Quick Hits: Phillies, Puerto Rico, Park
Phillies president Pat Gillick will officially pass the baton to future-president Andy MacPhail in roughly 45 days, writes Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. However, the first decision of the MacPhail administration was made on Thursday when the club dismissed GM Ruben Amaro Jr. Kaplan provides a look at potential candidates and names Angels assistant GM Matt Klentak as a possible favorite. Klentak, 34, fits plurality owner John Middleton’s suggestion that MacPhail “hire himself.” Klentak was also a favorite of MacPhail while both executives were with the Orioles. Former Reds GM Wayne Krivisky, Royals assistant GM J.J. Picollo, and Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler are also names to watch.
- Regular season games may return to Puerto Rico in 2016 for the first time since 2004, writes Bill Shaiken of the LA Times. Major League Baseball plans to honor Puerto Rican legend Roberto Clemente in a series between the Pirates and Marlins. Details are as yet unconfirmed per Shaiken’s anonymous source. The visit could include part or all of a four game set between the two clubs. Shaiken also writes about the history of talent development out of Puerto Rico. When the island was included in the Rule 4 draft beginning in 1990, clubs refocused international scouting efforts to Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately, the unintended consequence weakened the popularity of baseball in Puerto Rico.
- We learned earlier today about how Jung-ho Kang‘s success could influence the earning power of fellow Korean star Byung-ho Park. Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes about the “paradox” or Kang’s success. When Yoenis Cespedes and Ichiro Suzuki were acquired from their respective markets, they were a relative bargain. They were followed by Jose Abreu and Daisuke Matsuzaka respectively. In both cases, the second player earned substantially more. As such, the Pirates may be pushed out of the market for Park. Sawchik does have a word of caution. Davenport translations suggest Park may only be a roughly .249/.323/.443 hitter with 24 home runs. Teams may want to be careful about investing Abreu or Matsuzaka money in Park.
AL East Notes: Ortiz, Parra, Orioles, Red Sox
Red Sox slugger David Ortiz has hit his 500th career home run. Ortiz, 39, entered the day with 498 home runs. He bashed a pair of homers off southpaw Matt Moore at notoriously pitcher friendly Tropicana Field. He now has 33 home runs at that venue per Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter). He’s the 27th player in major league history to reach the vaunted milestone. He could pass Eddie Murray (504 home runs) before the end of the season. Gary Sheffield (509 home runs) may be a stretch.
- The Orioles will probably make a push to re-sign outfielder Gerardo Parra, opines Brittany Ghirolli of MLB.com. The O’s acquired the then hot-hitting Parra from the Brewers at the trade deadline. Since the trade, he’s batted just .227/.256/.380. He’s also popped five home runs with 23 runs scored and 13 RBI in 159 plate appearances. His defensive ability and versatility are bonus points in his favor. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd recently evaluated Parra’s free agent stock, concluding that it was too early to handicap the market for Parra.
- It’s possible that Baltimore won’t re-sign any of their impending free agents, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The club may find more dollar-for-dollar value by passing on Matt Wieters. Chris Davis is sure to cost a boatload, while Wei-Yin Chen should be in demand as a reliable, left-handed starter. Darren O’Day is coming off an All-Star appearance that could buff his potential earnings. Re-signing Parra will likely depend on the demand for his services. Lastly, the club may view Steve Pearce‘s role as replaceable via a club-controlled asset.
- The Red Sox planned to ride a wave of youthful stars to the pennant in 2014, writes Richard Justice of MLB.com. When Plan A failed, they acquired Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez, and Rick Porcello to reinforce the 2015 roster and beyond. As we know, the club has also failed this season. Luckily, the youth wave of 2014 is still mostly with the club and starting to make good on its promise. Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Rusney Castillo, and Blake Swihart have all hit well this year – particularly since July 30. While the Sox undoubtedly have a busy offseason ahead of them, the club-controlled core should provide plenty of flexibility and optimism for 2016.
Jonathan Lucroy Diagnosed With Concussion
Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy has been diagnosed with a concussion, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Lucroy sustained the injury while catching last Tuesday but did not experience all of the classic symptoms of a concussion. However, a concussion was still suspected after Lucroy reported dealing with “fogginess.” Today, Pittsburgh-based specialist Micky Collins confirmed the diagnosis of a concussion.
