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Archives for June 2016

Nationals Place Stephen Strasburg On 15-Day DL With Upper Back Strain

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The Nationals have announced that ace Stephen Strasburg has been placed on the 15-day DL (retroactive to June 16) with an upper back strain.  A corresponding move will be made on Monday to fill Strasburg’s 25-man roster spot.

[Related: Updated Nationals depth chart at Roster Resource]

Strasburg was scratched from his last two starts due to the back problem, and given the backdate of his DL assignment, it’s possible he might not miss much more action.  Still, the back strain is the latest in a rather lengthy series of nagging muscle injuries that have bothered Strasburg throughout his career, as he has missed time with oblique and neck strains in the past.  (To say nothing, of course, of his Tommy John surgery in 2010.)

Tanner Roark replaced Strasburg in today’s scheduled start since Roark was on regular rest anyways, though Washington will need a pitching staff replacement later this week.  Swingman Yusmeiro Petit is one option, and minor league arms Lucas Giolito and Austin Voth (as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post notes) both have scheduled starts for Monday and Tuesday, respectively.  However, there isn’t any sign that the Nats could call up either, Janes says.  Of the two, Voth (at Triple-A) could be more directly ready than Giolito (Double-A), as Janes tweets that the Nationals want Giolito to polish his command before exposing the top prospect to Major League batters.

Strasburg already generated headlines this season by signing a seven-year, $175MM extension to remain in D.C., and he has been pitching like an ace worthy of such a contract.  Strasburg has a 2.90 ERA, 11.4 K/9 and 4.92 K/BB rate over 93 innings, also notching a perfect 10-0 record over 14 starts.  An extended absence is unquestionably a big loss for Washington, though the Nats have enjoyed strong pitching overall from Max Scherzer, Joe Ross, Gio Gonzalez and Roark.

Dodgers Interested In Jay Bruce

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The Dodgers have considered Reds outfielder Jay Bruce as an outfield upgrade, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).  Bruce would add both left-handed hitting balance and some extra pop to a Los Angeles outfield that has underachieved this season, and may not be getting any internal reinforcements since Andre Ethier’s return from the DL is uncertain.

Bruce, 29, has rebuilt his trade value after a couple of subpar seasons by hitting .280/.329/.575 with 16 home runs over 283 plate appearances this year.  He’s hitting for more power than ever before as per the Isolated Power metric (.295), and his 20.8% strikeout rate is his lowest total since 2009.

Despite the big offensive numbers, however, Bruce is still rated as barely above replacement level (0.2 fWAR) since he isn’t bringing much to the table in terms of baserunning or right field defense.  Bruce’s defensive metrics have declined over the last two seasons and cratered this year to the tune of a -28.4 UZR.150 and minus-9 Defensive Runs Saved.

If L.A. acquired Bruce, he would be taking right field playing time away from Yasiel Puig, who has the opposite problem — a struggling bat but an elite glove.  It seems likely that Bruce would primarily be used against right-handed pitching, as while he’s hit southpaws quite well this season, he has hit significantly better against righties than lefties over his career.  Speaking of splits, Bruce has a notable but not outlandish gap between his carer home/away splits (.828 OPS at home, .751 OPS on the road), though a move from the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark to pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium is likely to have an impact.

Though Bruce’s performance in 2014-15 sapped his trade value, his power bat still generated some attention on the trade market as the Reds explored deals with the Orioles, White Sox and Blue Jays, among other teams.  Cincinnati appeared very close to dealing Bruce to Toronto in a three-team deal involving the Angels in February, a trade that carries a lot of “what-if” potential given how Michael Saunders (who would’ve gone to Anaheim) has gone on to have a huge season for the Jays.

Bruce’s contract isn’t necessarily a problem for the deep-pocketed Dodgers, though he doesn’t represent too much of a financial commitment.  He is only owed roughly $6.35MM remaining this season, plus a $1MM buyout of a $13MM club option on his services for 2017.  Bruce can block trades to eight teams but as Rosenthal notes, the Dodgers aren’t on his no-trade list.

The Dodgers have hit .237/.308/.386 with a 90 wRC+ as a team this season, ranking in the bottom third of teams in most offensive categories.  The lack of consistency from the outfield has contributed to the lack of pop, as Joc Pederson has struggled against lefties, Trayce Thompson has cooled off after a hot start, Puig has battled both injuries and a decline at the plate, and left field has become the domain of converted infielders Enrique Hernandez and Howie Kendrick.

