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Rangers Reportedly Interested In Jake Odorizzi

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The Rangers and Rays have had talks about a trade that would sent right-hander Jake Odorizzi from Tampa Bay to Texas in exchange for a bat, per Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link). The two sides aren’t close to a deal but have continued their talks, per Bowden, who notes that the Rays are unsurprisingly interested in the likes of Jurickson Profar, Joey Gallo and Lewis Brinson.

It’s not clear from the report what exactly the Rangers would be willing to surrender in order to pluck Odorizzi from the Rays, but the 26-year-old figures to come with a fairly substantial asking price. Odorizzi is earning just over the league minimum this season as he won’t qualify for arbitration until the upcoming offseason. He’s controllable through the 2019 campaign and has been a solid contributor to the Rays since being acquired in the James Shields/Wade Davis/Wil Myers blockbuster (although, in retrospect, Odorizzi deserves fairly lofty billing when describing that deal as well).

Over the past two and a half seasons with the Rays, Odorizzi has turned in 461 1/3 innings of 3.78 ERA ball, averaging 8.5 strikeouts and 2.8 walks per nine innings pitched. While he’s certainly a fly-ball pitcher, his ground-ball rate has increased significantly over the life of his time with the Rays, and the uptick in grounders hasn’t come at the expense of his ability to miss bats. Odorizzi is throwing a career-high number of two-seam fastballs (25.3 percent, per PITCHf/x), and the resulting 39.2 percent ground-ball rate is a career best.

Injuries throughout the Texas rotation have led the club to explore multiple avenues to bolster its rotation. The Rangers are said to be interested on Odorizzi’s own teammate, Matt Moore, and the team was also connected to Twins right-hander Ervin Santana over the weekend. Currently, the Rangers are without Colby Lewis through late August, and Derek Holland is slated to be on the disabled list for a yet-undetermined duration. Yu Darvish, too, is on the shelf, and while he’s set to return in the near future, it’s tough to be 100 percent confident in the durability of a pitcher that had Tommy John surgery in 2015 and quickly returned to the DL with shoulder discomfort.

The Rays, currently 14 games below .500 and in last place in the American League East, have reportedly considered parting with some of their starting pitchers, with Odorizzi, Moore, Drew Smyly and Erasmo Ramirez among the most logical pieces to be dealt. Chris Archer figures to draw plenty of interest as well, though it’s hard to see Tampa Bay selling low on its ace when he has so much club control remaining, and top prospect Blake Snell isn’t likely to be going anywhere just months after his big league debut. Alex Cobb could potentially be a trade candidate in August once he’s back from Tommy John surgery, though the offseason strikes me as a better time to move him, as he won’t have much time to reestablish himself prior to Aug. 31.

Knocking Down The Door: Hedges, Jimenez, Thompson, Vogelbach, Wilkerson

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This week’s installment of “Knocking Down The Door” includes the first player to repeat on the list, a slugging first baseman who is unlikely to break into the Majors with his current organization and a pitcher who could find himself in the starting rotation of a playoff contender two years after being purchased from an Independent League team.

Austin Hedges, C, San Diego Padres (Triple-A El Paso)

How do you make the “Knocking Down The Door” list after going 11-for-20 with five homers to earn last week’s honors? You go 14-for-29 with five more homers. Yes, Austin Hedges really did this. He ended up with 12 homers over a 14-start period.

Keep in mind that this is a guy known for his defense. Phrases like “he’d be valuable if he hit .220 with 10 homers because his defense is that good” are common when referring to the 23-year-old Hedges.

Still, this latest barrage of homers probably doesn’t affect his ETA much, if at all. As soon as general manager A.J. Preller gets a trade offer to his liking for Derek Norris, who has an OPS right around .800 over the past two months with nine doubles and ten home runs over, the “Austin Hedges” era will commence. Norris had a minor injury scare behind the plate last night when his elbow was hit by Brandon Drury’s swing, but Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweeted that x-rays were negative and Norris is day-to-day.

Padres Depth Chart

Joe Jimenez, RP, Detroit Tigers (Double-A Erie)

The Tigers finally have a reliable closer to shut down opponents in the 9th inning. Francisco Rodriguez is still getting the job done at 34 years of age with 23 saves in 25 chances. Finding a strong group of setup men to bridge the gap to him is a work in progress, however.

So can a 21-year-old who has pitched a total of 13 innings above A-ball be the solution?

