Cleveland Sports Forum

The Top Unsigned Designated Hitters

By Steve Adams | January 26, 2024 at 7:41pm CDT

Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Spring Training in about three weeks but a slow offseason means there are still plenty of free agents out there. MLBTR already took a look at the catchers, shortstops, center fielders, first basemen and second basemen still available. We’ll take a look at the top DH options on the market next. Obviously, this is a subjective category. Any player can technically serve as a designated hitter, after all. There are a handful of older and/or defensively limited sluggers who aren’t likely to sign anywhere that doesn’t have substantial DH at-bats available. That’ll be the focus here.

Jorge Soler:

After opting out of the final year and $13MM on his contract with the Marlins, Soler should be in position for a multi-year deal. The 32-year-old belted 36 home runs with the Fish in 2023 despite the pitcher-friendly nature of their home park, reducing his strikeout rate to 24.3% — the second-lowest of his career. His 11.4% walk rate was the second-best in his career. Soler remained one of the best in the game in terms of strong contact, delivering an excellent 91.3 mph average exit velocity and 48% hard-hit rate. Unlike the others on this list, Soler is both in his early 30s and has a demonstrated history of hitting for top-of-the-scale power in the big leagues. Everyone’s power production was up during the juiced-ball 2019 season, but Soler still paced the American League with 48 homers and finished third in all of baseball that season. The Blue Jays have been most heavily connected to Soler recently. Other suitors like the D-backs (Joc Pederson) and Mariners (Mitch Garver) have signed other DH candidates. Beyond Toronto, the Mets, Giants and Angels have all been more loosely linked to Soler.

J.D. Martinez: Martinez

had a “down” season by his standards in 2022 when he “only” hit .274/.341/.448 with 16 homers in his final season with the Red Sox. He more than doubled that home run total with the Dodgers in 2023, smashing 33 homers despite tallying just 479 plate appearances. It’s possible that Martinez has begun selling out for power even more than he may already have been at times in the past. Last year’s 31.1% strikeout rate was easily the worst of his career, and his 7.1% walk rate was his lowest since 2014. Even if that’s the case, there’s no getting around the fact that JDM was a legitimate middle-of-the-order presence. He hit .271/.321/.572 overall and posted elite numbers in average exit velocity (93.4 mph) and hard-hit rate (53.4%). He’s entering his age-36 season, but Martinez can still mash.

Justin Turner:

Turner turned 39 in December but you’d never know it looking at last year’s .276/.345/.455 batting line with the Red Sox. Turner connected on 23 home runs, walked at a respectable 8.1% clip and struck out in 17.6% of his plate appearances — about five percentage points below the league average. Turner embodies the “professional hitter” archetype and can still take the field at any of third base, first base or perhaps even second base in a pinch. Turner hasn’t had a below-average season at the plate since establishing himself as a regular with the Dodgers back in 2014, and there’s little reason to think that’s about to change.
Brandon Belt: He’ll turn 36 in April and has battled knee troubles in recent seasons, but Belt can still flat-out mash right-handed pitching. Like Turner, he can still play defense on a part-time basis — Belt logged 29 games at first base last season — but 70% of his games came as the Blue Jays’ designated hitter. Toronto only gave Belt 39 plate appearances against lefties, and he’ll be similarly limited wherever he signs next. But Belt hit .256/.375/.516 against righties as a member of the Jays, and he’s only gotten better in platoon situations as his career has progressed. Since making his MLB debut, he’s a .267/.364/.480 hitter against righties, but those numbers jump to .269/.376/.541 dating back to 2020 (150 wRC+).

Brandon Belt:

He’ll turn 36 in April and has battled knee troubles in recent seasons, but Belt can still flat-out mash right-handed pitching. Like Turner, he can still play defense on a part-time basis — Belt logged 29 games at first base last season — but 70% of his games came as the Blue Jays’ designated hitter. Toronto only gave Belt 39 plate appearances against lefties, and he’ll be similarly limited wherever he signs next. But Belt hit .256/.375/.516 against righties as a member of the Jays, and he’s only gotten better in platoon situations as his career has progressed. Since making his MLB debut, he’s a .267/.364/.480 hitter against righties, but those numbers jump to .269/.376/.541 dating back to 2020 (150 wRC+).

