6:10pm: The Blue Jays announced that they have acquired Danny Valencia from the Royals in exchange for Hendriks and Kratz. Valencia, 29, posted a .282/.328/.382 slash line in 119 plate appearances for KC this season. The veteran split 117 games between Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk in 2013. In 170 plate appearances last year for the O’s, he had a .304/.330/.553 slash line to go with eight homers. The 29-year-old has seen scattered MLB action since a mediocre stint as the Twins’ everyday third bagger in 2011.
5:51pm: Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports confirms that Kratz is headed to Kansas City (Twitter link).
5:46pm: The Royals and Blue Jays have agreed to a trade, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Right-hander Liam Hendriks is heading to Kansas City in the deal, and Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi tweets that catcher Erik Kratz is expected to be joining the Royals as well.
The 25-year-old Hendriks was once considered one of the Top 10 prospects in the Twins organization, but he made his rounds on waivers over the past season after failing to translate his excellent Triple-A numbers to the Major Leagues. Hendriks allowed nine runs in 13 1/3 innings for the Jays this season and has a 6.06 ERA in 169 1/3 innings throughout his big league career. The Aussie right-hander has a strong 3.23 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 in 362 1/3 career innings at the Triple-A level. Baseball America tweets that he was impressive at the Triple-A All Star Game this season — a team that he was named to after posting a brilliant 2.33 ERA in 18 minor league appearances this year.
Kratz, who turned 34 last month, is expected to help the Royals at the big league level. The former Phillies backstop has seen limited time with the Blue Jays in 2014, slashing .198/.226/.346 with three homers. Low batting averages and plus pop have been the story of Kratz’s big league career, as he’s hit just .216 with a .271 OBP in 501 plate appearances but boasts a solid .181 isolated power mark (slugging minus batting average). Kratz is a career .268/.342/.474 hitter in 1618 Triple-A plate appearances. He has consistently rated as a strong pitch-framer and pitch-blocker, and he’s gunned down 32 percent of attempted base stealers in his big league career.
Tyler 20
woohoo!
Ted
Odds the Jays get anything more than cash for these guys?
thefridge99
Pretty good, I’d say. Toronto has no reason to trade these guys for just cash as they are both high up on the depth chart if there are injuries.
Doms
Why trade away depth? Unless it was to facilitate something else..
Jared306
They still have AJ Jimenez at AAA doing pretty well and they also have Sean Nolin back. They still have depth. Trading from a strength.
Doms
Both of these guys help contribute to be league roster.. There’s no reason to trade em away for nothing. (If nothing or just cash)
Edit: they got Danny Valencia
PurpleJesus
Kratz was the 3rd catcher on the depth chart and Hendriks was about the #8 or 9 SP
JuanBastardo
Stupid trade…..Jays will regret trading Kratz, he was one of the reasons they had that big run of wins in may.
thefridge99
Really? He had a .599 OPS in May, and the Jays are playing pretty good now with him in the minors.
Alex Andreopoulos
its hard to regret trading a 33 year old career minor league journeyman / backup catcher …. how are these feelings possibly evoked ? regret, of all things?
thefridge99
I gotta think a RH bat to platoon with Lind is coming back, either in this deal or another one.
Jared306
Velencia rakes vs LHP. career .333 hitter vs LHP and is hitting this year .354 vs LHP.
Joshua Menezes
James Shields
JacobyWanKenobi
The baseball player?
Encarnacion's Parrot
What is James shielding? I need to knooow!
zoinksscoob
Both teams announced the deal: Danny Valencia for Hendricks and Kratz; Kratz will join the Royals tomorrow.
Tanthalas
Valencia mashes lefties (which Jays desperately needed), and can play those key 2B/3B positions they needed to fill. Solid pickup for the Jays.
Ted
.333/.369/.561/.879 against LHP, able to mix and match 3B with Lawrie and Francisco? That’ll work for me.
Alex Andreopoulos
This is a very solid depth move. Exactly what the jays need at the moment, without giving up an arm and a leg.
Seekrieg
Cant decide if this is a sign that the Royals are now officially sellers or not. Valencia is a nice piece and hasn’t hurt the Royals at all. Good pick up for the Jays.
Royals do need a back up catcher, Brett Hayes isn’t sure which end of the bat he is supposed to use.
MoCrash
It is a bit of a puzzler, isn’t it? Having already dealt Paredes, the Royals now lack a RH alternative to Moustakas, so it appears he’s full-time now. Meanwhile, while Kratz is certainly an upgrade to Hayes, he’s an even more minor part of the offense than Valencia, Hayes having only 53 PA this season.
