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AL East Notes: Vazquez, Farrell, O’Day, Sanchez, Estrada

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It was on this day in 1939 that the Yankees hosted a “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day” ceremony between games of a doubleheader with the Washington Senators.  Gehrig had officially retired two weeks earlier, just after his ALS diagnosis had been made public.  Gehrig received many emotional tributes from city officials, teammates and former manager Joe McCarthy, plus he became the first player in Major League history to have a uniform number retired.  The most iconic moment, of course, was Gehrig’s own speech, in which he described himself as “the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”

Here’s the latest from around the AL East…

  • The Red Sox demoted Christian Vazquez to Triple-A and activated Ryan Hanigan off the 15-day DL today.  Despite good defensive numbers, Vazquez looked overmatched at the plate, hitting just .226/.278/.305 over 176 PA.  While the demotion wasn’t unexpected, the surprising element to the move is that unheralded veteran Sandy Leon has forced his way into regular starts.  Leon collected four more hits today and is now batting .500/.556/.775 over 45 plate appearances for Boston this season.  Since regression is inevitable for Leon, the Sox could look for catching help at the deadline.
  • Manager John Farrell described the Red Sox to reporters (including WEEI.com’s Ryan Hannable) as “a good team despite obvious areas of need.”  Farrell cited pitching and perhaps a right-handed hitting infielder as those areas of need.  Brock Holt and Marco Hernandez (both left-handed bats) are Boston’s primary backup infielders, and struggling third baseman Travis Shaw also swings from the left side.
  • The Orioles are hopeful that Darren O’Day can return after the All-Star break, manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including Rich Dubroff of CSNMidAtlantic.com) today.  The reliever was enjoying another solid season out of the Orioles bullpen before suffering a hamstring strain that has kept hm out of action for over a month.  O’Day is making good progress, Showalter said, and a simulated game and rehab assignment could begin next week.
  • The Orioles and Blue Jays have both had talent evaluators watching the Twins recently, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets.
  • The Blue Jays often talk about Aaron Sanchez’s role, and manager John Gibbons told reporters (including Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith) that he still thinks Sanchez will be shifted to the bullpen at some point this season.  Toronto has held to this plan since Spring Training in order to keep Sanchez’s innings in check, though the young righty has emerged as the ace of the Jays rotation.  After eight innings of one-run ball against the Royals tonight, Sanchez now has a 2.94 ERA, 56.7% grounder rate and 7.86 K/9 through 113 1/3 frames this season.  Sanchez’s previous career high is 133 1/3 (in both minor league and MLB innings) in 2014.
  • Marco Estrada received at least four cortisone shots in his bad back today, and the Blue Jays are hopeful he can make his scheduled start on Thursday, Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling writes.  This the second time Estrada has been hampered by back problems this season, as an early-season DL stint cost him his first start of the year though similar cortisone treatments helped correct those issues.  It’s also possible the Jays could start Drew Hutchison on Thursday and give Estrada an extended rest through the All-Star break.

Mets To Activate Jose Reyes On Tuesday

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The Mets expect to activate Jose Reyes on their Major League roster tomorrow, as per the club’s official Twitter feed.  Reyes is on his way to New York for Tuesday’s game between the Mets and Marlins.

A corresponding move to create room for Reyes on the 25-man roster will presumably come tomorrow.  Looking at their roster, Matt Reynolds or Alejandro De Aza stand out as possible cuts — Reyes could take Reynolds’ place as a backup shortstop, while De Aza has essentially been an odd man out on New York’s roster all season.  While Reyes is expected to take over from Wilmer Flores as the regular third baseman, Flores may have saved his roster spot with an incredible 6-for-6 performance on Sunday.  Reyes has also never played as much as a single game at the hot corner in his MLB career, so Flores can stick around to step back into the position if necessary.

Reyes signed a minor league deal with the Mets last week and he has since played in a combined 10 games at the low-A and Double-A levels, all at third base.  The Mets owe Reyes just a prorated league minimum salary as the Rockies will absorb most of the roughly $37.9MM owed to him through the end of the 2017 season.