Mike Ford:

The 31-year-old Ford doesn’t have anywhere near the track record of Soler, Martinez or Turner, but he posted eye-popping numbers in a half season with the Mariners last season. The former Yankees farmhand hit 16 homers in just 251 plate appearances. His .228 average was something of an eyesore, but Ford walked at a 9.6% clip and managed to post a .323 OBP while slugging .475. Despite the power production, Ford was non-tendered by the Mariners, who were looking to reduce their strikeout rate and may have worried that Ford’s 32.3% mark in that regard made him a long shot to replicate his success. That he was non-tendered also suggests that the M’s couldn’t find a trade partner for him, even with a modest $1.5MM projected salary. Ford could wind up signing a minor league pact or a very low-cost big league deal. He’s an affordable three-true-outcomes slugger who can be controlled through the 2026 season via arbitration by any team that signs him.

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Cardinals Claim Alfonso Rivas, Designate Moises Gomez For Assignment
By Steve Adams | January 29, 2024 at 1:23pm CDT

The Cardinals announced Monday that they’ve claimed first baseman/outfielder Alfonso Rivas off waivers from the Angels. In a corresponding move, outfielder Moises Gomez was designated for assignment.

Fourth team Rivas has been on this offseason including the Guardians !

Good guy Carlos Santana returns to the AL Central; one year deal with the Twins.
Turns 38 years old in early April
Last year he hit 23 homers, 86 RBI in 550 at bats.
Walking less than in his prime [65 last year; topped 100 4 times and exceeded 90 in 8 of 9 sesaons from 2011 to 2019.
Because he walks so often he'll probably not reach 2000 hits; he's at 1665. 1213 walks, so closing in on 3000 times on base

The walk total ranks 60th all time. A cpuple more seasons should bring him up to about number 30.

Carlos Santana to sign with Twins: Veteran first baseman agrees to one-year, $5.25 million deal, per report

Santana is likely to serve as a platoon at first and DH for Minnesota

By Matt Snyder

2/3/24 1 hr ago

First baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana has agreed to a one-year, $5.25 million deal with the Twins, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

Santana, 38, has long been a case study to look past batting average. Sure, he's had decent averages at times, notably hitting .281 in 2019, but his walks and power make him much more an OPS guy with the bat in his hands. He's topped 100 walks in a season four times and 90 four other times. He's a career .242 hitter with a .356 on-base percentage and .432 slugging.

Last season, Santana was traded from the Pirates to the Brewers in front of the deadline. In 146 games between the two stops, he hit .240/.318/.429 (103 OPS+). As illustrated by the slash line, Santana's OPS skills are waning but he's still above average heading into his age-38 season. He also had 33 doubles, 23 homers and 86 RBI in 2023.

All this is to say that Santana could be a cheap needle-mover at the plate. Though he came up as a catcher, he hasn't been behind the plate since 2014. He can serve as a DH and will do so at times moving forward, but he's taken to first in the field. He rates out well with several advanced defensive metrics at first and was a Gold Glove finalist in the NL in 2023.

With the Twins, Santana will be the right-handed bat president Derek Falvey alluded to after trading away Jorge Polanco to the Mariners last week. The veteran will provide some versatility to manager Rocco Baldelli's platoon-heavy lineup, as well as some stability at first, where the expected plan was a platoon of Alex Kirilloff, who has yet to stay healthy in his three seasons in the majors, and Jose Miranda, who almost unplayably bad in 2023 before being shut down and undergoing surgery for a torn rotator cuff.

Minnesota is aiming to repeat as winners of the AL Central, but the Tigers have had a sneakily interesting offseason, adding Mark Canha, Kenta Maeda, Jack Flaherty, Andrew Chafin and Shelby Miller, among others, as well as locking up top prospect Colt Keith. The Royals have also upgraded significantly, while the Guardians hope to be competitive again. The White Sox have yet to trade away Dylan Cease as well.

Corbin Burnes trade grades: Orioles get 'A' for landing ace, underwhelming return sticks Brewers with a 'C'

The Orioles traded shortstop Joey Ortiz, left-handed pitcher DL Hall and a draft pick for Burnes

By R.J. Anderson

Feb 2, 2024 at 9:05 am ET

[The Brewers traded Corbin Burnes to the Orioles for middle-infielder Joey Ortiz, pitcher DL Hall and the 34th pick in the 2024 MLB draft (a compensatory pick eligible to be dealt). Must be nice to trade a middle-infield prospect, pitching prospect and a comp pick for major league help. Alas, the Guardians surely don't have any of those things.]

