Archives for July 2016

Latest On Yankees’ Deadline Possibilities

By Connor Byrne | July 17, 2016 at 10:52am CDT

Having come sputtering out of the All-Star break, selling before the Aug. 1 trade deadline now looks like an inevitability for the 44-46 Yankees, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Bombers, who are 9.5 games back of AL East-leading Baltimore and 5.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, will not undergo a full rebuild, reports Rosenthal. However, he notes that general manager Brian Cashman will have a chance to control this year’s trade market when he starts dealing veterans.

New York has a vast array of potential deadline movers, including superstar relievers Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, right fielder and designated hitter Carlos Beltran, and starters CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda and Nathan Eovaldi. Of those six, only Chapman and Beltran are on expiring contracts.

Catcher Brian McCann and left fielder Brett Gardner, two other prominent Yankees veterans, make up the team’s primary leadership core and might not go anywhere as a result, per Rosenthal. McCann has a no-trade clause to boot, so he’d have the power to block any deal.

Chapman, whom the Yankees acquired from the Reds over the winter for an underwhelming package of prospects, will bring back a more valuable return if traded in the next two weeks. When the Yankees picked up Chapman from Cincinnati, he was facing troubling domestic violence allegations. That enabled the Yanks to buy low on him, but the 28-year-old served a suspension at the beginning of the season and has been his usual self on the mound since. As a pending free agent, the Yankees could trade Chapman and then try to re-sign him in the offseason, as Rosenthal notes.

Miller, who’s under team control through 2018 at $9MM per year, has been even better than Chapman. His excellent production and reasonable salary will make it tough for the Yankees to part with him.

As Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Saturday, the Pirates and Yankees have discussed a Eovaldi trade. But Pineda and Sabathia are also garnering interest out of the Yankees’ rotation. Convincing Cashman to give up Eovaldi won’t be easy, according to Rosenthal, as he’s controllable through next season. The Yankees still believe in the hard-throwing 26-year-old despite his 5.54 ERA in 91 innings as a starter this season.

As a struggling right-hander with a year of team control left, Pineda shares similarities with Eovaldi. While the 27-year-old’s ERA sits at a whopping 5.56 through 100 1/3 frames, he’s eighth among starters in K-BB percentage (21.1) and has generated ground balls at a decent clip (44.2 percent).

Sabathia has done a much better job preventing runs than Eovaldi and Pineda, having logged a respectable 3.94 ERA in 93 2/3 innings, but moving him could be difficult. For one, the 35-year-old can veto any trade because of his 10-and-5 rights. He’s also on a $25MM salary this year and has a $25MM option for 2017 that – barring a shoulder injury – will vest, and his ERA has climbed 1.74 runs since June 16.

Even if Cashman can swing a deal for Sabathia, he might instead elect to hold the southpaw and his other two scuffling starters until the offseason. The pitching market will also be weak then, and keeping the three would give them a chance to rebound and improve their respective values, writes Rosenthal.

Considering they’re likelier to buy than sell, the Yankees are entering the deadline in unfamiliar territory. New York hasn’t been in this position since Cashman took the helm in 1998 (or in the few preceding years), and although the club hasn’t been a championship contender in recent years, the executive has earned the respect of his peers.

“I actually think Cash has done a terrific job of getting younger and staying competitive,” one GM told Rosenthal.

15 Short-Term Signings Paying Dividends

By Connor Byrne | July 17, 2016 at 10:26am CDT

While stars like David Price, Zack Greinke and Jason Heyward grabbed the lion’s share of attention during free agency last offseason, plenty of players have emerged as key cogs this year after settling for contracts of significantly less value over the winter. Steve Adams of MLBTR touched on the top minor league signings of 2016 earlier this week, so we’ll avoid those 10 names. Jeff Todd then examined several other cheap offseason pickups, including Pirates free agent addition David Freese, and we’ll also leave him out of the discussion.

