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AL West Notes: Haniger, Tucker, Manaea

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While Mariners right fielder Mitch Haniger was deemed close to untouchable in trade talks last offseason, some around the game expect him to be available in the coming offseason, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. That’s hardly a firm indication that Seattle will push to move Haniger when his value has diminished, but the 28-year-old (29 in December) would make an interesting addition to the winter trade market should the Mariners entertain offers on him. Haniger has been out for more than two months due a to a ruptured testicle that required surgical repair, and he wasn’t anywhere near his best when healthy, hitting .220/.314/.463 with 15 home runs in 283 trips to the plate. But he logged a combined .284/.361/.492 batting line (134 OPS+) in 2016-17 with the Mariners and can still be controlled through the 2022 season. Add in quality defensive marks in right field plus the ability to man center field when needed, and it’s easy to see why Haniger would hold appeal throughout the league even on the heels of a down campaign. Broadly speaking, Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto is as open-minded about trades as any baseball ops leader in the game, so it stands to reason that Haniger and others will be oft-cited trade candidates this winter, whether a deal comes to fruition or not.

More from the AL West…

  • Astros top prospect Kyle Tucker’s wait to return to the big leagues will be over in the near future, writes Jake Kaplan of The Athletic (subscription required). At the very least, the 22-year-old will be in line for a September call-up (perhaps after the Triple-A season ends), and he could factor into Houston’s postseason plans as well, depending on how many pitchers the club plans to carry. Tucker took a professional tone when discussing the fact that he understands why he’s still in Triple-A, given then outfield depth the Astros have on the big league roster, adding: “…obviously, I wish I’d be up there helping out, too.” Tucker’s recent exposure to playing first base came at his own request in an effort to enhance his versatility, Kaplan notes, and that added position could be a ticket to carving out more regular at-bats in the Majors next season. Houston has Josh Reddick, George Springer, Michael Brantley and Jake Marisnick all under control for next season and has Yordan Alvarez, Yuli Gurriel and Aledmys Diaz in the mix as first base/DH options. Despite that wealth of options, though, president of baseball operations Jeff Luhnow has effectively made Tucker off limits when other teams have inquired about his availability, signaling that he’ll eventually be leaned upon as a key contributor in the Astros’ lineup.
  • Left-hander Sean Manaea threw 91 pitches and picked up a win in his latest start for the Athletics’ Triple-A club in Las Vegas. Manaea, on the mend from shoulder surgery, had his rehab assignment halted briefly this month due to some discomfort in his side but has now made a pair of outings since returning and looks to be largely stretched out. In his past three rehab appearances with the Aviators, Manaea has a 2.70 ERA and a 24-to-4 K/BB ratio in 16 2/3 innings of work. When and how he’ll be worked back into the rotation remains unclear, but the A’s will have to make a decision on that front relatively soon. The most logical candidate to lose a rotation spot would be veteran righty Homer Bailey, who is slated to take the mound tomorrow night when the Yankees visit the A’s. Each of Mike Fiers, Brett Anderson and Chris Bassitt have pitched well in 2019, and recently acquired righty Tanner Roark has a better track record than Bailey in recent years as well. Rosters are set to expand in September, which will give the A’s more flexibility with how they structure their pitching staff.

Ivan Nova Open To Re-Signing With White Sox

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Ivan Nova’s tenure with the White Sox began in shaky fashion, as he allowed five or more runs in four of his first six starts to the season. However, the former Yankees and Pirates righty has settled into a run of success and tells Doug Padilla of the Chicago Sun-Times that if the opportunity to return to the White Sox presents itself, he would take it.

There’s no guarantee that the Sox would make Nova an offer to return, but the 32-year-old’s performance with the club since a miserable start to the season has been rather solid. Nova’s past month has garnered plenty of attention, as the righty owns a pristine 0.49 ERA over his past 37 innings (including an improbable shutout of the Astros in his most recent trip to the hill). The right-hander attributes his hot streak to “controlling my command a little bit better and making a little bit better pitches that what I was making earlier in the year,” though a .186 average on balls in play and a nearly 92 percent strand rate have buoyed his production. To his credit, Nova’s walk rate has dropped over this current stretch, and his hard-hit rate has plummeted, so there’s clearly some truth to the fact that he’s refined his command.

