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Latest On Yulieski Gurriel

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Yulieski Gurriel remains a fascinating piece of the transactional picture as the deadline approaches, and Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com writes that his market is heating up. The Marlins held a workout with the Cuban star, per the report, with the Giants also showing “strong interest” — though they’ve yet to host him for an up-close look.

We’ve already heard of San Francisco’s possible involvement, which GM Bobby Evans downplayed in recent comments. Other reports have connected the infielder to the Dodgers, Astros, Mets and Yankees, all of whom have held workouts. Heyman notes also that the Red Sox have taken a look, though he adds that Boston isn’t seen as being a likely destination.

The 32-year-old Gurriel is a legend in his home nation, where he has been one of the best players since reaching Serie Nacional as a teenager. And he also showed well in a brief stint in Japan’s NPB two years back. With an advanced bat and polished glove that’s capable of slotting in at third, second, and perhaps the corner outfield, it’s not hard to imagine a fit with many organizations.

Gauging his value is another matter. While there’s some possibility that he’ll be viewed as a deadline addition of sorts, the expectation is that Gurriel will need a decent bit of time to get up to speed in the minors after a long layoff from competitive action. That uncertainty leaves some room for variability.

Rival executives tell Heyman that Gurriel is looking for a deal that would cover this season and four more thereafter. His camp seems to be seeking something in the range of $10MM to $12MM per year, with one source telling Heyman that it wouldn’t be surprising if the veteran could achieve between $40MM and $50MM in total guarantee over a three or four-year term.

MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently examined the possible market for Gurriel’s services, though that piece was written before the recent connections were reported. He and Steve Adams suggested that the contract given to Hector Olivera by the Dodgers (about $10MM annually) as a comparable. In this case, though, a shorter length (given his age) and perhaps a greater AAV (given his better pedigree and the market situation) are certainly possible.

The 5 Most Important Roster Decisions Of The Week

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1. Dodgers SP Clayton Kershaw (Herniated Disc in Back) Placed On 15-Day DL; Bud Norris Acquired From Braves

The Dodgers’ disabled list already had a pretty good quartet of starting pitchers—Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-jin Ryu and Alex Wood. Now they’ll be joined by the best pitcher in baseball.

Kershaw, who has been diagnosed with a mild disc herniation in his lower back, is the biggest reason his team is currently seven games over .500 and at the top of the Wild Card standings. They’ll be forced to lean heavily on Kenta Maeda in his first MLB season as well as Scott Kazmir, who has a 4.67 ERA and has only completed six innings in seven of his 16 starts. Kershaw’s injury also means that 19-year-old Julio Urias, who the Dodgers had planned on moving to the bullpen in the near future in order to limit his workload, will likely stick around in the rotation for a bit longer, as will Brock Stewart, who made his MLB debut on Wednesday after starting the year in High-A.

With the two most likely internal candidates to replace Kershaw, at least for his scheduled start on Friday, being Jharel Cotton (4.98 ERA, 3.3 BB/9, 10.7 K/9 in Triple-A) and Chase De Jong (2.45 ERA, 2.7 BB/9, 8.2 K/9 in Double-A), the Dodgers decided to trade for Braves pitcher Bud Norris, who would be sufficiently rested for Friday’s start and had been pitching well as of late.

After a rough start to the season—he posted an 8.74 ERA in five starts before being banished to the bullpen —the 31-year-old Norris has bounced back nicely since returning to rotation in early June (2.15 ERA, 29.1 IP, 21 H, 8 BB, 29 K in five starts). He’ll make his Dodgers debut against the Rockies at Dodgers Stadium, where he has a career 3.10 ERA in 29 innings pitched.

Dodgers Depth Chart

 

2. Nationals SP Stephen Strasburg (Strained Upper Back) Placed on 15-Day DL; SP Lucas Giolito Promoted From Double-A

While the Nats could’ve went the boring route to replace Stephen Strasburg by inserting the versatile Yusmeiro Petit into the starting rotation, they did the baseball world a favor by calling up Lucas Giolito, who many consider to be the top pitching prospect in baseball.

The only disappointment in Giolito’s MLB debut against the division rival Mets on Tuesday was that his start was cut short because of a rain delay. In his four scoreless innings of work, the 21-year-old allowed one measly hit to go along with a pair of walks.

