Mariners Have Shown Interest In Ben Revere
3:29pm: Asked whether he had in fact sought Paxton or Walker from the Mariners in exchange for Revere, Amaro told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (in no uncertain terms) that he had not.
“Typically we would not comment on rumors,” said Amaro. “But when they reach this level of ridiculousness, I can say unequivocally that what has been written is false.”
1:35pm: Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports that the Mariners did indeed contact the Phillies regarding Revere, but talks quickly halted due to the unreasonable asking price of James Paxton or Taijuan Walker.
This early in the trade season, it makes sense for Amaro and other sellers to aim high when discussing players they’re not under any pressure to trade. However, a pitcher of Paxton or Walker’s caliber is clearly far too steep a price for Seattle. Dutton notes that the Mariners’ interest could pick back up if the Phillies lower their asking price, and I’d expect that to happen over the coming weeks.
8:39am: Though they’ve already made what they hope will be an upgrade to their offense by acquiring Mark Trumbo from the Diamondbacks, the Mariners also scouted Ben Revere during the Phillies’ recent series with the Reds, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Seattle is “still monitoring the market for hitters” even after the Trumbo trade, per Salisbury (mention of Revere is near the end of the linked piece).
Revere has been displaced in left field by Cody Asche, who has transitioned to the position after moving off of third base to accommodate Maikel Franco. In center field, the Phillies have continued to utilize Rule 5 pick Odubel Herrera despite lackluster offense and somewhat below-average defense. While Herrera’s struggles — he’s hitting .255/.286/.370 and has been worth -1.5 runs per UZR — could have been enough to cost him a spot on a contending club, the rebuilding Phillies can afford to keep him on the 25-man roster to keep him in the organization. It’s also understandable, then, if the Phillies prefer to continue giving him at-bats as opposed to stashing him on the bench and costing him reps at the plate and in the field that could be beneficial down the line.
Right field hasn’t been the Phillies’ most productive position, with veterans Jeff Francoeur and the recently released Grady Sizemore seeing most of the action there this season. But, Revere’s sub-par throwing arm makes left field a better fit than right field, and there’s still the potential that Domonic Brown could receive another look.
Revere himself acknowledged recently that he might be squeezed out of a spot with the Phillies, telling Salisbury late last month: “This is a business. When [Cody] Asche and [Domonic Brown] come back we’re going to have a lot of outfielders and someone might be out. I just have to prepare to help my team win whether it’s here or somewhere else. Just bust my tail and try to stay in the lineup.”
Of course, Revere hasn’t hit as well in 2015 as he did in his first two years with the Phillies, perhaps making him a tougher sell to teams looking at his bat. After hitting .306/.329/.358 in 2013-14 with Philadelphia, he’s batting just .270/.312/.352 in 2015. He remains a plus on the basepaths, but with 12 steals, Revere is not on pace to match 2014’s total of 49 steals. There are other ways to add value on the bases, to be sure, but Fangraphs valued Revere at +10.8 runs on the bases in 2014, compared to just +0.9 in 2015. At the very least, Revere is hitting quite well in June, though 10 days of improved offensive performance likely has little impact on his overall trade value.
Then again, Revere’s cumulative production to this point would represent an upgrade over what Seattle has received from its left fielders, who have combined to bat .199/.283/.328 this year. More troubling is the fact that said batting line includes 60 strong plate appearances from Seth Smith while serving as a left fielder. Regular left fielder Dustin Ackley is hitting just .198/.257/.328, and projected platoon-mate Rickie Weeks has batted just .163/.264/.250 in addition to turning in poor defense. It’s possible that Revere could form somewhat of an unconventional platoon with Smith, supplanting both Ackley and Weeks in left field. Though both Revere and Smith hit left-handed, Revere has handled left-handed pitching better than right-handed pitching throughout his career (.685 OPS vs. .655 OPS).
The 27-year-old Revere, who led the NL with 184 hits in 2014, is earning $4.1MM in 2015 after avoiding arbitration for the second time this past offseason. As a Super Two player, he’ll be arb-eligible twice more before becoming eligible for free agency following the 2017 season.
Zack Cozart To Miss Rest Of Season Following Knee Surgery
Reds shortstop Zack Cozart suffered torn ligaments and a torn biceps tendon in his right knee and will undergo surgery to repair the tendon on Monday, the team announced (Twitter link). C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets that Cozart tore both the ACL and LCL in his knee. The recovery time is an estimated nine months, meaning Cozart will be out for the remainder of the year.
Cozart, 29, injured the knee when stretching in an attempt to beat out an infield single. His right leg slipped off the back of the base, causing him to fall to the ground and immediately clutch his knee in obvious pain (video link, though some may prefer not to watch).
