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Archives for May 2016

AL Notes: Chapman, Trout, McCullers, Severino

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Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman will be eligible to make his season debut Monday after serving a 30-game suspension (29 because of a rainout) for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. The league disciplined Chapman for firing eight shots from a gun into his garage wall after an argument with his girlfriend last October, but the 28-year-old is adamant that he did nothing wrong. “I didn’t do anything. People are thinking that it’s something serious; I have not put my hands on anyone, didn’t put anyone in danger,” he told Billy Witz of the New York Times. Chapman shrugged off the fact that his frightened girlfriend called 911 while hiding in the bushes, saying, “It was just an argument with your partner that everyone has. I’ve even argued with my mother. When you are not in agreement with someone, we Latin people are loud when we argue.” Chapman added that he believes Latino ballplayers are targets because of their wealth and their lack of familiarity with the customs in the United States, though he didn’t specify whether he thinks they’re targets of the league, the police or both. “It’s easier to hurt someone who is not from here than someone who is. People think we don’t know what the laws are and they try to hurt you. Many people want money. We have to take care of ourselves,” he said.

Here’s more from the American League:

  • With the Angels lacking talent at the major league level and possessing baseball’s worst farm system, some pundits have begun weighing whether the team should trade the best player in the game, center fielder Mike Trout. Sports On Earth’s Brian Kenny is vehemently opposed to the Angels moving Trout, arguing that no player they could realistically get in return for the 24-year-old would come close to approaching his otherworldly production.  Kenny cites Bill James’ theory that talent is not distributed evenly; instead, it’s to be thought of as a pyramid, and Trout – given both his output and durability – is at the very top of it.
  • Astros right-hander Lance McCullers could finally be nearing his 2016 major league debut, which has been delayed because of a shoulder injury. The flame-throwing 22-year-old logged five innings (64 pitches) in a Triple-A rehab start Saturday and struck out seven, according to Angel Verdejo Jr. of the Houston Chronicle. That might end up as McCullers’ only start at that level if his body responds well in the coming days, per Verdejo. McCullers’ return will be a significant development for the Astros, whose rotation – like the team itself – has regressed from one of the league’s best last year to among its worst this season.
  • CC Sabathia’s presence on the disabled list won’t preclude the Yankees from demoting right-hander Luis Severino to the minors if his struggles continue, writes Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media. “His development isn’t going to have much to do with CC’s injury,” pitching coach Larry Rothschild told Kuty. “I think what he does is what a lot of young pitchers would do and that’s try to power their way through it instead of pitching their way through it,” he continued. Severino has followed his strong 62 1/3-inning major league debut in 2015 with 25 2/3 frames of 6.31 ERA ball this season. The 22-year-old’s strikeout rate has plummeted from 8.09 per nine innings last season to 5.61, and his BABIP has risen 98 points from .265 to .363. Both of those factors have hurt Severino’s cause, though there are some positive signs: He’s walking far few hitters (1.75 BB/9 compared to a 3.18 mark in ’15) and continuing to generate ground balls over 50 percent of the time.

MLBTR Originals

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Here’s a look back at MLBTR’s original analysis and reporting over the past seven days:

  • With the season’s first month in the books, Tim Dierkes updated his free agent power rankings for next offseason, listing the 10 players who appear poised to earn the most money if they hit the open market over the winter. Tim also included two honorable mentions who could crack the top 10 if their current performances continue.
  • Mark Polishuk examined four low- to mid-tier players who improved their respective stocks with strong first months in their contract years. The group is headlined by Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler, who has been among the majors’ top players in the early going.
  • Steve Adams countered Mark by detailing eight contract-year players who dug themselves early holes in April. Steve focused on players who entered the campaign looking primed to land deals of at least three years in length during free agency next winter.
  • On this week’s edition of the MLBTR Podcast, Steve joined host Jeff Todd to discuss the hype surrounding Tim Lincecum’s showcase, the outstanding performance the Phillies’ young pitching staff has delivered so far, and the upswing in financial mechanisms (particularly Fantex) that players may be able to use to secure guaranteed money while retaining future earning upside. A new episode of the podcast is released every Thursday and can be accessed on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher.

Rays Designate Jhan Marinez For Assignment

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The Rays have designated right-hander Jhan Marinez for assignment, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Marinez’s roster spot was needed for righty Matt Andriese, who will start the Rays’ game against the Angels today.

Marinez, 27, logged 3 2/3 innings for the Rays prior to his designation and allowed one run and two hits while striking out three. It was his first big league action since he racked up 2 2/3 innings with the White Sox in 2012. Marinez, who has nine major league innings to his credit, has totaled 456 frames across 11 minor league seasons and owns a 4.00 ERA, 9.8 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9.

