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Archives for July 2016

Braves To Look For 2017 Starting Catcher On Trade Market

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Even before a recent injury to Tyler Flowers, the Braves wanted to acquire a catcher this month who could serve as their primary starter in 2017, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports. That means they will likely ask the Brewers about Jonathan Lucroy, who they’ve kept tabs on in the past. They would, however, likely need to feel they could extend Lucroy if they were to acquire him, since he is eligible for free agency after his $5.25MM 2017 option.

In the wake of Flowers’ hand fracture, which Bowman previously reported could keep him out until September, the Braves are using A.J. Pierzynski and Anthony Recker behind the dish. Pierzynski, though, is 39 and has hit .206/.228/.250 this season, and Recker has never started in the big leagues for any extended period and has hit lightly in parts of six Major League seasons.

The team also just added George Kottaras on a minor league contract, as SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets, although that appears to be more of a depth move — Kottaras has at times shown good power for a catcher, but he has not collected more than 100 plate appearances in the big leagues since 2013 and played sparingly even in the minors in the last two seasons.

That’s not to say a major deal seems likely. Flowers hit well this season before his injury (.253/.343/.425), and his framing has been highly rated of late. He’s also under contract for 2017. Bowman notes that the Braves would like to use him as a backup next season (and he mostly hit like one in several seasons before 2016), but he appears to be at least a reasonable option as a starter. Also, Braves president of baseball operations John Hart doesn’t sound optimistic about the possibility of making a significant acquisition, although he acknowledges the team will try.

“Right now, I think we’d have to stand in line to get our catching position solved,” says Hart, via Bowman. “We’re certainly going to look at catching, but I don’t know that we’re going to find the right guy to step in right now. But don’t think for a minute we’re not examining the catching situation.”

This week, MLBTR’s Steve Adams examined this year’s trade market for catchers. Besides Lucroy, top options who are available through 2017 including Welington Castillo, Derek Norris and Cameron Rupp, among others. Former Braves backstop Brian McCann could also be available, although given McCann’s salary, that deal would likely have to be fairly complex. The Braves could also perhaps look for someone younger, although Bowman says they’re looking for someone who’s “established.”

Rosenthal’s Latest: Archer, Chapman, CarGo, Rangers, Managers

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While the Rays are fielding some calls on righty Chris Archer, the kinds of offers coming through the line have been good only for “comedic value,” a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The report certainly suggests that Tampa Bay isn’t interested in the kind of buy-low offers it is apparently receiving. The young righty hasn’t quite been himself this year, but remains quite talented and controlled at a very cheap rate.

Here’s more from Rosenthal:

  • The Yankees are discussing the possibility of trying to extend closer Aroldis Chapman, according to Rosenthal. Talks to this point are just internal and haven’t been raised with Chapman’s representatives, but the club isn’t set on selling off big league assets over the next few weeks. Team president Randy Levine maintained to Rosenthal that the Yankees like their team and won’t make a call on trading away veterans until much closer to the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline.
  • Carlos Gonzalez is perhaps the best player among current trade candidates, but the Rockies don’t feel the need to get out from underneath his contract in the same manner they did with Troy Tulowitzki, so he’s far from a lock to be moved. CarGo is batting an excellent .318/.367/.557 this season, and it’s interesting to note that over the past 365 days, he’s hitting .304/.354/.592 with a hefty 46 homers in 156 games played. His $17MM salary in 2016 and $20MM salary in 2017 are both reasonable sums for that level of production.
  • The Rangers were in on Drew Pomeranz before his trade to the Red Sox, and they’re in on Rich Hill now that Pomeranz is off the market. The Rangers could also use an upgrade behind the plate, writes Rosenthal, who notes that Jonathan Lucroy would be preferable to Derek Norris, but the latter of the two is available as well. The Rangers, though, “probably do not view” any of the available trade candidates as worthy players to surrender top-tier young talent like Jurickson Profar or Joey Gallo.
  • Some within the industry have told Rosenthal that Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale “could be in imminent danger” of losing his job, but D-backs sources denied the notion when asked, he continues. Rosenthal lists Bryan Price and Walt Weiss as skippers that are safe for now but may be seeking new employment come season’s end, and he notes that Robin Ventura, Brad Ausmus, John Farrell and Terry Collins could all be in the same boat if their clubs finish the season poorly.