The Baltimore Orioles acquired Cy Young-winning righty Corbin Burnes in a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night. The Brewers will receive two young players, in shortstop Joey Ortiz and left-handed pitcher DL Hall, as well as a competitive balance round draft pick in July's draft.

Adding Burnes caps an eventful week for the Orioles, who will soon be under the ownership of David Rubenstein. The Brewers are also at the cusp of a new beginning. It's seemingly inevitable that neither Burnes nor Brandon Woodruff, non-tendered at the start of the offseason, will be on the roster next year. Factor in the departures of former top executive David Stearns and manager Craig Counsell, and the Brewers will have a different identity heading forward.

As always, we here at CBS Sports have offered instant analysis on the deal, complete with write-ups for every moving player and grades for both teams.

Here, again, is the deal in whole:

Orioles receive: RHP Corbin Burnes
Brewers receive: SS Joey Ortiz, LHP DL Hall, draft pick No. 34
Now, onto the fireworks factory.

Orioles grade: A

We've been waiting, waiting, and waiting a little longer for the Orioles to consolidate their considerable position player depth into an impact starter. When we wrote last month about four blocked prospects who needed a change of scenery, we noted how a rival executive joked the piece could have been written only about Orioles prospects. That says a lot about Baltimore's farm.

At last, the Orioles have done it -- at least to an extent, as they traded arguably the most blocked shortstop prospect in baseball. (Poor Ortiz was caught behind and between Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday. Good luck.) In theory, they could make another trade for Dylan Cease (or whomever) without emptying their coffers of high-quality position-player prospects. Must be nice.

Burnes, 29, has been one of the best starters in baseball dating back to 2020. His 146 ERA+ over that time ranks fourth out of the 67 pitchers with at least 75 starts, trailing only Max Fried, Clayton Kershaw, and the aforementioned Woodruff. He won the 2021 Cy Young Award and he's finished eighth or better in the three other seasons, speaking to his quality and consistency.

Burnes relies heavily on a mid-90s cutter as well as a swing-and-miss curveball and a sidespinning changeup. It may not be conventional for a starter to eschew throwing two- or four-seam fastballs often, but it doesn't make a difference here. Indeed, Burnes does everything you could want a top-flight starter to do. He pounds the zone, he misses bats, and he's an adept contact manager -- to the extent that his average exit velocity against has ranked in the top 8% of the league in two of the past three years.

Where things get interesting now is what the Orioles intend to do about Burnes' impending free agency. Remember, Baltimore's books are wide open. They have just $2 million in guarantees for next season (both in the form of club option buyouts) and nothing beyond that. There's no legitimate financial reason for the Orioles to shy away from retaining Burnes on a long-term basis.

Will the Orioles actually make it so? Perhaps this proves overzealous, but we feel more optimistic about their chances than we would have a week ago.

Brewers grade: C

The Brewers' front office is good at what it does. They've either posted a winning record or made the postseason in each of the last seven seasons. They've done that while mostly fielding payrolls that rank in the bottom third of the league, and without picking higher than 15th in the draft since 2017. And yet, this return feels a little light, like it's missing that one last piece.

Maybe the Brewers are just higher on the players they received, or maybe they were simply without the necessary leverage to coax more from the Orioles. Try as they did to convince other teams they were willing to head into the season with Burnes in tow, the idea of waiting to trade him until the deadline -- or possibly not at all if they were competitive through the summer -- never added up. The minute he took the mound in the regular season, his trade value would have taken a massive hit with the loss of possible draft-pick compensation.

With that in mind, maybe this deal falling short of forecasts-- and you can argue that the "C" grade is a touch generous -- should have been the expectation. That doesn't make it easier to stomach if you're a Brewers fan who was hoping for a few shiny prospect rankings in return. If there is an upshot here, it's that Ortiz and Hall are both ready for big-league duty.

Ortiz, 25, appeared in 15 big-league games last season. He didn't impress during his cameo, but that's OK. He performed better in the minors, batting .321/.378/.507 in 88 Triple-A games. As we explained in our report on him last month, he's an outstanding defensive infielder with some offensive promise. To directly quote ourselves: "Ortiz hit more than 45% of his batted balls over 95 mph. Although he's never going to be a big home-run hitter -- his average launch angle was 8.5 degrees -- he should be able to collect enough hits and walks to avoid being viewed as the modern Jack Wilson." In so many words, pegging Ortiz as a second-division shortstop seems reasonable.

