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White Sox Outright Scott Carroll

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Right-hander Scott Carroll has been outrighted off the White Sox’ 40-man  roster, according to Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). The Sox have since announced the outright, but an accompanying move has not been announced or reported.

Carroll, 31, has appeared in three games for the White Sox this season and a total of 47 contests for the South Siders over the past three seasons. Since making his big league debut in 2014 at the age of 29, Carroll has pitched to a 4.60 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 168 1/3 innings. He’s made 19 starts in that time, though none since 2014, and has been pitching for the Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte since mid-May. Carroll’s career work at the Triple-A level is, somewhat stunningly, a near-mirror image of his big league production. He’s totaled 395 innings at the top minor league level and posted a 4.60 ERA that is identical to his Major League mark while averaging 5.3 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9.

It’s not clear how the Sox will utilize the empty 40-man spot for now. The club doesn’t need a 40-man roster spot to activate Justin Morneau from the minors, as he signed a Major League deal and is already on the 40-man roster. The Sox could use the spot to select someone from their minor league ranks that isn’t currently on the 40-man or could be keeping it open as they explore the trade market for center fielders, as they were reported to be doing earlier this afternoon.

Rays, Kevin Jepsen Agree To Major League Deal

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The Rays and right-hander Kevin Jepsen, who was released by the Twins recently following a DFA, have agreed to a Major League deal, reports SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (links to Twitter). Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported shortly before that news that the two sides were nearing a deal (via Twitter) and had first mentioned the Rays’ interest in a reunion with Jepsen last week, while Cotillo tweeted yesterday that the Rays were one of many teams to whom Jepsen and his agents at the Beverly Hills Sports Council had spoken.

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With this agreement, Jepsen now returns to the very club that traded him to Minnesota roughly one year ago (in exchange for minor league right-handers Chih-Wei Hu and Alexis Tapia). The soon-to-be 32-year-old was brilliant for Minnesota down the stretch last season and stepped into the Twins’ closer role following an injury to Glen Perkins, logging a pristine 1.61 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, a 40.8 percent ground-ball rate and 10 saves. That stellar performance led to a $5.3MM salary in arbitration this offseason, but Jepsen looked like a completely different pitcher with the 2016 Twins than he did with the 2015 version of the team.

In 30 2/3 innings with Minnesota this season, Jepsen posted a dismal 6.16 ERA and saw a significant decline in nearly every rate stat. He averaged just 6.5 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 with a 30.2 percent ground-ball rate. Per Fangraphs, Jepsen yielded 29.6 percent hard contact in 2015 but saw that number soar to 38.4 percent in 2016, thanks largely to an 8.5 percent increase in his line-drive rate (19.8 percent to 28.3 percent). He’s also seen drops in the chase rate and swinging-strike rate of his opponents, and opposing batters have greatly upped their contact rate against him.

Suffice it to say, the 2016 season hasn’t gone as planned for Jepsen (or for the last-place Twins). However, the Rays have had success with reclamation projects of this nature in the past, and Jepsen comes at a very affordable rate. The Twins are on the hook for the remainder of that $5.3MM salary (minus the pro-rated portion of the league minimum, which means he’ll cost the Rays about $222K through season’s end.

[Related: Updated Tampa Bay Rays depth chart]

Jepsen will join a Rays bullpen that currently features Alex Colome as the closer. Brad Boxberger had been tabbed for that role after leading the AL in saves in 2015, but he underwent hernia surgery in Spring Training and suffered an oblique strain in his first appearance back on the mound in late May when he returned from that first injury. Tampa Bay’s relief corps also features right-handers Erasmo Ramirez, Matt Andriese and Tyler Sturdevant at the moment. That group is probably safe, but Jepsen could take over the spot of struggling relievers Enny Romero or Ryan Garton. A 40-man roster move will also need to be made to accommodate Jespen’s return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Red Sox Close To Deal With First-Rounder Jason Groome

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12:57pm: Boston is indeed closing in on a final agreement, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports, though it’s still not over the finish line. He adds that the Red Sox had previously moved their offer to over $3.5MM — well above the ~$3.2MM slot allocation — and has crept further northward in recent days.

10:53am: The Red Sox are close to a deal with first-round draft pick Jason Groome, according to Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald (via Twitter). The young southpaw is in Boston for his physical, but the sides are still finalizing the contract terms.