The injury puts the remainder of Lucroy’s season in jeopardy. He missed large swaths of the season on the disabled list, and has disappointed both offensively and defensively. Known as a top pitch framer, he’s fallen from elite to merely above average per StatCorner. With the bat, his .259/.322/.390 line is a big step down from his 2014 performance. His recent numbers suggest he had finally shaken off the rust. Since the middle of August, he’s hit .355/.407/.632 with 13 extra base hits in 86 plate appearances.
Lucroy hopes to return prior to the end of the season, but he acknowledges that concussions can be unpredictable. He takes a pragmatic view of the injury saying, “I plan on [playing]. But…there’s nothing for me to prove. And it’s not like we’re in a pennant race right now.“
Drew Storen Breaks Thumb, Likely Out For Season
Nationals righty Drew Storen broke the thumb on his throwing hand on Wednesday and is likely out for the rest of the season, manager Matt Williams says, via Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post Twitter links). The break occurred when Storen slammed a locker door after giving up a two-run homer to Yoenis Cespedes. According to Williams, Storen tried to throw yesterday, then informed the team his thumb was hurting and headed to Washington to see a doctor.
Storen was terrific as the Nationals’ closer in the first half of the season and still has a respectable overall 3.44 ERA, 11.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. But he has struggled throughout the second half, during which he lost the closer role after the arrival of Jonathan Papelbon. Storen has a 5.82 second-half ERA that has roughly corresponded with (if not entirely caused, obviously) his team’s second-half tailspin. He has a solid 29 strikeouts and eight walks in 21 2/3 innings in that time frame, and without any meaningful loss of velocity, but he’s struggled in high-leverage situations.
NL Notes: Stanton, Phillies, Kang
Dave Schoenfield of ESPN’s list of five stars who could be traded this offseason is topped by a provocative name: that of Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Schoenfield doesn’t suggest a Stanton trade is likely, only that it’s a possibility, given how unpredictable the Marlins can be. Schoenfield speculates that Dodgers as a potential match if the Marlins put Stanton on the market. Stanton has full no-trade protection, but might well be willing to waive it if the Dodgers were to deal for him, given that he was born and raised in Southern California. The Dodgers presumably would also have relatively little trouble absorbing Stanton’s enormous contract. Here’s more from the National League.
- Now that the Phillies have dismissed Ruben Amaro, their open GM position should be an attractive one to potential candidates, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes. They have plenty of young talent, including Maikel Franco, J.P. Crawford, Aaron Nola and a host of prospects they acquired when trading veterans. They also have few troublesome contracts.
- Pirates infielder Jung-Ho Kang is cutting a path for other players from the Korea Baseball Organization to come to the U.S., Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Kang has excelled in his first season in the big leagues, hitting .288/.358/.468 while also providing value on the bases and on defense. That’s led to 4.1 fWAR, so the $2.5MM he’ll make this season is a fraction of what he’s worth. The next Korean star set to come to the big leagues is Kang’s friend former Nexen Heroes teammate Byung-Ho Park. “(Park) has much more power than I have,” says Kang. The Pirates could be in the market for a first baseman this offseason and have scouted Park. The big contract it will surely now take to sign Park would, however, block top first base prospect Josh Bell, who hit well upon being promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis this season.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Cespedes, Red Sox, Wieters, Seager
Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a pair of videos at FOX Sports:
- There will be ample interest in Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes this winter. The past two seasons have shown how much he can help a lineup — the Athletics faded down the stretch last year after trading him, and the Mets are now thriving after dealing for him.
- If Dave Dombrowski doesn’t promote assistant general manager Mike Hazen to GM, the Red Sox front office could undergo a “mass exodus.” Diamondbacks executive DeJon Watson is another possibility for the GM job, and former Braves GM Frank Wren could fit in as GM or in some other position.
- Matt Wieters has a house in Atlanta and went to Georgia Tech, and he could be a good fit for the Braves this offseason. He might also make sense in Washington, however — Wieters’ agent Scott Boras also represents Nationals stars Max Scherzer, Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper, Gio Gonzalez, Anthony Rendon and Stephen Strasburg. Nats catcher Wilson Ramos has not hit well this season and is eligible for free agency after 2016.