So is Giolito up for good? That probably depends on the state of the rotation when Strasburg is ready to return. But Giolito has probably earned at least another start or two and the Nats can be patient with Strasburg as long as the youngster is pitching well. However many innings the Nats will allow him to throw this season—he’s at 75 innings so far after throwing 117 innings in 2015—it sure would be fun to see them utilized at the big league level.

Nationals Depth Chart

 

3. Mets LF Michael Conforto Optioned To Triple-A; Brandon Nimmo Promoted From Triple-A

Michael Conforto had a great rookie season in 2015. He had a great start to the 2016 season. Then he struggled, just like any big leaguer struggles. The league had figured out how to get him out. Almost two months into his prolonged slump, it was evident that the 23-year-old was having a hard time making an adjustment to these latest plans of attack.

Therefore, the Mets have attempted to shake things up by sending Conforto to Triple-A last weekend and giving another young prospect, Brandon Nimmo, a chance to spark a struggling Mets offense. It hasn’t happened. At least not yet.

With only five singles and no walks in 20 at-bats, the 23-year-old Nimmo’s Triple-A success (.917 OPS in 63 games) hasn’t carried over during his first week in the majors. He’ll need to pick up the pace if he’s to hold off Conforto (5-for-16, HR, 3 BB, K in Triple-A), who shouldn’t need much time to get back on track.

Mets Depth Chart

 

4. Athletics RF Josh Reddick Activated From 15-Day DL

One of the biggest potential trade chips of the 2016 season, Reddick has returned to action after missing more than a month with a fractured thumb. He’ll have plenty of time to establish his value and set the A’s up for a nice return prior to the August 1st deadline.

While he isn’t likely to maintain his .310 batting average and .383 on-base percentage—he’s 1-for-9 with one walk since being activated on Tuesday—the 29-year-old is a solid all-around player who can hit 20 homers and knock in 75 runs while hitting at the top, middle or bottom of a contending team’s lineup.

Billy Beane acquired Sean Manaea and Daniel Mengden in separate pre-deadline deals in 2015 for Ben Zobrist and Scott Kazmir. He could be in an even better position this year with Reddick and Rich Hill.

Athletics Depth Chart

 

5. Rays Closer Alex Colome (Biceps Tendinitis) Placed On 15-Day DL; Closer To Be Determined

New closer alert! Well, not really. The last place Rays aren’t really ahead enough in the 9th inning for it to matter very much and this might actually be the least inspiring group of closing candidates I’ve ever seen. If the decision has been made on who’ll get the ball in the 9th inning of a close game, it hasn’t been announced.

“Closer-by-committee” is a common short-term solution whenever a closer goes on the disabled list or has pitched himself out of a job. In most cases, it’s just a way of not putting too much pressure on the guy who is expected to be the first in line for the job.

But in the case of the Rays, their “committee” consists of a few pitchers who don’t have the typical closer’s arsenal of at least one “plus” pitch and none are having very good years in their current lesser-leverage roles. But the opportunity to earn a save will probably arise before Alex Colome or Brad Boxberger returns from the disabled list. Until then, we can only guess if it will be Erasmo Ramirez, Xavier Cedeño, Matt Andriese, Danny Farquhar or someone else who is first in line.

CORRECTION: The Rays did have a save opportunity in Thursday’s game. Ryan Garton started the 9th inning with a 7-2 lead and departed with a 7-3 lead and the bases loaded after four consecutive singles. Ramirez entered the game and proceeded to record one out and give up two walks, two singles and a double before exiting with his team down 10-7. I’m guessing that he might not get another shot.

Rays Depth Chart

Marlins Designate Jo-Jo Reyes

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The Marlins have designated lefty Jo-Jo Reyes for assignment, per a club announcement. Miami also optioned righty Brian Ellington to Triple-A, with those moves designed to clear the way for the promotion of southpaw Justin Nicolino.

[Related: Updated Marlins Depth Chart]

Reyes, 31, has made just two major league appearances since the end of the 2011 campaign, including a single showing this year for Miami. After working as a starter for the vast majority of his career, he has spent most of the 2016 season throwing from the pen at Triple-A. On the year, he owns a 4.17 ERA with 6.6 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9.