If not Bruce, Rosenthal notes (in another tweet) that the A’s Josh Reddick or the Angels’ Kole Calhoun could also fit the Dodgers’ need for a left-handed hitting outfielder.  Reddick is also a free agent after the season, though Calhoun is controlled through 2019 and would come at a much higher price (if the Halos were interested in dealing him at all).

AL West Notes: Angels, Eppler, Dull, Paulino, Dyson

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Here’s the latest from around the AL West…

  • Angels GM Billy Eppler is non-committal about his team being sellers at the deadline, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times writes.  “Let’s let this club play a little bit longer.  There’s no rush to make a decision right now,” Eppler said.  The front office wants to “get the full team intact and guys back on the field and healthy” before making any decisions, Eppler said, though Moura points out that this will be impossible given how many key pitchers are either out for the season or indefinitely shelved.  It could be that Eppler is simply engaging in some gamesmanship, as the Halos’ record (31-44, last place in the AL West) would certainly indicate that they’ll be selling come August 1.
  • Don’t look for the Athletics to trade reliever Ryan Dull, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.  Dull has been a bright spot for the A’s, posting a 2.31 ERA, 9.7 K/9 and 5.25 K/BB rate over 39 bullpen innings this season.  The 26-year-old is under team control through the 2021 season, so it makes sense that Oakland hang onto Dull and instead focus on older players closer to free agency as possible deadline trade chips.
  • Astros pitching prospect David Paulino has been suspended by the club for an undisclosed period of time, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.  “We’ve got rules and every once in a while rules are violated and we have to enforce them,” GM Jeff Luhnow said, though he noted that Paulino’s violation “wasn’t anything major” and the 22-year-old righty won’t be out of action for too long.  Paulino, ranked on top-100 prospect lists by Baseball America (91st) and MLB.com (98th), has a 1.86 ERA, 10.2 K/9 and 6.0 K/9 rate over 58 Double-A innings this season, with eight of his 13 appearances coming as a starter.
  • Sam Dyson has emerged as the Rangers’ closer but is also tied for the league lead in appearances.  As Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News writes, this is an untenable situation for any closer, especially one with a checkered injury history like Dyson.  The logical answer is to limit Dyson’s innings, though that could be difficult with Texas in the thick of a pennant race.  The Rangers are known to be exploring bullpen upgrades, and they could even replace Dyson at closer if the Yankees made Aroldis Chapman or Andrew Miller available.

Cafardo’s Latest: Valencia, Royals, Liriano, Melancon, Santana

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Here’s the latest hot stove buzz from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe…

  • The Royals and Indians are among the teams looking at Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia.  Kansas City has a void at third base with Mike Moustakas out for the season, and Valencia is a known quantity, having played for the team in 2014.  The Tribe have also received below-replacement level production at the hot corner all season, though Jose Ramirez has played well splitting time between third and left field.  Valencia could perhaps be a better fit for Cleveland in left given his rough defensive metrics (-13 Defensive Runs Saved, -26.9 UZR.150) at third base this season, though his bat certainly plays for either the Indians or Royals.  Valencia is hitting .333/.381/.552 with 11 homers over 218 PA for the A’s, though that comes with the caveat of a .373 BABIP.  The Mets are another team known to have interest in Valencia, though their subsequent signing of Jose Reyes may have addressed their infield needs.
  • While Valencia is a right-handed bat, Cafardo notes in another item that “the Royals seem to be in on every left-handed hitter.”  K.C. has posted middle-of-the-pack offensive statistics against righty pitching this year and is lacking in lineup balance, though the return of Alex Gordon from the DL should help on both counts.  Cafardo implies that Padres outfielder Jon Jay (a left-handed hitter) could be a Royals trade target.
  • The Marlins “possibly” have interest in Pirates southpaw Francisco Liriano.  The lefty is having a down year, though the Fish could see Liriano as an answer to their pitching search due to the presence of Miami VP of pitching development Jim Benedict (who was credited with getting Liriano on track when the two were in Pittsburgh).
  • Speaking of Pirates arms, closer Mark Melancon is also drawing attention from teams in need of bullpen help.  Cafardo cites the Astros, Giants, Mets and Red Sox as teams who could be potential fits.  Melancon is a free agent at the end of the season and thus could be a logical trade candidate if the Bucs decide to become deadline sellers.  Melancon has a 1.53 ERA through 29 1/3 IP this season, though advanced metrics indicate that this is the weakest of his four seasons as a Pirates.  Melancon has a 2.93 FIP, 4.18 xFIP and 3.88 SIERA, while experiencing drops in his strikeout and grounder rates (and an increase in BB/9).
  • Ervin Santana “is seen as perhaps the most viable trade deadline pickup on the market,” with one AL assistant GM describing the Twins veteran as “the one guy out there who could be a sure thing in the middle of the rotation.”  Santana has a 4.64 ERA, 6.37 K/9 and 2.39 K/BB rate over 77 2/3 innings this season, with ERA indicators backing up his unimpressive ERA.  I would guess Minnesota would have to eat a fair amount of money in a Santana trade, as the righty is owed roughly $33.8MM through the 2018 season (plus a $14MM club/vesting option for 2019).
  • Even a mid-tier arm like Santana could draw trade interest, however, as Cafardo predicts that little pitching will be available at the deadline.  Teams may focus more on offense, and Cafardo lists 15 position players who could be targeted as we approach August 1.  Many of the names have already cropped up in trade rumors, though Cafardo speculates that some unlikely names as Joe Mauer or Khris Davis could also get some attention.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Yanks, Jays, Bucs, Phillies