Reyes hasn’t played in a Major League game this season in the wake of the domestic violence incident that led to a league investigation and a suspension.  The Mets’ signing of Reyes drew no shortage of criticism given this recent history, though Reyes has expressed remorse about his actions and the team believes he is deserving of another chance.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Red Sox, Indians, Rangers, Twins

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Here’s the latest hot stove buzz from Ken Rosenthal’s latest notes column for FOXSports.com…

  • “The universal feeling” within the Red Sox organization is that top prospect Andrew Benintendi will surpass the likes of Kyle Schwarber and Michael Conforto in terms of being an all-around player.  There is also some sentiment that Dave Dombrowski “is sold on Yoan Moncada becoming a superstar.”  So the Sox could well have their long-term answers at left field and third base spoken for, or Boston could deal one of these top youngsters for a pitching upgrade.  Rosenthal feels that the Sox would only move one of these two “a true, controllable ace,” and no pitcher like that appears to be available at the deadline.  Boston might go for a lower-key pitching upgrade at the deadline and then wait to pursue an ace in the offseason when such names as Jose Fernandez or Matt Harvey could be had.  Since so many of Boston’s issues can be traced back to its struggling rotation, Rosenthal doesn’t think Dombrowski will or should make a rash move like firing John Farrell or trading a top prospect for anything less than full value.
  • The Indians will be looking to add both a reliever and another bat before the trade deadline.
  • Beyond the Rangers’ top prospects, they have several other minor leaguers getting attention for possible trades.  First baseman Ronald Guzman, outfielder Ryan Cordell, catcher Jose Trevino, and righties Ariel Jurado and Connor Sadzeck are a few names who Texas could possibly use as trade chips if the likes of Lewis Brinson, Jurickson Profar or Joey Gallo are untouchables.
  •  “A low-revenue team cannot afford to miss on so many decisions,” Rosenthal notes in a review of several moves that have recently backfired on the Twins.  The signings of Kevin Jepsen and Byung Ho Park were justifiable and Park could still develop into a productive bat, though Minnesota has gotten little return from Phil Hughes’ extension and the acquisitions of Ervin Santana, Ricky Nolasco and John Ryan Murphy.

NL Central Notes: Riggins, Mozeliak, Cubs, Middlebrooks

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Here’s the latest from around the NL Central…

  • The Reds have dismissed pitching coach Mark Riggins, as per a club announcement.  Bullpen coach Mack Jenkins will take over the job, with Triple-A pitching coach Ted Power moving up to replace Jenkins in the pen.  Cincinnati is at or near the bottom of every notable pitching category this season, and their pitching as a whole has been worth a cumulative -3.9 fWAR.  This was Riggins’ first season as the Reds’ pitching coach after four years as the organization’s minor league pitching coordinator, and he hardly came into a comfortable situation — not only were the rebuilding Reds going with a young rotation, but injuries hit nearly every member of the staff.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak isn’t yet sure what his team will target at the deadline, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch writes.  “I haven’t been knee deep in the reliever market,” Mozeliak said, though that could stand out as the most clear area of need for St. Louis.  Langosch notes that the Cards could address their bullpen from within by using Triple-A starters Alex Reyes and Mike Mayers as relievers to break them into the big leagues.
  • The bullpen is the only “real problem” facing the Cubs, ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers opines.  The rotation and lineup have had some recent issues, though those can be excused by injuries or perhaps simply some expected regression after the Cubs’ blazing-hot start to the season.  The relief corps, on the other hand, needs some depth, as “even a casual observer can see that manager Joe Maddon only has faith in a few guys, because only a few guys are worthy of it.”  Chicago is known to be scouting for bullpen upgrades, particularly the Yankees’ big relief trio of Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances.
  • Will Middlebrooks’ minor league deal with the Brewers included an assignment clause for July 1, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes.  Milwaukee was required to offer the third baseman to the other 29 teams if Middlebrooks wasn’t on the big league roster by July 1, and given how the Brewers purchased his contract yesterday, McCalvy figures at least one team had interest in Middlebrooks’ services.