Last we checked, the sides were headed toward an arrangement but still haggling over the final price. With Groome making the trip to get his medical clearance, it certainly seems that any remaining gap will be bridged in short order.

A high-school starter, Groome entered the draft as one of the most highly-rated prospects available, with MLB.com (#1), ESPN.com (#2), and Baseball America (#3) all listing him at or near the top of their boards. Chatter about his makeup seemingly took him out of contention for the top several picks, leaving other organizations in position to nab him down the line. While the Padres were said to have put a high-budget offer on the table later in the first round, the Sox chose to take a chance on signing him.

White Sox Scanning Market For Center Fielders

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The White Sox are scanning the market for center field help, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). It seems that the organization isn’t sure how Austin Jackson is progressing after undergoing knee surgery a month ago.

We’ve heard mostly about the possibility of Chicago adding a slugging corner outfielder to date, but a slow return from Jackson would certainly increase the need for an up-the-middle option. Even if he is able to return in relatively short order, it would be nice to have a player capable of manning center given Jackson’s less-than-exciting performance to date.

The Sox do still have Adam Eaton on hand. He’s plenty youthful and athletic and manned the position last year, after all. But defensive metrics have viewed him as a sub-par performer up the middle while grading him as an outstanding defender in right, and that surely weighs into the calculus.

A glance at the most recent MLBTR top trade candidate list shows that the top trade options trend toward the corners. Charlie Blackmon is probably the premium center fielder who might be had, with a reborn Melvin Upton also rating as a candidate. Other possibilities include Peter Bourjos, who’d provide a nice glove, though it’s fair to wonder whether the South Siders would be better served with a more significant addition. A player such as Blackmon could push Jackson into a corner outfield platoon when he returns and provide some thump for the lineup.

Playoff Contender Needs (American League)

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Heading into the 2nd half of the season, 19 teams are within 5.5 games of a playoff spot while maintaining a .500 or better record. These are what we call the “playoff contenders” and, as of right now, they are potential “buyers” on the trade market in the coming weeks.

On the other end of the spectrum, those teams with sub-.500 records don’t appear to have what it takes to get back into contention. The Phillies and Rockies aren’t that far behind—they’re six and seven games behind the second Wild Card spot, respectively—and neither is a walk in the park on the schedule for opponents. But at six and eight games under .500, respectively, I’d be surprised if either front office isn’t ready to wheel and deal right now. If not already, these 11 teams will be in selling mode very soon.

Starting with the American League, let’s take a close look at each contending team’s biggest areas of need and some potential trade targets that could help down the stretch.

AL EAST

Baltimore Orioles
51-36, 1st Place, +2
STARTING PITCHING

The good news for the divison-leading Orioles is that they have the 6th best record in baseball despite having one of the worst starting rotations in baseball. The bad news is that, barring a trade or two, they still have to play 75 games with one of the worst rotations in baseball.

Sure, the O’s are very good at hitting home runs and closing out games. That formula could work in the post-season. But very bad starting pitching will eventually wear a team down, making it very difficult to finish strong and actually make it into the post-season.

Chris Tillman is having a nice season. Kevin Gausman has been very good at times, but doesn’t appear quite ready to be the frontline starter the O’s need to carry them into the playoffs. Yovani Gallardo has been a disappointment. Ubaldo Jimenez continues to be awful. Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson have been serviceable, although both have an ERA over 5.00. Help isn’t on the way, either.

The O’s might not have the farm system to land a controllable top-of-the-rotation starter, but they have enough intriguing prospects—former 1st Round pick Hunter Harvey, Futures Game catcher Chance Sisco and 1st baseman Trey Mancini (.882 OPS between Triple-A and Double-A) all have value—to compete for the top rental available (Rich Hill) or a very good mid-rotation starter with control (Drew Pomeranz, Hector Santiago or Drew Smyly).

Orioles Depth Chart

Boston Red Sox
49-38, Wild Card (1st-T), +2
STARTING PITCHING

The Sox struck early to solidify their bullpen, acquiring Brad Ziegler last week with Craig Kimbrel expected to miss 3-6 weeks. The offense is already one of the best in baseball and, if they choose, could possibly get better with internal options like Andrew Benintendi and/or Yoan Moncada.

Like the Orioles, though, this is a team that’s lucky to be where they’re at considering the state of their starting rotation.