The 24-year-old Nicolino will get another shot at holding down a big league job after posting a disappointing 5.17 ERA in his first ten starts this year. Nicolino struck out just 4.4 batters per nine, though that was an improvement on his meager output in that department in 2015. He has been effective at Triple-A, though, with a 2.82 ERA and 5.2 K/9 against 1.6 K/9 over 38 1/3 frames.

Top 20 Trade Candidates

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With the deadline just over a month away, the top trade candidate series keeps trucking. I’ll be honest: this post required a re-write after yesterday’s action. The list is in flux with Fernando Rodney (who would’ve been #4) and Bud Norris (he’d have cracked the back of the ranking) changing hands … not to mention Sean Doolittle and Jon Jay hitting the DL, some injured players returning, and others pushing into trade contention. We’re also rolling out our second expansion of the ranking.

Your weekly reminder: we’re not just ranking players by skill alone; we’re looking at overall asset value and trade likelihood. To assess trade value, we’re starting with overall on-field ability — with a premium on the capacity to make an impact in the current season — and then adjusting for contract and market factors. With contenders’ needs in relatively sharp focus, limitations such as future contract status, age, and niche role (platoon bats, relief-only pitchers) tend to have less of a drag on value — though obviously they still matter quite a bit. With regard to the likelihood of a swap, the focus is on potential selling teams’ motivation to deal, with contract status, near and long-term roster fit, and overall competitiveness all weighing heavily. Some teams simply aren’t in a position at present where it makes sense to include their top potential trade chips, but that will evolve over the coming weeks.

Here’s this week’s list:

1. Jay Bruce, OF, Reds — The song remains the same. Teams looking for lefty pop are surely weighing a move for Bruce. His $13MM option for next year is increasingly looking nice, as the coming free agent market isn’t the most exciting. Acquiring teams could pencil Bruce in for 2017 or see that added control as a trade asset to recoup the value given to add him. With Jon Jay seemingly falling out of trade contention due to an unfortunate injury, that only increases the appeal of the other corner outfielders on the market.

2. Jonathan Lucroy, C, Brewers — Not much to add here, either. The question is still whether sufficient demand will develop. From my perspective, it’s hard to imagine that no teams will be truly motivated to add a premium player on a budget deal.

3. Josh Reddick, OF, Athletics — Reddick moves right off the DL and onto this list for the first time. We’ve heard plenty about the possibility of an extension, and that still seems plausible. But players of his quality on expiring contracts with underperforming teams usually end up being traded, and I don’t think that the possibility of a qualifying offer will be much of a factor. Reddick is hitting at career-best rates and is playing on a very reasonable $6.575MM salary.

4. Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers — I’m increasingly questioning whether enough demand will develop to motivate Milwaukee here. Braun might be an easier player to deal in the offseason, when he’d represent an alternative to forthcoming free agents like Yoenis Cespedes and Jose Bautista. On the other hand, clubs could see some merit in doing their winter shopping early while adding a premium right-handed bat for the stretch run.

5. Danny Valencia, 3B, Athletics — The OPS still resides comfortably above .900. One important factor in his trade value and likelihood: the presence of several other viable third base options on the market.

6. Zack Cozart, SS, Reds — We just broke down Cozart’s market situation, so read there for more. Teams looking for a useful hitter with a premium glove up the middle probably won’t find a better or more affordable option. That said, demand remains unclear and Cinci doesn’t need to deal him right now.

7. Jake Odorizzi, SP, Rays — Odorizzi makes a big move into the top ten. It’s hardly necessary for Tampa Bay to trade him, of course, as he’ll only reach arb eligibility next year. But with the club falling back of late while dealing with numerous injuries, the appeal of cashing in a sturdy, controllable starter in a seller’s market is increasing. And if the team’s rehabbing starters remain on course, dealing from the rotation might not even be that painful. Especially if the Braves hold firm on Teheran, perhaps Tampa Bay could get a nice return for Odorizzi.

8. Arodys Vizcaino, RP, Braves — Vizcaino hasn’t always had premium strikeout numbers, but they are trending up this season. He has reeled off three straight solid outings since we last checked in, despite a few recent duds, so it’s not so much that he’s moving down the list as it is that the others are moving up.

