Rockies Sign Wade Davis

Wade Davis: 4-2, 2.30 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 79/28 K/BB, 58.2 IP
Three Years, $52 million, $15 million vesting/mutual option for 2021

After re-signing Jake McGee and adding Bryan Shaw, the Rockies made their biggest move yet with the bullpen by adding Wade Davis to be the closer to replace Greg Holland, signing him for three years and $52 million. That contract, on a per-year basis, is the most expensive contract ever for a reliever, just barely eclipsing Aroldis Chapman's five year, $86 million deal from last offseason ($17.3 million to $17.2 million). At this point, with the likes of Chris Rusin, Mike Dunn, Adam Ottavino, and Scott Oberg also in the bullpen, the Rockies will have a very strong relief corps in 2018 to match a very strong rotation led by Jon Gray, Kyle Freeland, German Marquez, and Chad Bettis, among others. This combination of a deep rotation and bullpen gives Colorado perhaps the best pitching staff it has ever had, though the offense needs significant work. Aside from Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado, there are no consistent, productive hitters in the lineup, aside from DJ LeMahieu's average contact bat. Now, back to Davis. The 6'5" right hander is a converted starter who was pretty decent in that role (4.57 ERA, 1.45 WHIP in 88 career starts), but he has been beyond excellent as a reliever (1.65 ERA, 0.98 WHIP in 305 appearances). He was at his best in 2014 and 2015, but his 2017 season saw him put up a very solid 2.30 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and a 79/28 strikeout to walk ratio in 59 appearances (note the high strikeout rate), and he is still one of the game's best relievers. His ERA will jump in Colorado in this 2018-2020 period, but there aren't many out there who are better than Davis. It should also be noted that Davis is the first player to sign this offseason after rejecting a qualifying offer, so he will cost the Rockies their third highest draft pick in 2018. Now, it's time for them to go pick up a bat or two.

Brewers Sign Jhoulys Chacin

Jhoulys Chacin: 13-10, 3.89 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 153/72 K/BB, 180.1 IP

They don't get talked about a lot, but the Brewers are a good team with a chance to contend with the Cubs and Cardinals in the NL Central, and adding Jhoulys Chacin is a big step in the right direction. They already lost staff leader Jimmy Nelson (12-6, 3.49 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) for a portion of the 2018 season, but Chacin joins a rotation that does include Zach Davies (17-9, 3.90, 1.35) and Chase Anderson (12-4, 2.74, 1.09) at the front end, and Chacin is no slouch himself. The 29 year old had a big year in 2017, going 13-10 with a 3.89 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP over 32 starts for the Padres, and he should fit right in to the middle of the Milwaukee rotation. Chacin's slider is one of the best in baseball, posting the second highest "slider value" (according to Fangraphs) in baseball, behind only Max Scherzer. However, there is one split that catches my attention. In 16 home starts in San Diego's pitcher-friendly PETCO Park, Chacin went 9-3 with a 1.79 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP, but in 16 road starts, he went 4-7 with a 6.53 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP. That's the difference between the best home ERA in all of baseball and the worst road ERA in all of baseball (min 80 innings for both), which is a bit troubling. However, looking further back, he had a 3.52 ERA at home and a 5.85 ERA on the road in 2016. Extending it out over his career, which includes six seasons pitching in pitchers' hell Coors Field, he still has a much lower home ERA (3.65) than road (4.27), so it may be a case of him just really liking to pitch in familiar environments. Chacin is an interesting pitcher, and the Brewers got a fair deal on him at $15 million. For his career, the Venezuela native is 59-67 with a 3.93 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP over 195 games (167 starts) for the Rockies, Diamondbacks, Braves, Angels, and Padres.