NL Notes: Niese, Vizcaino, Cubs, Giants, Dodgers

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In an appearance on Pittsburgh’s 93.7 The Fan, Pirates GM Neal Huntington admits that the winter swap of Neil Walker for Jon Niese was a mistake. “We felt that that was our best return, and it has not played out that way, and that’s a challenge,” Huntington said. “We own that. We accept that.” Reports have suggested that the Bucs are hoping to trade Niese. For the time being, he’s headed for bullpen duties, as Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets. Though Huntington expressed hope that Niese can turn things around, he was unusually forthright in acknowledging the faulty trade (while also hinting at the team’s alternatives in shopping Walker). “In hindsight, maybe the two fringe prospects and trying to figure out where to reallocate the money might have been a better return,” he said.

  • Niese’s former club, the Mets, surely didn’t envision a scenario where the lefty could hold appeal in 2016, but Marc Carig of Newsday writes that the club isn’t ruling out a reunion. New York is still prioritizing pen help, but seems increasingly open to the idea of bringing back a pitcher who had a good deal of success over his time with the club. The 29-year-old has been hit hard in Pittsburgh, but carried a 3.91 ERA in over 1,000 innings through eight years with the Mets.
  • Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino left tonight’s action with what appeared to be an oblique issue. As MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets, the preliminary expectation is that he’ll require a DL stint. The injury comes at an inopportune time for Vizcaino’s trade chances, as he has already missed action of late and has struggled when he has been available. Over his last five appearances, Vizcaino has allowed five earned runs on eight hits and seven walks while recording only a pair of strikeouts. Once viewed as one of the best relief arms on the market, it seems increasingly likely that he’ll end up staying in Atlanta for the rest of the season.
  • Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein says the his club will be flexible in the build-up to the deadline, as Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago reports. “I don’t think its productive to pigeonhole yourself into thinking you have needs in just one specific role as the key to improving this club,” Epstein said. “There are so many variables. Things change. The way you look now may not be the way you look in mid-September. We are going to be open-minded to adding talented players knowing that could happen.” Epstein did discuss the idea of adding a starter, though Chicago’s rotation has been quite solid. “We are always looking to add long-term starting pitching,” he noted. “Sometimes the trading deadline can be a better forum for that than the offseason. Sometimes it is not. It is important to stay focused this time of year on this year’s club. You still want to keep one eye on opportunities that can help you down the road as well.”
  • The Giants are seeing solid progress on some injured players, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News reports. Outfielder Hunter Pence is set to begin a rehab assignment, where he’ll test his surgically-repaired hamstring. And second baseman Joe Panik has passed a concussion test, meaning he could soon be cleared to start his own brief rehab stint. Righties Cory Gearrin and Matt Cain are also nearing readiness; the former has extended his throwing distance while the latter reached 93 pitches in an outing tonight (though he was also touched for 10 runs).
  • The division-rival Dodgers also got some injury news, though it’s not necessarily all positive. Outfielder Trayce Thompson has lower back pain that could land him on the DL. Fellow outfielder Andre Ethier is now looking like he’s more likely to make it back in mid-August, about two weeks later than had been targeted, though the team is still awaiting the results of a bone scan on his injured leg before it gets a clearer picture.
  • While the Dodgers think they’ll utilize prized lefty Julio Urias at the major league level again later this year, manager Dave Roberts says he’ll work at the pen at Triple-A for the time being. (Via MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM; Twitter link.) Los Angeles has been understandably cautious with his workload, and seemingly hopes to keep him fresh while also tamping down the innings for the time being.

Padres, Wil Myers Interested In Exploring Extension

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First baseman Wil Myers has been a bright spot for the struggling Padres, earning his first All-Star nod at 25 years of age. Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that both he and the team are open to discussing a long-term deal.

