With Mark Payton pursuing an opportunity in Japan, the White Sox needed somebody with the ability to play a major-league center field since significant Luis Robert injuries are a little too common.
Enter Jake Marisnick, whom the White Sox signed to a minor league deal according to an Astros blogger/podcast host.
Marisnick, who will turn 32 on Opening Day, has been the underwhelming kind of consistent over the last two years, finishing both seasons with a .661 OPS even though he spent time with three teams. Thumb surgery interrupted his 2022 with the Pirates, as he hit .234/.272/.390 over 31 games before Pittsburgh released him in August.
If healthy, Marisnick provides consistently above-average defense in center field and the ability to steal a base. He has the power to hit double-digits in homers, but plate discipline undermines his ability to get more out of his bat. The more I describe him, the more he sounds like a polished version of Adam Engel. Ideally, he'd be depth in Charlotte instead of Chicago, but either way, he gives the Sox a present answer for potential center-field depth that isn't Leury García.
Spare Parts
Andrew Benintendi says that he's adjusted his approach based on what his home ballpark will allow him to do, and Esteban Rivera sees evidence of that with the adjustments made between three very different ballparks (Fenway Park, Kauffman Stadium, Yankee Stadium).
Eddie Rodríguez came over with Pedro Grifol from Kansas City, where he was the Royals' minor-league infield coordinator, and they'll be working on trying to adapt some minor-league drills to fit major-league workloads.
At the end of Scott Merkin's article, he references Vaughn's fades at the ends of his first two MLB seasons, but says Vaughn rejects the notion.
People point to extra wear and tear caused by somewhat unknown outfield work as a reason for Vaughn’s 22-for-122 showing over the final two months of 2021 and his .200 average and .580 OPS over Sept./Oct. in ‘22. Vaughn doesn’t buy that idea as his offseason preparation is geared for handling a complete campaign.
“Everybody wants to play the full season and not miss a game,” said Vaughn, who appeared in 134 games last season. “162 is a grind, no matter where you are playing. It’s building that routine. It’s being mentally focused to tackle the whole 162 and taking it day by day.”
Beyond the labor peace and influx of cash from TV deals and technology sales, Ben Clemens posits that teams and players are agreeing to deals earlier because both see the benefits of earlier starts on offseason work.
Jon Heyman has some details over the Pirates' failed efforts to extend Bryan Reynolds to his satisfaction.
While sources say the Pirates offered over $75 million for six years with no team options, Reynolds’ camp originally mentioned the $168 million, eight-year deal Matt Olson received as a comp (though their request was lower than that). The Braves did sign Sean Murphy for $73 million over six years (plus a team option), and Murphy is in the same class as Olson. (The Reynolds camp would counter that that deal is low.)
- As Trevor Bauer fights for his career, his accusers fight back -- Washington Post
- The Los Angeles Dodgers have unusual incentives to retain, not release, Trevor Bauer -- Wall Street Journal
The Dodgers have until the end of today to decide whether to add Trevor Bauer to their 40-man roster after his suspension was reduced to 194 games. Regardless of what they choose, the legal disputes will likely continue, whether by Bauer or his accusers.
Carlos Correa hasn't yet been seated as a New York Met because of the same issues with his physical that arose with the Giants, so Scott Boras is once again letting other teams back into the mix.