Our expectation is that Ortiz is going to serve as the Brewers' shortstop of the future sooner than later -- perhaps even come Opening Day. Technically Willy Adames is under team control for another season, but there's nothing stopping the Brewers from making a move there now that they've broken the seal with a Burnes deal and have -- in our eyes -- reduced their chances of winning the National League Central.

Hall, 25, has appeared in 29 games, all but one in relief, over the last two seasons. He's compiled a 4.36 ERA (94 ERA+) and a 3.82 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The book on Hall has been the same for some time. He has starter-quality stuff and reliever-quality command.

Hall's fastball sits in the mid-90s and plays faster thanks to a deep release point that sees him generate seven feet of extension from the pitching rubber. His main secondary pitch has been a slider that has drawn more than 30% whiffs at the big-league level. He also has a changeup and a curveball.

It's possible the Brewers view Hall as a potential starter, or at least a multi-inning reliever type. For him to work prolonged outings is a matter of strike-throwing. His delivery features a very long arm swing that can be difficult to repeat, resulting in him walking more than five batters per nine innings in the minors. The Brewers have excelled in getting the most from their pitchers in recent years -- some of our sources have talked up Cameron Castro, Milwaukee's vice president of player development, as a key on that end -- and it'll be up to their coaches and instructors to get the most from Hall.

It's safer to project Hall as a reliever heading forward. Perhaps the Brewers will wind back the clock, in a sense, and model his role after what they did with Josh Hader in his earlier days. Or maybe they'll find a way to unlock his middle-of-the-rotation upside. Spring, brimming with the answers to the winter's most pressing usage questions, is only a skip and a hop away.

As for the 34th pick in the draft, we'll have to wait and see there, too. Historically, that spot has generated 4.4 Wins Above Replacement on average, according to Baseball Reference. For comparison's sake, Burnes has averaged 4.3 WAR the last three seasons. Six of the 59 players selected 34th have cleared 10 WAR. Maybe the Brewers end up beating the odds, but probably not.

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Nolan Jones and Kris Bryant Have Traded Places on the Colorado Rockies

Two years ago, it would have been a huge long shot to predict Kris Bryant and Nolan Jones would trade places. How did they reach this point?


By Patrick Lyons
|
February 2, 2024

When Kris Bryant signed a seven-year, $182 million deal with the Colorado Rockies in March of 2022, Nolan Jones was still a 23-year-old minor leaguer with the Cleveland Guardians.

Jones was in Goodyear, Ariz. preparing to earn a spot on the Guardians’ Opening Day roster and avoid another season with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. Bryant, 40 miles east in Scottsdale, was with agent Scott Boras and Rockies owner Dick Monfort to announce the largest free agent contract ever handed out by the franchise.

One man was a former National League Rookie of the Year, NL MVP, four-time All-Star and World Series hero. The other had a mix of hope and hype surrounding him and, ultimately, had proven nothing in the majors.

It would have been a long shot in every capacity to have predicted that just two years later, Bryant and Jones would have traded places.

How Did Nolan Jones Get Here?

Jones was a second-round selection out of Holy Ghost Prep by Cleveland in the 2016 MLB Draft. An ice hockey prospect who also starred at shortstop, Jones’ skills were better suited for third base once he entered the professional ranks.

From 2019-21, the 6-foot-4 Jones was considered a top-100 prospect by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. Despite his prospect pedigree, the presence of perennial MVP candidate José Ramírez forced Jones off the hot corner and into the outfield during the 2021 campaign.

An RBI double in his first big league at-bat made for a nice debut in the summer of 2022 with the Guardians. Jones went 7-for-13 (.539) in his first four games and managed six multi-hit performances and 13 RBI over his first month in the Majors. However, pitchers made adjustments to him and Jones struggled to adapt. After slashing .192/.244/.274 from July 12 to Aug. 19, he was sent back to Triple-A Columbus for the remainder of the year.

Colorado wanted to add a left-handed bat to their lineup for the 2023 season. They acquired Jones for prospect Juan Brito on Nov. 15 as a placeholder and continued to search for more veteran options as spring training approached. The Rockies didn’t find that match before players reported to the complex at Salt River Fields, so Jones had a clear path to the Opening Day roster.

Unfortunately, his Cactus League numbers were too similar to his run in Cleveland with even more strikeouts against inferior pitching.

“I think that getting traded over, I wanted to show people what I can do,” Jones said this past weekend at Rockies Fest. “And that’s where a lot of my internal pressure came from.”