Joe Jimenez is the rare prospect to be recognized as a “Future Closer” early in his career while still in the low minors. The Tigers have been patient with him, but as he gets closer to the majors, he’s becoming difficult to ignore.

The hard-throwing right-hander has completely dominated in 31 innings between Double-A and High-A, allowing just one earned run, 12 hits and nine walks while striking out 54 batters.

Jimenez might have the perfect mentor in Rodriguez, who debuted as a 20-year-old with the Angels late in the 2002 season and was an integral part of their World Series run as the setup man to Troy Percival. If the Tigers are to make a run at a playoff spot, they’ll likely need their own version of young “K-Rod”. Jimenez will need a cool nickname, though.

Tigers Depth Chart

Jake Thompson, SP, Philadelphia Phillies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley)

Shortly after Zach Eflin got the call to the Majors last month, I named his former Triple-A rotation-mate Ben Lively as a pitcher who was “Knocking Down The Door” and also mentioned Jake Thompson as a deserving candidate. Since, Lively has not been as effective. The 22-year-old Thompson, however, continues to roll.

In his last six starts, Thompson has averaged over seven innings per start while posting an 0.85 ERA with 10 walks and 24 strikeouts. He should get a chance at some point in 2016 as the Phillies try to limit innings for their young starters. A big league promotion could also happen as soon as general manager Matt Klentak finds a taker for Jeremy Hellickson, who has boosted his trade value with what has probably been his best season since he was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2011.

Phillies Depth Chart

Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Chicago Cubs (Triple-A Iowa)

We’ve known for years that the Cubs were flush with position player prospects. Many of them have reached the Majors, even if not as regulars at one position due to their defensive versatility. Javier Baez has played all over the infield. Willson Contreras is seeing time in left field in addition to his work behind the plate. Addison Russell had to play second base when he first arrived. Kris Bryant’s versatility has also allowed manager Joe Maddon to find at-bats for his young hitters.

This won’t be the case with Dan Vogelbach, though. He is limited to first base and blocked by Anthony Rizzo, who is also limited to first base.

When the 23-year-old Vogelbach, who has a .303/.416/.542 slash line in 80 games, finally beats down the door to the big leagues, he’ll likely be wearing a different uniform. With his stock on the rise, there should be plenty of teams asking about the left-handed hitting slugger in July.

Cubs Depth Chart

Aaron Wilkerson, SP, Boston Red Sox (Triple-A Pawtucket)

Coming into the 2016 season, I wouldn’t have placed Aaron Wilkerson any higher than 11th or 12th on the team’s starting pitching depth chart. And yet, we’re not even to the All-Star break and Sean O’Sullivan is part of their current four-man rotation and Wilkerson is probably next in line for a call-up.

It’s not uncommon for a team to be dipping so deep into its pitching depth given the rash of pitcher injuries throughout the league, but that’s not the case with the Red Sox. Aside from Brian Johnson, who had been sidelined until recently while undergoing treatment for anxiety, the Sox just have a lot of guys who have pitched themselves out of an opportunity. Clay Buchholz has been moved to the bullpen twice. Joe Kelly, who is on the Triple-A disabled list, is expected to return as a reliever in the second half. Eduardo Rodriguez was ineffective in the Majors. Henry Owens has been inconsistent in Triple-A. And so on.

This Wilkerson guy, though, has been a rock. In 92.1 innings between Triple-A and Double-A, the 27-year-old has allowed just 69 hits with 25 walks and 102 strikeouts. He’s allowed two earned runs or less in 12 of his 16 starts. In 10 of those 12, he’s allowed one run or less.

There is a possibility that the Red Sox could start the secondnd half with O’Sullivan, knuckleballer Steven Wright and Wilkerson, who went undrafted out of college in 2011 and was purchased from an Independent League in 2014, in their starting rotation behind David Price and Rick Porcello. Baseball is so predictable.

Red Sox Depth Chart

“Knocking Down the Door” is a weekly feature that identifies minor leaguers who are making a case for a big league promotion.

10 Under-The-Radar Trade Candidates

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We’ve been focusing of late on the upper echelon of the summer trade market with our Top Trade Candidate Series — which weighs both availability and value in ranking the top players who might be available. But contenders aren’t only looking for impact; they’re also hunting for reasonably-priced depth pieces that can help shore up areas of need and provide roster flexibility.

