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Archives for June 2016

Rangers Sign Top Picks Ragans, Speas, Enright

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4:12pm: Second-rounder Alex Speas and third-rounder Kole Enright are also under contract, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Speas gets an at-slot bonus of $1,024,900, while Enright lands just over his pick’s allocation at $675K.

11:59am: The Rangers announced today that they’ve agreed to terms with first-round pick (No. 30 overall) Cole Ragans and will formally announce him at a 3pm CT press conference. The Rangers added that they will announce the signing of several other top draft picks at the presser, though they did not disclose names. Devan Fink first tweeted that Ragans signed at slot value ($2.003,400), and MLB.com’s Jim Callis hears the same (Twitter link), noting that the prep lefty out of Florida has three solid pitches in his arsenal already.

Ragans rated 49th on MLB.com’s list of Top 200 draft prospects, while ESPN’s Keith Law and Baseball America each rated him 55th overall. Callis and Jonathan Mayo note in their scouting report for MLB.com that each of Ragans’ fastball, curveball and changeup can be a tick above average and give the 6’3″, 190-pounder credit for pitchability and a projectable frame. Eric Longenhagen’s scouting report at ESPN.com notes that his changeup has become an increasingly projectable offering that many scouts believe will ultimately be his best weapon, but his curve is thrown too slow to project to more than average. BA, on the other hand, feels the curve is his best offspeed pitch and projects the changeup at average down the line.

At $5,358,500, Texas has one of the smallest bonus pools in the league, having forfeited its first-round pick to sign Ian Desmond. A comp pick of their own for the loss of Yovani Gallardo, though, gave the Rangers this No. 30 selection that was used to add Ragans. The Rangers have about $3.35MM to sign their remaining selections.

Padres Sign Top Pick Cal Quantrill

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TODAY: The idea that Quantrill would free the Pads to sign other choices was apparently misplaced, as MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo tweets that he’ll actually command an over-slot bonus. His agreed-upon bonus is $3,963,045, per Mayo, which landss $332,145 above the slot value at #8.

It appears that the team cut its deal with 24th overall selection Hudson Sanchez, who agreed to a $1MM bonus that leaves plenty of meat left on the bone of his $2,191,200 slot value, per Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter). The remainder of that cash appears to have been redirected to Mason Thompson, who agreed to an above-slot deal yesterday.

YESTERDAY: The Padres have agreed to terms with top draft pick Cal Quantrill, per a team announcement. The son of long-time big league reliever Paul Quantrill, Cal was selected eighth overall out of Stanford University.

It’s possible that Quantrill would have gone even higher, but he’s still working back from Tommy John surgery. That didn’t stop San Diego from betting on his top-tier talent, though there were other motivations at play for the organization, too.

With multiple early-round picks in their pocket, the Padres were looking for someone to cut a deal at that selection. It offered just over $3.6MM in bonus spending, and expectations are that some of that will go to other players — though Quantrill’s bonus remains unreported at present.

Among San Diego’s top selections were several high-schoolers — including shortstop Hudson Sanchez (#24) and righties Reggie Lawson (#71) and Mason Thompson (#85). In between, the club grabbed Kent State lefty Eric Lauer (#25) and Florida outfielder Buddy Reed (#48).

As for Quantrill, publications such as MLB.com and ESPN.com (Insider link) rated him just outside the top twenty draft-eligible prospects. His stock might’ve been higher had he returned to pitch this year — his surgery took place in March of 2015 — though some clubs were able to get a look at the talented righty in workouts. Obviously, San Diego felt that the talent was worth its top pick in a critical draft for the organization.

Help Wanted: MySQL, PHP, Custom CMS

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MLB Trade Rumors is seeking a freelance developer with experience in MySQL and PHP.  Currently, we are using MySQL for the database that powers MLBTR’s various features, such as the Transaction Tracker and Agency Database.  The MLBTR staff inputs data daily into a custom content management system.  We would like to expand this to power our new acquisition, Roster Resource.

I believe the best route will be to build upon our existing database and CMS to allow for the easy input of Roster Resource information, such as player numbers, birthdates, position, method of acquisition, birthplace, option status, etc.  Then, Roster Resource website must be rebuilt to display the information from this database, with an eye on improving the load time.  Furthermore, we’d like to customize the mobile versions of these pages to present this wealth of information on cell phones.

If you are interested in this project, please send an email to mlbtrhelp@gmail.com.  In the email, please explain your qualifications and related experience and include your hourly rate.

Royals Claim Tyler Olson From Yankees

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The Royals announced that they have claimed left-hander Tyler Olson off waivers from the Yankees and optioned him to Triple-A Omaha. In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Olson, who had previously been designated for assignment by the Yankees, the Royals have transferred third baseman Mike Moustakas to the 60-day disabled list. (Moustakas is out for the season due to a torn ACL.)