The injury will bring to an end what has been, to date, the finest season of Cozart’s career. The former second-round pick has long been regarded as one of the game’s better defenders at shortstop, but his offensive output slipped in 2012, 2013 and 2014 after a solid rookie campaign. That changed in 2015, as Cozart has batted an very solid .258/.310/.459 with nine homers through just 214 plate appearances. Though his season will come to an end, Cozart figures to remain a part of the Reds’ future plans. He’s controllable through the 2017 season via arbitration, though obviously the injury will hamper his arbitration earnings this winter. Nonetheless, with a reasonable $2.35MM base salary in 2015, the Reds certainly figure to tender him a contract for the 2016 season.
Cozart’s unfortunate situation creates a window of opportunity for Triple-A shortstop Eugenio Suarez, who has been recalled from Triple-A. Acquired from the Tigers along with hard-throwing righty Jonathon Crawford in exchange for Alfredo Simon this offseason, the 23-year-old has a strong track record at the Triple-A level, where he has authored a .264/.358/.455 batting line with 10 homers in 69 games. Suarez saw a good bit of action in the Major Leagues in 2014 with Jose Iglesias sidelined, and he held his own for a 22-year-old, hitting .242/.316/.336. He’ll likely step in as the everyday shortstop in Cozart’s stead.
Losing Cozart for the year is another blow for a Reds team that has seen Marlon Byrd suffer a fractured wrist and Devin Mesoraco miss nearly the entire season thus far due to a hip impingement. Homer Bailey, too, will miss nearly the entire year due to Tommy John surgery. Many expect Cincinnati to become trade deadline sellers, and the loss of an elite defensive shortstop that has been one of the club’s best hitters as well certainly doesn’t improve their odds of remaining in contention.
Cardinals, First-Rounder Nick Plummer Agree To Terms
The Cardinals and first-round draft pick Nick Plummer have agreed to terms, writes Tony Paul of the Detroit News. Plummer, a Detroit-area native, tells Paul that he will sign for the slot value of $2.124MM. Plummer will fly to Florida on either Friday or Monday to complete his physical and make the signing official.
A center fielder out of Brother Rice High School in Michigan, Plummer was a consensus first-round talent, although his specific ranking on top prospect lists had some variance. Baseball America ranked Plummer 11th among potential draftees, and ESPN’s Keith Law considered him the draft’s 14th-best prospect. Meanwhile, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com pegged him 27th, and Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel had him at No. 30.
BA’s scouting report notes that Plummer has the bat speed and leverage to generate plus pull power and an up-the-middle approach with good plate coverage. Each of the reports above mentions that because Plummer is more of an average runner and has questionable arm strength, a move from center field to left field could very well be needed down the line. Plummer’s bat appears to be his best asset, with Mayo and Callis referring to him as “one of the most dangerous high school hitters in this draft,” and Law adding that there’s enough bat to profile as a regular even if he does move to left. McDaniel feels Plummer can eventually show 50-grade power with 55 speed (ratings on the 20-80 scouting scale).
Plummer becomes the first of the players from the 2015 first-round to come to terms on an agreement. Upon signing his contract, he’ll report to the team’s Spring Training facility and then begin playing with St. Louis’ rookie-level affiliate in the Appalachian League.
Royals Designate Erik Kratz For Assignment
The Royals announced today that they have reinstated catcher Erik Kratz from the 15-day disabled list and designated him for assignment (Twitter link). The decision means that Drew Butera will be Kansas City’s backup to Salvador Perez going forward.
The 34-year-old Kratz had previously served as Perez’s backup, although he scarcely saw action due to the excellent young backstop’s exceptionally high workload behind he dish. Kratz picked up just five plate appearances in four games with the Royals this year and has been on the disabled list since early May with inflammation in his left foot.
Most of Kratz’s career has been spent with the Phillies, but he’s also had brief stints in Toronto and Kansas City. All told, Kratz has shown nice power but low batting average and on-base capabilities, as evidenced by a .217/.270/.400 batting line. He’s also a skilled pitch-framer, however, and he’s thrown out 32 percent of attempted base-stealers in his big league career.
Butera, 31, is considered by many to be an excellent defender in his own right, however, which is largely why he has amassed 771 big league plate appearances despite being one of the least productive hitters in the game. The longtime Twin is a career .182/.236/.265 hitter in parts of six seasons with the Twins, Dodgers, Angels and now Royals. Kansas City acquired Butera from the Angels on May 7 in exchange for infielder Ryan Jackson.
Podcast: Barry Enright, Joe Sheehan
Right-hander Barry Enright joins the show to talk about his journey through the game, which took him to the big leagues (with the Diamondbacks and Angels) and has most recently brought him to the Mexican League’s Tijuana Toros. Then, Joe Sheehan of Sports Illustrated and the Joe Sheehan Newsletter jumps on the line to discuss the Red Sox and the selling side of the summer trade market.