Mike Moustakas was eventually brought in to fill the left-handed hitting role left open for Jones, who was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque with over a week remaining on the spring slate. The Pacific Coast League and its 5.70 ERA were kind to him to start the season. Yet, a promotion on April 12 was inexplicably greeted with zero playing time over the next three games before he was optioned back to ABQ.

Eventually, Jones became undeniable. He was batting .356 with a 1.193 OPS on May 25 with the Isotopes and his strikeouts were no longer the problem they presented over the past year.

It wouldn’t be until his second game in purple pinstripes on May 27 that Jones would notch his first base knock with the big league club. He recorded an RBI single against Justin Verlander in his first at-bat, followed by an RBI double in his next. Jones simply would not let go of his spot in the lineup from there on.

In 106 games with Colorado last season, Jones slashed .297/.389/.542 with 22 doubles, four triples, 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases and 62 RBI. He became the first Rockies rookie to go 20-20 and only the 16th rookie to ever accomplish the feat in the history of the game. Jones also set a new franchise record with 19 outfield assists. In the process, he became the first player since Hall of Famer Chick Hafey in 1927 to record at least 19 outfield assists in fewer than 100 games in the outfield.

“I could have never dreamed of last year going the way that it went for me,” Jones told Denver media.

For the first time in baseball history, a rookie displayed the triple threat abilities of power, speed and defense to go 20-20-19.

How Did Kris Bryant Get Here?

Slightly more than a year after the Rockies jettisoned Nolan Arenado, their greatest homegrown player since Hall of Famer Todd Helton, owner Dick Monfort and general manager Bill Schmidt were ready to lock up another superstar for big money. Though Kris Bryant started his career at the same position as Arenado, he was no longer a third baseman in the eyes of the Rockies.

Despite losing Trevor Story and Jon Gray to free agency following the 2021 season, Colorado did their best to fill that void with the additions of Bryant and Randal Grichuk in the outfield and several pitchers on one-year deals. The extensions handed out to Ryan McMahon, Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela, C.J. Cron and Elias Díaz between October 2021 and April 2022 totaling a whopping $214 million created a growing sense of intrigue for the fan base.

Bryant’s tenure with the Rockies started in a fairly normal way. He played left field and hit second or third in the lineup for a club that began 10-6, good for the fourth-best record in the Senior Circuit.

Spraying the ball to all fields in the early going of 2022, Bryant hit safely in 10 of his first 11 games and batted .349 in the process. The power, however, was not there. He went on the injured list twice before swatting his first home run of the season on July 5. A third and final trip to the IL for plantar fasciitis ended his season on Aug. 1 after only 42 games.

The 2023 season wasn’t much better. There were only two injury stints this time, and he managed to appear in 82 games. Still, Bryant wouldn’t hit his first home run at Coors Field until April 17 in his second year with the club. His slugging went from .475 in 2022 — below his career .504 SLG — down to .367 in 2023. All told, Bryant has played 122 games with the Rockies and has been worth -0.6 fWAR over his first two campaigns with Colorado.

Big Brother/Little Brother

Bryant’s second trip to the IL in 2023 was unrelated to the lower back or feet issues that sidelined him in 2022. He had been hit by a pitch in three consecutive games to tie a franchise record. The last one, on July 22, caught him on the left hand and fractured his index finger. The 31-year-old missed 45 games before returning to the lineup on Sept. 11. Over those final 15 games, his impact was minimal in the box score (.158/.200/.316) but monumental to the upstart Jones.

Beginning on Sept. 13 when manager Bud Black inserted Jones as the leadoff hitter to get him more plate appearances, no player in MLB accrued more Wins Above Replacement (1.5 fWAR) than Jones to close out the season. (Read that again. The best player in the game over the final 19 days of the regular season was Nolan Jones.)

Before Bryant’s return, Jones was frequently hitting fifth in the order with the likes of Brendan Rodgers, fresh off a shoulder surgery that shelved him for the first 105 games of the year, and fellow rookie Hunter Goodman batting behind him. With the strong resume of Bryant protecting him in the lineup, Jones took off.

Another contributing factor was the gauntlet placed in front of the rookie by the elder statesman: reach 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases or 60 RBI, and Bryant would gift Jones a Rolex watch.

Jones received yet another boost during the final road series of the season in Chicago. Bryant, back in action on the North Side for the first time since 2021, received a standing ovation from the Wrigley Field faithful. Jones watched from one of the best vantage points in the building on first base.