As teams comb over the rosters of likely sellers for useful players, these are some under-the-radar names they could consider pursuing:

Pitchers

Brandon Kintzler, RP, Twins — Moving into the closer’s role has raised Kintzler’s profile somewhat, but he still isn’t a name you hear much. But perhaps that should change. He is not and never has been a high-K pitcher, but his impeccable control (0.8 BB/9 this year) and worm-burning tendencies (65.3% groundball rate in 2016) explain why he has managed a 2.28 ERA in 23 2/3 innings. Thing is, this isn’t totally out of the blue: Kintzler owns a 3.25 ERA in over 200 big league frames. He’s dirt cheap and comes with another year of control.

Marc Rzepczynski, RP, Athletics — Scrabble is a pending free agent who should be quite available. He has dominated lefties throughout his career — they own a .223/.289/.300 batting line against him — though this year he has actually been somewhat better against righties, who generally knock him around.  That improvement against opposite-handed hitters has helped drive a 2.96 ERA, though Rzepczynski is also coughing up 5.3 free passes per nine to go with his 9.2 K/9 strikeout rate. More importantly, though, he’s still delivering the same velo and nearly the same swinging-strike rate as he has in recent years.

Carlos Torres, RP, Brewers — Torres has been a sturdy reliever in the past, but pitched beneath his peripherals last year for the Mets. He’s now doing something of the opposite, with ERA estimators lagging his 3.29 ERA, but Torres is punching out more than a batter an inning with a career-best 12.0% swinging-strike rate. Organizations looking to add depth to a bullpen will certainly consider the 33-year-old.

Jorge De La Rosa, SP, Rockies — The veteran Colorado lefty was off to an abysmal start and is owed a hefty $12.5MM before hitting the open market. But he has been quite effective since returning to the rotation in mid June: over his last five outings, including a four-inning relief appearance, De La Rosa has allowed just six earned runs on 19 hits over 28 frames. He has surrendered 13 free passes against only 19 punch-outs, but De La Rosa has drawn plenty of trade interest in the past and the Rox may be ready to move on. Teams in need of rotation depth could take a look.

Brad Hand, RP/SP, Padres — After functioning in a swingman role for the Marlins, Hand has been a pure reliever in San Diego, where he’s now running up double-digit K/9 tallies and swinging strike rates (10.8%) for the first time in his career. He’s also walking nearly five batters per nine, but the southpaw is getting solid results (3.38 ERA) with estimators generally viewing him a sturdy option. He’s not going to draw any kind of huge return, but could be a useful piece for the right team, particularly given his background in a multi-inning role.

Position Players

Eduardo Nunez, INF, Twins — The 29-year-old had never really lived up to his former billing, but he’s carrying a .305/.338/.464 batting line over his last 510 plate appearances in Minnesota dating to the start of 2015. Nunez has hit 15 long balls and added 27 stolen bases in that span. Even after accounting for some ball-in-play luck, both in terms of BABIP (.339 this year) and perhaps HR/FB (12.9%), that’s quite a useful offensive profile for a player who can line up all over the infield and even the corner outfield. With another year of arb eligibility remaining, he’s an interesting target for contenders to mull.

Coco Crisp, OF, Athletics — Now 36 years of age, Crisp is finally healthy and has been putting up league-average offensive numbers. Teams could consider him as a fourth outfielder who is at least plenty experienced in center field, even if he really shouldn’t spend much time there at this stage. Crisp hasn’t been as dynamic on the bases as he once was, so there are some real limits to his function, but he’s the kind of veteran presence that many organizations like to plug in for a stretch run. And in a reduced role, there’d be no concern that he’d trigger a vesting option for next season.

Peter Bourjos, OF, Phillies — As bad as he was in the first two months of the year, Bourjos has been on fire of late — running at about a 1.000 OPS clip for June and early July. The truth, as ever, is somewhere in between, but Bourjos could be a useful bench piece down the stretch given his history of good glovework and wheels on the bases. Plus, he’s playing on an affordable $2MM salary this year and is a pure rental — meaning that the Phils should be plenty motivated to deal.

Yangervis Solarte, IF, Padres — Though he isn’t the kind of utility option that Hernandez is, Solarte is capable of manning second or third and brings more with the bat. He has missed a good bit of time, but owns an excellent .301/.387/.483 batting line over 163 plate appearances and has been a consistently above-average hitter as a big leaguer. He only has two years of control on his ticker, so there’s no rush for San Diego to deal, but this might represent an opportune time to get some value with other trade pieces sidelined by injury.