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Nationals Acquire David Carpenter From Yankees
The Yankees announced that they have traded recently designated right-hander David Carpenter to the Nationals in exchange for minor league second baseman Tony Renda. Outfielder Nate McLouth has been placed on the 60-day DL to accommodate Carpenter on the 40-man roster.
New York acquired Carpenter from the Braves this offseason on the heels of a pair of excellent seasons working as a setup man for Craig Kimbrel in the Atlanta bullpen. (That trade sent the previously vaunted Manny Banuelos to Atlanta and also netted the Yankees southpaw Chasen Shreve.) However, after posting a 2.63 ERA over 126 2/3 innings with 10.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 from 2013-14, Carpenter struggled quite a bit in his brief time with New York. As a member of the Yankees, the 29-year-old worked to a 4.82 ERA in 18 2/3 innings, striking out just 11 hitters against seven walks.
Carpenter maintained very strong fastball velocity with the Yankees, averaging 94.9 mph on his heater. He also posted a career-best 42.4 percent ground-ball rate and struggled with home runs, so perhaps the Nationals feel that a move back to a larger stadium in the National League will help to alleviate his troubles with the long ball. Of course, there will be additional work needed to sort out the righty’s control and restore his significantly diminished strikeout rate.
Carpenter is earning $1.275MM after avoiding arbitration this offseason, and the remaining $815K or so of that sum will be picked up by the Nats. If Carpenter is able to turn it around in D.C., the Nationals will have control of him through the 2017 season — his age-31 campaign.
The 24-year-old Renda, a second-round pick of the Nats in 2012, ranked as Washington’s No. 12 prospect this offseason according to Baseball America and currently ranks 22nd on MLB.com’s Top 30 list. BA praised his compact swing and line-drive stroke, noting that his bat has a chance to be above-average, and he’s tough to strike out. Both scouting reports agree that Renda lacks plus tools across the board but has outstanding makeup and work ethic. He’s not said to be a plus runner but has potentially average speed and is a “solid defender, capable of making the routine plays well,” per Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, though the duo does refer to him as an “offensive-minded” second baseman. Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel didn’t rate Renda among his top Nats prospects this offseason, but he did mention that the infielder has a good approach and advanced bat control despite a lack of power. In 228 plate appearances at the Double-A level this season, Renda has batted .267/.330/.340 with a homer and 13 steals.
Desmond Jennings Out Eight More Weeks Following Knee Surgery
Rays center fielder/left fielder Desmond Jennings could be sidelined as long as eight weeks following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, the Rays announced (Twitter link via Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune). Three to four weeks had been said to be a best case scenario for Jennings, but the Rays are now expecting a return in early or mid-August.
Jennings has been plagued by the knee issue since late April — the last time he appeared in a Major League game. In his absence, Kevin Kiermaier has seen the majority of time in center field, while David DeJesus, Brandon Guyer and Joey Butler have all seen time in left field. Emerging power threat Steven Souza Jr. has been Tampa’s regular right fielder this season.
The Rays have proven to be capable of getting by without Jennings, whose overall production over the past few years has settled more into the “solid regular” category than the star-caliber category that many thought to be attainable. Rays left fielders, in fact, are hitting an excellent .305/.368/.452 on the season, and their center field output (.245/.294/.417) has been passable as well, especially considering Kiermaier’s defensive prowess.
It would seem, then, that the Rays are unlikely to pursue any sort of upgrade in the outfield. The biggest impact that Jennings’ injury has on the trade market may simply be that it further diminishes the possibility of a DeJesus trade. A trade of DeJesus hasn’t seemed likely for quite some time, of course, but many did expect DeJesus to be moved this offseason. The Rays had John Jaso in place as a DH with Jennings, Kiermaier and Souza projected as regulars in the outfield, leaving DeJesus without an apparent starting spot.
Instead, DeJesus has found a good deal of playing time with injuries sidelining both Jennings and Jaso. Not only has he played fairly regularly, but DeJesus has excelled in a platoon role and been one of the Rays’ most productive hitters. He’s already provided enough value in just 147 plate appearances to justify his modest $5MM salary, as he’s hitting an excellent .313/.367/.470 on the season.
As far as Jennings is concerned, he looks to be in line to miss nearly half a season’s worth of plate appearances due to the troublesome knee. That loss of action will serve to suppress his earning potential in arbitration, as he’ll likely be in for a rather modest raise on his $3.1MM salary. While neither of these are perfect comps, Michael Saunders saw his salary jump from $2.3MM to $2.875MM after tallying just 263 PAs last year, and Josh Reddick moved from $2.7MM to $4.1MM after totaling 396 PAs. Barring some form of extension, Jennings will be arb-eligible twice more before becoming a free agent at the end of the 2017 season.