9. Mark Melancon, RP, Pirates — The Pirates’ closer keeps getting the job done: he hasn’t allowed an earned run since May 15th and has surrendered just two hits in his nine frames this month. Even if Pittsburgh doesn’t move other assets, it’ll have to seriously consider cashing in a player who will be a free agent at the end of the year. While he isn’t as electric as some other top late-inning relievers, and though his peripherals aren’t all that exciting (particularly with his groundball rate diving thus far), Melancon is the type of rental that could bring back a really nice piece in return.

10. Julio Teheran, SP, Braves — GM John Coppolella suggested recently that Teheran is nearly as untouchable as Freddie Freeman, though it remains unclear what body part he’d stake on the righty. (If you don’t get that reference, read here for Coppy’s comments from the offseason.)

11. Rich Hill, SP, Athletics — While he’s still technically on the DL, Hill is set to be activated on Saturday. That said, he won’t reclaim his top-five status on this list until he has shown that he’s at full capacity. Though his groin injury isn’t particularly concerning, the larger injury history and stunning late-career rise will already give some teams pause. Still, the starter rental market is in shambles and he could yet be a prime deadline asset.

12. Drew Pomeranz, SP, Padres — Pomeranz has had some shaky outings that leave you wondering whether he truly has found something. But his most recent outing was a gem, and he’s carrying a 2.76 ERA through 88 frames. The MLBTR staff recently debated whether or not San Diego should deal Pomeranz away. He’s cheap and controllable, which will certainly hold huge appeal for teams that don’t want to burn up prospects for pure rentals, but that also makes him quite useful for the Friars — who could also let him try to build more value and then spin him off over the winter.

13. Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Phillies — Hellickson isn’t a guy you add with expectations that he’ll be starting postseason games, but he has certainly pitched well enough to plug a hole in a rotation. There’s a ton of value in that for teams looking to eke out wins in tight races, and he seems rather likely to be dealt before he reaches free agency this fall.

14. Jeremy Jeffress, RP, Brewers — You’re probably not adding Jeffress as a closer, or perhaps even a pure eighth-inning guy, but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to draw interest. He has been consistently good for some time now, and teams won’t feel too bad about giving up value for him since there’s reasonably-priced control yet to come (though his saves tallies will eat into that).

15. Yunel Escobar, 3B, Angels — Escobar is a little dinged up, though he’s not yet on the DL. It’s doubtful that other organizations will view him as any kind of savior, but in the right situation he could be a critical stabilizing piece. Plus, he could be plugged into different positions in 2017 or dealt over the winter to offset the initial acquisition cost.

16. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Rockies — Even if a playoff berth remains rather unlikely, I just wonder whether there’s any real possibility of a deal coming together so long as Colorado hangs around .500. But Gonzalez is raking, so he could shoot up this list if and when the team can no longer plausibly claim any hope of contending.

17. Ervin Santana, SP, Twins — As with Hellickson, Santana seems ready to move right into the four or five slot of a contender with back-end rotation issues. The results aren’t exciting, but he has been durable and useful for quite some time now. He’s playing on a $13.5MM salary this year, with another $27MM to come over the next two, so any move would be about Minnesota saving some cash. Nobody is taking that full commitment, though, so the Twins will have to decide whether it’s worth trimming its future obligations or just keeping Santana around to fortify their own rotation for the next couple of seasons.

18. David Freese, 3B, Pirates — The sturdy veteran is hitting at levels he hasn’t seen since 2012, and he’s doing it on a meager $3MM salary. Plus, Pittsburgh could easily cover for his absence, particularly with Jung Ho Kang back and Sean Rodriguez performing, so he could be sold without the organization abandoning all hope of contending.

19. Chris Carter, 1B, Brewers — He’s back! Carter made our first list but fell off after a rough stretch. They say he’s streaky, though, so let’s check in on his total results in June … oh, well. 253/.360/.494 with six home runs. That’ll do. An organization looking to plug some thump into its first base/DH rotation is going to have a tough time finding a more available and affordable option than Carter. The Brewers don’t have to deal him, and there’s not a ton of upside given his many limitations, but he has a place in the trade deadline landscape.

