Jon Rauch Signing: Miami Marlins, Rauch Agree on
Potential $750K Roster Bonus

The Miami Marlins completed the Jon Rauch signing today with a peculiar roster bonus clause that perfectly fits the team's current state as a rebuilding ball club without much need of a veteran reliever. As reported by Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, Rauch can receive incentives of up to $0.75 million in "roster bonuses" associated with staying on the Marlins' 25-man roster.

In addition to $1 million base fig, Rauch to receive bonus increments of $250,000 for 90, 120 and 150 days on active roster. #marlins

— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) February 6, 2013

Of course the Marlins would offer such an incentive plan for Rauch. For one thing, the team itself controls Rauch's destiny to a degree, as staying on the active roster of the Marlins implies that you are still a member of the organization. This is relevant with the Fish because there is a non-zero chance the Marlins simply trade Rauch away before his some of his roster bonuses kick in. Given that Rauch is a former closer, at least in a part-time sense, it would not surprise anyone to see the Fish send him off well before he completes 120 days, or approximately four months, with the team, especially if he gets off to a hot start.

This roster bonus only further motivates the Marlins to make a move and ensure that Rauch does not end the season with the Fish. Of course, that implies that Rauch is good enough to stay on the major league roster by merit, and he is not exactly a spring chicken at age 34. Still, it is far more likely that some team during the stretch run makes a move for a minor piece like Rauch before the July 31 trade deadline and thus relieves the Fish of the potential additional $0.5 million that they would unnecessarily owe him. In fact, this makes trading Rauch a relative priority in terms of midseason moves; there is no reason the Marlins should be paying a mediocre 34-year-old soft-tossing righty close to $1.8 million in one season.

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Orioles claim Russ Canzler off waivers

[...]

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Rumor: Yankees still looking for a right handed
outfielder

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Just how overpaid is Mark Teixeira

[...]

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Rockies Announce 2013 Spring Training Non-Roster
Invites

Headlining the list in terms of career resume is 41 year old pitcher Miguel Batista, signed to a minor league contract this offseason. The right-hander has worked regularly in both a starting and relief role throughout a twenty-plus year major league career. He has pitched at the major league level with 13 different teams and has reached the level every year since 1996. His streak may be broken this year, as unless there is an unexpected opening for a bullpen hybrid role, there is no clear path to the majors for Batista. As he filed for MLB free agency last year, Batista will cost the Rockies an extra $100k if he pitches in the minors, making him a likely release candidate if no roster spot is available.

Chris Volstad is another name new to the Rockies this season, signed after being cut from the Chicago Cubs after a very rough 2012. The former Marlins prospect was likely a personal pickup on behalf of Mark Wiley, the Rockies new Director of Pitching Operations, who worked with the Marlins during Volstad's ascension to the majors. He represents the most likely NRI to crack the opening day roster, as he will be competing for a starting rotation spot with the likes of Christian Friedrich, Tyler Chatwood and Drew Pomeranz, all of whom can easily be stashed in the minors if needed.

Other pitchers new to the Rockies this year are right handed reliever Logan Kensing, a six year MLB veteran who hasn't reached the majors since 2009, and Erick Threets, a hard throwing lefty who has seen his MLB time limited due to control issues. Right-handers Jeff Manship and Mike McClendon, both of whom have limited but recent MLB experience, represent interesting options for the organization. The two pitchers are former starters who have worked in long relief situations, and may find themselves in hybrid roles, particularly if the practice is adopted at AAA Colorado Springs this year.

Three position players will be making their Rockies debuts at MLB camp this spring. Catcher Gustavo Molina, who has had a Paul Phillips-style career of third-string organizational catching for the past five years, will contend for a catching spot somewhere in the upper tiers of the system, an area that his cluttered with competition over the past few weeks. Former Astros shortstop prospect Tommy Manzella seems the favorite to occupy the position with the Sky Sox this year, particularly if Josh Rutledge is playing second base for the Rockies. Finally, the Rockies welcome first baseman Henry Wrigley, a 26 year old career minor league first baseman and outfielder out of the Rays system, looking for a chance to catch onto the system's first base depth chart.

A pair of familiar faces will be returning to the club this year. Catcher Yorvit Torrealba and right handed reliever and former closer Manny Corpas, both of whom played prominent roles in the two most important seasons of the past decade in Rockies history, return to compete for outside shots at the MLB team. Corpas has an uphill battle due to the one-inning reliever spots already being spoken for, but Torrealba could have a chance, particularly if Ramon Hernandez is traded out of camp and Jordan Pacheco's time at catcher fails to impress. Among other familar faces returning to camp this year will be Matt McBride, who made his MLB debut with the Rockies last year before being outrighted from the roster during the offseason. McBride re-signed with the team and will compete for first base and outfield time with the Sky Sox.