For this exercise, we’ll order the list from the earliest signing to the latest and focus on one- and two-year deals. As you’ll see, there’s no shortage of low-cost, high-impact talent from last year’s pool of free agents.

Nov. 13, 2015 – Marco Estrada Signs Two-Year Deal With Blue Jays:

Well before fellow free agent starters Jeff Samardzija, Mike Leake and Ian Kennedy landed long-term commitments worth between $70MM and $80MM, Estrada inked a modest pact (two years, $26MM) to remain in Toronto shortly after the market opened. Although he posted personal-best marks in ERA (3.13) and innings pitched (181) in 2015, there was skepticism surrounding Estrada’s success because of an underwhelming K/BB ratio (2.38), unusually low batting average on balls in play (.216), high strand rate (79.2 percent) and subpar ground-ball rate (32.2 percent). So far this year, Estrada’s K/BB ratio (2.54), BABIP (.193), strand rate (80.3) and grounder average (34.4) continue pointing to a substantial amount of good fortune related to his ERA (2.93), which is at a meager 3.06 in 285 1/3 career frames as a Jay. Not surprisingly, then, there’s a notable discrepancy in Estrada’s WAR figures dating back to last season. The 33-year-old ranks 37th among starters in fWAR (3.7), but he’s 12th – wedged between aces Jacob deGrom and Chris Sale – in results-based RA9-WAR (7.8).

Estrada is dominating with both his fastball and changeup, as FanGraphs shows, and although he allows plenty of fly balls, they don’t travel far. The ex-Brewer’s 17.6 percent infield fly percentage leads all starters. Thanks in part to that, Estrada has yielded less distance on his fly balls than the vast majority of starters, per Baseball Heat Maps, and fly balls that don’t take long trips often lead to outs. It also helps to have a Kevin Pillar-led outfield defense supporting you, as Estrada does.

With so few hitters able to solve Estrada, his batting line against this season is a ridiculous .171/.252/.332. Expecting Estrada to stifle offense anywhere near that well going forward is likely too much to ask, particularly when factoring in his current lower back troubles, but it’s still fair to say Toronto hauled in one of the offseason’s greatest bargains when it re-signed him.

Nov. 17, 2015 – Athletics Sign Rich Hill:

Prior to last September, Hill hadn’t made a major league start since 2009. Between 2007-15, the southpaw appeared in the majors with seven different teams – including multiple stints with the Red Sox – and toiled with a host of minor league clubs. As recently as last August, Hill was in the independent Atlantic League as a member of the Long Island Ducks. The Red Sox then brought back Hill on a minor league deal in mid-August, and they summoned him to the majors a month later. Beginning Sept. 13, Hill went on a four-start rampage that saw him strike out 32 hitters, walk five and compile a 1.55 ERA across 29 innings. Hill parlayed that three-week run into the richest payday of his career when he agreed to a one-year, $6MM deal with the Athletics, who have reaped the rewards of his 2016 excellence and are now in position to turn him into one or more useful future pieces by the Aug. 1 trade deadline. Now that Drew Pomeranz is off the market, the 36-year-old Hill could end up as the best starter to change hands in the next two weeks. The curveball- and fastball-loving Hill warrants the hype, too, having amassed a 2.25 ERA, 10.66 K/9, 50 percent ground-ball rate and 14.5 percent infield fly mark in 76 innings this year. Who wouldn’t sign up for those numbers at a $6MM price?

Nov. 25, 2015 – Braves Sign Bud Norris:

The right-handed Norris isn’t exactly an exciting name, but the rebuilding Braves deserve credit for signing a short-term filler piece for a drop in the bucket ($2.5MM) and turning him into possible long-term help a few months into the season. After Norris split time between their bullpen and rotation and recorded a 4.22 ERA in 70 1/3 innings, the Braves sold as high on him as they figured possible when they dealt the 31-year-old to the Dodgers for two prospects on June 30. One of those prospects, lefty Phil Pfeifer, was a third-round pick just a year ago. For his part, Norris has held his own since ditching a changeup for a cutter in June – as FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan wrote a couple weeks ago – and won’t have to take such an inexpensive deal during the upcoming offseason if he continues as a quality option in LA.