20. Melvin Upton, OF, Padres — Also returning to the list is the elder Upton brother. There are other fourth outfield types, as well as a few infielders and relievers, who also warranted consideration here — most of whom would probably be easier to move given their contracts. But San Diego has been the most aggressive seller thus far, and Upton’s strong work this year could make for an opportune time to dump a decent chunk of his remaining salary obligations.

Keep reading for more names that were considered …

Read more

Twins Option Byung Ho Park To Triple-A

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The Twins announced today that they’ve optioned first baseman/designated hitter Byung Ho Park to Triple-A Rochester and replaced him on the roster with Miguel Sano, who has been activated from the disabled list. The decision to option Park, in whom Minnesota invested a total of $24.85MM this offseason (between the posting fee and his four-year contract) is the latest in a season-long series of disappointments for the Twins, although it certainly doesn’t indicate that the investment will ultimately prove to be an error.

[Related: Updated Minnesota Twins depth chart]

Park, 29, was the most prolific power hitter in the Korea Baseball Organization over the past two seasons, prompting the Twins to make a surprise bid of $12.85MM to secure negotiation rights with him, which yielded a four-year, $12MM contract plus a fifth-year option. The slugger struggled out of the gates in Minnesota but found his stride after a couple of weeks. As recently as May 15, Park was hitting a robust .257/.342/.581, having clubbed nine homers, five doubles and a triple through his first 120 big league plate appearances. In 124 plate appearances since that time, however, Park is hitting just .127/.210/.245 with three homers and four doubles. More concerning is the fact that he’s struck out at least once in 26 of the 31 games he’s started over that span. On the whole, Park has punched out at an alarming 32.8 percent clip this season.

An adjustment period was always expected for Park, and unlike countrymen Jung Ho Kang and Hyun Soo Kim, he was thrown right into the everyday lineup with his first big league team. It’s impossible to tell whether a more gradual introduction into the lineup would’ve proved beneficial — Kim, after all, has just 141 PAs on the season, making it rather early to deem him a true success — but Park has looked overmatched at the plate recently.

Park has proven his power to be very real; his average of 420 feet per home run (via Statcast data at Baseball Savant) rates 10th in the Majors, and he’s registered a .219 isolated power mark (slugging minus average). However, his difficulties in making contact have offset his power contributions and slightly above-average walk rate (8.6 percent). The hope for the Twins, presumably, is that Park can continue to adjust to increased velocity and improve his contact skills down at Rochester so that he can better utilize that pop over the remaining three (possibly four) years of his contract.

Park is earning $2.75MM this season and has annual salaries of $2.75MM (2017), $3MM (2018) and $3MM (2019) yet to come, plus at least a $500K buyout of a $6.5MM club option for the 2020 season. Given the fairly minimal nature of the Twins’ investment in him, he still has plenty of time to make their commitment look to be a shrewd move overall.

As for Sano, he’ll return to the Twins after missing the month of June with a hamstring injury. The 23-year-old slugger has struggled to some extent in his own right, as he’s yet to live up to the expectations that came with last season’s .269/.385/.530 debut (with 18 homers in just 80 games played). Sano is hitting .235/.341/.458 with 11 homers in 50 games and has had a difficult time with his transition to the outfield, where both UZR and DRS peg the 6’4″, 260-pounder as below average. The bulk of Sano’s experience as a pro has come at third base, but that spot remains occupied by Trevor Plouffe.

MLB Imposes International Signing Ban On Red Sox, Voids Five Contracts

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The Red Sox have been banned from signing international amateurs that are subject to MLB’s bonus pools for the 2016-17 signing period, reports Yahoo’s Jeff Passan. Furthermore, five prospects that the Sox signed during the 2015-16 signing period have been declared free agents that are free to sign with new teams beginning tomorrow, though each player will retain the initial bonus money he received from Boston. Per Passan’s report, right-hander Cesar Gonzalez, outfielders Albert Guiamaro and Simon Muzziotti, and infielders Antonio Pinero and Eduardo Torrealba. The first $300K of their bonuses will not count toward their new teams’ international bonus pools in the upcoming period, he adds.