Indians Add Yonder Alonso to Lineup

Yonder Alonso: 28 HR, .266/.365/.501, 2 SB, 132 wRC+, 2.4 fWAR
Two years, $16 million, $8 million vesting option for 2020

Signing Yonder Alonso is a great move by the Indians. Alonso had a big breakout season in 2017, one very comparable to that of the man he'll be replacing in the lineup, Carlos Santana. Alonso hit .266/.365/.501 with a 132 wRC+, while Santana slashed .259/.363/.455 with a 117 wRC+, and while Santana signed for $60 million with the Phillies, Alonso's contract is worth just $16 million. Obviously, Santana has a much longer track record than Alonso, but Alonso is no slouch and should have no problem replacing Santana in the lineup. His big power breakout in 2017 was fueled by fly balls and hard contact, as he set career highs in both (43.2% and 36%, respectively), while naturally setting a career low in ground balls (33.9%). In addition to all those fly balls, his 13.1% walk rate was also a career high, putting together a power/on-base package that cleanly fits the $16 million price tag. His 132 wRC+ placed him 29th in baseball, just behind Anthony Rizzo (133) and ahead of the likes of Nolan Arenado (129), Buster Posey (128), and Corey Seager (127). For his career, the former Miami Hurricane has 67 home runs, a .268/.340/.407 line, and 5.7 fWAR over 806 games.

Evan Longoria Shipped to San Francisco for Denard Span, Prospects

Giants Get: Evan Longoria (Age 32): 20 HR, .261/.313/.424, 6 SB, 96 wRC+, 2.5 fWAR

$14.5 million

Rays Get: Denard Span (Age 33): 12 HR, .272/.329/.427, 12 SB, 102 wRC+, 1.2 fWAR

Christian Arroyo (Age 22): 3 HR, .192/.244/.304, 1 SB, 44 wRC+, -0.5 fWAR

Matt Krook (Age 23): 4-9, 5.12 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 105/66 K/BB, 91.1 IP at High Class A

Stephen Woods (Age 22): 6-7, 2.95 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 113/64 K/BB, 110 IP at Class A

I don't like the idea of the Giants trading for Evan Longoria. He is a good player, but the Giants are unlikely to contend in 2017 and beyond, as their roster has little long-term depth due to a farm system that only got weaker in dealing three prospects. He has five years and $88 million left on his contract (with the Rays paying $14.5 million), and while that's about market value for a good bat and a good glove together, they gave up a major leaguer and three good prospects (though the Rays are sending money with him). Denard Span is owed $15 million for 2018 (assuming the Rays buy out his contract for 2019), so that offsets some, but it is still not a good trade for a Giants team that should be rebuilding, not stretching out an already closed window of contention. All of that said, Longoria patches up a big hole in the Giants roster, sliding into a solid infield that includes Brandon Belt, Joe Panik, and Brandon Crawford as well. The outfield is less fearsome (Hunter Pence, Jarrett Parker, Gorkys Hernandez, Mac Williamson), but at least the infield is patched up. Longoria is coming off a down offensive year, one where he slashed .261/.313/.424 with 20 home runs over 156 games, good for a 96 wRC+, but his good defense helped bring his fWAR up to 2.5. It was still by far the worst season of his career, the first in which his wRC+ dipped below league average (100) and also the first full season in which he failed to put up at least 3.3 fWAR. He is coming off an excellent 2016 (36 HR, .273/.318/.521, 123 wRC+, 4.5 fWAR), and there is definitely still sock in the bat, but he's on the wrong side of 30 and it would make sense that he would trend downwards. For his career, the California native and former Long Beach State Dirtbag has 261 home runs, a .270/.341/.483 slash line, and 49.6 fWAR over 1435 games.