Pirates Place Jameson Taillon On 15-Day DL With Shoulder Fatigue

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The Pirates have prized rookie right-hander Jameson Taillon on the 15-day DL due to fatigue in his throwing shoulder.  Southpaw Steven Brault will start tomorrow’s game against the Cardinals in Taillon’s place, and another move will need to be made to create space for Brault on the 40-man roster.

[Related: updated Pirates depth chart at Roster Resource]

Taillon missed all of the 2014 and 2015 seasons recovering from both Tommy John surgery and a hernia operation, and he returned to dominate over 61 2/3 IP at Triple-A.  That dominance (as well as some injuries to the Pirates’ rotation) led to two separate callups this season, and Taillon acquitted himself pretty well in his first taste of big league action.  The 24-year-old righty had a 3.86 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 4.20 K/BB rate over 28 innings with the Pirates, and he looked in good form during his last start on June 29, holding Seattle to one run on six hits over six innings.

The Pirates were naturally going to be careful with Taillon’s innings given his long injury layoff and the fact that he’d never thrown more than 147 1/3 frames in any one pro season.  This could very well be a precautionary DL stint based on Taillon showing the first hint of an issue, though obviously any type of shoulder-related DL stint is troubling given Taillon’s importance to Pittsburgh’s rotation plans in both the long and short term.

The Bucs’ pitching staff has been plagued by injuries (Taillon joins Gerrit Cole and Ryan Vogelsong on the DL) and underperformance from Francisco Liriano, Jeff Locke and Jon Niese.  Chad Kuhl has already gotten the call from Triple-A to bolster the rotation, and one has to wonder if the Pirates will promote another top prospect by bringing Tyler Glasnow to the bigs.  Glasnow has a 1.78 ERA and 10.6 K/9 over 96 Triple-A innings this season, though he has also posted a troubling 4.9 BB/9.

Brault was rated as the 15th-best minor leaguer in Pittsburgh’s system by the 2016 Baseball America Prospect Handbook.  He was credited with having excellent command and an ability to limit homers and induce grounders, which helps counter an “ordinary” changeup and curve, and a fastball in the 89-91 mph range.  Brault has a 3.34 ERA, 11.3 K/9 and 2.93 K/BB rate over 35 Triple-A innings this season.

Reds To Sign Alfredo Rodriguez

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MONDAY: The Reds have officially announced the minor league deal, as per the club’s Twitter page.

SATURDAY: The Reds have agreed to terms with Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez on a $7MM deal, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez writes. Rodriguez is a strong defensive shortstop with good speed, as Sanchez notes. He was the 2014-15 Rookie of the Year in Cuba’s Serie Nacional.

Rodriguez ranked sixth on MLB.com’s list of the top international prospects available this signing period. He has excellent speed and range. He doesn’t yet hit well, although MLB.com notes there is some hope his bat will develop.

Despite Rodriguez’s pro experience, he is subject to rules regarding international bonus pools, so his $7MM bonus represents a significant financial outlay for the Reds, who have a bonus pool of $5,163,400 and currently project to be penalized as the result of the signing, although they could trade for more international bonus slots to avoid any serious punitive measure. The Reds have long been connected to Rodriguez, with some reports indicating they had a deal with him all the way back in January, in the previous signing period.

Twins Outright Darin Mastroianni

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The Twins have outrighted Darin Mastroianni off their 40-man roster, the club announced.  The outfielder was just activated off the disabled list, as he has been recovering from a left oblique strain since late May.

As Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune notes, Mastroianni now has 72 hours to accept an assignment to the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate.  He could elect free agency since he has been outrighted before (in September 2014 by the Blue Jays) but as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports, Mastroianni is believed to be staying in the Twins organization.

Mastroianni signed a minor league deal with Minnesota last winter and appeared in seven games with the big club before hitting the DL.  Over his career, Mastroianni has a .206/.271/.280 slash line over 317 PA and 25 steals in 29 attempts.  All of his big league experience has come with the Twins and Blue Jays (in two separate stint with each team) and he has also played in the Phillies’ and Nationals’ farm systems.