The 26-year-old Olson pitched just 2 2/3 innings for the Yankees this season and struggled, as he’s done in his 27 1/3 innings with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. He’s had an active calendar year on the waiver wire, beginning with the Mariners before being picked up by the Dodgers and then the Yankees prior to today’s move. Olson has a 4.74 ERA with 8.2 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in 81 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level in his career. The 2013 seventh-round pick out of Gonzaga began his pro career as a starter but was shifted primarily to the bullpen with the Mariners last season. He’s made three starts and eight relief appearances with the Yankees’ top minor league affiliate this year.

Nationals Place Jonathan Papelbon On Disabled List

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2:30pm: Baker told reporters, including the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes (Twitter link), that Papelbon initially incurred the injury while warming up on Sunday. There’s no set timetable for his return right now, nor do the Nats have a designated closer to step into Papelbon’s place. Baker noted that he likes Shawn Kelley quite a bit (via MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman, on Twitter) but noted that the team is being careful with Kelley’s arm due to the fact that he has twice undergone Tommy John surgery in his career.

1:17pm: The Nationals have placed right-hander Jonathan Papelbon on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to yesterday, with a strained right intercostal muscle, per a team announcement. Right-hander Matt Belisle has been activated from his rehab assignment to take Papelbon’s spot on the roster. Remarkably, MLB.com’s Jamal Collier points out that this will be the first DL stint of Papelbon’s Major League career (Twitter link).

The Nats neglected to lit a specific timeline for Papelbon’s return, though Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post tweets that skipper Dusty Baker will chat with the media within the next hour, at which point further information should be available. It’s not immediately clear who will inherit the ninth inning during Papelbon’s absence, although Shawn Kelley has been far and away the team’s best short-stint reliever this season, having pitched to a 2.70 ERA with 13.1 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9 in 23 1/3 innings. Those numbers trump even Papelbon, who currently is sporting a 3.28 ERA with 6.9 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 in a similar workload of 24 2/3 innings. Other considerations could be Felipe Rivero and Blake Treinen, though Rivero has struggled quite a bit of late and is sporting an ERA north of 5.00 at the moment.

[Related: Updated Washington Nationals depth chart]

While there’s no guarantee as to how long Papelbon will be out, the injury raises further questions about the back end of the club’s bullpen. It’s no secret that Papelbon’s peripheral stats have declined in recent seasons; his current strikeout rate, average fastball velocity (90.7 mph) and swinging-strike rate (9.5 percent) are each career-lows, and the aforementioned 2.9 BB/9 rate is the highest it’s been since 2010. Papelbon’s ERA remains serviceable, to be sure, but metrics like xFIP (4.74) and SIERA (4.23) paint a far less-favorable picture.

The Nationals have been oft-connected to a shutdown reliever on the trade market, with both Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller mentioned as targets the Nats hope will become available. The injury to Papelbon only figures to increase the amount of chatter surrounding their hunt for a formidable ’pen arm — especially if he is to expected to miss more than the minimum 15-day requirement. As MLBTR’s Jeff Todd pointed out last week in running down some of the top trade candidates from around the league, there figures to be a large number of relievers available this summer, whereas many other positions will be considerably more difficult to fill.

Astros Designate Juan Minaya For Assignment

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The Astros announced on Tuesday that they have designated right-hander Juan Minaya for assignment in order to clear a spot on the roster for infielder Danny Worth, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Fresno. Worth will step into Luke Gregerson’s 25-man roster spot for the time being, as Gregerson has been placed on the family medical emergency list.

[Related: Updated Houston Astros depth chart]

Minaya, 25, has pitched to a 3.91 ERA with a 19-to-10 K/BB ratio through 25 1/3 innings out of the Triple-A bullpen this season. He has yet to make it to the Major League level in his career, though he did enjoy an excellent season at Triple-A in 2015, when he logged a 2.80 ERA with 9.7 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 in 54 2/3 innings of work. He didn’t crack Baseball America’s list of Top 30 Astros prospects this offseason and hasn’t done so in the past, but Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com currently have him ranked 23rd among Astros farmhands. Callis and Mayo praise his 95-96 mph fastball that can touch 98 giving the pitch a 70-grade on the 20-80 scouting scale and also crediting him with a 55-grade slider. However, their report indicates that he still needs work when it comes to throwing strikes more consistently, and walks have indeed been a problem for him throughout his minor league tenure.

Worth, 30, appeared in parts of five big league seasons with the Tigers from 2010-14 and is a career .230/.293/.295 hitter at the Major League level. He’s capable of playing second base, third base and shortstop, and he’s in the midst of an outstanding season at Triple-A, where he’s batting .330/.449/.550 with eight homers through 235 trips to the plate. He can provide the ’Stros with depth all around the infield.

Pirates Place Gerrit Cole On DL, Recall Jameson Taillon

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The Pirates announced that they have placed ace Gerrit Cole on the 15-day disabled list due to a right triceps muscle sprain, as MLB.com’s Adam Berry tweets. Right-hander Jameson Taillon has been recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to make tonight’s start — the second big league outing of his career. Cole’s DL stint is retroactive to June 11.