Going back to the Rays, mainly for salary relief, is Denard Span, who grew up 15 minutes from downtown Tampa. Span, who gets on base at a good clip and still has good speed at 33 years old, has seen his power spike in since coming to San Francisco. After never hitting more than eight home runs in a season from 2008-2015, Span cracked eleven and twelve home runs in 2016 and 2017, and his .155 isolated power (slugging minus batting average) in 2017 was far and away a career high. In fact, overall, he was more productive at the plate in 2017 (102 wRC+) than Longoria (96 wRC+). That's not to say he's a better hitter in the long run, but he's definitely a productive hitter. For his career, Span has 60 home runs, a .283/.348/.396 slash line, 176 stolen bases, and 26.5 fWAR over 1222 games. 22 year old shortstop Christian Arroyo is the biggest piece moving, though, and he's also a Tampa-area native to boot. Arroyo is an advanced hitter with excellent bat to ball skills, one who is tough to strike out and who can have some sneaky power when he gets into one. In 2017, he made a mockery of AAA pitching in the small sample of 25 games, slashing .396/.461/.604 with four home runs, seven doubles, and a pair of stolen bases, striking out twelve times to six walks. He also spent 34 games in the big leagues with the Giants, slashing .192/.244/.304 with three home runs, five doubles, and one stolen base. He struck out 32 times and walked eight times, and while he wasn't exactly a prized contributor in the lineup, he showed competence and should be ready for a full season in the majors in 2018 once he works his way back from the broken hand that ended his season in August. He has a high floor as a utility man and a relatively high ceiling as an everyday shortstop and a high-OBP leadoff man. Matt Krook, a San Francisco native, is an interesting pitching prospect. Krook was a highly regarded prospect coming out of high school and dominated the Pac-12 as a freshman at Oregon (1.79 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 60 strikeouts in 45.1 innings), but blew out his elbow, missed 2015, and couldn't throw a strike as a redshirt-sophomore for the Ducks in 2016 (5.03 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 49 walks in 53.2 innings). The Giants liked his raw stuff, which includes a running low to mid 90's fastball and an excellent power curveball, and took him in the fourth round. After walking 35 in 40.2 innings in his pro debut last year, he walked another 66 in 91.1 innings in 2017, making progress but not much. On the bright side, in his final five games, he walked just one batter in 10.2 innings while striking out 17 and allowing just one run. If he really turned a corner in those final games, he could be a mid-rotation starter for the Rays. If not, he still has a good chance at being a power reliever. Lastly, 22 year old Stephen Woods was drafted in the eighth round out of SUNY Albany in 2016, and the Giants have done a great job cleaning him up thus far. Like Krook, he struggles with command, but his great stuff led to a 2.95 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 110 innings in 23 starts at Class A Augusta in 2017. The 64 walks were a bit high, but he comes in with a low to mid 90's fastball, a hard cutter-slider, and a good curveball, so he could very well become a back-end starter if he doesn't end up in the bullpen.

Angels Continue to Build with Addition of Zack Cozart

Zack Cozart: 24 HR, .297/.385/.548, 3 SB, 141 wRC+, 5.0 fWAR
Three Years, $38 million

If there was any doubt they were going for a division crown after the signing of Shohei Ohtani, the Angels have alleviated it with the trade for Ian Kinsler and the signing of Zack Cozart. They probably won't catch the Astros, but their is always a chance and if not, the Angels are in really good position for a Wild Card spot. After years of decency, posting fWAR's between 1.2 and 2.5 every year from 2012-2016, Cozart broke out in a big way in 2017 by slashing .297/.385/.548 with 24 home runs, a 141 wRC+, and 5.0 fWAR over 122 games. His .312 BABIP (versus a .280 career mark) suggests that luck may have played a part in his breakout, but not by much, and his batted ball data supports his breakout being real. His 30.8% hard-hit rate was the second highest of his career (after the 31.2% rate in 2016), while his 42.3% fly ball rate was a career high and his 38.2% ground ball rate was a career low. Cozart also brings defensive value, and though he'll move from shortstop to third base in deference to wizard Andrelton Simmons, it's a big upgrade in the field for the Halos. Now with Simmons, Cozart, Kinsler, Mike Trout, and Martin Maldonado in the field, the Angels will boast one of baseball's best defenses with the likelihood to bring home multiple Gold Gloves. For his career, the Ole Miss alumnus has 82 home runs, a .254/.305/.411 slash line, and 14.9 fWAR over 743 games.

Phillies Sign Carlos Santana

Carlos Santana: 23 HR, .259/.363/.455, 5 SB, 117 wRC+, 3.0 fWAR
Three Years, $60 million, $17.5 million club option for 2021