Robbie Grossman, OF, Twins — The switch-hitting, 26-year-old outfielder has been a breakout, feel-good story for the scuffling Twins after previously failing to make good on his prospect billing. Over 170 trips to the plate, he’s putting up a monster .279/.406/.479 batting line while recording 30 walks against 38 strikeouts. With just over one year of service time entering the year, Grossman could be kept for next to nothing if Minnesota prefers. But he could be an interesting target for teams in need of a patient hitter with a bit of pop who can be held into the future.

Quick Hits: Norris, Aybar, O’Malley

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As we wrap up America’s birthday, here are some notes from around baseball…

  • Tigers southpaw Daniel Norris left his start tonight during the third inning due to a right oblique strain, the club announced.  Norris will undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the injury’s severity.  The lefty spent a month on the DL earlier this season with a mild spinal fracture and he missed roughly a month last season with a similar oblique injury.  Detroit already suffered a significant pitching loss earlier today when Jordan Zimmermann was placed on the 15-day DL with a neck strain.  Norris has a 4.85 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 13 innings of big league action this season.
  • Erick Aybar has been receiving some trade interest, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Twitter link).  Aybar hit his first homer of the season today, and entered Monday’s action hitting .323/.405/.415 over his first 74 plate appearances since returning from the disabled list.  Aybar drew some attention as a veteran trade chip for the rebuilding Braves during the spring, but an incredibly poor start to the season cost him his starting job and obliterated his trade value.  Even with his recent hot streak, Aybar is still hitting just .226/.282/.286 over 241 PA this season.
  • Utilityman Shawn O’Malley has been a valuable part of the Mariners roster this season, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune writes.  O’Malley has played every position except pitcher, first base and catcher in 2016 (and he’s Seattle’s emergency catcher) while also providing depth as a switch-hitter, though he has just a .600 OPS over 71 plate appearances.  With O’Malley backing up several positions, the Mariners have been able to get by with a three-man bench and carry an extra bullpen arm.

AL East Notes: Vazquez, Farrell, O’Day, Sanchez, Estrada

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It was on this day in 1939 that the Yankees hosted a “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day” ceremony between games of a doubleheader with the Washington Senators.  Gehrig had officially retired two weeks earlier, just after his ALS diagnosis had been made public.  Gehrig received many emotional tributes from city officials, teammates and former manager Joe McCarthy, plus he became the first player in Major League history to have a uniform number retired.  The most iconic moment, of course, was Gehrig’s own speech, in which he described himself as “the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”

Here’s the latest from around the AL East…

  • The Red Sox demoted Christian Vazquez to Triple-A and activated Ryan Hanigan off the 15-day DL today.  Despite good defensive numbers, Vazquez looked overmatched at the plate, hitting just .226/.278/.305 over 176 PA.  While the demotion wasn’t unexpected, the surprising element to the move is that unheralded veteran Sandy Leon has forced his way into regular starts.  Leon collected four more hits today and is now batting .500/.556/.775 over 45 plate appearances for Boston this season.  Since regression is inevitable for Leon, the Sox could look for catching help at the deadline.
  • Manager John Farrell described the Red Sox to reporters (including WEEI.com’s Ryan Hannable) as “a good team despite obvious areas of need.”  Farrell cited pitching and perhaps a right-handed hitting infielder as those areas of need.  Brock Holt and Marco Hernandez (both left-handed bats) are Boston’s primary backup infielders, and struggling third baseman Travis Shaw also swings from the left side.
  • The Orioles are hopeful that Darren O’Day can return after the All-Star break, manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including Rich Dubroff of CSNMidAtlantic.com) today.  The reliever was enjoying another solid season out of the Orioles bullpen before suffering a hamstring strain that has kept hm out of action for over a month.  O’Day is making good progress, Showalter said, and a simulated game and rehab assignment could begin next week.
  • The Orioles and Blue Jays have both had talent evaluators watching the Twins recently, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets.
  • The Blue Jays often talk about Aaron Sanchez’s role, and manager John Gibbons told reporters (including Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith) that he still thinks Sanchez will be shifted to the bullpen at some point this season.  Toronto has held to this plan since Spring Training in order to keep Sanchez’s innings in check, though the young righty has emerged as the ace of the Jays rotation.  After eight innings of one-run ball against the Royals tonight, Sanchez now has a 2.94 ERA, 56.7% grounder rate and 7.86 K/9 through 113 1/3 frames this season.  Sanchez’s previous career high is 133 1/3 (in both minor league and MLB innings) in 2014.
  • Marco Estrada received at least four cortisone shots in his bad back today, and the Blue Jays are hopeful he can make his scheduled start on Thursday, Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling writes.  This the second time Estrada has been hampered by back problems this season, as an early-season DL stint cost him his first start of the year though similar cortisone treatments helped correct those issues.  It’s also possible the Jays could start Drew Hutchison on Thursday and give Estrada an extended rest through the All-Star break.