Beyond that, Nova’s numbers have somewhat quietly been pretty solid over a larger sample dating back to mid-May. He’s only allowed more than four runs on two occasions in his past 16 starts, and one of those featured multiple unearned runs. Nova has averaged nearly 6 1/3 innings per start in that time and posted a 3.14 ERA along the way. His 5.1 K/9 mark is obviously nowhere near the league average in today’s strikeout-charged brand of ball, but he’s averaged just 1.9 BB/9 in that time and managed a reasonable (again, by 2019 standards) 1.26 HR/9. He’s also kept the ball on the ground at a 50.2 percent clip.

Whether those 100 1/3 inning generate enough interest from the White Sox remains to be seen. Nova has a 4.70 FIP even in that 16-start stretch, so there’s some reason to take the bottom-line numbers with a grain of salt. Still, the White Sox have minimal certainty with regard to next year’s rotation. Lucas Giolito will front the group, but Reynaldo Lopez has yet to establish himself as a viable big league starter. Dylan Cease is still looking for his first run of sustained MLB success. Michael Kopech will be returning from Tommy John surgery but has made only four MLB starts. Carlos Rodon isn’t likely to be a factor until the summer, as he also underwent Tommy John surgery back in May.

It’s easy to dream on that quintet, but it’s also not realistic to expect any group of up-and-coming pitchers to hit their stride in unison. There’s room for Nova to return to the staff if the Sox value him as a veteran leader who can provide some stability as a fifth starter. He’d very likely be looking at a cut from this season’s $8.5MM salary, but as a low-cost option who’s already familiar with the coaching staff and many of the team’s young players, Nova could have some appeal.

Then again, there’s an equal if not stronger argument that the team should be prepared to move on sooner rather than later. Nova’s recent success has surely been noted throughout the league, and it’s extremely difficult for teams to deepen their rosters at the moment. It’s possible that were Nova to hit outright waivers, another club would claim the remaining $1.95MM on this season’s salary and save the Sox that chunk of cash. Chicago could always try to re-sign Nova in the winter if desired, but with so many high-upside arms ticketed for rotation auditions, perhaps a low-ceiling veteran isn’t the type of winter addition the Sox will seek. The ChiSox have a mere $14MM in guaranteed salary on next year’s payroll, so they can afford to pursue any starting pitcher on the market as aggressively as they wish.

Injury Notes: Kluber, Gallo, Dietrich, Casali, Robinson

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After just one inning of work in a rehab start on Sunday, Corey Kluber was removed from the game due to left abdominal tightness.  (Cleveland.com’s Joe Noga was among those to report the news.)  Kluber is expected to receive further tests on Monday, though the early word is that Kluber was simply removed as a precaution.  While the Indians and their fans won’t fully exhale until those tests come back clean, it’s at least some measure of good news that Kluber didn’t have a setback involving his forearm, which was fractured back on May 1.  Sunday’s start could potentially have served as Kluber’s final rehab outing before being activated from the injured list, and now it seems as if he’ll likely have to get one more minor league start under his belt before the Tribe can be fully prepared to bring him back to the 25-man roster.

Some more on injury situations from around baseball…

  • Rangers slugger Joey Gallo is targeting a mid-September return from hamate bone surgery, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes.  The procedure back on July 25 was expected to keep Gallo out for four-to-six weeks, though since he only just started taking light swings off a tee, his recovery will be at the long end of that projected timeline.  “I don’t want any setbacks, but I think I’m going to be able to play before the season is over.  That’s the hope,” Gallo said.
  • Two injured Reds are working their way back to the club, as manager David Bell told reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that Derek Dietrich will begin a Triple-A rehab assignment on Monday, while catcher Curt Casali starts a rehab assignment of his own on Tuesday.  Both players could be back in time for the Reds’ series against the Pirates that begins on Friday.  Dietrich hit the IL due to left shoulder inflammation on August 5, while this will actually be Casali’s second rehab stint since first being placed on the IL on July 18 with a right knee sprain.  Casali’s previous assignment was halted after two games due to soreness in his left hamstring.
  • Cardinals utilityman Drew Robinson recently underwent a season-ending, “progressive” version of Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, manager Mike Shildt told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters.  The surgery was only a partial version of the normal Tommy John procedure and it was on Robinson’s non-throwing arm, so Shildt believes Robinson will be ready for Spring Training.  Acquired in the trade that sent Patrick Wisdom to the Rangers last December, Robinson appeared in five MLB games for the Cardinals and hit .265/.385/.423 over 234 PA for Triple-A Memphis this season before hitting the injured list on June 24.  Robinson has some very solid minor league numbers over his ten pro seasons, though he hasn’t hit much over 253 Major League plate appearances with Texas and St. Louis from 2016-18.