They’re nowhere near as shaky as the Orioles’ starting rotation—David Price has mostly been himself aside from a few bad outings, Rick Porcello has been solid and Steven Wright was a well-deserved All-Star selection—but this is a team that had journeyman Sean O’Sullivan penciled into the No. 4 spot in their rotation before he recently landed on the disabled list.

A handful of young pitchers could potentially step up and help out in the 2nd half—Eduardo Rodriguez will return from Triple-A to start on Friday—but this is a team in desperate need of some stability. With so much minor league talent, the Sox have the means to go after Hill and a controllable frontline starter like Chris Archer or Julio Teheran, although it would be tough to get the Rays or Braves to budge on either of their staff aces without the inclusion of Benintendi or Moncada.

Red Sox Depth Chart

Toronto Blue Jays
51-40, Wild Card (1st-T), +2
LATE-INNING RELIEF PITCHING or STARTING PITCHING

Even with Marcus Stroman having a disappointing season, the Jays clearly have the best starting rotation in the division. And if Stroman’s last two starts are any indication that he’s turning things around (14.2 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 12 K), the Jays have the potential to overtake the Orioles and run away with the division. The bullpen, however, might not have enough talent to help the cause.

While Jason Grilli has given the ’pen a big boost since his acquisition last month (2.63 ERA, 13.2 IP, 6 BB, 23 K, 4 holds, 1 save), they’ll need another reliable arm to help bridge the gap to closer Roberto Osuna. Drew Storen hasn’t done enough to regain a high-leverage role and Brett Cecil is also no longer a trustworthy option with the game on the line.

The answer could already be on the 25-man roster, but Aaron Sanchez is no longer a lock to move to the bullpen later in the season. Pitching well enough to be named to the All-Star team might have altered those plans. Manager John Gibbons said recently, however, that he still thinks Sanchez will shift to the bullpen at some point to limit his workload.

If the Jays do plan on moving Sanchez back to the bullpen—he posted a 2.39 ERA in 30 appearances last season while limiting opponents to a .178 batting average—they would likely pursue a trade for a starting pitcher. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd wrote about the Trade Market for Starting Pitchers on Wednesday.

Blue Jays Depth Chart

New York Yankees
44-44, Wild Card (8th), -5.5
STARTING PITCHING and OUTFIELDER

As difficult as the Yankees are to beat if they can get to the 6th or 7th inning with a lead—see Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman—they’re probably not good enough to do it often enough to make the necessary leap of six teams in order to make the playoffs. In fact, they could join the list of “sellers” if they fall any further back in a week or two.

A lack of good starting pitching has been an issue. Masahiro Tanaka continues to shine despite pitching with a partially torn elbow ligament, but he’s not getting much help. CC Sabathia’s career resurgence has taken a turn for the worse. After lowering his ERA to 2.20 with a quality start on June 16th, the 35-year-old lefty has allowed at least five earned runs in four consecutive starts. Nate Eovaldi and Ivan Nova have ERAs over 5.00. So does Michael Pineda, although his strong peripherals (2.5 BB/9, 10.7 K/9) are encouraging.

If you’re looking at the offense to carry the team, that’s probably not going to happen either. Carlos Beltran, Didi Gregorius and Brian McCann have all been very good. Jacoby Ellsbury has been OK. Everyone else on the roster, aside from maybe backup catcher Austin Romine, has underperformed.

The best internal option who could’ve potentially brought some firepower to the offense was Triple-A outfielder Aaron Judge, who made my “Knocking Down The Door” list a few weeks back. The 24-year-old right fielder is expected to miss 3-4 weeks, however, after suffering a knee injury last week.

While you can’t rule out the Yankees from making a trade now as a last-ditch effort to stay in contention, it’s likely that they go with what they have and hope that someone like Luis Severino, who has pitched much better since a demotion to Triple-A in late May, could light a fire under the team and get them a few games closer to a playoff spot by late July. If that happens, they could look to add one of the several big-name outfielders that could be available (Jay Bruce, Carlos Gonzalez, Josh Reddick), as well as a lower-cost starting pitcher—Andrew Cashner and Jeremy Hellickson come to mind—to help take some pressure off of Tanaka and the bullpen.

