MLB rumors: Giants hurt future star chances with lame J.D. Davis move

The San Francisco Giants have struggled to attract marquee free agents in recent years. The reasoning is manifold — better offers from better teams, unfair stigma around the city, and other various knocks on the franchise. Now, however, the front office has added fuel to the fire.

San Francisco recently waived J.D. Davis after losing their arbitration battle. Davis filed at $6.9 million and won; the Giants filed at $6.55 million. Rather than stomaching the extra $350K, the Giants cut Davis loose. He is now set to receive only 30 days of prorated salary as termination pay, which equals a shade over $1 million.

That feels like a scummy move to punish a player for winning a very narrow arbitration battle. Why else would the Giants go through all the trouble of pushing for $6.55 million in the first place? Davis was notably the only San Francisco player to not settle outside of court.

There is a pervasive sense that the Giants are shooting themselves in the foot here. Star free agents probably aren’t thrilled by the prospect of joining a team so thoroughly dedicated to penny-pinching.

San Francisco president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi addressed those concerns with The Mercury News.

“Everything we’ve done in this case is well within our rights as a team. I think that’s recognized; it’s very cut-and-dry in the CBA… We try to reach an agreement with all of our arbitration-eligible players, him included. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t.

We certainly made offers to all of our players, offers that could have been accepted. We negotiate all those deals in good faith because no matter what might happen we always prefer to get our cases done than go to hearing.”

Talk about a non-answer, man. The idea that $350K was enough to draw such a hard line in the sand is laughable, especially when the Giants have spent $149 million on outside free agents. It’s not like the Giants don’t have the capital to keep Davis around. The Matt Chapman move obviously complicates the matter, but why not trade Davis — who would surely have suitors — instead of pulling the rug out from under him?

The Giants are in need of serious image repair. That much is clear.

Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

MLB rumors: Marlins ace Jesus Luzardo would ‘be interested’ in Red Sox

The Miami Marlins floated 26-year-old ace Jesus Luzardo to prospective trade partners in the offseason. While nothing has come to fruition yet, there are still teams in need of help on the mound. Few more gravely than the Boston Red Sox.

Even with Brayan Bello locked up long term, the Red Sox pitching staff is in dire straits right now. Lucas Giolito is slated to miss significant time, chopping off the head of the proverbial dragon. Boston hasn’t done much scrambling for solutions under new GM Craig Breslow, who continues to operate with a maddening patience that mostly equates to inaction.

If there was ever a prime target for Boston, it’s Luzardo. He’s on a similar developmental timeline as Bello and, most importantly, he’s under contract through the 2026 season. That is three years of guaranteed team control, with plenty of time to work out an extension. And, to add to the case in favor of trading for Luzardo, he would be greatly intrigued by the idea of pitching in Boston.

The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams went on WEEI’s Play Tessie podcast to touch on the possibility of bringing Luzardo to Fenway.

“I covered Jesús when he was in Oakland and trust me, he would be interested in pitching in Boston. I talked to him when he was here the last time he pitched and he was like ‘Dude I’ve never pitched in a place like this. It was an amazing experience. The mound is just different.'”

The ball is essentially in Boston’s court here. The Marlins would require a haul to part with such a gifted young arm — Luzardo’s base salary is a mere $5.5 million next season — but he’s clearly available. If the Red Sox put together a compelling package, Luzardo is well within reach. He would help in the present, while also setting up Boston for a more prosperous future. The fact that he loves Fenway so much is an added bonus.

MLB rumors: Yankees’ Gerrit Cole plan probably doesn’t include Blake Snell

Those who root for the New York Yankees were left in a state of panic on Monday when it was announced that Gerrit Cole will undergo an MRI on his pitching elbow. The outcome of that MRI is unknown, but more reporting from SNY’s Andy Martino reveals that it is “precautionary,” and there is optimism that Cole isn’t dealing with a serious ailment.

Even so, the loss of Cole for any serious amount of time would be catastrophic for a weak Yankees rotation. Unless Carlos Rodon is prepared to turn back the clock (he’s not), the Yankees will be relying far too heavily on the likes of Marcus Stroman and Clarke Schmidt to save a sinking ship.

According to FanSided’s Robert Murray, the Yankees probably won’t sign Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery out of desperation. Those negotiations appear to have died long ago. Both could require salary in the range of $30 million annually, especially Snell, who the Yankees spoke with in the early months of free agency.

While that is a fair price for a two-time Cy Young winner, the Yankees would need to pay 110 percent tax on any salary over the $297 million payroll mark. That means Snell would essentially cost north of $60 million. It’s only natural for ownership to balk at such a proposition.

That doesn’t mean the Yankees shouldn’t still do it. The best teams spend money — just ask the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s the surest way to guarantee a competitive roster, and man, would it be a lot easier to feel good about the Yankees’ pitching depth with a second Cy Young winner in the mix.

There is no outright replacement for Cole, arguably the best pitcher in baseball, but Jon Heyman of the New York Post at least believes New York should consider some sort of addition.

“If the Yankees needed a starter or two before Gerrit Cole felt a twinge in his right elbow, how much do you think they need it now? When Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced Monday that the best pitcher in baseball would need to undergo an MRI on his golden elbow, that was the scary moment of spring. Even if they are acting calmly, it should have sent off alarm bells.”

He mentions Dylan Cease and Jesus Luzardo as less expensive alternatives to Snell or Montgomery. Both would require a significant return package involving high-level prospects, but the Yankees would maintain multiple years of affordable team control over both. Cease ($8 million) and Luzardo ($5.5 million) would not break the bank financially.

Whether the Yankees actually listen to Heyman’s advice is another matter entirely. Right now, all signs point to New York operating with patience. If they do sign and trade for a pitcher, it probably won’t be one that costs $30 million.