Angels Select Miguel Del Pozo’s Contract, Option Jose Suarez To Triple-A

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Prior to Sunday’s game, the Angels selected the contract of left-hander Miguel Del Pozo from Triple-A.  Fellow left-hander Jose Suarez was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Del Pozo didn’t pitch in the Angels’ 9-2 victory over the White Sox, so he is still looking for his first official Major League appearance.

Originally signed as an 18-year-old prospect by the Marlins in 2010, Del Pozo spent his entire pro career in Miami’s organization until last offseason, when he was outrighted off the team’s 40-man roster and he chose to become a free agent.  After signing a minors contract with the Rangers, Del Pozo was dealt to Los Angeles earlier this month in a post-deadline trade (allowed since Del Pozo wasn’t on a Major League contract).

Despite his long stretch in the minors, Del Pozo didn’t even pitch at the Triple-A level until this season.  The 26-year-old lefty has a 4.28 ERA, 10.4 K/9, and 2.53 K/BB rate over 332 minor league innings, working out of the bullpen for 191 of his 207 career games.  Del Pozo will join Adalberto Mejia as the only left-handers in the Halos’ righty-heavy pen.

Suarez’s first taste of Major League action wasn’t a smooth one, as the rookie southpaw posted a 6.75 ERA over 53 1/3 innings, starting 11 of his 12 games.  While Suarez managed an 8.9 K/9 and a respectable 2.41 K/BB rate, he was bedeviled by home runs, as Suarez allowed 16 big flies in his brief time in the Los Angeles rotation.

Fangraphs (79th) and Baseball America (97th) each ranked Suarez within their list of the game’s top 100 prospects at the time of his promotion in late May, so his rocky start was something of a letdown for an Angels team that is starved for pitching.  Still, Suarez is only 21 years old and only in his fifth season in pro ball.  His issues may have also stemmed not from inexperience, but from a tendency to tip pitches, manager Brad Ausmus told media (including Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times).

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/18/19

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The latest minor moves from around the game…

  • The Marlins outrighted Deven Marrero to Triple-A after the infielder cleared waivers, the team announced.  Marrero was designated for assignment on Friday.  Formerly a highly-touted prospect during his days in Boston’s farm system, Marrero didn’t produce much at the plate in limited Major League action (343 PA) with the Red Sox and Diamondbacks from 2015-18.  He inked a minor league contract with Miami last winter, and he has hit .249/.324/.420 over 380 PA for Triple-A New Orleans while also appeared in five big league games for the Marlins.

Poll: Who Will Be The AL’s Wild Card Teams?

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The Twins hold a 2.5-game lead over the Indians in the AL Central after today’s action, and in addition to fighting for the division crown, both clubs are desperately trying to avoid facing even more competition in the AL wild card hunt.  Cleveland (74-51) is currently in possession of the top wild card spot, with the Rays (73-52) in the second slot, just a game behind.

Despite taking three of four games from the Astros, the Athletics are still 7.5 games behind Houston in the AL West, leaving the wild card as Oakland’s most realistic shot at a postseason berth.  The A’s (71-53) are 1.5 games behind the Rays.

Had this poll been posted even a couple of days ago, the Red Sox would likely have been omitted, yet a five-game winning streak merits them a mention.  Boston (67-59) is still 6.5 games behind Tampa Bay, and don’t have many head-to-head opportunities remaining against their division rivals, as the Sox and Rays only play four more times this season.  The Red Sox do have a three-game set against Minnesota on September 3-5 at Fenway Park.