Dec. 17, 2015 – Indians Sign Rajai Davis:

There was fear entering the season that the Indians’ Michael Brantley-less outfield would hold back the prospective playoff contenders, but Davis has helped the Tribe jump ahead of the AL Central pack. In his first 308 plate appearances of the year, Davis has batted a respectable .260/.320/.423 with a career-high nine home runs. Combine that with 24 steals in 27 attempts and strong defense, particularly in left field, and you have a player whose 2016 contributions FanGraphs values at $16.2MM – nearly $11MM more than his $5.25MM base salary. Outfield work done by Davis, rookie sensation Tyler Naquin, Lonnie Chisenhall, Jose Ramirez and even now-suspended PED offender Marlon Byrd has helped Cleveland thrive without Brantley, who has missed all but 11 games because of right shoulder issues.

Dec. 17, 2015 – Pirates Re-Sign Sean Rodriguez:

Rodriguez’s biggest selling point has long been his ability to play several different positions, which has continued to be the case this season. The 30-year-old has suited up at every position except catcher and pitcher in 2016, and he has appeared in double-digit games at first base, second base, shortstop and right field. The 2016 version of Rodriguez has mixed that versatility with far better offensive production than usual, having batted .260/.340/.521 through 192 PAs. That line is appreciably better than Rodriguez’s .231/.299/.383 career mark in 2,281 trips to the plate, and he has already reached the 10-homer plateau this season for just the second time. Rodriguez – who’s also walking in 9.4 percent of PAs (up a lofty 7.3 percent from last year’s measly 2.1) – is on a team-friendly $2.5MM salary, giving the playoff-contending Pirates three offseason dollar store standouts in him, Freese and minor league signing Matt Joyce.

Dec. 18, 2015 – Mets Re-Sign Bartolo Colon:

When Colon accepted a one-year, $7.25MM offer from the Mets last winter to return for his age-43 season, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported that he left better offers on the table from elsewhere to remain in New York. The Mets are fortunate he did because not only can Colon hit home runs and field his position with aplomb, the righty’s also filling the role of a capable starter yet again. In 104 1/3 innings this year, Colon has pitched to a stingy 3.11 ERA while continuing to keep walks at a minimum (1.64 per nine). His output has been especially valuable with Matt Harvey’s struggles and subsequent season-ending injury, not to mention recent health questions surrounding Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz. Even if the fastball-tossing Colon regresses toward ERA estimators like FIP (4.05), xFIP (4.12) and SIERA (4.38) over the season’s second half, he’ll still be worth what the Mets paid him, and that’s without considering the surplus value the club has already collected from him in 2016.

Dec. 18, 2015 – Rangers Re-Sign Colby Lewis:

Unfortunately for Lewis and the Rangers, the right-hander went on the shelf for at least a couple months when he suffered a strained lat muscle toward the end of June. When healthy, he logged a terrific 3.21 ERA in 98 innings, served as a top two starter on the Rangers’ shaky staff, and easily lived up to the $6MM the club gave him during the offseason. Lewis was getting by without many strikeouts (5.6 per nine innings), but he generally avoided walks (1.74 per nine) and, despite not having pitched since June 21, still ranks tied for 18th in the league in RA9-WAR (3.0). It’s unknown how much Lewis will contribute when he comes back from injury, but the 36-year-old has already played a critical role for a team with a four-game advantage in its division.

Dec. 30, 2015 – Orioles Sign Hyun Soo Kim:

Kim emigrated from the extremely hitter-friendly Korea Baseball Organization to the majors for a two-year, $7MM contract with the Orioles, but he came close to never even taking a meaningful at-bat in the States. After an awful spring showing, the possibility of the Orioles selling Kim back to the KBO or at least sending him to the minors came up, though he ultimately stayed on the O’s roster and has so far been a resounding success. The lefty-swinging Kim, whom the Orioles have deployed almost exclusively against righties, has slashed a fantastic .329/.410/.454 in his first 173 major league PAs. While Kim’s .370 BABIP won’t last, the 28-year-old has helped his cause by hitting the ball hard and consistently putting it in play. Kim’s 10.4 percent walk rate is nearly in line with his 12.7 percent strikeout mark, so it appears that the Orioles at least have a patient, high-contact platoon weapon on their hands. Not bad for an average of $3.5MM per year.