Notably, no discussions have occurred as of yet, and both Myers and GM A.J. Preller say that there are no intentions to hold them during the present season. But it seems clear from their comments that both have genuine interest in exploring a long-term relationship.

Myers, who says he loves playing for the Padres. He also expressed positive sentiment toward Preller and manager Andy Green. “I do really, truly believe that A.J. Preller has a plan for the future,” said Myers, “and that’s a big deal when it comes to extension talks. … As far as being here long-term, I could see myself doing it. I could see trying to build something here.”

The former Rookie of the Year will qualify for arbitration for the first of three times in the coming winter, meaning he’ll start to get expensive. With three partial and uneven seasons under his belt coming into 2016, there was quite a bit of variability in his earning power. But Myers is carrying a .286/.351/.522 slash over 379 plate appearances, with a career-high 19 homers in the bank, ensuring that he’ll get a very nice raise.

That performance not only begins to set a price point for the sides to work from, but enhances San Diego’s desire to get a deal done while it has some leverage. “You always want to hear players that want to be in your franchise, that want to be in your city, and I think that’s exciting to hear,” Preller said. “He’s a big-time talent and, I think, is excited by this franchise, this place, and wants to be here. When we made the trade, that’s what we were looking for.”

Of course, as Preller notes, he’ll need to talk the matter through with club ownership before approaching Myers’s camp with any offers. But the success of Myers is a notable element in evaluating Preller’s own tenure with the team. After all, he gave up two significant pieces (Joe Ross and Trea Turner) to acquire him, and the results had been less than promising at the start of the 2016 campaign.

Having just dealt lefty Drew Pomeranz, San Diego is clearly not angling for near-term contention. But the organization has begun accumulating some near-MLB prospects, with a large haul of younger players behind them, and could conceivably begin building toward competitiveness before long. Myers is young enough that the Pads might commit to him in hopes that he’ll help boost performance and attendance in the near-term while remaining a core piece in the team’s next window of opportunity.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/15/16

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • Utilityman Cole Figueroa has elected free agency from the Dodgers after clearing outright waivers, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group tweets. After bouncing from the Pirates to the Dodgers via the waiver wire, Figueroa will have a chance to choose his next opportunity. He hasn’t done much in limited chances at the major league level over the last three years, but does own a .309/.350/.447 slash over 101 Triple-A plate appearances on the season.
  • The Giants have released catcher George Kottaras, as Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on Twitter. The 33-year-old hasn’t been to the big leagues since 2014, but does have 858 MLB plate appearances over seven season, with a useful .215/.326/.411 batting line in that span. Kottaras had seen limited action at Triple-A this year, and was hitting just .155/.290/.224.
  • Meanwhile, the Giants have sold the contract of Triple-A righty Mike Broadway to Japan’s Yokohama BayStars, the Chronicle’s John Shea tweets. The 29-year-old has had brief and unsuccessful stops in San Francisco in each of the last two years. Pitching at the highest level of the minors this year, he owns a 3.94 ERA with 9.1 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 over 29 2/3 frames.

AL West Notes: Bregman, Healy, Valencia, Rodriguez, Rangers

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The Astros’ reported deal with Yulieski Gurriel adds another notable option to the mix in the left side of the infield, but that doesn’t mean top prospect Alex Bregman is on the trade block. Far from it, in fact, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network (on Twitter). A source tells Morosi that the club isn’t interested in flipping Bregman for a top-flight starter — though certainly the rising prospect is the kind of blue-chip asset that could net a major piece in return.