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Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere:

Please send submissions to ZachBBWI@gmail.com.

Quick Hits: Yanks, Bucs, BoSox, Rangers, Mets

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If first baseman Mark Teixeira and designated hitter Alex Rodriguez don’t turn around their seasons by the July All-Star break, the Yankees should buy the pair out, opines Joel Sherman of the New York Post. While the Yankees still owe them around $45.4MM combined, Sherman notes that the Rockies and Dodgers have taken similar financial hits with the recent buyouts of Jose Reyes and Carl Crawford. The 37-36 Yankees wouldn’t exactly be loaded with capable first basemen without Teixeira, though, as their depth chart shows. Jettisoning A-Rod, who’s signed through 2017, would enable the Yankees to put 39-year-old Carlos Beltran at DH and go with some combination of Aaron Hicks, Rob Refsnyder and prospect Aaron Judge in right field, Sherman contends. It seems doubtful that the Yankees would get rid of either, but the team clearly needs more production from the veteran duo. Teixeira, a pending free agent, is batting a horrendous .176/.271/.259 with three homers in 192 plate appearances – a far cry from the .255/.357/.548 line and 31 HRs he slugged in 462 PAs last year. Notably, Rodriguez is five homers shy of 700, which is another reason the Yankees look unlikely to move on from him. The 40-year-old is slashing a weak .222/.264/.398, however, after posting a .250/.356/.486 line and racking up 33 long balls in 2015.

Here’s more from around the majors:

  • Pirates general manager Neal Huntington dismissed the idea of trading five-time All-Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen earlier this week, but it’s something the team should eventually consider, writes Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Pirates have a top-end outfield prospect in Austin Meadows, who would step in alongside Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco in the event of a McCutchen trade. Long the face of the Pirates’ franchise, the 29-year-old McCutchen is under team control through 2018 on an eminently reasonable contract. Even after a two-homer game Saturday, though, his normally excellent offensive production hasn’t been there this season. Through 316 PAs this year, the former NL MVP has hit .243/.320/423 – good for a league-average 101 wRC+. Right thumb issues have hampered McCutchen, who’s showing far less control over the strike zone than usual, as FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan detailed Thursday. For his part, McCutchen said Saturday that he isn’t concerned about trade rumors because they’re out of his control (Twitter link via Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune-Review).
  • The Rangers inquired about Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright during the offseason, Texas president and GM Jon Daniels told Rob Bradford of WEEI on Saturday. “We asked about him this winter and they did not want to move him,” said Daniels. Wright was out of options  and coming off a season in which he threw 72 2/3 innings and recorded a 4.09 ERA, 6.44 K/9, 3.34 BB/9 and 43.2 percent ground-ball rate. Nearly all of those numbers have improved this season, especially the 31-year-old’s ERA – which stands at a sparkling 2.18 through 103 frames. Daniels told Bradford that the Rangers “would have tried harder” to land Wright had they known he would be this successful in 2016.
  • Mets outfielder Alejandro De Aza has batted an ugly .169/.221/.247 with 29 strikeouts and five walks through 96 trips to the plate, but designating him for assignment isn’t under consideration as of now, a source told Marc Carig of Newsday (Twitter link). De Aza, whom the Mets signed to a $5.75MM deal in the offseason, will be a free agent at year’s end.