Yankees Depth Chart

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

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Latest On Blue Jays, Jose Bautista

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After looking in yesterday at Edwin Encarnacion’s situation with the Blue Jays, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports provides an update on the team’s stance with regard to fellow slugger Jose Bautista. While Toronto has no intentions of meeting Bautista’s high asking price, the club would be interested in a deal in the range of the contract Yoenis Cespedes signed with the Mets — i.e., three years at around $25MM annually.

Even at that price, says Heyman, it’s no sure thing that the Jays would bite. And even if the team moves into such a range — perhaps including an opt-out opportunity to sweeten the pot — it’s unclear whether Bautista would reciprocate. The word over the winter was that he was seeking five years and $150MM, which in truth always seemed a stretch. Despite his consistent excellence, after all, Bautista is already closing in on his 36th birthday.

With the first half of the year in the books, that kind of payday seems even further from reality. Though a recent toe injury doesn’t reflect any broader health issues, Bautista was off to a relatively pedestrian .230/.360/.455 slash over his first 286 plate appearances.

While he’s still walking as much as he strikes out, isn’t too far off of his usual power output with a .226 ISO, and has been hurt by a .239 BABIP, any erosion in productivity will be watched closely by teams weighing a major investment in an older player. And that’s before considering Bautista’s deteriorating glovework in the outfield, which could soon mandate a shift to first base or a DH role.

As MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes explained in his most recent free agent power rankings, it’s not even certain at this point that Bautista will command a fourth guaranteed year in the coming winter. That assessment is impacted, too, by the presence of other high-quality, open-market options — including power bats like Cespedes (assuming he opts out), Encarnacion, and Mark Trumbo as well as strong all-around outfielders such as Josh Reddick, Dexter Fowler, Ian Desmond, Carlos Gomez, and Michael Saunders.

Edward Mujica Requests, Receives Release From Phillies

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The Phillies have released veteran reliever Edward Mujica upon his request, per a club announcement. Signed to a minor league deal over the winter, Mujica has been pitching at Triple-A.

Mujica, a 32-year-old righty, has turned in solid results at the minors’ highest level but has yet to receive a big league opportunity in 2016. Over 39 frames, he owns a 3.69 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and has issued only four free passes.

That formula has worked for Mujica in the past in the majors, as he carried a lifetime 3.75 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 1.4 BB/9 when he hit the open market after the 2013 season. Since signing with the Red Sox in the ensuing winter, though, things haven’t gone as well. Over his last 107 1/3 MLB frames, Mujica has allowed 4.28 earned per nine, with particularly rough results last year.

It’s somewhat notable that the Phils didn’t see fit to give Mujica a shot in their pen, since the team had every incentive to see if he can pitch his way into a trade piece. Nevertheless, he looks like a reasonable bet to provide some solid innings to an organization that’s in need of bullpen options.

Latest On Extension Talks Between Rangers, Rougned Odor

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The Rangers and second bagger Rougned Odor are tabling extension talks for the time being after failing to reach agreement, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports. Texas had offered him something on the order of Gregory Polanco’s deal with the Pirates — i.e., around $35MM over five future seasons, with a pair of club options at the end.

That kind of deal puts real money in a player’s pocket, but obviously gives an organization immense upside — as Polanco’s own breakout has demonstrated. Both players are clients of Beverly Hills Sports Council, and it’s certainly arguable that they are similarly valuable assets as promising young talents in the 1+ service class.

But Odor evidently isn’t as motivated to get a deal done. He is still just 22 years of age, meaning he is on track to hit the free agent market at 27. Heyman says that Odor does have real interest in striking a bargain, and had made a counter-offer, but wasn’t interested in giving up the two option years to get something done.

The sides are likely to revisit the matter, per the report. Certainly, there’s no rush given that Odor is under control through 2020. But he’s obviously willing to bet on his talent, and Texas is no doubt aware that the price is likely only rising.

Odor’s on-base numbers are lagging a bit thus far in 2016, as he sits under .300 at the All-Star break, but he has mostly made up for that with some big-time pop. Over 348 plate appearances, he’s already matched last year’s 16-homer tally and owns a .491 slugging percentage. Odor has also set a career high with seven steals. Both his walk and strikeout rates are headed in the wrong direction, though, so there’s certainly room for improvement.