Meanwhile, RF remains a sore spot, Hosmer continues to flounder and middle relief is a crap shoot until the 7th. It seems GMDM’s activity lately is merely around the fringes with no positive step towards improvement.
Otis26
It’s not the 31st yet. I’m sure DM has had many opportunites to improve the team, but the asking price was too high. This is a position Royals fans haven’t been in for 25 years so I know you’re a little rusty…but the Royals DO have the pieces to make a blockbuster move…but it would empty the farm system which we can’t afford.
MoCrash
Actually, I’m primarily a Cardinals fan, and have been for over 50 years — so pennant races are hardly foreign to my experience — but living only an hour away from KC I tend to follow the Royals closely, especially since that’s what the radio yakkers talk about.
Brian Lynch
I don’t think this is a seller’s move. .Moose has finally started to hit and that made Valencia expendable.
ChiefIlliniwek
yep, getting an arm for a backup/platoon guy is never a bad thing.
Kevin Yochim
I will always remember Liam Hendriks as That Guy Bobby V Thought Was Right-Handed
Tyler 20
decent bench piece for the Blue Jays. kinda surprised KC let him go
Vancitybjfan
When Lawrie is healthy he will probably be the full time 2b
vs. Lhp Valencica at 3B
Vs. RHP Francisco at 3b
a platoon of these guys at 3’rd will be pretty good for the jays
now the jays just need another starter imo
Alex Andreopoulos
The Jays just addressed their most pressing need. The current SP is fine, and the Jays should not be overpaying for one, unless it is a top-tier SP.
Jaysfan1994 2
Time for an elite setup man, I don’t like Redmond pitching in high pressure late inning situations. BR indicates he’s been lit up when given the lead throughout his career and during this season.
Alex Andreopoulos
Redmond tossing his mediocre no command fastball in high leverage innings also worries me. A high leverage relief pitcher is exactly what the Jays could use right now.
Edit: I still love Redmond’s rubber arm though, and think he is a useful piece on pretty much every team.
BeenThereDoneIt
Post as BeenThereDoneIt
You may want to check the advanced stats on Redmond. Not to mention the guy has the second lowest ERA in the AL behind Dellin Betances.
Nothing to sneeze at. He is perfect in his current roll of long relief/7th inning guy against righties with his good ground ball rate.
Jaysfan1994 2
I’ve checked his advanced stats, late inning with the game close he’s been lit up throughout his career. This year is no different.
This year: Late & Close= (.429/.500/.619)
Alex Andreopoulos
Except Redmond has rarely been the “7th inning guy” all year, if at all.
You might want to check the stats. This guy only belongs in low leverage innings.
Otis26
Both teams get help here. I was terrified every day that our backup catcher was Brett Hayes. Hendriks was the throw-in to get the deal done. Maybe pitching in The K will help him like it did Guthrie.
thefridge99
What is Valencia’s defense like?
Howie
Average at best. lol Maybe slightly better than Juan Francisco lol
thefridge99
When everyone healthy the bottom 5 will probably look like
VS RHP
Lind DH
Navarro C
Lawrie 3B/2B
Rasmus CF
Francisco 3B or Kawasaki/Goins 2B
VS LHP
Navarro C
Lawrie 3B
Valencia DH
Tolleson 2B
Reimold or Rasmus
Ideally you’d like to get Reimold in for Rasmus vs. LHP but he’s never played CF so I doubt he could handle it and I’d rather not have Bautista there.
ericl
Just what the Blue Jays need, another utility infielder
JamieFC
Yeah who needs some guy who hammers lefties…
ericl
Valencia has played 36 games this season. He can’t get into the Royals lineup on a consistent basis. I’d rather have Kawasaki in the lineup than a career backup
Jaysfan1994 2
Kawasaki would be in the lineup vs LHP regardless. The Jays have one of the worst lineups vs LHP in all of baseball, they were hitting .238/.304/.390 going into last night’s game vs LHP.
JamieFC
You’d rather have Kawasaki (a left handed batter) playing against a lefty? And I couldn’t care less how many games he’s played. Look at his career and 2014 lefty splits.
Alex Andreopoulos
Well I guess you can’t please everyone….. sigh
Tyler Claus Coners
Danny Valencia and Liam Hendricks go through teams faster than I go through underpants.
BeenThereDoneIt
Once a year???
Tyler Claus Coners
don’t judge haha