Reliever Notes: Cubs, Yanks, BoSox, Cardinals

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The latest reliever-related news from around the majors:

  • The Cubs continue to scout the Yankees’ dominant late-game trio of Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances, reports George A. King III of the New York Post. After sending Jason Parks to the Bronx to observe the troika earlier this month, the Cubs had a three-man contingent – including pro scouting director Jared Porter and pro scout Steve Boros – take in the performances of the lights-out relief aces over the past two days. Chapman, Miller and Betances combined for six shutout, one-hit innings during that span, also adding nine strikeouts against zero walks. The Yankees have won three straight and are at 37-36 –  just 2.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot – so they certainly don’t look like surefire sellers at the moment. That could change prior to the Aug. 1 trade deadline, of course.
  • If the opportunity arises, Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski would be willing to make a trade with the archenemy Yankees, he told Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. Specifically, the Red Sox would have interest in the Yankees’ top relievers, notes MacPherson. The only trade the AL East rivals have made since 1997 came when the Sox dealt shortstop Stephen Drew to the Yankees in 2014, but that lack of history wouldn’t stop Dombrowski from trying to swing a deal with Brian Cashman. “If they’re in it and we’re in it, probably the odds are longer,” Dombrowski said in regards to a potential move. Boston, which possesses the top Wild Card position in the AL, is currently four games ahead of New York.
  • After Trevor Rosenthal yielded three earned runs and failed to record an out in a losing effort Friday, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny informed the right-hander Saturday that he’s out as the Redbirds’ closer, tweets Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. For now at least, the Cardinals will go with a combination of Seung-hwan Oh, Kevin Siegrist and Jonathan Broxton in save situations, Matheny said (Twitter link via Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com). Rosenthal took the reins as the Cardinals’ closer in 2014 and proceeded to save 93 of 102 opportunities and log a 2.65 ERA over a two-season, 139-inning span. This year has been a different story, though, as Rosenthal has offset excellent strikeout (13.5 per nine innings) and grounder rates (56.7 percent) with a 7.88 BB/9 (up from 4.34 from 2014-15) and a soaring home run rate. The 27-year-old’s ERA sits at an unsightly 5.63.

Draft Signings: 6/25/16

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Here’s a roundup of key draft signings not yet covered here at MLBTR.

  • The Phillies have signed fifth-round lefty Cole Irvin to an above-slot deal worth $800K, well over the $417,500 value of the 137th pick, reports Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (Twitter link). Mayo and colleague Jim Callis ranked Irvin as the 138th-best prospect entering the draft, noting that the Oregon standout possesses a 93 to 94 mph fastball and two occasionally above-average secondary offerings – a slider and changeup. Irvin has a solid chance to crack the majors as a back-end starter, according to the MLB.com duo.
  • The Tigers have signed fourth-rounder Kyle Funkhouser for $750K, significantly above the pick value of $526,200, as Callis tweets. The Louisville righty was a first-round pick by the Dodgers last season, but he opted not to sign after sliding down draft boards. The righty suffered diminished velocity this year, resulting in his stock dropping still further — MLB.com’s scouting report notes that he threw 88-92 MPH with secondary stuff that was weaker than it had been previously. Callis notes, though, that Funkhouser’s stuff improved as the draft approached.
  • The Orioles have agreed to terms with their second-rounder, No. 69 overall pick Matthias Dietz, Callis notes (on Twitter). Dietz will receive $1.3MM significantly above his pick value of $934,400. The Illinois community college righty stands 6’6 and throws 91-94 MPH, touching 98, with a hard slider. He is committed to TCU.
  • The Giants have signed Vanderbilt outfielder and second-rounder Bryan Reynolds, as Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The selection, at No. 59 overall, was the Giants’ top pick, since they forfeited their first-rounder with the Jeff Samardzija signing. Via a tweet from Callis, Reynolds will receive $1.35MM, above the pick value of $1.09MM. Callis notes that Reynolds rated as a first-round talent, but he ultimately slid in the draft. Via MLB.com, the switch-hitter has solid tools across the board, but none rank as outstanding, and some scouts fret about his strikeout proclivities.
  • The Dodgers have signed 11th-round pick A.J. Alexy for $600K, almost $500K above his pick value, Callis tweets. As Baseball America noted in its pre-draft scouting report (subscription only), the Pennsylvania high school righty currently throws 88-92 MPH, although he’s 6’4 and projectable, with the talent to throw three pitches in the big leagues. He was committed to Radford. The Dodgers should have space to sign him in part because they picked college seniors in the ninth and tenth rounds, and because second-rounder Mitchell White signed for significantly below his pick value.