“It was super cool. Obviously, KB’s every bit of that. He’s been nothing but a great mentor and friend to me,” Jones said. “It’s something you dream about to have a city and the fan base love you like that.”

When the team got back to Coors Field, Jones added homer number 19 and stolen base number 18 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. More importantly, his five runs batted in against the NL West’s best brought him to the 60-RBI milestone.




“I’m super proud of him,” Bryant said of his protégé. “Hopefully, when we’re successful down the line and he sees a rookie that reminds him of himself, he’ll do the same thing.”

The Switch and The Secret

Two years after Bryant signed his mega-contract and Jones set out to be more prospect than suspect, the two have traded places in terms of their star power.

While Bryant may no longer be considered an MVP-caliber player, his presence both on and off the field can still aid Jones in becoming one. Jones has also helped himself by focusing on mental strength development.

Before a game at a new ballpark last season, he’d often walk out to the field, sometimes still wearing workout shorts and sandals. He’d step into the batter’s box and envision his success. After the game, Jones would sit down to reflect on his day of work and enter those thoughts in a journal.

“I just kind of wanted to reflect and sit down and write down my thoughts, my feelings,” Jones said. “Baseball is a game where I come in and I go 4-for-4 and it’s like, ‘This is the best I’ve ever felt.’ And then the next day I’m in the batting cage, and it’s like, ‘I don’t even know what I’m holding in my hands. It feels like a foreign object.’ So I think that writing down my thoughts and my feelings helped me get back to the 4-for-4-day feelings and thoughts quicker.”

Colorado is coming off the first 100-loss season in the 31-year history of the franchise. Somehow, the club still managed an average of more than 32,000 fans per game at home. That’s more than seven of the 12 postseason clubs in 2023, including both World Series combatants. In spite of this show of support, Bryant’s effect on the fan base has been minimal.

“The biggest thing is you just look at the back of someone’s baseball card, right?” Bryant said during Rockies Fest. “I know that’s the type of player I am. I’ve played for a long time. I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs, but (I have) the desire in me to perform and be a good baseball player and do big things on the field to help the team win.”

Bryant is set to make $28 million in 2024, the 21st-highest salary in MLB. Nevertheless, a total of 265 players have hit more home runs since the start of 2022 than his 15 in purple pinstripes.

Still, his influence has been felt in the win-loss column, believe it or not. When he has started for the Rockies, the team has played .455 (55-66) baseball. When he has not been in the lineup, Colorado is a full 100 points lower at .355 (72-131). Over the course of a full season, that makes for a 105-loss campaign without the Rockies’ new first baseman, even worse than the 103 losses suffered in 2023.

Hearing Jones speak about his rookie season, the youngster may have to remind Bryant of his value.

“We fail so much in baseball. It’s so easy to beat yourself up, get down on yourself,” Jones shared. “And I think that I did a good job last year of finding small wins.”

For 32-year-old Bryant, those little victories in 2024 will come with keeping his body healthy and batting in the middle of a lineup lacking depth. One feather in his cap will come when he reaches his 162nd game played with Colorado, something he can accomplish as early as May 11. By avoiding multiple IL stints, he should be able to reach 100 games played for the first time since 2021.

Bryant once helped end the 108-year World Series drought for the Chicago Cubs. If there’s any chance he helps the Rockies win the first Fall Classic in franchise history, it won’t be until the end of his contract; for now, the club will aim to avoid 100 losses for the second year in a row. For that to happen, Bryant will need to stay healthy and Jones will need to continue his upward trajectory.

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Nolan Jones Is Making a Great First Impression with the Rockies

The former top 100 prospect was traded from the Cleveland Guardians to the Colorado Rockies this winter and the fit has been great thus far.

By Renee Dechert
|
June 28, 2023

If you were to check the Colorado Rockies page on FanGraphs to see which player on the roster currently has the highest wRC+, the answer might surprise you.

It’s not Kris Bryant or CJ Cron or Charlie Blackmon or Ryan McMahon.

It’s Nolan Jones.

You may be wondering how exactly a former Cleveland Guardians Top-100 prospect finds himself wearing purple pinstripes, but he’s quickly making a name for himself in Colorado.

Give us some background first. Who is this guy?

I can do that.

A native of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, Jones, now 25, was a shortstop at Holy Ghost Preparatory School. He’d planned to play for the University of Virginia, but when the Guardians drafted him in the second round of the 2016 draft, he took the $2.25 million signing bonus and began his professional career. He was one of the best hitters in the 2016 class.