Quick Hits: Colon, Otani, Lincecum, Phillies, Royals

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In one of the best, most shocking moments of the season, Mets right-hander Bartolo Colon hit his first career home run Saturday night, a two-run shot off the Padres’ James Shields. It took Colon until the age of 42 to go yard, making him the oldest player in major league history to finally break through with a homer. The ball exited Colon’s bat at 97 mph and traveled 365 feet at pitcher-friendly Petco Park, according to Statcast (data and video courtesy of SI Wire). Colon savored the accomplishment by taking a 30-second trot around the bases. He also impersonated Babe Ruth on the mound by turning in a nice pitching performance, throwing 6 2/3 innings of three-run ball in a 6-3 win.

We won’t top that tonight, but here’s more from the sport:

  • Japanese right-hander Shohei Otani might be willing to leave his homeland for the majors if teams see him as both a pitcher and a hitter, tweets Jim Allen of Kyodo News. The 21-year-old Otani is in the midst of his third straight dominant season as a pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, and he’s on an early offensive tear with a .308/.362/.654 line in 58 plate appearances. Otani is a career .251/.306/,450 hitter with 23 home runs (including five this year) in 615 PAs. “He’s going to have to make a choice. Either way he’s going to be an All-Star-caliber player as a hitter or pitcher,” an American League scout told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe in February.
  • The Phillies were among the many teams with a scout in attendance at free agent righty Tim Lincecum’s showcase Friday, reports Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. At 31, Lincecum would become the elder statesman of the Phillies’ young rotation if he were to sign with them, though the club may have simply been doing its due diligence when it scouted the two-time Cy Young Award winner.
  • Omar Infante has gotten the vast majority of playing time for the Royals at second base this year, but his days as the everyday option there are winding down, writes Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. “I’m just trying to find ways to keep him productive,” said manager Ned Yost. “Sometimes more recovery time makes him more productive. So playing him four days a week or three days a week or five days a week is better than seven days a week. His arm is shortening up and his range is shortening up.” After a stretch of solid production with multiple teams from 2009-13, Infante joined the Royals on a four-year, $30.25MM contract and immediately began a steep decline. In 1,126 plate appearances with Kansas City, Infante has hit a paltry .238/.269/.328 – including a .247/.284/.326 line in 96 PAs this season. Fellow Royals second baseman Christian Colon hasn’t been any better offensively in the early going, having slashed .250/.300/.286 in 30 PAs.

Rangers Interested In Kyle Lohse

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If the Angels wish to bolster their depleted rotation by adding free agent Kyle Lohse, they might face competition from a familiar foe, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, who tweets that the AL West rival Rangers are also interested in the 37-year-old. Heyman adds that there may be other clubs in pursuit, too, on the heels of the right-hander’s Thursday showcase.

The Rangers aren’t in need of rotation help as much as the Angels, as Texas’ starters have so far pitched to a 3.48 ERA – the seventh-best mark in the majors. They’re seventh from the bottom in both FIP and xFIP, however, and right-hander A.J. Griffin may have opened up a spot in the rotation when he left his start in the third inning Saturday with stiffness in his throwing shoulder. While Griffin has fared well early this season with a 2.94 ERA, 7.49 K/9 and 3.74 BB/9 in 33 2/3 innings, injuries are nothing new for the 28-year-old – who missed the previous two campaigns because of elbow and shoulder troubles.

If Griffin’s current injury proves serious, it would leave the Rangers with Cole Hamels, Martin Perez, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis as their top four starters. The only member of that group worth counting on is Hamels, which could be why the Rangers are turning their attention outward. Lohse doesn’t exactly look like a cure-all, though, having posted a 5.85 ERA, 6.4 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and 38.6 percent ground-ball rate in 152 innings with Milwaukee last season. He did produce a respectable 3.62 ERA/3.86 FIP/4.10 xFIP in 888 1/3 frames from 2010-14, and the Rangers would certainly hope to get that version of Lohse if they were to sign him.

Regardless of whether Texas lands Lohse, its rotation will get a significant boost soon with the return of ace Yu Darvish, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since August 2014. Darvish, on the comeback trail from March 2015 Tommy John surgery, threw a 50-pitch rehab outing for Triple-A Round Rock on Friday and touched 97 mph several times, according to Anthony Andro of MLB.com. Darvish is on track to rejoin the Rangers either later this month or in early June.

East Notes: Price, D. Murphy, d’Arnaud

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Red Sox southpaw David Price’s start Saturday against the Yankees was another rough outing for the longtime ace, who allowed six earned runs, seven hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings of an 8-2 defeat. After signing a record-setting contract with Boston over the winter, Price has gotten discouraging results in four of his first seven starts with his new club while posting a bloated 6.75 ERA. Along with Price’s subpar run prevention, his velocity is down this season, leading John Tomase of WEEI to wonder if there’s an issue with the 30-year-old. Both Price and manager John Farrell insist he’s healthy, though pitching coach Carl Willis acknowledged Price’s downturn in velocity Saturday. “Really, we just haven’t seen the velocity at this point that he’s had before,” he said (via Roger Rubin of ESPN.com). “It is May 7, so power pitchers tend to get it a little later, and we’re starting to get into May now.” Even with his velocity-related troubles, Price has still put up an 11.54 K/9, 2.93 FIP and 2.94 xFIP, indicating that a turnaround could be on the way.

Now for a quick look at the NL East…

  • Thanks in part to his ridiculously hot start this season (.402/.448/.654 with four home runs in 116 plate appearances), Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy has compiled a 142 wRC+ over the past calendar year, including playoffs, to put himself in company with stars like Buster Posey and Anthony Rizzo. His resounding success is no accident, writes FanGraphs’ Dave Cameron, who points to some meaningful adjustments Murphy has made to facilitate his offensive explosion. For one, Murphy has changed his stance, as tweeted by Mike Petriello of MLB.com, and is now both less upright and closer to the plate than he previously was. He has also markedly increased his pull percentage each year since 2013 and is hitting fewer balls on the ground, leading to more line drives and extra-base hits. While Cameron doesn’t expect Murphy to be the best offensive second baseman in the game going forward, it seems the Nats may have gotten themselves a bargain when they signed the ex-Met to a three-year, $37.5MM deal in the offseason.
  • Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud has been on the disabled list since April 26 with a rotator cuff strain and doesn’t appear primed to return in the near future, as he felt discomfort while trying to throw a ball Saturday, Adam Rubin of ESPN.com was among those to report. “Pretty discouraging for him and us,” said manager Terry Collins. Mets catchers Kevin Plawecki and Rene Rivera have collected just eight hits in 46 at-bats while filling in for d’Arnaud this year. Prior to landing on the DL, d’Arnaud also got off to a forgettable start (.196/.288/.261 in 52 plate appearances) and contributed to the Mets’ offensive woes behind the plate. Mets backstops have thus far posted a 60 wRC+, the ninth-worst mark in the majors.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Nats, Chapman, Miller, Brewers, Angels

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Here are a few reliever-related items from FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link):

  • Despite the presence of Jonathan Papelbon, the Nationals will likely be in the hunt for Yankees closers Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller if the Bombers make them available over the summer, Rosenthal reports. The Nats were interested in both as recently as the winter, according to Rosenthal, who cautions that their ownership might not allow the franchise to take on payroll during the season. Both Chapman ($11.33MM) and Miller ($9MM) are expensive, and the Nationals been restricted to cash-neutral trades at recent deadlines.
  • In order to deal closer Jeremy Jeffress, the Brewers could require a return similar to the mammoth haul the Phillies received from the Astros for Ken Giles, per Rosenthal. The rebuilding Brewers and Jeffress have built a strong relationship thanks to the team’s role in helping the right-hander overcome his past marijuana issues. Because of that, Jeffress turned down major league offers from other clubs to sign a minor league contract with the Brewers two years ago, Rosenthal relays. In his first season as a closer, the 28-year-old has converted all seven save opportunities while allowing three earned runs in 8 2/3 innings. In 160 2/3 major league innings, Jeffress has compiled a 3.14 ERA to accompany an 8.4 K/9, 3.87 BB/9 and 57.1 percent ground-ball rate. Those are quality numbers, but they’re a far cry from the dominant stats Giles posted before the Astros dealt a Vincent Velasquez-headlined package for him over the winter. Giles is also three years younger than Jeffress, won’t be eligible for arbitration until 2018, and isn’t scheduled for free agency until after the 2020 season.  Jeffress, meanwhile, has three arbitration-eligible years before he’ll be able to hit the open market.
  • With contention looking unlikely for the injury-plagued Angels, setup man Joe Smith is a good bet to find himself in another uniform in the coming months, says Rosenthal. Smith, who’s making $5.25MM in a contract year, has thrown 155 innings of 2.73 ERA ball dating back to 2014, including 15 frames with a 3.60 mark this season. It’s early, of course, but Smith has fanned only eight hitters this season while generating far fewer ground balls (45.8 percent versus a lifetime 56.4 mark) and surrendering much more hard contact (twice his career rate, in fact, at 49 percent compared to 24.5 percent).