The Phillies' signing of slugger Carlos Santana is an interesting one as they gear up for a potential run of contention in the next few years. Young stars Rhys Hoskins, J.P. Crawford, Aaron Nola, Odubel Herrera, Maikel Franco, and more are ready to or already have come into their own, and with the Marlins and Mets trending in the wrong direction, the door is as open as it ever will be for Philadelphia. The Nationals aren't going anywhere, and the Braves are on their way up, but with the young core the Phillies have, there is no reason they can't join them in the next few seasons. Veteran Carlos Santana will be right in the middle of that, drawing walks and crushing home runs with regularity. In each of his past seven seasons, Santana has hit at least 18 home runs and walked at least 88 times, reaching 20 home runs five times and 100 walks twice. This past season, he slashed .259/.363/.455 with 23 home runs in 154 games, good for a 117 wRC+ and 3.0 fWAR, his seventh straight season with more than 2.0 fWAR. Meanwhile, he also set a career low with his 14.1% strikeout rate, and he'll no doubt be a big presence in the middle of the lineup. Defensively, though, he's more of a question mark. It looks like, as of now, he'll play first base with defensive question mark Rhys Hoskins moving to the outfield. Hoskins is not a butcher, but he's also not great out there, so Odubel Herrera and Aaron Altherr/Nick Williams (whoever ends up starting) will need to step up to make up for Hosksins. However, that's a small problem to have considering Santana's bat. For his career, the Dominican has 174 home runs, a .249/.365/.445 slash line, and 23.0 fWAR over 1116 games.

Cardinals Send Stephen Piscotty Home to Oakland A's

A's Get: Stephen Piscotty: 9 HR, .235/.342/.367, 3 SB, 92 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR

Cardinals Get: Max Schrock: 7 HR, .321/.379/.422, 4 SB, 128 wRC+ at AA

Yairo Munoz: 13 HR, .300/.330/.464, 22 SB, 109 wRC+ at AA and AAA

The Stephen Piscotty trade makes for a pretty good story. Piscotty, a San Francisco Bay Area native, had a down year in 2017 as his mother was diagnosed with ALS and he struggled with balancing the demands of professional baseball with his mother's illness. In response, the Cardinals made a classy move and shipped him from St. Louis across the country to Oakland, where he can play just a half hour from his hometown of Pleasanton. Playing closer to his mother, Piscotty could see a big bounce back and look more like his 2016 self, where he slashed .273/.343/.457 with 22 home runs over 153 games, good for a 116 wRC+ and 2.8 fWAR. That stands in contrast to 2017, where he slashed .235/.342/.367 with nine home runs in 107 games, good for a 92 wRC+ and 0.2 fWAR. The A's aren't quite contenders yet, but he joins a young core that includes Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Chase Pinder, and the up and coming Franklin Barreto and Renato Nunez on offense as well a slew of arms. Due to the big extension he signed prior to the 2017 season, he's under contract for five years and just over $32 million, plus a $15 million club option for 2023, which means he'll be around by the time the A's start contending. If he can maintain his high walk rate and get back to his old ways of hitting, Piscotty is one of the players the A's will build around for the next half decade. For his career, the former Stanford Cardinal has 38 home runs, a .268/.346/.438 slash line, and 4.2 fWAR over 323 games.

Going back to St. Louis are two great prospects in Max Schrock and Yairo Munoz. Schrock, a 13th round pick out of the University of South Carolina by the Nationals in 2015, has become a fan favorite due to his gritty play. The 5'8" second baseman has simply hit and hit and hit everywhere he has gone, and that was certainly the case in 2017. In 106 games with AA Midland this year, he slashed .321/.379/.422 with seven home runs, good for a 128 wRC+. He also put up a very respectable 42/34 strikeout to walk ratio, and while that 7.4% walk rate could use a little bump, his 9.2% strikeout rate is sufficiently low enough to bring confidence in his ability to carry his hitting to the highest level. Schrock is definitely a name to watch in St. Louis. Equally highly regarded is Yairo Munoz, a 22 year old infielder who reached AAA in 2017. Starting with AA Midland, Munoz proved to be too much for the league, slashing .316/.348/.532 with six home runs and 12 stolen bases in 47 games (good for a 140 wRC+), earning a promotion to AAA Nashville. There, he more than held his own, slashing .289/.316/.414 with seven home runs and ten stolen bases in 65 games (good for an 86 wRC+). At this point, learning to draw more walks could raise his value significantly, but maintaining his average power in the big leagues would also be a boon. If he does both, he could be the Cardinals' starting third baseman within a couple years. If not, he still profiles as a solid utility man who can play all over the diamond, including shortstop.