NL Notes: Rupp, Guerra, Kang

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It’s quiet today, but baseball’s second half begins in earnest tomorrow. Over the break, a roster of American League All-Stars defeated an assortment of National Leaguers by a score of 4 to 2. Owing to one of the most confounding rules in all of sport, this means that the A.L. entrant in the World Series will own home-field advantage for the Fall Classic.

As the A.L. post-season hopefuls celebrate their victory, here’s the latest from the N.L.:

  • Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com writes that a breakout first half from Cameron Rupp has made him a potential trade chip for the Phillies. While the 27-year-old comes with another four years of club control beyond the 2016 season, he represents a rare, controllable option for teams in need of offense behind the dish. A number of contenders meet that criteria, Seidman notes, listing the Indians and White Sox as a pair of clubs that have received well below-average production from their backstops this season. While the Phils needn’t feel compelled to move Rupp, GM Matt Klentak showed with the offseason Ken Giles trade that he’s willing to move assets with considerably more club control than the typical trade candidate if the right offer presents itself.
  • Brewers righty Junior Guerra has been one of the game’s most remarkable stories in the first half, turning from a waiver claimee (in GM David Stearns’s first transaction) into a quality starter. As Gary D’Amato of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes, it was his discovery — and mastery — of the splitter that made him a Rookie of the Year candidate at 31 years of age. Harnessing that key offering “was a long process,” he says, explaining that he didn’t feel comfortable with it until about two years ago. Because of his age, Guerra is in a rather unique position with regard to contract rights; he also could be a more likely trade candidate than might otherwise be anticipated given his meager service time (though I didn’t feel compelled to include him in our list of potentially available starters). “Right now I’m not thinking about money,” he tells D’Amato. “I’m just thinking about working hard and providing for my family. I want to keep working hard in order to keep getting chances.” Field questions about his trade status is probably quite an unexpected luxury, but Guerra says he hopes to continue pitching in Milwaukee.
  • MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says that the league won’t take any action with regard to Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang until the Chicago police have advanced their investigation into allegations of sexual assault, Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. “We are aware of the situation and are working with law enforcement,” said Manfred. “We will make a decision when we have sufficient facts as to whether application of, for example, the administrative leave provisions in the new policy are applicable.” The league had moved more swiftly to place Hector Olivera on administrative leave earlier this season, but he was arrested and charged in the immediate aftermath of the incident in question. In many ways, Kang’s situation will represent a new challenge for the commissioner’s office, who has already dealt with several cases under a still-new policy addressing domestic violence and sexual assault. This is the first case falling under the latter rubric, and also the first involving an important player whose team is involved in a post-season race.

Mets Prioritizing Bullpen In Trade Talks

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The Mets have seen their vaunted young rotation display its mortality this season, particularly with the loss of Matt Harvey, and have also suffered a number of injuries throughout the starting lineup — most notably, David Wright and Lucas Duda. Nevertheless, the team feels that another relief arm is its top need at the moment, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

New  York’s National League entrant isn’t necessarily prioritizing a premium closer or setup man, per the report. Puma lists Ryan Buchter and Brad Hand of the Padres, Chris Withrow of the Braves and John Axford of the Athletics as plausible targets for the Mets. (For what it’s worth, the guess here is that Buchter would require quite a bit more than the other names, given his skyrocketing strikeout rate and lengthy, cheap control.)

The report also names Jeremy Jeffress as a possibility in the event that the Mets wish to pursue another club’s closer, although the asking price on Jeffress is said to be quite high. One name that GM Sandy Alderson and his staff did not pursue, according to Puma, was Fernando Rodney — who recently went from the Padres to the Marlins in an early July swap.

While some fans may prefer to see the Mets pursue some help for their ailing rotation, the club’s current plan is to use Logan Verrett in the rotation until Zack Wheeler is able to return to next month. Should Verrett falter, Puma lists Triple-A righty Gabriel Ynoa as an alternative option. Any further setbacks for Wheeler could also change the calculus.

Having already moved to shore things up in other areas, and having cashed in some notable trade chips during last season’s run, it’s not surprising to see attention move to the pen. The unit rates quite well by most measures, but that’s mostly driven by late-inning righties Jeurys Familia, Addison Reed and Hansel Robles, who are joined by southpaw Jerry Blevins to form  a solid core. Beyond that foursome, though, the results have been uneven. Alderson was quite successful in rescuing Reed a summer ago, and may be on the lookout for another chance to harness a talented arm at a reasonable price.

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