Cole, 25, has worked to a 2.77 ERA this season that closely matches last season’s 2.60 mark, although his strikeout (7.2 K/9), walk (2.6 BB/9) and ground-ball (42.9 percent) rates have all trended in the wrong direction this year. He exited his most recent start after two innings due to tightness in his triceps, and the Pirates had been hopeful that he’d only miss one start, but it appears he’ll be sidelined a bit longer than that at this stage. Whether his DL stint extends beyond the minimum 15 days remains to be seen.

[Related: Updated Pittsburgh Pirates Depth Chart]

The 24-year-old Taillon has made a dominant return to the mound in 2016 after missing the 2014-15 seasons due to injury. In 61 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level this season, Taillon has a 2.04 ERA with a brilliant 61-to-6 K/BB ratio, and he turned in a quality start in his first big league effort last week when he held the Mets to three runs on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts across six innings. He’ll tangle with the Mets once again tonight — this time on the road in New York. Taillon doesn’t appear to quite be in the Bucs’ long-term rotation plans for this season just yet, as he was optioned following his recent appearance. Cole’s health could play a role in those plans, of course, though one would also imagine that Pittsburgh will be mindful of Taillon’s innings count following a two-year layoff from taking the mound in a game setting.

Rockies To Sign Fourth Overall Pick Riley Pint

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The Rockies have agreed to sign right-hander Riley Pint, whom they selected with the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network and FanRag Sports (Twitter link). The prep right-hander out of Kansas City will receive a $4.8MM signing bonus, which is $458,700 less than the No. 4 slot’s value of $5,258,700 (as reported earlier this year by MLB.com’s Jim Callis).

Pint, 18, rated as the No. 2 prospect in this year’s draft in the estimation of Callis and colleague Jonathan Mayo at MLB.com, and Baseball America rated him as the No. 2 prospect as well. ESPN’s Keith Law was a bit less optimistic, rating him 12th. Callis and Mayo note that he’s the highest prep arm to come out of Kansas state since 1983 due in large part to a fastball that sits 93-97 mph and reached as high as 102 mph this spring. BA calls Pint a “much better version of the same template” as former No. 2 overall pick Tyler Kolek, who went second to the Marlins in 2014 due largely to his own triple-digit heater. BA writes that Pint regularly hits 100 mph with sink and can flash a pair of above-average breaking pitches. Law notes that Pint will sometimes show a sharp curveball but doesn’t do so consistently, though the same is true of an above-average changeup, so there’s clearly the potential for a wide array of above-average offerings in the power-armed teenager’s future. Each report, however, mentions some concerns surrounding Pint’s delivery as well as his ability to consistently throw strikes, creating a fair amount of risk around him as well (as one would expect with any high school pitcher).

The Rockies went exceptionally heavy on college players in the 2016 draft, as Pint is one of just nine high school players the team selected out of 41 picks. Some of the savings they received on Pint could be applied to fourth-round pick Colton Welker, a prep third baseman out of Florida whom Callis and Mayo noted may require an over-slot deal due to a strong commitment to the University of Miami. Colorado entered the draft with a pool of $11,453,100 and will have $6,353,400 of that sum remaining upon the formalization of Pint’s agreement.

Cubs, Brian Matusz Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Cubs have signed free-agent lefty Brian Matusz to a minor league contract, reports Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). The longtime Orioles southpaw was recently traded from Baltimore to Atlanta alongside a Competitive Balance Draft Pick in a salary dump deal. The Braves immediately designated Matusz for assignment upon making the deal and released him shortly thereafter.

The 29-year-old Matusz missed significant time with an intercostal strain this season and has struggled when healthy enough to take the mound. He’s surrendered eight runs in six innings while allowing 11 hits and seven walks with just one strikeout. Those unsightly numbers aside, Matusz has a solid track record in the bullpen, where he posted a combined 3.32 ERA with 9.4 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9 in 151 2/3 innings from 2013-15. In that time he faced 333 lefties and held them to a miserable .190/.245/.320 batting line with a 100-to-17 K/BB ratio.

While off-hand comparisons to Orioles-castoff-turned-Cubs-ace Jake Arrieta are probably unavoidable, there’s not much of a parallel here, as Matusz has already been cast aside by a second team and already has enough service time to become a free agent at season’s end, whereas Arrieta was acquired in a trade with four and a half years of club control remaining. Matusz, however, will be stretched out as a starter with Triple-A Iowa, according to MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko, so it appears he’ll at least be presented with an opportunity to show that he has some rotation upside remaining. Of course, the Cubs don’t have a spot in their rotation that is open at the moment — Arrieta, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel have all pitched to a 3.05 ERA or better — but Matusz could be a depth piece in the event of an injury to one of those five or a safety net should Clayton Richard’s recent struggles in the bullpen persist.

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