The Twins have six critical September games lined up against the Tribe, but beyond those two series, Minnesota has a clear advantage over Cleveland in terms of benefiting from their weak division.  Twenty-six of the Twins’ remaining 38 games are against the White Sox, Royals, and Tigers, while the Indians only face the AL Central’s lesser lights 16 times in their final 37 games.

It all adds up to a wild final six weeks of action, particularly since injuries, roster shuffles, and players on both incredible hot streaks and cold streaks continue to change the narrative on a near-daily basis.  In particularly, all three non-AL Central teams face looming questions about their pitching staffs.  Can the A’s get their long-awaited influx of young pitching reinforcements once multiple arms return from the injured list?  Can the Rays get by three-fourths of their regular rotation (Blake Snell, Yonny Chirinos, Tyler Glasnow) still hurt?  Can the Red Sox mount a late-season comeback even as their own inconsistent rotation has suffered perhaps a critical blow?

Which two teams do you think will emerge from the fray to play in the one-game Wild Card playoff in October?  (Poll link for app users)

Prospect Notes: Lux, Adell, Dalbec, Hall

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As Gavin Lux continues to shred Triple-A pitching, it isn’t yet clear if the star prospect will make his Dodgers debut in 2019, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register writes.  Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman simply said “I don’t know” when asked about the possibility of a Lux promotion, as Friedman cited considerations like finding room for Lux on the 40-man roster while juggling the roster status of other players returning from the injured list.  “I think more of our mental energy is being spent on how to configure our pitching staff (for the postseason) more than our position players that are doing pretty well,” Friedman said.

Lux entered today’s action hitting an unfathomable .415/.497/.768 over 191 plate appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City (not to mention “only” a .313/.375/.521 slash line in 291 PA at Double-A before his latest promotion).  While he has spent much of his pro career at shortstop, Lux has also seen a lot of action at second base, which would be his logical position both in the event of a September call-up and probably for the future, since Corey Seager isn’t leaving L.A. anytime soon.  Then again, the Dodgers’ list of second base candidates is also long — Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez are expected to return from the IL on Tuesday, Jedd Gyorko and Kristopher Negron are utility options, and Max Muncy needs an everyday role if the Dodgers continue to deploy Cody Bellinger at first base.  Interestingly, Friedman hinted that Lux could potentially join the Dodgers in a non-roster capacity in September, traveling with the team and learning the ropes of being a big leaguer without actually being on the active roster.

Here’s some more on some of the game’s stars of the future…

  • There’s more clarity on a heralded youngster on Los Angeles’ other team, as the Angels currently aren’t planning to call Jo Adell up for his first taste of MLB action in September, Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times tweets.  Prospect ranking outlets have Adell as a consensus top-four minor leaguer in the sport, though preseason ankle and hamstring injuries kept him from making his 2019 debut until May 24, and he has only a modest .233/.303/.317 slash line over 67 plate appearances in his first stint at Triple-A.  As a result, the Angels look to give Adell more seasoning and some time at winter ball before looking to promote him to the majors.  It has been widely speculated that Adell could be an everyday member of the Halos’ outfield as early as Opening Day 2020, as Kole Calhoun is a free agent this offseason.
  • Could the Red Sox go with a youth movement at first base next season?  Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe wonders if this could be the case, as since Mitch Moreland and Steve Pearce will both be free agents, the Sox could turn to either Michael Chavis or top prospect Bobby Dalbec.  Abraham notes that while Chavis has played a lot of second base this season, the keystone is “probably not a long-term position for him,” and thus Chavis could be used at first base, in the outfield, all over the diamond as a super-utility player, or potentially even as an offseason trade chip to add pitching.  A fourth-rounder for Boston in the 2016 draft, Dalbec (ranked 92nd on Baseball America’s list of the game’s top 100 prospects) has steadily climbed through the farm system and is now hitting well over his first two weeks at Triple-A.  Dalbec was originally drafted as a third baseman, but has increasingly seen more time at first base thanks to Rafael Devers establishing himself at the hot corner for the Sox.  While Devers and Xander Bogaerts have the left side of Boston’s infield locked down for the foreseeable future, the right side is much more in flux, between Moreland and Pearce possibly leaving and the continued uncertainty about whether Dustin Pedroia will ever be able to play again.  The Red Sox are likely to explore the market for first base and second base options this offseason, and Chavis will certainly be in the conversation at either position, Dalbec could also be an important piece of the team’s puzzle for 2020.
  • Orioles left-handed pitching prospect D.L. Hall has been shut down for the season following a left lat strain, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports (Twitter link).  While the injury isn’t considered serious, Hall won’t have enough time to get back before the Orioles’ A-ball affiliate in Frederick completes its season.  The 21st overall pick of the 2017 draft, Hall has a 3.46 ERA and 12.9 K/9 over 80 2/3 innings for Frederick this season, though with a troubling 6.0 BB/9.  ESPN’s Keith Law ranked Hall 35th in his midseason top-50 prospects list and Baseball America has Hall 38th in their top 100 list, while MLB.com (62) and Fangraphs (63) are just a touch less bullish on his promise.