Latest On The Angels’ Rotation

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The Angels were at Kyle Lohse’s recent showcase, Jon Heyman writes (Twitter links). Heyman also notes that they have considered Tim Lincecum, as John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle and others had previously noted.

There’s no indication yet that the Angels’ interest in either player is serious, although their connection to two veteran starters is still worth noting, given their apparent need for rotation help. Angels starters Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney both have UCL damage, and Richards, at least, will require Tommy John surgery. The injuries leave the Angels’ rotation thin, and as Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times points out, the Angels’ trades of prospects Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis last season and their poorly rated farm system will make it difficult to trade for a good starting pitcher.

That leaves them as logical suitors for pitchers like Lohse and Lincecum who remain on the free agent market. Lohse, who had a showcase yesterday, posted a 5.85 ERA, 6.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in an ugly 2015 season with Milwaukee but was reasonably successful in the four seasons prior to that. What Lincecum might be able to contribute as he returns from hip surgery is unclear, but he’s still fairly young, at 31, and was once a superstar.

With Richards, Heaney and C.J. Wilson unavailable, the Angels’ rotation currently consists of Jered Weaver, Hector Santiago and Nick Tropeano. Cory Rasmus, normally a reliever, started Friday night, although he allowed five runs over just 2 1/3 innings. Nate Smith or Matt Shoemaker, both currently with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, could also be candidates to take big-league starts, as DiGiovanna notes. Tyler Skaggs is also on a rehab assignment with the Bees, although he was shut down two weeks ago with biceps tendinitis and has not pitched since.

Reds Option J.J. Hoover To Minors, Promote Steve Delabar

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The Reds have announced a variety of roster moves, among them the demotion of righty J.J. Hoover, who started the season as their closer, to Triple-A Louisville. They also recalled righty Drew Hayes from Louisville, selected the contract of veteran righty Steve Delabar, placed righty Jon Moscot (shoulder) on the 15-day DL, and transferred catcher Devin Mesoraco (shoulder) to the 60-day DL.

Hoover had a disastrous beginning to his season, allowing 18 runs (17 earned), six home runs and six walks in 10 2/3 innings. He was expected to work the ninth inning for a Reds team that traded Aroldis Chapman over the winter, but that arrangement did not work out, to put it mildly.

The rest of the Reds’ moves reflect the considerable uncertainty that surrounds the rest of the team’s pitching staff as well. Perhaps the most notable move is the promotion of Delabar, who agreed to a minor-league deal with the Reds late in Spring Training after the Blue Jays released him. Delabar had posted a 2.19 ERA for Louisville, but with an alarming 11 walks in 12 1/3 innings. The 2013 All-Star has fallen on hard times in recent seasons, and posted a 5.22 ERA, 9.2 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 29 2/3 innings with the Jays last year. The Reds bullpen’s 6.28 ERA for the season is by far the worst in the Majors, however, so they have little to lose in giving Delabar a shot.

Moscot missed a start with shoulder discomfort earlier this week, although, via MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (on Twitter), an MRI showed no structural damage. Mesoraco is set to have shoulder surgery and will miss the rest of the season.

Dodgers Claim Casey Fien From Twins

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2:56pm: Fien will join the Dodgers’ big-league team, Shaikin tweets.

1:45pm: The Dodgers have claimed righty reliever Casey Fien from the Twins, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Minnesota placed Fien on waivers earlier this week along with Tommy Milone. The Twins also outrighted Milone today, as Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press tweets.

Fien allowed 12 runs and five homers in 13 2/3 innings with the Twins this season. He had been significantly more effective in the previous several seasons, however (even as his strikeout rate has progressively declined), and last year he posted a 3.55 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and an excellent 1.1 BB/9 over 63 1/3 frames. He also hasn’t shown a significant loss of velocity in 2016 as compared to last season. Fien clearly seems able to throw strikes, but that tendency might sometimes get him into trouble, as he’s an extreme fly-ball pitcher.

The Dodgers’ immediate plans for Fien aren’t yet clear. They’re looking for reliable bullpen help to complement Kenley Jansen (and are reportedly considering adding top prospect Julio Urias to their bullpen). Fien is optionable, however. Fien will make $2.275MM this season (a salary that the Dodgers will assume as a result of the claim), and the Dodgers can take him through the arbitration process for two more seasons beyond this one if they choose.

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