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Hector Olivera’s free agency has been strange, but it seems like it will come to an end soon. The Cuban infielder, who will likely play second or third base when he signs with an MLB team, kicked off his free agency with rumors that he would pull in around $70 million, but then seemingly had that dream shattered when it was rumored he had a damaged UCL that would require Tommy John surgery. Now, we find that scouts love him the more they see him, so maybe he’s actually healthy and an impact free agent after all. The Dodgers and Padres both seem to think so, and they’re now considered the favorites to land Olivera.
He could change the entire Padres lineup with his bat. This isn’t hyperbole, either: Olivera is a career .323/.407/.505 hitter in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, and batted .316/.412/.474 in his final season in the league. Those numbers aren’t expected to translate directly, but enough of that high-average, high-walk, power game should come along to make the 29-year-old Olivera matter. For a Padres team hoping that one or both of the inconsistent Jedd Gyorko and Will MIddlebrooks can recapture their promise from a few years ago, writing Olivera into the lineup instead could make life a whole lot easier and predictable. They can afford Olivera, too: remember their failed $25 million bid for Yoan Moncada, one that was actually $50 million with penalties? Olivera’s big-league deal would be a whole lot less lump sum-ish than that.
The Dodgers don’t need Olivera, but excess is kind of their thing, so they’ll chase him just the same. They could use him, of course, either at third base now in place of Juan Uribe, and at second in a year to replace free agent Howie Kendrick if they so choose. Maybe more importantly, though, they can keep Olivera away from the team that has transformed into an NL West threat in the course of one winter.
- By the time you read this, Marcus Stroman will have undergone surgery to repair the torn ACL that will keep him off the field in 2015.
- Is it time to worry about Madison Bumgarner yet, or can we just keep repeating “It’s only spring!” and assume everything will be worked out soon enough?
- Jason Marquis won a rotation spot on the 2015 Reds, which should tell you about all you need to know about the 2015 Reds.
- On the bright side, now Reds pitcher Tony Cingrani is in a position to succeed. This might seem odd if you remember Cingrani’s brief 2013 run as a starter, but in the bullpen, it’s okay if he throws a fastball 10 out of 10 times.
- The Red Sox rotation hasn’t had the greatest spring (it’s only spring!), so it’s fair to wonder if they’re coming around on Cole Hamels. Or, more accurately, on the price for Cole Hamels. Given Ben Cherington’s noted patience and love for the pieces it would take to get Hamels, though, you probably shouldn’t bet on it unless you like losing money.
- Here is video of Yoan Moncada doing baseball things.
- President Obama’s plan to stop taxpayer-funded sports stadiums is more about closing a very large loophole than stopping them altogether. The latter task is just a little bit larger in scope.
- Scott Kazmir is no Clayton Kershaw in a lot of of the ways that no one is Kershaw, but he’s basically his total opposite when it comes to controlling the running game.
- Now that Zack Wheeler is injured, the Mets should have Rafael Montero battle Dillon Gee for the last spot in the rotation rather than just hand the gig to Gee.
- We did it, Internet! The New Britain Rock Cats will now be known as the Hartford Yard Goats.
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