The punishment handed down stems from Boston’s usage of “package deals” to circumvent restrictions that were placed upon them for the 2015-16 international signing period. Boston’s signing of Yoan Moncada near the end of the 2014-15 signing period meant that the team was easily into the top penalty bracket for international signings and was supposed to bar the team from signing international amateurs (players under the age of 23 and/or with fewer than five years of pro experience) for the next two signing periods. However, Boston circumvented that limitation by “packaging” more premium prospects with lesser prospects; that is, paying $300K for multiple prospects that employ the same trainers/agents and then allowing the players’ representatives to divide the lion’s share of the collective sums to the top prospect of the bunch, with the lesser prospects receiving a smaller portion of the money.

While some will note that “package” signings have been around for quite some time, this is the first instance in which a club that was restricted by the league under the new penalties has directly utilized this tactic to sign high-caliber talent by rather devious means. As Baseball America’s Ben Badler recently laid out, previous “package deals” haven’t expressly been utilized to avoid penalization from the league. Rather, examples of package deals have been to convince a trainer/agent to allow his player to sign with a team by agreeing to take on a lesser prospect or to convince a player to sign with a team by also signing the player’s friend or sibling. Badler does note that there have been instances of a team signing a player in one international signing period as a means of enticing his trainer into an agreement for a different player in the following signing period, but those haven’t been brokered by teams that are already under the maximum penalty bracket.

Stepping back and looking at this from the perspective of players on the upcoming international market, the punishment from MLB likely voids a fair number of agreements that were already in place between Boston and prospects out of Latin America. Badler recently reported that Venezuelan Roimer Bolivar, whom he had ranked as the No. 31 prospect on this year’s market, was expected to sign with Boston. Beyond that, the Sox were expected to sign shortstops Erik Pena and Raymond Mora as well as catchers Christian Longa and Wilfredo Astudillo. Now, that quintet of players (and presumably several more unreported teenagers) will be on the lookout for new clubs with which to sign. While they’ll undoubtedly find teams interested in paying them, their market may be more limited, as many clubs that aren’t planning to exceed their pool have likely already come close to maxing out their allotted spending limit with advance agreements.

As for the Red Sox, they’ll still be able to sign pool-exempt international players (e.g. Yulieski Gurriel, Jose Miguel Fernandez, Yadiel Hernandez), but such players will be the only types of free agents able to be signed to contracts until next July 2, when the 2017-18 international signing period kicks off.

AL Central Notes: Twins, Davidson, Indians, Fulmer

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The Twins are baseball’s most disappointing team at 25-53, but owner Jim Pohlad voiced continued confidence in manager Paul Molitor when speaking to Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in a recent interview. “I would say ’no’ to that definitely,” said Pohlad when asked if Molitor’s job was in danger. Pohlad told Hartman that Molitor will return for the 2017 season, though Hartman notes that there slightly more open-ended answer when asked about GM Terry Ryan. “…I mean we have to figure out what we’re doing wrong, what we’re doing wrong in the system,” said Pohlad. “If that points to the need to change personnel, I guess I would have to say we’d look at everything. But there has been no identification of anything like that. We’re beginning to discuss the process of how we examine doing things throughout our system.” While those comments certainly don’t indicate that the GM is on the hot seat, they’re a bit less firm than recent reports indicating that the team is “100 percent committed” to Ryan. Pohlad went on to emphasize that money isn’t an issue for the Twins despite a number of underperforming veterans and expressed frustration and disappointment that top prospects Byron Buxton and Jose Berrios have struggled so greatly upon reaching the Majors after dominating Triple-A.