Jan. 11, 2016 – Cardinals Sign Seung-hwan Oh:

The Cardinals signed Oh, also known by the enviable nicknames “Stone Buddha” and “Final Boss,” to a deal worth a max of two years and $11MM after he established himself as a force in both Korea and Japan. Oh’s brilliance has carried over to the majors, too, as he’s 17th among relievers in ERA (1.75) and 11th in K-BB percentage (26.1) through 46 1/3 innings. The Korea native’s emergence has been even more fortuitous for the Cardinals in light of the unexpectedly terrible season Trevor Rosenthal has endured, leading the 33-year-old Oh to recently take the helm as the Cardinals’ closer. The Cards have already extracted $11.7MM in value from the lights-out Oh, FanGraphs indicates, which is slightly more than the worth of his multiyear accord.

Jan. 19, 2016 – Dodgers Sign Joe Blanton:

After quietly turning in an excellent season in relief for the Royals and Pirates last year, Blanton took the Dodgers’ $4MM offer and has been even better in 2016. The longtime starter has piled up 48 1/3 innings, the sixth-highest total among relievers this year, and pitched to a 2.05 ERA. Blanton has backed that figure with 9.05 K/9 against 2.61 BB/9 while forming a nearly unbeatable late-game trio with Kenley Jansen and Adam Liberatore.

Jan. 20, 2016 – Padres Sign Fernando Rodney:

As was the case with the Braves and Norris, the rebuilding Padres deserve plaudits for taking a low-cost, short-term flyer on a veteran and then shipping him to a contender for an interesting futures piece a few months later. In the Padres’ case, they dealt Rodney to the Marlins on June 30 for hard-throwing, well-regarded pitching prospect Chris Paddack. The 39-year-old Rodney was never going to aid a winning Padres team, but the same might not be true of Paddack. Rodney, on the other hand, accepted a cheap contract in base value from the Padres (but one with lots of incentives) and has since registered a nearly spotless 1.01 ERA across 35 2/3 frames. Projection systems like ZIPs and Steamer forecast an ERA in the mid-3s during the second half, which would still render Rodney quite useful, but it’s clear the Padres wanted to move on from him at peak value. His ERA has already climbed .70 points since he switched uniforms, so it appears the Friars did just that.

Jan. 28, 2016 – Rays Sign Steve Pearce:

While with the Orioles in 2014, Pearce hit .293/.373/.556 with 21 homers and totaled a stunning 4.9 fWAR in just 381 PAs. The longtime minor leaguer was unable to follow up on that in 2015, however, as he hit a disappointing .218/.289/.422 in 325 plate trips. That led Pearce, 33, to take a one-year, $4.25MM deal from the Rays, with whom the infielder and designated hitter was in the midst of revisiting his 2014 form before going on the disabled list June 21 with a strained hamstring. Pearce quietly batted .322/.393/.540 with nine homers in 196 PAs prior to the injury and started to draw trade chatter as a result. He should still garner interest if he returns by the deadline, making last-place Tampa Bay’s minimal investment in him all the more worthwhile.

Jan. 28, 2016 – Astros Sign Doug Fister:

Fister, 32, doesn’t possess the skills he had during his heyday from 2011-14, but the 6-foot-8 righty still generates grounders (48.5 percent), ranks toward the top of the league in average fly ball distance, and leads all Astros starters in ERA (3.64) through 111 1/3 innings. An below-average K/BB ratio (1.82), .257 BABIP (34 points lower than Fister’s career mark) and a high strand rate (78.5 percent) are worrisome going forward. However, during a season in which Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh and Mike Fiers have struggled to prevent runs and Lance McCullers has only made 11 starts, the Astros have gotten bang for their buck from their one-year, $7MM investment in Fister.