AL West Notes: Astros, A’s, Mariners

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Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow hinted that Double-A shortstop/third baseman Alex Bregman could be on his way to Triple-A Fresno during the upcoming week, tweets Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Outfielder Teoscar Hernandez is also a candidate to receive a promotion to Fresno, per McTaggart. Bregman, the more notable of the two, has hit a phenomenal .295/.403/.555 with 14 home runs and 35 walks against 26 strikeouts in 269 plate appearances. The No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, Bregman could soon be a factor at third for the surging Astros – though Luis Valbuena’s production has risen substantially since a poor April. Hernandez, 23, has seen Double-A action since 2014 and is currently posting his best-ever numbers at that level, batting .302/.383/.434 with six homers and 29 steals across 306 trips to the plate with Corpus Christi.

News on a couple of Houston’s division rivals:

  • Athletics right-hander Henderson Alvarez had a platelet-rich plasma injection for his throwing shoulder and will be shut down for three more weeks, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. He had the injection a week ago after an MRI showed no structural damage in his shoulder, per Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area (Twitter link). Alvarez missed most of 2015 because of shoulder troubles and the A’s signed the ex-Marlin in the offseason to a one-year, $4.25MM deal with the hope that he’d reestablish himself in their uniform, but it hasn’t been in the cards yet.
  • After exiting in warmups Thursday with “general soreness,” Mariners righty Adrian Sampson will undergo season-ending surgery on his elbow, according to Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. “This isn’t as bad (as Tommy John), but surgery is required,” Sampson, who underwent Tommy John surgery as a high schooler in 2009, told Dutton. “They’re saying it’s a Grade III, which is enough that they have to repair it with surgery. They’re saying I should be good by spring training.” The Mariners acquired Sampson from the Pirates last year for J.A. Happ, and he threw 80 1/3 innings of 3.25 ERA ball – with a 6.83 K/9 and 1.34 BB/9 – for Triple-A Tacoma this season. Sampson, 24, made his major league debut June 18 against the Red Sox, who teed off on him for four earned runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 frames.
  • Injured lefty Wade Miley, whom Sampson replaced in the Mariners’ rotation, is close to returning from a sore shoulder, writes Greg Johns of MLB.com. “Pain free. I’m ready to rock and roll,” Miley said Friday after a 55-pitch rehab start for Class-A Everett. The Mariners will hope for better results from Miley when he comes back, as the 29-year-old ran up a 5.28 ERA – far above his career mark of 4.06 – in 76 2/3 innings prior to the injury.

Braves Sign No. 3 Overall Pick Ian Anderson

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SATURDAY, 8:00pm: The signing is official, writes David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

3:33pm: The Braves have announced that they’ve agreed to terms with Anderson. Heyman tweets that Anderson will receive exactly $4MM.

MONDAY: The Braves and No. 3 overall draft pick Ian Anderson are finalizing a deal that’ll pay the high school right-hander about $4MM, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman (links to Twitter). Heyman adds that Anderson will not officially sign until he has graduated. That bonus represents a savings of about $2.5MM on his slot value of $6,510,800 (via MLB.com’s Jim Callis) — money that will help the Braves afford later picks such as Joey Wentz, Kyle Muller and Drew Harrington — each of whom has already reportedly agreed to an over-slot deal.

Anderson, who just turned 18 last month, was rated most highly entering the draft by ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 7 overall), but Baseball America (No. 12) and MLB.com (No. 13) each had him as a top-half-of-the-first-round talent as well. Shortly before the draft, rumors surfaced indicating that Atlanta may tab Anderson in order to save some funds which would be allocated tough signs, and that indeed is how their draft played out.

Scouting reports on Anderson from the three outlets above praise his fastball that sits in the low 90s but can reach 95-96 mph, and BA calls his changeup “devastating” while giving him credit for an above-average curve as well. At 6’4″ and 180 pounds, there’s certainly reason to think that Anderson can continue to fill out his frame. Anderson’s stock might’ve been higher this season if he hadn’t been slowed by an oblique injury and a bout of pneumonia. Ultimately, his deal will allow the Braves to add four high-upside arms to their ranks. While three of them (Anderson, Wentz and Muller) will be a ways off because they are of the high school variety, landing three arms that both BA and MLB.com rated within the top 25 draft prospects seems like a strong haul that should only further bolster an impressive Braves farm system.

The Braves were $2,584,700 over-slot on the combination of Wentz, Muller and Harrington, so the savings from Anderson alone appear to be enough to ensure that Atlanta avoids the loss of a future first-round pick. That wouldn’t happen until the Braves exceeded their bonus pool by more than five percent, although Atlanta will pay a 75 percent luxury tax on any overages up to five percent. That, however, hasn’t been a deterrent for teams in the past and should be of fairly marginal consequence to the Braves should they be required to do so this year.

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