- Corey Seager is off to a hot start to his big-league career, but the Dodgers still seem likely to use him as a backup in the playoffs (depending, perhaps, on the timing of Enrique Hernandez‘s return from a hamstring injury). Jimmy Rollins has hit well enough in the second half (.233/.301/.386), and the Dodgers are big fans of his defense. They also want to demonstrate respect for the roles Rollins and third baseman Justin Turner have played for the Dodgers this season.
- “The planets are aligning” for David Price to score a huge contract this offseason, Rosenthal says. The Blue Jays, Dodgers, Giants, Cubs and Red Sox are all potential contenders for his services.
- Rosenthal says he suspects Tigers manager Brad Ausmus will, in fact, be dismissed after the season is over. The team recently said it hadn’t reached a decision on Ausmus, but it notably did not commit to him for 2016.
East Notes: Yankees, Park, Orioles, Marlins
The Yankees are scouting KBO first baseman Byung-Ho Park, Chosun Ilbo reports (link in Korean; hat tip to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com). As Kuty notes, the Yankees’ level of interest is unclear, and they have Mark Teixeira under contract for 2016 and Greg Bird potentially ready to take over at first base after that. Nonetheless, Park will be a tempting option, assuming the Nexen Heroes post him after the season. He’s hit .351/.442/.727 this year and has totaled 100 homers in the last two seasons. The KBO is an offense-heavy environment, but the success of Park’s former teammate Jung-Ho Kang in Pittsburgh makes it appear likely that Park’s skills will translate fairly well to the Majors. Here’s more from the East divisions.
- At 68-72, the Orioles are still expected to push as hard as possible for the playoffs even though their chances of getting there are remote. They should consider trying equally hard in these next few weeks to keep at least some of their pending free agents, Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun writes. Scott Boras clients Chris Davis and Matt Wieters are likely to test free agency, but the team ought to consider trying to re-sign reliever Darren O’Day, who might require a three-year deal in the $20MM range. (MLBTR’s Jeff Todd profiled O’Day earlier this week.) Gerardo Parra might also be a good candidate for the Orioles to re-sign before free agency begins, Schmuck suggests.
- It’s been a lost season for the Marlins, and their struggles extend to their minor league system, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald writes. Three of the Marlins’ top four affiliates finished in last place, and the Marlins rank at the bottom of Baseball America’s Organization Standings. That’s not necessarily the kiss of death, since minor league records aren’t always the best indicators of prospect quality. But experts agree that the Marlins aren’t exactly spilling over with top prospects, other than top 2014 pick Tyler Kolek. “[Y]ou go beyond [Kolek], and you get to guys who are not top 200- or 300-type guys,” says BA’s J.J. Cooper. “I have talked to scouts who struggle to name a player or two they project as future regulars from the Marlins’ position-player prospects.” The Marlins recently attempted to address the issue by hiring Marc DelPiano from the Pirates to oversee their minor league operations.
AL East Notes: Sanchez, Davis, Nava
The Yankees have announced that they’ve promoted catcher Gary Sanchez and outfielder Slade Heathcott from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Heathcott has played in the bigs before, but Sanchez hasn’t. Sanchez isn’t likely to play much, but his arrival will surely pique the interest of Yankees fans. The organization gave Sanchez a $3MM bonus out of the Dominican Republic in 2009, and since then, he’s shown good power (with 89 minor league home runs) and a very strong throwing arm, although he hasn’t received great reviews for other aspects of his work behind the plate. MLB.com currently ranks Sanchez as the Yankees’ seventh-best prospect. His climb through the minors has been relatively slow, but he’s still just 22 and has hit .274/.330/.485 between Scranton and Double-A Trenton this season. Here’s more from the AL East.
- Chris Davis‘ big second half with the Orioles has him primed to land a nine-figure contract, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com writes. Davis has hit a ridiculous .307/.413/.704 in 223 plate appearances since the break, bringing his full-season numbers up to .262/.355/.558 with 41 homers. In a recent edition of the MLBTR Newsletter, Tim Dierkes suggested that Davis’ agent Scott Boras could ask for eight years this winter. It seems unlikely he’ll get it, but as Dierkes noted, even a six-year deal would push Davis past $100MM.