Feb. 25, 2016 – Cubs Re-Sign Dexter Fowler:

The 30-year-old Fowler was a competent big leaguer for several seasons before 2016, so he shouldn’t have had difficulty finding work. However, his attachment to first-round compensation via the qualifying offer system helped keep him dangling on the free agent market past the start of spring training. Finally, in the last week of February, Fowler returned to the Cubs on a one-year, $8MM pact – including a $9MM mutual option for 2017 or a $5MM buyout – but only after spurning the Orioles. With Fowler having hit .290/.398/.483 through 284 PAs this season, the Cubs can probably forget about retaining him next year via that inexpensive mutual option. The center fielder should instead be able to net a lucrative multiyear deal on the North Side of Chicago or someplace else. For now, though, Fowler’s a valuable, underpaid member of a World Series-contending club.

Feb. 29, 2016 – Rangers Sign Ian Desmond:

Like Fowler, the qualifying offer system had a hand in keeping Desmond out of work until the end of February. The fact that Desmond’s performance dropped off a cliff last year with the Nationals obviously didn’t help matters, either. Regardless, for $8MM, Desmond has certainly been a steal for the Rangers, who gambled by moving him from shortstop to the outfield. In response, the 30-year-old has been one of the league’s premier defensive center fielders this season, and he has complemented that aspect of his game with marvelous production at the plate (.316/.370/.514, 15 home runs in 392 PAs) and on the base paths (15 stolen bases in 18 tries). This version of Desmond is a star-caliber player who will soon earn money commensurate to that. Until then, Texas will continue enjoying his all-around mastery at a discounted cost.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cafardo’s Latest: Encarnacion, Jays, BoSox, Moore, O’s, Royals

By Connor Byrne | July 17, 2016 at 9:36am CDT

Standout Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion is a pending free agent, and the division-rival Red Sox will have a designated hitter opening at season’s end if David Ortiz goes through with his retirement. The idea of the Red Sox signing Encarnacion in the offseason as Ortiz’s replacement has come up as a result, and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that the 33-year-old has some important fans in Boston. Manager John Farrell, bench coach Torey Lovullo and third base coach Brian Butterfield – all of whom were previously in Toronto – are Encarnacion supporters, which could factor into whether the BoSox pursue him. In regards to his future, Encarnacion offered, “We’ll see what’s going to happen. For now I’m with the Blue Jays and I’m just trying to contribute to us winning.”

Latest On Athletics

By Connor Byrne | July 17, 2016 at 8:27am CDT

Plenty of eyes will be on left-hander Rich Hill on Sunday as he makes what could be his final start with the Athletics, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Scouts from a handful of playoff-contending clubs – the Red Sox, Rangers, Orioles, Marlins and Tigers – will be in attendance to observe Hill’s home outing against the Blue Jays.

Hill, 36, has unexpectedly established himself as a hot commodity leading up to the Aug. 1 trade deadline since his torrid stretch as a member of the aforementioned BoSox last September. Dating back to that four-start run, the journeyman has performed like an ace over a 105-inning sample, having recorded a 2.06 ERA, 10.8 K/9, 2.83 BB/9, 49.6 percent ground-ball percentage and 17.9 percent infield fly rate. As a result, the A’s are hoping to land a haul similar to the one they received from Houston for southpaw Scott Kazmir last year (two prospects, right-hander Daniel Mengden and catcher Jacob Nottingham), according to Slusser, who notes that a Hill trade isn’t necessarily a sure bet.