Felix Hernandez Nearing Return

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Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez could be activated as early as next weekend, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. He is scheduled to make a rehab start with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate on Monday, which would put the 33-year-old on track to rejoin the Seattle rotation on Saturday or Sunday, assuming no setbacks.

With the Mariners squarely outside of the playoff picture, the veteran Hernandez won’t be returning to contribute to a playoff contender, something he has missed for his entire career. Instead, it looks as if King Felix will be playing with an eye on his future in the Majors. Playing out the last of a seven-year deal, Hernandez is slated to reach free agency at season’s end, though he won’t be the commodity that would’ve captivated teams less than a decade ago. Indeed, he may not be a lock to receive a guaranteed contract.

Since inking that extension prior to 2013, Hernandez has seen his performance decline from a Hall of Fame trajectory to that of a borderline rotation piece. After eclipsing 200 innings pitched in eight consecutive seasons from 2008-15, Felix has suffered injuries that have only hastened his undoing. That fall from grace has come to a head this season, where the Mariners icon has mustered a 6.52 ERA, albeit in just eight starts. Of course, with a return seemingly on the horizon, King Felix should get several chances to reverse his fortune and finish his Mariners tenure on a high note.

King Felix’s decline has been well-documented, but it’s undeniable the impact that he has had on the Mariners organization and baseball’s landscape as a whole. Needless to say, followers of the Mariners and other teams alike would like to see the former Cy Young Award winner continue to pitch in the big leagues in hopes that he can reinvent himself into a serviceable rotation piece. On the one hand, one might point to cases like Justin Verlander or Charlie Morton, pitchers who have enjoyed renaissances at an advanced age; at 33, one would think there’s something left in the tank for Felix. On the other hand, there’s considerable mileage on Hernandez’s right arm: debuting at 19, he’s accumulated nearly 2700 innings pitched at the Major League level, fourth among active pitchers and significantly more than most of his contemporaries logged through their age-33 seasons.

Cubs Activate Craig Kimbrel

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The Cubs have activated closer Craig Kimbrel from the 10-day injured list, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. He will replace Duane Underwood Jr., who has been optioned to Triple-A Iowa, on the active roster.

Kimbrel landed on the injured list with right knee inflammation, which has held him out of action for the Cubs since August 3. Since joining the Cubs, he’s gotten into 14 games with shaky results. He holds a 5.68 ERA, though that mark is certainly volatile, with Kimbrel having tossed just 12 2/3 innings. Notably, 10 of his last 11 appearances have been scoreless, though a number of blowups—largely at the hands of untimely home runs—have inflated his run-prevention numbers.

For the scuffling Cubs, the addition of Kimbrel to the bullpen mix should quell some nerves, especially considering the team’s recent struggles in the late innings. Kimbrel’s Chicago troubles notwithstanding, his extensive track record suggests that he’s a cut above the club’s other late-inning options, which will no doubt come into play as the division race intensifies—with the Cubs no longer pacing the field, for a change.

Underwood, for his part, has flashed some potential as a bullpen piece for the Cubs, having struck out 7 batters in his first 3 1/3 innings of 2019. While that pace is no doubt unsustainable, it may be enough to suggest that Underwood can carve out a role in a Major League bullpen after seven-plus years being groomed as a professional starter.

 

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