Here’s more from the AL West:

  • Just-promoted prospect Ryon Healy will serve as the Athletics’ primary third baseman, manager Bob Melvin told reporters including John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). That leaves hot-hitting Danny Valencia to pick up plate appearances at first base and the corner outfield. Oakland’s decision to modify and reduce Valencia’s role seems to suggest that he isn’t a major part of the club’s plans for 2017. That, in turn, would presumably increase the team’s inclination to deal him this summer.
  • Athletics reliever Fernando Rodriguez will miss four to six weeks after being diagnosed with a lat tear, Hickey tweets. Rodriguez expressed surprise and disappointment with the prognosis. The 32-year-old has been a steady, albeit not a dominant, member of the A’s pen for the last two years. Over 40 2/3 innings in 2015, he owns a 4.20 ERA with 8.2 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9.
  • As the Rangers continue to browse the shelves of potentially-available starters, the team has at least asked the Braves about Julio Teheran, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter links). That hardly means there’s any real action on the righty, particularly since we’ve seen Texas tied to a whole host of starters in recent weeks. Cotillo also hears that the Rangers have had talks with the Brewers on catcher Jonathan Lucroy and southpaw Will Smith, though Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that the chatter “went nowhere.” All told, it still seems that the Texas front office is canvassing possibilities with the deadline a few weeks off.

Royals Sign Edward Mujica

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The Royals have announced minor league deal with righty Edward Mujica. The veteran reliever was recently released by the Phillies upon his request.

Mujica will hope to work back toward the big leagues after failing to earn a call-up with Philadelphia. His new deal with Kansas City includes an opt-out opportunity on August 7th, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter).

The 32-year-old has pitched in each of the prior ten MLB campaigns, compiling a 3.85 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 over 546 2/3 total innings. But his low-walk approach wasn’t effective last year, as he scuffled to an uncharacteristic 4.75 ERA with the Red Sox and Athletics.

Mujica has certainly not lost his trademark control, as he’s permitted only four free passes in 39 frames at Triple-A in 2016. He’s been reasonably effective overall at the highest level of the minors, carrying a 3.69 ERA in that span, but it wasn’t enough to convince the Philly brass to bring him back to the majors.

Triple-A Lehigh Valley director of media relations and broadcasting Matt Provence first tweeted the news.

Playoff Contender Needs (National League)

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Yesterday, I analyzed the most pressing needs for the 11 American League playoff contenders just in time for the Red Sox to fill their starting rotation void with the acquisition of Drew Pomeranz. If we’re lucky, one of these eight National League contenders will follow suit and give us another early Trade Deadline present this weekend.

NL EAST

Washington Nationals
54-36, 1st Place, +6
CENTER FIELDER/LEADOFF MAN

Ben Revere has a .268 on-base percentage and still has the privilege of being the starting center fielder and leadoff man for a 1st place team that is 18 games over .500. What does that tell us? For starters, Nationals manager Dusty Baker apparently doesn’t care if his leadoff man gets on base or not. It also means that the Nationals’ lineup and most of the 25-man roster is filled with talent, which is why Baker probably doesn’t lose much sleep over his leadoff man’s inability to be good at the most important aspect of his job.

In all seriousness, the Nats are well aware that they are in need of an upgrade, which is why Trea Turner, who is blocked by Danny Espinosa at the shortstop position, was playing center field in Triple-A before he was recently called up to replace an injured Ryan Zimmerman on the roster. While he could be given a shot as the Nats’ regular center fielder at some point, general manager Mike Rizzo is likely to first explore the trade market, where Charlie Blackmon, Peter Bourjos, Coco Crisp, Jon Jay (likely to return from the disabled list sometime in August) and Melvin Upton Jr. are all likely available. And all are having much better seasons than Revere or his platoon partner, Michael Taylor.

Nationals Depth Chart

Miami Marlins
47-41, Wild Card (2nd-T), +1
STARTING PITCHING

Mention the Marlins to a baseball fan and the first thing that comes to their mind is the amazing power of Giancarlo Stanton. It really is quite breathtaking, after all. But the most interesting part of this up-and-coming young team is that they have five regulars not named Stanton hitting over .300. Even 42-year-old Ichiro Suzuki, who has played on a semi-regular basis, is hitting .335 and having his best season since he was in his mid-30’s. The bullpen, which now includes Fernando Rodney setting up for All-Star closer A.J. Ramos, is also talented and a lot of fun to watch.