Twelve Rockies minor-leaguers will also be joining MLB camp this year. Former first round picks Kyle Parker and Tyler Anderson will be making their first trips to MLB camp with the team. Top prospects Nolan Arenado and Chad Bettis, both of whom suffered career setbacks last year for differing reasons, look to prove themselves in the eyes of the organization early. Both players represent potential midseason callups for the club.

Longtime organizational catchers Lars Davis and Jose Gonzalez (who has re-signed with the club for the second straight season out of MiLB free agency this year) add to the mandatory large amount of catching depth present during Spring Training. The two join starters Parker Frazier and Nick Schmidt as NRIs that will be due to leave the organization via minor league free agency after the 2013 season. First baseman Ben Paulsen makes a return, now a frequenter of the MLB camp for three straight seasons, with right handed pitcher Dan Houston and outfielders Corey Dickerson and Kent Matthes wrapping up the list.

The final list of players features no significant surprises. The most notable player left off the list is likely 2009 first rounder Tyler Matzek, but this decision seems easily justifiable based upon the pitcher's continued developmental struggles. I speculated that perhaps we would see other notable but soon to be free agent names such as Cory Riordan or Joey Williamson included, but there was no need to include them with the amount of pitchers of that type already invited. Look for those two to make cameo appearances in games with short rosters.

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I Desperately Want A Hank Aaron Signed Baseball
For My Collection. But

I Desperately Want A Hank Aaron Signed Baseball For My Collection.  But… Look, I know that I have very little chances of meeting Hank Aaron in person.  And if I did, I have read enough to know that he is … Continue reading →

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Miami Marlins Sign Jon Rauch to One-Year, $1
Million Contract

The Miami Marlins and free agent relief pitcher Jon Rauch agreed to a one-year deal today worth $1 million.

The Miami Marlins have signed reliever Jon Rauch to a one-year contract. Rauch will earn a base salary of $1 million, as first reported by Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.

#Marlins sign Jon Rauch to 1-year deal for $1 million.

— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) February 5, 2013

According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, Rauch's contract includes $750,000 in roster bonuses. If he is still a member of the Marlins by an unspecified date, he will earn the additional amount.

The 34-year-old right-hander played for the New York Mets last season, pitching for a 3.59 ERA in 57.2 innings pitched. He struck out 42 batters and walked 12. At 6'11", Rauch is the tallest player in Major League Baseball history. Despite his enormous height, Rauch's fastball averages just 90.7 miles per hour. In some seasons, his average fastball velocity has dipped below 90. He also features a low-80s slider.

Rauch has a 3.80 ERA across 10 seasons in the majors. ZiPS expects that he will come close to that mark next season, projecting a 3.93 ERA from him. He has given the Marlins some difficulty in his career, allowing only 17 earned runs and striking out 58 batters in 51 innings pitched against Miami. As the old proverb goes, if you can't beat them, sign them to a one-year, low risk contract.

Rumors swirled on the internet yesterday that the Marlins were interested in closer Jose Valverde. Whether or not they remain interested after today's signing is unclear.

The Marlins also designated outfielder Bryan Petersen for assignment today. Petersen hit for a .220/.303/.305 slash line in his three-year career with the Marlins.

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Jon Rauch Signing: Miami Marlins Add Bullpen
Depth For Little Price

The Miami Marlins completed a deal for free agent reliever Jon Rauch, signing the tall right-hander to a one-year deal worth $1 million. The Marlins went into the final stages of this offseason looking to spend a little more cash on the 2013 squad, with a projected payroll target of around $40 million. According to Baseball-Reference, a rough estimate of the Marlins' final payroll tally for the 2013 season is expected to be $45 million after the addition of multiple pre-arbitration, rookie scale contracts, but that figure also includes the cash the Marlins agreed to send to the Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks for a number of players traded in the offseason.

With that in mind, adding Rauch's $1 million commitment seemingly does not dent the team's salary goals by much. If the club is already ready to commit close to $45 million this year without adding Rauch, then his addition will not make a significant difference on the team's bottom line. Unfortunately (and unsurprisingly) for the Fish, Rauch's performance on the field is unlikely to do much to the team's winning bottom line either. Last season, Rauch posted a respectable 3.59 ERA and 3.89 FIP, and he has been doing exactly that for almost four seasons straight. Since 2009, Rauch has posted a 3.75 ERA and a 3.96 FIP, and these numbers do not differ all that much from his career 3.80 ERA and 4.01 FIP.