If the A’s can’t find a deal to their liking for Hill, they could retain him through the season and then tender the free agent-to-be a qualifying offer, which will be worth in the $17MM neighborhood. Should Hill accept, that would give him roughly $23MM over two years with the A’s (including $6MM this season), which, considering his performance, wouldn’t be an unreasonable cost for his services. However, the A’s are much less likely to keep Hill and qualify him than they are right fielder Josh Reddick, per Slusser. Reddick – another pending free agent – is drawing pre-deadline interest around the league, as Slusser reported last weekend, and he and the A’s are far apart on contract extension talks.

In the event Oakland does shop one or both of Hill or Reddick, it won’t try to attach designated hitter Billy Butler and his contract to either, adds Slusser. The A’s are more worried about maximizing the return for their best trade assets than taking less just to throw Butler’s $15MM overboard. Since signing a three-year, $30MM deal with the A’s in November 2014, the ex-Royal has become an afterthought. In 163 plate appearances this season, the 30-year-old Butler has hit .253/.307/.380 with two home runs. His poor output could lead Oakland to eventually designate him for assignment, Slusser writes.

Interestingly, third baseman Danny Valencia is another designation candidate, reports Slusser, even though he has batted a fantastic .295/.348/.507 with 30 home runs in 659 PAs going back to last year. Despite that production and his cheap team control through next season, Valencia is not garnering interest, relays Slusser. With the out-of-contention A’s looking to evaluate their younger talent, the 31-year-old Valencia could end up designated – as he was with the Royals last season – if Oakland can’t find a taker for him. Whether Valencia is open to positions other than third and how he handles a decrease in playing time might keep the A’s from giving him his walking papers, however, according to Slusser.

MLBTR Originals

By Connor Byrne | July 17, 2016 at 8:00am CDT

Here’s a recap of the original analysis MLBTR offered this week:

Steve Adams highlighted the 10 best minor league signings of 2016. Pirates outfielder Matt Joyce, Mariners first baseman Dae-ho Lee and Padres left-handed reliever Ryan Buchter are among those who have made notable impacts this year despite initially having to claw for major league roster spots.
This week’s installment of Jason Martinez’s “Knocking Down the Door” series features a few well-known prospects who are trying to force their way into the majors. Astros infielder Alex Bregman and Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi are two names from an excellent group.
With the first half of the season in the books, Jeff Todd polled readers on which low-cost offseason acquisition has panned out the best so far. One of the choices, left-hander Drew Pomeranz, went from the Athletics to the Padres by way of a trade that Oakland surely wants back. After stealing Pomeranz from the A’s over the winter, the rebuilding Padres sold high on the 27-year-old earlier this week, sending him to the Red Sox for top-tier pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza.
Deadline season is in full swing, so Steve analyzed the trade market for catchers. Brewers backstop Jonathan Lucroy is far and away the premier option for teams on the hunt for help at the position.
Similarly, Jeff examined the selection of starting pitchers whom teams could shop over the next two weeks. Athletics southpaw Rich Hill will likely end up as the most appealing rental available, while there are several intriguing younger starters with club control remaining who could switch uniforms.
Teams that are competing for playoff berths will need to figure out which areas on their rosters to address around the deadline. With that in mind, Jason pinpointed all the contending clubs’ main needs (AL, NL).

Rosenthal’s Latest: Yankees, Marlins, Rays, Rockies, Braves

By charliewilmoth | July 16, 2016 at 11:00pm CDT

Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a pair of videos on FOX Sports.