More from the American League Central…

  • The White Sox called up third base prospect Matt Davidson to make his debut with the team yesterday, and the former top 100 prospect (originally acquired from the D-backs in exchange for Addison Reed) experienced awful luck when he suffered a fracture in his foot while running the bases, as CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes writes. The seemed to occur when Davidson was going from first to third on a J.B. Shuck double, with manager Robin Ventura telling the media that the injury was apparent when he was between second and third base. Davidson was a highly touted prospect when the ChiSox picked up up prior to the 2014 season in the aforementioned trade, but he struggled terribly with Triple-A Charlotte from 2014-15 before rebounding with a .268/.349/.444 slash in 75 Triple-A contests this season. It’s not yet clear how much time Davidson, who collected his first big league hit since September 2013 in yesterday’s game, will spend on the disabled list.
  • Via MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian, Indians GM Mike Chernoff said yesterday that while the club has looked to fill holes in its outfield at various times — most notably when Michael Brantley was injured and when Abraham Almonte was suspended — the team is hopeful that it can patch its outfield internally (Twitter link with screen cap of Chernoff’s full quote). Chernoff praised the recent play of Tyler Naquin and said the team is optimistic about the recent progress of Michael Brantley, whom Chernoff labels the “highest-impact ’acquisition’ [the Indians] could make.” Brantley has scarcely played this season, though Chernoff points out that the current alignment of Rajai Davis, Naquin, Lonnie Chisenhall and Jose Ramirez are all playing well. Naquin’s success is largely fueled by a .462 BABIP, of course, but even if there’s regression around the corner, there’s no denying that he’s bridged the gap nicely if the club is indeed seeing positive signs out of Brantley. Reports yesterday indicated that Jay Bruce would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to go to Cleveland (or any contender), but the outfield may not be as big of a need as it once looked to be with the recent performances of internal options.
  • The Tigers are carefully monitoring Michael Fulmer’s innings to preserve his arm for the long haul, as MLB.com’s Jason Beck writes. Fulmer hasn’t started in eight days and will make two more starts before the All-Star break, and he’ll then wait until July 19 when the Tigers first need a fifth starter after the break. That’ll give him nearly two weeks between starts, after which he’s tentatively scheduled to remain in the rotation on regular rest but with the occasional quick hook to avoid further arm fatigue. Per Beck, the Tigers have discussed a 25 to 30 percent increase over Fulmer’s total of 124 1/3 innings from the 2015 season, which would put him in the range of 155 to 165 innings this season. Fulmer, the centerpiece of last summer’s Yoenis Cespedes trade, has somewhat quietly had a brilliant debut with Detroit thus far, pitching to a 2.40 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a 48 percent ground-ball rate in 63 2/3 innings.

Marlins Acquire Fernando Rodney

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Declaring their intentions to push for the postseason in 2016, the Marlins have struck a deal to acquire veteran right-hander Fernando Rodney from the Padres. Miami parted with interesting young righty Chris Paddack in the swap, which ESPN’s Keith Law first reported (Twitter links).

Jun 19, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Fernando Rodney (56) pitches during the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Rodney, 39, is in the midst of his latest rebound campaign, having posted a sparkling 0.31 ERA with 10.4 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a career-best 59 percent ground-ball rate in 28 2/3 innings as San Diego’s closer. He’s saved 17 games for the Friars, but he may be ticketed for setup duties with the Fish, as Miami’s A.J. Ramos has had a strong season of his own. The 29-year-old Ramos has posted a 1.74 ERA and averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings, although he’s also seen his control abandon him somewhat in 2016, as he’s averaging a somewhat troublesome 5.2 walks per nine innings.

Miami started from behind in the bullpen this year when Carter Capps went down to Tommy John surgery and Kyle Barraclough failed to win a job out of camp. Things have ticked up, with David Phelps emerging as a quality option and Barraclough returning with his two-true-outcomes approach (over half of the batters he faces strike out or walk). But the Fish also saw Bryan Morris go down mid-season, taking another set-up man out of the picture, and the overall unit has suffered from a lack of depth.

Adding Rodney will not only infuse another high-octane arm at the back of the pen, but will increase the quality of the pitching appearing in other situations. That’s not to say that things are perfect now; in particular, adding a quality lefty would appear to make sense. And while the team is largely set on the offensive side of the fence, but has long been said to have interest in a starter or two.

[Related: Updated Marlins Depth Chart]

The Marlins typically operate with a notoriously slim payroll, but Rodney’s contract is affordable enough that virtually any club could’ve fit him onto its ledger. He’s earning a $1.6MM base salary this season, and his contract includes a club option for the 2017 campaign that comes with a $2MM buyout. The pact does contain incentives that could bring the value of both his 2016 salary and his 2017 option to $7MM, though a large portion of those incentives are tied to games finished.

