, no "official steps" to fix the issue have been taken, but here's an easy idea: Alter the way the draft order is drawn up.
One approach would be to outlaw a respective club from picking first in back-to-back drafts. A more aggressive, and ultimately effective, approach would be to ban clubs from having top-10 picks in consecutive drafts.
Who's Going to Sign Yovani Gallardo?
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The owner of a 3.42 ERA in 2015, Yovani Gallardo is the kind of front-of-the-rotation starter who has no business being unemployed at such a late date.
Digging through the numbers from last season, the Baltimore Orioles—No. 14 in the AL in starters' ERA—could clearly use a pitcher of Gallardo's ilk.
The holdup for the O's is that pesky draft-pick compensation, as Roch Kubatko of MASN explained: "They were deep in discussions with Gallardo's agent, but they now seem much more reluctant to give up the 14th overall selection."
With that draft-pick factor in mind, the Colorado Rockies line up as a strong match. Since the team's top selection (No. 4) is protected, the club would only have to part with its second-round pick in exchange for acquiring Gallardo.
Gallardo would also be a strong match on the mound. In 2015, the Rockies' starting staff was staggeringly bad, running up the worst ERA (5.27) in baseball. As Jon Heyman of MLB Network and WFAN reported toward the end of January, Colorado recognized the fit and was at least "considering" Gallardo.
With the offseason rapidly drawing to a close, the Rockies would have all the leverage in potential contract negotiations. What the team needs to do is lock in the righty on a multiyear deal to lead the way for the rest of the rotation as promising young starters like Jon Gray and Jeff Hoffman find their footing at Coors Field.
Where Is Ian Desmond Going to Be Playing in 2016?
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Last week, we pegged the Arizona Diamondbacks as a logical landing spot for Ian Desmond.
Unfortunately for the 30-year-old, that door slammed shut with a bang after the D-backs grabbed shortstop Jean Segura in a swap with the Milwaukee Brewers. With Arizona off the board, it takes some creativity to find teams that look like potential destinations for Desmond.
As Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com sees it, the Los Angeles Angels are one of the squads where there's a fit. Inking Desmond would cost the Halos the No. 17 selection, but that's a gamble Los Angeles might just need to make.
With the division-winning Texas Rangers, the wild-card-winning Houston Astros and revamped Seattle Mariners all in the AL West mix, the Angels will face fierce competition in 2016.
Based on the way 2015 fizzled out, the Angels could sure use a hitter with Desmond's resume. In the second half, the Angels posted the worst OPS in the AL. Meanwhile, the longtime shortstop has connected on at least 19 homers in each of the past four seasons and has a .736 OPS in his seven go-arounds in the bigs.
If Los Angeles brought Desmond to the Big A, the team could either play him opposite Andrelton Simmons at second base or, as Castrovince suggested, plug him in at left field, where Craig Gentry and Daniel Nava are slated to platoon.
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Who Will the Arizona Diamondbacks Bring in to Shore Up the Pen?
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The Arizona Diamondbacks have made all sorts of moves—and headlines—this winter.
The National League West club significantly bolstered its rotation with the acquisitions of Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller. General manager Dave Stewart has also made the lineup, which was already robust (No. 2 in the NL in runs), even stronger. The exec traded for shortstop Jean Segura to improve the middle of the infield, which had been the biggest cause of concern.
With the rotation and lineup in place, the pen remains the one area of the roster that could use a tweak or two. According to Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com, Stewart would prefer to explore the free-agent front to find an extra arm.
When asked about Tyler Clippard—one of the most established unsigned relievers—Stewart sounded intrigued.
"We have not talked to his people, [but] that is a good name," Stewart told Piecoro. "I know we talked about it internally, so I think there's a pretty good possibility we will [reach out], at least just to see."
That's a smart take from Stewart. Over the past six campaigns, the right-hander has been the definition of effective. Clippard owns a 2.67 ERA through that stretch, and as Piecoro noted, his 464.1 innings are the most of any big league reliever since 2010.
Where Will Dexter Fowler Be Leading Off in 2016?
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Dexter Fowler doesn't seem to be sweating the long wait.
Recently, the center fielder posted a video to Twitter in which he is quite literally "dancing in the rain."
As David Kaplan of CSN Chicago reported, the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox are among the teams that could end the rainstorm for Fowler. But Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News quashed the Fowler-to-Texas talk, bluntly stating that the Rangers "don't have the dollars" to sign him up.
It's unclear whether the South Siders have the dollars to ink Fowler, but his addition would be a shrewd move from a baseball perspective.
The 29-year-old could take over in center field at U.S. Cellular Field, leaving Adam Eaton, Melky Cabrera and Avisail Garcia to share the corners.
The switch-hitter would also be the ideal tone-setter for the revamped lineup, as he has wheels (20 steals in 2015) and a track record of reaching base at a high clip (.363 OBP in eight seasons).
Then there's the qualifying-offer angle to consider. Since the White Sox's top pick (No. 10) is protected, the club would only have to part ways with the 28th selection.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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