All of the above numbers point to a pitcher who is utterly uninteresting on the mound. Rauch throws a high-80's to low-90's fastball amid a variety of other offerings, none of which are all that impressive. His best pitch may be his slider, but Rauch's pitches are essentially a poo-poo platter from a "stuff" perspective. He gets by primarily with a hint of deception and downward plane, given his 6'11" frame that made him the tallest baseball player in major league history. While that goes some of the way towards success in the big leagues, it does not make up for a lack of anything that can be deemed "overpowering," especially when you are trying to make a living in the back of a bullpen. Rauch does not help himself by allowing ground balls either, as he has a career 34.0 percent ground ball rate.

So what does he do well? He has walked a modest 7.1 percent of hitters for his career, and that figure has gone down along with his strikeouts in the last few seasons. Like many relief pitchers, he also does seem to have a natural knack for suppressing home runs (career 8.3 percent HR/FB rate) and hits on balls in play (career .273 BABIP). If there is something Rauch can bring to the table, it is a professional approach that limits walks and does a little better at inducing weak contact.

How does that fit in with the Marlins? Rauch has not closed games consistently since playing for the Minnesota Twins in 2010, so it is likely he will slot into a setup man role akin to the ones he has had since that time period. With his experience in the ninth inning, he should be the first in line for closing opportunities if incumbent Steve Cishek falters, but given his entirely mediocre repertoire, that really should not be the case. His fit in Marlins Park should do well given its larger dimensions and his high fly ball rate; Rauch's best work in the last few seasons happened with the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins, and both Citi Field and Target Field respectively boasted massive outfield dimensions. Marlins Park should be similarly favorable to the fly ball-prone Rauch.

But overall, what you see on Rauch's statsheet is what you get. When placed in a pitcher-friendly environment, he is capable of producing mediocre relief numbers. When put in a tougher environment, such as when he played for the Arizona Diamondbacks or Toronto Blue Jays, and his home runs and ERA begin to climb. Since the Marlins' environment is more of the former, we can expect numbers akin to what Juan Carlos Oviedo used to do for years with this team. Whether or not that is a positive for Marlins fans remains to be seen.

We also have the liberty of knowing that Rauch has fetched players in trade deadline deals in the past. When he was accumulating saves with the Washington Nationals, he was acquired by the Diamondbacks for Emilio Bonifacio, of all people. The Twins picked him up a year later for a player to be named later, and if the Marlins attempt to deal him, they should expect more of the same for a return.

Overall, this is essentially a no-risk move or waste a move, depending on your level of optimism / pessimism. The Marlins did not need significant bullpen help, but spending $1 million on a one-year contract is essentially irrelevant, even for a penny-pinching team like this one. And while Rauch is perfectly serviceable, he is so mediocre that he will not make any visible change to this team in 2013.

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Hank Aaron And The Hall Of Fame Class Of 1982

Hank Aaron And The Hall Of Fame Class Of 1982 Henry Aaron was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.  His election came on his first ballot, in which he collected votes on 406 of 415 ballots … Continue reading →

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Miami Marlins Sign Jon Rauch to One-Year Contract

According to the Palm Beach Post, the Miami Marlins and free agent relief pitcher Jon Rauch agreed to a one-year, $1 million deal today, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.

The deal is for one year and $1 million, as first reported by Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.

#Marlins sign Jon Rauch to 1-year deal for $1 million.

— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) February 5, 2013

The 34-year-old right-hander played for the New York Mets last season, throwing for a 3.59 ERA in 57.2 innings pitched. At 6'11", Rauch is the tallest player in Major League Baseball history. Despite his enormous height, Rauch's fastball averages just 90.7 miles per hour. In some seasons, his average fastball velocity has dipped below 90. He also features a low-80s slider.

Rauch has a 3.80 ERA across 10 seasons in the majors. ZiPS expects that he will come close to that mark next season, projecting a 3.93 ERA from him.

Rumors swirled on the internet yesterday that the Marlins were interested in closer Jose Valverde. Whether or not they remain interested after today's signing is unclear.

The Marlins also designated outfielder Bryan Petersen for assignment today. Petersen hit for a .220/.303/.305 slash line in his three-year career with the Marlins.

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