Athletics righty Henderson Alvarez has suffered a “setback” in his efforts to return from shoulder surgery, John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group reports on Twitter. Oakland had hoped to plug him into the major league rotation in the coming days, but instead Alvarez is headed for an MRI. The 26-year-old had turned in six solid starts in his minor league rehab assignment, leading to hope that he’d provide a boost to an A’s staff that has largely failed to produce quality results thus far. Alvarez’s prognosis remains unclear at this time.
Here are a few more notes to round out the evening:
- The Dodgers will soon face a decision on utilityman Alex Guerrero, as J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group writes. Guerrero, 29, has begun a rehab assignment after missing time with an injured knee, but it’s not clear at all where he’d fit on the major league roster. While he’s often been discussed as a trade candidate, there are some clear barriers to a deal, even beyond his defensive limitations and a mixed and limited MLB track record. For one thing, he’s owed $5MM for the present season and for 2017. For another, his unusual contract provides that he cannot be optioned without his consent and that he would have the right to elect free agency after any season in which he’s traded.
- White Sox GM Rick Hahn says that he’ll continue not to “leave any stone unturned” in improving the club’s roster, as Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com reports. While it doesn’t seem that Chicago will land Tim Lincecum, and though Hahn wouldn’t address his situation directly, the GM did say that he believes the presence of pitching coach Don Cooper and trainer Herm Schneider help the organization when it seeks to woo bounceback candidates. Of course, as Hahn implicitly acknowledges, there may well come a point this year where the Sox find a need to do something more to address the back of the rotation. “It would be too good of an opportunity to squander to not try to do everything in our power to put the club in a position where Chris Sale, [Jose] Quintana, [Carlos] Rodon and others get to perform on the biggest stage in October,” he said.
mkeving
There’s really not a great place on the Dodgers for Guerrero. There’s got to be a taker somewhere even if the price is low.
baines03
Nobody will take him with that price tag attached. Teams will just wait for him to be cut.
BlueSkyLA
The Dodgers can easily make the price tag go away. If they made him available for around the MLB minimum somebody would take the flier and they’d probably get a modest prospect back besides.
Math&Baseball
Lol they wont get a modest prospect back. You’re looking at a career AAA guy who’s 28 29. Guerrero is 29, owed a lot for a guy who has no proven track record, and can opt of the deal at end of season if traded….that kinda situation doesnt get you a modest prospect. Gets you a guy who’s worth nothing in hopes he strikes magic.
BlueSkyLA
You aren’t getting it. The Dodgers could make it so he is owed next to nothing.
agentx
That $5MM per season owed Guerrero is still only about 70% of what Friedman himself will be paid each of the next two years, not to mention the millions more that Zahdi, Byrnes, Anthopoulos, and their advisors Hunsicker and Colletti will collect each year to do what two capable executives can accomplish for a fraction of the cost.
See any market inefficiencies here, Friedman?
LordBanana
Yes, it seems pretty weird that a guy that barely even plays makes about as much money as the guy that is supposed to build and organize a team with a $300 million payroll. Are you saying Friedman should be paid more?
BlueSkyLA
“Supposed to” being the operative words.
agentx
BlueSkyLA got my meaning. And no, Friedman shouldn’t be paid more and maybe not less than he’s being paid now. I just consider spending millions more on three additional GM-types with Stan Kasten and two senior advisors already in place ridiculous and wrong-headed when the Cubs among several other recent examples have excelled with just one team president and one GM.
The Dodgers FO looks more like the top-heavy board of a “too-big-to-fail” investment bank generating fair-to-middling returns than the model of excellence and efficiency I’m sure Kasten, Friedman, Zahdi, Byrnes, and Anthopolous think that it is.
.
BlueSkyLA
The team is owned by an investment capital company so it should come as no surprise that they are running the Dodgers the same way.
agentx
I’m not surprised, just disappointed.
BlueSkyLA
I hear yah.
R.D.
A Matt Davidson to the Braves for mlb ready pitching is really really logical right now. The White Sox just can’t seem to fill that 5th spot in their rotation.
nrd1138
I do not think Davidson is going to get you anything as he is like most of the AAA club, hitting poorly last I checked. Plus while he did hit well in the Spring to make him more attractive to other clubs Im sure, I would not get rid of him yet. Frazier is here for only 2 seasons and no guarantee of his sticking around via extension yet (and knowing the Sox they will not give him the money he will want despite being the best position player on the club right now)
pullhitter445
Best position player in value of WAR is eaton
kbarr888
Dodgers missed their shot to trade Guerrero to the Brewers….prior to them acquiring Hill. They needed a 3B and Guerrero would have raked at Miller Park. Hill is better defensively, but at the end of his “useful career”…..although he has had some resurgence lately.
I think that Mattingly didn’t like Guerrero. I think the Dodgers mis-handled him, and created a bad situation for him. That wrecks a guy’s confidence and performance. I think he’s a prime candidate for a bounce-back, if he could find a team that “wanted him”……..
socalbum
Spot on!
BlueSkyLA
Or maybe after a month of good production the opposing pitchers found the holes in his swing and starting feeding him pitches he can’t hit.
Cam
Absolutely. Then, with no defensive position to fall back on, he’s short on leverage to get any playing time.
There’s pop in his bat, but definitely holes. And I think people forget, or don’t know, how bad he looked at 3B and LF, albeit limited time.
He looks like a semi-regular DH to me.
BlueSkyLA
He seemed pretty serviceable at 3B. It will be interesting to see how they work him out in the rehab assignment. I think the Dodgers will want to move him.
socalbum
Dodgers are not going to cut-loose Guerrero at this time as he is a MUCH better third baseman than either Kendrick or Utley. Culberson is the likely guy to go down, or perhaps Kike Hernandez if he continues to struggle with the bat.
BlueSkyLA
Don’t know that we’ve seen enough 3B work from Guerrero, Kendrick, or Utley to know which of them is better at the position. They are all depth at that position anyway. Hernandez has a pretty secure place on the roster if only because of the number of positions he can play. Guerrero looks like loose change at the moment. If he has a good rehab session I see the Dodgers maybe showcasing him in the majors for a trade. They need other pieces way more than yet another utility player.
bravesfan88
I certainly wouldn’t mind the Braves taking on Guerrero and his 5 million…
He could easily take over for one of Brignac or D’Arnaud…
Last year, when the Dodgers played the Braves I just remember him being a tough out. I’d gladly take him over sevreal options they are playing right now, regardless whether that would make him a free agent next season or not.
Let him get some playing time and rebuild his value, it would be a win-win for everyone.
Strauss
Just straighten out Rodon!!! Anybody but Danks can be your 5th starter.
Nola Di Bari 67
The Sox have problems at 5th AND 4th AND still need C. Rodon to straighten out.
nrd1138
Yeah Rodon needs to fix whatever his problem is. I say that if they can get a .500 record and see about 6 to 7 innings out of the 4th and 5th spots the Sox should be OK. Plus the Sox do not exactly have a lot in the minors that they want to part with right now. They are thin in depth overall and most of their chips they really need to keep for the future.
Nola Di Bari 67
And anybody but Danks IS Danks right now, and that includes Latos.