As part of the Guardians’ system, he began making a name for himself. He had the most walks in MiLB in 2019 with 95, and he played in both the Futures Game and the Arizona Fall League’s Fall Stars Game. As MLB Pipeline put it, “Jones exudes patience at the plate, waiting for pitches he can hammer and taking walks if pitchers decline to challenge him.”

Like most MiLB players, COVID interrupted his 2020 development, and in 2021, he suffered a high-ankle sprain that ended his season. During this time, he was being moved around (because a 6’5″ shortstop probably isn’t workable), first to third base (where he was blocked byJosé Ramírez) and then to the outfield corners.

While in Triple-A, Jones showed power and plate discipline, but an unsettling K% of 28.4%. He made his MLB debut on July 9, 2022, against the Royals and spent 28 games with the Guardians.

He finished the season with a 93 wRC+ and a slash line of .244/.309/.372. But he struck out a lot — as in 33% of his plate appearances. He finished 2022 in Triple-A.

In November, the Rockies traded infielder Juan Brito to the Guardians for Jones. The Rockies were looking for a lefty outfielder who would hit the ball with authority, and Nolan Jones was that guy.

Plus, he’d been on the radar for a while. Back in November, general manager Bill Schmidt told Patrick Saunders, “We liked him when he came out of high school and he’s a good athlete with some power.” Jones was less excited about his new team.

“I was upset at first,” he said. “I spent a long time with the Guardians organization — I spent seven years with them — so there’s a lot of friendships there, a lot of people that I became really close with and consider family.” He then decided to view the change as an opportunity and found a warm welcome when entering the Rockies’ Arizona Complex.

“I came out to Arizona in January and worked out at the complex and got to know a few guys out there like Mac [Ryan McMahon], Brian [Serven], Randal Grichuk, and felt very welcomed right away,” he said. “So pretty quickly I felt that it was going to be a be a good transition for me.”

How did the trade work for him initially?

Not good.

In Spring Training, Jones had one of the highest strikeout rates in all of MLB — he had 24
strikeouts in 52 at-bats, which tied him for third-most in baseball. He finished Spring Training with a slash line of .192/.259/.231 and an OPS of .490.

He had 10 hits, two of them doubles, but his struggles at the plate were clear. Jones knew he needed to relax. “I saw myself having an opportunity to make a big league club out of camp early and put a lot of pressure on myself,” he said, “and towards the end of camp, once I ran into a lot of failures, reminded myself that I just have to have fun.”

His family remained supportive.

“My mom and dad told me that ‘Nolan Jones is good enough,’” he said, “and that was kind of something that I took to heart and and ran with a little bit and just tried to be me.”

The Rockies let him begin the 2023 season at Triple-A Albuquerque. And then the raking began. In 149 at-bats, he’s slashed .356/.481/.711 for an OPS of 1.193, including 12 home runs. (That would be a 182 wRC+.)

Yes, The Lab is a hitter-friendly park, but these are stellar numbers by any standard.

Turns out, the arm was for real, too, and having a former shortstop-third baseman in the outfield is a nice arrangement.

The numbers were good, and when Kris Bryant went on the IL on May 26, the Rockies promoted Jones to the big league club.

How’s he fitting in with the Rockies now?

His first game was a little rough, but after that, he began settling in. And then this happened:



https://twitter.com/i/status/1666630111163203585



This season, only Giancarlo Stanton has hit a home run that has gone further (485 ft).

What does it feel like to hit a home run like that?

“It feels really good,” Jones grinned.

“I think everything has to go right to hit a home run,” he said. “Obviously the pitch has to be there, I have to put a good swing on it, timing has to be right. So to connect with the ball and not need to have another hit to get you in or not have to run the bases and just put a nice run up on the board, it’s definitely a good feeling.”

To give a sense of just how good Jones has been, here are his numbers since being called up. In 28 games, he’s had 110 plate appearances. During that time, he’s hit five home runs, stolen five bases, and slashed .316/.391/.551. All of that has given him a wRC+ of 140 and an fWAR of 0.7.

He’s also been effective defensively. The Rockies have used Jones at first base (a position he’s still learning) and in right field where he has two DRS. He’s been less effective at first with -1 DRS.

Still, the Rockies will accept that given his offensive output.

As Nolan Jones sees it, he needs to continue staying relaxed. “I think enjoy all these great things we have,” he said, “getting these friendships, relationships, taking pride in the work you do every day and not just basing it off of results in the game. I think it takes a lot of pressure off you.”

So far, his approach is working.

How come the change of scenery for guys going out the Guardians' door works better than for guys coming in the door?

Wonder if it would make a difference having Burnes & Jones around?

joez wrote: Sat Feb 03, 2024 12:50 pm Wonder if it would make a difference having Burnes & Jones around?

Joe,

Just remember when Brito makes it or is traded for a valuable piece that you could not have both and I guess you wanted Jones . Of course only if the Guardians could have traded for Kris Bryant and batted him behind Jones !

Every player is different. Plenty of young guys [even Position Players] have come to the Indians/Guardians in trades and have worked out: from Kenny Lofton and Carlos Baerga to Carlos Santana and Michael Brantley to Andres Giminez just as some examples.
And every proto-star we trade away does not work out, first to come to mind is Francisco Mejia great-hitting catcher of the future.
Win some, lose some.

Rusty,

I was just being a bit facetious with that statement.

When Jones was in Cleveland, he seemed to be on the fast track to no where. At the time, I had no problems seeing Jones leave.
I felt that he had the talent to succeed. He's just making the best of the opportunity he's been given.

My problem is more with the organization and their willingness to sit and spin on their thumbs in an offseason where nothing happened.
Corbin Burnes has been on the trading block all winter. I agree with the writer in than Milwaukee/Baltimore trade article:

[The Brewers traded Corbin Burnes to the Orioles for middle-infielder Joey Ortiz, pitcher DL Hall and the 34th pick in the 2024 MLB draft (a compensatory pick eligible to be dealt). Must be nice to trade a middle-infield prospect, pitching prospect and a comp pick for major league help. Alas, the Guardians surely don't have any of those things.]

In my opinion, the front office could easily have matched the Oriole offer and even exceeded it. Burnes was just what the doctor ordered.
More importantly, I believe that Burnes could have been a solid leader and mentor to the young pitchers on this staff.

The only draw back is free agency. Do you give up top prospects and a shot at post-season for one year of Burnes' service.

No telling how well McKenzie and Bieber will comeback after an injury-riddled 2023.
Putting a lot of eggs in their basket if you ask me. The young staff will need a steadying influence like Burnes.

Could Bieber fill that role? Remains to be seen I guess.

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Kluber hanging them up.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/co ... 4ece&ei=8

Orioles' farm system still ranked No. 1 after Corbin Burnes trade

The Orioles really know how to do it right...

By Angelo Guinhawa

Feb 9, 2024 at 7:14 PM CST2 min read

The Baltimore Orioles' farm system has been highly rated over the last few years, and it doesn't look like it will change anytime soon. When it comes to finding prospects and developing them, the O's just know what to do.

That much is clear after the Orioles' farm system has been ranked no. 1 by The Athletic in its latest rankings of MLB teams. What makes the assessment even better is the fact that Baltimore recently traded top prospect Joey Ortiz to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Corbin Burnes.

While some would expect that Ortiz's departure would be a significant hit to the Orioles' farm-system ranking, that's not the case at all. That speaks volumes of how deep they are.

Here's what Keith Law of The Athletic said when defending the Oroles' ranking on his list:

The Orioles’ system has become ridiculously deep in position players now that the players they’ve signed in international free agency the last few years are bubbling up, with that particular group led by No. 20 overall prospect Sammy Basallo. They have so much depth in the infield that they were able to trade shortstop Joey Ortiz (No. 58)

— who looks like a 3 WAR player right now — for Corbin Burnes and still have more infielders than they can possibly play. There’s also some more pitching coming even though they have largely eschewed drafting arms with high-round picks, with their top two pitching prospects coming via trade and several other international free-agent pitchers now on their top 20 list.

They’ve drafted well and developed well and continue to find value where other teams might miss it. For all of the hype the Orioles’ system has received in the last five years, it might be better than ever right now.

For what it's worth, it's not only The Athletic that has ranked the Orioles' farm system as the best in the MLB among all 30 teams. ESPN and Baseball America released their farm system rankings early this February, and in both instances, Baltimore got the no. 1 spot.

In all cases on The Athletic, ESPN and Baseball America, the same player was ranked at no. 1 on their Top 100 prospects: Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday. On The Athletic, two more Baltimore prospect were in the Top 30, with Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo at no. 20 and 27, respectively.

Can the Orioles keep that farm system thriving in the years to come? Now that's a question for next year, though they are certainly on the right path.

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