- Rays outfielder Daniel Nava was surprised when the Red Sox designated him for assignment in May, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald writes. Nava struggled with a hand injury and hit just .152/.260/.182 in 78 plate appearances with Boston this year, but he points out that he had hit much better in the second half in 2014 — he batted .238/.330/.310 in the first half and .297/.359/.405 in the second. “The reason why I didn’t (see it coming) is because the previous year I was in the same situation and I had turned it around,” he says. (Of course, Nava is already 32 and in the midst of his arbitration seasons, so he no longer even if he were to have improved somewhat, his utility to a last-place Boston team would have been limited.) Nava adds that he misses Red Sox fans and the historic environment of Fenway Park. “Just feeling this, it’s not like Boston,” he says. “It’s not a knock on this. It’s just different. That’s a fact. Those fans are special.”
Central Notes: Ausmus, Stanley, Indians, Pirates
Tigers players are unfazed by recent rumors surrounding manager Brad Ausmus, MLive.com’s Chris Iott writes. Recent reports have indicated that the Tigers plan to fire Ausmus once the season is over, although new GM Al Avila has said the team hasn’t yet made up its mind. Second baseman Ian Kinsler, however, was completely unaware of the rumors and had to have them explained to him before he could comment. “It’s not significant right now,” said Kinsler. “When a move’s made, whether he stays as manager or we find a new manager, then I think it will be significant. … But right now it’s really nothing.” Here’s more from the Central divisions.
- Cardinals catcher Cody Stanley has been suspended 80 games for use of a performance-enhancing substance, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch tweets. The Cardinals promoted Stanley when rosters expanded so he could serve as their third catcher, behind Yadier Molina and Tony Cruz. They added another catcher, Ed Easley, yesterday. Stanley, the Cards’ fourth-round pick in 2010, hit .241/.304/.359 this season for Triple-A Memphis. He also received a 50-game suspension as a minor leaguer in 2012.
- The Indians could try to acquire a late-inning reliever this offseason, Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer writes. Cleveland’s bullpen has fared well overall — its 3.18 ERA ranks seventh in the Majors, and Indians relievers also boast strong peripherals, with 8.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 this season. But with Marc Rzepczynski gone via a trade to the Padres, the Indians are a bit thin on lefty relief, and although they’ve gotten good performances from pitchers like Zach McAllister and Jeff Manship, they could grab another pitcher to help Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw in the late innings.
- The Pirates lost Russell Martin last winter, but after acquiring Francisco Cervelli in an offseason trade with the Yankees, they’ve maintained a very high level of production at the catcher position, Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Pirates catchers (almost entirely Cervelli and Chris Stewart) have hit a remarkable .302/.370/.396 this season, and Pirates catchers rank first in the Majors in batting average and on-base percentage. Also, Cervelli ranks as the top pitch-framer in the game, and Stewart is above average there as well. The Bucs are also paying the duo a total of about $2.2MM this season.
Week In Review: 9/5/15 – 9/11/15
Here’s a look back at this week at MLBTR.
Key Moves
- Giants pitcher Tim Hudson says he’ll retire at the end of the season.
- The Athletics extended manager Bob Melvin through 2018.
Trades
- Athletics – acquired P Daniel Coulombe from Dodgers for cash considerations
Claims
- White Sox – IF Mike Olt (from Cubs)
- Brewers – OF Daniel Fields (from Tigers)
- Marlins – 1B/OF Tommy Medica (from Padres)
- Orioles – 1B Andy Wilkins (from Dodgers)
- Blue Jays – IF Matt Dominguez (from Brewers)
- Red Sox – P Roman Mendez (from Rangers)
Designated For Assignment
- Cardinals – P Nick Greenwood (link)
- Royals – IF Dusty Coleman, P Yohan Pino (link)
- Orioles – P Cesar Cabral (link)
- Blue Jays – 1B/OF Danny Dorn (link)
Outrights
- Yankees – OF Tyler Austin (link)
- Brewers – P Brandon Kintzler, P Preston Guilmet (link)
- Astros – P Jake Buchanan (link)
- Giants – OF Justin Maxwell, OF Ryan Lollis (link)
- Rays – IF Hak-Ju Lee (link)
- Mariners – P Lucas Luetge (link)
Retired
Released
- Cubs – P Rafael Soriano (link)