Mets To Activate Jose Reyes On Tuesday

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The Mets expect to activate Jose Reyes on their Major League roster tomorrow, as per the club’s official Twitter feed.  Reyes is on his way to New York for Tuesday’s game between the Mets and Marlins.

A corresponding move to create room for Reyes on the 25-man roster will presumably come tomorrow.  Looking at their roster, Matt Reynolds or Alejandro De Aza stand out as possible cuts — Reyes could take Reynolds’ place as a backup shortstop, while De Aza has essentially been an odd man out on New York’s roster all season.  While Reyes is expected to take over from Wilmer Flores as the regular third baseman, Flores may have saved his roster spot with an incredible 6-for-6 performance on Sunday.  Reyes has also never played as much as a single game at the hot corner in his MLB career, so Flores can stick around to step back into the position if necessary.

Reyes signed a minor league deal with the Mets last week and he has since played in a combined 10 games at the low-A and Double-A levels, all at third base.  The Mets owe Reyes just a prorated league minimum salary as the Rockies will absorb most of the roughly $37.9MM owed to him through the end of the 2017 season.

Reyes hasn’t played in a Major League game this season in the wake of the domestic violence incident that led to a league investigation and a suspension.  The Mets’ signing of Reyes drew no shortage of criticism given this recent history, though Reyes has expressed remorse about his actions and the team believes he is deserving of another chance.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Red Sox, Indians, Rangers, Twins

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Here’s the latest hot stove buzz from Ken Rosenthal’s latest notes column for FOXSports.com…

  • “The universal feeling” within the Red Sox organization is that top prospect Andrew Benintendi will surpass the likes of Kyle Schwarber and Michael Conforto in terms of being an all-around player.  There is also some sentiment that Dave Dombrowski “is sold on Yoan Moncada becoming a superstar.”  So the Sox could well have their long-term answers at left field and third base spoken for, or Boston could deal one of these top youngsters for a pitching upgrade.  Rosenthal feels that the Sox would only move one of these two “a true, controllable ace,” and no pitcher like that appears to be available at the deadline.  Boston might go for a lower-key pitching upgrade at the deadline and then wait to pursue an ace in the offseason when such names as Jose Fernandez or Matt Harvey could be had.  Since so many of Boston’s issues can be traced back to its struggling rotation, Rosenthal doesn’t think Dombrowski will or should make a rash move like firing John Farrell or trading a top prospect for anything less than full value.
  • The Indians will be looking to add both a reliever and another bat before the trade deadline.
  • Beyond the Rangers’ top prospects, they have several other minor leaguers getting attention for possible trades.  First baseman Ronald Guzman, outfielder Ryan Cordell, catcher Jose Trevino, and righties Ariel Jurado and Connor Sadzeck are a few names who Texas could possibly use as trade chips if the likes of Lewis Brinson, Jurickson Profar or Joey Gallo are untouchables.
  •  “A low-revenue team cannot afford to miss on so many decisions,” Rosenthal notes in a review of several moves that have recently backfired on the Twins.  The signings of Kevin Jepsen and Byung Ho Park were justifiable and Park could still develop into a productive bat, though Minnesota has gotten little return from Phil Hughes’ extension and the acquisitions of Ervin Santana, Ricky Nolasco and John Ryan Murphy.

NL Central Notes: Riggins, Mozeliak, Cubs, Middlebrooks

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Here’s the latest from around the NL Central…