Thus far, Rodney has locked in an additional $250K for completing 20 games, and he’d earn that same amount again upon reaching 30 games finished. Rodney would earn $500K for reaching 40 games finished and an additional $500K for every five games finished beyond that point through 65 games, but if he’s working in a setup capacity, his chances to close out games will naturally be limited. Rodney also earns $500K for appearing in his 40th, 50th and 60th games of the season.

All told, it seems likely to expect that Rodney will earn at least $2.85MM this season (20 games finished, plus appearing in at least 50 games), and the value of his conditional club option will increase to match that sum. Even if Rodney clears $3MM in 2016 earnings, that’d still be a more than reasonable price based on his 2016 output to date.

In order to gain the low cost and relatively high-upside reliever, Miami had to part with a fairly intriguing prospect. Paddack was just an eighth-round pick in the 2015 draft, but he has been nothing short of remarkable at the Class A level in 2016. Over 28 1/3 innings, he has allowed a ridiculous nine hits and carries a brilliant 0.95 ERA with a 48-to-2 K/BB ratio. MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis rate him the 17th-best prospect on an poorly-regarded Marlins farm — the same offseason ranking he received from Baseball America — but it seems fair to say that his star is on the rise.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jay Bruce Willing To Waive No-Trade Clause In Deal To Contender

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Reds outfielder Jay Bruce has a limited no-trade clause, but doesn’t intend to use that to hold up a deal to a contending club this summer, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reports. Bruce sits at the top overall spot on MLBTR’s most recent top trade candidates list.

The NTC would let Bruce reject deals to the Yankees, Red Sox, Athletics, Rays, Marlins, Twins, Indians and Diamondbacks. Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com repored earlier today that Bruce would quite likely be willing to go to Cleveland, and it appears that he’d also be amenable to other hypothetical landing spots. Rumblings have connected Bruce to a variety of clubs, including the Dodgers, Giants, White Sox, and Royals since the start of the season.

Bruce, 29, tells Sheldon that he’s willing to “consider waiving the no-trade clause for all types of reasons,” with “no blanket reason I wouldn’t.” The veteran said he’d need to take each situation as it comes, with agent Matt Sosnick saying that such a choice has yet to be brought to their attention.

Bruce continued on to emphasize that he’d be quite interested in an opportunity to join an organization that has designs on contending. “If I am moved, which has seemed likely for the last year and a half, I’d like to go where the team is mostly likely to win,” he said. “Teams that want me are likely seeking somebody to help them win.”

Notably, Sosnick suggested that Bruce won’t necessarily be looking to utilize the clause for leverage with regard to his contract. “We’re not setting in stone any financial qualifiers,” he said. “If the deal is good for Jay and good for the Reds, he would consider anything — including waiving the no-trade. … There is no team that he would unequivocally not go to.”

Bruce has increasingly cemented his status as a premium trade piece, as he is once again hitting like the All-Star-caliber player he was from 2011 through 2013. The two intervening seasons are easier and easier to forget, as he carries a .279/.325/.568 slash with 17 home runs and a league-leading six triples into July. Bruce’s early-career extension is another asset: he’s earning $12.5MM this year and can be controlled for $13MM in 2017, which is particularly appealing with a dearth of young sluggers on the upcoming free agent market.

Red Sox Could Face Significant International Signing Penalties

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The results of MLB’s investigation into the Red Sox’ 2015 international signing class appears to be nearing a conclusion, according to a report from Baseball America’s Ben Badler. While nothing appears to be finalized, Badler says that Boston could face some eye-opening penalties.

MLB is said to be considering punitive measures that could impose restrictions on the team’s ability to spend in the July 2 period set to begin in a few days. Even more remarkably, says Badler, certain prospects inked by the club in 2015 could be declared free agents.

As explained in the above-linked post, the league was looking into Boston’s tactics in landing a class of international signees while the team was prohibited from spending over $300K on any single player. Some kind of “package” signing concerns appear to be the issue.

The possible punishment doesn’t implicate any of the team’s current top prospects, it’s important to emphasize. The league is looking at the signings of raw, still-very young talent here. (Of course, they were signed in hopes they’d one day turn into promising minor leaguers and perhaps one day crack the bigs.)

While it remains to be seen just what will occur here, it’s a rather notable development that the league is even considering this sort of action.

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