The Yankees will be willing to deal pending free agents Aroldis Chapman and Carlos Beltran if they’re not in serious contention for a playoff spot by the August 1 deadline, Rosenthal says. They do not want to trade Andrew Miller right now, however. It’s also possible they could deal starting pitchers like CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda, but they are not in active discussions to sell right now and they could wait to deal members of that trio this offseason, since all are under control in 2017.
The Marlins would deal Adeiny Hechavarria and replace him at shortstop with Miguel Rojas if they could get a top starter like Chris Archer of the Rays in return, Rosenthal says. From this vantage point, that sounds like a lot to ask for a shortstop who has hit .238/.274/.336 this season (although Hechavarria is a stellar defender), and one would think Hechavarria would have limited value in a deal for an ace, even as part of a package. Rosenthal unsurprisingly notes that the Rays aren’t interested in trading Archer for a package that has Hechavarria as its centerpiece. The Marlins are also very interested in Archer’s fellow Rays starters Jake Odorizzi and Matt Moore, although their weak minor league system poses difficulties in lining up a trade.
The Rockies don’t seem overly motivated to trade Carlos Gonzalez and have passed on opportunities to do so, Rosenthal says. Gonzalez’s contract runs through 2017, coinciding with the end of GM Jeff Bridich’s deal, and Rosenthal implies it might be in Bridich’s best interest to keep Gonzalez around to increase the Rockies’ chances of being competitive until then.
The Tigers aren’t likely to make big moves before the deadline, with a large payroll that will limit their flexibility and a number of tough-to-move contracts on the books. They could, however, become a seller if they do especially poorly in the next two weeks, potentially dealing Francisco Rodriguez and/or other relievers.
Braves GM John Coppolella continues to insist his team will not deal Julio Teheran, Rosenthal says. Coppolella believes Teheran (who is under team control through 2020) can be a key player on the next contending Braves team, although he acknowledges that won’t happen this season.

AL East Notes: Jays, Smoak, Colabello, Rays, Longoria

By Connor Byrne | July 16, 2016 at 10:40pm CDT

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins spoke Saturday on how division-rival Boston’s recent acquisition of left-hander Drew Pomeranz could affect the trade deadline, telling Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, “I’m not so sure it’s going to increase the market drastically. There’s just more buyers than there are sellers at that position. The market was already set very high based on the alternatives.” Atkins added that, given the lack of sellers, it was no surprise the Red Sox had to surrender top-flight prospect Anderson Espinoza to make a deal happen. As for his own team’s plans as the Aug. 1 deadline nears, the Blue Jays aren’t focusing solely on acquiring rentals or controllable players, Atkins stated. “Typically you pay for control, so that would mean probably giving up more prospect-level. Everything’s a balance.”

More from Toronto and one of its AL East rivals:

The Rays don’t seem interested in trading third baseman Evan Longoria this year, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. However, Longoria will get 10-and-5 rights in April 2018, relays Topkin, and will then have the opportunity to veto any trade. That could be a date to watch, then, should the Rays eventually have a change of heart on Longoria. The 30-year-old, who’s amid yet another terrific season, is controllable through 2023.
The two-year extension the Blue Jays awarded first baseman Justin Smoak on Saturday is a safe play for the club, opines Davidi. If Edwin Encarnacion leaves in free agency, the Jays at least have an in-house fallback option. On the other hand, Davidi argues that the $4.125MM that Smoak will make in 2017 is $4.125MM less for the team to give Encarnacion, Jose Bautista or Michael Saunders. Extension discussions between Smoak and the team moved quickly, according to Davidi, with the two sides beginning negotiations Monday and taking less than a week to reach an agreement. “We love Toronto, me and my family, we wanted to stay here for as long as we can, and I’m just happy to get something done,” Smoak said.
The Blue Jays aren’t sure how they’ll handle first baseman/outfielder Chris Colabello’s forthcoming return from the 80-game suspension he received in April for performance-enhancing drugs. “It’s complicated by what the alternatives will be, how he is performing, the fact that he had so much down time, then, secondarily, what that means going forward for someone who is not going to be a part of our playoff roster,” Atkins commented. Colabello – who’s on a rehab assignment at Class-A Dunedin – is on track to join Triple-A Buffalo on Monday, reports Davidi. The 32-year-old is eligible to return July 23, though he does have minor league options remaining and, as Atkins mentioned, won’t be eligible to participate in the postseason if the Jays make it.