  • The Reds have dismissed pitching coach Mark Riggins, as per a club announcement.  Bullpen coach Mack Jenkins will take over the job, with Triple-A pitching coach Ted Power moving up to replace Jenkins in the pen.  Cincinnati is at or near the bottom of every notable pitching category this season, and their pitching as a whole has been worth a cumulative -3.9 fWAR.  This was Riggins’ first season as the Reds’ pitching coach after four years as the organization’s minor league pitching coordinator, and he hardly came into a comfortable situation — not only were the rebuilding Reds going with a young rotation, but injuries hit nearly every member of the staff.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak isn’t yet sure what his team will target at the deadline, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch writes.  “I haven’t been knee deep in the reliever market,” Mozeliak said, though that could stand out as the most clear area of need for St. Louis.  Langosch notes that the Cards could address their bullpen from within by using Triple-A starters Alex Reyes and Mike Mayers as relievers to break them into the big leagues.
  • The bullpen is the only “real problem” facing the Cubs, ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers opines.  The rotation and lineup have had some recent issues, though those can be excused by injuries or perhaps simply some expected regression after the Cubs’ blazing-hot start to the season.  The relief corps, on the other hand, needs some depth, as “even a casual observer can see that manager Joe Maddon only has faith in a few guys, because only a few guys are worthy of it.”  Chicago is known to be scouting for bullpen upgrades, particularly the Yankees’ big relief trio of Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances.
  • Will Middlebrooks’ minor league deal with the Brewers included an assignment clause for July 1, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes.  Milwaukee was required to offer the third baseman to the other 29 teams if Middlebrooks wasn’t on the big league roster by July 1, and given how the Brewers purchased his contract yesterday, McCalvy figures at least one team had interest in Middlebrooks’ services.

Pirates Place Jameson Taillon On 15-Day DL With Shoulder Fatigue

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The Pirates have prized rookie right-hander Jameson Taillon on the 15-day DL due to fatigue in his throwing shoulder.  Southpaw Steven Brault will start tomorrow’s game against the Cardinals in Taillon’s place, and another move will need to be made to create space for Brault on the 40-man roster.

[Related: updated Pirates depth chart at Roster Resource]

Taillon missed all of the 2014 and 2015 seasons recovering from both Tommy John surgery and a hernia operation, and he returned to dominate over 61 2/3 IP at Triple-A.  That dominance (as well as some injuries to the Pirates’ rotation) led to two separate callups this season, and Taillon acquitted himself pretty well in his first taste of big league action.  The 24-year-old righty had a 3.86 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 4.20 K/BB rate over 28 innings with the Pirates, and he looked in good form during his last start on June 29, holding Seattle to one run on six hits over six innings.

The Pirates were naturally going to be careful with Taillon’s innings given his long injury layoff and the fact that he’d never thrown more than 147 1/3 frames in any one pro season.  This could very well be a precautionary DL stint based on Taillon showing the first hint of an issue, though obviously any type of shoulder-related DL stint is troubling given Taillon’s importance to Pittsburgh’s rotation plans in both the long and short term.

The Bucs’ pitching staff has been plagued by injuries (Taillon joins Gerrit Cole and Ryan Vogelsong on the DL) and underperformance from Francisco Liriano, Jeff Locke and Jon Niese.  Chad Kuhl has already gotten the call from Triple-A to bolster the rotation, and one has to wonder if the Pirates will promote another top prospect by bringing Tyler Glasnow to the bigs.  Glasnow has a 1.78 ERA and 10.6 K/9 over 96 Triple-A innings this season, though he has also posted a troubling 4.9 BB/9.

Brault was rated as the 15th-best minor leaguer in Pittsburgh’s system by the 2016 Baseball America Prospect Handbook.  He was credited with having excellent command and an ability to limit homers and induce grounders, which helps counter an “ordinary” changeup and curve, and a fastball in the 89-91 mph range.  Brault has a 3.34 ERA, 11.3 K/9 and 2.93 K/BB rate over 35 Triple-A innings this season.

Reds To Sign Alfredo Rodriguez

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MONDAY: The Reds have officially announced the minor league deal, as per the club’s Twitter page.

SATURDAY: The Reds have agreed to terms with Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez on a $7MM deal, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez writes. Rodriguez is a strong defensive shortstop with good speed, as Sanchez notes. He was the 2014-15 Rookie of the Year in Cuba’s Serie Nacional.

Rodriguez ranked sixth on MLB.com’s list of the top international prospects available this signing period. He has excellent speed and range. He doesn’t yet hit well, although MLB.com notes there is some hope his bat will develop.

Despite Rodriguez’s pro experience, he is subject to rules regarding international bonus pools, so his $7MM bonus represents a significant financial outlay for the Reds, who have a bonus pool of $5,163,400 and currently project to be penalized as the result of the signing, although they could trade for more international bonus slots to avoid any serious punitive measure. The Reds have long been connected to Rodriguez, with some reports indicating they had a deal with him all the way back in January, in the previous signing period.

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