Phillies Have Had Recent Papelbon Talks With Blue Jays, Cubs
8:58pm: The Blue Jays had a scout in Cincinnati to watch the Phillies’ series against the Reds, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury. According to Salisbury, that scout may have also been checking out right-hander Aaron Harang and lefty Cole Hamels. (Salisbury adds that Hamels will not approve a trade to Toronto, however, as has been previously reported.) Salisbury adds that multiple sources have told him that the Blue Jays and Phillies have indeed been discussing Papelbon quite recently.
5:57pm: The Phillies “are ready” to trade Jonathan Papelbon and have had recent discussions with the Cubs and Blue Jays regarding the five-time All-Star, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. However, there’s currently nothing close, and talks between the Phillies and both of those teams are at an impasse, per Rosenthal.
The Phillies are willing to pay a significant portion of Papelbon’s contract if it means receiving better prospects, and since speaking with the Blue Jays last week, they’ve increased their scouting of Toronto’s minor league affiliates. The Blue Jays are on Papelbon’s no-trade list, though Papelbon said months ago that he would have interest in pitching for Toronto. The Jays are currently one game above .500 and just three games back in the AL East, despite the fact that they’ve endured bullpen struggles nearly all season.
As for the Cubs, their front office knows Papelbon well. Both president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer worked for the Red Sox when Papelbon was drafted, and each has a respect for his work ethic despite his somewhat abrasive personality. The Cubs aren’t committed to Hector Rondon as the team’s closer and are trying to add multiple late-inning alternatives, hence their recent signing of Rafael Soriano.
Rosenthal hears that the Phillies prefer to deal with the Blue Jays as opposed to the Cubs. I’d imagine that moving Papelbon to Toronto could require the Phils to eat more cash, as Toronto has more budgetary constraints. They’re said to have between $5MM and $8MM to make in-season additions, though Papelbon is earning $13MM this season, of which $8.3MM remains. It seems unlikely that the Blue Jays would want to place all their eggs in this one basket by spending all of the money they have left on Papelbon’s salary. Additionally, Papelbon’s $13MM vesting option has to be a consideration, as if he were inserted into the ninth inning in Toronto, he’d almost certainly reach the 48 games finished needed to lock in that final year.
Injury Notes: Miller, Lynn, Cozart, Jennings
The Yankees today placed closer Andrew Miller on the disabled list with a strained left flexor mass. Manager Joe Girardi told reporters, including the New York Daily News’ Anthony McCarron, that an MRI on Wednesday morning revealed the injury. Miller will not throw for the next 10 to 14 days, and he will be re-evaluated after that time. Though the Yankees have an excellent alternative in Dellin Betances, the loss of Miller weakens the team’s relief corps substantially. After signing a four-year, $36MM contract this winter, Miller has been excellent in pinstripes, yielding just three runs with a 43-to-10 K/BB ratio in 26 1/3 innings as the team’s closer.
That’s far from the only notable injury around the league today, however. Here’s the latest…
- Lance Lynn is back in St. Louis for an MRI on his right forearm, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Lynn left Sunday’s outing after five innings due to tightness in his forearm and said the following day that he’s experienced the issue before. Earlier reports indicated that the Cardinals didn’t expect the injury to be serious, but Goold now writes that there is some concern among team officials. GM John Mozeliak would not address the situation until Friday when asked by Goold via email.
- Reds shortstop Zack Cozart is likely headed to the disabled list with a knee injury, writes C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Manager Bryan Price told reporters after the game that Cozart underwent an MRI that will be checked out tonight by team physician Dr. Timothy Kremchek, but a stint on the DL seems likely. “It’s a collective sadness that he’s going to miss some time,” said Price. “It looks pretty certain he’ll miss some time.” The Reds will likely turn to offseason acquisition Eugenio Suarez, notes Rosecrans, but the loss of Cozart simply adds another name to a growing list of contributors for the Reds. Devin Mesoraco has scarcely played this season due to a hip impingement, and Marlon Byrd will be out for an extended period of time due to a fractured wrist. With the Reds 11 games out of the division lead, each notable injury will only fuel speculation that the team will begin selling off pieces in the near future.
- The Rays will be without Desmond Jennings for an unknown period of time after the outfielder underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the plica band in his left knee, writes Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune. Inflammation in the band caused it to compress on his knee, leading to pain whenever Jennings would try to extend the leg fully. Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters yesterday that the best case scenario for Jennings would be three to four weeks (via Sports Talk Florida’s Matt Stein, on Twitter), but the possibility that he’ll miss more time is certainly present.