Unfortunately, unless Jose Fernandez can pitch more than once every five days, the Marlins’ rotation isn’t good enough to make a legitimate run for a Wild Card spot. The fact that they’ve pushed Fernandez back a few times to limit his workload makes the rotation that much more of a priority. Wei-Yin Chen, who signed a potential $80MM free agent deal in the offseason, can’t seem to string together more than one good start. If not for Adam Conley, there’s no way the Marlins would be in the mix for a playoff spot.

Rich Hill and Jake Odorizzi are on their radar, as was the recently-traded Drew Pomeranz, but it’s likely that they’ll cast a wide net in hopes that they can acquire some help despite a farm system that is currently light on talent.

Marlins Depth Chart

New York Mets
47-41, Wild Card (2nd-T), +1
STARTING PITCHING

David Wright could miss the season with a herniated disc in his neck. Lucas Duda is out for an extended period with a stress fracture in his back. Michael Conforto was sent to the minors because he stopped hitting. So can you believe that the Mets’ top priority might be starting pitching?

While they are reportedly prioritizing their bullpen at the moment, they will need to address their very fragile rotation at some point. Matt Harvey’s season-ending surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Zack Wheeler’s delayed return from Tommy John surgery—he’s not expected back before late August—and bone spurs in the elbows of young stars Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz should have the Mets looking to land at least one reinforcement and possibly two.

Mets Depth Chart

***Click below to read breakdowns of all the other NL contenders***

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Athletics Designate Nick Tepesch, Option Billy Burns, Promote Ryon Healy

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The Athletics have made a series of roster heading out of the break, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Young corner infielder Ryon Healy is coming up to take the place of struggling outfielder Billy Burns, who has been optioned. The club designated righty Nick Tepesch to clear 40-man space.

[Related: Updated Athletics Depth Chart]

Parting with Tepesch wasn’t too difficult for Oakland, given that he was only just claimed a few weeks ago. But the 27-year-old might have provided some useful rotation depth for the organization, which would come in handy in the event that one or more starters end up being traded in the coming weeks. He might yet, of course, as it’s possible that he’ll end up in the A’s system.

Burns had been expected to hold down semi-regular duties in center field, but the 26-year-old has failed to follow up on a quality 2015 campaign. Indeed, he has been about half as productive with the bat as he was last year, putting up a meager .234/.270/.303 slash. The speedy Burns does have 14 swipes and a useful glove, but that’s not enough to compensate for such a rough go at the dish.

As for Healy, 24, this represents his first crack at the majors. He earned an early-season promotion to Triple-A after destroying Double-A pitching, and is off to a .318/.362/.505 start over his first 210 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors. Healy doesn’t offer top-flight power — he’s at 14 on the year and has never finished a professional season with more than 16 — but is certainly trending up in that regard and seems to carry a well-rounded overall bat.

Rangers Sign Alexei Bell

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JULY 15: The Rangers announced that they have signed Bell to a minor league contract.

JULY 5: The Rangers are nearing a minor league deal with free agent Alexei Bell, according to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). The 32-year-old outfielder hit the open market after leaving his native Cuba in search of a big league opportunity.

Bell owns an impressive track record in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, where he played for 14 seasons. In 3,441 career plate appearances, he owns a .319/.417/.547 batting line with 138 home runs. He was still running up those kinds of numbers in his final year of action there in 2014, and has top-notch plate discipline with a lifetime tally of 431 walks against just 439 strikeouts.

Since that time, Bell has spent time playing in Canada and, more recently, Mexico. He wasn’t doing much at the plate in a nine-game run with Quintana Roo earlier this year, though it’s hard to read too much into the results in such a short sample for a player who hadn’t played competitively in some time.

Despite his previous success, Bell hasn’t generated much buzz as a free agent. As Ben Badler of Baseball America explains, Bell owns a big arm that ought to work in right. But he doesn’t deliver premium power and isn’t a good runner. While he would have made for a really interesting prospect earlier in his career, Badler says that scouts aren’t optimistic about his potential to be a major contributor at this stage.

Despite those limitations, it’s not at all surprising to see a club take a shot on a veteran who has such an impressive track record. Whether or not he’ll earn a shot at the majors remains to be seen.

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