NL Notes: Padres, Upton, Cards, D-backs, Rockies

By Connor Byrne | July 16, 2016 at 9:32pm CDT

The resurgence of Padres outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. is “opening eyes,” according to Friars general manager AJ Preller, who told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that the 31-year-old is garnering trade interest as a potential 30/30 player (Twitter link). Upton has racked up 16 home runs and 20 steals this year, so he at least has an outside shot at joining the 30/30 club. Overall, he has hit an above-average .262/.311/.454 through 353 trips to the plate this season. Dating back to last year, Upton has accounted for 3.2 fWAR while logging 581 plate appearances, thereby reviving his career after back-to-back poor seasons in Atlanta. The longtime Ray is expensive, though, with a $15.45MM salary this year and $16.45MM coming his way next season.

Rumors: Mets, Marlins, Dodgers, Archer, Rangers

By Connor Byrne | July 16, 2016 at 8:12pm CDT

Although the Mets’ bullpen entered Saturday ranked sixth in the majors in ERA (3.20) and seventh in K-BB percentage (16.4), the team is in the market for right-handed relief help, according to Marc Carig of Newsday. An addition might not necessarily come by the Aug. 1 trade deadline, per Carig, who reports that the Mets nearly signed righty Kevin Jepsen before he inked a free agent deal with Tampa Bay earlier this week. Further, the Mets are skeptical of paying a significant price for a reliever via trade, which could rule out someone like the Brewers’ Jeremy Jeffress, notes Carig. As of now, the Mets have three quality late-game right-handers in closer Jeurys Familia, Addison Reed and Hansel Robles.

More of the latest rumors:

While the Marlins are aiming to upgrade their rotation in advance of the deadline, they’re reluctant to trade anyone from their roster for a starter, per Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported earlier Saturday that the Fish would move shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria for a top starter like the Rays’ Chris Archer, but that might be unrealistic, as Frisaro suggests.
Speaking of Archer, the Dodgers were among the clubs scouting his start Friday against Baltimore, relays Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Archer has a connection to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who was formerly the Rays’ GM and acquired the right-hander in a trade with the Cubs in 2011. Archer has disappointed this year, but given his track record of excellence from 2013-15, age (27) and extremely team-friendly contract through 2021, he’d likely command a hefty return.
In the weeks leading up to the deadline, various reports have linked the Rangers to several starting pitchers and Brewers backstop Jonathan Lucroy. Rangers president and GM Jon Daniels spoke about that Friday and declared that he’s looking to improve his club’s rotation more than its catcher situation. “We’re a lot more focused on the pitching side,” Daniels told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Rodger Mallison, who writes that the Rangers’ goal is to acquire a starter who’s under control beyond this season.

Marlins Designate Asher Wojciechowski, Sign Cole Figueroa

By Connor Byrne | July 16, 2016 at 7:08pm CDT

The Marlins have designated right-hander Asher Wojciechowski for assignment and signed free agent second baseman Cole Figueroa, per a team announcement. Figueroa received a major league contract, though the Marlins have optioned him to Triple-A New Orleans.

Wojciechowski, 27, threw a combined 18 innings between Double-A and Triple-A for the Marlins after they claimed him off waivers from the Astros in May. He was previously a highly regarded prospect for both the Astros and Blue Jays. Houston picked up Wojciechowski in 2012 as part of a 10-player trade that included J.A. Happ (going to Toronto) and Francisco Cordero (going to the Astros). The 41st overall selection in the 2010 draft, Wojciechowski ranged from seventh to 28th on Baseball America’s Top 30 prospect rankings between the two organizations from 2011-15. Wojciechowski totaled 16 1/3 innings last season in the majors, his only big league experience, and allowed 13 runs on 23 hits and seven walks against 16 strikeouts. As a minor leaguer, he owns a 4.13 ERA with 7.1 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 in 674 innings.

Figueroa became a free agent earlier this week after rejecting an outright assignment to Triple-A from the Dodgers. Los Angeles designated the 29-year-old for assignment July 8 despite claiming him off waivers from the Pirates only two weeks prior. Figueroa has picked up just 84 major league trips to the plate, but he has produced a respectable .288/.356/.376 line in nearly 2,000 Triple-A PAs.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Headlines

Archives for July 2016

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect