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Archives for June 2016

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.

Heyman’s Latest: Yankees, Pirates, Teheran, Marlins

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There appear to be different viewpoints in the Yankees front office about how to approach the deadline, Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com writes. GM Brian Cashman may actually be more inclined to sell some assets than is the ownership and upper-level management, per the report.

After a long look at that situation, Heyman goes on to provide some other notes from around the game:

  • Some within the Yankees think there’s a very good chance that Aroldis Chapman will be around for the long-term, whether that comes about via extension or a re-signing over the winter. Meanwhile, a team official says the price on Andrew Miller is so high that the odds he’ll be dealt are miniscule.
  • The Pirates could sell off a few short-term pieces if the club isn’t in contention come late July, but a broader sale isn’t expected. Heyman suggests Francisco Liriano, Mark Melancon, David Freese, and perhaps Tony Watson as plausible trade chips. You could probably also throw names like Matt Joyce, Sean Rodriguez, and Juan Nicasio into the mix as well.
  • Julio Teheran may be pitching his way out of a trade for the Braves, says Heyman. Rival executives suggest that they see a trade as unlikely, and also gave some endorsement of his value. Heyman cites three who believe Teheran is a better trade piece than Sonny Gray of the Athletics at this stage.
  • There’s plenty of demand on the starting pitching market, which is perhaps one reason to think that some arms could end up being pried loose. Heyman lists the Orioles, Red Sox, Dodgers, Tigers, Rangers, Blue Jays, Astros, Mariners, and Yankees as looking for rotation pieces.
  • The Marlins are also reputed to be looking for starting pitching, with Drew Pomeranz on the wish list. But a Miami source tells Heyman that the team finds it “hard to trust Pomeranz” given his relatively thin track record.
  • The Padres “at least took a look” at Jose Reyes before he signed with the Mets, per Heyman. It isn’t clear what sort of opportunity San Diego was interested in offering, but it’s not surprising to hear that the organization is looking for low-cost ways to seek value.

Andrew Heaney To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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The Angels have announced that lefty Andrew Heaney will undergo Tommy John surgery. He is expected to miss the rest of this season and all of next — though GM Billy Eppler says the team won’t pre-determine whether a late-2017 return is possible, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (via Twitter).

Los Angeles had been holding out hope that Heaney’s ulnar collateral ligament would respond to growth hormone treatment, but the team says that has not been the case. Per the statement, Heaney also continued to experience discomfort while attempting to throw, leading to the decision to go through with the procedure.

Heaney is a critically important piece of the picture for the Halos both now and into the future. He was acquired for Howie Kendrick in a deal that the organization hoped would provide a strong rotation piece for years to come. Now, the team is left crossing its fingers that the same fate does not await Garrett Richards, who is also undergoing a similar treatment in an effort to stave off a UCL replacement.

The results had been promising. Heaney, 25, completed 105 2/3 innings of 3.49 ERA pitching last year, with 6.6 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9. The results may have been a bit fortunate — he carried a 3.73 FIP, 4.41 xFIP, and 4.31 SIERA on the year — but all told he seemed to be making good on his pedigree as the former 9th overall pick and a top-100 prospect.

With just 150 days of service coming into the season, Heaney won’t cost Los Angeles more than the minimum for some time. He’ll accrue service time while he’s out, of course, which will set him up for Super Two status heading into 2018. But given the minimal innings he has thrown, he won’t command much of a salary.

Needless to say, this is a disappointing development for Heaney, though it had been expected for some time. It’s also disheartening for the Fantex player investment model, which had made the young lefty its first affiliated player.

Giants To Designate Jake Smith, Select Grant Green

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The Giants will designate righty Jake Smith for assignment, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area reports on Twitter. The team needed to clear a 40-man spot to make way for infielder Grant Green, who has been promoted.

[Related: Updated Giants Depth Chart]

Smith, 28, has made a u-turn after his stellar 2015 campaign. Over 84 1/3 frames last year at High-A, he allowed just 2.35 earned runs per nine with 12.6 K/9 against only 2.2 BB/9. While the strikeouts are still there through his first 20 1/3 innings at the Double-A level, Smith has walked nearly as many batters as he has K’ed and currently sports a 7.08 ERA.

The 28-year-old Green will now suit up with his third major league club from California after previously seeing action with the Athletics and Angels. He has not managed to hit enough at the MLB level over his first 300 trips to the plate to make up for a suspect glove, and joined San Francisco as a minor league free agent. Green owns a .294/.321/.437 batting line over 250 plate appearances this year with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.

Athletics Sign 6th Overall Draft Pick A.J. Puk

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The Athletics have signed lefty A.J. Puk, their top pick from the recent amateur draft, the club announced. Puk was taken with the sixth overall selection, which came with a $4,069,200 pool allocation. He’ll receive exactly that amount with his bonus, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter).

Puk pitched at the University of Florida, where he showed immense talent but also some inconsistency. Still, he drew real consideration with the first overall pick, and was a consensus top-five talent heading into the festivities.

Baseball America ranked Puk as the very best draft talent available on its board, citing his large frame, high-velo fastball, and promising slider and change-up. Despite Puk’s 6’7 height, BA gives him good marks for his ability to work in the zone and locate his heater.

Other outlets were only slightly lower on the big southpaw. MLB.com and ESPN.com each listed him at fourth among draft-eligible prospects. Despite the evident tools, Puk hasn’t been quite as consistently dominant as one might hope. And the secondary offerings aren’t fully functional at present.

 

 

Still, it’s all nit-picking at this level of player, and all agree that Puk has immense potential. It was a bit of a surprise that he slid to Oakland, but the A’s were glad to add a player who could be one of the first from the top of the draft to have an impact at the major league level.

Dodgers To Place Clayton Kershaw On Disabled List

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4:47pm: Kershaw has been diagnosed with a “mild disc herniation” in his back, the team announced. He is not expected to require surgery, per the announcement, but his recovery timeline remains unclear.

11:23am: Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw received an epidural injection to treat his ailing lower back yesterday and will be placed on the 15-day disabled list, manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times (Twitter link). He adds that the team is hopeful that Kershaw will be ready to be activated following the All-Star break, though MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick tweets that Roberts said he’s uncertain if Kershaw would be ready after the minimum 15 days. There hasn’t been a decision made regarding the starter for Friday’s game, when Kershaw was scheduled to take the hill.

[Related: Updated Los Angeles Dodgers depth chart]

For the Dodgers, Kershaw is the latest in a deluge of injuries that have contributed to the team’s second-place positioning behind the division-leading Giants. Kershaw will join fellow starters Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-jin Ryu and Alex Wood on the disabled list. On the position-player side of the equation, the Dodgers are currently without Andre Ethier and Enrique Hernandez, and there’s a possibility of Joc Pederson landing on the DL as well following a collision with the outfield wall on Monday night that has left his shoulder with extremely limited mobility.

Kershaw is in the midst of a historic season, having worked to a 1.79 ERA, 10.8 K/9, 0.7 BB/9 and a 49.8 percent ground-ball rate through an MLB-best 121 innings thus far. He’s on pace to shatter Phil Hughes’ MLB record for strikeout-to-walk ratio (11.63), having posted an otherworldly 16.1 K/BB ratio to this point. Kershaw appeared to be a lock to start the 2016 All-Star Game in San Diego, but this injury obviously takes that honor off the table.

From a broader perspective, the injury to Kershaw merely underscores the Dodgers’ need for pitching help. Without Kershaw atop the starting five, Los Angeles is looking at a rotation consisting of Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda, Julio Urias, Brock Stewart and a yet-undetermined fifth starter. (Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias stand out as possible internal options.) That group will be thinned even further following the All-Star break, as the expectation is that Urias will be shut down for a time in order to avoid a significant increase from last year’s limited 80 1/3 inning workload.

The Dodgers have already seemed like a probably candidate to pursue rotation upgrades on the trade market, with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports connecting them just yesterday to Rays right-hander Erasmo Ramirez. A three-start absence for Kershaw (the best-case scenario) doesn’t necessarily mean that the Dodgers need to target an ace-caliber pitcher to insert into the top of their rotation, but it could certainly hasten the front office’s efforts to add a reliable option for the back end of the starting mix.

Athletics Place Sean Doolittle On 15-Day DL

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The Athletics have placed left-handed reliever Sean Doolittle on the 15-day DL with a shoulder strain, per a club announcement. It had been hoped that he’d avoid a trip off of the active roster, but evidently Doolittle wasn’t progressing as hoped.

After some struggles early, Doolittle had been on the rise in 2016 — with his heater gaining steam along the way. On the year, the 29-year-old has put up 30 2/3 innings of 2.93 ERA pitching, with 10.3 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9.

The overall profile made Doolittle rather an interesting trade candidate for the foundering A’s. Clubs looking to add pop to the back of their pens are surely at least considering him. The fact that he’s owed just $1.55MM this year — and controllable through 2020 at below-market rates — boosts his appeal to organizations that don’t want to burn prospect capital on a pure rental.

Of course, the added control also increases the asking price, and the degree of scrutiny that buying teams will need to take. Doolittle’s injury might not rate as a major red flag were it an isolated matter, but shoulder problems limited him to just a dozen appearances last year. And the timing obviously isn’t optimal either. Barring a timely return and a few appearances that prove he’s at full capacity before the August 1st deadline, he may simply not be a part of the trade puzzle this summer.

Doolittle had been operating in a set-up capacity for Oakland, with Ryan Madson having deposed him as the closer earlier in the year. Check out the club’s updated depth chart.

Dodgers Designate Ian Thomas For Assignment

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The Dodgers announced today that they’ve designated left-hander Ian Thomas for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Bud Norris, who was acquired from Atlanta in exchange for a pair of minor league pitchers.

Thomas, 29, actually came to the Dodgers by way of trade with the Braves last summer. He was traded from Atlanta to L.A. alongside Alberto Callaspo, Juan Jaime and Eric Stults in exchange for Juan Uribe and Chris Withrow. He spent 23 1/3 innings between the Braves and Dodgers in the Major Leagues last season and posted a 3.86 ERA with 23 strikeouts against 11 walks. Thomas posted strong numbers early this season for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate — 1.42 ERA, 22-to-5 K/BB ratio in 19 innings — but has been on the minor league disabled list since mid-May due to tendinitis in his left shoulder.

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