Tigers Place Jordan Zimmermann On 15-Day DL With Neck Strain

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The Tigers have placed right-hander Jordan Zimmermann on the 15-day DL due to a strained neck, the team announced (via Twitter).  Anibal Sanchez will take Zimmermann’s next scheduled start, while Dustin Molleken has been called up from Triple-A to round out the bullpen.

[Related: updated Tigers depth chart at Roster Resources]

The DL placement was retroactive to July 1, so Zimmermann is eligible to return during Detroit’s first series after the All-Star break (an important AL Central matchup with the Royals).  He will miss at least two starts due to the injury, however, landing another blow to a beleaguered Tigers rotation.

Zimmermann signed a five-year, $110MM deal with the Tigers last winter and began his stint in the Motor City in spectacular fashion.  He won AL Pitcher of the Month honors for April by posting an 0.55 ERA over five starts, and while some regression was inevitable, the righty has been inconsistent in June.  Zimmermann missed a start due to a minor groin injury in late May, and he has since posted a 6.43 ERA over six starts and 35 innings.

For the full season, Zimmermann has a 3.95 ERA, 3.33 K/BB rate and 5.6 K/9.  He is on track to post the lowest K/9 of his career, and his average fastball velocity has dropped to a career-low 91.9 mph.  That being said, the right-hander is also using his fastball much less than usual — only 52.5% of Zimmermann’s pitches have been fastballs this season, as he is throwing his slider with more regularity.  ERA predictors such as xFIP (4.56) and SIERA (4.59) indicate that Zimmermann has perhaps been a bit fortunate to only have a 3.95 ERA at this point.

Sanchez lost his rotation job last month after posting a 6.67 ERA over his first 56 2/3 innings of the season.  He has performed better out of the pen (a 2.84 ERA in 12 1/3 IP), and given how he is owed at least $29MM through the end of the 2017 season, the Tigers certainly hope Sanchez has regained some of his old form.

Giants Designate Mike Broadway, Activate Sergio Romo

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The Giants have designated righty Mike Broadway for assignment, the club announced (h/t Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, on Twitter). His 40-man spot was needed to activate veteran reliever Sergio Romo, with righty Albert Suarez being demoted to free up an active roster spot.

[Updated Giants Depth Chart]

Broadway, 29, was one of many inexperienced arms to start the year on the San Francisco 40-man, but the team has faced multiple roster needs over the season’s first half. Over the last two years, he has thrown 22 2/3 major league frames, posting a 6.75 ERA with 6.8 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9. After averaging just over 95 mph with his heater last year, though, Broadway had lost two ticks in his brief time in the majors in 2016.

San Francisco will hope that Romo can return to being a quality set-up man after missing several months with a forearm injury. He figures to provide a much-needed boost — particularly if he can pitch anything like he did in 2015, when he ran up a 2.98 ERA that undersold his true value. Romo posted 11.2 K/9 against 1.6 BB/9 over 57 1/3 innings a season ago.

Indians Designate Joba Chamberlain, Tom Gorzelanny

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The Indians have announced a host of pitching moves, with the club clearing roster space by designating righty Joba Chamberlain and lefty Tom Gorzelanny. They’ll be replaced by southpaw T.J. House and righty Mike Clevinger.

[Related: Updated Indians Depth Chart]

Chamberlain, 30, had been generating results for Cleveland after signing a $1MM deal in the offseason. He owns a 2.25 ERA over twenty frames, with 8.1 K/9 against 5.0 BB/9 and a 52.9% groundball rate. The veteran is still working with an average fastball of over 93 mph, and ought to draw some interest — particularly given the cheap salary.

Things hadn’t gone quite as well for the 33-year-old Gorzelanny, who was tagged for seven earned runs in just three innings of work over seven appearances. He had been useful at the Triple-A level, though, putting up 18 2/3 innings of 3.38 ERA pitching with 9.2 K/9 against 5.3 BB/9.

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